Podcasts about experimentation

BONUS: Never Stop Experimenting—Building a Culture of Continuous Discovery with Stavros Stavru In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into the world of continuous experimentation with Stavros Stavru, Ph.D. in Organizational Transformations and founder of EdTech ventures AhaPlay and The Caringers. Stavros shares insights from his latest book "Never Stop Experimenting" and reveals how teams can maintain their discovery mindset while balancing the pressures of delivery. The Exploration-Exploitation Dilemma "What would we choose? What we know, and try to exploit? Or go for something new, and better than we currently have?" Stavros introduces us to one of the fundamental challenges facing modern teams: the tension between exploration and exploitation. He explains how teams often start with an exploration mindset, focused on solving real problems through discovery. However, over time, there's a natural shift from discovery to delivery, and teams forget the importance of continued exploration. The title "Never Stop Experimenting" serves as an anchor for teams to remember the value of maintaining their experimental approach even when delivery pressures mount. Born from a Decade of Practice "All the techniques that I describe in the book were born during 10 years of practice." The book isn't theoretical - it's grounded in real-world application. Stavros shares how every technique and framework in "Never Stop Experimenting" emerged from his extensive hands-on experience working with teams over a decade. This practical foundation ensures that readers get battle-tested approaches rather than untested concepts. Software Development as Incremental Experiments "Experimentation requires a creative process." Stavros addresses a common challenge: while teams understand the benefits of experimentation and want to experiment, they often face management resistance that ultimately demotivates the team. He emphasizes that viewing software development as a series of incremental experiments isn't just beneficial - it's absolutely necessary for teams to remain innovative and responsive to changing needs. The Fatware Matrix: Putting Products on a Diet "The challenge: how do you convince the business that you need to spend some time removing features?" One of the book's standout concepts is "The Fatware Matrix," which helps Product Managers recognize when their product is becoming bloated. Stavros introduces a practical tool combining the Kano framework with maintenance cost analysis to illustrate the true cost and impact of maintaining old features. This approach helped one team successfully remove features from their software, with stakeholders later commenting, "Now this is more transparent for us." The key is managing feature creep and software bloat before they become overwhelming. The NSE Ratio: Optimizing Experimentation Rhythm "It's when we try something new that we learn what works. We need to change something on a regular basis." The NSE (Never Stop Experimenting) Ratio measures how long teams wait before introducing new approaches or experimenting with their processes. Stavros explains how teams should define their NSE ratio as part of their team agreements, establishing a regular cadence for trying new things. This systematic approach ensures that learning and adaptation become embedded in the team's rhythm rather than happening sporadically. Building a Safe-to-Fail Culture "Speak of your own failures. When we show our failures as leaders, we show the team that they can run their own experiments." Creating a truly safe-to-fail environment requires leaders to model vulnerability and transparency about their own mistakes. Stavros emphasizes that leaders must give the example by sharing their failures openly, which gives permission for the rest of the organization to take risks and learn from their own experiments. This leadership modeling is crucial for establishing psychological safety around experimentation. About Stavros Stavru Stavros is a Ph.D. in Organizational Transformations and a leading voice in Agile coaching, leadership, and soft skills. Founder of EdTech ventures AhaPlay and The Caringers, he has delivered over 800 trainings and authored Never Stop Experimenting, a powerful toolkit for continuous improvement across teams and organizations. You can connect with Stavros Stavru on LinkedIn, and check his book site at Neverstopexperimenting.com.

Joe Hudson is the founder of The Art of Accomplishment and has worked with many top leaders in Silicon Valley, including Sam Altman and executives from Apple, Google, the NBA, and more. He coaches the research and compute teams at OpenAI and works with all the major AI companies. With a background in international stock lending and venture capital, and now a reknowned executive coach, Joe brings a unique perspective on business and the world. In this conversation, he shares many of the principles he uses to help top leaders adopt to maximize impact and achievement. (00:00) Intro (00:36) The Journey of Self-Inquiry (02:30) Impact of Self-Reflection on Coaching (03:50) Defining the Role of a Coach (07:23) Emotional Clarity vs. Emotional Intelligence (11:22) Achieving Emotional Clarity in Leadership (15:20) The Art of Accomplishment (18:33) Time Horizons and Incremental Improvements (21:18) Common Challenges for High Achievers (27:21) Self-Reliance and Team Dynamics (31:10) Coaching in the AI World (34:51) Reflections on AI and World War II (37:07) Skepticism and Trust in AI (42:30) Embracing Change and Transformation (50:04) The Importance of Experimentation in Business (57:45) Self-Awareness and Leadership (01:02:14) Practical Steps for Personal and Organizational Growth

Polish doesn't build trust—personality does. And no one understands that better than TikTok creators, who turn raw ideas into magnetic, shareable content every day.In this episode, we're pulling marketing lessons from TikTok's creative chaos with the help of Rhonda Hughes, award-winning B2B marketing leader.Together, they explore what B2B marketers can learn from leading with authenticity, embracing low-fi experimentation, and having the courage to make something truly original.About our guest, Rhonda HughesRhonda Hughes is a storyteller and connector of people and ideas with 18 years of experience helping brands engage their customers and audiences. She believes in creating value, not noise, and she has a knack for inspiring teams to push boundaries with fresh, fun, relevant content, campaigns, and programs. Rhonda's team's work has earned recognition from Mashable, Business Insider, Hubspot, Sprout Social, KISSmetrics, Content Marketing Institute, and snagged her a spot on North Bay's 40 under 40 “Ones to Watch” list, noted among the “Top 50 Women in Content”, and awarded for "Best B2B Campaign on TikTok."What B2B Companies Can Learn From TikTok Creators:Fun is a strategy—not a distraction. Brands win when they lean into playfulness—not just performance. “The brands that, to me, the companies that feel like they win are the ones that are really always putting their audience in the center and trying to figure out a way to be useful and be human and be playful,” Rhonda says. This kind of joyful creativity builds connection—and makes your brand memorable.Imperfect content is often the most relatable. Audiences don't crave polish—they crave authenticity. “The most engaging content isn't the most polished… you can tell that this was just a creative idea and somebody with their camera and they're rallying the folks internally around how they bring the story to life,” Rhonda says. “And that's part of what makes it so relatable and likable.” Let your audience in on the process, not just the finished product.Iterate like a creator. TikTok's best creators don't get stuck in strategy mode—they test, tweak, and try again. That mindset is essential for B2B marketers too. “TikTok creators are constantly iterating… they've gotta test formats and hooks and trends and sounds, and they have to move fast and be playful with this,” Rhonda says. The takeaway? Strategy doesn't mean overthinking. It means being in motion.Quotes*“You just never know what's gonna work. So you kind of have to be okay with trying and missing and trying again.”*“You want to build content that's gonna resonate with your audience and also be something they want to share.”*“If you're not enjoying what you're making, your audience probably isn't either.”*“It's not about going viral—it's about showing up over and over again.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Rhonda Hughes, Award-Winning Marketer[03:37] The Power of Authenticity on TikTok[06:00] Engaging Content Strategies[10:34] Spotlight on Successful TikTok Campaigns[16:16] Creative Marketing Examples[27:28] The Power of Authenticity in Social Media[29:37] The Bravery of Unique Marketing Strategies[30:33] TSA's Unexpected Social Media Success[32:39] The Importance of Fun and Experimentation in Marketing[42:03] Creating Value, Not Noise[43:37] The Utility of Content and Audience Engagement[50:03] Final Thoughts and Advice for Marketing LeadersLinksConnect with Rhonda on LinkedInAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Some of the biggest product breakthroughs didn't come from startups — they came from intrapreneurs. In this episode, we speak with Scott Jones, a career intrapreneur who has launched new lines of business at Lenovo, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Realeyes, a computer vision AI company serving some of the world's most influential platforms. Scott shares a detailed, experience-backed look at what it takes to make innovation work inside companies that weren't built for speed. He breaks down the mindset, team dynamics, and cultural rituals that allow new bets to thrive — and provides practical guidance for founders, executives, and investors looking to bring this approach into their own organizations. Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Inside the episode... How Scott went from analyst and musician to AI product leader A modern definition of intrapreneurship — and why it matters now Key personality traits and behavioral markers of strong intrapreneurs Why ambiguity is a feature, not a bug, in high-growth environments How leaders can foster a culture of experimentation (rituals, roles, and goals) Strategies for validating new product ideas quickly and credibly How to communicate innovation progress to stakeholders with different styles Realeyes' identity verification tech and the future of online trust How personal trauma and spiritual practices influence Scott's leadership approach Mentioned in this episode Realeyes - Where Scott works as VP, Product Pranayama (breathwork practices) -  Intro guide from the Art of Living Foundation: Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner - Official site with book info and resources: Linchpin by Seth Godin - Publisher page for the book: SHINE by EOS - Book info (note: EOS books are often sold through their coaching platform): Paramahamsa Yogananda - His foundational book Autobiography of a Yogi on the Self-Realization Fellowship site: Scott's linkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjeezey Scott's instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scottjeezey/ Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts — including video episodes on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5-star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow.  

What role does intuition play in your decisions and how do you strengthen trust in it? With 20 years of experience as a business consultant, Candice Quartermain shares her journey from people-pleasing to purposeful leadership and meaningful contribution. She explores how tuning into the body's wisdom, embracing authenticity and trusting intuition can radically transform how you live and lead. Candice reflects on balancing work and family, the importance of play and experimentation and her commitment to regenerative solutions. Offering powerful insights on aligning with your true nature, redefining success and stepping into your power one intentional choice at a time, Candice is truly leading with integrity.   KEY TAKEAWAY ‘We really want to create global change but very few of us are willing to actually create the change that we need to make within ourselves.'   ABOUT THE GUEST - CANDICE Candice Quartermain is a recognised expert in trust and cultural change, with over 20 years' experience shaping the way leaders and organisations grow. She has led award-winning innovation for brands like Adidas, Unilever and General Motors, and founded Circular Economy Australia, a pioneering global community driving regenerative design. Her work spans business, government and academia, embedding trust as the foundation for resilience, collaboration and high performance. A certified Somatic Intelligence Practitioner and mother of two, Candice brings a grounded, real-world approach built on deep lived experience. With expertise in non-verbal communication and team dynamics, she supports leaders to cut through noise, strengthen relationships and lead with integrity. Her signature course, Leading with Integrity, supports women to rebuild self-trust and lead in a smarter way that honours their intuition, protects their energy, creates more balance, and stays true to who they are.   CONNECT WITH CANDICE https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicequartermain/ https://www.candicequartermain.com/ https://linktr.ee/candicequartermain     ABOUT THE HOST - AMY ROWLINSON Amy is a purpose and fulfilment coach, author, podcast strategist, podcaster and mastermind host helping you to improve productivity, engagement and fulfilment in your everyday life and work. Prepare to banish overwhelm, underwhelm and frustration to live with clarity of purpose.   WORK WITH AMY If you're interested in how purpose can help you and your business, please book a free 30 min call via https://calendly.com/amyrowlinson/call   BOOK RECOMMENDATION* Focus on Why by Amy Rowlinson with George F. Kerr - https://amzn.eu/d/6W02HWu   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMY Sign up for the weekly Friday Focus - https://www.amyrowlinson.com/subscribe-to-weekly-newsletter   CONNECT WITH AMY https://linktr.ee/AmyRowlinson   HOSTED BY: Amy Rowlinson   DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence. *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Carolyn Gavin returns to Windowsill Chats for a joy-filled conversation about painting, purpose, and the evolution of her creative life. Based in Toronto by way of South Africa, Carolyn is a painter, illustrator, designer, and teacher known for her joyful use of color and pattern across mediums from watercolor to acrylic. She's also the principal designer for Ecojot, her family's eco-friendly stationery brand, and a beloved teacher to students around the world. In this episode, Carolyn shares the winding path of her creative journey—from childhood painting sessions to licensing her artwork for textiles and books, designing products, and leading retreats in beautiful locations. She opens up about the meditative power of painting, how travel and nature influence her process, and what it means to show up again and again for your art with playful curiosity.   Margo and Carolyn Discuss: Transitioning from advertising to co-founding Ecojot, a sustainable stationery brand How travel and living across cultures shaped her creative perspective Embracing bold, joyful color and large-scale experimentation The meditative power of painting as daily grounding Overcoming creative ruts and finding flow again Her playful balance between structure and spontaneity in art-making Translating flowers, landscapes, and real-world inspiration into distinctive work Building community through teaching—both online and at global retreats Advice for artists pursuing teaching, licensing, and product-based careers Navigating the business of art while maintaining personal joy and family life The ongoing importance of learning, evolving, and being inspired by others Connect with Carolyn: www.carolyngavin.com www.instagram.com/carolynj https://www.facebook.com/carolynjennygavin https://ca.pinterest.com/carolyn_gavin/_saved/ https://www.threads.com/@carolynj   Connect with Margo: https://www.tantaustudio.com https://www.instagram.com/windowsillchats/ https://www.patreon.com/c/inthewindowsill https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry  

Problematic stakeholders could be convinced if they... just got data. Right? Nope. Sometimes it's deeper than that. You gotta understand what makes them tick. Is it data? Is it optics? Maybe you should be running heuristic audits on your stakeholders instead of your website...In the second time EVER, someone else has changed my mind on something. Leave it to "Kingpin" Finn McKenty, who's apparently gone from Punk Rock MBA to Finn McKenty PhD, to change my mind.We got into:- How YouTubers are more data driven than your own CEO (lol)- Why you should be running heuristic audits not JUST on your website, but on the stakeholders you interact with (and tips to do so effectively)- Finn gives some general life advice on learning to let go (important when many product and CROs don't have autonomy to actually impact anything)Timestamps:00:00 Episode Start2:46  The analogy of CRO and "Gym" goes so deep6:25 Even YouTubers are data driven11:20 People who don't buy into “experimentation” just optimize for different metrics than you14:28 Psychology of UXers vs. Product/CRO (Finn low key is a psychologist now)20:01 Running heuristic audits on… stakeholders? (yes - it's a good idea)25:07 Optimization sometimes means optimizing for ‘helping people' (not metrics)30:16 Sometimes, CROs gotta play the politics game35:13 Finn offers sage advice in learning how to let go (CROs need to hear this)49:06 Preach: Samuele MazzantiGo follow Finn McKenty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnmckenty/ And go subscribe to his newsletter:https://finnmckenty.beehiiv.com/ Go check out Samuele Mazzanti's post too: https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-SamueleAlso go follow Shiva Manjunath on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiva-manjunath/⁠Subscribe to our newsletter for more memes, clips, and awesome content! https://fromatob.beehiiv.com/And go get your free ticket for the Women in Experimentation - you might even be entered to win some From A to B merch! : https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-WIE

Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola break down the USMNT's next Group D opponent: a vulnerable Saudi Arabia side that narrowly escaped with a win over Haiti (07:22). Players should embrace the outside noise (19:51). Charlie challenges Jack McGlynn to a footrace, and Jimmy recalls the time Clint Dempsey broke his jaw (27:41)! The guys debate continuity vs. experimentation - and discuss whether Mauricio Pochettino will shake up his lineup on Thursday (30:10). To cap it off, the crew marks 31 years since the Stars and Stripes kicked off the 1994 World Cup by revisiting that iconic opener against Switzerland in the Pontiac Silverdome (48:43). Call It What You Want is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Follow the Call It What You Want team on X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@JimmyConrad⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @CharlieDavies9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TMeola1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all the latest in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sportsbook reviews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sportsbook promos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betting on soccer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also watch Call It What You Want on the CBS Sports Golazo Network for free on connected TVs and mobile devices through the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV, and on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CBSSports.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paramount+⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, EFL, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF Nations League, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División, AFC Champion League by subscribing to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paramount+⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Golazo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're talking about two of my favorite things: being a creative and a writer and style. There's a marriage between the two and I want to explore that in today's episode and how I'm bringing those together for you.  You'll learn:  What we miss out on when it comes to getting really good at something How to go beyond the highlight reel in a practical way, especially when it comes to style Why it's so important to actually try in the first place and how to get started on the things that keep ending up on the wayside  Join our Morning Coffee Newsletter: https://www.judithgaton.com/newsletter/  Join us inside Maison Gaton: https://programs.judithgaton.com/maisongaton

Guest Kyle Baxter and Jeremiah take a deep dive into hypertrophy training, focusing on key aspects such as optimal training volume/intensity/frequency, managing the balance of fatigue:recovery, and much more.00:00 Introduction to Hypertrophy and Training Volume02:52 Understanding Training Volume and Its Impact06:05 Fatigue, Recovery, and Muscle Fiber Types08:56 Assessing Training Stimulus and Progression12:04 Nutrition and Its Role in Training Success15:05 Technique and Its Importance in Muscle Growth17:49 Lagging Muscle Groups: Volume vs. Technique20:53 Training Intensity and Its Effects on Progress24:05 Exercise Selection and Muscle Group Recovery29:30 Understanding Muscle Groups and Training Techniques32:11 The Importance of Training Frequency40:51 Intensity and Training Methods47:41 Coaching for Intensity and Progress53:02 The Importance of Experimentation in TrainingFollow Kyle on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/coachbaxter/To Apply For Coaching With Our Team: CLICK HERE

This podcast features Ryan Fitzgerald, an affiliate industry expert at AWIN, discussing various aspects of affiliate marketing. Key takeaways include the importance of initially working with all publisher types to build brand equity, AWIN's global reach and commitment to a publisher-centric approach, and Fitzgerald's sales leadership focusing on educating and mentoring SMBs. He emphasizes the need for transparency and data-driven decision-making in affiliate marketing, particularly for convincing C-suite executives of its value. Fitzgerald also shares insights into his team's success strategy, focusing on deal closure, self-education, and organization, and offers advice for brands on time commitment and agency utilization. The conversation touches upon AWIN's ShareASale integration, bringing modernized technology to a large existing client base. Finally, Fitzgerald shares personal insights, including book and movie recommendations, and advice for fathers.

Never Have I Ever.Cass finds the stud in her buddy Andrew.Based on a post by SmallTownPrincess. Listen to the Podcast at My first Time.Cassie gasped, jumping in her seat as the clap of thunder and splitting bolt of lightning across the screen lit the theater like daylight for an instant. In her momentary panic, she grabbed at the armrest, the fingers of her left hand finding instead the warm forearm of her fellow movie-goer and best friend, Andrew.Their met eyes for a moment, hers still wide with residual surprise and his glittering with amusement. With a blush for her silly panic and for the unexpected touch, she took her hand away, crossing her arms across her stomach and turning her face back to the screen.Recently, for reasons she couldn't entirely understand, Cassie had begun to feel awkward around Andrew.Too often she found herself blushing for small things, or giggling nervously, or losing the courage to do things like brush a hand through his hair or jump on his back for a piggy-back ride; things that a few months earlier she would have done without thinking.It was their stupid friend Margaret who'd started it, with her talk of "friends with benefits." Cassie had never considered the idea that her tall, gangly Andy could be, as Margaret had put it, "a certified hottie." They'd been friends for so long that she could no longer hold herself far enough away from him to be able to see him with an objective, appraising eye.Andrew's lips suddenly brushed her ear as he leaned over close to whisper to her, and she nearly jumped again. "The scary part's coming," he murmured, offering his shoulder as a place for her to hide her eyes.Ah, this was why she loved him so. Who else would understand how much she loved horror films; and how deeply they terrified her? Who would take the time to go to these films first without her, then come back to see them a second time, ready to point out all the really horrific scenes so that she could hide her face and not be scarred beyond belief?No doubt he would also stay with her after the movie tonight, curled in an uncomfortable ball on the floor next to her bed to act as her protector. He snored and drooled and would probably sleep through the apocalypse, but somehow having him there still made her feel better.When the film ended, the heroine narrowly escaping by boat as the only survivor, Cassie and Andrew filed out into the chilly, early autumn night. Cassie shivered, and Andrew dropped a friendly arm around her shoulders."Did you like it?" Cassie asked."It was alright. Definitely better this time than when I watched it by myself. Your reactions are priceless," Andrew said with a laugh."I can't help it! I jump at the jumps, I'm scared of the scary parts; that's what's supposed to happen when you go see a horror movie!""I wasn't complaining. I'm amused.""Hey, I saw you jump a little when he came out from under the shed to grab that girl's ankles.""Strictly for your benefit. I am never scared.""Oh? Well, good. You can stay up and keep watch tonight. Make sure no creepers come in my house in the middle of the night to chop me up for their stew."Andrew stifled a yawn, shaking his head. "An all-night vigil? Fat chance of that. You'd have to stay up with me."Immediately, Cassie began to think of ways she might keep him awake, each a little more risqué than the last, and she blushed again. What was it about him tonight that made her think such silly thoughts? He was joking with her, being her almost-brotherly friend as he always had been. The flirtatious edge was something she was imagining, she knew."Whatever you want, just keep the monsters away from me!" Cassie cried with a melodramatic wave of her arms. She ducked out from under his arm, darted the last few feet to the door of his car and leapt inside.The drive to her house was quiet, each of them thinking their own private thoughts in companionable silence. Once they got to the house, Cassie began to feel again a twinge of that fear she had experienced in the theater. The darkness, the quiet, the sense of waiting, it unnerved her enough that she let Andrew lead the way through the front door, clinging to his arm as if that would save her if some slasher movie antagonist were waiting on the other side."I don't want to go to sleep yet," Cassie said as they marched to her room, Andrew turning on lights as they went. "I'm all antsy. Let's play a game or something, huh?"Cassie had a grand total of three board games, one of which was nothing more than a sticky Candy Land board, devoid of any cards or playing pieces; there was little there with which to while away the evening hours."Let's play Never Have I Ever," Cassie suggested, and Andrew shrugged, his preferred signal of acquiescence.They sat on either end of her bed, both cross-legged, facing each other and hugging pillows in their laps. Each of them held up all ten fingers, ready to play."Never have I ever...read Hamlet," Andrew said by way of starting. Cassie shook her head."No, that's boring!""What? We always do stuff like that.""I know! Let's talk about something more fun than our reading lists and bodily functions." She eyed him beadily, daring him to repeat his disgusting scatological comments from the last time they'd played this game."Like what?""Like..." Cassie considered and discarded a dozen suggestions instantly, filing them away as either too mild or far too dirty. "Like, never have I ever kissed someone below the chin.""Really, never?""Never ever.""I'm not putting a finger down for that. It's dumb. You can't seriously have gotten to be nearly twenty years old and never done that.""But I haven't!""Come here. Kiss me right here on the neck, and then think of another one." He was laughing, but he did lean forward and pull his shirt away from the side of his neck, clearly intending for her to follow through.With another blush; would they never stop?; she bent and pressed her lips quickly to the spot where his neck met his shoulder. It was brief, but she was still pleasantly surprised by how warm his skin was there."Alright, now think of a better one than that," Andrew said with another laugh, sitting back."I can't think of anything. You say one.""Alright, fine. Never have I ever...made out with a hot girl who was sober."It was Cassie's turn to laugh. "Wait, how many drunk hot girls have you made out with?""Just one, but she was scorching.""Oh, prettier than me, huh?" She meant it as a joke, but her tone fell a little short of the levity she was going for, and she ended up sounding a great deal more jealous than she felt."Well, no, I mean, not prettier than you, per se..."Cassie gave him her most dramatic look of mock-hurt. "You don't think I'm pretty, Andrew?""Are you kidding? You're beautiful, Cass. But you're...you know...you're Cassie."A jolt of something like fear, but entirely not, shot through Cassie's stomach. He'd never said that before, that she was beautiful. True, he'd qualified it, but at the same time...he thought she was beautiful. Her face warmed."I'm tempted to make you make out with me and pick another one, just because you were so obnoxious about mine," Cassie said, laughing.Andrew laughed once, but then his smile became something decidedly more inviting."Oh, really? That wasn't obnoxious. I was merely pointing out that there are things in this life that you should have done in your teenage years.""And making out with a girl with no alcohol involved is definitely something you should have done. I still have another couple months before I'm out of my teens. You've missed the boat already! Anything you do now is necessary just to catch up.""So you think I should have done...this?" He rolled up onto his hands and knees, which put his face directly in front of hers, an inch or two away. After a pause, their lips touched, and in her surprise at the suddenness of it she broke the kiss to suck in a startled breath.He backed away a couple of inches, thinking he'd startled her unpleasantly, but Cassie followed him, leaning forward until they were separated by a mere sliver of air. Andrew kissed her again, softly at first, but then inspiration seemed to strike, and he sat up a little, putting his hands on either side of her face to hold her to him. When he finally released her, both of them were breathing a little harder, eyes a little wide, movements a little uncertain."So," Andrew said, clearing his throat and sitting back. "So, I guess I can't use that one anymore. Unless you've been drinking, of course?" Still too stunned to react properly to his comic jabs, she merely shook her head. "I thought not. You're not alcoholic enough to sneak a flask into a movie theater. Well, is it your turn to think of one, then, or are you going to make me go again?""I, um..." Cassie shook her head a little, cleared her throat. "Well, let's see. Never have I ever..." She thought of the moment earlier when Andrew had pulled his shirt back from his neck, showing off the lovely, muscled shoulders he was secretly proud of. She wondered if the rest of him was as nice as his shoulders. "Never have I ever seen any of my friends naked."Andrew's eyebrows shot up. "What, you've never been in a locker room before?""When would I have been in a locker room?" Cassie laughed. She was not the athletic sort, as Andrew was well aware."Still, never? Like, you've never gone streaking, skinny dipping, changed in front of each other, anything?"Cassie shook her head, grinning. Andrew stood up next to the bed. "Well, I can't let that go unchanged. Seriously, nudity among friends; it's a rite of passage!"He seized the back of his shirt and tugged it over his head, dumping it unceremoniously on the floor before going to work on his belt. Cassie watched with a mixture of horrified amazement that he was actually stripping naked in her bedroom, laughable discomfort because it was Andrew, and a growing appetite for the new perspective she was gaining on him, this thought of him as a real, handsome, sexy boy; not just her buddy Andrew.His pants hit the floor and he stepped out of them, standing awkwardly in his boxers for a moment before seizing the waistband and tugging those down to his ankles, too. Cassie couldn't help but stare; she'd never seen any boy totally naked, and here was a very fine specimen of man, standing in front of her with much less self-consciousness than she would have expected.After a moment, he bent to pull his boxers and pants back on, but Cassie protested."Aw, you're going to put it all back on?" she asked jokingly. "Here I thought you were going to play the rest of the game that way."Shrugging, Andrew sat back at the end of the bed as he had been, with the notable difference that he was now stark naked. "This hardly seems fair.""What do you mean?""I'm totally hanging free here, and you're still bundled up like a nun. A little reciprocation would be fair, don't you think?"Cassie shuddered at the idea of Andrew seeing her naked. She was self-conscious enough about seeing herself in the mirror.But Andrew was staring at her expectantly, and she knew he would play along no more without this quid pro quo. She stood nervously, then pulled her shirt up over her head, dropping it beside her. Andrew just watched, expressionless except for his small smile, so she carried on.Her skirt followed her shirt to the floor, and then with a deep breath she unclasped her bra in the back and dropped that onto the pile as well. Without looking at Andrew, and with a face undoubtedly colored like a beet, she slipped her panties off, sliding them down her long bare legs and kicking them off onto the pile of discarded clothes.Andrew's eyes took in every inch of her nudity, and he sighed; she thought she heard him say "Cass" under his breath. When his eyes trailed back up to meet hers, he smiled. "And now neither of us can use that one."Cassie sat back down, a little closer to Andrew this time, their knees touching. "It's your turn."Andrew hadn't taken his eyes away from her yet, and still didn't as he answered without hesitation, "Never have I ever touched every inch of a girl's naked body." His hands were already reaching out to touch her shoulders, trail along her leg, cup her face. Grabbing her legs, he pulled her farther down on the bed so that she could fit lying down without hitting her head on the headboard. He took her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly."Andrew!" Cassie cried in a voice that was half a laugh when they paused to breathe. "What are you doing?""Not sure yet," Andrew said absently, tucking her hair behind her ears and kissing her soundly.Cassie could feel her heart beating in every extremity; had she ever been able to feel every inch of her hypersensitive skin the way she could now? Andrew did not stop kissing her as his hands fell away from her face, slipped down her neck and gently ran over her tits to her stomach. When his thumbs grazed over her nipples, a shock wave ran down through her torso, straight to that soft, dark place between her legs. She had never been as aware of that spot as she was at that instant.Andrew was kneeling over her now as she lay back on the bed, and in their mutual nudity it was impossible for him to hide his body's appreciation of this turn of events. His erection brushed against her thigh as he shifted, and she tensed, the unfamiliarity suddenly overwhelming her.The kissing stopped immediately; Andrew sat back, concern on his face. "Is this okay? Are you-- I mean, is this too weird?""No, no," she assured him, and she meant it. All this felt surprisingly natural, even as quickly as it was moving; as if this was the most obvious and right state for them to be in, and everything they had been and done before had been awkward and unsatisfying. "Please come back."He acquiesced with a vengeance, the force of his kiss pinning her to the bed as she wrapped one arm around his shoulders and grasped the back of his neck with the other. When he suddenly moved to change positions, he almost lifted her off the bed in his enthusiasm as she clung to him. She admired for a moment the powerful muscles of his abdomen and lower body when he sat up on his knees to shift, putting himself between her legs.She was unbelievably, overwhelmingly aroused, almost to the point of discomfort; she could feel the slickness of her own juices between her thighs as she moved over on the bed to center herself, and when she spread her legs apart to give Andrew a place to kneel, the cold air of the room was a shock on her wet flesh.Andrew's hands were on her hips, his thumbs tracing small circles on the skin of her stomach as his kisses began to trail downward; along her neck, across her collarbone, up the mound of her tit. His mouth closed over one nipple, his tongue moving torturously slowly in a narrowing spiral around it, ending at last in a fierce, cat-tongue lick and a small, playful nip.The muscles in Cassie's stomach tightened suddenly, jerking her, forcing a small gasp out from between her lips. Andrew smiled against her skin.One hand slid away from her hip, along the outside of her leg, fingers dragging lazily across the skin of her thigh. He folded his hand so that only his index finger pressed against her skin as he worked his way back up, running it along between her legs as she squirmed. At length, his finger found the already wet-slick folds of her nether lips, teasing them apart and sliding from her clit to her drenched opening.Her fingers tightened on the skin of his back, her mouth dropping open; it seemed suddenly as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the room, and the lack made her deliciously dizzy. He pulled back from her a little, watching her face as his finger slid up and down slowly.She couldn't get enough of his face, especially the tiny smile, like he had a secret and was going to tell her in little pieces, stretched out over the night. There was something strange and thrilling about watching him touch her; he seemed to waver between being the Andrew she'd always known and trusted more than anyone else in the world, and a completely different man, surprisingly sexy, totally aware of what she wanted and needed and ached for."Is this really happening?"She didn't realize she'd spoken the words aloud until Andrew paused in his finger's ministrations and bent to bury his face in her neck, whispering between kisses, "It must be, unless we're both sharing the best dream I've ever had."He sat up, eyes on her body like he was trying to memorize it. His hand started to move again, faster, his fingertip teasing her clit and sending alarmingly powerful jolts of pleasure through her body. Her toes and fingers were going numb in waves of tingles. She was blazing hot inside; her skin ought to be steaming in the air of the room.And at the core of her, so close to his hand, she began to feel an almost unbearable emptiness, as if he'd stolen a piece of her and he alone could return it. She closed her eyes, concentrated. She was so empty; she was a shell made only of feverish skin, holding nothing but this raging inferno and a desperate, gaping vacancy.

Never Have I Ever.Cass finds the stud in her buddy Andrew.Based on a post by SmallTownPrincess. Listen to the Podcast at My first Time.Cassie gasped, jumping in her seat as the clap of thunder and splitting bolt of lightning across the screen lit the theater like daylight for an instant. In her momentary panic, she grabbed at the armrest, the fingers of her left hand finding instead the warm forearm of her fellow movie-goer and best friend, Andrew.Their met eyes for a moment, hers still wide with residual surprise and his glittering with amusement. With a blush for her silly panic and for the unexpected touch, she took her hand away, crossing her arms across her stomach and turning her face back to the screen.Recently, for reasons she couldn't entirely understand, Cassie had begun to feel awkward around Andrew.Too often she found herself blushing for small things, or giggling nervously, or losing the courage to do things like brush a hand through his hair or jump on his back for a piggy-back ride; things that a few months earlier she would have done without thinking.It was their stupid friend Margaret who'd started it, with her talk of "friends with benefits." Cassie had never considered the idea that her tall, gangly Andy could be, as Margaret had put it, "a certified hottie." They'd been friends for so long that she could no longer hold herself far enough away from him to be able to see him with an objective, appraising eye.Andrew's lips suddenly brushed her ear as he leaned over close to whisper to her, and she nearly jumped again. "The scary part's coming," he murmured, offering his shoulder as a place for her to hide her eyes.Ah, this was why she loved him so. Who else would understand how much she loved horror films; and how deeply they terrified her? Who would take the time to go to these films first without her, then come back to see them a second time, ready to point out all the really horrific scenes so that she could hide her face and not be scarred beyond belief?No doubt he would also stay with her after the movie tonight, curled in an uncomfortable ball on the floor next to her bed to act as her protector. He snored and drooled and would probably sleep through the apocalypse, but somehow having him there still made her feel better.When the film ended, the heroine narrowly escaping by boat as the only survivor, Cassie and Andrew filed out into the chilly, early autumn night. Cassie shivered, and Andrew dropped a friendly arm around her shoulders."Did you like it?" Cassie asked."It was alright. Definitely better this time than when I watched it by myself. Your reactions are priceless," Andrew said with a laugh."I can't help it! I jump at the jumps, I'm scared of the scary parts; that's what's supposed to happen when you go see a horror movie!""I wasn't complaining. I'm amused.""Hey, I saw you jump a little when he came out from under the shed to grab that girl's ankles.""Strictly for your benefit. I am never scared.""Oh? Well, good. You can stay up and keep watch tonight. Make sure no creepers come in my house in the middle of the night to chop me up for their stew."Andrew stifled a yawn, shaking his head. "An all-night vigil? Fat chance of that. You'd have to stay up with me."Immediately, Cassie began to think of ways she might keep him awake, each a little more risqué than the last, and she blushed again. What was it about him tonight that made her think such silly thoughts? He was joking with her, being her almost-brotherly friend as he always had been. The flirtatious edge was something she was imagining, she knew."Whatever you want, just keep the monsters away from me!" Cassie cried with a melodramatic wave of her arms. She ducked out from under his arm, darted the last few feet to the door of his car and leapt inside.The drive to her house was quiet, each of them thinking their own private thoughts in companionable silence. Once they got to the house, Cassie began to feel again a twinge of that fear she had experienced in the theater. The darkness, the quiet, the sense of waiting, it unnerved her enough that she let Andrew lead the way through the front door, clinging to his arm as if that would save her if some slasher movie antagonist were waiting on the other side."I don't want to go to sleep yet," Cassie said as they marched to her room, Andrew turning on lights as they went. "I'm all antsy. Let's play a game or something, huh?"Cassie had a grand total of three board games, one of which was nothing more than a sticky Candy Land board, devoid of any cards or playing pieces; there was little there with which to while away the evening hours."Let's play Never Have I Ever," Cassie suggested, and Andrew shrugged, his preferred signal of acquiescence.They sat on either end of her bed, both cross-legged, facing each other and hugging pillows in their laps. Each of them held up all ten fingers, ready to play."Never have I ever...read Hamlet," Andrew said by way of starting. Cassie shook her head."No, that's boring!""What? We always do stuff like that.""I know! Let's talk about something more fun than our reading lists and bodily functions." She eyed him beadily, daring him to repeat his disgusting scatological comments from the last time they'd played this game."Like what?""Like..." Cassie considered and discarded a dozen suggestions instantly, filing them away as either too mild or far too dirty. "Like, never have I ever kissed someone below the chin.""Really, never?""Never ever.""I'm not putting a finger down for that. It's dumb. You can't seriously have gotten to be nearly twenty years old and never done that.""But I haven't!""Come here. Kiss me right here on the neck, and then think of another one." He was laughing, but he did lean forward and pull his shirt away from the side of his neck, clearly intending for her to follow through.With another blush; would they never stop?; she bent and pressed her lips quickly to the spot where his neck met his shoulder. It was brief, but she was still pleasantly surprised by how warm his skin was there."Alright, now think of a better one than that," Andrew said with another laugh, sitting back."I can't think of anything. You say one.""Alright, fine. Never have I ever...made out with a hot girl who was sober."It was Cassie's turn to laugh. "Wait, how many drunk hot girls have you made out with?""Just one, but she was scorching.""Oh, prettier than me, huh?" She meant it as a joke, but her tone fell a little short of the levity she was going for, and she ended up sounding a great deal more jealous than she felt."Well, no, I mean, not prettier than you, per se..."Cassie gave him her most dramatic look of mock-hurt. "You don't think I'm pretty, Andrew?""Are you kidding? You're beautiful, Cass. But you're...you know...you're Cassie."A jolt of something like fear, but entirely not, shot through Cassie's stomach. He'd never said that before, that she was beautiful. True, he'd qualified it, but at the same time...he thought she was beautiful. Her face warmed."I'm tempted to make you make out with me and pick another one, just because you were so obnoxious about mine," Cassie said, laughing.Andrew laughed once, but then his smile became something decidedly more inviting."Oh, really? That wasn't obnoxious. I was merely pointing out that there are things in this life that you should have done in your teenage years.""And making out with a girl with no alcohol involved is definitely something you should have done. I still have another couple months before I'm out of my teens. You've missed the boat already! Anything you do now is necessary just to catch up.""So you think I should have done...this?" He rolled up onto his hands and knees, which put his face directly in front of hers, an inch or two away. After a pause, their lips touched, and in her surprise at the suddenness of it she broke the kiss to suck in a startled breath.He backed away a couple of inches, thinking he'd startled her unpleasantly, but Cassie followed him, leaning forward until they were separated by a mere sliver of air. Andrew kissed her again, softly at first, but then inspiration seemed to strike, and he sat up a little, putting his hands on either side of her face to hold her to him. When he finally released her, both of them were breathing a little harder, eyes a little wide, movements a little uncertain."So," Andrew said, clearing his throat and sitting back. "So, I guess I can't use that one anymore. Unless you've been drinking, of course?" Still too stunned to react properly to his comic jabs, she merely shook her head. "I thought not. You're not alcoholic enough to sneak a flask into a movie theater. Well, is it your turn to think of one, then, or are you going to make me go again?""I, um..." Cassie shook her head a little, cleared her throat. "Well, let's see. Never have I ever..." She thought of the moment earlier when Andrew had pulled his shirt back from his neck, showing off the lovely, muscled shoulders he was secretly proud of. She wondered if the rest of him was as nice as his shoulders. "Never have I ever seen any of my friends naked."Andrew's eyebrows shot up. "What, you've never been in a locker room before?""When would I have been in a locker room?" Cassie laughed. She was not the athletic sort, as Andrew was well aware."Still, never? Like, you've never gone streaking, skinny dipping, changed in front of each other, anything?"Cassie shook her head, grinning. Andrew stood up next to the bed. "Well, I can't let that go unchanged. Seriously, nudity among friends; it's a rite of passage!"He seized the back of his shirt and tugged it over his head, dumping it unceremoniously on the floor before going to work on his belt. Cassie watched with a mixture of horrified amazement that he was actually stripping naked in her bedroom, laughable discomfort because it was Andrew, and a growing appetite for the new perspective she was gaining on him, this thought of him as a real, handsome, sexy boy; not just her buddy Andrew.His pants hit the floor and he stepped out of them, standing awkwardly in his boxers for a moment before seizing the waistband and tugging those down to his ankles, too. Cassie couldn't help but stare; she'd never seen any boy totally naked, and here was a very fine specimen of man, standing in front of her with much less self-consciousness than she would have expected.After a moment, he bent to pull his boxers and pants back on, but Cassie protested."Aw, you're going to put it all back on?" she asked jokingly. "Here I thought you were going to play the rest of the game that way."Shrugging, Andrew sat back at the end of the bed as he had been, with the notable difference that he was now stark naked. "This hardly seems fair.""What do you mean?""I'm totally hanging free here, and you're still bundled up like a nun. A little reciprocation would be fair, don't you think?"Cassie shuddered at the idea of Andrew seeing her naked. She was self-conscious enough about seeing herself in the mirror.But Andrew was staring at her expectantly, and she knew he would play along no more without this quid pro quo. She stood nervously, then pulled her shirt up over her head, dropping it beside her. Andrew just watched, expressionless except for his small smile, so she carried on.Her skirt followed her shirt to the floor, and then with a deep breath she unclasped her bra in the back and dropped that onto the pile as well. Without looking at Andrew, and with a face undoubtedly colored like a beet, she slipped her panties off, sliding them down her long bare legs and kicking them off onto the pile of discarded clothes.Andrew's eyes took in every inch of her nudity, and he sighed; she thought she heard him say "Cass" under his breath. When his eyes trailed back up to meet hers, he smiled. "And now neither of us can use that one."Cassie sat back down, a little closer to Andrew this time, their knees touching. "It's your turn."Andrew hadn't taken his eyes away from her yet, and still didn't as he answered without hesitation, "Never have I ever touched every inch of a girl's naked body." His hands were already reaching out to touch her shoulders, trail along her leg, cup her face. Grabbing her legs, he pulled her farther down on the bed so that she could fit lying down without hitting her head on the headboard. He took her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly."Andrew!" Cassie cried in a voice that was half a laugh when they paused to breathe. "What are you doing?""Not sure yet," Andrew said absently, tucking her hair behind her ears and kissing her soundly.Cassie could feel her heart beating in every extremity; had she ever been able to feel every inch of her hypersensitive skin the way she could now? Andrew did not stop kissing her as his hands fell away from her face, slipped down her neck and gently ran over her tits to her stomach. When his thumbs grazed over her nipples, a shock wave ran down through her torso, straight to that soft, dark place between her legs. She had never been as aware of that spot as she was at that instant.Andrew was kneeling over her now as she lay back on the bed, and in their mutual nudity it was impossible for him to hide his body's appreciation of this turn of events. His erection brushed against her thigh as he shifted, and she tensed, the unfamiliarity suddenly overwhelming her.The kissing stopped immediately; Andrew sat back, concern on his face. "Is this okay? Are you-- I mean, is this too weird?""No, no," she assured him, and she meant it. All this felt surprisingly natural, even as quickly as it was moving; as if this was the most obvious and right state for them to be in, and everything they had been and done before had been awkward and unsatisfying. "Please come back."He acquiesced with a vengeance, the force of his kiss pinning her to the bed as she wrapped one arm around his shoulders and grasped the back of his neck with the other. When he suddenly moved to change positions, he almost lifted her off the bed in his enthusiasm as she clung to him. She admired for a moment the powerful muscles of his abdomen and lower body when he sat up on his knees to shift, putting himself between her legs.She was unbelievably, overwhelmingly aroused, almost to the point of discomfort; she could feel the slickness of her own juices between her thighs as she moved over on the bed to center herself, and when she spread her legs apart to give Andrew a place to kneel, the cold air of the room was a shock on her wet flesh.Andrew's hands were on her hips, his thumbs tracing small circles on the skin of her stomach as his kisses began to trail downward; along her neck, across her collarbone, up the mound of her tit. His mouth closed over one nipple, his tongue moving torturously slowly in a narrowing spiral around it, ending at last in a fierce, cat-tongue lick and a small, playful nip.The muscles in Cassie's stomach tightened suddenly, jerking her, forcing a small gasp out from between her lips. Andrew smiled against her skin.One hand slid away from her hip, along the outside of her leg, fingers dragging lazily across the skin of her thigh. He folded his hand so that only his index finger pressed against her skin as he worked his way back up, running it along between her legs as she squirmed. At length, his finger found the already wet-slick folds of her nether lips, teasing them apart and sliding from her clit to her drenched opening.Her fingers tightened on the skin of his back, her mouth dropping open; it seemed suddenly as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the room, and the lack made her deliciously dizzy. He pulled back from her a little, watching her face as his finger slid up and down slowly.She couldn't get enough of his face, especially the tiny smile, like he had a secret and was going to tell her in little pieces, stretched out over the night. There was something strange and thrilling about watching him touch her; he seemed to waver between being the Andrew she'd always known and trusted more than anyone else in the world, and a completely different man, surprisingly sexy, totally aware of what she wanted and needed and ached for."Is this really happening?"She didn't realize she'd spoken the words aloud until Andrew paused in his finger's ministrations and bent to bury his face in her neck, whispering between kisses, "It must be, unless we're both sharing the best dream I've ever had."He sat up, eyes on her body like he was trying to memorize it. His hand started to move again, faster, his fingertip teasing her clit and sending alarmingly powerful jolts of pleasure through her body. Her toes and fingers were going numb in waves of tingles. She was blazing hot inside; her skin ought to be steaming in the air of the room.And at the core of her, so close to his hand, she began to feel an almost unbearable emptiness, as if he'd stolen a piece of her and he alone could return it. She closed her eyes, concentrated. She was so empty; she was a shell made only of feverish skin, holding nothing but this raging inferno and a desperate, gaping vacancy.

It Took Cupid's ArmyCan I woo the girl who knows my embarrassing childhood?Based on a post by Mac G. Listen to the podcast at Connected.Even though it is right in front of you, you don't always see what's good for you. Sometimes you need a little nudge. This is about a couple of mine.When I was five, Jenny's family moved in directly across the street from us. Our families became good friends right away. Due to the fact that there was nobody else our age living nearby (Jenny is three months older than I am), we soon became inseparable.She had no trouble keeping up with me in the rough and tumble things I wanted to do, and I had no problems playing house with her when she wanted. One of our parents always had to shoo us home at night because we would never think about it ourselves. I once tried to get my parents to let Jenny spend the night, but they said it was not right for girls to spend the night with boys.Although I missed it at the time, the first indication that Jenny and I would end up together came when we were fourteen. I was over at her house watching TV with her and her dad. As we sat there, the doorbell rang. Jenny got up to answer it. She came back a moment later followed by a policeman."Mr. Adams," he said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."Jenny's dad got up to stand next to her. I stood a few feet behind them."I'm really sorry to say that there has been an accident. A drunk ran a red light and hit your wife's car," the policeman stated."What! When? Where? How is she?" Mr. Adams asked."The paramedics did their best, but I'm afraid she didn't make it. I am truly sorry."At this point, Jenny turned around and looked at me, tears pouring from her eyes. She ran to me, buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed. I guided her to the couch and sat her down. Holding her gently, I let her cry herself out, trying to soothe her as best as I could.After about fifteen minutes, Mr. Adams finished up with the policeman and came over to sit next to us. Jenny had calmed down a little and was just crying lightly. He took Jenny in his arms and held her. I got up and called my parents telling them what had happened. They both came right over.After a lot of consoling and grief, Dad left with Mr. Adams to tend to the body while Mom stayed with Jenny and I. Mom told me later how proud she was of me and for handling the situation and comforting Jenny so well. Years later, Mr. Adams said he'd kill me if I told Jenny, but that it hurt a little when Jenny turned to me, instead of him, for comfort upon hearing the news about her mom.The First NudgeI have always thought differently about Jenny than anyone else. Even during those awkward adolescent times all boys go through in which girls are gross and have cooties, I never felt that way about Jenny. It was like my mind thought, 'That's not a girl, that's Jenny'. The trouble was that as I grew into a teenager and began to notice girls, it was the same thing; I didn't realize just how beautiful Jenny was becoming.Ironically, it was on a date with someone else in the summer between our Junior and Senior years that her beauty was pointed out to me. We had been having a great time: Dinner, movie, and ice cream afterwards. It was close to time to take my date home."Anne, can I ask you a question?" I asked."Sure, what's up?""Well, when I asked you out, you seemed a little surprised. Pleased, but surprised. I got the same response from Sarah Jansen last month, and I was wondering if it was true you were surprised, and if so, why?"Anne smiled and hesitated a moment before answering."Yes, it's true I was a little surprised and I'm sure Sarah was as well. The reason is we keep expecting you two knuckleheads to wake up and see what a good thing you've got.""Knuckleheads? What two knuckleheads?" I asked."Okay, it looks like it's up to me to straighten you out, although I really shouldn't," she sighed. "I'm going to do this in a roundabout way. I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions. Some of them may seem silly, and some might be embarrassing, but I need you to trust me and answer them all honestly.""Okay, I'll try.""Good. Now first question: Do you think I'm pretty?""Of course I do. Most guys in school do.""Thank you," she said, blushing a little, "Now, I know all guys have different ideas about the ideal woman, but am I your ideal? Be honest.""No, you're not." I said a little chagrinned."Hey, don't worry about it. I asked for honesty. I'm somebody's ideal and I'll find them one day. Let's concentrate on your ideal woman. I'll say an attribute and you tell me what you like. You okay with this?""I guess.""Ok, height?""Your height, perhaps a little taller.""Hair?""Red, long and straight.""Longer than my shoulder length?" Anne asked."Yes.""Eyes?""Green.""Mouth?""Don't know. Never thought about that.""Not a problem. Now, don't get embarrassed, but look at my tits."I couldn't help it, I turned crimson, but I looked briefly. She had very nice tits."That's what I like about you, Tony; even with permission you don't ogle at a girl's chest. Most guys would be glued there right now. Ok, what would you change?""Nothing, I really like your tits," I said, turning even redder, if that were possible."Thanks, so do I. There's definitely something there to attract attention, but not too much. What about the butt? Do you like big butts?""Not really.""What about legs?""Long, with a good muscle structure.""Great. Now, here is what you just told me is your ideal woman; 5'9" or 5'10" tall, long, straight red hair, green eyes, an athletic build, long muscular legs leading up to a nice tight butt. Is that an accurate description?""Yes, that would be correct.""And you still don't see it do you?""I guess not. See what?""You just perfectly described Jenny Adams."I sat there for a moment. She was right of course, but I had never made the connection."Did you know that most guys think Jenny is the best looking girl in school? Many also think you are an idiot for not dating her. You've been best friends for so long you two cannot see it any other way. You should start looking at Jenny as the beautiful woman she is. With the great friendship you've already built, you two would make a perfect couple. Think about it, you dope," Anne ordered with a grin."I will, I promise," I said. "Now, I'd better get you home before your dad sends out the posse."I drove her home in silence. When I walked her to the door, I said, "Thanks a lot for telling me that, Anne. I guess it's true it's sometimes hard to see what is right in front of your nose.""You're welcome. I'm sure you two will be very happy together. Now, I don't usually do this on a first date, but as I'm pretty sure I've just ensured there won't be a second one, kiss me good night.""Gladly."I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. She was having none of that. Throwing her arms around my neck she pulled me in for a nice, hard kiss. It seemed to last forever, breaking only when we ran out of air."Thanks, that's just what I wanted," she said smiling. "Now, go get her, Tiger!" With that, she turned and went inside.It's a good thing the route home was so familiar, as I was not paying too much attention to where I was going; I was thinking about Jenny. She was beautiful. She was also a great person. She was funny and fun to be around; kind to everyone; caring with genuine compassion; helpful whenever you needed her. She had so many wonderful qualities that it's hard to think of them all.Two days later, Jenny was over at my house watching TV. As the movie ended, she turned to me, saying, "Okay, Tony, what's up? You've been quiet all day and you've been giving me some funny looks."I hesitated before answering, unsure as to how to answer. I was really nervous about how this would go. I took a deep breath."Jenny, will you go out with me on Friday?" I asked her."Sure, we can get together and...""No, please, that's not what I mean. I don't want to just get together; I want to go on a date, a real date."She looked at me with her eyebrows raised. I could see the wonder in her eyes."Look, Jenny, I know we've been friends for a long time, you've always been my best friend, but lately I've been seeing you in a different light. I've always known you were pretty, but I'm starting to see just how beautiful you really are. I've always known you were a girl, but now I'm seeing you as a woman. We're friends but I'd like to see if maybe we could be more."She sat there, deep in thought. I waited for her to decide.After several minutes I added, "I know this is sudden. You don't have to answer now if you want to think about it for a while. Don't be afraid to say no. Nothing will change if you say no."She smiled at me and said, "I don't need to wait. Of course I'll go on a date with you. I just wasn't expecting it. What brought this about?""I'll tell you, I promise, but not right now. What time do you want to start?""Um, I'll let you know.""Fine. Want a Coke?""Sure."I went a got one for each of us. We watched some more TV, neither one of us talking much. When she left to go home, she paused at the door and gave me a long look, smiling slightly.The rest of the week seemed to last forever. Jenny must have said something to her dad, and he spoke to my parents, because on Wednesday evening Mom came into my room, announcing, "Let me know what you plan on wearing for your big date Friday, and I'll make sure it's clean and nicely pressed.""Okay, Mom, thanks. I'm not sure...wait, how did you know about Friday?""Moms just know," she said, grinning. "If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know."When Friday came, I had still not told her what I wanted to wear, having changed my mind several times. I went out in the afternoon to get a haircut. When I got back home, there was a brand new outfit laying on my bed waiting. It was perfect. As I was getting ready, my dad came in my room."Here, try some of this," he said, handing me a bottle of cologne. "It's a very popular scent.""Thanks, Dad.""Also, a good date needs a good ride. Take my car tonight."I was stunned. Dad rarely let's anyone drive his car. He had saved for years to afford it. "Are you sure?" I asked."Yes, I'm sure. I got it cleaned up nicely today and it's got a full tank of gas. Enjoy yourself.""Wow, thanks, Dad! You're awesome."When the time came, I walked across to her house and knocked. Mr. Adams answered."Come on in Tony, she'll be right down. Where are you going tonight?" he asked."I made a reservation at that new Italian place south of the mall. After that, we'll just see. Probably a movie later on," I answered.We heard the sound of Jenny coming down the stairs. I turned to see her and was stunned. She was wearing a light green sun dress that stopped just above her knees. Her legs looked great, tapering to a pair of strappy sandals with a 2½-inch heel. Her red hair cascaded down over the front of her shoulders, framing her face nicely. Jenny's eyes were sparkling and she was grinning from ear to ear.I walked up to her as she got to the bottom of the stairs."I've never seen you look more beautiful," I said.She blushed a little and said, "Thanks, you look great, too."We walked back to her dad."Have fun tonight you two," he said. "I've talked to your parents, Tony, and for tonight, and tonight only, there is no curfew for you two - just don't push it too far.""We won't, Mr. Adams, I promise," I said.We walked across the street to the car. Jenny's eyes got huge when she saw we were heading to Dad's car. We drove to the restaurant in an awkward silence. As we were waiting for the table, I reached out and took her hand in mine. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, as I figured she could feel that my heart was beating about 200 times a minute. Jenny just smiled at me and squeezed it gently.Dinner went well. The talking started slow, but we loosened up some as things went on. By the end I think I had my heart down to about 150.

It Took Cupid's ArmyCan I woo the girl who knows my embarrassing childhood?Based on a post by Mac G. Listen to the podcast at Connected.Even though it is right in front of you, you don't always see what's good for you. Sometimes you need a little nudge. This is about a couple of mine.When I was five, Jenny's family moved in directly across the street from us. Our families became good friends right away. Due to the fact that there was nobody else our age living nearby (Jenny is three months older than I am), we soon became inseparable.She had no trouble keeping up with me in the rough and tumble things I wanted to do, and I had no problems playing house with her when she wanted. One of our parents always had to shoo us home at night because we would never think about it ourselves. I once tried to get my parents to let Jenny spend the night, but they said it was not right for girls to spend the night with boys.Although I missed it at the time, the first indication that Jenny and I would end up together came when we were fourteen. I was over at her house watching TV with her and her dad. As we sat there, the doorbell rang. Jenny got up to answer it. She came back a moment later followed by a policeman."Mr. Adams," he said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."Jenny's dad got up to stand next to her. I stood a few feet behind them."I'm really sorry to say that there has been an accident. A drunk ran a red light and hit your wife's car," the policeman stated."What! When? Where? How is she?" Mr. Adams asked."The paramedics did their best, but I'm afraid she didn't make it. I am truly sorry."At this point, Jenny turned around and looked at me, tears pouring from her eyes. She ran to me, buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed. I guided her to the couch and sat her down. Holding her gently, I let her cry herself out, trying to soothe her as best as I could.After about fifteen minutes, Mr. Adams finished up with the policeman and came over to sit next to us. Jenny had calmed down a little and was just crying lightly. He took Jenny in his arms and held her. I got up and called my parents telling them what had happened. They both came right over.After a lot of consoling and grief, Dad left with Mr. Adams to tend to the body while Mom stayed with Jenny and I. Mom told me later how proud she was of me and for handling the situation and comforting Jenny so well. Years later, Mr. Adams said he'd kill me if I told Jenny, but that it hurt a little when Jenny turned to me, instead of him, for comfort upon hearing the news about her mom.The First NudgeI have always thought differently about Jenny than anyone else. Even during those awkward adolescent times all boys go through in which girls are gross and have cooties, I never felt that way about Jenny. It was like my mind thought, 'That's not a girl, that's Jenny'. The trouble was that as I grew into a teenager and began to notice girls, it was the same thing; I didn't realize just how beautiful Jenny was becoming.Ironically, it was on a date with someone else in the summer between our Junior and Senior years that her beauty was pointed out to me. We had been having a great time: Dinner, movie, and ice cream afterwards. It was close to time to take my date home."Anne, can I ask you a question?" I asked."Sure, what's up?""Well, when I asked you out, you seemed a little surprised. Pleased, but surprised. I got the same response from Sarah Jansen last month, and I was wondering if it was true you were surprised, and if so, why?"Anne smiled and hesitated a moment before answering."Yes, it's true I was a little surprised and I'm sure Sarah was as well. The reason is we keep expecting you two knuckleheads to wake up and see what a good thing you've got.""Knuckleheads? What two knuckleheads?" I asked."Okay, it looks like it's up to me to straighten you out, although I really shouldn't," she sighed. "I'm going to do this in a roundabout way. I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions. Some of them may seem silly, and some might be embarrassing, but I need you to trust me and answer them all honestly.""Okay, I'll try.""Good. Now first question: Do you think I'm pretty?""Of course I do. Most guys in school do.""Thank you," she said, blushing a little, "Now, I know all guys have different ideas about the ideal woman, but am I your ideal? Be honest.""No, you're not." I said a little chagrinned."Hey, don't worry about it. I asked for honesty. I'm somebody's ideal and I'll find them one day. Let's concentrate on your ideal woman. I'll say an attribute and you tell me what you like. You okay with this?""I guess.""Ok, height?""Your height, perhaps a little taller.""Hair?""Red, long and straight.""Longer than my shoulder length?" Anne asked."Yes.""Eyes?""Green.""Mouth?""Don't know. Never thought about that.""Not a problem. Now, don't get embarrassed, but look at my tits."I couldn't help it, I turned crimson, but I looked briefly. She had very nice tits."That's what I like about you, Tony; even with permission you don't ogle at a girl's chest. Most guys would be glued there right now. Ok, what would you change?""Nothing, I really like your tits," I said, turning even redder, if that were possible."Thanks, so do I. There's definitely something there to attract attention, but not too much. What about the butt? Do you like big butts?""Not really.""What about legs?""Long, with a good muscle structure.""Great. Now, here is what you just told me is your ideal woman; 5'9" or 5'10" tall, long, straight red hair, green eyes, an athletic build, long muscular legs leading up to a nice tight butt. Is that an accurate description?""Yes, that would be correct.""And you still don't see it do you?""I guess not. See what?""You just perfectly described Jenny Adams."I sat there for a moment. She was right of course, but I had never made the connection."Did you know that most guys think Jenny is the best looking girl in school? Many also think you are an idiot for not dating her. You've been best friends for so long you two cannot see it any other way. You should start looking at Jenny as the beautiful woman she is. With the great friendship you've already built, you two would make a perfect couple. Think about it, you dope," Anne ordered with a grin."I will, I promise," I said. "Now, I'd better get you home before your dad sends out the posse."I drove her home in silence. When I walked her to the door, I said, "Thanks a lot for telling me that, Anne. I guess it's true it's sometimes hard to see what is right in front of your nose.""You're welcome. I'm sure you two will be very happy together. Now, I don't usually do this on a first date, but as I'm pretty sure I've just ensured there won't be a second one, kiss me good night.""Gladly."I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. She was having none of that. Throwing her arms around my neck she pulled me in for a nice, hard kiss. It seemed to last forever, breaking only when we ran out of air."Thanks, that's just what I wanted," she said smiling. "Now, go get her, Tiger!" With that, she turned and went inside.It's a good thing the route home was so familiar, as I was not paying too much attention to where I was going; I was thinking about Jenny. She was beautiful. She was also a great person. She was funny and fun to be around; kind to everyone; caring with genuine compassion; helpful whenever you needed her. She had so many wonderful qualities that it's hard to think of them all.Two days later, Jenny was over at my house watching TV. As the movie ended, she turned to me, saying, "Okay, Tony, what's up? You've been quiet all day and you've been giving me some funny looks."I hesitated before answering, unsure as to how to answer. I was really nervous about how this would go. I took a deep breath."Jenny, will you go out with me on Friday?" I asked her."Sure, we can get together and...""No, please, that's not what I mean. I don't want to just get together; I want to go on a date, a real date."She looked at me with her eyebrows raised. I could see the wonder in her eyes."Look, Jenny, I know we've been friends for a long time, you've always been my best friend, but lately I've been seeing you in a different light. I've always known you were pretty, but I'm starting to see just how beautiful you really are. I've always known you were a girl, but now I'm seeing you as a woman. We're friends but I'd like to see if maybe we could be more."She sat there, deep in thought. I waited for her to decide.After several minutes I added, "I know this is sudden. You don't have to answer now if you want to think about it for a while. Don't be afraid to say no. Nothing will change if you say no."She smiled at me and said, "I don't need to wait. Of course I'll go on a date with you. I just wasn't expecting it. What brought this about?""I'll tell you, I promise, but not right now. What time do you want to start?""Um, I'll let you know.""Fine. Want a Coke?""Sure."I went a got one for each of us. We watched some more TV, neither one of us talking much. When she left to go home, she paused at the door and gave me a long look, smiling slightly.The rest of the week seemed to last forever. Jenny must have said something to her dad, and he spoke to my parents, because on Wednesday evening Mom came into my room, announcing, "Let me know what you plan on wearing for your big date Friday, and I'll make sure it's clean and nicely pressed.""Okay, Mom, thanks. I'm not sure...wait, how did you know about Friday?""Moms just know," she said, grinning. "If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know."When Friday came, I had still not told her what I wanted to wear, having changed my mind several times. I went out in the afternoon to get a haircut. When I got back home, there was a brand new outfit laying on my bed waiting. It was perfect. As I was getting ready, my dad came in my room."Here, try some of this," he said, handing me a bottle of cologne. "It's a very popular scent.""Thanks, Dad.""Also, a good date needs a good ride. Take my car tonight."I was stunned. Dad rarely let's anyone drive his car. He had saved for years to afford it. "Are you sure?" I asked."Yes, I'm sure. I got it cleaned up nicely today and it's got a full tank of gas. Enjoy yourself.""Wow, thanks, Dad! You're awesome."When the time came, I walked across to her house and knocked. Mr. Adams answered."Come on in Tony, she'll be right down. Where are you going tonight?" he asked."I made a reservation at that new Italian place south of the mall. After that, we'll just see. Probably a movie later on," I answered.We heard the sound of Jenny coming down the stairs. I turned to see her and was stunned. She was wearing a light green sun dress that stopped just above her knees. Her legs looked great, tapering to a pair of strappy sandals with a 2½-inch heel. Her red hair cascaded down over the front of her shoulders, framing her face nicely. Jenny's eyes were sparkling and she was grinning from ear to ear.I walked up to her as she got to the bottom of the stairs."I've never seen you look more beautiful," I said.She blushed a little and said, "Thanks, you look great, too."We walked back to her dad."Have fun tonight you two," he said. "I've talked to your parents, Tony, and for tonight, and tonight only, there is no curfew for you two - just don't push it too far.""We won't, Mr. Adams, I promise," I said.We walked across the street to the car. Jenny's eyes got huge when she saw we were heading to Dad's car. We drove to the restaurant in an awkward silence. As we were waiting for the table, I reached out and took her hand in mine. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, as I figured she could feel that my heart was beating about 200 times a minute. Jenny just smiled at me and squeezed it gently.Dinner went well. The talking started slow, but we loosened up some as things went on. By the end I think I had my heart down to about 150.

Peter Rizun is the chief scientist at Bitcoin Unlimited: a software client that aims to scale Bitcoin with big blocks, while also empowering regular users to run nodes. In this episode, we talk about what went wrong during the block size wars & his research in scaling hardware. Time stamps: 00:01:15 — Introducing Peter Rizun 00:03:32 — Early Block Size Debates and Satoshi's Vision 00:07:45 — Block Size Limit History and Miner Soft Limits 00:10:10 — Dan Kaminsky's 2011 Scaling Predictions 00:12:01 — Scaling Philosophy: Zero, One, Infinity and Earth-Scale 00:15:09 — Block Size Wars, Chain Splits, and Altcoin Proliferation 00:16:43 — Stablecoins, Lightning, and Bitcoin's Use Case 00:19:03 — Zcash, Ethereum, and Bitcoin's Missed Opportunities 00:22:11 — Bitcoin's Script Limitations and Smart Contract Innovation 00:25:10 — Scaling Limits: Hardware, Storage, and Bandwidth 00:35:31 — Node Software, Formal Specs, and Core's Dominance 00:44:00 — Censorship, Reddit, and the Block Size Debate 00:48:04 — SPV Nodes, Custodial Wallets, and Decentralization 00:51:30 — Block Size, Internet Speed, and Global Node Access 00:57:26 — UTXO Model, Dust, and State Management 01:01:37 — Ethereum, Zcash, and Node Benchmarking 01:03:26 — Hardware Acceleration and Specialized Chips 01:07:00 — Sponsorship Break and Bitcoin Adoption via Debit Cards 01:14:59 — History of Block Size Proposals and Client Forks 01:21:07 — Consensus, Forks, and the Role of Exchanges 01:25:40 — SegWit, SegWit2x, and Political Compromises 01:33:04 — Bitcoin Cash, Market Dynamics, and Altcoin Competition 01:39:34 — Stablecoin Fees, Global Demand, and El Salvador 01:46:52 — Decline of Bitcoin Payments and Missed Opportunities 02:10:56 — Lightning Network: Promise vs. Reality 02:22:12 — Shitcoin vs. Bitcoin Maximalism and Open Source Innovation 03:05:52 — Spam, Miner Policy, and Transaction Filtering 03:17:05 — Hardware Scaling: M.2 Accelerator and Node Commoditization 03:29:11 — Nexa: Experimenting with Proof-of-Work and Node Bottlenecks 03:37:44 — Craig Wright, Satoshi Identity, and Big Block Movement Damage 04:02:03 — Fork Proliferation, Community Division, and Stablecoins 04:04:31 — Bitcoin's Future, Experimentation, and Open Research

 Being PreparedGirl Scouts Venture Into A Boy Scout Camp.Based on a post by Dimension Of Desire. Listen to the Podcast at My First Time.It was Summer in the early 70's, and I was away at Boy Scout camp. I was still a virgin. The camp was large and sprawling, located deep in a remote forest. Aside from the main camp building that stood adjacent to a large lake, there were individual campsites for each troop. The camp was so large that it required a fair hike to get to the next troop's campsite.My own troop was camped high on a ridge in the forest. Roughly a dozen boy scouts with raging hormones shared six over-sized tents, two campers per tent, with each tent mounted on a large wooden platform. Nights were spent talking about girls of course, which only stoked those raging hormones. The talk was explicit, as long as our scout leader, who was camped slightly downhill from us, wasn't within earshot.Two weeks of camp in the remote forest passed painfully slow. I was quite tall and lean, not as athletic as my counterparts, and took a bit more ribbing and abuse than average from my peers. We were among the more senior scouts. It was the summer between high school and my first year of college. I had just turned eighteen and was looking forward to autumn when I could enter the next phase of scouting, which was called Explorers. I loved scouting, but the thought of becoming an Explorer was intriguing, more so because Explorers were co-ed.The ribbing got so bad one day that I went for a hike alone in the forest. I came upon an unoccupied campsite with a large platform tent that had a steel cot with a thick, clean mattress. Over the next several days I made it my own secret getaway. It was a comfortable escape where I could enjoy solo time with a few books that I had brought with me. I was a bit of a bookworm back then.Back at camp we sat around the fire after returning from lunch at the mess hall. The mess hall was on the second floor of the main camp building which overlooked the massive lake below. The Director gave announcements and recognized several schouts who complete merit badges and a bunch of us who'd successfully earned our mile swim badges.We sang the scout motto song as we cleared our tables and departed.Be be be prepared,The motto of the Boy Scouts.Be be be prepared,The motto of the scouts!Prepared! Prepared!The motto of the boy scouts.Prepared! Prepared!The motto of the scouts. Hey!After an uneventful lunch we headed back to our campsite which required a two mile hike. There wasn't much to do that afternoon. The lakefront had been shut down to prepare for a camp-wide water competition the next day.Time passed slowly. Back at our campsite we noticed another troop hiking through the other side of the ravine at a distance, but didn't take much notice. It was probably just another group of campers passing through for their backpacking or Orienteering merit badges.But then I noticed that something was different about the hikers; they weren't boys!I snatched a pair of binoculars from my tent. Sure enough, they weren't boys, they were Senior Girl Scouts. My heart raced, and I felt something automatically stirring down below. I could hardly get the words out of my mouth to my comrades; "gurr; ga ga, girls!"In an instant there were twelve horny boys hanging precipitously over a long rock ledge, each with binoculars, spying about a dozen or so very cute girls hiking down slope from us. Their trajectory led right towards our scout leader's tent. From a distance, the girls looked pretty, about the same age range as ourselves, guided by a pretty blonde Girl Scout leader that appeared to be in her mid- to late 20's.To describe the boys as being excited would be an understatement. Their eyes were glued to their binoculars. One boy even set up a telescope on a tripod to get a better view. He positioned himself in a prone position, and looked like a machine gunner preparing to fire. I am sure he wanted to fire his live bullets up inside their fertile bellies.Of course the discussion quickly turned to sex. Most of the boys were focused on the hot blonde Girl Scout leader who wore rather tiny, tight green shorts. Her white short-sleeve blouse was tied under her large tits, exposing her incredibly narrow, bare waist. Every one of boys had some sort of comment, each expressing essentially the same thing; they all wanted to fuck her. I could see one boy stroking himself in his sweatpants, and trying to hide it. He never did live that one down. Suffice to say, every one of us had a massive hard-on.What seemed to be a typical hot, boring, mid-summer afternoon isolated deep in the remote forest had suddenly become every teenage boy's fantasy come to life. We had a perfect view of some of the cutest girls we had ever seen. We were all high on the thought of what each one of us imagined we'd like to do with them. Our primitive male instincts naturally kicked into high gear.We scurried back to our tents as soon as we noticed our scout leader heading for our campsite. We did a good job not being caught spying. He called to wake us from our supposed siesta, and sat us around the camp fire. He explained that a troop of Girl Scouts were hiking through the area en route to the far side of the lake where other Girl Scout troops were holding their summer camp several miles to the East. Aware that we were a cauldron of hormones ready to erupt, he issued strict orders to keep our distance from the girls. He had arranged to put the troop of girls up for the night at an adjacent campsite about a quarter mile from ours. Anyone caught anywhere close to the girls camp site would result in immediate termination of their summer stay.As if that was going to work; ha! He left us and returned to his own camp site. The troop of girls had disappeared by then, but about an hour later one of the boys noticed the Girl Scout leader returning, alone, to our scout leader's campsite. The two of them sat side-by-side on a large log and talked. We were beyond earshot to hear anything except the rustling of the leaves around us. Of course we all high-fived each other about our scout leader, who was single and in his late twenties. A good-looking stud in his own right, he was studying to become a minister. We just couldn't see him as one, and don't think he became one after that event.The pair disappeared into his tent. We were beyond giddy imagining what they might be doing with each other, but quickly realized that it was the perfect opportunity to go find the girl's camp. We knew that it wouldn't take long for the news of the girl's presence to spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the camp, after which the area would become strictly off-limits, and guarded like Fort Knox. We had to act fast.We made our way through the backwoods and quickly found the girl's camp. We made sure to wear backpacks to make it look like we just happened to come upon their camp while hiking. It worked. When we emerged from the trail, there, in the isolated camp site, stood twelve of the prettiest girls, all dressed in their regulation Girl Scout uniforms, and us boys wearing our regulation Boy Scout uniforms. I don't think you could find a single girl or boy at that moment that was disappointed. At first the girls looked slightly alarmed, but after they huddled for a few moments their frowns quickly turned to big smiles. The girls then scurried to offer us a place to rest and pampered us with snacks, drinks, and lots of attention.  I even charted our compass settings and paces, under the guise of preparing for a test.We mentioned that when we left our campsite, their Girl Scout leared was still in our scoutmaster's tent, with just him. Eyebrows raised and girls chuckled.It was the only time in my young existence that I can recall a place where a group of teen boys and girls were practically drowning in a sea or raging hormones. It was difficult to conceal the large bulges in our Boy Scout trousers. We wore the classic tan Boy Scout pants and tan short-sleeve shirts, complete with badge-laden sashes, canvas belts, neckerchiefs and clasps. Be Prepared was our motto, but we were certainly not prepared for this! That garb was only worn at official ceremonies, but we were too stupid to know the girls figured we were just trying to impress them. They played along.After a bit of banter, the boys and girls naturally split up into pairs or foursomes, having conversations with each other. Flirting was on display, but nothing else happened at first. Everyone was on the lookout for the scout leaders; thank goodness for walkie-talkies.One Girl Scout in particular sparked my interest. To me she was a little goddess. I was tall, approaching six feet, and she was a petite little thing, standing all of five feet tall, if that. I felt my heart drop into the pit my gut when our eyes met. She appeared to be about my age with big green eyes and silky straight auburn hair with long, straight bangs.All of the girls were Senior Girl scouts. Senior Girl Scouts were more mature Girl Scouts that wore dark green skirts with the Girl Scout emblem prominently displayed on the left waistband of their skirt. They all wore tight white button-down short-sleeve shirts with the green Girl Scout clover embroidered on the shirt pocket, very sexy. Some of the girls were more developed than others, but the one that caught my eye was clearly well endowed.I knew our time was short. After some initial talk and innocent flirting, it was clear that the two of us had made an instant and powerful connection. Our hearts raced, practically beating right through our uniforms. My cock was rock hard and throbbing. I practically came when she leaned into me and placed her hand high on my upper thigh only an inch or so from my crotch. She uttered something about primitive camping in the wild. That's exactly what I was thinking; wild!We were fortunate to enjoy almost two full hours with the girls. Some of the boys began making out with the girls in their tents. Mine leaned in for a kiss; I was more than happy to oblige. As her lips made contact with mine I discovered heaven on earth. Her lips were soft and thick; utter perfection as mine melted into hers. Her name was Rebecca. She asked me to call her Becky.The fun didn't last long enough. We were alerted that the scout leaders had emerged from their little nookie nest. That was our cue to make a quick exit and evacuate before the enemy returned. As we concluded yet another long, slow kiss I peered into the deep pools of Becky's bright green eyes and informed her, regretfully, that we had to part. We were resigned to the notion that this would be the first and last time we'd ever see each other, but as I prepared to bid her farewell, I took both of her hands in mine and told her about my secret enclave. I explained where it was in the unlikely event that she could break free later that evening.Behind a large tent I gave Becky a final farewell kiss, told her that she was the most beautiful and amazing girl I had ever met, and then bolted in an effort to catch up with the other boys. We escaped just moments before the Girl Scout leader returned.Back at our camp we gathered around the fire once more; boys feeling they had become men in just a short time. The boisterous talk was instantly curtailed when our scout leader approached, clueless about our afternoon shenanigans. We kept our secret well, and ribbed him about his extended visit with the hot-looking Girl Scout leader. One boy that acted as our lookout said that the Girl Scout leader appeared quite disheveled when she emerged from his tent, and he had been tucking his shirt and zipping up his pants. He insisted that they had only talked and discussed scout leader things, but we had fun insinuating more, after which he abruptly shut down our conversation and barked orders to prepare for the long hike to the mess hall for dinner. The mess hall was in the main building where roughly a thousand boys converged for meals twice daily.I suggested a friendly game of ‘capture the flag' between the two troops. But our scoutmaster strictly forbid any contact with the girls.We arrived at the mess hall. Scouts were required to show-up in full dress uniform, well pressed, and well groomed. When we entered the soaring mess hall with its massive wooden beams, there was a rather unusual hush. There, not far from our assigned table, sat the group of Girl Scouts. Hundreds of young guys and a handful of pretty gals, all dressed in their official Girl Scout uniforms. You could hear a pin drop. One of the boys sitting an adjacent table leaned over to me and muttered something crass about what he'd like to do to a few of them. I just smiled in response before returning to my meal, trying conceal occasional attempts to catch a glimpse of Becky.I was quick to arrange a swap of KP duty. That's kitchen patrol. We volunteer one person from each table, to help clean up and scrub the dishes.Looking toward the girl scout table, our eyes met and the two of us fell into a trance. I could visibly see the want in Becky's eyes, and a bit of sadness in her pouty lips. The sound of utensils clanging on dishes and discussions receded into the distance, becoming only a faint echo in my head. Only a few feet separated me from my entire world; though it might as well have been half a world away. There was nothing I could do to get any closer. My mind began to wander.I thought, if only I could muster enough courage to make some sort of grand gesture. I imagined myself pushing away from the table, walking straight over to Becky, lifting her high into my arms, and kissing her while the entire legion of boys erupted in cheers. Then again, I knew I'd more likely end-up unconscious and horizontal on a stretcher if I did, or worse.Whack! A slap from one of my buddies snapped me back to reality from my zombie state."What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked, for which I had no ready response. As Becky's face came back into focus I could see her laughing. I blushed with embarrassment.I went back to the counter for a refill of my drink. That's when Becky decided she too, needed more fluids. As I stood at the dispenser, she silently stood next to me. I mumbled just loud enough; “Volunteer for KP duty.”Dinner ended and I sadly found out the girls were honored guests, not required to serve KP. Oh well, it was a long shot. But the camp cook gave the girls a guided tour of the lodge, so I did get to wink at her twice, while washing down the tables and sweeping the floor.I made my way back to camp. When dusk began to fall I exited the rear of my tent with my day pack; and slipped undetected into the thick forest. The scout with whom I bunked had gone to the infirmary after becoming ill from dinner. That allowed me to escape unnoticed. I made it to my private enclave just as dusk settled in.Night was falling and I soon realized that I was going to remain there, alone. I began to pack up my things to return to my troop's campsite. Just as I emerged from the tent, there stood Becky, like an angel from heaven wearing a smile larger than the full moon that softly lit the landscape around us. Becky approached me, slowly, held out her hands, and grasped both of mine."I couldn't bear to leave here tomorrow without seeing you again." she said in a soft and sincere voice.There we stood, our hands clasped, and our eyes fixated upon each other. She was the ultimate image of sexy standing there in front of me. She wore the classic green socks embroidered with the Girl Scout emblem on each side, along with bright yellow flash garters that held them up. Her black patent Mary Janes were so shiny they reflected a little bit of her white panties from beneath her green Girl Scout skirt, which was now much shorter than I had recalled earlier that day.Becky looked up at me with those big green eyes which were slightly covered by her long silky straight bangs. Around her neck she wore a Girl Scout locket. I could partially see down her blouse and caught a brief glimpse of her cleavage.There we stood, silent. We didn't want to move, we just stared at each other and drank each other in. The look in her eyes was dreamy. That a girl could gaze upon me with such adoration was mind-blowing. I was falling in love for the first time in my young life.I had packed my tent lantern, but a fire within me was far hotter than any fire I could ever make with conventional wood. I took her hand in mine and gently led her into my tent. The tent was roomy and cozy. I had made it quite homey with a sleeping bag, blankets, and two pillows on the sturdy cot. We sat side-by-side, both feeling a little awkward, not knowing where to start or what to do next.I slipped my hand into hers, lifted my other hand, placed it gently on her cheek, and then brushed back her soft hair while bringing my lips close to hers, but not yet touching. My hand slipped down to her neck. Only our hot steamy breath separated our parted lips by mere millimeters. She closed her eyes; there wasn't anything either of us ever wanted more than to feel each other's lips touch at that moment.And they did. Our hearts connected as our lips met. We felt one with each other. Our sweet soft kisses said everything that needed to be said. Our kisses became deeper, longer, and more passionate as our tongues gently entangled. We never wanted this evening to end.She slowly raised her hands up to each side my face, paused, and made me look directly into her eyes. Now face-to-face, she pulled back slightly."I want you!" she asserted with absolute certainty.Becky stood up, her tight young body only inches in front of me. I remained seated. She backed away slightly, still grasping both of my hands. There she stood, the cutest, sexiest young lady that was beyond any divine creature I could ever conjure up in my dreams.I couldn't believe that this incredible sexy girl was standing there, right in front of me. Her cute round face, small slightly upturned nose, flawless complexion, and perfect body glowed in the moonlight. Her perky round tits protruded through her tight-fitting white blouse, partially obscured by the long green Girl Scout sash laden with merit badges that stretched from the top of her shoulder on one side, down to her opposite hip. She also wore the classic green Girl Scout necktie. Becky teasingly pointed to a patch on my own uniform that read "Be Prepared" and asked me if I was. Completely entranced and under her spell, I nodded to affirm.She began to dance in slow motion, teasing me with her tight curvy body, first moving in closer, then further away, almost like a seasoned stripper but remaining fully clothed. She leaned one shoulder into me. On the crest of her shoulder attached to her white blouse was a patch that read Girl Scouts U.S.A. I thought to myself, thank God for Girl Scouts!"Do you like Girl Scouts?" She quizzed in a teasing and seductive tone."I, I love one Girl Scout, I mean, I love this Girl Scout." quickly correcting myself."Right answer!" Becky shot back, moving in closer and sporting a broad smile.Truth be told, I always had it in for girls in uniform, especially girl scouts. I had attended private school for most of my youth, and the girls were allowed to wear their uniforms on days when they held meetings after school in the gym. I couldn't help but notice them every time. I am certain they knew the effect that they had on us boys. I would often head home after school and masturbate to the thought of fucking at least one of them, and I am sure that was par for most boys my age. And now here was my dream Girl Scout standing right in front of me, alone, on a warm summer night. My cock was rock hard, massive, and throbbing with only one desire, to impale this little vixen on it.Her writhing body made me melt. She spun around and leaned her back into my chest, slid down and then settled her tiny round ass squarely in my lap. She began grinding her cute bottom into my groin, leaned her head back to steal a kiss, but then feigned and pulled away. She did that repeatedly, teasing me, and taking me to the brink. This girl was quite the skilled temptress."Where did you learn to do that?" I asked."I have two older sisters, they showed me how to be with a boy" she shot back with a carefree chuckle.She spun around and pushed her tits into my chest, slithering up and landing a deep, wet kiss on my lips before standing up again between my parted legs. She then placed her hands on my knees and leaned down just far enough to make sure I could see her cleavage, then gently dropped to her knees between my legs. Her hands began to caress the bulge tenting through my trousers. Becky looked up at me through her long bangs."Hmmm, what do we have here?" asked the little temptress, rhetorically, as a wicked grin broke out on her face while her tiny hand caressed the erection in my pants.Becky slowly unzipped my trousers, pulled out my large, long cock, and began to stroke it. Her eyes bulged wide when she saw the actual size of my Boy Scout gear. Quite pleased, she lowered her head and wrapped her soft lips around it. Becky slid both lips over the tip of my tool and encircled it with her young skillful tongue. At one point she looked up at me with my cock in her mouth, her eyes peering through her long straight bangs, and then plunged back down on it. She did that repeatedly, sucking my cock with wanton delight, slowly at first, then faster."Hmm!" she moaned as her hungry mouth devoured my cock.Becky's moans were muted with her mouth full of my manhood, but the vibration only served to make me even harder. I was amazed watching this little girl take all eight inches of my hard cock down her throat. I did all I could to keep from ejaculating but it was mighty difficult. Becky had a skillful tongue that brought me to the brink of ejaculation multiple times. It became a bit of a game and challenge between us. She giggled because she knew I was about to explode. I resisted by resting my groin muscles each time I reached the brink, but she was determined to make me cum.Becky suddenly stood-up again, lifted my legs sideways, and stretched me horizontal on the mattress. She then straddled my hips, lifted her short green skirt, and pulled aside her white satin panties exposing her perfect teenage Twaut. The folds of her moist womanhood hovered only millimeters above the head of my cock, just waiting to be split open by it. She rolled her head back over her shoulders and played with her Twaut using two fingers, exhaling with pleasure. She then lowered one hand and gripped my hard shaft while simultaneously caressing her tits over her Girl Scout blouse, which appeared to be at least a size or two too small.We both remained fully dressed, maybe because we were worried that we might have to make a quick exit in the event an unwanted intruder should happen upon us, but we were quite remote and far from where anyone could see or hear us. She continued stroking my cock and looked directly into my eyes with steadfast determination."Do you want this?" she asked mischievously.

Join Nataraj as he sits down with Vijaye Raji, founder and CEO of Statsig, a platform revolutionizing product development with data-driven decision-making. Formerly a VP at Facebook and head of Facebook Seattle, Vijaye shares his journey from big tech to startup founder.About the Episode:This conversation explores Vijaye's transition from leading entertainment at Facebook to building Statsig, a developer platform empowering data-driven decisions.  He dives into his experience at Microsoft and Facebook, highlighting the challenges and motivations that led him to entrepreneurship. Vijaye discusses Statsig's value proposition, differentiating it from existing point solutions by consolidating feature flagging, analytics, and experimentation into one platform.  The discussion extends to the future of experimentation in an AI-first world.  He emphasizes the importance of product intuition alongside experimentation and shares Statsig's approach to culture, talent acquisition, and growth.About the Guest and Host:Vijaye Raji: Founder and CEO of Statsig, former VP at Facebook, and head of Facebook Seattle. Connect with Vijay:→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaye/→ Website: https://www.statsig.com/Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.→ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠Timestamps:00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction00:48 - Vijay's Background and Transition from Big Tech01:11 - Leaving Facebook and the Motivation for Startups02:05 - Early Career at Microsoft and Facebook's Startup Phase04:21 - Diverse Roles and Experiences at Facebook05:38 - Problems and Scale as Head of Entertainment at Facebook07:41 - Business Side of Entertainment: Licensing and Content Acquisition08:30 - From Facebook to Statsig: Idea Evaluation10:27 - Getting the First Customers: Avoiding Common Mistakes13:19 - Blind Spots in Transitioning from Big Tech to Startups14:38 - Go-to-Market Intuition and Building Conviction17:03 - Statsig's Value Proposition and Differentiation19:28 - Explanation of Feature Flagging20:47 - Trends in Experimentation and Product Validation23:00 - Ideal Customer Profile for Statsig24:38 - Experimentation vs. Gut Feeling: Balancing Data and Intuition28:20 - Statsig's Growth: Customers, Users, and Scale29:44 - Positioning Statsig: Developer Tool vs. Product Development Platform31:08 - Marketing Efforts and ROI32:24 - Culture: In-Person Work Environment34:41 - Attracting Talent: Statsig's Approach40:04 - Fundraising: Strategy and Benefits41:35 - AI: Integration with LLMs and Product Extensions44:26 - ML vs. LLMs: Democratization of Access46:44 - Favorite Failure and Learning from Mistakes49:31 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.)50:11 - Lessons Learned as a Founder51:16 - Big Company Perks Missed and Not MissedSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠#StartupProject #Statsig #ProductDevelopment #Experimentation #FeatureFlagging #ProductAnalytics #DataDriven #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SaaS #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation

In this conversation, David Jacobowitz, founder of Nebula Snacks, shares his journey from a childhood filled with sweets to creating a line of luxurious, sugar-free chocolate bites. He discusses the challenges of managing his health, the experimentation process behind developing his products, and the ways in which customer feedback helps shape his brand and product line. David emphasizes the importance of taste in healthy snacks and the benefits of using natural sweeteners that do not spike blood sugar, making his products suitable for those with dietary restrictions. He shares valuable lessons learned from his digital marketing background, emphasizes the significance of maintaining healthy profit margins while growing a CPG company, and the importance of maintaining personal involvement in all aspects of the business.  David wraps up by advocating for a positive relationship with food, because food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared.Takeaways:David's childhood nickname was 'the vacuum' due to his insatiable appetite.He faced obesity and potential diabetes at a young age, leading to a long phase of fad dieting.During COVID, he began experimenting with making his own sugar-free chocolate to get his sweet snacking under control.David aimed to create a product that didn't compromise on taste while being healthier.He used monk fruit and allulose as sweeteners to avoid the aftertaste common in other sugar-free products.The development of his chocolate took years of experimentation and customer feedback.He initially launched with full-size chocolate bars before transitioning to smaller filled cups.Mint chocolate became a top seller despite David's original dislike for that flavor.Customer feedback played a crucial role in flavor development and product offerings.David's products are designed to not spike blood sugar, making them suitable for most diabetics, though different individuals have unique blood sugar responses.Manufacturing challenges can be significant for startups.Protecting profit margins is essential to sustain a business.Pricing should be based on actual costs, not market feelings.Food should be enjoyed, not feared.Transparency in food ingredients is increasingly important.Sound Bites:“The doctor said I was obese, at 10 years old, and I was heading towards diabetes.""I own a Zero sugar chocolate company, but I do still have some sugar.”"You can have a better-for-you product, but if it doesn't taste good, you're solving nobody's issue. Taste matters"“I can't give a hundred percent guarantee that it won't spike your blood sugar because everybody's blood sugar is unique.”“At the end of the day you gotta listen to the customer. They're requesting flavors, they're requesting products, those are the ones I'm gonna be launching.”“Until you reach a certain point, do everything yourself. It's gonna suck, but you will become far more appreciative, learn the ins and outs a lot quicker, and be able to establish firm relationships with your customers."“Protect your margin because once you actually hit scale, particularly in retail, you're going to need it.""Don't price based on feeling and market comps alone. Know your numbers.”"Snacking is my superpower.""Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared.""The consumer's wisening up, and that's what we're really all about.”Links:David Jacobowitz on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjacobowitz/Nebula Snacks - https://nebulasnacks.com/Nebula Snacks on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nebula-snacks/Nebula Snacks on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nebulasnacksNebula Snacks on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nebulasnacksNebula Snacks on X - https://x.com/nebulasnacksNebula Snacks on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nebulasnacks…Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radioChapters:03:00 - The Sweet Beginnings: David's Journey with Sweets05:39 - From Fad Diets to Sustainable Solutions07:59 - Crafting the Perfect Sugar-Free Chocolate12:00 - Experimentation and Flavor Development18:44 - Customer Feedback and Flavor Evolution24:23 - Understanding Blood Sugar and Health Benefits34:28 - Understanding Blood Sugar and Snacking35:41 - Customer-Centric Product Development37:12 - The Challenges of Manufacturing40:19 - Lessons from Digital Marketing Experience42:37 - Key Lessons from Three and a Half Years45:54 - Advice from CPG Leaders53:37 - Personal Snacking Preferences57:53 - A Better World Through Food01:03:37 - Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

Summary: In this episode, Justin Townsend and Adam Berkelmans dive deep into the art and evolution of the burger, with a special focus on wild game and foraged ingredients. They trace the burger's origins from the Mongol Empire to today's gourmet variations, highlighting its transformation from a humble meal to a canvas for culinary creativity. The duo explores essential burger-building techniques—from selecting the right protein, bun, and fat content to grinding meat, shaping patties, and using fillers and binders for optimal texture. They also emphasize the importance of resting the meat and choosing toppings that balance flavor and texture. Personal preferences and inventive recipes take center stage, with a playful twist as they create wild burgers using unconventional ingredients. Throughout, the conversation celebrates experimentation and encourages listeners to explore the endless possibilities of burger-making. - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a Review of the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy our Wild Fish and Game Spices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Links: Moroccan Style Lake Trout Burger Seared Tuna Burger Moose Burgers on Bannock Buns Havarti Stuffed Venison Burgers Takeaways: Wild burgers made from venison, bear, or foraged ingredients offer a unique, pride-filled twist on tradition. Fat content and fillers are key to achieving juicy, well-textured patties, especially with lean wild game. Toppings can elevate or detract from flavor—balance, texture, and order all matter. Cooking methods, grinding, and resting techniques significantly impact taste and moisture. The burger has evolved from Mongol roots to a global icon, now reinvented with gourmet ingredients and creative twists. Experimentation with styles, toppings, and sliders leads to fun and flavorful discoveries. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Wild Burgers 01:29 Exploring Wild Ingredients 02:26 The History of the Burger 10:02 The Evolution of the Burger 12:26 The Wild Burger Build Off 22:24 Crafting the Perfect Burger: Ingredients and Techniques 24:46 Building Better Burgers: Choosing the Right Bun 27:49 Selecting the Right Protein for Wild Game Burgers 31:21 The Importance of Fat in Burger Making 34:11 Fillers and Binders: Enhancing Burger Texture 37:37 Grinding and Shaping: The Foundation of a Great Burger 40:58 Cooking Techniques: Searing vs. Grilling Burgers 43:52 Final Touches: Toppings and Resting Your Burger 46:40 The Art of Burger Toppings 52:50 Unusual Burger Toppings and Personal Preferences 59:36 Burger Cooking Techniques and Styles 1:03:34 Creative Burger Recipes and Innovations Keywords: Wild burgers, venison, bear, trout, foraged toppings, burger history, burger evolution, wild game, cooking techniques, grilling, burger recipes, unique recipes, burger making, burger styles, burger build-off, flavor balance, protein selection, burger ingredients, food conservation, culinary tips, burger toppings, cooking methods Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a replay of special podcast hosted by PRWeek about the 2025 USC Relevance Report. This special PRWeek podcast, "AI Activated," brought together three PR industry leaders and PRWeek Hall of Famers to discuss AI's impact on public relations. Hosted by Steve Barrett, Editorial Director of PR Week, the conversation featured:Frank X. Shaw, Chief Communications Officer at MicrosoftMelissa Waggener Zorkin, Global CEO of We. CommunicationsFred Cook, Director of USC Center for Public Relations and Chairman Emeritus at GolinThe discussion centered on research from Microsoft, We. and USC about AI's transformative effects on PR practices. AI's Impact on PR and the Role of Humanity 0:02Balancing AI and Humanity in Storytelling 2:31Fostering an AI-Ready Culture 5:49Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption 12:48AI in Media Relations and Measurement 16:21Preparing the Next Generation of PR Pros 22:17The Future of AI in PR 27:34Key insights include:AI as a Tool, Not a ReplacementThe panel emphasizes that AI should enhance human storytelling and relationships rather than replace them. Frank Shaw compared current AI adoption to the early days of personal computers, suggesting we're just beginning to understand its potential.Creating an AI-Ready CultureMelissa Waggener Zorkin highlights the importance of employer encouragement in AI adoption, noting that organizations should empower employees to experiment with AI tools and celebrate early adopters who can share knowledge across teams.Education and Skill DevelopmentFred Cook shares his experience incorporating AI into USC student projects, revealing how prompt engineering skills significantly impact results. He notes that students who crafted detailed prompts received better AI outputs than those using basic instructions.Practical ApplicationsThe conversation covers AI applications in content creation, data analysis, media relations, and measurement. Frank Shaw discusses using AI for strategic planning and information capture, while Melissa emphasizes AI's democratizing effect, allowing professionals at all levels to contribute innovative approaches.Future OutlookThe panel agrees that AI will make PR more exciting for young professionals by automating routine tasks and allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative work. The podcast referenced two reports for further reading: "Energized by AI" and "The Relevance Report."The USC Relevance Report of 40+ forward-looking essays about the current and future use of AI in public relations is available for free download at annenberg.usc.edu/relevance. A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.Host, Fred CookExecutive Producer, Ron AntonetteSeason 6 Producers, Javiera Contreras, Anahita Mehra, Joe Carreon, Marshall WinfieldCreated by ZaZu Lippert LINKSFollow the USC Center for PR (@usccenterforpr) on Instagram and LinkedIn. Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn. Find all our reports at annenberg.usc.edu/cpr.

In this episode of Intended Consequences, Brian Massey sits down with Deborah O'Malley, founder of GuessTheTest.com, to explore the fast-changing world of AI in experimentation — from A/B testing myths to the ways AI is already changing how digital marketers approach conversion optimization.  

This podcast episode features Vinod Varma, founder and CEO of Creator Co., discussing the evolving landscape of social commerce. Varma defines social commerce as the next wave of influencer marketing, enabled by expired Amazon patents, and highlights TikTok Shop's leading role due to its seamless user experience. Creator Co. helps brands navigate this space by providing technical setup and access to a vast influencer network. The conversation touches upon the potential of other platforms like YouTube, YouTube Shorts, and the surprisingly underutilized Pinterest, emphasizing the platform's aspirational and positive nature. A key theme is the importance of authenticity in influencer marketing, particularly in the age of AI, and the need for improved attribution models and transparency in influencer compensation to address concerns arising from browser extensions like Honey.

 Karen Saves The Universe: Part 3Karen Embarks on a cure campaign.Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Karen sighed, "Might as well. Let's go kill the libido of an entire civilization, Holland."Holland took her arm and soon the cell where she was held disappeared and another space formed around them. Captain Hemsworth and several crew members from the ship stood nearby, as well as Ensign Holland who was still holding her arm, reassuringly. Looking around, Karen saw that they were in what appeared to be a sound-booth of sorts. One crewmember activated some equipment and moved one protruding tentacle closer to Karen's mouth and another toward Captain Hemsworth's."Are we ready, Ellis?" Captain Hemsworth asked, clearing his throat. Ellis nodded and stepped back from the tentacles. Hemsworth tapped the end of the tentacle and a booming noise reverberated around the room. He cleared his throat several more times and straightened his collar. "People of Priam! Your deliverance has come! You sent us forth among the stars to find the cure to the horrid addiction of filth that has infiltrated our minds and we have not failed you! We have dedicated our lives to this effort, foregone having families, and any comforts of home to bring you this salvation! Behold; The Karen!" he proclaimed, gesturing for Karen to speak."Um; hi?" Karen said, unsurely. Hemsworth glanced at Ellis who was reading some type of display. Ellis frowned and motioned for her to continue speaking. "Um; my name is Karen;""Hi Karen;” several crew members responded unanimously before Captain Hemsworth cut them off with a gesture."Um; I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to say. I heard you're all having some troubles. I'm sorry. I know what that's like. I've had some troubles, too. I married the wrong person; someone who didn't really love me. I wasn't brave and I tried to avoid trouble too much. I had four kids, but they grew up seeing me treated badly, so they don't really see me as being worth much; if they don't need me to be a mom anymore, what good am I to them? I love them, but; I wish I had done more with my life. Now, I'm getting a divorce; and now that I'm in my 50's, I'm not young and beautiful anymore, so it's like I'm invisible to most people. My body hurts more than it used to; and I'm afraid most days. I don't know what's going to happen to me. Everything keeps changing and I don't know where I belong. I feel like I've failed all the time. But, they said that maybe I could help you, so; I hope I can help make things better for you. I'd like to see something good come out of all this," Karen said, wiping some tears off her cheeks. Holland stepped next to her and took her hand. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder."Ellis?" Hemsworth asked.Ellis looked up from the display, a disconcerted expression on his face. "I don't understand;” he murmured, leaning down and feverishly working on the equipment. "They're hearing it. I know they're hearing it;”"It's not working? She just spoke more than it took to knock out the entire bridge crew! What do you mean it's not working?" Hemsworth said, frustrated. Karen looked at Holland, who simply shrugged.Captain Hemsworth frowned with determination and motioned to Karen, "Speak again. Louder. Talk about the cobb salad! Men, brace yourselves!" he ordered."Cobb salad?" Karen repeated, surprised. "Oh, well, um; it's just yummy. It's got hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, bacon, and avocado on a bed of lettuce; chives and bleu cheese over the top is good, too. The nice thing is that all the ingredients are put into neat little rows across the lettuce, so you can choose exactly what you want in each bite! It's not just a big mess like other salads. You know, I could make you one ; do you guys have avocadoes?" she said enthusiastically, looking to Holland.Holland immediately began looking up something on his hand-held computer. "Av-o-ca-does; do they yield their young willingly, or do we need to;""What the hell is going on???" Captain Hemsworth yelled, grabbing Holland's ear and looking inside. "Holland! You're not wearing protection! Why aren't you unconscious on the floor?""Oh, um; they were kind of uncomfortable, and they made it hard to hear what she was remembering, and;""You Remembered With The Karen? What Is Wrong With You?" Hemsworth shouted, before calming himself. "Momoa, get some caffeline ready. I need to hear her again," he said, bracing himself as he pulled what looked like slugs out of his ears. "Speak again about the salad;”"Okay, uh; most like to eat it with a vinaigrette? I think that gets to be a bit too much if there's bleu cheese on top, though. Sometimes I'll get it with ranch or something creamy because then;""What the hell, Holland! What did you do to The Karen? I barely feel anything!" Hemsworth yelled, grabbing Holland by the uniform."Um; I don't know; we just talked and remembered; you know, she's really nice, if you get to;""Dammit, You've Broken The Karen, Holland! How Are We Supposed To;" Captain Hemsworth yelled until he was interrupted by a knock nearby.Lieutenant Ellis activated a control on his display and a hole formed in the wall of the room. An assembly of Priamites entered the room, as smoothly as if they were rolled in on a platform together. The crew of the Onan immediately fell prostrate on the floor before them. Karen, unwilling to lie face-down on a floor she hadn't cleaned herself, looked around uncomfortably and gave the assembly a small wave. One Priamite raised her hand to return the gesture but was quickly stopped by her neighbor."Welcome, crew of the Onan," one of the assembly said, followed by the rest of the assembly nodding agreeably. "We are most appreciative of all your; efforts. We realize that you have dedicated several of your lifetimes to freeing our civilization from the throes of pornographic addiction, and for your many sacrifices, we thank you," the speaker said, then glanced around uncomfortably at the others. "Most unexpectedly, ah; while the Eros Curse was most distressing to the initial generations, the subsequent generations acclimated to it rather quickly. Then, as fashions changed, the Eros Curse became more of a joke, really; dance mixes were made, memes;”"Excuse me?" Captain Hemsworth said, lifting his face from the floor."I mean, sure, the Eros Curse is still out there. It's just that it's just become something people live with. It doesn't take over our lives, but some indulge in it a little after the kids have gone to bed for the night. I mean, it's not really such a big deal. It adds a little spice to an otherwise boring life, you know?""Boring life?" Hemsworth repeated, rising to his feet. "Are you telling me that all of Priam just walks around, living life, thinking about; that?""Well, yes, but we are very grateful for all you and your crew have done for us. We express our thanks to all the crews of the ships we loaded up with uptight intellectuals that were determined to rid our civilization of; alternative thoughts. We have come here to present you and your crew with a commemorative plaque for all your;""Is this some kind of joke?" Hemsworth said, pacing around. "I've been trekking throughout the universe looking for a cure to your abhorrent lust-filled thoughts and now you just want to give me a plaque for a lifetime of sacrifice because you don't see a problem with your disgusting sticky existence?""Well, there's no need to kink-shame;” the assembly spokesperson muttered, "Honestly, you never wondered why they sent the most uptight assholes on the planet off on a vague 'mission' and never really asked for progress reports?""I don't believe this;” Hemsworth said, his eyes bulging, nostrils flaring. "We've sacrificed our lives for nothing???""Oh, I see where this is going;” Karen said to Holland, who seemed to be trying to assume a duck-and-cover position."How could you do this to us???" Hemsworth yelled."Use the diaphragm for projection, baby; you can do it;” Karen encouraged."I Want; To See; The Manager!" Captain Hemsworth yelled at the top of his lungs, causing a feedback loop to screech throughout the room. The last thing Karen saw before falling unconscious was the sight of every Priamite in the room projectile vomiting on each other. The stench was overwhelming.Karen's Humility.Karen lifted her face off the bathroom floor, overwhelmed by the stench. She brushed off a spare piece of toilet paper stuck to her face, as she tried to remember what had happened. Her lungs burned from what she slowly recognized as pepper spray. She gathered her purse and stumbled out of the stall and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red, and a bruise was swelling where her cheek hit the floor. She splashed some cold water on her face and wiped off the makeup that streaked in the process. This was Snookers; not Baker's Pie. She had just ripped a kid a new asshole for not having cobb salad on the menu. What was she doing with her life?Upon exiting the bathroom, she ran into Travis the Waiter, who looked like he had just splashed water on his face, too. Dread and unease filled his face upon seeing her before it was quickly masked into concern. "Oh, um; are you okay? Can I get you some ice for that?" he asked, looking at the bruise on her cheek."What? Oh, no, honey. I'm okay. I just fell," she said, before meeting his eyes and taking his hand in hers. "Travis, I'm so sorry about the way I treated you. That was awful, and I have no excuse. You didn't deserve that.""It's okay; it happens," Travis said, carefully."It shouldn't, though. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. Would you mind if I just gave you some cash to cover the meal and snuck out of here? God knows what that group of biddies will gossip about when I go out there like this," Karen said, gesturing to herself."Yeah, that should be no problem," Travis said, taking the money she offered. "Are you sure you're okay?"Karen nodded, "I'm fine. I've just got some things to do. You've got a sweet heart, honey. Keep listening to it."Karen swallowed nervously as she went up the walkway to the small suburban house. She hadn't called before coming. It was rude of her not to call ahead of time, but then again, she was pretty sure that her number had been blocked. She didn't know if her oldest son had gone "no contact" or just "low contact" with her, but she was pretty sure her daughter-in-law would threaten to call the police within five minutes of her ringing the doorbell. Nevertheless, when she got up to the door, Karen put her finger forward and rang the bell."What do you want, Karen?" Hailey's terse voice came through the doorbell."Oh; you got one of those camera doorbell things; that's nice;” she began, unsure of how to say what was in her heart without a face in front of her."What do you want?" Hailey repeated."Um; I wanted to talk with you;""The last time you wanted to 'talk' with me, you just wanted to see my kids while you criticized my inadequate housekeeping, my inept child-rearing, and my unattractive post-pregnancy body. So, forgive me if I'd prefer not to have a heart-to-heart, Karen," Hailey interrupted."You're right," Karen said, looking at the dark circle holding the doorbell's camera. "I did that. I did that. I have not been kind to you. When Cal Jr. brought you home, I was not welcoming. I should have been; because you deserved that. You deserved it because you made my son happy. You have made him happier than I've ever known him to be; and that's what I've always wanted for him. If you were just like me, if you did all the things that I obnoxiously told you to do; he wouldn't be half as happy as he is with you; just as you are. If for no other reason than my son's happiness, you have my gratitude. I'm sorry that I've wasted the chances you've given me to know you better. You're brave and confident and funny. Honestly, I think you're the person I wished I could have been at your age. I'm sorry for a lot of things but being wasteful; saying thoughtless things that hardened people's hearts; those are the things that I wish I could take back the most. So, um;” Karen said, checking her notes on her phone's notepad to make sure she got all the points she wanted, "that's pretty much it. Oh, and I put that chocolate mousse recipe you liked on this index card so you can make it, but feel free to call me if you can't read my writing; or if you, you know, ever need anything."Karen nodded at the doorbell and started back down the walkway toward her car, blinking back tears. She had wasted so much time, so many chances. She didn't know if there was a point in trying again now, but she had to. She wasn't getting any younger.As she reached the end of the walkway, she was nearly knocked over by two little bodies running into her and grabbing onto her legs. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as she bent down to pick up her grandchildren, kissing them until they tried to wiggle away. As they started simultaneously telling her everything they had been doing while she was away, Karen's eyes drifted up to the doorway where her pierced and tattooed daughter-in-law stood. "Thank you" Karen mouthed silently over her grandchildren's backs.Karen pushed open the doors of Forest Glenn Hospice Care, her bag stuffed with an array of items and went up to the front desk. "Karen Weaver. I'm here for Dana Stevens," she said.The new girl at the reception desk looked at Karen with quiet unease. "Um; Ms. Stevens has requested only visitors who have;" Karen smirked and lifted the wig off her head, revealing her clean-shaven head. "Oh! Great! Go right in," she said, relieved.The corridor of the hospice facility was peaceful and quiet; exactly the kind of thing the old Dana would hate. Entering her room, Karen looked for any signs that other visitors had been to see Dana but saw nothing. Dana was napping again, her face drawn and gaunt, but thankfully not in pain. Karen put down her bag in a nearby chair and took out a rolled-up electronic piano keyboard and unfurled it on a table next to the hospital bed. As she was on her hands and knees trying to find an outlet to use, she heard Dana clear her throat. "What the hell is that?" she asked, smirking as she nodded at the keyboard."Your afternoon's entertainment. I ordered it on Amazon; you should have seen the bitchy reviews. Reminded me of you. Mind you, I haven't played since Cal got rid of the piano when it didn't fit in the Brooklyn apartment, so you're in for a treat," Karen said, rubbing her hands together and moving her glasses on top of her head so she could see the keyboard controls."Calvin Carmichael in a Brooklyn apartment. My god. What was it that emptied the Carmichael family coffers after they stole you away from me, again?" Dana asked, her sunken eyes taking in every detail of Karen's face as she hovered over the keyboard."Bernie Madoff; cleaned 'em dry. His parents were ever so shocked when they had to sell their properties and move to Florida," Karen said. "They weren't poor; they had enough to retire, but; they were horridly middle class.""Karma's a bitch," Dana said, pushing back against her pillows to sit up more. "Kare; I'm so sorry I didn't talk with you when you came back to the apartment. I could have helped you; we both would have helped you."Karen's smile faded, remembering and wondering what might have been. Dana would have helped her, but she was certain Dana's help would be help to get an abortion; and then she would never have had the joy of knowing her grandchildren. Dean would have; well, it was impossible to know what he would have done, but he would have helped. "Well, consider this your punishment," Karen said, stretching her fingers. "Are you ready?""I'm on opiates, baby. Bring it on;” Dana said, a smile moving across her face.Karen's fingers moved across the keys, and at first, she was put off by the strangeness of the keys and the sensation of tapping on something flat instead of the feel of a piano. Then, memory took over and her hands remembered the dance. Years fell away as she was filled again with the joy of making music. She started with "Clair de lune," a gentle Debussy chosen to respect the frailty of her friend's condition.Upon playing the final chords, she looked up for her friend's reaction to see that Dana had covered her face with a pillow in an attempt to smother herself. "God, you're rusty. You used to be better than me. What have you been doing with those hands?" she complained."Raising kids; kneading dough; finding random women's' panties when I changed sheets on the bed," Karen said, ruefully."Should've jumped Dean while you had the chance;” Dana murmured.Karen bit her lips and closed her eyes. "Um; how; how is he?"Dana stared into Karen's eyes for a painfully long moment, then looked out the window, away from Karen. "Life; life wasn't kind to him. After I graduated, he moved back home to take care of Nana. He only came to the city to look after me, anyway. Living alone hardened him. I haven't seen him in years; not that I'd want to see what he's become. Sometimes you just need to let people go, Kare," she said, sighing sadly. "Anyway; I need a laugh. Show me how pathetic your Jerry Lee Lewis catalog is.""Yes, ma'am," Karen said, blinking back tears and starting into "Great Balls of Fire."The wind coming through the drivers' side window ruffled the inch-long cap of vivid red hair that had grown on Karen's head as she drove down the winding West Virginia roads that she hadn't seen in 30 years. The beauty of this place still softened and relaxed her as much as it had, oh so long ago. Despite Dana's warnings, Karen's heart demanded that she make this trip; and after all she had lost, she was determined to listen to her heart from now on, until she could no longer hear it.She frowned at her passenger and began coughing as a noxious odor swirled around, filling her SUV. She rolled her window down further in self-preservation. This was probably a bad idea; but after all these years of thinking things through and being sensible, she felt entitled to indulge in a few harebrained schemes."Country road; take me home; to the place; I belong; West Virginia; mountain mama; take me home; country road;” she sang, smiling as the wooded foothills rose up in the distance. The path became rough when she turned by the Stevens mailbox and began bouncing up through the woods toward the cozy home. Her passenger surveyed the woods around the vehicle with increasing excitement.Karen started doubting herself, though. It was ridiculous, the more she thought about it. All her emails had gone unanswered. The phone number she was given was out of service. Three decades had passed since she came here; why would he want to see a 50-something woman with an unflattering haircut and stretch marks just because he had fallen in love with the 20-something version of her? Would Dean even remember her at all? She ran through her plan again in her mind again. It sounded really stupid, now. At least it would let her make a quick exit if things didn't work out, though.She broke out in a cold sweat when the house came into view. It was just as she had remembered it, maintained well, but not changed. It was like a holy place, kept perfectly through the ages in reverence for what it represented.She pulled up to the house and parked. No one emerged, so she would have to go in. She would have to go knock on that door and see the unrecognition or even disappointment in his eyes. She needed to go tell him about his sister. Opening the door, she slid out and hopped to the ground and stretched her legs. Suddenly, a braying roar filled the air and a wall of fur launched itself from behind the house and came for her. "SIT!" Karen yelled. Her command, though impressive, appeared only to be a gentle suggestion to the monster that continued to charge her. "STAY!" Karen shouted. This recommendation also appeared to go unheeded."BUSTER, NO!" a voice from the porch yelled, and Karen couldn't help but stare at her first glimpse of Dean in decades. He looked wild. Wild hair, wild beard, a body that had to be formed by the wilderness, itself. Not a drop of civilization tainted the essence of this man; and it made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. Karen began walking toward him, completely forgetting about the fearsome beast avalanche coming to bury her. Dean jumped down from the porch and began running toward the flurry of fur and teeth that had bent its path upon Karen's destruction.A split second before Buster reached Karen, the passenger of her vehicle silently flew out, tackled him with a full-body slam and the two went rolling back from where Karen now stood next to Dean. The two tumbled, tearing up the grass and knocking over the woodpile in the commotion. Buster yelped loudly and jumped free of the massive shaggy-furred beast that was still intent upon teaching him some manners. "Judith, come!" Karen called, and with a final snarl at Buster, Judith returned to where Karen stood and sat by her side, still glaring to where Buster stood looking dumbfounded."Well, I'll be damned;” Dean murmured, looking at the still-cowed Buster in wonder."Girl dog privilege," Karen replied simply. "What is that thing, anyway?" she asked, nodding to where Buster now stood whining and trying to approach the growling Judith."Bernese Mountain Dog; Great Pyrenees; and probably a bit of German Shepherd;” Dean murmured, turning toward her. His eyes traveled over her slowly and boldly."Judith's Akita and Malamute; she was turned into the shelter because she always thinks she's right," Karen said. "That, and she farts something awful."

Do you have a framework for your client work? One that works time and time again? If not, then today's episode is for you! Today, we tackle an issue that's more prevalent than ever – the misguided belief in cookie-cutter solutions offered by so-called 'gurus'. Their frameworks may have worked for them, but that doesn't mean they'll work for you.  This episode delves deep into rejecting societal pressures of perfectionism, the importance of viewing life and work as experiments, and setting clear boundaries with clients.  Learn how to attract the right clients, the right projects, and the right pay by being your true self and committing to a proactive, customized approach. Let's focus on protecting your peace, heart, and reputation, whether you're a freelancer, business owner, or employee. Tune in for actionable notes and tips including more on my free interactive guide on how to tweak your client contracts to make them more 'you'. 00:29 The Problem with Guru Frameworks 03:28 Embracing Failure as an Experiment 05:06 Creating Your Own Framework 08:08 Setting Boundaries and Expectations 12:53 The Importance of Contracts 15:24 Taking Control of Your Client Relationships Resources Creatives - Take the Quiz! Identify and start fixing your people-pleasing patterns today! Free Interactive Guide: “12 Simple Tweaks to a Clearer Client Contract” Get on the Waitlist for the next Client Contracts Crash Course! >>>  Hi! I'm Sheila, your guide to a Joyful and Thriving™ creative life! I have lots of titles: attorney, social worker, coach, consultant, keynote speaker, educator. And while I'm proud of those titles, I am a human first and a title second – just like you. I want to help you reset expectations, set boundaries, and make aligned decisions, so you can streamline and focus your energy on the people, projects, and pay that actually matter to you.  Instagram: @sheilamwilkinson | LinkedIn Rate this podcast/episode on Apple Podcasts, or leave feedback here, and be sure to leave me a voice note with a question for me to answer in a future episode!

 Karen Saves The Universe: Part 2Can a strange marriage survive?Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.I want you, Red. I need to make you mine; mine forever. I've never felt like this before; I know I never will again. Marry me." Cal pleaded."I;” Karen murmured, glancing around their group to make sure she wouldn't be overheard, "I don't know what to say. You're wonderful; and you've done so much for me, but this has all been so fast. We're still just getting to know each other; and half the time it doesn't even make sense to me why you would want me; but I; I just; can I just finish school?" she asked."How you can even think about school when someone like me is ready to give you everything you ever wanted, to take care of you completely, it's just crazy;” Cal murmured, sliding his hand up between her legs and brushing along the edge of her panties.Karen blushed and squeezed her thighs together, looking around embarrassed. "I just; I just worked so hard to get in. Juilliard's been my whole life for so long," she said, looking up into his eyes pleading.Cal looked at her through hooded eyes, "Keep looking at me like that and we won't be waiting for anything." His eyes heated as he pulled her closer, dominating her with a hungry kiss while she squirmed self-consciously. The couples around the table smirked as Cal grew even more bold in his explorations.When he released her, Karen hid her face in his neck as the others cheered. They were his friends, happy to see him happy. Cal glanced at a waiter nearby and gestured for more drinks for the table. The opening act on the stage below finished its last set, but the crowd refused to let the show end. Cheers filled the club, with the crowd demanding an encore.Castor, the lead singer, waited for the crowd to quiet with a grin, then his eyes drifted upward and his face lit with excitement. "Thank you, thanks guys, you're a great audience. For an encore, we'd love to give you a taste of our next album. We've been banging it out in the studio and I can't tell you how excited we are for it to be released. Problem is, it's got this insane keys part that can't be played by just anyone, but I think I see our studio angel in the audience tonight. Kare, baby; will you come help us out?" he asked, reaching upward to where Karen sat.Cal's friends turned to look at Karen in surprise. "You play? Like, for real?" Cal's friend Tony yelled across the table to her in surprise. Karen nodded in embarrassment, glancing at Cal.Everything suddenly froze as Karen rose and walked over to the table, standing over her younger self looking at Cal's face. "Look, you little dummy; look at it! It's right there!" she yelled at Young Karen."What's there?" Holland asked, craning his neck to try to see what she was yelling about."Cal, for all his big words, rich gifts, and grand gestures; he hadn't told his friends anything about me; because nothing of who I really was mattered to him. Only the things he wanted about me mattered to him ; that I was shy, and submissive, and just grateful to have someone pay attention to me. And here ; look at his face! It fell!" she yelled, gesturing to where Cal sat, leaning back in his chair."His face appears still to be attached, to me;” Holland said, doubtfully."It's just a phrase. His face didn't actually fall, but his eyes; look, he's still smiling, but you see it in his eyes. He's not happy for me. He's not happy because the moment stopped being about Cal and how he was the great boyfriend spoiling his new stupid girlfriend on her birthday. Once the moment became about me; that I was asked up on stage; that I could do something his friends admired; ugh, why didn't I see it?" she moaned."What happened?" Holland asked.Karen rubbed her eyes with her hand. "I was young. I was asked to do something. I was asked for help. I was a stupid ninny that had absolutely no ability to say 'no' without thinking the world would end; so, I went up and played with the band.""Oh; was that bad?" Holland asked."No, it wasn't bad. It was a great song. I played well and I was just tipsy enough to not feel all the eyes that were looking at me, making my skin crawl. And you know; some part of me; I wanted to do it. I wanted to show myself that I could play for people; outside a quiet studio," Karen admitted. "Everyone always went on and on about how I needed to get over being so self-conscious and how it would hold my career back. That, and part of me wanted to show Cal's friends that I was more than just another girl in the long line of girls that he had gone through; that I was worth something.""Sometimes I wish our crew would see that I was worth something more;” Holland said, ruefully."Yeah; it's hard when you're young. You're dying to show the world what you're worth, how you're special, but they mostly just need you to work hard and do as you're told," Karen sighed, looking around the club. "Some people will never see what's special about you. They see what they want and they really don't care about the rest. It's those people that see who you really are; without wanting anything from you; those are the ones you need to hang onto."Karen turned her back on the club and the room re-formed into her Newark apartment. The intercom buzzed and Dana rolled out of bed to answer it. "What's up?" she asked."Hey; um, I don't have my keys. Can you buzz me in?" Karen's voice shakily asked through the intercom. Dana frowned in confusion and pressed the button to allow her entry. Soon, she opened the door after Karen's tentative knock."What happened, Kare? I thought you'd be gone all weekend," Dana said, taking in her roommate's appearance. Karen looked unharmed, but her face was puffy and her makeup was streaked from crying and trying to wipe it away."I; uh; I played at the club tonight. Castor Graham was the opening act and he asked me to come up for the encore, so I did.""You played in front of rowdy drunk people? That's fantastic! How did it feel?" Dana asked, offering her back for Karen to lean on while she took off her heels."I was scared; but after a while it was fun. The keyboard was facing the crowd and after a while I looked out over the people and; they looked happy. They liked it. It felt good, then.""God, I wish I'd been there. I'm so proud of you! What did Cal and the entourage say?""Um; I; don't know," Karen blinked and looked around the apartment. "When, uh; when I um; when I got back to the table, they were all gone." Karen wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and cleared her throat."Wait, what?" Dana said, her tone darkening like a storm cloud, threatening imminent destruction. "Say that again. You get called up on stage to perform, you play in front of all those people; like the freakin' keyboard genius you are; and when you got back, those motherfuckers were gone?""I; I think they were gone? The table was empty from what I could see; and the, uh, the security guy; he couldn't let me into the area. He really only knew Cal, and um;” Karen choked and turned her face away, trying to breathe through it and stop herself from crying."Karen; that's not; wait, how did you even get home?" Dana asked, unzipping Karen's dress and grabbing a pair of yoga pants for her."Well, my purse and phone were gone from the table, so I couldn't call anybody and I didn't have any money;” Karen choked. "The security guy was really nice and said I could use his MetroCard if I returned it, so;”"Oh, Christ On A Crotch-Rocket!" Dana yelled, throwing a sweatshirt at Karen, who caught it and pulled it over her head. "Kare. You gotta stop dating this guy. He's a piece of shit. Trust me. I didn't know it when I sent you over there to play, but he's walking excrement;""It's probably just a misunderstand;""And believe me, I'm sure he'll come back with some half-assed explanation, because that's what they all do;""And he tells me all the time that he;""Yeah. He ‘tells ‘; you pretty stuff. He ‘buys ‘; you pretty stuff. Problem is, words and money are nothing to him. Where the hell is he when you're walking home in fuck-me club clothes from the train station and trying not to lose your virginity, huh? Kare. I know you've been through hell, but you are worth more than this. You need a guy that walks you down the sidewalk and puts himself on the traffic side; just in case, because that's who he is. You deserve that. Don't you get it?" Dana asked, taking Karen's hair down and brushing it out, gently."Cal isn't; it's probably just; something;” Karen whispered, biting her lips closed.Dana stopped brushing and wrapped her arms around her roommate, squeezing her hard. "There is real love out there, Kare; and if you don't deserve it, I don't know who does. Someday, you're going to meet a guy that actually loves you and it's going to blow your mind when the games and bullshit are gone. It's like; when a guy is in love, gravity changes for them, or something;”Holland jumped up and pointed excitedly at Dana. "She's right! When I met the Zendayans, my tongue swelled up and;""Are you listening to my story at all, or are you just fantasizing about pretty girls?" Karen huffed."Um; both?" Holland replied, smirking. "I mean, you and Dana were really pretty; and there's just one bed here, and;"Karen shot him an exasperated look and he shrank back behind the bulkhead. "Anyway;” she said.The room dissolved and re-formed, both girls sleeping in the queen-sized bed they shared, morning sunlight streaming in through the dirty window, when the buzzer sounded. "Day, c'mon time to go," a man's voice sounded from the intercom. Karen's head peered out from under the blanket and she ran over to the intercom, tripping over some bottles of wine that they (mostly Dana) had consumed the previous night, trying to rid Karen of her birthday misery."Um; she's almost ready!" Karen replied, then ran to the bed and shook her hungover roommate awake. "Day, someone's here for you; they say it's time to go."Dana grunted and turned over, away from Karen. "Go do it for me; just say you're me again," Dana grumbled into her pillow.Karen swallowed nervously, but gamely grabbed Dana's dress, quickly got ready, and ran out the door. Upon leaving the building, she stumbled into the guy waiting outside. "Um; I'm ready! I'm ready! Dana Stevens. Thanks for waiting;” she panted.The man gave her a quick considering look, then walked her to a large extended-cab pickup truck that looked ridiculously out of place on the streets of Newark. "Miss Stevens," he said, opening the passenger side door and offering his hand to help her up into the vehicle."Thanks. Thank you;” she said, precariously climbing up the runner board in her heels until she settled herself up onto the seat."Just wait there, a bit," he said, after closing the door. Walking back to the building, he selected a key from his collection, opened the building door and walked in. Not long after, he emerged from the building carrying Dana over his shoulder and carrying a bag stuffed haphazardly with clothes. Opening the door behind Karen, he dumped Dana unceremoniously into the back seat and tossed the bag of clothes on top of her. Dana, still in her pajamas, put the bag under her head and turned away from the sunlight streaming into the cab."Dean, this is Karen. Karen, my brother Dean," Dana mumbled, as she draped a pair of sweatpants over her head to block the light."Oh; um, sorry," Karen said, flushing red as she glanced over at Dean's face. "I didn't mean to; um, I'll just go;""Lock the doors, and get us out of the city, Dean. She's coming with us," Dana ordered. "She's on asshole detox!"Karen jumped as the truck's doors locked and Dean wordlessly pulled out into the street and started out. She clasped her hands in her lap nervously. She hadn't packed anything. She had no phone. She didn't have time to let Dana drag her to West Virginia for a visit. Dana had been trying to talk her into coming with her to where she had grown up with her grandparents, but in the excitement of her birthday, Karen had forgotten the trip was this week. She knew better than to say anything, though. Dana wouldn't care, and Dean; who knew what Dean Stevens the brother would think. He didn't say much, but he obviously knew better than to argue with hungover Dana, which was something they had in common."She knows where we're goin?" Dean asked, checking his mirrors as he merged onto the freeway. Dana grunted in assent. "Why ain't she singin' it, yet?" he rumbled, seemingly amused."Because She's Not A Drunk College Kid, Idiot!" Dana howled, holding her head in pain.Dean smirked and started humming "Country Roads" to himself."I hate you so much;” Dana growled, pulling the bag of clothes over her head again. Dean only laughed.After a few miles of road, Karen looked at her roommate in the back seat, and unbuckled her seatbelt. She began to turn to lean over the front seat when Dean reached over and pushed her back down and pointed at her seatbelt. "Um sorry; I just;” Karen trailed off, horrified that she had done something wrong. She couldn't finish her sentence and sat back down, blinking back tears as she put her seatbelt back on.Dean glanced over, looking her up and down for a moment. With a sigh, he put his turn signal on and pulled off the road into a gas station at the next exit. "Do what you need to do," he said, curtly.Karen jumped up, turned around and loosely buckled the seatbelt across the sleeping Dana's hips, then turned, sat down again, and buckled her seatbelt. "Thank you," she mumbled. Dean turned to the back seat where his sister continued sleeping and his face softened. He looked at Karen a second time, sitting with her hands in her lap again, clenched like she expected a tongue-lashing from him for delaying the trip. His eyes drifted down to her feet, where her cold toes were turning pink in the strappy, uncomfortable-looking heels she wore when she came running out of the apartment building on his sister's fool errand. Reaching back, he grabbed a pair of thick socks that had fallen out of the bag of clothes and tossed them to her. Smiling gratefully, Karen removed the strappy heels and pulled on the warm socks as he pulled out onto the road again.The road stretched on. The scenery gradually becoming more rural, the traffic less crowded. Karen found herself relaxing and breathing more slowly as the land passed by. She occasionally glanced at the gas gauge and compared them to the passing road signs to try to discern when they might be pulling over to refill the tank. The third time she did it, Dean shook his head. "Bedford, hon," he chuckled. "You know, you could just ask me. I might be a longshoreman, but I don't bite.""Not like Dana, then," Karen replied, biting her lips so she didn't smile."Hm. Sounds like a story," he said.Karen nodded. "The first time we met, I was waiting to audition for our agency and I was almost going to leave, I was so scared. Day asked to see what I was playing and I handed her the music. Instead of looking at it, she took my hand and bit me. Said it was 'for luck,'" Karen said, laughing to herself."It worked, too. Kare needed to get of her head. She plays better when you throw her off balance, first," Dana said, rising to a sitting position and running her fingers through her hair."Is that so?" Dean asked, looking over at Karen."Yeah. I think too much. My teacher always said I played things perfectly, but he could hear me thinking about it the whole time. Day's a true performer, though. She doesn't think at all - she plays with her feelings, and that's what an audience connects with," Karen said, smiling proudly at Dana."Thoughtlessly playing with feelings; sounds about right," Dean said, chuckling when Dana punched him in the shoulder. "Speaking of, we're coming up on Bedford. Let me know if you need anything."Dana growled at this but said nothing as Karen blinked in confusion. Soon, Dean pulled off the interstate into a gas station and up to a gas pump. Dean hopped out of the truck and began filling the tank. After noticing the bug-splattered windshield, Karen changed back into her strappy heels and walked over to where the island held the squeegee and mop. Dean watched, bemused, as she diligently scrubbed the dried carcasses of insects off the glass while dressed to the nines. Karen finished and climbed back into the truck, only to have Dana grab her shoulder and start whispering in her ear and pointing at the convenience store. Karen, appearing distressed, blushed and said something back to Dana, who gestured emphatically.Dean kept watching as Karen seemed to screw up her courage, took her purse, and walked quickly into the store. He shot his sister a flat look. Dana only grinned, stretched, and put her feet up on the front seat. Shaking his head, he followed into the store."And what would you be needing all those for, hon?" the guy at the till asked while ogling Karen, who looked like she wanted to disappear under the rug."Um; it's uh;” Karen stammered."I need to ask for state regulatory purposes," the guy continued, as he put a large box of condoms on the counter and rang it up."They're for me," Dean said, as he tossed some drinks, chips and cookies on the counter. "Uncut and hangs to the left. Anything else the state needs to know about my cock?" The till guy cleared his throat and began ringing up the additional items and bagging them without further comment. Annoyed, Dean grabbed the bagged items in one hand and took Karen's hand in the other and left the store. "You know, you don't have to do everything my little sister tells you," he said under his breath as they walked to the truck."Then why'd you buy them? Seems like you can't tell her 'no' any more than I can," Karen replied, a little surprised that she had the guts to argue with him.Dean laughed, "I don't want her knocked up any more than you do." He helped her up into the truck and tossed the bag of items to his sister.Dana went digging through the bag and retrieved the box. "Wait a minute, these are just regular. Didn't they have lubricated?" she complained. Karen swallowed uncomfortably, searching for an answer as Dean pulled her seatbelt out and buckled it around her."Don't need lubricated if the guy does his job right," Dean said, grinning at her cheerfully. "Raise your standards and you won't need so many, either.""Hum; lower yours, and maybe you'll actually need some," Dana retorted, opening the package of cookies. Karen just shrank in her seat and covered her flaming cheeks as they pulled back onto the freeway.The scenery turned into wooded hills with mountains growing in the distance. Steering down the curved roads, Dean sighed quietly, a peaceful smile on his face. Karen leaned forward in her seat, trying to see everything as it passed, excitement lighting her face. Dana had fallen asleep again.Near evening, Dean turned the truck down a long, dirt road and reached behind him to shake Dana awake. "Watch for him, Day;” he said. Dana sat up, suddenly alert and scanning the darkening woods around them."What are we looking for?" Karen asked.

 Karen Saves The Universe: Part 1Desperate aliens kidnap a Karen to save their world!Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.On the starship Onan, the Priamites dubiously watched the screen display the creature. Dr. Fehr's algorithm had brought them trekking across the galaxy to a smallish, blue planet around an unimpressive star. While there was no denying the power emitted by the angry, festering organic matter before them, the thought of containing it and bringing it back to Priam was daunting. Still, the fate of their world hung upon the success of their mission."Do we have; uh; audio yet, Lieutenant Cavill?" Captain Hemsworth said, pausing briefly to joylessly ejaculate into his cumsuit, which quickly reclaimed the essence he emitted and channeled it into one of the suit's containment pouches to be resorbed as nourishment.Ever since the people of Eros had unleashed their horrific weapon on them, the Priamites orgasmed almost constantly. The Eros Curse, which seemed like a gift at first, became a tool of enslavement and oppression as the great Priam civilization devolved into listless people who passed the time sitting and staring at nothing in particular. Even special holidays were simply spent gathered in each other's' houses, grunting intermittently. The children of Priam, spared by the curse of Eros by living in growth pods, were never exposed to the disease or its effects until the seemingly arbitrary age of 18, so at least there was no trouble with the censors. The demands of orgasming so frequently took its toll on the Priamite's bodies. Dehydration, muscle spasms, and fatigue were common. The effects on the mind were worse. It wasn't until the invention of the cumsuit, which not only reclaimed the fluid loss and prevented dehydration, but also reduced arousing sensations until the wearer was nearly numb, that it was possible for them to journey out into the stars in search of a cure.Guided by the ancient journals of the revered Dr. Fehr, the Priamites had come to a small planet where it was foretold that there was a force of great and terrible power. It was hoped that this force could be used to break free of the cruel Eros Curse, but time was running out. Even wearing the cumsuits, the crew of the Onan, who were the most stoic, intellectual and sexless men of Priam, felt themselves progressively weakening to the Curse. It was only a matter of time until they lost all sense of duty and simply went adrift through the universe."No audio yet, Captain. The resonant frequency is so shrill that if we don't modulate the pitch; uh;” Lieutenant Cavill replied, closing his eyes and shaking as he orgasmed, then collapsed and stared blankly at the control panels as he recovered.Another crewman took over at the panel, "Captain, I can give you audio, but only for a short time. Even on their planet, they; they; oh; oh fuck;” the replacement said, stiffening as he spurted inside his suit, then shook his head to clear it and looked to their leader for orders. Captain Hemsworth braced himself in his chair and nodded for him to activate audio.A horrendous braying screech filled the bridge, “ No Idea Why You People Can't Even Take An Order Right! I Ordered The Cobb Salad With Extra Avocado! I Don't Care If It's Not On There Or Not! Fix The Damn Menu! I Have Been Coming Here For Over 15 Years And I Know For A Fact That You People Had Cobb Salad On There Two Years Ago When You Were Called Baker's Pie;"Another voice interjected, soft and conciliatory, "Oh, yes, ma'am; I see the confusion. The Baker's Pie that was here went out of business. This restaurant is Snooker's, now, so we don't have the same menu, but our club salad is very similar to;""Are You Actually Interrupting Me? Get. Me. A. Cobb. Salad. Extra Avocado! Do You Understand? Extra Avocado! Mucho Amortado! Comprendo Estupido?"Even in that short interlude, most of the Onan's bridge crew had begun bleeding from their ears and collapsing onto the deck. Captain Hemsworth, a man of rare tolerance and stamina, struggled past their unconscious bodies to the control panel and lowered the volume until it was barely audible. "Computer, disburse caffeline into bridge life support systems, 15 parts per million," he mumbled, leaning on the control panel for support as the strong stimulant hissed into the room. He didn't like to use the drug, because the heightened energy it gave often led to periods of prolonged involuntary masturbation, but he couldn't afford to waste time for the crewmen to awaken naturally. Not when conditions were so dire on Priam.Lieutenant Cavill groaned and rose weakly, climbing back into his console chair and checking the readings. "What happened, Captain? Our scans showed a primitive civilization on the planet without any meaningful defenses. What was that? Some kind of weapon?" he asked.Captain Hemsworth did a double-take at the crewman in wonder, but he said nothing. All around him, he watched the rest of the crew slowly getting to their feet and going back to their positions. All the men were alert, aware, and focused on their duties. Several of them were talking to each other; in full uninterrupted sentences. No one drooled, no one's eyes rolled back; not one of them stared off into space, as if dully re-living the curse that had infected their brains. He, himself, had not even felt the urge to sexually relieve himself once, even with the high levels of caffeline in the air. Indeed, he had not felt anything below the waist; not since he heard that voice. He doubted whether he would have the urge to orgasm ever again. They had finally done it."That was no weapon, Cavill; it is what we came here to find. It's the cure that Dr. Fehr told us was here all along. Contact High Command and tell them; tell them we found it. Tell them we have found; The Karen.The man-eating woman.After straightening out the incompetent waiter on her order, Karen Carmichael excused herself from her prayer group's table and walked to the restrooms, incensed. What kind of man actually cries when taking an order for a salad? Probably gay; or whatever kids were calling themselves these days. Was there such a thing as "gay" anymore, when people "identified" themselves as whatever the hell occurred to them? What was the point of picking a sexuality when people didn't even have a species anymore?Of course, Travis the Waiter had to play the victim about it, too, making the entire restaurant gawk over at their table like they were monsters. He probably knew they were a nice church group and went out of his way to make trouble. Sure, they all scream for "tolerance," but their types couldn't wait to attack nice people of faith like her who showed the world what it was to be decent and pure of heart. Well, he could just kiss his tip money goodbye! Tipping had gotten ridiculous anyway; a generation of whiny babies feeling entitled to extra money just for doing their jobs. ‘If ‘; they did their jobs. She couldn't even get a salad; and, by God, if the Manager didn't make things right, her Yelp review on this place would burn a hole through people's screens!Karen pushed on the door to the restroom tightly clutching her can of pepper spray, because sexual predators were always trying to rape women like her in public restrooms, and she nearly screamed when the door opened. Wet paper towels were everywhere. The garbage bin was overflowing, and some slob had splashed water all over the sink area! Now, she'd have to make the Manager take care of this, too! More drama, when she just wanted to have a nice lunch with her friends. And, of course, the Manager would just try to ‘handle ‘; her; as if she was some unreasonable bitch just for wanting to use a facility that wasn't absolutely disgusting! Then looking near her, but not at her, the Manager would apologize in that fake-nice voice and offer to comp her meal; offering her even more of what was bad in the first place. Managers and their fake apologies. They weren't sorry. The soulless jerks never meant it. They just wanted her to go away; acting like she was a scamming thief instead of someone who just wanted to be treated decently.She settled on the toilet and tried to calm herself. Lately, half the time she wanted to cry, or scream, or tear out her hair; but it wouldn't matter. Nothing would change. Everything changed around her, though. Menus; her children; hairstyles; prices; everything changed. It felt like everything had just left her behind. She looked everywhere for the things she used to love, but she couldn't find them anymore; and if she did find them, they weren't the same as they once were. Nothing made her feel her joy like she used to. That was it. Maybe she was done; that her turn at having any real joy was over. Now, the only time anyone tried to make her happy, or even looked at her, was when she screamed at them.Karen opened her eyes to a rattling sound at the door of her long, handicapped-bathroom stall. "Occupied!" she called out. To her dismay, the dial holding the sliding bolt turned all by itself and the door unlocked. "Hey! Get out!" she yelled, grabbing her pepper spray and holding it in front of her while she tried to stand and pull up her yoga pants."Nice human; good human;” a vaguely disembodied male voice said as a dark, hooded figure in a bizarre form-fitting spacesuit stepped into her stall holding what looked like a staff with a flexible loop affixed to the end of it. It slowly stepped toward her, as cautiously as one might approach a spooked animal. "Human want a nice piece of kale? Yes you do! Yes you do! Who's a good human?" it asked, holding out a curly dark green leaf to her and shaking it temptingly."What the hell?" she yelled, fumbling with the pepper spray can and trying to figure out how to make it work, just as the loop at the end of the staff went down over her head and around her neck, cinching tight.Karen choked, clutching at the loop with one hand, trying to loosen it so she could breathe, and with the other she emptied the can of pepper spray into the hooded face of her attacker. She struggled wildly, but the staff with the loop effectively controlled her and prevented her from landing any punches or kicks on her attacker. As darkness started creeping in on her vision, the last thing she saw was the figure deeply inhale the cloud of pepper spray and hold its breath, then say in a choked voice, "Ready for transport, sir; and man, they've got some good shit down here;”The forgotten leaf of kale fell down next to where Karen's cheek was pressed against the filthy bathroom floor, and with what she feared was her dying breath she choked out, "I want; to see; the; Manager;”Karen's ne victim."I used kale, Sir. Worked like a charm. It's one of the most nutritionally dense materials on the planet, so naturally, it was irresistible," a larger Priamite said to Captain Hemsworth, as he stripped out of his protective suit in a small enclave, bathed in an undulating light.Captain Hemsworth nodded. "Good work, Commander Momoa. Decontaminate for a full four cycles and I want protective measures in place for all personnel. God knows what this thing is capable of when it wakes."Karen heard garbled voices nearby, but kept her eyes closed and tried to steady her breathing. What had happened? The air smelled odd; almost crackling with ozone and energy, like a storm coming. The ambient sounds of the room told her she was not in Snookers anymore. Probably human traffickers. She saw a whole show about it. The bastards kidnapped her and were going to sell her into sexual slavery; except that she wasn't a teenager. She was 51 years old. Nobody would pay for sex with her, much less risk a felony conviction for it. Any ransom demands sent to her husband were going to have disappointing results, as well. So, what was going on? Why was she here? The kids were in college and wouldn't even notice she was gone until Christmas came. Her friends; her passive-aggressive competitors, if she was being honest; they'd just assume she left in a huff and stiffed them on the lunch check. The cold, hard truth was: nobody cared about her anymore and she knew it. That meant, if she was going to get out of this, she would have to do it herself. Her cheek hurt where it had hit that disgusting bathroom floor and she reached her hand up to touch it. The voices yelped in alarm and Karen opened her eyes to see two figures backing away from the enclosure she was imprisoned in."Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my purse?" she yelled, pushing herself to her feet. She walked toward them, crossing her arms and glaring. "I want whoever is in charge over here right now! I mean it!" she yelled, pointing as she walked toward them. One of the figures screamed, clutched at his ears and doubled over, staggering around the room dramatically. The other, larger one she recognized from the restaurant bathroom was in some tanning-booth-looking-thing, half naked and gorgeous in a likely-sexual-predator kind of way. Rather than flailing around the room, he seemed to have gone into a catatonic trance. God, people were useless. "You! Himbo!" she shouted, pointing at him. "Where is my purse? Did you even think to get it when you kidnapped me, or am I going to miss my Ozempic shot? I hope to God you assholes have good lawyers!"The beefy kidnapper in the tanning booth wobbled, then vomited loudly. Karen snorted as he slid down to the floor, unconscious. Pathetic. The smaller figure dove toward a panel on the wall next to her enclosure and pressed a few buttons and she heard the ambient noise of her room change, like it was encased, somehow."I've muted it. It's become even stronger than before;” Captain Hemsworth gasped, helping Commander Momoa to his feet again."How are we going to get it back to Priam? We could choke it out again every time it awakens; give the privilege out as a reward to the crew?" Commander Momoa suggested eagerly."No," Captain Hemsworth said, coming closer to the force field separating him from the angry Karen still yelling and pointing from inside the enclosure. "The cumulative effects of throttling it constantly might affect its functioning. We need The Karen at full power if we are to rescue Priam. We need to keep it conscious. We must feed it, provide it breathing gasses, and keep it clean; it appears to be constantly decaying. That reminds me ; cleaning duty goes to Ensign Holland. He's still on my shit list after the incident with the Zendayans.""Aye, sir."Captain Hemsworth cleared his throat and pressed another button on the side panel. "Hail Karen, bringer of blessed flaccidity, destroyer of abhorrent lust, and banisher of all erotic thought. We are men of the planet Priam. We mean you no harm. We come to you seeking aid, and we come in peace. Actually, until we found you, we would come almost constantly. It was disgusting. Everything was sticky. You see, our enemies from Eros sent us the most perfect pornographic images disguised in an innocent-looking email attachment. Once they were seen, they could not be unseen. They were burned into our brains, cursing us with perpetual arousal. The first wave of Priamites were taken by surprise once they activated the link. The next wave fell victim when the first wave posted the link on their social media because it was just so unbelievably; anyway, after the rest of our population fell out of curiosity or boredom, our civilization was nearly destroyed. We have been searching the stars for a cure, but to no avail. Then, just as all hope seemed lost, we found you; we heard your voice; and our loins finally withered. You are now a guest on my ship, The Onan, en route to my homeworld Priam. There, we will deliver your noxious, strident sounds to everyone, freeing them from their intransigent arousal. Then, after we are assured that all have been cured, we shall return you to your home."At this, Karen made an unpleasant face and began breathing on the clear wall of her enclosure, fogging it. Then, she quickly wrote a short message. "What does it mean?" Commander Momoa said, squinting at the squiggling lines she had made.At this, the computer made a chirp and began speaking, "The message, from the American dialect of the language English translates to: Why didn't you just make a recording?"Captain Hemsworth's shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes with a sigh. Commander Momoa's eyes went wide and he clapped his hand over his face in exasperation. "Fuck;” Momoa said in realization. "A recording;”"Dammit. We didn't have to take her at all, did we?" Captain Hemsworth groaned.Karen glared at them and wrote another word on the wall. As certain as Captain Hemsworth was that he did not need or want the translation, the computer was already on the job. "'Dumbasses,'" the computer cheerfully intoned, "a colloquial phrase, plural of the insult 'dumbass,' meaning 'a foolish or stupid person.'""End translation. Yes, Karen, if we had thought to record your voice instead of kidnapping you, this might have been a much shorter story, and considerably less inconvenient, but as it is, we are closer to Priam than Earth at this point, and our course is set. We will bring you to Priam and then return you home. Perhaps kidnapping you was not the most well-considered solution, but I defy you to think clearly after constantly watching porn for eons and let me know if you do any better."Karen's new calling.Great; as if getting old wasn't insult enough, I've actually become an intergalactic sexual repellent, Karen thought to herself as she paced around her cell. A lifetime of trying to do things right, and this is what it gets me. She wasn't so surprised that there were aliens in the universe, or that they had somehow weaponized porn, but that with all their advancements they were still so stupid!Sighing, she closed her eyes and listened to the ambient sounds of her cell. Life had been so noisy, the last 30 years. Everyone needing her, pulling on her for one thing or another. No peace. Lately though, with the kids gone and Cal; otherwise occupied; life had gone silent. The silence that she had wished for held no peace when it finally came. It just reverberated with the memory of things that had left her behind, making her anxious to fill the emptiness with noise. Nothing came to lure her mind away from the silence, no pleasurable temptations; her duties were done and it felt wrong to do, or even think about, anything else. My god, she had been kidnapped, was flying through the galaxy, and was surrounded by beefcake aliens and she was still thinking about that stupid loose tile in the master bathroom; she needed to get it fixed before the house was sold.A slight sound outside her cell drew her attention. "Who's there?" Karen asked, softly, opening her eyes.A wide-eyed figure peered around the edge of her cell, moving with cautious curiosity. It seemed younger than the other ones. It moved with a sense of barely-restrained eagerness, adorable and earnest. It also held a curved sort of wand in its hand."Honey, if you're here to anally probe me, I'll pass. I already had a colonoscopy this year, I'll have them send you the records;” she murmured, not expecting an answer.After a pause as the figure listened to the translation, its large eyes got even wider. "Is that how you poop?" he asked."What?" she asked, looking more closely at the young alien."I'm supposed to clean your cell when you poop; but you haven't pooped yet; wait, do colonoscopies make you poop?" it asked, scandalized.Karen closed her eyes and shook her head, "No. Colonoscopies put a small camera up your ass so that we can pay a doctor to do what we were afraid aliens like you would do to us if we got drunk in cornfields too much. They don't make us poop. In fact; well, never mind;” she trailed off, embarrassed.She still had vivid memories of her first colonoscopy earlier in the year, drinking gallons of preparatory laxatives, and the resulting quality time with her phone on the toilet. It was an odd experience; not awful, but not one that she could talk to anyone about. Her friends only talked about their kids and their successes, or whose husband cheated on them with some young thing, viciously salivating over their friends' misery with barely concealed glee. Forget about talking through her fears about it with Cal; that wasn't something he was interested in. Not anymore.After the procedure, she had been scared and disoriented from the sedation. For whatever reason, Cal hadn't shown up to give her a ride home. The stupid clinic wouldn't let her leave until someone could drive her home and take care of her. She just sat there getting more and more anxious. Eventually, she called an Uber and begged Xabiib the driver to pretend to be her neighbor; or just someone who cared about her. She spent the ride home trying to say his name correctly while he chuckled and repeated it for her. It was so horrifyingly embarrassing. It's one thing to have no one care about you, but another thing to have the whole world know about it when you were helpless and confused.Tears had rolled down her cheeks and she absently wiped them off with her hand. The young alien sat up and craned his head to look at the liquid on her hand. Karen snorted, "At ease, Holland. It's not poop. You're not getting anything out of me unless you have some heavy-duty magnesium supplements or yogurt."Holland's eyes went wide, "Are humans telepathic???" he gasped. "How did you know my name? Wow, that's so cool! Do it again! What am I thinking about now?"Karen suppressed a smile. Closing her eyes, she pressed her fingers to her temples and swayed from side to side, mysteriously. "I see something; something in the mist; something about; could it be; no, it makes no sense. Is it; a Zen; Zendayan? Does that make any sense to you?" she asked.Holland dropped his curved instrument in shock. "Yes! Yes! We just met them! We negotiated with them for supplies! I was there to carry stuff and; and;” he paused, shrinking in on himself a bit. "They are so beautiful. The Zendayans? So beautiful; and super nice; and just; like wow; I was supposed to just stand there until they were done with the talking and bowing and stuff, but they were just like so beautiful.""Well, what happened?" Karen asked."Captain introduced me and I bowed to them. I was feeling dizzy because, you know, their beautifulness just keeps radiating off them. Then; then; the most beautiful of them; she smiled." Holland stared at nothing, immersed in the memory, then wobbled, tipped over, and lay on the floor staring at the ceiling.Karen bit her lips in amusement. "I see. What did you do then?""I; I; I started talking and then I just couldn't stop because I was just trying to say how beautiful she was and how it just made my mind explode when she smiled and then I might have peed on the floor.""Oh dear," Karen said, cringing in sympathy. "We don't always put forward the face we want to when we are in our feelings, do we?" she said, quietly."Yeah; I've been cleaning poop ever since;” Holland sighed. After a while he sat back up, picked up the curved instrument and began twirling it in his hands. "So, like; what about you? Have you always made horrible noises?" he asked.Karen huffed, but then she saw the oblivious earnestness in Holland's face and sighed. "No; I wasn't always; like this. In fact, until about 30 years ago, I made beautiful noises. I was a pianist," she said."But, wait, they said you were a female;” Holland said, confused."Pee, an, ist," Karen repeated slowly. "I played the piano. It's an instrument; I was a musician. I was a student at Juilliard. It's a school on Earth; it was like a dream to even get in. I was on a scholarship, living in this shoddy apartment with my roommate Dana;” she trailed off, thinking about those days when everything seemed possible."Wait! Are you remembering?" Holland asked, breaking her reverie. "Can I remember it, too? Nobody wants to remember with me ever since the Zendayans, so I'm just left with my own memories and it gets so boring.""What are you talking about?""Well, it's kinda like; um; let me just show you. Computer, scan The Karen and project her memories," Holland ordered. A humming noise filled the room and a beam of light shot out of the wall and passed over her several times. Suddenly, her cell transformed into her shoddy apartment in Newark, New Jersey."Oh my gosh; it's just like it," Karen gasped looking around."Humans dream of getting into this?" Holland said, scrutinizing a cockroach scurrying along the floor."No, silly. This was our apartment across the river. We lived here when we weren't at school. Dana and I moved off campus in our second year. We took jobs on the side through an agency. That was when;” she sat down and a phone in the apartment's bedroom began ringing.A long, pale arm reached out of a pile of blankets on the bed and grabbed the phone. "Hullo?" Dana mumbled. A voice on the phone sounded irate. "Yeah, I'm almost there," she said and hung up.

Matching Day: Part 2The struggle for honesty, and the grace to accept..Based on a post by SmallTownPrincess, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected."So, tell me about your family, Mason," Livia said, tracing the lines of his palm with one finger. How long had they been out there? Although it felt like she'd been with Mason for only a few minutes, at most, she was deathly afraid that dawn would break soon, and they would have to part ways, sneaking back into their respective beds."Oh, they're nothing special," he said with a shrug. "My father's done pretty well for us with inter-community trade, and my mother's a self-proclaimed busybody. I have two little sisters who must hate me, for all the grief they cause me, and a cat that only eats because I ask him to every day."Livia sympathized with the cat; she would follow Mason to the ends of the earth, if he asked her to and really meant it. She wouldn't tell him that, though. He still believed that the answer to all their problems was to run off into the wilderness and never look back."They must love you a lot, to plan a big wedding for you - and build you a house! My father expected my match to do that with his own two hands.""Nah, they mostly just like being a spectacle in town, and a big wedding's the best way to ensure that everyone's talking about you. As for the house, I'd rather build it myself, honestly. I feel like a child with them paving the way for me like this.""I'll bet Salvia's bragging to everyone who'll listen about her fairy-tale wedding and big stone house - at eighteen!"Mason shrugged, looking stormy. "She keeps asking me when we can have our first baby boy. A baby? I'm not ready for a baby. I could go another decade before I would even think about having kids. I'll be nineteen when we get married, for gods' sake.""Nineteen?""I barely missed the cutoff for the last age group, so I think I'm probably the oldest in ours."A chill wind snuck down Livia's collar, and she shuddered, enjoying Mason's immediate response of wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back up against his chest. She could get used to being held that way. She lay her head back against his shoulder, and he sighed happily."Mason?""Hmm?""Do you still intend to marry her?"He shook his head, tousling her hair where his chin rested on it. "That big house will be ours - yours and mine - or they can give it to one of my sisters, for all I care. All I want is you."The chuckling scream of an owl broke the silence of the night, foreboding as the lustrous moon lay silver-lined shadows over the pair. "What are we going to do, Mason?""What do you mean?""What are you we going to do? I mean, you're supposed to get married in a month, to Salvia, and I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life unhappy and alone. People are going to notice if either of those things don't happen.""We could tell them that I prefer you to Salvia, " Mason said doubtfully, and Livia didn't even bother to reply. That was clearly not an option. "Or we could run, like I said originally.""There's nowhere to run," Livia murmured."Then, I suppose, this is our only option.""What is?""This. Meetings, like this.""What, you mean you want to keep meeting me in secret like this?""Sure, why not?""Won't someone in Salvia's house notice that you sneak out every night?" Mason was living with Salvia's family until his own house was built in Micrague, but, to Salvia's dismay, he was not taking advantage of sleeping just down the hall from her."Probably not, and even if they do, I told them the very first day I went home with her that sometimes I preferred to sleep outside, under the stars." He chuckled. "They probably think I'm quite odd, but it really is nice, sometimes, to just lay out here and look up at them."Livia snuggled closer to him and followed his eyes up to the dancing points of light in the rich blue-violet night. "But then, what happens next month, when your family send word for you to come home with her?""Hmm, the guys from Micrague probably don't remember what my match looked like, and you could answer to Salvia for the rest of your life, ""But the girls who matched those boys would know I didn't match you. They'll definitely remember that I was the one who ended up with no one to love but a dead boy I never met.""Gods, Livia, I don't know," he said, sounding frustrated. "What do you want me to say? That this can only go on until I'm called home?""Can't it?""Maybe it'll have to stop when I'm called home," he said, then shook his head fiercely. "No. No, one way or another, I'm going to marry you someday, Livia Russing."Hearing her last name from his lips sent a jolt of reality through her system. "I don't know your last name, Mason," she said, eyes still fixed on the glittering treasure of the heavens."It's Griersley. Don't let that be the deciding point against me when you're deciding whether or not you want to marry me," he said with a grin."It's not bad.""Is bad enough.""But I still don't know you well enough to say that I love you, Mr. Griersley," she said, grinning a little herself. "For all I know, you could be an axe murderer.""Well, you've been alone with me for hours now. Have you seen any signs that I'm going to be a danger to you?"She giggled, then settled into seriousness. "No, I don't think you would hurt me."He was still in a silly mood, grabbing her lightly around the neck and cackling evilly. "Now I've got you, princess!" he said in a nasal, grating voice. "You only thought I asked you here because I'm falling for you. In fact, I'm a hideous villain, bent on killing the loveliest and most brilliant girls in every community. You're my next victim!"Livia laughed, twisting to kiss him again. It felt more natural every time their lips met; after hours of it, she felt like she'd been born to kiss him.Dawn bleached the horizon and made the trees stand like motionless skeletons. Livia savored the taste of Mason's lips on hers as she clambered back into bed, wishing her quilt-shrouded mattress was half as comfortable as his arms.With the promise of seeing him again that night, having him all to herself for hours and hours, she could make it through another day. She just wished night would come a little sooner.There were moments, in the next few weeks, that made Livia wonder if the gods were making up for tormenting her with Bracken's death by saturating every moment with exhilarating euphoria.Mason, his face glowing with the radiance of the simple joy her presence brought him, danced with her in the moon's spotlight, humming a song he made up on the spot, her twirling feet sending leaves spinning all around them and making the breeze whirl and seethe with jealousy.His teeth stood like pearly bits of star against his tan skin as he laughed, dipping her low enough that her hair brushed the dirt forest floor, then bringing her lightly back to her feet with an easy, undemanding kiss.Combing his fingers through her hair, he poured nonsense pieces of poetry into the night, laughing occasionally at a particularly horrible rhyme, calling for her to contribute as well. But she wouldn't interrupt the uninhibited rhythm of his deep, pleasant voice; she let his words roll pleasantly over her soul while his fingers did the same to her scalp.Electricity lanced the night as their lips mimicked each other's shape, and each of them drew life from the other's wholehearted ardor.Livia whispered, "I do, after all.""Do what?""Love you."Mason wrapped around her, keeping her warm as her discarded clothes could not. His lips were drawing a lazy line of kisses from her forehead down her nose, over her lips and onto her neck. He sucked gently at the spot where her neck ended and shoulder began, then dusted kisses across her collarbones.His hands ran lightly along her sides, fingers brushing her skin from tits to hips and back again. She brushed her fingers through his hair, tugged on it in a mute request for him to make his way back to her mouth and kiss her as he had been for weeks, but his mouth was quite busy venturing to previously unexplored territory.Mason's lips pressed against her sternum, and the softness just above her belly button, and then the softness just below. He shifted back onto his heels so he could more easily massage his way down her thighs and to her knees. Hungrily, he eyed her body."Mason?" She could barely manage the breath to whisper his name. Something was making her chest tight, making it hard to bring in air; she realized after a moment that it was fear. That was the thing with Mason ,  he frightened her. Not because he would ever hurt her, but because he looked at life and asked for more than he was given. He pushed boundaries.His fingers were testing her boundaries now, working their way back up the inside of her legs and finding the intersection of her legs. He bent low, kissing her thigh just south of where his fingers rested, and his breath was both hot and cold on her body. It made her suddenly aware of a dampness there she did not recognize."Mason," she said again, more forcefully this time, and his eyes met hers."Yes?"She licked her lips, trembling as he continued to breathe on her slick folds. "Are you planning to do what I think you're planning to do?""Only if you want it," Mason replied. He stared up at her for at least a minute before she realized she was meant to respond positively or negatively, but she had no answer. How could she think with his mouth practically pressed to her lips there? "Livia? Do you want to?""I, " She observed the tenderness with which he was stroking her thigh, and melted a bit. "Yes. Please."Mason grinned. He leaned in just a bit closer and touched his lips to her, then slid his tongue between her folds, trailing it up to the nub of her clitoris ,  she gasped and tried to keep from shuddering, not wanting to break the contact ,  and then down until he circled her slit. His eyes sought hers, looking for approval; he must have seen it in her face, because he began to move his tongue in earnest, sliding it up and down, then delving into her opening as deeply as he could.Livia squeezed her eyes shut to concentrate on the feelings, but the intensity gave her a sense of vertigo so intense she almost felt herself sliding along the forest floor, as though the world had tipped off its axis. She clutched at Mason's shoulders to steady herself, digging her nails in harder than she realized.As Mason's warm mouth moved against her most sensitive places, she began to feel something completely new. It was a need she had never experienced before, an urgent and desperate desire so foreign that she could hardly guess how to fulfill it. She would have thought that Mason's current activity would relieve it somehow, but it was only sharpening the edge on her hunger."Mason, I need;” she started. She wasn't sure how to finish. Mason stopped immediately, sensing her distress, sitting up and wiping his mouth."What? What do you need?""I don't, know." She spoke quietly, distractedly. When Mason sat up, he revealed the entirety of his nude form, and Livia found her attention drawn to his sizable manhood, standing at attention. She stared, beginning to get an idea of what it was she needed.Picking up on her thoughts as though she was speaking them aloud, Mason abandoned his eager, if inexperienced, efforts to please her with his mouth and bent to press his body against hers again. He held himself just far enough off her that his weight would not oppress her, but the full length of his feverishly warm body covered hers, and the full length of his member pressed against her mound, pulsing slightly with each heartbeat.Slowly, painfully slowly, Mason slid his hips down, pulling his cock down her body until the head rested just where her lower lips parted, and then gravity and her own moisture pulled it the rest of the way. It came to rest just where it belonged, against her opening."Is this what you want?" Mason asked. With his mouth on her throat as it was, she felt more than heard his words.She nodded, eyes closed. "Yes."There was really no pain. Livia was surprised; she had heard from other girls that it was quite unpleasant the first time, sometimes even traumatic, but perhaps they had not had such tender first lovers, or perhaps they had not been so achingly, drenchedly eager to have their lover inside them. Livia hadn't even been aware of how badly she wanted Mason within her until he was, and all her tension drained out of her with a long sigh."It's perfect," she said, marveling at the fit of him in her. They were made for each other.For many long minutes they were motionless, sharing each other ,  they were no longer two people, but a single entity, joined intimately."I'm yours, Livia." Mason's voice was husky, and Livia saw that it was costing him something to remain still, not to just claim her from the inside out; she saw also in the way he wrapped his arms tightly around her and squeezed as if he would never let go that he was happy to remain frozen in place and share the moment, happy even as he strained for more."And I'm yours. Take me, Mason."And he did.Eventually they fell asleep, still connected, and didn't wake until larks' songs began to break the stillness of the air with the dawn.Just when she thought nothing could be more perfect, more beautiful, the gods realized their carelessness in letting too much rapture concentrate in just two small hearts, and they began to set things back to rights.Livia picked her way through the now-familiar path from her house to their meeting place in the trees, stepping lightly over fallen branches and dodging snags and thorns with ease. She'd sat at her window all afternoon, watching the sun in its path, wishing it haste as it progressed toward the horizon. Her mother wondered what had gotten into her, but didn't mourn the change. It had been painful to see her daughter in such misery after Matching Day.Just a little ways now, she thought cheerfully, wanting to whistle but deciding that would be imprudent. The fear of what they were doing didn't eat at her anymore, and she could almost forget, in the flawless moments with Mason, that there was anything wrong in what they did. When she saw Salvia, her face did not burn with blood, as it did at the beginning, and she did not hunch her shoulders against imagined accusations as she crossed the town now.At the very moment it always seemed she had been walking too far, that she must have passed the clearing completely and needed to turn around, she saw Mason.He was standing much as he had been the first night they'd met here, his hands balled into fists in his pockets, his eyes on the sky, standing in what she now recognized was his tensest stance, directly in the center of the clearing. He was wholly illuminated by a moon that approached full, and she could see the glistening tracks of tears on both cheeks, the slightest quiver to his bottom lip. Pain spiked just beneath her breastbone as she wondered distressedly what had upset him."Mason?" she called, tumbling out of the trees and into his arms. He barely caught her as she tripped over the undergrowth, landing ungracefully against his chest, and when she looked up into his face, she had never seen such despair."You came," he said brokenly. "I hoped you wouldn't.""What?"Rustling footsteps all around them told of the presence of others, and Mason's hands tightened on her upper arms as if he could somehow squeeze her out of sight.Livia's head swiveled frantically from side to side as she tried to see each face as they appeared, grimacing, out of the shadows; at the front of them all, she saw Salvia's triumphant countenance.And Mason's eyes never l

If you're passionate about basketball, content creation, or building a brand from the ground up, this episode is a must-listen. Ian Hietala joins us to share his journey from aspiring trainer to one of the most promising voices in basketball edutainment—blending skill, strategy, and storytelling to make a lasting impact.In this episode, Ian Hietala takes us through his journey as a rising force in the basketball training world, blending education and entertainment to create impactful content for the next generation. He shares how his youth, discipline, and dedication to daily content creation give him a unique edge, while his media agency and online training serve as core revenue streams.Beyond the content, Ian opens up about the importance of building relationships in the training community, learning from mentors, and embracing experimentation—both in business and in training methods. From optimizing his tech stack to setting realistic financial goals, Ian emphasizes the value of consistency, authenticity, and volume in achieving long-term success.00:00 Introduction to Ian Hietala03:01 Goals and Ambitions in Basketball Training06:10 The Art of Edutainment in Basketball Content08:07 Youth Advantage in Content Creation11:11 Daily Routine and Content Strategy15:21 Revenue Streams in Basketball Training18:17 Organic CTAs and Audience Engagement19:26 Tech Stack for Content Creation20:29 Training Sessions and Business Model22:38 Navigating the AAU Landscape24:01 The Impact of Online Presence on Offline Training25:17 Building Relationships in the Training Community26:41 Logistics of Collaborative Training Sessions28:24 Learning from Industry Leaders30:48 The Importance of Experimentation in Training32:07 Scaling Content Creation and Team Dynamics34:28 The Role of Money in Career Development38:01 Setting Realistic Revenue Goals39:59 Content Style and Audience Engagement46:11 Lessons from Failed VenturesWhether you're a coach, creator, or entrepreneur, Ian's story is packed with insights to fuel your own growth. Tap in, take notes, and get inspired to level up with purpose, passion, and consistency.

Matching Day: Part 1To love risks more than just her heart.Based on a post by SmallTownPrincess, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.Girls spend their entire lives looking forward to the fateful Matching Day - and whether or not they will admit it, boys, too, have at least a healthy curiosity. It's so reassuring, knowing that in your eighteenth year, you and your age-mates will be paired off, brought together with another from their own community or a surrounding one that match them perfectly. No song-and-dance dating rituals, like the ones in the books Livia liked to read, no old maids, no riotous bachelors; just simple, comforting compatibility."Have you heard?" The hushed, conspiratorial tones issued from the pink-lacquered lips of Livia's best friend, Mara."What?" Livia's low-pitched voice always made her sound disinterested, but she paid close attention to Mara when her friend sounded this urgent."There was a big accident over in Micrague. One guy died!""Oh, that's terrible," Livia murmured, letting her eyelashes drop and rise again to half-mast in a brief show of empathy. It was all she had time for, as Mara leaned suddenly, ever more urgently forward, gripping Livia's arm in both hands."That's not the worst thing," she rolled on. "The guy who was killed? He just turned eighteen. That makes the numbers for tomorrow's Matching uneven!"Two full breaths, painful to the impatient Mara, passed before Livia spoke in response. "So, what, someone won't be paired? A girl will be left without her match?""Whoever matched with him will have no pair on Matching Day," Mara proclaimed ominously. Her eyes were wide and glittering with morbid excitement."What do they do about that?" It was unheard of, as far as Livia knew; there were always even numbers, always a perfect match for everyone.Mara gave an exaggerated shrug. "Maybe she'll never be matched."Livia was surprised into laughter. "They can't leave her without a match forever," she said with certainty. "Maybe they'll search out another community for someone that fits even better than that poor boy who died."Her reassuring confidence sent Mara, humming, away to terrify someone else with proclamations of an eternity alone for some poor girl. The thought nagged at Livia for the rest of the afternoon, though. What if he was matched with me?"Verin Massada," the stern voice called from the central platform, and a stick-thin brunette drifted toward the three steps that lifted her above the circle of impatient teenagers."Philip Pressia." The broad-shouldered redhead that stepped up to take Verin's hand smirked and bowed at the polite smattering of applause that ushered the happy new couple off the stage. Livia smiled approvingly; Verin needed a little more humor in her life.Livia watched each girl she'd grown up with walk back into the circle, shyly clutching the hand of her new mate, and twisted her skirt nervously in her fingers. It seemed forever before the 'R's were called, and the wad of boys brought in from all the different communities steadily shrank. She met the clear grey eyes of one of the remaining boys as Clanley Ritchell was met by a generic-looking, dark-haired boy, and she thought fleetingly, I hope I'm matched with him. He seemed to be thinking the same thing; his face fell a little when he was called up to greet a willowy blond on the dais."Danica Soress," the voice demanded, and Livia stood a little straighter with a sharp intake of breath. Had she been skipped?All the vague, incoherent fears that had accompanied Mara's morbid pronouncement coursed through Livia, charged with shame as some girls recognized the omission and turned to look at her with expressions of varying pity. Livia felt on the edge of tears.She saw the blond - that wretched Salvia - pull the grey-eyed boy down to whisper cruelly in his ear and point in Livia's direction, and she contemplated melting into the dirt.With the blood roaring loudly in her ears, she heard no other names called, and stared fixedly at a nondescript blade of grass in front of her to avoid the glances that were flickering toward her. How can this be? she thought frantically. How can I not have a match?"Livia, what's going on?" Mara's face held ghoulish curiosity with only an edge of concern for her friend, and Livia couldn't deal with her. She turned without a word and marched to the fountain a good distance away from the platform. People were breaking off now, finding secluded spots to get to know this person with whom they'd be partnered forever. Livia, wrapping her arms tightly around her gut, had never felt so alone.How could she have lost a lifetime of companionship without ever tasting it? It was too, too cruel. What right did that boy have to take away everything in one fell swoop? How could he die? She wanted to shake her fist at the heavens, demand an explanation, but she just trailed her fingers through the rippling water in the fountain basin, swallowing hard against the wave of emotions that threatened to show itself grotesquely in her features."His name was Bracken, if that helps," said a voice behind her, and she jumped, throwing water onto her dress. She turned to see that grey-eyed boy approaching, and she prepared herself for the humiliation she was sure to experience at his hands; he had, after all, been matched like everyone else, and she was alone - possibly forever.He did not mock her, though; his eyes held the soft, cautious understanding of someone who pitied another, but was not sure whether that person desired sympathy or not. When she said nothing, he shrugged self-consciously. "Sorry, I realize you might not have wanted to know. I just, he was my best friend. I thought if you did want to know about him, I'd at least let you know who you could ask."A flood of gratitude made it temporarily impossible for her to speak, and then she forced a smile. "I think I'd like to know," she said hesitantly. She wasn't sure; would it be better to know nothing about what she'd never have, or to at least have pleasant thoughts about what could've been? "Can I ask you something now?""Absolutely.""Would I have liked him?"The boy nodded. "I think so. He was quiet at first, it took a while to get to know him. But once you did, there was no one you trusted more." He added, with the hesitation of an afterthought but the seriousness of something he'd intended to say all along, "Seeing you here, there's no doubt that he would have liked you."He gave Livia one last smile and lay his hand over hers for a moment, ignoring the water droplets that sat on it like dew. For a warm second, she felt a rush of what it might have been like to have someone get to know her intimately over a lifetime, to love and understand her and for her to love back, and then the grey-eyed boy was walking with wide strides back to Salvia, and nothing but a hollow sadness remained beneath her breastbone.Livia hated them. All of them.The girls with their softly rolling curls, teased and coached for hours in order to look casually delicate when the boys, their shirts tucked in and their shoes shined, arrived at their doorsteps carrying one or two or twenty flowers in one hand and a shining invitation in the other. They walked with springing steps the short distance to the gathering hall in the center of town, hand in hand or arm in arm, and Livia wanted to throw rocks at the whole lot of them.She had been invited, sort of, to join in on the festivities. The community officials, not sure what to do with the first single person over eighteen in a century, had hesitantly allowed for her participation in all the new couples' activities; so far, she had partaken in none of them.Desperately, she wanted to be a part of the revelry, but she could not force herself to walk into the rooms full of happy girls and their happy boys, and have nothing herself. Her mother, unable to comfort her, had begged her to go to the dance. It was the last night before all the boys would be returning to their own communities, taking their matches with them. It was the last night she would seek Mara, who had paired with a boy from Onek.And she'd tried: she'd gotten dressed, piled her hair up on top of her head and pulled her elbow-length gloves on, but nothing could motivate her to step outside her house as streams of giggling lovebirds trickled by on the way to the hall."Go, Livia," her mother said, coming up behind her with a basket of laundry on her hip. "You should at least go long enough to say goodbye to Mara.""I can't, Mama. Think of how they'll look at me!"Her mother bent Livia's head down to kiss her on the forehead. "It's not your fault, Neinei, and they know that. They feel bad for you. They all want to see you. The world didn't end when that poor boy died.""Bracken," Livia said defiantly. Her mother had refused to say his name, insisting that it was better for Livia to know nothing about what she had lost.Patting her daughter's shoulder, she adjusted her basket and turned to leave. "Go."Livia had retreated around the side of the gathering hall, standing just outside the golden pool of light that poured like honey from the windows. Sobs caught in her throat and were choked down, unvoiced, as she watched Mara and Verin and Danica and dozens of others receive chaste pecks from shy boys as they spun by in their brightly-colored dresses, waving fluted, bubbling glasses and laughing with abandon.And there, the grey-eyed boy, Bracken's best friend, was seated quietly with his hands folded in his lap, listening politely to an enthusiastic rendition of some trivial event or another by Salvia. It was always easy to tell when she was excited about something, as her arms pinwheeled and hands fluttered with no thought to how the gestures went along with the story.He glanced up, and his eyes met, for a moment, Livia's. He looked surprised to see her there, and then a bit sad, and then his gaze drifted back to Salvia, who had grabbed his knee in her earnestness.This infinitesimal rejection, the refusal to even meet her eyes for more than a moment, pushed Livia over the edge. Tears, burning like acid, washed over her face, and she stumbled away from the window, crying with pitiful lack of restraint.She staggered into the sparse forest, the trees providing scattered shelter from curious eyes, if any should choose to drift away from the golden party, and the darkness of the night fit her mood, a strangely soothing thought."Are you alright?" For the second time, the grey-eyed boy's voice jolted her out of her own misery. She would not face him; not now, when her eyes were puffy and irritated, her nose red and her face streaked with dirty tear tracks. He would see her and compare her to Salvia, and she would fall short; she could not handle right now seeing him weigh her that way and find her lacking.His hand on her back was another surprise, and then both his hands weighing down on her shoulders as he stepped closer behind her. "Hey," he said gently. "Everything will turn out fine. Maybe, maybe you'll find someone better than Bracken could have been for you."She forgot her resolution not to face him then, turning toward him with her eyes narrowed to angry slits. "How could I, when everyone is paired already? Besides, I had my chance - he just managed to get himself killed before I could even meet him!" The words came out much harsher than she intended, and the young man in front of her actually took a step back from her ferocity, hunching like she'd landed a blow to his gut. "I'm sorry," she said immediately, automatically. "I shouldn't have said that. He was your friend, ""It's alright," he said, giving her a ghost of a smile and waving his hand with a nonchalance that didn't show in his eyes. He had that gentle look of quiet appreciation of life that came to some people who lost loved ones, but knew that lost friend would be offended if they did not continue to smile. "I know it's probably really hard on you, seeing everyone so, happy." He trailed off, not looking happy in the least."Speaking of happy people, shouldn't you be in there with Salvia?"His face took on the contemplative expression of someone deciding how to phrase something delicately. "Salvia, she's not quite what I expected to find, on my Matching Day. She's, ""Lively?" Livia suggested. "Brazen? Exuberant?" obnoxious," the grey-eyed boy said decisively. "I don't like her at all."Livia smirked. "Well, you have to like her. She's your match. You love her."He shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I don't.""But she's your perfect match," Livia insisted."But what if she's not?"Livia heard her heart beat twice before she asked, "What?""What if Salvia is not the perfect girl for me? What if the girl that I would love more than anyone else in the world couldn't be matched with me because, there was someone else our age who she would like a little bit better?""That doesn't even make sense," Livia said, shaking her head. "The matches have always been perfect: even numbers, complete compatibility;”"But this time they messed up, right? I mean, you should know. You're the person who's affected more than anyone else.""Well, yes, but;”"So why isn't it possible that they aren't right on everything else? What if they didn't match this girl with me because she would love this other guy more?""Well, so, maybe they did. But if you would love her so much, surely you would want to see her happy, with the man she was meant to be with, right?""Yes," he said, very seriously. "I would want to see her happy.""Then you should leave her in peace with the person she was matched with, and focus on learning to love the girl you were paired with."The interminable silence stretched between them as the grey-eyed boy stared down at the leafy ground and Livia watched the way his hair blew across his forehead in the breeze. At last he said, "What if she wasn't matched with anyone?"Livia's heart sped up, beating double time as she realized what he'd been saying all along, what she'd been too dim to put together until he'd spelled it out. "But you are matched," she said numbly. "Salvia has you."He leaned dangerously far forward, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered into it, "I don't want Salvia."Livia shrank back, confused. These were dangerous words he uttered, dangerous thoughts. People were matched with the people they were meant to be with. How could there be any other way? They couldn't be wrong; there'd been no divorce, no infidelity, no broken hearts in the decades people had been paired this way. Surely it was the right way. It had to be."I don't even know your name," Livia said resolutely, as though that settled the matter and proved him wrong. She pushed against his chest to force him back, feeling the blazing heat of his heart under her palm."It's Mason," he said quietly, and his words had the sound of discussion-ending power to them too. Livia was conscious of the fact that she had not moved her hand from his chest; her fingers curled slightly, enjoying the silky feeling of his shirt over his skin, and the warmth that radiated from his flesh."Go back to Salvia, Mason," she whispered. She realized she was shaking from head to toe, and not from cold. Here was everything she had ever wanted, everything she had imagined when she thought of her Matching Day, but he was not hers. "Please, go back to the party."With a sigh, Mason touched her cheek briefly, the lightest of butterfly wing contacts, and then he turned and vanished into the night, not toward the party, but deeper into the forest. Livia stood for a long time without moving, her mind racing and her heart pounding like a runner's feet, and then she walked, slowly, directly away from Mason."You didn't come to the party last night," Mara said, breaking the silence that stood like frosted glass between her and Livia."No." Livia had gotten no sleep the night before; lying in bed, replaying continually the frightening moments with Mason, her heart had never slowed."Well, I just wanted to say goodbye, " Mara twisted her hands for a moment before wrapping Livia up in a warm and desperate hug. "I'm sorry, Lenny. I'm going to miss you so much."The tension between them melted, and Livia returned the hug tightly, sighing. "It's hard to believe I'll never see any of you again - all the girls I've known all my life! Except for Maize and Crista, they're the only ones who matched with boys from here, right? And I don't really even know them.""Well, you'll see Salvia too, for a little while."Breathe in. Breathe out. "Why's that?""Oh, that fellow she paired with - Mason, isn't it? - his parents have some sort of huge wedding ceremony planned, and they've got a house mostly built for the two of them. They told him to stay here a while, get to know his partner's family for a bit, let her spend some more time with them, and then head back once the house and all the plans were done."Wedding were an extravagance, a luxury that most people went without, especially if they didn't have the means to make it a massive event. The fact that Mason's family was going to such lengths meant they must be well off indeed."So Mason, and Salvia, will be around for a while?""Yeah, at least a month, I'd say."A buzzing numbness in her extremities made it difficult for Livia to respond. She had thought Mason would be gone today, that she'd never have to see him and Salvia together again. But they would be here for a month,"Speak of the devil," Mara said cheerfully, skipping over to greet Salvia as she pranced up the path with Mason's hand gripped in her own vice-like claw. The dark circles under his eyes said that he, too, had had a night with little sleep.

Zooko has been thinking about building decentralized Chaumian ecash since the mid 1990s. When Bitcoin came out, he was the first cypherpunk to write a blog post about it. And today, he's honoring Satoshi's last wish of researching ZK proofs with Zcash. Time stamps: Introducing Zooko (00:00:55) Early Cypherpunk and Digital Cash Days (00:03:18) Cypherpunk vs. Cryptography Mailing List (00:03:52) Discovering Digital Cash and Chaum's Blind Signing (00:04:44) The Internet, BBS, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall (00:09:10) Growing Up with Technology in Eastern Europe (00:12:04) First Computers and Early Programming (00:13:02) Loading Games and Computer Limitations (00:14:05) Impact of Tariffs and Internet Access (00:16:47) Economies of Scale and Computer Conferences (00:18:28) Social Media, Privacy, and Information Overload (00:19:33) Twitter Blocking & Echo Chambers (00:21:06) Personal AI and Information Control (00:24:08) First Computer Memories and Speech Synthesis (00:28:55) Programming Languages: BASIC, Pascal, and C++ (00:31:15) Vocoder Technology and Privacy (00:32:27) Video Games and University Life (00:34:28) Science Fiction and Cypherpunk Literature (00:36:10) Working at DigiCash and Early Digital Currency (00:39:04) Nick Szabo, Social Scalability, and Economic Thought (00:46:27) AI-Generated Personas and Real-Life Community (00:52:42) Global Talent, Work Ethic, and Financial Management (00:55:51) David Chaum as a Boss and DigiCash's Downfall (01:00:06) Decentralizing Ecash and Early Bitcoin Attempts (01:04:50) Wei Dai, Crypto++ and Peer-to-Peer Innovation (01:06:19) Open Source Maintenance and Funding Challenges (01:10:00) Why Digital Cash Mattered in the 1990s (01:12:30) Cypherpunks, Remailers, and Privacy Motivation (01:13:46) Bitcoin's Early Days and Zooko's Initial Skepticism (01:19:55) Bitcoin Advocacy and Security Flaws (01:39:07) Zooko's Triangle and Naming Systems (01:43:31) Altcoins, Experimentation, and Maximalism (01:51:09) Bitcoin's 2013 Privacy Papers: ZeroCoin & ZeroCash (01:55:12) Funding Innovation and Open Source Economics (02:00:27) Zcash Launch, Sidechains, and Market Dynamics (02:03:40) Sponsors and Bitcoin Innovation Renaissance (02:09:01) Proof of Stake, Hybrid Models, and Cross Link (02:26:14) Network Sustainability and Burn Mechanisms (02:33:37) Quantum Resistance and Lost Coins (02:37:26) Peter Todd's Compute Node, Zcash Ceremony and Trusted Setup (02:42:19) Zero Knowledge Proofs and Counterfeiting Bug (03:05:35) Zcash Design Choices and Block Size (03:43:04) Bitcoin Blocksize War and Evolution (03:49:09) Zcash vs. Monero and Privacy Models (04:27:33) Tachyon: Sean Bowe's Scalable Privacy Breakthrough (04:08:22) Live Zcash Demo and Address Privacy (05:27:00) Zcash Mining, Liquidity, and DEX Integration (05:49:57) Decentralization, Transparency, and the Future (06:02:22) Closing Remarks and Podcast Wrap-Up (06:05:15)

In this episode of the Boost Your Biology podcast, Lucas Aoun and Hans delve into the world of testosterone optimization, discussing personal experiences with TRT, the impact of diet on hormonal health, and the importance of nutritional testing. They explore the role of gut health, the benefits of lactoferrin, and the significance of addressing nutritional deficiencies. The conversation also covers various dietary experiments, particularly focusing on the regenerative properties of milk and its components. Throughout the discussion, they emphasize the need for individualized approaches to health optimization, highlighting that everyone's body responds differently to dietary and hormonal changes. Lucas and Hans delve into the nutritional aspects of milk, discussing its benefits, the impact of lactose intolerance, and the importance of cow diet on milk quality. They explore the roles of iron and copper in the body, the significance of lactoferrin in iron regulation, and the potential of Kestose as a prebiotic for managing estrogen levels. The discussion also highlights the joy of health experimentation and the importance of research in understanding nutrition.Relevant Links:Relevant links:Hans Amato X: https://x.com/HansAmato Hans' Skool Group: https://www.skool.com/testotribe/aboutHans' Substack:hansamato.substack.comGet Lucas' New Supplement Here: https://www.inb4supps.com/ Disclaimer:The information provided in this podcast episode is for entertainment purposes and is NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. If you have any questions about your health, contact a medical professional. This content is strictly the opinions of Lucas Aoun and is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult with their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Lucas Aoun nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this content. All consumers of this content especially taking prescription or over-the-counter medications should consult their physician before beginning any nutritional, supplement or lifestyle program.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Testosterone Optimization03:13 Exploring TRT and Its Effects06:01 Dietary Influences on Hormonal Health09:01 The Importance of Nutritional Testing11:50 Gut Health and Hormonal Balance15:02 The Role of Lactoferrin and Other Supplements18:08 Nutritional Deficiencies and Their Impact20:56 Experiments with Milk and Other Foods23:48 The Regenerative Properties of Milk27:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts31:29 The Nutritional Value of Milk34:42 Lactose Intolerance and Milk Consumption38:49 The Impact of Cow's Diet on Milk Quality41:10 Iron and Copper: Balancing Nutrients44:24 The Role of Lactoferrin in Iron Regulation51:16 Kestose: A Prebiotic for Estrogen Management55:21 The Joy of Experimentation in Health Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you REALLY know what cookies are? Like really, REALLY know? What about GDPR? What about PII?I know the words. But what do they REALLY mean? I enlisted the help of Eddie "The Techie" Aguilar to help me simplify some of these complex topics, and help me create meaningful next steps on how to address PII concerns and other marketing-related issues in data collection. We got into:- Simplified definitions of cookies, data collection, GDPR, etc. (I'm stupid and like hearing things simplified from smart people)- First vs. Third part cookies (and what it means to your marketing program)- A/B testing and the importance of NOT collecting PII in your testing toolsTimestamps:00:00 Episode Start2:31 What is a Cookie?7:41 How Cookies Have Been Used Maliciously (Lack of Consent)9:51 First Party vs. Third Party Data13:11 Opting Out of Cookies (Explained)14:45 GDPR28:20 A/B Testing and Cookies37:30 PII and A/B testingGo follow Eddie Aguilar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whoiseddie/ Also go follow Shiva Manjunath on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiva-manjunath/⁠Subscribe to our newsletter for more memes, clips, and awesome content! https://fromatob.beehiiv.com/And go get your free ticket for the Women in Experimentation - you might even be entered to win some From A to B merch! : https://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-WIE

Jordan Koene, CEO & Founder of Previsible.io, breaks down how AI is reshaping the SEO landscape. As tools like ChatGPT provide direct answers, many websites are seeing noticeable drops in organic traffic—ranging from 10% to as much as 90%, depending on the industry and keyword.This shift is happening quickly and requires a thoughtful response. Jordan explains why it's important for brands to focus on becoming trustworthy sources within AI ecosystems, addressing inaccuracies in AI-generated content, and leaning into unique brand assets. He also emphasizes the need to shift from broad outreach to more targeted strategies on platforms where the audience is most active.AI isn't replacing jobs, but it's changing them—making skill development and retraining a priority. The future of SEO will center around helpful, relevant content, deeper personalization, and multimedia formats like video that build trust and engage users.The key is to move from reactive to prescriptive marketing by focusing on serving specific audience needs within the evolving limitations of AI.

Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital joins Nick to discuss Calculating the Market Size for AI, Building an "Experimentation Machine," the Bull Case for Non-Technical Founders, and the Key to PMF in the AI Age. In this episode we cover: Exits and Liquidity in Venture Capital The Experimentation Machine and AI Opportunity Evaluating AI Businesses and Founders Challenges and Opportunities in AI Investing Entrepreneurship Education and Startup Ecosystems Product-Market Fit and Customer Discovery Future of AI and Venture Capital Guest Links: Jeff's LinkedIn Jeff's X Flybridge's LinkedIn Flybridge's Website The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

We've all had those “seemed like a good idea at the time” moments. Hers involved a Voxer coaching program, and in the spirit of learning from those detours, we unpacked what happened, what she learned, and how there might still be life in that idea yet. Main Points: Great ideas don't always land the way you expect. Danielle created a Voxer-based coaching program for personal brand support between sessions. Despite promotions and enthusiasm from peers, it never gained traction with clients. Sometimes it's not the audience — it's the offer. Danielle realized her clients come to her for hands-on, real-time messaging work, not asynchronous voice messages. There was a disconnect between what she offered and what her brand promised. Experimentation is always valuable, even when it “fails.” Danielle isn't sad she tried it. Every experiment, whether it works or not, is a chance to learn, adjust, and discover what truly fits your business and community. Ideas can evolve. Lorraine suggested reframing the Voxer access not as a standalone product but as an add-on to existing branding packages — a “bonus touchpoint” for clients craving extra access and faster feedback. Never give up on a good idea too soon. Danielle's takeaway was that an idea that flops in one format might thrive in another. It's all about the packaging, pricing, and timing. Actionable Takeaways: If a new offer isn't resonating, ask yourself whether it aligns with how clients see you and your core strengths. Surround yourself with a trusted business circle — fresh eyes can spot opportunities and blind spots you'll miss. When something doesn't work, don't toss it immediately. Consider whether it belongs as part of something else, or if a tweak in messaging or positioning could turn it around. Remember: there's no such thing as a wasted experiment. Every trial leaves breadcrumbs for your next big win. 

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2997: Ross Enamait challenges the myth of one-size-fits-all fitness by urging readers to embrace experimentation, self-awareness, and individual adaptation. He dismantles the industry's overcomplications and reminds us that true progress often comes from doing, not just reading, empowering athletes to think critically and raise their own bar. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://rosstraining.com/blog/2009/03/think-for-yourself-part-ii/ Quotes to ponder: "There is nothing more ignorant than suggesting that there is a single 'way' to train." "Often times, we learn by doing. There is only so much that you can take away from a book that was written by someone else." "Dominant athletes don't want to be like everyone else. They always want to take what is good and then make it better." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2997: Ross Enamait challenges the myth of one-size-fits-all fitness by urging readers to embrace experimentation, self-awareness, and individual adaptation. He dismantles the industry's overcomplications and reminds us that true progress often comes from doing, not just reading, empowering athletes to think critically and raise their own bar. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://rosstraining.com/blog/2009/03/think-for-yourself-part-ii/ Quotes to ponder: "There is nothing more ignorant than suggesting that there is a single 'way' to train." "Often times, we learn by doing. There is only so much that you can take away from a book that was written by someone else." "Dominant athletes don't want to be like everyone else. They always want to take what is good and then make it better." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Ardis' website https://thedrardisshow.com/Doors of Perception is available now on Amazon Prime!https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.8a60e6c7-678d-4502-b335-adfbb30697b8&ref_=atv_lp_share_mv&r=webMake a Donation to Forbidden Knowledge News https://www.paypal.me/forbiddenknowledgenehttps://buymeacoffee.com/forbiddenThe Forbidden Documentary: Doors of Perception official trailerhttps://youtu.be/F-VJ01kMSII?si=Ee6xwtUONA18HNLZMerchhttps://fknstore.net/Start your microdosing journey with BrainsupremeGet 15% off your order here!!https://brainsupreme.co/discount/FKN15Book a free consultation with Jennifer Halcame Emailjenniferhalcame@gmail.comFacebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561665957079&mibextid=ZbWKwLWatch The Forbidden Documentary: Occult Louisiana on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/pGXW6chxCJbC60 PurplePowerhttps://go.shopc60.com/FORBIDDEN10/or use coupon code knowledge10FKN Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/FKNlinksForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/ Johnny Larson's artworkhttps://www.patreon.com/JohnnyLarsonSign up on Rokfin!https://rokfin.com/fknplusPodcastshttps://www.spreaker.com/show/forbiddenAvailable on all platforms Support FKN on Spreaker https://spreaker.page.link/KoPgfbEq8kcsR5oj9FKN ON Rumblehttps://rumble.com/c/FKNpGet Cory Hughes Book!Audio bookhttps://buymeacoffee.com/jfkbook/e/392579https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jfkbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Warning-History-Cory-Hughes/dp/B0CL14VQY6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=72HEFZQA7TAP&keywords=a+warning+from+history+cory+hughes&qid=1698861279&sprefix=a+warning+fro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1https://coryhughes.org/YouTube https://youtube.com/@fknclipspBecome Self-Sufficient With A Food Forest!!https://foodforestabundance.com/get-started/?ref=CHRISTOPHERMATHUse coupon code: FORBIDDEN for discountsOur Facebook pageshttps://www.facebook.com/forbiddenknowledgenewsconspiracy/https://www.facebook.com/FKNNetwork/Instagram @forbiddenknowledgenews1@forbiddenknowledgenetworkXhttps://x.com/ForbiddenKnow10?t=uO5AqEtDuHdF9fXYtCUtfw&s=09Email meforbiddenknowledgenews@gmail.comsome music thanks to:https://www.bensound.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.

Great strategy starts with a question—and a story worth believing in.A good strategy isn't just built—it's told. For Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute and author of The Imagination Machine and Like: The Button That Changed the World, strategy and imagination are both deeply communicative processes, rooted in storytelling, curiosity, and the courage to reframe assumptions.“A strategy is really just a special kind of story,” Reeves explains. “It begins with the present and aspires to a different future—it's fiction made actionable.” To bring that fiction to life, leaders must involve their teams in a co-creative journey and use thoughtful questions to shape not just ideas, but belief and action.In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Reeves joins Matt Abrahams to explore how communication fuels strategic thinking, innovation, and organizational reinvention. He outlines his six-step framework for imagination—from embracing anomalies to codifying and continuing ideas—and underscores the role of reframing, deep listening, and even levity in solving complex problems. Together, they unpack how a single “like” button changed our digital behaviors—and what it teaches us about influence and attention today.Episode Reference Links:Martin Reeves Martin's Books: Like / The Imagination Machine Ep.71 Strategy Success: How to Communicate Your Gameplan Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:19) - Using Story in Strategy (05:00) - Questions as a Communication Technology (06:15) - The Six Steps to Harnessing Imagination (10:36) - The “7 Cs” of Imagination and Communication (12:08) - Reframing as a Creative Tool (14:11) - The Like Button: Origin and Evolution (16:14) - Brain Chemistry Behind Digital Liking (18:12) - The Final Three Questions (22:59) - Conclusion    *****This episode is sponsored by Stanford. Groundbreaking research happens everyday at Stanford, learn more here.Support Think Fast Talk Smart by joining TFTS Premium.       

More information, pattern recognition, experimentation, discovery, curiosity are all quickening to propel our growth into a new era of life. You are adaptable and teachable.