Podcasts about FaceTime

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comThe end of 2025 is here, whether we like it or not. Nancy and Sarah celebrate with a year-end episode that includes a pop quiz, their favorite culture recommendations, and even a few resolutions. Have and attend more parties! Don't pay attention to nonsense! It's an annual look-back with cameo appearances by Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Combs, Sydney Sweeney, Charlie Kirk, Billy Joel, Chappell Roan, old classic books, and the AI future that awaits us.Also discussed:* FaceTime doesn't work in Australia?* Hard times for America's bourbon industry* Nancy doesn't flunk the pop quiz!* Sarah favorite 2025 pop song is actually from …* Nancy explains VistaVision; gets it wrong* Sarah's love-hate thing with Yorgos Lanthimos* Olivia Colman gives an all-time performance* The time-weathered face of Ethan Hawke* American Studies is a bangin' major* A John Travolta gifting story* Whoodoggie, did things get hot on the set of CleopatraPlus, Sarah invents Drinking School, Nancy accidentally chugs weed lemonade, we all have Moby Dicks to climb, and much more!

The warnings were there. According to the father of Anna Kepner's ex-boyfriend, Anna told people she didn't feel safe around her stepbrother. He says the 16-year-old was obsessed with her, that he carried a knife, and that Anna's ex-boyfriend once witnessed him climb on top of her while she slept during a FaceTime call. He says he tried to warn her parents. He says they dismissed him. Weeks later, Anna Kepner was dead — found under a bed on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, strangled to death on a family vacation she never should have taken. Her stepbrother is now the FBI's primary suspect. His own parents have acknowledged it in court filings. But eight weeks after her death was ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation, no charges have been filed. Newly released text messages between the suspect's parents show a family scrambling to control the narrative, not grieving the girl who died. A former detective called it damage control. Meanwhile, testimony from the December custody hearings has revealed prior incidents of physical restraint in the household — including a chokehold allegation from the suspect's own older brother. This is a case where the red flags were waving. Where people saw something and said something. And where the adults in charge chose not to act. Anna Kepner was eighteen. She wanted to serve her country. Instead, she's waiting for justice that still hasn't come. #AnnaKepner #CarnivalCruise #WarningSigns #TrueCrime #CruiseShipMurder #FBI #JusticeForAnna #CarnivalHorizon #FloridaCrime #TrueCrimeBreaking Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ ​Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod

It's another preshow preview. And a montage. Who doesn't love a montage? Yes we did one of these but we aren't very good at planning and this one isn't the same as the one a few months ago. Our Patrons and paid subscribers get these little treats served to them every week. It's basically a FaceTime between Tori and I. We typically have to explain that folks should lower there expectation for what their getting in exchange for their support. But we don't have to disclaimer that this time. You can see for yourself.  We want to hear from you! Do you have questions, comments, jokes, or anything else you want us to know? Email us: Childproofmail@gmail.com Join our Patreon for pre-show bonus content Preorder Gwenna's new book Video version of Childproof available on Youtube  Be sure to check out our other shows: Founded Bibliophage Childproof is a part of the Airwave Media network. Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast

On this episode of Bulture podcast:Nicki Minaj made an appearance at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, walking hand in hand with Erika Kirk Gunna hosted his 5K “Wunna Run club in LA” Boyfriend Calls Out Girlfriend for Refusing to Work Out with Him—But She Suddenly Runs with Gunna. Is He Overreacting?Is OutKast really better than the Migos?21 Savage reunites Offset and Quavo on FaceTime and says 'album is OTW' Jake Paul has broken jaw from fight with Anthony Joshua, I hate how people are in the comment section saying “he got the bag tho”-The ref and broadcaster for the Jake Paul Anthony Joshua fight kept it too real!A lot of short people were showing up to the Tall People Meetup in DC last night…….like damn ya'll can't let people have nothing???Dave Chappelle dropped a surprise special on Netflix Friday!!Do people who do last minute Christmas shopping give good gifts?Ice Spice faces backlash for alleged racy outfit at kids' SpongeBob premierePooh Shiesty , G Herbo, Young Thug & YFN Lucci Have come out and said ‘F the streets,Boosie says that if rappers are going to say ‘F the streets', they need to stop rapping about them.President Trump declares Christmas Eve and December 26 as federal holidaysAnother 40+ point performance from Audi Crooks!! She's posted 148 points over the last 4 gamesThe Panthers are first in the NFC South for the first time since Cam Newton's MVP seasonGood pillows help you sleep way better!!A single mother says she didn't like the fact that her parents were happily married with a stable home growing up. She wished she had grown up in the projects instead.End of an Era: Hot 97 Seemingly Replaces ‘Ebro in The Morning' w/ All-New Host LineupA big congrats to our Pam Oliver for being inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame The Eagles win over the Commanders, and the Cowboys have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.Man, questions how Kai Cenat can be depressed with all the money from his recent streamsWoman wants to know if Boosie's ‘Put Your Lips on Live for $1,000' offer is still on because she really needs some moneyRadio personality Charlamagne Tha God recently signed a $200 million deal with iHeartMedia. Now he has ambitious plans to turn his Black Effect network into the BET of podcasting.The Instagram for TV app rolled out Tuesday on Amazon Fire TV devices in the US, offering a personalized feed of short Reels!Young Thug and his girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist, are officially getting married after he surprisingly proposed to her on stageThe New York Knicks Have Won Their First Trophy Since 1973. KAT, Brunson and the Knicks storm into Vegas and win the 2025 NBA Cup Championship.Class is back in session! Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell are returning for an A Different World sequel series, coming to Netflix!Young woman sparks debate about lack of positive black representation on modern TVThe WNBPA announced that players voted to authorize its executive committee to call a strike "when necessary," as a response to the current state of CBA negotiations with the league, 98% of the players voted yes, 93% participated in the vote, per the union.Houston Rockets ownership is in substantive talks with the Connecticut Sun over the potential purchase and relocation of the WNBA franchiseHall of Famer Kevin Garnett is reuniting with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Lynx in a new, all-encompassing role involving business, community efforts and content development, sources told ESPN. His long-awaited No. 21 Wolves jersey retirement will also happen in Minnesota.Lakers rookie Adou Thiero had his SUV stolen over the weekend, but LAPD later recovered the vehicle and arrested two men — one of them being Samson Nacua, the brother of LA Rams standout Puka Nacua

Most women think dating apps are the problem. They're wrong. In this episode, Amanda Carroll explains why waiting — not dating apps — is what quietly destroys your chances of finding a high-value partner. If you're telling yourself “I'll start dating in the new year”, you're about to miss the most powerful dating window of the entire year: cuffing season — the period between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day when people are more emotionally available, more reflective, and more open to real commitment. Amanda breaks down:Why women don't fail at dating — they miss the timingThe psychology behind cuffing season and why it changes male behaviorThe exact “Enter the Arena” play high-value women run when opportunity opensHow to set up a dating profile that attracts commitment (and repels clowns)Why waiting for “perfect conditions” keeps women single longerThis episode is for high-value women who are done waiting to be chosen — and ready to start choosing.

Subscribe to Throwing Fits on Substack. You already know what time it is: The most wonderful of the year. This week, the Fab 5 (sadly minus Chef who is holed up with the flu, but we do FaceTime him in) are reconvening to debate, discuss, and crown their personal favorite jawnz, timeline takeovers, brands, collabs, trends, movies, TV shows, musical artists, best-dressed celebs, bozos, and GOATs of the year that was. We are truly the gift that keeps on giving.

In this workshop from the 2024 Rooted Conference in Dallas, Kristen Hatton unpacks the five P's of parenting to help parents become more self-aware, stay motivated toward their children, and lead their homes with gospel-centered purpose and hope.Kristen is a counselor who works with teenage girls, parents, and families. She's the author of Parenting Ahead, Face Time, Get Your Story Straight, and The Gospel-Centered Life in Exodus for Students. Kristen lives in Dallas with her pastor husband and is the mom of three young adults and a son-in-law. Learn more at www.kristenhatton.com. Romans 8:31-37Psalm 61:1-4 Romans 8 for ParentsWhy Teenagers Need to Know that God is For Us by Steve Eatmon Mom and Dad, Nothing Can Separate You from the Love of Christ by Dan Hallock Follow @therootedministry on Instagram for more updates Register for Rooted 2025 Conference in Chicago

Elf on a Shelf: Part 1 Her stalker wasn't who she thought he was; Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Honey smiled at the long line of children waiting to see Santa, flipping her phone from Google Translate back to see the information of the next little girl in line, who was looking up at her somberly with large liquid brown eyes. In her small face was a familiar mixture of fear and hope. Wonder; it was wonder in her eyes, Honey thought. Unlike the tired and jaded adults, dutifully shifting their weight from foot to foot, holding overstuffed shopping bags and all the coats of their kids as they distracted themselves on their phones, the children got more and more excited as they drew near the man in the furry red suit with white trim. Honey loved working with the children; because like them, she sometimes could still see the magic. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Norman shift uncomfortably in the painted plywood throne made for him to sit with the children and discuss their good behavior and of the wishes that they hoped would come true. Even at age 62, Norman still saw the magic with his merry bright blue eyes, but it faded when his prostate pained him. When the photographer got the shot the parent wanted, Honey walked to where most of the long line could see her as Norman flashed her a look of worshipful gratitude. The adults' faces immediately fell, knowing what was coming. "I'm afraid Santa needs to take a quick break because apparently the reindeer have begun arguing again!" Norman put his gloved hands up to his real beard, pulled a comically dismayed face, jumped up from his throne, and ran off toward the restrooms. Honey shook her head mournfully and continued, "The reindeer were all practicing their Christmas carols when Comet and Cupid couldn't decide how many times Santa checks his list in Santa Claus is Coming to Town! Does anyone here remember how it goes?" she asked, scanning the line for people game enough to help. Honey scampered back and forth along the line trying to choose among the eager volunteers, her white-trimmed, pink fur skirt flaring out around her thighs, her long legs clad in sparkly curly-toed ruby slippers and candy cane swirl stockings catching the eyes of several fathers. Suddenly, she gasped listening carefully to her headset, "Nina?" she called out. "Comet and Cupid say they will only stop arguing if 'Nina' gives the answer. Is there a 'Nina' here today? Nina?" Honey looked around at the crowd carefully until the little girl with the big brown eyes, who had been quietly waiting 57 minutes in line, gathered the courage to raise her hand. "Oh! Are you Nina?" she asked, running over and crouching down near the girl. "We just adopted her; she only speaks Portuguese," the weary woman holding her hand said quietly. Honey gasped and smiled widely, "Voc fala portugu s Nina? Maravilhosa!" she said, watching the little girl's eyes brighten excitedly. "Voc pode me dizer quantas vezes o Papai Noel verifica sua lista?" she asked, holding her microphone out to the little girl. "Duas vezes!" Nina said confidently into the mic. Honey listened carefully to her headset, concentrating, "'Duas vezes' it is! They've stopped arguing!" she announced. "But now, they want us all to sing the song in Portuguese! Nina, voc vai me ajudar a ensin -los a m sica?" she asked. Nina nodded and slowly she and Honey taught the familiar song to the crowd in a new language. As always, a hush came on the crowd when Honey began to sing. Heads raised up from forgotten phones. Vague smiles drifted onto the turning heads of passers-by in the mall as they paused in their frenetic search for gifts. It wasn't so much that Honey's voice was beautiful, though it certainly was. It was more that when Honey sang, it seemed to make the things that didn't really matter melt away. To those that believed in such things, Honey's voice was magic. When she sang, people held their breath and didn't even miss the air. Honey closed her eyes as she sang next to Nina. It was a newly acquired habit. Though she had been taught to let her eyes slowly drift over the audience, letting them make a connection with each person as she sang, she didn't do that anymore. She knew he was out there. She felt his presence frequently as she worked, but it was only when she sang that he came out into the open. She couldn't hold her voice steady when she saw him watching her, so she closed her eyes and let the magic continue for the crowd. When the song ended, Honey opened her eyes as the crowd cheered, finding his powerful form immediately as if she had been commanded to look at him. Zach. He had changed a lot in the year since he brought his sister's children through the long Santa line, drawing her almost too-large dark blue eyes to him then, as easily as he did now. After bringing his nieces and nephews through the line, he'd gone home and brought all his neighbors' kids to see Santa in five more trips, watching her the entire time. He looked at her as if he'd never seen anything like her in the world, like he couldn't believe she was real. She had loved feeling his eyes on her then, hearing his voice. She had wanted to climb up in his lap, feel his large arms curled around her, whisper to him about how good she had been that year, and of how much she hoped he would make her wishes come true. Of course, all that was before he'd told her he wanted to kill her. Zach's face looked leaner now, though his body seemed even larger, if such a thing was possible. His brooding, deep-set eyes were not merry, as they had been when children climbed his tree-like body in her line last year. They weren't nervously soft and adoring of every part of her, as they had been at their candle-lit dinner. His eyes weren't rageful or insane as you might expect from someone visiting their object of murderous hate, but rather; they were tortured, trapped. Pain and quiet desperation had taken up restless residence in the windows to his soul. Honey knew she shouldn't look at him so much, but she just wished she could understand what she had done wrong. Once the line of children and parents had cleared, it was long past the official closing time. Honey cleaned up the display and prepared it for the next day while Norman took one last lingering trip to the restroom. Her phone showed numerous messages from work friends from her other job asking where she was. The firm had planned a Christmas party at Gatsby's, a gorgeous club worthy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's glamorous hero. It was also the place where Zach had taken her on their first and last date. The Gatsby's waiter had looked stunned and confused when she shakily ordered herself an "angel shot," the code-phrase used to quietly ask bartenders or wait staff for help when you felt threatened, but after his initial shock, the waiter immediately escorted her secretly to a taxi waiting outside before Zach returned to the table. Gatsby's had saved her life; but she didn't want to go back there. After avoiding call after call from Zach, she finally answered and politely asked him never to call her again. To her surprise, he didn't. He never spoke to her again. Unless she sang, she never even saw him, but she felt his presence almost everywhere. It felt like she was haunted by him; haunted by something wonderful and magical that, inexplicably, went horribly wrong. Her phone buzzed again, the display showing that the firm's senior partner wanted to FaceTime her. Steeling herself, she answered. "Honey Lane where in the hell; oh my god lookit you!" Aaron Timberman held the phone high above his head with his long ex-basketball-player arms and Honey saw a crowd of her co-workers crowd into the picture behind him. "Um, hi sir. Sorry I'm late to;" "You're an elf!" "Um, yeah. It's a volunteer thing;" "Wait, wait, wait; you have the shoes? You know, with the; toes?" he slurred, motioning his finger in a spiral motion. Honey bit her lips and tilted the camera down her body, showing her entire costume, tilting her foot to show off the curled toe. "I'm sorry it got late tonight, but I'll be there as soon as I can get home and get changed;" Timberman looked around at the crowd surrounding him, "Guys, do we wanna see Honey Lane here at the party in some boring old Anne Klein shit, or do we want the elf?" he yelled, pointing at the screen. Behind him, almost a dozen of her co-workers began chanting "Elf, Elf, Elf, Elf!" "Get yer ass over here, Elf," Timberman ordered, poking at his screen several times before effectively ending the call. A few minutes later, Norman finally came back from the restroom and gave Honey a ride over to Gatsby's in his red SUV bedecked with a bumper sticker that read, "My other car's a SLEIGH!" Honey hopped out after getting bits of advice from Norman that would have been appropriate several decades ago. With flaming cheeks, she brushed the furry white pompom from her hat out of her face and told the smirking ma tre d which party she wanted, sighing when he grinned widely and escorted her through the middle of the main dining area, much to her horror. When the doors to the party room opened and she was greeted by another round of "Elf, Elf, Elf, Elf," she didn't feel much better. She was starving, so she headed over to the buffet and began loading up a plate with delicious-looking things on ice in shot glasses, impaled on sticks, or immersed in flames. She just spied a quiet table in a dark corner and was winding her way toward it to it to scarf down her only food since breakfast before she could be drawn into a drunken debate. That was the plan, anyway. "Hunnybaby! Lookit you! C'mon we gotta dance!" Lee James slurred to her fur-trimmed tits. With a sigh, she smiled and laid her plate down on a nearby table, promising to herself that she would eat right after enduring a dance with the favored junior partner. Unfortunately, after Lee angled her awkwardly around the dance floor, they'd drawn so much attention that everyone wanted to get pics of themselves toasting and dancing with the Christmas elf. At some point, she found herself in Timberman's arms with a glass of champagne in her hand. "Um; what?" she said, almost asking herself how she had gotten there. "I said you look lovely, tonight, Honey. Much better than in a shawl and sheath dress," he said, quickly twirling her around as they reached the edge of the dance floor. "Twirling makes my skirt go up; I'm dizzy," she murmured. A familiar dark figure flashed in the background and disappeared as Timberman turned her again. She looked around, trying to find the figure again, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Why was he there? Had she been singing again? "Well, I'll make sure nobody twirls you, my dear," he said, twirling her and smiling as her skirt flew up her long candy-cane striped legs. "The wives wouldn't like it." "I like your wife's dress Mr. Timberman; looks warm. It covers her ass when she sits, too," she slurred, frowning in confusion at the dark red drink in her hand now. Zach was frowning, and then he just looked blurry again as she swirled around. Maybe swirling made it harder for him to kill her. Why did he want to kill her? It just wasn't fair. Timberman leaned down and dipped her, "I'll make sure to give her your compliments. You know, if you like what wives wear, you should consider getting married. Lee is quite taken with you, you know," he said, stroking his hand against the soft pink velvet of her dress. Honey found herself drifting away and wandering inside her head again, thinking about Lee; he was handsome in an overly-polished way, said funny things, but they always sounded a little mean, like he wanted to be the only one laughing; and he also took her away from the food plate that just floated by on a table. It was still full. She should have eaten that food. What time was it? "He likes my boobs; and he doesn't want to kill me," she agreed eventually, surprised to find that Timberman was gone and she was dancing with Lee James again. "Well, I can't blame him for that; they're fucking perfect; just like everything else. I'm gonna come on them after you suck me off; he murmured, pulling her closer against him. "Let me take you home, Honey; penthouse view of the city; "Umm; no, that's not home; I live in the; railroad place; with the trains?" Honey explained, pointing in what she thought was the direction of the Lowertown Commons. Why did every guy think she lived with them tonight? "Sounds charming, Eliza Doolittle; you should trade up. You don't know how much I'd love twist your arms back and fuck this ass wide open over my balcony tonight," he said, reaching his hand under her skirt and greedily squeezing her bottom. "You'd like that, wouldn't you Honey? I can tell; Lee whispered, his cologne invading her head and making her queasy. "I feel sick; Honey whimpered and staggered away, trying to find the quiet table where the food was that would make her less drunk. The dance floor was confusing, though, always turning around and thumping and flashing. She leaned against a pillar until she got a better sense of where she was. She liked the pillar. It was big and strong; and it stroked her hair. "Honey; wake up, Honey. Open your mouth. You need to take these," the vaguely familiar voice said, cutting through the sleep that had been blocking out some of the pain she felt everywhere. She obediently opened her mouth and the hand put two caplets on her tongue. A water bottle squirted a little cool liquid into her mouth until she moaned and sucked harder, desperate for more. "Not too much. Wait until you can hold that down. I'll give you more in a bit. You don't want that IV back, do you?" "Nuh" Honey groaned. She hated needles. Sure, just about every part of her body hurt more than a needle did, right now, but somehow needle pain felt personal. Like with Zach. He didn't seem like someone who went around wanting to choke everybody; just her. She was nobody special; just a simple girl who kept lawyers organized and tried to be nice. Then, someone wonderful like Zach thought she needed to die. That hurt. Something about her made him go from being tender and intensely loving to someone who; it just didn't make sense. What did she do? Mercifully, sleep faded the pain and clouded her thoughts. Voices below her intruded into a wonderful dream where she was bouncing on clouds. Though not in the same room, the voices seemed strangely clear. "I can't; Terry, she cries when I do that," the pills voice said, making her eyes fly open. She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it for a year, but she would never forget it. Her body reacted with a confused mix of emotions, her cheeks flushing and adrenaline searing a path all through her at the same time. "That's because it hurts her. You know what hurts more? Bedsores. Man up. Use the pillows to prop her weight against the parts that aren't hurt on whichever side. It's either this, or she goes back to the hospital, and I have it on good authority you won't be allowed to visit after what happened." "She was screaming; Zach gritted. "Yeah, well they were putting her shoulder back in. People scream. That still doesn't excuse what you did. Since when did you become such a pussy about pain?" Terry asked. "since her." "oh my god." "Shut up," Zach grunted. "Oh my god; "Yeah, that's not shutting up." "The great Z-dog has been taken down;" "Shut up, maggot, it's not like that. I'm just taking care of h;" "By a little bitty pink Christmas elf; Terry laughed. There was a scuffling sound and then a loud whoomp and a forceful exhalation of air. "So, I turn her every few hours until she can do it for herself?" Zach asked, casually. "Yes, sir," Terry choked. "Anything else?" "Clear liquids until she can hold stuff down. Talk to her. Ask her questions. If she seems disoriented or part of her face goes slack, she goes back to the hospital. Don't fuck around." "Got it. Are you squared away, or do we need to discuss this further?" "Squared away, sir," Terry choked, then gasped in relief, panting faintly. "Jesus Christ, you haven't lost your touch. We on for the hump tomorrow at 0 500?" "No. I'm gonna stick close here until she's;" "Got it. Hey, maybe they have those Baby Bjorn things in elf-size. Then, you could just strap her onto your ba; ow! ow! ow, ow, ow!" "You weren't particularly attached to the rest of that sentence, were you, maggot?" Zach growled. "Sir, no sir; Terry squeaked. "I didn't think so. You'll be back here Wednesday," Zach stated, more as an order than a question. "Yeah, if you want me to. Honestly, right now she just needs rest and TLC more than a medic. That stands for 'tender loving care' by the way, not;" "You were just going," Zach said, as the voices moved to another end of the room below her. "Hey, you wanna know what makes an elf's toes curl up like tha;" Terry asked, his question cut off by the slamming of the door. Honey listened, trembling and terrified as Zach paced the floor below her. Though his voice hadn't changed, he sounded nothing like the man that had wooed her so tenderly a year ago. He sounded dangerous, brutal even. He definitely sounded like the kind of person that went around wanting to choke everyone, she thought, strangely relieved that her heartbreak felt a little less personal. How could she have been so wrong in her impression of him? She looked around the room, understanding now how the voices had reached her so easily. She was in an open industrial loft bedroom that opened onto the main floor below. Looking around, she realized she must be in Zach's huge bed, though if the crisply made side next to her was any indication, he hadn't been sleeping in it with her. Looking down her body, she gasped quietly. Her left arm was in a sling strapped to her chest, her legs were covered in bruises, and the right leg that was being stabbed with an invisible knife right now, was wrapped up in an air cast boot. What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered was feeling sick as she tried to get away from Lee's groping hands on the dance floor. After that; nothing. How did she get here? A beeping noise sounded below and Zach walked across the room to what sounded like a kitchen. The sound of water being poured into a cup, the ringing of a spoon stirring it, a pill bottle being opened. Honey shivered, realizing he was probably coming up to her, soon. She closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing, feigning sleep. Steps ascending to the loft bedroom. Ankle stabbing, stab, stab, stab, stab with every panicked heartbeat. A tray went down on the nightstand next to her. A chair across the room was lifted and set down by the bed. Honey told herself to breathe slowly, willing the tears welling behind her lids not to leak out of her eyes. He would leave her alone if she was sleeping, wouldn't he? "You're not sleeping," Zach's voice stated, quietly, and her stomach clenched in fear. "You've been waking up for these pills every four hours like a junkie. I know you don't want to talk to me, Honey, but until you're squared away, you're gonna have to. So, cut the crap, open your eyes, and let's get this done." Honey opened her eyes to see his grim face looking down at her. With one blink, large tears rolled down her pale cheeks, and Zach's jaw set angrily. Sitting down in the chair, he put his elbows on his knees and leaned his massive shoulders forward, looking at her. His hands looked like they could crush rocks as he gripped them together. "Let's get some things straight. I don't know what you think you know about me, but acting like I'm some kind of psycho is pretty shitty. You want nothing of me, that's fine, but you're hurt because you screamed and flung yourself down some stairs rather than let me help you to an Uber. You're staying here until you're well, because some shithead at that party gave you enough roofies to be in a coma for almost 3 days and I'm not dragging my ass to that rat trap of yours in the Commons every day to make sure they don't come back while you're weak. Are we clear?" he asked. Honey swallowed and nodded, wincing at the pain in her neck and head. That just seemed to make Zach angrier. "While you are here, you will do as you're told. You will eat what you get, and you will not complain. You see these, here?" he said, holding up the magic caplets that made everything better. "These are the last ones you're getting. I'm switching you to ibuprofen and Tylenol because, unchecked, this Sackler shit will fuck you up for good and that's not happening on my watch. Do you understand?" he asked. "Yes," Honey whispered. At the sound of her voice, Zach's mouth twitched, but at least he didn't look as angry as when she'd nodded and winced. "You will follow your doctor's orders to the last goddamn word. You will rest. You will do your therapy. You will let me help you and you will ask me for what you need because I am not a fucking mind reader. And so help me, if you do anything stupid like get out of that bed without me here to help you, or push yourself away from me like you did at Gatsby's, or any other drama shit that hurts even one hair on that head again, I will personally make you regret you were ever born." "Yes, Zach," Honey breathed, confused. Two more tears rolled down her cheeks. Without thinking, she leaned over to wipe them off on her shoulder and cried out in pain. Zach squeezed his clenched hands together and several of his knuckles cracked. "You don't use my name. You don't get to use my name. You're not getting under my skin again, you hear me?" Zach growled, using his rough knuckle to wipe her tears. "Orders a fucking angel shot in my own fucking club; fuck you. I don't have a name, you don't have a name. You're nothing to me. Understand?" "Yes, sir," she whispered. Honey leaned forward and took the last spoonful of broth into her mouth and swallowed, looking longingly at the noodles at the bottom of the cup. Zach caught a drop of broth at the bottom of her lower lip with the spoon and returned it to her mouth. "No," he said, seeing where her eyes lingered. "I can do it," she pleaded. "Please; I haven't had anything solid since; how long has it been?" "I said, no. You throw up on another pair of my skivvies and I'll be doing laundry twice a week," Zach said, dabbing her mouth with a paper towel. "Why do I have to wear your boxer briefs anyway? They feel weird. They have this hole-flap thing; and there are some places that aren't supposed to feel a breeze," Honey said, lifting the blanket to look down at his underwear loosely covering her hips. "Are you complaining?" he asked quietly. Honey's eyes darted quickly to his face, "No sir," she murmured, looking down at her lap. "I just thought if I had some of my things here, you wouldn't have to do the laundry so much." "I'll worry about what I have to do, Honey," he said, unthinkingly using her name. Startled, she looked up to see his eyes wandering over her, his massive t-shirt sleeves going down past her elbows. She felt ridiculous and disheveled, but something about the way he looked at her made her hold her breath. Then, without another word, he slurped the noodles out of the cup and took the tray downstairs. After that, the two settled into a quiet routine of him feeding her, giving her medicine, and watching her sleep most of the day. She would sometimes awaken to the soft repetitive sounds of him running on a treadmill, or the clinking of him lifting weights downstairs where she couldn't see him. Then, he would go to the bathroom and shower. After his shower, he came upstairs again in his towel and took some clothes from his dresser before going back downstairs to change. Honey found herself looking forward to those few seconds each day, watching his droplet-covered torso twist as he leaned over his dresser. He frowned as he flipped through his carefully folded underwear. "You wearing the grey ones?" he asked, not looking at her. Honey peeked under the covers, "Um, yes sir," she replied. "I'm supposed to wear the grey ones today," he grumbled to himself. Honey didn't say anything. Zach was the one who picked out which underwear she wore today. He was the one who looked away while he painstakingly slipped the old ones off her hips and pulled the new ones over her boot and up her legs until her bottom was covered again. There was nothing about her life that wasn't chosen and executed by him. If he wasn't happy about the color of his underwear, that was his fault. Still, Zach kept rummaging around in his underwear drawer as if another crisply folded grey pair would somehow magically appear. Finally, rather than offend him by laughing, Honey spoke, "Um; you know, if they're clean, I could wear the pair I had on when I went to the hospital and you could have these. It would get you back on schedule; Zach lifted his head from the drawer and glared at her, as if he thought she was making fun of him. Honey held carefully still and shrugged her uninjured limb. She wasn't making fun, she just wanted to help. The movement caused the huge neckline to gape over to the side, revealing her bare shoulder. She waited as Zach stared impassively at her, the vein at his neck throbbing. After a long moment, he walked over and stood next to her, the tuck of his towel right next to her face. With every breath, she inhaled the scent of his wet body and the bar soap he used. A rivulet of water painstakingly slid from his chest and down his abdomen, until finally disappearing into the tightly twisted white cotton. Honey glanced up to see that he had been reading her face as she watched the droplet's progress. With a shaking breath, she blushed and pulled the covers higher with her good arm. With a twist of his mouth, Zach pulled the neckline back over her shoulder again and quickly left the room. That night, after leaving her with a video baby monitor watching her on the nightstand, Zach returned with a bag of her underwear and some of her nightgowns. After watching her excitedly sort through them, Zach pushed them aside and sat on the edge of the bed. "There were a bunch of boxes with tags on them in your living room. What's that about?" he asked. Honey's eyes dropped, "Oh; that's the charity gift thing for kids. You sign up and get them something they wished for and wrap it up so they can have something under the tree, when they wouldn't have something otherwise. It's nice, you know? I signed up for a bunch and I was supposed to wrap them and get them back to the law firm, but I guess; sorry kids," she trailed off. Looking furious, yet carefully impassive at the same time, Zach cursed under his breath and left again, returning with the packages and a huge stack of unused Styrofoam clamshells from Gatsby's, and dumped them on the bed next to her. For the next few hours, they "wrapped" the presents, Zach carefully fitting items into an appropriate-sized takeout box, and Honey trying to make them pretty with ribbons. As she watched him work, occasionally cursing under his breath, she found herself smiling at his frowning face when he was strategizing how to fit a basketball into three disassembled clamshells. "What are you laughing at?" he said, glaring when he caught her at it. "I wasn't laughing. I was smiling." "Why were you smiling, then?" he asked. "I guess; I just like you; sir," she said, glancing over at him. Honey saw a hopeful softness steal into Zach's eyes until he forcibly wrestled it down and a look of hooded sarcasm shaded them. "Yeah, well; fool me once," he sneered. Angry, Honey closed her eyes, blocking him out the only way she could. "You know, that's; that's not fair. Not after what you said; you scared me!" she said, frustrated that, once again, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Zach choked out a mirthless laugh, "I scared you? What did I say, Honey? What did I fucking say? God! I was on eggshells all night trying not to fuck it up with you and then you just; why? Those creeps you were dancing with at that party, those fucking 'nice guys' that drugged you, they were saying shit that made my skin crawl! I didn't even kiss you! I couldn't! I could barely breathe just for looking at you on our date; you looked just like a fucking angel. What did I say, Honey? What did I say?" Honey reached over and grabbed her phone, flipping through her photo album to a screenshot taken shortly before she blocked his number. "You didn't say it; you texted it. I remember watching you leave for the restroom thinking I'd met the love of my life and then you sent me this; she said, handing her phone to him. Zach took the phone, his face going from an angry red to pale horror in a matter of seconds. "This; this; he gasped, "I didn't; send this; to you; he said, shaking his head. "Whoever had your phone did, sir!" she said, emphasizing the last word, making him wince. "I spent the last year thinking you wanted to do that to me; to kill me. Every time I felt you watching me, every crowd I saw you show up in, every dark room I had to go into, that's what I thought about. I thought that a man I was head over heels about; that I could be so wrong about him. So, excuse me for thinking I liked you, sir. I promise it won't ever happen again!" Honey cried herself to sleep that night, refusing to speak to, or even look at Zach again. When she awoke, the bedroom was empty, and a glass of water and a pain pill were waiting on the nightstand. After swallowing the pill, she stared at the ceiling, furious. She didn't want to be there anymore, to be helpless and dependent on him, to obey all his stupid rules. He didn't deserve to take care of her. So, she tightened the straps on her boot and increased the air pressure to hold her broken ankle tightly enough to walk without her crutches. Then, she took off Zach's t-shirt, pulled on her elf dress, and called herself an Uber. It was when she saw the anticipated arrival time of 8 minutes that she realized her mistake. There was no way for her to get down from the loft and out of the apartment quietly in that amount of time. If she used the crutches, she would be able to descend the stairs quickly enough, but they made such a distinctive clicking racket that they would surely wake up her gorilla-like guard. If she hopped down the stairs on her good foot, it might have worked, but her good arm was on the opposite side and she kept losing her balance. Eventually she decided on the most painful course, of going down on her good and bad legs, using her good arm for support. Her boot thunked horribly the first few times, until she got the hang of it and could place it more quietly on the next step and then hop her good foot down to support it before the scream inside her could escape her lips. By the time she reached the bottom, though, she was shaking with pain and exhausted. Curiosity forced her to look around the rest of the apartment as she caught her breath, sitting on the bottom step. It was clean and unmistakably masculine. Exercise equipment took up a lot of the space not already claimed by a leather couch and TV arrangement. Zach lay on the couch, made up with sheets to act as a bed, his feet sticking out over the arm, his hand tucked under the back of his head, his chest rising and falling under the rumpled sheet. If she wasn't so angry, she'd find him handsome; or maybe he still was handsome, she thought grudgingly, closing her eyes miserably and looking away. Why couldn't he be ugly? Life wasn't fair. Uber. Right. Screwing up her courage for what was ahead, she stood and slowly hobbled across the hardwood floor, agonizing over every painful thump and noisy squeak until she finally reached the door. She unlocked the five locks on his large door, each of them being well-oiled and working perfectly. She expected no less of her anal-retentive, grey-skivvies-on-Tuesdays captor. Finally, she tugged open the heavy door to find endless flights of icy steel-mesh stairs leading all the way down to the street where her Uber was waiting. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me; she cried, breaking down into tears. A strong arm slid down around her waist and mercifully shifted her weight off her throbbing foot, "I know. It sucks. You should try it with a rucksack full of bricks," Zach said, leaning his head down and breathing into her hair. "I want to go home," she whispered. "Let me take care of you; please," Zach murmured into the top of her head, "I; it was my fault this happened to you. I scared you, I know that now; but, please believe me that I would never want to hurt or frighten you like that." "It wasn't just that text," she said, pulling her head away and looking up at him angrily. "All year, I never had a moment's peace. Even when I couldn't see you, I could feel you waiting in the quiet or dark places. Even if you weren't there;" "I was there," he confessed. "I was always there. I didn't understand what had gone wrong. You didn't want to talk to me, and the world just didn't make sense to me unless I knew where you were, what you were doing; unless I knew you were safe." "Maybe you knew I was safe, but I didn't! I thought I'd done something; that somehow I deserved to have this beautiful, scary monster hunting me. I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd done to destroy something that was so; wonderful." "You didn't do anything, Honey. Nothing at all. You were perfect. You were so perfect that I couldn't keep; you didn't do anything wrong. I never meant to send you that message; please, please believe me." "Why did you send it?" she asked, finally looking up into his eyes. The dark blue liquid pools of her eyes turned violet in the moonlight, and Zach felt a tightening in his chest. "I; I can't tell you that; but it was never meant for you." "You mean, you meant to send that message to someone else? To hurt them like that?" "Honey, I; Zach said, looking around, unable to meet her eyes, "Please, I can't; you wouldn't understand; my life isn't like that anymore." "I want to go home, Zach; please," she whispered. Zach closed his eyes for a long moment before he swallowed and nodded, looking like he was in more pain than she was. "I'll take you home tomorrow, okay? Or Terry will, if you don't want me to. He'll check the place out, make sure you're set up and safe there. You're tired, you're hurting, and your Uber's gone, now. Let me take you back upstairs and you can go in the morning. Please." At that moment, a throb of pain shot through her entire leg, and as angry as Honey was, she knew she couldn't face her empty apartment without a few more hours of rest. "Okay," she whispered. To be continued in part 2, Based on a post by Lingering Afterthought, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

Is Angelo Moore of Fishbone the Most Electrifying Frontman Ever?! ⚡

Just weeks ago, OpenAI declared a code red. This week, they are rolling out announcements of new partnerships all over the place. Where does AI go from here? Will it bust or continue to grow. We discuss a bunch of interesting stories on the AI front. Plus we get you caught up on other tech news and have some tips and picks to help you get out there and tech better. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Amazingly Awkward Christmas Playlist (02:40) MAIN TOPIC: The State of AI: bust, boom, or bologna? (04:35) Sam Altman issues 'code red' at OpenAI as ChatGPT contends with rivals The Architects of AI Are TIME's 2025 Person of the Year Adobe Announces Image and PDF Integration with ChatGPT The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI Reach Landmark Agreement to Bring Beloved Characters from Across Disney's Brands to Sora Disney Accuses Google of Using AI to Engage in Copyright Infringement on 'Massive Scale' Apple Music is coming to ChatGPT, OpenAI announces Not lovin' it: McDonald's pulls AI-generated Christmas ad after social media backlash DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Selectively Copy Messages Text (22:55) JUST THE HEADLINES: (28:15) Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year is 'slop' Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri Authorities intercept drone carrying crab legs, Old Bay seasoning, weed for prison inmates Russia continues tech crackdown by blocking Snapchat, FaceTime access Texas sues TV makers for taking screenshots of what people watch RAM is so expensive, Samsung won't even sell it to Samsung Hollywood director found guilty of blowing $11 million Netflix budget on crypto and Ferraris TAKES: Robot vacuum Roomba maker files for bankruptcy after 35 years (34:15) SpongeBob and PowerWash Simulator headline today's six additions to Apple Arcade (37:35) BONUS ODD TAKE: Alien Baby Name Generator (42:10) PICKS OF THE WEEK:  Dave: Insta360 X5 8K 360 Action Cam (47:15) Nate: INKEE GC12 Portable LED Photography Light Wand,Bi Color Magnetic Handheld Video Wand Stick 2700K-6500K,2500mAh Built-in Rechargable Inflatable Light for Video Recording Dimmable Camera Light Tube (50:55) https://notpicks.com/2025-gadget-gift-guide-for-geeks/ (54:20) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (55:55)  

A Holiday Haunting: Part 2 Jack and Erin deal with new problems. Based on a post by zeon 67. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. Jack's mouth painfully stretched open. He then released a long gasp, and his eyelids pulled back; he was now forcibly awake. Turning to his side, he found himself partially alone. Lucy was still there, deep in sleep, but no Erin. He called her name, but there was nothing. Putting on sweatpants and a t-shirt, Jack searched the house for her. He yelled her name and again there was no reply. It had never worked like that before, but Jack was desperate. He questioned himself, Lucy, the s ance and everything else. Worried that he had caused her banishment, Jack needed to interrogate the medium. But then the doorbell rang, and there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Jack saw a delivery man with a clipboard and a massive box. Annoyed that the new dryer he bought on Black Friday, had finally arrived a week late, he signed the paperwork but felt cold. Jack turned around but saw nothing. Terrified that he was losing it, Jack turned back to the delivery man. The delivery man wheeled the dryer in and took the clipboard off Jack, thanking him. The man then looked past Jack and said, "Morning, Miss." Behind him, Erin stood. Her mouth ajar and stood still, but wasn't her typical ghostly self. She looked like she did last night, her skin a pale pink while her hair was an auburn shade. Erin had the same clothes that Jack had seen for the previous fifteen years. But something was off. Erin had lost the white apron that covered most of the front, and the first two buttons of her collar were undone, possibly scandalous in the 19th century. "He saw me. He saw me." Erin said, walking towards the open door. She ignored Jack and edged closer to the outside, the fresh air, sounds of birds and something new to see calling her. Erin turned back to Jack and said, "Come with me." She then took one step outside and immediately disappeared. "Fuck!" Lucy screamed from upstairs.   A post-S ance exam. They sat around the coffee table, all struggling to think of anything to say. Jack and Lucy had run some basic tests on Erin. She could be seen but not be touched, but cameras could capture her. She couldn't feel anything, but could sit in a chair without phasing through it. Should she take a step outside the house's confines, Erin would instantly vanish and reappear in the attic. But Erin could change her appearance, though only subtly. Like she could roll up her sleeves, undo a button or two and play around her hair. That was a relief to Erin; she had only worn hair in a bob because Mrs. Franklin demanded it. "So, what now," Jack said, taking a sip of coffee. "I; I don't know," Lucy shook her head, "This is way out of my area of expertise. Honestly, I didn't even know that this could happen." "Would it be so wrong if I stayed like this?" Erin said, "I can speak and I can be heard." "But you can't touch anything." Lucy said. "And my parents are going to be back soon. Then it's Christmas and the house is going to be filled with people. I can see my mom and my aunts instantly freak out if they saw you float. And, I have to go back to Boston. I can't leave you like this." "I know." Erin then looked at Lucy and asked, "Can we not do the s ance again?" "Hell no." Lucy shook her head, emphatically underlining her point. "What we did and what happened, it's not the same. Jack was supposed to talk to you and help you move on. Nothing about sex. We did something, maybe something wrong, maybe something right. But it pulled you into this plane. If we do it again, who knows what happens to you?" "Then what next?" Jack asked. Lucy pushed her chair back and stood up. She madly scrolled through the contacts on her phone. "I need to speak to someone. Be back in a sec." Erin followed Lucy out of the room with her stare. She paused for a moment, then leaned in towards Jack. "We should talk." "Yeah." Jack said, trying to hide his nervousness. "I never thought that I would be here. I'd be a banshee, roaming this house until the Last Judgement. I accepted that. Now I can be seen by anyone. I can be spoken to and listened. I am lost and scared. What happens to us?" Jack rested his hand on over hers, sinking through her tangible form and said, "I'll work something out. Don't worry. My dad did say he is thinking about selling the house. Maybe I take it." Erin dropped her head down and said, "I cannot let you do that. Live your life with a spirit. It will be dull. And there is so much I want to see." Leaning back, Jack smiled back at her. This was the first time he could find out who Erin really is, as a person. "Like?" "I want to be in the sky, flying across the ocean. To travel to places that I have only seen briefly in those windows. The Grand Canyon, swim in an ocean and visit Kinsale." "Kinsale?" "It is where I was born. I left when I was twelve. I always wished that I would see the village again." "Anything else?" Erin looked away, like she was thinking; then turned back to Jack and said, "I want to eat food that hadn't been boiled. Wear something luxurious. I want to see a movie. And to kiss you again." She smiled. Lucy walked back into the room. She glanced at Erin, then at Jack, realizing something was up, but began talking. "Okay, I spoke to a friend. She knows a lot of left-hand path rituals, some chaos magic. You know, maybe sigils and secret names?" she said, nodding as if they knew what she meant. "She knows a couple of necromancers." "Necro-mancers?" Erin asked. "They talk to the dead. My friend's going to reach out and get us a name. Hopefully, one who just wants to talk to the dead and nothing more. A necromancer will know what to do." "So, we just wait?" Jack asked. Lucy nodded.    Home Alone. Days later, Erin stared at the TV. She was alone as Jack had to deal with the headache of Christmas preparations. He didn't want to leave her by herself, but Erin insisted that it was okay. This was something that Erin knew she had to get used to. She thought back to how difficult her life was before the s ance. Erin could easily take her current form as a constantly visible ghost, than that hell. One plus was now she could spend time with Jack. Last night, they spent hours talking. Jack told her everything that had happened to him since they last spoke. Erin was confused by his job, working as an engineer but with computers and clouds. Jack also showered her with questions about her own life. Her eyes widened after each question, and she grinned madly back at him. She told him about her life in Ireland, traveling across the Atlantic and working in Boston. Jack showed her current photos of how the city changed. She was amazed and saddened, seeing some of her favorite places of the city disappear. There was one question that Erin wouldn't answer. Jack had asked her where she would go, when she wasn't haunting the house. When he used to see her, it was only for an hour at most, then Erin would just fade away, and Jack would have to wait days or weeks to see her again. Erin couldn't say anything; she just looked away. She finally said it was difficult and Jack quickly changed the subject. The channel that Jack left the TV on was now playing another documentary about the World War. He told her it was a good idea for her to get used to the twenty-first century, but Erin couldn't stomach any more documentaries about the war. She understood Jack's reasoning; the other night, she cried in happiness that Ireland had become independent. A knock on the door turned Erin's head. There was no way it could be Jack. She could hear keys rattling and the door slowly open. Someone then called her name, a female voice. Erin phased through the walls to see who it was. She found Lucy standing outside, darting her head in and out. "Fuck!" Lucy stumbled back as she saw Erin appear, covering her mouth. She took a couple of deep breaths and then said, "Hi; Erin," Lucy nervously smiled, "Where's Jack?" "He has gone to a store called Walm Art. He will return in two hours' time, I hope." "Oh." Lucy paused. "Err, can I come in?" "Sorry," Erin stepped aside and allowed Lucy to enter. "Did Jack give you a key?" "Yeah," Lucy said, removing her jacket. "He swung by and said that I should have it, just in case." Muscle memory dictated her to ask for Lucy's coat and offer her a drink. Erin tried to hide her embarrassment while Lucy just smiled. Erin then followed her into the living room, trying to think about why she was here. She didn't like the idea that Lucy could enter the house whenever she wants. Erin knew the psychic was attracted to Jack; experiencing Lucy's feelings during the second time she possessed her. Erin couldn't help herself but checkout the medium's curvy frame as Lucy walked into the living room, hiding her disappointed face. "I have some news, but I will wait until Jack gets back. It'll be easier to explain. But it's good." Lucy grinned. She sat down on the sofa and asked, "What are you watching?" "A documentary about World War 2?" Erin said, not entirely convinced. "They call it World War 2 but do not say anything about a previous war." "Yeah, I can't remember what World War 1 was about. Might watch Wonder Woman again. Do you mind if I change the channel?" "Please," Erin replied, "It's depressing." She then joined her on the sofa. "So, how are you dealing with the modern world?" Lucy asked while flicking through the channels, stopping on at E. "It's pleasant. Yesterday, Jack showed me around the house and I was amazed. A dishwasher, a washing machine and an automated carpet cleaner. Those were most of my duties and would take half of my day. He showed me um moving photograph on his phone of places he has been to. I want to see them with my own eyes." "I'm guessing back in the 1880s travel was impossible." "Only by train or steam. Now you can fly anywhere," Erin smiled. "But what I'm most astonished by is being a woman. I died before I could vote and now a woman can run for President. I could only be a maid or work in a factory. Now there's so many possibilities." "That's really cool," Lucy said, smiling. Erin felt herself being distracted by the TV. She turned her head and saw a dozen of scantily-clad women grinding against men, who were topless and had bodies like circus strongmen. Her mouth dropped, watching as a woman sing to the camera. Lucy saw Erin's stunned expression and quickly changed the channel. "Sorry." "It's fine," Erin replied, "There is so much that is different. I need to adjust. It's just that if I were to go to a beach, I was expected to wear bloomers that covered my limbs. It is difficult to get used to being in an age were flesh is allowed." "I understand. It's okay to take your time." Lucy said. She then leaned closer and asked, "Sorry if this sounds idiotic. But you okay with me in general? Being a medium, the drinking and the sex before marriage?" Erin smiled and said, "I have lived in this household for over a century. My eyes have been open to many strange things. At first, I prayed for my soul and I thought my impurity was the cause of this life I was to live. As the years passed, I found myself losing that idea of sin. Families lived here, they indulged in vices that I found wicked. But they were still loving and moral people." "Wow," Lucy smirked and said, "One day, you must tell me what you saw over the years." Going back to Lucy's words and all the things she experienced got Erin thinking. In the hundred-odd years she had been trapped in this house, she had caught numerous couples screw late at night. Some were unmarried, others were of different races, which shocked her, but Erin found them loving, which just compounded to her jealousy. Erin had also seen couples have different types of sex, none like the ways she was told or experienced. Her fianc had been drunk during their entire courtships; she doubted he would have been sober enough to cock-stand. Robert just pushed her down on a billiards table and had his way with her. Erin thought she had enjoyed that, but it was nothing compared to what Jack made her feel the other night. It felt unusual, but she loved every moment of him touching her down below. "Um," Erin looked away before opening her mouth, "Lucy, can I ask you something? It is delicate." Lucy shrugged, "Sure." "Jack. He laid me down and used his tongue; on my quim." Erin said blushing. "Is this normal?" "Yeah," Lucy blurted out. "Sorry. Most guys do that now. If you're lucky." She smirked at Erin, who remained nonplussed. "Has sex really changed that much?" "One sec," Lucy stood up and skipped to the kitchen. She returned ten minutes later with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "If we're having girl time, we need wine." Lucy popped open the bottle and poured, then stopped. "Shit, I forgot. I'm sorry. Are you okay if I drink?" "Please," Erin replied, smiling. "My church said it was a sin. They encouraged to be teetotal. The man who I was supposed to marry died due to it. When I tasted wine and became hysteric. I thought that was the reason I was stuck in this house. Now I'm not sure. But I would love another taste." "Hopefully soon." Lucy then took a long sip and said, "Okay ;  sex. Sex is nothing like you have experienced in the 1800s. There are handjobs, blowjobs, anal, bondage, choking and group sex. What Jack did to you ;  I admit I'm jealous. Because most guys won't do that, but still expect you to blow them." "Blow?" "You put a penis in your mouth and suck on it." "Oh Christ," Erin muttered. Lucy then lifted up her phone, and loaded up a website. She then stopped herself, glanced at Erin and typed something else like she had changed her mind. She clicked on a video thumbnail and scooted closer to the spirit. "This is sex now." Erin moaned, watching a young blonde who looked a passing resemblance to Lucy, on a bed. She was nude and smiling at a tattooed man. She quickly stripped the man of his clothes, and then the couple kissed, rolling on the bed. Erin noticed that the woman was completely bare in the between. The man then kissed the woman in the cunt, just like Jack had done to her. "Wow," Erin moaned, "She looks like she is really enjoying herself." Erin felt the need to shift her weight on the sofa while she continued to watch. "Well, she's an actress. I should tell you that this is fake. But you need to know that it's okay to like sex and how you can enjoy it." Lucy then paused as they both watched the blonde actress get on her hands and knees. "That's the doggy-style position, very popular and feels great." Erin pursed her lip like she was trying not to laugh. Everything she had been taught, from her mother, Sunday School and the church, told her that premarital sex was an affront to the Lord. And sex in marriage was only for procreation. Now she could enjoy it. "I have to admit something, Lucy," Erin said, trying to look away from the video, "When me and Jack um fucked. I drew on your thoughts to make it more enjoyable." "I've been meaning to ask you about that." Lucy paused the video and took another sip of the wine. "Jack told me about the first time you possessed me and tried to kiss him." "I'm so sorry." "That's okay. I really just want to know how you were able to possess me? I've talked to spirits before, some probably fake, some hundred-percent real. But I've never been possessed." "I can't explain," Erin said. "It just happened and then I felt pain, you fighting back and mine own struggle. But I can tell you about the other time. It was easy. I just drew on your attraction to Jack." "It's like a tulpa," Lucy said, slowly smiling. "It has to be a tulpa!" "Tulpa?" "A tulpa is a being or an object created through intense thought. You have created something like this, linking you with Jack. When me and Jack were on the sofa, were you just haunting the house or were you drawn to this spot." "I just appeared here and saw you two." "Yeah," Lucy grinned, "This is great. I've got an idea on how we can help you." Erin nodded and looked away. She should apologize. Erin saw the blonde medium less of an adventuress, a strumpet who would seduce Jack, and more of a real person. And someone eager to help her. Erin knew she still had to adjust her 19th century way of thinking to the modern world. "Hey," Lucy said, getting Erin's attention. "Don't worry about me and Jack. I can tell he only wants you, especially now he can actually be with you. You know, have conversations. And I like you and I don't want to mess with a 19th century Irish ghost." Erin chuckled and covered her mouth. She wanted to believe that Lucy was genuine; she disliked being this jealous woman. When she was alive, with a body and everything, she had few friends. It was mainly due to her betrothed and the need to move cities for work. "What happened to you? When I possessed you?" "Hmm," Lucy paused and then said, "The first time I felt nothing, I was like asleep. When you did it again, it was like watching TV. I was standing in a dark room. Watching two screens and I could hear my voice, but it didn't sound like me. You leaned in and kissed Jack and it felt so weird. I'll be interested to try it again. Hell, if you ever want to have some fun with Jack, you can use my body." She grinned. Again, Erin blushed and went red, thinking about floating away from this conversation.   Left Hand Magic. Jack opened the door and made a beeline to the kitchen. He ignored the dulled sounds of music being played and talking in the other room, assuming that it was just the TV. After stocking the fridge, he had to check on Erin. It was a weird relationship. She was like his girlfriend but also his patient. Jack just tried to focus on Lucy coming through for them. Walking into the living room, he found Erin and Lucy both on the sofa. The blonde medium was playing music on her phone while Erin nodded her head over the beat, her eyes closed. This was good. Jack knew that Erin would need someone else to talk to. Like with any other relationship, his neurotic side flared, and Jack was worried that he was suffocating Erin. It helped that Lucy knew what Erin was going through, wouldn't freak out and is around the same age. "Oh, you're back," Erin said, smiling. She stood up and walked through the coffee table to be at his side. "Did you get everything?" "Yep," He nodded, "So, what have you guys been up to?" "I'm just showing her what music is like now, and Instagram. And some other things." Lucy said, smirking at Erin. Jack caught the smile and glanced at Erin, who had gone red. Ignoring their feminine secrets, he sat down and asked, "So, do you have any news?" "Yep," Lucy replied and went for her bag. "You ever heard of a grimoire?" They both shook their heads, which Lucy had suspected they would do. She then gave them a brief explanation of a grimoire. It meant a book of spells, but more accurately, it was a textbook of magic. She had underlined certain pages, focused more on left-hand path magic, which went over both Jack and Erin's heads. The grimoire that Lucy had been given, had instructions on how to resurrect a body. "From what I read, resurrecting the dead is near impossible. Especially when the dead has been dead for over a hundred years. You need to evocate the person's spirit from wherever they are, say Hell or Heaven. That takes a lot of energy, and like it takes forever with like a zero-point-one chance percent of getting it right. But since Erin's spirit is still on Earth, we have a shot." "Fuck." Jack said. He then glanced at Erin and quickly apologized. "No, you are right," Erin nodded, dumbfounded as he was, "So, I can be human?" "Possibly," Lucy said, walking closer to the couple, the dirt-brown book of spells in her hands. "We need some things. Dirt from your grave, for one. Some other stuff, like salt, candles, herbs. Also, there might be sex magic involved." "Sex magic?" Erin said, "How? What?" "This is left-hand path magic!" Lucy yelled, "There's always stuff involving sex." "So, when do we do this?" Jack asked, pouring himself a glass of wine; he needed it. Glancing at Erin, she looked like she wanted one as well. "We need to pick the right date. A date real important." Lucy then got in front of Erin and asked, "What do you remember about the day you died?" "I um; it's hard," Erin said, "I can't. No." "The diary doesn't say much. All I know that she died on December 21st." "December 21st?" Lucy repeated, "The Winter Solstice usually falls on 20th or 21st. If Erin was murdered on the Winter Solstice, it can explain a lot. Tulpas. Midwinter. This is getting weird." Lucy told him that she will explain later. But there was a plan, and all they had to do is get some materials, research more into Erin's life and wait a week. Jack remembered that the ritual would probably happen with his parents around, maybe his sisters. He needed another drink. Nudity Norms. Erin felt comfortable, sitting in the living room with Jack, watching a Christmas movie. It was a pleasant feeling. Jack was supposed to be working, but he told her that he was now in the holiday zone, so he was expected to do the bare minimum until the new year. When she asked what his boss would say, Jack replied that he's probably doing the same right now. If this was what the modern world truly is, then Erin knew she would love it. She glanced at Jack, and he smirked back at her. Last night was still replaying her head. They were in bed, and had finished watching another Christmas movie. Some of the jokes Erin didn't get, also the ending was confusing. Frozen orange juice and future markets. Overall, she enjoyed the movie but was curious about the amount of nudity in some shows, and asked if that was normal. "Depends on the time and what you are watching," Jack said, "When you see actors and actresses naked, sometimes its just as is, like they're waking up or taking a shower. Over times, it's sexual and they might even pretend to have sex." "You mean fucking?" Erin grinned. "What?" Erin explained that she picked up some modern words. Jack immediately guessed it had to be Lucy. There was literally no one else. "I have only had sex twice in my life. Well, once when I was alive," Erin smiled, "What happened with us was unexpected and I had to tell someone. And she taught me some new words." Erin then moved closer and shocked him, "Lucy even showed me videos. Porn." Jack stayed still, not believing what he had heard. He had tried to work out how and why Lucy showed Erin porn. For the last couple of days, he had tried to be protective of her nineteenth-century mind, slowly exposing herself to the modern world. He looked at her, seeing if she was embarrassed. He couldn't tell. No, she looked more curious. He had to ask Erin what she was shown, intrigued at what she thought. Erin then described the scenes in vivid detail, telling the actions of the porn actors, her own emotions and what Lucy said. A man and woman slowly undressed, she was eaten out, then she gave the man a blowjob and then they had sex. Pretty vanilla. "Can I ask you something? Were you watching porn that night?" Erin then asked. That night. It felt so long ago to Jack; his life had changed so much. He told her yes, and wasn't surprised when Erin asked what type of porn. Lucy had really provided her some tutoring as Erin began rattling off porn genres. "Do you want to see what I watched?" Erin blushed but nodded her head. Jack set his laptop on the bed, directly in between them. He told her what he usually liked, amateur, lesbian and Point of view. Looking at Erin, her face was red, but she had this eager look on her, still curious. He played some videos, letting her watch for a while before asking her opinion. "It's. It's something," she said, sounding breathless. Erin watched each video carefully, amazed. One was through a man's eyes, bedding a young woman with many tattoos, which confused her as tattoos only belong to wealthy males during her time. Her eyes would drift to the right side of the page, suggested scenes. The words they used shocked her, anal, stepmom and orgy. Jack then played another movie; this time, it was two women. Erin had this initial disgust, but it slowly disappeared as the women sensually writhed together. It quickly got too much for her. She turned to face Jack, seeing a large bulge in his pants. She didn't know why, but Erin asked if Jack needed to sort himself. She insisted. He nervously pulled out his penis; her eyes flared at the sight of it, hard and veiny. With his dominant hand, Jack then slowly stroked his shaft. Erin quickly became entranced by the action, wishing that she could touch his cock again. But she became distracted, heat from her groin rippled up to her brain; Erin wanted to touch herself. Her eyes glued on him, she hitched up her skirt and slid her hand underneath her bloomers. Both Jack and Erin forgot about the Female-female-male scene that was playing and just stared at each other. Jack's hand became a blur over his cock, while Erin had slid two fingers deep into her pussy. There was little resistance from her Catholic upbringing; all those years she had been told that self-pleasure was a mortal sin were forgotten. Jack then cried out her name as ropes of cum shot out his cockhead. He grabbed a tissue and quickly caught the other spurts. Erin came immediately after him, also crying his name. There was no awkwardness between them as they settled in bed, watching each other as their breathing went back to normal. Jack then said something that made Erin's heart thud, saying that he wished that he could kiss her. She didn't want to think about that as they watched TV. She was still this spirit, telling herself that this could be her life until the Last Judgement. Still, Erin couldn't believe that she would ever try something like that with a man. Glancing at him, he was more handsome than her previous men. It was no contest with Patrick, her forty-something betrothed. With rotten teeth and shaking hands, Erin had hated the thought of touching him. Jack was more like Robert. Not physically, Jack was taller but didn't have Robert's square jaw and his lighter brown hair. Since seeing his naked body during the s ance, Erin noticed that Jack was more athletic than her previous lover. But Jack had Robert's charming and intelligent personality. He was also honest and aware of his limitations, unlike Robert. Whenever they were away from the Franklins, Erin would see him turn into an almighty braggart after a drink. They heard the front door opened then quickly closed. Lucy Prepares for a Resurrection. "Erin? Jack?" Lucy yelled. "In here," Jack said back. She was carrying a big tote bag as she walked into the living room. "Hey guys," Lucy smiled, "You okay?" Both Jack and Erin shrugged and then nodded their heads, saying fine at the same time. "What are you guys watching?" Lucy asked, facing the TV. "I don't know," Erin then turned to Jack and asked, "Which movie is this one?" "It's the Mistletoe Connection." "I've been watching a number of these Hallmark Christmas movies." Erin said, then shrugged her shoulders. "I do enjoy them, but I am finding a pattern. Struggling family business, a woman from the big city, a father with a young child and a lack of minorities?" She glanced at Jack to see if she was correct. He smiled and nodded. "We've been watching Christmas movies non-stop. If this ritual goes like it should, then Erin's going to be out in the world with no pop culture reference point. We watched Gremlins earlier and I figured that she needs a palate cleanser." "I was streaked," Erin said, looking back at Lucy. "She means scared." "For once, I was glad that I am a spirit. Those monsters would have made me cascade if I had a body." "She means puke." Jack then turned to Erin, and they exchanged grins. "You need to switch to Netflix Christmas movies. There's more variety." Lucy said. She took a seat and pulled the grimoire. "I need to ask you some questions, Erin. I want to make sure that we can get everything right for the ritual. Also, I can't find where you were buried." "Of course." "Why don't you guys take the living room. I probably should do some work today." Jack said, standing up. "Do you want some coffee, Lucy?" Lucy said yes, and they quickly settled around the coffee table. She booted up her laptop and asked Erin about her past, trying to squeeze information out of her last days alive. Erin gave vague answers back to her. She had been asked about this before, she hated thinking back. "What's going on?" Lucy asked, lowering her notepad. "What do you mean?" "You keep looking away and you're repeating yourself. What's going on?" "It's just," Erin said, but then stopped. "Lucy, I just need to tell someone about what had happened." Erin then leaned in, wanting to make sure that there was no way Jack could eavesdrop on them. Erin then told her how she and Jack watched porn, first describing the videos she saw. She caught Lucy's eyes widen as she went on. Erin then did a long exhale and told her that the evening ended with her and Jack mutually masturbating. Just like a move from a sitcom, Lucy did a spit take. Wiping her mouth, she turned back to Erin and said, "Sorry. But that's really hot. I didn't know that you can do that." "Nor did I," Erin replied, "I just can't control myself around him. I want to feel him again. To kiss him." "Just kiss?" Erin blushed and dropped her head. "I do have some other carnal thoughts." "Let's see what happens tomorrow. If I'm reading this thing right. You might get to have some fun tomorrow." "If only," Erin said. "So, you going to do it again?" Lucy asked grinning. Erin said nothing, trying not to laugh. "Hey, I'm a pervert," Lucy said, shrugging her shoulders. They went back to their research. Finding Erin's burial was difficult. Her death certificate was nonexistent. Either the hundred years that passed since her death made it impossible to find, or it was another insult by the Franklins. "O, space, then C-E-A-L-L-A-C-H-A-I-N," Erin said, spelling out her last name. "I'm not going to pretend to try to pronounce that." Lucy typed in the search bar and then asked, "I thought your last name is O'Callaghan?" "It is. That's just the Irish spelling. Jack said that if we are successful, I'll need identity papers. I may shorten it to Callaghan." Erin shrugged and looked away. With that done, Erin helped Lucy find her grave. She learnt that the Franklins had her buried in a Potter's field-like cemetery in a town near the border with New Hampshire. She also told Lucy more about her life, traveling across the Atlantic from Ireland, Boston and being forced to move to Portland due to Patrick. They were in deep concentration, but quickly looked up, hearing a car door slam shut. Then some voices that sounded like there were coming from outside.   Parents Pop In. The front door opened, and a deep-sounding voice yelled, "Jack?" Jack jumped out of his chair; he was already prepared. He had been going over this moment since morning. He had to distract his parents while Lucy and, more importantly, Erin had to exit without drawing too much attention. His mom will probably faint if she saw Erin phase through walls, his dad would definitely spend an hour asking Erin to do tricks. He met them by the door and quickly lobbed questions at them. While his dad went upstairs to use the bathroom, Jack marshaled his mom into the kitchen. He showed her what he had bought for Christmas dinner, and asked about other things that they might need. In the living room, Lucy frantically piled her notes, her laptop and the grimoire back in her bag. She bounced from different spots of the room, trying to tidy up without being caught. Erin followed her around the room, not knowing what else to do. "Shit. Shit. Shit." Lucy said out loud but to herself. "Please be calm," Erin said, resting a hand on Lucy's shoulder though both could feel nothing. "We can say that we border together. But that we have to go now." "That's not a bad idea." Lucy replied. She paused and stared at Erin's clothes. "Can you do yourself up. Like how you used to look." Erin had her sleeves pulled up to her elbows, her hair down and her shoes were under Jack's bed. It was this weird quirk that she could change her appearance briefly, but it would just reset itself to how she always looked. Sometimes it was random, or if she just thought strongly enough. She nodded her head, and then Erin pressed her chest like she was doing the pledge of allegiance. With a quick flash, every bit of her clothing and her hair was back in its place. "Let's go," she said. While Jack was distracting his mother, they walked to the door, both looking at the kitchen. As Lucy opened the door, she waved at Erin and pointed to her mouth. Erin got the hint and said, "Bye Jack. We have to go." "Thanks for your help," Lucy added. They watched as a woman in her late fifties walked out of the kitchen. She was then joined by Jack. He looked like he was biting his lower lip. "Well, hello," she said. Her face had this inquisitive look like she was quickly judging them. "Hello, I am Erin," she said, "This is Miss; umm Lucy." "Hi, I'm Mary. Jack's mom," she replied, "That's umm interesting dress that you are wearing." Erin stayed quiet, her face frozen and her eyes stretched wide. "Oh, Erin's just shy," Lucy said, "She came from a rehearsal." She then turned to Erin and asked, "You're playing Scrooge's maid, right?" "Yes," Erin replied, not sounding anywhere convincing. "I'm sorry, but we need to be leaving." Jack left his mom's side and walked to the door, blocking her view of Erin just in case. "See you guys later," he said loud enough for his mom to hear him. He then leaned in and whispered, "Hide in my room, I'll be up soon." Both Lucy and Erin nodded. Jack slowly closed the door, watching Erin fade away as soon as she stepped outside. Lucy twisted her head left to right; he guessed that she was checking if anyone noticed a nineteenth-century maid disappear. Jack then locked the door and turned around, seeing his mother giving him a sly look. She suspected something. She was going to ask him so many questions, he knew it.   Inconvenient Parents. Erin stared out of the window, bored. She realized that she had never really checked out the change in her surroundings. That was interesting for a while, but after two hours, she needed something else to do. Erin had tried to see if she could focus all her energy and press the TV remote power button but got nowhere. She attempted not to think about the ceremony tomorrow. Thoughts of her future, of Jack and life would occasionally creep in her head, and Erin had to ignore them. She trusted herself, knowing that if it went wrong and she would stay like this, that she could survive. But what about Jack? There was a knock and Erin turned her head. "Erin?" Jack said before opening the door and poking his head in. "Jack?" "Sorry, I had to leave you alone for so long. Mom and Dad really wanted to know what I've been up to." Jack then climbed onto his bed and switched the TV on. He flipped through the channels before settling on ESPN. He looked at the door as he played around with the volume. "I understand." Erin then joined him on the bed. "Oh yeah. Mom really likes the tree. I told her that you helped me decorate it." "Were they upset that I didn't fully introduce myself to them?" "No. Not really. But over dinner, Mom wanted to know about you. I had to think of something to say. I told them that I met you recently and we've been seeing each other. Also, you're crashing at Lucy's." "Seeing each other?" Erin replied, "Is that what modern courtship is?" "Something like that," Jack said, smiling, "What was courtship like in 1800s?" "Courtship was not for people like me. Especially for someone from Ireland. My Dad worked with a man and the fellow said he was looking for a wife. My Dad then brought him home one night, I may have said five words to Patrick during dinner. Two weeks later, we were engaged." "Whoa. Is that what you wanted?" "I never had a say. My parents said I was to be married and that was it." "What did you think about Patrick?" "A drunk," Erin said, rolling her eyes. "I could tell the type of husband he was going to be during that dinner. I was to be a nurse for him, bring him whiskey, wash him and clean off umm vomit from his mouth." She blushed again, still not comfortable with some modern words. "But when he died. How old were you? Couldn't you marry someone else?" "I was 25. A different time. One that I am so happy to be out of." Erin smiled. "There is something I want to ask. Is courtship similar to dating?" "Dating?" "I've heard that word spoken so many times in this house. Back when I was alive, dating meant buying a night with a whore." Jack tried to explain what dating meant now. The use of apps, having coffee dates or low-key ones like going shopping. Also, casual sex and friends-with-benefits. The dating stages, how couples usually go from casual acquaintances to dating, boyfriend and girlfriend, moving into together and finally getting married if they like. He saw Erin's shocked look when he explained that divorce was so common and accepted. Jack carried on, saying how some couples don't use labels to describe themselves; some do while others have their own thing. Embarrassed, but Jack had no choice to use experience from his own life. "We have had sex." Erin said, slowly smiling, "I guess we're more boyfriend and girlfriend." "Probably." Jack replied, smirking at her. Jack's phone then started buzzing and interrupted them. Reaching to the nightstand, Lucy was calling him on Facetime. He turned to Erin and said, "Lucy's video-calling me." "Video-calling? So, she can see us? Wow." Jack answered and said, "Hey Lucy, what's up? Where are you?" They could see Lucy in a dimly lit storeroom. There were boxes of Budweiser beer and whiskey stacked behind her. Her clothes also looked weird for her, wearing a white shirt and a black leather apron. There was no make-up on her face, and her hair was tied back. "I got a shift at the Cord & Rifle. Anyway, how you guys doing?" Erin looked at Jack, he shrugged, and she turned back to Lucy saying, "We're good." "What happened to your mom & dad?" "They had some questions. I told them that I've been seeing Erin for a while and you guys came over, so I can help you with your laptop." "And. I am uh, crashing; at your home," Erin said, emphasizing any modern words. "Cool, cool." Lucy looked passed her phone, then there was a knock and a muffled voice. She nodded and said, "They need me back behind the bar. There was also one thing. Tomorrow, it's just us and your parents, right? Like your sisters aren't going to burst in while we're burning sage or nude?" "Nude?" Erin looked at Jack, squinting her eyes. He shook his head and turned back to Lucy, "No. You don't have to worry about them. Katie and Beth will be flying out on 23rd. They got tickets to Taylor Swift tomorrow. Unless LA gets a plague of spiders, they are going to be there." "Okay then," Lucy nodded, "So, we need to drug your parents," she said, so casual. She then looked away, mouthing 'what' at someone. "Shit, I need to go." "What do you mean, drug my parents?" "Yeah, we need to drug them." Lucy stood up and looked like she was moving. "Why?" "They have to be drugged," Lucy replied, "Bye guys!" Jack glanced at Erin, then back to his blank phone screen. Tomorrow is going to be a long, stressful day. *** In a couple of hours, the Winter Solstice would happen, and Erin sat on Jack's bed. She watched him paced in the room, on the phone with one of his sisters. He said that he was helping her out with a computer problem, but as he talked to his sister, Erin only heard half of the conversation and it made no sense to her. She never really interacted with anyone else in the house. Before Jack and his family moved in, Erin tried to keep to herself, always in the corner of the eye of the house's occupants for a quick second, then disappearing. She didn't even want to be seen by Jack initially but had no choice as her attic became his bedroom. Few times, she would find herself in his sisters' rooms and would see them. Erin struggled to remember their names. What was she supposed to say whenever she meets them? Erin clenched her eye shut, hating herself. It was wrong to think about the future. There were so many things that could go wrong. Jack ended the called and turned to Erin, "I hate being the family's I T support," he said, rolling his eyes. "I T?" "Never mind." He settled on the bed next to her and slipped on his boots. "It'll be weird when I introduce you to them. Katie will be anywhere from cool to disinterested. I know for a fact that Beth will be asking you non-stop questions. She's a pain like that." Erin smiled and said, "You're being too confident. It might not happen. And if this ritual fails, I will accept it with grace." "Really?" "I need to. Just so I can stay sane." "I've got a text from Lucy. She's outside." Jack stood up and grabbed his jacket. "I have faith something will happen. Something good," he said, smiling back at her. "It's like a 40-minute drive to the cemetery. We will be a while. Try to stay here until me or Lucy come up." "Good luck," Erin replied. It was getting too much for her. Erin knew how she was feeling over him. She loved Jack. It terrified her. If the ritual fails, what would happen to Jack, Erin asked herself. He had this single-minded focus on helping her. She was worried that if it doesn't work, he won't be able to move on.   Lucy pulled her Ford over and cut the engine. Jack wasn't going to say anything to her, but her car should not be making those types of sounds. It was like a Transformer was having a heart attack. Looking out of the window, he didn't see anyone. They left the car and slowly walk to the wall; it looked low enough for them to climb. Jack didn't know if there was some kind of night guard but said to Lucy that they should sneak in, just in case. She agreed, and soon he was boosting her over the wall. Climbing over, Jack landed on frozen grass that crunch with every step. They were lucky with the wind howling, making enough noise to cover their movements. "You ever been in a cemetery before?" Lucy asked, flashing the torch at a gravestone. "No. Have you?" "Yeah," she replied, "Loads of times; its part of the job. When I started hearing voices of the dead, I was like a goth goddess. Every Friday, someone was dragging me to a cemetery or a graveyard. Guys would hit on me all the time. I gave my first handy at a grave." "I got my first one during a school trip to Bangor," he said, looking at a gravestone, "I'm pretty sure that I told Erin about it." "How's Erin handling it?" Lucy asked, "Is she freaking out being a real woman again?" "Not really." Lucy stopped and Jack did the same. "Have you guys said anything about the future?" Jack sighed and shook his head. "Where's she going to stay? You're going back to Boston; is she going to follow you or stay here? She will need help with ID and social security." "I know. But Erin just doesn't want to think about the future. Talking about Boston, what she wants to do with her life and everything else, it will fucking hurt if tomorrow she's still a ghost. She's protecting herself." Lucy nodded and said, "I understand." Jack looked around, feeling that they were lost. Realizing that there was no guard and they were definitely alone, Jack and Lucy walked to the entrance. From there, they methodically worked their way up, finding Erin's grave after thirty minutes of searching. Lucy bent down and jammed a trowel into the ground. The frozen soil being too hard for her and Jack quickly took over. It took a couple of jabs to loosen the dirt. He scooped it up and funneled it into a sterilized container. Jack did ask why the box had to be sterilized. "You ever seen the Fly?" Lucy replied, tightening the lid around the plastic box, "You don't want her DNA mixing with something else. Turning her into a hybrid." "Really?" "Nah. It's just what it says to do in the grimoire," Lucy grinned, "Okay's let's get the hell out of here and roofie your parents." The Resurrection at Solstice. Jack searched the pantry for marshmallows, knowing that they were there somewhere. Lucy was upstairs with Erin. She was surprisingly easy to sneak into the house without his mom and dad noticing. While she was keeping Erin company, Jack was making his parents cocoa. Lucy had given him some weird smelling liquid to mix into the cocoa. It should make them fall asleep. He had to hide his look of glee when his dad said yes when he asked. If he didn't, they would be in trouble. He handed them the cocoa and settled down on the sofa, away from his parents. They were watching some Holiday cake show, and Jack would occasionally look up from his phone; they were still awake but getting quiet. Five minutes, he caught his mom closing her eyes and his dad doing that move of falling asleep, then jolting back awake. Ten minutes later, they were both deep asleep. He knew that they would be pissed at him in the morning, letting them sleep all night on the sofa. Waiting another ten minutes, Jack checked that they were still asleep and texted Lucy. It took just seconds for Erin to suddenly appear in his living room and the sound of Lucy running down the stairs. Both also checked if his parents were out cold; he guessed that they were also scared of being interrupted. "What did you give them?" Jack asked, staring at his snoring parents. "Oh, Valerian root and CBD oil," Lucy said, "We should get ready." "How long do we have?" Erin asked. "We got time," Lucy replied, looking at her phone. "The solstice is at 12:34am. This ritual has to happen during that time." "So, what do we have to do?" Jack said. They went back into Jack's room. Just like the s ance, they had to use the bedroom to host the ritual. Jack pushed everything to one side again, leaving a large empty space. Lucy made another circle, this time out of salt. There was something wrong with this; Jack had seen horror movies that use rings of salt as protection from the Devil. He wanted to ask if they're technically practicing Satanism. "This is just to make sure that we contain any kind of magic that we've created," Lucy said. After the circle was done, Jack placed seven black candles around the ring. They smelt funny, like someone could get high from the fumes. Lucy then put the grave dirt in the circle, making a pile with her hands. Directly opposite the soil, she positioned the silver bucket they had used before. While they worked on the preparations, Erin stood next to the door, silently watching them. Once Lucy said they were ready, they headed downstairs and to the kitchen. There was still some time to go, at least forty minutes. They could have waited in Jack's room, but both he and Lucy were too scared to touch anything and ruin the ritual. With Jack's parents snoring in the living room, they settled around the kitchen table. "Do you want something to drink?" Jack asked, breaking the silence between them. "Oh, god yes." Jack reached into a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "Dad got a bottle of Maker's Mark from my uncle," he said, pouring glasses for him and Lucy. They both quickly finished the bourbon and refilled their glasses. But Jack paused before taking another sip. He looked up from his drink to Erin and said, "Sorry about this." "Me too," Lucy said, hesitating as well. "But, if this works. I'm going to take you to a bar and we'll get hammered." Erin looked away and chuckled to herself. "Today, is it really that special? The Winter Solstice." "Yeah," Lucy said, "There's so many things that happen today. Yule is celebrated today by pagans and Satanists. Then there's the whole life-death-reborn symbolism of it, being the shortest day." She took another sip of bourbon and asked, "If this ritual works or doesn't, you're still going to experience a modern Christmas. How was that like back in 1890s?" Erin let out a quick smile and shrugged her shoulders. She said, "It was the same. There was Father Christmas ;  Santa, Christmas trees and presents. When I was alive, I'd go to church number of times before Christmas. My mam and my nana would give me presents on 6th December. How about you two? What are your traditions?" "Mine are really boring," Jack said, "Typical Christmas. Exchange gifts, eat too much, drink too much. But it's the only time my sisters do all of the cooking. Like Christmas dinner is their time to shine. Later in the evening, we go to the movies. Lucy?" "Pass," she said, "With this talking to dead people, I never really celebrated Christmas. Normally out getting drunk with friends or strangers." Lucy then checked her phone and then said, "We should probably stop drinking. It's getting near midnight and I probably shouldn't be swaying when I start reading the grimoire. And if you drink too much, it might affect your plumbing. And we need a good, sexy, show." Jack rolled his eyes and stood up. He said, "I don't know anything about sex magic and what it does. But I really think you just want to watch us fuck." Erin stood next to him, blushing uncontrollably. She covered her face and looked away. "Maybe," Lucy grinned, "You guys go to your room and I'm gonna get changed and we'll start." Jack and Erin were in his bedroom, standing inside the circle. They stayed quiet, not even keeping eye contact with each other. Jack would open his mouth from time to time and try to say something, probably some reassuring words to Erin. He had none, though; so he kept his mouth shut and waited. His bedroom door swung open, and in walked Lucy. She had changed, replacing her jeans and sweatshirt with an ankle-length black dress. It had long sleeves and fit snugly around her curves. She also pulled her long blonde hair in a ponytail, wearing black lipstick and eye shadow. She could see them staring at her and said, "I'm trying to match what they were usually wear for this kind of thing." "So, should we get started?" Jack asked. "Yeah. You start lighting the candles. I'm going to start the fire and burn the sage." It was just like as Jack thought, the weird-smelling candles that he placed around the circle started exhaling a strange odor. It smelt like weed, but some cheap, disgusting weed. After that was done, he joined Erin back in the circle. Smoke from the sage filled the room, but it wasn't overpowering like the night of the s ance. Lucy held the grimoire tightly and rounded the circle, standing in front of the dirt. "I'm going to start reading the grimoire. When you can, start kissing and do you-know-what." "Are you okay?" Jack asked as he stood in front of Erin. "Yeah. I'm calm." Jack dropped his eyes to her hands. She was trembling. "Okay guys, let's get weird," Lucy said before she began reading. "Our good being. Bear this night lights open this fruit female. Set the Cork grass light. Her fruit diminished. Days gathering seasons said air together for every day lost. Given her wherein dry replenish. Light her subdued wings." Lucy lowered her head, facing Jack and Erin. They both looked puzzled. Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "Just, kiss now!" Jack tried to take Erin's hand, but his fingers went through hers. She widened her eyes, scared at what was not happening. She was still non-corporeal. Something had gone wrong, and they could be out of time. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Lucy said to herself, frantically flipping through the grimoire. Jack kept eye contact with Erin and asked, "Lucy, can't we do this another day?" "No. Today is the day Erin died and it falls on the Winter Solstice. We might have to wait another year or two for the right time to occur, again." "If we wait," he said, still looking at a scared Erin, "There is no way Erin could go unnoticed by my parents. Even if I stay here." Lucy jumped into the circle and stood in front of Erin. "You have to possess me." "What?" Erin said, nearly yelling, "Why

Waiting doesn't look reckless.It looks responsible. Mature. Sensible. And that's exactly why it's so dangerous. In this episode of The High Value Woman Playbook, Amanda Carroll breaks down The Forward Motion Play—the quiet truth about how capable, successful women lose years of their lives without realizing it. This conversation is for the woman who:Has built a full life on paperHas done the inner workHas told herself she's “being intentional”And feels a growing awareness that something important is being postponedAmanda explains why clarity doesn't come from waiting, why healing doesn't happen in stillness, and how high-value women create momentum without chaos, pressure, or impulsive decisions. You'll learn:Why waiting feels wise—but quietly erodes your futureHow forward motion rebuilds confidence and self-trustWhat “1% more brave” actually looks like in dating, career, body, and wealthHow to move your life forward without blowing it upThis episode blends strategy, humor, and honest coaching to help you stop circling decisions and start choosing yourself—calmly, clearly, and with intention.

Arrancamos el episodio analizando la reciente sentencia judicial en el conflicto entre Epic Games y Apple, donde se ha rechazado el recurso de la compañía de Cupertino respecto a las comisiones por enlaces externos. Debatimos sobre las implicaciones de esta decisión, que devuelve el caso a la jueza Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers para determinar costes justos, y reflexionamos sobre cómo esto podría forzar a Apple a replantear su modelo de negocio y distribución de software en la App Store, contrastando la situación estadounidense con la normativa europea actual.Continuamos comentando los movimientos internos en la cúpula directiva, destacando la confirmación de que Johny Srouji permanecerá en su puesto a pesar de los rumores que lo vinculaban con Intel, y especulamos sobre el futuro de Tim Cook y su posible sucesión de cara al 50 aniversario de la marca. Además, examinamos los sorprendentes informes que sugieren una posible colaboración futura con Intel para la fabricación de ciertos chips, una estrategia que interpretamos como un intento de diversificar la producción y reducir la dependencia exclusiva de TSMC ante los riesgos geopolíticos en Taiwán.Por último, repasamos las novedades en el apartado de servicios, incluyendo la integración de la Fórmula 1 en Apple TV para Estados Unidos y la expansión de Fitness+ a nuevos países utilizando doblaje generado por inteligencia artificial, lo cual nos lleva a debatir sobre la calidad de esta tecnología. Cerramos el capítulo hablando de los próximos estrenos en Apple TV+, como las nuevas temporadas de Severance y Hijack, y explicamos técnicamente por qué ciertos bloqueos gubernamentales a FaceTime resultan inviables sin afectar al sistema de notificaciones de iMessage. Apple loses its appeal of a scathing contempt ruling in iOS payments case - Ars Technica Apple wins partial reversal of sanctions in Epic Games antitrust lawsuit Reuters US-Court-of-Appeals-for-the-Ninth-Circuit-December-11-.pdf Tim Sweeney on X: "Justifiable costs? Likely $10's to $100's per app review, not a percentage of developer revenue. This is the beginning of true, untaxed competition in payments worldwide on iOS." / X Post by @shiraovide.bsky.social — Bluesky Apple Rocked by Executive Departures, With Johny Srouji at Risk of Leaving Next - Bloomberg Apple's chip boss squashes exit rumors, says he's not leaving the company Apple's executive reshuffling isn't over The Verge Future iPhone chips might be produced by Intel, per report - 9to5Mac Apple TV on X: "The next chapter of Formula 1 in the US starts March 7. Watch every 2026 Grand Prix, only on Apple TV. https://t.co/qCruMOWoqa" / X Apple announces biggest Fitness+ expansion ever with help from AI - 9to5Mac Apple TV News Hub on X: "#Severance Season 3 is set to film from April to December 2026. Expected to release on #AppleTV in Summer 2027. https://t.co/tXZPFx3hTr" / X Apple TV News Hub on X: "#Tehran has been RENEWED for Season 4! Season 3 releases January 9 on #AppleTV https://t.co/YzOxh6tWgE" / X Pluribus: Apple TV show allegedly triggers mental health episode in UK woman named Carol with schizophrenia Apple TV on X: "On this train, everyone's a suspect. #Hijack Season 2 premieres January 14 on Apple TV https://t.co/jTNhMV9PmU" / X

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Pining for Madison: Part 4 Adam and Madison take Becky and Ryan to the cabin. By Secretauthor2021, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. As 6:30pm approached, I sat patiently on my bed, legs crossed in the lotus style. Madison had arranged to FaceTime me, and I eagerly awaited her call. She had gone away on holiday for the week to visit family, making each day feel like an eternity. I missed her so much -- it marked the longest time we'd been apart since we started dating. I watched, or rather willed, the time on my phone to transition from 6:29 to 6:30. As the next minute arrived, the digits seamlessly shifted from twenty-nine to thirty. A picture of Madison's beautiful face, along with her name, lit up my screen, and the phone started to ring. I answered immediately. "Hey babe," I greeted, trying to hold the phone steady in front of me. A pixelated view of her face appeared, before eventually becoming clearer. "Hey babe," she replied, giving me a little wave. "How's the holiday going?" I asked. "Oh, you know, not bad. Missing you like crazy though." "I'm missing you too. Not being with you is driving me nuts. When will you be back again?" "Aww babe, don't worry, I'll be back for your birthday, I promise." "I don't care about my birthday; I just want to see you again." "It's only a few more days, and then I'm all yours. The birthday boy can have anything he wants then." "Anything?" "Yep, anything." "That does sound good, but what do I want?" I said tapping my chin with my finger. "Well, I'm sure you can use your imagination." "Ooh! I've just thought of a few things." "I bet you have, and let me guess, it doesn't involve wearing much?" "How did you know?" She laughed at my predictability. "Speaking of which..." she began to say. "I've been so horny, these last few days, I might just jump on you, the second I see you." "It must be all that country air, but I'll brace myself," I joked. "I've thought about, you know..." she said gesturing her head downwards. "But I'm sharing a room with my niece, so it's not really practical." "Where is she now?" "Well, actually come to mention it, I'm on my own. Everyone went grocery shopping for food for this evening." "Well, why don't you, you know, take care of it now?" I suggested. "What, like over the phone?" "Yeah, yeah." I said egging her on. "Well, I'll do it, if you do it with me." "Okay, fairs fair." "How do you want to start?" "Maybe, take you top off?" "Missing the girls I see." "Oh yes." "Okay, just a sec, let me put the phone down here... and..." I watched as the camera image wobbled, showing glimpses of a girls bedroom, the white ceiling, the walls decorated with posters, before Madison came back into view. "Can you see me okay?" she asked. "Yep, every beautiful inch of you." I watched as Madison pulled off her top and unhooked her bra. She walked closer to the camera and gave me a little shimmy. "There, can you see them?" She held her breasts and pushed them up. "Oh yes, there's my girls." I said smiling. "Now your turn. Drop 'em soldier!" "Yes ma'am," I replied, giving her a mock salute. "...I just need to prop this up on something." I placed my phone against the footboard of my bed, angling it upwards. I shuffled backwards until I was in focus. "Can you see me?" I asked. "Yeah. Now show me the goods, hot stuff." I unbuttoned my trousers, and slid my hand in to my underwear and pulled out my flaccid cock. "Now play with it. Make it big for me." Madison asked. I started to play with it, shaking it from the base, then stroking it to get it bigger. "Is this good? Do you like this?" "Yeah, that's good," she replied. I could see her arm moving up and down. "Wait, have you started already?" "Oh yes!" Madison wasted no time, in starting to play with herself. "Can I see?" I asked. "Sure. I'll just make it easier for you. Two secs." When the picture came back in to view, it appeared that Madison had removed her trousers and underwear. I watched as she placed one foot on the bed, to open herself up a bit and slid her fingers between her legs. "How's this?" "Now that is hot!" I replied. "Yeah, you like it when I rub my cunt, does it get you nice and hard," Madison asked sexily. I nodded in response. I had never heard Madison speak dirty before. It was such an unexpected turn-on. "Ad, it doesn't work if you don't say anything back." "Oh shit, sorry, of course." I quickly tried to think of something to say. "My cock is so hard, looking at your beautiful cunt." "Umm, I'm so wet thinking about your thick cock. I want it inside of me so bad," she continued. "I want to bend you over and make you feel every inch." "Yes! I want to ride that cock all night long." The conversation was getting pretty explicit and I was fully hard now, stroking my cock for Madison and getting off on her dirty talk. Suddenly, my bedroom door swung open and my mom entered the room. "What do you want for dinner tonigh... oh my good heavens, I, I." She shielded her eyes with her hand and hurriedly backed out of the room, closing the bedroom door behind her. I jumped up after her, my cock wagging as I did. "Mom!" I called out. "It's not what you think, I was just checking something." I lied, as she scurried down the stairs. I went back into my room and sat down on my bed and buried my face in my hands. "What happened?" she asked. "My mom, she... she caught me." "She just walked into the room, asked me what I wanted for dinner and caught me, you know, stroking it." I watched as Madison covered her mouth and started laughing uncontrollably. "It's not funny, Mads!" "I'm sorry, but it is, it's so funny." She burst out laughing, her face turning red from laughing so much. "I can't wait to move out." I muttered under my breath. "Oh babe," she sighed, starting to calm down a bit, dabbing the laughter tears from her eyes. "I guess the moment's gone now, hasn't it?" I said somewhat dejected. "Yeah, sorry babe, but don't worry, I'll be back soon and we can pick up where we left off. I promise." "That's if I haven't died of embarrassment before then." "Look, I'll call you back same time tomorrow. Love you." She blew me a kiss. "Love you." I replied, blowing one back. The screen went black as she ended the call. I looked down at my rapidly softening cock, disappointed, before tucking it back in to my underwear and doing up my trousers. After our incident, my mom and I avoided each other for a while, the awkwardness too much for either of us to bear. Thankfully, the next few days flew by, and today was Madison's return from her holiday. It also happened to be my nineteenth birthday. Although, I was way more excited about seeing Madison. I laid there in bed, my arms folded above the covers, staring blankly at the ceiling. I hadn't fully come around when there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Adam, are you up yet?" My mom called out. "Yeah," I replied. "Are you decent, can I come in?" Ever since she caught me, she had now been extra cautious about coming into my room. "Yes." I watched the door slowly open, and my mom poke her head through. "You're not doing anything are you? Because I can come back later if you are." "No, mom!" I replied exasperated. I'm sure she thinks that's all I do when I'm in my bedroom now. "Good. I'm coming in," she announced. "Happy birthday! My special little boy." "Mom! I'm nineteen, I'm not little." "You'll always be little to me. Now go get dressed. Your father and I have a surprise for you." "A surprise? What is it?" I replied, sitting up on my elbows. "You'll have to get dressed to find out." "Fine, I'll be down in fifteen minutes." "I'll have your breakfast waiting." My mom left me to it and disappeared back down the stairs. I dragged myself out of bed and went to have a shower and get dressed. I could smell the bacon from the top of the stairs and followed that delicious scent all the way to the kitchen. My dad, sat at the table and looked up from his paper as I walked in. "Morning, birthday boy!" "Morning dad." I replied. My mom was busy at the stove, cooking strips of bacon. There were a few birthday cards on the table with my name on it, no doubt from my relatives. I sat myself down at the kitchen table opposite my dad and started to open the cards one by one. By the time I had finished, I had a nice little stack of cash beside me. My dad whistled. "Guess dinner's on you tonight then," he joked. My mom placed a cooked breakfast in front of me and my father and we tucked in. I had just finished my food when a small navy-colored box with a white ribbon slid its way across the table and into my field of vision. "Happy birthday, Adam," they both said smiling. I picked up the small box, intrigued by what could be inside. I carefully removed the lid and inside was a car key. I looked up from the box to my parents' expectant faces. "She's outside," my dad said. I paused for a moment, almost in shock at what he just said. I then slid my chair back and rushed to the front door, my parents doing their best to keep up with me. As I opened the door, I could see her. Parked next to my parents car was a 2012 black Jeep Wrangler. "No way. No freaking way!" I cried out in excitement. "Yes way, son, she's all yours," my mom replied. "We thought as you'll be going to college soon, you'll be needing some transport. She's got a few thousand miles already logged on the clock, but she's in good condition," my dad added. "Oh my god you guys, I'm stunned. I can't believe it. I can't wait to show Mads." As if she heard her name, my phone chimed from my pocket. I took it out and there was a message from Madison. "I'm back, can't wait to see you. x." Followed quickly by a second message, "Happy birthday BTW x." I looked up from my phone and at my parents. "It's from Madison, she's back." "Go on, go see your girlfriend." I hugged them both tightly and hurried to put my trainers on, before jumping into my new car. I waved to my parents, who were still standing by the front door and reversed out of the drive and made my way to Madison's. I couldn't believe it - I've got a car, freedom! Needless to say, I got to her house in record time. As I parked outside, I pulled out my phone and quickly messaged Madison. "I'm outside, come see me x." I waited a moment, and watched as the front door opened and Madison appeared. I beeped the horn and she came running towards the car. She was wearing a low cut, knee length floral summer dress, that rippled in the breeze as she ran. She looked stunning. I quickly got out of the car to meet her, and she jumped on me, wrapping her legs around my waist and gave me a massive kiss. I spun her around, before lowering her back to her feet. "I've missed you!" "I've missed you too, babe," I replied. "Don't tell me this is yours?" Madison asked, looking past me and at the car. "It most certainly is. What do you think?" I said proudly. "I love it! So, you going to take me for a ride or what?" I raised an eyebrow, and she knew exactly what I meant and playfully slapped me on the arm. "Come on then, get in." Madison hurried over to the opposite side of the car and got in the passenger seat. "Let's go," she said drumming on the dashboard. "Go where?" I asked. "Anywhere, just drive, babe." I put the car in to drive and drove off. I wasn't sure exactly where I was going, we were just cruising around and catching up. Madison played with the radio, finding us some good music to listen to, before telling me all about her holiday, what she got up to and how much she enjoyed seeing her relatives. It was so good to hear her talk and to be around her again. Her being away, was like a part of me was missing. "I'm so glad you're back." I said glancing across to her and smiling. I felt whole again. "A week was too long," she replied, affectionately stroking my thigh and leaving her hand there. "Why don't we take the scenic route, here take a left up here," she then suggested. The road slowly transitioned from a built-up urban area to a more country route. The rows of houses were soon replaced with rows of tall trees. I felt Madison's hand slowly move its way up my leg. My eyes darted between the road and her hand. "I think, if I remember correctly, we have some unfinished business to take care of," she said, her hand now resting over my crotch. "Oh, we do, don't we," I replied. "We do," she replied smiling. She glanced back at the seats behind us, the windows blacked out with privacy glass. "Why don't you pull over? Look, there's a little side road there, in between those trees." I indicated to turn, not sure why, considering there were no other cars to be seen. We continued down a small dirt road before eventually reaching an opening in a secluded spot and parked. The trees towered all around us, and with the engine off, you could hear all the birds chirping in the background. We both took a moment to admire the tranquility of our surroundings before turning to look at each other. Before we knew it, our heads had drifted towards each other, and we began to make out. Our hands scouring each other s bodies. Madison stopped kissing. "So, how about we christen this thing. Back seat?" I gave her a big smile and nodded. We both quickly got out of the car to fold our seats down, so we could get in the back. As I settled onto the back seat, Madison swiftly went for my trouser button, opening them with an intensity I had never seen before. She helped me pull my trousers and underwear as far as my knees, before grabbing my cock and fondling it, working it to get me hard. There wasn't that much room in the back, so I found myself wedged tightly in the corner. Madison, however, went low, her head now in my lap as she started to suck my cock. I held onto to the back of head, as her mouth slid from top to bottom. "Umm, Fuck, this feels so good." I murmured softly. This was so fucking hot, she was really going for it. Swapping between her mouth and her hands. She stopped abruptly. "Here, sit in the middle." She stood up as best she could, her head hitting the roof as she hunched over, before lifting up her dress and pulling her panties down. I helped her step out of them, then as soon as her legs were free, she straddled me sliding her knees as far apart as she could, lowering herself on to my cock. I couldn't see anything as her dress covered everything, but I could sure as fuck feel it. Her mound was moist as my head pushed apart her lips. She teased me for a moment, riding just the tip. Then lowering herself down further. I could feel I was completely inside of her now. She gasped with pleasure, reaching out on to the back seat head rests and grabbing them, allowing her to rock on my lap. "Umm, that feels so good, babe. I've missed your cock so much." I slipped my hands under her dress and grabbed on to her ass and let her ride me. The car started to gently rock as she started to ride me harder and the windows began to mist up, from all the heavy breathing. "God, you feel so good inside of me. Do you like it when I ride your thick cock." "I love it, your cunt feels so wet." I replied. This was all Madison now; she was running the show. I watched her face constantly change, one moment she'd close her eyes and bite her bottom lip, then her mouth would open as if she wanted to scream and then she'd open her eyes and look directly at me, giving me a look I knew meant she loved me. "Umm, I'm gonna cum," she whispered out between labored breaths. "Cum inside me, babe. I want your cum inside me." She let out a cry, a combination of my cock swelling, and her muscles constricting was enough for us to orgasm together. My cock pulsed inside of her, unloading my warm seed, she groaned with every pulse. Finally, she put her hands on each side of my face and kissed me, sucking on my tongue, before pulling away. "Happy Birthday, babe," she whispered. I sat there stunned. The sex, the dirty talk, was so fucking hot it blew me away. Madison climbed off me and put her panties back on, while I lifted my hips and backside to pull up my underwear and trousers. Madison sat beside me, and I put my arm around her. "Now that you have a car, we should go somewhere," she suggested, affectionately stroking my thigh and leaning into me. "Definitely, where do you want to go?" I asked. "Ooh, I just remembered. When I was away, I talked to one of my uncles, and he mentioned having a cabin or lodge that I could borrow anytime. It sounded really nice." "Okay, well, if you sort it out with him, we can go away for the weekend." "We can even ask Becky and her new boyfriend Ryan if they want to come. Unless you want it to be just the two of us?" "I don't mind." "You've not met Ryan yet, have you?" "No, not yet. What's he like?" "I've only met him a couple of times, but he seems okay. Becky is absolutely smitten with him. I think since our little group session and finding a boyfriend, she's in a really good place now." "Good, I'm glad she's happy." "Okay then, leave all the arrangements to me." "Sorted." We stayed a little longer before heading back to Madison's house. Over the next few days, Madison made a few phone calls and managed to arrange everything for this coming weekend. We were all going to meet at Madison's and from there, it would be a five or so hour drive to her uncle's cabin. Finally, Friday arrived, and I packed my bag with everything I thought I'd need for the trip. Madison and I also went shopping for supplies, to make sure we were set for things like food and toiletries and I made sure the car was topped up with a full tank. We arranged to meet at 4pm, and I pulled up outside Madison's house at 3:55pm. I got out of the car and went to knock on her door. Madison answered and greeted me with a kiss. "Hey babe, all set?" I greeted. "Yep, got my bag right here." She said pointing at a bag on the floor next to her. I picked up her bag and walked Madison to the car. "We're just waiting for Becky and Ryan," Madison said, looking down the road to see if she could spot any sign of them. I put her bag next to mine in the trunk and sat down. "Excited? This will be our first weekend away together." "I know, I can't wait. It's going to be so much fun." At that moment, a car pulled up. Two people got out, each carrying a bag, before the car beeped its horn and drove off again. "There they are!" Madison announced. "Hey you guys, all set for a fun weekend?" Madison said, greeting Becky and Ryan. "Hey girl, you know it," Becky replied enthusiastically. "Oh, before I forget. Ryan this Adam, Adam this is Ryan." "Hey Ryan." "Hey." Ryan was tall, with black hair that casually fell over his forehead. He was kind of skinny, but you could tell he was hiding some wiry strength. He had a strong jaw and dare I say, classically handsome. Becky had done well for herself it would seem. I reached out my hand to take the bags from them. Becky passed hers to me first and then Ryan and I stashed them in the back with the others. "Right, shall we make a move?" I announced. "Two secs, let me just say goodbye to my folks." Madison replied, quickly running back to the house and leaving Becky, Ryan and I to talk amongst ourselves. "So, looking forward to the trip?" I asked. "I can't wait., it's going to be a blast, I know it," Becky replied, grabbing Ryan's hand and making eyes at him. "Yeah, it'll be nice to unwind." Ryan added. Madison returned to the group. "Ha! with these two? I don't think there will be much time to unwind. When these two get together, craziness isn't far behind. Isn't it girls?" I said putting my arm around Madison. The girls laughed, agreeing with me. "You know us too well Ad!" Becky replied. "Okay then, shall we make a move." I asked the group. I opened the car door and folded the seat down. Becky got in first, followed by Ryan. I returned the chair upright for Madison. "Malady," I said, signaling to Madison her seat. "Why thank you, kind sir," she replied, smiling. I closed her door, and jogged to the other side of the car and got in. As I turned the ignition on, the girls screamed out with excitement. "Road trip! Woo!" I put the address into my phone for directions, while Madison loaded up the music for the trip. We took off and began our journey to the cabin. The music was playing, the conversation was flowing and the jokes kept flying. The atmosphere in the car was bouncing and the group really started to gel. We were about three hours into the trip, making our way down a country road, when I was convinced I could hear something. "Mads, turn down the music for a sec." Madison turned the volume knob to the left, to lower the volume. I could hear the noise more clearly now. "Damn, I think we've got a flat tire, people." I pulled over and got out of the car to inspect the tires. True enough the rear driver side tire was flat. I popped my head back in the car. "Yep, we've got a flat out here. Everybody out." I lowered the back seat for Becky and Ryan to get out, while Madison got out from the passenger side. We all gathered around the deflated tire. "You know how to change a tire, right?" Madison asked. "Of course, my dad showed me." I replied. "Do you need a hand?" Ryan offered. "Nah, I've got this." "You sure? They're pretty big tires." "Yeah, I'll be fine." "Well, if you're sure. Beck's and I will stretch our legs then. Come on Beck's." Ryan said, putting his arm around Becky. "Don't go too far, this should only take ten minutes." I called out to them as they started to walk away. I went about changing the tire, whilst chatting with Madison to pass the time. Ten minutes had passed and I was just tightening up the nuts on the replaced tire with the tire iron, when Becky and Ryan came back. As I was kneeling on the ground, I couldn't help but notice how dirty Becky's knees were. "What happened to your knees, Becky? Did you fall over or something?" I asked innocently. She looked down and started to dust off her knees. "Yeah, straight onto Ryan's cock I bet." Madison quickly interjected, then laughing, simulating a blow job. "Mads!" Becky cried out in embarrassment and turning red. Judging by Becky's reaction, that's exactly what happened, that and the fact that Ryan's zipper was still down. "Dude, you're flying low." "Huh? Oh shit. Thanks man." Ryan replied, quickly realizing what I was saying and pulling his zipper up. It was his turn to go red this time. "Busted!" I said smiling. "♫ Looks like somebody had a quick blowie in the woods. ♫" Madison sung out in a childish manner. We all burst out laughing, with Becky and Ryan seeing the funny side of it. I had just finished tightening the last nut and was done. "There, all sorted." I said, dusting my hands down. I fixed the flat tire to the rear door and packed away the tools. "Okay, let's go." I opened the door again for Becky and Ryan to climb into the back and Madison got in from her side. After pulling my seat upright again, I got in, and we resumed our journey. It soon became dark, and the once noisy cabin had fallen silent. I glanced over to the passenger seat to see Madison had dozed off, her head resting against the window. My eyes then switched to the rearview mirror to see if Becky and Ryan were still awake; they were, and very much leaning into one another. A streetlight illuminated the car long enough for me to see Ryan kiss Becky's neck, he saw me looking in the mirror and I quickly looked away, fixating on the road again. I was starting to get tired now, but I knew we'd be there soon. The satellite navigator on my phone told me to take the next right and I indicated, turning right as per the direction. The smooth tarmac was soon replaced with an old dirt road and the orange hue of the street lights soon faded away behind us. The unevenness of the road was enough to jostle Madison awake. "Are we nearly there yet?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. Looking down at my phone, I could see us rapidly approaching the checkered flag, indicating our arrival at our destination. It was pitch black now, I had to put the high beams on just to see anything. A clearing came into view ahead and then the cabin revealed itself. "Is that it?" I asked. "I guess so," Madison replied. I parked the car in front, where there was a little sign. I red it out loud. "Whispering Pines." "Yep, this is the place." Madison announced. I grabbed the catch for the door and pulled. The door popped open and I stepped out of the car and stretched my legs and arms. The cool night air was a refreshing slap to the face to wake me up and I felt my earlier tiredness fall away. I turned around to fold the seat down for Becky and Ryan, so they could get out. Madison joined me and held my arm as we blindly walked onto the wooden porch. She turned on her phone's torch, to find the key box by the door. I watched as she typed in a four digit code. There was a little click and the box opened. Madison grabbed the key and used it to open the cabin door. My hand fumbled at the wall to the side of the door in order to find the light switch. Finding it, I flicked it and the whole room lit up. The light revealed a large, rustic yet cozy space. The wooden walls were adorned with framed pictures and a large stone fireplace as the focal point of the room. Two well worn-in sofas with plaid cushions hugged the fireplace, with an oak coffee table between them, with a scattering of old magazines. A large wooden dining table sat at the back, adorned with old candle sticks, leading towards an open plan kitchen area. "This looks amazing," Becky said poking her head in between me and Madison. "I know, look at that fireplace," Madison added. "I'll go grab the bags." I said, leaving them to look around. "I'll give you a hand," Ryan added. We left the girls in the cabin and went back to the car. I opened the back of the car and passed two bags to Ryan. "It's so quiet out here." He remarked. "I know, it's quite eerie right." "Yeah, just a bit." There was an awkward silence between us, which compelled me to think of something to say. "So, you and Becky seem to be pretty tight." "Yeah, things are going pretty well at the moment between us." "That's good," I replied, grabbing the remaining bags. I swung my hips to close the door and we walked back into the cabin. "Hey boy's, check out these bedrooms." Madison said, leading the way. She turned to enter one of rooms and we followed her in. Inside was a huge bed, it must have been king-sized at least, with a huge wooden headboard with intricate carvings in it, and a footboard at the end of the bed. It was covered with a thick navy blue blanket and white pillows. "God damn, that's a big bed. You could fit all of us into that one." I said jokingly. "We called dibs on this one," Becky replied, sitting on the edge of the bed, before falling backwards and star fishing. "And we have this one," Madison replied, turning on her heel and leaving the room. I followed her out and she opened the door opposite to reveal our bedroom. It was a little smaller than the previous one, but equally as nice. I dropped our bags at the foot of the bed. "Come on, let s go relax on the sofa." Madison said holding out her hand. I grabbed her hand and she led me out to the living area. I collapsed onto the sofa, while Madison ventured into the kitchen. After a few moments she reappeared holding four bottles of beer. "Look what I found in the fridge," she said excitedly. Becky and Ryan joined us and we all sat on the sofa drinking and chatting, it was all nice and relaxing, when I felt that wave of tiredness kick in. "I think I'm going to call it night," I announced yawning. "I'll come with you, babe," Madison added. I stood up and said good night to Becky and Ryan, who seemed quite comfortable on the sofa. "Good night," they chorused back. "And thanks again for driving us up here." Ryan added. Madison and I went back to our bedroom and got undressed for bed. Madison took her bra and panties off and unpacked an oversized t-shirt from her bag, while I stripped down to my boxer briefs. We crawled into bed and spooned for a bit, before eventually drifting off. I found myself awake a few hours later needing to go to the toilet. A consequence of drinking the beer no doubt, and quietly got out of bed as not to disturb Madison. As I left our room, I could see Becky and Ryan's light was still on, as their door was slightly a jar. I thought nothing of it and went to the toilet. On the way back, I could hear a noise, almost like a repetitive creaking. I followed the noise back to the hall with the bedrooms, and found myself outside of Becky's and Ryan's. The rest of the cabin was pitch black, with the exception of a slither of light that cut through the darkness outside of their room. I couldn't help but look into their bedroom; only to see a naked Becky sitting upright on her knees at the foot of the bed, holding onto the footboard, with Ryan behind her, fucking her senseless. Her back was arched, and Ryan had a handful of her hair, pulling her head back. I knew it was wrong of me to be looking, but I couldn't look away. I continued to watch them from the shadows. Becky's pert breasts were bouncing up and down from the force of Ryan's thrusting and I could see in her face, she was doing everything she could to keep quiet. Ryan began to slow down and let go of her hair, before reaching around and grabbing one of Becky's breasts with one hand, trapping her nipple between two of his fingers. His other hand went straight between her legs. I watched him work her clit, all the while still fucking her. This guy had skills I thought to myself. My cock had gone rock hard from watching them go at it, to the point where my underwear waistband at the front lifted from my body. It was like I was watching a porn movie in real life. They stopped to change positions, with Ryan now lying on his back, with Becky riding him. I couldn't see as much this time as Becky's back was to me. She ran her fingers through her hair and bucked her hips quickly, before eventually succumbing and slumping down on top of him. They were done and after a few moments, she climbed off him and that's when I decided to end my little peep show. I quietly crept back to my bedroom and climbed back into bed and spooned Madison again. She stirred slightly from the my movement, before whispering. "Did you bring me back a present?" She asked somewhat sleepily. "Huh?" I whispered back. She turned around to face me, and that's when I felt her hand slip into my underwear. "Oh!" I said, just realizing what she was referring to. She kissed me on the lips, smiled, then disappeared under the covers. I could feel my underwear being pulled down and the warm, wet embrace of her mouth as Madison started to give me oral. I pulled back the covers to give her some air, and because I wanted to watch. She looked so sexy as she ran her tongue along my cock, before holding the base with her soft hands and sucking on the tip, her tongue doing laps around my swollen head. She began to deep throat me now, her lips slipping from top to bottom, the feeling of my head hitting the back of her throat was intense. After just a few minutes of this, I knew what I wanted to do next. I gestured for her to stop and then to sit up facing the door. Without speaking, I pulled her t-shirt over her head and tossed it to the side. Sitting on my knees directly behind her now, I guided her arms on to the footboard for support and slipped my hand between her legs and slid my finger between her mound. I wrapped my free arm around her and began delicately fondling her left breast, while my right hand worked her clit. It didn't take long for Madison to become nice and wet, and when she was, I pushed my cock inside her. I began gently rocking into her, and she moaned softly. In a carefully orchestrated move and to replicate what I had just witnessed moments ago, I kissed the side of her neck, fondled her breast and rubbed her clit, all the while penetrating her from behind. She let out an audible gasp as I worked all four areas simultaneously. It didn't take long for Madison to climax, in fact, it was probably the quickest I had ever made her cum. I wrapped both arms around her and held her tightly against my chest as her orgasm took her. She turned her head just enough to kiss my cheek. I let go of her and she crawled back into the middle of the bed. I wasn't quite done yet and tried to get between Madison's legs missionary style, but she stopped me. "Sorry babe, I think I'm a bit over stimulated for you to finish there. Here, climb on top of me and I'll finish you off on my tits." I followed Madison's instruction and straddled her upper body, where she grabbed a hold of my cock and proceeded to rapidly jerk me off. I leaned forward slightly and grabbed onto the headboard, while Madison's right hand furiously pumped away. I looked down at her as she looked up at me, she watched as my expression change from a look of intense concentration to my penultimate orgasm face. I let out a continuous groan as I started to cum. Madison directed the shots at her breasts, continuing to quickly pump away until I couldn't take it anymore. I placed my hand on top of hers to stop. There were thick ropes of cum clinging to her chest. I exhaled, resting my hands on my thighs, as the last drop of cum oozed out of me and dripped on to Madison. I took a moment to recover from my intense orgasm, before climbing off Madison. She tried to look down at the sticky mess I'd left on her. "Wow, that was quite the load you unleashed there, fella." I looked for something to wipe her down, but there was nothing readily available. "I can get you some tissue paper from the bathroom, if you want?" "Nah, it's okay. I'll go, I need to use the bathroom any way," she replied. Madison got up from the bed and held her chest as to not let anything drip off her. "I'll be back now," she whispered, as she opened the bedroom door and quick stepped to the bathroom in the nude. I slipped back under the covers and waited for Madison to return. After five or so minutes, she returned. "Sorry, just bumped into Becky on the way, looks like we all got lucky tonight," she joked. She jumped into the bed and we cuddled, before eventually falling asleep again. The following morning, the sun rose and cast a ray of light through the window and over our faces. It was enough to wake me up. I stared up at the ceiling fan and carefully rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I turned to look at Madison, who was still fast asleep. She looked so peaceful sleeping, and the light cast upon her face made her look angelic. I found myself smiling, I still couldn't believe how lucky I was to be with her. Without any doubt in mind, she was my soul mate. Not wanting to wake her up, I carefully slid out of bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind me. I walked past Becky and Ryan's room, pausing momentarily to see if I could hear any activity. The explicit images of Becky and Ryan raced through my mind. It was almost as if I wanted to catch them at it again. I tried to shake the thought off and headed to the kitchen, thinking a nice cup of coffee is what's required here. I put the coffee in the machine and patiently waited for it to brew. When the coffee was ready I poured myself a cup and sat at the kitchen table in just my boxer shorts. I had just taken my first sip, when Ryan walked in, scratching the back of his head. He was also in just his boxer shorts. "There's one in the pot, if you want it." "Cheers man," he replied, walking over to the coffee machine and pouring himself a cup. He sat down at the opposite end of the table. "Good night sleep?" I asked, making polite conversation. "Yeah, although there wasn't much sleeping if you know what I mean." He said, wiping at his eyes, then taking a sip from his cup and continuing. "Sorry man, you probably don't want to hear about that at the breakfast table do you." I grinned at him, thinking you don't need to tell me, I watched the whole thing. "You're good mate, I know these two have a 'voracious' appetite in that department." I replied. "You're telling me, Becky is a right demon in the sack." The image of Becky riding Ryan like a jockey crept into my head. To be continued in part 5, By Secretauthor2021 for Literotica.

Après le bannissement en 2022 de Facebook et d'Instagram, réseaux emblématiques du groupe Meta, les autorités russes renforcent leur emprise sur les espaces de l'internet et des applications étrangères. Depuis cet été, les appels via WhatsApp, FaceTime et Telegram sont bloqués, au nom de la lutte contre le fléau des fraudeurs. D'autres coupures et interdictions sont, quant à elles, justifiées au nom de la sécurité nationale, et notamment les attaques de drones. « Désolé de ne pas avoir donné signe de vie, mon téléphone s'est soudainement éteint et l'écran est devenu tout noir. Je ne comprends pas ce qu'il s'est passé. » Casquette sur la tête, bouille bienveillante et souriante, Nicolas Maschourov arrive tout essoufflé et un poil en retard au rendez-vous sur une place du centre de Yaroslavl, face à l'un des monastères les plus célèbres de cette ville au riche passé historique. Au fond, ce mystérieux incident du jour n'est pour lui qu'un de ceux qui s'ajoutent à une longue liste, tant la vie quotidienne est déjà bien compliquée localement. Dans cette ville-étape incontournable pour les touristes, cela fait en effet de longs mois que les liaisons téléphoniques et internet sont perturbées. Yaroslavl est en effet aussi une ville industrielle importante, ce qui fait d'elle une cible dans le conflit avec l'Ukraine. « On a ici une raffinerie très importante, elle fournit du pétrole à de nombreuses régions de l'Ouest du pays, explique Nicolas Maschourov. À l'heure actuelle, les règles y sont très strictes à l'intérieur, car il y a un risque de sabotage. Lorsque vous entrez dans l'usine, vous n'êtes même pas autorisé à prendre votre téléphone, vous devez le laisser dans votre voiture. Et si jamais vous avez oublié et qu'il est resté dans votre poche, l'amende que vous encourez atteint 30 000 roubles. Si on vous attrape une deuxième fois avec, vous êtes viré. Tout ça, c'est parce que cette raffinerie est périodiquement attaquée par des drones. Heureusement, jusque-là, les attaques ne se sont produites que vers 5 ou 6 heures du matin, lorsque les travailleurs n'étaient pas là. Mais la situation là-bas est quand même assez tendue.  L'Internet mobile y est généralement désactivé. » Ce vendredi 12 décembre, selon les médias locaux, une attaque contre la raffinerie a été à l'origine d'un incendie. Une partie des routes y menant ont été fermées, causant des bouchons de plusieurs kilomètres. Mais le plus fréquent pour parer aux attaques reste de couper le réseau. « L'Internet mobile dans toute la ville est de toute façon souvent en mauvais état désormais, avance le professeur d'histoire et guide touristique. De temps en temps, c'est même totalement coupé ». À lire aussiRussie: le contrôle étatique de l'expression publique sur les réseaux sociaux s'accélère   « J'ai envie de hurler tellement je suis furieux et tellement je trouve ça injuste. » Première conséquence : impossible d'utiliser la géolocalisation, très répandue en Russie. Mais d'autres usages sont désormais limités. Dans sa cuisine, avec sa bouilloire qui siffle sur le gaz pour chauffer l'eau du thé, Andrey Akimov explique qu'il aimerait pouvoir publier à sa guise sur les réseaux sociaux. « Je gère plusieurs chaînes Telegram, explique cet avocat et secrétaire d'un petit parti, qui tente d'être officiellement enregistré par les autorités. J'y poste diverses choses, et tout est légal et officiel. Mais parfois c'est impossible à faire. J'essaie une fois, deux fois. Puis je me dis : “Ok, je réessaie dans 10 minutes", et c'est peut-être à ce moment-là que j'ai un ressenti de 5% d'inconfort. Je réessaie trois- quatre fois. Et si, à la cinquième tentative, une demi-heure plus tard, je ne peux toujours pas publier, je commence à ressentir de l'anxiété et de la colère. À ce moment-là, bien sûr, mon inconfort est à 100%. J'ai envie de hurler tellement je suis furieux et tellement je trouve ça injuste ».  Pour lui, les exigences sécuritaires d'un pays en conflit ne sont pas les seuls motifs à ces restrictions de plus en plus importantes. Avec prudence et des mots très pesés, il avance : « Je vais dire les choses de cette façon : je comprends un peu la stratégie des autorités. Il y a une tendance à réduire les libertés, à contrôler les ressources Internet. Mais c'est beaucoup plus facile de le faire si on procède progressivement, pas à pas, en supprimant une partie des droits et libertés des citoyens petit à petit, de telle sorte que l'indignation soit étalée dans le temps et qu'il n'y ait pas de pic soudain ».  Depuis cet été, les autorités ont mis en place une messagerie nationale, Max, et tentent de convaincre les citoyens d'y migrer, la présentant comme plus sûre. Les critiques avancent qu'il s'agit d'une stratégie visant à surveiller les contenus, car Max est présentée comme totalement transparente pour les services de sécurité. Entre blocage des messageries étrangères et coupures de l'internet, de plus en plus de Russes vivent depuis plusieurs mois à l'heure des restrictions de communication. À lire aussiVers un «goulag numérique»: comment la Russie développe le contrôle et la surveillance de ses citoyens   Yaroslavl est très loin d'être la seule ville touchée. Aux derniers décomptes effectués mi-décembre, une quarantaine de régions sur les 89 que compte la Russie ont souffert depuis le printemps d'incidents de types variés. Toutes les régions frontalières ou proches de la zone de combat sont plus ou moins touchées, de Rostov à Koursk et Voronej, ainsi que des villes de garnison comme Pskov ou des régions abritant d'importantes usines du complexe militaro-industriel comme celle de Sverdlovsk. D'autres villes et régions à des milliers de kilomètres à l'est ont aussi enregistré des plaintes d'usagers au sujet de très longues coupures : en Sibérie, à Omsk ou en Yakoutie, jusqu'à Khabarovsk, le Kamchatka et Sakhaline dans l'Extrême-Orient. Même Saint-Pétersbourg, deuxième ville du pays, a été le théâtre de deux jours consécutifs de perturbations. À Moscou, depuis mai dernier, des pannes régulières mais courtes sont observées. Comme à Yaroslavl, les autorités régionales expliquent en général ces coupures comme des « mesures de sécurité visant à se protéger contre les attaques de drones ». Selon le groupe de travail du kraï de Krasnodar, « un adversaire peut utiliser l'internet mobile à haut débit pour contrôler des drones et perpétrer des attentats terroristes ». Ces restrictions sont imposées dès réception d'un signal de « menace drone » et sont techniquement temporaires. Wikipedia.ru a fait ce décompte : 69 coupures avaient déjà été enregistrées en mai, mais en juin, ce nombre était passé à 655, et en juillet, il a atteint le chiffre record de 2 099 coupures à travers le pays. Ce chiffre a dépassé le total mondial des blocages d'internet pour toute l'année 2024 (296 incidents dans 54 pays), faisant de la Russie le pays le plus touché par les pannes de communications numériques. « Notre pays est en état de guerre, [...] nous ne pouvons pas revendiquer les libertés que nous avions auparavant. » À quelques kilomètres de Moscou, la ville de Balachika est une zone connue pour abriter notamment une importante base de l'armée russe. Une tradition ancienne : sous l'Union soviétique, la ville était d'ailleurs interdite aux étrangers. Zina, 42 ans, m'accueille dans la cour en bas de son immeuble, dans cette ville où elle a déménagé il y a trois ans « pour la nature et la vue sur le canal ». Pour elle, toutes les mesures de restrictions prises pour internet sont justifiées, y compris cette autre, récente, qui bloque l'usage des cartes SIM, russes comme étrangères, pendant 24 heures à tout retour de l'étranger. « Je comprends très bien qu'une carte SIM pourrait soudainement ne plus être entre les mains de son propriétaire officiel. Elle pourrait être volée, avec le téléphone ou pas d'ailleurs. Et cette carte SIM pourrait être utilisée par d'autres personnes à leurs propres fins. Moi, je compare cette décision à la quarantaine temporaire obligatoire pendant le Covid-19 ou à l'usage des masques. On peut quand même trouver le moyen de s'organiser et préparer un retour de vacances. Je comprends que des gens soient très énervés, mais notre pays est en état de guerre, alors pour moi, c'est évident, nous ne pouvons pas revendiquer les libertés que nous avions auparavant », affirme-t-elle.  Pour elle, le vrai problème, qui la concerne de près, est ailleurs. « Je vais vous dire qui traverse, à cause de tout ça, de vraies difficultés, avance-t-elle. Ce sont ceux qui ne gagnaient leur vie que grâce au blogging, en vendant des publicités, par exemple, ou en monétisant leurs publications. C'est vrai, il existe des plateformes alternatives à celles qu'on avait avant, mais avec celles-là, on ne peut pas gagner autant d'argent. Elles sont mal conçues. Et cela a un impact sur toutes ces personnes, tous ces entrepreneurs, qui pendant de nombreuses années ont construit un système de diffusion en continu, produisaient du contenu. En fait, chaque blogueur avait en quelque sorte créé sa propre petite agence. C'est un système qui s'est effondré ».  Sans Instagram, classé extrémiste en Russie, et avec l'interdiction depuis cet automne d'y faire de la publicité, Internet qui rame est le dernier clou dans le cercueil de son activité professionnelle de bloggeuse-coiffure. Sur un an, Zina chiffre sa perte de revenu à 80%.  À lire aussiLa Russie resserre encore son contrôle sur internet

A Matter of Heart #RTTBROS #Nightlight"For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ." — Colossians 2:5You know, we live in a world where we expect instant everything. FaceTime someone across the planet, watch news unfold in real time, send a text and get annoyed if there's no response in thirty seconds. We've gotten spoiled.But when Paul was writing his letters to the churches, it could take weeks, even months, for those words to reach their destination. Here's a story that drives this home: Andrew Jackson fought the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815, a victory that made him a national hero. The thing is, that battle was fought two full weeks after the peace treaty ending the War of 1812 had already been signed in Europe. The news just hadn't reached him yet.But here's what gets me about Paul. Despite all those delays, despite never even visiting the church at Colosse, his heart was completely invested in those people. He's with them in spirit, rejoicing over their faith, praying for folks he's never met face to face.That tells me something important. The depth of our love for people isn't measured by how close we are physically. It's a matter of the heart.Paul says in Philippians, "For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state" (Philippians 2:20). He's talking about Timothy, a young man who genuinely cared about people from the heart.What makes someone effective for God isn't their talent or their gifts. It's their heart. Do they genuinely care about people? I think about folks in my own life who've made the biggest difference. It wasn't the most talented or the most gifted. It was the ones who cared, who checked in, who prayed when I didn't even know I needed prayer.That's what God is looking for. Not the most talented people, but people with hearts that care, hearts willing to be invested in others even when it costs something.So who has God put on your heart lately? Don't ignore that. That might be the Holy Spirit prompting you to pray, to reach out, to care. We can be physically distant but spiritually close. And that kind of caring, that's what changes the world.Let's pray: Father, give us hearts that genuinely care about people. Help us invest in lives because we want to. Make us people who naturally care for others. In Jesus' name, Amen.#Faith #Love #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #Caring #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #NightlightBe sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

If you enjoyed part 1 of my chat with Marion McKeown, you're going to LOVE part 2. This time we get stuck into some of the key characters in the crazy story that is the USA today – characters like Robert F Kennedy junior, the anti-vax US health secretary with a worm in his brain; Olivia Nuzzi, the machiavellian journalist that had an affair with RFK Jnr, the late Jeffrey Epstein who is having a major impact on US politics even several years after his death; Pete Hegseth, Howard Lutnick...the list goes on. We also ask some important questions, like really how intelligent is Donald trump ? Did a bullet actually hit his ear in the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania? And did Jeffrey Epstein really take his own life, or was he killed?Marion has been covering US politics and culture for decades – she's been all over the country, attended scores of MAGA rallies, been in the white House press group, and met all the big players.COMEDY - its the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail joint Christmas party! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Si parla di shucking, di registratori audio, della malattia di luca che chiama "memoria muscolare", di Facetime con la nuova fotocamera frontale degli iPhone 17, della dipartita di Allan Dye da Apple, di come ottimizzare una rete wifi Unifi, del...

Does Gen X know how to FaceTime? Will money contaminate your team? Can your creativity breed insomnia? Why are rappers good liars? And did Wu-Tang really make a KD recruitment video for the Knicks? Plus: Pharma Bro, JV wrestling, beating Stugotz's team in lacrosse, a cautionary tale from "How High"... and the f*ckin' Jets.Further content:• Watch "Trouble Man" starring Method Man• "Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation?"• The Multi-Million Dollar Wu Tang Clan Music Video Meant for One Person Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This date turned into FaceTime

Rita Malvone did — but only after it nearly burned her out as a leader, a human, and as someone trying to make sense of a career that never quite felt like hers.In this episode, Rita and I unpack the quiet misery of high-performing corporate people: the ones who smile on Zoom, hit the metrics, answer Slacks at 11 p.m.… and privately wonder why they feel so damn empty.Rita's story starts in China, leading a young team while simultaneously building an entire Asia-Pacific presence from scratch. On paper? Impressive.In reality? A slow emotional suffocation disguised as “success.”She talks openly about being a bad leader — not out of incompetence, but because she was deeply unhappy. The FaceTime culture, the politicking, the performative grind, the “be grateful you even have this job” mindset… all of it slowly turned her into someone she didn't like.When the company finally told her she was 47th in line for a promotion, she snapped the trap in half.Leaving wasn't graceful. It wasn't strategic.It was survival.And looking back, Rita realized something hard but beautiful:You can't become the leader you want to be inside a system that requires you to betray yourself.We dig into the aftermath of walking away, the shock of rediscovering joy, the messy years of rebuilding, and how real leadership is less “motivational poster” and more “doing the hard, human, unglamorous work.”We talk about why suffering gives leaders their edge, why authenticity can't be faked, and why corporate life fails people who don't fit the mold — no matter how capable they are.This isn't a rage story.It's a liberation story.No villains. No corporate-hate screeds. Just an honest look at the moment you realize your career is using you more than you're using it — and what happens when you finally walk out.TL;DR* The trap: A prestigious career that looks like success and feels like misery.* The break point: Being told she was “#47 in line for a promotion.”* The turn: Leaving corporate, owning how unhappy she truly was, and rebuilding a life that isn't powered by performance, FaceTime, or pretending.* The lesson: You can't lead well while losing yourself.Memorable Lines* “I wasn't a bad leader. I was an unhappy human pretending to be a leader.”* “We were building the seats as we were sitting in them.”* “You can't sugarcoat how miserable you are and still expect to lead well.”* “Once I stepped out, I finally saw the cage I had been sitting in.”GuestRita Malvone — Leadership coach, former corporate executive in China, and someone who rebuilt her life after discovering her ‘career' was a beautifully decorated cage.

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving 'anytime soon'. Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving 'Anytime Soon'. In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with 'rear naked choke hold' over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

View this video at https://macmost.com/using-local-capture-to-record-yourself-for-content-creation.html. A new feature in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 allows you to record your own audio and video in high quality while talking with someone else over the phone, FaceTime or in other conferencing apps. Content creators can combine recordings afterward to make podcasts, videos and other content.

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving "anytime soon". Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving "Anytime Soon". In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with "rear naked choke hold" over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving 'anytime soon'. Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving 'Anytime Soon'. In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with 'rear naked choke hold' over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving 'anytime soon'. Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving 'Anytime Soon'. In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with 'rear naked choke hold' over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

A late-night welfare check in Marana, Arizona turned into something far darker when police were shown screenshots no one could explain, 29-year-old Taton Dorfman, lying in bed next to his girlfriend, 30-year-old Hannah Rogers, covered in blood and saying, “I killed her.”What started as a FaceTime call spiraled into a confession, a standoff, and a courtroom where forgiveness collided with reality.This is the murder of Hannah Rogers.Listen now**************************************Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you'd like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contactFind the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.comMusic:℗ lesfreemusicBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving "anytime soon". Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving "Anytime Soon". In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with "rear naked choke hold" over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving "anytime soon". Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving "Anytime Soon". In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with "rear naked choke hold" over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

After six years alone and eight kids depending on her, Hannah wasn't sure she would ever trust herself in love again.Leaving a narcissistic marriage had taken everything out of her — her confidence, her hope, and her belief in healthy men. In this powerful episode, Hannah shares her journey from survival mode to safe, emotionally healthy love… all within 60 days of learning a new way to date. Inside the episode, you'll hear:

How might Trump's new National Security Strategy impact cyber? The UK's NCSC warns LLMs may never get over prompt injection. At least 18 U.S. universities were hit by a months-long phishing campaign. Russia blocks FaceTime. A bipartisan group of senators reviving efforts to strengthen protections across the health sector. Portugal provides legal safe harbor for good-faith security research. A large-scale campaign targets Palo Alto GlobalProtect portals. A Maryland man gets 15 months in prison for his part in a North Korean IT worker scam. Business Brief. Tim Starks from CyberScoop unpacks the President's pending cybersecurity strategy release. An AI image sends UK train schedules off the rails.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today we are joined by Tim Starks, senior reporter  from CyberScoop, discussing President Trump's pending cybersecurity strategy release and the end of Sean Plankey's nomination process. Selected Reading National Security Strategy (The White House) The National Security Strategy: The Good, the Not So Great, and the Alarm Bells (CSIS) UK intelligence warns AI 'prompt injection' attacks might never go away (The Record) Over 70 Domains Used in Months-Long Phishing Spree Against US Universities (Hackread) Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications (AP News) Bipartisan health care cybersecurity legislation returns to address a cornucopia of issues (CyberScoop) Portugal updates cybercrime law to exempt security researchers (Bleeping Computer) New wave of VPN login attempts targets Palo Alto GlobalProtect portals (Bleeping Computer) Maryland man sentenced for N. Korea IT worker scheme involving US government contracts (The Record) ServiceNow reportedly intends to acquire Veza for more than $1 billion (N2K Pro Business Briefing) Trains cancelled over fake bridge collapse image (BBC News) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The crew returns from the holiday break with a full plate of stories, starting with Thanksgiving hangovers and Aaron's crockpot rebuttal that finally closes the loop from the last episode. The team moves into this week's Do Better, covering everything from the need for a computer access POAM for CMCs to Damon's latest run-in with the high-school system. They break down a recent article on the USS Truman and the importance of realistic observations in after-action reports before Damo steps in to double down on the FaceTime conversation. The guys discuss what it is, what it isn't, and why some people get it all the way wrong. From there, the crew shifts into real life: friendships as adults, Damo gives his thoughts on ‘The Bump Serum', and they discuss how the Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. could change the entire streaming landscape. They close the first half of the show by comparing their Apple and Spotify Wrapped lists and debating who really had the top artists of the year. Damo wraps with his Pick of the Week before the episode transitions into a deeper, more personal segment—Damon sitting down to interview Damo in one of the most honest conversations the show has ever had. These and more topics are covered in this episode.       Do you have a “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptsfpodcast@gmail.com       Stay connected with the PTSF Podcast: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast       PTSF Theme Music: Produced by Lim0

Comentamos la significativa reestructuración ejecutiva que está sufriendo Apple, analizando en profundidad las salidas de figuras clave como John Giannandrea en la división de inteligencia artificial y, especialmente, la polémica marcha del jefe de diseño Alan Dye hacia Meta, un movimiento que ha generado gran revuelo. Debatimos cómo estos cambios, sumados a la salida de Lisa Jackson y la llegada de nuevos perfiles ejecutivos, parecen estar preparando el terreno para una futura sucesión de Tim Cook, sugiriendo un cambio generacional y estratégico crucial dentro de la compañía.Analizamos también los recientes conflictos regulatorios y geopolíticos, destacando la rápida negativa de Apple ante la petición del gobierno de la India de preinstalar aplicaciones de seguridad indelebles y el bloqueo efectivo de FaceTime en Rusia. Además, explicamos la decisión de Apple de reducir drásticamente las recompensas económicas por encontrar fallos de seguridad en Mac, discutiendo si el auge de la inteligencia artificial y la automatización en la detección de vulnerabilidades justifican este cambio en la economía de la ciberseguridad.Por último, evaluamos las perspectivas comerciales del iPhone Air, señalando su alta depreciación proyectada en el mercado de segunda mano, y debatimos sobre la evolución del diseño de las interfaces con conceptos como el "Liquid Glass". Cerramos el episodio repasando los premios anuales de la App Store, donde mostramos cierto escepticismo ante la relevancia de algunas aplicaciones ganadoras este año, y comentamos el galardón otorgado a The Rest Is History como mejor podcast del año. John Giannandrea to retire from Apple - Apple Apple's Top Designer Alan Dye Poached by Meta in Major Coup - Bloomberg [Alan Dye's Departure Viewed as 'Best Personnel News at Apple in Decades' [Report] - iClarified](https://www.iclarified.com/99247/alan-dyes-departure-viewed-as-best-personnel-news-at-apple-in-decades-report) Apple announces executive transitions - Apple India orders Apple to pre-instal a state security app on iPhones Sanchar Saathi: India scraps order to pre-install state-run cyber safety app on smartphones iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows - MacRumors Apple security bounties slashed as Mac malware grows - 9to5Mac Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26 - MacRumors Apple announces winners of the 2025 App Store Awards - 9to5Mac Apple Podcasts names The Rest Is History the 2025 Show of the Year - Apple

On today's episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.

Predator spyware spotted across several countries Russia blocks FaceTime Draft US cyber strategy set for January release Huge thanks to our episode sponsor, Vanta This message comes from Vanta. What's your 2 AM security worry? Is it "Do I have the right controls in place?" Or "Are my vendors secure?" Enter Vanta. Vanta automates manual work, so you can stop sweating over spreadsheets, chasing audit evidence, and filling out endless questionnaires. Their trust management platform continuously monitors your systems, centralizes your data, and simplifies your security at scale. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO

-Shortly after rumors of a deal between the two media giants broke, Netflix has announced it is buying Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max for approximately $82.7 billion. If approved, the deal will take place after Warner Bros. has disentangled itself from both its legacy cable -Hackers with links to China reportedly successfully infiltrated a number of unnamed government and tech entities using advanced malware. As reported by Reuters, cybersecurity agencies from the US and Canada confirmed the attack, which used a backdoor known as “Brickstorm” to target organizations using the VMware vSphere cloud computing platform -Russia's federal agency for monitoring and censoring mass media, has blocked access to Snapchat and FaceTime in the country, Bloomberg reports, citing Russian news service Interfax. The bans were reportedly put in place because the platforms were used "to organize and carry out terrorist acts,” and commit fraud Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who face timed on the date?

Send us a textThe moment you step through the door for a holiday visit, everything feels different: expired food in the fridge, untouched meds, slippery steps, and a parent who seems a little more confused than the last FaceTime. That's the recognition moment countless families experience in December—and the exact point where a responsive, empathetic home care agency can make all the difference.We dive into a practical playbook for meeting families where they are right now. You'll hear how to craft clear, seasonal messaging that mirrors what adult children see—bath avoidance, mobility issues, unpaid bills, loneliness—and offer one simple next step: a same-day safety assessment. We walk through a high-converting email cadence for early December, Christmas week, and post-New Year; social and search strategies that reach ages 45–65; and print leave-behinds designed for referral partners who want tools, not pitches. You'll also get our winter home safety checklist approach, plus ideas to get you in the home quickly and respectfully.Beyond marketing, we share community moves that build genuine goodwill and long-term referrals: cookie decorating events with activity directors, elf-style deliveries with small gifts, reading classic holiday stories, partnering with Meals on Wheels, and sponsoring residents who don't have family. We also outline concrete ways to support current clients through the season—decorating safely, gift shopping, post office runs, worship transport, wellness checks, and caregiver-led connections with distant relatives—so care feels personal and present.If you're ready to turn December's urgency into compassionate action, this guide gives you the words, the assets, and the timing to show up fast and do real good. Subscribe for more timely strategies, share this episode with a colleague who needs new holiday ideas, and leave a quick review to help us reach more agencies ready to serve.Continuum Mastery Circle IntroVisit our website at https://asnhomecaremarketing.comGet Your 11 Free Home Care Marketing Guides: https://bit.ly/homecarerev

We've got new unemployment numbers which could complicate the rate decision by the Fed. This is the Business News Headlines for Thursday the 4th day of December and thank you for listening. In other news, Russia is restricting use of FaceTime and we'll share why. Have you heard of Travel Tuesday?  You will today. Just in time for the holidays Build-A-Bear is running into tariff troubles. The president is headed for Pennsylvania next week to explain why inflation remains high…and he will blame Joe Biden. We'll take a look at the numbers in The Wall Street Report and finally some  surprising numbers coming out of retail leasing. Ready?  Let's go! Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on  PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

You may have seen Kerry draw faces on bananas and oranges to make FaceTime chats fun for kids! But Kerry Byrne, PhD, is no lightweight. She speaks with compassion and clarity on connecting with children 10 and under--while miles away from them. This first interview of two with her will help aunts, uncles, and others who want to remotely strengthen their family ties with a child.Additional resources:thelongdistancegrandparent.comInstagram: @thelongdistancegrandparent

“Jesus is coming” signs, brain rot, and the Giggle of God — yeah, we're starting there.In this one, I'm ranting about religious childhood trauma in the funniest way I know how — youth pastors whispering “Lord, come inside all of us,” yard signs that say “Jesus is coming,” and how wearing a cross is basically spiritual incognito mode plus a VPN for your sins. Observational humor meets absolute blasphemous brain rot.Then I accidentally invent my new alter ego: “God's Giggler.” I paint this whole scene of me backstage at an Austin comedy club with a tiny cigar, lightning in the ceiling, a kid in a Peaky Blinders hat holding a bucket, and me declaring, “God's feeling funny tonight.” This is pure stand-up storytelling energy from an Austin comedian who's maybe taken pre-workout for his imagination.From there we slide hard into funny dad podcast mode: first-year parenting as a full-blown stress test. Baby breath-holding, fevers, rashes, thinking “Welp, guess my baby's dead now” every 10 minutes, and realizing other parents were right when they said, “You are not busy until you have kids.” If you like parenting humor that's way too honest, you're home.I talk about how having a kid nuked my ability to waste time on dumb arguments, turned my 2-hour gym sessions into 45-minute efficiency missions, and forced me to kill a bunch of ego just to survive. Less stewing in drama, more doing reps — in the garage and in life.We also get into screen addiction and babies: my daughter going full Gollum over the phone, why we basically had to break up with FaceTime, and my fantasy of going full flip-phone while still needing Venmo, maps, banking, Amazon, and to run an entire career as a new comedian in 2025.It ends kinda wholesome: how the holidays hit different now, why small-kid years are this fleeting magical window, and how I'm trying to stop living for “the next thing” and actually enjoy the mess I'm in. If you like relatable comedy, funny life stories, and listening to an Austin comedian overthink fatherhood in real time, this is it.Come see a show in Austin, tell a friend about the pod, and rate the pod unless you're a hater.#AustinComedy #FunnyPodcast #DadLife

A young boy notices a strange figure on a FaceTime call with his mother that seems linked to a terrifying moment from his past... Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/thewarningwoods/⁠ Merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thewarningwoods.myshopify.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Written and narrated by Miles Tritle NOTE: The Warning Woods contains stories which include horror elements of all varieties. These may include, but is not limited to, graphic violence, murder, suicide, drug use, human and/or animal death, and other topics some viewers may find upsetting. Keep this in mind when choosing to listen.⁠ Social:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/thewarningwoods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thewarningwoods.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.milestritle.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Copyright 2025 Miles Tritle The Warning Woods podcast contains original works of fiction. Some of the locations within the stories may be real, but the characters and events are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real individuals, groups, organizations, or events, unless otherwise specified, is entirely coincidental. Any names or titles belonging to real individuals, groups, or organization are not used intentionally unless otherwise specified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave was leaning into social media over the weekend looking for any news on the coaching situation at LSU, when he got a FaceTime call from his granddaughter. He enjoyed the chat but is afraid that some nostalgia is gone when he noticed she lost her two front teeth recently and asked her if that is what she wanted for Christmas.  And while Dave was trying to glean any info he could on Lane Kiffin, he came across a video podcast of Bill's brother interviewing someone about the coaching...

If the thought of dating again makes your stomach drop, this episode is exactly what you've been needing. Listen, you're not broken.You're not “too picky.”And you're definitely not imagining it. There is a real, psychological reason why dating feels scary for you — and once you understand it, everything changes. In this episode, I'm walking you step-by-step through:

Chaque semaine, toi et moi on papote

Send us a textThis episode is a FaceTime with my besties, the habits that keep me going when it gets dark early, and the tiny things I do to make everyday life feel a little more main character energy.We're talking friendship plans, fall resets, small seasonal switches, and the mindset that helps me build momentum before the new year even starts.If you want motivation that feels real, comfort that feels cozy, and inspiration  press play ✨Instagram@veronicacamposramos_Tiktok@veronicaramospodcastSnapchatvrverooBusiness contactveronicacampos600 @gmail.com ​self help, how to become the best version of yourself,  best version of you, glow up tips, wellness, lifestyle, fitness, health, female podcast, personal stories, advice, girl talk, how i get my inspiration, how to feel inspired, how to spend more time alone, how to be your own best friend, life updates, relationship advice, motivation for back to school, motivation for fall, getting your life back together, inspiration for fall, productivity

The day before Thanksgiving, we hit pause together for a short "FaceTime-style" heart-to-heart. Whether you're bracing for tricky family dynamics or you're the holiday superfan, this mini-episode gives you a simple, grace-filled plan to enter the day grounded, intentional, and at peace—without pretending or performing. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." — Proverbs 3:5–6 What We Talk About Two honest camps we tend to fall into for Thanksgiving (dreaded & pressured vs. excited & overamped) — and how intention bridges both. The 2023 burnout story that led to boundaries, fewer yeses, and clearer expectations. A 5–10 minute grounding ritual you can do today (journal-optional) to shape tomorrow. Why your presence > performance — and how to carry peace into complicated rooms. Gratitude as an anchor, not a performance — practical ways to spot "small gifts." Navigating family roles, old wounds, and people-pleasing without losing your growth. "Touch grass" breaks and mini-Sabbaths that reset your nervous system mid-chaos. Scripture Anchors Proverbs 3:5–6 — Trust > understanding; acknowledge > control. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 — "Rejoice… pray… give thanks… for this is God's will." Philippians 4:6–7 — Prayer + thanksgiving → peace that guards your heart. Colossians 3:15 — "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful." The 5–10 Minute "Pre-Game" (Do this today) Name it honestly. Write how you actually feel about tomorrow (the good, the hard, the mixed). No bypassing. Three clarifying questions: What do I want to carry into tomorrow? What do I need to leave behind? What kind of presence do I want to bring? (peace, presence, wholeness, gentleness, curiosity, simplicity) Gratitude that isn't performative. List 3–5 specifics: Where has God sustained me lately? What tiny gift have I been overlooking? Where can I choose wonder over worry today? Pray it in. "Jesus, I acknowledge You here. Set my pace. Guard my tone. Keep me rooted." "Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10 Day-Of Rhythm (Quick Guide) Before you step in: step outside, touch grass, breathe, pray a verse (Prov. 3:5–6). Alarms as mini-Sabbaths: try 11:45 / 2:30 / 6:00 — step out, breathe, reset. Protect your growth: You can show up as who you are now, not who you used to be or who they expect. Boundaries are love: You're not responsible for others' perceptions; you are responsible for your presence. Gentle Prompts for the Table (or your journal) Where did I see a small mercy today? What pressure can I lower by 20% without harming the moment? If peace walked into this room, what would it sound like from me? Sponsor Messages PreBorn An ultrasound can double the chance a mom chooses life. This year alone, more than 38,000 babies were rescued through PreBorn's work, with moms supported through counseling and tangible help for up to two years after birth. $28 sponsors one ultrasound. Be the first voice of hope: PreBorn.com/Speakeasy CrowdHealth Open enrollment got you stressed? CrowdHealth is an alternative: pay a monthly advocacy fee for bill negotiation, affordable labs/prescriptions, and a trusted network of low-cost, high-quality doctors. If something big happens, you pay the first $500; the crowd helps with the rest. Start for $99 for your first 3 months with code speakeasy at joincrowdhealth.com. Disclaimer: CrowdHealth is not insurance.

What did FaceTime cheating with RFK Jr. feel like? What does Olivia Nuzzi's MySpace song sound like? And what does Pablo have in common with Jeffrey Epstein? Plus: Bob Woodward's spoken-word rap album... and several cans of worms.Further content:• "Olivia Nuzzi Did It All for Love" (Jacob Bernstein)• "How I Found Out" (Ryan Lizza)• "American Canto: Read the Exclusive Excerpt" (Olivia Nuzzi) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.