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Farewell 2025, Hello 2026 As the dice finish rolling on 2025, we want to take a moment—before the initiative tracker resets—to say thank you. This year was packed with bold experiments, deep dives, hot takes, re-releases, masterclasses, actual plays, rule arguments that absolutely mattered, and more than a few moments where we stopped mid-recording and said, "Wait… does that actually work?" Thanks to you, the listeners, it did. In 2025, RPGBOT.Podcast explored new systems, revisited old favorites, broke down mechanics piece by piece, and kept doing what we love most: helping players, GMs, and curious rules-gremlins play better games. Whether you joined us for crunchy optimization, narrative tools, indie RPG spotlights, or chaotic actual-play energy, you helped make this year something special. We also saw the community grow—more voices, more perspectives, more people pulling up a chair at the virtual table. From longtime listeners who've been with us since the early days, to folks who found us for the first time this year: you're the reason we keep hitting "record." Now, we turn the page. 2026 is already shaping up to be something big. More deep dives. More experiments. More guests. More games that surprise us. More moments where the rules bend—and sometimes break—in interesting ways. We're bringing forward everything we learned in 2025, sharpening our tools, and rolling into the new year with fresh ideas, bigger plans, and the same love for tabletop roleplaying games that started this whole thing. So whether you're listening right now with friends, alone on a late-night walk, or prepping for your next session—thank you for making RPGBOT part of your year. Here's to new campaigns. Here's to better characters. Here's to smarter GMs, braver players, and stories that stick with us long after the dice are packed away. Happy New Year. Welcome to 2026. Let's roll. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati
Farewell 2025, Hello 2026 As the dice finish rolling on 2025, we want to take a moment—before the initiative tracker resets—to say thank you. This year was packed with bold experiments, deep dives, hot takes, re-releases, masterclasses, actual plays, rule arguments that absolutely mattered, and more than a few moments where we stopped mid-recording and said, "Wait… does that actually work?" Thanks to you, the listeners, it did. In 2025, RPGBOT.Podcast explored new systems, revisited old favorites, broke down mechanics piece by piece, and kept doing what we love most: helping players, GMs, and curious rules-gremlins play better games. Whether you joined us for crunchy optimization, narrative tools, indie RPG spotlights, or chaotic actual-play energy, you helped make this year something special. We also saw the community grow—more voices, more perspectives, more people pulling up a chair at the virtual table. From longtime listeners who've been with us since the early days, to folks who found us for the first time this year: you're the reason we keep hitting "record." Now, we turn the page. 2026 is already shaping up to be something big. More deep dives. More experiments. More guests. More games that surprise us. More moments where the rules bend—and sometimes break—in interesting ways. We're bringing forward everything we learned in 2025, sharpening our tools, and rolling into the new year with fresh ideas, bigger plans, and the same love for tabletop roleplaying games that started this whole thing. So whether you're listening right now with friends, alone on a late-night walk, or prepping for your next session—thank you for making RPGBOT part of your year. Here's to new campaigns. Here's to better characters. Here's to smarter GMs, braver players, and stories that stick with us long after the dice are packed away. Happy New Year. Welcome to 2026. Let's roll. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati
GoVols247's Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan react to Tennessee's 30-28 loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday night in Nashville. It was a summary of the entire 2025 season in one game for the Vols: Bad defense, inconsistent offense, untimely mistakes, a costly missed field goal and a defeat, Tennessee's fifth of the season. Where do Tennessee and Josh Heupel go from here? More are coming on the defensive staff and the transfer portal opens on Friday. Josh Heupel said the Vols will come back stronger in 2026 and have reasons for optimism, but it's a big offseason upcoming for the program. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jinky Panganiban serves as Professor of Practice at the University of Oregon's Sports Product Management Program, founder of 1969Blue Consulting, and founding member of Oregon Sports Angels. She is a former Vice President and General Manager at Nike with over 20 years of global executive experience. She led multibillion-dollar businesses across Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, and Europe. In this episode, Jinky reveals why "fitting in" kills leadership potential and how your cultural background becomes your superpower in global business. Jinky explains how the sports product industry has built intentional leadership development by translating a shared mission to fit local cultures instead of forcing one uniform way while maintaining a unified mission. She addresses the volatile state of global trade by emphasizing curiosity and critical thinking as essential skills for the next generation. Jinky argues that despite rising nationalism and tariff threats, consumers are already voting for a borderless world through their digital behavior and content consumption. In this episode, you'll discover how to leverage your cultural background as a superpower, build high-performing global teams, and lead with authenticity in an increasingly connected world. Find The Leadership Podcast episode 492 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Jinky Panganiban on Stop Fitting In https://bit.ly/TLP-492 Key Takeaways [04:09] Jinky describes how she started at Nike through a blind ad in Manila and was handpicked to help build Southeast Asia operations. [06:26] Jinky reveals how three white male mentors helped her realize her cultural background was her superpower. [09:47] Jinky explains that great leadership starts with being—knowing who you are and what you stand for—not just the doing of checking off deliverables and performance goals. [12:51] Jinky distinguishes influence from selling. [13:42] Jinky describes how SPM deliberately keeps students in the same project teams for 18 months because leadership is formed in the messy middle when deadlines are tight and not everybody agrees. [17:12] Jinky explains the collective industry commitment to raising next-generation leaders who will progress the culture. [20:32] Jinky demonstrates how global brands must translate their message locally. [25:17] Jinky shares how mentor Kate Delhagen gave her courage to leave corporate and explore angel investing. [28:58] Jinky describes her current advisory work with startup brands where she's both business advisor and biggest cheerleader, modeling what Kate did for her. [31:04] Jinky argues that despite borders and tariffs, the next generation of consumers already thinks globally through social media and digital platforms, celebrating differences rather than fearing them. [34:09] Jinky emphasizes that curiosity combined with critical thinking—vetting sources and asking why—is essential for navigating today's information-saturated world. [37:26] Jinky encourages everyone to celebrate where they've come from because there's only one of you, and you can't be more original than that—your background is your competitive advantage. [ ] And remember… "To be one, to be united, is a great thing, but to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater." – Bono Quotable Quotes "There's only one of you, so you can't be more original than that." "My cultural background and where I came from and all of my lived experience actually isn't something that I should shy away from or even be embarrassed about, but actually use it to my advantage and actually leverage it." "Great leadership starts with being. It's knowing who you are, what you stand for, and how you show up, especially when no one's watching." "We believe that leadership is formed in the messy middle. You know, when the deadlines are tight, the tempers are like rising and then not everybody's agreeing, but then you still have a deadline to hit." "Global doesn't mean uniform. The best teams share common purpose but express it in ways that feel very local." "Even if we put borders around things, the consumers will vote anyway to go beyond borders. Ideas, innovation, their talent, creativity, I don't think it carries a passport." "Human leadership never goes out of style." "Learn to lead yourself first. Build credibility, make sure that you practice empathy, and then lead through action and not titles." "If you don't know how to work in teams, you cannot work in the industry." "It's not so much exporting the culture, it's about translating it so that it works for everybody." "Cultural intelligence or cultural fluency is really critical because I've seen how that has become the one skill that could bridge global teams and communicate even beyond language." "Making sure that you find sources that are credible. Not just take things face value. Critical thinking is also something that's really important to ask the question why." "Culture, whether that's country culture or community culture, it's something to leverage, and it could always be a superpower for you." "We want to make sure that we leave this place better than we found it." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jinky Panganiban LinkedIn | http://linkedin.com/in/jinky-panganiban
F1 Grands Prix have become much than sporting events. They now stretch over four days of fan engagement with star name music acts, cultural events, top chefs and diverse activities for fans. Promoter fees generate around $1 billion of income annually for F1, almost a third of the total revenue. They can also have massive economic impact for a city or country; Las Vegas has pulled in over $900m each year from its race, while Sao Paolo reported a positive impact of £329 from November's race. No surprise then that there are more cities and countries wanting F1 races than there are slots on the calendar. Fitting in 24 Grands Prix is no easy task. It falls to Louise Young, Director of Race Promotion at F1, who works closely with CEO Stefano Domenicali and Liberty Media. Louise rarely gives interviews, so what she has to say here is a must-listen for every F1 fan. We are seeing a trend for longer term renewals, with Miami contracted to 2041 and many races including Monaco GP and the British GP at Silverstone signed up for a decade. What do these long contracts say about the confidence on both sides that F1 will still be booming beyond 2035? How is the F1 calendar decided each season and will we see more races in Asia, the US or Africa at the expense of rounds in Europe? James is joined in the studio for analysis by Autosport F1 writer Filip Cleeren. Voting is still open for the 38th Autosport Awards. Vote for your Driver, Team and Rookie of the Year. Go to https://www.autosport.com/awards-voting/ to cast your votes. Send your comments or questions to: @jamesallenonf1 on X or jamesallenonf1@autosport.com. A Motorsport Studios production for Autosport
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch's Paul Weigle. They start with a reaction to The Usos winning the World Tag Team Titles and discuss how if might affect the "Jey Uso in a funk" storyline. Then analysis of Austin Theory's presentation this week and early poll results on his push, should Bron Breakker keep acting like he's auditioning to be a "top guy" rather than just being one, is C.M. Punk shining right now, is Maxine Dupri's makeover actually kinda working, and much more with live chat interaction and an on-site correspondent with a perspective from inside the arena.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.
» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship and cognitive optimisationInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/After building public speaking skills through brutal on-camera training and quitting a job after 15 days to go full-time on TikTok, Michael (higherupwellness) proves that authenticity matters more than polish.You'll hear why his parents being in their 70s gave him wisdom most 28-year-olds don't have, how two and a half years of mandatory public speaking eliminated his number one fear, and what happens when you realise worldly success never fills the God-shaped hole.Tune in for his framework on maxing out your stat lines in your 20s, why asking God to reveal himself changed everything after his dad died, and how silencing ego long enough to suck at something a hundred times is the barrier most people never cross.00:00 Introduction01:40 Growing up with much older parents and shaping his worldview04:14 Supportive parenting made taking career risks feel safe07:57 Comparing US optimism to UK mindset and ambition12:35 Striking a balance between monk mode and reckless fun17:27 Early career struggles and earning respect as the youngest20:22 Vulnerability online builds real connection and community23:40 Steroid accusations and the reality of 18 years training27:21 Fitting training and nutrition into a hybrid athlete lifestyle33:10 Flexible training splits and sustainable consistency38:37 How calorie awareness gives you long-term freedom44:43 Learning public speaking through immersive sales training50:48 Communicating well, even in a non-native language57:46 What Whoop taught him about sleep, alcohol and basics01:04:32 Why coaching can be draining if boundaries aren't set01:12:55 Men need spaces where they can be both strong and soft01:22:30 Even elite performers have major blind spots01:26:10 Losing his dad showed him God's presence through pain01:35:57 Exactly how to start exploring faith without feeling lost» Escape the 9-5 and build your dream life: https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique: https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST: https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston• 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO• 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode:https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join WHOOP and get your first month for free:https://join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst» Follow MichaelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/higherupwellness/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@higherupwellness?lang=en
Paul closed his letter to the church in Rome with a doxology, and in doing so he summarized the entirety of the letter. It was a fitting conclusion.
F*ck Fitting In is a deep dive into one of the most invisible forces shaping our lives: approval-seeking. In this episode, Dr. JC Doornick exposes how most of us unknowingly construct an internal A.I., an Artificial Identity, a learned algorithm designed to gain acceptance, avoid conflict, and perform appropriately. Over time, this identity edits our words, tones, decisions, and even our sense of self, until we forget where the real us ends and the performance begins. Through sharp insight, cultural critique, and the lens of the Interface Response System (IRS), this conversation reveals how approval becomes a silent operating system that keeps us rehearsing the future, regretting the past, and missing the only place authenticity exists: the present moment. You'll learn how awareness cracks the code, how curiosity (“Hmmm?”) creates cognitive distance, and how authenticity returns when the mask powers down. This episode is a call to stop auditioning for life, stop being manipulable by algorithms, social or internal, and reclaim the courage to live from truth instead of approval. Because when you stop fitting in, you don't lose yourself… You finally get yourself back. Make Sense? Follow Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy: ► Makes Sense Substack - https://drjcdoornick.substack.com ► Instagram: / drjcdoornick ►Facebook: / makessensepodcast ►YouTube: / drjcdoornick MAKES SENSE PODCAST Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. This podcast explores topics that expand human consciousness and enhance performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is a subjective and acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW Podcast: You will find a "Follow" button in the top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Podcast Affiliates: Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where I get all these topics, which I've been covering for almost 15 years. I have learned to read nearly four times faster and retain information 10 times better with Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here: https://jimkwik.com/dragon OUR SPONSORS: Makes Sense Academy: A private mastermind and psychologically safe environment full of the Mindset and Action steps that will help you begin to thrive. The Makes Sense Academy. https://www.skool.com/makes-sense-academy/about The Sati Experience: A retreat designed for the married couple that truly loves one another, yet wants to take their love to that higher magical level. Relax, reestablish, and renew your love at the Sati Experience. https://www.satiexperience.com 0:00 - Intro 1:34 - Fuck Fitting In - AI - Artificial Identity 7:37 - Question from Thomas - Embracing Authenticity is Attractive 9:34 - Approval Seeking 10:57 - What else might be true? 14:19 - How do we execute on being authentic? 19:26 - The Sorting Filter 22:44 - Habits are hard to break. Both Good and Bad 27:18 - Are you Manipulatable? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode, I'm revisiting fitting packages and the bridal investment guide—and why this topic matters more than ever. Every seamstress I know who's implemented fitting packages has said the same thing: I wish I had done this sooner.They don't just increase revenue—they change the quality of clients and the way your time is respected.I share how fitting packages started in my own business back in 2017, how coaching helped me clarify boundaries and pricing, and what fitting packages actually are (and aren't). You'll also hear real stories from SBS members who went from burnout and difficult clients to a more profitable, aligned business. This episode is for bridal seamstresses who want to step into 2026 with confidence, clarity, and a better way of working.In this episode:Why fitting packages consistently lead to immediate revenue growthHow charging for fittings changes client behavior and respect for your timeWhat fitting packages actually include—and how flexible they can beWhy your investment guide should not live on your websiteHow this model helps attract better-aligned, higher-quality clientsConnect with Nadine:Check out the exclusive private podcast series, Fitting Packages 101: https://enchanting-sun-77080.myflodesk.com/privatepodcastBecome a member: https://secretsofabridalseamstresspodcast.com/membershipInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsofabridalseamstress/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinebozemanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretsofabridalseamstress
About 80 percent of female firefighters say that their personal protective clothing doesn't fit right, and studies show that ill-fitting gear puts women at greater risk of being injured on the job. In this podcast from 2023, Jesse talks to two textile researchers working on multi-year project to better understand the issue and to gather the data needed to design female-specific turnout gear. Before the episode, Jesse gives a quick update on the project, which has now moved onto a crucial second phase. Researchers are now gathering measurements from thousands of women in the fire service, which they will use to design the first prototypes of female specific personal protective clothing. Researchers are looking for female firefighters who are willing share their measurement data. This can be done by yourself with an app on your phone and takes only a few minutes. Visit, nfpa.org/femaleppe to learn how to help. Links: Visit the research page to learn more about the project and how to submit measurement data Read and NFPA Journal feature story about the project to understand and solve the problem of ill-fitting PPE for female firefighters. Watch a webinar presentation with researchers Cassandra Kwon and Meredith McQuerry
Seth and Sean re-live the Texans' win over the Raiders yesterday via highlights in the voice of Marc Vandermeer, give credit where it's due in Acknowledge Me, and discuss how EJ Speed said he's fitting in with the Texans' defense.
Insert Content Template or Symbol The Magic In St Andrews!Kevin Davidson - "The Positive Golfer" - Interview Insert Content Template or Symbol Welcome to Episode 231 of THE Golf Improvement Podcast! Dedicated to sharing useful information on professional club fitting, putting and short game improvement, and effective practice techniques. CHANGING GOLFER'S LIVES - ONE GOLFER… The post 231 – The Magic In St Andrews! – Kevin Davidson Interview first appeared on Game Improvement Golf.
Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 1 Surviving a horrible plague has unusual conditions. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Forward: This story occurs within the Quaranteam universe created by CorruptingPower. If you have not red the original, or any of the other spinoffs, they are highly recommended. That is not required to understand this story, they're just good, and a lot of fun. This fictional drama coincides with the timing of the 2nd wave outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. The modified cold virus escaped from a Chinese laboratory and directly killed more than 7 million people, but is suspected of indirectly causing the early deaths of over 20 million, in about 24 months. The DuoHalo virus that this series of novels pertains to, is far more deadly, and can only be combatted with a gene therapy injection, but it wears off in just days, unless followed up by human hormones, and only through a continual booster through both male and female genital fluids. Only the female body is capable of enduring the inoculation gene therapy dose, but she still needs the catalyst of male genital fluids, which then activates both physical and psychological mutations. Her libido goes into hyper drive. The corresponding male partner also absorbs the hormone-based anti-viral, by absorbing the woman's rich antiviral genital fluids. The world order undergoes a fundamental rest, and the fight for survival of the species becomes dependent on heterosexual mating ‘bareback', with women devoting themselves to monogamy, while men retain a capacity to be the catalyst for however many females their stamina allows. The most notable psychological mystery is the absence of female jealousy and possessiveness. Cohabitation is an essential accommodation to make the treatment work. Chapter 1. September 18, 2020. Dave Belsus sat on the floor of his hallway texturing the wall over the patch he'd installed a few days earlier. It had taken a sizable piece of sheetrock (from a layman's perspective) to repair the big gaping hole in his wall. There wasn't really a right or wrong pattern to the texturing and Dave was simultaneously restless and reluctant to move on to a different task. He finally stood, gathered his tools and materials, and hauled them down to the garage. There are still things to do. There are people depending on him. He went out to his greenhouse and stopped, closed his eyes and smelled the green. Let it soak into him. He needed to feel life around him. He just stood there for; he wasn't sure how long. Not long enough. He still felt dead inside. But he had work to do. David started harvesting some veggies to exchange with his neighbor, Lupie. Inspecting the cucumber plants, he could see two large ones were ready. He'd keep one for his own salads and send the other next door. Becca, Lupie's houseguest (once babysitter) had developed a taste for them after Dave offered one a few months ago. Several beefy tomatoes were ready, so he plucked them, keeping a few for himself. Maybe a tomato sandwich tonight or tomorrow. That'd be nice. Three heads of redleaf lettuce (he'd staggered his lettuce so a few heads were harvestable every week) were next, again, one for Dave, two for next door. Finally, a handful of strawberries were perfectly ripe. He'd let Lupie and the girls have all of those. Esme, Lupie's daughter loved strawberries. Well, who didn't? Cute little girl. Always gave Dave fierce, friendly hugs. Dave missed the farmer's markets on the weekends where he could trade or buy/sell for other varieties and veggies he didn't have space or time for. Well, now he had all sorts of time, but he still didn't have the space. Dave brought the harvested veggies into the house and sorted the veggies. Stuff for him went on the counter basket. Items for Lupie, Becca and Esme went back in the basket he'd carried into the greenhouse. Dave grabbed the basket and walked over to what had been a parlor just off his entryway. Now it was a decon area. Dave added a plasticized suit over the clothes he'd been wearing. Mid-September was still toasty in Texas, but fortunately not as bad as late August. That had been brutal. Hot enough Dave had thought about adding a water bottle with a straw to the inside of the suit. He hadn't come up with a way to attach it without breaching the suit's integrity, so he nixed the idea. He doubled down on pre-hydrating when it was absolutely necessary to go out in the damn thing. Dave gathered up the basket in the clumsy gloves. He'd gotten fairly good at manipulating medium size items while wearing the gloves. The gloves were disposable dish gloves, tucked into the suit and duct taped to it for a seal. He opened his door and crossed the lawns over to Lupie's porch. He carefully transferred the veggies over to Lupie's porch pickup box, then gathered the dozen eggs she'd left him. Lupie had several hens in a large coop in her back yard. Dave had helped her install some anti-predator devices to the top of her fence and around the coop in the before times. Being that close to Lupie was a fond memory. Nothing romantic between them, just very comfortable. And it had paid off well too. He got a dozen eggs twice a week, and sometimes a whole chicken, plucked and dressed. Sometimes even separated into parts. If he was really lucky, after bringing her some good meat, he'd get homemade tamales. Lupie was a great cook. Her cooking wasn't the only thing Dave appreciated about Lupie. Absolutely lovely inside and out. She wasn't beauty pageant pretty, she was normal girl pretty. What a lovely face to wake up to. A face that'd make a man want to come home. Nice figure too. She never wore anything too showy, but she wasn't one for baggy stuff either. Sure, she's in her early thirties and has a real job and a kid to keep track of, so she most certainly wouldn't have a washboard tummy under her shirts. Or dresses. God, Lupie looks fantastic in a dress. The way they billow around her calves always caught Dave's eye. And that hair. Long, lovely, raven black hair. Hopping back onto his own porch, Dave put the basket down and flipped on the UV lights he'd installed in the porch awning. Step one in his decontamination process. Arms straight out from his shoulders, he turned slowly. One full circle palms down, another palms up. He flipped off the light, opened the door and grabbed the basket. Inside, he stripped off the outer suit, hanging it on hooks in the entryway, set the basket in the kitchen, then went straight to the upstairs shower, the one near the unused bedrooms. Excessive? Possibly. But Dave wasn't going to be another statistic. Viruses don't negotiate. Dave didn't either. That's what Lysol was for. Not that the average person could get much of that anymore. Still, if you weed out the essential oils nuts, there were some good recipes for home sanitizers online. You just had to pay attention to the recommended duration. Some were stronger than others and didn't need to be left on a surface as long. After toweling off and tossing the towel in the hamper, Dave went to the master bedroom to put on fresh clothes. Then he went back down to wash the lettuce and cucumber and started making a small salad. Dave didn't like eating right before exertion, but he hadn't eaten in a day and a half. He need to workout the anger surging through him too. So he compromised - a small salad, then beat the crap out of imaginary opponents. Lettuce base, quartered tomato, quartered boiled egg, diced cucumber, and balsamic vinaigrette. Tasty enough that he'd finish it. Small enough he wouldn't blow chunks while he's exercising. Kitchen cleanup gave the food a little time to settle. Dave walked across the house to get his staff from the gym, then went back to the sliding glass door separating the living room from the backyard. He walked to the large flat platform in the middle of the yard, stretching his arms as he went. He stretched his legs when he got there. Then he took a several minutes with warm up motions. He ran through each of the basic strikes and defenses in a pattern he practiced at least three times a week. He repeated the sequence five times. Then he launched into a series of combination motions. Half-staff upper hand strike on