Podcasts about Jenga

The melt-up economy isn't a victory lap, it's the part of the horror movie where everyone thinks the monster is gone because the music gets quiet. Markets keep ripping, consumers keep spending money they don't have, and the Fed is out here pretending their “pivot” wasn't telegraphed like an amateur magician revealing the trick before the reveal. And meanwhile, everyone's acting shocked that AI is destroying jobs when we've been screaming for a year that replacing humans with silicon brains might come with a little collateral damage.➡️ But sure... recession? “What recession?” That's the vibe. America is basically stress-shopping its way through warning signs big enough to put on billboards. Confidence surveys are collapsing, savings are gone, debt is exploding, and the only thing holding this whole Jenga tower up is hope… and hope is not a strategy we endorse. If a soft landing actually happens, it'll be the first miracle the Fed has pulled off without breaking something in the process. Buckle up because the data says there is turbulence ahead, even if the captain keeps smiling.

Send us a textIf life currently feels something like emotional Jenga… as in, one wrong move might send the whole bloody tower crashing down… this episode is going to land in the best possible way.Because today we're talking about polarity…. the universal law that explains why your darkest, messiest, most “are you actually kidding me?” moments aren't the sign you've screwed up. They're the sign something so f*cking powerful is being rearranged.This isn't an episode about “positive vibes only”It's about truth.It's about the reality that every glow-up you've ever had… started with a sh*tstorm you didn't ask for.Inside this episode, we go deep into:why your brain defaults to disaster mode even when you're technically safethe real reason life rips things out of your hands when you won't let gohow contrast creates identity (and why you NEED the lows to experience real highs)what stoicism gets right about pain, growth and reinventionhow to find meaning in the middle of chaos, not six months laterthe subtle shift that turns a breakdown into a breakthroughwhy endings are never punishment…. they're preparationThis one is raw, relatable and basically a warm hug with a side of “get up love, you're not done yet.”If you've ever thought:“Why does everything hit at once?”Or“I swear the universe is taking the p*ss…”…this episode will change the way you see your entire story.Because you're not failing.You're not cursed.You're not behind.You're in the polarity… the contrast that builds the woman you're becoming.And when you understand that? Everything shifts.Your meaning shifts.Your power shifts.You shift.Grab your brew (or wine), get comfy, and let's walk through the sh*tstorm you're in… and find the purpose waiting inside it.LoveSarah x

Peter Atwater, one of the leading voices on confidence-driven behavior in markets and society, joins Lance Roberts to share how certainty, control, and herd mentality shape every major trend investors face today. Lance and Peter discuss The Confidence Map, why people behave differently when they're in the "comfort zone" versus the "stress center," and how these shifts explain the rise of speculative investing, the bifurcated K-shaped economy, and the growing disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. Atwater explores how consumer confidence is driving AI enthusiasm, why the workplace has split between white-collar and blue-collar realities since Covid, and what it will take to move the U.S. back to a non-K-shaped economy. We also dive into Maslow's hierarchy, the collapse of social trust, and what happens when possibility starts to feel like threat. For investors, Atwater lays out what assets are "ice cold or lukewarm," why scrutiny and confidence move in opposite directions, and what to own when today's hot spots finally cool off. We also examine ETFs, gamified trading, the tragedy of benchmarking, and how declining confidence reshapes moral behavior in the markets. 0:00 - INTRO 0:18 - Who is Peter Atwater? 1:10 - Understanding the Behavior of the Herd 2:32 - More Certainty & Control 3:48 - The Confidence Map - The Box Chart - Comfort Zone vs Stress Center 7:03 - Consumer Confidence Metrics & the AI Space 9:24 - The Bifurcated Economy & The K-Shape; White Collar vs Blue Collar Workers During Covid 12:12 - Getting back to a non-K Economy - Looking at the cumulative impact on the economy Maslow's Hierarchy of Need - we need to start at the bottom, make those at the top more aware of what's happening around them 16:48 - What policy should be implemented to accomplish this? How to create income caps on provider side? The K-shaped economy creates slaves to two masters. 19:40 - The Mandami Effect & the risk to our system - the Bottom is really purple, not red or blue 22:35 - The Problem with the Federal Reserve Re-thinking Trickle-down Economics 24:05 - What Happens when Social Trust Collapses - Concern About AI - the furthest thing away from Main Street; when possibility begins to look like threat. 27:24 - The Economy is like a top-heavy Jenga tower, with a circle of flows instead of columns of support Reconsideration of multi-colored pie charts as measures of mood; 31:11 - What should investors own today that are ice-cold or lukewarm; Plan for what you'd like to have happen, but prepare for what you cannot imagine. Where will the money go when the hot spots cool? Scrutiny & Confidence are inversely related What do you own that's tangible? (How to test for confidence) The tragedy of Benchmarking 34:17 - Looking at ETF creation - how to look at sentiment The creation of a gambling environment in investing - the gamification of the markets 37:00 - As confidence falls, the moral compass changes The more you trade, the less money you make. 39:19 - The industry has moved to preying on investors instead of helping them 40:18 - Plan for what you can imagine, be prepared for what you cannot Panic is a reason to be optimistic 41:38 - How Certainty and Control apply at the individual level - Closing thoughts #PeterAtwater #BehavioralFinance #KShapedEconomy #InvestorPsychology #AIandMarkets

Thanksgiving horror story on the Weekly Spooky podcast: a snow-dusted asylum turns festive decorations and Jenga games into a slasher-mystery nightmare. Patients go missing. A “therapy” session ends in blood. And seven broken teeth point to a cover-up thicker than gravy. If you're craving holiday horror, asylum terror, and killer-on-the-loose suspense for your Thanksgiving drive—or to hide from family after pie—this episode's your perfect Black-Friday binge. 7 Teeth — by David O'Hanlon.

Kwa vijana wengi wa kitanzania ambao tunatufuta pesa leo ili tule leo na kesho wazo la kuwekeza huonekana kama ni la mamilionea. Kuna namna ukifikiria hili unaweza kuona kama ni sawa, lakini haipo hivyo. Ukweli ni kwamba ukiwa na mfumo wenye mkakati unaoeleweka ni rahisi zaka kutengeneza mashine yako ya dividend ambayo itakulisha vizuri baada ya miaka 10 ijayo.Kuna kanuni za msingi za uwekezaji ambazo ukizifuata na kuwekeza kiasi cha Tsh. 50,000 kila mwezi utaweza kuufikia uhuru wa kifedha.

We all know what it feels like when life starts to wobble—like a Jenga tower losing its pieces. Colossians 1:15–20 reminds us why: Jesus isn't meant to be just part of our lives; He's the center who holds all things together. When work, relationships, or even good causes become our foundation, we end up unstable and exhausted. But when Christ is supreme—sustaining every moment and anchoring every part of our lives—we find a stability that cannot be shaken and a rest our souls have been craving.

⚠️ Cloudflare Internet Outage; Adobe x Semrush Deal: Tech Dependency vs Business Website Strategy with Favour Obasi-Ike | Sign up for exclusive SEO insights.This is Marketing Club Clubhouse discussion, primarily focusing on the widespread impact of a recent Cloudflare outage that affected numerous popular platforms like ChatGPT, Spotify, Uber, and Zoom. Favour Obasi-ike uses this event to emphasize the importance of business continuity and operational redundancy, urging listeners to research and select robust platforms for their own enterprises to mitigate the risks of future outages. Furthermore, the discussion touches upon the rapidly changing tech industry landscape, including the significant Adobe acquisition of Semrush and the competitive moves of companies like Canva, prompting audience commentary on the potential implications of these corporate shifts on product quality and market strategy. 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Book a Complimentary SEO Discovery Call with Favour Obasi-Ike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Day the Internet Stumbled: 3 Surprising Lessons from a Single Tech OutageIntroduction: More Than Just a GlitchA single infrastructure failure on a Tuesday morning did more to reveal the precarious nature of our digital world than a dozen industry white papers. When the internet infrastructure company Cloudflare experienced a major outage, it was far more than a momentary glitch.Its scale was staggering. Suddenly, a diverse range of major companies—including Canva, ChatGPT, Spotify, Uber, and Zoom—were all experiencing issues simultaneously. The event wasn't just a technical problem; it was a revealing moment that offered a rare peek behind the curtain of the digital world. It exposed hidden vulnerabilities and surprising dynamics within the tech ecosystem we all depend on. This article distills the three most impactful lessons learned from that single event.1. The Internet Isn't a Cloud, It's a Jenga TowerThe Centralization SurpriseThe core lesson from the Cloudflare outage was the shocking revelation of just how centralized our decentralized-seeming internet truly is. The popular image of the internet is a resilient, distributed network, but the reality is that a small number of foundational companies form the base of a massive Jenga tower. When a key block like Cloudflare was jostled, users quickly discovered that dozens of different services were all pointing "towards one direction," revealing a hidden single point of failure. Seemingly stable pieces higher up—from your design software to your ride-share app—began to wobble.This one incident impacted a staggering list of applications, highlighting the sheer diversity of services reliant on a single piece of infrastructure: Canva, Archive of Our Own, Canvas, Character AI, ChatGPT, Claude AI, Dayforce, Google Store, Grinder, IKEA, Indeed, League of Legends, Letterboxed, OpenAI, Quizlet, Rover, Spotify, Square, Truth Social, Uber, and Zoom. For the average user, this means the digital services that feel distinct and independent are, in fact, far more fragile and codependent than they appear.2. While You Were Offline, Big Tech Made Some Bizarre MovesA Bizarre Acquisition Amidst the ChaosWhile the digital world was grappling with the outage, news broke that Adobe was acquiring SEO tool Semrush for $1.9 billion. This development, happening alongside the infrastructure chaos, sparked widespread confusion and skepticism. As many in the tech community noted, Semrush "has nothing to do with creative" software, which is Adobe's core domain.The concern was palpable, with one community member expressing a common fear:"I really hope this Semrush acquisition doesn't affect quality and support. Big corporation buyouts [rarely succeed]."The analysis behind this seemingly strange move points to the disruptive force of artificial intelligence. The theory is that as AI reshapes search and content creation, traditional SEO tools are finding it harder to maintain their dominance. This acquisition could be Adobe's strategic, if unconventional, response to that industry pressure. This trend of unexpected competition is visible elsewhere, with platforms like Canva making aggressive moves into video editing, putting them in direct competition with Adobe. The outage served as a backdrop to a tech landscape that is shifting in unpredictable ways.3. Your Business is More Vulnerable Than You Think (But Outages Can Make You Stronger)The Resilience ImperativeFor businesses and professionals, the outage was not an abstract problem. The impact was immediate: one professional reported their AI-powered Fathom note-taker for Zoom failed to load, even while the Zoom call itself was active—a perfect example of a hidden dependency crippling a critical workflow. The sudden inability to access essential tools forces a critical business question to the surface:"...if ChatGPT is down and that's what I use and now I can't use it for the first four hours of my day... How can I use 50% of my time to maximize 100% of my opportunity?"The core advice is to reframe these events not as mere problems to be weathered but as invaluable opportunities for strategic review. Business owners should use these moments to ask what platforms they truly rely on, research the stability of those systems, and begin building more resilient workflows.This is the "bow and arrow" principle applied to business strategy. An outage forces you to pull back, assess your tools, and re-aim. This forced pause, while painful, is precisely what allows you to launch forward with a more resilient, deliberate, and ultimately stronger operational foundation, turning a negative event into a catalyst for positive change.Conclusion: A New Lens for a Digital WorldThis single outage taught us more than just who owns the internet's plumbing. It revealed the hidden fragility of our digital infrastructure, highlighted the unpredictable strategies of tech giants under pressure, and underscored the personal and professional imperative for building resilience. It showed that the platforms we use every day are interconnected in ways we rarely see until something breaks.The next time your favorite app goes down, will you just see an inconvenience, or will you see a chance to re-evaluate the digital foundation your work and life are built on?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Carl Quintanilla, Sara Eisen, and David Faber kicked off the hour with fresh economic data and a look at the big week ahead for Wall Street - before getting into whether we're in a "Jenga Tower" economy with one market strategist arguing yes. Plus: Berkshire Hathaway out with a big bet on Google... The details, this hour. And is it time to take a look at the smallcaps? Hear one Goldman portfolio manager's top picks for what's been a volatile trade this month.  Also in focus: the bitcoin breakdown - as prices struggle to hold onto gains for the year... And what you need to know about the FAA's rollback of flight restrictions, starting today.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

