POPULARITY
Categories
Aswe come to this chapter, we need to remember several things. It's Passoverweek. Jesus has finished almost three and a half years of ministry, healing thesick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, feeding the hungry,preaching to the multitudes, teaching His disciples, confronting the Pharisees,scribes, and hypocrites. All this has taken place now for three and a halfyears. Jesus has publiclyrevealed Himself as the Messiah. He's come into Jerusalem on Sunday of Passoverweek. He is the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sin of the world. Thecrowd, the multitudes, believed and trusted that He was the Messiah to deliverthem from the Romans. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke them, Jesussaid, "Even these stones would cry out if they didn't recognize who Iwas." He had publicly revealed Himself. Yet, there was a group whorejected Him, and they were the spiritual and political leaders of the Jewish nation. On Sunday, Jesus ridesinto Jerusalem. On Monday, Jesus cleanses the temple. Now on Tuesday, Jesus isconfronted by the scribes, the high priest, the lawyers, (that's who thescribes are), and the elders. Three groups of people, representing thereligious and political leaders of the day for the Jews, confront Jesus. Verse 1, “Now ithappened on one of those days”. We believe the day was Tuesday specificallyin this passage, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel.Jesus has come back on Tuesday of Passover week. He is teaching and preaching.He's loving the people, teaching them the gospel. “The kingdom of heaven is athand; the King is here”. He is telling them wonderful things about who God is,who the Savior is, and how salvation and peace can come through trust andbelieving in Him. He is preaching thegospel about Himself. Isn't that amazing? Because the Gospel is all aboutJesus.So, Jesus is preachingand teaching the Gospel, and that's when the chief priests, the scribes, andthe elders confronted Him. These people are incensed. The fact that Jesus ispreaching and teaching and the crowd has received Him, brings them to the pointthat they have to do something about Him. It says “they confronted Him”,means they came upon Him suddenly. They hope to catch Jesus with a questionthat will humiliate Him, and expose Hm to be against the leadership of theRomans politically. Then He could be crucified, stoned, or killed. They'd already tried tostone Him on several occasions. Now they're going to use the tactic of getting Himto break one of the laws of the land so that the Romans will put Him to death.Of course, that fulfills the Old Testament scripture about how Jesus would die,not by stoning but by crucifixion. Read Psalms 22, and Isaiah 53. Theyconfronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authorityare you doing these things, or who is he who gave you this authority?" The priests had theirauthority from the law of Moses; they got their authority because the Leviticaltribe had been set apart to be the priests of the people, and the high priestcame from that tribe also. The scribes, these were the lawyers who had beentaught by the rabbis. They understood the law, they interpreted the law. So,the lawyers had their authority from the rabbis. The elders, these were theleaders of the different clans, the different tribes. They'd been chosen fortheir wisdom, leadership, and ability to lead. Probably on Monday night, thesethree groups of leaders have gotten together determined how they would confrontJesus on Tuesday. But Jesus is ready forthem. When they ask, "Where did you get your authority?" they'resaying, "We have authority, but who are you? Where does your authoritycome from?" We can't wait to talkabout the answer the gave them and how He turned the table on them over thenext few days.
Colton, a toddler, was riding his toy car when he ran into a stick. His mom watched from behind as Colton got more and more frustrated, but he was stuck. “Hm,” his mom said,“Is there anything you can do to move the stick?” Colton thought for a minute, then climbed off his car. He beamed with pride when he moved the stick and sailed past it. When our sons face obstacles in life, it's tempting to swoop in and remove whatever is in the way. But if we constantly do that, we are failing our boys. By letting them problem solve in age-appropriate ways, we can not only develop their critical thinking skills, but also greatly improve their confidence. So go ahead– encourage your son to move the stick himself. For more ideas on raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.
Sunday May 18, 2025. Week 21 Show notes on the site: https://curesyngap1.org/podcasts/syngap10/ CAMP4 Press Release https://investors.camp4tx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/camp4-presents-translational-data-syngap1-related-disorders Dr. Yuri at WODC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNwgo7TmrVo Presentation at ASGCT: https://investors.camp4tx.com/news-events/presentations GETA Talk: https://www.facebook.com/Syngapresearch/posts/pfbid08Aztex32vdwNZduVkPQeG353W49Dhq8iKJeZEkajKUmkeUiDdCwzyqa9ndEVpdCUl To get these Therapies to kids the NHS data is key, ProMMis CHOP - Email them ENDD@chop.edu Stanford (Singed!) - https://curesyngap1.org/blog/srf-announces-stanford-launches-california-synaptopathy-clinic/ CHCO - https://curesyngap1.org/blog/visiting-syngap1-natural-history-study-childrens-hospital-colorado-chco/ Citizen Health https://cureSYNGAP1.org/Citizen is at 267, why not 300? Hopkins article featuring SRF - Competition is good for the patient FB https://www.facebook.com/cureSYNGAP1/posts/pfbid07MP7St3zdxLKYXTJULKa5S35YvgL6AJndenHicedxU3rtQF6iY1wwwNUoDuUD9cpl LI https://www.linkedin.com/posts/curesyngap1_nih-cuts-stalling-progress-on-rare-genetic-activity-7328449817074946048-AAsB ASGCT Mouse poster for Q504X from the JAX, Dr. Matt Simon Conf Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loYXkkTSUIY Presentation on AAV for SYNGAP1 at Allen by Dr. Megan Quinlan What about this guy? Gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/health/gene-editing-personalized-rare-disorders.html?unlocked_article_code=1.H08.E-oX.t5bo6kxJGUOU&smid=url-share PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOeiPoa3gvM Eric Topol: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/the-first-human-to-undergo-in-vivo More incredible news https://news.unl.edu/article/husker-team-wins-second-round-prize-in-nih-gene-editing-challenge REPURPOSING Mike's post in private SRF Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/syngap #Amlexanox with Fortuity Pharma. https://fortuitypharma.com/ Butyrate Update https://aesnet.org/abstractslisting/phenylbutyrate-for-syngap1-related-developmental-and-epileptic-encephalopathy Trial ending at year end, working with SLC6A1 and Rachel Heilmann to continue coverage, then we can scale, once we have a paper. SunButyrate https://a.co/d/7kiHXS8 PUBMED 328 total with 20 YTD https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=syngap1&sort=date&sort_order=asc&timeline=expanded Sleep https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945724005793?via%3Dihub SRF Fundraisers MDBR with AJH and HM https://curesyngap1.org/calendar/million-dollar-bike-ride-2025/ Well done to Tavilla and Jones! We are over $221k Tavilla clears $160k for Sprint. https://donate.curesyngap1.org/campaign/sprint4syngap2025/c660255 Porter Jones and his friends William, Patrick, and Judson raised over $10k in doughnuts, this netted over $8k because people donated. Amazing and thank you to Krispy Kreme. https://donate.curesyngap1.org/event/sweets-for-syngap1/e678677 SRF PROFILES Vicky post in Mexico https://www.linkedin.com/posts/victoria-arteaga-26913433_diagnostico-epilepsia-syngap1-activity-7329725268003069953-R41P Vicky's Siblings Violeta and Lourdes, sisters to Amelia https://curesyngap1.org/syngap-siblings/ Harper Albrecht Wednesday Warrior #215 parents Ashley and Justin https://cureSYNGAP1.org/Warrior PREREGISTER FOR THE CURE SYNGAP1 CONFERENCE https://curesyngap1.org/calendar/cure-syngap1-conference-2025-hosted-by-srf/
Zum Thema: Martin Benz spricht darüber, worum es Gott eigentlich geht. Dass alle Menschen in den Himmel kommen. Hm ... eher nicht.Anregungen und Fragen zur Predigt für dich oder deine Kleingruppe:2025-05-18 Das Leben zum Blühen bringen.pdf Hilfe! Wenn du gut findest, was wir machen, kannst du uns gern unterstützen. Wir freuen uns über Spenden und brauchen sie auch! Infos, wie wir uns finanzieren und wie du helfen kannst, findest du auf unserer Webseite unter 'Spenden'. Am schnellsten und einfachsten geht eine Spende per paypal.me/citychurch. Konto: CityChurch Würzburg IBAN: DE37452604750010857200 BIC: GENODEM1BFG Vielen Dank! Episoden-Details: Thema: Das Leben zum Blühen bringen PredigerIn: Martin Benz Zeit & Ort: 18. Mai 2025, Z87 Dauer: 39:27 min
Today,we're looking at Luke chapter 18, specifically verses 35-43, the last verses ofthe chapter. Jesus began this chapter by teaching about prayer, that men oughtalways to pray and not to faint. He gave us several stories about prayer. Inthese last verses Jesus teaches us that the prayer that always turns the ear ofGod to see our need, and give us the miracle that we need, is the “desperate prayer”.Now, as Luke ends this chapter, he points out a certain man who was a beggarand blind, who came to Jesus. Inthis chapter, we've seen contrasts between different people and situations.Here, we see the contrast between this beggar who was blind and the rich manwho came to Jesus. Matthew's and Mark's gospels tell us there were two beggars,but in the Gospel of Luke, it appears Luke loves to point out how Jesus isinterested in the individual. It didn't matter if there were a hundred sheep;he's interested in one. If there are ten pieces of silver, there's one. Ifthere are two sons, there's one. If there are two beggars, here in Luke's Gospel,there's one. God is interested in you. He knows your need. He wants you to cryout to him. Ifthere's anything we learn about prayer in this chapter, it's that men oughtalways to pray. We're not to pray like the Pharisee, but we come desperately toJesus. The rich young ruler came, thought well of himself, and bragged abouthis goodness. This beggar wouldn't be quiet when he heard Jesus was passing by.He was desperate for his need to be healed and would cry out, even when peopletold him to be quiet. That's another thing you learn from this chapter: thewidow in the first verses of the chapter kept crying out, even though the judgewouldn't listen. The beggar, even though people told him to be quiet, cried outanyway. Ilove the contrast here, and we're encouraged to cry out in desperation. TheScripture says, "You shall seek me and find me when you have searchedfor me with all your heart." That's how you come to Jesus; that's howyou come in faith, believing. This man was blind and acknowledged it. He had nospecial merits to cry out and say, "Oh, I've been good; I've donethis." He had nothing. He came empty and went away rich. The rich man camevery rich and left eternally poor. Myfriend, there's so much we learn from this. I encourage you today: you mightfeel like you have nothing, no merits to come to Christ, or that you've lived alife that merits none of his grace. But you can come in your desperation. If Iknow and have learned one thing from my years of ministry it is that God hearsthe prayers of desperate people. Honestly, I don't know if we really pray untilwe get desperate. The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much because wemeet Jesus where He is, and we cry out to Him. The"human stories” we have "read" in this chapter should also encourageus to put our faith in Jesus Christ, no matter what others may say or do. Thewidow was not discouraged by the indifferent attitude of the judge, nor thepublican by the hypocritical attitude of the Pharisee. The parents broughttheir little ones to Jesus in spite of the selfish attitude of the Apostles,and the blind men came to Jesus even though the crowd told them to keep quietand stay put. Jesus always responds to faith and rewards those who believe. Whata wonderful story to end this chapter. This poor blind beggar left rejoicing,and the people were praising God. Remember, the rich man left very sad andsorrowful. Don't leave that way, my friend. Come to Jesus, meet Him, have yourlife changed, and let Hm give you your sight. Jesusasked this blind man, "What do you want Me to do for you?"? Theman said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." God made himpoint out his need, and Jesus met that need right where he was. I trust thatyou'll trust the Lord today to meet your need. Jesus is always ready to answerthe prayer of a desperate person!
This episode explores:Expanding remits for supply chain leaders and the value they deliver. (1:17)How organizational structure underpins these new remits, and Ralph Lauren's philosophy on this structure. (5:08)Talent opportunities borne from expanded remits for supply chain talent and leadership. (8:35)Technology's role in expanding supply chain's remit. (11:44)Actionable advice for supply chain leaders of tomorrow. (16:33)Supply Chain Podcast host Thomas O'Connor discusses the evolving role supply chain leaders play in their businesses with Halide Alagöz, chief product and merchandising officer (including supply chain) for Ralph Lauren. They explore Halide's unique career path and role at Ralph Lauren offer insight into changing expectations and growth opportunities for supply chain leaders, as well as how Ralph Lauren's organizational approaches to talent and technology helped uncover them. Thomas and Halide close the show with recommendations for supply chain leaders of the future, and how they can use these lesions to evolve.Gartner clients interested in finding out more about this topic can access the following: Supply Chain Executive Report: Radically Rethinking ReorganizationExecutive FastStart™ for CSCOs: How to Build Relationships and Personal BrandAbout the GuestHalide Alagöz is the Chief Product and Merchandising Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation. She is responsible for the end-to-end product life cycle as leader of the company's Polo, RRL and Lauren brand teams and the Brand Image and Purple Label Merchandising teams. Halide additionally drives innovation and execution – from development through sourcing – of all products across the Ralph Lauren portfolio.Prior to joining Ralph Lauren, Halide was with H&M Corporation for 18 years, most recently in Hong Kong as the Head of Purchasing. During her tenure with H&M, Halide was responsible for various regional and global supply chain operations in Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, and in her native country, Turkey.Halide also serves on the board of directors of the American Apparel & Footwear Association since April 2018 and was confirmed as its vice chair for its 2024-2025 term in March 2024. Halide earned both her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and her master's degree in engineering management from Istanbul Technical University.
We're continuing the series on Dr. Steve Peters' book, "A Path Through the Jungle.” This one focuses on Depression, how to gain perspective, how to recognize depressive thoughts, and how to take care of your Chimp so that it doesn't get worse. Dr. Liz talks about different paths you can take with different thoughts and the importance of action. *** Suicide is mentioned around RT 24:00 min. “Helpful Autopilots” phrases are given throughout this episode. “A Path through the Jungle” can be purchased on Amazon: https://a.co/d/4hx7M7M See more about Dr. Peters at https://chimpmanagement.com Previous episodes in this series are at: Stop your Chimp's Panic Attacks >>>>https://drlizhypnosis.com/hm316-stop-your-chimps-panic-attacks-with-dr-liz Manage your Anxiety by Managing your Chimp >>>> https://drlizhypnosis.com/hm315-manage-your-anxiety-by-managing-your-chimp Your Chimp vs your Human >>>>https://drlizhypnosis.com/hm313-from-inner-chaos-to-inner-peace About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.
HIRING MANAGER SELF SERVE - THE PAST AND FUTURE OF RECRUITMENT? It was also the Past of Recruitment - where hiring managers were doing most of the work in hiring for their teams, everything from putting up adverts in shop windows, handling the first enquiries, reviewing CV's, screening candidates, scheduling interviews, interviewing candidates and then offering / hiring said candidates. Perhaps Personnel got involved in the contracts of employment, but 'recruitment' was once handled entirely by the line. Could it be that this model returns, as AI improves to such an extent that a centralised TA function may not be the most optimal model? Lets explore how some companies have shifted from centralised TA to empowering hiring managers to do more of the hiring work - What conditions best suit centralised vs decentralised TA teams? - Pro's / Cons of decentralised vs centralised - What degree of hiring maturity is required for hiring manager self serve? - Retail franchises are the obvious business type for this model: which others? - How to avoid hiring managers bad practice in hiring? - Bias mitigation - realistic in HM? - How to ensure QoH in decentralised model? - What tools are best suited for this model - How does AI support hiring manager self serve? - What role does a recruiter continue to play in such a set up? - How can a business improve its hiring capability if we go hiring manager self serve? - What are the top things to remember if you are planning to making this shift? We're with Martin Warren, TA Leader (ex-Grab), Lyndsey Taylor, Head of HR Transformation (Brooks Automation) & friends We are on Friday 16th May, 2pm BST Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended) Ep300 is sponsored by our friends at Ashby Ashby is what an ATS should be: an integration of sourcing automation, AI-supported outreach sequencing, native interview scheduling, a searchable CRM, and advanced analytics – all in one ATS++ system. That means better data, less context switching, and more streamlined workflows. Chosen by over a thousand companies, including Quora, Docker, Ironclad, and Multiverse, Ashby stands out as the top-rated ATS on G2. It is renowned for its real-time and reliable reporting, the ability to centralize the entire hiring process, and unparalleled customer support. Talent Trends Reports are freely available: Download the latest here
Kathryn Ducey is back for a second part to her discussion with Jill in episode 276! Picking up where they left off, Kathryn (or Ducey, as Jill calls her) unpacks more of her inspiring, transformative journey. From a public shaming incident at H&M to her eventual rise as a successful coach, she reflects on her experiences of overcoming shame, taking on personal struggles, and embracing her true self. Their conversation touches on themes of self-awareness, personal growth, and the realization that life is not always a linear path. Listen in as Kathryn opens up about her past, revealing how a brush with authority and personal challenges formed her perspectives on things like success and identity. She explains the profound impact of her decision to leave the corporate world and transition into coaching and how her own vulnerability became the foundation for helping others. The discussion also explores the emotional complexities of Kathryn's journey, including the difficult moments of self-doubt, the important role that intuition plays, and the lessons learned from balancing personal and professional life. While Kathryn details some raw moments of struggle, there are also moments of humor and reflection, with Jill and Kathryn discussing how vulnerability, imperfection, and life's unpredictable twists often lead to the biggest changes. Tune in for the conclusion of a brutally honest conversation reflection on not only Kathryn's own journey but also on the universal journey of embracing who you really are so that you can be YOU! Also, don't forget that tickets are now on sale for a Be YOU event on October 25, 2025 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, celebrating the podcast's five-year anniversary. The four-hour women's empowerment experience includes immersive activities; a live podcast recording, and a focus on authentic leadership, with early bird pricing available until June 1st! Two ticket options are available, including a VIP experience, and the event is expected to sell out quickly, so grab your ticket(s) now at jillherman.com/beyou! Show Notes: [02:00] - Kathryn reflects on having been publicly handcuffed after getting caught shoplifting at H&M in Toronto. [05:43] - Despite becoming a coach, Kathryn admits that she still occasionally craves the thrill of risk-taking. [06:48] - People often choose careers that are based on unresolved personal wounds. [08:00] - Kathryn describes reinventing herself from advertising to recruitment, betting on her potential. [11:29] - Even though she was succeeding professionally, Kathryn still struggled with debt and problematic relationships. [13:42] - Kathryn reveals that despite experiencing anxiety, she never felt deeply depressed or hopeless. [15:46] - Kathryn became head of HR at a prominent ad agency, but the role lasted only twelve weeks. [18:23] - Kathryn teaches her clients to reconnect with intuition by observing bodily sensations when making decisions. [20:14] - Hear about how Kathryn took an impulsive trip to Los Angeles after feeling an intuitive urge to go. [23:45] - Kathryn met Leo in Los Angeles, and he encouraged her to embrace her natural curly hair. [26:07] - After Leo's encouragement, Kathryn stopped straightening her hair and embraced her natural curls. [28:25] - As head of HR, Kathryn prioritized building relationships over traditional policy work. [30:34] - Hear all about how, despite earning respect, Kathryn was eventually fired for not meeting conventional HR expectations. [32:58] - After being fired, Kathryn decided to pursue coaching, embracing her natural talent and passion. [35:03] - Jill reflects on how her coaching success was driven by intuition and a lack of self-doubt. [36:34] - Kathryn recalls how her unique coaching approach and authentic connection led to her rapid growth. [39:44] - Kathryn's success has ultimately stemmed from a real place and a passion for helping others. [40:11] - Kathryn shares how building a community first led to business growth and success. [43:22] - Listen to Kathryn reflect on how marriage challenged her emotionally, teaching her humility and growth. [45:55] - Life experience significantly shapes one's coaching style and perspective. [48:02] - Kathryn has committed to personal growth after her marriage, adopting a disciplined routine. [50:25] - Following a very difficult post-separation period, Kathryn reconciled with her parents and moved back home. [53:12] - Kathryn's vulnerability has helped reawakened Jill's mother's nurturing instincts. [56:28] - Hear how hardship shaped Jill's perspective, making her a more resilient coach. [59:04] - Hear all about how Kathryn embraced a motherly role for her partner's daughters, finding purpose and fulfillment. [1:02:16] - Kathryn is launching a podcast to share her raw, unfiltered journey and to inspire others! [1:05:22] - Jill encourages listeners to support Kathryn's new podcast by leaving reviews and sharing it! [1:08:08] - Kathryn offers personal pep talks, highlighting honesty and motivation to pursue one's dreams. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts “I love Be You Podcast!” ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps the podcast reach more people just like you. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” I know there was something in this episode that you were meant to hear. Let me know what that is! Also, if you haven't done so already, follow Be You Podcast. There is a new episode every single week, and if you're not following, there's a good chance you'll miss out.
Chapter 4 - TreebeardQ1 - Do you think the God of Middle Earth is causing all these things to happen?‘Hm, but you are hasty folk, I see,' said Treebeard. ‘I am honoured by your confidence; but you should not be too free all at once. There are Ents and Ents, you know; or there are Ents and things that look like Ents but ain't, as you might say. I'll call you Merry and Pippin, if you please – nice names. For I am not going to tell you my name, not yet at any rate.' A queer half-knowing, half-humorous look came with a green flicker into his eyes. ‘For one thing it would take a long while: my name is growing all the time, and I've lived a very long, long time; so my name is like a story. Real names tell you the story of the things they belong to in my language, in the Old Entish as you might say. It is a lovely language, but it takes a very long time to say anything in it, because we do not say anything in it, unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to.Q2 - What do you think of Treebeard and Ents?Q3 - Where are the Entwives?There is naught that an old Ent can do to hold back that storm: he must weather it or crack.‘I think that I now understand what he is up to. He is plotting to become a Power. He has a mind of metal and wheels; and he does not care for growing things, except as far as they serve him for the moment. And now it is clear that he is a black traitor. He has taken up with foul folk, with the Orcs. Brm, hoom! Worse than that: he has been doing something to them; something dangerous. For these Isengarders are more like wicked Men. It is a mark of evil things that came in the Great Darkness that they cannot abide the Sun; but Saruman's Orcs can endure it, even if they hate it. I wonder what he has done? Are they Men he has ruined, or has he blended the races of Orcs and Men? That would be a black evil!'Q4 - How did Saruman fall, and what do you think is the Great Darkness?Q5 - What do you think of the Entmoot and the march on Isenguard?Chapter 5 - The White Rider‘We have journeyed a long way round,' said Legolas. ‘We could have all come here safe together, if we had left the Great River on the second or third day and struck west. Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end.'Q1 - What did you think about the Gandalf reveal?‘What then shall I say?' said Gandalf, and paused for a while in thought. ‘This in brief is how I see things at the moment, if you wish to have a piece of my mind as plain as possible. The Enemy, of course, has long known that the Ring is abroad, and that it is borne by a hobbit. He knows now the number of our Company that set out from Rivendell, and the kind of each of us. But he does not yet perceive our purpose clearly. He supposes that we were all going to Minas Tirith; for that is what he would himself have done in our place. And according to his wisdom it would have been a heavy stroke against his power. Indeed he is in great fear, not knowing what mighty one may suddenly appear, wielding the Ring, and assailing him with war, seeking to cast him down and take his place. That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind. That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream. In which no doubt you will see our good fortune and our hope. For imagining war he has let loose war, believing that he has no time to waste; for he that strikes the first blow, if he strikes it hard enough, may need to strike no more. So the forces that he has long been preparing he is now setting in motion, sooner than he intended. Wise fool. For if he had used all his power to guard Mordor, so that none could enter, and bent all his guile to the hunting of the Ring, then indeed hope would have faded: neither Ring nor bearer could long have eluded him. But now his eye gazes abroad rather than near at home; and mostly he looks towards Minas Tirith. Very soon now his strength will fall upon it like a storm.Q2 - Does Sauron really not think they are trying to destroy the ring??‘Wait a minute!' cried Gimli. ‘There is another thing that I should like to know first. Was it you, Gandalf, or Saruman that we saw last night?' ‘You certainly did not see me,' answered Gandalf, ‘therefore I must guess that you saw Saruman. Evidently we look so much alike that your desire to make an incurable dent in my hat must be excused.'Q3 - Did they really see Saruman?Q4 - What do you think of this Saruman plan?We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by Durin's folk, Gimli son of Glo´in. Far, far below the deepest delvings of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not. Q5 - Thoughts on Gandalf's fight with the Balrog?Q6 - What do you think Galadriel's message meant to the trio?Where now are the Du´nedain, Elessar, Elessar? Why do thy kinsfolk wander afar? Near is the hour when the Lost should come forth, And the Grey Company ride from the North. But dark is the path appointed for thee: The Dead watch the road that leads to the Sea. To Legolas she sent this word: Legolas Greenleaf long under tree In joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea! If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore, Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more.' Gandalf fell silent and shut his eyes. ‘Then she sent me no message?' said Gimli and bent his head. ‘Dark are her words,' said Legolas, ‘and little do they mean to those that receive them.' ‘That is no comfort,' said Gimli. ‘What then?' said Legolas. ‘Would you have her speak openly to you of your death?' ‘Yes, if she had naught else to say.' ‘What is that?' said Gandalf, opening his eyes. ‘Yes, I think I can guess what her words may mean. Your pardon, Gimli! I was pondering the messages once again. But indeed she sent words to you, and neither dark nor sad. ‘ ‘‘To Gimli son of Glo´in,'' she said, ‘‘give his Lady's greeting. Lockbearer, wherever thou goest my thought goes with thee. But have a care to lay thine axe to the right tree!'' ' ‘In happy hour you have returned to us, Gandalf,' cried the Dwarf, capering as he sang loudly in the strange dwarf-tongue. ‘Come, come!' he shouted, swinging his axe. ‘Since Gandalf's head is now sacred, let us find one that it is right to cleave!'Chapter 6 - The King of the Golden HallQ1 - What are your thoughts on Erodas?Q2 - What are your thoughts on Wormtongue?Q3 - Was there spellwork over Theoden?
Welcome back to our weekend Cabral HouseCall shows! This is where we answer our community's wellness, weight loss, and anti-aging questions to help people get back on track! Check out today's questions: Kris: Hi, I was wondering if you would have any suggestions ,help or feed back on dermatomyositis/antisynthetase syndrome . My husband (Anthony) was recently diagnosed with it, and everything I read and hear it seems little scary. We see a functional medicine dr. now but she is waiting to see what a rheumatologist suggests. Both my husband and myself are thinking detoxing would be the first thing we should do. Would you have any suggestions or thought on how we deal and handle this? thank you in advance Frankie: Hi Stephen, hope your having a great day. I've been dealing with post-nasal drip for a while, and my ENT believes it's caused by acid. I'm 21 and was prescribed two doses of Pantoprazole 40mg and two doses of Ranitidine 150mg, but I stopped after a month because I was supposed to take them for three months, and I don't want to stay on them that long. I had asthma when I was younger, so I wonder if that could be a factor. At this point, I don't know what else to do to get rid of it. any advice? Melissa: Hi Dr. Cabral, I took the food sensitivity test and the heavy metals test. On my food sensitivity test it showed Candida albicans and I had some heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury show up on my HM test. Do you recommend doing the detox before doing the CBO protocol or vice versa? If I could only do one, which one would you recommend? For the detox, would you recommend the heavy metals one or the general 7 days (I've never done a detox before). Also, would it be safe to start the estrogen balance and estrogen support supplements at the same time as starting a detox or CBO protocol? If I'm just trying help my body excrete estrogen would you recommend just the estrogen balance supplement? I don't make too much estrogen but it's high because my body isn't excreting it well. TY!!! Jill: Thank you Dr. Cabral for your honest and straight forward approach. I have the MTHFR gene and seek a daily vitamin with B vitamins & folate. Many products are available with the activated or methylated forms of folate, B6, and B12. However, when I take them I experience headaches, a feeling of overstimulation, and anxiousness. I spent months experimenting and broke down my multivitamin taking a complex without any B vitamins and then added in individual forms of non methylated folate and B vitamins. I had no issue when folate and B vitamins were methyl free such as folinic acid and the Hydroxocobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin forms of B12. Tell me I'm not crazy! Do you agree that some people may be sensitive to methylated nutrients? Would you consider making DNS with methyl free nutrients? Morgan: Hi Dr Cabral. I'm 34 years old and have recently been diagnosed with isolated high diastolic blood pressure (systolic is normal). I live a healthy lifestyle including daily exercise, balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. I don't smoke or drink alcohol. I recently left a job causing me some stress but otherwise I live a pretty stress-free life and I also practice daily yoga and meditation. My mom was diagnosed with hypertension in her 20s and has been on medication since. My HCP suggested starting me on medication too. I feel very strongly about relying on a lifelong medication. My question is even though I do everything correct to prevent high blood pressure, is it possible that some things are just simply genetic? Any suggestions before trying medication? Anything helps! Thanks! Thank you for tuning into today's Cabral HouseCall and be sure to check back tomorrow where we answer more of our community's questions! - - - Show Notes and Resources: StephenCabral.com/3382 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!
This episode explores the trends, secrets, and future of luxury and high-street retail in Los Angeles and beyond with Jay Luchs, Vice Chairman of Newmark.The Crexi Podcast explores various aspects of the commercial real estate industry in conversation with top CRE professionals. In each episode, we feature different guests to tap into their wealth of CRE expertise and explore the latest trends and updates from the world of commercial real estate. In this episode, Shanti Ryle, Director of Content Marketing at Crexi, sits down with Jay, one of Los Angeles's most prominent retail commercial real estate brokers. They discuss Jay's background, his journey from aspiring actor to leading real estate broker, and his significant transactions, including deals with top global fashion brands and high-profile real estate deals along Rodeo Drive and Melrose Avenue. Jay shares insights into the world of luxury retail, the challenges and strategies in securing prime retail locations, and the importance of genuine connections and caring about the community's landscape. They also explore the impact of social media on retail, the dynamics of leasing and buying in high-demand areas, and Jay's perspective on the future of retail in Los Angeles.Introduction and Guest WelcomeJay Luxe's Background and Career HighlightsEarly Career and Transition to Real EstateChallenges and Strategies in Real EstateSpecialization in Retail LeasingNotable Deals and Community ImpactLuxury Retail and Market InsightsUnderstanding Real Estate PricingLocation and Rent DynamicsChallenges in Leasing and Landlord-Tenant RelationshipsImportance of Taxes and Broker RepresentationRetail Landscape and Market TrendsRestaurant Real Estate DynamicsFuture of Retail and Real Estate InsightsRapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts About Jay Luchs:Jay Luchs is Vice Chairman at Newmark and one of Los Angeles' most recognizable commercial real estate brokers, known for his “For Lease” and “Leased” signs across the city. He specializes in retail, office, and investment sales, representing top global fashion brands, entertainment companies, and emerging retailers. Luchs has completed major transactions for clients such as LVMH, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, KITH, James Perse, and Equinox, including high-profile deals along Rodeo Drive, Melrose Avenue, and Sunset Boulevard.He played a key role in LVMH's $200 million purchase of the Luxe Hotel and the $122 million sale of 457-459 N Rodeo Drive to the Rueben Brothers. He's also helped launch first stores for brands like Alo Yoga and James Perse, and secured pop-up and permanent spaces for brands like Supreme, SKIMS, and Fear of God.In addition to retail, Luchs places corporate offices for fashion and entertainment clients, including Tom Ford, H&M, STAUD, and Brunel cuccinelli and various lvmh offices. He's also active in the local art and restaurant scenes, helping galleries like Gagosian and restaurants such as Craig's, Avra, and Tao Group find key locations across LA.Luchs and his team represent over 125 landlord listings in premier areas such as Rodeo Drive, Abbot Kinney, and Malibu. A top producer at Newmark since 2014, he has closed several billion dollars in deals. Originally from Maryland, Luchs graduated from the University of Virginia and has lived in Los Angeles since 1995. He serves on MOCA's Acquisition and Collections Committee. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our newsletter and enjoy the next podcast delivered straight to your inbox. For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi's blog. Ready to find your next CRE property? Visit Crexi and immediately browse 500,000+ available commercial properties for sale and lease. Follow Crexi:https://www.crexi.com/ https://www.crexi.com/instagram https://www.crexi.com/facebook https://www.crexi.com/twitter https://www.crexi.com/linkedin https://www.youtube.com/crexi
Kennst du das auch? Du sprichst mit deinem Partner oder deiner Partnerin – und plötzlich fragst du dich: Hört er mir eigentlich überhaupt zu? In dieser Folge dreht sich alles um die feinen Unterschiede in der Kommunikation – und was du tun kannst, wenn dein Gegenüber zwar „Hm“ sagt, aber gedanklich wo ganz anders ist. Wie erkennst du, wann wirklich zugehört wird? Warum kommt es manchmal zu Missverständnissen – und was kannst du tun, damit eure Gespräche wieder harmonisch, klar und verbindend sind? Wiebke Lüth, die renommierte und erste deutsche NLP Master-Trainerin und -Coach, spricht mit Helen über Zuhör-Strategien, Alltagssituationen, die typischen Unterschiede im Wahrnehmen und Verarbeiten – und natürlich darüber, wie NLP dir hilft, die Welt des anderen besser zu verstehen.
Rav David Ichay nous invite à trouver un sens à notre existence et mettre HM au coeur de notre vie à travers des petits cours hebdomadaires qui nous aideront à retrouver l'espoir d'une vie meilleure et pleine de joie
İsrail güvenlik kabinesi, Gazze'nin tamamının kalıcı olarak işgal edilmesine onay verdi. Avrupa Parlamentosu; Kıbrıs, PKK, AİHM ve İmamoğlu'na yönelik operasyonlara değindiği 2025 Türkiye raporunu yayımladı. Bu bölüm Hepsiburada hakkında reklam içermektedir. Hepsiburada'da annelerin beğenisine göre seçilmiş ve sıralanmış ürünlerden oluşan listelerle annenizin en seveceği hediyeyi seçebilir, birçok kategoride indirim ve taksit fırsatlarından faydalanabilirsiniz. Özenle seçilmiş ürünleri buradan inceleyebilirsiniz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
VOV1 - Sở Văn hóa, Thể thao và Du lịch tỉnh Bắc Ninh đang phối hợp Viện Khảo cổ học tiến hành khai quật 2 chiếc thuyền cổ có chiều dài khoảng 15m, rộng 2,2m và 1 chiếc dài 14m, rộng khoảng 1,6m ở phường Hà Mãn, thị xã Thuận Thành.
●YouTube影片● https://voh.psee.ly/7j6jnb ●FB粉專影片 ● https://voh.pse.is/7j6jp4 本集主題:旅者健康守護人-他們的故事 訪問:許詩典 院長 內容簡介: 「Skytra榮耀背後的堅實力量-聯新國際醫療的二十餘載守護」翻開這本書,您將讀到不曾停歇的健康守護故事,見證這群健康守護人如何成為旅客安心飛行的堅實後盾。 聯新國際醫院坐落於南桃園地區,因桃園國際機場的關係,使桃園成為最國際化的都市,而聯新也因多年的海內外深根成為名符其實的國際醫院。桃園國際機場是一個多元且精緻的社區。機場擁有近5萬名的從業人員,涵蓋各行各業。預計2024年往來機場的旅客將達到疫情前的4900萬人次,未來有望發展為亞洲的重要營運中心。 聯新國際醫院自2002年首次取得桃園國際機場醫療中心的經營權以來,已經歷六次招標與得標。轉眼間聯新國際醫院機場醫療中心的經營已逾二十載。二十年來聯新與機場共同成長,醫療中心的醫護人員始終秉持謹慎態度,日以繼夜地守護著旅客的健康。透過出診服務、機場航廈及醫療中心內的照護活動,累積獨特且豐富的經驗,為無數旅客提供醫療照護。 今年適逢聯新國際醫院30週年慶,機場醫療中心的醫護同仁將這20年寶貴的經驗,匯集成「旅者健康守護人-他們的故事」一書。期望與航空公司、機場公司及其他在機場工作的從業人員一同回顧辛勞的日常,並希望透過本書讓旅客了解,無論在哪一段旅程中,健康的守護都是不可或缺的。除了享受優質的健康照護外,毋忘對勞苦功高的醫護人員表達至高的敬意與謝意。 編者簡介:許詩典 聯新國際醫院院長 學歷: 美國哈佛大學公共衛生學院公共衛生碩士(M.P.H) 中國醫藥大學醫學系醫學士(M.D) 經歷: 聯新尼泊爾期望醫療中心院長 聯新國際醫療集團資訊執行長 聯新國際醫療集團智慧醫療實驗室執行長 聯新國際醫院桃園國際機場醫療中心顧問 衛生福利部醫院評鑑醫療照護領域評鑑委員 台灣內科、胸腔科、老年醫學科、職業醫學科專科醫師 編者粉絲頁: 聯新國際醫院 出版社粉絲頁: 出色文化 #李基銘#李基銘主持人#fb新鮮事#快樂玩童軍 #廣播之神#廣播之神李基銘 YouTube頻道,可以收看 https://goo.gl/IQXvzd podcast平台,可以收聽 SoundOn https://bit.ly/3oXSlmF Spotify https://spoti.fi/2TXxH7V Apple https://apple.co/2I7NYVc KKBOX https://bit.ly/2JlI3wC Firstory https://bit.ly/3lCHDPi 請支持粉絲頁 廣播之神: / voh.god 李基銘主持人粉絲頁: / voh.lee 李基銘的影音頻道粉絲頁: / voh.video -- Hosting provided by SoundOn
Dr. Liz talks about the potential physical effects of hypnosis both positive and negative in this mini-episode. About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.
Strange Vegetation: Don & the girls are taken by surprise. By BradentonLarry - Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Chapter 4 Don slowly woke up from his very deep sleep. He felt a warm, soft feminine body pressed against his own. He didn't have to compare these sensations with those from the first time he'd awoken in the Manor to know that Toshia was in his arms. Somehow he just knew it was her. He smiled to himself, and only then started to remember the night before, with the rite, Toshia's sexual offering to the guardian of the portal, and his own deliriously erotic and ultimately painful encounter with the crone. While he reviewed these events, Don became aware, without looking around or even opening his eyes, that he was on the pillows in the witches' tent, and that quite a few other bodies were slumbering around him. Toshia shifted her weight a little in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head. She squeezed his arm, and pushed back against him a bit. Smiling, he hugged her, and kissed her tousled hair again. They lay spooned together like this for several moments, before she wriggled around in his arms to face him. They shared a sleepy smile, and then she buried her face in his chest. Don gently ran his hand over her hair, knowing that he was now wide awake, but not wanting to disturb her if she needed more sleep. After several minutes, though, Toshia looked up at him and asked, "What did you find out last night?" "Not an awful lot," Don answered quietly. "She said we're looking for 'the Sage of the Tower.' We're supposed to go down into the valley and follow the river there to its source, where we'll find the Tower." "Hmm," Toshia murmured thoughtfully with a frown and her eyes still closed. "Are you alright?" Don asked. "Hm?" She looked at him and saw the concern in his eyes, and said, "Yes, I'm alright. I feel like I got fucked enough for a year, but I'm definitely alright. I didn't know I could have that many orgasms." "Did the guardian come?" Toshia paused for a moment, then said, "That was amazing! Very strange, but amazing. It felt like he was coming all through my body. It kind of hurt, but maybe that's just because it was so intense. I think that's when I finally passed out. Then I woke up here with you. Why did you ask about that?" "Something the crone said," Don shrugged. "And how was that?" Don told her all about the encounter with the strange woman. "So, a weird night all around, eh?" she smiled. "Well, I don't know if you noticed, but everyone was else was busy having an orgy while we were distracted." "I thought something like that was going on, but yeah, I was distracted." "I have to admit, it was extremely erotic watching you on that altar." "Oh really?" she smirked mischievously at him. "Maybe next time a dark demon needs sexing up I'll watch you." Don chuckled and said, "Fair enough." "You know, now that I'm thinking about it, it seems pretty rude that they had an orgy without us." "I thought you said you got fucked enough to last a year," Don said wryly. "Well, I was probably exaggerating a little, but it's the principle of the thing, you know? How about you? It sounds like the crone pretty much drained you." "Yeah," he admitted, "but here -- well, obviously, I'm not exactly out of commission." "Yes, I had noticed that," Toshia smiled, giving his erection a squeeze and a pull. For the past several minutes she had been idly toying with him while they talked. Don leaned in and kissed her. Soon, they were slowly making love amongst the sleeping witches and the three girls from the Manor. Though they were quiet, and not at all energetic, several drowsy people noticed what they were up to, and before long wakeful friskiness was spreading through the big tent and a lazy orgy had broken out. Only hours later, after the sex had finally run its course, again, did the company get around to washing up and eating. Then, after Cassandra had given them each a large flask of water and a pouch of fruit, both of which could be slung over their shoulders, the five travelers from the Manor finally left the clearing at the top of the hill. Following the path into the valley that Cassandra pointed out, they began to work their way downhill. Eventually, they came to the foot of the hill, and Amy was the one who said, "Well, there's no river here." "Well, maybe this is one big valley," Don offered. "I don't understand," Shelonda admitted. "Maybe all these hills all gradually descend to a river, and then on the other side they climb back up." "So, this could take a while, eh?" Amy frowned. "All the more reason to keep going," Toshia smiled and led the way up the next hill. As they went, they tried to keep moving in the same general direction. Don insisted that he usually had a very good sense of direction, but pointed out that when all else failed they just needed to keep going for the lowest point, and that ought to work. It had been about noon when they had left the witches, and, perhaps sated by all the fun of the morning and the night before, it was late in the afternoon before anyone mentioned sex. And then the subject came up in a fairly indirect manner, considering how comfortable they were all with each other. They had come into a stand of trees on a gentle slope. The trees were wide spaced, so that there was a nice clearing underneath the green canopy of leaves. The trees were hung with thick green vines of some sort that ran down and through the thick mat of soft leaves that covered the forest floor. The woods seemed particularly hushed and still here, Don thought. Then Nicole giggled, "That looks like a dildo." "What?" Amy asked with interest, and then, after Nicole pointed, she said, "Hey, you're right. And there's another one." Shelonda had stopped and was looking with the other girls at a kind of outgrowth on the sides of one of the vines. Taking a closer look, Don had to admit that they were right; the vines did seem to have what looked like natural dildos of different sizes and slightly different shapes growing out of them at intervals. "That's pretty weird," Toshia admitted. She had been in the lead, but had come back to see what all the fuss was about. "Still, I'd prefer the real thing," Amy grinned. Pulling her tank top up over her head, exposing her full breasts, she sauntered over to Don and said, "What do you say, Professor? Can you help a girl out?" Don chuckled but looked to Toshia. He knew they were trying to make time toward the river, and didn't want to slow things down if the others weren't ready for a break. However, Toshia was merely watching with a smile, as Amy dropped to her knees in front of Don and reached up under his kilt for his organ, which was already thick in anticipation. "Sex break!" Nicole shouted, laughing, as she tore off her own top and then grabbed for Shelonda. Don watched as the two dark-skinned girls fell into the leaves while they stripped each other's clothes off. In front of him, Amy had pushed his kilt up and was already working her warm, wet mouth up and down on his shaft, which was responding by quickly hardening for her. Don dropped his staff, water flask and pouch on the ground and pulled his t-shirt off, and then undid his kilt, letting both items fall on the leaves. Now naked, he concentrated on the wonderful sensations of Amy's tongue and lips on his cock. He held her head in his hands as he fucked slowly in and out of her mouth. Looking up momentarily, Don saw that Nicole and Shelonda had already gotten themselves into a 69, and that Toshia was standing over them watching, with her left hand up under her skirt and her right clutching at right breast. He looked back down, then, to watch Amy's pretty face as she sucked enthusiastically on him. She looked up at him with unmistakable pleasure glittering in her eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Don noticed that Toshia was undressing and had knelt down next to the other two girls, though she was now watching Don and Amy. Remembering some of the other things Toshia had enjoyed watching, he bent down and said to Amy, "Get on your hands and knees for me." "Fun!" Amy said with a grin as she let go of his cock and turned around in the leaves. She bent over and presented her behind. Kneeling, Don grinned over at Toshia, and pushed Amy's skirt out of the way. Without any preliminaries, he took the fat head of his cock, wet with Amy's saliva, and pushed it into her very hot and willing pussy. Taking Amy's waist in his hands, he immediately set to fucking in and out of her vigorously. Amy grunted happily and shoved back against his thrusts. Toshia watched for a few moments with a smile on her face and her hand busy between her legs, but then finally bent down to run her hand over Nicole's back. Soon, she was laying with the other two girls in a happy confusion of legs and arms, pussies and tits, laughing, wet mouths and playful fingers. With a happy grin on his face, Don concentrated on giving Amy a proper fucking. He admired the view of her upturned backside and his thick cock-shaft sliding in and out of her, as well as her strong back and her strawberry blonde hair all messed up. He felt her fingers reaching back to play with herself as he fucked her, and it wasn't long before she was gasping out in a long, loud orgasm. Don thought he must still be depleted after his night with the crone, and from the single orgasm he'd had earlier with Toshia, because he could tell he was nowhere near ready to come. He leaned over Amy's back, kissed her shoulder, and said, "Why don't we go over and join the others?" "Good idea, Professor," she breathed. The other three welcomed them cheerfully, and it wasn't long before Don was looking down into Nicole's face as he slowly but firmly screwed her, while Toshia was in the middle of a little daisy chain -- hungrily going down on Amy, while Shelonda pleasured Toshia with her own lips and tongue. Aside from the rustling of leaves that they were all causing, they were all making enthusiastic sounds of pleasure and carnal joy. As a result, nobody noticed the additional rustling as a number of things moved slowly through the leaves toward and around them. Don was holding Nicole's wrists up over her head (which he had learned really turned her on) and felt some of the vines under the leaves brushing against his knuckles. He was also dimly aware that something had gotten wrapped around his ankles, but he paid it no mind. Don was too intent on fucking Nicole's sweet, tight pussy to worry about getting tangled in the undergrowth. Only when he felt something gripping