the right, followed by the left. A horizontal block leading into a full staff strike starting from the lower left into the upper right. On and on. Each pattern repeated. Each repetition faster. Turning. Striking. Blocking. Faster. Dave's face, initially a blank mask, grew pained, then angry. Anger flowed into rage. In his rage, Dave lost track of his position on the platform. He unknowingly stepped off the platform. It was only two or three inches high, but that was enough. He caught his fall with his staff and avoided an unceremonious face plant. Still, the interruption pulled him out of the mental space he'd been in. His breathing was ragged. Sweat soaked his clothes, dripped from every part of his body. The air was no longer flinty, but it was still too hot for heavy, continuous exertion. He felt a small wave of nausea roll through his belly. Time to pack it in. He cleaned off the end of the staff he'd use to stop his fall, then walked inside, stowed the staff back in the gym, and went up to the master suite shower stall. The shower refreshed Dave's body. Time to give his mind something to do. Eastfield College had only partially re-opened, just a few online classes. He had one section of astronomy to teach for the folks that wanted something more exciting than physical science for their science core requirement. No one was taking chemistry or physics this semester. The chemistry instructor was still alive. She'd laid down the law in her house and they had taken lockdown seriously. They just didn't have a good substitute for teaching the lab part of the class yet. The full-time physics guy had inexplicably taken the same attitude as too many in the county. He died before the spring semester ended. The guy had a doctorate in physics, twelve published papers to his name and spent twenty years living in scientific circles. You'd think he'd know better than to fall in with the idiot brigade. Hell, maybe the college would take Dave on full time to cover the physics courses once they opened up for real. Dave logged into to the course website, checking grades in the online homework column and looking for any labs submitted by the faster, more diligent (or just bored) students. No new work since yesterday. Maybe the rest would wait until last minute on Sunday night. On no, a procrastinating college student. What a surprise! A text message notification pulled him out of his reverie. It was from Lupie. "Please say yes." He was about to reply, asking her what he was supposed to say yes to, when he heard the doorbell. Crap. Dave rushed downstairs to the door, hearing a second ring on the way down. He grabbed a mask and slipped it on quickly just before opening the door a crack with his shoulder braced against it if he needed to slam it shut again. A man in a hazmat suit stood on Dave's porch, carrying a small case and wearing what appeared to be a watch on his right wrist. "Good morning sir, my name is Arthur Samuelson, I'm with the CDC. May I come in?" "You ain't a vampire are you?" The grin on Dave's face indicated he was joking. Arthur chuckled. "No sir, just administering tests checking for DuoHalo and making arrangements for vaccination." Dave got the impression a few details were being skipped here, as if the man in front of him was easing him in with the broadest strokes first. "A vaccine? Holy shit. Yeah, come on in dude." Dave backed up and opened the door fully. After making sure the door was fully closed, Dave led Arthur to the dining room table. Arthur immediately pulled out sterile cotton swabs, the kind with wooden stems and cotton only on one end, a small box. Arthur tapped the face of the watch and then typed in a numeric sequence when a digital number pad popped up. "It's a monitor. Some folks have taken a militant approach since the lockdowns started. Every time the watch buzzes at me, I have to enter a code within 30 seconds or they send a squad of troops to my coordinates." Dave reacted briefly, but nonverbally. Well, some people try to drown the lifeguard that's there to save their ass. Whoever said we've evolved past our caveman days isn't paying attention. Arthur handed one of the hospital style cotton swabs to Dave. "Just swab the inside of your cheek very well, no brain tickling this time." Dave swabbed as instructed, then handed the stick back to Arthur. Arthur set about processing the sample and placing it in the testing device. "This will take a few minutes. While we are waiting, is there anyone else to be tested here?" "No, I live alone." "Big place." "Yeah, I . . . had other plans, but they didn't pan out. Been here by myself for a few years now. Nice neighbors, especially next door, Lupie." Dave mentioned Lupie intentionally. Given the short time span between the text and the doorbell, it was possible, but not certain, the two were connected. "Yes, I just came from there. Nice ladies." "So, are you going door-to-door doing this, like somebody selling steak knives?" Arthur guffawed. "Not quite. We used electric usage rates to determine which houses still have people living in them. Then we set routes for each test administrator for a day. Also, you're going to like what I'm offering a lot more than steak knives, but they won't all come at once." Dave chuckled, but held back a bit. "So multiple booster shots?" "Something like that." Arthur's grin was slightly cryptic, like he was hiding a joke he wasn't ready to reveal just yet. "I hate needles man. I put up with them, but I usually have to look away when I get stuck for shots or blood donations." "We'll see what we can do to make it easier on you." The cryptic grin hadn't receded. Then the box trilled a three note sequence. Arthur checked it. "Congratulations, you are virus free. Let's make arrangements to keep you safe from this thing." Arthur pressed a button on the box, which then printed out a strip of paper. He handed the strip over to Dave. "So here's the deal: you know by now DuoHalo is deadly, especially to men. Like an 80% fatality rate for us guys." Dave's eyes hooded over. "I'm aware." "Yes, well it seems directly administering the vaccine is 100% fatal to men." "How the fuck is that supposed to help? Leave a planet of Valkyries that only survives if they solve cloning or learn to create artificial semen in one generation?" Dave shouted, but managed not to rise out of his seat. Arthur leaned back somewhat, as if subconsciously giving Dave a little extra space. "No sir, we have a solution, just please hear me out." Dave calmed himself and prepared to listen to what comes after three of the worst words to hear. Whatever followed those three words was either incredibly good, or monumentally bad. Dave wasn't holding his breath for the former. "No, no, nothing like that. It turns out that women can act as intermediaries for the vaccine, sort of a buffer solution. I'm sorry, that may not - " "I know what a buffer solution is and how it functions." "Oh, excellent. You see, we have found that if a vaccinated woman has intercourse with a man, her body buffers the vaccine serum and her immunity transfers - in part - to the man." "Intercourse? As in sex?" Arthur smirked "Someone at the office started referring to this as the STV - Sexually Transmitted Vaccine." Dave rolled his eyes briefly, then closed them and shook his head. "Okay, there is a website with text and videos to explain more details, but a few more things I should say before I leave. First, it takes more than one woman to keep a man safe. That means you will have multiple women 'sharing' you." Dave's eyebrows shot up, but he kept his mouth shut and listened for now. "The vaccine also creates some kind of bond between men and women, so once they sleep with you, they can't be with another man. Ever. It's extremely dangerous for the woman." Seeing Dave start to object, Arthur rushed along "The website I gave you is a highly detailed and personal survey. Women take the same survey. The results get processed through a system called Oracle that has been rigorously tested to match people. We don't want someone stuck with a person they can't stand." Hearing this, Dave was somewhat mollified. Arthur's haste from a moment ago clearly intended to forestall Dave's objection. Of course, Arthur probably thought the concern was for Dave being stuck with an objectionable woman. Dave was equally concerned with a woman getting stuck with him. "Alright so last few questions, how much space is there in this house?" "Oh, well, I have a king size canopy bed in the master bedroom. There are four more bedrooms upstairs, two of which have twin beds in them. The other two have no furniture." "You're going to want to change that. Your first partner will likely arrive tomorrow, with more coming every week, maybe four days apart, at least until we get you up to four partners. Eventually, you will be assigned at least twelve women. Oh, and one more thing." Arthur handed Dave a plain white letter envelope bearing Dave's name in a flowing script. "Your neighbor Lupie asked me to give this to you. I'll step out to the living room to give you some privacy, but I'll need an answer before I leave." Dave was puzzled and concerned but nodded Arthur towards the couch visible through the archway separating the dining and living rooms. Dave pulled out his pocketknife and slit the envelope open. His eyes widened at the first line. First line, hell - the salutation! Dearest David, Words cannot express just how wonderful it is just to address you in that way. I don't know when I began falling for you. I can tell you that last year, when I said I wanted a man who could make a living for us so that I could stay home, raise our kids, and love him with my whole heart, I was thinking of you. Yes, I know it's a bit silly to some, since I earn quite a nice income without any help, but that does not make me feel whole. I want to love you, and Esme, and the children we have together. Yes David, I want to bear your children and raise them with you. I wanted that before all of this lockdown and death started. And now, with all that's been lost, I want to feel life in my body. I want you to put it there. I never want to be away from Esme again. I want to manage your household and love you and our children and whomever else comes into our lives with the way the world is changing. I understand from the gentleman that came to our door that the vaccine has some unusual effects, including emotional and psychological impacts. This is why I am writing to you now, before I take the vaccine. I want to make sure you know this is really what I want. Before anything affects me. I love you. I want to be with you for a lifetime. You should also know that Becca wants to be with you as well. I suspect you will have objections based on her age. Yet, you know she is incredibly mature and responsible. You know what she went through to protect Esmeralda. You know what she has suffered through. Her world is completely unmoored. You, Esme, and I are all that she has left. Your heart and your mind know these things to be true. One thing you may not be aware of - Becca considers you her hero. For so many things big and small that you have done for us during this lockdown. Besides, she's a sci-fi and gaming nerd too, you two will get along quite well if you give her a chance. I love you desperately David. Please say yes. For both of us. Forever yours, Lupie. Dave reached into his back pocket for a handkerchief to dry his eyes. Lupie wanted him all along? Images flashed through his mind. Lupie laughing in a flowy dress on a pleasant spring day. Lupie's hands touching his as they exchanged eggs or produce. Lupie bringing him a glass of ice water while he repaired her fence because he couldn't bear the thought of her blowing money on a contractor. Lupie's proud grin as he thanked her and expounded on the deliciousness of the fresh tamales she brought over late last fall. Their hands had touched then too, hadn't they? No, she touched his hand. Not an accident. Dear God what an idiot! Hell yes he wanted Lupie in his life! And she had been showing him she wanted him in hers. Then his mind turned to Rebecca. Just barely eighteen, and him already forty-six. If she were five years older, she'd still be half his age! Everything Lupie said in her letter was true though. The four of them had gotten through this lockdown together - Lupie, her nine-year-old daughter Esme, and Becca, the young babysitter that had taken on so much when this first started. Loyalty to someone that had weathered the storm with him. Sympathy for someone who'd lost her entire family, even her extended relations. Admiration of the strength, character and resilience she'd shown. Mix in a little lust, 'cuz she's kinda cute. Nerdy cute. But then, Dave is a nerd, he likes nerd girls. Among others. So the only thing holding him back was a number? He'd seen that girl show more loyalty and honor than women twice her age! David took a cleansing breath and blew it slowly out. Arthur picked up on the change, stood and strode back to the dining room. "Have you made a decision?" "Yes. I will accept them both. I'd be a fool not to. How do we do that though? You said something about a matching program?" "Right, however a man may ask for a particular woman. The computer jockeys have to do some manual work for this to happen, so it's not a common occurrence. The two profiles are run through Oracle and the woman is informed of the request, the man's brief bio, and the match percentage of their profiles. Then she can choose to assent or decline." "Sounds like something waiting to be abused." "Hmm. I don't know of any such abuse occurring. I can see the potential you're talking about, but that would require one or more well placed conspirators in one of the vaccination centers." "And that never happens?" "Not to my knowledge. Not yet anyway. I need to get going. I'll inform your neighbors you've agreed. They'll pack a small suitcase and be ready to get picked up tonight or possibly tomorrow morning. You should expect your first partner to arrive sometime tomorrow. As long as you get that profile filled out. And be ruthlessly honest. It's quite thorough. Some questions might make you a bit uncomfortable. Fudging the answers could lead to poor results. And get it in quick. As soon as - Lupie and Becca? -" Dave nodded "are entered in the system, they will be compared to you. If your profile isn't there when the programmers run the comparison, they will be given a random match." Dave nodded his understanding, then rose to walk his guest out. Guest. After all these months, isn't that a hell of a thing? "Remember man, completely, brutally honest." With that, Arthur left. Dave closed the door behind him. He pulled out his phone and started typing. Yes To both of you. The little dots started dancing while he was still typing the second line. Thank you, David! Thank you so much! I'm sorry I held back so long! I have a lot to say to you too. But I want to say it in person. To look you in the eyes. Lupie, you have made me very happy. Happier than I feel I am worthy of. I can't wait to see you again. Face to face. Dave's phone buzzed with an incoming message, but there was nothing new from Lupie. He popped back to the inbox screen, finding an entry from Becca with an image. He opened it and just stared for a moment. He blinked when he realized his mouth was hanging open. Framed in the image was Becca, clearly taking a selfie, from just above her head to the bottom of her ribcage. She was biting her bottom lip and blushing furiously. Probably because the hand not holding the phone was holding her shirt and bra pulled up above her tits. Dave was embarrassed for a moment, then decided why not savor it? Hell, he'd be sharing a bed with her. He would see more than just her pert young boobies then. He sent a thumbs up, followed by: When you're all in, you're really all in huh? ; Laugh emoji ; Yeah, is that ok? ; Do you like them? Are they too small? They're beautiful. They're a part of you, and that makes them wonderful. Always remember that your body, as lovely as it is, is merely a bonus. You won me over with the strength of your character, your courage, your resilience. ; crying emoji, heart emoji ; You make me want to come over right now. ; peach, eggplant, water spurt ; See you in a few days. ; Lover. Dave had made it back to his office and woke his computer with a quick mouse shake. As he logged in, his phone buzzed again. This time it was Lupie. ; Is everything ok? Becca is acting really skittish, and she's blushing like she's embarrassed. Didn't you say yes to her? I did and do. If she doesn't want to tell you, I won't either. Yet. ; monocled raised eyebrow emoji I promise. I'll see you both - all three of you soon. Tell Esme she's getting a big hug. ; I will. I'll have a really nice hug for you too. Looking forward to it. Oh wow. GuadaLupie Jimena Angelina Gutierrez Ramos is itching to live in his house, share a bed with him, and spend her life with him? Fairy tales .. can come true.. it can happen to you; Dave forced himself to focus. He typed in the u r l Arthur had given him. Things started out bland enough. Girls, boys, both? Ladies only. Age range? Dave's first instinct was to set the bottom age to around 25 or 30. He's forty-six for God's sake. Yeah, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out repopulation was going to be an issue, and younger women had both more years of fertility and were more fertile, so at some point, someone would force the issue and each man would be paired with some women under twenty five. But Becca. If Dave set the minimum above eighteen, she might not even get a chance to match with him. That would likely separate her from Lupie and Esme as well. But that left the door open for other teens. Well, Arthur did say women got to pick who they paired with. Fuck it. I'm not screwing over Becca. That's not even a choice. We'll deal with whatever else results as we go. By the time Dave finished the Oracle survey, his stomach was growling. He wasn't quite done yet though. He only had a bare minimum of sheets and towels, so he went online and ordered three changes of sheets for both of the twin beds (there was already one set on each now), two full-sized beds for the two unfurnished rooms, four changes of sheets for those, and four dressers. He went down to the kitchen and pulled out the half tomato left from his lunch salad and started slicing it. After making his tomato sandwich, he added some chips and pickles to the plate. He sat quietly, alone, at the table, realizing that this may be the last dinner he has by himself. Arthur said multiple women. This whole house would be full of people. Full of life. What a difference a day makes. Dave was cleaning up from breakfast the next morning when he heard a knock at the door. He had just turned the water off at the sink, so it was possible this wasn't the first knock. He rushed to the door, grabbing a mask enroute. When he opened the door, a soldier stood there with a clipboard, a young lady beside and behind him. "You David Belsus?" "I am." "Meet your new partner sir, sign here please." Dave signed by the red x. "Y'all have a good day." He tipped his ball cap bill "Ma'am" and walked off. "Hi, I'm Janice Hoppler." She stuck out her hand and Dave shook it while processing what he was seeing. She was cute, late twenties or early thirties, distinctly Korean features, and jet black hair reaching the middle of her back. Dave had marked long hair as one of his desired traits in a woman, giving it a seven out of ten priority. Short hair can be nice, but nothing is so distinctly feminine as long hair. He'd pass up big boobs if a woman had long hair. Not that he'd mind getting both. Not even a little. "Can I come inside?" Dave realized he'd been shaking her hand for a bit too long and not saying anything. "Oh, sure. Sorry, this is kinda surreal." She grinned. "Ya, I know. First a pandemic kills off a huge part of the population, and now the solution is to fuck like bunnies and every man gets like a dozen women? Sounds like some high school boy's fantasy dream." Her dark eyes danced as she laughed. Dave brought her in to sit in the living room, mindful to sit somewhat close so he didn't appear distant, but not all up in her personal space. "Yeah, well, the hard part will be keeping up with the libidos of ten or twelve women. Especially since the videos mentioned you're each going to have an accelerated sex drive." "They also said you would get some invigoration as well. But don't worry, I'll make sure your part is plenty hard so it can do its work." Janice giggled when Dave blushed and closed his eyes. "Sorry, that's not the kind of thing I'd normally say out loud, but they did say all of us ladies will wind up much more forward than we had been before." "That could be helpful, I'm not great at picking up on subtle signals. When it happens, I just think a woman is being nice, but not interested. Or I think she's interested and she's just being nice." "Well, I'm interested enough to choose to be bonded with you for the rest of my life so consider this carte blanche to get frisky anytime you feel like it." She stood, strode to his chair and planted a smoky kiss on his lips, but no tongue. Dave took a breath to recover and register that this was really happening. "So, would you like to see the place first?" "Sure." Janice took his hand as he stood. "You've seen the entryway and parlor," Dave said guiding Janice past the couch into the dining room and beyond into the kitchen. "So here's the kitchen. The small door in the corner is the pantry. Upper two cabinets next to the fridge are dry foods. The other two are dishes and glasses. Lower cabinets are pots, pans, etc." Janice sniffed the air. "You cook much? Smells like you just had breakfast." "Yeah, I had just finished dishes. Did y'all have to knock more than once?" "Twice. But that's worth it for a man that can cook." "You cook much?" "I have to follow box directions carefully to get mac n' cheese to come out decent. I can only do cakes with help from Betty or Duncan and even that is an iffy proposition. Is that a problem, that I don't cook?" "Oh no, not at all." Dave led her out of the kitchen, winding back through the dining room and living room. "Up the stairs are the bedrooms, a full bath, my office, and the master suite." Her eyes glimmered. "Shortly." He paused. "Wow, that's new, me being the one to hold off." "I can see you want it. It's kinda sexy you wanting me, but not just jumping me." "Hmm. I 'll keep that in mind." He hoped his eyes were conveying his interest. Guess they were. "So, we were talking about cooking. I love to cook and so does Lupie. Becca enjoys it I think, but she's still learning. Not bad. She made me birthday cupcakes over the summer. Of course, we had to do the careful packaging and cleaning bit. She wanted to so bad after I made her a birthday dinner and cupcakes." "Who are Lupie and Becca?" "Oh, right, my neighbors." "Oh, the Latina woman and her daughter?" "The daughter is Esme. She's nine. Becca is the eighteen year old blonde. When did you see them?" "They were loading -" Dave and Janice had just arrived at the first door off the hallway past the living room. A former guest bedroom, Dave had done some renovations, adding the closet space of the room onto the half bath and converting that into a full bath. The rest of the room he had filled with bookshelves and comfortable chairs. A few small tables sat near the chairs to rest a drink or a book on. One table bore a good-sized and fairly recent globe. A map of the U S A and a world map adorned one wall in the sitting area. And of course, all the shelves were loaded with books. Janice took a few steps into the room past Dave, who had stopped the moment she cut herself off, wondering what was wrong. When she spun to face him, he saw the look of a kid walking into a candy store with a hand full of monthly allowance. Janice swiftly crossed the small distance between them, launched her short frame into his arms and kissed him fiercely. "Fuck me. Fuck me right here, right now." Dave's brain was not keeping up with the changes. Janice wasn't waiting anyway. She quickly unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and shoved them to his ankles, along with his boxers. She dropped to her knees and started kissing and licking his cock. As it began to fill out, she took it in her mouth and bobbed her head along its length. Dave had always been self-conscious about his cock. It wasn't anything impressive as far as he knew. It didn't help that it shrank in both length and girth in the flaccid state. A cheating ex-wife didn't help things either. And yet, here was this beautiful woman, on her knees, hungry for his cock. Janice's eyes rolled back in her head and a deep, guttural moan issued from her chest. She stilled for a moment, falling back with her ass on her heels. She looked like she might fall over, so Dave took hold of her shoulders. After a minute or so, She looked up at him, happy and hungry. "That. was. Awesome!" Then her eyes zeroed in on his cock again, taking the same look as a hawk spying a squirrel. He was fully erect now. Janice rose up enough to shove his hips. "On the ground baby. Time to finish this. Make me your horny little bitch for life." Dave lay down, Janice not even waiting until he was all the way down to crawl up his body and straddle him. The sensations he picked up from the tip of his cock as she settled herself told him she wore no panties under her loose skirt. She quickly lined him up with her entrance and sat back forcefully. "Fuck yeah. This thing feels so damn good baby. God, how the hell are you still single? I'd fucking sell my soul to you if you promised to fuck me." She started rising a bit, then shoving herself back down, then grinding her clit against him. "Fucking perfect fucking thickness and length. I feel so stuffed, and not painful." She placed her palms over his nipples and began focusing her efforts on riding up and down, her breathing getting ragged. Janice emitted several moans and grunts as she worked herself and Dave up to a pinnacle. For his part, Dave was just hoping to last long enough for her to enjoy this. It had been a while since he'd been with a woman and Rosy Palm just isn't the same. He felt his pleasure rising rapidly and focused on holding it back. Just then she threw her head back and howled in pleasure as her inner muscles ran riot gripping him. He crested too, shooting up into her. Her howl nearly became a scream, her whole body shaking, seizing. Dave grasped her torso at the bottom of her ribcage to give her some stability. She collapsed like a ragdoll, her arms, limbs and neck going limp, dangling from her still vertical body in Dave's hands. Dave lowered her body to his and gently rolled them over, one hand behind her head to keep it from flopping around. He pulled up his boxers and pants so his legs could move enough to stand. Doing so, he tucked himself back in and fastened his pants. Dave crouched beside his sleeping beauty, gave her a soft kiss on her forehead, then scooped her into his arms and carried her up to the master bedroom. He laid her out gently on top of the covers and draped a light blanket over her. Then he went back to his computer to watch some of the videos he had skipped. Clearly, he had missed a few important facts. Janice has Dave all to herself for one day. Chapter 2 - Janice's Day. September 19, 2020. Dave fought the urge to go straight to his computer and watch more videos on this vaccine. He'd anticipated the chanting of 'imprinting' but he'd skipped over the parts of the videos on sexual effects, thinking it would wait, or not even matter. That reaction was not natural. Okay, he's somewhat decent in bed, but that shit was next level, pornstar stuff. No way a woman got that excited over his crank. Before he could go video surfing, he needed to get over and feed Lupie's chickens. No telling when they'd be back, probably tomorrow, and the chickens had to get fed. At least he wouldn't need to truss up. He wasn't running into anyone else. Dave slipped through the fence gate separating Lupie's front yard from her backyard. She left it unlocked all the time. Dave only mentioned it once, and then remained low-level worried for her when she never locked it. Dave was pulled out of his musing by a low growl. In the backyard, glaring at him, was a large dog, a mutt with a lineage that ran thick and muscular. The eyes looked somewhat red, but the muzzle showed clear evidence of dried blood. Most likely a neighbor had died, thus cutting of the dog's food supply. It broke out of its own backyard and had been killing other dogs, cats or squirrels thus far. Now it was thinking squab for breakfast and Dave had just interrupted. Well, first good news, no foaming at the mouth so it's probably not rabid. Still a good idea to not get bit though. Holding stock still, Dave scanned the area, moving his eyes only, searching for anything that could be helpful. Ironically, Dave had a number of weapons at home that would have solved this little problem for the neighborhood. Not that they were doing him any good right now. A shop broom. Lupie kept a shop broom on the back porch, and it was just a few feet away. Well that's something. Dave took a small step sideways and the growling turned to a couple of loud barks. The dog leaned to one side, as if anticipating the need to intercept Dave running sideways. Dave's hand reached out slowly, causing the dog to bark harshly and take two steps closer. Dave's hand connected with the broom. When he began pulling the broom to him, the dog charged, open mouth, teeth bared. Feeling a little ridiculous, Dave snapped into ready position, the brush part of the broom held low. He thrust the broom under the dog's muzzle, the bristles splaying out absurdly. The dog reared back, possibly about to leap over the broom, so Dave adjusted his motion upward, catching the dog's chin and flipping it up and back. The dog kept his back feet planted and swiveled its head to take the broom head in its mouth. It swung its head back and forth, attempting to pull the broom from Dave's hands. Dave took a firm grip and unscrewed the handle from the broom, with a few added jabs to keep the dog off balance as he did so. The dog noticed the moment the head come loose from the handle. It threw down the head and came charging again. Dave of course was ready for this, swinging the metal threads on the head end of the handle in an arc that delivered an upper cut to the dog's jaw. With an angry yip, the dog pulled back, barked, and circled. Dave turned with the dog, waiting for the next charge. When it came, Dave snapped the end of the handle on the dog's head in a downward strike that connected, but did not stop the dog. Dave slipped sideways as he brought the other end of the handle around, catching the dog in the shoulder. At this point, Dave realized scaring the dog off might not work at all, and if it did, the dog would be back in an hour or so. He was going to have to kill the dog to keep the chickens safe. Dave had already maneuvered to the concrete porch in Lupie's backyard. He slammed the end of the broom handle in a downward strike on the porch, snapping the end off and leaving a splintered point on the end. He now had a spear. The dog charged again. This time, Dave waited until the dog reared up to leap before plunging the sharpened end of the handle into the dog's torso. A sickening yelp issued from the dog as the makeshift spear drove into its chest cavity. The dog fell, pulling Dave's weapon from his hands, and lay growling, panting and whimpering on the porch. Mortally wounded, the dog was still dangerous. It was also in pain. Dave needed to dispatch it quickly. Every moment it wasted away would wear on his soul. He spotted Lupie's garden trowel. Moving swiftly, he grabbed it, slipped behind the dog, and drove the trowel into the base of the skull, ending the animal's pain. Once he was sure the animal was neither a danger nor in pain, Dave sat back on his haunches and wept bitter tears. Hell, he'd kill deer and turkey before, but that was hunting. What meat he didn't eat or give to Lupie was donated to a local charity to feed the poor or homeless. The butcher he used sold the deerskin and turkey feathers to local crafters for their works. This animal was dead because it was hungry and targeted the wrong prey. Feeling like an utter wimp, Dave wiped his eyes and face dry. He went back to his own garage, pulled out a tarp, and headed back to Lupie's yard. Dave wrapped the dog in the tarp, then carried it through the back gate, and tossed the carcass in the rolling garbage bin. More waste. More death. By the time Dave got back, the chickens had largely settled down. He scattered some seed into their enclosure and filled the water tank from the backyard hose. Dave left the backyard, pulling Lupie's gate closed tightly behind him and returned to his own home. He went upstairs to the master suite bathroom and scrubbed his arms thoroughly. Partly to remove any fluids that might have gotten on him. Mostly as a psychological exercise, trying to wash away what happened. Emerging from the bathroom, Dave was captured by Janice's sleeping face. He climbed into bed and lay beside her, watching her gently breathe. Drinking in the feeling of another life nearby. But he had work to do. And some research on what happened this morning. Maybe watching the videos first would help get his head settled again so he could focus on his project. Rewatching the video he'd skipped parts of, he hit the part explaining the bonding effect of the serum on women with a male partner. Did that work in reverse? Is that why he found Janice's muttering of 'imprinting' slightly sexy, but not the lady in the video? His thoughts were interrupted by his text warning bing. Lupie sent; Can you look a few things up for me? There's a lot of terms here I don't know and I can't ask Lupie face to face. And I can't look it up without leaving the survey. Sure, what do you need defined? If I don't know, I'll search it up for you. Lupie sent; Okay, the first one is fictophilia. That one I'll need to look up. Oh, okay, that's having an attraction to a fictional character. Not sure if that's the same as cosplay or not. Lupie sent; So if I had that, would you dress up as Malcom Reynolds for me? Sure. But I might want reciprocation. Lupie sent; Zoey, Kaylee, or Inara Sera? Yes. Lupie sent; huge crying laughing emoji ok, how about lactophilia? I mean, it's tasty, but I'm not fixated on it. She posted a question mark. Oh, sorry, it means you like for your partner to suckle mother's milk from you during foreplay or sex. Or, you know, you want to suckle *from* them. Another lady I mean Lupie sent; Oh Shit, I didn't know that was a thing! Okay, I kinda like the idea of you sucking on me during, you know. Not sure I'm into other girls though. Eventually we are going to get better at finishing those sentences kitten. We'll be 'you knowing a lot. Lupie sent; laugh emoji And you don't have to do anything with another woman Never, if you aren't interested. It took a few minutes, and Dave was about to hit play again on the video when another text from Becca came in. Lupie sent; somnophilia? It means you get aroused seeing a sleeping person. Or you want to be taken in your sleep. Lupie sent; Oh god, I just had this thrill run through me at the idea of waking up with you already in me, on top of me. So we're doing that? Lupie sent; Oh yeah. oh, and I hit yes on watersports too. I'd love to do it in the shower, or a pool. God, wish we had a pool, that would be awesome. No no no no! That is not; what watersports means! Watersports means pee! You want to be pee'd on or you want to pee on your partner! Lupie sent; Oh Gross. barf emoji People do that? Surely you've seen porn pics of girls squatting and peeing in a field or on a road? Lupie sent; Yeah. Well, that's what it's for. Lupie sent; No offense Dave, but that's a hard no. We are in absolute agreement kitten. Lupie sent; Okay, finally finished. I hit submit, now the great microchip brain gets to spin our data and tell us how close we are. Lupie sent; I'm a little scared David. What if it doesn't match us? Becca, worrying isn't going to help you at all. Just get a snack, talk with Esme or Lupie. Or talk with another lady if there's someone nearby. Lupie sent; I miss you already. The text went quiet. Dave waited a few more minutes and then turned his attention to his computer. Time to focus on his side project. The secret one. For his public side job, Dave did data analysis, but no one was sending him new numbers to crunch or putting out bids at the moment. Government types probably had more data than they knew how to process, but Dave had never done government jobs and never had any clearance level. His 'quiet' side job was less boring but could be problematic if some prudish Karen found out. Well, some folks knew, because they paid him money. But no one had connected his online persona with him. Dave had written two adult visual novels, with good reviews. Now he worked on a game with adult themes. And pictures, of course. Fitting his personal fiction interests, the background was an apocalyptic scenario, and the main character built a harem of capable and beautiful ladies to; survive. Even with software support, Dave wasn't much of an artist, so he had an arrangement with someone else to render the images and short video scenes. Version 0.3 had been out for three months, so he was working intently to complete 0.4 before Thanksgiving. The artist was reliable and good. Dave just needed to give him (her? They used anonymous internet handles) clear and detailed descriptions of what he wanted. That meant figuring out what was happening in this next update. Lockdown had somewhat helped. Dave had more free time available. He'd gotten 0.3 out early, but that just meant his paying supporters wanted more. And they are paying, even in months he didn't produce anything. Half an hour of banging his head against code (and thinking strongly of banging his head against the wall) Dave finally got 'in the flow' and cranked out the last bit of story structure over the next two hours. That ended when his grumbling stomach informed him of his neglect. First though, he'd look in on Janice. It was both strange and comforting, seeing this lovely woman in his bed, sleeping peacefully. His heart warmed at the sight, but a nagging fear rose in him as well. He knew this was only due to this strange vaccine. How long until the bio geeks find a solution so women were not stuck with a guy forever? That would be a very telling day. One which Dave would welcome, but also feared. Feeling the need for some comfort food, Dave made himself a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, then piled two handfuls of chips on the plate. He didn't keep soda in the house unless company was coming, so he grabbed a lime flavored seltzer. He liked soda, but that's why he didn't keep it around. After cleaning up from lunch, Dave headed back to his office space to check in on his Astronomy class. They had a project due this past weekend, so it was time to grade the results. Thirty minutes later, he felt like his eyes were bleeding reading the same errors repeatedly. Most of them were doing the math correctly, but they were measuring completely wrong. Which didn't make sense, given that Dave had made a video explicitly showing how to take the measurements. It was a simple parallax trick astronomers used for gauging distance to stars. It told also be used by surveyors to measure distance across a river or gorge. If you do it right. What he wanted to do was bang his head against a wall for ten minutes, then arrange a live zoom session with his students to find out what they didn't understand, and then have them do the project again. But there may not be enough time to complete all the semester topics. Fuck it, put out another tutorial video on the topic so they can get the parallax questions right on the midterm, and just be a little lenient grading this set of work. Work email popped a new message. From the dean. What the fuck? Seriously? Online physics? For majors? The whole point of slipping physics into the degree plans of doctors and other professionals has more to do with analytical techniques and detailed, careful experimental training than the topics covered. Yeah, several of the topics apply closely to those future careers also, but mostly it's used to make sure these kids understand the precision needed in scientific professions, how to analyze data, read graphs and use equations. And since it's tough, it weeds out those without the dedication or talent to go the distance. Dave shot back a reply email, asking for clarification. Will there be a budget to buy kits so kids can do experiments at home? How long to I have to assemble my own kits, or source some third party? What's the budget limit? Dave groaned. Just two years ago they'd gotten a grant to buy some great new lab equipment. But he only had one classroom set, and it was expensive. No way could he send out this gear to the students. Not enough for each one to have a set. And even if no one tried anything fishy, basic forgetfulness would result in a third of the equipment missing by the end of the semester. This shit was way too expensive for that. A second email from the dean, not a reply to his reply, a new topic. At least she was dependably methodical on that. Different topic required a different email chain. She might be a squishy (the dean was a microbiologist, Dave referred to all life science degreed folks as 'squishies') with little imagination on administrative matters, but she was very consistent and precise. Okay, so she's giving him a heads up on; a vaccine? Cute. Dave sent back a reply, thank her for the information, but his first partner arrived this morning and is currently passed out. She shot back a reply, relieved that he was safe, followed by an observation that departmental parties with spouses were going to be much larger from now on. Then she replied to the other email, pointing out that several big universities do online, without hands on labs. They sent the students pre-collected data and had them only do the analysis. Dave could go that route if he wanted. Of course, if Dave chose to put a few labs requiring data collection by the students, along with other labs that only used canned data, that would make their online physics more rigorous than those other schools. Just saying'. Lovely. Dave went back to grading and finished the column out. At least for those that had already submitted. A half hour surfing science kit supply companies left him unimpressed, so he pulled out a sheet of paper and outlined a video on parallax. His head wasn't right to shoot it today, but he could plan it. The day was wearing on and Dave had already gotten a lot done. Time for a brain break. Dave locked out the computer and headed downstairs to the library. Standing in the fiction area, He browsed for a bit before pulling out an old favorite, Executive Orders by Tom Clancy. He settled into a lounge chair in the library and let his mind and body relax. As usual, Dave lost all track of time while immersed in a book. He was midway through a particularly engrossing passage when Janice came through the library door with a huge grin. She'd changed out of her clothes from this morning, now dressed in his 'not procrastinating, just doing side quests' shirt and a pair of her panties. Well, maybe panties. The shirt hem was low enough to reach an inch or so below her groin. She was not wearing a bra however. The pinpoints sticking out of the shirt proclaimed that fact loudly. Dave smiled, setting the book aside and began to rise. Janice placed a soft hand on his chest and then settled herself in the lounger alongside him. She kissed him firmly on the cheek and temple, then rubbed the side of her face against his. They ended the nuzzling nose to nose, looking into each other's eyes. "Have a nice nap?" "Best sleep ever." Janice took another look around the room, taking in a deep breath. "God I love the smell of books." She snuggled in tighter. "Your profile mentioned reading as one of your pastimes, but nothing about having a full-on library in your house. I saw the smaller bookshelves in the entryway, but this really blew me away. And you have another bookshelf in the bedroom!" She stopped to deliver another steamy kiss. "It's hard sometimes finding other bookworms, except at work. I love it, but sometimes I just want to enjoy books, ya know?" "What is it you do? It feels like I should already know that, before we, um; " "Before I jumped you?" Dave nodded, then chuckled. "I just texted Becca this morning about being free talking with each other about sex, and here I am all tongue tied." Janice laughed with him. "Well, lover, I'm a librarian over at Cedar Valley." "Wow. Obviously a love of books could drive you into that career, but does it ever get to you? Make you want to get away from books?" Janice just stares at him. "I withdraw the question and humbly beg the court's forgiveness." She chuckled and kissed him on the nose. "How about you feed me something, I'm starving." "Starving, or starving?" Dave said, pushing lightly towards her with his pelvis along with the second iteration. After a hearty laugh, Janice said "Both, in that order. Give me the meat buster." Dave chortled while lifting her off him and setting her, standing on the floor. He stood beside her, giving her side eye as they walked side by side, holding hands, to the kitchen. "You give this appearance of coquettish innocence and then talk saucy enough to get me half hard before you remove so much as a single button. Is that due to the vaccine?" Janice rubbed first her shoulder, then her tit against his arm while looking up into his eyes. "Mostly just me, a few friends have said I give a reserved air until I'm with people I trust. The vaccine's effects might lower that veil a bit faster." A brief wash of pain passed over Janice's face. Dave didn't inquire, knowing it must be concern or mourning for friends no longer living. Dave took a quick look through the fridge. "We can do steak, mashed potatoes, and broccoli in about an hour, mostly because of the potatoes. Or we can do broccoli beef, probably about 45 minutes. Or we can do sloppy joes and chips in about twenty or twenty-five minutes." "Sloppy joes it is." Dave grabbed the thawed pound of ground beef, an onion, and a green bell pepper from the fridge. "Can you go into the pantry and grab a can of tomato sauce?" Dave said, while pointing to the pantry door. He remembered pointing it out this morning, but reinforcement usually helps assimilate new information. When Janice came back out, Dave had two skillets on the stove, and spices on the counter alongside a cutting board, knife and the two veggies. "Can I help?" "Sure, how's your knife skills?" "Well, I can cut a bitch if I have to; " Dave burst out laughing, lowering the knife to the counter just to be safe. He turned to Janice, giving her a fierce kiss. "Oh, I think I needed that." He wiped a few tears from his eyes and got back to dicing the pepper and onion. "Aright, how about you sauté these while I get the meat started?" With a light grimace, she asked "How?" "Toss 'em in the skillet on medium-low heat, about a tablespoon of butter" Dave looked at the veggies again, "maybe two, a couple shakes of salt. Keep the veggies in the butter, stirring a bit once in a while, until the onions start to look clear." Janice set to work sautéing, while Dave got the ground beef browning. He stepped aside from the stove to the adjacent counter to leave her more space. Dave poured 'eyeball' measured amounts of powdered garlic, paprika, cumin (very little), salt, and chili powder in to a small bowl and swirled the bowl to mix everything. When he leaned towards the stove to tend the beef, Janice leaned her head against his shoulder. "Comfy?" Janice nodded her head. Dave kissed her on the crown and she hummed. "Think you could watch both of these? Just make sure to turn the beef and keep chopping it into small bits so we get crumbles instead of big chunks. I'm going to toast some bread. Sorry, we don't have any buns." "That's okay, I know what buns I want to bite." Janice punctuated her statement with an impish wink. Dave just shook his head, grabbed the loaf out of the cabinet and got to work with the toaster. A few minutes later, Janice called out, "The beef is sizzling and sticking. I'm getting some brown in the bottom of the pan." "Perfect, pour in the veggies, then the tomato sauce." Seeing her do that he added, "Great, now sprinkle the spices over the top, as evenly as you can. Good, Now just stir that up a bit. Let it cook down some, boil off some of the liquid. Stir it every few minutes." Dave had finished the toast well before Janice had called out, but she seemed to be doing well so far and he wanted to let her get more comfortable in the kitchen. Sounded like something she wanted, based on what she'd said this morning. He did walk up behind her and give her a gentle, loose hug as she worked the skillet. Janice rested her head back on his chest. "This is so thoroughly domestic. Thank you." "You don't have to cook you know. There'll be three cooks in the family by tomorrow evening." "Yeah, and one is an eighteen year old girl who's fifteen years younger than me." "That teen girl has been through the wringer. She's shown some serious maturity. That's why I accepted her. She's the only reason I set my age range that low." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound dismissive." Dave was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry for coming off snappy. We lived in separate houses, but the four of us rode this mess out together." Janice nodded. "How about you tell me more over dinner. Starting tomorrow they're going to be family." With the meat reaching its final stage, Dave put a hot pad on the table for the skillet, and grabbed two open bags of chips from the cabinet. He'd already placed the toast on the table as soon a
Sunday, December 21 | Heb. 3:1; 5:1-6; 7:25-8:2 | Pastor Daniel Cohee
Mike Johnson, Beau Morgan, and Ali Mac react to the biggest and latest college football headlines.
What if the discomfort you feel isn't a sign that something is wrong with you…but a sign that you've outgrown the life you were told you should want?In today's episode I'm joined by Claudia Herasme, an Alignment Guide and Certified Life Coach, for a deeply grounding conversation about belonging—not fitting in, performing, or proving—but coming home to yourself.Claudia works with high-achieving women who have done everything “right.” They've checked the boxes, built the career, earned the recognition—yet still feel a quiet (or not-so-quiet) sense that something is missing.Through her own journey—from a 20-year career in urban planning in New York City and Chicago to reclaiming her vitality, authenticity, and inner truth—Claudia discovered a powerful truth:You don't have to choose between success and authenticity.In this conversation, we explore what it means to stop living according to expectations and start creating a life that actually feels like yours.In this episode, we talk about:*The difference between fitting in and belonging*Why so many accomplished women feel disconnected despite external success*How “doing everything right” can still lead to inner depletion*What it really means to feel safe being yourself*Why authenticity isn't about burning your life down—it's about coming back home*How to create the life you want, not the one you think you should haveThis episode is an invitation to soften, listen inward, and question the stories you've inherited about success, worth, and who you're allowed to be.If you've ever wondered, “Is this it?”If you've felt the quiet ache of disconnection beneath a polished life…This conversation is for you.About ClaudiaClaudia is an Alignment Guide and Certified Life Coach who helps high-achieving women safely express their authentic, untamed selves—without sacrificing the success they've worked so hard to build.After a thriving 20-year career in urban planning, Claudia's own turning point led her to coaching and alignment work. Today, she runs Peak Bloom Coaching and Guidance, maintains a boutique international consulting practice, and creates spaces where women can stop performing and start belonging—to themselves and their lives.Her mission is simple and powerful:To help you feel safe being exactly who you are, so you can create the life you actually want—not just the one you think you should haveConnect with Claudia:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peakbloom_coaching/Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today's episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you!Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen's Coaching Programs are where boundary work becomes the bridge fromchaos to connection.You'll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE.→ Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact→ Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/→ Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list
Mach 3 Speed Revisited!Mike Romatowski Interview Welcome to Episode 230 of THE Golf Improvement Podcast! Dedicated to sharing useful information on professional club fitting, putting and short game improvement, and effective practice techniques. CHANGING GOLFER'S LIVES - ONE GOLFER AT A TIME!Show Notes:Welcome Back Mike Romatowski! - Creator of the Revolutionary Mach 3 Golf Speed…
When Sherrie joined the program, she was stuck.Her weight hadn't changed, but her belly, thighs, and butt were growing — and nothing made sense. She was eating less, working out more, and feeling more defeated by the day.Fast forward 8 weeks and everything has changed.✅ 10 inches down✅ 5% body fat lost✅ Fitting into jeans from 4 years ago✅ Enjoying holiday foods without gaining weight ✅ Eating 2,000+ calories a day and seeing visible muscle definitionIn this episode, I'm sharing Sherrie's journey, her mindset shifts, how she broke free from food rules, and what it really looks like to reclaim your body without starving, suffering, or giving up carbs.Listen to hear:How Sherrie finally let go of “carbs are the enemy”What it's like to eat cereal, waffles, and still lose fatThe moment she realized she was no longer “fighting every pound”How she feels confident, sexy, and energized in her body againReady to experience your own Fit AF after 50 transformation?Send me a message or fill out the coaching application to talk about what Katalyst can do for you!Thank you so much for listening, please share with a friend and subscribe so you don't miss an episode!If you want to see how we can help you on your journey, book a quick 10-15 minute call so we can chat about your goals!https://www.menopotmeltdown.com/quickchatnow Now accepting clients! Coaching Process Video and booking link https://www.menopotmeltdown.com/mmmcoachingapp Free No BS Menopause Secrets Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kathykatalyst/?ref=shareFor all my social links: https://go.katalystfitness.net/kathykatalystDo you have a question that you would like answered on the show? Please ask your question here:https://go.katalystfitness.net/podcast-question-entryHave a personal question? Email me at kathycote9142@comcast.net
In this episode, I answer a question on how to fit in strength training without impacting normal triathlon training.Send questions through to tim@trainsmooth.com
This is the talk I was invited to provide for Stoicon-X New England 2020. I take the recent case of a fired Lidl communications worker who claimed that he was unjustly fired on account of his Stoicism. I use this case as a starting point to discuss what sorts of conduct would actually be characteristic of a follower of Stoicism in the workplace, and what resources and advice Stoic philosophy can provide us. Texts mentioned in this talk: Marcus Aurelius' Meditations - https://amzn.to/3osPFNF Epictetus' Discourses and Enchiridion - https://amzn.to/37G6bE0 Seneca's Letters - https://amzn.to/3dZQrNk Cicero's On The Ends - https://amzn.to/3mmgJMB
Welcome to the 77th Episode of the What THE Golf Podcast, brought to you by www.ChasingAcesGolf.com This is a bit of a different show today, you know, for a change. The guys start by reviewing Pilsner Urquell! Then Kevin discusses his elbow treatment; Eddie gets a driver fitting from Kevin; and Eddie shares some info about some awesome lobster from Grand Bahama Island! There's also a discussion of PGA golf, including the HERO. Please reach out to us with any questions, comments, or swing videos at WhatTHEGolfPodcast@gmail.com and please follow us on IG @WhatTHEGolfPodcast
Want to ask a question, or share what you loved? Send us a text!In this episode:Why "business coach" has never really fit me (and why it might not fit you either)The identity shift I've been moving through this yearI bridge the space between therapy and business coachingBusiness reflects back the patterns we need to heal, or you'll just keep repeating the same old problemsWhy over-responsibility keeps you stuck (and how to shift it)My commitment moving forward in 2026Applications for mastermind and private coaching close next Friday 19th December. Last day for sales calls is Wednesday 17th December.If you're an established business owner who wants 2026 to be the year you challenge yourself to elevate your business and your life to the standard you've been dreaming of... Apply here.Support the show
It can be hard to fit in sometimes as an OB/GYN. Whether we are freshly out of training or starting a new job, we can find ourselves feeling excluded, disconnected and like we aren't meant to be here. Burnout also has a tendency to make us feelisolated and alone. So how do we create connection and fit in better? Let's explore exactly how to do that, together. For more connection and less burnout, join the Happy Gynecologist Group: coach-miles.com/happy
S3E2 – Run Fits with Zach Capehart (Silverdale Academy DC)This week, Coach Zach Capehart joins Kyle and Matt to break down run fits from a multiple front structure. Capehart brings a small-school lens — limited practice time, tempo offense, lots of two-way players — and explains how to stay sound without being overly complex.Key Topics (Timestamps in episode):02:30 – Silverdale program context06:15 – Why be multiple with two-way kids?12:10 – Installing fits in short practice windows22:45 – Front variation without overhauling teaching32:00 – Advice for coaches dealing with roster constraintsIf you're a defensive coach looking to simplify without sacrificing soundness, this episode is built for you.
Sandra and Kasey are chatting with Mary, creator and co-host of the beloved Supernatural podcast “Carrying Wayward,” a cherished part of the SPN fandom. Launched as the show ended in 2020, Mary's podcast dives into character development and lore, and offers thoughtful critique. After a year-long hiatus, “Carrying Wayward” made a much-anticipated return with new episodes on September 13th—marking Supernatural's 20th Anniversary and our recording day! In this episode, discover what inspired Mary to start podcasting, her experiences in the fandom, and what new directions lie ahead for "Carrying Wayward." Whether you're a fanfic writer, podfic creator, or longtime Supernatural fan, this insightful interview celebrates the vibrant SPN family and its continued storytelling spirit.Link up to all things Carrying Wayward at: http://carryingwayward.com/You can find Mary on BlueSky.~~~We're taking you for a spin in Baby's backseat.Dean's House Rules - Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole, and the ones in the back enjoy the ride... idling in the Impala.~~~~~TL;DR - If you can't be bothered clicking on all the things in this description, just visit our website: idlingintheimpala.comWe'd love to hear your thoughts. Send us an email (idlingintheimpala@gmail.com)!All the Socials and AO3 and Fiction links: https://linktr.ee/idlingintheimpalapodcastOur Discord #backseat Channel.Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Give us some info about you here so we can connect.Feel inclined to leave us a tip for all this AWESOME content? Visit our Ko-fi page. Monthly supporters will get special behind-the-scenes perks!We've got podcast merch for our fellow idlers. Take a look!~~~~~Charities IITI Supports: Check out the Causes, ‘cause page on our website for the whys:World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)~~~~~For Those in the US: Educate and Empower Yourself, Find Ways to Take ActionSupport Basic Human Rights - American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)Prioritize Your Mental Health - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)Thrive (Not Just Survive) After Abuse - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) ~~~~~LGBTQ+ CharitiesSwitchboard LGBT UKThe Trevor Project - USA and Global~~~~~Our podcast occasionally incorporates brief excerpts from the CW television show "Supernatural" for transformative commentary and analysis. This use falls under the Fair Use doctrine codified in Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act. The included clips are short, constituting only a minuscule portion of the original work, and illustrate specific points within our critical commentary. Our podcast does not compete with the show's market. This use promotes public discourse and understanding of the work, strengthening its cultural significance.~~~Chapter Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro00:02:33 - Background on Mary and Carrying Wayward00:05:14 - Getting into the Supernatural Fandom00:06:52 - SPN's Comfort Factor00:07:48 - Brother blorbo?00:11:25 - Putting Mary on the spot for favorite season00:21:30 - Why start a podcast about a show that just ended?00:23:03 - Despair and the fandom00:33:21 - Support that got Carrying Wayward off the ground00:35:20 - Finding the perfect co-host00:36:59 - The podcast producer00:38:30 - Deciding on a podcast name and artwork00:40:34 - What worked and what didn't in the beginning00:42:46 - Fitting the podcast into real life00:47:12 - What brought Carrying Wayward back00:53:16 - Research and notes for a podcast00:55:43 - Along for the ride with a first-time watcher00:58:45 - Anger over the Anti-Christ01:00:53 - Tuning in to Angel Radio01:08:19 - Nostalgia and Societal Reflection01:13:13 - The podcast creator community01:17:26 - How podcasting has changed Mary's life01:20:49 - Processing the end of Season 801:32:17 - Kasey's question01:38:54 - Advice for anyone interested in starting a podcast01:41:28 - Final thoughts and outro
This week on Fits With the Founder, Nick Sherburne and Brad Syslo are back with a jam-packed episode that covers… well, just about everything. The guys rip open swag mystery boxes to see what treasures (or disasters) lie inside, break down the math behind fitting and why the numbers matter more than most golfers think, and even take a detour into the world of football halftime shows.They also reveal their Top 3 Thanksgiving Musts, debate a few controversial holiday takes, and sprinkle in plenty of golf-nerd insight along the way.If you love gear, data, sports, or just hanging out with two guys who live and breathe golf, this episode is for you. Tune in!
Dive into the world of children's literature with this episode featuring two inspiring author interviews! First up, award-winning middle grade author Scott Savage takes us on an out-of-this-world adventure with "Quantum Interstellar Space Sports League, Book Two: Soccer Spacetastrophe." Scott shares how his own experiences of not fitting in and overcoming challenges fueled his storytelling, while he and illustrator Brandon Dorman creatively team up to craft action-packed, humor-filled books that captivate kids and ignite a love of reading. Listeners will love the behind-the-scenes peek at the author-illustrator collaboration, plus tips on connecting with young readers through school visits and interactive storytelling. In the second half, prolific picture book and YA author Leslea Wahl shines a light on her heartfelt new release, "Birdie and the Mommy Mix-Up." Leslea reveals how family memories and honoring her late mother inspired this delightful story about learning, discovery, and connection. She discusses the transition from writing for teens to creating picture books for younger children, the special magic of reading with kids, and trusting collaborators to bring stories to life with illustrations. Perfect for fans of middle grade and picture books, educators, or anyone passionate about fostering creativity and reading, this episode delivers inspiration, laughter, and a celebration of what makes kids' books so powerful. Don't miss these conversations that champion storytelling, resilience, and the joy of learning together!
Oswego junior linebacker Cam Loghmani walked into the postgame interview room carrying the Class 8A runner-up trophy, and briefly put it in the center of a table. He could indeed hold it high. The Panthers, in defeat, put a fitting capper on a memorable run to the Class 8A final.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/friday-night-drive--3534096/support.
CEO of The Atlantic Nicholas Thompson shares how he builds training for ultramarathons into his scheduleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The raw terrain of belonging, identity, and authenticity, inspired by Brené Brown's powerful concept of “braving the wilderness.” Through personal reflection, psychological research, and spiritual wisdom, Stuart explores the difference between fitting in and truly belonging, why so many of us feel lonely in crowded rooms, and how we can build real connection without betraying who we are.Reference:Braving the Wilderness by Brené BrownBelonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. CohenThe Gifts of Imperfection by Brené BrownThe Art of Belonging by Hugh MackayThe Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you've ever felt like the last to know, outside the circle, or fluent in the words but not the meaning of workplace jargon, this conversation is for you. We take on the “fitting in” problem head-on—why it weighs heavier on Black introverted women, how it quietly drains energy, and what changes when you choose self-acceptance over assimilation.Links mentioned:Join the LeadHER Lowdown community (free)Connect with me on LinkedIn_________LET'S CONNECT!* Work with me 1:1 to land your executive promotion, increase your impact, hone your executive presence and increase your salary by $50-100k. Book your call here to get your Elite Executive Experience.**Leave the podcast a 5-star review and help other introverted women find us and join our community.
Aaron joins us to talk euro cars and Toyotas, Sean tries to fit bigger tires, Colin educates a youngster via marketplace.
Mike Schaedel is the Western Montana Forest Restoration Director for The Nature Conservancy, where he leads some of the most ambitious and collaborative forest restoration work happening anywhere in the West. Based in Missoula, Mike works at the intersection of science, community partnerships, and land stewardship—helping restore fire-adapted forests, reduce wildfire risk, and improve the health and resilience of landscapes across the region. Mike's career path is super interesting and anything but traditional. He grew up in Portland, fell in love with the mountains through rock climbing, and eventually landed in Missoula, where the combination of wild landscapes and a rich literary community drew him in. After earning an undergraduate degree in creative writing, he found his way into forestry and fire ecology through conservation corps work, hands-on restoration experience, and a graduate program focused on forest dynamics and fire. In this conversation, Mike offers a clear overview of how Western Montana's forests came to look the way they do today—shaped by millennia of tribal burning, transformed by railroad-era land grants and industrial logging, and altered further by a century of fire suppression. He explains why effective restoration now depends on combining mechanical thinning with prescribed fire and on working across ownership boundaries with partners ranging from local communities to tribes and federal agencies. We also discuss some of the innovative collaborative efforts underway in the region, as well as a memorable story of a prescribed burn that came together through quick problem-solving and deep trust. This is a rich, informative, and hopeful conversation about what it takes to restore forests at scale—and why the future of these landscapes depends on both ecological understanding and strong community partnerships. Enjoy! --- Michael Schaedel, Western Montana Forest Restoration Director Reserved Treaty Rights Lands Program: The Power of Partnership Complete episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/mike-schaedel --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive. During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy's leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:02 – Intro, Mike's love for Missoula 6:04 – Getting a creative writing degree 8:21 – And fighting back into forestry 12:26 – Early writing influences 13:39 – Switching sides of the brain 15:32 – First job out of grad school 20:08 – And that work now 23:38 – Checkerboard landownership 33:04 – Conservation accomplishment 34:56 – Fitting in forest health 39:33 – Fire scars 45:52 – The Big Burn 52:59 – Fire playing a beneficial role 58:51 – And the role mill workers play 1:02:03 – Projects down the pipeline 1:12:00 – Book recs 1:13:49 – Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
There's never a bad time to talk ball, especially with a holiday full of hoops. We're dropping in with a special gift episode where LeBron James and Steve Nash discuss LeBron's time rehabbing in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers, how the offseason's acquisitions of Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton are making a huge impact, Bronny James finding his footing in the NBA, and how Lakers head coach JJ Redick is the shaping the teams' culture in his image.James and Nash also go in-depth on trending NBA topics — what makes Nikola Jokic the most complete offensive player ever, how Eric Spoelstra has revolutionized the Miami Heat's offense again, and why less guys play 1-on-1 after practice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As a crossdresser, we are more comfortable and connected to our feminine self. In this episode I talk about connecting with other women that way but as my male self. Having conversations with women, relating to their views and other topics are discussed.
This week we're once again dipping into the archive, and revisiting an episode we released in May with Adam Goldenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Fabletics. Adam has been an entrepreneur since the age of 16, and he shares what decades of experience have taught him about building a successful brand. Summary: When you're shopping for clothes, there's a checklist of things you look for: you want them to look and feel good, you want them to last a long time, you might want them ethically and sustainably sourced, and probably most importantly, you don't want them to break the bank. In 2011 one active wear company emerged that ticked pretty much all those boxes. Adam Goldenberg is the CEO and Co-Founder of Fabletics. Adam is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader in the e-commerce industry with a proven track record of building multiple-billion dollar brands. In fact, alongside co-founder Don Ressler, Adam has generated over $10 billion dollars in sales through his company, TechStyle Fashion Group, which in addition to Fabletics, has launched other digitally-native fashion brands like Savage X Fenty, Just Fab, Fab Kids, Shoedazzle and Yitti. Adam launched his first company at 16, at 19 he became the youngest ever COO of a public company. He joins us to share his thoughts on e-commerce, customer retention, sustainability, and opportunities to grow the Fabletics brand. Highlights:Fabletics origins (2:50)Fabletics' customer base (4:48)Tech and personalization (5:55)Celebrity partnerships (7:32)Membership model (8:37)E-commerce vs. Brick and mortar retail (11:23)Amazon (13:54)Plans for growth (15:27)Sustainability (19:09)Lesson's learned (20:58)What's next for Fabletics (23:19)Links:Adam Goldenberg LinkedInFabletics LinkedInFabletics WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co.
Club Path and Tour Trending Clubs are the focus of this episode of the 2nd Swing Thoughts Podcast. 2nd Swing Master Fitters Jake Montgomery and Harrison Arnold break down the role club path plays not only in the golf swing, but how it impacts the golf clubs that best suit your game. Then Harrison and 2nd Swing's Drew Mahowald break down the latest winning WITBs from the PGA and LPGA Tours, and dive into what we are seeing with these Tour Trending Clubs in our very own 2nd Swing Fittings. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 The Turn 12:00 Tour Trending Clubs in Fittings 32:00 Club Path's Role in Club Fittings 40:15 Conclusion The 2nd Swing Thoughts podcast, presented by 2nd Swing Golf, covers anything and everything in golf equipment and club fitting. The 2nd Swing Thoughts will feature experts in the golf industry sharing insights and latest trends in golf clubs and club fittings. 2nd Swing Thoughts will also cover the latest in professional golf. LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bJFzfhoUmpHZF6fyFsjmX LISTEN ON AMAZON: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f5e3b825-bae2-40d0-9ec4-722e96b99de6/2nd-swing-thoughts LISTEN ON APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2nd-swing-thoughts/id1683899359 Schedule an award-winning 2nd Swing fitting: https://www.2ndswing.com/golf-club-fittings SUBSCRIBE to the 2nd Swing YouTube channel today for more in-depth golf equipment reviews and club fitting insights. FOLLOW 2ND SWING GOLF ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2ndSwingGolf X: https://X.com/2ndSwingGolf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2ndswinggolf/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@2ndswinggolf
Tara, Caroline and Allison discuss the latest trends in fashion and interior design. Amid sharing personal stories, such as an encounter with a falling tree and struggles with flight delays, they delve into practical tips for working with body and home 'bones.' The trio talks about dressing for different body types, the functionality of open floor plans, and the impact of color and scale in small spaces. They also touch on the growing popularity of Mahjong among women. Tune in for a lively mix of style advice, humor, and personal anecdotes. Topics 00:31 The Misadventures of Tara 01:45 Travel Woes and Airline Frustrations 03:00 Fashion Tips and Body Types 07:19 Home Design and Open Spaces 12:30 Dark Colors in Small Spaces 14:19 Conclusion and Farewell
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In this special episode, Gresham provides an update on a significant shift in his business focus. He acknowledged making a sizable investment and trying hard, but the lack of movement and leads has brought him to a crossroads. The speaker is now contemplating whether to switch gears entirely or continue on a reduced basis, realizing he must prioritize other areas of his business that are showing more activity. Despite the shift, he has re-joined BNI (Business Networking International) specifically for the franchise brokerage opportunity, recognizing it as the highest potential revenue stream. Gresham concludes by outlining his current business priorities: Blue 16 Media is the bill-payer, CEO Hacks is the most in alignment and unique, and the Franchise Brokerage has the largest financial upside, despite being his third priority. He is taking a step back from the franchise business because it proved more challenging than anticipated, choosing to navigate the "ebbs and flows" of his ventures one step at a time. Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site - coming soon) - franchiseceo.co Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE. I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!
Alex Trujillo is the Director of Sales and Fitting for JumboMax Grips. Formerly, a PGA TOUR representative for FlightScope Golf, Alex is one of the best golf data analysts and advisors in the game, and he has parlayed his extensive ballistics and golfclub-performance knowledge and experience into the world of grips and their influence on the performance of a golfclub. Alex joins #OntheMark to introduce JumboMax grips and describe the advantages of using a weighted, oversized grip as it pertains to increased clubhead speed and clubface control. He explains the influence and effects of the grips as follows: How shot patterns can be tightened and straightened with different weighting of the grip How counter-balanced grips have been, and are, used but some of the great ball-strikers like Jack Nicklaus, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia. The weight and swing-weight of a golfclub and how a grip, and its mass can influence those. The size effect of a grip and how it promotes a better hold on the club, more control of shot patterns by affecting clubface rates of closure, and how is can reduce hand and wrist injury and pain. This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube - search and subscribe to Mark Immelman to watch this and other episodes of #OntheMark.
It's a festive frenzy on Fits With the Founder as Nick turns up the heat on a topic he's tired of tip-toeing around: every golfer—yes, EVERY golfer—needs a proper fitting. Handicap, skill level, or swing speed doesn't matter, and Nick is ready to take on anyone who says otherwise.We're also diving into Club Champion's best holiday season deals, plus the freshest drops and limited-edition releases from the golf world, including swag you don't want to miss. Tune in for hot takes, big savings, and holiday hype for golfers everywhere.
Sal Di Stefano is a renowned fitness expert, author, and co-host of the hit podcast “Mind Pump”. He joins the show to break down the simple, sustainable principles that make strength training the most effective path to long-term health, confidence, and consistency.We cover: Why it's hard to “overdo” strength training—and the power of feeling strong Why quick fixes backfire and how to avoid the obsession trap How to get back on track without shame Negative motivation vs. real, lasting change The honest postpartum bounce-back reality Fitting fitness into a busy life (yes, even with 2 days a week) Fueling properly and overcoming the fear of losing progress Breaking up with restrictive dieting + when data doesn't match real life The most effective form of cardio How to avoid hyper-palatable foods Reverse dieting basics + breakfast protein tips Sal's most overrated and underrated exercisesFollow Sal at @mindpumpdistefano on Instagram.This episode is brought to you by:Save 15% off my favorite Red Light Face Mask by using code BLONDE at www.boncharge.com.Go to justthrivehealth.com and use code WELL for 20% off your first 90 day bottle of Just Thrive probiotic. Visit OSEAMalibu.com and use code BLONDE for 10% off your first order sitewide. Use code WELL at cozyearth.com for up to 40% off. Visit fatty15.com/WELL and use code WELL at checkout for an additional 15% off their Starter Kit.Go to fromourplace.com/BLONDE and use code BLONDE for 10% off sitewide. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Austin & Amit get together for an epic recap of all the final window drama across UEFA, CAF, CONCACAF & Asia as the World Cup and Playoff fields came into focus.
Adrian Rietveld is the Senior Manager for Global Tour Operations for TaylorMade Golf. He is also the Equipment Specialist for PGA TOUR stars such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Collin Morikawa. Adrian joins Mark Immelman to discuss how using the appropriate Golf Equipment and engagin in personalized Club Fitting can help to improve ball-striking, trajectory control, power and consistency. As he shares insights on golf equipment throughout the bag, he tells stories from the TaylorMade Tour Truck with anecdotes from Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy. He also dives into the following equipment and game improvement topics: Proper Club-fitting Practices The Performance Influence of Grips The Performance Influence of Shafts The Performance Influence of Clubheads Reconciling "Feel" vs Data Insights when selecting Equipment The Value of Aesthetics, Feel and Sound in Club selection What to Look for during a Club-fitting Lofts and Lies and their Influence on Trajectory and Control Managing Clubhead Speed and Rhythm, and Blending Power and Accuracy in Club Selection. This podcast with Adrian will entertain and inform, and put you on a path to getting the correct equipment in your hands so that you can perform your best. Share this with your friends and watch it on YouTube - search and subscribe to Mark Immelman.
In today's episode you will meet Tyler. Tyler started sending emails with a bunch of questions. After 30+ emails exchanged I invited Tyler to join us on an episode. Why because his story is like the stories we talk about each time we get together. You may hear things that ring true for you in your golf journey. Hope you enjoy our discussion.Text us how you feel about our show! (no reply)Support the showWATCH US ON YOUTUBE!! SEND US AN EMAIL WITH YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS!!! clubfittingchronicles@gmail.com
BRANDON-WEICHERT: AI'S IMPACT ON JOBS AND GEOPOLITICS Guest: Brandon Weichert High-profile layoffs at Amazon and Walmart are tied to AI replacing roles, fitting the anticipated economic transformation, though it may initially look like a bubble. The US leads in AI software, while China excels in robotics. Concerns exist regarding massive AI bets by industry leaders like Ellison and Altman, specifically whether their political ties could result in taxpayer bailouts if these huge projects fail. 1954
你是否也曾在某个阶段,感到自己与周围格格不入?又或者,在自我表达和他人眼光这两者之间感到撕扯?这期节目,我们和张新成聊聊他与自我表达共生的作品——他的首张个人专辑《不适应症》。其实我非常好奇,作为一名广为人知的青年演员,张新成为什么会选择「不适应症」这样的主题来作为第一张专辑的核心概念?从音乐剧专业出身,到成为一名演员,再回归到音乐人身份,他又如何在「诠释者」与「表达者」之间寻找平衡?在这期节目中,他和我们坦诚地分享那些隐藏在背后的真实感受——包括他学生时期的挫败感、作为艺人每天「Fitting」(试衣)时的痛苦与妥协,以及他如何在音乐创作和自我表达中注入「人的痕迹」。欢迎收听本期节目,和我们一起在他的音乐中,聆听那些关于困惑、拉扯与格格不入的真实声音。