Podcasts about frustratingly

From Lost In Eros – Book 1Don & Toshia wake up in strange circumstances. In 10 Parts By BradentonLarry.  Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.It wasn't an unusual dream for Don. He was chasing his best-friend and perpetual unrequited love interest Toshia through an ever shifting landscape of parking structures, Moroccan ruins and crowded shopping malls. This time there were no evil robots or monsters chasing them, only some kind of generally tag-like game they were playing. Ultimately, Don caught up to his elusive quarry. There was some nonsensical banter, and then the dream Toshia, who at that moment looked a lot like the actress Alyson Hannigan, grabbed Don's head and kissed him hard, almost painfully. This intense moment was followed by a chaotic flood of erotic sensations and images impossible to make sense of. This chaos gradually sorted itself out and Don was lying in bed watching Toshia undress. Toshia now looked like herself, fit and slim, with narrow hips and perfect small tits; honey brown hair, straight, falling to her shoulders in a tousled mess from the chase; pretty gamin face smiling at him mischievously. Don couldn't see her beautiful violet eyes in the darkness but he felt them dancing with playful wit. She slowly peeled herself out of the harlequin costume she was inexplicably wearing, and then, with supple grace and speed she slipped under the silk top sheet and snuggled up to Don, her back spooned against his front. She then promptly fell asleep.Of course, Don could not sleep, even in a dream, with Toshia's warm naked body pressed up against him. He could smell the floral scent of her hair, his hand could feel her tit pressed against his palm, and her feet were against the tops of his own. Not least, her firm ass was pushed back against his erection, which was rather insistent in its demand for attention. Don cautiously gave Toshia's tit a gentle squeeze, and then moved his hand to run up along her arm, which was crossed in front of her belly. He ran his hand down along the side of her body, caressing the curve of her hip. Raising his head, he kissed her round shoulder. His hand moved down to her upper thigh, as his lips moved slowly, lightly up her shoulder toward her neck. Reaching around a bit further, Don gently slipped his hand between her thighs. Toshia rolled back toward him a bit and parted her legs a little for him. His lips reached her neck, and he paused there, lingering, as he felt her moist sex with his questing fingers. Toshia pushed her behind back against him a bit, parted her legs a bit further, and let out a quiet sigh.And, that was when Don realized he was no longer dreaming. There was actually a naked woman lying up against him and responding to his touch. Moreover, he was sure it was actually Toshia. Confusion pushed itself to the forefront of his mind, shoving a loudly protesting arousal out of the way. Perhaps responding to a change in Don's caress, Toshia's body stiffened a little in his arms. Then she was twisting around and pulling away.“What the hell?!” she looked around in the dark, and then down at Don's own confused face. “Don?”“Yeah,” he croaked, appreciating for the first time that he had just been deeply asleep. In retrospect he would realize that he should here have taken the high ground, but Toshia got there first.“This isn't funny!” she exclaimed. “Where's Sarah?”“I'm not laughing, am I?” Don managed, “And I have no idea. How did you get in here?”“Me? What are you doing in my bed?”“Your bed?” Don frowned and then, for the first time since waking, looked at something other than Toshia. “Well, I don't have silk sheets, so it's not my bed, but is this really your bedroom?”He knew of course that this was not her bedroom, because this room was immense. The enormous four poster bed, which Don guessed must be about the size of four king-sized beds put together, was situated in the middle of the largest bedroom Don had ever seen in person. He imagined there must be palaces with bedrooms this big, but nothing that either Toshia or he could possibly afford to even rent. All about the room were small tables, and some bureaus with drawers, that had candles on them. The ceiling was at least fifteen feet overhead, and was paneled in the same dark wood as the walls.“Where the hell are we?” Toshia demanded.“Seriously, do you honestly think I have any idea?” Don asked.“Yeah, I guess not,” Toshia grudgingly admitted. “But still, what the hell is going on?”Don shrugged, and clambered over to the side of the bed and sat up, putting his feet down on the soft plush carpeting that covered the floor from wall to wall. He stood up and took a few steps toward the nearest bureau.“Yep, you're naked alright,” Toshia said from behind him.He looked back over his shoulder with a smile, to see her crawling across the bed to join him, and said, “I'm pretty sure you are too.”“Yeah, I noticed,” she scowled. “Do you see any clothes lying around?”“Not even a little,” Don admitted. “What's the matter? Bashful?”“Ha!” she laughed as she got out of the bed, and moved toward him. Don couldn't help but gape a bit at the sight of her body, which he was seeing naked for the first time. He was a little surprised that she looked pretty much as he had imagined, even down to the neatly trimmed patch of pubic hair. She frowned a little at his attention, and said, “I can see you're not bashful.”“Well, it's not like,  Oh!” he noticed that she was looking at the hard-on that was standing out proudly in front of him. Don laughed, “Well, what can I say? You're hot.”“It's not just that,” she said as she stepped ahead of him toward the bureau. “Don't think I didn't notice what you were up to when I woke up.”Deciding to change the subject, Don said, “I'm pretty sure these candles weren't lit a few minutes ago.”“You mean when you were groping me?” she scowled over her shoulder at him, catching him looking at her ass.“Um, yeah, then.”“Make it a habit of molesting any woman you wake up next to?”Don frowned for a second before saying, “Well, yeah. Should I be apologizing for that? Look, I was, at best, half-asleep. I stopped as soon as I realized I wasn't dreaming.”“You didn't take your hand away,” she observed with a wry smile.“You didn't give me a chance.”“Uh huh.”“Hey, you weren't exactly unresponsive,” Don pointed out.Toshia shook her head, and said, “Fine, we were asleep, and you didn't kidnap me and try to rape me.”“Exactly,” Don nodded. “But, really, did you need to throw ‘rape' into the conversation?”Toshia looked around the room angrily, “Well, somebody sure as hell is up to something like that. We've been kidnapped, stripped and put into bed together. This is either going to turn out very badly or we're the victims of some really elaborate and twisted practical joke.”“Yeah,” he nodded, “that does seem to be about the size of it.”“Now, let's see if we can find some clothes.” Toshia pulled the top drawer of the bureau open.“Well, we can't wear those,” Don observed.After what felt like a long moment, Toshia swallowed and said, “No, that one can be worn.”The black-felt-lined drawer had an interesting array of dildos of various types, colors and sizes lined up inside it. Toshia was right; the one furthest to the right was a strap-on.Toshia pushed the drawer closed emphatically, and then rather forcefully opened the next. This one held a variety of other sex toys, including a number of tubes of what were labeled as simply “LUBRICANT”.“What, no brand name?” Don wondered as he took one of the tubes to examine more closely.Toshia ignored him and opened the third and final drawer, only to find a number of whips, flogs and riding crops. She slammed this drawer shut angrily, and stormed off to the next bureau. Don trailed after her, still looking at the tube of LUBRICANT.“This really is weird,” he pointed out. “Not only is there no brand name, there's nothing else at all on this. No manufacturer, no ingredients list, no expiration date, no instructions or warnings. Nothing.”Toshia stopped, the handles to the next drawer in her hands, and looked slowly around the room. Don looked up, saw her, and also took a moment to look around the room. Almost simultaneously, they said, “No doors.”“This is less and less funny by the minute,” Toshia scowled. Opening the drawer in front of her, she snapped, “More fucking sex toys!”Don fought back the urge to point out that that was a bit redundant; Toshia was clearly in no mood for silly comments. Instead he said, “You know I really think what I said earlier about the candles was important.”“You really think they lit all by themselves when we woke up?” Toshia asked while continuing to open drawers in the dwindling hope of finding any kind of garment.Don, who thought their state of undress was the least of their troubles, stopped to look at one of the candlesticks more closely. He said, “Well, I had the distinct impression that it was very dark when I started ,  'groping' you. I'm certainly sure it wasn't this bright.”There seemed to be nothing unusual about the candle. He took the candle in hand and pulled it out of his holder. Tipping it to the side only resulted in a trickle of melted wax running onto the carpet. Don felt a pang of guilt for messing up someone's carpet, but quickly got over it. Whoever had abducted them, out of mischief or malice, deserved to have their carpet messed up, at the very least. He blew the candle out, and it stayed out. He put the candle back in place and it promptly glowed back to life.“Fucking hell,” he said. “Did you see that?”“Damn it, Don,” Toshia said from the other side of the room. “There's nothing but sex toys in this place. What the hell is going on?”“A couple of things come to mind. Probably the least alarming is some kind of Candid Camera thing,” Don suggested as he looked around a bit more carefully at the walls, peering into the dark corners.“Yeah! They must be watching us somehow,” Toshia began to glare at the walls, looking for any sign of a camera.Don picked up another candle and moved closer to the wall, working his way toward the corner. “The trouble is,” he said, “that if it's a webcam it could be extremely small, and if it's up near the ceiling we probably won't be able to find it. Of course, the video quality will suck, particularly at that distance.”“You've given this way too much thought, Don,” Toshia said from her side of the room, where she had taken a candle of her own and was examining the wall for lenses.“Not really; just now. The thing is that whoever did this went to a lot of trouble for a crappy video of us. I mean, look at this place. They must have piles of money; you'd think there'd be a big two-way mirror in here somewhere.”Toshia stopped and looked back at him, “Seriously, you're not helping.”Don shrugged, and then turned around to look at her. “I just thought of something else.”“What?” she asked, turning to see him.“I don't feel drugged at all.”“Me either,” she shrugged. “Oh, yeah. How did someone get us here, undressed and in bed together without drugging us? Or, at least one of us?”“Hey, you said you believed me!”Just at that moment, there was a kind of scraping sound from the direction of the bed. Tense from the strange circumstances of their predicament, both Don and Toshia turned quickly; in time to notice that one of the panels over the bed had slid open, and before three bodies tumbled out of the opening and onto the bed. This was all accompanied by at least a pair of high pitched shrieks and followed by a chorus of giggling laughter. An enthusiastic feminine voice said, “Look what you did!”Another said, “It wasn't me!”A third said, “Well, it wasn't me!”Three completely naked young women had fallen into their room, onto the enormous bed, without any obvious injury, and now were proceeding to boisterously tickle each other, in the apparent hope of soliciting a confession of some sort. Meanwhile, the panel over the bed slowly slid closed. Don and Toshia looked at each other with confused expressions. Don then Toshia blew out their respective candles and set them down on the closest bureau. Then, moving cautiously, as if afraid to draw the three new women's attention, they came together about twenty feet from the nearest side of the bed.“A psychology experiment of some kind?” Toshia suggested quietly.“A good one!” Don whispered with a grin.She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, and hissed, “Focus! We've been kidnapped, remember?”Before Don could respond, one of the three brawling young ladies caught sight of them and gave a delighted squeal. “Hello there!” she said, and then, “Look girls, we've got company!”There was a chorus of happy noises as the three bed crashers disentangled themselves and clambered for the edge of the bed. Don was surprised to feel Toshia's hand steal into his. He smiled a little as her fingers intertwined with his. He didn't think the three women coming toward them looked like sadistic cannibals, but this was a very weird situation, and he appreciated Toshia's concern. In any case, anything that made her hold his hand was a good thing in his book, at least as far as he was concerned at that moment.Don saw that the three girls before him seemed very young and were rather short. He had long ago given up guessing the ages of women in their late teens and early twenties, but he guessed that these three were in the former set. The fact that none of them had the slightest bit of pubic hair reinforced this impression. As to their height, Toshia was a couple of inches shorter than his own five foot eight, and none of these girls came up past her nose.“Hi there!” said a slender brunette with straight black hair that hung down the length of her supple back. She seemed completely comfortable with meeting two strangers in the nude. She made no effort to cover either her tiny rigid nipples or her bare nether region. She batted big brown eyes at both of them, and said, “You're new, aren't you?”“Um, yes, we're new,” Don said.“Oh! New playmates!” the other two girls exclaimed with delight in a somewhat off-putting unison.The brunette was looking both Don and Toshia over with blatant interest. She licked her lips, smiled and said, “Welcome! Introduce yourselves, girls.”At that moment, Don had to admit that the creepiness factor was a bit high, and feeling Toshia's hand squeezing his was reassuring.The buxom blonde took a step forward, and did a little curtsy, which was odd considering that she was stark naked. Her hair was very light and cut short, in kind of a pageboy. She had blue eyes and distractingly large tits. She smiled broadly and said “Hello, I'm Chastity.”“Chastity?” Don couldn't help asking. Then his innate sense of manners kicked in and he said, “Pleased to meet you.”The third girl, a leggy redhead, with long curly hair hanging down around her face and over her full, but reasonably medium-sized tits, leaned forward a bit. She flashed a warm smile and startling green eyes at them both and said, “I'm Modesty.”“Hello Modesty,” Don nodded.“And I'm Virginia,” said the thin brunette who seemed to be the trio's leader.“Of course you are,” Toshia said under her breath.If Virginia heard, she did not pay any attention. Instead she said, “And together they call us, ”“The Nymphets!” all three girls exclaimed together.Grinning at the absurdity of the situation, Don looked over at Toshia who was similarly amused. Shaking her head a couple of times to try to regain a straight face, Toshia said, “It's very nice to meet you girls. I'm Toshia and this is Ron. We were wondering if you might tell us where we are?”“You're right here,” Chastity laughed.“Yes, but besides that, where is here?”“This is a bedroom,” Modesty pointed out. She then slipped forward to stand next to Don. She put her a

We made it through the winter without any major power outages in Austin. So is it time you restore your faith in the Texas power grid? Frustratingly, it's still complicated. The main culprit back in the 2021 blackout was natural gas-related power, and Texas is now making more renewable energy than any other state. So why are we investing more and more into natural gas? Host Nikki DaVaughn digs into it all with today's guest, Mose Buchele, KUT's senior correspondent covering energy and the environment, and the host of the latest season of The Disconnect, a podcast all about Texas' power grid.  Learn more about the sponsor of this February 26th episode: Tecovas Rodeo Austin Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

The Dawn of Unstoppable Blessing, part 8: Blessed are the Frustratingly Undivided

Donald Trump is seemingly impervious to almost all attempts to get him to rethink his policies and decisions. Frustratingly, he has all the wisdom, thoughtfulness, and intentionality of a bunch of drunk monkeys (my apologies to monkeys everywhere.) So it is puzzling to realize, and even more confusing to admit, that he is arguably the most successful politician since FDR. This episode asks the question: is there some sort of magical ability or super power that we haven't yet recognized?———————————————————————————————————————Have a spiritual, theological, or religious question you would like me to tackle?Contact me via email:    Dan@SkyPilot.zoneAnd be sure to check me out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkyPilotFaithQuest...........................................................................................Music: Composed for SkyPilot: Faith Quest by Arlan Sunnarborg

Dubs OT with John Dickinson: A spirited show after the Warriors frustratingly fall to the Heat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think that everyone could testify to how imperceptibly incremental our spiritual growth can feel in some areas of our lives. If you're like me, you've often felt a disconnect between the theology that that you believe and the reactions that leak out of you in everyday life. Even though you know something is true in your head, it doesn't seem to be shaping your heart or steering your hands. In this conversation with a family friend, Chip, he shares a recent story of dysregulation that puts words to all of these tensions so beautifully. We talk about what initiated a deep inner change in his life five years ago (after decades of following Jesus and years in full-time ministry), and he models how true spiritual growth and emotional maturity often begin with getting to know your story and learning to tell it more truly. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__

Tom Curran and Phil Perry react to the Patriots' 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. New England got off to a quick 14-0 lead, but bad turnovers and questionable decision-making cost the team late in a winnable game... so what do we make of it? 1:00- What should our takeaway be after the Patriots kept it close, but came up short against one of the best teams in the NFL? Did the coaching staff do enough to earn a vote of confidence for next season?9:20- What do you make of some of the questionable coaching decisions?13:25- Was the fumbled screen pass for a TD inside New England's 15-yard line on Drake Maye or Alex Van Pelt?20:20- Is it fair that the media gives Drake Maye more leeway than they do Jerod Mayo right now?31:00- Stock Watch for Week 16 WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok

She's one of the hottest stars on Smackdown who will be in Jacksonville for the WWE Holiday Tour Dec. 26 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. We're talking about Michin (also known as Mia Yim). The popular superstar will be there for thousands of fans but not only in Jacksonville, the tour will hit multiple cities. And along the way Michin is in the middle of her own personal journey, pursuing the U.S. title. Frustratingly, she was unsuccessful when WWE returned to NBC for Saturday Night's Main Event earlier this month and lost to Chelsea Green. Something she plans on fixing in weeks to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan and Jay, should be and are happy. But practice FUNDAMENTALS please! Also shout out to Bob! The only time you will hear us say that!

Hour 1 - Patriots fans were definitely spoiled last week, but everyone came crashing back to reality with an overtime loss to the Seahawks. Fitzy and Hart detail the frustrating winnable chances the Pats had all game long. Then, the biggest concern entering the season was the offensive line and the issues they were facing came back to fruition after holding their own against the Bengals. And, everything that seemed like problems that disappeared last week have returned in the Pats' home opener.

For one reason or another some careers look incredibly promising, but whether it's due their own failures or circumstances getting in the way, we never really got to see any of these fighters' full potential.

I think everyone could testify to how imperceptibly incremental our spiritual growth can feel in some areas of our lives. If you're like me, you often feel a disconnect between the theology that that you believe and the reactions that leak out of you in everyday life. Even though you know something is true in your head, it doesn't seem to be shaping your heart or steering your hands. Sometimes you feel defeated because you don't like how you're acting, what your response was, or the way you sounded. But you don't know how to change. You wonder if you're doing something wrong. You wonder why God is working transformation into your life so frustratingly slowly. In this conversation with a family friend, Chip, he shares a recent story of dysregulation that puts words to all of these tensions so beautifully. We talk about what initiated a deep inner change in his life five years ago (after decades of following Jesus and years in full-time ministry), and he models how true spiritual growth and emotional maturity often begin with getting to know your story and learning to tell it more truly. Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__

Send Vanessa a Text MessageIn this episode, I chat with functional health strategist (FDNP) Kim Heintz, to discuss Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gut health, and chronic/mystery symptoms from an integrative, holistic, and hopeful perspective. Kim's journey into functional health started with a debilitating long history that included chronic migraines, chronic fatigue, sleep issues, etc. for over two decades. While doctors offered no hope, she was determined to find answers, eventually discovering the root of her symptoms, thus finding COMPLETE relief after nearly 25 years.Her now mission as a practitioner is to empower men and women who've been grappling with gut issues and mysterious symptoms without avail. Frustratingly, so many have been told everything looks 'fine' by their doctors, yet they continue to feel sick or out of sorts. With the power of functional labs, Kim uncovers the root causes of her clients' health and gut concerns, guiding them towards vitality through customized diet plans, lifestyle and mindset strategies, along with targeted, short-term supplementation.For more resources and to connect with Kim or the podcast please see below: Kim on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kim.heintz/Kim's Website: https://www.kimheintz.com/Book a free call: https://www.kimheintz.com/consult/Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/well.with.vanessa/Vanessa's Homebase (links/discount codes): https://linktr.ee/thegiftofgoodsVanessa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegiftofgoods/ Vanessa on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thegiftofgoodsPodcast on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionallyWellPodcastPodcast on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@well.with.vanessaPodcast on X: https://x.com/wellwithvanessaEmail: intentionallywellpodcast@gmail.comSupport the Show.Podcast Website: https://intentionallywellwithvanessalopez.buzzsprout.comThis episode is for informational purposes only. Please consult a trusted health practitioner for individual concerns.

A gut-punch of a loss for the 'Stros Monday night in Arlington..

Hi Folks. Frustratingly our friends at Spotify have changed the way we have to do things so sending this out as a test in the hope you can hear it. See you on 12 August for the real thing!

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: One week left to give feedback on the UK Mandatory Welfare Label Scheme, published by tobytrem on May 1, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. The UK government's public consultation for their proposed animal welfare labelling scheme[1] closes on the 7th of May. I.e. a week away. If you're in the UK and care about animal welfare, I think you should probably submit an answer to it. If you don't care about animal welfare, forget you saw this. In this post I'll briefly explain what the proposed labelling scheme is, reasons to be hopeful (and cautious), why a public consultation may be unusually impactful, and how to fill in the form. If you're only interested in the final point, skip to this section. I've included a link to a document which provides great suggested answers to make the submission process much easier (I estimate it saved me up to an hour). PS: I call for out of season Draft Amnesty on this post - I wanted to get it out quickly to give people time to respond to the consultation, so it is a bit sloppy. However, if I say something wrong, correct me! What is Defra proposing? Defra, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Agricultural Affairs, is proposing, in AdamC's words[2]: Mandatory labelling, which would apply to chicken, eggs and pig products (with the suggestion that beef, lamb and dairy could follow later). At least initially, this would not apply to restaurants etc., but to food from retailers like supermarkets. At least initially, it would only cover unprocessed and minimally processed foods, so e.g. beef mince and probably bacon, but not meaty ready meals or meringues. There would be five tiers "primarily based on method of production", covering types of confinement, enrichment, mutilations, breed and more. Full draft standards can be seen here. The tiers might be referred to by numbers, letters or stars, potentially also with names, colours and pictures (see their mock-up below, which I think needs improvement). The 2nd lowest tier would simply match UK minimum legal requirements, while the lowest tier would be for "products that are not verified as meeting baseline UK welfare regulations". Ideally, a lot of retailers, with or without encouragement, will not sell the lowest tier products - reducing the prevalence of low welfare imports. There is no explicit draft timetable but it suggests an 18 month implementation period after legislation. According to Compassion for World Farming, Defra "previously promised to consult on mandatory animal welfare labelling in 2023, following a 'Call for Evidence' in 2021. Frustratingly, Defra then dropped these plans which they no longer saw as a priority, so we are delighted that after continued campaigning from our supporters - who called on the Secretary of State at Defra to reinstate the promised consultation on honest food labelling - the Government has made a U-turn." How promising is animal welfare labelling? When there is insufficient regulation, animal welfare labelling can be actively harmful. For example, in the US, meat can bear the label "humanely raised" only with sign off from the USDA[3], but "according to experts, those claims aren't scruticinized closely". In the US: "labeling claims such as "ethically/responsibly/thoughtfully raised" have no legal definition and can be used on products that come from factory farms where welfare requirements are no higher than standard practices. In essence, any producer can make these claims." This leads to bad outcomes because shoppers in the US care about animal welfare, at least to a degree. They will often select products which suggest higher welfare, even when, in fact, they are buying factory farmed meat. Products in UK can choose to take part in welfare labelling schemes such as the RSPCA's[4]. However, this isn't legally mandatory, and packaging sugge...

A testimony that I don't much like, but has its own beauty.

Not much happens this episode because Leonard and Penny work their problem out halfway through their own plotline. Nothing funny about that!

In this video, we're going to examine three of the worst disasters in human history. Frustratingly, two of these seem to have been entirely preventable, if not for a series of mistakes made by the people involved. Then, in contrast, the third story required a once-in-a-lifetime natural event to occur for what eventually transpired. Either way, in each of them, the effects were beyond devastating. Intro Theme by Swift Junai:https://www.instagram.com/swiftjunai/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hf5nMJ8s6LJJfFR4OQ3lghttps://open.spotify.com/artist/1PoG2b18MHocWZA8zQgWjOWriting and research of story 2 by Rich Firth-Godbehere instagram.com/DrRichFG https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMGZs8swehdcCB0pi3V4vKQ

Tascha and Don spy on sexy activities. Lost In Eros – Book 1, Part 2 of 20, By BradentonLarry. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Tascha had gotten control of herself right after the girl Virginia had given her that wonderful orgasm. She had known she shouldn't let herself be seduced so easily, but in the end was glad she'd given in. The orgasm had cleared her head and let her think clearly again. Though she wouldn't tell him, on top of everything else, Don had gotten her quite rattled. First, there had been that moment of half-waking when she had somehow known that it was he who was kissing her neck and teasing her with his fingers. She had been more than a little irritated with him for stopping and breaking the deliciously euphoric moment. Then, he had to go parading around naked with that cock of his on display. It had been a long time since she'd been with a man, and she'd spent years thinking that Don was a safe, platonic friend. Now she'd been aroused by his touch, and seen his body naked – all of it. She feared that this meant trouble.To make things even worse, those three nubile girls had dropped in. Tascha was shocked to find that she was irritated when Modesty (ha!) and Chastity had thrown themselves at Don even though Tascha was right there holding his hand. It had never occurred to her that she felt proprietary about him in any way until that moment. All of this was made worse by watching Chastity, and then Modesty (please!), going down on Don. She was shocked that seeing this should make her so incredibly hot. When Virginia pushed her finger up inside Tascha and began sucking on her nipple, Tascha knew that she would do anything at that moment. Fortunately, the young girl didn't waste any time, aggressively pushing Tascha onto her back and then kissing her way down Tascha's belly. Soon, Virginia was licking and sucking at Tascha's clit, while fucking two fingers in and out of Tascha's very wet pussy. The orgasm that blasted through Tascha's body burned through her synapses like a cleansing fire. As she came down, Tascha had two clear thoughts, the first of which was of her girlfriend Sarah.The wave of guilt that hit Tascha was powerful and fast moving. She loved Sarah very much, and here she was turned on by Don, and letting some pretty little girl go down on her. What was worse was that Tascha was actually kind of enjoying it. The danger, the titillation, the sex – it was all very exciting. Meanwhile, surely, Sarah must be at home, worried sick. Tascha had to get home.Fortunately, the second thought after Tascha's orgasm was that of a secret passage. There must be a way in and out of this damn room, and the panel that had opened for the Nymphets' dramatic entrance gave Tascha the idea to look for a moving panel.Virginia crawled up over Tascha's body, kissing her naked flesh as she moved. The girl's long dark hair trailed over Tascha's sensitive skin and felt wonderful. The Tascha of just a few minutes earlier would have happily returned the delicious favor done her, but the new Tascha kissed Virginia a thank you, and then said she had to go check on something. Virginia seemed to accept this quite happily and turned her attention to the others on the bed. Chastity had gotten off Don and began to make out with Virginia, while Modesty (right!) climbed on top of him. Tascha rolled away from the action, already feeling distracted by the naked bodies. Not Don's, she insisted to herself.Tascha had no idea what she was looking for, but just started to push on the panels any way she could think of. It was tedious work, made more so by having to ignore the sounds of loud, happy sex. Each of the girls in the room, including herself, had had noisy orgasms, and still Don was plowing away. The guy's a fucking machine, she thought and then almost laughed at the silly pun. Somehow trying to not look at what was going on was making it worse. All she could think about was fucking, sucking, licking and coming. She was about to give up and go back to throw herself on the bed, letting whatever happened happen, when she felt the panel she was pushing on move in and a little to the right.Stifling a cheer, Tascha leaned on it and shoved. The panel moved in and over, revealing a dark passage running along the other side of the wall. She leaned in and looked both ways, but saw only darkness. She felt a pang of trepidation at the thought of leaving this warm, so far unmenacing room, where there was good sex to be had, for the dark unknown of this secret passage. However, she remembered Sarah, and the fact that they still had no idea who had abducted them and why. Steeling her resolve, she held the panel open and turned back to get Don's attention.Oh god, she thought, as she saw his strong back and butt flexing as he plowed into Chastity, who really seemed to love it. Surely, this panel wouldn't be going anywhere, and she could afford to go back and get fucked just once before attempting their escape. Then she remembered the strange candles that lit by themselves and the fact that somewhere around here lurked their abductors.“Don!” she hissed, as loudly as she dared. Of course, he didn't hear her, so she tried a little louder. Finally, she gave up and just called out loud, “Don!”The expression on his face told her exactly how bad her timing was, and she had to fight back a mischievous chuckle. As Don came over, she gestured at one of the candles. Fortunately, he wasn't so sex addled that he didn't understand her right away. He picked up the candle and joined her at the passage entrance, scowling a bit at her and then into the shadowy opening.“What's the matter?” Tascha asked. “Didn't you have fun?”“Oh yes,” he smiled wryly, “lots! Only not quite so much as I might have liked.”“That's what you get for holding out, buddy,” she chuckled.“I was trying to provide a distraction for your hunt,” he said.“Oh, is that what you were providing?”He raised an eyebrow at her smirk, and said, “Well, shall we?”Tascha followed him into the passage, noting that the wooden flooring felt cold on her bare feet after the carpeting. The passage was just wide enough for Don to walk between the walls without brushing his shoulders against them. She started to let the panel slide back into place, but Don reached out and stopped it.“Should we try to bring the girls?” he asked.“The Nymphets?”“Well, maybe they've been kidnapped too.”“Or they're in on it,” she pointed out.“Do you really think Chastity is in on anything?” Don asked skeptically.“Well, no, but I can't see actually getting anywhere with them pawing you and giving you blowjobs.”“I'm having a hard time seeing your point,” Don chuckled. He let the panel slide closed.“Besides, Don, they're just children for crying out loud.”“You didn't say that when Virginia was making you come,” he observed.“Fair enough,” she agreed. “Now which way should we go?”“This way,” Don said decisively and started off down the passage, holding the candle up over his eye level and ahead of himself.“Is there some reason to go this way?” Tascha asked in a whisper as she followed him.“Nope.”“OK, then.”After about twenty paces, they came to a junction. The passage continued on ahead, and another went off at a right angle to the right. Don stopped and turned abruptly back toward her, and Tascha stumbled into him. Putting her hand out, she brushed his still somewhat rigid cock.“Damn, Don, don't you ever give that thing a rest?”He laughed quietly, “It's the other way around, actually.”“Anyway,” Tascha forced herself to look down the new passage, “which way now?”“There's some rule about following a wall when you're trying to navigate a maze.”“There is?” Tascha asked skeptically.“I think so, but I've never quite understood how it's supposed to work. Anyway, let's follow the right wall here,” Don suggested.“Hey,” Tascha said suddenly. “How will we know if there's another secret panel?”“I have no idea,” Don admitted. “Wasn't there a mechanism or something on the back of the last one?”“I didn't see one.”“Hum,” Don stopped again, and Tascha bumped into him.“Sorry,” she whispered. “It's just dark in here.”“I know. That's why I stopped.” Don turned to her, and held the candle between them. “It seems to be going out.”“Damn,” she breathed. The flame was clearly dwindling before their eyes. In a few seconds it had gone out entirely. “Why do you think it did that?”“Hell if I know,” Don said in the dark. “Maybe it's a magic candle that got too far from the room it was supposed to light up. Here, ” Tascha felt Don's hand groping clumsily, brushing against her right tit, then finding her arm, and, finally her hand. “It'll be slow going, but we should be ok. I'll keep touching the right wall.”“So much for looking for mechanisms, eh?” Tascha said as Don started moving down the passage again.“You know, this is a very free-range sort of kidnapping,” Don mused.“There weren't any doors in the room.”“Well, there were, just not any obvious ones, and the one we used wasn't locked, and I don't hear any alarms.”“Yeah, that's true, but, ” Tascha was cut off by Don stopping abruptly again. She hit her nose on his shoulder this time, and her left hand wound up on his ass. “Damn it, Don!”“Shush!” he hissed. “I think I see a light ahead.”“A candle?”“No. Let's get closer.” Don moved on even more slowly than before. Gradually a wan yellowish light began to fill the passage.Finally they stopped before a large section of the left wall of the passage that was basically a window, through which the yellow light came. On the other side of the window was a bedroom, similar to the one they had left behind, but much smaller. It was also lit by candlelight, as well as a lit fireplace on the far side of the room. On the bed, a little to the left of what seemed the center to Tascha and Don, were a man and a woman apparently screwing, though they were moving slowly and intently. In a chair to the right, sat a man with dark hair and a goatee who was watching the couple on the bed. He was leaning back and idly stroking his rather impressive cock. Don nodded and pointed at something, but it took Tascha a moment to look beyond the masturbating man to see the door to the right of the fireplace. Apparently not all rooms in this place were accessed only by secret passage.On the bed, the couple had rolled over some so the woman was on top. She tossed her long blonde hair, arching her back in the process, thrusting her full breasts into the face of the man she was straddling. Tascha swallowed hard, and was a bit annoyed when she felt Don tugging her on down the passageway.Still, she followed until they came to the next window, which showed them an empty bedroom with just a few candles glowing. The next window, though, on the right, showed a hallway, with a low bench positioned across from the window. On this bench a woman with long legs, small tits and very short black hair was on her hands and knees. Behind her a muscular man with long blonde hair brushing his shoulders was fucking her with firm slow strokes. Meanwhile another man, in at least as good shape as the other, held the woman's head in his hands as she took him in her mouth. Tascha had released Don's hand so she could turn to look out this side of the passage, and now noticed that her hand had moved down to touch herself. She wasn't surprised to find that she was again, or still, very wet. Tascha watched raptly as the three bodies worked together in the hallway. She found herself watching the side of the strange woman's behind, between where the man held her and where his pelvis was smacking into her as he fucked her with what looked like a good sized cock. Tascha looked down and saw that Don's cock was again fully hard. She thought about touching it, but knew that if she did things would progress immediately to sex, so she forced herself to look away. Unfortunately the only other thing to look at was the threesome in the hallway. Tascha found herself staring at the woman's throat and long pretty neck. Then the man she was sucking pulled away from her, took his cock in hand and sprayed his cum all over the woman's face. She seemed to be laughing and happy as the pearly stuff splashed on her. In another moment the guy behind her also pulled out and came in a long stream all over her back and ass. Tascha found the whole display intensely, and surprisingly, arousing. She found herself touching herself again, and hoped that Don hadn't noticed.Stealing a glance to her left, Tascha saw that, in fact, Don had turned away and was moving further down the passage. She gave the three in the hallway one last glance, and then followed Don, catching up with him just as he turned a corner to the left. He next stopped again in front of a long, narrow, vertical window that opened to the left again. Frustratingly, he was standing in the way of Tascha's getting a good view of what was going on through the window. She waited for a moment to see if he would move out of the way, but when that seemed unlikely to happen anytime soon, she cleared her throat.Don looked at her, and seemed a bit surprised at her interest, but he took a step backward, so that she could slip in in front of him to see what he was watching. There, in another bedroom, a woman with long dark, curly hair was leaning back on her elbows on the edge of the bed. Her full breasts sagged a bit to the side. Kneeling on the floor between her legs was what looked to be a smaller woman with bright red hair, as long as Tascha's. This redheaded woman was apparently licking and sucking the woman on the bed. Both of the redhead's hands were holding the other woman's thighs, and her butt was up in the air, giving Don and Tascha an excellent view of its perfect round shape. The woman on the bed seemed to say something and then reached down with one hand to hold the redhead's face to her pussy.Tascha found herself breathless as she watched this through the window, and then noticed that she could feel Don's straining cock pressed against her back. Then she almost jumped as a third person came into view. A naked man came over to the two women, and then got on his knees behind the redhead's butt. He reached around in front of himself, and Tascha knew he was putting his hard phallus into the redhead. Soon she was watching the man's back and butt as he shoved in and out of the redhead from behind.“God, that's hot,” Tascha breathed. Don seemed to take this as a cue. Tascha heard the candle he had been holding fall to the floor with an alarming loudness, and then she felt Don's hands taking hold of her upper arms. Not caring any more about the repercussions, Tascha reached behind her with her left hand to take hold of that cock that was pressed against her. It was so hard and thick she was sure it must be painful for Don. She squeezed and pulled on it, as she watched every thrust of the man into the redhead shove her into the woman on the bed, whose breasts jiggled with every push. Apparently no one in the room through the window had heard the candle fall, or they simply didn't care. Tascha felt Don's breath on her neck, and she wanted more, so she tilted her head to the side and felt his lips on her skin. Shivers ran down her spine.The woman on the bed was now half-sitting up, both hands on the redhead's head, obviously shuddering with an intense orgasm. In the passage, Don's right hand left her arm and moved down to her belly, where it quickly slid down to find her moistened lips. Tascha squeezed his cock harder and managed to part her legs so he could get his hand between them. He found her clit and teased it between two fingers before reaching down further to part her labia and push those two fingers up inside her.The woman on the bed had fallen back on the bed, her chest rising and falling deeply. Her left hand was cupping her left breast, and the right was thrown out on the bed. The redhead was now on all fours on the floor and the man was fucking her hard and fast from behind. Tascha reached out with her right hand and leaned on the wall next to the window. Don's fingers were sliding in and out of her while the heel of his hand rubbed against her clit.In the room a second man appeared and moved over to the woman on the bed. He climbed up on the bed and began to kiss her, cupping her free right breast in his hand. She responded at once, languorously rolling toward him as her right hand groped for the newcomer's penis. The man behind the redhead reached forward and then lifted her up, so that he was supporting her weight in his arms as he lifted her up and down on cock. Tascha let go of Don's cock and put her left hand on the wall to the left of the window. She leaned forward almost resting her forehead against the window. She spread her feet further apart.Don't stop, and don't ask for permission, Tascha thought frantically.Don's left hand, which had moved to her waist when she released his cock, now left her for the moment, and she felt him adjusting his position behind her. Then he pulled his fingers out of her, and took hold of her right hip with his wet, slippery hand. Tascha felt his cock between her legs, and then the head of it was being pushed between her very wet lips. Trembling with excitement and anticipation, Tascha pushed back a bit toward Don and felt him begin to enter her.Then the passageway was suddenly filled with light and a laughing voice was saying, “Oh, ho! What do we have here?”To be continued in ‘the Player & the Game'By BradentonLarry for Literotica

From Susie and Leanne on The Nutrition Couch this episode: We chat why it is so easy to regain weight, after you have lost it, and the simple way you can keep it off for good. We discuss what are "net carbs" and how to use them? We our listener question is about healthy school lunchboxes to start the school year. So sit back, relax and enjoy this week's episode!  Don't Miss an Episode   Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode and follow us on social media @the_nutrition_couch_podcast to ask us questions & see our food product reviews.  It would mean the world to us if you could leave us a 5 star review in the purple Apple podcast app (scroll to the bottom of the app to find the ratings and reviews) as this really helps push up higher in the charts to expose our podcast to more ears.  Please follow Susie on her Instagram & Facebook and Leanne on her Instagram, TikTok and the Leanne Ward Nutrition Podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malazan has really been blowing Jim's mind this year, and will continue to do so as he keeps on reading. But what is it about Malazan that so grabs a reader? Jim is joined by guest Colin (Colin's Corner YouTube channel), a fellow Malazan first timer, to talk about this series and how it sucks a person in. This is a spoiler-lite discussion; we'll talk general themes and style, but no specific plot points - easy to do, when we haven't yet finished the series! Frustratingly, we had some minor tech issues with this recording, an occasional "beep" coming in from Colin for the first half of the episode, and some signal glitches with Jim's visual, but nothing that makes the episode hard to watch. Mostly, just annoys the heck out of Jim's perfectionist tendencies. #fantasy #WoT #SFF #WheelOfTime #LordOfChaos Find more Colin at Colin's Corner: https://www.youtube.com/@ColinsCornerYT We hope you'll Like and Subscribe! Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheages Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com. Find us on social media: Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/Fantasy4theAges Instagram/Threads: fantasy_for_the_ages Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FantasyForTheAges

This is one of the more upsetting cases I've ever covered, and trigger warning: it involves the horrific murder of a 10 year old girl. This story takes place in New Mexico, and it is a doozy! Beyond the horrifying details of this poor little girl's murder, which are murky at best, this case also highlights the repeated failures of the state, both through their child protective services, and their police department. Victoria Martens was failed by the system on every single level, and her blood is absolutely on the hands of the State of New Mexico. Frustratingly, those may be the only hands ever definitively linked to her murder. Listen in to hear more.Check out our website! www.twistedlisterspod.comJoin us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/twistedlistersFollow us on Instagram: @twistedlisterspcastTiktok: @twistedlistersOutro Music by Lady X/YSources:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi8mOS-naODAxVanIQIHf9pCVUQFnoECB4QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.koat.com%2Farticle%2Fvictoria-martens-new-mexico-timeline-fabian-gonzales-trial%2F40574942&usg=AOvVaw3Ww864BMUnzVJ-MsuwWX54&opi=89978449https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/a-closer-look-at-the-victoria-martens-case/This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5774476/advertisement

This past Thursday, resolute House Republicans unveiled numerous documents bringing to light President Joe Biden's active correspondence with his son Hunter's business ally. Biden, while helming the vice president's office during the Obama era, communicated with Eric Schwerin, who professionally advised him on financial matters between 2009 and 2017, at least 54 times via email. These revealed emails coincide with the period Biden made a trip to Ukraine in June 2014. Television network NBC News showed data affirming that Biden and Schwerin had 35 email exchanges surrounding the timeframe of the Ukraine visit in 2014. Interestingly, these engagements seem to have occurred alongside the appointment of Hunter to the Burisma board, adding another layer of intrigue. The release of these communication logs is part of an ongoing examination by House Republicans into the Democratic president's actions. The documents were made public in connection to an IRS leak facilitated by Joseph Ziegler, an informant who supplied these records to the House Ways and Means Committee. Ziegler, earlier this year, testified before Congress saying that multiple correspondences were found between Hunter Biden and his business affiliates, igniting further queries about the emails' content and implications. In an effort to gain clarity, Congress demanded Hunter Biden's presence for a deposition earlier this month. The son of the president was expected to respond to inquiries regarding these emails among other matters of interest identified by House Republicans. Frustratingly for the GOP, Hunter opted not to adhere to the subpoena.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forget the Funnel: A Customer-Led Approach for Driving Predictable, Recurring Revenue by Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop ABOUT THE BOOK: Your product is great. So why is marketing it so hard? Many SaaS companies struggle with marketing.  Teams try everything they can to drive more traffic, leads, and signups.  Yet revenue growth remains…lumpy. Slow. Frustratingly inconsistent. If this sounds familiar, the problem isn't you or your ideas; it's that you're guessing at what resonates with your target customers.  In Forget the Funnel, Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop share the Customer-Led Growth Framework they've developed to help companies of all sizes solve their product marketing struggles and hit ambitious targets.  This framework helps you get inside your customers' heads, map and measure your customers' experience, and uncover which tactics will actually move the needle for your company. It's time to stop guessing. Forget the Funnel is your guide for thinking more strategically about marketing your product and making a meaningful impact on revenue growth. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop co-founded Forget the Funnel, a consultancy that helps SaaS teams reach and retain high lifetime value customers. Georgiana is a strategic advisor and speaker who's passionate about turning customer value into revenue-generating outcomes.  An online marketer since 2000, she began her track record as a marketing executive and product growth advisor in 2010, working with high-growth recurring-revenue startups. And, interesting fact – she's from Canada! Click here for this episode's website page with the links mentioned during the interview... https://www.salesartillery.com/marketing-book-podcast/forget-funnel-georgiana-laudi

Nick and Dustin discuss the Cavs' frustrating loss to the Trail Blazers and J.B. Bickerstaff's role in the slow start to the season. 

The idea that God maintains agency within covenant can cause us to struggle. We all want a God we can control, hold accountable, but often we are forced to deal with situations that challenge this. So what do we do then? Text: Exodus 33:19 (NET) You can find out more about us at our website www.gracechurchnwa.org It is a priority for us at Grace Church NWA to make LGBTQIA+, all ethnicities and races, those with disabilities, and other marginalized people groups feel accepted, included, and valuable to the life of our community!

In this episode, we plunge into the winding complexities of faith, trust, and forgiveness. Borrowing wisdom from the Biblical saga of Joseph and a sprinkling of New Testament insights, we discuss why some life skills seem just out of reach to master. From Joseph's incredible grace toward his brothers to Jesus' incomprehensible love for humanity—what can these epic moments teach us about our own struggles and triumphs? Listen in as we explore how to embrace the abundant grace God offers, even when life throws us a curveball—or seven. If you've ever doubted whether you're worthy of love, grace, or forgiveness, this episode is your invitation to think again.

Earlier this month, a group of hackers was spotted using a set of malicious tools—that originally gained popularity with online video game cheaters—to hide their Windows-based malware from being detected.Sounds unique, right? Frustratingly, it isn't, as the specific security loophole that was abused by the hackers has been around for years, and Microsoft's response, or lack thereof, is actually a telling illustration of the competing security environments within Windows and macOS. Even more perplexing is the fact that Apple dealt with a similar issue nearly 10 years ago, locking down the way that certain external tools are given permission to run alongside the operating system's critical, core internals. Today, on the Lock and Code podcast with host David Ruiz, we speak with Malwarebytes' own Director of Core Tech Thomas Reed about everyone's favorite topic: Windows vs. Mac. But this isn't a conversation about the original iPod vs. Microsoft's Zune (we're sure you can find countless, 4-hour diatribes on YouTube for that), but instead about how the companies behind these operating systems can respond to security issues in their own products. Because it isn't fair to say that Apple or Microsoft are wholesale "better" or "worse" about security. Instead, they're hampered by their users and their core market segments—Apple excels in the consumer market, whereas Microsoft excels with enterprises. And when your customers include hospitals, government agencies, and pretty much any business over a certain headcount, well, it comes with complications in deciding how to address security problems that won't leave those same customers behind. Still, there's little excuse in leaving open the type of loophole that Windows has, said Reed:"Apple has done something that was pretty inconvenient for developers, but it really secured their customers because it basically meant we saw a complete stop in all kernel-level malware. It just shows you [that] it can be done. You're gonna break some eggs in the process, and Microsoft has not done that yet... They're gonna have to."Tune in today.You can also find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, plus whatever preferred podcast platform you use.For all our cybersecurity coverage, visit Malwarebytes Labs at malwarebytes.com/blog.Show notes and credits:Intro Music: “Spellbound” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Outro Music: “Good God” by Wowa (unminus.com)

Angela Parsons is a dedicated mother of three and a seasoned professional with a 20-year corporate career. Throughout her life, Angela has been passionate about healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle. Undiagnosed disorders made it an ongoing struggle for Angela to pursue her fitness goals. Despite her commitment to a whole foods plant-based diet, Angela's health began to decline rapidly. Debilitating chronic pain and a range of unexplained symptoms left her searching for answers. Frustratingly, her concerns were often dismissed by doctors and health professionals, leading Angela to take matters into her own hands. On her journey, Angela found Lipedema, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, aka EDS, and a genetic variant that causes a sensitivity to the alkaloids in nightshades due to a Butyrylcholinesterase enzyme deficiency. In her pursuit of health, Angela discovered her high-oxalate diet was adding to her symptoms. Motivated to find a solution, she transitioned to a Carnivore diet, which brought about remarkable changes. Angela is on a mission to raise awareness about Lipedema, EDS, and Butyrylcholinesterase deficiency. She thanks Sally Norton, author of Toxic Superfoods, for her help in healing herself and her family!Find Angela at- https://thehealingblossom.com/FB- @nightshadefreeFB- @thehealingblossomsSally Norton- Toxic Superfoods: How Oxalate Overload is Making You Sick- And How to Get BetterFind Boundless Body at- myboundlessbody.com Book a session with us here!

