Podcasts about NN

"Kocham Cię bez względu na wynik" – to zdanie może znaczyć więcej, niż nam się wydaje.Dla osoby, która mówi o swoim statusie HIV, to często moment wymagający dużego zaufania i odwagi. W głowie może pojawić się mnóstwo pytań:czy mnie odrzucisz?czy zaczniesz patrzeć na mnie inaczej?czy nadal będę dla Ciebie tą samą osobą?czy wiesz, że ode mnie się nie zakazisz?Dlatego reakcja bliskich ma znaczenie.Osoba z HIV będąca w leczeniu nie zakaża (N=N). Jeśli ktoś mówi Ci o swoim wyniku, dzieli się z Tobą czymś ważnym i okazuje Ci zaufanie.Kocham Cię bez względu na wynik.To zdanie, które potrzebuje usłyszeć wiele osób.Odcinek powstał we współpracy z Fundacją Edukacji Społecznej. Projekt "Kocham z HIV. Bo każda relacja zasługuje na szansę." jest realizowany w ramach konkursu Pozytywnie Otwarci._______Autopromocja:

Zondag 31 mei 2026 Aan de politie (Van Pamelen) Frank van Pamelen 1'09 van de cd bij het boek Ikea Nijgh & Van Ditmar Ik ga naar Frankrijk (W. Kerkhof) The Amazing Stroopwafels 2'19 Van de cd Cabaret Kampioenen NN 983 775-2 Het mes (Kavvadias/Mikrousikos/W. Wilmink) Jenny Arean 3'44 Van de cd Op reis BIS 003 Bos van mijn jeugd (L. Kuhr/L. Kuhr, Chr. Kloosterboer) Lenny Kuhr 4'35 Van de cd Licht Eigen beheer Samen met een vrijer (A.M.G. Schmidt/H. Bannink) Hetty Blok en Carla Lipp 1'50 Van de cd Ja zuster nee zuster cd 3NN 500.401-2 Johnny (Lennaert Maes) Lenny en de Wespen 1'40 Van de cd Pleisterplaat Buzz LEDW 005 Geluk is een ober (Otto Wichers) Lucky Fons III 3'00 Van de cd De zachte krachten Eigen beheer Café het Hemeltje (Bies van Ede/Jaco van der Steen) Jaco van der Steen 3'12 Eigen opname Vaders en kinderen en de buurvrouw (Klunder) Bert Klunder 2'07 Van de DVD Mannen voor vrouwen RVU Nooit dood (J. v. Dongen/P. v.d. Witte) Joy Wielkens 2'35 Eigen opname Het grote wonder (Van Verre/Bannink) Wieteke van Dort 2'40 van de cd Het mooiste van Wieteke van Dort Mercury 586 013-2 Toch is het klote zonder jou (Van Verre/Bannink) Edwin Rutten 3'21 van de cd Ik zou je het liefste in een doosje willen doen NN 500.009-2 Vliegvakantie (Blaaser) Jan Blaaser 7'23 Van de cd Cabaret Kampioenen NN 983 775-2 Of ik jou vergeten kan (J. de Corte) Luc Runderkamp 4'00 Van de cd Of ik jou vergeten kan: Luc zingt Jules de Corte Eigen beheer Yoghurt met banaan (Jekkers, Meinderts/Smit) Harrie Jekkers 2'40 Van de cd Yoghurt met banaan (The Collection) Polydor 523 028-2

Zhoršení zraku, brnění v končetinách nebo problémy s močovým měchýřem. To všechno jsou tváře roztroušené sklerózy, chronického onemocnění, které v Česku trápí desítky tisíc lidí, přičemž postihuje výrazně častěji ženy. V epizodě si povídáme s uroložkou MUDr. Magdalénou Bojić, která se rozhodla sdílet svůj osobní i profesní příběh o životě s touto nemocí. Dozvíš se, proč je název onemocnění často zavádějící, jaké rizikové faktory mohou hrát roli při jeho vzniku proč je po vyslechnutí diagnózy klíčová i pomoc psychoterapeuta.

Sumario Informe Enigma Dirige y Presenta: Jorge Ríos Escúchanos cada viernes de 23:00h a 01:00h en directo en Radio Platja d'Aro. Síguenos a través de nuestras redes sociales o contacta con nosotros en el siguiente correo electrónico: informeenigmapodcast@gmail.com Descripción: ¿Qué sucede cuando la historia oficial deja cabos sueltos? En este episodio de Enigmas Sin Resolver, nos sumergimos en dos de los expedientes más perturbadores y debatidos del siglo XX. ¿Murió realmente Hitler en el búnker? Analizamos las inconsistencias sobre los restos hallados en Berlín en 1945, las teorías de escape hacia Sudamérica y las desclasificaciones del FBI que mantienen viva la duda: ¿Fue el suicidio el final real o el último gran engaño? El crimen de la chica de Port Bou: Viajamos a la frontera catalana para reconstruir el hallazgo de una joven colgada de un pino en 1990. Un caso que permaneció como un "NN" (sin nombre) durante décadas. ¿Fue un suicidio o un montaje meticuloso? Exploramos las sombras de una investigación que tardó 32 años en ponerle nombre a una víctima olvidada. Acompáñanos en este viaje entre búnkeres secretos y acantilados mediterráneos. Porque a veces, la verdad es el enigma más difícil de descifrar. Escucha ahora y saca tus propias conclusiones. ¿Quieres anunciarte en este podcast? Hazlo con advoices.com/podcast/ivoox/277207

Sumario Informe Enigma Dirige y Presenta: Jorge Ríos Escúchanos cada viernes de 23:00h a 01:00h en directo en Radio Platja d'Aro. Síguenos a través de nuestras redes sociales o contacta con nosotros en el siguiente correo electrónico: informeenigmapodcast@gmail.com Descripción: ¿Qué sucede cuando la historia oficial deja cabos sueltos? En este episodio de Enigmas Sin Resolver, nos sumergimos en dos de los expedientes más perturbadores y debatidos del siglo XX. ¿Murió realmente Hitler en el búnker? Analizamos las inconsistencias sobre los restos hallados en Berlín en 1945, las teorías de escape hacia Sudamérica y las desclasificaciones del FBI que mantienen viva la duda: ¿Fue el suicidio el final real o el último gran engaño? El crimen de la chica de Port Bou: Viajamos a la frontera catalana para reconstruir el hallazgo de una joven colgada de un pino en 1990. Un caso que permaneció como un "NN" (sin nombre) durante décadas. ¿Fue un suicidio o un montaje meticuloso? Exploramos las sombras de una investigación que tardó 32 años en ponerle nombre a una víctima olvidada. Acompáñanos en este viaje entre búnkeres secretos y acantilados mediterráneos. Porque a veces, la verdad es el enigma más difícil de descifrar. Escucha ahora y saca tus propias conclusiones.

#高雄 正義站&黃線捷運計劃，平面車位3房全新完工 實品屋預約鑑賞中。 正義站通勤南科，未來捷運串連衛武營、Lalaport。 正義公園，風景入門廳。 陽明國中自由學區07-7801988 洽澄清路227號 https://sofm.pse.is/958bck －－－－以上為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 主持人：董智森 主題： 3800億＋N，N是什麼？ 節目時間：週一至週五11:00-13:00 ▶ 飛碟午餐 董智森時間  / ufotungtalk  ▶ 網路線上收聽 http://www.uforadio.com.tw -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

De eerste klant (Speenhoff) Gerard Cox 3'24 Van de cd Wat je zingt dat ben je zelf NN 500.203-2 't Winkeltje (Goemans) Louis Neefs 3'42 Van de LP Nooit zonder jou Golden label HN 4191 Als ik rats, rats, rats (Gaaikema) Seth Gaaikema 2'33 Uit de DVD-box Seth compleet ACE 10520 Boekencollosarium (Van Vleuten/Van Muiswinkel) Erik van Muiswinkel, Diederik van Vleuten 6'15 Uit DVD-Box Mannen op schijf BM0070 Slager Korrel Vrijdag, Ebbinge, De Bekker) De Vliegende Panters 1'51 Van de cd Seks CNR 2003551 Hé, hé wordt wakker (Schmidt/Bannink) Leen Jongewaard 2'02 Van de cd Ja zuster nee zuster cd 2 NN 500.402-2 Warme bakker (Gratama/Verbeke) Rients Gratama 2'23 Van single Philips JF 334 668 Verkoopt u ook kussentjes (Finkers) Herman Finkers 1'53 Van de cd Het meisje van de slijterij CNR 655.295-2 De telefoon (Van Merwijk) Jeroen van Merwijk 1'38 Van de cd Live from the Papenstraat theater Eigen beheer Zeemanslied (Boon) Marijke Boon 3'35 Van de cd Een lange komkommer CDHSP 37 MB Dingen niet echt nodig /geurkaarsen (Sissy boy) (Goedemondt) Ronald Goedemondt 6'21 Van de dvd Binnen de lijntjes PIASCOM244 Meubelboulevard (Visser) Joop & Jessica 2'54 Van de cd Voor Thea en Ben Eigen beheer Ikea (Van Pamelen) Frank van Pamelen 1'05 Van cd bij Boek Ikea Mannen te koop (Jelle de Vries) Conny Stuart 4'15 van de cd bij boek Tekst en muziek Jelle de Vries Uitg. De Prom Samen winkelen (Bomans) Godfried Bomans 2'26 Van de cd De Kopstukken EMI 7243 8 54871 2 5 Snoepwinkeltje (Geelen/Stokkermans) Marjan Berk 2'45 Van de cd Oebele Eigen beheer

Giocare col fuoco: storie, canzoni, poesie di e con Fabrizio Coppola Letture: Gianfranco Di Fiore, Bauhaus (Reader for blind); Kent Haruf, Canto della pianura (trad. F. Cremonesi, NN editore). Ascolti: Pj Harvey, Kristin Hersh, The National, Pearl Jam, Dusan Bogdavonic

İran Amerika Savaşı'yla ortaya çıkan Sünni Şii ayrışması bana bu podcasti yaptırdı. Sünni Arap, Şii İran.. Tamam da Türk İslam'ı nasıldır, peki? İşte bu sorunun tastamam cevabını bu podcastte anlattım. İyi dinlemeler..0

Speellijst Zondag 22 maart 2026 Er was een jongetje (Shaffy) Ramses Shaffy 2'32 Van de cd 3 Originals Mercury 558 243-2 Wat ik nou toch heb gelezen (A. M.G. Schmidt/H. Bannink) Trudy Labij 3'49 Van de cd Het mooiste en het beste van Annie M.G. Schmidt en Harry Bannink Polygram 536 746-2 Lieveling (Wiegersma/Bos) Gerard Cox 3'42 Eigen opname Afscheid van Delfshaven (Blanker/Boom) Peter Blanker 3'14 van de cd Van nu af aan Eigen beheer Zeerover Jenny (Brecht/Weill/Han Römer) Maria Noë 4'53 Van de cd Andermans Veren live! Er mag zoveel niet Eigen beheer Mijn pik en ik (Crème fraîche) Crème fraîche 1'59 Van de cd 15 jaar Groninger Studenten Cabaret Festival Eigen beheer 1992 (Dorrestijn) Hans Dorrestijn 1'26 Van de cd Pretpark Eigen beheer Pillen en de dokter (Hermans) Toon Hermans 5'57 Van de cd Oh Marie ik heb je lief NN 981 1902 De gekke jongen (Dolstra) Sietze Dolstra 2'02 Van de LP vandaag is alweer gisteren ELF 15.87 Vakvrouw (Kaandorp, Klunder/Odijk) Brigitte Kaandorp 1'08 Van de cd Thuis Eigen beheer Onbreekbaar hart (Kramer) Jeroen Kramer 3'37 Eigen opname Ik mis je graag (Boer/Van Dam) Annick Boer 2'23 Eigen opname Onderaan de dijk (T. Lau) Herman van Veen en Roxeanne Hazes 2'45 Van de cd Plus Harlekijn 787 739-1 Postbode (Van Roozendaal) Maarten van Roozendaal 4'15 Van de cd Adem uit RB 66.127 Thema: de violist (R. Shaffy) Ramses Shaffy en Christiaan Bor, viool 2'00 Van de cd 3 Originals Mercury 558 243-2

Speellijst Zondag 8 maart 2026 Vrouwen (L. Nijgh/J. Stokkermans) Jasperina de Jong, Mieke Bos, Arnica Elsendoorn 2'42 Van de cd Ik doe wat ik doe cd 2 NN 500.054-2 Voor een naakt iemand (Wilmink/Bannink) Joost Prinsen 1'08 van de cd Een kop die je zelf niet bevalt BASTA 30-9139-2 Deze vrouw (F. Wiegersma/W. Sonneveld) Wim Sonneveld 3'42 van de cd Theatershows 3 Mercury 838 469-2 DNA live in de Komedie leven (Schippers) Kiki Schippers 3'26 Van de Lp Live met band in de Kleine Komedie Eigen beheer Over tijd (A. M.G. Schmidt/H. Bannink) Trudy Labij 5'15 Van de cd Het mooiste en het beste van Annie M.G. Schmidt en Harry Bannink Polygram 536 746-2 Vogelvrij (Vermeulen/de Jonge) Liesbeth List 4'08 van de LP Meisjes van dertig Philips 6423 134 Dapper (Zwaving) Eva Zwaving 3'25 Eigen opname Neem geen kind (Kaandorp) Brigitte Kaandorp 11'12 Van de cd En Vliegwerk BIS 057 Huisvrouw (Meyer, Bijl/Friedman) Martine Bijl 3'00 Van de LP Martine Ariola 206.997 Benul (R. Chrispijn/Chr. Pilgram) Loeki Knol 3'45 Van de Lp Loeki Knol HH 2925 514 Omdat ik van me hou (Trad./L. Gerritsen) Liselore Gerritsen 2'41 Van de LP Oktoberkind Utopia 6399 380 Dans je de hele nacht met mij (B. Bacharach/H. David/J. van Olten) Karin Kent 2'35 Decca 625 369 QL

Am Sonntag, 8. März, wird in Bayern gewählt. Während die Wahl in Fürth keine Überraschungen erahnen lässt, sieht es in anderen Wahlkreisen ganz anders aus. Wer wird Landrat in Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen? Warum steckt die CSU so viel Energie nach Neumarkt? Und: Kann die CSU die StUB-Frage so nutzen, dass sie es in die Stichwahl schafft? In der 72. Folge von „Bratwurst mit Chili“ sprechen Michael Husarek und Lukas G. Schlapp über ihre Hot Takes zur Kommunalwahl 2026. Außerdem sprechen Sie über Brettspiele, die beginnende Formel-1-Saison und wieso Michael Husarek sich gerne an seine Zeit als junger Redakteur zurückerinnert. **Hinweis:** Zur Kommunalwahl in Bayern gibt es auf NN.de und Nordbayern.de erstmals eine Wahlsendung. Am 8. März von 18 bis 22 Uhr sprechen wir im Studio in Nürnberg mit Experten aus den Lokalredaktionen in Franken und der Oberpfalz. Auch Politiker wie Marcus König, Nasser Ahmed, Eva Linhart und Britta Walthelm haben sich angekündigt.

How long can naked friends resist becoming lovers?By darrenr. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“Breasts, yes. I want to show you my breasts,” Anna said, making a simple request that complicated everything.Jake instinctively glanced down at her chest, before wrenching his gaze back to her face. His mind raced in useless circles around a single thought: Danger!“But you have to promise to tell me if that would make you uncomfortable,” Anna said. “I can only ask you this favor because our friendship is both close and solidly non-romantic. I completely understand if my request is just too flippin' weird!”Jake had never been less comfortable in his life. This felt like a bad idea.He wanted it anyway.Feeling ashamed of himself, Jake forced himself to think. Anna wouldn't ask unless it was important to her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried a joke. “Compared to eating the terrible chicken dinner you made last night, this sounds like a walk in the park.”Anna erupted in giggling. She was clearly nervous, but it was comforting to hear her infectious laugh. That, at least, felt normal.They met about a year ago, neighbors moving in on the same day. She had a kind face. If she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to notice. She was an inch taller, had brown eyes and long blonde hair–brilliantly shining blonde–always in a ponytail. Her face seemed to have only two states: stern concentration or an easy smile. She had a solid aspect to her figure but wasn't fat. Her tight jeans revealed strong legs and a substantial bottom that her height proportioned nicely. A baggy flannel shirt hid any details about her breasts.Although Jake tended to be shy, an endless conversation began during their second shared elevator trip. Her name was Aine, but she went by Anna. She liked hiking and tinkering with electronics. They both just moved into town and it was their first time living on their own. Anna did some kind of computer engineering work that sounded much cooler than the business analysis work he did. They both used Excel spreadsheets extensively for work and shared many of the same frustrations with its quirks. They liked a lot of the same video games and movies and had plenty to talk about.That first night they shared take-out at Jake's place, which was the start of Anna's habit of visiting constantly. Jake insisted on paying. To repay him, the next night Anna made dinner in his kitchen. Jake then reciprocated the following night. Neither of them was a very good cook, but it worked out. They ate dinner together nearly every day, alternating cooking and cleanup. Anna declared it was more efficient to share food between two people. She also decided Jake's pot, pan, and dish situation was better than hers, so they used his kitchen. Jake gave her the spare key to his apartment and she came and went as she pleased. He started to develop real feelings for her. This stopped when, after a week hanging out together, Anna mused on the merits of their relationship.“I'm glad we're neighbors,” Anna said that day. “We've only known each other a week, and yet I already feel like we've been friends for years.”“I feel the same way,” Jake had said.“Best of all,” she added in a moment burned into his memory, “Is we don't have a trace of romantic tension between us. We're free to just be friends without all that bullshit.”Jake let her comment pass without challenge. What else could he do? But it was a blow. All his romantic and erotic fantasies about her fizzled, impossible to sustain if she didn't feel the same. At least he did genuinely like her, mostly.The “mostly” came down to her presumptuousness. She saw that, obviously, it made sense for them to share Jake's kitchen. Obviously, it made sense for her to set up her electronics workbench in Jake's apartment, and hadn't even asked him. He didn't complain because he liked their dinner arrangement and liked seeing her build crazy electronics. She wasn't wrong in her actions; he just wished she'd ask first.Watching movies, playing video games, and discussing politics solidified their friendship. Jake was eventually able to suppress most of his unwelcome feelings about Anna. He tried his best to think of her as just a friend. A pal.Which made this request so upsetting. He was dismayed to find that his efforts over the past year had only hidden the shameful ember of carnal desire in his heart. Her words now rekindled it into a bright flame, unthinking and ravenous. He refused to let it burn this person he cared about.“Anna, wait.” Jake was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Concern returned to her face. “Are you sure about this? It's not that I don't want to see, you.”“Then why don't you shut up and let me show you?” Anna asked, laughing nervously.“Believe me, I'm wondering myself. I just, we've been neighbors for almost a year now, and I like to think we've become friends. However, I never got the sense you saw me as more than a friend, so this whole ‘I want you to see me naked' thing is a bit of a surprise. Not an unwelcome surprise, but, well, can you please spell it out for this dummy?”Anna looked down and sighed. “You're right, I owe you an explanation. Please, please be patient with me. This isn't easy.”“Deal,” Jake said in agreement. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms and legs in an exaggerated manner. “I'm extremely patient.”Anna took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen I had my first serious boyfriend, Andrew. We were making out, and I let him take my shirt and bra off. It was a mistake. He was a mistake. I don't know what I saw in him. The thing is, I have inverted nipples.” Anna turn away from Jake and began to shyly fidget. “He freaked out when he saw them. He didn't want to touch them anymore, didn't want to touch me. Looking back, I think he was just a nervous kid frightened by something he didn't understand. Still, it really hurt.”“Fucking hell, Andrew. What a massive asshole,” Jake said.Anna's face showed relief at his reaction. “Yes,” she agreed, “especially when he told his friends and started calling me ‘NN anna' for ‘No Nipple Anna.'”“No way!” Jake said. “What the fuck?”“High school can be rough, right? It's not even accurate. I have nipples, they just go in instead of out. I think the whole school eventually heard. Plenty of people 'accidentally' called me Nnanna, even a teacher once. I was devastated at the time, but I've tried to forget about him, about his reaction, about the taunting. I've dated a few guys over the years, though I've always ended it before things got, intimate. I've come to realize, on some level, I'm still ashamed of my body. I'm still afraid of a repeat of Andrew's reaction.”“That is some bullshit. No person should be ashamed of their body.”“Yes,” Anna agreed. “Intellectually, I know that. I've been telling myself for years. My trouble is the difference between knowing in my head and really feeling it in my heart. That's what I'm hoping you can help me with.”“Got it,” Jake said. “You want to show me your breasts, so I can NOT freak out.”“Exactly! Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. I know this is a weird favor to ask, I just, I feel safe with you.” Doubt returned to her face. “It's totally okay if you'd rather not do this. I don't want to guilt you into this.”“Anna, it's okay. Thank you for explaining. I understand, I think.”“Oh, come on, it's not a big deal,” Anna said, trying to sound casual. “Right?”Jake shook his head. “I disagree,” he said. “A friend sharing something deeply personal and fraught with shame, trusting me. It's a big deal.”Anna gazed into Jake's eyes, her breasts dominating his thoughts as they rose and fell with her breaths. He wondered if he saw more than friendship flickering in her eyes, but then it vanished.“Thank you,” she said. “Now that we've reached an understanding and decided on a course of action, we have another problem: I don't see how I can work up the courage to actually, um, do it.” Her voice got very quiet at the end as she looked down and chewed her lip. “It just seems impossibly weird and awkward to undress in front of you.” She gave his arm a gentle shove like she did when they played video games.Jake thought for a second.“Well I'm certainly not going to pressure you. But if you're set on doing this, then I have a suggestion: What if we both pretend you're fully clothed? I'll set up the video game. When you're ready, you come in dressed however you want, and we'll both just pretend everything is normal. We can play Mario Kart like we planned, all very normal and unremarkable.” Jake couldn't help smirking a little bit at this last sentence.Anna's face brightened. “I like that idea. That might work.”Jake stood up. “Off you go, then,” he pointed at his bedroom. “I'll just set up the game and you can join me when you're ready.” He faced the TV and grabbed the remote. “I hope you are prepared to get trounced,” he added.Anna departed for his bedroom. Jake's heart raced, and his hands trembled a bit. He tried some deep slow breaths. They didn't help much. He visualized the bedroom door behind him and the woman he expected to emerge any second.Jake was ashamed to feel an erection start at just the thought of seeing Anna's breasts. His friend was trusting him to help her! He had to master himself and come through for her. He had to.He heard Anna take a quiet step into the open doorway behind him. He dared not turn around.On an impulse he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it. While he was very aware his own skinny chest was completely unremarkable, he hoped this would make her a bit more comfortable.Then he did something he knew she hated. “I hope you don't mind, I'm just going to start the race. I'm choosing your character, yes, Bowser on the biggest car so you can't do anything but go in a straight line…”Anna's hand snatched the controller out of his as she dropped beside him on the couch.“Don't you dare!” she said, laughing.Jake kept his eyes locked on the TV screen, trying to act casual while his mind reeled at the bare breasts just visible at the corner of his eye. She had done it!Part of him wanted to turn and stare directly at the first bare breasts he'd met in person. A bigger part of him was simply proud of his friend's courage. She'd identified a source of needless shame and took steps to overcome it. Jake wanted to make this a positive experience for her.That didn't mean he didn't take in as much as he could without looking directly. In addition to taking off her shirt and bra, she had taken out her ponytail. She parted her hair on either side of her head, and let it fall down her front. Through this inadequate screen of hair he thrilled at an impression of pale roundness, and maybe a hint of pink?It helped to have the game to concentrate on, though his playing was shit. Anna was never one to sit still and just push buttons on the controller. She moved her whole body with each turn of the race car. He kept his gaze glued to the TV even though her constant movement tickled the outskirts of his vision mercilessly.After several races, Jake started to feel close to normal. His game-play was back up to the level of “respectable.” His erection calmed down. He still hadn't gotten a look at Anna's bare breasts sitting right next to him, but he also no longer had to struggle to keep his eyes locked forward. He felt relaxed and happy, having fun with his friend. More than happy, he felt buoyant. It was as if Anna's bare chest was a beacon radiating warmth, bathing his heart in contentment. Just knowing that she trusted him with this made him feel closer to her.When Anna won the next race, Jake decided to check on her. He put the controller down, tilted his head far back on the couch to make it clear he could only see the ceiling, and leaned in her direction with one hand to his mouth in a conspiratorial gesture. Whispering, he said, “How are you doing?”Anna mirrored his pose and whispered in response. “Really good, actually. How are you doing?”“Really good, too,” Jake said, afraid to reveal how much more than just 'good' he felt.Anna nodded slightly and then she sat up and resumed talking in a normal voice. “I'm going to get us glasses of water.” And with that she stood up and walked to the kitchen.Jake took in the sight of her bare back as she walked away from him. She was beautiful. He longed to touch her and hated himself for it. Momentarily, she would be walking back toward him, and he had to keep his eyes on the TV. He had to.She returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Instead of sitting she stood directly in front of him, blocking the TV, and held one out. Jake's efforts at gaze discipline went out the window as he was forced to look up at the glass, which she held at the exact elevation to be in line between his eyeballs and her breasts. Jake did his best to keep his eyes moving up to her face where he looked her in the eyes and said a hoarse “thank you” as he took the glass.Anna tilted her head far back to take drink. With her eyes toward the ceiling, Jake understood she was giving him permission to look.Jake's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and his composure left him. The rest of the room faded out of existence as his brain took in every detail.The slightly tan color of Anna's face and arms was thanks to the sun, for her bare shoulders and upper chest were paler. Her breasts were paler still and revealed a faint tracery of blue veins around her shapely contours. Her hair covered the promised inverted nipples, though he could see the edges of puffy pink areolas.On the one hand, this was just another part of his friend's body. His friend Anna happened to be a woman, women have breasts, and these were simply Anna's breasts. Up close like this, Jake could see the subtle details on her skin. The fine hairs, sprinkling of moles, and minor asymmetries stressed the reality of what he beheld, in contrast to the airbrushed breasts in porn. Intellectually, Jake knew in the big picture all breasts, all bodies, were ultimately unremarkable.On the other hand, Jake couldn't help feeling these particular breasts were magical beacons of beauty, acceptance, trust, and intimacy. Anna's breasts emanated waves of warmth that bathed his heart in joy and evoked feelings of affection and protectiveness. It pained him to think of all those years of being ashamed of her body, avoiding physical intimacy for fear of rejection.After an eternity of taking in this sight, Anna sat on the couch again. He fastened his eyes on the TV and tried to regain his composure.Jake felt a flash of pain on his arm as Anna playfully hit him with the back of her hand. “Come on, slowpoke, press 'A' so we can start the next race. I'm enjoying destroying you.”“Oops,” Jake said, resuming the game. And then, feeling daring, he added: “I don't know where my mind was.”It was hard to tell without turning his head, but he thought he saw her smile.They played a few more races until it was their usual bedtime for a work night.Anna stood up. “Well, we both have work tomorrow. Better call it a night.” She walked into Jake's bedroom and then returned dressed normally. The light in the room felt weaker without the shining warmth of her bare breasts. He fought to hide his disappointment.“G'night,” she said, walking to the door.Jake leaped up to meet her at the door. “Thanks for the fun evening,” he said. Then, his face reddening, “I mean the Mario Kart.”Anna laughed, her face blushing too. “Thank YOU!” Then, hesitating, “for everything.”When the door closed behind her, Jake's apartment felt cold, lonely, and dark.The next day at work, Jake had trouble getting anything done with visions of Anna's breasts dancing in his head. He missed the feeling of being with her when she was topless. But on his way home, a new worry arose: How awkward would it be when he saw her again tonight? There was no going back to how things had been before.Opening the door to his apartment, he heard Anna working in the kitchen.“Hey,” Jake called out.“Hey yourself,” Anna answered from the kitchen.Jake relaxed when he saw she was wearing a shirt, though not without a pang of disappointment. What had he expected? Idiot. Anna cut vegetables, wearing the circuit-board-print apron she liked.“Get the waters, I'm almost finished.”Jake tried to act normal but couldn't stop thinking about her breasts as he set the coffee table in front of the TV. Anna put down plates of chicken salad and sat beside him on the couch.Normally, at this point they would watch something on TV while they ate. The remote control was on the arm of the couch next to Anna, ignored.“How was work?” Anna asked.“Oh fine, pretty normal,” Jake lied. “You?”“Actually,” Anna said, “I had trouble focusing at work today.” She paused there, as if giving Jake an opportunity to say more.“To be honest,” Jake admitted, turning to look her in the eye, “I had the same problem.”“Was there something on your mind?” Anna asked.“Technically two things were on my mind,” Jake said.Anna burst out laughing. Relieved, Jake laughed too.“I want to thank you,” Anna said, “for being so patient with me last night. And kind. I was close to running out of the room in tears. You helped me keep it together.” She took his hand. “That was very kind of you. I feel like a burden of shame was lifted. Thank you.”Jake blushed.“What I hadn't expected, though…” Anna looked down. “What I hadn't expected was how much I enjoyed it.”Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet Jake's. Panic came rushing back. Did she want to do it again? Did Jake want that? Confused thoughts swirled in his head. Did he want to kiss Anna? Yes, but she didn't want that. Did he feel romantic thoughts about her? Yes, but she didn't want that either. Did he want to see her breasts again, despite all his misgivings? Yes. Most definitely yes.“Did you…” Anna was studying his face. “Did you enjoy it, too?”“YES!” Jake blurted out, not exactly playing it cool.Anna smiled. “Do you, do you mind if we do it again?”“I would love that,” Jake answered.Anna hesitated. “It made me feel better when you took your shirt off first.”Jake nearly tore his shirt in his rush to pull it off. Anna's eyes on his chest made his skin feel warm.After a moment of staring, Anna started to unbutton her shirt. Feeling emboldened by Anna's unguarded staring at him, Jake watched her fingers work. The anticipation was intense, and he felt a reckless swelling between his legs.“Excuse me,” Anna said sternly, “my eyes are up here.”Jake blanched and tore his gaze up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in panic and his dick shrinking in shame. Incoherent apologies spilled out of his mouth as he tried to repair the damage his eager eyes had done.“Whoa, whoa, it's okay, I was just joking!” Anna said quickly. “I've never seen anyone go so pale. Are you okay? Jake, you didn't do anything wrong. The whole point is for you to look at me.” She grabbed his shoulders. “Jake, please, I'm sorry, I was only trying to be funny.” She gently pulled on the back of his head until it was tilted down at her chest again. “Your respectful instincts are part of why I trust you. It's okay. I want you to look.”He watched her shirt rise and fall with each breath, and eventually his breathing matched hers. Anna released his head and resumed unbuttoning. She wasn't wearing a bra. After t

How long can naked friends resist becoming lovers?By darrenr. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“Breasts, yes. I want to show you my breasts,” Anna said, making a simple request that complicated everything.Jake instinctively glanced down at her chest, before wrenching his gaze back to her face. His mind raced in useless circles around a single thought: Danger!“But you have to promise to tell me if that would make you uncomfortable,” Anna said. “I can only ask you this favor because our friendship is both close and solidly non-romantic. I completely understand if my request is just too flippin' weird!”Jake had never been less comfortable in his life. This felt like a bad idea.He wanted it anyway.Feeling ashamed of himself, Jake forced himself to think. Anna wouldn't ask unless it was important to her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried a joke. “Compared to eating the terrible chicken dinner you made last night, this sounds like a walk in the park.”Anna erupted in giggling. She was clearly nervous, but it was comforting to hear her infectious laugh. That, at least, felt normal.They met about a year ago, neighbors moving in on the same day. She had a kind face. If she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to notice. She was an inch taller, had brown eyes and long blonde hair–brilliantly shining blonde–always in a ponytail. Her face seemed to have only two states: stern concentration or an easy smile. She had a solid aspect to her figure but wasn't fat. Her tight jeans revealed strong legs and a substantial bottom that her height proportioned nicely. A baggy flannel shirt hid any details about her breasts.Although Jake tended to be shy, an endless conversation began during their second shared elevator trip. Her name was Aine, but she went by Anna. She liked hiking and tinkering with electronics. They both just moved into town and it was their first time living on their own. Anna did some kind of computer engineering work that sounded much cooler than the business analysis work he did. They both used Excel spreadsheets extensively for work and shared many of the same frustrations with its quirks. They liked a lot of the same video games and movies and had plenty to talk about.That first night they shared take-out at Jake's place, which was the start of Anna's habit of visiting constantly. Jake insisted on paying. To repay him, the next night Anna made dinner in his kitchen. Jake then reciprocated the following night. Neither of them was a very good cook, but it worked out. They ate dinner together nearly every day, alternating cooking and cleanup. Anna declared it was more efficient to share food between two people. She also decided Jake's pot, pan, and dish situation was better than hers, so they used his kitchen. Jake gave her the spare key to his apartment and she came and went as she pleased. He started to develop real feelings for her. This stopped when, after a week hanging out together, Anna mused on the merits of their relationship.“I'm glad we're neighbors,” Anna said that day. “We've only known each other a week, and yet I already feel like we've been friends for years.”“I feel the same way,” Jake had said.“Best of all,” she added in a moment burned into his memory, “Is we don't have a trace of romantic tension between us. We're free to just be friends without all that bullshit.”Jake let her comment pass without challenge. What else could he do? But it was a blow. All his romantic and erotic fantasies about her fizzled, impossible to sustain if she didn't feel the same. At least he did genuinely like her, mostly.The “mostly” came down to her presumptuousness. She saw that, obviously, it made sense for them to share Jake's kitchen. Obviously, it made sense for her to set up her electronics workbench in Jake's apartment, and hadn't even asked him. He didn't complain because he liked their dinner arrangement and liked seeing her build crazy electronics. She wasn't wrong in her actions; he just wished she'd ask first.Watching movies, playing video games, and discussing politics solidified their friendship. Jake was eventually able to suppress most of his unwelcome feelings about Anna. He tried his best to think of her as just a friend. A pal.Which made this request so upsetting. He was dismayed to find that his efforts over the past year had only hidden the shameful ember of carnal desire in his heart. Her words now rekindled it into a bright flame, unthinking and ravenous. He refused to let it burn this person he cared about.“Anna, wait.” Jake was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Concern returned to her face. “Are you sure about this? It's not that I don't want to see, you.”“Then why don't you shut up and let me show you?” Anna asked, laughing nervously.“Believe me, I'm wondering myself. I just, we've been neighbors for almost a year now, and I like to think we've become friends. However, I never got the sense you saw me as more than a friend, so this whole ‘I want you to see me naked' thing is a bit of a surprise. Not an unwelcome surprise, but, well, can you please spell it out for this dummy?”Anna looked down and sighed. “You're right, I owe you an explanation. Please, please be patient with me. This isn't easy.”“Deal,” Jake said in agreement. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms and legs in an exaggerated manner. “I'm extremely patient.”Anna took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen I had my first serious boyfriend, Andrew. We were making out, and I let him take my shirt and bra off. It was a mistake. He was a mistake. I don't know what I saw in him. The thing is, I have inverted nipples.” Anna turn away from Jake and began to shyly fidget. “He freaked out when he saw them. He didn't want to touch them anymore, didn't want to touch me. Looking back, I think he was just a nervous kid frightened by something he didn't understand. Still, it really hurt.”“Fucking hell, Andrew. What a massive asshole,” Jake said.Anna's face showed relief at his reaction. “Yes,” she agreed, “especially when he told his friends and started calling me ‘NN anna' for ‘No Nipple Anna.'”“No way!” Jake said. “What the fuck?”“High school can be rough, right? It's not even accurate. I have nipples, they just go in instead of out. I think the whole school eventually heard. Plenty of people 'accidentally' called me Nnanna, even a teacher once. I was devastated at the time, but I've tried to forget about him, about his reaction, about the taunting. I've dated a few guys over the years, though I've always ended it before things got, intimate. I've come to realize, on some level, I'm still ashamed of my body. I'm still afraid of a repeat of Andrew's reaction.”“That is some bullshit. No person should be ashamed of their body.”“Yes,” Anna agreed. “Intellectually, I know that. I've been telling myself for years. My trouble is the difference between knowing in my head and really feeling it in my heart. That's what I'm hoping you can help me with.”“Got it,” Jake said. “You want to show me your breasts, so I can NOT freak out.”“Exactly! Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. I know this is a weird favor to ask, I just, I feel safe with you.” Doubt returned to her face. “It's totally okay if you'd rather not do this. I don't want to guilt you into this.”“Anna, it's okay. Thank you for explaining. I understand, I think.”“Oh, come on, it's not a big deal,” Anna said, trying to sound casual. “Right?”Jake shook his head. “I disagree,” he said. “A friend sharing something deeply personal and fraught with shame, trusting me. It's a big deal.”Anna gazed into Jake's eyes, her breasts dominating his thoughts as they rose and fell with her breaths. He wondered if he saw more than friendship flickering in her eyes, but then it vanished.“Thank you,” she said. “Now that we've reached an understanding and decided on a course of action, we have another problem: I don't see how I can work up the courage to actually, um, do it.” Her voice got very quiet at the end as she looked down and chewed her lip. “It just seems impossibly weird and awkward to undress in front of you.” She gave his arm a gentle shove like she did when they played video games.Jake thought for a second.“Well I'm certainly not going to pressure you. But if you're set on doing this, then I have a suggestion: What if we both pretend you're fully clothed? I'll set up the video game. When you're ready, you come in dressed however you want, and we'll both just pretend everything is normal. We can play Mario Kart like we planned, all very normal and unremarkable.” Jake couldn't help smirking a little bit at this last sentence.Anna's face brightened. “I like that idea. That might work.”Jake stood up. “Off you go, then,” he pointed at his bedroom. “I'll just set up the game and you can join me when you're ready.” He faced the TV and grabbed the remote. “I hope you are prepared to get trounced,” he added.Anna departed for his bedroom. Jake's heart raced, and his hands trembled a bit. He tried some deep slow breaths. They didn't help much. He visualized the bedroom door behind him and the woman he expected to emerge any second.Jake was ashamed to feel an erection start at just the thought of seeing Anna's breasts. His friend was trusting him to help her! He had to master himself and come through for her. He had to.He heard Anna take a quiet step into the open doorway behind him. He dared not turn around.On an impulse he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it. While he was very aware his own skinny chest was completely unremarkable, he hoped this would make her a bit more comfortable.Then he did something he knew she hated. “I hope you don't mind, I'm just going to start the race. I'm choosing your character, yes, Bowser on the biggest car so you can't do anything but go in a straight line…”Anna's hand snatched the controller out of his as she dropped beside him on the couch.“Don't you dare!” she said, laughing.Jake kept his eyes locked on the TV screen, trying to act casual while his mind reeled at the bare breasts just visible at the corner of his eye. She had done it!Part of him wanted to turn and stare directly at the first bare breasts he'd met in person. A bigger part of him was simply proud of his friend's courage. She'd identified a source of needless shame and took steps to overcome it. Jake wanted to make this a positive experience for her.That didn't mean he didn't take in as much as he could without looking directly. In addition to taking off her shirt and bra, she had taken out her ponytail. She parted her hair on either side of her head, and let it fall down her front. Through this inadequate screen of hair he thrilled at an impression of pale roundness, and maybe a hint of pink?It helped to have the game to concentrate on, though his playing was shit. Anna was never one to sit still and just push buttons on the controller. She moved her whole body with each turn of the race car. He kept his gaze glued to the TV even though her constant movement tickled the outskirts of his vision mercilessly.After several races, Jake started to feel close to normal. His game-play was back up to the level of “respectable.” His erection calmed down. He still hadn't gotten a look at Anna's bare breasts sitting right next to him, but he also no longer had to struggle to keep his eyes locked forward. He felt relaxed and happy, having fun with his friend. More than happy, he felt buoyant. It was as if Anna's bare chest was a beacon radiating warmth, bathing his heart in contentment. Just knowing that she trusted him with this made him feel closer to her.When Anna won the next race, Jake decided to check on her. He put the controller down, tilted his head far back on the couch to make it clear he could only see the ceiling, and leaned in her direction with one hand to his mouth in a conspiratorial gesture. Whispering, he said, “How are you doing?”Anna mirrored his pose and whispered in response. “Really good, actually. How are you doing?”“Really good, too,” Jake said, afraid to reveal how much more than just 'good' he felt.Anna nodded slightly and then she sat up and resumed talking in a normal voice. “I'm going to get us glasses of water.” And with that she stood up and walked to the kitchen.Jake took in the sight of her bare back as she walked away from him. She was beautiful. He longed to touch her and hated himself for it. Momentarily, she would be walking back toward him, and he had to keep his eyes on the TV. He had to.She returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Instead of sitting she stood directly in front of him, blocking the TV, and held one out. Jake's efforts at gaze discipline went out the window as he was forced to look up at the glass, which she held at the exact elevation to be in line between his eyeballs and her breasts. Jake did his best to keep his eyes moving up to her face where he looked her in the eyes and said a hoarse “thank you” as he took the glass.Anna tilted her head far back to take drink. With her eyes toward the ceiling, Jake understood she was giving him permission to look.Jake's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and his composure left him. The rest of the room faded out of existence as his brain took in every detail.The slightly tan color of Anna's face and arms was thanks to the sun, for her bare shoulders and upper chest were paler. Her breasts were paler still and revealed a faint tracery of blue veins around her shapely contours. Her hair covered the promised inverted nipples, though he could see the edges of puffy pink areolas.On the one hand, this was just another part of his friend's body. His friend Anna happened to be a woman, women have breasts, and these were simply Anna's breasts. Up close like this, Jake could see the subtle details on her skin. The fine hairs, sprinkling of moles, and minor asymmetries stressed the reality of what he beheld, in contrast to the airbrushed breasts in porn. Intellectually, Jake knew in the big picture all breasts, all bodies, were ultimately unremarkable.On the other hand, Jake couldn't help feeling these particular breasts were magical beacons of beauty, acceptance, trust, and intimacy. Anna's breasts emanated waves of warmth that bathed his heart in joy and evoked feelings of affection and protectiveness. It pained him to think of all those years of being ashamed of her body, avoiding physical intimacy for fear of rejection.After an eternity of taking in this sight, Anna sat on the couch again. He fastened his eyes on the TV and tried to regain his composure.Jake felt a flash of pain on his arm as Anna playfully hit him with the back of her hand. “Come on, slowpoke, press 'A' so we can start the next race. I'm enjoying destroying you.”“Oops,” Jake said, resuming the game. And then, feeling daring, he added: “I don't know where my mind was.”It was hard to tell without turning his head, but he thought he saw her smile.They played a few more races until it was their usual bedtime for a work night.Anna stood up. “Well, we both have work tomorrow. Better call it a night.” She walked into Jake's bedroom and then returned dressed normally. The light in the room felt weaker without the shining warmth of her bare breasts. He fought to hide his disappointment.“G'night,” she said, walking to the door.Jake leaped up to meet her at the door. “Thanks for the fun evening,” he said. Then, his face reddening, “I mean the Mario Kart.”Anna laughed, her face blushing too. “Thank YOU!” Then, hesitating, “for everything.”When the door closed behind her, Jake's apartment felt cold, lonely, and dark.The next day at work, Jake had trouble getting anything done with visions of Anna's breasts dancing in his head. He missed the feeling of being with her when she was topless. But on his way home, a new worry arose: How awkward would it be when he saw her again tonight? There was no going back to how things had been before.Opening the door to his apartment, he heard Anna working in the kitchen.“Hey,” Jake called out.“Hey yourself,” Anna answered from the kitchen.Jake relaxed when he saw she was wearing a shirt, though not without a pang of disappointment. What had he expected? Idiot. Anna cut vegetables, wearing the circuit-board-print apron she liked.“Get the waters, I'm almost finished.”Jake tried to act normal but couldn't stop thinking about her breasts as he set the coffee table in front of the TV. Anna put down plates of chicken salad and sat beside him on the couch.Normally, at this point they would watch something on TV while they ate. The remote control was on the arm of the couch next to Anna, ignored.“How was work?” Anna asked.“Oh fine, pretty normal,” Jake lied. “You?”“Actually,” Anna said, “I had trouble focusing at work today.” She paused there, as if giving Jake an opportunity to say more.“To be honest,” Jake admitted, turning to look her in the eye, “I had the same problem.”“Was there something on your mind?” Anna asked.“Technically two things were on my mind,” Jake said.Anna burst out laughing. Relieved, Jake laughed too.“I want to thank you,” Anna said, “for being so patient with me last night. And kind. I was close to running out of the room in tears. You helped me keep it together.” She took his hand. “That was very kind of you. I feel like a burden of shame was lifted. Thank you.”Jake blushed.“What I hadn't expected, though…” Anna looked down. “What I hadn't expected was how much I enjoyed it.”Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet Jake's. Panic came rushing back. Did she want to do it again? Did Jake want that? Confused thoughts swirled in his head. Did he want to kiss Anna? Yes, but she didn't want that. Did he feel romantic thoughts about her? Yes, but she didn't want that either. Did he want to see her breasts again, despite all his misgivings? Yes. Most definitely yes.“Did you…” Anna was studying his face. “Did you enjoy it, too?”“YES!” Jake blurted out, not exactly playing it cool.Anna smiled. “Do you, do you mind if we do it again?”“I would love that,” Jake answered.Anna hesitated. “It made me feel better when you took your shirt off first.”Jake nearly tore his shirt in his rush to pull it off. Anna's eyes on his chest made his skin feel warm.After a moment of staring, Anna started to unbutton her shirt. Feeling emboldened by Anna's unguarded staring at him, Jake watched her fingers work. The anticipation was intense, and he felt a reckless swelling between his legs.“Excuse me,” Anna said sternly, “my eyes are up here.”Jake blanched and tore his gaze up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in panic and his dick shrinking in shame. Incoherent apologies spilled out of his mouth as he tried to repair the damage his eager eyes had done.“Whoa, whoa, it's okay, I was just joking!” Anna said quickly. “I've never seen anyone go so pale. Are you okay? Jake, you didn't do anything wrong. The whole point is for you to look at me.” She grabbed his shoulders. “Jake, please, I'm sorry, I was only trying to be funny.” She gently pulled on the back of his head until it was tilted down at her chest again. “Your respectful instincts are part of why I trust you. It's okay. I want you to look.”He watched her shirt rise and fall with each breath, and eventually his breathing matched hers. Anna released his head and resumed unbuttoning. She wasn't wearing a bra. After t

How long can naked friends resist becoming lovers?By darrenr. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“Breasts, yes. I want to show you my breasts,” Anna said, making a simple request that complicated everything.Jake instinctively glanced down at her chest, before wrenching his gaze back to her face. His mind raced in useless circles around a single thought: Danger!“But you have to promise to tell me if that would make you uncomfortable,” Anna said. “I can only ask you this favor because our friendship is both close and solidly non-romantic. I completely understand if my request is just too flippin' weird!”Jake had never been less comfortable in his life. This felt like a bad idea.He wanted it anyway.Feeling ashamed of himself, Jake forced himself to think. Anna wouldn't ask unless it was important to her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried a joke. “Compared to eating the terrible chicken dinner you made last night, this sounds like a walk in the park.”Anna erupted in giggling. She was clearly nervous, but it was comforting to hear her infectious laugh. That, at least, felt normal.They met about a year ago, neighbors moving in on the same day. She had a kind face. If she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to notice. She was an inch taller, had brown eyes and long blonde hair–brilliantly shining blonde–always in a ponytail. Her face seemed to have only two states: stern concentration or an easy smile. She had a solid aspect to her figure but wasn't fat. Her tight jeans revealed strong legs and a substantial bottom that her height proportioned nicely. A baggy flannel shirt hid any details about her breasts.Although Jake tended to be shy, an endless conversation began during their second shared elevator trip. Her name was Aine, but she went by Anna. She liked hiking and tinkering with electronics. They both just moved into town and it was their first time living on their own. Anna did some kind of computer engineering work that sounded much cooler than the business analysis work he did. They both used Excel spreadsheets extensively for work and shared many of the same frustrations with its quirks. They liked a lot of the same video games and movies and had plenty to talk about.That first night they shared take-out at Jake's place, which was the start of Anna's habit of visiting constantly. Jake insisted on paying. To repay him, the next night Anna made dinner in his kitchen. Jake then reciprocated the following night. Neither of them was a very good cook, but it worked out. They ate dinner together nearly every day, alternating cooking and cleanup. Anna declared it was more efficient to share food between two people. She also decided Jake's pot, pan, and dish situation was better than hers, so they used his kitchen. Jake gave her the spare key to his apartment and she came and went as she pleased. He started to develop real feelings for her. This stopped when, after a week hanging out together, Anna mused on the merits of their relationship.“I'm glad we're neighbors,” Anna said that day. “We've only known each other a week, and yet I already feel like we've been friends for years.”“I feel the same way,” Jake had said.“Best of all,” she added in a moment burned into his memory, “Is we don't have a trace of romantic tension between us. We're free to just be friends without all that bullshit.”Jake let her comment pass without challenge. What else could he do? But it was a blow. All his romantic and erotic fantasies about her fizzled, impossible to sustain if she didn't feel the same. At least he did genuinely like her, mostly.The “mostly” came down to her presumptuousness. She saw that, obviously, it made sense for them to share Jake's kitchen. Obviously, it made sense for her to set up her electronics workbench in Jake's apartment, and hadn't even asked him. He didn't complain because he liked their dinner arrangement and liked seeing her build crazy electronics. She wasn't wrong in her actions; he just wished she'd ask first.Watching movies, playing video games, and discussing politics solidified their friendship. Jake was eventually able to suppress most of his unwelcome feelings about Anna. He tried his best to think of her as just a friend. A pal.Which made this request so upsetting. He was dismayed to find that his efforts over the past year had only hidden the shameful ember of carnal desire in his heart. Her words now rekindled it into a bright flame, unthinking and ravenous. He refused to let it burn this person he cared about.“Anna, wait.” Jake was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Concern returned to her face. “Are you sure about this? It's not that I don't want to see, you.”“Then why don't you shut up and let me show you?” Anna asked, laughing nervously.“Believe me, I'm wondering myself. I just, we've been neighbors for almost a year now, and I like to think we've become friends. However, I never got the sense you saw me as more than a friend, so this whole ‘I want you to see me naked' thing is a bit of a surprise. Not an unwelcome surprise, but, well, can you please spell it out for this dummy?”Anna looked down and sighed. “You're right, I owe you an explanation. Please, please be patient with me. This isn't easy.”“Deal,” Jake said in agreement. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms and legs in an exaggerated manner. “I'm extremely patient.”Anna took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen I had my first serious boyfriend, Andrew. We were making out, and I let him take my shirt and bra off. It was a mistake. He was a mistake. I don't know what I saw in him. The thing is, I have inverted nipples.” Anna turn away from Jake and began to shyly fidget. “He freaked out when he saw them. He didn't want to touch them anymore, didn't want to touch me. Looking back, I think he was just a nervous kid frightened by something he didn't understand. Still, it really hurt.”“Fucking hell, Andrew. What a massive asshole,” Jake said.Anna's face showed relief at his reaction. “Yes,” she agreed, “especially when he told his friends and started calling me ‘NN anna' for ‘No Nipple Anna.'”“No way!” Jake said. “What the fuck?”“High school can be rough, right? It's not even accurate. I have nipples, they just go in instead of out. I think the whole school eventually heard. Plenty of people 'accidentally' called me Nnanna, even a teacher once. I was devastated at the time, but I've tried to forget about him, about his reaction, about the taunting. I've dated a few guys over the years, though I've always ended it before things got, intimate. I've come to realize, on some level, I'm still ashamed of my body. I'm still afraid of a repeat of Andrew's reaction.”“That is some bullshit. No person should be ashamed of their body.”“Yes,” Anna agreed. “Intellectually, I know that. I've been telling myself for years. My trouble is the difference between knowing in my head and really feeling it in my heart. That's what I'm hoping you can help me with.”“Got it,” Jake said. “You want to show me your breasts, so I can NOT freak out.”“Exactly! Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. I know this is a weird favor to ask, I just, I feel safe with you.” Doubt returned to her face. “It's totally okay if you'd rather not do this. I don't want to guilt you into this.”“Anna, it's okay. Thank you for explaining. I understand, I think.”“Oh, come on, it's not a big deal,” Anna said, trying to sound casual. “Right?”Jake shook his head. “I disagree,” he said. “A friend sharing something deeply personal and fraught with shame, trusting me. It's a big deal.”Anna gazed into Jake's eyes, her breasts dominating his thoughts as they rose and fell with her breaths. He wondered if he saw more than friendship flickering in her eyes, but then it vanished.“Thank you,” she said. “Now that we've reached an understanding and decided on a course of action, we have another problem: I don't see how I can work up the courage to actually, um, do it.” Her voice got very quiet at the end as she looked down and chewed her lip. “It just seems impossibly weird and awkward to undress in front of you.” She gave his arm a gentle shove like she did when they played video games.Jake thought for a second.“Well I'm certainly not going to pressure you. But if you're set on doing this, then I have a suggestion: What if we both pretend you're fully clothed? I'll set up the video game. When you're ready, you come in dressed however you want, and we'll both just pretend everything is normal. We can play Mario Kart like we planned, all very normal and unremarkable.” Jake couldn't help smirking a little bit at this last sentence.Anna's face brightened. “I like that idea. That might work.”Jake stood up. “Off you go, then,” he pointed at his bedroom. “I'll just set up the game and you can join me when you're ready.” He faced the TV and grabbed the remote. “I hope you are prepared to get trounced,” he added.Anna departed for his bedroom. Jake's heart raced, and his hands trembled a bit. He tried some deep slow breaths. They didn't help much. He visualized the bedroom door behind him and the woman he expected to emerge any second.Jake was ashamed to feel an erection start at just the thought of seeing Anna's breasts. His friend was trusting him to help her! He had to master himself and come through for her. He had to.He heard Anna take a quiet step into the open doorway behind him. He dared not turn around.On an impulse he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it. While he was very aware his own skinny chest was completely unremarkable, he hoped this would make her a bit more comfortable.Then he did something he knew she hated. “I hope you don't mind, I'm just going to start the race. I'm choosing your character, yes, Bowser on the biggest car so you can't do anything but go in a straight line…”Anna's hand snatched the controller out of his as she dropped beside him on the couch.“Don't you dare!” she said, laughing.Jake kept his eyes locked on the TV screen, trying to act casual while his mind reeled at the bare breasts just visible at the corner of his eye. She had done it!Part of him wanted to turn and stare directly at the first bare breasts he'd met in person. A bigger part of him was simply proud of his friend's courage. She'd identified a source of needless shame and took steps to overcome it. Jake wanted to make this a positive experience for her.That didn't mean he didn't take in as much as he could without looking directly. In addition to taking off her shirt and bra, she had taken out her ponytail. She parted her hair on either side of her head, and let it fall down her front. Through this inadequate screen of hair he thrilled at an impression of pale roundness, and maybe a hint of pink?It helped to have the game to concentrate on, though his playing was shit. Anna was never one to sit still and just push buttons on the controller. She moved her whole body with each turn of the race car. He kept his gaze glued to the TV even though her constant movement tickled the outskirts of his vision mercilessly.After several races, Jake started to feel close to normal. His game-play was back up to the level of “respectable.” His erection calmed down. He still hadn't gotten a look at Anna's bare breasts sitting right next to him, but he also no longer had to struggle to keep his eyes locked forward. He felt relaxed and happy, having fun with his friend. More than happy, he felt buoyant. It was as if Anna's bare chest was a beacon radiating warmth, bathing his heart in contentment. Just knowing that she trusted him with this made him feel closer to her.When Anna won the next race, Jake decided to check on her. He put the controller down, tilted his head far back on the couch to make it clear he could only see the ceiling, and leaned in her direction with one hand to his mouth in a conspiratorial gesture. Whispering, he said, “How are you doing?”Anna mirrored his pose and whispered in response. “Really good, actually. How are you doing?”“Really good, too,” Jake said, afraid to reveal how much more than just 'good' he felt.Anna nodded slightly and then she sat up and resumed talking in a normal voice. “I'm going to get us glasses of water.” And with that she stood up and walked to the kitchen.Jake took in the sight of her bare back as she walked away from him. She was beautiful. He longed to touch her and hated himself for it. Momentarily, she would be walking back toward him, and he had to keep his eyes on the TV. He had to.She returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Instead of sitting she stood directly in front of him, blocking the TV, and held one out. Jake's efforts at gaze discipline went out the window as he was forced to look up at the glass, which she held at the exact elevation to be in line between his eyeballs and her breasts. Jake did his best to keep his eyes moving up to her face where he looked her in the eyes and said a hoarse “thank you” as he took the glass.Anna tilted her head far back to take drink. With her eyes toward the ceiling, Jake understood she was giving him permission to look.Jake's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and his composure left him. The rest of the room faded out of existence as his brain took in every detail.The slightly tan color of Anna's face and arms was thanks to the sun, for her bare shoulders and upper chest were paler. Her breasts were paler still and revealed a faint tracery of blue veins around her shapely contours. Her hair covered the promised inverted nipples, though he could see the edges of puffy pink areolas.On the one hand, this was just another part of his friend's body. His friend Anna happened to be a woman, women have breasts, and these were simply Anna's breasts. Up close like this, Jake could see the subtle details on her skin. The fine hairs, sprinkling of moles, and minor asymmetries stressed the reality of what he beheld, in contrast to the airbrushed breasts in porn. Intellectually, Jake knew in the big picture all breasts, all bodies, were ultimately unremarkable.On the other hand, Jake couldn't help feeling these particular breasts were magical beacons of beauty, acceptance, trust, and intimacy. Anna's breasts emanated waves of warmth that bathed his heart in joy and evoked feelings of affection and protectiveness. It pained him to think of all those years of being ashamed of her body, avoiding physical intimacy for fear of rejection.After an eternity of taking in this sight, Anna sat on the couch again. He fastened his eyes on the TV and tried to regain his composure.Jake felt a flash of pain on his arm as Anna playfully hit him with the back of her hand. “Come on, slowpoke, press 'A' so we can start the next race. I'm enjoying destroying you.”“Oops,” Jake said, resuming the game. And then, feeling daring, he added: “I don't know where my mind was.”It was hard to tell without turning his head, but he thought he saw her smile.They played a few more races until it was their usual bedtime for a work night.Anna stood up. “Well, we both have work tomorrow. Better call it a night.” She walked into Jake's bedroom and then returned dressed normally. The light in the room felt weaker without the shining warmth of her bare breasts. He fought to hide his disappointment.“G'night,” she said, walking to the door.Jake leaped up to meet her at the door. “Thanks for the fun evening,” he said. Then, his face reddening, “I mean the Mario Kart.”Anna laughed, her face blushing too. “Thank YOU!” Then, hesitating, “for everything.”When the door closed behind her, Jake's apartment felt cold, lonely, and dark.The next day at work, Jake had trouble getting anything done with visions of Anna's breasts dancing in his head. He missed the feeling of being with her when she was topless. But on his way home, a new worry arose: How awkward would it be when he saw her again tonight? There was no going back to how things had been before.Opening the door to his apartment, he heard Anna working in the kitchen.“Hey,” Jake called out.“Hey yourself,” Anna answered from the kitchen.Jake relaxed when he saw she was wearing a shirt, though not without a pang of disappointment. What had he expected? Idiot. Anna cut vegetables, wearing the circuit-board-print apron she liked.“Get the waters, I'm almost finished.”Jake tried to act normal but couldn't stop thinking about her breasts as he set the coffee table in front of the TV. Anna put down plates of chicken salad and sat beside him on the couch.Normally, at this point they would watch something on TV while they ate. The remote control was on the arm of the couch next to Anna, ignored.“How was work?” Anna asked.“Oh fine, pretty normal,” Jake lied. “You?”“Actually,” Anna said, “I had trouble focusing at work today.” She paused there, as if giving Jake an opportunity to say more.“To be honest,” Jake admitted, turning to look her in the eye, “I had the same problem.”“Was there something on your mind?” Anna asked.“Technically two things were on my mind,” Jake said.Anna burst out laughing. Relieved, Jake laughed too.“I want to thank you,” Anna said, “for being so patient with me last night. And kind. I was close to running out of the room in tears. You helped me keep it together.” She took his hand. “That was very kind of you. I feel like a burden of shame was lifted. Thank you.”Jake blushed.“What I hadn't expected, though…” Anna looked down. “What I hadn't expected was how much I enjoyed it.”Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet Jake's. Panic came rushing back. Did she want to do it again? Did Jake want that? Confused thoughts swirled in his head. Did he want to kiss Anna? Yes, but she didn't want that. Did he feel romantic thoughts about her? Yes, but she didn't want that either. Did he want to see her breasts again, despite all his misgivings? Yes. Most definitely yes.“Did you…” Anna was studying his face. “Did you enjoy it, too?”“YES!” Jake blurted out, not exactly playing it cool.Anna smiled. “Do you, do you mind if we do it again?”“I would love that,” Jake answered.Anna hesitated. “It made me feel better when you took your shirt off first.”Jake nearly tore his shirt in his rush to pull it off. Anna's eyes on his chest made his skin feel warm.After a moment of staring, Anna started to unbutton her shirt. Feeling emboldened by Anna's unguarded staring at him, Jake watched her fingers work. The anticipation was intense, and he felt a reckless swelling between his legs.“Excuse me,” Anna said sternly, “my eyes are up here.”Jake blanched and tore his gaze up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in panic and his dick shrinking in shame. Incoherent apologies spilled out of his mouth as he tried to repair the damage his eager eyes had done.“Whoa, whoa, it's okay, I was just joking!” Anna said quickly. “I've never seen anyone go so pale. Are you okay? Jake, you didn't do anything wrong. The whole point is for you to look at me.” She grabbed his shoulders. “Jake, please, I'm sorry, I was only trying to be funny.” She gently pulled on the back of his head until it was tilted down at her chest again. “Your respectful instincts are part of why I trust you. It's okay. I want you to look.”He watched her shirt rise and fall with each breath, and eventually his breathing matched hers. Anna released his head and resumed unbuttoning. She wasn't wearing a bra. After t

How long can naked friends resist becoming lovers?By darrenr. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.“Breasts, yes. I want to show you my breasts,” Anna said, making a simple request that complicated everything.Jake instinctively glanced down at her chest, before wrenching his gaze back to her face. His mind raced in useless circles around a single thought: Danger!“But you have to promise to tell me if that would make you uncomfortable,” Anna said. “I can only ask you this favor because our friendship is both close and solidly non-romantic. I completely understand if my request is just too flippin' weird!”Jake had never been less comfortable in his life. This felt like a bad idea.He wanted it anyway.Feeling ashamed of himself, Jake forced himself to think. Anna wouldn't ask unless it was important to her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he tried a joke. “Compared to eating the terrible chicken dinner you made last night, this sounds like a walk in the park.”Anna erupted in giggling. She was clearly nervous, but it was comforting to hear her infectious laugh. That, at least, felt normal.They met about a year ago, neighbors moving in on the same day. She had a kind face. If she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to notice. She was an inch taller, had brown eyes and long blonde hair–brilliantly shining blonde–always in a ponytail. Her face seemed to have only two states: stern concentration or an easy smile. She had a solid aspect to her figure but wasn't fat. Her tight jeans revealed strong legs and a substantial bottom that her height proportioned nicely. A baggy flannel shirt hid any details about her breasts.Although Jake tended to be shy, an endless conversation began during their second shared elevator trip. Her name was Aine, but she went by Anna. She liked hiking and tinkering with electronics. They both just moved into town and it was their first time living on their own. Anna did some kind of computer engineering work that sounded much cooler than the business analysis work he did. They both used Excel spreadsheets extensively for work and shared many of the same frustrations with its quirks. They liked a lot of the same video games and movies and had plenty to talk about.That first night they shared take-out at Jake's place, which was the start of Anna's habit of visiting constantly. Jake insisted on paying. To repay him, the next night Anna made dinner in his kitchen. Jake then reciprocated the following night. Neither of them was a very good cook, but it worked out. They ate dinner together nearly every day, alternating cooking and cleanup. Anna declared it was more efficient to share food between two people. She also decided Jake's pot, pan, and dish situation was better than hers, so they used his kitchen. Jake gave her the spare key to his apartment and she came and went as she pleased. He started to develop real feelings for her. This stopped when, after a week hanging out together, Anna mused on the merits of their relationship.“I'm glad we're neighbors,” Anna said that day. “We've only known each other a week, and yet I already feel like we've been friends for years.”“I feel the same way,” Jake had said.“Best of all,” she added in a moment burned into his memory, “Is we don't have a trace of romantic tension between us. We're free to just be friends without all that bullshit.”Jake let her comment pass without challenge. What else could he do? But it was a blow. All his romantic and erotic fantasies about her fizzled, impossible to sustain if she didn't feel the same. At least he did genuinely like her, mostly.The “mostly” came down to her presumptuousness. She saw that, obviously, it made sense for them to share Jake's kitchen. Obviously, it made sense for her to set up her electronics workbench in Jake's apartment, and hadn't even asked him. He didn't complain because he liked their dinner arrangement and liked seeing her build crazy electronics. She wasn't wrong in her actions; he just wished she'd ask first.Watching movies, playing video games, and discussing politics solidified their friendship. Jake was eventually able to suppress most of his unwelcome feelings about Anna. He tried his best to think of her as just a friend. A pal.Which made this request so upsetting. He was dismayed to find that his efforts over the past year had only hidden the shameful ember of carnal desire in his heart. Her words now rekindled it into a bright flame, unthinking and ravenous. He refused to let it burn this person he cared about.“Anna, wait.” Jake was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth. Concern returned to her face. “Are you sure about this? It's not that I don't want to see, you.”“Then why don't you shut up and let me show you?” Anna asked, laughing nervously.“Believe me, I'm wondering myself. I just, we've been neighbors for almost a year now, and I like to think we've become friends. However, I never got the sense you saw me as more than a friend, so this whole ‘I want you to see me naked' thing is a bit of a surprise. Not an unwelcome surprise, but, well, can you please spell it out for this dummy?”Anna looked down and sighed. “You're right, I owe you an explanation. Please, please be patient with me. This isn't easy.”“Deal,” Jake said in agreement. He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms and legs in an exaggerated manner. “I'm extremely patient.”Anna took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen I had my first serious boyfriend, Andrew. We were making out, and I let him take my shirt and bra off. It was a mistake. He was a mistake. I don't know what I saw in him. The thing is, I have inverted nipples.” Anna turn away from Jake and began to shyly fidget. “He freaked out when he saw them. He didn't want to touch them anymore, didn't want to touch me. Looking back, I think he was just a nervous kid frightened by something he didn't understand. Still, it really hurt.”“Fucking hell, Andrew. What a massive asshole,” Jake said.Anna's face showed relief at his reaction. “Yes,” she agreed, “especially when he told his friends and started calling me ‘NN anna' for ‘No Nipple Anna.'”“No way!” Jake said. “What the fuck?”“High school can be rough, right? It's not even accurate. I have nipples, they just go in instead of out. I think the whole school eventually heard. Plenty of people 'accidentally' called me Nnanna, even a teacher once. I was devastated at the time, but I've tried to forget about him, about his reaction, about the taunting. I've dated a few guys over the years, though I've always ended it before things got, intimate. I've come to realize, on some level, I'm still ashamed of my body. I'm still afraid of a repeat of Andrew's reaction.”“That is some bullshit. No person should be ashamed of their body.”“Yes,” Anna agreed. “Intellectually, I know that. I've been telling myself for years. My trouble is the difference between knowing in my head and really feeling it in my heart. That's what I'm hoping you can help me with.”“Got it,” Jake said. “You want to show me your breasts, so I can NOT freak out.”“Exactly! Which sounds silly when you say it out loud. I know this is a weird favor to ask, I just, I feel safe with you.” Doubt returned to her face. “It's totally okay if you'd rather not do this. I don't want to guilt you into this.”“Anna, it's okay. Thank you for explaining. I understand, I think.”“Oh, come on, it's not a big deal,” Anna said, trying to sound casual. “Right?”Jake shook his head. “I disagree,” he said. “A friend sharing something deeply personal and fraught with shame, trusting me. It's a big deal.”Anna gazed into Jake's eyes, her breasts dominating his thoughts as they rose and fell with her breaths. He wondered if he saw more than friendship flickering in her eyes, but then it vanished.“Thank you,” she said. “Now that we've reached an understanding and decided on a course of action, we have another problem: I don't see how I can work up the courage to actually, um, do it.” Her voice got very quiet at the end as she looked down and chewed her lip. “It just seems impossibly weird and awkward to undress in front of you.” She gave his arm a gentle shove like she did when they played video games.Jake thought for a second.“Well I'm certainly not going to pressure you. But if you're set on doing this, then I have a suggestion: What if we both pretend you're fully clothed? I'll set up the video game. When you're ready, you come in dressed however you want, and we'll both just pretend everything is normal. We can play Mario Kart like we planned, all very normal and unremarkable.” Jake couldn't help smirking a little bit at this last sentence.Anna's face brightened. “I like that idea. That might work.”Jake stood up. “Off you go, then,” he pointed at his bedroom. “I'll just set up the game and you can join me when you're ready.” He faced the TV and grabbed the remote. “I hope you are prepared to get trounced,” he added.Anna departed for his bedroom. Jake's heart raced, and his hands trembled a bit. He tried some deep slow breaths. They didn't help much. He visualized the bedroom door behind him and the woman he expected to emerge any second.Jake was ashamed to feel an erection start at just the thought of seeing Anna's breasts. His friend was trusting him to help her! He had to master himself and come through for her. He had to.He heard Anna take a quiet step into the open doorway behind him. He dared not turn around.On an impulse he pulled his own shirt off and tossed it. While he was very aware his own skinny chest was completely unremarkable, he hoped this would make her a bit more comfortable.Then he did something he knew she hated. “I hope you don't mind, I'm just going to start the race. I'm choosing your character, yes, Bowser on the biggest car so you can't do anything but go in a straight line…”Anna's hand snatched the controller out of his as she dropped beside him on the couch.“Don't you dare!” she said, laughing.Jake kept his eyes locked on the TV screen, trying to act casual while his mind reeled at the bare breasts just visible at the corner of his eye. She had done it!Part of him wanted to turn and stare directly at the first bare breasts he'd met in person. A bigger part of him was simply proud of his friend's courage. She'd identified a source of needless shame and took steps to overcome it. Jake wanted to make this a positive experience for her.That didn't mean he didn't take in as much as he could without looking directly. In addition to taking off her shirt and bra, she had taken out her ponytail. She parted her hair on either side of her head, and let it fall down her front. Through this inadequate screen of hair he thrilled at an impression of pale roundness, and maybe a hint of pink?It helped to have the game to concentrate on, though his playing was shit. Anna was never one to sit still and just push buttons on the controller. She moved her whole body with each turn of the race car. He kept his gaze glued to the TV even though her constant movement tickled the outskirts of his vision mercilessly.After several races, Jake started to feel close to normal. His game-play was back up to the level of “respectable.” His erection calmed down. He still hadn't gotten a look at Anna's bare breasts sitting right next to him, but he also no longer had to struggle to keep his eyes locked forward. He felt relaxed and happy, having fun with his friend. More than happy, he felt buoyant. It was as if Anna's bare chest was a beacon radiating warmth, bathing his heart in contentment. Just knowing that she trusted him with this made him feel closer to her.When Anna won the next race, Jake decided to check on her. He put the controller down, tilted his head far back on the couch to make it clear he could only see the ceiling, and leaned in her direction with one hand to his mouth in a conspiratorial gesture. Whispering, he said, “How are you doing?”Anna mirrored his pose and whispered in response. “Really good, actually. How are you doing?”“Really good, too,” Jake said, afraid to reveal how much more than just 'good' he felt.Anna nodded slightly and then she sat up and resumed talking in a normal voice. “I'm going to get us glasses of water.” And with that she stood up and walked to the kitchen.Jake took in the sight of her bare back as she walked away from him. She was beautiful. He longed to touch her and hated himself for it. Momentarily, she would be walking back toward him, and he had to keep his eyes on the TV. He had to.She returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Instead of sitting she stood directly in front of him, blocking the TV, and held one out. Jake's efforts at gaze discipline went out the window as he was forced to look up at the glass, which she held at the exact elevation to be in line between his eyeballs and her breasts. Jake did his best to keep his eyes moving up to her face where he looked her in the eyes and said a hoarse “thank you” as he took the glass.Anna tilted her head far back to take drink. With her eyes toward the ceiling, Jake understood she was giving him permission to look.Jake's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and his composure left him. The rest of the room faded out of existence as his brain took in every detail.The slightly tan color of Anna's face and arms was thanks to the sun, for her bare shoulders and upper chest were paler. Her breasts were paler still and revealed a faint tracery of blue veins around her shapely contours. Her hair covered the promised inverted nipples, though he could see the edges of puffy pink areolas.On the one hand, this was just another part of his friend's body. His friend Anna happened to be a woman, women have breasts, and these were simply Anna's breasts. Up close like this, Jake could see the subtle details on her skin. The fine hairs, sprinkling of moles, and minor asymmetries stressed the reality of what he beheld, in contrast to the airbrushed breasts in porn. Intellectually, Jake knew in the big picture all breasts, all bodies, were ultimately unremarkable.On the other hand, Jake couldn't help feeling these particular breasts were magical beacons of beauty, acceptance, trust, and intimacy. Anna's breasts emanated waves of warmth that bathed his heart in joy and evoked feelings of affection and protectiveness. It pained him to think of all those years of being ashamed of her body, avoiding physical intimacy for fear of rejection.After an eternity of taking in this sight, Anna sat on the couch again. He fastened his eyes on the TV and tried to regain his composure.Jake felt a flash of pain on his arm as Anna playfully hit him with the back of her hand. “Come on, slowpoke, press 'A' so we can start the next race. I'm enjoying destroying you.”“Oops,” Jake said, resuming the game. And then, feeling daring, he added: “I don't know where my mind was.”It was hard to tell without turning his head, but he thought he saw her smile.They played a few more races until it was their usual bedtime for a work night.Anna stood up. “Well, we both have work tomorrow. Better call it a night.” She walked into Jake's bedroom and then returned dressed normally. The light in the room felt weaker without the shining warmth of her bare breasts. He fought to hide his disappointment.“G'night,” she said, walking to the door.Jake leaped up to meet her at the door. “Thanks for the fun evening,” he said. Then, his face reddening, “I mean the Mario Kart.”Anna laughed, her face blushing too. “Thank YOU!” Then, hesitating, “for everything.”When the door closed behind her, Jake's apartment felt cold, lonely, and dark.The next day at work, Jake had trouble getting anything done with visions of Anna's breasts dancing in his head. He missed the feeling of being with her when she was topless. But on his way home, a new worry arose: How awkward would it be when he saw her again tonight? There was no going back to how things had been before.Opening the door to his apartment, he heard Anna working in the kitchen.“Hey,” Jake called out.“Hey yourself,” Anna answered from the kitchen.Jake relaxed when he saw she was wearing a shirt, though not without a pang of disappointment. What had he expected? Idiot. Anna cut vegetables, wearing the circuit-board-print apron she liked.“Get the waters, I'm almost finished.”Jake tried to act normal but couldn't stop thinking about her breasts as he set the coffee table in front of the TV. Anna put down plates of chicken salad and sat beside him on the couch.Normally, at this point they would watch something on TV while they ate. The remote control was on the arm of the couch next to Anna, ignored.“How was work?” Anna asked.“Oh fine, pretty normal,” Jake lied. “You?”“Actually,” Anna said, “I had trouble focusing at work today.” She paused there, as if giving Jake an opportunity to say more.“To be honest,” Jake admitted, turning to look her in the eye, “I had the same problem.”“Was there something on your mind?” Anna asked.“Technically two things were on my mind,” Jake said.Anna burst out laughing. Relieved, Jake laughed too.“I want to thank you,” Anna said, “for being so patient with me last night. And kind. I was close to running out of the room in tears. You helped me keep it together.” She took his hand. “That was very kind of you. I feel like a burden of shame was lifted. Thank you.”Jake blushed.“What I hadn't expected, though…” Anna looked down. “What I hadn't expected was how much I enjoyed it.”Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet Jake's. Panic came rushing back. Did she want to do it again? Did Jake want that? Confused thoughts swirled in his head. Did he want to kiss Anna? Yes, but she didn't want that. Did he feel romantic thoughts about her? Yes, but she didn't want that either. Did he want to see her breasts again, despite all his misgivings? Yes. Most definitely yes.“Did you…” Anna was studying his face. “Did you enjoy it, too?”“YES!” Jake blurted out, not exactly playing it cool.Anna smiled. “Do you, do you mind if we do it again?”“I would love that,” Jake answered.Anna hesitated. “It made me feel better when you took your shirt off first.”Jake nearly tore his shirt in his rush to pull it off. Anna's eyes on his chest made his skin feel warm.After a moment of staring, Anna started to unbutton her shirt. Feeling emboldened by Anna's unguarded staring at him, Jake watched her fingers work. The anticipation was intense, and he felt a reckless swelling between his legs.“Excuse me,” Anna said sternly, “my eyes are up here.”Jake blanched and tore his gaze up at the ceiling, his heart pounding in panic and his dick shrinking in shame. Incoherent apologies spilled out of his mouth as he tried to repair the damage his eager eyes had done.“Whoa, whoa, it's okay, I was just joking!” Anna said quickly. “I've never seen anyone go so pale. Are you okay? Jake, you didn't do anything wrong. The whole point is for you to look at me.” She grabbed his shoulders. “Jake, please, I'm sorry, I was only trying to be funny.” She gently pulled on the back of his head until it was tilted down at her chest again. “Your respectful instincts are part of why I trust you. It's okay. I want you to look.”He watched her shirt rise and fall with each breath, and eventually his breathing matched hers. Anna released his head and resumed unbuttoning. She wasn't wearing a bra. After t

What happens when someone moves from government UX research to shaping research for the broader industry? Lou talks with Maria Rosala, Director of Research at Nielsen Norman Group, about her role, her career path, and the value of research repositories. Maria shares what it means to lead research at NN/g and how her experience as a UX researcher in the UK Home Office shaped her perspective on research maturity and real-world practice. They explore how research repositories help organizations surface knowledge, avoid duplicate work, and support collaboration—and why people and culture remain just as important as the tools. Maria also discusses how AI could make repositories more powerful by surfacing connections and insights.

Speellijst Zondag 22 februari 2026 Met lege handen (L. Kuhr/Elke Vierveijzer) Lenny Kuhr 3'19 Van de cd Lenny Kuhr EXCEL96675 Tristoire (I. de Wijs/P. Nieuwint) Anouk Dorfmann, Johan Hoogeboom 2'32 Van de cd Parler aux canons Eigen beheer Call girl (Reiziger/Vleugel) Gerrie van der Klei 6'06 Eigen opname Doerak (Van der Laan, Woe) Geen familie 1'50 Van de cd Ctrl+Alt+Del Eigen opname Een lied uit vroeger tijden (Long) Robert Long en Simone Kleinsma 4'20 Van de cd Het onherroepelijke Fantastico album Universal 471 410-1 Ik brand van liefde en van smart (Long) Mieneke (Nelleke Burg) 2'56 Van single RCS 349 De skikliniek (Fokkema) Marjolein Fokkema 2'53 Eigen opname Sprong (Nieuwint/De Wijs) Pieter Nieuwint 2'37 Van de cd Ik zou je het liefste in een doosje willen doen NN 500.004-2 Wintersport (fragment) (Van 't Hek) Youp van 't Hek 3'31 van de cd Alles of nooit CNR 475.076-2 Zonder kunst (Bleeker) Robin Bleeker 3'35 Spotify De weg naar Trondheim (De Boer/Handlykken) Maartje en Kine 4'11 Eigen opname Zo 't komt (M. Eduardo/W. Hogenkamp) Wim Hogenkamp 3'39 Van de LP Heel gewoon Ariola 26355 XOT Februari (H. Blanco/B. Kaandorp) Brigitte Kaandorp 3'58 Van de cd En vliegwerk BIS 057

Söyleşi: Faruk Ekici | Gökçe Uygun'un yönettiği ve projenin çıkış noktası olan babası Sinan Uygun'un performans sanatçısı Selim Cizdan ile sahneyi paylaştığı Endophasia, beyin kanaması sonrası gelişen afazi (konuşma güçlüğü) sürecini yapay zekâ ve dijital avatarlar aracılığıyla disiplinlerarası bir "şifa laboratuvarına" dönüştürüyor. Nörobilimsel verileri Unreal Engine ve ses klonlama teknolojisiyle harmanlayan performans; dilin bittiği noktada "iç konuşmanın" (endophasia) estetiğini ve belleğin dijital restorasyonunu merkezine alıyor.Multidisipliner sanatçı Gökçe Uygun; babasının 10 yıllık sessizliğini bir sahne performansına dönüştüren Endophasia'yı, bedenin mülkiyetini sorgulayan performansçısı olduğu yeni proje Autopsy'yi ve teknolojiyle iç içe geçen yeni sahne dilini T24'e anlattı.KÜNYE:Endophasia ▼Konsept-Yönetmen: Gökçe UygunMüzik-Ses-Sahne Komposizyonu: Güneş Bozkırİnteraktif Medya-3D Tasarım: Can MemişoğullarıPerformans: Selim Cizdan, Sinan UygunHareket Tasarımı: Salih UstaSahne Tasarımı-Dramaturji: Neslihan ŞıkIşık Tasarımı & Sahne Amiri: Umut RışvanlıHareket Dramaturjisi: Senay ArslanProdüksiyon Amiri: Mehmet ÇelikProje-Yönetmen Asistanı: Ecenaz Bilgili, Ecemsu ŞahanArtistik Danışman: Tolga TüzünNörolog-Bilimsel Danışman: Prof. Dr. Hakan Gürvit, Prof Dr. Öget Öktem TanörYazılım-Teknoloji Danışmanı: Emir Cem GezerHukuki Danışman: Semin TunalıAutopsy ▼Konsept-Besteci-Yönetmen: Güneş BozkırMetin: Güneş Bozkır, Ozan Ömer AkgülYaratıcı Performansçılar: Gizem Seçkin, Ufuk Fakıoğlu, Gökçe UygunPerformansçılar: Elif Beyza Sucu,Saliha Bozkurt, Ecemsu ŞahanSes Performansı: Melek CeylanDramaturg: Ozan Ömer AkgülHareket Danışmanı: Salih Usta3D Tasarım-Video Uygulayıcı: Can MemişoğullarıDekor Tasarımı: Neslihan ŞıkKostüm Tasarımı: Hilal PolatMakyaj-SFX: Saye Özçelik, Zeynep DumanIşık Tasarımı: Utku KaraProdüksiyon Direktörü: İlker Aksu, Özgür Doğa GörürgözAsistanlar: Asya Salihoğlu, Özlem Dede, Mehmet Çelik, Salih DemirYapımcı: Gökhan CivanYapım: Echoes Sahne, Performans Alanı

BARKLEY MARATHON + RAOS RESOLER + CHITO TRAIL BANDOLEROS | FIND YOUR EVEREST PODCAST by Javi Ordieres ️ En este episodio del Find Your Everest Podcast hablamos de: Comentamos dos grandes carreras internacionales del pasado fin de semana: la Black Canyon Ultras y Tarawera Ultratrail by UTMB. Hablamos de la Barkley Marathon, que ha terminado sin ningún finisher en esta edición. Repasamos el calendario de carreras de febrero, con pruebas nacionales e internacionales a tener muy en cuenta. Charlamos con Óscar, de Raos Resoler, sobre la presentación de su nuevo equipo de trail para esta temporada. Hablamos con Chito sobre la cancelación del Trail Bandoleros debido al temporal y las lluvias en Andalucia. SECCIÓN DE MATERIAL TRAIL RUNNING Analizamos novedades y productos destacados: THE NORTH FACE ZAPATILLAS THE NORTH FACE VECTIV INFINITE 3: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-the-north-face-vectiv-infinite-3-calacatta-lava-red ZAPATILLAS THE NORTH FACE VECTIV ENDURIS 4: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-the-north-face-vectiv-enduris-4-lava-red-calacatta-1 ZAPATILLAS THE NORTH FACE SUMMIT VECTIV SKY 2: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-the-north-face-vectiv-sky-2-lava-red-calacatta ZAPATILLAS THE NORTH FACE SUMMIT VECTIV PRO 3: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-the-north-face-summit-vectiv-pro-3 ZAPATILLAS THE NORTH FACE ALTAMESA 500 V2: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-the-north-face-altamesa-500-v2-white-lava-red NAKED CINTURÓN NAKED HC 5L: https://findyoureverest.es/products/cinturon-naked-hc-5l-raven NNORMAL ZAPATILLAS NNORMAL TOMIR 02 NN: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-nnormal-tomir-02-nn-green-white CALCETINES NNORMAL RACE LOW CUT : https://findyoureverest.es/products/calcetines-nnormal-race-low-cut-green CALCETINES NNORMAL RACE MEDIUM CUT: https://findyoureverest.es/products/calcetines-nnormal-race-socks-medium-cut-dusty-pink MERRELL ZAPATILLAS MERRELL AGILITY PEAK 6: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-merrell-agility-peak-6-pigeon ZAPATILLAS MERRELL MTL LONG SKY 2 MATRYX : https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-merrell-mtl-long-sky-2-matryx-pigeon-beluga ZAPATILLAS MERRELL MTL ADAPT MATRYX: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-merrell-mtl-adapt-matryx-limone-beluga ZAPATILLAS MERRELL PROMORPH : https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-merrell-promorph-white-spearmint BROOKS ZAPATILLAS BROOKS HYPERION ELITE 5: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-brooks-hyperion-elite-5-luminary-yellow-gray ZAPATILLAS BROOKS HYPERION 3: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-brooks-hyperion-3-luminary-black-yellow ZAPATILLAS BROOKS HYPERION MAX 3: https://findyoureverest.es/products/zapatillas-brooks-hyperion-max-3-luminary-cyber-yellow-black TEXTIL BROOKS LÍNEA PRO KIT : https://findyoureverest.es/collections/brooks-textil DICCIONARIO FYE En esta edición hablamos sobre el top ventas de enero.

Zájem o životní pojištění mezi Čechy roste. Ročně za něj zaplatí zhruba 60 miliard korun, zatímco ještě před deseti lety to bylo 45 miliard. „Mění se struktura životního pojištění. Dříve se lidé pojišťovali k vytváření rezerv, tedy se spořením. Rezervy tvořily tři čtvrtiny pojistného. Dnes se to přetočilo a více než polovina veškerého pojistného jde na rizika,“ říká Michal Korejs, ředitel produktu a úpisu rizika NN Životní pojišťovny. Lidé si uvědomili, že v případě smrti nebo invalidity se jen na státní příspěvky nemohou spoléhat.

Meer weten over de mogelijkheden bij Saxo Bank? Klik dan op deze link: https://refer.saxo/d8K39Meer info over de mogelijkheden bij Kraken? Ga naar:https://www.kraken.com/nl-nl/Boek Buffett & Co bestellen? https://www.borgerhoff-lamberigts.be/shop/boeken/buffett-coKortingscode: AANDEELHOUDERMeer weten over de Optie Masterclass? Ga naar:https://www.deaandeelhouderacademy.nl/Meer informatie over de Starten met Beleggen opleiding met Peter Siks? Ga dan naar:https://www.deaandeelhouderacademy.nl/dividend-beleggen-in-een-dag/Meer weten over The Dealing Room? Ga naar:https://thedealingroom.com/Lid worden van de aandeelhouder? Ga naar: https://www.deaandeelhouder.nl/premium/Nu lid worden van DeAandeelhouder Pro? Ga naar:https://www.deaandeelhouder.nl/login/?redirect_to=https://www.deaandeelhouder.nl/mijn-account/pro/Lid worden van ProBeleggen? Ga naar: https://www.probeleggen.nl/aanmelden/registreren/  In de wekelijkse podcast van DeAandeelhouder ontvangt deze week Nico Inberg diverse experts uit de financiële wereld om te praten over de beurs, beleggen en aandelen. Deze week verwelkomen wij Optie-expert Vincent Vis. Onderwerpen die aan bod komen zijn Adyen, NN group, DSM-Firmenich, Ahold Delhaize, InPost, Software, Heineken & veel meer!Volg DeAandeelhouder op andere kanalen:Website: https://www.deaandeelhouder.nl/Twitter (X):  https://twitter.com/deaandeelhouderTikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@deaandeelhouderInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/deaandeelhouder/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeAandeelHouder/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/de-aandeelhouder-nl/Tijdslijn:00:00 - 9:50 Verbazing van de week9:50 - 16:00 Macrorondje16:00 - 25:40 Adyen25:40 - 29:38 DSM-Firmenich29:38 - 32:40 Ahold-Delhaize32:40 - 37:12 Randstad37:12 - 39:37 Philips39:27 - 42:52 NN Group42:52 - 45:09 Heineken45:09 - 49:30 Wolters Kluwer49:30 - 52:07 InPost52:07 - 56:30 Magnum56:30 Laatste stichtelijke woordenOntvang al onze exclusieve analyses, video's en beurscontent:https://www.deaandeelhouder.nl/premium/Met een premium abonnement krijgt u wekelijks exclusieve video's en uitleg over potentieel koopwaardige aandelen, regelmatig artikelen met tips om op een verstandige manier met uw geld om te gaan, verder krijgt u tweewekelijks toegang tot de chatsessie met Nico Inberg en als klap op de vuurpijl krijgt u iedere zaterdag ons online magazine. Een kleine investering, voor een veel mooier rendement.

Game Exercise: Close your eyes and follow along with an entire Chess game using the audio below. On each move, try to conceptualize the position clearly and understand how it has changed. Try to follow the game until the end to stretch the amount of moves you can see ahead. To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization PGN for today's exercise: NN vs Rhine (Lichess blitz, 2019) e3 d5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Qf3 e4 4. Qf4 Bd6 5. Qg5 Qxg5 0-1

Oo..Nn...Ee....MoFUKA! IGSSTS Podcast is back this week with the missing link from last week! O.N.E. pulls up and sits with Squints to discuss his latest workload. From his new "Sound Check" EP thats available now to his latest feature on Struggle Jennings latest project entitle "Dope House." Then he reveals a few new plans he has for his run in 2026....new music....a new nonprofit organization and much more! Squints even lets him get his brag on for the New England Patriots since they made it back to the Super Bowl....smh. Enjoy!BIGS&P - SHOW AND PROVE ENTFOLLOW CHAD ON YOUTUBE NOW ‪@ChadArmesTV‬ MERCH AVAILABLE AT WWW.CHADARMESTV.COM for S&P MERCH

I hope you guys enjoy my Investor Audibles series with these three Q4 2025 letters: Laughing Water CapitalPlural InvestingKathmandu Capital Ideas discussed include: NN, THRY, LFCR, PAR, WOSG.LN, LOGC, VICR, LITEPLEASE NOTE THAT NOTHING IS INVESTMENT ADVICE. DO YOUR OWN WORK. NOTHING IS ADVICE ON THIS PODCAST.

“Seconds From Safety: Arsenal Stung at the Death as Villa Steal It Late”Arsenal were seconds away from leaving Villa Park with a point… and then it happened.A late, chaotic finish hands Villa the win, and The NN Pod are here for the therapy session.Ells steps into hosting duties with Justin and special guest Del as the guys break down:• The final-kick loss and why it stung so badly• Playing with four fullbacks and the strain on Rice & Zubimendi• What's going on with Christian Nørgaard?• Trossard's impact, Saka's night, and the tired legs across the squad• Why the reaction after the whistle matters more than the loss• Mo Salah's explosive interview and Liverpool's unraveling• The Quintero twins — who they are, where they come from, and why the academy move is huge• Club Brugge PreviewArsenal drop points, emotions run high, but the standards stay the same.NN — we move.New episodes every Monday & Thursday at 8pm.Chapters:(00:00) – Arteta's Non-Negotiables Intro(02:42) – Pregame Atmosphere(05:34) – AVLARS Starting XI Breakdown(07:46) – Early Moments, Two Through Balls(10:12) – Two Chances, Two Saka Offsides(12:26) – Two Villa Chances… Villa Take the Lead(15:47) – Two Arsenal Chances: Growing Into the Game(18:30) – Half-Time: Double Sub & Tactical Reset(21:18) – Trossard's Equaliser & Immediate Impact(24:35) – Second-Half Control, Villa's Counters & Game Management(27:38) – Calafiori's Booking & Wolves Suspension(29:29) – Saka's Frustration & Madueke Sub(30:16) – Midfield Burnout: Rice & Zubimendi Cooked — Where is Nørgaard?(37:06) – The Madueke Chance(38:39) – Villa's Winner: Last-Kick Chaos(43:51) – By the Numbers(44:34) – Away Form, Four Fullbacks & Tactical Experiments(50:20) – PT.2 – GW14 Results(52:43) – Table Check & Title Picture(54:12) – Relegation Battle Overview(56:32) – “That Interview”: Mo Salah's Bombshell(01:01:44) – Slot, Trent & Liverpool's Crisis(01:04:42) – Salah's Ego & Legacy Fallout(01:07:23) – The Quintero Twins(01:10:33) – Ecuador Pipeline & Academy Focus(01:12:37) – Club Brugge Preview(01:14:01) – Rotation Needs & Who Should Start(01:17:49) – Nwaneri's Minutes & Role Questions

Start Artist Song Time Album Year 1 Other Lives NN 12_02_2025 0:02:12 Other Lives What’s It Gonna Take 3:30 Volume V 2025 2 Kalandra NN 12_02_2025 0:06:08 Kalandra Till The End 3:30 Mørketid 2025 3 Benedicte Maurseth NN 12_02_2025 0:10:00 Benedicte Maurseth Nysnø over reinlav 7:49 Mirra 2025 4 Cafuné NN 12_02_2025 0:18:18 Cafuné Cafuné 5:36 Tra le corde dei racconti 2025 5 Fuzy Lights NN 12_02_2025 0:24:19 Fuzzy Lights The Promise 6:07 Fen Creatures 2025 6 Mediæval Bæbes NN 12_02_2025 0:30:45 Mediæval Bæbes January 3:36 December 2025 7 Deposed King NN 12_02_2025 0:34:39 Deposed King Daymare 6:45 Letters to a Distant Past 2025 8 Anna Von Hausswolff NN 12_02_2025 0:41:55 Anna von Hausswolff Unconditional Love 6:34 Iconoclasts 2025 9 Midlake NN 12_02_2025 0:48:50 Midlake The Ghouls 3:52 A Bridge To Far 2025 10 Azam Ali NN 12_02_2025 0:53:08 Azam Ali Song to the Siren 3:29 Synesthesia 2025 11 Lunatic Soul NN 12_02_2025 0:57:04 Lunatic Soul Good Memories Don’t Want to Die 4:40 The World Under Unsun 2025 Volume V by Other Lives favorite track What’s It Gonna Take Hailing from Stillwater, OK, the band began as a trio of multi-instrumentalists, and now includes 5 members. The music is dense and lush, heavily orchestrated, simply gorgeous chamber folk music with alt- and post-rock leanings. Mørketid by KALANDRA This EP from Norwegian folktronica band, Kalandra, includes new songs, plus their last single release. They remain true to their Nordic sound, with their light and airy vocalist being the singular identifying element of the band. Mirra by Benedicte Maurseth favorite track Nysnø over reinlav Norwegian folk/jazz/ambient hardanger fiddle player offers this gem, exploring the environment of reindeer. Indeed, it features the sounds of a reindeer herd (the title is an almost-lost Hardanger word for when reindeer run about in circular patterns). The result is hypnotic and entrancing. Not on Bandcamp Cafuné “Tra le corde dei racconti” 2025 This sublime Italian sextet offer a modern slant to medieval and renaissance styled music, utilizing both acoustic and electric instruments. They combine guitars, flute, harp, keyboards, bass, and drums, with a stellar female vocalist. There are originals here, as well as reworkings of traditional tunes. Best played as a whole, to illustrate what you'll hear, I'm choosing the opener as my favourite track. Favourite Track: Cafuné Fen Creatures by Fuzzy Lights favorite track The Promise The fifth album for this Cambridge quintet is a fine example of what can happen when you blend psych, folk, drone, and post rock. Female lead vocalist, scratchy violin, guitars, bass, drums, and electronics comprise the makeup of the band. All together, the songs are ominous, dark and eerie, just the kind of thing I love to hear. December by Mediæval Bæbes favorite track January This is an old-fashioned “single” format, a two song release, with the promise of an upcoming full release. As always, superb vocals and musicianship from these women and their guests. The two pieces are decidedly wintery, with the title track being more upbeat in mood. Letters to a Distant Past by Deposed King favorite track Daymare Classically influenced atmospheric and cinematic rock with smatterings of folk, psych, post rock, and some heaviness from time to time, this Hungarian duo deliver once again. This release is best played from start to finish, but I will use Daymare as my favourite track to pique your interest. ICONOCLASTS by Anna von Hausswolff favorite track Unconditional Love feat. Maria von Hausswolff Stunning new release , this one delves deeply into the destruction of idols. It also examines the destruction from personal relationships, with the freedom of resurrection after the depths have been plumbed. Indeed, there is a guest appearance from a true iconoclast, Iggy Pop, on one poignant tune. Her signature dense pipe organ is still here, with plenty of orchestration, plus she adds vocals throughout, with her daughter contributing as well, on my favourite track of the release, A Bridge To Far by MIDLAKE favorite track The Ghouls Midlake are back with another stellar release. They bring their indie alt-rock dreaminess in full force, with some whispers into jazz territory at times. The overall feel is warm and dreamy, with flute and piano flourishes, and a sense of distance, as though listening from a spot down the hall from where the band is playing. Synesthesia by Azam Ali favorite track Song to the Siren Perennial favourite of mine, Azam Ali also brings a new full release of her always sublime music. This one brings plenty of world and electronica, also folk and trance music. It explores feelings of disconnectedness (as during the pandemic), yet still conveying a sense of belonging to the spiritual. She does two cover tunes, one by Natalie Merchant, and this one, my sentimental favourite of the release, Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren The World Under Unsun (24-bit HD audio) by Lunatic Soul favorite track Good Memories Don’t Want to Die The eighth and final in a series of solo releases by Mariusz Duda (on all instruments and vocals), bringing the cycle full circle. He examines complex toxic relationships, rejects them, and finds peace, while retaining what good there was, through introspection and, ultimately forgiveness. There is plenty of forcefulness, but, as one might expect, the delicacy (and harp sounds) of Good Memories Don't Want to Die, is my favourite track.

NN, Inc (NNBR) - Harold Bevis, President & CEO - presents at the Gabelli 49th Annual Automotive Symposium in Las Vegas on November 3rd, 2025. Moderated by Brian Sponheimer (Portfolio Manager). To learn more about Gabelli Funds' fundamental, research-driven approach to investing, visit https://m.gabelli.com/gtv_cu or email invest@gabelli.com. Connect with Gabelli Funds: • X - https://x.com/InvestGabelli • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/investgabelli/ • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InvestGabelli • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/investgabelli/ http://www.Gabelli.com Invest with Us 1-800-GABELLI (800-422-3554)

Trong video này, bạn sẽ học được 2 từ khoá mới. Hãy viết xuống và tiếp tục nghiên cứu thêm nhé.(1) Corticoid(2) Tuyến thượng thậnNếu bạn từng hỏi: “Làm sao để AI thật sự giúp mình làm việc?”, thì đây chính là video dành cho bạn.

Game Exercise: Close your eyes and follow along with an entire Chess game using the audio below. On each move, try to conceptualize the position clearly and understand how it has changed. Try to follow the game until the end to stretch the amount of moves you can see ahead. To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization PGN for today's exercise: NN vs Bier (Vienna, 1905) 1. f4 e5 2. fxe5 d6 3. exd6 Bxd6 4. Nf3 g5 5. e4 g4 6. e5 gxf3 7. exd6 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qe4+ 9. Kf2 Qd4+ 10. Ke1 f2+ 11. Ke2 Bg4# 0-1

In this week's episode of Dividend Talk, we're back with our Q3 Portfolio Review, covering earnings, market news, and plenty of dividend insights.We start with France's credit downgrade and what rising debt could mean for European investors, before diving into results from Johnson & Johnson, ASML, Snap-on, and Pernod Ricard. We also chat about AI's impact on research firms like FactSet, how to use tools like ChatGPT without outsourcing your thinking, and share a few laughs about zero-alcohol vodka.Finally, we reveal our Q3 dividend growth with +37% for Derek and +22% for Edgi and answer listener questions on estate taxes, mortgages vs. investing, tech exposure, and hedging strategies.SEE YOU ON THE INSIDE!!Tickers: JNJ, ASML.AS, SNA, RI.PA, MSFT, SHEL, AAPL, LSEG.L, PAYX, BAT.L, VICI, ENGA, NN.AS, LGEN.L, GOOG, TXN, QCOMJoin us :[Facebook]  - ttps://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk[Twitter] -   @DividendTalk_    ,  @European_DG[Discord] - https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5[Premium Services] - https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/[Malmo Meet up] - https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj

En este episodio muy especial de Songmess nos damos un chapuzón de trap argentino guiados por Camila Caamaño y Amadeo Gandolfo, autores del nuevo libro, “El Ritmo No Perdona.” Con una mirada crítica y feminista al apogeo del movimiento urbano argentino, abarcamos las rondas de freestyle que se convierten en un semillero crucial de talento, el salto al mainstream de artistas como Duki, YSY A y Cazzu, la evolución del género que acapara vertientes del RKT y el plugg, el rol mercadológico de Bizarrap, y cómo el programa gubernamental Conectar Igualdad empodera a toda una generación de jóvenes artistas. Este texto es esencial en la biblioteca de cualquier melómano y abajo les dejamos todos los links de redes y compras que puedan necesitar. Playlist: YSY A - “Vamo a darle” Modo Diablo (Duki, YSY A, Neo Pistea) - “Quavo” Duki, Khea - “She Don't Give a FO” Cazzu - “El Don” La Joaqui, El Noba, Alan Gomez - “Butakera” L-Gante, Bizarrap - 38 ill Quentin, Dillom - “No Hay Plan B” Swaggerboyz - “MUSICA DE ASCENSOR” Zé Pequeña, Nn.Carvalho - “Gorgojos” Compra El Ritmo No Perdona: https://cajanegraeditora.com.ar/libros/el-ritmo-no-perdona/ Triste y Tropical Newsletter: https://tristeytropical.substack.com/ Camila Caamaño Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaderedrum/ Camila Caamaño Twitter / X: https://x.com/vaderedrum Amadeo Gandolfo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snark84/ Amadeo Gandolfo Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amadeog Richard Villegas Instagram: www.instagram.com/rixinyc/?hl=en Songmess Instagram: www.instagram.com/songmess/?hl=es-la Songmess Facebook: www.facebook.com/songmess/?ref=settings Songmess Twitter / X: twitter.com/songmess #BOPS Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2sdavi01h3AA5531D4fhGB?si=9ea2442a6ac7477f Subscribe to Songmess on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or SoundCloud, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and contact us at songmessmusic@gmail.com.

【文稿：】按照我们的教学流程，认识指标后就该讲解其背后的算法，而了解了算法之后才能科学的利用指标。布林指标的算法非常复杂，三条线都有各自的算法，建议大家看着文稿中的图片进行理解。我先说一下每条线的算法：布林指标的中轨线=N日均线，上轨线=中轨线+2倍的标准差，下轨线=中轨线-2倍的标准差。公式本身是比较简单的，但里面的标准差概念非常复杂，如果仔细去讲的话今天会变成一堂数学课，计算中还会涉及到平方根，于是写了一半的稿子被我果断放弃了，因为内容越来越跑题、多数人也必然听不懂。所以大家简单理解一下公式就好，毕竟公式本身没有理解难度。另外，公式中的“N日均线”有些人会感到陌生，布林指标的中轨线就=N日均线，意思就是股价的某一条均线其实就等于布林指标的中轨线。问题来了：哪一条均线等于中轨线呢？答案是20日均线！指标一般都会在k线图的正下方显示，你可以仔细对比一下k线图中的20日均线和布林指标的中轨线，对比后你会发现两条线的走势一模一样！在同一个日期之下，20日均线对应的价格一定等于中轨线对应的价格，不信你可以自己去观察。大家可以看一下文稿中的图1，上面是k线图、下面是布林指标图。为了方便参考，我在k线图中只设置了一条20日均线。然后看一下箭头所指的的日期，这一天该股的20日均线对应的价格是48.04元，而这一天布林指标的中轨线对应的价格也是48.04元，说明中轨线就等于k线图中的20日均线。但是这里需要提出一个疑问：“为什么中轨线就等于20日均线，而不是30日均线、40日均线等等？”，对此可以先看一下文稿中的图2，图2左上角写着指标算法的参数，如BOLL（20，2），前面的20就代表中轨线的取值为20天，所以中轨线代表的是20日均线。至于后面的“2”涉及到另外两条线的计算周期，也就是上轨线和下轨线。上轨线=中轨线+2倍的标准差，下轨线=中轨线-2倍的标准差，“2”就代表算法中的2倍标准差。当然了，所有算法背后的参数都可以人为调整，比如你可以将其调整为BOLL（30，5），这时候中轨线就变成了30日均线，上轨和下轨线也会以5倍标准差进行计算。至于你选择哪一种参数都无所谓，指标只是一种统计方法，用的习惯才最重要，不存在有些人以为的改变参数就可以预测市场的说法。我们再回到布林指标的算法：由算法可以得知，上轨和下轨线的数值主要是由中轨线决定的，也就是在中轨线的基础上加减2倍的标准差，所以上下轨线绝不可能和中轨线有交叉的行为，而上下轨线也绝不可能相互交叉。另外，大家也可以换一种方式理解布林指标：在股票的k线图上只画出一条20日均线，然后以20日均线为基础加上某一数值就多出了一条上轨线、减去某一数值又多出了一条下轨线，而这三条线组成了一个技术指标：叫做布林线指标。（节目已在江苏版权局登记，翻版必究!）

Hace dos años, el 6 de octubre del 2023, se estrenaba en España la película "Dispararon al pianista" de Fernando Trueba y Javier Mariscal.Tenorio Junior era el pianista de Vinicius de Moraes.Tenorio Junior fue secuestrado el 18 de marzo de 1976 en Buenos Aires, poco antes del golpe de Estado en Argentina. Lo asesinaron dos días después, pero sus restos fueron enterrados como NN, ningún nombre. El pianista tenía 35 años cuando fue llevado a la fuerza a la Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada por error. Fue a tocar Gran Rex con Vinicius y Toquiño. Simplemente a la patota de turno no le gustó su pinta.Casi 50 años después, hace 48 horas, ha sido acreditado que las huellas dactilares de un cuerpo aparecido en un baldío eran del pianista brasileño. Casi 50 años después, su hija de casi 50 años ha dado con su padre. Hay otra historia que, hace un tiempo, también se producía en Argentina y que descubríamos en 'Fin de Semana' con López Schlichting. Dicen los ...

To listen to the full length session, click here: https://youtu.be/79-Nn_zu4yc   FREE TRAINING Register for The Catapult Your Career Bootcamp (http://thecatapultbootcamp.com) WORK WITH US Join the Catapult Your Career Program (http://cycprogram.com) GET IN TOUCH Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellaodogwu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_intelle/ Email: contact@intelle.us Text: 949-519-4554

And that's a wrap on the 2000s Bored Bills, and in some ways, Season 6 of Dandon Brave Presents... Well actually - NOT SO FAST -  because Your Presenters 3 still need to officially wrap up The 2000s Bored Bills in 3 convenient parts and for this INAUGURAL PART they are listening to, commenting on and rating the Highest Charting Non-Number ONE Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hits from each year of the "AUGHTS" decade! Then the H.C.N-N.O.B.H.100.B.H.F.E.Y.O.T."A."D face off against songs from their corresponding years from decades already covered on Past Bored Bills: the 70s, 80s and 90s! Are you lost? It's okay, get lost with your Presenters of the Pod and just have fun talkin' shit about the hits, THOUSANDS-STYLE! 

In this week's episode of Dividend Talk, we kick off with our Q2 performance review , looking at how our dividend portfolios fared, what we bought, sold, and learned over the past quarter.  We also dive into three big names making headlines: Wolters Kluwer's sharp share price drop and the fear of AI disruption, Novo Nordisk's earnings and competition with Eli Lilly, and UnitedHealth's reduced outlook.  Along the way, we cover dividend hikes and cuts from around the globe, have some laughs over corporate slogans, and answer a packed list of listener questions ranging from sector risks to portfolio construction. SEE YOU ON THE INSIDE!! Tickers discussed: WKL.AS, NVO, LLY, UNH, HEIA.AS, NN.AS, AD.AS, ITW, CLX, AWR, WHR, LGEN.L, MRK, LVMH.PA, TGT, LYB, NKE,CVX, HPQ, MSFT, SHEL, BTI, BAM, BAES.L, HORNB.BR, UPS, PEP, CCOI, ORA.PA,ASR.AS, ASML.AS, UL, GLB.IR, KRZ.F, KESKOB.HE, KNEBV.HE, SAMPO.HE, AGE.BR, XIOR.BR,ASC.BR, SHL.DE, DEF.F, NVO-B.CO, VICI, RY, DOL.TO, FTS.TO, UKW.L, VOLVB.ST,INVE-A.ST, INVE-B.ST, SEB-A.ST, SWED-A.ST, HAND-B.ST, SHELL.AS, VIE.PA, O,SECUB.ST, ABBV, BAYN.DE.  Join us :[Facebook]  - Https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk[Twitter] -   @DividendTalk_    ,  @European_DG[Discord] - https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5[Premium Services] - https://dividendtalk.eu/how-it-works

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We're breaking down the latest Epstein client list rumors—and why Pam Bondi is suddenly in the hot seat. Meanwhile, Elon Musk drops Steve Bannon's name into the scandal, raising major questions about who's really in those files.Then:*Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson votes NO on workforce cuts—and Sotomayor roasts her on the record*Greta Thunberg heads back to Gaza for another round of performative activism*James Comey is under investigation!*Kash Patel weighs in on the deep state chaosPlus: Trump shuts down amnesty rumors and CNN finally admits Americans want deportationsSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Most of us are too busy to get all our fruits and veggies every day. Field of Greens makes it simple. Use code CHICKS at https://FOGChicks.com to save 20% on your first order plus free shipping.Support American filmmakers and American values by joining the Angel Studios Guild at https://Angel.com/chicksDonate $20 to support women's success and receive the book, A Woman's Guide, Seven Rules for Success in Business and Life, from Concerned Women for America. Visit https://ConcernedWomen.org/Chicks

Power Quote: “If we want better outcomes for students, we have to create better outcomes for teachers.”Description:I hope this doesn't sound too egotistical but I LOVE it when a guest echoes my own preaching, especially when that guest is a current school leader. This episode is full of foundational ideas as well as some simple actionable strategies. It's the kind of show I love to do where two friends dive deep into a central theme of school – growing teachers.Sponsor Spot 1:Before we begin, I'd liketo thank digiCOACH for sponsoring today's show. As a loyal listener to this show, you know I am a big advocate for short, targeted observations, so I'm excited about DigiCoach sponsoring this podcast. DigiCoach makes it easier to follow up on observations with meaningful feedback. I love that you can focus on specific elements and that there is a ready-made bank of items to use for telling teachers what they are doing well! You can learn more about DigiCoach at digicoach.com or click the link in the show notes.Show IntroGuest Bio:Cathy Lacey is a Curriculum Resource Teacher and professional learning leader in South Carolina. A Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Fellow, Certified Coach, and South Carolina ASCD Emerging Leader, she creates practical, teacher-driven professional learning rooted in evidence-based strategies. She's a national presenter and founder of Blazers, LLC, where she supports educators through coaching, training, and microlearning.  Warmup questions:We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?Questions/Topics/Prompts1. What does teacher-centric professional learning look like in action—and how is it different from traditional PD? What small shifts build real momentum for teacher growth?2. What are some of the most common barriers schools face when implementing meaningful professional learning—and what are realistic ways to overcome them?3. How can leaders personalize professional learning without creating more work—for themselves or their teachers?4. In what ways can assistant principals evaluate whether their PD is making a lasting impact—and what tools or strategies can help with that?Sponsor Spot 3:I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. And IXL doesn't stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It's no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit ixl.com/assistant to get started.Closing questions:What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?If listeners could take just one thing away from today's podcast, what would it be?Before we go, is there anything else that you'd like to share with our listeners?Where can people learn more about you and your work…Sponsor Spot 4:Before we wrap, I'd like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today's show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn't that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.Summary/wrap upBig theme: The Flywheel (Links to episodes 75 and 76: part 1 and part 2)Teachers choose and get quality actionable pdLeaders follow up with targeted observation and supportObservation data and teacher inform next PDConsistent cyclesSupporting and growingWork with the few and the willing (episode 8 link about how to choose)Evaluating PD: Guskey or something (NN activity)“If we want better outcomes for students, we have to create better outcomes for teachers.”Ask!!!!Thank you to our sponsors!IXL: https://www.ixl.com/assistant Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-assistant-principal-podcast-kaleidoscope-adventures/digiCOACH: https://digicoach.com/ Guest links:Website: https://blazersinnovation.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleenlacey/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/CathleenLaceyFrederick's Links:Email: frederick@frederickbuskey.comWebsite: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a The Strategic Leader's Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6N?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

AI can do more than it's ever done… but there's a lot of unfounded hype, especially when it comes to user research. When should you delegate tasks to AI? And when should you insist on keeping the human in the loop? In this episode, Therese Fessenden sits down with Alexander Knoll, co-founder of Condens, to discuss the strengths and limitations of AI tools for research, and the evolving role of the user researcher.About Alexander & Condens: LinkedIn | Condens.ioResearch Repository Guide: https://condens.io/guides/research-repository-guide/On-Demand Recording of Condens Event: Making an Impact with User Research: How to Drive Change and Get NoticedAlex's Article with NN/g: Common-Sense AI Integration: Lessons from the Cofounder of CondensOther Related NN/g Articles & Courses:Free Articles about AI & UXCourse: UX Basic TrainingCourse: Accelerating Research with AICourse: AI for Design WorkflowsCourse: Designing AI Experiences

In this episode, we dive into Warren Buffett's succession and legacy, the philosophy that built Berkshire Hathaway, and what the future might hold under Greg Abel. We also break down recent dividend news, from Apple's modest hike to Wendy's surprising cut, and share our own May dividend income.We cover earnings from some major names like Novo Nordisk, Archer Daniels Midland, Ahold Delhaize, and Legrand, plus explore the intriguing possibility of Shell acquiring BP. Listener questions spark some great discussion, including what football clubs would be as dividend stocks, whether our podcast can move markets, and which companies have the strongest moats.

An intense transition period is underway as the 3rd Mars-Pluto opposition occurs on April 26 at 3 deg 48, which creates a Fixed Grand Cross with Black Moon Lilith and the Sun in Taurus. Heightened polarization, violence, and extreme positions are prominent, yet it is up to us to tap into our multidimensional powers to choose a higher expression that supports empowerment, creative breakthroughs, and connecting with an emerging truth. The discomfort reveals a timeline collapse, and that breaking patterns are right on time. The Taurus New Moon at 7 deg 47 brings in a focus on grounding, peace and internal harmony on April 27. Venus makes final conjunctions to the NN and Saturn in Pisces, strengthening her self-love as she then re-enters Aries on April 30. A wild end to the month! More to share in this week's podcast episode.The Nodes of Fate move through Pisces and Virgo from January 2025 to July 2026, bringing energy and focus to where you are ready to embrace more intuition, compassion, soul gifts, and healing. Let's dive into what this means for you personally as we explore the energies of Pisces and Virgo in your natal chart by expression, house placement, and previous cycles of growth. More details here:https://www.mollymccord.online/offers/2SSJcvRu

In episode 241 of the Dividend Talk podcast, we discuss our Quarter 1 2025 dividend portfolio performance, including dividend income growth and recent stock purchases. We also dive into SCHD ETF in Europe and the corporate response from Charles Schwab.The conversation then shifts to the impact of recent tariffs on various sectors, analysing which companies might be most affected and how to navigate the market volatility. We discuss strategies for long-term dividend growth investing amidst uncertainty, including the importance of staying disciplined and not panicking.Additionally, we answer listener questions on topics like dividend initiators, high-flying stocks, and individual stock picks.

April brings in opportunities to embody more heart-based living as the strong Piscean energies dominant themonth. Neptune in Aries now connects the lower Aries expressions to higher spiritual wisdom, asking you to take beat before moving ahead on anything in order to ensure it's in alignment for you. Mercury and Venus both station direct conjunct Saturn and the NN in Pisces, bringing up karmic completions and responsible decision-making that involves cutting back and saying 'no' as needed. An exhausted Marsre-enters Leo on April 18 to trine Neptune in Aries for the firsttime ever in our lives, and then has the 3rd opposition toPluto in Aquarius now at 3 deg 33. Mars will be spiritually tested as the higher objective is to evolve for the collective good. More to share in this podcast episode.New! "Your Cosmic Codes: 12 Universal Spiritual Laws In Your Astrology Chart" ~ Journey through 12 Spiritual Laws and realign your astrology chart to create new energetic openings, manifestations, and experiences in your life. More details here:https://www.mollymccord.online/YourCosmicCodesAstrology

As AI continues to evolve, designers are increasingly finding themselves tasked with creating AI-powered experiences—often without prior experience in the space. In this episode, NN/g UX Specialist Caleb Sponheim discusses the current state of AI tools, what's working (and what's not), and how designers can position themselves to navigate this shift. We also explore what it really means to develop AI safely and how designers can play a role in ensuring ethical, user-friendly AI experiences.About the speaker: Bio | LinkedInFull-Day Course: Designing AI Experiences(also available in half-day formats)Related NN/g Articles:Artificial Intelligence GlossaryHow Do Generative AI Systems Work?Redefine Your Design Skills to Prepare for AIAI Features Must Solve Real ProblemsMore Free Articles on AI

Dynamics changes are coming in strong and won't stop this week a lot of cosmic shifts in the works! The Aquarius New Moon at 9 deg 51 on January 29 is boosted by Uranus stationing direct at 23 dg 15 Taurus the next day, amplifying more surprises and shocks. February begins with a magical Pisces stellium (Moon, Venus, Neptune, and NN) all at 28 deg, which sets the stage for the next few months with karmic endings, grand closures, and compassion portals. Then Venus enters Aries on Feb 3, where she will move slowly through the first sign of the zodiac this month before her retrograde begins on March 1 at 10 deg 50 Aries. Jupiter stations direct at 11 deg Gemini on Feb 4, and with the trine to Mercury in Aquarius occurring at the same time, big messages, news, announcements, and inspired directions will light up the path ahead. More to share in this week's episode. Your Soul's Next Starting Point: 2 Live Astrology Workshops ~ A deep dive analysis of how the Pisces and Aries degrees in your chart will be experiencing fated endings, spiritual alignments, and powerful beginnings from 2025 to 2026. Includes prerecorded video teachings, energy work and practices, and 2 live classes with Molly on February 7, 2025. Replays will be available for ongoing reference. https://www.mollymccord.online/offers/P6hzffAy The Nodes of Fate move through Pisces and Virgo from January 2025 to July 2026, bringing energy and focus to where you are ready to embrace more intuition, compassion, soul gifts, and healing. Let's dive into what this means for you personally as we explore the energies of Pisces and Virgo in your natal chart by expression, house placement, and previous cycles of growth. Please bring your astrology chart to this course. https://www.mollymccord.online/offers/2SSJcvRu .

As tech layoffs and budget cuts dominate the start of the year, UX teams are navigating a critical challenge: proving the value of research while doing more with less. In this episode, NN/g Director of Research Maria Rosala sits down with ResearchOps pioneer Kate Towsey to explore how ResearchOps can help teams think strategically about the impact and efficiency of their research. Learn more about Kate Towsey Kate's Book: Research That Scales: The Research Operations Handbook Kate's Substack: Scaling and Systematising Research Kate's Masterclasses in Australia and Europe: Defining a ResearchOps Strategy, 2025 Kate's ChaCha Club - a member's club for ResearchOps professionals: https://chacha.club/ NN/g Courses and Content on ResearchOps Full-Day Course: ResearchOps Free Article: Research Ops 101 4-min Video: Strategic vs Reactionary Research 4-min Video: Research Repositories 101 3-min Video: Research Participant Database