Advanced emotion, feeling of intense or growing anger
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Emasculated GEN Z Males Confront Enraged BOOMER Actor Clifton Powell by Greg Adams
“Amazed or Enraged?”
Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and
Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and
Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and
Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and
This week on Southern Charm, Craig tries to smooth things over with Salley so he can go on a date with Charly, Rodrigo has an engagement party, and Audrey starts to feel like Austen might not be that into her, and on RHOBH, Rachel Zoe hosts a dinner party with a tarot card reader and it goes as well as that usually does on this show (bad). Enjoy! RHOBH recap begins around 24 minute mark!Follow me on social media, find links to merch, Patreon and more here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Three young boys are killed by a car bomb, their mother Doreen and older brother in the front seat are the only survivors. Detectives Goren and Eames learn Paul Whitlock developed a new kind of land mine and his wife had spotted some threatening-looking Middle Eastern men before the blast. But there are indications the pipe bomb was built in their garage and someone swept it up. Bobby and Alex suspect the depressed Doreen blew up the car in a murder/suicide attempt.ADA Ron Carver insists the overbearing husband is their best suspect. The detectives find a space heater Doreen tampered with to leak carbon monoxide. The overwhelmed mother confesses she wanted to take the children to heaven with her, where she could be a better parent. But Goren and Eames discover the cold-blooded Whitlock knew Doreen wanted to die and was fine if she did - he just didn't know the children would get hurt. Enraged at his cruelty, the detectives insist Carver hold him legally responsible, but he says there's no crime in not stopping your wife from killing herself and her family.We're talking about Law & Order: Criminal Intent season 4 episode 7 “Magnificat.” Our returning guest is Katie from the A Date with Dateline podcast.Plot points in this episode are inspired by the 2001 case of Andrea Yates. For exclusive content from Kevin and Rebecca, sign up on Patreon.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Tony, Chris, and Skraby discussed the Aztecs game against Grand Canyon. They discussed MLB owners being enraged by the Kyle Tucker signing. Finally, we previewed the AFC/NFC Championships.
It's a brand-new series launch! Marvel Mondays are officially here, and we're kicking things off with the movie that started it all.ABOUT IRON MANAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR IRON MANMay 2, 2008 | TheatersCAST & CREW OF IRON MANRobert Downey Jr. as Tony StarkGwyneth Paltrow as Pepper PottsTerrence Howard as RhodeyJeff Bridges as Obadiah StaneBRAN'S IRON MAN SYNOPSISWe meet playboy Tony Stark. He's in the back of a military Humvee, answering all their questions about how cool he is, when they're suddenly attacked by Stark Industries explosives. He passes out—and when he comes to, he realizes he's being held captive.Cut back 36 hours earlier. Tony is supposed to be receiving an award… except he doesn't show up. He's too busy “working.” After the event, a journalist confronts him about selling weapons to terrorists. He denies it—and then they hook up. So that's Tony.We meet Pepper Potts, Tony's hyper-competent personal assistant; “Happy” Hogan, his bodyguard and chauffeur; and most importantly, J.A.R.V.I.S., his personal AI system.Tony heads to Afghanistan to show off his flashy new “Jericho” missile. It's a big deal. It's also very bad.Now we're back at the beginning. Tony was critically wounded in the ambush, but fellow captive Yinsen built an electromagnet to keep shrapnel from reaching Tony's heart and killing him. Problem… temporarily solved.Tony's captors are the Ten Rings terrorist organization, and they demand he build a Jericho missile. If he doesn't, he won't be set free. Instead of building the missile, Tony secretly builds a weaponized suit to help them escape. The Ten Rings discover his plan, and Yinsen sacrifices himself to distract them while the suit powers up. Tony fights his way out of the cave, finds Yinsen dying, and—furious—destroys the terrorists' munitions before flying away. He eventually crashes in the desert, destroying the suit.After being rescued by Rhodey, Tony returns home and announces that Stark Industries will no longer manufacture weapons. Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), his father's old partner and the company's acting manager, warns him this could destroy the company and its legacy. Tony reveals he has built a new miniaturized arc reactor—one capable of providing clean energy to the entire planet.In his workshop, Tony builds an improved Iron Man suit and a more powerful arc reactor for his chest. Pepper places the original reactor in a glass display case. When Stane presses for details, a now-suspicious Tony keeps his work to himself.At Tony's first public appearance after his return, reporter Christine Everhart reveals that Stark Industries weapons—including the Jericho—have been delivered to the Ten Rings and used to attack Yinsen's home village. Tony also learns Stane is attempting to remove him as head of the company. Enraged, Tony suits up and flies to Afghanistan, saving the village and dealing a devastating blow to the Ten Rings. On his way home, he's targeted by two F-22 fighter jets and calls Rhodey, revealing his identity to stop the attack.Meanwhile, the Ten Rings recover pieces of Tony's original suit and meet with Stane. Stane eliminates the terrorists and has his own suit reverse-engineered from the wreckage. To track the weapons supply, Tony sends Pepper to hack into company files from Stane's office. She discovers that Stane has been supplying terrorists and hired the Ten Rings to kill Tony—only for them to fail. Pepper then contacts Agent Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.).Stane's scientists can't replicate Tony's arc reactor, so Stane ambushes Tony at home using a sonic device, paralyzes him, and steals his reactor. Left for dead, Tony crawls to his workshop and installs the original reactor. As Pepper and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to arrest Stane, he attacks in his Iron Monger suit. Tony fights him but is outmatched without his upgraded reactor. He lures Stane to the top of Stark Industries and instructs Pepper to overload the massive arc reactor. The resulting surge knocks Stane into the reactor, killing him.The press dubs the armored hero “Iron Man.” Agent Coulson provides Tony with a cover story, but at a press conference, Tony abandons it entirely and admits: “I am Iron Man.”In the post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury visits Tony and reveals that Iron Man isn't the only superhero in the world—introducing the Avengers Initiative. Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Holy Fathers at Mount Sinai lived in the wilderness around the holy mountain before the Emperor Justinian built the famous Monastery there in 527. The brethren were attacked by a band of Saracen barbarians who massacred Doulas, the superior of the community, and most of the other monks. They only stopped when a pillar of fire rose to the sky from the summit of Sinai, causing them to flee in fear. The Forty-three Holy Fathers at Raithu were massacred on December 22, but are commemorated together with the fathers of Sinai. They lived the monastic life on the shores of the Red Sea. One day about three hundred Ethiopian barbarians raided the area, killing many Christians and enslaving their wives and children. They attacked the church at Raithu, where forty-three fathers had taken shelter. Their abbot Paul enjoined them to persist in prayer to the end, putting no stock in the passing life of this world, which they had renounced when they came to the desert. No sooner had he finished his prayer than the barbarians broke in, slaughtering all the monks but one, who escaped to bring news of the attack to Mt Sinai. When the barbarians returned to their ships they found that the Christians had run their vessels onto the rocks. Enraged, they killed all their prisoners. They themselves were massacred by a band of armed Christians who arrived soon afterward.
If you would like additional information, books, or if you would like to make a love donation; please visit us at https://www.walkinginpower.orgBern Zumpano introduces Revelation Chapter 12, framing it as an overview of events from chapters 6 through 11, focused primarily on Israel's persecution (anti-Semitism) during the Tribulation. The chapter begins with a "great sign" in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars . This woman is Israel, with the 12 stars symbolizing the 12 tribes (Genesis 37). She is "with child," representing the birth of Christ (the Messiah), a male child who "was caught up to God and to his throne" (His ascension), which terminates Daniel's 69th week. A second sign appears: a great red dragon (Satan) with seven heads (wisdom) and ten horns (authority), symbolizing the ten-nation confederacy (the resurrected Roman Empire/European Union) that will back the Antichrist. The dragon attempts to devour the child at birth (Herod's decree) and sweeps a third of the angels (stars) down to earth with him, establishing his kingdom on earth (Pergamum being his throne).The shift to the future occurs between verses 5 and 6, marking the beginning of Daniel's 70th week (the seven-year Tribulation), where the woman (Israel) flees into the wilderness for 1,260 days (three and a half years) for God's protection from the Antichrist (Satan's incarnated man). A war in the heavenlies then occurs where Michael and his angels successfully cast the dragon and his angels down to earth, permanently dispossessing Satan from the atmospheric heaven (heavenlies) and limiting his control, which is the immediate consequence of Christ taking the title deed to the earth. A great voice announces that the "accuser of our brethren has been thrown down." Enraged, the dragon persecutes the woman, but she is protected by "two wings of the great eagle" (God's deliverance, Exodus 19). The serpent then pours a flood (either literal water or slander/propaganda) from his mouth to destroy her, but the earth helps the woman. Finally, the dragon turns to make war with the "rest of her offspring"—the remnant Jews who adhere to the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus, who overcome him by the "blood of the Lamb" and the "word of their testimony."
Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Revelation 12 A great sign appears in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She is pregnant and cries out in labor. A great red dragon appears with seven heads and ten horns. The dragon seeks to devour her child, but the child is caught up to God and His throne. The woman flees into the wilderness, where God prepares a place for her. A war breaks out in heaven, and Michael and his angels fight the dragon. The dragon is defeated and cast down to earth. He pursues the woman, but she is given wings to escape. Enraged, the dragon makes war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commands and hold to Jesus. We are reminded in this chapter that spiritual warfare is real and ongoing, but God is always in control. The woman symbolizes God's faithful people, and the child is Christ, whom the dragon cannot destroy. Although the dragon is powerful and full of fury, he has already been defeated and cast down. We may face trials, attacks, and pressure from the enemy, but God provides protection and strength for His people. The wilderness might seem like a place of hardship, but it is also a place of safety prepared by God. We are called to stay faithful, keep God's commands, and hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Victory is certain, and we can stand firm in that hope. Present Lord, we come to You with grateful hearts, knowing You are always near and never forsake Your people. You have defeated the enemy through the power of Christ, and You protect those who are Yours. Though the dragon rages, we trust in Your strength and faithfulness. Help us stand firm through every trial and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus. Give us courage to obey Your commands and wisdom to recognize Your provision, even in the wilderness. Strengthen our faith, and remind us that Your victory is certain. We rest in Your promises and live for Your glory. Thought Questions: The dragon could not defeat the child, the Son of God. In an uncertain world, what does it mean to you to know the Savior is undefeatable? We overcome the accuser by “the blood of the Lamb”? How does Christ's blood inspire you to love Him more than even your own life? In what ways are you holding fast to the testimony of Jesus and keeping God's command, even as you face opposition or hardship?
Are you pro-leash like Erica or anti-leash like Slacker?
Holiday Party sightings bring out the pre-pandemic ghosts, but the biggest news is Bijan Robinson having to apologize for an offensive childhood game name on the postgame show. Following the Bucs' collapse, an enraged Todd Bowles put the blame squarely on his players, while Stephen A. Smith fumbled a key Pete Alonso stat. Finally, a look ahead to the playoffs with Boomer seeing a potential Super Bowl run for C.J. Stroud and the Texans.
Afternoon Rush Hour Podcast — Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni, Trump's Caribbean Chaos, and a Major Justice for Clayton Update Sponsored by Masterclass. Masterclass.com/RushHour for up to 50% off! & Sponsored by Cash App https://click.cash.app/ui6m/o7zx0it6 Download Cash App Today: #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. This afternoon on The Rush Hour Podcast, we break down the escalating feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni — a Hollywood disagreement that turned unexpectedly dark as new accusations and behind-the-scenes fallout spill into the public eye. We also cover the latest on Donald Trump's reportedly illegal efforts to strike ships in the Caribbean Sea, a brewing scandal that's raising alarms across Washington. Plus, a major Justice for Clayton development: Laura Owen's new criminal trial has officially been moved to July 29th, 2026, setting the stage for a dramatic summer showdown. All that and more, Rush Hour style — politics, pop culture, and accountability, delivered fast. Tags: politics, entertainment, Trump, Caribbean Sea, Justice for Clayton, Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, legal news, breaking updates
What's up, dudes? You never knew Santa had a donkey? Well, Jeff Loftin from Lost Christmas and Alamo City Santa Jeremy Phelps did. In fact, they're here with me to talk all about the Rankin Bass special “Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey!”Nestor was born with abnormally long ears. His owner mistreated him, and the other animals teased him. One night when Roman soldiers came to the stable to buy donkeys, they dismiss Nestor and take all the other donkeys for free. Enraged, Olaf casts Nestor out into the frigid cold. Nestor's mother finds him and shields from the harsh weather with her own body, freezing to death in the process.The next day, Nestor meets a cherub named Tilly, who says that they need to travel to Bethlehem. When they reach the outskirts of the town, Tilly returns to Heaven, instructing Nestor to wait. When Mary and Joseph are expecting Jesus, they take Nestor because of his "gentle eyes", but are caught in a sandstorm. In the midst of the storm, Nestor hears Tilly's voice, but recognizes it as his mother's. She tells him to follow the voices of the angels. Nestor guides Mary and Joseph through the storm, while wrapping Mary in his ears to keep her warm. They arrive in Bethlehem, where Nestor finds the stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus. Nestor heads back home where he is hailed as hero by Olaf and the other animals. Santa? Check. The Holy Family? Yep. Spieltoe? Never thought Santa had a pack mule! So grab your Nativity scene and add a donkey to this episode on “Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey!”Lost Christmas PodcastFB: @LostChristmasPodcastTwitter: @LostChristmasP1IG: @lostchristmaspodcastAlamo City Santa IG: @alamocitysanta Etsy: North Pole General StoreFB: @northpolegeneralstore IG: @northpole_generalstoreGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!
Following the dismissal of the cases against James Comey and Letitia James this week, MAGA fanatics furiously took to social media to DEMAND that Donald Trump immediately fire Pam Bondi. Rumors were already circulating that Bondi could be on the chopping block, and following this massive public humiliation Trump may not have much choice left (not that any other sycophant of his could have been successful, but he'll be looking to hold someone responsible for what happened.) Donald Trump and his administration were all set to reveal their "totally not fictional" healthcare plan on Monday, but decided at the last minute to not do it. Instead, the entire country is bracing for major health insurance premium spikes in a month, and we're being ruled by a group of people who refuse to do anything about the healthcare crisis that impacts every one of us. While they may present an undeserved arrogance to the public, behind the scenes the Republicans in the House and Senate are freaking out about the fact that they are poised to be "wiped out" in next year's midterm elections. A few still seem to believe that they can turn things around in the next 11 months, but most are firmly convinced that next year's elections are going to put the "Blue Wave" of 2018 to shame - and polling already suggests that this is the most likely scenario.A very confused Donald Trump reposted a tweet calling for his own impeachment, from an account aptly named "Impeach Trump A 3rd Time." Trump thought that the post was demanding an investigation into Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for reminding troops that they can defy illegal orders, and he blasted it out to millions of his equally-diminished followers. Trump's mental capabilities seem to be getting worse by the day, and the media is still pretending that none of this is happening. Marjorie Taylor Greene still has a little over a month before she's officially out of Congress, but Jasmine Crockett wasn't going to pass up the chance to let Greene have it one last time before she leaves Washington. During an appearance on CNN, Crockett mocked Greene for not being able to "take the heat" after being on the opposite side of Trump for only about a week - compared to those like Crockett who have been fighting back against him for years. She's got a great point about resilience.We may not even have to wait until the midterms for Democrats to regain control of the House of Representatives, as one Republican insider says that the recent shock resignation of Marjorie Taylor Greene is only the beginning. The insider says that Republicans are "tired of being treated like garbage" by Donald Trump and would rather resign than face the massive losses that they are looking at (based on the latest polling data) in next year's midterm elections. The rats are abandoning the sinking ship.Text and and let us know your thoughts on today's stories!Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date on all of Farron's content: https://www.youtube.com/FarronBalancedFollow Farron on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarronBalanced Twitter: https://twitter.com/farronbalanced Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farronbalanced TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farronbalanced?lang=en
Daily Soap Opera Spoilers by Soap Dirt (GH, Y&R, B&B, and DOOL)
Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt The Young and the Restless spoilers for Nov 24-28, 2025 hint at a myriad of emotions ranging from rage to romance. Central characters Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) will find themselves seething with anger while Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) attempts to break into Phyllis Summers' (Michelle Stafford) computer. Phyllis and Cane's relationship, however, takes a surprising turn when they end up sharing a shower. Y&R spoilers suggest Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) senses the closeness between Cane and Phyllis, leading to a heated exchange. In another twist, Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) contemplates his night with Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin) and decides to stay in Genoa City. Claire, on the other hand, discusses her love life with Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) and reveals her plans to have drinks with Holden. Spoilers for Young and Restless see the plot thickens as Lily blames Cane for Damian Kane's (Jermaine Rivers) death, leading to a tense encounter with Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver). Elsewhere, Nick seeks information from Detective Burrows (Matt Cohen) about his missing son, Noah Newman (Rory Gibson). More Y&R spoilers reveal Danny Romalotti's (Michael Damian) and Christine Cricket Blair's (Lauralee Bell) wedding begins, with an original song performed by Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei) and Tessa Porter (Cait Fairbanks). The wedding, however, might see an unexpected guest as Phyllis could potentially crash the event the week of 11/24 - 11/28/2025. Visit our Young and the Restless section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/young-and-the-restless/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ Check out our always up-to-date Young and the Restless Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/young-and-the-restless-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/