Today on the Logan Blackman Show, we take some time to rant about all the frustrating events that took place on Thursday, from getting rear ended to being stuck in traffic trying to get dinner, you get to hear all the fun events that transpired. Moving over to sports, we go over Lionel Messi's decision to join Inter Miami. We take a look at how the league has been affected by this decision as well as discussing what the future could hold for the MLS following this move. Switching gears to the other football, we go over the fact that Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, is on the cover of Madden 24. With that, we go back in time and take a look at the 2013 Buffalo Bills roster and discuss how crazy the view of the team has changed from then to now. Finally, we discuss which NFL retro uniforms should be 'go-to' as well as take a look at the recently revealed Big 10 conference schedule(s) for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Enjoy!

Georgiana (Gia) Laudi and Claire Suellentrop are both experienced SaaS product marketing leaders who spotted the same things again and again whilst trying to help companies grow. They decided it was time to join forces and persuade marketers around the world that the sales funnel is dead, and we need to try a different approach. They founded Forget the Funnel, a consultancy aiming to help people do just that, and have recently launched their new book of the same name. A message from this episode's sponsor - My Mentor Path This episode is sponsored by My Mentor Path. I'm a passionate advocate for mentoring and believe it to be one of the highest-leverage activities you can undertake to get ahead in your career. I try to do my part but am but one man, so I helped set up this FREE mentoring community to try to help out at scale. Sign up now as a mentor, a mentee, or both! Episode highlights:   1. The Funnel is no longer fit for purpose Marketers have been trying to cram leads into the top of the funnel for 100 years but it doesn't serve the needs of modern marketers in recurring revenue SaaS businesses. We need to consider the customer journey pre and post-acquisition 2. Forgetting the Funnel is a company mindset shift Business leaders can lose sight of the market & the product vision as companies evolve. They need to forget the funnel & empower their marketing teams to do the same & focus relentlessly on customers, not inward-facing metrics. 3. You're going to need to pay off your Revenue Debt As companies evolve, they can end up with a very fragmented set of customers that don't form a coherent ICP. To succeed with customer-led growth you need to work out who your best customers are and optimise for them. 4. Companies often have remarkably similar marketing problems How these problems manifest themselves may be different, but there's generally some low-hanging fruit that can be picked straight away. Progress on harder problems can be stymied by unclear ownership or responsibility 5. There's no point spending a dime on marketing until you've fixed your fundamentals If you don't focus your marketing on your best-fit customers and optimise everything to speak to them, you're just throwing your money away trying to scale marketing up. Fix the basics first! Buy "Forget the Funnel" "Your product is great. So why is marketing it so hard? Many SaaS companies struggle with marketing. Teams try everything they can to drive more traffic, leads, and signups. Yet revenue growth remains... lumpy. Slow. Frustratingly inconsistent. If this sounds familiar, the problem isn't you or your ideas; it's that you're guessing at what resonates with your target customers. In Forget the Funnel, Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop share the Customer-Led Growth Framework they've developed to help companies of all sizes solve their product marketing struggles and hit ambitious targets. This framework helps you get inside your customers' heads, map and measure your customers' experience, and uncover which tactics will actually move the needle for your company." Check it out on Amazon. You can also check out the book website Contact Gia & Claire You can catch up with Gia and Claire on Twitter (Claire, Gia), LinkedIn (Claire, Gia) or visit their website, Forget the Funnel.

In the aftermath of an exhausting season, Patrick discusses who deserves blame for the Golden State Warriors' frustratingly disappointing season. Join the Oakland Warriors Discord server! (0:00) Intro (0:31) Draymond Green (1:05) Jordan Poole (3:11) Klay Thompson (4:08) James Wiseman (5:57) Steve Kerr (7:13) Draymond and Stephen Curry (7:38) Overall lack of accountability (8:49) Joe Lacob and the 2 Timelines (9:57) Drafting Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins (10:20) Bob Myers and Andre Iguodala (11:04) The Warriors' vets (11:45) It's NOT over WATCH ALL PODCAST EPISODES ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL youtube.com/OaklandWarriors TALK HOOPS WITH US! JOIN OUR DISCORD SERVER discord.gg/XK3PMjARbv SUPPORT THE SHOW paypal.com/support/OaklandWarriors patreon.com/OaklandWarriors BUY AN OAKLAND WARRIORS T-SHIRT oaklandwarriors.com CONNECT WITH PATRICK Twitter: twitter.com/OaklandWarriors Mastodon: sfba.social/@warriors Post: post.news/warriors Facebook: facebook.com/OaklandWarriors QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR BUSINESS INQUIRIES: oaklandwarriors.com@gmail.com MUSIC BY PAPER SON: paperson.bandcamp.com soundcloud.com/paper-son Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing!In the early days of the pandemic studies were rushed out and highlighted in the media claiming that higher-weight people were at higher risk of COVID death. I wrote about the issues with this in my previous blog, as did Christy Harrison, Paul Campos and others.Now an umbrella review has been published. This is a review of existing systematic reviews and metanalyses.Quick background. A systematic review (SR) starts with a research question, creates inclusion criteria for evidence, and then attempts to gather and summarize all of the available empirical evidence that fits the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis (MA)  is the application of statistical methods to the results of the studies collected by the systematic review. An umbrella review (UR) synthesizes all of the available systematic reviews and meta-analyses about a broad research question, typically taking into account not just the findings of the SRs and MAs, but also the quality of evidence within them. This is important because if the SR/MAs include poor quality studies, then they risk poor quality summary/analysis/conclusions.So, this study “Risk of bias and certainty of evidence on the association between ob*sity and mortality in patients with SARS-COV-2: An umbrella review of meta-analyses” by Silva et al, 2023 looked at systemic reviews with meta-analyses (SR-MAs) “to evaluate the risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence of SR-MAs on the association between ob*sity and mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2.”They begin that:“Poorly conducted SR-MAs can lead to inaccurate illustrations of evidence and misleading conclusions, leading to limited applicability.”Then point out that:“There are concerns that in the panic to provide answers to help administer the COVID-19 pandemic, SR-MAs are being conducted without many of the keystones of robust methods”They sought to answer two questions with their UR: 1. What is the quality and certainty of evidence on the association between ob*sity and mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2?2. What is the magnitude of the association between ob*sity and mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated by SR-MAsThey reviewed 24 SR-MAs from multiple countries. Ultimately they found that, while most SR-MAs did show an association between being higher weight and COVID mortality, there were serious questions as to the quality of the research that led to those conclusions.They found that “most SR-MAs had critically low quality, and…the certainty of the evidence was very low.” In fact, in terms of certainty of evidence, 21 of the 24 SR-MAs were classified as “very low.” In terms of quality, 66.7% of the SR-MAs were “critically low quality,” and 29.2% were “low” quality. Only one of the included SR-MAs reached the “moderate” quality level and it DID NOT find a significant link between being higher-weight and COVID mortality.The UR author's explanation for this is that the pandemic created the need for fast information (which is, of course accurate) but that in the rush to get data “many of the keystones of robust methods are being forgotten.” I would add that, as we often talk about in research reviews here, when it comes to weight science, the keystones of robust methods are often thrown out the window regardless of how much time the authors have to conduct their research (Lucy Aphramor has an excellent piece about this.) For example, this has happened before. During the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, fat people had poorer health outcomes (and researchers and media were quick to jump on the bandwagon of assuming that fat bodies were the cause the and trying to figure out what about fat bodies caused this.) It turns out the actual issue was that fat people were systematically treated later with antiviral medication than thin people. Per a study on the subject (Sun et. al. 2016) “After adjustment for early antiviral treatment, relationship between ob*sity and poor outcomes disappeared.”The findings of this UR are, of course, a far cry from all the headlines claiming that being higher-weight created higher risk and from the subsequent programs and suggestions that fat people have an obligation to become thin (despite no evidence that that is even possible) as part of COVID mortality prevention. Unfortunately, when it comes to research, the media, and public health policy anti-fatness is often published, often enacted, and rarely questioned.Frustratingly, even the UR authors in their introduction section uncritically buy in to the pathologization of body size, and the blaming of health issues/deaths on higher-weight bodies rather than, at the very least, acknowledging the confounding variables of weight stigma, weight cycling, and healthcare inequalities. Still, perhaps there is some clarity in the fact that these findings come from researchers who seem to be fully invested in the anti-fat paradigm.Finally, I want to point out that healthcare inequalities, including everything from practitioner bias to lack of accommodating equipment (blood pressure cuffs, hospital beds, etc.) as well as medications, dosing, and clinical best practices that are created for thin bodies that may not work as well/at all for fat bodies (for example, around respirator use) can create worse outcomes for higher-weight people (which typically are subsequently blamed on their body size.) This does the most harm to those at the highest weights and those with multiple marginalized identities. Further, I was part of a broad-based coalition that re-wrote California's Care Rationing Protocols (the guidelines for what to do when there aren't enough resources to treat all patients) to remove weight stigma, ableism, and racism. Still the guidelines are not law, even in California, and it is permissible in many cases for those making rationing decisions to use BMI as a reason to deny care in rationing situations. For these reasons and more, I think that the continued treatment of higher-weight people as higher-risk/higher-priority for vaccines and other treatment remains appropriate.Did you find this post helpful? You can subscribe for free to get future posts delivered direct to your inbox, or choose a paid subscription to support the newsletter and get special benefits! Click the Subscribe button below for details:Liked this piece? Share this piece:More research and resources:https://haeshealthsheets.com/resources/*Note on language: I use “fat” as a neutral descriptor as used by the fat activist community, I use “ob*se” and “overw*ight” to acknowledge that these are terms that were created to medicalize and pathologize fat bodies, with roots in racism and specifically anti-Blackness. Please read Sabrina Strings Fearing the Black Body – the Racial Origins of Fat Phobia and Da'Shaun Harrison Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness for more on this. Get full access to Weight and Healthcare at weightandhealthcare.substack.com/subscribe

Patrick breaks down the Golden State Warriors' 3rd straight road loss, an embarrassing 131-110 defeat at the hands of the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors are going in the opposite direction. Without their 3 best perimeter defenders (Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga) who happen to also be their most athletic players, the squad looked completely out of sorts and unable to summon the will to win. They head back to the Bay to face the daunting Milwaukee Bucks in what is another... ready for it?... must-win game. (0:00) Warriors frustrations and finger-pointing (5:30) The "good news" (8:48) Steve Kerr's disastrous 4-guard starting lineup (9:28) On Draymond Green vs. Dillon Brooks (12:56) W's terrible road record (15:32) "The James Wiseman Watch": the kid looked pretty darn good WATCH ALL PODCAST EPISODES ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL youtube.com/OaklandWarriors SUPPORT THE SHOW paypal.com/support/OaklandWarriors patreon.com/OaklandWarriors BUY AN OAKLAND WARRIORS T-SHIRT oaklandwarriors.myshopify.com CONNECT WITH PATRICK Twitter: twitter.com/OaklandWarriors Mastodon: sfba.social/@warriors Post: post.news/warriors Facebook: facebook.com/OaklandWarriors QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR BUSINESS INQUIRIES: oaklandwarriors.com@gmail.com MUSIC BY PAPER SON: paperson.bandcamp.com soundcloud.com/paper-son TBPN: thebasketballpodcastnetwork.com Gambling Problem? Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling () (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), (AZ), (KS/NH), /visit ccpg.org (CT), (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MD/MI /NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. VOID IN OH/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. Free bets: Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 bet. $200 issued as free bets that expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/basketballlterms. No Sweat: Valid 1 per customer. NBA same game parlay bets only. Min 3-leg. First bet after opting-in must lose. Paid as one Free Bet Token based on amount of initial losing bet. Max. wagering limits apply. Free Bets expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded. Ends at the start of the final NBA game each day when offered prior to 2/16/23 @ 10PM ET. See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/basketballterms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frustratingly, the Stars lose AGAIN past 60 minutes to the Minnesota Wild in a shootout 2-1. The Stars now have the most losses in the NHL past 60 minutes. Join Ryan and Chris as they discuss the frustration of the Stars' not being able to win past 60 minutes, their inability to score more than 2 goals a game, and briefly discuss the Ryan O'Reilly to Toronto trade at the end of the episode. Follow the pod on social media! Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarcasticR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starcasticr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarcasticR/ Check out our website at starcasticremarks.com and if you would like to support this podcast, please go check out the merch store at starcasticremarksshop.com! If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXTSTEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP(7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/ /NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frustratingly, the Stars lose AGAIN past 60 minutes to the Minnesota Wild in a shootout 2-1. The Stars now have the most losses in the NHL past 60 minutes. Join Ryan and Chris as they discuss the frustration of the Stars' not being able to win past 60 minutes, their inability to score more than 2 goals a game, and briefly discuss the Ryan O'Reilly to Toronto trade at the end of the episode.Follow the pod on social media!Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarcasticRInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/starcasticrFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarcasticR/Check out our website at starcasticremarks.com and if you would like to support this podcast, please go check out the merch store at starcasticremarksshop.com!If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXTSTEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP(7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/ /NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Frustratingly, the Stars lose AGAIN past 60 minutes to the Minnesota Wild in a shootout 2-1. The Stars now have the most losses in the NHL past 60 minutes. Join Ryan and Chris as they discuss the frustration of the Stars' not being able to win past 60 minutes, their inability to score more than 2 goals a game, and briefly discuss the Ryan O'Reilly to Toronto trade at the end of the episode. Follow the pod on social media! Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarcasticR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starcasticr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarcasticR/ Check out our website at starcasticremarks.com and if you would like to support this podcast, please go check out the merch store at starcasticremarksshop.com! If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXTSTEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP(7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/ /NJ/NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*Please forgive the odd sound quality, this episode was too good to pass on just because of it!* It's the month of February, also known as the Love Month, join us in Episode 12 as Jamie and Chelsea Henderson talk about being in the waiting season, and what you can do if you are in it now! UY Conference is September 23rd, grab your Gals and celebrate with 20% off until 2/14 promo code UYGAL. If you need this type of inspiration daily, you should join our Facebook community- the motivation and inspiration you need will always be at your fingertips. Life's a journey and more fun with friends and a community cheering you on. Join us at  https://www.unashamedlyyou.com/freetrialcommunity If you're not already, head over to Instagram and follow Chelsea @skinbalmapothecary. She has an amazing herbal skin care line, and your skin will thank you! Remember- If this podcast blessed you in any way go share it on your social media, leave a review, and subscribe so that you get the notification every Friday when our new episode releases! Happy Month of LOVE!

Despite nabbing the Most Anticipated Game award, Tears of the Kingdom was a no-show at this years Game Awards, continuing the bizarre, frustrating, and perplexing pre-release cycle the sequel to Breath of the Wild has been on since its reveal, capping off what may go down as the worst year for The Legend of Zelda in the modern era. If you think that's dramatic, come listen to Andy and Al explain why they hold that opinion, and debate on whether Nintendo's arrogance is showing. On the plus side, the gang review the actual Game Awards show, which all things considered, was pretty good. We talk Earthblade, Hades, Death Stranding 2, the Super Mario Bros. Movie, Crime Boss, and so much more! This episode might not be for the faint of heart, but it's still a fun time! PLUS, come and ask us a question for next weeks show and you could hear it answered!   Follow The Zelda Cast! Twitter The Zelda Cast (@TheZeldaCast) Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord x Tik-Tok   Advertise on The Zelda Cast! See Options Here!   Subscribe to The Zelda Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Zelda Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon

Despite nabbing the Most Anticipated Game award, Tears of the Kingdom was a no-show at this years Game Awards, continuing the bizarre, frustrating, and perplexing pre-release cycle the sequel to Breath of the Wild has been on since its reveal, capping off what may go down as the worst year for The Legend of Zelda in the modern era. If you think that's dramatic, come listen to Andy and Al explain why they hold that opinion, and debate on whether Nintendo's arrogance is showing. On the plus side, the gang review the actual Game Awards show, which all things considered, was pretty good. We talk Earthblade, Hades, Death Stranding 2, the Super Mario Bros. Movie, Crime Boss, and so much more! This episode might not be for the faint of heart, but it's still a fun time! PLUS, come and ask us a question for next weeks show and you could hear it answered!   Follow The Zelda Cast! Twitter The Zelda Cast (@TheZeldaCast) Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord x Tik-Tok   Advertise on The Zelda Cast! See Options Here!   Subscribe to The Zelda Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Zelda Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon

Jared, Oriana and Ned continue our own epic trilogy with a look at our collective choice of topic: Peter Jackson's version of The Two Towers. Turning 20 years old this month, The Two Towers built on the success of the previous year's The Fellowship of the Ring, becoming another holiday blockbuster and continuing the overall story, as well as introducing the wider world to a variety of striking performances, among them Bernard Hill as Theoden, Miranda Otto as Eowyn and most famously and indelibly, Andy Serkis's compelling performance as Gollum, further interpreted by the Weta digital effects team to bring the character to life as an animation. All three of us have our own distinct memories and experiences of watching it for the first time and we've seen it any number of times since, but returning to it as a standalone film – as with our previous Fellowship episode, we went back to the original theatrical cut – made something clear to us: it's not all that great. Many different moments are absolutely indelible as already noted and there's no way something like The Rings of Power can even come close to it, but compared to the absolute triumph of Jackson's Fellowship, his Two Towers is the odd one out of the series as a whole. What about the structure of the story as adapted, filmed and edited meant that this might have always been the weak center of the sequence? What moments in particular are absolutely perfect – and what decisions are baffling then and now? Exactly how much Helm's Deep did there have to be in the first place – and do all the decisions that go into the making of that sequence as being central rest on the best foundation? And how great does Serkis's performance and the realization of Gollum as a character remain overall? (Answer: utterly.)SHOW NOTES.Jared's doodle. If that seems familiar, look back a year…Follow the HarperCollins Union Twitter feed for strike news.Andy Serkis reading the Silmarillion? We are intrigued, we are. Hail and farewell to Jules Bass.We do recommend relistening to our Fellowship episode; plenty of relevant show notes too.The Frodo Franchise is a very good read for sure.The original teaser trailer attached to the end of The Fellowship of the Ring at the conclusion of that film's theatrical run.The first official trailer is good, no question, but the second one with the Requiem for a Dream music? Man oh man. Kazaa! Ah Internet nostalgia. Phew, that opening scene. What a way to start up again.We do miss the Huorns, even if they showed up a little bit in the extended version – but not by name.It's a mix of perfect moments and ‘hmmm' bits but the whole start to the Helm's Deep battle definitely is key to the film.Arwen was indeed filmed at being at Helm's Deep and there are background images of her here and there. (Lindsay Ellis's essay the other month has a bit more about that.)Zulu, the British film from 1964 that inspired Jackson's take on Helm's Deep, is…a caution. (As stated, Zulu Dawn is more interesting in comparison.)The look on Theoden's face after he takes in the explosion – that's good acting.Edoras, an absolute triumph of set design, construction, visual effects and cinematography – so it was, so it remains. (Here's a visit to the set area on Mt. Sunday from a couple of years ago.)Feel free to pick up a copy of The Deadwood Bible by Matt Zoller Seitz if you like, and appreciate Oriana's work helping make it happen!Brad Dourif's tear (and the scene overall). Wormtongue's confrontation scene with Eowyn is in the Edoras clip linked above.The Eowyn/Aragorn blade clash/confrontation scene? Good, good stuff. (The warg attack scene, less so.)Where to begin with Gollum? Frustratingly the extended Two Towers documentary segment on Gollum doesn't appear to be on YouTube but Serkis's book on working on the character is easily available and a very good read.Do you really want to know about the monkey from the 1997 Lost in Space? Do you? Fine. Enjoy a video tribute. Now Gollum does act like a cat here, true. And the ‘yeees?!?' moment remains awesome.The self-confrontation scene. You know it.“PO-TA-TOES.”The buildup to Gollum snarling “My PRECIOUS!” at Faramir is truly striking.David Wenham dealing with Van Helsing. The film that is. (And yeah yeah 300.)Gandalf returns and Ian McKellen's hair levels up.The whole “give up the weapons/wink/'I TOLD you to take the WIZARD'S STAFF'” sequence – just a treat.The meat was always on the menu, really.“The Riders of Rohan” is one of Howard Shore's most gripping pieces, still.“Gollum's Song” is really good if you haven't heard it in a bit. (Emiliana Torrini's website will be back soon, it seems.)Sheila Chandra = next level. As is “Breath of Life.”Isabel Bayrakdarian = also next level, and so is “Evenstar.”“The Last March of the Ents” is another remarkable moment of music. “Release the RIVER!”Support By-The-Bywater and our network, Megaphonic, on Patreon and you can hang out with us on a friendly Discord!