his ankles tightly and pulling did he look around and say, "What the fuck?" As if on signal, he was hauled back, out of Nicole's delicious embrace, and up into the air, where he dangled, swinging back and forth. At the same time, there were shrieks from the girls. Don twisted around and craned his neck. It seemed that they had all been ensnared by vines and hauled up into the air. Off to his right, Don could see Shelonda who was also hanging upside down. By struggling, he could see that Amy was hanging from her wrists, as was Nicole. Toshia had somehow been caught by both wrists and one ankle. "Is everyone OK?" Don asked. A chorus of alarmed voices assured him that they were. He couldn't see what the others were doing, but he and Shelonda both tried to bend themselves up to get at the vines wrapped around their ankles. This was easier for the younger, lighter and more flexible Shelonda; Don made an abortive effort at loosening the vines before falling back down. He watched as Shelonda struggled to no avail. As she worked, new vines came down from the branches overhead and wrapped around her wrists. In another moment, she was hoisted upward, so that her head was again above her feet, though she was now spread-eagled, face down, high over the ground. At a loss for any other options, Don bent his knees in turn, so that he began to swing a bit from side to side. Once he started moving, he bent to the side to add momentum. The branches overhead creaked as Don and the vines that bound him moved through the leaves. He was dimly aware that other vines were descending toward himself and his friends, but he concentrated on increasing his arc of motion. Unfortunately, a thick strong vine caught him around the waist and brought him to an abrupt halt. Then, he was pulled upward, so that he was in a more or less upright position. The blood ran out of his head and he felt suddenly dizzy, but as soon as he could Don began to struggle against the vines that held him. He couldn't budge the vine that was wrapped around his midsection, though. Looking around at his companions, Don saw that more vines were moving along their naked limbs. He noted that the vegetative dildos they had noticed earlier seemed to be leading the way. In alarmed fascination, he watched as a thick green phallus pushed itself between Toshia's legs and into her vagina. Though she struggled against the invasion, the bizarre penis was soon up inside her, and then it began to move in and out of her slowly. At the same time, it was apparently expanding and contracting, pulsing visibly as it fucked her. Don saw that similar dildo-tipped vines were now violating Amy and Nicole. Looking to his side, Don could see that Shelonda not only had a vine penetrating her pussy, but that a thinner stalk seemed to have worked its way into her butt. It wasn't long before all the women had stopped struggling against their bounds but were moaning and whimpering in pleasure at what the vines were doing to them. Only Don was so far unmolested by the strange plants, but he couldn't do anything against the strong fibrous tendril wrapped around him. He watched and listened in a weird mixture of horror and excitement as the women began to come under the ministrations of the vines. Helpless to do anything else, Don saw Toshia twisting and trembling as the vine inside her pulsed and moved inside her until she was crying out in orgasmic delirium. Nicole came hard too, followed by Amy. When Shelonda finally climaxed she let out a scream that echoed in the forest, and Don could see that tears ran down her cheeks. The vines did not stop, though, but continued to fuck the women steadily. Before long, Don was witness to another round of loud orgasms. After that, the next set came quicker, and Shelonda wasn't the only one crying. After what seemed to be six or more orgasms, without the vines giving any sign of stopping, all the women were raggedly gasping for mercy. Don pounded on the thick vine that held him in impotent fury. Then, Toshia cried out incoherently. Don could see that the dildo-protuberance inside her was now at its thickest - about four times as thick as it had been when it had entered her. There seemed to be some sort of spasm in the plant's fibers, and then Toshia shouted out. Don watched as a thick, syrupy substance leaked out of Toshia and down her legs. There seemed to be a great deal of the viscous substance, and it kept spilling out of Toshia until it was spilling down onto the leaves below. The other women were now experiencing the same thing, as one by one the viney pricks came up inside them copiously. Gallons of the sappy jizz were shot into his companions and spilled on the forest floor. Don watched as the odd green cocks slowly withdrew from his companions. Each of the women hung from their restraining vines limply, wrung out from their exertions. Slowly, almost gently, the entire party was lowered to the ground, which was now sticky with vine-cum. As soon as he was released, Don sprang over to Toshia. "Are you OK?" he asked. "No," she breathed. "I'm definitely not OK. Let's get the hell out of here!" All of the women had trouble walking, but only Nicole needed to be carried. With the tiny young woman in his arms, Don led the others downhill away from the clearing under the trees. They didn't stop until they found a stream, where the women proceeded to wash each other diligently. Even the usually adventurous and cheerful Amy said that she had not had a good time. Sitting on a rock by the side of the stream, Toshia said, "Being forced to come like that, so many times..." "Not fun," Amy scowled. "And that felt like a fire hose inside me," Nicole said, "when it came." Don was acutely aware of the fact that he had neither suffered nor helped, so he kept his mouth shut. He wanted to talk about how weird it was that such a plant would even exist, but could tell that no one else was in any mood to discuss botany at the moment. "We'll have to be careful where we take our breaks from now on," Shelonda observed. "You can say that again," Toshia agreed, glaring at the trees around them. Chapter 5 Midnight Interlude Toshia sagged against the X-shaped cross, sleeping fitfully and uncomfortably. She was apparently forgotten by her captors, who had obviously feasted and fucked themselves to unconsciousness. Worn out by her struggles, and having given up on the possibility of freeing herself, Toshia had resigned herself to trying to get as much rest as she could in her current situation. Still, all she was able to get were little cat-naps, frustratingly brief. She would be in the middle of a pleasant dream – and any dream that didn't have her tied up in this old ruin of a castle was a pleasant dream – when she would wake up, painfully reminded of the discomfort in her limbs and particularly her shoulders. In one of these waking moments, she thought there was someone there with her in the dark. A motion or a soft footfall betrayed someone nearby. "Hello?" Toshia tried. Her voice came out as a dry croak. She tried to clear her throat, but that only made her cough. Quiet little slaps, the sound of bare feet on the stone floor, hurried away in the dark. Cursing silently to herself, Toshia scowled at the shadows around her. She was sure she could hear someone, somewhere in the castle, moaning in sexual pleasure. Toshia was acutely aware of how terribly horny she was, in spite of her predicament. Since coming to Eros, but before being captured by the warrior women, Toshia hadn't gone more than a few hours without sex. The XYZ made sure she and everyone else was perpetually in the mood. Now, though, denied release, Toshia's libido was on a slow boil. She wondered if... The bare feet, or another pair, were coming back! Toshia could make out a small figure moving from shadow to shadow approaching her. In the pale moonlight that came through the few windows in the hall, she could see that a naked petite, brunette girl was carrying a bucket over to the cross. "Shhh," the girl hissed when she stopped in front of Toshia. She put the bucket down, and then raised a ladle up, tipping delicious cool water into Toshia's mouth. Toshia drank it down eagerly, and then all of the second ladle-full. She whispered, "Thank you!" "I brought some food, too," the girl said. Bending over to undo a small bundle she had brought and laid on the ground, she then brought an apple up and held it so Toshia could take a bite of it. While Toshia chewed, she said, "They say you were with the goats." "Goats? You mean the satyrs?" "I guess so," the girl said, giving Toshia another bite of apple. "The ones with horns, goat legs and big dicks." Toshia chuckled a little, swallowed and said, "Yeah, those are the ones." "They say all they think about is fucking women," the girl said as she continued to feed Toshia. "Yeah," Toshia said around the mouthful of apple, "that's about it." "Can you tell me about them?" "I don't suppose you could untie me first?" Toshia suggested. "Oh, no, I couldn't!" the girl gasped. "The sisters would beat me terribly!" "The 'sisters'?" "You know the women who tied you up," the girl explained. "They call themselves the Sisterhood." Calling the warrior women who ran this castle sisters made them sound like Catholic nuns, and that thought made Toshia chuckle. "I'm only supposed to clean you up, but I brought food and water," she reminded Toshia. "Fine," Toshia nodded. "Keep feeding me that apple and I'll tell you what you want to know." Over the course of that hand-fed supper of what became two apples, Toshia told the girl about her first encounter with the satyrs, and how they chased her, caught her and had their way with her. As the girl pressed her for details, Toshia obliged, and admitted that she had made the most of what was at best a bad situation and at worst rape. Toshia had to admit to herself that, as rough as her treatment by the satyrs was, it was much better than the incident with the trees had been, and that she had found herself having fun, up to a point. The girl, though, wasn't interested in hearing about Toshia's emotional reactions or any ethical considerations. Instead she wanted details about how the satyrs had fucked her, particularly about the times when Toshia had serviced more than one of them at a time. "The first night, there was a lot of that," Toshia admitted. On being pressed, she said, "Yes, in my pussy, my ass and my mouth." Then, "Well, I didn't do much of it before, but I was getting used to it." And, "Usually on my hands and knees, or sitting on one of them." "It sounds like alot of fun!" the girl enthused. She had finished feeding Toshia, had given her another ladleful of water, and was now getting the cloth she had carried the apples in wet in the bucket. "Oh, it wasn't that bad, I guess," Toshia said, as the girl stood on tip-toes to wipe down her bound right arm. The rough, wet cloth felt very good on Toshia's skin. After pausing a moment, Toshia went on, saying, "They never wanted to hurt me really, just fuck me, whether or not I wanted to. I made it better on myself by wanting to, at least once they caught me and for the first few hours." The girl rinsed the cloth and began to wash Toshia's left arm. "I would love to be fucked for hours!" "Well, after that it started to get old," Toshia admitted. She was enjoying the caress of the cloth, and was more than a little turned on by the horny little brunette. "They let me sleep finally. They were kind of sweet about it, for them anyway. The next morning, though, after breakfast, it was more fucking. They just kept at it all day long, with only short breaks." "All at the same time?" the girl asked as she moved the cloth over Toshia's forehead and cheeks. She stood very close as she wiped down Toshia's neck. "Um, not so much," Toshia said. "By then it was mostly one after the other. It was exhausting, and started to get monotonous." "Monotonous?" The girl was lingering over Toshia's breasts. "Uh, boring," Toshia shuddered as the rough cloth moved over her erect and straining nipples. "We don't get to fuck cocks," the girl said as she moved her washcloth down over Toshia's abdomen. She was breathing on Toshia's skin. "The men are just for the sisters. We serving girls have each other and the sisters when they want us. I can't imagine being bored with fucking." As the girl rinsed and rung out the cloth, Toshia said, "Well, let me put it this way, the satyrs weren't exactly good lovers. They were good fucks, sure – amazing stamina and energy! But they weren't ever trying to make sure I was having a good time. Sex is so much better when you're with someone who is interested in your pleasure as much as his or her own." The girl was on her knees now, moving the washcloth over Toshia's legs. She said, "I guess I understand that." "Besides, cocks can be a lot of fun, but after a while, I like to have a woman's touch, if you know what I mean." "Like this?" the girl asked as she ran her fingertips up along the inside of Toshia's thigh and then very lightly over her pussy lips. Toshia shivered, and said, "God yes!" "Shhh!" the girl hissed. "I'm only supposed to clean you up. If we wake someone up, we'll both be in trouble." Then she leaned in and kissed Toshia's exposed pussy. "Tell me what happened then." "Oh, uh, well, they kept me busy, fucking me that day. I was in no shape to try to escape, and I never got a chance anyway. Yes, that feels so good! Don't stop!" The girl stopped licking Toshia's pussy and clit, looked up at her with a face shiny with Toshia's nectar, and said, with a playful grin, "Keep telling me the story then." "Yes, OK." Knowing what the girl wanted to hear, Toshia said, "We all fell asleep for a while, and then, I woke up when I felt one of them fingering me... Yes, like that, only not so nicely." Toshia wished she could hold the girl's head in place, keep her mouth on her, but all she could do to that end was to keep telling her story. "Even though we'd been fucking all day, my pussy was wet, and I wanted to fuck some more. I got up on my knees and he pushed his cock in me and started to fuck me. We weren't trying to be quiet so we were grunting there, and that woke up the other two. They started to play with my tits, which felt very good. Then the one who was fucking me, pulled me up and back, so I was lying back against his chest. God, that feels so good, don't stop! Uh, then one of the others got in front of me... He took his cock and pushed it into my pussy... right in my pussy with the other cock... It felt amazing! They fucked me like that – me between the two hairy goat-men, two cocks inside my pussy... I came so hard... Oh, god! Oh god! Yes, yes!" Toshia clenched her teeth to keep from shouting out. She pulled against her restraints and the cross creaked as she tensed every muscle in her body. Then the orgasm exploded through her body. She twisted and writhed against the wooden frame, as the little girl's tongue and lips pulled her on and on into a flood of fiery release. The girl kept at it, and Toshia came again and again, until she collapsed against the cross, spent. After a few moments, Toshia felt the washcloth wiping up the insides of her thighs, cleaning up her own juices. When she was done, the girl stood up in front of Toshia and asked, "What happened then?" Toshia sighed, "The rest of the night was more of the same, fucking and more fucking. We finally all fell asleep. When I woke up, they were gone. I have no idea what happened, but they were gone. The next thing I knew, before I could even get up off the ground, I was surrounded by the sisters and men who brought me here." "Why don't you do what they ask?" the girl asked. "Well, partly because they didn't ask," Toshia smiled. "You said the satyrs didn't ask." "Yes, but they weren't mean." "I think I understand," the girl nodded. "I'm Toshia, by the way." "I'm Nina." "Thank you, Nina. For everything." "You're welcome," Nina smiled. "I hope they untie you soon." "Me too!" Nina then took her bucket, washcloth, ladle and two apple cores, and disappeared into the shadows. Toshia tried to get some more sleep. Atop the Cliffs Chapter 6 The whole group was quiet and not at all cheerful when they resumed their hike toward what they hoped was the river at the bottom of the valley. The women were all pained from their experience with the sex-vines, and very far from thinking the forest through which they were moving was a nice place for a stroll and the occasional frolic. Don had not been violated in the same manner, but he was acutely aware of their physical and emotional discomfort. Moreover, though he had truly been unable to help in any way, his impotence during the attack (he could think of no better word for it) left him in a dark mood. When he had convinced Toshia that he was up to leaving the Manor in search of a way home, he had only considered the danger to himself, and then, when the subject came up, to Shelonda and Amy, who were only coming along out of friendly helpfulness and a lust for kicks, respectively. He had not taken seriously the extent to which this course of action might put Toshia herself in danger. Of course, Toshia was her own person, and she was determined to find a way home. Nothing Don could do or say would deter her from that course of action. Neither would he try to do so. He had no right to forbid her anything of the sort. That wasn't what was bothering him. What worried him was the very thought that something bad might happen to her here, and that he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Sure, everyday life was full of random risks and dangers, but somehow you forgot about the possibility that someone you loved might get hit by a drunk driver while walking home from the store. Here, in this strange little adventure, it was now impossible for Don to put the dangers out of his mind. He didn't know if he could handle it if something actually terrible happened to Toshia. He had loved her for years, and even more so now. These thoughts and the mood of the women, kept Don in a subdued, remarkably un-horny mood. When they bedded down for the night – after making sure the area was free of dildo-shaped vegetation of any kind – they set a watch, and nobody started any mischief. It was the first night since arriving in the Manor that Don went to sleep without having sex just beforehand. It helped a bit that he took the first watch, and didn't have to try to fall asleep with still wakeful beautiful women lying next to him. Only after noon on the next day did a spirit of friskiness return. Naturally enough, it was Amy who got things going, spanking Shelonda hard on the ass and then fleeing just long enough to make the other girl exert herself. By the time the others caught up to them, they were making out on the grassy hillside. Nicole joined in the fun, while Don and Toshia looked on, both amused and aroused. That night, things were back to normal, if a bit less boisterous than usual. Don fell asleep with Toshia's head on his chest, while Shelonda took the first watch. The next day, they found themselves descending a steady, rocky slope to a sudden drop. They came to a halt at the top of a cliff face at least 20 meters high, at the bottom of which was a fast flowing, broad river. "Think that's the river we're looking for?" Nicole asked. "Hard to say," Don shrugged. "Well, we can't climb down that," Toshia said. Amy suggested, "We could jump." "That's crazy," Toshia responded a bit sharply. "We'd just hit the water," Amy pointed out. "Yeah, but you could hurt yourself hitting the water, and we don't have any idea how deep the river is," Toshia explained with a genuine smile, apparently regretting her crankiness of a moment ago. "You could break every bone in your pretty body." "Why would we want to get down there anyway?" Shelonda asked. "Exactly," Don nodded. "We need to either go that way, up-river, to find the source, or the other way, to see if this river joins up with another, bigger river. Either way, we don't need to risk breaking our necks climbing or jumping." "Well, which way should we go, then?" Nicole asked. "I think we should go downriver a ways and see if we come to another river, or someone who can give us some more information," Don said. Nobody had any objection to this plan. Neither did they object when he said, "But first let's take a break." In another few minutes they were all naked and Amy was sitting on a big moss covered rock, while Toshia knelt between her legs, licking and sucking at Amy's clit and pussy. Shelonda and Nicole clambered up on the rock on either side of Amy and were taking turns kissing her, each other or Amy's tits. Don stood back for a moment, hard cock in hand, admiring the scene. In front of him, was Toshia's upturned butt and ready pussy, ready for him if he wanted either or both of them. Above that were Toshia's thin, muscular back, Amy's strong legs and abs, and then a confusion of wonderful breasts and sexy, beautiful faces. Don could join in anywhere and be happily welcome. All around them were rocky outcroppings, trees and green underbrush – a beautiful natural garden of sorts – almost Eden-like. Off to the side, only a dozen meters away was the cliff edge. In the other direction, back the way they had come, the hillside was broken at intervals into sloping shelves. On an outcropping upstream and away from the river, so doubly uphill, but with a clear view of the spot where the women were already having so much fun, were two figures wearing black robes with hoods covering their heads. Don saw them first out of the corner of his eye, and then confirmed their presence without looking at them directly. Thinking quickly, Don reached down to caress Toshia's ass. He ran his hand down between her cheeks and trailed his fingers over her dewy outer lips. He bent down over her back as he pushed two fingers gently up inside Toshia's very wet pussy. He whispered to her, "Don't stop what you're doing. There are a couple of Watchers watching us. I'm going to take Shelonda and try to sneak up on them. Keep up the show." "Uh-hum!" Toshia managed and nodded a little. Don stood up and moved around to Shelonda, who was on the side of the rock furthest from the Watchers. Trying not to be conspicuous, he leaned over and kissed one of the girl's beautiful breasts, catching her nipple in his mouth. While he suckled at her luscious tit, Don parted her legs and pulled her a bit toward him. Happy to cooperate, Shelonda scooted forward a bit, allowing Don access to her pussy. Though he could easily fuck her this way, he wanted to move her further from the group, so that's what he did, coaxing her away from Amy and Nicole. Soon, Don and Shelonda were fucking against the side of the rock, away from the Watchers. Shelonda had her arms around Don's neck and her beautiful, full breasts against his chest as he screwed her vigorously. While he did this, he also whispered to her what he had in mind. When the two of them dropped to the ground next to the rock, they thought it must seem to the Watchers that they were merely continuing their fucking, but unfortunately out of sight. Don was pleasantly surprised that Shelonda immediately dropped out of horny sex kitten mode and stealthily followed his lead. Don had left his staff, along with his other things, on the wrong side of the rock, near where Toshia was still going down on Amy, but Shelonda was able to pick hers up off the ground near where they had dropped out of sight. Don lead the way, first toward the river, and then up hill, staying screened behind shrubbery as they moved quickly and quietly, hunched over. When Don was sure they were well out of the view of Watchers, Don risked a dash across an open area and a quick clamber up a steep rise to put them behind and above the position where he had seen the Watchers. He slowed down and crept forward, hoping to catch the black-robed voyeurs unawares. They could hear the sound of Amy coming loudly, as well as some sound from Nicole. Don suspected Toshia had found a way to encourage them to ham it up a bit. Unfortunately, though, when he peered around the trunk of tree to the place where the Watchers had been, they were nowhere to be seen. "Damn!" Don hissed. He looked around carefully through the trees and undergrowth, but couldn't see any sign of the black robes. "Do you think they heard or saw us?" Shelonda asked as they stood up and walked out to the little clearing where the Watchers had been standing. "They must have," Don shrugged frowning. "I thought we did a good job, though." "I smell shampoo," Shelonda said. "Huh, yeah, so do I," Don nodded, "and that looks like a shoe print there in the dirt." Just then, though, a loud shout made Don and Shelonda look toward the rock where they'd left their friends. Apparently, while Don and Shelonda had been sneaking up on the Watchers, a bunch of men had been sneaking up on Toshia, Nicole and Amy. One of the men had come up behind Toshia, caught her from around the waist and pulled her up and away from between Amy's legs. Toshia, who was the one who had given the initial shout, was kicking and struggling in the grasp of the man who held her, while a second man tried to close in on her from the front. Yet another man had already managed to get between Amy's legs and was shoving them roughly apart. Another man was rudely pulling Nicole from off the rock, where she had been kneeling over Amy's face. Two other men were on the rock, either helping with Nicole, or trying to hold Amy down – it wasn't clear from where Don and Shelonda were. All of these observations were made in the second it took for Don to spring into action, jumping down from the rocky shelf, and running down toward the women and the men. Shelonda followed close on his heels. While he pelted down the slope, Don noticed that all of the men had long, unkempt hair and seemed to be quite dirty in general. They seem to have brought crude clubs with them, but most of them had dropped them to the ground when they had jumped on the women. The one trying to get close to Toshia seemed to be wielding some kind of a knife, which made him a priority. Unless there were more men in hiding, there were only six of them. This meant that, while they outnumbered the women they had seen by the rock two-to-one, they had brought too few guys to actually pull off this gang rape or abduction. Shelonda, who was on that side of Don anyway, made for the guys on and next to the rock, leaving Don with Amy's would be rapist and the two after Toshia. Intent on enjoying the fruit of their surprise attack, the men didn't notice as Shelonda and Don closed in on them. The guy between Amy's legs glanced to the side just in time to see the flat of Don's hand coming in fast and hard. Don had never hit someone with full, multiple-board-breaking force before, but he wasn't surprised to see the man's head snapping around with savage force. As the man slumped to the side, Don realized that he might have killed him, but was frankly past caring. In the moment that he took to scoop up the staff he had left on the grass earlier, Don saw that Shelonda was effectively delivering a beating to the men who had been closest to her on the rock. Nicole was now able to more effectively fight back against the one guy who continued to wrestle with her. Now that Amy was free, she would be able to join in the fight. With one-to-one odds and Shelonda and her staff involved in the fight by and on the rock, Don was confident he could focus his attention on Toshia and her two attackers. In her struggle to free herself and to keep the second man from getting close to her, Toshia had forced the group of three back until they were perilously close to the cliff top. She had her right hand up over her shoulder with a tight grip on a handful of hair of the man behind her. With her left arm she was alternately elbowing that man in the ribs, and fending off his right arm – the one that wasn't locked around her waist. Any time the guy in front of her with the knife got too close, she would kick out violently with her bare feet. Don knew she was in grave danger of getting badly cut, if she didn't back herself off the cliff first. Don was directly behind the guy with the knife and prepared to bring him down with a single, decisive staff blow. Unfortunately, the man behind Toshia saw Don and yelled, "Behind you, Burt!" Burt twisted around and managed to avoid the slicing blow that would have split his head open. The staff in Don's hands spun around and came down again at whip-crack speed, and again Burt was able to just barely get out of the way. This time, though, Don brought the end of the staff sharply to the side, hitting Burt hard in the cheek and mouth. Don was satisfied to note blood running down Burt's cheek and chin. Pressing the advantage, Don snapped the other end of the staff around to smack into Burt's gut, which caused Burt to exhale sharply and nearly double over. Don was close enough to get hold of Burt's knife arm, and was about to finish the guy off, when, at that very moment, he saw that Toshia had managed to twist herself free of her attacker's clasp. Unfortunately, doing so cost her balance at the lip of the cliff. Her arms flailed a bit, she managed to call, "Don!" and then she fell. Don would have followed her over without any hesitation, if Burt hadn't chosen that instant to bring his knee up into Don's groin. As Don gritted his teeth against the explosion of pain, he saw Burt's knife arcing down toward his chest. Everything seemed to be moving in a kind of slow motion; adrenaline and years of martial arts training served to ramp up Don's perception and reaction time. Ignoring the pain in his crotch, Don let go of his staff, caught hold of Burt's wrist and, calmly stepping out of the way, he let Burt's arm continue down and then pulled it around, slipping his own arm under Burt's bicep and behind his back. One good jerk upward, accompanied by a particularly nasty, wet pop, served to dislocate Burt's arm at the shoulder. Don was vaguely aware that Burt was crying out in pain, but he was already focused on the fact that Burt's friend, who had managed to avoid falling over the edge of the cliff, was charging at him. There was a flurry of motion as Don twisted to the side and Burt's friend crashed past him, only to fall to his knees. The hilt of Burt's knife was sticking out of the left side of the man's ribcage, blood welling up around it. Don ignored the critically wounded man, and took a second to check on the others. One of the men was lying sprawled against the big rock, probably unconscious, and the other two were running away as fast as they could. Nicole had turned to look in Don's direction and saw one collapsed man, another with a knife sticking out of his chest, and the third sobbing on the ground at Don's feet while clutching at his shoulder. "My god, Don!" she managed. As if he agreed with Nicole's surprise, Burt cried out, "We were only trying to have some fun!" "With a knife?" Don scowled, and then added, "I don't have time for this." He kicked out hard and fast with his heel, snapping Burt's head to the side with stark finality. Without looking down, or back at the girls, Don hurried over to the cliff edge and looked down, searching for any sign of Toshia. He heard the others come up and join him. They all agreed they couldn't see Toshia, either clinging to the cliff face anywhere or in the river. Don scowled, his mind strangely calm and clear. "Get your things and Toshia's, quickly. We have to find a way down there fast." In another minute, the four of them were hurrying along the cliff top, moving downriver, looking for a way down. Chapter 7 The Easy Way; Toshia is thrown to the men. It was late in the morning when a pair of serving girls and four sisters came into the hall of castle where Toshia hung from the big X. "Get her down from there," one of the sisters commanded. The two girls hurried to comply. Toshia was pretty sure the small brunette was Nina, but the little girl avoided making any eye contact with her. They undid her ankles first, and Toshia breathed a ragged sigh of relief as she supported her weight on the ground for the first time in almost 24 hours. Pushing up, she relieved some of the strain on her shoulders. While the two girls worked to untie Toshia's wrists, the warriors moved a bit closer and seemed tensed in case Toshia should make an escape attempt. She realized how ridiculous their concern was when her right wrist was released and her arm fell to her side, a numb, useless appendage. Toshia cried out as her shoulder complained against suddenly moving after so long in the same position. When the other wrist was freed, Toshia's whole body followed the downward motion of her arm, collapsing in a pile on the stone floor. "Get her some food and water," the same woman ordered, and then walked away, leaving the other three guards to watch over Toshia and the serving girls. One of the girls ran off, while the one who was almost certainly Nina caressed Toshia's forehead with a moist cloth. Toshia groaned a bit as she worked to move her arms. Already, her hands were alive with a million pinpricks as the circulation returned to its normal levels. Probably-Nina began to gently massage Toshia's shoulders and upper arms. Then the other girl, a somewhat plain blonde girl with pendulous breasts and wide hips, returned with a flagon of water and three apples. The flagon was tipped up so Toshia could down several mouthfuls, and then the first apple was held for her, much as Nina done during the night. Toshia felt the rejuvenating effects of the water and fruit almost immediately. She fed herself the second apple, and drank down the rest of the flagon's contents. Her body seemed to have suffered no real damage from being tied to that damn cross. Though she could use a good night's sleep on a horizontal surface, Toshia felt reinvigorated. Naturally, given the XYZ, this meant that her sex drive was again kicking into gear. However, her feistiness was, if anything, only encouraged by the treatment she'd received by the warrior women. When the blonde offered her the third apple, Toshia smiled at her and said, "No thanks. You have it. I appreciate the help, both of you." The blonde smiled and nodded her head, and Toshia was sure she felt the briefest kiss on her shoulder from almost certainly Nina. The girls gathered up the apple cores, the empty flagon and the wet cloth, and hurried away. As if on cue, a half dozen of the so-called sisters came into the hall. Leading the way was the haughty Daphne, today wearing a shear red robe that hung from her strong shoulders, and parted down the front to show her cleavage, bare abs and the flowing swatch of gold-yellow fabric that hung from a belt around her waist to cover her privates. Toshia thought she looked like an adolescent boy's fantasy, something ripped off the cover of a Conan paperback or something. Too bad she's such a bitch, Toshia thought. Behind and to Daphne's right was also the blonde Viking woman, Brigit. Like the other warriors, Brigit was wearing the patched-together armor Toshia had seen the day before. The party of women surrounded Toshia. One of them, a big brunette with brown hair cut short, said, "Well, she smells better today." Toshia thought she recognized this woman's voice as that of Wanda, who liked a good butt fucking, but not from a "goat". "Yes, but has her attitude improved?" Daphne wondered. She looked down at Toshia, who was still crouching on the stone floor, with a raised eyebrow and a cold-disinterested expression. "Well, pup, are you going to behave yourself and do as you're told?" Toshia looked around at the armed and armored women, momentarily wondering which one was most likely to hit her if she got out of line. Toshia had been expecting something like this sort of question, and had actually not decided on which response she'd actually give. Finally, she went with, "That depends; are you going to tell me to go on my merry way?" Toshia expected to be hit, but wasn't. Perhaps it was the fact that Daphne actually smiled that kept the others from punishing her. Still, that particular smile was not one Toshia liked seeing. Daphne's smile was the sort that went along with a villain saying, "I was hoping you'd say that." Daphne shook her head and said, "Have no doubt about it, pup, you're not going anywhere. Your pale ass belongs to us now. You'll do whatever we tell you to and you'll do it with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. If I tell you to lick out Wanda's ass, you'll get in there and bury your face between her cheeks and say 'Yum!'" "Why is everyone talking about my ass lately?" Wanda asked, confirming Toshia's guess about her identity. Daphne ignored Wanda, though, and continued addressing Toshia, saying, "The only question is whether you're going to play along like a good little pet, or make us go to all the trouble of breaking you. Playing along is the smart thing, and certainly easiest for all of us. Plus, I'm sure Wanda's ass could use the cleaning. Don't get me wrong, breaking you will be fun too – for us. And be quite confident that we will break you; we've got all the time in the world. Honestly, just between you and me, I hope you're going to keep resisting." Toshia didn't even pause to consider her options, but said, "You know, Daphne, I'd really rather lick Wanda's ass than keep listening to you talk." This time she was smacked, and hard, by someone on her right. Catching herself as she slumped to the left, Toshia heard Wanda saying, "Wait, does that mean she's going to behave?" By way of reply, Daphne ordered, "Give her to the men." Abruptly Toshia was hauled up to her feet, by sisters on either side of her with firm grasps on her upper arms. They compelled her off to the side of the hall, where they led her down a short corridor that in turn led to a small, open courtyard. There was a big section of the courtyard's floor that was missing, and a number of chairs were arranged around this big hole. Daphne led the way, circling around the hole and taking a seat on what looked like the most comfortable chair. Toshia was led to the edge of the hole. Looking down, she saw a big chamber, the center of which, directly underneath her, was taken up by what looked like a very large mattress, covered with a dark red sheet. Brigit came up next to the sister who held Toshia's right arm, and said, "Our men have an easy life, really. They do our manual labor, of course, but there isn't much of that. Now and then we use them as playthings, but not very often. For one thing, they're men, and for another, dangling the possibility of sex in front of them, without giving it to them, serves to keep them well-behaved. So, they're pretty much always in a state of frustration, and they never ever get to just have their way with a woman." Brigit paused and smiled at Toshia, with what seemed to be actual friendly amusement. "Have fun." Then Toshia was shoved forward out into space. Fortunately, the mattress was soft enough to absorb her fall without hurting her. Still, she was left sprawling ungracefully on the red fabric, while above her the women laughed and clapped. Toshia noticed first that the sheet beneath her was not unpleasantly rough, and then that the mattress was thick enough keep her from feeling the hard ground underneath. These were good things, if she correctly understood what was in store for her. Looking around, she saw that three sides of the room, which only extended a small distance from the edges of the mattress, had only bars for walls. The room was, in effect, a large cage, or cell. There was one gate, manned by two particularly brawny sisters. On the other side of the bars was a crowd of naked men, all trying to get a good look at Toshia. The fourth wall was solid, and covered by an ancient mirror, pockmarked and cracked. Toshia could see herself in the surface, though not exactly clearly. Looking up, Toshia saw that Daphne and all her friends were gathered around watching. Daphne raised her hand, which seemed to command a measure of silence from the crowd. When everyone was quiet, she called down into the cell, saying, "Let's start her off with five." This caused both a round of applause from above and some commotion below, on the other side of the bars, as the men jostled for position. Toshia thought that, as Daphne had indirectly suggested, there were two ways to go with this, the easy way and the hard way. The hard way included putting up a fight. Toshia couldn't see any up-side to that approach. In fact, she thought this was what Daphne expected from her, and it would amuse the bitch no end to see Toshia gang raped for the entertainment of the Sisterhood. On the other hand, the easy way would certainly thwart Daphne's intentions – though it might only piss her off all the more. In addition, it had now been days since Toshia had been with the satyrs, and she had had only one orgasm in that time. The five men were now coming into the room with her. They were all naked and in good shape. Two of them were particularly muscular, and two were particularly cute. Their cocks were all semi-hard already, energized by the XYZ in their systems and the prospect of sex with her. Toshia noticed that none of them were graced with the kind of monster pricks she'd had with the Player or Igor, though the biggest guy, a dark-skinned Adonis with a shaved head, had one that was about the size of the Lord's, if his current state was a good indicator. Yes, Toshia thought to herself, the easy way has much to be said for it. To be continued. By BradentonLarry for Literotica
Um. Well. Hm.Annie, Ella & André review a very confusing first half of soccer from the Spirits. They went down 3-0 to their [CBS announcer voice] RIVALS, Gotham FC, in the span of forty minutes.We review the game, try to identify what went wrong, and divulge postgame reflections from assistant coach Adrián González and the players. Then we try to look on the bright side, where it's all about Croix Bethune getting back on the pitch. After, we look ahead to Friday's matchup with Angel City.Thank you for listening, please subscribe, rate, and review. It means a lot to us!
Date: 4/8/2025 - Designed to keep you informed without the fluff, this series delivers sharp, essential updates to help you stay ahead in fashion and business. This week Bret and Emily talk about even more Tariffs being put into place, The Trump officials quietly moving to reverse bans on forever toxic chemicals, and H&M's new AI Models. Watch LIVE every Tuesday 12 pm CST on Clothing Coulture YouTube.
Ekrem İmamoğlu er borgermesteren i Istanbul, og en populær kandidat til å kunne utfordre Tyrkias president slash enehersker Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Forrige måned ble førstnevnte fengslet (sannsynligvis takket være sistnevnte) og fratatt universitetsgraden sin, som han avla for 31 år siden. Hva i alle dager er det som skjer? Hvordan dekkes dette i tyrkisk presse? Hva synes folk flest om dette? Hvordan kommer dette til å utvikle seg? Hm, hadde vi bare hatt en egen Istanbulreporter her i 198 land-konsernet... HVILKET VI HAR! Nåværende Venstrepolitiker (og tidligere 198 land-gjest) Ane Breivik befinner seg midt i stormens øye i Istanbul, og forteller oss hva, hvordan, hvorfor, hvem og hvilke. Produsert av Martin Oftedal, PLAN-B Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
**CUT TO:** INT. RACHEL DRATCH'S OFFICE - DAY RACHEL DRATCH (50s, comedic actress, eating a bagel) sits at her desk. The door bursts open and SCIENTIST 1 rushes in. SCIENTIST 1 Hey—uh— RACHEL DRATCH Rachel looks up, annoyed. RACHEL DRATCH What, dammit; what?! I just sat down with my bagel! SCIENTIST 1 I know but— I need your help— interpreting something? RACHEL DRATCH What is it? Gibberish? SCIENTIST 1 Not really, it's— RACHEL DRATCH I'm an expert in Gibberish— SCIENTIST 1 I know; but— RACHEL DRATCH Classical and neo-modern. SCIENTIST 1 Yeah, it's not that. RACHEL DRATCH What is it. SCIENTIST 1 Alien, I think. RACHEL DRATCH Which species. SCIENTIST 1 Species. RACHEL DRATCH WHICH— ugh— give me that! Rachel snatches a piece of paper from Scientist 1 and produces a MONOCLE, placing it on her eye. SCIENTIST 1 Since when did you get a monocle? RACHEL DRATCH since when we changed insurance companies which supplies said ‘monocologists' and covers such expenses sans-coh-pay. SCIENTIST 1 You mean copay? RACHEL DRATCH Shut up. Hm. Looks to be Unrealian in orgim but I could be mistaking this dialect. SCIENTIST 1 What. RACHEL DRATCH Could also possibly be AAHHMEK. SCIENTIST 1 Ahmek? RACHEL DRATCH Ano, AAAAH— nevermind. Is this an actual apostrophe? SCIENTIST 1 Beg your pardon. RACHEL DRATCH The apostrophe— is it human derived, or the human pseudo translation replacement for a afahmblunsenphOuallentprprh? SCIENTIST 1 Say again. RACHEL DRATCH Is it an actual apostrophe, or is the mark mean to insinuate the commonly used extraterrestrial character afahmblunsenphOuallentprprh? SCIENTIST 1 …I don't know. RACHEL DRATCH WELL, then—I'm afraid I can't help you until you forgive that out— SCIENTIST 1 What. RACHEL DRATCH Depending on what the mark is, those could be two veerrrrry different things. SCIENTIST 1 Would you just, RACHEL DRATCH Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to presume the consumption of my RAISINBagel. SCIENTIST 1 You know what. Scientist 1 stares at Rachel, exasperated. SCIENTIST 1 -_- -_- -_- …fine. Scientist 1 snatches the paper and walks away angrily. Rachel starts to schmear her bagel, mumbling to herself. RACHEL DRATCH —wants me to translate, but doesn't know the difference between an apostrophe, and a afahmblunsenphOuallentprprh. Please! **CUT TO BLACK.** Copyright © The Festival Project, Inc. ™ | Copyright The Complex Collective © 2019 ™ All Rights Reserved. C'cxell Soleïl
Worth knowing. I operated on a public server using Google as my. Main browser, our of incognito— This meant everything I search on Google I knew to be public, and did so soaringly, and cautiously. I told you more than once not to mess with that fucker! I wasn't! For the most part; however— That fucker was messing with me! Why! Who are you?! I don't know! Ugh. Ten seconds on the ground and I wanted to die. Fuck this place. Just get in the boat, Keenan. No, I won't. Just get— in the boat. Forget it. I'm not going to your— You don't dont even know what it is! Whatever is is. It's a function! If I didn't start making decisive moves around the map— and quick— I could be made to look like anything, or anyone. The media had ways of turning things into monsters—assuming all in all that the political agenda had overall become some short of holy war. I wasn't safe, especially sitting still— entire crowds moved around me as I emerged from days long stretches of speaking to and looking at no one; the more I resisted to conform, the more hostile the monster became— I was vanishing decently from one world and into the next, and on my absence there was a gaping hole needing to be filled but instead, opening into an inescapable void: being something for others as I presumed that I presently was not: I was not a pawn, or a worker, or a sim— I had escaped a matrix that was nearly entirely built on perception, and had adjusted to the understanding of the illusion of this grid. It was an impractical solution, silence and isolation; eventually I had to communicate with other people, and could not hide. But I would not be forced to do anything or speak to anyone I didn't want to— and so I began tricking the system before it could gather information to go about tricking me. After all, I was keeping more to myself than I was sharing or even writing about— I wrote often about race and sociopolitical injustice; however; these things were at a surface level. The things I pondered upon deeply, I kept to myself— I knew that my Google documents were comprised by the way that on the ground level— the simulation level— people had been hacked and sorted based on things I had put into the aglogithmic clouds. Anyone with a cell phone had become a biohazard, because they were socially and psychologically compatible with being technologically programmed to be moved about in any way the controllers saw fit— and who were the controllers using such as humans as devices? The very war mongers who saw this level as none other than that of a game, and people in no sense more than as numbers—a place which my conciousness did lie, and however— my physical body, almost entirely seperate, risided here amongst the all too common. And it was here that I was more likely to die, physically, anyway, than anywhere else because i wanted to. The frequency shift was severe enough that it bubbled and spewed inside of me not as hatred, but anxiety. Not fear, but nautiousness; I was no longer so compatible with the masses that I could normally function as such; an elitist mindset, but only out of elitist practice. I ate well, trained hard, and focused my energy on a higher mindset— It became obvious that if I didn't decide what I was, I was going to be told what I was, or painted in a certain way as percepted, and this I found limiting. If I decided what I was and made it somehow apparent so that others could not cast any judgement upon me, then I could at the very least, later, change it— if it differed too drastically from whatever it was my true purpose and intention. Easily enough, I found the devil worked through almost all things and people around me in such a way that it was best to remain apart from these things and people and to find my way to being surrounded by others who were in fact, shielded by light. Strength in numbers, and what was here something dark enough had torn through that almost all of them were dark as well, and so almost any time at all with that force made me ill. I'm so sorry. No, you're not— but that's okay, Because I'm sorry enough for the both of us. A SPECIAL DETECTIVE, recently promoted to captain from VICE gives the go-ahead on the immidiate detention of a subject with whom multiple units have been preoccupied with over the course of several months. This is… pure cocaine. It appears so… I've— I've never seen anything like it. — that pure? Like— pharmaceutical. In fact… It was pharmaceutical. Ah great. Why is Tom Hanks back in the movie? [breaking forth wall] Uh— because I was in the front of the movie— And in the middle of the movie— And because this is the same movie. Uh… Oh, by the way, you're in a movie. No!!! Wake up. Fuck. COSMIC AVENGER Snapdragons! Double fuck. Double double indeed. The cosmic avenger has a way of not swearing that is almost trademark to his— What does he do again? Nothing. Oh. You're so fucked now…! JIMMY FALLON is arrested and charged with MANSLAUGHTER. WHY! WHAT DID I DO? …nothing. What were his other catchphrases? I have no idea. Well, get a fucking idea. Why is it That you're so— fucking mean. What? I'm supposed to be what you think, the little man in the box is? I was hoping? At all times? Sometimes, at least. Joke's on you. No Fallon, the joke's on you. You're supposed to be funny. Haha. Goddammit, I hate you. You fucking suck. That's my sparring partner. Yep. What did I do?! You fought like a man— And won. Agh. Good luck, kid. What other way is it to fight? MEANWHILE, on BAD GIRLS CLUB Stop pulling my hair! TANISHA I'mon pull these tracks out whether you like it or noT! U THESE AINT TRACKS! That's my hair! The whole room stops for a moment, frozen in a silent confusion. TANISHA Whatchu say? U This— is my HAIR. It's ATTACHED TO MY HEAD. TANISHA Wh—how'd you get on bad girls club?! I don't know! I must have wished for it at some point or something? Wishes?! WHAT THIS GOT TO DONWITH MY ISNES. Witches? She said wishes. Hm. I'm stuck in the tv in like a movie or something? I don't know, it's very meta— all my wishes get granted— its fucked up. That is fucked up. [everyone just kind of agrees] — but that's your hair? Yeah, or— whatever's left of it and not under your fingernails. But these is acrylic. I figured. And these is BRAZILLIAN REMY. Okay. — and my eyelashes came off a Clydesdale! Why! Cause that shit is majestic as fuck! I…agree with you. Alright. Now sense we agree on this— um…comradrie. — agreement. Let's figure out about this— what you say it was? A movie. A movie— but this is a show. A show inside a movie. Okay. Okay. Okay. …so let's…cut to commercial, or—? I don't know I thought No wonder I'm fucking depressed… And now, it was obvious that someone in the media— the actual media, had read my work. I had deconstructed the Strike force 5 as such Hmmm. CBS HBO NBC NBC … That's 3 of the big five but I'm almost entirely sure I ‘ missing something. Where's Kimmel? CBS Colbert? HBO The NBC twins are on my last and ever living but still dying nerve So.. So— So I'm missing precisely one strike force member And arguably two out of the big five… That's— a relief. Considering I think Fox is in the big 5, sure. Don't want to attract the wrong attention. Or the right attention, with pun Intended. Whatever. If anything at all from this last election and current growth spurt slash quarter life crisis, I was a moderate conservative however benefitting more than probably from liberalized… Actually? The more I thought about it, this seemed private. I knew that most people who had spent any time at all in New York homeless shelters ended up in equally fitting project housing, but somehow, I had been spared— and though I had picked up two pairs of decent walking shoes, and maybe even raving shoes—definitely skateboarding shoes— But no running shoes, And I needed new running shoes to actually run; my current running shoes had been used nearly to their fullest extent… Not that I was running anywhere. My treadmill seemed just as entirely sick of my apartment as I was becoming… STEFON Batatas. Suddenly I had remembered with some strain of course, that Bill Hader existed in a legendary and almost mythical sense. Way more mythical than anyone else in this story— even Seth Rogen, who was apparently at some point eventually OH MY GOD. WHAT IS THIS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? — like, what, hot glued to each other at that party. SETH MEYER(S)? I said no. What. SETH MEYERS I'm not doing it. See, the greatest thing about the festival project, besides it being a corporate sponsored money grab that was growing in value enough to be competable against the superhero franchises DISNEY Hahaha, you wish. That's who I'm missing—Disney. DEADMAU5 No, you're not. I'm not. DEADMAU5 —no…. There's a reason why that dude, in his fragile old age is still touring. DEADMAU5 I'm literally like ten years younger than literally everyone else you just mentioned. (But still touring.) (Read: ☠️ ) —so, you were saying. Oh— the best thing about this whole thing is Wait, how is this Disney? BEFORE: DISNEY You can't Mickey Mouse. MAU5 CAN. DISNEY CAN NOT, and we'll sue you, then kill you, then cryogenically freeze you, bring you back to life — THEN— when your catalogue has doubled in value, sue you again, and then kill you again— And repeat that process infinitely until the end of what is known on earth as “time” Oh, is that what happened to him? I've been wondering. DISNEY Unless… CUT BACK TO: Besides that, The best thing about this project is it features so many standard white savior type protagonists, that if anybody disagrees to this project( they can just be replaced and or characterized by an actor that looks and sounds just like them and their name slightly changed or altered to reflect one which doesn't technically trigger any copyright claims. Can you do that? Yep. 0.0 what's up Seth ROGONE, JOMMY FALOON Sup. Sup. See. [The Festival Project ™] lol Stefon's dungeon. {Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2019-2025 | THE COMPLEX COLLECTIVE. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © -Ū.
Herzlich Willkommen zur 133. Ausgabe des BiketourGlobal Podcast Season 2!1.000 km und 12.000 HM einmal durch Norddeutschland, von Hamburg zum Brocken und zurück: das North2Peak Event findet in diesem Jahr zum ersten Mal statt und lädt Mitte September Langstrecken-Fans ein, sich auf Gravelwegen durch die Lüneburger Heide in den Harz und über den Deister zurück nach Hamburg zu kämpfen. Alle Details zu dieser tollen Tour gibt es direkt von den Organisatoren dieses Events, Lisa und Philipp.Viel Spaß!ShownotesNorth2Peak im Web https://north2peak.de/North2Peak auf Instagram https://www.instagram.com/north2peak/Frauen und Flinta* Personen können auch Fragen direkt an Lisa senden: https://www.instagram.com/lisa_schr/Quelle MusikTropic Fuse - French Fuse aus dem YT Creator StudioQuelle Bilder Lisa & Philipp / North2Peak
In today's episode the panel breaks down the Karmelo Anthony case, rapper TayK-47 ex-girlfriend testifies against him in court during trial, and retail store H&M being called out for racist behavior! Guest on today's panel: Andretti Walker , Jay Smooth , Kyle Williams , CSJArtVibes LLC , Devin Dozier
Amy interviews her pregnant classmates for the school paper.Based on a post by shimm2, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories. It was a Friday night with nothing else going on, and Amy was hanging out at her friend Jill's house."Now that we're in the home stretch here, we should let loose a little," Amy said. They were both admitted to college, and sure to graduate high school."You mean like have affairs with older Casanova's?" Jill teased.Amy laughed. Jill knew that Alonso, who had been her Spanish tutor, had become something more. Amy told Jill one version of it, anyway."I meant maybe we should raid your dad's liquor cabinet," Amy said."I can't," Jill said quickly.When she didn't elaborate, Amy asked, "Not in the mood for a drink?"A longer pause. Then Jill explained quietly, "I'm pregnant.""What?" Amy's world came to a screeching halt.Sure, this kind of thing happened to other girls sometimes, but that was other girls. Not girls like Amy. She'd had it drilled into her all her life that there was a narrow path to success in this world, and not a lot of room for error. And a teenage pregnancy would definitely count as an error. And an unforced error at that. It wasn't that Amy was ashamed of sex or didn't enjoy it herself, but;"All you had to do is take precautions," Amy said. "It's so simple. How could you?"Jill was supposed to be one of the good ones, like her. Sure, she'd been hooking up with Dave, but how could she be so stupid? Amy felt dizzy and nauseous herself."What the fuck?" Amy said, finding herself shouting."'What the fuck' is right," Jill said, blinking away tears. "I know it's a surprise, but this isn't something happening to you.""Not happening to me? I'm losing my best friend!" Amy said, getting up off the floor. She couldn't sit still, not while this was happening."Maybe you are," Jill said. "I; I think you should go."Amy rushed out, not because she needed permission or needed to be told, but because she didn't know how to handle this.It was a mile walk home, which helped her unwind, but didn't really clear her head. If Jill was going to get an abortion, then maybe it wasn't that big a deal. But if she wasn't willing to drink, that meant she had other plans. Plans she must have been hiding from her. Amy wondered how long this situation had already been going on. How long Jill had kept it a secret from her already. She didn't think Jill looked pregnant yet, but now she wasn't so sure. She wasn't sure of anything. It had rattled her whole worldview.When she went to school the next day, and it seemed like pregnancy was everywhere she looked. There were a couple girls with rounded bellies that stood out in the hallway. For girls that had already given birth, there was even a lactation room for them to use, repurposed from a supply closet. She saw a couple girls queuing outside it, waiting for their turn.She had kind of taken it for granted that this kind of thing happened. But now it was hitting close to home, and it seemed almost like an epidemic that was catching. Amy had heard of "baby fever" where spending time around pregnant women made you more fertile. She started to fear that at some point the school as a whole would reach a tipping point, where there'd be no stopping the trend."What's your next story going to be?" Barb, the head of the school paper asked her, in school the next day. "Amy?""Oh. Right," Amy said, trying to refocus. "Have any of you noticed how many girls in our school get pregnant?""Sure," her classmate Bill said. "It happens, and we're a large school with a slightly higher than average rate of teen pregnancy, so there's definitely a few around.""I; I just don't understand it," Amy said with frustration. She felt guilty about how she reacted to Jill's news, but Jill was avoiding her today, and Amy wasn't ready to make up yet. She realized she needed to work on herself first. "Like, how could you let that happen to you?""Not everyone 'lets it happen'," Maria said across the table."I know that rape is a problem, but most of the pregnancies around here aren't from that, or we'd see more boys getting charged.""You can't know that for sure," Maria said. "It often goes unreported.""I don't think it's as simple as you think," Bill said."Well I think it is," Amy said, trying not to get too wound up. "So I want to understand why it happens. I'm thinking, an interview series with girls who are pregnant or have been in the past."Bard said, "Okay. It's a touchy subject, so tread carefully. I look forward to reading your piece when it's done."After school, Amy went over to Alonso's house. He had been tutoring her in Spanish, up until she aced the AP exam and then finally gave herself permission to kiss him. That ended their tutoring relationship, and started the relationship they had now.He answered the door in a bathrobe, and brought her in quickly. She'd been eighteen when they first kissed, but he was still self-conscious about being seen with her. And it wasn't like Amy was going to introduce him to her mother or anything. What they had was raw and physical. Except for the "raw" part.In his bedroom, she took off her shirt, and he embraced her from behind, kissing her on the back of her neck as his hands reached around for her breasts. It made her breath catch every time.He undid her pants as she leaned back, melting into him. She could feel his cock pressing against her from behind. She climbed onto the bed and paused on all fours, and asked, "Is this how you want me?""No foreplay?" he asked."I'm in a wild mood today," she said."Training wheels on or off?" he asked.She reached down and fished a twenty dollar bill out of her pocket, and put it on the nightstand. This was part of their arrangement from the start.He knew she was a virgin while he was; the exact opposite. He considered sex with a condom to be just practice for the real thing. And while he had enjoyed tutoring her, he wasn't going to tutor her for free. So when she wanted him to use a condom, she had to pay. She could hardly complain about the education he was giving her, but it was becoming harder to find the money.Now when she felt him pressing into her from behind, she asked to double check, "Is it on?"Alonso chuckled softly to himself. "Let's consider this a teachable moment. I want you to focus on how it feels, and see if you can tell for yourself."After all thinking about Jill and seeing all the other pregnant girls at school that day, and thinking about her assignment, Amy wanted to be certain. She resented being denied that, but for the moment she played along.She focused on where they were in contact, his flared cock head pressing into the opening of her vagina. Even just that little bit of him was an intense pressure inside of her; sometimes she couldn't take the full length of him. It felt so, so good, and made her hunger to feel him push deeper into her. Of course that would be a mistake if he wasn't wearing protection. She wanted to push her hips back against him; it took all her resolve not to. Not yet. But even when she tried to analyze everything she was feeling down there, she couldn't tell. It felt like it always did, although concentrating on it made it more intense.Would he really penetrate her bareback? She didn't think so, not when she was paying him, but she couldn't be entirely sure. Guys pulled this kind of trick all the time, and she couldn't count on Alonso being better than them. Which meant that even this contact of his tip to her hole was dangerous. Her heart was starting to race."I don't know, okay?" she said, feeling defeated and inadequate."It's okay," he said soothingly. "You don't have any basis of comparison. Someday you will. We can try that whenever you're ready."She didn't like the fact that she couldn't tell. It worried her, even now, that he could slip it off and she might not even know."Okay," she said. "Show me."She felt feverish and tense. She almost jumped when she felt him nudge against her again. Just the tip, barely inside of her, and he stopped there, letting her feel it.He felt bigger, if she wasn't fooling herself. And the friction between them was; different. She could feel more of the flare of his cock's head."More," she said.He slid more of his shaft into her. She was incredibly wet, fitting him in more easily than usual, even though he definitely felt bigger without a condom on. And then he stopped there, letting her savor the sensations. This was different, and she was relieved that she could tell the difference so clearly. Even so, it made her aware of what she'd been missing out on all this time. She knew she was lucky he wasn't actively fucking her, because she wasn't sure she'd want to stop.His cock pulsed inside her, and Amy recognized that. Whenever she was sucking or jacking him off, his cock would do that sometimes, and a drip of precum would glide down from the top. Feeling that happen inside her was a reminder that this wasn't safe. She had already gotten carried away, but she had to stop it there. She pulled away, and even the feeling of his shaft on its way out of her was delicious."You want the condom back on?" he asked. "Or another blind test?""Back on, please," she said, desperate now for relief.When he slid into her again, she could tell he had the condom on again. It paled in comparison, but for better or worse, it got her mind off the risks involved. Though as they fucked, she kept thinking with disbelief that she'd actually let him put it in her bare. What if that was all it took?She was worked up already, and fast approaching her climax. But Alonso reached his first, maybe worked up by their little transgression. Amy could feel it when he filled up the reservoir tip inside her; she wondered how that part would feel without the condom, but that would definitely be going too far. A surefire recipe for baby batter.Knowing she was close, he kept thrusting into her, and she didn't want to stop, but she kept thinking about what would happen if the condom slipped off now. If that happened, it would be too late by the time either of them realized what happened."I can't. I can't," she said, pulling herself off his cock. To her relief, the condom was still on and still holding all of his load, as far as she could tell anyway."Not a problem," he said. "You lie down, I'll take care of the rest."He spread her legs and brought his mouth to her crotch. Soon she writhed and whimpered, but it was bittersweet. It wasn't the kind of climax she wanted most."Do you want to talk about it?" he asked afterwards. "Why you're so paranoid about this today?"She explained about Jill, and her story for the paper, and all the other pregnant girls, and how she worried it might be catching, but also saw no excuse for not taking simple precautions."So what?" Alonso said. "Women get pregnant all the time. It's not right or wrong. It's a natural process. It just happens sometimes.""Well, not to me, if I can help it," she said. Alonso laughed at that. "What's so funny?""It's just," he gestured to her form, up and down. "Look at you. Thick thighs. Wide hips. Plump breasts. You're built for it. It's going to happen, sooner or later."The way he was looking at her made her feel sexy, but what he was saying scared her. And she worried he might get carried away if they continued down this train of thought. They both might get carried away."I've got to go," she said, getting dressed."Don't be ashamed. It's what I'm attracted to," he said.At lunch the next day, Amy sat down next to Helen, who was gorging herself on peanut butter. Helen's dowdy clothes did little to hide the almost spherical bulge underneath."It's Helen, right?" Amy said. "I'm doing a story on the teen moms in our school. I wondered if you might share how you ended up; uh; pregnant." It sounded more awkward out loud."Glad to talk about it!" Helen said. "I'm just so proud to be bringing this little one into the world. It's the best thing I've ever done."Her attitude was utterly foreign to Amy. "So you got pregnant on purpose?""Well of course! I would only ever have sex for the sake of procreation," Helen said. "The only sin involved here is that Zeke and I consummated our marriage a little early.""Oh, congratulations! When did you get engaged?" Amy asked.She was getting the sense that this conversation wasn't going to do anything to help her understand what goes into an accidental pregnancy, and thought Helen wouldn't want to get into the juicy details anyway.Helen blushed. "Funny story, we did get engaged before we conceived, but; well; it was a matter of seconds."Her words painted a clear picture in Amy's mind. Helen and Zeke, conjoined and about to knowingly make a baby, and committing to marriage in that moment. She couldn't picture herself doing that, but it did have a certain allure. Maybe someday, with the right guy.That Friday, Amy turned her room upside down looking for cash. She had to have a twenty here somewhere. She couldn't be dead broke, could she? She couldn't keep asking her mom for cash without explaining where it was going. Otherwise maybe it was time to get a job. But not in time to meet up with Alonso that afternoon.As she went to Alonso's place, she reasoned that there were plenty of other things they could do, rather than risk it. But even after he ate her out, she found herself wanting more."Come on, can't we just skip the twenty dollars?" she asked. "Or you could spot me. I'll have it soon."He ran a finger close to her nipple, keeping her aroused. "If you go into debt with me, the conditions might be more than you're expecting."He was right. The glint in his eye made it clear that he would use her how he wanted if she gave him that opportunity. And then all her money spent on condoms would be effectively down the drain. It scared her, but she also felt her hips shift of their own accord, eager for that punishment."How about this. We could play a round of roulette for free. Fifty-fifty odds. What do you think?"Oh god, he had her on edge, and he was asking her to leave her fate entirely to chance. Better than nothing, she supposed. She felt her pussy becoming absolutely soaked."You know that letting you ejaculate inside me is something I can't afford. That would cost me a lot more than twenty dollars.""What do you mean, 'let me'? When I ejaculate inside you, it'll be your choice as much as mine."There was a lot to unpack there. 'When'? Like it was inevitably going to happen? And Amy wasn't so sure it'd be intentional. It could be accidental for them both.He got up and handed her a blindfold. Funny, how he had that handy. "We can stop whenever you want."So she could take the fifty-fifty odds, and if she could tell that he wasn't wearing a condom, she could call it off."Fine, I'll play your game," she said, tying on the blindfold. "Will you warn me when you're about to cum?""That would be cheating, would it not?" he replied. "Trust your instincts. You know what my tells are by now."Lying on her back on the bed, she heard a coin flip, and if he was tearing open a condom wrapper, she didn't hear him do it. Soon she felt the bed shift as he joined her on it, and she reached out, finding him by touch. It was a new thrill, discovering the shape of his body all over again like this.He kissed her shoulder, her collarbone. It was like he was everywhere at once, she couldn't predict where he'd kiss her next. The heat was radiating from him as he loomed over her, close enough that she could feel the thin line of hair down past his belly button. And then there was the pressure, aimed perfectly true, pressing her open for him.As he crossed that threshold again, she remembered what it felt like before, both of the ways it felt, and she was pretty sure this time he was wearing a condom. He pressed into her depths, to where she had to stretch to accommodate him. The air left her lungs and she felt like she was never going to get it back."Mm, I can't believe we waited this long to do it this way," he muttered in her ear. She could hear the smile."You mean blindfolded?" she asked."I mean raw. Unprotected. I always knew it was going to happen eventually," he said.Her rational mind was repulsed at the thought, and all that came along with it. But it also gave her an unexpected thrill. But; he had to be psyching her out, right? She was pretty sure he was wearing protection; unless that was just wishful thinking."Hang on," she said, and he stopped thrusting into her, but he was still there, tantalizing her. "You are wearing a condom, right?"Inside her, his cock spasmed as if in response. It would be weeping precum, which could be carrying a few of his sperm."Amy, I can't tell you that," he said.She was almost sure she could feel the ring of latex at the bottom of the condom. Almost."I know you are. I guessed correctly, so now there's no harm in confirming it," she said."Oh? That's your guess?" he asked. "We can stop anytime you like. Heck, you can take off the blindfold anytime you like. Either way, it's game over.""Come on, that's not fair," she said."Fair? I've played by your rules for months. This is a compromise," he said.If he wasn't playing by her rules, did that mean he was breaking them? He started moving in her again, and it was a struggle to hang on to conscious thought."But you're trying to get me to believe you're not wearing a condom right now. If I that's true, we have to stop. Are you trying to convince me to stop?""No, I want you to be honest with yourself when you decide not to. Someday soon you're going to willingly give up your silly little precautions and accept the inevitable. You're going to get yourself knocked up, and you're going to know exactly what you're doing when you do it.""No; " she objected, but his words, combined with his cock probing her depths, his entire body wrapped around hers, teasing her with every touch, all of that screamed otherwise. He had to be wrong about her, she thought. She just wasn't sure how to prove that, when she was arching her back into his embrace, gasping in his ear.When she said no, he stopped moving, but that wasn't what she meant or what she wanted. "Don't stop!" she pleaded. She was so close.He didn't tell her he was cumming, but he was right that she could tell when it was about to happen. He pushed harder into her. She wondered, if she were smaller or less sturdy, whether she might break under the strain. She could feel the muscles in his arms tensing. He swelled up inside her, and she prayed that she was right about there being a condom between them.Then after one more long pulse, their bodies as tightly coupled as they could physically be, she felt the warmth of his ejaculate. When it stayed put and didn't spread, she felt a conflicted twinge of disappointment and relief. No catastrophe today. But it was still enough to push her over the edge. Her orgasm rolled through her hard enough that she wondered if her vaginal muscles might pull the condom right off him anyhow, the way they clenched down on him.The next week, Amy managed to track down Carmen for her interview series. Carmen wasn't so far along, but everybody knew she was pregnant, for now at least."First question. Are you planning to carry it to term?" Amy asked, getting her laptop out."Hm, I don't know yet, to be honest. It would have been simpler to get an abortion earlier on, but; maybe this is weird; it's been kind of a turn on." She rubbed her belly suggestively.Carmen was a thin, with a pixie-ish bowl cut of fading green hair. Amy wondered if Carmen was flirting with her, not that she was interested."So you might keep it?""Yeah, maybe. It's not that big a deal. I could put the baby up for adoption if I have to. But also, like, I've got a support network. It'll be fine."Carmen seemed so unconcerned about her impending parenthood, that Amy was starting to feel stressed on her behalf."So how did it happen?""What, do you need a biology lesson?" Carmen said. "Joking. I've always been turned on by the feeling of a guy cumming inside me. I mean it's physically intense, like it really does the trick for me, but also, like, it's physical proof that he's climaxing, and that it was me who brought him to orgasm. And that is just the hottest thing, when I'm cumming right along with him. You know?"Amy glanced around to make sure they were alone within earshot. She couldn't believe Carmen was talking about this so explicitly, but it just seemed to be who she was."No, I, " She caught herself before admitting to this girl that she had never had a man cum inside her before. But Carmen carried on, not noticing."And then, whenever there was a risk of pregnancy, past tense now, you see, that was even more intense. When he's releasing his sperm inside you, and you know those sperm could get you pregnant, and you feel it happen, knowing you might get pregnant from it, and you want it, oh my god, it's the most. It makes me have the hugest multiple orgasms ever. Like almost to the point of blacking out."Despite herself, Amy was getting wet in her chair. She was suddenly having a lot of ideas that hadn't seemed like good ideas a minute ago. She wanted to go to Alonso and tear his clothes off and have raw, animalistic, but told herself she was just sympathetic to Carmen's story. These weren't her own attitudes towards pregnancy risk and cream pies. Her porn viewing tended to skew that way, but that was different. This was the real world, where those things were for people other than her. People who made life-changing mistakes."Sorry, you were asking when it happened?" Carmen said. "Okay, so I know the weekend that it happened, but; I couldn't tell you exactly which time it happened or whose baby it is, because we had a lot of fun that weekend. It's okay though, because the two guys at the cabin were cousins, so it's basically the same genes either way.""Oh my god," Amy said without thinking."I know, right?" Carmen said. "And now I'll always have a memento from that experience."Amy typed up her notes afterward, because she was too distracted during the interview itself to write anything down.She didn't know where this story was heading. She went into it expecting cautionary tales, but she'd talked to a Christian fundamentalist and a Satanist nymphomaniac, and both of them had embraced motherhood knowingly and willingly.It almost made Amy start to feel like the weird one, for being so decidedly against reproducing, and being so careful to avoid it. And yet, when Carmen talked about the things that turned her on, it resonated with something in her too.To be continued in part 2, based on a post by shimm2 for Literotica.
Understand where Panic Attacks come from and learn tools to decrease them with insights from Dr. Peters' book, "A Path Through the Jungle." In this mini-series, we talk about how your brain changes that lead to Panic Attacks and how to heal it. We discuss the emotional chimp mind and the more rational “human mind.” Dr. Liz talks about actual steps you can take if a Panic Attack hits and how to help a friend or loved one through one. “Helpful Autopilots” phrases are given throughout this episode. “A Path through the Jungle” can be purchased on Amazon: https://a.co/d/4hx7M7M See more about Dr. Peters at https://chimpmanagement.com About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.
Feeling ANXIOUS? Transform It Into CALM! Personal Development Unplugged Hey, beautiful souls! This week on the podcast, I'm taking you on a transformative journey from anxiety to calm. Not just theory—we're diving into a PRACTICAL process you can use anytime those anxious feelings start creeping in. What You'll Discover in This Episode: The body-mind connection of anxiety and why identifying WHERE you feel it makes all the difference A powerful guided visualization that transforms anxiety into something completely different (and yes, it WORKS!) How specific colors can become your secret weapons against anxious thoughts My step-by-step approach to rewriting the stories that keep anxiety alive This episode isn't just about feeling better for a moment—it's about developing a TOOLBOX you can use whenever life gets overwhelming. I'll walk you through the entire process with the gentle guidance I'm known for, helping you access resources you already have within yourself (even if you don't realize it yet!). I've seen this technique change lives in my therapy practice, and now I'm bringing it directly to YOU. If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who might be struggling: https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/440-imagine-anxiety-spinning-away/ Shine your light today! ✨ Paul Ready to Connect? Questions, thoughts, or breakthroughs to share? I LOVE hearing from you! Drop me a line at feedback@personaldevelopmentunplugged.com or leave a comment. Never Miss an Episode Subscribe on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Go Deeper Transform your life with my specialized programs at PaulCloughOnline.com: Supreme Inner Confidence Building Freedom from Anxiety Transformational Hypnosis Tracks FREE GIFT: Relaxation Hypnosis Tracks Download my complimentary hypnosis tracks at paulcloughonline.com/podcast Let's Connect Twitter: @pcloughie Important Note: While I'm a qualified therapist, this podcast is for educational purposes only. The hypnosis tracks aren't suitable while driving, operating machinery, or for those with epilepsy or psychiatric conditions. Always consult a healthcare professional when needed. Music credits: Wataboi, DreamHeaven, ccjmusic, and others via Pixabay #PersonalDevelopment, And the transcript WARNING if you're a lover of the written word this may make you frustrated, or angry - you have been warned - is it an 'ism Imagine this. Imagine you're a client of mine, but you're not. But imagine this coming into my clinic, comes through the door and there we are. You've got this lovely seat, doesn't. It's not a lay down seat, but it's one of those reclining seats, really comfortable. And you've come in, talk about this negative emotion you've been feeling. This feeling is, you know, it's anxiety. Now anxiety as we know is really general. It just means so many different things to each and every different person, I guess, doesn't it? Everyone will experience anxiety in a different way and it will be caused by different things triggered in different ways. Because everyone, I guess, is unique, isn't it? Aren't they? Aren't you? And I'd ask, so if you had just two sentences, what do you really want from this session? And they'd say, something like, well, I just want to feel so less anxious. And I'd say, well, just less anxious, a little bit or a lot. And they go, well, of course I don't want to. I want. And then get stuttery because that's what happens sometimes because we're anxious. And I'll say, well, what would happen if we could change that feeling of anxiety to something really comfortable? So you could deal with different situations where you used to be anxious in the past and you could feel differently, what would that be like? And of course the obvious answer is, well, that'll be awesome, Paul. Can you, you know, can we do that? So I can't do it. I can for myself, but I can guide you to it. You see, I'd explain. I'd explain the feelings, you see, Think now, when you think back to that feeling of anxiety, where'd you feel it in your body? And people go, oh, I haven't really thought about. It's always in my head. no, no, no, no, no. It goes to your head and creates that internal dialogue, that internal voice, those that the internal movie that we make of all the worst things happening, but that comes from somewhere else. It starts from a feeling. That feeling is triggered by something. And that feeling comes and then it tends to spread to your head into your mind. So just think back if you had that feeling right now, not at a 10 out of 10 scale, 10 being the worst, but a 4, 4 out of 10. So we know what it is, but it's Something we can deal with easily and effortlessly. And then sit in that comfortable chair and go, well, actually just about here. Just about here. And I said, well, put your hand on it because I want to know exactly where it is. they put their hand on the place where that feeling is. And I say, I bet you didn't realize the emotions, good, bad, indifferent, negative, positive, all seem to move. They move in a circular motion. They start somewhere, they go somewhere and they come back. So if you can imagine it going round in a circle, and I take my finger and point to a similar place on my body, where there. And I just move my hand in a circular motion, like CL. Clockwise in front of me. And I say, it could go this way and then I'd reverse it the other way or this way, or back to front in a circle or reverse. But it just moves. And the thing is, when we find the direction of your anxiety, we can change it. And then look at me a bit puzzled, but I says, okay, all you have to do is follow my instructions. So what I want you to do is see. I'll explain what I'm going to do. I'm explain. I want you in a moment to close your eyes and imagine a big movie screen in front of you. And what I'm to ask you to do is bring to mind a memory, a specific memory, when you felt that feeling. Not a 10 out of 10, 4 of 4 out of 10. So we know we're on the right way. We know we're dealing with that specific feeling, but not at its intent. It's most intense. And I say what I'm going to do then is ask you to play a movie of that experience, that memory, as if you're looking at a movie of yourself. So you'd see yourself on that screen beginning to go through that memory. And as you do that, I'll say I want you then to float out into that movie. And then what I'll do is I'm going to ask you to point with your finger at, that place in your body when you feel that feeling and notice which way it turns. And I want you to turn that hand in front of your body in that circular motion. And if you don't quite get it, you can guess a little bit. It's all intuitive. And when you get it, I'm going to ask you to speed that up just a little bit. Not a lot. So you just speed it up, say 10%. And as we begin to speed it up, you'll find if we've got the right direction, it'll get a little bit more intense. Not a lot, just a little. And the you nod your head to say, yeah, I've got that. I'll say slow it down. And then I don't tell them what's going to happen next. It's really weird. And at the end of it, something quite marvellous happens. Hey, it's Paul from Personal Development Unplugged. Did you like that? Did you do a little bit of it? Did you think about it? Well, here's the thing. If it's okay with you, why don't we do that now properly, as if you were a client of mine. But remember you're not a client of mine and I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist and it has to be right to do so. And you have to make that decision that we're not doing a 10 out of 10 because that would just be silly because this is a process of changing anxiety. So we don't need full blown anxiety to do that, we just need a snippet of it as it were. So if you're up for that, I've told you the start of it. Remember we're going to make a movie. Using visualization to get rid of anxiety is a fast process You're going to. Well first of all you're got toa get that feeling. Then we're going toa have eyes closed movie screen, press play as it were, run the movie. You're going to float out of your body into that. You on the screen feel the feeling and begin to move your hand in that circle. Then not telling you what happens next, but I'll do it with you. So if you're up for that, make sure you don't need anything that needs your attention. No driving, no machinery involved or anything that needs your attention. You're not walking, not doing anything because it's eyes closed. You could do it with your eyes open but there's too many distractions. I like to do it eyes closed. So just get comfortable. So if you're up for this, find a comfortable place to sit, take a nice in breath with me, hold it for a second or two, and as you let it out, just let your eyes close. There you go. And remember a time, a specific time when you felt that anxiety. We'll call it anxiety for the moment. You might call it something else, you might call it scared, fear, whatever is'just for me. We'll call it anxiety and remember a specific time. A specific time. And it's only a four out of ten. Remember ten being the worst zero being not, don't feel it. And when you remember that specific time, imagine out in front of you a lovely big movie screen. And if you've got like a TV control, you press play and you begin to see that memory with you in that screen going through that memory, just about to experience that anxiety over there. But you're not in moment because you see, I want you now, as you see yourself on that movie screen, to flow out of your body into that you on the screen, see what you saw, hear what you heard and feel those feelings, those four out of 10 feelings. That's the intensity, four out of 10. And as you feel that feeling, just point your finger to the place on your body where you can feel it. And as you do that, let your unconscious mind and your conscious mind, but your unconscious mind begin to move that hand in that circular direction. That could be clockwise, anti clockwise, forward and back in a circular motion. But just imagine that you know which direction it is and allow your hand to move. Just let it move. Could be slowly, but don't do it fast. Not fast. This is not a fast process in the manner of. That is a fast process of getting rid of anxiety. And as you do that, you notice your hand begin to move. And if it isn't moving, just imagine that you do know and guess, because your guesses are pretty good. And as you begin to move that hand, just speed it up a little bit. Not a lot. I go mad. Just speed it up a little bit. And as you speed it up just a little bit, notice that feeling. Does it get more intense or not? If it gets more intense, you've got it. And slow it down. You now know the direction. If it doesn't get more intense, just go back to that feeling and begin to move your hand in a different way. Speed it up a little bit until you find. Until you find the direction where when you speed it up a little bit, that negative emotion of call anxiety gets a little bit more intense. Now you've got it. Yeah, slow it down. And I want to ask you the question. What colour is this feeling? It's weirdn't it? What color comes to mind? Just like that, what colour is anxiety? Yeah, you got it. Now here's what I want you to do. I want you to have the hand that's turning and turning to move out away from your body. So you're still turning, but you're effectively like pulling that feeling out of your body, still turning. And as you do that, 1, 2, 3, flip it and turn it the other way. Turn it the other way. And as you turn it the other way, begin to bring it your hand back towards your body with it turning the opposite direction. And then think what colour is calm? What colour is calm and make that turning that colour and bring it back into your body. And as you bring it back into your body, really make it that colour of car, your colour of carb. And as you do that, notice what happens inside your body. You're now spinning this feeling the opposite direction and you've giving it the color of calm. Where's the feeling going? It's disappearing, isn't it? I know it is. I know it is. Really visualize that feeling of calm and spin it maybe a little bit faster. I don't mind this one spinning a little bit faster because that just makes calm even more intense. And as you do that, and you've got this feeling of calm, imagine rewinding that movie with this feeling of calm. And now run that movie from just before it started, that event started. And have this feeling of calm and this feeling spinning the opposite direction of the old way a little bit faster. And now go through that memory and notice how different it could have been if you'd have had this feeling this way. Spinning this way round and feeling of calm. Yeah, just notice how different it could have been. How much easier it is to go through it now. And when you've done that, keep that hand turning by the way, turning the opposite way that it was at the beginning. And then if you want rewind that movie to the beginning again maybe 10 minutes before it even started. And now you know what that movie is. And knowing that calm is calm, what would you add to come as a most wonderful feeling that would enhance come and would have made that memory even more comfortable. And when you think of that emotion, you'd add to that. That feeling you'd add to that cup. Use these techniques to help your unconscious mind learn new ways to process memories What color is that? And that hand seal spinning and it's color of calm. And now add that new colour of that new wonderful positive emotion and allow them to blend together to crackle, to sparkle. Feel that feeling get even more empowering. And then as you do that 10 minutes before that movie, just run it now run that movie. And notice as you run that movie with these two resources now, two feelings, two emotions, how much easier it is now. How much easier is and go through that movie noticing how easy it is now, how more. So much more comfortable it is. Yeah. and Then slow it all down. Open your eyes and Say thank you. Cloughie. No. There you go. And the question is, I know the answer to this, but was it better the second time with calm than the first? And the answer is always yes. And the number four out, of ten could have gone down to zero. But when you add that other colour that you know would have been the best resource to have, you're making like a recipe now with calm and its foundation as you were, how much different that memory could have been. And we haven't changed the memory, but we've changed your learnings and we're changing the learnings of the unconscious mind. Because the unconscious mind did that, anxiety for a reason, to keep you safe. But we've now shown you unconscious mind two better ways. So out of the three ways, there's two better ways. And maybe if you said this or something better, there is a myriad of a cocktail of wonderful positive emotions that you could have a recipe, as it were, of wonderful feelings that would address any situation in the future. That where in the past you would have had those anxious feelings and you'd have acted anxiously. But now you can imagine going through anything in the future now that where it used to trigger in the past that old anxiety, now it would trigger one of the myriad wonderful ways, if nothing else would just trigger calm or trigger calm. And so your unconscious mind can learn because it has a prime directive to protect you. And we've just found better ways than anxiety to protect you. So again, say this and something better and just wonder what it be like. What would it be like at any time in the future, in the now, if you were to come to a thing that in the past where you would have been anxious in, what would it be like to access these wonderful feelings, what would that be like? And just let that go. I mean, you can do this as many times as, like, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. So you can't get that old way back. in fact, the old ways trigger the new ways. So you can go back over what we've just done, make it even faster in the wonderful different colors, because you know the direction now, don't you? You don't have to go back and find the old way and then take it out and bring it back, you know, the new way and just rinse and repeat. Think of a time in the past where you had that little bit of anxiety. Remember, four or five out of ten, no more. As you think of that time, spin it this new direction, the opposite direction, you know what you've got. Add the Most appropriate colour of calm and anything new which you feel would be great and just keep rinsing and repeating, rinse and repeating because it's like, I think we've said it before like if you had a cd, the old CDS that used to play music on and if you scratch them enough times they would never play the same and this is what you're doing to the memories. but you're learning each time by learning new ways. Paul uses NLP to help clients access emotions and beliefs And here's a question for you and this is a question I always ask my clients when they look at me in amazement with that feeling gune and they look at that old memory and they go o that memory is different now because I know how it could have been, how I could have used the resources I've got now and how I will in the future. And I'll ask them the question well, who did that? And initially they started to say well you did cluy they didn't call me cluy, they called me Paul. You did Paul. I'm thinking well did I know the feelings you were experiencing? Well, not really. I showed you where it were, pointed to him Paul but that's all. Did I know the movie, the content of that movie? No, not at all. Did I know anything about that second emotion? Not at all. So who did it? And it then just comes well of course I did it because you see when I say ay that's them m saying ay because you did it, didn't you? You did it. See, I was just a guide that's all guiding you through a wonderful easy process. And one thing about this process is it has no content, does it? No words. So you don't have to explain things, you don't have to try to describe things, you don't have to go through anything that is negative. Relive the past because you're not reliving it at all really. because we're just going through a process of 4 out of 10. But the more you think about these new ways times in the past that would have costused you a lot more than a 4 out of 10, 5 out of 10 if they came in the future now you know you're going to breathe through it by because you're going to access the most appropriate emotion, behaviors, thoughts, beliefs and your beliefs about how you're going to approach life are going to change now because beliefs change in a second in that little click they change there. you go and you think here's the real kicker because I love this process, I really love this process. I do it with every client just to show that they have the power, they have their own empowerment as it were, to change the way they feel, the way they act and what they believe in. Now a lot of people just think, well all these processes is a lovely NLP process. It's all about changing subm modalities if you want another technical bit. But I always say to my clients, well that's great because see my mum used to do this, bless her when she was alive, when she had to go to hospital a few times and they used to bring the doctor round or the doctor used to bring around all these learning doctors I guess you call them, studying doctors or whatever, doctors in practice, whatever. And she would get really anxious and I taught her this. Now bless her, she wanted to do it with a hand because she knew it worked so well. So every time they come round she'd ask them, before you say anything, could you just stop for a moment? Because I want to close my eyes, I have to get this feeling and I have to point my finger towards it and then I have to turn my hand around and then bring it out, turn it over, make it calm and bring it back in. And when my brought it back in I'll nod to you and you can start talking. And she would do it every time, bless her because it was like her anchor to calmness. She didn't need to because it, the sight of those doctors now would have turned on the calmness but she just loved doing it. Used to tell him, my son told me to do this so I've got to do it, bless. But the thing is, here's, as I said the kicker. A lot of people think that using these processes ah, are only used with negative emotions. And that's such Bs. That's just short sightedness, that's lack of creativity. You see. What about if you had a good feeling so you know you're going to say an event in the future and there's something where you want a little bit of confidence, not overconfidence but competence, where you've accessed all the information you want. Say you're doing a presentation so you go back at times when you've presented, doesn't have to be the same type of presentation but where you've talked to people and you've just been so comfortable being able to access the information you want to communicate and you go back into that feeling, notice which way it turns, notice what color it is. But this time instead of taking it out and reversing the spin. This is a good feeling. So spin it faster, spin it f and make the colors even brighter so you feel that feeling so intensely. And then imagine going through that future event with this feeling, spinning this fast, and learn from it. And maybe just play around with adding different feelings to it, spinning it even faster. And notice how you could go through that movie of a future event, feeling so comfortable, saying in the immortal words this or something better. And then just wonder with your internal voice what would be like to have access to all these wonderful feelings and even better ones when I actually do and go through the event I've been thinking about. And then you ll just let it gouse your unconscious mind will, as soon as it comes to that event, will trigger those feelings. You won't have to do it, but if you want to, just to get it. Because it's a great way to feeling good. And it becomes as if it's a memory. Because your unconscious mind find it very difficult to find the difference between the real thing that's happening and your visualizations. So it begins to think, well, we've done it this way before and it's good. And it can start to imagine doing things even better. There you go. That's something I do in my clinic. But do remember I'm a therapist. Not your therapist and all that stuff. And only ever do it for yourself. A four out of ten. Ten being the worst. But you can have fun with this. And this is the whole point about these processes. They are very simple. They do take a little bit of effort. You have to, I always say, have the will to do whatever it takes, but just do them and notice the difference it makes. And then play with the good feelings in the future. Cause you see if you keep playing with the good feelings when you have them thinking about things, it's a bit like planting flowers, isn't it? And pulling up the weeds. The more good feelings you spin in your life, the more energy you have. You. It's like that vibration. You are vibrating at a different energy or a different vibe. Frequency, I think they call it. I'm, not into that stuff in the technical thing, but I do know that once you start feeling good, good things happen to you. Synchronicity, you know, things just happened, are't they? Coincidence? No. This is you practicing to be good, feeling good, being successful in whatever you do and then having that successor. and good feelings being attracted, to you. And then all the new opportunities too. Because that's what it means. I hope, I always hope this that I communicated this in a way that made it easy to follow. If I didn't, please let me know because I need to improve my communication. So if there was anything that I didn't make clear, please email me feedback personaldevelopmentunplugged.com. and then I'll rectify that with another podcast. I'd love to hear about your experiences once you've done this. Just let me know. Please share this podcast so we don't need anxiety in our lives Same email address feedback@personaldevelopmentunplugged.com. and maybe if you got something out of this, it resonated, it makes sense. You did it and you just knocked it out of the park. Please share this with as many other people so they we don't need anxiety in our lives. There are better resources to use to deal with the events in our lives. Anxiety used to protect us. Now we've got so much, so many better ways to do it. Some of the best skills, emotions that we can access. So please do share this and maybe explain it to other other people too, so you get to learn it even more deeply. But please share the podcast and if you haven't done it already, which I'm sure you have, please of ###e follow whatever the button is on your on your thing of app of choice. So you get these podcasts weekly, okay? So have more good feelings than you can stand, more spinning the wonderful way, more brighter than you could ever imagine, and wallow in the success and the good feelings that you have and ah, will have in the future. Because it's now time to fly. I'll see ya. Bye bye now. Paul Clough puts hypnosis tracks on a separate website So the 90 seconds of hypnosis tracks why I put hypnosis tracks on a separate website. Well, it's so simple really. I wanted you to have them all in one place so you can look through them all. You can find the particular one you want. I've even made them downloadable so you can put them on any of your playing devices that you prefer. You don't need WI fi, you don't need the itunes or whatever. You can put HM them anywhere you like. You can even burn them onto dis if you want. Where'do you get them? Well, there you go. I told you, it's paulcloughonline.com podcast. If you're worried about your email address, please don't be because they stay totally safe with me. I only use them to send you out that email and give you access. Simple as that. I send you a link, a special link so you, and only you, can access those hypnosis tracks. Because I want them just for you. And the other thing about this is you've taken responsibility. I don't want to make these open to everyone, just random. You have taken responsibility to listen and be part of this community of personal development. And I want to help you. I want to help you personally to get your dreams, your goals. And therefore, I'm giving you these tools, these protocols, these paradigms, whatever you want to call them, but in deep hypnosis. So just enjoy. Have more fun than you can stand with hypnosis. Warning, you are now leaving the unplugged mind of Paul Clough. It's time to fly on your own. Be brave, my friend. Personal development unplugged. #AnxietyRelief, #MindsetShift, #NLP, #Hypnosis, #SelfImprovement, #MentalWellness Personal development [Unplugged] [podcast][NLP][Hypnosis][self development]self improvement][awareness]
The one time It might actually be a good thing to pull the Jack… I've been handling well with the Ace [Full House] I was on time, but what I did after, Or where I went [I didn't] I can't recall. Now's not the time for that. We're behind and off schedule I'm failing at everything, i think. Mud on my mind. What a card; What a game when the whole deck Is Jokers. What a card, The Jack What a game with a whole deck made of Jokers Meanwhile, The hosts and magicians Are still playing poker What a game I'm sure I was on time, But what I did after I can't recall Get rid of it all damn , he's evil! All the dope in the world and that later , i'm busy I don't want no bubbles in my water! Finna call the cops I got stalkers I been sick of working harder I got all my — Of the curb But the cure I'm sure Move up start over — Everything can go but the water Year of the snake But the snake's car don't turn over In time for work Guess that's a dunce Got a whole bunch of Don't give a fuck I'm finna cal the cops This is Brooklyn New York What you want an award For standing on the corner? You look stupid, Stoop kid, get off the stoop In my first 8 hours in CDJs, I learned that my music should be a reflection of not just “whatever”— but music I knew well enough to be able to turn frontwards and backwards and upside down; music I knew inside out— and that my own music should reflect Just as I suspected This is for the kids, I could dissect it, But I been busy Focus on the— Nobody else is— Literally— Don't want— —paying attention— To my songs, Yet seems to be written In clips— Like the script is. Hm. Way to stay relevant But doesn't make any sense— I think they're leading the herds all to slaughter I think insomniac has me a purpose, I should just —showtunes! Follow the host route. … ‘stick to bass music' I wasn't paying attention so much to obscure faded voices from out of nowhere so much anymore, but also— perhaps I was being lead in a certain direction. What was I looking for? New music to mix with my own that would get me noticed. But perhaps I had already been noticed. I was willing to spring on a compilation album, but it wasn't avalible, however, newly avalible— Ah, subtronics. I was something like obsessed with subtronics, because in understanding the dynamics of his approach to music making, i understood it well enough to dissect what he was doing— but not well enough to replicate it. I didn't have the patience, and I didn't want to entirely replicate it anyway. I just knew I needed something “like” it in order to play big festival stages. Especially the basspod. For the moment, I was trapped somewhere between correct grounds and wasteland, more metaphorically speaking one than the other and I hadn't an actual decent mix to provide insomniac anyway— I was a little retarded when it came to things that seemed simple maybe to anyone else, but to me, were not. i hadn't mastered full control of a professional set up, nor had I entirely learned to understand the formulaic approach to festival Subdept What a typo. {Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2018-2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © -U.™
