Podcasts about New World

Learn all about the pilgrims and their voyage on the Mayflower from England to the New World.

Find this episode on YouTube: Ceremonial magician Justine Alter talks and what a talk it is. Extremely fascinating (terrifying?) look into what is happening just out of site. After a life of being a psychic, extreme artist, and cult leader Justine converted to Orthodoxy. Her story is wild.Discover “Outside of the World” at New Martyr Press: https://www.newmartyrpress.com/books/blog-post-title-two-3ykj9✒ Substack: johnheersftf.substack.comⓧ https://x.com/johnfromftf

"In the fall of 1620, the Mayflower embarked on a 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Over the next nine weeks, its passengers and crew battled fierce storms and rampant illness. They had left England dangerously late in the season, and provisions ran low. In the ship's cramped cabins, the Puritan Separatists shared close quarters with a group known as “Strangers” who did not share their tight bonds or religious beliefs. When strong gales blew the ship off course, tensions between the Puritans and the Strangers exploded, threatening to tear the colony apart before they even set foot in the New World.Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to season six!What if the legends of the old world were not legends at all? In this episode, we trace the dark lineage of two ancient Germanic legends, the Lindwurm and the Drude, and follow their shadow across the sea to the New World where a new creature appears: The SnallygasterLove Haunted Cosmos? Get access to our exclusive show, The Dusty Tome, early ad-free access to main episodes and monthly AMA's with our co-host, Ben Garrett, by becoming a patron of the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/HauntedCosmos Buy the Haunted Cosmos book: https://www.newchristendompress.com/all-products/p/cosmosbook PS: It's also available as an audiobook!This episode is sponsored by: Gray Toad Tallow. Visit their website here and use COSMOS15 at checkout for 15% off your order. https://graytoadtallow.com/Indigo Sundries Soap Company - Go to http://indigosundriessoap.com and use code HAUNTEDCOSMOS for 10% off your whole order!Armored Republic: Making Tools of Liberty for the defense of every free man's God-given rights - Text JOIN to 88027 or visit: https://www.ar500armor.com/ New Dominion Design Co. Visit their website here and learn more! http://newdominiondesignco.com/Get all your elderberry products from our friends at The King's Ridge Elderberries! Head to https://tkrfarm.com and use code BRIGHTHEARTH for 10% off!Jake Muller Adventures is an immersive, mysterious, and engaging audio drama. Use code "HAUNTED" to claim 10% off all digital downloads. https://www.jakemulleradventures.com/haunted Stonecrop Wealth Advisors! Go to this link to check out their special offers to Haunted Cosmos listeners today. https://stonecropadvisors.com/hauntedcosmosSmall batch, hand-poured candles. Welcome to the resistance. https://resistancecandles.com/Support the show

Welcome to a new series breakdown of the JKL Media Podcast! In this episode, hosts Jesse, Karen, and Lou dive into the first two episodes of 'Pluribus,' a thrilling new series on Apple TV. They discuss the shocking premise, delve into the characters' backstories, and explore the complex moral dilemmas posed by the show's unique hive mind concept. From Carol's internal struggles to unexpected twists and turns, this discussion offers a detailed and engaging analysis of what makes 'Pluribus' a must-watch series. Tune in for insights, laughs, and a deep dive into this compelling new show! 00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks 00:22 Welcome to JKL Media Podcast 01:29 Discussing Vince Gilligan's Work 04:43 Initial Impressions of the New Series 09:58 Carol's Character and the Hive Mind 16:09 Episode One Recap and Analysis 28:33 Episode Two: Pirate Lady 39:22 Carol's Anger and Its Consequences 40:50 The Hive Mind's Dichotomy 42:54 Moral Dilemmas and Human Nature 46:21 Individuality vs. Hive Mind 51:24 Kumba's Mansplaining and Carol's Isolation 01:00:43 Speculations and Future Possibilities 01:07:10 Production Insights and Final Thoughts

If Columbus never stumbled upon the Americas, we'd have to wave goodbye to some of our favorite foods like potatoes, tomatoes, and chocolate – they all came from the New World! Also, the spice trade would've been totally different, with no chili peppers to spice things up in Europe. Imagine the alternate reality where indigenous cultures in the Americas continued to flourish without European influence, and European history took a detour without the New World's resources. In a world without Columbus's voyages, we'd be savoring different flavors and perhaps living in a world where chili fries are just fries! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carter Chow from Red Envelope Sports joined DJ & PK to talk about the new landscape of college athletics and how he operates in it as an agent.

On this week's episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk about the ups and downs of investor funding with online games, including Project Ghost, the Warhammer MMO, Pantheon, and Innsmouth Mysteries. Other topics include Necesse's runaway success, BitCraft's new patch, a consolation content update for New World, and the growing trend of cozy gaming. It's the Massively OP Podcast, an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you'd like to send in your question to the show, use this link. Show notes: Intro Adventures in MMOs: LOTRO, WoW, RIFT, GW2 News: Project Ghost is officially dead as is that Warhammer MMO News: New World gets a consolation update News: Pantheon and Innsmouth Mysteries receive welcome funding News: Necesse sells 2M units, BitCraft puts out new update Mailbag: What do we think of Petit Planet and cozy games? Outro Other info: Podcast theme: "Forest Caves" from Necesse Your show hosts: Justin and Bree Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Amazon, and Spotify Follow Massively Overpowered: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch If you're having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

*President Trump is calling for an investigation of the meat packing industry.  *We are nearing an end to the government shutdown.   *West Texas A&M hosted a groundbreaking for their new research feedlot. *Corn is a major crop for the Texas High Plains region.  *Spacing and support are important when planting trees to enhance the value of rural property.  *Sometimes Bermuda grass stands slowly thin or die over time.  *Wildlife can be affected by the New World screwworm.  

Ep 218 One World in a New World with Christina Olsen❓ Guiding Questions:How can hypnosis and mindset work help rewire limiting beliefs?Why does self-love feel so difficult, yet so essential to awakening?Join Zen Benefiel and Christina M. Olsen, Hypnosis Expert, Mindset Coach, and Host of Remembering You Podcast, for a profound and liberating conversation about awakening to freedom, authenticity, and love.Christina shares her story of breaking out of societal “boxes,” learning self-love, and rediscovering freedom after living the so-called “perfect life.” Through hypnosis, spiritual awakening, and mindful transformation, she now helps others interrupt limiting trances and rewire their minds for peace, abundance, and purpose.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 30 Time For Celebrating! In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.   When I fell to Earth I realized perfection; Earth has everything while Heaven has no Evil. "Ask Belle," I replied. "This fight was for me being allowed on the bed. You still need to pay for breaking into her room." "What?" Leigh squeaked. "Come here, Slut," Belle laughed. She hooked an arm around Leigh's waist from behind and began dragging her back into the house. "Zane?" Leigh called out fearfully. "Coming, coming," I groaned. "I feel like someone dropped a cinderblock on my head, and my ribs." I staggered for the door only to be intercepted by Willa. "You are one freaking weird dude," she whispered. "You have no idea," I responded softly. As she came alongside, I put my arm around her waist, then down inside her panties, and cupped her right ass cheek. I gave it a good squeeze. I figure Willa could pull away or punch me in my sore ribs. Instead, she bumped my hip and put her head on my shoulder. "Have you ever been with another woman?" I asked. "No," she regarded me. "Willing to experiment?" I teased her. She smiled, snaked a hand along my back to my neck and finally grabbed a handful of hair. She pulled me down into a kiss and finished with her own devilish grin. I took that to be a yes. We made our way back to Belle's room, where Belle and I stripped out of our wet clothes. "You don't have to handcuff me," Leigh begged of Belle. "I'll behave." "I know you'll be a good girl, but I don't care. I'll do it because I want to," Belle taunted her. Leigh pouted and looked my way. I shrugged helplessly in response. She stripped, crawled to the middle of the bed, rolled onto her back, and put her wrists together just below her breasts. "I'd rather fight than be a victim," Belle mocked her as the bindings clicked shut. "No, that's some cock, you skank," Leigh wound up her courage. Belle's response was to retrieve the vibrator and turn it on. "Calling me a skank makes you feel tough, eh?" Belle closed in. The vibrator began rubbing against Leigh's thighs as I settled into the bed behind Belle. Willa resumed her position on the far side after she stripped down. Belle gave me a curious look over her shoulder before turning back to Leigh. I snuggled into Belle before nibbling and sucking on her neck and shoulder. As Belle pushed the vibrator between Leigh's labia, I ran my left arm down Belle's back and parted her ass cheeks. I could feel Belle look over her shoulder again, my lips were sucking on her shoulder at that moment, and visually question what I thought I was doing. I could sense a struggle going through her mind by the increased tenseness of her shoulders. She had to be deciding if she would let me distract her or not. A moment later she made up her mind; she bent her leg and pulled her knee toward her chest to make my access to her easier. I scooted farther down so I could move my hand below her ass and begin stroking her cunt, back to front. Belle wiggled the vibrator inside Leigh's cunt as my fingers worked her over. She kept it going until she felt my cock pushing past her ass cheeks. Belle didn't caution me about her anus; she didn't have to. When my cockhead touched her cunt, Belle responded by looking back at me, daring me to stick it in. "Do you want me to stop, Belle?" I gazed into her eyes. Belle's response was to suddenly push down on my cock, pushing it half way in with one thrust. "Fuck," she hissed. I grabbed her hip and finished driving my rod all the way in. I quickly withdrew, then slammed it home again. At the same time, I moved my right hand, pinned underneath me, under Belle's body, until I burrowed to her pelvis. Belle began humming as my hand reached her slender landing strip. I also noticed that her activity with Leigh had lightened up. Her cunt walls strongly massaged my cock's passage and the stimulation was soaking up more and more of Belle's attention. The vibrator cut off. Belle had dropped it so she could start pulling and pinching her breasts as my four fingers began to vigorously rub her clit. For five minutes I kept going at her sideways until she grabbed the sheets so she could shove her body into mine and almost pushed me off the bed. Her climax seized her, her breath came in short gasps and tremors passed from her body to mine. "Damn it," Belle cursed. It took me a moment to figure out what she was pissed about. She began thrusting back against me. "Still hard, huh?" she growled. Why, yes I was, but I wasn't going to tease her about it. I missed the visual exchange between Willa and Belle but the end result was Belle giving in, letting Leigh off the hook. "I'm getting on top, Zane," Belle demanded. What proceeded was a bit of bedroom acrobatics but I kept my cock inside as I moved towards the bed's center while Belle swung up to a reverse cowgirl position. I pushed up, palms on the bed behind me, and watched her ass begin to bounce on my lap. At first, Belle rested her hands on my shins and used that to balance her rocking and thrusting of the hips. "Don't, Zane," Belle panted as I pressed my chest against her back. When I wrapped my arms around her, she made one last protest. "Oh, damn you." I hugged Belle tight, my left arm around her stomach and the right around her chest. She slowed down for a few seconds before turning her upper body so that we could kiss. Our tongues flickered against each other, then slowly danced back and forth between our mouths. "I really should bite you right now," Belle sighed. "What the hell for?" I muttered. "I'm going to have to look across the room now and find a reason for not jumping your bones, you idiot," she breathed in short bursts. "Someone likes being 'Zaned'," Leigh teased. Willa slapped her somewhere; I couldn't see where. "Shut up unless you want to be tied up all night," Willa whispered. I was busy letting my hands migrate over Belle's tight body now that I had 'permission' to sex her up. I let Belle lean into me. Her hands cupped her breasts while my hands went from her shoulders to the top of the tits but avoided the nipples. I skated around her upper chest, linking my hands over her pulsing abdomen then lightly traveling down to her thighs. "You are not in a hurry," Belle observed breathlessly. "It is our first time," I reminded her. "Oh," was all she had to say. Her body rubbing against me was her real reply. It was with gradual ease that we upped our tempo until Belle finally 'gave it up' again. This time I came with her, and I completely spaced about a condom, again. Belle writhed her body against mine for almost a minute as we regained our composure and our breaths. "You came in me, didn't you?" Belle said seriously. "Yeah, I screwed up. I'm sorry," I groaned. "What are we going to name our kid?" Belle showed a tiny bit of mirth. "I'm partial to Beausephus if it is a boy," I told her as I kissed her neck, "and Andromeda if it is a girl." "Our kid is going to kick ass," Belle laughed. "Aren't you on the pill?" Leigh wondered. "Listen, you stupid Cunt," Belle twisted on my semi-rigid cock so she could lock eyes with Leigh, "do I look like I can afford Healthcare?" "Answer me, Bitch," Belle began wiggling off my lap and out of my arms. "Let it go," I begged Belle. "Don't think that just because you have my cock in my cunt, that makes me your bitch," Belle growled to me. "As your friend, I'm asking you to drop, 'my cock'?" I hesitated. "Just because MY cock is in your cunt doesn't make it your cock," I teased. "Crap, slip of the tongue," Belle mumbled. "It's okay," both Leigh and I said. "Several of our girls feel that way," Leigh added. "We feel possessive about that cock." "What she said," I finished. "That's why when it is not attached, I keep it in a locked box." Belle snorted and Willa and Leigh laughed. "You went with the detachable cock?" Belle stared at me. "That's so sad." "Hey, now," I blushed. "I have a horny naked biker babe sitting in my lap, with my cock in her cunt. I'm a little shaken up right now." "You can be real trying at times," Belle leaned into me compassionately. "What? You said you wanted me to try your ass?" I joked. "Okay." Belle's vaginal muscles constricted around my cock, exciting me to hardness again. "You rip up my ass and I'm going to rip off your balls," Belle grinned shark-like. "Your? No, I meant Willa's ass," I verbally back-pedaled. "Look, she's sitting there, ass up looking all inviting, lush, and full-formed." "You wouldn't dare," Willa smirked at me. By her own accounts, Willa loved anal sex, but apparently it wasn't something she normally shared. Belle's instincts were leading her past the deception. "Are you freaky, Willa?" Belle mocked her friend. "Hey," Leigh piped up. "Barbie Lynn likes it and she's no freak." I rolled onto my side, trying to let Belle slide off my shaft. "Am I going somewhere?" Belle turned and joked with me. I shrugged, put my left hand on her shoulder and pumped into her hard several times. "Okay, okay," Belle panted. "Go bang Willa. My cunt is still tingling from the last orgasm, Stud." Belle twisted onto her stomach which allowed my cock to pop free. Belle moaned sensually and lay there for a minute with her eyes closed. Dangerously, Leigh crawled over Belle's still form, retrieved something from Belle's nightstand, and handed it to me, lube. Leigh must have seen Belle pull it out and lube up the vibrator before shoving it in. Belle wasn't a total sadist. I slipped beside Willa who kept drinking me in with her eyes. "Where do you think you are going with that?" she said. Willa remained on her stomach, her ass proudly pointing up and proffered. "Would you like to try anal?" I winked. "I'm sure if you try it, you'll like it." "This won't make me your Old Lady," Willa teased back. "I'll try it. Let's see what you've got." "I only want to make you happy," I breathed into her ear. Willa shivered in anticipation. I brushed her hair to the far side of her head then kissed the top of her neck. Willa began to murmur pleasurably as I trailed butterfly kisses down her spine to her tailbone. A single finger stroked farther down to her cunt and down to her pubic mound. Willa was only lightly shaved, keeping her bush full. The return trip lingered around her anus, pushing slightly and making Willa moan. She opened her legs farther and farther apart as I continued to rub her gently. With my free hand, I opened the tube of lubricant and let it pour down her ass cheeks. I teased her sphincter twice but abandoned it to rub the thick liquid all over her cunt and perineum. Recall that Willa was going through a long, dry spell -- being an undercover officer in an outlaw biker gang, so she was bursting at the seams for sexual contact. "Damn it, Zane," she pleaded. "Willa, you are a freak," Belle chuckled. "Watching him work has gotten me so horny," Leigh whined. I ignored the peanut gallery; I was dripping oil on my three middle fingers, pushing my forefinger against Willa's sphincter. Willa must have really liked her experiences with anal sex because she relaxed her sphincter on contact and let me in. Man, her asshole felt hot compared to the slight chill of the room. My finger corkscrewed past the second knuckle when Willa let out another heartfelt moan. I pushed in a little farther while resuming my kisses on her back. Inside a minute, Leigh had sidled up to Willa and me. Belle had propped herself up with her pillow on the headboard but was studying the three of us intently. "You are acting like you've never seen a three-way before," I commented to Belle. "Not from the outside looking in," Belle shrugged. I had no immediate comeback to that. Saying something like 'maybe next time,' or 'enjoy the show' felt inappropriate. I devoted my attentions to Willa once more instead. Speaking of Willa, she was now relaxed enough for me to stick my ring finger into her anus. I noticed Leigh getting terribly interested in Willa's arousal. "Willa, rise up. Push up off the mattress for me, Babe," I coaxed Willa. She looked back at me, smiled lustfully, and began raising her ass. A few more twist and turns with my fingers and Willa was up on all fours, head down, and her face screened from view by her long, black hair. I was about to encourage Leigh but she was already slipping under Willa and putting her lips to Willa's closest tit. Willa's grunt rose over the sound of Leigh's suckling noise. I had to move completely to Willa's rear to allow Leigh more room to maneuver beneath Willa. Leigh's right hand quickly sought out Willa's cunt while her left began caressing Willa's right breast. I had to admire Leigh's enthusiasm as well as her willingness to not hold Belle's rough treatment against Willa. Belle began to rub her cunny as she watched us play. I also caught Willa shake her head ecstatically when I wormed my third finger into her butthole. "Someone's all excited," Leigh giggled, as she lifted up her fingers that had been in Willa's cunt for me to inspect. They weren't just slick; they dripped with her juices. Finally, Willa had enough. "Enough foreplay, Zane," she gasped. "Put that big cock in me. Stick it to me now." "Ask and you shall receive," I replied. With one hand on her hip and the other one on my rod I placed my throbbing cockhead against her mildly gaping sphincter. I could literally feel the breath slowly exhale from Willa's body as my cock first slipped inside her anal cavity. "Zane, Zane, Zane," she exulted softly as I inched my way inside her rectum. I had been wrong all this time; I had thought I'd never find someone who liked anal sex as much as Barbie Lynn, but here she was. She was tight, hot, and damp. By the snug fit I could tell she had abstained for some time but her reactions were pure pleasure, to me and her. I could also feel Leigh's fingers vibrating rapidly within Willa's cunt as well as her vaginal muscles squeezing them back. I let my penis sit there for a moment before withdrawing all but the head. I repeated this three times, with Willa moaning louder each time I thrust my deepest. "Hammer her," Belle demanded. "Her ass, her rules," I chastised the head Warlord Babe. "Hammer me, Zane," Willa virtually screamed. O-kay then, a hammering I will go. I plunged in without mercy. The first thrust nearly toppled her over but on the second one, I held her hips tightly and she pushed back to meet my attack. The loud smacking of skin began to echo throughout the room. "Don't, stop, un, til, you, fill, me, up," Willa gasped between lighting swift penetrations. I felt like my hips were moving in a blur. Willa's whole body was a mass of spasms beneath me. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Willa gasped, then she squealed. Yes, squealed like a little school girl. I didn't relent, though. She had told me to keep going, so 'hi-ho, hi-ho, it was off to fuck I go'. I caught sight of an exhausted Willa turning her head sideways and mouthing something to Belle through her mass of hair. Belle tilted her head, then shook it in the negative. "No, you can't keep him," she explained to Willa but for my benefit. "Too many people know he's here. Wait until you get Zane alone before you take him." "Hey! That's our line," Leigh spoke up indignantly. "Kappa Sig property." "You had better put those lips back to work on Willa before I put this vibrator back to work on you," Belle threatened. Leigh huffed, then went back to lip-smacking Willa's tit. "Shit, shit, shit," then a squeal from Willa once more. Damn, that had been a fast one. After that, Willa went down to her elbows, smothering Leigh with her tit. Leigh responded by going hog-wild on the whole breast biting and chewing on the whole damn thing. "Jesus Christ!" Willa howled, followed quickly by the loudest squeal of them all. Her body contractions dissipated what remained of my self-control. I began ejaculating, grinding my hips hard into her ass and plunging to the farthest depths yet. Willa collapsed in a state of perpetual groaning. Belle was kind enough to pull Leigh free before I collapsed on Willa. I barely had the strength to prop myself up on my elbows so as not to crush Willa beneath me. "Willa," Belle mused, "you really are full of surprises." If only she knew, or maybe it was better that she didn't know. It took a physically devastated Willa several seconds to reply. "You aren't going to give me shit about this in front of the other girls, are you?" she asked. Willa was a probationary Warlord so her reputation was incredibly vulnerable. "Yeah; let me see," Belle ticked off events; while massaging Leigh's half-raised leg from knee to inner thigh, "From the sounds of it he nailed Fontana Palmer thrice; before coming up here, kicking my ass, then fucking me so good all the lights came on. Then he rolled you over and plowed your ass through three orgasms, no." "They'll strap Zane down to the pool table for one hell of a weekend," Belle pointed out. "All the guys will resent him for that, so they'll bust him up and put him in the hospital where he can't perform for a month. Then the female riot ensues. I don't need that kind of hassle." "Thanks for looking out for me," I mocked. "Eh, you are almost a friend," Belle smiled. "Okay, on that note I'm going to take Leigh and leave," I began getting out of bed. Leigh had enough common sense to look to Belle for permission before climbing over Belle's legs and hopping free. "Try to keep the noise down," Belle teased as I opened the door. "I think Leigh's cunt has been abused enough for one night," I shook my head. "We are going downstairs to cuddle." "Nah-uh," Leigh said as she grabbed my hand. "Penetration, orgasm, cuddle; that's the way it's going to go." "No, wait," Leigh corrected herself. "Penetration, orgasm, orgasm, cuddle is how it's going to go." I'm sure Willa and Belle heard my groan of despair as I shut their door. "Leigh, your cunt looks much abused," I told her. "How about we not have sex tonight?" "After all I went through, please," she begged. "How about we have a sex-date later this week," I suggested. "I want to spend some time with you," Leigh pouted. "Leigh, I have Fall Break this week," I informed her. "We can have as much time as you like." "You do?" Leigh visibly perked up. "Oh, thank God," she then moaned. "I can barely walk, I'm so sore." "Do you still want to cuddle?" I asked. "I'd love to, Zane," she sighed, as she put her arm around my waist. "I want you to know that if it wasn't for Tawny, we really would keep you as our sex slave," she added lovingly. Yay me. "That's it," I snarled. "I'm going to go over there one night, tie all of you up, and butt-fuck the lot of you." "Oh, that sounds like fun," Leigh giggled. "Would we be tied up side by side so we could watch you do it to the sister next to us?" "Are you taking freak lessons from Rio?" I wondered. "Because you are starting to scare me." "Nope. Frankly, with the way she wields that strap-on, she kind of scares us," Leigh confessed. Ah, an unlooked for benefit of my Direct-to-Video lifestyle; I have provided the World with a warning label for Rio. Speaking of Rio, when we arrived at the sofa we discovered that she'd crawled up on it and was fast asleep again. I draped my blanket over her then curled up with Leigh in the quilt I had originally taken out for Rio. I lay down on my back and Leigh curled up on top of me. She started to say something to me but was overtaken by a yawn. She put her ear to my chest, yawned again then started snoring. I must have nodded off right after that because the next thing I knew Jill was shaking us awake gently. "Leigh," she inquired, "are you staying for breakfast?" "Sure, Aunt Jill," she yawned. "Let me get cleaned up and I'll help out in the kitchen." "Thank you, dear," Jill grinned. Leigh scampered off to the bathroom while Jill went to the kitchen. Rio was blissfully asleep still. I followed Jill into the kitchen and leaned against the counter while she soaked a paper towel under the faucet. "Did you sleep well last night?" I questioned. "Oh, Zane," Jill smiled serenely, "I learned to sleep through your antics several weeks ago." She dabbed my cheek, the one Belle had popped last night. It stung but I manned-up and took my mothering like a big boy. I made sure the ladies upstairs were awake before doubling back on my room to get dressed for Church. Fontana and Valarie propped themselves up and took in the show. As I was making sure my tie looked good in the mirror, I caught Fontana smacking her daughter in the forehead. "Sleep with that young man, damn it," she advised forcefully. "Subtle, Mom," Valarie groused back. "I mean, he's standing right there." "What do you think, Zane?" Fontana chuckled. "Do you mind me giving my daughter some helpful advice?" "I'm not going to step into that conversation, Fontana," I evaded, "and Val, that was a mean thing you did to Leigh. Belle was unforgiving." "She should learn to use a door like a normal person," Valarie smirked. "I am just warning you that Belle is particular about her private space," I cautioned her. "Valarie, you should clear the air with Belle," Fontana advised her daughter. "This is her home too and her territory." "I'll take care of it," Valarie yawned then shrugged. I had the feeling she wasn't taking this seriously. "Let's get some food, Mom. I still need to get dressed for Church too." Oh, Valarie didn't know the half of it, but I managed to keep Rio and her from ragging on Belle when they learned that Belle had lost a 'bet' with me and had to wear a dress to church along with the rest of them. Rio turned out to be hangover proof. Jill cooked up a wonderful breakfast and Leigh received her measure of revenge when she, Belle, and I had to go over to the Kappa Sigma house to find a dress that fit. Oh, those sorority girls were walking a thin line between cordiality and an ass-whooping because Belle wasn't in the mood to take shit from anyone. Tawny was a big help and Jersey provided the acceptable black dress for Belle to wear. Ricky provided the stockings and shoes. "The first one to say a damn thing dies," Belle glared at the assembly back at my house when she walked in the door. Jill must have missed that. When she came downstairs and saw Belle, she walked up and hugged her. "You look beautiful, Belle," Jill said while examining her. "Ah, thanks, Jill," Belle looked around evasively. Had anyone else said or done that, we would have died. Jill received a weak smile instead. Belle ended up in Sunday school class with Jill, who introduced her as Belle Kennan -- and no one made the connection despite Belle's constant scowl. Rio bringing Belle around to the Masters clan did something to ameliorate the situation. Suddenly having the young unattached males of the church pay attention to her was something Belle found downright darkly amusing. Rio was running around, introducing Belle as her Aunt from Michigan -- very single and clearly well-connected. Rochelle Wellington was the only one to figure out the ruse and she said nothing. Once we got home, Belle couldn't wait to be shed of those clothes. I took them back to the Kappa Sigmas with my gratitude for helping out yet again. When I came back I found Belle standing alone on the back porch. "Penny for your thoughts," I said. "I really ought to punch your lights out for putting me through that," she opened up. "I fucked three of those guys in high school and they didn't even recognize me now. I was in a pretty dress, a touch of make-up, and hung around with rich friends and; BANG; suddenly I wasn't the poor, dirty tramp in their eyes anymore." "Who gives a crap what they think or remember?" I countered. "You are still the same unique you no matter how you dress." Calling Belle beautiful was pointless, true but pointless, because she would have read that as me trying to get back into her pants. "You've never wanted for anything in your life," she mused. "What the fuck?" I rounded on her. "Bitch, for two years I only got to take showers when it rained; forget having any deodorant, and for amusement we played tag with pythons because we only had electricity when someone was pedaling the bicycle." She rounded on me with an angry rebuttal but immediately burst out laughing. "Yeah," she snickered, "and I finally got it out of Jill what a bad little monkey you were too. She told me you had 30 girlfriends and would screw around behind Tim's back all the time. You were a slut too." "Where? Belle, look around you," I grinned. "I am still a slut and proud of it." "Fuck you," she smiled. "Here I was getting worked up into a true fury and you come along and cheer me up." "That's what friends are for," I quipped. "I should have shoved Rio's head down that toilet," Belle teased. "You really complicate my life. Let's go in and grab a bite before we get all mushy." That First Time Fontana wasn't leaving until the morning so Valarie decided to spend another night at my place. I didn't want another night on the sofa so I opted for Rio and me to crash out in my dorm for the night. Vivian would be gone for the week; I hoped she would be spending quality time with her boyfriend Thomas. Barbie Lynn would be around once she saw her family off, but Opal, Brandi, and Paige, plus Christina and company, were gone for the week. They were all due back Saturday afternoon. The dark lining to this silver cloud was that both Paige and Heaven were; 'needy', and that didn't bode well for my Saturday night upon their return. That left us with twelve other girls on my floor tonight, one of which was Iona. She had decided that her time was better spent keeping Rio and me in line than being bored out of her skull back in her hometown. I was sure the fact that we would have a good deal of unobstructed time together had nothing to do with it. Iona was cuddled up with me on my right side on the large sofa closest to my bedroom screens. On my left, Rio was slouched down, channel surfing. She never stayed on any program long enough to see if it was any good. She was bored and angry. I was peripherally aware of someone activating the door and coming up but I wasn't paying too much attention until I noticed someone standing there and looking around for somebody. It was Mercy. I could hardly believe it. Our eyes met and she shrugged in confusion. She couldn't see Rio because my buddy's head was below the top of the back of the sofa. I surreptitiously moved my left arm over the top and then pointed down to where she was. Mercy's eyes lit up and she skipped on over, her bouncing proving to me she was braless. Rio was in such a foul mood, she didn't notice, so Mercy began leaning over until her shadow interfered with the suspended lighting. Finally, Rio rotated her face up to see what the problem was and looked right into Mercy's eyes. "Hey, you," Rio sounded remarkably nonchalant. "Hello, Rio," Mercy grinned hopefully. "I convinced my parents that I had to stay." "That's nice," Rio shrugged. Considering all the hell Rio had put me through during Homecoming and this weekend about Mercy being gone, I wanted to start punching her. "I wore my collar all weekend," she indicated the collar Rio (me, really) got her that had the school colors but Rio's initials on it. "I expressly forbid you from doing anything that might tip your parents off," Rio shook her head. "Simple fucking instructions and you manage to screw that up," she sighed. "I'm going to have to spank that kitty, aren't I?" Mercy's smile grew absolutely wanton. "I bet you are not wearing underwear, you tramp," Rio looked put out. "I seem to have lost them on the way over here," Mercy beamed. "Really? 'I lost them' is the best you can come up with? Give me some nipple-age, damn it," Rio insisted. Mercy bent over farther while Rio unbuttoned Mercy's shirt. "Remember, I'm only biting and sucking on these bad babies because you've been naughty, not because I enjoy it," Rio informed Mercy as she wiggled up to meet those naked breasts half way. "Okay," Mercy sighed happily as the first dangling breast went into Rio's mouth and her lips sucked the nipple in so her tongue could abuse it. Rio alternated between Mercy's tits, slurping and nibbling but not really biting down, as promised. She also reached up and grabbed her lover's shoulders, pulling her farther and farther. I was sure Mercy's feet had come off the ground. I would have looked but Iona took that moment to begin massaging my thigh. I looked to her; she was looking over at Rio and Mercy when Mercy started tumbling head first onto the sofa. Rio rolled Mercy onto her back, her skirt bunching up around her waist to reveal her baby-smooth cunt. "You are my bitch, Bitch," Rio growled as she pressed down on Mercy and tried to kiss her. "No, no," Mercy giggled as she kicked her heels, shook her head from side to side in an effort to avoid the kiss. "Please, let me go. I don't want to be kissed, or licked, or spanked, or have my body abused all week long. No, that would be horrible. Please, please, please, release me. I'll be good. I won't tell a soul about the terrible things you have planned for me." Rio hovered there, clearly in shock. "Why you rebellious little slut," Rio gasped. "Oh, I'm going to ream your ass for that little outburst." "Eeep!" Mercy squeaked. "Move that butt to the boudoir, you skanky whore," Rio pulled Mercy off the sofa, then spanked her bottom. Mercy looked over her shoulder fearfully and hurried that way with Rio in hot pursuit. Iona stood up, pulled on my arm and led my gaze to their retreating forms. "You want to join them?" I questioned. "I want to watch," Iona clarified. "They are so much in love; it is a beautiful thing to witness." "That it is," I agreed as I stood up as well. I led her toward my bedroom, Iona squeezing my hand tightly. "Also, getting naked under the covers with you has its own appeal," Iona gave me a cute, hopeful look. "What makes you think I'll get naked?" I teased. "Well, Zane, you are my friend, and you're easy," she teased right back. Ouch! "I prefer easily accessible, thank you very much," I stated indignantly. "Have you been taking etiquette lessons from Rio?" "Zane," Iona pouted. "That was unfair. I'd never abuse you the way Rio does, or Barbie Lynn, or Paige, or Heaven." As we rounded the last turn in the Chinese screen maze that separated my sleeping quarters from the rest of the floor, Rio was pushing Mercy face-first onto her (Rio's) side of the bed. Rio squatted behind Mercy. Mercy's torso was on the bed but her legs were still splayed over the edge. Rio probed forward, took a lick of that cunt, then another, before spanking Mercy's right cheek. "Has anybody else been using what is mine?" Rio inquired threateningly. Mercy shook her head violently in the negative. "Are you sure?" Rio persisted. "You are pretty clueless. Someone might have sexed you up while telling you they were doing your taxes, or something stupid like that. Did you let someone do your taxes?" Again Mercy shook her head 'no'. "Well ,  I don't trust you," Rio mused. "Zane, come over here." By this time, I was naked, I take off my clothes really fast because I hang around with some impatient women, and Iona was down to her socks and panties. "Sure," I responded. I walked around the bed until I was looking over Rio's shoulder. "Does this cunt and asshole look used to you?" Rio asked me. I reached out and with my forefinger, rubbed along Mercy's slit, starting with her clit. It was still a small nub but a few circles by my finger brought her out to play. Mercy moaned, wiggling her hips as she did. I scooped up from there, dipping between her labia until her fluids coated my fingers. I brought the finger up for a taste. "Yum," I grinned at Rio, who double-pumped her eyebrows and smiled like the madwoman she was. I stuck my finger back in Mercy's cunt to get it nice and wet again, causing Mercy to moan repeatedly. This time, I placed my finger against her anus. I rubbed it around but didn't try to press it in. The moment Mercy decided I wasn't going to give it to her, she thrust back, trying to drive my probing digit inside of her anyway. Rio smacked Mercy's ass to make her stop. "No, you don't, Wench," Rio threatened. "Rio, your baby-girl is pristine, she's nice and tight," I informed my buddy. "Thanks, Zane," Rio snickered. "I can never tell with this slut, she's always so horny. Or maybe I'm always so horny for her, I get those confused." "How about option three: you both are hot, horny babes addicted to each other's bodies?" I offered. "I really don't care what Mercy feels," Rio lied. "She's only serves as a vessel for my lusts. Don't you exist to be solely a receptacle for my lusts, Slut-Bunny?" Mercy slid down the bed until her knees touched the ground. She turned around to the less than amused Rio, waddled up to her lover and wrapped her arms around Rio's waist, hugging her tight. "Yes, yes, yes," Mercy murmured contentedly. "What the, listen, you sk- --" Rio started out angrily. She never finished calling Mercy a 'skank'. She hesitantly, then gently, ran her fingers through Mercy's hair. "I missed you so much, I was going nuts without you; just ask Zane," Rio gave her heartfelt confession. "Rio," Mercy looked up as Rio petted her head, "I've given this a lot of thought and I want you to be my first, tonight, right now," Mercy pleaded. Rio's eyes shot a panicked look in my direction. 'You can handle this,' I mouthed my assurance to my Best Buddy. Rio returned her gaze to Mercy and tilted her lover's head up until their eyes met. "You know there is no coming back from this," Rio stated. Mercy nodded. "This will make you mine forever," Rio said next. Mercy nodded with greater vigor. "You know I am a complete fucking train-wreck and am more likely to ruin your whole damn life than make you happy." "I am yours and you are mine," Mercy whispered, mimicking the tattoo Rio had placed on Mercy's back. "I can't do this," Rio stroked Mercy's cheek. Mercy looked devastated. "We are both wearing clothes, how can we properly make love if we are both still wearing clothes?" Mercy gawked, then shoved her face into Rio's stomach and bit down, hard, it appeared. "Ow, Bitch!" Rio screamed. "That hurt." "Rio, you nearly scared me to death." Mercy sounded so pitiful as she looked back up at Rio. I really had no idea how Rio's twisted, crazy mind would take that. For a second, I thought she'd explode, Rio didn't take pain like a rational person. "I apologize, Love. I have no excuse," Rio responded softly. She even used the 'L' word. "Really?" Mercy whispered. Rio nodded. "Will you do me one favor?" "Okay," Rio replied cautiously. "Please never apologize to me again, my Love," Mercy pleaded. "It scares me nearly as much as you being mean to me a moment ago." Rio studied Mercy for a few seconds. "Did you use the 'L' word?" Rio glared at Mercy. Mercy's eyes grew wide; she then buried her face back into Rio's stomach and began kissing away. "No, you don't, Wench. I will not be mollified by your sloppy, wet kisses. Strip your ass down and get into bed. Mom is going to go primeval on every inch of your smoking hot Temple of Babylon." Mercy smiled, spun around, and quick-stepped as fast as she could back to the bed while still on her knees. Rio flashed me a look that spoke of a happiness I had never seen in her before. She was slipping out of her skirt as she hopped her way to her dresser, undoubtedly to get some toys. As for me, I crawled past Mercy and slipped under the covers held open by Iona. "Should we leave?" Iona whispered to me. "Mercy is somewhat of an exhibitionist and I doubt Rio cares," I answered quietly. "In that case, let me get close to Mercy in case she needs some comforting," Iona told me under her breath. Before I could reason that out, she snuck her naked, tight little body over mine and slid under the covers to be close to Mercy. Iona reached out a hand tentatively toward Mercy. Mercy regarded it, gave Iona a warm smile, and placed her fingers in Iona's palm. Rio affixed her modest-sized strap-on and lubed it up before walking over to Mercy. Her lover seemed entranced with the way the false phallus bobbed about as it approached her. Rio threw back the blanket roughly so she could gaze down at Mercy's beautiful naked form. Instinctively, Mercy began to move her knees up to her chest. "What's that?" Rio pointed to Mercy's hand being held by Iona. Mercy started to withdraw it when, "Did I tell you to move it?" Mercy stopped. "Put that hand back and put those legs down, you insipid cow." Down came Mercy's legs with a muffled thud. "Now I'm going to fuck you like I own you," Rio growled. "You do own me," Mercy chirped. "I'm yours." "Are you ready for me to pound that cunt?" Rio glared. "Yes," Mercy moaned softly. "Well, tough," Rio smirked. "You don't tell me what to do. I'm going to do this at my own pace, damn it." She sidled down to the foot of the bed while still facing Mercy. With delicate ease, Rio lowered her lips to Mercy's right big toe, kissed it then began sucking on it. Mercy had raised her chin to her chest so she could meet Rio's steady gaze. As Rio began playing with her toes, Mercy shivered and groaned. When Rio switched to the left foot, Mercy whimpered. "Please, Rio," she moaned. "Hush, you," Rio mumbled around the current toe she was sucking on. "You are my plaything and I'll do what I want with you." Mercy's head fell back on the pillow as she clutched Iona's hand tightly. Iona seemed totally taken with events. She had rolled on her side so I cuddled behind her, my cock pressing against the small of her back, and began kissing her shoulder. Iona pushed back into me and wiggled her ass against my thighs. She also reached back, took my free hand in her own then placed them together on her stomach. She matched me as I traced small circles over her torso. "I hope I find someone who makes me that happy," Iona murmured. "You'll find someone worthy of you, Iona," I replied quietly. She tilted her head to give me better access to her neck. "I believe I will, Zane," Iona purred. "Now I know what to look for." Rio was taking her sweet time with Mercy, torturing the poor girl with lust. Iona actually scooted over and gave Mercy a quick peck on the cheek to comfort her. She was back in my arms before Mercy could decide to take shelter in Iona's innocent sexuality. This was Rio and Mercy's moment and we knew she shouldn't forget that. When Rio got to the knees, she pressed Mercy's legs farther apart and rotated the hips so she could access the back of Mercy's knees. She was running the tip of her tongue along the inner joint, driving Mercy nuts. The girl was humping her crotch up in the air and began pinching her right nipple. "None of that, you cougar-wannabe," Rio snapped. "You can't toy with my playground. It's mine." Mercy's face scrunched up in frustration as a single tear escaped her left eye. Mercy's free right arm began to flail about as Rio reluctantly stopped teasing the knees and began nibbling her way up Mercy's thigh. Iona felt the sympathetic energy and began massaging her left breast. "Please don't," she gulped as I moved my hand to her right breast. "I'll lose it and this should be their time, not mine." "Yes, Mistress Iona," I teased quietly. "Whatever you desire." Iona pummeled me with her ass against my thighs. "Behave," she sighed. Rio kept pushing Mercy's legs to the side until she was face (and lips) to Mercy's smooth cunt, letting the breath from her nostrils tickle the surface. "Something's been drooling, all," was all Rio got out before Mercy exploded into orgasm. "MotherfuckingChristGoddamn!" Mercy howled. Her whole body shook like an epileptic seizure had taken over. "Cunt-muncher," Rio sputtered. "Did you just squirt in my face?" Mercy was in no shape for an immediate reply. I didn't help matters when I snickered at Rio as her face rose above Mercy's thighs. Syrupy vaginal fluid was dripping off her nose and chin. Rio glared at me. I had a sinking feeling she was about to exile me from my room. "I'm, I'm sorry," Mercy groaned. "I was thinking weak, pathetic, or nasty," Rio grumbled. She began stalking up Mercy's body on all fours until she was face-to-face with her toy. "Was that the extent of your apology?" Mercy propped herself up feebly and began to lick Rio's face clean. "If I'm not satisfied, no fucking for you tonight," Rio taunted her. That spurred Mercy on. She was sucking Rio's eyelids and eyebrows, licking her cheeks, jaw and neck as if her life depended on it. Mercy ended up trying to French kiss Rio but she was having none of that. "Do you think I've got some of your cunt juice hiding under my tongue?" Rio quizzed her. Mercy gave a short, energetic nod. Rio cracked a smile and her lips and Mercy dove up to literally tongue-fuck Rio's mouth until she was thoroughly satisfied she'd gotten every drop. "No, you don't," Rio chastised her. "I know what you are doing and it is not going to work. I'm going to spank that sopping wet kitty and there's nothing you can do to distract me." "Have mercy," Mercy pleaded convincingly. "Oh, I am going to have Mercy again and again and again," Rio mocked her lover. Rio retreated down Mercy until her false cock slipped past her pubic mound. Rio used her right hand to guide the dildo up and down between her labia. The response was tiny simpering noises from Mercy. When Rio let the tip enter her cunt, Mercy became very still. "Relax, Babe," Rio urged her gently. "It will make it less uncomfortable." Rio avoided using the word pain. "Deep breaths, Babe," Rio soothed her. "Think about how much pleasure you feel when I shove this cock up your ass. It will be the same way with your cunt, but better." I could tell Mercy was really trying and that was the problem; she was trying too hard. Rio had an answer for that though. "I've got a better idea," Rio grinned wickedly. She pulled out of Mercy and waggled her phallus at her mate. "I'm not going to do all the damn work, you perverted minx. Hike up those legs and spread them wide, none of this folding at the knees crap. I'm going to mount you like John Smith ambushed Pocahontas, leaving you stupefied and wondering who the fuck just hammered you through the New World." "I'm going to fuck you harder than the Pilgrims screwed over the Wampanoag, you are going to ride my cock 'til dawn." I image the rest of us clearly showed our amazement that Rio knew so much, well, of anything, much less American History. "What the fuck?" Rio took in our gawking. "I read, things, occasionally. Don't look so shocked." "Iona," Rio added, as she went back to looking down on her woman, "get my camera phone. I want to record this moment for posterity." "Zane?" Iona whispered to me. She didn't want to put either Rio or Mercy at risk of exposure. "Its fine," I petted her shoulder. "You can make sure the file is secure." "I'm okay with it," Mercy assured Iona. "I trust Rio." "Be quiet, Pumpkin," Rio sneered. "This is going up on YouTube fifteen minutes after we are done. I'm going to title it: Lush Virgin Innocent plundered by Psycho Mistress." I groaned as Iona slipped off the bed to get the phone. "What; not descriptive enough?" "Plunder me! Plunder me!" Mercy meeped. Rio slapped both of Mercy's nipples. "Hush, you," Rio glared at Mercy. "The only thing I want coming out of that mouth had better be your tongue in my cunt." Iona walked up and handed the phone to Rio. "You keep it, Iona," Rio told her. "You'll get a girl's point of view. With Zane, it will be nothing but tits and ass." We both knew that wouldn't be the case, most likely wouldn't be the case. Iona returned to my side but was sitting up on her knees. She looked at the image in the phone and edged forward. I moved in behind her so that my stomach was against her buttocks. I remained reclining. Iona reached out and took Mercy's hand once more. "I'm ready," Iona said softly. Mercy paled, biting her lip over her dual anxieties. Rio had let slip a serious yet compassionate facial expression which reaffirmed that her Mistress was about to take her. The other was the originally unlooked for trait of Mercy the Exhibitionist. Oh, it terrified her that her sexuality would be discovered, but that thrill only made her actions that much more vibrant and alive. Rio positioned her fake phallus at the gateway to Mercy's virginity again. She leaned over Mercy, her arms resting on her fists to either side of Mercy's breasts, but her lady was taller and Rio couldn't quite span the gap between their faces. "Get up here and kiss me, Mercy," Rio said, choked with emotion. "Kiss me one more time as my fuck toy. Next time we kiss, you'll be my girlfriend." Mercy used her right elbow to prop herself up until her lips met with Rio's. "Are you going to own me, use me, and protect me forever and ever?" Mercy pleaded. "Baby-cakes, I own you for all time, I am never going to become tired of using you, and if anyone except me lays a finger on you, I'll wipe out their whole fucking family," Rio recited her twisted version of a marital vow with the tenderness of a child addressing a kitten. "Thank you for choosing me," Mercy fought back tears. The kiss she gave Rio was long, passionate, and steeped in familiarity. Mercy was still enraptured with the declaration and kiss when Rio pushed forward. Mercy's hymen tore, completing her evolution from the blindly obedient school girl that had come to my room as one of the Chancellor's enforcers so few weeks ago into the woman who dared to experiment with her deepest erotic desires. Mercy's eyes welled up with tears due to the pain. She trembled and her lips quivered. Rio didn't relent despite her lover's pain. She drove the dildo in relentlessly to the hilt. She ground the strap-on's base against Mercy's clit, withdrew a half inch, then slammed down hard. At the same time, she moved her left hand around to the back of Mercy's head, grabbed a handful of hair and forced Mercy into another kiss. "What are you, my little Orgasmic Bombshell?" Rio demanded. "I'm your girlfriend," Mercy sobbed through the renewing pain. "You don't sound very convinced," Rio insisted. "Am I going to have to put a ring on that clit?" she bumped Mercy's clit again, causing Mercy to gulp and whimper. "Not enough to teach your confused, simple mind who the boss is? Nipple rings it is, then," Rio taunted with all apparent seriousness. "You still don't get it?" Mercy shook her head, tears starting to seep down her cheeks as Rio kept fucking her. "Nose ring?" That suggestion seemed to scare the girl, probably because hiding such a piercing would be difficult. "Oh, sigh," Rio exaggerated. "I guess nothing but putting a ring on that finger will beat the point home." Mercy's eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped open. "Of course, that makes me your husband and Master, none of this wife-shit for me. You'll have to do double duty as wife and sexual gratification machine, available for sex on demand." "Okay," Mercy wept joyously. "I am so annoyed with you right now, Annoyer." Annoy equals love; that pretty much symbolized those two. "Mercy, if you fail me this time, I'm going to clone fifty of me and fuck you until you explode," Rio threated. Damn, Rio was so often unhinged from reality and common sense. I figured the only reason Mercy didn't rebel right then and there was that she knew Rio couldn't really clone herself. Otherwise, death by multiple orgasm was exactly how Mercy would chose to exit her mortal coil, and Rio knew it. She also knew she was hammering Mercy into another orgasm quickly. "Christ-fuck-shit-hell!" Mercy screamed. Her legs vibrated then fell to either side of Rio. She wept, screamed, and convulsed on the bed but her Mistress held her firm by the hips and head. When Mercy finally collapsed, boneless from the exertion, Rio gently withdrew her cock from Mercy's cunt and settled on Mercy's right side, studying her intently. Mercy's chest rose in ragged pulses for over a minute. Her first act was to release Iona's hand and carefully place it on her labia, dabbed it gently, then drew the results up to her face. Vaginal fluid mixed with a trace of blood was what she saw. Mercy's smile returned then. She rolled facing Rio and curled submissively into Rio's body, her head resting between Rio's breasts. The four of us were quiet for some time. It was Mercy who broke the silence. "I'm okay," she murmured into Rio's chest. It took Rio nearly half a minute to respond. "You talk too much," Rio whispered to Mercy as she stroked her hair. "I think you can find something better to do with that mouth, so get to it." Mercy began suckling. "Good girl." By FinalStand for Literotica.

Bienvenidos de nuevo a Random Topic Games, Este es tu canal de noticias sobre MMORPG. Recuerda suscribirte y seguirnos en nuestras otras redes sociales. ┃ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/randomtopicgames ┃ Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/randomtopicgames/ ⚫┃ Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@randomtopicgames #MMORPG #NoticiasMMORPG #Gaming #videojuegos #mmorpg #mmorpg2025

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 As you close your eyes and power down, Ready to let go of the day, Imagine what you'd like to be different, The next time you greet the sun.   PAUSE… Instead of thinking about what went wrong, Relive the moments you loved. Look for the bright spots, no matter how few, And sink into their warmth once again.   PAUSE… Notice what those moments have in common, Notice what they brought out in you. Remember how strong or joyful you felt, Pull those feelings deep into your heart. 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,

In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, host KJ interviews Stephan Luna Ng, founder of Moon Five Technologies, about breaking barriers to electric vehicle (EV) charging in apartments and multifamily homes. Stephan shares his journey from environmentalist to entrepreneur, the challenges of EV infrastructure, and how his company is making EV charging accessible, equitable, and resilient for renters and property owners alike. Key Takeaways: EV Charging for Renters and Multifamily Homes [02:18]Stephan explains the unique challenges of providing EV charging in apartments and how Moon Five Technologies is solving them with a tenant-focused approach. Equity and Accessibility in Clean Tech [05:34]The current EV infrastructure often favors wealthier communities. Stephan’s mission is to make charging accessible for low-income and disadvantaged communities. Innovative Load Sharing and Resiliency [13:34]Moon Five’s system branches off individual tenant meters, enabling smart load sharing and even allowing EVs to power apartments during blackouts. Scaling Impact and Community Engagement [20:01]Stephan discusses rapid scaling, the importance of a waitlist, and how community feedback shapes their deployment strategy. Quote of the Show [24:21]:"With something as important as changing the earth, do we wanna be signaling that we're retreating?" — Stephan Luna Ng Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with Stephan Luna Ng: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanlunang/ Company Website: moonfive.tech How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, we offer another in our Old World vs New World series. Today, we're talking, Merlot! We're featuring a Right Bank Bordeaux and a Washington Merlot. And both Shelley and Phil are tasting these blind! #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #Cheersing Wines this episode: 2018 Chateau Ste Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot ($45)

Today's podcast episode is about going from a career in higher education to being a podcaster who helps other women over 40 share their stories with the world through podcasting. You'll also hear about my guest's midlife journey to get there, which included lots of challenges, health issues, stress, and of course, courage. Learn more: https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-432-how-podcasting-your-story-created-a-new-world-for-me-in-midlife-with-julie-marty-pearson/

Find this episode on YouTube: A tale of ancient Christians, modern celebrations, and what it says about our current culture. The best jerky you'll ever have: https://conradsdeli.com/ use promo code “FIRST THINGS” for 10% off.✒ Substack: https://johnheersftf.substack.com/ ⓧ https://x.com/johnfromftf

Join SP3 and Tru Draw Josh for our WWE Saturday Night's Main Event breaking down all the action from the November 1st edition ft. CM Punk vs Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship. Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 3:34 SP3 & Tru Draw Josh welcome you to the review 9:05 Pacing change post-NBC & random talk of the show 27:40 Cody Rhodes vs Drew McIntyre & have the fans turned on Cody? 41:00 If Cody turns heel, was The Rock right & HHH wrong? 43:43 Jade Cargill vs Tiffany Stratton; Jade new champion 58:08 Dominik Mysterio vs Penta vs Rusev; how hot is Dirty Dom? 1:10:19 John Cena Last Time Is Now Tournament is announced; who should be in it? 1:23:54 CM Punk vs Jey Uso; Punk new champ & what now? 1:36:38 Ratings for the show Like, comment, share, superchat and subscribe to support! #SNME #WWE #CMPunk #JeyUso #JohnCena #LastTimeIsNow #CodyRhodes #DrewMcIntyre #JadeCargill #TiffanyStratton #DominikMysterio #Penta #Rusev Welcome to the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling YouTube channel where we cover  the sport of professional wrestling including all WWE TV shows (Raw,  Smackdown, & NXT), AEW Dynamite/Dark, IMPACT Wrestling, NJPW, ROH,  Dark Side of the Ring and more. Our weekly podcast hosted by SP3, Top  Guy JJ & Miss Krssi Luv breaking down the weekly wrestling news and  present unfiltered, honest thoughts and opinions for wrestling fans by  wrestling fans, drops every Saturday. We also include PPV reviews,  countdowns, and exclusive interviews with wrestlers from all promotions  hosted by a wide range of personalities such as Romeo, Chris G, Ness,  StatKing, Drunk Guy JJ, J-News and more. Subscribe and enable ALL  notifications to stay posted for the latest wrestling WWE news,  highlights, commentary, updates and more.Become a member of Tru Heels Facebook community: www.facebook.com/groups/1336177103130224/Subscribe to Tru Heel Heat on YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC0AmFQmsRyQYPKyRm5hDwNgFollow Tru Heels on Twitter: twitter.com/truheelheatFollow Tru Heels on Instagram: www.instagram.com/truheelheat/Music composed by JPM

A culprit moving our way from the south could devastate livestock and cost the…

Zoro struggles to make his way around the island. The Toy Soldier introduces Franky to the true horror of Dressrosa. The happiness is hides a civilization of true misery at the hands of its leader. Luffy demonstrates that he truly is a threat in The New World by taking out his first opponent with Conqueror's Haki.Next Week: 650-654https://linktr.ee/goingmerrypodhttps://linktr.ee/VariantVendetta

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.theflyingfrisby.comI've been writing so much about gold and silver lately, I need to cover something else.But my quick take: as seemed likely, gold and silver have gone into one of their corrective phases. This is likely to last several months, in the humble opinion of this writer. There'll be false dawns, which catch everyone out, and false deaths too, with the overall trend being sideways.In the event of a broader stock market correction - which is long overdue given the scale of this rally since the Tariff Tantrum™ in the spring - gold and, especially, silver will sell off along with everything else. That doesn't mean gold isn't a safe haven. It just means there is a lot of hot money in gold, which quickly gets liquidated in a sell-off.But, yes, this incredible rally we have seen in the S&P500 since the Tariff Tantrum™ is looking exhausted and seems to be rolling over.Bitcoin is taking a hit too - although not as big a hit as the broader crypto space - and bitcoin is what I want to look at today.Here is one crypto trader's desk, as pictured on Twitter during Tuesday's sell-off.That's what happens when you use too much leverage.What do they say about taking the emotion out of trading?Bitcoin - what gives?So many things have happened this year which have blown winds in bitcoin's favour* A newly elected US administration which very pro crypto* A deliberately weaker dollar and the debasement trade* The launch of the bitcoin ETFs in the US increasing access to much larger flows of capital* Strength in tech stocks generally* A risk-on appetite* The halving cycleAnd moreYet bitcoin feels like it hasn't quite delivered. A new high of ‘only' $125,000.The latest narrative doing the rounds is this idea that the launch of the bitcoin ETFs is like bitcoin's IPO. Just as when a big tech stock IPOs, a lot of early seed money takes the opportunity to exit, so are many early bitcoin investors - so-called OGs - now moving on. That would explain the many coins that have been moved from previously dormant wallets to exchanges over the last six months.Maybe.What can I say?You can either decide that bitcoin's time is done. It's game over. Move on.Or you can treat this like another of the numerous shake-outs that have taken bitcoin in the 16 years since its inception. The story was getting a bit tired. It needs a shake-out to ruffle a few feathers and purge.The moral of every previous correction can be summed up in 4 letters: HODL.It looks like we may have got a bit of a crypto winter to get through. If the winter reflects the previous summer, then this one shouldn't be too bad. But consolidation phases can be frustrating, so the secret is to be quite zen about the whole thing and keep your eye on the bigger picture.Bitcoin bear markets can be painful, but the beauty of them is that, unlike mining bear markets which can go on for a decade or more, they tend to be short lived.Treat bear markets as opportunities. They're a good time to build positions, build businesses and more. Go and watch some Michael Saylor videos and re-indoctrinate yourself.But on no account lose your position. Bull markets come along when you least expect them.Everything is looking a bit red at the moment - gold, silver, the S&P500, bitcoin. It might be the end of this cycle. but it's not the end of the world.I don't know when or where this bitcoin correction ends. My guess is around $90,000 but that's nothing more than a guess. Perhaps we revisit $75,000 - which is the level we hit during the Tariff Tantrum™ earlier this year.But it's just as possible that dip below $100k on Tuesday was a fake-out, and the bear market is already done.I thought this graphic was interesting.There is plenty more room for future buying as governments and corporations try to increase their positions.By the way I get that some readers like bitcoin and others don't. That's fine. Each to their own. However, if you are in the latter camp, you do not need to email me and tell me bitcoin is not real money/quantum computing is going to destroy it/it is an invention of the deep state/ it is a scam. Please also feel no need to regurgitate Peter Schiff tweets either. You do know he is paid to slag bitcoin off?Turning now to the clusterfook that is the UKBuying bitcoin ETFs in the UK - t he hows, whats and whysIt's semantics, but you can't actually buy ETFs in the UK you have to buy ETNs. I'm not even going to bother trying to explain it. It's regulatory bollocks and not worth wasting time or brain power over.October 8th, the date when the FCA decided UK citizens are allowed to buy bitcoin ETNs is now behind us, but the farce is not.I first found out about bitcoin in December 2010 when it was 22c. I was sent my first coins soon after. I wrote the first book on bitcoin from a recognised publisher in 2014. Yet this morning I just attempted to complete the FCA's form to get me approved to buy a bitcoin ETN - so that I understand the risks - and I failed it. The “correct” answer to their questions is actually the wrong answer. Absolute farce of an organisation and accountable to no one, so it will continue.In the US, meanwhile, JP Morgan is in the process of enabling bitcoin to be used as mortgage collateral.It's like being in Spain in 1492, the ship is setting sail to the New World and somebody from the FCA is standing on the gangplank with a clipboard stopping UK citizens from getting onboard.Amongst the plethora of moronic barriers which the FCA has laid down is that bitcoin carries the same risk as any other cryptocurrency - including the latest meme, scam or shitcoin. Bitcoin is not fartcoin, and categorising the two together reveals the scary depths of FCA ignorance.Meanwhile, from next year you won't be able to buy bitcoin ETNs in your ISA, you will have to get a special ISA. They are trying to kill us with bureaucracy, I'm convinced of it.Which broker and which ETN?In terms of enabling their customers to invest, the UK brokers have ranged from excellent - Interactive Investor, which went live on day 1, as boss Richard Wilson proudly tells me - to totally useless - Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bellend.Hargreaves Lansdown, apparently trying to give the FCA a run for its brainless money, even put out the following statement.“Bitcoin is not an asset class, and we do not think cryptocurrency has characteristics that mean it should be included in portfolios for growth or income and shouldn't be relied upon to help clients meet their financial goals … Unlike other alternative asset classes, it has no intrinsic value.”Talk about retarded.If you want to be able to invest in these things via your SIPP or ISA, move your account to Interactive Investor is my advice. Use this affiliate link and you get a year for free.I should stress buying bitcoin via a broker negates many of bitcoin's uses. Yes, you get the store-of-value benefits, but you can't send and receive it; you can't use it to make payments or donations; you don't have sovereignty - the fund manager does - and so there is considerable counter-party risk - the coins could be confiscated, the fund could go bust etc. You don't have anonymity either.Still it's better than no exposure at all.But which ETN should you go for? And what about the treasury companies? And, what indeed about Semler Scientific (SMLR)?

This episode we are joined by actor Colin Donnell! Colin is currently playing Father in the Lincoln Center Theater production of Ragtime. He was last seen on Broadway in The Shark is Broken and his other Broadway credits include Jersey Boys, Anything Goes and Violet. He's appeared in Love's Labour's Lost at Shakespeare in the Park, New York City Center's Encores in Merrily We Roll Along, Songs for a New World and Ragtime. Colin is also known for his tv work in Arrow, Chicago Med and The Affair.We speak with Colin about what got him into performing, his time working at the MUNY and much more!  But most importantly, we speak to Colin about working on Ragtime! He talks about his experience working on the role of Father, how the show is so important for today and what it's like working with the amazing cast.

A culprit moving our way from the south could devastate livestock and cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars. The New World screwworm — or NWS — fly produces maggots...

To successfully execute a strategy, organizations must make deliberate choices about their operating model. In this episode, Julie Goran and Dickie Steele, both partners based in New York, discuss the key elements that comprise an operating model and how leaders can design and implement one that drives performance. They explore the significance of moving beyond traditional structures to more emergent models, and share insights from their research on the trends that are shaping the future of organizational design. Drawing on their experience working with clients, they also provide practical guidance on how to navigate the challenges of redesigning an operating model to unlock value in a rapidly changing business environment. Julie Goran is a partner in our New York office and leads our digital organization work in our People & Organizational Performance and Financial Services Practices. She helps executives transform organizations to pursue growth and seize digital opportunities. Richard (Dickie) Steele is a partner also based in our New York office. He designs and delivers purpose-driven transformation programs and is an expert in culture change, organizational agility, and using design-thinking to remake employee experiences and drive improved performance and organizational health Related insights A new operating model for a new world Gen AI’s next inflection point: From employee experimentation to organizational transformation How Strategy Champions winSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

This weeks crew: Webby, Darren, Graham We discuss plenty of games this week including: Keeper, Battlefield 6 Battle Royale, Ball X Pit, Hyper Charge Unboxed, ARC Raiders, ARMA Reforger Update 1.6, GT7, Portal 2, Simpsons Fortnite, Sonic Crossworlds, Halls of Torment, Power Wash Simulator 2, Absolum, Wreckreation and more. News this week includes Outer Worlds 2 poor sales figures, more rumours of the next gen Xbox console, New World rumoured to be getting shutdown after 2026, More Halo remakes and more. https://www.patreon.com/360gamercast https://discord.gg/CqDMSg9 https://www.facebook.com/groups/360gamercast/ https://twitter.com/Webby360G https://twitter.com/360GamerCast All Access Patrons - John Smith

Have you ever felt like you're constantly putting out fires at work instead of making progress? Kevin welcomes Don Kieffer and Nelson Repenning to discuss why so many workplace processes feel frustrating and ineffective, and what leaders can do about it. Drawing on decades of experience in operations and organizational design, Don and Nelson reveal why quick-fix workarounds backfire, how firefighting becomes the default mode of operation, and the hidden costs of constantly reacting instead of leading. They introduce the concept of dynamic work design and explain why breaking down silos isn't just nice to have, it's essential. Along the way, they share practical tools leaders can use to move from chaos to sustainable success. Listen For 00:00 Introduction and the problem with roadblocks at work 03:33 How they met and started collaborating 06:07 The Harley-Davidson connection 08:32 The big idea behind the book 09:41 Why organizations assume the world is predictable 11:03 What dynamic work design means 12:21 The hidden cost of firefighting and workarounds 13:01 The firefighting trap explained 15:33 How firefighting becomes self-reinforcing 17:36 Why the dynamic appears in every organization 19:12 Leadership behaviors that unintentionally worsen it 21:12 Moving beyond blame to system thinking 21:56 The problem with silos in organizations 23:43 How work actually flows across silos 25:12 Visualizing knowledge work to expose inefficiency 26:04 Silos and identity in organizations 27:22 Why we must focus on system productivity 28:36 The matrix problem in modern organizations 29:12 Five elements of dynamic work design 29:48 Problem formation as an underrated leadership skill 30:24 Why framing the problem matters 31:23 Using conscious thinking to solve the right problems 32:36 Asking "what problem are we trying to solve" 33:20 What leaders can learn from this habit 33:48 Don and Nelson's hobbies outside of work 34:38 What they are reading now 35:35 Where to find their book and connect 37:19 Wrap up and invitation to subscribe Their Story: Nelson P. Repenning and Donald C. Kieffer are the authors of There's Got to Be a Better Way: How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work. Nelson is the School of Management Distinguished Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is currently the director of MIT's Leadership Center and was recently recognized by Poets & Quants as one of the world's top executive MBA instructors. His scholarly work has appeared in Management Science, Organization Science, Administrative Science Quarterly, the Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, and Research in Organizational Behavior. Donald C. Kieffer is a Senior Lecturer in Operations Management at MIT Sloan. He is a career operations executive and co-creator of Dynamic Work Design. Kieffer started running equipment in factories at age 17. He was VP of operational excellence at Harley-Davidson, where he worked for 15 years. Since 2007, he has been advising leaders in a variety of industries around the globe. His guidance was instrumental in transforming both the production and technical development areas of the Broad Institute, a Cambridge-based genomic sequencing organization, now an industry leader. He is the founder of ShiftGear Work Design, LLC, and teaches Operations Management at AVT in Copenhagen. This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos.  Book Recommendations There's Got to Be a Better Way: How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work by Nelson P. Repenning and Donald C. Kieffer  The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health by Ellen J. Langer  Murder Mysteries by Lousie Penny Like this? Competing in the New World of Work with Keith Ferrazzi How to Achieve Breakthrough Execution and Accelerate Growth with Patrick Thean Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes    Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group   Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP  

Our boy Koala jumped on the show. In this episode, we dive into Battlefield 6, New World, Apex, D2, Rivals and more.  Nips looks for something to fill the New World gap.  Koala hits us with some NYC Comic Con info... and Fluffy was late.  Thanks everyone for checking out the show and spending some time with us. Check out our merch and support the show! https://potatothumbspodcast.threadless.com/  OMG we have a Discord! https://discord.gg/SYvh5jvsSH   Email Us PotatoThumbsPodcast@Gmail.com   IG https://www.instagram.com/fluffyfingersmd   Spotify Playlists Day 1 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3u37PzeFv04b3z6Uq5voCO?si=3c52ad41c94348a1   Day 2 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65jrMS8NSxNW5I9IG27drM?si=500a009043b74a17   Day 3 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2B3PydCdAhKvhdKfqssRIK?si=6d9adeba01d946eb   Day 4 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3R7SI6NNuWw1UPJ2bwN0sk?si=644ac043acb34d7b   Day 5 Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27acHFnmTbgDoHbXdTLeV8?si=5aa06b2715904062  Day 6 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6pUxt7PbnD66Y2J3btQLKQ?si=1a9db41f2f754481 

In 1602, Captain Bartholomew Gosnold (born in Grundisburgh, Suffolk, England) pioneered a direct sailing route due west from the Azores to the New World in what later became New England. He and his crew explored the coastline with the intention of establishing a colony and small fishing outpost in the southern part of Massachusetts on Cuttyhunk Island. Let’s enjoy first-hand accounts of their adventures. E180. Check out the YouTube version of this episode at https://youtu.be/icLoO0nvAds which has accompanying visuals including maps, charts, timelines, photos, illustrations, and diagrams. Bartholomew Gosnold books available at https://amzn.to/3HlT774 Cuttyhunk Island books available at https://amzn.to/3YgjToz ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's HISTORICAL JESUS podcast at https://parthenonpodcast.com/historical-jesus Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkVinet_HNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credit: LibriVox - Great Epochs in American History, Volume II by F.W. Halsey [Bartholomew Gosnold's discovery of Cape Cod (1602) I & II: By Gabriel Archer, one of his companions, read by M. Sidney & Gosnold's own account, read by B. Mosley]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode LevelCap and Matimi0 https://www.twitch.tv/matimi0 discuss the launch of Arc Raiders, Battlefield 6's controversial bot-only playlist, New World getting shut down, and much more! Support us on Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/LevelWithMePodcast Join Our Discord and make suggestions for our next episode topics https://discord.gg/nxBQZ6eh8H

Publishing a book is exciting—but without a clear strategy, it's easy to waste time and money on tactics that don't deliver. I've seen authors spend thousands on marketing tools or consultants without first identifying their goals, audience, or messaging. The result? A lot of effort with very little return. That's why I emphasize building a strategic foundation before making big investments. When you know who your book is for, how it fits into your business, and what success looks like, you can make smarter decisions and avoid costly detours. If you're unsure how to make your book work for your business—or you've already spent money on tactics that fell flat—I invite you to a complimentary 30-minute book launch brainstorming session. Schedule yours at www.BookLaunchBrainstorm.com.  Let's dive into today's panel discussion, where our guests will share real stories of what happens when you lead with strategy—or don't. Jacqueline Kucera, author of “Fearless Mind: How Your Human Brain Beats Artificial Intelligence.”  Marcey Rader wrote “Reclaim Your Workday: Sustainable Productivity Strategies for the New World of Work,” a guide for professionals who are done with burnout and ready to take back control. This book offers practical, real-world strategies to work smarter, communicate more effectively, and lead with purpose. Please join me in welcoming Jacqueline and Marcey. In this episode, we discuss the following:

On this week's episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk about the effective end of New World, Guild Wars 2's expansion launch, World of Warcraft's expansion beta, FFXIV's next content drop, Camelot Unchained's early access plans, and why unfettered player creativity is dangerous in MMOs. It's the Massively OP Podcast, an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you'd like to send in your question to the show, use this link. Show notes: Intro Adventures in MMOs: LOTRO, WoW, GW2 News: Amazon effectively ends New World (and probably that Lord of the Rings MMO) News: Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity releases News: World of Warcraft: Midnight's beta is around the corner News: Elder Scrolls Online gets more Worm Cult stuff going News: FFXIV previews Patch 7.4 News: Camelot Unchained says early access in 2025 Mailbag: Is there MMO content we want that would be bad for the game? Outro Other info: Podcast theme: "Main Theme" from Guild Wars 2: Visions of Eternity Your show hosts: Justin and Bree Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Amazon, and Spotify Follow Massively Overpowered: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch If you're having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

The Matts are bewildered at the chancellor's performance this morning - who was she talking to? What was she trying to achieve? Why can't anyone in government seem to speak plain English? Also this week - as The New World launches a long-term campaign Read Against Racism, the Matts analyse how it is that the UK has gone backwards on hard-won progress against hatred and bigotry - and what can be done to fix it. Enjoy!OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Truth is eternal? Not bound by time? Neither you!  Uncovering the liberties within is imperative in the adaptation to the New World that is here....   I am you Magdala  www.magdalas.com

What if gratitude could actually make you more beautiful from the inside out? In this conversation with Meredith Curtis, we're exploring the transformative power of cultivating gratitude in your homeschool family—and how thanksgiving changes not just your heart, but your entire countenance and home atmosphere.From Thanksgiving traditions that knit families together to miracle stories of God's provision, Meredith shares decades of wisdom on raising grateful children who focus on Jesus instead of consumerism.In this episode:✅How cultivating gratitude transforms you into a more beautiful person (yes, really!)✅Simple Thanksgiving traditions that build faith and family unity✅The crab legs miracle story that reminds us nothing is impossible with God✅Practical activities for the holiday season that shift focus from presents to Jesus✅Why serving others creates grateful hearts in your childrenReady to make gratitude a daily practice? Grab the free 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge mentioned in this episode and join hundreds of families started November 1st!Recommended Resources:30 Days of Gratitude ChallengeGrand Prize GiveawayGod's Girls Beauty Secrets Bible StudyCelebrate ThanksgivingJesus, Fill My Heart & Home Bible StudyChristmas Unit StudiesMeredith "GrandMerey" Curtis, mom of 5 homeschool grads and grandmother of 8, writes, speaks, leads worship, and loves celebrating God's goodness at every opportunity possible, believing that gratitude is the secret to joy. She enjoys creating homeschool curriculum and Bible studies for Christian families, as well as writing Maggie King Mysteries, wholesome cozies. Find her at PowerlineProd.com, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.Show Notes:The Beauty Secret That Changes EverythingMeredith Curtis is here with me today, and we're talking about gratitude. Meredith, y'all know I run the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge, and I get guest bloggers to come in and post on our blog. I think Meredith has done it every single year I've ever done this. I know that's your heart. I know that's my heart. Gratitude just can do so many things for us.Meredith is a homeschooling mom who graduated her 5 children. Now she's grandmother to 8, so far, and all of them homeschool. She's a pastor's wife, a worship leader, a writer, a speaker, and she loves ministering to homeschool families. She's created a lot of curriculum, and she just started a mystery series called Maggie King Mysteries.Gratitude as a Beauty SecretMeredith, you have actually talked about gratitude as being a beauty secret. Can you sort of explain what you mean by that, and how you've seen gratitude actually transform someone from the inside?Meredith: I've always believed this, and I remember my grandmother used to say to me, beauty is as beauty does. When I was a young woman, teenager, young adult, young wife, I wanted to be beautiful on the inside. From my grandmother, I grasped that principle that beauty on the inside flows to the outside.One of the passages that really stood out to me was 1 Peter 3:1-7, and how God commends Sarah as a beautiful woman because of her gentle and quiet spirit. That got me on the road to thinking about beauty. I actually have a Bible study called God's Girls Beauty Secrets.When you're kind, when you're grateful, it changes your heart. Gratitude changes your focus from self to the Lord. Kindness changes your focus from self to others. When you're grateful and you walk into a home, or you walk into work, or you walk into your homeschool co-op or church, and you're having a conversation with people, it changes the expression on your face.You have more of a smile, you don't have those frowny frown lines. You have a beauty that emanates from you, and I think people want to be around you when you're like that. They want to be around people that are grateful, because it's gonna be raising them up rather than pulling them down.I'm a pastor's wife, and I see all the terrible things that happen to people. Mike and I have gone through so many trials. I think that sometimes the Lord just has to remind me, be grateful, be grateful, be grateful. When I am grateful, I notice the way people respond to me is very different than when I'm complaining and bitter.Beauty isn't just about a symmetrical face. Beauty goes so much beyond that, because it's your poise, it's your confidence. A truly beautiful woman walks into a room, and she's like, God is good, I'm so happy to see all of you, and her focus is completely on other people. That is beautiful.The Physical Impact of Bitterness vs. GratitudeYou know, as you're saying that, I do believe that however you're thinking on the inside is going to come out in your facial expressions, in your gestures, the way that you hold yourself. I also think, unfortunately, the opposite is true. Someone who is bitter—I have friends that are still holding bitterness towards people, and they're the ones that are in the hospital all the time. They've got illness, like, physical illnesses.Bitterness in your heart can actually mess up your insides. But the opposite of bitterness—you're forgiving, and you're grateful, and you're thankful, and you're kind—and that person, I think, God just blesses. When you have that attitude, people are like, oh, I want to be around them. Who wants to be around someone that's just complaining all the time?Passing Down Gratitude to GrandchildrenLet's talk about your grandchildren. Are there some things that you have been doing, or are doing, to pass down these values of gratitude and of your faith as well? Do you have any traditions that you're really cultivating a spirit of gratitude?Meredith: With Thanksgiving coming up this month, the first one I think of is we have a Thanksgiving tradition where before we say the blessing, we all pass around—sometimes I pass around kernels of corn, there's like this Thanksgiving poem about kernels of corn—or sometimes we just share things that we're thankful for.That is really powerful, because there's always tears. There's always something that's bittersweet, where someone's gone through something hard, and yet they're thankful for the things God did through it, or the people that helped them through it. There's just so much knitting together of family as people are thanking one another.Another thing I do with my grandchildren specifically: whenever they come over, I always ask them, what was the best thing that happened today? And then I always say to them, isn't God good? And then they say, yes, he is so good. That's not necessarily a tradition, but it's a habit that I've purposely cultivated with them to focus on the positive and be grateful.That's so interesting. When I'm with my grandkids, especially if I'm taking care of them and their parents are gone somewhere, and we're getting ready for bed, especially when they're younger, like 5 and under, I'm like, okay, we're gonna pray before we go to bed. I want you to think of one thing that you can say thank you to God for.That way, I'm like, we're gonna think. The only thing you have to say is, thank you, God. It does sort of make them think, well, what did happen? What can I be thankful for? That's such a simple way to say thank you, and it's thank you to God for whatever had happened.The Birthday Tradition That Honors PeopleMeredith: On birthdays, we always go around and talk about why we're thankful for the birthday person. Everybody shares, like, I'm so thankful for you because I love the way you do this, I love the way you do that, I appreciate it. My kids have carried it on, so at Cooper, my grandson just turned 9, and we were at the birthday party.They always start all their family birthday parties with just the mom or dad saying what they're thankful for, with all the kids there. They do it with all the kids' friends there. I think not only is it a blessing to the other children, but it's a blessing to the parents that are there.We do that a lot in our church, too, with people on a birthday. I noticed Paul does that in his letters. He'll say, I so appreciate you because of this and this and this. I was talking to someone the other day, and I was like, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, who were the squirreliest church in all of the New Testament, and he starts out thanking the Lord for them. There is no one we can't find something to be thankful for.You know, that's really important, too, because I have heard people say they're in a really difficult marriage, and they're just like, there's nothing good about my husband, there's nothing good. And I'm like, does he go to work every day for your family? Okay, there's one thing. Do you have a house that you live in? There's always, even in the most difficult situations, you can find something to be thankful for.When Gratitude Shifts the AtmosphereIs there anything else? Maybe you're walking through a difficult situation at your home. Has there ever been a time where gratitude sort of shifted the atmosphere during that difficult situation?Meredith: My husband right now is battling cancer, and it's been really hard on my kids. The Lord has been really good, but one of the things that I notice is talking with one of my children, and we'll both be talking about dad, and then we'll both kind of sniff, you know, like, suck back the tears, and then we'll just talk about what we're grateful for, like, what the Lord has done.There's just so much that God always has done. I think because of that psalm that says, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise—I always start with thanking God. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I just lay there and start thanking God. I've trained my children to try to find something to be thankful for, so even in the most difficult situations.The Miracle of Crab Legs and Strawberry CakeI remember years ago, this is over a decade ago, we didn't have money. We had enough money to pay some bills, but not all. The whole family, we got in the family room, and we got on our knees, and we were praying. We were desperate for God to come through, but yet our prayers were so filled with thankfulness.We were thanking Him for all the times in the past that He had provided. I remember when we got up as family from our knees, we were fully, fully confident God was gonna come through. I remember Jenny Rose saying, well, I just wonder how God is gonna take care of this. I know He will.There's no testimony without a trial. Sometimes in the middle of a trial, when you can even just thank the Lord—I thank you that there's going to be a testimony in this.One story I can tell you that has to do with thankfulness: my niece came to visit one summer. This is when Mike was in seminary. We had no money. I would make hair bows and sell them, and that was our grocery money. My niece was there, it was her birthday.I said, what would you like for your birthday? And then I thought, wow, why am I asking her this? She said, I would like a strawberry cake with vanilla frosting, and I would like crab legs.I took her hand, and I prayed with her this really simple prayer. She wasn't a believer at the time. I said, Lord, thank you that you're the God who provides, and you hear this little girl what she wants, and I pray that somehow you would do a miracle and provide for that. I was not necessarily full of faith. About 5 minutes later, I was kind of like, what have I done?We had this food pantry, and they would have, like, you could pay a dollar, and you could get a bag full of groceries. That day, never before and never again, they had a strawberry cake mix and a vanilla frosting. We brought it home, I made the cake.It was getting close to dinner, so I thought, okay, I'm just gonna have to tell her, sometimes God says no. We get a knock at the door, and our pastor comes in with a grocery bag, about 4 feet high, filled with crab legs. Can you take these off our hands?I just remember saying, nothing is impossible with God. That filled our hearts with so much thanksgiving, and believe it or not, almost every time we face a difficult situation, we remember that story. God has probably been thanked for that story by my kids that weren't even alive then.When we pray boldly and see God answer, it builds a thankful heart in us even more. When we see God move, it helps us when we face difficult circumstances, because then there's a groundwork that, yes, God is good.Building Faith Through GratitudeJust the fact that y'all—I think it's growing thankfulness with our kids, but also their faith. When they see things like that, they do want to be thankful and continue to look back at that, but that is just another little step of building their faith that, look, God came through for us.It's really important, personally, keeping a gratitude journal. If I had to do it over again, I would keep a family gratitude journal. That way, you can record the things your kids are saying, and when bad things happen, you pull that thing out and read some of them.God wants us to record what He's done, and to be able to remember. Sometimes it's just verbally saying it, but sometimes we forget what He's done. The other idea is that we really believe in miracles. Sometimes we don't ask, because we don't think he's going to come through, and yet you just shared stories. He came through!Practical Activities for the Holiday SeasonWe're going to be sort of in that Thanksgiving-Christmas season. Do you have any practical activities that parents could do, families could do, to really build a habit of gratitude in the hustle and bustle? How can we be intentional during these holiday seasons to build that habit of gratitude in our kids?Meredith: First of all, the 30-day gratitude Challenge. That is a great one. I love that it's geared for children and for teens.The thing that I talked about earlier of going around before Thanksgiving dinner and sharing things that you're thankful for. As we were talking, I just thought, you know what I'm gonna do for our church is put a post at the top of our Facebook group, and just put the word gratitude, and I'm just gonna ask people, would all this month, when things happen, will you just post under that things that the Lord did to come through, or answers to prayer?What I used to do when the kids were little at Thanksgiving is I would put up a poster. Sometimes I did an answered prayer poster, I would write answered prayer, and then I would make columns, and then as God answered prayers, we could list the prayers. Or other times it was just what I'm thankful for.There's a craft that I've done, a thankful tree, where you make leaves and write something you're thankful for and glue that on.Serving Others Creates Grateful HeartsI also think just serving others gives us a grateful heart. There's one thing that it's almost the time will almost be up to turn them in, but it's the Shoebox Franklin Graham's ministry. When the grandkids were really little, like 2 and 3, the oldest ones are 9 and 10, I would take them to the Dollar Tree, and they could fill the box, and then I would just purchase everything, and we would wrap it up, and they would write a note.That just instills thankfulness. It could be serving at a soup kitchen. One year, I remember we adopted a poor family, and I remember it was a really dilapidated part of town, and we climbed up these rickety steps to the apartment on the second floor and delivered presents. I remember my kids, on the way home, they were thinking, wow, we're so blessed. When you see other people struggling, you realize how blessed you are.Christmas Carols and Focusing on JesusAnother thing that we do is we sing Christmas carols and have devotions all through December. On Christmas Day, we have these super long devotions. It's basically Luke 2, with a Christmas carol after every verse. We always sing, like, 3 or 4 verses, so it takes us, like, an hour. Then we sing happy birthday to Jesus.What that has to do with thankfulness is it sets the tone that Christmas isn't about presents. Christmas is a birthday, it's about a king, it's a king's birthday. We're gonna make the main focus of this day, Jesus. When you focus on Jesus, even the fact that he came in the Roman Empire, which was so evil—we think times are evil now, but the Roman Empire was so evil.He was born to a poor family, and he lived a perfect life, and how many times did they try to kill him? Finally, he let them take his life, and he died for sins, and he rose again. The more that we can gaze on that as families, in ways that are fun and relaxing and filled with love, the more children can gaze on Christ, the more they will be thankful.I think Christmas carols—there's something so powerful about the words to Christmas carols, especially if you go beyond verse 1. Even the song, God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen, there's, like, 8 or 9 verses, and every one of them is powerful. I think that there's something about the theology in them and the old hymns, too, but especially at Christmas time, the carols. Focusing on Jesus creates a thankful heart, too. Above all.Oh gosh, it's been 10 or 15 years ago, we were singing O Come All Ye Faithful, and we were singing the third verse. There's a line in there, God of God and Light of Light. We were studying the Roman Empire after Jesus' time period, but the church was growing in our history. Athanasius was standing up to say, no, Jesus was actually God. He was on the run because they wanted to kill this man.That phrase in that O Come All You Faithful verse, God of God and Light of Lights, was exactly what they were saying back in history at that time. We need to expose our kids to the verses. Pick one Christmas carol each year, and just sing it all the time. Go into the verses, use it for copywork, talk about what that means at the dinner table.Serving others—we did the same thing. Steve was head of the Benevolence Fund, and he would pick one of the families that really needed help. We'd go buy a turkey dinner for them with all the fixings for four or five people. The first time I did it, I was at the store, and I was like, they've got kids. We should get some Christmas gifts for them.We did that for 10 or 15 years, and would take it to a family that didn't have much. It really puts your kids in—it gives perspective to what is going on around us. Too often, we see the people that seem to have more than us, and we don't always see the people that have less than us.Resources From MeredithIf people want to reach out to you, Meredith, what would be the best way to find out more about you?Meredith: I do have two resources that I think people would enjoy. One is called Celebrate Thanksgiving, and it has hymns and prayers and poems. It has the entire story of the pilgrims in it from going to Holland, and then coming back, and then going to the New World.It has a lot of different Thanksgiving things, like the Macy's Parade. Then it talks about how to plan Thanksgiving festivities, like a pie breakfast or a praise and prayer brunch, or the big traditional family dinner, or a family football game. It's got a lot of different social things that you can plan. Some are really simple, some are more challenging, and then planner sheets to do it.The other book is called Jesus Fill My Heart and Home, and it's a Bible study. It talks about, first of all, letting Jesus live and abide in our hearts. Then it talks about how to bring the presence of God into your home in a really practical way. It touches on cleaning and all kinds of aspects of homemaking, but it does have a great chapter on holidays.It goes through the different holidays and how to celebrate holidays with a Christ-centered focus. Those are available at PowerlineProd.com. I have a store, lots of resources, lots of curriculum, lots of high school classes, and Christmas unit studies.I also have a blog on the site, PowerlineProd.com, and if you go there, there's links to our Facebook group, Powerline Productions. You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and everything else from there. I'd love to hear from you.Final EncouragementAs we close out, is there anything that you would like to leave our audience with?Meredith: Yes, I would like to say this. Life is hard. I'm sure some of you listening are going through challenges, maybe challenges with homeschooling your kids, maybe grown children who've wandered from the faith, maybe health challenges.Jesus promised—the least favorite promise in all of the New Testament is, in this world, you will have trouble. But it doesn't stop there. It goes on and it says, take heart, because I have overcome the world.I just want to remind you that Jesus has overcome the world, that He is for you, not against you, and that if you put your hope in Him and your trust in Him, He will pour out grace and provision for everything you go through in this life. He will open your eyes to see so much beauty, and so many blessings, and so many people who end up coming in and just wrapping their arms around you and loving you that you don't expect.Draw near to Him, He will draw near to you, and eventually, one day, if you know Him and are born again, you will be with Him in heaven forever. It starts with just opening your eyes and being grateful, but there is so much more.Ready to transform your home with thanksgiving? Sign up for the free 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge at HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/gratitudechallenge. Join hundreds of families cultivating gratitude together starting November 1st!

Support our sponsors this week by using the links below for the exclusive Solomonster offers!MINT MOBILE ▶ Get your 3-month UNLIMITED wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at http://www.mintmobile.com/solomonster right now!BETTERHELP ▶ Get 10 PERCENT OFF your first month and give online therapy a try at http://www.betterhelp.com/solomonster to start being your best self. Thanks to BetterHelp for sponsoring this week's episode!Solomonster reviews WWE Saturday Night's Main Event with CM Punk crowned NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Drew McIntyre screwed again, Jade Cargill strikes gold, Dirty Dom lives to fight another day and news on John Cena's retirement match.***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join

Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp) reviews tonight's WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, November 1, 2025, including:-Undisputed WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes (c)-World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk vs. Jey Uso-WWE Women's Championship: Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton (c)-Intercontinental Championship: Penta vs. Rusev vs. Dominik Mysterio (c)Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to http://nordvpn.com/fightful to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + a Bonus Gift! It's completely risk free with Nord's 30 day money-back guarantee! ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fightful Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!If you want to bet on Wrestling, or any other sport, check out our new partner where we get ALL of our odds! https://mybookie.website/joinwithFIGHTFUL and use the promo code FIGHTFUL. Deposit $100, get $50. Go in with $200, and they'll make it $100!Use Bluechew and the code Fightful to get your first shipment free and make sure your PERFORMANCE is peak! Visit https://go.bluechew.com/fightful to receive your first month ,FREE -- pay only $5 shipping. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're joined by Brandon Adler and Matt Singh from Obsidian Entertainment to chat about the evolution of the Obsidian RPG and where the studio goes from here. In the news: Amazon shutters Amazon Games Studio and ending the MMORPG New Worlds after a 15 years attempt at dethroning Steam to shift to AI. Is Twitch on the chopping block as well? A remake of Halo CE was announced for Playstation (and XBOX.) We try to understand Digimon, Arc Raiders is fun, Path of Exile drops a peak league, we glaze Dispatch and more! 0:00 - Intro1:20 - Halloween10:00 - New World gets shuttered16:00 - Amazon trying to compete with Steam32:00 - Halo: Campaign Evolved37:50 - Ball x Pit42:20 - 20k bot47:50 - Digimon Story: Time Stranger1:00:25 - Obsidian interview1:01:00 - Outer Wilds 2 or The Outer Worlds 2?1:16:00 - Flaws1:34:20 - Difficulty1:58:00 - Trails in the Sky FC2:05:40 - Arc Raiders2:13:10 - Silksong2:24:00 - Path of Exile 12:26:40 - Dispatch2:30:10 - Keeper2:34:00 - Ire: A Prologue2:39:30 - November releases2:41:20 - Tormented Souls 22:45:50 - RV There Yet2:56:20 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Featuring: Ammosart, Ashgar, Belghast, Grace, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen   This week, we start off with some discussion around Path of Exile 3.27, the Keepers of the Flame league, and how we are doing breach to make things with the tree tree. From there, we talk a bit about the murder of Amazon Game Studios and how New World is essentially a shambling corpse now…  spooky. After that horror story, we needed something chill, so we talked a bit about Powerwash Simulator and its interesting method for delivering a story.  Grace and Bel finally finish the Destiny Rising raid and talk a bit about how good it is at teaching mechanics in lower-level content.  Dispatch is a wildly good game that is being delivered in an episodic method that feels like you are playing a really good television show.  Guild Wars 2 Visions of Eternity launched and we talk about some of our early thoughts, namely around the builds introduced by the new elite specs.  Finally, we talk a bit about Outer Worlds 2 and how it makes good on the idea of Obsidian's very own Fallout New Vegas that the first game started.   Topics Discussed: Path of Exile 3.27 Keepers of the Flame The Tree Tree New World in Zombie Mode Powerwash Simulator Destiny Rising Raid Dispatch GW2 Visions of Eternity Early Thoughts Outer Worlds 2

Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda was believed by many to have bilocated hundreds of times from her monastery in rural Spain to parts of what's now the American Southwest.

Nintendo wants you to feel like those happy pandemic times again with a big update to Animal Crossing on Switch 2. Also, all the games of November, the Amazon Games layoffs and the apparent shutter of New World. Civ 7 trying to fix things. Claire and Cloud together at last. All the games we played plus all the usual stuff Enjoy!SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKSlots & DaggersSCOTTPowerwash Simulator 2WarsideJONThe Outer Worlds 2Mortal Kombat: Legacy KollectionDispatchBEAUAliens: Dark DescentFellowshipJump Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nintendo wants you to feel like those happy pandemic times again with a big update to Animal Crossing on Switch 2. Also, all the games of November, the Amazon Games layoffs and the apparent shutter of New World. Civ 7 trying to fix things. Claire and Cloud together at last. All the games we played plus all the usual stuff Enjoy!SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKSlots & DaggersSCOTTPowerwash Simulator 2WarsideJONThe Outer Worlds 2Mortal Kombat: Legacy KollectionDispatchBEAUAliens: Dark DescentFellowshipJump Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stories of the undead tormenting the living supposedly entered the English-speaking world in 1732, with a report from the Hapsburg military of events in Serbia—events that would go on to inspire the most famous vampire of all, Dracula. But the count from Transylvania was neither the first undead man in England (British corpses went walking in 680, and again in 1090) nor the most emblematic of the folk tales that preceded him (that would be Carmilla, who embodies a type seen from China to the Eastern Roman Empire). In Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World, John Blair uses examples from the far-flung ancient world—a “vampire belt” stretching from Scandinavia and the North Sea through central and eastern Europe, western Russia, the Near East, India, and China to Indonesia—to make the case that “corpse-killing is mainstream and not marginal, therapeutic and not pathological.” The undead have seemingly always been with us, as has our need to kill them to exorcise our own anxieties. “Killing the dead is better than killing the living,” Blair writes. “Like other extreme rituals, it is depressing at the time but leaves people feeling good afterwards.”Go beyond the episode:John Blair's Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New WorldListen to our interview about the modern vampire with Nick Groom, the Prof of Goth, and our conversation with Ronald Hutton about witch persecutions through the agesYou know we love horror—visit our episode page for a list of spookiest episodesTune in every (other) week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Subscribe: iTunes/Apple • Amazon • Google • Acast • Pandora • RSS FeedHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes!Music featured from Master Toad (“Dreadful Mansion”) and 8bit Betty (“Spooky Loop”), courtesy of the Free Music Archive. Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight, we slip into our old ways and tear apart the Trump administration for the nation's current woes, question why Amazon fired 14,000 employees and ended the resurrection of New World, and rank 25 of horror's greatest franchises!

⁠⁠Support us on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---Since the first European settlers took unsteady steps on its alien shores, America has been haunted by the Devil. Fears of Satan and his human confederates have long since lurked in our psyche, and played an overlooked role in the cultural and political development of the United States. In this week's episode of Gladio Free Europe, Liam and Russian Sam descend into the blackest reaches of American and European folklore to see how our forbearers understood the unspeakable.This episode explores the development of satanic conceptions and imagery in American life, beginning with the emergence of the demonic beings in ancient Jewish cosmology through the spread of Christianity and the settlement of the New World. Medieval and Early Modern Europeans saw Satan everywhere, guiding the hands of sinners and unbelievers to tempt mankind and doom souls to Hell. The devil was understood to be the real ruler of this sinful earth, as proven by the encirclement of Christendom by kingdoms of heretics and heathens. European explorers in America, Africa, and Asia believed the religions they encountered were expressions of Satanism, and used this belief to justify colonial institutions of violence and subjugation. Even within Christian lands, Satan held sway through the power of his followers, the secret legions of witches.This diabolical worldview had real implications on early American society, most notoriously in the New England Witch Trials in which hundreds of Puritans were accused of being willing agents of Satan. Though belief in witches faded across the 18th and 19th centuries, Americans still understood the Devil to be clawing at their back. In all of these periods, it was also understood that Old Scratch could be defeated at his own games. This motif is exceptionally common in American folk tales and especially folk songs, even making its way into William Dieterle's iconic 1941 film THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER.Though most Americans no longer believe in the devil in a literal monstrous sense, more metaphysical attitudes toward Satan survive. We continue to understand evil in terms of external corruption, as a deviation from our humanity rather than the result of our lowest impulses. And across the 20th and 21st centuries, periods of distrust and paranoia have allowed true belief Satan and his witches to re-emerge in our discourse. Despite how modern and rational contemporary Americans imagine ourselves to be, the Devil has us in his clutches.

I sit down with the talented director Quinn Katherman, whose creative vision has brought to life memorable commercials, including the Super Bowl spot with Cardi B and the humorous Downy campaign. Quinn shares her journey from a creative director to a celebrated director, revealing the insights and experiences that have shaped her unique approach to storytelling. Discover how Quinn navigates the challenges of commercial directing with innovation and flair. FILMMAKER RETREAT JOSHUA TREE '26 - SAVE YOUR SPOT! Thursday, October 1st – Sunday, October 4th, 2026. Limit 15 Filmmakers. This will be our 5th year. Limit 15 filmmakers and only 14 spots remain so SIGN UP! ONLINE FILMMAKING COURSES - DIRECT WITH CONFIDENCEEach of my online courses come with a free 1:1 mentorship call with yours truly. Taking the Shadow course is the only way to win a chance to shadow me on a real shoot! DM for details. Want to level up your commercial directing game? MAGIC MIND - MY MENTAL PERFORMANCE EXILIR - SAVE w BRADY20Save hugely on Magic Mind with this link. — This link is the way. Magic Mind is now in Target. TRIPPY Check out Frequency Caps to try some mushroom-based treats. I like the cocao cubes. The code is BRADY10. Also, if you're in LA, Frequency House hold ceremonies often. Thanks, Jordan My cult classic mockumentary, "Dill Scallion" is online so I'm giving 100% of the money to St. Jude Children's Hospital. I've decided to donate the LIFETIME earnings every December, so the donation will grow and grow annually. Thank you. "Respect The Process" podcast is brought to you by Commercial Directing FIlm School and True Gent, aka True Gentleman Industries, Inc. in partnership with Brady Oil Entertainment, Inc.

There's a new emergency Yu-Gi-Oh banlist here! Genesys format got a huge points update! We're getting a bunch more World Premiere decks! Magic shows off Avatar the Last Airbender! And so much more!

Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World (Princeton UP, 2025) by Professor John Blair provides the first in-depth, global account of one of the world's most widespread yet misunderstood forms of mass hysteria—the vampire epidemic. In a spellbinding narrative, Dr. Blair takes readers from ancient Mesopotamia to present-day Haiti to explore a macabre frontier of life and death where corpses are believed to wander or do harm from the grave, and where the vampire is a physical expression of society's inexplicable terrors and anxieties.In 1732, the British public opened their morning papers to read of lurid happenings in eastern Europe. Serbian villagers had dug up several corpses and had found them to be undecayed and bloated with blood. Recognizing the marks of vampirism, they mutilated and burned them. Centuries earlier, the English themselves engaged in the same behavior. In fact, vampire epidemics have flared up throughout history—in ancient Assyria, China, and Rome, medieval and early modern Europe, and the Americas. Blair blends the latest findings in archaeology, anthropology, and psychology with vampire lore from literature and popular culture to show how these episodes occur at traumatic moments in societies that upend all sense of security, and how the European vampire is just one species in a larger family of predatory supernatural entities that includes the female flying demons of Southeast Asia and the lustful yoginīs of India.Richly illustrated, Killing the Dead provocatively argues that corpse-killing, far from being pathological or unhealthy, served as a therapeutic and largely harmless outlet for fear, hatred, and paranoia that would otherwise result in violence against marginalized groups and individuals. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure video game, set in a lethal yet vibrant future earth. It's coming October 30th 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Check out ⁠https://arcraiders.com/⁠ Original Halo Devs Hit Out at Homeland Security ICE Recruitment Ad, an Update on New World, and the return of NBA Street. Thank you for the support! Run of Show - - Start - HousekeepingToday after, KFGD, you'll get:GAMESCAST - 10 Games To Get to know meAfter Gamescast is Greg playing The Outer Worlds 2 for a 5 Hour Energy Sponsored StreamIf you're a Kinda Funny Member:Thank you to our Patreon Producers: Karl Jacobs, OmegaBuster, & Delaney "The Somm" TwiningThe Roper Report   - - Original Halo Devs Hit Out at Homeland Security ICE Recruitment Ad - Wesley Yin-Poole @ IGN - An Update on New World - Blog Post on NewWorld.com - Ad - New Street Basketball Title NBA The Run Announced - Imran Khan @ Restart - Action RPG Loulan: The Cursed Sand Revealed - Tin Manuel @ RPG Fan - Following FBC: Firebreak flopping, Remedy has a "sense of urgency" - Mark Warren @ The Verge - Monster Hunter Wilds' post-launch sales continue decline - Andy Robinson @ VGC - Wee News! - SuperChats & You‘re Wrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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