Daily Soap Opera Spoilers by Soap Dirt (GH, Y&R, B&B, and DOOL)
Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt The Bold and the Beautiful fans 2-week spoilers for November 17-28, 2025 thrill as Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) escapes from prison and makes a beeline for Malibu. The escape will set off a chain of events involving key characters like Will Spencer (Crew Morrow), Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace), Steffy Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and John "Finn" Finnegan (Tanner Novlan). Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) and Katie Logan (Heather Tom), worried about their son's safety, will also be drawn into the drama. B&B spoilers suggest Luna plots to win Will back, causing more tension and fear among the cast. As Thanksgiving approaches, there are hints of a possible tragedy looming, adding more suspense to the Luna saga. Visit our Bold and the Beautiful section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/bold-and-the-beautiful/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ Check out our always up-to-date Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/bold-and-the-beautiful-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/
In this episode Abby and Vanessa discuss the latest RHOSLC episode. They discuss.. -Meredith and Lisa talking sh*t about Britani -Bronywyn and Meredith's uni prank -Meredith vs. Whitney -Meredith and the plane ride home -Bronywn and Whitney's “agreement” conversation -Angie and Elektra -Heather vs. Lisa -Mary vs. Meredith When you're finished listening, please don't forget to check out our sponsors. Go to BornShoes.com today for a 15% discount plus free ground shipping on all full-price shoes when you use my promo code, REALMOMS. Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code REALMOMS. So if you are looking for that perfect gift, or want to impress your friends and family with an epic meal the next time you host, go to GOLDBELLY.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code REALMOMS To explore coverage, visit ASPCApetinsurance.com/REALMOMS Quince: Go to quince.com/realmoms for free shipping and 365 day returns! Sundays for Dogs: Go right now to sundaysfordogs.com/REALMOMS and get 50% off your first order. Or, you can use code REALMOMS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Daily Soap Opera Spoilers by Soap Dirt (GH, Y&R, B&B, and DOOL)
Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Beyond the Gates predictions indicates that this week kicks off with a rerun of the September 22nd episode where Kat (Colby Muhammad) confronts Tomas "Tom" Hernandez (Alex Alegria) about their intimate life, and Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) and Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) elope in Las Vegas with Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) officiating their wedding. Despite the rerun confusion due to the federal holiday falling on Tuesday, BTG spoilers suggest that Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) starts showing interest in Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) after being introduced by Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). The drama unfolds as Hayley, currently poisoning her husband Bill, plans to get closer to Izaiah. Meanwhile, Bradley 'Smitty' Smith (Mike Manning) and Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) butt heads over their differing parenting styles. Beyond the Gates spoilers show that Kat declares war on Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) due to some unresolved daddy issues. As the week progresses, Dani prepares for a Forster creations shoot while Andre gets a stern talking-to from his in-laws, Anita and Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis). The drama doesn't end there, as Derek Baldwin (Ben Gavin) and Ashley Morgan's (Jen Jacob) breakup becomes official, and a new potential love interest emerges for Derek. BTG spoilers reveal that Vernon worries about his secret being exposed, Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix) agrees to Ted Richardson's (Keith D. Robinson) proposal with a warning of consequences, and Andre and Dani make a decision about their future. The rollercoaster of a week concludes with the revelation of a shocking secret at a dinner hosted by Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) and Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) for Bill and Hayley. The Soap Dirt podcast made the Top 100 List for Apple Podcast's Entertainment News Category. Visit our Beyond the Gates section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/beyond-the-gates/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Beyond the Gates Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/beyond-the-gates-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/
When Moses was born the Hebrew people had been living in Egypt for quite a time. Initially under the protection of Joseph and Pharoah and welcomed as honored guests; they had become an oppressed and enslaved nation. Fearing their growing strength, Pharaoh ordered every Hebrew boy to be thrown into the Nile. But one mothers courage defied the kings decree. She hid her child as long as she could, then placed him in a basket coated with tar and pitch and set him afloat on the Nile river. By Gods providence, Pharaohs daughter found the baby and raised him as her own. Moses grew up amid the luxury of Pharaohs court, yet he never forgot his Hebrew roots. His passion for justiceand his temperwould define much of his life. When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, Moses struck down the oppressor and hid the body in the sand (Exod. 2:1112). When the act became known, he fled to the wilderness of Midian, where he spent forty years as a shepherd, husband, and son-in-law to Jethrowaiting for the day when God would call him to lead His people out of bondage. By the time we reach Exodus 3, Moses had already spent those forty years in Midian tending sheep. Then, before a burning bush, he encountered the living Godthe God of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God entered into Moses world in such a way that he would never be the same again. When God called to him from the bush, He said,Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground(v. 5). What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his classicThe Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart. The God who spoke to Moses from within the burning bush is not only holybut faithful. While many Hebrews believed that God had forgotten them, the Lord reminded Moses that He is not only all-seeing, but full of mercy:I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings(v. 7). Then God said to Moses,And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt(v. 10). To this, Moses humbly replied,Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that Moses saw in himself was his own failures and weaknesses. But for God, it didnt matter how weak Moses was, for He delights to use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:2631). What the burning bush reminds us of is not only that God is holy, or that He is omniscient, or that He is faithful to His promises, but that God uses people not because He needs to, but because He wants to. Just as God did not need Noah or Joseph to address the problems of the world, He did not need Moses. The marvel of the story of God and the people He chooses to use has more to do with that fact that He invites people like us into His mission and the story He is telling. There is a Mediator Who Stands in Your Place After God revealed Himself to Moses as Yahwehthe covenant-keeping GodHe commissioned Moses to return to Egypt. Understandably, Moses questioned,Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?God assured him,I will certainly be with you(Exod. 3:1012). And when Moses was to speak to the people of Israel, God instructed him to say,I AM WHO I AM has sent me to you(v. 14). One of the characteristics that distinguishes the God of Abraham from the gods of Egypt is His faithfulnessHe keeps His promises. This is expressed beautifully inExodus 6:25, where God tells Moses,I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.Gods faithfulness is not only in His name but in His actions, His compassion, and His unwavering remembrance of His promises. Do you remember Leahthe ugly wife whom Jacob did not love? Not only was Judah born to her, but so was Levi. About five generations later, we read inExodus 2:1of a man from the house of Levi who married a daughter of Levi. Together they had three children: Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. It was after Miriam and Aarons birthbut before Moses was bornthat Pharaoh commanded every Hebrew son to be thrown into the Nile (seeExod. 1:2022). Yet from this very family, God raised up the leaders who would deliver His people. Moses would lead Israel out of bondage, serving as a type of king who would shepherd Gods people through the wilderness. Aaron would become Gods priest, and through him the priestly line would continue (Exod. 28:129:9). Miriam would be identified as a prophetess (Exod. 15:2021). Dont miss this: God used all threeMoses, Aaron, and Miriamto lead His people out of Egypt, yet Aaron and Miriam would serve the people under Moses leadership (see Mic. 6:4). But it was to Moses, that God said, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. And when Miriam and Aaron forgot their place and Moses God-ordained role before Israel, God said, Now hear My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. It is not this way for My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, that is, openly, and not using mysterious language, and he beholds the form of the Lord. So why were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses? (see Num. 12:1-8). Follow the Deliverer Who Leads His People Out of Bondage Moses stood before Pharaoh and Israel as a type ofshepherd-kinga mediator and prophet who spoke on Gods behalf. Listen to how the Lord described Moses role: As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaohs heart, so that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst. (Exod. 7:2-5). When Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh, they declared, Thus says the LORD, Let My people go. (Exod. 5:1). Pharaoh not only refused but mocked the God of Israel: Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go (5:1-2). To prove that no one would command Pharoah of Egypt, he made the Israelites labor even harsher, forcing them to gather their own straw while maintaining the same quota of bricks. What followed was asuccession of ten plagues, each designed to expose the impotence of Egypts gods and, in many cases, tomock them directly. The first nine fall naturally into three escalating triads: Plagues of defilement:water turned to blood (7:1424), frogs overran the land (8:115), and gnats or lice tormented Egypt (8:1619). Plagues of destruction:swarms of flies invaded (8:2032); disease killed Egypts livestock while Israels remained unharmed (9:17); and boils afflicted people and animals alike (9:812). Plagues of devastation:hail mixed with fire ravaged the land (9:1335); locusts devoured the remaining crops (10:120); and darknessa direct assault onRa, the sun-godcovered Egypt for three days (10:2129). Each judgment demonstrated Yahwehs sovereignty, yet Pharaohs heart only grew harder. Enraged, he shouted to Moseswho stood before himas Gods representative: Get away from me! Be careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die! (10:28). The cognitive dissonance of Pharaoh towards the God of the Israel was not only irrational, but insane! He was dealing with the God who He could not defeat, for in the words of the apostle Paul, it was the equivalent of the clay pot accusing the potter that He had no rights over what He created (Rom. 9:19ff.). In essence, Pharaohs heart cried out to the God of Moses,Who are You to tell me what I can and cannot do? Before we shake our heads or point our finger at Pharaoh in disgust, we must ask ourselves:What has God commanded us to release or submit to that we have resisted with the same question Who is Yahweh that I should obey His voice? Live in the Victory of the Lamb Who Triumphed Over Every Power Before the final plague, Israel was commanded to take amale lamb without defectand keep it forfour dayslong enough to confirm it was spotless and long enough for it to become, in a sense,theirlamb (Exod. 12:16). On the fourteenth day, the lamb was to be slaughtered at twilight, and its blood applied on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it (v. 7). Afterward, the entire household was toeat the lamb together(vv. 811). For what purpose was the perfect and spotless lamb slaughtered? We are told why in Exodus 12:12, For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgmentsI am the Lord. Who would God strike? Thefirstborn sonsboth human and animaland thegods (elohim) of Egypt. These gods were not merely lifeless idols butspiritual powers, demonic forces that animated Egypts sorcery and who also held Pharaoh and his people captive[1] (see Deut. 32:17; 1 Cor. 10:2022).[2] So what fueled Pharaohs hatred of Yahweh and his oppression of Israel? His sin and pride, certainlybut beneath that rebellion lay ademonic conflict. The showdown between Moses and Pharaoh, Israel and Egypt, was not merely political or personal; it wasspiritual warfare. As Paul later wrote, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). Every plague before the tenth was a call to repentancea chance for Pharaoh, for Egypt, and even for any Hebrew who had turned to Egypts idols, to turn back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But only throughthe blood of the lambwould anyone experience deliverance and victory. But, why the firstborn? At the summit of Egypts pantheon stoodRa (Re), the so-called god of gods, depicted with thehead of a falconand thesolar disk encircled by a cobraa symbol of divine power and kingship. Pharaoh was worshiped as theson of Ra, and his ownfirstborn sonwas regarded as the next embodiment of divine rule. In one decisive act, Yahweh crushed the head of Egypts god for the purpose of liberating captive Israel and any Egyptian who wished to turn to the true Creator, and He did it through the blood of the lamb! Conclusion Through this series, youve been reminded of thetrue and better Adamwho embraced a tree for our redemption and life. Youve seen thetrue and better Isaac, who carried His cross to the place of execution for sins we committed, that we might become children of God through His willing death. There is atrue and better Israel, who pursued the unfaithful bride and redeemed her to be clothed in white, never again enslaved to sin. And there is atrue and better Mosesthe Prophet who perfectly represents God, the High Priest who intercedes for us, and the flawless Shepherd-King whose lordship demands our obedience. Behind Egypts gods stood a master deceiverthe father of lies, the ancient serpentwho twists truth and opposes the purposes of God. When Moses stood before Pharaoh, he wasnt merely confronting a ruler; he was standing against the spiritual powers of darkness. In that moment, Moses foreshadowed the One who would intercede perfectly on our behalf. Jesus is the true and better Mosesthe long-promised Deliverer, the Lion of Judah who became the Lamb of God to set captives free. He alone is the sinless Son of the Father, who took on flesh and dwelt among usthe Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. But His death did more than address our guilt; ittriumphed over sin, death, and every power opposed to Gods kingdom. Through His cross and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14), and the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). When we turn to the book of Revelation, we witness a dramatic, global reenactment of the Exodus story: the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls each unleash escalating judgments, echoing the plagues that struck Egypt. Yet, just as Pharaoh stubbornly hardened his heart, so too does humanity in the final days. Scripture warns, The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands; they continued to worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and woodidols that can neither see, hear, nor walk. They refused to repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts (Rev. 9:20-21). So we must ask regarding ourselves: Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him? Thetrue and better Moses, theLamb of God, was slain to liberate us from such things. For the true Christian,Colossians 2:1315declares our victory: And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Col. 2:13-15) If you are in Christ, your victory and freedom are found inthe Lamb who reigns as the Lion of Judah. Jesus is the true and better Mediator who stands in your place. Jesus is the true and better Deliverer who leads His people out of bondage. The true Son of God is your salvationbefore whom every ruler and demon, all who are rich and poor, those who are known and unknown will one day bow. And on that Day, mayRevelation 12:1011be said of you: Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. (Rev. 12:10-11) [1] And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:3-4) [2] No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? (1 Cor. 10:20-22)
When Moses was born the Hebrew people had been living in Egypt for quite a time. Initially under the protection of Joseph and Pharoah and welcomed as honored guests; they had become an oppressed and enslaved nation. Fearing their growing strength, Pharaoh ordered every Hebrew boy to be thrown into the Nile. But one mothers courage defied the kings decree. She hid her child as long as she could, then placed him in a basket coated with tar and pitch and set him afloat on the Nile river. By Gods providence, Pharaohs daughter found the baby and raised him as her own. Moses grew up amid the luxury of Pharaohs court, yet he never forgot his Hebrew roots. His passion for justiceand his temperwould define much of his life. When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, Moses struck down the oppressor and hid the body in the sand (Exod. 2:1112). When the act became known, he fled to the wilderness of Midian, where he spent forty years as a shepherd, husband, and son-in-law to Jethrowaiting for the day when God would call him to lead His people out of bondage. By the time we reach Exodus 3, Moses had already spent those forty years in Midian tending sheep. Then, before a burning bush, he encountered the living Godthe God of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God entered into Moses world in such a way that he would never be the same again. When God called to him from the bush, He said,Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground(v. 5). What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his classicThe Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart. The God who spoke to Moses from within the burning bush is not only holybut faithful. While many Hebrews believed that God had forgotten them, the Lord reminded Moses that He is not only all-seeing, but full of mercy:I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings(v. 7). Then God said to Moses,And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt(v. 10). To this, Moses humbly replied,Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that Moses saw in himself was his own failures and weaknesses. But for God, it didnt matter how weak Moses was, for He delights to use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:2631). What the burning bush reminds us of is not only that God is holy, or that He is omniscient, or that He is faithful to His promises, but that God uses people not because He needs to, but because He wants to. Just as God did not need Noah or Joseph to address the problems of the world, He did not need Moses. The marvel of the story of God and the people He chooses to use has more to do with that fact that He invites people like us into His mission and the story He is telling. There is a Mediator Who Stands in Your Place After God revealed Himself to Moses as Yahwehthe covenant-keeping GodHe commissioned Moses to return to Egypt. Understandably, Moses questioned,Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?God assured him,I will certainly be with you(Exod. 3:1012). And when Moses was to speak to the people of Israel, God instructed him to say,I AM WHO I AM has sent me to you(v. 14). One of the characteristics that distinguishes the God of Abraham from the gods of Egypt is His faithfulnessHe keeps His promises. This is expressed beautifully inExodus 6:25, where God tells Moses,I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.Gods faithfulness is not only in His name but in His actions, His compassion, and His unwavering remembrance of His promises. Do you remember Leahthe ugly wife whom Jacob did not love? Not only was Judah born to her, but so was Levi. About five generations later, we read inExodus 2:1of a man from the house of Levi who married a daughter of Levi. Together they had three children: Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. It was after Miriam and Aarons birthbut before Moses was bornthat Pharaoh commanded every Hebrew son to be thrown into the Nile (seeExod. 