Podcasts about Honda Civic

Desiree at the River.By outdoorhorny. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.In May of my senior year in high school, summer came early. It was in the high 80’s every afternoon, and we were sweltering in the ancient high school as the air conditioner struggled to keep up. Desiree and I sweated through morning classes and afternoon study halls, longing to be out of there, somewhere cooler and more private. We were both 18, and the restrictions of school were almost over. That made them even harder to bear!It was one of our teachers who provided the solution; I thank her silently to this day! She suggested that we get together with students from another study hall to work on our Senior Projects. The next day, the four of us told our respective teachers that we were going to go to the other room to work with our partners. In reality, we slipped out through the Tech Ed classroom and went to our cars. Minutes later, we were whipping down the back roads away from school.I have no idea where the other two went. They weren’t a couple, so chances are they simply went home. Desiree had other ideas. Her little Honda Civic zoomed along and ended up on Rte. 6 in the next town. She pulled into a little IGA grocery store that backed up on sparse pine woods. I asked her what she was after, but she smiled and said, “You’ll see!”Intrigued, I followed her inside. She went right to the center aisles where the seasonal goods were. My eyebrows went up when she brought two cheap beach towels. She did not explain. I carried them while she grabbed snacks and drinks and headed for the checkout. She paid quickly, and when we left the store, she walked right past her car. I followed, very puzzled, as she went around the corner. I knew she would tell me when she felt like it, so I carried the bags and watched her ass as it twitched inside her tunic. When she passed the dumpster and entered the shady pine forest, she looked over her shoulder and smiled sexily. I grinned back, knowing she was up to something good.The trail twisted and turned for a hundred yards, then it ended abruptly at a knob of rock that stuck out into a shallow, broad river. I stopped and looked around amazed. I could see a quarter-mile in each direction, and there was nothing in sight. The water slipped over flat smooth rocks, occasionally interrupted by a snagged branch or a small boulder jutting up from the surface. The air smelled of pine, the sunlight was warm and tinged with green as it filtered through the high branches, and besides bird song, the only sound was the gentle hum of the distant road. It was spectacular; a tranquil oasis barely off a road I had driven countless times.“Des; this is beautiful! How did you find it?”“My uncle owns all this; he used to own the IGA before he retired.”“Does anyone come here?”“Nope. Didn’t you see all the "No Trespassing” signs and the rocks across the trail? That keeps people out unless they’re family.“"It’s perfect!” I exclaimed happily.“It’s ours,” she replied simply. “C'mon, let’s get cool first and have a snack!”Kicking off her sandals, she sat down on a low rock with her feet in the water. I brought the snack bag close, tugged off my sneakers and socks, and joined her. The water was still cold, but not as biting as the river we tried back in March. With the sun warm on our shoulders, we munched on chips and split a soda, laying the second bottle in a shallow pool to stay cold. Our shoulders bumped as we sat there side by side, enjoying our unexpected freedom.“Just think,” she said dreamily, “we could be sitting in Mr. Herman’s study hall right now!”“Just think,” I answered, “as far as Mr. Herman knows, we’re going to be in the other study hall for the rest of the year working on our projects!”“Hmm, that does open up some possibilities!”“Yes, it does!” I told her, reaching around to give her a squeeze.Des responded by turning toward me and resting her hands on my leg.“I’d rather be right here than anywhere else in the world.”She leaned forward a fraction and our lips met, softly at first, a slow, loving kiss. That kind of innocent, timeless kiss seems to disappear after high school, but I will never forget the way her lips felt against mine, or the first flicker of her tongue signaling it was time for more. My free hand twined in her hair and pulled her into my arms as our bodies began to respond.With an impatient snort, Desiree broke our kiss and sat back. “I’m too hot like this!” she said in a petulant voice. She stood up, brushed the crumbs off herself into the water. Then she stepped carefully and gracefully up onto the rock’s highest point and turned to look at me. Crossing her arms over her head, she whipped the tunic off in one smooth motion. I sat frozen, looking eagerly up at her as she tossed it further down the rock. Standing there in a pale bra and purple satin panties, she looked like some river goddess come to life. Full tits, winter-pale skin, and broad, luscious hips fought for my attention; Des smiled happily at my wide-eyed ogling.“That’s so much better!” she pronounced. “You should try it.”I stood where I was, turned to face her, and responded to her challenge. My shirt flew through the air to land on top of her tunic. I stepped up onto the rock I had just vacated and pushed my shorts down, taking my boxers along with them. Stepping out of them, I stood back up and tossed them onto the pile as well. The sun played across my body and it was Desiree’s turn to stare admiringly. I had been working out hard for soccer and indoor track and it showed. A smile tugged at her lips as her eyes traveled all over my arms, chest, abs, and then locked onto my semi-erect cock.“Mmm, you look good enough to eat!” she said eagerly.“You first!” I responded.She laughed happily. “I’m game!” she said. Her hands twisted up behind her back and unclasped her bra. A quick shake and it fell forward, revealing her tits and tightening nipples. Onto the pile it went. Her thumbs hooked the waistband of her panties, and drew them down an inch. I’m sure my eyes registered disappointment, because she laughed again at her successful tease and then pushed them down all the way, bending effortlessly at the waist until they brushed the rock between her feet. Then she simply stepped out of them and kicked them aside.It was my turn to stare again. Desiree’s mound was shaved smooth! My eyes locked onto that pale, delightful curve I knew so well, suddenly revealed in an amazing and arousing way. Although her cunt was in shadow, I could tell her grooming extended all the way because her labia were smooth and pale as well. My cock twitched, and Des giggled happily.“You like?” she asked needlessly. “I did it last night thinking we might have a chance today!”“I Love it!” I said fervently.“Grab the towels,” she commanded.Two quick steps, my cock bouncing in time, and I had them out of the bag.“Put one on the rock you were standing on.” I did as she asked.“Put the other one right there,” she said next, pointing at the front jut of the larger rock she stood on. I complied, wondering what she was up to.“Now,” she said with a smile, “what was that about ‘good enough to eat’ you mentioned?”I fumbled for a reply as Des stepped down onto the towel in front of her, then sank down to sit on the towel. She leaned back and spread her legs; she was rarely shy!; and rested her heels on ridges to either side. With one finger, she traced a line from between her tits down across her belly, and then over the shiny patch she had shaved.“Why don’t you kneel down right there and take a closer look?” she asked encouragingly.I nodded and folded the towel double before settling myself comfortably. She was at the perfect height and distance; I rested my hands on her knees and watched as her finger continued lower, tracing the edges of her cunt, stretched open by her pose. When she got to her perineum, she added a finger and came back up, dipping them into her opening just a bit and circling there.I stared hungrily and she smiled at my intense gaze. “Everything is So smooth!” she reported, spreading her juices all around her labia. “Your gonna love it!”No words came to mind, so I acted instead. Leaning in, I licked from as far down as I could, up along her clean-shaven lips, over her clit, and up to the ridge of her mound. There I paused and showered it with kisses, relishing its silky feel.“Des,” I said when I paused, “I fucking love it!”She giggled happily and settled back on her elbows, looking down at me through her lashes.Returning to my task, I lapped at her cunt with a broad tongue a few times and then extended it fully, ramming it as deeply as I could into her opening. My nose bumped her clit as I did this, and I could feel her twitch each time I did. She hummed happily, and I kept going.I moved my hands in close and used my thumbs to spread her lips even more. Then I turned my head a bit and nibbled my way up and down each delicate morsel of flesh, tugging at them and flicking them with my tongue. Another happy noise came from above me.Looking up into her eyes again, I slowly put two fingers into my mouth and sucked them. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation, and I rewarded her immediately. With a twisting motion, I slipped them into her cunt, retreated to coat them with her juices, and then eased them deeper. Soon I was sliding them in and out all the way, only stopping when my thumb jammed against her. Des rocked her hips to meet my strokes, and I had to match her timing when I leaned forward to lick her clit. Each time I buried my fingers inside her, she pushed back, and I gave her sensitive nub a swirling lash with my tongue. We found a steady rhythm then, and Des began breathing heavily, moaning a little every time I licked her.“Are you ready to cum?” I asked her teasingly when I paused my tongue action. I kept my hand moving steadily, and she had to gasp the words out to answer.“Fuck, yes; give me more!”Smiling, I leaned back in. I turned my hand palm up and curled my fingers so that they dragged across her G-spot, pumping them back and forth without fully withdrawing. Then I stiffened my tongue and licked the side of her hood repeatedly, no longer teasing her but trying to drive her over the edge. A deep groan and a raising of her hips told me I was on the right track.“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, keep doing that!” she gasped in time with her thrusting.I kept doing that, just as she asked, and I soon felt her thighs fluttering. I pressed down hard on her mound with my free hand and began to suck on her clit while the tip of my tongue hit the same spot over and over again.“Oh, fuck!” Desiree moaned when her orgasm burst within her.I kept myself still then, feeling her cunt clamp down over and over on my fingers, soaking them with a rush of sweet, tangy juices. As I watched her body tremble, I admired the sun dappling every inch. The deep flush between her tits was stark against the untanned skin there, and her tits jutted straight up as her back arched in pleasure. I let her relax before withdrawing my fingers, which drew a tired whimper from her lips.When her eyes opened, I brought my fingers to my mouth again and sucked them clean. She smiled enigmatically as I licked them, staring directly into her eyes.“Well?” she asked.“Definitely good enough to eat!” I pronounced with a grin.“I love how you feel against my skin when it’s all shaved like this,” she told me seriously. “It added so much extra to everything you did!”“I love it, too,” I assured her. “You’re so smooth and sexy.”“I’m glad you like it,” she said in pleased tones.With that, she sat up and let her feet down, settling them on the outside of my towel. She leaned down, grabbed my face, and kissed me deeply. I know she could taste herself on my lips, and she even lapped my chin momentarily to gather her own deliciousness.“You know what else is gonna feel good?” she asked playfully.“What’s that?” I responded with an innocent look on my face.“Sliding my cunt all over you and letting you feel how smooth and wet it is.”I pulled her up to her feet and gathered her in my arms. “That,” I said seriously, kissing her between words, “sounds, amazing!”My cock was trapped between us, and Des wriggled her belly against it. Copious clear liquid was leaking from the tip, and the whole thing was twitching with the sudden heat and stimulation.“Besides, I think I need to tease you for a while,” she continued. “I don’t want to get you too excited yet!”I groaned at the thought, but consoled myself with the knowledge that my explosion would be even bigger and better when it happened.“Where do you want to do all this teasing?” I asked her.“Grab the towels,” she said. Then she pointed to a broad, flat rock about six feet from shore. The top was worn smooth by the passage of water over the years, but the top was dry now and looked invitingly warm. I laughed and gathered the cushioning towels. Holding hands, we made our way carefully across the slippery gap between our starting place and our new destination. When we got there, I passed her one towel and flipped the other one out to lie flat on the rock. Des followed suit and created a double layer of padding.“Get on up,” she said hotly. “It’s time for some payback!”I happily complied, sparing only a minute to look around.“No one is here,” she said reassuringly as I lay down on my back. Then her voice took on an Eastern European accent: “No one can help you. No one can hear your screams!”“Well that sucks,” I said with a smile. I settled myself comfortably on the rock and closed my eyes against the bright sunlight. “I’ll try to suffer in silence!”Desiree reached across me and grabbed my cock with one hand, aiming it straight up. She moved down and clambered onto the towel between my feet, and then paused to give me a few strokes. Her hand was warm and gentle on my shaft.Shifting one knee outside my leg, Des began to do exactly what she had said she would. She lowered herself and I felt her cunt bump into my knee. Slick and hot, she caressed her way up to my thigh, then moved across my lower body and did the same on my other leg. When I peeked up at her, I saw she had her lower lip between her teeth and a little frown of concentration on her face. I closed my eyes again and grinned as she moved up again. Her silky mound came down on my scrotum and Des rocked herself forward, arching her back so that she slid along the entire length of my cock from base to tip, her lips parted around me and coating me with lubrication before stopping and then moving back down to the base again.“Do you like that? Do you like how soft and smooth and wet I feel?”My mouth was dry as I answered her: “God, Des, I love it!”“I love rubbing myself all over you!” she said in a happy, sexy voice. I opened my eyes and she was gazing directly at me, her hands braced on her knees as she rocked herself back and forth along the underside of my shaft. Each time she reached the sensitive spot below the head, a pulse of precum leapt from my cock in response.“Des!” I said urgently, feeling the flutter of an approaching orgasm.“I know, I know, but it’s fun to tease you!” she said. Then she rose up, allowing the cool air to soothe the dangerous throbbing of my cock. She scooted forward a little more to straddle my chest. Lowering herself again, she rubbed the silky lips of her cunt on stomach, then on my chest as she eased higher. When her thighs were on either side of my head, I couldn’t help but lick her instantly from bottom to top. She gasped and pulled away.“Hey; you already had your turn!” she said indignantly. “Now I get mine!”With a quick, graceful move, she pivoted her body around, keeping her hips high enough so that her cunt was out of range of my tongue. She kissed my stomach, then trailed her hair across it, lower and lower with each swoop until it was tickling my thighs. Her left hand moved to brace herself on the towel while the other wrapped around my shaft again. She lifted it up to a 45 degree angle, perfectly aligned with her torso, and took me into her mouth.My rolled back with pleasure. I loved this position; it let Des take me as deeply as she wanted without awkward angles or pressure. She made the most of it; nothing fancy, but she sucked steadily and her lips moved from tip to base in one effortless motion. I could feel the restrictive heat at the back of her throat for a second, then she pulled back. A quick breath and she did it again. With each stroke, she squeezed my shaft as she rose and flattened her hand out of the way when she descended. I moaned happily and lifted my hands to hold her hips as they hovered above me.“Fuck, Des, that feels so good!”She hummed happily in response, which gave me a shiver of pleasure. Desiree’s motion was tireless, and I began to thrust upward a bit, knowing that I couldn’t hold back much longer. That signal was clear to her as well, and she paused to look back at me.“Do you want to cum?” she asked, squeezing my cock rhythmically.“I have to cum, Des, I have to cum in your mouth!” I gasped.“OK, I’m ready for that!” she smiled. Then she turned back and resumed her suction.Another dozen strokes and I was ready. My orgasm hit just as her mouth descended, and I arched myself up unconsciously. For a moment, my cock slipped past the ring of her throat and I could feel the twitching of her gag reflex against the sensitive head. The first jet of sperm flew directly down her throat, but she recovered quickly and pulled back, holding just the head between her lips and sucking frantically, pumping my shaft to milk out every drop. I could feel her swallowing as pulse after pulse threatened to overflow her mouth.Slowly, my hips fell back onto the towel. Des kept sucking steadily as my cock began to soften, and her tongue snaked all around to make sure she didn’t miss any of my cum. When she finally released me with a pop, I was completely spent. She planted a kiss on the underside of my cock, drawing a twitch in response that made her giggle. Then she turned herself around again and laid her head on my chest, her hand still wrapped around my spent shaft.“That was so amazing!” I murmured into her hair.“That was the most cum ever!” she said with a snort and a laugh.“Well, you are an exciting woman,” I told her, “so it’s kind of your fault. It’s all that teasing, too.&rd