First actual mix in a long time, hope you guys enjoy. This is my first mix with 99.9% Original -Ū. music only with the exception of the intro for dramatic effect. Hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks for listening. Here's a screenplay of enter the multiverse to coincide with the commemoration of the SNL 50's anniversary/ L E G E N D S crossover. Fun Fact: The First appearence of Liz Lemon in this show {Enter The Multiverse} is in season one, which first aired in May of 2021. The 1st and subsequent seasons will soon be avalible for reading and listening on my website https://www.iamu.guru. Enjoy this mix and the avaliable downloads you'll find there and stay tuned for upcoming stuff. Just a reminder, all of my content is totally free for download. If you enjoy this series, drop a like and subscribe and follow on your favorite streaming platforms and all of my channels. Thanks for your continued support and listens/reads. Happy Passover; blessings and peace to you. -blu. INT. ALIEN SPACESHIP - DAY The cramped, metallic interior of an alien spacecraft. Two bizarre, multi-limbed ALIENS are locked in a furious argument. The sounds are not words, but a cacophony of distorted electronic noises. ALIEN 1 (A series of rapid, high-pitched BLIPS and WHIRS) ALIEN 2 (A deep, guttural GROWL followed by a drawn-out, wavering TONE) ALIEN 1 BLIM-BLIM-BLIM-BLIM— FLAU—FLAU—FLAU! ALIEN 2 —————EeeeeEeeeeeEEEEEEEEENNMMMMMMMMMNGGGGGGGGG!!! ALIEN 1 Wfuh! Alien 2 makes a highly offensive hand gesture. Alien 1 responds with a highly offensive gesture using another body part. Suddenly, RACHEL DRATCH, dressed impeccably and radiating an air of cool detachment, enters the scene and calmly observes the arguing aliens. RACHEL DRATCH (To herself, almost a whisper) Well, this is… something. CUT TO: INT. ROCKEFELLER PLAZA - SUNNI BLU'S OFFICE - DAY SUNNI BLU, sharp and impeccably dressed, stares with wide eyes at a ridiculously large ELECTRICITY BILL. Sunlight streams through the massive windows overlooking Rockefeller Plaza. SUNNI BLU (Muttering) Since when did keeping the lights on cost this much? Absorbing ConEd was supposed to *save* money. Suddenly, a disembodied VOICE echoes in the room. VOICE (V.O.) You will fail this test. SUNNI BLU (Startled) There's a test?! What test?! VOICE (V.O.) It came with a lesson— you didn't think there was going to be a test. CUT TO: EXT. THE LONELY ISLAND CLIFF - DAY ANDY (ALEKSI), dressed in surprisingly clean white robes despite the precarious location, stands on the edge of a towering cliff overlooking a vast ocean. He takes a running leap off the edge. ANDY —NO… He plummets downwards for a beat. Then, with a gentle WHOOSH, he lands perfectly upright on the sandy beach below. ANDY (CONT'D) I told you I could stick the landing. ALEKSI (V.O.) It wasn't always The Lonely Island… CUT TO: INT. HEAVENLY WAITING ROOM - DAY ALEKSI (ANDY SANDBERG), now with subtle, mischievous angelic wings, winks directly at the camera. ALEKSI guardian angel. TINA (O.S.) Whatever. Tina FEY, also with small, slightly more exasperated-looking wings, enters. ALEKSI winks extra harder at her. ALEKSI Hello. TINA Oh my God! ALEKSI I wish! At this point, I wish— unfortunately, those aren't the types of wishes I'm in charge of overseeing. A large, ornate PACKAGE appears unexpectedly at TINA's feet. TINA (CONT'D) When something appears unexpectedly at your doorstep, it's called a windfall, right? ALEKSI Yeah. I think that's what this is. TINA And when it's something you really need, it's a gift from God. Isn't it? ALEKSI Something like that. TINA Honestly, I thought it was just a gentler way of letting me know I was ugly— after a particularly horrible photo opportunity at the airport. ALEKSI —wow. TINA I had just been up for 72 plus hours straight and only slept something like 4 or 5–but of course— FLASHBACK: INT. AIRPORT SECURITY - EARLY MORNING A haggard and disheveled TINA sits slumped on a lopsided BEANBAG in the middle of the bustling security line. Bright lights shine in her face as various machines WHIR and BEEP, scanning her. TINA (V.O.) This was staggered sleep from atop a lopsided beanbag. TINA (Muttering) Agh, God! TINA (V.O.) I've been getting used to having lights shined in my face for awhile now. Still, I was not so ready for a full work up of my biometrics in this early morning crusade to Los Angeles. A stern-faced AGENT approaches her. AGENT The Agency thought you were terminally ill. TINA Terminally? Geez. The AGENT clears his throat. AGENT Consider this as, ah— Hm. Ojo translates directly to Eye. Doesn't it? TINA I see you. AGENT Undoubtedly. —an incentives. TINA I don't need anymore incentives, Captain. I need income. AGENT Oh, I'm the captain now? TINA You were always the captain. AGENT This is news to me. TINA News to the News. That's something new. AGENT Nothing is new. TINA But it's news to you. Sarcasm. I need a paycheck. AGENT Try looking pretty. TINA I tried. It didn't work. AGENT Try…harder. TINA (V.O.) New York had put spots and marks on my faces— a broken blood vessel from fighting some demonized African girl— and I'm sure that was what she was, after all… FLASHBACK: INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT TINA is struggling in a bizarre fight with a shadowy FIGURE. The scene has a surreal, “As Seen On TV” commercial feel. VOICEOVER (V.O.) Who tries to kill you, and then does their hair to be more like yours? That's major weird. TINA Major Tom. SHADOWY FIGURE Yeah. TINA (V.O.) Then again, since moving to New York… Oh, Holy shit. Everything is major weird. A shimmering PORTAL opens in the middle of the apartment. TITLE CARD: AS SEEN ON TV: PART III TINA (Staring at the portal) Where the fuck is part one and two?! SHADOWY FIGURE Maybe it starts at three! TINA Nothing “starts at three” SHADOWY FIGURE Maybe it's like Star Wars! TINA It's not like Star Wars! A CATACLYSMIC SPACESHIP COLLISION and EXPLOSION sound effect. TINA (CONT'D) …it's not like Star Wars. SHADOWY FIGURE Uh huh. It's better than star wars. A giant collective GASP is heard. TINA -_- *the world stops* TINA (CONT'D) -_- Suddenly, all sound ceases. TINA (CONT'D) Woah. That's different. SHADOWY FIGURE There: I fixed overpopulation. TINA But— SHADOWY FIGURE But what? I fixed it. TINA But— weren't some of those fans, also fans of this show. SHADOWY FIGURE Yeah, so? TINA Like an overwhelming majority. SHADOWY FIGURE Majority? Yeah— they're— These are nerds. TINA Fuck. Right. So where did you send them?! SHADOWY FIGURE Uh. Only to heaven. TINA What does that mean. SHADOWY FIGURE Heaven for any Star Wars fan— TINA Where is that. SHADOWY FIGURE The world where all of that stuff— is real. TINA What—what do you mean by that. SHADOWY FIGURE I sent them to Star World. TINA That sounds so fucking gay. SHADOWY FIGURE Cause it is. TINA Fuck. Oh, that's right— Non-star wars fans are sometimes Cynics Read: Major fucking assholes. I guess I fall into that category, eh— a little bit? SHADOWY FIGURE No duh. TINA “No duh.” What part of the nineties was your heyday? SHADOWY FIGURE All of them. TINA Jesus, Tina. You might be ancient. SHADOWY FIGURE I'm dust. TINA Hey— What. Why are you my assistant now. SHADOWY FIGURE Assistant? No. I'm your executive producer. TINA ExeCUTEive producer— you do put the cute in that. SHADOWY FIGURE (Not being cute, unamused, but still very cute) Ugh. Fine. SUDAKIS. JASON SUDAKIS appears CONT'D. And nobody cares, of course Because she is formerly gorgeous (Not no more) I'm standing on four paws I'm studying your laws If this was your office I'm your boss And I caught you taking your clothes off You're boring, I started to doze off Don't call me no more, hoe So now your broke You started a war slamming doors Because you can't find no more work Hoe Karen and Becky are probably blessings Cause they do not get me But I'm doing better and yet They are starting to sweat cause I'm starting to flex They're slamming the door They're starting a war They never been homeless before Or hungry and poor But no peace of mind? It's fine I'll probably find in time That they crossed the line And get left behind The red dots are trying To plot I'm crying a lot, I'm out of the box, jack I spring up but I do not pop I'm talking to God, He's telling you off, I'm calling him “her”, She's telling me “Sure, I'm not really sure, But I got the cure for your disease The God of Mercy, Mercy Me I got my first Mercedes in 1993 Look at me. CUT TO: INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT A very tall, redheaded SHOWMAN (CONAN O'BRIEN, though slightly off) has just finished a days-long BENDER. He is not the polished figure America knows. He shakily lines up a mysterious white substance on a grimy surface. CONAN (Muttering) Just… need… a little… pick-me-up. A mysterious FIGURE appears silently behind him. FIGURE Feeling better, Conan? Conan looks up, bleary-eyed, barely lifting his head. CONAN (Slurring) I don't know what you're saying. CONAN (V.O.) Apparently, that was the line, and I felt like I was crossing into a strange territory with this, one Conan O'Brien, and almost absolutely certain I was spelling his name wrong, but continued to do so anyway— one, because I refused to look him up, and two— because if ever I entered into a plot hole deep enough the mechanics of my own knowledge of hyper and multidimensional space travels to explain, then having a Conan O'Brien and a Conan O'Brian might become useful. Today, I want useful, because I wanted to go back to sleep with enough energy to still wake up with enough energy to run a mile on the full sized treadmill downstairs. Then, I had day-people things to do— and for whatever reason, this seemed like one of them. It was a welcome deviation from— A boisterous, red-faced MAN stumbles into the room. MAN O'Fallon, you old coot! CONAN (Confused) Oh year. MAN I told you the Irish were coming. *the fighting Irish. CONAN Ah yes, the fighting Irish— CONAN (V.O.) Apparently, this was some centuries long kind of battle between ancient clans//and so, I did my very best o find my way out of it, until A fierce, heavily tattooed WOMAN bursts in. WOMAN MUNROE!!!!! (V.O.) —i was found out. My surname was Scottish, but nonetheless, it was a fied older than borders were, anyway. CUT TO: EXT. MUSIC FESTIVAL - DAY A chaotic, vibrant music festival. ANDY (ALEKSI) approaches a gruff-looking SECURITY GUARD. ANDY Yo. SECURITY GUARD What's good. ANDY What's your deal with the KKK, anyway? SECURITY GUARD (Scoffs) I like them. They're funny. ANDY They— want to kill you. SECURITY GUARD That doesn't make them any less funny. In fact, now they might be more funny. ANDY Are you serious? SECURITY GUARD No, I'm funny. I like them blonde, Tall, dark skinned, Woah, scratch that. Narrow down my picks I like them Icelandic And Slavic Oh dear I like them impossible to topple over, No, God— Nevermind; I like them whiter than light snow on a cold night There you go I like them strong— But only in thought forms Keyboard warrior, But I'd like to get her in a choke hold So she'll stop snoring Oh God No Lord— I should win an award for this song I should win an award for this song I should win an award for this song MORGAN FREEMAN (V.O.) ANOTHER nomination. ANDY No way. This is crazy. ANDY spots SUNNI BLU in the crowd, looking stressed. ANDY (CONT'D) SUNNI, Do you have the academy on your payroll? SUNNI BLU (Shouting over the music) Ask the accountant? A stereotypical SUPER JEW ACCOUNTANT, complete with a large yarmulke and clutching a ledger, scurries past. SUPER JEW ACCOUNTANT actually, surprisingly, I think you're on theirs! See! SUNNI BLU Seriously?!! That's not anti semitic at all. (It's not, it's pro-semitic) More Jews and Rosecurucians More Jews and Rosicrucians! I took a bite out of you, And now I want my life back! Sharks. (And surfboards) More news and prosecutions More blues and resurrections More impossible erections Interject— —I should probably call a doctor. It's been way more than four hours. I have way more than four houses— I've way more than four flowers, I've way more than four dollars— I've way more than four collars with sparkles on them. I wear cargo pants for the ride home though. No homo. CUT TO: INT. HEADQUARTERS INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY CC (NATALIE PORTMAN, though not explicitly stated) enters the stark interrogation room. A MAN sits at a metal table, wrists chained. CC sits down opposite him, calm and composed. MAN I… am a trained assassin. CC That's— impressive. MAN There are people who want to murder you. CC Now I'm impressed with myself. MAN Is that so. CC Yes! Ah. Delighted, actually. MAN Who are you? CC “A charismatic number” writes the New York Times review of my most recently cherished endeavor. Which means for once in your life you might have actually been on time. Or just late enough, or just early enough, or— you know. It starts where I get there, or they were just waiting for me anyway. You know. Or you don't. MAN I don't. CC Then you should have plenty of time for self study between now and your execution. MAN Hah! My execution?! That's where this is heading. CC What about yours? MAN What about it? CC Have or haven't you been following along that this is what I've ultimately desired. My suffering ends in peace with knowing that you, too, shall cease to exist. INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - DAY Other DETECTIVES watch the interrogation through a one-way mirror, their faces grim. DETECTIVE 1 What could possibly be going on in there? DETECTIVE 2 Anything. DETECTIVE 3 I wonder what she's saying. DETECTIVE 1 Anything. DETECTIVE 2 Looks like she has him cornered. DETECTIVE 3 Maybe. DETECTIVE 1 Jesus, can you speak in anything more than one word sentences. DETECTIVE 2 No. BACK IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM, a heavy silence hangs in the air. MAN …Natalie? CC You wanted “CC” so I'm “CC” The MAN strains against his restraints. MAN Who who's this?! CC (V.O.) Suddenly my love affair with words and art and theatrical thoroughfare was coming to an end. This was something of a disaster set against the backdrop of a really real world— a world that seemed not to want me in it. CUT TO: EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET - DAY LIZ LEMON (TINA FEY) walks down a crowded street, furiously dialing her cellphone. LIZ LEMON (Into phone, angry) Hello? CUT TO: EXT. MARDI GRAS PARADE - NEW ORLEANS - DAY TRACY JORDAN (also TINA FEY, in elaborate Mardi Gras attire) is on a vibrant parade float, throwing beads to the cheering crowd. His phone rings. TRACY JORDAN (Into phone, jovial) WHERE ARE YOU?! I'm on my way to the parade! LIZ LEMON (O.S.) I'm AT the parade! Where are YOU? TRACY JORDAN Not that parade! Mardi Gras! LIZ LEMON (O.S.) MARDI GRAS?! TRACY JORDAN Yeah! LIZ LEMON (O.S.) WHY?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A FLOAT— In NEW YORK CITY— In 22 MINUTES. TRACY JORDAN Don't worry, I'll be there. LIZ LEMON (O.S.) YOU'LL BE THERE?! You're at a parade! In New Orleans! TRACY JORDAN It's Mardi Gras! LIZ LEMON (O.S.) I KNOW ITS— Tracy hangs up. He grins at the crowd and throws more beads. FADE OUT. {Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2019-2025 | THE COMPLEX COLLECTIVE. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
They weren't going to hire me for EDC anyway1- not based off of that mix! But it had been a long week, and a long day, and of all the excuses in the world o had to make, the greatest excuse was this: it just wasn't my best mix( I simply wasn't ready. In fact, my entry was more like a spoof— I hadn't any pictures on my laptop and instead included a photo of my logo; my entry included a bio that was short and direct, vague and said more about my invisible cat than I did me. I didn't include a soundcloud, because I didn't have one, and when it came down to it, I wasn't a fan of the mix; it didn't sound as well as I knew I could do, or even as good as some of my past entries. I was going off the top of my head, with no tracks analyzed to sync—which meant I was wasting valuable playtime selecting tracks, and pitchyhingbthen manually to be exact, which made my mix not sound like me at all. I sounded like an amatur/- and with this being my first on-camera appearance, I certainly was an amatuer. The top of the line technology was foreign to me— and I knew EDC was at a loss; I hadn't handed in my best work or even looked my best, not understanding how fat the camera would make me look. Still, I hadn't even given them the video, and with every bit of my might leading up to the very deadline, I still made a ridiculous effort to hand in something— because it was some thing. I was already on somebody's radar in the DJ world for a very long time— this was my way of showing I was still doing as much as I could to actually catch up to speed with the kids, the hot girl DJ's, and the prostitots who at least could figure out how to analyze and sync their pre-recorded sets and press play on time. My set was janky, and it made it look like I couldn't even do that. But I could. As I had learned by spending that amount of time at the decks, I had actually become quite the technical DJ— little use of effects by choice means that I had precision focused in speed and ability— how many tracks can I get up and down and to stay in line? It was harder than ever without the ability to use sync at all, but I was learning by hand a skill enough DJ's didn't have to make it a skill worth having. Then, there was more I needed not just to learn, but for it to become second nature. For it to be easy to do not just in a room myself, but potentially in front of hundreds and thousands of people. I didn't want to be the average disc jokey. I wanted to play EDC— and not on a little controller on a side stage at 3:30 PM; I was sure I would one day start there, but this year was a wash. I had been thrown off by trying and failing to record the mixed I needed to enter the contest on my birthday and then all that accumulated in the pressure of anxiety, disappointment, and movements I hadn't made in months under the circumstances— for about four days in a row it seemed unlikely that it would happen at all, and when it did, it was at the very last moment, at the literal deadline, with a mix I wasn't particularly proud of and a track which was technically unreleased without using “unlicensed content”— I had selected it in hopes that the judge of the contest, SLANDER might hear something from it. A bass music DJ— and this was bass music, however, with somewhat outdated samples and a rare and very unique technique, I would hope that someone would listen to the track before the mix— and hear something special in it. It was a special song, at least to me— but these people were hard to impress to say the least, still I wanted to at least be on the radar, and I had an Insomniac tattoo that pleaded with me at times to just do whatever it takes. Besides, they had opened up another contest, which meant I had four tracks to present in total— three more tracks and three more mixes, and I was determined that with each passing day I would do better. For now, I was recovering from being out in New York on a rolling basis; my collected self confidence and poise from isolation had dwindled into the rotting core of depression of just being “just another poor black girl in Brooklyn” not an identity I wore on me at all times, but something like a badge that was placed on me by location, and the color of my skin. I hated my apartment, and I hated everything about my circumstances— because it separated me from the other DJs and producers. I wasn't safe, supported, popular, pretty, or well-to-do— and I didn't have the access to thentechnology on a whim, through a friend, or with privelege. Everything I did in the DJ world was a fight, a push, a breakthrough from a world that had no such luxuries— and for the most part, what wasn't going into my music, was going into my mouth. When I wasn't excersising, I was working, and when I wasn't working, I still was. I spent my time writing, and reading, and there was no such thing as a waste of time when I was learning about my predecessors— J.K. Rowling, George Lucas, and even Jim Henson, who I'd learned had made the very first muppet from scratch and by hand! Besides the play on words, I wasn't just a DJ; I was a writer, and a filmmaker, and I was trying to figure out how somehow also I was this strange puppeteer man, coming to the conclusion with the fact that I was also sort of always just obsessed with TV and wanted something to do with it. But I was stamping my foot, and heavily— I didn't just want to be an actor! I didn't just want to be a comedian. And certainly, because it sometimes seemed as if anybody could do it and with the sync button and pre-recorded mixes in mind, any bikini clad hot girl or basic bitch Chad boy could and were very most often DJs—I certainly did not want to nor did I have the choice of being just a DJ, or JUST a producer— because it seemed nothing made sense without being any of the others. But the problem remained that I was still not making any money from anything really worthwhile, and I was sick of subsisting, with the limited choices I had for nutrition and vitamins because of my government subsidies; the foods I wanted were out of reach— the energy sustaining, clean and organically sourced best foods and vitamins were just simply unavailable to people with food stamps, and even on the days I should have felt happiest, I became depressed. How was I going to escape the system— and why was no strawberry flavored vegan protein available to people on EBT?! I was almost a comedian, but lately too depressed to perform. All I wanted was my music world to be real— and it was real— I was doing just about as much as anyone else in the industry was, despite my limitations, and just not getting paid for it. My neighbors banged on the walls when I played music and slammed doors even even I didn't— and when I sang or rapped it sounded like they were slamming things around like they were throwing tantrums and fits. It might have been easy to look past if I were inebriated in some sort of way like most rappers, singers, and performers— but I was stone cold sober. Even in ear plugs, I heard every slam, every bang, every boom— and not to mention the motorcycles and the rest of the idiots outside. It seemed like I was being trapped by an energy that just simply never wanted me to make the best music I knew I could make, and so the best music I knew I could make wasn't going to be in this place. But how would I escape it? IT STARTS NOW. Agh. I promised myself that on my next Instacart subscription I would brush up on my Saturday a Night Live and whatever Which included but wasn't exactly limited to— Seth Meyers, 30 Rock, And almost dreadedly The Tonight Show, starring . Oh look. There he is. What was that dude's name again? Fixed it, You're welcome. What was wrong with it. Just needed some adjustments. Uhh. Wow, I never saw that before. A very strange man has appears to have affixed a giant pair of television antennas to his oddly specific television-shaped house. Hm. Aha, I see… I told you before, Marty. I don't like you hanging out with that old man. He is— — he's strange, Marty! He's strange, Well, maybe I'm strange. I don't think so! Remember this? LORRAINE points at a picture on the refrigerator; Her son, MARTY is clean cut, smiling and well dressed— almost the opposite of his newly adopted Whatever, I just got bored. But mom, he's a genius! Genius my patatootie! Let's not— [The Festival Project ™] Ugh, Mom! —say, “patootie” alright? Especially when I'm watching TV! I can say patootie all I want, especially if it's my patootie! Eww, mom!! Patatootie, patootie, patootie! Alright. I only got two weeks to learn everything I can about Saturday night Live… For whatever reason. WHY! I don't know. WHY! I don't know. WHYYYYYYYYYY?! I don't know, Kenan, shut the fuck up! Woah woah woah. Hold the phone. KENAN cries out into the universe inconsolably about his newly entirely totaled Beamer. KEL can't seem to console him, but doesn't really try. He seems preoccupied with twisting up the perfect blunt, licking it from the sidewalk as KENAN, hunched over the crumpled hood and completely totaled vehicle cries out once more, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! There appears to have been a hit-and-run. L E G E N D S Earlier: Well, for… Wait who did I write Flowers for? Bill Hader. That's right. I never found Bill Hader. I was trying to avoid— Oh look, a penny. Aurumph. —oddly enough, I also promised myself a Rick and Morty marathon. Oh, that's right; it was Was I right? I can bet. CHRIS PARNELL seems to have awakened from a very deep sleep. As he lie on his back in the middle of the floor in an unknown room, the location becomes familiar ; he appears to be at Rockerfeller Center— however, not in a usual setting. PARNELL Oh, Jesus Christ… I don't know how I had him and sudakis mixed up. I don't even think they were on the same cast. Also, explain to me why. EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THIS DUDE: [Apparently Rob Riggle] SHOT ME. Shot— yo, wait. And you said— I'm waiting. He was wearing some kind of cloak . A cloak of invisibility. Everything was hidden besides— whatever he was drinking. He was drinking something . Yes, that is correct, apparently! “Apparently” Apparently! “Apparently” Do you remember what he was drinking. Ah, yes. I remember exactly…apparently. Apparently? Yes, exactly—apparently. It appeared to be a strawberry milkshake. A—a strawberry milkshake . A strawberry milkshake! Exactly! Not apparently? Exactly, apparently! Alright… thanks. -_- Now, where were we with the actual celebrities ! I thought this was a Star-studded cast! We are star studded. Where are they then. The who?! The stars ! The what! The people! You said this movie had real star power! It does! Where! Right here, see ?! At some point I had seen all I thought that I could of one man's price — The thing to pay in response to one great, cosmic ask; And then, like nothing ; I dissappeared, and went away with it all, into my cavern, trapped like a madman; To know so much and yet, nothing at all. Shh. K. Take this. *sighs, but almost silently* Shh. *sighs even more deeply, but even more silently* The Legend of Ascencia Yo. Yo what. Yo what the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. It's Skrillex. No, I'm not. Dont tell me— Idiot . You look confused. Do it again. I am— confused. Mortals. Where's deadmau5. I'm not playing deadmau5; These speakers are loud. Play the deadmau5 No, not that. There is it. Aha. See, I found it. —noo. That's better. I'll take it from here. From where. I don't see anything. I don't feel. I don't know anything. I don't say. I lost focus. I go home drunk. I think I called the wrong number. I think I caught a cold on the tour bus. I think I brought the whole road back with me. I think I got more starstruck not watching. I think I ran out of luck— On a four leaf clover. I think I woke up to Conan at Four in the morning Like “top of the morning to ya” And it was too much It was too much. It was too much. Smile. Camera one Camera 3 Run a mile Smile Admire on in 1, 2– Why are we counting up? Somehow my whole world backwards Backend, black tights, Black dress That's right But I don't like rice and my fritters is fried I am fried I am High I guess High I guess High I guess High I guess Hi, I guess. I like his eyes, I guess. Starting to cry I guess, Will ferrel is wild, I guess But why Don't look at the thigh meat I'm high as a kite I guess I just smiled and sung my goodbyes And just stopped trying to try I guess I wasted all my good years On a poor fat boy I wasted all my goo ears on bad songs that Still blow my mind Subliminal messages And as high as I am I still see tides, I guess Whole worlds of oceans and Starting to fly, I guess Yess I'm a bird Fuck this bird All I wanted was water A kite I guess Look, mom, I still cry I guess I digest life by the light and the smiles I get Almost none of them, Retreat to the forest Where I don't see none of them To go downstairs, No hair No make up Ugly girl Black girl Broke girl New York Going downstairs Undressed, Not made up Ugly girl Black girl Nappy girl Fat girl New York Scowl like you mean it Scowl like you mean it Nobody loves be because I'm not famous And no, I don't want you Because you're not famous And no, I don't want you Because you got famous And now I don't want you Because you're too famous Yes Do wah diddy Down by the boardwalk Enter The Multiverse} [The Festival Project.™] COPYRIGHT © THE FESTIVAL PROJECT 2018-2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © -U.™
ChatGPT ahora genera imágenes, pero lo que parece magia tiene un precio: artistas sin trabajo, leyes en jaque y ríos que se secan. ¿Estamos creando belleza… o un monstruo digital? Este episodio no es sobre diseño, es sobre lo que estamos dispuestos a sacrificar por él
In this episode of Excuse My Grandma, Kim and Grandma Gail get comfortable. Always interested in fashion and vintage style, Kim and Grandma Gail break down how women's clothing has changed over the decades. From corsets to oversized hoodies, the times have changed. But Grandma still lounges in her slacks. For an expert take on comfortable fashion, Excuse My Grandma welcomes Sarah Fiszel –owner of Brave Pudding, a cashmere footwear brand. (Shop Kim and Grandma's favorite pieces here!) Sarah explains how comfort has evolved, especially due to the pandemic. She wanted to create a shoe that's practical for busy and stylish people. Sarah and Grandma Gail bond over starting a business after raising a family; Grandma wants every woman to know they can do something and be good at something at any age! In The Grandma Report, they discuss the pros and cons of using AI in fashion. Their takes are shocking! Can you guess who is team tech and who is more traditional? Read about how H&M is implementing AI in place of human models here! Kim, Grandma, and Sarah then play a game of Should We Bring It Back: 1950s Fashion Edition. Do you agree that matching sets are here to stay? Do you want peplum to make a comeback? In the Ask Grandma Anything segment, Kim and Gail answer your questions! For the best restaurants in Florida, Grandma is your guide. For how to build close friendships, Kim shares her words of wisdom.To finish the episode, Grandma answers the guest's question regarding working in your 80s –which she's LOVING. Follow us onInstagram @excusemygrandma TikTok @excusemygrandma Watch on YouTubeSpotifyMusic By: Guy Kelly00:00: Intro26:39: The Grandma Report 31:00 Should We Bring It Back?35:15 AGA
Det är köpläge efter raset som Trumps tullar orsakade, menar Patrick Thomenius, marknadsanalytiker på IG.Det blir också en trade i klädjätten HM från proffset Erik ”Ekka” Lundin.Till sist blir det ett case – en råvara som kan få skjuts i jakten på billig energi.Läs mer om IG: https://www.ig.com/X: https://twitter.com/igsverigeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/igsverige/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IGSverigeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igsverige/Optioner och turbowarranter är komplexa finansiella instrument. Handel med dessa instrument medför en hög risk för snabb förlust av pengar.CFD-kontrakt är komplexa instrument som innebär stor risk för snabba förluster på grund av hävstången. 74 % av alla icke-professionella kunder förlorar pengar på CFD-handel hos den här leverantören. Du bör tänka efter om du förstår hur CFD-kontrakt fungerar, och om du har råd med den stora risken för att förlora dina pengar.
H&M lanza modelos digitales con IA y enciende el debate sobre el futuro de la moda, el trabajo creativo y el uso ético de la tecnología.Conviértete en un seguidor de este podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/geeks-y-gadgets-con-luisgyg--909634/support.
Transform your understanding of anxiety and reclaim your creativity with insights from Dr. Peters' book, "A Path Through the Jungle." In this mini-series, we'll unlock the secrets of the impulsive chimp mind and explore how our subconscious beliefs shape our responses. Discover practical tools to develop positive helpful autopilots that reinforce empowering beliefs, and reduce anxiety over time. “Helpful Autopilots” phrases are given throughout this episode. “A Path through the Jungle” can be purchased on Amazon: https://a.co/d/4hx7M7M See more about Dr. Peters at https://chimpmanagement.com About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.
Co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis return from ShopTalk brimming with insights on the rapidly shifting retail environment. They kick off by breaking down the rollercoaster of consumer confidence, spurred by persistent inflation and ongoing uncertainty. The conversation touches on potential reverberations from looming tariffs that could drive up costs and shake consumer sentiment. Headlines from major brands paint a mixed picture: Lululemon's cautious optimism contrasts with H&M's ongoing struggle to redefine its place in fast fashion, while Dollar Tree's dramatic divestment of Family Dollar underscores the perils of poorly integrated acquisitions. Meanwhile, Chewy's robust earnings provide a bright spot.Also fueling industry chatter is the arrival of French department store Printemps in Lower Manhattan, sparking excitement among those who see it as a bold venture amid broader department store decline. The conversation pivots to Canada's retail landscape, where Hudson's Bay's long-anticipated liquidation underscores the challenges legacy retailers face in a hyper-competitive era. The second half of the show features a conversation with Lowe's SVP Product and Technology, Data and AI, Chandhu Nair, who outlines the home improvement retailer's sweeping digital transformation. Aware that their category historically lagged in technology adoption, Lowe's has accelerated its efforts, focusing on delivering customer-centric solutions while modernizing decades-old infrastructure. With the newly launched MyLow application, shoppers can receive instant project advice, seamless product recommendations, and integrated how-to guidance. For professionals, speed, in-stock reliability, and tailored credit remain top priorities.Nair emphasizes that data and AI make up only 30% of the equation, with the remaining 70% tied to organizational change and process reengineering. The discussion highlights Lowe's approach to fostering innovation: start small, iterate quickly, and focus on core customer needs rather than novelty for novelty's sake. In addition, immersive experiences such as the Lowe's Style Studio for Apple Vision Pro build on years of research and strategic experimentation. By proactively partnering with leading tech companies and harnessing new capabilities like generative AI, Lowe's aims to stand out in a competitive retail market. Ultimately, Nair's insights underscore a cultural shift where failing responsibly is integral to success, and where the ability to adapt quickly defines a retailer's future. About ChandhuAs senior vice president, data, artificial intelligence and innovation, Chandhu Nair leads Lowe's AI transformation office, data and analytics, and AI products and platforms teams. He also leads Lowe's Innovation Labs, focusing on emerging technologies and technology investments, and is responsible for the technology enabling marketing, Lowe's Media Network, personalization and loyalty experiences. He joined Lowe's in 2020.Chandhu has more than 20 years of experience in technology transformations. In a prior role at Lowe's, he was vice president, technology, omnichannel marketing and digital customer engagement, and spearheaded best-in-class technology product launches including Lowe's Pro loyalty program and media network. Before joining the company, he served as CEO and co-founder of Cognitive Retail Inc., a computer vision AI technology company providing U.S.-based retailers with advanced data analytics. He was also a managing partner and co-founder at Merkatus Partners, a strategy consulting firm focused on emerging technology investment services. Before that, he held global e-commerce and technology leadership roles at Staples Inc and Infosys. Chandhu earned a master's degree in general management and operations from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in engineering – information technology from Bharathiar University, India. He serves on the Board of Industry Leaders at the Consumer Technology Association, as well as the advisory board for United Planet, a non-profit organization connecting volunteers in the areas of education, health and environmental sustainability with opportunities in more than 30 countries. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.
SummaryIn this episode of the eCommerce Content Creation Podcast, Daniel reflects on his personal and professional challenges over the past year, including feelings of burnout and uncertainty in the creative industry. He discusses the impact of these experiences on his work and the podcast, expressing gratitude for the support he has received from friends and colleagues. The episode also covers recent industry news, including Creative Force's acquisition of SpinMe and H&M's new AI initiatives. In this conversation, Daniel explores the potential of 3D product rendering as a transformative tool in product imaging. Daniel also shares his personal job search journey and career aspirations, emphasizing the importance of community and support during transitions.Key Takeaways1. Burnout and Honest ReflectionDaniel opens up about severe burnout in 2024, especially in the latter half of the year. He describes it not just as being tired of work, but a profound experience of anxiety that affected his ability to do even basic tasks—like scheduling podcast guests. His honesty about this period is a core theme of the episode.2. Challenges of Freelance LifeAfter leaving Creative Force, Daniel attempted to build a freelance consulting and photography business, but struggled with the business side—timing, invoicing, lead generation, and sustainability. Despite having meaningful projects, the inconsistency of work and cash flow took a toll, both mentally and financially.3. Industry Uncertainty and Shifting CadenceHe reflects on how creative production has changed post-COVID, with traditional seasonal patterns and reliable busy periods now disrupted. Studios no longer have predictable workflows or planning cadences, making it harder for professionals to know when to expect work—or prepare for downturns.4. Gratitude for Supportive CommunityDaniel expresses deep appreciation for the friends, colleagues, and partners who supported him during this difficult time. He calls out people like Kowser Ahmed (The KOW Company), Ian Parkes (Stockpress), Bimi Ibok, and others who provided not only work opportunities but emotional support and career advice.5. Industry News – Creative Force Acquires SpinMeHe discusses Creative Force's acquisition of SpinMe after the latter entered administration. He speculates on what that might mean for SpinMe customers and offers his own services to help studios navigate that transition.6. Mixed Feelings About AI in Content CreationDaniel unpacks his reactions to the rise of AI in eCommerce photography—specifically the use of digital twins of real models (e.g., H&M's recent announcement). While he sees the potential value, he also voices concern about job loss for stylists, models, and creative professionals, and urges the industry to approach these changes thoughtfully.7. Continued Passion for 3D and Creative TechnologyDespite his challenges, Daniel remains excited about 3D product rendering. He sees it as a promising tool for sustainable, scalable eCommerce content creation—particularly because it allows studios to generate high-quality assets from existing imagery without physical reshoots or shipping products across the globe.CreditsHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com
This Week: Rose Cameron, Saul Colt, and Joseph Jaffe join Bob to discuss ChatGPT's latest tool going viral, H&M's plan to use AI models, Hollywood's bid for meme revenue, Musk shuffling the deck chairs, plus this week's #FairFailFoul. Read More
OpenAI's new 4o Image Gen is the best AI image model we've seen to date and it has absolutely taken over the Internet. Plus, Gemini 2.5 is no slouch and a ton of new robots! Plus, OpenAI's new OpenAI.fm let's you prompt AI voices in new ways, DeepSeek's new model is actually better (at times) then GPT 4.5, a new Cursor for 3D modeling and, we're so sorry for this, but a LOT of talk about AI Big Booty Bears. **GO AND VISIT OUR SPONSOR Y'ALL** bubble.io/aiforhumans Join the discord: https://discord.gg/muD2TYgC8f Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AIForHumansShow AI For Humans Newsletter: https://aiforhumans.beehiiv.com/ Follow us for more on X @AIForHumansShow Join our TikTok @aiforhumansshow To book us for speaking, please visit our website: https://www.aiforhumans.show/ // Show Links // OpenAI's GPT-4o Image Gen is Here https://openai.com/index/introducing-4o-image-generation/ Live demo (with Sam) https://www.youtube.com/live/2f3K43FHRKo?si=vL_0QC8ygRx4MgOF OpenAI Causes The Great Giblification of the Internet https://x.com/heyBarsee/status/1904891940522647662 husbandt: https://x.com/squirtle_says/status/1904816587108213244 trump/vance: https://x.com/LukasMikelionis/status/1904873083246084364 movie scenes: https://x.com/MDurbar/status/1904872441899339963 brain meme: https://x.com/TechMemeKing/status/1904867629644267980 vibe ghibling: https://x.com/EMostaque/status/1904714479906283878 Sam Altman Says More Creative Freedom https://x.com/sama/status/1904598788687487422 Gavin's Knight + Rotisserie Chicken Photo Reddit Post https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1jk0p3v/tried_to_push_the_new_image_model_with_an/ Kevin's Aladdin Sane + Katamari WIlliams Images https://x.com/Attack/status/1904743185760608316 Big Butt Bear Video https://x.com/AIForHumansShow/status/1904687617758945674 Google Gemini 2.5 https://x.com/NoamShazeer/status/1904581813215125787 Largest Score Jump Ever on LMSYS https://x.com/AndrewCurran_/status/1904590242792996959 One Shot Coding Demos From Matt Berman https://x.com/MatthewBerman/status/1904714953095078004 Reve - Brand New Image Model Ranked #1 https://preview.reve.art/ Ideogram 3.0 https://x.com/ideogram_ai/status/1904927717281456188 OpenAI FM + new voice API https://x.com/OpenAIDevs/status/1902773579323674710 New DeepSeek Model is Actually Much Better https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/chinas-deepseek-releases-ai-model-upgrade-intensifies-rivalry-with-openai-2025-03-25/ Figure 01 “Natural” Walking https://youtu.be/z6KiwXT_yAM?si=RRsmjvs0qpRU0cqX WPP Makes Robots Into Camera Operators https://x.com/TheHumanoidHub/status/1903173205155815431 H&M is making AI clones of 30 models https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/clothing-giant-hm-will-use-models-ai-made-digital-twins-consent-included/91166352 Cursor for 3D Modeling https://x.com/_martinsit/status/1904234440198615204 Seeing Eye Robot Dogs https://x.com/iconphas/status/1904259348815352029 SynCity https://x.com/shtedritski/status/1903112129420443712 Gavin's Dial-up Diaries Video https://x.com/AIForHumansShow/status/1904244229783892207 Kevin's OpenAI Real Time Voice Test https://x.com/Attack/status/1904541254257643797
A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on March 27th 2025. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio Play. Produced and presented by Sujay Dutt
Private message from Heartbreaker2196 to xXx[FinDom]xXx (3:01a LST): The only thing you've done by debating me in ~full view~ of the rest of the tread is proven time and time again that if a """pretty""" girl bats her eyelashes at another girl once or twice you won't stop talking about it for MONTHS. I can and will continue to post anything and everything I feel like posting, and I think I'm well within my rights to critisize! Why don't I lay it out for you this way: Your little crush is simplistic, stereotypical, and doesn't deserve to breathe the same recycled oxygen that John Deere does. Tell me, if she's objectively better, why isn't she the lead on this show? Hm? Heartbreaker2196 wrote (3:16a LST): [Attachment: DMFromxXx[FinDom]xXx.png] I'm bringing this back to the thread, since I don't like to do things like this in private. If any of you Starelia freaks want to defend your "best girl," please do! Plus, I think John looked really good in those hot pocket commercials. His abs were incredible. CREDITS: Fabby Garza as Alpha AKA Anna Max Knightley as Lavender Spadeheart and Flip.exe Mike Painter as Hercule Heavensward Molly Rhinebeck as L.E. Booktok Lexi Waltner as Marci Campbell Luke Varner as The GM MUSIC BY MAX KNIGHTLEY EDITED BY MIKE PAINTER This episode may have some audio glitches due to technical difficulties. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains gun violence, knife violence, and mind control. Buy our book!
Joan Sotkin, a renowned financial and prosperity coach, joins us to share her unique insights into the deep emotional ties we have with money, especially when chaos seems to rule the day. As we navigate through uncertain political landscapes marked by figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Joan helps us uncover how our financial feelings often echo personal emotions rather than our actual bank balances. We explore how fear can cloud our judgment during turbulent times, highlighting the need to reshape our habitual financial emotions to empower better decision-making. Our journey continues with an enlightening discussion on how hope serves as a powerful antidote to life's chaos. About Joan Sotkin Joan is the author of The Search for Connection: A Spiritual Journey to Physical, Emotional, and Financial Health as well as several other books. She was the first person to market crystals and minerals for healing and meditation nationwide and had a line of stones, Joan's Stones, in 600 New Age bookstores. She has been offering her services as a prosperity coach for 20+ years to help people grow their businesses and their wealth using a unique approach of looking at the relationship between money and emotions. Contact Joan at https://www.prosperityplace.com -------------- Support the Podcast & Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast --------- About Dr. Liz Interested in hypnosis with Dr. Liz? Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work.
dgutspodcast.com/docs-point-of-view dgutsapparel.com https://soundcloud.com/usailorwillis/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/dgutspodcast Facebook: Don't Give Up The Ship Podcast / Apparel Instagram: @dgutspodcast / @dgutsapparel Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DontGiveUpTheShipPodcast Email: docspovpodcast@gmail.com Store: dgutspodcast.com/shop Substack: https://dguts.substack.com Reddit: r/dgutspodcast u/dgutspodcast Discord: @dgutspodcast Doc's Point of View, Ep. 36 – Undesignated Airman to Hospital Corpsman Trey and Aaron are joined by Reggie, who just converted from AZ to HM. In this episode, the guys dive into Reggie's experience, from the start of his Navy journey to current day. Please enjoy! If you want to engage with Trey, you can email him at docspovpodcast@gmail.com. He would love to answer any questions or simply discuss what's on your mind. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by the speaker and all guests are not those of the Department of Defense, United States Navy or any other government agency. They are strictly those of the speakers who do not speak for any other organization or entity. DISCLAIMER: The speaker(s) are NOT mental health professionals and do not intend any of the content of this podcast as mental health advice. If you need professional mental health advice, please seek out your closest military or civilian mental health providers immediately.
Gunnar Birgis, Tommi Steindórs og Doc 4:40 - Tölvutek spurningin 7:00 - Powerrank 11:20 - Blakið 14:00 - Mjólkurbikarinn 22:40 - HM (64-lið) 24:30 - EURO Basket 27:30 - Besta Deildin 33:30 - Evrópudeildin 40:30 - Sambandsdeildin 42:40 - Enska Úrvalsdeildin 49:30 - Tippað á Enska 52:10 - Winners & Losers 56:30 - Nei eða Já 1:02:40 - El Grande
Transform anxiety with insights from Dr. Steve Peters' groundbreaking book, "A Path Through the Jungle." Discover how to manage your inner 'chimp,' the emotional side that thrives on impulsivity and often leads us into negative emotional territory. In this mini-series, Dr. Liz will challenge your perceptions and you'll learn the art of reshaping your beliefs. We'll discuss the importance of confronting limiting beliefs, drawn from past events, and how they influence your life choices. Actionable steps and real-life examples will guide you through understanding how these emotions can be redirected into constructive energy. “A Path through the Jungle” can be purchased on Amazon: https://a.co/d/4hx7M7M See more about Dr. Peters at https://chimpmanagement.com About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.
Ben Pfiefer (@_bjpf, Sportscasting, Sportskeeda) rejoins to examine the Rookie class and find 10 players whose contributions we have enjoyed, plus we sneak in a Rookie of the Year Pick. Note: There are more than 10 enjoyable rookies! HM to those without enough run (Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Jared McCain, Ja'Kobe Walter, Justin Edwards, Devin Carter, etc) or who we just missed discussing in more detail (my guy Kyshawn George, Dalton Knecht, Ryan Dunn, Tristan Da Silva, Kyle Filipowski, Jonathan Mogbo). There is a lot to like this year! TIME STAMPS(0:00) Intro(15:15) Donovan Clingan(22:45) Ron Holland(34:45) Matas Buzelis(41:45) Jaylen Wells(48:43) Zach Edey(56:16) Zaccharie Risacher(1:04:05) Isaiah Collier(1:11:55) Alex Sarr(1:17:05) Stephon Castle(1:21:50) Bub Carrington, Kel'El Ware, and wrap
Today's word of the day is ‘first ballot' as in first ballot Hall of Fame as in Ichiro as in CC as in Wagner. That's it. The whole class is three players. And Ichiro missed being unanimous by just one single vote. Just like Derek Jeter. Unreal. (20:00) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about the Paul Skenes rookie card bounty and what the Pirates should offer now. They also want to know if I would sign Skenes longterm now. Hm. (33:05) Review: Blue Velvet. (36:20) The Chicago Bears went big and hired Ben Johnson. The hottest name in NFL coaching. They needed to make a splash for Caleb Williams. (43:40) College sports have changed everything. Now comes the ugly. Wisconsin and the Big Ten are ready to battle Miami and a player over a transfer. Here is why. (51:50) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today's word of the day is ‘first ballot' as in first ballot Hall of Fame as in Ichiro as in CC as in Wagner. That's it. The whole class is three players. And Ichiro missed being unanimous by just one single vote. Just like Derek Jeter. Unreal. (20:00) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about the Paul Skenes rookie card bounty and what the Pirates should offer now. They also want to know if I would sign Skenes longterm now. Hm. (33:05) Review: Blue Velvet. (36:20) The Chicago Bears went big and hired Ben Johnson. The hottest name in NFL coaching. They needed to make a splash for Caleb Williams. (43:40) College sports have changed everything. Now comes the ugly. Wisconsin and the Big Ten are ready to battle Miami and a player over a transfer. Here is why. (51:50) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices