Podcasts about incoherent

A completely incoherent Donald Trump got on Truth Social on Sunday to launch a lengthy attack on MSNBC after the network announced that they were parting ways with host Joy Ann Reid. But Trump went further than just attacking the hosts on the network and actually demanded that the company pay "vast sums of money" for the "unpardonable sins" they have committed. Those "sins" are calling out Trump's lies and telling the truth about what he's doing, which apparently in his mind means that he's owed money. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth admitted during an interview on Fox News that Donald Trump fired the top lawyers in the military so that there would be no one left to stand in his way and tell him "no." This is a dictator move, and it could be the telltale sign that Trump is preparing, at some point, to order the military to go against the United States Constitution. Whether it is for a foreign or domestic purpose remains to be seen, but smart money is on the latter.More and more local Republican leaders from across the country are warning that Donald Trump's mass layoffs and the termination of government contracts could lead to mass unemployment that would cripple local economies. Economists themselves are now warning of a looming recession thanks to all of the cuts that are taking place, as our economy simply cannot handle the sudden impact of tens of thousands of people being out of work in a single month. This is almost like the COVID layoffs all over again.The Trump administration has been forcing engineers throughout government agencies to scan through hundreds of thousands of documents on government websites to look for what are being called "banned words." These words include things like "woman" and "disabled" in the FDA database, while Health and Human Services is removing terms like "Biden", "transgender," and "diversity." This serves no purpose other than to attack vulnerable parts of society, as Farron explains.Text and and let us know your thoughts on today's stories!Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date on all of Farron's content: https://www.youtube.com/FarronBalancedFollow Farron on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarronBalanced Twitter: https://twitter.com/farronbalanced Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farronbalanced TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farronbalanced?lang=en

Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff...made a rare public appearance in New York City this past weekend. Kamala Harris attended a couple of shows on Broadway...and was allowed to speak to the cast backstage after the play. As usual...Kamala Harris proceeded to embarrass herself with an incoherent speech. We reveal and react to Kamala Harris speaking on Broadway. We discuss the bleak future of Kamala Harris in national politics. We also explain why Kamala Harris should run for governor of California...and how Kamala Harris has no chance of winning the presidency. SUBSCRIBE TO BEHIND THE LINE - SHORTS: https://www.youtube.com/@btlshorts-84

Send us a textAfter an exciting weekend at ArtsFest in downtown Stuart, Florida, we're kicking back, recapping the highlights, and diving into some ridiculous fun. We're also playing Incoherent, a hilarious word game that is guaranteed to make us sound absolutely ridiculous. Plus, we're breaking down our thoughts on Super Bowl LIX, the halftime show featuring Kendrick Lamar, and, of course, the real stars of the game—the snacks and drinks.Joining me tonight is the JNC Destruction Crew—Jordyn, Elly, and the master of disaster, Derek! We'll also whip up a Mind Eraser for our Shot of the Week, share some wild weekend stories, and jam out with some live tunes. So grab a drink and get ready for a night of fun, games, and chaos!LinksJNC Officialhttps://www.jnclive.tvSupport us on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/jncpodcast

After an exciting weekend at ArtsFest in downtown Stuart, Florida, we're kicking back, recapping the highlights, and diving into some ridiculous fun. We're also playing Incoherent, a hilarious word game that is guaranteed to make us sound absolutely ridiculous. Plus, we're breaking down our thoughts on Super Bowl LIX, the halftime show featuring Kendrick Lamar, and, of course, the real stars of the game—the snacks and drinks.Joining me tonight is the JNC Destruction Crew—Jordyn, Elly, and the master of disaster, Derek! We'll also whip up a Mind Eraser for our Shot of the Week, share some wild weekend stories, and jam out with some live tunes. So grab a drink and get ready for a night of fun, games, and chaos!LinksJNC Officialhttps://www.jnclive.tvSupport us on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/jncpodcast

A new CBS poll shows that over 50 percent of Americans approve of President Donald Trump's performance in his first few weeks in office. While the GOP continues to reap the benefits of their supermajority, the Democrats are still struggling to recover from their losses. Democratic strategist, pollster, and co-author of the book, “America: Unite or Die,” Douglas Schoen joins to break down why the Democratic party is "incoherent and disorganized," why their progressive policies have gone too far, and their struggle to recover from 2024. President Trump laid out new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, setting the rates at 25 percent for each, raising concerns about the impact it could have on consumers. President Trump has insisted that the tariffs will protect American business and that Americans may feel "a little" pain initially when it comes to consumer goods. First, Consumer Technology Associate CEO Gary Shaprio joins to explain how these tariffs will affect consumers. Later,  Capitalist Pig hedge fund founder Jonathan Hoenig analyzes Trump's long term plan to compete economically with foreign adversaries. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless on Outkick,” Tomi Lahren. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new CBS poll shows that over 50 percent of Americans approve of President Donald Trump's performance in his first few weeks in office. While the GOP continues to reap the benefits of their supermajority, the Democrats are still struggling to recover from their losses. Democratic strategist, pollster, and co-author of the book, “America: Unite or Die,” Douglas Schoen joins to break down why the Democratic party is "incoherent and disorganized," why their progressive policies have gone too far, and their struggle to recover from 2024. President Trump laid out new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, setting the rates at 25 percent for each, raising concerns about the impact it could have on consumers. President Trump has insisted that the tariffs will protect American business and that Americans may feel "a little" pain initially when it comes to consumer goods. First, Consumer Technology Associate CEO Gary Shaprio joins to explain how these tariffs will affect consumers. Later,  Capitalist Pig hedge fund founder Jonathan Hoenig analyzes Trump's long term plan to compete economically with foreign adversaries. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless on Outkick,” Tomi Lahren. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new CBS poll shows that over 50 percent of Americans approve of President Donald Trump's performance in his first few weeks in office. While the GOP continues to reap the benefits of their supermajority, the Democrats are still struggling to recover from their losses. Democratic strategist, pollster, and co-author of the book, “America: Unite or Die,” Douglas Schoen joins to break down why the Democratic party is "incoherent and disorganized," why their progressive policies have gone too far, and their struggle to recover from 2024. President Trump laid out new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, setting the rates at 25 percent for each, raising concerns about the impact it could have on consumers. President Trump has insisted that the tariffs will protect American business and that Americans may feel "a little" pain initially when it comes to consumer goods. First, Consumer Technology Associate CEO Gary Shaprio joins to explain how these tariffs will affect consumers. Later,  Capitalist Pig hedge fund founder Jonathan Hoenig analyzes Trump's long term plan to compete economically with foreign adversaries. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless on Outkick,” Tomi Lahren. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  1/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1967 PRC  

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  4/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1966 PRC  

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  3/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over?  1966 PRC

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  7/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1966 PRC  

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  2/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1966 PRC  

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  6/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1966 PRC  

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  8/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1966 PRC  

CRUEL, INCOHERENT, UNFORGOTTEN:  5/8: Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution  by  Tania Branigan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Memory-Afterlives-Cultural-Revolution/dp/1324051957 Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the stories of individuals who lived through the madness. Deftly exploring how this era defined a generation and continues to impact China today, Branigan asks: What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited, or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over? 1966 PRC  

Music – Strength Of The Titans by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5744-strength-of-the-titans License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Please  subscribe, rate, like and share this podcast (if you like it)....    

How long can naked friends resist becoming lovers? By darrenr. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories. “Breasts, yes. I want to show you my breasts,” Anna said, making a simple request that complicated everything. Jake instinctively glanced down at her chest, before wrenching his gaze back to her face. His mind raced in useless circles around a single thought: Danger! “But you have to promise to tell me if that would make you uncomfortable,” Anna said. “I can only ask you this favor because our friendship is both close and solidly non-romantic. I completely understand if my request is just too flippin' weird!” Jake had never been less comfortable in his life. This felt like a bad idea. He wanted it anyway. Feeling ashamed of himself, Jake forced himself to think. Anna wouldn't ask unless it was important to her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried a joke. “Compared to eating the terrible chicken dinner you made last night, this sounds like a walk in the park.” Anna erupted in giggling. She was clearly nervous, but it was comforting to hear her infectious laugh. That, at least, felt normal. They met about a year ago, neighbors moving in on the same day. She had a kind face. If she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to notice. She was an inch taller, had brown eyes and long blonde hair–brilliantly shining blonde–always in a ponytail. Her face seemed to have only two states: stern concentration or an easy smile. She had a solid aspect to her figure but wasn't fat. Her tight jeans revealed strong legs and a substantial bottom that her height proportioned nicely. A baggy flannel shirt hid any details about her breasts. Although Jake tended to be shy, an endless conversation began during their second shared elevator trip. Her name was Aine, but she went by Anna. She liked hiking and tinkering with electronics. They both just moved into town and it was their first time living on their own. Anna did some kind of computer engineering work that sounded much cooler than the business analysis work he did. They both used Excel spreadsheets extensively for work and shared many of the same frustrations with its quirks. They liked a lot of the same video games and movies and had plenty to talk about. That first night they shared take-out at Jake's place, which was the start of Anna's habit of visiting constantly. Jake insisted on paying. To repay him, the next night Anna made dinner in his kitchen. Jake then reciprocated the following night. Neither of them was a very good cook, but it worked out. They ate dinner together nearly every day, alternating cooking and cleanup. Anna declared it was more efficient to share food between two people. She also decided Jake's pot, pan, and dish situation was better than hers, so they used his kitchen. Jake gave her the spare key to his apartment and she came and went as she pleased. He started to develop real feelings for her. This stopped when, after a week hanging out together, Anna mused on the merits of their relationship. “I'm glad we're neighbors,” Anna said that day. “We've only known each other a week, and yet I already feel like we've been friends for years.” “I feel the same way,” Jake had said. “Best of all,” she added in a moment burned into his memory, “Is we don't have a trace of romantic tension between us. We're free to just be friends without all that bullshit.” Jake let her comment pass without challenge. What else could he do? But it was a blow. All his romantic and erotic fantasies about her fizzled, impossible to sustain if she didn't feel the same. At least he did genuinely like her, mostly. The “mostly” came down to her presumptuousness. She saw that, obviously, it made sense for them to share Jake's kitchen. Obviously, it made sense for her to set up her electronics workbench in Jake's apartment, and hadn't even asked him. He didn't complain because he liked their dinner arrangement and liked seeing her build crazy electronics. She wasn't wrong in her actions; he just wished she'd ask first. Watching movies, playing video games, and discussing politics solidified their friendship. Jake was eventually able to suppress most of his unwelcome feelings about Anna. He tried his best to think of her as just a friend. A pal. Which made this request so upsetting. He was dismayed to find that his efforts over the past year had only hidden the shameful ember of carnal desire in his heart. Her words now rekindled it into a bright flame, unthinking and ravenous. He refused to let it burn this person he cared about. “Anna, wait.” Jake was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Concern returned to her face. “Are you sure about this? It's not that I don't want to see, you.” “Then why don't you shut up and let me show you?” Anna asked, laughing nervously. “Believe me, I'm wondering myself. I just, we've been neighbors for almost a year now, and I like to think we've become friends. However, I never got the sense you saw me as more than a friend, so this whole ‘I want you to see me naked' thing is a bit of a surprise. Not an unwelcome surprise, but, well, can you please spell it out for this dummy?” Anna looked down and sighed. “You're right, I owe you an explanation. Please, please be patient with me. This isn't easy.” “Deal,” Jake said in agreement. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms and legs in an exaggerated manner. “I'm extremely patient.” Anna took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen I had my first serious boyfriend, Andrew. We were making out, and I let him take my shirt and bra off. It was a mistake. He was a mistake. I don't know what I saw in him. The thing is, I have inverted nipples.” Anna turn away from Jake and began to shyly fidget. “He freaked out when he saw them. He didn't want to touch them anymore, didn't want to touch me. Looking back, I think he was just a nervous kid frightened by something he didn't understand. Still, it really hurt.” “Fucking hell, Andrew. What a massive asshole,” Jake said. Anna's face showed relief at his reaction. “Yes,” she agreed, “especially when he told his friends and started calling me ‘NN anna' for 'No Nipple Anna.'” “No way!” Jake said. “What the fuck?” “High school can be rough, right? It's not even accurate. I have nipples, they just go in instead of out. I think the whole school eventually heard. Plenty of people 'accidentally' called me Nnanna, even a teacher once. I was devastated at the time, but I've tried to forget about him, about his reaction, about the taunting. I've dated a few guys over the years, though I've always ended it before things got, intimate. I've come to realize, on some level, I'm still ashamed of my body. I'm still afraid of a repeat of Andrew's reaction.” “That is some bullshit. No person should be ashamed of their body.” “Yes,” Anna agreed. “Intellectually, I know that. I've been telling myself for years. My trouble is the difference between knowing in my head and really feeling it in my heart. That's what I'm hoping you can help me with.” “Got it,” Jake said. “You want to show me your breasts, so I can NOT freak out.” “Exactly! Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. I know this is a weird favor to ask, I just, I feel safe with you.” Doubt returned to her face. “It's totally okay if you'd rather not do this. I don't want to guilt you into this.” “Anna, it's okay. Thank you for explaining. I understand, I think.” “Oh, come on, it's not a big deal,” Anna said, trying to sound casual. “Right?” Jake shook his head. “I disagree,” he said. “A friend sharing something deeply personal and fraught with shame, trusting me. It's a big deal.” Anna gazed into Jake's eyes, her breasts dominating his thoughts as they rose and fell with her breaths. He wondered if he saw more than friendship flickering in her eyes, but then it vanished. “Thank you,” she said. “Now that we've reached an understanding and decided on a course of action, we have another problem: I don't see how I can work up the courage to actually, um, do it.” Her voice got very quiet at the end as she looked down and chewed her lip. “It just seems impossibly weird and awkward to undress in front of you.” She gave his arm a gentle shove like she did when they played video games. Jake thought for a second. “Well I'm certainly not going to pressure you. But if you're set on doing this, then I have a suggestion: What if we both pretend you're fully clothed? I'll set up the video game. When you're ready, you come in dressed however you want, and we'll both just pretend everything is normal. We can play Mario Kart like we planned, all very normal and unremarkable.” Jake couldn't help smirking a little bit at this last sentence. Anna's face brightened. “I like that idea. That might work.” Jake stood up. “Off you go, then,” he pointed at his bedroom. “I'll just set up the game and you can join me when you're ready.” He faced the TV and grabbed the remote. “I hope you are prepared to get trounced,” he added. Anna departed for his bedroom. Jake's heart raced, and his hands trembled a bit. He tried some deep slow breaths. They didn't help much. He visualized the bedroom door behind him and the woman he expected to emerge any second. Jake was ashamed to feel an erection start at just the thought of seeing Anna's breasts. His friend was trusting him to help her! He had to master himself and come through for her. He had to. He heard Anna take a quiet step into the open doorway behind him. He dared not turn around. On an impulse he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it. While he was very aware his own skinny chest was completely unremarkable, he hoped this would make her a bit more comfortable. Then he did something he knew she hated. “I hope you don't mind, I'm just going to start the race. I'm choosing your character, yes, Bowser on the biggest car so you can't do anything but go in a straight line…” Anna's hand snatched the controller out of his as she dropped beside him on the couch. “Don't you dare!” she said, laughing. Jake kept his eyes locked on the TV screen, trying to act casual while his mind reeled at the bare breasts just visible at the corner of his eye. She had done it! Part of him wanted to turn and stare directly at the first bare breasts he'd met in person. A bigger part of him was simply proud of his friend's courage. She'd identified a source of needless shame and took steps to overcome it. Jake wanted to make this a positive experience for her. That didn't mean he didn't take in as much as he could without looking directly. In addition to taking off her shirt and bra, she had taken out her ponytail. She parted her hair on either side of her head, and let it fall down her front. Through this inadequate screen of hair he thrilled at an impression of pale roundness, and maybe a hint of pink? It helped to have the game to concentrate on, though his playing was shit. Anna was never one to sit still and just push buttons on the controller. She moved her whole body with each turn of the race car. He kept his gaze glued to the TV even though her constant movement tickled the outskirts of his vision mercilessly. After several races, Jake started to feel close to normal. His game-play was back up to the level of “respectable.” His erection calmed down. He still hadn't gotten a look at Anna's bare breasts sitting right next to him, but he also no longer had to struggle to keep his eyes locked forward. He felt relaxed and happy, having fun with his friend. More than happy, he felt buoyant. It was as if Anna's bare chest was a beacon radiating warmth, bathing his heart in contentment. Just knowing that she trusted him with this made him feel closer to her. When Anna won the next race, Jake decided to check on her. He put the controller down, tilted his head far back on the couch to make it clear he could only see the ceiling, and leaned in her direction with one hand to his mouth in a conspiratorial gesture. Whispering, he said, “How are you doing?” Anna mirrored his pose and whispered in response. “Really good, actually. How are you doing?” “Really good, too,” Jake said, afraid to reveal how much more than just 'good' he felt. Anna nodded slightly and then she sat up and resumed talking in a normal voice. “I'm going to get us glasses of water.” And with that she stood up and walked to the kitchen. Jake took in the sight of her bare back as she walked away from him. She was beautiful. He longed to touch her and hated himself for it. Momentarily, she would be walking back toward him, and he had to keep his eyes on the TV. He had to. She returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Instead of sitting she stood directly in front of him, blocking the TV, and held one out. Jake's efforts at gaze discipline went out the window as he was forced to look up at the glass, which she held at the exact elevation to be in line between his eyeballs and her breasts. Jake did his best to keep his eyes moving up to her face where he looked her in the eyes and said a hoarse “thank you” as he took the glass. Anna tilted her head far back to take drink. With her eyes toward the ceiling, Jake understood she was giving him permission to look. Jake's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and his composure left him. The rest of the room faded out of existence as his brain took in every detail. The slightly tan color of Anna's face and arms was thanks to the sun, for her bare shoulders and upper chest were paler. Her breasts were paler still and revealed a faint tracery of blue veins around her shapely contours. Her hair covered the promised inverted nipples, though he could see the edges of puffy pink areolas. On the one hand, this was just another part of his friend's body. His friend Anna happened to be a woman, women have breasts, and these were simply Anna's breasts. Up close like this, Jake could see the subtle details on her skin. The fine hairs, sprinkling of moles, and minor asymmetries stressed the reality of what he beheld, in contrast to the airbrushed breasts in porn. Intellectually, Jake knew in the big picture all breasts, all bodies, were ultimately unremarkable. On the other hand, Jake couldn't help feeling these particular breasts were magical beacons of beauty, acceptance, trust, and intimacy. Anna's breasts emanated waves of warmth that bathed his heart in joy and evoked feelings of affection and protectiveness. It pained him to think of all those years of being ashamed of her body, avoiding physical intimacy for fear of rejection. After an eternity of taking in this sight, Anna sat on the couch again. He fastened his eyes on the TV and tried to regain his composure. Jake felt a flash of pain on his arm as Anna playfully hit him with the back of her hand. “Come on, slowpoke, press 'A' so we can start the next race. I'm enjoying destroying you.” “Oops,” Jake said, resuming the game. And then, feeling daring, he added: “I don't know where my mind was.” It was hard to tell without turning his head, but he thought he saw her smile. They played a few more races until it was their usual bedtime for a work night. Anna stood up. “Well, we both have work tomorrow. Better call it a night.” She walked into Jake's bedroom and then returned dressed normally. The light in the room felt weaker without the shining warmth of her bare breasts. He fought to hide his disappointment. “G'night,” she said, walking to the door. Jake leaped up to meet her at the door. “Thanks for the fun evening,” he said. Then, his face reddening, “I mean the Mario Kart.” Anna laughed, her face blushing too. “Thank YOU!” Then, hesitating, “for everything.” When the door closed behind her, Jake's apartment felt cold, lonely, and dark. The next day at work, Jake had trouble getting anything done with visions of Anna's breasts dancing in his head. He missed the feeling of being with her when she was topless. But on his way home, a new worry arose: How awkward would it be when he saw her again tonight? There was no going back to how things had been before. Opening the door to his apartment, he heard Anna working in the kitchen. “Hey,” Jake called out. “Hey yourself,” Anna answered from the kitchen. Jake relaxed when he saw she was wearing a shirt, though not without a pang of disappointment. What had he expected? Idiot. Anna cut vegetables, wearing the circuit-board-print apron she liked. “Get the waters, I'm almost finished.” Jake tried to act normal but couldn't stop thinking about her breasts as he set the coffee table in front of the TV. Anna put down plates of chicken salad and sat beside him on the couch. Normally, at this point they would watch something on TV while they ate. The remote control was on the arm of the couch next to Anna, ignored. “How was work?” Anna asked. “Oh fine, pretty normal,” Jake lied. “You?” “Actually,” Anna said, “I had trouble focusing at work today.” She paused there, as if giving Jake an opportunity to say more. “To be honest,” Jake admitted, turning to look her in the eye, “I had the same problem.” “Was there something on your mind?” Anna asked. “Technically two things were on my mind,” Jake said. Anna burst out laughing. Relieved, Jake laughed too. “I want to thank you,” Anna said, “for being so patient with me last night. And kind. I was close to running out of the room in tears. You helped me keep it together.” She took his hand. “That was very kind of you. I feel like a burden of shame was lifted. Thank you.” Jake blushed. “What I hadn't expected, though…” Anna looked down. “What I hadn't expected was how much I enjoyed it.” Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet Jake's. Panic came rushing back. Did she want to do it again? Did Jake want that? Confused thoughts swirled in his head. Did he want to kiss Anna? Yes, but she didn't want that. Did he feel romantic thoughts about her? Yes, but she didn't want that either. Did he want to see her breasts again, despite all his misgivings? Yes. Most definitely yes. “Did you…” Anna was studying his face. “Did you enjoy it, too?” “YES!” Jake blurted out, not exactly playing it cool. Anna smiled. “Do you, do you mind if we do it again?” “I would love that,” Jake answered. Anna hesitated. “It made me feel better when you took your shirt off first.” Jake nearly tore his shirt in his rush to pull it off. Anna's eyes on his chest made his skin feel warm. After a moment of staring, Anna started to unbutton her shirt. Feeling emboldened by Anna's unguarded staring at him, Jake watched her fingers work. The anticipation was intense, and he felt a reckless swelling between his legs. “Excuse me,” Anna said sternly, “my eyes are up here.” Jake blanched and tore his gaze up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in panic and his dick shrinking in shame. Incoherent apologies spilled out of his mouth as he tried to repair the damage his eager eyes had done. “Whoa, whoa, it's okay, I was just joking!” Anna said quickly. “I've never seen anyone go so pale. Are you okay? Jake, you didn't do anything wrong. The whole point is for you to look at me.” She grabbed his shoulders. “Jake, please, I'm sorry, I was only trying to be funny.” She gently pulled on the back of his head until it was tilted down at her chest again. “Your respectful instincts are part of why I trust you. It's okay. I want you to look.” He watched her shirt rise and fall with each breath, and eventually his breathing matched hers. Anna released his head and resumed unbuttoning. She wasn't wearing a bra. After the last button, she put her hands down. With a deep breath, Anna looked Jake directly in the eyes and with a quick motion pulled her shirt open. Anna's bare breasts brightened the room. Jake's greedy eyes took in more details from this first unobstructed view. Her left areola had a small mole on the perimeter at the six o'clock position. In the center of each impossibly pink areola were puffy little slits where the skin of her nipples folded inside instead of out. They were beautiful. Jake looked up to Anna's face with a big grin on his face. She was smiling too, though still nervous. She covered her breasts with her hands. “Sorry, it's just…” She looked down in thought. “It's intense, being looked at.” Jake was sorry to see her breasts covered, but sorrier she seemed upset. “What if we get dressed again and continue like normal, then?” Jake said, suggesting the exact opposite of what he wanted. “It's okay, you know.” Anna shook her head. “Oh, I didn't mean that. I don't, I don't want that. I just needed a little break.” Then, quieter, she added, “I like this.” Jake knew he needed to walk a fine line to balance Anna's feelings, their friendship, and his desperate need to get as much time with her breasts as possible. He also needed to occupy her hands with something. “I do, too.” Jake said, turning on the TV. “I also like schooling you in the ways of the Kart,” he said, holding out a controller for her. Their routine went back to normal, the only difference was neither of them wore shirts. Jake became accustomed to the sight of Anna's bare breasts, and eventually was even able to stop worrying about where his gaze landed. Anna didn't seem to mind him looking, though he tried not to stare. The exception was when she sometimes fell asleep while they watched a movie. Jake hated himself for violating her trust, but he couldn't help himself. The bluish light from the TV flickering over her breasts in the dark room was more engaging than any movie. He was even able to stop having an erection constantly, much to the relief of his confused dick. Jake assumed this trend would continue until her breasts made no impact upon him at all. He was wrong. There was just so much to admire about them. How they moved when she walked, when she breathed, when she laughed. Anna seemed to like being topless as well. She never seemed quite as happy as she did when her shirt was off. After a few weeks, Anna started coming by before work, too. She said she wanted to get better about exercising properly and invited Jake to join her. She would come by early in the morning, un-showered in her sleep shirt and sweatpants, hair pulled into a messy pony tail. As soon as the door to his apartment closed, she would pull off her shirt and fire up the exercise video game program. They would stand beside each other in front of the TV doing the routines, her breasts moving in all kinds of interesting ways. Jake wondered if she wouldn't be more comfortable with a sports bra, but she never seemed to mind, and he certainly didn't either. One day a plumbing problem in her apartment resulted in the walls of her bathroom being torn open during repairs. He offered his shower to her, and she began using it after exercising each day. And of course, since she was at Jake's apartment in the morning anyway, why shouldn't she eat breakfast there too? In this way Jake ended up with an apartment-mate in every way but one: She did not sleep there. Normally Anna wore jeans, except for the mornings when she arrived in sweatpants. The first evening she came by in shorts was the first time he saw her legs. Jake found himself distracted by her bare thighs, solid and well-proportioned with her figure. Spring was turning into summer and the days were getting warmer. He supposed that's all it was. June brought the first hot day of the year. All the windows were open with a complicated arrangement of fans to get the air to circulate. They both sat on the couch watching a dumb show, drinking ice water, and sweating. “It's so hot,” Anna said. “Every stitch of clothing is a burden. Would you mind if I stripped down to my underpants?” Jake took a long sip of ice water to stall as he thought of how to respond. “You don't have to take your shorts off too,” Anna continued, “though you're welcome to. This heat is unbearable, don't you think?” Jake agreed it was hot, though he also knew it wouldn't make much difference whether their shorts were on or off. What was she up to? He was strongly tempted to call her on the weak ruse and deal with it directly. He remembered that when she first wanted to bare her breasts to him, she was only able to manage it because he played along as if everything was normal. Jake supposed it depended on whether he wanted to see her in panties. The growing hardness between his legs both answered that question and presented a problem. If she took her shorts off, he would feel obliged do the same. But his briefs would do little to conceal his excitement. Feeling a little frustrated, Jake decided to stop trying to hide it. She wanted to share more of her body? Well, his body had a penis, and sometimes it had a mind of its own. If it made her uncomfortable, she could tell him. “Way too hot for shorts, agreed,” he said. Jake stood up and unbuttoned his shorts. He took them off, folded them, and placed them neatly on the side table. He resumed his seat, slouching on the couch in front of the fan, a bulge rather obviously straining against the fabric of his briefs. Jake pretended to be interested in the TV. He was pretty sure he saw Anna looking at his crotch for a second. Then she also stood and removed her shorts, revealing plain black panties. After a while, Jake's body calmed down and things felt normal again. They sweated their way through the end of the show and parted for sleep as usual. The next morning when Anna arrived for their workout, even though it was not nearly as hot, she stripped down to her panties again. Jake followed her lead and they exercised wearing only briefs. From then on, and without further discussion, stripped to briefs was the new normal. Jake started to doubt his guess of her motives. Perhaps it really was just a temperature thing and Anna wasn't working up to revealing more. The issue was resolved Friday evening after dinner. It was another uncomfortably hot evening. Anna sat next to him on the couch wearing her new normal outfit of nothing but panties (royal blue today) and a concerned look on her face. Jake sat up and turned off the TV. She looked like she had something to say. “What's the matter, Anna?” She hesitated, then said, “Do I embarrass you?” Jake laughed. “What are you talking about?” Anna looked unsure of herself as she spoke, “When I first wanted to show you my breasts, it was to overcome a particular insecurity.” “Stupid fuckin' Andrew,” Jake said. “Yes, stupid fucking Andrew,” Anna agreed. “And I'm so grateful you agreed, because it has changed how I feel about myself. I didn't realize how much that shame was weighing on me. I really think I've moved past that.” She looked down in thought. “But you may have noticed I haven't been inclined to put my shirt back on.” Her face reddened a bit at this. “What I hadn't anticipated was how good it would feel. Is that weird?” “I don't know if it's weird,” Jake answered. “But I feel the same way. I like hanging out with you like this. It just feels, right. It feels good.” Anna's eyes brightened at this. “I was hoping you felt the same way, but sometimes I doubt myself and wonder if I'm just being ridiculous. I'm afraid you're rolling your eyes at me while I prance around topless.” Jake laughed again. “Impossible. Never! Anna, ugh, you're right, it is weird to talk about this.” He took a deep breath. “Anna, it gives me joy to be with you, my friend. And it gives me like a hundred-times joy multiplier to be with you with our clothes off.” Now Anna laughed. “Joy multiplier? Sounds like you've been playing too many video games.” She thought for a moment before shrugging. “But I suppose that's as good a description as I can come up with too.” “Then we're good?” Jake asked, “You're okay?” “Yes, thank you,” Anna said, though she obviously had more on her mind. She cleared her throat. “I can't help wondering, would it feel even better to just be, you know…” As she spoke, her voice got softer and softer, until it was a barely audible whisper, “, completely naked?” Jake had been anticipating this, and secretly hoping for it, ever since she first took her shorts off. He had suspected topless wasn't the final destination, but he dared not believe it till now. He did his best to fight the growth of his troublesome, eager dick. He desperately wanted to avoid messing this up, and he thought he knew her well enough now to plot the right course. Before his courage faltered, Jake stood up and pulled his briefs down. For the first time in his adult life, he was completely naked before a woman. His dick was in a state of tension, fighting between arousal and his mental urging for calm. Jake hadn't planned it this way, but he was pleased with how it turned out: A bit large, though still limp and non-threatening. It was the best first impression he could manage. “Like this?” Jake asked. He busied himself with carefully folding his underwear and putting it aside, while in his peripheral vision he saw Anna looking between his legs. Without waiting for an answer, he handed her a game controller as he sat back down and looked at the TV. Starting up the game was just the motivation Anna needed. Without a word she also stood up, removed her panties, and sat back down to play. Jake could tell there was a triangle of brown hair between her legs, though he couldn't make out any more detail. For the rest of the evening they both played video games like normal, pretending they weren't completely naked with each other for the first time. Jake's only real struggle was keeping a lid on how incredibly happy he felt. Neither of them played particularly well. There was a lot of laughing and pretending everything was normal. At the usual time, Anna dressed to return to her apartment, giving Jake a good view of her bare bottom as she bent over to put on her panties. Then she was gone, and Jake was left wondering if completely naked was the new normal. He got erect at the thought and didn't bother trying to stop it as visions of her pale bottom and triangle of brown hair danced in his mind. It still felt awkward, but the arousal couldn't be denied. With Anna's face blocked by the magazine, Jake dared to watch as her thighs pulled apart and revealed his first direct view between her legs. From the triangle of hair above, over the long cleft marked by full hairy lips, down to the obscuring darkness below, his greedy eyes took it all in. Her knee kept moving and continued until her thighs were perpendicular to each other. To Jake's amazement, this pulled apart her outer lips just a little and revealed the smallest bit of pink. Frozen in fascination, Jake stared with all his might at what Anna was revealing to him. Years of looking at porn had given him a good idea of what to expect, yet at the same time it was so delightfully and uniquely Anna. What a beautiful woman! He ached to touch her, to care for her, and was grateful she couldn't hear these ridiculous thoughts. With alarm he realized he was extremely, intensely erect. She would be reading part of his mind if she saw this erection, and he regretted it didn't communicate the affection and tenderness that was also in his heart. He felt ashamed at his sexual feelings, though these low emotions were not enough to override the elation he felt. “It's okay to tell me if it's gross,” Anna said, keeping the magazine in front of her face. It took several seconds for the words to penetrate his reverie. “I'm sorry, what?” was all Jake could manage. “My vulva. I know it's pretty gross, and it won't hurt my feelings if you prefer I, sit in a more ladylike manner.” “It's beautiful!” Jake blurted, throwing out the window all hope of playing it cool. Anna lowered the magazine and Jake met her skeptical gaze. Jake reddened and looked away. “I thought we were accepting each other as we are,” Jake said to the floor. “You are a good and kind person to the core, and my friend. How could any part of you be 'gross'?” Jake felt her foot on his shoulder as she gave him a shove. “You're not so bad yourself,” she said. Jake looked up to see her smiling before she brought the magazine back up in front of her face. Did he catch her glancing at his impossibly hard erection before the magazine came up? Her legs returned to their perpendicular position and then stretched open even wider than before as she settled, inviting Jake to gaze upon the delicate pink petals of her beautiful flower. By the time she left for bed that evening, there was nothing left of Jake's mind but a loop replaying the glorious image. After brutally destroying him in Boulevard Battler IV, Anna put down the controller. Bringing her knees together and pointing them toward him, she tucked her feet beneath her and rested an elbow over the back of the couch. “Jake, can I ask you a personal question?” Jake mirrored her position, so they were facing each other. His eyes were practiced now at taking in the sight of the top of her bush and her beautiful breasts without lingering, and his dick remained calm in the face of her nakedness. He was feeling quite confident in his mastery of his own arousal until he looked her in the eyes. Something about her earnest expression touched his heart, and this in turn brought a hint of swelling between his legs. He was a long way from mastery. “Of course,” he answered. “Anything.” “I don't mean to pry, and it's okay if you don't want to answer, I don't mean to offend you, and–” “Anna!” Jake interrupted, shaking his head. “It's me. Just ask.” Anna looked down. “Do you ever, you know…” “Yes?” Anna brought her face back up to meet his gaze. “Do you ever look at porn?” Jake burst out laughing. Anna did not join in, looking confused. “Sorry,” Jake said, forcing himself to stop laughing. “I wasn't expecting that question.” Anna looked at him silently, awaiting an answer. “Well, yes, of course I do. Why?” “Then you've seen lots of naked women?” “Loads.” “Have you ever seen, breasts, like mine?” “Never!” Jake answered confidently. “Every woman's breasts are unique, your beautiful breasts included.” “No, I mean my inverted nipples. Do you ever see nipples like mine?” “Oh. Sometimes. Not often.” “Were they, attractive?” “Definitely!” Anna looked doubtful. “It's true! I've seen some incredibly beautiful models with inverted nipples.” Anna looked down for a second, and then back at Jake. “Show me.” Jake returned her gaze. This didn't feel right. “Look, Anna, are you sure? I mean, you don't need me to search the internet.” Anna looked away again. “I actually do. I tried, but…” she said, exasperated, “it got overwhelming fast. I was hoping you could do some, well, some curating for me.” “Or you could just take my word for it,” Jake argued. “Inverted nipples are beautiful! Be confident in that.” Anna looked at him intently. “Show me.” “Okay, if you insist.” Jake fetched his laptop and resumed his seat, facing Anna so she couldn't see his screen. “Give me a minute to find some.” Jake remembered one particular model with fascinating breasts. Dark hair, bright blue eyes, and impossibly round large breasts with strikingly inverted nipples. Jake felt relieved his dick was behaving for a change, thanks to this awkward situation. “Here is a good one, if you want to see,” Jake said. He shifted to sit normally on the couch and casually pulled the laptop over his crotch as a precaution. Anna sat right next to him, the side of her body pressed against his. Jake was glad to be covered by the laptop because the contact with her skin caused things to start to swell beneath the computer. He tried to ignore it. “She's beautiful,” Anna said, clicking through the series of pictures. Anna's clicks on the laptop touchpad moved it very slightly against his growing arousal. “She is,” Jake agreed. “Her breasts are huge!” Jake laughed. “Yes, but look at her nipples.” “You're right, they're pretty similar to mine. Do all porn models shave their pubic hair like she does?” Anna asked. “Definitely not all. Many do,” Jake answered. “I wonder what it feels like,” Anna said. “Do you think it's cooler? This summer is so hot.” “I have no idea,” Jake said. “I've never tried it.” Anna was thoughtful for a moment. “I'm curious what it's like. If I shaved my pubes, would you shave yours?” The thought of seeing Anna shaved bare seemed like the most appealing idea in the world. He didn't care one way or another about shaving himself, but if that was the price for getting her to shave, he would gladly pay it. “Sure!” Jake said. “Why not? Anything is worth trying in this heat.” “There's one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I'm nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can't see very well down there. Would you, would you be willing to help me?” To be continued. By darrenr for Literotica

