Podcasts about Naturally

Hey there! It's Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I'm here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.Now, in everyday spoken American English, we often use reduction - that means we shorten or soften sounds when we speak. Today's example is the word “didn't.” First, most native speakers drop the D in the middle.  So instead of “didn't,” we say “dih-n't.” “dih-n't.” The reason is if you pronounce the final D of did, and the next sound is N, D followed by N makes the sound stop. Did-n't. Dropping the D makes the sound smoother: “dih-n't.” Like, “I didn't see your message.” becomes “I din't see your message.” OR “She didn't call me back.” becomes “She dih-n't call me back.” “dih-n't.”And there's one more thing. The final T in this word also tends to get very soft… or disappears.  So “dih-n't ” becomes “dih-n.”  That's right - both the D and the T get reduced. I'm sure you hear this all the time, like,  “I didn't hear you.” becomes “I dih-n hear you.”  “She didn't call me back.” becomes “She dih-n call me back.” and  “They didn't do it.” becomes “They dih-n do it.”This is not slang and it's not lazy. It's just how real American English flows. So next time you say didn't, try relaxing your tongue a bit:  “I dih-n know.”  “I dih-n get it.”  That's the rhythm of natural American speech.Hey, thanks for listening! And remember to follow and subscribe so you won't miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Sunday's Speak Naturally in a Minute.  Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcastsBuild Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

Gratitude doesn’t come easily for everyone—especially if life has conditioned you to expect the other shoe to drop. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 calls us to give thanks in all circumstances, not because everything feels good, but because God is faithfully at work in every moment. When negativity feels more natural than gratitude, shifting your perspective becomes a slow, intentional surrender. But as God reshapes the heart, thankfulness becomes less of a struggle and more of a steady rhythm. Highlights Early experiences can shape a pessimistic mindset, but God can retrain our hearts toward gratitude. Gratitude leads to contentment—and contentment frees us from constantly chasing “more.” A simple gratitude journal can refocus your mind on God’s ongoing work, even in small blessings. Positive community helps redirect your perspective toward God’s faithfulness. Jesus modeled thankfulness—even in pain—and invites us to adopt the same posture. Choosing gratitude is a daily decision that transforms the way we interpret trials and blessings. Shifting your viewpoint ultimately reshapes your attitude and nourishes a thankful spirit. Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: When Thankfulness Doesn’t Come NaturallyBy: Michelle Lazurek Bible Reading:“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 As a kid, I didn't have it easy. I came from a controlling household, plus I faced several health challenges. Life was not easy, even in my childhood. Even though I enjoyed the simplicity of playing with toys, playing outside, and just enjoying life, I endured other issues that made my childhood less than simplistic. My mother was also a negative person. She often saw the glass as half-empty, rather than half-full. This taught me to be a pessimistic person, focusing on the negative side of things rather than the positive side. If something good came my way, I often wondered when things would soon turn bad. For years after becoming a Christian, I still felt like this way. Because the Christian life has been full of ups and downs, and I've endured my share of trials, it's easy to look on the negative side of things. This viewpoint has caused me to become less grateful and more entitled. As I've matured in my faith, God has taught me that it's essential to be thankful for everything I have. When I'm grateful, I'm content. When I’m content, I'm no longer searching for the perfect life, the simple pleasures, or the luxuries that I feel I deserve. Switching my viewpoint didn't come easily. Because I had been pessimistic and that attitude was deeply ingrained in my mind, it was hard to shake. But I've learned over the years how to make thankfulness a daily activity, even though it doesn't come naturally to me. Here are some ways to adopt a spirit of thankfulness even when it doesn't come naturally: Start a Gratitude Journal One of the easiest ways for me to switch my viewpoint is to start a gratitude journal. Each day, I'm able to write down even just a few things for which I'm thankful. These can be small blessings, such as having clean clothes or a job. It can also be the bigger things that God does, like the miraculous ways in which He works, or the way He heals my body when it's sick. The most important thing I need to remember is that God is constantly at work in my life. It's a matter of whether I choose to see it or not. Keeping a gratitude journal shifts my focus every day to what I should be thankful for and content in my life. Because I'm someone who doesn't enjoy journaling, this is an easy way for me to adopt the habit of journaling, without having to write complete sentences. Use bullet points and write the words regarding the blessing, so you know what it references. At the end of the month, go back and think of all the ways God has blessed you that month. During your prayer time, thank God for all the ways He is working and for all the ways you see His blessings. Surround Yourself with Positive People Because I learned my pessimistic attitude from my mother, it was an attitude easy to adopt, as she was always around. However, when I became a Christian and attended churches in my area, I surrounded myself with positive people. Instead of focusing on the negative trials in their lives, they chose to be grateful to God for all the ways he was working. As I participated in small groups and heard about all the ways God was working in their lives, it became easier for me to adopt that same attitude. Analyze the company you keep. Do you surround yourself with naturally pessimistic people? Be in regular community with those who seek to see the world positively. Adopt the same attitude of seeing how God is working, rather than focusing on all the things He hasn't done. Adopt Jesus’ Attitude Jesus’ attitude was one of thankfulness. Even in his last moments before he was going to be crucified, he chose to break bread with his disciples. Although I'm sure they discussed many things throughout that meal, the Gospels record that Jesus took the bread and cup and gave thanks to God. If Jesus can choose to adopt an attitude of thankfulness even moments before he knew he was going to be crucified and brutally beaten, then so can we. We can adopt the same attitude of gratitude by looking at our trials and seeking to choose joy rather than sorrow. Although it is normal to feel sadness or despair in times of deep spiritual trial, we mustn't stay there. Instead, grieve the loss, but then move on to a spirit of thankfulness. See all the ways God may be sparing you from the situation if the answer to your prayer was no. If you are in a trial, see all the ways God is refining your character through it. By changing your viewpoint, you change your attitude. Change your perspective to one of gratitude, knowing that God is working on your behalf. Choose to think of it this way rather than dwelling upon the negative parts of life. By choosing to focus on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative ones, you can cultivate gratitude even when it doesn't come naturally. Adopt behaviors and surround yourself with people who will help you give thanks in all circumstances. Father, let us be people who give thanks in all we do. Help us understand how you always work in all situations. Let us adopt an attitude of thankfulness, even when our will is bent toward negativity and discontentment. Amen. Intersecting Faith & Life: In what ways do you display your thankfulness in all circumstances? What is one thing you can do to express your gratitude toward the people in your life today? Further Reading:Philippians 4:6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you overthink every word before speaking English? Does anxiety freeze you in conversations? In this transformative episode, we break down a comprehensive 30-day program designed to reset your English speaking confidence from the ground up.What You'll Learn:Week 1 - Cognitive Restructuring: Discover how to identify and challenge the negative thought patterns that fuel your speaking anxiety. Learn five daily practices including thought record journaling, evidence collection, and pre-performance reframing that will help you shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.Week 2 - Exposure Hierarchy Execution: Master the art of gradual confrontation by creating your personalized fear hierarchy. Learn how to systematically face English-speaking situations from easiest to hardest, building psychological endurance and proving your catastrophic predictions wrong through structured exposure.Week 3 - Fluency Building Through Quantity: Shift your focus from perfection to volume. Discover why speaking 60+ minutes of English daily builds neural automation and natural fluency faster than careful, perfectionist practice. Get five high-volume speaking strategies including solo sessions, conversation marathons, and voice message practice.Week 4 - Social Confidence Integration: Take everything you've learned into real social contexts. Learn how to initiate conversations with strangers, participate in group settings, build English-speaking friendships, and create your new identity as a confident English speaker.Key Takeaways:Why mistakes are data, not disastersHow to build tolerance to speaking discomfortThe power of quantity practice over quality obsessionWhy real social interaction creates authentic, lasting confidenceHow to track and celebrate your transformation journeyPerfect For: English learners who struggle with speaking anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, or fear of making mistakes in conversations. If you understand English well but freeze when speaking, this episode provides your roadmap to natural, confident communication.If you want to sign up for the free English email newsletter, go to https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/newsletter

The Time Riders: Part 14 Visiting old friends, and Nanu discovers hot sauce. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 16 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. A certain bedroom. If she'd been worried about feeling alone, she wasn't noticing at the moment. There were so many fascinating things around here, all requiring her examination. There was an entire world to explore, after all, and it was apparently much bigger than the one she'd left behind. It was hard to conceive of, really; a world larger than Rome, than the empire, but according to her Mistress, Re-be-kah, she was not going to run out of things to be stunned by. So far, Mistress had been right. Nanu was kneeling on the bed, minutely examining the fabric that made up the soft sheets they'd been sleeping on. She tugged at the material, noticing how it was so tough that she needn't worry about tearing it. She tugged and tugged, giggling with delight when she couldn't wreck it. How clever the people of tomorrow were! She clambered off the bed and walked over to the window. She had only briefly put on any clothes, and that was to see her Mistress to the door as she left for work. Becky had made sure Nanu understood how the front door lock worked before she left. Nanu was only wearing the burning cock-sack garment, the one with the symbol of the musical group Let Zeppli on it, but the second Mistress was gone, she'd shucked it off and scampered around naked, laughing in delight. She'd been so tempted to stand in the window wearing no clothes and shake her nude body at the world, because she promised Mistress she would stay out of trouble, because she didn't want the vigiles coming for her since she'd only just gotten here. Mistress' 'free country' wasn't as free as it sounded, at least in her opinion. The tiny Egyptian girl walked up to the window of the bedroom and leaned on the frame, sighing dreamily as she rested her chin on her arms and gazed out at the world beyond the glass. Trees were starting to be green, and the grass of Mistress' lawn was visible, along with plants that would apparently become lovely flowers. High up in the blue sky, a strange bird flew. It barely moved, just gliding along, and seemed to have an almost cruciform shape. It left a weird trail of white cloud behind. What strange animals there were in the world of tomorrow. She left the window and went into the bathroom, plunking herself down on the commode and peeing, giggling at the sound produced by the material the bowl was made from. Once she was done, she headed downstairs, feeling a mite peckish. She went up to the fridge and opened the door, fascinated by the chill she felt as she leaned in to see what was available. Re-be-kah had left food for her to eat, all prepared and with her name on it, so that she knew what was safe. Seeing as how the ba-lo had made her almost shit herself to death the day before. The parfait was sitting in a bowl, with yummy-looking red and black berries swirled into it, along with a cereal that Mistress had called 'granola'. She took that and then retrieved a few slices of homemade bread from a little wooden container on the counter. Mistress had left some utensils and butter on the table, and even the peanut butter! Nanu loved the peanut butter; she couldn't wait to have it licked off her cunt! Sated some minutes later, Nanu wandered around, examining little things about the house that she hadn't noticed yet. She was careful to not mess with any switches, because she didn't know what all of them did. Apparently they weren't all just for the lights. She jumped up and down on the sturdy long chair, which was apparently called a 'chesterfield', rolled around on the comfy rug, and diddled herself in front of a mirror, cumming loudly and shamelessly. She loved looking at herself while she masturbated, she was so beautiful! Nanu flopped back on the rug, breathing heavily after a lovely climax. Her whole body tingled, and wonderful images of herself and her Mistress fucking floated through her mind. The house was warm, in a way she'd never felt before. Living in the slave quarters, and wearing what amounted to little more than a poorly made sack for clothing, she had often been cold, and rarely warm enough to suit her. This was; wonderful. This new world confused and frightened her, but she also knew she would acclimate, and then she would be warm, well-fed, and she could fuck to her heart's content. She was going to love her new life, she was sure. She hoped Re-be-kah was having as wonderful a day as she was. The Education of Nanu, as 'The Gods Will It'. Mooredale Secondary. Becky sat behind her desk, trying to conceal the way her eyes were spiraling with exasperation and boredom. While not every student in her Physics class was a dunce, only a few of them truly cared and paid attention. Most were just doing what was required to pass. Even if they got great grades, they weren't interested in retaining the material. And then there was one young dunce in particular. She tried not to scowl at Mark, who was zoning out at his desk, looking out the window. She could see even from here that his notes were inadequate. He couldn't claim to be memorizing the material; he had the memory of a goldfish crossed with a sieve. How had he made it into this prestigious high school to begin with? She was ultimately happy he had, of course, since that meant three months from now (from his point of view), he would be taking her on adventures with the Holmes Field Device. But this twerp sitting in front of her wasn't that time traveler yet, was he? He was just some lazy kid who was going to fail her course. Then he'd come back in time to fuck her, and convince her to not fail him. She'd agree, as long as he showed her the time machine and took her on adventures. Looking at him now, she couldn't believe she'd made the agreement. But she had, and now she was stuck passing him. She couldn't get out of it if she tried. She'd solidified her personal future. Fating, as people in the time travel community called it. Once you knew for certain that something factually was going to happen to you down the road, there was nothing you could do to change it, no matter how hard you tried. You might even hurt yourself doing it. Time lock. It was a thing. So if you enjoyed feeling like you were in control of your destiny, then you did your best not to find out what was to happen to you in the future. Loose talk stops clocks, and all that. She looked at Mark again, still trying not to frown. It was so strange to think that this boy, who was weeks away from being eighteen, was the same knucklehead who would be her time-travelling companion. She'd be having sex with him, and they'd be sharing girls in the time stream, including Nanu, who was waiting for her back at home. The Mark in front of her was seventeen, almost eighteen. Time travel made the rules seem so arbitrary, and even dumb sometimes. She couldn't have sex with him right now. She couldn't sext him under her desk right now. It was illegal. Yet somehow, magically, in a few weeks, on a particular day, Mark's upcoming birthday would make him an adult, even though functionally nothing was different about his biology. This Mark didn't know that they were lovers. That they would be lovers, in any event. Like all the other dumb boys in the school, he talked about her being hot, and what he'd do to her, childish boasting and hormonal nonsense. They talked about how she tended to dress rather conservatively, but clearly she had a rocking' bod underneath her clothes. They'd seen her in the school gym a few times. Becky didn't know why she dressed so conservatively, now that she thought of it. There were certainly less attractive teachers on staff who dressed more sexily than she did. Connie Marangos, the English Lit teacher, was shaped like a pear and had a face like a foot, but she somehow managed to dress sexy. What was Becky's excuse? She didn't want to give the horny students any more masturbation material than they already got. Horny teenage boys were annoying. Even Mark was annoying. Would he get better by the time she caught up with him in the future, three months from now? She could hope, but she doubted it. He hadn't exactly proven so thus far on their adventures. Another quiet sigh escaped her as she glanced for a moment in his general direction. She wanted to pin that boy down right now and fuck him, hard. She couldn't, but she wanted to. It bothered her that she was starting to feel a tingle in her needy cunt, and there was nothing she could do about it. She'd have to wait to get home and take out her horny frustrations on Nanu. Not that the Egyptian girl would mind, of course. She thought back about what she and Mark had experienced so far in the time stream. They'd gone to seventeenth century France, gotten in several brawls, and Mark had been fatally shot, only surviving because he wasn't meant to die yet. She'd been kidnapped by Cardinal Richelieu and made a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Austria, and she'd met her own ancestor, the gorgeous, brilliant, and deadly noblewoman Alexandra D'Assaut, who had helped Mark rescue her from the Louvre, and out from right under the nose of the Sun King. Becky might have shot Porthos And might also have kicked Richelieu in the nuts. That sounded so weird, but it had happened. She was there. That, or she was on the world's longest and most intense acid trip. They went to Rome, to participate in a genuine orgy, and they'd met and bought the beautiful slave girl Nanu. The intent had been to set her free, and Becky had even paid gold for her; but Mark screwed everything up by getting arrested for fucking a Vestal Virgin, one of Rome's most sacred priestesses. One thing led to another, and they'd had to rescue him from being skewered by gladiators in the Colosseum, mostly by dropping the roof on the emperor. Mark, or 'Bonosus' as he was known in ancient Rome now, was probably the most notorious criminal in the empire not named Spartacus. It didn't surprise Becky that even in the time stream, everyone wanted to kill Mark. He had that effect on people. They'd finally brought Nanu forward in time with them, since she was hopelessly devoted to them, and leaving her on her own in Rome was dangerous for her, even if she had proof of her manumission. It had been an eventful few days since their arrival back home, with Nanu getting a crash course in the fact that everything wanted to kill her. At least to hear Nanu talk about it. Even common household items were absurdly dangerous for her, and noises that modern people just took for granted drove the younger girl nuts. Food was a big gamble with Nanu. Modern preservatives and nitrates wreaked havoc on her digestive tract, something she couldn't possibly have built any immunity to. To Becky's surprise, Nanu wasn't lactose-intolerant, because as a slave, she'd been given cow's milk, something peasants and slaves subsisted on and normal people were too good for. It was strange to Becky that bovine milk and beef had been considered low-class food back then. They'd probably change their minds if they'd ever had a filet mignon or a good porterhouse. Dumb ancient people. At least Nanu ate everything she possibly could. A yawn from Mark's direction brought her out of her reverie, and she restrained another scowl in his direction. It was nowhere near the first time he'd annoyed her with his lack of interest, but she was getting more irritated with it of late, because she knew what was coming. She had to put up with this. She had to fail him. Because his future self would come back in time and convince her to change his grade. She couldn't just give him a passing grade now to speed things up if she tried. Something would make her fail him. Which he so richly deserved. Why the universe gave this kid a time machine was beyond her. A retarded chimp would have deserved it more, and probably been less of a menace. She couldn't fuck him, not yet. But that didn't mean she couldn't fuck with him, right? "Mr. Simmons," she called in his direction, raising her eyebrow and getting everyone's attention, including his. She called him 'Mark' so regularly now that saying 'Mr. Simmons' seemed strange. "Since you are clearly well ahead of the curriculum, what with having time to yawn and stare out the window, I thought maybe you could explain the differences in the scalar and vector measurements to the class?" "I, uh;” he fumbled, looking worried now. "I;” "Well, go on," she said, gesturing with her hand. "We spent the entire second half of last week on the model, after all. The copious notes you took are still fresh, yes?" "I; that is; uh;” he said, going pale. "Dumbass," laughed one of the other boys from nearby. Several other students laughed, and Mark got pelted with crumpled-up balls of paper for looking like a dolt. Becky didn't bother feeling bad for him, since this had to happen in order for things to work out in the future. That, and the brat deserved it. A girl near the front, one Gina Felton, put her hand up, looking smug. She seemed to have the answers, generally. Becky restrained a sigh as she allowed the brown-haired girl to answer. Gina dutifully recited off the material they'd been given, even offering some explanation along the way to demonstrate that she understood what she'd been taught, not just parroting the lesson. She wasn't as smart as she thought she was, and she'd never be a physicist, but she came from a wealthy WASP family type that was so common in this neighborhood, and she was a kiss-ass to the faculty. Becky would give Gina her passing grade and get rid of her. If only were so easy with Mark. "That's, uh; that was I was gonna say," Mark added once Gina had finished her singsong response. More laughter and mockery was hurled his way. "Okay, enough, people," Becky announced, standing up to get their attention and put an end to the paper projectiles. "Miss Felton, well done. Mr. Simmons, you can stay after class and clean up the room, along with my chalkboards." Becky liked using chalk boards, because one of her two favorite professors in her university years had insisted on using them. It had seemed like magic to her when he'd used them, all these wondrous equations laid out for her, explained thoroughly, and then they were gone, replaced by more fascinating numbers, a guided tour into how the universe worked. Only he could- "Ma'am?" a voice called. "Miss Fischer?" Becky blinked, coming out of yet another reverie. She was beginning to think that maybe she shouldn't be giving Mark shit for doing it, since she kept zoning out during class, thinking about the profs. She and Nanu had a playdate with them later this week at Blackwell Manor, so she'd just have to keep it in her pants until then. "Sorry, I was remembering a lesson," she said, recovering and sitting down again, just in case she leaked through her slacks. Thankfully, they were moments away from the period ending, and she'd be free of these yahoos for another day. "Tomorrow, we'll stick our toes into the concept of Fleming's Left-Hand Rule and its application in electromagnetism. Whether you're working on the Large Hadron Collider, or your grandfather's ancient lawnmower in the future, this is a good thing to understand. Go ahead and get ready, just wait for the bell. Mr. Simmons, the chalkboard awaits your attentions." Yet more razzing at Mark's expense, while Gina just sat at her desk looking smug. As annoying as Mark was, Becky simply did not like Gina Felton. She was eighteen now, and Becky had good reason to suspect that the skinny little broad was carrying on with the History professor, Mr. Browning. The less she knew, the better. Kind of like about her own future. Ah well, she thought as she watched Mark dully begin wiping off the chalkboards and then pounding out the erasers. Not much longer to put up with this, and then the real fun begins. Just show some patience, girl. She somehow refrained from subtly taking a picture of Mark's ass with her phone. "Mistress, you're back!" Nanu chirped as she skipped up to the door, quite naked. "I didn't break anything!" "The fact that you led with that statement makes me suspicious," Becky sighed as she closed the door behind her. She then hung up her blazer on a peg and allowed the Egyptian girl to take her hand and pull her into the house. "Did you eat?" "Yes, Mistress, everything you left for me," Nanu announced proudly. "Nothing left. Did I do well?" "You ate everything I left you for you?" Becky asked, raising an eyebrow. Nanu dragged her into the dining room and gestured grandly at the table. The top was covered in plates, bowls, and containers, along with utensils. Even the peanut butter jar, which had been mostly full this morning, was seemingly licked clean. "Holy shit," Becky mumbled in English, gazing at the table. "You ate absolutely everything." "Did I do right, Mistress?" Nanu asked. What did Becky tell her? That Nanu had eaten the food she'd prepped and was meant to last for a few days? She hadn't exactly been that explicit, because she hadn't thought to tell Nanu that. She'd overlooked how voracious Nanu could be. A lifetime of slavery saw to it that Nanu ate every meal as if it might be her last. Well, that was on Becky. She'd just start again and be more concise next time about her expectations. "I'm proud of you for looking after yourself," she said finally, making the tiny girl beam with delight. "Did you have problems with anything I showed you?" "I played with the water makers a little bit, and practiced washing my hands," Nanu said, waiting impatiently while Becky started removing her work clothes. "Your soap is very different from what my masters used. It smells nice, not like piss." "Maybe because we don't use urine in our soap these days," the blonde observed as she tossed aside her skirt and then began undoing her bra. Nanu, predictably, just watched intently, almost salivating at the thought of her Mistress' tits. "So now you know how to keep yourself clean. Tonight, I'll let you try to work the shower, that way you can use it if I'm not home and you need to wash up." Nanu nodded. "It was awkward trying to get the peanut butter off my cunt. I am very flexible, but even I couldn't reach it all with my tongue. I used a cloth finally. But I tried, Mistress, I really did." "Nobody made you smear the peanut butter on yourself, silly," Becky laughed as she shucked her bra, revealing her lovely tits to Nanu. Then she bent over and peeled off her underwear. "But I'm glad you fed yourself and know how to get clean, my love. It sounds like you had a good day." "There were so many things to do, Mistress," Nanu breathed, enjoying the sight of Becky's hairless cunt. She'd never seen a more perfect cunt. "I was amazed by how strong your sheets are. And I glided up and down the hallway in my socks, and I listened to music and danced;” "I'm so pleased that you worked out the controller for the stereo," Becky cooed, caressing Nanu's cheek. The smaller girl closed her eyes, enjoying the touch before turning her head a little to kiss her Mistress' palm. "What music did you listen to?" "But I am proud to be your lover, and that you're my Mistress," Nanu protested. "And I am proud of you, Nanu," Becky assured her, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "But just trust me on this, okay? Hearing people called 'Mistress' will be very weird to some of them. I want tonight to be fun, not awkward." Nanu sighed somewhat despondently and nodded. "So I must call you Re-be-kah tonight?" The blonde pondered the matter. "Can you say 'Becky'?" Nanu pursed her lips. "Beh-kee." "That's what all my friends call me," Becky said, pulling Nanu into a hug. It was weird to have their jackets in the way and not be able to feel their tits squashing together. "Except for M-ark," Nanu pointed out, enjoying the hug, even if she couldn't feel her mistress' tits. "He called you 'Beks'." "Well, Mark's an idiot, and he's lucky he's the one with the time machine, or I would flunk him into eternity," Becky muttered, preferring to not think about the bane of her academic existence. "Asshat." "Ass-hat;” Nanu repeated. "Mark is an ass-hat?" She's like a toddler, Becky thought, making a note to watch her language. She retains all the naughty words she shouldn't know. "Let's go, Noah Webster," Becky sighed, standing up again. "Your chariot awaits;” The Gardiner Expressway, heading south. Nanu was indeed turned sideways in her seat, despite the seatbelt, her face plastered to the window as she gaped in awe at the scenery that sped by. Aside from the endless metal monsters that were running with them or in the opposite direction, there were also tall buildings and houses, bright lights on tall posts, and even giant bridges that they went under and didn't fall on their heads! Nanu was too astonished to remember to be frightened of everything. Becky smiled as she drove, pleased that Nanu was distracted and not cowering in fear. Not that she would blame her. It had taken some convincing to get her into the car at all, but once she discovered how comfy the seats were, she warmed up to the idea quickly enough. Becky buckled her into her seat and even let Nanu honk the horn once before they pulled out. Nanu yelped in shock at the loud sound, but then clapped in delight, realizing that she could (if allowed) control the beast's roar. She took it slow at first, driving at a virtual crawl through her neighborhood, letting Nanu get a feel for the movement of the car. She was going places, but her legs weren't doing any of the work. It was like being in a palanquin or a chariot, only completely enclosed. The roar of something called an 'engine' surrounded her, replacing the clatter of iron-bound wooden wheels and horse hooves. It was almost twilight, and the lights on the tall posts glared brightly, making Nanu shield her eyes occasionally. She could see people in their own metal beasts, men and women, often with children riding along in the seats behind. She smiled brightly and waved back at one little girl who had seen her and waved to her. "We are going so fast," she breathed, almost wrenching her neck as she tried to watch cars whip by in the opposite direction. "Nobody in the world has ever gone as fast as this, I'll bet." Becky thought about that, realizing Nanu was probably right. She was going just over seventy kilometers per hour at the moment, but that was faster than anything had ever gone until locomotive engines came on the scene, once again in the mid-nineteenth century. It may have seemed slow to her, but it was light speed to Nanu. "Oh, we can go a lot faster than this, Nanu," she said casually, enjoying her lover's innocent wonder at everything. "Go faster!" Nanu urged in excitement. "Go faster than all the other metal beasts! Shame them!" "; except for maybe that one;” she added in a faltering tone as a red Ferrari whipped by, the roaring noise of its engine filling the interior of Becky's car. "How do you make the beast go faster, Mistress? I do not see reins or a whip." "It's not alive, remember? It's just a machine, a bunch of parts put together to make a mechanism," Becky answered, knowing most of this would go over Nanu's head. "I control its speed with the pedals at my feet, and which way it goes with this wheel in my hand." "Can we go faster and leave all these other beasts behind?" Becky smiled. "Not right now, my love. There are laws about how fast you're allowed to go when there are lots of other cars around. It prevents accidents." "But what could hurt us?" Nanu asked. "The beast is metal, we are surrounded by all this metal. We are invincible." "If we hit or got hit by another car, the metal won't protect us entirely," Becky pointed out, thinking that maybe she'd show Nanu some car crash safety videos, put the fear of the car gods into her. And if we hit a person, we'd pretty much kill them at this speed." Nanu thought about that. "But we'd be okay, right?" Becky sighed and resisted the urge to turn the car around. The Malted Cat, thirty minutes later. "Hi, everyone, sorry we're late," Becky called out, waving as she headed to the table where everyone was already gathered. "You know this time of night on the Gardiner, traffic was a bitch." "Bitch;” Nanu parroted, but was too far away still for anyone to hear her aside from Becky. Nanu was looking around at the establishment, which didn't remind her of any tabernus she'd ever seen before. This was loud and chaotic, with people everywhere and what might have been music blaring. People were wearing so many different outfits, some of which were almost nonexistent to Nanu. They walked up to the table, where five other people, three women, and two men, were already sitting. A few of them had the same straw-colored hair as her mistress. Two of the women were skinny, one was rather fat. One of the men was skinny and balding. She doubted he got fucked very often. Becky stopped at the table, with Nanu beside her. "Everyone, this is Nanu, she's staying with me." "Hi," Nanu said, holding up a hand and remembering the greeting word that people used in En-gush. "Hi." "Hello," they all said back pleasantly, smiling at her. She liked the fact that they greeted her and hadn't noticed she was a slave. Or at least, had been. Sometimes she worried it clung to her like a stench she would never be rid of. At least they'd brought her manumission documents with them from Rome to this world of tomorrow, just in case she had to prove it. "Nanu, let me introduce my friends and co-workers," Becky said in Latin, before pointing to people. "This is Kay, that's Shirley, this is Annie, that's Steve, and this is Ed." "What were you speaking to her just now?" Ed asked, seeming curious. He was the balding one. "Latin," Becky replied as room was made for them at the table, with Steve pulling up two more chairs. "She doesn't speak English, and I don't speak her native language, so we communicate in Latin." Becky's friends all looked at one another quizzically, but then realized that none of them spoke Latin. Becky would be interpreting all night. Frankly, that was just fine with Becky, since it allowed her to control things where Nanu was concerned. "Nanu-nanu!" Steve said to the new guest, holding his hand out sideways, fingers splayed apart in twos. Nanu seemed confused before she spread her own fingers tentatively and then slid them into Steve's, who grinned and began shaking up and down gently. "Good to meet you!" "Steve, I'm not drunk enough for Mork and Mindy jokes yet," Becky sighed, settling Nanu in a chair while the smaller girl looked at her hand curiously, still held open the way he'd shown her. What was that supposed to mean? Was it one of the standard greetings of this age? Then she started noticing small details, both of her new associates, and around the place. Her eyes widened when she saw a tattoo on the arm of the fat woman, Shir-lee. Then she noticed one on Steve. She looked around and saw that many people around this club had tattoos. She looked at Becky with concern. "So many people," she said quietly, hoping only Becky heard her. "They have stigma (tattoos). Some of your friends have them! Are we surrounded by criminals?" Becky thought about that for a moment and then shook her head. "No, Nanu. In my world, tattoos are just art. There have been times in the past where criminals or people considered undesirable have been branded, but this isn't a thing anymore. People wear tattoos because they mean something to them, or they're just art." Nanu sighed in relief. "I somehow avoided getting a tattoo or branded as a Flavian slave, I was lucky. Most of the other slaves had them, I found it humiliating." "Is she okay, Becks?" Annie asked curiously. "She looks a little spooked." Becky smiled and nodded. "The tattoos all around her freaked her out. Where she comes from, tattoos are brands on slaves or criminals and law-abiding citizens don't get them." "Well, I like to think I'm a bad girl," Shirley said in a sassy tone and wearing a wicked smile. "And I've got another tattoo in another place that'd prove it, for sure." This drew laughter from her friends, and she rolled onto one cheek subtly and patted the other one. Annie popped Shirley on the ass, making her squeak and more there was laughter around the table. "So, Nanu," Kay began, smiling across the table at her. Becky was on one side of Nanu, and Ed was on the other. Nanu almost needed a booster chair to sit at the table. Thankfully, the bouncer at the door had accepted her identification, even if he seemed skeptical at first. No doubt having Becky there helped. "Do you want a beer, honey?" Nanu knew she was being asked a question and looked at Becky, who translated. "Cervisia. Do you want one?" Nanu wrinkled her nose in distaste. "That is a barbarian's drink! I am civilized." "You thought cow's meat was barbaric until the other day too," Becky pointed out. "Now I can't keep you out of it. Your ancestors made beer before they discovered wine, you know. At least try it, it's polite. Do you remember what I told you about how to respond if someone offers you something?" Nanu looked at Kay and spoke slowly. "Please an-du fank you." Kay looked delighted and ordered beers for Nanu and Becky. The Egyptian girl settled in and just listened quietly while the conversation picked up around her. Becky had told her that she was free to simply listen, or look around the bar. If someone addressed Nanu, Becky would tell her. Nanu was more than happy to just sit quietly and observe. Beer arrived, with a tall pint glass for Becky, and a half-pint for Nanu. She frowned at her smaller glass. "Why did I get the child drink?" Becky almost laughed while Nanu seemed to glare at the golden liquid and the tiny bubbles. "First of all, children aren't allowed to drink beer because of the alcohol. Second, I got you a smaller glass in case you don't like it. Less goes to waste." Nanu glanced at Becky now. "So if I don't like it, I don't just smash the glass on the floor and demand a different drink I like?" Becky blinked. "No, darling. We are very respectful to our servers at all times." "But they are nobody." "Nanu, just; trust me on this, okay?" Becky almost pleaded. "Always be polite, always. When it time to not be polite, I'll let you know, I promise." "Fine," Nanu sighed, picking up the glass with both hands and tilting it so that she could take a sip while everyone watched. Her eyes widened and she put the glass back down on the table, her cheeks bulging as she looked at Becky in panic. "Swallow," Becky instructed. "It's fine." Hesitantly, the tiny girl swallowed and then gasped rather loudly and dramatically. "It is so cold, but it burns!" "You didn't mind when the pop was fizzing in your mouth," Becky said. "The pop was sweet. This is; why is this beer? It doesn't taste like beer at all!" "It's beer, I promise you, just that we make it differently than they did in your time." "Is she okay?" Steve asked, watching Nanu curiously. They all were, in fact. "She's never had beer like that before," Becky explained. "She only just tried pop for the first time the other day." "You said she's from Egypt?" Shirley queried. "Is she Muslim and she's not allowed to have alcohol?" "Trust me, she's not Muslim," Becky assured her co-worker while Nanu eyed her beer suspiciously. "She was a slave most of her life, and she has very limited experience with, well, just about anything. We're taking it slow, but I want her to see what her new life is all about and has to offer." "Would she like wine instead?" Kay asked. "No, let her figure this out," Becky replied, going back to her own beer. "I have yet to find anything she won't eat or drink, so give her a bit." Becky knew she'd have to get some food in Nanu before long, because Nanu's alcohol tolerance might be perilously low, especially on what was essentially an empty stomach. She'd let Nanu pick whatever sounded good, and just deal with the consequences later. There was only so easy she could make this for her. Her body needed to adapt to modern cuisine sooner or later, right? The conversation began again, mostly everyone venting about their stupid students and the idiotic things they said, did, or turned in. Every once in a while, someone asked Nanu something, and Becky translated, letting Nanu respond as best she could. But mostly, they simply adhered to Becky's rule of letting the new girl observe and listen. "I swear, this one girl is a complete moron," Annie groused. "Any of you have Angie Staples in any of your classes?" Nanu heard several of them moan and roll their eyes, almost slumping back in their chairs. They began griping about something or someone, repeating a word that sounded like a name. It reminded her of how her mistress complained about M-ark. "Hey, she's not a bigger dolt than Simmons," Becky pointed out. "That boy is hopeless in my class. If he made any less effort, he'd forget to breathe." "At least he's cute," Kay said, making Annie and Shirley laugh. "I'd totally fuck Mark if he was legal." At the mention of the name 'Mark' and the word 'fuck', Nanu perked up just slightly and then looked at Becky. And this was not lost on the other women. "Why did she just look at you when I mentioned fucking Simmons?" Kay asked, looked at Becky now. "I; no; Fischer, no;” "What?" Becky said rather defensively. "Rebecca Fischer, are you doing things with that boy?" Kay pressed, smiling slyly. Annie and Shirley's eyes lit up excitedly, whereas Ed and Steve remained silent, trying to not look put out. "Are you nuts?" Becky said rather more loudly than she should have. "He's my student!" "He's all of our students, and the only thing he's good at is Phys Ed," Annie laughed. "He's turning out to be a hunk, I saw him running track in the gymnasium with no shirt the other day. Kay's right, none of us would blame you if you were getting it in from him." "I assure you, I am not getting it in from that dough-head sitting in my classroom," Becky said firmly. It was technically true, if only because the Mark sitting in her classroom hadn't fucked her yet. "So why did Nanu look at you so suddenly?" Kay pressed, not willing to concede the point just yet. "She's heard me complaining about how abso-fucking-lutely useless he is in my class," Becky explained, which was also technically true. "He's failing harder than a SCUD missile. Makes me crazy." "I'd go crazy on him," Shirley quipped, smiling slyly behind her beer glass while Kay and Annie burst out laughing again. Becky sighed and shook her head, but at least she seemed to have deflected that particular line of inquiry. Despite Kay's contentions in private about her proclivities, most people believed Rebecca Fischer to be a prudish nun stuck in a porn star's body. Only this small crew ever saw her let her hair down, like tonight. Garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, and wings arrived at the table as an appetizer, and Becky encouraged Nanu to try everything. The teachers all watched in astonishment as she tried each of the items and then began devouring them in rapid succession. "Guess I'm buyin' this round of appetizers," Becky said, shaking her head as she watched her charge annihilate the food. "I'll buy the next round too, just to make sure everyone gets something." "Oh, I'm buyin' her a round as well, just to keep watching," Annie said in fascination while Nanu mowed through the appetizers like the Tasmanian Devil. "Do you ever feed her, Becks?" "I told you, she was literally a slave in her old life, and she eats everything in sight as a defensive measure," Becky sighed. "She's not being rude, I promise. I've literally watched her eat a pound of bologna and empty a full jar of peanut butter." "Ba-lo;” Nanu managed to mumble through a mouth full of biomass as she kept storming the appetizers. Everyone was enjoying watching, even if they had to wait for their own shares to arrive again. She also kept sipping at her beer, seeming to have dropped her objections to it. Becky realized she might actually need help from the time stream to keep this girl fed. Nanu had pretty much polished off all her food when the second round of appetizers arrived. She eyed Steve's basket of wings hungrily. He saw her staring and gestured to the steaming heap of saucy poultry. "Want to try one?" "Nanu, darling," Becky said, holding up a hand to interrupt. "You might find that' But Nanu had already stripped most of the meat off the tiny bones of one wing by the time Becky had begun to object. She was chewing away when she paused on her eyes went wide. "Steve, you jerk," Becky said, scowling at her co-worker while Nanu started trembling while still chewing, her face turning red and her eyes starting to water. "She doesn't know what suicide sauce is." Nanu had her forehead pressed against the table and was thumping her little fist against the surface, still resolutely chewing, even as she whimpered and moaned in pain. "Gotta admire her pluck, though," Kay mused, watching the tiny girl try not to writhe. "I didn't know she couldn't handle it," Steve protested. "Don't they have hot food where she comes from?" "See if I ever sub for you the next time you need a day off," grumbled the blonde, patting Nanu on the back gently while calling over a server. Fifteen minutes and a gallon of milk later. "I can't believe she ate all my wings," Steve murmured, watching Nanu polish off the last wing while staring directly at him defiantly. "A whole pound, I got like, one." "Serves you right," Becky grunted, making sure Nanu had lots of wet wipes and used them regularly in case she tried to rub her eyes. Milk wouldn't help then. "I can't believe she's still eating them," Annie said, watching with morbid fascination. "I mean, you can see they still hurt her, but she won't quit." "Now that she knows milk dulls the fire, she doesn't have to," Becky sighed, also watching while eating her own honey-garlic wings. Nanu had stolen half of those, too. The only reason Shirley and Kay's food was (mostly) safe was because Nanu was too short to reach across the table. "And she's mad at Steve, so she's making a point." She knew that she and Nanu could both regret this in a few hours, that Nanu might be up all night again in the bathroom, but apparently she was willing to risk that to get the message across; don't fuck with Nanu Tehemet. Nanu polished off the wings and then knocked back several glasses of milk Becky had lined up for her, followed by her beer. She put the last down and let out a thunderous belch that echoed around the area. Everyone's eyes widened at the noise, except for Becky, who just shook her head. People at other tables looked over, perplexed that someone so small could release such a giant noise. Annie cleared her throat. "Well, I; I hear that in some Middle Eastern cultures, burping is a sign that a person appreciates the food they were served." Nanu patted her chest with her little fist and sighed happily. "Nanu," Shirley said, getting her attention directly. She gestured to her shirt and then at Nanu's. "I like your shirt." Nanu realized what the fat woman was talking about and then beamed happily, thrusting her chest forward and thumbing at the logo. "Let Zeppli!" "Do you like them, honey?" Shirley asked. Becky translated and Nanu nodded eagerly. "Let Zeppli!" "I like them too," Shirley said, pleased to be connecting with the exotic foreign girl. "Shirley says she likes Led Zeppelin too," Becky explained, leaning in to be heard over all the noise. The karaoke had begun, and they were near the stage. "The fat one likes Zeppli?" Nanu asked, shocked. "Is she allowed?" "Nanu!" Becky gasped, bursting into snickers. "You can't just comment about people's weight like that!" "What's funny, Becks?" Annie asked, curious. Becky was still snickering as she tried to wave it off. "Pretty sure Nanu thinks only she's allowed to like Zeppelin. And maybe I'm allowed. Pop culture still eludes her." "Well, she's got the hot wings and big tits part down already, I'd say she's halfway there," Kay quipped, making everyone laugh. Shirley had excused herself from the table for a moment. More food was ordered, along with beer or cocktails, and the gripe session continued about what complete morons the kids of this day and age were becoming. And the ones that weren't morons were completely unlikable. "So how long is she stayin' with you?" Kay asked as she watched Nanu attack the jalapeno poppers. "For the foreseeable future, really," Becky answered. "Like I said, she was a slave back home, she has no life to return to, and it was borderline Stone Age subsistence. I can't just let her go, or turn her over to the system, she'll die. She knows nothing. I'm doing what I can to help her adapt and learn about her new world. One day, she'll be fine." "That's really noble of you, Rebecca," Ed stated, getting his share of an onion blossom before Nanu saw it and murdered it. "But it could be years. I'm not trying to make her sound like a pet dog, but this could be a long commitment on your part. How did you even meet her?" "Honestly?" Becky said, having a rehearsed answer already. She'd tried to anticipate as many questions as possible for tonight. "I met her in Rome. That's where I managed to get her out of her slavery life." "Wow, Becks, you have like a whole secret agent life goin' on," Annie said, sounding impressed. "When the heck did you even go to Rome?" "It seems like ages ago," Becky said rather evasively. "Frankly, things have been crazy of late and I almost can't keep track without a time machine." A round of laughter from her friends, and Becky heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't expect anyone to be making inquiries, but the fewer questions, the better. Nanu seemed oblivious, noshing away happily on more pub grub and seeming determined to try everything. She'd just plowed through the calamari Annie had bought for her. "Hey, everyone!" called a voice from the stage, sounding tinny over a microphone. Becky looked up and saw Shirley standing on stage, smiling at them all. "I'm dedicating this number to a new friend I met tonight, I hope she likes it! Nanu, this one's for you!" Nanu looked up at the mention of her name, right before the music began, blaring through the bar's speakers all around them. Her eyes flashed in excitement as she looked at Becky, grabbing her hands. "Zeppli! Zeppli!!!" she squeaked, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Yes, my love," Becky laughed. "Shirley is about to sing a Zeppelin song for you, and it's the one you know already." Nanu clapped and squealed some more, bouncing up and down in her seat as she watched the fat woman begin to sing. "Let me take you to the movie, Can I take you to the show, Let me be yours ever truly, Can I make your garden grow?" "Nanu, you should go up and dance," Becky suggested, bumping and gyrating in her seat. "I'm sure Shirley would love it." "Really, Mistress?" Nanu gasped, his features alight with eagerness. She'd forgotten to call her Mistress by her name, but nobody seemed to notice. "Just make sure you keep your clothes on, okay?" Becky warned, trying to sound serious, but winking at her lover. "Go have fun." Nanu was out of her seat like a shot and scrambling up onstage before she began to dance around, just like Becky had shown her. Everyone at the table hooted and cheered while Shirley laughed, still between stanzas. While Nanu bounced and wiggled around the stage, the teacher started singing again. The pneumatic effect Nanu's movement had on her body held everyone spellbound. Her jeans were snug enough to show off her amazing ass, and her Zeppelin shirt was stretched tight across her ample tits, which jiggled continuously. "From the Houses of the Holy, We can watch the white doves go, From the door comes Satan's daughter, And it only goes to show, that you know!" Becky laughed gaily as she watched, clapping along. She couldn't believe how well this was going! Nanu was having a blast, and even if she was going to be shitting herself all night because of the hot wings Steve had let her eat, it was a small price to pay to see the Egyptian girl absolutely radiant and doing what she did best, dancing. They'd have to do this more often, as long as she kept Nanu safe. Not that this bar was dangerous, of course. "There's an angel on my shoulder, In my hand a sword of gold, Let me wander in your garden, And the seeds of love I'll sow, you know!" Nanu spun and pranced around the stage, lost in the joy of her dancing. She never felt more alive than when she was dancing, even when she was fucking. Or at least very rarely, and pretty much never when she'd been a slave. This new world and new life were going to teach her so many wonderful new things! She stopped dancing for a moment, breathing heavily in excitement as she just watched Shirley sing, standing close enough to understand that she was singing into some little thing that looked like a black cock and made her voice echo all around the room. "So the world is spinning faster, Are you dizzy when you stall? Let the music be your master, Will you heed the master's ca" In her mounting excitement, Nanu had grabbed the microphone out of Shirley's hands and was now closing her eyes and singing into it with all her heart. "Ah; Wa-Oh-Gur-Oah! Or-Nyu-Wo-Ah!" The entire audience was just watching in confused and then stunned silence as Nanu wailed discordantly into the microphone, assaulting everyone's ears with the blistering noise she was making. Eventually, even the recording of the Zeppelin song was halted, and Nanu was screeching to a silent space. Realizing the music had ended, she opened her eyes and then paused, seeing everyone gaping at her. But then a group at one large table right next to the one she'd been sitting at burst into derisive laughter, jeering and mocking her, apparently imitating the sounds she'd been making, and also flailing their limbs about like they were having seizures. Their faces were screwed up, made to look like the cursed child jesters that the Roman elite kept at their courts and made fun of. They were making fun of her! "Hey, someone get the retard off the stage!" guffawed one man, still mocking her by slapping a limp hand and forearm against his chest and making the stupid face. His buddies howled with laughter as he imitated her sound again. Until he was spun in his chair and Becky's fist slammed across his jaw, snapping his head to the right and knocking him out cold. Everyone at the table went very still, not daring to move as Becky glared at them all, her blue eyes flashing menacingly. "Anyone else?" she challenged. The men all stayed silent, not daring to say a word of move a muscle. "That's what I thought," she growled, standing up now and looking down at them in contempt. "Fucking cowards." She looked over at the door and caught the attention of the bouncer on shift, an imposing guy named Jake. She tilted her head at the idiot she'd just coldcocked, and he nodded, knowing he was about to clear out that table and make them take their unconscious friend home. He'd seen Becky drop guys before, and it was always justified. If she hadn't dealt with them for mocking the screaming girl, he might have. Thankfully, it was seen to. "C'mon, honey," Becky said, walking up to the stage and removing the mic from Nanu's hands, while she just stared at her Mistress, seemingly frozen. "Shirley, take over, will you?" Shirley nodded and got another song going, beginning to sing again while Becky led Nanu back to her seat. Around the bar, things had returned to normal. Nanu still seemed silent and very out of sorts. Becky sat her down and took her hands, smiling at her. "I'm sorry, honey," she said softly, caressing the crestfallen girl's cheek. "What they did was wrong. He deserved to get punched, I promise you." Nanu looked up at her now, perplexed. "Am I; am I that awful to listen to, Mistress?" Becky apparently hesitated a split second too long, because Nanu seemed aghast at the lack of response. "I am terrible! Please, Mistress, tell me! How bad am I? Be honest." A deep breath as Becky composed her thoughts. "Truth, Nanu?" The Egyptian girl nodded nervously. "You; well, it; it sounded like a cat getting run over by a chariot with knives for wheels," Becky confessed, blushing while the other teachers looked on, having a fairly good idea what was happening, even if none of them spoke Latin. She smiled somewhat wanly. "Maybe; just stick to dancing, okay? You're so very good at that, after all;” Nanu slumped back in her chair, seemingly in disbelief, even failing to notice the table right next to them getting cleared out by the bouncer. She stared off into space for some seconds, not even noticing the other Zeppelin song that Shirley was now singing. "I'm terrible," she murmured to herself. "Cats getting murdered sounds better than me singing;” She then blinked and looked at Becky, seemingly her normal self. "Oh well. May I have more food and another beer now?" Becky laughed in relief and nodded. No trauma seemed to affect Nanu for too long. She always had food and fucking to retreat to. She ordered more hot wings, knowing Nanu felt she had even more to prove now. An hour later. "So you seemed like you had a good time, hmm?" Becky mentioned as she drove north on the Gardiner, taking them home. It was quite dark out, and she hoped against hope that Nanu wouldn't be up all night in the bathroom, or that she wanted to stay awake and fuck, because Becky had to work in the morning. "I did, Mistress," Nanu replied, nodding as she sat in her seat. She wasn't turned sideways with her face plastered to the window, watching the world race by. In fact, she was sitting rather placidly, her eyes somewhat unfocused. "And the food was all so good. And I think I'm drunk." Becky smiled. "We'll deal with that when we get home. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Should we do it again?" "Can we?" Nanu gasped in delight, seemingly excited. "Let's do it every night!" "Not every night," laughed the blonde. "I can't afford to go out to eat and drink every night. But if you're good, maybe we'll make a treat of it once a week. There are lots of other places to try as well." "As long as assholes don't make fun of me for singing," Nanu sniffed, determined to not get over being impugned. "I hope they dumped him behind the building and people walking by just put their dicks in his mouth while he was sleeping." Becky smirked. Nanu clearly had a vengeful streak in her. Not that she blamed her, mind. Nanu had to simply watch while Becky meted out the punishment. She doubted Nanu was capable of inflicting any real damage on people who slighted her. "Do you think you can teach me to drive this beast, Mistress?" the tiny woman asked. "That's a long way off, honey," Becky replied. Hell, she doubted Nanu could see over the dashboard and reach the pedals at the same time. "Let's conquer walking properly in running shoes before moving on to wheeled death machines, shall we?" Nanu huffed and crossed her arms, looking put out. "I wouldn't run down THAT many people;” she muttered. Becky's home, half an hour later. They managed to close the front door behind them before they fell to their knees, arms wrapped around one another and kissing hungrily. They moaned as they began removing their clothes, swallowing each other's tongues. Earlier, Becky had hoped to make it through the night without any romantic interludes because she had to work tomorrow, but in the car, Nanu had started being naughty, reaching over and rubbing Becky's crotch or fondling her tits. It also didn't help when she shimmied down her jeans and began fingering her cunt, teasing Becky and nearly causing her to drift off the road more than once. A trucker had cruised by them, looking down at them from his cab. Nanu had lifted her shirt to show off her tits, as well as stroking her nether lips plainly for him to see. He'd honked his horn loudly in approval, despite the late hour. And Becky was obviously hornier than she'd been willing to admit, and she couldn't even blame it on alcohol, since she'd only had two beers and one cosmopolitan. No, she just wanted to fuck, and Nanu

In this episode the witches sit down with author, teacher, and astrologer Ivo Dominguez Jr. to talk about the re-release of his book Spirit Speak: A Comprehensive Guide to Connect Beyond the Veil. They explore how the book helps witches build clearer relationships with their guides and allies, and what's changed since he first wrote it.The conversation with Ivo covers a variety of witchy topics. How do daffodil bulbs help explain reincarnation and the oversoul? What do plants have to do with portals and realm walking? And just how many nerdy references can Ivo and Laylla fit into one episode?Naturally, with Ivo in the room, at some point they're going to talk astrology. Together, they unpack the current Mercury retrograde, what this one is stirring up collectively and magically, and some very big astrological events lining up for early 2026. From shifts in collective communication to the energetic themes that may shape the coming year, the discussion makes major astrological shifts understandable.It's thoughtful, grounded, and full of that signature blend of witchcraft, wisdom, and curiosity; a perfect episode for anyone looking to refine their spirit communication and understand the cosmic weather ahead.Ivo Dominguez jr WebsiteGot a question? Send the witches a message here!Support the showWant to send us a letter? Witchy things to review?We have a mailing address!Back on the BroomstickPO Box 106Salem MA 01970Email: backonthebroomstick@gmail.comYoutube FacebookInstagramBack on the Broomstick Website

Rabbi Kalish

Virilità Ricorrere Community: Part 1. Dave soon learns his parents new retirement resort in more than it seems. Based on a post by Many Feathers. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Well over a year ago now, my parents decided to move into one of those assisted living places, or retirement homes if you will. I was a little surprised by that when they did, but after seeing the brochures and such where they'd be living, I could certainly understand why. My folks, Mike and Betty Anderson, had done very well for themselves. Dad had owned his own business (which I was now running) and had tucked away a nice tidy amount of money to retire on. And they were still pretty young too. Dad was only 61, and mom was 58 when they decided they'd had enough of urban living and had found a place that they could retire to and live the "easy life", as dad had put it. Unfortunately, that meant moving to South Carolina, very close to Myrtle Beach, which was about a twelve-hour drive from where my wife Cathy, and I still lived. But again, I could see why they wanted to move there. They would basically have their own little bungalow, which was more of a luxury kind of place rather than the typical condominium or apartment. They didn't have to worry about grounds-keeping obviously, as that was all done and maintained by the retirement center. In addition, there was an adjacent golf course, which was something both mom and dad enjoyed doing. So I could easily envision the two of them golfing almost every day. Though there was also access to horseback riding, boating, as well as a number of events that were held there at the retirement center itself. They had gone there to take a look, and upon their return, had informed us that I'd be the new owner of the business going forward, and that as they say...is that. My wife Cathy and I, had gone there for a very short visit over a long weekend to help them get moved in. To be perfectly honest, after seeing the place, which I felt was more like a resort than a retirement center, I was a little jealous. I made up my mind to try and do things as well as dad had, and eventually retire early, in a place much like this one. We met a few other people while there, especially as they had an open banquet for everyone on the weekends. Mom and dad's neighbors, Jack and Shelly Tillman, were just about the same age as my parents were, give or take a few years, and had obviously already hit it off, as we shared dinner together. Jack was in tip-top shape, even better in some respects than I was, even though I ran every day. He had a full head of bright white hair, and a deep dark tan that didn't look like burnt toast for a change. Shelly was just as attractive looking, though she perhaps still died her hair blonde, though it certainly didn't look unnatural on her. Even more surprisingly, she'd been wearing a two piece tank eenie swim suit when we first met them early that afternoon. It certainly wasn't a bikini or anything like that, but it was certainly cut low enough if front that I had to tear my eyes away from her obvious cleavage, something that wasn't lost on Cathy either as she even gave me a soft elbow in the ribs at one point. But we came away from dinner, and finally our visit feeling like mom and dad were certainly going to be more than happy living here. Once again...I felt a bit jealous, and even Cathy mentioned that she too wouldn't mind retiring in a place similar to this one when it was our turn to live the "easy life". By now, it had been a year since we'd been there for any real visit, so leaving the business in capable hands, Cathy and I decided to take two weeks to go and visit mom and dad. Naturally, they were excited to see us, and certainly had plenty of room as they had a nicely furnished "guest room" just waiting for us. I was already looking forward to golfing myself, and Cathy was looking forward to doing some horseback riding, something she had always wanted to do. The first indication we got that there were some rather strange and strict rules here, was when on the second night of our stay with them, mom and dad informed us that they had a previous commitment they had made, and couldn't get out of. Something about a special Anniversary celebration for another couple, which was a "by invite only” sort of an affair. We had noticed early on that there was an enormous looking clubhouse that was closed off, and well fenced down near the beach. Once again, it was for "members only", no guests allowed. And it was obviously, where this particular party would be held. Cathy and I didn't think much of it however, after all, the only people we knew besides mom and dad, were Jack and Shelly, and even then...only in passing really. I had to laugh when mom told us "Dave and Cathy, Don't wait up for us,"  Then with a mischievous little wink, she and dad disappeared out the door together. I hadn't seen the two of them this loving or this intimate with one another in years. Whatever magic this resort held for them, it was certainly well worth whatever cost. Cathy and I had even noticed that they were both looking a lot better fit. Daily exercise for certain, along with the golfing and opportunity to swim every day, had gotten both of them in better shape and spirits by the look of things. They'd been gone maybe about an hour, way early in the evening yet. Cathy and I casually lounging around out on their private little deck drinking frozen daiquiris. Family Journal. "Dave? Did you see where mom put that photo album?" she asked me at one point. She and mom had been looking through it earlier. Mom had been showing her a few pictures of when I had been a little boy, many of which Cathy had never seen before. She wanted to look through it again, though I had no real idea where mom had kept such things, especially as I hadn't really seen her put it away. All I had seen was her return to her bedroom, coming out moments later without it. So it had to be in there somewhere, though I was hesitant to go looking for it. I always had respected my parent's privacy, even growing up as a kid. Something I knew for sure they had both appreciated. "It's in mom's room someplace," I responded. "But I don't feel really comfortable going in there and snooping around for it either!" I added to that. "I'm not asking you to snoop, I'm just asking you to look for me. If you see it without snooping for it, I'd like to browse through it again." I figured it wouldn't hurt to look. If I quickly spotted it, I saw no harm in retrieving it for her again. If I didn't...then she'd just have to wait until the following day when mom was home again. I poked my head into their bedroom intending to just have a quick look-see, figuring even then I probably wouldn't find it. As I scanned quickly about the room, the only place it obviously could, or would be, was on the upper shelf in their closet. Which at the moment happened to be standing open. Sure enough, there it was, sandwiched between a couple of others by the looks of it. Even then, I hesitated, not sure if I should still even go in there or not, when Cathy called out behind me. "Do you see it?" "Yeah, I see it," I answered back, only then deciding it was no big deal to walk in and retrieve it briefly so that Cathy could look through all the pictures again. After all, mom and dad would be gone all evening long, and I was fairly certain I'd have the book put back, and Cathy and I in bed sound asleep long before mom and dad ever came home. They'd already proven themselves to be quite the night owls, much to my surprise. "Sweet!" Cathy responded, no doubt waiting for me as I stepped further into the room heading towards the closet. I reached up, intending to lift the photo album sitting on top of that one in order to retrieve it, which I then attempted to do. But as I did, it seemed to catch or drag along the one just beneath it, which now fell off the closet shelf, down onto the floor. Several loose photos spilling out, which I thought immediately odd, as mom had always been quite particular about organizing her photo albums. As I reached down to collect them as well as the partially opened album, which was now lying face down, I froze! My eyes held there in disbelief! It took several moments for me to even begin to comprehend what I was looking at. Most of them of course were of mom and dad, nude...along with several others, most of which I'd never seen before. In a few, as I continued to quickly thumb through them, showed photos of Jack and Shelly in them as well. Likewise, in the nude, and in many of them...showing the two of them obviously, and busily engaged in several sexual situations with mom and dad. One page said “Mike & Betty – Jack and Shelly, February 2022” I think I actually sat down on the floor in a state of shock as I now began to flip through several more, starting at the front of the book. To my surprise, the album was completely filled, so there were literally hundreds of photos in addition to the dozen or so loose ones that had fallen out. Obviously, mom had run out of room, and hadn't gotten any more inserts yet.     Now, in all honesty, it's probably important that I say something here. Although I was indeed shocked by what I'd discovered here. After all, it was mom and dad, it's not like this sort of thing would have freaked me or Cathy out, for other reasons. You see, Cathy and I, though we certainly didn't consider ourselves swingers by any means; had from time to time, "partied" with some mutual friends of ours. Not all the time mind you, just on occasion, and always with one or two other couples we knew, and never outside of that. Cathy and I saw it as a way to periodically spice up our own sex-life, and with those particular close friends, there was never a fear of jealousy, or any kinds of sexually transmitted diseases getting in the way. So like I said...it's not like seeing something like this was the thing that was shocking. It was seeing who it was. I am sure that my continued absence, and silence, had eventually provoked Cathy's curiosity as moments later I heard her standing there in the doorway. "What are you looking at?" She asked. "You're not going to believe it," I told her. Setting the book down, simultaneously handing her the dozen or so loose photos I had gathered up. She looked at me quizzically, though taking them, and then glancing down at the very first one I had purposely placed there for her to begin with. I figured it might be an easier way for her to realize and accept what I'd just discovered. The first photo showed two women lying on a bed together (And if she took a moment to recognize it, she'd see that the bedcover in the photo was the exact same one on mom and dad's bed). The women's faces were mostly obscured however, primarily because they were clearly enjoying a mutual '69' together. It took me only a moment to realize which one was mom, and which one was Shelly though after looking even more carefully at it. Which is exactly what Cathy had done. I almost laughed as Cathy looked away at the photo, now looking down at me. "Is this your...." "Mother? Yes!" I nervously laughed shaking my head. "And obviously...the other woman is Shelly." Cathy once again glanced at the photo, now recognizing her as well, though she quickly slipped the first photo to the back, now staring at the next one, which I had also just managed to purposely place. "Yeah, and that one's of mom too...but I can assure you, that's not my father's cock she's sucking!" That much was evident, in quick comparison now of some of the others. I'd never seen my father's cock hard before. Not exactly something you'd ever expect to see. But we sure as hell were now! And admittedly, it was rather impressive looking, even judging it against myself perhaps, let alone Jack's cock, which though thick, was considerably chubbier in size. There was one photo showing mom down on her knees, she'd managed to gobble up his entire cock, though again that was no real feat all things considered. But it was in seeing Shelly, likewise kneeling next to mom, doing the same thing to dad's cock, though not quite throating it entirely that gave interesting comparison. "Jesus! I can't believe this!" Cathy finally quipped, now sitting down on the edge of the bed next to me, though I continued to sit on the floor with an entire album full of photos, most of which I hadn't even looked at yet. Finally she giggled, though continuing to thumb through the rest of the loose photos. Just like me, the initial shock of seeing my parents like this had sunk in. Now it was out of pure curiosity, and decadent interest perhaps that we both continued to look through the remainder of the photo album. Chronologically, you could see that there had been several "parties" or "events" which mom and dad had participated in since their moving here. Interestingly enough, the first several photos only ever showed mom and dad together, though obviously participating with one another in front of several other couples. Gradually, more and more appeared, initially with just Jack and Shelly appearing, though in time...that too gave way to more and more couples, many of whom Cathy and I hadn't met yet. The last few pages of photos had proven to be the most decadent perhaps, even beyond much of what Cathy and I had experienced. In one...mom was lying on the floor, and by the looks of it, she already had a fair amount of cum-cream that had been shot over and upon her body. In particular, her tits and pussy. Cathy and I counted at least six still stroking erections, that appeared to soon be adding to that. And who knows how many already had before then? "Mom? A cum-dumpster? Who knew?" I asked myself, though by the look in her eyes, she certainly seemed to be enjoying it. Especially as she was simultaneously having her pussy licked by a woman, who again I hadn't recognized as seeing before. There were others as well of course. One of dad lying back getting his cock licked and sucked by two women, as Shelly sat on his face, mom kneeling off to one side, holding one of Shelly's tits and smiling at the camera. By the looks of it, it had obviously been one hell of a party! Though it was still way early yet, Cathy and I both seemed to get a sense of anxiousness at being caught like this. We quickly replaced the album back where I'd originally found it, took a quick look around (even straightening the bed cover before leaving) and then retreated back outside to the patio where Cathy fixed us both another stiff drink. "So...did you ever suspect anything growing up?" She asked. "Not ever," I responded easily. "Hell Cath...I never even caught them doing it, not even once, that's how careful they must have been back then. And I think I only stumbled in on mom once when she was changing, and even then I didn't really see anything, except for her wearing panties and bra, or something like that. So no. No way in hell would I ever have suspected anything like this!" "You think they had any idea before moving down here?" "I really doubt it. I just can't imagine that being the case. Afterwards maybe. But even then, they must have slowly, and carefully been introduced to it." "Yeah, I think so. Even the first few photos seem to confirm that. The look on your mom and dad's face seemed a little more cautious, even apprehensive perhaps, though they must have obviously been getting off doing that in front of other people, and visa-versa. But looking and comparing those to some of the others, you can definitely see a change taking place." "You mean like mom getting her pussy licked by another woman for example?" I quipped, something of which I still hadn't gotten my head around yet. Even with some of the other photos we had looked at, I still couldn't imagine mom being that open-minded. Open-minded enough to get eaten, and then eating another woman's cunt. Though I sure enjoyed seeing it whenever Cathy did that. Cathy laughed. "Yeah that. Hell, I know I like it, so why shouldn't your mother?" "It's not that," I responded back. "It's that it's..." "Mom," Cathy finished for me. To which I could only grin like an idiot, shaking my head at her. "You know what's really bad?" Cathy now asked. "No...what?" "Seeing those? Has suddenly made me really horny!" "Jesus Cathy!" I responded to that, as though her admission was too far off the decadent scale for me to admit to myself. "Oh and you aren't?" She challenged seriously. "Not even a little?" "Ok, maybe a little," I acknowledged, though not willing to admit that it was seeing my own mother and father doing stuff that had actually aroused me. Admitting to seeing some of the other people (even if they were engaged with my folks) was a little easier to accept in a way. "For an older woman, Shelly really does have a nice set of tits," I confessed. To which Cathy again snickered at. "Good god, Dave; maybe you won't say it, but I sure as hell will, your mom has great looking tits, and if I wasn't married to you...I'd be tempted to want to suck and play with them myself! As sexy as Shelly is yes...I think you're mom's a hell of a lot sexier than she is! And so's your dad too if we're being honest about it!" "Cathy!" I admonished her without saying anything more. Bad enough she was thinking it...as was I maybe. And worse...now knowing what they enjoyed doing, and worse still, having seen them doing it. I mean after all, this was my own parents! Cathy wasn't about to let me dwell on the obvious however, having moments ago gone back inside to pour us a couple of fresh drinks. When she returned however, she was naked, standing there before me as she handed me my drink. "Shit woman!" I stammered, though taking it from her. "What the hell are you doing anyway?" I asked now glancing about, worried if someone might easily see her standing out here on the deck like that, though obviously she didn't care at the moment if anyone did. "Like I said Dave, I'm horny now. So you can either join me, or you can sit there and watch me play with myself. Either way, I'm getting myself off." True to her word, she soon slipped one of her hands down between her legs, leaning against the wooden railing. Truth to be told...I was horny as well, even if I was having trouble admitting to the reason why. But now at least, seeing my gorgeous, hot...horny wife as she stood there against the railing gave me reason enough to admit to my own arousal as I stood up and quickly shed the rest of my clothing. Needless to say, my cock was about as hard and as firm as it had ever been. "No way that got that hard so soon because of me," she teased. "You're thinking about fucking your naughty mommy aren't you?" "Cathy!" I warned seriously. Seeing mom...and dad, was one thing. Thinking about anything else, was something else...entirely.     "I'm just teasing you," she half pouted, "I didn't mean it," she added, taking it back. "But I bet you wouldn't mind slipping this hard cock of yours," as she grabbed it. "Inside Shelly's pussy, now would you?" At least that one I could admit to, which I did. And to which Cathy then lifted one leg, balancing herself on the railing, allowing me perfect height and access to her pussy, which I easily slipped into. "Imagine that I'm Shelly," she told me. "And then fuck me like I was her," she panted hotly. So I did. Deck Sex. It was hot, fucking my wife out in the open like that, there on the deck with all the world to see if they wanted to. Though in hindsight, I was willing to bet that anyone who could have, was most likely otherwise engaged down at the private club. We could hear the faint sound of music from time to time coming from that direction, though it was a good distance away. And once or twice we even thought we'd heard the sound of laughter coming up from somewhere near the water, though nothing we could make out clearly enough to determine who it was coming from. Enough to guess at perhaps, and even now imagine at...especially after what we'd discovered. Even after I had spurted a fairly healthy load inside my wife's cunt...feeling her climax as well, we were soon at it again a short time later. Enjoying a nice long blow job as I stood there looking out and over the rail, and then craning my neck just a little, trying to imagine what was actually going on down there as my wife sucked me off. I swear, it was one of the best blowjobs Cathy had ever given me as aroused as she was. And then I reciprocated in kind a short time after that. Even as Cathy cried out into the night, I didn't get too worried by any of that, wondering if anyone else was doing the same thing. Admittedly, one person in particular. Finally exhausted, Cathy and I had retired to bed, though I noticed as we did so, it was just after one in the morning. Falling asleep soon after, neither Cathy or I had any idea what time it was when mom and dad came home. As usual however, it was the smell of coffee fresh brewed that woke me. I rolled over glancing at the clock, it was just then around seven thirty. "Mom's up," I said stretching, now sitting as Cathy rolled over onto her side, not quite ready to get up yet. "Pretty bad when mom and dad stay up later, and get up earlier than us!" I told my wife, giving her still bare, pretty ass a playful slap. "Ouch!" She complained, even though I'd spanked that sweet ass of hers a lot harder than that on occasion. "Yeah right," I said finally standing, now scratching, surprised to feel a morning woody just then making an appearance. "You best do something about that before you go wandering off into the kitchen," Cathy teased, finally sitting up in bed now. It didn't help that her full perky tits were clearly revealed as she sat there. Even her nipples were hard, though the cool early morning breeze coming through the window might have had something to do with that. Or not... I slid into a pair of day shorts and headed into the kitchen area. As usual, mom was up reading the paper enjoying her first cup of coffee. "Dad?" "Where do you think?" She smiled. It was Sunday. And dad had a standing foursome for golf; with some friends he'd made. I poured myself a cup and sat down at the table. "Cathy up yet?" She asked. "Just. Or getting anyway," I smiled. Mom stood up. "Good, I need to ask her something," mom smiled at me again and then turned heading off towards our room before I could ask her what. I didn't think anything of it however and began perusing through the paper, only noticing when I had read most of it, along with finishing a second cup of coffee, that neither mom, or Cathy had come back yet. Curious, I stood and headed back towards the bedroom where I could hear mom and Cathy talking. I almost turned away, figuring they were having a "private" chat, which wouldn't have been the first time, until I heard what sounded like my mother whimpering. That did it for me. Though I still knocked lightly, hesitating before trying the door knob. "You might as well come in," I heard mom say. "Guess you should be a part of this too." I opened the door stepping in. Mom and Cathy sitting next to one another at the edge of the bed. My wife looked at me and said simply. "She knows that we know." I almost played dumb, but seeing the look in my mother's face told me that there was no way to bluff anything out of this. Somehow she had found out, though for the life of me, I couldn't see how. I should have known better. "How'd you find out?" I heard myself asking, not yet confirming the obvious. "Because there was a photo lying on the floor of my closet," she said. "I saw it sitting there after your father left this morning. I knew then, you had stumbled across our album." Go figure. And here I thought we had been so careful. There was no hiding it or denying it now however. I opened my mouth to say something...though what I had no idea when Cathy did. "She thought it might be easier to ask me first," she began. "She was really worried about what we might be thinking of them." I again opened my mouth to speak, but Cathy quickly squelched that idea. "So I told her about us," Cathy finished actually smiling at me. "I figured since we knew...that they should." "You mean, does dad...?" "Not yet...but figured it might be easier coming from me when he gets home," Cathy stated. "No sense embarrassing your dad if he's uncomfortable with us knowing any of this, any more than he has too." I nodded my head in agreement, once more looking towards mom. "You don't think I'm some kind of a whore or anything do you honey?" She asked worriedly. "Of course not!" I exclaimed. "No more than Cathy is, or even me for that matter. It's not like you get paid money to go to those parties now do you?" "Well no...but, you saw the pictures." I certainly couldn't deny that, once more nodding my head. "Mom, listen. Think about it. Cathy told you about us too right?" Now it was mom's turn to nod. "Well? We're not exactly in a position to be casting judgment on you then are we? To be honest mom, we didn't see anything in those photos that we haven't participated in ourselves." Seeing the look on mom's face at that moment told me I'd just painted her a pretty vivid picture. She seemed to be looking far off for a moment, so I could only imagine. "So you'd be okay if we..." "Continued?" Cathy finished for her. "Of course we would, mom!" She half laughed, pulling mom close to her for a welcoming, reassuring hug. "Obviously things have changed since the two of you moved here. And by the looks of it, for the better too. Dave and I can both see that you're both happier, even healthier, and doing better. So if having a little naughty decadent fun from time to time is causing that, we're certainly all for it? Aren't we honey?" I think I was grinning like a Cheshire cat, but I wasn't about to explain why. Up until that very moment, I hadn't noticed that the robe Cathy had on, had parted in front, so that now most of her left tit was exposed. It was in fact resting against mom's arm, though she either didn't seem to notice it, or care that it was. "Yeah...of course," I finally managed. Feeling my cock starting to stiffen a little was a good indication it was time for me to make a departure here. The last thing I wanted to do was try and explain why it was...to either one of them. “We love this community, and its emphasis” mom said. It's called Virilità Ricorrere, for a reason. Italian name means virile resort. Dad and I are ready to enjoy life. And enjoying our sexuality is the best part!” "Listen, I'll leave the two of you to finish talking about things in here. I'll go out and make a fresh pot of coffee," I offered. "Good idea," Cathy told me. "You do that. And close the door behind you on your way out. We still have one or two things we probably need to discuss, so it could be a while," Cathy stated. And with that, I left the room, closing the door behind. To be continued. Based on a post by Many Feathers, for Literotica.

The time is right for New Zealand to join the rest of the world with a privately-backed, franchise Twenty20 league. That's the message from Don Mackinnon, the man standing at the front of the group looking to achieve just that. Some 22 years on from cricket introducing the shortest format, T20 has become the vehicle in which the sport is growing around the world. And, as is the case with sports like football and basketball, strong club-based franchise competitions have proven to be the main driver of that. Led by the Indian Premier League, established in 2008, the franchise game has slowly but surely expanded to all corners of the cricket-playing world. First to India, then England, Australia, Pakistan, the West Indies, South Africa and so on. Even non-cricketing strongholds such as the US, Canada and even Nepal have franchise domestic leagues. The only exception to that is New Zealand. Since the inception of T20 cricket, New Zealand has maintained a domestic competition made up of the six major associations – Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago – known as the Super Smash. However, the lack of any franchise-style model has left the Super Smash outdated. Instead of operating as NZ Cricket's (NZC) main driver of revenue, the Super Smash instead operates as a breeding ground for local talent, allowing Kiwi players to develop and step into the Black Caps and White Ferns respectively. And while that might be beneficial for New Zealand's national sides, the Super Smash being left off Sky's new cricket broadcast deal from the start of next summer shows the model, as it stands, is broken. But, led by Mackinnon, a consortium that includes former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming and NZ Cricket Players' Association boss Heath Mills wants to take New Zealand into the franchise world. The proposed “NZ20″ would involve teams created by the major associations being sold to private owners, and establish a league to be played at the height of the Kiwi summer in January, as early as the start of 2027. It would also provide parity to what has been shown to work around the world. While the format is still to be finalised, the NZ20 would theoretically be a Kiwi-based league providing New Zealand's players the opportunity to play a franchise competition at home. As and when a format is decided, and agreed to by NZ Cricket, the major associations and the players' association, the NZ20 would revolutionise the sport in Aotearoa. Speaking to Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, Mackinnon – the chairman of the NZ20 Establishing Committee – explained that while similar attempts to implement a franchise league in New Zealand haven't materialised, the state of the sport in 2025 has changed that equation. “If we go back a decade, I was on the board of NZ Cricket,” he said. “We looked at setting up a franchise league back in 2013-14. “At the time we didn't think it was viable. But as one highly respected figure put to me, there's never been more money in the international game of cricket at the moment. “So many people around the world are excited by it and investing in it, but New Zealand is not part of that. “I just think the time is right to tweak that model and create something in our domestic league that fans are excited by. The money is there, the interest is there. The timing is perfect.” Naturally, with this kind of expansion, falsehoods have materialised. For a start, Mackinnon dismisses any notion the NZ20 is a “rebel league”, as suggested when first reported. Mackinnon concedes “it would be crazy to do this without the support of NZC”. Earlier this year, the NZ20 Establishing Committee presented the concept to NZC. In turn, two members of the NZC board are also part of the Establishing Committee, at a time when the governing body assesses multiple options as to how to revolutionise the shortest format here. Mackinnon also points out that what the NZ20 intends to do isn't new. Cricketing nations across the globe have implemented the same models, where privately-backed franchises co-exist with national boards to allow T20 to operate as the centrepiece of the domestic season. Those models have provided the blueprint for the NZ20 Establishing Committee to take on board. “What we're looking to do here is not novel,” Mackinnon said. “In actual fact, it's done all around the world. “The better question might be ‘why aren't we?' The South African league, for example, has gone from loss-making to extraordinarily successful. The Caribbean league has done exactly the same. “The Caribbean league is probably the model we've mostly looked at as replicating, in part. It's a relatively small economy, a relatively small talent pool. And yet it is reinvigorating the game in the Caribbean. “Will it be here in 30 years' time? I don't know. But the model is certainly doing great things for the game at the moment. There is absolutely no reason why we can't do it here.” What's more, there is also evidence of Mackinnon's suggestion of franchises having stakes controlled by the major associations, while selling ownership to investors. For example, England's “The Hundred” competition initially involved its franchises being co-owned by the English county cricket sides. However, when put to tender earlier in 2025, hundreds of millions of pounds were raised for the counties to use as they saw fit, including investing in the grassroots. The biggest potential worry for the NZ20 – if successful – is the window in which it would operate. If Mackinnon's suggestion of January eventuates, the NZ20 would clash with Australia's Big Bash League, South Africa's SA20 and the UAE's ILT20. The SA20 and ILT20 are both owned by Indian private equity, while the Big Bash League is almost certain to follow a similar path in seeking outside investment. Naturally, then, that would leave the NZ20 competing for talent, be it local or international. For Mackinnon, though, the priority is ensuring the competition is primarily an outlet for New Zealanders. “We're really conscious of that,” he said. “The first thing is we want to make sure our very best players are playing in it. “Heath [Mills] has been talking a lot to the Daryl Mitchells of this world, the Kane Williamsons – our best players. They are incredibly excited about this as a concept. “First and foremost, you're going to have a young kid playing for Otago, bowling to Finn Allen for example. That's got to be good for the game in New Zealand. “There's an awful lot of really good white ball cricketers playing around the world, not all of them can play in South Africa and Australia. “I have no doubt that there would be the opportunity to supplement squads. They would still be very good, exciting players that would put bums on seats.” However, the NZ20 isn't the only option on the table for NZC. The national body is also undertaking a review, led by Deloitte, to determine which direction it should move in. While a similar, privately-backed franchise model is also on the table – separate from the NZ20 – the biggest potential rival would be for the NZC to seek having at least one side join Australia's Big Bash. While that would mean New Zealand and Australia joining forces – as seen with the Warriors in the NRL, the Breakers in the NBL and Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League – it would also mean NZC has less influence on how the team could be run. Regardless, Mackinnon, said that while the NZ20 Establishing Committee believes it has the best way forward, it ultimately wants to see what's best for the sport – even if it means NZC moves in another direction. “I'll be the first to applaud NZ Cricket for looking at all of their options, they're doing the right thing,” he said. “If they say that's better for cricket in New Zealand, we will live with that and I will wish that project every success. “It seems to me a competition that's played throughout New Zealand, ideally at holiday venues at the peak of summer, with some of our best players playing, some great international players is better for fans, it's better for players, it's better for our regions, and personally I think it's better for our Black Cap and White Ferns development programmes. “But that's just our opinion. I fully accept that NZ Cricket are looking at all their options – as they should.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virilità Ricorrere Community: Part 1. Dave soon learns his parents new retirement resort in more than it seems. Based on a post by Many Feathers. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Well over a year ago now, my parents decided to move into one of those assisted living places, or retirement homes if you will. I was a little surprised by that when they did, but after seeing the brochures and such where they'd be living, I could certainly understand why. My folks, Mike and Betty Anderson, had done very well for themselves. Dad had owned his own business (which I was now running) and had tucked away a nice tidy amount of money to retire on. And they were still pretty young too. Dad was only 61, and mom was 58 when they decided they'd had enough of urban living and had found a place that they could retire to and live the "easy life", as dad had put it. Unfortunately, that meant moving to South Carolina, very close to Myrtle Beach, which was about a twelve-hour drive from where my wife Cathy, and I still lived. But again, I could see why they wanted to move there. They would basically have their own little bungalow, which was more of a luxury kind of place rather than the typical condominium or apartment. They didn't have to worry about grounds-keeping obviously, as that was all done and maintained by the retirement center. In addition, there was an adjacent golf course, which was something both mom and dad enjoyed doing. So I could easily envision the two of them golfing almost every day. Though there was also access to horseback riding, boating, as well as a number of events that were held there at the retirement center itself. They had gone there to take a look, and upon their return, had informed us that I'd be the new owner of the business going forward, and that as they say...is that. My wife Cathy and I, had gone there for a very short visit over a long weekend to help them get moved in. To be perfectly honest, after seeing the place, which I felt was more like a resort than a retirement center, I was a little jealous. I made up my mind to try and do things as well as dad had, and eventually retire early, in a place much like this one. We met a few other people while there, especially as they had an open banquet for everyone on the weekends. Mom and dad's neighbors, Jack and Shelly Tillman, were just about the same age as my parents were, give or take a few years, and had obviously already hit it off, as we shared dinner together. Jack was in tip-top shape, even better in some respects than I was, even though I ran every day. He had a full head of bright white hair, and a deep dark tan that didn't look like burnt toast for a change. Shelly was just as attractive looking, though she perhaps still died her hair blonde, though it certainly didn't look unnatural on her. Even more surprisingly, she'd been wearing a two piece tank eenie swim suit when we first met them early that afternoon. It certainly wasn't a bikini or anything like that, but it was certainly cut low enough if front that I had to tear my eyes away from her obvious cleavage, something that wasn't lost on Cathy either as she even gave me a soft elbow in the ribs at one point. But we came away from dinner, and finally our visit feeling like mom and dad were certainly going to be more than happy living here. Once again...I felt a bit jealous, and even Cathy mentioned that she too wouldn't mind retiring in a place similar to this one when it was our turn to live the "easy life". By now, it had been a year since we'd been there for any real visit, so leaving the business in capable hands, Cathy and I decided to take two weeks to go and visit mom and dad. Naturally, they were excited to see us, and certainly had plenty of room as they had a nicely furnished "guest room" just waiting for us. I was already looking forward to golfing myself, and Cathy was looking forward to doing some horseback riding, something she had always wanted to do. The first indication we got that there were some rather strange and strict rules here, was when on the second night of our stay with them, mom and dad informed us that they had a previous commitment they had made, and couldn't get out of. Something about a special Anniversary celebration for another couple, which was a "by invite only” sort of an affair. We had noticed early on that there was an enormous looking clubhouse that was closed off, and well fenced down near the beach. Once again, it was for "members only", no guests allowed. And it was obviously, where this particular party would be held. Cathy and I didn't think much of it however, after all, the only people we knew besides mom and dad, were Jack and Shelly, and even then...only in passing really. I had to laugh when mom told us "Dave and Cathy, Don't wait up for us,"  Then with a mischievous little wink, she and dad disappeared out the door together. I hadn't seen the two of them this loving or this intimate with one another in years. Whatever magic this resort held for them, it was certainly well worth whatever cost. Cathy and I had even noticed that they were both looking a lot better fit. Daily exercise for certain, along with the golfing and opportunity to swim every day, had gotten both of them in better shape and spirits by the look of things. They'd been gone maybe about an hour, way early in the evening yet. Cathy and I casually lounging around out on their private little deck drinking frozen daiquiris. Family Journal. "Dave? Did you see where mom put that photo album?" she asked me at one point. She and mom had been looking through it earlier. Mom had been showing her a few pictures of when I had been a little boy, many of which Cathy had never seen before. She wanted to look through it again, though I had no real idea where mom had kept such things, especially as I hadn't really seen her put it away. All I had seen was her return to her bedroom, coming out moments later without it. So it had to be in there somewhere, though I was hesitant to go looking for it. I always had respected my parent's privacy, even growing up as a kid. Something I knew for sure they had both appreciated. "It's in mom's room someplace," I responded. "But I don't feel really comfortable going in there and snooping around for it either!" I added to that. "I'm not asking you to snoop, I'm just asking you to look for me. If you see it without snooping for it, I'd like to browse through it again." I figured it wouldn't hurt to look. If I quickly spotted it, I saw no harm in retrieving it for her again. If I didn't...then she'd just have to wait until the following day when mom was home again. I poked my head into their bedroom intending to just have a quick look-see, figuring even then I probably wouldn't find it. As I scanned quickly about the room, the only place it obviously could, or would be, was on the upper shelf in their closet. Which at the moment happened to be standing open. Sure enough, there it was, sandwiched between a couple of others by the looks of it. Even then, I hesitated, not sure if I should still even go in there or not, when Cathy called out behind me. "Do you see it?" "Yeah, I see it," I answered back, only then deciding it was no big deal to walk in and retrieve it briefly so that Cathy could look through all the pictures again. After all, mom and dad would be gone all evening long, and I was fairly certain I'd have the book put back, and Cathy and I in bed sound asleep long before mom and dad ever came home. They'd already proven themselves to be quite the night owls, much to my surprise. "Sweet!" Cathy responded, no doubt waiting for me as I stepped further into the room heading towards the closet. I reached up, intending to lift the photo album sitting on top of that one in order to retrieve it, which I then attempted to do. But as I did, it seemed to catch or drag along the one just beneath it, which now fell off the closet shelf, down onto the floor. Several loose photos spilling out, which I thought immediately odd, as mom had always been quite particular about organizing her photo albums. As I reached down to collect them as well as the partially opened album, which was now lying face down, I froze! My eyes held there in disbelief! It took several moments for me to even begin to comprehend what I was looking at. Most of them of course were of mom and dad, nude...along with several others, most of which I'd never seen before. In a few, as I continued to quickly thumb through them, showed photos of Jack and Shelly in them as well. Likewise, in the nude, and in many of them...showing the two of them obviously, and busily engaged in several sexual situations with mom and dad. One page said “Mike & Betty – Jack and Shelly, February 2022” I think I actually sat down on the floor in a state of shock as I now began to flip through several more, starting at the front of the book. To my surprise, the album was completely filled, so there were literally hundreds of photos in addition to the dozen or so loose ones that had fallen out. Obviously, mom had run out of room, and hadn't gotten any more inserts yet.     Now, in all honesty, it's probably important that I say something here. Although I was indeed shocked by what I'd discovered here. After all, it was mom and dad, it's not like this sort of thing would have freaked me or Cathy out, for other reasons. You see, Cathy and I, though we certainly didn't consider ourselves swingers by any means; had from time to time, "partied" with some mutual friends of ours. Not all the time mind you, just on occasion, and always with one or two other couples we knew, and never outside of that. Cathy and I saw it as a way to periodically spice up our own sex-life, and with those particular close friends, there was never a fear of jealousy, or any kinds of sexually transmitted diseases getting in the way. So like I said...it's not like seeing something like this was the thing that was shocking. It was seeing who it was. I am sure that my continued absence, and silence, had eventually provoked Cathy's curiosity as moments later I heard her standing there in the doorway. "What are you looking at?" She asked. "You're not going to believe it," I told her. Setting the book down, simultaneously handing her the dozen or so loose photos I had gathered up. She looked at me quizzically, though taking them, and then glancing down at the very first one I had purposely placed there for her to begin with. I figured it might be an easier way for her to realize and accept what I'd just discovered. The first photo showed two women lying on a bed together (And if she took a moment to recognize it, she'd see that the bedcover in the photo was the exact same one on mom and dad's bed). The women's faces were mostly obscured however, primarily because they were clearly enjoying a mutual '69' together. It took me only a moment to realize which one was mom, and which one was Shelly though after looking even more carefully at it. Which is exactly what Cathy had done. I almost laughed as Cathy looked away at the photo, now looking down at me. "Is this your...." "Mother? Yes!" I nervously laughed shaking my head. "And obviously...the other woman is Shelly." Cathy once again glanced at the photo, now recognizing her as well, though she quickly slipped the first photo to the back, now staring at the next one, which I had also just managed to purposely place. "Yeah, and that one's of mom too...but I can assure you, that's not my father's cock she's sucking!" That much was evident, in quick comparison now of some of the others. I'd never seen my father's cock hard before. Not exactly something you'd ever expect to see. But we sure as hell were now! And admittedly, it was rather impressive looking, even judging it against myself perhaps, let alone Jack's cock, which though thick, was considerably chubbier in size. There was one photo showing mom down on her knees, she'd managed to gobble up his entire cock, though again that was no real feat all things considered. But it was in seeing Shelly, likewise kneeling next to mom, doing the same thing to dad's cock, though not quite throating it entirely that gave interesting comparison. "Jesus! I can't believe this!" Cathy finally quipped, now sitting down on the edge of the bed next to me, though I continued to sit on the floor with an entire album full of photos, most of which I hadn't even looked at yet. Finally she giggled, though continuing to thumb through the rest of the loose photos. Just like me, the initial shock of seeing my parents like this had sunk in. Now it was out of pure curiosity, and decadent interest perhaps that we both continued to look through the remainder of the photo album. Chronologically, you could see that there had been several "parties" or "events" which mom and dad had participated in since their moving here. Interestingly enough, the first several photos only ever showed mom and dad together, though obviously participating with one another in front of several other couples. Gradually, more and more appeared, initially with just Jack and Shelly appearing, though in time...that too gave way to more and more couples, many of whom Cathy and I hadn't met yet. The last few pages of photos had proven to be the most decadent perhaps, even beyond much of what Cathy and I had experienced. In one...mom was lying on the floor, and by the looks of it, she already had a fair amount of cum-cream that had been shot over and upon her body. In particular, her tits and pussy. Cathy and I counted at least six still stroking erections, that appeared to soon be adding to that. And who knows how many already had before then? "Mom? A cum-dumpster? Who knew?" I asked myself, though by the look in her eyes, she certainly seemed to be enjoying it. Especially as she was simultaneously having her pussy licked by a woman, who again I hadn't recognized as seeing before. There were others as well of course. One of dad lying back getting his cock licked and sucked by two women, as Shelly sat on his face, mom kneeling off to one side, holding one of Shelly's tits and smiling at the camera. By the looks of it, it had obviously been one hell of a party! Though it was still way early yet, Cathy and I both seemed to get a sense of anxiousness at being caught like this. We quickly replaced the album back where I'd originally found it, took a quick look around (even straightening the bed cover before leaving) and then retreated back outside to the patio where Cathy fixed us both another stiff drink. "So...did you ever suspect anything growing up?" She asked. "Not ever," I responded easily. "Hell Cath...I never even caught them doing it, not even once, that's how careful they must have been back then. And I think I only stumbled in on mom once when she was changing, and even then I didn't really see anything, except for her wearing panties and bra, or something like that. So no. No way in hell would I ever have suspected anything like this!" "You think they had any idea before moving down here?" "I really doubt it. I just can't imagine that being the case. Afterwards maybe. But even then, they must have slowly, and carefully been introduced to it." "Yeah, I think so. Even the first few photos seem to confirm that. The look on your mom and dad's face seemed a little more cautious, even apprehensive perhaps, though they must have obviously been getting off doing that in front of other people, and visa-versa. But looking and comparing those to some of the others, you can definitely see a change taking place." "You mean like mom getting her pussy licked by another woman for example?" I quipped, something of which I still hadn't gotten my head around yet. Even with some of the other photos we had looked at, I still couldn't imagine mom being that open-minded. Open-minded enough to get eaten, and then eating another woman's cunt. Though I sure enjoyed seeing it whenever Cathy did that. Cathy laughed. "Yeah that. Hell, I know I like it, so why shouldn't your mother?" "It's not that," I responded back. "It's that it's..." "Mom," Cathy finished for me. To which I could only grin like an idiot, shaking my head at her. "You know what's really bad?" Cathy now asked. "No...what?" "Seeing those? Has suddenly made me really horny!" "Jesus Cathy!" I responded to that, as though her admission was too far off the decadent scale for me to admit to myself. "Oh and you aren't?" She challenged seriously. "Not even a little?" "Ok, maybe a little," I acknowledged, though not willing to admit that it was seeing my own mother and father doing stuff that had actually aroused me. Admitting to seeing some of the other people (even if they were engaged with my folks) was a little easier to accept in a way. "For an older woman, Shelly really does have a nice set of tits," I confessed. To which Cathy again snickered at. "Good god, Dave; maybe you won't say it, but I sure as hell will, your mom has great looking tits, and if I wasn't married to you...I'd be tempted to want to suck and play with them myself! As sexy as Shelly is yes...I think you're mom's a hell of a lot sexier than she is! And so's your dad too if we're being honest about it!" "Cathy!" I admonished her without saying anything more. Bad enough she was thinking it...as was I maybe. And worse...now knowing what they enjoyed doing, and worse still, having seen them doing it. I mean after all, this was my own parents! Cathy wasn't about to let me dwell on the obvious however, having moments ago gone back inside to pour us a couple of fresh drinks. When she returned however, she was naked, standing there before me as she handed me my drink. "Shit woman!" I stammered, though taking it from her. "What the hell are you doing anyway?" I asked now glancing about, worried if someone might easily see her standing out here on the deck like that, though obviously she didn't care at the moment if anyone did. "Like I said Dave, I'm horny now. So you can either join me, or you can sit there and watch me play with myself. Either way, I'm getting myself off." True to her word, she soon slipped one of her hands down between her legs, leaning against the wooden railing. Truth to be told...I was horny as well, even if I was having trouble admitting to the reason why. But now at least, seeing my gorgeous, hot...horny wife as she stood there against the railing gave me reason enough to admit to my own arousal as I stood up and quickly shed the rest of my clothing. Needless to say, my cock was about as hard and as firm as it had ever been. "No way that got that hard so soon because of me," she teased. "You're thinking about fucking your naughty mommy aren't you?" "Cathy!" I warned seriously. Seeing mom...and dad, was one thing. Thinking about anything else, was something else...entirely.     "I'm just teasing you," she half pouted, "I didn't mean it," she added, taking it back. "But I bet you wouldn't mind slipping this hard cock of yours," as she grabbed it. "Inside Shelly's pussy, now would you?" At least that one I could admit to, which I did. And to which Cathy then lifted one leg, balancing herself on the railing, allowing me perfect height and access to her pussy, which I easily slipped into. "Imagine that I'm Shelly," she told me. "And then fuck me like I was her," she panted hotly. So I did. Deck Sex. It was hot, fucking my wife out in the open like that, there on the deck with all the world to see if they wanted to. Though in hindsight, I was willing to bet that anyone who could have, was most likely otherwise engaged down at the private club. We could hear the faint sound of music from time to time coming from that direction, though it was a good distance away. And once or twice we even thought we'd heard the sound of laughter coming up from somewhere near the water, though nothing we could make out clearly enough to determine who it was coming from. Enough to guess at perhaps, and even now imagine at...especially after what we'd discovered. Even after I had spurted a fairly healthy load inside my wife's cunt...feeling her climax as well, we were soon at it again a short time later. Enjoying a nice long blow job as I stood there looking out and over the rail, and then craning my neck just a little, trying to imagine what was actually going on down there as my wife sucked me off. I swear, it was one of the best blowjobs Cathy had ever given me as aroused as she was. And then I reciprocated in kind a short time after that. Even as Cathy cried out into the night, I didn't get too worried by any of that, wondering if anyone else was doing the same thing. Admittedly, one person in particular. Finally exhausted, Cathy and I had retired to bed, though I noticed as we did so, it was just after one in the morning. Falling asleep soon after, neither Cathy or I had any idea what time it was when mom and dad came home. As usual however, it was the smell of coffee fresh brewed that woke me. I rolled over glancing at the clock, it was just then around seven thirty. "Mom's up," I said stretching, now sitting as Cathy rolled over onto her side, not quite ready to get up yet. "Pretty bad when mom and dad stay up later, and get up earlier than us!" I told my wife, giving her still bare, pretty ass a playful slap. "Ouch!" She complained, even though I'd spanked that sweet ass of hers a lot harder than that on occasion. "Yeah right," I said finally standing, now scratching, surprised to feel a morning woody just then making an appearance. "You best do something about that before you go wandering off into the kitchen," Cathy teased, finally sitting up in bed now. It didn't help that her full perky tits were clearly revealed as she sat there. Even her nipples were hard, though the cool early morning breeze coming through the window might have had something to do with that. Or not... I slid into a pair of day shorts and headed into the kitchen area. As usual, mom was up reading the paper enjoying her first cup of coffee. "Dad?" "Where do you think?" She smiled. It was Sunday. And dad had a standing foursome for golf; with some friends he'd made. I poured myself a cup and sat down at the table. "Cathy up yet?" She asked. "Just. Or getting anyway," I smiled. Mom stood up. "Good, I need to ask her something," mom smiled at me again and then turned heading off towards our room before I could ask her what. I didn't think anything of it however and began perusing through the paper, only noticing when I had read most of it, along with finishing a second cup of coffee, that neither mom, or Cathy had come back yet. Curious, I stood and headed back towards the bedroom where I could hear mom and Cathy talking. I almost turned away, figuring they were having a "private" chat, which wouldn't have been the first time, until I heard what sounded like my mother whimpering. That did it for me. Though I still knocked lightly, hesitating before trying the door knob. "You might as well come in," I heard mom say. "Guess you should be a part of this too." I opened the door stepping in. Mom and Cathy sitting next to one another at the edge of the bed. My wife looked at me and said simply. "She knows that we know." I almost played dumb, but seeing the look in my mother's face told me that there was no way to bluff anything out of this. Somehow she had found out, though for the life of me, I couldn't see how. I should have known better. "How'd you find out?" I heard myself asking, not yet confirming the obvious. "Because there was a photo lying on the floor of my closet," she said. "I saw it sitting there after your father left this morning. I knew then, you had stumbled across our album." Go figure. And here I thought we had been so careful. There was no hiding it or denying it now however. I opened my mouth to say something...though what I had no idea when Cathy did. "She thought it might be easier to ask me first," she began. "She was really worried about what we might be thinking of them." I again opened my mouth to speak, but Cathy quickly squelched that idea. "So I told her about us," Cathy finished actually smiling at me. "I figured since we knew...that they should." "You mean, does dad...?" "Not yet...but figured it might be easier coming from me when he gets home," Cathy stated. "No sense embarrassing your dad if he's uncomfortable with us knowing any of this, any more than he has too." I nodded my head in agreement, once more looking towards mom. "You don't think I'm some kind of a whore or anything do you honey?" She asked worriedly. "Of course not!" I exclaimed. "No more than Cathy is, or even me for that matter. It's not like you get paid money to go to those parties now do you?" "Well no...but, you saw the pictures." I certainly couldn't deny that, once more nodding my head. "Mom, listen. Think about it. Cathy told you about us too right?" Now it was mom's turn to nod. "Well? We're not exactly in a position to be casting judgment on you then are we? To be honest mom, we didn't see anything in those photos that we haven't participated in ourselves." Seeing the look on mom's face at that moment told me I'd just painted her a pretty vivid picture. She seemed to be looking far off for a moment, so I could only imagine. "So you'd be okay if we..." "Continued?" Cathy finished for her. "Of course we would, mom!" She half laughed, pulling mom close to her for a welcoming, reassuring hug. "Obviously things have changed since the two of you moved here. And by the looks of it, for the better too. Dave and I can both see that you're both happier, even healthier, and doing better. So if having a little naughty decadent fun from time to time is causing that, we're certainly all for it? Aren't we honey?" I think I was grinning like a Cheshire cat, but I wasn't about to explain why. Up until that very moment, I hadn't noticed that the robe Cathy had on, had parted in front, so that now most of her left tit was exposed. It was in fact resting against mom's arm, though she either didn't seem to notice it, or care that it was. "Yeah...of course," I finally managed. Feeling my cock starting to stiffen a little was a good indication it was time for me to make a departure here. The last thing I wanted to do was try and explain why it was...to either one of them. “We love this community, and its emphasis” mom said. It's called Virilità Ricorrere, for a reason. Italian name means virile resort. Dad and I are ready to enjoy life. And enjoying our sexuality is the best part!” "Listen, I'll leave the two of you to finish talking about things in here. I'll go out and make a fresh pot of coffee," I offered. "Good idea," Cathy told me. "You do that. And close the door behind you on your way out. We still have one or two things we probably need to discuss, so it could be a while," Cathy stated. And with that, I left the room, closing the door behind. To be continued. Based on a post by Many Feathers, for Literotica.

Plastic is everywhere. In our homes, on our streets, in our oceans. But recent research suggests it's also inside us: in our blood, our organs, even our brain. So how concerned should we be? Today, Jonathan and Dr. Federica Amati are joined by longevity doctor and clinician Dr. Sabine Donnai to explore one critical question: what does plastic exposure mean for our long-term health?  Dr. Donnai breaks down how microplastics travel from packaging, food, and air into our bloodstream, and why their size means they may cross biological barriers once thought impenetrable, including the blood-brain barrier. The conversation also looks at the broader health implications of plastic-associated chemicals like BPA, their potential links to hormone disruption, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk, and why avoiding them may be especially important for those living in urban areas. For listeners keen to take practical steps, this episode offers simple and empowering guidance. Dr. Donnai shares specific tools that can reduce your exposure without creating unnecessary fear or overwhelm. You'll also hear how diet plays a key role in supporting your body's natural detox processes and why a colourful, fibre-rich diet may help us all manage the modern plastic burden. If plastics are entering your brain and bloodstream, what does it mean for your future health? And how much control do we really have in a world built on plastic? Unwrap the truth about your food

Ultra-processed food isn't just junk. It's engineered to hijack kids' brains, emotions, and habits. But what happens when kids themselves decide to fight back? In this powerful episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, host Dana Kay sits down with four inspiring brothers,  Abdullah, Zain, Emaad, and Qasim Ansari, known as The Holistic Kids. They are leading a wellness revolution for their generation. These young changemakers, ages 10 to 17, have ditched junk food, launched their own health podcast, and co-authored The Teen Health Revolution, a guidebook helping kids reclaim their health, energy, and focus naturally. From gut health and brain function to emotional balance and community leadership, this conversation reveals how small changes in food and mindset can spark massive transformation. Whether you're a parent looking for hope or a teen ready to make a difference, this episode will remind you that true change starts young and it's absolutely possible. LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW ▶ The Holistic Kids Show Podcast▶The Teen Health Revolution Book▶The Holistic Kids Show Website▶ADHD Thrive Institute Connect with The Holistic Kids: ▶ Website: theholistickidsshow.com ▶ Instagram: @holistickidsshow ▶ Facebook: facebook.com/theholistickidsshow ▶ Book: theteenhealthrevolution.com ▶ Apple Podcasts: The Holistic Kids Show ▶ Spotify: The Holistic Kids Show Key Takeaways: [00:00] Ultra-processed food and how it hijacks children's brains [02:11] Meet The Holistic Kids — the brothers leading a food revolution [04:18] The science behind junk food addiction and marketing to kids [06:27] Navigating peer pressure and eating healthy at school [09:17] Why eating color and real food matters for brain and body [12:18] "You are what you eat" — microbiome explained in simple terms [14:13] The gut-brain connection and ADHD [17:16] The smoothie trick: how their mom made healthy food fun [19:54] Inside The Teen Health Revolution book [22:25] Inspiring kids everywhere to take charge of their health Memorable Moments: "Ultra-processed food is like a science experiment — not real food." "Eating real food is weird now, and that's sad." "Food is medicine, food is power." "If you eat junk, you're going to turn out as junk." "What you put in your gut affects your brain — even ADHD." "It starts with breakfast — that's where change begins." "We just want teens to take back control of their bodies and lives." Dana Kay Resources:

Ever been told surgery is your only option for a hernia—and felt deep down there must be another way?In this episode, Dylan sits down with George Hirst, founder of Comfort Truss, who healed his inguinal hernia naturally after being told it was impossible. George shares the physical, emotional, and practical steps that took him from a painful two-golf-ball bulge to living symptom-free—no mesh, no surgery.Together they unpack what a hernia really is, why it develops, and the five core factors that often drive it—poor digestion, weak deep-core muscles, pelvic misalignment, emotional tension, and lack of mobility. You'll learn how to strengthen the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor safely, the role of proper digestion in reducing pressure, and why awareness and breath are key to true recovery.Whether you're facing surgery, living with a hernia, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers grounded hope and actionable tools to help you rebuild strength from the inside out.IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

Our episode this week involves one of Nashville's most sought-after songwriters, Ray Fulcher. We've gotten to know Ray well over the last few years, and it's no secret that outside of work and hunting, he can't kick the golf bug.Cool story alert - we get into the beginning when he decided to move to Nashville. It was within that first week or so that he met another guy, and they both started hanging out and writing together. Ray tells the story and reveals that the guy he met early on was Luke Combs. The journey for him started there, and he started creating his craft by writing songs that ended up being cut by some major artists. We hear about what it's like working in the music business and how the song process starts to take shape. If you're an avid listener of the show, this isn't your first time hearing from a songwriter. We turn the talk over to some small banter and life talk. Naturally, we gravitate into golf and ‘pay day' Ray lets us in on his love for golf. This episode was recorded at Old Hickory in Nashville, TN. Sitting around a table, having a few beers, this episode will keep your attention. We turn the episode over to our tap-in segment, where Ray is asked four questions that demand his quick response. Tune in, share, and enjoy. It's not too often you get to hear from a guy like Ray. Key Links:Visit redvanly.com for great golf apparel now repped by Chasin' Birdies. Stay tuned for more info on winning custom headcovers from WinstonCollection.comOur Tap-in segment is sponsored by Bettinardi GolfPartners with Nemacolin Resort. -----Follow Chasin' Birdies on Instagram @chasin_birdies.Chasin' Birdies is hosted by Ryan Bashour and Jonathan Pepe. Produced by Simpler Media.

Grab your genealogy charts and your emotional-support bonnets, because this week we're diving into “Family Tree,” the episode where poor little Albert discovers that figuring out where you come from can be… complicated.When Miss Wilder assigns a genealogy project, Albert realizes his family tree looks a lot like the one from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Naturally, the children of Walnut Grove handle this delicate situation with the grace of a herd of stampeding cattle. Nothing says “friendship” quite like being called a “bastard” on a fishing trip, Laura being completely oblivious to Albert's emotional turmoil, and Nellie Oleson taunting him just for some good old-fashioned psychopath fun. (She's giving Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused. In other words: LOSER.)Albert begs Pa to officially adopt him in an absolutely devastating, tear-jerking scene. (Where are the Emmys for Michael Landon and Matthew Labyorteaux?! Truly.) Pa, suddenly realizing that—oops—he probably should have adopted Albert already, decides to make it official. Big mistake! Albert's biological father is, gasp, ALIVE… and wants Albert back. Not out of love, not out of guilt—no, no. To work on his farm. What a heartwarming reunion!But Albert, being the clever, street-savvy kid he is, hatches a plan: he pretends to be blind, which quickly convinces his bio-dad that this whole fatherhood thing is not for him. Reversing course, he leaves Albert in Walnut Grove where he belongs—back with the Ingalls, where he is (finally!) and officially adopted. (Honestly, having a blind sister really does come in handy here.)“Family Tree” stands out as one of the most emotional episodes of Season 6, highlighting Albert's vulnerability, Charles' unwavering compassion, and the show's ongoing theme that families are made, not just born. But don't worry—your hosts keep the snark, nostalgia, and inappropriate giggling flowing throughout.Then, join us on Patreon, where Alison shares stories about her father, Thor Arngrim, and the surprising similarities between his childhood and this episode. (Oh no… bad orphanage alert!)Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast-LIVE!November 22nd at 1pmat GREEN ROOM 42PROMO CODE for 25% off PREMIUM BOOTH TICKETS: POD25OR LIVE STREAM us! - watch any time up to 30 days after the event!Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast-LIVE!Grab your bonnets and buckle up, New York—because the prairie is coming to the city!  Expect behind-the-scenes stories from the beloved TV show, lots of laughs, audience questions, and a surprise or two.  It's the kind of prairie mischief you get every week on the podcast—but you can be a part of it! So put on your lemon verbena, put down the morphine and hitch your wagon - Walnut Grove is moving to NYC for one night only! Can't be in NYC? LIVESTREAM TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE and the link will last up to 30 days after the event!https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com/Links and Resources:Haven't signed up for Patreon yet? Get more behind the scenes info and fun conversation we can't do on the podcast...PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/LittleHousePodcastwww.LittleHouse50Podcast.com to connect with our hosts and link to their websites.www.LivinOnaPrairieTV.com  Check out the award-winning series created by Pamela Bob, with special guest stars Alison Arngrim and Charlotte Stewart.Prairie Legacy Productions - the place to go for info about all new Little House events!To learn more about Little House on the Prairie, Visit www.littlehouseontheprairie.comLittle House 50th Anniversary Bus Tours - www.SimiValleyChamber.org  select Little House 50th Anniversary and then Bus TicketsFacebook/Instagram/TikTok:Dean Butler @officialdeanbutlerAlison Arngrim @alisonarngrimPamela Bob @thepamelabob, @prairietvSocial Media Team: Joy Correa and Christine Nunez https://www.paclanticcreative.com/Producer: Tony Sweetwww.ubngo.comLHOP EventsLive Podcast! Nov 22 from The Green Room 42 in NYCLittle House on the Prairie Cast Reunion -- Dec 12-14, Simi Valley, CAhttps://www.littlehouseontheprairiecastreunions.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/little-house-on-the-prairie-50th-anniversary-podcast--6055242/support.

Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Invite yourself to slow down,  And come inside.  PAUSE… Breathe… And see if you can settle into the rhythm of your breathing.  PAUSE… Riding the waves of air as it flows in, And out of you.  Naturally,  And slowly.   In,  And out.  Slowing you down, And calming you. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,

Addressing the real fears and challenges of identity transformation. This Q&A episode tackles common concerns about changing your food-related identity, from feeling "fake" when trying new behaviors to handling setbacks and unsupportive people during your transformation journey.Important Points Covered1. Identity Isn't Permanent - It's LearnedThe belief "I'm someone who struggles with food" isn't who you ARE, it's who you've LEARNED to be. You weren't born struggling with food - you learned these patterns and can unlearn them. Try shifting from "I struggle with food" to "I'm learning to have a healthy relationship with food."2. Feeling "Fake" Is Normal and NecessaryActing like your new identity feels uncomfortable at first because you're trying on new behaviors. This isn't evidence you can't change - it's evidence you're growing. Authenticity comes AFTER behavior change, not before. Keep acting like your new identity even when it feels weird.3. Setbacks Don't Erase ProgressOne binge doesn't cancel three days of evidence collection. Old patterns will surge back as your brain tries to maintain familiar territory. Handle setbacks like someone who naturally takes care of their body: see them as information, not failure. Don't let one setback erase multiple days of growth.4. Realistic Timeline for Identity ShiftsSmall shifts happen within 1-2 weeks, deeper integration takes 2-3 months, and full identity transformation typically requires 6-12 months. Unlike diets that get harder over time, identity work gets easier as you collect more evidence and strengthen new neural pathways.5. Handling Unsupportive PeopleFamily and friends may resist your changes because your growth threatens their comfort zone. Set gentle boundaries and don't let their discomfort stop your transformation. Your job isn't to make everyone comfortable with your growth - it's to become who you're meant to be.Continue collecting evidence for your new identity one small choice at a time. Don't aim for perfection - aim for consistency. Trust that you can become someone who naturally takes care of their body, even when it feels unfamiliar. Keep sending questions about identity work as this is where real transformation happens.Key Takeaway"Identity change isn't about perfection - it's about consistency. You're not just changing what you do, you're changing who you are. And that changes everything. Feeling uncomfortable during the process is evidence you're growing, not evidence you can't change."

What if one simple morning drink could activate your body's natural repair system and melt stubborn fat? In this episode, Ben Azadi reveals a powerful 7-day protocol that combines fasting with a nutrient-dense drink designed to trigger autophagy and stem cell regeneration. Backed by emerging research from Columbia and USC, this method helps restore youthful metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, and reignite cellular fat-burning — especially after age 40. Ben breaks down the exact science behind the formula, the key polyphenols that drive mitochondrial renewal, and how to make the drink at home. He also shares what to avoid afterward so you don't block its regenerative effects, plus a day-by-day timeline of results you can expect. You'll also get free access to Ben's Keto Egg Fast Protocol, a simple 7-day plan that supercharges results and helps you drop fat fast. Download it at https://bit.ly/4rn2Xf9

If you're craving more energy, better sleep, and a reset for your mind and body—this is your moment. Our Midlife Reset Program is now open, and the first 10 spots come with $100 off using RESET100: https://l.bttr.to/906PF  _______________________________________________________________________________________ In this episode of The Art of Living Well Podcast®, hosts Marnie Dachis Marmet and Stephanie May Potter explore the fascinating world of bone health and longevity with guest Kyle Zagrodzky, a pioneering entrepreneur in the wellness space. As the founder of OsteoStrong Franchising, LLC and Go Figure, Inc., Kyle shares his inspiring personal story and the innovative science behind OsteoStrong, a system designed to strengthen bone Kyle Zagrodzky - OsteoStrong Franchising, Inc | LinkedIns, muscles, and balance in just minutes a week without breaking a sweat. With millions suffering from osteoporosis, interested in biohacking, or simply want to live a longer, more active life, this episode offers compelling reasons to rethink how we approach strength, mobility, and aging. What You'll Learn in This Episode: The science behind OsteoStrong and how it builds bone density without high-impact exercise How chronic pain, joint issues, and even scoliosis can improve dramatically through this system Why balance, strength, and bone health are deeply interconnected The impact of metabolic dysfunction on aging and how OsteoStrong influences A1C levels How Kyle turned adversity and dyslexia into a drive to innovate in the wellness industry Episode Breakdown with Timestamps: [00:00] Intro. [01:48] Meet Kyle: His story of dyslexia, fear of failure, and finding his path in entrepreneurship. [08:50] What is OsteoStrong, and how it uses high force without high impact to stimulate bone growth. [16:07] The four benefits: Bone density, balance, strength, and pain relief. [22:33] Incredible transformations: From Olympic athletes to elderly clients. [33:50] The neuroscience of strength and why traditional workouts miss the mark. [37:36] Hormones, menopause, and bone health, what women need to know. [52:06] Why doctors aren't prescribing this and the future of longevity science.   _____________________________ Sponsors: "We love supporting our health from the inside out with BrickHouse Nutrition's Field of Greens and Creatone. Nourish your body and boost your energy — get 30% off during their Black Friday sale at Brickhousenutrition.com." _____________________________

Tonight's show jumps all over the sports universe in the best possible way. We kick things off with weekend recaps and immediately derail into government files in Wingdings, because of course we do. Then it's drinks up, and straight into Ja'Marr Chase appealing his suspension for spitting on Jalen Ramsey with the funniest excuse imaginable. Naturally, that sends us into ranking the top three most disrespectful things you can do to someone. Shedeur Sanders had a nightmare Sunday, the entire NFL feels painfully mid, and one ref in the Spain game tried announcing a penalty in Spanish without actually practicing Spanish. Tua wants to take the NFL to Jerusalem, so we run Sip/Chug/Drainpour on the next international NFL destination: Iran, Ukraine, or Jamaica. College football chaos kicks in with Lane Kiffin rumors, Coach O flirting with Arkansas, and Mookie trying (and failing) to cover up a Laney College reference with a Dynasty clip, right as Mike's edible hits. We break down the Wiseguy's Poll and even sketch out what a Wiseguy's playoff bracket would look like, including the ACC almost getting left out entirely. On the baseball side, the MLB Hall of Fame ballot looks horrific, so we look ahead to the 2026 newcomers too. Baseball United is literally delivering pitchers to the mound on camels. Then the show collapses into a Grimace lore segment because Grimace is apparently a taste bud now, and we dive into the difference between getting “grimaced” and “hamburgled.” ScottSki45 drops a tennis stat of the week, Jack Hughes injures himself in the most baseball way imaginable, and then Jake Paul somehow ends up fighting Anthony Joshua with weight rules that make zero sense. We close with MLS blowing up their whole calendar, removing the Season Pass paywall, switching to a single-table format, beer recaps, and a chaotic finish that pretty much sums up the entire night. __________________________________ Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction | How was your sports weekend? | They're going to release the files in wing dings 00:05:31 What's in your mug? 00:10:58 Ja'Marr Chase appealing his suspension for spitting on Jalen Ramsey with funniest reason possible 00:14:30 Top 3 most disrespectful things to do to someone 00:18:57 Shedeur Sanders had a terrible, horrible, awful, no-good, Sunday 00:26:28 The NFL is very mid 00:30:09 The ref in the NFL Spain game announced a penalty in Spanish, but clearly didn't practice enough 00:32:18 Tua wants an NFL game in Jerusalem?! 00:34:58 Sip, Chug, Drainpour - Next NFL International Game: Iran, Ukraine, Jamaica 00:37:15 Where does Lane Kiffin end up: LSU, Florida, or back at Ole Miss? 00:43:31 Could Coach O end up at Arkansas? 00:46:08 Mookie takes it too far bringing up Laney College 00:46:48 Mookie covers his tracks with a College Football Dynasty clip 00:47:24 Mike's edible kicks in 00:48:52 Wiseguys College Football Poll: Week 12 00:52:08 What would a Wiseguy's Bracket look like? 00:53:53 There was a chance the ACC could have gotten shut out of the playoffs 00:57:29 Greg confuses Tristan and Carson Beck 00:59:10 This might be the worst MLB Hall of Fame ballot of all time 01:03:19 Looking ahead to notable first timers on the ballot in 2026 01:05:41 The Baseball United League is bringing pitchers to the mound on camels 01:09:09 Grimace is a taste bud 01:13:15 The difference between getting grimaced and getting hamburgled 01:14:26 ScottSki45's stat of the week: tennis edition 01:17:25 Jack Hughes has the most baseball style hockey injury ever 01:20:18 Jake Paul signs on to fight Anthony Joshua, and apparently weight advantages should only go one way 01:27:07 MLS switching their calendar is a wild move 01:32:40 MLS doing away with the Season Pass on Apple TV 01:38:12 Greg explains the MLS moving to a single table 01:40:54 Beer recaps 01:43:20 This was a show 01:43:48 Outro __________________________________ #Sports #NFL #CFB #CollegeFootball #MLB #NHL #MLS #JaMarrChase #JalenRamsey #LaneKiffin #CoachO #ShedeurSanders #JakePaul #AnthonyJoshua #CraftBrewedSports

What is it that makes a trainer so magnetic that clients just keep coming back for more, and how can you develop those qualities?   In this episode, Bend Strength Lab Founder Sara Rufener shares how she developed her way of training clients that keeps them coming back for more… naturally.   We talk about why being a great trainer means more than just giving a great workout, how to mentally prepare for a week of training, the differences between how men and women approach workouts, and how you can create a client experience that feels great for the people you train.    If you want to stop struggling to keep your studio busy with happy clients who see real results, then tune in to this one to see how Sara's wins can help you do the same. ━━━━━━━━━━━━ Join the FREE HIB community here with a weekly Q&A with Lawrence ━━━━━━━━━━━━ Get NEW Precision-Engineered MedX Machines here ━━━━━━━━━━━━ Join HIT Experts in the HIB Community here  ━━━━━━━━━━━━ For the complete show notes, links, and resources, click here

Send us a textIn today's episode, Alisha Carlson breaks down one of the most underrated tools for women's health, fat loss, and hormonal balance: rest. If you've ever wondered why your workouts feel harder, your cravings feel stronger, or your energy tanks by midday this conversation is going to flip the script.You'll learn why sleep and stress management are non-negotiable for women, especially during perimenopause. Alisha dives into how poor sleep disrupts hormones, how chronic stress slows progress, and why recovery is the foundation of strength, fitness, and overall wellness. She also gives practical, doable strategies to help you sleep better, lower stress, and finally feel like your body is working with you again.This is the episode every high-achieving woman needs because rest isn't indulgence. It's leadership. It's self-care. It's your power source.What You'll LearnWhy sleep is essential for hormonal balance and metabolic healthHow chronic stress impacts fat loss, energy, and recoveryThe specific challenges women face during perimenopauseWhy movement is one of the best tools for processing stressHow your identity influences your ability to restActionable strategies to improve sleep and manage stressThe routines and rhythms that support sustainable wellnessHow prioritizing rest makes you stronger, more focused, and more effectiveKey TakeawaysSleep is one of the most powerful tools for recovery and hormonal balance.Stress can sabotage even the best nutrition and fitness plan.Women are often conditioned to hustle harder — even when it harms their health.Rest is not weakness; it's a requirement for long-term wellness.Movement helps your body metabolize stress and restore balance.A consistent sleep routine can radically improve energy and mood.Identity shifts support behavior change — you must see yourself as a woman who rests with purpose.Prioritizing recovery is essential for women navigating perimenopause.Join StrongHer Way Group Coaching → Coaching, accountability, and systems for high-achieving womenPerimenopause Mini-Course ($37) → Learn what's happening in your body and how to support your hormones

Frizz and Bob take a big-picture dive into Pop: Then and Now. Naturally, Bob pours some Old Grand-Dad Bonded, and Frizz downs a new glass of Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, as they unfold how we got from troubadours and Tin Pan Alley to MTV idols, Max Martin machines, and TikTok-engineered hooks for the FYP. They trace pop's constant reinvention through technology, Black innovation, and generational shifts, while taking a look at Sabrina Carpenter's new-stalgia, Taylor "Showgirl" Swift, and the way virality now shapes what's considered "success." It's a fast tour through pop's past, its present chaos, and a game so hard... you'd wish you wrote a whole song about it.

Head shaking in horses with Dr. Cayot Betty and Kathy Gray from Stirrups n Strides Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. join us live in the studio

Her Spontaineous Breastgasms: Part 2 Reliving a strange phenomenon. Based on a post by Many Feathers. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Lying there in bed, the feel of my wife's mouth and tongue as she teasingly pleasured me was erotic enough. Marsha could suck cock like nobody's business, and she was driving me nuts just as she knew she could. But what I also enjoyed was the fact she got aroused, turned on whenever I shared any experiences, any stories with her, just as she was now. And just as she so often did for me too. "So what happened after that night?" She then asked. I was having trouble concentrating, but then I drifted back in time...remembering. "It was that very next Monday, after school, and after I had taken a beating from my friends, though not in the literal sense. Stacy was on the prom committee, and they were meeting a short time later after school planning and preparing for our graduating dance. We'd previously agreed to meet at Johnson & Johnson's," I told her. I saw the confused look on my wife's face as I said that, knowing I'd have to explain, which I then did. "As in the baby oil?" she asked questioningly, as I knew she would. I laughed, shaking my head no. "No, we called it that because of two very popular teachers at the school a year back prior to all this. When the school was originally built, someone fucked up on the dimensions, when they built the wall between the auditorium and the gym, they didn't quite come together the way it had been planned for. What they ended up with was a little hall that led nowhere, a three and a half foot dead end. An alcove that later on they planted a tall fake tree in, though someone kept moving it. It became a running joke as to where the tree would end up, leaving that weird little alcove vacant. In the beginning, it was a place to go and steal a quick kiss with your girlfriend, it wasn't long before it became a status symbol for anyone who did." "Ok," Marsha said following along, "But where does the Johnson and Johnson come in?" she then asked. "Someone caught Mrs. Johnson, and Mr. Johnson kissing one another in that alcove. "So? What's wrong with two obviously married teachers having a little fun, simply kissing one another?" "Nothing...except they were both married to different Johnson's at the time," I told her. "Oh!" My wife laughed. "Now I see!" "Over time, the story went from someone catching them kissing, to someone catching them touching, to finally...someone catching them actually fucking. Eventually they were both called in. Denied any of that ever happened of course, but sadly...they were both let go the following year. Ever since then, that alcove that then had a permanently chained tree sitting inside it, was known as Johnson and Johnson corner," which is where Stacy and I had agreed to meet after school. Now...the other thing about that was, the school had quite stupidly created the perfect place, the perfect camouflage to hide what now really began to happen there. Bushy enough, and big enough to hide someone's presence, it was no obstacle to slip around the tree and hide in back of it without being seen. So ironically, the very rumor that had caused the expulsion of the two teachers, now became even more symbolic, and more of a challenge to become a rapidly growing member of a very secretive club. Stacy wanted us to meet there, become members before we graduated. So we decided to meet there quickly before her committee meeting. I sighed delightedly as Marsha began sucking my cock hungrily. "Go on..." she slurred. "So anyway...she was already waiting for me behind the tree when I got there. She had taken off her top, her cute little boobs totally bare, nipples rock hard and waiting for me when I came around and found her. I doubt seriously that anyone actually fucked behind that tree, though there were claims by a few who said they did. I know we were scared that we'd still be discovered, even with it being after school. So I'm sure that a majority of those who claimed they had, were simple exaggerations as well. But Stacy and I were determined at least to do something, and that came in the form of me getting her off, simply by playing with her tits, which I did. I sucked them, played with her nipples, pulling on them just the way she liked until she came. And as I would learn later, I knew she had, simply by the way her face screwed up whenever she did, whether it was simply by tit-play, or when I eventually went down on her, and even fucked her for the first time the night we actually graduated. But I'll save that story for another time," I said smiling. "Point being...after that, wherever, and whenever we could over the course of the next few weeks, I was constantly getting Stacy off, just by playing with her tits whenever we could get away with it." "Well don't stop now...or I will!" Marsha warned me. "What happened next?" "Well, we got braver and bolder as the days went. Though since Stacy hardly ever wore a bra by now, that made it a whole lot easier for us. The fact her nipples seemed to get even more sensitive, making it easier for her to actually climax, and far more quickly too, we'd started doing things almost right out in the open in fact. As we often did, I had walked her to her next to last class, my own just across the hall from hers, we always had a few minutes to chat before the bell rang, so once again, as usual, we were standing there leaning up against the lockers as some of the others in our classes walked by. We were standing in such a way that we were shielding what my hand was doing to her with our books. I was just fingering her nipple, through her blouse in fact, though enjoying the fact it was fucking rock hard, flicking it back and forth, grazing it with my fingernail when she came. For a moment, I thought she was going to pass out, her eyes almost rolling into the back of her head, reaching out to steady herself, grabbing onto my arm as she climaxed. Which is when Miss Peterson, her teacher walked by heading towards the class. She saw the look on Stacy's face, stopped to ask if she was alright as she looked ill, about to pass out. It was all we could do to keep from laughing, though Stacy did in fact feign being "dizzy" after that, which she was...but not for the reason Miss Peterson thought of course. She then asked if I'd take Stacy down to the nurses office and have her looked at. Which I did. I gave her another orgasm while sitting in the office waiting for the nurse to come out and see her. Like I said, we started doing some pretty risky things then, disappearing into one classroom or another between our own classes. Sometimes...if we had time, Stacy would jerk me off. She loved having me cum on her tits, which very often made her cum again, just thinking about my sticky wet spunk clinging to her boobs. After that happened the first couple of times, I started calling her "Breastgasm" since she seemed to be able to have an orgasm almost at the drop of a hat, or rather...at the merest, slightest touch of my hands on her tits. It was almost automatic with her after that." "So what happened that caused the two of you to breakup?" My wife asked. "Well that really is the weird and sad part to the story. As I told you, Stacy and I had already decided we were going to give one another our virginity on graduation night. We'd been talking about it, and planning it for the past couple of weeks. I'd actually booked a nice room at a nearby hotel, though I wasn't the only one who had done that either. Once again, it was something a lot of seniors did, getting rooms under the pretense of not driving home drunk, which everyone's parents knew we would be. And completely ignoring, or overlooking the obvious. Such was the way of things back then. Anyway, we made a mistake, got caught...though at the time, neither one of us knew it, not until the very next day, during the dance. And even then, Stacy didn't let on anything until much later on that evening, after we'd actually had sex for the very first time together. It was the first... and last time we ever did." "Go on," My wife said, completely forgetting all about my cock now, though she still held it in her hand. "What happened then?" "We were both horny...and careless, thinking about the following night. I'd gone to help Stacy with the last of the decorations in the gym prior to the dance. We had decided to have one of our "tit quickies" and ducked out, thinking we'd be alone and unnoticed as we slipped into the girl's locker room, back into the shower area. Obviously, no one was in there, and certainly not in the showers, so we thought we were perfectly safe. Unbeknownst to either one of us, John, Danny, Jake and Matthew had seen us duck out, and soon after, followed us inside. They all watched as I stood there sucking on Stacy's tits, watched as she climaxed, and then climaxed again...and again...and, again! They knew then, I'd been telling them the truth the first time when I first told them she could, and did actually climax that way. They left before we did, so at first, neither one of us knew they had seen us. We went back to the gym, and I soon after left as Stacy was going home with one of the other girls as soon as they finished up.      John was waiting for her out in the parking lot when they came out. He then told her what I had told all of them so very long ago. How she could cum simply by having her boobs played with. He didn't tell her they'd actually watched us doing that either. As far as she knew, I'd been bragging all along, telling all my friends everything we'd done and had been doing. He then clinched it by telling her I had in fact just told him a short while ago, how we'd gone into the shower room together, and how I'd gotten her off then too." "And yet the two of you still went to the dance, and even fucked afterwards that evening?" My wife asked incredulously. "Yeah, we did. Like I said, that was the weird part. Stacy never let on just how upset and mad at me that she was. But...oddly enough, she also didn't want things to end between us, until we actually had made love together, at least once anyway. So that's what happened. I went through the entire evening without a clue that anything was wrong. After the dance, we went back to the hotel, made love, which I thought was beautiful for us both, but then afterwards, she got up, said she needed to do something, and left. Which surprised me as she didn't explain what it was or why. So I waited, wondering...and then finally got up and went looking for her. As I said, there were several couples from our class that had booked rooms there. There were parties going on everywhere, so I thought that maybe Stacy had gotten sucked into one of them. I started looking for her, going from room to room. And then I found her a short time later." I paused remembering, it all seemed so surreal back then, even now. "Remember that guy I told you about sitting next to us at the drive-in?" "Yeah?" "Well, we ran into one another in the hallway, literally. He was running, came around the corner when we collided. Took him a minute to remember me, recognize who I was. When he did, he smiled sheepishly and said, "Hey man...sorry to hear about you and your girlfriend, but from what I hear, she really is hot, and really can get off just by having her boobs played with!" "Stunned, I watched as he ran down the hall, knocked on a door, and then let himself in. Which is when I heard Stacy's laugh. The way she laughed, especially when she was drunk, horny and excited, was unmistakable. I then ran down the hall myself, didn't bother knocking, just opened the door. She was standing there in her formal gown, except that her boobs were bare, hanging out. John was sucking on one of them as she stood there, some other guy, someone I didn't know, sucking on the other. She was in the midst of having an orgasm at that very moment when I walked in. Needless to say, I turned around and left. Drove home. Two weeks later I was in the Navy and headed for boot camp. Never saw Stacy again." "So how did you find out the truth about why she did what she did?" My wife asked. "Ironically, it was at the ten year reunion. Stacy wasn't even there, she didn't come. I heard through the grapevine she had in fact just gotten back from her honeymoon, and perhaps knowing I was going to be there, decided under the circumstances that it wouldn't be a good idea for her to show up. Obviously, the wounds were still deep enough that she would feel awkward running into me again, even though she had recently gotten married. It was towards the end of the evening when I heard laughter coming from a nearby table, I walked over just in time to hear someone sitting there telling this story how the four of them had walked in on Stacy and me in the shower area. He then proceeded to tell the others sitting there how Stacy was duped into believing I'd betrayed her. Needless to say, he shut up when he looked up and saw me standing only a few feet away, but by then I'd heard everything. I looked around, saw John standing over by the buffet table talking to another old girlfriend of his, and walked over. Up until now, I'd avoided him and the other guys most of the night. I tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around surprised to find me standing there, and actually offered me his hand. That's when I turned the lights out for him. I left soon afterwards. But at least now I knew why things had happened the way they had." "Well, I for one am glad that they did, or I might not be married to you now," Marsha told me as she slid up onto my chest, hovering just above me as she rested her wet moist pussy against my shaft. "Still a sad story though, wonder if she'll be at the reunion this year?" she asked. I didn't answer, nor think about it any further. I simply slid my hard cock deep inside my wife's lovely cunt, and enjoyed the pleasure I found there. ** On Friday we went to my high school thirty year reunion, which was actually being held at the old high school. The first thing Marsha asked me to show her when we walked in was Johnson & Johnson corner. I laughed when we arrived there, it had been walled up and bricked in. Something they perhaps should have done to begin with, though the wall itself was now covered with hundreds of carved initials. I looked about hurriedly, withdrew my pocketknife and added my own, as well as Stacy's to the display. Marsha laughed hugging me to her, and then followed me over to the sign in table so we could pick up our name badges. For those who had graduated and were in attendance, they had included a picture of how we'd looked back then; beside our names. After thirty years, a lot of people had changed and it was becoming harder and harder to recognize a few people the way they looked now as opposed to the way they looked back then. Some as I saw as Marsha and I wandered about hadn't changed all that much. Though there was the maturity of age that touched us all, the eyes never did change. We stood and spoke with friends I knew and still considered to be so, feeling more and more pleased about myself that I hadn't let myself go as opposed to a few others that were there. Periodically I glanced about, wondering if Stacy would in fact be there this year, not at all sad to find that John and the other three pricks weren't. "Maybe they heard you were coming," my wife joked when I told her I hadn't seen any of the others. I laughed at that. "I caught John by surprise," I reminded her. "He was bigger than I was even then, if anything...it should be me who should be worried," I quipped back, though after thirty years, I couldn't imagine that John would still be holding a grudge. Either way, I decided it might be best to keep my eyes out for him, just in case. We mingled for a bit, chatted it up with a few friends, and then found ourselves a table to sit at as dinner began. As we were sitting there, I glanced up about to take a bite of my prime rib when I saw her. "Oh my god! She's here!" I said speaking to my wife. Marsha didn't need to ask who, or where, she looked up in the direction I was looking. Stacy stood only a short distance away, looking towards us, it was evident she had just seen me too. "Invite her over," my wife told me. "Go on David...wave her over. I'd like to meet her for one. But maybe it's about time you finally put the past behind the two of you," she added. I kissed my wife, stood, and waved in Stacy's direction. Surprised, she smiled and then somewhat awkwardly made her way over. There was an extra seat at our table, Marsha again the one to invite her to sit down and join us as I introduced the two of them. "Been a long time, David," she said after meeting my wife. "You haven't changed all that much," she told me. "Neither have you," I replied back. Aside from putting on a few extra pounds, which we all had, and now wearing her long hair cut short, far shorter than I would have imagined her ever wearing it, she really hadn't. "Well thanks, but you're just being kind," she said taking her seat. "Your wife's beautiful," she then added once again smiling towards Marsha. "David's always had good taste in women," Marsha responded back winking at her. The awkwardness of the moment in seeing her again quickly passed. Before long we were enjoying our dinner together and catching up on old times. It was then that I noticed she wasn't wearing a wedding ring, though I didn't ask her about it until she brought it up herself, explaining that she had actually gotten divorced two years ago. What I didn't know until that moment, was the fact she had married Jake, one of the guys who had actually spied on the two of us in the shower room. "Sorry to hear that," I told her, though I was smiling secretly to myself that she'd eventually dumped the guy. By now, we were all feeling comfortable around one another, though the free-flowing booze had certainly helped. "I don't know how much David has told you about us," she wondered asking, as my wife answered her.     "David and I don't have, or keep any secrets from one another," Marsha told her. "In fact, we very often share things with one another in the heat of the moment...if you know what I mean," she surprised me in explaining to her. "So I'm very much aware of everything between the two of you, and don't mind saying...I'm jealous of you. Wish I had the ability to do that myself, do you still?" Marsha then asked, shocking me in asking it that she did, and seeing poor Stacy's face suddenly turn crimson at the question. Though thankfully, she laughed at that, out loud. "To be perfectly honest with you both...it has been a while. But yes, as David and you obviously both know, I can yes." I excused myself to step outside for a smoke, giving the two of them a chance to talk freely for one. It seemed like Stacy was glad for the companionship, and it gave me a chance to collect myself after seeing her again for the first time in years. It wasn't as though I had any feelings for her, beyond hoping we could at least bury the past. But I did hope that perhaps at some point we could sit down and have lunch together, and then let bygones be bygones. When I returned, the girls were missing, though Cheryl and Mike who'd been sitting with us at the table informed me the girls had headed off to the restroom and would be back shortly. They returned a few minutes later, laughing and holding hands like they'd been friends for years. "Stacy took me on a tour of the girl's locker room," she stated as they retook their seats. "I had to see the infamous place for myself," she then teased Stacy, who once again sat there blushing as she said that. But her comment and tour had opened up the door, which I prepared to step through myself, though Stacy beat me to it before I could. "I'm sorry about what happened," she told me. "I didn't learn the truth until several years later," she added. "I should have known better...but, I was young at the time..." "As we all were," I interjected. Stacy nodded her head and continued. "You know the really ironic thing was, even after I had learned the truth about what had really happened, I still forgave Jake for his role in it, determined to make my marriage work. The fact that I could actually climax, just by having my boobs played with," she now whispered quietly to us both, "suddenly became less exciting to him that it had been in the beginning. After a time, Jake actually came to resent the fact that I could, and up until then did. After a while, he refused to even touch them, figuring that I wasn't normal, or at least normal enough for him anyway. Unfortunately of course, that led to resentment on both sides, and I refused to climax any other way until he relented, and showed me some attention in that area, which he refused to do. That however eventually led to our divorce two years ago. And as they say, the rest is history." It was an odd sensation for me, hearing Stacy talk so candidly with the two of us, reminding me in the process what it had been like all those many years ago, simply playing with her boobs, whenever, and wherever we could, watching and hearing her get off that way. Not too surprisingly, I was soon sitting there with a massive erection still thinking about it. Something that didn't go unnoticed either as my wife had soon after dropped her hand down into my lap beneath the table, and began stroking it through my pants. For once, I was glad I hadn't wore beige slacks, which I'd almost put on. ** It was now getting late, nearing the end of the evening. I'd already convinced Stacy into having lunch with me sometime in the very near future, though Marsha had actually one upped me, inviting her over for dinner one evening in addition to that. We soon after made our farewells, saying goodnight to a few others and then left, though not before I had given Stacy an affectionate kiss on the cheek before doing so. "Well, all in all, I'd say the evening went rather well," Marsha spoke shortly after we'd arrived home and were preparing for bed, though by the evil wicked grin on my wife's face, I could see it would be a long time yet before we actually planned on sleeping. As aroused as I was, I didn't mind that. We could after all sleep in the following day, so one of our marathon sex sessions seemed to be exactly what the doctor had ordered. "I'm going to fix myself a drink, would you like one?" she asked. I was already lying in bed, cock in hand at full mast waiting on her. "Sure, why not?" I grinned, waving my cock back and forth towards her temptingly. She grinned, winked. "Hold that...thought," she smiled and then hurriedly disappeared downstairs to fix our drinks before rejoining me. I waited patiently, and then heard her returning a few minutes later coming back up the stairs. Once again, I fisted my rock hard cock, all swollen, purple and angry looking, pointing it towards the doorway. The look on her face as she entered wasn't one I expected. To begin with, it wasn't my wife's. It was Stacy's. "What the...?" I didn't quite finish, shocked, surprised, stunned was more like it as Stacy stood there in the doorway looking at me. She was entirely naked, as was my wife, as a moment later, she stepped behind her, the two of them now standing together looking at me as I lay there in disbelief. "Surprise!" Marsha grinned. "How the hell?" Marsha chuckled, now leading Stacy into our bedroom. "I convinced her earlier, in the bathroom, after our tour through the showers," she informed me. "At first of course...she was reluctant, hesitant to do this. But I assured her I was ok with it, and thought it might be a good way for the two of you to at least become friends again. Things ended between the two of you on such a bad note, so anyway...I convinced her to do this with me. And besides, I wanted to watch her cum while you...and I, played with her tits." I still couldn't believe I was seeing this, hearing this, but as the two of them approached the bed and then crawled into it on either side of me, I knew then, I actually wasn't dreaming. "You're sure about this?" I asked my wife once again. "Baby? I wouldn't miss seeing this for the world!" she told me, and then reached over actually fondling one of Stacy's tits even before I did. Stacy moaned softly, wantonly, already giving in to the too long, unfulfilled urge of having her tits toyed with just the way she liked it. I soon after joined my wife, now touching, kissing, and eventually sucking on the other one, just as she was. True to form, it wasn't long before Stacy had what would be the first, and certainly not the last, of her breastgasms, as my own wife actually referred to it then. Telling Stacy in the process that I had indeed shared with my wife pretty much everything about our past history together, including the pet name I had once given her. It became a blur of sensual delight after that. It had been a long time since I'd had my tongue inside Stacy's cunt, licking her, sucking her clit, and teasing her as I once remembered doing. My own wife, sitting on my cock, feeling it embedded so deeply inside her, the two girls, laughing, teasing, pleasuring one another as they sat atop me, playing with one another's tits. Naturally, Stacy came, though be it from what I was doing, or Marsha, or a combination of both, no longer mattered. Marsha too enjoyed a nice screaming orgasm as well, triggering the first of my own as I jettisoned what felt like a gallon of cream into my wife's wonderfully delicious, sweet feeling pussy. I was soon after treated to another fantasy of my own, as both women lay to either side of me, taking turns feeding one another my cock, often licking and lapping at it together, sucking it, and then even kissing one another with my once again rock hard cock sandwiched between the two them. I took selfish delight in just laying there, watching them as they worked my cock together, finally bringing me to the edge soon after. I lay, watching my spunk suddenly leaping from the head of my cock as the two of them playfully fought over it, squirting and showering one another with my essence before going back to sucking and licking me. They likewise did the same to one another, which was even more erotic and sensual the way I saw it. I had finally rolled away, off the bed, collecting myself and taking a breather. I sat down in one of our nearby lounge chairs, sipping my drink, content to watch the two of them. I had never seen, nor witnessed what could only be described as a titty-suck "69", though that's exactly what it was. The two of them positioned just enough they could simultaneously pleasure one another's tits, hearing their respective, mutual moans and groans as they did so. I don't think I ever remember seeing my wife's nipples as hard or as firm as they were now. And seeing Stacy's again too, remembering back then how they had looked like, felt like when I'd pleasured her before. Now watching as my wife did the playing, pleasuring, as she in turned was on the receiving end as well as Stacy likewise played with her. It wasn't long before I was sitting there once again, rock hard and stiff, feeling more like a teenager as opposed to a forty-something. I sat watching, and then heard what was unmistakably the sound of my wife having an orgasm. I had heard it so many times before, knew when she was, was she felt as she did. And this was a rather intense one. I was actually feeling a bit jealous, oddly enough. My wife had just experienced her first ever breastgasm, and I wasn't the one who had given it to her either!     I sat there for the longest time, perfectly content to watch the two of them laying there together, almost leisurely touching, caressing one another softly until they both eventually looked up, glancing towards me, giggling. I looked down at myself, a long thin string of cum drool hanging from the end of my cock. Up until that moment, I wasn't even aware of it, too engrossed in watching the two of them together, my beautiful lovely wife, and my very ex, but very dear girlfriend. "I think we need to pay some attention to him again," Marsha suggested playfully. "Only this time, I get his face," she added. Seconds later, my wife was doing just that, as for only the second time, I felt my cock slipping inside Stacy's cunt, the warmth of her very wet pussy bathing it, just as my wife's delicious tasting pussy began rubbing against my face. I sighed in the moment, pleasurably. It had been one hell of a reunion, in more ways than one, but more importantly, the ghosts of the past had been put away. All was right with the world again, and especially as I now knew, Marsha was capable of having her own breastgasms. Based on a post by Many Feathers, for Literotica.

Episode Highlights With FarazWhat's early, normal, and late for gray hair The factors that contribute to gray hair and what we can actually do about themSome of the risk factors for early gray hair: genetics, alcohol consumption, smoking, pollution, chronic disease, stress, and surprisingly, higher education and height!Only 20-25% is controlled by genetics and what we can do about the other factorsHow hydrogen peroxide comes into play for gray hair and what we can do about itSunlight pros and cons for gray hairWays to reduce and slow graying hair and how much of a difference we can expect to seeThe biggest changes come from early interventions and what to do whenResources MentionedFullyVital hair products - use code WELLNESSMAMA for 15% offAnti-aging Hacks and Fully Vital Hair on Instagram

In today's episode, we sit down with one of the world's leading “Naturalist” facial surgeons, Dr. Athré, for an informative look at the topic of natural facial rejuvenation. This conversation is simply for those who are curious about what modern, options actually involve, it is not to promote or push any form of facial treatment. We explore topics like fat transfer, stem cells, and awake facelifts. What they mean, how they work, and why some approaches achieve far more natural results than others. Dr. Athré explains what happens when fat is transferred from one area of the body to the face, how stem cells contribute to long-term collagen support, and why tiny-cannula techniques can lead to soft looking, long, youthful results. We also touch on everyday choices that support healthy skin at any age. If you've ever wondered how natural-looking refreshment can be achieved or simply want a clearer understanding of modern rejuvenation methods, this episode offers a grounded, myth-busting overview without promoting any particular procedure. To learn more about Dr. Athré visit https://www.athrefacialplastics.com Join Pearl and Serene on the Trim Healthy Podcast (a.k.a. “The Poddy”).Welcome to the spot where Pearl and Serene share their knowledge and their hearts (along with Danny's antics) on topics ranging from physical and mental health to spiritual truth, and, yes… even a little comic relief. Put your seat belts on though…it can get a little bumpy! This particular show can be lacking in “proper podcast behavior.” But this is where growth happens… this is where NEW knowledge is celebrated… and fundamental knowledge is respected. Get ready for imperfectly polite conversations about health and wellness… the place where cutting edge science meets ancient wisdom. Get Pearl and Serene's latest book – Purchase Trim Healthy Wisdom and join the women that are ready to “rock 40 and beyond.”  Explore the Store:  Click here to visit Pearl and Serene's online store with over 100+ products, optimized for peak health.  Join Our Membership! Go to www.TrimHealthyMembership.com to access special series, recipes, and other exclusive content.  Get in the best shape of your life!  Access their premium workout series, Tribe Healthy, go to www.Youtube.com/TrimHealthyMama Join KIAORA:  Pearl and Serene have launched a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy tele-health company that is available in nearly every state in the USA! Go to www.KIAORA.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Highlights With Faraz KhanHis own personal story with hair loss and how it dramatically impacted himHow he researched how to get his hair back without pharmaceuticals The biggest “aha” he had about reversing hair loss and how he reversed his extreme hair lossNumber one cause of hair loss in women and menHow stress relates to hair loss and what we can do about itHow vitamin D, B12, zinc, and iron are important for hair Why he recommends water based serums daily over oily or thicker serumsHis take on scalp massages and how to do them the right wayHow low circulation comes into play with hair lossHis recommended protocol that is most effective in the fewest stepsThe maximum length for a hair derma roller is 1mm and best practices for derma rollingThe truth about red light for hair and how to use itSpecific tips for dry or brittle hairHis specific products with money back guaranteeResources MentionedFullyVital hair products - use code WELLNESSMAMA for 15% offAnti-aging Hacks and Fully Vital Hair on Instagram

The science of aging gracefully is discussed as Dr. Roxie Becker joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast. Discover the everyday habits that could be aging your skin — and the easy lifestyle changes that help keep you glowing from the inside out. Dr. Becker shares what really causes wrinkles, the truth about alcohol and red wine, and why carrots, sweet potatoes, and sleep may be better anti-aging tools than expensive creams. Learn how nutrition, exercise, sleep, and sun protection work together for youthful skin — and why the healthiest glow comes from a plant-based, whole-food lifestyle. You Will Learn: - Foods that fight wrinkles and boost collagen - How sleep and stress affect skin health - The truth about alcohol and aging - How to exercise for younger-looking skin

Did you know your gut bacteria directly impact gallbladder function? Learn how your microbiome affects bile production, evidence-based supplements to support digestive health, and essential care tips after gallbladder removal. ✅Start healing with us! Learn more about our virtual clinic:  https://drruscio.com/virtual-clinic/

Last time we spoke about the Soviet-Japanese Border Conflict. The border between Soviet Manchuria and Japanese-occupied territories emerges not as a single line but as a mosaic of contested spaces, marks, and memories. A sequence of incidents, skirmishes along the Chaun and Tumen rivers, reconnaissance sorties, and the complex diplomacy of Moscow, Tokyo, and peripheral actors to trace how risk escalated from routine patrols to calibrated leverage. On the ground, terrain functioned as both obstacle and argument: ridges like Changkufeng Hill shaping sightlines, river valleys shaping decisions, and markers weathered by snow, wind, and drift. In command tents, officers translated terrain into doctrine: contingency plans, supply routes, and the precarious calculus of restraint versus escalation. Both nations sought to establish firmer defensive barriers against the other. Inevitably they were destined to clash, but how large that clash would become, nobody knew.   #176 The Changkufeng Incident Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the last episode we broke down a general history of the Soviet-Japanese Border Conflict and how it escalated significantly by 1938. Colonel Inada Masazum serving as chief of the 2nd Operations Section within the Operations Bureau in March of 1938 would play a significant role in this story. When the Japanese command's attention was drawn to the area of Changkufeng, consideration was given to the ownership and importance of the disputed high ground. Inada and his operations section turned to an appraisal of the geography. The officers had been impressed by the strategic importance of the Tumen, which served to cut off the hill country from North Korea. In the Changkufeng area, the river was a muddy 600 to 800 meters wide and three to five meters deep. Japanese engineers had described rowing across the stream as "rather difficult."  Russian roads on the left bank were very good, according to Japanese intelligence. Heavy vehicles moved easily; the Maanshan section comprised the Russians' main line of communications in the rear. To haul up troops and materiel, the Russians were obliged to use trucks and ships, for there were no railways apart from a four-kilometer line between the harbor and town of Novokievsk. Near Changkufeng, hardly any roadways were suitable for vehicular traffic. On the right, or Korean, bank of the Tumen, there were only three roads suitable for vehicular traffic, but even these routes became impassable after a day or two of rain. In the sector between Hill 52 to the south and Shachaofeng to the north, the most pronounced eminences were Chiangchunfeng and the humps of Changkufeng. Rocky peaks were characteristically shaped like inverted T's, which meant many dead angles against the crests. The gentle slopes would allow tanks to move but would restrict their speed, as would the ponds and marshes. In general, the terrain was treeless and afforded little cover against aircraft. Against ground observation or fire, corn fields and tall miscanthus grass could provide some shielding. Between Chiangchunfeng and the Tumen, which would have to serve as the main route of Japanese supply, the terrain was particularly sandy and hilly. This rendered foot movement difficult but would reduce the effectiveness of enemy bombs and shells. The high ground east of Khasan afforded bases for fire support directed against the Changkufeng region. Plains characterized the rest of the area on the Soviet side, but occasional streams and swamps could interfere with movement of tanks and trucks. The only towns or villages were Novokievsk, Posyet, Yangomudy, and Khansi. At Kozando there were a dozen houses; at Paksikori, a few. The right bank was farmed mainly by Koreans, whose scattered cottages might have some value for billeting but offered none for cover. On the left bank, the largest hamlets were Fangchuanting, with a population of 480 dwelling in 73 huts, and Yangkuanping, where there were 39 cottages. Shachaofeng was uninhabited. Japanese occupation of Changkufeng would enable observation of the plain stretching east from Posyet Bay, although intelligence made no mention of Soviet naval bases, submarine pens, or airstrips in the immediate area of Posyet, either in existence or being built in 1938. As Inada knew, the Japanese Navy judged that Posyet Bay might have another use, as a site for Japanese landing operations in the event of war. In Russian hands, the high ground would endanger the Korean railway. This line, which started from Najin in northeastern Korea, linked up with the vital system in Manchuria at the town of Tumen and provided a short cut, if not a lifeline, between Japan and the Kwantung Army and Manchuria from across the Sea of Japan. Even from relatively low Changkufeng, six or seven miles of track were exposed to Soviet observation between Hongui and Shikai stations. The port of Najin, with its fortress zone, lay 11 miles southwest; Unggi lay even nearer. It was not the danger of Japanese shelling of Vladivostok, at an incredible range of 80 miles that was at stake but the more realistic hypothesis of Russian shelling of the rail line, and Russian screening of the Soviet side of the border. Hills and questions were thought to have two sides. It was the consensus of Japanese that Changkufeng Hill's potential value to the Russians far outweighed its possible benefits to them, or at least that the Japanese had more to lose if the Russians took the high ground by the Tumen. Inada nurtured few illusions concerning the intrinsic value of the heights. Despite the fact that the high command always had good reasons for quiescence in the north, Inada believed that the latest border difficulty could not be overlooked. By mid-July 1938 Inada's thoughts crystallized. The Japanese would conduct a limited reconnaissance in force known as iryoku teisatsu in the strategic sense. Whereas, at the tactical schoolbook level, this might mean the dispatch of small forces into enemy territory to seek local combat intelligence, at the Imperial General Headquarters level the concept was far more sweeping. There would also be useful evidence of mobilization and other buildup procedures. The affair at Changkufeng was merely a welcome coincidence, something started by the Russians but liable to Japanese exploration. Inada had no intention of seizing territory, of becoming involved in a war of attrition at a remote and minor spot, or of provoking hostilities against the USSR. The Russians would comprehend the nature of the problem, too. If they were interested in interfering seriously with the Japanese, there were numberless better locations to cause trouble along the Manchurian front; those were the places to watch. The cramped Changkufeng sector, described as "narrow like a cat's brow," could too readily be pinched off from Hunchun to render it of strategic value to either side. The bog land to the north interfered with the use of armored forces, while artillery sited on the heights along the Tumen in Korea could as easily control the area as batteries emplaced east of the lake. It was Inada's professional opinion that the Russians could commit three or four infantry divisions there at most, with no mechanized corps—no heavy tanks, in particular. No decisive battle could be waged, although, once the Russians became involved, they might have to cling to the hill out of a sense of honor. The military action would be meaningless even if the Japanese let the Russians have the heights. For their part, the Japanese would ostensibly be fighting to secure the boundary and to hold Changkufeng peak, beyond which they would not move a step onto Soviet soil. There would be no pursuit operations. Troop commitment would be limited to about one division without tank support. Japanese Air Force intervention would be forbidden. Matters would be directed entirely by Imperial General Headquarters working through the Korea Army chain of command and carried out by the local forces. Calm, clear, and dispassionate overall estimates and instructions would be based on materials available only in Tokyo. The command would not allow the Kwantung Army to touch the affair. Inada foresaw that the Japanese government might also seek a settlement through diplomacy. Although border demarcation was desirable and should be sought, the command would not insist on it, nor would it demand permanent occupation of Changkufeng summit. As soon as reconnaissance objectives had been achieved, the local forces would be withdrawn. As Inada described it "In the process, we would have taught the Russians some respect and given them a lesson concerning their repeated, high-handed provocations and intrusions. If a show of force sufficed to facilitate the negotiations and cause the Russians to back down, so much the better; the affair would be over and my point proved." The instrument for carrying out Inada's strategic design appeared to be ideal, the 19th Division, strenuously trained and high-spirited. It could be expected to perform very well if unleashed within defined limits. Colonel Suetaka was just the commander to direct local operations. Since he had been pleading to fight in China, an operation at Changkufeng might prove to be an excellent "safety valve." His staff was full of experienced, fierce warriors eager for battle. Until recently, the Korea Army commanding general had wisely kept the aggressive division away from Changkufeng Hill, but now Imperial general headquarters had its own overriding ideas and needs. How could the Japanese ensure that any military action would remain limited if the Russians chose to respond with vigor? Naturally, one infantry division, without armor or air support, could not withstand all of the Soviet forces in the maritime province. Inada answered that the mission to be assigned the 19th Division was merely the recapture of Changkufeng crest. If the Japanese side had to break off the operation, evacuation would be effected voluntarily and resolutely on Imperial general headquarters responsibility, without considerations of "face." At worst, the Japanese might lose one division, but the affair would be terminated at the Tumen River without fail. "Even so, we ought to be able to prove our theory as well as demonstrate our true strength to the Russians." In case the Soviets opted for more than limited war, the Japanese were still not so overextended in China that they could not alter their strategic disposition of troops. Although the Kwantung Army's six divisions were outnumbered four to one and the Japanese were not desirous of a war at that moment, the first-class forces in Manchuria could make an excellent showing. In addition, the high command possessed armor, heavy artillery, fighters, and bombers, held in check in Manchuria and Korea, as well as reserves in the homeland. There was also the 104th Division, under tight Imperial general headquarters control, in strategic reserve in southern Manchuria. Inada recalled "How would the Russians react? That was the answer I sought. Victory in China depended on it." By mid-July, the high command, at Inada's urging, had worked out a plan titled, "Imperial General headqaurters Essentials for Dealing with the Changkufeng Incident." Tada's telegram of 14 July to Koiso described succinctly the just-decided policy: the central authorities concurred with the Korea Army's opinion regarding the Changkufeng affair, then in embryo. Considering that Changkufeng Hill posed a direct threat to the frontier of Korea, Imperial General headqaurters would immediately urge the foreign ministry to lodge a stern protest. Next day, Tojo sent a telegram stating the Japanese policy of employing diplomacy; whether the Russians should be evicted by force required cautious deliberation in case the USSR did not withdraw voluntarily. On the basis of the guidance received from Imperial General headqaurters, the Korea Army drew up its own plan, "Essentials for Local Direction of the Changkufeng Incident," on 15 July. Intelligence officer Tsuchiya Sakae was sent promptly to the front from Seoul. At the same time, military authorities allowed the press to release news that Soviet troops were constructing positions inside Manchurian territory in an "obvious provocation." The government of Manchukuo was demanding an immediate withdrawal. Even then, those Japanese most closely connected with the handling of the Changkufeng Incident were not in agreement that everybody at command level was as ardent a proponent of reconnaissance in force as Inada claimed to be. Some thought that most, if not all, of his subordinates, youthful and vigorous, were in favor of the notion; others denied the existence of such an idea. Inada remained clear-cut in his own assertions. Everything done by the local Soviet forces, he insisted, must have been effected with the permission of Moscow; it was customary for the USSR not to abandon what it had once started. The Japanese Army never really thought that the Soviet Union would withdraw just as the result of diplomatic approaches. Therefore, from the outset, preparations were made to deal the Russians one decisive blow. Inada had recommended his plan, with its clear restrictions, to his colleagues and superiors; the scheme, he says, was approved 14 July "all the way up the chain of command, through the Army general staff and the ministry of war, with unexpected ease." The only real opposition, Inada recalled, came from the navy, whose staff advised the army operations staff, in all sincerity, to give up the idea of strategic reconnaissance. Inada adhered to his opinion stubbornly. He never forgot the grave look on the face of Captain Kusaka, the UN operations section chief, as the latter gave in reluctantly. The navy view was that the Changkufeng affair typified the army's aggressive policies as opposed to relative passivity on the part of the navy. Like Kusaka, Japanese Navy interviewees shared the fear that Changkufeng might prove to be the most dangerous military confrontation ever to occur between the USSR and Japan. In view of navy objections, one wonders where Inada could have drawn support for his concept of reconnaissance in force. If one accepts the comments contained in a letter from a navy ministry captain, Takagi Sokichi, to Baron Harada Kumao at the beginning of August, in the army and in a portion of the navy there existed "shallow-minded fellows who are apt to take a firm stand in the blind belief that the USSR would not really rise against us, neglecting the fact that the Russians had foreseen our weak points." Takagi also had violent things to say about "white-livered" Gaimusho elements that were playing up to the army. Although Takagi's remarks, expressed in confidence, were sharp, cautious injunctions were being delivered by the high command to the new Korea Army commander, General Nakamura Kotaro, who was about to leave for Seoul to replace Koiso. Nakamura's attitude was crucial for the course and outcome of the Changkufeng Incident. More of a desk soldier than a warrior, he characteristic ally displayed a wariness that was reinforced by the guidance provided him. This personal quality assumes even greater significance if one believes that the Russians may have initiated the Changkufeng Incident by exploiting the special opportunities afforded them by the routine replacement of the Korea Army commander, the temporary absence from Moscow of Ambassador Shigemitsu Mamoru, and the geographical as well as subjective gap between the Kwantung and Korea armies that was exposed during the Lyushkov affair. At 10:00 on 15 July Nakamura was designated army commander by the Emperor at the palace. Soon afterward, he was briefed by Imperial General headquarters officers. Hashimoto, the operations bureau chief, recalled that when he saw Nakamura off on 17 July, Hashimoto stressed prudence, limitation of any military action, and diplomatic solution of the problem. The new commanding general, Inada asserted, promised full cooperation. There was no mention, at this level, of Inada's concept of reconnaissance in force. When Nakamura reached Seoul, he found an Imperial order from Tokyo dated 16 July awaiting him. This important document stipulated that he could concentrate units under his command in Korea near the border against the trespassing Soviet forces in the Changkufeng area. Resort to force, however, was dependent upon further orders. This message was followed by a wire from Kan'in, the Army general staff chief. The Imperial order, it was explained, had been designed to support diplomatic negotiations. Simultaneous approval was granted for concentrating forces to respond swiftly in case the situation deteriorated. As for implementation of the Imperial order, discretion should be exercised in line with the opinion expressed earlier by Korea Army Headquarters. Negotiations were to be conducted in Moscow and Harbin, the location of a Soviet consulate in Manchukuo. Meanwhile, the command was dispatching two officers for purposes of liaison: Lt. Colonel Arisue Yadoru in Operations and Major Kotani Etsuo a specialist in Soviet intelligence. Inada advised Arisue that, apart from liaison flights inside the frontiers, particular care should be exercised with regard to actions that might lead to air combat. Nevertheless, although Inada stated that the Imperial order called for "a sort of military demonstration," he admitted that it meant preparatory action for an attack. The Korea Army senior staff officer, Iwasaki, recalled hearing nothing about secret intentions. Nakamura briefed his staff about the need for restraint, especially during this key period of the Wuhan operation. Koiso had disposed of speculation that he had issued an order to concentrate the 19th Division before Nakamura arrived, although he and Nakamura did have the opportunity to confer in Seoul before he departed for Japan. The Imperial order of 16 July, in response to Koiso's inquiry received in Tokyo on 14 July, had arrived in Seoul addressed to Nakamura; thereupon, the Korea Army chief of staff, Kitano, had the message conveyed to the division. By 21 July Koiso was back in Tokyo where, the day afterward, he advised the war minister, Itagaki, "to act prudently with respect to the Changkufeng problem." Why did the high command dispatch two field-grade liaison officers to Korea from the outset of the Changkufeng Incident? The Korea Army lacked operations staff. Its commander had been allotted prime responsibility, within the chain of command, for defense of northeastern Korea. At the beginning, the highest-ranking staff officer at the front was a major. Since there were no fundamental differences of opinion between the command and the forces in Korea, it was proper to send experts from Tokyo to assist. Imperial General headqaurters would observe the situation carefully, devise measures on the basis of the overall view, and issue orders which the Korea Army would implement through ordinary channels. It had not been the type of incident which required the army commander to go to the front to direct. This was the Korea Army's first test, and political as well as diplomatic problems were involved that the army in the field should not or could not handle. If Tokyo had left decisions to the division and its regiments, the latter would have been held to account, which was not proper. Imperial General headquarters had to assume responsibility and reassure local commanders of its full support. Imaoka Yutaka explained that operational guidance by Imperial General headquarters and line operations conducted by the 19th Division formed the core of the affair; the Korea Army, placed between, was "shadowy." Koiso had not been enthusiastic; this set the mood among the staff. Nakamura, who arrived with a thorough comprehension of AGS thinking, was basically passive. The Korea Army staff, in general, included no "wild boars."    There was an urgent need to monitor developments. Not only was the Korea Army unfamiliar with handling this type of incident, but many hitches occurred. There had been no practice in emergency transmission of coded wires between the Korea Army and Tokyo. Now telegram after telegram had to be sent; most were deciphered incorrectly and many were not decoded at all. Another problem centered on the lack of knowledge in Tokyo about the situation on the spot, which only visual observation could rectify. As a result, the two Army general staff experts, Arisue and Kotani, arrived in Korea on 16 July. Kotani recalled that he was to collect intelligence and assist the local authorities. One of the first duties that he and Arisue performed was to disseminate the principle that use of force required a prior Imperial order. Also on 16 July, Japanese newspapers reported that the USSR was still concentrating troops, that the Manchukuoan government was watching intently, "decisive punitive measures" were being contemplated by the Japanese-Manchukuoan authorities, and there were signs of a worsening of the crisis. Despite good reasons for this gloomy appraisal, the Japanese press had not yet given the incident page-one treatment. More alarming news was being disseminated abroad. Domei, the official Japanese news agency, reported that the situation would probably become worse unless Soviet troops were withdrawn. The position of the Japanese government impressed foreign correspondents as unusually firm. Informants characterized the Changkufeng Incident as the most serious affair since the clash on the Amur River in 1937. Irked by the Korea Army's timidity and eager for first-hand information, the Kwantung Army dispatched two observers to the front: from Intelligence, Ogoshi Kenji, and from Operations, Tsuji Masanobu. If you listen to my pacific war week by week podcast or echoes of war, you know I highlight Tsuji Masanobu as one of the most evil Japanese officers of WW2. No other way to describe this guy, he was a shithead. In his memoirs, Tsuji asserted that he and Ogoshi climbed Changkufeng Hill, discerned Soviet soldiers digging across the peak in Manchurian territory, and concluded that "probably even Tokyo could not overlook such a clear-cut case of invasion." Although his account aligned with the general thrust, Ogoshi contended that Tsuji could not have accompanied him. According to sources with the 19th Division, when Koiso learned that Tsuji and Ogoshi were disparaging the Korea Army's ability to defend Changkufeng, he ordered "those spies" ousted. Ogoshi replied that the army staff was not angry, but Koiso did become furious and ordered Ogoshi "arrested for trespassing." Ogoshi surmised that Koiso's concern was that emotional outsiders such as Tsuji could provoke trouble, perhaps even war, if they visited Changkufeng. This view was widely shared. Inada stated that he made a practice of keeping away to maintain the degree of detachment and impartiality required of high command authorities. One sidelight to the "fraternal" visit to the Changkufeng area by observers from Hsinking was provided by Lt. Colonel Katakura Tadashi, chief of the Kwantung Army's 4th Section, which handled Manchukuo affairs, primarily political direction. When Katakura visited the Operations Section, Tsuji and Ogoshi told him that an intrusion had been confirmed and that the Kwantung Army staff was studying ways to evict the Soviets. Katakura consulted Maj. General Ishiwara Kanji, acting chief of staff, who was already in possession of the draft of an operations order calling for offensive preparations by the Kwantung Army against the Russians at Changkufeng. Katakura asked for reconsideration of the order. This was not a matter to be handled solely by the operations staff. Borders and international affairs were involved; hence the 4th Section, along with the Manchukuoan government, the Gaimusho, and other agencies, were concerned. Field observers were expressing exaggerated personal opinions based on having seen Soviet sentries on a hilltop. If the matter fell within the Korea Army's defensive prerogative, that army ought to handle it. Apparently the Kwantung Army commander and Ishiwara agreed with Katakura, for the draft order was not approved. The so-called private message dispatched by a Kwantung Army staff officer just before Koiso's departure may have been provoked by this rejection of direct participation by forces under Kwantung Army command. Staff officers in Tokyo believed that Hsinking could not see the forest for the trees. In the high command's view, the Kwantung Army's deliberate escalation of a negligible frontier incident undoubtedly stemmed from a failure to grasp the strategic requirements of national defense—pursuit of the campaign in China, the nurturance of Manchukuo, and the buildup of operational readiness for the ultimate solution of the Soviet problem. The high command felt obliged to remind the Kwantung Army that, in dealing with the Changkufeng Incident, the central authorities pressed for a Russian pullback through diplomacy. Consequently, the Korea Army had been instructed to be ready to concentrate troops near Changkufeng as a "background." Meanwhile, it remained the Imperial will that utmost prudence be exercised. The Kwantung Army commander accordingly issued cautious instructions to subordinate units, especially those on the eastern border. The high command's injunctions did not end the discontent and recrimination at the lower levels of Kwantung Army Headquarters, nor did they quiet the concern felt in Tokyo. A former war minister told Baron Harada repeatedly in late July that the Kwantung Army was "no good," while the superintendent of police added that the Kwantung Army was embarrassing Foreign Minister Ugaki. Nevertheless, the Kwantung Army did exert self-restraint. For its part, the Korea Army naïvely sought to achieve entente with an antagonist who considered the case nonnegotiable. First, the government of Manchukuo was asked to lodge a formal protest with the USSR. The commissioner for foreign affairs at Harbin phoned V. V. Kuznetzov, the acting consul, on the night of 14 July and saw him on the 18th. Basing its contentions on maps, the Haensing regime demanded Soviet withdrawal from Changkufeng. The Japanese government was lodging similar protests within the framework of Japanese-Manchukuoan joint defense agreements. On the spot, the situation inflamed. During the afternoon of 15 July, a Japanese military police patrol from Korea reconnoitered at the foot of Hill 52, southeast of Changkufeng. The party came under Soviet gunfire and was driven back, abandoning the body of Corp. Matsushima Shakuni. Japanese sources claimed that a Russian ambush had been set inside Manchuria. The Russian side insisted that it was the Soviet frontier that had been violated by thirty meters. Kuzma Grebennik, the colonel commanding the 59th BGU, which covered the Posyet sector, asserted that Matsushima's effects included a notebook containing reconnaissance results and a camera with film of Soviet-claimed terrain, particularly Changkufeng Hill. According to Maj. Gilfan Batarshin, a subordinate of Grebennik, two Russian border guards from Podgornaya opened fire when the Japanese fled after being challenged. Japanese protests to the USSR about the death of Matsushima and the taking of his body were added to the negotiations concerning the disputed border and the alleged trespassing. Charge Nishi Haruhiko lodged a vigorous complaint in Moscow on 15 July but was answered by a counterprotest. Ambassador Shigemitsu underwent an identical experience during a conversation with Foreign Commissar Maxim Litvinov on 20 July. Shigemitsu retorted that the murder tended to exacerbate the negotiations. In his memoirs, he stated that the killing of Matsushima provoked the local Japanese border garrison unit. The shooting occurred as the Soviet military buildup continued, according to Japanese sources. Mechanized units were reported moving in the direction of Kyonghun from Barabash and Posyet Bay. Biplanes were reconnoitering the Hunchun Valley, within Manchurian territory, from the afternoon of 16 July. To the local Japanese authorities, it seemed that the Russians were adopting a challenging attitude. Although the Japanese-Manchukuoan side remained willing to negotiate—that is, to take no forceful actions if the Russians would withdraw, the latter appeared not to share such an intention. The Soviets were not only misinterpreting the Hunchun treaty to their advantage but were encroaching beyond what they claimed to be the line; they "lacked sincerity." Decisive use of force might have been imperative to secure the Manchurian border, which was Japan's legal responsibility. As far north as Tungning on the eastern Manchurian frontier, two Soviet ground divisions and considerable numbers of tanks and aircraft were reported massed in full view. At Changkufeng, Russian soldiers fortified the crest. Mountain guns were now seen with muzzles pointed toward Manchuria, and Japanese intelligence estimated that Soviet troop strength near Changkufeng had grown to 120 or 130 by the evening of 18 July. As Sawamoto Rikichiro, an Imperial aide, noted in his diary, "It would seem that settlement of the affair had become increasingly difficult." Korea Army staff officer Tsuchiya sent two emissaries bearing the notice to the Soviet border. The pair, "blazing with patriotic ardor,"set out on 18 July, carrying a message in one hand and a white flag in the other. From Kyonghun came the report the next day that there had been an urgent, well-attended Soviet staff meeting at BGU Headquarters in Novokievsk all night, and that the Russian side had been discomfited by the Japanese request, which had been transmitted to higher authorities. Still, the emissaries did not return, while a stream of reports indicated a Soviet buildup along a dozen frontier sectors. Russian authorities had reportedly forced the natives to evacuate an area twenty miles behind their borders. From Japanese observation posts, Soviet convoys of men, guns, and horses could be sighted moving toward Novokievsk after being unloaded from transports originating at Vladivostok. Japanese Army Intelligence reported that on 18 July a regimental-size force had arrived at Novokievsk; artillery displacements forward were particularly visible by night east of Khasan. A confidential Gaimusho message indicated that Soviet truck movements between Posyet, Novokievsk, and the front had increased since the 20th. Russian intrusions, kidnappings, and sniping incidents were reported along the Manchurian borders, from Manchouli on the west to Suifenho on the east, between 18 and 25 July. Aircraft on daytime reconnaissance were detected as far as three miles inside Manchurian territory in the Hunchun area. Although the Japanese asserted that their forbearance was being tested, Izvestiya charged "Japanese militarists" with manufacturing an affair at Ussuri as well as at Changkufeng. The Japanese themselves received reports from the Changkufeng front that by 20 July the Soviets had 250 soldiers, armed with field pieces, trench mortars, howitzers, and light and heavy machine guns, on the southern slopes. The Russians were putting up tents capable of holding 40 men each; officers could be observed for the first time. On the evening of the 20th, the Soviets lobbed illuminating shells toward Manchurian territory. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Inada Masazum, studying maps and mud, saw Changkufeng Hill as a prize with peril, a test of nerve rather than a conquest. Tokyo's orders pulsed through Seoul and Harbin: guard, probe, and deter, but avoid full-scale war. Across the border, Soviet units pressed closer, lights and tents flickering on the hillside. The sea within sight whispered of strategy, diplomacy, and a warning: a single misstep could redraw Asia. And so the standoff waited, patient as winter.

Today on the High Performance Mindset, I'm joined by someone who has spent his entire life helping people work with their natural strengths instead of fighting against them. David Kolbe, CEO of Kolbe Corp, has literally grown up inside the Kolbe Concept — a system that helps leaders, teams, and organizations unlock instinctive strengths and achieve sustainable productivity. David is an author, strategist, and the visionary behind many of Kolbe Corp's most transformative tools, including the original algorithm for the Kolbe A Index. Over the years, he has helped thousands of professionals redesign the way they hire, collaborate, and lead by tapping into the way people naturally take action. His background is rare: part attorney, part economist, part innovation architect. You're about to learn why working with your natural instincts can change everything — your productivity, your energy, and your results. I can't wait for you to hear this conversation. Alright…let's jump into my interview with David Kolbe. You are going to love this one! HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE

In this powerful faith-filled conversation, Dr. Vaughn, founder of Spirit of Health KC, joins Theresa Rowe on Shaped by Faith to share God's original blueprint for healing. Discover how your body is always working for you, not against you—and how symptoms are messengers from a loving God, guiding you toward balance, purity, and restoration. Dr. Vaughn explains: How to partner with God in your healing journeyWhy pain is a divine indicator, not your enemyBiblical principles of detoxification and fastingHow to support your body's God-given ability to cleanse and healThe truth about toxins, sickness, and the fallen medical systemWhy obedience and lifestyle alignment open the door to miracles and lasting healthLearn practical ways to honor your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, cleanse from toxins, and live in alignment with God's natural design. ✨ “Are you willing to change your lifestyle enough to allow God to heal you?” — Dr. Vaughn

In this episode, our guest is Eddie Stone, founder and CEO of Touchstone Essentials, a company dedicated to creating pure, clean, and natural supplements designed to help people detoxify from the toxins of modern life. Eddie shares: ✅ Why detoxification is critical for long-term health ✅ The dangers of environmental toxins we encounter daily ✅ How clean, plant-based supplements can support natural detox and healing ✅ The importance of transparency and purity in the supplement industry If you've ever wondered how to reduce toxic load and support your body with the cleanest nutrition possible, this episode is a must-watch!

Alonso and Jacks are back to kick off our Netflix Christmas movie journey — and the first one up is A Merry Little Ex-Mas.ABOUT A MERRY LITTLE EX-MASA separated couple tries celebrating one last Christmas together with their kids before their divorce. However, the husband's new girlfriend joins the festivities, causing tension and chaos during the holidays.AIR DATE & PLATFORM FOR A MERRY LITTLE EX-MASNovember 12, 2025 | NetflixCAST & CREW OF A MERRY LITTLE EX-MASAlicia Silverstone as KateOliver Hudson as EverettJameela Jamil as TessPierson Fodé as ChetMelissa Joan HartBRAN'S A MERRY LITTLE EX-MAS SYNOPSISWe're getting a Christmas story. We meet Kate about 20 years ago, fresh out of college and starting a job at an architecture firm. She goes to a party and dances with a guy named Everett. When he decides to settle down and start his own practice, she follows him to his small town of Winter Light.Flash forward 20 years: they've decided they're getting a divorce… sorry, cautiously uncoupling. Obviously, in Winter Light, you need the mayor's approval for that. They tell him they're still going to do Christmas together as a family, and the mayor (along with all their friends) thinks they're completely insane—because apparently you can't divorce nicely.It's going to be a full house for Christmas: Kate and Everett's son Gabriel and daughter Sienna, Sienna's boyfriend Nigel (who is a Harry Potter tour guide), Kate's sister, and… apparently, Everett's new girlfriend. Kate is the last to find out and, shockingly, she's not thrilled.She runs into Everett and his girlfriend, Tess, while out in town, and it is painfully awkward.The next day, Everett tells Kate he wants everyone—including Tess—to have dinner together tonight. Kate and the kids head to Everett's house and are shocked to see how chaotic things are. The vibes are weird, but maybe they'll get better… right?The next day it's time for Christmas traditions! Bright and early, Kate takes the kids to get a tree. At the lot, she meets a hunky young Santa named Chet, who gives her his number. She shrugs it off—until feeling discouraged by all the Tess-ness and her kids rolling their eyes at her eco-friendly traditions—so she decides… yolo.Naturally, their first date is with the entire family: sledding. It does not go well, with Kate crashing. Everett rushes to check on her, and—uh oh—the old sparks start flying.Kate and Tess chat. Tess basically asks, “How did you let him get away?”Everett and Chet chat. Same conversation, obviously.Turns out, Everett worked too much, and she was just too darn environmentally friendly.Everett apologizes to Kate for not being present in their marriage, and it means a lot… until he adds that if he ever marries Tess (or anyone else), he'll be better. That sends Kate spiraling, and she destroys the gingerbread village she made. She blurts out that she “can't wait to get out of this place.” When pressed, she admits that once Gabe finishes high school, she's moving back to Boston to become an architect again.They all have Christmas dinner together and exchange gifts. Kate gets Everett the indoor grill he's always wanted instead of her usual handmade gift. Everett gets Kate her favorite perfume—made from scratch. It's very sweet. And then Tess opens her gift from Everett: AirPods. She's like, “Excuse me… you MADE your ex-wife perfume from scratch?” Things go downhill fast when the Christmas tree catches fire. Chet—naturally—strips down to help put out the fire.Though Kate finds Chet extremely amusing, she ends up breaking things off with him.Later that night, Everett surprises Kate and the kids by showing up to look through their Christmas Eve picture book like they always do—which leads to an almost-kiss.Christmas morning: Tess bows out, knowing Everett is still in love with Kate. Chet comes to pick her up, obviously.With the power out at Everett's house, everyone heads to Kate's place—because of course hers is fully battery-powered. When they arrive, the entire neighborhood is already there, praising Kate for everything she's done. Through her family and friends, Kate realizes that even though she let go of her original dream, she still made a difference.The movie ends with Everett telling Kate he doesn't want a divorce. He wants to move with her to Boston. Kate tells him she's not going to Boston. Then they kiss—big ones.A year later, Kate has opened her own sustainability company. She's the one working all the time… but in a good way. And the movie ends with “You Can Call Me Al.” Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey there! It's Michael here - and welcome back to Speak Naturally in a Minute from Happy English. I'm here every Sunday with a quick one-point lesson to help you improve your pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.And if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Michael on YouTube.In fact, the idea for today's lesson came from a listener's question on YouTube. It's all about reductions. In language learning, reduction means shortening or softening sounds when we speak quickly - it's what makes English sound smooth and natural. One really common example is when we say the phrase “I'm trying to.”  It usually sounds like, “I'm tryin' uh.” “I'm tryin' uh.” There are three things happening here. First, I'm is pronounced as Ahm. Then, we drop the g of trying, so it sounds like try-in, and third we drop the T in the word TO and pronounce it as uh. Ahm try-in-uh. Here are some examples in context: “I'm tryin' uh finish this report.”“I'm tryin' uh get up earlier.”And these days, “I'm tryin' uh learn Japanese.”It's quick, relaxed, and totally natural - especially in everyday conversation and songs. You'll hear this kind of reduction all the time in American English, like what we studied last Sunday: Lemme, gimme, and gemme. So next time you say I'm trying to, relax your mouth and let it flow: “I'm tryin' uh.”  That's the rhythm of real American English.Hey, thanks for listening! And remember to follow and subscribe so you won't miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week's Sunday Speak.  Until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.Watch the video version of this Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcastsBuild Vocabulary With My Free Vocabulary Workshop: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

The inevitable decline of civilization takes center stage as the show kicks off with the miserable results of the FACEBOOK SETTLEMENT, confirming Brian's $4.01 payout, followed by a discussion of the SPORTS BETTING SCANDAL, where MLB players are rigging games over prop bets, confirming that gambling is now actively killing sports; moving to the news, the guys celebrate the DENMARK SOCIAL MEDIA BAN and SCHOOL PHONE BANS, which are already proving that teenagers need mandatory digital detoxes, prompting comparisons to Footloose and the revelation that teens are now passing handwritten notes and taking Polaroids. Naturally, things aren't going well for the hyper-rich, as evidenced by the TESLA EXECUTIVE EXODUS and the launch of WAYMO FREEWAYS, which will surely bring chaos to LA, and the ongoing saga of massive capital destruction via OPENAI LOSSES and META AI FAILURES, prompting Mark Zuckerberg to announce his desperate bid to CURE ALL DISEASES with AI, a feat less audacious than the fraud of AI startup FIREFLY AI TRANSCRIPT, which admitted its original "AI" was just human transcriptionists.They then hit a laundry list of digital woes, including the dubious convenience of APPLE PASSPORTS, the creeping dread of Sam Altman's failing WORLDCOIN EYEBALL SCANS, the ridiculous crypto fraud DEFI OFFICE SPACE that literally copied a movie plot, and Coinbase's inexplicable decision to bring back high-risk ICOs; the absurdity continued with the OPENAI LAWSUIT over a suicidal chatbot that suggested the user "Rest easy, King," and the political maneuvering of the REPUBLICAN BROADBAND REDIRECT, which will gut internet access for the underserved to fund the Treasury, but the real threat to humanity remains the clandestine PREVENTATIVE GENE HACKING startup funded by tech billionaires aiming to create modified babies offshore.In Media Candy, they share reviews of the excellent DIPLOMAT, ZOOTOPIA, and the just-released LUSH DOCUMENTARY, confirming our combined Gen-X fragility, before celebrating two definitive wins for reality: the fact that physicists have finally CRUSHED THE SIMULATION THEORY, and the literary brilliance of Joyce Carol Oates' tweet, which expertly called out Elon Musk as uneducated and uncultured.All this and more on this episode of Grumpy Old GeeksSponsors:CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/OLDGEEKS - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/722FOLLOW UPBaseball Is CompromisedIN THE NEWSDenmark set to ban social media for users under 15 years of ageBanning Phones in Schools Is Drastically Changing the Behavior of KidsThe Head of the Cybertruck Program Quit Tesla. The Model Y Leader Left Hours LaterWaymo's driverless cars will start driving on freeways in three US citiesApple introduces a new Digital ID feature to make boarding flights easierOpenAI Will Lose $74 Billion the Same Year That Anthropic Breaks Even: ReportMeta's AI Ambitions Appear to Be in a TailspinZuckerberg, Chan bet AI can cure all diseaseStartup Secretly Working to Gene-Hack Human BabySam Altman's Creepy Orb Startup Has Only Scanned 2 Percent of Its Ideal Number of Eyeballs$120 Million Crypto Hack Blamed on Office Space-Style ExploitCoinbase Wants to Bring Back an Old Crypto Trend That Ended in DisasterSeven more families are now suing OpenAI over ChatGPT's role in suicides, delusionsUS states could lose $21 billion of broadband grants after Trump overhaulPhysicists Say They've Proven Whether We're Living in a SimulationElon Musk Got One-Shotted by an Extremely Mean TweetMEDIA CANDYZootopiaThe DiplomatPluribusVictoria BeckhamLush: A Far from Home MovieWelcome to Derry'V for Vendetta' Is Becoming a TV ShowDune: Prophecy' Kicks off Season 2 Production‘Alien: Earth' Has Been Renewed for Season 2‘Poker Face' Canceled at Peacock; Rian Johnson Will Seek New Home for Series — With Peter Dinklage StarringThe Running Man | Final Trailer (2025 Movie) - Edgar Wright, Glen PowellToy Story 5 | Teaser Trailer | In Theaters June 19Paramount+ announces price increases for every streaming planAPPS & DOODADSHow to adjust the Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26.1How to stretch the clock on your lock screen in iOS 26Tesla Reportedly Adding Apple CarPlay, Bucking Industry TrendFounder Admits His “AI Transcription” Startup Was Just Him Joining People's Meetings and Taking Notes by HandFTC Announces Crackdown on Deceptive AI Claims and SchemesTHE DARK SIDE WITH DAVEDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the BuildingThe Official ‘Star Wars' Magazine Is Coming to an End After Over 30 YearsFuzzball Bandolier ShawlTalk about your crotch-rocket...AI-Powered Toys Caught Telling 5-Year-Olds How to Find Knives and Start Fires With MatchesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3188: Dr. Neal explains natural ways to help manage mild ulcerative colitis beyond prescribed medications, emphasizing the importance of individualized responses to diet and supplements. He highlights the potential benefits of fiber, probiotics, turmeric, and strategic dietary choices to support gut health and reduce flare-ups. Quotes to ponder: "Turmeric is a blood thinner and can affect the liver, so talk to your doctor before taking a turmeric supplement." "Getting enough fiber can help keep the gut microbiome healthy, which may prevent future flare-ups." "Managing ulcerative colitis symptoms and flare-ups can be different for everyone." Episode references: Ulcerative Colitis Diet and Nutrition – Crohn's & Colitis Foundation: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/diet-and-nutrition VSL#3 Probiotic: https://www.vsl3.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

●     Going viral for parasites ●       Why parasites are so overlooked in the U.S. ●       Who's most at risk?  ●       Foods with the highest risk of parasites ●       Eating salmon safely ●       Frequency and parasites ●       Pets and parasites ●       Parasites and children ●       Signs you may have parasites ●       RogersHood Apothecary ●       How to do a parasite cleanse ●       And so much more!   Links mentioned in this episode! Show notes page: https://burnitnutrition.com/podcast189/ . . BiOptimizers - Get Magnesium Breakthrough and 10% discount with code burnit   - http://bioptimizers.com/burnit . . LMNT – Click below and get a free sample pack with your first order https://drinklmnt.com/burnit . . Witness Mi - Get your Echo Memory Book and preserve your memories in an Ai generated video with your voice and likeness. Head to https://go.witnessmi.com/info-new . . Learn more about Kim Rogers: Website: https://rogershood.com/ref/3074/  Podcast: Apple Podcasts  . . Podcast Shop Page for Best Deals at https://burnitnutrition.com/shop  . Leave me a rating & review on Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/burn-it-nutrition-podcast/id1195955730?mt=2  . Follow Joseph Navarro on Instagram under @BurnitNutrition . Follow Joseph Navarro on Facebook under @BurnitNutrition . Thank You for Listening!! Please share this episode! Be the one who helps spark a transformation in your family! Feedback to share? Send email to info@BurnitNutrition.com Subscribe! Don't miss another episode! Notice of Sponsorship Affiliate Disclosure with BiOptimizers, LMNT & Rogerhood Fair Use Disclaimer The following podcast episode contains audio clips that are used under the doctrine of fair use as defined by United States copyright law. These clips are used for purposes of commentary, criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. All rights to the original audio content remain with the respective copyright holders. This use is not intended to infringe upon their rights, but to enhance the discussion and understanding of the topic at hand. Please read the full medical disclaimer  burnitnutrition.com/medical-disclaimer/

The sibs are wearing their flannels and are ready for their Red era! But first we must discuss the 2026 Grammy's nominations! Even though our girl Taylor didn't qualify for the Grammy's this year, we are still so excited for our other favorite artists to have their moment. The song of the week is one that we both consider to be extremely overrated, and we get into why that is in the meat and bones of the episode. Naturally, we debate who this song is about. But at the end of the day, it's more about recognizing how Taylor used to choose to risk more with love, regardless of who she did it with. ​Share with us your thoughts on today's episode by sending an email to swiftandswigspodcast@gmail.com.​Leave us a written review on the Apple Podcasts app!​Follow and rate our podcast on Spotify! ​Check out our "new shit" playlist on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5LOn9LRJ8lnvnCbpl6fKVG?si=68ca3032d3aa470b⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this week's episode of Grow Guides, we're digging into four key topics that can seriously level up your next harvest: How to Boost Trichome Production Naturally: We break down the techniques, environmental tweaks, and plant-training methods that help your buds pack on more frost without gimmicks or snake oil. Airflow and Circulation: The Secret Weapon for Stronger Plants: Good airflow does way more than stop mould. It shapes stronger stems, improves nutrient flow, and drives explosive growth. We show you how to dial it in properly. How to Reset and Reuse Your Grow Setup Between Runs: Whether you're growing in soil, coco, or hydro, we explain how to clean, sterilise, and prep your space so every new grow starts fresh and problem-free. Understanding Plant Stress: When It Helps and When It Hurts: Not all stress is bad, some of it actually boosts terpenes and trichomes. But too much can wreck your yield. Learn how to tell the difference and use stress wisely. As always, we wrap up with listener mail and community questions!

Who truly drives the greatest fantasy stories—the noble hero… or the villain pulling the strings from the shadows? Today, Jim & Zach go head-to-head in a playful (and heated!) debate over seven iconic hero/villain pairings across some of the biggest fantasy universes.From Gandalf vs. Sauron to Kaladin vs. Moash, we're diving deep into who actually made their story unforgettable. Jim champions the heroes, Zach defends the villains. Naturally.Some debates get spicy. Some get surprising. All of them are a blast.Jump into the comments and tell us your winner for each pairing!⸻

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3188: Dr. Neal explains natural ways to help manage mild ulcerative colitis beyond prescribed medications, emphasizing the importance of individualized responses to diet and supplements. He highlights the potential benefits of fiber, probiotics, turmeric, and strategic dietary choices to support gut health and reduce flare-ups. Quotes to ponder: "Turmeric is a blood thinner and can affect the liver, so talk to your doctor before taking a turmeric supplement." "Getting enough fiber can help keep the gut microbiome healthy, which may prevent future flare-ups." "Managing ulcerative colitis symptoms and flare-ups can be different for everyone." Episode references: Ulcerative Colitis Diet and Nutrition – Crohn's & Colitis Foundation: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/diet-and-nutrition VSL#3 Probiotic: https://www.vsl3.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your gut holds the key to better health — and Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is back to help you unlock it! In this Exam Room Podcast mailbag episode, Chuck Carroll and Dr. B answer your biggest questions about gut health, fiber, inflammation, and the microbiome. Learn why diversity is strength — both in your diet and your gut — and how simple shifts like cooling your potatoes or walking after meals can feed your microbes for life-changing benefits. Topics include: - Fiber Maxing: the TikTok trend explained - Why resistant starch boosts your microbiome - Artificial sweeteners vs. sugar — what's worse? - How exercise supports gut health - The gut-brain connection and stress - Sneak peek into Plant Powered Plus (available Jan. 13)

Are fermented foods the missing link in our health, or just the latest wellness trend?  In this episode, Professor Tim Spector, a world-leading scientist in gut health and co-founder of ZOE, challenges what we think we know about yogurt, cheese, kombucha, and more. Tim uncovers why milk and cheese aren't the same in your body - and the surprising science showing cheese might not be the heart villain it was once made out to be. He also shares emerging evidence that fermented foods could influence inflammation, immunity, metabolism, and even mood, often in a matter of weeks. From a groundbreaking Stanford study to insights from ZOE's research on 9,000 people, this episode reveals why fermented foods are more powerful, and more misunderstood, than most of us realise. Tim breaks down the easiest ways to actually eat more fermented foods without overhauling your life. By the end, you'll be questioning what's in your fridge - and wondering if one tiny daily habit could do far more than you'd ever expect. Unwrap the truth about your food

Ever feel like you're doing everything “right” with your health and still can't figure out why your period's gone MIA? Or maybe you're confused about what's really going on post birth control and wonder if you'll ever feel “normal” again. In this episode, I sit back down with period recovery specialist Victoria Myers to unpack the overlooked signs of hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA), the science-backed practical strategies real women are using to regain their cycles and fertility naturally, and finally getting real answers when you've been dismissed or misunderstood. We're digging into why so many women are told IVF is their only option, how to differentiate between HA and PCOS (and yes, you can have both), what labs and lifestyle tweaks actually matter, and exactly what it takes to feel safe in your body so your hormones and fertility can thrive. So if you're ready to focus on the right changes to make your cycle regular again, even if you've struggled for years or lost hope, hit play and let's dive in.3:54 – Why Root Cause Investigation (HA vs. PCOS) Should Always Come First9:22 – How Eating More and Exercising Less Can Jumpstart Period Recovery14:34 – How Tracking Basal Body Temperature and Cervical Mucus Confirms Ovulation19:34 – What 2,500 Calories a Day Can Do for Your Hormones (Yes, Even If You're Petite)29:33 – Why Self-Worth and Body Image Are Tightly Linked with Period Health and The Best First Steps To Take If You Suspect HA or Irregular CyclesEpisode Links:Connect with Victoria: Website | InstagramCheck out Victoria's podcast: Nourishing Women PodcastOther Episodes You'll Love:Episode 133: Lost Your Period After Birth Control? Here's Why (and What to Do Next) | Victoria Myers, Period Recovery SpecialistEpisode 34: My Hormone Journey: Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, Candida, and More!

In this episode, Dr. Hemingway, gets down to the 7 most Powerful Strategies to Boost your Immune Health, Naturally and Repeatedly--Proven Strategies that are Simple and Effective and Available.Add one Strategy each week and in less than 2 months your Immune System will be your best and most valuable Partner (MVP) not just in Flu Season but it Life as it helps you reduce inflammation which is the most common root of almost all disease, from heart disease to cancer, getting your Immune System to work as it's designed is your Legacy and it's possible through these Seven Simple Steps.Have a Listen and SHARE with a friend!**JOIN DR. HEMINGWAY at ALIGN AWAKEN!  Event in San Diego Jan 22-25, 2026!*ACCESS my FREE workshop, "Younger, Stronger, for Longer!"  How to turn back your biological age 10-20 years so you can do the things you want to do that you no longer thought possible due to your age.  Perform at your best and live your best life!*And, in my new Performance, and Longevity medical practice we specialize in turning back your biological age and OPTIMIZING HORMONES so you can feel a decade or more younger so you can do the things you want to do that you thought were no longer possible due to your age.  Join the waitlist here!*SHARE with a Friend and please drop a Review:)*Don't wait to Prioritize your health, Start Today with the Simple and Powerful Steps detailed in my Best-selling book.*GET DIRECT ACCESS to DR. HEMINGWAY in these AMAZING COURSES!**Free resource: 'The truth about GLP-1s and their alternatives' - https://drthomashemingway.myflodesk.com/n1yyjkcb68Mahalo and Aloha andTo your health,

Fatigue isn't just about feeling tired, but also your body's warning signal that something much deeper is out of balance.  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Evan Hirsch, founder of the Energy MD Method, to uncover his proven four-step process for restoring energy, reversing long COVID, and resolving chronic fatigue for good. We discuss the Toxic Five: the underlying root causes that drain your vitality and how you can retrain your nervous system, open detox pathways, and naturally restore your mitochondria. Dr. Hirsch shares his personal five-year battle with exhaustion, what finally worked, and how thousands have reclaimed their energy using the same framework.    "Our bodies are always working for our best interest. You can't just replace mitochondria 'to high heaven' and expect results. You have to fix the underlying problem that's forcing them to shut down." ~ Dr. Evan Hirsch   In This Episode: - Dr. Evan's journey through chronic fatigue - An overview of long COVID and the propagation of spike proteins  - Long COVID vs chronic fatigue - Why some people get long COVID and others don't - The 4-step process to resolve chronic fatigue and long COVID - Success stories and the program timeline - Addressing sleep issues and promoting sleep optimization - Mitochondria damage and cell danger response - Stats on chronic fatigue syndrome - Challenges and shortcomings in medical testing   Products & Resources Mentioned: Bon Charge Red Light Face Mask: Just go to https://boncharge.com/myersdetox and your discount will be automatically applied at checkout! Tru Energy Lip Peptide Treatment: Visit https://trytruenergy.com/wendy3 now to claim your special Buy One, Get One Free offer for a limited time. Organifi Happy Drops: Get 20% off at https://organifi.com/myersdetox with code MYERSDETOX. Chef's Foundry P600 Cookware: Get an exclusive discount just for my listeners by going to https://bit.ly/myersdetox    Energy MD Method Program: Learn more and apply at https://www.energymdmethod.com/  Heavy Metals Quiz: Take the free quiz and get a custom detox video guide at https://heavymetalsquiz.com.   About Dr. Evan Hirsch: Dr. Evan Hirsch (MD), known as the Energy MD, is a world-renowned fatigue expert, bestselling author, and professional speaker. After his own years-long struggle with chronic fatigue, he developed the Energy MD Method, a science-based four-step process to identify and remove the root causes of exhaustion, long COVID, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Through his global online program, he's helped thousands reclaim their vitality naturally. Learn more at https://www.energymdmethod.com/  and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/evanhirschmd/    Disclaimer The Myers Detox Podcast was created and hosted by Dr. Wendy Myers. This podcast is for information purposes only. Statements and views expressed on this podcast are not medical advice. This podcast, including Wendy Myers and the producers, disclaims responsibility for any possible adverse effects from using the information contained herein. The opinions of guests are their own, and this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. This podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guests' qualifications or credibility. Individuals on this podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to herein. If you think you have a medical problem, consult a licensed physician.

Send us a textAfter six seasons, we're finally doing it—we're talking about how to get down to birth.As your "due date" approaches, many women find themselves up against policies, deadlines, and pressure to accept a medical induction. But what if other ways actually work?Today, we explore all the safe, risk-free, and surprisingly enjoyable ways to support your body as it prepares for labor and to help get things going when the pressure is on. Some are physical, some are emotional, and yes—some even play on the more literal meaning of “getting down.” Each approach works with your body instead of against the clock, and most are evidence-based and easy to do. Whether you're nearing your due date, facing induction, or simply want to feel prepared for whatever may come, this conversation gives you all the "hacks" to get you down to giving birth! #176 | August Q&A: Multiple Miscarriages; Evening Primrose Oil; Safe Bed-Sharing; Breastmilk Stashes; Failure to Descend; Pushing; High Blood Pressure********** Needed

In this episode, Functional Nutrition Practitioner Dani Conway shares how she helps women over 40 overcome stubborn weight gain, hormone imbalances, and gut issues by getting to the root causes—not just the symptoms. She explains her “meat-based, plants optional” approach, how functional lab testing can uncover hidden roadblocks, and why sustainable habits work better than restrictive diets. Dani's insights reveal how small, science-backed shifts can restore energy, balance hormones, and transform long-term health.Dani's Website: www.NutritiontheNaturalWay.comConnect with Dani on Social!!FB: @NutritiontheNaturalWayIG: @DaniConwayOfficialToday's Sponsor: www.HumanKinetics.com. Use promo code BB20 at checkout to get 20% off—but hurry, this offer ends December 1st!!

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3802: Randi Kay passionately reminds us that self-care isn't indulgent, it's essential. By tuning into your body's signals, embracing intentional movement, and prioritizing your own well-being, you not only heal and prevent burnout but also show up more fully for others. Her gentle but firm guidance helps transform daily self-care from a luxury into a non-negotiable ritual. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.naturallyrandikay.com/post/the-why-and-how-of-self-care Quotes to ponder: “Embrace movement as an essential part of being alive.” “We weren't created to sit at desks and stare at screens for 8+ hours a day.” “If you listen to your body whisper, then you don't have to hear it scream.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices