Podcasts about Facing

  1.Michael Vlahos as Germanicus debates Gaius in Londinium on parallels between FDR's strategic pivoting in 1941 and the modern United States facing a two-front confrontation against Russia and China. While FDR successfully managed a global vision across separate theaters in Europe and the Pacific, Germanicus argues the contemporary US faces a far more dire reality. Unlike 1941 when American industrial capacity was ascending and capable of outproducing all adversaries, today's United States lacks the manufacturing base to fight simultaneously on two fronts. Germanicus notes that China possesses two hundred times the shipbuilding capability of the US and that American naval vessels are currently covered in rust from neglect. While Gaius observes that FDR prepared Americans for initial losses and questions whether Russia and China constitute a unified axis similar to the Tripartite Pact, Germanicus contends modern America is too divided domestically to absorb military reverses. He argues that Russia and China effectively operate as a single Eurasian entity playing a long game, while the US is losing its proxy war in Ukraine and lacks both military discipline and industrial might to confront Putin and Xi Jinping's strategic patience.

Sponsored By: → Ora | Head to https://ora.organic/pages/drg and use code HEALTHYSELF30 to get 30% off for new customers. That discount stacks with free gifts — you'll receive Stress Release and a glass shaker bottle when you buy the full stack or spend $130 or more. → Puori | Go to https://puori.com/DRG and use the code DRG at checkout to get 32% off your first Puori Creatine+ subscription order. → My one stop shop for quality supplements: https://theswellscore.com/pages/drg Episode Description Every single person in the Epstein files is living in their own personal hell. You think they're winning? They're the furthest from themselves a human being can get. Dr. Christian Gonzalez addresses what so many are feeling right now—the shock, the grief, the helplessness that comes from seeing the depths of human darkness exposed in the Epstein files. This isn't a news breakdown. This is a spiritual reckoning. The question isn't what to do about them. The question is: who are you choosing to be in relation to what you've experienced? In this episode, Dr. G reveals: • Why the people who hurt children are already living in their own personal hell—no external justice needed • The "Conversations with God" principle that reframes all suffering as an opportunity to remember who you are • How holding onto anger, helplessness, and fear burns a hole in your own being—and what to do instead This episode is raw, emotional, and necessary. If the state of the world has shaken you to your core, press play. Timestamps: 0:00 - The People in Power Are Living in Hell  0:19 - Why the Epstein Files Shook Me to My Core  1:21 - This Challenged My Belief in Humanity  2:39 - We All Have the Capacity to Hurt Others  3:43 - The Book That Changed My Perspective  9:07 - To Know Yourself as Love, You Must Experience Fear  10:18 - Who Are You in Relation to What You Experience?  11:23 - They're Already Living in Their Own Personal Hell  13:03 - Can You Find Light in the Darkest People?  15:10 - How to Alchemize Pain Into Purpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of The Way Forward, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.You're not running your life… your belief system is.Today I'm joined by Josh Trent, an identity transformation architect and the host of the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast. For nearly a decade, his work has centered on helping driven, burnt-out achievers unwind the emotional and belief patterns that run their lives.Identity under pressure reveals how much of who we are was shaped long before we had a choice, with unconscious beliefs tracing back far beyond our own lived experiences. Nervous system regulation, money stories, and lineage show up as an interconnected web that influences how daily life is experienced and navigated. Addiction and self-abandonment surface as signals of deeper disconnection. Responsibility for the inner world becomes less about fixing what's wrong and more about seeing what's beneath the surface.This episode speaks to anyone sensing that forward movement isn't about more tactics, but by understanding the forces shaping personal choices, accumulated stress, and the kind of freedom that feels earned rather than chased.You'll Learn:[00:00] Introduction[06:30] Breaking down the old identity: the practices Josh used for transformation[19:02] Is plant medicine a necessity when it comes to transformation?[34:07] Getting to your root beliefs with the BTFA practice: a breathwork walkthrough[58:45] Traditional talk therapy vs somatic approaches[01:11:23] Understanding addiction as disconnection and the trap of trading one addiction for another[01:27:05] Facing your biggest fear in real-time: how Alec nearly shut down his podcast[01:41:24] Emotional epigenetics and unconsciously passing patterns down through generations[01:53:58] The single most powerful practice: emotional inventoryRelated The Way Forward Episodes:Health Freedom for Humanity with Josh Trent | Spotify or AppleResources Mentioned:The Great Unlearn with Cal Callahan | WebsiteFearful Memories Passed Down to Mouse Descendants by Callaway E. | ArticleSelf Liberation Blueprint + The Liberated Life Tribe Free Community:The Self Liberation Blueprint is a 10-day jumpstart and free tribe access that's perfect for the person who feels stuck, and they don't know why. See Why: You're not broken, you're just bio-energetically burdenedEmotional Epigenetics™: You're Not Broken, You're Bio-Energetically Burdened:Understanding and breaking free from your inherited unconscious beliefs, emotional patterns, and environmental expression will change the fabric and fruits of your life. In this video, Josh Trent uncovers the Science + Spiritual Truth of Emotional Epigenetics™ to show you how.Wellness + Wisdom Podcast: See life through a different lens™ to nourish the 5 sides of SELF: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual & financial ⬟ with Josh Trent on the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast Learn more from Josh:Wellness + Wisdom | WebsiteFind more from Alec:Alec Zeck | InstagramAlec Zeck | XThe Way Forward | InstagramThe Way Forward is Sponsored By:Paleovalley is 100% Grass-Fed Bone Broth Protein is a nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest source of collagen and essential amino acids. Sourced from grass-fed cows, this protein powder provides the building blocks for healthy joints, skin, and gut function—without fillers or artificial ingredients. Support the show and claim 15% off your PaleoValley order!New Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground UpExperience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more. Visit www.NewBiologyClinic.com and use code THEWAYFORWARD (case sensitive) for $50 off activation. Members get the $150 fee waived

Grief is heavier for kids today. Divorce. Death. Global crises. Friendship fractures. Family instability. Even exposure to constant news cycles. In this episode of Facing the Dark, Wayne and Dr. Kathy talk honestly about what it looks like to help children process grief, without rushing them, fixing them, or forcing conversations they're not ready to have. Before diving in, Dr. Kathy recommends an outstanding resource: childgrief.org, created by Dr. Shelley Melia of Dallas Baptist University. It's a thoughtful, research-based site devoted specifically to understanding child grief.

Exodus 14:1-14Message #10215

" His plan for us is to eventually just be back with Him. It doesn't matter what it looks like as long as we end up choosing Him. And that's what I've come to learn...His plan was for me to be in a covenant keeping life and I am here now. He just helped me to get back."00:00 A Violent Encounter02:30 Brayden's Early Life09:31 Double Life and Gang Involvement16:17 A Wake-Up Call32:12 A New Purpose40:43 Life in Prison45:29 Solitary Confinement52:00 Post-Prison Life and ReflectionsMemor Jewelry code COMEBACK for 10% offhttps://memorjewelry.com/Serve Clothing code COMEBACK for 15% offhttps://serveclothing.com/If you have a story to share please fill out the form: https://form.jotform.com/233109071625046For inquiries contact info.comebackpodcast@gmail.com

Have you ever realized how many little choices we make each day that shape our future? How about the fact that our future is truly unknown, yet we often live with a degree of certainty. As I walk through my sister's diagnosis with her, I feel her courage as she truly faces the unknown and has to make choices. Listen in and see what applies to your life and embrace the opportunity to learn without the diagnosis.Thank you for being here; you matter.I am offering sessions on Tuesday mornings. If you want an elder to hold space for you and reflect on your amazingness, sign up on my website. I am always happy to hear from you.You can reach me at terces@tercesengelhart.com, and I will reply. Additionally, if you would like to order my book directly from me, I am happy to send you a signed copy. Please email me, and I'll send it to you. ($15 plus shipping)If you know of anyone who might benefit from listening in, share a link to an episode with them; in other words, be an invitation to join us. Get full access to Terces's Substack at engelhart.substack.com/subscribe

This message continues our series on becoming the unstoppable church Jesus designed. Facing death, sin, and spiritual opposition, we find life through Christ's body. In Ecclesiastes 4:7–12, we see that relationships bring strength, support, and protection. In a lonely culture, intentional church community is essential, not optional.Watch the full episode on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTz8p2W0w58&t=2401s0w58

Husbands and cookies are exchanged, to add holiday cheer.Based on a post by SandyMarl, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The Chix Annual Christmas Cookie ExchangeMcNally topped off each of the four glasses, then tipped the bottle to her lips to make sure she’d drained the last sweet drop of Gewürztraminer. McNally smacked her lips before inserting her tongue into the brown wine bottle’s narrow orifice. “Umm, a sweet little rim job before I recycle this dead soldier,” she announced to a kitchen packed with a few of her long-time friends. “This dark guy is so sweet, I just love him,” she said as she continued her fellatio pantomime by wrapping her lips around the narrow neck as she encircled her fingers and made a couple of strokes up and down the bottle like she was finishing a masterful blow job.Her friends watched her risqué display and giggled, except for Patricia. Patricia picked through the array of Christmas cookie cutter shapes laid out at the edge of the counter, dropping her eyes as she scolded, “McNally, you should be more thoughtful of Dana. Your tipsy little joke is in poor taste in front of our hostess, especially at this time of year.” Patricia meant it as a sobering rebuke, as if any of the girls present needed to be reminded of Dana’s recently widowed status, especially around Christmas.McNally pulled the wine bottle’s phallic dimensions from her lips, setting it down and turning to Dana, “Oh crap, I’m sorry. You know I had no intention of opening painful memories; I was only trying to lift the holiday spirits with a little bawdy humor… I was just thinking…”Dana turned to McNally, “I know. I know you McNally – boy do I know you. You’re always thinking we Chix should loosen up our inhibitions and take a walk on the steamier side of life; and boy are you always ready with a risqué joke, a steamy story or a naughty pun.”Dana broke into a smile, and then spoke to her closest friends, “Hey Chix, you guys are so great! You’re the only reason I’m able to get through this time of year. Without y'all, I’d be nothing but a blubbering mess this Christmas. Facing the painful first anniversary of Sander’s passing is really hard. It’d be unbearable if I had to go through it alone. The support of my Chix means everything to me right now.”Dana forced a cheery voice and continued speaking after dusting the flour off her hands. “I insisted y'all come into my kitchen this year and fill it with holiday cheer, so it’d be like the good times we had before. I want everyone to make a big sugary mess for me to clean up and keep me busy. Our annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange is our tradition; it’s now more meaningful to me than ever. I’m dreading the holidays…” Dana paused to collect her emotions before continuing, “… as the holiday season approaches, I fear being all alone, left to deal with the memory of Sander’s skiing accident by myself. I need my Chix more than ever right now. I need something to keep my mind from dwelling on the anniversary of the accident.”Dana gave a congenial but forced looking smile to the women in her kitchen. “McNally, you go right on giving your Gewurztraminer boyfriend’s long, brown glass cock a good sucking, it’s fine with me and the rest of these kitchen voyeurs. Keep it up, all of you, be merry and I’ll find a way to get by.”Annie wiped a tear off her cheek as she stepped to Dana, wrapping her arms and her baggy, ugly Christmas sweater around Dana, managing to get cookie dough crumbs in Dana’s hair in the process. Annie hugged Dana tight, embracing her in a prolonged hold to convey her sympathy and shared grief at the loss of Dana’s husband last year. Annie teared up again as she remembered gathering with McNally and Patricia to take down the tree and put away all the festive Christmas decorations in Dana’s house as Dana planned Sander’s funeral.It was all so sad, so hard to deal with. Annie admired McNally’s flair to disregard the implicit sadness hanging over their annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange; but didn’t want to get between McNally and Patricia as they scuffled over the proper decorum in Dana’s kitchen under the circumstances.Annie let go and pulled away from her embrace, and as she did, she gasped, “Oh Dana, I’m sorry. Look what I’ve done, my dirty apron made a mess on your top. I’m sorry.”Dana laughed, “I should’ve expected this would happen, wearing black when I’m in the middle of a hen party with flour flying all over my kitchen. I thought I’d feel and look slimmer wearing black, a self-deluding effect to counteract my debauched cookie sampling today. I might as well just drop these little Santa cookies down my pants and let ‘em stick right there on my hips,” smacking her hands on her ass for emphasis.Annie, trying to make up for the accidental flour dusting, began to brush her fingers across Dana’s boobs, fussing and worrying she’d ruined Dana’s pullover. Dana laughed it off, “Annie, stop fretting, it’ll wash out, no problem. Relax. Let’s all have a good time making a mess as we bake and decorate our cookies. There’s something festive about a busy and messy kitchen. I just love it.”McNally watched from the other side of the counter as Annie dabbed and wiped the front of Dana’s chest, “I know what you’re getting for Christmas - one of those cordless hand vacuums; they market it as a bust duster.” Everyone cracked up at McNally’s pun, even Patricia.The timer went off; Patricia stepped to the oven to check on the first batch of cookies. She pulled out the cookie sheet and put it on the cooling rack.“Those look perfect,” Annie announced.“They’re not perfect until they’re decorated,” responded Dana. “They’re just plain-Jane naked right now. It’s our job to get them all dressed up in their Christmas fancy-pants.”“Oh, Patricia, can you grab the box of sprinkles and glittery decorating doo-dahs from the cupboard next to the oven?” asked Dana. Patricia set the full box of decorating doo-dahs on the kitchen table.McNally burst into song, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, Camptown ladies sing this song, all the doo-dah day!” McNally’s three friends joined in a final chorus, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, all the doo-dah day!”“Now things are starting to sound festive,” declared Dana as she mixed bowls of red and green frosting. “McNally, there’s a bottle of Riesling in the garage fridge – I know I don’t have to ask twice to get you to bring that one in and pour another round.”Annie said, “This is sounding and feeling like old times; like back in the beginning when we worked at Dix Chix. Who remembers which of us four started waitressing first at Dix?”“Wasn’t me,” was McNally’s contribution from the hallway, “I’m the youngest of the Chix.”“It could’ve been you; you’ve always had a reputation for starting early McNally,” was Patricia’s retort.McNally laughed at the ribbing. “I seem to recall that Annie got hired a few days ahead of me.”“So, when did we become collectively known as 'The Chix?’” was Dana’s follow up question.Annie answered, “It was Patricia. She advertised to all the boys that there were some interesting Chix to be found in the backroom of Dix Chix Family Restaurant after closing. If a boy had the right stuff, he could find his way into the place and get a few drinks, no ID required.”“That may be true, but I got the idea from that new girl,” said Patricia in a defensive tone. “The new girl suggested it was a crying shame that us four Chix had to close up on Friday and Saturday nights without having any cocks around to make it fun,” was Patricia’s recollection. “Being the studious college girl, Mrs. Dix trusted me with the keys and the liquor inventory.”“And who might have been the corrupting 'new girl’ who put that idea of letting some cocks into the back room with those chicks?” asked Dana with a smirk.“I hear she’s still tending bar somewhere, perhaps more corrupting than ever,” Patricia offered in an offhand guess.McNally, a seasoned barmaid, filled the wine glasses scattered around the kitchen, “I just thought it was false advertising to have a big neon sign that flashed Dix Chix, yet only the Chix half of the attraction was available. I merely suggested to the old timer running the show that if we were working to close the place on Friday and Saturday nights, we owed it to ourselves to have a crew of Dix to go with the Chix. Like the sign said.”Annie asked, “Patricia, I’ve always wondered, how did you choose which boys got an after-hours invitation to the backroom?”“I delegate,” was Patricia’s reply. “That’s why I’m management material. I consulted a trusted source.”McNally gave a curtsey acknowledging her role, and then filled in the story line, “Guys are pretty simple. I’d give the cute ones a line; 'Winner, winner, chicken dinner - Would you prefer a breast or a thigh?’ I then slipped 'em an offer, 'Come on by Dix Chix late some night this weekend for a chicken tender special – tell 'em McNally sent you.’” The three ladies exploded into hearty whoops at McNally’s explanation.Dana took a sip out of her glass, thinking for a moment, “McNally are you responsible then for introducing each of us to our future husbands? I’d never thought of it like that.”“Ultimately the Chix chooses the Dix. At least, that’s how I’d look at it. In collusion with Patricia, I merely helped sow some wild oats in that Dix Chix backroom. But I only sowed the seeds. It was the others who reaped the harvest. I must admit, I did have to run a lot of lame-cock also-rans through that backroom before some of them ended up sticking around for a while.”“Well, however you did it, Sander and I hit it off - after Patricia passed on him and I scooped him up, as I seem to recall. I guess I never thanked you for your fine work.” Dana raised her glass in a salute to McNally.“I’m happy it worked for you Dana,” said Patricia, “I had my eye out for one of those solid, basic models, a kind of nerdy, engineering type. My philosophy was that those low-key kinds of guys wear well. I seem to recall McNally telling me that she didn’t usually fish in those kinds of nerdy-fish ponds, but she promised she’d expand her repertoire to see if she could toss such a specimen my way.”“I remember when Will showed up at the backroom, he looked a little dazed and confused. McNally had to act fast to ease Will into the situation and then gently hand him off to Patricia,” recalled Annie. “So, how’d McNally’s low-key, nerdish fish land in your lap then Patricia?”Patricia made a wistful smile as she rolled out a sheet of dough, “I guess I got what I wanted. Though, I’ve wondered some days if I should have dropped my line into a different pond. There’ve been some days when I wonder what life would’ve been like with a spicier, adventurous man… but that’s normal, right? Don’t we all have some days where we wish things were different?”Annie, Dana and McNally were quick to assure Patricia that they all had their moments when they had a twinge of doubt about their choices in husbands. “Yeah, that’s pretty normal I think,” added Annie.Annie went back to the mixing bowl where she was making rounded, nut-filled Mexican Wedding Cake cookies and dusting them with flour. “Nelson has always been supportive of me, I have to think that our marriage is better than some that I know of, but over the years some of the spark has dimmed. Maybe it’s me, but honestly, if he wanted more sex, I’d consider letting the ol’ boy find a fling with another woman, as long as she agreed to clean my house in exchange for Nelson’s services.”Dana gave up a small squeak, “Serious?”“Oh, just a quirky idea. It’s not like we’d be on the brink of a divorce, we’re perfectly compatible. It would merely be a convenient arrangement, Nelson the ol’ goat, would get more action and stop pestering me and I’d get a clean house and more time. I think it’d be a fair exchange.” Annie shrugged as she spooned out a lump of dough and patted it into a little ball.Dana sighed, “Oh Annie. Annie, you should enjoy the little things from Nelson. You know what I miss most from Sander? It’s little things like tangling our feet together in bed, I really miss the feeling of when Sander would reach across the bed and pull me over close to him. It didn’t have to be sex, sometimes it was so good just to have him spoon into my backside and reach over to caress my breasts.” Dana took a deep breath, “I’m just here to remind The Chix, like they say, 'You don’t know what you got 'til it’s gone.’”Annie’s eyes moistened again, “I’m sorry Dana, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’m so sorry.”“They’re good memories Annie, I don’t feel bad. Just sad at Christmas now. Get back to making cookies and a mess; it’s the only thing that’ll save me, girl.”Patricia began pressing the cookie cutter into her sheet of dough while pressing this girl-talk topic a little further, “McNally, I’m kind of surprised you and Orlando have made it work so well all of these years. It has always seemed to me that you two traveled in different orbits.”McNally laughed as she put down her half-empty wine glass, concentrating on mixing up some chocolate frosting. “It’s a beautiful cosmic dance between me and Orlando. We’re a pair of heavenly bodies sharing our orbits when the gravitational attraction pulls us close. Otherwise, we each have our own interests as y'all know perfectly well. Orlando has his poetry, music and writing projects. I love lending my graphic and artistic vision to Orlando’s projects when it fits. When we collaborate, we make beautiful art. When we’re not collaborating on something, that’s when I fill my orbit with my animals and other pets.”Patricia raised an eyebrow, “Do you care for your 'pets’ as much as you do your animals?”“Me and my pets share a sensual bond and an understanding. I will never abandon one of my animals. But my pets come and then my pets go, every pet in his own season. I enjoy a wide orbit in this life Patricia.”McNally took another sip, becoming introspective, “Hey you know what? I’d have to say that The Chix is my longest held orbit. It’s so good to have you gals around for me for all of these years.” McNally raised her glass in a toast, “To The Chix. To the long and strong bond of three great gals who have kept me in their orbit as the rest of this crazy world spins out of control. Merry fucking Christmas, to one and to all!” McNally gave a swift motion with her hand, directing her three friends to join her in her toast.Everyone stepped to McNally’s end of the counter, touching their glasses, creating a resounding chime as the glassware clinked. “Here! Here!” said Dana, “Let’s make this a Merry fucking Christmas for one and for all!”“I’ll drink to that,” offered McNally.“Of course, you will,” noted Patricia.Annie gave her signature tipsy laugh, “I’ll drink to that Patricia!” and took a gulp.“May I join you?” asked McNally.Dana laughed, “Wait for me! I’ll drink to that too!”McNally turned and walked away from the circled Chix. “Where are you off to McNally?”“Time for the Pinot Noir - any arguments?”“Yeah. What about the Pinot Grigio?” asked Dana in a mock argumentative voice.“No blow back from me. I’ll get both.” With that McNally disappeared into the garage.The cookie production line clicked into gear as The Chix rolled out a pile of baked cookie shapes and an assortment of buttery spritz cookies, chocolate drops, nut bars to go with the gooey lemon bars and shortbread. “My favorite thing in this whole kitchen, other than maybe the wine, is doing the detailed decorations with colored frosting and sprinkles,” announced Dana.“Here you go then Dana,” said Patricia as she set two hot cookie sheets on the cooling racks, “you’ve got your work cut out for you with all of these shapes.” Patricia brandished a pair of cookie cutters, “You have me to thank for 'cutting your work out for you’; you’ve got Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Christmas trees, wreathes, ornaments, stockings, snowmen, reindeer and candy canes galore.”“'Work cut out for you’, I see what you did there,” observed Annie. “You’ve been hanging around McNally too much.”McNally grabbed a couple of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes from Annie’s station and then a candy cane shaped cookie off the pile of undecorated cookies.“What are you working on McNally?” was Dana’s question.“I’ve been inspired by Annie’s earlier comments and her idea of exchanging Nelson’s candy cane for housework.”Annie chortled, “What? Something creative for me? My, my, what could it be McNally?”“Avert your eyes; I’m making you a little surprise.” Annie laughed and pretended to look away, but she and the others watched to see what culinary form McNally’s inspiration took. McNally coated both sides of the candy cane in pink frosting and then covered the straight end of the candy cane with a thin white glaze. She grabbed two pecan halves from the bowl, placing them on top of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes and then wedged the decorated pink candy cane between the two, projecting upward. McNally handed the 3D cookie sculpture to Annie on a small paper plate. “Here you go girl, a little something sweet to enjoy stuffing into your stocking while Nelson is out with your domestic help.”The Chix all laughed, applauding McNally’s skill at coming up with a naughty little cookie. “See, he comes with a pair of real nuts, and I’ve given his sweet candy cane a condom coating of sugar glaze. And if you’ve been feeling pressure to put out Annie, be assured that he only wants to cum in your chimney once a year.”Annie was laughing pretty hard, “You’re so thoughtful McNally. But I’ve been a good girl all year; I think I deserve to get a bigger candy cane.”“Ho, ho, ho,” chuckled McNally, “What you’re asking for is reserved for the naughty girls on m

Husbands and cookies are exchanged, to add holiday cheer.Based on a post by SandyMarl, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The Chix Annual Christmas Cookie ExchangeMcNally topped off each of the four glasses, then tipped the bottle to her lips to make sure she’d drained the last sweet drop of Gewürztraminer. McNally smacked her lips before inserting her tongue into the brown wine bottle’s narrow orifice. “Umm, a sweet little rim job before I recycle this dead soldier,” she announced to a kitchen packed with a few of her long-time friends. “This dark guy is so sweet, I just love him,” she said as she continued her fellatio pantomime by wrapping her lips around the narrow neck as she encircled her fingers and made a couple of strokes up and down the bottle like she was finishing a masterful blow job.Her friends watched her risqué display and giggled, except for Patricia. Patricia picked through the array of Christmas cookie cutter shapes laid out at the edge of the counter, dropping her eyes as she scolded, “McNally, you should be more thoughtful of Dana. Your tipsy little joke is in poor taste in front of our hostess, especially at this time of year.” Patricia meant it as a sobering rebuke, as if any of the girls present needed to be reminded of Dana’s recently widowed status, especially around Christmas.McNally pulled the wine bottle’s phallic dimensions from her lips, setting it down and turning to Dana, “Oh crap, I’m sorry. You know I had no intention of opening painful memories; I was only trying to lift the holiday spirits with a little bawdy humor… I was just thinking…”Dana turned to McNally, “I know. I know you McNally – boy do I know you. You’re always thinking we Chix should loosen up our inhibitions and take a walk on the steamier side of life; and boy are you always ready with a risqué joke, a steamy story or a naughty pun.”Dana broke into a smile, and then spoke to her closest friends, “Hey Chix, you guys are so great! You’re the only reason I’m able to get through this time of year. Without y'all, I’d be nothing but a blubbering mess this Christmas. Facing the painful first anniversary of Sander’s passing is really hard. It’d be unbearable if I had to go through it alone. The support of my Chix means everything to me right now.”Dana forced a cheery voice and continued speaking after dusting the flour off her hands. “I insisted y'all come into my kitchen this year and fill it with holiday cheer, so it’d be like the good times we had before. I want everyone to make a big sugary mess for me to clean up and keep me busy. Our annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange is our tradition; it’s now more meaningful to me than ever. I’m dreading the holidays…” Dana paused to collect her emotions before continuing, “… as the holiday season approaches, I fear being all alone, left to deal with the memory of Sander’s skiing accident by myself. I need my Chix more than ever right now. I need something to keep my mind from dwelling on the anniversary of the accident.”Dana gave a congenial but forced looking smile to the women in her kitchen. “McNally, you go right on giving your Gewurztraminer boyfriend’s long, brown glass cock a good sucking, it’s fine with me and the rest of these kitchen voyeurs. Keep it up, all of you, be merry and I’ll find a way to get by.”Annie wiped a tear off her cheek as she stepped to Dana, wrapping her arms and her baggy, ugly Christmas sweater around Dana, managing to get cookie dough crumbs in Dana’s hair in the process. Annie hugged Dana tight, embracing her in a prolonged hold to convey her sympathy and shared grief at the loss of Dana’s husband last year. Annie teared up again as she remembered gathering with McNally and Patricia to take down the tree and put away all the festive Christmas decorations in Dana’s house as Dana planned Sander’s funeral.It was all so sad, so hard to deal with. Annie admired McNally’s flair to disregard the implicit sadness hanging over their annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange; but didn’t want to get between McNally and Patricia as they scuffled over the proper decorum in Dana’s kitchen under the circumstances.Annie let go and pulled away from her embrace, and as she did, she gasped, “Oh Dana, I’m sorry. Look what I’ve done, my dirty apron made a mess on your top. I’m sorry.”Dana laughed, “I should’ve expected this would happen, wearing black when I’m in the middle of a hen party with flour flying all over my kitchen. I thought I’d feel and look slimmer wearing black, a self-deluding effect to counteract my debauched cookie sampling today. I might as well just drop these little Santa cookies down my pants and let ‘em stick right there on my hips,” smacking her hands on her ass for emphasis.Annie, trying to make up for the accidental flour dusting, began to brush her fingers across Dana’s boobs, fussing and worrying she’d ruined Dana’s pullover. Dana laughed it off, “Annie, stop fretting, it’ll wash out, no problem. Relax. Let’s all have a good time making a mess as we bake and decorate our cookies. There’s something festive about a busy and messy kitchen. I just love it.”McNally watched from the other side of the counter as Annie dabbed and wiped the front of Dana’s chest, “I know what you’re getting for Christmas - one of those cordless hand vacuums; they market it as a bust duster.” Everyone cracked up at McNally’s pun, even Patricia.The timer went off; Patricia stepped to the oven to check on the first batch of cookies. She pulled out the cookie sheet and put it on the cooling rack.“Those look perfect,” Annie announced.“They’re not perfect until they’re decorated,” responded Dana. “They’re just plain-Jane naked right now. It’s our job to get them all dressed up in their Christmas fancy-pants.”“Oh, Patricia, can you grab the box of sprinkles and glittery decorating doo-dahs from the cupboard next to the oven?” asked Dana. Patricia set the full box of decorating doo-dahs on the kitchen table.McNally burst into song, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, Camptown ladies sing this song, all the doo-dah day!” McNally’s three friends joined in a final chorus, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, all the doo-dah day!”“Now things are starting to sound festive,” declared Dana as she mixed bowls of red and green frosting. “McNally, there’s a bottle of Riesling in the garage fridge – I know I don’t have to ask twice to get you to bring that one in and pour another round.”Annie said, “This is sounding and feeling like old times; like back in the beginning when we worked at Dix Chix. Who remembers which of us four started waitressing first at Dix?”“Wasn’t me,” was McNally’s contribution from the hallway, “I’m the youngest of the Chix.”“It could’ve been you; you’ve always had a reputation for starting early McNally,” was Patricia’s retort.McNally laughed at the ribbing. “I seem to recall that Annie got hired a few days ahead of me.”“So, when did we become collectively known as 'The Chix?’” was Dana’s follow up question.Annie answered, “It was Patricia. She advertised to all the boys that there were some interesting Chix to be found in the backroom of Dix Chix Family Restaurant after closing. If a boy had the right stuff, he could find his way into the place and get a few drinks, no ID required.”“That may be true, but I got the idea from that new girl,” said Patricia in a defensive tone. “The new girl suggested it was a crying shame that us four Chix had to close up on Friday and Saturday nights without having any cocks around to make it fun,” was Patricia’s recollection. “Being the studious college girl, Mrs. Dix trusted me with the keys and the liquor inventory.”“And who might have been the corrupting 'new girl’ who put that idea of letting some cocks into the back room with those chicks?” asked Dana with a smirk.“I hear she’s still tending bar somewhere, perhaps more corrupting than ever,” Patricia offered in an offhand guess.McNally, a seasoned barmaid, filled the wine glasses scattered around the kitchen, “I just thought it was false advertising to have a big neon sign that flashed Dix Chix, yet only the Chix half of the attraction was available. I merely suggested to the old timer running the show that if we were working to close the place on Friday and Saturday nights, we owed it to ourselves to have a crew of Dix to go with the Chix. Like the sign said.”Annie asked, “Patricia, I’ve always wondered, how did you choose which boys got an after-hours invitation to the backroom?”“I delegate,” was Patricia’s reply. “That’s why I’m management material. I consulted a trusted source.”McNally gave a curtsey acknowledging her role, and then filled in the story line, “Guys are pretty simple. I’d give the cute ones a line; 'Winner, winner, chicken dinner - Would you prefer a breast or a thigh?’ I then slipped 'em an offer, 'Come on by Dix Chix late some night this weekend for a chicken tender special – tell 'em McNally sent you.’” The three ladies exploded into hearty whoops at McNally’s explanation.Dana took a sip out of her glass, thinking for a moment, “McNally are you responsible then for introducing each of us to our future husbands? I’d never thought of it like that.”“Ultimately the Chix chooses the Dix. At least, that’s how I’d look at it. In collusion with Patricia, I merely helped sow some wild oats in that Dix Chix backroom. But I only sowed the seeds. It was the others who reaped the harvest. I must admit, I did have to run a lot of lame-cock also-rans through that backroom before some of them ended up sticking around for a while.”“Well, however you did it, Sander and I hit it off - after Patricia passed on him and I scooped him up, as I seem to recall. I guess I never thanked you for your fine work.” Dana raised her glass in a salute to McNally.“I’m happy it worked for you Dana,” said Patricia, “I had my eye out for one of those solid, basic models, a kind of nerdy, engineering type. My philosophy was that those low-key kinds of guys wear well. I seem to recall McNally telling me that she didn’t usually fish in those kinds of nerdy-fish ponds, but she promised she’d expand her repertoire to see if she could toss such a specimen my way.”“I remember when Will showed up at the backroom, he looked a little dazed and confused. McNally had to act fast to ease Will into the situation and then gently hand him off to Patricia,” recalled Annie. “So, how’d McNally’s low-key, nerdish fish land in your lap then Patricia?”Patricia made a wistful smile as she rolled out a sheet of dough, “I guess I got what I wanted. Though, I’ve wondered some days if I should have dropped my line into a different pond. There’ve been some days when I wonder what life would’ve been like with a spicier, adventurous man… but that’s normal, right? Don’t we all have some days where we wish things were different?”Annie, Dana and McNally were quick to assure Patricia that they all had their moments when they had a twinge of doubt about their choices in husbands. “Yeah, that’s pretty normal I think,” added Annie.Annie went back to the mixing bowl where she was making rounded, nut-filled Mexican Wedding Cake cookies and dusting them with flour. “Nelson has always been supportive of me, I have to think that our marriage is better than some that I know of, but over the years some of the spark has dimmed. Maybe it’s me, but honestly, if he wanted more sex, I’d consider letting the ol’ boy find a fling with another woman, as long as she agreed to clean my house in exchange for Nelson’s services.”Dana gave up a small squeak, “Serious?”“Oh, just a quirky idea. It’s not like we’d be on the brink of a divorce, we’re perfectly compatible. It would merely be a convenient arrangement, Nelson the ol’ goat, would get more action and stop pestering me and I’d get a clean house and more time. I think it’d be a fair exchange.” Annie shrugged as she spooned out a lump of dough and patted it into a little ball.Dana sighed, “Oh Annie. Annie, you should enjoy the little things from Nelson. You know what I miss most from Sander? It’s little things like tangling our feet together in bed, I really miss the feeling of when Sander would reach across the bed and pull me over close to him. It didn’t have to be sex, sometimes it was so good just to have him spoon into my backside and reach over to caress my breasts.” Dana took a deep breath, “I’m just here to remind The Chix, like they say, 'You don’t know what you got 'til it’s gone.’”Annie’s eyes moistened again, “I’m sorry Dana, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’m so sorry.”“They’re good memories Annie, I don’t feel bad. Just sad at Christmas now. Get back to making cookies and a mess; it’s the only thing that’ll save me, girl.”Patricia began pressing the cookie cutter into her sheet of dough while pressing this girl-talk topic a little further, “McNally, I’m kind of surprised you and Orlando have made it work so well all of these years. It has always seemed to me that you two traveled in different orbits.”McNally laughed as she put down her half-empty wine glass, concentrating on mixing up some chocolate frosting. “It’s a beautiful cosmic dance between me and Orlando. We’re a pair of heavenly bodies sharing our orbits when the gravitational attraction pulls us close. Otherwise, we each have our own interests as y'all know perfectly well. Orlando has his poetry, music and writing projects. I love lending my graphic and artistic vision to Orlando’s projects when it fits. When we collaborate, we make beautiful art. When we’re not collaborating on something, that’s when I fill my orbit with my animals and other pets.”Patricia raised an eyebrow, “Do you care for your 'pets’ as much as you do your animals?”“Me and my pets share a sensual bond and an understanding. I will never abandon one of my animals. But my pets come and then my pets go, every pet in his own season. I enjoy a wide orbit in this life Patricia.”McNally took another sip, becoming introspective, “Hey you know what? I’d have to say that The Chix is my longest held orbit. It’s so good to have you gals around for me for all of these years.” McNally raised her glass in a toast, “To The Chix. To the long and strong bond of three great gals who have kept me in their orbit as the rest of this crazy world spins out of control. Merry fucking Christmas, to one and to all!” McNally gave a swift motion with her hand, directing her three friends to join her in her toast.Everyone stepped to McNally’s end of the counter, touching their glasses, creating a resounding chime as the glassware clinked. “Here! Here!” said Dana, “Let’s make this a Merry fucking Christmas for one and for all!”“I’ll drink to that,” offered McNally.“Of course, you will,” noted Patricia.Annie gave her signature tipsy laugh, “I’ll drink to that Patricia!” and took a gulp.“May I join you?” asked McNally.Dana laughed, “Wait for me! I’ll drink to that too!”McNally turned and walked away from the circled Chix. “Where are you off to McNally?”“Time for the Pinot Noir - any arguments?”“Yeah. What about the Pinot Grigio?” asked Dana in a mock argumentative voice.“No blow back from me. I’ll get both.” With that McNally disappeared into the garage.The cookie production line clicked into gear as The Chix rolled out a pile of baked cookie shapes and an assortment of buttery spritz cookies, chocolate drops, nut bars to go with the gooey lemon bars and shortbread. “My favorite thing in this whole kitchen, other than maybe the wine, is doing the detailed decorations with colored frosting and sprinkles,” announced Dana.“Here you go then Dana,” said Patricia as she set two hot cookie sheets on the cooling racks, “you’ve got your work cut out for you with all of these shapes.” Patricia brandished a pair of cookie cutters, “You have me to thank for 'cutting your work out for you’; you’ve got Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Christmas trees, wreathes, ornaments, stockings, snowmen, reindeer and candy canes galore.”“'Work cut out for you’, I see what you did there,” observed Annie. “You’ve been hanging around McNally too much.”McNally grabbed a couple of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes from Annie’s station and then a candy cane shaped cookie off the pile of undecorated cookies.“What are you working on McNally?” was Dana’s question.“I’ve been inspired by Annie’s earlier comments and her idea of exchanging Nelson’s candy cane for housework.”Annie chortled, “What? Something creative for me? My, my, what could it be McNally?”“Avert your eyes; I’m making you a little surprise.” Annie laughed and pretended to look away, but she and the others watched to see what culinary form McNally’s inspiration took. McNally coated both sides of the candy cane in pink frosting and then covered the straight end of the candy cane with a thin white glaze. She grabbed two pecan halves from the bowl, placing them on top of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes and then wedged the decorated pink candy cane between the two, projecting upward. McNally handed the 3D cookie sculpture to Annie on a small paper plate. “Here you go girl, a little something sweet to enjoy stuffing into your stocking while Nelson is out with your domestic help.”The Chix all laughed, applauding McNally’s skill at coming up with a naughty little cookie. “See, he comes with a pair of real nuts, and I’ve given his sweet candy cane a condom coating of sugar glaze. And if you’ve been feeling pressure to put out Annie, be assured that he only wants to cum in your chimney once a year.”Annie was laughing pretty hard, “You’re so thoughtful McNally. But I’ve been a good girl all year; I think I deserve to get a bigger candy cane.”“Ho, ho, ho,” chuckled McNally, “What you’re asking for is reserved for the naughty girls on m

Husbands and cookies are exchanged, to add holiday cheer.Based on a post by SandyMarl, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The Chix Annual Christmas Cookie ExchangeMcNally topped off each of the four glasses, then tipped the bottle to her lips to make sure she’d drained the last sweet drop of Gewürztraminer. McNally smacked her lips before inserting her tongue into the brown wine bottle’s narrow orifice. “Umm, a sweet little rim job before I recycle this dead soldier,” she announced to a kitchen packed with a few of her long-time friends. “This dark guy is so sweet, I just love him,” she said as she continued her fellatio pantomime by wrapping her lips around the narrow neck as she encircled her fingers and made a couple of strokes up and down the bottle like she was finishing a masterful blow job.Her friends watched her risqué display and giggled, except for Patricia. Patricia picked through the array of Christmas cookie cutter shapes laid out at the edge of the counter, dropping her eyes as she scolded, “McNally, you should be more thoughtful of Dana. Your tipsy little joke is in poor taste in front of our hostess, especially at this time of year.” Patricia meant it as a sobering rebuke, as if any of the girls present needed to be reminded of Dana’s recently widowed status, especially around Christmas.McNally pulled the wine bottle’s phallic dimensions from her lips, setting it down and turning to Dana, “Oh crap, I’m sorry. You know I had no intention of opening painful memories; I was only trying to lift the holiday spirits with a little bawdy humor… I was just thinking…”Dana turned to McNally, “I know. I know you McNally – boy do I know you. You’re always thinking we Chix should loosen up our inhibitions and take a walk on the steamier side of life; and boy are you always ready with a risqué joke, a steamy story or a naughty pun.”Dana broke into a smile, and then spoke to her closest friends, “Hey Chix, you guys are so great! You’re the only reason I’m able to get through this time of year. Without y'all, I’d be nothing but a blubbering mess this Christmas. Facing the painful first anniversary of Sander’s passing is really hard. It’d be unbearable if I had to go through it alone. The support of my Chix means everything to me right now.”Dana forced a cheery voice and continued speaking after dusting the flour off her hands. “I insisted y'all come into my kitchen this year and fill it with holiday cheer, so it’d be like the good times we had before. I want everyone to make a big sugary mess for me to clean up and keep me busy. Our annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange is our tradition; it’s now more meaningful to me than ever. I’m dreading the holidays…” Dana paused to collect her emotions before continuing, “… as the holiday season approaches, I fear being all alone, left to deal with the memory of Sander’s skiing accident by myself. I need my Chix more than ever right now. I need something to keep my mind from dwelling on the anniversary of the accident.”Dana gave a congenial but forced looking smile to the women in her kitchen. “McNally, you go right on giving your Gewurztraminer boyfriend’s long, brown glass cock a good sucking, it’s fine with me and the rest of these kitchen voyeurs. Keep it up, all of you, be merry and I’ll find a way to get by.”Annie wiped a tear off her cheek as she stepped to Dana, wrapping her arms and her baggy, ugly Christmas sweater around Dana, managing to get cookie dough crumbs in Dana’s hair in the process. Annie hugged Dana tight, embracing her in a prolonged hold to convey her sympathy and shared grief at the loss of Dana’s husband last year. Annie teared up again as she remembered gathering with McNally and Patricia to take down the tree and put away all the festive Christmas decorations in Dana’s house as Dana planned Sander’s funeral.It was all so sad, so hard to deal with. Annie admired McNally’s flair to disregard the implicit sadness hanging over their annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange; but didn’t want to get between McNally and Patricia as they scuffled over the proper decorum in Dana’s kitchen under the circumstances.Annie let go and pulled away from her embrace, and as she did, she gasped, “Oh Dana, I’m sorry. Look what I’ve done, my dirty apron made a mess on your top. I’m sorry.”Dana laughed, “I should’ve expected this would happen, wearing black when I’m in the middle of a hen party with flour flying all over my kitchen. I thought I’d feel and look slimmer wearing black, a self-deluding effect to counteract my debauched cookie sampling today. I might as well just drop these little Santa cookies down my pants and let ‘em stick right there on my hips,” smacking her hands on her ass for emphasis.Annie, trying to make up for the accidental flour dusting, began to brush her fingers across Dana’s boobs, fussing and worrying she’d ruined Dana’s pullover. Dana laughed it off, “Annie, stop fretting, it’ll wash out, no problem. Relax. Let’s all have a good time making a mess as we bake and decorate our cookies. There’s something festive about a busy and messy kitchen. I just love it.”McNally watched from the other side of the counter as Annie dabbed and wiped the front of Dana’s chest, “I know what you’re getting for Christmas - one of those cordless hand vacuums; they market it as a bust duster.” Everyone cracked up at McNally’s pun, even Patricia.The timer went off; Patricia stepped to the oven to check on the first batch of cookies. She pulled out the cookie sheet and put it on the cooling rack.“Those look perfect,” Annie announced.“They’re not perfect until they’re decorated,” responded Dana. “They’re just plain-Jane naked right now. It’s our job to get them all dressed up in their Christmas fancy-pants.”“Oh, Patricia, can you grab the box of sprinkles and glittery decorating doo-dahs from the cupboard next to the oven?” asked Dana. Patricia set the full box of decorating doo-dahs on the kitchen table.McNally burst into song, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, Camptown ladies sing this song, all the doo-dah day!” McNally’s three friends joined in a final chorus, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, all the doo-dah day!”“Now things are starting to sound festive,” declared Dana as she mixed bowls of red and green frosting. “McNally, there’s a bottle of Riesling in the garage fridge – I know I don’t have to ask twice to get you to bring that one in and pour another round.”Annie said, “This is sounding and feeling like old times; like back in the beginning when we worked at Dix Chix. Who remembers which of us four started waitressing first at Dix?”“Wasn’t me,” was McNally’s contribution from the hallway, “I’m the youngest of the Chix.”“It could’ve been you; you’ve always had a reputation for starting early McNally,” was Patricia’s retort.McNally laughed at the ribbing. “I seem to recall that Annie got hired a few days ahead of me.”“So, when did we become collectively known as 'The Chix?’” was Dana’s follow up question.Annie answered, “It was Patricia. She advertised to all the boys that there were some interesting Chix to be found in the backroom of Dix Chix Family Restaurant after closing. If a boy had the right stuff, he could find his way into the place and get a few drinks, no ID required.”“That may be true, but I got the idea from that new girl,” said Patricia in a defensive tone. “The new girl suggested it was a crying shame that us four Chix had to close up on Friday and Saturday nights without having any cocks around to make it fun,” was Patricia’s recollection. “Being the studious college girl, Mrs. Dix trusted me with the keys and the liquor inventory.”“And who might have been the corrupting 'new girl’ who put that idea of letting some cocks into the back room with those chicks?” asked Dana with a smirk.“I hear she’s still tending bar somewhere, perhaps more corrupting than ever,” Patricia offered in an offhand guess.McNally, a seasoned barmaid, filled the wine glasses scattered around the kitchen, “I just thought it was false advertising to have a big neon sign that flashed Dix Chix, yet only the Chix half of the attraction was available. I merely suggested to the old timer running the show that if we were working to close the place on Friday and Saturday nights, we owed it to ourselves to have a crew of Dix to go with the Chix. Like the sign said.”Annie asked, “Patricia, I’ve always wondered, how did you choose which boys got an after-hours invitation to the backroom?”“I delegate,” was Patricia’s reply. “That’s why I’m management material. I consulted a trusted source.”McNally gave a curtsey acknowledging her role, and then filled in the story line, “Guys are pretty simple. I’d give the cute ones a line; 'Winner, winner, chicken dinner - Would you prefer a breast or a thigh?’ I then slipped 'em an offer, 'Come on by Dix Chix late some night this weekend for a chicken tender special – tell 'em McNally sent you.’” The three ladies exploded into hearty whoops at McNally’s explanation.Dana took a sip out of her glass, thinking for a moment, “McNally are you responsible then for introducing each of us to our future husbands? I’d never thought of it like that.”“Ultimately the Chix chooses the Dix. At least, that’s how I’d look at it. In collusion with Patricia, I merely helped sow some wild oats in that Dix Chix backroom. But I only sowed the seeds. It was the others who reaped the harvest. I must admit, I did have to run a lot of lame-cock also-rans through that backroom before some of them ended up sticking around for a while.”“Well, however you did it, Sander and I hit it off - after Patricia passed on him and I scooped him up, as I seem to recall. I guess I never thanked you for your fine work.” Dana raised her glass in a salute to McNally.“I’m happy it worked for you Dana,” said Patricia, “I had my eye out for one of those solid, basic models, a kind of nerdy, engineering type. My philosophy was that those low-key kinds of guys wear well. I seem to recall McNally telling me that she didn’t usually fish in those kinds of nerdy-fish ponds, but she promised she’d expand her repertoire to see if she could toss such a specimen my way.”“I remember when Will showed up at the backroom, he looked a little dazed and confused. McNally had to act fast to ease Will into the situation and then gently hand him off to Patricia,” recalled Annie. “So, how’d McNally’s low-key, nerdish fish land in your lap then Patricia?”Patricia made a wistful smile as she rolled out a sheet of dough, “I guess I got what I wanted. Though, I’ve wondered some days if I should have dropped my line into a different pond. There’ve been some days when I wonder what life would’ve been like with a spicier, adventurous man… but that’s normal, right? Don’t we all have some days where we wish things were different?”Annie, Dana and McNally were quick to assure Patricia that they all had their moments when they had a twinge of doubt about their choices in husbands. “Yeah, that’s pretty normal I think,” added Annie.Annie went back to the mixing bowl where she was making rounded, nut-filled Mexican Wedding Cake cookies and dusting them with flour. “Nelson has always been supportive of me, I have to think that our marriage is better than some that I know of, but over the years some of the spark has dimmed. Maybe it’s me, but honestly, if he wanted more sex, I’d consider letting the ol’ boy find a fling with another woman, as long as she agreed to clean my house in exchange for Nelson’s services.”Dana gave up a small squeak, “Serious?”“Oh, just a quirky idea. It’s not like we’d be on the brink of a divorce, we’re perfectly compatible. It would merely be a convenient arrangement, Nelson the ol’ goat, would get more action and stop pestering me and I’d get a clean house and more time. I think it’d be a fair exchange.” Annie shrugged as she spooned out a lump of dough and patted it into a little ball.Dana sighed, “Oh Annie. Annie, you should enjoy the little things from Nelson. You know what I miss most from Sander? It’s little things like tangling our feet together in bed, I really miss the feeling of when Sander would reach across the bed and pull me over close to him. It didn’t have to be sex, sometimes it was so good just to have him spoon into my backside and reach over to caress my breasts.” Dana took a deep breath, “I’m just here to remind The Chix, like they say, 'You don’t know what you got 'til it’s gone.’”Annie’s eyes moistened again, “I’m sorry Dana, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’m so sorry.”“They’re good memories Annie, I don’t feel bad. Just sad at Christmas now. Get back to making cookies and a mess; it’s the only thing that’ll save me, girl.”Patricia began pressing the cookie cutter into her sheet of dough while pressing this girl-talk topic a little further, “McNally, I’m kind of surprised you and Orlando have made it work so well all of these years. It has always seemed to me that you two traveled in different orbits.”McNally laughed as she put down her half-empty wine glass, concentrating on mixing up some chocolate frosting. “It’s a beautiful cosmic dance between me and Orlando. We’re a pair of heavenly bodies sharing our orbits when the gravitational attraction pulls us close. Otherwise, we each have our own interests as y'all know perfectly well. Orlando has his poetry, music and writing projects. I love lending my graphic and artistic vision to Orlando’s projects when it fits. When we collaborate, we make beautiful art. When we’re not collaborating on something, that’s when I fill my orbit with my animals and other pets.”Patricia raised an eyebrow, “Do you care for your 'pets’ as much as you do your animals?”“Me and my pets share a sensual bond and an understanding. I will never abandon one of my animals. But my pets come and then my pets go, every pet in his own season. I enjoy a wide orbit in this life Patricia.”McNally took another sip, becoming introspective, “Hey you know what? I’d have to say that The Chix is my longest held orbit. It’s so good to have you gals around for me for all of these years.” McNally raised her glass in a toast, “To The Chix. To the long and strong bond of three great gals who have kept me in their orbit as the rest of this crazy world spins out of control. Merry fucking Christmas, to one and to all!” McNally gave a swift motion with her hand, directing her three friends to join her in her toast.Everyone stepped to McNally’s end of the counter, touching their glasses, creating a resounding chime as the glassware clinked. “Here! Here!” said Dana, “Let’s make this a Merry fucking Christmas for one and for all!”“I’ll drink to that,” offered McNally.“Of course, you will,” noted Patricia.Annie gave her signature tipsy laugh, “I’ll drink to that Patricia!” and took a gulp.“May I join you?” asked McNally.Dana laughed, “Wait for me! I’ll drink to that too!”McNally turned and walked away from the circled Chix. “Where are you off to McNally?”“Time for the Pinot Noir - any arguments?”“Yeah. What about the Pinot Grigio?” asked Dana in a mock argumentative voice.“No blow back from me. I’ll get both.” With that McNally disappeared into the garage.The cookie production line clicked into gear as The Chix rolled out a pile of baked cookie shapes and an assortment of buttery spritz cookies, chocolate drops, nut bars to go with the gooey lemon bars and shortbread. “My favorite thing in this whole kitchen, other than maybe the wine, is doing the detailed decorations with colored frosting and sprinkles,” announced Dana.“Here you go then Dana,” said Patricia as she set two hot cookie sheets on the cooling racks, “you’ve got your work cut out for you with all of these shapes.” Patricia brandished a pair of cookie cutters, “You have me to thank for 'cutting your work out for you’; you’ve got Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Christmas trees, wreathes, ornaments, stockings, snowmen, reindeer and candy canes galore.”“'Work cut out for you’, I see what you did there,” observed Annie. “You’ve been hanging around McNally too much.”McNally grabbed a couple of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes from Annie’s station and then a candy cane shaped cookie off the pile of undecorated cookies.“What are you working on McNally?” was Dana’s question.“I’ve been inspired by Annie’s earlier comments and her idea of exchanging Nelson’s candy cane for housework.”Annie chortled, “What? Something creative for me? My, my, what could it be McNally?”“Avert your eyes; I’m making you a little surprise.” Annie laughed and pretended to look away, but she and the others watched to see what culinary form McNally’s inspiration took. McNally coated both sides of the candy cane in pink frosting and then covered the straight end of the candy cane with a thin white glaze. She grabbed two pecan halves from the bowl, placing them on top of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes and then wedged the decorated pink candy cane between the two, projecting upward. McNally handed the 3D cookie sculpture to Annie on a small paper plate. “Here you go girl, a little something sweet to enjoy stuffing into your stocking while Nelson is out with your domestic help.”The Chix all laughed, applauding McNally’s skill at coming up with a naughty little cookie. “See, he comes with a pair of real nuts, and I’ve given his sweet candy cane a condom coating of sugar glaze. And if you’ve been feeling pressure to put out Annie, be assured that he only wants to cum in your chimney once a year.”Annie was laughing pretty hard, “You’re so thoughtful McNally. But I’ve been a good girl all year; I think I deserve to get a bigger candy cane.”“Ho, ho, ho,” chuckled McNally, “What you’re asking for is reserved for the naughty girls on m

Husbands and cookies are exchanged, to add holiday cheer.Based on a post by SandyMarl, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.The Chix Annual Christmas Cookie ExchangeMcNally topped off each of the four glasses, then tipped the bottle to her lips to make sure she’d drained the last sweet drop of Gewürztraminer. McNally smacked her lips before inserting her tongue into the brown wine bottle’s narrow orifice. “Umm, a sweet little rim job before I recycle this dead soldier,” she announced to a kitchen packed with a few of her long-time friends. “This dark guy is so sweet, I just love him,” she said as she continued her fellatio pantomime by wrapping her lips around the narrow neck as she encircled her fingers and made a couple of strokes up and down the bottle like she was finishing a masterful blow job.Her friends watched her risqué display and giggled, except for Patricia. Patricia picked through the array of Christmas cookie cutter shapes laid out at the edge of the counter, dropping her eyes as she scolded, “McNally, you should be more thoughtful of Dana. Your tipsy little joke is in poor taste in front of our hostess, especially at this time of year.” Patricia meant it as a sobering rebuke, as if any of the girls present needed to be reminded of Dana’s recently widowed status, especially around Christmas.McNally pulled the wine bottle’s phallic dimensions from her lips, setting it down and turning to Dana, “Oh crap, I’m sorry. You know I had no intention of opening painful memories; I was only trying to lift the holiday spirits with a little bawdy humor… I was just thinking…”Dana turned to McNally, “I know. I know you McNally – boy do I know you. You’re always thinking we Chix should loosen up our inhibitions and take a walk on the steamier side of life; and boy are you always ready with a risqué joke, a steamy story or a naughty pun.”Dana broke into a smile, and then spoke to her closest friends, “Hey Chix, you guys are so great! You’re the only reason I’m able to get through this time of year. Without y'all, I’d be nothing but a blubbering mess this Christmas. Facing the painful first anniversary of Sander’s passing is really hard. It’d be unbearable if I had to go through it alone. The support of my Chix means everything to me right now.”Dana forced a cheery voice and continued speaking after dusting the flour off her hands. “I insisted y'all come into my kitchen this year and fill it with holiday cheer, so it’d be like the good times we had before. I want everyone to make a big sugary mess for me to clean up and keep me busy. Our annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange is our tradition; it’s now more meaningful to me than ever. I’m dreading the holidays…” Dana paused to collect her emotions before continuing, “… as the holiday season approaches, I fear being all alone, left to deal with the memory of Sander’s skiing accident by myself. I need my Chix more than ever right now. I need something to keep my mind from dwelling on the anniversary of the accident.”Dana gave a congenial but forced looking smile to the women in her kitchen. “McNally, you go right on giving your Gewurztraminer boyfriend’s long, brown glass cock a good sucking, it’s fine with me and the rest of these kitchen voyeurs. Keep it up, all of you, be merry and I’ll find a way to get by.”Annie wiped a tear off her cheek as she stepped to Dana, wrapping her arms and her baggy, ugly Christmas sweater around Dana, managing to get cookie dough crumbs in Dana’s hair in the process. Annie hugged Dana tight, embracing her in a prolonged hold to convey her sympathy and shared grief at the loss of Dana’s husband last year. Annie teared up again as she remembered gathering with McNally and Patricia to take down the tree and put away all the festive Christmas decorations in Dana’s house as Dana planned Sander’s funeral.It was all so sad, so hard to deal with. Annie admired McNally’s flair to disregard the implicit sadness hanging over their annual Chix Christmas cookie exchange; but didn’t want to get between McNally and Patricia as they scuffled over the proper decorum in Dana’s kitchen under the circumstances.Annie let go and pulled away from her embrace, and as she did, she gasped, “Oh Dana, I’m sorry. Look what I’ve done, my dirty apron made a mess on your top. I’m sorry.”Dana laughed, “I should’ve expected this would happen, wearing black when I’m in the middle of a hen party with flour flying all over my kitchen. I thought I’d feel and look slimmer wearing black, a self-deluding effect to counteract my debauched cookie sampling today. I might as well just drop these little Santa cookies down my pants and let ‘em stick right there on my hips,” smacking her hands on her ass for emphasis.Annie, trying to make up for the accidental flour dusting, began to brush her fingers across Dana’s boobs, fussing and worrying she’d ruined Dana’s pullover. Dana laughed it off, “Annie, stop fretting, it’ll wash out, no problem. Relax. Let’s all have a good time making a mess as we bake and decorate our cookies. There’s something festive about a busy and messy kitchen. I just love it.”McNally watched from the other side of the counter as Annie dabbed and wiped the front of Dana’s chest, “I know what you’re getting for Christmas - one of those cordless hand vacuums; they market it as a bust duster.” Everyone cracked up at McNally’s pun, even Patricia.The timer went off; Patricia stepped to the oven to check on the first batch of cookies. She pulled out the cookie sheet and put it on the cooling rack.“Those look perfect,” Annie announced.“They’re not perfect until they’re decorated,” responded Dana. “They’re just plain-Jane naked right now. It’s our job to get them all dressed up in their Christmas fancy-pants.”“Oh, Patricia, can you grab the box of sprinkles and glittery decorating doo-dahs from the cupboard next to the oven?” asked Dana. Patricia set the full box of decorating doo-dahs on the kitchen table.McNally burst into song, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, Camptown ladies sing this song, all the doo-dah day!” McNally’s three friends joined in a final chorus, “Doo-dah, doo-dah, all the doo-dah day!”“Now things are starting to sound festive,” declared Dana as she mixed bowls of red and green frosting. “McNally, there’s a bottle of Riesling in the garage fridge – I know I don’t have to ask twice to get you to bring that one in and pour another round.”Annie said, “This is sounding and feeling like old times; like back in the beginning when we worked at Dix Chix. Who remembers which of us four started waitressing first at Dix?”“Wasn’t me,” was McNally’s contribution from the hallway, “I’m the youngest of the Chix.”“It could’ve been you; you’ve always had a reputation for starting early McNally,” was Patricia’s retort.McNally laughed at the ribbing. “I seem to recall that Annie got hired a few days ahead of me.”“So, when did we become collectively known as 'The Chix?’” was Dana’s follow up question.Annie answered, “It was Patricia. She advertised to all the boys that there were some interesting Chix to be found in the backroom of Dix Chix Family Restaurant after closing. If a boy had the right stuff, he could find his way into the place and get a few drinks, no ID required.”“That may be true, but I got the idea from that new girl,” said Patricia in a defensive tone. “The new girl suggested it was a crying shame that us four Chix had to close up on Friday and Saturday nights without having any cocks around to make it fun,” was Patricia’s recollection. “Being the studious college girl, Mrs. Dix trusted me with the keys and the liquor inventory.”“And who might have been the corrupting 'new girl’ who put that idea of letting some cocks into the back room with those chicks?” asked Dana with a smirk.“I hear she’s still tending bar somewhere, perhaps more corrupting than ever,” Patricia offered in an offhand guess.McNally, a seasoned barmaid, filled the wine glasses scattered around the kitchen, “I just thought it was false advertising to have a big neon sign that flashed Dix Chix, yet only the Chix half of the attraction was available. I merely suggested to the old timer running the show that if we were working to close the place on Friday and Saturday nights, we owed it to ourselves to have a crew of Dix to go with the Chix. Like the sign said.”Annie asked, “Patricia, I’ve always wondered, how did you choose which boys got an after-hours invitation to the backroom?”“I delegate,” was Patricia’s reply. “That’s why I’m management material. I consulted a trusted source.”McNally gave a curtsey acknowledging her role, and then filled in the story line, “Guys are pretty simple. I’d give the cute ones a line; 'Winner, winner, chicken dinner - Would you prefer a breast or a thigh?’ I then slipped 'em an offer, 'Come on by Dix Chix late some night this weekend for a chicken tender special – tell 'em McNally sent you.’” The three ladies exploded into hearty whoops at McNally’s explanation.Dana took a sip out of her glass, thinking for a moment, “McNally are you responsible then for introducing each of us to our future husbands? I’d never thought of it like that.”“Ultimately the Chix chooses the Dix. At least, that’s how I’d look at it. In collusion with Patricia, I merely helped sow some wild oats in that Dix Chix backroom. But I only sowed the seeds. It was the others who reaped the harvest. I must admit, I did have to run a lot of lame-cock also-rans through that backroom before some of them ended up sticking around for a while.”“Well, however you did it, Sander and I hit it off - after Patricia passed on him and I scooped him up, as I seem to recall. I guess I never thanked you for your fine work.” Dana raised her glass in a salute to McNally.“I’m happy it worked for you Dana,” said Patricia, “I had my eye out for one of those solid, basic models, a kind of nerdy, engineering type. My philosophy was that those low-key kinds of guys wear well. I seem to recall McNally telling me that she didn’t usually fish in those kinds of nerdy-fish ponds, but she promised she’d expand her repertoire to see if she could toss such a specimen my way.”“I remember when Will showed up at the backroom, he looked a little dazed and confused. McNally had to act fast to ease Will into the situation and then gently hand him off to Patricia,” recalled Annie. “So, how’d McNally’s low-key, nerdish fish land in your lap then Patricia?”Patricia made a wistful smile as she rolled out a sheet of dough, “I guess I got what I wanted. Though, I’ve wondered some days if I should have dropped my line into a different pond. There’ve been some days when I wonder what life would’ve been like with a spicier, adventurous man… but that’s normal, right? Don’t we all have some days where we wish things were different?”Annie, Dana and McNally were quick to assure Patricia that they all had their moments when they had a twinge of doubt about their choices in husbands. “Yeah, that’s pretty normal I think,” added Annie.Annie went back to the mixing bowl where she was making rounded, nut-filled Mexican Wedding Cake cookies and dusting them with flour. “Nelson has always been supportive of me, I have to think that our marriage is better than some that I know of, but over the years some of the spark has dimmed. Maybe it’s me, but honestly, if he wanted more sex, I’d consider letting the ol’ boy find a fling with another woman, as long as she agreed to clean my house in exchange for Nelson’s services.”Dana gave up a small squeak, “Serious?”“Oh, just a quirky idea. It’s not like we’d be on the brink of a divorce, we’re perfectly compatible. It would merely be a convenient arrangement, Nelson the ol’ goat, would get more action and stop pestering me and I’d get a clean house and more time. I think it’d be a fair exchange.” Annie shrugged as she spooned out a lump of dough and patted it into a little ball.Dana sighed, “Oh Annie. Annie, you should enjoy the little things from Nelson. You know what I miss most from Sander? It’s little things like tangling our feet together in bed, I really miss the feeling of when Sander would reach across the bed and pull me over close to him. It didn’t have to be sex, sometimes it was so good just to have him spoon into my backside and reach over to caress my breasts.” Dana took a deep breath, “I’m just here to remind The Chix, like they say, 'You don’t know what you got 'til it’s gone.’”Annie’s eyes moistened again, “I’m sorry Dana, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’m so sorry.”“They’re good memories Annie, I don’t feel bad. Just sad at Christmas now. Get back to making cookies and a mess; it’s the only thing that’ll save me, girl.”Patricia began pressing the cookie cutter into her sheet of dough while pressing this girl-talk topic a little further, “McNally, I’m kind of surprised you and Orlando have made it work so well all of these years. It has always seemed to me that you two traveled in different orbits.”McNally laughed as she put down her half-empty wine glass, concentrating on mixing up some chocolate frosting. “It’s a beautiful cosmic dance between me and Orlando. We’re a pair of heavenly bodies sharing our orbits when the gravitational attraction pulls us close. Otherwise, we each have our own interests as y'all know perfectly well. Orlando has his poetry, music and writing projects. I love lending my graphic and artistic vision to Orlando’s projects when it fits. When we collaborate, we make beautiful art. When we’re not collaborating on something, that’s when I fill my orbit with my animals and other pets.”Patricia raised an eyebrow, “Do you care for your 'pets’ as much as you do your animals?”“Me and my pets share a sensual bond and an understanding. I will never abandon one of my animals. But my pets come and then my pets go, every pet in his own season. I enjoy a wide orbit in this life Patricia.”McNally took another sip, becoming introspective, “Hey you know what? I’d have to say that The Chix is my longest held orbit. It’s so good to have you gals around for me for all of these years.” McNally raised her glass in a toast, “To The Chix. To the long and strong bond of three great gals who have kept me in their orbit as the rest of this crazy world spins out of control. Merry fucking Christmas, to one and to all!” McNally gave a swift motion with her hand, directing her three friends to join her in her toast.Everyone stepped to McNally’s end of the counter, touching their glasses, creating a resounding chime as the glassware clinked. “Here! Here!” said Dana, “Let’s make this a Merry fucking Christmas for one and for all!”“I’ll drink to that,” offered McNally.“Of course, you will,” noted Patricia.Annie gave her signature tipsy laugh, “I’ll drink to that Patricia!” and took a gulp.“May I join you?” asked McNally.Dana laughed, “Wait for me! I’ll drink to that too!”McNally turned and walked away from the circled Chix. “Where are you off to McNally?”“Time for the Pinot Noir - any arguments?”“Yeah. What about the Pinot Grigio?” asked Dana in a mock argumentative voice.“No blow back from me. I’ll get both.” With that McNally disappeared into the garage.The cookie production line clicked into gear as The Chix rolled out a pile of baked cookie shapes and an assortment of buttery spritz cookies, chocolate drops, nut bars to go with the gooey lemon bars and shortbread. “My favorite thing in this whole kitchen, other than maybe the wine, is doing the detailed decorations with colored frosting and sprinkles,” announced Dana.“Here you go then Dana,” said Patricia as she set two hot cookie sheets on the cooling racks, “you’ve got your work cut out for you with all of these shapes.” Patricia brandished a pair of cookie cutters, “You have me to thank for 'cutting your work out for you’; you’ve got Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Christmas trees, wreathes, ornaments, stockings, snowmen, reindeer and candy canes galore.”“'Work cut out for you’, I see what you did there,” observed Annie. “You’ve been hanging around McNally too much.”McNally grabbed a couple of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes from Annie’s station and then a candy cane shaped cookie off the pile of undecorated cookies.“What are you working on McNally?” was Dana’s question.“I’ve been inspired by Annie’s earlier comments and her idea of exchanging Nelson’s candy cane for housework.”Annie chortled, “What? Something creative for me? My, my, what could it be McNally?”“Avert your eyes; I’m making you a little surprise.” Annie laughed and pretended to look away, but she and the others watched to see what culinary form McNally’s inspiration took. McNally coated both sides of the candy cane in pink frosting and then covered the straight end of the candy cane with a thin white glaze. She grabbed two pecan halves from the bowl, placing them on top of the round Mexican Wedding Cakes and then wedged the decorated pink candy cane between the two, projecting upward. McNally handed the 3D cookie sculpture to Annie on a small paper plate. “Here you go girl, a little something sweet to enjoy stuffing into your stocking while Nelson is out with your domestic help.”The Chix all laughed, applauding McNally’s skill at coming up with a naughty little cookie. “See, he comes with a pair of real nuts, and I’ve given his sweet candy cane a condom coating of sugar glaze. And if you’ve been feeling pressure to put out Annie, be assured that he only wants to cum in your chimney once a year.”Annie was laughing pretty hard, “You’re so thoughtful McNally. But I’ve been a good girl all year; I think I deserve to get a bigger candy cane.”“Ho, ho, ho,” chuckled McNally, “What you’re asking for is reserved for the naughty girls on m

In this moving episode of Talking Insomnia, we meet Zach, who shares a powerful transformation from a state of "enormous struggle" to a life where insomnia is simply no longer on his mind. Zach's journey is a profound example of what happens when we move beyond traditional "sleep hygiene" and standard CBT-I—which Zach found actually made his situation worse—and instead move toward true Insomnia Immunity. What you'll learn in this episode: The "Acceptance" Paradox: How Zach achieved one of his biggest life goals (getting into a special army unit) while in the midst of his struggle, proving that life doesn't have to stop when sleep is difficult. The Definition of Recovery: Zach explains the moment he realized he was recovered—not because he was sleeping perfectly, but because he "lost interest" in the topic entirely and stopped asking the question, "Am I better yet?" Facing the Root Cause: Why facing the fear of insomnia gave Zach the tools to face almost any other fear in life. Beyond the Struggle: How Zach went from feeling like a "different person" back to his true self. Zach's story is a testament to the fact that when you stop running and start meeting your fears differently, the thoughts that once consumed you eventually leave your mind completely. If you're new here and curious to learn more, our FREE video course, The Festival of Understanding, is the perfect place to start. Head over to https://www.thesleepcoachschool.com and click the link at the very top of the page to begin your journey.

Embracing Grief: Women Over 50 Finding Strength Through Self-Expression What happens when you give yourself permission to feel, grieve, and express what's been living inside you for years? In this episode of Midlife Love Out Loud, Junie Moon sits down with pro-aging advocate and Kuel Life founder Jacqueline “Jack” Perez to explore how poetry became an unexpected path to healing, self-expression, and deep connection in midlife. Jack shares how unprocessed grief, loss, and life transitions led her to write a poem every day for thirty days, ultimately transforming her relationship with herself and inspiring women everywhere to feel less alone. You'll hear about: Why unprocessed grief doesn't disappear, it waits How creative expression becomes a healing vehicle What midlife loss really looks like and why it matters Normalizing aging, emotion, and reinvention Giving yourself permission to begin again This conversation is tender, powerful, and deeply human. Jacqueline (Jack) Pérez is a first-time poet who, at 60, discovered the transformative power of words—even those that rhyme. Unexpectedly, after a month-long sojourn in Istanbul, Jack felt compelled to explore life's intricacies stanza by stanza. Facing significant life moments, as we all do, she began crafting poetry in the wee hours of dawn as a means of expression and connection. Jack shares her vulnerability directly with the reader, QR code by QR code, often hiding in her closet to read these poems aloud. Metamorphosis in Stanzas is a heartfelt debut, capturing themes of love, loss, and renewal while inviting readers to embrace the beauty of change. When not writing or traveling, Jacqueline is a Pro-Aging Champion and the Founder of Kuel Life, a platform dedicated to normalizing aging for women. https://therealjackssmack.com Here are the 3 Free Poems from Jack https://mailchi.mp/kuellife/glimpseintomis Learn more about Junie here: https://www.midlifeloveoutloud.com

Chris Markowski discusses the harsh realities of the financial world, focusing on the retirement crisis and the trend of 'unretiring' among older Americans. He emphasizes the importance of staying engaged in work, the pitfalls of traditional financial planning, and the dangers posed by financial influencers. The conversation also touches on the issues with trading platforms and the misconceptions surrounding cryptocurrency investments. Markowski advocates for a proactive approach to financial preparation and wealth building for everyone, regardless of their financial status.

Kathryn “Kathy” Ruemmler — the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs and a former White House counsel — announced her resignation effective June 30, 2026 after newly released Department of Justice documents made public details of her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The disclosures included emails showing she exchanged friendly messages with Epstein over several years, accepted expensive gifts from him, and at times referred to him with personal nicknames, which sparked intense media and public backlash and raised questions about her judgment and ties to him. Facing mounting scrutiny over those connections, Ruemmler concluded the attention had become too distracting for the firm, and she chose to step down.Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said he respected her decision and praised her contributions, but the controversy surrounding her Epstein-related correspondence made her position untenable. The resignation followed weeks of reporting after the DOJ's release of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related records that flagged Ruemmler's communications and gifts — a relationship she previously described as professional — and ultimately intensified internal and external pressure for her departure.to  contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Jeffrey Epstein gave her a $9,350 handbag, but did Goldman Sachs' departing top lawyer violate any rules? | ReutersBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

What if the thing holding you back in business… is the very thing you think is making you successful?In this soul-expanding episode, George sits down with entrepreneur and mission-driven mogul Markus Kaulius to explore how chasing significance, followers, and financial milestones can become traps that disconnect you from purpose. George and Markus unpack the shadow side of success and how to return to authenticity when growth begins to feel hollow. Markus shares the gritty truth behind building a nine-figure business, navigating burnout, and discovering that real impact requires a shift from ego-driven results to legacy-driven missions.If you're feeling unfulfilled despite checking all the “success” boxes, this is your wake-up call.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why chasing vanity metrics and business milestones can cost you your missionThe identity crisis that comes when your external success isn't aligned with your internal purposeHow to dismantle the addiction to productivity, hustle, and controlA framework for rediscovering who you really are, without sacrificing resultsWhat it takes to build sustainable success rooted in truth, not ego Key Takeaways:✔️“If you lose yourself building the mission, it wasn't the right mission.”✔️Success without fulfillment is a recipe for collapse, both mentally and spiritually.✔️Your next level of business won't come from more tactics. It will come from more truth.✔️Burnout is not a badge of honor, it's a signal that your alignment is off.✔️You can scale without suffering… but only if your identity is untethered from your income. Timestamps & Highlights:[00:00] – The hidden cost of chasing external success[08:40] – Markus on losing himself in his own business[15:15] – Redefining success when the old definition stops working[22:00] – Letting go of productivity addiction[30:05] – Living from truth vs. living for applause[37:50] – Facing the fear of losing your “business identity”[45:30] – Building alignment with your nervous system[54:00] – Surrender, silence, and the new form of leadership[1:02:10] – Living the mission, not just marketing it[1:11:20] – Final takeaways: impact that outlives you Connect with Markus KauliusInstagram: @markuskauliusWebsite: markuskaulius.comFacebook: Markus KauliusLinkedIn: Markus K.Play a Bigger GameYour Challenge This Week:If this episode hits you in the gut, in the best way possible, share it on Instagram and tag us @itsgeorgebryant and @markuskaulius. Let us know what truth landed most.The Alliance – Join our Relationship Beats Algorithms™ community and build your business through trust, not trends. Join here. 1:1 Coaching – Ready to grow a purpose-driven business with sustainability and integrity? Apply for coaching with George. Apply now. Live Events – Want to get in the room where elevation happens? Check out upcoming events and retreats at mindofgeorge.com/retreat

In today's episode, I sit down with IFBB Pro Meshaya Keaton, a natural competitor with a background in Exercise Science and Psychology. Meshaya has been competing since 2017 and earned her Pro card at North Americans in 2019. We talk about the mental side of the sport, learning from past shows, and building resilience through both success and disappointment. Her passion for fitness and mental health shines through in this conversation, especially as she shares how competing helped shape her identity and long term goals.   TOPICS COVERED -mental health and bodybuilding -how she found the sport -learning from past show experiences -facing fear and building resiliency -competing as a natural athlete -passion for fitness and growth   CONNECT WITH CELESTE: Website: http://www.celestial.fit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celestial_fit/ All Links: http://www.celestial.fit/links.html   CONNECT WITH MESHAYA:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live4themoment_ifbbpro/   TIME STAMPS 1:00 introduction 3:55 approaching mental health 7:18 finding body building 12:36 having a support system 19:05 a passion for health and fitness 22:03 progression in the off season 25:00 the truth about macros 31:07 changes to becoming a Pro 36:50 working towards feedback 45:16 dealing with disappointing placing 53:12 building resiliency 59:34 building for the future 63:54 advice for competitors   CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE FOOD RELATIONSHIP COACHING SERIES   CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE POST SHOW BLUES COACHING SERIES   LEARN MORE AND APPLY FOR MY 5 WEEK FOOD RELATIONSHIP HEALING & DISCOVERY COACHING PROGRAM   FOR OTHER FREE RESOURCES, LIVE EVENTS, AND WAYS TO WORK WITH CELESTE CLICK HERE 

In this episode of Facing the Dark, Wayne and Dr. Kathy explore a fascinating report published in Science examining nearly 35,000 elite performers. The surprising conclusion? Many of the world's most accomplished musicians, scientists, athletes, and chess masters were not early prodigies. In fact, early specialization often predicts burnout rather than lifelong excellence. That challenges modern parenting. In a culture that pushes optimization, early reading programs, elite travel teams, and accelerated academics, many parents feel pressure to help their children get ahead and stay ahead. But what if early polish is not the same as deep potential? What if rushing specialization actually limits exploration? Dr. Kathy unpacks the deeper motivations behind our desire for prodigious children. Sometimes it's fear. Sometimes it's pride. Sometimes it's a longing for ease. And sometimes it's the subtle temptation to tie our identity to our children's performance. The conversation moves beyond academics into identity formation. When competence becomes the foundation of a child's worth, the pyramid flips upside down. Security, not performance, must come first. Children thrive when they know they are loved unconditionally, when their identity is anchored in Christ, and when their gifts are discerned rather than demanded.

In this special episode, Rabbi Schneider shares the true story of his supernatural encounter with Jesus and the dramatic journey that followed. Facing rejection, hardship, and opposition, he discovered real hope, purpose, and transformation through a living relationship with God. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate 

Questions about this episode? Want to interact with Drew, Josh, and other members of the Disordered audience? Check out the Disordered Community Space!https://disordered.fm/community-------This episode of Disordered explores the vital role of attention in anxiety recovery. Josh and Drew discuss the core skill of moving your attention while feeling high levels of fear.Many people struggling with anxiety disorders feel their attention is glued to symptoms or intrusive thoughts. Josh describes this as "threat-induced attention," which is a survival mechanism where the brain locks onto perceived danger. You always have agency over your attention. Recovery involves building an "attention muscle" to acknowledge the fear and choose a different focus.Confidence in Attention: Josh shares a personal breakthrough where he felt a massive adrenaline rush on a bus but chose to read a newspaper anyway. This desensitization happened because he trusted his ability to move his attention despite the discomfort.The "Checking State" Trap: Drew explains that many common calming techniques backfire. If you use them to force anxiety away, you end up hyper-focusing on your internal state to see if they worked. This keeps you trapped in the threat cycle.Facing the "Bear": Using a metaphor of a bear in a campsite, the hosts explain that looking away from the anxiety tells the brain the emergency is over. Staring at the anxiety only confirms to your nervous system that you are still under threat.Practical Application: Whether going to the dentist or taking a train, the goal is to move attention toward meaningful tasks rather than internal monitoring."The only way to show the brain and the amygdala that this isn't a threat is to show it with our attention... that this isn't important." — Josh"We cannot operate directly on your anxiety... we can only operate on the way you interact with it." — DrewBuilding confidence in your attention is a gradual process rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Metacognitive Therapy. It requires bravery to look away from the fear to find the path to long-term psychological flexibility.

Send a textEver catch yourself wondering why the grind never pays off—like you're hustling hard but money, love, or joy keep slipping through your fingers in predictable ways? It's not karma or "your lot in life." It's subtle childhood programming from before age 7, absorbed in those super-suggestible theta brain waves, morphing kid fears into your everyday reality without a second thought.In this real-talk episode of Alison Answers #MissionAwake, Alison Lager LCSW reads right from Chapter 2 of her book The Wake Up Call ("Facing the Truth: The Ultimate Power Move"), walking you through a straightforward "whole life inventory" across 8 everyday areas to uncover the hidden beliefs driving your repeats in money, love, health, joy, and purpose.

Kathryn “Kathy” Ruemmler — the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs and a former White House counsel — announced her resignation effective June 30, 2026 after newly released Department of Justice documents made public details of her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The disclosures included emails showing she exchanged friendly messages with Epstein over several years, accepted expensive gifts from him, and at times referred to him with personal nicknames, which sparked intense media and public backlash and raised questions about her judgment and ties to him. Facing mounting scrutiny over those connections, Ruemmler concluded the attention had become too distracting for the firm, and she chose to step down.Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said he respected her decision and praised her contributions, but the controversy surrounding her Epstein-related correspondence made her position untenable. The resignation followed weeks of reporting after the DOJ's release of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related records that flagged Ruemmler's communications and gifts — a relationship she previously described as professional — and ultimately intensified internal and external pressure for her departure.to  contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Jeffrey Epstein gave her a $9,350 handbag, but did Goldman Sachs' departing top lawyer violate any rules? | ReutersBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Hour one in full

Can President Trump keep Republican lawmakers on side? Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann look back at a week where we saw Congress push back against President Trump on key issues like the Epstein files, ICE presence in Minneapolis - and his tariffs. It wasn't just from Democrats - some Republicans are speaking out against the President. Every weekend, The President's Path explores the state of US politics — in Washington and beyond. We dig into the key issues shaping America and uncover what's on the minds of those closest to power. You can contact us at: path@bbc.co.uk Senior producer: Ellyn Duncan Editor: Joe O'Brien Executive producer: Anna Holford

Built in courage, proven in public. In today's episode, I break down why fear of judgment quietly blocks podcast growth, audience acquisition, and monetization. After thousands of episodes and years of coaching creators, I have seen how hesitation and self-doubt slowly drain consistency and momentum. I share how to build repeatable systems, publish with confidence, and use real feedback to strengthen engagement, retention, and long-term results.This episode focuses on practical habits, scalable workflows, and the mindset behind sustainable success. If you want your podcast to run like a real business with a clear strategy and steady growth, this is your challenge.Learn more about:A free 30-minute call with Kevin: https://calendly.com/kevinpalmieri/free-30-minute-podcast-breakthrough-session-with-kevin?month=2025-08Podcast Growth Nation - https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FyLeJB5H5/If you want to learn more about podcasts, reach out to Kevin:IG: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/Email: Kevin@nextleveluniverse.comNeed help with your podcast? Check out Next Level Podcast Solutions: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/next-level-podcast-solutions/Show notes:(1:43) Why judgment holds creators back(3:14) Most people do not care(5:55) Authenticity starts with courage(7:50) Podcasting grows you first(10:18) Fix mindset early in journey(13:29) Facing imposter syndrome(17:12) Seek rejection to grow(20:02) OutroLooking for a platform to record high-quality audio and video? We use Streamyard, and you can get a $10 credit by using my link: https://streamyard.com/pal/c/5352552165277696If you're looking for a new place to host your podcast, we use Buzzsprout. You get a $20.00 bonus if you use my link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=680114Podcast Growth Nation is up and running! If you're looking for a group of other amazing podcasters like you, here's your spot!https://www.facebook.com/groups/3361307260840872Send a text

After four years of war in Ukraine, it may seem like there is little space for art or fun. But in the eastern city of Kharkiv, there is a small corner where children can learn the grace, discipline and joy of theater. Special correspondent Jack Hewson takes us there for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In this episode of Facing the Dark, Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy Koch explore a growing trend among so called "TV Moms," parents who allow television freely but restrict personal devices like iPads and phones. Is there really a difference? Or is all screen time the same? Drawing on current research and practical parenting experience, Dr. Kathy explains why screens are not created equal. Television can become communal and conversational when used intentionally. Personal devices, however, are engineered for individual consumption and often create emotional ownership that's harder for kids to relinquish. But even TV loses its value when it becomes constant background noise. The deeper concern isn't just screen exposure, it's what screens are replacing. Quiet. Conversation. Boredom. Creative play. Relational engagement. In a culture where something is always on, children are losing the natural rhythms that form identity: sitting, walking, listening, asking, and wondering. When noise fills every space, wisdom has no room to rise. Dr. Kathy reminds parents that quiet is not empty. Quiet is formative. It's where discernment grows, where creativity sparks, where the Holy Spirit speaks. Identity is shaped not by constant input but by repeated relational moments in which children feel known and guided. This episode challenges parents to reconsider not just how much media their kids consume, but whether screens are crowding out the spaces where character, connection, and confidence are built. Check out Dr. Kathy's book on this topic, Screens and Teens, here>>

The winter olympics have returned, and if you've been listening to our podcast for awhile, you know we love the Olympics!The grit. The perseverance. The stories. Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you've probably heard of Lindsey Vonn's comeback.After devastating injuries and stepping away from professional skiing for several years (her last Olympics was 8 years ago), she chose to come back…at the age of 41.And not because it was guaranteed to end with a podium.But because she still had something inside her that wanted to try again.That's what this episode is really about.We talk about:What resilience actually looks like (hint: it's not pretty or linear)Why a comeback doesn't have to mean “winning”The courage it takes to return after injury, burnout, or disappointmentHow redefining failure can completely change your fitness journeyWhy the process is always more powerful than the outcomeAs runners, athletes, and humans, we all face seasons where things don't go the way we planned. Injuries happen. Motivation dips. Life gets messy. And sometimes we start to question whether it's even worth trying again.Lindsey's story reminds us: showing up again is brave. Trying again is powerful. And your comeback doesn't have to look like anyone else's.If you've ever felt behind, stuck, or unsure whether you still “have it” — this conversation is for you.Because resilience isn't about never falling.It's about deciding you're not done yet.00:15 Lindsey Vonn's Comeback Story03:37 Lindsey Vonn's Olympic Journey07:03 Public Reaction and Resilience19:50 The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence20:58 Facing the Fear of Failure22:22 The Journey Over the Outcome26:42 Embracing the Process31:39 The Courage to Continue40:01 Adjusting Goals and Embracing ChangeJoin the 30 Day Running Reset and get a plan that will help you build a strong and injury-proof body by combining running and strength training in a way that actually works for runners like you.Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! --> https://www.realliferunners.com/team Thanks for Listening!!Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi! Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

Want to be featured on the next Q&Andy? Send us a video on our socials or email us at askandy@servedmediagroup.com Andy Roddick revisits the 2002 US Open quarterfinal against Pete Sampras, breaking down what it was really like to face a legend in his prime. He also dives into the best-of-five Masters finals debate, how court surfaces, balls, and media consumption have changed since Andy's 2012 retirement, and walks us through his old training routines.

In hour one, Mike & Jason look back at the previous day in sports (3:00), plus they preview today's Men's Hockey action at the Olympics where Canada takes on Czechia with Sportsnet Olympic hockey reporter Sean Reynolds (28:02). This podcast is produced by Andy Cole and Greg Balloch. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

In this week's episode I sat down with Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan. Cara is a visionary international disability rights advocate whose career has spanned humanitarian action, diplomacy, entrepreneurship, and storytelling. She is also a filmmaker and a passionate force for inclusion in the arts and media, most recently participating, owning and producing the short documentary film, Facing the Falls.We discuss her incredible career as an activist, the power and impact in seeing disabled people doing humanitarian work, why representation truly matters and much, much more.This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin. All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠City Harvest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Food Bank For NYC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Join Always Looking Up on Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Cara: Instagram: @cara_yarkhan LinkedIn: Cara Yar Khan Website: https://carayarkhan.comWatch "Facing The Falls": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMa86VBidKE&t=1sWatch Cara's TED Talk, "The beautiful balance between courage and fear": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHgfcA6Vy24Follow Me: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jill_ilana⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@alwayslookingup.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@jillian_ilana⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jillianilana.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwayslookingup227@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read With Me:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goodreads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The StoryGraph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Minneapolis:Stand With Minnesota: ⁠⁠https://www.standwithminnesota.com⁠⁠MN NOICE: ⁠⁠https://mnnoice.com⁠⁠Community Aid Network MN: ⁠⁠https://www.canmn.org⁠⁠Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:Feeding America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.feedingamerica.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Central Kitchen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wck.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠No Kid Hungry: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nokidhungry.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠List Of NYC Food Pantries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chnge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠):The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chirla_org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Immigrant Defenders Law Center (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immdef_lawcenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.immdef.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ic4ij⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On this episode of The Still Real to Us Show:-- Could Bron Breakker really miss WrestleMania 42? We break down the rumors, what it would mean for the card, and whether WWE would actually pivot this late in the game.-- Internal criticism surrounding Triple H potentially changing WrestleMania plans due to ticket advance numbers — does WWE have a ticket pricing problem, and is it finally catching up to them?-- Our full WrestleMania 42 card round-up! What's locked in, what's rumored, and what still needs to fall into place.-- Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu vs. Sami Zayn in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match — Who you got?! Plus, Randy Orton and Tiffany Stratton punch their tickets to the Chamber!-- Rhea Ripley and LA Knight officially qualify for the Elimination Chamber — are they the favorites, or are bigger twists coming?-- Is David Finlay WWE bound? We discuss the smoke, the speculation, and where he could realistically land.-- In AEW: Kyle Fletcher wins the TNT Championship — so why put the title on Ciampa in the first place? The Young Bucks become #1 contenders, Thekla captures gold, and AEW Grand Slam Australia is shaping up to be a massive event!

In today's episode of Higher Exchanges, Jesse Redmond and Morgan Paxhia tackle five of the toughest questions shaping the next phase of the cannabis industry.Will Schedule III trigger a lasting cannabis bull market?Will federal hemp restrictions remain in place through November 2026?Will two of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida legalize adult use and restart growth?Will three of today's Tier One operators still be the top five cannabis companies in ten years?And will a U.S. plant-touching MSO uplist to NASDAQ or NYSE by year's end?This is a focused discussion on regulation, capital markets, state expansion, consolidation, and long-term leadership in cannabis.If you're investing in marijuana stocks or following U.S. cannabis reform, this episode breaks down the structural forces shaping where capital flows next.Higher Exchanges is powered by Flowhub, check 'em out at flowhub.com

After four years of war in Ukraine, it may seem like there is little space for art or fun. But in the eastern city of Kharkiv, there is a small corner where children can learn the grace, discipline and joy of theater. Special correspondent Jack Hewson takes us there for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Darren Lee is in big trouble, and the details that are coming out of the alleged murder he was apart of are completely disturbing.

Facing illness? Know your rights. FMLA and workplace support can change everything.All the links, tools & resources I personally share:https://linktr.ee/cfreecancerfree

In this grounded and deeply moving episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Christine Doran, founder of Triple H Ranch in the Chicago area — a rare ecosystem that combines a full‑scale horse rescue with equine‑assisted work for humans.Christine shares how her path into this work began as a teenager through a moment of spiritual clarity, and how that calling evolved into more than two decades of frontline work with abused, neglected, and discarded horses. Rather than separating rescue from therapy, Christine describes an integrated model where horses are not “fixed and then used,” but supported as whole beings whose own healing journey becomes part of the therapeutic relationship.Together, Rupert and Christine explore what it means to witness suffering without becoming hardened, how faith, humility, and structure play a role in sustainable rescue work, and why some of the deepest lessons in equine‑assisted practice come from horses with the hardest pasts.This episode is an honest look at abuse that still exists in modern America, the quiet heroism of long‑term rescue work, and the possibility of creating true second chances — for horses and for people.If you want to support the show, you can do so at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LongRideHome

Some Mount Maunganui businesses are facing the equivalent of winter trading conditions in the middle of summer after the deadly landslip and the closure of the campground and hot pools, according to one restaurant owner. He is now appealing to the government and council for financial help. Some businesses closed due to the slip have only just re-opened this week. Owner of Rustica Italian Food pizzeria, Michele Delaini spoke to Lisa Owen.

INTERVIEW: Clint Olivier/Clovis Unified Trustee weighs in on Clovis Police and Clovis Unified School District moving forward with potential charges against several adults who showed up during a student-led walkout over immigration enforcement concerns. Officials say the adults’ presence escalated tensions and violated campus safety protocols, prompting an investigation into possible trespassing and disruption of school activities. The district emphasized that while students have the right to peaceful expression, outside interference won’t be tolerated. The situation has sparked debate in the community about protest rights, school safety, and the role of adults in student demonstrations. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Broeske & Musson' on all platforms: --- The ‘Broeske & Musson Podcast’ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- ‘Broeske & Musson' Weekdays 9-11 AM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Facebook | Podcast| X | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Facing the Dark, Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy Koch explore a sobering reality: up to 70–80% of young adults aging out of foster care face homelessness, incarceration, addiction, or mental health struggles within just two years. What happens when young people are forced to launch without a runway? The conversation moves from foster care to the everyday home. While many parents joke about 18 being the "launch date," real readiness isn't about a birthday; it's about preparation. Dr. Kathy unpacks how confidence and competence are built over time through identity formation, financial literacy, character development, and gradual responsibility. Launching isn't abrupt independence; it's scaffolded growth. Using the image of learning to ride a bike, from tricycles to training wheels to open pavement, this episode reminds parents that scars are part of growth. Falling while learning to walk didn't mean failure. It meant development. The same is true when young adults stumble in the early stages of independence. Ultimately, the deepest runway parents can build isn't dependence on mom and dad, but security in Christ. When identity is rooted in Jesus, young adults carry with them wisdom, conviction, companionship, and courage wherever they go. True launch readiness isn't just financial or emotional, it's spiritual. If you're wondering how to raise kids who can step into adulthood with clarity and resilience, this episode will give you both vision and practical encouragement.      

Zoey and I sat down for close to 40 minutes to record this episode.  Zoey speaks about her challenges over the last couple of years and how she has overcome fears that have been years in the making.  If you have any comments or anything you'd like Zoey to know/hear, send me an email at eddy@themindandfitnesspodcast.com!Become a Patron of the Show!  You can support the show with as little as a few dollars per month - show your support and get a shoutout every single week to thousands of people across the world: https://www.patreon.com/themindandfitnesspodcastJoin the Facebook Group to participate in show topics: The Deleters of PainGive us a Like on Facebook: The Mind and Fitness PodcastIf you are interested in advertising your online service or business, email me at eddy@themindandfitnesspodcast.com

This week, J.John speaks with Javier Lesta-Candal, who shares his remarkable journey from drugs to discovering the life-changing love of Jesus. In this powerful conversation, Javier recounts a defining encounter with God at a Billy Graham crusade that transformed his life and set him on a new path of faith and purpose. Now leading Teen Challenge London, he is passionate about helping people break free from addiction and encounter the hope and freedom found in Jesus.-- Subscribe to J.John's YouTube channel today to receive weekly interviews, sermons and inspiration. Click to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyga-psugjtgeFnYhK1Xzw?sub_confirmation=1 Connect with J.John:Sign Up: https://www.jjohn.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jjohnglobalInstagram: https://instagram.com/jjohnglobal

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists.1917 MOSCOW

HEADLINE: The Bold Gamble: NASA's Decision to Go. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: Facing Soviet competition from Zond missions, NASA managers make the aggressive decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon early without the lunar module. 1968