Desiree at the River.By outdoorhorny. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.In May of my senior year in high school, summer came early. It was in the high 80’s every afternoon, and we were sweltering in the ancient high school as the air conditioner struggled to keep up. Desiree and I sweated through morning classes and afternoon study halls, longing to be out of there, somewhere cooler and more private. We were both 18, and the restrictions of school were almost over. That made them even harder to bear!It was one of our teachers who provided the solution; I thank her silently to this day! She suggested that we get together with students from another study hall to work on our Senior Projects. The next day, the four of us told our respective teachers that we were going to go to the other room to work with our partners. In reality, we slipped out through the Tech Ed classroom and went to our cars. Minutes later, we were whipping down the back roads away from school.I have no idea where the other two went. They weren’t a couple, so chances are they simply went home. Desiree had other ideas. Her little Honda Civic zoomed along and ended up on Rte. 6 in the next town. She pulled into a little IGA grocery store that backed up on sparse pine woods. I asked her what she was after, but she smiled and said, “You’ll see!”Intrigued, I followed her inside. She went right to the center aisles where the seasonal goods were. My eyebrows went up when she brought two cheap beach towels. She did not explain. I carried them while she grabbed snacks and drinks and headed for the checkout. She paid quickly, and when we left the store, she walked right past her car. I followed, very puzzled, as she went around the corner. I knew she would tell me when she felt like it, so I carried the bags and watched her ass as it twitched inside her tunic. When she passed the dumpster and entered the shady pine forest, she looked over her shoulder and smiled sexily. I grinned back, knowing she was up to something good.The trail twisted and turned for a hundred yards, then it ended abruptly at a knob of rock that stuck out into a shallow, broad river. I stopped and looked around amazed. I could see a quarter-mile in each direction, and there was nothing in sight. The water slipped over flat smooth rocks, occasionally interrupted by a snagged branch or a small boulder jutting up from the surface. The air smelled of pine, the sunlight was warm and tinged with green as it filtered through the high branches, and besides bird song, the only sound was the gentle hum of the distant road. It was spectacular; a tranquil oasis barely off a road I had driven countless times.“Des; this is beautiful! How did you find it?”“My uncle owns all this; he used to own the IGA before he retired.”“Does anyone come here?”“Nope. Didn’t you see all the "No Trespassing” signs and the rocks across the trail? That keeps people out unless they’re family.“"It’s perfect!” I exclaimed happily.“It’s ours,” she replied simply. “C'mon, let’s get cool first and have a snack!”Kicking off her sandals, she sat down on a low rock with her feet in the water. I brought the snack bag close, tugged off my sneakers and socks, and joined her. The water was still cold, but not as biting as the river we tried back in March. With the sun warm on our shoulders, we munched on chips and split a soda, laying the second bottle in a shallow pool to stay cold. Our shoulders bumped as we sat there side by side, enjoying our unexpected freedom.“Just think,” she said dreamily, “we could be sitting in Mr. Herman’s study hall right now!”“Just think,” I answered, “as far as Mr. Herman knows, we’re going to be in the other study hall for the rest of the year working on our projects!”“Hmm, that does open up some possibilities!”“Yes, it does!” I told her, reaching around to give her a squeeze.Des responded by turning toward me and resting her hands on my leg.“I’d rather be right here than anywhere else in the world.”She leaned forward a fraction and our lips met, softly at first, a slow, loving kiss. That kind of innocent, timeless kiss seems to disappear after high school, but I will never forget the way her lips felt against mine, or the first flicker of her tongue signaling it was time for more. My free hand twined in her hair and pulled her into my arms as our bodies began to respond.With an impatient snort, Desiree broke our kiss and sat back. “I’m too hot like this!” she said in a petulant voice. She stood up, brushed the crumbs off herself into the water. Then she stepped carefully and gracefully up onto the rock’s highest point and turned to look at me. Crossing her arms over her head, she whipped the tunic off in one smooth motion. I sat frozen, looking eagerly up at her as she tossed it further down the rock. Standing there in a pale bra and purple satin panties, she looked like some river goddess come to life. Full tits, winter-pale skin, and broad, luscious hips fought for my attention; Des smiled happily at my wide-eyed ogling.“That’s so much better!” she pronounced. “You should try it.”I stood where I was, turned to face her, and responded to her challenge. My shirt flew through the air to land on top of her tunic. I stepped up onto the rock I had just vacated and pushed my shorts down, taking my boxers along with them. Stepping out of them, I stood back up and tossed them onto the pile as well. The sun played across my body and it was Desiree’s turn to stare admiringly. I had been working out hard for soccer and indoor track and it showed. A smile tugged at her lips as her eyes traveled all over my arms, chest, abs, and then locked onto my semi-erect cock.“Mmm, you look good enough to eat!” she said eagerly.“You first!” I responded.She laughed happily. “I’m game!” she said. Her hands twisted up behind her back and unclasped her bra. A quick shake and it fell forward, revealing her tits and tightening nipples. Onto the pile it went. Her thumbs hooked the waistband of her panties, and drew them down an inch. I’m sure my eyes registered disappointment, because she laughed again at her successful tease and then pushed them down all the way, bending effortlessly at the waist until they brushed the rock between her feet. Then she simply stepped out of them and kicked them aside.It was my turn to stare again. Desiree’s mound was shaved smooth! My eyes locked onto that pale, delightful curve I knew so well, suddenly revealed in an amazing and arousing way. Although her cunt was in shadow, I could tell her grooming extended all the way because her labia were smooth and pale as well. My cock twitched, and Des giggled happily.“You like?” she asked needlessly. “I did it last night thinking we might have a chance today!”“I Love it!” I said fervently.“Grab the towels,” she commanded.Two quick steps, my cock bouncing in time, and I had them out of the bag.“Put one on the rock you were standing on.” I did as she asked.“Put the other one right there,” she said next, pointing at the front jut of the larger rock she stood on. I complied, wondering what she was up to.“Now,” she said with a smile, “what was that about ‘good enough to eat’ you mentioned?”I fumbled for a reply as Des stepped down onto the towel in front of her, then sank down to sit on the towel. She leaned back and spread her legs; she was rarely shy!; and rested her heels on ridges to either side. With one finger, she traced a line from between her tits down across her belly, and then over the shiny patch she had shaved.“Why don’t you kneel down right there and take a closer look?” she asked encouragingly.I nodded and folded the towel double before settling myself comfortably. She was at the perfect height and distance; I rested my hands on her knees and watched as her finger continued lower, tracing the edges of her cunt, stretched open by her pose. When she got to her perineum, she added a finger and came back up, dipping them into her opening just a bit and circling there.I stared hungrily and she smiled at my intense gaze. “Everything is So smooth!” she reported, spreading her juices all around her labia. “Your gonna love it!”No words came to mind, so I acted instead. Leaning in, I licked from as far down as I could, up along her clean-shaven lips, over her clit, and up to the ridge of her mound. There I paused and showered it with kisses, relishing its silky feel.“Des,” I said when I paused, “I fucking love it!”She giggled happily and settled back on her elbows, looking down at me through her lashes.Returning to my task, I lapped at her cunt with a broad tongue a few times and then extended it fully, ramming it as deeply as I could into her opening. My nose bumped her clit as I did this, and I could feel her twitch each time I did. She hummed happily, and I kept going.I moved my hands in close and used my thumbs to spread her lips even more. Then I turned my head a bit and nibbled my way up and down each delicate morsel of flesh, tugging at them and flicking them with my tongue. Another happy noise came from above me.Looking up into her eyes again, I slowly put two fingers into my mouth and sucked them. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation, and I rewarded her immediately. With a twisting motion, I slipped them into her cunt, retreated to coat them with her juices, and then eased them deeper. Soon I was sliding them in and out all the way, only stopping when my thumb jammed against her. Des rocked her hips to meet my strokes, and I had to match her timing when I leaned forward to lick her clit. Each time I buried my fingers inside her, she pushed back, and I gave her sensitive nub a swirling lash with my tongue. We found a steady rhythm then, and Des began breathing heavily, moaning a little every time I licked her.“Are you ready to cum?” I asked her teasingly when I paused my tongue action. I kept my hand moving steadily, and she had to gasp the words out to answer.“Fuck, yes; give me more!”Smiling, I leaned back in. I turned my hand palm up and curled my fingers so that they dragged across her G-spot, pumping them back and forth without fully withdrawing. Then I stiffened my tongue and licked the side of her hood repeatedly, no longer teasing her but trying to drive her over the edge. A deep groan and a raising of her hips told me I was on the right track.“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, keep doing that!” she gasped in time with her thrusting.I kept doing that, just as she asked, and I soon felt her thighs fluttering. I pressed down hard on her mound with my free hand and began to suck on her clit while the tip of my tongue hit the same spot over and over again.“Oh, fuck!” Desiree moaned when her orgasm burst within her.I kept myself still then, feeling her cunt clamp down over and over on my fingers, soaking them with a rush of sweet, tangy juices. As I watched her body tremble, I admired the sun dappling every inch. The deep flush between her tits was stark against the untanned skin there, and her tits jutted straight up as her back arched in pleasure. I let her relax before withdrawing my fingers, which drew a tired whimper from her lips.When her eyes opened, I brought my fingers to my mouth again and sucked them clean. She smiled enigmatically as I licked them, staring directly into her eyes.“Well?” she asked.“Definitely good enough to eat!” I pronounced with a grin.“I love how you feel against my skin when it’s all shaved like this,” she told me seriously. “It added so much extra to everything you did!”“I love it, too,” I assured her. “You’re so smooth and sexy.”“I’m glad you like it,” she said in pleased tones.With that, she sat up and let her feet down, settling them on the outside of my towel. She leaned down, grabbed my face, and kissed me deeply. I know she could taste herself on my lips, and she even lapped my chin momentarily to gather her own deliciousness.“You know what else is gonna feel good?” she asked playfully.“What’s that?” I responded with an innocent look on my face.“Sliding my cunt all over you and letting you feel how smooth and wet it is.”I pulled her up to her feet and gathered her in my arms. “That,” I said seriously, kissing her between words, “sounds, amazing!”My cock was trapped between us, and Des wriggled her belly against it. Copious clear liquid was leaking from the tip, and the whole thing was twitching with the sudden heat and stimulation.“Besides, I think I need to tease you for a while,” she continued. “I don’t want to get you too excited yet!”I groaned at the thought, but consoled myself with the knowledge that my explosion would be even bigger and better when it happened.“Where do you want to do all this teasing?” I asked her.“Grab the towels,” she said. Then she pointed to a broad, flat rock about six feet from shore. The top was worn smooth by the passage of water over the years, but the top was dry now and looked invitingly warm. I laughed and gathered the cushioning towels. Holding hands, we made our way carefully across the slippery gap between our starting place and our new destination. When we got there, I passed her one towel and flipped the other one out to lie flat on the rock. Des followed suit and created a double layer of padding.“Get on up,” she said hotly. “It’s time for some payback!”I happily complied, sparing only a minute to look around.“No one is here,” she said reassuringly as I lay down on my back. Then her voice took on an Eastern European accent: “No one can help you. No one can hear your screams!”“Well that sucks,” I said with a smile. I settled myself comfortably on the rock and closed my eyes against the bright sunlight. “I’ll try to suffer in silence!”Desiree reached across me and grabbed my cock with one hand, aiming it straight up. She moved down and clambered onto the towel between my feet, and then paused to give me a few strokes. Her hand was warm and gentle on my shaft.Shifting one knee outside my leg, Des began to do exactly what she had said she would. She lowered herself and I felt her cunt bump into my knee. Slick and hot, she caressed her way up to my thigh, then moved across my lower body and did the same on my other leg. When I peeked up at her, I saw she had her lower lip between her teeth and a little frown of concentration on her face. I closed my eyes again and grinned as she moved up again. Her silky mound came down on my scrotum and Des rocked herself forward, arching her back so that she slid along the entire length of my cock from base to tip, her lips parted around me and coating me with lubrication before stopping and then moving back down to the base again.“Do you like that? Do you like how soft and smooth and wet I feel?”My mouth was dry as I answered her: “God, Des, I love it!”“I love rubbing myself all over you!” she said in a happy, sexy voice. I opened my eyes and she was gazing directly at me, her hands braced on her knees as she rocked herself back and forth along the underside of my shaft. Each time she reached the sensitive spot below the head, a pulse of precum leapt from my cock in response.“Des!” I said urgently, feeling the flutter of an approaching orgasm.“I know, I know, but it’s fun to tease you!” she said. Then she rose up, allowing the cool air to soothe the dangerous throbbing of my cock. She scooted forward a little more to straddle my chest. Lowering herself again, she rubbed the silky lips of her cunt on stomach, then on my chest as she eased higher. When her thighs were on either side of my head, I couldn’t help but lick her instantly from bottom to top. She gasped and pulled away.“Hey; you already had your turn!” she said indignantly. “Now I get mine!”With a quick, graceful move, she pivoted her body around, keeping her hips high enough so that her cunt was out of range of my tongue. She kissed my stomach, then trailed her hair across it, lower and lower with each swoop until it was tickling my thighs. Her left hand moved to brace herself on the towel while the other wrapped around my shaft again. She lifted it up to a 45 degree angle, perfectly aligned with her torso, and took me into her mouth.My rolled back with pleasure. I loved this position; it let Des take me as deeply as she wanted without awkward angles or pressure. She made the most of it; nothing fancy, but she sucked steadily and her lips moved from tip to base in one effortless motion. I could feel the restrictive heat at the back of her throat for a second, then she pulled back. A quick breath and she did it again. With each stroke, she squeezed my shaft as she rose and flattened her hand out of the way when she descended. I moaned happily and lifted my hands to hold her hips as they hovered above me.“Fuck, Des, that feels so good!”She hummed happily in response, which gave me a shiver of pleasure. Desiree’s motion was tireless, and I began to thrust upward a bit, knowing that I couldn’t hold back much longer. That signal was clear to her as well, and she paused to look back at me.“Do you want to cum?” she asked, squeezing my cock rhythmically.“I have to cum, Des, I have to cum in your mouth!” I gasped.“OK, I’m ready for that!” she smiled. Then she turned back and resumed her suction.Another dozen strokes and I was ready. My orgasm hit just as her mouth descended, and I arched myself up unconsciously. For a moment, my cock slipped past the ring of her throat and I could feel the twitching of her gag reflex against the sensitive head. The first jet of sperm flew directly down her throat, but she recovered quickly and pulled back, holding just the head between her lips and sucking frantically, pumping my shaft to milk out every drop. I could feel her swallowing as pulse after pulse threatened to overflow her mouth.Slowly, my hips fell back onto the towel. Des kept sucking steadily as my cock began to soften, and her tongue snaked all around to make sure she didn’t miss any of my cum. When she finally released me with a pop, I was completely spent. She planted a kiss on the underside of my cock, drawing a twitch in response that made her giggle. Then she turned herself around again and laid her head on my chest, her hand still wrapped around my spent shaft.“That was so amazing!” I murmured into her hair.“That was the most cum ever!” she said with a snort and a laugh.“Well, you are an exciting woman,” I told her, “so it’s kind of your fault. It’s all that teasing, too.&rd

