Podcasts about Cheshire

Robin in Neath and Stevie in Cheshire go head-to-head in the mighty quiz!

VOLUME WARNING: Sounds of Combat, Screams, Rushing Water, FireGlimpse you ere the green ray,Count the morrow a fine day.- Sea Dog ProverbNotes from the NarratorThis podcast is proudly endorsed by Chaosium Inc. Visit www.chaosium.com/7th-sea for more information and use the code WRITER10 for 10% off your next site-wide purchase! [Limit one per customer]Support The Writer's Room: patreon.com/thewritersroom7thSupport Emory Kjelsberg, our official artist: https://www.emorykj.com/CastZoé Jackson (Narrator)Evan Ackley (Captain Jesse Nkansa)Patrick Keefe (Wayland Greywall)SponsorsTen Quills Dice [https://tenquillsdice.com/]Patreon OfficersRaven, V, Cheshire, Tarquin, Thryth, Spin, Merlin, and Armani.MusicArcane Anthems (https://www.patreon.com/arcaneanthems) [The Writer's Room]Daydreamz Studios (https://motionarray.com/browse/producer/daydreamz-studios/) [Nightmare, Out of the Dark]Jo Wandrini (https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/jo-wandrini/) [Crypta {Fate's Hand}Antti Martikainen (https://anttimartikainen.com/) [Hymn of the High Seas {Jesse's Theme}, Wolves of the Sea]ASKII (https://askii.bandcamp.com/) [Dark Whispers {The River Lethe}]Lennon Hutton (https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/lennon-hutton/) [Close the Door Please]Talekeeper Music (https://motionarray.com/browse/producer/talekeepermusic/) [Vicious Pirates' Mutinies]SFXEpidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)Motion Array (https://motionarray.com/)Fusehive Interactive Media LTD (http://www.fusehive.com/)

The Ars Magica roleplaying game is currently complete, but the community is still mining great gaming material out of medieval history as part of a Share Alike License. The Games From Folktales podcast gives you new, odd, useful material each week, for roleplaying games set in European-styled fantasy settings.   Mythic Europe Magazine is now available from Drivethru, Patreon and itch.io. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/520248/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one?affiliate_id=1776916 https://www.patreon.com/c/timothyferguson/shop https://timothy-ferguson.itch.io/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one

Joseph McCann carried out two sprees of horrific sexual and violent crimes in Hertfordshire, London, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester. It was a matter of urgency to get him off the streets for the public's safety. No one in England was safe until he was behind bars. McCann had victimised both male and female, child and pensioners; there was no telling where or who he would target next. Eventually, he was apprehended and a date was set for his trial… (Part 3 of 3).*** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED *** This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane.Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions.Script editing, additional writing, illustrations and production direction by Rosanna FittonNarration, additional audio editing and mixing, script editing by Benjamin Fitton.To get early ad-free access, including Season 1, sign up for They Walk Among PLUS, available from Patreon or Apple Podcasts.More information and episode references can be found on our website https://theywalkamonguspodcast.comMUSIC: Rising Sun by Colossus As I Dream by Moments Arcadia by Cody Martin Every Life Matters by Cody Martin Far From Home by Cody Martin Forbidden Wing by Cody Martin Kalahari by Cody Martin Sabotage by Cody Martin The Fall by Cody Martin Blackstone by Lincoln Davis Undernight by Lincoln Davis Night Watch by Third Age Sussex by Stephen Keech No Escape by Wicked Cinema The Curse by Wicked Cinema SOCIAL MEDIA: https://linktr.ee/TheyWalkAmongUsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick and Angela welcome a brilliant broadcaster to our very own happy place.  Fearne Cotton is a TV and radio broadcaster and founder of the hugely successful Happy Place universe. Fearne, who grew up in Hillingdon, West London began her career at the age of 15 presenting kids TV show, The Disney Club. She went on to present shows including Diggit, The Saturday Show and The Xtra Factor, and cohosted Top of the Pops with Reggie Yates from 2004. Fearne is a great friend of Nick's and worked alongside him at BBC Radio 1, where she hosted  Live Lounge in the mid-morning slot.  Fearne currently presents Sounds of the 90s on BBC Radio 2, but is arguably best known for her Happy Place podcast, which has just celebrated its seventh birthday. She joins us to chat about the Happy Place Festival, which takes place in London's Gunnersbury Park on 12 and 13 July, and in Cheshire's Tatton Park on 30 and 31 August. The festival is full of inspiring guest talks, podcast recordings, yoga and workshops.  Angela provides plenty of happy plates in this episode, serving Fearne roast cauliflower with dates, spiced chickpeas, preserved lemons & green tahini with chicory salad, which is paired with a glass of No.1 Beaujolais Villages. Before the arrival of the main course, Fearne is handed a fiery lime margarita, which goes down a treat.  It's no surprise that this week feels like good mates catching up as Fearne and Nick share some of their more random tales of pop star interviews. Fearne talks about her approach to veganism (or ‘veganity'), including the time she broke all her own rules for an interview with Ludovico Einaudi. And is this our most considered Fast Food Quiz yet? You can watch full episodes of Dish on YouTube  All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish We can't all have a Michelin star chef in the kitchen, but you can ask Angela for help.  Send your dilemmas to dish@waitrose.co.uk and she'll try to answer them in a future episode.Dish from Waitrose is made by Cold Glass Productions.

This episode is sponsored by Downing. Downing is a responsible investment manager with nearly a billion pounds of assets under management in renewable energy and infrastructure. This episode was recorded live at the LGC Investment Seminar which was held between 27-28 March 2025 in Carden Park, Cheshire. Joining Martin George, deputy editor of Local Government Chronicle, are: Tom Williams, head of energy and infrastructure at Downing Laura Colliss, pension fund manager at North East Scotland Pension Fund Together they discuss the investment opportunities for the Local Government Pension Scheme to invest in the energy transition ahead of key milestones in 2030 and 2050, the role of Great British Energy and how the LGPS can work with it, and how LGPS funds can use these opportunities to achieve a local impact in their area. Find out more about the event at investmentseminar.lgcplus.com/ Read LGC's investment content at lgcplus.com/investment

After taking early retirement, my guest in this episode, Julie Conrad decided to pull out an old manuscript she started over 30 years ago. This one step put her on the path to fulfilling her dream of becoming a published author. She has now written 7 books and her latest, To Everything There is a Season, although fiction, will resonate with many women 50+.Watch the VideoMeet Julie ConradJulie Conrad lives in Cheshire, UK. When she isn't writing novels, she enjoys painting with acrylics and is a member of the Altrincham Society of Artists. A retired social worker and Regulatory Inspector, BA (Hons) Social Science degree and a BA(Regulation and Inspection), Julie was also a Practice Teacher in the training of student Social Workers. Julie has featured in the Manchester Evening news and Wigan Observer, and has been interviewed a number of times on local radio station, Radio Alty. Julie loves nature and supports animal charities, RSPCA, PETA and other grass root charities, and believes in kindness to all.At the beginning of lockdown 2019, I decided to complete and publish a manuscript I had written in 1990, which I did, entitled High Places. What began as a one off project became so absorbing I have self published six novels whilst my seventh novel, To Everything There is a Season is published by Round fire, Collective Ink.Website: Home - Julie Conrad AuthorBook Link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/roundfire-books/our-books/to-everything-there-is-season-novelThanks for reading Women Living Well After 50 with Sue Loncaric! Subscribe for free to receive new posts, podcast episodes and my free newsletter: Your Weekly Boost This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit womenlivingwellafter50.substack.com

The Ars Magica roleplaying game is currently complete, but the community is still mining great gaming material out of medieval history as part of a Share Alike License. The Games From Folktales podcast gives you new, odd, useful material each week, for roleplaying games set in European-styled fantasy settings.   Mythic Europe Magazine is now available from Drivethru, Patreon and itch.io. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/520248/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one?affiliate_id=1776916 https://www.patreon.com/c/timothyferguson/shop https://timothy-ferguson.itch.io/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one  

Welcome to episode 11 of The National Counties Cricket Show, brought to you by the team behind the Premier League Cricket Show and bringing you the ultimate destination for dynamic discussions, exclusive guests, and unmatched insights from around the peak of the non-professional cricket pyramid across the 20 x National Counties, formerly Minor Counties, and their burgeoning representative side the Challengers! In this episode we chat with Staffordshire skipper James Kettleborough who will be looking to put one over their local rivals Cheshire this weekend to put them in a firm qualifying position for the NCCA T20 Super 12's Thanks for listening and if you enjoy the show, why not show us some love and leave us a 5-star review on your favourite podcast platform as it helps other potential listeners to find us when they are searching for cricketing podcasts. And don't forget to follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram on both to join the conversation, share your thoughts, and connect with us & fellow premier league cricket fans. Twitter: @TPLCricketClub Instagram:@TPLCricketClub Website: premierleaguecricket.co.uk Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TPLCricketShow@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: @NCCA_UK Instagram: @NCCA.UK Website: nationalcountiesca.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we talk through the #Commanders OTA's and answer fan questions.

Send us a textJoin us on a quiet night of summer rain as we listen to rooks and explore the beauty and ambiguities of two liminal places with a lot in common. We learn about the web-footed fenmen and are guided by Luke Sherlock to a ruined church under haunting skies.   Journal entry:6th June, Friday“We walk through the sheep field As the rain pours down. My boot socks still wet from last night. The rooks muster noisily at the One Oak.Even the magpies' cackles cannot wake The lambs still asleep Nestled beneath the blackthorn hedge.” Episode Information:In this episode I read Edward Storey's ‘You walk the roof of the world here' and Jeff Moore's ‘The worked land.' I also read an extract from Luke Sherlock's Forgotten Churches published by Quarto and refer to Adam Porter's podcast ‘The Water Road'More information about the campaign for a flag for the fens can be found here: Flag of the Fens.With special thanks to our lock-wheelers:Susan BakerMind Shambles Clare Hollingsworth Kevin B. Fleur and David Mcloughlin Lois Raphael Tania Yorgey Andrea Hansen Chris Hinds David Dirom Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger Captain Arlo Rebecca Russell Allison on the narrowboat Mukka Derek and Pauline Watts Anna V. Orange Cookie Mary Keane. Tony Rutherford. Arabella Holzapfel. Rory with MJ and Kayla. Narrowboat Precious Jet. Linda Reynolds Burkins. Richard Noble. Carol Ferguson. Tracie Thomas Mark and Tricia Stowe Madeleine SmithGeneral DetailsThe intro and the outro music is ‘Crying Cello' by Oleksii_Kalyna (2024) licensed for free-use by Pixabay (189988). Narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative CSupport the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.Contact Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

A pandemic survivor accidentally forms a harem.Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Chapter 1Around day eighteen of the quarantine, Andy was starting to lose his damn mind. The governor of California had gotten on the television and announced that everyone who wasn't essential was under house arrest, essentially. Sure, the grocery stores were open, but restaurants were only doing delivery, and every bar in town was closed. The most time he'd spent outdoors in the last week had been walking out to the mailbox cluster for the complex down at the end of the street.Despite the fact that both of them had decent paying jobs “ Eric as a software engineer and Andy as a marketing writer “ neither could afford an entire place to themselves, so Andy paid rent to Eric, who owned the condo (or at least was paying it down).Andy also had a side hustle as a novelist, and was getting frustrated as hell that the quarantine was keeping him in place meant that his newest book was being pushed back. There was a warehouse full of fifty thousand copies of his next novel, and they were all just sitting there."They'll come out eventually," his agent had told him, but the whole thing felt very much like a death sentence to his literary ambitions. Andy even had a box of copies sitting on their kitchen table, along with a movie poster styled promotional in a frame."Did you get the mail today?" Andy asked his roommate."Nah," Eric said. "Didn't see the point.""Fair enough."Wham wham wham."You order food?""Nope. You?"A voice came from outside their front door. "CDC. Open the door, please."Eric moved to the door and peered through the peephole. On the other side, he saw a man in a biohazard suit, covered completely from head to toe. He raised one covered hand and waved. "I'm perfectly safe, as you can see. We're going door to door and testing people for the virus."Eric looked back at his roommate and shrugged. Andy grabbed his two cats, scooping one up in each arm as Eric opened the door. It was like something out of The Andromeda Strain, seeing the man in the yellow hazmat outside, a small box in one hand. "CDC?""Yeah. I'm Dave. Invite me in?"Andy shrugged and Eric laughed. "Sure, c'mon in. We just need to close the door behind you so the cats don't get out.""Sure sure, I get that. I'm here to test if you guys are clear. Is there some place I can set up?""Go ahead and use the kitchen. You want us together or one at a time?""The test only takes fifteen minutes and I can run up to four of them at a time, so come on. I can run you both." He lugged the kit with a world weariness, as if he'd been doing this thirty times a day since the lockdown had started. "Paperwork says you've got two guys living here “ Eric Yang and Andrew Rook. That you two?""That's us.""Nobody else in the condo?""Nope. Nobody else.""Cool," Dave said as he set the kit down on the kitchen table. He glanced up at the movie poster promotional on the wall above the kitchen table. "Oh hey, you guys are fan of the Druid Gunslinger books too? I fucking love those things."Eric laughed a little bit, sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs, rolling up his sleeve. "I mean, you could say that, I guess. He writes'em.""What? No, they're written by some guy named Blake Conrad." He glanced at Eric and grinned. "I don't need blood, man. Here, just rub this swab on the inside of your cheek for a bit."Andy smiled a bit sheepishly, putting the cats down. "Yeah, that's me. It's a pen name.""Why the hell would you want a pen name when you've got an awesome last name like Rook?""I'm friends with Arthur McStevenson. You know, the guy who writes all those thrillers you see on sale in the airports? Anyway, he told me that he wished he'd have taken a pen name before he got started, so people just couldn't look him up and track him down at home."Dave took the cotton swap that Eric handed him and put it into one of the four slots on the little machine he carried with him. "Oh hey, I'm sorry man. I don't want to bother you about it.""Nah, you didn't come tap on my window in the middle of the night or anything. What do I care?" Andy waved his hand before taking a cotton swab from him, rubbing it along the inside of his cheek, and then handed it back to the man in the bio suit."While this is running, I just gotta ask you guys a few other questions. Do you guys each have a twin bed?"Eric rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? Ask him about his bed. Just ask him."Andy crossed his arms over his chest, as if this was a discussion they'd had a number of times. "Eric's got a queen sized bed and I've got a California king sized bed. Even though I've got the smaller bedroom. But what can I say? When I got out of college, I bought a big ass bed, so I'd always be comfortable, and never wanted to give it up.""Why do you ask?""They're starting to force people to house additional people in their places, so we can keep the uncontaminated together, at least for a while.""What?" Eric said, his face scowling. "There's no way that's legal.""It's temporary, and we're doing everything we can to make sure people are at least okay with it. At this point, we're just doing what we can to get people through it. But the death toll is starting to stack up. I mean, have you seen the footage coming out of New York City?"Andy nodded. "Trailer trucks stacked full with body bags. It's terrifying.""Besides, it's not all that bad. The virus seems to be targeting men a lot more than women, so guys are scoring with women way out of their league. And the women seem to be a little friskier once they've developed an immunity to the virus. I'm sure you'll see eventually."Andy arched an eyebrow in the man's direction. "That sounds ominous."The man in the biohazard suit waved a hand dismissively in their direction. "Not at all. Just relax and enjoy the ride. That's all I should say about it. So when's the next Druid Gunslinger book coming out? It's really soon, isn't it?"Andy stepped over to the fridge, opening it to take out a can of soda, using the fridge to hide his sigh, although he wasn't entirely successful. "It was supposed to be out in three weeks, but because of the virus, the publisher's pushing it back to the fall. I mean, I understand. I get a lot of additional sales off of in store appearances and whatnot. I get it. And I'm already working on writing the next one. But it's always rough having a book release pushed back.""Man, that sucks. I was really looking forward to reading it during my downtime when they're driving us between locations.""Y'know what, you're a fan, so let me do you a favor. I better not see this show up on eBay or the internet though, otherwise I'm gonna know who it was." Andy moved over to the box on the kitchen and opened the top of it, taking one of the books out. "They call these advance reader copies. They send me a few boxes of them so I can sell them at appearances or give them away to friends and such. I haven't even sent my family copies yet. I think the only other person than my agent and my editor who's read the book is Eric here."Eric nodded. "It's not as good as 'Have Totem, Will Travel' but it's one of the better books in the series, I thought. Way better than 'The Trouble With Werebears,' but then again, that's not hard.""Everyone's a critic," Andy said, grabbing a pen from near the box. "Fair, though. I had to bang that one out in five weeks because the publisher just wanted to cram another one onto store shelves while it was hot. I wasn't satisfied with it either, but it still sold okay. You said your name was Dave, right?""Yeah," Dave answered.Andy opened the front cover of the hardback ARC and wrote in the front of it, "For Dave, Jake thinks you're one of the real heroes. Yours, Blake Conrad." He blew over the ink for a second, making sure it was dry, before closing it up and offering it to Dave. "There you go. Autographed, personalized copy months in advance of when you can get it in stores.""That's awesome, man!" Dave said, genuine enthusiasm in his voice. The machine on the table beeped, a cheerful tri tone medley. "You guys are both 100% virus clear. And let me pay you back for this," he said, patting the book on the table next to him. He flipped a little toggle switch on the machine and then pushed the large green button on the side. A small little printout scrolled out of the machine. He tore it off and then pushed the green button again. "Okay, this one is for you," he said, holding out the receipt to Eric. "And this one is for you, Mr. Conrad," he said with a laugh, holding out the second slip to Andy. "You need to go onto the website today and fill out the questionnaire. I know it's going to seem weird, but just answer the questions honestly and openly, and go through the whole thing. You'll be very glad you did later, okay?""What's it for?""It'll help you be happy with your pair ups when we bring them by in a few days. You know that giant condo complex a mile or two over?""What, the 30 story skyscraper?""Yeah. That's being converted into a triage hospital, so all the tenants are being evicted. Lots of people who are going to be relocated. There's a range of five possible questionnaires that uninfected men can get, and it's at the test giver's discretion. Most people, we just give them level one or two questionnaires.""What did you give us?""Welcome to level 5, fellas. It's mostly reserved for medical professionals and high rollers, but it's my discretion, and this little baby's going to keep me from losing my mind for the next few weeks, so I gotta make sure we're square," he said while patting the book. "This should more than even us out.""It makes that much of a difference?"Dave smiled like a Cheshire cat beneath his biohazard helmet and nodded. "You'll see. Just trust me on this. Go fill it out right away, though! They'll probably have someone here tomorrow or the day after, and you want to be ready." The scientist picked up the book in one hand and his testing kit in the other. "And with that, I'm off! I won't be able to get started on this tonight, but I'll see if I can swing by on one of the drop offs and let you know what I think of it.""Hey, it's always nice to meet a fan," Andy said. He moved to scoop up the two cats into his arms again before he and Eric walked him to the door.Dave shuffled toward the door, as Eric opened it for him. "Remember guys, the questionnaire is completely confidential and no one's going to judge you on any of it, so be completely honest. Got it? Completely. Honest.""With all the hyping you've been doing, I can't wait to see this questionnaire," Andy laughed. "Go on, go! You've got more people to be saving, I'm sure.""Take care, fellas!" Dave said.Eric closed the door on him, then flipped the lock, and then the deadbolt before putting the chain on. He liked to make sure it was secure. "So I suppose we both better go take this thing, huh?" he said to Andy, who was putting down the cats again."Guess so."Eric's desk was in the living room, while Andy's was part of the adjacent dining room. They'd been known to politely yell at one another from their desks. Andy typed in the website on the slip and hit return. A rather bland looking government website popped up. There Andy entered his name, his address, his social security number and address."He wasn't kidding when he said this quiz was unorthodox," Eric called over to him, clearly ahead of him in the process. "These are not the kind of questions I expect a government website to be asking me.""Oh yeah? I can't wait to find out." Andy typed in the personalization code at the bottom of the slip. It was a long series of characters, a mix of numbers and letters, both capital and lower case, with a variety of special characters mixed in “ 25 characters in all. Andy had to enter the series twice because the first time he hadn't realized it was case sensitive and the site had rejected it.The first question immediately surprised him. "Are you attracted to: Women, Men, Both?" It wasn't at all what he expected, but he checked "women" and the site moved onward. There was a small button marked back, in case he made errors, obviously.The next page asked him what ages of women he was attracted to. There were two little slider bars, with the low end going as far down at 18 and the high end going up to 70+. Andy was nearly 40, but the words of Dave rang through his head. "Be honest." Andy shrugged, leaving the low end set to 18 and brought the high end to 35.He was a more than a little caught off guard by the next question. "Would you consider yourself: Monogamous, polyamorous, no preference?" He had to think about it for a long moment, but eventually clicked "no preference." If he was truly honest with himself, if he found himself with a girlfriend who had another girlfriend, he wouldn't have been bothered by it.For the next twenty minutes, Andy continued to work through the website, filling in all the options about what he was and wasn't attracted to. Height, weight, race, hair color, hair length, eye color, nationality, education, physique, the questions went on and on and on. After he went through any given category, he was then given a follow up page to rank all of the things from most attracted to at the top down to least attracted to at the bottom.Towards the back half, he started to understand what Eric had found so surprising. The quiz had a page with a seemingly limitless collections of fetishes and kinks. At the top was the message "Click all that apply." Following that, all of the things Andy had clicked on were in another list he was expected to order.When he had to order all of his turn ons, he became more than a little aware how at odds with each other some of them were. In fact, he had aggressive women and submissive women next to one another in the ordered list. He wondered what the algorithm would make of that.The last page was the same fetish and kinks list presented again with a different message at the top. "Click all those that are hard turn offs for you. Be thorough." It was this page that Andy found himself clicking a lot of buttons.He also had to look up a handful of the terms that did not include clarification. He was sure there were people out there who liked pissing on each other, but he certainly wasn't one of those. He also had to make sure to reject women who were allergic to cats. He wondered if all this information was just going to ensure no one showed up.All in all, the whole thing felt a little like a thing he'd taken in college called the Purity Test, a thousand question party game where people who had been drinking would compare sexual histories.The final page was all the information he'd entered presented in an ordered list, with a message in large friendly red letters at the top. "Review all the information below for accuracy! Once you hit submit, you cannot revise this information!"After a final pass to make sure he hadn't marked anything incorrectly, he hit submit. The screen went blank for a second before a confirmation message popped up. "A copy of this has been mailed to the email address you provided. Thank you for helping us keep California safe!"Andy closed the web browser and rose up from his seat, heading over to talk to his roommate. "Okay, yeah, that was definitely weird.""What did you say to the polyamory question?" Eric asked him."I put no preference.""Really? Man, I couldn't click the monogamous button fast enough. Last thing I want is a girlfriend who's shacking up with another guy."Andy smirked. "What if she was shacking up with another girl?""Ah shit, I didn't even think of that."He shrugged at Eric with a wry smile. "Like it's going to make any fucking difference anyway. I'm sure the whole thing is just an optimistic pipe dream. When was the last time our government brought any real change with a website?""Heh. Guess we'll see.""Yep, suppose so."And that was the last they talked about it for the rest of the day. But it certainly wouldn't be the last time they talked about it.Chapter 2It was a little past noon the next day when there came a knock at the door. "Open up! CDC!" the voice on the other side shouted at them. "Delivery and I don't have time to fuck about so let's go."Andy was in the living room working on his laptop, and glanced over at Eric, who was hip deep in a conference call. "Don't worry, I got it. They probably just forgot some questions yesterday or something." Eric waved his hand as Andy set his laptop aside, carrying on with his conversation with his coworkers.Andy rose from the couch and made his way over to the front door, opening it without thinking to look through the peephole. The cats were both upstairs asleep, so he didn't worry about them. When he opened the door, there were three people outside of it, not the one he'd expected. The person in the middle looked a lot like Dave had, except for the face. The man inside this biohazard suit was a black man in his late forties. He looked a lot less jovial than Dave had.To the left and right of the man in the biohazard suit was a woman covered from head to toe. From the clothing, it was almost impossible to make out any details other than the woman to the left of him was short and the woman to the right was tall. Both of them wore hoodies with the hoods pulled up. They wore ski visors over their eyes and scarves over their noses and mouths. Both wore long sweatpants and had those fuzzy lined boots he'd never thought were fashionable. He couldn't see an inch of skin from either. Each of them had a small roller suitcase with them, the kind of travel bag someone takes for a holiday no longer than a week. They also each had a large bag under their arm, an oversized purse maybe, or a laptop bag. The whole appearance was almost like Berkas by Gucci."You Eric or Andy?" the man in the gear asked him."Andy.""Copy," the man said, tapping at his little pad with a stylus that dangled from it. He let the stylus drop and then opened a pouch on the outside of his suit, upholstering a bottle of Lysol. He sprayed the surface of the tablet for a few seconds then held it out to Andy. "Just use your finger to sign on the line. Any day now. I've got another seven deliveries to make today, and people are on the bus waiting so let's go."Andy lifted a finger up and signed an approximation of his name on the tablet's surface. "So how long is this for? That these people are staying with us?""Which room is Eric's and which room is Andy's?" the shorter of the two women asked."Upstairs and turn right for Eric's room and left for my, uh, Andy's room," he said, as the two women immediately brushed past him and ran upstairs. "How long?""The fuck should I know, pal? I just deliver them." He took the tablet back from Andy and glanced down at it. "Anyway, that's it for this batch. I'll see you again in a few days, maybe a week or so, with the next one.""The next one?" Andy asked, but the man had already turned and started walking back to a school bus that was idling in the street. "What do you mean the next one?" But the man had already moved on, and either didn't hear Andy or didn't care. Andy suspected it was the latter. Behind him, up the stairs, he heard both his and Eric's bedroom doors shut.He closed the door and locked it, then turned the padlock and put the chain back on. Andy looked over his shoulder, then glanced and Eric, who shrugged. He moved upstairs and knocked on his own bedroom door. "Uh, hello?""Five minutes please!" a voice on the other side of the door said to him.Andy sighed, turned around and walked downstairs. His roommate looked over at him, having just wrapped up his conference call. "She wants five minutes."Eric laughed. "We've been kicked out of our own rooms. Great."Andy moved back over to the couch and picked up his laptop, sitting back down and starting to write again. He was curious, though. Insanely curious about what was happening in his own room. Neither of the cats were complaining so he imagined it couldn't be too bad. His roommate had wrapped up his conference call, but had clearly turned on his music, because Andy could hear the tiny noise flare ups, even though Eric was just wearing earbuds. He did love his death metal loud.He spent a while trying to work but trying to focus felt damn near impossible. He popped into his company's Slack channel, to let them know what was going on.“your partner showed up?” his boss typed. “take the rest of the week off. you're going to be busy“They said they're going to be back later with another delivery. What the hell does that mean?” Andy typed into the channel.“oh shit” his boss typed back. “how big is your bed? queen sized?”“King sized.” Andy replied. “California king, actually. Don't know what difference that makes though. The news said one partner per person.”“u have a king bed tho” his boss replied. “did the site ask u the polyamory question?”“Yeah” Andy typed. “I put no preference”“shit” came the reply. “okay take off the rest of the week and let me know when you get another partner and we can do the same again as many times as you get partners”“Wait. What? How many partners can they give me?”“depends on what level the tester gave you”“He said level 5. He was a fan of my novels so I gave him a signed copy of the new one”“Oh, shit” his boss answered. “then u can be assigned up to 4 partners with Cali king bed”“Now you're just fucking with me” Andy sent back with a laugh.“noshit my dude” his boss answered. “ok we play it by ear then but dont check out any new tasks until monday, k?”“Am I still getting paid for the time?”“new partner adaptation time dude its all covered”“Okay then, I guess.”“level 5, L O L, u fucking suck” his boss typed. “u dont deserve that level of woman”“Wait. What do you mean?”“LOL u didn't read how the levels system work fuck u go enjoy winning the lottery”And with that, his boss set Andy's status to Out Of Office.From upstairs he heard both pairs of doors open, although he didn't think either of them opened fully. "I'm going to take a shower if that's okay with Eric," a voice called down."He's in the zone working, so that should be fine," Andy called up."Thank you!" And then Eric's bedroom door closed again."Okay Andy, come on up," a different voice said. "But close the bedroom door behind you, okay?" And then his own bedroom door shut.His work day was done. He found himself a little nervous at the idea of going into his own room, but he realized waiting wasn't going to make it any easier. Time to face the music. He pushed his laptop back into his laptop bag, zipped it up and set it on the coffee table.Andy walked up the stairs and came to his bedroom door. It was odd, staring at this side of his bedroom door. He knocked on the door, and a soft giggle came from the other side. "You don't need to knock, silly. It's your room. Come on in."He wasn't entirely sure what he expected to find behind the door. But he did as he was told to do, opening the door, stepping in and closing the door behind him.Sitting on his bed was a lovely redheaded woman in her mid to late twenties. He suspected the coppery color of her hair was natural as he could see a generous dusting of freckles on her cheeks and arms. She had it done up in a sporty ponytail that hung down to the small of her back. Instead of all the layers he'd seen her in just a few minutes ago, she was dressed now in simply a sports bra, a pair of booty shorts and a pair of thigh high leather boots. She had her hands behind her on the bed to thrust her perky tits up in his direction. She was fit, pale, strikingly beautiful, and had a playful smile on her face."Hallo Andy," she said, an Irish tinge to her voice. "My name's Aisling. It's pronounced Ashling, but spelled A i s l i n g. I'm from Dublin, but after I finished uni, I got a job out here working as a graphic designer. I'm your new partner. I hope I'm to your liking.""Oh!" Andy said, as if the whole situation was just dawning on him. "Oh, I'm "Aisling couldn't contain herself any longer and sat up and rushed him, throwing her arms around, clinging to him firmly. "We can touch," she moaned into his ear. "Touch! It's been so fucking long since I touched anybody. And I'm going to touch the fuck out of you nonstop, you beautiful bastard."He was slightly taken aback at how tightly she was holding him. "I mean, you don't have to ""I don't have to do any fucking thing I don't want to," she whispered into his ear. "But it is taking every bit of willpower I have not to drop to my fucking knees and rip those pants right off you. Because that's what I desperately want to do right now."Andy could feel her nipples pressed firmly against his chest through the sports bra, and her breath was hot against his skin. "Wah, why?""We've been in isolation for months," Aisling said as her hand grabbed onto his ass through his jeans. "They gave us injections to help us build our immune system against the virus, but they said it was going to stoke our libidos a bit. God, wasn't that a fucking understatement." She nibbled on his earlobe for a moment. "They showed me twenty pictures of men with a bit of description beneath each of them on what they wanted and didn't want, and I picked you."His hand moved along the small of her back, trying to keep it from going anywhere inappropriate, but she reached behind herself to grab his arm by the wrist and push his hand down onto her ass, which invoked another moan from her. "Why did you pick me?""You like gingers, which I am obviously. I'll be sure to show you it's natural in just a smidge," she said with a smile. "But you like both submissive and aggressive women, and I can be both. You're open to polyamory. I like both men and women, and I know that polyamorous men with large beds get multiple partners, so that's something to look forward to. I consider myself a switch, so I'm looking forward to having another girl to play with, one I can order around a bit." Andy started to try and pull his hand upward a bit, and she rubbed her hips forward a bit more insistently. "If you're lifting that hand up, it'd better be to slip it under my shorts onto my bare ass.""Is, is that what you want?""For an appetizer," she purred. "But you know what made me want you most of all?"Andy lifted his hand just to the top of her booty shorts, hesitating for just a second before he slid his fingertips beneath the hem of them. He realized he must've been hesitating a bit too long, because she reached back and pushed his hand down firmly until he had a full handful of toned butt in his grasp. "What's that?""Out of that long, long list of sexual turn ons and offs, the thing you put that turned you on the most, was dirty talk," she practically moaned at him. "I fucking love dirty talk. I am an absolutely filthy little slut. No," she giggled, licking her tongue along the shell of his ear, "I'm your filthy little slut now. I am going to beg you to fuck me stupid over and over again. I can't wait to suck on that cock of yours, to make you fuck my face until there are tears rolling down my eyes and I can't breathe. God, that makes my little cunt clench. It's tight, too. I've only fucked two guys before, and each of them only a couple of times. But you are going to fucking plow that gash of mine so much I may have to etch your name into it. You are going to fuck your little whore so much that you fall asleep inside of my cunt more often than not, and wake up to me sucking your cock clean to get you ready for another round." She turned around in his arms, which made his hand slide up to her stomach, her head leaning against his shoulder. "Here," she said, taking his hand on her belly, pushing it down the front of her shorts. "Feel just how sopping wet a bitch you own now, sir. Should be it sir? Master?" She giggled a little, wiggling her eyebrows. "Daddy?"Andy stuttered for a second, as his fingertips pushed through a small strip of hair before reaching the most drenched snatch he'd ever felt. "Fuck, you are soaked,”"Umm," she said with a nod. "So I'll just use all three then.""Not,” Andy sputtered, "not in front of my roommate.""The other guy? Oh, he's going to be more than a little distracted. I talked with Lily a little bit on the way over here “ Lily's the girl waiting for him in his room “ and she's more worked up than I am. And your roommate likes them to be a little dominant with him, so I don't think he'll have time to say anything, but if it makes you feel better, sir, I'll just call you Andy when we're out in the common areas. Or honey or baby. Something innocuous. As long as you're going to hold up your end of our deal.""My end?" Andy said, as he pushed a fingertip inside of Aisling's drenched cunt, feeling her clench down on it as she shivered slightly."You owe me one load of spunk every fucking day," she said, grabbing his other hand to push it up and under her sports bra to cup her tit, feeling how hard her nipple was against his palm. "I don't give a shite where you put it “ on my face, down my throat, across my tits, up my cunt, you can even stuff it up my virgin asshole, something I can't wait to feel the first time “ but you don't fall asleep at night without making sure I got my daily dose of your jizz. Think you can live up to that?""God, I hope so," he said, lifting her bra up to her collarbone, as her hands moved to pull it up and over her head, tossing it aside. "You really want that?"Aisling giggled again, a sound that sent shivers up Andy's spine every time. "I honestly can't wait to get started, Master. I want you to fuck me so bad, I can feel it trickling down my thighs. You've got yourself a needy little slut on your hands. How do you want our first time to be?"Andy's hand slid up from her shorts and brought his fingertips to his lips, licking them clean, seeing her nuzzling her face against his neck, so he offered his pointer finger to her, which she wrapped her lips around and suckled hard on before letting it pop from her mouth. "You were going to prove to me you were ginger, weren't you?""Hmm, I'm sure you can see the freckles all over my tits," she said, crossing her arms at the wrists in front of her to push them together and up towards his eyes. "But you want to be sure you've got an honest slut on your hands, hmm? Boots off or on, you think?""The boots are dead sexy, but let's have them off.""You like them though, yeah?" she asked as she put one foot up on his bed, and started unzipping one of the boots."Oh yes, they're fantastic. A lot of forethought in thinking to bring them.""We were allowed to made a list of things to get packed up for us, so I've got all sorts of little surprises in my wheelie bag, but I'll tell you one, I've got a plaid skirt in there, back from my days at Mercy College. Every man around the world loves a schoolgirl." She pulled her other boot off and set it on the floor next to its companion. Then she unbuttoned the front button of her jean shorts, unzipping them before bending forward over the corner of Andy's bed. She pushed the shorts slowly over the curve of her ass and down her thighs before stepping out of them, leaving her in a tiny silky red thong. "Like the view?""God you're fit. I feel like a bit of fat man in your presence, I'm afraid.""Don't you worry, lad," she purred. "You and I are going to be doing a lot of exercise." She slid on her belly further onto the bed and then rolled onto her back. "I'll fuck you back thin, daddy." Aisling pulled her thighs back to her chest, reached down and drew her thong up along her legs. As soon as she lifted the fabric upward, Andy got his first view of her cunt, and she was glistening. With her ankles to the side of her head, she drew the thong off and tossed it to the side before spreading her legs wide. True to her word, there was a neat shaved triangle of copper curls just above her snatch. "See? Ginge minge. Now what're you gonna do about it?""Aren't you sweet as candy?" Andy slowly crawled onto the bed next to her. He didn't have shoes to kick off “ he'd barely put them on since the lockdown began. "You're down for anything?"Aisling rolled onto her side. "You want the first time to be something particular? How sweet. What did you have in mind?""Something simple. So you can show me what you like. You on top. That okay?" Andy said as he pulled his shirt up and over his head.She giggled a little bit, reaching a fingertip over to brush it along his chest. "Tattoos? You're full of surprises. I wouldn't have pegged you as a man with ink." Andy had a tattoo of a griffon starting on his right pectoral going down to his stomach, done in an elaborate and detailed style. It had been the better part of two days worth of work ten years ago. "I like the look of it, though. And if you want our first time to be me riding you, I say giddyup partner. Any other surprises down here I should be looking forward to?" Her fingertip moved to smooth down over the swell of his cock through his jeans."You can have a looksee for yourself after you do one more thing," Andy said, with a little laugh."Tell me what it is, so I can see the thing that's going to change my life." She was rubbing the palm of her hand firmly against that buldge now, her eyes looking down at her hand before bringing those green eyes up to meet his gaze, a girlish smile on her lips. "Stop teasing and tell me.""I've never shown my cock to girl I haven't kissed before," he said with a wry smile. "I don't intend to stay"Andy didn't even finish getting the sentence before Aisling had crawled all over him, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was intense, more intense than he'd ever remembered before. It came on strong and kept getting stronger, her lips parting after several seconds to let her tongue slip into his mouth and spiral around in a hungry dance. After a few minutes of making out like a couple of teenagers, she pulled back just an inch or so. "God, I hadn't realized how much I missed kissing someone. You're a great kisser." She pressed her lips against his once more and this time didn't wait to push her tongue in. After a few more minutes, she pulled back again. "That what you wanted?"He laughed softly. "You really want to see it, don't you?""See it, touch it, taste it, fuck it. I want to do everything you can think of with that cock, and once we're done with all of that, we can do it all over again." Her fingertips plucked at the button of his jeans, popping them undone. "Can I see it now, daddy?""I'm no porn star, Aisling, so I wouldn't get your hopes up," he said. "But yes, you can see it." He felt her drawing down his zipper and lifted his hips up so she could tug his jeans down and off, but she made a point of grabbing his boxers with them. "See? Not any longer than the average man.""Jaysus," she said quietly, "maybe not any longer, but certainly thicker. A lot thicker. That is a great big fat ol' cock you got there, Master." Her voice was one continuous purr as her slender fingers wrapped around the base of his cock and started to slowly stroke it. "Thicker than any cock I've ever had inside of me. Can I?""Hop aboard." The whole thing felt vaguely dreamlike. He wasn't sure she was real, wasn't sure any of this was real. He half expected to wake up and for everything to disappear at any moment. But that didn't happen."Gladly," she said, as she straddled one leg over his hips. She snaked a hand between them to grab the base of his cock, angling it properly, setting the tip against wet snatch before sinking down onto it with one continuous motion. As soon as her hips touched down against his, his cock bottoming out inside of her cunt, he felt her entire body slump forward atop him in a colossal shiver, her cunt spasming and clenching on his shaft. A tiny moan burbled from her lips, one that bubbled over into a breathy laugh against his neck, desperate and delirious. "Fer fuck sake. I've never cum that hard in my entire fucking life, and you just put the fucking thing inside of me. Nothing more. Just from putting him in.""Do you want to stop?""Are you out of your fucking mind?" she giggled, placing both of her hands on Andy's chest. "I haven't gotten my daily nut yet, daddy. And your girl wants what's coming to her. And by hook or by crook, she will fucking having it." Her arms pressed together to push her tits out even more, as she started to snake her hips backwards only to thrust them forward again. "It's been two years since I got properly fucked last. How long's it been for you?""You'll only laugh at me," Andy said with a slight frown."I promise I won't," she purred. "Has it been longer?""A lot longer.""How long?""Over a decade."She leaned down and kissed him again, this time a bit more softly and tenderly. "Well, you're never going to go a day in your life without fucking ever again, so it'll be alright." She had a magical way of swaying atop of him, shimmying back and forth on his cock. Her body ground down onto him over and over, sweat glistening off her freckled pale skin.His hands latched onto her hips, trying mostly to hold on. His fingertips clenched onto her smooth skin, pressing her down a little more than she'd been trying to push onto his cock, as if he felt like he wanted to contribute something to her effort."C'mon. Make me your girl, claim your whore, daddy," she whimpered, her face looming over his. "I wanna feel it. Gimme that cum. Own me. Own me. Cum in her tight little cunt. Paint it. Take it. Fucking own me, Master. Own. Me."Just outside of his room, he heard Eric's door open and then slam shut again, but it was only a momentary distraction, as Aisling continued to bear down on him, her ass slamming against the top of his thighs.It wasn't long before he could feel that release building up on him, and much sooner than he'd have liked, his body was shuddering in the throes of an orgasm as he started to spew hot cum inside of her tight young twat. As soon as he started to orgasm, however, it was almost like Aisling had been struck by lightning, her whole body violently shaking as a guttural sound was wrenched from her throat, primal and whorish, before her body collapsed on top of him, her body trembling for a long moment before she lay still atop of him.After a few minutes, he slowly moved her to one side of him so he could slip out from under her. She was completely unconscious, and he was almost certain he could her hear whispering nigh imperceptibly the word 'imprinting' over and over again.He didn't want to wake her, so he went and showered, then headed downstairs to grab himself a bit of dinner. The two cats sat at the foot of his bed, peering at the unconscious redhead in his bed, wondering what the hell was going on.The madness had barely even gotten started.Chapter 3When Andy woke up the next morning, he was almost certain he'd been dreaming yesterday. But he felt an odd sensation and lifted his head to look down. There he saw Aisling's coppery ponytail bouncing over his crotch. And he could feel her lips sealed around his cock, as she continued to face fuck herself on his shaft.Andy had never woken up to being blown before, and it certainly was a delightful experience. He tried to pull her head up, to give her a break, but she reached up and pressed his hand away with her own, a delightful little giggle rolling from her lips onto his cock.He thrust his hips towards her face because it seemed like the thing she wanted him to do, and sure enough, she kept pushing her head down again and again. She wasn't letting up until she got what she needed.In the end, resistance was futile.His body tensed up and his back arched as he felt her lips around the base of his cock, the head lodged in her throat as he started to spew cum. When he did, he could feel her body shake and quiver against his thigh.A few minutes later, both of them had regained their composure, and she'd snuggled up alongside him, her face nestled in the crook of his neck as she laughed almost deliriously. "It's actually true. The taste of your cum gives me an orgasm. Each and every time, harder than I'd ever known before I met you," she purred. "You really do fuckin' own me, daddy.""You say that," Andy said, "but eventually you'll get bored of me, and you'll come to resent me, resent being attached to me like this."She rolled over a little bit, pressing one of her arms against his chest as she shook her head, a crooked smile on her lips. "I woke up in the middle of the night and looked around the room while you were asleep. There are bookcases everywhere. My first boyfriend was a footie player who dreamed of going pro when he could barely get up in the morning. My second boyfriend? He was a shitty musician who claimed he was being artful when he couldn't carry a tune. You're surrounded by books. Have you read all of them?"Andy shrugged a little. "Maybe half of them. But I like having books around, knowing that when I'm ready for another, it's right there.""See?" she giggled. "I've never been with anyone so smart before. And I've never been with someone who'll let me be myself and not force me to hide it.""Hide what?""What an absolute slut I am," she said, kissing his neck. "Your absolute slut, if I'm honest." She wasn't trying to wind him up, just more of delighting in learning all the nooks and crannies of his body. "And I don't have to pretend I'm a good Catholic girl who'd never let a boy put his hand up her skirt when I'd rather be bent over getting my tight young gash plowed. You'll have to do that next, have me on my hands and knees, your good little proper bitch."Andy laughed. "You sound rather eager for that."" Umm," she mumbled, nibbling on his ear, "you want me to beg again?""Let me do it later," he said. "We should get up, shower, and we should meet our new roommates.""I talked to Lily a bit on the ride over. I'll tell you about it in the shower."Each of the bedrooms in the condo had an attached bathroom so they didn't even have to get dressed to get up and move to the bathroom. She scooted ahead of him quickly, and he could see the inside of her thighs were damp as she climbed out of the bed and moved into the bathroom.It was the first time he'd had a woman in his bathroom in a decade, and so he was a little embarrassed about the state of it. "Of course you don't have a hair dryer," Aisling giggled, as she ran her fingertips over Andy's shaved head. He'd started developing a bald spot in his mid twenties, so he'd been shaving his head every since then. "Don't worry, I've got one in my suitcase. Speaking of which, you're going to need to give me one drawer in that dresser to myself. That okay?""You're really in this for the long haul, aren't you?" He turned on the water in the shower as he closed the top of the toilet.She leaned in and folded her hands behind his neck, pressing her body up against his. "What did I tell you? You. Own. Me." She kissed him briefly in between each of the last three words. "But that means you belong to me as well. Whenever you go, I go. And I need to take care of you. And you need to take care of me.""I can clear out a drawer for you, no problem, Aisling.""See? It's not that hard to pronounce, is it?""But hey, this is your bathroom now too, so feel free to make it home.""Oo!" she said suddenly and darted back out into the bedroom. Andy could hear her unzipping her little suitcase before she sprinted back in, a giant tricolor beach towel which she set on top of the toilet. It didn't even take him half a second to recognize it was the colors of Ireland's flag. "Little bit of the home country. Now let's get wet. I've never taken a shower with another person before." She lifted her fingers and pressed them against his hair chest, almost shoving him back into the shower.It was rather a long shower, where they got dirty before they got clean again.About forty minutes later, they'd both gotten dried off and dressed and headed downstairs, Aisling bringing her laptop bag with her. Sitting on the couch was a Japanese woman dressed in sweatpants and a baggy t shirt typing away on her laptop while Eric was sitting at his desk on the other side of the room."Andy, meet Lily," Eric said to Andy as he walked down the stairs. "She's my new partner.""S'up," Lily said, not even looking up from her typing."She's kinda in the zone right now. She's a coder with DoorDash.""We talked a bit on the ride over here," Aisling said. "Hi, I'm Aisling. I'm Andy's first partner.""First?" Lily said, stopping typing and looking up and over her shoulder at them as they reached the bottom of the stairs.Andy scowled. "She didn't mean it like that. I wasn't a virgin."Lily snickered a bit. "I know. I'm fucking with you," she said, looking back down to her laptop. "So how was he Ash?""Fucking amazing," Aisling said. "How about yours?""I have a name you know," Eric said."Good but not great," Lily said. "But I'll train him to be the best ever. Best for me, anyway.""Hi Eric," Aisling said, shaking Eric's hand. "Nice to meet you.""I cleared off the dining room table behind Andy's desk to give you a bit of work space, Ash," Eric said. "Lily said you're an artist?""Graphic designer for Alphabet."Andy cocked his head as he and Aisling started to cross the living room, heading towards the dining room. "I didn't know you were a Googler.""I'm a contractor for them, so they don't really consider me a Googler," she sighed. "They might move me from contract to full time at some point, but it's just as likely they're going to just keep giving me new contracts over and over again.""Welcome to life in Silicon Valley," Andy laughed. "Everything's forever, for exactly five minutes."Aisling pulled her laptop out of her bag and set it on the table, noticing the box pushed off to one side. "Blake Conrad, huh?" she said, taking a book out from the box. "My older brother loves these books, but I've never read any of them. Are you a big fan?"From the other room, Eric couldn't help but laugh. "Go on!" he yelled at Andy. "Tell her."Andy rolled his eyes. "Look inside the back flap."Aisling took the hardcover and opened to the back of it, looking at the inside flap where Andy's picture peered back at her. "Wait, are you Blake Conrad?""It's a pen name.""Oh my god! I'm shagging Dermot's favorite pen!" she giggled. "I can't wait to phone him and tell him.""Mmm. I can even autograph a copy of the new one for him and you can mail it out to him, as long as he's not going to be mad that I'm sleeping with his sister."Aisling pulled out a Wacom tablet from her laptop as well as a power cord, plugging it into the wall. "Andy. You're a bloody hero to him. He'll be over the moon.""He's not going to be upset that you're shacking up with a guy you just met? Or that he's going to have, other women?"Aisling kissed him for a long moment, soft and tender. "You're sweet, Andy. But this is the way the world works now. And you're a good man, so Dermot'll be happy that I didn't end up with someone crazy or ugly.""Oh, you don't think I'm ugly?" Andy grinned impishly, as Aisling pushed him back down into his desk chair."Look fella," she teased. "If I thought you were ugly, I'd have said so. Now don't you have work to get to or something?"Andy turned on his computer and the two monitors on his desk sprung to life. "Well, yeah, but theoretically I'm on new partner leave, so I don't really have to be working."She stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, I don't get any such luxury as a contractor, so I need to get some work done today. How does a novelist get partner leave anyway?"He sighed a little. "That's just my side hustle. My day job is as a marketing writer for Netflix."Aisling's face scrunched up in cute confusion. "The books don't pay enough?""Not until they get optioned, which my agent seems to think will happen eventually, but hasn't yet.""I'll have to read them then." Andy tried to mask the look of surprise on his face, but apparently wasn't great at concealing it. "What? I said I hadn't read them, not that I didn't want to read them.""Fair enough!" Andy grabbed his headphones and pulled them onto his head, clicking on iTunes to bring up his music. He wasn't allowed to check out new tasks for his day job, so he figured he might as well get a bit of writing in on his next novel.After a few minutes, Aisling tapped him on the shoulder, so he pulled the headphones off. "What's up?""What're you listening to?""Right now? Post rock band called God Is An Astronaut, but I usually just put my music on shuffle and let it ride.""Can I listen too?"Andy nodded. "Sure, as long as you've got headphones with a long cable and a USB plug.""Certainly do!" she said, holding out the cable.He plugged her in, did a few clicks on his computer, and then they were both listening to his music, just a few feet apart.Andy found it a little hard to focus on his writing, so he decided to take a bit of time to read up on the level system. His boss seemed to know a lot more about it, so he figured it didn't hurt to see what was coming down the pipeline.The virus, it seemed, was hitting the coasts hardest, with N Y C being the biggest disaster area, but the Silicon Valley wasn't far behind. Isolation was the best path, but the bodies were still piling up, so the country was looking to build some stability into people's lives. That meant pairing the single people up. Men were dying at a significantly higher rate than women to the virus, so protecting them had become extremely important. The virus had a mortality rate that was fifty times higher in men than it was in women.Because of that fact alone, it had been determined that virus free men would be ranked on a scale of one to five in terms of their importance to society, and that the higher a man was ranked, the more that person's personal needs would be tended to. So level 1s, which it seemed like was most people, would simply be given the barest amount of effort to find someone to pair with their basic desires. 80% of the men were classified as level ones. Level twos were essential, low risk workers such as construction engineers, clerks, judges and the like. Level three was law enforcement. Level four was figures of high impact. Mark Zuckerberg would've supposedly been a level four if he wasn't already married, one article said. Level five was the front liners in the fight in the virus and those who had made extraordinary contributions to society. They made up a fractional amount of people in the pool, less than half of one percent.A kind of hushed up mythology had been built up around level fives from what Andy could find on the internet. There were stories of emergency doctors who were on the best of days a six in any woman's estimate getting partnered up with women who would never be any less than a ten.Andy scoffed a little bit until he started looking at some of the pictures, and noticed that there were endless pictures of ER doctors and genetics researchers with women way, way, way, way out of their leagues.It was on the fifth collection of photos he spotted a familiar face. There was Dave, the man who'd tested them just a few short days ago, with his arm around a Hispanic knockout who couldn't have been pressed closer to him. And in the group shot with Dave, there were nearly a dozen other similar pairings of schlep and stunner.Once paired, men were being kept in isolation for an indeterminate amount of time. They were allowed to go out for walks, but had to keep fifteen feet away from anyone else. They weren't even permitted to go into stores to go shopping. Andy and Eric had been living on food delivery for weeks now. They'd even had groceries delivered and left on their doorstep. The receipt said the person who delivered them was named Silva, but neither Andy nor Eric had seen them. Andy wondered which of the two women would volunteer to go and get groceries first.During the middle of the day, Eric wanders over to take their orders as he placed a food delivery, but none of them had any chance to talk until dinner, which they also had delivered. Lily got free deliveries working for DoorDash, apparently, so both lunch and dinner had been brought that way."So how did you guys meet?" Lily asked as she was bringing in the bag of food that had been left on their doorstep.Eric laughed. "You want to tell them or should I?"Andy waved his hand, turning his desk chair around so it was up against the dining room table. "You're looking forward to it, so you tell them."Eric grinned as Lily started to take the food “ cheesesteaks it seemed “ and put it out on the table. "He was trying to bang my sister.""I was trying to date your sister," Andy said as Aisling giggled. "There's a difference.""Date her so you could fuck her, let's be clear."Andy rolled his eyes. "That was over a decade ago, so it's probably time to let it go.""She's married and lives in Florida down with her husband and their four kids, so we never really see her much anymore," Eric said."But Eric needed a roommate and I needed a place to live, so I moved into his spare room, and we've been flatmates since then," Andy said. "Aisling's from Dublin, but are you local Lily?""Second generation Bay Area native," Lily said as Eric set a beer in front of her. "My parents live up in Petaluma these days. Are your parents still around here, Eric?""They retired and moved down to Santa Cruz, although they spend half their time out in Florida with their grandkids. I'll introduce you to them over Facetime when they call next.""They going to be happy you hooked up with a Japanese woman?""They'll be happy I'm happy," Eric said. "Beyond that, I don't think they care.""What about you, Andy? You got local family?"Andy shook his head. "I'm from Ohio originally, but I've been out here for longer than I was there. My dad died a few years back, but my mom's still out there, as is my older brother with his wife and their son.""How old's your nephew?" Aisling asked."Conner will be 11 in July. I generally go back every year for Christmas, but this year seems like that's probably out."The Irish girl cocked her head slightly. "How much older is your brother?""Nine years older than me.""No siblings in between?""Nope," Andy said. "You said you have an older brother named Dermot. That your only sibling?"Aisling almost snorted she laughed so suddenly. "Jaysis no. Dermot's the eldest, then me, then my sisters Aoife and Niamh, and the last one is my baby brother Colin, who's about as old as your nephew. What about you, Lily?""Only child, thank fuck," she grumbled. "So, Andy, I understand Aisling's not going to be your only partner. What makes you think you deserve more than one partner, hmm?"Andy raised a hand defensively. "Hey now, I never said I deserve anything.""She's fucking with you, love," Aisling said, poking him with a grin."Spoil sport," Lily said, sticking her tongue out. "I don't really care as long as you're not going to take a pass at me.""You're Eric's partner, Lily. I'm going to respect that.""Good, and I'll make sure he keeps his hands off your girls.""I would never " Eric started to say before Lily raised a finger in his direction and he felt silent."Good boy," Lily said with a smirk. "I'll get him trained yet."Andy had never seen Eric get cowed quite so severely before, but he could swear his flatmate was blushing a little."I'm actually looking forward to seeing who else we get to play with," Aisling said."How many names should I expect to have to learn?" Lily asked."It's a fookin' huge bed, Lil," Aisling giggled. "So I expect a few more.""What I was reading about on the internet says I'm supposed to share my bed with four partners," Andy said, "but that can't possibly be right can it?""Umm. I can't wait," Aisling purred.She didn't have long to wait.To be continued in part 2, by CorruptingPower for Literotica.

Gemma started her career studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University. She quickly discovered the world of Continuous Improvement and spent 20 years working to improve processes and systems within various manufacturing industries including Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Food, and Medical Devices. She has been a CI Manager numerous times and an Operations Manager running a factory of over 500 people.Gemma is hugely passionate about Improvement and developing people and processes. She gets such a kick out of coaching and facilitating, especially when she sees the lightbulb switch on in someone's head – when they solve a problem; when they realize they have the power to change; or when they get excited about all the improvements they could make.In 2019, Gemma left the world of employment to establish her own business, SPARK Improvement, aiming to switch on as many lightbulbs as possible. Her mission is to help organizations and individuals be the BEST they can be, by helping people SEE, helping people THINK, and helping people CHANGE.Gemma is based in Cheshire in the UK, working globally.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

In healthcare, some of the most meaningful innovations happen when the right people are brought together in the right place. True progress depends on systems and infrastructure designed to connect ideas, people, and expertise across sectors. Citylabs 4.0, now open in the heart of Manchester's Knowledge Quarter on the Oxford Road Corridor, was built with exactly that goal in mind. Bringing the NHS, academia, and life sciences organisations into close, purposeful proximity, providing a structural foundation for collaboration at scale. In this special live recording of the pharmaphorum podcast, developed in association with Bruntwood SciTech, Bruntwood SciTech's CSO Dr Kath Mackay, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust T's Dr Katherine Boylan, and Dr Gillian Dalgliesh from QIAGEN join Deep Dive editor Eloise McLennan onstage at the opening of Citylabs 4.0 to discuss innovation in life sciences and the role of Greater Manchester in accelerating research, industry collaboration, and real-world evidence generation. Join us as we examine how this deliberate integration of healthcare stakeholders in Manchester is establishing new standards for collaboration and advancing patient outcomes through structured knowledge exchange. About the interviewees Dr Kath Mackay Kath Mackay is Chief Scientific Officer of Bruntwood SciTech - a JV between leading property developer Bruntwood, Legal & General, and Greater Manchester Pension Fund - the UK's leading creator and developer of innovation districts driving growth of the UK science and technology sector.  She has a keen interest in growing businesses and infrastructure within the sector, ensuring the UK is the best place to establish and scale a science and tech organisation.   Dr Mackay joined Bruntwood SciTech from the executive board of Innovate UK where she led the team responsible for growing businesses working in the biomedical, health, agriculture, and food sectors, creating and delivering a £800m portfolio of infrastructure, Catapults, grant and loan investments. She is also non-executive director of the Northern Health Science Alliance, the North of England's health partnership, and an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. Dr Katherine Boylan Katherine is Director of Innovation at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), a position she has held since April 2020. This role involves overseeing innovation activities within MFT, as part of the wider Research and Innovation function. Innovation at MFT supports the whole pipeline from ideation, through to evidence generation, and ultimate implementation. She has been a member of the NICE Medical Technologies Advisory Committee since September 2020. Prior to this position, Dr Boylan worked in the University of Manchester for a number of years, most recently as Operations Director for the MRC funded Molecular Pathology Node, and the Trust-funded Diagnostics and Technology Accelerator. Dr Gillian L Dalgliesh, PhD Global Technical lead, Precision Diagnostics Gillian Dalgliesh has worked for QIAGEN for nine years and is based at their Manchester site, which is the global centre of excellence for molecular diagnostic development. QIAGEN partner with many drug companies to develop companion diagnostic (CDx) tests that enable clinical trials and subsequently launches of novel precision medicines. In recent years they have seen a real move beyond oncology into other disease areas such as immune, neurological and metabolic disorders. Dr Dalgliesh's role as global technical lead allows her to leverage her oncology precision medicine experience across the portfolio to bring precision diagnostic products to more patients. She has built her experience in precision medicine/oncology through not only her QIAGEN role but also through seven years working in precision medicine in AstraZeneca and prior to that working as part of the cancer genome project at the Sanger institute. Dr Dalgliesh is also an honorary senior lecturer at University of Manchester where she coordinates and delivers lectures for a QIAGEN sponsored BSc final year elective module ‘The Role of Diagnostics in Medicine'. This is part of a wider outreach role with the University and our NHS hospital. Through these roles she is keen to impact the local UK science community. About Bruntwood SciTech Bruntwood SciTech is the UK's largest dedicated property platform serving the growth of the nation's knowledge economy to become a global science and technology superpower. It is also the leading developer of city-wide innovation ecosystems and specialist environments, helping companies - particularly those in the science and technology sectors - to form, scale and grow A joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF), Bruntwood SciTech provides high quality office and laboratory space and tailored business support, offering unrivalled access to finance, talent and markets, an extensive clinical, academic and public partner network and a sector-specialist community of more than 1100 companies. Bruntwood SciTech is experienced in creating and developing strategic partnerships with UK regional cities, universities and NHS Trusts to drive economic growth. Its unique structure and funding vehicle more easily deploys long-term patient capital in innovation infrastructure, ensuring local economic benefit and growth. Valued at £1.5bn, Bruntwood SciTech has a portfolio of 5.2m sq ft across 11 campus locations and 31 city centre innovation hubs in Manchester, Cheshire, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Cambridge and London. It has plans to create a £5bn portfolio by 2033 and has a 2.3m sq ft secured development pipeline. Its campus locations include Alderley Park in Cheshire; West Village in Leeds; Innovation Birmingham; Birmingham Health Innovation Campus in partnership with the University of Birmingham; Melbourn Science Park in Cambridgeshire; Liverpool Science Park as a shareholder in Sciontec Liverpool; White City Deep Tech Campus in partnership with Imperial College London; and a cluster in the heart of Manchester's Oxford Road Corridor knowledge quarter - Manchester Science Park, Citylabs in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Circle Square - a joint venture with Vita Group; and the £1.7bn JV partnership with The University of Manchester - Sister, formerly known as IDManchester. Its city centre innovation hubs include Bloc, Bond, 111 Piccadilly, Pall Mall and Manchester One in Manchester; Platform in Leeds; Cornerblock and Centre City in Birmingham; and The Plaza in Liverpool. Website / Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram

In this Episode we discuss the latest news on the #commanders answer fan questions and interact with our live chat. #Raisehail #NFL #Commanders #OPSS #54th

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 27ú lá de mí Bealtaine, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh. I 1977 cheap daoine go raibh buama moirtéal a raibh lochtach an cúis den phléasc agus de bharr sin bhí an criú gunna cráite I gCill Mhantáin. I 1988 rinne an tArdeaspag de Tuaim aistarraing mar eadránaí den easaontas a bhí ann faoin cheadúnaigh iascaireacht. I 1990 fuair The Ryan's ó mBuiríos Ó Luigeach corn do sholáthraithe bainne den bhliain. I 1998 bhí deacrachtaí ag Fine Gael I dTuaisceart Tiobraid Árann tar éis cruinniú a bhí acu a raibh tréigthe ar deireadh. Tháinig an cruinniú tar éis a fuair siad amach gur éirigh Michael Lowry as agus chaill siad a shuíochán sa Dáil. Sin Rod Stewart le I Don't Want To Talk About it – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 1977. Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 1990 chan The Stone Roses ag Spike Island sa Bhreatain le timpeall 30 míle duine ann. Tháinig sé amach gur theip an t-imeacht ag an am de bharr nach raibh an fhuaim go maith agus go raibh an t-eagrúchán uafásach, ach I rith na mblianta bhí sé níos fearr. I 1999 bhí roinnt buaiteoir den Ivor Novello cosúil le Rod Stewart a fuair gradam Lifetime Achievement, fuair Robbie Williams agus Guy Chambers scríbhneoirí den bhliain agus fuair Chrissie Hynde cuidiú iontach do cheol sa Bhreatain, Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh Lily-Rose Depp sa Fhrainc I 1999 agus rugadh aisteoir Chris Colfer I Meiriceá ar an lá seo I 1990 agus seo chuid de na rudaí a rinne sé. Beidh mé ar ais libh amárach le heagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo. Welcome back to another edition of Ar An Lá Seo on the 27th of May, with me Lauren Ní Loingsigh 1977: a defective mortar bomb was believed to have caused the explosion which yesterday shattered a gun crew in the second army tragedy in wicklows glen of Imaal. 1988: a disillusioned archibishop of tuam dramatically withdrew as a mediator from the anti rod license dispute. 1990 - The Ryans, from Glenarisk, Borrisoleigh, were presented with the Golden Cow Trophy. They got the title of Creamery Milk Supplier of the Year.  1998 – The Fine Gael party in North Tipperary faced major difficulties following an acrimonious constituency council meeting, which ultimately had to be abandoned. The set-back, at the party's annual general meeting, came as Fine Gael were healing the wounds created through the resignation of former Minister Michael Lowry and the loss of their seat in Dail.  That was Rod Stewart with I Don't Want To Talk About It – the biggest song on this day in 1977 Onto music news on this day In 1990 The Stone Roses played at Spike Island, Widnes, Cheshire, England to a capacity crowd of 30,000. The event, considered a failure at the time due to sound problems and bad organisation, has become legendary over the years as a "Woodstock for the baggy generation." 1999 Winners at the Ivor Novello song writing awards included Rod Stewart who won a Lifetime Achievement Award, Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers won songwriters of the year and Chrissie Hynde won outstanding contribution to British Music. And finally celebrity birthdays on this day – actress Lily-Rose Depp was born in Franc in 1999 and actor Chris Colfer was born in America on this day in 1990 and this is some of the stuff he has done. I'll be back with you tomorrow with another edition of Ar An Lá Seo.

Dick drops by to promote the ‘Stand in the light' festival: https://standinthelight.uk ↓ Good Food Project is hosting a Barbara O'Neill event at Cranage Estate in Cheshire from the 20th to 24th May. Visit www.goodfoodproject.co.uk, find the event link at the top of the homepage, and use code delingpole15 for 15% off your virtual ticket. ↓ If you need silver and gold bullion - and who wouldn't in these dark times? - then the place to go is The Pure Gold Company. Either they can deliver worldwide to your door - or store it for you in vaults in London and Zurich. You even use it for your pension. Cash out of gold whenever you like: liquidate within 24 hours. https://bit.ly/James-Delingpole-Gold ↓ ↓ How environmentalists are killing the planet, destroying the economy and stealing your children's future. In Watermelons, an updated edition of his ground-breaking 2011 book, JD tells the shocking true story of how a handful of political activists, green campaigners, voodoo scientists and psychopathic billionaires teamed up to invent a fake crisis called ‘global warming'. This updated edition includes two new chapters which, like a geo-engineered flood, pour cold water on some of the original's sunny optimism and provide new insights into the diabolical nature of the climate alarmists' sinister master plan. Purchase Watermelons by James Delingpole here: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk/Shop/ ↓ ↓ ↓ Buy James a Coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamesdelingpole The official website of James Delingpole: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk x

After the driest spring in over 60 years, our gardens have been amazing these past months. In this edition of DIG IT, Peter Brown and Chris Day guide us through the month of June looking at the events, topical gardening news and tasks to keep our gardens colourful and productive.What's onSaturday 7th June Royal Windsor Flower Show, Windsor Great Park, Windsor. 7th - 8th June London Open Gardens, Multiple locations, London.12 - 15th June BBC Gardeners' World Live, NEC, Birmingham.20 - 22nd June Blenheim Palace Flower Show, Blenheim, Oxfordshire.NewsThe two men who felled a tree at Sycamore Gap convicted of criminal damage.Eden Project Morecambe set to open in 2028.Good news for UK horticulture as most routine border checks on plant shipments to and from the EU will be dropped in new trade deal.Alan Titchmarsh becomes President of the National Garden Scheme as Dame Mary Berry steps down after 10 years in the role.National Garden Scheme charity funds over 100 gardens.Anne-Marie Powell's 2025 award-winning Octavia Hill Chelsea Garden finds a permanent home at Bridgemere Show Gardens in Nantwich, Cheshire.CHELSEA NEWS HEADLINESMonty Don's RHS / BBC RADIO 2 Dog Garden got tails wagging at show.Taylors Bulbs make it 32 Gold medals at Chelsea.Cosmos King and friend of the podcast Jonathan Sheppard collects Gold for his National Collection of Cosmos display.Frank P Matthews awarded Silver Guilt for Malus and trained fruit display.Cha No Niwa, Japanese Tea Garden collects top awards including the People's Award for best show garden.In the Malvern Houseplant Studio category, a gold was awarded to Babylon Beats by James Whiting of Plants by There and The Little Botanical reimagines the Hanging Gardens of Babylon through a 1980s lens.Winner of the RHS Plant of the Year 2025 goes to Philadelphus Petit Perfume Pink.The King's Rose is officially unveiled with proceeds going to The King's Foundation.The National Trust creates its first ornamental forest garden at the Shugborough Estate in Staffordshire.Communities to gather in the Great Big Green Week to help beat climate change.Tribute garden to late Queen Elizabeth II takes shape at London's Regent's Park.Can you help passionate Cornish Peony gardener – Caroline Stone - and her quest to find rare types of Paeonia lactifolora, bred since the 1800s by Kelway's Nursery in Langport, Somerset? If you think you can help Caroline, contact her at www.glebegarden.co.uk DIG IT Top 5 Summer bedders in pots: 5th Dahlietta, 4th Osteospermums, 3rd Ivy Leaf Pelargoniums, 2nd Regal Pelargoniums and at the No1 spot Zonal Pelargoniums.Plants mentioned: Runner beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Lettuce. Forsythia, Philadelphus, Weigela, Deciduous Viburnum, Delphiniums, Lupins, Monstera, Roses, Tulips, Seasonal bedding plants, Paeonies, Petunias, and Speedplanters. Sow now Foxgloves, Poppies, Wallflowers, Sweet William, and Forget Me Nots. Encourage pollinators into the garden by planting Lavender, Aster, Coneflowers Cosmos, and Sunflowers.Products mentioned: Dutch hoe, Westland All Purpose Boost Plant Feed, Tomorite, Evergreen 4-in-1 Complete Lawn Feed, Greenhouse shading, Poppyforge plant supports, garden canes, Hozelock multi-gun, Hydrangea Colourant, houseplant compost, and pots for houseplant re-potting.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ars Magica roleplaying game is currently complete, but the community is still mining great gaming material out of medieval history as part of a Share Alike License. The Games From Folktales podcast gives you new, odd, useful material each week, for roleplaying games set in European-styled fantasy settings.   Mythic Europe Magazine is now available from Drivethru, Patreon and itch.io. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/520248/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one?affiliate_id=1776916 https://www.patreon.com/c/timothyferguson/shop https://timothy-ferguson.itch.io/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one

In today's episode of The Pelvic Floor Connection, I'm joined by the deeply insightful Natalie Nuttall; wellbeing coach, writer, and co-founder of Smile Group, a perinatal mental health charity based in Cheshire.Together, we dive into how our personal and professional experiences, helped guide us to the knowledge that midlife and menopause can become an invitation to come home to yourself—not something to endure or "bounce back". It can be a powerful opportunity for reconnection, reflection, and renewal.Key Themes:         

It's our first ever surprise guest and it's two for the price of one as the Team GB's gold-medal-winning cycling team sprint reunite. Jason joins us from Cheshire fresh from the London Marathon while Jamie tunes in from the United States. Follow Sporting Misadventures on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SportingMisadvn - and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportingmisadventures/ and let us hear about your own sporting misadventures by emailing sportingmisadventures@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jasun Horsley is an author, podcaster and host of the Children of Job Substack. He chats to James about his late artist brother Sebastian, the perils of inheriting money when you are too young, the secret life of Leonard Cohen, the dubious cult of the serial killer and whether or not there really is a Grand Universal Conspiracy. His latest (erudite but readable) book 16 Maps of Hell*: The Unraveling of Hollywood Superculture finds - according to James - the perfect balance between red-pilled Normiedom and unashamed rabbit holery. 16 Maps of Hell: The Unraveling of Hollywood Superculture ↓ Good Food Project is hosting a Barbara O'Neill event at Cranage Estate in Cheshire from the 20th to 24th May. Visit www.goodfoodproject.co.uk, find the event link at the top of the homepage, and use code delingpole15 for 15% off your virtual ticket. ↓ Monetary Metals is providing a true alternative to saving and earning in dollars by making it possible to save AND EARN in gold and silver. Monetary Metals has been paying interest on gold and silver for over 8 years. Right now, accredited investors can earn 12% annual interest on silver, paid in silver in their latest silver bond offering. For example, if you have 1,000 ounces of silver in the deal, you receive 120 ounces of silver interest paid to your account in the first year. Go to the link in the description or head to https://monetary-metals.com/delingpole/ to learn more about how to participate and start earning a return on honest money again with Monetary Metals. ↓ ↓ How environmentalists are killing the planet, destroying the economy and stealing your children's future. In Watermelons, an updated edition of his ground-breaking 2011 book, James tells the shocking true story of how a handful of political activists, green campaigners, voodoo scientists and psychopathic billionaires teamed up to invent a fake crisis called ‘global warming'. This updated edition includes two new chapters which, like a geo-engineered flood, pour cold water on some of the original's sunny optimism and provide new insights into the diabolical nature of the climate alarmists' sinister master plan. Purchase Watermelons by James Delingpole here: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk/Shop/ ↓ ↓ ↓ Buy James a Coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamesdelingpole The official website of James Delingpole: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk xxx

Episode 54 - Dr Amar Ahmed, a GP trainer and partner with 24 years at a busy Cheshire surgery, is known for innovative, award-winning solutions that improve NHS frontline care. Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 27ú lá de mí Bealtaine, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh. I 1977 cheap daoine go raibh buama moirtéal a raibh lochtach an cúis den phléasc agus de bharr sin bhí an criú gunna cráite I gCill Mhantáin. I 1988 rinne an tArdeaspag de Tuaim aistarraing mar eadránaí den easaontas a bhí ann faoin cheadúnaigh iascaireacht. I 1967 thosaigh an taisteal saor in aisce do níos mó ná míle daltaí. I 1977 fuair dhá óstán sa chontae úinéir nua agus dhíol siad na n-óstán. Sin Rod Stewart le I Don't Want To Talk About it – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 1977. Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 1990 chan The Stone Roses ag Spike Island sa Bhreatain le timpeall 30 míle duine ann. Tháinig sé amach gur theip an t-imeacht ag an am de bharr nach raibh an fhuaim go maith agus go raibh an t-eagrúchán uafásach, ach I rith na mblianta bhí sé níos fearr. I 1999 bhí roinnt buaiteoir den Ivor Novello cosúil le Rod Stewart a fuair gradam Lifetime Achievement, fuair Robbie Williams agus Guy Chambers scríbhneoirí den bhliain agus fuair Chrissie Hynde cuidiú iontach do cheol sa Bhreatain, Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh Lily-Rose Depp sa Fhrainc I 1999 agus rugadh aisteoir Chris Colfer I Meiriceá ar an lá seo I 1990 agus seo chuid de na rudaí a rinne sé. Beidh mé ar ais libh amárach le heagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo. Welcome back to another edition of Ar An Lá Seo on the 27th of May, with me Lauren Ní Loingsigh 1977: a defective mortar bomb was believed to have caused the explosion which yesterday shattered a gun crew in the second army tragedy in wicklows glen of Imaal. 1988: a disillusioned archibishop of tuam dramatically withdrew as a mediator from the anti rod license dispute. 1967: one thousand clare students started to travel for free. 1977: two well known clare hotels changed hands recently and were sold. That was Rod Stewart with I Don't Want To Talk About It – the biggest song on this day in 1977 Onto music news on this day In 1990 The Stone Roses played at Spike Island, Widnes, Cheshire, England to a capacity crowd of 30,000. The event, considered a failure at the time due to sound problems and bad organisation, has become legendary over the years as a "Woodstock for the baggy generation." 1999 Winners at the Ivor Novello song writing awards included Rod Stewart who won a Lifetime Achievement Award, Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers won songwriters of the year and Chrissie Hynde won outstanding contribution to British Music. And finally celebrity birthdays on this day – actress Lily-Rose Depp was born in Franc in 1999 and actor Chris Colfer was born in America on this day in 1990 and this is some of the stuff he has done. I'll be back with you tomorrow with another edition of Ar An Lá Seo.

Send us a textWelcome to tonight's episode where ‘Erica's Place' by Mindshambles awakens a kaleidoscope of reminiscences about Mum and ‘elevensies' and her never ending supply of fresh scones. As the different memories flow and glide past, it slowly becomes clear how much of ‘Erica's place' and Mum's philosophy still lives on and unconsciously shapes these podcasts. Welcome to Erica's place.   Journal entry:20th May, Tuesday“The yellow flag are out. Unfolding the origami of their petals From the squashed chrysalis of their buds.Yellow iris arrives flat-packed To be assembled without sound Held only by a dance of air and light.”  Episode Information:In this episode I read the first verse of John Betjeman's ‘Upper Lambourne' and a short extract from Miles Hadfield's (1950) An English Almanac. I also read ‘Erica's Place' by Mindshambles (2025)With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.Susan BakerMind Shambles Clare Hollingsworth Gabriela Maria Rodriguez-Veinotte Kevin B. Fleur and David Mcloughlin Lois Raphael Tania Yorgey Andrea Hansen Chris Hinds David Dirom Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger Captain Arlo Rebecca Russell Allison on the narrowboat Mukka Derek and Pauline Watts Anna V. Orange Cookie Mary Keane. Tony Rutherford. Arabella Holzapfel. Rory with MJ and Kayla. Narrowboat Precious Jet. Linda Reynolds Burkins. Richard Noble. Carol Ferguson. Tracie Thomas Mark and Tricia Stowe Madeleine SmithGeneral DetailsThe intro and the outro music is ‘Crying Cello' by Oleksii_Kalyna (2024) licensed for free-use by Pixabay (189988). Narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.All other audio recorded on site. Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.Contact Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

Steve Roest, CEO of PocDoc speaks to Dr Amar Ahmed, one of the UK's leading GPs and a long-time advocate of introducing technology to solve the massive problems we're seeing across the UK in frontline healthcare. Amar is a regular at No.10 and the United Nations, where he advises on integrating new tech into the healthcare system. Dr Amar Ahmed has been a GP partner for 24 years at a busy family GP surgery in Cheshire. Known for pioneering innovation in primary care, he has developed practical, award-winning solutions for the NHS frontline.

The final episode of The Local Mythstorian Podcast is a live recording from Eli's talk at The Grange Theatre on Thursday May 22nd 2025, tracing the story of European witchcraft from its Roman origins through to the English witch-craze and into the county of Cheshire itself!Mythstoric Journeys, the hardback anthology collection from Eli, is available here!Visit thelocalmythstorian.com

With not a lot to talk through this week we keep the mics rolling and talk through the NFL news. Scouse drops his wisdom on why the Tush Push should be banned and we discuss all things in the news relating to the Commanders and interact with our chat and answer fan submitted questions.

Comic Reviews Marvel Amadeus Cho 20th Anniversary Special 1 by Greg Pak, Takeshi Miyazawa, Bryan Valenza; Greg Pak, Creees Lee, Sebastian Cheng; Greg Pak, Jethro Morales, Brian Reber Fantastic Four Fanfare 1 by Mark Waid, Ramon Rosanas, Neeraj Menon; Alan Davis, Matt Hollingsworth; Andrew Wheeler, Sara Pichelli It's Jeff: Jeff Week by Kelly Thompson, Gurihiru, Gustavo Duarte Star Wars 1 by Alex Segura, Phil Noto Marvel Unlimited Marvel Meow 26 by Nao Fuji Dark Horse Lady Baltimore: The Daughters of Medusa 1 by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Bridgit Connell, Michelle Madsen Los Monstruos 1 by James Robinson, Jesus Merino, K.J. Diaz Dynamite Captain Planet and the Planeteers1 by David Pepose, Eman Casallos, Jorge Sutil Space Ghost/Johnny Quest: Space Quest 1 by Joe Casey, Sebastian Piriz, Lorenzo Scaramella Red 5 Snow Monkey 1 by Jason Shawn Alexander, Heubert Khan Michael, Chuck Michael Obach Image Blood and Thunder 1 by Benito Cereno, E.J. Su, Msassyk Free Planet 1 by Aubrey Sitterson, Jed Dougherty, Vittorio Astone Mad Cave Vanishing Point 1 by Mark Russell, Juan Doe OGN Countdown Pencil and Eraser Vol 2: Lost and Frown! by Jenny Alvarado Faiza is a Fighter by Debasmita Dasgupta Cat on the Run Vol 3: Hidden Layers by Aaron Blabey Lost in the Future vol 2: Trapped by Damian, Alex Fuentes Lego Ninjago: Shatterspin by Tri Vuong, Riccardo Robaldo Erin and Yrso Book 1: The Giants by Lylian, Paul Drouin The Actual, Semi-True Adventures of Mark and Dee Vol 1: IN by Mark Dooley, Michael Walt DC's Misfits of Magic by Michael Dow Smith Creaky Acres by Calista Brill, Nilah Magruder Rainbow! Vol 2 by Sunny and Gloomy Phenomena Book 3: The Secret by Brian Michael Bendis, Andre Lima Araujo Love Languages by James Albon One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, Sharee Miller Sunder vol 1 by Pierre-Alexandre-Comtois Additional Reviews: FCBD 2025 Andor s2 ep7-9 Doctor Who ep5 Doom Patrol s1 Electric State News: new Black Cat book by Wilson and Melknikov, Event Horizon: Dark Descent by Christian Ward, Wonder Woman/Harley Quinn: Forbidden Gift, Cheetah and Cheshire comic from Rucka and Scott, new X-Men: Age of Apocalypse title from Loeb and DiMeo, Hayden Sherman signs exclusive at DC, Orion graphic novel, Dan Watters new projects at IDW, Tynion Invisible Man for Image Allegedly Grown Man Visits a Theme Park (Dutch Wonderland) Trailers: Now You See Me Now You Don't, Long Walk, Peacemaker s2 Comics Countdown (07 May 2025): Absolute Superman 7 by Jason Aaron, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ulises Arreola Absolute Green Lantern 2 by Al Ewing, Jahnoy Lindsay Batgirl 7 by Tate Brombal, Isaac Goodhart, Mike Spicer Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma 2 by Ram V, Anand RK, Butch Guice, Mike Spicer Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe 2 by David Petersen, Gabriel Rodriguez Moon is Following Us 9 by Daniel Warren Johnson, Riley Rossmo, Mike Spicer Black Canary: Best of the Best 6 by Tom King, Ryan Sook, Dave Stewart Two-Face 6 by Christian Ward, Fabio Veras, Ivan Plascencia JSA 7 by Jeff Lemire, Rafael de Latorre, Luis Guerrero Let This One Be A Devil 3 by James Tynion IV, Steve Foxe, Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson

The Ars Magica roleplaying game is currently complete, but the community is still mining great gaming material out of medieval history as part of a Share Alike License. The Games From Folktales podcast gives you new, odd, useful material each week, for roleplaying games set in European-styled fantasy settings.   Mythic Europe Magazine is now available from Drivethru, Patreon and itch.io. https://www.patreon.com/c/timothyferguson/shop https://timothy-ferguson.itch.io/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/520248/Mythic-Europe-Magazine-Issue-One?affiliate_id=1776916

This week we talk through the NFL Schedule release and the trip to Madrid. We also discuss all things in the news relating to the Commanders and interact with our chat and answer fan submitted questions.

Andy Ross is a Yorkshireman, former IT engineer, and co-author - with John Hamer - of Sixty Degrees South, an exploration in novel form of the Antarctica rabbit hole. James and Andy talk about Amelia Earhart's last journey, the Gleason Map, Flat Earth, Scott's expedition and the mysteries of the forbidden continent…. https://sixty-degrees-south.com ↓↓↓↓ Good Food Project is hosting a Barbara O'Neill event at Cranage Estate in Cheshire from the 20th to 24th May. Visit www.goodfoodproject.co.uk, find the event link at the top of the homepage, and use code delingpole15 for 15% off your virtual ticket. ↓↓↓ Brand Zero is a small skincare and wellbeing business based in Nailsworth in the heart of Gloucestershire, with a strong eco-friendly, zero-waste, cruelty-free ethos. Brand Zero sells a range of wonderfully soothing natural skincare, haircare, toothcare and wellbeing products, mostly hand made, with no plastic packaging or harsh chemicals. All our products are 100% natural and packaged in recyclable or compostable tin, paper or glass. Discount code: JAMES10 www.brandzeronaturals.co.uk ↓ ↓  How environmentalists are killing the planet, destroying the economy and stealing your children's future. In Watermelons, an updated edition of his ground-breaking 2011 book, James tells the shocking true story of how a handful of political activists, green campaigners, voodoo scientists and psychopathic billionaires teamed up to invent a fake crisis called ‘global warming'. This updated edition includes two new chapters which, like a geo-engineered flood, pour cold water on some of the original's sunny optimism and provide new insights into the diabolical nature of the climate alarmists' sinister master plan. Purchase Watermelons by James Delingpole here:  https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk/Shop/ ↓ ↓ ↓ Buy James a Coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamesdelingpole The official website of James Delingpole: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk x

I'm so excited to be in Australia with Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott! It's been a minute since the Mimi and Greg Show version of this podcast, but we're back—and with an exclusive. The post 420. Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott on creating Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League first appeared on Sifu Mimi Chan.

This special event considered the recommendations of the Institute's 2024 Commission on the Centre of Government in light of our analysis of the Labour government's first year in office and the prime minister's agenda to reform public services and rewire the state. The Chair of the Institute, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, spok on government reform and the civil service – offering his valedictory reflections as he steps down from the role this summer. Lord Sainsbury's speech was followed by a presentation of the Institute's key recommendations on civil service reform, discussion with a panel of senior IfG staff and incoming IfG Chair Sir Ian Cheshire, and audience questions. This important event highlighted the relevance of the Institute's existing research to the government's vital reform agenda and previewed our future research plans. Welcome and opening remarks Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government Speech Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for Government Q&A Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Chairman of the Board at the Institute for Government Sir Ian Cheshire, Deputy Chair of the Board at the Institute for Government Presentation Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Panel discussion Sir Jonathan Jones KCB KC (Hon), Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Alex Thomas, Programme Director for the civil service at the Institute for Government Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government This panel was chaired by Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

The Ars Magica roleplaying game is currently complete, but the community is still mining great gaming material out of medieval history as part of a Share Alike License. The Games From Folktales podcast gives you new, odd, useful material each week, for roleplaying games set in European-styled fantasy settings.   Mythic Europe Magazine is now available from Drivethru, Patreon and itch.io. https://www.patreon.com/c/timothyferguson/shop https://timothy-ferguson.itch.io/mythic-europe-magazine-issue-one https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/520248/Mythic-Europe-Magazine-Issue-One?affiliate_id=1776916  

Send us a textTonight, we float upon a starfield of hawthorn blossom under a waxing moon. Why not join us as we continue with the final part of Mum's account of the ‘totally worthwhile risk that was never regretted.'    Journal entry:9th May, Friday“A westering sunLays long shadows acrossThe towpath and canal.Two geese in a fieldwatch me from across the water.A pheasant's raspThe scent of may.”Episode Information:In this episode I read the first part of John Clare's (1793-1864) ‘In suns and showers luxuriant May came forth' published posthumously in Madrigals and Chronicles (1924).For photographs accompanying the reading from Mum's account, please go to this episode's page on noswpod.With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.Mind ShamblesClare HollingsworthGabriela Maria Rodriguez-VeinotteKevin B.Fleur and David McloughlinLois RaphaelTania YorgeyAndrea HansenChris HindsDavid DiromChris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger Captain Arlo Rebecca Russell Allison on the narrowboat Mukka Derek and Pauline Watts Anna V. Orange Cookie Mary Keane. Tony Rutherford. Arabella Holzapfel. Rory with MJ and Kayla. Narrowboat Precious Jet. Linda Reynolds Burkins. Richard Noble. Carol Ferguson. Tracie Thomas Mark and Tricia Stowe Madeleine SmithGeneral DetailsThe intro and the outro music is ‘Crying Cello' by Oleksii_Kalyna (2024) licensed for free-use by Pixabay (189988). Narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.All other audio recorded on site. Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.Contact Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

Gemma started her career studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University. She quickly discovered the world of Continuous Improvement and spent 20 years working to improve processes and systems within various manufacturing industries including Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Food, and Medical Devices. She has been a CI Manager numerous times and an Operations Manager running a factory of over 500 people.Gemma is hugely passionate about Improvement and developing people and processes. She gets such a kick out of coaching and facilitating, especially when she sees the lightbulb switch on in someone's head – when they solve a problem; when they realize they have the power to change; or when they get excited about all the improvements they could make.In 2019, Gemma left the world of employment to establish her own business, SPARK Improvement, aiming to switch on as many lightbulbs as possible. Her mission is to help organizations and individuals be the BEST they can be, by helping people SEE, helping people THINK, and helping people CHANGE.Gemma is based in Cheshire in the UK, working globally.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Sean Merryweather is a British ultra-runner and obstacle course racer who has won multiple endurance events, including the GB Ultra Chester 50, Manchester to Liverpool Ultra, and GB Ultra Snowdon 50. Recently, he recently set a new course record at the Chester Ultra 100, finishing in 16 hours, 20 minutes, and 5 seconds. Smoking fast!Outside of running, Sean has a background in football and holds a black belt in kickboxing. His favorite races tend to be in the mountains, and he lives in Cheshire.This week's Brew with the Coaches is all about injury prevention.XMILES UK - 10% discount via the link below.https://xmiles.avln.me/c/RiwxnARvfHeRRunderwear - Use code TEATRAILS15 for 15% off your orderhttps://runderwear.avln.me/c/GPVNMgMfYfLPSHOKZ - Use code TEA102025 to receive £10 off.https://uk.shokz.com?sca_ref=7394994.MfsDQZBAeLQihiPrecision Fuel & Hydration https://visit.pfandh.com/3GKxHjUPrecision Fuel & Hydration Planner https://visit.pfandh.com/3RuP25zHarrier - Use code TEA10 for 10% off. https://harrierrunfree.co.uk/Fenixlight Limited - Use code T&T5 for 5% off your order.https://www.fenixlight.co.uk/Protein Rebel - Use code Tea15 for 15% off your first order. https://proteinrebel.com/Centurion Running - Use code TEAANDTRAILS10 to receive 10% off *Excluding Sale Items.https://centurionrunning.com/LIFE JACKET SKIN PROTECTION - Use code GOTYOURBACK for 10% off your first order.https://lifejacketskin.com/PRIMUS UK - Use code TT-PRIMUS-20 for 20& off.https://primusequipment.co.uk/Content may contain affiliate links which can help support and grow this channel at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your continued support.Brew with the Coaches - CLICK HEREKeeping Dry & Staying Warm - https://amzn.to/42JCexqFix Your Feet - https://amzn.to/3FE4nf0Running Challenges by Keri Wallace - https://amzn.to/3KGdU7eROAR - https://amzn.to/3WU7xB2NEXT LEVEL - https://amzn.to/3Hu15LrUltra Trails - https://www.ultratrails.co.uk/Greener Miles - https://greenermilesrunning.co.uk/Hannah Walsh - https://www.hannahwalsh.co.uk/Punk Panther - https://www.punkpanther.co.uk/Pen Llyn Ultra - https://penllyn.niftyentries.com

Chaz and AJ started news this morning with a story from Cheshire, and realized in the middle that they don't know a whole lot about Cheshire. (0:00)  Sgt. Luke Davis from the Connecticut State Police was on the phone with Chaz and AJ this morning to talk about the prostitution arrest that happened in the driveway of the police barracks. (16:06)  In Dumb Ass News, a meth smoking raccoon gave police all they needed to make an arrest. (26:43)  Hamden residents were extremely vocal at a recent town hall meeting regarding the latest tax hike. Nobody was more passionate than Jameka Jefferies, who has since decided to run for mayor and fix the problem herself. (35:36)  An email from a Tribe member completely changed the plan in Dumb Ass News, when we all learned about the shoe thief from Fairfield. (54:00)

The Disposables. Cheshire's very own punk rock underdogs, are in MLPP Towers this week to talk us through their journey from a spare room lockdown project to the fully formed, fully rounded beat combo you see before you today.We chat about home recording, self confidence, people harking back to the past, difficult Facebook groups, line up changes and more.Both of your hosts have supplied gig reports this week. One wholesome and uplifting, the other bleak and depressing. Who delivers which one may surprise you.Music this week is by: Rotunda, The Vicious Cycles, Assorted Jelly Beans, Cleavers and Comfort Girl.

This week we give our thoughts on the 2025 NFL Draft and go through our travels to Green Bay as well as the picks. We also discuss all things in the news relating to the Commanders.

New Zealand rider Shane Richardson has died following a crash at a British Superbikes race in Cheshire. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The image of the wizard has become synonymous with the Cheshire village of Alderley Edge largely thanks to a nineteenth century legend. Yet the deeper history of the area suggests that this connection to such magical figures is far from fantasy, and in fact may be the result of a very real, if extraordinary, historical legacy.Mythstoric Journeys, the hardback anthology collection from Eli, is available here!Visit thelocalmythstorian.com

Codey and Aislinn talk about Bugaboo Pocket Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:13: What Have We Been Up To 00:11:26: Game Updates 00:38:43: Bugaboo Pocket Links Doloc Town Early Access Disney Dreamlight Valley “Wonderland Whimsy” Update# Roots of Pacha “1.3” Update Ova Magica “0.9” Update Go-Go Town Online Co-op Sneak Peek Stardew Valley Concert New Dates Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:29) Aislinn: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season. (0:00:33) Aislinn: My name is Aislinn. (0:00:34) Codey: And my name is Cody. (0:00:36) Aislinn: And we are here to talk about cottagecore games. (0:00:39) Codey: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, I’ve been doing the wolf (0:00:39) Aislinn: Woo-hoo! (0:00:42) Aislinn: We got some extra in there. (0:00:46) Codey: one. The wolfish. Oh, oh, oh, I don’t know why. Oh, you know, (0:00:47) Aislinn: Ooh! (0:00:50) Aislinn: All I can offer is just the woo. (0:00:52) Aislinn: I can give a little meow. (0:00:55) Codey: well, you’re the you’re the coup, aren’t you? The (0:00:58) Aislinn: That’s true. I am the coup. (0:00:59) Aislinn: I’m just I’m in I’m in cat my brain is only cats with these (0:01:03) Aislinn: two kittens. The two kitties. I did I did talk about them. I (0:01:04) Codey: kittens. Have you talked about them? Okay, good. (0:01:11) Aislinn: think I mentioned I think yeah, at the time when I record last (0:01:17) Aislinn: recorded with Kevin in for wonder stop. It was pre Yeah, I (0:01:18) Codey: Mm hm. (0:01:23) Aislinn: was pre kittens. We were in the process of like getting them. (0:01:24) Codey: Mm hm. (0:01:26) Codey: Mm hm. (0:01:27) Aislinn: And now we have them. (0:01:29) Aislinn: So if y’all hear any craziness in the background, that’s them having the zoomies because they’re (0:01:34) Aislinn: five months old and don’t know how to relax sometimes. (0:01:43) Aislinn: But today we are talking about Bugaboo Pocket. (0:01:47) Aislinn: It is not to go into it too much, but it is essentially like a bug collecting. (0:01:48) Codey: Woo. (0:01:59) Aislinn: And caring type of game. (0:02:02) Codey: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (0:02:03) Aislinn: It reminds me of Tamagotchi, but bugs. (0:02:08) Aislinn: And we won’t go too much into it, but that’s the general gist of it. (0:02:12) Aislinn: But otherwise, what have you been up to? (0:02:16) Codey: I am still doing a PhD and I’m so close. I did get the approval from my committee that I should be (0:02:22) Aislinn: so close. (0:02:29) Codey: good to defend in the fall as long as I continue to follow my timeline. I’m so close to being a (0:02:31) Aislinn: Yes. Oh my gosh. Oh (0:02:37) Codey: doctor. So weird. (0:02:38) Aislinn: My god, you’re already a doctor in my heart, honestly (0:02:43) Aislinn: I’m out of time and effort and energy and everything you put in you’re you’re already there. It’s just you just need the technicalities of (0:02:50) Codey: that like paper that says that I am. Yeah, basically. So I’m (0:02:52) Aislinn: Exactly (0:02:57) Codey: doing a lot of specimens. But, which is really fun. It’s (0:03:01) Codey: basically like just pouring out vials of dead bugs, we call it (0:03:04) Aislinn: Oh! (0:03:04) Codey: bugs, bug soup. So pouring out bug soup, and then going through (0:03:10) Codey: and identifying it. And I found something super rare the other (0:03:13) Codey: day, and I lost my mind. So there’s this entire order of (0:03:18) Codey: in Sarcs called Strepsipterin. (0:03:20) Codey: It’s actually called Strepsipterin, which is the one that’s in this area. (0:03:25) Codey: And it’s also called Strepsipterin, which is actually called Strepsipterin. (0:03:28) Codey: And it’s this one, which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin. (0:03:32) Codey: And it’s also called Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is this (0:03:36) Codey: one called Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is this one called (0:03:38) Aislinn: Oh. (0:03:38) Codey: Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin, (0:03:41) Codey: which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is (0:03:41) Aislinn: Oh. (0:03:45) Codey: this one called Strepsipterin, which is this one called Strepsipterin, which is this one (0:03:48) Codey: and then like mates with (0:03:50) Codey: her while she’s in the wasp and then she has babies. (0:03:54) Codey: And it’s just, so the female never has wings, but the males (0:03:57) Codey: have wings and they have like, I believe really short flight (0:04:00) Codey: periods. And I caught three males. So like just in the (0:04:03) Aislinn: Oh! (0:04:05) Codey: middle of my bug soup, I was just like, Holy crap, it’s a (0:04:08) Codey: strep septarin. And then I was like, Oh my God, there’s more. (0:04:12) Codey: So it was really cool because the whole, like one of the (0:04:15) Codey: points of my study is to see if there’s one of the three traps (0:04:19) Codey: that I’m testing if one is. (0:04:20) Codey: Better than the other, and these are only caught in that one type of trap. (0:04:21) Aislinn: Oh, so you’re making progress. (0:04:24) Codey: So that’s like, yeah. (0:04:28) Codey: So it’s like, okay, we’ll look at this cool thing that was never, ever caught (0:04:32) Codey: in the other traps, but is all has been caught in, um, this new trap thing. (0:04:37) Codey: So that was cool. (0:04:39) Codey: But other than that, I’ve been playing, I’m still playing Fortnite with my roommate. (0:04:43) Codey: Um, just like something to, we like play a game or two at a time to just like. (0:04:50) Codey: Chill. (0:04:51) Codey: Um, and then I started playing breath of the wild. (0:04:57) Codey: I have never finished it. (0:04:59) Codey: Um, and I barely got into the game, to be honest, like the last times that I’ve (0:05:04) Codey: played it, so I’m playing it now and I’m playing it kind of with Jeff, um, (0:05:10) Codey: because he lives with me now. (0:05:12) Aislinn: Wow! (laughs) (0:05:12) Codey: And so like I play it while we’re both in the same room. (0:05:16) Codey: He’s usually playing like factorial or something. (0:05:20) Codey: We like watch it and play it together. (0:05:22) Codey: So it’s, it’s nice. (0:05:24) Codey: And hopefully having like a second person who’s interested in the story will (0:05:27) Codey: like help me to actually finish it. (0:05:31) Aislinn: I think I have that same exact relationship with Breath of the Wild like I started it and to be (0:05:36) Aislinn: fair I don’t have it anymore because it was part of I think I’ve I feel like I’ve told the story (0:05:38) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:05:41) Aislinn: like a bunch of times so you may or may not have heard it the listeners probably haven’t heard it (0:05:45) Aislinn: but long story short my switch got stolen years ago along with a bunch of games Breath of the Wild (0:05:50) Aislinn: being one of them so I currently don’t own it anymore the idea of buying it I’m just like do (0:05:57) Aislinn: I really need to because I never really got into it in the first place. (0:06:01) Aislinn: For some reason, but like I am interested in it as a whole entire overview. (0:06:07) Aislinn: I just never fully got into it, but I think maybe if Chris and I like sat down (0:06:13) Aislinn: on the couch and try to like play it together, that might encourage me more. (0:06:14) Codey: Yeah, that’s so that’s what I’m doing with Jeff is kind of just like dedicating that time to just sitting down and playing it together and it’s really nice. (0:06:26) Codey: And so, doing that and then the last thing that I’ll mention is that oblivion remastered came out and I am a huge Elder Scrolls fan, but I resisted the temptation, because I need to finish Zelda first I think I need to just like stick with one thing. (0:06:44) Aislinn: I can’t believe the way they dropped it, it was just like a shadow drop, right? (0:06:44) Codey: So I looked at oblivion and I was like, you’ll be here wait for me wait for me. (0:06:54) Codey: It was Yeah, like, I remember like Jeff was like, Oh, babe, they’re really there. They just announced this thing and then like two days later, one of my best friends who I actually played the original oblivion with back when we were in high school, or middle (0:07:12) Codey: maybe even he was like, Oh yeah, I’m playing this. (0:07:14) Codey: And I was bringing up so many memories. (0:07:17) Codey: And I was like, Oh my gosh. (0:07:18) Codey: So yeah, it was like just a straight up shadow drop. (0:07:22) Codey: Um, and it’s fun to see all the memes people are, are saying. (0:07:26) Codey: So, but I am going to wait. (0:07:28) Aislinn: Yeah, that’s, you know, that’s a fair point. (0:07:30) Codey: I’ve played it before I can, it can wait for me. (0:07:34) Aislinn: Breath of the Wild is a new game, new experience, but it’s like, I don’t know, watching the (0:07:40) Aislinn: trailer for Oblivion, I’ve never played anything in that world. (0:07:42) Codey: - Ooh. (0:07:45) Aislinn: But like looking at the trailer and seeing how excited Chris was, because Chris is also (0:07:47) Codey: - Yeah. (0:07:48) Aislinn: a huge Elder Scrolls fan. (0:07:52) Aislinn: He was so badly wanted to drop everything to play it, but he’s like, we have things (0:07:56) Aislinn: we have to do. (0:07:57) Codey: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean, the other thing is that like, it’s on game pass. So if folks if they (0:07:58) Aislinn: But it looks amazing, so like, I don’t know how you resist the temptation because I would be tempted to play something that I know I’m going to really really enjoy. (0:08:16) Codey: don’t know, it’s on game pass. And so that was like the biggest temptation is my friend told me (0:08:22) Codey: that it was out. And I was like, Yeah, but I can’t afford that. I can’t even afford $20 game (0:08:26) Codey: little one is 60. (0:08:28) Codey: And then I got on my Xbox and I saw that it was on game pass and I was like, oh, oh, no, oh, no, no. (0:08:34) Aislinn: Yeah. I think when I was streaming earlier this week, he’s like, “Sara, I ended up starting to download it while you just started streaming.” (0:08:44) Aislinn: He’s like, “Did you notice any drops?” I was like, “Oh, no, but okay.” (0:08:44) Codey: I can’t remember if I downloaded it or not. (0:08:49) Aislinn: So he’s all set up ready to go. (0:08:55) Codey: I downloaded Ori and the Blind Forest because I was about to start playing that, too. (0:09:02) Codey: I was playing that on my Switch and then we switched to Jeff’s Switch and Jeff’s Xbox. (0:09:09) Codey: I was playing it on my Xbox and now we’re on Jeff’s Xbox. (0:09:13) Codey: So I was like, Oh, I need to download that again. (0:09:14) Codey: Um, but that I was like, but I need to focus and I, if I’m going to focus on a game right (0:09:21) Codey: now, I want it to be Zelda. (0:09:22) Codey: So all of this to say, uh, mostly Zelda. (0:09:28) Aislinn: I so I will admit that I have been so so so so I think I already said this on the (0:09:29) Codey: What about you? (0:09:30) Codey: What have you been up to? (0:09:31) Codey: What do you mean? (0:09:39) Aislinn: wanders top episode actually no I was in a different I was less busy pre it’s (0:09:45) Aislinn: like pre and post wanders top is a is like a milestone in my mo in my life at (0:09:50) Aislinn: the moment for some reason like pre wanders top I was busy but once I finished (0:09:54) Aislinn: wanders up something? Actually, you know what, what happened was the cats. (0:09:58) Aislinn: The cats came into the picture, and in addition to working, taking care of what feels like (0:10:05) Aislinn: five toddlers simultaneously, even though it’s just two kittens, and wedding, actively (0:10:08) Codey: Yeah. (0:10:13) Aislinn: wedding planning. It’s been like very, very busy. But with that said, with the time that (0:10:19) Aislinn: I do have, I’ve been trying to play as much bugaboo pocket as possible, which I’ve unlocked (0:10:24) Codey: Sweet. (0:10:26) Aislinn: or b- (0:10:28) Aislinn: I made good progress in the story I think, but um I’ve also been playing whenever I can (0:10:28) Codey: Okay. (0:10:30) Codey: Okay. (0:10:40) Aislinn: Persona 3 reload still. I’m a little bit more than halfway through the game and I finally finally (0:10:48) Aislinn: finally finally picked up Fields of Mistria and I want to dedicate my entire life to that game (0:10:51) Codey: Mm hmm. Yeah. (0:10:56) Aislinn: but I’m like, I- (0:10:58) Aislinn: I have to resist, I have to resist ‘cause I’m like, I do like, same with like Oblivion remastered just coming out, I’m like, I want to finish Persona first, but I’m already really really enjoying Fields of Mistria, which is like, it’s been good, everyone has been saying it’s good, and like, yeah, no, it’s good, so, um, that’s primarily what I’ve been doing. (0:11:20) Codey: hmm okay awesome well we will talk more about bugaboo pocket but first there’s news (0:11:23) Aislinn: Yes. (0:11:28) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:11:30) Aislinn: So I actually kind of want to talk a little bit about this (0:11:32) Aislinn: first one. (0:11:34) Aislinn: I don’t know how to pronounce it. (0:11:36) Aislinn: Dolok town, Dolok town. (0:11:37) Codey: that’s that I thought dolok I think that’s right (0:11:40) Aislinn: Either way in my quest for finding something to give me (0:11:46) Aislinn: more energy today because today I’ve just been very low energy (0:11:50) Aislinn: for some reason. (0:11:50) Aislinn: I think because it’s like my first proper day off and I just (0:11:52) Aislinn: don’t know how to function and not be like I don’t know how to (0:11:56) Aislinn: not be busy right now. (0:11:58) Aislinn: It’s just like a blob. (0:11:58) Aislinn: But in my quest to try and like give myself some energy, I (0:12:02) Aislinn: actually downloaded the demo because looking at it for this (0:12:06) Codey: OK. (0:12:06) Aislinn: podcast already caught my interest very quickly. (0:12:10) Aislinn: And it’s really cool so far. (0:12:12) Aislinn: But early access is coming soon. (0:12:16) Aislinn: There’s just a demo. (0:12:18) Aislinn: So if you didn’t know, there is a demo, the demo. (0:12:20) Aislinn: I didn’t play much of the demo, but the demo already is like (0:12:22) Aislinn: pretty cool. (0:12:24) Aislinn: Um, but it is a (0:12:28) Aislinn: farming sim in a way, but it’s a side scroller, which feels (0:12:33) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:12:34) Aislinn: very different from what I’m used to at least, it’s someone (0:12:37) Aislinn: that is very selective about farming games. And there’s, (0:12:42) Aislinn: yeah, there’s crafting, there’s cooking, fishing, farming, of (0:12:47) Aislinn: course. And it looked like there was also like some actual like (0:12:51) Aislinn: platform like platforming that is happening in some capacity. (0:12:56) Aislinn: so it really caught my interest. (0:12:58) Aislinn: I don’t know if you know much about the game as well. (0:13:02) Codey: I, I just looked at the what was on there so the quote that they had for the early access (0:13:11) Codey: is immerse yourself in a rich farming experience with harvesting building crafting cooking (0:13:15) Codey: fishing and more brave extreme weather and make it yours, no idea what that means explore (0:13:22) Aislinn: I don’t know what that means either. (0:13:23) Codey: the vast wasteland and uncover the secrets beneath discover the the charm of Dolok town (0:13:29) Codey: in the story of its people, a customizable drone. (0:13:32) Codey: a companion designed to safeguard you and the wilderness. I’m assuming that means that there is one. (0:13:46) Aislinn: Yeah, I think that’s why I am definitely partial towards anime-esque. (0:13:54) Aislinn: When you’re actually in the game, it’s less more so, it’s definitely more leaning on the (0:13:57) Codey: - Yeah. (0:13:59) Aislinn: pixel aesthetic, but like the art for the game, yeah, has that anime aesthetic. (0:14:04) Aislinn: But it’s nice, like I could definitely see where they’re trying to go with it charm-wise (0:14:10) Aislinn: for the game. (0:14:11) Codey: Mm-hmm this guy (0:14:12) Aislinn: And like right off the gate, there’s already some very interesting dialogue just in the (0:14:16) Aislinn: background. (0:14:18) Aislinn: So it seems like, or it says also over the past few months, the team has been working (0:14:23) Aislinn: hard to refine the game and get it ready for its initial release. (0:14:27) Aislinn: And we’re thrilled to see that it’s only two weeks away. (0:14:30) Codey: Woo! So yeah, that’s the big news, is that the Early Access is coming on May 8th. (0:14:31) Aislinn: So yay! (0:14:36) Aislinn: And also, just because I thought this was really cool, if you join the Discord, you (0:14:40) Codey: Mm-hmm, oh, like a downloadable version? (0:14:41) Aislinn: get the OST on launch, which normally you have to pay for that on Steam. (0:14:46) Aislinn: So, I don’t know exactly, because I don’t talk about how exactly what that process is, (0:14:53) Aislinn: but yeah, you can get the OST for free, it seems like, if you just join the Discord. (0:14:59) Codey: Wow, have you how’s the music? (0:15:01) Aislinn: So that’s pretty cool. (0:15:03) Aislinn: So far, I already really like it. (0:15:04) Codey: Okay (0:15:06) Aislinn: It fits the aesthetic of the game really well. (0:15:08) Codey: Nice (0:15:10) Codey: Yeah, cool and the that early access is gonna have 20 hours of gameplay which is nuts for an early access (0:15:16) Aislinn: Yeah, that’s that’s really good. (0:15:18) Codey: And that that’s only like part of the story (0:15:22) Codey: crazy (0:15:23) Codey: So cool. Well, we will continue to check in with you about Dolan (0:15:29) Codey: You downloaded the demo (0:15:33) Codey: I am the Disney Dreamlight Valley correspondent and here that is (0:15:37) Aislinn: Yes. (0:15:40) Codey: the next (0:15:43) Codey: Sorry, I just was getting a phone call and it cut off my recording so al I’m sorry, there’s two recordings (0:15:51) Codey: Disney Disney Dreamlight Valley has a new update. So they have the Wonderland whimsy update which adds an Alice in Wonderland realm (0:15:59) Codey: Alice and the Cheshire cat as characters (0:16:02) Aislinn: I for some reason I thought there were already characters, but I am I still have yet to play this game (0:16:02) Codey: so (0:16:07) Aislinn: I think like you told me like when we first recorded way back when to play Disney Dreamlight Valley, and I still have not (0:16:07) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:16:12) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:16:15) Codey: Yeah, it’s a lot it’s a lot and there is a poll like I feel the pull to it since (0:16:16) Aislinn: This is a backlog (0:16:22) Codey: Again switched to Jeff’s Xbox. He has a Xbox series s so it’s like a really better one (0:16:29) Codey: And it does not when I played it (0:16:32) Codey: Disney Dreamlight Valley does not have lag on his the way that it did on my Xbox one (0:16:39) Codey: So I I feel the pull for sure (0:16:42) Codey: I don’t know. I’ll have to look at the (0:16:46) Codey: Because usually with these patches they also have like a small (0:16:53) Codey: Gosh, what are they called? (0:16:56) Codey: I’m trying to oh my gosh. Sorry. I was just (0:16:59) Codey: looking at this. Oh, uh, oh, uh, does not include seasonal star path. Oh, that’s something else. (0:17:05) Codey: I’m wondering if they have a star path. Oh yeah, the regard garden of whimsy star path. So the star (0:17:10) Codey: paths are like usually those are time limited. Um, and you can get some really neat items. So maybe (0:17:15) Codey: I’ll jump on this game here, uh, like to later today and see if there’s any good items, um, (0:17:21) Codey: for the star path and see if I’m really like tempted to get anything. Um, (0:17:29) Codey: I don’t know. Did you ever see like the old Alice game? That was like super creepy. (0:17:36) Aislinn: I have like the vague, for whatever reason the way that you phrased it just gave me like the vaguest recollection of it. (0:17:42) Codey: Um hmm. Yeah. So whenever I think of Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat, I think of (0:17:44) Aislinn: Let me see if I look at- Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (0:17:51) Codey: that one because the round little cuddly Cheshire Cat that’s in, or I think of the one in the (0:17:57) Codey: Johnny Depp films, because when I think of like, when I see this Cheshire Cat, like the (0:18:01) Codey: original Alice in Wonderland Cheshire Cat, I’m like, this looks goofy versus like the (0:18:07) Codey: original horror Alice games, uh, and kind of also the one. (0:18:12) Codey: In the live action is like creepy. Um, and I prefer the Cheshire Cat being creepy. So, uh, (0:18:21) Codey: yeah, so I will look at, look at it and see if there’s anything cool in the star path. Um, (0:18:27) Codey: later today. The other thing, the thing I was laughing about is, uh, (0:18:31) Codey: uncrafting. So there’s now an, there’s now an uncrafting station, which I love it. Uh, so you can (0:18:34) Aislinn: on crafting. (0:18:42) Codey: uncraft non-quest crafted items and recycle the materials. Yeah. There are times like when the (0:18:47) Aislinn: Oh, that’s so good. (0:18:51) Codey: characters like at the end of the quest. So I’m assuming I’m hoping it means like if they are no (0:18:56) Codey: longer needed in the quest, because they’ll be like, Oh, build me this beautiful gondola, (0:19:03) Codey: like saying that I can, then we can get married under or something. And then you build this huge (0:19:09) Codey: thing and then after the the action of it they’re like (0:19:12) Codey: okay here is the here have this and I’m like I don’t want this like I don’t (0:19:20) Codey: actually want this yeah so yeah so you can now do that which is hilarious they (0:19:21) Aislinn: Give me my materials back. (0:19:32) Codey: also have upgradable chests which is amazing so instead of having if you have (0:19:39) Codey: small chest and then you don’t you want to get a large chest you (0:19:42) Codey: have to like build the large chest and then set it next to the small chest and (0:19:47) Codey: then like scooch everything over and it’s just pain in the butt now you can (0:19:50) Codey: just like upgrade the smaller chests instead which is awesome there’s more (0:19:57) Codey: alignment in the sub grid you can make your house bigger just like some basic (0:20:03) Codey: things and then other changes and bug fixes so I’m excited looks cool (0:20:10) Aislinn: I just, the idea, I don’t know why the idea of being able to uncraft something has never (0:20:17) Aislinn: crossed my mind, but now that that idea has been implanted into my brain, now I’m like (0:20:23) Aislinn: why do more games not have this, because this is really cool and I really like that and (0:20:28) Aislinn: that would be very nice. (0:20:29) Codey: Yeah (0:20:30) Codey: To be able to like I mean there are some games that can do that (0:20:34) Codey: I know that I want to say minecraft has one where like a table that you can go take your stuff to and then it’ll (0:20:39) Codey: Like give you the components or something (0:20:41) Aislinn: very cool indeed and I guess with that said do you have anything else that you (0:20:42) Codey: Yeah, it’s not super common so cool (0:20:48) Codey: Yeah (0:20:51) Codey: Mm-hmm (0:20:52) Aislinn: want to touch on with disney dreamlight valley (0:20:54) Codey: No, I was gonna move on let’s move on (0:20:56) Aislinn: okay I guess I so I do you know anything about the roots of pacha (0:21:00) Codey: I played roots of Pacha (0:21:02) Aislinn: - Okay. (laughs) (0:21:03) Codey: Or Pacha. I think I say Pacha (0:21:06) Codey: It is a super cool like it’s basically caveman stardew or prehistoric stardew (0:21:12) Codey: I think is what we used to say so they have a 1.3 update that is out now and it adds two new regions (0:21:18) Codey: so those regions are the (0:21:20) Codey: Mograni mountains and (0:21:23) Codey: the (0:21:25) Codey: to do scroll scroll scroll yaku on islands (0:21:29) Codey: um so I think it just like adds on to what is already in the game like (0:21:34) Codey: different areas that you can just now go to that you previously couldn’t go to (0:21:39) Codey: each area has a decent amount of new characters um but overall there’s 21 new characters uh and two (0:21:48) Codey: of them are romanceable and I just always want to shout out that one of the characters who’s (0:21:54) Codey: romanceable, the mountain guy is older. So he’s got like (0:21:59) Codey: white hair, like gray hair. And I am just as I get into my (0:22:03) Codey: elder years, I am just always so happy. You see that that (0:22:12) Codey: they’re, they’re letting us old people. Old people mean love (0:22:15) Aislinn: No, I agree, I do, I, like, I saw that note and I was like, “That’s really, really awesome.” (0:22:18) Codey: too. Yeah, so that was cool. There’s also new animals. They’ve (0:22:28) Codey: We’ve got like a prehistory. (0:22:29) Codey: For a giraffe thing, they’ve got something that was a precursor to the modern sheep. (0:22:37) Codey: They got a dodo bird because of course, like why wasn’t that in the game already? (0:22:42) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. (0:22:45) Codey: And then they also added modern animals. (0:22:47) Codey: So I don’t, I can’t remember if it’s like something that you can, like one of the ideas (0:22:52) Codey: that you can add on that someone like thinks of like modernizing the animals or whatever, (0:22:57) Codey: but you end up (0:22:59) Codey: like with what you would think are the modern animals from it which is really cool. (0:23:04) Aislinn: Oh, so they’re not like actually modern animals, they’re just what could be modern animals, (0:23:10) Codey: So it’s I think you basically like take the animal from before or the animal that’s in the (0:23:10) Aislinn: like reimagined? (0:23:18) Codey: game already and I think you just like do some weird genetic stuff with it or something like (0:23:23) Codey: that and then it’s suddenly the the modern version. So yeah. (0:23:29) Codey: That is cool. There’s new clothing, decoration, seeds. They also added modern seeds. So I think (0:23:37) Codey: similarly you can update the ones that you have to be like the legit modern seeds instead (0:23:43) Codey: of working with like prehistoric versions. One of the mini games is a music game. So for people (0:23:51) Codey: like Al who I know likes those like rhythm games, there’s one of those where you use the up and down (0:23:56) Aislinn: Yeah, I was looking at that too. It’s cool. I like that. I also like a good rhythm game (0:23:58) Codey: arrows kind of like (0:23:59) Codey: I mean, it looks like basically guitar here, but (0:24:02) Codey: using, yeah, I was a little, I was, I was interested. (0:24:11) Aislinn: or music game. So like my I will revisit on a regular basis Project Diva, which is the (0:24:17) Aislinn: Vocaloid music game. So like, I’m all over rhythm games. So any any inclusion of that (0:24:23) Aislinn: I am so on it. (0:24:25) Codey: Um, and then the final thing was that there is now bug catching with an asterisk. (0:24:32) Aislinn: Whoa. Oh. (0:24:35) Codey: So it’s not, it’s not like what you’d think it’s that there’s like a couple new places (0:24:42) Codey: that you can go to. (0:24:43) Codey: And then you basically like play an instrument and it like calls the bugs to you. (0:24:49) Codey: And then you can catch them from there. (0:24:51) Codey: It’s just, it’s not, it’s not what you’d expect. (0:24:55) Codey: Which I like that they’re doing new things. (0:24:57) Codey: They also have, they had a new way to like tame animals and a new way to fish and all of that. (0:25:02) Codey: Super love the way that they’ve been doing, innovating in that regard. (0:25:07) Codey: But, you know, I want to be able to just go catch bugs the way that I, the way that I do. (0:25:12) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:25:16) Codey: On my hike today, there were a couple of people that came up because I was like flipping logs (0:25:20) Codey: and they were like, what are you doing? What you looking for? And I was like, I mean, (0:25:22) Aislinn: Ah ha. (0:25:25) Codey: anything. I just want to see cool, cool bugs or salamanders or something. (0:25:28) Aislinn: Just anything. (0:25:30) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. (0:25:33) Codey: It’s a little early for that. But yeah, that’s basically, I just want to be able to like find (0:25:36) Codey: cool bugs. And that’s, that’s that update. So that update is out now. If you already own the game, (0:25:36) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. (0:25:38) Aislinn: Well. (0:25:44) Codey: then you just get it. And if you do not own the game, maybe having a little bit more story and (0:25:51) Codey: bug catching and the rhythm game, uh, push you, uh, (0:25:55) Codey: to do it. Maybe that’s something that’s of interest. (0:25:58) Aislinn: Yeah, that all sounds good to me. Will I play it? I don’t know. Again, only so many farming (0:26:06) Aislinn: games I can do. But I like the romanceable older person. That is like one thing that’s (0:26:08) Codey: - Yeah, I. (0:26:14) Aislinn: like a game changer for me. I do like that a lot. (0:26:16) Codey: Yeah, I have it on Windows. (0:26:20) Codey: So if we end up moving my desktop up to my office, (0:26:24) Codey: which is like a blessing and a curse (0:26:27) Codey: because I want this to remain my work office, (0:26:28) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. (0:26:30) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:26:31) Codey: but also like I am not playing my desktop downstairs. (0:26:34) Aislinn: Yeah? [laughs] (0:26:34) Codey: But yeah, I might, I might bring that up and load this game back up and see, see how that (0:26:44) Codey: older guy is. I like his personality or not. (0:26:45) Aislinn: yeah hopefully he’s got good personality I guess with that well not really with (0:26:55) Aislinn: that said it’s not really very good transition but another game that I (0:27:00) Aislinn: unfortunately don’t know much about over magica do you are you familiar oh (0:27:03) Codey: Okay. (0:27:08) Codey: Yeah, yeah, so OvaMagica is the like farming adventure, (0:27:08) Aislinn: perfect wonderful (0:27:15) Codey: whatever creature collector game where all of the creatures (0:27:16) Aislinn: Mmhmm. (0:27:17) Codey: are like these little round boys. (0:27:19) Aislinn: Yeah! (0:27:20) Codey: And so there’s like, and they just kind of like blob (0:27:23) Codey: around behind you, just super cute. (0:27:26) Codey: They have released the 0.9 update that adds some new areas, (0:27:31) Codey: new friendship events with the characters. (0:27:35) Codey: And there’s also a new thing, I can’t remember what it’s (0:27:38) Codey: called, like Ovotron or something, but it’s something (0:27:40) Codey: that allows you to X-ray into a egg before it hatches (0:27:46) Codey: to be able to see what is in the egg, which is super nice. (0:27:51) Codey: Like say that you’re trying to breed for something, (0:27:55) Codey: you’d be able to see kind of like. (0:27:56) Codey: Like expect what is in that egg. (0:27:59) Codey: Um, which is cool. (0:28:03) Codey: And so that zero of one ninth update is out now. (0:28:07) Codey: Um, and the, they also said in this that the 1.0 is coming this year. (0:28:12) Aislinn: Hmm. Oh no. Yeah. I feel like I’ve been seeing it like even though I don’t know much about (0:28:13) Codey: I cannot remember how many years that has been a promise. (0:28:20) Codey: But I feel like it’s been some, it could have just been one. (0:28:23) Codey: They could have just been yet last year. (0:28:24) Codey: I don’t know, but I feel like this is a game we’ve been talking (0:28:26) Codey: for a hot minute, so. (0:28:31) Aislinn: it, I feel like I’ve somehow been like stumbling across it like pretty regularly. Um, so hopefully, (0:28:34) Codey: - Mm-hmm. (0:28:38) Aislinn: - Hopefully, hopefully. (0:28:39) Codey: No, Ms. Chloe. (0:28:41) Codey: Yeah. (0:28:42) Aislinn: - Hopefully, it’s coming, 1.0, this year. (0:28:45) Aislinn: I mean, there’s a lot of this year left, (0:28:47) Aislinn: so fingers crossed, and it looks like it’s mostly, (0:28:50) Aislinn: if not already, just about fully fleshed out game-wise, so. (0:28:54) Codey: Yeah, they don’t have too too much to add to it. So we’ll see where it where it goes (0:29:02) Aislinn: can I just say I love the cow blob in the in like the main photo (0:29:04) Codey: Yeah (0:29:07) Codey: They’re (0:29:08) Codey: They’re all cute. I love the cow blob. I love the fox blob. The bee blob is cute. Like they I have not seen a blob (0:29:13) Aislinn: oh (0:29:16) Codey: I didn’t love so (0:29:18) Aislinn: I like the turtle one too they’re all so cute (0:29:19) Codey: Yeah, they’re they’re all very cute (0:29:23) Aislinn: and shout out to motion sickness settings because that’s a that’s a (0:29:26) Aislinn: that’s a big one for me for a lot of games so anything with that that’s nice (0:29:28) Codey: - Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, well, are we three for three? (0:29:34) Codey: Have you heard of a game called GoGo Town? (0:29:36) Aislinn: I know of, literally I only know of Gogotown because of this podcast. (0:29:42) Codey: Okay, cool, we’ll take it away. (0:29:46) Aislinn: A lot of my new game knowledge comes from this podcast, I will not lie. (0:29:55) Aislinn: But it looks like that online co-op is coming soon for Gogotown (0:30:04) Aislinn: and looking at the video earlier that they took. (0:30:06) Aislinn: It looks pretty good. It says that they still have some bugs, but they are working on it, and it’s coming very soon. (0:30:15) Aislinn: And also they do make a note that there will be no split screen for online co-op, just as a general note. (0:30:24) Aislinn: There isn’t much more of an update with that, but they did give a sneak peek. It looks cool. (0:30:35) Codey: I don’t know if we’d seen a video of it before, so that was nice to see. (0:30:36) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:30:40) Codey: And I know people are always interested in like whether or not the co-op is split screen. (0:30:44) Codey: So though I feel like this split screen is so 2000s. (0:30:51) Codey: So I feel like it’s just not like Jeff was Jeff and I were talking about possibly playing Halo. (0:31:00) Codey: And I was like, we’d have to split screen. (0:31:02) Aislinn: yeah it’s so it is so old now that you like just reminding me the halo i’m just like oh yeah that (0:31:08) Aislinn: is like an old thing (0:31:09) Codey: Yeah, like I don’t want to do that ugh (0:31:13) Codey: gross, so (0:31:15) Codey: Yeah (0:31:17) Codey: They’re not gonna have that which is a good thing. But also if you only have one copy of the game that (0:31:22) Aislinn: Yeah, but I guess like general speaking, most people have their own version of the game in some (0:31:27) Aislinn: capacity. So it’s nice that you don’t have to worry about split screen and everyone has their own (0:31:32) Aislinn: screen and you can still do cool. But I think that’s not really all we got on Go Go Town that (0:31:32) Codey: Mm-hmm. Yup, yup, yup. (0:31:39) Aislinn: that blurb from Steam isn’t doesn’t have too much beyond that. So I guess with that said, (0:31:46) Aislinn: we move into Story of Seasons Grand Bazaar. And Cody and I before (0:31:52) Aislinn: we even started recording, we’re both just like, do you know what’s going on? And I’m like, no, (0:31:57) Aislinn: do you know what’s going on? We’re both just like, not really. So I will read whatever I can, (0:32:04) Codey: uh-huh (0:32:04) Aislinn: and then take that as you will. But it looks like 100 crops. So if you really want to be (0:32:08) Codey: Yeah, I (0:32:13) Aislinn: farming? Oh boy, you have a lot of options. (0:32:16) Codey: Yeah, so this next bit like Al wrote it out and I, I think I read this like 10 times, and there’s something about these words that I just like my brain just, they just bounce off my brain, I have a smooth brain when it comes to these words, I don’t understand why. (0:32:37) Codey: And they’re not even hard words. So it just says, this is from Al, it has some stamina system that works differently than normal. (0:32:46) Codey: But was in the original game, you can do more if you jump when doing an action, which is weird, but it costs more stamina, one per usage, six per jump usage, but you’ll get three actions. (0:33:03) Codey: So you’re using up more stamina to save time, but you can still upgrade the tools as well. (0:33:11) Aislinn: See, like, I’m picking up what he’s putting down, Al, but to be fair, I’ve never played (0:33:16) Codey: Yeah, Chloe. (0:33:21) Aislinn: Story of Seasons before, so that is probably a big limiting factor for me. (0:33:27) Aislinn: But if you’ve played Story of Seasons before, this might be appealing to you. (0:33:32) Aislinn: And from my knowledge about farming games in general, being able to use, even if it (0:33:40) Aislinn: sacrifices more salmon. (0:33:41) Aislinn: I just want to say that I’m going to be jumping, like, in farming, like, what am I doing? Am I, like, planting and jumping? Like, I don’t know. Am I jumping across my farm to water all of my 100 crops that I have? (0:33:44) Codey: Okay, but like the logic of it, well, and like if you, so you jump, and it’s more stamina because (0:34:04) Codey: you’re jumping, and that’s like, that’s very intensive, right? But what, but when you jump, (0:34:08) Aislinn: I guess, I mean, that’s what it looks like too, in the screenshot that I’m looking at (0:34:10) Codey: you’re just able to be more efficient. (0:34:14) Codey: Yeah. (0:34:18) Aislinn: on the website. (0:34:20) Aislinn: There’s just a character that’s like doing like a skip type of jump type of motion. (0:34:25) Aislinn: So are you like, I think it’s you’re skipping as you’re farming and you’re getting more (0:34:29) Aislinn: done, but you’re wearing yourself out because you’re skipping. (0:34:32) Aislinn: I mean, skipping is more work, like more body intensive than walking. (0:34:36) Codey: Yeah. You’re right, you’re right. I don’t know. I, that’s how I felt when I read it. (0:34:36) Aislinn: So, you know, it– (0:34:38) Aislinn: this is such a silly conversation. (0:34:46) Codey: I was like, I, and then this website is like fogu.com and I, this website, I was very, (0:34:53) Codey: I was confused. And I, it is not Al. It is not, it is probably just me. I don’t know (0:34:57) Aislinn: No, yeah, well me too, because I’m also… (0:35:03) Codey: of like my ADHD or whatever. (0:35:06) Codey: It was just like, nope, but it was wild. (0:35:11) Codey: So that’s that, uh, I’m sure story of seasons. (0:35:14) Codey: People are probably like, Oh, sick. (0:35:16) Aislinn: But I have no idea, yes, options. (0:35:16) Codey: Like that’s going to be so awesome. (0:35:20) Codey: I’m like, I’m happy for you guys. (0:35:22) Codey: A hundred crops. (0:35:23) Codey: I understand that. (0:35:25) Codey: Uh, he also wrote more than any other story of season game. (0:35:28) Codey: So more crop number go bur. (0:35:34) Aislinn: And it looks like it comes out in, this is probably almost definitely announced at some (0:35:40) Aislinn: point, but looking at the website, it’s coming out August 27th in the states, in North America. (0:35:46) Aislinn: Um, it is, no, it’s already, it’s there, it’s all coming out at the same time. (0:35:46) Codey: I think it’s already out in Japan (0:35:54) Codey: Oh. (0:35:54) Aislinn: So August 27th slash August 28 in Japan, cause of, you know, time zone things and whatnot. (0:35:59) Codey: Okay, cool. (0:36:01) Aislinn: But yeah, we, we’ve, we, we tried our best. (0:36:05) Aislinn: So I, I apologize to all the Storia season fans, it’s the best you’re going to get, but (0:36:05) Codey: Sorry, Al. (0:36:12) Aislinn: I can talk about Stardew Valley. (0:36:14) Codey: Heck yeah, we can. (0:36:16) Aislinn: I tried to get tickets for the Toronto one, and it was just a miserable failure, so I’m happy that they added more dates. (0:36:20) Codey: Okay. (0:36:27) Codey: Yay. (0:36:32) Aislinn: We have not followed up on if we can get tickets for any of the other Toronto ones, or even just somewhere else in Canada, I guess, need be, or in the States or something. (0:36:40) Codey: Mm-hmm. (0:36:44) Aislinn: but I (0:36:46) Aislinn: Am happy that they added more dates because trying to get tickets for those has been a wreck (0:36:50) Codey: Yeah, and they added a bunch of dates. So like when I looked at the at the dates like the tour dates just in general (0:36:58) Codey: There are many (0:37:01) Codey: and then all the green ones on the (0:37:05) Codey: The poster are like the new ones, but there’s just they they better like (0:37:12) Codey: Playing that music because my goodness (0:37:15) Aislinn: it’s a lot I i imagine is it all one is it all one what’s the orchestra I was like what’s the (0:37:16) Codey: They are gonna be playing it (0:37:20) Codey: I (0:37:23) Codey: Orchestra, I’m I’m assuming like I don’t think that I wouldn’t think that there’d be like an orchestra at each location (0:37:30) Codey: That’s like I would think that it’s like the one (0:37:34) Codey: Orchestra, that’s just kind of like moving around (0:37:36) Aislinn: Right, I’m just like this is (0:37:37) Codey: Which is probably super cool for people to travel like able to go places, but also this is a lot (0:37:41) Aislinn: Yeah (0:37:45) Aislinn: It is a lot like just looking at the dates in general (0:37:48) Aislinn: It’s like a lot of these dates are like back to back or like same day because of matinee (0:37:52) Codey: Mhmm. But then they’ll be followed by like, they’ll be followed by like, uh, like a, like (0:38:00) Codey: a week off or something. So it’s, it’s, it’s cool, but lots. Yeah. Yeah. So if you have (0:38:02) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:38:05) Aislinn: It’s not like they’re being overworked to an extent, but yeah. (0:38:09) Codey: been wanting tickets and it has been sold out in your area, uh, definitely look, there (0:38:14) Codey: are new dates in US, Canada, and Asia. Um, so new dates, new shows. (0:38:23) Codey: That were already in the some areas, whole new areas too. Um, so yeah, take a look. (0:38:25) Aislinn: Mhm. Yeah. Very, very cool. It’s awesome that they were able to (0:38:33) Aislinn: pull this off. Yeah, I guess that is all the news that we have, (0:38:39) Aislinn: right? Yeah. Woo hoo. So I guess with that said, we can move (0:38:40) Codey: A-woo! (0:38:47) Aislinn: into Bugaboo Pockets, which I am so excited to talk about. (0:38:50) Codey: Yeah (0:38:53) Codey: Yeah, so let’s first talk about what how we played it and how far we are (0:39:00) Codey: so I played it on Mac and I was only able to get the demo and (0:39:07) Codey: So I played what’s on the demo, which is not a lot. I’ll get into that later (0:39:13) Codey: So I don’t have a time. I have like literally like a half an hour (0:39:20) Codey: When payday hits I might be pulling the trigger for this one for sure (0:39:26) Aislinn: - Well, I guess we can get your take after you hear my takes. (0:39:32) Codey: - Mm-hmm, so what have you played? (0:39:33) Aislinn: Since I did buy the game, (0:39:36) Aislinn: I have played it on PC primarily, (0:39:42) Aislinn: which is why I’ve kind of barely played it (0:39:44) Aislinn: because I haven’t really been home so much too much (0:39:46) Aislinn: because of work, (0:39:47) Aislinn: but I did try to play it on my Steam Deck (0:39:50) Aislinn: and it’s technically Steam Deck compatible, (0:39:54) Aislinn: But… eww. (0:39:58) Aislinn: I don’t think… I don’t like it on a Steam Deck because it’s… you could tell it’s a game that’s made for like a mouse. (0:40:10) Aislinn: So like, I’m just running my finger along the Steam Deck screen pretty much, or like along the trackpad. (0:40:16) Aislinn: And I just… if I hooked up a mouse, that’d probably be better. (0:40:20) Aislinn: But like, if you’re playing it just Steam Deck only, nothing else connected to it or anything. (0:40:26) Aislinn: I didn’t like it personally, but on PC it’s great. (0:40:32) Aislinn: And I have… so there are seven bugs total that you could unlock, and I have unlocked four? (0:40:42) Codey: Nice. (0:40:42) Aislinn: Let me double check. Let me go back. (0:40:44) Aislinn: I have the game open in front of me just because of this reason. (0:40:47) Codey: Yeah. (0:40:48) Aislinn: But yeah, so I have the full thing. So I have one, two… no, one, two… (0:40:52) Codey: The full game, yeah. (0:40:56) Aislinn: three, four. Yeah, I have four. Four out of the seven bugs. (0:41:00) Codey: Okay. Cool. Um, so yeah, it’s basically like, to me, it feels (0:41:08) Codey: like bug Tamagotchi. Um, but yeah, but with like a plus, like (0:41:10) Aislinn: Mm hmm. I agree. I agree. Even the UI. (0:41:15) Codey: there’s some extra. So what they say on switch is quote, a (0:41:19) Codey: relaxing semi idle pet game starring bugs from land, air and (0:41:24) Codey: sea players play as a research scientist living in a cabin with (0:41:28) Codey: It’s just your bugs and a pen pal. (0:41:30) Codey: It’s not released yet, I don’t think, based on the website, but it is in the cards. (0:41:54) Aislinn: I don’t know, I really hope that they like make this more, you know, controller friendly. (0:42:04) Codey: - Yeah, well, maybe when they make it controller friendly (0:42:07) Codey: for that, they’ll have some ideas of how to make it (0:42:10) Codey: more controller friendly for the Steam Deck too. (0:42:14) Aislinn: - Yeah, we’ll see, we’ll definitely see. (0:42:19) Codey: So it’s just $20 for the base game, (0:42:21) Codey: or there is a bundle on Steam right now (0:42:24) Codey: called the Celebrate Bugs Bundle. (0:42:27) Codey: And that bundle has webbed, which we have not talked about, (0:42:32) Codey: but it’s basically, it seems like it’s a platform (0:42:35) Codey: and you’re a jumping spider, which is super cute. (0:42:39) Codey: So there’s that, there’s Apico, there’s Buggin’s, (0:42:42) Codey: oh my God, sorry, there’s Buggin’s Seek (0:42:44) Codey: and this game Bugaboo Pocket, and they’re all for $38.22, (0:42:49) Codey: which is a steal given the fact that I think this game (0:42:53) Codey: and Apico are $40 on their own. (0:42:58) Aislinn: Yeah. And I think webbed has been, I realized webbed has been on my wishlist for a hot minute (0:42:59) Codey: So it is like a really good price. (0:43:09) Aislinn: because it looks so incredibly adorable. And then I’ve played AP, APico. Is that how it’s (0:43:14) Codey: Mm hmm. Yeah, so it’s a pico. Yeah. (0:43:14) Aislinn: actually pronounced? Because I’ve been saying APico and I’m like, I never thought that was (0:43:18) Aislinn: right. But I’ve played APico and there’s so much to do in that game. (0:43:28) Aislinn: The price of Bugaboo Pocket, yeah, for that bundle is really good. (0:43:34) Codey: Yeah, um, so yeah, I also really just want to shout out that their (0:43:39) Codey: developer and publisher, it’s the same, same group are called Elytra games. (0:43:45) Codey: Love it. (0:43:45) Codey: 10 out of 10, um, Elytra for people who don’t know are so Elytra are on (0:43:50) Aislinn: I was gonna be like me, I don’t get it. (0:43:55) Codey: Beatles instead of having four wings. (0:43:58) Codey: The front pair of wings have been like, are like kind of replaced by this (0:44:03) Codey: modified. (0:44:04) Codey: I think it’s a really important shell thing. If you imagine a ladybug, and it has those two pieces of shell, and then those kind of move to the side, and then there’s wings underneath of it, those things are called elytra. (0:44:19) Codey: Yeah, so it’s a bug thing. (0:44:19) Aislinn: Oh, that’s so cool to know the name of that all sick. Oh my god. Okay, so (0:44:26) Codey: There are, there’s also elytra in Minecraft, there are basically just, it’s like a (0:44:34) Codey: thing on your back that you wear that gives you the ability to like, not do powered flight, but you can like fall more gracefully. (0:44:45) Codey: Like you basically can glide. So, really loved that. (0:44:47) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:44:48) Aislinn: Oh, that’s so cool. (0:44:49) Aislinn: So more bug games moving forward from Elytra, hopefully. (0:44:55) Codey: I would hope so, yeah. Give me a call if you guys want some free, but it seems like they already know what they’re talking about so (0:45:04) Codey: they probably don’t need a consultant or whatever, but they do hit me up. I will, I will do it for free. (0:45:08) Aislinn: But hey, you know if they do you know who to call (0:45:16) Aislinn: You got a doctor on deck (0:45:20) Codey: So they say that it’s great for people who don’t love bugs yet, or for validating people who already do. (0:45:29) Codey: - What category were you in, Ace? (0:45:32) Aislinn: I love bugs, so I’m having a great time with this game. (0:45:36) Aislinn: I don’t know if I can agree with the great for people who don’t love bugs. (0:45:39) Aislinn: I know there are some options within the game to like, so you can at least like reveal the (0:45:43) Aislinn: species before it hatches or anything so you know what you’re getting into. (0:45:46) Codey: Mm hmm. I mean, I thought so there the species that you first start out with, or at least in (0:45:47) Aislinn: But like, I think it’s really cute. (0:45:49) Aislinn: But I don’t know for certain if like, you don’t like, for example, worms? (0:46:00) Codey: the demo was the rubber ducky ice pod. And I think that that’s great. Like, it’s super cute. (0:46:06) Codey: And they look like rubber duckies when they’re adults, and it’s just so cute. So I thought that (0:46:12) Codey: might be something that would be good for people who might not super be (0:46:16) Codey: into bugs. (0:46:18) Aislinn: I think just because one of the species like does start off basically looking like kind (0:46:22) Aislinn: of like a wax worm and I know for some people that freaks them out so I don’t know how people (0:46:25) Codey: - Yeah, that’s fair. (0:46:28) Aislinn: feel about that so like take that as you will but like if you are okay with at least looking (0:46:33) Aislinn: at bugs I think this game is still cute like they do a really good job of making the bugs (0:46:37) Aislinn: like extra cute so if you like are okay with bugs and you like bugs great game if you hate (0:46:43) Aislinn: bugs? I’m not sure. Hard to say. (0:46:44) Codey: Okay. (0:46:46) Codey: Um, and then I just love the story. (0:46:48) Aislinn: But I do agree with you with the isopods. (0:46:54) Codey: So if they say you play as a research scientist helping a forest recover after a devastating (0:46:59) Codey: fire, discover her story through cut scenes, diagram entries and items, complete your bug (0:47:03) Codey: compendium to unlock secrets and prizes. (0:47:06) Codey: So I screamed when I started playing and it’s basically like in the perspective of this (0:47:14) Codey: research entomologist, um, I think her name is Sylvia. (0:47:20) Codey: Um, cause she says like, when I was hired as an entomologist by the forestry solution, (0:47:24) Codey: which, which is like a company, the forestry solution, I was just like, this is my dream (0:47:30) Codey: job. (0:47:30) Aislinn: Awwww! [laughs] (0:47:31) Codey: Like I, I literally want to be a forest entomologist working on conservation and habitat restoration. (0:47:38) Codey: So this is like, like, oh my gosh. Uh, and then some other things that just popped out. (0:47:44) Codey: Right away. (0:47:46) Codey: Um, basically you’re breeding the insects to repopulate the area that was ruined by (0:47:51) Codey: the fire. (0:47:52) Codey: Um, and your friend is like dropping you off at this like remote cabin. (0:47:56) Codey: And he’s like, are you sure you want to stay here out here all alone? (0:47:59) Codey: And she’s like, yeah, also there’s no rent. (0:48:03) Codey: And I was like, bro. (0:48:08) Aislinn: Yeah, you know what, I got to stay out here all along, all alone with my bugs and no rent. (0:48:14) Codey: with no red excuse. This is not even a question my god. Oh, and (0:48:16) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:48:22) Codey: then the final thing was, he’s like trying to talk to her. And (0:48:26) Codey: then it just says, Sylvia is was too awkward to say anything. And (0:48:31) Codey: I was like, did they just make me like, are they following me? (0:48:36) Codey: Are they? So yeah, that was just like my from the demo. I was, I (0:48:41) Codey: was, I was really enjoying it. So that’s (0:48:43) Aislinn: Okay, so I will say, obviously, the journey of living out on your own and everything from (0:48:44) Codey: my stuff. (0:48:56) Aislinn: the perspective of Sylvia is developed as you continue to allot things in the game. (0:49:02) Aislinn: And the relationship with you and the person that like dropped you off and everything, (0:49:08) Aislinn: They… yeah, their name is EZ and… (0:49:09) Codey: Their name is EZ (0:49:13) Aislinn: that is indeed

Helen Pidd heads to the industrial town before this week's byelection. How will Labour fare in its first big electoral test since taking power? Kiran Stacey reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

It's a rollercoaster ride but how did Kam Pul in Lancs. and Sheila in Cheshire get on?

Send us a textJoin us tonight under a waning April moon as we think about the local ducks preparing for the ‘long sit' and hear more about what happened to Mum and Dad after they had landed in Canada to start a new life together.    Journal entry:25th April, Friday.“Down in the engine bayDe-rusting for painting.I am once more a clumsy adolescent.My feet grow too large and my kneesand elbows get in the way.I no longer can bend as I once did.The march of time becomes visibleIn both the engine and my body.The engine gathers grimeI gather aches.From time to time, we both groan.”Episode Information:For accompanying photographs, please go to this episode's page on noswpod.The website featuring the MS Seven Seas that I mentioned in this episode can be found here: SS Maritime.com.With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.Mind ShamblesClare HollingsworthGabriela Maria Rodriguez-VeinotteKevin B.Fleur and David McloughlinLois RaphaelTania YorgeyAndrea HansenChris HindsDavid DiromChris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger Captain Arlo Rebecca Russell Allison on the narrowboat Mukka Derek and Pauline Watts Anna V. Orange Cookie Mary Keane. Tony Rutherford. Arabella Holzapfel. Rory with MJ and Kayla. Narrowboat Precious Jet. Linda Reynolds Burkins. Richard Noble. Carol Ferguson. Tracie Thomas Mark and Tricia Stowe Madeleine SmithGeneral DetailsThe intro and the outro music is ‘Crying Cello' by Oleksii_Kalyna (2024) licensed for free-use by Pixabay (189988). Narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.All other audio recorded on site. Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.Contact Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

When Sue put down the bottle for good, she picked up something else entirely – scraps of Scottish oak, old skateboards, and a newfound passion for woodwork.What followed wasn't just a hobby or a distraction. It was the beginning of a new life. Sue encourages you to find  your own spark in the things you once set aside.Welcome to The Next Round, where we discover that the fleeting interests from our drinking days might actually hold the key to lasting joy in sobriety.For Sue Patten, woodwork became more than a craft. It became a way to rebuild, both inside and out. Her latest stint in rehab wasn't her first attempt at an alcohol-free life, but this time, everything clicked. Art, creativity, and real friendships gave her the strength to not just stay sober – but to thrive – so much so she stepped well outside her comfort zone to share her story with us on this podcast.“You get this rough piece of wood and it turns into this smooth, shiny piece of wood, and I love it. I just love it.”After decades where drinking had become her identity, her routine, her reward, her confidence boost. Sue rediscovered her creativity in sobriety. And she didn't just dabble. She built a new life.Her workshop near Warrington, Cheshire, became her sanctuary.“I go in there and I just lose track of time”What started with a ring and a skateboard became a series of bottle openers, chopping boards, and vases – each piece a quiet celebration of focus, beauty, and self-belief.“I wasn't going to make bottle openers, because I don't drink. But I liked seeing what I could create.”It wasn't always this way. Sobriety in her 20s, Sue admits, was an angry, isolating thing. She didn't go out. She didn't engage. But now, in her 50s, things feel entirely different.“I'm a happy sober person now, partly because of the woodwork, partly because I can socialise again – confidently.”Confidence is a recurring theme in Sue's story. It wasn't something she started with.“I've only just gained confidence in my mid-50s now… I never had the confidence to say, ‘That's quite good, that.'”But recovery gave her the tools. Literally.“If I'm a bit anxious, I can go into the workshop at whatever time. I release what I'm thinking.”Recovery, for Sue, wasn't just abstaining from alcohol. It was connection, creativity, and rebuilding. She found her turning point at Delamere, a rehab centre that encouraged therapy through art, horses, and most importantly – people.“The staff said, connection is everything. And I didn't believe it. But now I do.”Aftercare became another anchor. Most Sundays, she returns – not because she has to, but because it keeps her grounded and inspired.“Not everyone makes it, but they can see that you can get through it. That's important.”You can find Sue's work here. Find Club Soda:The Club Soda Tasting Room is at 39 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RRFind us on Instagram

Can women really have it all? And what does that even mean? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Giselle Goodwin—author, researcher, and expert on women's work and wellbeing—to explore this question and dive in to what it means for moms to achieve true happiness. Dr. Goodwin shares insights from her book "Can Women Really Have It All? A Happiness Handbook for Working Mothers", and opens up about her own journey from feminist ideals to the complex realities of balancing career, motherhood, and personal fulfillment.Dr. Goodwin and I talk about: