Podcasts about Excuse

Meghan and Miranda kick off the show relieved that Miranda didn't get swept away by the tsunami warnings on the West Coast, but the internet drama? That's another story. They dive into Sydney Sweeney's viral American Eagle ad and the online obsession with her “good jeans.” Then, Daily Mail's Nikki Schwab joins to unpack Trump's latest twist on the Epstein fallout... including a wild claim that he “stole” women from Mar-a-Lago. Also on deck: Cory Booker's Senate floor meltdown where he takes aim at his own party, and that chaotic, candid, and kinda confusing Hunter Biden interview. It's a wave of politics, pop culture, and everything in between.

Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL discuss the recent ICE job postings. These listings describe positions for “Deportation Officer”, "Criminal Investigator" and "General Attorney". They suggest this is part of a broader strategy to staff a loyalty-vetted enforcement agency with little oversight or transparency.  Then back to Epstein, who “stole” a 16-year-old girl from a Mar-a-Lago Spa, to work for him. They examine the deeply unsettling context of this story and how Trump appears to recount it without moral concern. They connect it to a broader pattern of normalization of sexual misconduct and the erosion of outrage in political culture.  Finally, the story of Luke Farritor, a young man who used AI to help decipher text from a scroll. Then went on to work for DOGE and who is to blame for his work. Get 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp at BetterHelp.com/THENEXTLEVEL. #sponsored

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.comSarah Longwell, Tim Miller and JVL discuss the recent ICE job postings. These listings describe positions for “Deportation Officer”, "Criminal Investigator" and "General Attorney". They suggest this is part of a broader strategy to staff a loyalty-vetted enforcement agency with little oversight or transparency. Then back to Epstein, who “stole” a 16-year-old girl from a Mar-a-Lago Spa, to work for him. They examine the deeply unsettling context of this story and how Trump appears to recount it without moral concern. They connect it to a broader pattern of normalization of sexual misconduct and the erosion of outrage in political culture. Finally, the story of Luke Farritor, a young man who used AI to help decipher text from a scroll. Then went on to work for DOGE and who is to blame for his work. Show notes:* ICE Job Postings* Mother Jones Border Patrol Article.* Bloomberg Article on Luke Farritor.Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Use the controls on the the left side of the player to toggle to the free audio-only edition or find The Next Level wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.This ad-free video version of The Next Level is exclusively for Bulwark+ members. You can add The Next Level to your podcast player of choice, here.

Colossians 3:1-11 - If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Self-care is super important but it shouldn't be used as an excuse for avoiding hard things. So cut your excuses in half and double your actions around your goals.My latest book “The Wealth Money Can't Buy” is full of fresh ideas and original tools that I'm absolutely certain will cause quantum leaps in your positivity, productivity, wellness, and happiness. You can order it now by clicking here.FOLLOW ROBIN SHARMA:InstagramFacebookTwitterYouTube

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 7 Hillbilly Tactics. Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.   The TV flashed, losing a digital telephone ring, and I grabbed the remote from the table and accepted the call. "Hey, Harrison," said the man on the other end. He was another lab coat, and as best I could tell from the blurry background he was likely in the same facility or even the same room as Doctor Varma had been. This guy looked like he'd stepped right out of a corny television show though; he was blubbery in the way that a guy could be after a couple of decades of slow physical decline, with a burst of thinning silver hair that just needed the black streaks and some smudges on his face to look like he'd been catoonishly blown up. The bit of scraggly, messy scruff on his chin that looked unplanned made me a little self-conscious of my own currently messy beard. Erica had wanted me to grow mine out a bit so she could decide if she liked it longer or shorter, and Ivy didn't care, so I was looking even more like a mountain man than usual. "I'm Doctor McKenna, but you can call me Bill," he continued. "You're on Doc Varma's team?" I asked, putting two and two together. "Yep," he nodded. "I was supposed to do the follow-up interview with you but got caught up with some of the numbers in your case. Charlotte and I have both reviewed the content. Sounds like you had a bit of a wild time, huh? And don't worry, we're all getting pretty used to the graphic nature of our work these days so you didn't offend or embarrass anyone." "Well, that's something at least," I said. "I never thought I'd be having a conversation like that with a doctor. Or anyone." He got a wry grin at this and held up a hand to ease me. "Believe me, Harrison. I've been with the team from the start and we have had more than a few of these sorts of conversations based on the nature of the vaccine. Yours is definitely up there as a novel case of details, but it's only personal for you, not us." I just nodded, not knowing what to say. I hadn't considered how often sex must come up in their day-to-day work if they were specialists. "Now, I have; well, I can't say it's good nor bad news," Doctor Bill said. "Interesting for us, for sure. As I'm sure you're aware, as you have two partners already, the vaccine is supposed to only be transmissible from women to men for the purposes of diluting the effects on men. To be frank, no one here on the team had considered the possibility of transferring and initiating a bonding process from one woman to another through female ejaculate. It doesn't help that most of the science community, those that would even think of it, haven't exactly spent time studying female ejaculate to begin with. So your situation wasn't tested for, but as far as we can tell it still shouldn't have been able to happen." "So what does that mean, doc?" I asked. "It means that you, or one of your current partners, or some combination, integrated with the vaccine and imprinting process in an exceptional way. A variant response is how we're categorizing it at the moment, and to be frank it's not even one of the most surprising ones we've encountered as the testing continues to broaden. As best we can tell from your interview, it's likely that Miss Peters was vaccinated through the oral ingestion of the female ejaculate; all the markers of a normal imprinting process occur when you began actual sex together. "Now, the really interesting part of this on my end is obviously the fact that this happened at all, but following the results of the blood tests from the Testing facility up where you are, and the preliminary tests we've completed on the samples that got flown down to us here, we've found that it isn't likely to be a phenomenon that is worth pursuing. Unfortunately, while Miss Peters is certainly going to be imprinted on you to some degree, it also seems that the efficacy of the vaccine in her system will be well under our current rates. Right now our projection is that she will only have an efficacy rate of about thirty-five to forty per cent, while a woman who has undergone our current best practices has an efficacy of somewhere around the eightieth percentile." I had to rub my forehead and close my eyes for a long moment as I tried to parse everything he was saying. "So what does that mean, Doctor Bill?" I asked. "It means that Miss Peters is now part of your 'Team,' he said. "That's what I've been calling the groups of imprinted people colloquially around here, anyways. But where your other two partners have a high likelihood of staving off the Duo Halo virus, if Miss Peters is exposed she is about half as likely to resist initial infection or gain serious aid in fighting off an infection she catches." "So we've put her at risk by having casual sex with her," I said. "Fuck me, this is exactly the kind of shit that I was worried about when she asked to join in with us." "Yes and no," he said. "To be frank, it's entirely possible that her integration with the vaccine will grow and normalize over time with repeated exposure to you. The staff up there will book some follow-up blood draws to check in on that. One of the many things were are trying to understand about the vaccine is how sex bolsters imprinted partners. Generally, we haven't seen that happen for women, since they can't have more than one imprinted male partner, but the more partners men are in contact with the more efficacy we're seeing." "So you're saying she's stuck with me," I said. "She asked for no-strings-attached, and she got trapped into a sexual relationship." "You could look at it that way," he said. "But,” "But," Doc Varma said, coming into view on his end of the call and hovering over his shoulder. "I would remind you, Mr. Black, that she did choose to initiate a group sexual encounter with you and your partners. And once she is awake from the imprinting process, I would not be surprised if she feels content with the overall situation following any initial panic or shock." I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "You know, when I first heard about this from Erica, I told her it sounded like some sort of brainwashing mind control shit? I couldn't believe she'd gotten the vaccine. But then everything was going so well that I stopped thinking about it. And Ivy was happy, and Erica's brother was partnered and they were both extremely happy. But this,” I sighed heavily and looked at the two scientists on the screen. "This is some fucked up, B-movie supervillain kind of shit. You guys realize that, right? Like, where is James Bond in all of this?" Bill frowned, but Doc Varma smirked just a little. "Yes," she said. "We are aware of how inappropriate many of the factors of the vaccine are, Mr. Black. It is a marvel of modern medicine, but we are still grappling with the necessities that come along with it." Together they ran me through what I needed to expect moving forward. Vanessa was going to be monitored until she woke up, so I would be spending the night where I was at. She'd get a complete physical, and they'd take more blood for testing before she'd be released into my care and we were brought back home. Then, depending on what she wanted, she would either be able to live with Erica, Ivy and I, or she could maintain some distance for the time being and only come to see me for the sexual encounters she would require. We would both receive follow-up check-ins from someone on the Vaccine testing team to draw more blood periodically to check if Vanessa's efficacy was changing, or if mine was. We hit the grocery store next, which ended up only allowing two people inside in a party at once. Dani wanted to look for some specific stuff, and Vanessa hadn't had her own kitchen to cook in for almost two years since she'd been eating cafeteria food on industrial construction sites, so I decided to hang out in the truck while they went in. I sent them with my credit card and reminded them of the staples we needed. They got in line outside the store, and I decided to enjoy the warmth of the afternoon and open the gate of my truck so I could sit outside. I watched Dani and Vanessa from across the parking lot, keeping one eye on them while I could. I could tell they were talking from the small hand motions. Neither of them talked with their hands like Erica or Leo did, but everything seemed friendly between them. "Excuse me?" I turned and realized I'd tunnel-visioned and completely lost track of my surroundings because a woman was standing about ten paces away from me. That wasn't like me at all. She was nervous, wringing her wrists as she stood awkwardly. She was a little scrawny, her clothes hanging off of her, and the eyes above her rough-looking mask were... not sunken, but sort of sad. "I'm sorry to bother you, Harri," she said. "I was just wondering if maybe you could spare a couple bucks? Things aren't really going well right now, and I've got my kids..." Living in Portland, I'd seen my fair share of homeless folks and beggars. Some of them were pushy and agitated, and others entirely shut down from their addictions. This woman didn't look homeless, but she definitely looked down on her luck. And down for enough time that it showed. She wasn't wearing even basic earrings but had the holes in her ears. There was a slightly less tan ring on her finger where I assumed a wedding band used to sit, but it was fading. Every major city in the United States had a homeless population. Some were worse than others, I knew that. The further south along the coast, the warmer it got, and the bigger the population. But out here in the sticks? In Jewell? Sure, we had the occasional drifter moving through. I'd never seen someone begging before. Things were really getting bad. "Uh, yeah, I can," I said, reaching for my wallet in my pocket. "I'm sorry, you know me but I'm not immediately recognizing you. Maybe it's the mask." She took a couple steps forward as I said I could spare her some cash, but looked away as I asked who she was. I kicked myself, realizing that her situation was embarrassing enough as it was. "Maybe you don't remember me," the woman said. "I was a year ahead of you in high school. Mary Duncan?" "Of course I remember you, Mary," I said. "It's just been a long time. You were a cheerleader I think, right? You did all the flips. You were really graceful." "Thanks," she said, and I could tell she was blushing behind her mask. I didn't have too much cash on me compared to what I used to carry for emergencies. I used to be a cash-only guy, at least around town. Knowing what my bank account looked like, I just pulled what I had and slipped down from the gate of my truck and set the bills on it, stepping back. "No offence, I don't think you stink or anything," I tried to joke. Mary's eyes went wide when she saw the bills, and she mumbled something as she stepped forward and I backed off a bit more so she could take them. It was maybe seventy dollars, but as she quickly looked through the bills I saw her get teary, and then she clutched the cash to her chest and collapsed to her knees, crying. I wanted to go and comfort her. Give her a hug. She was clearly overwhelmed and in a bad way, and back when we were in school she'd always been a cute, button-nosed girl with a soft smile and a big laugh. But I couldn't go to her. I couldn't rub her back or pat her shoulder or give her a hug. The best I could do was squat down from several feet away to get closer to her level. "Mary?" I asked. She sniffed hard and rubbed at her eyes. "Oh my God, I'm so embarrassed," she said. "You don't need to be," I said. "You said you have kids, right? How many?" "Two," she said. "Thomas is six now, and looks like his dad. My little girl Charlie is four. She wanted to go to school like her big brother this fall but..." But the schools were closed, and who knew how long they would be closed for? "And their Dad?" I asked. She sniffed hard again. "He went up to Portland to look for work after we both got laid off at the start of quarantine," she said. "I haven't heard from him since." "Fuck," I breathed out, hopefully not loud enough for her to hear. The guy could have abandoned his family like a shit, or just been overwhelmed and trying to find a way to make it right. Or he could be dead. "Mary, I'm sorry you're going through this. And I'm sorry if this touches another sore spot, but is your phone still active?" She nodded, touching the ragged little purse. I asked her to take it out and I immediately recognized that she'd probably downgraded her phone at a pawn shop, it was a beat-up old model barely above a flip phone. I gave her my number. "Call me the next time you need groceries, Okay?" I said. "Or if there's an emergency. Seriously, Mary." "I applied for food stamps, and welfare, but I haven't heard anything back," she said pitifully, like she was trying to explain her shitty situation. There wasn't any explaining. "The system is probably overloaded," I said softly. "Mary. I'm not pulling your leg. Go get groceries for you and your kids. I'll figure something out for you for next week, Okay?" "Harri, I can't just; I don't want to,” It was fucking stupid, but this woman who I remembered as that sweet girl was broken. I stood up and went to her, and pulled her to her feet and hugged her. She was tiny, and bony, in my arms. She'd probably been feeding her kids everything she could and taking the bare minimum for herself. "Stop," I said quietly as I held her, and she cried a little again. "You're doing what you can in a terrible situation, Mary. I'm doing Okay. Let me help." "Thank you," she whispered into my shirt, then sniffed behind her mask again and stepped away. 'Thank you, Harri." "Text me," I reminded her. "So that I have your number." "I will," she nodded. "I will." She left, headed towards the line outside the store, and I watched her go. Hopefully I wasn't going to pay for that moment of kindness with my life. But what was the point of being vaccinated and wealthy if I couldn't help a hurting woman? I sat back on the gate of my truck and saw the two big paper bags holding the meat I'd just bought. Hundreds of dollars' worth. I could have given her some, along with the cash. One of the chickens and some of the sausages. Kids liked sausage, right? Then I could practically hear my Mom's voice in the back of my mind. She'd been the giver in the family before she died. The volunteer. And she'd always said that you couldn't do your best for others without taking care of your family first. Seventy dollars would carry Mary and her kids for a few days at least. I could set up an account with Mason, connect her with Mrs. Branston for eggs, and cover her bill. I doubted I could do the same at the grocery store, but meat was always the most expensive part of meals anyways. I could drop a couple hundred bucks with her to help cover her other staples every few weeks. I looked down at my sweater, hoping again that I wasn't going to pay for this with sickness and death. What did those docs say? Eighty per cent effective, with more for each partner? I had three partners now, so I had to be like ninety per cent covered, right? The rest of my wait in the parking lot, unfortunately, wasn't peaceful. A guy with some parking lot road rage pounded on his horn at a woman who was loading her car. A half dozen teens skated through on skateboards, whooping and hollering and skirting by too close to people. None of them were wearing masks, and I saw a few of them spitting near people or fake coughing just to get a reaction out of them. I was trying to decide if I should call the emergency line, but they were gone as quickly as they arrived. Teens, rebellious and angry at the world, and most importantly bored and left to their own devices. Thankfully since I'd parked at the back of the lot they didn't really come near me. I did end up calling 911 when the fight broke out though. Two women were yelling at each other as they exited the store, both of them with full carts. I had no idea what they were shouting, but they definitely got the attention of everyone in the parking lot and the line. Then one lady pivoted and smacked her buggy into the other lady, and that one grabbed something out of the other's cart and threw it. "911 Emergency Services. Where is the emergency located?" "Yeah, I'm at the Green Grocer in Jewell," I said. "My name is Harrison Black. I need police services, a fight has broken out between two women in the parking lot and it's gotten physical." I could hear typing on the other end of the line. "I've dispatched a cruiser, sir, but the arrival time is at least twenty minutes. Is anyone's life in danger?" "Other than the pandemic?" I sighed. The women were grappled at this point, both of them trying to throw punches. "Hard to say. Neither of them are backing down and they've got a hold of each other and are swinging." "If you can, try to keep anyone else from getting involved, sir," the operator said. "And remember to keep your distance." "Fuck," I said as one of the ladies connected cleanly with the nose of the other. Blood started streaming down that one's face but it didn't stop her from clawing at the other with a snarl. "It's getting worse. There's blood now. Look, I'm not saying you have the authority to let me do this, but I've got my handgun in the truck and could pop one into the ground to spook them and try and disperse the issue." There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the line. "..... I mean, I'm not going to tell you to do that.... But..." "Understood," I said. I gave the operator my number, since I was sure the police were going to want to follow up with me, and then slammed the gate of my truck closed and went to the passenger side. Dani had returned the 1911 to its case thankfully, so I quickly slammed the magazine home and did a quick check to see it had one chambered before walking across the parking lot with the pistol held low and to the side. The women were scrapping on the ground at this point. A crowd had formed, not so close to each other to be shoulder to shoulder, but closer than they should have been. "Hey!" I shouted over the noise in my best military voice, but only the closest few people glanced over at me. One saw my gun and his eyes went wide. I sighed and shook my head, then pointed the muzzle at one of the little end-row barriers that had a sprig of a garden inside the concrete curb and pulled the trigger. The loud popping boom of the discharge quieted everyone real quick, including the fighting ladies as they all looked over at me. "Get the fuck out of here," I shouted. People scattered, including the two fighting ladies as they scrambled to recover their carts. I was pretty sure several items had gone missing from their shopping bags in the ruckus, claimed by other people who felt they needed them more. I just shook my head as I flipped the safety on and tucked the 1911 into the pocket on the front of my sweater. There were still a few people in line at the front of the store, along with an employee monitoring it, so I went over. It turned out to be the same teen as that time I'd been here with Erica and almost gotten in a fight myself. I gave him my name and let him know the police were already on their way. He said it wasn't the first fistfight he'd seen break out this week, let alone in the last month. "Kid," I said. "This job ain't worth your life." He shrugged. "I'm saving for college, and the bonus pay I'm getting as a front-line worker is adding up quickly." "College ain't worth your life either. Just saying." Dani and Vanessa came out of the store a little while later. I'd already returned the 1911 to its case and was sitting on the tailgate of my truck again. I explained to them what happened, both with Mary and with the fight. And I admitted to hugging Mary despite the danger. "I can walk home from here," I said. "We probably shouldn't get into the truck together. I'll need to,” "Harri," Vanessa interrupted me. "Shut up and get in the car. You're not in any danger, right? You're vaccinated. We're both vaccinated." "Yeah, but you are way less covered than the rest of us," I said. "It's not a big deal. It'll take a couple of hours of walking." Vanessa took it into her own hands and practically tackled me. "Oops, too late." "Vanessa!" I said in a panic and looked at Dani for help. "Lady made her decision," Dani shrugged. "We can either live in fear of it, or just do our best." So I ended up driving again, praying that Mary wasn't sick, which would mean I wasn't carrying it. I felt like an idiot all over again for hugging her, for risking everything to comfort her. But then I'd also seen that look on her face and I knew she'd needed it. Our last stop of the trip was Mrs. Branston's, but when I pulled into the front of her long gravel driveway I noticed that she hadn't put the flat of eggs I'd asked for in the usual spot. Frowning, I pulled out my phone and called her, but it went to voicemail immediately. "That's weird," I said. "Mrs. Branston is always home." "You want to go check on her, don't you," Vanessa said, not really a question. "Well, she's seventy and lives alone," I said. "She's not exactly ancient, but she's no spring chicken either." "Alright, let's go see what's up," Dani said. Then turned to Vanessa. "You're staying here though." "What?" Vanessa said. "Why?" "Because you already took one risk today, and I'm starting to like you too much to let you do two in a day," Dani smirked, then pulled up her mask. "Ugh, fine," Vanessa sighed. "Crack the windows for me at least." I did her one better and left the truck running with the AC on. Dani and I walked up the drive. It was long, but nowhere near as long as mine had been. The Branston's had built their house almost forty years ago; Victor Branston had worked at the local lumber mill, and his wife Hailey had started their side business of raising chickens and eggs after they built their single-story ranch house and barn. They'd had a son who had died in a drunk driving accident when I was still a kid, and a daughter who had moved away when I was still in middle school. At the top of the drive I tried calling again, and with no answer, Dani and I went to the front door and I knocked, then stepped back. "Mrs. Branston!" I called loudly. "You home?" Again, no answer. Shaking my head, I frowned beneath my mask and furrowed my brow. Her car was parked in front of the house, so she wasn't out. "Let's check in some windows," Dani suggested. "If she fell and broke her hip or something she might not be able to reach her phone." So that's what we did. It felt rude, peeking in her windows like that, but I let the MP side of me take over. I was looking into her kitchen when Dani gasped and motioned me to the other end of the side of the house. She was holding a gloved hand over her mask. I rushed over and looked in. It was Mrs. Branston's bedroom, and she was lying in the bed completely still. There was a dark stain around her mouth and nose and on the edge of some of the sheets. I recognized the dried blood. It looked like she'd been coughing it up. "Fuck," I sighed, stepping back from the window. Her sallow skin. Her sunken eyes. It was haunting. I called Emergency Services for the second time in less than an hour and reported it. "What do we do now?" Dani asked. "I'd say call her family, but I don't know her daughter's number. I think Mrs. Branston said she moved out east somewhere," I said. "We'll need to leave that to the police. Other than that?" I shrugged and looked around at the property. Hailey Branston had lived here going on forty years. Now there was no one. My eyes settled on the barn. "If nothing else, we should feed the chickens," I said. "No need for them to starve to death." "Good idea," Dani nodded and followed me towards the barn. Now, my worry had been that the chickens might be dead. I really wasn't sure how long it would take for chickens to starve to death, so I was preparing myself for the stink of not only a chicken coop but of dead bodies. What I wasn't prepared for was for the place to be empty. "What the fuck?" "This is weird," Dani said, looking at the rows and rows of empty cages. It was obvious this was a chicken operation. Just the bird poo around was enough to point to that. But there weren't any chickens. "How do fifty chickens just up and vanish?" I asked, wandering deeper into the barn. "It's not just the chickens," Dani said behind me. She was standing at a big bin near the front door with a big 'feed' label on it. She'd lifted the lid. "All their food is gone too except for a bit of mess at the bottom." I just shook my head, frowning as I looked around. Maybe there was some sort of metaphor here about Haily Branston's life, but all I was seeing was a crime scene. "Who the fuck finds out an old woman is dead, and instead of reporting it they steal all her chickens?" "An asshole," Dani said. "Assholes," I corrected. "This would have taken forever if it was just one person. There had to be at least two, probably more." I sighed. "Alright, we need to get out of here. We'll report it to the police when they get here." Dani and I went back down to Vanessa, filling her in on what we'd seen, and then waited. Thirty minutes later I called Emergency Services again on the non-emergency line, asking for an update on when we could expect someone to come out. "I'm sorry sir, but all our services are currently dispatched at the moment with active issues," the operator said. "We've got your report on file, and an ambulance will be dispatched when police are available. We have your name and number on file, we don't need you to stay on location." That was definitely not the norm for someone calling in a dead body, and it made me worried. "Alright," I said. "I just need to add something to the report then. After my previous call we checked in on Mrs. Branston's agricultural livestock. Someone has stolen all her chickens." "I'm... sorry?" the operator said. "Someone stole fifty-odd chickens," I clarified. There was another long moment of quiet from the other end of the line. "Chickens?" "Yeah, chickens," I said. A long sigh. "Alright, I added it to the report. Have a good day, sir." "You,” the operator hung up. "-too." "That sounded like it went great," Vanessa said sarcastically. "Yeah," I said, wondering what the fuck was happening to my home town. "I can't say that it did." Vanessa came jogging down from the office portables when the black sedan came rolling around the bunkhouses. After we'd gotten back from our big run, and Erica had berated me for taking a risk with Mary even while telling me how sweet a man I was, things had settled down. Leo's new partners had slept through the day with their imprinting, but we'd grilled up some extra sausages in case they woke up in the night and were hungry. I'd spent some time late in the afternoon with Ivy, and that night I'd slept with Vanessa on one side of me, and Ivy on the other while Erica spooned up behind her and rested a hand on my chest. We'd all been naked, but nothing overtly sexual had happened Vanessa had gone back to work in the morning, the first to wake up, and as she got ready and dug through her luggage Erica got up and made her coffee. The smell woke me up, and I realized it was 5:30 in the morning. It looked like our schedule was going to be changing with Vanessa in our lives. Breakfast was a quiet affair later in the morning; at least, quiet for us. Leo's RV was visibly rocking, and I had to assume Aria and India were up and the four of them were getting better acquainted. By the time Vanessa came back around for her breakfast break I'd already come in Erica, but Ivy had held off; apparently, the three of them had talked, and Vanessa only had about fifteen minutes for her breakfast break which meant a quicker-than-usual blowjob was necessary if she wanted some fun with her food. By mid-morning things had quieted down over at Leo's RV, and I'd left a platter of food wrapped with tinfoil on a chair next to the door. Ivy was just starting to get handsy with me, sitting on my lap and giggling with that look in her eye, distracting me from my drawing, when the crunch of tires outside the compound perked us up. The sedan ground to a halt, and Vanessa quickly came down to stand with Erica and Ivy and me. Agent Sourpuss was the driver again, and she just narrowed her eyes at us for a moment before turning back and speaking into the back seat. The door opened, and a woman in that same hooded coverall getup stepped out. "Hi," I said, stepping forward and offering her my hand. "I'm Harrison." "Kyla," she said through her mask, taking my hand and shaking it lightly. "I'm not really sure what you were expecting," I said. "I know things are weird and changing a lot for everyone, so if anything sounds like a problem just let us know and we can figure it out. The first of which is that, ah, these are my partners Erica, Ivy and Vanessa." "Allo!" Ivy said, stepping forward and wrapping the woman up in a hug. Ivy was still the shortest and most petite of the women, with Kyla standing around the same height as Vanessa. "Hi," Erica said, smiling warmly but not stepping forward, which I knew was because she knew the secret. In any other circumstance she likely would have been trying as hard as Ivy to be welcoming in an effort to dispel the weirdness. Agent Sourpuss rolled down the window. "Hey, you need to stop being so touchy. Protocol says you need to imprint as soon as possible." I sighed, glaring at her a little. "I hear you. Let's just make sure this is all Okay with her, yeah?" I turned back to Kyla, whose eyes were a little wide as she cautiously accepted the hug from Ivy. "Um, hello," she said, looking around at the construction site, and our ridiculous-looking compound. "There's a lot for us to explain," I said. "I can see that," she said. The more she talked, the more I heard a slight accent. It wasn't strong, not like Dani's, and I had to assume being the daughter of an Ambassador meant she'd grown up at least part of her life in the US or other places. Not to mention any training she'd received. "Are you Okay with this?" Erica asked her. "The idea of sharing space with a group of us?" "For what it's worth, I'm the newest and stumbled into it by accident, but it works for me," Vanessa chipped in. Kyla looked around again, then back at Sourpuss, and finally back to me. "It's the way things are," she said. "I can make it work." "Well, if you change your mind, you have until we start the imprinting process," I said. "Just say something and we can try to find you someone, or somewhere, else." She shook her head, then turned to Sourpuss again. "You can go." "Fine by me," the Agent muttered, raising her window and pulling the car away. I was almost sure I heard her mutter something about never wanting to come back again. "Come in," Erica said, gesturing to the fabric-draped entryway. "We'll show you around and can tell you what's up." Kyla followed Erica and Ivy in, but Vanessa hung back. "I need to get back to work," she said. "I'll come meet her later if you haven't dicked her down yet." I snorted and shook my head at her crassness. The only people who could get close to matching military folks in that way turned out to be construction workers. "Everything going Okay?" I asked. "Yeah, it's fine. Just getting the animals back in order after being away. They're going to be moving workers into the bunkhouses in the next few days so there's a lot to get ready," she said. She reached over and squeezed my hand for a second, but didn't step in for a kiss even though I could see her glance at my lips. "See you later?" "Absolutely," I said, and she started marching back towards the office portables. When I ducked back into our compound, Erica and Ivy had arranged the deck chairs into a semi-circle and Ivy was coming out of our place with a quartet of beers from the fridge. Erica was just gesturing for Kyla to take a seat. "We're all vaccinated," she was saying. "So if you want to get out of that getup you can." Kyla sat and sighed, lowering her hood and then taking off her medical mask. She was gorgeous. Her hair was a natural silky black with that smooth quality that Native Americans and East Asian folks shared, and she had cute little apple cheeks when she smiled softly in thanks as she accepted a beer from Ivy. Her skin was naturally tan, and she'd done her makeup to accent her ethnicity a bit rather than downplaying it, and knowing what I knew about her I wondered if that was a move to try and distract or seduce me. She had espionage training. She knew how to use her assets. "So Harrison," she nodded to me, then pointed at Ivy. "Ivy, and..." she looked at Erica. "Sorry, something with an E, right?" "Erica," my girlfriend clarified for her with a smile. "Right, Erica," Kyla said. "And the other was Vanessa?" "Right," I nodded. "Vanessa is actually a forewoman with the construction crews, so she had to get back to work." "Okay," she nodded. "And you all live in these trailers?" "RVs," I said. "And it's just temporary. My family owned this land for generations, and recently the government leased it from me and is building a residential compound. We'll be getting a house, and for now we've got these luxury RVs. But, uh, we're actually only living in that one. The other one is occupied by my friend and Erica's brother Leo and his partners." "So there's going to be five of us in there?" Kyla asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked over the RV. "Yes," Ivy said with a smile. "It's very nice on the inside. And the bed is very cozy." "The bed?" Kyla said, emphasizing the singular. "That's, uh, another thing," I said. "This is a little rude but, well Erica, Ivy and Vanessa are all bisexual. Are you;?" "I'm straight," she said. Erica just nodded, though I could tell out of the corner of my eye that Ivy was a little disappointed but tried to hide it. "That's perfectly fine," I said. "We'll figure out a sleeping arrangement so that you're comfortable." "I,” Kyla started, then glanced at Erica and Ivy for a moment and seemed to change her mind. "Look, I'm stepping into your thing here already, so I don't want to be a bitch. But could I just... Could I talk for a moment with the guy who I'm going to be bonding DNA with or whatever?" "Yes, absolutely," Erica said. "Do you want to go inside, or should we?" Kyla glanced over at Leo's RV. "Maybe we should," she said and stood up. I stood as well, patted Ivy's shoulder and met a glance from Erica as she tried to warn me to be careful without saying anything. Kyla and I went to the RV, and I opened the door for her and followed her in. "Sorry about the mess," I said. "Vanessa just moved in yesterday and we're trying to figure out what to keep here, and what to move into the storage containers." "It's... fine," Kyla said. She was looking down the length of the RV, through the open door to the bed. I could only imagine what she was thinking. "Let's just sit here," I said, offering her the bench as I took the chair by the Murphey table. I wasn't going to mention that we used the bench for fucking almost as much as the bed. "Ask me anything," I said as we sat. "I know this is all weird, and you must have a thousand questions and concerns." "I do," she said, and leaned back on the leather bench and took a deep breath. I just met her eyes as she looked me over again. Then she took a swig of her beer. "What do you do for money? How does all of this work?" she asked. "Well, up until a few weeks ago, my family house was about fifty yards that way," I pointed. "Right where that first big bunkhouse building is. I worked remotely as a concept artist, and Erica's brother Leo was my roommate. Erica joined us out here for quarantine. The federal government came and wanted to buy my land, but I negotiated a lease with them instead and they paid me a lot of money for it, along with building me, Leo and my sister houses. So if you're worried about finances living out here, you don't need to. I'm not stingy, though I'd prefer if we don't get super extravagant. I'd rather us be wealthy for a long time than super-rich for a short one, and with five people on the team... Well, yeah." "The team?" she asked. "It feels a little weird to call it a family right now," I said. "What with all the changes happening so fast. I think that's how most of us will end up, but I don't want to presume anything." She frowned, looking me up and down again. When she got that look on her face she was fierce and calculating. Focused. Then it broke and she cocked her head to the side just a touch. "Did they tell you I was coming?" "Um, yeah," I nodded. "I got a warning yesterday that you'd be here sometime in the next couple of days." She nodded slowly. "Okay. I mean, obviously we'll need to figure some things out, but I think I can live with... this. I'd like to wait a day and get to know you all a bit more before we do the imprinting though. I'm not really a 'sleep with a guy on the first day' kind of girl." "I'd be happy to wait as long as you like," I said. "But, ah, you may want to talk with the others about that feeling you've got. Apparently, it'll just keep getting stronger." "Right," Kyla nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Voices rose outside. Not angry, just a little animated. "Sounds like Leo and his girls are finally coming outside," I said. "I think you'll like Danielle, she's a pretty open book. I can't make any promises about the two new women though, they arrived yesterday and I haven't had a chance to meet them properly." "That sounds good," she said. "Any other questions, or do you want to go meet them?" I asked. "Um, yeah, actually," she said. She was still giving me a slightly weird, considering look. "Do you know?" "Know what?" I asked, trying to poker face without poker facing. She kept eyeing me. "Who I am." I sighed a little. "I was told that you're the daughter of an Ambassador," I said, covering the big lie with a little truth. "Does that bother you?" she asked. "Why would it?" I replied. "I'm part Native, part Japanese, I travelled a decent chunk of the world when I was in the military. In the US, you growing up in another country is about as different as if you grew up in an east coast city." "That's not what I meant," Kyla said, sitting forward and leaning her elbows on her knees, staring right at me. "I meant does it bother you that I'm a spy?" The problem with going toe to toe with a spy was that all of my usual methods of evaluating someone were already going off. As a teen I'd been a bit of a hillbilly, I'd been an athlete, and I'd been a kid from a family with generational grudge issues. Then I'd joined the military and I learned about professional backstabbing and politics, and then I'd become an MP and really saw some of the dumb and vile crap that Man could do to each other. I'd been trained to be aware, alert, and suspicious. Seven years out of the military had softened me, I was sure. But not that much. Maybe Grierson shouldn't have told me about Kyla's background. I was trying my best to not be suspicious, which I bet if I saw myself back on a recording I would have seen as a red flag. If I hadn't known about her, I could have just accepted her and hopefully my natural and trained instincts would have picked up on anything fishy. I sighed a little huff of a chuckle and leaned back in the Murphey chair, looking at Kyla across the RV. I'd been doing my best not to just really stare at her, to make a judgement scan of her to really assess her. Maybe that gave me away. Maybe not. She was beautiful, but I'd already judged that. Her Filipino heritage was strong, but wasn't so different from the natives that I'd grown up around that it seemed out of place or exotic to me. Not to mention the plenty of varied Asians I'd lived around in Portland. She was still wearing the bulky coverall so it was hard to judge her athleticism, but just the way she sat told me she was a physical person. She was sitting on the bench, which wasn't particularly tall, but her feet were pressed to the ground by the balls of her feet and toes, her heels raised. Even though she was leaning forward with her elbows on her knees she also wasn't slouching at all. She was a coiled spring, but with a loose tension. She wasn't on edge, but was a calmly controlled nervous. "It does," I said, answering the question she'd stunned me with for a moment. 'Does it bother you that I'm a spy?' Who asked that? Was it a game, or a test? Was she trying to be truthful because of the situation, or was she running a long con to gain my trust to inevitably betray me? How calculated was this move, and what were the variables? Was it a move at all? "But not the way you might think," I continued. "It's funny, I don't even know how much they told you about me. I think I mentioned outside that I was in the military at one point. I was an MP before I was discharged. You are exactly the kind of person I would have been worried about for an important part of my life. But now? Honestly, Kyla, I just don't want you to fuck up the family dynamic we're trying to build here. I don't want you to put any of the people out there in danger, on purpose or by accident, if you plan on trying to do something for your father or NICA." She gave me a long look back, evaluating what I said. If we were sitting across from each other with a chessboard between us, or cards, I would have said she was trying to read if I was bluffing or not. But this wasn't a game, and there weren't stakes on the line, and I thankfully got the impression she wasn't trying to read me. At least, not like that. She was reading me, but she was trying to form her opinion of me, just like I was trying to with her. "Have you ever killed anyone?" she asked me. I pressed my lips together and nodded. "I didn't see as much combat as others, but I got in a few firefights," I said. "I had a few confirmed kills, and likely several more unconfirmed. And one of my investigations as an MP turned into a shootout with some human traffickers that ended... badly. Fuck, I haven't talked about that with anyone since I got out. I'd prefer you not bring it up with the girls, or Leo. Please." "I won't," she said quietly. "Have you?" I asked. "No," she shook her. "I mean, I have enough training that I could, but that wasn't ever supposed to be my job. I; I'd rather maybe talk about my story if I get more comfortable with you, but I've never carried more than a knife and a can of mace in my purse for self-protection and haven't ever needed to use either of them." "Does it bother you that I know?" I asked her. "I feel like it should, but I don't think it does," Kyla said, pursing her lips a little in thought after she said it. "I just spent the last four years living a secret life, but I've always lived a double life. You know, which means... I don't know what it means. Which is a first." "I told Erica," I said. "I wasn't supposed to, I don't think, but she can read me like a book and I didn't want to keep it from her anyways." Kyla smiled a little. "I could tell," she said. "I only picked up on little things from you because of the way she was acting." That made me chuckle a little. "Well, at least that's something. I'm not a complete waste." "So what now?" she asked. "You know that I know that you know. Do we need to set some ground rules or anything?"

Excuse me in Italian might seem simple, but there are actually four ways to say it. Here's when and how to use each one, so you'll always get it right in Italy. Learn about our Online Italian School and get a free mini lesson every week: https://joyoflanguages.online/italian-school Subscribe to our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@joyoflanguages.italian?sub_confirmation=1 Get the bonus materials for this episode: https://italian.joyoflanguages.com/podcast/excuse-me-in-italian Today's Italian words: Scusi, il conto per favore = Excuse me (formal), the bill please Scusi, è libero? = Excuse me (formal), is it free? Scusa Matteo, dove sono i biglietti? = Sorry Matteo, where are the tickets? Scusate, siete in fila? = Excuse me (you plural), are you in the line? Scusate, è questo il treno per Bologna? = Excuse me (you plural), is this the train for Bologna?

You've probably heard the term “refeed day” thrown around. It may sound intriguing, especially if you're deep into a cut and feeling drained. But…what *actually* is a refeed day, and do you need one?I talked about it a bit in the last episode (go listen to ep. 198 first if you haven't yet), but I want to dive deeper in this episode!First off, a refeed day is NOT a cheat day, and it's definitely not a license to binge. When done right, it's a short and strategic break from your calorie deficit. When used intentionally, this can help with hormones, training performance, muscle recovery, and even consistency (yep - they can actually help you stick to your plan better)!Ultimately, I want YOU to be able to make an educated decision for yourself. Refeed days can be a great tool in your toolbox…but they're not magic, or required to see results. Get consistent, train hard, track what you're doing, and THEN decide if this is a tool that fits your journey!In this episode, we cover:What a refeed day actually is + why it's NOT a “cheat day”5 legit benefits of refeed days when used strategically5 situations where you should definitely skip the refeedA simple calorie breakdown to show how it worksHow to stay flexible with refeed days & still hit your goalsKey takeaways to help you know if a refeed day IS right for youLinks/Resources:Ep. 198 | Are You *Actually* in a Calorie Deficit? Stop Guessing - Start TrackingJoin FIT CLUB, my monthly membership with workouts you can do at home or the gymPRIVATE COACHING is my 1:1 program (choose 3 or 6 month option)Connect with me on Instagram @kristycastillofit and @unfuckyourfitnesspodcast so we can keep this conversation going-be sure to tag me in your posts and stories!Join my FREE Facebook group, Unf*ck Your FitnessClick HERE for my favorite fitness & life things!Send me a text with episode ideas or just to say hi! Support the show

前几天有个小伙伴留言和我说，想学一些逛超市必备的英语。今天卡卡老师就用英文，来带你逛超市！快点学起来吧！1. 进场准备 & 找购物工具Excuse me, where can I find a shopping cart?打扰一下，我在哪里能找到购物车？2. 生鲜食品区 Produce SectionExcuse me, where is the produce section? I need some apples and lettuce.打扰一下，果蔬区在哪里？我需要买些苹果和生菜。3. 面包/烘焙区BakeryThe smell from the bakery is amazing! I'd like a loaf of bread, please.面包区的味道太香了！请给我一条面包。4. 鲜肉柜台/肉品区Meat Counter / Butcher SectionCould you tell me where the meat counter is? I need some chicken breasts.你能告诉我鲜肉柜台在哪里吗？我需要一些鸡胸肉。5. 乳制品区Dairy SectionI need milk and eggs. They should be in the dairy section.需要牛奶和鸡蛋。它们应该在乳制品区。6. 包装食品 & 饮料区Which aisle has the breakfast cereal?哪个通道卖早餐麦片？It's in Aisle 5, with the snacks.在5号通道，和零食在一起。7. 饮料通道 (水、果汁、软饮料) Beverage Aisle:The beverage aisle is usually at the back. Let's get some sparkling water.饮料通道通常在后面。我们去买些气泡水吧。8. 个人护理区 (洗发水、牙膏、护肤品等) Personal Care SectionI need shampoo and toothpaste. They're in the personal care section.我需要洗发水和牙膏。它们在个人护理区。9. 结账区Checkout Lanes / Registers: 收银通道/收银台Which register has the shortest line?哪个收银台队伍最短？10. Self-Checkout Area: 自助结账区I prefer using the self-checkout area, it's usually faster.我更喜欢用自助结账区，通常更快些。更多卡卡老师分享公众号：卡卡课堂 卡卡老师微信：kakayingyu001送你一份卡卡老师学习大礼包，帮助你在英文学习路上少走弯路

D&P Highlight: A doctor's note is no longer a good excuse to miss school, according to one district. full 575 Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:56:00 +0000 1QdExtOY6PJYoS94hyvc6SfyY0oUblnp news The Dana & Parks Podcast news D&P Highlight: A doctor's note is no longer a good excuse to miss school, according to one district. You wanted it... Now here it is! Listen to each hour of the Dana & Parks Show whenever and wherever you want! © 2025 Audacy, Inc. News False

We all want God to make things obvious — a sign in the sky, a voice from the clouds, or a burning bush moment. But often, God's direction comes through gentle reminders - not breathtaking miracles. In this message - as we continue learning from the life of Moses - you'll discover how excuses hold you back and how immediate obedience unleashes God's power. If you've ever felt unqualified or unsure, this message is for you!

The Lamest Excuse Ever Given: Scripture Reflection for July 28, 2025 by Priests for Life