-Black lesbian Hyman (real name!) schools effeminate pol Scott Wiener on locker room safety after a trans assault – victimhood Jenga topples as DEI pyramid implodes live on air.  -Guest Mary Walter joins via Newsmax hotline, cackling over dystopian Vegas housekeeping Olympics, dying baby names (RIP Karen & Gary), and paid Chicago agitators vanishing at 1 PM when the cash clock hits zero. Today's podcast is sponsored by :GET FRESH OLIVE OIL : Try real farm fresh olive oils for FREE plus $1 dollar shipping at http://GetFreshRobCarson.com BEAM DREAM POWDER : Improve your health by improving your sleep! Get 40% off this sleep supplement by using code NEWSMAX at http://shopbeam.com/Newsmax WEBROOT : Live a better digital life with Webroot Total Protection. Rob Carson Show listeners get 60% off at http://webroot.com/Newsmax BIRCH GOLD - Protect and grow your retirement savings with gold. Text ROB to 98 98 98 for your FREE information kit! To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday…E-mail Rob Carson at : RobCarsonShow@gmail.com Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (www.patreon.com/JimGossettComedy) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at http://Newsmax.com/Listen Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at http://NewsmaxPlus.com Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : http://nws.mx/shop Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: http://nws.mx/FB  -X/Twitter: http://nws.mx/twitter -Instagram: http://nws.mx/IG -YouTube: https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV -Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV -TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX -GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/newsmax -Threads: http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX  -Telegram: http://t.me/newsmax  -BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com -Parler: http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when deep conversations about menopause, intuition, divorce, resilience, and comedy collide with a game of Jenga?

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Today, I'm taking you behind the scenes of successful small groups and sharing how to set them up for success. We'll talk about how to engage your students, keep sessions organized, and measure their progress with ease. Small groups are a key Tier 2 intervention and an important part of a layered approach to student support. In this episode, you'll learn everything you need to know to start and lead small groups with confidence. How to Set Up Counseling Groups Identify students using referrals, previous counseling data, or needs assessments. Choose group size (4–6 students is ideal) and keep age and behavioral needs in mind. Plan for 6–8 sessions, around 30 minutes each, and consider holidays or school events when scheduling. Set up a welcoming group space with privacy for journaling and reflection. Send home permission slips and coordinate schedules with teachers. Organize your materials: individual folders, crafts, worksheets, sign-in sheets, and a group folder with rules and games. Keep a digital spreadsheet or counseling log to track attendance and progress. How to Lead Engaging Small Groups Begin each session with group rules and a feelings check. Focus on what students should do rather than what they shouldn't. Incorporate icebreakers like bingo, Jenga, "sides of the room," or Simon Says to build connection and teamwork. Introduce your main concept with a mini-lesson, video, or poster. Use interactive activities like role play, crafts, flipbooks, sorting games, or discussion cards. End with a journal reflection or quick self-assessment to encourage personal growth and track student progress. By creating structured yet flexible small groups, you can provide meaningful support and help students grow socially and emotionally. Resources Mentioned: Join IMPACT Connect with Rachel: TpT Store Blog Instagram Facebook Page Facebook Group Pinterest Youtube   More About School Counseling Simplified: School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica. You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!  

Politics: Chuck Schumer faces Democratic revolt over a GOP shutdown deal; eight Senate Democrats vote with Republicans, sacrificing ACA subsidies to reopen government.White House Chaos: Trump asks the Supreme Court to keep food aid frozen, then pardons Giuliani and his 2020 “Stop the Steal” dream team.Viral Justice: The “Sandwich Man” of D.C. found not guilty of assault after throwing a Subway sub at a Border Patrol officer—proof that sometimes the bread fights back.Economy Watch: America's economy dubbed a “Jenga tower”—rich spending props up everyone else while the middle class pulls the wrong block.Tech & Culture: Elon Musk becomes a trillionaire, iOS 26.2 promises “urgent” reminders and offline lyrics, and recyclers are mining gold from old phones.Entertainment: Sydney Sweeney's film Christy flops and her “Great Jeans” ad triggers controversy; Ace Frehley of KISS remembered as a rock legend gone cosmic.Closing Thought: America's politics may be melting down, but at least our sandwiches, software updates, and recycling are still holding the line. LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Politics: Chuck Schumer faces Democratic revolt over a GOP shutdown deal; eight Senate Democrats vote with Republicans, sacrificing ACA subsidies to reopen government.White House Chaos: Trump asks the Supreme Court to keep food aid frozen, then pardons Giuliani and his 2020 “Stop the Steal” dream team.Viral Justice: The “Sandwich Man” of D.C. found not guilty of assault after throwing a Subway sub at a Border Patrol officer—proof that sometimes the bread fights back.Economy Watch: America's economy dubbed a “Jenga tower”—rich spending props up everyone else while the middle class pulls the wrong block.Tech & Culture: Elon Musk becomes a trillionaire, iOS 26.2 promises “urgent” reminders and offline lyrics, and recyclers are mining gold from old phones.Entertainment: Sydney Sweeney's film Christy flops and her “Great Jeans” ad triggers controversy; Ace Frehley of KISS remembered as a rock legend gone cosmic.Closing Thought: America's politics may be melting down, but at least our sandwiches, software updates, and recycling are still holding the line. LINKShttps://instagram.com/itsnewstoushttps://tiktok.com/@itsnewstous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chuck Zodda and Mike Armstrong explain why you don't want tax payers backstopping the AI industry. UBS to liquidate funds with substantial exposure to First Brands. 'Jenga Tower' US economy teeters as middle class pulls back spending. Job cuts in October hit highest level for the month in 22 years. Paul LaMonica (Barron's) joins the show to chat about Robinhood.

We happily welcome Dr. Adi Soffer to Diverse Thinking Different Learning this week! Adi Soffer, PsyD is a licensed psychologist who works with children, teens, and families, and she combines family structure therapy with evidence-based practices to help families strengthen communication, establish healthy boundaries, and deepen emotional connections. Passionate about guiding parents and children through challenges such as anxiety, behavioral issues, and major life changes, Dr. Soffer offers care via her private practice, Kesher Psychological Services. She sees clients in Los Angeles and provides virtual sessions throughout California and Florida. When a child is struggling with learning, behavioral, or emotional challenges, the focus is often on finding the right therapy for the child. However, as Dr. Adi Soffer explains, this approach may be missing an important piece - the family system. She firmly believes that families function as interconnected systems, and when one member is struggling, the whole system feels the impact. By shifting the focus from fixing the child to strengthening the entire family system, families can reduce stress, improve relationships, and lead to better outcomes for kids and teens. Dr. Soffer outlines her approach to family systems therapy, bringing the entire family into the first session, not just "the identified patient." Instead of discussing the child's problems, she asks questions about the family's dynamics, traditions, and what they would like to change. This allows her to observe the family's communication patterns, boundaries, and power dynamics. She also highlights the importance of understanding the family's structure and communication style, as these factors can deeply impact a child's emotional well-being and behavior. Dr. Soffer explains how poor communication, conflict avoidance, or unclear expectations can contribute to ongoing stress at home, which in turn affects the child. By working with the family, however, she helps them develop healthier communication and set clear expectations and boundaries. This, in turn, can reduce the child's anxiety and stress, as they no longer have to worry about the unpredictability of their home environment. We also explore how the family systems approach shifts when working with teenagers, who are often pushing for more independence, with Dr. Soffer discussing the importance of balancing the teen's need for autonomy with the family's need for involvement and how this can create an environment of empathy and connection within the family. Overall, we highlight the powerful impact that a family systems approach can have on supporting children and teens struggling with various challenges. By addressing the entire family system, therapists can create lasting change and help the whole family thrive.   Show Notes: [3:03] - Hear how Dr. Adi Soffer begins therapy by including the entire family system rather than isolating the child. [6:43] - Dr. Soffer observes family dynamics via structured activities, games, and collaborative drawing. [9:32] - Family therapy examines communication, boundaries, and where each member fits in the relational hierarchy. [12:21] - Dr. Soffer makes the case that clear routines and consistent boundaries reduce chaos and help children feel secure and less anxious. [14:29] - Parents often unintentionally reinforce anxiety by teaching children that the world is frightening. [16:27] - Therapy highlights how children's struggles often reflect parental triggers and emotional challenges. [19:29] - Removing the "identified patient" label eases a child's burden and reduces family pressure. [20:13] - Dr. Soffer argues that constant focus on negative behavior teaches children to internalize damaging beliefs about themselves. [22:02] - Teens need both autonomy and clear parental boundaries to be successfully independent. [25:28] - Families begin to align as a team when therapy highlights shared responsibility and individual identity. [27:39] - Dr. Soffer explains how emotional Jenga can help parents model vulnerability and normalize healthy emotional expression for children. [30:27] - Hear how a teen realized that his parents' feelings mattered too after returning from a month away. [32:34] - Dr. Soffer argues that parents build resilience by balancing support with boundaries and not over-accommodating their kids. [35:09] - A parent's real role is preparing children to face failure, rejection, and life's challenges. [36:18] - It's important for children to face discomfort and uncertainty instead of being shielded by anxious parents. [39:18] - Dr. Soffer asserts that focusing on family strengths can transform household dynamics and improve the overall atmosphere. [40:38] - How can Dr. Soffer be reached? Links and Related Resources: "Anxiety and the Family" Episode 167: From Surviving to Thriving: A Mom's Hierarchy of Needs and Well-Being with Leslie Forde Episode 202: How Low-Demand Parenting Can Reduce Stress and Support Neurodivergent Youth with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge   Connect with Us: Get on our Email List Book a Consultation Get Support and Connect with a ChildNEXUS Provider Register for Our "When Struggles Overlap" Live Webinar Email Dr. Wilson: drkiwilson@childnexus.com  Connect with Adi Soffer, PsyD: Kesher Website Dr. Soffer's LinkedIn Page Dr. Soffer's Facebook Page Dr. Soffer's Instagram Page

In this episode, Madelyn and Emma discuss Destiny and Sword of the Sea and whether flow states can be insidious. Also featuring out of context poetry, how everything is Thoreau's fault, and extreme high pressure Jenga.

Welcome to episode 84 of The Longest Turn Board Gaming Podcast! After talking about some of the games we've been playing lately we continue covering our favorite games in our Brackets for games that start with letters I, J, K, & L. We go through each bracket to determine the winning game. Our listeners submitted brackets trying to best predict which games would win. We announce the winning listener who will be receiving some games from us! Join our discord (link below) to join the competition for our next Bracketology episode, episode 85. 00:00:00 - Intro Games Played Lately: 00:06:00 - Vantage 00:14:16 - Creature Caravan 00:26:05 - The Quest for El Dorado 00:35:57 - I Bracket (Imperial Settlers, Inside Job, Incan Gold, Isle of Skye, Imperial Steam, Icecool, Intent to Kill, In the Footsteps of Darwin) 00:52:45 - J Bracket (Jaipur, Joan of Arc-Orleans, Jump Drive, Jenga, Just One, Jokkmokk, Justice League: Axis of Villains Strategy Game, Jekyll vs Hyde) 01:05:45 - K Bracket (Knister, Kingdomino, Killer Bunnies, Kingdom Builder, Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moon Stones, King of Tokyo, Knarr, Kemet) 01:19:39 - L Bracket (Lisboa, Lost Cities, Llama, Living Forest, Lovecraft Letter, Luthier, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Lacuna) 01:37:17 - Listener Winner Announced 01:38:04 - Outtakes Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/F4kX3Faxxf  Other links : https://linktr.ee/Longestturn Affiliate codes: GameNerdz Support us on Buy Me a Coffee!

We're back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, and Canadian Premier League playoff chat and interviews. It's the business end of the season and the room for error is minimal. Vancouver Whitecaps face off against FC Dallas in game one of a best of three playoff series on Sunday. We set up the match and get the thoughts of both head coaches, Vancouver's Jesper Sorensen and Dallas' Eric Quill, plus Sebastian Berhalter and Thomas Müller talk playoffs, winning championships, and making the city fall in love with the team. We've two interviews for you this episode and first up is Whitecaps winger Jayden Nelson, as we chat about the playoff match-up with Dallas and what the team can learn from their Champions Cup run earlier in the year. We also chat with Forge FC stalwart Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson about winning another trophy, the legacy the club has built, whether the team can do the first ever CPL double, and his own footballing journey from Sweden to Canada. All of that plus we round-up the end of the CPL regular season and look at the playoffs ahead, and music-wise, Kneecap continue their residency as our Album of the Month, we've a Britpop song from Blessed Ethel and Swedish band Perkele feature in Wavelength. Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01.16: Intro - MLS playoffs off and running 05.15: Jesper Sorensen sets up Whitecaps vs Dallas 23.20: Dallas coach Eric Quill on how they plan to beat the Whitecaps 36.12: Thomas Müller and Sebastian Berhalter talk playoffs and making city proud 48.55: Jayden Nelson interview 58.45: CPL regular season round-up and playoff preview 112.10: Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson interview 139.40: Wavelength - Perkele - Yellow and Blue

In this episode of the Learnings and Missteps podcast, host Jesse welcomes Shane Patterson, founder and CEO of Jenga. With a background in finance and software engineering, Shane has focused on solving complex problems in the construction sector. The conversation highlights Shane's journey into the construction industry, his focus on building solutions for subcontractors, and the complexities involved in estimating and bidding processes. Shane discusses the importance of delivering undeniable value, understanding customer needs, and how technology is catching up to meet the deep requirements of subcontracting. The episode explores Shane's vision for a more efficient and risk-averse future for subcontractors, the concept of 'super subs,' and the potential impact of robotics on the industry.00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview01:06 Meet Shane Patterson: Founder and CEO of Jenga02:50 The Complexity of Construction03:39 Shane's Journey into Construction05:57 Challenges and Lessons Learned12:38 The Importance of Listening and Problem-Solving26:29 Managing Feature Requests and Business Strategy32:16 The Early Days of Construction Software32:41 Challenges in Software Functionality34:28 Deep Needs of Construction Technology36:41 The Cost of Building Software39:44 Subcontractors vs General Contractors42:02 The Complexity of Subcontracting48:53 Vision for the Future of Subcontracting55:39 Overcoming Adoption Barriers58:03 Delivering Maximum Value01:02:29 Grand Slam Closing QuestionSet the stage for an amazing new year with the Self First Framework.https://calendly.com/jesse04/self-first-webinar Download a PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Behttps://www.depthbuilder.com/books

Dread is the ultimate horror TTRPG, utilising a Jenga tower to determine if you live or DIE! Get yourself a set of our new 60 Skeletons Dice https://store.outsidexbox.com/https://store.outsidexbox.com/ Get tickets to Oxventure's Tales From the Guild 2026 live tour at ⁠https://bit.ly/OXGuild⁠ 15:20 Actual play begins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------------------ Join the OX Supporters Club and official Discord server: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/oxclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out the official store for sweet merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠store.outsidexbox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To watch all the original Oxventure videos, visit us on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/oxventure⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacking of tariffs is like playing Jenga, but the MHDV 232 proclamation clarified that some tariffs do NOT stack. Listen to Two Minutes in Trade for more. 

It's episode 18, so naturally, the Football Americans pay tribute to the NFL's greatest to ever wear the number—plus, Shek's mom pops in with a birthday story for her childhood neighbor, Mike Ditka (yes, really).‘Heed the Call's' Marc Sessler stops by for a film-nerd showdown on Tarantino vs. P.T. Anderson before everyone dives headfirst into the week's Jerk List.The questions are unending… Where's the defense in Buffalo and Pittsburgh? Is KC fated for another Super Bowl run? Is Christian McCaffrey the 49ers' Jenga piece holding it all together? Should the NFL outlaw on-field jersey swaps? Then, Geoff Schwartz joins for Points Per Game to answer life's great mysteries: Why does college football only have half a white stripe? What's going on with the Jets? How far can Drake Maye take the Patriots? The Colts are good. The Raiders are bad. Everything's right (and wrong) in the football universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

- Como si fuera una torre de Jenga, el Morenato le fue quitando piezas a la República, hasta destruirla por completo. - Te fue arrebatando derechos, libertades y la posibilidad de exigir cuentas claras, mientras se hacían millonarios, a través de las peores alianzas con el crimen organizado, y concentraban todo el poder, en un pequeño grupo de corruptos. - Esto lo hicieron a la vista de todo México, pero como sucedió una pieza a la vez, la mayoría de los mexicanos se fue acostumbrando, sin sentir que la torre de la República estaba a punto de caer. - En la Resistencia de Ciudadanos Útiles y Felices vamos a recoger todas las piezas útiles y vamos a crear nuevas, para volver a reconstruir a la República, mejor, más justa y más incluyente. - Por eso, Viva la Resistencia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's Gambling Mad with Norman Chad, we cover everything that makes America great — bad economic policy, flat Earth believers, and missed field goals. Norman takes aim at prediction market apps that somehow let people gamble on whether civilization will survive, breaks down why Trump's economy is as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake, and launches his “Just Say No to Starbucks” campaign (because paying $8 for foam is a moral failing). Plus, NFL picks and an existential debate about whether kickers are real athletes or just well-dressed goalposts.

Rosie Klepper plays a game with her freezer. A very dangerous game.

Welcome to “Digital Jenga,” where the tower's made of cloud apps, power cords, and fragile backup plans and every pulled piece brings us closer to chaos. Today's episode is a thought experiment that feels a little too real: What happens when everything goes down but your stress levels? Grab your imaginary generator and follow along as we walk through scenarios that are way more common (and hilarious) than you'd think, because nothing says fun like discovering your entire system was balancing on one Wi-Fi signal and a prayer. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/529

Send us a textHiring isn't just expensive—it's complicated. Between salaries, onboarding, benefits, and the endless HR headaches, adding to payroll can slow you down more than it helps. In this episode of Mike and Blaine, we break down why efficiency often beats expansion when it comes to growth.From SaaS founders to local business owners, we explore real-world examples of companies boosting revenue without adding headcount. You'll learn how to scale smarter with automation, delegation, and streamlined processes that free up time, cut costs, and keep teams agile. We'll also share insights into how staying lean can help you adapt faster in unpredictable markets while still driving profitability.If you've ever wondered how to grow your business without stacking your team like Jenga blocks, this episode is for you.Support the show and keep the beers flowing—visit mikeandblaine.com to buy us a beer!#BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusinessTips #Efficiency #StartupStrategyDon't miss the latest insights and entertaining discussions on entrepreneurship, small business, and random BS. Subscribe, follow, and like Mike and Blaine's "Business, Beer, and BS" and catch every episode! Featured Beer: @suncreekbrewery @omenbrewingyegMike: Suncreek Brewery “Sun Squishy” IPABlaine: Omen Brewing “Puca” Extra StoutWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1c1pXM1ppiEThanks to our Beer Sponsors: • Rachel Barnett from Gentle Frog: youtube.com/@GentleFrog • Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com• Larry Weinstein, the Cash Flow Cowboy in Houston Texas!• Neighbor Pat• Devin• Jeff Robertson at jeffreyrobertson.comListen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.comcashflowmike.comdryrun.comSupport the showCatch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

In this mashup episode, we're presenting our first two guests from the 2025 IANA Intermodal Expo, Kristy Knichel of Knichel Logistics and Gary Van Tassel of INFORM GmbH! Kristy shares the strategies behind running a non-asset-based intermodal company, how customer retention, flexibility in equipment, and strong carrier relationships gave them an edge during the COVID equipment shortages, and why events like the IANA Conference are critical for long-term business development. Gary talks about how automation, AI, and cybersecurity are shaping the future of supply chain efficiency and security!   About Kristy Knichel Meet Kristy Knichel, the heart and brains behind Knichel Logistics and a proud Pittsburgh native. She didn't just inherit the logistics torch from her father; she turned it into a blazing success story. Taking the helm as president in 2007 was more than a title shift; it was a game-changer. Since becoming president, Kristy's been playing logistics Jenga, stacking up growth year after year. Kristy's success in growing Knichel Logistics can be attributed to her strategic decision-making and ability to identify expansion opportunities, such as adding OTR, LTL, and specialty services, as well as a slew of technological advancements to boost efficiency. Through her leadership, Kristy has not only tripled the business but also solidified Knichel Logistics' reputation as a top player in the IMC community. Kristy has quite a few awards and accolades under her belt. Check out some of her most recent accomplishments, including the 2022 Women in Supply Chain Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the 2022 Top Woman-Owned Companies in Transportation Award from Women in Trucking, and being the Intermodal Logistics Conference Chair on the TIA Board of Directors from 2019 to 2023. And get this: Kristy's the only woman to receive the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year award for the East Central Region in 2022! Today, Kristy's focus is to elevate Knichel Logistics to new heights through strategic development. She's dedicated to providing her team with opportunities for growth and self-improvement. When Kristy isn't busy conquering the business world as well as being a devoted mom to Brayden and wife to Jason, she's rooting for the Steelers or embarking on a camping adventure with her loved ones. With a leader like Kristy, there's more than just logistics at play! Website: https://www.knichellogistics.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyknichel/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/knichel-logistics/    About Gary Van Tassel Gary van Tassel is a logistics and terminal operations expert with over 20 years of experience in maritime, intermodal, and rail environments, specializing in strategy, automation, and change management. Having started his career at APM Terminals, he has held senior leadership roles at REMPREX and CSX Intermodal Terminals, where he oversaw large-scale technology-enabled transformation initiatives, including greenfield terminal developments and automation programs. Since March 2025, Gary serves as Director Sales North America at INFORM's Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics Division, a German-based software company with a history of over 55 years in optimizing logistics processes. Website: https://www.inform-software.com/en/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-van-tassel-5751b2220/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/inform/  

Send Leanne a messageIn this episode of First Time Facilitator, I chat with Dr Liz O'Riordan about her leap from the operating theatre to the workshop room. After being diagnosed with cancer and leaving surgery, Liz turned to speaking, writing, and now — facilitation. With only days to prepare, she discovered my book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint, raided her kitchen cupboards for props, and built a session that participants called “brilliant — don't change a thing.”We unpack how she:Transformed complex cancer science into playful, prop-based learning (think Jenga and cupcakes

Brendan talks for a few minutes at a time about each of the games he dusted off in April and May of 2025 but hadn't talked about yet.May dusty gamesA Study in Emerald (2013) (2 Years, 7 Months, 19 Days dusty)My Top 50Royals (2014) (5 Years, 11 Months)El Grande (1995)Stick Stack (2016) (2 Years, 1 Month, 13 Days dusty)Jenga (1983)Kingdomino (2016) (6 Years, 2 Months, 5 Days dusty)June dusty gamesSmile (2017)  (6 Years, 5 Months, 26 Days dusty)Maori (2009)  (1 Year, 2 Months, 20 Days dusty)Century: Golem Edition (2017)  (1 Year, 2 Months, 23 Days dusty)Dominion (2008)Game of Thrones: Westeros Intrigue (2014)  (7 Years, 9 Months, 19 Days dusty)7 Wonders Duel (2015)Welcome to the Moon (2021)  (1 Year, 7 Months, 20 Days dusty)What games have you dusted off in the last few months? Share your thoughts over on Boardgamegeek in our forums, #3269.

"I don't know," can be scary, but if we want to take the posture of a learner, it's essential.

"I don't know," can be scary. But it's part of the posture of a learner.

In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, with Chad Sowash sipping ouzo on a Greek beach, Joel Cheesman and guest J.T. O'Donnell dish out spicy takes on the workforce with their trademark snark. They kick off with a riff on empathy—or lack thereof—in today's rage-fueled world, joking that community resilience is basically folks bonding over Wi-Fi outages. Corporate layoffs get a roasting, with job security shakier than a Jenga tower at a frat party, and fractional employment pitched as the future for those who love working three jobs to afford one coffee. OpenAI's shiny new job platform sparks eye-rolls, as they dunk on job boards so outdated they might as well be faxing resumes. AI's role in job matching gets a nod, though they quip it's less “perfect match” and more “swipe left on bad fits.” Labor market woes are dissected, with job seekers facing hurdles higher than a toddler's tantrum, and generational gripes about work sound like Boomers and Zoomers arguing over who gets the last slice of avocado toast. Economic data? They trust it about as much as a used car salesman's handshake. Indeed and LinkedIn's AI tools get a playful cage match comparison, while Shaker and Radancy's acquisition drama is served with a side of corporate soap opera. They wrap up cackling about autonomous vehicles, wondering if truck drivers will soon be replaced by robots who honk worse than your uncle at a tailgate.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Current Events 02:25 The State of Empathy and Rage 05:19 Shout Outs and Community Resilience 08:33 Corporate Layoffs and Job Security 11:22 The Future of Work and Fractional Employment 14:22 OpenAI's New Job Platform 17:06 Cynicism Towards Job Boards 20:11 OpenAI's Impact on Job Searching 27:16 AI in Job Matching and Job Seeker Education 29:06 Labor Market Insights and Economic Realities 30:50 Demographics of Job Seekers and Their Challenges 33:04 Generational Perspectives on Employment 35:19 Trust in Economic Data and Its Implications 36:29 AI Tools in Recruitment: Indeed vs. LinkedIn 46:52 Acquisitions in Recruitment Tech: Shaker vs. Radancy 53:57 The Future of Autonomous Vehicles and Job Displacement

SPONSORS: 1) PRIZEPICKS: Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/JULIAN and use code JULIAN and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! 2) FUM: Head to https://tryfum.com/products/zero-crisp-mint to start with Zero PATREON https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Forrest Galante is an American outdoor adventurer and television personality. He primarily seeks out animals on the brink of extinction. He is the host of the television shows Extinct or Alive on Animal Planet and Mysterious Creatures with Forrest Galante, as well as multiple Shark Week shows. FORREST'S LINKS - YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ForrestGalante - IG: https://www.instagram.com/forrest.galante/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Hippie roots, Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Oakland, culture shock 11:50 – Anger, ocean discovery, diving, UCSB, future wife 22:18 – UCSB professor, insect knowledge, biology, fieldwork, desk jobs 32:50 – Academia critique, media, Channel Islands, Naked and Afraid 40:17 – Naked and Afraid reality, survivalist, viral stories, TV offers 46:34 – Extinct or Alive pitch, rediscoveries, Zanzibar leopard, tortoise 58:09 – Fernandina tortoise, tracking tech, human instinct 01:07:15 – Colossal advisor, de-extinction risks, cloning, rollouts 01:18:08 – Jurassic Park, conservation business model, extinction rates 01:22:44 – Conservation funding, dinosaurs, sauropod skepticism, fossils 01:27:10 – Convergent evolution, biodiversity Jenga, bees, Amazon, Paul 01:39:01 – First Amazon trip, canoe, 19-ft anaconda, tribes, shamans 01:53:55 – Jungle vs Western medicine, rifle break, poaching, rhino horn 02:06:27 – Elephant translocation, helicopters, family bonds, survival 02:20:38 – Elephant trauma, Zimbabwe bull, India rescue, lost species 02:33:48 – Renegade scientists, ocean mysteries, Paul Watson arrest 02:49:32 – Laws vs conservation, Mota Island, cave of skulls, warriors 02:59:17 – Refugee roots, global expeditions, Animals on Drugs, YouTube CREDITS: - Host & Producer: Julian Dorey - Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 333 - Forrest Galante Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fully Compatible.In 3 parts, by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. The next morning he had the hood up on Ellie's car and had tried turning it over a couple times, and the starter took, but it didn't want to fire. He looked into the possible problems and everything looked in good shape, so he figured he'd look up the symptoms online and most pointed to the fuel filter, so he made a quick rundown the parts store and picked up a new one. That seemed to do the trick, once it was installed he was able to start her car several times without any problem.Ellie came trotting down the stairs with a plate and mug. She walked up to Luke and leaned in fast and gave him a kiss. "Thank you! What was wrong?""Fuel filter, I replaced it and now it's turning over first try.""Hungry? I got up earlier than I thought so I baked banana bread."He smiled. "Absolutely, let me go wash the gas off my hands.""Here, this will make sure you come back." She broke off a piece and fed it to him. As he hummed his appreciation."You think that's all that will have me coming back? Remind me to fix the mirror in your bathroom." He leaned in and kissed her again. "That is awesome banana bread though." He grinned as he jogged into the house. He came back out to find her sitting on the hood of her car, half the slice she'd brought out was gone."Do you drink coffee?" She asked, and he nodded. "Guess I should refill this then, huh?" She chuckled. "If you hadn't taken so long to wash up you might have gotten this cup. Come on up, and I'll slice some more of this awesome bread.""Isn't this how the spider lures the fly into its web?" He chuckled."Can spiders even make banana bread? I can assure you that I'll never trap you, but as my dad used to say, 'If you want the honey, you gotta deal with the bees.' I think he meant that you have to take a chance on the bad stuff to get to the really good stuff.""Sounds like a good philosophy. I'm kind of scared though. What's the bad stuff?" He paused for a moment."Have you always been such a deep thinker?" She asked."I used to get called out by my mom for being introverted and quiet. She was always trying to get me out of my shell." He shrugged and smiled. "But quiet doesn't mean stupid.""I never thought it did." She refilled the mug with coffee and added sugar and milk, and sliced off a fresh slice for him and brought it to him."What about you Luke? Are you willing to brave the bees to get the honey?" She asked."I've only been called a coward once, by you.""I called you a chicken, not the same thing." She grinned."So; what are we doing today?" Luke just smiled and drank his coffee."Jeans, comfortable shoes for walking, and a sweatshirt. That's all you get for now. We should head out early, maybe 2:30 or 3. Is that okay with you?""Are we; becoming a 'thing'?" He asked her. The genuine innocence was so sweet."Well we've only been hanging out a few weeks, but so far so good." She smiled, and noted that she'd been smiling a lot around him. That was a good sign too.She was excited and curious. She'd gladly go where ever he wanted right now. She had a quick realization, that her little seduction of Luke was backfiring and without him even trying she was being seduced by him as well. "Do I need to bring anything? Water, snacks?" She asked pushing for a hint."No we'll stop at the store on the way." He smirked popping the last bit of bread into his mouth, washing it down with the rest of the coffee. "Oh, I have something of yours too. I'll bring it up when I come to pick you up." She gave him a questioning look. "Don't look so innocent. I turned redder than your satin top when my dad pulled your panties out of my back pocket last night."Ellie bust out laughing. "I was wondering where they'd gone to. I thought you'd pocketed them you pervert.""Oh no! I know now that when you grabbed my ass last night you stuffed them in my pocket! You were hoping I'd get caught weren't you?"Ellie had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard. She didn't have a clue but Luke was hooked now. He had never seen her look more beautiful."No, oh my god no. I did sneak them in there, but not for that reason. I figured they'd be a nice little memento of our first date.""I thought tonight was going to be our first date?" He asked curiously."Well I couldn't wait. I invited you to dinner last night, as far as I'm concerned that was our first date." She leaned on her fist smiling at him. "How was it?"He looked at her wide-eyed, slack jawed. She leaned forward and slipped her tongue between his parted lips and they kissed deeply. "It was fun wasn't it?" She asked hoping for a little reassurance."It was fantastic." He whispered urgently and kissed her again. "I'll see you in a couple hours." He gave her another kiss then stood and left looking over his shoulder at her beaming back at him. He smiled as he headed down into the house to spend a little time knocking off schoolwork before going out for the night.He knocked on her door at 2:30 sharp. She called out for him to come in. He heard close the closet door, and she popped out of the bedroom in jeans and a black turtleneck. She held her arms out. "Is this okay?" She asked."Perfect." He smiled. They headed down to his car and once again he opened the door for her letting her settle in before he closed it. He hopped into the driver's seat and they were on their way. He drove out to the shopping center and pulled into a space at the grocery store."When you were a kid, what were the things you remember most about holiday meals. What was that one thing you couldn't wait for?" He asked, he tilted his head indicating they were going inside."This is a first, a date at the supermarket." She chuckled."Seriously. Was there something special that you only had at that time of the year but not usually any other.""Mashed potatoes with a lot of butter and pepper. Oh and my mom only used to make that string bean casserole at holidays. I love that too. Pie is a given, pumpkin and pecan, I'd have both." She smiled."Good, good to know. He grabbed a basket and they started wandering around the store and he picked up the makings of the casserole. A couple boxes of instant mashed potatoes, and some canned gravy. He found canned pumpkin and put some of that in the basket. "What else?" Ellie gave him a curious look trying to figure out what he was doing."Well, she used to make glazed carrots too. If we were lucky, relatives from up north would send her a bottle of real maple syrup, otherwise she would make it from butter and brown sugar. That was awesome." He found carrots and put several cans in the basket as well."Anything else?""Scrabble, well that's what we called it. The rest of the world knows it as party mix with the cereal and pretzels baked with seasoned salt and our secret weapon, Worcestershire sauce." Luke found the cereal aisle and grabbed the ingredients, and made his way to the chip aisle and found pretzels to go with it stating that they always had pretzels and mixed nuts in theirs. He looked down and seemed to be counting."Okay, first thing that comes to your mind when I say, comfort food.""Mac and cheese." She said, and he grinned."Good choice." He stocked up on the blue boxes."Are we stocking a fallout shelter?" She said nervously. He chuckled."You didn't see the big hole we've dug in the back yard?" Ellie just rolled her eyes and grinned, she knew this had to be going somewhere and she was getting more curious. They made their way to the front and got in line at the check-out filling a couple of the re-usable shopping bags with their groceries. He stowed all the groceries in the trunk and held the door open for Ellie once again. They were on the road again heading out of town."Okay, you've got me. I haven't got a clue what we're doing." She giggled. Nearly twenty minutes later Luke turned down a side road following a sign pointing out a fairground entrance. A few miles down the tree lined road the area opened up to fields filled with cars and signs for the county fall harvest festival. He made his way carefully up the dirt path and finding someone directing the parking."But why the store?" She smiled as he handed her the lightest of the grocery bags. They walked towards the gate and she saw the truck and tables. A sign indicating donations for the holiday food pantry in lieu of admission to the park could be made there. Ellie grinned at Luke, finally realizing his plan. They brought the bags up to one of the tables and the older couple behind thanked them and asked how many items they had brought. Luke told them twenty-seven, ten per ticket had been requested. "We went a little crazy remembering what we loved about holiday dinners and lost count." The lady fawned over them while her husband took the bags back to a sorting area near the truck, and thanked them. They took their tickets and went into the fair.They wandered through the attractions. Luke showed off his prowess for carnival games and won Ellie a stuffed tiger. They wandered through the exhibits, marveling at the giant pumpkins and petting the cute animals. They found the food vendors and ate everything that was bad for them, but you only go to the fair once a year, so they indulged. There was even a concert that night and they sat in the grandstand listening to the band. Ellie was glad he told her to bring a sweatshirt because it had turned cooler as the sun went down. She hardly noticed as they sat there with their arms around one another. He rubbed her back as she held him tight."Why didn't you just tell me about the food drive?" She asked."I didn't want you to think I was trying to impress you." He paused. "My folks were pretty lucky. They both had good jobs and made a good living. We've never wanted for anything. Well there was this one time I wanted a dirt bike and they said no, but that wasn't because of the money. I think they just wanted me to live to be twelve at the very least. They never let me get jaded, you know, they always wanted me to know there were people who didn't have. They were much more subtle than the usual, 'Eat your broccoli, kids are starving in Africa' parents. Hell, I never realized that some of those less fortunate families were kids I went to school with until years later. Giving back is just something they taught me to do. Besides it seemed more fun that way." Luke smiled down at her. "I got to tease you for a change.""Well, it didn't work.""Huh?""I'm impressed anyway." She smiled. "You spent almost twice the cost of those tickets filling those bags."After the last song finished a loud whistle screamed out followed by a loud boom. Fireworks had started behind the stage and they sat and watched them arm in arm. Ellie laid her head on his shoulder as they watched, both occasionally jumping at the explosions.Ellie had taken hold of Luke's hand as they made their way home down the dark winding roads. She massaged it with her thumb rubbing in slow circles."Thanks, I had a great time." She said softly. She could make out his grin by the dash lights."Me too." He gave her hand a squeeze."Luke? When I asked the other night if you've ever made out before, you said you hadn't. Have you ever had a girlfriend? I mean, have you ever had sex?" Her voice was soft but with an inquisitive edge to it. His hand flexed a few times in hers."No." He replied with a nearly silent sigh."Any reason?" She pressed. "It can't be that you've never had a chance. You must have had to beat the girls away with a stick in high school." A soft giggle followed the comment."I was pretty quiet, I didn't have a lot of friends." He shrugged. Neither spoke the rest of the way home. Ellie had laid his hand on her lap and continued to rub it gently, and he rubbed her leg through her jeans. They pulled into the drive and parked. With all the lights off in the car Ellie slid his hand further up her thigh, and leaned over to kiss him. She was eager and let it be known in her kiss and he responded in kind gripping her thigh tightly."Would you walk me up?" She asked pulling away from his lips reluctantly. He got out and walked around to her door opening it. She stood, looked into his eyes and took his hand and led him up the stairs. "Would you like to come in?" She wasn't sure if she needed to coax him but he was already in the doorway closing it behind him. A faint smile came to her lips and she tried to hide it. He returned the little smirk in kind. "There's a bottle of wine in the fridge. Why don't you open it up, and I'll be right back." She bit her lip and smiled backing her way to the bedroom. She was giddy because she knew she would have him tonight. She undressed and replaced her every day underthings with the yellow lingerie she bought the day they went shopping together, and dressed again. She wanted to see his face as he peeled her out of her clothes.She entered the room and Luke stood up. "Who taught him this stuff?" Ellie wondered. She turned off the overhead light and put on a small table lamp. They sat down on the sofa, Ellie leaned into him pulling her legs up beneath her."Did you really you have a good time tonight?" He asked. Ellie chuckled and looked him in the eyes. Her smile slipped away as she leaned in to kiss him deeply."The night's not over yet." She whispered.Luke's nervousness was slipping away as he and Ellie began kissing in earnest. He leaned back pulling her on top of him as their hands began to roam over each other. His hand slid up her back slowly lifting the hem of her shirt, he sent shivers up her spine as he caressed her skin. She joined in and reached between them and unbuttoned his shirt pulling it free of his jeans and ran her hand up his t-shirt playing with his nipple.Ellie broke free of his warm lips and came up to a kneel between his legs, and looked down at him as she crossed her arms lifting her turtleneck up and over her head. She shook her hair out as she tossed the shirt onto a side chair and smiled down at him. She grinned showing off the little yellow lace bra, which made him smile. Luke reached up and grasped the front of her jeans pulling her off balance and back onto his chest in a flurry of giggles. His hands not only roamed her back, but now slid between them as he ran his palm up her bra eliciting a soft moan as he massage her breasts through the fabric."The clasp is in back." She said in a clear invitation. Using his other hand he reached down between her legs and dragged her higher up his body, placing her breast within easy reach of him. Rather than unsnap the band he slipped the strap off her shoulder and pulled the cup down revealing smooth white skin and puckered pink nipple to his hungry mouth. He kissed it gently, causing Ellie to gasp as his tongue ran lazy circles around the tip causing it to get even harder. Her breathing was short and quick. She pulled away from his agonizing teasing, placing her forehead against his, and closed her eyes."I don't know if you want this, but I do. Would you take me to bed and make love to me Luke?"He looked her in the eyes for a moment thinking it would be his pleasure. Her eyes closed for a moment, when she opened them, he felt himself fall into their depths, and he was gone. He kissed her deeply.She stood shakily, Luke reached for her steadying her. She smiled as she took his hand and pulled him up too. He wrapped his arms around her taking her mouth with his again. He fumbled a few times with the hook of her bra. She smiled."Don't worry, practice makes perfect.""I hope I get a lot of practice then."She walked backwards pulling him with her into the bedroom. She reached down and unbuttoned her jeans turning and giving her ass a little wiggle as she pushed them off showing her yellow lace panties, which thanks to the heavy petting on the couch were now quite damp. She kicked them aside and turned back to Luke who just stood there staring, his mouth hanging open. She smiled and pushed his unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. He reached to take off the tee, and she stopped him."Allow me."She lifted the hem of the shirt and ran her hands up his chest and sides lifting the shirt with it."You don't know how much I wanted to do this yesterday morning when you answered the door." She smiled as she stroked his nipples with her thumbs. "I want you to know how good this feels." She said leaning forward and taking one into her mouth swirling her tongue and flicking it.Luke's breathing got shallow a fast. She took it between her teeth, giving just a light tug before letting it free.Luke gasped at the sensation. She pushed the shirt up and he raised his arms letting her pull it off completely."Damn do you look good without a shirt on." She said."You look pretty fantastic without one too." He replied smiling. They kissed again, their bare chests touching for the first time sent shocks through them both. The heat they were building was intense and made the room feel cool in comparison. He felt hands on his belt fiddling with it to get it loose, soon his jeans were unbuttoned and the zipper slid down. Her hand slid down inside massaging the length of him through his boxers."Hmm , that feels nice." She mumbled into his kiss."It's not very;” She halted him with a firmly planted kiss."Enough of that, you've been watching too much porn." She giggled. "Remember, the pyramids were built with hand tools, it's not the size of your tool, it's how you use it." That made Luke chuckle. She began kissing her way down his chest and stomach and eventually knelt in front of him. She reached up and tugged the jeans down to his knees seeing his boxers strain to contain his hardness. She peered up at Luke from under a fallen lock of hair as she reached slowly for the waistband. She pulled down slowly, revealing it finally. Slowly a grin crept across her face as she looked up again."It's perfect." She said biting her lip. She looked down at it, he wasn't huge, but he was above average. She couldn't wait to have him inside her. She peeked up again. "Mind if I take the edge off for you?" Luke just tilted his head wondering what she meant just as she leaned forward and took him into her mouth.Luke let out a gasp as her lips engulfed him. It's a wonder his knees didn't buckle and land him on the floor. She started slowly taking a little more in with each stroke. She let him free and licked the length of him. He was gasping for air, she knew he wouldn't last, & decided to bring him some relief. She began bobbing her head while stroking him bringing him to the brink."Ellie! I'm.." He didn't get the words out by the time she felt the rush hit the back of her throat. She swallowed quickly hoping she could keep up."I'm sorry! Oh, shit." Luke said looking down at her. As she continued to lick and suck him."Well I'm not. Now that the edge is off we can take our time." She gave him a last lick to clean the tip. "I'm torn between wanting to instruct you and letting you discover on your own. Is there anything you've seen that you've wanted to try?"Luke's expression changed from horror to astonishment. Was this beautiful girl kneeling in front of him. Giving free reign to his sexual fantasies? He reached down taking her elbow and lifted her up so she was standing again, and quickly kicked the rest of his clothing free. Ellie turned and went to the bed pulled back the covers and laid down and looked at him expectantly."Why am I naked and you've still got those on?" He said nodding at her lacy yellow panties.She grinned. "It's because you haven't taken them off yet." She snickered. "Though maybe I should do that myself before you pilfer all of my panties."Luke grinned and walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, and reached for the waistband, he gave a quick peek up at her, she just straightened out and lifted her hips off the mattress giving him the go ahead to slip them off. They released from her hips and as he pulled them from between her thighs the moisture held them in place for a moment as he pulled them free, sliding them down her legs."They're soaking." He said surprised.Ellie rolled her eyes a bit and smirked. "You have a, uh, certain effect on me. What can I say?" She sat up leaning into his kiss. "Have you thought about it, or shall I take the lead?""I want to taste you." He said in a whisper. She kissed him deeply."Well you know what I taste like up here. Why not explore a little." She said in a deep voice he'd never heard her use before.He did just that, working his way down her neck leaving a trail of kisses that caused her to sigh deeply. Then laid a trail to her breasts taking an excruciatingly long time to take her nipple into his mouth.She moaned a little deeper and ran a hand through his hair while her other found his still hard cock and massaged it slowly not wanting him to go off in her hand.He lavished attention on her breasts for a while, and Ellie began to wonder if he'd go any further so she gently pulled herself up causing his mouth to land on her rib cage, hoping that would be incentive to continue south. It worked, he made his way down her stomach giving her belly button a little lick causing her to giggle. She gave his hair a tug to get him to stop.He hesitated as he made his way down over her smooth skin kissing his way around, dragging his tongue slowly nearly torturing her. He slipped around pushing her legs apart and lay between her raised knees. He leaned forward and kissed her, his tongue teasing its way up her swollen pink lips causing Ellie to gasp and grip his hair a little tighter. It took all of her reserve to not pull him down into her, as she relaxed her grip he began to explore and he took the cues she gave him very well, as she leaned in and lifted. He was very attentive and gentle, almost too gentle as her climax neared she moaned a little louder, a little quicker.Luke surprised her by slipping a finger into her molten core and taking her clit between his lips causing her to cry out and arch up as she peaked quickly. After a couple minutes of panting she lifted Luke's head by his hair from the task of cleaning up the mess he'd made of her."You've never done that before?" She asked, an edge in her voice.He just looked at her in wide-eyed innocence and shook his head back and forth."Did I do something wrong?" He asked, suddenly worried. She just fell back and laughed."No, you did everything right, that's why I wondered."Luke crawled up beside her and she looked over at his sweet face lacquered in her own honey.She leaned over and kissed him, tasting herself on his tongue. "Listen. I'm on the pill, but I want you to wear a condom anyway. A girl can never be too safe." Luke's eyes went wide."Shit, I don't have any. I mean; I never."Ellie giggled and reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out a little foil packet. "It's a good thing I was hoping this would happen and prepared for it."Luke's eyes went wide."Oh seriously. Guys can be as thick as bricks sometimes. I've been practically throwing myself at you since I moved in, Luke. Hasn't it been obvious?""Well I just thought you were being friendly, and well a bit of a flirt. I didn't think any more of it until last night." He shrugged."You surprised me with the stakes of that Jenga game." She smiled. "I'm glad I lost.""I'm glad you did too." He grinned."Lay back." She put the packet to her teeth and tore it open. "See how it's rolled. Place it at the tip, and unroll it like this, and voila. Mr. Happy is now properly dressed for the ball." Ellie looked down at it, and her smile faded into a look of need as she looked up at Luke. "Let me." She placed a hand on his chest as she rose up and threw a leg over his body and straddled his hips. She took his length and ran it against her before settling gently down on it. She let out a gasp as he entered her slowly.Luke lay back taking short quick breaths wanting badly to raise his hips and drive himself into her.Ellie was in control of the moment, a hand firmly on his chest as she lowered herself further, as she took him in she sped up burying him into her completely causing them both to cry out."Oh that feels nice!" She said as she clenched down on him causing him to gasp again. She rose up slowly causing her own deep moan. She rode him for several strokes as he took hold of her hips getting into the rhythm of her body. She pressed herself down on him and leaned forward and kissed him. "Luke?""Hmm?""Roll me onto my back and fuck me good and hard." She said biting his lip.He smiled as he wrapped an arm around her and rolled over taking her with him.She adjusted quickly and her legs went around him rocking her hips to get him to start.He was a quick study, and he began thrusting into her in long deep strokes as he attacked her mouth and neck."Harder!" She urged. "Don't stop!"He had no intention of stopping if anything he was scared he was hurting her as the sound of their flesh meeting, repeatedly rang throughout the room."Yes!" Ellie cried repeatedly. He felt his climax approaching again. Ellie began to shudder under him as she let out a series of high pitched moans, he knew then he couldn't hold out any longer and pushed hard into her releasing as she gripped down on him. He collapsed unable to hold himself up any longer.They lay there gasping for breath for a long while when Ellie leaned over and whispered into Luke's ear, in a little sing-song way. "Guess who's not a virgin now?" She kissed his cheek as she heard him laughing into her shoulder."What now?" He asked."Well, first thing you may want to do is go and tie off your little goody bag and trash it." She said. She looked deeply into his eyes. "Will you stay with me tonight?" She asked.He didn't know why but Luke's throat tightened. He looked into her dark eyes, a feeling of falling into them washed over him."Yes." He whispered. "I hope you don't snore though, I'm a light sleeper." He grinned.They both busted out laughing as he rose to go clean up. When he came back the bed had been remade, Ellie lay there wearing his t-shirt which was enticingly short, her long supple legs leading up to the hem, it was obvious that she hadn't bothered with putting her panties back on. He turned off the light and crawled in beside her, they kissed, and explored as they fell asleep.Deep in the night they stirred, this time Luke took her slowly. She looked up, the faint light of a streetlight limned his body. Soft moans and whispers broke the peace as they concluded their lovemaking. The quiet enveloped them as they drifted off again.The rumble of the door opener in the garage woke Luke. His head popped up realizing he wasn't in his room. He looked down quickly and found shining brown eyes smiling up at him."Good morning."The blanket had pulled down and Ellie's breasts were in full view."Pardon the morning breath." He said as he kissed her. "You lost your shirt."She giggled. "More like you peeled it off in the middle of the night.""Oh shit!" He grimaced, looking at her neck."What?""I'm sorry. I had no idea." A panicked look settled on his face."What?!" She started to panic, and she noticed he was looking at her neck. She bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom. A moment later she busted out laughing. "I look like I was attacked by a gang of vampires." She came back out smiling. "Good thing I like turtlenecks."Luke was somewhat relieved but still worried. "I'm sorry!" He said again concerned that she'd be mad at him for looking like she'd been beaten."You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about." She leaned forward kissing him quickly. "Except maybe waking me up with this a couple times over the last few hours." She said reaching under the blanket and grasping his hard cock. "Let me check I may have a spare toothbrush, unless you want to run down and grab yours." She grinned. "Sounds like your dad just left.""Yea I'm guessing he went to breakfast without me." He smirked. "We like this place in town, it has a large glassed in dining room like a greenhouse. On Sundays they do a jazz brunch." He looked over at the clock noting it was much later than he usually woke.Ellie smirked. "Well we did have quite a workout last night. It's to be expected.""Let me text him. If we hurry we can join him." Luke said. "If you'd like to, I mean.""I'm torn between having my way with you yet again, but we'll have plenty of time later. I'd love breakfast. Let me go clean up and find a way to hide the damage. You brute!""I should probably grab a clean shirt, & clean up myself. Jeans are fine." Luke grabbed his jeans pulling them on and pulling on his shirt and made a beeline for the door. He paused at the bottom of the steps to text his dad then made his way into the house to wash up and change. He bolted out of the house to find Ellie leaning against the garage."Guys, always taking forever to get ready." She shook her head. She looked absolutely radiant in the morning sunshine."What can I say. I don't just roll out of bed looking this good, it takes work you know."Ellie chuckled as she said. "Seeing first hand evidence to the contrary, I'm calling bullshit.""He said he'd just have coffee and wait for us."They walked into the restaurant and were directed to the table where he sat. Derek stood as they approached."Now I see where he gets it. Hi Mr. Page.""Please, call me Derek. What do you mean?"Ellie grinned as she sat down. "I've never seen a guy stand when I walk in the room, or hold the door for me like Luke does. It's nice.""Well chivalry never goes out of style." He smiled. "I ordered us the sticky buns, they should be out soon. They make their own here, and they're endless. Thankfully, after seeing how many of them Luke can eat." They all got a chuckle at that. Luke rolled his eyes."Did you kids have fun at the fair?""We had a blast." Ellie said beaming. "Hercules here won me a stuffed tiger, and everything."They chatted amiably about school, work and the jazz band group playing at the other end of the dining room."What are you doing for the holiday next week?" Derek asked her."I'm going back home for the weekend. My mother and my aunt own a bed & breakfast up on a lake. It's a huge old house which makes it perfect for everybody." Ellie said. "What about you boys?""Not much, we'll probably have dinner out and catch some football." Derek replied."No way! You don't have any family around here?""None nearby." Derek confirmed.Ellie gave them a shrewd look. "Do you work Friday?"Derek shook his head. She already knew Luke was free. She paused for a moment and excused herself to go find the ladies room."Those are some pretty nice shiners." Derek commented. "When she moves, a few of them peek up above the turtleneck." He grinned.Luke turned red. "Uh, yea. Well we went up to her place after we got home."Derek grinned held up his hand, and gave a little shake to his head. "No need to explain, you're both adults."They both stopped speaking and stood as Ellie walked back to the table putting her cellphone in her pocket. She smiled at both of them as she sat down again."You are both now busy for the Thanksgiving holiday. It would be my pleasure if you would join me next week at the Bed & Breakfast. They have satellite so you won't miss any football." She grinned."Thank you, but we couldn't impose." Derek said."It's no imposition, there will be guests there as well. I just called my aunt and asked if there was room and she said there are still plenty of rooms available for you to stay over. It's about an hour away, up near the state park on the west side." She smiled at him then looked at Luke. "Besides, I was going to try and drag him away with me. It doesn't seem fair to leave you all alone. I've already told her you would accept. No backing out now.""You're a regular fireball aren't you?" Derek grinned. "I guess I have no leave but to accept on my behalf. What about you, Luke. Think you can be persuaded to spend an entire weekend in country with a lovely lady?"Luke looked at Ellie grinning. "It'll be tough, but I think I'll manage." She raised an eyebrow slightly and nudged him in the shin with her toe. "Ow!"Derek chuckled deeply. Yes, Ellie was definitely the right choice, there was no doubt in his mind now. By Member389 for Literotica.

Beth from Cool Girls returns to discuss Cylon sphincter detectors. Laura wonders what the Galatica crew is smoking. Xhafer mansplains comedy. This episode covers Battlestar Galactica Season 2, Episode 20: Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2.Find more of Beth and Laura on Cool Girls Don't Look at Explosions now in season 2 on your favorite podcatcher!Discord: https://discord.gg/MUHKDDk6TNMerch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatHappenedHerePods

“About that date?”In 3 parts, by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. School went quickly, with nobody lingering on a Friday and Ellie got a ride to work. She thought about what the specials had been today and decided to whip up something special for Luke. It wasn't easy on a Friday night, it was pretty busy, but the regular clientele dropped off quickly after dinner, knowing that the café closed at 8. A couple tables sported coffee sipping hipsters but for the most part the place had cleared out by then. Ellie had whipped up a little dish for them to share while she cleaned up the kitchen."Damn." Came a voice through the little window. Jody, one of the servers had whispered loud enough to be heard. "He's hot." Ellie popped her head up and scanned where Jody was looking and saw look scanning back and forth. She grinned ear to ear."Back off, he's already taken." She said softly, but with a little edge of threat in her voice. He may not be taken yet, but she didn't need any competition from the bubbly little server. "Can you sit him over at the chef's table.Jody chuckled. "Some chef's table, it's just the table nearest the kitchen door. What's his name?""His name is Luke, and be nice, I have a large selection of cutlery at hand, and I know how to use it."Jody walked over and introduced herself. Saying that Ellie had told her she had a friend stopping by. "She said a dark eyed handsome stranger was coming to pick her up. I told her to snap out of it, Prince Charming isn't real. Then you have to go and prove me wrong." She smiled, and steered him over to the table against the wall near the kitchen, and fawned over him for a moment and got him a drink. Ellie made sure nothing was burning and wiped her hands on her apron and snuck out of the kitchen.A smile spread across Luke's face when he saw her, which warmed her heart. She walked over and he stood up, such a gentleman she thought. She couldn't help herself and walked right up to him and kissed him softly. At first he seemed surprised but he didn't take long to return it."Hi." She said drawing it out. "Are you hungry?""You mentioned dinner, so I haven't eaten since lunch." He grinned."Good, park it, and I'll go whip it up." She winked at him and turned and wiggled back into the kitchen. Her ponytail danced back and forth as she peeked over her shoulder to make sure he was watching. She put herself into work mode and started pulling ingredients together. When in work mode Ellie was a sight to behold, like a kitchen ninja she got more done with fewer moves than anybody else in the café.What seemed like only a few minutes later she walked out of the kitchen with two plates of seared scallops and linguine, setting one down in front of Luke and the other across from him."One second." She said as she reached down and pulled the apron string sliding it off her waist. She unbuttoned the chef's coat she wore and dodged back into the kitchen to hang them up.She sat down and they began. Ellie peeking up to see if Luke was enjoying it. The speed with which he was eating told her what she wanted to know."I should have asked you if there was anything you didn't like. I didn't even think of that beforehand. Seafood can be touchy for some people. Hell I didn't even think to ask if you were allergic." She said getting frustrated with herself."No, it's delicious!" He was being completely genuine. He saw her getting upset and reached across the table to take her hand and rubbed the back of it with is thumb. "I love seafood. My family used to go out to the beach in the summer;” He trailed off, his expression softened.It was Ellie's turn to comfort, and she took his hand firmly in hers. "Tell me about it. I bet you had a blast." Luke went on to tell her about a trip to the beach they'd taken years earlier and he and his dad had gone fishing and he caught a striper that nearly hauled him overboard. He went from excited to wistful. She knew he was thinking about his mother, his dad had told her the previous week, and sympathized with him."I baked a small batch of cookies when I got here. Want to try one? They're sort of an experiment, but I think they came out pretty good."Never one to pass up a cookie he smiled and nodded."That's what I love about working here. I get indulge my creativity, and if things work out sometimes it makes it on the specials board." She said setting down the frosted lemon sugar cookies. They talked for a while longer and a loud scrape of a chair pulled them out of their reverie. Jody had been sweeping and Ellie noticed the time. They had closed nearly half an hour before."Oh my god. I'm sorry Jody. I lost track of time." Ellie hopped up and started clearing the table."No worries hon. I can see why. You just need to clean up that and we're out of here. I'd ask if you need a ride home, but I think I already know the answer to that." She chuckled.Ellie wiped down the table and Luke helped out by flipping the last few chairs up onto the tables so Jodie could finish sweeping. He waited in the front while the girls finished up in the back. He looked out the window at the darkened street, the old style street lamps lending small town charm to the night. They came out of the kitchen whispering between themselves."You're sure you don't need a ride? This one looks a little dangerous." Jodi said laughing."I'm fine, besides he knows where I live, he's my landlord." Ellie grinned."I wasn't talking to you, I'm worried for him." They all got a chuckle out of that as they locked up and made their way to their cars. Luke opened up the door and held it for Ellie, these small gestures went over much bigger than he realized.On the ride neither spoke when Luke felt Ellie's hand lay on the back of his giving it a squeeze. "Thank you for saving my ass today." He just looked over and shrugged."You would have done the same for me I'm sure." He smiled at her for a moment and turned back to the road. He was honestly elated that her car hadn't started.Ellie sighed. "I hope it's nothing major. My dad had the car gone over before I came back to school. I can't afford anything big." She looked out the window, the lights of town faded behind them as they entered the suburbs."Tomorrow's Saturday, I can take a look at it if you want, if it's something simple I can probably fix it.""Oh, would you?" She squeezed his hand harder. They got back to the house and Ellie reached over the seat to grab her bag. Luke watched her lean frame twist, and her rear end stick up, her jeans stretched over it nicely. He remembered just how nice it felt too and longed to hold it again. Ellie was no fool, she knew full well Luke was staring at her ass while she pretended to be looking for something in her bag. It didn't hurt to pique his interest though. She sat back in the seat dragging the bag over with her."You coming up?" She asked smiling."I don't know, you probably have stuff to do. You know school work or something?""I do have some reading to do, but I can do that later. I'm feeling a little restless and I can't sit still and read when I'm like this." Luke's eyebrows went up a bit."You don't have to. I mean if you want to come up and grab the car keys in the morning that's fine too." Her smile began to fade."Oh, I can get them now, that way you can sleep in if you want to.""Have something planned for tomorrow yet?" Ellie asked sweetly. Luke just grinned. "You're not going to give me a hint? A girl needs to know how to prepare for a date you know.""Jeans will be fine, and bring a sweater or sweatshirt in case it gets cold. Oh, and walking shoes.""So something outdoors? Okay then."He wouldn't give her any more information than that. He enjoyed keeping her guessing."Would you like to play a game? I found a box with my bucket of Jenga blocks while I was unpacking some stuff last night." Luke nodded smiling and Ellie went and got the game. They sat on the couch and Ellie started stacking blocks and handed the bucket to Luke and directed him to keep stacking and she went to the bedroom and slipped off her jeans putting on lounge pants with some mall store logo down the leg and came back."That feels better. Do you want something to drink? I've got a bottle of wine, or something else maybe?" He agreed to whatever she wanted. She opened the bottle of wine and poured a couple glasses and brought it over to the table putting them out of the way of game."Have you ever had wine before?""I'm nineteen, I haven't been under a rock." He chuckled. "My mother liked wine so I've tried several different types and I like it." He took a sip and swirled around his mouth taking in a little breath of air. "Stone fruit, oak, I'd say a California Chardonnay." He added. It was Ellie's turn to raise eyebrows."Very good! Napa Valley to be exact." She looked at the blocks and noted he hadn't put the last one on the top yet. She took it and put both hands behind her back. Luke noted just how nicely her top stretched across her chest as she did this. "Pick a hand." He picked the one with the block winning the starting move."What are we playing for?" He asked, sounding crafty."I don't know. What do you have in mind?" She smirked, wondering if he had the same thing in mind that she did.He shrugged. "Loser has to perform a strip tease for the winner." She grinned ear to ear hearing this."Okay hot shot. I'll have you know I'm a master at this game. I hope you're wearing cute briefs.""Maybe, you'll have to win to find out."They both concentrated on the game intently for a few moves, and then the smack talk began. They taunted one another as the blocks started to wobble. "I don't know, maybe you should stay in the kitchen and let us real men handle the engineering." Luke said. Ellie reached over and flicked his ear sharply causing him to yelp in pain while he giggled.The game progressed more slowly as the tower got more shaky. Eventually the tower fell to Ellie placing a block on top. "Shit." She said, but she didn't really mind it. She was actually excited about this idea. She had hoped to see him perform for her but the exhibitionist streak in her wanted to show off to him too. "Put the blocks away and find some music you like. I'll be right back.""Where are you going?" He asked picking up the blocks watching her stand. She leaned over and turned the lights down."Well if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right." She winked and went into the bedroom again. He had toted up the game and set it aside and grinned to himself that he'd pulled off the coup. After the other night all he'd been able to think about is her body. Her pert breasts, and smooth skin, now he was going to see her strip for him. He was flipping through music until he found some dance music. He started tapping his foot and realized she didn't have much room, so he slid the coffee table aside toward the window. The window! He drew the curtains so nobody would see her. The song he was listening to finished and she still hadn't come back. He wondered momentarily if he'd gone too far when he heard her open the bedroom door. She must have turned off the lights before opening it because he didn't get a peek until she walked out into the room.She had put her hair up in a lazy twist on top of her head, and changed into a red satin top and gray skirt. She had even gone so far as to put on heels. She looked absolutely stunning as she walked out and noted that he'd made room for her. A small smirk touched her now red lips as she noted the look on his face. She was happy with the reaction but didn't want to let on that she was enjoying his prize as much as he was. She looked off into the distance and listened, then nodded."Are you ready for me, Luke?" She asked, her voice husky.He knew the line she quoted was from a movie, but he just sat there, his mouth hanging open.She quirked her lips in a wry smile. She began to move with the music stepping carefully, heels on a carpet weren't conducive to graceful movement. She reached down and slipped the heels off tossing them aside and continued. Her sensual movements were already having an effect on Luke and for the first time he didn't care if he hid it or not. Ellie was beautiful, and he was totally captivated by her. She had turned sideways and began unbuttoning the cuffs of her blouse, she turned her back to him, her hips swayed to the music as she got into the music. She reached up and pulled the hair clip out and shook her head, letting her hair cascade down around her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder shooting him a sensual gaze, her hands worked the buttons of her blouse open. She spun around holding the front of her blouse closed and stepped towards him letting her hands fall as the blouse opened giving him a peek of the red and black bra she was wearing beneath it. He swallowed audibly and his jaw dropped open again."Thirsty?" She reached over and handed him the half empty wine glass. He took the glass and practically gulped the remaining wine. "Now we hadn't spoken of limits before this all started. Am I on my own with regards to how far I let this go?" She quirked an eyebrow at him, knowing full well she was going all the way, but let him wonder just what he was going to see. She reached up and lifted the blouse from her shoulders and let it slide down her arms slowly. She flipped the blouse over the back of the couch next to him. He could smell her perfume, it was stronger than before.He swallowed audibly. "Yes, as far as you're comfortable with.""Is it how you imagined it would be?" He just nodded at her open mouthed. She tapped his ankles wider and danced between his spread legs swaying to the music and lifting her skirt giving him a peek of her smooth thighs. She noted that his jeans were straining to contain him. She couldn't wait to get a look at him either. She turned with the music and reached behind her making a come hither motion with her finger and pointed at the zipper on the back of her skirt. He didn't move for a moment and she looked over her shoulder at him and he was staring at her shimmy back and forth. He didn't move, and she directed his attention back to the zipper. As he reached forward she swayed to the side then back again avoiding his grip. He managed to catch the zipper and slide it down slowly exposing the back of her black satin panties. He reached up and pushed the fabric together releasing the hook. She took his hands and laid them flat on her hips as she swayed with the music. She gave them a small nudge downward and he understood she wanted him to remove the skirt. The skirt gave way as it slipped past her hips, and he gasped at seeing her beautiful behind swaying in front of his face. She stepped free of the skirt and he bent to pick it up and laid it next to her blouse on the back of the couch as she turned."How am I doing?" She asked softly. He just nodded excitedly. Ellie was pretty sure that if she asked him to, he'd rob a bank for her right now. It was an exhilarating feeling for her to have him in this state of excitement. "Good." She smiled.She danced slowly to Wonderful Tonight. How appropriate he thought. As he stared in wide eyed wonder at this beautiful girl.She ran her hands up and down her body slowly, her head swayed from side to side, her hair partly covered her face as she did. She peeked up at him as the song ended. She nudged his legs together again, and reached down and pulled his knees together. She turned and sat on the very edge of his lap, her ass just barely on his knees. She reached behind her and fanned out her hair and gathered it up over her head. The next song began and she waited for him to take the cue."Undo me."Luke wasn't sure who's undoing it was when he reached up and unhooked her bra, his hands shaking. She let her hair fall as soon as he did and took the shoulder straps down one at a time before standing again. She held it in place as she released first one then the other shoulder straps. She turned her back to him and tossed the bra to him over her shoulder. He put it with the rest of her clothing. She was standing there swaying in only her black lace panties. He noticed they had a tiny red bow on the front when she had walked over to him a minute before. She spun around with the music, her hands cupping her breasts as she took a step towards him, her nipples stood out hard and pink. She swayed to the music losing herself in the beat. She leaned forward placing her hands on his shoulders."We're done, right? I mean, you didn't want me to take everything off did you?" She was clearly taunting him. Luke closed his mouth, swallowing hard and opened again to speak and nothing came out."No? Okay, I guess we're done then." She said standing again."No! I mean please; I;” Luke stammered."Please what, Luke?" She asked innocently."Please take them off." He whispered desperately."No Luke, if you'd like them off, then you take them off." She replied turning her body in a few circular sways. She banged her hips side to side with the beat of the music, and looked over her shoulder to see what he was doing. His eyes were following her ass as she swung it back and forth. She stopped moving."Well?" She asked over her shoulder. Luke raised shaky hands from his lap wondering if this was real or if he was going to get slapped away at the last minute. His hands were like fire on her skin sending butterflies to her core as he ran his thumbs down, pulling the lacy fabric with them. He was going slowly, the fabric peeling off like the skin from a fruit. They slipped over her beautiful behind and the fabric stuck between her legs for a moment, but he kept pulling, down her smooth thighs past her knees. He let go and saw the slightest peek of her lips, they were pink and very wet. She stepped out of the panties and took a step away from him and turned covering herself with her hand.The scent that bloomed now that her panties were off made his breathing even more shallow and fast. He honestly wasn't sure why his jeans hadn't exploded yet."Are you sure you want to see?" She said, her voice low and husky as she swayed with the music again.He only nodded slowly as he stared at the hand she was covering herself with. She drew her hand lightly against her body and slowly ran it up over to her hip uncovering herself for him. She was shaved and pink, moisture shone on her slight lips. She danced for another song, winked at Luke and disappeared into the bedroom.Luke started panting, not believing what had just happened. Ellie was so turned on she had to force herself to keep her hands off herself or she'd explode. There would be no telling what Luke would do if he heard her moaning in the throes of an orgasm. Though part of her hoped he wouldn't contain himself and burst in the door throwing her on the bed and having his way with her. She took several deep breaths as she grabbed her bathrobe pulling it on, the soft fabric grazing her taut nipples. She walked back out into the living room and Luke swiveled to see her. A momentary crest-fallen look came to his eyes. Until she sat next to him and nestled against him giving him a long deep kiss."You'd better brush up on your dance moves buddy, next time I'm going to beat the pants off you, literally." She said as she softly bit his lower lip. They made out for a while longer, Ellie slowing him down when he got excited. "We should probably get to bed." She said, and Luke's eyes went wide. Ellie stood and went and got her keys pulling the car key free of the chain and brought it back to him. "Thanks for the ride today. You really saved my ass.""Any time." He said reaching for the key, realizing tonight was done he seemed to get puppy eyes and Ellie just wanted to wrap him up and bundle him off to bed herself but she made herself a promise that she wasn't going to jump him on the first date. Little did Luke realize that tonight was, in her mind, their first date. No matter what he planned for tomorrow, she was done teasing him, she was going to have him. She walked him to the door."I can't wait for tomorrow. I bet it will be fun." She smiled and kissed him and grabbed his ass giving it a squeeze through the jeans. "I can't wait to get you out of these." She thought before she reached for the door.Luke made his way down the steps and went into the house putting his hands into his pockets to hopefully disguise the bulge if his Dad was still up. He walked in and heard the TV and poked his head in to let him know he was home and going to bed."Did you two have fun?" He asked. Luke said yes, not entering the little den, but speaking from the dark of the doorway. He turned to go to his room and his dad burst out laughing. He looked over his shoulder and wondered what was so funny, and figured it was just something on TV. He had a distinct problem and figured a shower would help him out with it. He hadn't closed his door for more than a minute when there was a soft rap on it."Yea?" He said. The door opened and dad peeked in."Hey, I'm glad you two are getting along so well, just be careful Luke.""What do you mean?"Dad took a deep breath and started. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. She's a pretty girl, but this is her last year, right? I just don't want you to fall head over heels and have her leave you high and dry.""I won't, we're just friends.""Mmm hmm." His dad stepped forward and reached behind him and tugged the black lace panties from the back pocket of his jeans and held them up. "Just make sure you protect yourself." He grinned, handing them to Luke, his face was beet red. Dad smirked and left the room closing the door behind him. He went to take his shower shaking his head.To be continued in part 3, by Member389 for Literotica.

Breakups can be brutal… but sometimes they're downright hilarious. This week, the guys dive into the pettiest, most over-the-top reasons people have called it quits. From the girl who clapped every time a plane landed to the dude who couldn't handle his girlfriend's Jenga strategy. We've got condiment crimes, odd-number TV volumes, human GPS narrations, and more. These aren't just breakups, they're stories you'll be retelling at every party for years. Petty? Maybe. Entertaining? Absolutely. But that's not all. Your favorite segments are back! We're tackling listener emails about toilet-time crimes and when it's okay to finally drop the façade and fart in front of your significant other. In the news, Lil Nas X finds himself in trouble on Ventura Boulevard in a story that's as wild as his wardrobe. And in Not the Drag Queens, we're reminding you who the real danger is (spoiler: it's not the queens in glitter). This episode's got everything. Laughs, drama, and the kind of petty energy that keeps the FratChat Podcast rolling. Got a question, comment or topic for us to cover? Let us know! Send us an email at fratchatpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on all social media: Instagram: http://Instagram.com/FratChatPodcast Facebook: http://Facebook.com/FratChatPodcast Twitter: http://Twitter.com/FratChatPodcast YouTube: http://YouTube.com/@fratchatpodcast Follow Carlos and CMO on social media! Carlos:  IG: http://Instagram.com/CarlosDoesTheWorld YouTube: http://YouTube.com/@carlosdoestheworld TikTok: http://TikTok.com/@carlosdoestheworld Twitter: http://Twitter.com/CarlosDoesWorld Threads: http://threads.net/carlosdoestheworld Website: http://carlosgarciacomedy.com Chris ‘CMO' Moore:  IG: http://Instagram.com/Chris.Moore.Comedy TikTok: http://TikTok.com/@chris.moore.comedy Twitter: http://Twitter.com/cmoorecomedy

Julia Ioffe joins guest Leigh Ann Caldwell to dissect Donald Trump's latest diplomatic maneuvers with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, and why his failure to deliver security guarantees or a trilateral meeting may embolden Russian aggression and strain U.S.-European relations. They also examine the strange role of Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff—fresh off receiving a medal from Putin—and the wider geopolitical currents involving China and India. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready to turn play into powerful learning? In this episode, we are diving into creative and cost-effective ways to repurpose familiar games for classroom learning. From Jenga to Connect 4, we explore how teachers can use everyday games to boost student engagement and reinforce essential skills across maths and literacy.Whether it's picking up second-hand classics at thrift shops or transforming old puzzles into number challenges, we are sharing ideas that are not only fun but also adaptable for various grade levels. What you will learn:How to use popular games like Jenga, Twister, and Guess Who to teach maths and literacyIdeas for using Duplo and Lego blocks as customisable learning toolsCreative twists on the ‘Gone Fishing' game, UNO, Kerplunk, and moreWays to incorporate movement and collaboration into lessonsTips for sourcing games on a budgetHow to encourage student ownership and involve families in the processLet's work smarter, not harder because game-based learning doesn't need to be complicated. Start with what you already have, and watch your students thrive through play and purpose. For more classroom inspiration and ready-to-go resources, follow @rainbowskycreations on Instagram and TikTok or visit www.rainbowskycreations.com. Rainbows ahead,Alisha and AshleighResources mentioned in this episode:Freebie: Australian Currency Block GameMultiplication Guess Who and Addition/Subtraction Guess Who templatesFreebie: UNO Place Value Walls GameAPPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY  | AMAZONLet's hear from you! Text us!

Big O talks Dolphins Pass Rush 082025

Brian and Troy sit down with Tracy, a former pastor turned psychologist, to explore her transformative journey from religious leadership to a life of authenticity and self-discovery. Tracy shares her experiences of grappling with faith, the challenges of deconstructing long-held beliefs, and the empowering path to finding her true identity. Join us as we delve into Tracy's story of resilience, the power of community, and the pursuit of living a life true to oneself. Don't miss this insightful conversation that touches on themes of faith, identity, and personal growth.Key takeawaysTracy shares her journey from being a pastor to becoming a psychologist, highlighting her transition from religious leadership to a more authentic life.She discusses the challenges of deconstructing her faith, likening it to a Jenga tower where beliefs are gradually removed.Tracy emphasises the importance of living authentically and the psychological toll of cognitive dissonance experienced during her time in ministry.The episode explores the impact of personal experiences, such as her mission trips and family dynamics, on her evolving beliefs.Tracy highlights the role of community and support systems in navigating her deconstruction journey.She reflects on the empowering aspects of her new career in psychology, where she continues to help others from a place of strength and authenticity. ---We're now on video on YouTube here.Want more? Check out our exclusive Patreon episodes here.Our blog is here.Join the conversation and connect with others here.The transcript of this episode is here.All our other links are here. Doubting your beliefs? Have questions about changing or leaving your faith? You are not alone, and Recovering from Religion is here to help.

Our August break is continuing with a replay of one of our favorite chats we've ever recorded. This one is really fun.  Over the next few weeks we'll be re-sharing conversations with some of our favorite guests as they share their stories of independence, integrity, information, inspiration and definitely impact. We're kicking the series off with a conversation with comedy legend Sam Bee. And if you're a Lindsey Graham fan, this one is not for you. Recorded live from the Manhattan Classic Car Club back in 2019, this episode is a candid, no-holds-barred conversation with one of America's most important voices in comedy and journalism. As you'd expect, Sam doesn't hold back, delivering a blistering critique of the administration, the politicians who enable it, and the moral compromises being made in Washington to placate Trump. Sound familiar? This episode is a look back at 2019 when we were just getting started. But once you give it a listen, you might be surprised by just how relevant it still is. -WATCH video of Paul and Sam's conversation. Original episode here: https://independentamericans.us/29-samantha-bee-the-kurds-are-being-slaughtered-democrats-debate-again-the-middle-east-jenga-game-sam-bee-at-the-dmv-the-daily-show-reunion-tour-fighting-back-with-comedy-djibouti-and-naugahyd/ -Learn more about Independent Veterans of America and all of the IVA candidates.  -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0F1lzdRbTB0XYen8kyEqXe Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff/id1457899667 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/49a684c3-68e1-4a85-8d93-d95027a8ec64/independent-americans-with-paul-rieckhoff Ways to watch: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@independentamericans Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IndependentAmericansUS/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/indy_americans BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/indyamericans.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndependentAmericansUS/ Ways to listen:Social channels: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Okay, let's get back to it, whuddya say? Josh says yes, the hiatus is ovahhh! Summer is flying by as always and it's time to focus on what matters, things like Jenga drinking games, orcas still performing, the smells of Legoland, the boredom of Bear, the connection to ChatGPT, the inability to golf properly, the highs and lows of life, the Marin parents on their screens at coffee shops, the absence of patience, and the weird voices used by guides who guide things. Welcome back, missed ya, stream time! Logo art by Brandon Lai Music by Micah Julius Low MLB batting averages by pitchers evolving beyond belief and other things

Voters in the seven swing states that elected Trump in 2024 thought he'd make the economy better. His perceived strength on the economy is the cornerstone Jenga piece of the whole Trump Tower. And he keeps making the economy worse. Meanwhile, Democratic voters are highly engaged—but just not with the party, whose brand is struggling. Plus, Republicans are still trying to steal the House, and how a stronger, re-imagined local news media can help restore trust in national news. Chuck Todd joins Tim Miller. show notes Chuck's Sunday Night with Chuck Todd on the Noosphere app The Chuck Toddcast "The Stranger," Chuck's book about Obama

Send us a textPolitics has devolved into theater, and nowhere is this more evident than in the calculated spectacle of recent ICE raids in sanctuary cities. These aren't about establishing order—they're about creating fear and asserting narrative dominance. When 1,000 agents descend overnight, the message isn't about immigration policy but about power: who wields it and who suffers under it.Meanwhile, our economy presents a troubling paradox. Wall Street celebrates record highs while Main Street struggles with falling wages and maxed-out credit. The market rally floats on speculation, AI hype cycles, and sugar-coated interest rate forecasts—a Jenga tower held together by vibes rather than fundamentals. When the Congressional Budget Office projects a $3.4 trillion increase in national debt from proposed tax cuts alongside slashes to social programs, we're witnessing ideology masquerading as fiscal responsibility.Beyond our borders, global crises multiply with frightening speed. From Gaza to Ukraine, from climate disasters to sectarian violence, the planet shows symptoms of systemic collapse while international institutions issue empty statements. Those suffering most have the least power to effect change, creating a dangerous feedback loop of disillusionment.Perhaps most concerning is what we're calling a legitimacy collapse. While democratic institutions technically function, public trust and engagement continue to erode. Voters participate but policies remain static; protests erupt but laws don't change. This performance art for lobbyists threatens not just current governance but the very concept of democratic participation.The recent controversies surrounding both the Epstein files and Hunter Biden's explosive interview reveal how political dynasties weaponize vulnerability, turning personal trauma into strategic shields against accountability. When empathy becomes a tool to deflect legitimate scrutiny, democracy suffers.Join us as we cut through the noise to examine what's really at stake when narrative dominates reality. Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that seeks clarity amid chaos. Support the show

I Know What You Did Last Summer writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge; Someone Great) returns along with co-writer Sam Lansky to discuss their continuation of the 1997 horror film, modernizing a morality tale, playing plot Jenga, "trauma but make it popcorn," and justifying THAT TWIST.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comCome see Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Philipps, Joshua Malina, Janet Varney, and more in The Thrilling Adventure Hour live in a city near you! https://thrillingadventure.live for details.SOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cover 2 with Blaine and Zach - Hour 2 - The Titans Players as Jenga PiecesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this really fun episode of the Ultimate Intimacy Podcast, we're turning up the heat on your typical date night with some spicy game ideas for couples, and the best part? You probably already own everything you need!This is one of our favorite things to do, because after all, the Ultimate Intimacy App bedroom game was developed because of one of the games we were playing to spice things up!Think you need to buy fancy products or plan a big night out to connect intimately with your spouse? Think again. We're sharing our favorite creative and playful ways to turn common household and classic games into something that sparks laughter, connection, and major chemistry.From intimate twists on card games, dice games, and even things like truth or dare, and Jenga, we'll show you how to reimagine game night as something that brings both fun and fire into your relationship.

Send us a textMay 16's Daily Drop is here, and it's a clinic in chaos. Jared dives headfirst into a flaming pile of Air Force mismanagement, with everything from canceled retention bonuses to space-based missile defense initiatives nobody budgeted for.We're talking about the Pentagon quietly prepping to boot transgender service members, the DoD admitting it can't staff enough school counselors, and the Air Force building new ICBM silos because fixing the old ones would just be too easy.Meanwhile, Space Force is trying to juggle in-orbit refueling, satellite sensors, a “Golden Dome,” and stealing 600 Guardsmen — all while Airmen are out here getting ghosted on their bonuses.Oh, and Trump wants to build the “F-55.” Whatever that is.