Desiree at the River.By outdoorhorny. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.In May of my senior year in high school, summer came early. It was in the high 80’s every afternoon, and we were sweltering in the ancient high school as the air conditioner struggled to keep up. Desiree and I sweated through morning classes and afternoon study halls, longing to be out of there, somewhere cooler and more private. We were both 18, and the restrictions of school were almost over. That made them even harder to bear!It was one of our teachers who provided the solution; I thank her silently to this day! She suggested that we get together with students from another study hall to work on our Senior Projects. The next day, the four of us told our respective teachers that we were going to go to the other room to work with our partners. In reality, we slipped out through the Tech Ed classroom and went to our cars. Minutes later, we were whipping down the back roads away from school.I have no idea where the other two went. They weren’t a couple, so chances are they simply went home. Desiree had other ideas. Her little Honda Civic zoomed along and ended up on Rte. 6 in the next town. She pulled into a little IGA grocery store that backed up on sparse pine woods. I asked her what she was after, but she smiled and said, “You’ll see!”Intrigued, I followed her inside. She went right to the center aisles where the seasonal goods were. My eyebrows went up when she brought two cheap beach towels. She did not explain. I carried them while she grabbed snacks and drinks and headed for the checkout. She paid quickly, and when we left the store, she walked right past her car. I followed, very puzzled, as she went around the corner. I knew she would tell me when she felt like it, so I carried the bags and watched her ass as it twitched inside her tunic. When she passed the dumpster and entered the shady pine forest, she looked over her shoulder and smiled sexily. I grinned back, knowing she was up to something good.The trail twisted and turned for a hundred yards, then it ended abruptly at a knob of rock that stuck out into a shallow, broad river. I stopped and looked around amazed. I could see a quarter-mile in each direction, and there was nothing in sight. The water slipped over flat smooth rocks, occasionally interrupted by a snagged branch or a small boulder jutting up from the surface. The air smelled of pine, the sunlight was warm and tinged with green as it filtered through the high branches, and besides bird song, the only sound was the gentle hum of the distant road. It was spectacular; a tranquil oasis barely off a road I had driven countless times.“Des; this is beautiful! How did you find it?”“My uncle owns all this; he used to own the IGA before he retired.”“Does anyone come here?”“Nope. Didn’t you see all the "No Trespassing” signs and the rocks across the trail? That keeps people out unless they’re family.“"It’s perfect!” I exclaimed happily.“It’s ours,” she replied simply. “C'mon, let’s get cool first and have a snack!”Kicking off her sandals, she sat down on a low rock with her feet in the water. I brought the snack bag close, tugged off my sneakers and socks, and joined her. The water was still cold, but not as biting as the river we tried back in March. With the sun warm on our shoulders, we munched on chips and split a soda, laying the second bottle in a shallow pool to stay cold. Our shoulders bumped as we sat there side by side, enjoying our unexpected freedom.“Just think,” she said dreamily, “we could be sitting in Mr. Herman’s study hall right now!”“Just think,” I answered, “as far as Mr. Herman knows, we’re going to be in the other study hall for the rest of the year working on our projects!”“Hmm, that does open up some possibilities!”“Yes, it does!” I told her, reaching around to give her a squeeze.Des responded by turning toward me and resting her hands on my leg.“I’d rather be right here than anywhere else in the world.”She leaned forward a fraction and our lips met, softly at first, a slow, loving kiss. That kind of innocent, timeless kiss seems to disappear after high school, but I will never forget the way her lips felt against mine, or the first flicker of her tongue signaling it was time for more. My free hand twined in her hair and pulled her into my arms as our bodies began to respond.With an impatient snort, Desiree broke our kiss and sat back. “I’m too hot like this!” she said in a petulant voice. She stood up, brushed the crumbs off herself into the water. Then she stepped carefully and gracefully up onto the rock’s highest point and turned to look at me. Crossing her arms over her head, she whipped the tunic off in one smooth motion. I sat frozen, looking eagerly up at her as she tossed it further down the rock. Standing there in a pale bra and purple satin panties, she looked like some river goddess come to life. Full tits, winter-pale skin, and broad, luscious hips fought for my attention; Des smiled happily at my wide-eyed ogling.“That’s so much better!” she pronounced. “You should try it.”I stood where I was, turned to face her, and responded to her challenge. My shirt flew through the air to land on top of her tunic. I stepped up onto the rock I had just vacated and pushed my shorts down, taking my boxers along with them. Stepping out of them, I stood back up and tossed them onto the pile as well. The sun played across my body and it was Desiree’s turn to stare admiringly. I had been working out hard for soccer and indoor track and it showed. A smile tugged at her lips as her eyes traveled all over my arms, chest, abs, and then locked onto my semi-erect cock.“Mmm, you look good enough to eat!” she said eagerly.“You first!” I responded.She laughed happily. “I’m game!” she said. Her hands twisted up behind her back and unclasped her bra. A quick shake and it fell forward, revealing her tits and tightening nipples. Onto the pile it went. Her thumbs hooked the waistband of her panties, and drew them down an inch. I’m sure my eyes registered disappointment, because she laughed again at her successful tease and then pushed them down all the way, bending effortlessly at the waist until they brushed the rock between her feet. Then she simply stepped out of them and kicked them aside.It was my turn to stare again. Desiree’s mound was shaved smooth! My eyes locked onto that pale, delightful curve I knew so well, suddenly revealed in an amazing and arousing way. Although her cunt was in shadow, I could tell her grooming extended all the way because her labia were smooth and pale as well. My cock twitched, and Des giggled happily.“You like?” she asked needlessly. “I did it last night thinking we might have a chance today!”“I Love it!” I said fervently.“Grab the towels,” she commanded.Two quick steps, my cock bouncing in time, and I had them out of the bag.“Put one on the rock you were standing on.” I did as she asked.“Put the other one right there,” she said next, pointing at the front jut of the larger rock she stood on. I complied, wondering what she was up to.“Now,” she said with a smile, “what was that about ‘good enough to eat’ you mentioned?”I fumbled for a reply as Des stepped down onto the towel in front of her, then sank down to sit on the towel. She leaned back and spread her legs; she was rarely shy!; and rested her heels on ridges to either side. With one finger, she traced a line from between her tits down across her belly, and then over the shiny patch she had shaved.“Why don’t you kneel down right there and take a closer look?” she asked encouragingly.I nodded and folded the towel double before settling myself comfortably. She was at the perfect height and distance; I rested my hands on her knees and watched as her finger continued lower, tracing the edges of her cunt, stretched open by her pose. When she got to her perineum, she added a finger and came back up, dipping them into her opening just a bit and circling there.I stared hungrily and she smiled at my intense gaze. “Everything is So smooth!” she reported, spreading her juices all around her labia. “Your gonna love it!”No words came to mind, so I acted instead. Leaning in, I licked from as far down as I could, up along her clean-shaven lips, over her clit, and up to the ridge of her mound. There I paused and showered it with kisses, relishing its silky feel.“Des,” I said when I paused, “I fucking love it!”She giggled happily and settled back on her elbows, looking down at me through her lashes.Returning to my task, I lapped at her cunt with a broad tongue a few times and then extended it fully, ramming it as deeply as I could into her opening. My nose bumped her clit as I did this, and I could feel her twitch each time I did. She hummed happily, and I kept going.I moved my hands in close and used my thumbs to spread her lips even more. Then I turned my head a bit and nibbled my way up and down each delicate morsel of flesh, tugging at them and flicking them with my tongue. Another happy noise came from above me.Looking up into her eyes again, I slowly put two fingers into my mouth and sucked them. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation, and I rewarded her immediately. With a twisting motion, I slipped them into her cunt, retreated to coat them with her juices, and then eased them deeper. Soon I was sliding them in and out all the way, only stopping when my thumb jammed against her. Des rocked her hips to meet my strokes, and I had to match her timing when I leaned forward to lick her clit. Each time I buried my fingers inside her, she pushed back, and I gave her sensitive nub a swirling lash with my tongue. We found a steady rhythm then, and Des began breathing heavily, moaning a little every time I licked her.“Are you ready to cum?” I asked her teasingly when I paused my tongue action. I kept my hand moving steadily, and she had to gasp the words out to answer.“Fuck, yes; give me more!”Smiling, I leaned back in. I turned my hand palm up and curled my fingers so that they dragged across her G-spot, pumping them back and forth without fully withdrawing. Then I stiffened my tongue and licked the side of her hood repeatedly, no longer teasing her but trying to drive her over the edge. A deep groan and a raising of her hips told me I was on the right track.“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck, keep doing that!” she gasped in time with her thrusting.I kept doing that, just as she asked, and I soon felt her thighs fluttering. I pressed down hard on her mound with my free hand and began to suck on her clit while the tip of my tongue hit the same spot over and over again.“Oh, fuck!” Desiree moaned when her orgasm burst within her.I kept myself still then, feeling her cunt clamp down over and over on my fingers, soaking them with a rush of sweet, tangy juices. As I watched her body tremble, I admired the sun dappling every inch. The deep flush between her tits was stark against the untanned skin there, and her tits jutted straight up as her back arched in pleasure. I let her relax before withdrawing my fingers, which drew a tired whimper from her lips.When her eyes opened, I brought my fingers to my mouth again and sucked them clean. She smiled enigmatically as I licked them, staring directly into her eyes.“Well?” she asked.“Definitely good enough to eat!” I pronounced with a grin.“I love how you feel against my skin when it’s all shaved like this,” she told me seriously. “It added so much extra to everything you did!”“I love it, too,” I assured her. “You’re so smooth and sexy.”“I’m glad you like it,” she said in pleased tones.With that, she sat up and let her feet down, settling them on the outside of my towel. She leaned down, grabbed my face, and kissed me deeply. I know she could taste herself on my lips, and she even lapped my chin momentarily to gather her own deliciousness.“You know what else is gonna feel good?” she asked playfully.“What’s that?” I responded with an innocent look on my face.“Sliding my cunt all over you and letting you feel how smooth and wet it is.”I pulled her up to her feet and gathered her in my arms. “That,” I said seriously, kissing her between words, “sounds, amazing!”My cock was trapped between us, and Des wriggled her belly against it. Copious clear liquid was leaking from the tip, and the whole thing was twitching with the sudden heat and stimulation.“Besides, I think I need to tease you for a while,” she continued. “I don’t want to get you too excited yet!”I groaned at the thought, but consoled myself with the knowledge that my explosion would be even bigger and better when it happened.“Where do you want to do all this teasing?” I asked her.“Grab the towels,” she said. Then she pointed to a broad, flat rock about six feet from shore. The top was worn smooth by the passage of water over the years, but the top was dry now and looked invitingly warm. I laughed and gathered the cushioning towels. Holding hands, we made our way carefully across the slippery gap between our starting place and our new destination. When we got there, I passed her one towel and flipped the other one out to lie flat on the rock. Des followed suit and created a double layer of padding.“Get on up,” she said hotly. “It’s time for some payback!”I happily complied, sparing only a minute to look around.“No one is here,” she said reassuringly as I lay down on my back. Then her voice took on an Eastern European accent: “No one can help you. No one can hear your screams!”“Well that sucks,” I said with a smile. I settled myself comfortably on the rock and closed my eyes against the bright sunlight. “I’ll try to suffer in silence!”Desiree reached across me and grabbed my cock with one hand, aiming it straight up. She moved down and clambered onto the towel between my feet, and then paused to give me a few strokes. Her hand was warm and gentle on my shaft.Shifting one knee outside my leg, Des began to do exactly what she had said she would. She lowered herself and I felt her cunt bump into my knee. Slick and hot, she caressed her way up to my thigh, then moved across my lower body and did the same on my other leg. When I peeked up at her, I saw she had her lower lip between her teeth and a little frown of concentration on her face. I closed my eyes again and grinned as she moved up again. Her silky mound came down on my scrotum and Des rocked herself forward, arching her back so that she slid along the entire length of my cock from base to tip, her lips parted around me and coating me with lubrication before stopping and then moving back down to the base again.“Do you like that? Do you like how soft and smooth and wet I feel?”My mouth was dry as I answered her: “God, Des, I love it!”“I love rubbing myself all over you!” she said in a happy, sexy voice. I opened my eyes and she was gazing directly at me, her hands braced on her knees as she rocked herself back and forth along the underside of my shaft. Each time she reached the sensitive spot below the head, a pulse of precum leapt from my cock in response.“Des!” I said urgently, feeling the flutter of an approaching orgasm.“I know, I know, but it’s fun to tease you!” she said. Then she rose up, allowing the cool air to soothe the dangerous throbbing of my cock. She scooted forward a little more to straddle my chest. Lowering herself again, she rubbed the silky lips of her cunt on stomach, then on my chest as she eased higher. When her thighs were on either side of my head, I couldn’t help but lick her instantly from bottom to top. She gasped and pulled away.“Hey; you already had your turn!” she said indignantly. “Now I get mine!”With a quick, graceful move, she pivoted her body around, keeping her hips high enough so that her cunt was out of range of my tongue. She kissed my stomach, then trailed her hair across it, lower and lower with each swoop until it was tickling my thighs. Her left hand moved to brace herself on the towel while the other wrapped around my shaft again. She lifted it up to a 45 degree angle, perfectly aligned with her torso, and took me into her mouth.My rolled back with pleasure. I loved this position; it let Des take me as deeply as she wanted without awkward angles or pressure. She made the most of it; nothing fancy, but she sucked steadily and her lips moved from tip to base in one effortless motion. I could feel the restrictive heat at the back of her throat for a second, then she pulled back. A quick breath and she did it again. With each stroke, she squeezed my shaft as she rose and flattened her hand out of the way when she descended. I moaned happily and lifted my hands to hold her hips as they hovered above me.“Fuck, Des, that feels so good!”She hummed happily in response, which gave me a shiver of pleasure. Desiree’s motion was tireless, and I began to thrust upward a bit, knowing that I couldn’t hold back much longer. That signal was clear to her as well, and she paused to look back at me.“Do you want to cum?” she asked, squeezing my cock rhythmically.“I have to cum, Des, I have to cum in your mouth!” I gasped.“OK, I’m ready for that!” she smiled. Then she turned back and resumed her suction.Another dozen strokes and I was ready. My orgasm hit just as her mouth descended, and I arched myself up unconsciously. For a moment, my cock slipped past the ring of her throat and I could feel the twitching of her gag reflex against the sensitive head. The first jet of sperm flew directly down her throat, but she recovered quickly and pulled back, holding just the head between her lips and sucking frantically, pumping my shaft to milk out every drop. I could feel her swallowing as pulse after pulse threatened to overflow her mouth.Slowly, my hips fell back onto the towel. Des kept sucking steadily as my cock began to soften, and her tongue snaked all around to make sure she didn’t miss any of my cum. When she finally released me with a pop, I was completely spent. She planted a kiss on the underside of my cock, drawing a twitch in response that made her giggle. Then she turned herself around again and laid her head on my chest, her hand still wrapped around my spent shaft.“That was so amazing!” I murmured into her hair.“That was the most cum ever!” she said with a snort and a laugh.“Well, you are an exciting woman,” I told her, “so it’s kind of your fault. It’s all that teasing, too.&rd

Send a textA rapper in a Honda Civic just outplayed the internet. We break down how J. Cole's trunk-sold CDs, city-to-city drop-ins, and breadcrumb clues turned casual listeners into dedicated hunters—and why more than 200,000 people still crushed a single presale queue. The story isn't just hype; it's a blueprint for connection in a noisy era. When an artist hints this might be the last “J. Cole” album for a while and then shows up in person, the stakes change. Scarcity turns into urgency, and presence becomes the product.We dig into the album's grip and a tantalizing what-if: Cole bar-for-bar over outside producers like Alchemist and 9th Wonder. Would a fully external soundscape unlock a new chapter? The conversation widens into the Big Three debate, where craft, persona, and promotion all collide. Cole's rollout didn't chase spectacle—it built trust—while still driving record physical sales and impossible queues. We swap stories from the field, including a near-miss sighting tracked with Google Lens, and the white-knuckle hunt for tickets, VIP shock included.Culture never sits still, so we push further. Jill Scott's new album shines, Floetry's reunion sparks nostalgia questions, and a left turn to Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) reminds us why some worlds never age: strong stakes, moral weight, and style that still punches. We also unpack the latest streaming shuffle with Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. content sliding to Tubi, plus a spirited tier list of game franchises—Fallout, Mass Effect, The Sims, Dragon Age, Wolfenstein, Halo, The Witcher—to test what truly endures. Hit play for a fast, thoughtful ride through music, fandom, and the mechanics of staying power. If this run is Cole's last lap for a while, it's a masterclass in how to finish strong. Subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us: where does Cole rank for you right now? https://www.carolinaotakus.com/

Emily is back with a true “my life is a movie” episode… and she's sharing the full story of how she manifested her white Audi Q3 in perfect divine timing. This episode is part manifestation story, part Saturn Return initiation, and part reminder that when something is meant for you, it doesn't have to be forced. Emily takes you behind the scenes of releasing a 15-year relationship with her beloved 2008 Honda Civic, navigating the nervous system stretch of buying a car as a business owner, and trusting herself so deeply that everything clicked into place with jaw-dropping synchronicity. If you're in an identity upgrade era, calling in a big manifestation, or learning how to trust your intuition (especially when people around you don't fully get it), this episode is for you. ✨ In this episode, Emily covers: The story of letting go of her 2008 Honda Civic The real reason she finally felt ready to upgrade: freedom, travel, and expansion What a Saturn Return is and why it's often a “push out of the nest” initiation The concept of a Saturn Return “return” (aka the reward for your growth) The manifestation ritual she did with her membership that led to buying the car Why her final intention shocked her: “Buy a car” The difference between a manifestation that's “fine” and one that sets your soul on fire How she went from “just browsing” to finding the exact car from her vision board The behind-the-scenes car buying process: negotiation, financing, trade-in, nervous system stretch The synchronicities that confirmed the timeline How a pay-in-full client came through at the exact moment she needed the down payment The moment her guide said: “Just say yes.” What she learned about trust: trust in self, trust in others, trust in the universe Why “meant for you” manifestations click into place (and what it means when they don't) How this new car symbolizes her new identity, new standards, and next chapter

J. Cole continues popping up on HBCU campuses—including Howard, Hampton, and North Carolina A&T—to personally deliver his new album The Fall Off directly from the trunk of his Honda Civic, creating nostalgic, fan‑packed moments reminiscent of his early career hustling CDs hand‑to‑hand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The episode opens with an emotional look into Jamie Foxx’s new breakup‑inspired single “Somebody”, which he revealed was fueled by a painful Valentine’s Day split with a Spanish-speaking ex—a heartbreak he said “messed [him] up,” as he described blinking and still seeing her face. Meanwhile, the team dives into the online uproar surrounding Michael Jordan’s viral Daytona 500 moment, where footage showed him pinching and tapping Tyler Reddick’s young son; although critics called it inappropriate, new context and closer footage suggest he was likely removing ice that had fallen into the child’s clothing during the chaotic celebration. The show also takes time to honor the profound legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson, who passed away at 84 and is being celebrated nationwide as a towering civil rights leader, global activist, and inspiration whose decades of work—from marching with Dr. King to running historic presidential campaigns—reshaped American politics and expanded pathways for future Black leaders. The episode closes with a high‑energy highlight as J. Cole continues popping up on HBCU campuses—including Howard, Hampton, and North Carolina A&T—to personally deliver his new album The Fall Off directly from the trunk of his Honda Civic, creating nostalgic, fan‑packed moments reminiscent of his early career hustling CDs hand‑to‑hand. Website: https://www.urban1podcasts.com/rickey-smiley-morning-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One-on-one pod today, Chris is in New York, and Jason is in Santa Barbara. We chat about Fella-tines day, unchosen families, DJ Vlad's Roc Nation confessions, J Cole's Honda Civic, Jimmy Eat World's tour poster, Chris' uncle was kicked by a horse, the rise of microdramas, Clav takes NYFW, reality TV and live streaming, scraping the resin bowl of culture, Evan Dando takes a turn, and Harry's Martin Parr portraits. twitter.com/donetodeath twitter.com/themjeans howlonggone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mikey started Watching Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix makes me appreciate using credit cards and scanning to get into the gym!! When both single parents are dating who get the kids on Valentine's Day?It's some sick people in world Maryland Man Accused of Removing 10-Year-Old's Shoes and Smelling Their Feet at Arcade.Ring Cancels Flock Safety Partnership After Super Bowl Ad Backlash Amazon's Security Giant Backpedals on Surveillance Partnership After “Dystopian” Ad Sparks Public OutrageLaRussell talks Lil Wayne after signing to Jay Z. "I had grown a disdain for Wayne just because I started listening to everything like I started maturing as a human and I'm like damn, this nigga wasn't talking about nothing." Chicago attorney celebrates with her client after a not guilty verdict, when he had been facing up to 30 years for a shooting CHELSEA GRAY IS THE ONE The Point Gawd wins the Unrivaled 1-on-1 Tournament. Unrivaled semifinal games to be held at Barclays Center on March 2The Intuit Dome is allegedly 95% empty during the NBA Rising Stars game; total capacity is 18,300.Homeland Security (ICE) responds to Cardi B's mention of “Jumping Ice” if they come for her fansRandy Moss' has officially trademarked the popular catchphrase “You Got Moss'd”“Mossed” has been a popular saying for 20+ yearsNYC mother frustrated, speaks out after paying $3,000 in rent for a freezing apartment with kids inside Gloss Up reveals that Brorilla is still mad at her because she wouldn't let her inside her house when she was getting shot at49ers' Keion White was reportedly shot in the ankle following an argument with Lil Baby hours after the Super Bowl, police sayMichelle and Barack Obama are currently sitting courtside at the NBA All Star game and being loved on.The NBA is planning to invite over 200 influencers to All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles to help create content across broadcasts, in-arena entertainment, competitions, and fan activationsDJ Akademiks called J. Cole performative for driving a Honda Civic in 2026 despite being worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”DaBaby reveals rappers were mad at him for working with NBA YoungBoy while he was on house arrest, despite all of them secretly listening to his music"GOAT" star Gabrielle Union talks about how heartwarming it is bringing her daughter to see Angel Reese play

Send a textAir Date:  February 9, 2026 on 91.3FM WVKR-This week on In The Field Radio, Rapz and Erin Boogie jump straight into J. Cole's highly anticipated album ‘The Fall-Off' and neither of them made it through the entire project in one sitting. The duo gives their unfiltered opinion and breaks down what they heard from the project.They also debate the art of the old-school album rollout. With J. Cole channeling his early grind by selling CDs out of the trunk of his Honda Civic, and Cardi B famously selling CDs to fans on the NYC subway, are grassroots rollouts making a comeback in today's streaming era? Is selling nostalgia the new marketing strategy in hip-hop?In this week's hip-hop news and trending headlines:RIP to DJ Young Slade, son of Lil Jon.The Super Bowl may have been underwhelming, but the Benito Bowl was a whole different story.Bad Bunny delivered what might be the greatest Super Bowl halftime production we've ever seen.Central Cee's 12-year sneaker collection was reportedly stolen from a storage unit.The duo also taps into conversations around the Olympic Winter Games and the global spotlight on sports and culture.In this week's Unfiltered & Unqualified, Boogie and Rapz tackle workplace attraction. Thinking about dating a colleague? Their advice is simple: don't do it. They break down why mixing business with pleasure can get messy fast.From hip-hop album reviews and music industry marketing strategies to Super Bowl halftime analysis, celebrity news, and relationship advice, In The Field Radio brings raw, witty, culture-driven commentary every week.Press play and get in the field.

For many of us, we would have said at 15 that our greatest fear lied between a Honda Civic and a Lexus, and didn't mind the gap. Parallel parking was the grim reaper of our day and to our new knowledge, he's hung up the sickle in trade for an e-bike. Our second teen has finally crossed over to the Driver's side and we aren't totally sure how we feel about it. On today's show we asked for your teen driving experiences and much more. Enjoy the show!Join us at the Dustin Nickerson Comedy Fans Facebook Group: : http://www.facebook.com/groups/dustinnickersoncomedyWatch the show every week over at Nateland Entertainment:: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzAzMoLwjQTuyqu2QFFzvQQDon't Make Me Come Back There Podcast is hosted by Dustin and Melissa Nickerson |Watch Now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4aMLhoDw6JasL8tgtrlkABlGU8tsiwnH&si=51tUApjDrmh4nz93Podcast produced and edited by Andy Lara at Sun Face Mediahttps://www.dustinnickerson.comhttps://www.andylikeswords.comEmail - dontmakemecomebackthere@gmail.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Come see Dustin LIVE on tour: https://www.dustinnickerson.com/tourFollow and Listen to  Don't Make Me Come Back There: https://apple.co/3A1fbnPSpotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0qdEVMAx9LqmnqIHmkjOGg?si=341fc47a1a3145e1Watch the new comedy special, Runs in the Family from Dustin Nickerson | (Full Comedy Special) #newcomedy #standupcomedy : https://youtu.be/0Dybn3Atj9kOrder Dustin's book: How to Be Married (To Melissa) today!” https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/how-to-be-married-to-melissa/Give a little more and get a little more from the pod on Patreon!Head to https://www.patreon.com/DustinNickerson for the Patreon Pre Show with behind the scenes podcast rants, exclusive bonus content, and to help support the show.Visit the MERCH shop: https://www.dustinnickerson.com/shopGet social with DustinFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/dustinnickersoncomedyX: https://www.X.com/dustinnickersonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinnickerson/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dustinnickerson#DontMakemeComeBackTherePodcast #dustinnickerson  #Netflix #Comedy #Podcast #primevideo

Solemos asociar las listas de espera con objetos de lujo extremo o superdeportivos de edición limitada. Sin embargo, la historia del automóvil nos revela una realidad muy distinta: en muchas ocasiones, el coche más deseado no ha sido el que más corre, sino aquel que simplemente no se podía fabricar al ritmo que la sociedad lo necesitaba. Desde la necesidad más básica de movilidad hasta el consumo impulsivo, hoy recorremos las historias de aquellos vehículos que agotaron la paciencia de generaciones enteras. La estafa del sueño alemán: El KdF-Wagen (1938) Antes de que el mundo lo conociera como el Volkswagen Escarabajo, nació como el KdF-Wagen. El gobierno nazi ideó un sistema de ahorro mediante el cual los obreros pegaban sellos de 5 marcos en una cartilla semanal. La promesa era sencilla: al completar el pago de 990 marcos, recibirían su vehículo. Utilidad social frente al dinero: Citroën 2CV (1948) Tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Francia necesitaba moverse. El Citroën 2CV, despreciado inicialmente por la prensa, se convirtió en un éxito absoluto entre la población rural. La lista de espera alcanzó los seis años, pero lo fascinante fue el criterio de entrega. Pierre-Jules Boulanger, director de Citroën, instauró una selección ética: se dio prioridad absoluta a parteras, veterinarios, médicos rurales y agricultores. El Rastrojero: Orgullo e ingenio argentino (1952) En Argentina, la falta de divisas para importar vehículos llevó a la creación del Rastrojero. Fabricado por la estatal IAME utilizando motores de tractores sobrantes de Estados Unidos, este vehículo se convirtió en el símbolo del trabajo en la Pampa. Su dureza y fiabilidad generaron una demanda tan masiva que las listas de espera se contaban por años. El SEAT 600 y la picaresca española (1957) El 600 fue el motor de la libertad para España, pero la fábrica de la Zona Franca en Barcelona no podía seguir el ritmo del país. Para entrar en la lista de espera, que superaba los dos años, había que adelantar una fianza de 20.000 pesetas. Esto dio lugar a un fenómeno muy particular: el mercado secundario de "turnos". Quienes recibían la notificación de entrega y no podían o no querían el coche, vendían su derecho a compra a precios desorbitados. El Ford Mustang y la histeria americana (1964) En Estados Unidos, el lanzamiento del Mustang no generó una lista de espera convencional, sino una auténtica fiebre colectiva. Ford esperaba vender 100.000 unidades en un año; vendieron 22.000 el primer día. Los concesionarios vivieron escenas de caos absoluto, con clientes durmiendo dentro de los coches de exposición para evitar que otros se los llevaran. El Trabant 601: Una vida entera esperando (1964) En la República Democrática Alemana, la economía planificada llevó el concepto de espera al extremo del absurdo. El Trabant, con su carrocería de duroplast y motor de dos tiempos, tenía una lista de espera de entre 12 y 17 años. Esto creó una economía invertida: un Trabant usado costaba el doble que uno nuevo, simplemente porque el usado estaba disponible de inmediato. Crisis del petróleo y el Honda Civic (1973) Cuando la crisis del petróleo de 1973 golpeó a Occidente, los enormes motores V8 americanos se volvieron insostenibles. Honda apareció con el Civic, un coche que "gastaba como un mechero". La demanda fue tal que los concesionarios en EE.UU. introdujeron los "Market Adjustments": sobreprecios de hasta el 40% que los clientes pagaban sin rechistar con tal de no seguir arruinándose en las gasolineras. Mercedes-Benz W123: El taxi que no se devaluaba (1976) El antecesor del Clase E fue víctima de su propia excelencia. Su reputación de indestructible hizo que la lista de espera oficial en Alemania llegara a los tres años. Al igual que ocurrió con el Trabant, pero en un mercado libre, los ejemplares con un año de uso se vendían más caros que los nuevos en el concesionario. La lotería nacional del Nissan Figaro (1991) En el Japón de la burbuja económica, Nissan lanzó el Figaro, un pequeño descapotable de diseño retro. La previsión era de 8.000 unidades, pero recibieron 300.000 solicitudes. Ante la imposibilidad de gestionar una lista de espera de décadas, la marca optó por una solución salomónica: sortear el derecho a compra. Toyota Land Cruiser 300: El reto del siglo XXI (2021) Incluso hoy, con toda nuestra capacidad industrial, el deseo sigue superando a la oferta. El lanzamiento del Land Cruiser 300, sumado a la crisis de microchips, provocó esperas de cuatro años.

On this episode of Bulture podcast:“Relationship goals” on Amazon Prime, was the movie just bad or very misleading because the usage of Kelly Rowland and Method Man for promotion??Our thoughts and prayers are with Rickea Jackson. It's time to have an honest conversation. Parents should start to warn their daughters not to date football players. The same way we do with dating street dudes!! The NFL is polluted with abusers!-Atlanta Falcons' James Pearce Jr. charged with aggravated battery and stalking of WNBA star and ex girlfriend Rickea Jackson; he allegedly crashed his Lamborghini into her car. Pearce Jr is currently being held in Miami-Dade County on a $20,500 bond as he faces five domestic violence-related felony charges, per court records.-Ex-NFL Star Darron Lee arrested for murder after girlfriend found dead in Tennessee. Former First-Round draft pick held without bond following domestic incident.Nike faces Civil Rights investigation over claims white workers were treated unfairly.Actress Paige Hurd confronts her Power co-stars Michael Rainey Jr. & Gianni Paolo for unfollowing her and never hitting her up after she got engaged to NBA player Royce O'Neal.Don Toliver claims the No. 1 spot on Billboard 200 as “OCTANE” debuts with 162K unitsDJ Akademiks speaks out after previewing an unreleased Drake song before J. Cole's album "The Fall-Off" dropped last night, clarifying that Drake did not tell him to play it.Several fans and celebrities say the energy for this year's Super Bowl feels dry compared to other years.The Seahawks' PR page, along with NFL fans, didn't appreciate Druski's joke about Jaxon Smith-Njigba's name. Druski was announcing JSN as the Offensive Player of the Year.J. Cole announces he's driving across the U.S. to sell 'The Fall-Off' CDs out of the trunk of his old Honda Civic! "Trunk Sale Tour 26"Michelle Obama doc sees 47 million viewership boosts during 'Melania' opening weekend.GloRilla's sister, Scar Face Woods, believes Memphis rapper has obligation to help struggling familyLast night, Trump posted a video to his social media platform that contained a racist clip showing Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys.Jalen Hurts says he'd pick NBA YoungBoy to do the Super Bowl halftime show if it were his choice.BrittanyRenner is now a devoted born again Christian and prays with her new boyfriend at the start of every podcast episode. Renner ends child support case with PJ Washington, citing happiness over money.The Washington Post cut one third of their staff on Wednesday. Laid off WaPo employees urge readers to not cancel subscriptions while demanding better conditions.J. Cole's "Bunce Road Blues" features Future & Tems over production from The Alchemist26-year-old Chicago woman Gabryel Ayres was k**led in the passenger seat yesterday in the viral sh**ting. Her baby was in the backseat and survived with no injuries, the boyfriend survived as well.Channing: “$100 million dollars you can have my soul “Terence Crawford: “Now we know your character. The frantic search for Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy, has entered its fifth day. On Wednesday night, Savannah, accompanied by her siblings Annie and Cameron, shared a heartbreaking video in which she provided an update on the case.50 Cent Tucks Diddy jokes into new DoorDash commercial about 'Delivering Quality Beef'.Anthony Davis Traded to Wizards65-year-old man says he was shot in the back of the head after flexing with fake money on social media after someone called him broke. Two-armed intruders dressed up as police broke into his home for the cash then shot him excitation style luckily, he survived.Female truck driver calls out men standing outside for not helping her unload her truck while she was working and dropping off shipments.Odell Beckham Jr. took his entire $750k salary in bitcoin when he signed with the Rams in 2021. Btc was worth $64k, today It's worth $65k.

Welcome To The Real Oshow,0:00 Intro1:00 Larussell Signed With Roc Nation6:00 J. Cole Launched the "Trunk Sale Tour ‘269:00 J Cole Land Lord Story10:30 Luol Deng Mentored by Jamie Dimon11:40 Closing Thoughts In this episode of our podcast, we dive into LaRussell's big move, signing with Roc Nation. Then we break down J. Cole's bold “Trunk Sale Tour '26,” where he's driving around in a Honda Civic selling CDs of his album “The Fall Off,” focusing on his unconventional rollout rather than the album itself. We also share an incredible story from J. Cole's early days: how his landlord gave him a break on rent before he signed with Roc Nation, and how Cole paid him back with interest once he made it big. Finally, we talk about how NBA star Luol Deng was mentored by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, turning his NBA earnings into a $200 million real estate empire.Enjoy The Show, Check out our YouTube page - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoqz3s_B_VYHuQtuVIDxpiQTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@therealoshow?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcTweet @zacharyowings2 with your thoughts about the podcast or suggestions for future shows.Music by Leno Tk - Greatness (Streaming on all platforms)

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and

Today's guest is Tanner Care. Tanner Care is a high-performance specialist, currently serving as the Director of Player Performance for the BC Lions (CFL) and the Director of Athletic Performance for the Vancouver Bandits (CEBL). Since 2023, he has also held the role of Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Simon Fraser University, where he oversees the physical development of athletes across 13 collegiate sports. On the surface, strength and conditioning is about increasing an athlete's physical strength and capacities. To dig deeper and help athletes reach their highest potential, an understanding of sprint-specific forces, athlete archetypes, and dosage of inputs is essential. On today's show, Tanner talks about his practical framework for elite athlete development. He shares how he integrates max-speed work into sport-specific drills, such as full-court basketball overthrows, and explains his “layered” coaching model, which progresses from foundational health and general capacity to more specific archetyping. The conversation also dives into the technical side of his toolkit, including the use of run-specific isometrics for sprint transfer, plyometric training, and how he balances force-velocity profiles across different athlete types. Ultimately, Tanner advocates for a “health-first” approach in the pro setting, favoring consistent, high-quality inputs over unnecessarily complex training schemes. Today's episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength and Lila Exogen. Use the code “justfly20” for 20% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 0:03 – Introduction to Athlete Classification 2:19 – Innovative Training Drills 6:26 – Understanding Movement Signatures 11:32 – Exploring Strength Qualities 19:53 – Classifying Athlete Strength 32:02 – Benefits of Single Leg Strength 45:17 – Adjusting Training Based on Athlete Type 49:30 – Implementing Quasi-Isometrics 56:25 – The Complexity of Training Modalities 1:04:17 – Foot Positioning and Athletic Outcomes 1:07:47 – Closing Thoughts and Future Plans Tanner Care Quotes On Speed in Practice: "So the problem I was trying to solve was how can we check these speed residual boxes within the constraints of practice." On the Priority of Training: "That's layer one health has to come before performance. So removing any potential inhibition." On Dynamic vs. Passive Screening: "I've seen so many people get on a table, assess passive hip internal rotation and say there's some kind of limitation. But when we see it dynamically at sports speed, it's like, oh, there it is." On General Movement Competency: "I can't tell you the amount of professional guys I have come in that like can't do like rudimentary plyometrics like they can't hop or bound stationary let alone locomotively" On Local vs. Global Issues: "Do we have a Ferrari? Do we have a Honda Civic? Do we have a Ferrari with a flat tire? Like, sometimes we just have to deal with local issues, not necessarily broad systems of improving the overall organism." On the Limits of Strength: "We know that the strongest individuals aren't necessarily the most forceful individuals. At some point, there's a clear cutoff." On Stiffness and Propulsion: "Rate of force development and stiffness isn't always a good thing if they don't have the propulsive qualities necessary to actually displace their hips horizontally" On Force and Sprint Performance“If you're able to generate adequate force at adequate time and attenuate high braking force, that's always going to correlate positively with sprint performance.” On Weight Room Philosophy: "I try to remove skill or as much skill as I can within the context of the weight room." About Tanner Care Tanner Care is a credentialed strength and conditioning professional specializing in elite athlete development across pro and collegiate levels. He currently serves as Director of Performance for the Vancouver Bandits (CEBL) and the BC Lions (CFL), overseeing strength & conditioning, load management, sport science, and performance nutrition to enhance athlete readiness and longevity. Previously, he was Head Coach of Strength & Conditioning at Simon Fraser University (NCAA), leading programs across multiple sports including men's basketball and track & field, where he built evidence-based training systems. Tanner holds RSCC and CSCS certifications (NSCA), is an EXOS Performance Specialist, and earned his Master's (MS(c)) from the University of Florida. His background includes roles like Head S&C Coach for University of Ottawa rugby. He contributes to the field as a SimpliFaster author, podcast guest on performance systems, and CSCA advisory team member. Passionate about sprint training, speed, and mechanics, he's a dedicated husband, family man, and 49ers fan.

Car Kill Switch Debate, Social Manipulation & Super Bowl 2026 Preview | Hard Parking Ep 311 w/ Talk2QAfter missing the Southwest Speed Festival—big thanks to Jorge Aquino from Tormenting Tarmac for covering. This episode dives beyond cars: blowback from the last show sparks a rant on tribalism, mature conversations, and why Hard Parking covers society-shaping issues. Discussion on social media manipulation via a circulating photo of Alex Pretti (the Minneapolis nurse killed in a January 2026 incident involving Border Patrol agents)Wild news: A guy impersonating an FBI agent tried to break Luigi Mangione (UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter) out of jail using a barbecue fork and pizza cutter.Car News: A 2016 Honda Civic in Philly flash-frozen by a water main break—now an impromptu photo op.Deep dive on the "Car Kill Switch" bill (from 2021 Infrastructure Act, Section 24220)—mandating passive impaired-driving tech in new cars ~2026-2027 to stop drunk driving. Not remote government control; onboard sensors detect BAC/impaired behavior and prevent operation. Pros: Saves lives (MADD support). Cons: Privacy, false positives, costs, slippery slope (critics like Rep. Thomas Massie). Recent repeal efforts failed. (More: congress.gov)Recurring guest Quincy from Talk2Q Radio Show joins for the big post-season wrap:Bill Belichick snubbed from first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026—pettiness over Spygate/Deflategate? (ESPN)Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders lands a surprise Pro Bowl spot as a replacement—popularity pick? (ESPN)College football: Indiana's historic undefeated 16-0 season ends with first national title, beating Miami 27-21 in CFP final—Fernando Mendoza shines, Carson Beck's late INT hurts. (ESPN Recap)NFL Super Bowl LX preview: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks (Feb 8, 2026, Levi's Stadium). Leaning Seahawks for dynamic defense, JSN receivers, and Sam Darnold's Cinderella story; Pats strong with Drake Maye stepping up. (Patriots.com Preview)#HardParking #CarCulture #SuperBowlLX #CarKillSwitch #Talk2QKey Chapters: 00:00 - Intro & Bronchitis Update03:20 - Blowback on Last Episode & Tribalism Rant05:00 - Social Manipulation: Alex Pretti Photo Breakdown08:30 - Wild News: FBI Impersonator Jailbreak Attempt10:15 - Ice Story & Car Kill Switch Bill Deep Dive (with Grok summary)14:20 - Guest Intro: Quincy from Talk2Q15:00 - Bill Belichick Hall of Fame Snub18:50 - Shedeur Sanders Pro Bowl Surprise20:50 - College Football Wrap: Indiana's National Title Win26:00 - Super Bowl LX Preview: Pats vs. SeahawksMain Show SponsorsRight Honda: https://righthonda.com/Right Toyota: https://www.righttoyota.com/Arcus Foundry: https://arcusfoundry.comAutocannon Official Gear: https://shop.autocannon.com/Contact Hard Parking with Jhae PfenningEmail: Info@HardParking.comWebsite: www.Hardparking.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/hardparkingpodcast/Instagram: instagram.com/hardparkingpod/YouTube: youtube.com/@HardParking

Chicago police report that there have been a slew of smash and grab thefts of airbags from Honda Civics within the city recently. https://www.lehtoslaw.com

A special Friday edition of the Wheels Up segment with Eric Peters at EP Autos, reviews of the new Mercedes wagon, A look back at the 1980 Honda Civic, would you buy a version today of a true economy car? (We really do not have any in the U.S.)

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're talking with Tim MacLeod, a former nurse who escaped the financial treadmill by flipping couches—and now teaches others how to do the same. Are you a church leader feeling the financial squeeze? Looking for a side hustle that doesn't require debt, special skills, or hours you don't have? Tim's story offers a practical roadmap—and encouragement—for anyone needing to close that income gap. Burnout and financial pressure. // Tim became a nurse at 21, newly married, supporting his wife through teacher's college, and quickly thrown into adult responsibilities. The only way to stay financially afloat was by working overtime once or twice a week. When their second child was on the way, he realized the path he was on was unsustainable. Finding financial freedom. // Options like upgrading his nursing degree, relocating, or working in dangerous psychiatric facilities were unappealing. Tim needed something flexible, part-time, and profitable enough to replace overtime. He discovered flipping phones and iPads first, but competition was fierce. Then, after borrowing a trailer and responding to a free couch listing, everything changed. He cleaned it up, sold it the next day for $280, and instantly covered more than an entire nursing shift. Why flipping couches works. // The opportunity exists because of a gap in the marketplace. Most people don't own trucks, can't move heavy furniture, and face tight deadlines when moving. Sellers value reliable pickup over price; buyers value affordable furniture delivered to their door. Tim steps into this gap. With polite communication and kindness, he creates a “win-win-win”: sellers get rid of furniture quickly, buyers get affordable delivered couches, and Tim earns a consistent profit. He estimates most beginners can make $1,000/month by flipping just five couches—buying each for around $50 and selling for $250 with delivery included. A side hustle with time freedom. // One of the most surprising parts of Tim's business is the flexibility. He built the early stages of his flipping business in the evenings with his wife and baby riding along—road dinners, cheap pizza, and trips to pick up inventory. Now he schedules pickups during school hours, stacks deliveries based on availability, and can pause or accelerate the business as needed. It's ideal for ministry families with unpredictable schedules. Why you can succeed at this. // Many of Tim's students are pastors or church employees, and he says ministry workers have unique advantages: access to storage at the church, a heart for helping people, strong communication skills, and the ability to bring calm to awkward interactions. Many pastors live outside their ministry communities—creating the perfect “import/export” opportunity where they can buy in one market and sell in another. And unlike many side hustles, flipping couches doesn't conflict with ministry—it simply provides supplemental income with minimal stress. A free resource to get started. // Tim created a free Google Doc of scripts—his exact messages for starting conversations, vetting couches, and negotiating with integrity. To get it, simply comment scripts on any of his Instagram videos and he’ll email it your way. He also offers an affordable course walking through his full system, including storage setup, videos, delivery strategies, and scaling beyond $1,000/month. To learn more or access Tim's free scripts, visit him on Instagram @thefulltimeflipper or explore his full course at tim-macleod.com. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey, friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. We’re definitely having a very un-unSeminary episode today. You know recently I heard some statistics that I was like, man, we gotta do something about this. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics—you’re like, it’s a little early in the year for the Bureau of Labor and Statistics—but there’s a 13% gap between what religious workers—people who are clergy actually, is the title—and the average income in the country makes – a 13% gap. In fact, it even gets worse when you look at people, there’s a category called “religious workers, other”, which these would be like not the senior pastor types. This is like everybody else that works in a church. There’s a 40% gap between those people and the the average salary in the country. Rich Birch — And so why am I bringing this up? Because I know that there are people that are listening in today that are feeling that gap. Here we are in January and they’re feeling the pressure of that. And I want to help you with that. And so I’ve got a friend, like a friend from real life, friends. This is like we’re in the same small group. We know each other, incredible leader, and I want to expose you to him. But more importantly, I think he can help you with that gap.Rich Birch — It’s my friend, Tim MacLeod. Tim was a nurse with the dreams of fatherhood and home ownership, but after a few years was faced with reality and no time, no amount of overtime was really going to fill the gap that he needed to make things work. And after being stuck on that kind of financial treadmill, he found a way out. He found the niche of, wait for it, friends, flipping couches. What? Flipping couches and was able to quit his nursing job and now does this full time. And I’ve asked him to come on. Uh, because I think what he did at the beginning, even part-time, I think could help some of us today that are, that are listening in. Tim, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Tim MacLeod — Thanks so much for having me, man. I’m excited.Rich Birch — This is going to be a good conversation. Kind of fill in the story. Tell us a little bit, uh, tell us about your background, and how did you get in? How did you go from nursing to flipping couches?Tim MacLeod — So I wanted to be obedient and I got married maybe a little bit too young at 21. My wife was still in teacher’s college. And so very, very quickly I was thrown into adulthood of two cars, rents and all the things that come with that.Tim MacLeod — And nursing was good. I was a registered practical nurse, so not a university educated RN making bank, but doing okay with a college diploma. And I got the comfy gig at a long-term care home because I preferred eight-hour shifts and not the, I didn’t want nights.Rich Birch — Midnight and all that.Tim MacLeod — I just wanted, yeah, exactly.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, yeah.Tim MacLeod — I wanted the free parking and the the reliable six to two shifts. That was just the lifestyle that I liked. And the only way that I could stay afloat financially was with doubles. I had to do my six to two and then at least once a week, usually twice, if I wanted to have any money to play with, um I would work the two to ten.Rich Birch — Wow.Tim MacLeod — And that was cool while my wife was in college or while she was finishing up teacher’s college, that was fine. And then, we had a newborn baby and that was fine. Because anytime that I would have to do those doubles, she’d go to sleep, go for a sleepover at her parents’ place. And, uh, and I would just drudge up the shifts.Tim MacLeod — And, but then when we were pregnant with number two, I knew that there was difficulties coming. And the road ahead did not look very good. And so I needed something different and all my options for replacing the income suck. Like I could go back to school and upgrade to RN, but I scraped through the first time. So that was nuts.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — I didn’t have much hope in myself in that avenue. And I could go, I could relocate, I could move or I could commute about an hour and 20 away to the mental health hospital and make like danger pay in like an asylum, basically with my current qualifications.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And everything just looked terrible. I hated all of that. And all I needed was something better than overtime. I just needed to replace that portion of the income. And I needed something better in my evenings that hopefully I could do with my wife or from home. And so I was looking at side hustles.Tim MacLeod — And I had a little bit of success flipping phones and iPads because that’s all that I really understood…Rich Birch — Okay. Yeah, yeah.Tim MacLeod — …all I understood at the time. And I live about an hour north of where my in-laws live, which is a pretty dense population. I’m in the sticks and the supply was really light there. So I could reliably go for a free meal at my in-laws place, pick up an iPhone or three and for like 300 bucks and then bring them home and sell them for 450 bucks. And so that took that took the pressure off and that was like grocery money.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And it was really consistent, really reliable. And and it was fun too. I really liked it. I liked the negotiations. I liked, I liked not trading time. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Like I liked making making a profit instead of a wage. And that I was hooked on that, but there was competition. Like I wasn’t that clever doing that.Tim MacLeod — There was there was kids that were closer to the inventory ripping around in little Hyundai Elantras and uh i remember meeting this this Indian kid named Lucky, at least his Canadian name was Lucky, and he was beating me to all the goods. And and I met him one time to buy a phone for myself and I actually got to meet him and ask him some questions and he was making four grand a month flipping phones.Rich Birch — Wow.Tim MacLeod — And I thought that is so sick, and it’s just a pure cash hustle. And he was making more doing that than whatever his office or IT job was at the time. And I was super inspired by that, but I didn’t want to compete with him. So that kind of that kind of festered with me a little bit.Tim MacLeod — And um I just got an awesome idea. Well, was gifted to me by the Holy Spirit, I think, based on how fast and how fierce it came, that I need to get skills and tools to sell in a different category, something with a higher barrier to entry. And I wanted something where I didn’t have to compete with the Honda Civics and the Hyundai Elantra’s that were closer to the action.Rich Birch — With Lucky. Yes.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, exactly. He was smoking me. And and it also, it was a little bit of that and then also a little bit of me coveting. I wanted to get like, um I wanted an excuse to buy a Ford Ranger. I wanted a truck at the time.Rich Birch — Love it.Tim MacLeod — And so this combination, this combination of like wants and needs at the time, had me pitching an idea to my brother, Ross. I’m just like, Hey, what do you think about instead of phones and iPads? What if I got a truck and I started doing like washers and dryers or appliances or something like that? And he said, that’s a cool idea.Tim MacLeod — You’re good at the phones and iPads thing. And I definitely like, you’re good at the negotiations, all that. But don’t start eight grand in debt. That’s so stupid. Why don’t you just borrow my trailer and just try it? And I said, well, I don’t have a, I don’t have a hitch on my car. He said, get a hitch on your car, buddy. Okay. So, put that on the Visa, did not have the money for it. Rich Birch — Wow. Tim MacLeod — Put that on the Visa, put a two inch two inch hitch and four prong wiring on Mazda 5 like the little four cylinder, little mini minivan.Rich Birch — Oh, I wish I would have saw this at that. I wish I would have s seen this at this phase. Cause that, that, that would have been amazing to see him getting pulled around.Tim MacLeod — It was it was pretty cute and it was a big trailer too 12 by 6 aluminum being pulled by this little aaaaahhh. And it was stick shift and and…Rich Birch — Nice.Tim MacLeod — …and the first day I got the trailer, the only thing I could find, because I was just itching to use it, was a free couch. And it was one of those beige microfiber, like gets dirty if you look at it wrong.Rich Birch — All right. Yes.Tim MacLeod — Like they hold on to every water stain.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Tim MacLeod — And it was that and it was free and it needed a little bit of TLC. And I went and I got it for free. Brought it home and with a damp cloth, scrubbed out all the little marks and had it looking good. Took a picture of it, listed it with an offer of delivery and it sold the next day for 280 bucks.Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing.Tim MacLeod — It was awesome. Because a nursing shift net was like 180.Rich Birch — Wow, OK.Tim MacLeod — I think I was, I think I was 28 bucks an hour for an eight hour shift after taxes. Yeah. Probably like 180 hit the account.Rich Birch — Wow.Tim MacLeod — And so 280 for that. And it was one of those trips of free meal at, at the in-laws and then a free couch and then bring it home and then solve somebody’s problem of, I just got an apartment. I don’t have a car or my car’s too small and I need a couch.Rich Birch — Yes, yes.Tim MacLeod — And their option was, rent a U-Haul or go to Leon’s and finance something that comes delivered. Both are not very good options for most people. And then lo and behold was this guy who said, I got a couch, I can bring it by. And it was just the easiest yes for them. It was a win for everybody. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — The person who needed the couch picked up, didn’t care about the money. They needed reliable pickup more than they needed cost recovery of the item because they had a deadline. I needed a way to make some cash and the person on the receiving end needed a couch that was affordable that came delivered. So it was just a win-win-win for everybody. I was like, okay, forget about appliances. Couches – I love this. And it was easy, it was it was easy enough to lift by myself. Rich Birch — Did you ever do appliances? Did you ever do appliances in there? Tim MacLeod — Yeah. I did a washer and dryer and ate a loss on that because it needed repair and I didn’t… Rich Birch — Love it. Tim MacLeod — …I paid for someone to assess and they were like, yeah, this thing’s broken. Was like, sweet. Okay. So a hundred bucks to you for, for, to tell me that it’s hopeless, and then pay for junk removal too.Rich Birch — Yes.Tim MacLeod — Like it was just such a loss. But couches, I could reliably sit on it and be like, well, that’s not broken. And I can handle that little stain or I can, my wife could stitch that up.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — And, uh, it was just so safe. And I loved it. If, if I were handier, I’m sure I could, flip snowblowers or lawnmowers or cars or something like that, but I’m not handy. I’m just, I have the ability to relocate stuff. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And so couches were just so perfect where I could just accurately be like, that’s 300 bucks to me. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — And they only want 60 for it. Perfect. Let’s do that.Rich Birch — So and let’s double click on that. A part of what, so friends, like with the reason why, I think you’ve seen why I’ve got Tim on the the line today. I want to inspire you to think like, hey, you you could in part-time make a little extra a month. And I’m going to get to that with Tim. I’m going We’re going hammer down on, okay, what exactly would be some of the first steps that you take? But let’s unpack a little bit more. You’ve talked about once this insight, which I think is just a stellar insight that’s obviously at the core of your business. It’s this whole timing thing. Like people, you know they think a couch is worth certain certain amount, but they’re moving on X date, and the value of that couch goes down. But then it’s literally the reverse. Someone on the other side, they have an empty living room and they’re like, I need something here.Rich Birch — Unpack that a little more, kind of double click on… that value exchange and how you’re in the middle of that. What’s it talk us through what that looks like.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, there’s there’s a gap. There’s a gap in the marketplace. On the one end, we’ve got people who need it picked up and their options are hope that someone will pay the price that they want. And then if they hit a deadline, then their option is junk removal or put it to the curb. And so there’s a gap to fill there. Tim MacLeod — And then on the other side, there’s a gap of people who need a couch dropped off but can’t do it themselves. Like how many, what’s the population of people that own a truck that can actually do it is probably less than 10%. Most people have cars and hatchbacks and SUVs and stuff like that.Rich Birch — Right. Tim MacLeod — And then there’s also the how many people can lift a couch. I would say easily less than half the population. And so there’s just this huge gap that can be filled. And so by just committing to being the dude, you can help a lot of people solve a lot of problems. And there’s a little slice in it for you too.Rich Birch — So one of the things I’ve heard you say is that you have found this process of buying couches and then, you know, sitting on them for a while, maybe cleaning them a little bit and then turning around selling them is really flexible. Talk us through that. You know, it feels like you’re, you know, you’re, you have some time control. Talk us through what that looks like for you in your current world.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, the time freedom is crazy. And that was the appeal in the beginning was [inaudible] I didn’t want to be strapped to a location, a building to to make money. I had to be away from my wife and kids. But when it, couches just took off so fast that the first time I flipped a couch, I immediately called the scheduling office and reneged on all of my overtime. I said cancel all my two shifts.Rich Birch — Oh, wow.Tim MacLeod — I’m done. I’m I’m I’m just doing my 10 shifts. And, and then it didn’t take too long before i wanted to quit so fast, man. I wanted to be out of there. My, my my passion for the, like, I was so replaceable. Like as soon as if if I’m gone, someone’s going to fill the shift.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — Like, ah but there was a, there was a huge, there was a need that, and it was fun for me too. It was a game. I forget the question.Rich Birch — Yeah, I was just talking about the time flexibility, like how you feel like it’s, you know, you have a fair amount of time freedom. Part of what I’m trying to get to is pastors are busy people. Church workers are busy people. Is this even the kind of thing that they could fit into, you know, an existing as like a side hustle kind of thing?Tim MacLeod — Yes. Yeah. The time freedom is crazy. And so on the buying side, I’m just letting people know when I’m available. And sometimes I’ll tie it up with ah with a $50 deposit so that they can market it sold with confidence and they know that I’m not going to ghost on them. And that I have the peace of mind of nice, that’s mine for when I need it. And I’ll squeeze them for a deadline so that I make sure that I’m providing the service of reliable pickup in a manner that works for them. Tim MacLeod — But yeah, I’m just stacking pickups when it’s convenient for me. And in this current season, it’s during school hours. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — So I’ll drop the kids off at school and then rip south and grab some stuff. But in that season, it was I’m available in the evening. And so I would come home from school, I’m sorry, work from my nursing job. And my wife would pack up, we pack up a little cooler bag of like a road picnic of dinner.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — We had a one-year-old baby at the time and, uh, oh, that summer there was a lot of 50% off pizzas. Pizza Hut had a, the, the apps, we had all, all the apps, lots of road dinners. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Tim MacLeod — And Costco was clutch too.Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim MacLeod — But, um, yeah, just when I had an availability, I would acquire inventory and then they’d sell when they sell. And and again, full flexibility of, okay, I’m available at this time. I can squeeze in a delivery or someone could come pick it up. But yeah, the the time freedom is crazy and it’s sweet to to to just dabble in profits instead of relying on a wage. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, time freedom is awesome.Rich Birch — Well, you talked about the fact that your you know your brother was telling you you’re good at negotiations. I know there are people that are listening in today that are feeling like, oh, there’s no way that I would be good at negotiations. Obviously, you’ve got to buy the thing for considerably lower than what you’re selling it for. Talk us through even just a couple, help us get over that hurdle in our brains. Man, I just don’t know that I could do that.Tim MacLeod — Yeah. So the first thing is I’m scrolling a lot. And not not frequently. I’m not glued to my phone. But when I do it, I lock in. Like today was the shopping session and it was headphones in with some instrumental music, just kind of vibing. And I’m probably scrolling, looking at probably 400, 500 couches. Rich Birch — Okay.Tim MacLeod — And I’ll message probably 20 to 30 of them. Because a lot of them are crap. A lot of them are actually new. There’s no opportunity with new coaches. like There’s lots of warehouse stuff that’s still on first Facebook Marketplace and stuff like that. But what I’m looking for is very specific. I’m looking for private sales from real people. You got to be able to spot the scammers and weed them out. Tim MacLeod — And I’m looking for couches that I would want in my lockers. I’m not worried about the price whatsoever. Because the price is super subjective and it’s just kind of like what they’re hoping for. It’s not actually what they’re necessarily going to get. So the price is irrelevant. I’m just looking at pictures and I’m compiling lists of couches that I would want. And I’m starting conversations so that it’s kind of like I’m, I’m, it’s it’s like I’m offering my service. I’m starting the conversation to see why they’re selling it, if there’s a deadline, and if they would be someone who would be receptive to my service. And it’s kind of like they’re paying me for my reliable pickup service with a smoking and deal on a couch.Tim MacLeod — And so I have to get them there. And it’s not just, I can’t just go around lowballing everybody because you burn the bridge and you hurt feelings. Rich Birch — Right. Tim MacLeod — So I’m starting conversations and I’m filling in the gaps on the item. So I’ll read the description and see what’s missing. Like, did they specify that there’s pets in the house? I want to know, is there pets? Are there smokers in the house? Does it need any repairs? Does it need any stain removal or restoration if it’s leather? And I’m filling in all the gaps. So I have a complete picture of what it is that I’m actually buying. And that’s all kind of like a trauma response from my many, many drives of shame of I didn’t ask the right questions.Tim MacLeod — And so it’s it’s definitely preventing the drive of shame. And I’m just running through these scripts that I have. And it would sound like it’s a lot of typing, but I’ve actually made keyboard shortcuts for all of it. So my opening question is, I’ll never say, hi, is this still available? Because everybody hates being asked, hi, is this still available? On Facebook Marketplace, right? Because they’ve made it ah they’ve made it a button… Rich Birch — Yes. That’s why it’s up. Tim MacLeod — …where it’s just like, hi, is this still available? But that upsets people, which is fair, because it’s annoying. But at the same time, most people don’t have empathy for the fact that, how else are they going to start the conversation? Why would you ask questions if you’ve got someone lined up for it? So I’ll ask the exact same question, but in a way that annoys nobody. And I’ll say, is anyone scheduled to pick this up? It’s the same question, but upsets nobody.Rich Birch — Same question, just in a different way.Tim MacLeod — So that’s, that’s my first shortcut is, good morning, good good afternoon, good evening, whatever. And then any, and so on my keyboard, any with two wise expands into anyone’s schedule to pick this up. And then the next one is, does it need any repairs or stain removal? That’s if it’s fabric. And that’s does D or D O E S S and then D O E s S S S or with three S’s is, does it need any repairs or restoration? That’s if it’s leather. And so it’s just these quick little, my thumbs are just, and just… Rich Birch — So cool. Tim MacLeod — …I’m, I’m drafting up this quick little paragraph that fills in all the gaps, firing that over. And then, And then they’ll reply and fill in the gaps. And then I park it. I pause the conversation by saying, okay, awesome. Thanks so much. Just starting to have a peek at options, might get back to you.Tim MacLeod — And that one line separates me from everybody on Facebook. Because most people ask a question and then they just leave it on read. They got that little picture, that little tiny profile picture of yourself that says that, hey, he read it, but he’s gone and it’s crickets.Rich Birch — Yes.Tim MacLeod — And it’s a very, very infuriating experience. And that’s kind of like part of my service is that I am very, very different on Facebook Marketplace. Like an experience selling to me is better than anybody…Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — …because of how I talk. Like I’ll receive offers every day from people that don’t use words. They just send a number. Rich Birch — Just money. Tim MacLeod — Like I’ve got a couch listed for 1150 and someone just sends 700 – no dollar sign, no question mark, no good morning, nothing like that. And, and that’s a fair offer. Like he’s… Rich Birch — Yeah. Tim MacLeod — …I paid, I paid a fifth of that, like 700 is a fair offer, but I automatically hate this guy. I don’t, I don’t hate, I don’t hate him. Rich Birch — Yes. No, I get what you mean.Tim MacLeod — But, but it’s immediately just like, dude! Rich Birch — Yes. Tim MacLeod — You like say, say hi, say please. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Tim MacLeod — Even a, even a question mark would be, you know, so that’s the kind of people that I’m dealing with. And I’ve got thick skin and I always operate on the mindset of, I do want to sell this guy and I, and I do want to see him later today. So I’m not going to match his energy. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — I’m never, I’m never a thermometer. I’m always a thermostat. I always set, set the temperature in the room, you know?Rich Birch — Right. Love it. Yep.Tim MacLeod — And so that’s ah that’s a big factor. But yeah, running through those scripts and and just getting people to their best price. And so after pausing it of, thanks so much, just starting to have a peek at options, I’ll reconnect with them.Tim MacLeod — Now, this is this is if their price is optimistic and it’s not a price that I’m willing to pay. I’ll slow play it a little bit by pausing the conversation. And then I’ll come back and then I’ll hit them with my my secret weapon is my polite lowball offer. And the number they might hate the number, but it comes gift wrapped in this like apologetic, like, Hey, I’m…Rich Birch — Oh, you got to tell me more that you’re, you’re setting that up. Well, you’re like, what is the polite low ball offer?Tim MacLeod — For me, I’m shopping in Toronto, which is like 90 minutes, two hours away.Tim MacLeod — And so my apologetic offer is: It’s so far, is there any chance you’d consider this much, any chance you’d consider for an out of towner? And then I just plug in the number. And, and it’s always received well. And even if it’s even if it’s even if they’re firm, that’s fine. Now I know. Rich Birch — Right. It’s data. Tim MacLeod — But and ah honestly, if somebody accepts my offer, then I didn’t offer low enough. Like I’m i’m really pushing the limit.Rich Birch — Oh, interesting.Tim MacLeod — I’m flirting with the line between an optimistic offer and a rude offer, but because I’m so nice about it. And it’s, it’s kind of like, it’s my secret weapon to get them to their best price. Because the the worst way to get someone to their best price is what’s your best price?Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Like whenever someone asks me that, it’s again, it’s just like, that’s annoying. I don’t like you.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Right, right, right, right, right.Tim MacLeod — But to politely lowball and then their counter is their best price. So I just want to squeeze them for their counter offer. And now I know what their best price is.Rich Birch — Right. Okay. That’s cool. There’s a lot there. And I know you’re want to stay tuned because Tim’s got an offer of some free help that he wants to give you that we’re going to, we’re going to get to here in a minute. So I know some of you were like, go back and ask questions on that. But I know that the free offer to help is going to help with some, some of those things. Rich Birch — What about negotiation on the other side? So I get a sense of what you’re talking about to try to get them, you know, there’s a time thing there and we’re going to wait and all that. But now on the other end, you’re trying to obviously maximize or get the biggest money for that couch you just bought, bought. What are some things we should be thinking about on that? How are you offering the couches in a way that, you know, captures people’s imagination and says like, oh, okay, that’s this, I want to do business with this guy.Tim MacLeod — So a big thing is where I’m selling it. It’s almost like I have an import business. It’s that I’m I’m ripping down the city and I’m shopping in the Tesla BMW neighborhoods where nobody has trucks and they sell really slowly. Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim MacLeod — And I’m loading a trailer and then bringing it home to the sticks where there’s not as much supply. And I’m selling to people who do have pickup trucks. Like where I live, there’s lots of people with trucks and trailers, but they weren’t doing that drive to the city like I did.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — So I’m destroying a Toyota Highlander in kilometers, which is really hard to do. It’s at 400,040 and she ain’t quitting anytime soon. It’s been a great car.Rich Birch — Love it.Tim MacLeod — So that is definitely like the fact that it feels like an import business feels like cheating.Rich Birch — Well, and can I just, I just want to interrupt you for a second here. This, because that dynamic, this is a part of why I wanted to have you on the show. Because one of the things that I’ve seen is like, it’s super common, like super common for church leaders to not live in the community that they serve. Because frankly, they can’t afford to live there because of that gap that I just told you about.Rich Birch — There is a wage gap between what people make and the communities they serve in. And so they typically live you know, 45 minutes, an hour away. I actually think that that, the fact that they’re just driving into the office could be, and then going back to wherever they live, could actually set them up for running this kind of business just because they’re in and out of where they’re at.Tim MacLeod — Oh, yeah. Yeah, that’d be cheating. If you could, if you could grab a couch on your way home from on your way home from work to bring it back to the sticks, that’d be awesome.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. I see that all the time.Tim MacLeod — For sure. And at a lot of…Rich Birch — So the distance is one way. So there’s like an import out, out, port anything else that you get, it’s kind of an interesting part of how you negotiate on to try to increase the, the, the price.Tim MacLeod — Knowing what it’s worth and how quickly it would sell is definitely a factor. And just patience wins on both sides.Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — Being the dude who um can pick it up and someone is now, they had their optimistic kick at the can and now it needs to go and their patience has run out. Patience wins there. And then on the selling side to where I don’t, it’s not in my foyer. It’s not in my living room. The new couch hasn’t arrived. It’s in a storage locker ready to be picked up anytime. And my lockers are fairly affordable being in a rural spot.Tim MacLeod — And so it’s kind of like if if we were playing poker, I’m holding aces. I can deliver it. I can sell to anybody. I’m not relying on people on the small demographic who can pick it up. I can sell to the Honda Civic crowd. I can sell to seniors who can’t lift a couch themselves. I can finesse it into a patio door by myself. And so there’s the there’s the skill gap there as well. And all of the all of the hindrances that make selling a couch difficult are not a factor for me. I can lift them by myself. I can I have the best trailer. I have storage lockers. They can take as long as they need to sell. And I live in a market where there’s not as much supply. So it’s just, it feels like cheating. Like I’m just really, really set up for it. And it’s super easy to be patient.Rich Birch — Now, I don’t know if I’m going to force you to give away one of your secret weapons here, but talk about the videos that you shoot ah of the, you know, of the products. Because i to me, I think this is one of the things you do that I think is super unique. What is what’s unique about the videos that you might shoot? Say got this nice leather couch. It’s like, you know, it sells for $5,000 somewhere else. You’re selling it for whatever, $1,500, $2,000. What’s actually in that video that might set your your listings apart?Tim MacLeod — Yeah, so that was something that I feel like I pioneered. And since then, Facebook has now added a feature where you can add a video to a listing. But it’s so nice to have. So I’m I’m posting flattering photos. So it’s it’s a scroll stopper when they’re on Marketplace.Tim MacLeod — And they’ll inquire. And then my video is super, super honest. And the goal is for it to be so detailed that they could confidently say, okay, he just showed me all the reasons not to buy the couch because all my stuff is used. I’m not selling anything new. It’s all pre-owned. They all have some blemishes or some quirks or worn spots or something like that. But to include ah a video that shows all of the reason not to buy it really, really greases the wheels because no one’s coming to see a couch and then being disappointed when they get there. Everything was already shown.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Tim MacLeod — So they’re coming to just give, basically just come sit and sniff and make sure that it’s something that they would want in their house, or something they’d want to sit on for two hours a day. And, um, and so those videos really, really saved me so much time and gasoline. And since then they’ve added that where you can add a feature. So, or where you can add a video into the listing. And so as long as the video is less than a minute, so I’m aiming for 59 seconds, I’ll fill the whole thing and I’m showing every inch of it and I’m packing it with dialogue on the neighborhood that it came from, the people, the house. And a lot of times that’s a selling feature of this this couch came from North York. The house was ridiculous. Rich Birch — Right.Tim MacLeod — It’s one of those houses with three living rooms. And this is the one that had the Christmas tree for a month a year. Like this was barely used. And I’m just packing it with dialogue and really, really selling it.Rich Birch — Yeah.Tim MacLeod — And my goal is that I could deliver it with them like sight unseen that they could firm up. And that when that couch arrives, there are absolutely no surprises. It’s everything they ask for [inaudible]…Rich Birch — Which from from your point of view, like this isn’t the only couch you’re hoping to sell this week. And and a part of the way that you have to protect your time and protect your business, frankly, is not having a bunch of people come and check out couches and then decide against it. Whether they’re coming to your locker or you’re driving it to their place. That’s like the worst case scenario is they show up and they’re like, oh, I don’t want this. So you might as well be fully upfront and be like, hey, here’s some stuff that’s not great about it.Rich Birch — And you do it in a really clever way. I love those videos. You helped me sell a car, which was fantastic. And I love the video you did for, you know, for that, because it was the same thing. It was this kind of like fun, um you know, here’s five reasons why you shouldn’t buy this, which which is just endearing. People, you know, lean in and want to hear more about that.Rich Birch — Well, what about the lifting piece? So, you know, if you’re not seeing one of these clips, Tim is a man of a certain size. He’s got some girth to him. He can pick stuff up. But what if I can’t? What if I’m not that guy? What if it more like me? You know, you’re like, hey, I’m not sure that guy can pick up 20 pounds. Like, is that like, I know that’s a part of what your you offer. Obviously, it’s a part of your advantage. But, you know, not everybody can do that. Talk us through that hesitation.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, I don’t think that it’s a deal breaker for having success. I think that if you can carry in a stubborn load of groceries in from the house that you could make a lot of money flipping couches.Rich Birch — That’s good.Tim MacLeod — And it it feels like a very unique form of laziness. Like I’m the kind of guy that if I need to go start start the barbecue or go run and grab my wallet from the car, I’m going to walk across the whole house and look for my flip flops instead of bending over and lacing up my boots that are right there. Like it’s a very unique form of laziness where I could jackknife park the trailer up to the storage locker. I have the dolly, but I’d way rather just, hey-yep-hey-yep-pep-pep just, just he-man lift it myself. And I’ve got a lot of really good mechanics lifting it. Tim MacLeod — Lifting a couch solo actually is not very heroic. And, and I’ve taught a lot of people how to do it. And there is, there are some heroic angles where, where the couch is on the ground and all four feet are on the ground to like clean and jerk it up overhead is that would definitely take some mass and some explosive power, but you can always also lift the couch up from the side until it’s vertical and then kind of like let it teeter and, fall on you in ah in a safe manner. And the lift itself, like once it’s up, it’s it’s as easy as like portaging a canoe. It’s not it’s not as heroic as it seems.Tim MacLeod — And I’m still reliant on other people. I am a one man show and it’s not, the money’s not good enough to pay an employee to sit in the car with me for four hours for 30 seconds of actual work. And so that’s one of my, one of my questions that I’m asking people, lift with two T’s on my phone expands into is anyone available to help me lift it? I’ll be alone. So I do need muscle.Tim MacLeod — And, um, if it’s in the garage, I can do it solo, like dragging a couch onto my trailer is easy enough. They slide very well. And I do have the dolly if there’s anything overly technical, like the pullouts, it’s nice to have a dolly. But yeah, a lot of the times there’s people, there’s someone there to help me lift it. And very, very rarely is it, sorry, I had back surgery or sorry, I’m a single senior lady or something like that. There’s usually, and even even when they say that, sometimes I’ll press a little further. Like, do you have a helpful neighbor? Rich Birch — Right. Meet us.Tim MacLeod — Do you have a son-in-law who can who could that I could coordinate with? Yep. And a lot of times I’m just handing it, or I’m squeezing them for a cell phone number of whoever the the muscle is. And now I’m on their schedule.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool.Tim MacLeod — So solo lifts are not required, but they are, they are helpful sometimes, especially at the locker when I’m by myself.Rich Birch — So this is how many years you’ve been doing this full time? Like you, so you left nursing, you know, I know this goes way back to the beginning the story. You left nursing and then how many times, how many years you’ve been doing this?Tim MacLeod — July, 2019, I borrowed the trailer from my brother. And I did full-time nursing plus evening couches for about a year, pulled back from full-time to part-time, part-time to casual. And I think it was May, 2021. Like I did a year of COVID nursing and hated every second of it. Like as soon as COVID was announced, I wanted to be out of there, but I had mortgage approval on the brain and T4 income, or W2 income for the Americans, is much more preferred for lenders than self-employed income. So I held on for that reason. And eventually left just because I hated nursing. I was getting like ulcers on my ears from wearing masks all day. Just the the charades of COVID were really, really ruining it for me.Rich Birch — So we’re going I want to get to that, that help that you’re, you know, you’re offering, which is fantastic. But I want to think about like a person that, you know, they, we want people to stay in their jobs. We don’t want them necessarily to leave. And so ah somebody that wants to make maybe like an extra thousand bucks a month, maybe that’s like, which is, you know, to lots of people, that is like a, that’s a game changer. Like that’s like, that makes all the difference in the world.Rich Birch — Give me a sense of what you think that would take to actually get to that point where, okay, yes, I could, you know, how much time do you think they would need to invest? You know, what would, what is that going to look like? How many couches do you think I’d have to move? You know, I know that’s hard to say. It’s like all North America wide, but give us a sense of kind of the framework of for an extra thousand bucks a month, what would that look like for somebody? Maybe it’s like a youth pastor that’s that’s listening in or an executive pastor. Or and they’re like, Hey, if I just had an extra 1000 bucks that’d make a huge difference in my life. What what would that look like?Tim MacLeod — Sounds like five couches to me.Rich Birch — Five couches. Okay.Tim MacLeod — Buy them for 50, sell them for 250. Delivered. Yep. And that’s that’s a great way to start is just three-seaters. Just rinse and repeat. Three-seater, three-seater, three-seater. But the money is sets and sectionals. That’s where my focus is now.Rich Birch — Okay, okay.Tim MacLeod — Now that does require trailer privilege. But with a with a minivan, you can pick up a three seater. Most three seaters will fit inside a Dodge Caravan or an Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna. And that’s a really good way to start lean and mean with a U-Haul, enclosed trailer, you just need a V6 all wheel drive. So obviously preferred, especially if you have the kind of weather we do, but, um, yeah, for 45 bucks for a U-Haul enclosed, that’s, that’s insured so that you could get in an accident and you’re not paying for it. Always take the insurance. Always. It’s only like five bucks. Tim MacLeod — But um yeah, 45 bucks for 12 by 6. And then you can pick up couch, love seat twice. But yeah, just fill in those trailers. But yeah, starting lean with what you have available and scaling up when it’s smart. And once you’ve proven that it’s possible in your market as well. But everyone’s using couches, so I think it’s good alright.Rich Birch — Yeah, so five, so five couches. How many conversations do you think I’d have to get into take to buy five couches, maybe on that side first?Tim MacLeod — I think, yeah, with the numbers, I think that if you were to start 30 conversations a month, that there would be, there would be five people that hit deadlines and they’d be like, sure. 50 bucks. If you can actually show up, it’s yours.Rich Birch — Right. Right. That’s that feels very doable. That doesn’t feel like crazy out of reach. Like there’s no way that feels like a good, you know, a great starting point for sure.Tim MacLeod — And nobody wants to do it. The barrier for entry is, is ah high enough that it’s it’s basically a private little fishing pond. A lot of people to help.Rich Birch — Right. So let’s talk about, I want to, you’re going to help people, which is amazing. And so you’ve put together some resources to help them kind of get the the ball rolling on this front. And how do, first of all, tell us what it is and then talk to us about how we can get that contact information. We’ll put links and all that in the show notes, but talk us through this.Tim MacLeod — Yeah. So those scripts that I was talking about, um, I’ve made a Google doc that is available. All you got to do is comment scripts on any of my videos and, uh, my little robot Tim will fire over, um, just squeeze you for an email and then I’ll fire that over. And, uh, it’s a good little list and you can plug those in just copy and paste and plug them into keyboard shortcuts in your phone. And then you can use those. Tim MacLeod — And it doesn’t have to be for couches. Like a lot of them are pretty couch specific, but just using those as inspiration for starting conversations and getting people to their best price and making sure that you have all the information so you’re making an informed purchase and there’s not any surprises. And and you’ll see with the with the flow of the conversation, I really am just gifting the blueprint on getting people to their best price. Tim MacLeod — And yeah, and then in my in my bio on instagram I’ve also got the couch course and I’ve run that before as a high ticket offer um and I had help from an agency to, to get leads and all that stuff. And I didn’t like it cause I didn’t like how much people were having to pay in order for me to afford that team. And I just want it to be an impulse buy price range. Tim MacLeod — So for a one hundred bucks, you can come along on a three month ride along with me while I’m pulling like $15,000 months. And, uh, the summer that I recorded that, was 2023 and I did 180k in sales with a gross profit so just sales minus cost of goods was north of a 100k, I think, after tax. I think it was like an 80k a year income. Rich Birch — That’s amazing. Tim MacLeod — And I had a three-year-old with me the entire time. My wife had gone back to work and was using her teaching license and I had a little three-year-old tow. And I also got 75 rounds golf in that year. So it’s, it’s…Rich Birch — That just got some people’s attention. Yeah, that’s amazing.Tim MacLeod — Yeah. The time freedom is stupid. The money is incredible. And, uh, it was, yeah, that was a really, really fun year.Rich Birch — Love it. So what we want to do is send people to your Instagram. Would that be the best? So @thefulltimeflipper, @thefulltimeflipper. And again, you can just comment on any one of his videos.Rich Birch — Well, first of all, Tim’s a great follow on social media. I’ve said this to lots of folks. It’s just such a fun follow. You know, it makes something like flipping just like I was like, man, I think I could do that. And, but just comment scripts on any of those and we’ll get access to those scripts.Rich Birch — And then if you’ll find the link to tim-macleod.com on there as well, which takes you to the course, it’s only a hundred dollars friends. That’s worth your investment. It’ll, it’ll really literally outline. There’s a bunch we could have talked about today and there’s a bunch of details to get into. It will drive into all of those. Literally just take his approach and just do it. Like just, take his scripts, take the what he’s done and apply it. And you’ll for sure be able to find that extra thousand dollars a month or more, you know, down the road. So, yeah, I would love that. and Anywhere else we want to send them. So Instagram, @thefulltimeflipper, anything else about that?Tim MacLeod — Oh, that’s lots. That’s good. And I was feeling pretty pretty silly that I never asked to come on your podcast earlier because a lot of my students are in church ministry in the States. And I think it’s such a sweet side hustle.Tim MacLeod — For me, it was an escape from a job that I didn’t like. But the fact of that most people need supplementary income is pretty across the board and especially in ministry. And a lot of my students have um have had that background and are still in it. And a lot of the time, the people that are in church ministry have an advantage of storage where the church, like they’re like, oh, I got free storage at my church. Pastor said the back room is available. And he said, as long as I just keep a rotation of couches for the student ministry…Rich Birch — Oh, that’s a good call.Tim MacLeod — Yeah, there was a lot of advantage there for church leaders. But yeah, it’s awesome, reliable, supplementary income. And it’s nice to not rely on your ministry for income. Like people aren’t in ministry for the big bucks. They’re there because they that is their purpose. That’s their calling. But the pressure of having to rely on that for income isn’t always the best.Rich Birch — Well, and I do think, um you know, I think folks who are in church ministry, a part of what I why why I think this is great that we’re talking about this is you might underestimate that even like a part of your core, it’s like literally core to your business is like, be kind to people and like be helpful. Tim MacLeod — Yeah.Rich Birch — And, you know, you don’t need to be sleazy. You don’t need to be, ah you know, some sort of like, oh, you’re like a used car salesman of couches. No, that’s not what it is at all. You’re just being kind and helpful and you want to try to close this gap in the market. And and I think there’s a lot of people in ministry who are like, my I could totally do that. I can make that happen for sure. So, Tim, I really appreciate this.Tim MacLeod — It really does feel like stewarding my gifts, you know?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. So again, that is, if you just go to Instagram, @thefulltimeflipper, you should follow them there and then comment scripts for any of those. Appreciate you being on the show today, sir. Thanks so much.Tim MacLeod — Thanks, man.

Bam, last one for 2025! We learn (again) what we're doing wrong in the bedroom, we get a little more respect for the Honda Civic and we wave goodbye to another year of (somewhat) successful podcasting! Thanks for all the laughs gang!

We're not sure why, but 26-year-old Aaron Rodrigues De Los Santos really wanted that 2015 Honda Civic. He stole it (the first time) November 23. Police recovered it but didn't know it was Aaron who took it ... until he took it again 2 weeks later.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lindsie has declared 'full-blown purge' season is officially underway. She recounts a stressful Thanksgiving that included a momentous victory: Jackson eating off a non-divided plate. Kristen and Lindsie dive into the news of a woman found alive in her coffin in Thailand, leading to a serious Google search about the Thai process of pronouncing death. They also tackle the digital apocalypse: kids using ChatGPT for all their homework and the creeping dangers of AI chatbots. Plus, Lindsie and Kristen are concerned for a TikTok girl living in her Honda Civic.Thank you to our sponsors!Aura: Visit AuraFrames.com and get $45 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code SOUTHERNTEACash App: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/e2o0vzbq #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/SOUTHERNTEAIQBar: Text TEA to 64000 for 20% off all IQBar products, plus FREE shipping. By Texting 64000, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing messages from IQBAR. Message and data rates may apply. No purchase required. Terms apply, available at IQBAR.com. Reply "STOP" to stop, "HELP" for helpSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Driving the latest Honda Civic hatchback – a model that has evolved since the first generation arrived in 1972 – a small car that established a very strong reputation - the current series refreshed for 2025, the entry petrol engine retired, now in two hybrid variants plus the potent turbo Type R for performance buffs. The entry Civic Hybrid e:HEV- L $49,990 drive-away and the better-equipped Civic e:HEV-LX $55,900 drive-away which I drove. These latest Civics getting small mid- life styling updates - a new grille and bumper, new alloy wheels and a revised range of colours. Inside connected services have been updated with a new Google-based infotainment system. Overall, a very compelling small car package with engaging driving dynamics with clever internal packaging – roomy and well equipped in the e:HEV-LX with full leather interior, power front seats, full panoramic sunroof with power blind, and wireless phone charging. The 2.0-litre petrol engine joined by a two-motor hybrid system driving the front wheels via an electric CVT transmission. The hybrid powertrain prioritises electric running, the petrol engine kicking in only under load, and the transition is seamless. This Honda Civic feels premium in look and feel – simply one of the more impressive hatchbacks I’ve tested in recent times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Driving the recently upgraded Honda Civic e:HEV-LX five door hatch at $55,900 drive-away not inexpensive but this is one very impressive small hybrid hatchback, highly equipped, frugal and with very engaging dynamics. A 2-0 litre petrol engine with two motor hybrid assistance driving through an electric CVT transmission. The hybrid power train most impressive, prioritising electric power and the move to petrol power under a heavier throttle is seamless quiet and refined. As I said earlier this is one of the best new cars I’ve driven in the last 12 months. Economy, in mainly city driving an impressive 5.0L/100km on 91 grade petrol. Battery charging when coasting and braking can be adjusted via the steering wheel shift paddles. And on top of 11 airbags a full suite of active safety elements via Honda Sensing technology. The drive experience engaging – on 18- inch alloy wheels with premium Michelin Pilot Sport tyres the driving dynamics are first class. Yes, it’s a little pricey at $55,900 drive-away but the Honda Civic e- HEV-L is loaded with equipment apart from a tyre repair kit and no spare wheel. Warranty five-years unlimited km warranty, battery warranty 8 years with service costs class leading – Just $597 over three years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Herzing and Jeremy Birenbaum cover this week's top automotive stories: a major Honda Civic recall affecting 406,000 vehicles, Toyota's first electric Hilux with limited range, Ford partnering with Amazon to sell certified pre‑owned cars, and a full review of the 2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid. They also talk about car‑care tips (including a wild mouse-in-battery story), the retirement of NHRA legend John Force, and a feature interview with Randy Shannon, founder of the long-running Niftee-50ees weekend car show. Buckle up for some fun! #niftee-50ees #carshows #txmpa #classiccars #autorecalls #carshow

The clerk at the gas station said I told her I was going to quit smoking, which doesn't sound like something I'd ever say. Also, my Honda Civic is single handedly responsible for global warming. And, the US mint stopped making pennies last week to save everybody $6. Enjoy.New episodes are released every Tuesday. If you want to interact with the show, we have a voice mailbox. Call 818-336-1146 and leave feedback, or just complain, and maybe I'll use it in a future broadcast.https://www.icancomplain.comTEXT THE RAINWATER HOTLINE

Today on the Woody and Wilcox Show: Stretch Lab stretched out the show yesterday; Veteran's Day and specials; Pilot addresses passengers before flight; Honda Civic recall; Michael Jackson is the first person to have a top ten hit in six different decades; Woody is going to cancel You Tube TV; Hemp stops the government from reopening; HOAs determine when you can put up Christmas decorations; Garlic makes men's under arms more attractive; And more!

Welcome to Tuesday! Jean's still in Europe. I'm still here in the studio. Gotta get the rest of my Christmas lights up this week! Thankfully, it's going to be back in the low 60's later this week. In the news this morning, a recall on thousands of Honda Civics, Wendy's is closing hundreds of locations in the near future, a cause of death for Ace Frehley, and the latest on the 3i/Atlas comet! In sports, the Packers lost to the Eagles last night on MNF, a look at Week 11 in the NFL, the Bucks beat the Mavs yesterday, the Badger basketball team plays tonight against Ball State, Joe Burrow is back at practice with the Bengals, and Brian Daboll gets fired by the Giants. Let you know what's on TV today/tonight and what's new on New Release Tuesday. Plus, Jessica Rabbit is apparently getting her own movie! Today is of course, Veterans Day, and I talked about some of the deals available for Veterans. Also talked to Grant Bilse from the Wisco Sports Show and looked at the results of our Week 10 Pigskin Picks. Actor & comedian Billy Gardell joined me this morning to talk about his upcoming stand-up tour that's hitting the Pablo Center in January. And in today's edition of "Bad News with Happy Music", we had stories about a bear that broke into the same house twice in the same night, a #FloridaMan who shot at three people outside of a bar after an argument about chickens & eggs, and a guy in California who broke into a sorority to creep on girls in the showers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Der Neon war seinerzeit nicht weniger als eine Kampfansage, denn mit ihm wollten die Amerikaner wieder Herr im eigenen Haus werden. Der Durchschnittsamerikaner kaufte in den Achtzigern immer häufiger einen Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra oder Toyota Corolla. Bei Chrysler wollten sie sich das nicht gefallen lassen und so konstruierte man mit viel Pathos eine kompakte Limousine mit freundlichem Gesichtsausdruck: den Neon. In den USA war die dort als Plymouth beziehungsweise Dodge vermarktete Kompaktlimousine, auch dank einer neuen Generation kräftiger Sechzehnventil-Motoren, ein echter Erfolg. In Deutschland war der Neon ein Chrysler und spielte in der unteren Mittelklasse eher eine Nebenrolle. Ob der Neon das Zeug zum Klassiker hat, darüber reden in dieser Folge Frank Otero Molanes, Jens Seltrecht und Lukas Hambrecht.Executive Producer: Christoph Falke & Ruben Schulze-FröhlichProjektleitung: Lukas HambrechtSounddesign & Produktion: Philipp KlauerMarketing und Ansprechpartner: Bastian SchonauerCopyrights Cover: www.oldtimer-markt.de Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

通常我們所看到的現款Honda Civic e:HEV幾乎都是試駕、Mugen套件介紹等內容(本頻道也報導過)，但從未有人介紹過它的開發歷程和故事，這次，Celsior蒐集了不少原廠資料，並用我們聽得懂的話語錄製兩集節目，沒想到竟然有”爽快的駕馭”？這是什麼東東？來聽Celsior怎麼說？ CELSIORS Youtube頻道：⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CELSIORS⁠ #行動星球 #小徐說說話 #Celsior #Civic #ehev #Honda #油電混合 #Hybrid -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

通常我們所看到的現款Honda Civic e:HEV幾乎都是試駕、Mugen套件介紹等內容(本頻道也導過)，但從未有人介紹過它的開發歷程和故事，這次，Celsior蒐集了不少原廠資料，並用我們聽得懂的話語錄製兩集節目，沒想到竟然有”爽快的駕馭”？這是什麼東東？來聽Celsior怎麼說？ CELSIORS Youtube頻道：⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CELSIORS⁠ #行動星球 #小徐說說話 #Celsior #CiviceHEV #Honda #油電混合 #Hybrid -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Marty, Liam, Scott and joe gather to discuss the mechanics of Celtic's turbulence. Hail Hail!!

Gordon Duncan is joined by Alex Rae & Simon Donnelly as they build up to a big night of European action tomorrow as Rangers & Celtic both teams search for their first win in this season's Europa League, We get an update on all things Rangers from our reporter Andrew Maclean who is in Bergen ahead of their clash with Brann and we hear from Brendan Rodgers on his "Honda Civics" comment from the weekend.Plus Beat The Pundit & The Full Time Teaser

In this week's Huddle Breakdown, Laura, Alan, and James dissect Celtic's shocking defeat to Dundee — a performance Alan calls “abject” and “horrendous.” The trio break down what went wrong tactically, from static buildup play to lack of width and risk in attack, and question whether Brendan Rodgers' methods have gone stale. Alan explains why the team looks “completely broken,” James explores the collapse of the game model and Rodgers' public comments about “driving a Honda Civic like a Ferrari,” and the group debate how Celtic can recover before Thursday night's match. Want to support the channel? - https://huddlebreakdown.comLike this video and want more content like it? Subscribe to the channel below and hit the bell to get notified every time a new video goes live. Follow us on Twitter: @huddlebreakdown@Alan_Morrison67 @jucojames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Go Radio Football Show: 22nd of October, 2025. Join host Paul Cooney alongside ex Rangers & Aberdeen Defender Richard Foster and ex Celtic & Aberdeen Defender Charlie Mulgrew in Association with Burger King. This is a catch-up version of the live, daily Go Radio Football show.  Don't miss it – PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode! Brendan Rodgers under pressure: The Celtic manager responds to criticism over his “Honda Civic vs Ferrari” analogy. Admits Celtic lack the explosive speed of previous seasons and explains how he plans to adapt. Opens up about summer transfer frustrations and why recruitment fell short. Shares his tactical approach for Sturm Graz and the importance of stability amid injuries. Rangers' new era with Danny Röhl: First impressions of the 36-year-old head coach—his philosophy, intensity, and tactical flexibility. Why Röhl insists on pressing, sprinting, and togetherness before attractive football. Reveals his plan to turn negative energy into positive momentum and build confidence through consecutive wins. Modern football debate: Is possession football killing entertainment? Why fans and pundits are fed up with “robotic” play. Heated discussion on risk-taking, attacking intent, and why crossing the ball matters more than stats. Caller Scott sparks a conversation on why nobody takes players on anymore - and how youth coaching might be to blame. Youth development and coaching culture: Are academies stifling creativity with rigid structures? Charlie Mulgrew recalls Tommy Burns' people-first approach and why freedom beats over-coaching. Radical ideas: Paying youth coaches more, incentivising player development, and banning parents from shouting instructions. Fan protests and boardroom battles: Celtic supporters voice frustration over recruitment and governance - but are protests harming the team? Rodgers and pundits weigh in on the impact of match-day disruptions and the need for unity. Rangers board fronts up to criticism, defends big-money signing Youssef Chermiti, and promises transparency. Predictions and pressure: Can Celtic rediscover their spark against Sturm Graz? Will Rangers show immediate signs of change under Röhl in Norway? Scoreline predictions and what success looks like for both sides. The Go Radio Football Show, weeknights from 5pm-7pm across Scotland on DAB, Online, Smart Speaker and on the Go Radio App. IOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/go-radio/id1510971202 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.thisisgo.goradio&pcampaignid=web_share  In Association with Burger King. Home of the Whopper, home delivery half time or full time, exclusively on the Burger King App  https://www.burgerking.co.uk/download-bk-app. Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok  For more Go Creative Podcasts, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD... 

This week on the Journos we discuss an eventful few days from the world of Scottish Football! Rangers appoint Danny Rohl, Hearts go FIVE clear at the top and Brendan Rodgers suggests his players are more like Honda Civics than Ferrari's. Join PLZ Premium TODAY! You will receive exclusive benefits via PLZ Soccer YouTube - including member only video content, access to ask questions on our special live stream and special features before anyone else. Plus much more! ✨ Sign up HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@PLZSoccer/join

Welcome to the ad free advance release of episode #477 of TMT•A pathetic display at Dundee casts doubt over the manager - is it premature?•Is this squad finished?•Fan protests - damaging or necessary disruption?•Are Celtic a Honda Civic?and much moreTreat yourself or the 20MT listener in your life, as well as supporting the podcast with some 20MT merch at 20mt.bigcartel.com/You can help support the production of these podcasts, get AD FREE content as well as gaining access to over 1100 extra episodes at patreon.com/20MinuteTimsSign up for Celtic's Youth Development Lottery The Celtic Pools and help shape Celtic's future here - https://celticpools.securecollections.net/index.aspx?Agent=353920MT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A weekend of absolute madness in the SPFL has teed up an epic podcast as former Rangers & Hearts forward, Kyle Lafferty joins the lads to discuss the appointment of Danny Rohl in the Ibrox hot-seat after the leading candidate, Kevin Muscat sensationally turned the position down on Saturday night!If that wasn't enough, Hearts extended their lead at the top of the table over Celtic after Steven Pressley's Dundee beat Brendan Rodgers' side for the first time since 1988 which prompted the Parkhead Gaffer to describe his squad as a Honda Civic! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A weekend of absolute madness in the SPFL has teed up an epic podcast as former Rangers & Hearts forward, Kyle Lafferty joins the lads to discuss the appointment of Danny Rohl in the Ibrox hot-seat after the leading candidate, Kevin Muscat sensationally turned the position down on Saturday night!If that wasn't enough, Hearts extended their lead at the top of the table over Celtic after Steven Pressley's Dundee beat Brendan Rodgers' side for the first time since 1988 which prompted the Parkhead Gaffer to describe his squad as a Honda Civic! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The movie's actual tagline is "No going back" which like...yeah This week Nando DJ and Diggins jack into the grid to appreciate the Honda Civic 2.0 with a 4 cylinder engine and 138 horsepower and also watch the third movie out of three to underpreform and kill this franchise, Tron: Ares. They nitpick the red, the blue, and of course the white.   Recommendations DJ - Beyond the Sun (game) Diggins - One Battle After Another (movie) Nando  - The Chair Company (series), Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile (hard hitting documentary)   Plugs Mostly Nitpicking on Bluesky The Nando v Movies Discord Roses and Rejections Diggins' Substack - A Little Perspective All of Nando's Links   Mostly Nitpicking theme by Nick Porcaro Logo by Michelle Chapman

The Go Radio Football Show: 20th of October, 2025. Join host Paul Cooney alongside ex Rangers Interim Manager Barry Ferguson and Celtic Hero Charlie Mulgrew in Association with Burger King. This is a catch-up version of the live, daily Go Radio Football show.  Don't miss it – PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode! Breaking News: Rangers appoint Danny Röhl as new head coach after a chaotic two-week search involving Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat. Expert Analysis: Barry Ferguson and Charlie Mulgrew discuss Röhl's coaching pedigree (Bayern Munich, Leipzig, German national team) and his tactical flexibility. Immediate Challenge: Röhl's first test comes fast—Europa League clash against Brann, followed by Kilmarnock at home. Celtic Crisis: Shock 2–0 defeat to Dundee sparks fan protests and criticism of Brendan Rodgers' tactics and recruitment strategy. Rodgers' Controversial Comment: Comparing Celtic's squad to a “Honda Civic vs Ferrari” draws backlash and questions about morale. Caller Reactions: Passionate fans weigh in—Rangers supporters demand unity, Celtic fans slam lack of fight and creativity. Title Race Twist: Hearts top the table with 22 points—can they sustain a challenge? Panel debates likelihood and historical context. European Week Preview: Celtic vs Sturm Graz, Rangers vs Brann, Aberdeen also in action at AEK Athens. Managerial Pressure: Insights into the stress and demands of football management from Barry and Charlie. Transfer Talk: Speculation on Celtic's January window and Brendan Rodgers' future; rumours swirl about potential successors. Tactical Debate: Why Celtic's slow build-up and lack of risk-taking in the final third is costing goals. Scottish Football Landscape: Partick Thistle's rise, Hearts' strong spine, and the importance of fan connection for Rangers. The Go Radio Football Show, weeknights from 5pm-7pm across Scotland on DAB, Online, Smart Speaker and on the Go Radio App. IOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/go-radio/id1510971202 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.thisisgo.goradio&pcampaignid=web_share  In Association with Burger King. Home of the Whopper, home delivery half time or full time, exclusively on the Burger King App  https://www.burgerking.co.uk/download-bk-app. Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok  For more Go Creative Podcasts, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD... 

This week, we're going back to 2013 to recap the Honda Civic Tour which featured both Kelly Clarkson and Maroon 5! We're joined by fans Christina and Justin to discuss the setlist, tour pranks, and more!Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/MissIndepodcastBuy merch from our new merch storeFollow us!Facebook | Twitter/X | InstagramFind more at missindepodcast.com

The show opens with a brief, and completely off-topic, conversation about whether or not Tom smells spicy. Listen in for the verdict. Tom shared brief impressions of the 2025 Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance AWD, noting that the premium midsize crossover was over-named by a few syllables. That said, Tom is very impressed with the vehicles. The hosts went on the talk about Ram's decision to kill—before introduction—the Ram REV electric pickup truck. The story gets a little complicated. Listen in for details. Among other news, Tom shared information regarding Chinese carmakers turning to Magna International, and its Steyr manufacturing facility in Austria, for regional production. Chinese EV builders are looking to dodge European tariffs by assembling cars on the continent. Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, noting that the maker's compact car lineup is now mostly hybrid powered. In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Don Sikora of Collectible Automobile to the show. Don shared highlights of the October 2025 issue of the classic-car magazine, which is on newsstands now. A feature story about the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, written by podcast regular Sam Fiorani, was discussed at length. See our Facebook page for information regarding subscribing to the magazine. In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom's “Partridge or President” quiz, in which she must determine if a given person was a cast member of “The Partridge Family,” or a former Ford CEO. 

We would love to hear your feedback!The California agreement allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize marks a significant shift in the gig economy landscape, coinciding with reduced insurance requirements from $1 million to $300,000 per driver.• California's new deal works alongside Prop 22, allowing drivers to organize while maintaining independent contractor status• Spark issued unexpected back payments for tip adjustments, with some drivers receiving hundreds or thousands of dollars• Waymo expanding to Denver and Seattle, their first "winter weather states" for autonomous vehicle testing• Lyft increased maximum fare caps from $300 to $720 for standard rides and $849.99 for XL rides• Uber announced plans for train service through the Channel Tunnel to compete with Eurostar• A new game called "Cherry Picker" simulates the high-pressure decision-making rideshare drivers face• John's Honda Civic reached an impressive milestone of 700,000 miles on its original engine and transmissionJoin our Telegram group to connect with other gig workers across the country. Go to gigeconomyshow.com for everything related to the podcast, or support us on Patreon at patreon.com/thegigeconomypodcast.Support the showEverything Gig Economy Podcast Related: Download the audio podcast Newsletter Octopus is a mobile entertainment tablet for your riders. Earn 100.00 per month for having the tablet in your car! No cost for the driver! Want to earn more and stay safe? Download Maxymo Love the show? You now have the opportunity to support the show with some great rewards by becoming a Patron. Tier #2 we offer free merch, an Extra in-depth podcast per month, and an NSFW pre-show https://www.patreon.com/thegigeconpodcast The Gig Economy Podcast Group. Download Telegram 1st, then click on the link to join. TikTok Subscribe on Youtube

Check out In Review, our movie review podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/7qpmaTOqCuZePIVGZJnGYj - Start - Housekeeping - Nick's Car Drama - Andy's Car - Ads - Pablo Torre Finds Out - Sydney Sweeney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices