Podcasts about Mind

This week, Eva and Kyley sit down with Eduardo Rombauer, a Brazilian “soul scientist,” activist, and healer whose work begins and ends with love — not as an idea, but as a living force.Once a political organizer trying to change the world from the outside, Eduardo now guides others in what he calls “the revolution of the heart.” He believes that love is both our original nature and our most advanced technology — and that remembering it is the real work of our time.Eduardo's work is about finding those barriers and learning to stay with them — not to remove them through force, but to soften them through acceptance.What we cover in this episode 

In this week's episode, I'm joined by Chelsie Ram, a business coach with over 8 years of experience helping service providers, coaches, and sales teams build profitable sales frameworks that actually feel good.We dive into the mindset behind sustainable sales and marketing — what alignment in business really means, and how to simplify your approach so you can make more money without losing the joy that started it all.Chelsie and I talk about:- How overthinking is quietly killing your sales momentum- What sustainable sales really looks like (and how to create it)- The energy behind selling — and why “feeling salesy” usually means you're out of alignment- How to build relationships that convert naturally- Why simplicity, consistency, and belief are the keys to scalingIf you've ever felt stuck between hustle and intuition, this conversation will remind you that sales can feel effortless — when it's built on connection, confidence, and clarity.Connect with Chelsie:- Instagram: @chelsieram__- Website: chelsieram.com- Get her "Cold Outreach Profit Kit" - Find the link in her IG bio*Loved this episode?*DM me on Instagram to share your biggest takeaway or the mindset shift you're making around sales — and leave a review to help The End in Mind reach more listeners who are ready to sell and scale with purpose! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Een paar maanden geleden wilde Suzanne er hard tegenaan. Sporten, krachttrainen, spieren kweken. Belangrijk in de perimenopauze. Omdat ze niet wist hoe ze dit het best kon aanpakken, ging ze te rade bij psycholoog Jeannette Bolck en fysiotherapeut en topsportcoach Louis Wijdenbosch van Counseling Amsterdam die een integrale Body & Mind-methode hebben ontwikkeld.Suzanne deed een paar psychologische testen om te kijken 'hoe ze in de wedstrijd stond' en wat bleek? Ze was veel te gestrest om hard te trainen! Na wat psychologische testen besloot Louis: “Jij bent veel te gestrest om te trainen.” Dat was even slikken. Want sporten was toch juist dé manier om van stress af te komen? Blijkbaar niet als je zenuwstelsel al in de fik staat.Een gesprek over stress, veerkracht en de kunst van herstellen, met twee mensen die weten hoe lichaam en geest samenwerken.Psycholoog Jeannette Bolck en voormalig Olympisch coach Louis Wijdenbosch (PMT) vormen samen Counseling Amsterdam, waar zij hun integrale Body & Mind-therapie geven. Eens in de zoveel maanden organiseren zij een Resilience Retreat in Portugal. De komende is 10-14 november, en er zijn nog een paar plekjes over die je met 300 euro korting kunt boeken met de code WZTNG. Of neem contact op via inquiries@counselingamsterdam.nl.Op Suzanne's Substack vind je voortaan een samenvatting van de aflevering, samen met alle belangrijke punten. Kijk op: Substack.Voor meer achtergrond en de uitgebreide shownotes, ga naar:suzannerethans.substack.comWil je Suzanne helpen in haar zoektocht naar het antwoord op de vraag waarom de ene vrouw omvalt in de perimenopauze en de andere niet? Steun dan haar DNA-analyse.Wil je adverteren in deze podcast? Stuur dan een mailtje naar adverteren@bienmedia.nl of ga naar www.bienmedia.nl. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 1954, Jack and Miles are joined by host of Otherworld, Jack Wagner, to discuss… Ouija Episodes, The Power Of The Unconscious Mind and more! LISTEN: Distant Land by MadlibSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most men train their bodies, few train their minds. From cold plunges to carrying rocks uphill, this one's about mastering the space between chaos and control. Will Schneider breaks down how to build real strength through breath, stillness, and doing hard things. Drop the excuses. Breathe deeper. Get calm enough to crush anything. Watch now and train your mind the Spartan way. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:24 Meet Will Schneider 01:50 Why helping only men 03:10 What led him to meditation 04:23 Joe's 70s yogi story 05:36 From acting to teaching mindfulness 07:12 Will's meditation classes in practice 08:01 Start with the breath 11:03 Yoga as mental training 13:19 Physical challenges for mental resilience 15:13 Calming down to know yourself 16:52 Understand anger, habits & emotions 19:26 Doing hard things soften the ego 21:01 Mind, body, and breath connection 22:30 Three practices for transformation 24:38 Where to find Will Follow @willnotfear and the Men Talking Mindfulness podcast for mindful living insights. Connect to Will: Website: willnotfear.com Instagram: @willnotfear LinkedIn: Will Schneider Facebook: Will at Will Not Fear Twitter/X: @willnotfear

 Mind, Body, and Energy: Breaking Free with Dr. Amy Albright In this powerful episode of Linda's Corner, we're delighted to welcome Dr. Amy Albright, a transformational healer and expert in neuroscience, energy work, and spiritual integration. With a background in cognitive psychology and Chinese medicine, Dr. Amy has spent over two decades helping people break free from trauma, anxiety, and limiting beliefs by harmonizing the mind, body, and energy.Dr. Amy shares how our brainwaves—from delta to gamma—function like colors in a rainbow, each serving a different purpose in our mental and emotional health. She explains how getting stuck in high beta can lead to overwhelm and anxiety, while accessing gamma opens the door to insight, forgiveness, innovation, and deeper consciousness.We also explore the truth about mental health from a neurobiological perspective. “If your car is pinging, you don't feel shame—you just take it to the mechanic,” Dr. Amy says. “The same should go for your brain.” Her work integrates highly precise neurological diagnostics, spiritual insight, and intuition to help people rediscover who they truly are underneath the layers of trauma and societal expectations.

"When you start to write, you're almost opening up this magic chest, gaining access to different parts of your brain that may not be available to you when you're speaking." - Lâle Davidson Today's featured award-winning author is a mom, wife, distinguished professor, and spellbinding storyteller, Lâle Davidson. Lâle and I had a fun on a bun chat about her books, lessons learned from her students, and tons more!!! Key Things You'll Learn: How journaling can unleash your inner magic as a writer Lâle's writing process and why it's important to discover your own The significance of trees in Norse mythology and what role they play in some of Lâle's work Why English teachers don't need to be afraid of artificial intelligence Lâle's Site: https://laledavidson.com/ Lâle's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09KM58MFQ/allbooks The opening track is titled "Kareru R Daichi Q-MIX" by Rukunetsu AKA Project R (@Rukunetsu). Use the following link to hear the full track and support his craft. https://on.soundcloud.com/62w8X Please support today's podcast to keep this content coming! CashApp: $DomBrightmon Donate on PayPal: @DBrightmon Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dombrightmon Get Going North T-Shirts, Stickers, and More: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dom-brightmon You Might Also Like… Ep. 537 – "If Trees Could Talk" with Holly Worton (@hollyworton): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-537-if-trees-could-talk-with-holly-worton-hollyworton/ Ep. 368.5 – "Hollystone Mysteries" with W.L. Hawkin (@ladyhawke1003): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-3685-hollystone-mysteries-with-wl-hawkin-ladyhawke1003/ Ep. 716 – "The Mind of an Academic Entrepreneur" with Nancy K. Napier, PhD: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-716-the-mind-of-an-academic-entrepreneur-with-nancy-k-napier-phd/ Ep. 602 – "How to Unlock Your Creative Potential" with Robin Landa (@rlanda): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-602-how-to-unlock-your-creative-potential-with-robin-landa-rlanda/ Ep. 778 – How High Value Writing Can Transform Your Workplace Communication with Erin Lebacqz (@ErinLebacqz): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-778-how-high-value-writing-can-transform-your-workplace-communication-with-erin-lebacqz-erin/ Ep. 301 – "Transformative Creativity" with Firdaus Kharas (@Culture_Shift): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-301-transformative-creativity-with-firdaus-kharas-culture_shift/ Ep. 332 – "Her Perfect Life" with Hank Phillippi Ryan (@HankPRyan): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-332-her-perfect-life-with-hank-phillippi-ryan-hankpryan/ Ep. 472 – "From Academia to Entrepreneurship" with Dr. Emily Crookston (@EMCrookston): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-472-from-academia-to-entrepreneurship-with-dr-emily-crookston-emcrookston/ Ep. 358.5 – "Letters From My Students" with Dr. Miguel Hernandez (@Dr41Miguel): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-3585-letters-from-my-students-with-dr-miguel-hernandez-dr41miguel/ Ep. 311 – "Works of Urban Mythopoeia" with Cat Rambo (@Catrambo): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-311-works-of-urban-mythopoeia-with-cat-rambo-catrambo/ Ep. 723 – "Love Lingers Still" with Marinda Dennis: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-723-love-lingers-still-with-marinda-dennis/ Ep. 443 – "Buried Beneath" with Kelly Ann Hopkins (@khopkinswrites): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-433-buried-beneath-with-kelly-ann-hopkins-khopkinswrites/ Ep. 581 – "Teaching Writing at the Collegiate Level" with Luanne Smith (@luannesmith56): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-581-teaching-writing-at-the-collegiate-level-with-luanne-smith-luannesmith56/ Ep. 779 – Speaking to Influence with Dr. Laura Sicola (@LauraSicola): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-779-speaking-to-influence-with-dr-laura-sicola-laurasicola/ Ep. 598 – "An Awakening" with Shiva Kumar (@shivaarc1242): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-598-an-awakening-with-shiva-kumar-shivaarc1242/ Ep. 664 – "The Power of Thought" with Lynn McLaughlin, MEd, BEd, BA (@lynnmcla): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-664-the-power-of-thought-with-lynn-mclaughlin-med-bed-ba-lynnmcla/ Ep. 486 – "From Lawyer to Bestselling Children's Book Writer" with Joanna Hurley: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-486-from-lawyer-to-bestselling-childrens-book-writer-with-joanna-hurley/ Ep. 766 – Pawsitively Organic Creativity with Liz Mugavero (@Lizmugavero): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-766-pawsitively-organic-creativity-with-liz-mugavero-lizmugavero/

Discover The Breathwork Reset Method™ a proven 5-week system to boost energy, calm your mind, and sharpen focus from the inside out.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 18 Even if you know who you crawl into bed with, be surprised. In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.   You will never see tomorrow's sunrise or yesterday's night. Caught In the Middle My clothing melted away as I slowly made my way to the bed. On the far side, Mercy reclined with some degree of expectation and happiness on her face. Her hands were cuffed over her head and her thighs showed some degree of vaginal stimulation by Rio. Last night Rio had taken it slow and gentle with her. Tonight, I imagined that Rio was going to tear a chunk off, so to speak. On the closer side of the bed rested Brandi (on the outside), Opal, Paige and Barbie Lynn. Barbie Lynn was pretending to be disinterested, throwing a yawn into the act; Paige's eyes were riveted on me; Opal acted as if she was smitten with me as well; and Brandi knew something was going on but wasn't sure what it was. Poor Paige was about to be ambushed. "Hey, my petit Принцесса," I simmered at Paige as I crawled up the bed toward her. It was clear she wanted to be center stage tonight, but she kept dragging along her body issues she'd felt thrust upon her years ago. A woman doesn't have to be busting out of a D-cup, have an hourglass shape, or the face of a Victoria's Secret model to pull a man's eye in for a feast. I got to Paige's ankles and the confidence of her smile shown through. She pulled her legs up and prepared to slip off her panties. "No you don't," I cautioned her as I grabbed her ankles and pulled her down toward me. "What did you call her?" Brandi chimed in. "I'm pretty sure that means 'Princess' in Russian," I replied in a husky voice, my eyes still soaking up Paige's beauty. "I once saw a Swedish art house film translated over to Russian in a Bangkok theater." "That's freaky-weird," Mercy remarked, running her fingers along her collar. "You can recall a word from a film in a language you don't even understand." "It had to do with a woman," Barbie Lynn grinned at Mercy before turning to me. "He's like that, and I love him for it." Paige looked from Mercy to Barbie Lynn to me, and that was her mistake. "Hey!" Paige squawked as Barbie Lynn and Opal grabbed her wrists and forearms, maneuvering them over her head. She struggled with Barbie Lynn and Opal but they were far more athletic than she was. I settled in between her legs and began kissing the insides of her upper thighs. "No," Paige began moaning as Barbie Lynn and Opal began sucking on her breasts through her sheer bra. Rio came striding into the room still stark naked but now carrying a large bowl of Neapolitan ice cream covered in chocolate syrup and a cherry. She rounded the bed and stutter-stepped. "Crap," she muttered. "Take this," Rio put the bowl on Mercy's quivering stomach, "I've got to get something for my Spank-o-matic." Spank-o-matic was her pet name for Barbie Lynn. Opal moved her lips up Paige's chest to her throat. Barbie Lynn, on the other side, jumped past Opal by going straight from the nipple to the ear. Since Opal was on her side, Brandi was able to straddle her and lean over to Paige's chest. She rolled up Paige's bra, temporarily pinching those pale pink nipples. "Iiieee!" Paige jolted. "Watch, her protests were buried by Opal's lips clamping down on Paige's and their tongues starting to play tag. Brandi continued her attack on Paige by popping her mouth over the breast closest to Barbie Lynn and swirling the nipple with her tongue, Opal had been doing a good job showing Brandi how to share pleasure. "Good God!" Brandi exalted. "This one tastes like cherries." Paige stifled a sob as Brandi went down for a second taste. I imagine Paige wanted me to discover this inventive little twist. I began rubbing her panties with my nose and kissing her panty covered cunt. I rolled my lips back and forth over her cunt. "Why are you doing this to me?" Paige whimpered once she broke her lips free from Opal's embrace. "Honey, do you think none of us noticed how much you make Zane smile?" Barbie Lynn drawled. "It isn't like he'd tell us what turned him on about you, Paige, so Barbie and I decided to find out for ourselves," Opal added. "Zane?" Paige begged for understanding. "I had no part of this, but once I saw Opal and Barbie Lynn closing in for the kill, I decided to play along because, quite frankly, you are so tasty," I confessed. "Brandi, please, I can't think straight with you nipping at my breasts like that," Paige pleaded. "Umm," Brandi mumbled before releasing her suction on Paige's breast. "Tell me what flavor the other one is. Is it cherry too?" Never more than an inch away, Brandi fell back to Paige's pale but painfully aroused nipple. "No," Paige wailed. "I want Zane to find out, ah, strawberry," she finally gasped out. "Let me sample it first, Brandi," I requested. Brandi shot me a peek down past her naked breast and gave me a wink. Barbie Lynn took advantage of Paige's distress, kissing her deeply and passionately. "Honey," Barbie panted to Paige, "is there anywhere else you want to be?" "I, no," Paige managed to get out. Opal tilted Paige's head toward her and took in a full kiss. "You are so eminently fuckable," Opal purred. Before Paige could respond, Barbie Lynn drew Paige back in. Within seconds, Paige was working in a three-way tug-of-passion with Opal and Barbie Lynn tongues. Brandi was letting her tongue wander from Paige's right nipple down to her belly and below until we kissed. Before and after that we worked down her panties until I finally cast them aside. I did a push up, Brandi wiggled underneath me, pressing her delicious tush against my raging rod, and I switched positions to where Brandi had been. Her left nipple really did taste like strawberries. I figured she'd used strawberry jam in a light enough glaze that its sugary redness was perfectly camouflaged by the pale pink of her areolas, freaking clever girl. Paige tilted her head away from her playmates long enough to see if I was the participant in question and if I enjoyed the experience. "Umm, damn clever," I murmured. "I've never thought of doing that before." Her eyes positively flared triumphantly at the news. "Well," Paige gasped, "you have only a, mediocre, intellect," she finished purring because Opal and Barbie Lynn's fingers and lips were driving her to distraction. "I still don't understand." Paige struggled for a breath between amorous attentions. "You pretty, pretty girl," Opal soothed seductively. "You are the most beautiful creature here tonight. Tomorrow morning the contest goes on, but tonight you are the Grand Prize winner, mainly, you've won us," she indicated herself, Barbie Lynn and Brandi. For other girls, they had often been called beautiful, pretty, and had reason to believe they were the hottest woman in the room. That had never been Paige; she had pride and pride to spare but that had always been based on her smarts. Her smarts were how she had ensnared me and while she knew I saw her as a beautiful creature, she largely believed I was alone in that assessment, until now. The borderline panic that had been residing inside Paige evaporated as all that energy turned into boiling sexual expression. It wasn't until Brandi was sucking deeply on her cunt that Paige realized I'd withdrawn to the foot of the bed. "Zane?" she panted as she raised her head once more and looked for me. "Paige, trust me; you are doing fantastic without me. Besides, we have most of the night. Once they have had all they can take from you, you are all mine," I grinned wickedly. She lowered her head back slowly and let Barbie Lynn and Opal hold her down and dominate her affections. "Mercy, wouldn't it be nice if some hottie wanted you as much as those bitches want Paige?" Rio teased her playmate. Mercy's immediate reaction was drowned out by her shudder as Rio dolloped a spoon full of ice cream onto her breast just above the nipple. The 'near miss' was torture enough for the girl. "Yes, one does," shivered Mercy. "Have you been letting someone else sample your goodies which are rightfully mine?" Rio quizzed her as she lapped up the ice cream as it melted toward Mercy's neck. "No," Mercy squeaked. "The only hottie in my life is you." "Wait; did I give you permission to speak?" Rio changed the direction of her attack. "Yes," Mercy gulped, "I mean, you asked me a question." Rio shimmied up until she was resting her crotch on Mercy's hips. She then took Mercy's nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, twisting them and pulling them up painfully. "That definitely sounded like you were being a smart-ass," Rio declared authoritatively. "Were you being a smart-ass, my cum-bunny?" "Eeep!" Mercy squealed from the pain. "Which answer do you want to hear?" Rio's eyes grew wide. She rolled her body forward until they were breast to breast and chin to chin. "Oh, yes, you are being a clever little wench. No matter what I say, you are going to say the opposite because you want me to take ownership of your lush, big-titties body, don't you?" Rio teased. "Yes?" Mercy hesitantly guessed. "Sorry, but you can't piss me off tonight, you annoying cunt," Rio taunted. Of course, 'annoy' was Rio and Mercy's key word for loving one another. "I've already got something horrible planned for this evening and you aren't going to distract me." Mercy noticeably perked up at that announcement. "I promise this is going to tear you up inside and out too," Rio gloated. Rio dismounted Mercy and scampered to her personal toy drawer. She gathered up several preselected goods and strode confidently back to Mercy's side. "Zane, I could use a hand," she called out as her goods spilled out of her hands. Mercy looked on attentively but didn't risk Rio's wrath by speaking. "Sure, what do you need?" I inquired as I crawled over carefully so as not to disturb the ladies on my side of the bed. Rio lubed up a slender steel vibrator. "Here, hold this (a vibrator) in place," Rio directed me to press the device's point against Mercy's clit with the trigger on her belly. I did it and was curious to figure out what Rio had planned. Rio presented her 'normal' strap-on, grinned at me, then started rubbing it on Mercy. I had to smile at her imagination but I had a feeling Mercy hadn't totally clued in yet to what the plan was. Rio began pouring lubricant over the artificial cock, the other vibrator, and then over a small series of anal beads, anal beads? When did I get anal beads? "AK!" Mercy gasped as the first bead was pushed in. "What was that?" "Shut up, Ass-angel," Rio smirked, "only a few more to go, so suck it up and be my bitch." As this new form of sexual expression was going on before me, a thought occurred. "Rio, you borrowed my credit card and car, didn't you?" I whispered. Rio's response was a maniacal grin. Mercy on the other hand, "Zane, I'm sorry," then Rio slapped Mercy's thigh, "Ow! She said she had your, Ouch!, permission." "I'm cool with it, Mercy, but Rio's license was suspended so next time you need to do the driving," I consoled the girl. Rio was too happy with herself to become overly upset with our little conversation. As if she was trying to prove how crazy/inventive she could be, Rio began putting the strap-on on, Mercy. Even as she fitted it snugly in place the realization was coming over Mercy. She desperately wanted to ask Rio something but was too torn up by Rio's glee to ruin the moment. Rio stroked Mercy's artificial cock a few times to make sure it was totally lubricated. "Okay," Rio cooed to Mercy as she mounted her stomach, "I'm going to make this easy on you because you are annoyingly child-like. When I rub your breasts," Rio let her hands settle and caress Mercy's tits, "it means I want you to pump me slow and easy." "When I pull your delicious nipples like this," Rio yanked and Mercy bucked up and grunted in pain, "I want you to hammer me as hard as you can. Does any part of my instructions confuse your little mind?" Mercy shook her head, indicating her understanding, but a definite sense of joy was coming over her countenance. She knew how good being penetrated felt and Rio trusted her to return the favor. Only when Rio's hip rotations rubbed the dildo into Rio's cunt did Mercy protest. "Rio, that's your, your cunt?" Mercy pleaded softly. Remaining incredibly unpredictable, Rio leaned down to Mercy's face and kissed her with tenderness. "Mercy-babe, I haven't been a virgin for some time. Stupid shit-long ago-let's not talk about it right now," Rio whispered. "Rio, I lo, I've never found anyone more annoying than you," Mercy breathed back. "I never thought I would." "That's your problem," Rio laughed quietly. "It is my job to do all the thinking while you look all hot, sweaty, and sexy. Am I going to have to hammer your tight asshole to make my point clear?" "Please?" Mercy perked up. Rio responded with some serious tongue-on-tongue play accompanied by intense mammary stimulation before speaking. "Maybe," Rio teased, "but someone has to get my rocks off before I contemplate anything else, so get to it." Rio began a series of rotations and presses to work the strap-on further into her cunt. After a few motions, Mercy fell into a sympathetic rhythm and was rocking up when Rio stopped, making Rio's ride one continuous penetration. Rio kept an intense eye-lock with Mercy as she took the plastic cock. She playfully tugged at her own lower lip as her breathing picked up a pace. "I think you've been fucking dozens of other sluts behind my back," Rio expressed deeply. "So have you been jumping some poor girl in the showers? Do you press them up against the wall and tear up those untouched cunts, or do you bend them over facing the wall and bugger those virgin assholes? " "No, no, I haven't," Mercy whimpered. "But you've wanted to," Rio teased her through increasingly hearty pants. "No, Mercy gulped. "So, you've never wanted to bend me over a sofa out there and make me squeal with pleasure?" Rio persisted in a mysterious tone. Mercy squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. "So if I ordered you to surprise me some night, jump me, bend me over and stir me up inside like only a wanton fuck-bunny could, you wouldn't do what I commanded, my Whore?" Rio taunted. "No," Mercy replied desperately as she looked upon Rio's face once more, "I would do that for you." "Do you know why?" Rio whispered. Mercy had no thoughts she could articulate. "You'll do it because you are Mine, I own you and you will do whatever is necessary to make me happy. You are going to tell me every dark little secret you hide in the horniest, sexiest part of your mind; every fantasy you have, every thought that makes you wet, and I'm going to make you live them out. You won't try to hide any from me because you know that if you lie, when I figure them out eventually, and I will figure them all out, I'm simply going to fulfill them with some other hottie I pick up instead of you. Is that what you want?" "No," Mercy whispered. "So every kinky, freaked-out, sexy over-the-top thing you want to do, you are going to tell me about, even though you know I'm going to force you to do it?" Rio scolded. "Yes," Mercy continued quietly. "If you don't tell me or you refuse to do what I say, I'm going to start selling you to motorcycle gangs and frat parties and find someone I can trust instead. All you can do is obey because I have total control over you, and if you don't you know how crazy I can be; clear enough for you, Butt-Slut?" Rio closed the trap. "I'll do whatever you want," Mercy responded; liberated by Rio from any guilt she might have. Now she could still be the Good Girl, only now she was one forced to do bad things against her will. Rio would soak up all the 'badness' in their relationship, be the one she could blame, and Mercy found that overwhelmingly, annoying. It was enough to make Mercy want to annoy Rio for years and years to come. "Good girl," Rio stroked her cheek. "Enough talking; shut the fuck up and start pounding this cunt until I squirt and scream." Mercy was a moment too slow so Rio began working over her nipples energetically and painfully. It got the desired effect; Mercy propelled her hips up so forcefully Rio rose over an inch off the dildo. "Wow, better than a whole year of horse-riding lessons," Rio giggled. "Oh, before I forget, I have one more treat for my personal prostitute." She reached down to the top of the vibrator and cut it on to the medium setting, shooting a jolt straight to Mercy's clit. "Oh, God!" Mercy gasped. "You are so annoying I had to think of something special just for you, Butter-cunt. I bet those vibrations feel great against that juicy clit of yours," Rio teased, and Mercy nodded vigorously in response. I had to consider that it wasn't two weeks ago that fundamentalist Mercy had been weeping on top of me, crying that her life was over because I had gently masturbated her once. Now she was working out 1,001 Nights of Pleasure with one of the greatest perverts I knew, who says you never see miracles anymore? As turned my attention back to Paige's prize, I noted a small black wooden paddle Rio must have tossed Barbie Lynn's way right behind her rump. Feeling inspired, I rolled back to Mercy and Rio, reached around to retrieve the lube, and began slinking up on Barbie from behind. Barbie Lynn was totally drawn into the play around Paige so ignored me. Opal and Barbie Lynn were orchestrating sensitive excitement from the top of Paige's pale haired head to the flat plain that flowed from her ribs down past her hips. Barbie Lynn had told me she was familiar with other female students before she met me. I would have bet that Opal had experimented a time or two. That the two of them could make such compassionate love to Paige was a surprising marvel to me. Paige's normally translucent flesh was blushed red with blood at every point her top two lovers had tantalized with all their kisses and licks. I was sure that if Paige could have found her voice, she would have been singing out to the Heavens with joy. The cause of her physical incapacity was Brandi, who was experimenting on her own style of cunt-licking. I studied Brandi for a minute before I knew what her technique was. She'd flit her tongue back and forth like a tiny motorboat for several seconds then switch to a slow probing action for twice as long before returning to the rapid-fire motion. The result was that Paige would amp up but before she could spike, Brandi would let her cool down before driving her to even greater heights closer to climax once more. I guess I can be a bit of a bastard. The girls were going along so wonderfully yet I still felt I had to indulge in my swelling need. I settled on my knees behind Barbie Lynn and brushed the paddle across that so-perfect ass. She taunted me with that ass, pushing back toward me, increasing its vulnerability, but kept her primary attention on Paige. I repeat: Barbie Lynn is beyond awesome. I reached back and paddled her once. Barbie Lynn took a deep breath but didn't relent. The second spank was harder and the third harder still. It was the fourth one that did the trick. "Oh, God, Yes," Barbie Lynn exclaimed. The great thing was that her body rocked forward and her ginormous breasts brushed over Paige's face. Paige was excited, not lost in orgasm. It took her maybe three milliseconds to latch onto one of Barbie Lynn's tits and engulf an areola in her mouth. Chewing on that nipple came a few seconds later. Barbie Lynn began moaning up a storm and stroking Paige's hair, Opal grinned and fell ravenously on Paige's left nipple, and Brandi went over to full-on clitoral assault mode. Paige gamely held on for almost a minute before she let Barbie Lynn go and proclaimed her immense pleasure. "Oh, all of you, oh, God, I, I can't take, Oh Fuck, Zane!" she ended up screaming. Huh? I had done nearly nothing this session and still there was my undeserved name on a woman's lips. If the girls had resented me I would have totally understood. Instead, Barbie Lynn looked over her shoulder, rubbed a hand along the paddle resting on her ass and smiled. Opal laughed musically. Brandi was beset by Paige's orgasm though. Paige's stocking clad thighs were wrapped tightly around Brandi's head as she thrashed and undulated over the sheets. Brandi kept lapping like a champ because Paige was a copious ejaculator, as I could attest. "Damn, Zane, you can pick 'em," Opal congratulated me. "What? This plan wasn't mine," I confessed. "No, I mean your luck in picking out bed partners is better than mine," Opal explained. "Oh, you were missing a few nights ago. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. Who did you home in on?" I asked. "Cappadocia," Opal told me. Uh-oh. "I don't think Cappy is ready for a bi-sexual encounter. Besides, she's far too aggressive for you right now," I informed her. "Yeah, we figured that out. We both tried being on top all the time and things sort of fell apart," Opal related to me. "We both did agree you are one hell of a primer for virgins." "Thanks, that's very kind of you," I jibbed. "Oh, wow," Brandi gasped out, finally released by Paige. "That was wild." Brandi backed away from Paige's cunt on all fours before rolling over and resting the back of her head on Paige's thigh. "She's yummy," Brandi giggled. "We should get her over for shower time." Paige was now splayed out, limp, and looking up at the ceiling. "I, I, Paige rasped. "Yes, Sugah?" Barbie Lynn purred down at Paige. "I, I have to do this again," Paige worked out. She followed that up by wrapping a hand into the hair at the back of Barbie Lynn's head and pulling her in for a kiss. "Woot!" Opal shouted. "We got another one. Zane, who is next on the menu?" "How about Vivian?" Brandi suggested. "Okay, ladies, there is no menu. We are not stalking girls down for bi-sexual trysts, and if we were interested in anyone, we should ask Paige for her opinion first," I countered. Paige rapidly disentangled from Barbie Lynn and propped herself up excitedly on her elbows. "Cordelia," she declared defiantly. "Cordelia Dresden, I've always had this secret thing for her, which also involves a little bondage and having her tell me I'm smarter than she is as I torture her with an ostrich feather," Paige finished with a wicked smile. "Thought this out much?" Opal snickered. "Just because Zane was the first person to see me as the devastatingly beautiful woman I am doesn't mean I haven't made contingency plans for when the inevitable happened," Paige was smarmy right back. "Paige, you were sure Zane would take you to his bed?" Barbie Lynn said. "As I recall, those were some shaky few minutes you two had." "Inevitable?" Paige scoffed. "I never doubted for a moment. In fact, I already have him trained." Even Brandi looked askance at that declaration but Paige beamed victoriously. "Zane," Paige grinned sweetly. "Bouncy, bouncy." I sighed, reached over Barbie Lynn, hooked one arm under Paige's arm and around her back while the other was reaching between her legs. I hefted her up and pulled her over on top until she comfortably straddled me. Paige glowed like the Sun. "Holy crap," Opal giggled. "Bouncy, bouncy," Brandi perked up and spoke to me. I wasn't sure what I'd do or say but it turned out I didn't matter. "No, you don't," Paige scolded Brandi. "Get your own command phrase; this phrase is mine." "What happens now?" Brandi prodded. I had the feeling that actual intercourse fascinated her. Paige turned her head away from the woman and looked down on me. She crashed upon my frame in slow motion until she was resting her chin on the top of my sternum and we had to strain to keep eye contact. "Please, Zane, take your mighty cock and put it in my tight, wet cunt. Make me tingle from the tip of my toes up to the ends of my white hairs on the crown of my head," Paige playfully pleaded. "Be gentle because my new-found friends have left me tender and hyper-sensitive all-over." Mighty cock, it isn't like my buddy attracts amorous attention from sequoias or something. My cock is a highly valued member of the team, but come on now, it is a freaking piece of meat. I can certainly get the job done without, Paige looks up and licks her lips while she pants like a famished huntress. Suddenly the last three years of my maturity lose their blood supply as it rushes elsewhere. Oh, well. I'll recall what I was bitching about later. "Okay," I grinned. "Maneuver up and I'll work it in." "I'll help!" Brandi excitedly volunteered. Before I could politely decline, Brand landed on my left leg and was pushing Paige's ass up. Paige was far more amused with the situation than I was and reconciled Brandi's movements with her desires to rise up from straddling to kneeling with one leg up. Brandi took the opportunity to stroke my cock, raised it to the vertical, and dragged it over Paige's cunt. She rested my cock a little far back, or so I thought. Paige thought so too. "Not the ass!" she squeaked. "Not the Butt!" "You want it in your, Brandi hesitated. "Her cunt," Barbie Lynn filled her in. "Yes, it looks so delicate," Brandi wondered. "Well, yes," Paige snipped, "but Zane has taken my virginity. My anus is even smaller than my cunt, and it isn't like Zane isn't already going to pass Cleopatra's Needle through something the size of a dime as it stands." "Did you just call Zane a needle-cock?" snickered Opal. "No," I groaned. "Cleopatra's Needle is an obelisk, like Washington's Monument, except only one-twentieth the size." "Yep," Rio panted from her side of the bed, "she definitely called him 'needle-cock'." "I don't care what you gals call it," Barbie Lynn chuckled. "He can stick me with that cock anytime." "Tell me you love me, Zane," Paige sighed. "I can't. You are absolutely wonderful to me but I can't lie to you even though I think it would make you happy to hear those words," I frowned sadly. "Why can't it be you and me?" she asked but her fatigued smile betrayed no anger. "Eh, the tired old romantic tale: boy loves girl but girl can't, or won't, show affection for him," I related. "How about this story instead," Paige's smile grew. "A post-Apocalyptic tale where you, me, and a select group of other genetically superior women retreat to a remote coastal island, fend off the end of the world, and set about repopulating the Earth over, and over, and over again." "Wait; if I agree does this mean you are going to plot out a way to bring about the end of civilization as we know it?" I questioned. What I didn't question was the reality that Paige would never have children of her own womb, but hell, this was her fantasy; right? "I know where your mind is, Zane Braxton," Paige said softly with tears brimming in her eyes but that smile still on her lips, "and that makes you a wonderful, wonderful man." "Now, please, bouncy, bouncy," that mischievous glint returned to her countenance. In some stories this would be the trigger for me to ram my thunderous love pylon deep into her womb. Or, I could hug her tight and let us express our emotions in some open, healing manner. In my reality, I was still somewhat of a tool to Paige, an object that brought her happiness and fulfillment. I was almost a human person of worth to her too. Paige had arrangements, not friendships, and controlled those relationships with mental domination. I know it would have surprised her and brought forth a torrent of denial if I showed she trusted me, as exhibited by her actions of the past few minutes. Rarely did one love their power drill or hammer and you certainly didn't get all teary-eyed when you read their mind correctly. Brandi steadied and reinforced my cock with a hand as Paige worked her way down. I held Paige by the hips to keep her from trying to move too fast. She was busy concentrating, undoubtedly committing the sensations to memory, I kind of like really smart women. "What does it feel like?" Brandi questioned Paige timidly. "If, you have never been, penetrated, you couldn't understand," Paige panted. "Don't worry about it," Opal cooed to her friend. "We are sophomores so we have nearly three years with Zane here at school. That is plenty of time to talk him into doing the deed." "That shouldn't be hard," Brandi giggled. "I've seen Zane scoping me out. He wants me." "Ha," laughed Barbie Lynn. "If it was that easy, there wouldn't be a virgin in this room. Zane could have woken up that part of me ten times over if his wanting my body was all it took." "Pop your cherry!" Rio shouted, close to climax. "Call it what it is, you dumb bimbo, oh, fuck!" She twisted Mercy's nipples with a violence that caused me pain by just looking. That cued Mercy to pound up into Rio unmercifully. Rio released Mercy's breasts and put her hands to torturing her own nipples. Her orgasm came in seconds. With sheer force of will, Rio fought off her physical spasms until she was body to body with Mercy, Rio's hands cupping Mercy's face and her lips planting fast kisses on Mercy's lips, nose, and eyes. "You are mine, mine, mine," Rio exulted with animalistic fury magically melded with heartwarming compassion. It was coaxed along by the vibrator to her clit, sending Mercy off to her own orgasm. "God mother-fucking damn, Rio," Mercy screamed, "Own, own me; make me yours." "I'm tattooing, your ass, this weekend," Rio whispered and groaned. On my side of the sexual diorama, Paige was still screwing herself down my cock, though Brandi had less to do but more to think about. "I can't decide when I want Zane to do the deed for me," Brandi wondered. "No," I breathed heavily, eyes still on Paige and her radiance, "Brandi, you and I will figure things out when the time is right." "Or you tie him down and ride him like Paige," Opal giggled. "Bouncy, bouncy," Paige panted through her chuckle, "It is not just a catchy jingle. It is the recipe for romantic success." "You talk too much, Princess," I emphasized with a thrust deep into her womb, "I think it is time to start your interrogation." She sizzled and I had a dark desire to feel her body heat burn me so we quickly figured out how we could get along. "Roll over, Pound cake," Rio ordered as she worked the strap-on off Mercy. "I've got all sorts of issues to work out and your priceless backside is my destination of choice. Buck up, Buttercup, stick out that ass and get ready for some furious pent-up teenage aggression." I was stunning that the friction Mercy generated as she spun over in the sheets didn't set the bed on fire. She wasn't on all fours but her ass was raised at a four-five degree angle and quivering in her desire. Rio affixed her tool of choice before allowing her gaze to bask in Mercy's splendor. It took her several seconds before she draped her body over Mercy's back. "I'm going to become so bored with this view," Rio teased, "in about fifty or sixty years." Mercy flexed and undulated her back, ass and thighs against Rio's body. Together the two lovers moaned sensually. "I lied to you," Rio panted into Mercy's ear. "I'm not going to get tired of your body in fifty or sixty years. I'm going to fuck you to death before you hit thirty." Mercy gave some sort of guttural reply which she accentuated by driving her posterior against Rio's artificial cock. It slid up between Mercy's cheeks as opposed to going into her anus but Mercy was certainly energetic enough to keep thrusting. Sometimes I wasn't sure which one was leading the other down the road to impassioned insanity. Afterglow The whispering in my ear had woken me up. I shifted my head toward the noise and saw Paige's elfin head cloaked by her fine white hair. In her slumber, Paige had brought one hand up to her chin and took slow nibbles out of the tip of her thumb. Her body was curled up in a near-fetal ball with her other arm vanishing beneath the sheets. Paige's lips parted and she moaned. "Oh, right there, Brandi, yum, yeah, right there." She rotated the shoulder of her downturned arm and her hips rocked gently beneath the covers, certainly driving those attached fingers against her cunt. She went back to nibbling her thumb and slowly quieted down. Paige was in the middle of the bed so I had to raise my head to peek past her sublime form to see Rio and Mercy who were both facing away, Rio was closer to me with her arms wrapped around and cradling Mercy. Fingers stroked my stomach bringing my head to the other side. Barbie Lynn was snuggled up against me and both her hands rested on my stomach, though only one was rubbing against my abs. The only problem was that Barbie Lynn regularly slept on her side with one hand on me and the other resting under the pillow, plus both hands on my stomach were lefties. I shifted slightly, looked over and tracked the moving hand back to the arm that led to a slumbering Vivian. I swear to God I did nothing to deserve this. I had to think about this for a few seconds. Finally I decided on a little clarity. "Vivian," I whispered as I tapped her hand. From experience I knew she woke slowly so I was patient. "Umm," she smiled dreamily at me. A three-count later her eyes focused enough to match my gaze. "You are in my bed and while I don't mind, I want to make sure you are doubly okay with this," I requested softly. "Opal and Brandi woke me up when they left," Vivian informed me, "and I felt, alone and left out. Are you okay with me being here? Are you going to be able to control yourself?" A few things made sense now. Vivian and her boyfriend had fallen into the habit of cuddling on one of their beds. Before long they were falling asleep comfortably in each other's arms. He woke up, high school boy's hormones racing, and she took a few moments too long to realize what was going on. I gave her bonus points for not hating the guy for taking her virginity and stealing away the bedtime comfort of lying with another person she yearned for. "Vivian, you have my permission to crash on my bed anytime," I smiled warmly. "Barbie Lynn will keep me in check. If you ever want to join me and no one else is around, I keep some restraints, left dresser, second drawer." "I don't want to tie you down, Zane," she whispered. "Restraints are not only about holding someone down but empowering the other partner. You get to feel comfortable close to me, I don't mind you being close to me one bit, and I don't have to worry about doing something I'll regret," I related. "You learned all of this in rural Thailand?" Vivian mused. "They are an ancient and scholarly people," I countered. "Are we okay?" "We are okay," she responded. "Great," muttered Barbie Lynn, "let's go to sleep because if I wake up, Vivian, I'm going to make you hold my head in your lap while Zane pleasures me from behind." Vivian grinned, rested her head, and closed her eyes. I laid back down and let my vision darken behind sleepy lids. I really felt like hammering Barbie's delicious ass but I knew she was tired and needed her sleep. Besides, she had only said that because she wanted Vivian to go to sleep. "Honey," Barbie Lynn whispered words sweeter than fresh cane sugar, "you had best give me all the long, hard strokes I can stand in the morning or I'm going to leave my own set of teeth and claw marks all over that wonderful body of yours." Normally I should accept the warning and fall asleep immediately but since it is a well proven fact that I have no sense where sex and sensuality are concerned, I was awake for quite a while. When I did wake up, it was brought about by Barbie Lynn rolling away from me. "Vivian," Barbie whispered kindly. Once Vivian was appropriately responsive, "Vivian, I'm about to wake Zane up and make him take that damn fine cock and use those powerful strokes I love to fill up my ass with cum until I scream." "You might want to go back to your sofa until he lifts me to climax," she advised. "On second thought, make that two screams, I'm feeling extra horny this morning." Isn't it wonderful that I get no say in where my cock is going or when I'm going there? I mean, it's not like I'm an adult or we are currently residing in my room. Wait, I am!! I'm sick and tired of this shit and I'm putting my foot down! Barbie Lynn rubs her scrumptious ass cheeks against my thigh and moans like my bitch in heat. I Man-Up; I'll set her straight as soon as I finish fucking her, damn it! Okay, I'll set her straight when I finish fucking her twice, but that's all she's getting from me. Barbie Lynn languidly gets onto her elbows and knees, favoring the sore one. She scoops the tube of lube from under the pillow and pushes it back to me as Vivian shakes her head, scoots off the bed, and makes her way to the exit. I pour some lube onto my palm then rub my hands together to warm it up because I don't want to cruelly use something cold on her vulnerable flesh. "Zane, I need this so bad," Barbie Lynn purrs. "Hammer me, hammer me twice and make me scream." "Oh," I growl, "I intend to." I'm going to nail her good then give her a piece of my mind. "Baby, I know you are taking Iona home this weekend so can you sneak away during lunch and sex me up one more time?" she pleads with a voice rich with need. "Of course I will, Babe," I reply. And then I'll give her a piece of my mind, damn it! "What's wrong, Zane?" Rio asked as she watched me strip my bed. She wasn't offering to help. "Man," I sighed, "sometimes I think I'm nothing more than a tool for sexual release on this campus." "That's surprisingly accurate," she chuckled. "I'm stunned you realized it so quickly." "Realized what?" Iona grinned as she glided into the room, unusually chipper. "Zane realized he's a sex toy, a pleasure slave to our whims," Rio pontificated. Mercy sighed slightly and came over to help me with the bed, as did Iona, and she hadn't even made the mess. "The willingness to give of yourself does not indicate a surrender of your will," Iona countered. "Zane gives and gives freely, without expectation of return." "He is your mirror image if you think about it," Iona continued. "With Zane it is pleasure and with you it is pain." Now you never know which way Rio will go with something like this; Iona was like a kid sister to her but I wasn't totally sure Rio hadn't experimented with patricide, matricide and infanticide along with cannibalism. "Damn, Iona," Rio came up and wrap her arms around Iona's waist from behind, "that's real cool." "Ah, you are welcome?" Iona smiled but with uncertainty. "How about I give you Mercy for a night? You know, a snuggle buddy for you to sleep with. We could dress her in an appropriate nightgown and she could be like a big warm teddy bear for you to cuddle with." "I would rather have Zane dressed up as a cuddly teddy bear," Iona glanced to me. "Oh, hell, no!" I declared. "I have my pride, ya know." "Get over it, Zane," Rio laughed. "You are the only guy I know whose home page is linked to both gay and lesbian porn sites." I am? How the fuck did that happen? "Would you do that for me, please?" Iona pleaded playfully. I had to avoid answering no matter what. "Iona, I've decided to designate you as my heir," I surprised her. "We'll do that Monday." "I already knew that," Iona stated evenly. "It was posted on your website yesterday." "What!" I squawked. "Am I bugged? Am I carrying a wire? How do people figure out these things?" "Cordelia," all the women in the room said simultaneously. Yep, I'm going to have to fix her little red wagon. I wonder if she has my home wired for surveillance as well. "Iona, what would you do with all that money? Zane's got a boatload of money; right?" Mercy broke in. "I don't know," Iona began; "Maybe make a trust for Christian World Charities or something like that." "Bitch," Rio recoiled, "do you know what Zane's family does? He's a freaking gazillionaire." "Rio," Iona swiveled so that she was facing Rio, "there is no such number and Zane's family mines copper, cobalt, chromium and manganese, primarily." "Dummy, that's the parent company," Rio scoffed, heady with her one-time mental superiority over Iona. "They build spaceships." "That's silly," Iona countered. "No one builds spaceships anymore. Do you mean rockets?" "Yeah," Rio groaned with impatience, "they build rockets that put satellites in orbit, spacecraft components, space-age ceramics, non-integrated circuit computers, and crap like that." Iona looked to me for some clarity. "I don't know," I shrugged. "I had a collage of the solar system in my room when I was five; I went to the NASA facility in Florida once a year; I've been to that space facility in Russia once; and I've seen a rocket launched from this site in South America. I figured all kids did stuff like that." Then something occurred to me. "Rio, how do you know all this about me?" I inquired. "Eh," Rio grunted. "In that first week I considered kidnapping you so I wanted to figure out what you were worth so I would know how much to ask for." "How much is he worth?" Mercy asked. "Enough so that his people wouldn't call in the FBI, they would call in some former Spetznaz and simply kill me instead of paying the ransom," Rio chuckled. "Yeah," I laughed too, "I recall Dad saying that he'd 'met up' with some South African Commandos when he was not much older than I am now. He sent them Christmas presents every year until he died." "Zane, I'm not sure I want that much money," Iona worried. "Well, you've met Aunt Jill and we both know she couldn't handle it," I countered. "What, what, what about Rio, Oh, My God, what am I saying? That would be nuts," Iona fretted. Rio gasped. "Hey!" Rio shouted. "What's wrong with me?" "You are totally insane with an annoying lack of impulse control," Mercy stated clinically. Rio's mouth dropped open and she gawked at her 'toy'. "Pound cake!" she barked at Mercy. Mercy perked up and looked ready to throw herself on the bed and at Rio's mercy. "No," I intervened. "We have to get to breakfast and I can hear Vivian pacing like mad just beyond the screens. She deserves better from us. Now let's get going." Everyone was remarkably behaved until we got into the elevator and the door shut. "Are you sure you are the right person for this job?" Vivian asked Mercy as the doors shut. "What?" Mercy gulped. "What do you mean?" "Yeah, what the fuck do you mean by that, ya Cunt?" Rio interjected both her words and her body into the conversation. "Mercy and I are doing just fine." "You shower together, sleep together, stick all kinds of things in one another; I'm neither blind nor stupid," Vivian growled out. "I'm sorry," Mercy mumbled. "Oh, I don't blame you. They got to you before this 'guardian' thing happened. It is simply unfortunate that you ended up as Rio's minder and now we will have to deal with it," Vivian responded without heat or condemnation (toward Mercy). "Are you going to turn her in?" I had to ask. "Forcing Mercy to face the condemnation and ridicule of those who have no clue to her situation would not be the Christian thing to do," Vivian sincerely related. "I will not let Mercy fall into depravity. She and I will work together to save her soul." Rio didn't trust her and looked ready to pounce. On the other hand, I was truly impressed and believed her. "What is your plan?" Iona joined in. "Vivian, you wouldn't bring this up if you didn't have a plan." "I am creating a list of Christian works, not the Bible, Rio, that the two of them could read together for half an hour before bedtime," Vivian enlightened us. In the short-term it sounded naive but if you took into account the almost three years Mercy and Rio could be here together it was rather clever. "Blow it out your ass!" Rio growled back. "No, Rio, you will do it," I demanded. I had never demanded anything of her before. I'd asked, begged and suggested but I had never told her 'do this or else'. I was now. Rio and I locked gazes. She felt betrayed and pissed. "Fuck you," Rio snapped at me. "You don't tell me what to do." "You'll do what I tell you to do now," I insisted. "Or what?" she sneered. I could feel Iona cringing beside me. Mercy was afraid and looked trapped. Vivian was taking the exchange with interest. "Or nothing. I am not going to hold anything over your head but I'm also going to fight to keep you from fucking up your life," I kept at it. "It is what friends do." There was a pause. "Glenda, you suck," Rio declared quietly. That quavering in Rio's resolve was Mercy's cue. "I'll do the readings," Mercy said. "Rio, if you want to wait in the bedroom for me, well I'm fine with that, if that is what you want to do." "Gurr," Rio mumbled. "Fine, I'll do it, but if I hear even one chorus of Kumbaya, I'm skewering someone with a pool stick." "Thank you, Vivian got out. "Not a word," Rio warned. "Not another damn word, from any of you." Mercy shot me a look and I could see she finally got it. You let Rio run amok for 90% of the time so that you could coax Rio toward stability the other 10% without her rebelling. I didn't want to make Rio sane; I was sure she was happy being fucking nuts. I only wanted her to be a 'fucking nuts' that didn't make her destroy her life and drive away the people that really cared for her. What can I say? I'm selfish. Rio fills a void in my life and I didn't want to see her fall away into the darkness the way my Mom did. Aliens, Vampires and Werewolves, maybe not. To make the right decision requires a combination of confidence, knowledge, and luck. A little nonsequitur: I once asked my close associates why they believed in God. Rio said: "Well, I can't very well be a convincing Satanist if I don't give lip service to the Other Guy." Iona put it this way: "The Universe makes sense. It is our roadmap for Ascension and a fuller understanding of God's Love." Christina reasoned: "I've seen Evil so there must be Good." Heaven s take was: "Because I prayed for death but Christina came; and I prayed for you (Zane) to go but you stayed." Hope expounded: "Because I live in a country that allows me to own a K11 assault rifle for home defense." No one wants to ask Hope if she has the official rifle of the R O K Army with her at school, or if she actually has the grenades that go with it. What good would it do; it isn't like we would try to take it away from her. Most of us like living too much. Chastity observed: "Firefighters, organ donors, Christian converts in Iran, with so many people giving for no material gain, that indicates to me a higher purpose for mankind, a struggle between right and wrong." Faith rebutted: "Belief in Christ cannot be given a definition. If you define it, it ceases being faith." Barbie Lynn: sweetly gave me a peppermint and smiled. She had to look no farther than the fate that had brought us together and the joy we shared; she didn't need words. Paige resolved: "Only something with infinite precision and power could bring about the Big Bang. The day they can give a name to that force, I will gladly surrender my faith." Cordelia said: "Let me think about my reply. Why do you believe in God?" (Like I'd ever tell her.) Cappadocia lamented: "What an empty and lonely thing life must be, if these few years are all we have?" Opal s mind was made up: "I always have and never heard an argument that would make me think differently." Brandi chided: "It was how I was raised. But the first time you kissed my stomach, I had my own personal religious experience (giggle)." And Now, Back to the Story! Breakfast unfolded pretty much like it had a week ago, with the added bonus of poisonous glares between clumps of students, bandages, bruises, and the sense of unease that comes from unresolved conflict. After all, neither Christina nor Rhaine had won. This was acceptable to most of the sane crowd as the alternative would have been to make the school unbearable to the other half of the student body so that they left. Instead, we got to bask in the chilly civility that Christian politeness dictated. At least I wasn't (too) worried about a pack of girls ambushing me. As was becoming her habit, Gabrielle Black had devoured her food in less than four minutes and paced the perimeter of the Dining Room floor, her eyes dodging about with no discernible pattern. I kept an eye on her because she worried me in a way that went far beyond hormones. "Zane?" Iona repeated. I had barely registered her first request for a moment of my time. "Yes, Hon?" I smiled down at her. She looked happy for the eye contact but worried about what she had to say. "Zane, there are two other candidates for Freshman Class President, Mhain Reynard and Millicent Pierce," Iona informed me. "Millicent?" grumbled Rio. "Zane saved her ass and now she's kicking sand in his face? The bitch." "Millicent is free to do what she wants. She may have wanted to be nominated before all this chaos came about. I'm not going to begrudge her having political ambitions," I told them. "Zane, I don't think you understand what this means," Iona worried. "Sure I do; Millicent and I are going to split the Pro-Christina vote. There will be a run-off. If it is Millicent and I, Mhain's votes will go to her and I lose. If it is Mhain and Millicent, my votes will go to Millicent and she wins. If it is Mhain and I, it will be a toss-up. Essentially, Millicent can definitely defeat Mhain but I can't." "This sounds like a job for the NSA," Rio glared off to where Millicent was sitting. I don't think Rio knew what Mhain looked like. NSA referred to Rio's title as my in-house assassin, Ninja Stripper Angel. "Don't worry," I patted Rio on the shoulder, "I got this, Bro." When I got up, Rio followed me nonetheless. Chancellor Bazz was absent for the second day in a row so the highest authority seemed to be Doctor Scarlett, the Vice Chancellor. Gabrielle noted my movement but didn't deviate from her path. Mrs. Cunningham was closest but seeing neither authority figure appeared nervous, she too went about her rounds. Mind you, girls are moving around the Dining Hall all the time but I'm special, being a troublemaking, devious male. I rounded a table and walked over to Millicent, who was warned of my approach by an associate. She twisted in her chair and waited for the flavor of my greeting. "Hey, Millicent, I want to congratulate you on your nomination and I hope you get the votes to be on the ballot," I said as I extended my hand. She shook it and smiled. "Thank you, Zane. Good luck to you too," she replied. "How about we have a debate a few nights before the election? Interested?" I pondered. "That would be great," Millicent agreed. "We can request the Assembly Hall but we'll need to figure out who should be moderator." "We'll figure it out," I nodded. "I'm going to say 'hi' to Mhain as well." "I will come along," Millicent informed me as she stood up and stepped to my side. "Hi, Rio." "Eat shit and die, you ungrateful whore," Rio snarled back at Millicent, who backed off. "Zane should have left you for Bazz to fuck over." Millicent's crowd was shocked, then outraged. "Cool it, Rio." I stroked her arm. "You and I do what we do for our own ends and not for the accolades of others." I turned to her, "Right?" Rio took a deep breath. "You are such a dumb blonde," she smirked at me. "I get my thirty pieces of silver up front." "Thanks, Babe," I grinned at Rio. I looked back to Millicent. "I'm still going to see Mhain if you want to tag along with me and Rio." "I'm feeling fearless with a positive outlook on life so I'll risk it," Millicent smiled. Yeah, beating Millicent in this election was going to be fun, right up there with waking up on the

Mind is a very high vibration energy field that receives impressions from the outside world and renders them as inner experiences. In the state of pure mind, thoughts and emotions arise as impressions that pass right through. But when consciousness resists these impressions, they accumulate and form the personal mind, creating ego, preferences, and suffering. By contrast, the impersonal mind operates free of personal bias, enabling clear thinking, creativity, science, and inspiration. Spiritual growth involves letting go of the personal mind and living from a higher state of clarity, love, and surrender while still engaging in life. © Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

"Fat is God's most amazing fuel source." – Dr. Cody Golman, D.C. Today's featured author is a former Army tank commander, healer, entrepreneur, quantum life coach, and esteemed national lecturer, Dr. Cody Golman. Dr. Cody and I had a fun on a bun chat about his book, "Four Secrets to Healthy Weight Loss: A Doctor-Developed and Patient-Proven Formula to Burn Fat and Maintain a Naturally Healthy Body", the cosmic nature of life, and more!! Key Things You'll Learn: Why 80% of weight loss programs fail Some of the myths about diet & exercise How sugar addiction affects the body and the importance of resetting hormones for permanent weight loss Why folks need to embrace a balance between positive and negative experiences Dr. Cody's Site: https://www.fast40weightloss.com/ Dr. Cody's Book: https://a.co/d/3YiZ5DQ The opening track is titled "Kareru R Daichi Q-MIX" by Rukunetsu AKA Project R (@Rukunetsu). To hear the full track and support his craft, use the following link. https://on.soundcloud.com/62w8X Please support today's podcast to keep this content coming! CashApp: $DomBrightmon Donate on PayPal: @DBrightmon Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dombrightmon Get Going North T-Shirts, Stickers, and More: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dom-brightmon You Might Also Like… Ep. 436 – "Get to the Root Cause of Your Health Issues" with Risa Groux (@RisaGroux): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-436-get-to-the-root-cause-of-your-health-issues-with-risa-groux-risagroux/ Ep. 611 – "Optimizing Your Health" with Emily Gold Mears, JD: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-611-optimizing-your-health-with-emily-gold-mears-jd/ Ep. 545 – "The Maestro Monologue" with Rob White (@RobWhiteMedia): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-545-the-maestro-monologue-with-rob-white-robwhitemedia/ Ep. 802 – Strategies to Conquer the Muddy Fields of Life with Kelly Majdan: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-802-strategies-to-conquer-the-muddy-fields-of-life-with-kelly-majdan/ Ep. 765 – Love Yourself to Health with Pam Sherman: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-765-love-yourself-to-health-with-pam-sherman/ Ep. 350 – "Stay on Track Tips" with Dr. Ro (@everythingro): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-350-stay-on-track-tips-with-dr-ro-everythingro/ #WintheWellnessWAR Bonus Ep. – "Mind and Body Connection" with Carolyn Lebanowski: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/winthewellnesswar-bonus-ep-mind-and-body-connection-with-carolyn-lebanowski/ Ep. 575 – "Brownies for Breakfast" with Lynne Bowman (@LynnePBowman): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-575-brownies-for-breakfast-with-lynne-bowman-lynnepbowman/ Ep. 523 – "Look, Feel, & Live Better with Blood Flow Restriction Training" with Dr. Ed Le Cara (@edlecara): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-523-look-feel-live-better-with-blood-flow-restriction-training-with-dr-ed-le-cara-edlecara/ Ep. 532 – "What's Really Eating You" with Renée Jones: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-532-whats-really-eating-you-with-renee-jones/ 202 - "Your Divine Human Blueprint" with Julie Renee Doering (@RevJulieRenee): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/202-your-divine-human-blueprint-with-julie-renee-doering-revjulierenee/ 249 – "Never Binge Again" with Dr. Glenn Livingston (@NeverBingeAgain): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/249-never-binge-again-with-dr-glenn-livingston-neverbingeagain/ 156 - "Tired & Hungry No More" with Phyllis Ginsberg (@GinsbergPhyllis): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/156-tired-hungry-no-more-with-phyllis-ginsberg-ginsbergphyllis/ 271 – "Thirst of the Heart" with Udo Erasmus (@UdosOfficial): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/271-thirst-of-the-heart-with-udo-erasmus-udosofficial/ Ep. 460 – "Dangerous Hope" with Mandy Anderson (@mandybanderson): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-460-dangerous-hope-with-mandy-anderson-mandybanderson/ Ep. 498 – "The Immunotype Breakthrough" with Dr. Heather Moday: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-498-the-immunotype-breakthrough-with-dr-heather-moday/ 266 – "Holistic Health and Healing" with Brigitte Mars (@brigittemars): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/266-holistic-health-and-healing-with-brigitte-mars-brigittemars/ Ep. 437 – "INpowered Mind, INpowered Health." with Dr. Jayne Marquis (@jayne_marquis): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-437-inpowered-mind-inpowered-health-with-dr-jayne-marquis-jayne_marquis/ 6 - "Eat to Thrive" with Katie Sampayo (@katie_sampayo): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/6-eat-to-thrive-with-katie-sampayo-katie_sampayo/ 182 - "The Power of Vital Force" with Rajshree Patel (@ByRajshree): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/182-the-power-of-vital-force-with-rajshree-patel-byrajshree/ Ep. 496 – "So Empowered" with Lillian So (@SOfitSF): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-496-so-empowered-with-lillian-so-sofitsf/ 188 – "Change Your Life, Lose Weight" with Rachel Lajoie: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/188-change-your-life-lose-weight-with-rachel-lajoie/ Disclaimer: This podcast contains the views and opinions of the Going North Podcast host and his guests to the show. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is sharing their unique perspective, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our places of work.

On this week's trip through the Mind of the Meanie, The Blue Meanie and Adam Barnard talk the viral Magnesium Citrate post on Twitter, Mudvayne, Wayne Static, Sam Rivers, plus #AskMeanie!Mind of the Meanie is an official Brand Partner of WWE Shop! Click this link here to shop WWE Shop and support your favorite WWE Superstar today: https://wwe-shop.sjv.io/eK26drGet 25% OFF your entire order using promo code MEANIE at GreenRoads.com - Own The Day with Green Roads CBD and Wellness Products!For more information and exclusive updates, follow Mind of the Meanie on Social Media.Website | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramBECOME AN OFFICIAL POD SQUAD MEMBER: www.Patreon.com/mindofthemeanie About The Blue Meanie:Since 1994, Brian Heffron, known to wrestling fans as "The Blue Meanie", has been one of the most fun loving and mischievous characters in wrestling. He's been in ECW, WWE, various independent wrestling promotions and several independent films. He is perhaps best known for his comedy and wrestling parodies with the bWo, KISS, Col. DeMeanie, Sir Meanie, The Fabulous Ones and BlueDust. Now, he meaniesaults into the world of streaming audio, sharing his experiences in and out of the ring as well as his views on the world of professional wrestling and anything else he is passionate about.About Adam Barnard:Adam Barnard is a photographer, podcaster, and an award winning writer from Downingtown, PA. Since 2019, he has hosted Foundation Radio, a weekly podcast series with new episodes every Tuesday, focusing on in depth conversations and interviews. Since 2025, Adam has been a writer, contributor, and interviewer for The Sportster for interviews and live results coverage. Adam brings his unique perspective and incredibly dry sense of humor to Mind of the Meanie each week.Hosts/Executive Producers: The Blue Meanie and Adam BarnardEngineer: Carl PannellExecutive Voice: Sam KreppsIntro music: Swamp CandlesOutro music: ChikaraMusical Accompaniment: EnrichmentA Butts Carlton Media Production. Butts Carlton, Proprietor.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mind-of-the-meanie--6219755/support.

In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Kelly McCann discusses the significance of mast cell activation syndrome and its growing prevalence in today's world. She explores the intricate connections between environmental toxins, autoimmune diseases, and emotional well-being, emphasizing the importance of holistic approaches to health. Dr. McCann shares her personal journey through health challenges and highlights the need for awareness regarding mold exposure and detoxification. The discussion also touches on the impact of midlife transitions on purpose and joy, encouraging listeners to reconnect with their true selves and speak their truth for better health. Time Stamps: (00:29) Understanding Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (06:29) The Link Between Autoimmune Diseases and Mast Cells (08:43) Allergies: The Role of Maternal Exposure (11:39) The Interconnection of Mind, Body, and Spirit (18:11) Midlife Transitions and Purpose (21:22) Dr. McCann's Journey to Holistic Medicine (25:39) Understanding Lyme Disease and Mold Exposure (28:41) The Impact of Environmental Factors on Health (30:51) Mold and Weight Loss Resistance (33:59) Detoxification as a Key to Weight Loss (37:20) Testing for Toxic Substances (41:23) The Connection Between Truth and Health (48:28) The Unforgetting Project: Embracing Joy and Purpose ------------------- Website: https://drkellymccann.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkellymccann/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespringcenter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drkellymccann/ ------------------- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolcovinofitness/ -------------------- My YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/@carolcovinofitness -------------------- My Book: FINDING PURPOSE IN THE PAUSE

CADENA 100 presenta la mejor variedad musical, con éxitos como "Blinded by the Lights" de The Weeknd, "Empire State of Mind" de Alicia Keys y "No Te Atreves A Volver" de Dani Fernández. En 'Buenos días, Javi y Mar', se celebra la música y la energía. Se escucha a Jessy J con "Price Tag" y se explora una anécdota de los inicios de George Clooney y Frank Sinatra. También se ofrecen consejos sobre cómo ahorrar en seguros con Mutua y Línea Directa. Se invita a descubrir el catálogo de juguetes de El Corte Inglés y se menciona la posibilidad de renovar el baño con Leroy Merlin. El programa destaca iniciativas como el sorteo 11 del 11 de la ONCE y el ahorro en combustible con Moove. Se escucha música de Cold Play, Isabel Pantoja y se presenta el trabajo de artistas como Zoilo y Aitana. Se reitera el lema de CADENA 100: 'La mejor variedad musical'.

In this episode of The Infinite Spark of Being, Keith explores The Ramayana through the lens of Bhakti Yoga — the yoga of love and devotion. Discover how Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Lakshmana, and even Ravana each represent aspects of consciousness, devotion, and the path to spiritual alignment. This is not just mythology — it's a living story of courage, surrender, and divine relationship that can transform the way you move through your life.Through storytelling, reflection, and practical insights, Keith reveals how you can turn every act — from breath to service — into devotion itself.

“So the habits of mind are: curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity, persistence, responsibility, flexibility, and metacognition. So that's a whole lot of terms. Metacognition is typically the one where people go, huh, I don't know what you're talking about. So that's the one that I wanna talk about. It is also one of the ones that I think is foundational to all the rest.” - Bailey LangIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “Bailey Lang's Habits of Mind for Writers,” host Beth Barany talks to book coach, editor, and ghostwriter Bailey Lang, where they discuss the uses of AI in a creative world, and Bailey shares what the Habits of Mind are and why they are important to writers and how they can help them build sustainable practices. ABOUT BAILEY LANGDr. Bailey Lang is a book coach, editor, and ghostwriter. At the Writing Desk, Bailey offers one-on-one coaching and manuscript reviews to support authors in building sustainable, enjoyable writing practices that take their books from draft to done. Bailey pairs a deep knowledge of the writing process with intuitive and highly customized practices that help writers develop confidence, grow in their craft, and produce writing they're proud of—without burning out.Bailey's free newsletter, Word to the Wise, features writing advice you'll actually use—plus regular interviews with published authors. https://usethewritingdesk.kit.com/Website: https://usethewritingdesk.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bailey-lang/ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.RESOURCESFOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS - BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERSSign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/Support our work for creatives!Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCASTSign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2025 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!--CONNECTContact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580Email: beth@bethbarany.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://get.descript.com/0clwwvlf6e3jMUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 17 I Need A Bigger Bed? In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Being dead is wonderful; you never get tired and you have all the time in the world to regret how you ended up this way      Yes, Rio," Mercy wiggled in even tighter, "you can annoy me whenever you want." I was starting to seriously work over Heaven's butthole when I caught Barbie Lynn move her lips over to Rio's ear. "You rock," Barbie Lynn whispered to my 'Bro'. Rio kept her eyes shut but grunted in disgust. She was a stone-cold pitiless bad-ass who cared about nothing and nobody, just ask her. "Are you putting your whole god-damn fist up my ass?" Heaven hissed. "That's my thumb, ya big baby," I quietly teased. We owed it to our bed buddies to keep the noise down as much as possible. "That's right, Big Daddy, tear my poor little hinny up," she pouted devilishly. She was on top so she had to press her tits hard against me to whisper in my ear. "Next time I want to be alone so you can treat me like your dog-bitch, press my face into a pillow to stifle my screams, and drill me deeper than you've ever reached before." "Are you trying to make me cum before I even get inside you?" I gasped. "Oh, God, no," Heaven squeaked. "Don't you dare, please," she begged. "You make me feel so good. I'm sorry I teased you. We can take it slow if you want." "If you want to make me happier, play with yourself and let me feel it," I breathed. Heaven struggled for words before giving up and grunting. Her hips shook as she accelerated her hand's manipulations of her cock, which rested tightly against my stomach. At the same time, I switched up my one thumb with three fingers in her rectum. Heaven gave a choked whimper as she took my intrusion tentatively, then pushed down even harder. As my bulbous head pressed past her sphincter, Heaven hiccupped and tears welled in her eyes. "I, I, did the calculations," she gulped. "If I, have sex with you, every twelve hours, my rectum will, adjust so sex, will be more, fun." "You figured this all out?" I teased. "Purely scientific, I swear," she grinned. "It is, not because, I want to, fuck you, all the time." "I respect you for your mind, Heaven, but this time I think you might be too close to the subject matter," I tickled her back. She took hold of my cock. "Too close to this," she gulped. I swiveled my hips back and forth, sending my cock deeper and deeper into Heaven. She eventually gave up any hopes of a coherent argument and curled herself onto my chest, panting. "Hello, Lover," I told her in near silence. "Thank you, my Bitch," she responded between kisses to the line where the jaw meets the throat. The rest of what either one of us wanted to say was lost as I rocked my hips up, propelling my cock even deeper into her bowels. Heaven clawed at my chest as her sexual tension ramped up. Eventually, our symmetry brought Heaven struggling to the end of her road. "Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend," she gurgled. "He's my Boyfriend!" she screamed. At least she didn't use my name, unless you counted the fact that I was the only boy on campus. "Oh, damn," Heaven gasped for air. "Thanks for bringing me back, Zane." We kissed passionately. "Thanks for the, attitude adjustment too." "Huh?" I wondered. I'd heard the term before but not from someone who regularly talked with Heaven. "Iona posted the slang," Heaven gasped-giggled. I shifted my head from the right side of Heaven's head to the left. My shock must have registered with Heaven, whose gaze went from my face to looking over her shoulder to the form of Gabrielle Black. Heaven scrambled off me and pulled the sheets tight. Shades of Gabrielle Black "We need to talk, Zane Braxton." I saw Gabrielle's lips move but I was pretty sure the words floated across the room without disturbing the ears of anyone around us. I gave her a nod, planted on Heaven a reassuring, full-on kiss, then quick-stepped over to a wardrobe and put on a robe. She followed me out, keeping a keen eye on me while mostly hanging in my blind spot. Vivian was sound asleep as we passed her. I took Gabrielle to the far corner of the Solarium, locating a remote control when we were close. Ms. Black gave me a fatally cold look as I punched in the code that would give us a dead zone electronically to talk in. "Surveillance," I held up the remote. She understood the implications. "I want to see more of your so-called gift with women." I had no doubt this was not a sexual come-on. I would have been a hell of a lot happier if it was; instead, it put me in a situation I knew very little about. "Strip," I requested, with as much calm as I could instill in my voice. Gabrielle gave me a lightning assessment, then started shedding her perpetually black outerwear and lingerie. When she finished, the words 'Hot Damn' came up a ton of times unbidden to my thoughts. I worked out regularly, took martial arts, and stretched whenever I could. I might as well have been a coach potato as far as Gabrielle was concerned. She wasn't bulky; rather, strong in the long muscles that counted more for strength and stamina. I still managed to have the courage to ask her to extend her arms and spread her legs. Hell, I even touched her ass, thigh, and caressed the right shoulder twice. When I finished up, I was before her once more. I leaned on the back of a chair and waited, I had taken five minutes, where in most cases it took seconds, but this woman's body wove deceptions like a champion. "Well?" she finally gave in to her curiosity before I gave in to my fear. "Well, I imagine the most important thing to you at this second is the wrists. I did spend some time in a high-pressure private academy in my formative years and I know the difference between horizontal and vertical. Horizontal cuts on the wrist are a cry for help, vertical show a real desire to die." "Now, I can't know for sure that you didn't make two attempts but you look like you're insanely intense, emphasis on the insane, so I guess some fucked up shit happened to you that made you damn sure the only answer was to check out permanently," I stated evenly. "What now?" she questioned me, her intonation utterly devoid of emotion or compassion. "I'd like to tell you what I tell every other woman I learn a secret about, that your past is your business and your business alone," I sighed. "But?" she prodded me. "Gabrielle, your body is a roadmap of pain, suffering, and death," I shrugged, "and there is no damn way you came to this school legally." Gabrielle studied me in a way that made an icy fist grasp my heart. "Of course, I am hardly a poster child for someone who does belong at FFU. Are you going to kill me now or do you want me to continue?" I inquired hopefully. "Mr. Braxton, Zane, the wiring in this place is sub-standard and clearly unauthorized. I would choke you unconscious, put you in the hot tub, then electrocute you," she informed me with the air of a professor describing the events of tenth century Anglo-Saxon England. "I will not do this right now because you are terrified of me, which shows a great deal of insight and intelligence, somewhat remarkable in someone so young," she added. "Okay. Something allowed you to slip past the Psych Evaluation to get into someone's military; I could put that down to being experience with the system plus being clever enough to fool the testers," I said. "Once inside, something fucked up your perception of authority, something not good. I figure you are obsessed with physical defense, bi-sexual, yet your sexual attitude toward me is one of contempt. Since you don't know me enough to hold me in contempt yet, you were abused by a man in authority over you," I delivered the bad news. Gabrielle did not respond. "This is total conjecture but it patches in with what comes later; you entered some kind of actual combat duty. You learned not only that you were good at killing but you liked it. It substituted for sexual release and that whole risk-pain thing you have kept until today. I count six bullet wounds, a knife wound on the back above the right kidney, and two things I guess are shrapnel wounds but I've never seen any before to compare," I added. "I imagine you got out of the regular service because the level of your medical care diminished for a while, then, Bang!, you got this expensive plastic surgery. You do okay for maybe three years, then you pick up that nick in your left ankle, followed by the shoulder getting done," I said. "No indications of why these two injuries?" she narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to go all James Bond on you. Gabrielle Black fell for somebody hard and I'm betting it was a woman. It is kind of frightening to think of what kind of psycho she was to lure you in and trap you," A light flickered in her eyes when I went down this path. "You guarded her, became very close to her as a parade of lovers passed through her life until she sucked you in." "One day you found yourself killing for her and I doubt you asked why. I doubt there was only one time but in the end, it was never enough. One night you came back and found this year's model on the payroll. Gabrielle Black is way too smart to wait for this to play out. You loved her but you liked living more, so you escaped before you were introduced to your employer's retirement plan," I grimaced. "You came back to the United States, your accent indicates time in France or Italy, and this job fell into your lap. Lancaster, Virginia is out of the way enough for you to hide in while close enough to several major cities for you to move around if you need to, so you edit your work record and hire on at an all-girls university," I finished. "What now?" "I don't kill you and Vivian. Making two deaths look like an accident would be incredibly difficult; murder-suicide would only make your female cohorts dig deeper and there are some serious advantages in staying here for me," she stated. Sensing my confusion, she clarified. "Vivian has been awake for some time observing us but I doubt she can hear what we are saying." Gabrielle finished redressing; she gave me a once-over. "My turn. What makes you hard? Seriously, you have been perpetually aroused since I've met you," she mused. "There is a bit of a list: fear, joy, sunlight, moonlight, sex, the impossibility of sex, I informed her. "I understand," Gabrielle cut me off. "Who are you going to tell?" "Christina Buchanan, Cordelia Dresden, and Dana Gorman." I decided that lying would do me worse than no good; I might get one or two lies past Gabrielle and this wasn't the time to waste one. "Good enough. But if there are repercussions from tonight, I will feel far less tolerant toward you," she made sure I understood. I was happy that this looked like a painless parting of the ways. "Thank you," I spoke to her retreating form. She looked over her shoulder questioningly. "For taking me seriously," I explained. She gave a curt nod, turned, and departed. Vivian pretended to be asleep when I returned to bed and I let her. It seemed like the rare sane thing for me to do. Say 'Lesbian Bikers' at your own peril.             Mankind is poison because we compromise our souls for the companionship of others   "Vivian, I'm going to take a shower," I whispered to Vivian. I was hovering over her from the back of the sofa-sleeper, asking permission to take my shower downstairs. She was laid out beneath me, her jersey bunched up around her breasts and her left thumb hooked into the band of her shorts and pushing them dangerously down. "Umm," she sighed, a little smile tilting her lips. "Honey, I need your permission to use the downstairs shower," I continued. I wisped across her lips with my own. Her smile blossomed into full-blown pleasure. "Okay, I'm getting up, I'm getting up," she moaned. Vivian slowly opened her eyes as she stretched and twisted her body to wakefulness. "Good morning, Zane," she yawned with this adorable little grin on her face. "You look beautiful," I complimented quietly. "Umm, thank you," she purred. "You look, Zane! What are you doing?" she bolted upright, barely missing a head-on-head collision. "I'm asking you permission to go down to the fifth floor and take a shower," I repeated. "Why didn't you simply sneak past me?" she propped herself up on her elbows. "I said I would wait on your decision, so I waited. Can I please, please do something," I pleaded, "before I go nuts?" "Umm, okay," Vivian said cautiously. I reached down to her midsection and she flinched so I held back. No word passed for several seconds so I resumed my journey to her pushed up sleeping jersey and slowly pulled it down until her stomach and crotch were covered. "Zane," Vivian sighed, "could you control your hormones for thirty minutes, when you are awake?" "I have to go now," I stood up, "because covering you up didn't make you any less attractive." "Zane," Vivian came off the sofa and followed me, "you should attempt to look at a woman as a fellow follower of Christ and less in terms of beautiful and ugly and you might be happier. Go take a shower." She's telling me this with an earnest warm face and finely sculpted legs that disappear right below the crotch into that billowing Dallas Cowboys shirt. "Go on and fuck the bitch," Rio growled as she traipsed by with Mercy's hand on her shoulder. Barbie Lynn came slowly limping behind. Barbie flashed me a grin and I raced to catch up. At the bottom of the stairs something occurred to me. "Hon, where is your towel?" I asked Barbie Lynn. She shot me an apologetic smile. I stepped behind Barbie Lynn, ran a hand along her hip to the curve of her stomach and kissed her on the neck. "Take mine; I'll catch up," I chuckled. I draped my towel over her shoulder and bounded up the stairs. At the top of the stairs I stumbled to a stop. Vivian had only then finished taking off her jersey and was holding it in her left hand. The bottom of the shirt scrapped the ground. Vivian looked at me, neither shocked, ashamed, nor outraged. Her breasts were freaking gorgeous, fully round, buoyant, and with a miniscule droop. Her pale blue panties left little to the imagination, her cunt lips clearly camel toed. "I apologize," I quickly spun away and raced to my sleep area. I grabbed a towel and headed straight for the stairs. "Zane, it is okay," Vivian called out. She'd covered her breasts and diaphragm with the jersey. "Huh?" "I don't mind; I know you didn't mean to see me so I'm not offended and I don't feel you went back on your word," she related with a sense of grace. I wasn't truly sure of what word I hadn't gone back on but she appeared happy. "Does that mean you can flash me your ta-ta's guilt free?" I asked hopefully. Vivian regarded me with amusement. "Zane, constantly being distracted by unbridled sexuality will not leave you content," she lectured me patiently. We regarded each other for some time. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" "If you are going to offer, could you come over here, turn around, bend over, grab your ankles and finally look past your thigh at me?" I cringed. She shook her head, regarded me once, then rolled her eyes. "I may not be able to save you but I'm not going to shove you down to damnation either," she stated firmly. "Do it; I won't take advantage of you and I'll tell you a valuable secret," I offered. Lesbian Bikers Normally my chance of success with Vivian and that line was nil, but the convergence of a Gabrielle's midnight visit and her desire to show me that trust and honesty could exist without a sexual context brought her to me. She slowly turned around and assumed my desired position. I rabidly wanted to step up to her, gently slip her panties aside and take her cunt with deep languid strokes. "Please stand up," I groaned. Once she was up I leaned into her ear. "You are not a virgin," I whispered carefully. Vivian tensed slightly. "All it means to me is that you know what you are talking about when you mention sexuality and I have to treat you with more respect. I apologize for prying." She twisted to face me and was about to say something but I put a finger to her lips to silence her. "People are listening," I cautioned her quietly. "Thank you for that," Vivian whispered. "It was one time in high school and we had exchanged Promise Rings. It was a mistake we both regret." "It's all cool," I grinned. "I kind of wish your first time had turned you into a wild sex monkey and you and your beau planned on having five hundred kids, but we're good." "Zane," Vivian sounded exasperated, "I pity the woman you decide to marry." "What?" I acted shocked, "I would never cheat on my wife." "Oh, I believe you, but I fear the poor woman would die from exhaustion," she scolded me. "She'd die happy?" I offered up as my only defense. "Lord, give me strength," Vivian groaned. "Go take a shower." "Gotchya, Boss," I beamed happily. I turned half way to the door, then gave a backward glance. "Vivian, if you ever need anything, just ask." "I, ." she was about to scold me but she stopped and sighed. "Fine, Zane, I know you mean well; now go." I winked and raced away. I could swear Vivian believed she was getting a crash course in Mothering a Teenage Boy. Biker Bar Horror Story It had been a hard day of first-round semester testing plus restructuring the Marksmanship and Orienteering Clubs. I still managed to get in sufficient studying (in my opinion) for Friday's round of activities. At lunch I had a little talk with Cordelia and Christina about Gabrielle Black and their fears concerning her. I really wish both women hadn't looked so concerned. I would have preferred they called me paranoid instead. I was sitting watching some bizarre sitcom rerun with an arm around Iona when Rio came rocketing up the stairs. "Hey, Princess," she screamed at me (in case anyone has missed it, Rio is a freak), "Val found out about a Biker bar called the Dixie Roadhouse and we're heading there. Do you want in?" I looked down to Iona who, despite a look of fearful concern, gave me a nod of consent. "Sure thing, Rio," I said, as I popped over the sofa and pulled Iona along after me. "Zane, you are not going out to a bar," Vivian rose to the challenge. "You are only eighteen." "If I don't go, we may not get Rio back," I cautioned my guardian. "Speaking of which: Rio, where is Mercy?" Vivian rounded on my 'Bro'. "I ambushed her: hit her in the head with the Gutenberg Bible and tied her to the back of Valerie's hog," Rio smiled proudly. Pulling Iona along with me, I pursued Rio down the stairs. "I promise I'll bring them all back," I shouted to Vivian. She was kind enough not to chase me down and make me stay. The Dixie Roadhouse looked like some sort of converted barn with a few cobbled together outbuildings. Mine was probably not the first car to grace this dirt parking lot but it was definitely rare to have a ride with four wheels parked here. I had Rio and Mercy with me. Of course, Mercy had not been beaten and tied up for tonight's outing. Iona had ridden gleefully on the back of Val's bike. "This is going to be epic," Rio exulted. "That's right," I joked tragically. "We are five teenagers in school uniforms going into a place that constantly lays down new sawdust to cover up all the blood." "Hey, Sissy-Boy," Rio punched me, "this is on my Bucket List, so don't wimp out on me now." We quickly paired up, Rio with Mercy and Iona with me. Val, Valkyrie went in alone as she felt that would increase her odds of survival. She also wore her Stormriders' patch and colors. Unfortunately, the rest of her gang was two thousand miles away. "Rio," Valerie coughed as she handed Rio a switchblade. Rio snickered, flipped the blade out several times in quick succession before stealthily stashing it into her waist band. 'Thank God,' I thought, 'she actually knows how to use a knife.' The double doors leading into the bar/club were propped open so we migrated in as a group. People didn't stop and stare but they managed a passable job of telling us to 'get the hell out' with their eyes alone. Valerie led us to the bar where the lone bartender took his time getting to us. The guy was going for the chest hair with a black leather vest look along with copious amounts of facial hair. "We don't serve kids," he growled out when he stopped in front of Valkyrie. "We are not high school kids, we are not cops; we are college kids who need a damn drink, not a lecture. So are you going to give us shit or a beer, because there must be a dozen lame college dumps we can go slumming at." "Who are you?" he grumbled. "Valkyrie, Stormriders," Valerie answered. "What is your name?" he persisted. "Valerie Palmer," she shrugged. "Are you kin of Mad Dog Palmer?" he inquired. "Dude, no one calls him Mad Dog who wants to live, and he's my grandfather," she smiled. "Got it," the bartender gave a sinister grin. "What are you doing here?" "My Dad divorced my Mom and became a born again Christian," she informed the guy. "Harsh; so are these kids yours?" he asked; meaning the rest of us. "They are not members but I consider them my associates," Valkyrie allowed. The bartender shrugged and started handing out beers. Val pulled out a roll of bills and paid for our first round. Val and I took slow steady pulls on our drinks. Rio downed hers in two chugs. Mercy and Iona took tentative sips and made disgusted faces as a result. I paid for Rio's second round. "It tastes awful," Iona whispered to me. "Pretend you are drinking it then. Beer is not for everyone," I assured her, and letting her see my smile dispelled any thought that I felt less of her for being different. "Rio," Mercy tried next. "Drink it," Rio demanded. "Do it, and I'll screw you with the bottle; don't, and I'll pour it over your head and shirt." Mercy choked on her response and took a swig of beer. "You annoy the hell out of me, Mercy," Rio reacted in a warmer tone. I looked at Valerie; she looked to me and nodded. Things could be working out far worse. I noticed six biker babes playing pool off in the darkest corner. I didn't think they were a problem but two of them kept giving me the eye. I hoped my current group of women would provide me shielding. A group of ten bikers came rolling into the place, laughing, punching, and doing other masculine bonding rituals. They noted the five out-of-place newcomers at the bar but didn't seem put out until I saw these two guys in the pack and they saw me. We had a bit of history that went all the way back to a bad night for me on a bench in a communal jail cell. Perhaps I suggested that if they didn't get out of my way, I would shove their heads through the bars of the cell. I was in for two counts of assault and they were in for minor drug possession so they backed down. By the look on their faces, they remembered that night, oh, fuck. "Guys!" I cried out. I came off my stool and quickly walked up to the closer of the two. He actually took a step back into one of his buddies. "It is good to see you, Man," I kept grinning. I stepped up, put my left hand on his right elbow to propel his hand up. I clasped his palm and shook it, chest to chest. "A week ago we were all in lock-up together, I was totally wasted, and this guy and his buddy (I nodded to the second guy) saved my ass. Let me buy all of you guys the first two rounds," I offered. The guy who was clearly the dominant member gave my 'buddy' a look. He figured something wasn't right but he didn't know what it was. The two bikers in the cell hadn't talked about their facedown with some college kid since they'd backed off without a fight. "That's about right, Zane," the guy holding my hand said. "Those two guys get out of the hospital?" he continued as we walked as a group to the bar. "Yeah, I administered a warning more than a lesson," I shrugged. "I wanted them to leave my ladies alone. The point was made. The whole jail thing was the Sheriff getting me back for a fight I was in the previous weekend but no one pressed charges." That earned me some knowing chuckles. Beers were handed out; I paid for this round and the next, my heart finally calming down from the near catastrophe. "Gus, what's with the little girls?" the leader addressed the bartender. He titled his head toward Valkyrie. Her colors gave her the higher status. "The little one is with Zane and those two (Rio and Mercy) are together," Valarie answered deadpan. The big guy put his hand on Iona's shoulder while looking at me. "Mind if I take your girl for a dance," he didn't ask, he told me. "You take your hand off of her and I'll forget you touched my girl," I stated with a quiet calm coming over me. "If I don't?" he taunted me. "I don't play twenty questions," I warned him. "Seriously, dude, you want to get into a fight over a girl barely out of a training bra?" Valerie tried to make light of the situation. "She's his sister." The leader let go of Iona and stepped back. "She's your sister? Why in the hell did you bring you sister to this place?" he was curious. "Are you trying to tell me this place isn't 'family friendly'?" I grinned, finally taking a real breath. "That's a fucked-up way to look at things but yes, I guess it is," he chuckled. He reached past Iona and took his beer. Everyone around us relaxed again. "What were you going to do?" he idly asked me. "Since you had your left hand on Iona and your right was going for that steel rod you use as a sap, I was going crush your trachea then introduce your forehead to the bar," I explained. "That might have killed me," he noted. "Nothing personal, but I had nine more bodies to put down," I reminded him. "I would have given us better than even odds that we would be getting out of here," Valerie joined in. "So you really kicked Dog-Boy and Sticks off their bench?" he changed direction. Apparently, then, some in the gang did know. "They were a bit stoned and I was really pissed off," I exaggerated. "That makes sense; they are idiots," the leader grinned. A group of four more bikers with the same colors as the current crop came in. The guy we'd been talking with and five others broke off and headed to the rear of the establishment to seats around two circular tables. The four guys remaining gathered around Rio and Mercy. One guy put a hand on Mercy's shoulder. "Come on out and see my ride," he grinned at a surprisingly calm Mercy. "Hands off," Rio sneered, "I own the bitch." That caused the four men to look at each other. "Don't worry, I rent her out from time to time," Rio acted nonchalant. Two of the guys closed in, one running a hand down Mercy's shoulder and thigh while the other put a hand on each of her hips. "How much?" he growled. "We can take her into the bathroom right now." "Nope," Rio shrugged. "She's got tests at school tomorrow and I've got her busy all weekend long, but write down your number and I'll call you. Zane, pen." I tossed Rio a pen who handed it to the biggest biker. The guy looked Rio, then to her hand. "No," Rio snickered. "Mercy, off the stool and lean over the bar," she emphasized with a slap to the ass. Mercy scrambled to obey. Rio smiled at the dude then flipped Mercy's skirt up, wedged her already slender lacy underwear into her ass crack. Rio smacked a cheek. "Here you go." "Hell, ya," he laughed, as he scrawled his name and number over Mercy's proffered ass cheek. "Are you sure you are going to remember this?" "Oh, yeah; I'm going to be pounding this ass most of the night when I get her home," Rio told him. "I thought you said she had tests tomorrow," the third guy joked. "So do I, and that means I've got a lot of stress to work through," Rio grinned shark-like. "She's going to have to suck it up." That earned another round of laughs. "You really, truly annoy the hell out of me, Mercy," Rio snorted. Mercy resumed her barstool, turned to face Rio and sipped her beer once more. The warming radiance of Mercy's smile was both tragic and sweet. I stole a look toward Iona who had a wide-eyed curious look about her and ended up at Valarie, who looked relieved enough to finally put her back to the bar and look around. We were into our second beer (still Iona and Mercy's first and Rio's fourth) when our sense of ease began floundering. One of the biker chicks that had been playing pool came over to get a round of beers for her outfit. "Candy-ass whores," the woman taunted Rio as she picked up the six beers and walked away. Rio looked to me, somewhat confused and then outraged, and ended up with a glance to Valarie. "What did you say?" Rio sounded disarmingly curious to the biker chick. "You heard me," the woman scoffed. Rio was off the stool like a shot and brought her beer down on the biker chick's head. "Iona, stay close behind me," I hissed. I motioned to Mercy to get her attention. Before the woman could right herself, Rio kicked her in the thigh. As she stumbled forward, all of her beers crashed to the sawdust on the ground. Since the target of her wrath wasn't face-planting fast enough, Rio linked her fists together and hammer-slammed the chick between the shoulder blades; down she went. "I told you to repeat what you said, Bitch!" Rio screamed as she kicked the fallen woman in the ribs. At that point, three of the biker chick's closest companions descended on Rio and pulled her away. Valarie gestured to me to stay seated and I got Mercy's attention and kept her on her stool as well. "Hold her up," growled the biker girl Rio had decked. "What did you say, Bitch?" Rio snarled right back. "Lose the bull-dykes and I'll make you taste my shoe leather." "She's trying to get killed," Valarie whispered to me. Iona tensed with fear. "No, she's trying to get us all killed," I responded softly. "Let's take her outside," the first biker babe suggested as Rio struggled and kicked, attempting to free herself. "No," a different girl directed. "Let's take her to the john; I have an idea." The other women laughed and began dragging Rio away. "Zane!" Rio called out, "We are about to have a Leather Lesbian Slut orgy. Join in anytime you like." That was my cue to get my ass kicked. I moved to intervene, Val on my left between me and the worst of the crowd, Mercy to my right, and Iona taking up the rear. Sadly, a guy around my height but with a beer gut decided that I wasn't going to have an easy time of it. "No, you don't," he threatened. It was pretty clear four or five other guys were ready to jump in. Rio's cursing form disappeared behind the doors. I didn't have much time before Rio incensed the biker chicks so much they throttled her. "Do you have a gun?" I asked with as much patience as I could muster. He grinned evilly, pulled back his vest, and showed me the automatic he had stuck into his belt. I waited until his hand released the vest and moved toward his hip. I snatched the gun, flipped it around and rammed the barrel into his stomach. The only sound in the place was the four overhead fans and some Chris Rock wannabe belting it out over the stereo system. Rio's screams were becoming shriller. "I don't appreciate you pointing a gun at one of my brothers," a different man said. He was one of the group of four that had arrived earlier but I had the impression he was 'somebody'. "I'm really busy right now but I promise to deal with you when I retrieve my friend; okay?" I didn't wait for his response because I was sure it would suck. "Do you want me to feed you your gun back one bullet at a time?" I prodded the guy I had the gun on? He looked around for the moral support from his gang members. "Do it and you are dead," he countered with what I felt was false bravado. "That will hardly do you any good," I grinned as I cocked the hammer back. "Do you want your gun back?" "Ah, yes?" the biker gulped. "Are you going to let me get my girl and get her out of here?" I asked. "Ah, sure?" he seemed confused. I un-cocked the gun, flipped the handhold around and offered him his piece, grip first. No one appeared to know what to make of that. As if expecting a trick, the guy moved slowly. When he took it, I made to move past him. "You be careful now," I told him. He cocked the gun and pressed it into the side of my ribs. "Fuck you," he managed to get out before the 'click' and the point of Valkyrie's blade dug into his jugular, drawing a line of blood. "You really are too fucking stupid to live," Val seethed. "I'm Valkyrie of the Stormriders," she challenged the room. "We wage war on the Hell's Angels and the Mongols so some two-bit outfit like you Warlords doesn't bother me in the least. I'll bleed every one of you fuckers. Your bitch picked a fight with our bitch and you wouldn't man up and deal with it so now my friends will," she growled. "Zane, go get Rio." I nodded quickly and moved past the guy with the gun. "Iona with me; Mercy, you watch Valkyrie's back," I ordered. Iona clung to my back while Mercy hesitantly moved back to back with Val. She wanted to come with us and save Rio, no doubt. I raced over to the women's bathroom and flung open the door. Four sets of eyes riveted me as I came in. The other two women were busy shoving Rio headfirst into one of the toilets. The rest of us were facing knives and guns and Rio was about to get a swirlie. "Hi," I stammered. The two women holding Rio down backed out of the stall and joined the stand-off. "Zane, what fucking took you so long?" Rio panted. She staggered out and looked Iona and I over. "Where the fuck is Mercy?" Rio sounded concerned. "You stupid cow!" I snapped. "We are about to be murdered because of you, damn it." "You left Mercy out there with those animals?" Rio screeched back. She tried to push past the other biker chicks but thankfully didn't get very far. I'd have decked her myself. "Would you please give us our friend back," I requested after taking a deep breath. I was about to be told 'no' when one of the other bikers stepped into the light and I made her out clearly for the first time. "You're, I started to say. "You are Zane Braxton," she stated. "The guy who fucked your sister for an hour?" the lady closest to the lead girl asked. "Yeah," she leered. "He's the kid from the DVD she sent me and her husband, the bitch." Yes, this was the twin sister of the Sheriff's Deputy I'd had a three-way with. Didn't she work at a college club as a bartender? What a small damn world. The whole atmosphere of the room changed. Rio shrugged off the hands holding on to her but didn't bolt. "Rio, take Iona out to the others and wait for me in the parking lot," I insisted. "No, Zane. I'm not leaving you here to take Rio's beating," Iona resisted. Rio wasn't abandoning me either. I reached out and stroked Iona's hair and put my keys in her hand. "It will be okay. No one is going to kill anyone here tonight. Now I need you to go so I can settle up accounts," I grinned down at her with only a twinge of worry. Rio resolved the matter by taking Iona by the hand and dragging her out. Iona looked to be on the verge of tears. Rio's eyes told me she's suddenly sobered up and was regretting leaving me in harm's way. I looked back at the six women and the one oddity chipped away at my senses but I didn't know what to make of it. "So, how's your husband?" was the only, and rather lame, thing I could think to say. "I think he's turned State's Evidence against the Aryan Nation," she shrugged. "I thought your husband was some sort of hardened criminal," I inquired. "Ha," several of the chicks chuckled. "Zane, my husband is an accountant," she clarified with some amusement at my expense. "But, weapons charges, he was laundering money?" I pieced it together. "Good job, College boy," the 'strange' woman congratulated me. "Let's get you out of here before someone takes offense," the leader said. "Give me your number and we'll walk you out. I'm Belle, by the way." She offered her hand and I foolishly kissed it. I quickly gave up my digits, then we did a series of handshakes, French kisses and introductions. When the 'strange' woman's turn came, she introduced herself as Willa. I wanted to fucking cry because just looking at a woman will tell me a good deal about her person, a handshake even more, and a kiss is freaking El Dorado. Willa was a biker chick but she was also college educated, had a regimented training background, and was the only woman in the room who was looking for a way to not hurt Rio, very service-minded of her. "There may be a problem," I interrupted as we headed for the door. "There is this guy," I described the guy I took the gun from, "who I took his gun and threatened him with it. This other guy," I painted a portrait of the authoritative guy, "told me he was pissed with the whole gun thing." All the women stopped and looked at one another. "Zane, where is the gun?" Belle questioned me. "I gave it back to him once he agreed that I could come in here and retrieve Rio, my friend," I answered. "It is a damn miracle you aren't dead," Willa scowled. "I would have been but my other buddy, Val, put a knife to his throat. I left her with Rio's companion covering her back," I explained. "She's kind of tough." "That the one with Stormrider colors?" Belle asked. "Yeah. She's Valarie Palmer, my classmate as FFU," I told them. "Is she Damien Palmer's little girl?" Willa guessed. "She's his oldest granddaughter; is that important?" I inquired. The women seemed nervously amused by my ignorance. "He's a God-damn legend, Zane," Belle said. "Damien Palmer once took the Stormriders to a Mongol gathering in Las Vegas. Outnumbered three to one, they kicked serious ass, cleared out the place, and he ended the fight by grabbing a Mongol chapter president and some other poor Mongol bastard, jumped out a fifth-story balcony, and used their bodies to cushion his fall. I doubt prison has mellowed him much." "Your problems are a little more immediate. The guy whose gun you took is Big Ted, he's a moron. That 'other guy' is Deacon, Warlord chapter president for Northern Virginia," Willa weighed in. "Is he going to let my girls go?" I fretted. "Let's go and find out," Belle shrugged. We stepped out, Belle in the lead, followed by Willa, then me, then the rest. There were a few guys standing by the doors watching something. No one was jumping around or nursing serious wounds so I hoped the girls had exited. "Belle, the kid and I need to have a word out back," Deacon ordered confidently. "Deacon, my sister is keeping an eye on this guy," Belle suggested. "It may not be a good idea to put him in the hospital." "We can't let him push Big Ted around; it is happening," Deacon declared. "Big Ted," she looked to the guy I'd punked, "you want to kick Zane's ass out front?" Belle left Big Ted in the awkward position of taking his chances with me or looking weak in front of his gang. "I'll hand him his nuts," Big Ted growled. Deacon gave his consent and the club emptied out into the front lot. My girls were huddled around my car and Valarie's bike. Rio looked like she was going to do something stupid like run up to me but Mercy and Val held her back. I was actually relieved to see that Iona was behind the wheel of my car with the engine running. The Warlords spread out in a rough semi-circle with Deacon, Big Ted and Belle in the center. I had backed up about ten feet toward the road, facing the Warlords, when Big Ted came for me. He was about my height but around fifty pounds heavier, thus the name Big Ted. The Warlord flexed his arms and did some kind of primitive gesture meant to intimidate me. "So do we start with 'ready, set, go' or what?" I questioned. That brought a round of laughter from the motorcycle gang and Big Ted looked over his shoulder to share in their mirth. My first kick caught him in the nuts, the second one caught him in the chest and knocked him down, and the third saw me stomping on his nut sack once again. I swept around him and kicked him in the head hard enough, he rolled over twice in the dust. Ted was seriously unconscious. For ten seconds no one said a word. Any hope I had of getting away with my underhanded win began to fade when Deacon came forward. "You come to my roadhouse, beat up one of my people, and expect to get away with it?" he grumbled. "Deacon, I am so very sorry this happened. My friends and I only wanted to come by, have a few beers, and let my buddy Val soak in the kind of establishment she was used to going to, namely a biker bar," I said carefully. "Things were said, my best bud went a little nuts, and the shit got out of hand. How can I make it up to you?" "What the fuck can you do for me?" Deacon sneered. "Five thousand dollars?" I threw out there. He studied me. "You have that kind of money?" he questioned me. "Absolutely; I can have you the money tomorrow at six p.m." I promised. "Don't fuck up," he stated with menace, "or I will hunt you and your friends down. Got it?" "Understood," I pledged. Deacon snorted in disdain and headed back inside. The rest of the Warlords were heading inside with a few dragging Ted in and I finally let my focus expand beyond my immediate environs. The car pulling up was still unexpected. I knew the shape of the person who stepped out of the Sheriff's cruiser. "Zane," Sheriff's Deputy Tara Cavanaugh greeted me happily. "Belle," she said to her sister with far less warmth. "Zane, what brings you here?" "A schoolmate of mine is a motorcyclist; she wanted to see what a biker bar was like so we ended up here." "We couldn't get in because we are only eighteen but another friend of mine got sick and had to go to the bathroom. Belle was good enough to get her out," I lied. "Zane, you have sawdust on your shoes," Tara pointed out. "I had to go part of the way in to get my friend," I grinned feebly. "Zane, are you lying to me?" Tara frowned. "Yes," I admitted. "The truth is only going to cause a whole lot of trouble, though." "Wow, morally flexible where the law is concerned," Belle licked her lips. "Of course we already knew he was all kinds of flexible, didn't we?" "Usually the point where I start being talked about like a piece of meat is my cue to leave," I stated crossly. "Deputy Cavanaugh, may I leave now?" "Beat it, Zane," Tara told me. "Thanks, Deputy; take care, Belle. It was nice to meet you and thanks for all your help," I thanked her before rejoining my companions. Valarie drove alone in the lead. The rest of us followed in my car, sans conversation. Sorting Through One Helluva Mess We kept our silence until we stepped out of the elevator on the fifth floor. Valarie grabbed Rio ferociously, slammed her into the wall with one hand holding Rio's right bicep while her forearm was pressed so it choked Rio's throat. "You stupid, crazy bitch!" Valarie howled. "You could have gotten us all killed!" I looped an arm around Mercy's waist before she could go charging to Rio's rescue, and have Valarie beat her up. "Hang on, Mercy; I'll work this out," I whispered. She nodded but her concern was burning through. It was heart-warming to see Iona put an arm through Mercy's in what would be a futile gesture to keep Mercy still if things went bad. "Get your hands off me, Cum-dumpster," Rio snarled, followed by some choking noises as Valerie applied pressure to her windpipe. Next Rio tried to kick Valerie but the bigger woman deflected it with her thigh. It was time for me to step up. "I've got this, Valerie," I told her calmly. Valerie stepped back because she figured her next option was to beat Rio black and blue. I moved into Valerie's place but put my hands to either side of Rio's shoulders. "Rio, this is done; let's put it aside and go to bed early if you want, but I want to ask you one thing if you'll let me," I asked softly. "Fuck off, Zane," Rio rumbled, "I'm not in the mood for one of your mind games." "Okay," I shrugged. "To the Bitter End," I nodded. "To the Bitter End," she muttered back, her eyes drooping to the ground. "We are done," I told the rest of the crowd. Valerie snorted angrily and I figured she'd either bitch me out or never speak to me again. Rio grabbed me before I got away. "I, damn it, Zane, I screwed up again," she choked back a sob. "I'm fine, Rio. I signed on for the crazy so I have no one to blame but myself," I reassured her. "What did you want to ask me?" she sighed as she put her cheek on my chest. "Bro, I can't keep charging in to save you and keep Iona safe at the same time. What am I going to do?" I inquired. "Sorry, Man. I fucked up big time," she moaned. "I don't know why it happened." "That doesn't matter, Rio. Let's call it a night," I said serenely. We started to break up and I could see Valerie still glaring hate at me and Rio. "Rio, do me a favor?" "What?" Rio sounded dejected. "What was the second and, third thing you asked me in the bathroom?" I inquired. Rio snapped her face up toward me, angry and upset. "Don't," she insisted. "I have a near-eidetic memory so if you don't remember, I do," Iona chimed in. "Shut up, you two," Rio snarled. "Rio, I have had it with you. Jump and I'll kick in your teeth," Val seethed in response. Mercy looked ready to jump in too. "You said 'Where is, I began. "Don't, damn it," Rio growled, but she could see I wasn't going to relent. "Fine," she groaned in defeat. "I asked where Mercy was, then I bitched you out for leaving her with those 'animals'. Happy now?" "Pretty much, yeah," I tried not to sound pleased with myself. What I did accomplish was put a glimmer of understanding in Valerie's mind. A few seconds later Mercy clued in too. "Oh, Rio," Mercy teared up, "you didn't have to worry." "I swear, if you cry I'm going to shove so many ice cubes up your cunt, your eyes will shimmer like a snow globe," Rio swore to Mercy. "Rio," Valerie sighed with exasperation, "Learn how to fight, and more importantly, learn when not to fight." In the pack dynamic, going off and picking your own fight was nuts; fighting for someone in your group was totally different. By the uncomplicated code that nomads lived by, you stuck up for your own, and that made all the difference to Valerie. Rio was still crazy and could have gotten us all killed, but she'd done it for another member of the group; in this, case, Mercy. That demanded a reprimand, not expulsion. "How about we go up to Zane's and have some ice-cream?" Iona suggested. "We have ice-cream?" Rio perked up. "When did this happen?" "Rio," Iona sighed wearily, "we put them in on the first day. They are two 1950's style ice-cream freezers, one opposite the close showers and the other down by the far kitchenette." "Mercy," Rio grinned fiercely, "Bring several wash cloths to bed tonight. I'm going to cover your nipples with mint chocolate chip and lick it off." I wondered if Mercy could actually orgasm to death, she certainly looked ready to. "I thought you were going to, Mercy turned to Rio and patted her own behind. "Pound-cake, what makes you think you are getting any sleep tonight?" Rio chastised Mercy, then spanked her ass. "Rio, are you bi-polar?" Val ground out. "One second you are weeping on Zane's shoulder and the next you are engaging in kinky foreplay with your girlfriend." "She's not my girlfriend, she's my toy," Rio corrected. "Also, this shit ain't over. I know Zane jumped on a grenade meant for me but I can't do anything about it right now. I know I put us all in danger, again, nothing I can do about it at the moment. I do know that when I find that bitch Belle or any of her girl-pals, I'm going upside their heads with a pool cue, though." "Gosh," mused Iona, "I should figure out what I want on my tombstone." "Mine is going to read 'didn't kill Rio Talon soon enough'," griped Valerie. "Hardy-har-har," grumped Rio. "You are acting like they'll ever find our bodies." "You annoy me," Mercy whispered to Rio before licking her ear. "Careful, you," Rio smirked. "Ice cubes-cunt snow globe." I was thankful when I got to the door lock, entered my code, and held the door for them to head up. I tagged Valerie at the top of the stairs. She looked at me with annoyance but softened to curiosity when she saw my concern. "Zane," Vivian called out before I got anywhere. "We need to talk." That was depressing. "Val, I need to ask you something important. Can you please wait?" I asked the biker babe. "Sure," she promised before heading to get a drink. I walked with Vivian into my bedroom area. At the foot of the bed was laid out a skirt, shirt, bra, panties and socks. The shoes were on the floor. The owner was no mystery. Reclining on the pillows was Paige. She was clothed, sort of. She was decked out all in brilliant red: stockings, garter belt, silky panties, and a gauze-like bra that highlighted her pale breasts perfectly. Her flesh radiated like freshly fallen snow and her hair flowed forth from my pillow like a glacier crafted by spiders into a delicate web. "Hey," I sighed hungrily. "Hey," Paige responded in a rich sultry voice. "Paige!" Vivian snapped. "How did you get past me?" "I'm a ghost-panthress stalking my prey," Paige leered. "With the way Zane's heart is pounding, I'm doing a good job of it too." "Get up, put on a robe, and leave the room now," Vivian insisted. "Oh," groaned Paige as she rolled over and shook her delicious shaped bottom at me, "I'm so tired. I need someone's help in getting out of bed." Yes, I wanted to go to the bed right then, but it had nothing to do with helping Paige actually get out of that bed or that position. "I'll take care of her," I told Vivian. I walked to a wardrobe across the room, opened it up, and took a look around inside. Vivian walked behind me and gasped. "What are you doing with all these robes, all these women's robes, Zane?" Vivian muttered. "I got them predicated on the notion that I would have women up here. I thought it would be considerate of me to give them a choice of what to wear," I indicated my selection. "How did you smuggle them all in here?" Vivian wondered. "We have mail service, Vivian. I ordered them online." She seemed confused. The university didn't block clothing sites from their computer network. I pulled out a short red one with a white and black tiger circling on the back and showed it to Paige. "Oh, cool, I'll look like a Bangkok whore," Paige sounded conflicted. "Actually, this one is from China so that would make you a White Russian Shanghai hooker," I corrected. "Oh, I like that," Paige purred as she crawled over to my side of the bed on all fours. &qu

The FF Dynasty, Season 1, Episode 7: @Chev90, Joseph (@KoalatyStats), + Jeremiah (@CoachRetzlaff1) Unlock NFL Picks strategies with high-odds SGPs, inverse correlation plays, and explosive player targeting...we break down: -How to structure multi-leg plays -Using inverse correlation to maximize odds. -High-value targets and “bring-back” plays to juice your tickets. -Game-specific analysis -- Analytical Models + Predictions powered by @KoalityStats -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Breakouts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Positive Regression⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 5 Star Contest ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --

Send us a textWhat if the greatest obstacle in your leadership journey isn't the market, your team, or your circumstances—but the enemy within?In this powerful episode of the Starter Girlz Podcast, host Jennifer Loehding sits down with Darin Newbold, former COO, Army National Guard captain, and certified Enneagram & Purpose Factor coach, to unpack the turning point that changed everything: the moment he realized the real roadblock to growth was himself.Darin shares the shift that helped him recognize his own patterns, step into deeper self-awareness, and develop the tools he now uses to help others discover purpose, regulate emotions, and lead with clarity. From confronting imposter syndrome to transforming internal pressure into purpose, this conversation will inspire you to look inward and lead differently.What You'll Learn in This Episode:✅ How to recognize and overcome self-sabotage as a leader✅ The moment Darin realized the real enemy was in the mirror✅ The Bold GPS Framework for aligning identity and direction✅ Why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership✅ How the Enneagram can reveal blind spots and emotional triggers✅ Tools for managing emotional activation and reframing internal pressure✅ Daily mindfulness practices to build courage, clarity, and emotional stability✅ What it really means to redefine success and build a lasting legacyWhether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, coach, or team leader, this conversation will help you lead yourself first so you can lead others with authenticity and impact. If you've ever struggled with inner resistance, uncertainty, or the pressure to perform, this episode will give you frameworks, language, and tools to grow from the inside out.Connect with Darin Newbold:

Brian is a dynamic entrepreneur who defines resilience with his story. He is the most decorated BBQ competition winner in New York State, but it took 5 years for him to go from his first competition, to his first trophy. Later, opening a restaurant that has become an East Rochester staple in Good Smoke, Brian shares the resilient story of how he and his wife have built one of Rochester's most well respected BBQ brands.Mentioned in this episode:Mind of MagnusCheck out Mind of Magnus at magnusapollo.com, and leave him factoids at 585-310-2473! https://mind-of-magnus.captivate.fmLevel Up Coffee PodcastLevel Up your coffee game. Wade Reed and Aaron Pascucci, two coffee professionals discuss coffee and the culture surrounding it. https://levelupcoffee.captivate.fm/Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that lifts everyone.Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com

PROJECT AUDION 74: Eno Crime Clues In the Spirit of the Spooky Season, Project Audion goes back 90 years for our latest recreation! From the early days of the classic era of audio drama, we're bringing to life a unique ghost-story/murder-mystery episode of a radio series which is now so forgotten that it might well be a ghost: Eno Crime Clues. Mind you, in the early 1930s Eno Crime Clues was a major radio hit, airing hundred of episodes about detective Spencer Dean (known as "The Manhunter") and his partner, Dan Cassidy. Eno "Fruit Salts" (which are still around today) was the sponsor. Many of the shows were two-parters, with the audience invited to guess the killer at the end of the first episode. But this particular lost script from 1936 (late in the series' run) took the show in a new direction. You know how Orson Welles' War of the Worlds made such an impact by making the story sound like a genuine on-the-spot broadcast? Turns out he wasn't the first. This Crime Clues episode tried the same trick over two years earlier, using a real location, the show's genuine announcer and director, and a remote broadcast which -- well, you'll just have to listen... Our Cast: TOM KONKLE in California PAUL ARBISI in Illinois HOLLY ADAMS in NY DOUGLAS HERMANN in California PAUL PATTERSON in Georgia DAVID RIES also in Georgia KEN RANEY in Texas PAUL KOVIT in New York and LARRY GROEBE, directing from Texas

www.verywisealternatives.com WOW WOW The things we **beLIEve** fall F0R - Protect your MIND

Here's your weekly reading! We are in pre-retrograde shadow, let's prepare to maximize the energy of this last mercury retrograde of 2025. It will set us up for 2026 in a very big way. 

Vera Junge, Volunteer Coordinator of Unity Hospice and Palliative Care, explains their novel program which cares for pets of clients who happen to be in hospice called Pets Peace of Mind.  Volunteers walk dogs, feed pets, change cat litter, play with pets, change the paper for Guinea pigs, whatever it takes. The organization also will drive pets […]

This podcast series explores a game-changing understanding of the human mind that operates “Before Psychology” — the secret source that exponentially increases peace, performance, and potential for any individual or organisation.   “You Can't Train Flow — You Can Only Stop Interrupting It”  

We are seeing what looks like strong progress towards greater peace in different regions of the world. These powerful steps normally come with challenges as the diabolical elements will always try to disrupt attempts to bring order and decency to society. Daniel O'Connor explains how important it is that we take opportunities like these and step up what we can do to help them be more effective for our faith and our world. ------------------------------- More about Daniel O'Connor HERE: https://dsdoconnor.com/ Daniel's YouTube Channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@DSDOConnor ------------------------------- Find out more about the Rosary Coalition HERE: https://rosarycoalition.com/usgf ------------------------------- Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKZ9OefEJLEx1qYcBxgAFww/join -------------------------------- PATREON - Help support this podcast by becoming a US Grace Force PATRON here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=25398590 -------------------------------- Check out ROMAN CATHOLIC GEAR and get amazing Catholic gear for the battle of your life! Click HERE: https://romancatholicgear.com/USGF -------------------------------- Subscribe to our NEW US Grace Force YouTube channel! US GRACE FORCE 2.0. Don't miss any new, great content!! https://youtube.com/@USGraceForce2.0?si=zq47qEqPITXnIDkg -------------------------------- Join the US Grace Force Team HERE: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001ESuSGaJpYPCG2iUdd4j4bkKwd4gkh2ZUVbam_Ty9rCn6blH6_U3cI2D8UvSLEcSzHnC4eq2UWmK1I0SbEw0SPKqnkZ2j0Z4J4D-_m4dD6CKJU9day-bBa8Qnx4dv7RLDIVlYAjL1JWsjfUTNPH2jQIVY9gbdbz4O4oMIzv5V1dT_upQsD8cX86iq_5Y-x4eLrTVtdOmA24s%3D&fbclid=IwY2xjawFRvvdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdo526R1rgNAIW76yyQnVbo957e1TgOoQ4RH3Tr84D8376Y7jng09gtlOw_aem_H7Y7Ej6cF6-nPyfOZ4qMTQ -------------------------------- PRAY THE ROSARY: The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUr5UzrV63I -------------------------------- The Joyful Mysteries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMAR9MEN1pE&t=656s --------------------------------- The Sorrowful Mysteries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHUkx66oAxE&t=311s --------------------------------- The Glorious Mysteries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg_JWsxS6EA&t=207s --------------------------------- The Luminous Mysteries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVL5CqBr3CA&t=198s --------------------------------- The Full Rosary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44zL1kFIvP8&t=1765s --------------------------------- Be Ready Emergency Preparedness Course: Be prepared to Care for and Protect your Family in times of Natural Disasters, Emergencies, Civil Unrest, Economic Collapse, and more. Sign up for the course HERE: https://brcoalition.com/ --------------------------------- Go HERE to check out the BR Coalition and get great training Body, Mind & Soul! https://brcoalition.com/ Become part of one of the fastest growing online Catholic Membership sites. --------------------------------- Get your hands on some great US Grace Force T-shirts! https://us-grace-force.creator-spring.com/ --------------------------------- The seven promises given to St Bridget of Sweden for those who devote themselves to her Seven Sorrows. 1. I will grant peace to their families. 2. They will be enlightened about the Divine Mysteries. 3. I will console them in their pains, and I will accompany them in their work. 4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son or the sanctification of their souls. 5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives. 6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother. 7. I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

The FF Dynasty, Season 9, Episode 99: Casey + @KoalatyStats are back with a Dynasty Fantasy Football Breakouts & Trade Targets episode powered by PWOPR — the best predictive metric in football. -- Analytical Models + Predictions powered by @KoalityStats https://koalatystats.substack.com -- Free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 5 Star Contest ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --

In this talk, Jomon Sensei continues the autumn Ango practice period by exploring passages from the ancient Zen poem Affirming Faith in Mind. Through multiple translations and reflections, she examines how striving—whether for worldly success or inner enlightenment—entangles us in duality. She invites us to rest in simplicity and let the “way be invisible,” seeing that stillness and motion, comfort and discomfort, are inseparable expressions of oneness. With warmth and humor, she shows how retreat practice and daily life both reveal the same truth: reality is not perfect, permanent, or personal.This talk was given at the Vancouver Zen Group on October 21st 2025. ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode 09 - David Jay Brown and Juliana Garces: DMT Entities: Visions David and Juliana take us on ride through the world of DMT entities! Why are they so common in the DMT space? Why do so many of us see the same ones? What is their message for humanity? There are so many fascinating intersections to explore on this incredibly mysterious and captivating topic! Tune in to see where it takes you! Also, the intro celebrates the 105th birthday of Timothy Leary!   David Jay Brown is the author of The Illustrated Field Guide to DMT Entities, Dreaming Wide Awake: Lucid Dreaming, Shamanic Healing and Psychedelics, and The New Science of Psychedelics: At the Nexus of Culture, Consciousness, and Spirituality. He is also the coauthor of seven bestselling volumes of interviews with leading-edge thinkers, Mavericks of the Mind, Voices from the Edge, Conversations on the Edge of the Apocalypse, Mavericks of Medicine, Frontiers of Psychedelic Consciousness, Women of Visionary Art, and Psychedelics and the Coming Singularity. Additionally, Brown is the author of two science fiction novels, Brainchild and Virus, and he is the coauthor of the health science book Detox with Oral Chelation. Brown holds a master's degree in psychobiology from New York University, and was responsible for the California-based research in two of British biologist Rupert Sheldrake's books on unexplained phenomena in science: Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home and The Sense of Being Stared At. His work has appeared in numerous magazines, including Wired, Discover, and Scientific American, and he was the Senior Editor of the special edition, themed MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) Bulletins. Brown is currently working on an oracle deck for Inner Traditions based on Timothy Leary's 8-Circuit model of consciousness and the DMT Entities with Sara Phinn Huntley and Rachel Turetzky. To find out more about his work see: www.davidjaybrown.com Juliana Garces is a visionary artist and spiritual seeker, whose work reflects her deep commitment to raising the collective consciousness. Her journey with art is a continuous exploration of how visual forms can transcend language and open pathways to the infinite. Grounded in her daily spiritual practices, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, and deep study of mysticism, her work reflects visions and experiences from realms that words cannot fully describe. Juliana sees herself simply as a channel for cosmic creativity, doing her best to step aside and let the visions flow through her. She doesn't view the work as her own, but rather as something greater that she's fortunate to be part of. By tapping into the infinite space within all of us, she hopes to create pieces that serve as gentle reminders for others to reconnect with their own eternal nature. 

Exposing Technocracy's Assault on Body, Mind, and Sovereignty – From Wearable Traps to Biotech Tyranny ⚔️Join us for the third riveting episode of Technocracy Roundtable LIVE: Bio-Digital Betrayal: Precision AI Medicine, MAHA/MABA, Wearables & the Convergence Onslaught – where the Knights of the Roundtable expose technocracy's assault on body, mind, and sovereignty, from wearable traps to biotech tyranny.

John continues his conversation with Dr. Subra Mukherjee. In Part 1, Dr. Subra shared her journey of becoming a mind mapping coach, explained what mind mapping is, who it is useful for, and how it can be done. In this episode, she talks about her C.O.C.P. framework (Clarity, Organization, Creativity, Productivity), how mind mapping helps in daily life, her TEDx journey, and much more! Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [01:23] - Dr. Subra's flagship program: C.O.C.P. [05:17] - Use of mind mapping across the world [07:11] - Impact of Dr. Subra's relationships on her business [12:42] - Dr. Subra's definition of success [14:45] - Becoming a TEDx speaker [17:47] - Traits of a great leader [19:25] - How she invests in her growth [20:58] - Legacy that Dr. Subra wants to leave behind [21:55] - How to connect with Dr. Subra [22:37] - Dr. Subra's upcoming book [26:21] - Books and podcasts recommendation [29:00] - Closing thoughts NOTABLE QUOTES: “Mind mapping is not just the diagram; that is only the final output. It's the process you take to reach that final output that automatically boosts your creativity.” “If the relationships are not good at home, it shows up in different aspects of life.” “Some of the best leaders I have met in my life are the ones who have created space for others to grow. They are the ones who are very empathetic and have excellent listening skills.” “If I can do it, anybody can do it. Actually, it's nothing different. So if we have dreams and aspirations, we should go for them.” “Success and failure are just like passing clouds. One day, you feel very successful, you're on top of the world, and it lasts only for a few minutes or hours, maybe until the celebration is over. Then the next challenge comes, and that's how our life has been all throughout.” “I'm grateful for this life. I'm able to talk to you, my loved ones are all fine, and I'm fine, that's enough.” BOOKS MENTIONED: Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step by Edward de Bono (https://a.co/d/5JHmUnw) My First Ruskin Bond Collection: A Set of 10 Chapter Books by Ruskin Bond (https://a.co/d/erPHyXt) Ikigai: The Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles (https://a.co/d/9cpcIzM) Ego Is The Enemy: The Fight To Master Our Greatest Opponent by Ryan Holiday (https://a.co/d/fMlzPZQ) Books by Jhumpa Lahiri USEFUL RESOURCES: https://topmate.io/dr_subra_mukherjee https://www.linkedin.com/in/subramukherjee/ https://www.instagram.com/dr.subra.mukherjee/ https://www.facebook.com/subramukherjeeroy https://x.com/subra_mukherjee https://www.youtube.com/@Subra_Mukherjee The Power of Self-Awareness: Your Doorway to a Balanced Life (https://a.co/d/9B3JcsV) CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen    X - https://x.com/johnhulen    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA    EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/ 

St. Paul gives us the answer!Registration is OPEN!Sign up for updates on the retreat home and news letters right here!

As a real estate or auction professional, one of your main sources for quality leads can be your circle of influence.  In this episode we discuss a systematic process to identifying "who" should be in your circle of influence, how to inventory and manage these individuals and ultimately "how" to engage them with quality conversation, high profile information and multiple ways to make yourself relevant and important to them.  The key to harvesting leads from your circle of influence is to be Top of Mind when they know of someone needing real estate or auction services.  Enjoy the show.

Welcome into Daily Vibes, where we hold space for the truth beneath the surface.

On the Trust the Plan Podcast, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, CFP® of Peak Wealth discuss the importance of asset allocation and asset location when building a strong retirement strategy. They emphasize that younger investors can typically afford to be more aggressive with their investment mix, leaning more heavily into equities to take advantage of long-term growth potential, while also being mindful of where those assets are held, whether in taxable, tax-deferred, or tax-free accounts. By aligning investment aggressiveness with one's time horizon and future goals, they explain, individuals can better position themselves for financial independence and a smoother transition into retirement. — Peak Wealth Management is a financial planning and wealth management firm in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions so they can Retire With Peace of Mind. Stay Connected With Us: Podbean: findingtruewealth.podbean.com YouTube: / @peakwealthmgmt Apple: rb.gy/1jqp6 (Trust the Plan Podcast) Facebook: Facebook.com/PeakWealthManagement Twitter: Twitter.com/nhopwood1 www.peakwm.com  

Today's wisdom comes from The Champion's Mind by Jim Afremow.   If you're loving Heroic Wisdom Daily, be sure to subscribe to the emails at heroic.us/wisdom-daily.   And… Imagine unlocking access to the distilled wisdom form 700+ of the greatest books ever written.   That's what Heroic Premium offers: Unlimited access to every Philosopher's Note. Daily inspiration and actionable tools to optimize your energy, work, and love. Personalized coaching features to help you stay consistent and focused   Upgrade to Heroic Premium →   Know someone who'd love this? Share Heroic Wisdom Daily with them, and let's grow together in 2025!   Share Heroic Wisdom Daily →

​ ⁨@WorldviewsD-J⁩   Inside the Mind of Pastor Paul Vander Klay: Faith, Doubt & Culture | Worldviews Ep.58 https://youtu.be/SdOJYxaoy7c?si=OOTV33xt43pnx2AK    https://www.southeastuary.com/ https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/3KSvYAvN Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give

Beth spent 42 years chasing sleep.Until one day, she realized the very effort to “fix” insomnia was the exact thing keeping her stuck.What followed wasn't another hack, routine, or bedtime ritual. It was a complete shift in how she related to sleep itself.In this episode, Beth shares three transformational mindsets that quietly ended her lifelong battle with insomnia.You'll hear how ownership (without blame) restores power, why the fixing loop is a trap in disguise, and how living as if you're already free creates the conditions for natural sleep to return.If you've been doing all the “right” things and still feel trapped in the same old cycle, this one will turn everything you thought you knew about insomnia upside down.Enjoy!

In our series on the Mind, we are learning biblical principles on how to gain control of our thought life. In Matthew 6, Jesus begins a conversation on how to control your thoughts. The overall idea is, Have a bird brain! Lets talk about it. 

Before the Ashes roar to life, the real battles — of mind, body and preparation — are already underway. We dive into the never heard before prep that keeps Australia’s stars sharp and grounded. Alex Carey opens up on the mental side of elite cricket — the mantras, mindfulness, and mindset that help him reset and perform under pressure. From Ben Crowe’s wisdom to his own evolving self-talk, Carey’s reflections are as raw as they are relatable. Meanwhile, Mitch Starc begins the long road back to the Ashes — through intense medical appointments, rehab, and a mini pre-season grind. It’s an intimate look at the pain, the persistence, and the passion driving one of the game’s great fast bowlers. Mind and body. Reflection and recovery. Episode 2 peels back the layers of what it really takes to stay in the fight — mentally and physically — on the path to Ashes glory. *** Ashes Diaries release schedule. Subscribe to the Howie Games feed so you don’t miss an episode! Monday October 20 - Episode 1 - Rivalry Friday October 24 - Episode 2 - Ouch Monday October 27 - Episode 3 - A Numbers Game Friday October 31 - Episode 4 - Lights, Camera, Action Monday November 3 - Episode 5 Friday November 7 - Episode 6 Monday November 10 - Episode 7 Friday November 14 - Episode 8 Monday November 17 - Episode 9 Tuesday November 25 - Episode 10 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hypnosis is not just swinging watches, stage magic, or Scooby Doo fodder - it's a tool we can all use to help rewire our brains. This week, JVN talks with Melissa Tiers, founder of The Center for Integrative Hypnosis in New York City. Melissa is a hypnotist whose work spans decades and has helped people effectively rewire their brains for the better. We're talking about self-hypnosis techniques, debunking misconceptions, and the mass hypnosis plaguing us all.  BIO: Melissa Tiers is the founder of The Center for Integrative Hypnosis in New York City and co-founder of the Ethical Coaching Collective. She's an award-winning author, coach, and hypnosis trainer known for blending neuroscience and mind-body techniques to help people create lasting change. Melissa has received the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association's Pen & Quill Award three times and the National Guild of Hypnotists President's Award for excellence in her field. Her work has been featured in Marie Claire and More Magazine, and she has spoken at international hypnosis conferences across the U.S., U.K., and Europe. Melissa is also the author of several books, including Integrative Hypnosis and Keeping the Brain in Mind. Melissa's free class - Emotional First Aid: Free Training for the Resistance Full Getting Better Video Episodes now available on YouTube.  Follow Melissa Tiers on Instagram @melissatiers Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn  Follow Jonathan on Instagram @jvn Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn  Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support: Chad Hall Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The federal government shutdown is now in its fourth week. Over 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed, with nearly as many continuing to work without pay, yet there are still no signs that an end to the shutdown is near. “Unlike past presidents, Mr. Trump appears to feel little urgency to strike a deal to reopen the government,” Luke Broadwater writes at The New York Times. “Instead, he has used the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, as an opportunity to further remake the federal bureaucracy and jettison programs he does not like, seizing on unorthodox budgetary maneuvers that some have called illegal.” In this episode, we speak with three furloughed federal employees about the harm government shutdowns cause working people, and we discuss why this shutdown is different. Guests: Adam is a furloughed federal employee who works in recreation for the US Forest Service, managing hiking, biking, and equestrian trails in central Idaho. He serves as chapter president of National Federation of Federal Employees Local 1753, and he is an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network. Ellen is a furloughed federal employee who works in SNAP oversight and administration at the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. She serves as chapter president of National Treasury Employees Union Local 255, representing FNS employees at the Northeast regional office, and she is an organizer with the Federal Unionists Network in Boston. April is a furloughed federal employee who works in the office of Head Start at the Administration for Children and Families HQ in Washington, DC. She serves as chapter president of the National Treasury Employees Union Local 250. Additional links/info: Federal Unionists Network website, BlueSky, and Instagram Federal Unionists Network: “Join Us To Defend Public Services!” Luke Broadwater, The New York Times, “The Shutdown Is Stretching On. Trump Doesn't Seem to Mind.” Democracy Now!, “Shadow president: Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is using shutdown to gut federal agencies” Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Credits: Featured music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich

How exactly does the mind work? How do we learn and make decisions? And how does that compare to the way AI thinks? In their new book, “The Emergent Mind: How Intelligence Arises in People and Machines,” San Francisco State psychologist Gaurav Suri and Stanford's Jay McClelland examine how neural networks work in our brains, and in AI. Guests: Gaurav Suri, computational neuroscientist and professor, San Francisco State University Jay McClelland, professor and director of the Center for Mind, Brain, Computation and Technology, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What you know isn't what moves mountains, it's what you feel. In this episode, Heather sits down with medical intuitive and ThetaHealing instructor, Tania Lester, to talk about the bridge between information and embodied knowing. Tania shares her story from an MS diagnosis and Bell's palsy to being 14 years medication-free and the exact mindset, energetic practices, and lifestyle shifts that catalyzed her healing. We also dive deep into the beliefs that create blocks in business, love, and health, how to reprogram them at the subconscious level, and why certainty + surrender is the unlock for manifestation. Get ready to shift from knowing to feeling, and release the blocks holding you back. In This Episode You Will Learn Why INFORMATION in your MIND means nothing until you FEEL it in your SOUL. How Tania healed from MS and became 14 YEARS MEDICATION-FREE. How to REPROGRAM negative patterns and release LIMITING STORIES. The most COMMON BLOCKS stopping abundance How ENERGY WORK brings PEACE and CLOSURE after loss (without mediumship). How HEALING yourself creates a POSITIVE RIPPLE EFFECT for your CHILDREN. Resources + Links Learn more about Tania Lester HERE Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/monahan Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at NetSuite.com/MONAHAN. Want to do more and spend less like Uber, 8x8, and Databricks Mosaic? Take a free test drive of OCI at oracle.com/MONAHAN. Get 10% off your first Mitopure order at timeline.com/CONFIDENCE. Get 15% off your first order when you use code CONFIDENCE15 at checkout at jennikayne.com. Call my digital clone at 201-897-2553!  Visit heathermonahan.com Sign up for my mailing list: heathermonahan.com/mailing-list/  Overcome Your Villains is Available NOW! Order here: https://overcomeyourvillains.com  If you haven't yet, get my first book Confidence Creator Follow Heather on Instagram & LinkedIn Tania on Facebook & Instagram

Is the crypto cycle already over, or is this just a reset before one last push? Michael Nadeau from The DeFi Report joins Ryan to break down why he went 70% cash ahead of the flash crash, what late-cycle data he's watching, and the signals that would flip him back risk on. We dig into Bitcoin's 50-week moving average, ETH's $8–10K scenarios, slowing ETF flows, rising leverage, and whether global liquidity and AI could still drive a melt-up. Michael explains why this cycle has felt muted, what would confirm a top, and how he's positioning into year-end. Michael Nadeau & The DeFi Report: https://x.com/JustDeauIt https://thedefireport.io/ ------

The NBA Season has arrived and LeBron James and Steve Nash are ready to break it all down in the latest episode of Mind the Game. In this episode we discuss what we learned last year from the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, we talk about true contenders like the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. And finally the guys talk about their favorite League Pass teams to watch like the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs.This is going to be a season for the ages so buckle up and enjoy Mind the Game's Big Season Preview!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this pharmaceutical drug obsessed culture we live in, could you ever imagine a gentler, healthier approach to treating chronic headaches starting with an appendix scar?CHEK Professional Matt Sorensen explains why most health problems like pain originate from dysfunctions to the glands and organs which illustrates why health practitioners need to look for complications from the inside — not the outside — this week on Spirit Gym.Learn more about Matt at his HealHub website. Check out his The Wizard and The Priestess podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to them. Find him on social media via Instagram. For Spirit Gym listeners: Based in Sydney, Matt is offering Spirit Gym listeners a very special 30 percent discount on his programs at this link. Use the promo code CHEK30 at checkout. (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)Timestamps2:47 Being a groundskeeper for nearly a decade helped Matt better appreciate the health of soil.6:19 Matt's professional life shifted after his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer.13:15 An unhealthy migration from a results-based (integration) to a research-based (isolated) medical system.20:36 Matt's successful treatment for a client with severe headaches began by locating an appendix scar.29:06 Visceral manipulation.40:15 Organ motility.47:07 Medicine is often practiced from the outside inward rather than the inside outward.58:40 How often is the origin of pain is really a symptom or dysfunction of the glands or organs?1:03:14 “Generally, if someone's got a visceral issue, they've got a vascular issue too.”1:24:25 The story you tell yourself affects your health more than any food or drink can.1:30:09 The conventional definition of good postural alignment is based on dead people in a morgue.1:45:00 Matt estimates roughly 85 percent of a person's visceral or glandular problems start with lifestyle and diet.1:52:23 The challenges Matt faces with patients during a recent week.ResourcesWhat Pain is Telling You (Spotify audiobook) by Matt SorensenFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz), Composed, mixed, mastered and produced by Michael RB Schwartz of Brave Bear MusicThanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesKorrect SPIRITGYMPique LifeCHEK Institute/CHEK AcademyPaul's Dream Interpretation workshop We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.