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 4 The House. Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. The pounding on the front door echoed through the house again, and I literally fell out of the bed trying to disentangle my foot from the mess of the sheets. Erica and I had stumbled inside late as fuck, trying to be quiet and not wake up Leo and Dani, and now I could see we'd tracked in dirt and grass with us. The sheets were filthy. I got shorts on and stood, shaking Erica by the shoulder. "What?" she groaned. "Someone is at the door, and it's sun up. The worker might need to start working. I'll close the door and give you as much time as I can, but could you at least put on a top in case anyone pops in here by accident?" "Let 'em look," Erica grunted. "What happened to those being my tits, and mine alone?" I grinned. "..... Fine," she said and held up a hand in the air. I found her a shirt and put it in her hand, and she started trying to get it on without lifting her head from the pillow or opening her eyes. I shut the bedroom door behind me and met up with Leo in the hallway; he was only slightly more dressed than I was, with a single sock and an undershirt over his shorts. "Mornin'" he grunted. "Yep," I said, and we headed for the door. When I opened it I was expecting Vanessa and her big 'gorilla' work crew, but instead it was Agent Sourpuss. It was even earlier in the day than I had expected. "What took you two so long?" she said, sneering at the two of us. "Never mind, come with me." She started walking around the house, so Leo and I followed barefoot. Just as we were stepping out and shutting the front door, the crew vans started pulling in, ferrying the surveyors and workers. A few of them called and waved, taunting us for looking like we were getting called to the Principal's office. "We have solved the temporary housing issue for you two," Agent Sourpuss said as we rounded the corner, and she presented us with the new additions to the backyard. Hunkered up next to the two sea cans that all of our stuff was being loaded into for storage were two brand new, state-of-the-art, still gleaming chrome and white from the lot, RVs. The two fuckers were huge. I had no idea how anyone other than an 18-wheeler truck driver could pilot one of them. They had to be worth at least a couple hundred thousand dollars each. "God damn," I said, coming awake. "One for each of us?" Leo asked. "You and your partners," the Agent said. "Follow me." We did, crossing the backyard as the Agent told us that we would need to be ready to move them at a moment's notice; our presence couldn't be allowed to slow down the construction process. We were also in charge of maintaining them, and organizing with the construction general manager when they arrived on site to make sure they were getting properly emptied (the septic) and filled (the fuel). "Mr. Lacoste, you have the one on the left," the Agent said, handing a set of keys to Leo. He actually giggled with glee, taking the keys and darting to his new home. "Mr. Black, yours is clearly the right. As is your new partner waiting for you inside," she said. I blinked. "I'm sorry, what?" "Your second partner drove with us this morning. She's waiting inside for you and is ready for imprinting. I suggest not making her wait too long." Agent Sourpuss then began to walk away, back to her car at the front of the house. "Wait, wait, wait," I said, following her. "I already have a partner. Erica and I are bonded or whatever." "Not how it works, Mr. Black," the Agent said, still walking. "You're rated at Tier Four, and you must have been somewhat open to a non-monogamous relationship, as is Miss Lacoste. Your new partner is suited to the two of you. You shouldn't keep her waiting." There wasn't any stopping her, so I diverted and headed back into the house. "Erica!" I called, heading for the stairs. "What?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes but coming out of my room dressed in my shirt from last night, and a pair of her shorts. "The Agent just dropped off the big ass RVs we're living in," I said. "And a woman who I'm supposed to bond with." "Oh, shit. That was fast," she said. "What do you mean, that was fast?" I asked. "You knew about this?" "I mean, they said at the information seminar that it was possible people would begin getting partnered into existing relationships based on the matchmaking and available matches," Erica said. We were heading down the stairs again. "I assumed since I'm Bi, and you're a guy, it wouldn't be unlikely we'd get someone else eventually. I didn't think it would be day three, obviously. Why would this person pick us over a single guy?" We got outside and to the RV, and I knocked. "It's open," called a voice. It was light and feminine, but with a distinct accent. I opened the door and mounted the steps, stopping when I saw the woman within, only for Erica to push me the rest of the way up so she could see as well. She was dark blonde, almost brunette, and her hair hung in waves down just past her shoulders. The woman was slight, and obviously so because all she was wearing was lingerie made up of thin mesh through which I could see her rosy pink nipples on her smallish tits, and lots of buckles for straps. The right side of her body was fresh and clean, though down the center of her abdomen, from under her chin all the way to her pubic mound, was a thin black line of a tattoo splitting her in half. On the left side of that tattoo her body was designed with black ink in floral tribal patterns, fleur-de-lis motifs and other designs. She was smiling demurely despite her dress and the fact that she was lounging in the sitting area of the RV, her legs splayed as she absently rubbed her twat through her mesh thong. "Bonjour," she said, grinning even brighter as Erica followed me in. Her accent was distinctly French Canadian and she couldn't be older than twenty-three. "My name is Ivy Gauthier, and I was expecting just a cock, but I am more than happy to make Mommy happy too if she wants to sit on my face." "Fuck," Erica said, and looked at me. "Can we keep her?" Ivy Erica, as usual, took to the rapidly changing social situation a little faster than I did. "So you're sure about all of this?" she asked the girl, Ivy. We were sitting in the lounge area of the RV that the government had delivered to us that morning. "Well, it is too late for me to back out now," Ivy said. She was French Canadian, with that very specific Quebecois accent that extended vowels and clipped some consonants. I only really knew the difference between hers and a traditional French-from-France accent because I'd once drank with a unit of French soldiers while I was deployed in Germany. "I have already been poked with the needles. I chose Harrison because he reminded me of a sexy version of the boys I grew up with in the north of Quebec. Very sexy lumberjack, yes?" Erica smirked, glancing at me and patting my knee. "Yes, very sexy woodsman." "As I said, I was not expecting a sexy woman as well, but I am the bisexual," Ivy continued. "In fact, Erica, you are very much my type." "And what type is that?" Erica asked. Ivy grinned but blushed, biting her lip for a moment as if she were embarrassed, but I could see the hunger in her big, expressive eyes. "Most girls in my job, they have what you call the 'Daddy Issues', yes? Well, my father made many mistakes, but was always very good to my sister et moil. An ex I have, she said I have 'Mommy Issues' instead. I like strong women, older than me, with tits and ass like yours." The little minx actually reached out and caressed the side of Erica's tit when she said it. "What job is it you've been working?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew the general field. "I am a dancer," Ivy said, turning back to me and looking all the world like a worried teenager, rather than the seductive woman clad in mesh lingerie that was sitting between Erica and me. "I hope that is not so bad to you, Harrison. I know some men, they think it means I am dirty or spoiled. But I am not." Then she got another little lascivious smirk as she tilted her chin down looking up at you through her lashes. "Well, I could also be a very dirty girl for the right man. Or woman." She touched Erica's leg without looking. "Okay, seriously Ivy," I said. "Unless this is really who you are, and who you want to be, you can tone down the seduction. Erica and I aren't going to turn you away, but you have got to be real with us." Ivy frowned, and it was like she went through a little transformation as she absorbed what I said and metabolized it. She bit the inside of her cheek for a moment, then nodded and stood up, crossed to the murphy table that was in the kitchenette and pulled a robe I hadn't even noticed from where it was hanging. She wrapped it around herself quickly and then sat back down. "I am sorry," she said. "I am; this vaccine is making me very horny. I did not know what to expect, yes? I thought it best to treat you like private clients." "Oh, sweetie," Erica sighed. "I know. The nervousness, that little itch all over?" Ivy nodded. "Maybe let's start from the beginning," I suggested. "Just be honest with us." "I was being honest," Ivy said. "My name is Ivy Gauthier, I was born in a little town in northern Quebec and raised by my father and grandmother, along with my sister. I am an exotic dancer. I started in Montreal, and decided to try and do a tour of the USA. My visa was running out when the Quarantine happened. They said it would not be a problem if I took the experimental vaccine." "Wait, hold on," I said. "Fuck. Would you have taken the vaccine if you weren't worried about your visa?" Ivy thought about it and then shrugged. "I don't know? Maybe? I never had to think about it without the visa on the table." "This is fucked up," I said. "And it's too late to change anything," Erica said. "Harri, you know it's too late." "I know," I grunted. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it." "And you know if it's not you, it'll be someone else." I took in a long breath and nodded. "Ivy, I assume you went through the whole set of meetings and videos that Erica did, but I just have to ask; are you absolutely sure you want this?" Ivy pursed her lips, looking between Erica and me. Her hands were in her lap, most of her tattoos covered by the worn, velvet red robe she was wearing. She looked younger and older at the same time. She ended up looking to Erica. "Is he a good man?" "The best," Erica said immediately. "And is she a good woman?" Ivy asked me. I took Erica's hand in mine. "Better than anyone could ever deserve." "Then I am fine with this," Ivy said. "It is the end of the world, oui? Why should I not be with two sexy people who love each other, and will share their bed with me?" Erica laughed. "Well, she's direct." "Alright. You know what the next steps are?" I asked Ivy. "You fuck me, and I will become your; how did they say.? Umm, bonded something?" "We haven't figured out the right word yet either," Erica said. "For now, it might be easiest if you're just our fuckbuddy." "I like this," Ivy said. "You two are a couple, and I will be your fuckbuddy." The way she said it made it sound a little sillier, a little naughtier. This girl would have been dangerous if Erica and I weren't in the current situation. "You have some time," I said. "Would you rather wait a bit, or do it now?" "Now," Ivy said. "I would very much like to taste you, Erica. While Harrison fucks my ass." "Wow, that's very hot and specific," Erica said. Ivy smiled. "I am what you would say is an 'Anal Queen.' My father, he had children with three different women. It made me afraid of pregnancy, so I learned as a girl to prefer it in my butt." "Well, I guess you're getting to crush some ass, babe," Erica said, smirking and then kissing me on the cheek. "Hey, you know what?" I asked. "However you want it, Ivy, I'm happy to provide. Is there anything else you'd like us to know before we go to the bed?" Ivy stood up, slipping the robe back off of her and hanging it back up. "I can be very loud," she said. "Just a warning. And I like many things, but this time, I think we keep it to a simple threesome, yes? I will suck cock and eat cunt, and I would very much like to be fingered, and fucked in the ass." "So simple," Erica chuckled. "Ivy, I think Harrison is still a little hesitant; he is a natural protector, so don't think he's timid. He's just worried and doesn't want to take advantage." "Oh," Ivy said, looking at me for a moment with a cocked head, taking my measure. "Now I; Okay, yes, I understand." She came forward and pushed me back by the shoulders until I was sitting fully upright on the cushioned bench seat instead of leaning forward. Then she crawled into my lap, on her knees with them outside my legs, and sat her perky bum on my legs. "Harrison, I have told you I think you are sexy, yes? Well here, I will prove it." She took my hand and brought my fingers to her lips, taking my pointer and middle fingers and sucking on them lewdly, then bringing them down between us to her crotch. She pulled the mesh panties aside and put my fingers against her hole and pivoted, taking my two thick fingers into her clenching cunt. "I want to fuck you. And I will tell you another thing about me; I like a man who takes me how he wants. Throw me on the bed, put my legs behind my head. Make me your little pretzel girl as you fuck my ass. I am sure I will love this 'big brother' you in time, too. But I need you first to be my man." Then she kissed me, grinding on my fingers. I breathed in through my nose, and she pressed her chest against mine, and I reached around her with the hand that wasn't busy at her cunt and grabbed her ass firmly. "Umm, yes," she mumbled into my mouth. "Like that." "God, I hope I didn't look that fucking horny when I kissed you that first time," Erica said. She was still sitting on the other end of the L-shaped bench from us, watching me get frenched by the little French minx who had just fallen into our lives. I pulled back from the kiss, and Ivy looked at me with concern, searching my face. "Go kiss Erica," I said. She grinned and slipped from my lap, my fingers leaving her cunt, and slid right onto Erica's lap and pulled my girlfriend into a hard kiss as their disproportionate tits pressed together. Erica was much bustier than Ivy, though the younger woman's figure was just as sexy. As they started to make out I stood up, walking to the back of the RV and surveying the space. The back of the vehicle was dominated by the bedroom, which had what looked like a bed that was too big for the space. I pulled the blanket and top sheet off of it, knowing how Erica had a tendency to leave wet spots after fucking, and then kicked off my boots and returned to the women. "Alright, come here," I said, and lifted Ivy off of Erica and tossed her over my shoulder so I was carrying her ass forward. She howled a laugh, kicking her legs, and I offered Erica my other hand up. "She is going to be a lot of fun," Erica said. "I know," I said. "But I need to ask you, too. Is this what you want?" Erica smiled, almost sadly, and shrugged. "I told you I'd introduce you to a lot of strippers. I just didn't know it would happen so fast. Like she said, it's the end of the world, at least as we know it. Why not?" I nodded, and then bounced Ivy on my shoulder and gave her a soft spank on the butt. "What are you giggling so hard for?" "Nothing," she said. "Everything." "Crazy French girl," I said, and carried her to the end of the RV and tossed her on the bed like she wanted. She landed and immediately twisted and turned, biting her lip as she positioned herself on her stomach, looking at me eagerly as she slowly kicked her legs and her little bum bounced, humping the air a little. "Oh, I think she wants to suck your cock," Erica said, coming up behind me and resting her cheek on my shoulder. She reached around my waist and started lowering my shorts. "Is that what you want, Ivy?" Ivy nodded, grinning. "Well, I've got a surprise for a naughty girl. You are very lucky, because you picked a man who happens to have a very nice, fat cock." Erica said, and dropped my shorts, letting my mostly-hard cock out. "Oh, fuck," Ivy said, her eyes going happily large. "It is a very good cock." She looked up at Erica. "May I please suck the very good cock?" "Good manners," Erica said. "Yes, Ivy, you may suck Harrison. But from now on you should call it his fat cock." "Yes, mo" the rest of what she was saying became garbled as she leaned forward and spoke with the head of my cock between her lips, and came. She hadn't been expecting it, and her legs started to kick as she tensed up and pulled away from my cock, lowering her face to the bed. Then her body released all its tension and she sucked in a deep, ragged breath. "Woah!" she exhaled, loud and wordless, as a second wave of the orgasm passed through her. Erica reached around and ran her fingers through Ivy's hair as the smaller, younger woman rode a third and final wave of the vaccine-induced orgasm. She was left panting, and rolled over onto her back and looked back up at us in confusion and what looked like drunken delight. "What was that? I have never come so fast," she said in wonder "Didn't they tell you to expect that?" Erica asked. Ivy shook her head. "Huh, that's weird. They told my group," Erica said. "That was the imprinting process starting. Can you feel that ache, down in your clit? That's the vaccine too. Soon you'll feel it on your tongue, aching to get Harri's come anywhere you can inside you." "I already wanted this," Ivy said, her grin not slipping. She rolled back over onto her stomach and opened her mouth, but then hesitated. "Does this,” "No," I said, "Not every time." "Too bad, but also good," Ivy said. "It would be very hard to suck your cock if this happened every time." Then she took me back into her mouth and began bobbing her head quickly. I had a feeling she was actually a brunette and dyed her hair up to the dirty blonde she wore it. The dark undertones were more real than the light ones. Erica came around me now and slipped out of her shorts, going down to her panties and my shirt she'd been wearing, and got on her knees on the bed next to Ivy. She sat tall, and I kissed her as Ivy suckled on my cock. "Enjoy yourself, babe," Erica assured me. "We both want this." I raised an eyebrow and reached around her, grabbing her meatier ass. "You don't need to keep reassuring me, E. Or does 'mommy' need a good seeing to as well?" "Oh, I always need a good seeing to," Erica grinned. She started to lower down slowly, maintaining eye contact with me. "But first I think I need to make sure our naughty girl here knows how to treat you properly. Let me see you suck his cock, Ivy." Ivy beamed up at me, eyes flicking between my face and Erica's as the older woman leaned close. "Good, really slobber on that cock," Erica said softly, stroking Ivy's hair. "It's going to be cracking that cute little ass of yours open soon, so it needs to be very hard and very slippery." Ivy mumbled something unintelligible. "But don't forget his balls," Erica said. Ivy immediately took my cock from her mouth and lifted it with a hand, trying to take my sack between her lips but only fitting one nut as she tongued and worked her mouth. Erica took Ivy's place at my cock, putting her lips around the head and starting to blow me. "Oh, fuck, that's new," I groaned, looking down at both women staring up at me with smiles in their eyes. I put a hand on each of their heads. Ivy didn't let up, switching from one ball to the other as my cock rubbed across her face, but Erica popped off of the end and grinned at me before sliding back on the bed and taking up a position behind Ivy. "Now, what do we have here?" Erica asked, wrapping her fingers into the elastic band of Ivy's mesh panties. "Someone is a very naughty girl, dressing so slutty. Look, I can see everything! So what could possibly be the point of this?" She started pulling the panties down over Ivy's ass, and the younger woman shifted her hips eagerly, letting her do it. "Back to my cock now," I grunted, and Ivy followed my orders. Once I was back in her mouth, I ran my fingers down the side of her face, just watching as she looked up at me with adoringly needy eyes. Erica had gotten Ivy's panties off, and she tossed them aside as she knelt next to the pale girl and started to massage her upturned butt. "Ivy, you have a very cute ass," she said, stroking the girl's smooth skin. Just like her front, Ivy had a thin black line running down the middle of her spine, bisecting her from her hairline all the way down to her ass crack. On one side of the line her pale, smooth skin was flawless. On the other, she sported a collection of black tattoos; most of them flowery and nicely designed, a few of them more 'witchy' like flying crows and a jagged, leafless tree. "M'ank 'oo," Ivy mumbled around my cock, and wiggled her butt. Erica quickly sucked two fingers into her mouth and, biting the inside of her lip as she grinned, slipped them down between Ivy's legs and began slowly, teasingly fingering the younger woman's cunt. Ivy immediately responded by shuddering and starting to blow me faster, bobbing her head as she moaned with my cock in her mouth, pressing against the inside of her cheeks. "For a girl who prefers it in the ass, our naughty little girl gets very wet," Erica said to me. "Is that right?" I asked, and looked down at Ivy and her big eyes. "Do you get wet and ready for a cock even if you don't want one in that hole?" "Umm hmm," she hummed and nodded, then pulled her lips from my cock. "When I am ready, the right man will have a very good time with my naughty cunt." Erica leaned forward, bringing her lips to Ivy's ear from behind. "And what about Harrison? Is he the right man?" I could see the conflict warring in Ivy. She didn't know; her instincts were to shy away. But the vaccine, that need and horniness it had put in Erica, was in Ivy as well. She wanted me, wanted my cum. Wanted it inside her, to match with the vaccine. Chemically, she wanted to say yes. "You don't need to answer that," I told her reassuringly, stroking the side of her face again. Then I glanced at Erica, who raised an eyebrow at me, but I just shook my head. Ivy, a thankful look in her eyes, quickly went back to blowing me while Erica played with her cunt. Eventually I pulled away, and in one move picked up and flipped Ivy over onto her back. She giggled, and I was glad that she'd been honest with me about wanting to be thrown around in bed; I would have likely asked, or maybe told, her to move. Instead she seemed to really enjoy the manhandling. "Get the rest of the lingerie off," I said. The mesh bra did nothing to hide her perky, small boobs from me, but I wanted her naked. There was a practical element; once the bonding process was completed, she was going to zonk out and having that strappy lingerie on for hours and hours wouldn't be good for her or it. But there was also a primal thing in me that just wanted this strangely innocent, strangely filthy girl naked for me. She stripped quickly, and Erica took that time to peel off my shirt that she was wearing as well, revealing her bigger, heavy tits. "Oh, my," Ivy said, and sat up, reaching for Erica's chest. "You are so beautiful, Erica." Erica grinned and leaned forward a bit, allowing Ivy to press her face into Erica's cleavage. "She's like a horny teenage boy," Erica laughed. Ivy was kissing and licking her cleavage all over. "So am I, when it comes to you," I said, and slipped off the bed to stand behind her, kissing her on the cheek and then down to her neck while I reached around and cupped her tits from below, lifting them for Ivy to feast on. "Oh, god, this is heaven," Erica moaned, leaning her head back on my shoulder. "Have you ever done a threesome before?" I asked her quietly. "Once. Three women," she mumbled. "Not that great, really." "Too much fake cock?" I asked. "That, and tribbing is stupid. Doesn't do anything for me, and they both loved it." "Hear that, Ivy? No tribbing," I said. "But can I eat her cunt?" Ivy asked, coming up for air from the bounty of tits she was enjoying. "I think my answer is 'whenever you want,'" Erica laughed. "First I want more of your mouth," I said to Ivy. "Lay back down. And Erica, I'd love to see you eat her out." Erica grinned. "Ever seen a lesbian act in person before?" "Nothing more explicit than two drunk girls kissing to rile up some guys at a party," I said. Ivy had lain back, spreading her legs, and Erica knelt between them and slowly brought her face down to Ivy's bare cunt. It was pretty, almost like the clean and clinical specimen you would see in a biology textbook. "Do you want me to lick your cunt, Ivy?" Erica asked teasingly. "Yes, please," Ivy said and grabbed the bedspread in her fingers in anticipation. Erica went to work, and Ivy moaned loudly and wordlessly as her body tensed and then relaxed into the sensations. "Is it good," I asked. "Uh-huh," Ivy nodded and moaned. I knelt down next to her head and turned her face sideways, tapping my cock against her lips. She immediately opened them, and I slid between her lips and she began suckling. Then, after looking down and seeing the smile in Erica's eyes as she watched me getting blown while she ate cunt, I began to thrust lightly into Ivy's mouth. The dirty blonde dropped her jaw, and worked her tongue, and soon I was pumping steadily, treating her lips just roughly enough to feel divine. I reached down and palmed her tit, which so far had been almost entirely ignored. I happened to grab the tattooed side of her, where the boob itself was still a blank canvas but was surrounded by them dark patterns. Her nipple was a firm little nub in my palm, and her moaning on my cock changed to a higher pitch when I grabbed her more firmly, and then began playing with her nipple between my fingers. Erica, seeing the change in Ivy, mimicked me and reached up for her other tit and grabbed it as well. "Muh," Ivy moaned, but didn't try to pull away from my thrusting. She whined on my cock, thrusting her hips up and down, grinding against Erica's face. Then, seeing her coming to a peak, I thrust in and held my cock deep in her mouth, but not to the point of gagging her. I pinched the nipple I was holding, and Erica focused on her clit, and Ivy went off with a long shudder and another muffled howl. I pulled my cock from her mouth when she was coming down. "Keep going," I told Erica. "Get her there again." Then I stepped off of the bed and behind Erica, whose panty-clad ass was up in the air at the edge of the bed. I pulled her panties down to her thighs, set my cock against her puffy cunt, and thrust inside firmly, claiming her as mine again. "Yes, babe," Erica gasped into Ivy's cunt. "Fuck, yes, my fucking stud." "Oh, fuck," Ivy groaned, eyes half-closed as she grabbed at her own tits harshly and watched me fucking Erica from behind. Within five thrusts I was burying deep into my girlfriend at a good, steady pace. "You two are so fucking hot," Ivy said breathily, her accent turning every croon into a delightful sentence instead of something that might have come across as crude. I fucked Erica steadily, one hand on her hip and the other keeping hold of her wonderful ass, and she thrust back at me while trying to keep her lips and tongue working. I wanted Erica to feel how desirable I found her, even in this threesome with a brand new woman between us. I wanted her to know she wasn't just forced on me; she was a choice. She chose me, and I chose her back. Leaning forward, I let go of her waist and ass and grabbed her tits hanging below her, palming them and lifting their weight as she remained ass up and face down in Ivy's cunt. "I fucking love you, E," I said. "I love your body, I love your personality, and I love your mind. And right now, I really love how fucking sexual you are." "Fuck," Ivy groaned. "Fuck, that is so hot." Erica was starting to falter in her fucking back at me, which I knew meant she was getting close but I wanted to push her farther. "Ivy," I said. "It's almost time. How much prep does your ass need?" Ivy licked her lips, that carnal need growing inside of her with every passing minute. "For most guys, two fingers would be enough. But for you, I think three, if Mommy will do it for me?" "What do you think, 'mommy,'" I grinned. "Are you up for prepping her?" Erica slurped off of Ivy's cunt and flipped the girl onto her stomach, then spread her ass cheeks and spit onto her asshole. "For her, and to watch you fuck this cute little ass, absolutely," Erica said. I really couldn't see all that much of the oral portion of the prep, since I continued to fuck Erica. I slowed, and thrust deep and firm instead of faster and harder, and gave her the chance to work. Soon enough, Erica had two fingers in Ivy's ass and was adding a third. "Oh, mommy, yes," Ivy moaned. "Finger my ass. Spread my asshole for our man. God, I want that fat cock up my ass so badly. Harrison, please don't make me wait. Please don't back out, I need it so badly." "Who does this ass belong to now, Ivy?" Erica asked her. "Fuck, fuck," Ivy gasped. Erica slapped the side of her ass cheek. "Who does this ass belong to now, dirty little girl?" "Harrison," Ivy moaned. "Oh, fuck, Harrison. Fuck my ass. Take my ass. Take it. Take it." I pulled out of Erica, watching for just a moment as her cunt was split by me and didn't want to let go, then hopped back up on the bed. Erica pulled her fingers out of Ivy's hole, and I spun the younger woman around on the bed and pulled her up onto her hands and knees. Ivy dropped her face to the mattress as she reached back and held her ass cheeks open, her butthole winking at me. "Fuck my ass. Please, Butt fuck me. Own my butt," she panted. I placed my cock to her asshole and pressed forward. "Oh, fuck yes," Ivy almost howled. "Oh, it is so good. Merci, merci, oh fuck yes." I was halfway in when she finally clenched and I stopped. Erica, meanwhile, had shifted her seating on the bed so she was on her ass, and she spread her legs in front of Ivy's face. "Hey, now it's time for you to lick my cunt, dirty girl," she said. Ivy lifted her head and groaned as she tasted Erica for the first time, and as she did Ivy's ass relaxed, and I pushed in the rest of the way. "Yes," she mumbled. "Yes, fuck, so good. So full." I slowly pulled back out, then pushed back in. I'd tried anal before, once with a German girl I met off base, but it had been tough going. With Ivy, it was like she was just built different. She squeezed back at me, pushed to get me deeper. "She really is an Anal Queen," I gasped to Erica, who opened her eyes and grinned savagely at me. "I can't believe you're fucking her in the ass right now," she said. "Neither can I," I said, and started to properly thrust into that tight but forgiving asshole. "She's fucking good with her tongue, too," Erica groaned. "I can feel myself getting soaked." "Careful," I snickered. "There are the only sheets we have right now." "Oh, fuck off," Erica laughed. I had just started fucking into Ivy harder still, and she was sucking in deep breaths and moaning like a pornstar, when there was a loud banging on the main door of the RV. There was absolutely no way they couldn't hear what was happening in here, let alone that I had to assume the RV was rocking a bit. "Don't stop," Ivy gasped, lifting her face from Erica's cunt and begging me over her shoulder. "Please, keep fucking my ass. You can't stop. I need you to keep going." "Fuck, I was so close," Erica groaned, and the knocking happened again, banging on the door. Erica rolled off the bed. "You can't stop now, you might break her mind. I'll deal with this." "Yes, Harri, fuck me. So good, fuck my ass. Fuck my ass!" Ivy moaned, even fucking louder now that she didn't have Erica's cunt to muffle her. Erica stalked naked out into the main area of the RV, and she slipped on the robe that Ivy had been using earlier. She pulled it closed in the front and opened the door. "Hey, so this is awkward,” I could hear Vanessa say, but then I was shocked when instead of going outside to talk to her, Erica reached out and pulled her inside the RV. "Fuck, E! You didn't shut the door," I said. "Oh, shit. Sorry!" Erica called, and I only half believed her. There was one long moment of chaos where Vanessa was inside, looking down the length of the RV right at me as I was thrusting away, my nuts slapping against Ivy's cunt as I fucked her ass at speed. "Fuck," I grunted, and I made to pull out. "No, please, merde. Don't stop fucking my ass. Don't stop. Fuck my little ass. Come inside, I need you to come inside. Rempli-moi, mon homme. Mon cher. Fuck, mon amour!" I couldn't stop. I was so fucking close to coming, but I also had to move. So I did the only thing I could do; I wrapped my arms around Ivy's torso, fucked my cock as deep into her ass as I could, and picked her up and lifted her off of the bed. "Fuck, mon amour. I love you fucking my ass. Own my ass, mon amour. Fill me, fuck me," she babbled. I got us out of direct line of sight, pressing Ivy against the wall of the RV just next to the door to the bedroom, and I fumbled with one hand and slammed it shut as I kept thrusting into her. "Fuck. Fuck! I want you, I want it inside. Je veux croquer la pomme. Je suis très mouillée pour toi, mon amour. Fuck me. I love you?" she gasped the last words, like she was unsure, but enlightened by the idea. And then I came, pressing her up against the wood paneling and carpet of the RV walls. I came deep inside her ass, and she leaned back into me as her entire body shook. Her jaw was clenched tight, a small whine coming through almost like one of those dog whistles. "Sorry about that, Vanessa," I heard Erica talking through the walls. "We got a new vaccine partner who moved in with the RV. We were just, um, going through the bonding process." "That is; I mean, I'm sorry?" Vanessa mumbled. "It was obvious what was... happening, but we kind of need to get to work again. I wasn't expecting you to..." "That's totally my fault," Erica said. "I was a little fuck drunk; Harrison is very capable, and our new partner Ivy has a very skilled tongue." ".....Okay," Vanessa exhaled. That was when it felt more like I was holding Ivy up, rather than her standing on her own, and I carefully pulled my cock from her still-clenching butt and scooped her up in my arms. "Imprinting. Imprinting," she was mumbling. "Still fucking creepy," I grumbled, shaking my head as I looked at her in my arms. She was all woman, but like this I couldn't help but feel protective of the young woman who'd been forced into making choices that led her to my bed. The whole experience was amazing, but it was still... ugh. I set Ivy down on the bed and lay the sheet over her, and she curled up around a pillow and continued to mumble. This let me find and pull my shorts back on and exit the room. Erica was sitting on the murphy table, which she'd folded down, and Vanessa was sitting on the L-bench. "Vanessa, I am so sorry you got an eyeful of me like that," I said. "No, it's fine," Vanessa said, raising a hand. "You guys explained some of it last night, and Erica was just telling me again about the whole vaccine process and stuff. I didn't realize that's what this was and you couldn't, ah, interrupt the process." I nodded, and during the following brief conversation I apologized a couple more times. We quickly went through the plan for the day; which included finishing up all the rest of the moving out of the house so that it could be demolished the next morning. "And that's it," Vanessa nodded. "Uh, before I go; could I see her?" "You mean Ivy?" Erica asked. "Yeah," Vanessa said. "I mean, not if she's in a compromising position or whatever. But last night you and Leo talked about the 'imprinting' thing, and I'm probably going to have to do that eventually. I'd like to see it beforehand." I sucked my teeth for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, I think she should be decent." I led Vanessa to the back of the RV and opened the bedroom door. Ivy was still where I'd left her. Vanessa scooted around the outside of the bed, leaning forward and watching Ivy's face as she smiled and mumbled 'Imprinting' over and over. "That's freaky," Vanessa whispered, standing back up and coming out of the room. "But she's also gorgeous." "Just wait until you see her tattoos," Erica said. "She has some really interesting work done." "Yeah?" Vanessa asked. "Cool. I'm looking forward to meeting her." Erica smiled. "So, uh, how long before you need us?" "Like, twenty minutes ago," Vanessa smirked. "No," Erica shook her head. "I mean, how long until you need us." "Oh!" Vanessa said again, her eyes going wide. "Um.. another... fifteen minutes?" Erica smiled and winked. "I'll make it work." Vanessa, blushing, left the RV and shut the door behind her, while Erica turned and dropped the robe, revealing her naked body to me again. "I need you to fuck my orgasm back to life, babe," she said, staring hotly. "Fuck me fast and hard." I pulled her into my arms, laughing along with her as I glanced around the RV, deciding which part of the big luxury vehicle we should christen first. With Ivy safely tucked away in the back of the RV, and Erica and I working the knots out of her system quickly, it really was time to get to work. While Erica and I had been busy, Leo had been equally busy, going to wake up Danielle and show her their new temporary home as well. "Come on, rabbits," Erica called, knocking on the back window of their RV. "You would have been so pissed if he did that to you," I said. Erica laughed and shrugged. "Yeah, so?" "You two have a very different relationship than me and my sister," I said. The curtain on the window pulled aside a little, Leo glancing out and glaring at Erica. "Fuck off," he said, flashing her the finger. "We need to get to work!" Erica called again. Leo looked like he was about to say something snarky, but was pulled away and Danielle was now in the open corner of the window. "Sorry," she said, barely audible through the glass and over the sounds of construction work happening nearby. "I'll make sure we're quick." Her angelic face flashed us both a smile, and then she dropped the curtain. "Did you see what I saw?" Erica asked, turning to me. "You mean her whole naked tit?" I asked. "God damn, it's like that girl was manufactured to be 'Sexiest Woman Alive," Erica chuckled. "I don't know about that," I said, taking her hand and leading her away. "You'd give her a run for her money." "Compliments will serve you well, boyfriend," Erica smiled, squeezing my hand and winking. It turned out that the surveyors didn't need major tours again yet, so I was more free to help with the packing and the moving. Once Leo and Danielle joined us; letting us know the water pressure in the RV showers was pitiful at best; the work went quickly. We moved our clothing and things we knew we'd need sooner than later into the RVs, everything else got moved into the storage containers. A third container was dropped off to help with housing Leo's woodworking equipment, which gave us more space to start organizing things as well. How long did a house take to build? How long until they even started on our houses? These were the sorts of questions we just didn't have answers to, so we had to guess we would probably be in the RVs at least through the fall and winter and into next year. It was around the middle of the afternoon, and I was busy securing my father's old gun safe in the storage container with the woodworking tools, when I heard the telltale sound of another vehicle pulling up the driveway. Not three days ago, that sort of commotion would have had me wondering who it could be, and why they were out here in the middle of nowhere. And that wasn't just because of the pandemic quarantine; it had been that way my whole childhood. There were three kinds of visitors to the Black family ranch; expected, in need, and unwanted. Now I heard vans and trucks moving almost constantly, and there must have been thirty or more people working just within fifty yards and I'd only met half of them. It was strange. "Excuse me, Mr. Black?" A man asked. I turned from the gun safe and found a scraggly-looking kid, maybe all of twenty and looking like he was all bones and unkempt facial hair. He was wearing a reflective construction vest and had a hard hat tucked under one arm. "Just Harrison is fine," I said, shutting the safe and spinning the dial to lock it. "What can I do for you? Is Vanessa looking for me?" "Who? No, I don't think so," the kid said. "I'm with the grading crew working on the highway? There's, uh, some people who showed up demanding to talk to you." I took a breath and nodded. It could have been a couple of different people. "What did they look like?" "Well," he hesitated. "There were two women and three men, and they pulled up in a green pickup truck and a white panel van." "Kid, are they all Natives?" I asked. "Um, yeah," he said, clearly uncomfortable. He'd likely grown up somewhere far from a reservation, and probably in a major city, so his experience was limited to a little bubble. "Alright, I know what this is," I sighed. Part of me considered opening the gun safe back up, but I ended up figuring it would just make things worse. Guns usually did. It was tempting, though. I followed the kid out to the front and waved down Erica and Vanessa as they were talking on the front stoop of the house. "Hey, I need to head down to t

In a Yankees-centric episode for deadline week, we revisit a rare homegrown Yankees third baseman at a moment he refused to sit down even as injuries ate him alive. Then we take another look at the Buhner-Phelps deal. The Yankees could hardly have done worse... But could they truly have done better? The Infinite Inning is a journey to the past to understand the present using baseball as our time machine. America's brighter mirror, baseball reflects, anticipates, and even mocks the stories we tell ourselves about our world today. Baseball Prospectus's Steven Goldman shares his obsessions: history from inside and outside of the game, politics, stats, and Casey Stengel quotations. Along the way, we'll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can't get anybody out? 

What do you want to do? What are you willing to do for G-d and others? Join Rabbi Kevin Solomon of Congregation Beth Hallel as he continues the “Wisdom of Solomon” series by calling out excuses and spurring us to action through recounting a parable Yeshua told and recalling a Rabbi Robert quote. Since, in the end, people do what they want to do, we need to want G-d's presence in our lives most. Be blessed this Shabbat!Matthew 25.14-30; Luke 14.16-24; Exodus 3.11; Exodus 3.13; Exodus 4.1; Exodus 4.10; Exodus 4.13-14; Deuteronomy 34.10-12Prayer Requests or send an email to info@bethhallel.orgCBH WebsiteDonateYouTube Channel

Welcome back to the show! In this episode, Steve discusses one of the most common excuses used by people who are too afraid to change their lives: "It's just not the right time." Can you look back at any point in your life and say that a significant change or decision happened at the exact right time? Was it. At a time when you were fully ready? Or were all of the foundation-shifting moments in your life happening when they wanted to happen, not when you wanted them to? Tune in now and let Steve explain why this is not only common but also completely natural.  Want to start a personal conversation with Steve himself? Send your quetions, comments, and concerns over to AskSteve@TotalWealthAcademy.com today!

What happens when society demands your silence and your softness?In this powerful comeback episode, Latonya McDonald—spiritual-psychological life coach and founder of Live & Be Great—unpacks the emotional toll of being a Black woman in a world that misreads your strength and punishes your honesty.From the racialized narratives in Love Island USA to her own lived experience with ADHD, anxiety, and perfectionism, Latonya explores how empathy can be weaponized, why binary thinking keeps us stuck, and how reclaiming your truth is the first step toward healing.✨ Topics Covered:The emotional cost of being “the strong one”How media frames Black women's emotionsWhy empathy isn't immunity from accountabilityNavigating perfectionism and analysis paralysisLiving in the duality: two truths can exist at onceAstrology + self-study for emotional clarity

The Orioles season has gone completely off the rails and injuries have played at least some role in that. How much stock are you willing to put in that being the main reason for their struggles?

To paraphrase British historian Lord Acton: “[Money] tends to corrupt, and absolute [money] corrupts absolutely.”During my time as a Texas elected official, I happened to witness an almost vaudevillian performance of Lord Acton's axiom on the floor of our state senate. A multimillionaire named Bo Pilgrim, baron of a factory chicken empire called Pilgrim's Pride, had come to the Capitol to speak against a bill requiring corporations like his to provide decent workers' compensation benefits. Bo didn't speak in words, however – he simply walked onto the senate floor and brazenly handed out $10,000 checks to compliant senators.Today, corporate political money doesn't just talk, it screams – drowning out the voices of all who oppose the special favors the corrupt “donors” buy. And these days, a $10,000 check is considered almost charming in its innocence.Take Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a far-right-wing demagogic politico who prides himself on demonizing and directly harming poor and powerless people, while scooping up fantastic donations from the financial powers he serves. This year, after railroading a slew of corporate gimmies into law, Abbott cashed in. Last month alone, he pocketed four million-dollar checks – one each from a real estate titan, a ruthless pipeline autocrat, a Trump backing money manager, and one of Elon Musk's corporate operatives.Excuse me for speaking out, but this is a gross example of kakistocracy – government by and for the very worst people in society. If they didn't shower him with cash, even Greg Abbott wouldn't speak to them. It's time to start calling this what the dictionary plainly says it is: Bribery.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Feeling worthy isn't about waiting for permission—it's about owning your story and making bold decisions. In this recap, Lesley and Brad revisit conversation with fine jewelry designer Margot McNaull, whose bespoke creations empower women to celebrate their milestones. Together, they explore redefining self-care, building unshakable confidence, and shifting your mindset to break free from old patterns. This episode will inspire you to create a life that feels as good as it looks.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Must-know tips for underwear and shake plate use in Pilates.The reason why women often struggle to buy fine jewelry for themselves.The connection between self-worth, spending guilt, and asking for what you deserve.How to navigate life's “dark valleys” and see failure as a cue to keep going.Why revamping old jewelries can be a powerful reminder of your worth.Episode References/Links:Agency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniOPC Summer Tour - https://opc.me/tourOPC Summer Tour Calgary - Opc.me/CalgaryUK Mullet Tour - https://opc.me/ukCambodia October 2025 Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comEBY Seamless Underwear - https://shop.join-eby.com/collections/seamless-panties Shake Plate Recommendation - https://a.co/d/2WPk3eeSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsStór by Margot Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storbymargotStór by Margot Website - https://www.storbymargot.com Margot McNaull's Website - https://www.margotmcnaull.comEp. 319 Nikole Mitchell - https://beitpod.com/nikolemitchellEp. 171 Johanna White - https://beitpod.com/johannawhite If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/ Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  That's where worthiness comes in. Is like, what can you do? Do you need to sit down and write down all the things that you know throughout realize you're worthy of asking for that pay raise? What is it going to take? But you can't ask other people for why you're worthy. You have to sit down and do some digging on yourself. Lesley Logan 0:16  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 0:59  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the worthwhile convo I had with Margot McNaull in our last episode. I mean, also like glitter, like sparkle, like legacy, worthiness, worthwhile in our last episode, if you haven't yet listened to that interview, feel free to pause us now and listen to that one, then come back and listen this one, or listen to this one as a cliff notes, and then see if you like what we like, and listen to that one. You're gonna want to listen to it that's pretty cool. Okay, today. Brad Crowell 1:22  Actually, it's quite interesting. Lesley Logan 1:24  Oh yeah, it's a fun it was a fun episode. Who would have thought that we would have that episode but we did. Now, people like, what is the episode? Anyways. So today is, so today is July 24th 2025 and it's International Self-Care Day.Brad Crowell 1:44  Kind of poignant topic. Lesley Logan 1:45  Yeah, it really is. This is something I literally every single morning when I go on a walk. I shouldn't say every single morning, because, like with this sinus infection, if you haven't heard it yet, it'll pick up on it a little bit. I just don't think I look amazing in the morning, nor do I sound great. So I haven't been like all my you need to go on a walk. But if there's something I preach about every single day, it is self-care. So this is your day. This is your holiday. Brad Crowell 2:09  To buy yourself a ring. What? Lesley Logan 2:11  Yeah, what? Brad Crowell 2:11  What? Oh, I mean, it's your day to self-care.Lesley Logan 2:14  Self-Care, International Self-Care Day is celebrated on July 24th and I would actually call a getting yourself a ring, just like a reward and or something worth doing. But self-care is actually free usually. It stresses the importance of self-care as a cornerstone of wellness. On this day, individuals throughout the world are encouraged to make self-care as part of their day everyday routines entered into a priority is a milestone and an opportunity to raise further awareness of the benefits and effectiveness of self management of health. That's what self-care is, self-management of health. I love that. That is so great as opposed to like self-care isn't selfish care. Self-care, it's literally self-management of your fucking health. Oh, my God, my mind is blown. Self-care has always been incredibly important, but especially now, as people realize they need to take care of themselves and put themselves first. This has made people talk about and it increased the interest of others to take control of their health and wellness by prioritizing themselves. Today, we urge you to practice self-care, even if all you do is take a walk. Self-care, the reason I say it's mostly free because most of the things you can do for self-care is prioritize your sleep, your water intake, how you fuel yourself, that you that drunk food? Are you giving yourself food that makes you feel really awesome, giving yourself food that makes you feel like shit, right, every time? And I'm not saying food is good or bad, like when we have the Anthony episode, like we talked about that, but like, there are foods that aren't serving you, whether or not they're considered healthy or unhealthy, I don't care, whether they're not serving you. So are you fueling yourself, right? Are you surrounding yourself with people who make you feel better about yourself? That's self-care, right? Like, literally say no to a friend, an Eeyore friend, just throwback from last week, like or not, that's self-care, right? So maybe you have to put your phone on Do Not Disturb that's self-care. You know, so tons of things that are self-care, that are free. Spa days, not self-care. That is just something you get to do because it feels good and you deserve it. But it, to me.Brad Crowell 2:14  I like that distinction, because I think most of I mean for me too, I've thought about like, oh, self-care, I gotta go do something for myself, which means spending money. And it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. Lesley Logan 4:13  No, going for a walk around the block is self-care. Brad Crowell 4:21  Or, you know when, when you're feeling that afternoon slump, go do a handstand for four seconds at the wall and get some blood flow to your head. Yeah, that's self-care. You know, getting some vitamin D by sitting in the sun in the morning, that's self-care. Yeah. So doesn't have to involve spending money. All right. Well, here's what we got coming up. Agency Mini from Profitable Pilates just closed in the last couple of days. What an amazing event. I'm not gonna lie. Lesley Logan 4:46  It's a really great people. Brad Crowell 4:48  Well, I like that we changed it and it was shorter.Lesley Logan 4:51  Yeah. I mean, I think for everyone, because the biggest problem we have with and this is, like, why you know at the Be It Till You See It podcast, we talk about, like, you get better every time you do something. And so Agency Mini. Brad Crowell 5:03  It's our 11th time doing it, 11th. Lesley Logan 5:05  Yeah. It evolved. Every single time it evolved. And then the last three or four times, we're like, we have it dialed in. We have it nailed down. Everything is good. But the one piece of feedback that we used to get that we could never solve was like, the overwhelm. And we'd always tell people, don't take in everything, like, just take in what you need. But the problem is, is people have FOMO and we are perfectionist and, like. Brad Crowell 5:26  Don't worry. Agency isn't like Agency Mini. Agency Mini was chaos and, like, a whirlwind, and Agency actually, you know? But like, we still have to say that. So we were like, this is, there's, it's not aligned.Lesley Logan 5:36  Yeah, it's not aligned. So because of our new tools, we have in Agency, because of our new app, all these different things. Yeah, we have an app. It made it easier for us to make Agency Mini a mini version of Agency, without the overwhelm. And it was super fun to help people and now we have a bunch of Agency members, and it's just super great. So I'm excited for you guys. Can't wait to work with you guys, and we literally leave tomorrow. Brad Crowell 5:57  We're going on tour y'all. Lesley Logan 5:59  Are we leaving today? No, we leave now. Yeah, we're leaving today. Brad Crowell 6:03  Oh yeah, we're leaving tonight. You're totally right. I'd have 25th as the first class but, but we actually drive out tonight. Lesley Logan 6:11  Clearly, we recorded this early. We're on the road. Brad Crowell 6:14  We're on the road. No, no, we're not on the road just yet, because this drops in the morning, we'll be leaving tonight.Lesley Logan 6:14  They could be listening to it at night. So if you're listening tonight, we're on the road. So anyway, opc.me/tours, where you can get tickets because it's not too late, some cities are too late, but it's not too late to sign up. You can, as long as there's room you can sign up. And also, the Calgary stop is a virtual stop so.Brad Crowell 6:36  There are two virtual workshops in Calgary go to opc.me/calgary for that.Lesley Logan 6:40  Yeah, but opc.me/tours such tours, all 15 cities. It's really going quite amazing. We have three cities in Canada. Of course, Vancouver is way sold out. At the time recording this, Kamloops only has space in the workshop and not a lot. And Calgary has room in all of its goodness. I'm including the virtual spots. We did limit how many people could be at the virtual as well. So just because it's virtual doesn't mean everyone can attend. We we kept it quiet, kept it small, so you have a great experience. So go to opc.me/tour. Want to see you. And then we come home, unpack and change out the suitcases because now, and clean out the van. Brad Crowell 7:14  Because we're home for like, a week and a half. Lesley Logan 7:16  Week and a half, and then we go to the U.K. yeah, we're going to the U.K. Brad Crowell 7:22  Yeah we're gonna go to Scotland. Lesley Logan 7:26  We're gonna leave my dad in Scotland. We're gonna head down into the into Britain, and we're going to teach in Essex and Leeds in England, I guess. Brad Crowell 7:29  I mean I guess we'll call it Britain but I think Great Britain is all of it, and England is.Lesley Logan 7:34  You know, it's really quite complicated. It's really annoying. Let's say England is correct. You're absolutely right. I got little stuck. I was watching the Hamilton King George Sing a Song, and I think I just got stuck. You know, I love. It's one of the best songs. It's too bad it's about him. Yes, you'll be back. So anyways, so anyways, we'll go down into England. Excuse me, somehow I'm supposed to drive on the opposite side of the road that I'm used to, and we'll see how that goes. Brad Crowell 7:59  You're gonna do great, babe. Lesley Logan 8:06  Do great. No one. No turns, please. So we're gonna go to Essex. We have a Tuesday and a Wednesday workshop and workout situation going on. So go by day passes or two-day pass, you'll save money if it's two-day pass, and then we're gonna go up to Leeds. That's our second time in Leeds. We only have a couple spots left there. And then we're gonna hit back up to Scotland, grab my dad for his like, I don't know, adventures he's going on himself, and fly home.Brad Crowell 8:35  There's a coffee shop in Leeds that I'm very excited.Lesley Logan 8:38  Oh, the guy who makes a seven minute long latte. Brad Crowell 8:38  Yes, the guy. Lesley Logan 8:41  Yeah, the guy. Brad Crowell 8:42  I really hope he's still there. Lesley Logan 8:44  I think he is. According to Claire, he still is. Brad Crowell 8:47  Okay, good. Well, I'm very excited, because that's gonna be awesome. Lesley Logan 8:50  It is. Okay, you guys. Is one of the best lattes. It is the smallest cup I have ever seen. Have espresso and milk in it, and it.Brad Crowell 8:50  It's just like scientific coffee. Lesley Logan 8:58  It took them so long. I was like, I need a cup of coffee. Brad Crowell 9:00  He made one, tasted it and dumped it and started over for me. I was like, what was wrong with that one? He's like, it was, it didn't it didn't settle. It wasn't the right flavor. It was burnt, so whatever the heck it was he was like, no, I'm not serving you this.Lesley Logan 9:14  We're not even doing a great job, because we don't even know the name of the place. But you know what? If you come to Leeds, Brad will take you. Brad Crowell 9:22  I'll take you. Lesley Logan 9:22  Okay, so opc.me/uk, to snag your spots there. Then we come home. Our besties are visiting us from Florida. Yeah, we're gonna unpack the cold weather clothes we took and put hot weather clothes back in a suitcase and be in Cambodia. Oh, my God, I can't wait for the humidity to be on this skin after all of the Summer Tour and and U.K. like, no offense, but like, I I live for humidity. Like I am. Everyone's like, I love a dry heat. You have no idea what you're talking about. Humid heat is way better for your skin, for the youthfulness, for your hair. Everything is better. So crowsnestretreats.com if you would like to have humidity on your skin and spend time with us in an epic place, see the temples, come to our house, do Pilates. Brad Crowell 10:06  Take a break from all the chaos. Lesley Logan 10:07  Figure out your self-care routine. I will help you with that. I will help you bring out your dream schedule. Anyways, before we get into the amazing episode with Margot, we have an audience question. Brad Crowell 10:18  We sure do, two questions, actually, from Caroline on IG, thank you, Caroline for asking. Number one is, hi, can you recommend a great pair of undies for Pilates or leggings? I read this before and forgot. I always notice a print when I get off my reformer. Lesley Logan 10:37  Yeah. Brad Crowell 10:37  Okay. Lesley Logan 10:38  Yeah. Brad Crowell 10:38  I can't, Caroline but, I know someone who can. Lesley Logan 10:42  Okay, we, remember when we got this question on YouTube. We're like, do we go live about this? I'm like, oh my God, what weirdos are gonna show up for the live? It's like, my favorite underwear for Pilates. So here's the thing. I like, EBY they're they have a type of of of underwear that is (inaudible). We have, right? We have a video.Brad Crowell 11:07  I didn't know how to find it, so I just went to YouTube and I searched Lesley Logan underwear, and the video comes up.Lesley Logan 11:13  Perfect, perfect, perfect. I wish they had millions of views. It probably doesn't, but anyways, so I like those because they're nice and thin under my leggings, so they don't leave a mark. Like when I'm walking around, you can't see my underwear, which is like a big deal to me. I don't know why we are obsessed with this, but I'm obsessed with people not seeing the outline of my underwear, probably from purity culture life. I have no idea. Anyways, the other reason I like it is if, ladies, you don't know this, but if your underwear covers your butt and then you put leggings on it, that is why you're losing your pants on stomach massage. So I like that also, you know the reason, another reason I like EBY is because I'm I am a sweater, and I don't really like when your like underwear doesn't keep you dry from and so otherwise, like your pants are wet, where your underwear is. I like my underwear keep me dry as much as possible, so that I have like, sweat, like on my thighs, but not in my crotch. So anyways, that's my favorite for that. Otherwise. Brad Crowell 12:12  What did you say it is? Lesley Logan 12:14  Think they're called EBY. Brad Crowell 12:15  And they're from. Lesley Logan 12:17  EBY underwear. Brad Crowell 12:18  Oh, that's the company. Lesley Logan 12:19  Yeah, yeah, it's EBY women seamless yeah, that's the one I like. Brad Crowell 12:24  All right, we're gonna put a link in the show notes for that.Lesley Logan 12:27  Yeah, yeah. So anyway, oh, they're having a sale. I should get some more. Brad Crowell 12:30  Thanks, Caroline. Lesley Logan 12:31  Thanks, Caroline. She had another question, though.Brad Crowell 12:34  Yes. Caroline had a second question. She said hey, do you have a shake plate that you recommend? Lesley Logan 12:40  I do. we'll put. Brad Crowell 12:41  I had a feeling,Lesley Logan 12:42  We'll put a link in the show notes, because I don't know the brand name, to be honest, but I love this thing I get on mine.Brad Crowell 12:51  It also wasn't, like, outrageously expensive. It wasn't nothing but it wasn't like a million dollars. Lesley Logan 12:51  It's like, it ranges from like, a little over 100 to about 150 and I think depends on the color or the time of year. But, like, honestly, it, it's something that, if I'm like, oh. Brad Crowell 13:08  Well, let's talk about what, what is a shake plate and why do you do it? Lesley Logan 13:12  Okay, so it kind of is a shake plate is kind of like a spin on the power plate. Power plate would be the brand and Power Plates I have experienced. Brad Crowell 13:19  Those big metal silver-looking ones that are, like, you know, two and a half feet wide. You can do a handstand on those. Lesley Logan 13:19  Oh, yeah, you can do some great stretches on those. My trainers at Equinox will, like, go here and do your pigeon stretch. And it, like, would really help with my running, help with my hips. I mean, I don't know all this. Here's thing, you guys, I don't know all the scientific facts are on it. But, like, I can say that Power Plates are really, really epic. And they can, like, turn your muscles on and off in such a way that it's like a full workout. In fact, in Vegas, there's a place called Vibe 28 that's literally workouts on a Power Plate. Brad Crowell 13:52  I didn't know that. Lesley Logan 13:52  And it's like they even do like, like a meditation class on them. So you like, just do different stretches on them. It's really quite cool. I will say they made me put a like, a band, a booty band, around my legs, and do squats on that thing. And I was like, oh my God, I thought I was in shape. No, no, no, no. It's like, what? It's like intense. And you that's, there's a reason why it's like only 28 minutes. You definitely don't want to work out longer than that. So it can be really effective but the reason I got one is because it can also be really good for lymphatic drainage, and it really good for balance and stability. And so I have my ankles are really hyper mobile, and my muscles around my knees have been really hard for me to, like turn on. And so I got one because you can just stand on it, and I swear, I swear it's doing something for lymphatic drainage, like my girlfriends and I just like, live by that. I have another girlfriend who, like, had some back stuff, and she just put it on, like, the lowest level and sat on it and her back felt better. So, like, that, that's amazing. So anyways, I get on mine, and I literally will, like, do Slack for 15 minutes, or I'll read a book. Yes, I can read a book while shaking. I'm also very tall. I could like my arms aren't shaking. The rest of me is. I play a video game on there. On my days where I don't want to work out, but I've got time on my hands, I get on there and I do it. Sometimes I just put my legs on it, and it feels really good. I have literally Googled multiple times, is standing on my shake plate at all beneficial? And the answer is yes. Now, of course, it's more beneficial if you do like a plank or a squat, but I play around my different foot positions, and my ankles are much more stable. My medial quad is actually turning on. I think it's been really fun for my lymphatic drainage around my center. So I love my shake plate. Big fan, yeah, total, yeah. So anyways, and it doesn't take a lot of space. One of my girlfriends lives in like, a tiny, like, studio apartment. My got one, and she's like, I do it twice a day, every day. So some of us now, like, do, like, we like, take pictures of ourselves send to each other, like, I'm on mine. Oh, I'm on mine. So now it's for like, a little club. Brad Crowell 16:00  That's funny. That's fun. I've even done it, too. I do enjoy it. It definitely first time you do it, you're gonna feel a little bit like, numb getting off of it afterwards. Don't turn it up that high your first time.Lesley Logan 16:12  There's programs and literally, start with the first program. And also a little side note that I would do, I was like, oh, every day I'm just gonna do the next program up. No, that is not how you get used to it. I recommend like doing program one for a few days and program two for a few days because I made my psoas so fucking sore, I had to stretch, so.Brad Crowell 16:12  Well, anyway, Caroline, we'll put that link in the show notes so you can check it out. Hey, look, if you have a question at all for anything, or about anything or whatever go to beitpod.com/questions, beitpod.com/questions and you can leave us a question or a win. So if you want to be featured on the FYFs for Friday's episodes.Lesley Logan 16:55  Your win could be that you bought yourself a shake plate and you did your first 15 minutes of self-care on it. Brad Crowell 17:01  All right. Well, stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to talk to talk about Margot McNaull in just a minute. Brad Crowell 17:09  All right, welcome back. Let's talk about Margot McNaull. Margot is the founder of Stór by Margot, a bespoke fine jewelry company born from her own journey of designing her engagement ring in India. With no formal background in jewelry design, she turned her natural eye and personal experience into a thriving business helping women create meaningful, deeply personal pieces today, her work centers around empowering women to own their worth, often through designing their own legacy jewelry that tells their story, and that's what most of the episode was actually about. Was about worth and worthiness, and, you know why you would buy a ring for yourself, and conversations that happen in the home, you know, in a family, usually a married couple. You know, it was interesting. It was interesting. I, you know, I, I thought, I don't know. I've never really, I'm not really the guy that's out there trying to buy myself a ring, but if I wanted to buy a ring, I would probably save up the money and go buy the ring. But that's not how the conversation traditionally goes. Lesley Logan 18:14  No. I mean, also, like, even while the ring, that the beautiful ring I have, I literally told someone to tell you. Brad Crowell 18:20  I have no idea what you just said. Lesley Logan 18:24  My engagement ring that you got me, I made sure people in my life knew what I wanted, because we well, because you had said, don't talk to me about getting married. So I was like, well, how am I going to tell him about the ring I want if I don't can't talk about getting married. So I just made sure all of my friends who you knew knew which ring I wanted. Brad Crowell 18:40  I don't remember that that's how the story went.Lesley Logan 18:42  No. The story goes, you asked my friend for my ring size. He said, oh, I can tell you what ring she wants. Brad Crowell 18:46  Yes, because he had it from, like, a year before.Lesley Logan 18:48  Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was before, yeah. So anyways, I knew what I wanted. The point is, around here, we just buy that ourselves, the thing we want, but I do have tons of friends who won't put a ring on their their wedding ring finger, because they that's saving of her then. Or they, they they want something, but then they they compromise, or they don't have the it's a whole thing. And so she's just a big person like, buy the thing that you want and buy the ring that you want, and that because you're worthy of it, and not waiting for a partner or waiting for external people to tell other people outside of you, to tell you what what ring you should have, or what you're worth, or things like that. I think it's really cool. And I also she said she was observing that women often struggle to buy fine jewelry for themselves, not because of money, but because they don't feel like they're worthy of it. Because, like you said, I would just save up the money and go get it. A lot of people will save up the money and then feel bad about like that. They're not like, oh, I shouldn't have spent all that money on that thing this, like, like.Brad Crowell 19:47  I mean, I get that, you know. Like, I definitely understand that, you know, I saved up money for a pair of glasses that I was like, wow, these are really expensive, and I literally wear them every day now, and I'm like, proud of myself for doing it.Lesley Logan 19:59  Yeah, don't you feel you feel good. Brad Crowell 20:01  I like them. Lesley Logan 20:01  Yeah. I mean, I love our car. It feels really cool to be in that car. I feel very worthy of that car, you know, like, now we had to save up for it. We have to wait, like, it's it was an expense, but, like, I think.Brad Crowell 20:12  We waited 10 fucking years. Lesley Logan 20:14  I fucking did, yeah, I did, but I, I wanted to have her on because I actually feel like we have a lot of listeners who are that person who has, has saved up the money, or does have it and and maybe feels a little guilty, like, oh, I shouldn't be spending on me. It should be spent on the kids, or I should be I should be doing X, or should be doing y. And it's like, you know, if you saved up that money one time, you probably could do it again, and you could probably spend it on them then that time. But so she she reflects on her own deeper journey, and that she even like while she was running her business, she was going through her own journey of self-doubt and realizing of self-worth. And so she had to go into it and realize, where do I feel like how do I feel about my worth? And so I also thought that this is really cool, because oftentimes it doesn't have to do with the ring. If you don't feel worthy, it's going to translate in other areas of your life.Brad Crowell 21:03  Yeah. And had nothing to do with the ring, nothing to do with the ring. Well, you know, when she's talking about, I think the conclusion of the worthy conversation was, it was it was an interesting back and forth between you and her about your experience working in retail and jewelry and seeing how couples would come in, and obviously they influence each other, but not just couples, like, friends, and then the person who wanted the, the one was doing the shopping would be influenced by the friend, and maybe the thing like and the friend might not have self-worth. So then they're, you know, projecting their insecurity on the decision-making process. And it could talk someone out of doing something that they were trying to do for themselves. And so what I thought was neat about her thing was she said, you know, the only person that's gonna make you feel worthy is you, yeah, that's interesting, but it also makes me, you know, like, is there an exercise? How do we do that? How do we feel worthy? How do we help ourselves feel worthy? Lesley Logan 21:52  I think that's a really interesting question. I think, like, also part of it is going back to, like a Nikole Mitchell, you know, like it's like putting Post-Its around your your your house, like, I am worthy of liking things. I am worthy of having this. I am worthy of reaching the goals that I want to have. Like it doesn't have to be I'm worthy of the stuff I want to buy, put it on. I'm worthy of get seven hours of sleep. I'm worthy of 100 grams of protein. I'm worthy of saying no to people coming over on a Tuesday night. I'm worthy of my time. So start with there.Brad Crowell 22:49  So we're not having dinner with them? Just kidding. Lesley Logan 22:50  Yeah. But like, I think, I think it comes from actually saying it out loud and saying it around things you can't have cognitive dissonance around. So like, if buying yourself expensive sunglasses or car or whatever is feels a dissonance to you, you have stuff that you still have to unpack and work through, then start with something smaller. I'm worthy of eight glasses of water a day, right? I am worthy.Brad Crowell 23:18  Or I'm worthy of a pay raise. You know, like, this is actually, you know, one of the things that that I really that resonated a lot with me is a topic that I get the chance to talk about a lot, which is money, right, and money when, especially with Pilates instructors, there's this weird stigma that Pilates is expensive, so you must be taking advantage of people when you're teaching. And then we shame ourselves into being like, oh, you know, I only teach a few hours a week, you know, so it's not that much money I'm making. And we have this weird, upside down perspective of, you know, the industry that we're in, the people that we serve, what we're doing, how much time and money we invested in getting trained, all this stuff, and then we adopt this, this like, strange mindset around the income that we're making, yeah, and so I've had this really interesting opportunity over the last year to talk about money on a consistent basis through a webinar that I've been hosting. And, you know, unabashedly talk about the desire to get more money, to make more money, and and but not be weird about it, right? We're not out there, like, championing, like, money for the sake of money. That's not the point. One of the things that I've really enjoyed is, in this the webinar is actually future-casting. Right? So taking a moment closing our eyes and actually thinking down the road, right? When we talk about money in these webinars, I actually talk about something that's like, scarily, like, almost like, it feels scary to even be willing to dream about it. It's about doubling your money, doubling your income. So, like, let's say you're making $35,000 a year. Could you make $70,000 a year with Pilates, you know? And. And the answer is, yes, you could. But why? Why would you want to do that, right? And I think the glib and obvious answer is, because I can get more money. But that's not the point. The point is, what are you going to do with that money? And then what are we doing with that? Like, how is that helping us shift our life to be better and more enjoyable? Easier, like, we it puts us in a position to go do something else that we want to do.Lesley Logan 25:25  Yeah, I mean, like, because, if you I mean to go back to that, the worthiness of it's like, okay, I want to make $70,000 because, but why? So I want to be able to pay for my kid to go to summer camp. I want to be able to have money in savings. I want to be able to do X, Y and Z. I want to donate to this thing. I want to do this thing right. Okay, so then it's not that. Brad Crowell 25:48  Or even it could be I want to create a life for myself that allows me a breather, a break, so I don't have to be going 90 miles an hour.Lesley Logan 25:58  And I think if we were all to say I am worthy of having a life that gives me a break. What selfish is about that? So, like. Brad Crowell 26:06  In the same vein, you know, let's translate that over to buying things. Yeah, why do we buy things, right? Why do we buy a nice car? Why do we, you know, I don't know, put in a pool? Why do we buy fancy sunglasses that cost $500 you know, which seems like absurd, you can buy a same pair of sunglasses for $12. Why do we do that? Like, like, how do we do that and justify that without, you know, feeling like an asshole, right? Lesley Logan 26:33  Well, I think the interesting word there is justify. I don't think anyone I think that.Brad Crowell 26:37  Well, there's a story we tell ourselves in our head, right? And I think that it's like, if, especially if we don't feel worthy of it, then we're justified, then we're justified.Lesley Logan 26:45  Yeah. But if you feel worthy, you don't have to justify anything, because it's it goes to the person who goes, oh, it must be nice. And the response, the only response, to it must be nice is it really is. It is. Thank you. It is because we have to. We, that has been trained into people for years and years to keep you poor. That's what it is every time someone has told their kids that money doesn't grow on trees, putting the same as point earned, you know, you, like, the justification of things that is to keep youth playing small. If you play small, then there, then the rich can keep getting richer off of you playing small, of you not demanding the pay raise, of you not charging your actual worth. Because, by the way, for the Pilates instructors who are listening, I just had a huge talk on both an AR Agency office hours and the next day instead of eLevate and I was like, on a pedestal, I couldn't get off of it. And I was like, y'all have to have some courage and conviction. Like most of the problems that this goes for anyone you don't have to be a Pilates instructor, is you don't realize all the hours you haven't sat down and counted all the hours of all the time you spent learning what you do, train on what you do, practicing what you do, teaching what you do. And you're thinking, oh, I'm pricing something for the 55 minutes I'm teaching them. No, you're not. That price is based on your entire past building up to it. And by the way, the future you're giving them, that's what that session, that the present that they're paying for, it's for your expertise and what they get in the future. And I think that's where worthiness comes in, is like, what can you do? Do you need to sit down and write down all the things that you know throughout realize you're worthy of asking for that pay raise? What is it going to take? But you can't ask other people for why you're worthy. You have to sit down and do some digging on yourself. This has to come from inside you, and it has and and the external stuff and the ring or the car, whatever. That's later, because some people like material things and some people don't. According to my astrology signs, I like material things, and I don't disagree with that.Brad Crowell 28:51  I could have told you that the day I met you. Yeah, but, but honestly, that's the thing. Here's the thing, it's okay to like material things. It's okay. We're allowed to do it. I don't know, you know, we feel guilty about it because of, for me, it was the way I was raised. Right? Is, is that, you know, the the money mindset element of it, and so, like, buying something really expensive was always out of the question. It was never even considered, right, ever, but, but like with, with the ring, like, if you want, if it's like, something that is going that means something to you, it's kind of like we were talking about tattoos, right. Like, if, if there is a sentimental association with it, you know, and you it's a goal you achieved in your life. Like, we've, we've, we've a friend we've mentioned before, when she wins a case, she buys a purse, or she buys the glasses, or she buys the thing, and she says, you know? And here's ironically, ironically, her dad not shaming him, but his response is always like, you still spent the money to buy the thing. Lesley Logan 29:56  And also, she doesn't get a pay raise when she wins. Brad Crowell 29:56  Right. It's not like she's getting a pay raise. Lesley Logan 29:57  No, she get the same amount whether she wins or loses.Brad Crowell 30:01  She, like, she's like, when I when this case goes, when it when the case concludes, then I get to buy the thing, right. And I think it's great. They're like, they're like, milestones of her life, you know.Lesley Logan 30:12  Yeah, yeah. I really agree. And I just want to, like, go on this one thing when it comes to some of the material possessions, especially a piece of jewelry that is something that one you wearing every day, so it's a physical reminder of of why you thought you're worthy of that. And then two, and Margot talked about this, you do often give it to someone, like, we don't have children, but I imagine Ella will like all of my jewelry. If Meredith has a daughter, we'll have to figure it out. But like, I imagine that like our niece Ella, she likes to wear pretty princess stuff. I imagine she'll like my things.Brad Crowell 30:51  I'm sure she will. Well, thanks for going down that journey with us here. Stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into some Be It Action Items that you discussed with Margot McNaull. Brad Crowell 30:58  All right here let's talk about those Be It Action Items, what bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Margot McNaull? Don't give up on yourself, she said, right? To go through what you need to go through, to go through to be that strong, that's successful, that whatever you have to go through some pretty dark valleys, right? It's not just like it's just kind of inherently built into life. We all know this, right? But don't give up. Don't give up on yourself. She said, look at things in a way that other people maybe they don't want to. It's easier not to dig into these things, to look at these things, then you're gonna, you're gonna come out. And if you, if you, if you give up, right, you're gonna come out with a less powerful message, okay, let's put some actual context into what this vagueness that we're talking about here, don't give up on yourself, right? If you, you're allowed to fail, okay, but if you fail, let's keep going. So for example, maybe it is going to bed earlier or just getting up earlier, or maybe it is, you know, eating food, that is, you know, like, maybe you may always skip breakfast, and you're like, I want us to eat breakfast because I know it's going to jump start my metabolism, whatever, right, you know, like, like, okay, like, how do we how do we do this? How do we actually make this habit, create this habit? And we could talk about habit-building later, but, you know, it doesn't have to be this huge, epic goal. It can be these smaller things, and that's such a great place to start to build that, that habit. Lesley Logan 32:33  Yeah. And if you miss a day, it's not failure. You start, you drink, eat your breakfast later, start again. Celebrate that you thought about it. Brad Crowell 32:41  Yeah. What about you? Lesley Logan 32:42  Okay, so this is really cool. This made me think of Joanna, whose last name is escaping me, but she was in the second year the podcast was out, and she had to be an action about wearing the shoes, just like buy the shoes.Brad Crowell 32:55  Johanna White. Johanna White. Episode 171.Lesley Logan 33:00  Nailed it. She always said, buy the shoes and wear them, right? And so this particular Be It Action Item makes me think of that. She said, you can take your old jewelry and have it revamped and have it transformed and and sometimes that's like the permission that a lot of us need. It's like, oh, we're not buying a new thing because we have these old things, but we're not wearing the old things. Are we not as proud of old things? And you can actually just revamp the old things and now it's new again. And so if you have an old an old thing, you know, like, consider revamping it because you are worthy of it, yeah.Brad Crowell 33:35  Or maybe it was at a family heirloom that's like, you know, cool and amazing and sentimental, but not hip and fun and funky that you'd wear all the time. Maybe you could have something tweaked on that, and it would all sudden fit your personality today. So love that you have our permission to make changes to things.Lesley Logan 33:53  And walk around. I am worthy of, I'm worthy of, I'm worthy of, fill in the blank for yourself. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 33:58  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 33:59  Thank you so much for listening to our amazing podcast. Yes, I said our podcast is amazing because it fucking is. Brad Crowell 34:05  We're worthy of it being amazing. Lesley Logan 34:06  I'm so proud of it. This is episode 554, you guys. Holy mackerel. So do me a huge favor and share one of your favorite episodes with a friend who needs to hear it. It's how this podcast gets out. It means the world to me. It is the like a great gift to me and Brad. And a review goes a long way, because words of affirmation are my love language. So I've asked for two things. Thank you so much, asked for three, actually. And you know, just do one of them. You don't have to be an overachiever. Until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 34:36  Bye for now.Lesley Logan 34:38  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 35:20  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 35:25  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 35:30  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 35:37  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 35:40  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

One school district isn't accepting doctor's notes for absenses anymore.

Larry Mietus (Chief Excuse Obliterator) is the Founder of Speaking of Strategy. He is an engaging speaker, business consultant, author, podcaster, and educator with a wealth of practical, hands-on experience. His expertise encompasses leadership development, organizational design, employee engagement, and sales and marketing strategies. His clients run the gamut from "Mom and Pop" businesses to international enterprises. He is a frequent contributor on LinkedIn. Larry has also been quoted in HR Magazine, the most widely read and respected Human Resources publication in the world. He is a guest speaker for Vistage International, the world's largest executive coaching organization. Larry is the author of “We Tried That Once” And Other Popular Excuses That Sabotage Business Success!00:00 - 00:17 "So I really think, you know, when you said, you know, what do I do best? I get people to think and hopefully I get people to take themselves a little bit less seriously because I'm thoroughly convinced when you look at businesses and professional sports teams, the ones that are more light hearted having fun are getting better results.” — Larry Mietus00:18 - 00:38 Welcome to Peppershock Media's Marketing Expedition Podcast00:39 - 01:33 Larry's Background01:34 - 17:32 Marketing Essentials Moment: What to Expect in Working with an Agency (Part 2)17:33 - 21:04 Welcome to the show, Larry!21:05 - 23:28 Larry's Consulting Approach23:29 - 27:11 Restoring Entrepreneurial Passion27:12 - 29:47 Consulting Process & Company Culture29:48 - 32:22 Success Stories32:23 - 37:38 Marketing Challenges & Awareness37:39 - 38:15 Poderific, baby! Whether you're looking for a podcast studio to rent or need help with the entire production and distribution of your podcast, we gotcha covered. 38:16 - 42:23 Networking & Referral Strategies42:24 - 46:21 Ideal Clients & Business Fundamentals46:22 - 50:29 Book Writing Process & Purpose50:30 - 53:03 Book Marketing Strategies53:04 - 54:22 Reach out to Larry & Get your copy of his book “We Tried That Once” And Other Popular Excuses That Sabotage Business Success! (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Larry-Mietus/author/B08NHQG8L8?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true)54:23 - 55:13 Thank you so much, Larry! Share this podcast, give us a review, and enjoy your marketing journey!55:14 - 56:00 Join the Marketing Expedition Community today! Like what you hear, but need more information?Meet with Rhea Allen#businessconsultant #leadershipdevelopment #marketingstrategies #MarketingEssentialsMoment #clientexpectations #keyperformanceindicators #KPIs #businessvisibility #topofmindawareness #bookwriting #overcomingexcuses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join the Kyle Seraphin Show LIVE 9:30a ET on Rumble, or on Spotify: https://KyleSeraphinShow.com__________________________________________________Our Sponsors:https://UnderTAC.com/ (Promo KYLE20 for 20% off sitewide)https://MyPatriotSupply.com/KYLE (SPECIAL DEAL ON THE 3-MONTH KIT)https://PatriotCoolers.com/collections/kyle-seraphin (PROMO KYLE for 10%)

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Thank you for joining me today and following us throughout Project 23. If you would like to learn more about this project, click the link to discover more and partner with us. Our text today is Mark 12:28-34: And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. — Mark 12:28-34 In a moment filled with debates and trick questions, one man dares to ask something sincere: "What's the most important commandment?" That's the right question. And Jesus doesn't hesitate. He quotes the Shema from Deuteronomy 6—words every Jewish boy and girl had memorized: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. That's it. That's the whole law in two lines. Love vertically. Love horizontally. The man nods. He gets it. He says it back to Jesus, and Jesus replies: "You are not far from the kingdom." We complicate faith. Jesus simplifies it. It's not about rules or rituals. Not about knowledge or appearances. It's about love—real love. Do you love God with your whole being? Do you love people as you love yourself? That's the measuring stick—not how much you know, but how well you love. And it's convicting, because most of us are pretty good at loving ourselves. We think about ourselves. Protect ourselves. Excuse ourselves. But Jesus says: That same energy you give yourself? Give it to others. And more than that—give all of yourself to God. The love God wants is total. Not partial. Not occasional. Not reserved. All of it. This command doesn't leave room for compartmentalized faith. It pulls everything into the light: affections, thoughts, decisions, actions. So live all in for him who lived all in for you. #GreatestCommandment, #Mark12, #LoveGodLovePeople ASK THIS: Why does Jesus say these two commands summarize the whole law? Which area of love is hardest for you—heart, soul, mind, or strength? Who is someone God may be calling you to love more intentionally? What does “not far from the kingdom” mean in your life? DO THIS: Ask God to show you where your love for Him has grown thin, and who around you needs the love you've been withholding. PRAY THIS: God, help me love you with all that I am—and love others the way you love me. Let my faith be full of real love, not empty religion. Amen. PLAY THIS: “The Heart of Worship”

HOUR 4- Klein's Sex Excuse, Old People's Secrets and MORE full 1309 Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:48:00 +0000 1MNhWk6sQRHYGr97xqqYbvlBHK0mo4eS society & culture Klein/Ally Show: The Podcast society & culture HOUR 4- Klein's Sex Excuse, Old People's Secrets and MORE Klein.Ally.Show on KROQ is more than just a "dynamic, irreverent morning radio show that mixes humor, pop culture, and unpredictable conversation with a heavy dose of realness." (but thanks for that quote anyway). Hosted by Klein, Ally, and a cast of weirdos (both on the team and from their audience), the show is known for its raw, offbeat style, offering a mix of sarcastic banter, candid interviews, and an unfiltered take on everything from culture to the chaos of everyday life. With a loyal, engaged fanbase and an addiction for pushing boundaries, the show delivers the perfect blend of humor and insight, all while keeping things fun, fresh, and sometimes a little bit illegal. 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.

Ruben Amaro Jr. calls into the 94 WIP Morning Show to congratulate Joe DeCamara on his book! Time's Yours callers believe by revealing he is injured, Joe is laying the ground work for an excuse in case he loses in Joe vs Jack.

Ruben Amaro Jr. called into the 94 WIP Morning Show, while golfing with Paul Holmgren, to congratulate Joe DeCamara on his book. Joe DeCamara announced on the 94 WIP Morning Show today that he has an undetermined injury to his lower-body, however, he will NOT back out of the Joe vs Jack competition! The Time's Yours callers believe he's making an excuse.

We all know the go-to excuse: "I just don't have time." But what if the problem isn't your calendar—it's your priorities, fear, or lack of clarity? In this episode of The Leadership Shot, Leila breaks down what's really behind the time excuse, how it shows up in leadership, and how to shift from calendar chaos to focused action. If you're too busy to lead well, this one's for you.

Barkley College Remedial Human Sexuality Course: Part 7The Dating Game Ensues.By zachattack163 and adapted for this platform. Listen to the Podcast At Explicit Novels.In Rebecca's 7th floor Condo, The Remedial Sex Ed class was enjoying a swim party and game night. The 12 college students were all sexually sated from the orgasmic contests, and simply basking in the comfort of a supportive set of friends. While Bethany and Rebecca just completed a housing agreement at the sofas' where an ‘Apples To Apples' game was going on;Devon and five others were playing a Game of Catan, at the Dining Room table. While Jackson and Alexis were negotiating a trade of Rock, for Wood; Devon bravely struck up a conversation with Erika; “So, Erika, I have two; no, three questions I'd love to find out from you. Tell me your worst date, your best date, and your ideal date.Meanwhile in the living room the apples to apples card asked the players to choose a response to the term worst day ever. Thomas chuckled as he submitted his card. When the rest of the submissions were in, Elizabeth shows Thomas's card. It said blind date.Well, that started off quite a group discussion of some of the worst experiences in dating. Soon, the Catan players came in to join the conversation. Erica said; “oh my God! We were just talking about horrible dates.” Then Erica added, “Devin wanted to know what was my worst aid and what was my best. I was just getting to the second part. Then he wanted to know what is my ideal date.” Spontaneously the conversation became a support group for dating help.It was the ideal date discussion that became the next chapter for the remedial sex ed students. Bethany suggested that each of the guys list a social activity and each of the girls lists a romantic finale; a destination. Bethany just wanted a sentence or two. She had Bruce pick up the guy's cards and she picked up the girls cards. Then she shuffled each stack and placed them on the coffee table next to each other. Taking the top card off each stack, she announced who was going on a blind date with whom.Bethany and Bruce agreed to assist the guys and gals, in coordinating their itinerary and destinations, but did not disclose the activities and venues. That was up to each couple to work out.Rebecca was paired with Thomas.Bethany was paired with Bruce.Erica was paired with Devin.Michelle was paired with Jackson.Alexis was paired with Malcolm.Elizabeth was paired with William.The timing perimeters were to be completed by Sunday, July 18th. On that afternoon and evening, there would be another pool party and pizza, at Rebecca and Bethany's place.Shortly after, the crowd started to disperse. Bethany stayed late to help Rebecca put things away and arrange for her move in. Since the other room mates' bedroom was going to be empty for eight more weeks, they decided Bethany should just put her extra belongings in storage and use one of the existing beds so she would have her own bedroom. The two of them decided to discuss Rebecca's upcoming date with Thomas. Rebecca said she really loves her condo and would just as soon invite Thomas back here for the night.Bethany agreed and said; “it's hard to find a luxury hotel suite to rival this place.” Bethany also asked if Rebecca would be opposed to Bethany having Bruce over, as well?“That sounds great! Rebecca assured her. As long as you and Bruce aren't offended by whatever sounds might carry over from my bedroom,” Rebecca added with a wink.“I'm hardly the person to complain about loud sex. You heard the noises I make.” Bethany admitted.“I wonder what Thomas has in mind for a social activity?” Rebecca wandered out loud.Bethany confirmed that she had some clue but was going to leave it to Thomas to reveal.Oak Park Country ClubJust then Rebecca's cell phone rang. It was Thomas.“Hello lovely! I'm looking forward to our special date and I wanted to discuss my thoughts for the day. My dad is the golf pro at Oak Park country club. I'd love to arrange a golf outing, followed by dinner at the country club dining hall. They usually have live music and ballroom dancing.”“Oh goodness! I'm in.” Rebecca assured him “I'll just need to bring along a change of clothes. Will we have access to the lockers and showers?”“Of course. My dad will handle all of the accommodations. I must inform you though, I was pretty much raised at that country club, and I think a lot of the older folks will take interest in who I'm finally dating. I've only been to a few of these swanky events. The last one was the debutant ball, last year.”Rebecca said; “Oh I'm so excited. I had my debutant ball when I turn 16. My dad was my date, that night.”“Since you're on the phone, Thomas can I discuss our final destination?”“Sure, what do you have in mind?” He asked.“I've stayed in a lot of places and I really just want to invite you back here for the evening. Will that disappoint you?”“Hmm, a night in the penthouse of Park Plaza? Sounds like roughing it. Just kidding. I am deeply honored and I want this to be an absolutely amazing date for you, my lovely.”Bethany was cleaning up the kitchen but overheard some of Rebecca's words. She scribbled a note and handed it to Rebecca. It said shall I plan to stay somewhere else that night?Rebecca glanced at the note and said, “Oh Thomas; one more thing. Would it make you feel uncomfortable if Bruce and Bethany were to make the other bedroom their destination that night? They said they'll ignore all the screams of ecstasy they might overhear.”“Good God! We all had sex on the floor of a college lecture bowl just last week. If we could ignore other couples getting it on then; I'm sure we can tolerate it again. Plus I think it might be fun conversation the next morning over a cup of coffee.”“Well now, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, but I suppose others can't help overhearing things. That doesn't mean we should confirm their suspicions.”The Hoe-Down.The next morning Bruce called Bethany to discuss his idea for a great date. “On Saturday July 13th,” Bruce explained. “We would travel out to my family's ranch in the next county. We would enjoy trail riding on our family's horses. Then, that evening the Stone Creek township is having a festival at the neighbors ranch it'll be a potluck dinner and barn dance.”“Barn dance? As in, square dancing? Or Western line dancing?” Bethany asked.“I don't think anybody square dances anymore,” Bruce assured her. “But yeah, line dancing is still a thing in our county.”“Well Bruce, that sounds like a very fun way to spend the day getting to know you better. Are you okay with coming back to the Park plaza condominiums? You know I'm temporarily moving in with Rebecca while maintenance is being done in the athletic dorms? I'll be in her spare bedroom until school starts in September. You just have to be okay with the noisy couple in the other bedroom?”“Haha! Maybe we can make it a contest? Who can be noisier!““Oh please!” Bethany responded. “I resemble that!”Casa Madera.That afternoon, Alexis sent a text to Bethany.“Hey girl! I just talked to my aunt and uncle and said I'd love to take a friend out to the cabin in a couple weeks. They said sure!”Then Alexis asked; “Do you think Malcolm will be okay with staying in a remote cabin? It has electricity and plumbing, and all. I just hope it doesn't disappoint him? It's really a spectacular place. They named it Casa Madera, which just means timber house, or log cabin.”“Oh my God! That sounds like a fantastic destination. Has he told you what he's planning that day?” Bethany wanted to know what she knew.“Um, yeah. He wants to take me to the performing arts center for a Celtic dance show. That's all I know, and it seems odd to go from a performing arts center to a rustic cabin in the woods.”“Don't worry about it!” Bethany said. “As long as the cabin is presentable, all Bruce is going to be interested in that night is the woman he's with.”Alexis chuckled nervously. “My aunt and uncle didn't ask who I'm inviting. I think they assume it's you, or one of my other girlfriends. You might need to play along if I get in a jam. This aunt and uncle are not prudes like most of my family. But I don't think they want the blowback for contributing to the delinquency of a fair young maiden.”“Count me in and I'll do my best to not blow your cover.” Bethany assured her.Model Worthy.Meanwhile Bruce was on the phone with Jackson; who was nervous about dating a world-class model like Michelle.Bruce encouraged him; “She wants to be a normal girl next door, Jackson. Be gentle, sensitive, and genuine. You might also need to remember flexibility, because things don't always go exactly as planned.”“Well, I want to take her to the new restaurant near the mall, called Candelier. Then I want to take her to a pop concert out at the casino ballroom.”“Excellent!” Bruce assured him. “I think she'll really enjoy that. I'm not sure how much exposure to large crowds she wants to risk. She values her anonymity. I know that runs contrary to what I would want, if I were in your place. Hell, I'd be strutting her with pride and want the whole world to take note.”“Yeah, good point.” Jackson agreed. I'll need to read her expressions and just adapt to the circumstances.”Lake Wilburn.Later that night, Devin called Bruce and discussed his ideal date package. His grandparents own a lake resort and he wants to spend a Saturday there, with Erica. They would have full use of all the boats; including ski boats, canoes, kayaks, and sailboats.“Shit! You just want that box and babe in a bikini for the day!” Bruce chided him.“And what's your point!” Devin retorted.They laughed at the obvious and Bruce confirmed that it sounds like a blast.“Hey Devin, Bethany's calling can I call you back when I'm done with her?”“Sure!” And Devin hung up.“Hey Bethany? ““Hello Bruce. I just got off the phone with Erica and she's a bit nervous about her date with Devin.”“Oh? Funny I just hung up with Devin to take your call. He's nervous too, by the way.”“Well, Erica kind of feels weird about it, but she wants to go camping. She thinks that's a pretty weird way to end a date. But she still thinks she should. What do you think?”“Oh my god! It's perfect. Just between you and me, Devin's grandparents own a Lake resort. Devin wants to spend a day at the lake, boating fishing and swimming. He's nervous that Erica might not be the outdoorsy type?”“Oh this is too funny” Bethany chuckled.“Now, does Erica want to camp in a campground? Because that resort might be a good fit for her plans, as well?”“No, she wants to do wilderness camping with backpacks. In the state forest near lake Wilburn.”“Oh my God! Please tell Erica that she is spot on! Camping is perfect and Lake Wilburn is even more perfect. I can't say more than that.”“Okay, I'll call her back. Thanks for your help.”“Okay babe, looking forward to our date, as well. And I'll connect with Devin and assure him.Bruce sent Devin a text; “Your planning is very compatible with what Erica is thinking. But I won't say more than that.”When Devin got the text, his curiosity really went into overdrive. Bruce assured him; “Don't overthink it bro. Just go with it. Your gut instincts are spot on.”Bruce and Bethany were mostly able to keep secrets. The only challenge was Elizabeth and William's coordination.Blueberry TouringWilliam was planning to take Elizabeth back to his hometown for the Brighton annual Blueberry festival. It involved a parade, carnival, street dance, and other events.Elizabeth's parents agreed to let her use an RV from their recreational vehicle dealership. She thought it was absolutely too corny for a first date destination but somehow she wanted to run it by Bethany.Bethany and Bruce had to divulge a little bit of William's plans. Then Bethany and Elizabeth selected Aspen Park RV campground near the Blueberry festival.They drove out to Aspen Park RV resort and talked to the owners. The bad news was that the RV Park was completely booked for a private event that particular weekend.When Elizabeth mentioned who her family was, the Aspen Park owners offered to call the organization which had reserved the entire RV park. They persuaded the organization to make an exception, provided that her RV would be using the most remote lot available. The group was more concerned that they might offend Elizabeth.“Your family has been very good to our RV park. You've greatly increased our occupancy rate because of the great reviews that you've given us. We wish we could do more to reciprocate with your family. But we will need you to sign a confidentiality agreement with this organization. That's all we're going to say.”“You mean, something like, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” Bethany speculated.“Yes! Something very much like that.”“Sure. But I'm going to need to know who the other party to this agreement is. Do we at least have a name of an organization?” Elizabeth pleaded.“Yes, the Sun valley nature society. That's all we will say.”Driving back to the college, Elizabeth said she was concerned that it was such a long drive to this resort.That's when Bethany divulged that William's plans were going to be out in this area, anyway.Awaiting the special day.Bruce and Bethany sent a group text message out to everyone confirming that they have been consulted and advised all of the couples, regarding venues in itineraries. They urged the couples to contact each other about clothing and other accommodations suitable for their activities. With that, the couples were just counting the days. All of the dates were able to begin on Saturday July 13th.Lake Wilburn.Devin loaded up his Jeep Cherokee and headed to Erica's place where she was waiting with a large duffel bag, cooler, and backpack. Once loaded, they headed out of town. There are activities started with fishing. After cleaning the fish they broke for lunch. Devin's grandparents insisted they come dying with them. After lunch they went sailing, followed by water skiing. Erica was an absolute blast and her string bikini was especially entertaining for Devin.After water skiing, Erica wanted to relax on the boat and lotion up for tanning. Devon took Erica into a secluded cove and turned off the boat motor. She offered to share lotion, and Devon took that queue to strip naked. Erica loved the suggestion. They spent a long time spreading the whole bottle of lotion all over each other, and building expectations for later that evening. Finally they laid out for about 40 minutes, getting a full tan. Then they swam naked in the cove for a while, before returning the boat to the resort. About 6:00 that night, they loaded up and Erica drove the two out to the state

Speaking to all women around the world(Excuse the gum smacking

(0:00) Intro(0:46) Promise vs Agreement(1:32) Sachi Gawahi Dena(2:38) Sach Bolne Wala Aksar Tanha Kiyun Reh Jata Hai?(3:52) Marriage Season After Muharram & Ramadan(4:18) Naam Nehad Muhaqqiqon Ka Asal Chehra(4:50) Propaganda Against Sunnat e Moakida(5:29) Jhooton Ko Jawab Dene Ka Tareeqa(6:29) Sunnat e Moakida Na Parhnay Walon Ko Jawab(9:52) Fuqaha e Kiraam Ki Tehqeeq(11:20) Fajr aur Zuhr ki Sunnat e Moakida Ka Saboot(12:49) Qurbani Sunnat e Moakida Hai(13:11) “Waldain Ki Ita'at Qur'an Mein Nahi” – Naya Fitna(14:26) Waldain Ki Ita'at Na Karne Ke Ehkaam(15:46) Even in Nafl Namaz – Waldain Ki Ita'at Lazmi Hai(16:34) Teen Tarah Ke Musalman(17:40) Modern Islam in Europe(19:09) Modern Islam in Pakistan's Posh Areas(21:18) Maghribi Tehzeeb Par Islam Ka Label Lagana(24:24) Burger Families Aur Unki Pasandida Baatain(26:49) Mufti sb Ka Ilm(27:37) “Bahu Pr Saas, Susar Ki Khidmat Lazmi Nahi”(29:18) Recent Case Related(29:50) Aurat Ke Liye Ghar Ke Kaam Ka Asool(31:39) Aurat Ke Liye Job Karna?(32:25) Hamari Zimmedari(32:45) Quality of Madaris(33:32) Mtm's Message to Madaris Students(35:00) Sharab Par Nabi ﷺ Ki Peshgoi(35:19) Gora Culture Ka Haal(36:16) Aaj Ke Musalman Ka Haal(36:50) Goron Ke Dogs(37:41) Aaj Ke Scholars(38:18) Allah Ke Ehkaam Aur Behis Duniya(39:22) Sawat Ka Dardnaak Waqia (41:39) Mulhidon Ka Sawal (42:23) Zalim Ke Liye Naram Jazbat Rakhna Bhi Zulm Hai(43:57) Zalimon Ka Anjam(45:33) Individual Life Guzarnay Ki Khwahish(46:35) Muslims vs Non-Muslims (49:57) Nafs Par Control Ka Tareeqa(52:40) Hidayah Writer's Amazing Fasting Routine(53:38) Hazrat Dawood as Jaisay Rozy Ka Faida(55:21) Tabligh Walon Ki Mehnat – Quwwat e Iradi Ka Waqia(57:23) Nafs Ko Maarna(1:01:29) Khooni Rishton Ka Maqam(1:02:54) Elasticity in Islamic Orders(1:03:28) Jahaz Mein Namaz/Wuzu Ka Tareeqa(1:06:15) Bimari Mein Namaz Ka Tareeqa(1:07:00) Liberals Ko Jawab (1:09:02) Molana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi ra Ka Qaul(1:11:04) Roza Aur Mazdoor (1:13:30) Karachi Mein Heatstroke Wala Ramzan(1:14:29) Ehl-e-Hadith Aalim Ka Fatwa (1:16:34) Electronic Media Se Deen Ka Faida(1:18:08) Tabligh Ke Tareeqay(1:20:03) Canada Ke Aalim Ka Waqia(1:21:50) Nabi ﷺ Ke Khoobroo Safeer(1:22:12) Bareek Naujawano Ko Naseehat(1:22:44) Khulasa Bayan + Dua(1:23:03) Bol Film Ka Dialogue – “Jab Khila Nahi Sakte To Paida Kyun Karte Ho?” – Jawab(1:32:53) Bol Film Actress Ki Ijazat & Excuse(1:34:36) Molana Salman Nadvi sb – Hazrat Muaviya ra Par Gustakhi?(1:35:22) Lahore Family Vlogger – Sahaba & Muaviya ra Ki Shan Mein Gustakhi(1:37:19) Islam Deen-e-Fitrat Hai – Aurat Ki Fitrat Mein Sokan Nahi?(1:45:41) Reply to Ghamdi(1:50:38) Walid sb Ka Vehem – Jumerat Ko Nahana, Bistar Par Khana – Ilaj?(1:53:16) Dost Ki Product Ko Apni Packaging Mein Bechna?(1:55:00) Kisi Ke Raaz Ki Khabar Padhna(1:56:57) Doston Ke Haquq Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barkley College Remedial Human Sexuality Course: Part 6A Girls' lunch leads to an orgasmic co-ed game night.By zachattack163 and adapted for this platform. Listen to the Podcast At Explicit Novels.After everyone had their fill of pizza and sodas, It began to dawn on several of them just how exhausted their college lab had left them. When Rebecca said goodnight to the last couple girls, she collapsed on the sofa and woke up when the sunrise burst into her 7th floor condo windows. She was high above the treeline, so it was just past 6am. The last thing she recalled from the evening before, was Bethany mentioning she needed to get to the bookstore before it closed at 8pm. Elizabeth drove her back to campus.“Damn! I slept 10 hours!”She made a stop in the bathroom, then went to the kitchen to make herself an omelet. As she waited on breakfast, she checked her phone. There was a text, from Erica, inviting her to join a private Facebook group with her summer school classmates from last night. That's when she realized she was now part of a very special group of dear friends.Clicking through, she joined and then dished up her breakfast and coffee. As she ate, she noticed there was already an active thread on the group page, started by Malcolm. He thanked everyone for making this summer class so rewarding, and made a particular expression of his appreciation to Rebecca for the great hospitality at her home.Rebecca posted a ‘heart' on his comment, and noticed it already had 7 ‘Likes'.Then she noticed she had 11 friend requests. Yep, all of her classmates were ahead of her. Having confirmed all of them, she returned to the group posts and noticed Devon just posted his own expression of deep gratitude, and hoped they would all stay in touch, at least for the summer.That's when Rebecca decided she had a unique opportunity, because of the great condo she had all to herself. She clicked on Bethany's profile and saw her latest post. It was published just 3 minutes ago. Flipping to her Messenger app, she called Bethany, hoping to talk.After just one ring, Bethany's voiced cheerfully greeted; “Rebecca! How are you?”Hi, Bethany. Oh, I can't believe I slept 10 hours! But I feel great! Did I call too early?“No, I have to train at 6am, with the volleyball team.” Bethany assured her. “Are you sore, too, girl?”“Oh, good! It's not just me.” Rebecca chuckled. “If an athlete like you is hurting from a workout, I feel like I'm in good company.”“Oh, yeah, I have some of that, but mostly I feel very stretched out by a certain somebody's scepter.”“Ah, yeah. Devon was your lab partner. So sorry for your pain.” Rebecca consoled.“Hell, girl! Don't feel too sorry for me. I'll take this agony any day, if it comes with the kind of bliss I felt yesterday afternoon.” Bethany gushed.“That good, huh? Well, let me tell you why I called.” Rebeca changed the topic. “First, thanks so much for our help with the impromptu gathering. You're so easy to work with, and I can tell you really enjoy it.”“Oh, thanks. Yes, my mother trained me to do hospitality well, it's sort of a matriarchal tradition in our family. I'd be happy to do it again.” Beth offered.“You were reading my mind, girl.” Rebecca was relieved. “I sorta think we should talk about that. Are you free to come by sometime soon? I can feed you lunch?”“Well, I have a lot on my plate, today, but I think I can swing by after our finals, next Monday; say, around 12:30?”“Oh, goody! Let's do this!” Should we include anyone else?” Rebecca wanted to be considerate.“Well;” Beth paused. “I'd really like to have a lunch with all the girls, but It's not my place to impose on you.”“Oh, duh! Why didn't I think of that?” Rebecca slapped her forehead. “I'll reach out to the other 4 girls, but I'll have to apologize for the short notice. I better get right on it. Bye!”“12:30, Monday. Bye!” Bethany said and hung up.Rebecca started a group private message and sent it to all the girls, including Bethany. Surprisingly, all 6 girls were confirmed, although Erica said she'd be a little late, cuz she had to be somewhere from 12 to 12:45.Monday morning Rebecca made a quick grocery delivery order on her app, and met the driver in the lobby around 9:45. Pasta salad and fresh veggies. Rebecca kept it simple.The last sex class session was at 11am. It was a written test. Everyone was buck naked anyway, either from habit or horniness. Everyone seemed confident they knew the answers.Devon and Jackson seem to have planned an X-box guys gathering, so they didn't feel slighted by the ladies doing something just for the female classmates.The professors didn't try to cloak their gratitude for the students who made this experimental course work well. Dr. Phoebe Garza informed the students that an email will be sent to them later that day, to get their feedback on the course. “Several professors from at least 20 universities were involved in developing this format and curriculum. You were the first students to take the course, at any university in North America. We won't violate your privacy, but our review will include some rather vague details about our students; particularly the variety of students and some personal challenges. We will send a draft to the individuals we may vaguely describe, but the public will not even know which university conducted this experimental class.Antonio Garza added; “You all played a part in developing a very cutting edge educational format, and we expect all the other researchers to be as impressed as we are.”After they were dismissed, the coeds rushed out for their designated gathering. Michelle and Elizabeth were first to arrive at Rebecca's Park Plaza condo. The three chatted on the sofas until Bethany arrived, and Alexis arrived a minute later. They all sat around the dining room table, chatting while eating. Without the guys there, the conversation was quite different. First they all talked about how sore their cunts were, last Friday. Followed by how many pads they went through. That turned into a comparison of what pads the girls each prefer. Then they discussed when a douche is helpful.Bethany wanted to know what kind of ointment to use for sore nipples. Alexis wanted advice on shaving her cunt. Then they launched into the faux self-loathing about their tit sizes and shapes. All the girls gushed about how awesome the other girls' bodies are. Now that everyone's self-esteem was shored up, they began the real talk about what they had all just experienced, in the unorthodox class.Every girl talked about how terrified they all were on the first day. It brought lots of giggles. Then Erica showed up and everyone wanted to hear her account of first day nerves.“Hell yeah! I was so stoked!” Erica said with a blushing grin. Alexis and Rebecca marveled. “Listen you hotties,” Erica elaborated. “My 3 older sisters made it easier for me. All us girls filled out our curves by the time we were high school sophomores. I would have been terrified at all the sexual attention I got in high school, but my sisters were really helpful. Yeah, a lot of days I wish I had a trim, athletic body. But I was so glad the rest of you girls were getting naked with me. Ever since my dad died when I was in junior high; my mom started living a ‘home nudist' lifestyle. My sisters sorta freaked out for a couple weeks, but then they all just started following her lead. Now I do, at home.Rebecca was intrigued. “I've always wanted to go buck naked at home.” She looked around the living room, then stood up and kicked off her slippers. Then she pulled off her tank-top & jogging shorts. Lastly, she unhooked her bra, hooked the strap on her thumb, stretched and launched it at Erica. Five seconds later, Bethany's bra landed in Erica's lap, followed by 3 other bras.As the last of the girls went topless, Rebecca came walking out of her bathroom with a pack of panty liners. “Ladies; if you're anything like me, you're still pretty wet in the crotch. Please keep your panties on and help yourselves to my stock of liners. I just got the sofas cleaned and I'd rather we keep them from smelling like a whore house.”As the girls finished their personal matters, Rebecca pulled a chair from the dining room and set it at one end of the two sofas which faced each other. ”Ladies, really loved having the whole class over, last night, and Bethany was so helpful. I thanked her again, this morning, and she said she'd love to help me again. She suggested that all six of us girls get together and visit. One of the things I want each of you to talk about; is if you want to have another gathering? And what would you want that gathering to be like?”The room grew quiet. Every girl was staring at the rug. Then Erica broke the silence; “Can I enjoy some prime cock?”Laughter broke out. Bethany shouted; “Leave it to Erica to say what we're all thinking.”Erica winked at Bethany and shrugged her shoulders. Her tits jiggled and her nipples took on a very erect definition.Michelle raised her hand, nervously.“What is it, Michelle?” Rebecca asked.“Well, first I want to say that every guy in the class was an absolute gentleman. That means a lot to me. It was very difficult for me to face my fears, and I'm glad I was treated like an ordinary coed. And then there's the fantastic way all you ladies have been so supportive. No jealousy or insults. I was more fearful of you ladies than the guys!”Several girls gave supportive nods, but were careful not to cut in on Michelle's vulnerable moment.“What I'm really wanting to say,” Michelle went on; “Is that I think we should avoid getting clingy with the first guy we've opened up our cunts to. “Bruce is an absolute prince. He amazes me. But I don't want to try to claim exclusive dibs on him. Do you get what I'm trying to say?”“Oh, you're spot on, girl!” Erica assured her. All the other girls nodded agreement.Alexis raised her hand, to which Bethany gestured for her to open up. “I feel like I still have a long way to go; socially, I mean.” Alexis paused. The ladies politely waited. “I'd like to find a fun way to be more like Erica.”Erica's eyebrows raised in surprise. “How so?”Alexis cautiously went on; “One summer I was at church camp. The cabin counselor played this game. Half of us were blindfolded and the other half came through and set a bare foot on our knee, as we sat on the side of our bunk. We had to guess the order of the girls, but they had shoes on when we had our blindfolds taken off. It was strange, how it got us girls to be more comfortable with our unique body size and shapes.”Before anyone could respond, Alexis quickly said, “But I think it would be more fun if the guys were blindfolded and had to each guess the order of which girls boobs they felt up.”Loud giggles erupted at the idea.Bethany then added; “How about we pitch it to the guys as a group game night? But we don't tell them the games?”Rebecca shouted; “I love it! Assuming the guys are polite & respectful, which I'm confident they are; We can start with this game.Erica chimed in; “Wait a minute. We gotta have our turn, too. I mean if we're gunna let them get their jollies, I wanna feel them up, too!”Elizabeth, said; “Okay, once they've had their game, let's dare them to drop their shorts with us girls blindfolded. We can fondle their family jewels and ‘Guess the pecker.'”“Exactly,” Erica high-fived her.Bethany then added; “Okay. So if everyone's good with the first two games, I fully expect the guys to want another game, called 'Guess the cunt'.”Rebecca turned to Alexis; “Are you going to have a problem if things advance to that?”“Are these all games where the guessers are blindfolded while others are naked? Alexis wanted to know.“Yeah, I think that's how we are conceiving this.” Bethany assured her.“Okay, then I have one more concern.” Alexis said with less nervousness. “Rebecca, how about we girls have a ‘safe-word', so if any of us has an inhibition, then all 6 of us step to another room for a talk?”“Yes! I love that.” Michelle chimed in. But let's also use our safe word if we just want to privately share an idea, too?”Erica raised her hand. When Michelle was done, Rebecca nodded for Erica to say what's on her mind. “Ladies. Excuse my dirty mind, but I feel inspired.” More chuckles. Then Erica described her horny ideas. Bethany finally stood and said; “Damn girl! Now I gotta go change my pad, again. Just listening to your filthy fun games has me so wet!”Game NightIt was on Sunday evening, July 3rd. the guys all brought drinks and chips. The gals put out a spread of fruits, and other snacks. It had been a hot day and the group met in Rebecca's condo, then went downstairs to the pool & Jacuzzi. The guys used Rebecca's roommates' bedroom. The ladies shared her's.At about 7pm they were showered and dressed. Everyone ate, then Rebecca finally announced the first game was about to start. Bethany had secured the use of 2 long folding tables from a lecture bowl. They were 6 feet long and only 2 feet deep. 3 Folding chairs were along one side of the tables. The guys were seated, and the girls began securing blindfolds. Rebecca began telling them what they were about to experience. As the ladies completed getting the guys set, they disappeared to Rebecca's bedroom, where they pulled off their tops and bras. Rebecca warned the guys that any violation of the protocols would allow a lady to slap the blindfolded offender.Rebecca then pulled off her top, bra, and called on the ladies to assemble. She set a countdown timer on her phone, so that every 30 seconds, the ladies would move on to the next contestant. The guys hands remained ‘palm up' on the far side of the table, and when the phone chimed, the ladies silently leaned their chests down, into the waiting hands of the guys. Fingers eagerly explored,, but Devon got too excited and slid his fingers up Erica's cleavage. When his knuckles lost contact with the table, Erica's slap was heard by everyone. Laughter burst out, but the 30 second timer chimed the end of that station. 5 seconds later, the chime signaled a new round, Rebecca did her best to very quietly move from the last contestant, down to her new position at the first station.Devon's slap played an effective deterrent. No one dared break that rule. The terror of being blindfolded and fearing a slap you can't anticipate, is more traumatic than you can know.On round 6, Erica and Rebecca probably moaned too loud, and blew their anonymity. Truth is, every girl was so aroused, and Rebecca actually climaxed in Bruce's fondling.When the final chime went off, the girls rushed to Rebecca's bedroom door. Then Rebecca, having hastily thrown on her tanktop, Told the guys to take off their blindfolds, and privately grab a notecard and pen, to list the order of tits they explored.A few minute later, the girls came out with tops back on, but with their braless nipples protruding against the fabric.When the guys all set their pens down, the girls each grabbed a contestant's card and scored it.Malcolm and Devon got perfect scores(6 of 6), followed by Jackson with 5. Thomas, Bruce, and William all got 4 of the 6. Everyone recognized Bethany, Elizabeth, and Erica. But Michelle, Alexis, and Rebecca were more similar and average, so they were a bigger challenge.Thomas and Devon both stood and turned toward the windows, to privately adjust their rigid cocks. The other guys had done their adjusting before they wrote down their guesses.Erica, noticed what Devon was doing, and said; “Devon, what ya digging for?”“Relief!” was his one-word reply.“I've got an even better idea, big boy.” Erica taunted the guys. We feel that it's only fair to switch places with you fellas.”“You wanna feel up my tits?” Malcolm teased.“Your first five words were correct, big Leprechaun. But I sense you have some gold you're keeping from us ladies.” Erica knew she had their rapt attention. “Now offer your chair to a lady and help her with her blindfold. Then you fellas can get buck naked and let us guess whose jewels we're enjoying.”“ Whoa!” Devon objected. “What happens if you girls don't keep your knuckles on the table?”“We get to flick their tit with a finger.” Thomas offered.All the girls subconsciously covered their nipples with their hands. They hated the idea, but they all knew it wasn't any worse than the slap that Devon endured.Rebecca then wanted everyone's attention. “Everyone. I want you all to be comfortable as a guest in my home. If you don't want to participate, that's fine. But you'll also have to decline the other games we may play.” She looked around to each guy and gal. Each person gave a ‘thumbs-up', so she showed Devon how to operate the timer, then she sat and was blindfolded.The guys decided to make sure their most hung specimens were not in the line, next to each other. They decided that Bethany being right after Erica, had made it too easy to distinguish the added cup size. Thomas quietly dug into his backpack after he stripped down. He grabbed his Bluetooth speaker and synced it to his phone, then. When the guys were coming out of the spare bedroom, Thomas pressed ‘play'. The words said it all. I'm too sexy, by ‘Right Said Fred'. Thomas turned it down so everyone could hear the timer on Rebecca's phone.

All was good in the life of Kijuan Amey of Durham, NC. He had an exciting job as an Air Force in-flight refueling specialist, advancing to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was finishing his bachelor's degree with a 3.87 GPA, played semipro football, had a girlfriend, played the drums, had started a company doing website design and social media marketing for businesses, owned a sweet 2014 Dodge Charger with a Hemi V8, and was active in his church. All at the age of 25. He also enjoyed relaxing takes drives on his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. On the fateful day on May 5, 2017, a Honda Accord, in broad daylight, inexplicably pulled out in front of Kijuan and his motorcycle, striking and almost killing him. The long list of injuries included shattering bones in his lower right leg, left hip and femur, and lower vertebrae, a fractured skull, a broken jaw, and a torn lower eyelid that caused his eye to pop out. Kijuan was in a coma for a month, and when he awoke in the hospital, he had no idea that he'd even been in an accident, only that he couldn't see, and with his jaw wired shut, couldn't ask anyone, either. He thought he was in some sort of a nightmare, not reality. Can you imagine trying to process that in your mind? Kijuan faced arduous months of physical and mental rehab, including dealing with the permanent loss of his sight. He'll probably never know why the driver pulled out like that. However, Kijuan is too young and ambitious to be held down, so what you are going to hear in this episode is Kijaun's inspiring battle back and determination to make a difference. His motto is that he may have lost his sight, but not his vision. He is a motivating force and is empowering others to success. He has been called the “Excuse Destroyer,” because he hasn't let this rough incident hold him back and wants to make sure others don't hold themselves back, either. He's out there motivational speaking, and you can book him at ameymotivation.com, where you can also hear him playing the drums to what I think are awesomely soulful tunes. After listening to this incredible story, I highly recommend reading his soon-to-be-bestseller, “Don't Focus on Why Me: From Motorcycle Accident to Miracle,” which is a quick, yet uplifting read that you can find both on his website and on Amazon.Kijuan Ameyameymotivation.comkijuan@ameymotivation.comFacebook Amey MotivationInstagram @kijuanameyLinkedIn Kijuan AmeyYouTube @Story_OfSuccessBill Stahlsilly_billy@msn.comFacebook Bill StahlInstagram and Threads @stahlor and @we_are_superman_podcastYouTube We Are Superman PodcastSubscribe to the We Are Superman Newsletter!https://mailchi.mp/dab62cfc01f8/newsletter-signupSubscribe to our Substack for my archive of articles of coaching tips developed from my more than three decades of experience, wild and funny stories from my long coaching career, the wit and wisdom of David, and highlights of some of the best WASP episodes from the past that I feel are worthwhile giving another listen.Search either We Are Superman Podcast or @billstahl8

Those who "believe in science and don't believe in God" are fond of saying we creationists simply believe in "the God of the gaps." This phrase, "the God of the gaps," implies that whenever we can't explain a mystery of nature, rather than continuing to seek an answer through scientific research and experimentation, we cop out by attributing it to God. To the contrary, I assert that those who resort to the "God of the gaps" criticism refuse to acknowledge God even when it is overwhelmingly obvious that the evidence points directly to Him. Join me for Today's Daily Word & Prayer to learn more.Scripture Used in Today's MessageJob 38:4If you've not read my book, Takin' it to Their Turf. request a copy on my website, www.CampusAmerica.com.You'll be inspired, encouraged, and learn plenty about evangelism and spiritual warfare through the 70+ stories I share of my campus evangelism experiences.We send a copy to anyone who donates to our ministry, but if you can't do so, simply request a copy by sending us an email. Who do you know that needs to hear today's message? Go ahead and forward this to them, along with a prayer that God will use it in their life.To find Tom on Instagram, Facebook, TiKTok, and elsewhere, go to linktr.ee/tomthepreacher To support Tom Short Campus Ministries, click herehttps://www.tomthepreacher.com/support************ Do you want to have all your sins forgiven and know God personally? *********Check out my video "The Bridge Diagram" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Kjwrlind8&t=1sCheck out my website, www.CampusAmerica.com, to learn more about my ministry and sign up for my daily email. And make sure to request a copy of my book, Takin' it to Their Turf, when you visit my website.Check out my videos on this channel to learn how to answer tough questions challenging our faith.

In this episode, I discuss how, as women, we use our past circumstances as an excuse for our poor behavior and how to let our past go and move into Camp Take Responsibility.

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/ToddJoin the Angel Guild today and stream Testament, a powerful new series featuring the retelling of the book of Acts. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bioptimizers https://Bioptimizers.com/toddEnter promo code TODD to get 10% off your order of Berberine Breakthrough today.Bizable https://GoBizable.comUntie your business exposure from your personal exposure with BiZABLE.  Schedule your FREE consultation at GoBizAble.com today.  Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/toddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comHear directly from Zach Abraham as he shares insights in this FREE “Halftime” Webinar, THURSDAY, July 24th at 3:30 Pacific.  Register now at Know Your Risk Podcast dot com. Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddEpisode Links:Just one day after a man shot at ICE agents with a gun, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D) calls for MORE anti-ICE protests to fight against "fascism" and "authoritarianism.” She wants more violence. She knows exactly what she's doing.NEW: The President of Glasshouse Farms, which had two cannabis farms raided by ICE & Border Patrol in Camarillo yesterday, has donated thousands of dollars to Democrats in California, including $10,000 to Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018.Jillian Michaels: “You talk about following [the] law, but ICE is enforcing [the] law enacted by Congress.”  -- John Fugelsang: “Anyone standing on American soil is allowed to claim asylum. Excuse me, we call these people illegals, but they‘re Christian refugees. I have this crazy thing I do with the Bible. I read it. And Jesus is emphatic about saying that we will be judged, nations and individuals, in Matthew 25 by how we…”California professor arrested, accused of throwing tear gas canister at federal agents during marijuana farm; The professor was protesting the raid where more than 350 illegal aliens were arrested and agitators also hurled rocks at law enforcement vehiclesThe State Department began firing more than 1,350 US-based employees as the Trump administration proceeded with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps

Your body doesn't know it's on vacation, so why do we think special occasions mean we can ignore our hunger and fullness signals? Get the full show notes and information here: https://drdebbutler.com/484  

Jones and Keefe discuss Tom E. Curran mentioning the high number of cap space that the Patriots still have. Should they look to make a deal with the Commanders or 49ers for Terry McLaurin or Jauan Jennings? In today's Grab Bag Jones and Keefe discuss the possibility of baseball returning for the 2028 Olympics, preview the All Star game, and more.

Top headlines for Tuesday, July 15, 2025In this episode, Christian reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines is under fire for featuring a same-sex couple in his newest series, and we discuss his defense against the criticism. Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson stirs controversy with his bold claim that Jeffrey Epstein was possibly an Israeli Mossad agent, sparking debates and disbelief. Lastly, we turn to a more somber note as we request thoughts and prayers for renowned pastor John MacArthur, who has been hospitalized with pneumonia at age 86.00:11 Chip Gaines defends gay couple on new show after backlash | Entertainment00:59 Catholic dioceses excuse immigrants from mass attendance01:55 Without proof, Tucker Carlson accuses Israel of crimes in America02:47 Pastor John Lindell plans to step down from James River Church03:33 Lucid dreaming a ‘slippery slope' for vulnerable youth: podcast04:34 Christians recount brutal execution by Fulani herdsmen in attack05:34 John MacArthur hospitalized with pneumonia, might not survive Subscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsChip Gaines defends gay couple on new show after backlash | EntertainmentCatholic dioceses excuse immigrants from mass attendance | Church & MinistriesWithout proof, Tucker Carlson accuses Israel of crimes in America | PoliticsPastor John Lindell plans to step down from James River Church | Church & MinistriesLucid dreaming a ‘slippery slope' for vulnerable youth: podcast | PodcastChristians recount brutal execution by Fulani herdsmen in attack | WorldJohn MacArthur hospitalized with pneumonia, might not survive | Church & Ministries

Take aways: Learn about Hilary and Steve's journey to enhance care for people with aphasia. Learn about communication access as a health equity issue. Identify systematic gaps and the disconnect between training and real world needs of people with aphasia. Learn about the development of the MedConcerns app. Get sneaky! Learn how the MedConcerns app can serve four functions simultaneously: 1) meeting the needs of someone with aphasia 2) serving as a tool that providers can use to communicate with people with aphasia 3) providing education to providers who learn about aphasia as they use the app 4) bringing SLPs and other providers together to meet the needs of people with aphasia   Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner. I'm a professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blugold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, Young Person's Brain Injury Group, and Thursday Night Poets.  I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources. I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Hilary Sample and Dr. Steven Richman to discuss their app, MedConcerns. We're really excited to share this with you, so I'll jump into introducing them.   Hilary G. Sample, MA, CCC-SLP Hilary is a speech-language pathologist, educator, and co-creator of MedConcerns, a communication support app that helps people with aphasia express medical concerns and participate more fully in their care. The app was born out of her work in inpatient rehabilitation, where she saw firsthand how often individuals with communication challenges struggled to share urgent medical needs. Recognizing that most providers lacked the tools to support these conversations, she partnered with physician Dr. Steven Richman to create a practical, accessible solution. Hilary also serves as an adjunct instructor at Cleveland State University.   Steven Leeds Richman, MD Dr. Steven Richman is a hospitalist physician and co-creator of MedConcerns, a communication support app that helps people with aphasia express medical concerns and participate more fully in their care. With nearly two decades of experience in inpatient rehabilitation, he saw how often communication barriers prevented patients from being heard. In partnership with speech-language pathologist Hilary Sample, he helped translate core medical assessments into an accessible tool that supports clearer, more effective provider-patient communication.     Transcript: (Please note that this conversation has been auto-transcribed. While we do our best to review the text for accuracy, there may be some minor errors. Thanks for your understanding.)   Jerry Hoepner: Well, Hello, Hillary and Steve. Really happy to have you on this aphasia access conversations podcast. With me, I'm really looking forward to this conversation. It's maybe a year or 2 in the making, because I think this was at the previous Aphasia Access Leadership Summit in North Carolina. That we initially had some discussions about this work. And then life happens right? So really glad to be having this conversation today. Hilary Sample: And we're really glad to be here.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. Maybe I'll start out just asking a little bit about your background, Hillary, in terms of how you connected with the life participation approach and aphasia access and how that relates to your personal story.   Hilary Sample: Sure, so I haven't been in the field long. I graduated in 2019 and began my career immediately in inpatient rehab. I have to remember. It's talk slow day, and I'm going to make sure that I apply that as I speak, both for me and for listeners. So I began on the stroke unit, primarily in an inpatient rehab setting, and I've worked there for the majority of my career. I came in as many, probably in our field do, trained and educated in more of an impairment based approach but quickly when you work with people, and they let you know who they are and what they need. The people that I worked with on the stroke unit, the people with aphasia let me know that they needed more of a life participation approach. You know I learned how vital it was to support communication and to help him, you know, help them access their lives, because most of the time I entered the room. They had something they wanted to communicate, and they had been waiting for someone who had those skills to support communication in order to get that message across. So it wasn't about drills it was about. It was about helping them to communicate with the world, so that I spent more and more time just trying to develop my own skills so that I could be that professional for them and that support. And then that took me. You know that it just became my passion, and I have a lot of room to improve still today, but it's definitely where my interest lies and at the same time I noticed that in general in our hospital there was a lack of communication supports used, and so I thought that in investing in my own education and training, I could help others as well. And so I started doing some program development to that end as well with training and education for healthcare staff.   Jerry Hoepner: I just love the fact. And actually, our listeners will love the fact that it was patients who connected with you, people with aphasia, who connected with you and encouraged you to move towards the life participation approach, and how you learn together and how that's become your passion. That's just a really great outcome when people can advocate for themselves in that way. That's fantastic.     Hilary Sample: Yeah, it really meant a lot to me to be able to receive that guidance and know that, you know there's an interest in helping them to let you know what they want from therapy, and that was there. But a lot of times the selections were impairment based, and then we. But there was something wrong, and we needed to uncover that. And that was, you know, that was the push I needed to be able to better support them.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's really great, Steve. I'm interested in your story, too. And also how you came to connect with Hillary.   Steve: I started as a trained as a family physician, had a regular outpatient office for a number of years, and then transitioned into inpatient rehab. That's where I really started to meet some people with aphasia. For the 1st time. Hilary and I have talked a few times about my training and education about aphasia before we met each other, and it was really minimal in Med school. They had lectures about stroke and brain injury, and some of the adverse effects you might get from that. And they, I'm sure, mentioned aphasia. But I really don't recall any details, and if they did teach us more, it would just nothing that I grasped at the time. So I would walk into these patient rooms, and what I would normally do for my trainings. I would ask people all these open, ended questions to start with, and then try to narrow down, to figure out what their problems are, and with people with aphasia, especially when they have minimal or no language skills. They couldn't. I was not successful at getting useful information out, and I remember walking out of those patient rooms and just being frustrated with myself that I'm not able to help these people, and the way I can help everyone else, because if I don't know what's going on. you know. How can I? It was really challenging and I really didn't know where to go. I talked to a few other doctors, and there didn't seem to be much in the way of good information about how to move forward. Eventually I met Hillary, and we would have these interesting episodes where I would talk or try to talk with the patients and get minimal, useful information. And Hillary would come back and say, they're having this problem and this concern. And with this medicine change. And how do you do that? How and that kind of started our us on the pathway that we've taken that recognition from my end that there's a lot that can be done. And the yeah.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I love that story, and it's a really good reminder to all of us that sometimes we forget about those conversations, the conversations with physicians, with other providers who might not know as much about aphasia. I'll just tell a really quick story. My wife used to work in intensive care, and of course she had been around me for years, and they would have someone with aphasia, and her colleagues would be like, how do you even communicate with them, and she would be coming up like you, said Steve, with all of this information about the patient, and they're like, where are you getting this information. The person doesn't talk.   Hilary Sample: Yes.   Jerry Hoepner: And that just emphasizes why it's so important for us to have those conversations, so that our all of our colleagues are giving the best care that they can possibly provide.   Hilary Sample: That's a great story. That was very much like almost verbatim of some of the conversations that we initially had like, where is this coming from? They don't talk, or you know they don't have. Maybe they don't have something to say, and that's the assumptions that we make when somebody doesn't use verbal communication. You know, we quickly think that maybe there's not something beneath it, you know. I have a story as well. So what led to a little bit more toward where we are today. sitting in those rooms with people with aphasia and apraxia and people with difficulty communicating. There's 1 that stuck out so much. She was very upset, and that it was. And I we had just really developed a very nice relationship, a very supportive relationship she kind of. She would let me have it if she was upset about something. We had really honest conversations and it and it was earlier on to where I was stretching my skills in in using communication supports, and she really helped me grow. But I remember being in her room one day, and she had something to share. And this is a moment that repeated itself frequently, that the thing that needed to be shared was medical in nature, you know, in inpatient rehab. That's a frequent. That's a frequent situation that you run into. And we sat there for maybe 15 min, maybe more. And we're working on getting this out. We're narrowing it down. We're getting clarity. We're not quite there yet, as I said, I'm still new, and but the physician walks in and we pause. You know I'm always welcoming physicians into the into therapy, because I really see that we have a role there. But and talk slow. Hilary, the physician, asked an open-ended question like Steve was talking about asking those open-ended questions as they're trained to do, and it was a question that the person with aphasia didn't have the vocabulary available to answer, and before I would jump in, that person shrugged her shoulders and shook her head that she didn't have anything to share with them, and I was like, but we had just been talking. You know, there's definitely something, and I think I just sat there a little bit stunned and just observing more. And you know the physician finished their assessment mostly outside of verbal communication, and left the room, and then I spoke to her, and we. We tracked down what the rest of her concern was, and clarified it, and then I found the physician who was not Dr. Richman, and I shared all the things that they had told me that she had told me, and I remember her saying I was just in there. She didn't have anything wrong. and I and I was, you know, I told her, like the communication supports that I used, and you know we got that. We moved forward with the conversation. But there were a few things that stuck out to me in that, and one was the way that the physician was communicating wasn't using. They weren't using supports. For whatever reason, I didn't have that knowledge yet. We dove into the literature to learn more later on. The second thing was that the person with aphasia seemed to give up on the provider, knowing that since supports weren't being used. It wasn't going to be a successful communication attempt. So why even bother, and that definitely fits her personality. She's like I give up on you. And the 3rd thing was that the education about that somebody has something to share the education about. Aphasia was lacking, so you know that the person's still in there. They still have their intellect, their identity, their opinions, beliefs. But they didn't have the ability to communicate that piece seemed to be missing on the part of the provider, because they were saying they didn't have anything to share. So, it was like, I said that situation happened repeatedly, and very much. Sounds just like yours, but it hit me how much there was to do. And so, hearing, you know Steve's experiences that are on the other side of that. Such a caring, the one thing that led me to want to speak to Steve is that he's a very compassionate caring physician, so it's not a lack of care and compassion. But what else was going on what led to this, and we started learning that together. It was really interesting for me to learn how Hillary's 1st assumption is. Why aren't these physicians using communicative supports or other things that we were never taught about? The assumption that the docs know all this, and there's plenty we don't know. Unfortunately, there's, you know there's so much out there.   Steve Richman: The other thing Hillary touched on that was so true in my experience, is here. I'm meeting people that had a significant event, a traumatic brain injury, a bad stroke. And we're so used to judging people's intelligence through their speech. And they're not speaking. And it's so easy to start thinking there's just not much going on up there, and I didn't have the education or information or training to know for a long time. That wasn't the case until my dad had a stroke with aphasia. And so yeah, there's still plenty going on there just hard to get it out. And even as a medical provider, I really wasn't fully aware of that. And it took personal experience and learning from Hillary to really get that. it's still there just need to find out how to help them get it out.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I think that's a rather common story, especially for people with aphasia. But even for people without aphasia, that sense that the doctor is coming in, and things have to happen. And I know I'm sitting here with Steve, who is very compassionate and wants to ensure that communication. But I think there's a little bit of fear like, oh, I can't get it out in this context, and just bringing awareness to that, and also tools. So, tools in education. So those physicians can do the work that they need to do and get that knowledge that they may have never been exposed to, and probably in many cases have never had that training to communicate with someone so like you, said Steve. How are you supposed to know when they didn't train us in this? And I guess that brings us back around to that idea that that's part of the role of the speech language pathologist and also kind of a vacancy in tools. Right? We're. We're just missing some of the tools to make that happen consistently across facilities and across people. So, I'm really interested in hearing a little bit about the tools you've created, and kind of the story leading up to that if you if you don't mind sharing.   Hilary Sample: Absolutely. 1st I'll share. There's a quote, and I'm not going to remember who said it. Unfortunately, I'll come up with it later, and I'll make sure to share with you. But that healthcare is the medium by or I'm sorry. Communication is the medium by which healthcare is provided, or something to that extent. We need communication in order to ensure equal access to health care. And like you said that gap, it's really big, and it's a systemic issue. So, leading up to us, coming together, we had those experiences on both of our ends. I realized that I wasn't a physician. I already knew this, but I also I was trying to provide communication support to enable them to communicate something on a topic that I'm not trained in. In order to really give what it's due right? I don't know what questions that Steve is going to ask next, you know I tried, but I and I tried to listen, but I didn't always have, you know. Of course, I don't have that training, so know your limits right. But I did. The general overarching method that I was using was we'd have concerns to choose from, including the question mark that enabled them to tell. Tell me that you're way off, or you didn't guess it, or it's not on here. And then narrow choices that I try to come up with, and we'd move on like that. And anytime somebody appeared to have a medical concern. There's those general topics that you would try to see if it's 1 of these things. One of these concerns, and then those would generally take you to a series of sub questions, and so on, and so forth. So, I recognize that this was repeatable. I also, at the same time as I shared, was recognizing that communication supports weren't being used. And that doesn't. That doesn't end with, you know, a physician that's also nurses nursing aides. That's therapists, including SLPs, and you know, so I'm doing a thing that can be repeated. Why not stop recreating it every time I enter the room and make it into something that I can bring with me a prepared material that I can bring with me and ideally share it with others. So, I again, knowing my limitations, know what I have to bring to that equation. But I knew that I needed to partner with someone that cared just as much but had the medical knowledge to inform that tool. So at 1st it was a print little framework that I brought, and what happened is, I came up to Steve, and I let him know what I was thinking, and he was open and willing to work together on this, and Hillary showed me these pictures that were kind of showing some general medical concerns, and brought up the whole concept and we initially were going for this pamphlet booklet idea, you know. If you have this concern, you go to this page to follow it up with further questions, and then you go to this other page to finalize the subs. We realized there was a lot of pages turning involved to make that work, and we eventually turned it into an app where you could take your concern, and we start with a general Hello! How are you? You know? Kind of what's the overall mood in the room today. And then what medical concerns do you have? And then from those concerns, appropriate sub questions and sub questions and timeframes, and the stuff that you would want to know medically, to help figure out the problem. And then go ahead. I'm sorry.   Jerry Hoepner: Oh, oh, sorry! No, that's terrific. I appreciate that that process and kind of talking through the process because it's so hard to develop something like this that really provides as much access as is possible. And I think that's really key, because there's so many different permutations. But the more that you get into those the more complex it gets. So, making it easy to access, I think, is part of that key right?   Hilary Sample: One thing that I'm sorry. Did you want to say? Yeah, I'll say, okay, 1. 1 part of it. Yes, the accessibility issue. Every provider has a tablet or a phone on them, and many of our patients and their families also do so. It made it clear that it's something that could be easier to use if that's the method somebody would like to use, but also having a moment where my mind is going blank. This is gonna be one of those where we added a little bit. This is what you call a mother moment.   Jerry Hoepner: Okay.   Steve Richman: The one thing that was fascinating for me as we were developing this tool is I kept asking why? And Hillary kept explaining why, we're doing different parts of it. And at this point it seems much more obvious. But my biggest stumble at the beginning was, why are these Confirmation pages. Why do we have to keep checking, you know? Do they mean to say yes? Do they mean to go ahead? And that education about how people with language difficulties can't always use language to self-correct. We need to add that opportunity now makes so much sense. But I remember that was a stumbling block for me to acknowledge that and be good with that to realize. Oh, that's really important. The other thing that Hillary said a lot, and I think is so true is in developing this tool. We're kind of developing a tool that helps people that know nothing about communication supports like myself how to use them, because this tool is just communication supports. You know, I hear these repeatedly taught me about the importance of layering the clear pictures and words, and the verbal, and put that all the well, the verbalizing, the app is saying the word in our case, so that could all be shared and between all that layering hopefully, the idea gets across right and then giving time for responses.   Jerry Hoepner: It sounds like the tool itself. Kind of serves as an implicit training or education to those providers. Right?   Hilary Sample: And there's the idea that I was missing when I had a little bit of.  So yes, all of those strategies. They take training right? And it takes those conversations. And it takes practice and repetition. And there's amazing, amazing things happening in our field where people are actually undertaking that that transformation, transforming the system from above right.   Jerry Hoepner: Right.   Hilary Sample: But one thing that a big part of this work was trying to fill the gap immediately. I know you and I had previously talked about Dr. Megan Morris's article about health equity, and she talks a lot about people with communication disorders, including aphasia. And you know there's and she mentions that people cannot wait. The next person pretty much cannot wait for that work to be done, though that'll be amazing for the people that come down the line, the next person, what can we do for them? So we also need to be doing that. And that's where we thought we could jump in. And so I think the biggest you know. The most unique aspect of MedConcerns is that, or of the tool we created is that it kind of guides the clinician, the healthcare provider, through using communication supports. So you know, when I go in the room I offer broad options, and then I follow up with more narrow choices, always confirming, making sure I'm verifying the responses like Steve talked about, and or giving an opportunity to repair and go back and then that I summarize at the end, ensuring that what we have at the end still is valid, and what they meant to say. And so that's how the app flows, too. It enables the person to provide a very detailed, you know, detailed message about what's bothering them to a provider that has maybe no training in communication supports, but the app has them in there, so they can. It fills the gap for them.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. It's kind of a sneaky way of getting that education in there which I really like, but also a feasible way. So, it's very pragmatic, very practical in terms of getting a tool in the hands of providers. It would be really interesting actually, to see how that changes their skill sets over time but yeah, but there's definitely room for that in the future. I think.   Hilary Sample: We could do a case study on Dr. Richman.   Steve Richman: whereas I used to walk out of those patient rooms that have communication difficulties with great frustration. My part frustration that I feel like I'm not doing my job. Well, now you walk out much more proudly, thinking, hey, I able to interact in a more effective way I can now do in visit what I could never accomplish before. Not always, but at least sometimes I'm getting somewhere, and that is so much better to know I'm actively able to help them participate, help people participate. I love writing my notes, you know. Communication difficulties due to blank. Many concerns app used to assist, and just like I write, you know, French interpreter used to assist kind of thing and it does assist. It's it makes it more effective for me and more effective for the person I'm working with. It's been really neat to watch you know, go from our initial conversations to seeing the other day we were having a conversation kind of prepping for this discussion with you and he got a call that he needed to go see a patient and I'll let you tell the story. So we're prepping for this. A couple of days ago. I think it was this Friday, probably, or Thursday, anyways, was last week and I'm at my office of work and again knock on the door. Someone's having chest pain. I gotta go check that out. So I start to walk out of the room. Realize? Oh, that room! Someone was aphasia. I come back and grab my phone because I got that for my phone and go back to the room. And it's interesting people as with anything. People don't always want to use a device. And he's been this patient, sometimes happy to interact with the device, sometimes wanting to use what words he has. And so I could confirm with words. He's having chest pain. But he we weren't able to confirm. What's it feel like? When did it start? What makes it better. What makes it worse? But using the app, I can make some progress here to get the reassurance that this is really musculoskeletal pain, not cardiac chest pain. Yes, we did an EKG to double check, but having that reassurance that his story fits with something musculoskeletal and a normal EKG. Is so much better than just guessing they get an EKG, I mean, that's not fair. So, it would have been before I had this tool. It would have been sending them to the er so they can get Stat labs plus an EKG, because it's not safe just to guess in that kind of situation. So, for me, it's really saved some send outs. It's really stopped from sending people to the acute care hospital er for quick evaluations. If I if I know from the get go my patient has diplopia. They have a double vision, because that's part of what communicated. When we were talking about things with help from MedConcerns. Yeah, when I find out 4 days later, when their language is perhaps returning, they're expressing diplopia. It's not a new concern. It's not a new problem. I know it's been a problem since the stroke, whereas I know of other doctors who said, Yeah, this person had aphasia, and all of a sudden they have these bad headaches that they're able to tell me about. This sounds new. I got to send them for new, you know whereas I may have the information that they've been having those headaches. We could start dealing with those headaches from the day one instead of when they progress enough to be able to express that interesting.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, definitely sounds like, I'm getting the story of, you know the improvement in the communication between you and the client. How powerful that is, but also from an assessment standpoint. This gives you a lot more tools to be able to learn about that person just as you would with someone without aphasia. And I think that's so important right to just be able to level that playing field you get the information you need. I can imagine as well that it would have a big impact on medication, prescriptions, whatever use? But also, maybe even counseling and educating that patient in the moment. Can you speak to those pieces a little bit.   Steve Richman: You know, one of my favorite parts of the app, Hillary insisted on, and I'm so glad she did. It's an education piece. So many people walk into the hospital, into our inpatient rehab hospital where I now work, and they don't recall or don't understand their diagnosis, or what aphasia is, or what happened to them. And there's a well aphasia, friendly information piece which you should probably talk about. You designed it, but it's so useful people are as with any diagnosis that's not understood. And then explained, people get such a sense of relief and understanding like, okay, I got a better handle of this. Now it's really calming for people to understand more what's going on with them.   Hilary Sample: This is, I think you know, that counseling piece and education, that early education. That's some of the stuff that could bring tears to my eyes just talking about it, because it's; oh, and it might just now. So many people enter, and they may have gotten. They may have received education, but it may not have. They may have been given education, but it may not have been received because supports weren't used, or there's many reasons why, you know, even if it had been given, it wasn't something that was understood, but so many people that I worked with aphasia. That one of the 1st things that I would do is using supports. Tell them what's going on or give them. This is likely what you might be experiencing and see their response to that. And that's you know what aphasia is, how it can manifest. Why it happens, what happened to you, what tools might be useful? How many people with aphasia have reported feeling? And you might be feeling this way as well, and these things can help. And it's very simple, very, you know. There's so much more to add to that. But it's enough in that moment to make someone feel seen and you know, like a lot of my friends, or one of my friends and former colleagues, uses this, and she says that's her favorite page, too, because the people that she's working with are just like, yes, yes, that's it, that's it. And the point and point and point to what she's showing them on the app. It's a patient education page, and then they'll look at their, you know, family member, and be like this. This is what's going on this, you know, it's all of a sudden we're connecting on that piece of information that was vital for them to share. And it was. It was just a simple thing that I kept repeating doing. I was reinventing the wheel every time I entered the room, but it was. It stood out as one of the most important things I did. And so that's why Steve and I connected on it, and like it needed to be in the app. And there's more where that came from in the future planning. But we added to that A on that broad, you know, kind of that page that has all the different icons with various concerns, we added a feelings, concern emotions, and feelings so that someone could also communicate what's going on emotionally. We know that this is such a traumatic experience, both in the stroke itself, but also in the fact that you lost the thing that might help you to walk through it a little easier which is communicating about it and hearing education learning about it. But so those 2 tools combined have really meant a lot to me to be able to share with people, with aphasia and their families, and also another sneaky way to educate providers.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely.   Hilary Sample: Because that's the simple education that I found to be missing when we talked about training was missing, and this and that, but the like when Steve and I talked recently, we you know, I said, what did you really learn about aphasia? And you kind of said how speech issues? Right?   Steve Richman: The speech diagnoses that we see are kind of lumped in as general like the names and general disorders that you might see, but weren't really clearly communicated as far as the their differential diagnoses being trained as a generalist, we would learn about, you know, neurology unit stroke and traumatic brain injury. And somewhere in there would be throwing in these tumors, which are huge aphasia and apraxia and whatnot, and I don't think I recall any details about that from Med school. They probably taught more than I'm recalling, but it certainly wasn't as much as I wish it was.   Hilary Sample: and so that education can just be a simple way to bring us all together on the same page as they're showing this to the person that they're working with. It's also helping them to better understand the supports that are needed.   Jerry Hoepner: Sneaky part.   Steve Richman: Yeah, speaking of the sneaky part, I don't think I told Hilary this yet, but I'm sure we've all had the experience or seen the experience where a physician asked him, What does that feel like? And the person might not have the words even with the regular communication, without a communication disorder. and last week I was working with a patient that just was having terrible pain and just could not describe it. and using the icons of words on that he had a much better sense of. You know it's just this and not that, and those descriptors of pain have been really useful for people now without more with communication difficulties that I just started doing that last week. And it was really interesting.   Hilary Sample: You mentioned about how those interactions with physicians are can be. Well, it's not nothing about you guys.   Jerry Hoepner: It's the rest of the physicians.   Hilary Sample: No, it's the, you know. There's a time. It's the shift in how our whole system operates that it's, you know I go in and I'm like, I just need notes if I need to speak about something important to my physician, because, like, I know that one reason I connect so deeply with people with communication disorders is that my anxiety sometimes gets in the way of my ability to communicate like I want to, especially in, you know, those kind of situations. And so, you know, it can help in many ways just having something to point to. But we also saw that with people with hearing loss, which, of course, many of the people that we run into in many of the patients that we work with are going to have some sort of hearing loss. People that speak a little different, you know. Native language. You know English as a second language.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely.   Hilary Sample: There and then. Cognitive communication disorders, developmental disorders, anybody that might benefit with a little bit more support which might include you and me. You know it can help.   Jerry Hoepner: And I think you know the physician and other providers having the tools to do that education to use the multimodal supports, to get the message in and then to get responses back out again. I think it's really important. And then that process of verifying to just see if they're understanding it. Are you? Are you tracking with me? And to get that feedback of, I'm getting this because I think sometimes education happens so quickly or at a level that doesn't match, and they might not understand it. Or sometimes it's just a matter of timing. I know we joke about Tom Sather and I joke about this. We've had people come to our aphasia group before who traveled out to a place in the community and they're sitting next to you. And they say, what is this aphasia stuff everyone's talking about? And I'm like, you literally just passed a sign that said Aphasia group. Right? But it's so hard to ensure that the message does go in, and that they truly understand that until you get that Aha moment where you describe like, yes, that's me, that's it. And that's just so crucial.   Hilary Sample: yeah, it's 1 of the most important pieces, I think to name it doesn't for anything that anybody is dealing with that's heavy, you know, to have to have it named can really provide relief just because that unknown, you know, at least at least you can have one thing that you know. I know what it is, and then I can learn more about it. Once I know what it is, I can learn more about it, and I can have some sort of acceptance, and I can start that grieving process around it, too, a little bit better. But when it goes unnamed, and the other part of it is if you don't tell me that, you know like that, you can see and understand what I might be experiencing, I might not think that you know what it is either, and I might not feel seen. So just the fact that we're both on board that we know I have this thing. I think it can take a lot of the weight off. At least, that's what I've seen when it's been presented.   Jerry Hoepner: No or care, right?   Hilary Sample: Yeah. Yes. Exactly.   Jerry Hoepner: Yep, and that's a good a good chance to segue into we I know we picked on Steve a little bit as a physician but the system really kind of constrains the amount of time that people have to spend with someone, and they have to be efficient. I'll go back to that sneaky idea. This seems like a sneaky way to help change the system from within. Can you talk about that a little bit like how it might move care forward by.   Hilary Sample: Showing what's possible. Yeah, I'm sorry, sure. In part time. Constraints, unfortunately, are very real, and without the knowledge of training how to communicate or support communication. It's challenging for us to move us physicians to move forward, but with something like our app or other useful tools in a short amount of time you could make some progress. And then, if you could document, this is worthwhile time worthwhile that I'm accomplishing something with my patient. I'm helping to understand what their issues are, and helping to explain what we want to do. That all of a sudden makes the time worthwhile, although time is a real constraint. I think, is general. Doctors are happy to spend extra time. If it's worthwhile that's helping our patient. That's the whole reason we go into this is help our people. We help the people we're working with, you know. No one wants to go in there and spend time. That's not helping anybody. But if you could justify the time, because I'm making progress. I'm really helping them great go for it. It's worth doing, and the part about efficiency. So there's so many ways that this focus on. And it's not even efficiency, because efficiency sounds like some success was achieved, you know. But this, this we only have this amount of time. One of the one of the things that's kind of interesting to me is that it an assumption? I've seen a lot, or I've heard a lot is that using communication supports takes time. More time and I have watched plenty, an encounter where the physician is trying, and it takes forever. I've experienced my own encounters as I was growing and deepening my own skills, and where it took me forever. And that's because we're trying. We care, but we don't have something prepared. So when you have a prepared material, it not only helps you to effectively and successfully you know, meet that communication need and find out what is actually bothering the person that you're working with. But it enables you to move at a pace that you wouldn't be able to otherwise, you know. So if Steve and I have this kind of running joke that I'll let you tell it because you have fun telling it.   Steve Richman: With the MedConcerns app. I could do in a little while what I can never do before, and with the med concerns App Hillary could do in 5 min. What used to take a session? It's really.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah.   Hilary Sample: Makes huge impacts in what we could accomplish, so less of a joke and more of just.   Jerry Hoepner: Yes, but having the right tools really is sounds like that's what makes the difference. And then that gives you time and tools to dedicate to these conversations that are so important as a person who's really passionate about counseling. One of the things we were always taught is spending time now saves time later, and this seems very much like one of those kind of tools.   Hilary Sample: Yeah. Well, we had one of the 1st times that we brought the prototype to a friend of ours who has aphasia. And it kind of speaks to the exactly what you just said. Spending time now saves time later, or saves money. Saves, you know, all the other things right is our friend Bob, and he doesn't mind us using his name. But I'll let you tell this story a little bit, because you know more from the doctor. Bob was no longer a patient of ours, but we had spent time with him and his wife, and they were happy to maintain the relationship, and we showed him that after he had this experience but he was describing experience to us, he was having hip pain. He had a prior stroke hemiplegic and having pain in that hemiplegic side. So the assumption, medically, is, he probably has neuropathy. He probably has, you know, pain related to the stroke, and they were treating with some gabapentin which makes sense. But he kept having pain severe. 10 out of 10. Pain severe. Yeah. And just. We went back day after day, and not on the 3rd day back at the er they did an X-ray, and found he had a hip fracture and look at our app. He was like pointing all over to the things that show the descriptors that show not neuropathic pain, but again, musculoskeletal pain and that ability to, you know, without words we could point to where it hurts. But then, describing that pain is a makes a huge difference. And he knew he very clearly. Once he saw those pictures he like emphatically, yes, yes, yes, like this is this, we could have, you know, if we could have just found out this stuff, we wouldn't have had to go back to the er 3 times and go through all that wrong treatment and this severe amount of pain that really took him backwards in his recovery to physically being able to walk. And things like that, you know, it's just finding out. Getting more clarity at the beginning saves from those kind of experiences from the pain of those experiences. But also, you know, we talked about earlier. If you have to sort of make an assumption, and you have to make sure that you're thinking worst case scenario. So in other situations where you send out with a chest pain and things like that, there's a lot that's lost for the person with aphasia because they might have to start their whole rehab journey over. They have to incur the costs of that experience. And you know they might come back with, you know, having to start completely over, maybe even new therapists like it's. And then just the emotional side of that. So, it not only saves time, but it. It saves money. It saves emotional. Yeah, the emotional consequences, too.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah. Therapeutic Alliance trust all of those different things. Yeah, sure. Yeah. I mean, I just think that alone is such an important reason to put this tool in the hands of people that can use it. We've been kind of talking around, or a little bit indirectly, about the med concerns app. But can you talk a little bit about what you created, and how it's different than what's out there.   Hilary Sample: Yeah, may I dive in, please? Okay, so we yeah, we indirectly kind of talked about it. But I'll speak about it just very specifically. So it starts with an introduction, just like a physician would enter the room and introduce themselves. This is a multimodal introduction. There's the audio. You can use emojis. What have you then, the General? How are you? Just as Steve would ask, how I'm doing this is, how are you with the multimodal supports and then it gets to kind of the main part of our app, which is, it starts with broad concerns. Some of those concerns, pain, breathing issues, bowel bladder illness. Something happened that I need to report like a fall or something else and the list continues. But you start with those broad concerns, and then every selection takes you to a confirmation screen where you either, you know, say, yes, that's what I was meaning to say, or you go back and revise your selection. It follows with narrow choices under that umbrella concern, the location type of pain, description, severity, exacerbating factors. If you've hit that concern so narrow choices to really get a full description of the problem, and including, like, I said, timing and onset. And then we end with a summary screen that shows every selection that was made and you can go to a Yes, no board to make sure that that is again verified for accuracy. So, it's a really a framework guiding the user, the therapist healthcare provider person with aphasia caregiver whomever through a supported approach to evaluating medical concerns. So generally, that's the way it functions. And then there are some extras. Did you want me to go into those? A little bit too sure.   Jerry Hoepner: Sure. Yeah, that would be great.   Hilary Sample: Right? So 1 1. It's not an extra, but one part of it that's very important to us as we just talked about our friend Bob, is that pain? Assessment is, is very in depth, and includes a scale description, locations, the triggers, the timing, the onset, so that we can get the correct pathway to receiving intervention. This app does not diagnose it just, it helps support the verbal expression or the expression. Excuse me of what's wrong. So, it has that general aphasia, friendly design the keywords, simple icons that lack anything distracting, clear visuals simple, a simple layout. It also has the audio that goes with the icon, and then adjustable settings, and these include, if you know, people have different visual and sensory needs for icons per screen, so the Max would be 6 icons on a screen, although, as you scroll down where there's more and more 6 icons per screen. But you can go down to one and just have it. Be kind of a yes, no thing. If that's what you need for various reasons, you can hide specific icons. So, if you're in a setting where you don't see trachs and pegs. You can hide those so that irrelevant options don't complicate the screen. There's a needs board. So we see a lot of communication boards put on people's tray tables in in the healthcare setting, and those are often they often go unused because a lot of times they're too complex, or they're not trained, or they, for whatever reason, there's a million reasons why they're not used. But this one has as many options as we could possibly think might need to be on there which any of those options can be hidden if they need to be. If they're not, if they're irrelevant to the user language it's in. You can choose between English and Spanish as it is right now, with more to come as we as we move along, and then gender options for the audio. What voice you'd like to hear? That's more representative. And the body image for the pain to indicate pain location. There's some interactive tools that we like to use with people outside of that framework. There's the whiteboard for typing drawing. You can use emojis. You can grab any of the icons that are within the app. So, if you know we if it's not there and you want to detail more, you can use the whiteboard again. That needs board the Yes, no board. And then there's also a topic board for quick messages. We wanted to support people in guiding conversations with their health care providers. So, I want to talk to Steve about how am I going to return to being a parent? Once I get home, what's work life going to be. I want to ask him about the financial side of things. I want to ask him about therapy. I want to report to him that I'm having trouble with communication. I want to talk on a certain topic. There's a topic board where you select it. It'll verify the response. It has a confirmation page, but from there the physician will start to do their magic with whatever that topic is. And then, of course, there's those summary screens that I already detailed, but those have been very useful for both, making sure at the end of the day we verify those responses but then, also that we have something that's easy to kind of screenshot. Come back to show the physician. So show the nurse as like a clear message that gets conveyed versus trying to translate it to a verbal message at the end from us, and maybe missing something so straightforward, simple to address very complex needs, because we know that people with aphasia would benefit from simple supports, but not they don't need to stay on simple topics. They have very complex ideas and information to share. So we wanted to support that. That's what it is in a nutshell that took a nutshell. I love that. It's on my phone, or it could be on your.   Jerry Hoepner: Oh, yeah.   Hilary Sample: Or on your or on your apple computer. If you wanted that, it's on the app store. But I love this on my phone. So, I just pull in my pockets and use it. Or if you happen to have an another device that works also.   Jerry Hoepner: Sure.   Hilary Sample: We're in the. We're in the process of having it available in different ways. There's a fully developed android app as well. But we're very much learners when it comes to the business side of things. And so there's a process for us in that, and so any. Any guidance from anybody is always welcome. But we have an android that's developed. And then we're working on the web based app so that we could have enterprise bulk users for enterprise, licensing so that that can be downloaded straight from the web. So that's all. Our vision, really, from the onset was like you said, shifting the culture in the system like if there's a tool that from the top, they're saying, everybody has this on their device and on the device that they bring in a patient's room, and there's training on how to use it, and that we would provide. And it wouldn't need to be much, just simple training on how to use it. And then you see that they are. They get that little bit more education. And then it's a consistent. We know. We expect that it'll be used. The culture can shift from within. And that's really the vision. How we've started is more direct to consumer putting it on the app store. But that's more representative of our learning process when it comes to app development than it is what our overall vision was, I want to say that equally as important to getting this into systems is having it be on a person's device when they go to a person with aphasia's device when they go to an appointment. I always, when we've been asked like, Who is this? For we generally just kind of say, anybody that that is willing to bring it to the appointment, so that communication supports are used, and maybe that'll be the SLP. Maybe it's the caregiver. Maybe it's care partner or communication partner, maybe a person with aphasia. Maybe it's the healthcare staff. So, whoever is ready to start implementing an easier solution. That's for you.   Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely. And that brings up a really interesting kind of topic, like, what is the learning curve or uptake kind of time for those different users for a provider on one hand, for a person with aphasia. On the other hand, what's a typical turnaround time.   Hilary Sample: We've tried to make it really intuitive, and I think well, I'm biased. I think it is   Hilary Sample: I for a provider. I think it's very easy to show them the flow and it, and it becomes very quickly apparent. Oh, it's an introduction. This is putting my name here. What my position is next is a how are you that's already walk in the room, anyways. And that's that. What are your concerns? Okay, that that all. Okay. I got that I think with time and familiarity you could use the tool in different ways. You don't have to go through the set up there you could jump to whatever page you want from a dropdown menu, and I find that at times helpful. But that's you. Don't have to start there. You just start with following the flow, and it's set up right there for you. The, as we all know people with the page I have as all of us have different kind of levels, that some people, they, they see it, they get it, they take the app, and they just start punching away because they're the age where they're comfortable with electronic devices. And they understand the concept. And it takes 5 seconds for them to get the concept and they'll find what they want. Some of our older patients. It's not as quick. But that's okay. My experience with it's been funny to show to use it with people with aphasia versus in another communication disorders, and using it with or showing it to people in the field or in healthcare in general, or you're just your average person most of the time that I showed this to a person with aphasia or who needed communication supports. It's been pretty quick, even if they didn't use technology that much, because it is it is using. It's the same as what we do on with pen and paper. It's just as long as we can show them at the onset that we're asking you to point or show me right. And so once we do that and kind of show that we want you to select your answer, and some people need more support to do that than others. Then we can move forward pretty easily. So people with aphasia a lot of times seem to be waiting for communication supports to arrive, and then you show them it, and they're like, Oh, thanks, you know, here we go. This is what's going on. Of course, that's there are varying levels of severity that would change that. But that's been my experience with people with aphasia. When I show people that do not have aphasia. I see some overthinking, because you know. So I have to kind of tell people like, just them you want them to point and hand it over, you know, because when I've seen people try to move through it, they're overthinking their what do you want me to do? I'm used to doing a lot with an app, I'm used to, you know, and the app moves you. You don't move it. So the real training is in stepping back and allowing the communication supports to do what you're thinking. I need you to do right. Step back and just let the person use the communication supports to tell you their message. And you, you provide those supports like we tend to provide more training on how to help somebody initiate that pointing or maybe problem solving the field of responses or field of icons that's on the page, or, you know, troubleshooting a little bit. But the training more is to kind of have a more hands off. Approach versus you know, trying to move the app forward since the apps focus, really, on describing what's going on with somebody and not trying to diagnose once someone gathers. Oh, I'm just trying to get out what I'm experiencing, it becomes very intuitive. Yeah, that's the issue. And this is, yeah, that's how describes it more. And yeah, this is about when it started that   Jerry Hoepner: That makes sense. And it's in line with what we know about learning use of other technologies, too, right? Usually that implicit kind of learning by doing kind of helps more than here's the 722, you know, pieces of instruction. So yeah, that kind of makes sense.   Hilary Sample: Simple training. I just to throw in one more thought I you know a little bit of training on what communication supports are, and then you show them. And it really, the app shows you how to use communication supports. And so it, you know instead of having to train on that you can just use the app to show them, and then and then they sort of start to have that awareness on how to use it and know how to move forward from there. Generally, there's some training that needs to be to be had on just where things are maybe like the dropdown menu, or you know what's possible with the app, like changes, changes, and settings and the adjustments that we talked about earlier but usually it's a little bit of a tool that I use to train people how to use communication support. So, it's sort of like the training is embedded. So we're doing both at the same time. You're getting to know the app, and you're learning more about how to support communication in general.   Jerry Hoepner: I think that's a really great takeaway in terms of kind of that double value. Right? So get the value to the person with aphasia from the standpoint of multimodal communication and self-advocacy and agency, those kinds of things, and then the value to the providers, which is, you learn how to do it right by doing it.   Hilary Sample: Which is great. Yeah.   Jerry Hoepner: Really like that.   Hilary Sample: Some of the most meaningful experiences I've had are with nurses like, you know, some of those incredible nurses that, like they see the person with aphasia. They know they know what to say, they want to. They know that the person knows what they want to say, but has difficulty saying it. We have one person I won't mention her name, but she's just incredible, and you know the go to nurse that you always want to be in the room she pretty much was like, give me this as soon as we told her about it, and I did, you know, and she goes. She's like, see, you know she uses it as a tool to help her other nurses to know what's possible for these. She's such an advocate but if it can be used like that to show what's possible like to show, to reveal the competency, and to let other nurses know, and other physicians, and so on, to help them to truly see the people that they're working with. It's like that's my favorite part. But the it's not only like a relief for her to be able to have a tool, but it's exciting, because she cares so much, and that like Oh, I'll take that all day long. That's wonderful.   Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely well, it's been really fun having a conversation with you, and I've learned a lot more than I knew already about the app. Are there any other things that we want to share with our listeners before we close down this fun conversation.   Hilary Sample: I think maybe our hope is to find people that are ready to help kind of reach that vision of a culture shift from this perspective from this angle. Anybody that's willing to kind of have that conversation with us and see how we can support that. That's what we're looking for just to see some system change and to see what we can do to do that together, to collaborate. So if anybody is interested in in discussing how we might do that, that's a big goal of ours, too, is just to find partners in in aphasia advocacy from this angle.   Jerry Hoepner: That's great!   Hilary Sample: Perfect. I totally agree. We're very grateful for this conversation, too. Thank you so much, Jerry.   Jerry Hoepner: Grateful to have the conversation with both of you and just appreciate the dialogue. Can't wait to connect with you in future conferences and so forth. So, thank you both very much.   Hilary Sample: Thank you.   Jerry Hoepner: On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access and to access our growing library of materials go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access.

[✐1. Adagio] Daily expressions - react without thinking!“After you.”[00:08]Hello everyone. Today we will practice expressions such as greetings that we often use. If you think it's too easy, try dialogue, role play and shadowing after [08:28].Repeat after me[00:32]1.  Good morning.2.  Morning!3.  Hello / Good afternoon / Good day.4.  Good evening.5.  Good night.6.  Long time no see.7.  How are you?8.  See you (later).[01:27]Actually, we say often “ja, mata” rather than sayounara (good bye)”.For example,[01:33]“Today's drinking party was fun, wasn't it?”“Yeah, let's do it again next month.”“Sounds good.  I will call you.  See you!”Repeat after me[01:50]1.  Thank you very much.2.  Thank you. / Thanks.3.  Excuse me. / Thank you.4.  Thanks.5.  I'm sorry.6.  Oh, sorry, sorry! (casual)[02:33]If you've been to Japan, you might notice that you didn't hear often “arigatou gozaimasu”. Instead, we say a lot “doumo” or “sumimasen”.For example,[02:46]“Excuse me, where is the toilet?”“It's over there.”“Ah, thanks.”Or;[02:52]“Please give me another spoon.”“Here you are.”“Thanks. “[03:02]Please repeat the sentence after ♪.Then, say “doumo” after ♫♫.[03:09]For example,May I sit here?→ ♪ (you repeat)Dialogue Partner: Sure, please.You:  ♫♫→ Thanks.Ready?=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=「おさきに どうぞ。」[00:08]みなさん、こんにちは。Today we will practice expressions such as greetings that we often use. If you think it's too easy, try the dialogue, roleplay and shadowing after [08:28].Repeat after me[00:32]1.  おはようございます。2.  おはよう！3.  こんにちは。4.  こんばんは。5.  おやすみなさい。6.  おひさしぶりです。7.  おげんきですか。8.  じゃ、また。[01:27]Actually, we say often “ja, mataじゃ、また” rather than “sayounaraさようなら(good bye)”.たとえば、[01:33]｢きょうの のみかい、たのしかったですね。｣｢そうですね。また、らいげつ やりましょう。｣｢いいですね。れんらくします。じゃ、また！」Repeat after me[01:50]1.  ありがとうございます。2.  ありがとう。3.  すみません。4.  どうも。5.  ごめんなさい。6.  あ、ごめん、ごめん！(casual)[02:33]If you've been to Japan, you might notice that you didn't hear often “ありがとうございます“. Instead, we say a lot “どうも” or ”すみません” .For example,[02:46]｢あのう、トイレは どこですか。｣｢あちらです。｣｢あ、どうも。」Or:[02:52]｢スプーンをもうひとつ、おねがいします。｣｢はい、どうぞ。｣｢すみません。｣[03:02]では、♪のあとリピートします。それから、♫♫のあと｢どうも｣と いいましょう。[03:09]たとえば、ここ、すわってもいいですか。→ ♪ (you repeat)Dialogue Partner: ええ、どうぞ。You:  ♫♫→ どうもいいですか。Support the show=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=Need more translation & transcript? Become a patron: More episodes with full translation and Japanese transcripts. Members-only podcast feed for your smartphone app. Japanese Swotter on PatreonNote: English translations might sound occasionally unnatural as English, as I try to preserve the structure and essence of the original Japanese.

Big truth from the New Testament's smallest letters Philemon

In a truly bizarre Washington Post article, penned by a literal clown… Excuse us, a Clown. As we learn the grammatical rules of using Clown in a sentence, Subway Takes spiked their interview with Kamala because it was embarrassing. Release the tapes!   Plus, Hakeem's bad photoshop is not a first-time problem.    ️ Then, anti-ICE violence is springing up around the country and yet, no one is wondering how we got here. From the shooting last year, the fire-bombing of Gov. Shapiro, to the LA riots and more — we get to the permission structure the left built for its violent tendencies.    If you have a round of golf planned, please take this opportunity to make sure you don't pick a fight with the wrong former NHL player in our favorite video of the week.    And American Beverage President and CEO, Kevin Keane on the growth of MAHA and their efforts at transparency. For more info visit https://goodtoknowfacts.org/   00:00 - Democrats and the "Hamas Caucus" 02:30 - The Infamous Clown Article 11:00 - MORE Hakeem Jeffries' Photoshopped Pics 15:30 - Kamala Harris's Shelved Podcast Interview 22:30 - The Violence Against ICE 36:00 - The Democratic Party's Silence and Captivity to Radical Elements 48:30 - A Very Polite Golf Fight 59:59 - Kevin Keane on MAHA and The Beverage Industry Efforts   Our Sponsors: ➢Find out the true power of America's oil and natural gas. Go to https://lightsonenergy.org/ ➢Help fuel America's energy advantage. Visit https://www.chevron.com/America to learn more

In Hour 2 of Willard and Dibs, Willard and Grandi (filling in for Dibs) continue the conversation on leaving games early and if there is ever a good excuse to leave a game early and possibly miss something great. Plus, the Giants lose the final game in the Phillies series and the boys react.

Marlon Cole - What's Your Excuse by Northwest Church of Christ

Recent news headlines say there is no evidence that Jeffrey Epstein ran a blackmail operation against the politicians, or that a “client list” existed, or that he was murdered in his jail cell. Are we in a different timeline? Are we witnessing a Deep State compromise? This is becoming a poor excuse for a Mandela Effect that is, in reality, a cover-up. It's truly becoming parapolitical due to the underlying evil being manifested. Listen tonight on Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis and Private Investigator, Ed Opperman from the podcast, Opperman Report, starting at 7 pm, pacific time on groundzeroplus.com. Call in to the LIVE show at 503-225-0860. #groundzeroplus #ClydeLewis #JeffreyEpstein #mandelaeffect

To get live links to the music we play and resources we offer, visit www.WOSPodcast.comThis show includes the following songs:Danica Bryant - Buzz FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYJess Novak Band - Woman FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYIzzy Imamura - Mine to Lose FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYRachel Tauwnaar - Pray For Us FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYChase the Comet - Rage Inside FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMaggie Baring - Glass Ceiling FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYGoldtooth - Death In The Valley FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYAnna Hudson - Leech FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYExcuse for an Exit - side by side FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYLeanne Lightfoot - Cry Baby FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYAlessiah - Made You Cry FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYBERTY - Big Leap FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYHeather Edgley - Broken Promises FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMission Road - Going Through the Motions FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYJenane - Talk to Me FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYFor Music Biz Resources Visit www.FEMusician.com and www.ProfitableMusician.comVisit our Sponsor Profitable Musician Newsletter at profitablemusician.com/joinVisit our Sponsor 39 Streams of Income at profitablemusician.com/incomeVisit our Sponsor Visit www.wosradio.com for more details and to submit music to our review board for consideration.Visit our resources for Indie Artists: https://www.wosradio.com/resourcesBecome more Profitable in just 3 minutes per day. http://profitablemusician.com/join

Many western countries are putting the right of conscience and speech to the test.  Related Resource Breakpoint Forum: Following the Science on Transgender Ideology What Would You Say?: Is Religious Freedom an Excuse for Discrimination? _________________ Be a part of restoring what's broken by giving before June 30 at colsoncenter.org/June.