1:2022). Yet from this very family, God raised up the leaders who would deliver His people. Moses would lead Israel out of bondage, serving as a type of king who would shepherd Gods people through the wilderness. Aaron would become Gods priest, and through him the priestly line would continue (Exod. 28:129:9). Miriam would be identified as a prophetess (Exod. 15:2021). Dont miss this: God used all threeMoses, Aaron, and Miriamto lead His people out of Egypt, yet Aaron and Miriam would serve the people under Moses leadership (see Mic. 6:4). But it was to Moses, that God said, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. And when Miriam and Aaron forgot their place and Moses God-ordained role before Israel, God said, Now hear My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. It is not this way for My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, that is, openly, and not using mysterious language, and he beholds the form of the Lord. So why were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses? (see Num. 12:1-8). Follow the Deliverer Who Leads His People Out of Bondage Moses stood before Pharaoh and Israel as a type ofshepherd-kinga mediator and prophet who spoke on Gods behalf. Listen to how the Lord described Moses role: As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaohs heart, so that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst. (Exod. 7:2-5). When Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh, they declared, Thus says the LORD, Let My people go. (Exod. 5:1). Pharaoh not only refused but mocked the God of Israel: Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go (5:1-2). To prove that no one would command Pharoah of Egypt, he made the Israelites labor even harsher, forcing them to gather their own straw while maintaining the same quota of bricks. What followed was asuccession of ten plagues, each designed to expose the impotence of Egypts gods and, in many cases, tomock them directly. The first nine fall naturally into three escalating triads: Plagues of defilement:water turned to blood (7:1424), frogs overran the land (8:115), and gnats or lice tormented Egypt (8:1619). Plagues of destruction:swarms of flies invaded (8:2032); disease killed Egypts livestock while Israels remained unharmed (9:17); and boils afflicted people and animals alike (9:812). Plagues of devastation:hail mixed with fire ravaged the land (9:1335); locusts devoured the remaining crops (10:120); and darknessa direct assault onRa, the sun-godcovered Egypt for three days (10:2129). Each judgment demonstrated Yahwehs sovereignty, yet Pharaohs heart only grew harder. Enraged, he shouted to Moseswho stood before himas Gods representative: Get away from me! Be careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die! (10:28). The cognitive dissonance of Pharaoh towards the God of the Israel was not only irrational, but insane! He was dealing with the God who He could not defeat, for in the words of the apostle Paul, it was the equivalent of the clay pot accusing the potter that He had no rights over what He created (Rom. 9:19ff.). In essence, Pharaohs heart cried out to the God of Moses,Who are You to tell me what I can and cannot do? Before we shake our heads or point our finger at Pharaoh in disgust, we must ask ourselves:What has God commanded us to release or submit to that we have resisted with the same question Who is Yahweh that I should obey His voice? Live in the Victory of the Lamb Who Triumphed Over Every Power Before the final plague, Israel was commanded to take amale lamb without defectand keep it forfour dayslong enough to confirm it was spotless and long enough for it to become, in a sense,theirlamb (Exod. 12:16). On the fourteenth day, the lamb was to be slaughtered at twilight, and its blood applied on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it (v. 7). Afterward, the entire household was toeat the lamb together(vv. 811). For what purpose was the perfect and spotless lamb slaughtered? We are told why in Exodus 12:12, For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgmentsI am the Lord. Who would God strike? Thefirstborn sonsboth human and animaland thegods (elohim) of Egypt. These gods were not merely lifeless idols butspiritual powers, demonic forces that animated Egypts sorcery and who also held Pharaoh and his people captive[1] (see Deut. 32:17; 1 Cor. 10:2022).[2] So what fueled Pharaohs hatred of Yahweh and his oppression of Israel? His sin and pride, certainlybut beneath that rebellion lay ademonic conflict. The showdown between Moses and Pharaoh, Israel and Egypt, was not merely political or personal; it wasspiritual warfare. As Paul later wrote, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). Every plague before the tenth was a call to repentancea chance for Pharaoh, for Egypt, and even for any Hebrew who had turned to Egypts idols, to turn back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But only throughthe blood of the lambwould anyone experience deliverance and victory. But, why the firstborn? At the summit of Egypts pantheon stoodRa (Re), the so-called god of gods, depicted with thehead of a falconand thesolar disk encircled by a cobraa symbol of divine power and kingship. Pharaoh was worshiped as theson of Ra, and his ownfirstborn sonwas regarded as the next embodiment of divine rule. In one decisive act, Yahweh crushed the head of Egypts god for the purpose of liberating captive Israel and any Egyptian who wished to turn to the true Creator, and He did it through the blood of the lamb! Conclusion Through this series, youve been reminded of thetrue and better Adamwho embraced a tree for our redemption and life. Youve seen thetrue and better Isaac, who carried His cross to the place of execution for sins we committed, that we might become children of God through His willing death. There is atrue and better Israel, who pursued the unfaithful bride and redeemed her to be clothed in white, never again enslaved to sin. And there is atrue and better Mosesthe Prophet who perfectly represents God, the High Priest who intercedes for us, and the flawless Shepherd-King whose lordship demands our obedience. Behind Egypts gods stood a master deceiverthe father of lies, the ancient serpentwho twists truth and opposes the purposes of God. When Moses stood before Pharaoh, he wasnt merely confronting a ruler; he was standing against the spiritual powers of darkness. In that moment, Moses foreshadowed the One who would intercede perfectly on our behalf. Jesus is the true and better Mosesthe long-promised Deliverer, the Lion of Judah who became the Lamb of God to set captives free. He alone is the sinless Son of the Father, who took on flesh and dwelt among usthe Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. But His death did more than address our guilt; ittriumphed over sin, death, and every power opposed to Gods kingdom. Through His cross and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14), and the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). When we turn to the book of Revelation, we witness a dramatic, global reenactment of the Exodus story: the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls each unleash escalating judgments, echoing the plagues that struck Egypt. Yet, just as Pharaoh stubbornly hardened his heart, so too does humanity in the final days. Scripture warns, The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands; they continued to worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and woodidols that can neither see, hear, nor walk. They refused to repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts (Rev. 9:20-21). So we must ask regarding ourselves: Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him? Thetrue and better Moses, theLamb of God, was slain to liberate us from such things. For the true Christian,Colossians 2:1315declares our victory: And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Col. 2:13-15) If you are in Christ, your victory and freedom are found inthe Lamb who reigns as the Lion of Judah. Jesus is the true and better Mediator who stands in your place. Jesus is the true and better Deliverer who leads His people out of bondage. The true Son of God is your salvationbefore whom every ruler and demon, all who are rich and poor, those who are known and unknown will one day bow. And on that Day, mayRevelation 12:1011be said of you: Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. (Rev. 12:10-11) [1] And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:3-4) [2] No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? (1 Cor. 10:20-22)
Daily Soap Opera Spoilers by Soap Dirt (GH, Y&R, B&B, and DOOL)
Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Young and the Restless spoilers for Nov 10-14, 2025 indicate an enraged Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and secrets revealed by Holden Novak (Nathan Owens). Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin) decides to return to Genoa City, leading Holden to disclose his past encounters with Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver). Dramatic flashbacks reveal Audra's alleged theft and subsequent escape, leaving Holden entangled in the scandal. Y&R spoilers hint Detective Burrows (Matt Cohen) shows up while Noah Newman (Rory Gibson) wakes up from his coma, prompting Nick to confront the mysterious Matt Clark. As tensions rise, the Newman family rallies around Noah, while Nick's suspicions about Matt continue to grow. Spoilers for Young and Restless reveal Abby Newman, Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle), and Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) are concerned about Claire's involvement with Holden. The episode also sees Nick confronting Mitch, whom he believes to be Matt Clark. More Y&R spoilers include Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) trying to help Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor), Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) doubting Kane Ashby's (Billy Flynn) claims, and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) preparing to use the AI against his rival, hinting at an imminent showdown with Jack and Jabot the week of 11/10 - 11/14/2025. You are listening to Belynda from Soap Dirt. The most listened to podcast for soap operas. Visit our Young and the Restless section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/young-and-the-restless/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ Check out our always up-to-date Young and the Restless Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/young-and-the-restless-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/
Despite the extra hour of sleep, Erica was feeling cranky and enraged after Daylight Savings Time!
She was a maiden of fifteen who lived with her parents in the Christian enclave of Sinope in Pontus during the 1700s. One day, as she went to the marketplace, she passed by the house of the local Pasha (governor), who, seeing her beauty, was seized by lust for her. He ordered his servants to bring her to him, and made two attempts to defile her; each time, however, he was prevented by a mysterious power that kept him from her like an invisible wall. Determined to have his way for her, he kept her prisoner in his house; but she was able to slip away and run home to her parents' house. Enraged that his prey had escaped, the Pasha called together the leaders of the Christian community and promised that, unless Helen were handed over to him, all the Christians in the town would be massacred. Grief-stricken and fearful, the leaders persuaded Helen's father to return the girl to the palace. The vile Pasha made several more attempts to rape the Saint, but once again he was restrained as if by an invisible wall as she recited the Six Psalms and all the prayers that she knew by heart. Realizing that he was powerless against her, the Pasha had her thrown in the common jail, then ordered that she be tortured to death. The executioners subjected the maiden to several cruel torments before killing her by driving two nails into her skull and beheading her. They then put her body in a sack and threw it in the Black Sea. Some Greek sailors followed a heavenly light to the place where the sack had sunk, and divers retrieved the Saint's relics, which immediately revealed themselves as a source of healing for many. Her body was taken to Russia; her head was placed in the church in Sinope, where it continued to work miracles, especially for those who suffered from headaches. When the Greeks were driven from Sinope in 1924, refugees took the head with them. It is venerated today in a church near Thessalonika.
She was a maiden of fifteen who lived with her parents in the Christian enclave of Sinope in Pontus during the 1700s. One day, as she went to the marketplace, she passed by the house of the local Pasha (governor), who, seeing her beauty, was seized by lust for her. He ordered his servants to bring her to him, and made two attempts to defile her; each time, however, he was prevented by a mysterious power that kept him from her like an invisible wall. Determined to have his way for her, he kept her prisoner in his house; but she was able to slip away and run home to her parents' house. Enraged that his prey had escaped, the Pasha called together the leaders of the Christian community and promised that, unless Helen were handed over to him, all the Christians in the town would be massacred. Grief-stricken and fearful, the leaders persuaded Helen's father to return the girl to the palace. The vile Pasha made several more attempts to rape the Saint, but once again he was restrained as if by an invisible wall as she recited the Six Psalms and all the prayers that she knew by heart. Realizing that he was powerless against her, the Pasha had her thrown in the common jail, then ordered that she be tortured to death. The executioners subjected the maiden to several cruel torments before killing her by driving two nails into her skull and beheading her. They then put her body in a sack and threw it in the Black Sea. Some Greek sailors followed a heavenly light to the place where the sack had sunk, and divers retrieved the Saint's relics, which immediately revealed themselves as a source of healing for many. Her body was taken to Russia; her head was placed in the church in Sinope, where it continued to work miracles, especially for those who suffered from headaches. When the Greeks were driven from Sinope in 1924, refugees took the head with them. It is venerated today in a church near Thessalonika.
Daily Soap Opera Spoilers by Soap Dirt (GH, Y&R, B&B, and DOOL)
Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt General Hospital spoilers for Nov 03-07, 2025 offer fans a riveting week as Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) and Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) are set to feature heavily, with Portia becoming enraged and Michael panicking. As the week unfolds, Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins) and Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) have a serious disagreement over their son Rocco. GH spoilers indicate Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) also clash and showdowns involving several other key characters, including Britt, Nathan West (Ryan Paevey), Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson), Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner), and Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper). Spoilers for General Hospital expose the Quartermaine family is left shocked by Ronnie Bard's (Erika Slezak) decision to sell the house, with Martin Gray (Michael E Knight) playing a key role in this plot. In another storyline, Jacinda Bracken (Paige Herschell) may withdraw her alibi for Michael, depending on a deal with Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) the week of 11/03 - 11/07/2025. This episode was hosted by Belynda Gates-Turner for Soap Dirt. Visit our General Hospital section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/general-hospital/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ Check out our always up-to-date General Hospital Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/general-hospital-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/
Enraged Erica might be our favorite Erica! What do you think about these different Halloween costumes?
-- On the Show: -- Mike Nellis, Democratic strategist and social impact entrepreneur, joins David for a Substack Live to discuss what went wrong with Kamala Harris's 2024 campaign -- Donald Trump's government shutdown leaves airports unmanned, flights delayed, and the FAA in crisis as air travel collapses under dangerous conditions -- Kevin Hassett admits soybean exports to China stop, silos overflow, and Trump's trade war sparks panic inside his economic team -- Trump shocks reporters by floating clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, bragging about ending wars, and musing about using the Insurrection Act -- Karoline Leavitt clashes with reporters as she defends Trump with false claims, wild health care math, and attacks on Antifa funding -- Emmanuel Macron, Ilham Aliyev, and Edi Rama laugh after Trump confuses Albania, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, humiliating the U.S. on the world stage -- Trump concedes the shutdown is about killing Obamacare while ranting about Portland and insulting a judge he himself appointed -- Trump melts down over Bad Bunny, the NFL, water in Los Angeles, and the Insurrection Act during a chaotic Newsmax exchange -- On the Bonus Show: A judge who ruled against Trump has her house burn down, AOC tells supporters to “laugh at” Stephen Miller's “insecure masculinity,” Trump announces a White House UFC event on his birthday, and much more…
In today's Daily Fix:Hollywood's major performers' union, SAG-AFTRA, has responded to an AI-generated 'actress,' named Tilly Norwood, who is seeking representation at a talent agency. Tilly Norwood is the creation of Eline Van der Velden, founder of AI production company Particle 6. Van der Velden claims several agencies have expressed interest, but Hollywood actors and the SAG-AFTRA union have expressed shock that a talent agency would consider signing software that may end up competing with real actors for jobs. In other news, Terminator 2D: No Fate has been delayed to November. The publisher says it's because of the ongoing complications with global tariffs, and the game is still planning on shipping physical editions. And finally, Capcom devs working on Resident Evil aren't quite sure they know what's scary anymore.
Batman ’66 S2 Ep34 – The Catwoman Goeth Though Batman escapes the Sandman’s trap, Robin is left to wander in a deadly maze. A clue leads Batman to Catwoman’s lair, where he informs her of Sandman’s plans to elope with J. Pauline Spaghetti and keep her fortunes to himself. Enraged by the Sandman’s trickery, Catwoman […] The post BatChums Episode 70 – The Catwoman Goeth appeared first on The ESO Network.
Welcome to Troll Hole episode 79! Thanks for slipping into the tranquil waters of the spit pit and letting our hilarious conversation wash away your impurities. In this episode we talk: Minnesota State Fair, small towns, dads, dairy queen, sleep deprivation, weddings, Whitney Houston, bad breath, Gathering of The Juggalos, Raja Jackson, mean kids, Taylor Swift's engagement and so much more. Reach in. Pull it out. Subscribe to the pod. Then give us a rating and leave a review while you're here. We're trying to feed our son, Producer Neil.#TaylorSwift #RajaJackson #StateFair #health #wellness #Trolling #trollholeWant bonus episodes and content? Check out the Troll Hole Patreon!:https://www.patreon.com/c/TrollHolePodcastFollow Troll Hole on Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/trollholepodcastFollow Ben Katzner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaqkatznerCheck Ben out live!: https://shaqkatzner.komi.io/Follow Mike Lester on Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/justmikelesterFollow Producer Neil! https://www.instagram.com/n3ilfaceListen to Neil's music here: https://songwhip.com/sevenswordsHas anyone said anything weird to you lately? Tell us about it and we might talk about it on the pod! Send us screenshots or tell us your trolling story by dm'ing us or send it to us at Trollholepod@gmail.com
Happy Labor Day!! This Patreon.com/HardFactor Episode of Mark and Will breaking down the best Florida Man stories of last week is brought to you by our incredible sponsors: Hydrow - For a limited time go to Hydrow.com and use code HARDFACTOR to save up to $450 off your Hydrow Pro Rower!Brooklyn Bedding - Go to brooklynbedding.com and use code HARDFACTOR at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. This offer is not available anywhere else. Brooklyn Bedding - Go to brooklynbedding.com and use code HARDFACTOR at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. This offer is not available anywhere else. DaftKings - Download the DraftKings Casino app, sign up with code HARDFACTOR, and spin your favorite slots! The Crown is Yours - Gambling problem? Call one eight hundred GAMBLER Poncho - If you've been looking for the perfect shirt—something breathable, fits great, feels even better, and stands out in a good way—give Poncho a try. Go to ponchooutdoors.com/HARDFACTOR for $10 off your first order. Lucy - Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy. Go to Lucy.co/HARDFACTOR and use promo code (HARDFACTOR) to get 20% off your first order. Lucy has a 30-day refund policy if you change your mind. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Pre-K Curriculum and the Annual Seasons of Florida Man, (00:12:56) Enraged 70 year-old Florida Man assaults children over fishing in neighborhood pond, (00:23:00) 68 year-old Florida Man arrested for DUI after calling the cops on himself for killing a deer, (00:30:43) Florida Man throws Pizza Box at preggo gf while getting cucked by presumably handsome and manly Uber Driver, (00:39:12) Will's daughter joins for the heroic tale of a real life Florida Batman, Kyle Miven, who apprehended a criminal in his pajamas while protecting his neighborhood Thank you for listening, get access to more bonus podcasts like this at Patreon.com/HardFactor!! But MOST Importantly, HAGFD/W!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In March 1864, Union Colonel William B. Stokes and his cavalry were ambushed at Dug Hill, in Tennessee, leaving dozens of his men dead. Enraged, Stokes led a brutal raid on William and Cynthia Officer's home, where Confederate soldiers, including their son John, were staying. Six were killed, and the family narrowly escaped destruction thanks to the courage of one of their slaves, Uncle Abe.This week we tell of the brutality of the Civil War, a story of vengeance, survival, and the high cost of that war in Appalachia.You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Spreaker, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.Thanks for listening.
Jeff's been engaged for over a month, and is suffused with bonhomie and goodwill, while the normally sanguine Gabe is ENRAGED! At eBay sellers who say “make an offer,” but don't actually want one; at overpriced camera straps and thumb drives — he's seething! Next, the boys note some stereotypically male behavior from “Chad” GPT, discuss the financial state of our beloved Kodak, examine the controversy over Nick Ut's “Terror of War” photo, and take a swan dive into an exceptionally Prodigious Mailbag. Finally: will Debbie Gibson record a vocal version of our theme song for the upcoming (and final?) 100th episode, or is that Only In My Dreams? Shake Your Love and find out!Gabe traveled to Lake Muskoka north of Toronto and shot no filmJeff asked ChatGPT to compare the Closter Princess Junior with the Galileo Condor II, and it claimed they were bikes! We now dub the app “Chad GPT,” because he's a man who'll never say “I Don't Know”!is Kodak in trouble? Calm down!we discuss the emergent controversy over the authorship of Nick Ut's “Terror of War” photo, as recounted in the new documentary The Stringer - for example, even AP admits the negative was not shot with Ut's preferred Leica M2, but a cheap Pentax, and our trusty dusty camera repair guy confirms thisGabe rails at eBay sellers who say “make offer” but don't want an offeralso, when is the asking price too high? for straps, thumb drives, Alpa strap lugs...?Jeff openly derides absurd packfilm pricesGabe rhapsodizes about OC Camera in Laguna Hillswe both love Sissi Lu's recent photo shoot with her momour trusty dusty camera repair guy replaced the focusing screen in Gabe's Rolleiflex 2.8E, and the results are gloriousthe Prodigious Mailbag™ includes an unexpected eyewitness update on Jeff's Alpa 10s half-cookieGabe will be at the LA Camera Expo this Sunday, August 17thour designer (and award-winning photographer) Keith Greenstein is back on Instagramcheck out The Darkroom Rumour, The Darkroom's amazing new streaming site for photo documentariesand let's get Debbie Gibson to record a vocal version of our theme song with composer Fred Coury for the 100th episode!
Send us a textIn 1995, a tragic crime in Grand Prairie, Texas, shocked the nation and became known as the Texas Cadet Murder. The case involved two promising high school students—Diane Zamora and David Graham—both of whom were aspiring military cadets with bright futures ahead of them. Their intense romantic relationship took a dark turn when jealousy and obsession spiraled into violence.According to court records, Graham confessed to Zamora that he had a brief encounter with fellow student Adrianne Jones, a 16-year-old track star. Enraged by the revelation, Zamora reportedly demanded he "make things right." What followed was a carefully planned and ultimately fatal ambush. In December 1995, Adrianne was lured out under false pretenses and murdered.The shocking nature of the crime and the young age of those involved drew widespread media attention. In 1997, the story was adapted into a made-for-TV movie titled Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder, starring Holly Marie Combs and David Lipper. The film dramatizes the events leading up to the murder and offered viewers a glimpse into the psychological unraveling that led to such a tragic outcome.More than two decades later, the case remains a haunting example of how unchecked emotions and toxic loyalty can have irreversible consequences.Sources: *This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you're connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update.Blind Love: The True Story of the Texas Cadet Murder by Peter Meyer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sITCDhYg6JM&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tDhttps://www.oxygen.com/prosecuting-evil-with-kelly-siegler/crime-news/diane-zamora-david-graham-murdered-adrianne-joneshttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17965475https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7205r5*This podcast is independently produced using publicly available information and personal research. I approach each story with care and respect, though I recognize that I may not always have access to every voice or perspective involved. If you're connected to the story and would like to share your experience, I truly welcome the opportunity to include your insights in a future update. Email Residue: residuepodcast@gmail.comFind RESIDUE online:Instagram: @residuepodcastTik Tok: @residuepodcast Facebook: Residue:A True Crime Podcast Credits: RESIDUE is Hosted/Produced/Researched/Edited by Chrissy Champagne THEME SONG: "Dance Of Death" by Purple Planet Music collection written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey. Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound. Residue logo designed by Tricia Cappelli
A Hosea and Gomer retelling... in Nigeria? Yes, please! Listen in and learn about IyanuOluwa's inspiration, love of words, and love of the Lord and his people in Love's Beacon. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. I had a lovely time chatting with IyanoOluwa about her The Way Home series and how she weaves faith, Nigerian culture, and Biblical inspiration into her contemporary romance stories. Love's Beacon by IyanuOluwa Olorode Goal/Wish List Mini Cooper that I didn't buy with my own money. Check. MSc from London College of Fashion. Check. Become a millionaire, not just because of dad's money. Check. Have at least five thriving businesses. Check. Get married to the love of my life. FUTURE IMPOSSIBLE TENSE! Regina has everything she possibly wants. At least almost everything. Two things elude her. One. Dapo. Dapo is all shades wrong and not hers. He's her sister's man, yet her heart can't stop beating for him. Why? Maybe because he has the other one thing she knows she can never have—a relationship with God. Something she once had but foolishly threw away. Rachel is wife material. Not just any wife material. Pastor's wife material. She's godly, calm, and reserved. She loves the Lord, and she's pretty enough that they'd both look good on a church poster. Dapo's plan to become the youngest youth pastor at Solid Rock Assembly is set in motion and meets an abrupt end when his fiancée marries Brother Bisola instead. Enraged and heartbroken, Dapo finds himself nursing a heartbreak and feelings towards his best friend's baby sister, Regina. Regina is all shades wrong. She's loud, impulsive, has close to zero interest in the things of the Lord, wears skimpy clothes, and is too beautiful for her own good. Despite all the red flags, he can't stop himself from loving her. And three words ring loud and clear: RECIPE FOR DISASTER. Regina believes in fate. Could it be fate bringing them together? Or is there something else, something more powerful intent on weaving something marvellous out of that disaster? Love's Beacon is a Nigerian contemporary loose retelling of the Hosea and Gomer story. Learn more about Iyanu on her WEBSITE and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub. Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: Apple Castbox Google Play Libsyn RSS Spotify Amazon and more!
A long but loaded show for you! In our Battletome review, host Brendan becomes enraged, for a brief time, as he shares his thoughts on one of the Armies of Renown! Dave joins us for the entire show...it is Blades of Khorne after all...and talks about the first Heresy Journal Tactica. Brendan also talks us through the highlights of the recent Sigmar FAQ. Pretty much something for everyone. This Battletome is a beast, so be sure to use those time stamps to guide your listening enjoyment. Thanks as always for joining us. Your support is truly appreciated. 2:06 Whispers From The Warp 18:44 The Emperor Lies 18:44 Liber Nordstumus (Horus Heresy) 26:19 July 2025 Sigmar FAQ 35:05 Blades of Khorne Battletome Review - Part I 1:30:17 Blades of Khorne Battletome Review - Part II 2:38:49 Scriptorium 2:46:08 This or That 2:56:10 Show Close
An Illinois woman balancing motherhood, her education, and her career meets someone who unexpectedly changes her life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introduction: Minutes 0 to 5:15 I watched Trainwreck: Woodstock 99, The Shark Whisperer and Opus. Chandra loves The Gilded Age and Patience. We both watched Murderbot. Royals: Minutes 5:15 to 22:30 Last weekend French President Macron made a state visit to the UK. Will and Kate were only there to welcome the Macrons. They were sidelined during most of the visit, and then went to the state banquet with a last minute confirmation. Their fashion choices at dinner seemed pointed. William did not wear the Windsor men's uniform including red cloth on the collar and we learned that was deliberate because he's going to do things differently when he's king! Kate did not wear white like all of the other women and instead wore a red Givenchy gown. We then heard that Kate was sending a message to Meghan considering that Givenchy designed Meghan's wedding gown. William and Kate did not pose for photos at the dinner with the Macrons, as is typical at state dinners. Kate's assistant/stylist Natasha Archer stepped down last week after 15 years. When Archer left she made her Instagram public, either deliberately or through incompetence. She was initially following over 1,700 accounts including so many of Meghan's close friends and collaborators. These are people she would have no other reason to follow other than to stalk Meghan. Archer did a mass unfollow after that and now she's only following around 300 people. It took days for the British press to pick up that story but it's now in the Daily Mail. Kate has copied Meghan's outfits, heels and sneakers openly for years. We wonder if leaving her Instagram public is a deliberate move by Archer. I play a segment from Zoom where we talked about this. Representatives for The Sussexes and King Charles had a “peace summit” meeting in London last week at a private club. This was between the Sussexes' representative in the UK, Liam Maguire, their new communications director, Meredith Maines, and Charles' communications director, Tobyn Andreae. Andreae was hired by Charles in 2022 and he's a former editor of The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday. The Mail on Sunday got an exclusive story about the summit, which was clearly from Andreae. Sources told The Telegraph that Harry's side definitely didn't leak the news of the peace summit. Chandra doesn't think Harry was surprised by the leak though. No one from William's side was invited, but they kept leaking stories about how enraged William is at the Sussexes. William took it personally that Harry and Charles's representatives met. Meanwhile there were all these stories about how William will never forgive Harry, but Harry and Meghan need to apologize and come back to do royal work. Will and Kate's Wimbledon outing was reportedly ruined after news of the peace summit broke. We talk about how childish Prince William is and how he's like Trump. I say Kate is the British Melania, but Chandra thinks she's like Ivanka. There was a story last month in The Telegraph about how Charles wants Harry and his family at his funeral. The Daily Beast reported that Charles' rep Tobyn Andreae tried to shut that story down before it was published and warned the royal rota not to pick it up. We talk about how angry and ineffective William always is. Comments of the Week: Minutes 22:30 to end Chandra's comment of the week is from D on the post about Gwyneth Paltrow's dishy biography. My comment of the week is from ariel on the post about the Emmy's nominations. Thanks for listening bitches!
Just last week, PM Benjamin Netanyahu spent three very full days in Washington DC conferring with President Trump and overseeing his most senior advisers get down to brass tacks with their US counterparts. The expectation – fed by repeated statements made by the President – was that a deal to end the war with Hamas and free the remaining hostages was close. So close. The families of those in captivity dared to allow themselves to feel hopeful. Until the PM returned to Israel. And suddenly, there was yet another impassable breach. This time? Israel cannot agree to withdraw from the Gaza Strip on the terms acceptable to Hamas. Each side blames the other. And at this point, Israelis are so worn out they don't care. More than 75% of Israelis want this war to end now. More than 60% of voters who supported the government coalition want this war to end now. And they all want every last hostage returned to Israel. Now. Not tomorrow. Or the day after. Now. And PM Netanyahu seems impervious to this very grim and determined national mood. Morale has nosedived in recent days and State of Tel Aviv and Beyond's superb military and political analyst, Ya'akov Katz, joins me today to untangle this mess.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel's Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe
Kristen & Luke get engaged… but there was trouble in paradise. Kristen almost threw Janet off of a boat. Was her anger justified?! And, we think someone on the cast is still in love with their ex-wife.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today's energy taps into a couple that once dreamed of forever—but now they're barely making it to next week. This isn't a situationship; it's a solid bond—living together, engaged, or both. But behind the curtains of commitment lies the quiet drift of two souls growing apart. If this resonates, it might be time to ask: are we growing together, or just growing tired? #SeerineTarot #DailyCollectiveReading #EngagedButEnraged #SpiritualBreakup #RelationshipCrossroads #TarotTea #CouplesEnergy #BreakupEnergy #DivineDetour #HigherLevelHeartache #TarotWisdom #PickUpOnTheShift #EnergyUpdate #SeerineSays
Lakers sold for 10 billion dollars. Winning Time Show discussion. It made the late Jerry West look terrible. Hard to say no to the 10 billion dollar sale. Four billion more than the Celtics sold for. Irv is pounding the table. The billionaire owners are not staying on board like they say. The new Lakers owner owns a lot of teams. Are more teams going to stay in the second apron for two years? Hoss of the week discussion. Is an NBA team a smart investment? Will FSG sell the Red Sox? Is Devers HR a good pick for bet of the week? Bradfo joins the show! There is a lot to pick through here. What is going on with the Breslow interview tactics? People are just looking to make the Red Sox look bad right now. He claims that the AI interview thing was only for low level job listings. Everyone should be mad about the Devers trade right now. Their priority was to find a team who would take the whole Devers contract. The reaction from the team was so nothing compared to how massive the trade seemed. The culture was not good. The return could have been better, obviously. The Red Sox are to blame for this. Bradfo explains his thoughts on the Joon Lee story. He calls the AI story dumb.
Today on the Heart and Hustle Podcast we are joined by Michelle Villalobos of Sandra Michelle Artistry to talk about all of the drama surrounding a recent reel of ours and its impact on the HMUA industry. We ask Michelle to give us her initial thoughts upon seeing the reel before we fully dive into her process on wedding day. Michelle shares with us how she sets expectations with clients, her perspective on why she sees proper time for hair and makeup as an essential part of the wedding timeline, and she gives us some common misconceptions that she feels like other vendors in the industry have about HMUA's. Listen in on our conversation as we clear the air and explore how Michelle is able to stay on schedule during chaotic wedding days, specific ways that we can best support HMUA's on the wedding day, and so much more on this week's episode of the Heart and Hustle Podcast. --------------------------------- Burnout Freebie: https://theheartuniversity.com/burnout --------------------------------- Honeybook: share.honeybook.com/heart In addition to a FREE 7 day trial, get 35% off your first two years of HoneyBook! --------------------------------- Heart Apparel Shop: https://theheartuniversity.com/apparel --------------------------------- Stay Connected with Michelle: Website - https://www.sandramichelleartistry.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sandramichelleartistry/ --------------------------------- Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@theheartuniversitychannel?si=33lzxpBA9UxKlgTE --------------------------------- If you want to connect with us and other listeners in the Heart and Hustle community join our Facebook group here. --------------------------------- “PODCAST10” for 10% off anything from The Shop! www.theheartuniversity.com/shop --------------------------------- Follow along: www.instagram.com/mrslindseyroman www.instagram.com/evierupp www.instagram.com/theheartuniversity
Ari once again has enraged the state of Nebraska, this time with a column criticizing Nebraska coach Matt Rhule's stance on the College Football Playoff.(0:00-0:43) Intro(0:44-22:30) Ari and the Nebraska Cornhuskers(22:31-24:48) Watch us on YouTube, Wrapping up Nebraska(24:49-41:51) CFP to adopt Straight-Seeding model(41:52-43:09) BYU QB Jake Retzlaff accused of sexual assault(43:10-1:01:53) Dear Andy & Ari: Accumulating top talent in the NIL Era(1:01:54-1:05:34) The Confidence in Arch Manning at Texas(1:05:35-1:09:00) Revisiting Ari's take on Alabama and Georgia(1:09:01-1:12:42) Wisconsin to play Notre Dame in Lambeau Field in 2026(1:12:43-1:13:49) Conclusion After a joke Rhule made about a 40-team playoff in an interview with HuskerOnline began circulating Wednesday, Ari wrote a column critical of Rhule's previously stated stance that it wasn't worth playing difficult non-conference games in the current system. To put it more bluntly, Ari called that attitude “soft.” Rhule and pretty much everyone else in Nebraska took offense, and it culminated in a conversation between Rhule and Ari that hopefully cleared the air. In other news, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! reports that conference commissioners are expected to approve straight seeding for the 2025 playoff in a conference call Thursday. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit. It's also a Dear Andy/Dear Ari show, and you sent some great questions… Is Georgia coach Kirby Smart's philosophy of ensuring the proven players on his team make more than unproven freshmen a sound one? Texas and Ohio State both lost a lot of drafted players. Is the confidence in Texas reloading based on confidence in Arch Manning? Watch our show LIVE on YouTube, M-F at 9:30 am et! https://youtube.com/live/Lx6yt0Wg6Yo Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey Want to partner with the show? E-mail advertise@on3.com
This week's episode from Murder in the Rain.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/murder-in-the-rain/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
With new knowledge about the state—and future—of their world, the group of travelers take up their exploration again. Some learn first hand about this continent's fauna—majestic, mighty, and mystifying. One finds more evidence of the Valte Empire's violent search for their own answers. And some, in search of peace and quiet, finds himself facing evidence not of some dark future to come, but of a puzzling past. This week on Friends at the Table: Perpetua Prelude 05 PERPETUA PRELUDE - GUIDE Enemies - [PPEN] Valte Soldier [ENVS]: You'll fight a lot of these guys. Depending on the 3d model they're a bat or a dove, but at least in the demo, that doesn't seem to make much of a difference. They're flying, so you have to knock them down before you can do melee damage to them. Basic grunts. Valte Commander [ENVC]: The Valtese (Valtean? Valtican?) Commanders are a lot of tougher than the basic grunts are, and unfortunately, they can also summon the regular soldiers too. Knock them out of the air and then try to stun or debuff them quick! Mysterious Seaslimes [ENMS]: I love the way these enemies are actually each a SWARM of little weird gecko-y slime guys. They focus on debuffs like Slow and Enraged, so be sure to have Tonics on hand when you're passing through their forest. The Dragon-Fish [ENDF]: I can't stress this enough: This is an optional boss in Prelude, and it's hard as hell. Maybe in the full game you can beat it or maybe there's a quest related to it, but for now, it'll just kick your ass. Someone on the forum claims they beat it and only got like 5 XP and a quest item called “Strange Scale” that you can't use anywhere. NOT WORTH IT. Lobble Traveler [ENLT]: Just kidding. But I DO wish you could fight this ANNOYING freak. Hexcloak [ENHC]: Did you know that if you grind in the southern tip of the demo, there's like a .5% chance you'll run into a Hexcloak? You learn their deal towards the end of the demo, but this is the only way you can actually see them in action. They're strong, but if you've maxed out your party (or at least hit the level 10 max in the demo), you can probably win this fight! And if you do, you'll get a random elemental cloak drop from them. Of course, if you can win this fight, you probably don't need better gear anyway! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart) Sylvi Bullet (@sylvibullet), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), Art Martinez-Tebbel (@atebbel), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry) and Andrew Lee Swan (@swandre3000) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by Ben McEntee (https://linktr.ee/benmce.art) With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Aster Maragos, Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.
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