Podcasts about DBS

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers.On today's episode, we discuss Smitty's takeaways from his trip out for Friday Night Lights practice. The DBs continue to stand out in a big way, the approach of the rookie class is something very notable, Broderick Jones isn't answering any questions, Darnell Washington is unbelievable in one on ones and the atmosphere is second to none. We also dive into Alan's updated 53-man roster prediction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2025 Chiefs Training Camp rolls on, we sat down and took a look around the league at some active trade requests, Josh Simmons continuing to look like the steal of the draft, the WR battle pretty much locked in, and what will the Chiefs do with all of their DBs?Follow us @KingdomSaysPodlinktr.ee/kingdomsaysSign up to Underdog with our code KINGDOMSAYS to claim your Free Pick + First Time Deposit offer up to $1,000 in bonus cash! ⁠https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-kingdom-says⁠

Jan, founder of OpenMind, joins Sam to discuss how they're building a memory layer for AI agents in Web3.They cover the limitations of stateless agents, OpenMind's modular memory architecture, and how developers can build “smart, sovereign agents” that persist across time, dApps, and chains. Jan also shares insights on use cases across DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs, and how OpenMind is designing for both developers and end users.If you're exploring the future of AI x Web3, this episode is packed with key insights.Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces Jan and OpenMind's mission.[00:01:00] Jan's Background: Journey into Web3 and AI, and what led to founding OpenMind.[00:02:30] Problem with Agents Today: Why stateless AI agents don't work long term.[00:04:00] What OpenMind Does: A memory infrastructure layer for AI agents in Web3.[00:05:00] Modular Approach: Indexers, vector DBs, and plug-and-play architecture.[00:06:00] Use Cases: Agents for DeFi, personalized NFT experiences, DAO workflows, and beyond.[00:08:00] Developer Tools: APIs, SDKs, and how to get started building with OpenMind.[00:09:00] Open vs Closed Memory: Why on-chain provenance and user control matter.[00:11:00] Vision for AI Agents: Autonomous, persistent, and identity-aware.[00:13:00] Why Web3 Matters: Data ownership, composability, and aligned incentives.[00:15:00] OpenMind's Ask: Builders, partners, and early adopters — reach out!Connecthttps://openmind.org/https://x.com/openmind_agihttps://www.linkedin.com/company/openmindagi/https://x.com/janliphardthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-liphardt/DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - ⁠https://www.web3pod.xyz/⁠

Looking for an edge in your IDP Drafts? We've got tips to help you draft like an analyst by digging into some readily accessible data for IDP so that you can take an informed approach to determining who is hype and who is the real thing.Hosts Scott Soltis and Jake Kohlhagen share beginner and advanced data points to help you build draft boards that cut through the noise and get to the numbers that matter for IDP in general, defensive line, linebackers, and even DBs. Along the way, the guys illustrate the data with some of the biggest names in IDP as well as lesser-known players who the data suggests should (or shouldn't) be on your radar.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our other shows, The IDP Show and The IDP After Show.If you'd like to support the show, you can do so for just $5/month over at ⁠theIDPshow.com⁠. We've got some premium features for paid supporters that we know you'll enjoy. Follow us on Twitter ⁠@theidpshow⁠. Thanks for listening!

Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the DBs bringing the juice to a feisty practice without pads. Juan Thornhill and Jalen Ramsey are known for their trash talk and Thursday was no exception. Thornhill and Jonnu Smith regularly went at it. Aaron Rodgers had a really strong day. Roman Wilson made the play of camp so far, and he will need to show much more of that going forward. How creative will Arthur Smith get, and do we need to adjust the roster math to account for it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Lyell K. Jones Jr, MD, FAAN, speaks with Michael S. Okun, MD, FAAN, who served as the guest editor of the August 2025 Movement Disorders issue. They provide a preview of the issue, which publishes on August 1, 2025. Dr. Jones is the editor-in-chief of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology® and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Okun is the director at Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases and distinguished professor of neurology at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Additional Resources Read the issue: continuum.aan.com Subscribe to Continuum®: shop.lww.com/Continuum Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @LyellJ Guest: @MichaelOkun Full episode transcript available here: Dr Jones: Our ability to move through the world is one of the essential functions of our nervous system. Gross movements like walking ranging down to fine movements with our eyes and our hands, our ability to create and coordinate movement is something many of us take for granted. So what do we do when those movements stop working as we intend? Today I have the opportunity to speak with one of the world's leading experts on movement disorders, Dr Michael Okun, about the latest issue of Continuum on Movement Disorders. Dr Jones: This is Dr Lyell Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio. Be sure to visit the links in the episode notes for information about subscribing to the journal, listening to verbatim recordings of the articles, and exclusive access to interviews not featured on the podcast. Dr Jones: This is Dr Lyle Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology. Today, I'm interviewing Dr Michael Okun, who is Continuum's guest editor for our latest issue on movement disorders. Dr Okun is the Adelaide Lackner Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he's also the director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases. Dr Okun, welcome, and thank you for joining us today. Why don't you introduce yourselves to our listeners?  Dr Okun: It's great to be here today. And I'm a neurologist. Everybody who knows me knows I'm pretty simple. I believe the patient's the sun and we should always orbit around the person with disease, and so that's how I look at my practice. And I know we always participate in a lot of research, and I've got a research lab and all those things. But to me, it's always the patients and the families first. So, it'll be great to have that discussion today.  Dr Jones: Yeah, thank you for that, Dr Oaken. Obviously, movement disorders is a huge part of our field of neurology. There are many highly prevalent conditions that fit into this category that most of our listeners will be familiar with: idiopathic Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, tic disorders and so on. And having worked with trainees for a long time, it's one of the areas that I see a lot of trainees gravitate to movement disorders. And I think it's in part because of the prevalence; I think it's in part because of the diversity of the specialty with treatment options and DBS and Botox. But it's also the centrality of the neurologic exam, right? That's- the clinical examination of the patient is so fundamental. And we'll cover a lot of topics today with some questions that I have for you about biomarkers and new developments in the field. But is that your sense too, that people are drawn to just the old-fashioned, essential focus on the neurologic encounter and the neurologic exam? Dr Okun: I believe that is one of the draws to the field of movement. I think that you have neurologists from all over the world that are really interested and fascinated with what things look like. And when you see something that's a little bit, you know, off the normal road or off the normal beaten path… and we are always curious. And so, I got into movement disorders, I think, accidentally; I think even as a child, I was looking at people who had abnormal movements and tremors and I was very fascinated as to why those things happened and what's going on in the brain. And, you know, what are the symptoms and the signs. And then later on, even as my own career developed, that black bag was so great as a neurologist. I mean, it makes us so much more powerful than any of the other clinicians---at least in my biased opinion---out on the wards and out in the clinic. And, you know, knowing the signs and the symptoms, knowing how to do a neurological examination and really walking through the phenomenology, what people look like, you know, which is different than the geno- you know, the genotypes, what the genes are. What people look like is so much more important as clinicians. And so, I think that movement disorders is just the specialty for that, at least in my opinion. Dr Jones: And it helps bring it back to the patient. And that's something that I saw coming through the articles in this issue. And let's get right to it. You've had a chance to review all these articles on all these different topics across the entire field of movement disorders. As you look at that survey of the field, Dr Okun, what do you think is the most exciting recent development for patients with movement disorders?  Dr Okun: I think that when you look across all of the different specialties, what you're seeing is a shift. And the shift is that, you know, a lot of people used to talk in our generation about neurology being one of these “diagnose and adios” specialties. You make the diagnosis and there's nothing that you can do, you know, about these diseases. And boy, that has changed. I mean, we have really blown it out of the water. And when you look at the topics and what people are writing about now and the Continuum issue, and we compare that the last several Continuum issues on movement disorders, we just keep accumulating a knowledge base about what these things look like and how we can treat them. And when we start thinking about, you know, all of the emergence of the autoimmune disorders and identifying the right one and getting something that's quite treatable. Back in my day, and in your day, Lyle, we saw these things and we didn't know what they were. And now we have antibodies, now we can identify them, we can pin them down, and we can treat many of them and really change people's lives. And so, I'm really impressed at what I see in changes in identification of autoimmune disorders, of channelopathies and some of the more rare things, but I'm also impressed with just the fundamental principles of how we're teaching people to be better clinicians in diseases like Parkinson's, Huntington's, ataxia, and Tourette. And so, my enthusiasm for this issue of Continuum is both on, you know, the cutting edge of what we're seeing based on the identification on our exams, what we can do for these people, but also the emergence of how we're shifting and providing much better care across a continuum for folks with basal ganglia diseases. Dr Jones: Yeah, I appreciate that perspective, Dr Okun. One of the common themes that I saw in the issue was with these new developments, right, when you have new tools like new diagnostic biomarker tools, is the question of if and when and how to integrate those into daily clinical practice, right? So, we've had imaging biomarkers for a while, DAT scans, etc. For patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease, one of the things that I hear a lot of discussion and controversy about are the seed amplification assays as diagnostic biomarkers. What can you tell us about those? Are those ready for routine clinical use yet?  Dr Okun: I think the main bottom-line point for folks that are out there trying to practice neurology, either in general clinics or even in specialty clinics, is to know that there is this movement toward, can we biologically classify a disease? One of the things that has, you know, really accelerated that effort has been the development of these seed amplification assays, which---in short for people who are listening---are basically, we “shake and bake” these things. You know? We shake them for like 20 hours and we use these prionlike proteins, and we learn from diseases like prion disease how to kind of tag these things and then see, do they have degenerative properties? And in the case of Parkinson's disease, we're able to do this with synuclein. That is the idea of a seed amplification assay. We're able to use this to see, hey, is there synuclein present or not in this sample? And people are looking at things like cerebrospinal fluid, they're looking at things like blood and saliva, and they're finding it. The challenge here is that, remember- and one of the things that's great about this issue of Continuum is, remember, there are a whole bunch of different synucleinopathies. So, Dr Jones, it isn't just Parkinson's disease. So, you've got Parkinson's disease, you've got Lewy body, you know, and dementia with Lewy bodies. You've got, you know, multiple system atrophy is within that synucleinopathy, you know, group primary autonomic failure… so not just Parkinson's disease. And so, I think we have to tap the brakes as clinicians and just say, we are where we are. We are moving in that direction. And remember that a seed amplification assay gives you some information, but it doesn't give you all the information. It doesn't forgive you looking at a person over time, examining them in your clinic, seeing how they progress, seeing their response to dopamine- and by the way, several of these genes that are associated with Parkinson; and there's, you know, less than 20% of Parkinson is genetic, but several of these genes, in a solid third---and in some cases, in some series, even more---miss the synuclein assay, misses, you know, the presence of a disease like Parkinson's disease. And so, we have to be careful in how we interpret it. And I think we're more likely to see over time a gemish: we're going to smush together all this information. We're going to get better with MRIs. And so, we're actually doing much better with MRIs and AI-based intelligence. We've got DAT scans, we've got synuclein assays. But more than anything, everybody listening out there, you can still examine the person and examine them over time and see how they do over time and see how they do with dopamine. And that is still a really, really solid way to do this. The synuclein assays are probably going to be ready for prime time more in choosing and enriching clinical trials populations first. And you know, we're probably 5, 10 years behind where Alzheimer's is right now. So, we'll get there at some point, but it's not going to be a silver bullet. I think we're looking at these are going to be things that are going to be interpreted in the context for a clinician of our examination and in the context of where the field is and what you're trying to use the information for. Dr Jones: Thank you for that. And I think that's the general gestalt I got from the articles and what I hear from my colleagues. And I think we've seen this in other domains of neurology, right? We have the specificity and sensitivity issues with the biomarkers, but we also have the high prevalence of copathology, right? People can have multiple different neurodegenerative problems, and I think it gets back to that clinical context, like you said, following the patient longitudinally. That was a theme that came out in the idiopathic Parkinson disease article. And while we're on Parkinson disease, you know, the first description of that was what, more than two hundred years ago. And I think we're still thinking about the pathophysiology of that disorder. We understand risk factors, and I think many of our listeners would be familiar with those. But as far as the actual cause, you know, there's been discussion in recent years about, is there a role of the gut microbiome? Is this a prionopathic disorder? What's your take on all of that?  Dr Okun: Yeah, so it's a great question. It's a super-hot area right now of Parkinson. And I kind of take this, you know, apart in a couple of different ways. First of all, when we think about Parkinson disease, we have to think upstream. Like, what are the cause and causes? Okay? So, Parkinson is not one disease, okay? And even within the genes, there's a bunch of different genes that cause it. But then we have to look and say, well, if that's less than 20% depending on who's counting, then 80% don't have a single piece of DNA that's closely associated with this syndrome. And so, what are we missing with environment and other factors? We need to understand not what happens at the end of the process, not necessarily when synuclein is clumping- and by the way, there's a lot of synuclein in the brains normally, and there's a lot of Tau in people's brains who have Parkinson as well. We don't know what we don't know, Dr Jones. And so when we begin to think about this disease, we've got to look upstream. We've got to start to think, where do things really start? Okay? We've got to stop looking at it as probably a single disease or disorder, and it's a circuit disorder. And then as we begin to develop and follow people along that pathway and continuum, we're going to realize that it's not a one-size-fits-all equation when we're trying to look at Parkinson. By the way, for people listening, we only spend two to three cents out of every dollar on prevention. Wouldn't prevention be the best cure, right? Like, if we were thinking about this disease. And so that's something that we should be, you know, thinking about. And then the other is the Global Burden of Disease study. You know, when we wrote about this in a book called Ending Parkinson's Disease, it looked like Parkinson's was going to double by 2035. The new numbers tell us it's almost double to the level that we expected in 2035 in this last series of numbers. So, it's actually growing much faster. We have to ask why? Why is it growing faster? And then we have lots of folks, and even within these issues here within Continuum, people are beginning to talk about maybe these environmental things that might be blind spots. Is it starting in our nose? Is it starting in our gut? And then we get to the gut question. And the gut question is, if we look at the microbiomes of people with Parkinson, there does seem to be, in a group of folks with Parkinson, a Parkinson microbiome. Not in everyone, but if you look at it in composite, there seems to be some clues there. We see changes in Lactobacillus, we see some bacteria going up that are good, some bacteria going down, you know, that are bad. And we see flipping around, and that can change as we put people on probiotics and we try to do fecal microbiota transplantations- which, by the way, the data so far has not been positive in Parkinson's. Doesn't mean we might not get there at some point, but I think the main point here is that as we move into the AI generation, there are just millions and millions and millions of organisms within your gut. And it's going to take more than just our eyes and just our regular arithmetic. You and I probably know how to do arithmetic really well, but this is, like, going to be a much bigger problem for computers that are way smarter than our brains to start to look and say, well, we see the bacteria is up here. That's a good bacteria, that's a good thing or it's down with this bacteria or this phage or there's a relationship or proportion that's changing. And so, we're not quite there. And so, I always tell people---and you know, we talk about the sum in the issue---microbiomes aren't quite ready for prime time yet. And so be careful, because you could tweak the system and you might actually end up worse than before you started. So, we don't know what we don't know on this issue.  Dr Jones: And that's a great point. And one of the themes they're reading between the lines is, we will continue to work on understanding the bio-pathophysiology, but we can't wait until that day to start managing the risk factors and treating patients, which I think is a good point. And if we pivot to treatment here a little bit, you know, one of the exciting areas of movement disorders---and really neurology broadly, I think movement disorders has led the field in many ways---is bioelectronic therapy, or what one of my colleagues taught me is “electroceutical therapy”, which I think is a wonderful term. Dr Okun, when our listeners are hearing about the latest in deep brain stimulation in patients who have movement disorders, what should they know? What are the latest developments in that area with devices? Dr Okun: Yeah. So, they should know that things are moving rapidly in the field of putting electricity into the brain. And we're way past the era where we thought putting a little bit of electricity was snake oil. We know we can actually drive these circuits, and we know that many of these disorders---and actually, probably all of the disorders within this issue of Continuum---are all circuit disorders. And so, you can drive the circuit by modulating the circuit. And it's turned out to be quite robust with therapies like deep brain stimulation. Now, we're seeing uses of deep brain stimulation across multiple of these disorders now. So, for example, you may think of it in Parkinson's disease, but now we're also seeing people use it to help in cases where you need to palliate very severe and bothersome chorea and Huntington's disease, we're seeing it move along in Tourette syndrome. We of course have seen this for various hyperkinetic disorders and dystonias. And so, the main thing for clinicians to realize when dealing with neuromodulation is, take a deep breath because it can be overwhelming. We have a lot of different devices in the marketplace and no matter how many different devices we have in the marketplace, the most important thing is that we get the leads. You know, where we're stimulating into the right location. It's like real estate: location, location, location, whether you've got a lead that can steer left, right, up, down and do all of these things. Second, if you're feeling overwhelmed because there are so many devices and so many settings, especially as we put these leads in and they have all sorts of different, you know, nodes on them and you can steer this way and that way, you are not alone. Everybody is feeling that way now. And we're beginning to see AI solutions to that that are going to merge together with imaging, and then we're moving toward an era of, you know, should I say things like robotic programming, where it's going to be actually so complicated as we move forward that we're going to have to automate these systems. There's no way to get this and scale this for all of the locales within the United States, but within the entire world of people that need these types of devices and these therapies. And so, it's moving rapidly. It's overwhelming. The most important thing is choosing the right person. Okay? For this, with multidisciplinary teams, getting the lead in the right place. And then all these other little bells and whistles, they're like sculpting. So, if you think of a sculpture, you kind of get that sculpture almost there. You know, those little adds are helping to maybe make the eyes come out a little more or the facial expression a little bit better. There's little bits of sculpting. But if you're feeling overwhelmed by it, everybody is. And then also remember that we're starting to move towards some trials here that are in their early stages. And a lot of times when we start, we need more failures to get to our successes. So, we're seeing trials of people looking at, like, oligo therapies and protein therapies. We're seeing CRISPR gene therapies in the laboratory. And we should have a zero tolerance for errors with CRISPR, okay? we still have issues with CRISPR in the laboratory and which ones we apply it to and with animals. But it's still pretty exciting when we're starting to see some of these therapies move forward. We're going to see gene therapies, and then the other thing we're going to see are nano-therapies. And remember, smaller can be better. It can slip across the blood brain barrier, you have very good surface area-to-volume ratios, and we can uncage drugs by shining things like focused ultrasound beams or magnets or heat onto these particles to turn them on or off. And so, we're seeing a great change in the field there. And then also, I should mention: pumps are coming and they're here. We're getting pumps like we have for diabetes and neurology. It's very exciting. It's going to be overwhelming as everybody tries to learn how to do this. So again, if you're feeling overwhelmed, so am I. Okay? But you know, pumps underneath the skin for dopamine, pumps underneath the skin for apomorphine. And that may apply to other disorders and not just Parkinson as we move along, what we put into those therapies. So, we're seeing that age come forward. And then making lesions from outside the brain with focused ultrasound, we're starting to get better at that. Precision is less coming from outside the brain; complications are also less. And as we learn how to do that better, that also can provide more options for folks. So, a lot of things to read about in this issue of Continuum and a lot of really interesting and beyond, I would say, you know, the horizon as to where we're headed.  Dr Jones: Thank you for that. And it is a lot. It can be overwhelming, which I guess is maybe a good reason to read the issue, right? I think that's a great place to end and encourage our listeners to pick up the issue. And Dr Okun, I want to thank you for joining us today. Thank you for such a great discussion on movement disorders. I learned a lot. I'm sure our listeners will as well, given the importance of the topic, your leadership in the field over many years. I'm grateful that you have put this issue together. So, thank you. And you're a busy person. I don't know how we talked you into doing this, but I'm really glad that we did.  Dr Okun: Well, it's been my honor. And I just want to point out that the whole authorship panel that agreed to write these articles, they did all the work. I'm just a talking head here, you know, telling you what they did, but they're writing, and the people that are in the field are really, you know, leading and helping us to understand, and have really put it together in a way that's kind of helped us to be better clinicians and to impact more lives. So, I want to thank the group of authors, and thank you, Dr Jones. Dr Jones: Again, we've been speaking with Dr Michael Okun, guest editor of Continuum's most recent issue on movement disorders. Please check it out. And thank you to our listeners for joining today. Dr Monteith: This is Dr Teshamae Monteith, Associate Editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use the link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio.

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 8 Summer Plans Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.  At dinner I checked in with Ivy first, then Vanessa when she had finished for the day and joined us. I also made a point of stopping to check in with Dani to see what she was thinking about her new co-team members, who she thought would work out fine, and Kyla. "I think she's a lot quieter than the rest of us," Dani told me as we sat side by side near Leo's RV. "Which isn't a bad thing, obviously. She isn't as used to being around girls like us though. Erica worked with strippers because of her job, along with all sorts of other crazy people, so it's whatever for her. Kyla obviously isn't used to how open we all are about sex things." I pressed my lips together and nodded, watching her as she sat in a group with Erica, Vanessa and Aria chatting. She was obviously engaged, but didn't offer much to the conversation and seemed happy to listen. "Anything else?" I asked. "Anything weird come up?" "No. Should I be watching for something?" Danielle asked. "No, no," I assured her. "I just; Erica, Ivy, Vanessa; it's working. It's crazy, but it's working. I'm worried about Kyla messing that up." "It should be fine," Dani said, patting me on the shoulder. "Erica will Mom them into shape if things get out of whack, and if she's the problem you can just spank her until she apologizes." That made me snort and shake my head with a grin. "You and her talk too much." "Or maybe we don't talk enough," Dani grinned. We folded ourselves back into the larger conversations, me joining the group with Kyla while Dani went to sit with Leo, India and Ivy. As the sun was setting we busted out the fire pit and Vanessa pointed me towards the nearest brush piles I could harvest some wood from; it seemed she'd handily directed some of her workers to pile it within easy walking distance. Then, once the fire was crackling and we all had our drinks of choice, we told the new women our story. We started with Leo and I, then how Erica had joined us for quarantine. We both teased her about hearing her masturbating, which until that moment she hadn't realized had been the case and made her blush. Then we talked about the land lease, the construction, and the introduction of Dani, Vanessa, and Ivy. Vanessa told us how fucking crazy she thought we were at first, but after that first night around the fire she'd realized something weird but special was going on so she stopped judging and started getting a little jealous. Then Ivy told her perspective, stepping into a life with Erica and me. Then we had to tell the story of Vanessa joining us, which got rushed over really quickly and then had to be retold because even Dani hadn't gotten all the details. I'd purposefully sat beside Kyla around the fire, Erica taking the spot on the other side of me. As India and Aria started ragging on Vanessa for not giving them the full story in the initial car ride when they met her, Kyla leaned over to me. "Can we talk? In private?" "Sure," I said, nodding towards our RV. I leaned back in the other direction to Erica and kissed her cheek, and she met my eye and nodded. Inside the RV Kyla had taken the Murphey seat this time so I sat on the bench opposite her. "You still feeling alright?" I asked her. "No," she laughed. Inside, in the more steady light of the RV, I could see she was flushed even with her slightly darker Filipina skin. "I feel like I've got a fever, but it's concentrated in all my erogenous zones. I don't even like women but that story about Vanessa has me..." She blew out a long breath. "I don't know how much more sex talk I can take before I snap." "I can ask them to stop if you want. Or we can have that conversation if you think you're ready." "I'm; Yeah, I'm ready to talk," she said. She took another deep breath and sat up straighter, putting her hands on her knees like she was trying to focus herself. "You can ask anything you want, and I'll try to answer," I promised her. "I don't have questions," she said. "Well, I actually have lots of questions, but they aren't important right this second. Seeing you with Erica and Ivy, and meeting Vanessa. Hearing the way Leo and Danielle talk about you. I think I know what I'd be getting into if I do this with you. And to be honest, it sounds pretty greater considering the other options that the world seems to be moving toward right now. But I never want to be someone who just takes the easy thing because it's in front of them. I know a lot about you now, but you don't know much about me. And I'll tell you, pretty much anything you want to know, but there's something I need to know if you're Okay with. More than my past, more than whatever your government is worried about." "The only way to know is to ask," I said, trying not to let my own nerves out. Kyla, who had been steady throughout the day, was showing signs of anxiety amidst her hard pressure to keep herself under control. "If I don't like it, we can try and find someone else as soon as possible." "I don't want,” She bit her tongue, cutting herself off, and took a breath. "Harrison. If I do this, if I imprint on you, this is my out. I've been doing everything my father wanted since I was a kid. The only escape I ever had was through dance, and even that he took control of to make sure I was getting the best lessons and tutors and going to the best camps and schools. And even then, he and NICA used it as well. My entire life I've been pushed and trained and taught and used because I didn't matter and my country and my service did. I want a new life, Harri. But I want that life the way I want it. I want a big family. I was an only child, and my parents tolerated each other at best in a political marriage. I want six kids at least, more if we can. Fuck, I'll pop out an even dozen and be happy. Or maybe not, maybe I'll be happy earlier than that, but I know I want a lot of kids to love on and raise in a big, supportive family. "If you can handle that, and if Erica can handle that because I know she's going to need to agree to it too, then I swear to God I'll be loyal to you and only to you. My father, NICA, my country; I can leave them all behind and in the dust if you can promise me we'll try to make my dream life happen. And I promise I'll be the best, hottest housewife I can be for as long as you can keep me barefoot and pregnant. I'll make sure I'm fit and tight and everything I can be for you in between pregnancies, but God I want this, Harri. I've never told anyone this before, but I want it so fucking bad." I didn't know what to say. She was practically sobbing in her earnest desire for what she was asking. I just slid down to my knees on the floor of the RV and wrapped my arms around her and Kyla clutched at me as she panted hard. Not crying, but desperately trying to control herself. "Kyla, I would be an extremely lucky man if I can give that all to you," I said. "And I want to tell you yes right away, but you're right. I do need to check with Erica first. Do you want me to call her in to ask her now?" She hesitated a moment, then nodded and sat back on the chair, sucking in a deep and unsteady breath. I stood up and opened the RV door, sticking my head out. All three of my women looked over to me and I made what I hoped was a reassuring smile, then locked eyes with Erica and motioned her over with a head jerk. She joined us, shutting the RV door behind her. "What's up?" she asked. "Everything Okay?" I looked at Kyla. "Do you want me to ask, or you?" "I; You," she said after hesitating. I turned to Erica and reached out, holding her hand. "So, I know we had our conversation earlier, but I didn't realize this was coming or maybe we would have talked about it more seriously. Kyla is ready to join us, but she has an ask. Because of her own family past, one thing she wants more than anything is to have kids. A whole bunch of them. So she wants to know if you and I are Okay with that and willing for that to happen, or if we should try to find her someone else who can help her get the life she wants." Erica's eyes had widened as I was speaking and her jaw worked a few times before she could find the right words. Then she turned to Kyla and looked at her for a long, long moment before putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's the most important thing for you?" she asked quietly. Kyla nodded, then looked up to meet Erica's gaze. "More than anything else. And I want to do that with Harrison; God, I haven't even known him a day but it's like I can see it right there in front of me. He'd make a great husband and an even better father. I just know he's yours more than either of the others, and I couldn't risk saying yes to him without you saying yes to this." "God, fuck," Erica sighed, and I realized she was tearing up as well. She looked to me. "Yes, obviously, if it's what she needs then yes. But I guess now I need to stop taking the pill because I'm not just gonna sit by and not be in the running for the first mother of your child." Now it was my turn to be surprised. "But we just,” She kissed me to shut me up. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I love you, you love me. If the world implodes and we're all shot off into space, I still won't regret making a kid with you." She turned to Kyla. "Are you going to love him?" "I'm going to try," she said. "And I'll work harder at it than my parents ever did." "Then yes," Erica said. "But, and I'll only ever say this once and you need to listen to me closely, if this isn't the truth and you hurt Harrison or me or anyone else here then I swear to everything in heaven and hell that I will end you. Do we understand each other?" Kyla nodded, taking her seriously. "I do, and I won't." "Okay," Erica said, and leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "You clearly need a fuck, so unless you've suddenly turned Bi then I should leave you to it." She turned to me and kissed me hard, and I hugged her to keep her close. "You're sure?" I asked her in a whisper. She nodded. "Rock her world, babe. Show her why she's one of the four luckiest women on the planet." She kissed my cheek, squeezed my fingers in hers, and then stepped away and out of the RV. Kyla looked like she was going to jump out of her seat. "So,” I started. Kyla stood up abruptly and grabbed me by the face, smashing her plush lips to mine. I naturally grabbed her by the waist as we started making out right there in the middle of the RV. She'd been wearing that bulky coverall the entire day and now she started to scramble to try and get it unzipped and off at the same time as trying to get me to get my shirt off, which just turned into an awkward mess of her hands moving back and forth between us. "Stop, stop," I murmured, pulling my lips from hers. She actually whined a little in her throat and then blinked in surprise at her own reaction. I picked her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her back towards the bed. Like this, she was taller than me and she bent down to kiss me some more, making it hard for me to navigate. Thankfully it was a straight shot, and there wasn't a lip at the door to the bedroom area that I needed to duck under or step over. I found the bed with my shin and stopped and lowered her down onto it so we lay somewhere in the middle, me on top of her as we kept making out. Once we were done I pulled away and tugged off my shirt. "Fuck," she groaned, looking at me hungrily. "Not what you're used to?" I asked. She shook her head. "No, so much better." She raised her hands to my stomach and up to my chest, letting her fingers play through my chest hair. I couldn't help myself and I reached down and unzipped the coverall down to her belly button. Underneath, all she had on was a set of black bra and panties. On the one hand, I was starting to get mesmerized by her body very quickly, but on the other, I remembered in the back of my mind that she hadn't arrived with any luggage. I lifted her from under her arms and she let me help her pull the coveralls off, then raised her ass so I could pull them from her legs as well. I crashed back down onto her, now feeling her smooth skin on mine. Her body was everything I would have expected from a dancer; smooth and sleek all over, with toned muscling and a sort of feline grace as she moved around. "Where; are; your clothes; and things?" I asked between kisses. "They said; they would bring; them up; from Cali,” she replied. Then she stopped the kissing and looked up at me. "Seriously, I've got this fucking craving for your cock right now like I can't believe, Harri. I need you to fuck me so fucking bad." "Okay," I said, and then kissed her again as I reached under her to unsnap her bra. When she realized what I wanted she didn't even bother with the snap, she just yanked the black cups off her tits and the whole thing over her head. Her tits were a perfect size for my big hands to palm, a bit bigger than Ivy's but much smaller than Erica's, and her dark brown areolas were smooth and a little puffy, with two perfect nubs for nipples. I sucked on one, feeling how hard they were, but she was stretching to try and get my shorts off of me. She needed the imprinting. We could always explore each other more in the future. I leaned away from her, one hand still on her tit and holding her down, as I shoved down my shorts and boxers. For her part, she pushed her panties down to her knees and I pulled them the rest of the way off. Her cunt was a gorgeous brown, flushed darker than the skin above and slick with her chemically-induced horniness. Even her clit hood was a little pulled back, the softer pink of her clit just visible from being swollen. She was entirely bare, and I wondered if that was a personal choice or a seduction tactic she'd been told to follow. Not that I cared at the moment. I wanted to eat her out and taste her. I wanted to make this last, to wow her like Erica had said. Fuck, let's be real, I wanted to impress the seductive honey trap spy with my sex skills. "Fuck my brains out," Kyla demanded. "Fuck me until I can only ever think of you. Take me and make me yours, you fucking massive wall of American god." I could impress her later. Her cunt accepted my cock like a perfectly tailored suit. I slid in, and even though she was tight and her muscles were firm as hell as they clenched at me she was also extremely willing. That changed when I was almost all the way in though, but not from want of trying. Kyla came, her entire body rolling and arching as her cunt clenched down enough to almost start forcing my cock out. She grabbed me around the shoulder and hugged herself up, clinging to me, and her hips roiled as she thrust hard up and down. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her lips curled in an ugly snarl for a long moment, until the orgasm passed and she let go of me, falling a couple of inches back to the bed with a 'whumph.' "H-Holy fuck," she panted, looking up at me in confusion. "What was that? That,” She blinked rapidly. "Did no one tell you about the first orgasm?" I asked her. She shook her head, still blinking like she was trying to gain her focus. "Fuck me and tell me," she said. I started to slow-thrust, enjoying the delicious warmth of her as I leaned down a bit more, pressing my full body against hers as she spread her legs wider for me. "They told Erica in the information session that she should expect a massive orgasm the first time she ingested a man's precum, and the biggest one of her life when they ingest their actual cum." "She got an information session?" Kyla panted, looking slightly alarmed. "You didn't?" I asked, equally alarmed. We'd both stopped thrusting at each other, not sure what to do. "Fuck it, fucking fuck me," she said and rolled her body to get my cock deeper inside her again. I wasn't going to argue with that. We fucked like that, mutually, for a bit and then I took some more control and went up high on my hands for better leverage and started to fuck her harder. Kyla moaned and panted beneath me, then raised her lips up and sucked on one of my nipples, which was an oddly pleasurable surprise, and then she took some of my hairy pec muscle between her teeth and bit me lightly as she came again. "Ow," I said when she dropped back to the bed again. "Sorry," she panted. "I just; you're really fucking good." Huh, maybe I can impress the spy, I thought. "I'm getting closer," I told her. I'd had... well, not the most amount of sex I'd had in a day, but a bunch, so I wasn't entirely surprised I was lasting as long as I was. "Do you want to try something else?" "I want to try everything with you," she gasped and kissed me. "But... let me..." I disengaged with her, which made her moan like a whore, and she scrambled around on the bed until she was at the bottom corner on her back. Then she spread her legs wide into a full split, and then even wider until she had one leg practically parallel with her torso and the other was way out to the other side. If she was a clock, she would have been showing 10 o'clock. "Fuck me hard. Use my hole," she said, licking her lips. "Get your cock back inside; yes! Oh, fuck, Harrison. Make my cunt fucking squirm. Make your cunt squirm. It's yours now. I'm yours. My whole body. Fuck! I've never felt it like this before. I've never felt anything like this." I was crushing down into her in big, hard strokes and I could feel her cunt squishing with her juices and my balls slapping against her ass cheeks. I was hovering over her and a bead of sweat had trailed down to the end of my nose. Kyla opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out, licking it off of me. I lowered the rest of the way to her and kissed her hard, then hugged her tightly as I started pumping short and quick, barely leaving her cunt. "I can't wait to fall in love with you," I whispered to her. "I can't wait to make babies with you, and start a family." "Do it," she gasped. "Put a baby in me. Make my womb yours forever. Breed me, make me your breeding wife-whore. Love me, may-ari. Oh, fucking; that's what you are, you beautiful big bastard. You're my may-ari. My owner. I choose you. I choose; I,” I couldn't have stopped from coming in her if my life depended on it. She was pushing towards her own orgasm already, and her years of dance and other physical activity had turned her core into a vice that sucked at my cock like a hoover. I came as she lost her grip on her words, chanting about choosing me. She came as well, a scream quenched in her throat as her entire body flexed and tensed. I filled her up, releasing over and over in her, but I finished before she did and just went right back to fucking her since my cock hadn't gone soft yet and she was still coming. I only stopped when she went slack, her legs falling back to a more natural position, and her face went from that clenched teeth-gritting tension to a soft, satisfied smile. "Imprinting. Imprinting. Imprinting." I pulled away from her slowly, making sure she wasn't going to fall from the bed, and found that the entire bottom corner and the edge of the mattress were wet and sticky with juices. Along with my legs, crotch and hips. "Great, another squirter," I sighed. Not that I actually minded, but it just meant we'd be doing even more laundry in the tiny machine the RV held. I stood and, once I felt like I could be coordinated enough, I picked Kyla up in a cradle and lifted her higher on the bed and tucked her in. She was in the fetal position, still mumbling the imprinting sequence with that smile. I had to grab a new pair of shorts since mine had ended up in the splash zone, and I didn't bother putting on a shirt but did wipe myself down with some wet paper towel. Stumbling out of the RV, I was greeted by catcalls and applause. Looking around, the fire was still going and someone had stocked it higher with wood. Erica, Dani and Vanessa were all sitting in the Adirondack chairs, and Ivy was sitting curled up in Erica's lap. "Where are Leo and the girls?" I asked, trying my best not to let them show the embarrassment I knew they were going for with their teasing. "Aria and India were going to fuck, and invited Leo to watch," Dani smirked. "So I assume he's in there either jerking off, or fucking." "I don't need to picture that," Erica rolled her eyes. I stepped over and kissed Vanessa as she leaned her head back and reached up to hug me around the neck. Then I slipped around the circle to Ivy and Erica and kissed both of them. Dani opened her arms to me as well, so I hugged her and she kissed my cheek. "Congrats," she said as I pulled away. "Pops." "Oh, God," I groaned and looked at Erica. "You told them?" "Was I supposed to keep it a secret?" she countered. "I needed to talk it out with someone." Vanessa had stood from her chair and gestured for me to take her seat and went inside the RV, coming back out with some more beers. She passed them around and then sat on my lap similar to the way Ivy was with Erica. We sat that way for a while talking as the night sky played out above us. I'd always loved looking up at the sky out on the property, away from any major sources of light pollution. Now spotlights were lighting up the construction area a hundred yards away, where men and women were working through the night. The view was dimmed, and I wondered if it would ever be as clear again as it had been a month ago. Dani slipped off to bed first, and Vanessa grumbled that she had to be up in the morning for work so the rest of us went quickly. We never had discussed the sleeping arrangements, so I ended up sleeping next to Kyla, with Erica pressing her back to my side and holding my arm under her and around her stomach, with Vanessa spooning up to her and Ivy on the end on her back, snuggled partially under Vanessa. I knocked on the door and set the two big brown paper bags down on the stoop and backed away. The house wasn't 'old' per se, located in a neighborhood that had been developed almost twenty-five years ago, and hadn't been updated since it was first built. To be fair, there hadn't ever exactly been a housing boom in the area, so other than the one-off builds it was probably one of the newest places around. The inner front door opened and Mary looked out cautiously, then in surprise as she saw me. She hadn't texted me like I'd asked her to, and it had almost been a week since I'd seen her in the parking lot at the grocery store. She looked a little better, though not by much, and I wondered how far she'd been able to stretch that $70 I'd been able to give her then. "Harri?" she asked in surprise. "Hey, Mary," I said with a little wave. "How did you; Is this;?" "It wasn't that hard, Mary," I said. "I just made a couple of calls. You never texted me." "I know, I,” she hesitated, and then hung her head. "I was so embarrassed." "You don't need to be," I told her. "You're in a tough spot, and I'm not. I want to help out." "Mom? Who's at the door?" came a little voice from inside. A boy poked his head around Mary's hip, looking cute and curious. "It's an old friend of Mommies," Mary said. "He's just here to say hello." "Hey there buddy," I said, smiling as I pulled my mask down and waved, then let the mask snap back up and played like it had rocked me. The kid giggled. "My name is Harrison, but everyone calls me Harri on account of my big beard and hair." "That's a funny name," the kid said. "If you got rid of your beard, what would they call you?" "Hmm, that's a good question!" I said. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask your Mom, she knew me when I didn't have a beard." "We still called him Harri, baby," Mary said, smiling down at the boy and running her fingers through his hair. The kid had keen eyes and noticed the bags on the stoop and the food inside. "Is that for us?" "It is, kiddo," I said. "Could you help your Mom get it inside?" "Sure!" he said. Mary sighed and opened the screen door for him, and the kid came out in his socks and hefted up one of the bags and started carrying it in. "Harri, you don't need to,” "I made sure there are some snacks for the kids in there," I said, pretending like she hadn't been talking. "I know they aren't nutritious, but I figured you can bribe some good behavior for some Oreos and stuff every once in a while. There's also a bottle of merlot in that other one there, so you may not want the kiddo to lift it. He's a cute kid, by the way. I've got an order in down at the butcher's that I'm supposed to pick up tomorrow, so I'll be by sometime tomorrow afternoon with some meat for you guys too. Maybe I can meet your little girl then? Charlie, right?" Mary looked like she was about to cry, and I didn't want to push her over the edge so I tried to make it all like it wasn't a big deal. "Alright, Mary. See you tomorrow. Let me know if you need anything specific and I'll see what I can do, alright? Tell the kiddo not to eat all the gummy worms at once." I was halfway down the driveway to my truck when the screen door opened again. "Harri," Mary called. I looked back and she was standing on the porch, looking at me with tears brimming in her eyes and a happy frown on her face. From this distance, without a mask, I could still see her as the little button-nosed cheerleader I'd known. "Thank you." I just winked and waved, heading back to my truck. "That was really kind of you," Kyla said as I got in. "It's nothing," I said. "I knew her in high school and her husband's been missing for a while." Kyla took one of my hands from the steering wheel and wrapped her fingers in mine, looking at it. The casual intimacy was still new; the first couple days after her imprinting had been us feeling each other out, and her getting comfortable with the general openness to sex that was our new life. I'd made it a point to spend time with her, both sexually and non-sexually, each day and we were slowly starting to find a soft groove. "That's still kindness, Harri," she said. "You're sure she needs it? I don't want to see you getting taken advantage of." "I'm sure," I said. "Okay," Kyla nodded. "Then we'll help her. Now, let's continue this tour. I want to know everything I can about this little podunk, backwoods town I've been shipped off to." "Well, the first thing you should know is that I'm pretty sure it isn't big enough to be considered a town. Maybe a village?" "Oh, God," she laughed. "Not if you consider all the construction workers moving in." "True. I bet we're close to half-againing the local population at this point. Vanessa said we'll hit a thousand by the end of the week." "With that many," Kyla said. "We should have our house in, what, a few months?" "No idea," I said. "No fucking idea." "Fuck, it's already June," I groaned. It was hot as balls and I was regretting putting on my 'go out into the world' getup. "How did you miss the 1st?" Erica asked, also done up in her gear. "How did we miss Memorial Day?" I countered. "Oh, shit," Leo said, standing up from where he'd been sitting over near his RV. "You're right, we did miss Memorial Day. Should we do something?" "Like what?" I asked. "We could throw a party," Ivy suggested. "We could all dress up fancy and have a dance?" The surveyors had been needing Leo and me less and less lately and I was starting to get a little twitchy with how little I had to do. Quarantine before all of this really kicked off had been one thing, but now we didn't even have our big wide backyard to ourselves. When Erica had mentioned that she wanted to take a drive into Portland to pick up some things from the tattoo parlor and check her apartment I'd jumped on the chance and we'd made the plan. The girls were already starting to excitedly talk about planning our late Memorial Day celebration as I stretched and sighed, checking my watch. We'd been planning to leave right after lunch and it was already 3pm. Vanessa had taken an extended break since she'd worked late the night before and we'd had some one-on-one fun in the RV, which had been sorely needed for her. Where the rest of us were struggling to find things to keep busy and motivated, the last week had seen more and more responsibility and work landing in Vanessa's lap as the construction crews started to show up and move into the barracks. It meant there was an entirely new crew of cleaners, maintenance workers and delivery people under her supervision along with her 'gorillas.' Not to mention her wrangling of the other foremen and administrators on-site as her father handled the top-end details of the job. Every day it seemed like new equipment and supplies were being delivered and a third barracks was quickly being erected as even more hands were around. But an hour with Vanessa had delayed us, and when I was finally ready to go Dani was busy with Leo over at their place, and since she was coming with us Erica and I had to wait. Then Erica and Kyla were ensconced in a private conversation in our RV when Dani emerged ready to go, so we lost another half hour before the three of us were all finally dressed and prepped to leave. "Okay," I said loudly, trying to cut through the multiple party-related conversations. "We're all agreed we'll do a Memorial Day thing, but we're burning daylight. Erica and Dani, let's go." We took my truck, only needing one vehicle since we weren't hauling a ton of stuff like the last time. As we pulled around the site offices I spotted Vanessa walking with one of the other foremen in conversation and gave her a little double honk. She smiled and waved. Driving down the old driveway path there were now a half dozen wide offshoots winding off into the trees and closer to the highway there were big swathes of ground that had been cleared and were starting to get flattened by scrapers and excavators. Vanessa had mentioned that we'd end up with a couple of strip malls worth of stores to help provide for the eventual community; a convenience store, a clinic, a dentist, that sort of thing. Right at the end of the driveway a guard hut had been erected, little more than a fancy roadside fruit stall that could barely fit two people inside. I pulled up next to it and Erica rolled down the window. "Hey Patrick," I said, waving to the construction worker manning the booth and tracking the ins and outs. "Hey folks," the older guy said with a grin. He was supposed to be on the road crews but had arrived earlier than needed. I'd asked him once if standing in the guard booth all day working a clipboard was boring and he assured me that after three decades manning a 'Slow/Stop' sign in the middle of roads through sun, rain and sleet, the booth and the clipboard were welcome. "We'll be out for a few hours," I said. "Sounds good," he replied and made a note on his clipboard. Then he wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat, blinking. "Y'all didn't say anything about how bad the pollen got up here. I think my allergies are kicking up and I didn't bring any of my meds, I thought the North West was supposed to be wet." "It usually is. We'll pick you something up," Erica offered. "We need to stop at a pharmacy anyways." "We do?" I asked. "We do," Erica said, patting me on the knee. "Hah," Patrick laughed. "And here I thought you was some sort of Big Dog, Harri. But you're as whipped by your women as the rest of us." "See you in a bit, Patrick," I said. He waved us off, then covered his mouth to cough a little. "Poor guy," Dani said. "I'd hate if I had allergies like that." "We'll get him fixed up," I said as I pulled onto the highway and started heading in the direction of Portland. "It's been weirdly dry and hot so I'm betting the dust from the brush cutting is doing it to him." And I didn't think anything more of it. Erica unlocked the metal grate that pulled down over the front of the tattoo parlor and lifted it up on the rollers enough to uncover the door. The good news was that the whole thing with the 'Autonomous Zone' seemed to have burned itself out and Portland was no longer hosting big protests at the moment. The bad news was that only happened after a week of riots and several news-worthy moments of violence and vandalism. Thankfully the parlor wasn't on one of the major routes the riots had travelled down and there didn't seem to be any damage other than sprayed graffiti on the grate and some of the glass windows behind it. I'd pulled my truck right up over the curb and parked us as close as possible. The streets were as empty of people moving around as the last time we'd come into the city, except there was more trash. I'd seen old newsreels of when there had been major strikes in New York City back in the early 80s and it wasn't exactly that bad, but another couple of weeks and it might get there. Someone must have been doing collections, they were just overburdened or understaffed or something. I had to nudge a pile out of the way with the front of my truck to wedge into the open space, but it almost immediately proved worth it as a trio of ambulances came burning down the street with their lights running. If I'd parked on the street one of them would have needed to swerve out of the way and who knew if those extra seconds would be the difference between life or death for someone; not to mention the potential of the ambulance not swerving fast enough and clipping my truck. Inside the tattoo parlor Erica went straight to her bay and started unhooking and gathering her equipment. Dani was looking around at the place, grinning as she examined the wild decor. She would call out questions to Erica, who would tell her who had done what mural, or the brief story behind the broken surfboard hanging from the ceiling and the skateboard deck covered in almost a hundred different signatures. I spotted a photo on the wall and realized it was of Erica and all of her staff at the most recent DragonCon where they had put up a booth and done live tattooing. Erica had said beforehand she thought it might be a waste of time, but the owner of the parlor was a huge nerd and wanted to do it so it was her job to organize. I never had found out how it went, but she looked happy in the photo. I grabbed the frame from the wall and brought it over to her. "Do you want to bring this, too?" I asked. She glanced at it and paused her work, then smiled and hugged me. "That's sweet, Harri. Yes, absolutely." She took the frame and put it in one of the boxes we'd brought for her to carry stuff, then turned to me. "Hey, could you just empty all those drawers there into the boxes? Don't just dump them, but there isn't anything particularly fragile. It's mostly inks and cleaner solutions and stuff." "Sure," I said. "Thanks, babe," she said and kissed my cheek. "Dani and I are just going to slip through to next door." "Oh, God," I groaned. I hadn't realized that was her plan. "Don't worry," she grinned. "It'll all be fun for you, I promise." The owner of the tattoo parlor also owned the sex shop next door and had installed a door between the two since the clientele crossed over fairly consistently. Erica led Dani through the door, opening it with her key, and I could hear them laughing and giggling. By the time I was done with the drawers Erica had pointed out, placing what seemed like hundreds of little vials and bottles of inks and other liquids into the boxes along with some other art supplies, they hadn't come back. I went to the door and opened it, looking in. Erica glanced over, grinning as she held another box and Dani was placing something inside. "You want any porn, babe?" "What do I need porn for?" I asked. "I dunno," she said. "Variety?" "Ooh, this one is called 'Big Black Booties 15,'" Dani said, grabbing a DVD from a nearby shelf and waving it at me. "You don't have that kind of variety yet, Harri." I snorted and shook my head. "I'm perfectly happy with the booties at my disposal, thank you." Dani shrugged and put the DVD in the box. "I'll see if Leo wants it." "Gag!" Erica laughed, making them both start giggling. I had a feeling that was a running joke between them. "How are we paying for this stuff?" I asked. "Everything is turned off and we don't have any cash." "Artie told me I could Venmo him at a 75% discount," Erica said. "Plus anything with an expiry date I could have for free. So we've got a lot of lube now, along with a bunch of penis-shaped candy and some candy underwear." I sighed and shook my head. "Oh my God, we should take her with us," Dani said, pointing up on a high shelf where a creepily lifelike sex doll was sitting. "I think you mean rescue her," Erica said. "Harri, help me get her down." "Really?" I asked. "Yes," they both demanded. When we packed up the truck we had two boxes of Erica's tattoo gear and other possessions from the shop, another full box of Sex Shop stuff, and Dani was sitting in the back next to 'Sexy Susan' who had also happened to get dressed in a sexy nurse costume. They thought it was fucking hilarious, I just thought 'Sexy Susan' was a little creepy. Dani stayed down in the truck, taking the front seat as I pointed out that the 1911 was in its case under the passenger seat if she needed it, while Erica and I headed up to her apartment. The elevator had an 'out of order' sign on it, and Erica had to use her key to the building to get into the stairwell which she said she'd never had to do before. That was an immediate red flag to me, but I kept my cool to try and not worry her. "You know," Erica said as we climbed the stairs. All our sex cardio seemed to be paying off because we weren't puffing from the exertion yet. "You haven't officially asked me to move in yet." "What?' I asked. "Leo and I,” "That wasn't asking me to move in permanently," Erica cut me off. "That was just for quarantine." I rolled my eyes, knowing where she was going with this. At the next floor I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to me, pulling down my mask and hers and kissing her hard and deep. "Erica Lacosta, will you move in with me forever and ever?" I asked her. "Yes," she grinned. "Yes, I will." She kissed me lightly to seal it, then sighed and we raised our masks and started climbing more stairs. "With that out of the way, I should really try and find a way out of my lease. Just because you have money doesn't mean I should be wasting mine on a place I'm not ever planning on moving back into." "I'll help with some research," I said. "I know there's all the clamor about halting eviction notices, but maybe there's something that will help. I could text Miriam, see if Captain Bloomberg knows anything offhand." "Hmm, maybe,” Erica started, but stopped as we reached her floor and found that door locked as well. "What the fuck?" she sighed and unlocked it. "Let me go first," I said. "Why? It's just..." As we entered the corridor Erica trailed off, seeing the tracks of dirty footprints in the hall and the spray paint on the walls. She immediately started to move forward, but I grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Wait," I said. "Look." I pointed at the big circles on the walls next to each door, but she clearly didn't understand what I was pointing out. "Those are FEMA search and rescue marks." Erica blinked once and was obviously unsure of what to say. "Let's just take it slow," I said. We walked down the hallway. Some of the doors were shut, but others looked like they'd been kicked in. "What do they mean?" Erica asked me, looking at the circles and the scribbles of letters and numbers on the walls. Each circle had an X dividing it into four parts, and each quadrant was marked. "The top part is the date the location was searched," I said. "5-24 means it happened May 24th, so a little over a week and a half ago. The left side is who did the search, the numbers are probably a military code for a National Guard unit. If it said PPD that would be the Portland police, or CDC or DEA or whoever. The right side is if there are any hazards." I pointed to one of the doors that were kicked in. "NE means 'No Entry.'" Then I pointed to another. "F/W means there's contaminated food and water." I pointed at another door, this one wasn't kicked in. "A 0 means no hazards. "What are the bottom parts?" Erica asked. I frowned and swallowed. "The crossed 0 means no one found. DB or DOA means dead bodies. LB means live people are, or were, inside." Erica looked at the carnage of the corridor, her eyes scanning the doors of her neighbors as she weighed the number of DBs. There weren't many 0s, but about half of the apartments were labelled LB and hadn't been kicked open. Half. We got to Erica's place around the hall corner, passing the old lady Diane's door. It was kicked in and labelled NE, DB. Erica poked the door with her boot and it swung in. Inside, other than the dirty boot prints, it looked generally neat and tidy... other than the pool of dark something that had dried on the kitchen linoleum. I grabbed Erica and held her as she gasped and her knees went weak. I pulled her away from the door and she saw that her own apartment had also been kicked in, but was labelled 0 hazards and 0 bodies. We went in and she sat down on the couch, burying her head in her hands. Kneeling in front of her, I cradled her head on my shoulder and hugged her tightly as the reality of the world settled on her. She cried, though not as long as she probably needed, as I talked her through what had probably happened. Enough people had gotten sick and called emergency services that they came to do a sweep of the building. They knocked on every door, and anywhere someone didn't answer they kicked it in. Then I assumed they had extracted the bodies. "I need to get out of here," Erica breathed. "Okay," I said. "Do you need me to grab anything? Did we forget anything last time?" "No, nothing," she shook her head. "Just get me out of here." I picked her up and carried her out. Erica wasn't Ivy or Vanessa, or even Kyla. She was a full-figured woman. But I carried her every fucking step, down every stair. She stopped me right at the doors to the building and had me let her down. "I don't want Dani to see me like this," she said. "Why?" I asked. "She would understand." "I know," she said, blinking under her ski goggles. "But if she sees me like this, she'll start thinking about what might be happening back home for her, and she doesn't need that." I held Erica's hand at the door for another minute as she breathed deeply and got control of herself, and finally she smiled at me and it actually travelled up to her eyes. "Thanks, babe," she said. "Love you," I said. "You too," she said and touched her forehead to mine since we were both masked and goggled. "Hey, Charlie," I grinned, waving to the little four-year-old as she sprawled in Mary's arms and waved back with her little grin. "Hi," she chirped. "Okay," Mary said, setting her daughter down. "Scoot, you. Let Mommy talk with Harri for a second. Go see what your brother is doing." "Okay," Charlie said and pounded off in the way only a four-year-old could. "You're looking more like yourself, Mary," I said. I was standing off the porch and we kept the screen door closed, but I had my mask lowered so she could see my face. She smiled softly and shrugged. "I don't feel like it, but thanks." "How are the kids doing?" I asked. "Well, I regret letting them eat sugar again," she smirked a little. "But they're good. Better than me, anyways, though Thomas misses his friends from school and keeps asking when he can go back to class." She laughed and wiped under one eye. "He used to hate going to school every morning, now it's all he wants to do." "We'll get there eventually," I assured her. "What about you? How are you doing?"

In this week's episode of ASEAN Speaks, our host Seng Yeow welcomes Jarick to unpack MAS's new $50bn EQDP programme and its potential to drive concentrated flows into non-index sectors.Jarick shares five BUY calls for the week: Food Empire Holdings, ISOTeam, ComfortDelGro, CSE Global, and Frencken, explaining why each is poised to benefit from raw material trends, sector positioning, and strong customer outlooks. He also breaks down the semiconductor sector, exploring the potential impact of US–Malaysia tariff talks.With results week approaching, Xuan Hao dives into the Singapore banking sector, previewing OCBC, DBS, and UOB regarding expected earnings and dividends.Thilan, Lucia, and Janel wrap up with highlights from the myimpact portfolio, showcasing a six-stock portfolio of top ESG performers with a focus on social factors in sustainable investing.Edited by Lucia, Xuan Hao, Dion, Bruce

"Deepest. Bluest. My hat is like a shark's fin." - Henry David Thoreau This week, we're visiting the Aquatica Research Facility and submerging ourselves in the 1999 sci-fi/action/thriller Deep Blue Sea. Originally conceived as Jurassic Park meets Jaws, the filmmakers ultimately decided to take a page from Alien's playbook instead. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons of that approach, compare the finished film with earlier iterations of the script, go over our favorite characters and set pieces, dissect the lyrics of LL Cool J's tie-in song,  try to make sense of the two straight-to-video sequels, and contemplate DBS's place in the pantheon of non-Jaws shark movies. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram Chris's Instagram | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler

One of the possibilities along the Parkinson's journey is losing the ability to drive safely. This possibility is a scary one. For many, driving equals independence. So, it means more than just the hassle of getting around. It means losing your independence. It can lead to depression and anxiety. However, it is important to be safe on the road while driving a multi-ton vehicle. We must protect ourselves, our family, and others on the road. So, we are talking today with an Occupational Therapist who is so passionate about this topic that she started a business focused on helping people keep their independence if possible. She will take us through the when, why, how of driving while diagnosed with Parkinson's. OTs are the professionals trained to assess patients on activities of daily living which includes testing people on their driving skills. We discuss the testing process and the legal implications. There are many options for people once it is determined there is a driving defiicit. So, don't give up. Ask an Occupational Therapist for suggestions.  Listen in to learn everything about driving with PD. https://drivingtoindependence.com/ https://www.aded.net/? https://www.dbsandme.com/17branches Thank you to our sponsor – Boston Scientific, the maker of Vercise Genus, a Deep Brain Stimulation or DBS system. To learn more about the latest treatment options for Parkinson's disease at https://DBSandMe.com/17branches   

Texas Longhorn WR Ryan Wingo joins the show for a candid and fun conversation about his football journey from East St. Louis to Austin, why he didn't like Texas at first, and what changed his mind. He opens up about adjusting to the college game, competing with elite DBs in practice, and embracing a leadership role in the wide receiver room.Wingo also shares stories from his youth football camp in St. Louis including bringing Arch Manning with him, Uncle Jerome's legendary BBQ, and why he doesn't eat Texas BBQ. Plus, Ryan reacts to his EA Sports College Football 25 rating and gives a preview of what's ahead for the Horns.Welcome to 3rd & Longhorn, your ultimate destination for all things Texas Longhorn Football! Join us weekly for an in-depth show featuring analysis and commentary from Lifetime Longhorn Football players Derrick Johnson, Alex Okafor, Fozzy Whittaker, Rod Babers, Jeremy Hills, and Clark Field Collective/Texas One Fund co-founder Nick Shuley.Meet Our Team:Derrick Johnson: NFL All-Pro and Texas Longhorn legend, providing unparalleled defensive insights. Alex Okafor: Former NFL defensive end, breaking down the line of scrimmage battles. Jeremy Hills: Renowned trainer and former Longhorn running back, discussing player development. Fozzy Whittaker: NFL veteran and special teams ace, offering game day analysis.Rod Babers: Longhorn cornerback great and media personality, sharing insider knowledge.Nick Shuley: Co-founder of Clark Field Collective/Texas One Fund, discussing the business side of college sports.Subscribe to 3rd & Longhorn and never miss an episode. Hit the notification bell to get alerts for our latest uploads. Join us in celebrating the legacy and future of Texas Longhorn Football!Connect with Us:Follow us on Instagram:Derrick Johnson - https://www.instagram.com/superdj56Alex Okafor - https://www.instagram.com/alexokaforJeremy Hills - https://www.instagram.com/jhills5Fozzy Whittaker - https://www.instagram.com/fozzywhittRod Babers - https://www.instagram.com/rodbabersNick Shuley - https://www.instagram.com/nickshuleyFor the most comprehensive coverage and insider access to Texas Longhorn Football, look no further than 3rd & Longhorn. Hook ‘em!0:00 Intro0:21 Welcome Ryan Wingo0:35 Why Ryan Didn't Like Texas at First1:18 What Changed His Mind About Texas2:27 Choosing Texas Over Missouri3:02 From East St. Louis to Austin3:16 Competing with Texas-Speed Athletes3:38 Ryan's Track Background4:00 Growing Up in a Competitive Family5:00 Adjusting to College Football5:30 Hitting the Freshman Wall6:07 Competing Against Texas DBs in Practice6:20 Becoming a Trash Talker6:51 Playing in the SEC as a Freshman7:28 Toughest Road Environments8:09 Hosting a Camp in St. Louis with Arch Manning9:13 Ryan's Thoughts on Texas BBQ vs. Home BBQ9:28 Uncle Jerome at the Block Party10:10 Becoming a Leader in the WR Room11:12 Carrying on the First-Round Legacy11:50 EA Sports College Football Rating Reaction12:23 Outro – Thanks Ryan WingoDerrick Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/superdj56Alex Okafor: https://www.instagram.com/alexokaforJeremy Hills: https://www.instagram.com/jhills5Fozzy Whittaker: https://www.instagram.com/fozzywhittRod Babers: https://www.instagram.com/rodbabersNick Shuley: https://www.instagram.com/nickshuley

In this episode, Brian, Melissa, and I dive into a pretty big topic—my upcoming deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson's. We talk through what the lead-up has been like, both medically and emotionally, and what I'm hoping for as I head into this next step. We also get into how Parkinson's continues to shape our lives, what it's taught us, and how crucial support from family (and each other) really is. It's an honest conversation, filled with hope, nerves, and a lot of heart as we look ahead to what's next.00:00 Journey to Deep Brain Stimulation05:06 Understanding the Procedure and Expectations10:12 Reflections on Parkinson's Progression16:05 Looking Ahead: New Beginnings and OptimismSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-secret-life-of-parkinsons/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's another rock bottom for the Pirates after being swept by the White Sox. Can you trust Cherington to handle the deadline? We're on Ben Cherington watch today. His contract could keep him around longer though. We react to Kevin Gorman's comments on the topics. Callers give their thought, including one who still will go to games regardless. More callers are eager to give their take on the Pirates, some are ready for Steelers season. The Steelers announced their throwback jerseys from 33. Another caller is worried about Rodgers staying healthy. Another caller is defending Bob Nutting. Others bring up the missed opportunities to add to the roster recently. Noah Hiles joins to discuss how the Pirates are feeling after the awful week, Ben Cherington's job security, can he successfully navigate the trade deadline, what type of players the Pirates could target at the deadline, could Cutch get dealt. Will Keller's value be at its highest now or in the offseason? It's almost time for Steelers training camp. Their spending on defense is in contrast to most of the NFL. A caller throws shade at Callas but he had an epic wiffleball call over the weekend. TJ Watt is 9 spots below Garrett on PFF's top 50, could the Packers be a trade partner for the Steelers at WR. Nick Farabaugh joins to discuss his take on the Steelers new throwback uniforms, what questions he wants answers at training camp, Watt's usage, which young player needs to have a big year, what will be the biggest overreactions in training camp, how bad is Juan Thornhill, which DBs could see extensive snaps, who could be next for an extension. The Sean Segment - Acuna's throw, WNBA players want better pay, Rich Hill is still going, McDavid plays beer league hockey, Erie's minor league baseball team is rebranded. ESPN ranked the best NFL rosters, and the Steelers are surprisingly low. We react to their supposed weaknesses, strengths, and X factors. What are the biggest storylines for Steelers camp - Broderick Jones, Kaleb Johnson, will there be additions at WR/safety, Jalen Ramsey's position. Johnny the Barber challenges Bechtold. Austin went to the Pirates game on Saturday and was mad about the people just there to sell their bobbleheads.

Nick Farabaugh joins to discuss his take on the Steelers new throwback uniforms, what questions he wants answers at training camp, Watt's usage, which young player needs to have a big year, what will be the biggest overreactions in training camp, how bad is Juan Thornhill, which DBs could see extensive snaps, who could be next for an extension. The Sean Segment - Acuna's throw, WNBA players want better pay, Rich Hill is still going, McDavid plays beer league hockey, Erie's minor league baseball team is rebranded

Nick Farabaugh joins to discuss his take on the Steelers new throwback uniforms, what questions he wants answers at training camp, Watt's usage, which young player needs to have a big year, what will be the biggest overreactions in training camp, how bad is Juan Thornhill, which DBs could see extensive snaps, who could be next for an extension.

Nicole Duff and Dr. Amanda Currie discuss the potential role of the social worker in deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the work of Dr. Currie's team in creating a simple pneumonic that could be used to determine whether a social worker's involvement would be beneficial to DBS patients. They also discuss the clinical implications of this study as well as possible future directions to further outline the role of the social worker in DBS. Read the article.

DBs from SE MichiganSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s Q2 growth surprises—so why is momentum fading? Michelle Martin unpacks OCBC’s leadership shift, NTT DC REIT’s hot listing, and FedEx’s robot deliveries. Kraft Heinz considers a mega spinoff, Grab takes a downgrade, and Creative warns of losses. Plus, how Trump’s tariff shockwaves may reshape global trade deals with Europe and Mexico. The STI flirts with the 4,100 mark—how are SingTel and Yangzijiang faring? Hosted by Michelle Martin Companies Mentioned include:OCBC, DBS, UOB, Great Eastern, NTT, BlackRock, Fidelity, FedEx, Mapletree Industrial Trust, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking for IDP Sleepers? Let's dive into some DBs who may be potential breakout candidates for the upcoming 2025 season. See who might be a 2025 IDP DB Sleeper for your IDP Leagues! Listen as we touch on each player to bring you actionable analysis and advice for your Fantasy Football Leagues. Advice that could make the difference in aiding your decision-making process.

Experts not high on the 2025 DBs in DC

Welcome to episode 166 of the podcast. In this episode, we take you into Northland, New Zealand, where leaders like Dave, Graham, Sam, and others are wrestling with one central question: How can Discovery Bible Study (DBS) become more than a method—and instead spark a movement of disciple-making in our own context? You'll hear stories of breakthrough, honest questions about challenges, and the shift from teaching to facilitating—from knowledge to revelation. Whether it's with a Muslim family, a church congregation, or people in the harvest, DBS is opening hearts to the Word and multiplying impact. Let's move beyond theory and explore how DBS can be lived out—simply, reproducibly, and powerfully—wherever you are.

7.10.25 What are the next steps when it comes to improving the DBs? Projections for Deatrich Wise Jr. in 2025

A record-breaking run for Temasek, copper prices soar on Trump’s tariffs, and Netflix bets big on anime. What does Temasek’s strategy tell us about smart investing? Will copper’s surge reshape global supply chains? And is NTT DC REIT Singapore’s next hot listing? Michelle Martin and Ryan Huang break it all down. Companies featured include Temasek, DBS, SingTel, Freeport-McMoRan, Southern Copper, NTT, GIC, BlackRock, Fidelity, Nvidia, Meta, Merck, IHH Healthcare, SGX, UOL, and Netflix.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do you exercise? Is there a place you can take classes specific for people with Parkinson's? Is it convenient? I know of only a handful of cities where there is a one stop fits all approach to PD wellness. Most are created and managed by someone stepping up and doing the work to make it happen for their community and beyond. I am excited to highlight some of these magical places where people with Parkinson's take classes designed for their needs, provide social support, and community. I am thrilled to bring. you this first magical place. It is in the greater the Austin, TX area and on their YouTube chamnnel. Power For Parkinson's was founded by two women, Dr. Nina Mosier and Susan Stahl. They both had fathers with Parkinson's and saw a need, so they found a way to provide research-based exercises while offering them for FREE. With nine locations, the classes are very accessible. Add in the YouTube channell with available streaming and on demand videos all for free, well that is magical. After listening to my guest today, you are going to want to have a similar opportunity in your area as well. Listen on. https://www.powerforparkinsons.org/ https://www.powerforparkinsons.org/youtubeq https://www.dbsandme.com/17branches Thank you to our sponsor – Boston Scientific, the maker of Vercise Genus, a Deep Brain Stimulation or DBS system. To learn more about the latest treatment options for Parkinson's disease at https://DBSandMe.com/17branches   

Foxconn smashes revenue records—but is turbulence ahead? Michelle Martin delves into the red-hot defense sector and drone surge. From AeroVironment to Kratos and Karman, military tech is in the spotlight. Plus: Trump’s new tariffs, UOB and DBS face fines, and Airbus lands massive deals. Catch local movers like Nanofilm Technologies and Frasers Centrepoint Trust. Hosted by Michelle Martin. Companies featured include: Foxconn, Nvidia, AeroVironment, Kratos Defense, Karman Holdings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitalisation and critical illness insurance are vital, but beware of being upsold or paying too much for premiums. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times. What do young people need to know when buying their first insurance package? Insurance is an essential part of “adulting”, but it can be daunting when choosing from a wide range of products on a tight budget. Some can also find that insurance agents pressure them into buying products that they are not certain they need. In this episode, ST business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan looks at what you need to know before buying insurance. Her guests are NTU undergraduate Megan Wee and DBS bank Singapore head of bancassurance Loh Wanyun. 1:40: What are the different types of insurance? 9:00 Corporate vs personal insurance 11:00 How much should I spend on insurance? 13:25 How to deal with pushy agents 15:50 How much insurance is enough to cover me? 18:05 What are investment-linked policies? 21:00 Where should I buy insurance from? Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X Host: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg) Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow Follow Headstart On Record Podcast channel here: Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3 Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9 Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #headstartSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark DeLuzio discusses the intangibles that made all the difference to the success of the Danaher Business System. He also discussed the main ingredients of DBS, the 5Ps: Purpose, Principles, People, Plan, Process.

Rob and Jeremy took some time from Tuesday's BBMS to talk Ravens with Ken McKusick of FilmStudyBaltimore.com. The Ravens secondary will look a lot different in 2025, considering injuries to last year's starters and the addition of Jaire Alexander. What should fans expect from the DBs and safeties?

「「日本版DBS」準備委員会が初会合　三原大臣「教師の盗撮は言語道断」」　教員など子どもと接する仕事に就く人の性犯罪歴を確認する「日本版DBS」制度の導入に向け、準備委員会の初会合が開かれました。三原こども政策担当相：昨日報道されました教師による盗撮およびSNSによる共有事案について、これは言語道断であり、決して許されないことだと思っており、対策の必要性を強く感じたところでございます。「こども性暴力防止法」は、子どもと接する事業者に研修などの「安全確保措置」や「性犯罪歴の確認」を求めるものです。26日、関係省庁による施行準備委員会の初会合が開かれ、子どもに何かを教える事業であれば、国が認定した場合は事業内容を問わず、性犯罪歴の照会が可能になる「認定制度」の対象にするといった「日本版DBS」制度の方向性のほか、必要な予算や人員の確保などについて基本方針を確認しました。2026年12月25日の運用開始を予定していて、年内をめどにガイドラインを策定し、制度の周知を本格化させる方針です。

A U.S. strike on 3 Iranian nuclear sites sends Asian markets reeling—what are the ripple effects for investors? Gold climbs, the dollar strengthens, and Bitcoin slides as tensions spike in the Strait of Hormuz. We also dig into Morgan Stanley’s surprising picks in China’s humanoid robot race. Plus, a look at AI moves by DBS, Apple’s lawsuit drama, Meta’s new smart glasses, and a stablecoin bump for Circle. Singapore’s STI starts the week after losses—can it rebound? Find out with Michelle Martin and Ryan Huang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Berkshire Hathaway's shares nosedive—what's behind the biggest drop in over a decade? Michelle Martin and Ryan Huang unpack how oil spikes create winners and losers. Airbus soars with a blockbuster showing at the Paris Air Show, while Boeing stumbles. Can ExxonMobil and United Airlines ride the energy wave? Singapore's STI edges up—what are the levels to watch today? Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang. Companies mentioned: Berkshire Hathaway, Airbus, Boeing, ExxonMobil, United Airlines, DBS, Keppel Corp, Singapore Airlines (SIA)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With U.S. markets closed for Juneteenth, Asia takes center stage. We break down the unfolding multi-trillion rupiah corruption probe rocking Wilmar International — a scandal dating back to Indonesia’s 2022 cooking oil crisis. Despite the headwinds, Wilmar is striking a new deal in Nigeria — is it business as usual or damage control? Plus, DBS makes a bold pitch for nuclear energy investing — not in reactors, but in the uranium supply chain. Ryan Huang breaks down the stocks to watch and whether the uranium surge is sustainable. Also in focus: the future of the U.S. dollar. From China’s push for a multipolar currency world to Trump-era flashbacks, is the greenback losing its grip? We wrap with a round of “Up or Down?” featuring Nike and Singapore construction stocks — and a final lap around Jewel Changi’s new Mario Kart experience. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A herbal stock with zero revenue rockets 64,000%—what’s behind the madness? Michelle and Ryan unpack DBS’s latest bullish call on industrial REITs. Wilmar faces a billion-dollar graft probe in Indonesia—could there be spillover effects? Wall Street wobbles on energy jitters, while gold continues to dazzle. From AI-driven SK Hynix to Airports of Thailand, it’s time for "Up or Down?" Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang. Featuring CapitaLand Ascendas REIT, Mapletree Logistics Trust, ESR-LOGOS REIT, Wilmar, Eli Lilly, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese biotech stocks are breaking out—with deals involving Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and BioNTech rewriting the playbook for global pharma partnerships. But will the rally last? Back in Singapore, banks like DBS, OCBC, and UOB are buying back shares at scale. And Q&M Dental’s CEO is doubling down on his stock. Plus: Amazon and Walmart explore launching their own stablecoins—could Visa and Mastercard be in trouble? Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang, this episode also touches on Novo Nordisk, Oracle, Pop Mart, Emirates, and Jardine Matheson as we unpack the week in markets. Companies mentioned in this episode: Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, BioNTech, 3SBio, DBS, OCBC, UOB, Q&M Dental, Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Mastercard, Novo Nordisk, Oracle, Pop Mart, Emirates, Jardine Matheson, SATS, SGX.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel opens by sharing how each podcast season mirrors a chapter in his life, with this one marking an awakened state. He gives a personal update: after months of worsening symptoms, he pursued evaluation for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery. The process, which required going off his meds, was physically and emotionally draining—only to be told he wasn't “miserable enough” yet. The rejection left him feeling deflated and stuck.Using the image of a plane unable to take off, Daniel conveys the emotional weight of feeling grounded by Parkinson's. He expresses frustration and helplessness, especially when comparing his own limitations to the evaluating doctor's effortless movements, emotions he's still working through.The episode moves from pain to purpose as Daniel reflects on how his diagnosis became a wake-up call. Inspired by the metaphor of a hotel wake-up call and Ben Fuller's Wide Awake, he explores what it means to live intentionally—even when that includes discomfort or grief—and urges listeners to stay awake to life.The episode explores the theme of awakening amidst struggle. Daniel reflects on a difficult personal setback—being denied eligibility for DBS surgery—and the emotional toll it took. Through raw honesty and reflection, he examines how moments of pain and frustration can also serve as powerful wake-up calls.Special thanks to Keys of the Moon, Music4Video_1, Infraction, and ashamaluevmusic for the music.Add your experience and suggestions to the conversation in this Parkinson's podcast. If you would like to leave Daniel a voice message and you live in the U.S., call 1-706-873-1656. Email us at parkinsonsandmepodcast@gmail.com

Asia-Pacific markets trade down as investors digest the Israeli military strike on Iran this morning. Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang, today’s Market View also unpacks DBS’ bullish stance on supermarket giant Sheng Siong, China’s “Terrific 10” AI stocks, and the ripple effects of its export slump. Could Singapore’s logistics players benefit from ASEAN trade shifts? Plus, we look at the fortunes of Boeing, Oracle, and Tencent, and close with how Ding Tai Fung is steaming ahead in the F&B space over in the US. Companies mentioned: Sheng Siong, Boeing, Oracle, Tencent, Jardine Matheson, SATS, Ding Tai Fung.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel visit: https://www.youtube.com/@davisphinneyfdn/podcasts In this Q&A episode of The Parkinson's Podcast, recorded during the May 2025 Living with Parkinson's Meetup, they answer questions from the community about what to do when Parkinson's affects your ability to work and how to navigate Power of Attorney. They also discuss orthostatic blood pressure hypertension and adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS). To learn more about our Living With Parkinson's Webinar series visit: https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/event/webinar-series-living-with-parkinsons-meetup/ To learn more about the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's visit: https://dpf.org Season 6 Episode 12 

Wrongful convictions in the Post Office scandal and for train fare evasion have been described by the Government as ‘catastrophic failures', and it's held a consultation in England and Wales to reform private prosecutions. It covers private prosecutions brought by organisations, and also, the SJP - the single justice procedure - where a minor criminal offence is decided by a magistrate behind closed doors. Tens of thousands of rail fines have been quashed, after train companies were found to have misused the SJP system. So how should private prosecutions be reformed? Also on the programme: how "No Further Action" and police cautions can leave a lasting mark on safeguarding and criminal records checks. (Note that in Scotland, the nearest equivalent to a police caution is a Procurator Fiscal warning which is usually issued for low level offences such as street drinking or breach of the peace).Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan Producers: Ravi Naik and Charlotte Rowles Editors: Tara McDermott and Nick Holland Contributors: Dr Jonathan Rogers, part of the campaign group Criminal Justice Reform Now and Co-Deputy Director of the Cambridge Centre for Criminal Justice Tristan Kirk court correspondent at the London Evening Standard Nathalie Potter head of DBS at Olliers solicitors in Manchester

Pump up your Fantasy Football IDP game! We're revealing our 2025 Top Tier NFL Linebacker rankings for fantasy football, providing in-depth ranking analysis to help you make crucial draft decisions. Discover potential sleepers and avoid high-end LB draft busts with our expert 2025 fantasy football IDP rankings and IDP advice. Find out and get ready for your drafts! - Best 2025 Dynasty Linebackers You NEED To Draft! - IDP Rankings!

Thinking about playing football at the next level? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast, we dive deep into the real-life journey of Carl Pickens, from high school standout to Freshman All-American at Tennessee, to NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Cincinnati Bengals. This conversation is essential listening for:

Episode #85Rob and I cover the Mins 107 & 108 of Casino Royale.Bond's instincts serve him right, something is afoot. He trails Vesper to the carpark where she gets kidnapped. Bond is in pursuit, but only for a short while as he completely stacks his DBS in a world record spin. In anything Bondian, Rob's friend drives him round the block in a car a Kim Sherwood novel. Does his friend let Rob do the gears? Tune in to find out.Pete talks about going on a mono-rail and a cable car, and the incredulity of Jaws making that leap in Moonraker.In news we touch upon Joe Don Baker who (despite insisting we gave him an honorable mention), Rob forgot passed away last week.We also have an insert with Bond fan Joe Allen as we take a trip down memory lane for the John Barry Memorial.Shownotes and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can be found on the blog:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fromtailorswithlove.co.uk/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bless your hearts.Show is brought to you byWilde&Harte⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wildeandharte.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠&Propstorehttps://bit.ly/ph25_bond_fromtailorswloveAlso we recorded ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a Patreon show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please follow the THERE WILL BE MORE BOND page and get early access to the free pod and all videos. https://www.patreon.com/c/ThereWillBeMoreBond

In the third hour of “Dukes and Bell”, the guys get into Arch Manning and Kirby Smart “downplaying” the championship expectations in the “Dawg Report.” Next, Josh Kendall joins the show to talk about the Falcons' pair of rookie DBs. We close the hour with “Guy Talk.”

Mais de 10 milhões de pessoas no mundo são afetadas pelo mal de Parkinson, e esse número pode dobrar até 2050. Não há, ainda, cura, mas as terapias de estimulação cerebral profunda, conhecidas como DBS, combinam dispositivos digitais com implantes cerebrais para mudar a vida de quem sofre com doenças neurodegenerativas. Como funcionam esses marca-passos cerebrais e como a IA os torna ainda mais precisos? Conversamos com o diretor de neuromodulação da Boston Scientific no Brasil, Lucas Silva, para entender essa história, cheia de finais felizes.Links do episódioA página do LinkedIn de Lucas SilvaO site Viver com ParkinsonO documentário "Still - ainda sou Michael J. Fox", na Apple TV+A série "Shrink - Falando a Real", na Apple TV+O livro "The Ageless Brain: How to Sharpen and Protect Your Mind for a Lifetime", de Dale BredesenO livro "Uma viagem pelo cérebro. A via rápida para entender neurociência", de Carla Tieppo A The Shift é uma plataforma de conteúdo que descomplica os contextos da inovação disruptiva e da economia digital.Visite o site www.theshift.info e assine a newsletter

To subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel visit: https://www.youtube.com/@davisphinneyfdn/podcasts In this episode, we share excerpts from the Q and A portion of our April 2025 Living with Parkinson's Meetup, featuring audience questions about dancing and keeping rhythm even when it gets harder, managing REM sleep disorder, and deep brain stimulation (DBS). For more information about the Davis Phinney Foundation visit: https://dpf.org. Season 6 Episode 8

Level up your IDP game! We're revealing our 2025 Top "Second-Level" NFL Defensive Back rankings for fantasy football, providing in-depth NFL IDP analysis to help you make crucial draft decisions. Which elite safeties and shutdown cornerbacks are essential for building a championship-caliber IDP roster? Discover potential sleepers and avoid draft busts with our expert 2025 fantasy football IDP rankings for defensive backs. Find out and get ready for your drafts! - Best DB Fantasy Football IDP Rankings: Second-Level Stud Tiers!

Level up your IDP game! We're revealing our 2025 Top 18 Defensive Back rankings for fantasy football, providing in-depth analysis to help you make crucial draft decisions. Which elite safeties and shutdown cornerbacks are essential for building a championship-caliber IDP roster? Discover potential sleepers and avoid draft busts with our expert 2025 fantasy football IDP rankings for defensive backs. Find out and get ready for your drafts! - 2025 Top 18 HOT DYNASTY Defensive Back Fantasy Football IDP Rankings!

Cover1's Anthony Prohaska joins us to talk through Buffalo's newest crop of rookies - athletic shakeup across the board for DBs, DL picks not quite who some wanted, Bills fans needing to delete old Tweets & more!

This week we devote an episode of the MMQ&A to pensions of all flavours, answering questions on public sector schemes, partial transfers, fund choices and much more! Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA12    00:52  Question 1 Hi Chaps! I only recently got into podcasts and am frantically trying to listen to as many pension ones as I can. Yours are the most useful I've come across and now I can't stop listening to them all! A small question I hope you can clarify for me please: I am 48 and a few years away from possibly an early retirement (hopefully 58) but trying to plan ahead. I have both a DB pension through work (NHS) and a personal Vanguard SIPP pension I also add to monthly and am of the understanding that you can take 25% tax free (up to the set limit) from your pensions overall and therefore my question is- could I take all the 25% tax free amount from my SIPP and leave the rest of my SIPP and all my DB pension pot to pay me a pension from. In example (arbitrary figures): my DB and SIPP are each worth £100000, totalling £200000. Therefore, under current rules, could I take £50000 tax free from the SIPP (the overall 25%) and the other £100000 in DB and £50000 left in my SIPP to pay me a pension monthly. Or is this not possible at all as they are different schemes, ie DB and DC? Many thanks Jon, from Norfolk   05:30  Question 2 Hi Guys, Firstly, a massive thank you for all the information you provide, it really has completely transformed my personal finances. I still have a long way to go until retirement (I've just turned 30) but thanks to you, I'm confident it won't have to be the state pension age! My question is – I work in Local Government and, whilst the salary is distinctly average (37k) it does come with the benefit of a DB pension scheme. I'm now considering making some additional contributions but there are two options available and I'm struggling to find any useful information online… – Make AVCs into what I understand to be a separate pension scheme more akin to a DC pension – Make APCs whereby I effectively buy more DB pension. It works out at approx an additional £10 guaranteed yearly income for every £80 (£100 if including tax relief) I contribute. In my head, this sounds good as long as I make it 10 years into retirement! Is there an obvious answer to this question? Only obvious downside to the DB option is, if I were to pass away before retirement, the additional pension is effectively lost and not paid to my next of kin! But then again, I don't intend to go anywhere anytime soon! Any thoughts appreciated and thanks again! Jack   12:03  Question 3 I have a question relating to the upcoming change in minimum pension age and how it affects those of us in the 55 bracket before the 6 April 2028 change.  I don't know if there is any clarity from government yet but if I am 55 in September 2027 and take a PCLS 25% tax free from an AVC DC running alongside my DB pension scheme, then want to retire fully and start taking the DB in September 2028 when I am 56 is that possible? There seems to be a grey area about what happens after the April 2028 cut off to those of us in this age range. It doesn't even appear clear if someone taking early retirement at 55 would then stop being eligible for monthly payments after April 2028 until they were 57. So they think they have retired fully, then when April comes around their payments stop! Appreciate that sounds a dramatic scenario but I haven't been able to find anything comprehensive on it so hope you can help. I also have a question on DBs with AVCs which might be useful for others. If I have a DB pension valued at £300k and saved £75k in AVCs over the years, can I take the full £75k at 55/57 without it a) affecting the DB monthly amount which can be taken from age 60 in my case, and b) without it being classed as a pension event, so I can continue to contribute over £10k a year into a DC scheme as I plan to continue working until 60. Appreciate they are specific to me but thought there must be others in a similar position. Sorry for more long questions. Thanks for all the great podcasts, look forward to the next. Thanks, Don 19:34  Question 4 Hi Pete! Hi Rog! I've been a long time listener to your dulcet tones and concise advise for a long time and love what you guys do, so please keep doing it! Another pension Question I'm afraid! A while ago I consolidated a few old workplace pensions in to a SIPP, but I still have my current workplace DC pension ticking away. Its not great, being the bare legal minimum (2.5% contribution from my employer) and the fees seem higher than they should be. If I close that pension and transfer to my better performing and cheaper SIPP, I effectively opt-out of the employer contributions scheme. My question is what should I do to be most efficient with my pensions to ensure I am getting the benefit of employer contributions without paying over the odds for an underperforming scheme? I'm 34, and (thanks in no small part to you) feel somewhat on top of my finances. We have an almost balanced budget, regular savings (both short and longer term) in tax efficient wrappers and only a smidge of interest free debt all under control. My SIPP is knocking on for £50k, my DC around £18k. Thanks again Tom 26:49  Question 5 Hi guys Thank you for the advice from your book, podcasts and videos. They encouraged me be brave enough to open a Stocks and Shares ISA, to begin my investing journey. They also encouraged me consider income protection, which I now have. My question is about Additional Voluntary Contributions, compared with a SIPP. I am fortunate to be part a Local Government, Defined Benefit Scheme. I would like to contribute more to my retirement savings, each month a third into a pension and two thirds into a S&S ISA. My pension gives me the option of buying additional pension, however the rates are not very competitive. I make AVC to a third party provider. I have also started a SIPP. This has lower fees and better customer service, then the AVC provider. Something I can't quite understand. What are the benefits of making a AVC, which deducts my contribution pre-tax compared with making a contribution to a SIPP and claiming the tax back? I am a higher rate tax payer. My employer does not offer employer match or salary sacrifice. Thanks for all the help. Rob 29:45  Question 6 Hi question for your podcast if you'd be so kind. My question is about salary sacrifice and its effect on relevant earnings for the annual allowance. I'll use some figures to illustrate and for simplicity assume tax relief and employer's contributions are included in the amounts going into the scheme. I have my employers scheme and a separate SIPP. My income comes from employment and rents from property. I generally put anything I can from the property into the SIPP and sacrifice as much as I can into AVCs in my company pension to benefit from Sal sac. Scenario; my salary before tax is £60000. If I where to sacrifice £500 per month under and electric car scheme and £1500 per month into my pension (combination of pension contributions and AVCs) that would be a total of 24000 sacrificed from 60000 leaving me with a pre tax wage of £36000 and £18000 in my pension pot for the year. My question is what is now left of my annual allowance. Are my relevant earnings now only £36000 and therefore the £18000 already sacrificed come off the £36000 or do I have the £36000 left? Or something else? What would be the amount of money that I could put into my SIPP from my income from property and not break the annual allowance. I hope this makes sense. For ease assume previous years are full in respect to carry forward. Thank you both! Love the podcast! John. 32:30  Question 7 Love the show. Listen whenever I get a chance. I know you've covered investments, savings, pensions etc, but I'm after some advice. To keep it short as requested last week, I've been a public sector worker for 10 years now and have not paid into a pension scheme due to personal financial issues. I got promoted 3 years ago and am now in a much better financial position. I have still got 25 years service until I can retire, but am concerned I've missed out on a a large contribution for the pension scheme. Would I be better opting into the pension or looking at other alternative such as S&S index, ISA, etc? I do intend to promote a few more times before retirement so pension contributions/investments will increase with income. Looking forward to your advice. Regards, Raph

The Texas-to-Tempe movement is running stronger than ever these days, and one of the first additions from that pipeline has played a significant role in Arizona State's resurgence. Keith Abney flashed his potential as a true freshman during ASU's difficult 2023 season, and he went on to earn a starting job heading into 2024. Pairing with fellow starter Javan Robinson, the pair helped the Sun Devil defense lockdown opponents on the way to the Big 12 title. With a strong spring showing, Abney appears poised to level up his game once again in 2025. On this episode, Keith and I discuss the art of playing corner, his growth over his time in Tempe, young DBs to watch, and more.