Want to know how often you should post on social media for the best results? In this episode, I'm going to break it down for you and show you the best times to post as well. Frustratingly there's no one right answer to this questions.  So, instead I'll share my 3 level framework that will help to guide you and I'll also show you how to get information that will help identify what might work for your patients. Enjoy the show. Thanks for all you do. Keep saving lives. AngusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you design care for patients with Long Covid? Will the pandemic lead to a redesign of medical education? Can design principles create safer standards in healthcare? Dr. Lekshmi Santhosh specializes in adult pulmonary and critical care medicine with a focus on medical education. She attends in the Medical ICU, the Neuro ICU, on the Internal Medicine teaching wards, and has a clinic at the Pulmonary Outpatient Faculty Practice at UCSF-Parnassus. She is the founder and Medical Director of the multidisciplinary OPTIMAL Clinic (pOst-covid-19/PosT-Icu MultidisciplinAry cLinic) at UCSF Health. She serves as the Associate Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship and the Assistant Site Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at Parnassus. She also is the Director of the Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. She obtained her Master's in Health Professions Education from UC-Berkeley. Her primary interests in medical education research are related to ICU transitions of care, women in leadership, clinical reasoning, and subspecialty career choice. Episode Mentions: Interview w Lekshmi: What We Do — and, Frustratingly, Don't — Know About Long Covid Article: Long Covid-19 may remain a chronic condition for millions Article: On the Long Road to Understanding Long Covid, This UCSF Initiative Leads Article: Feeling Dismissed? How to Spot ‘Medical Gaslighting' and What to Do About It. Follow Lekshmi: Twitter | LinkedIn Episode Website: https://mailchi.mp/designlabpod/lekshmisanthosh More episode sources & links Sign-up for Design Lab Podcast's Newsletter Previous Episode Newsletters and Shownotes Follow @DesignLabPod on Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Facebook Follow @BonKu on Twitter & Instagram Check out the Health Design Lab Production by Robert Pugliese Edit by Fernando Queiroz Cover Design by Eden Lew Theme song by Emmanuel Houston Indexed in the Library of Congress: ISSN 2833-2032

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Depending on the data you look at, between 10 and 40 percent of people who get Covid will still have symptoms months later. For some, those symptoms will be modest. A cough, some fatigue. For others, they'll be life-altering: Debilitating brain fog. Exhaustion. Cardiovascular problems. Blood clotting.This is what we call long Covid. It's one term for a vast range of experiences, symptoms, outcomes. It's one term that may be hiding a vast range of maladies and causes. So what do we actually know about long Covid? What don't we know? And why don't we know more than we do?Dr. Lekshmi Santhosh is an assistant professor at UCSF Medical Center, and the founder and medical director of UCSF's long Covid and post-ICU clinic. Her clinic opened in May 2020 and was one of the first to focus on treating long Covid patients specifically. We discuss the wildly broad range of symptoms that can qualify as long Covid; the confusing overlaps between Covid symptoms and other diseases; whether age, race, sex and pre-existing conditions affect a person's chances of contracting long Covid; why it's so difficult to answer a seemingly simple question like, “How many people have gotten long Covid?”; what to make of a recent study that seemingly undermines the biological existence of long Covid; how worried we should be about correlations between Covid and medical disasters like heart attacks, strokes and abnormal blood clotting; and more.Mentioned:“Post–COVID Conditions Among Adult COVID-19 Survivors Aged 18–64 and ≥65 Years — United States, March 2020–November 2021” by Lara Bull-Otterson, Sarah Baca1, Sharon Saydah, Tegan K. Boehmer, Stacey Adjei, Simone Gray and Aaron M. Harris“Long COVID after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection” by Ziyad Al-Aly, Benjamin Bowe and Yan Xie“A Longitudinal Study of COVID-19 Sequelae and Immunity: Baseline Findings” by Michael C. Sneller, C. Jason Liang, Adriana R. Marques, et al.“Positive Epstein–Barr virus detection in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients” by Ting Chen, Jiayi Song, Hongli Liu, Hongmei Zheng and Changzheng Chen“Risk factors and disease profile of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection in UK users of the COVID Symptom Study app” by Michela Antonelli, Rose S. Penfold, Jordi Merino, Carole H. Sudre, Erika Molteni, Sarah Berry, et al.“Understanding and Improving Recovery From COVID-19” by Aluko A. Hope“Markers of Immune Activation and Inflammation in Individuals With Postacute Sequelae of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection” by Michael J. Peluso, Scott Lu, Alex F. Tang, Matthew S. Durstenfeld, et al.Book Recommendations:In Shock by Dr. Rana AwdishEvery Deep-Drawn Breath by Wes ElyMountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy KidderWe're hiring a researcher! You can apply here or by visiting nytimes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/NewsThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.“The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rogé Karma; fact-checking by Haylee Millikan and Michelle Harris; original music by Isaac Jones; mixing by Jeff Geld; audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Our executive producer is Irene Noguchi. Special thanks to Kristin Lin, Kristina Samulewski, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly and Lauren Nichols.

Does the new Texas social media law banning platforms from moderating content really require you to listen to this episode? Well, it's on Twitter so now you're compelled! Frustratingly, this reasoning is just as stupid as the Fifth Circuit's crayon-scratched opinion rubber stamping the statute. It's an opinion so bad that Justice Alito immediately swooped in to get the appeal rolling. Meanwhile, we also talk about the changing nature of in-house counsel and the growth of "legal operations" as the chief operating officers of legal departments, a judge with a penchant for handcuffing lawyers, and the latest law school dean hypocrisy.   Special thanks to our sponsor, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC.

Today we are sharing an episode from "Bad Table Manners," a podcast that pushes the boundaries of food storytelling in South Asia, produced by our friends at Whetstone Radio Collective. Enjoy! Thanks to the cool-ification of Indian food, traditional ingredients from the subcontinent, like turmeric and ghee, are now repackaged and resold in Western and Westernized markets as if they were “new” discoveries. Cleaned up, minimalistic design labels are often employed to give the familiar and unfamiliar look and conceal what one can argue is a recolonization of the Global South by the Global North. The U.S.-based academic Rumya Putcha tells us why this hipster Indian food is problematic, while Vidya Balachander, current South Asia editor at Whetstone, helps us unpack the idea of the global supermarket. We'd love for you to be part of the Immigrantly community. Join us on Instagram: @Immigrantlypod Find us on Twitter: @immigrantly_pod Support us via our If you enjoy listening to Immigrantly, please share the love and leave us a review so that more people can find us!

    For the final episode on the Mongol Empire, we take you, our dear listeners, in a quick survey of the final years of Chinggisid rule in Mongolia, after the Yuan Dynasty was forced from China in 1368, until the Manchu conquests in the seventeenth century. This will help bridge the gap with the next series in this podcast, and serve as an afterword to this season.  I'm your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.   We detailed in previous episodes the final years of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in China, which culminated with Töghön Temür Khaan fleeing his capital of Dadu to Mongolia. With the Yuan rulers ousted, the new Ming Dynasty, ruled by the Chinese warlord Zhu Yuanzhang now styled the Hongwu Emperor, seized Dadu. Dadu was renamed to Beiping, “northern peace,” and would soon to Beijing, “northern capital.” The Ming, under its early emperors, was a highly militarized state with what's often described as an oppressively strong government. The Hongwu Emperor, though recognizing that the Mongols had had the Mandate of Heaven, had settled on one key flaw which allowed corruption and poor governance to settle in. That is, that the Yuan Khans simply did not have enough authority within their government, which had been augmented by Töghön Temür Khaan's debauchery. The lords of the Yuan state simply had too much more power in comparison to the Yuan Emperor. The Ming solution to that, was to, at least in early years of the dynasty, ensure there were few checks on the might of the Ming Emperor. This would lead to intense control over society and its own oppression, but that's another matter.       The flight of the Yuan rulers back into the steppe was neither the end of the Yuan, nor of the Mongol threat, and the Ming knew this. The flight of 1368, and Töghön Temür's death in 1370, was hardly the end of war, as Ming and Yuan forces raided back and forced over the frontier repeatedly. The Ming led continued assaults into Mongolia itself, on one occasion sacking the much reduced former Mongol capital of Qaraqorum. But the Hongwu Emperor's forces met defeats in Mongolia in 1372, and his armies were forced back in humiliating, destructive routs. The Hongwu Emperor continued to send armies into Mongolia throughout the 1380s, but finally recognized the stalemate. He had solidified rule over China, defeated the last of Yuan holdouts, but in the steppes his armies could be drawn out, starved and crushed by the Mongols. It was better to fall back to military garrisons along the frontier to launch counter attacks, rather than waste more resources in the steppes. Frustratingly, the sons of Töghön Temür continued to claim the right to rule China, and refused to recognize that the Ming now held the Mandate of Heaven. Ming historians from this point on refer to the Yuan in Mongolia as the Northern Yuan, though the Yuan Khaans themselves saw their rule as continuing unabated.       In the early fifteenth century, the ascension of the Hongwu Emperor's son, Zhu Di, known as the Yongle Emperor, brought renewed conflict. The Yongle Emperor personally led some of these campaigns, and when he met the Mongols in battle he was victorious, aided by the prodigious usage of gunpowder weapons. But in the final campaigns, the strong man of the Northern Yuan, a fellow named Arughtai, increasingly favoured avoiding direct engagement with the Ming entirely. The Yongle Emperor's ambitions were thus thwarted, and the threat of starvation and isolation in the steppes forced his withdrawal. It was on one of these withdrawals in 1424 that the Yongle Empire succumbed to illness, and with him died the last skilled military emperor of the Ming.    The arrival of the Yuan nobility back to the steppe brought with it its own problems, for the sinicized elite accustomed to the finery of great Dadu found life in Mongolia difficult and unrefined. The local lords in Mongolia, having long since felt abandoned by Dadu, did not easily abide the new arrivals or their demands for troops. The Dadu refugees also were decidedly much too Chinese for the liking of Mongolia's local elite. Many of the Mongolian leaders were descendants of Ariq Böke or Chinggis Khan's brothers, those who felt they had been left out of the power and resources of the empire. The upheaval brought on by the constant Ming attacks in eastern and central Mongolia at the same time did no favours to the position of the Yuan. On Töghön Temür's death in 1370, he was succeeded by his son, the much more capable Ayushiridara. Ayushiridara Khaan and his skilled general Koko Temür led effective counter attacks against the Ming, and even succeeded in gaining lost territory, though Ayushiridara's son Maidiribala was captured by the Ming. On Ayushiridara's death in 1378, the Ming released Maidiribala back to Mongolia to influence the election, for Maidiribala had been well treated and was seen as favourably disposed to the Ming. But Ayushiridara was succeeded by his brother Tögüs Temür, who continued war with the Ming and interfering along the border. After a series of battles, in 1388 Tögüs Temür was defeated near Buyur Lake in northern Mongolia. Though he escaped, the depowered Tögüs Temür Khaan was soon murdered by a distant relation named Yesüder. With the death of Tögüs Temür Khaan, the unbroken succession of the house of Khubilai came to an end. Now various lords within the Northern Yuan declared their independence, sought peace with the Ming or fought for the Chinggisid throne. As was the usual case when this occurred, khans now rapidly ascended to the throne only to soon be killed or ousted. Their order remains confused, their identities uncertain, and many were little more than figure heads for puppet masters. One of the most notable and longest lasting of these Mongol puppet masters was Arughtai. Until his death in 1434, Arughtai remained the most powerful man in the Northern Yuan court, fighting against the Ming, the Oirats and other rivals to power, but never able to reassert Yan hegemony over all of Mongolia.       This infighting in the Yuan court greatly benefitted one party in western Mongolia. These were the Oirat, or western Mongols, assembled in a political union known by its clever name, the Four Oirat. While they had been subjects to the Great Khan, their local lords were not Chinggisids, and had enjoyed a great degree of autonomy in the recent decades before the Yuan expulsion. The arrival of the Great Khans from China brought interference in their internal matters, demands for troops and supplies which caused resentment. The turmoil brought on the wars with the Ming and the succession struggles led to the Oirat leadership to challenge the Great Khans. In 1399, Ugechi Khasakha of the Khoit Oirat and Batula, son-in-law to the Khan, killed the Great Khan Elbeg, beginning open warfare between the Oirat and the Yuan. When Ugechi Khasakha assassinated Elbeg Khan's son Gün-Temür in 1402, the Oirat leader assumed supreme power in Mongolia and the title of Guilichi Khaan. By 1408 his former ally, Batula, ousted Ugechi Khaskha and assumed power himself, while Arughtai elected another of Elbeg Khan's sons, Bunyashiri, as Khaan. While this civil war was ongoing, the Ming continued to interfere, by granting imperial titles and supplies to other Oirat factions to strengthen them against the Khaan, coupled with invasions of Mongolia itself by the Yongle Emperor. On other occasions, in order to prevent the Oirat from becoming too powerful, the Ming would send troops and supplies to aid the Yuan Khans against the Oirat.       After the Yongle Emperor's death in 1424, Ming meddling in Mongolia slackened. With this, the Oirat leader Toghon Chingsang, son of Batula, gradually succeeded in taking control over eastern Mongolia. A skilled politician and diplomat, he maintained good ties with neighbours outside Mongolia, like the Ming and the Jurchen, while strengthening his control over the Mongols and finding rival puppets to install on the Yuan throne. Toghon and his son Esen defeated and executed Arughtai in 1434, and then the rival Chinggisid Khan in 1438. With this, Toghon took effective control of Mongolia. Through marriage alliance and diplomacy he took most of the rest too. With a new puppet Khaan on the throne, Toghon was made the taishi, derived originally from the Chinese Grand Preceptor. Toghon died soon after this, and was succeeded to the position of taishi by his son Esen. Hence, the influential Esen Taishi came to dominate Mongolia.       A skilled general beyond even his father, by the time Esen Taishi took control at the start of the 1440s he had campaigned as far west as Moghulistan and back. He held onto power with an iron hand and cooperative khaans, crushing rebellions and bringing the Jurchen in Manchuria and cities of what's now northwestern China's Gansu province under his rule. Ming armies into the steppe were defeated; the Ming generals and emperors could no longer hold a candle to the might of the Yongle Emperor.       Struggling to contain Esen Taishi's expansion militarily or politically, the Ming tried a new strategy: economic warfare. During Toghon Taishi's period, trade had flowed relatively easily between Mongolia and the Ming, with horses, livestock and furs coming from Mongol lands and manufactured goods and materials from China. Envoys had travelled freely, but the Mongols had also learned to take advantage of Ming gift giving to envoys. Mongol embassies arriving with several thousands persons in tow, which all had to be housed, fed and gifted at the expense of the Ming court. The Ming demanded that Esen Taishi restrict these embassies to only a few hundred men, which Esen felt as an insult. Though forbidden by the Ming, in exchange for horses, border guards and other lords near the frontier traded weapons and armour to the Mongols. Though Esen Taishi would have preferred to maintain good relations and continue profiting off of the Ming, the Ming's harsher treatment of his envoys and efforts to shut down the trade over the border either pushed Esen too far, or served as a useful pretext for war. Mongol attacks on the north began, and the inexperienced, overconfident and poorly advised Zhengtong Emperor, a great-grandson of the Yongle Emperor, marched from Beijing to face the Mongols in battle. In August 1449, the Mongol-Oirat forces outmaneuvered the Ming and then inflicted a crushing defeat upon them at the Tumu Fort, and captured the Zhengtong Emperor. With his captive in tow, Esen Taishi laid siege to Beijing itself and raided the northern countryside, though called off the campaign and eventually freed his imperial prisoner, hoping he would cause trouble with the new Ming emperor who had been installed.        The Tumu Crisis, as it came to be known, was a huge embarrassment for the Ming, and put an end to any belief that the Ming could continue to work offensively against the Mongols. While that had been possible in the careful military structure under the Yongle Emperor, after his death the Ming imperial and military infrastructure lacked the ability or the will to carry out such campaigns, yet had retained the misplaced confidence in their ability to do so. Esen Taishi had just poked through that lie with a hundred thousand arrows. Now turning to the defensive, the Ming renewed an age-old strategy against the nomads: building border fortifications to impede their movement. So began the steady construction of the Great Wall of China as it exists today, beginning first north of Beijing and in time crawling along the entire Mongol frontier.       In turn, the Tumu crisis did not help Esen Taishi's leadership. His puppet khan, Taisun, began to conspire against him, and they met in battle in 1452. Victorious, Esen Taishi sought to do away with the puppets altogether and rule as khan in his own right, until his assassination in 1455. The height of Oirat domination over the Chinggisids thus passed, and for the next decades contenders to the Chinggisid throne fought against Oirat efforts to reassert their hegemony. What followed was more warfare, great and petty, until Mongolia was reunified again under Chinggisid leadership in the early 1500s by Batu-Möngke Dayan Khaan, more usually known as Dayan Khaan. Raised to office and aided throughout his reign by his skilled mother-in-law/wife Mandukhai Khatun, after years of fighting against Oirats, other Mongols and the Ming, by 1510 Dayan Khaan succeeded in controlling all of Mongolia.  He appointed his sons and commanders to head new administrative units; removed the lords who stood against him, reconfirmed those who supported him,  and divided the population of Mongolia into  6 tümens, made up of  54 otogs.        The Dayan Khaanid 1500s was much more stable compared to the century before. It's not clear how long Dayan Khaan reigned for, with some putting his death in the 1540s, or before 1520. One consequence of his reign was dividing the empire between his sons, assigning them to the various tümed across Mongolia, with one intended as an overarching khan. But his power waned as that of the aristocrats' grew, and at the end of the 1540s a grandson of Dayan Khan, Altan Khan, usurped power. This ushered in another period of centralization and military authority, as Altan Khan led attacks against the Kazakhs, Oirats and the Ming. In one of his most notable exploits, in 1550 he attacked Beijing itself and set its outskirts aflame. The Ming Emperor was forced into a peace treaty which heavily favoured the Mongols and provided them gifts and advantageous trade terms; a far cry from the offensive might the Yongle Emperor had once employed.       One of the most lasting consequences of Altan Khan was the promotion of Buddhism in Mongolia, for Altan Khan and his third wife, Jönggen Khatun, were its great patrons. Though Buddhism had a presence in Mongolia for centuries, it had never been a large or significant one. The late thirteenth century saw some flourishing of the faith among the elite, which continued in the following centuries. In the 1570s Altan Khan and his Khatun invited to Mongolia the Third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso; except, he was not yet called the Dalai Lama. This title was bestowed upon Sonam Gyatso by Altan Khan, coming from the Mongolian word Dalai,  meaning Ocean. The Dalai Lama was thus the oceanic, or universal, lama, and the title was posthumously applied to Sonam Gyatso's two previous reincarnations. After Sonam Gyatso's death in 1588, the Fourth Dalai Lama was a great-grandson of Altan Khan, and thereby a descendant of Chinggis Khan.        The official, dedicated patronage of Buddhism by Altan Khan and his successors allowed it to spread across Mongolia as it never had before. Altan Khan even took materials from the ruins of the once imperial capital of Qaraqorum to build a monastery nearby, known as the Erdene Zuu which still stands today. Anti-shamanic efforts by the succeeding khans and the new Buddhist clergy reduced the influence of the shamans, and the building of monasteries across Mongolia was the start of the powerful Buddhist Lamas who would, in time, rule large swathes of the country. It was not a quick or perfect transformation;  Mongolian sources speak of efforts to replace the traditional Mongol shamanist-animism well into the seventeenth century, and even today shamans can still be consulted in Mongolia.    From the conversion of the Northern Yuan and its people, Buddhism spread to the remaining independent Oirats, who the Yuan had steadily pushed from their base in western Mongolia. Part of the Oirats travelled far west in one of the final great steppe-migrations; these were the Kalmyks, who made their way west of the Caspian Sea, displacing and ruling over the Nogai Horde. This Kalmyk Khanate was conquered by the Russians in the early eighteenth century, and today they remain largely in Russia's republic of Kalmykia, which contains the only notable Buddhist population in Europe. Meanwhile, the left wing of the Oirat confederation, known in Mongolian as the dzün gar, went on to establish, in the early seventeenth century, what is normally considered the final steppe empire; the Dzungar Khanate. They ruled that ill-defined region of Moghulistan, known after them as Dzungaria, where today the border of China, Kazakhstan and Kirghizstan meet. The Dzungars would be a fierce foe against Qing Dynasty expansion into Central Asia, and fought constantine against their neighbours in Tibet, Mongolia proper and westwards against the Kazakhs. Ultimately the Dzungars met utter destruction at the hands of the Qing Dynasty in the mid-eighteenth century, an event known as the Dzungar Genocide. The state itself was not merely dismantled, but in its heartland in the Dzungar Basin, its Mongolian speaking population was exterminated and then their lands given to Qing soldiers.   After Altan Khan's death in the 1570s, the final period of Mongol unity under a Chinggisid khan passed. The succeeding khans of the lineage of Dayan Khaan could not regain their authority after Altan Khan's usurpation and minimization of them. The lords of the tümed, the regional divisions, had grown in power and independence. In 1604, a descendant of Dayan Khaan was to become the last Chinggisid in Mongolia to have real power. This was Ligdan Khaan, whose thirty year reign saw the end of Mongolian independence for the next four hundred years. So weak had the position of Great Khan grown compared to other tümed leaders, that Ligdan's rivals disparagingly called him only the Khan of the Chakhar Mongols —corresponding roughly to today's Inner Mongolia— rather than Great Khan. His greatest foe came from the east; the Jurchen had been unified and made resurgent. Their leader, Nurhaci, had declared himself Khan of a new Jin Dynasty. It was as if the Mongols' old foes had returned from the grave. Nurhaci led repeated attacks against Ligdan Khaan, and allied with his rivals in Mongolia.    Ligdan Khaan was hounded and pursued, and last minute reforms and promises he made could not arrest his fate. In 1634, he died of smallpox in what is now Gansu. His son, Ejei Khaan, was quickly forced to surrender to Nurhaci's son and successor, Hong Taiji, who declared both a new name for the Jurchen, and a new dynasty; now they were the Manchu, masters of the Qing Dynasty, the final imperial dynasty to rule China. With Ejei at his side, Hong Taiji took the submission of most of the Mongols. Many accompanied him in his conquest of China following the collapse of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, and Mongols remained important part of Qing armies even in the wars against the Dzungars. The Manchu, descendents of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty which had fallen to the Mongols in 1234, had in turn conquered both dynasties which had emerged from the Yuan. Ejei Khaan spent the remainder of his life a humbled prince in the Qing court, while his younger brother, Abunai, led a revolt in 1675 against Qing rule, which was swiftly crushed, Abunai killed and many Borjigin in the Chahar lands of southern Mongolia executed.   And so, Chinggisid rule in Mongolia passed into memory. Not all Borjigon were killed; an aristocracy of Dayan Khanid descent remained in Mongolia until the twentieth century, when most were lost in Soviet purges. But effective rule of Mongolia remained in the hands of the Qing Dynasty, their appointees, or Buddhist clergy who became feudal lords in their own right. And yet, Chinggis Khan's memory could not be dislodged. The Qing Emperors appealed to it when it came to controlling the Mongols, and after the start of Qing rule, new chronicles began to be written in Mongolia, in the same Uighur script Chinggis had adopted 400 years prior. With the rediscovery of sections of the Secret History of the Mongols in the seventeenth century, the past and the present of Mongolia could be reunited. In the Erden-yin Tobchi of Sayang Sechen, for example, chapters of the Secret History were combined with the Buddhist teaching which now permeated the Mongol world. Chinggis Khan's confrontation with the Tangut King now involved them both transforming into animals, with Chinggis' victory complete with his transformation into the very sky itself.  But even here, the story begins just as it did in the Secret History; a blue-grey wolf, and a fallow deer, from whose line would come the boy, Temüjin, born clutching a blood clot in his fist the size of a knuckle bone.         Our next series picks up with the conquests of the rise of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and its conquest of China, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals Podcast to follow. If you enjoyed this and want to help us continue bringing you great content, please consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals , or share this  with your friends and leave reviews on the podcast catcher of your choice. This series was researched and written by Jack Wilson. You can hear more of his discussions on the Mongols at his channel on Youtube, the Jackmeister: Mongol History. This series was narrated by David Schroeder, host of the Cold War on Youtube. This has been Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest, Season 2: The Mongol Conquests. Thank you for listening, and we'll catch you on the next one.   

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