How long can naked friends resist becoming lovers? By darrenr. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories. “Breasts, yes. I want to show you my breasts,” Anna said, making a simple request that complicated everything. Jake instinctively glanced down at her chest, before wrenching his gaze back to her face. His mind raced in useless circles around a single thought: Danger! “But you have to promise to tell me if that would make you uncomfortable,” Anna said. “I can only ask you this favor because our friendship is both close and solidly non-romantic. I completely understand if my request is just too flippin' weird!” Jake had never been less comfortable in his life. This felt like a bad idea. He wanted it anyway. Feeling ashamed of himself, Jake forced himself to think. Anna wouldn't ask unless it was important to her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried a joke. “Compared to eating the terrible chicken dinner you made last night, this sounds like a walk in the park.” Anna erupted in giggling. She was clearly nervous, but it was comforting to hear her infectious laugh. That, at least, felt normal. They met about a year ago, neighbors moving in on the same day. She had a kind face. If she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to notice. She was an inch taller, had brown eyes and long blonde hair–brilliantly shining blonde–always in a ponytail. Her face seemed to have only two states: stern concentration or an easy smile. She had a solid aspect to her figure but wasn't fat. Her tight jeans revealed strong legs and a substantial bottom that her height proportioned nicely. A baggy flannel shirt hid any details about her breasts. Although Jake tended to be shy, an endless conversation began during their second shared elevator trip. Her name was Aine, but she went by Anna. She liked hiking and tinkering with electronics. They both just moved into town and it was their first time living on their own. Anna did some kind of computer engineering work that sounded much cooler than the business analysis work he did. They both used Excel spreadsheets extensively for work and shared many of the same frustrations with its quirks. They liked a lot of the same video games and movies and had plenty to talk about. That first night they shared take-out at Jake's place, which was the start of Anna's habit of visiting constantly. Jake insisted on paying. To repay him, the next night Anna made dinner in his kitchen. Jake then reciprocated the following night. Neither of them was a very good cook, but it worked out. They ate dinner together nearly every day, alternating cooking and cleanup. Anna declared it was more efficient to share food between two people. She also decided Jake's pot, pan, and dish situation was better than hers, so they used his kitchen. Jake gave her the spare key to his apartment and she came and went as she pleased. He started to develop real feelings for her. This stopped when, after a week hanging out together, Anna mused on the merits of their relationship. “I'm glad we're neighbors,” Anna said that day. “We've only known each other a week, and yet I already feel like we've been friends for years.” “I feel the same way,” Jake had said. “Best of all,” she added in a moment burned into his memory, “Is we don't have a trace of romantic tension between us. We're free to just be friends without all that bullshit.” Jake let her comment pass without challenge. What else could he do? But it was a blow. All his romantic and erotic fantasies about her fizzled, impossible to sustain if she didn't feel the same. At least he did genuinely like her, mostly. The “mostly” came down to her presumptuousness. She saw that, obviously, it made sense for them to share Jake's kitchen. Obviously, it made sense for her to set up her electronics workbench in Jake's apartment, and hadn't even asked him. He didn't complain because he liked their dinner arrangement and liked seeing her build crazy electronics. She wasn't wrong in her actions; he just wished she'd ask first. Watching movies, playing video games, and discussing politics solidified their friendship. Jake was eventually able to suppress most of his unwelcome feelings about Anna. He tried his best to think of her as just a friend. A pal. Which made this request so upsetting. He was dismayed to find that his efforts over the past year had only hidden the shameful ember of carnal desire in his heart. Her words now rekindled it into a bright flame, unthinking and ravenous. He refused to let it burn this person he cared about. “Anna, wait.” Jake was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Concern returned to her face. “Are you sure about this? It's not that I don't want to see, you.” “Then why don't you shut up and let me show you?” Anna asked, laughing nervously. “Believe me, I'm wondering myself. I just, we've been neighbors for almost a year now, and I like to think we've become friends. However, I never got the sense you saw me as more than a friend, so this whole ‘I want you to see me naked' thing is a bit of a surprise. Not an unwelcome surprise, but, well, can you please spell it out for this dummy?” Anna looked down and sighed. “You're right, I owe you an explanation. Please, please be patient with me. This isn't easy.” “Deal,” Jake said in agreement. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms and legs in an exaggerated manner. “I'm extremely patient.” Anna took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen I had my first serious boyfriend, Andrew. We were making out, and I let him take my shirt and bra off. It was a mistake. He was a mistake. I don't know what I saw in him. The thing is, I have inverted nipples.” Anna turn away from Jake and began to shyly fidget. “He freaked out when he saw them. He didn't want to touch them anymore, didn't want to touch me. Looking back, I think he was just a nervous kid frightened by something he didn't understand. Still, it really hurt.” “Fucking hell, Andrew. What a massive asshole,” Jake said. Anna's face showed relief at his reaction. “Yes,” she agreed, “especially when he told his friends and started calling me ‘NN anna' for 'No Nipple Anna.'” “No way!” Jake said. “What the fuck?” “High school can be rough, right? It's not even accurate. I have nipples, they just go in instead of out. I think the whole school eventually heard. Plenty of people 'accidentally' called me Nnanna, even a teacher once. I was devastated at the time, but I've tried to forget about him, about his reaction, about the taunting. I've dated a few guys over the years, though I've always ended it before things got, intimate. I've come to realize, on some level, I'm still ashamed of my body. I'm still afraid of a repeat of Andrew's reaction.” “That is some bullshit. No person should be ashamed of their body.” “Yes,” Anna agreed. “Intellectually, I know that. I've been telling myself for years. My trouble is the difference between knowing in my head and really feeling it in my heart. That's what I'm hoping you can help me with.” “Got it,” Jake said. “You want to show me your breasts, so I can NOT freak out.” “Exactly! Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. I know this is a weird favor to ask, I just, I feel safe with you.” Doubt returned to her face. “It's totally okay if you'd rather not do this. I don't want to guilt you into this.” “Anna, it's okay. Thank you for explaining. I understand, I think.” “Oh, come on, it's not a big deal,” Anna said, trying to sound casual. “Right?” Jake shook his head. “I disagree,” he said. “A friend sharing something deeply personal and fraught with shame, trusting me. It's a big deal.” Anna gazed into Jake's eyes, her breasts dominating his thoughts as they rose and fell with her breaths. He wondered if he saw more than friendship flickering in her eyes, but then it vanished. “Thank you,” she said. “Now that we've reached an understanding and decided on a course of action, we have another problem: I don't see how I can work up the courage to actually, um, do it.” Her voice got very quiet at the end as she looked down and chewed her lip. “It just seems impossibly weird and awkward to undress in front of you.” She gave his arm a gentle shove like she did when they played video games. Jake thought for a second. “Well I'm certainly not going to pressure you. But if you're set on doing this, then I have a suggestion: What if we both pretend you're fully clothed? I'll set up the video game. When you're ready, you come in dressed however you want, and we'll both just pretend everything is normal. We can play Mario Kart like we planned, all very normal and unremarkable.” Jake couldn't help smirking a little bit at this last sentence. Anna's face brightened. “I like that idea. That might work.” Jake stood up. “Off you go, then,” he pointed at his bedroom. “I'll just set up the game and you can join me when you're ready.” He faced the TV and grabbed the remote. “I hope you are prepared to get trounced,” he added. Anna departed for his bedroom. Jake's heart raced, and his hands trembled a bit. He tried some deep slow breaths. They didn't help much. He visualized the bedroom door behind him and the woman he expected to emerge any second. Jake was ashamed to feel an erection start at just the thought of seeing Anna's breasts. His friend was trusting him to help her! He had to master himself and come through for her. He had to. He heard Anna take a quiet step into the open doorway behind him. He dared not turn around. On an impulse he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it. While he was very aware his own skinny chest was completely unremarkable, he hoped this would make her a bit more comfortable. Then he did something he knew she hated. “I hope you don't mind, I'm just going to start the race. I'm choosing your character, yes, Bowser on the biggest car so you can't do anything but go in a straight line…” Anna's hand snatched the controller out of his as she dropped beside him on the couch. “Don't you dare!” she said, laughing. Jake kept his eyes locked on the TV screen, trying to act casual while his mind reeled at the bare breasts just visible at the corner of his eye. She had done it! Part of him wanted to turn and stare directly at the first bare breasts he'd met in person. A bigger part of him was simply proud of his friend's courage. She'd identified a source of needless shame and took steps to overcome it. Jake wanted to make this a positive experience for her. That didn't mean he didn't take in as much as he could without looking directly. In addition to taking off her shirt and bra, she had taken out her ponytail. She parted her hair on either side of her head, and let it fall down her front. Through this inadequate screen of hair he thrilled at an impression of pale roundness, and maybe a hint of pink? It helped to have the game to concentrate on, though his playing was shit. Anna was never one to sit still and just push buttons on the controller. She moved her whole body with each turn of the race car. He kept his gaze glued to the TV even though her constant movement tickled the outskirts of his vision mercilessly. After several races, Jake started to feel close to normal. His game-play was back up to the level of “respectable.” His erection calmed down. He still hadn't gotten a look at Anna's bare breasts sitting right next to him, but he also no longer had to struggle to keep his eyes locked forward. He felt relaxed and happy, having fun with his friend. More than happy, he felt buoyant. It was as if Anna's bare chest was a beacon radiating warmth, bathing his heart in contentment. Just knowing that she trusted him with this made him feel closer to her. When Anna won the next race, Jake decided to check on her. He put the controller down, tilted his head far back on the couch to make it clear he could only see the ceiling, and leaned in her direction with one hand to his mouth in a conspiratorial gesture. Whispering, he said, “How are you doing?” Anna mirrored his pose and whispered in response. “Really good, actually. How are you doing?” “Really good, too,” Jake said, afraid to reveal how much more than just 'good' he felt. Anna nodded slightly and then she sat up and resumed talking in a normal voice. “I'm going to get us glasses of water.” And with that she stood up and walked to the kitchen. Jake took in the sight of her bare back as she walked away from him. She was beautiful. He longed to touch her and hated himself for it. Momentarily, she would be walking back toward him, and he had to keep his eyes on the TV. He had to. She returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Instead of sitting she stood directly in front of him, blocking the TV, and held one out. Jake's efforts at gaze discipline went out the window as he was forced to look up at the glass, which she held at the exact elevation to be in line between his eyeballs and her breasts. Jake did his best to keep his eyes moving up to her face where he looked her in the eyes and said a hoarse “thank you” as he took the glass. Anna tilted her head far back to take drink. With her eyes toward the ceiling, Jake understood she was giving him permission to look. Jake's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and his composure left him. The rest of the room faded out of existence as his brain took in every detail. The slightly tan color of Anna's face and arms was thanks to the sun, for her bare shoulders and upper chest were paler. Her breasts were paler still and revealed a faint tracery of blue veins around her shapely contours. Her hair covered the promised inverted nipples, though he could see the edges of puffy pink areolas. On the one hand, this was just another part of his friend's body. His friend Anna happened to be a woman, women have breasts, and these were simply Anna's breasts. Up close like this, Jake could see the subtle details on her skin. The fine hairs, sprinkling of moles, and minor asymmetries stressed the reality of what he beheld, in contrast to the airbrushed breasts in porn. Intellectually, Jake knew in the big picture all breasts, all bodies, were ultimately unremarkable. On the other hand, Jake couldn't help feeling these particular breasts were magical beacons of beauty, acceptance, trust, and intimacy. Anna's breasts emanated waves of warmth that bathed his heart in joy and evoked feelings of affection and protectiveness. It pained him to think of all those years of being ashamed of her body, avoiding physical intimacy for fear of rejection. After an eternity of taking in this sight, Anna sat on the couch again. He fastened his eyes on the TV and tried to regain his composure. Jake felt a flash of pain on his arm as Anna playfully hit him with the back of her hand. “Come on, slowpoke, press 'A' so we can start the next race. I'm enjoying destroying you.” “Oops,” Jake said, resuming the game. And then, feeling daring, he added: “I don't know where my mind was.” It was hard to tell without turning his head, but he thought he saw her smile. They played a few more races until it was their usual bedtime for a work night. Anna stood up. “Well, we both have work tomorrow. Better call it a night.” She walked into Jake's bedroom and then returned dressed normally. The light in the room felt weaker without the shining warmth of her bare breasts. He fought to hide his disappointment. “G'night,” she said, walking to the door. Jake leaped up to meet her at the door. “Thanks for the fun evening,” he said. Then, his face reddening, “I mean the Mario Kart.” Anna laughed, her face blushing too. “Thank YOU!” Then, hesitating, “for everything.” When the door closed behind her, Jake's apartment felt cold, lonely, and dark. The next day at work, Jake had trouble getting anything done with visions of Anna's breasts dancing in his head. He missed the feeling of being with her when she was topless. But on his way home, a new worry arose: How awkward would it be when he saw her again tonight? There was no going back to how things had been before. Opening the door to his apartment, he heard Anna working in the kitchen. “Hey,” Jake called out. “Hey yourself,” Anna answered from the kitchen. Jake relaxed when he saw she was wearing a shirt, though not without a pang of disappointment. What had he expected? Idiot. Anna cut vegetables, wearing the circuit-board-print apron she liked. “Get the waters, I'm almost finished.” Jake tried to act normal but couldn't stop thinking about her breasts as he set the coffee table in front of the TV. Anna put down plates of chicken salad and sat beside him on the couch. Normally, at this point they would watch something on TV while they ate. The remote control was on the arm of the couch next to Anna, ignored. “How was work?” Anna asked. “Oh fine, pretty normal,” Jake lied. “You?” “Actually,” Anna said, “I had trouble focusing at work today.” She paused there, as if giving Jake an opportunity to say more. “To be honest,” Jake admitted, turning to look her in the eye, “I had the same problem.” “Was there something on your mind?” Anna asked. “Technically two things were on my mind,” Jake said. Anna burst out laughing. Relieved, Jake laughed too. “I want to thank you,” Anna said, “for being so patient with me last night. And kind. I was close to running out of the room in tears. You helped me keep it together.” She took his hand. “That was very kind of you. I feel like a burden of shame was lifted. Thank you.” Jake blushed. “What I hadn't expected, though…” Anna looked down. “What I hadn't expected was how much I enjoyed it.” Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet Jake's. Panic came rushing back. Did she want to do it again? Did Jake want that? Confused thoughts swirled in his head. Did he want to kiss Anna? Yes, but she didn't want that. Did he feel romantic thoughts about her? Yes, but she didn't want that either. Did he want to see her breasts again, despite all his misgivings? Yes. Most definitely yes. “Did you…” Anna was studying his face. “Did you enjoy it, too?” “YES!” Jake blurted out, not exactly playing it cool. Anna smiled. “Do you, do you mind if we do it again?” “I would love that,” Jake answered. Anna hesitated. “It made me feel better when you took your shirt off first.” Jake nearly tore his shirt in his rush to pull it off. Anna's eyes on his chest made his skin feel warm. After a moment of staring, Anna started to unbutton her shirt. Feeling emboldened by Anna's unguarded staring at him, Jake watched her fingers work. The anticipation was intense, and he felt a reckless swelling between his legs. “Excuse me,” Anna said sternly, “my eyes are up here.” Jake blanched and tore his gaze up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in panic and his dick shrinking in shame. Incoherent apologies spilled out of his mouth as he tried to repair the damage his eager eyes had done. “Whoa, whoa, it's okay, I was just joking!” Anna said quickly. “I've never seen anyone go so pale. Are you okay? Jake, you didn't do anything wrong. The whole point is for you to look at me.” She grabbed his shoulders. “Jake, please, I'm sorry, I was only trying to be funny.” She gently pulled on the back of his head until it was tilted down at her chest again. “Your respectful instincts are part of why I trust you. It's okay. I want you to look.” He watched her shirt rise and fall with each breath, and eventually his breathing matched hers. Anna released his head and resumed unbuttoning. She wasn't wearing a bra. After the last button, she put her hands down. With a deep breath, Anna looked Jake directly in the eyes and with a quick motion pulled her shirt open. Anna's bare breasts brightened the room. Jake's greedy eyes took in more details from this first unobstructed view. Her left areola had a small mole on the perimeter at the six o'clock position. In the center of each impossibly pink areola were puffy little slits where the skin of her nipples folded inside instead of out. They were beautiful. Jake looked up to Anna's face with a big grin on his face. She was smiling too, though still nervous. She covered her breasts with her hands. “Sorry, it's just…” She looked down in thought. “It's intense, being looked at.” Jake was sorry to see her breasts covered, but sorrier she seemed upset. “What if we get dressed again and continue like normal, then?” Jake said, suggesting the exact opposite of what he wanted. “It's okay, you know.” Anna shook her head. “Oh, I didn't mean that. I don't, I don't want that. I just needed a little break.” Then, quieter, she added, “I like this.” Jake knew he needed to walk a fine line to balance Anna's feelings, their friendship, and his desperate need to get as much time with her breasts as possible. He also needed to occupy her hands with something. “I do, too.” Jake said, turning on the TV. “I also like schooling you in the ways of the Kart,” he said, holding out a controller for her. Their routine went back to normal, the only difference was neither of them wore shirts. Jake became accustomed to the sight of Anna's bare breasts, and eventually was even able to stop worrying about where his gaze landed. Anna didn't seem to mind him looking, though he tried not to stare. The exception was when she sometimes fell asleep while they watched a movie. Jake hated himself for violating her trust, but he couldn't help himself. The bluish light from the TV flickering over her breasts in the dark room was more engaging than any movie. He was even able to stop having an erection constantly, much to the relief of his confused dick. Jake assumed this trend would continue until her breasts made no impact upon him at all. He was wrong. There was just so much to admire about them. How they moved when she walked, when she breathed, when she laughed. Anna seemed to like being topless as well. She never seemed quite as happy as she did when her shirt was off. After a few weeks, Anna started coming by before work, too. She said she wanted to get better about exercising properly and invited Jake to join her. She would come by early in the morning, un-showered in her sleep shirt and sweatpants, hair pulled into a messy pony tail. As soon as the door to his apartment closed, she would pull off her shirt and fire up the exercise video game program. They would stand beside each other in front of the TV doing the routines, her breasts moving in all kinds of interesting ways. Jake wondered if she wouldn't be more comfortable with a sports bra, but she never seemed to mind, and he certainly didn't either. One day a plumbing problem in her apartment resulted in the walls of her bathroom being torn open during repairs. He offered his shower to her, and she began using it after exercising each day. And of course, since she was at Jake's apartment in the morning anyway, why shouldn't she eat breakfast there too? In this way Jake ended up with an apartment-mate in every way but one: She did not sleep there. Normally Anna wore jeans, except for the mornings when she arrived in sweatpants. The first evening she came by in shorts was the first time he saw her legs. Jake found himself distracted by her bare thighs, solid and well-proportioned with her figure. Spring was turning into summer and the days were getting warmer. He supposed that's all it was. June brought the first hot day of the year. All the windows were open with a complicated arrangement of fans to get the air to circulate. They both sat on the couch watching a dumb show, drinking ice water, and sweating. “It's so hot,” Anna said. “Every stitch of clothing is a burden. Would you mind if I stripped down to my underpants?” Jake took a long sip of ice water to stall as he thought of how to respond. “You don't have to take your shorts off too,” Anna continued, “though you're welcome to. This heat is unbearable, don't you think?” Jake agreed it was hot, though he also knew it wouldn't make much difference whether their shorts were on or off. What was she up to? He was strongly tempted to call her on the weak ruse and deal with it directly. He remembered that when she first wanted to bare her breasts to him, she was only able to manage it because he played along as if everything was normal. Jake supposed it depended on whether he wanted to see her in panties. The growing hardness between his legs both answered that question and presented a problem. If she took her shorts off, he would feel obliged do the same. But his briefs would do little to conceal his excitement. Feeling a little frustrated, Jake decided to stop trying to hide it. She wanted to share more of her body? Well, his body had a penis, and sometimes it had a mind of its own. If it made her uncomfortable, she could tell him. “Way too hot for shorts, agreed,” he said. Jake stood up and unbuttoned his shorts. He took them off, folded them, and placed them neatly on the side table. He resumed his seat, slouching on the couch in front of the fan, a bulge rather obviously straining against the fabric of his briefs. Jake pretended to be interested in the TV. He was pretty sure he saw Anna looking at his crotch for a second. Then she also stood and removed her shorts, revealing plain black panties. After a while, Jake's body calmed down and things felt normal again. They sweated their way through the end of the show and parted for sleep as usual. The next morning when Anna arrived for their workout, even though it was not nearly as hot, she stripped down to her panties again. Jake followed her lead and they exercised wearing only briefs. From then on, and without further discussion, stripped to briefs was the new normal. Jake started to doubt his guess of her motives. Perhaps it really was just a temperature thing and Anna wasn't working up to revealing more. The issue was resolved Friday evening after dinner. It was another uncomfortably hot evening. Anna sat next to him on the couch wearing her new normal outfit of nothing but panties (royal blue today) and a concerned look on her face. Jake sat up and turned off the TV. She looked like she had something to say. “What's the matter, Anna?” She hesitated, then said, “Do I embarrass you?” Jake laughed. “What are you talking about?” Anna looked unsure of herself as she spoke, “When I first wanted to show you my breasts, it was to overcome a particular insecurity.” “Stupid fuckin' Andrew,” Jake said. “Yes, stupid fucking Andrew,” Anna agreed. “And I'm so grateful you agreed, because it has changed how I feel about myself. I didn't realize how much that shame was weighing on me. I really think I've moved past that.” She looked down in thought. “But you may have noticed I haven't been inclined to put my shirt back on.” Her face reddened a bit at this. “What I hadn't anticipated was how good it would feel. Is that weird?” “I don't know if it's weird,” Jake answered. “But I feel the same way. I like hanging out with you like this. It just feels, right. It feels good.” Anna's eyes brightened at this. “I was hoping you felt the same way, but sometimes I doubt myself and wonder if I'm just being ridiculous. I'm afraid you're rolling your eyes at me while I prance around topless.” Jake laughed again. “Impossible. Never! Anna, ugh, you're right, it is weird to talk about this.” He took a deep breath. “Anna, it gives me joy to be with you, my friend. And it gives me like a hundred-times joy multiplier to be with you with our clothes off.” Now Anna laughed. “Joy multiplier? Sounds like you've been playing too many video games.” She thought for a moment before shrugging. “But I suppose that's as good a description as I can come up with too.” “Then we're good?” Jake asked, “You're okay?” “Yes, thank you,” Anna said, though she obviously had more on her mind. She cleared her throat. “I can't help wondering, would it feel even better to just be, you know…” As she spoke, her voice got softer and softer, until it was a barely audible whisper, “, completely naked?” Jake had been anticipating this, and secretly hoping for it, ever since she first took her shorts off. He had suspected topless wasn't the final destination, but he dared not believe it till now. He did his best to fight the growth of his troublesome, eager dick. He desperately wanted to avoid messing this up, and he thought he knew her well enough now to plot the right course. Before his courage faltered, Jake stood up and pulled his briefs down. For the first time in his adult life, he was completely naked before a woman. His dick was in a state of tension, fighting between arousal and his mental urging for calm. Jake hadn't planned it this way, but he was pleased with how it turned out: A bit large, though still limp and non-threatening. It was the best first impression he could manage. “Like this?” Jake asked. He busied himself with carefully folding his underwear and putting it aside, while in his peripheral vision he saw Anna looking between his legs. Without waiting for an answer, he handed her a game controller as he sat back down and looked at the TV. Starting up the game was just the motivation Anna needed. Without a word she also stood up, removed her panties, and sat back down to play. Jake could tell there was a triangle of brown hair between her legs, though he couldn't make out any more detail. For the rest of the evening they both played video games like normal, pretending they weren't completely naked with each other for the first time. Jake's only real struggle was keeping a lid on how incredibly happy he felt. Neither of them played particularly well. There was a lot of laughing and pretending everything was normal. At the usual time, Anna dressed to return to her apartment, giving Jake a good view of her bare bottom as she bent over to put on her panties. Then she was gone, and Jake was left wondering if completely naked was the new normal. He got erect at the thought and didn't bother trying to stop it as visions of her pale bottom and triangle of brown hair danced in his mind. It still felt awkward, but the arousal couldn't be denied. With Anna's face blocked by the magazine, Jake dared to watch as her thighs pulled apart and revealed his first direct view between her legs. From the triangle of hair above, over the long cleft marked by full hairy lips, down to the obscuring darkness below, his greedy eyes took it all in. Her knee kept moving and continued until her thighs were perpendicular to each other. To Jake's amazement, this pulled apart her outer lips just a little and revealed the smallest bit of pink. Frozen in fascination, Jake stared with all his might at what Anna was revealing to him. Years of looking at porn had given him a good idea of what to expect, yet at the same time it was so delightfully and uniquely Anna. What a beautiful woman! He ached to touch her, to care for her, and was grateful she couldn't hear these ridiculous thoughts. With alarm he realized he was extremely, intensely erect. She would be reading part of his mind if she saw this erection, and he regretted it didn't communicate the affection and tenderness that was also in his heart. He felt ashamed at his sexual feelings, though these low emotions were not enough to override the elation he felt. “It's okay to tell me if it's gross,” Anna said, keeping the magazine in front of her face. It took several seconds for the words to penetrate his reverie. “I'm sorry, what?” was all Jake could manage. “My vulva. I know it's pretty gross, and it won't hurt my feelings if you prefer I, sit in a more ladylike manner.” “It's beautiful!” Jake blurted, throwing out the window all hope of playing it cool. Anna lowered the magazine and Jake met her skeptical gaze. Jake reddened and looked away. “I thought we were accepting each other as we are,” Jake said to the floor. “You are a good and kind person to the core, and my friend. How could any part of you be 'gross'?” Jake felt her foot on his shoulder as she gave him a shove. “You're not so bad yourself,” she said. Jake looked up to see her smiling before she brought the magazine back up in front of her face. Did he catch her glancing at his impossibly hard erection before the magazine came up? Her legs returned to their perpendicular position and then stretched open even wider than before as she settled, inviting Jake to gaze upon the delicate pink petals of her beautiful flower. By the time she left for bed that evening, there was nothing left of Jake's mind but a loop replaying the glorious image. After brutally destroying him in Boulevard Battler IV, Anna put down the controller. Bringing her knees together and pointing them toward him, she tucked her feet beneath her and rested an elbow over the back of the couch. “Jake, can I ask you a personal question?” Jake mirrored her position, so they were facing each other. His eyes were practiced now at taking in the sight of the top of her bush and her beautiful breasts without lingering, and his dick remained calm in the face of her nakedness. He was feeling quite confident in his mastery of his own arousal until he looked her in the eyes. Something about her earnest expression touched his heart, and this in turn brought a hint of swelling between his legs. He was a long way from mastery. “Of course,” he answered. “Anything.” “I don't mean to pry, and it's okay if you don't want to answer, I don't mean to offend you, and–” “Anna!” Jake interrupted, shaking his head. “It's me. Just ask.” Anna looked down. “Do you ever, you know…” “Yes?” Anna brought her face back up to meet his gaze. “Do you ever look at porn?” Jake burst out laughing. Anna did not join in, looking confused. “Sorry,” Jake said, forcing himself to stop laughing. “I wasn't expecting that question.” Anna looked at him silently, awaiting an answer. “Well, yes, of course I do. Why?” “Then you've seen lots of naked women?” “Loads.” “Have you ever seen, breasts, like mine?” “Never!” Jake answered confidently. “Every woman's breasts are unique, your beautiful breasts included.” “No, I mean my inverted nipples. Do you ever see nipples like mine?” “Oh. Sometimes. Not often.” “Were they, attractive?” “Definitely!” Anna looked doubtful. “It's true! I've seen some incredibly beautiful models with inverted nipples.” Anna looked down for a second, and then back at Jake. “Show me.” Jake returned her gaze. This didn't feel right. “Look, Anna, are you sure? I mean, you don't need me to search the internet.” Anna looked away again. “I actually do. I tried, but…” she said, exasperated, “it got overwhelming fast. I was hoping you could do some, well, some curating for me.” “Or you could just take my word for it,” Jake argued. “Inverted nipples are beautiful! Be confident in that.” Anna looked at him intently. “Show me.” “Okay, if you insist.” Jake fetched his laptop and resumed his seat, facing Anna so she couldn't see his screen. “Give me a minute to find some.” Jake remembered one particular model with fascinating breasts. Dark hair, bright blue eyes, and impossibly round large breasts with strikingly inverted nipples. Jake felt relieved his dick was behaving for a change, thanks to this awkward situation. “Here is a good one, if you want to see,” Jake said. He shifted to sit normally on the couch and casually pulled the laptop over his crotch as a precaution. Anna sat right next to him, the side of her body pressed against his. Jake was glad to be covered by the laptop because the contact with her skin caused things to start to swell beneath the computer. He tried to ignore it. “She's beautiful,” Anna said, clicking through the series of pictures. Anna's clicks on the laptop touchpad moved it very slightly against his growing arousal. “She is,” Jake agreed. “Her breasts are huge!” Jake laughed. “Yes, but look at her nipples.” “You're right, they're pretty similar to mine. Do all porn models shave their pubic hair like she does?” Anna asked. “Definitely not all. Many do,” Jake answered. “I wonder what it feels like,” Anna said. “Do you think it's cooler? This summer is so hot.” “I have no idea,” Jake said. “I've never tried it.” Anna was thoughtful for a moment. “I'm curious what it's like. If I shaved my pubes, would you shave yours?” The thought of seeing Anna shaved bare seemed like the most appealing idea in the world. He didn't care one way or another about shaving himself, but if that was the price for getting her to shave, he would gladly pay it. “Sure!” Jake said. “Why not? Anything is worth trying in this heat.” “There's one thing, though,” Anna said hesitantly. “I'm nervous about wielding a razor in such a tender place when I can't see very well down there. Would you, would you be willing to help me?” To be continued. By darrenr for Literotica

#TIK-TOK: Incoherent determination between two Administrations and Congress.  Bill Gertz, national security correspondent for The Washington Times and author of Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy, @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jan/16/tiktok-set-ban-u-new-law-beginning-sunday/ 1940

Rover says no one wants to stay in Puerto Rico. Trying to get a Ferrari up a snowy driveway. A listener has been obsessively sending Charie hate emails. Australian Open tennis player taunts audience after her win. Busta Rhymes allegedly physically assaulted his personal assistant. It is Rover's fault Duji and Snitzer had to stop jogging around the building. JLR reminisces about the time he was sued, and Rover asks about his water being shut off. The reason Charlie has not gone jogging is because he cannot answer calls from his watch. Incoherent man urinates in his seat on a flight. A pilot was removed from a flight after suspicion of being intoxicated. Christmas tree closet. AI to generate Non-Playable Characters in video games. Woman scammed out of $850k after believing she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt. 

Christian presuppositionalism meets atheist apologetics, as Joel Settecase (The Think Institute) and Danny (PhilTalk) debate whether Christianity, particularly the doctrine of the Trinity, can ground transcendentals like logic and mathematics. The conversation includes a critique from an atheist perspective and a defense from a Christian worldview, highlighting key theological concepts and the inconsistencies perceived by the critic. Men, get real accountability and knowledge to help you become the worldview leader your family and church need. Try out the Hammer & Anvil Society FREE for 90 days. Learn more ➡️ https://hammerandanvil.circle.so/c/join/join-the-hammer-anvil-society ---- Check out our FREE CLASS on 3 Steps for Unleashing the POWER of Presuppositional Apologetics

Further into the Dominion Hive, an intersection, and a choice.   We encourage you to check out our Patreon and/or Ko-Fi, as they've got sweet sweet benefits and also you can help us get to our goals--we're making great progress towards full episode transcripts! AND Our Store is a thing, with all your t-shirts, tote bags, stickers and more!   Background music and sound effects: The Long Rain Tabletop Audio https://tabletopaudio.com   Deep Slow Pulsing Breathing Drone The Hollywood Edge https://hollywoodedge.com   bubbling01.wav by MattJ99 https://freesound.org/s/66786 License: Attribution 3.0   Sepulcrum Zak     Email us at PodAgainsttheMachine@gmail.com Remember to check out https://podagainstthemachine.com for show transcripts, player biographies, and more. Stop by our Discord server to talk about the show: https://discord.gg/TVv9xnqbeW Follow @podvsmachine on Twitter Find us on Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook as well.

Apologist Vince Vitale did a review of a Free Will debate, see the link no 1 in the show notes. The original debate is at link 2. Matthew reviews Vince's review because there are some Christian justifications for free will that simply do not make any sense. 1) https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable/podcasts/episodes/christian-philosopher-vince-vitale-stunned-by-free-will-showdown-alex-oconnor-vs-alex-carter 2) https://www.premierunbelievable.com/unbelievable/free-will-vs-determinism-whos-really-in-controlalex-oconnor-vs-prof-alex-carter-hosted-by-ruth-jackson/18133.article 3) Foiling https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-beginners-guide-to-foil-surfing 4) EAAN https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_argument_against_naturalism To contact us, email: reasonpress@gmail.com our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonpress2901 Our Theme Music was written for us by Holly, to support her and to purchase her music use the links below: https://hollykirstensongs.com/ https://hollykirsten.bandcamp.com/

Is Jesus Christ fully God and fully man? Is the christology present in the creed of Chalcedon thoroughly biblical? This episode examines what it means to be "God" and what it means to be "human" in order to discern whether the doctrine of the two natures of Christ is logically coherent. Spoiler alert: it isn't. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg    Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks                  To view the notes from this episode please click the link below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N9ZS5aSuKLhggyZuMElcVCx91rvoHUnVH9hNhVTW2mw/edit?usp=sharing     Check out some of my videos on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalUnitarianPodcast    Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/OneGodPodcast 

Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute, discusses America's new regime of high protective tariffs under the Trump and Biden administrations and assesses what may be to come on trade policy under a future Trump or Harris administration. He discusses the overly expansive authorities presidents have to impose tariffs, the weakness of commonly employed national security justifications for them, and the economics of why tariffs fail, among other topics.Show NotesClark Packard and Scott Lincicome, "Presidential Tariff Powers and the Need for Reform," Cato Institute Briefing Paper No. 179, October 9, 2024Scott Lincicome, "Six-Plus Years of Incoherent, Ineffective China Policy," The Dispatch, October 2, 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back ragers to the best movie review podcast on the planet. The rage rolls on from the Film Rage Studio. This week the Film Rage Crew review four new films. First up is Smile 2. Then they talk about We Live in Time. After that they discuss Rumours. Then finally they review Goodrich. Then there is a lot of incoherent rambling about various subjects. What else is new? Introduction-0:00 The Amazing Murman Predicts-1:46 In Cinema Smile 2 (2024)-5:42 We Live in Time (2024)-22:58 Rumours (2024)-30:45 Goodrich (2024)-42:43 Murman Minute-33:52 Open Rage Jim's open rage-Empty theatres-28:31 Bryce's open rage-I forgot my rage-41:06 The Lists Mesmerized Off proposed-45:14 Rage or Dare T3 postponed-47:08 Outro-49:49 Thanks Ragers for listening to our film review podcast. Rage On!!! https://www.filmrageyyc.com/ https://filmrage.podbean.com/ https://www.facebook.com/filmrageyyc https://nerdyphotographer.com/social/ https://www.leonardconlinphotos.com/

Tim embarrassed Jonah at a race and Chelsea disappoints her children. We play a new game called Incoherent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim embarrassed Jonah at a race and Chelsea disappoints her children. We play a new game called Incoherent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of, Dr. John Gartner and Dr. Harry Siegel are joined by George Conway to give you the latest on Jack Smith's new damning indictment, and present new, clear evidence of Donald Trump's rapid cognitive decline. Make sure you join us here on Patreon to support our work and gain access to exclusive perks: patreon.com/ReallyAmericanMedia Our site: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/shrinking-trump  Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shrinking-trump/id1745797271 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xuuqHxzruLEsQXtTuJjP4 Subscribe on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a101a15a-8b18-49c8-b556-c201aece30ee/shrinking-trump Subscribe on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shrinking-trump-175213669/ George Conway gives us the scoop on Trump's decline, discusses the reliability of polls, and lays out exactly what kind of legal troubles this new indictment spells for Trump. George also tells our listeners how his Anti Psychopath PAC is triggering Donald by circulating new ads in swing states highlighting his awful history of alleged sexual misconduct. Dr. Gartner and Dr. Siegel provide an analysis of the latest evidence of Trump's deterioration, like disjointed speech patterns, off-topic rants, and struggling to maintain coherent narratives, which stand in stark contrast to his earlier public appearances. They'll also examine the legal implications of Trump's sociopathic behaviors and tendencies toward demagoguery.   We'll take a hard look at the vice presidential debate and contrast Trump's chaotic characteristics with Kamala's clarity, authenticity, and strong ethical stance on key issues.  Our hosts break down Jack Smith's recent indictment, which highlights a systematic attempt by Trump to overturn the 2020 election. The filing paints a clearer picture of Trump's relentless pursuit to cling to power and his inability to grasp reality. The Doctors explain how Trump's insistent denial of his legitimate loss and the frantic attempts to stay in power are signs of a rapidly deteriorating cognitive state.  John and Harry also discuss  potential paths for the GOP,  post-Trump, should Kamala Harris win the election.  And you'll hear an analysis on the socio-political impacts of Trump's dangerous rhetoric, and the social psychology of his rabid base.  You won't want to miss this session of Shrinking Trump, where we shed light on the long-term political implications as America heads into another crucial election period.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth takes a closer look at Trump giving a series of incoherent answers when asked at a town hall how he would save manufacturing jobs and bring down grocery prices.Then, Colin Farrell talks about getting ready to run the Dublin Marathon with his friend, playing Oz in The Batman and how his character got a spinoff series in The Penguin.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vice President Kamala Harris was dominant during Tuesday's presidential debate in Philadelphia. Former President Donald Trump struggled to stay on topic and a times sounded incoherent. With the race to the White House neck and neck will this debate make a difference? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The title pretty much sums it up.

We are exploring muscle testing for horses today. Muscle testing is an alternative tool that is gaining popularity in equine care. You can use it to determine the best remedies for your horse and to formulate a personalized program tailored to its specific requirements.An Introduction to Muscle TestingMuscle testing, also known as applied kinesiology or autonomic response therapy, has been gaining popularity in human and animal health practices. Applied kinesiology can be confused with the academic study of kinesiology, which focuses on human movement. However, muscle testing is a distinct diagnostic tool rooted in chiropractic care used to identify imbalances in the body.Evolution and ApplicationMuscle testing has evolved into a safe and non-invasive diagnostic tool to identify blocks in the energy field surrounding the body, pinpoint specific problems, and provide insights into the course of diseases. It can be helpful to assess food allergies, nutrient deficiencies, and emotional imbalances in humans and animals.Quantum Physics and Electromagnetic FieldsMuscle testing relies on quantum physics. Human and animal bodies are composed of particles and waves, with the electromagnetic field being a fundamental aspect that influences how energy flows through and around the body.Energy and FrequencyThe electromagnetic field and biophotons (light particles in DNA) play crucial roles in cellular communication and strengthening how energy fields impact overall health. Incoherent energy fields can weaken the organism, making it harder for healing to occur. Practitioners aim to align those fields to enhance the natural healing processes within the body.Exploring Different MethodsYou can apply different muscle testing techniques to assess imbalances and deficiencies within the body. You can use the muscle strength of a surrogate, which involves creating a biofeedback circuit with another person, or the sway method, where you observe how the body moves. You can also use the ring method or the pendulum method to tap into the energy field surrounding the body. For those new to muscle testing, it may be helpful to begin working with a partner or more experienced practitioner to build confidence and skill in interpreting results accurately.The Role of Intention and EnergyThe healing process starts with the intention of the practitioner. The energy fields of the practitioner and the horse interact, influencing the outcomes. So practitioners and horse owners must maintain high energy and positive intentions as they can significantly affect healing processes.Knowledge and OpennessEffective muscle testing requires a deep understanding of equine health, nutrients, and conditions. Practitioners should remain open and free from preconceived notions, as biases can skew results. Trusting the diagnostic tool and being receptive to unexpected outcomes is crucial for accurate assessments and effective treatment plans.Trusting the ProcessOver time, I have learned to trust that muscle testing will lead me in the right direction, even when I do not fully understand the results. Sometimes, it takes a few months to see how test outcomes align with historical issues or emotional changes of a horse. It is essential to remain patient and trust the process, as understanding often comes with time.Avoiding Personal BiasTry not to let your personal beliefs or past experiences influence your muscle testing results. If a particular approach does not work, it is okay to reassess and try a different strategy. The goal is to stay objective and open-minded throughout the process.Training OpportunitiesI have training programs available...

Tonight on The ReidOut, Joy Reid leads with Republican Liz Cheney delivering some brutal honesty about Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, as she announces she is not the only Cheney endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. Also tonight, Donald Trump finally admits he lost the last election, as if the country might forget the heavy cost of his election-denying lies. Plus, Republicans like Trump and Vance continue to deny that the problem is guns, even after the deadly school shooting in Georgia and after Trump himself was shot at by a gunman armed with an AR-15.

Text and and let us know your thoughts on today's stories!Donald Trump traveled to Detroit, Michigan this week to deliver a speech about something - it is hard to say what the speech was supposed to be about because he went off on so many weird and incoherent tangents. But the convicted felon barely seemed alive during the low energy speech, and he repeatedly slurred and stuttered his way through the entire thing looking like he'd rather be anywhere else other than where he was. Also, Donald Trump returned to Twitter (now called X) over the weekend with a flurry of posts. The convicted felon understands that Twitter is his best option to reach as many people as possible, but the decision to return comes with a price - he has to essentially sacrifice Truth Social and potentially billions of dollars. The stock for Truth Social began to tank when Trump returned to Twitter, and it was already in a bad position prior to his Twitter spree. And during a segment with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell recently, Rudy Giuliani claimed that Steve Bannon is somehow being "tortured" in prison because he isn't allowed to watch TV, according to Giuliani's alleged "sources." Republicans love to talk a big game when it comes to being the "tough on crime" Party, but they are the ones constantly standing up for convicted felons and wanting them to be coddled. Finally, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade completely lost his mind and accused the Harris campaign of "theft" this week after he said that the Democrats were stealing the theme of "patriotism" from Republicans. For decades Republicans have acted like they are the only Party that cares about the country, but now they are being out-gamed by the Democrats who are attempting to retake that messaging and apply it to themselves - and it is working!Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date on all of Farron's content: https://www.youtube.com/FarronBalancedFollow Farron on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarronBalancedTwitter: https://twitter.com/farronbalancedInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/farronbalancedTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farronbalanced?lang=en

On this episode of Chuckle Sandwich, our evil little cherub has prepared another way to wedge a divide between Schlatt and Ted by providing the greatest challenge they have ever faced: Incoherent - a game where one person has to figure out a phrase by sounding it out, and it ended badly! Enjoy! Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/chuckle To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ChuckleSandwichYT Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/ChuckleSandwich If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/ChuckleSandwich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watered-down martial arts. Played-out buddy cop themes. Incoherent yelling. RUSH HOUR.

Predictable. Convenient. Incoherent. Contradictory. Anti-Star Wars. All the staples are on full display for The Acolyte's Finale. The show is consistent, I will give it that. Hear my thoughts on the baffling resolution of the series as well as my thoughts on the problematic Anti-Star Wars message that it sends, embracing your dark side is a good thing when justified. Enjoy!Follow on Instagram: @star_wars_markofbalance

Incoherent things people say when they swear they weren't asleep.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump whines about his brain rot at a rally. Today marks the two-year anniversary of Roe v Wade and Republicans are still pretending this is a winning issue for them. Republicans are continuing to claim that Biden will be on drugs during the debate and are secretly worried about Trump's prep. Lauren Boebert's opponent films an attack ad from the theater that she was removed from. Host: John Iadarola (@johniadarola) Co-Host: Francesca Fiorentini (@franifio) SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE: ☞ https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport?sub_confirmation=1 TIKTOK ☞ https://www.tiktok.com/@thedamagereport?lang=en INSTAGRAM: ☞ http://www.instagram.com/thedamagereport/ TWITTER: ☞ https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport FACEBOOK: ☞ https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT/

Co-Anchor of "America's Newsroom" Bill Hemmer joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to preview next week's debate in Atlanta between former President Trump and President Biden. Jimmy reacts to Biden's latest senior moment, and explains why the White House is failing in its “cheap fake” defense of videos involving our aging president. Host of the “Kennedy Saves the World” podcast Kennedy stops by to talk about how Americans aren't buying the spin coming out of the Biden administration. PLUS, Florida Republican Congresswoman Kat Cammack checks in to shed light on how inflation continues to impact many families in this country. [00:00:00] Biden flubs the name of Mayorkas [00:19:03] Bill Hemmer [00:37:20] Migrants being flown in from vacation spots [00:55:43] Kennedy [01:14:07] Axios reports on strife among Democrats over Biden's Jan. 6th strategy [01:32:30] Rep. Kat Cammack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Celtics failed to show up to Dallas for Game 4 and get absolutely butt waxed by the Mavs. Alas, it's never the easy way. Now the Celtics need to lick their wounds and get ready to take care of business back home in Boston. They are still in control, but it's time to finish the job before the boys lose any more years off their lives. Chuddy and Doug break down the game and immediately pivot to closing out the series in game 5 Follow the show on Twitter/X: @ChuddysCorner @KingChuddy @Doug_Outs @_nickpiraino  SHOP OUR STORE at ChuddysCorner.com/store Leave us a voicemail at ChuddysCorner.com  Like, subscribe, and rate the podcast!  (0:00 - 10:15) - Reaction to Game 4 (10:16 - 19:40) - Incoherent thoughts, plus a look at previous 3-0 Finals leads (19:41 - 24:30) - Effort was not ideal (24:31 - 28:57) - Listener Voicemails (28:58 - 34:35) - Final thoughts Photo credit: The Boston Celtics --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chuddyscorner/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chuddyscorner/support

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Claire McCaskill, Stuart Stevens, Vaughn Hillyard, Kristy Greenberg, Ian Millhiser, Dahlia Lithwick, and George Packer.

[00:30] Judge Merchan's Dark Arts (50 minutes) Yesterday, the jury for Donald Trump's Manhattan “hush money” case asked for a rereading of Judge Juan Merchan's perplexing jury instructions, which encourage the jurors to find Trump guilty without any evidence. Somehow, anti-Trump Judge Merchan was randomly selected to preside over this hush-money case, the Trump Organization fraud case and the Steve Bannon case within the same year. The system is rigged against Trump. [50:00] Celtic Throne Feedback (5 minutes)

Donald Trump's daily complaints to the camera after court are a poor excuse for a press conference. His ramblings are increasingly incoherent, verging on insanity. Anthony Davis reports. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News with Anthony Davis is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/fiveminnews Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. Please subscribe HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump gave a bizarre (and false) retelling of the Battle of Gettysburg at a rally over the weekend. Steve Schmidt explains why this would be a totally different media story if Biden had said those exact words... and why it should be a warning not to vote for Trump come November. *** To become a The Warning Premium Member and listen to the show 48 hours early with access to premium content visit: https://thewarning.supercast.com/ Subscribe for more and follow me here: Substack: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/subscribe Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveSchmidtSES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveSchmidtSES/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewarningses Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarningses/

Steve, Todd, and Aaron are joined by independent journalist Jordan Schachtel for the Deace Group roundtable to talk about Tucker Carlson's recent comments about American interventionism at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. The panel also tries to figure out why the topic of Taylor Swift continues to get resurrected in right-wing media. In Hour Two, it's another edition of Feedback Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this installment, by popular demand, Dan and Jordan begin an analysis of Alex's monumental, very serious and sincere debate about whether or not January 6 was a manufactured event.  Guest stars a-plenty!  Incoherent yelling!  This debate truly has it all.

Seth takes a closer look at Biden intensifying his attacks on Trump by delivering a speech on threats to democracy and the anniversary of January 6 and Trump responding by finding new ways to unravel into an even more unhinged and incoherent mess.Then, James McAvoy talks about being the first Late Night guest of 2024, the Scottish tradition of first-footing after midnight on New Year's and his wife's first time experiencing the tradition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.