Podcasts about Korean

Husky voice, Friday night whiskey, and a mountain of cheese from the book launch. In this episode I lift the lid on what really happens inside a print judging room. The rotation of five from a pool of seven. Silent scoring so no one nudges anyone else. How a challenge works, what the chair actually does, and why we start with impact, dive through craft, then finish on impact again to see what survives. Layout over composition, light as the whole game, and a final re-rank that flattens time drift so the right image actually wins. If you enjoy a peek behind the curtain, you will like this one. You can grab a signed copy of the new Mastering Portrait Photography at masteringportraitphotography.com and yes, I will scribble in it. If you already have the book, a quick Amazon review helps more than you know. Fancy sharpening your craft in person? Check the workshops page for new dates and come play with light at the studio.  The book: https://masteringportraitphotography.com/resource/signed-copy-mastering-portrait-photography-new-edition/ Workshops: https://masteringportraitphotography.com/workshops-and-mentoring/   Transcript [00:00:00]  Hey, one and all. How are you doing? Now? I'll be honest, I still have the remnants of a cold, and if you can hear that in my voice, I do apologize, I suppose you could call it slightly bluesy, but you can definitely hear that I'm ever so slightly husky. It's Friday night, it's eight 30, and I was, I've been waiting a week to record this podcast, hoping my voice would clear it hasn't, and so I've taken the opportunity having a glass of whiskey and just cracking on. So if you like the sound of a slightly bluesy voice, that's great. If you don't, I'm really sorry, but whichever, which way I'm Paul. And this is the Mastering Portrait Photography podcast. So it's been a busy month or two. You can always tell when it's busy [00:01:00] 'cause the podcasts. Get, don't really get delivered in quite the pace I would like. However, it really has been a busy couple of weeks the past few. Let me, I'm gonna draw your attention to it. The past couple of weeks, we've, there's a ton of stuff going on around us for a moment. I was up in Preston. I've been up in Preston twice over the past couple of weeks. The first one was working as a qualifications judge for the BIPP, the British Institute Professional photographers. Um. Which I love judging. I love judging. It's exhausting, but I love it. And that was qualifications, panels. Then last week was the launch. Of the updated edition of Mastering Portrait Photography, the book, which is where it all started, where Sarah Plata and I published this book that seems to have been incredibly popular. 50,000 copies translated from English into four other languages. Chinese, Korean, German. And Italian, do not ask me, do not ask me the logic on why the book is in those [00:02:00] particular languages. To be fair, we only found out about the Chinese and Korean when we were trying to get some marketing material together to talk about the new book Nobody had told us. I'm not even sure the publisher knew, to be honest. Uh, but we have found copies. We have a Chinese copy here in the studio. I'm still trying to get a Korean version. So if you are listening to this. Podcast in Korea. Please tell me how to get hold of a version in Korean because we'd love to complete the set. There's, in fact, there's two Italian versions. We knew about that. There's a German version we knew about that hardback version. It's great. It's really beautiful. Very I, like I, I don't live in Germany and I don't like to stereotyping entire nation, but the quality of the book is incredible. It's absolutely rock solid, properly engineered. Love it. We have a Chinese version here but the Korean version still alludes us. However, this week the new version, mastering portrait photography is out. And as you know, I, Sarah interviewed me for the podcast last week to talk about it. Well, it's out. We've had our launch party, uh, we invited everybody who [00:03:00] has featured in the book who, everybody, every picture in the book that we asked the person in it to come to the studio for a soiree. And it was brilliant. I've never seen so much cheese in all my life, and by I don't mean my speech, I mean actual cheese. We had a pile of it, still eating it. So it's been a week and I'm still eating the cheese. I dunno quite how, well, quite by how much we vacated, but probably by several kilos. Which I'm enjoying thoroughly. I've put on so much weight this week, it's unreal, but I'm enjoying the cheese. And then on Sunday we had an open day where we had set the studio out with some pictures from the book and some notes of the different people. Who featured and what I might do, actually, I'd, I wonder if I can do a visual podcast. I might do a visual podcast where I talk about those images, at some point on the website, on masteringportraitportraitphotography.com. I will do the story and the BTS and the production of every single image that's in the book, but it's gonna take me some [00:04:00] time. There's nearly 200 images in there. Um, and every one of them, bar one is a new image or is, is. It is, it is a new image in the book, and it has been taken in the 10 years or the decades subsequent to the first book, all bar one. Feel free to email me. Email me the image you think it might be. You'll probably guess it, but it's it's definitely in there. Um, and so it's been really busy. And then at the beginning of this week, I spent two days up in Preston again, judging again, but this time it was for the British Institute of Professional Photographers print Masters competition. Ah, what, what a joy. Six other judges and me, a chair of judges. Print handlers, the organizers. Ah, I mean, I've seen so many incredible images over those 48 hours, and in this podcast I want to talk a bit about how we do it, why we do it, what it feels like to do it, [00:05:00] because I'm not sure everybody understands that it's it, it's not stressful, but we do as judges, feel the pressure. We know that we are representing, on the one hand, the association as the arbiters of the quality of the curators of these competitions, but also we feel the pressure of the authors because we are there too. We also enter competitions and we really, really hope the judges pay attention, really investigate and interrogate the images that we've entered. And when, when you enter competitions, that heightens the pressure to do a good job for the authors who you are judging. So in this podcast, I'm gonna talk through some of the aspects of that. Forgive me if it sounds like I'm answering questions. It's because I wrote myself some questions. I wrote some [00:06:00] questions down to, how I structures the podcast usually, uh, the podcast rambles along, but this one I actually set out with a structure to it, so forgive me if it sounds like I'm answering questions. It's 'cause I'm answering my own questions. What does it feel like? How do you do it? Et cetera, et cetera. Anyway, I hope it's useful. Enjoy. And it gives you an insight into what it's like to be a competition judge. Okay. As you walk into the judging room. For me at least, it's mostly a sense of excitement. There's a degree of apprehension. There's a degree of tension, but mostly there's an adrenaline rush. Knowing that we're about to sit and view, assess, score these incredible images from photographers all over the world, and let's remember that every photographer when they enter a print competition, which is what I'm talking about primarily here. Every photographer [00:07:00] believes that print that category that year, could win. Nobody enters an image thinking that it doesn't stand a chance. Now you might do that modest thing of, I don't know, you know? Oh no, I don't. I I just chance my arm. No one enters a print they don't think has a chance of doing well. That just doesn't happen. It's too expensive. It takes too much time. And as judges. We are acutely aware of that. So when you walk into the room, lots of things are going in your on, in your heads. Primarily, you know, you are there to do a job. You are there to perform a task. You are going to put your analytical head on and assess a few hundred images over the next 48 hours. But as you walk in, there's a whole series of things. You, you are gonna assess the room. You see that your fellow judges, you're gonna see the print handlers. You're going to see the chair, you're gonna see the people [00:08:00] from whichever association it is who are organizing it, who or who have organized it. You'll see stacks of prints ready to be assessed. There's a whole series of things that happen. A lot of hugging. It's really lovely. This year the panel of judges, uh, had some people in it I haven't seen for quite a few years, and it was beyond lovely to see them. So there's all of that, but you, there's this underlying tension you are about to do. One of the things you love doing more than anything else in as part of your job. So there's the excitement of it and the joy of it, but there's always this gentle underlying tone of gravitas of just how serious it is. What we are doing. So there will be plenty of laughter, plenty of joy, but you never really take your eye off the task in hand. And that's how it feels as you go to take your seats on the judging [00:09:00] panel. So the most important thing, I think, anyway, and I was chair of qualifications and awards for the BIPP for a number of years, is that the whole room, everybody there is acting as a team. If you are not gonna pull as a team, it doesn't work. So there has to be safety, there has to be structure. There has to be a process and all of these things come together to provide a framework in which you assess and create the necessary scores and results for the association, for the photographers, for the contestants. So you take your seats, and typically in a room, there are gonna be five judges at any one time assessing an image. It's typically five. I've seen it done other ways, but a panel of judges is typically five. The reason we have five is at no point do all of the judges agree. [00:10:00] We'll go through this later in more detail, but the idea is that you have enough judges that you can have contention, you can have. Disagreements, but as a panel of judges, you'll come up with a score. So you'll have five judges sitting assessing an image at any one time. To the side of the room, there'll be two more judges typically. Usually we have a pool of seven, five judges working, two judges sitting out every 10 prints or 10 minutes or whatever the chair decides. They'll we'll rotate along one, so we'll all move along one seat and one of the spare judges will come in and sit on the end and one of the existing judges will step off. And we do that all day, just rotating along so that everybody judges, broadly speaking, the same number of images. Now, of course there is a degree of specialism in the room. If a panel has been well selected, there'll be specialists in each of the categories, but you can't have, let's say there's 15 categories. You [00:11:00] can't have five specialist judges per category. That's simply impractical. Um, you know, having, what's that, 75 judges in a room, just so that you can get through the 15 categories is. A logistics task, a cost. Even just having a room that big, full of judges doesn't work. So every judge is expected to be reasonably multi-talented, even if you don't shoot, for instance, landscapes. You have to have a working knowledge of what's required of a great landscape. Because our job as a panel isn't that each of us will spot all of the same characteristics in an image, all of the same defects, all of the same qualities. Each judge has been picked to bring their own. Sort of viewpoint, if you like, to the image. Some judges are super technical, some judges, it's all about the atmosphere. Some judges, it's all about the printing and there's every bit of image production is [00:12:00] covered by each of the individual specialisms of the judges. And so while there is a degree of specialism, there will be a landscape. Specialist in the room or someone who works in landscape, there will be plenty of portrait photographers, wedding photographers, commercial photographers. The idea is from those seven, we can cover all of those bases. So we have seven judges all at fellowship level, all highly skilled, all experienced. And then there's the chair. Now the chair's role is not to affect the actual score. The chair's role is to make sure the judges have considered everything that they should be considering. That's the Chair's job, is to make sure the judges stay fresh, keep an eye on the scores, keep an eye on the throughput. Make sure that every image and every author are given a. The time and consideration that they are due. What do I mean by that? Well, I just mean the photographers spent a lot of time and effort and [00:13:00] finance putting this print in front of us, and so it's really important that we as judges give it due consideration. The chair, that's their role is to make sure that's what really happens. So the process is pretty simple, really. We will take our seats as a panel of judges and when we are settled. The chair will ask for the print, one of the print handlers. There's normally a couple of print handlers in the room, one to put the image on, one to take the image off. The print handler will take the first image or the next image off the pile and place it in front of us on the light box. They will then check the print to make sure there's no visible or obvious dust marks, um, or anything, and give with an air blower or with the back of a a handling glove, or very gently take any dust spots away. They will then step back. Now, the way the judges are set, there are five seats in a gentle arc, usually around the light [00:14:00] box. The outer two judges, judges one and five will step into the light box and examine or interrogate the print carefully. They will take as much time as they need to ascertain what they believe the score for that image should be. They will then take their seats. The next two judges in, so let's say Judge two and four, they will step in to interrogate the print and do exactly the same thing. When they're ready, they'll step back and sit down. And then the middle judge, the final judge in seat three, they will step up and interrogate the print. And the reason we do it that way is that everybody gets to see the print thoroughly. Everybody gets to spend enough time. Examining the print. And at that point, when we all sit down, we all enter our scores onto whatever the system is we're using either using iPads or keypads. There's all sorts of ways of doing it, but what's really important is we do all of this in total silence and we don't really do it because we need to be able to [00:15:00] concentrate. Though that has happened, sort of distracting noises can play havoc. Um, we really do it so that we are not influencing any other judge. So there's no, oh, this is rubbish, or, oh, this is amazing. Or any of this stuff, because the idea is that each judge will come to their own independent score. We enter them, and then there's a process as to what happens next. So that's the process. If at some point a single judge when the image appears, says, I can't judge this for whatever reason, usually it's because they've seen the image before. I mean, there's one this week where I hadn't directly influenced the image. But the author had shown me how they'd done it, so they'd stepped me through the Photoshopping, the construction, the shooting, everything about the image. I knew the image really well, and so when the image appeared on the light box, I knew while I could judge it, it wasn't fair to the author or to the other [00:16:00] competitors that I should. So I raised my hand, checked in with the chair, chair, asked me what I wanted. I said, I need to step off this. I'm too familiar with the work for me to give this a cold read, an objective read. So I if, if possible, if there's another judge, could they just step in and score this one image for me? And that means it's fair for all of the contestants. So that's that bit of process when we come to our score. Let's assume the score's fine. Let's assume, I dunno, it gets an 82, which is usually a merit or a bronze, whatever the system is. The chair will log that, she'll say that image scored 82, which is the average of all five of us. She'll then check in with the scores and the panel of judges. He or she rather, uh, they, so they will look at us and go, are you all happy with that result? That's really important. Are you all happy? Would that result? Because that's the opportunity as judges for one of us, if we're not comfortable that the image is scored where we think it probably should. And [00:17:00] remember with five of you, if the score isn't what you think, you could be the one who's not got your eye in or you haven't spotted something, it might well be you, but it's your job as a judge to make sure if there's any doubt in your mind about the scoring of an image that. You ask for it to be assessed again, for there to be discussion for the team to do its job because it might be that the other members of the panel haven't seen something that you have or you haven't seen something that they have, that both of those can be true. So it's really important that you have a process and you have a strict process. And this is how it works. So the chair will say you are happy. One of the judges may say. No, I'm not happy or may say I would like to challenge that or may simply say, I think this warrants a discussion. I'm gonna start it off. And then there's a process for doing that. [00:18:00] So the judge who raises the challenge will start the dialogue and they'll start in whichever direction it is that they think the scoring is not quite right. They will start the dialogue that way. So let's say the score, the judge who's raising a challenge says the score feels a little low. What happens then is raise a challenge and that judge will discuss the image or talk to the image in a way that is positive and trying to raise the score. And they're gonna do that by drawing attention to the qualities that they feel the image has, that maybe they're worried the other judges haven't seen when they're done, the next judge depends, depending on the chair and how you do it. The next judge will take their turn and he goes all the way around with every judge having their say. And then it comes back to the originating judge who has the right of a rebuttal, which simply means to answer back. So depending on how the [00:19:00] dialogue has gone it may be that you say thank you to all of the judges. I'm glad you saw my point. It would be great if we could give this the score that I think this deserves. Similarly, you occasionally, and I did do one of these where I raised a challenge, um, where I felt an image hadn't scored, or the judges hadn't seen something that maybe I had seen in the image, and then very quickly realized that four judges had seen a defect that I hadn't. And so my challenge, it was not, it's never a waste of a challenge. It's never ever a waste because it's really important that every image is given the consideration it deserves. But at the end of the challenge that I raised, the scoring stayed exactly the same. I stayed, I said thank you to all of the judges for showing me some stuff that I hadn't noticed. And then we moved on. More often than not, the scores move as the judges say, oh, do you know what, you're right, there is something in this. Or, no, you're right. We've overinflated this because we saw things, but we missed these technical defects. It's those kinds of conversations. So that's a, a chair, that's a, a judge's [00:20:00] challenge. Yeah, this process also kicks in if there's a very wide score difference between the judge's scores, same process, but this time there's no rebuttal. Every judge simply gives their view starting with the highest judge and then working anywhere on the panel. Um, and then there's a rare one, which does happen which is a chair's challenge, and the chair has the right in, at least in the competitions that I judge, the chair has the right to say to the panel of judges. Could you just give this another consideration? I think there might be things you've missed or that feels like you're getting a little bit steady in your scoring. 'cause they, the chair of course, has got a log of all the scores and can see whether, you know, you're settling into like a 78, 79 or one judge is constantly outta kilter. The chair can see everything and so your job as the chair is to just, okay guys, listen, I think this image that you've just assessed. Possibly there's some things one way or the [00:21:00] other that you might need to take into consideration. It doesn't feel like you have. I'd like you to discuss this image and then just do a rescore. So those are the, those are the mechanisms. So in the room you've got five judges plus two judges who are there ready to step in when required either on the rotation or when someone recuses themself and steps out. Usually two print handlers and then usually there's at least one person or maybe more from the association, just doing things like making sure things are outta their boxes, that the scores are recorded on the back of the prints, they go back into boxes, there's no damage because these prints are worth quite a lot of money. And so, there's usually quite a few people in the room, but it's all done in silence and it's all done to this beautiful process of making sure it's organized, it's clear it's transparent, and we're working as one team to assess each image and give it the score that it deserves. so when the print arrives on the box. It has impact. Now, whether you like it or not, [00:22:00] whether you understand it or not, whether you can define it or not, the print has an impact. You're gonna see it, you're gonna react to it. How do you react to it? Is it visceral? Does your heart rate climb? Do you. Do you explore it? Do you want to explore it? Does it tell a clear story? And now is when you are judging a competition, typically the association or the organization who are running the competition will have a clear set of criteria. I mean, broadly speaking, things like lighting, posing layout or composition storytelling. Graphic design, print quality, if it's a print competition. These are the kinds of things that, um, we look for. And they're listed out in the competition guides that the entrant, the author will have known those when they submitted their print. And the judges know them when we're assessing them, so they're kind of coherent. Whatever it is that the, the entrance were told, that's what we're judging [00:23:00] to the most important. Is the emotional connection or the impact? It's typically called visual impact or just impact. What's really important about that is that it's very obvious, I think, to break images down into these constructed elements like complimentary colors or tonal range or centers of interest, but they don't really do anything except create. Your emotional reaction to the picture. Now, we do use language around these to assess the image, but what we're actually looking for is emotional impact. Pictures tell stories. Stories invoke emotions. It's the emotions we're really looking for. But the trick when you are judging is you start with the initial impact. Then you go in and you in real tiny detail, look at the image. Explore it, interrogate it, [00:24:00] enjoy it, maybe don't enjoy it. And you look at it in all of the different categories or different areas, criteria that you are, that the judges that the organization have set out. And then really, although it never gets listed twice, it should do, impact should also be listed as the last thing you look at as well. Because here's the process. You look at the image. There's an impact. You then in detail investigate, interrogate, enjoy the image. And then at the very end you ask yourself, what impact does it still have? And that's really important because the difference between those two gives you an idea of how much or how well the image is scoring in all of the other areas. If an image has massive impact when you, let's put 'em on the light box, and then you explore it and you [00:25:00] enjoy it, and you look at it under the light, and then at the end of it you're still feeling the same thing you did when it came on the light box, that's a pretty good indicator that all the criteria were met. If on the other hand, as you've explored the image, you've realized. There are errors in the production, or you can see Photoshopping problems or blown highlights or blocked blacks, or things are blurred where they should be sharp or you name it. It's these kinds of things. You know, the printing has got banding in the sky, which is a defect. You see dust spots from a camera sensor. These gradually whittle away your impact score because you go back to the end and you ask, what impact does the image now have? And I've heard judges use terms like at the end of the process, I thought that was gonna be amazing when it first arrived on the light box. I just loved the look of it from a distance, but when I stepped in, there were just too many things that [00:26:00] weren't quite right. And at the end of it, I just felt some would, sometimes I've heard the word disappointed you. So that's certainly how I feel. When an image has this beautiful impact and the hair stand up on the back of your neck and you just think, I cannot wait to step in and explore this image in detail. 'cause I tell you one thing, most authors don't own a light box. When you see a print on a beautiful light box, the, there's something about the quality. The way the print ESS is you actually get to see what a print should look like. So when you step in, you are really excited to see it. And if at the end of that process you're slightly disappointed because you found defects in the printing or problems with the focusing or Photoshop or whatever it is. You really are genuinely disappointed. So that's how you approach it. You approach it from this standpoint of a very emotional, a very emotional connection with the image to start with, and then you break [00:27:00] it down into its elements, whatever those elements are for the competition. And then at the end, you ask yourself really, does it still have the impact? I thought it would because if it does, well, in that case, it's done really, really well. one of the things that's really interesting about judging images is we, we draw out, we write out all of these criteria and. Every image has them really. I mean, well, I say that of course every image doesn't have them. If you are, if you're thinking about landscape or a picture of a shampoo bottle, it doesn't have posing, for instance, if that's one of your criteria. But typically there's a standard set of criteria and every image has them layout, color uh, photographic technique, et cetera. So if we look at let's say composition, let's talk about composition. Personally, I like to use the term layout rather than composition because it [00:28:00] feels a little bit more like a verb. You lay the image out, you have all of the bits, you lay them out. I like that because when we are teaching photography when we say to someone, right, what are all of the bits that you have in front of you? How are you gonna lay them out? It feels a lot more, to me, at least more logical than saying, how are you gonna compose the image? Because it allows. I think it allows the photographer to think in terms of each individual component rather than just the whole frame. So we are looking for how the image is constructed. Remember that every photographer really should think about an image. As telling a story, what's the story that you want somebody else? Somebody that you've never met. In this case a judge, but it could be a client or it could just be somebody where your work is being exhibited on a wall. What do you want them to look at? What do you want them to see? Where do you want that eye to go? And there are lots of tricks to [00:29:00] this, and one of them is layout or composition. So we've got through the initial impact, boom. And the excitement. And then you start to think, is the image balanced? I like to think of an image having a center of gravity. Some photographers will use center of interest, which is a slightly different thing, but I think an image has a center of gravity. The component parts of the image create balance. So you can have things right down in the edges of the frame, but you need something to balance it like a seesaw. You can't just. Throw in, throw parts of the puzzle around the frame. So you are looking for where do they land? And of course, as photographers, we talk about thirds, golden ratios, golden spirals, all of these terms. But what we are really looking for is does the image have a natural flow? Does it feel like everything's where it should be? Does your eye go to the bit that the author probably wanted you to look at? Have they been effective in their [00:30:00] storytelling? And by storytelling, I don't necessarily mean storytelling as in photojournalism or narrative rich photography. What I mean is what did they want you to see, and then did you go and see it? Separation? Is the background blurred? And let's say the, the subject is sharp. That's a typical device for making sure you look at the subject. Is the color of the background muted in a way that draws your attention? Again to whatever it is in the foreground. So layouts one of those tools. So we work our way around it and try and figure out does the positioning of all of the elements of the image does their positioning add or distract from the story? We think that author was trying to tell. Let's remember that it's not the judge's job to understand the story. It's the author's job to tell the story in a way that the judges can get it. Too often, you know, when I, when I've judged [00:31:00] a competition, someone will come and find me afterwards and say, did you understand what that was about? I was trying to say this, and it's like, well, I didn't see that, but that's not my fault. You know, it's, it's down to you to lead me pictorially to. Whatever it is you're trying to show. Same with all judges, all viewers, clients. It doesn't really matter. It's the author's job, not the judges. So at the end of that, you then move on to whatever's the next criteria. So you know, you assess these things bit by bit, and by the way, every judge will do it in a slightly different order. There'll be written down in an order. But each judge would approach it in a different manner. For me, typically it's about emotional connection more than anything else, it's about the emotion. I love that genuine, authentic connection of a person in the image. To me, the viewer. I will always go there if, if it's a portrait or a wedding or fashion image, if there's a person in it or a dog, I suppose, [00:32:00] then I will look for that authenticity, that, that visceral, it feels like they're looking at me or I'm having a dialogue with them. That's my particular hot button, but every judge has their room and that's how you approach it. So when it comes to a photograph in the end, you don't really have anything other than light when you think about it, right? That's, you pick up a camera, it's got a sensor, it's got film, it's got a lens on the front, and a shutter stopping light coming, or it goes through the lens, but the, the shutter stops it hitting a sensor. And at some point you commit light to be recorded. And it's the light that describes the image. There's nothing else. It's not something you can touch or hear, it's just light. And of course light is everything. I think, I think the term pho photography or photograph is a mix of a couple of words, and it's a relatively recent idea. I think [00:33:00] it was Victorian and it's, isn't it light and art photographic or photograph, um. So that's what it is. It's capturing light and creating a reaction from it. So the quality of light is possibly the most important thing. There is too much of it, and you're gonna have blown highlights, nasty white patches on your prints, too little of it. You're gonna have no detail in the shadows and a lot of noise or grain, whether it's film or whether it's off your sensor. And then there's the shape of the light. The color of the light, and it doesn't really matter whether it's portrait, wedding, landscape, product, avant garde, it's light that defines things. It's light that can break an image. So with portraiture, for instance, we tend to talk about. Sculpting or dimensionality of light. We tend to talk about the shape of the subject. We talk about flattering light. We talk about hard and soft light, and all of these things [00:34:00] mean something. This isn't the podcast to talk about those in detail, but that's what we're looking for. We are looking for has the light created a sense of shape, a sense of wonder, a sense of narrative. Does the lighting draw your eye towards the subject? And when you get to the subject, is it clear that the lighting is effective and by effective, usually as a portrait photographer anyway. I mean flattering. But you might be doing something with light that's counterintuitive, that's making the subject not flattered. That's maybe it's for a thriller style thing, or maybe it's dark and moody. Harsh, as long as in tune with the story as we are seeing it, then the lighting is assessed in that vein. So we've seen some incredible beauty shots over the past couple of days where the lighting sculpted the face. It had damaged ality, but it was soft. There were no hard shadows, there were no [00:35:00] blown highlights. The skin, it was clear that the texture of the skin, the light, it caught the texture. So we knew exactly what that would be. It had. Captured the shape. So the way the gens or shadows ripple around a body or a face tell you its shape. They haven't destroyed the shape. It's it's catch shape, but it hasn't unnecessarily sculpted scars or birthmarks or spots, you know? And that's how lighting works. So you look for this quality, you look for control, you look for the author, knowing what they're doing. With landscapes, typically it's, it is very rare, in my opinion, for a landscape. To get a good score if it isn't shot at one end of the day or the other. Why? Well, typically, at those points of the day, the light from the sun is almost horizontal. It rakes across the frame, and you get a certain quality to the way the shadows are thrown. The way the [00:36:00] light, sculpts hills, buildings, clouds, leaves, trees, the way it skips off water, whether it's at the beginning of the day or the end of the day. It's quite unusual though we do see them for an amazing photograph of escape to be taken at midday. But you can see how it could be if you have the sun directly overhead, because that has a quality all of its own. And you know, if when an author has gone to the effort of being in the right place to shoot vertical shadows with a direct overhead son, well maybe that's so deliberate that the, the judges will completely appreciate that and understand the story. So it's looking for these things and working out. Has the lighting been effective in telling the story? We think the author was trying to tell? Lighting is at the heart of it. So when we've been through every criteria, whatever they are, lighting, composition, color, narrative, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, [00:37:00] we've assessed every image, hundreds of them. We've had challenges, we've had conversations. We have a big pile of prints that have made it over the line. To whatever is your particular association scoring, whether it's merit or bronze or whatever. The puzzle isn't quite complete at that stage because there is of course, a slight problem and that problem is time. So if you imagine judging a section of images might take a couple of hours to do 70 prints, 60, 70 prints might take longer than that. In fact, it might take the best part of an afternoon. During that time. There's every chance the scores will wander. And the most obvious time is if a category spans something like a lunch break. We try to make sure categories don't do that. We try to complete categories before going for a break. We always try to be continuous, but [00:38:00] you've still got fatigue. You've got the judges rotating. So all of these things are going on. It sometimes it depends what images come up in what order could conceivably affect the scoring. For instance there's an image that came up this year where I think probably I was the judge that felt the strongest about it. There was something about this particular image that needed talking about, and so when it came up and it was scores that I raised a challenge and my heart rate, the minute the print hit the stand, my heart rate climbed through the roof. It was. Something about it that just connected with me. And then when I explored the image on the lights, on the light box, to me, there was very little that was technically holding it back. There were a couple of bits, but nothing that I felt warranted a lower score. And so I raised a [00:39:00] challenge. I said my point, I went through it in detail. I asked the other judges to consider it. From my viewpoint, they gave their views as to why they hadn't. But each of them understood where I was coming from and unlike the challenge I talked about earlier where no one changed their mind on this one, they did on this one. They also saw things that I saw when we went through it. But at the end of the process, the image was got a higher score, which is great, but. I didn't feel that I could judge the next image fairly because whatever came in, my heart rate was still battering along after seeing this one particular image. And that happens sometimes. It's not common, but I felt I needed to step off the panel before the next image came up. Which I did in work, working with the chair and the team. I stepped off for a couple of prints before stepping back on [00:40:00] just to let my eye settle and let myself get back into the right zone. But during the day, the zone changes. The way you change your perception of the images, as the images come through is so imperceptible, imperceivable, imperceptible. One of those two words is so tiny that you don't notice if there's a slight drift. And so there's every opportunity for an image to score a couple of points lower or a couple of points higher than it possibly could have done. If it had been seen at another point in the day. Maybe it had been, maybe if the image was seen after a series of not so strong images, maybe it would get a higher score. Or of course, the other way round. Maybe after seeing a series of really, really powerful, impactful images that came up, maybe it scored be slightly diminished. Both of those can be true. And so it's really important that we redress that any possible imbalance and every competition I've ever done has a final round. And the [00:41:00] way this is done is that we take the highest scoring images, top five, top 10, depending on the competition, and we line them up. And all of the judges now, not just the judges who are the five on the panel, all seven judges. Get an opportunity to bring each image back onto a light box if they wish, if they haven't seen them already. Because remember, some of those images may not have been assessed by the, well. It cannot have been assessed by all seven of the judges, so there's always gonna be at least two judges who haven't seen that image or seeing it for the first time as a judge. So we bring them back, we look at them, and then we rank them using one of numerous voting mechanisms where we all vote on what we think are the best images and gradually whittle it down until we're left with a ranked order for that category. We have a winner, a second, a third, a fourth, sometimes all the way down to 10 in order, depending on the competition. And that's the fairest way of doing it, because it means, okay, during the judging, [00:42:00] that image got, I dunno, 87. But when we now baseline it against a couple of images that got 90 something, when we now look at it, we realize that that image probably should have got a 90 as well. We're not gonna rescore it, the score stands, but what we are gonna do is put it up into there and vote on it as to whether it actually, even though it got slightly lower, score, is the winning image for the category. And every competition does something similar just to redress any fluctuations to, to flatten out time. It takes time outta the equation because now for that category, all seven judges are judging the winner at the same time, and that's really important. We do that for all the categories, and then at the end of that process, we bring back all of the category winners and we vote on which one of those. Wins the competition. Now, not every competition has an overall winner, but for the one we've just done for the print masters, for the BIPP print masters, there is an overall winner. And so we set them all out [00:43:00] and we vote collectively as a winner on the winner. And then, oh, we rank them 1, 2, 3, 4, or whatever. Um, really we're only picking a winner, but we also have to have some safety nets because what happens if for instance. Somebody unearths a problem with an image. And this has happened, sadly, this has happened a couple of times in my career where a photographer has entered an image that's not compliant with the rules but hasn't declared it. And it's always heartbreaking when it does happen, but we have to have a backup. So we always rank one, two, and three. So that's some backups, and that's the process. That's how we finish everything off. We have finished, we've got all the categories judged, the category winners judged, and then the overall one, two, and three sorted as well. at the end of the process? I can't speak for every judge. I can speak for me, I feel, I think three things. Exhaustion. It's really hard to spend 48 hours or longer [00:44:00] assessing images one by one, by one by one, and making sure that you are present and paying attention to every detail of every image. And you're not doing an author or an image a disservice. You pay each image or you give each image, you pay each image the due attention it deserves. I feel exhilaration. There's something energizing about assessing images like this. I know it's hard to explain, but there's something in the process of being alongside some of the best photographers that you've ever met, some photographers that you admire more than any others, not just as photographers, but as human beings. The nicest people, the smartest people, the most experienced people, the most eloquent people. There's something in that. So there's this [00:45:00] exhilaration. You are exhausted, but there's an exhilaration to it. And then finally, and I don't know if every photographer feels this or every judge feels this, I do. Which is massively insecure, I think. Can't think of the right words for it. There must be one. But I come away, much like when you've been out on the beers and you worry about all the things you've said, it's the same process. There was that image I didn't give enough credit for. There was this image I was too generous on. There were the things I said in a challenge when it gets a little bit argumentative or challenging. 'cause the clues in the title, you know, maybe I pushed too hard, maybe I didn't push hard enough. There are images you've seen that you wished you'd taken and you feel like. I'm not good enough. There's an insecurity to it too, and those are the three things I think as you leave the room, it's truly [00:46:00] energizing. Paradoxically, it's truly exhausting, but it's also a little bit of a head mush in that you do tend to come, or I do tend to come away a little bit insecure about. All the things that have gone on over the two days prior, and I've done this a long time. I've been judging for, I dunno, 15, 16, 17 years. And I've got used to those feelings. I've got used to coming away worrying. I'm used to the sense of being an underachiever, I suppose, and it's a wonderful , set of emotions that I bring home. And every time I judge. I feel better for it. I feel more creative. I feel more driven. I feel more determined. I feel like my eyes have been opened to genres [00:47:00] of photography, for types of imagery, for styles of posing or studio work that I've never necessarily considered, and I absolutely adore it every single second. So at the end of that, I really hope I've described or created a picture of what it's like to be a judge for this one. I haven't tried to explain the things we saw that as photographers as authors, you should think about when you are entering. I'm gonna do that in a separate podcast. I've done so many of those, but this one was specifically like, what does it feel like to be a judge? Why do we do it? I mean, we do it for a million reasons. Mostly we do it because people helped us and it's our turn to help them. But every photographer has a different reason for doing it. It's the most joyful process. It's the most inspiring process and I hope you've got a little bit of that from the podcast. So [00:48:00] on that happy note, I'm gonna wrap up and I'm gonna go and finish my glass of whiskey which I'm quite excited about if I'm honest. 'cause I did, it's been sitting here beside me for an hour and I haven't drunk any of it. I do hope you're all doing well. I know winter is sort of clattering towards us and the evenings are getting darker, at least for my listeners in the north and the hemisphere. Don't forget. If you want more information on portrait photography or our workshops we've announced all of the upcoming dates or the next set of upcoming dates. Please head across to mastering portrait photography.com and go to the workshop section. I love our workshops and we've met so many. Just lovely people who've come to our studio. And we've loved being alongside them, talking with them, hopefully giving a bit of inspiration, certainly taking a little bit of inspiration, if I'm honest, because everyone turns up with ideas and conversations. Uh, we would love to see you there. The workshops are all are all there on the website and the workshop section. You can also, if you wish, buy a signed copy of the book from mastering portrait photography.com. Again, just go to the [00:49:00] shop and you'll see it there on the top. Amazon has them for sale too. It is great. Amazon typically sells them for less than we do, but we have a fixed price. We have to buy them from the wholesaler at a particular price, whereas Amazon can buy many, many more than we can, so they get a better deal if I'm honest. However, if you want my paw print in there, then you can order it from us and it's supports a photographer and it's really lovely to hear from you. When you do, uh, one thing, I'd love to ask anyone who has bought the updated edition of the book, if you are an Amazon customer. Please could you go on to amazon.com and leave us a review? It's really powerful when you do that, as long as it's a good review. If it's a rubbish review, just email me and tell me what I could have done differently, and I'll email you back and tell you, tell you why I didn't. But if it's a half decent review, a nice review. Please head over to Amazon. Look for mastering portrait photography, the new version of the book, and leave us a review. It's really important particularly in the first couple of [00:50:00] weeks that it's been on sale. Uh, it would be really, really helpful if you did that. And on that happy note, I wish you all well. I've grabbed my glass of whiskey and I'm gonna wrap up and whatever else you do. Until next time, be kind to yourself. Take care.   

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-morning-portugal-podcast-with-carl-munson--2903992/support.Let us help you find YOUR home in Portugal...Whether you are looking to BUY, RENT or SCOUT, reach out to Carl Munson and connect with the biggest and best network of professionals that have come together through Good Morning Portugal! over the last five years that have seen Portugal's meteoric rise in popularity.Simply contact Carl by phone/WhatsApp on (00 351) 913 590 303, email carl@carlmunson.com or enter your details at www.goodmorningportugal.com And join The Portugal Club FREE here - www.theportugalclub.com

311 | Sasha Hom Sasha Hom lives an extraordinarily unconventional life. I'm so excited to introduce her to you. She's a writer, goat farmer, mother, and her new book Sidework is incredible. Today we talk about her experiences as a Korean adoptee, adopted to a Chinese American couple in California. Sasha tells us about her trips to Korea and China, we talk motherhood as adoptees, and how important writing is in her life.   Full Show Notes and Transcript Here   Join our adoptee community on Patreon here   Check out our upcoming live events here! This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing stated on it, either by its hosts or any guests, is to be construed as psychological, medical or legal advice. Please seek out professionals in those fields if you need those services. The views expressed by the hosts of Adoptees On or any guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or other person unless otherwise stated.

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**Special note to our listeners** Love the show? Help us keep the conversation going! Become a paid subscriber through our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your contributions help us continue to make content on issues related to the Asian-American, immigrant, modern parent experience.THANK YOU to our super awesome listeners who have already signed up!---------------------------------------Have you noticed that Korean stuff is REALLY popular these days? BTS, Black Pink, Kpop Demon Hunters, K-beauty, Korean food, Netflix's Extraordinary Attorney Woo are but a few of the Korean cultural exports that have had immense cultural success in Western markets in recent years.As Asian-Americans (and one resident Korean-American :) we grew up consuming content in the 80's, 90s and the aughts from the largely separate worlds of Asian and American entertainment. So it's kind of a head rush to see how the two worlds are colliding now. We give our unique and under-the-hood perspective on Korean content being embraced in America and beyond - in true MMM fashion, we dive into everything from the geopolitical factors surrounding cultural exports, the unique socio-cultural role that Korean-Americans have played in the global rise of Korean media, to the gossipy bits about Korean celebs.

Comment on this episode by going to KDramaChat.comToday, we have a special episode of K Drama Chat where we're joined by longtime listener, friend, and screenwriter, Ellen Sullivan. We talk about the art and science of screenwriting and how the best K Dramas follow—or creatively depart from—dramatic structure to deliver compelling, emotional stories. In this episode, we discuss:The shows that are heavily spoiled in this episode: Crash Landing On You, Mr. Queen, Mr. Sunshine, When the Phone Rings, and Captivating the King.Ellen's background as a screenwriter and technical writer, and how her passion for K Dramas began with My Mister.The Western three-act structure versus the Korean four-act structure (gi-seung-jeon-gyeol), and how each style approaches storytelling and character development.Detailed examples of setup, midpoint, and conclusion in Crash Landing On You, Mr. Queen, and Mr. Sunshine.What makes these shows work: believable character arcs, clear motivations, strong midpoint turns, and emotional payoffs.The redemption arc as a dramatic formula, especially in characters like Gu Seung-jun (CLOY) and Jang Bong-hwan (Mr. Queen).Why humor breaks are essential in Korean dramas and how they add richness to character and story.Foreshadowing and payoffs (or lack thereof) in When the Phone Rings, and why the “Argan” plot twist derailed the show.The pacing and structural missteps in Captivating the King, including over-explaining, weak female lead development, and a lack of trust in the audience.The importance of a “MacGuffin” in each drama—a central object or goal everyone is chasing.How K Dramas “trust the audience” by skipping mundane scenes and using implication rather than exposition.The emotional power of music in K Dramas, especially in Mr. Queen, CLOY, and Mr. Sunshine, and how it enhances tone and viewer engagement.Why well-crafted character interaction reveals motivation better than exposition.The writing mantra: “Make me care.” How the best dramas engage our emotions without making us think about structure until the end.What we're watching now, including Bon Appetit, Heavenly Ever After, Typhoon Family, Because This is My First Life, Signal, and Will You Marry Me.A big reveal: the next K Drama we'll be recapping in Season 13! You have to listen to find out!

South Korean cars and culture; will hydrogen work; the South Carolina Hilton Head Concours; 2026 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid review; driving a new Lexus TX500h F Sport; and a LOT of Q&A!Recorded November 2, 2025Patreon questions include:2026 Porsche Turbo S vs McLaren 750SIs the new Hyundai Santa Fe boxy enough?Did supercharging a V8 M3 ruin it or enhance it?Best cars for lake roadsHow does Korean car culture compare to Japan?Cars with great weight transferNew Subaru STI conceptIs serviceability important when buying a used car?Thoughts on the RAM hybrid with a V6 generator?Funny rally wrap ideasWhat car feature would we erase from the world?Gator straps: yay or nay?The new Vespa 300 is confusingReplacing a 2013 Audi Q7 TDIBMW X3M vs Porsche Macan GTS vs Ioniq 5NCollector cars you can repair foreverAnd more! Show Notes:SmallsFor a limited time get 60% off your first order when you head to smalls.com/tire RulaThousands of guys have already used Rula to finally get the care they needed. Don't keep putting it off -  go to Rula.com/tire and get started today. Take the first step, get connected, and take control of your mental health. FactorEat smart at FactorMeals.com/tire50off and use code tire50off to get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year. Get delicious, ready-to-eat meals delivered—with Factor.  New merch! Grab a shirt or hoodie and support us! https://thesmokingtireshop.com/ Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! For a 10% discount on your first case go to https://www.offtherecord.com/TST Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Instagram.com/therealzackklapman   Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to http://www.offtherecord.com/TST. Watch our car reviews: https://www.youtube.com/thesmokingtire Tweet at us!https://www.Twitter.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Twitter.com/zackklapman Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Instagram.com/therealzackklapman

After My First Trip to Korea, I've learned I actually have an audience there. Now, I'm on a mission to learn Korean so I can perform for the audience I never knew I had.

You're listening to Burnt Toast! I'm Virginia Sole-Smith. You're listening to Burnt Toast. I'm Virginia Sole-Smith. Today, my conversation is with Kaila Yu. Kaila is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir, Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty, came out earlier this fall to a rave review in The New York Times. She's also a luxury travel and culture writer with bylines in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The LA Times, Condé Nast Traveler and many more. Kaila's memoir grapples with her experience growing up Asian and female in a world that has so many stereotypes and expectations about both those things. We talk about the pressure to perform so many different kinds of specific beauty labor, the experience of being objectified sexually —and we really get into how we all navigate the dual reality of hating beauty standards and often feeling safer and happier complying with them. I learned so much from this book, and this conversation with Kaila. Don't forget that if you've bought Fat Talk from Split Rock Books, you can take 10% off your purchase of Fetishized there too — just use the code FATTALK at checkout. And if you value this conversation, a paid subscription is the best way to support our work!Join Burnt Toast!

Devin Crow talks about anime, video games and some weird alcohols, including Korean Peach Ale.

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Blending Generations: Tradition Meets Modernity in Hanok Village Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-11-06-08-38-20-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 가을의 부촌 한옥 마을은 아름다웠다.En: The hanok village in the affluent area was beautiful in the fall.Ko: 붉고 노란 단풍이 거리를 덮고 있었다.En: The streets were covered with red and yellow autumn leaves.Ko: 민호, 수진, 그리고 지수는 할아버지의 추모식을 위해 모였다.En: Minho, Sujin, and Jisu gathered for their grandfather's memorial service.Ko: 그들은 아직 할아버지의 부재를 받아들이기 어려웠다.En: They still found it difficult to accept their grandfather's absence.Ko: 민호는 책임감이 강한 첫째 아들이었다.En: Minho was the responsible eldest son.Ko: 그는 할아버지의 전통을 이어가고 싶었다.En: He wanted to continue his grandfather's tradition.Ko: 수진은 예술적인 동생이었다.En: Sujin was the artistic sibling.Ko: 그녀는 전통적인 가족 가치와 연결되지 못하고 있었다.En: She couldn't connect with the traditional family values.Ko: 지수는 실용적인 성격의 사촌이었다.En: Jisu was the practical cousin.Ko: 그는 전통보다 사업적이고 현대적인 사고방식을 가졌다.En: He had a more business-oriented and modern mindset than the tradition.Ko: 한글날이 지나고, 가족들이 모여 할아버지를 기리는 시간을 가졌다.En: After Hangeul Day passed, the family gathered to honor their grandfather.Ko: 민호는 전통을 지키고 싶었다.En: Minho wanted to preserve the tradition.Ko: 그러나 수진과 지수는 새로운 방식을 원했다.En: However, Sujin and Jisu wanted a new approach.Ko: 가족 간의 의견 차이로 분위기가 무거워졌다.En: The atmosphere grew heavy with differences in family opinions.Ko: 한옥 마당에서 형형색색의 단풍이 떨어지고 있었다.En: In the hanok courtyard, colorful autumn leaves were falling.Ko: 가족들은 할아버지의 사진 앞에 모였다.En: The family gathered in front of their grandfather's photo.Ko: 민호는 가족들에게 말했다. "할아버지는 우리에게 많은 것을 가르쳐주셨어. 전통은 소중해. 하지만 우리는 변화도 받아들여야 해."En: Minho spoke to the family. "Grandfather taught us a lot. Tradition is precious. But we also need to embrace change."Ko: 민호는 전통과 변화의 중요성을 말하며, 서로 다른 의견을 존중하자고 했다.En: Minho spoke about the importance of tradition and change, urging respect for differing opinions.Ko: 그는 말했다. "우리는 옛 것을 존중하되, 새로운 것도 받아들이자. 할아버지도 우리 모두의 행복을 원하실 거야."En: He said, "Let's respect the old while accepting the new. Grandfather would want all of us to be happy."Ko: 그의 말을 듣고, 가족들은 고개를 끄덕였다.En: Hearing his words, the family nodded in agreement.Ko: 수진은 할아버지를 위한 그림을 그렸다.En: Sujin painted a picture for their grandfather.Ko: 지수는 새로운 방식으로 추모식을 기획했다.En: Jisu planned the memorial service in a new way.Ko: 민호는 그 모습을 보며 미소 지었다.En: Minho smiled as he watched them.Ko: 가족들은 할아버지의 추억 속에서, 새로운 길을 찾았다.En: The family found a new path within the memories of their grandfather.Ko: 이번 모임 후, 민호는 배웠다. 전통을 지키는 것이 미래를 받아들이는 것과 반대가 아니라는 것을.En: After this gathering, Minho learned that preserving tradition is not the opposite of embracing the future.Ko: 가족은 전통과 현대를 조화롭게 융합했다.En: The family harmoniously fused tradition with modernity.Ko: 모든 목소리가 존중받았다.En: Every voice was respected.Ko: 할아버지를 기리며 가족은 더 단단해졌다.En: As they honored their grandfather, the family grew stronger.Ko: 부촌 한옥 마을의 가을 하늘 아래, 가족들은 함께 걸어갔다.En: Under the autumn sky of the hanok village, they walked together.Ko: 서로의 어깨를 의지하며, 새로운 가족의 길을 걸어가는 모습을 상상하며.En: Leaning on each other's shoulders, they imagined walking a new family path. Vocabulary Words:affluent: 부촌memorial: 추모식absence: 부재responsible: 책임감이 강한eldest: 첫째artistic: 예술적인connect: 연결practical: 실용적인business-oriented: 사업적mindset: 사고방식atmosphere: 분위기courtyard: 마당precious: 소중해embrace: 받아들여야differing: 서로 다른harmoniously: 조화롭게fused: 융합했다modernity: 현대nodded: 고개를 끄덕였다painted: 그림을 그렸다planned: 기획했다honored: 기리며imagine: 상상하며differences: 의견 차이preserve: 지키고 싶었다accepting: 받아들이자tradition: 전통pass: 지나고responsible: 책임감이 강한gathered: 모였다

In this episode of Cultish, we explore why Korea has become a center for a new wave of cult movements—and why the global church should pay attention. If Dr. Walter Martin were alive today, he'd likely be addressing the rise of groups like Shincheonji, the World Mission Society Church of God, Jesus Morning Star, and many others now infiltrating churches throughout the Western world.We're joined by Pastor Yang, who serves as an Adjunct Professor of New Testament at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul. He holds a Doctor of Theology in New Testament and, from 2023 to 2024, served as a Visiting Scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois.Also joining us is Chris, a former member of Shincheonji and returning guest, sharing his firsthand experience and ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the growing influence of Korean cults around the world.Partner With Us & Be Part of the Mission to Change Lives: HERESHOP OUR MERCH: HEREPlease consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel: CultishTV.comCultish is a 100% crowdfunded ministry. -- Email Chris & Pastor Yang: biblev@daum.net Chris@examiningthecults.org Chris's Website: HEREChris's YouTube: HEREPastor Yang's YouTube: HERE

Today our friends Tiffy and Cindy join us to talk about Girls Nights! We chat about whether we prefer a cozy night in or wild night out with our girlfriends, and discuss some of our favorite activities. We also chat about expectations of meeting or incorporating new people into girls nights, and reminisce about some of our favorite memories together!Support the showFollow us on social media @eatyourcrustpod

In this episode of Dimensions of Diversity we revisit a conversation Lloyd Freeman had during a webinar earlier this year celebrating Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. He welcomed Patricia Liu, a Korean American author, entrepreneur, and media executive.The conversation focused on Korean American representation in leadership and the media. Liu shared her personal story of immigrating to the U.S. as a child, the challenges of assimilation, and the family advocacy that shaped her. She explained how these experiences inspired her to found "Best of Korea," a media platform celebrating Korean culture.Dimensions of Diversity is a podcast created by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, highlighting diversity in the workplace. Hosted by Lloyd Freeman, Chief Experience Officer, the podcast features meaningful conversations with industry and community leaders working to advance D&I. 

learn how to say 'food' in Korean

Send us a textBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, recap St. Louis CITY SC's 2025 season, comparing their predictions and superlatives against what actually transpired. In addition, they discuss Corey Wray's appointment as Sporting Director, MLS Awards, updates on the MLS Cup playoffs, and the upcoming A-10 tournament games in STL for both SLU men's and women's programs!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Seoul Juice is the official drink of Ball Watching and made with three clean simple ingredients: water, organic lemon juice, and Korean pear juice. Get yours at Dierbergs, Sams Club, or online at seouljuice.com. Use code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout for 20% off all online orders!Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

In this engaging conversation, T.Y. Lee shares his journey as a comic book creator, discussing his upcoming graphic novel 'Return of the Rooftop Koreans,' which draws inspiration from the 1992 LA riots and the story of Korean-American business owners during that time. Lee delves into the influence of Korean comics and culture on his work, the creative process behind assembling his team, and his philosophy on publishing through his label, Anti-Woke Books. He also emphasizes the importance of ethical crowdfunding practices and the need for authentic storytelling that respects cultural heritage.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/745250410/return-of-the-rooftop-koreans-140-page-graphic-novel?ref=8vfss0https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/tylee/return-of-the-rooftop-koreansT.Y. Lee's Social Media: X - @AntiWokeBooksGet your Fortress Comics merchandise with the link belowhttps://www.teepublic.com/user/fortress-comicsFortressofComicNews.comhttps://chriscomicscorner.substack.com/YouTube.com/FortressComicsFind Chris: https://bio.site/chrisrundtMike twitter @fortressrickerMike's Comic Bone Graft: https://globalcomix.com/c/bentbox-shorts/chapters/en/4/1Patreon.com/FortressComicshttps://www.tiktok.com/@chriscomicscornerThanks for Listening!#marvel #marvelcomics #mcu #dccomics #comicbooks #comicnews #podcast #indiecomics #batman

Yvonne An is a Korean entrepreneur and creator based in Manila. She blends creativity with data, even building her own TikTok analysis bot to study trends, performance, and what drives PR and brand deals. Yvonne shares an honest look into her life—balancing startups, mental health, and her experience living in the Philippines—making her a relatable voice for Gen Z builders and creatives.Connect with Yvonne:https://www.instagram.com/yvonnean_https://www.tiktok.com/@yvonnneCHAPTERS:0:00 – Introduction0:49 – Meet Yvonne1:15 – What Yvonne has been focused on2:21 – Why Yvonne started a company5:12 – Content creation as stress relief5:59 – What she enjoys about creating7:38 – Building a TikTok data bot9:27 – How the bot measures content ROI10:44 – How she built the bot11:58 – Labeling & scraping TikTok data12:51 – Tracking growth and plateaus14:11 – Why she signed with an agency15:27 – Balancing startups + content16:28 – Her dad's surprising hobbies16:56 – Yvonne on her mom & family19:11 – Where her independent energy comes from20:24 – Gen Z entrepreneurs21:59 – Thoughts on Cluely's content strategy23:45 – Young entrepreneurs today24:09 – Her brother's path24:40 – Would she want kids?25:17 – Raising entrepreneurial kids27:15 – How parents shape business mindset28:51 – Lessons from her dad's hardships32:09 – When her dad left LG33:48 – How old she was then34:46 – Andy's first trip to the Philippines36:37 – Rockwell run club38:42 – Filipino “clientele relationship”41:58 – Building company culture in PH45:53 – Antidepressants & mental health47:57 – Impulsive behavior in relationships48:33 – Andy's personality quiz (money)50:11 – Is religion good or bad?52:14 – Emotional vs. logical54:01 – Who's more hardworking?54:12 – Wait for someone or date who likes you?54:39 – Her biggest 2024–2025 takeaways55:55 – Naming a child with two letters56:40 – What she'd change about Andy57:37 – Airport ride scenario59:12 – Last time she asked for help1:04:18 – Last three times she helped others1:07:45 – Andy's reflection on Yvonne1:09:45 – Guessing each other's MBTI1:16:00 – Similar vs. opposite partners1:16:49 – Does she have ADHD?1:17:06 – Feeling out of place in PH1:19:35 – Her day-to-day life in Manila1:20:43 – Balancing career + relationship1:22:02 – Purpose of life1:23:19 – Is life meaningless?1:23:51 – What puts her in a sad state1:24:43 – How convo would differ without SSRIs1:25:35 – Does she need SSRIs long-term?1:26:49 – Her anxiety1:27:49 – Plans for the rest of her gap year1:29:10 – Could she thrive at UC Berkeley?1:30:40 – Being seen as a “pretty dumb girl”1:32:07 – Story about people “playing dumb”1:34:40 – Yvonne's recent life discoveries1:35:26 – Her next 6-month goal1:36:42 – Why Andy thought her life was “nerfed”1:38:58 – Connect with Yvonne1:40:14 – Why some girls “play dumb”1:41:13 – How her personal brand shows only a slice of her1:42:21 – Outro

This week, we watched episodes 3-4 of ‘Happiness'. Watch the episodes, then join us here as we deep dive into the perfection that is the Korean media machine, slow-burn romance, and the least secure government facility we've ever seen.—————Find all our stuff on Patreon!Check out our website!Email us at playonkpodcast@gmail.comAnd leave a rating and review wherever you listen!

The right song doesn't just fill a room—it changes the air. We lined up five October releases that transform a quiet evening into a moving story, from a sidewalk chant to a late‑night sway and a runway‑sharp finale. It's a ride through J‑pop, K‑pop, R&B, and house where every track owns its moment and then hands the energy to the next.We kick off with BananaLemon's We Outside!, a clean, synth‑bright anthem designed to get you out the door and into the crowd. Then BM's Freak featuring B.I. turns the lights down without losing the heat: whistles, rim hits, and a slow dancehall lean build a sultry pulse while BM's grit and B.I.'s lift play off each other like sparks meeting fuel. Psychic Fever's SWISH DAT barrels in with bass and swagger, lacing hip‑hop power with flute textures that nod to its Mask Ninja Akagage theme—proof you can blend traditional color with a modern stomp and make it sound inevitable.When it's time to breathe, REIKO's Maybe slides in—chill house with R&B phrasing, minimalist drums, and an intimate vocal that feels close enough to touch. The lyric tilt toward “live now, worry later” lands softly but sticks. And to close, Hearts2Hearts' Focus hits that retro‑house piano riff you swear you've heard on a catwalk somewhere, lined with disco strings and a heartbeat bass. The hook rides on confidence, not sugar, with harmonies that snap the whole mix into a glossy, high‑fashion stride.We also talk sequencing—how these five songs create a seamless night‑out arc—and why headphones reveal the hidden layers. Queue it up, move with it, and then tell us what grabbed you first.BananaLemon: Instagram X YouTube We Outside!BM: Instagram X Youtube Freak (feat B.I.)PSYCHIC FEVER: Instagram X YouTube SWISH DATREIKO: Instagram X YouTube maybeHearts2Hearts: Instagram X YouTube FOCUSSupport the showPlease help Music Elixir by rating, reviewing, and sharing the episode. We appreciate your support!Follow us on:TwitterInstagram BlueskyIf have questions, comments, or requests click on our form:Music Elixir FormDJ Panic Blog:OK ASIA

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 26 A New Student (tribal) Council   In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             If you can't look in a mirror and laugh at yourself, cut off the light             "Can we put other restrictions on you?" Simone Brady prodded.   "This is not the 'Zane' show," Virginia Goodswell interjected. "We need to decide when the new Student government will meet, I suggest Tuesday nights, and how we are going to conduct business."   "We can start by deciding where we meet," Chastity spoke up. "I vote for Zane's place."   "What's wrong with the Assembly Hall, where we've always met?" Rhaine countered.   "Rhaine, you are drinking a Doctor Pepper, KayLeigh, you are drinking a grape juice, and Joy was eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup when I got here," Hope snickered. "You have hot plates and microwaves too, if needed."   Rhaine, Joy, and KayLeigh, all Traditionalists, looked guilty. They also looked like they treasured their creature comforts because they weren't running for the door.   "It is a nice place," KayLeigh admitted.   "And you don't get to come back up here otherwise," Rio grinned evilly. "This floor is devoted to the freshman class."   "There are a lot of upperclassmen up here right now," Rhaine pointed out.   "Those are what you would call 'friends'," Rio sneered. "If you weren't freaking evil, you might have some."   "Please don't put it that way," I requested of Rio. Rio had every reason to be cranky. Mercy looked even more exhausted sitting at her side.   "Zane will arrange the room to fit your needs," Christina finally spoke, "I guarantee it."   "You think you can control him?" Rhaine shot back.   "I'm not afraid of him; he's not some wild beast. I ask him to do things for me and he does," Christina chided Rhaine. "He is like any other freshman; it is that simple."   "He's rather mouthy for a freshman," Hannah joked.   "Well, maybe if you put my mouth to other uses," I bantered back. There was a moment of silence followed by Dana Gorman taking up her bottled water and walking over to me. She smiled down at my seated form while she poured out the remaining water onto my crown.   "Cool off, Casanova," Dana cautioned me playfully before returning to her seat.   "Exactly why do you keep her around again?" Rio slapped my shoulder.   "Can you imagine how insufferable Christina would be if Coach didn't keep her in line?" I smiled. Christina rolled her eyes while Rio chuckled. Virginia stood up and cleared her throat.   "I want to make sure that all the ladies, plus Zane, plan to make this experiment work. It is rather pointless to proceed if any of you can't be honest now," Virginia, my Spiritual Advisor, poled the audience. Most of the girls looked around to see who would do what but no one jumped.   "I think it is safe to say that we students will stay true to the Vice Chancellor's plan, though this is not an endorsement of Zane, his conduct, or even his continued presence here," Rhaine spoke for the group.   "With that settled, we can call it a night," Doctor Kennedy declared. "Ladies, consider what issues we need to deal with so we can bring them up next Tuesday night, 9 pm."   "Who do we send the itinerary to?" Simone inquired.   "Zane," Hudson Lane volunteered me.   "I nominate Faith De Young (of Christina's inner circle) to be our Secretary of Record, if she wants the job," I said. Faith looked completely taken off-guard but nodded quickly.   "I'll do it," she made clear. The meeting broke up soon after with most of the student leadership departing. Dana, Hudson, and Christina & company hung around a little longer.   "Not the Glamorous Gremlin?" Rio teased me on my choice of Secretary. She gasped and nearly fell over right after that. Iona smiled softly and shook her head. She realized that she was still a freshman and her day would come.   "Ah, here's one of the controllers," Heaven gave a devilish smile as she handed the device over to Rio. Miraculously, the other three sexual wonders were also handed over, ending the threat of torture for the day.   "I see a spanking machine in you bitches' future," Rio snarled at Chastity, Hope, Heaven, Faith, and Christina.   "I swear, I tried to get one of those damn things all day long," Valarie griped. "You would think that after setting this up, someone would have given me one, but no, I am a freshman so I don't get to play the game."   "It was you!" Rio screamed, and lunged at Valarie, who comically batted her away as Vivian and Mercy intervened.   "Yes," Val laughed, "but it was Iona who figured out how to have captured your days by enlisting the aid of classmates with video phones. I can tell today's footage is going to be a classic."   "Why did you do it?" Vivian asked Valarie.   "I had revenge on Rio and made Mercy ecstatically happy; it was a win-win," Val grinned vindictively. It was a credit to Rio's berserk nature that no one asked what Rio had done to warrant revenge; everyone automatically assumed that Valarie was justified.   "Everyone's sympathy is under-whelming," Rio grumbled. "Come on, Mercy, let's get these things off."   "Do we have to?" Mercy pleaded softly. Hell, I imagine she could barely stand but apparently, her limit to sexual overstimulation was unconsciousness. Rio used one finger to hook Mercy's collar and pulled her close.   "How dare you talk back," Rio whispered, but I was close enough to hear. "I was going to settle for the vibrating nipple clamps that arrived today but now I'm thinking a few dozen paddle blows, to each cheek, are in your future, you annoying little bitch."   Annoying was Mercy and Rio's code word for 'love'; Rio simply couldn't stand the 'L' word.   "Vibrating nipple clamps?" Christina was both confused and amused. "Where do you people come up with this stuff?"   "Adam and Eve," Rio shot back without batting an eye. "Wait until I have Mercy's nipples and lips pierced; then the real fun begins."   "I don't think Mercy should have her lips pierced," Vivian suggested forcefully. "They'd be glaringly obvious." Rio groaned and sighed.   "Not those lips," Rio clarified. "The other ones, you know, labia, cunt lips, cunt etc." There was a pregnant pause in the room. "Attach vibrator wires to those bad boys and Wow! Let the magic begin."   Mercy and Rio really were made for each other; they were both salivating at the prospect. Thankfully, I saw Cassandra hovering around and looking ready for me to start playing towel boy.   "Ladies, one last duty to perform and then my day is done," I attempted my exit.   "Zane, is it alright if I spend the night?" Hope ambushed me.   "Of course," I smiled, because I'm a fucking idiot who is an embarrassment to the very concept of the mentally challenged and a parody of every teen boy date flick. I was already spending time with Iona, Paige, Barbie Lynn, and now Hope.   Maybe I can find a way to have a secret government space array shoot an earthquake laser at my feet so a pit opens up underneath me and I plummet to a fiery death at the Earth's core. Maybe I watch too much bad TV.   "Iona, did my Viagra arrive yet," I teased my buddy. "I'm going to need a pill tonight."   "Oh, Zane, I don't think we have any but I'll go online and see what I can get for you," Iona replied in all seriousness.   "I know some guys who smuggle them in from Mexico," Valarie offered. "I'll make some calls."   "That is so cool!" Barbie Lynn clapped her hands. "Now he'll never go down. I can ride him all night long." She hugged me while a fearful vision of my desiccated, sperm-drained husk lying open-eyed and lifeless on my bed danced before my eyes.   "Zane?" Cassandra called out.   "Oh, yes, towel boy and bikini selection," I muttered. I gravitated her way, took her hand, and led her to my room.   "What's that about?" Vivian mused.   "Handmaiden's Duty," Iona informed the ladies. "He picks out a bikini for her and acts as pool boy while she's in the Jacuzzi."   "I hope someone cleans that thing from time to time," Faith shuddered.   "Every morning at ten o'clock it is drained and cleaned, and the filter cleaned every Monday," Iona droned on without even looking up. The rest of that exchange was lost as I retreated to my bedroom.   What followed could be blamed on Cassandra accidently dropping her drink in the Jacuzzi and me having to retrieve it; it was an unopened soda can. Or maybe it could be blamed on the surprisingly conservative (for my room) white and black striped bikini she wore. Whatever was the catalyst, inside five minutes I had Cassandra out of her suit, front to front, her crotch pressing me against the side of the Jacuzzi with my head barely above water while she rode my face in a pattern and energy that reminded me of Hawaii's North Shore.   Cassandra was pounding the back of my head against the wood wall as she drove her cunt over my lips and tongue again and again.   "Oh, Baby, you are so much better than my fingers," she communicated with an erotic growl. "Keep it up, keep it up!" She was the one in the control of the sexual rhythm so I was not sure what else I might do but keep licking and sucking as hard as I could.   I was finally able to run a hand along her chocolate flesh until I managed to push against her sternum and got her to roll her shoulders back. That allowed me to start massaging and stroking one of her breasts while my other hand got between her legs from behind and gently penetrated her cunt.   "Za, za, za, Zane!" she screamed out. Note to self: Add earplugs to my Must Have List.   Cassandra slathered my nose, lips, and chin with her rather scalding, light to the tongue and tasty fluids. If she wasn't still trying to give me a concussion with her hips I might have enjoyed it more. As her orgasm dissipated, she slid down my body with a sated sigh. Her legs were outside mine so as she descended, her cunt came to rest on my Speedo-encased cock. Saying that my cock was hard would be like saying snow is cold or the English love their soccer; pretty much a given.   Her eyes grew wide when she realized where she rested. She's a senior and a virgin in a Christian Girl's school, she began humping me, of course. Being Cassandra, she began humping me hard and thumping her way to another climax.   "Zane, I am totally rethinking you being allowed on campus," Cassandra panted.   "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" I wondered. At this time I had one finger lightly in her cunt as my other hand tenderly tweaked one of her nipples.   "Oh, I think every junior and senior should have their own personal freshman boy to keep under control with a strong hand," she grinned while she kept working my rod over with her cunt.   "Wouldn't it be nice if we developed a peaceful, platonic relationship based on mutual trust and respect?" I suggested hopefully. Cassandra gave a deep, throaty laugh.   "You're funny, but no," she grinned evilly. "After all, if that was the case, I couldn't do this: Zane, suck my other nipple, suck it hard, while I play with your fat phallus." Oh yeah, I love the way this is going (insert internalized weeping).   She worked out my cock painfully fast and began rubbing it deeply between her labia, to the point I felt the tightness of her vaginal walls on my cockhead.   "Zane, you know a whole lot about the sex stuff," she stated. "What's a cock ring?" Oh, HELL No! I have enough difficulty ejaculating as is. The last thing I need is something that allows another to make the prospects of my ejaculation even dimmer.   "It's a device, a ring, that is placed over the base of the cock to restrict blood flow, thus allowing longer erections," I grudgingly confessed. "Thinking about getting one, as a Christmas present, for someone out of state?"   "So, you could have intercourse, for a long time, and not ejaculate, so a girl would be, safe, in fucking you raw?" Cassandra's voice was becoming more strained.   "Technically, yes, but a little music, some hand-holding, and dinner at McDonald's would suffice in getting me aroused," I tried to explain. "There is no need for, something like that."   "Zane, clearly God put you, on this campus as a test for, true believers," Cassandra related, "And every woman here needs, to be tested, A Lot!" she screamed out her second orgasm of the night.   My hands raced down to grab each luscious buttock before her spasms caused her to slip down my cock and make her virginity a thing of the past. When my cock slapped against my stomach, I held Cassandra tight until she calmed down.   "You need to stay on campus during the weekends," Cassandra moaned with content exhaustion, "so we can use you more often."   "Why do you think I flee campus every weekend?" I thought. If she had her way, I'd be walking around with an IV in my arm and popping Viagra like M&M's. I chose life! If you think I am a coward, step up and take my place. I'll sneak back into the cemetery at night and put a flower on your headstone. You can take that permanent smile etched on your face to your grave, He-Man.   "I have to ask: What brought this on?" I inquired.   "I received one of Mercy's controls and we shared the next class," Cassandra confessed. "She glowed with such pleasure I thought she would pass out. I was suddenly curious."   "I had nothing to do with that," I groaned. "I swear, it wasn't me." Cassandra placed one hand on each side of my face.   "Zane, it wasn't you, I know that," she smiled, "but it is your presence that allowed something like that, her ability to experience that level of pleasure, that I want to experience. I have to go now. I need to report to the other girls what it was like so we can figure out what to do with you next."   You know, if I had been paranoid, I would have been right, people are plotting against me. Cassandra stood up and stepped onto the bench so that I was once more facing her puffy, somewhat abused cunt lips before she swung one leg over me and exited the tub. I closed my eyes and let my head hang over the side, facing up.   "Towel boy," Cassandra taunted me. I looked at her. Cassandra was dripping wet and she was extending a towel my way. I pulled my own tired ass out of the Jacuzzi and tenderly buffed her excellent body until she was dry. She gave me one last kiss, dressed, and virtually skipped out of my domain, happy, arrogant and plotting my demise.   I cleaned up, dealt with the Jacuzzi, and took in my surroundings. The only witnesses to my congress and conversation with Cassandra were Dana Gorman and Hudson Lane, my voyeuristic adult female 'friends'.   Dana pulled me over as I walked passed her. Hudson Lane had gone off to get some drinks.   "You and Gabrielle, ?"   "You have no respect for my survival instincts, do you?" I chuckled.   "Not really," Dana smirked.   "Fine," I groaned in feigned annoyance. "She wanted to talk so we talked, nothing else happened."   "She beat you up, didn't she?" Gorman persisted.   Another deep sigh on my part came out before I confessed, "Yes. Why do you ask?"   "I wanted to smack you around from the first day I met you," Dana laughed. "I think Ms. Black has done admirably not beating you black and blue before now."   "Has yet another girl beaten Zane up?" Hudson angled around to sit next to Dana. "The consistency of the femdom attitudes at this school is frightening."   "Don't throw stones, Ms. Lane," Dana warned her. "You, Zane, and Ms. Messier, the lawyer Ms. Buchanan hired to help Zane when he went to jail, I was head of security when it happened and I know when Ms. Messier arrived on campus, where she stayed, and when she, and you, left this dorm."   "You never said anything to Chancellor Bazz?" Hudson worried.   "No," Dana responded. "You three are adults, and ruining your career here wouldn't have made expelling Zane any easier. I wasn't the sex police."   "Thank you," Hudson smiled. "I now have another reason to be happy Zane championed your cause with the Board of Directors." She touched Dana on her thigh.   "It's not going to happen, Lane," Dana informed the lawyer while opening her V-8. "I've had a long time to figure out that I'm not attracted to women." Wow, Dana knew that Hudson was bi-sexual and didn't care. That was another big plus for Dana in my book.   "That's what Brigitte Messier thought as well," Hudson winked. "It turns out a little bit of Zane goes a long way to loosening up a girl's morals and expanding their horizons."   "I repeat, it is not going to happen," Dana shook her head. "Zane's a student and I'm a teacher. Perhaps the day he graduates, I'll kidnap him for a long, frustration-relieving weekend. I haven't had sex in eight years and watching him work really stresses my resolve."   "You could always join me in the hot tub," I offered. I wasn't sure how serious I was. I also wasn't sure how bad a concussion Cassandra had given me.   "Zane, do you have any idea of what I would do to you if I focused all my pent up sexual fury onto that body of yours?" Dana threatened. I gulped.   "Does it start with me tying you down?" I suggested sweetly. Hudson was looking really intrigued by this. I was beginning to believe she had this erotic attraction to 'turning' straight girls, most likely mirroring her own Law School experiences.   "What do you think?" she glared. Dana was becoming seriously aroused.   "I guess my only other question is if I can outrun you," I joked. Dana kept staring.   "Zane," Hudson snickered, "do you realize that your swimsuit is basically transparent when wet?"   "No, I didn't," I gulped once more. My package was less than a foot from Dana's lips. "Sorry, I'll be going to bed now," I backed up.   "That's a really nice ass," Dana sighed as I turned away.   "It is even nicer to touch," Hudson commented.   "It's not happening, Lane," Dana grumbled.   "Oh, you will come around," Hudson Lane laughed softly. "I have faith in Zane." Dana growled in rebuttal.   When I rounded the first cut-back leading to my bedroom, I heard and smelled sex, suddenly, sneaking off to Gabrielle Black's place and hiding out for the night sounded like a good idea, barring her killing me, of course. I sorted out the noises as I moved around until the room came into full view.   Reminder number one: Check the God Damn air filters!   Where the fuck do I begin?   On the far side of the bed, Mercy was on her knees, head down on a pillow with her painfully ecstatic face looking toward me. That was how I could tell she had been gagged. Her wrists were handcuffed behind her back, she was moaning and sweating up a storm, and her whole aura emanated with tantric excitement.   In case you might be wondering where her Mistress was: Rio was straddling Mercy's back, ass resting on Mercy's neck (by the tension in her thighs, Rio wasn't pressing down hard thankfully) and facing her playmate's highly vulnerable posterior.   "Hold out a little longer, my slut," Rio egged Mercy on quietly as she paddled those beautiful exposed ass cheeks, apparently in a random fashion.   And now it gets weird(er): Behind Mercy, facing Rio, wielding a strap-on with firm, slow, and steady strokes, was Paige. For the love of the Almighty, should I be quarantined as an immorality contagion? It wasn't like Paige was an angel but she was taking a few giant steps to proficiently wielding an artificial cock into a bound girl's bunghole. The fact that Rio and Paige despised each other continued warping my perception of events.   Barbie Lynn (farthest away in the closest group), Vivian, and Valarie were on the near side of the sheets. They weren't actually having sex but were talking in low voices with the occasional running of a hand through a companion's hair or tracing a finger from hip to thigh. It was sensual without being pornographic. It also appeared to be something they all three were enjoying.   In the middle section of my sleeping platform (it is an awesomely big bed) was Iona and Hope, who were doing a little more than cuddling together in quiet conversation. Hope stroked Iona's head compassionately as Iona gently teased and suckled on Hope's left breast. Every ounce of my experience cried out to me that Iona had initiated the sexual contact. That boggled the mind, right up there with Hope allowing a near stranger such intimate contact.   "Hey, Lover," Barbie Lynn gifted me with a sultry leer, "are you going to take that off or are you going to allow him to bust out on his own?" Bathing suit, cock, raging erection; got it. I yanked off my speedo fast enough to make my skin burn. I wrapped it up in a towel before tossing them in the clothes hamper.   I quickly plotted out my journey, figuring out where I was supposed to end up. I was giving up the illusion that I controlled events because if I was created in God's image and that was the reason God wanted men to rule over women, then I think God was really Goddess and Heaven's soul had it right, change sides.   Valarie gave me a fearless grin as I climbed over her on my way to the middle. She shifted so that her breasts swayed from side to side. I took in the view before kissing her and moving on.   "Try to settle things down by eleven, Zane," Vivian requested. I nodded and then kissed the tip of her nose, which she returned by kissing my forehead. It was very motherly of her, barring the fact that the sheets barely covered her pubic region and every exposed bit of her looked scrumptious.   My last hurdle was Barbie Lynn, and that was an obstacle in more than just the physical sense. She knew how to stretch and yawn just right for making my blood boil with lust and my vision cloud with desire.   "You will come back to me, Zane," she said with brazen tenderness. "Now go on and take care of the others who need you now." Best Blonde Bombshell ever.   As I settled behind Hope who was still facing Iona, I took it slow to let her instincts understand that I wasn't a threat but desirous of her.   "What's going on here?" I inquired delicately. "Hope, I didn't think you liked Iona all that much? And Iona, you have become much more confident in the past month; I like it."   "Zane, Iona is one of the bravest freshmen I've ever met. She's never backed down from a challenge and is smart enough to fight the battles she can win and send others to win the one's she can't," Hope explained. "I have admired her for some time."   "I know you wanted Hope to be put at ease," Iona related. "She's surrounded by people she has minimal familiarity with. I reasoned that I could help her adjust by doing what you do."   "Sexy, clever, lethal girls; this is definitely going on my Santa Wish List," I grinned. I was trying to settle in behind Hope when she wiggled around onto her back and indicated she wanted me to move between her and Iona. I was hardly in the mood to refuse and soon, both ladies were nestled in my arms. I was thinking about the next step when the situation around Mercy increased in energy and volume.   Hope pushed halfway over my chest and Iona turned away from me so they could watch the proceedings. Mercy was shivering like a leaf in a thunderstorm. Rio moved up so that her face was inches away from Paige's. I could see Paige contemplating her next action before she leaned into Rio. They each placed a hand behind the other's head to keep them close as they kissed.   "You smart-ass hooker," Rio snickered. "What flavor is that?" Mercy was cresting toward her orgasm unattended while Rio made small talk with Paige.   "Mango, lip balm and mouth wash," Paige beamed triumphantly. Rio snorted.   "Really start hammering the bitch," Rio ordered/requested. Paige nodded. She slowly drew back until only the tip of the fake phallus remained in Mercy's rectum before savagely slamming it all the way in as hard as she could.   Mercy squealed through her gag and began to violently spasm. Rio dismounted Mercy and flopped beside her partner's head.   "Don't you dare lose it, Cum-Bunny," Rio pressed Mercy. "Disappoint me and you will get nothing until the weekend. I won't let you touch anyone, even yourself. Are we clear?"   Mercy sobbed and nodded while her body teetered on the precipice of total collapse. Paige was displeased with Mercy's resistance and began spanking her thighs and buttocks hard enough to leave imprints. Rio kept stroking Mercy's hair and urging her to hang on. At the pinnacle of the moment I knew Mercy could not go on, Rio spoke softly into her ear.   "You annoying whore," she said, "I am so proud to be with you. Don't ever leave, now cum." Mercy's resulting climax was so powerful that her muscle spasms knocked Paige back on her heels knocking the strap-on mostly out of her ass. Mercy squirted, really squirted, onto Paige's lap, with even more juice shooting and coating Mercy's thighs and my sheets.   Up front, Mercy was cursing up a storm through her gag, grinding the fabric between her teeth with tears streaming out of her clenched eyes. Before her thrashing subsided, Rio had pulled the gag off and was kissing her fiercely on the lips, again and again. Mercy curled into a ball and Rio immediately wrapped her arms and legs around her Sub, keeping her presence light but comforting.   Rio saw our attention being directed their way and mouthed: 'Best Bitch Ever!' using her eyes to exaggerate the force of the words. Paige was still looking over the sticky mess that she had become.   "Put the contraption to soak in the big sink and take a shower," I suggested. Paige could see no flaw in my suggestion so she gave me a wink, unstrapped the device, and made her way out of the room.   When my eyes snapped back from watching a naked Paige exit, I saw that Hope's focus was on me.   "That looked fun," Hope stated clinically. "It is not for me but it definitely looked like they all felt, cleaner in a spiritual sense when they were done. I would never have suspected. In fact, I thought being bound was debasing and weak."   "It is called bondage and it is part of a sexual practice called BDSM, bondage, discipline, sadomasochism," I explained. "It definitely isn't for everyone, and certainly isn't as bizarre as Iona's furry fetish."   "Zane," Hope glared, "I saw a CSI episode on furries and you can't be an Asian or Asian-American high school girl in the United States and not know about cosplay; Iona and I are not into either one of those lifestyles I'm pretty sure."   While Hope was distracting me with her knowledge of other sexual subcultures, Iona snuck a hand beneath me and pinched my right ass cheek.   "Ow," I jumped. "What was that for, Beautiful?" I pleaded to Iona.   "I wanted to?" she responded meekly.   "That sounds like a perfectly good reason to me," I smiled. I would be somewhat offended if it was someone else but Iona was special; like Rio, she would always have my back, but unlike my chaotic fiend, she never abused my trust (or so I thought).   "Do me a favor?" Iona requested.   "Sure, anything for you," I answered right off the bat.   "Make her happy," Iona's eyes sparkled as the flickered to Hope. "Tickle my ear when you finish."   "Sure," I sighed with feigned regret, "if I have to."   "Thank you, Iona," Hope snorted in amusement, "I've got it from here."   "Nite-nite," Iona yawned, then rolled over and pretended to drop off to sleep. Like that was going to happen anytime soon!   "What no-, Hope got out before I rolled on top of her. I used one leg to wedge hers open, then settled between them as I lowered my body down. Hope looked at me quizzically.   "Touch me wherever you like," I instructed. I showed her what I meant by kissing her cheek, then edging around to suck on her earlobe.   Hope led off with her fingertips running along the muscles of my forearms and following a twisted trail up to my shoulders. With equal care, she began rubbing her toes along my calves, up to my knees and lower thighs. This had the added benefit of rotating her hips so that her pubic hair scratched along the veins of the base of my cock.   "You know this is going to make field work with you far more difficult," Hope murmured.   "Now you know what I've been going through for a month," I teased her back. "Now you know how I feel naked under your touch and so do I."   "You touch yourself much?" Hope giggled. Iona did her best to smother her own mirthful reaction.   "Maybe you should come to my bed more often to keep my hands otherwise occupied," I suggested. Hope arched her back, thrusting her breasts into my chest and laughed lyrically.   "Touch ," Hope conceded. "I wondered if I was imposing on your hospitality, wanting to spend tonight with you. Now I'm feeling as if I've been lured in and seduced by your masculine wiles."   "Zane, manipulating somebody!" Valarie gave a comedic gasp. "Well, there is always a first time for our ham-handed Lothario to launch a plot that doesn't involve him getting an extra fish stick for dinner."   "Ham-handed," Barbie Lynn mused. "His fingers are smoking but hardly ham-like," which she emphasized by rubbing her hand over her crotch.   "Do you often stick smoked country ham between your thighs, Barbie-Baby?" Valarie taunted.   "Only when your magic tongue and fingers aren't available," Barbie Lynn volleyed right back.   "Oh, you did not say that!" Valarie choked. She vaulted on top of Barbie Lynn and the two started wrestling. Vivian scooted toward the edge and fended off the combatants from rolling over her.   "When we graduate and drag you back to our dungeon to live, are you going to miss other bed partners having these mid-coital conversations?" Hope smirked.   "You underestimate your ability to focus my attention," I countered. When you are in bed with someone, you are in bed with THAT person, or so I believe. Hope's look sizzled, her body heated up, and she pulled me so close and tight, I couldn't make out any details beyond her eyes.   "I hate them," Hope purred.   "Who?" I worried. You don't want one good friend to hate another good friend. You really don't want a good friend with marksmanship skills out the ass not liking someone you have become attached to.   "Christina and Heaven," she sighed, but I knew she wasn't serious. "Christina because you would rather be with her and Heaven because she has you."   "Hope," I maneuvered so I could stroke her cheek, "I can't promise you or anyone else anything beyond this school year. Neither one of us qualifies as 'normal' by any definition of the word. I certainly like being with you, if that matters, and not just in bed. You are beautiful, intense, and serious in a way we shouldn't be."   "Serious is not the most intimate of descriptions," Hope joked, "but I think I know what you mean. As chaotic as your life is, I think we balance each other out." I didn't need words to agree with that; I let us return to our game of touch, kiss, and lick. We were getting back into a playful tempo when the fight between Valarie and Barbie Lynn ended.   There was no hot, spontaneous lesbian eruption; it devolved into Valarie having Barbie Lynn pinned with her wrists on the pillow held over her head. Valarie was trying to administer a 'Wet Willy' (sticking a finger, or tongue, into your opponent's ear) and finally succeeding.   "I give, I give," squealed Barbie Lynn. "Anything, just stop."   "Anything?" Valarie prodded suggestively. Barbie Lynn's very ample bosom heaved with each deep breath she took, which had the effect of rubbing them in circles against Valarie's dangling breasts.   "Come with me to the Southwest this summer," Valarie demanded. Barbie Lynn was still giving it serious thought when Paige came traipsing back in, drying her hair.   "Where in the Southwest?" Paige inquired. Valarie sat up on Barbie Lynn and looked over her shoulder at the albino lass.   "West of Laredo, East of the Pacific, South of Denver and North of Mexico," Valarie answered. "Sant Fe, Vegas, the Painted Desert, places like that." I didn't see coming what happened next.   "Valarie, would you consider allowing to me come along?" Paige asked politely.   "You really want to impress Zane that much?" Valarie divined Paige's intention.   "That, and he's most likely going with Rio as well," Paige responded, "so you are going to need all the help you can get." Rio didn't respond verbally, Mercy was still recovering, but glared with venom.   "What do you add to our little expedition?" Valarie asked.   "I'll do it," Barbie Lynn interjected. "I wasn't sure what I was going to do after graduation but seeing more of the world will do me good, and I hear it is cold in the desserts at night and I don't want Zane to catch a chill," she adds with a smile.   "I speak Spanish, plus a strong understanding of electronics, botany, and computers," Paige continued with a twinge of annoyance toward Barbie.   "Fine, both are in. We are getting our rides tomorrow afternoon at five," Valarie announced.   "Zane," Hope whispered, "I appreciate the silence of our first date now more than ever."   "We can go back to your place?" I offered.   "Oh, Chastity would love that," Hope snickered playfully. "I'm afraid if you don't ravish her in the next few weeks, she is going to rape Heaven."   "I'll keep that in mind, but right now I want to be where I am, with you," I kissed Hope's nose.   "Can I try something, Zane?" Hope turned serious and introspective.   "Of course," I said.   "Paige, come over here with me," Barbie Lynn suggested. The blonde wiggled over so that Valarie fell to the far side and indicated that Paige should join her.   "You only want to sex up my body," Paige accused Barbie Lynn, as she hopped onto the foot of the bed and put her fists defiantly on her hips.   "But of course I do, Paige-shugah," Barbie Lynn licked her lips, "now get over here and give me a taste."   "Oh. In that case, Paige scampered over and reclined next to the dynamite blonde. Barbie Lynn had a strong, subtly alluring persona while Paige was constantly aggressive.   "A naked Paige Zeller sexual molesting an equally naked Barbie Lynn Masters will go down as yet another thing I never thought I'd see," Hope mused.   "Be careful who you think is molesting who," I cautioned Hope. A few seconds later Paige shook and fluttered. Barbie Lynn had slid a stealthy hand between Paige's thighs.   "Oh, someone's been a bad little kitty," Barbie Lynn cooed, "A bad, soaking wet little kitty." Paige hiccupped, then shuddered again. "Does kitty need to be petted," Barbie asked as she stroked Paige's love box, "or does kitty need to be spanked?" And Barbie Lynn spanked Paige's cunt lightly, making Paige jerk.   "Master, I stand corrected," Hope nodded her head to me in respect of my sexual insight.   "You wanted to do something?" I brought Hope back on track.   "Yes, Zane, yes I did," Hope smiled. "Please lie on your back and close your eyes." It was my turn to nod as I complied with her wishes. She settled her haunches on my crotch and waited a moment.   First was a kiss, followed in slow progression by a finger, nose, earlobe, toe, two fingers coated in her juices, two fingers coated in Paige's juices, a nipple (most likely the right), her other nipple coated in Barbie Lynn's juices, Valarie's tongue (given away by the movement toward me), Hope's tongue, her other big toe, and ending with her lips and tongue. The anticipation of what was coming next was fun. As Hope reclined on top of me, Mercy finally began to stir.   "Were you a good little tramp tonight?" Rio panted hungrily at her partner.   "Yes, I, was I?" Mercy rasped. She was fighting to stay awake, her fatigue a heavy burden to bear.   "The Slut will say 'Yes Mistress; yes I was allowed to be good tonight'," Rio nuzzled Mercy's neck, ear, and jaw.   "Yes, Mistress," Mercy purred. "My wonderfully annoying Mistress allowed me to be good tonight." Rio spanked Mercy's burning hot ass flank hard. Mercy flinched and cried out in pain.   "Did I tell you to adlib, you annoying, frustrating skank," Rio taunted her, "or is my whore clever enough to sneak in an undeserved spanking?"   Mercy buried her face in a pillow but I could swear she was smiling.   "Nipple clamps for you in the morning, and I'm getting those bitches pierced on Saturday, got it?" Rio clarified the point by rolling each nipple between her forefinger and thumb. Mercy nodded but kept her face in the pillow. "Fine, let's get underneath the covers. Snuggle up with me to keep me warm, and you had better suckle my nipples.   Rio took up her normal sleeping area, avoiding the wet spot, with Mercy at her side, her tongue playing with Rio's left nipple.   "Mercy," Rio whispered. Mercy kept tongue-flicking the nipple but looked up.   "You rock," Rio said even softer. Mercy pulled more of her weary body over Rio as the nipple play continued and Rio began stroking her paramour's hair lovingly. In that relationship, it was getting harder to determine who the 'better' half was.   I searched around blindly for some lube, which had 'mystically' migrated under Barbie Lynn's pillow.   "Hope, put some oil on my cock and on your ass cleft," I told my Korean princess. She barely broke her iron mask of indifference before taking the bottle and doing as directed. I caught sight of Valarie, Vivian, and Barbie Lynn all peeking my way.   I imagined it was the curiosity about my apparent decision to 'break' Hope in anally.   "Hope, point my cock up and mount it," I directed. In theme with the game the two of us played, Hope took my commands without question, even to the point where her virginity was in question.   "Push it back," I stopped Hope's decent as it contacted her rather moist slit. She pushed back a little. Being a virgin, she probably wasn't sure where in the cunt, a cock should penetrate. "Farther back," I insisted, then again, "no, still farther." I felt my rod separate her ass cheeks as Hope slid on down. Only when her now soaking mound settled on my pubic bone did she figure out the game.   "Ah, that's cold," Valarie whispered to Vivian and Barbie Lynn.   "No ass sex for Hope tonight," lamented Barbie Lynn. My precious blonde really loved anal sex. I put my hands on Hope's hips to support her.   "Now ride me, Hope," I smiled. "Give me everything you've got."   Hope started out slow, working out a rhythm that pushed my shaft and cockhead as deep along her ass crack as possible. She even stopped for a moment and applied more lube. Soon she was thrusting hard back and up quickly, then allowing a long, leisurely ride back to my crotch. She bounced down on me again and again, her resounding impact on my crotch becoming a wetter, smacking sound.   Hope was powerful, vibrant, and strong; she needed little of the guidance provided by my hands on her hips. I decided to move my right hand to her finely groomed pubic hair, then to her soft pubic flesh itself. I alternated between splitting her lips open and massaging her clit. With my left hand, I coaxed stimulation from her right areola and nipple.   This time, instead of scarring me, Hope wrapped her fingers in her hair. She gave a few desperate convulsions, then her whole body tensed backwards.   "Zane! Oh, fuck!" she screamed. Her ass cheeks tried to squeeze my cock in a steel-tight vise but fortunately, the lube caused it to pop free before those buns of steel could turn my man-meat into ground beef (sometimes I visualize too graphically).   "I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes," Vivian sighed. "A girl comes to a boy

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Finding Solace in Gobi's Golden Sands Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-11-05-23-34-02-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 고비 사막의 하늘은 끝없이 펼쳐지고, 거대한 모래 언덕이 낮은 구름 밑에 파도처럼 밀려옵니다.En: The sky of the Gobi Desert stretches endlessly, with massive sand dunes rolling in like waves beneath the low clouds.Ko: 하늘은 맑고 공기는 선선하지만, 태양은 모래에 황금빛 광채를 입힙니다.En: The sky is clear, the air cool, but the sun casts a golden glow over the sand.Ko: 진수는 이곳에서 마음의 평화를 찾고 싶었습니다. 시끄러운 도시 생활과 최근의 개인적인 아픔을 잊고 싶었죠.En: Jinsu wanted to find peace of mind here, to forget the noisy city life and a recent personal pain.Ko: 그는 미나와 혜진과 함께 트레킹을 시작했습니다.En: He began trekking with Mina and Hyejin.Ko: 미나는 활발하고 친절한 성격이고, 혜진은 침착하고 신중한 성격을 가지고 있었습니다.En: Mina had an energetic and kind personality, while Hyejin was calm and cautious.Ko: 셋은 서로 다른 이유로 이 먼 사막까지 왔습니다. 하지만 진수의 속마음은 누구에게도 밝히지 않았습니다.En: The three of them came to this distant desert for different reasons, but Jinsu had not revealed his true feelings to anyone.Ko: 가을의 사막은 예측하기 어려웠습니다.En: The autumn desert was unpredictable.Ko: 어느 날, 갑자기 모래 폭풍이 몰아쳤습니다.En: One day, a sudden sandstorm swept through.Ko: 바람은 강하고 모래는 눈과 입을 찌푸리게 했습니다.En: The wind was strong and the sand made Jinsu squint his eyes and wrinkle his nose.Ko: 군중 속에서 혼자만의 시간을 원하던 진수는 혼란에 빠졌습니다.En: Though Jinsu was seeking solitude amidst the crowd, he was thrown into confusion.Ko: 그는 잠시 고민했습니다. 혼자 멀리 떨어져 있을지, 아니면 그룹을 도와야 할지 말이죠.En: He pondered briefly—should he stay far away by himself, or help the group?Ko: 폭풍의 강도가 점점 더 강해질 때, 진수는 결정을 내렸습니다.En: As the intensity of the storm grew stronger, Jinsu made a decision.Ko: 그는 그룹 쪽으로 다가가 소리쳤습니다. "우리가 함께 있어야 안전할 거예요!"En: He approached the group and shouted, "We'll be safer if we stay together!"Ko: 미나와 혜진도 그의 의견에 동의했습니다.En: Mina and Hyejin agreed with his opinion.Ko: 셋은 다른 사람들과 함께 안전한 장소를 찾기 위해 움직였습니다.En: The three of them, along with others, moved to find a safe place.Ko: 바람은 더욱 거세어졌지만, 서로의 손을 잡고 힘을 모았습니다.En: The wind grew fiercer, but they held hands and gathered their strength.Ko: 드디어, 폭풍이 잠잠해졌습니다.En: Finally, the storm subsided.Ko: 하늘은 다시 맑아졌고, 모두는 무사했습니다.En: The sky cleared once more, and everyone was safe.Ko: 진수는 이상하게도 마음이 평온했습니다.En: Oddly enough, Jinsu felt calm.Ko: 그는 그동안 피하려 했던 사람들과의 연결에서 힘을 얻고 있었음을 깨달았습니다.En: He realized he was drawing strength from the connections with people he had been trying to avoid.Ko: 혼자만의 시간이 필요했던 그에게 이 경험은 새로운 깨달음을 주었습니다.En: This experience provided a new insight for him, who had needed alone time.Ko: 때로는 개인의 치유가 예상치 못한 연결과 팀워크에서 올 수 있다는 것을.En: Sometimes, personal healing can come from unexpected connections and teamwork.Ko: 모래가 다시 평화롭게 흩어졌을 때, 진수와 그의 새로운 친구들은 앞으로 나아갈 준비가 되었습니다.En: As the sand settled peacefully once again, Jinsu and his new friends were ready to move forward.Ko: 고비 사막은 그들에게 어떤 경험을 남겼고, 진수는 자기 자신을 다시 찾았습니다.En: The Gobi Desert left a mark on them, and Jinsu rediscovered himself.Ko: 이곳은 광대했지만 그 속에서 진정한 연대감과 따뜻함을 발견한 순간이었습니다.En: Though vast, it was here that he found true solidarity and warmth. Vocabulary Words:stretches: 펼쳐지고dunes: 언덕rolling: 밀려옵니다glow: 광채trekking: 트레킹energetic: 활발하고kind: 친절한cautious: 신중한unpredictable: 예측하기 어려웠습니다sandstorm: 모래 폭풍squint: 찌푸리게confusion: 혼란pondered: 고민했습니다solitude: 혼자만의 시간intensity: 강도approached: 다가가shouted: 소리쳤습니다fiercer: 더욱 거세어졌지만subsided: 잠잠해졌습니다drawing: 얻고connections: 연결insight: 깨달음healing: 치유가unexpected: 예상치 못한solidarity: 연대감vast: 광대했지만rediscovered: 다시 찾았습니다gathered: 모았습니다strength: 힘calm: 평온했습니다

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Navigating the Namib: A Tale of Trust and Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-11-05-08-38-20-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 지수와 민지는 사막의 모래바람 속에서 길을 잃었습니다.En: Jisoo and Minji found themselves lost in the swirling sands of the Namib Desert.Ko: 나미브 사막은 봄이지만 여전히 뜨겁고 황량했습니다.En: Although it was spring, the desert remained hot and desolate.Ko: 넓게 펼쳐진 모래 언덕은 끝없이 이어져 있었습니다.En: The sprawling dunes stretched endlessly.Ko: 그들은 탐험가 팀과 함께 여기 왔지만 심한 모래폭풍에 휘말려 그룹에서 떨어졌습니다.En: They had come here with an expedition team but were separated due to a severe sandstorm.Ko: 지수는 경험 많은 탐험가입니다.En: Jisoo is an experienced explorer.Ko: 그녀는 과거에 실수를 한 적이 있어 자신감이 흔들리고 있었습니다.En: She had made mistakes in the past, which had shaken her confidence.Ko: 민지는 이번 탐험이 처음인 초보 탐험가였지만, 지수를 존경하며 끊임없이 배우고 있었습니다.En: Minji, on the other hand, is a novice on her first expedition, yet she admired Jisoo and constantly learned from her.Ko: 지수는 먼저 상황을 파악했습니다.En: Jisoo assessed the situation first.Ko: "여기서 기다릴까요? 아니면 지도를 보면서 길을 찾아볼까요?" 그녀는 고민했습니다.En: "Should we wait here, or should we look for a way using the map?" she pondered.Ko: 물자도 부족했습니다.En: They were also running low on supplies.Ko: 민지는 조용히 지도를 보다가 작은 랜드마크를 발견했습니다.En: Minji, while quietly looking at the map, discovered a small landmark.Ko: "저기, 이 표식은 어떨까요?" 민지는 조심스럽게 제안했습니다.En: "How about this marker?" she suggested cautiously.Ko: 지수는 고민했지만 민지를 믿기로 했습니다.En: Jisoo, despite her hesitation, decided to trust Minji.Ko: '그녀의 방법을 한 번 믿어보자,' 지수는 다짐했습니다.En: 'Let's believe in her method this once,' Jisoo resolved.Ko: 함께 작은 언덕을 넘고, 먼지를 뚫고 나아갔습니다.En: Together, they climbed over small dunes, pushing through the dust.Ko: 민지가 가리킨 방향으로 가던 중 점차 지표들이 보이기 시작했습니다.En: As they went in the direction pointed out by Minji, signs gradually began to appear.Ko: 솔직히 말해 민지는 속으로 긴장했지만, 표식을 정확히 찾아냈습니다.En: To be honest, Minji was inwardly nervous, but she accurately found the marker.Ko: 결국, 그들은 팀과 다시 만나게 되었습니다.En: Ultimately, they were reunited with their team.Ko: 지수는 민지의 손을 잡으며 말했습니다. "너의 직감은 정말 대단했어. 잘 했어, 민지야."En: Jisoo held Minji's hand and said, "Your intuition was truly impressive. Well done, Minji."Ko: 민지는 자신감을 얻었습니다.En: Minji gained confidence.Ko: 지수는 또 다른 사람의 능력을 신뢰하는 법을 배웠습니다.En: Jisoo learned to trust another person's abilities.Ko: 이제 둘은 하나가 된 팀처럼 함께 사막을 탐험하기로 마음먹었습니다.En: Now, they decided to explore the desert together like a united team.Ko: 넓고 거친 나미브 사막도 그들에게 두렵지 않았습니다.En: Even the vast, rugged Namib Desert didn't intimidate them.Ko: 둘은 미소를 지으며 길을 떠났습니다.En: Smiling, the two set out on their path. Vocabulary Words:swirling: 소용돌이치는desolate: 황량한sprawling: 펼쳐진expedition: 탐험severe: 심한sandstorm: 모래폭풍experienced: 경험 많은novice: 초보admired: 존경했다assessed: 평가했다supplies: 물자landmark: 랜드마크suggested: 제안했다cautiously: 조심스럽게hesitation: 망설임resolved: 결심했다pushing: 밀고 나가는dust: 먼지direction: 방향signs: 표지inwardly: 속으로accurately: 정확히intuition: 직감impressive: 대단한confidence: 자신감abilities: 능력united: 하나가 된rugged: 거친intimidate: 두렵게 하다path: 길

Palantir doesn't want college experience… so it's hiring 18-year-olds for full-time jobs.Did you notice Doritos at Whole Foods?... Because the organic grocer has been “Amazonified.”AI has a PR problem: Everyone hates it… except every company is focusing on it.Plus, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang crushed beers at dinner… and Korean chicken stocks jumped.Got a question for the CEO of Lyft? Leave us a voicemail here: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts$PLTR $AMZN $NVDANEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

practice making casual invitations

practice making casual invitations

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with comic creator T.Y. Lee. A Korean-American writer & artist, Lee's main characters in his upcoming graphic novel are based on the "Rooftop Koreans," a group of armed small business owners who defended their businesses from their rooftops during the 1992 LA Riots. "Return of the Rooftop Koreans" focuses on a new generation of Koreans in Los Angeles several decades after the original riots. During a time of civil unrest when tensions are ready to snap, these business owners find themselves in the position to follow in their predecessors' footsteps and take to their own roofs to defend themselves and their community. "Return of the Rooftop Koreans" is already fully funded, but you can still participate in the campaign by clicking HERE.Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists.If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity is now a proud member of the Podmatch Podcast Network, and you can access all shows in the network by clicking HERE.

In this episode, we sit down with Sakine as she shares her journey—from teaching herself Korean to moving to Korea to live permanently. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss the children's movie, "Kpop Demon Hunters," which is available for streaming on Netflix. We discuss reactions to this movie from several right wing/fundie influencers as well as the references to traditional Korean folk religion that made this film the phenomenon that it has become.Now available to patrons: Thank You For Giving To The PodSubscribe to Leaving Eden Podcast on YouTube!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4q94gAnsoW2jME4SvVrrQJoin our discord server! https://discord.gg/aneFkUJuJoin our subreddit! Reddit.com/r/EdenExodusBluesky:@leavingedenpodcast.bsky.social@hellyeahsadie.bsky.social@gavihacohen.bsky.socialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/leavingedenpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/sadiecarpentermusic/https://www.instagram.com/gavrielhacohen/Subscribe to Leaving Eden Podcast on YouTube!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4q94gAnsoW2jME4SvVrrQJoin our Patreon for extended, uncensored, and ad-free versions of most of our episodes, as well as other patron perks and bonus content!https://www.patreon.com/LeavingEdenPodcastJoin our Facebook group to join in the discussion with other fans!https://www.facebook.com/groups/edenexodusJoin our subreddit! Reddit.com/r/EdenExodusBluesky:@leavingedenpodcast.bsky.social@hellyeahsadie.bsky.social@gavihacohen.bsky.socialInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/leavingedenpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/sadiecarpentermusic/https://www.instagram.com/gavrielhacohen/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

learn how to say 'delicious' in Korean

Raised in Los Angeles by Korean immigrant parents, Jean Park spent years chasing the markers of success her family valued, only to find herself empty in the process. When she encountered Christ, God redirected her ambitions toward the deeper work of healing and restoration. Leaving corporate America for the field of psychology, Jean discovered a calling that wove together her gifts, story, and faith into an integrated purpose rooted in generosity and grace.   Now a therapist, coach, and co-founder of the Abide Gathering, Jean helps others—especially within Asian communities—experience freedom from generational patterns that keep them striving instead of giving. Through her work, she shows how inner healing can open hearts to live generously, not from duty but from wholeness, and how alignment with God's design brings peace, clarity, and joy in stewardship.   This conversation offers clear, hope-filled guidance for those seeking to live and give from a place of healed purpose and wholehearted trust.   Major Topics Include: Gaining perspective on your purpose Letting your life story speak to your calling Discerning when to persevere and when to pivot Jean's healing journey Perspective through healing invisible wounds The gift of being triggered How generosity facilitates healing The long game of heart transformation Tips for discovering your integrated purpose QUOTES TO REMEMBER “I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, ‘You need to wake up!'” “God wastes nothing.” “Are you running from something or towards something?” “Oftentimes, our wounds are things we can't see, and we don't know how much they are hindering the flow of what God wants to do in and through us.” “If we are invited to face these wounds, I believe it's a gift from God, pointing us to things that have been keeping us stuck.” “When we heal our wounds, then we are able to freely live into the flow and the way that God has created us to live.” “The thing about heart transformation is that God is in the long game. He is not in the ‘quick behavior transformation' game, and that's the beauty and kindness of who He is.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Julie Wilson, President of Women Doing Well (see our past interview here) Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer Secure Coaching Abide Gathering Young Life Global Cities We Want More The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Matt 6:19-21 | Lay Up Treasures in Heaven   “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   Psalm 139 | Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports health officials in Gaza say Israel has handed over the bodies of 45 Palestinians; US Defense Secretary Hegseth visits the inter-Korean border ahead of security talks with South Korean officials; Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country has received more American-made Patriot air defense systems to help it counter Russia's daily barrages; and British police charge a man in Saturday's knife attack.

Robert Waggoner's Website:https://www.lucidadvice.com/Robert Waggoner wrote the acclaimed book, Lucid Dreaming – Gateway to the Inner Self (now in its sixteenth printing), and co-authored Lucid Dreaming Plain and Simple with Caroline McCready. Both books are in Audible, Kindle and CD/Mp3. His books have been translated into French, German, Chinese, Korean, Czech, Finnish and other languages.A past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), Waggoner currently serves on the Executive Committee. For twenty years, he continues to serve as co-editor of the online magazine, The Lucid Dreaming Experience, (ISSN 2167-616X); the only ongoing publication devoted specifically to lucid dreaming. Recently, he helped found the non-profit Lucid Dreaming Foundation to spread the practice, research and beneficial use of lucid dreaming.. A lucid dreamer since 1975, he has logged more than 1,000 lucid dreams.ZOOM BACKGROUND DESIGN BY FREEPIK.COM Music Credits: Track: Wandering — JayJen [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Wandering — JayJen | Free Background ... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/wandering FOLLOW Magic Is Real (Host Shannon Torrence) on Instagram: @realmagicshannon Email me at magicisrealshannon@gmail.com with viewer questions you'd like for me to answer in a YouTube short or to pitch your own story to me for an episode. TO BOOK A MEDIUMSHIP READING WITH ME, just email me! magicisrealshannon@gmail.com Thank you so much for your love and support! Please like, share, comment, subscribe and spread the word! Check out my other podcast, Still Standing, on which I interview inspiring people who are overcoming difficult challenges and circumstances: / @stillstandingpodcast To order Liveden supergreens ntutritional supplement and support the podcast at the same time: www.magicisreal.liveden.com

Happy November Chingu Chat everyone! This segment is a special one on Ya Girl's KDrama Podcast, where Maddie & Christina chat about all things Korean-related (like JK, for example).In this episode, the ladies talk random shenanigans, celebrate Maddie's birthday, share what dramas they are watching, and talk their favorite birthday scenes in kdramas. Grab your coffee, tea, or soju, and come laugh with them! You are in for a REAL treat.

learn how to write ㅘ (wa)

Many Korean women face both institutional barriers and everyday cultural expectations. Life often feels mapped out in advance, and those who deviate from that path meet resistance or worse. Meanwhile, the media tends to celebrate only the rich and famous, making it harder to see the everyday heroes and role models who truly reflect women's lives in Korea. In this episode, I'm joined by Minyoung Kim, Victoria Yi, Sarah Soeun Lee, and Sangeun Kim — a team of writers behind a recently published bilingual book that shares real stories of women's experiences in Korea: their challenges, frustrations, families, dreams, and triumphs. Together, we talk about what it means to live honestly in a society that often prefers silence. Apologies for the sound issues in this one. It was a new set-up and mistakes were made. Hopefully you can still find value in the courage and ideas of the four women. Book Links

There is a new jazz record of note on the scene created by  Rin Seo, a Korea- born composer/conductor, titled ‘City Suite,' released on the Cellar Music Group record label.  Rin was raised in a rich musical environment encompassing Western classical, Theater, and Korean folk music, but her work and life is now fully committed to jazz. This debut album is a remarkable musical journey for Rin. As an immigrant, her compositions reflect her decade-long life as a New Yorker, while also honoring her Korean heritage.   My fascinating conversation with Rin picks up with her moving to New York City and the development of her debut album. 

Send us a textBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, break down the hiring of St. Louis CITY SC's new Sporting Director, Corey Wray! The gentlemen discuss his background, his upbringing in MLS from intern to Assistant GM, his involvement in peak eras for two incredible teams, what he brings CITY, and what his immediate priorities should be in the first 90 days!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Seoul Juice is the official drink of Ball Watching and made with three clean simple ingredients: water, organic lemon juice, and Korean pear juice. Get yours at Dierbergs, Sams Club, or online at seouljuice.com. Use code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout for 20% off all online orders!Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

Mark and Mary are joined by improvisor-comedian-actress-filmmaker-host Vickie to talk about code switching and authenticity. Can you be authentic and still work a day job? Can Problem Solvers, Inc. solve the office restroom schedule? Are authentic hippies really beatniks? Also, displaying comic America on Korean talk shows, ethical pornography, commerce vs. art, granola in your hair, and more. Vickie sticks around for a bit of post-game (usually restricted to supporters but shared with you this time), where we talk about the improv lessons and techniques from the episode and refresh what the point of this podcast is. Hear more at philosophyimprov.com. Support the podcast and listen ad-free at philosophyimprov.com/support.

It's Founder Friday! I am happy to welcome to the show Kenny Kuk, and Hong Shin of Haan Coffee Roasters in Orlando Florida! Haan Coffee has been in operation since 2020 starting first as a roastery and quickly a cafe space to showcase the beautiful coffees and hospitality they are known for. The four friends Suzie Shin, Kenny Kuk, Albert Kang that founded Haan had an affinity for business, coffee, and a desire to serve people and honor their shared Korean culture. Haan Coffee Roasters was born as a project to share these things with the diverse guests in their Orlando, FL community. I have enjoyed their hospitality and coffee several times in recent years and am happy we could sit down with Kenny and Hong to tell the tale. We discuss: The idea that started their coffee journey going from popcorn popper to proper roaster developing the standards for coffee and service how to assemble a winning team leadership with empathy how to curate a coffee menu that is accessible but adventurous communication and working together as an ownership team  The unique Korean culture and architecture that goes into their cafe Why it is critical to know your staff in order to meet their needs Advice to other owners on how to build a people first brand   Related Episodes: 542: Founder Friday! w/ Nori and Tin Burmudez of Corridor Flow, Lomita, CA 391 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

The hosts break down Recess' $30 million raise, pound shots of olive oil, and wonder if Ben Stiller's nostalgic soda brand can make it in middle America. Oh, and someone bottled a hot sauce wrapped in a real $100 bill.  Show notes: 0:25: Take Your Best Shot. Deadlines, People. Pivot & Win. A Benny With Every Bottle. Ben's Beer. – The show opens with a sampling of Kosterina's new high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil shot, which has a spicier kick that some of the hosts realize. Ray reminds listeners that Oct. 31 is the deadline to submit nominations for BevNET, NOSH, and Brewbound's Best of 2025 Awards and is also the last day to submit applications for the upcoming edition of the New Beverage Showdown. The conversation turns to Recess' $30 million Series B funding round, and how the brand has successfully evolved from CBD-based drinks into a broader mood and relaxation brand. They highlight Burn Rate, a unique brand of hot sauces in which each bottle is wrapped in a real $100 bill. They discuss how the project doubles as a marketing stunt and a commentary on startup spending culture. They also feature Ginger Bee Tea, a honey-ginger blend inspired by a traditional Korean tea remedy, and sample Stiller's Soda, a new brand launched by actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller. White they praise the familiar, nostalgic taste of Stiller's Soda, they question whether the founder's celebrity backing will help it stand out in a competitive market. Melissa introduces Magic Spoon's new protein treats and Jacqui shares Alkaline Coffee Company, a new low-acid, mineral-treated cold brew, before Ray invites listeners to send in new product samples for tasting and to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to receive a free Taste Radio T-shirt. Brands in this episode: Kosterina, Health-Ade, Liquid Death, Recoup, Poppi, Bai, Recess, C4, Trip, Taika, Burn Rate, Onima Pantry, Ginger Bee Tea, Dr. Brown, Stiller's Soda, Magic Spoon, Mezcla, Alkaline Coffee Co., High Tail, Wynk

What do you do when your favorite creator, YouTuber, or tiktoker stops posting? They just completely disappear. No warning, no community post. Just gone. Are you convinced they are sick?That they're just taking a break and coming back? Usually the first two are the natural internet reactions especially when creators go missing for too long. Sometimes the real reason is lot scarier than that… Mamaguy, a Korean tiktoker swears that it wasn't him who roundhouse kicked the woman in Busan on the CCTV. He swears that's NOT the reason why he took a few years off from the public eye. Which, to be fair, is true. The real assaulter who went viral for randomly round-housing a woman was found and charged with 20 years in prison. So then why was ‘Mamaguy,' absent from social media? Absent from society as a whole? Sometimes when creators go missing online it's completely nothing. They're taking a break. Or just decided to stop making content. Maybe they're burnt out. Or, it could be much more sinister than that.    Full show notes available at RottenMangoPodcast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

World's strongest storm of 2025 expected to cause widespread damage in Jamaica. The Caribbean island braced for record winds and catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Melissa. Also: record numbers of racehorses die in Australia from injuries in the past year; Korean beauty products trend investigated; one long walk beats short strolls for healthy heart, says new study; and US pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau make relationship public in Paris as they are pictured holding hands.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk