Podcasts about didja

With a film career spanning 56 years, there's no easy way to encapsulate a class act like Gena Rowlands... so Scott and Marty dedicate a two-parter to this luminous lady, whose filmography threads the careers of some of cinema's most maverick auteurs.Didja get all that? It's Gena time.Shadows (1958, Dir. John Cassavetes) at 2:20A Woman Under the Influence (1974, Dir. John Cassavetes) at 15:50Gloria (1980, Dir. John Cassavetes) at 33:40Another Woman (1988, Dir. Woody Allen) at 33:40Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon Music.Visit us at slackandslashpod.comEmail us at slackandslash@gmail.com

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Didja Catch The Game Last Night?...We Did, Ted's Duck Boat Memories + Mavs Media Go Soft. Listen live 6-10am on the iHeartradio App. 

Didja ever want to know the entire story of exactly what happened on that first Palm Sunday? It's all here in the episode of Turning Home, aptly entitled "The Palm Sunday Story".

Didja ever want to know the entire story of exactly what happened on that first Palm Sunday? It's all here in the episode of Turning Home, aptly entitled "The Palm Sunday Story".

Didja miss us???+ More RED FLAG hobbies!

Didja ever notice how one little annoyance isn't a big deal, but if you get twenty of them in a day it's a problem? Doubly so when they're about your very identity? Every person from every marginalized community deals with this, and trans people are no exception. So let's talk about trans microaggressions, what they are, and why they're so awful. We've got lots of examples! Improv performer, cook, and thrifter extraordinaire April Kirby returns to discuss the masks we put up and coming out of the polybag! Are we all always learning to be more of a human? Nunya bizness! APRIL KIRBY Insta: @msaprilkirby Mastodon: @aprilkirby@chaosfem.tw FURTHER READING (topics discussed with essays available at TillysTransTuesdays.com) Implicit Queerphobia, Internalized Transphobia, Gendered Childhoods, Trans Intersectionality, Gender Dysphoria, Misgendering and Passing, Names and Pronouns, Cis is Not a Slur (there is no default human), Disentangling Sexuality from Transness, Cis People Get Gender Affirming Care Too, Photos and Reflections, The Only Trans Person You Know REFERENCE MATERIAL The Lies and Dangers of Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity - https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy Special thanks to Daisy and Jane for the use of "Sorry Not Sorry" as our show's theme music. Please stop by and show your support at daisyandjane.bandcamp.com and soundcloud.com/daisyandjane --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Twitter: @pendantweb Facebook: facebook.com/pendantaudio Tumblr: pendantaudio.tumblr.com YouTube: youtube.com/pendantproductions

In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Jack discusses one specific reduction of Did you: "Didja."Transcript:00:00:01JackWelcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm doing another solo episode today. As we step into the vocabulary spotlight, we are going to talk about something called reductions and.00:00:15JackThis is a a kind of odd.00:00:18JackI don't. I didn't know which category to put this episode in be. I think vocabulary spotlight is probably the best.00:00:28JackWhat we're when we're talking about reductions reductions are words that we kind of smashed together.00:00:36JackBut they're not formal words, OK? And the ones that everybody knows are wanna gonna agada wanna gonna and gotta wanna want to gonna going to gotta got to OK native speakers rarely.00:00:56JackPronounce going to.00:00:59JackAs going to.00:01:01JackWe mostly pronounce it when we're talking as gonna.00:01:09JackI'm going to get up at 8:00.00:01:12JackOK, uh, we rarely say want to. I want to go to an amusement park. No, we say, you know what I want to.00:01:22JackGo to an amusement park.00:01:23JackWanna. But if you look in the dictionary for wanna gonna and gotta.00:01:28JackYou're never going to find it because they're not words. It's not like.00:01:33JackUMA compound word such.00:01:37JackBook store bookstore.00:01:40JackOK, that's a that's a formal word. You can find that in a in a dictionary with the definition bookstore. A store that sells books.00:01:49JackBut if you look in wanna WANNA.00:01:53JackYou'll never find it because it's not in the dictionary. OK, it's not a word. It's a reduction. That's what we call them reductions. So we're not going to talk about, alright? Used gonna there. We're not gonna talk about wanna gonna gotta today I want to talk about.00:02:11JackAnother one that I think can be.00:02:14JackIs very common that a lot of teachers overlook, but students are kind of left confused because.00:02:22JackThey're they don't know what the teacher said, right? So this one is did you did you? So this is the title of today's episode, Didja.00:02:33JackDid you have a good weekend?00:02:35JackDid you have?00:02:36JackA good weekend.00:02:39JackDid you have lunch?00:02:41JackDid you have lunch?00:02:45JackDid you go to the mall?00:02:46JackDid you go to the mall? OK. And what is that? Did you is a reduction of did in you again it's not a compound word. It's not a word. It's just.00:02:58JackA reduction. It's just an easier way to pronounce it, and it's tends to be it's it's informal. You cannot write this in an e-mail. You cannot write. Wanna gonna gotta didja in an e-mail. You have to write it. Did you want to going to? Got to.00:03:18JackHowever, when you're talking, you're gonna hear it a lot.00:03:24JackI think students should understand that there's, and there's kind of some minor rules around this. For example, when D&Y are next to each other, when the a word ends with a D sound.00:03:38JackAnd the next word starts with a Y sound. Native speakers, Native English speakers. Speakers tend to insert a J sound there. Did you did you? Did you? Did you? OK, so it you could you? A reduction could be. Did you? That's fine. That works. Did you have a good weekend? Did.00:03:57JackDidja is a much shorter and more common reduction of did you? Did you have a good weekend? Did you have lunch?00:04:06JackDid you go to the mall?00:04:08JackOK, now if you so when you're talking, feel free to, you know practice this a little bit throw it in there. You know when you hear did you you know now it means did you did you did you did you now sometimes native English speakers will get really crazy with their.00:04:28JackProduction of did you?00:04:30JackAnd they'll even make it short.00:04:34JackAnd I'll give you an example here of I'll use the same examples.00:04:39JackYou have a good weekend.00:04:41JackYou have a good weekend.00:04:43JackOK. Did you have a good weekend? Have a good weekend. So we reduced. Did you all the way down to Joe?00:04:56JackYa did you did ya?00:05:01JackYou have a good weekend.00:05:03JackHey, Bob.00:05:05JackJeff, lunch.00:05:07JackHey Bob, did you have lunch?00:05:11JackOK.00:05:15JackDid you go to the mall this weekend?00:05:17JackDid you go to the mall this weekend?00:05:21JackOK, so you can notice how we can reduce it even more. So what I want you to do this is your your uh homework assignment here for my A-Z listeners out there.00:05:32JackThe next time you have a speaking opportunity and you find yourself using, did you try it? Try it out, throw in a didja.00:05:39JackDid you did JA or JA?00:05:42JackAnd see how the other person that you're talking to reacts to that. I see if they notice it because again, these reductions are so common that.00:05:55JackI think people won't even notice, but your, your, your, your, your English will sound so much more natural and authentic and like a native speaker.00:06:06JackSo this is just I'm giving you guys a little tiny clue, a hint into sounding more like a native speaker, so next time don't say, did you say did you? OK, but remember, this is only when speaking. When writing you must write it out formally. Did you? OK, so this is not acceptable.00:06:29JackMaybe in text messages it's OK, but in emails or any sort of formal business setting you have to write, did you? But when you're talking, feel free to throw in a didja and that's the title for today's episode. I think is didja alright.00:06:47JackDid you have a good time with this episode?00:06:49JackLet me know in the comments A-Z englishbroadcast.com send us an e-mail A-Z englishpodcast@gmail.com. You can also join our WhatsApp group and leave a message in there. I will reply to you. You can also join our WeChat Group. I know a lot of our Chinese listeners are.00:07:10JackActive in the WeChat.00:07:12JackAnd I try to jump in there from time to time and talk to our our Chinese listeners as well. So with that said, thanks everybody. I will see you next time. Bye bye.Podcast Website:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/vocabulary-spotlight-didja/Social Media:WeChat: atozenglishpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/Tik Tok:@atozenglish1Instagram:@atozenglish22Twitter:@atozenglish22A to Z Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcastCheck out our You Tube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8ADonate to the show: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9472af5c-8580-45e1-b0dd-ff211db08a90/donationsRobin and Jack started a new You Tube channel called English Word Master. You can check it out here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aXaXaMY4P2VhVaEre5w7ABecome a member of Podchaser and leave a positive review!https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-4779670Join our Whatsapp group: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Intro/Outro Music: Daybird by Broke for Freehttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Directionless_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Directionless_EP_-_03_Day_Bird/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcodeSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are serious about this cheese. we also have thoughts on how the Pro Bowl should be more like Battle of the Network Stars. We have thoughts on Aerosmith rescheduling the Peace Out tour and we take a trip through the Grammy's past & present (Didja know the Black Crowes were nominated for Best New Artist in the way back?) and Steve makes some show recommendations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

+Specijalni izveštaj sa prezentacije VR46+Detalji prezentacija timova za 2024.+Zvezde MotoGP-a na testu WSBK.Podrška Infinity Lighthouse ekipi!

+Ocenite sa nama ko je bio na kom nivou u drugom delu godine.+Ko je iznenadio pozitivno, ko negativno?+Najnovije vesti iz sveta motociklizma. Domaćini: Dejan Potkonjak i Srđan Erceg#lap76#infinitylighthouse#motogp  00:00:00 Početak00:06:00 Krecemo lagano sa Superbike-om00:12:45 VESTI (uglavnom Brivio)00:21:00 Ciji motocikl ce voziti Mark Markez?00:34:00 Prvi deo sezone - Banjaja juri ka novoj tituli00:41:00 Martin se vraca u igru00:46:00 10 za Banjaju, 10 za Martina00:54:00 Beceki je postao zvezda - 901:14:30 Bred Enigma Binder - 901:17:00 Milerove cudne izjave - 5.5001:27:00 Zarko - nategnutih 7.7501:31:30 Vinjales 6.70 - Espargaro 7.6001:40:00 Marini - ukratko 6.7001:46:30 A. Markez - mora to bolje - 6.7301:48:00 Kvartararo - djavolski bledih 701:52:00 Didja - za zvezdu zavrsnice 7.4902:01:00 Morbideli - teska srca 5.2102:04:30 M. Markez - za srcanost 5.9302:08:00 Bastianini - zbog pobede 602:09:45 Oliveira - posle svih pehova 5.8802:11:00 Fernandez - za rukija godine 6.3702:14:00 Nevidljivi vozac Nakagami - 5.0302:16:00 Rins - na talenat 8.4202:17:15 Ne moze vise tako Raule - 5.5202:18:00 Pedrosa - 26002:19:00 Mir - 5.0202:20:00 Espargaro - neocenjen02:22:30 Ostali...02:25:00 Sta cemo sad kad je sezona zavrsena?02:34:45 Pitanja iz publike03:14:00 PATREON------------------------------HUMANITARNI KUTAKPomozimo Martinu!Slanjem SMS poruke: Upišimo 1503 i pošaljimo SMS na 3030Slanjem SMS poruke iz Švajcarske: Upišimo human1503 i pošaljimo SMS na 455Uplatom na dinarski račun: 160-6000001670866-23Uplatom na devizni račun: 160-6000001671337-65IBAN: RS35160600000167133765SWIFT/BIC: DBDBRSBGUplatom platnim karticama putem linka: E-doniraj (https://www.budihuman.rs/edonate/sr?user_id=1503)Uplatom sa vašeg PayPal naloga putem linka: PayPal (https://www.budihuman.rs/paypal/sr/donate?user_id=1503)-----------------PODRŠKA ZA INFINITY LIGHTHOUSEUkoliko želite da podržite ekipu Infinity Lighthouse i sve što radimo, najbrže je kroz Patreon i YouTube članstvo.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/infinitylighthouse YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2D37u3DU1XGxxriq5779Q/join-----------------NAŠA PRODAVNICA - ️https://shop.infinitylighthouse.comSvi koji žele da obogate svoju biblioteku prelepim delima o Formuli 1 i MotoGP-u ili se obuku u naše, zajedničke, boje, tu je naša zvanična prodavnica knjiga, majica i kačketa.PATREON I YOUTUBE MEMBERSHIP ️- www.patreon.com/infinitylighthousePodrška na Patreonu i YouTube-u nam veoma znači i pre svega hvala svim našim pokroviteljima, a ukoliko ste u  mogućnosti i vi da nas podržite, pomoćićete nam da dalje napredujemo i razvija se naša, nadamo se zajednička, priča.NAŠE DRUŠTVENE MREŽE Instagram - https://instagram.com/infinitylighthouse Facebook - https://facebook.com/theinfinitylighthouseTwitter - https://twitter.com/infinitylighthsSPORTSKE VESTI - https://sportsmagazin.rsMusic credit: Envato Elements Item/Cinematic Heroic by StudioKolomnaAutor: Srđan ErcegDatum: 12. decembar 2023.Lokacija: Studio na kraju UniverzumaProdukcija: Infinity Lighthouse https://www.youtube.com/infinitylighthouseWebsite: https://infinitylighthouse.com/Zabranjeno je svako kopiranje i neovlašćeno preuzimanje video i/ili audio snimaka i postavljanje na druge kanale! Nije dozvoljeno koristiti materijal sa ovog kanala, bilo u celosti ili iz segmenata, bez licenciranja / plaćanja kako za komercijalnu, tako i za nekomercijalnu upotrebu.Svaka upotreba bez licenciranja za komercijalnu ili nekomercijalnu / privatnu upotrebu biće procesuirana. Za sve informacije o pravima, za upite o licenciranju i dobijanju dozvole za korišćenje možete nas kontaktirati putem naše zvanične email adrese.Copying, re-uploading and illegally distributing this copyrighted work is strictly prohibited! Label and copyright: Infinity Lighthouse ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Didja catch the Cowboys game last night? ESPN let an F-bomb fly during the NFL Pregame show!

Someone asked me to put together a Top 10 list of the things a guy (or girl) should know to make buying jewelry less painful, and maybe even fun.  I personally believe buying jewelry should be fun. When I spend money I want it to feel good, and I'd guess you feel the same way. There is no pleasure in paying an electric bill or that speeding ticket, but there is certainly a feeling of excitement and anticipation when you find something wonderful that you know she's gonna love, and you just can't wait to give it to  her. As I said, that's my hope for anyone who is jewelry shopping and buying. I think a Top 10 List will help in that endeavor, so without further ado, here is The Buy Like a Guy Top 10 List of Things You Should Know to Make Buying Jewelry Easy and Less Painful. 10. Remember, jewelry is a necessity, not a luxury.  It's been put in the “luxury” category by just about everyone, but I don't think it belongs there. Yes it's a big investment, but it's an investment of the highest kind.  It's an investment in the people we love and our relationships…and nothing fills the gap between our hearts and the words we try to say to these people, quite like fine jewelry.  (Listen to Episode 10 for more.) Jewelry marks moments, and as human beings, we need symbols and expressions of the mile markers and important events in our lives.  It's deep in our hearts to do so, and nothing does it better than fine jewelry.  And so yes, we need these things. 9. Understand and accept that most women love diamonds, especially as a gift.  Why? It doesn't matter.  It's unexplainable.  There is an attraction there, and that's to your advantage, because it's a safe bet that if you give her diamonds, she's gonna love it.  Don't overthink this one…just know it. (Listen to Episode 38 for more.) 8. Appliances and other related implements of work and toil will get you in trouble, so don't give them as gifts.  This is true at all times.  Buy that shit on any given Saturday, but don't present it to her on special holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and so on and so forth. That's why jewelry was invented, so use it, and feel confident that you're giving a great gift.  (No episode for this one. It's just something you should know.) 7. The Greatest Gift Giving Secret in the World:  If you have no idea what to get her, or him, simply look at what they have a lot of, and give them more.  She likes diamond jewelry? Give her more.  He likes watches?  Get him another one.  This approach is almost fail safe. Promise. (Listen to Episode 6 for more.) 6. Do not ask her to decide what piece of jewelry you should get for her, especially if it's a gift.  What I'm referring to is that moment when you see a bunch of things you want to give her, and they're close to the hints she's so graciously given you, or maybe she set up a wish list all neat and tidy for you, but you're not sure if she's going to like the specific item you settle on. Don't present her with your options, and ask her to choose. Instead, you pick it, and give it to her like the man that you are.  That simple act, leaving her out of it, is actually part of the gift, and she'll dig it.  (Listen to Episode 4 for more.)   5. Don't tell her how much it cost.  There is no quicker way to turn what should be a special moment into an awkward one.  She doesn't need to know how much that diamond ring or those earrings or that bracelet set you back.  It's gonna make her feel stupid, and then you're going to feel stupid, so don't do it.  It just wrecks things…trust me on this. I know whereof I speak. (Listen to Episode 47 for more.) 4. When it comes to diamonds, Cut is King.   The better a diamond is cut, the bigger, brighter, and more beautiful it will look. So pay special attention to how well the diamonds you're looking at are cut.  It's the human element, and the equivalent of how a steak is prepared, how bourbons are distilled, and cabinets are made.  Just like steaks, bourbons and cabinets, the better diamonds are “made,” or cut, the better they will perform.  (Listen to Episode 13 for more.) 3. If she picked out a bunch of jewelry at a jewelry store, and put it on what we call a "Wish List," do not deviate from it. Just get what's on the list, and get ready to be the hero.  Don't blow this one by going rogue also as my wife likes to say.  Stick to the list, and all will be simple, well, and easy. (Listen to Episode 3 for more.) 2. Buy with your eyes, and not your ears. Meaning, pay less attention to how something is described, and pay more attention to how it actually looks. Buying jewelry online, and relying on 3D images and descriptions is nothing like seeing it in the flesh.  In fact, it doesn't come close.  Especially when it comes to jewelry.  (Didja ever see someone's profile online and then you meet them in real life and you're like, “Whoa!  Are you sure that's you in those pictures?”  It's like that.) (Listen to Episode 45 for more.) 1. Find your place, a local, independent jewelry store, and then walk in, and find “your guy on the inside,” (and yes, it can most definitely be a woman).   And who is that “guy on the inside?” It's a jewelry professional who lives to help you get the right piece of jewelry for your situation.  He or she will tell you as much or as little as you would like to know, and they'll be your guide and help you navigate the strange but fascinating landscape of the fine jewelry world. There is no better way to get things done, than to have experts do it for you, and with you.  These jewelry stores, and the people that work there, spend immeasurable amounts of time, money, and dedication and do their best to have what you need, i.e. jewelry that can be proud to give and she can be proud to wear. Jewelry professionals, the good ones, are not clerks, any more than a CPA is a bookkeeper. (No disrespect intended to clerks or bookkeepers.  We need you too.) My point is, professionals have a different level of expertise that comes from a different level of training and experience in their chosen profession.  Going to a jewelry store, and consulting with a professional jeweler saves you time, money, frustration, and in the process, your confidence in what you're doing is going to sore.  (Listen to Episode 36 for more.) If you want to talk with me personally you can email me at andy@buylikeaguy.com. I'm happy to personally help you find the right jewelry for your situation, or put you in touch with a jewelry pro that's closer to home. Music credits: Preacher Man by Miles Neilson and The Rusted Hearts, used with permission. A killer band with original songs that get stuck in your head.  They're awesome. Listen To Preacher Man on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7ImcaJKIk0ZVtPzuUVV4vc?si=80581c74a9be4987 

Chances are, you did.

Didja take something petty when you broke up with someone???

It's all come down to this... Not just six episodes of Countdown to Five, but forty-two years of Indiana Jones movies starring Harrison Ford. Sean & Paul welcome Justin Bowler into a makeshift studio in Orange Co. to dive deep into their experience watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Justin has stories from playing Indiana Jones at Disneyland (and on Countdown to Five!) and the Dial of Destiny premiere, plus he brings a game of "Indiana Jones Book Title or Not?" while Paul has a running game of "Didja notice?" throughout the show. Follow us: https://www.Instagram.com/CountdownToFive https://www.Twitter.com/Countdown25Show https://www.Facebook.com/CountdownToFive https://www.themovieguys.net https://www.creativemotionentertainment http://www.Youtube.com/user/CountdownToNine

Didja miss us? We're back! Steve was on a road trip across country last week, so we caught up on what it's like to just need to get out of a state before dawn. We discuss the lawsuit brought against the parents who the movie "The Blindside" was based on,  which has been filed by the football player who claims that not only did they not adopt him, but they tried to Britney him with a conservatorship. Guns n Roses tried some shenangigans with releasing new music, but forgot about jukeboxes & some more about Taylor Swift, cause at this point, we can't stop. It may be a problem, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SCIENCE! It's certainly closer to our areas of expertise than sports. In fact, Mike (a science teacher) says a lot of impressive-sounding science words when discussing various games, which some of you may understand. In addition: Smog plumes! Didja ever notice that most "evolution" boardgames are actually "intelligent design" boardgames? The most terrifying game board - oh, I'm sorry, "math map" - ever. Frank says, "It's a decent game for people who like that crap." Best score track ever? Thanks as always for listening! If you have a few extra minutes and are willing to help us with our scientific research, we're trying to study the effects of an iTunes review on our number of listeners. Please leave one if you can! We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofgames on Twitter (for as long as Twitter still exists). Whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them.  As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there! Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascentofgames Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/ And, occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved. Thank you for listening!

Because he was...and he saw ALL the celebrities!

Happy Friday everyone! Since the Fireside Talks have ended, we're posting this Patreon series "Didja Hate It" to the main feed so you can hear some quality 10/10 Will content as he returns to the show and hold you over a bit longer before we officially start Season 2! (Keep your eyes peeled for announcements)This series is the end result of when Will and I let you pick the game we play through voting on both Patreon (and Twitter if we need a tie breaker). It was originally just going to be a gag to finally get William to pick up a Nintendo Switch Joycon and mess around a bit, but turns out this works really well as some exclusive content that you all very much deserve. The idea behind this is, Will and I will go back and forth to pick games we think have a 50/50 shot of making us hate our time with it, or end up really loving the experience. Then we'll leave the final determination up to you all!Support the show

Carol Burnett Turned 90 Yesterday... Damn, I'm getting older by the minute ;) It'll be 50 years in September since we lost Jim Croce... Will the Bruins make it to the Cup Final this year? Will the Leafs make it out of the first round? Is the Harold Ballard curse real? Didja know that Joe Biden and Mick Jagger are the same age? I've not heard anyone say Mick is too old to tour the world and play in front of millions of fans, so hey, go get 'em Joe! So, Skippy tried to sing "New York, New York" was scolded for doing so as singing in the HOC is not allowed. One more time with Gusto... "Christ, What an asshole." Ok lots to talk about, Here, We, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Hey Kits! Weekdays at 7-ish Eastern, we livestream The Daily Beaver Morning Show, a (sometimes) quick take on the news, in addition to our usual formats. After Day 9 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Leafs and Oilers are one away from closing up their series while the Jets are one away from elimination. Join us for this THursday morning Nibble. Today -- we talk about: The Bruins The Leafs Jim Croce Candace Owens Lizzo Gun Control & more... Our morning show is the purrr-fect thing for busy Kits who are on-the-go, but still want to stay engaged. PS: This episode is also available in audio version on our Apple Podcasts page at [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...]. PPS: If you wish to encourage us to do more, leave us a positive review and stars on Apple Podcasts and/or buy us a cup of coffee. Just go to [https://ko-fi.com/eagerbeaver] to find your way to our tip jar. This is episode number 107 of The Daily Beaver Morning Show. ________________ Not everyone can do everything. But everyone can do something. Because #DemocracyIsSomethingYouDo... Help support The Rosie Project by making a one-time, or a monthly year-long commitment, donation to our cause via our Ko-fi page -- ko-fi.com/eagerbeaver. Make sure you indicate it is For Rosie. We here at the TNEB will cover all the administration costs for your donation. Thank you. And write to your MP, MPP, MLA, MNA, Senator, or preferred local media outlet to tell them you reject Nazis and want them to hold feet to fire on supporting the Convoy, Stag and Dough, MGTOW, and Nazi-Brunch... and while you're at it, tell them to pay our public servants that which they're worth! ________________ Of course, retweets, shares, gentle corrections, constructive criticism, compliments, tips, requests, bribes to be on the show, and positive reviews (if you think we deserve some stars, please rate us) are always welcome. You can do that via our show's Facebook blog page, via Twitter @TrueEager, or by e-mail at TrueNorthEagerBeaver@gmail.com. And if you really enjoy our podcast, why not subscribe via our Podpage [https://www.podpage.com/the-true-nort...], and tell a friend? Until next time, be kind to, and gentle with, yourselves, Your Eager Beaver __________________ Thank you to our podcast's founding sponsors: * The Peppermaster * The Miss Vee Mysteries from Corvid Moon Publishing * Canadian Tarot Dot Com Artwork Credit: Pete Jarvis [Recording Date: April 27, 2023]

Hey! Glad to be back at it after a wonderful three week trip back home to Jersey. In this episode, Joey and I talk about the Racing roster and heightened expectations for the team before their season opener this weekend in Houston, LouCity's excellent start to their season, and amongst some other topics ... the success of our first fundraiser! He asks me some of the questions used, and I mumble and stumble through it all. So thankful for all of you that participated! Keep an eye out this summer for our next one ...   Can't wait to see you all this weekend at LFS. SHARE THE LOVE!

Mason gets a new bass and delivers a hot take. Daniel reveals some personal truths during a game of "Digimon or... Didja get tricked 'cause I made it up?". Danny hosts an incredible MadLibs Lyric Edition to top the episode off.

Hannah pops in with a little life update and a "thank you!" for listening to Season 2

Have ya had plastic surgery? Didja have a recovery food?  Is "Karma" just a cool jingle?  Do ya have a special support system? Let us know your answers at BitterOldCatLady1@gmail.com or BitterOldCatLady.com

A girl living in a haunted house must find a way to protect her way of life.. Written and produced by Julie Hoverson Cast List Eden - Jaiden Douwes Henry - Danar Hoverson Callandra - Julie Hoverson Frederick! - Reynaud LeBoeuf Ethan - Scott Douwes Mrs. Sherman - Angela Kirby Garth Sherman - Luke LeBoeuf News - Suzanne Dunn Henry's Mom - Gwendolyn Gieseke-Woodard Music by Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com) Sound mastering:  Julie Hoverson Cover Design:  Dennis Hager  "What kind of a place is it? Why it's an old brownstone home, can't you tell?  Where else would you expect to find ... a couple of ghosts? *************************************************************** A Ghost of a Chance   Cast: Eden Anderson, precocious 11-year old Ethan Anderson, her dead father, 47 Callandra O'Doul, dead Irish maidservant, 20 Henry Torrence, burglar, 23 Frederick Ferryman, dead actor, 40s-50s Ms. Sherman, CPS, 32 Garth Sherman, her son, a bully, 13 News [anything] OLIVIA     Did you have any trouble finding it?  What do you mean, what kind of a place is it?  Why, it's a big old brownstone, can't you tell?  Where else would you find a ghost or two? SCENE 1 – coming home MUSIC SOUNDS    MODERN STREET NOISE.  SOUND    WE FOLLOW THROUGH A CREAKY GATE.  STREET NOISE QUIETS A BIT.  FOOTSTEPS ON LEAVES, THEN ON WOOD PORCH.  KEY IN LOCK, DOOR OPENS, FOOTSTEPS PASS THROUGH.   SCENE 2 – HALLWAY AND KITCHEN EDEN    Hey!  I'm home! SOUND    BACKPACK FLUNG ONTO TABLE.  DOOR SHUTS AND IS CAREFULLY LOCKED. CALLANDRA    You're going to have to do some shopping soon, miss.  We're almost out of soap powder. EDEN    [sigh] I'll put it on the list.  SOUND    FOOTSTEPS, THEY HESITATE, THEN STOP EDEN    What?  Move it.  I'm tired. CALLANDRA    [evasive] You're looking a mite peaked.  You could use a bite to eat.  Come into the kitchen and have some soup. EDEN    [slightly suspicious] O-kay...  SOUND    MODERN JAZZ, PLAYED LOW, SLIGHTLY MUFFLED EDEN    Dad's not at the videos again is he? SOUND    OPENING CUPBOARDS, CANS BEING PULLED OUT AND PLACED ON THE COUNTER CALLANDRA    [not quite convincing] No. EDEN    Then why don't you want me to go upstairs? SOUND    POP TOP ON CAN, SOUP INTO BOWL CALLANDRA    Whatever gave you that idea--? EDEN    Oh, please. CALLANDRA    Can I not just be concerned about you?  Someone has to be! SOUND    MICROWAVE OPENS, FOOD IN, SETTING TIME EDEN    I'm fine. SOUND    TURNS ON MICROWAVE MUSIC   SCENE 3 – A BIT LATER AMBIANCE    TELEVISION PLAYS LOW IN THE BACKGROUND News    ....was stolen from the J.J. Holdings museum at the university today.  The vase is attributed to the school of Cellini, and has been valued at nearly half a million dollars. SOUND    CELLPHONE DIALS, RINGS, PICKS UP EDEN    Hey Ariel.  ... Nothing.  Look, I've been thinking about-- SOUND    THUMPING ON CEILING EDEN    --trying out... for...  Can you wait a minute, Ariel? SOUND    HOLD BUTTON IS PRESSED SOUND     DOOR OPENS.  STEPS INTO FOYER, SLIGHT ECHO SOUND    THUMPING FROM ABOVE.  A COUPLE OF RAPID STEPS. SOUND    [WHOOSHING SOUND OF A GHOST ARRIVING] CALLANDRA    Oh no, miss.  EDEN    Yeah?  Stop me.  It's not dad - I can hear his computer going, and it's not you, since you're right here.  Maybe Frederick?  [yelling] Frederick? CALLANDRA    [worried] Oh... SOUND    [WHOOSHING SOUND OF A GHOST ARRIVING] FREDERICK    [overly theatrical, as always] Enter stage right.  Yeeeees?  CALLANDRA    See, it's all gone now-- SOUND    THUMPING FROM ABOVE CALLANDRA     [dismay] Ooh! EDEN    [grim] What is it? FREDERICK    Shall I make a recon, my young commander? EDEN    Oh! Shoot! SOUND    BEEP ON PHONE EDEN    Gotta call you back, Ariel.  Yeah, it's dad.  SOUND    PHONE HANGS UP EDEN    Callandra?  You want to explain-- SOUND    DOORBELL RINGS.  WHOOSH [GHOSTS LEAVING] EDEN    [exasperated sound]  Uuh! SOUND    STAMPING FEET, CHAIN LOCK GOES ON EDEN    [sighs] SOUND    DOOR OPENS EDEN    [sweetly] Yes?  SHERMAN Good evening. Are your parents around? EDEN    My father is asleep.  He hasn't been feeling very well. SHERMAN I think he'll want to speak to me. FREDERICK    [whisper]  Why?  Is she covered in chocolate? EDEN    [gritted teeth]  Maybe when he's feeling better.  Can he call you? SHERMAN Here's my card. EDEN    Oh. CALLANDRA    What's C-P-S?  Does that mean she's with the coppers? EDEN    What's this about?  I would invite you in, but-- SHERMAN No, I understand. Safety first.  [serious] There's been a complaint. EDEN    By who?  FREDERICK    [booming voice] Whom. EDEN    I mean - by whom? SHERMAN I'll discuss all that with your father. Please do have him call me.  [going off] All my info's on the card. EDEN    [calling] Thanks - uh - Ms. Sherman. SOUND    DOOR SHUTS EDEN    Oh, shoot! CALLANDRA    Now, it's not that bad.  Is it? FREDERICK    Of course it is.  CPS are the child police service.  They arrest bad little children. CALLANDRA    The devil you say!  Oh, Eden, tell me darling!  They won't arrest you! EDEN    They don't - but they do take children away from the wrong type of home environment. CALLANDRA    [relieved] Ohhh!  We're safe enough then. EDEN    [as if] Ri-ight. SOUND    THUMPING EDEN    Are you going to tell me, or do I just get to find out for myself? CALLANDRA    Oh, my stars... MUSIC   SCENE 4 - UPSTAIRS SOUND     DOOR UNLOCKS, OPENS HENRY    [gasps] Jeez!  About flipping time!  You ever hear of unlawful imprisonment? EDEN    I've heard of burglary. HENRY    You're kinda small for a cop. EDEN    [exasperated noise] Dude.  You can come out now, but just so you know, I've got a taser. SOUND    SLOW FOOTSTEPS EDEN    [gasps, shocked] You look like--! HENRY    Got my hands up, all that.  [quoting] Don't tase me, [ending lamely] uh, bro. SOUND    A COUPLE MORE STEPS, THEN HENRY    [grunt as he lunges at her] SOUND    SCUFFLE.  FALLING FURNITURE, SOMETHING BREAKS, THEN... FREDERICK    [unearthly wail] HENRY     [screams, then gibbers until noted] SOUND    SOMETHING SMALL CLATTERS TO THE FLOOR EDEN    I hate when you do that!  That is so gross!  [tsk, annoyed sigh] You coulda left your head on... FREDERICK    [huffy] It was effective. EDEN    [sigh]  You.  What's your name? HENRY    [gibbering]  ...head came off, and cold, so cold! SOUND    SLAP HENRY    [sharp intake of breath] Wha-ah-ah? EDEN    Your name, mister burglar. HENRY    Henry.  Henry Torrence.  [whispered] What the heck was that? EDEN    A ghost.  Now, Mister Torrence, I suppose I'm gonna have to tie you up or something, so you don't try and jump me again-- HENRY    Howzabout just letting me - ya know - go? EDEN    You broke in.  I have to do something, and I really don't want to have to deal with the cops - they'll bother dad. HENRY    Look, I never hurt no one, I ain't the type.  I swear! EDEN    Still...  I think you need to stay locked up for a while.  CALLANDRA    Can I keep him?  Please?  I caught him! FREDERICK    Shut up woman, we may be able to use this fellow's services. EDEN    [ordering] March!  I'll put you somewhere better than that closet, but you better stay put or - FREDERICK    Boooooo! HENRY    [gasps] EDEN    [unenthusiastically] Yeah, that.  Boo. MUSIC   SCENE 5 - DOWNSTAIRS CALLANDRA    What do you plan to do with him?  Please say I can have him for me own - he's such a fine specimen of a man. EDEN    If you keep him, I have to feed him. CALLANDRA    Well... not necessarily... EDEN    No.  No.  No.  I'm not having any more ghosts around here. CALLANDRA    You never let me have any fun! EDEN    Besides, didn't you notice the resemblance? CALLANDRA    To a man? SOUND    WHOOSH, FF ENTERS FREDERICK    Our dear Callandra never looked above his [mocking her accent] "luuuvly broad shoulders!" CALLANDRA    Bite your tongue, Frederick!  I still have those clippings of yours, and you will sorely regret having a jape at my expense-- EDEN    Shut up!  MUSIC   SCENE 6 – BREAKFAST IN BED SOUND    MORNING BIRD NOISES SOUND    MUFFLED THUMP, RATTLE AT DOORKNOB HENRY    [yawns, waking] SOUND    CHAIN RATTLES, BEDCLOTHES RUSTLE EDEN    [muffled] Are you awake? HENRY    Yeah, sure.  Whatever. SOUND    DOOR OPENS WITH DIFFICULTY SOUND     EDEN ENTERS WITH TRAY EDEN    I hope you like bacon. HENRY     Uh, yeah! [surprised and enthused] SOUND    SHIFTING AS HE SITS UP IN BED, CHAIN MOVES HENRY    Thanks.  Breakfast in bed.  Almost like a dream, except-- SOUND    RATTLE OF CHAINS CALLANDRA    [snarky] Well, we can't have you wandering around the house like some sort of ... burglar, can we? HENRY    Does she need to be here? SOUND    SETS DOWN TRAY, DISHES RATTLE EDEN    She's my backup.  I need to talk to you. HENRY    [annoyed] Go ahead.  I don't eat with my ears. SOUND    EATING NOISES EDEN    [snort of laughter]  This is going to sound really dumb, but...  [thinks hard]  I have a kind of proposition for you. HENRY    [offended] You are way too young, and she's dead. EDEN    Huh? CALLANDRA    Shame on you! HENRY    Nothing. [eats noisily] EDEN    Ew!  [angry sigh]  Look, no.  My dad is out of town, and I need someone to pretend to be him and talk to CPS. HENRY    CPS?  The CPS?  Hell no.  I hate those bast‑‑ uh-- buttheads. EDEN    Why?  You got kids? HENRY    Never mind.  No way you can talk me into-- EDEN    We'll pay you. HENRY    --into-- How much? EDEN    Dad said we could give you a thousand.  For staying here for two weeks and pretending to be him. HENRY    He's not coming home for two weeks?  [truly offended] What the hell is wrong with him, leaving you all alone? CALLANDRA    Language!! HENRY    I don't give a flying rat's patoot about my language!  If your dad is so flipping negligent to leave you all alone for weeks at a time, [losing steam] then maybe you'd be ... better off-- EDEN    [anguish] In foster care?  No way!! HENRY    Well, no, but... don't you have any other family? EDEN    [mumbled] Not anywhere around here. HENRY    [sincere] That sucks! EDEN    Look, I'm not supposed to say anything, but my dad...  He [whispers importantly] he works for the government.  Top secret. HENRY    Seriously? EDEN    Uh-huh!  So he can't always control when he'll be back. HENRY    Why would he - why would you even trust me? EDEN    You won't get paid until after the two weeks is up.  Besides... I'm a pretty good cook? HENRY    Okay, but I have to be able to tell my mom.  She'll worry if I don't get home. EDEN    You live with your mom?  But you're like a grownup.  That's weird. HENRY    Why do you think I don't have a real job?  MUSIC   SCENE 7 – MEETING CPS FREDERICK    [sharp whisper] Now you just behave now, my lad, or I'll give you what for again. HENRY    [trying to be flippant] “Boo.”  I get it.  This makeup itches.  EDEN    Sorry.  You had to look a little older.  HENRY    It is kinda creepy how I look so much like your dad. EDEN    Yeah.  [fretting] Where IS she? SOUND    KNOCK ON THE DOOR CALLANDRA    Eep! EDEN    [to the ghosts] Scat! [quiet] Ready? HENRY    Guess we'll find out. SOUND    FEET, DOOR UNLOCKS and OPENS EDEN    Hello?  Ah.  Right on time. SHERMAN Your father--? EDEN    Right here.  Come on in. HENRY    [trying too hard to sound old] Ethan Anderson.  Pleased to meet you.  You're Ms. Sherman? EDEN    [warning] Dad!  [explaining] He's had a cold. SHERMAN [warm] Ah!  I hope you're on the mend? HENRY    [clears his throat, sounds more normal]  Yes, yes.  Much better. MUSIC   SCENE 8 – WAITING IN THE KITCHEN SOUND    FLAP OF KITCHEN DOOR, FEET CALLANDRA    [very nervous] How goes it? EDEN    Seems OK, so far.  HENRY    [off, furious] What? EDEN    Oh no! SOUND    RUNS OFF, FLAP OF DOOR EDEN    [breathless] What? HENRY    [grim] Tell her. SHERMAN [sweet] My dear, um, Eden. I was just telling your father that your school has raised issues about your father's involvement-- EDEN    Why?  He emails them all the time.  They understand how busy he is. SHERMAN We still have to take it under advisement. Now, off the record, and with the understanding that you, sir, are a fairly wealthy man, I might ask why you haven't engaged a nanny or other similar household staff-- EDEN    [QUIET, prompting] DAD!    HENRY    [angry] What business is it of yours, lady? SHERMAN Perhaps you should step out and leave us alone again, dear. EDEN    No.  I may be too young for my opinion to count, but I want to hear what you plan to do to me.  We don't need anyone to look after the house.  I can do that. SHERMAN But you shouldn't have to - you are a child, dear, and you have better things to do. EDEN    Like what?  Play Xbox and get fat? MUSIC   SCENE 9 – AFTER SHE LEAVES SOUND    FRONT DOOR SHUTS, LOCKS HENRY    You have 20 million dollars? EDEN    And a half.  Not like I can spend it.  They don't trust me - that's why they call it a trust fund. HENRY    [snort] SOUND    SHE STARTS UP THE STAIRS HENRY    Hey, we're talking here. EDEN    [upset] You're only my dad while there's an audience. HENRY    [calling] Why don't you want a nanny or something? SOUND    RUNS UP THE STAIRS CALLANDRA    Poor child.  HENRY    [gasps]  Oh, right.  CALLANDRA    Pity you're not much of a father. HENRY    [offended] You're not much help, either. CALLANDRA    Oh?  And what do you expect from me?  I've been dead over a century, boyo. HENRY    How's that work, anyway? CALLANDRA    [pouty] Don't know.  Wouldn't tell you if I did. HENRY    Fine.  Whatever.  You have anything to drink around this place? CALLANDRA    [rolls eyes] Oh, yes.  That would look terrible good to Ms. Sherman, wouldn't it? HENRY    I'm going out for a while.  Don't worry - I'll sneak out the back.  I'm good at THAT. MUSIC   SCENE 10 – HENRY'S HOME SOUND    DOOR OPENS, MUSIC PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND HENRY    [sigh, then calling]  Hey mom! MOM    [bleary drunk] Baby?  That you? HENRY    [resigned] Yes, mom. MOM    Where you been?  HENRY    I gotta job, mom.  Been working. MOM    You bring me back a little something, baby?  Medicine? HENRY    [down] Tomorrow.  I promise. MOM    [sarcastic] Such a good boy.  You gon' expect me to bail you out again?  You need to get you some better friends, baby. HENRY    I'm not a baby, mom.  I'm thirty-five. MOM    You'll always be my baby, Henry, won't you?  You know how much I count on you.  How much it hurts every time you been taken away from me.  What would I do if you were in jail?  Do you ever think about that? HENRY    Yeah.  [under his breath] All the time. MUSIC   SCENE 11 – CHAT WITH DAD SOUND    COMPUTER KEYS SOUND    DOOR OPENS HENRY    Eden? EDEN    [gasps] What?  Oh!  You're back! SOUND    FOOTSTEPS HENRY    You shouldn't sit in the dark like that. EDEN    [sarcastic] Thanks dad.  [serious]  I've been chatting with my real dad. HENRY    I didn't hear anything, if that's what you're worried about. EDEN    Duh.  Computer chatting.  HENRY    Typing.  Right.  I'm not much for the whole computer thing. EDEN    That could be awkward, if Ms. Sherman decides to quiz you on what you do for a living.  Dad's a programmer. HENRY    For the government? EDEN    [scornful] No!  [realizing] Oh, I mean... uh... he's a programmer for real, but he doesn't program for them. HENRY    [suspicious] Can I type something to him? EDEN     Sure. SOUND    CHAIR SHIFTS, CLUMSY, SLOW TYPING EDEN    Is this a secret, or can I type it for you? HENRY    Yeah, go on - at this rate I'll be here all night just to say Hi.  Um... [thinking] Mister... uh ... can I call him Ethan? EDEN    [responding to dad]  All right.  He says let's turn on the microphone. SOUND    CLICK EDEN    Now you can just talk. He still has to type, though.  His mike is broken. HENRY    I don't know you, so maybe I'm not the one who should be saying this, but - here goes.  Dude, leaving your kid alone makes you a bad dad.  So what if the government needs you! EDEN    You're... serious? HENRY    Hell yeah.  You're gonna grow up robbing banks and stuff. EDEN    Hmm.  He says, just because your dad was a deadbeat, doesn't mean -- HENRY    What the hell do you think you know? EDEN    He says-- HENRY    I can see what he says.  Background check, my ass! EDEN    I told you he's a computer guy. HENRY    Fine.  You need to take care of-- EDEN    Don't tell me how to raise my daughter.  Oh, and he says "watch"-- SOUND    [some CCTV video comes on the computer] HENRY    [shocked] How did he get that? EDEN    Is that you?  Breaking into a building?  Wow.  Wait, is that the museum? HENRY    So that's your way of keeping me in line?  EDEN    Are you the one who stole the Cellini vase? HENRY    I plead the fifth.  [angry sigh] Fine.  I'll do my two weeks, and then I am the hell out of here. EDEN    [angry] Very well, you worthless wretch! HENRY    What? EDEN    [innocent] Just what he said. MUSIC   SCENE 12 – RUDE AWAKENING SOUND    POUNDING ON DOOR CALLANDRA    Mr. Anderson!!  HENRY    [sleepy] What? CALLANDRA    That woman is at the door!  HENRY    I can't answer it like this!  I don't have that old-age makeup-- CALLANDRA    Frederic! HENRY    No, no - I can do it-- SOUND    POUNDING AGAIN FREDERIC    Did I hear a cue? HENRY    No, we-- CALLANDRA    He needs to look old and ill.  And right fast. HENRY    Really, I-- FREDERIC    Hmm.  Here.  [horrible ghostly noise] HENRY    [screams] CALLANDRA    Shh! FREDERIC    Damnation.  Once that would have turned your hair quite white - as it is, you will have to wear a cap. MUSIC   SCENE 13 – CPS AGAIN SOUND    DOOR OPENS SLOWLY HENRY    [shaky] Yes? SHERMAN Took you long enough. HENRY    I was in the shower.  Nearly killed myself slipping when I came down the stairs. SHERMAN Are you going to ask me in? HENRY    You might have heard the scream. SHERMAN No. [hinting to let her in] It is rather chilly out here. HENRY    [sigh] Very well. SOUND    THEY GO IN, HE FAKES A LIMP CALLANDRA    You watch out for that one! HENRY    Shh! FREDERICK    She can't hear us unless we want her to. SHERMAN I expect Eden is at school right now? HENRY    She's a very good student. SHERMAN [disdainful] B plus. HENRY    That ain't nothing to sneeze at, lady! SOUND    SITS SHERMAN But we both know she could do better. HENRY    What makes you think that? SHERMAN You could get her tutors. HENRY    Why?  She's real smart. FREDERICK    You tell her!  But you might try using proper grammar. SHERMAN There's so many things your money could do for your daughter. HENRY    I'd rather let her be herself. CALLANDRA    Oh, that's touching, that is. SHERMAN You could send her to private school. My own son Garth is in private school. HENRY    [faltering] She has ...friends.... here. SHERMAN [hinting] A very expensive private school. HENRY    You recruiting or something?  I ain't making any decisions behind my kid's back. SHERMAN You could pay me to leave you alone. HENRY    She wants to stay --  WHAT?  CALLANDRA    Horrors! FREDERIC    Bezom! SHERMAN You must understand, Mr. Anderson, just how poorly compensated we civil servants are these days. What a completely thankless job we do. HENRY    You really just hit me up for money? SHERMAN And how particularly expensive a really good school is. HENRY    [incredulous] Money.  You're asking for money. SHERMAN Of course. HENRY    You're a skanky money-grubbing ho! FREDERIC    Filth straight from the bowels of satan's own thrice-crowned hounds of hell! SHERMAN Language! [evil nice again] You have plenty of money.  I've looked into your financials.  Not just Eden's little trust fund, but liquid assets as well.  HENRY    That's blackmail! SHERMAN Technically, it's extortion. So far.  Extortion is getting money with a threat of something yet to come. HENRY    It's still illegal. CALLANDRA    Oh, horrors! SHERMAN Blackmail, on the other hand, is getting money with the threat of revealing something from the past. Like your criminal record? HENRY    My... [confused] what? SHERMAN Mr. Anderson, I have no wish to go into detail, but do you really think I would come here with just the might of CPS behind me? HENRY    Maybe. SHERMAN No. I have something concrete on you.  HENRY    Doesn't ring a bell.  [chuckles lamely]  Criminal record?  Me?  [laughs] SHERMAN Do the words 1987 and dot com mean anything to you? HENRY    But I was just-- ["a kid", but he cuts off] SHERMAN Using an assumed name? You're very lucky no one thought to cross-reference your fingerprints before, but once they do what I did... HENRY    Oh, crap. SHERMAN I'm in no hurry. I'd be happy to take a little something up front, and then a larger payment by the end of the week, perhaps? HENRY    I'll ...see what I have lying around. MUSIC   SCENE 14 – CHAT WITH DAD SOUND    DOOR OPENS, FEET STORM IN HENRY    Is your mike on, Mr. Anderson? SOUND    COMPUTER BEEP HENRY    Good.  Cause I don't know jack about how to work these things. SOUND    COMPUTER BOOP HENRY    You heard what happened?  How? SOUND    BOOP HENRY     I didn't even notice a computer in the living room.  SOUND    BOOP HENRY    Huh?  Which button? SOUND    BOOP HENRY    No need to get snippy. SOUND     BUTTON PUSHED ETHAN    [computer generated voice]  You will go immediately to the first hill bank and trust-- HENRY    What do you mean immediately?  I gotta do grocery shopping this morning. ETHAN    Delivered. HENRY    Not for here.  for my mom. ETHAN    Get it delivered. HENRY    Hey! Mom may be an old lush, but she expects to see me from time to time. ETHAN    Bank after. HENRY    What's all this crap that witch was talking about, anyway? ETHAN    No time.  Bank today.  Take three thousand dollars-- HENRY    I can't pass for you at a damn bank!  I can't sign your name!  ETHAN     Account in your name.  Use your own I-D. HENRY    What?  In my name?  What makes you think I won't just walk off... [back on topic] Second - why three thousand?  She won't settle for just three-- ETHAN    Three thousand will pay off her car. HENRY    Damn.  You really can find out anything, can't you? MUSIC   SCENE 15 – HENRY HOME SOUND    DOOR OPENS, MOM'S HOUSE.  TV ON HENRY    I brought your groceries. MOM    Good.  Didja get any beer? HENRY    It's still in the car. MOM    Bring that in next, woudja?  That's a good boy. HENRY    [from other room, confused] Mom?  Where's my TV? MOM    Mine was ...uh...on the fritz, so I moved yours in here. HENRY    You did? MOM    I had help. HENRY    You forgot to pay, didn't you? MOM    That is no way to talk to your mother!  Besides, if you weren't gone all the time, I wouldn't have such a problem.  You know I never was good with money.  HENRY    Yeah. MOM    When did you say you'd get paid for this new job you got? MUSIC   SCENE 16 – DINNER WITH EDEN SOUND    DINNER NOISES    HENRY    You made this? EDEN    [sullen] Yeah.  HENRY    It's pretty good. EDEN    Should be.  Been cooking since I was [Callandra's accent] "just a wee thing".  [change of tone, sullen]  You were gone all day.  Again. HENRY    I came back. EDEN    Well, duh.  We're paying you to be here. HENRY    Are the ghosts joining us? EDEN    [still sullen] Frederic gets too jumpy around food, and Callandra "doesna feel tis proper." MOMENT OF SILENCE HENRY    Are you mad at me?  SOUND    THUMP - VASE ON TABLE HENRY    What the h---ay?  You going through my room? EDEN    Callandra saw you hide it.  SHE's very upset with you. CALLNDRA    [from off] Though it is a right pretty wee thing! HENRY    I had to bring it along - mom was about to use it as an ashtray. EDEN    Why do you steal? HENRY    Whoa!  That ain't polite to ask. EDEN    It isn't polite to steal. MOMENT OF SILENCE HENRY    What else am I gonna do?  Shove burgers?  I ain't even got a GED.  Without that… well… EDEN    If you're trying to convince me to stay in school, there's no point. HENRY    No way!  You gonna drop out?  Smart kid like you – you could be any darn thing you want! EDEN    Oh, please.  I already have a GED.  Or at least, I took the test – just to see, you know?  And I've taken a few college courses on the Internet.  I stay in school for the socialization.  HENRY    Huh? EDEN    I stay in school to look normal and have friends.  The work is boring as hell, but I don't want to stand out.  Do you know how hard it is to manage a B+ average? HENRY    [sarcastic] Never had that problem, myself. EDEN    [mounting upset] I have to guess on each test what the correct percentage of answers is to get wrong.  I have to dumb my writing down for essay questions.  I have to-- HENRY    Why? EDEN    Why? HENRY    Why not just say to hell with it, and let em see how smart you are? EDEN    Smart kids get noticed.  I can stand out when I'm older.  When it's safe.  MUSIC   SCENE 17 – WHERE'S DAD SOUND    COMPUTER NOISES HENRY    You need to get your butt home, dude.  Your government might need you, but your daughter needs you more. ETHAN    Not possible. HENRY    What, are you in deep cover or something?  In a foreign prison?  [slow realization]  Oh.... crap. ETHAN    We are both in crap. HENRY    No, I mean you - you're like them, aren't you? ETHAN    Define "them". HENRY    The ghosts. ETHAN    [beat] Yes. HENRY    Holy crap. ETHAN    No.  Just regular crap.  HENRY    I can't stay here forever! ETHAN    Eden needs you. HENRY    [wobbling] My mom... she needs me, too. ETHAN    Open the scanner. HENRY    What?  Oh, that.  SOUND    SCANNER NOISE ETHAN    I need your hand. MUSIC   SCENE 18 – WHERE'S MOM SOUND    SILENT HOUSE, KEY IN LOCK, DOOR OPENS HENRY    Mom, why's the TV --?  [panicky] Mom? SOUND    MOVES THROUGH, TALKING HENRY    Mom, please say you're okay.  Say something!  Hello?  Oh, jeez, what could they'a done to‑‑ [cuts off as he spots something] What? SOUND    PAPER PICKED UP HENRY    [Reading]  Hope you get this. Woulda called, but-- MOM    [continuing, guilt tripping]  --you never gave me your number at "work".  Won a cruise in a mail-in contest.  Back in a month.  "Mom."  P-S, all expenses paid - how you like them apples.  Oh, and make sure to pay the electric bill.  Want heat when I get home. HENRY    [half amused, half annoyed chuckle] Ethan, you king of all shits. MUSIC   SCENE 19 – LIKE MOTHER SOUND    OUTSIDE, DAYTIME STREET GARTH    Hey! EDEN    [suspicious]  Can I help you? GARTH    [mean chuckle] You bet. SOUND    CLICK OF CAMERA PHONE GARTH    [annoyed] Hey! EDEN    [scared, but standing her ground] If this is a mugging, I just e-mailed your picture to my dad. GARTH    He's not gonna do anything. EDEN    What makes you so sure? GARTH    My mom has him by the short hairs. EDEN    Your mom? GARTH    Sherman?  From CPS?  Ring any bells? EDEN    She went away.  Everything is fine. GARTH    Course it is.  It's fine as long as you guys play ball. EDEN    [starting to get it]  As long as we--? GARTH    Pay up.  EDEN    But that's-- GARTH    You wanna complain, go whine to your dad, he'll explain the facts of life.  For now... you got an ipod? EDEN    [starting to break] I-- GARTH    [threatening] Or should I say, do I got an ipod?  [snarl] Hand it over. SOUND    HAND OVER EDEN    [nearly in tears] There.  Choke on it, you bully! GARTH    Uh!  [shoves her] SOUND    EDEN FALLS EDEN    [gasp, trying hard not to cry] SOUND    GARTH WALKS AWAY GARTH    Hah!  She got the Bieber fever.  [nasty laugh]  Ooh!  Beyonce!  EDEN    [long sniffle] SOUND    RUNNING FEET HENRY    What happened?  Here, let me-- SOUND    SHE JUMPS UP AND THROWS HER ARMS AROUND HIM EDEN    [crying] HENRY    [nervous, not sure what to say] It's okay!  I'll handle this.  It's-- [determined, personal]  It's going to be okay. MUSIC   SCENE 20 – getting even SOUND    QUIETLY DRESSING HENRY    [whispering] It's easy to forget she's just a kid. FREDERIC    [stage whisper]  She is a most self-possessed young lady. HENRY    Shh.  She only just got to sleep. FREDERIC    And you?  Are you leaving her now, in her hour of need? HENRY    [grim] Something I gotta do. FREDERIC    In the middle of the night? SOUND    ZIPPER ZIPS FREDERIC    And dressed all in black?  I sense skullduggery! HENRY    Sense all you want, but stay quiet about it.  FREDERIC    Alas that I cannot do more than keep the light burning for your return.  HENRY    Yeah.  See you in the morning. MUSIC   SCENE 21 – SATISFACTION SOUND    LOUD BANGING ON THE FRONT DOOR, DOOR OPENS HENRY    [self satisfied] Ahh!  [yawns]  So sorry.  Long night. SHERMAN Your check bounced! HENRY    [congenial]  No, I put a stop payment on it.  Won't you come in? SHERMAN You WHAT? HENRY    I - we - aren't playing your game any more. SOUND    DOOR CREAKS OPEN A CRACK, UP CLOSE EDEN    [whispered, eavesdropping] Go, Henry! FREDERIC    I could always give her a visitation - maybe we'll get lucky and she'll keel over from the shock! EDEN    No!  He may be a butt, but I don't want you to kill some kid's mom!  CALLANDRA    They've gone into the living room! EDEN    I'll have to listen on the laptop then.  Right dad? SOUND    BEEP MUSIC   SCENE 22 – REVELATION HENRY    Would you like a soda? SHERMAN I would like an explanation. What makes you think I won't go through with turning you in? HENRY    Go ahead.  When they take my fingerprints and they don't match the ones you have on file, you'll look pretty silly. SHERMAN You - you...! HENRY    You might have noticed that I'm a bit of a computer nerd. SHERMAN Oh-ho-ho! [getting composure back]  You may have changed the prints on the system,  But you can't get into my backups. HENRY    Call my bluff. SHERMAN Very well-- HENRY    BUT-- SOUND    MOMENT OF AWKWARD PAUSE SHERMAN [worried] What? HENRY    I'm afraid you have a problem of your own. SHERMAN I have a what? Are you trying to blackmail me?  I am very careful. HENRY    About your money stuff, yeah - I'm sure you are.  This is something else.  A vase. SHERMAN A what? HENRY    Have you read the papers recently?  The museum? SHERMAN The Cellini Vase? HENRY    Yeah, that thing. SHERMAN What does that have to do with me? HENRY    It's in your house. MUSIC   SCENE 23 – FINALE EDEN    What if she finds it? HENRY    What's she gonna do with it?  She don't know no fences. CALLANDRA    Or any place to sell it either. EDEN    She might give it back? FREDERIC    And try to explain how she happened to come by such a fugitive object?  Hah! HENRY    Hah is right. EDEN    [down] So I guess this means you're gonna go now.  I mean now that it's all clear. HENRY    I guess. EDEN    Would you stay?  I mean, if you could? HENRY    I'd like to but.... I dunno.  My mom-- SOUND    BEEP ETHAN    [computer voice] Was lucky and got an apartment in a new full-service assisted living community. HENRY    What?  You can't just-- ETHAN    Try and get her out.  They have KeNo every Thursday. HENRY    [annoyed but thinking] Hmm..... Does she get to have a nice TV? ETHAN    No. HENRY    What?  How can you--? ETHAN    You will bring one to her.  EDEN    Clever. FREDERIC    Brilliant! CALLANDRA    [sniffling] Touching. HENRY    Gotcha.  And what about me? EDEN    I have four more years before I can technically be emancipated.  If you're willing to be my dad til then, we'll-- ETHAN    Pay you one hundred thousand per year. HENRY    [dubious] That's pretty good.  Hmm...  Four years. EDEN    Well, what do you want, then? HENRY    Four years sounds like a heckuva lot like college. EDEN    I'm still too young. HENRY    Nah... I was thinking... you know... [quiet] For me.  [up] But only if you'll help me get my GED and stuff. EDEN    I bet I could be a really good tutor! MUSIC    END

Jeff Shifley carved out some time from his busy schedule to come kick it with me of noon on a Sunday. We enjoyed a couple of beverages and attempted to dissect a few of his favorite albums: Jane's Addiction's Ritual de lo Habitual (1991), Phish's Hoist (1994), and one of the most badass records of all time, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin (1975).In addition to sharing our novice-like expertise on a truly fantastic trio of releases, we also talked about work and parenthood and growing up and the weird thing that is this world we live in today.It was a really great time, and I couldn't be more pleased that we found a window on the calendar to bullshit and just be a pair of duderinos.When Jeff's not busy parenting or husbanding or slingin' brown paper bags, you can probably find him on the diamond or on the court wearing his coaching hat.He's a hell of a guy. I do hope you'll check out our chat.copyright disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the inro/outro audio clips. They are samples taken from a tune called "Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)," which is off of the new (April) Kurt Vile album, watch my moves, which you can (and should) stream or buy in one of all of the places in which one does such things. Said track, by the way, comes to you and I courtesy of Verve Records, c/o overnite kv incorporated, under exclusive license to Verve Label Group, a division of UMG Recordings. Whew! Didja' catch all that? 'Cause it was kind of a lot.

Didja ever notice how no two of my LIVE hours ever sound the same.  Kinda like they are a show of their own! Cool…ain't it!?  The Music Authority LIVE STREAM Show & Podcast...listen, like, comment, download, share, repeat…heard daily on Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Google Podcast Manager, Mixcloud, Player FM, Stitcher, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, and Pocket Cast, and APPLE iTunes!  Follow the show on TWITTER JimPrell@TMusicAuthority!  Please, are you listening? Please, are you sharing the show & podcast?  Please, has a show & podcast mention been placed into your social media?  How does and can one listen in? Let me list the ways...*Listen LIVE here - https://fastcast4u.com/player/jamprell/ *Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/   The Music Authority LIVE STREAM Show & Podcast!  Special Recorded Network Shows, too!  Different than my daily show! *Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT!  October 7, 2022, Friday, set two…@David Bowie - I Can't ExplainAli Comerford - Cool GirlJoe Normal & The Anytown'rs - Stand Up!Agent 13 - 04 Rise Up [Unexploded Bomb]Brendan Benson - How 'Bout YouThe Kinks - Picture Book [The Village Green Preservation Society]Jaimie Vernon - 02 I Bet [So You Are A Star] (Bullseye Records of Canada, Inc.)Cirrone Band - 07 How Does It Feel [Uplands Park Road]Hans Rotenberry & Brad Jones - Puttin on airs tonight [Mountain Jack]Mink DeVille - You Just Keep Holding On [The Mink DeVille Collection]The Nits - The Young ReporterLeslie Pereira & The Lazy Heroes - 04 Hot Tamale [Good Karma] (Big Stir Records)The Difficult Stranger - 15 - Worst Kind Of Lover [Flavour Of The Month Volume 2] (Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More)The Cheap Cassettes - 01 See Her In Action! [See Her In Action! Maxi-Single EP] (Rum Bar Records)Leisure McCorkle - Transmission [IPO Vol 20]The Smithereens - Don't Bother Me@Maureen Leeson - 07 Wasted [aka Moe] (Bullseye Records of Canada, Inc.)Mod Hippie - Cricket LaRue [Wannabe Nobody] (Karma Frog Media)Whitney Road - Hold On [Lean In]

They're back! And they're… prebusecent?!?! In this glorious return from a definitely planned and warned about absence, Joshua and Dan find themselves in an Indiana middle school with the cast of the new Netflix film adaptation of 13! Armed with nothing but cooties and a copy of The Bell Jar, our hosts try to once again navigate the metaphorical hallways of life while trying to re-learn that goddamn torah portion. With sweet kicks on their feet and a song in their heart, our hosts wait for the final bell while talking about cheating ballads, the Disney Channel Original Movie, and composing post-childbirth. Didja miss us? Tune in next time when we discuss Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; specifically, the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS 20th Anniversary Benefit from March 28th 2005! Contact us: unccpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @unccpodcast Instagram: @unccpodcast

Read the Previous Chapter hereChapter TwoA Tale in the DarkAfter the last of the hot scones were handed out, fresh from the ovens of Fatty, cups of sipping chocolate for the little'uns, boch of course for the olds, then the pipes were lit and hushes to be quiet administered, for the Telling of the Show was to begin. Malrond settled himself in a great tufted leather chair near the hearth, center stage within the main room, and for a long moment there was quiet. Then, with little to no fanfare he began at once.“I come none too late from the war in the south, my little friends…” began the old wizard. “To tell you the war that was coming, that we have felt in sky and stone, seen in omens and even bones… is over now. You may rest easy knowing this.”A hush deeper than the one that began the affair fell over the main room of the Last Friendly Inn as Malrond spoke this and all that could be heard in that solemn and stunning moment was the murmur-crackle and an occasional snap of the fire turning to grey ash within the grand hearth of the main room.The room was darker now. Only the struggling candles burned from behind Fatty McFarlane's perch at the end of the lovingly and oft-polished red oak bar and in the occasional sconce along the alcoves across the swollen room. Some later would remark that the dark seemed unnatural and was perhaps part of the showing. At the time this passed unnoticed, and the Littles collectively leaned forward at the beginning of the telling, willing themselves to miss nothing, knowing a great magic of the showing would soon begin as the wizard wove his quiet storytelling spell over the room, and them all in turn.The Littles, and others who were there that early spring night, in the back among the shadows, alone or keeping to their small traveling stranger clusters, all in the old pile of an inn were aware that war and death had been raging across the lands to the south around the great tower of Sirith Osildor itself and along the Black River that was the natural boundary for that southern region the Elves of Indolién referred to as The Undómë.The Twilight.Many travelers referred to those lost southern regions where the map seemed incomplete and even uncharted at times as… Ungondor.Lands of Cloud and Shadow.The quiet crowd in the normally merry old inn hovered over the old elven wizard's next words for surely there was more to this than what had been said already. Malrond took a deep draw from his long-stemmed clay pipe, held the smoke, his eyes watching them all, and then with a delicate movement of his old mouth sent the first smoke ring out and into the dark rafters above them all.“The crisis in the south… has been averted for now,” stated Malrond the Wise with a theatrical gravitas that bespoke a certain finality one must accept if the story were to go on.The Littles being great lovers of any travelling show that happened along the back roads agreed to the terms of the deal and accepted what the wizard had said with an acquiescent silence. Indicating old Malrond should go on with the rest of it, and already quick if you please.“The fell host of the Shadow Hordes has been turned back at the ancient Gates of Sirith Osildor itself. Just a few nights ago you may have seen lights of the terrible magics worked with much wroth in the crucial moments of that dire battle… just the other night in fact, a long night if you'll remember so, that is if there ever was one such as that one. A night in which those of us standing the watch against the coming shadow on the walls of the great tower guessed perhaps all was lost, and we had seen our last day. And even the last of all days to be seen by such as those who walk the Gentle Lands.”Yes, many of the Littles would later remark. The night had seeming restlessly long. There had been tossing and turning. Little'uns had nightmares and strange dreams that required attending and cold drinks of water to console. Some Littles even remarked that there had been the not unheard of, but not necessarily common, last meal of the several Littles generally consume per day.Second Creepies. A light comforting snack of catch as catch can from the larders to see out the last hours until dawn and Bacon.The wizard took a puff of his pipe, seemed to hold it for a moment as though wordlessly reciting a secret prayer, or a chant for good luck, good health, fair weather and a fast horse, and then finally let go with an almost melancholic exhale, sighing out the great weights that surely must rest on his narrow shoulders, the Littles assured themselves.Angelic blue smoke floated out from the wizard, its tendrils reaching among them, falling to the floor. Rising into rafters, seeking the shadows.The Littles breathed a sigh of relief and some even hoisted their mugs and took deeper draughts than unusual.This was, indeed, good news. The hordes of the Shadow defeated.“I was there…” announced the wizard to them all.No one had asked that. But in hindsight of the statement, it seemed the most natural of questions to be asked by ones not just seeking information but dying for its full reveal, and the tidbits and morsels must surely fall like so many crumbs of the Inn's famed Lavender Crumble Scones travelers from far and wide made detours just for. One of the younger little'uns, even more hot blooded and rash-tempered than quick with his fists Shane McFie, suddenly spoke from the dark floor where those of that age and stripe were gathered betwixt the main body and the old mage telling the show of what had happened there to the far and misty south.And even as this young one spoke up, rudely interrupting the proceeding with something about the elves and their swords, Malrond's continued smoke wafted through the room and over them all. Everywhere there were thin smoking tendrils like clever little garden snakes there in the stuffy atmosphere above the curly-haired Little heads who stared in rapture toward the wizard at the hearth, half lit by the simmering fire. Half in shadow by the darkness of the room.His face looked old now, they would all agree. Older than the last time they'd seen him come this way.And how long ago was that, some wondered.Time's a funny thing, answered others.Careworn and weather-beaten by many years on the road was the cause agreed on by all in the conversations and dissections that followed the days of the Showing of the Tell. As though some greater work than had been guessed at, was behind the old elf now. Though Malrond was clearly Andaari, noted by the long pointed ears, he seemed the opposite of that fair and noble race with their smooth features and almost almond eyes. Where he aged, they, other elves, did not. Where the bright sun did not touch them, it had carved deep lines in Malrond's long face, and brought bags to be under his baleful dark watching eyes. Time had bent the long nose that stared down upon them. Some old scar left barely visible ran down beneath one large eye. His eyes, they were dark. Dark like burning coals where the average Andaarian Elf tended toward blue and blue green eyes, and in this too he was different than those of his kind. And of course, his eyes were not like the royal green, burning like living fire in a fantastic jewel beyond price, reserved for those of the House of Eäron. Those Ancient Wayfaring Lords and founders of fair Indolién by the Sea. To have seen such eyes of the royal line, for a Little, even for a moment once in a lifetime, would have been considered a blessing to be noted and measured. A life event much talked about over field and farm and festival across the long years of the Littles which at best reached one hundred and thirty-seven. And even so special as to be noted when death came as it had been for Old Ori Farbanks, the former Mayor of Sheepshead who passed just five years back.Even the elves, merchants who seemed something more, had come out for that burying, staying just the day, and gone with the night and mist from off the coast.But those royal greens of the line of Eäron were not the eyes of Malrond the Wise. His were dark and glittering with tales, mischief, and yes jokes or at least funny stories for the most part. Sometimes they were sad and staring, seeing things only imagined when no one was watching him. Which was a mistake when in the company of Littles. Littles may be many things, silly, practical, laughing much, stuck in their ways constantly, angry about nothing just for the sake of it, faithful unto death, quiet like thieves when they meant to be, and occasionally mad, Littles were always watching. It was their nature to do so.The Littles knew the old elf as Malrond the Wise. But they also knew he was known by many names in other quarters even beyond the lands of Elves. Greystaff by the rock dwarves for the gnarled old ironwood he carried wherever he went about on his travels. Whisperer Tallhat by the strange and silent Children of Men far to the north. Gothminion some said in the ancient Elvish, older than Indarri, that was all but forgotten these days by most. But that was an unconfirmed [NC1] rumor that had only been heard and handed about and it seemed a strange one, a strange name for one such as he. And there were many other names suspected, and even hinted at.But as far as the Littles were concerned, Malrond was friendly when you thought about him and there was always a certain much needed excitement when he came about with his tales and spells and good talk.He remembered your business though you might not talk with him for a year, or even five in a stretch of seasons. He knew what you were about and what mattered to you and could speak and question at length regarding your affairs. And of course, he always came around at Harvest, and when there was great news afoot in the lands. The things said during his visits would keep the villages and hamlets of the Littles going for weeks at least.Malrond continued as the fire murmured and the smoke drifted heavy from his pipe though he had not puffed it and instead, wove it about with his long and crooked fingers, sparkling with many strange runic rings, and one… one that was uncommonly beautiful.“The hordes came out of the Ash south of the river… beyond the Forgotten Districts where much lies in ruin now, but those great wrecks still can be seen from the heights of the Sirith Osildor itself…”“Wot is the Ash?” some other impious young Little'un asked from the floor where the barefoot urchins had gathered with mugs of then[NC2]  warm chocolate. The older Littles erupted with a hiss of shushes and explosions regarding the impetuousness of youth, the abundance of bad parenting, and common lack of manners these days when you took count and measure of the state of affairs and all.A look crossed the old wizard's face at this second interruption. Like some flashing brief summer storm coming across the waters when you liked it least. This was because Malrond did not like being interrupted when he was on about something. That was clear. But the look was queerly gone as soon as it had come and the wizard obliged the question from the floor, smiling briefly as he did so.Some would say… it was not a warm smile. But that may have been due to the subject matter. The Southern Waystes where the map was shadowy, and things left botheringly unsaid.“The Ash is a low and broken land, burnt by great and terrible magics from the days of Inthol the Bright. But that was long ago when great monsters [NC3] heaved about the land and caused much trouble. Now the silent place is little but wretched blight where the low shadow hordes hunker, avoiding the light when they can, preferring to move with the night and the moon to seek their mischiefs and murders. Goblin tribes coming out to raid and strike fear into the hearts of good people everywhere if they can violate the waters of the River and the Watch at the Tower. My order has long kept an eye on these lands, and it was a year ago this time we first heard the war drums rumbling from the deep ruin there even though we dared not tread that far south into the southern Waystes often. Rumors and tales that a new war leader, Khahuz Ulghûl of the Black Feather Orcs, had come to power over that land and was looking to make trouble farther north for his sleeping master. Binding the boiling tribes beyond the river itself into their ancient hordes, this new foe called for great war against our peoples and dear Indolién itself if such folly can be imagined.”Now this was shocking, and the Littles gasped in horror at thought of what the wizard had just said. Orcs attacking Indolién.That would be the very definition of dark times indeed.For a long moment old Malrond mused over some matter just to himself, stoking his pipe with short breaths, smoothing his long grey beard with a long and gnarled old hand.Then he began once again, oblivious that the Littles had exercised so much patience during this interminable pause and not just interrupted into a chaotic chorus of questions hurled like summer ‘maters when there's too many to be had for anyone with sense.“Long did the council work to forestall Khahuz Ulghûl's efforts but it was soon clear enough what the black fiends' [NC4] intentions were. The tribes were coming north across the Black River come Unqualë or high water. It was clear their desire was to smash into the Sirith Osildor itself. If they were successful, then Indolién's southern port of trade toward the Lost Lands would be gone and he[NC5]  who is not to be spoken of would grow even greater still in power as he slumbers. To lose the Tower would have been a mighty blow against the Emerald Throne itself, and, the doom of us all.”Unqualë or High Water is a common expression among the Littles. Unqualë is an ancient elven word for an agonizing death. Malrond's usage was in keeping with the Littles' usage of it as a flooded farm was just about as bad as an agonizing death to a Little. They could not abide waste unless it was August ‘maters. By that time, they were giving them away, making midnight raids to deposit bushels of them on other neighbors' steads, or ambushing small bands of rogue boys to ward them off the melons the rascals would cut the hearts out of to eat in the heat of the day, or the cool of the misty late nights when they went roving before it was time to marry and settle.Seeking adventures to be had. Knowing the time for such things was short.The Littles drew in a deep breath and all at once began to babble in fear as the wizard paused and surveyed the impact of his words on their terror-struck faces at the fact the Gentle Lands were in jeopardy.“Was this known?”“How did this happen?”“We were almost done fer!”And it was at this fearful moment, the Showing of the Tell… truly began.Suddenly and much to their amazement, above their curly heads there in the smoke hanging amid the rafters with the hams and other lanterns, drifting charcoal images of some vast horde of foul orcs and lesser scheming goblins could be seen marching through the mists the smoke of Malrond's pipe had created. Just barely as some light show of travelling players working in puppetry might, but this in an otherworldly ash, charcoal, and blackest dust, began to show the Littles and those in the inn that night, the ferocious anger as Orc and Gob carried torch and shield forward, silently chanting their marching songs and war cries. Axes and swords forward in battle, ready for mayhem and slaughter.There were other beasts of the nether, dark among their host as shown in the image of darkness and smoke up there, the candlelight making it all seem more real, more alive. Terrible troll lords with demonic eyes and savage strength, dark beings of such wrath and terror marching above that Littles, some and not a few, hid their faces. The troll's fiery glaring eyes alight with mischief and deviltry.[NC6]  Ancient wraiths too, curst armored knights of the Old Age come back to slay once more, leading divisions of drum-beating, horn-blowing, snarling orcs as large as any savage north man and more. Powerfully built and wielding great cruel tree-cutting axes, or wide-bladed swords whose very metal seemed dirty and corrupted in evil. Broad and curved like the Corsairs of Ambar who sail far south beyond the Lost Lands into areas of myth and spice and tales beyond belief, or so some say.The overwhelmed Littles gawped in amazement at the sudden imagery forming and marching over their heads in the Inn's upper reaches of the main room. Muttering darkly, or even angrily at times, among themselves, for Littles hated orcs with a passion as they were the enemy of all growing, thriving things. Some averted their eyes, turning toward their simple prayers, mumbling words as if to sustain themselves in a swoon brought on by the relentless host above. In the smoke of the shadow show, the ghostly nether blue pipe rings of Malrond turned to a sea of black arrows filling the skies of the battle the shadow host was marching out to. Rising like some unclean squall of crows come from out of the east to pick the late summer fields clean of corn and ‘maters, as the Littles called tomatoes.An unlucky thing and curse if there ever was one.Then, as the Littles gasped in horror, the shadow arrows were falling now. Falling like flaming stars suddenly alight from the heavens above.But these arrows were not alight with flame, but surely with witch-magic. The flames were necrotic purple in ghost-light, seething and smoking as they fell through the rings of Malrond's smoke show and almost seemed to come down on the Littles themselves right there on the floor of the inn.Children, the little'uns, cried out or screamed with such sudden terror that the tiny, round Little Mothers threw themselves and their shawls over the children as if that could protect them from the storm of deadly flights falling and exploding among them. The Little farmers stood quickly as though hoping to stand between their young and the strike and the covering mothers. Other younger Littles like Shane McFie and those in his band, roared in anger, hoisting their mugs like small swords or clubs, and made ready to answer any violence in kind.In an instant the shadow arrows rained down on the mighty broken tower of Sirith Osildor itself, rising in image among the coals and torched logs of the hearth near the murmuring wizard. The Littles saw some of the smoke arrows, things of figment surely, smash into the floor of the inn after they'd fallen from the rafters, exploding on Fatty McFarlane's polished boards like wraiths of smoke and nightmare that never were. But by then the Littles were staring into the images within the hearth conjured by the wizard and his pipe for they were far more fascinating and as though viewing the living thing itself with one's own eyes.It was… mesmerizing.Few to none had ever seen the Tower. Sirith Osildor itself. An ancient place buried deep in the lore of the Andaar and some say… even far older into the Old Ages of long ago when things were different. Gleaming elven defenders were struck and fell from the high stone ramparts and crumbling parapets into the thronging masses of shadow invaders even now approaching the lower battlements with unquenchable flame and relentless spear. Around the main room of the inn, the thousand fires of the shadowy host seemed alive and more real than the candles that burned from their recesses. Shadow of imposing troll and goblin sneak marched like ghosts through the room toward the tower itself and if one could hear past the gasps and screams of the Littles, one might it seemed, hear terrible drums and ululating horns of war.The hellish hearth of the inn, a place of gathering and tales listened to and told of, cast its steady orange glow along one side of the old wizard's face, making him seem something stronger, stranger, older.Murmuring as though in a dream, the wizard continued his telling.[NC7] Within the hearth the flames leapt, the grey logs almost ash turning suddenly black, and a battle in minute detail broke out along the fabled Ivory Causeway within the consuming logs. The old, fabled road that once made itself over the Black River and into the districts of Sirith Osildor. The shadow of the host spread like a rot across summer's best fruits as they raced for the tower through the flames and the images revealed along the burning wood. Soon they were at the very gates of the old fortress that guarded the good lands and the Littles crowded, not close, but tippy toed, and pressed to see what the wizard was showing them with the hearth.The hoary face of a wraith, garbed in ancient almost translucent armor, appeared in a sudden burst of flames within the fire, and roared wordlessly in a sudden snap of a log and spray of flames, the thing's breath a hiss as the dead thing waved a runed sword, dented and old, forward, leading more of the shadow host into battle against the Tower. The orcs, tiny scrambling ashen figures threw themselves onto the tower walls, working their ashen bows and shooting down the defenders above with fiery arrows as they crawled like a pestilence among mighty battlements of Sirith Osildor.The crowd of Littles and others within the inn recoiled in horror at this spectacle of what seemed certain to be the sack of the mighty southern tower that defended the gateway to the Gentle Lands. Revealed within the images of the hearth and its flames were horrors and terrors never contemplated. Some began to whimper and cry, and parents who had brought their children, expecting some great wonder or reward from the travelling wizard, felt suddenly terrible at having arrived with their little'uns to such a tragedy witnessed in flame, fire, smoke, and shadow.The wizard, silent, and musing his beard and pipe[NC8] , watched them all as they remained helpless to tear their eyes away from what he was showing them in the telling.Then… he spoke. His voice old and creaking, and yet, something more. Words, some would say later, the words of Malrond were like the only things that existed in that moment.But that was what some said, and others said nothing on the subject.“All was lost in those first moments of the battle,” began Malrond once again and paused with such a sense of weight he seemed to have nothing more to add. That the loss of the defenders, the tower, and the certain arrival of the Shadow in the Gentle Lands was imminent. As though each Little should fly home at this very moment to their stead and take to the hills and mountains in the east with haste and everything on their back if only to save their lives right now.“But then came Adoras himself, Champion of the Emerald Throne, riding the field of battle to the aid of the defenders of Sirith Osildor. Bringing with him a host of the Elven Horse just in time out of the North Lands where they had been rumored to be but mere months ago. And you may think this is where everything will be alright and the day, or rather night, saved. But my Little friends, this was where the battle truly became its most terrible, and defeat was as close as it would come to snuffing out the light of us all had the tides not turned.”Silence fell over the whole inn.“At dawn, just when all seemed lost, like a bright shining scythe sweeping the late harvest of wheat, Adoras and the Horse came out of the east, crossing into the outskirts of southern Osildor and sweeping into the armies of the Shadow with the sun at their backs. Making their attack between the gate and the bridge. Now… the battle was begun in full and both forces descended into the madness of battle as it was joined.”Above their heads, the Littles and those in the inn gaped in amazement as the images of the Elven Horses, riders in armor shining like bright death itself, appeared with the weak grey dawn light and swept into the wide districts of that southern city beyond the tower. Districts buried under the forces of the shadow. Instantly great fights were begun within the streets. Orc and goblin carrying fire and spear were driven off the face of the mighty tower and slain as they fled back for the dark waters of the river and shadows of the south.“Adoras' wrath was indeed terrible,” Malrond stated solemnly. “The Champion of the Emerald Throne, true and faithful as he is known to be, wrought much wrath and destruction as his final charge carried straight into the shadow army's line holding near the bridge. Even the trolls and wraiths who make their homes among the Broken Rock along the Forgotten Coast were carried away like so much flotsam in the spring flood that was Adoras' triumph on the field that day I have just come from.”Malrond made some gesture, suddenly with a deft movement tossing his drink into the fire, and the flames within the hearth exploded, sending showers of sparks and smoke rising into the inn. Within this choking miasma, a mighty demon of a troll rose up among the press of goblins in their leathers with bloody red silks and black masks of that command to stand against the charge. With their misshapen and ugly heads, twisted green creatures fled as the beautiful stallions and shining riders of the Horse came at them and the terrible rampaging troll. This foe, a tall and lean thing with long gangly arms ending in great dirty claws, turned to fight back the charge with the aid of an antique axe from the elder ages carried over one lumpen shoulder. The terrible scythe dripped with inky blood, notched and smoking along the charcoal blade. The ghost image of the troll's eyes were desperate but still malevolent enough, as a winged helmed elven warrior atop a white steed, the perfection of the fabled Elven Horse of Indolién, swooped in with bright and shining spear, a sword on the belt, to do single combat in the street with the abomination of the troll.This was a great spectacle to those gathered in the Inn for it surely seemed the valiant warrior was outmatched from the first by the towering height of the foe and the ferocity of its terrible rage. The bloody troll moved fast and swept the scythe of his vicious axe into the breast of the incoming mount of the rider, but the mount reared and the wounded horse, a beautiful and noble creature within the image of smoke in the Inn, cried out in sudden indignation and terror as it tried to back away, throwing its great hooves forward to attack the looming horror. In the same instant, the elven warrior fired his spear forward in a savage strike as though it was the merest shaft from off the meanest bow fired at ease. Except the power and speed with which it flew from the rider's powerful arm told that the blow was something far more potent than at first expected. Something from the tales of the Great Bow of Aeostir the Hunter himself.An unbelievable second later the spear landed amid the troll's gaunt chest, planting itself with all the stern refusal of something that could never be shaken or moved again. No mortal thing would have survived its piercing. But the spear's appearance within its body only seemed to outrage the beast even more. The troll dragged its axe over its devil's head, intending to smite the dying horse and warrior as once again both horse and rider went down in the street near the tower. But the elf was as all elves are, quick and agile, spritely in battle. Literally walking off his dying and noble mount, surging suddenly forward into the close quarters fray with the evil troll, the warrior drew his blade for a swift stroke.The shining warrior delivered the victorious slash against the guts of the troll with his quickly drawn blade. Green blood and pestilent ichor splashed out onto the wet stones of the ravaged street and the elf was at once wielding the blade against his foe again and again in angry fury. Striking wounds that would never heal for such is the fabled metal of the elven smiths of Indolién as everyone knows.They do not heal.In the smoke and fading ash within the hearth images, the Littles stared in amazement and horror at the battle revealed just for them as more of Malrond's smoke rings plied the airs among them yet again.“But the enemy was not finished yet,” crooned the wizard from the asides. “Within the hour of Adoras' great victory, the enemy played their last tricky hand, and a new foe was come to put paid to the matter…”The ground around the warrior began to shake all at once as more of Malrond's blue smoke seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once across the Inn. For some, and they would discuss this later over all the meals the next day between Bacon and Creepies, it was hard to say whether you were in the Inn, or at the battle itself.“Troll and elf strove on in deadly battle even as the goblin horde streamed past in full pell mell retreat, certain the battle for the Tower was truly lost to them now, their captains dead. The view within the smoke about them all changed to a circling raven's eye view of the fields beneath the heights of the ancient tower itself. From those heights, those within the inn could see the individual melees taking place on the narrow and twisting streets below in and among the bright and glittering merchants' houses who made their homes there along the southern edges. It was amazing to witness and again, something much discussed over cold draghts in the afternoon and nuts and cheese before supper. One could see the masses of both sides, Shadow and Elven Horse, colliding into one another at no less than three points beyond the tower.“Within the tower, under the command of that fabled general who all the Gentle Lands trusted to never give up the southern watch, bowmen began to return fire and shoot down into the streets at the goblins and raging trolls to be found and targeted there for effective fire.Surely all was not lost as day became real and of course the news must be most wonderful, thought every watching Little as they paid witness to the images of smoke and magic the wizard had manifested for their knowing right there in the Inn.Then a great shadow cast itself across the battle and over every warrior on all sides. Even the Inn itself. Some looked around as though to see some great thing passing overhead through the rafters and curing meats there. The shadow come from the south was like some insect plague swarming a crust of cast bread. Warriors of both sides gazed skyward suddenly into the morning grey light to see the coming of the great dragon to the battle at Sirith Osildor.“Out of the ancient mists of time the enemy had found our oldest of foes…” spoke the wizard softly, almost reverently. “An ancient drake from the brood of Gathmar herself. In an instant the dragon fell among the warriors under Adoras and did much damage with tooth and claw, choking smoke and black fire, as dragons are wont to do.”Within the smoke of the images swallowing everyone within the Inn, the dragon settled into the thick of the battle before the old Port Gate on the west of the Citadel itself. Bright armored warriors of the Elven Horse and their mounts were scattered as the dragon swept its terrible claws across them all, sending shattered armor and broken weapons in shadowy smoke across the destruction of the orcs, even themselves fleeing from the terror of the beast. All was chaos and terror among those who'd fought for that street and not given an inch in the hours of deepest night and coming dawn that marked the battle.“It was into this destruction and impending peril and loss that Adoras rode Telemnar against the dragon.”If this was true, if the images the wizard conjured within the smoke were to be believed, then this was the stuff of tales and song and the Littles were seeing it here, above and among them. The mightiest of the elven scions of the Emerald Throne rode into the battle where it was thickest, as orcs, goblins, and even the troll rallied to protect the dragon's flanks even though they were clearly in stark terror of the terrible and mighty thing at their sides. It was here, cutting and slaying, Adoras drove impossibly forward and struck a mighty blow against the dragon with his fabled sword Norsus.“Long was this contest fought,” intoned Malrond solemnly as though in some trance. The smoke dragon reared high into the sky of the rafters and hams in the Inn's darker recesses, towering over the mighty houses that had been broken and sundered in that noble district of Sirith Osildor, breathing green fire across the foes confronting it.“The shields of Adoras' vanguard held and once more the elven Horse charged into the dragon, wounding the wyrm sorely as the fight grew desperate. But…” spoke Malrond softly. “…Twas not without cost.“All those who stood against the dragon save Adoras himself were felled by the piercing of the dragon's fangs, the rending of its claws, and great buffets from off its mighty wings.“Elves of greatness and renown fell in vain against its strength. The onslaught of the raging termagant was so awful even orcs and goblins were too afeared to draw near the wrath of its ancient evil, and instead withdrew into the wreckage and ruin to await the outcome of the contest between the champion and the dragon beneath the great tower.“But Adoras would not relent though sorely wounded himself,” continued Malron. “And so at the last he raised his mighty sword and struck the dragon in its black heart, bringing the great beast down in sudden thunder and blood all at once.”Within the Inn the image seen was incredible. All were filled with fear and wonder in the same instant. Light exploded, shadows reigned, and all that was seen was the silhouetted image of dragon and elf prince against the color of flame and ruin in the background. The mighty elf seemed slain to them and then, as if in final spite, he lashed out with the bite of the blade Norsus and found home, striking down and into the great and ancient wyrm.Little ‘un, lone traveling man, sand elf, and those others of the Littles who found themselves in the Inn that night, rejoiced and gasped in horror at the mighty spectacle of the sight of the slaying of the dragon.Indeed, it was a mighty thing to behold. A thing that made the tales of the Lost Ages seem trifles of the here, and the now. That what had just been witnessed was even something mightier and greater than any ever told round hearth or fire, or along the waysides where one passed nights with such wild fables and smoke.The inn erupted as the dragon heaved its last and died, collapsing into the river.And over this roar the voice of Malrond thundered for them all to hear once gain.“The Shadow Host was broken and driven back beyond the river!” cried the old wizard to them all. “Adoras triumphed over foe and fiend and in the name of the Emerald Throne for the cause is just, and it is right. The Gentle Lands, and all other homes that lie under the Sway of Indolién… are safe once more.”He paused as the smoke of the showing of the tell faded like dreams barely remembered… and for a moment the entire Inn was in darkness and not even the faintest glow of the hearth could be seen in its black emptiness.There were just the fading whispers of the wizard.Then Malrond added, “For now.”Suddenly the Littles were swarming the broad oaken bar of Fatty and demanding frothy pints of the finest, celebrating the victory of Adoras himself and at the same moment recounting what they had just seen as though they and they only had been there amid the smoke and flame of the battle and its recounting needed immediately.Those not engaged in such unmannerly drinking were swarming the legs of the wizard asking for more and other details, and to show them all once again the things of wonder they had seen within Malrond's smoke and showing.Malrond, who was known to be kind, and to have a special place within his heart for the Littles of the Gentle Lands, stayed for a while more, telling them more of how Adoras had put sword to the fell host and pursued them back to their caves and barrows beyond the river, and even to the very ruins of the Fallen Kingdom of Amnanor of the Old Age. A place of strange spirits many who went there never returned from. Malrond reminded the clustering Little farmers who seemed less inclined to wait for the next succulent detail that fell from the lips of the wizard, that all was safe now and some of the darker details were best left unsaid if one valued sleep. And there were sleepy-eyed little'uns about that needed carrying back to their beds.“Ave yer been there, Malrond?” asked one.“Tis true that time's gone daft beyond the Black Gate?” asked another.“Didja see any of the warewoofs of Lord Suth?”Littles are always going on and on about werewolves from the south and are as likely to blame the myth of such creatures for any of their ills more than anything else they can quite name.“I did accompany Adoras and the Bright Fist, his personal guard, into the south and there we fought at the very foundations of the Doom Gate, the Manarandon itself, forcing them to draw it closed once more and defend the unnamed one within. Then we turned back for needs must. Adoras is now to appear before the throne but bid me come and bring you this great news.”“Will'ee stay Malrond?”“Say more and we shall carry on and sing songs to dawn in celebration of the evil that almost befell our little farms and has been smashed now!”But Malrond would not stay among them long. There were other communities and holdings within the Gentle Lands that knew him by other names and to these he told the Littles he must depart at once to and show the telling of once again.Soon it was time for Malrond to be off, so with much sorrow, and not a few tears from the gathering Littles, Malrond made the old door of the aged inn and was gone just like that, off into the misty night as strangely as he'd appeared among them that morning.Outside the inn all was quiet dark, and misty night. A few stood with pipes, waving farewell to the tall striding figure in the night, watching as the mist took him, and soon he was unseen once more.Subscribe Now and get the Audio version of this and so much more… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nickcole.substack.com/subscribe

Brutal Brittany, Killer Kenna and guest Leslie Borden talk about Ouija, the most basic bitch horror movie out there.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Your daily Horoscope! READ FOR YOU BY PAYTON! If we missed your sign go to www.johnjayandrich.com and look for the blog tab!

How to design Zen?No need to redesign it —It is already!* * *In this segment we will continue to explore the underlying or implied question of Buddhism: What is your worldview, exactly and in detail? And: How can you mount challenges to it? Again, there are multiple dimensions, or spheres of influence, to our world, namely the personal, social, natural, and universal. Also again, the influence we can have on these various spheres is a case of diminishing returns, as we move from the inmost personal dimensions of life to the outer realms of the world at large. And the relationship is asymmetrical — the outer dimensions can have a disproportionate effect upon the inner. Cases in point include mass shootings in the news again, and looming climate disasters.“Didja ever notice...?” This familiar lead-in from standup comic routines is appropriate to any consideration of worldview, and to Zen and Design training. It is often the things we don't notice that trip us up, or get us in the end. Leaders of guided meditation — which zazen is not — will often use an expression such as “Notice that your anxiety triggers physical sensations, in your solar plexus…” Then they suggest what to do about it, such as “Hold that feeling…” et cetera. There is no real problem with this approach for newcomers, depending on the practice-experience of the person doing the guiding. But once one has been practicing meditation for some time, such guidance is not only not needed, it can be downright aggravating. We don't need to be led by the nose to enlightenment. In fact it is probably guaranteed to get in the way. Zen recommends unguided meditation, with minimal instruction, and that mostly on the physical plane. Mental discipline will develop on its own eventually, in the most natural way, as body and mind cannot separate. Worldview can evolve but does not need to be guided.Is your worldview accurate? The Eightfold Path lays out three constituents of daily practice. Right Wisdom, comprised of Right View and Thought; Right Conduct, meaning of Speech, Action and Livelihood; and Right Discipline in Effort, Mindfulness and Meditation. The first two form the axis of wisdom between our view and understanding of the reality we face. The second is the outer person, whose conduct is witnessed by others, and the third is the inner person, those things about us, good and bad, that may be hidden from the world. The theory is that by eliminating wrong views, we come to appreciate, and approximate, a worldview closer to Buddha's own. This would then amount to the “right view” of reality, meaning one that is all-inclusive, not self-centered, and characterized by a balance of compassion and wisdom in our interface with, and reaction to, the four worldly spheres. The Path is thus a comprehensive outline or plan, a model of manifesting Zen in daily life.Buddhism's related teaching of the five Skandhas, or “aggregates of clinging” — beginning with Form, proceeding through Sensation, Perception, Impulse, and finally Consciousness itself — offers a complementary, complete model of sentient awareness. It may be considered an example of the science of the times, reflecting an intuitive grasp of biological sentience and its psychological aspects, or a design exercise in attempting to describe the discernible constituents of consciousness or worldview. Nowadays we can parse these differentiations to a nearly infinite level of detail, but the aggregate reality is still where we place our attention in Zen meditation.The first four aggregates might be mistakenly interpreted as concepts, mere objects of differentiated consciousness. That is, we may think we are fully conscious of external forms as well as internal sensations, perceptions, and impulses. But we cannot be cognizant of all of them simultaneously, not at all times, when we are preoccupied with our mission of the moment. Sensation adapts to constant stimulus, and we can become numb to reality. “The world is too much with us” — shout out to William Wordsworth — and our adaptive reaction reflects the central line of his brief poem: “For this, for everything, we are out of tune; it moves us not.” In Hsinhsinming [Trust in Mind], Ch'an Master Sengcan reminds us similarly, “A hairsbreadth deviation and you are out-of-tune.”On the other hand, we tend to focus our attention selectively. In doing so, we mistake our initial impression to be the way the world is, ignoring the greater reality: that the aggregates are also empty. This notion of emptiness — a translation of the Sanskrit shunyatta that may create as much confusion as clarity — is one of the most troubling for students of Buddhism and Zen. Without going into book length, perhaps the shorthand of comparing the nonduality of form and emptiness to that of matter and energy may give us the modern equivalent of the intuitive conception of 2,500 years ago. Form is that aspect of our worldview that we can perceive and conceive, its appearance as the material world, and emptiness is that invisible, energetic reality underlying the form, or matter. Science and Buddhism come to the same conclusion, that both things can be true at the same time.We learn our worldview partly though agreement with our peers, as well as parents, teachers and others, unfortunately including politically-motivated ideologues. This may account for most of the mental objects of indirect conception that retroactively affect our direct perception. The extreme exemplified as traumatic memories leading to PTSD.Tribal members tend to share the same worldview, as well as the same language, as do citizens of modern nations. But when it comes to sensations and perceptions that are not broadly shared by the larger community, we must resort to our own means, and develop an original conceptual framework, and language, for them. This is characteristic of Zen. We all have to reinvent Zen for ourselves, for it to become real in our lives, and to have any significant effect on our direct worldview. “Not understanding the Way before your eyes, how will you know the path you walk?” as another Ch'an poem, Sandokai [Harmony of Sameness and Difference], challenges us to consider.The “Dreamtime” of aboriginal Australians is an example of a significant tribal preoccupation not usually seen in modern society, thought to date back to some 65,000 years ago. It has been supplanted in our times by psychological studies of dreams, perhaps. Meditative insight would be another example from the Buddhist tradition, the closest parallel in Christianity being centering prayer, and the epiphanies of the saints. We do not pretend to know the complete process by which the formation of our worldview takes place. But we want to posit that in Zen, it is not as simple and straightforward as it may seem. Our current worldview may be skewed. As a comic asks, “Did you ever look at yourself in the mirror, first thing in the morning, and think: That can't be accurate!” Your view of yourself, the person with whom you are most familiar in the world, may not match the reality. Especially as we grow older, this contradiction continues to gain more clarity and force. This challenges our sense of self.Our sense of a separate self is reinforced by our perception/conception of being a being in an environment. We definitely perceive the boundaries of where we end and it, the environment, begins. Our skin, for example, the outer shell of our body and its largest organ — while obviously separating our insides from the outside — simultaneously connects us to the environment, and so stands as an example of nonduality. It both is and is not a barrier, a membrane through which we absorb and excrete various forms of energy such as sunlight and temperature, as well as moisture and other chemicals, in exchange with the local environ. The same may be said of all the other senses as well.If we leave the building, and go outside, it seems that now, we are in a different environment, which would argue that the environment is separate. And indeed, we may experience different environments, simply by traveling around the world in which we live. However, no matter where or how far we go, the being-in-the-environment dyad is still present. There is no existence of being without accompanying environment. Again, Zen teaching is largely belaboring the obvious, once it is pointed out. Like the punchline of a cosmic joke.Thus, the being and its environment are relatively separable, but absolutely inseparable. Once the latter conception becomes our new normal perception, we can see that with every move we make, the environment responds with a seemingly equal and opposite move. If we lean left, it shifts to the right. If we move forward, it flows backward, through our senses, notably the visual, the auditory, and the tactile, and perhaps more subtly, the olfactory and even gustatory, depending on circumstance. Running into a burning house, for instance, all the senses are likely to be fully engaged. This sense of unity with the surround is a more normal state of awareness than the sense of isolation that comes with sustaining the sense of a separate self, today heightened by social media. It is probably acute in primitive tribal societies, where sensing the environment is directly connected to immediate survival.So what does all this Zen stuff have to do with Design? The personal, social, natural and universal spheres of existence cannot be separated, according to Zen, nor can they in terms of Design. We are challenged to design our life and our world in such a way as to optimize the positive influences we have on the surrounding spheres in which our personal world is nested, and to minimize the negative effects that we have on them, and that they have on us. The media, materials and methods by and through which we actualize our plan in order to achieve and maintain this design intent vary by the individual, the context, and over time. The teachings of Zen fit into this process as expressed in the “Dharma opening verse” recited before each presentation of teachings in a formal setting: “The unsurpassed, profound and wondrous Dharma is rarely met with, even in a hundred-thousand-million kalpas. Now we can see and hear it, accept and maintain it. May we unfold the meaning of the Tathagata's truth.”The verse is relatively self-explanatory. The vast time span indicated may sound discouraging, until you come to the phrase “now we can see and hear it,” meaning both now is the only time it is met with, but also, thanks to our good luck, we can look and listen to someone expounding this teaching. The “ accept and maintain” it part puts the onus on us to make an attitude adjustment of acceptance if we find we are resisting as usual, and if not, to maintain the teaching for the sake of ourselves and others. “Thus the realm of self-awakening and awakening others invariably holds the mark of realization with nothing lacking, and realization itself is manifested without ceasing for a moment” as Master Dogen asserts with his usual unshakeable confidence.Seeing and hearing the true Dharma, another vintage Dogen expression, relies on this “mark of realization,” which is the crux of the matter of awakening to the truth, whether on the personal or social level. All we need do in order to avail ourselves of this Dharma, which has the connotation of “truth,” is to put the emphasis on realization rather than understanding, and look for its manifestation moment by moment. In this way our worldview becomes something that already is, rather than something that we need to achieve. A little fine-tuning is needed, that is all.* * *Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell

JENNY BLAZE FROM BRAVO AND BLAZE joins Lauren and Cash for a pot packed episode! We are discussing all of the ins and outs of the devil's lettuce. Can you get arrested for having a doobie while driving?? (yes). When did weed stop being dope!? Didja know ganga was sold in pharmacies? I miss those days. Grab your friend Erika Jayne and spark up a little Mary Jane ;) Check out our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/allegedlybravoWebsite: https://allegedlybravo.com/Merch: https://www.morallycorruptshop.com/shop/morally-corrupt-x-allegedly-bravo AD FREE listening! https://plus.acast.com/s/allegedly-bravo. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been away. But now I'm back. In this short episode, I talk about what led to me having to step away from both podcasting and Precinct Omega in general, what I learned from the experience and, a little bit, about what's coming up from Precinct Omega now that I'm back.

Run your home, and your dough, like a BIBLICAL BOSS! Today you get to hear from one of E.J.'s favorite podcast hosts, Steven Manuel. E.J. and Steven talk about what a Biblical family looks like. They discuss why Jewish families stick together and find success no matter where they are globally despite being the most perpetually persecuted group of people in history. They juxtapose living the "American Dream" versus living Biblically as a multi-generational family team. Finally, you get to learn what everyone is wondering - WHY ABRAHAM??Abe's Wallet is for family leaders and those who aspire to think multigenerationally about their money, culture, work, family and community. Living out a multigenerational mindset that embraces good stewardship as a building block of God's Kingdom on Earth might produce Abrahamic levels of impact. Can you imagine?!From Abe's Wallet - "Now then: our Bottom Line and operating belief is that the God Of All wants you to get very very VERY good at handling and growing money. (And if you want to fight about it, that is totally cool and you'll soon see we've given you ample opportunity with gobs of posts you can complain about.) Jesus spoke about money more than any other single topic. Maybe that's old news to you, but did you know that when he talks finances – Jesus VERY RARELY mentions giving to the poor? Didja?? Probably not; this isn't the kind of thing often hyped in the dependent-upon-charitable-contributions church house. My Southern Baptist upbringing would have me believe that the Bible's counsel on money is mostly about giving it away. But NAY, friend. Tisn't the case." Read the rest at What is Abraham's Wallet? – Abraham's Wallet (abrahamswallet.com)Series mentioned in show:Wealth is Inevitable – Part 1 – Abraham's Wallet (abrahamswallet.com)

Adapted by Julie Hoverson from a story by Phillips Barbee (pseudonym of Robert Sheckley) Published in Galaxy Science Fiction, December 1952   Classic era science fiction about a very odd visitor from outer space.   Cast List Professor Michaels - Grant Baciocco (Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd) Frank Connors - Bryan Hendrickson Mrs. Jones - Kimberly Poole (Warp'd Space) Sheriff Flynn - Glen Hallstrom General O'Donnell - Chuck Burke Allenson, scientist - Cary Ayers Moriarty, physicist - Eleiece Krawiec Brigadier-General - H. Keith Lyons Driver - Cary Ayers Soldier1 - John Carroll Soldier2 - Lothar Tuppan Pilot - Mark Olson The Leech - Suzanne Dunn, Will Watt, James Sedgwick, Julie Hoverson Many thanks to Project Gutenberg and Librivox for curating these classic stories. [Link to The Leech in short sci fi collection 24 at Librivox] Music by  misterscott99 [Thanx to Steve Guy for suggesting searching YouTube for a Theramin artist!!] Editing and Sound:   Julie Hoverson Cover Design:  Brett Coulstock   "What kind of a place is it? Why it's a cabin in upstate New York, can't you tell?" ************************************************ The Leech By Phillips Barbee (Robert Sheckley), Galaxy Science Fiction December 1952 Cast: [Opening credits - Olivia] The Leech Frank Connors, assistant Professor Michaels, anthropologist Mrs. Jones, housekeeper Sheriff Flynn / Jerry General O'Donnell / driver Allenson, scientist Moriarty, atomic physicist [bring in the leech voice, subtle, under the opening credits] LEECH A LEECH    hungry.  Empty.  hungry.  Empty. hungry.  hungry.  Empty [repeats under] OLIVIA     Did you have any trouble finding it?  What do you mean, what kind of a place is it?  Why, it's a professor's rural retreat, circa 1952, can't you tell?  LEECH    falling falling falling heat impact FOOD!  ...eat. MUSIC STING   1_BIG NEWS AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, BREEZE, CREAK OF HAMMOCK SOUND    [OFF A BIT]  KNOCK ON DOOR, SCREEN DOOR OPENS MRS. JONES    What? FRANK     Where's the prof?  I have to talk to him! MRS. JONES    You can give me his mail, young man. FRANK    But this is big news! MRS. JONES    If it's school business-- FRANK    It's not! MRS. JONES    It can still wait.  This is Professor Michaels' resting week, and you know it.  SOUND    SCREEN DOOR SLAMS MRS. JONES    [fading out] Bad enough those army convoys have to drive by at all hours of the day and night. FRANK    Wait!  Oh, heck. SOUND    A COUPLE OF STEPS ON WOOD PROF    [sigh] [calling]  Conners?  What the devil are you on about? SOUND    FOOTSTEPS ON GRAVEL FRANK     Oh!  Professor!  Say - I'm awfully sorry to disturb you, but there's something damn funny out in the ditch. PROF    Ditch? SOUND    DOOR OPENS MRS. JONES    Oh, you!  I told him to go, professor! PROF    It's all right, Mrs. Jones.  I'll handle this. MRS. JONES    Dinner in half an hour!  You know how you get when you don't eat. SOUND    DOOR SHUTS FRANK     So, the ditch.  Didja hear me?  There's something weird. PROF    Of course I heard you.  [sigh]  You found a pixie.  Feed him some milk, and go away. FRANK     No sir, I think it's a... a rock. PROF    A rock.  In the road.  How quaint.  FRANK    But sir-- PROF    [annoyed, but languid]  What is your job, Frank? FRANK    Sir? PROF    If you don't know, then perhaps I should hire someone else. FRANK    I'm to keep everyone off you while you relax.  See to the mail, the shopping. PROF    And does any of that involve spotting "rocks"? FRANK    No. PROF    Warning me of rocks? FRANK    No. PROF    Protecting me from rocks? FRANK    No, but-- PROF    So move the rock and get on with your-- FRANK    But sir, I tried!  See? SOUND    SHOVEL MOVEMENT PROF    [sigh] what?  [sharper] What? SOUND    DOOR SLAMS OPEN MRS. JONES    What on god's green earth did you do to my shovel, young man? FRANK    I didn't do anything.  The rock thing did! MUSIC   LEECH B SOUND    [UNDER] FEET ON GRAVEL LEECH    food dull food warm light FOOD cold dark food slow food sloooooow... MUSIC   2_THE LEECH AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS SOUND    WALKING QUICKLY FRANK    [a bit breathless] I really wouldn't have bothered you for just nothing, but look! SOUND    DOINK ON METAL FRANK    Two inches!  It melted two inches right off! SOUND    FEET HALT PROF    [incredulous] That?  FRANK    That!  You can see it better from up close. PROF    Shh!  SOUND    SLOWER FOOTSTEPS PROF    [whispered] Do you hear anything? FRANK    [whispered] No.  I mean, not beyond birds and things. PROF    [grim] Neither do I. FRANK    So? PROF    [brighter]  Well, it's indicative of something, isn't it? SOUND    BRISKER FOOTSTEPS PROF    You have a notebook on you?  FRANK    No. PROF    Anything to write on? FRANK    Uh, no.  Just - just your mail. PROF    Here.  SOUND    SHUFFLE ENVELOPES PROF    No... no... no... Ah.  Here.  They won't notice if I don't respond. SOUND    SLAPS PAPER INTO HAND FRANK    Okay. PROF    We have what appears to be a round item of a stone-like appearance.  Greyish-black and striated. SOUND    JUGGLE SHOVEL, WRITING NOISES FRANK    Gotcha. PROF    [dictating] Sitting in the ditch.  Nearest edge, say, three feet off the road. FRANK    It's a bit farther than that, isn't it? PROF    I wouldn't say so. FRANK    [acquiescing] Okay. PROF    About the size of a truck tire. FRANK    No, really now, I think you have your proportions mixed up... SOUND    WALKS FORWARD FRANK    [dismayed] Oh. PROF    What?  Think I'm getting senile or something? FRANK    No, just... PROF    "Just" is not quantifiable.  Just spit it out. FRANK    It was smaller.  Before. PROF    How much smaller? FRANK    I dunno - an inch maybe.  But definitely smaller. PROF    Find me a stick. FRANK    A... stick? PROF    Here. [give me that] SOUND    TAKES SHOVEL FRANK    Don't touch it! PROF    I'm not planning to.  Not yet. SOUND    A COUPLE OF STEPS, DRAGGING SOUND PROF    As you observe, I am drawing a line approximately three inches beyond the edge of the thing. FRANK    [noting] Three inches.  Got it. PROF    Now, we'll have something to measure by in case it grows again. FRANK    Right. PROF    Now.  Let's see what happens. SOUND    METAL ON STONE - SORT OF SOUND    SIZZLING NOISE PROF    It's not unyielding - the shovel seems to sink in-- FRANK    Oh no it's not! SOUND    SCRAPE PROF    What?  Aha!  You're right.  It's not sinking in, it's being melted away.  Gives the same impression.  Odd how the mind interprets things.... FRANK    I think it just got bigger. PROF    Really? FRANK    I was watching, and I think it swelled a little. PROF    Could be heat waves.  I suspect something like this would reflect like asphalt.  But let's test it.  The shovel's not good for much any more anyway. SOUND    METAL ON STONE GRATE, SIZZLING FRANK    Don't touch it! PROF    My hand is nowhere near touching it.  I merely want to see... FRANK    Look!  It's getting larger!  I can see it! SOUND    WOOD ON STONE PROF    [impressed] Well!  [clinical] But it generates no appreciable heat.  Odd.  I would assume some sort of acidic chemical reaction, which would almost invariably generate heat.  FRANK    And it grew!  Just a fraction of an inch-- PROF    I was paying attention to other things.  [sigh] SOUND    WOOD LANDS ON STONE, SIZZLING FRANK    D'you see it swelling? PROF    I doubt there was enough left of that handle to do much.  What else--? FRANK    Rocks? PROF    Sound thinking. SOUND    PICK UP SOME ROCKS, DROP THEM, SIZZLE FRANK    Isn't that just about the damnedest thing you ever saw, Professor?  What do you think it is? PROF    It's no stone...  I'm going to phone the college and ask a physics man about it.  Or a biologist. I'd like to get rid of that thing before it spoils my lawn. MUSIC   LEECH C LEECH    food sharp food fall food lie food move moist food dry food grow food air grow bigger grow.... wake! MUSIC   3_BACON AMBIANCE    IN PROF'S HOUSE SOUND    DISTANT POUNDING ON DOOR MRS. JONES    What is it?  SOUND    BUSTLING THROUGH HOUSE SOUND    DOOR YANKED OPEN MRS. JONES    You better have a brilliant explanation for this-- FRANK    Absolutely vital.  Professor Michaels knows‑‑ PROF    I'm coming.  It had better be particularly important to drag me away from Mrs. Jones' bacon. MRS. JONES    [amused annoyance] And Mrs. Jones better leave you boys to your business and see to her bacon before it all burns away. SOUND    BUSTLES OFF FRANK    It's nearly eighteen feet across! PROF    The thing? FRANK    Yup!  PROF    I was trying some acids on it yesterday, and nothing seemed to even ruffle it. FRANK    None of them? PROF    Nope.  I'll finagle a bacon sandwich or two and we'll head out presently. MUSIC   LEECH D LEECH    so small.  how is one so small.  one was large.  one was grand.  Miniscule now.  Hungry.  sooooo hungry.  food is slow. Dull.  Eat... MUSIC   4_SHERIFF AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, AT THE SITE FRANK    See what I mean? PROF    Seems the larger it gets, the faster it grows.  Not surprising, if what I suspect is happening is true. FRANK    What's that?  PROF    Say it absorbs whatever it touches.  The more surface area, the more it can touch, the more it can absorb. FRANK    That's not good.  It's like some kind of... of leech. PROF    I don't know that I would characterize it so narrowly just yet, Frank-- SOUND    CAR DRIVES UP, STOPS FRANK    Morning Sheriff! SHERIFF    Morning.  What the devil is this? PROF    Don't know.  Just showed up. SHERIFF    Ha. Ha.  We gotta get it out of the road!  Something like this, you can't let it block the road.  The Army's gotta use this road. FRANK    We didn't-- PROF    Shh.  [up, dry] Terribly sorry.  Go right ahead and move it, Sheriff. But be careful. It's hot. FRANK    [quiet] Hot? PROF    [quiet] Close enough. SHERIFF    Should just be able to-- SOUND    OPENS TRUNK SHERIFF    Where is the--? FRANK    [quiet] Shouldn't we warn him? PROF    [quiet] We'll stop him if he goes to touch it.  But if he doesn't see for himself, he'll never buy it. FRANK    Oh. MUSIC   LEECH E SOUND    [UNDER] METAL HITTING STONE, GUNSHOTS SHERIFF    [frustrated noise] LEECH    slow food.  fast!  energy impact.  ahhhhhh.  more.   more hit.  more energy.  give! MUSIC   5_MONKEY'S UNCLE AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, AT THE SITE SHERIFF    Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. PROF    [quiet] That would make deputy Jerry, there, "cheetah".   FRANK    [snickers] PROF    Ready to listen yet, sheriff? SOUND    ARMY CONVOY APPROACHING SHERIFF    What?  Hey look!  NOW we'll get some action! PROF    [quiet] That's rather what I'm afraid of. MUSIC   LEECH F SOUND     [UNDER]     CONVOY STOPS, IDLES, DOORS OPEN, ETC. LEECH    more energy.  more food.  need.  senses very dim.  Thoughts very dim.  grow.  waken more.  food. MUSIC   6_ARMY AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, AT THE SITE O'DONNELL    You can't block this road.  Clear that away. PROF    Sorry.  It's not ours.  And we can't seem to do anything with it. O'DONNELL    What in sam hill is it? FRANK    A leech. SHERIFF    A what? PROF    [annoyed but covering] Simply a name to refer to it by - we have no real idea what it is. O'DONNELL    But you've tried moving it? PROF    Every way we could think of. O'DONNELL    Crowbar? FRANK    Didn't help. O'DONNELL    Blowtorch? PROF    More or less.  No effect. O'DONNELL    Gunshot? SHERIFF    Sad to say... O'DONNELL    [calling orders] Driver?  Ride over that thing. FRANK    But sir! PROF    Shh. SOUND    JEEP STARTS INTO GEAR FRANK    [to prof] We have to stop him! PROF    You thought the sheriff was bad, having to see it first?  This is the military. FRANK    Oh. SOUND    JEEP ROLLS FORWARD SLOWLY, TAKES A BUMP, THEN HALTS, SIZZLING SNEAKS IN, UNDER. O'DONNELL    [bellowing] I didn't tell you to stop! DRIVER    I didn't stop it, sir! O'DONNELL    Get moving! DRIVER    It's stalled out sir! PROF    General?  Pardon me, but if you look closely, you'll see that the tires are melting down. SOUND    POP, HISS OF TIRE FRANK    Yikes! O'DONNELL    Criminee!  [orders] Driver!  Jump clear!  Don't touch any of that grey stuff! MUSIC   LEECH G SOUND     [UNDER] DRIVER CLIMBS ONTO HOOD OF CAR AND JUMPS LEECH    large food.  energy.  much movement.  nice.  hungry.  more large?  Need food.  waking waking... more self, more hungry.  need food MUSIC   7_JEEP AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, AT THE SITE SOUND    CAR SLOWLY SINKING INTO THE THING, MUCH SIZZLING DRIVER    It's up to the chassis already! O'DONNELL    How fast can it eat? PROF    [quiet] you are keeping track aren't you? FRANK    Sure thing, professor!  It's been about three minutes, give or take a few. PROF    Make a note - Frank needs a stopwatch. FRANK    Oh.  Ok.  Right. SOUND    SCRIBBLING O'DONNELL    You called this thing a leech, professor? PROF    As I said, it is nothing but a name to refer to it by. O'DONNELL    But it is leeching, far as I can tell - eating anything that gets near it. PROF    Which bodes rather ill for the underside. O'DONNELL    Whazzat? PROF    You're only thinking about things that get near it on the top - who knows how far below this thing may have eaten away the dirt, or even the bedrock. FRANK    Dirt and stones do seem to digest a bit slower. O'DONNELL    You've been experimenting with it, eh?  Did you by any chance MAKE this thing with one of your experiments, professor? PROF    [sigh]  First, general, I am not that type of scientist.  I am a professor of anthropology.  I do, however, understand scientific method and felt that if we established some parameters up front, such as rate of growth, speed of dissolution, etc., we might be able to more easily convince some of my hard science colleagues to come and have a look. O'DONNELL    [after a pause] So you say. SOUND    MARCHES OFF FRANK    You did that on purpose, didn't you?  PROF    [over innocent] did what? FRANK    Oh, no - don't play innocent!  I've seen you lecture someone til their eyes glazed over, before this! PROF    [chuckle] DRIVER    [background]  There goes the aerial! SOUND    SIZZLING OUT O'DONNELL    [commands, off] You!  DRIVER    Sir!  Yes sir! O'DONNELL    [commands, off] Go back and have some men bring up hand grenades and dynamite! DRIVER    Yes sir! FRANK    That will get it! PROF    I am not so sure. O'DONNELL    [from off, yelling to prof] I don't know what you've got here, but it's not going to stop a U.S. Army convoy! PROF    I pray he's right. MUSIC   LEECH H SOUND UNDER    EXPLOSIONS - HAND GRENADES AND DYNAMITE LEECH    waking more.  thinking more.  sensing more.  hungry. [boom] food!  yes yes food! [boom]  Ahhhhh eat and grow.  [bullets] mass and movement.  energy.  more.  yes.  please!  [huge explosion]  yesssssss! MUSIC   8_EVACUATE AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, NEAR PROF'S HOUSE SOUND    WOOD CRACKING THROUGHOUT UNDER MRS. JONES    Well, I never. PROF    Did you get everything moved out all right? MRS. JONES    Well, yes, but I've cooked for you in that very house for nearly ten years now.  Where am I supposed to feel at home?  Where are you? [supposed to feel at home] PROF    [muttered] That may not be a problem for long. SOUND    HUGE CRACK, SHATTER OF GLASS MRS. JONES    There goes the front porch!  Who would have thought such a terrible thing could spread so darn far? PROF    The government surely didn't. MRS. JONES    It looks like one of them - what's the word?  Blasted heath.  Yes.  That's exactly what a blasted heath would look like. PROF    [musing] Or a cooled lava flow.  [snapping out] Either way, it's pretty darn blasted. MRS. JONES    Blasted leech. SOUND    FEET ARRIVING PROF    I do wish people would stop calling it that. SOLDIER    Pardon me, sir?  General O'Donnell would like to see you at the command post. PROF    Right.  I already know the end to this little melodrama.  [to soldier] See to it Mrs. Jones gets back to the city, will you? SOLDIER    Sir, I'm supposed to escort you-- PROF    But I know where I'm going.  She does not. SOLDIER    Yes, sir! MUSIC   LEECH I SOUND    CRUSHING HOUSE UNDER LEECH    slow food.  want fast food.  more awake now.  why no more fast come.  good energy.  big food.  hungry.  more food make more pieces.  more pieces make more hungry.  more hungry wants more food.  MUSIC   9_PERIMETER AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS, AT THE EDGE OF THE LARGER SITE SOUND    CROWD NOISE, FADING IN PROF    What's that over there? SOLDIER2    Perimeter.  Barbed wire.  Half mile out. PROF    I doubt the barbed wire is making all that noise. SOLDIER2    Oh, them.  Reporters.  Rubberneckers. FRANK    [calling from off] Professor! PROF    Assistants. SOLDIER2    You need assistance? PROF    Just my assistant.  Let him in would you? SOLDIER2    I don't have any orders-- PROF    Well, he takes all my notes, so I guess I'll have to stay within earshot.  Which ends about here. SOLDIER2    But the general-- PROF    Will it be easier to move the general, or my assistant, do you think? SOLDIER2    Um... MUSIC   10_HQ AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT SOUND    TENT FLAP SWOOP, PROF AND FRANK ENTER TENT O'DONNELL    I've been put in charge of operation leech.  Ah, professor... and...? PROF    My assistant.  He is also the one who found this thing in the first place.  Absolutely indispensable. FRANK    Hi. O'DONNELL    Is he trustworthy? PROF    Think of him as my right arm. FRANK    The one he writes with. O'DONNELL    You're a professor, right? PROF    Yes. Anthropology. O'DONNELL    Good.  I'd like you to stay around in an advisory capacity.  I'd appreciate your observations on the... enemy. PROF    I think this is more in the line of a physicist or a biochemist. O'DONNELL    I don't want this place cluttered up with scientists.  FRANK    But he isn't-- O'DONNELL    Don't get me wrong. I have the greatest appreciation for science. I am, if I do say so, a scientific soldier. I'm always interested in the latest weapons. You can't fight any kind of a war any more without science. PROF    Of course not. O'DONNELL    But I can't have a team of longhairs poking around this thing for the next month, holding me up. My job is to destroy it, by any means in my power, and at once. I am going to do just that. PROF    I don't think it will be that easy. O'DONNELL    That's what you're here for.  Tell me what the problem is, and I'll figure out how to solve it. FRANK    [muttered] Usually a scientist's job. PROF    Very well.  As far as I can figure out, this thing-- O'DONNELL    The leech. PROF    It isn't really-- O'DONNELL    It's the codename. FRANK    [muttered] I'm the one who called it that in the first place. PROF    The "leech" appears to be an organic mass-energy converter, and a frighteningly efficient one.  I'm guessing here, and keep in mind that this is really not my-- O'DONNELL    Get on with it. PROF    It appears to convert external mass into energy, then back into its own internal mass.  Energy is directly converted into the body mass.  How this takes place, I do not know.  The leech is not protoplasmic.  It may not even be cellular-- O'DONNELL    So we need something big against it.  That's all right, then.  I've got plenty of big stuff here. FRANK    Oh boy! PROF    I don't think you understand me.  Let me rephrase.  [intense] The leech eats energy!  It will consume any energy weapon you use against it. O'DONNELL    [considering]  And what happens if it keeps on eating? PROF    I think it will only be limited by its food source. O'DONNELL    So when it runs out, we'll all be safe? PROF    When it runs out, we'll all be gone. MUSIC   LEECH J LEECH    senses growing.  Feel moving food.  Sitting food.  Food near.  Food far.  Waiting for food to come near.  Hungrrrrry. MUSIC   11_NEED HELP AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT PROF    I insist you contact some physicists.  Biologists and chemists too.  Give them a chance to figure out how to nullify it.  I can give you some names. O'DONNELL    I don't have time to wait while a passel of scientists wrangle!  I have this axiom - Muster enough force, and anything will give.  Anything. FRANK    [muttered] Military thinking. O'DONNELL    [pleased] Thanks. PROF    [sigh] But I am not that kind of-- O'DONNELL    Don't sell yourself short, Prof!  And don't underestimate the army.  We have, massed under North Hill - right over there - the greatest accumulation of energy and radioactive weapons ever assembled in one spot.  I bet even this leech won't withstand the full force of all that. FRANK    [worried] Professor? PROF    [doubtful] I suppose it could be possible to overload the thing.  O'DONNELL    [smug] I'll go and give some orders.  We're gonna crack that leech in half! SOUND    HE LEAVES FRANK    Did he listen to a single thing you said? PROF    [sigh] He is the military. FRANK    Then why are you - we - even here? PROF    I fear the general wants to be able to say he consulted a scientist.  I'm convenient since I can't possibly have a relevant opinion. MUSIC   LEECH K SOUND    [UNDER] RAY GUNS, EXPLOSIONS, ETC. LEECH    Fooooood!  Rich food!  Needing more!  Ray food, energy food, liquid food!  Needing more!  More food makes more hungry!!!!  Sensing.  Sensing for food.  Ahhhh.  THERE. MUSIC   12_STOCKPILE AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT O'DONNELL    [incredulous and furious] It did what?  SOUND    NANA OF VOICE ON WALKIE-TALKIE. FRANK    It flew! PROF    It might be better described as a type of hovering. O'DONNELL    Shh!  Over and out. SOUND    WALKIE SQUAWK - OFF PROF    [resigned] Where did it go? O'DONNELL    The damned fools!  Why'd they have to panic?  You'd think they'd never been trained! FRANK    They couldn't exactly expect that! PROF    [urgent] Where? O'DONNELL    North Hill.  [angry sigh]  Our armory. FRANK    But that's a whole mile away! PROF    At least.  O'DONNELL    Sixty-seven men died!  And the leech just - just jumped there! PROF    I still say it hovered.  It definitely moved with some sort of self-propulsion. FRANK    I'll write that down. PROF    The way it looked, it floated across the sky, blacking out the sun, and then, when it reached its goal, it simply dropped. O'DONNELL    [snarling] How can you be so clinical about this? FRANK    I - I- PROF    It's OUR job to take notes for the scientists you will eventually have to call in. MUSIC   LEECH L LEECH    So good!  So nice!  Rich food.  Much energy.  Growwww.  Yessss.  Ahhhh.  More cells.  Now, more hungry. MUSIC   13_EXPERTS AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT SOUND    PACING O'DONNELL    Haven't those eggheads made up their minds yet? We've had to evacuate six nearby farms. FRANK    It's not like choosing a tie. O'DONNELL    But they're the experts! PROF    No one's an expert on this.  It's never happened before.  The physicists consider it a biological matter, and the biologists seem to think the chemists should have the answer.  We can't even agree on whose problem it is! O'DONNELL    It's the military's problem!  I don't give a hang what the thing is!  I just want to know how to destroy it!  [offhand] They better give me permission to use the bomb. SOUND    STRIDES OFF FRANK    Will that work? PROF    Well, I have a theory. FRANK    Yes? PROF    Which I hope will remain a theory. FRANK    How can I make notes if you don't tell me? PROF    The Bomb might overload it.  MIGHT destroy it.  Or give it what it needs to grow big enough to devour the entire continent.  Sooner.  SOUND    FEET STRIDE BACK O'DONNELL    Still talking!  Gah!  I've been pushing for the Bomb for a week now!  And I'll get it, but not til they run out of doubletalk! FRANK    Could be a while. O'DONNELL    [intense] I am going to destroy that leech.  I am going to SMASH it, if it's the last thing I do!  It's gone beyond national security now.  THIS is personal. SOUND    STRIDES OFF PROF    I knew you shouldn't have named it. FRANK    Why? PROF    Once you name something, you get to thinking you KNOW it.  And no matter how much you think you won't, you start applying traits to it.  Anthropomorphizing it.  Attaching motives and feelings to it. FRANK    Who says it doesn't feel? PROF    It does. O'DONNELL    [from off] Here come the bright boys now! MUSIC   LEECH M LEECH    So big.  Big now.  Big makes hungry.  So much to fill.  So much to feed.  Need more.  More good rich food. MUSIC   14_SCIENTISTS AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT O'DONNELL    Well, have you figured out what it is yet? ALLENSON    [weary sarcasm] Just a minute - I'll hack off a sample.  Hah. O'DONNELL    [exasperated] Have you figured out some scientific way of killing it? MORIARTY    [dry, offhand] Oh, that wasn't difficult at all.  FRANK    Really? MORIARTY    Wrap it in a perfect vacuum.  That'll do the trick.  Or blow it off the earth with anti-gravity. FRANK    Can they really? PROF    Don't be silly. ALLENSON    Failing that, we suggest you use your atomic bombs and use them fast. O'DONNELL    Yes!  [vainly trying to curb his enthusiasm]  Is that the opinion of the entire think tank? MORIARTY    [sigh]  Yes. SOUND    GENERAL HURRIES OFF ALLENSON    He should have called us in immediately!  There's no time to consider anything but force now. PROF    Have you come to any conclusions about the nature of this thing? MORIARTY    Only general ones.  Very much in line with your notes and conclusions.  ALLENSON    As you mentioned, it's a perfect converter--it can transform mass into energy, and any energy into mass. MORIARTY     Naturally that's impossible and I have figures to prove it.  We're positing that this thing was in some dormant spore-stage until it was pulled in by the earth's gravity. ALLENSON    Incidentally, we should be damned grateful that it didn't land in the ocean.  We'd have been eaten out of house and home-- FRANK    Literally. ALLENSON    --before we even knew what we were looking for. PROF    [musing] I wonder how long it will take him to get permission to use the bomb. MUSIC   LEECH N LEECH    slow grow.  Hungry.  No grow.  Dull food not enough.  Want more.  Want grow.  Want be big again. MUSIC   15_BOMBS AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT O'DONNELL    Brigadier-General, with all due respect sir, how many MORE scientists can there be?  We've been waiting for-- BRIG-GENERAL    [on phone] Washington had to explore every alternative before detonating an atomic bomb in the middle of New York! O'DONNELL    So now I can use the bomb? BRIG-GENERAL    We need some time to evacuate people in an orderly fashion. O'DONNELL    Sir!  This leech is still growing!  We have to stop it before it gets out of hand! FRANK    Bit late for that. PROF    Shh.  He's doing the best he can. BRIG-GENERAL    We've signed you out five bombs.  Use them well.  But not until the order comes through. MUSIC   LEECH O LEECH    slowing.  Drowsing.  Waiting.  Cells starving.  Too much need food.  Tired... SOUND    EXPLOSION LEECH    YESSSS!  Foooooood!  Much!  Too much!  Holding!  Choking!  No!  straining....  straining!  More cells.  Need more cells!  Building!  Feeeeeeeeding!  Choking?  [beat] No.  SOUND    BOMB LEECH    Enough cells now.  Rich food.  More.  Grow.  Build.  JOY. MUSIC   16_SIXTY MILES AMBIANCE    INSIDE NEW HEADQUARTERS TENT O'DONNELL    Sixty miles across. PROF    There was no way to know. O'DONNELL    This was supposed to KILL it. FRANK    At least there was no fallout. PROF    I'm sure it ate THAT too. O'DONNELL    I have to KILL IT!  Do you hear me!  The blasted thing has spread all the way to the Adirondacks! FRANK    What's next?  More bombs? PROF    I don't think it's advisable.  If we throw enough at it to crack it, we might crack open the earth's crust. O'DONNELL    The leech has to be blown up quick.  What are the bright boys hedging for? PROF    They don't know what will happen.  The concentration of bombs it would require-- O'DONNELL    Perhaps they'd like me to order a bayonet attack. FRANK    They've got to do something. PROF    It's frustrating.  I keep feeling like I should be doing more, but this simply isn't my area of expertise!  That thing thrives on force - and the scientists don't have time to consider any alternatives. FRANK    Fight fire with fire. PROF    But it's not fire.  Fire is fickle.  Fire is Loki.  Fire is a trickster.  This thing is...  is... O'DONNELL    Where the heck are the scientists? SOUND    TENT FLAP ALLENSON    [coming in] We've finished the calculations. O'DONNELL    Good.  I'll call in the strike. MORIARTY    There's a damned good chance of splitting the earth wide open with that much power! O'DONNELL    You have to take chances in war.  FRANK    He doesn't even care! PROF    He cares.  He just doesn't care about that.  Hercules himself couldn't turn the general from his course. ALLENSON    Hear us out! O'DONNELL    Your own calculations show that the leech is now growing at twenty feet per hour.  So how much time is that before it reaches this post? FRANK    He's got a point. PROF    [musing]  Hercules....  Something... ALLENSON    And speeding up.  But this can't be done in haste-- PROF    Aha!  O'DONNELL    What? PROF    I may have a counter-offer. O'DONNELL    Does it involve me blowing up the leech? PROF    It's a very dim chance, but...  [trails off] O'DONNELL    Yes? PROF    have you ever heard of Antaeus? MUSIC   LEECH P LEECH    more large.  more thought.  More memory.  Large rock and dirt and stone food.  Devoured.  Joy.  Huge mass of combustibles - light and heat and energy!  Food.  True joy!  SOUND    MEMORY SOUNDS LEECH    then all devoured.  Dark.  Cold.  Empty.  Cells Shrinking, dying, self-devouring self.  Moving.  Seeking.  Food. MUSIC   17_DRONE SHIP AMB    OUTSIDE SOUND    SMALL PLANE PASSES OVERHEAD FRANK    So that's what a drone looks like. PROF    Pretty much like any other rocket ship.  The pilot just happens to be over there in the tent. O'DONNELL    I hope you're right about this, professor. MORIARTY    The calculations all validate the hypothesis.  If what you said about the creature's motivational capability is accurate-- FRANK    There it goes! O'DONNELL    Straight up!  Son of a biscuit! PROF    It's - it's - enormous! MUSIC   LEECH Q SOUND    FIGHTER PLANE BUZZES PAST LEECH    Food!  Rich food!  Above!  Out of reach!  Why not fall?  Come to me?  Food!  ... seek. SOUND    BUZZ OF FIGHTER PLANE MOVING AWAY LEECH    heat!  Small food.  Cold!  Nothing.  Ah, little flying food, come to - oh.  Oh, yes.  Far.  There.  Huge bright glowing mass of combustibles.  Food. MUSIC   18_ANTAEUS AMBIANCE    OUTDOORS FRANK    Wow.  Now, that's a crater. PROF    You can look at it later.  I keep worrying that I've missed something. FRANK    But the leech is gone, professor!  Right up and out of the atmosphere. PROF    There's no way to be sure it won't come back. FRANK    Everybody's going to be watching for the leech. PROF    Please don't call it that. FRANK    What then?  Antaeus?  Who's that anyway? PROF    Greek Mythology.  Son of Gaea and Poseidon - the earth goddess and sea god.  He was an invincible wrestler, drawing his strength from the earth itself. FRANK    His mom.  Apron strings, even in mythology. PROF    [chuckles]  Well, Hercules had to wrestle him, and every time Hercules threw him to the ground, he rose refreshed.  FRANK    Didn't Hercules know about the earth? PROF    He figured it out.  After that, he just held Antaeus up in the air until he gave up. O'DONNELL    [off slightly] Come on, join me in some champagne.  Even you brainy folks can use a little celebration! MORIARTY    [happily] Maybe just a sip! ALLENSON    I don't mind if I do. FRANK    Be there in a minute!  [to prof] So the fighter rocketship they sent up will just keep leading it around in space til it gets tired and drops dead? O'DONNELL    Better.  It's going to take it right into the sun.  Big or not, the damn thing can't eat THAT. PROF    Lord, I hope not.  O'DONNELL    [to pilot] How's the ship, pilot? PILOT    Just reached the orbit of Mercury, sir. O'DONNELL    Fine!  Fine.  I swore to destroy that thing.  Not the way I wanted to do it - too far out to see it go up with my own eyes - If I had a choice, it would be more personal.  But the important thing is the destruction.  Destruction is at times a sacred mission.  Man, I feel wonderful! MORIARTY    [panicky]  Turn the rocket!!!!  TURN IT! O'DONNELL    What the devil? MORIARTY    Considering rate of growth, energy consumption capacity, and speed versus projected energy retention, figuring in the energy it will receive from the sun as it approaches-- O'DONNELL    Speak English! MORIARTY    [dire warning] It's gonna devour the sun. MUSIC   LEECH R LEECH    closer!  Closer!  More heat!  More light!  All!  Must have all!  Small rich food moving away.  Choice.  Nearby small food?  Far big food?  Hungry NOW.  Close first.  Catch quick, feed enough to move to big food.   Yes! MUSIC   19_TURN AWAY AMBIANCE    INSIDE HEADQUARTERS TENT PILOT    It's turning, sir! ALL    [general sounds of relief] ALLENSON    Take it out at right angles to the plane of the solar system. SOUND    RADAR [start much earlier] FRANK    So the blob is the leech and the dot is the ship? PROF    Yes.  O'DONNELL    What portion of the sky would the leech be in just now? MORIARTY    Somewhere out in that section - just over that tree. O'DONNELL    Fine.  [calling order back over shoulder]  Soldier!  Carry out your orders! ALL    [surprised concern - "what?" "huh"  "what are you up to?" etc.] FRANK    [calling] The dot is slowing down!  The blob is catching up! PROF    What are you up to, general? O'DONNELL    [grim satisfaction] I told you this was a personal matter.  I swore to destroy that leech.  We can never have any security while it is alive.  [chuckles triumphantly] I had that ship especially built. PROF    To do... what... precisely? O'DONNELL    Shall we look at the sky? SOUND    FEET, TENT FLAP, ETC. as they leave. O'DONNELL    Soldier? PILOT    Three seconds, sir! O'DONNELL    Push the button. PILOT    Yes, sir! FRANK     is something supposed to--  Whoah! MORIARTY    Not a good idea to look directly at the explosion! PROF    What... did... you... do? O'DONNELL    [smug]  That rocket was built around a hydrogen bomb.  I set it off at the contact moment. FRANK    How come there's no sound?  Thought there'd be a loud bang or something.  Is it like thunder? ALLENSON    Sound doesn't travel in a vacuum. PROF    [explaining] We're anthropologists.  O'DONNELL    [calling to pilot] Anything on the radar? PILOT    [from within] Nope!  Not a speck, sir. O'DONNELL    Men - and scientists - I have met the enemy and he is MINE.  Let's have some more of that champagne. PROF    I wish I was that sure. MUSIC   LEECH S LEECH    Catching food.  Slowing.  Tiring.  Catch.  Massive surge!  Too much!  Holding!  Holding!  Absorbing!  Building!  No!  No!  overload!  Too much!  Breaking!  Come apart!  Losing thought!  Losing cohesion!  Breaking.  Broken.  Shattered. SOUND    [long moment of silence, then in squeaky little voices:] LEECHETTE1    Hungry LEECHETTE2    Hungry LEECHETTE3    Hungry LEECHETTE4    cold.  hungry LEECHETTE5    Hungry [more and more leechettes until they populate the entire soundscape] LEECH    [MANY VOICES] hungry.  Empty.  hungry.  Empty. hungry.  hungry.  Empty [repeats under] MUSIC END CREDITS

NOTE: Sorry we're late!  My job is in shipping and as you know, the holidays are approaching fast and all is madness.  Hopefully this won't happen again, but I can't guarantee that!  On to the episode!In which we discuss (somehow) more 70s Marvel!  This time, we talk about Gerry Conway's stint on the book, joined by the likes of John Romita, Gil Kane, and Ross Andru!  It's a truly important run that people need to remember for its whole, rather than just some blonde lady dying.  Join us!For our 31st episode, we break down what happened after the original scripter of Amazing Spider-Man left the book.  Remember Stan Lee?  Yeah, that's the guy.  Anyway, what do you think so far?  Didja know we has Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (oh yeah, and Twitter too)?  Hit us up there and talk to us!  If you wanna email us, you can do that too!  Links are as follows:Website:  https://pencilusinpodcast.buzzsprout.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PencilUsInPodcastTwitter: @pencilusinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pencilusinpodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pencilusin email: PencilUsInPodcast@gmail.comPhil here:  Research on this one kinda went to multiple places, but there was some big help in fairly focused articles on just what I was looking at!  As per usual, it was from TwoMorrows Publishing!  Surprise!  Anyway, which particular issues?  See below:Back Issue (TwoMorrows Publishing):  44Alter Ego (TwoMorrows Publishing):  53, 54 , 131Finally, what comic issues did we read?  Well:Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel):  111-149This excludes the writings of Conway on Spider-Man in a few other series like Marvel Team-Up or Giant-Size Spider-Man, but I didn't feel they were that necessary thematically.  Hope you enjoyed!

Didja catch the new title for the inventory episode?  It's Pencil Us INventory.  Get it?  GET IT??Anyway, this week we don't have a lot of time so we just do a little basic house cleaning and some previews of what is ahead.  Listen in on probably our shortest recorded episode!  Also, we need more Leddy!  MORE LEDDY!  #freeleddy

This Week, Paul takes through an offbeat indie film about the dark web mystery of Cicada 3301, and makes a recommendation for Resrvation Dogs. Grab your popcorn and join us! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

This Week, Paul dives into 2004's Shark Tale, before chasing his own white whale-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Grab some Popcorn and tune in! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

It's Summer 1974 on ABC and Boy is it weird! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

This week, Paul talks Netflix's Gunpowder Milkshake, Awards both the First Ever "Steve Buscemi Award for Elevating a Film" and the First Ever "Matthew Lillard Award For Over-the-Top Performance," and Pitches a Heist movie about ridding the world of Confederate Monuments. Don't forget the Popcorn! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

This week, Paul talks Maury Terry's anti-stanic cult quest and pitches a Workplace dramedy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

This Week Paul reviews 2020's "The Vast of Night" and pitches a humans vs. nature thriller! Grab the popcorn and settle in! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

This Week, Paul reviews 2004's The Perfect Score, and Elevator Pitches a love story told across time and Audtory Space. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

This week, Paul Reviews 2006's "Everyone's Hero" and Elevator Pitches a Rom-Com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

In a new Bonus segment, each week Paul will review the strangest, funniest, or most fascinating tv show, movie, or video he's seen. This week, he joins you to talk 1979's Spider-Woman! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/didjahearthis/message

Didja hear thar be treasure in these mountains? Follow weird af on Instagram and Twitter: @weirdafpodcast

Johnjay and Rich saw JAY-Z AND BRUNO MARS this weekend! Guess who stayed for all of both shows! PLUS, we've got a brand new MISSED CONNECTIONS, hearing all about Delany's love-life, and we're checking in with our pal, FRANKIE MUNIZ, about Dancing With The Stars!!!