Podcasts about Oof

The Kenny Scamdoval is breaking news, so of course, we need to jump right into it. The Valley Finale gives us some concluding thoughts on Jax and Janet. Finally, our Bachelor in Paradise recap concludes on a somber note. One thing this show consistently does is somehow make the WRONG choices in production. Oof. Support the show

Alright tall girlies, picture this. Hypothetically, you're single and into men. Oof, we're already off to a rather interesting start lol. You're on this date with a guy, and he's tall too. Maybe he's around you're height; maybe he's a lot taller than you. Let your imagination run wild lol. This is a first date, by the way. It's going great; you're getting to know each other, cracking jokes, getting flirtatious or whatever, y'all are talking, and he just whips out “You and me, we could totally have D1 babies”.And oh yeah, he never asked you if you wanted kids!!! XDDDDD You probably cringed like oh…haha…yeahhhh. Or maybe you're into that. Who knows? Okay, I know this is a weird hypothetical situation, but you never know. This may have happened to someone. Did this happen to you? Anyways, I was just trying to warm you up to this episode topic, where we're talking about the comment some tall women get about making D1 babies and how some tall women may not even want tall daughters. Tune in to the full episode!  Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/atallgirlspodcast Subscribe to A Tall Girl's Newsletter: https://atallgirlspodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribeLet's stay connected: https://beacons.ai/atallgirlspodcast Leave a review and let me know how tall you are: https://atallgirlspodcast.com/reviews  

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 3 Change of Pace, Change of Place. Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.   I'm pretty sure it was only for a moment, but it could have been a couple minutes. When I came to, I was still inside Erica, and still mostly hard. I pulled out and was quickly followed by our leaking mess spilling onto the sheets. Erica didn't move, except for heavy breathing. Then she rolled onto her side, legs coming up into a fetal position, ass pointed back at me. Her messy, cummy twat peeked at me between her legs and butt cheeks. Sitting back on my ass, I blinked a few times and tried to re-center myself until I gave up and fell backwards, breathing hard and looking up at the ceiling. "God damn, E," I said. "That was something fucking else." No response. I rolled over, dragging myself up to lay next to her. "Erica?" Her eyes were closed and she was looking comfortable, if a little cold laying over the sheets. Her lips were moving, and when I got close enough it sounded like she was whispering, "Imprinting," over and over. "That's kinda fucked up," I said quietly, looking at her otherwise still face. She sounded like a computer program reporting on a status. The only thing that kept me from freaking out was the big, contented smile on her lips. I kissed her forehead, trying not to think about quite how fucked up things were, and then I rolled off the bed and stood up. Underwear and pants went back on, and I crossed the hall to the bathroom where I got a wet, warm washcloth and a towel. I returned to the room and carefully wiped down Erica's twat and ass of our mixed fluids, then wrapped her in a towel and picked her up. I carried her down the hall to my room and managed to get her under the covers. I'll admit, I also gave her tits another soft grope, just to convince myself this was all real. God, they're awesome. Leo was out of the house, which on second thought made me realize what I'd just done. I'd fucked his sister, and we hadn't really held back at all. If he and I had been hearing the 'biz' and soft moans of Erica masturbating I can only imagine the sounds that had been coming down through the old wooden timbers of the house. "Fuck," I sighed. Hopefully he had gone out to the workshop before we'd gotten started. It was still the middle of the afternoon so I went back to packing. It was weird, sorting through everything in the house. Also fucking annoying because I didn't even have many boxes to pack with, and I couldn't exactly just run out to the liquor or hardware store to get some. It was strange; I'd lived in the house for much of my life, and I'd lived in it with Leo for the past five years, but I still found traces of my parents and grandparents I hadn't thought about in ages. It had to have been an hour or two later when Leo came back into the house. He had rings of sweat on his t-shirt and looked like he was ready to punch something. "Hey," I said. I was kneeling down in the living room, busy scooping old VHS tapes out from the back of one of the big cupboards. They hadn't seen the light of day in probably twenty years, but I also felt like it was a waste to throw them out. Leo just looked at me from the doorway, kicking off his boots. "That was fucked up," I said. "Yeah, it was," he said. "You know I wouldn't just pump and dump her," I said. Leo twisted up his face in revulsion. "Fucking of course not. Jesus, Harrison. You're not an animal." "So why the fuck would you make her hold on to a high school agreement when she and I might have been good for each other, Leo?" "She told you that?" Leo's face dropped. "Yeah. She did," I said. "She shouldn't have. Not talking about it was part of the deal, too," Leo grunted. He peeled off his sweaty shirt and threw it towards the stairs, then headed towards the back of the house. "Where is she now?" "Upstairs. That's another thing we need to talk about, but I'm not done with this." Leo was pouring himself a drink from the tap. My father had gotten a new well drilled a couple of years before I was born, and then when I hit high school we'd gotten a pump system; I still couldn't believe we'd lived on hand-pumped well water until I was fourteen. Now, with a whole filtration system set up in the back shed we - It doesn't matter. It's all going away. That realization almost shook me out of the conversation. "What's left to talk about?" Leo asked me, leaning on the doorsill from the kitchen. "Leo, I've always liked your sister. This whole thing just... forced the issue. You get that, right? She's not betraying you. I'm not betraying you." Leo didn't answer at first, buying time by taking a drink from his glass before sighing. "Yeah. I know." "So what are you pissed about?" "Dude, she's still my sister. And you're my best friend. That's not how this is supposed to go! She's supposed to meet some guy that I don't really like, but I learn to tolerate him, and we make fun of him together behind their backs and talk about how she could do so much better." "Why is that how it's supposed to go?" I asked. "I don't know, man. That's just; That's how it was with my parents and aunts and uncles. My dad was an only child, but all my mom's sisters settled for mediocre guys. My parents tolerated them, and I got to hear all the family gossip and that's just how it was." "Leo," I said. "That's kind of fucked up that you would want that for Erica." "I don't want it for her, it was just... Look, I hear how stupid and dickish it is, as it's coming out of my mouth, Okay? But now it's going to be you two. He-man and... I don't know. Who's the lady in He-man?" "Dude, I have never watched He-man," I laughed. "Well, whatever. You're you. She's her," Leo said. "By the end of this quarantine bullshit you'll be together and I'll be out." "Leo. You're thinking glass-half-empty here," I said. "Erica and I get together, what else does that mean?" "I dunno," Leo said. "What?" "What does that make us?" Leo blinked. "Brothers-in-law?" He rolled his eyes, but I could see the smirk growing. "Brothers, Leo. Even better than best friends. Better than best friend roommates!" "Fine, fine," Leo sighed. "Okay, there's an upside. Just don't expect me to just... be Okay with you two getting frisky everywhere or something. You can be happy or whatever, just not right in my face, alright?" The sound of a car pulling up outside on the newly-widened gravel driveway crackled through the house. I stood up and headed for the door. "What was the other thing?" Leo asked me. "Something about Erica being upstairs?" "Yeah, yeah," I said, slipping on my sneakers. "She's in my room right now, kinda sleeping but not? This whole Vaccine thing has more to it, dude. Let me figure out what this is first." He grunted, giving me a questioning eyebrow raise and turned back to the kitchen to refill his water. Outside I found the same blacked-out, now dust-covered, town car that had dropped off Erica. The door opened and I blinked hard as a woman I could only describe as a cross between an elf and an angel stepped out of the back seat. She had long, wavy brunette hair and a face that I could only guess had matched up with Helen of Troy, with soft, full lips and wide eyes with a playful spark. She was wearing a simple, baggy white t-shirt that looked like it belonged to a guy my size, and with her slight frame she was practically swimming in it but somehow she made it look like a diaphanous dress. I couldn't even tell if she had anything else underneath it since the t-shirt came down low on her bare thighs. "Hey there," she said, grabbing what looked like a solid camper's backpack from inside the car and walking over to me. When she got closer she only somehow got more beautiful, but I also saw... something. That look in her eye. The way her lips were slightly parted, and she was breathing a little more shallow. "You're Leo?" she asked. She had an accent, but I couldn't place it. "No. Harrison. Leo's inside," I said. She eye fucked me for a moment, took in a breath and breathed it out through pursed lips, then headed past me into the house without another word. "God damn," I said. "Yeah, she's running a little hot," Agent Sourpuss said. She'd gotten out of the driver's seat of the car and came around. "Got the shot at the same time as Miss Lacoste, but it turned out the guy she was originally going to be paired with got infected sometime in the past few days. We found him dead in his penthouse when we tried to drop her off." "Fuck," I said. And not because of the story. The woman had walked up the front steps of the porch, slung her bag onto it and had been stripping off her shirt as she walked into the house. I didn't see anything but bare back and a pair of tight booty shorts painted onto a slim, perky ass, but I was fucking jealous. "How is Miss Lacoste?" The agent asked. "Did the bonding process work?" "Um," I said, shaking my head and turning to the woman. "Uh, yeah. If you mean she didn't really tell us much but made it clear she needed sex, and now she's upstairs asleep in my bed muttering 'Imprinting' over and over." "Good, good," the Agent said. "Working as intended, then." "No," I said, shaking my head. "Not good. I said she's muttering 'imprinting' over and over. What the fuck is up with that?" "Look, Mr. Black, it's a long fucking story. And one you're not cleared for," the Agent said. "I'm sure one day you'll read a book about it or something. For now, just get out of my face. Alright?" "You can't seriously expect people to just go along with this. It sounds like... like,” "Brainwashing?" The Agent asked. Then snorted and started heading back to her car. "I don't have time to hold your hand through this. Like I said, just do what they say and enjoy your new fucking world. We'll be in touch." She slammed the door, the engine turned over, and she peeled out and drove back down the driveway. "What the fuck," I said. "What the fuck? What. The fuck?" I headed back into the house and stopped before kicking off my shoes. "Oh, fuck yes!" the woman shouted. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," Leo yelled. They were upstairs. It hadn't been more than two minutes. I could hear them clearly. Fuck. Doesn't have a problem when it's not his sister, I thought, shaking my head. I went for a walk. I made dinner an hour later, and Leo managed to come downstairs to eat. He mumbled something about getting struck by lightning, but once he'd gotten some food in him he'd shrugged. "I dunno, man. She just walked up to me, holding her shirt, and said, 'Take me up to your room and fuck me.' I didn't even get her name. Now she's doing that 'imprinting' thing and it's freaking me out a bit." "Yeah," I nodded. "Yeah. Erica was doing that too. That lady agent dropped off your girl, didn't want to talk about it, and just said we should do what the ladies tell us." "Hey, that's all fine with me," Leo said. "She can tell me anything she wants. I mean... Harrison. God damn!" We called it an early night and I found myself climbing into bed next to Erica. She was still out of it, but at least she wasn't murmuring anymore. It felt weird, and kind of creepy, to try snuggling up next to her. She was still naked under my sheets, and totally out of it. I ended up putting on an undershirt and gym shorts and managed not to feel like a perv for long enough to fall asleep. The rumble of trucks woke me up, and I met Leo at the stairs as we headed down. He went to start making coffee while I checked outside. Two big trucks were hauling in a pair of trailers onto what had once been my front lawn and workers in bright fluorescent vests were directing them as others set up some concrete blocks. The trailers looked like they were the start of whatever construction HQ was going to get set up. "So it begins," I sighed. We brought out the coffee; it was an entirely different crew of guys, but they didn't have any new information for us. They appreciated the coffee, but when I went in to make more I realized we were running out quickly. Hopefully one of those trailers was going to be a break room for those guys because they were going to drink my wallet dry if it was on me to feed their caffeine addictions. The trailers were quickly set up, and the workers were gone, but a 14-seater van arrived so quickly that I figured they must have passed each other on the driveway. Inside were a solid dozen Surveyors, along with boxes of topographical maps and all sorts of equipment. I couldn't offer them coffee, but they'd come with their own travel mugs. They weren't much for conversation, though they weren't bad men and women; they just had a very large job to do. "We've done what we can ahead of time with the satellite imaging," the Head Surveyor said to me. "But we've got to plan out the development of this entire area in the most efficient building plan possible. They want houses built and livable ASAP." And that was where I came in. That promise I'd made to Agents Grierson and Walters had included my help with the surveying. Now it was time to give the grand tour. "I'll head out with them this morning," I told Leo. "I'll start with the front loop trails down to the highway and back. You want to show them the Arrowhead trail after lunch, and I'll take them up the ridge after that?" "Yeah, works for me," Leo said. "I'll go check on Erica." "Um... maybe I should do that," I said. "Why? Is something wrong?" Leo asked. "No, dude... she's just, uh..." I stammered. Leo's eyes went wide and he clapped his hand over his ears. "Nana nana" he sang, heading back out of the house towards the barn. I checked in on Erica; still asleep. I hesitated a moment, leaning over her in the bed, but went for it and pressed my lips to her forehead in a soft kiss. She mumbled something, pulling the sheets closer to her, and she smiled. It almost kicked my adrenaline, and I could hear my heart in my ears as I walked back down the hallway. When I passed Leo's room I realized that his door was cracked open, and I could see a shapely and naked leg and foot sticking out from his own sheets. I was tempted to peek further, but that feeling of creepiness from last night struck me again and I closed the door instead. I was kicking myself an hour later, deep into the trails with a half dozen surveyors following along and taking notes as I pointed things out and they asked me questions. It was the slowest I think I'd ever walked the trails, and the question kept flaring up in the back of my mind of what I'd missed out on seeing. Leo's girl was living in my head rent-free right alongside Erica, but now I knew what Erica was like; the mystery of what I hadn't seen was tantalizing fodder for a brain that didn't want to think about the overwhelming weirdness of the whole situation. We were back to the house around 1pm, and by the time we'd been gone a third trailer had been set up and there were two more of those big passenger vans, along with a couple of pickups, lined up in a makeshift parking lot. I didn't notice any of it, or the people working, and I didn't even answer the last question one of the surveyors was asking me because I was jogging for the house. Erica was standing there on the porch in low hip-hugging jeans and a tight band t-shirt under one of my unbuttoned flannel shirts. She had a beer in each hand, one opened and half empty, the other cold and sealed. I could see the emotions play across her face for a moment as I walked up quickly, and she opened her mouth to say something but I didn't want to hear a smart remark or a question. I wrapped my arms around her and I kissed her. She kissed me back, her arms crossing behind my neck as she pulled me deeper to her. Her tongue and mine met and teased for a long moment, and I reveled in the feeling of her in my arms. Her chest crushed against me, soft and firm, and her belt buckle pressed into my crotch as she melded herself to me. A whistle, sharp and catcalling, sounded from somewhere behind me and I could feel Erica shift both beer bottles to one hand. I had no doubt she was flashing them the finger with her free hand, and the laughter from the construction workers confirmed it. Eventually we had to stop, and I held her by the waist as our faces pulled away. "Well, I guess that answers most of my questions," Erica smirked at me. "I've got a few of my own, but you're not slapping me so that answers most of mine," I said. She pursed her lips and brought her beer hand down between us. "Leo said you've had a long morning. Up for a nooner?" "God yes," I said. "But I've always had a different definition of 'nooner.'" "What, you think I mean the beer?" Erica asked. "No, baby. I want you to,” "Ahem," a voice interrupted, and I turned to see who had approached us. "Sorry to interrupt." The girl, and I couldn't call her more than that because she looked like she couldn't have been more than twenty-three despite the tattoo across her neck, was wearing a rough sweater and one of those orange construction vests, along with a dinged-up blue hardhat with about dozen peeling stickers on it and her jeans tucked into her steel-toed work boots. She had some vaguely Latina features, mostly in the lips, but was pale where she wasn't tattooed. Erica's arm immediately went around my waist, and I lowered mine to hers as we held each other. "No problem," Erica said. "What can we do for you?" "I'm Vanessa," the girl said. "Are you Harrison Black?" "Yeah, you found me," I nodded. "Alright, cool," she said, looking me up and down. Erica's hand at my waist scratched my side playfully, and I lowered my own from her hip down to her ass, slipping my fingers into the back pocket of her jeans and cupping it firmly. "Well," Vanessa continued, "I'm the Foreman for the general laborers on site right now, and we've already gotten a laundry list of our daily jobs done so I need to start getting my guys into the house." "I'm sorry?" I asked. Vanessa sighed and then smiled in a knowing sort of way. "No one's talked to you about the day or week plans, have they?" "Not really," I said. "I've been out with the surveyors all morning." "Yeah, that sounds about right for this clusterfuck," Vanessa shook her head. "Well, orders are that everything that's currently in this house, and that barn, and anything else on the property that needs to, is hitting those sea cans in the backyard by sundown tomorrow. Demo on this place hits bright and early the next morning and everything not packed up is getting carted the fuck off." Vanessa, it turned out, was a straight shooter. It just took me a second to wrap my head around everything. Erica took charge while I followed along. I'd figured I had weeks, maybe months, before demolition. This wasn't the hurry-up and wait I'd been expecting. This was all hurry, all the time. Leo went out with the surveyors, and I started answering a million questions for Vanessa while she directed five big, burly guys as they began unloading my house into boxes, and hauling those boxes out to a pair of storage containers that had been brought in on trucks and plopped down near the back of the wide clearing that had been the 'backyard' for generations. Erica, I realized, was helping manage me more than anything else. Keeping me on task, keeping me focused. She helped me reminisce quickly a couple of times, helped me make decisions about what actually needed storing and what could get thrown out. I was getting a brand new house, fully furnished, courtesy of my contract. Did I really need the shitty TV stand or the ratty couch sitting on the back porch? No. Did I want to keep my grandmother's freestanding jam cupboard? I couldn't picture it anywhere else other than where it was in the house, I'd never even seen a piece of furniture like it in another house before. But it was an heirloom piece. Was I supposed to keep that? Yes, Erica helped me. Yes, keep the heirlooms, even if they seem odd or silly. Just know what's an actual heirloom and what's not. "You're doing well," she told me, stopping me at the foot of the stairs. "You're a good boss," I smiled, reaching my free hand around to hug her to me. I was carrying a pair of bedside lamps in the other. She frowned and shook her head. "I'm not your boss. And I don't want you to think I'm being bossy, and I definitely don't want you to start thinking of me as some nagging mother figure." I laughed and shook my head. "Never. E, you're just a natural manager. Of people, or situations. I needed a minute, not an hour, and you helped me get on track way faster than I would have without you. Plus," I grinned, and let my hand slide up from around her waist to softly take her tit in my hand and squeeze playfully, "Ain't nothing of a 'nagging mother' about you." She smirked and bit her lip as I squeezed her braless tit a little more firmly. "Well, good," she said, and rubbed the front of my pants. "And thanks for the very weird compliment from my b,” She stopped short, eyes going a little wide. I chuckled and leaned down to kiss her cheek, then her lips. "You can say it. I'd be happy to." "I've never said that so fast before. It hasn't even been a day," she said. "Not officially," I countered. "But we've also been living together for a couple of months. And before that we went on casual group dates. We just didn't know it at the time." She rolled her eyes but her grin was everything to me. "Well, if you put it that way..." I kissed her again. "God, I want to fuck you," I said. "Yes, please," she hummed back. We separated. I watched her walking away, the way her ass moved. The way my shirt hung on her. An hour or so later we'd gotten a lot of the preliminary stuff cleared up, and after a quick conference with Vanessa, we decided that the big guys on her team were probably going to be most useful getting all of Leo's woodworking equipment safely moved out to the storage containers from the barn. I'd helped Leo move all of those heavier tools into the barn over the past five years and each one was a son of a bitch, and we didn't have any forklifts to make it easier. The guys hadn't been out of the house for more than fifteen minutes when I was busy taking old pictures off the walls of the living room while Erica was getting to the ones in the front hall. "Hmm, morning," a warm, honeyed voice said from Erica's direction. "Uh.... hi," Erica said, her tone of voice a little shocked but with a weird cadence. I turned to see who was in the house and nearly dropped a glass picture frame holding a collage of photos my mother had put together of my sister and me. The elf/angel girl, Leo's imprint-person, was wandering into the living room and looking around curiously. She was as beautiful as the first time I'd seen her, and I figured she must have taken a minute to touch up her makeup. She had beautiful, pale porcelain skin, and her wavy chestnut brown hair still had a bit of a messy 'just got fucked' look. She also happened to be completely naked except for a pair of sheer panties that left it very obvious she was shaved to the wood down below. Her tits were so perfect and perky, big enough on her thin frame to look almost fake but somehow still natural; either the best boob job ever or the perfect genetic lottery. Her areolas and stubby nipples, puffed and firm in the cool spring air even in the house, were the same soft shade of pink as her lips. "Hey there," she said, giving me a little smile and a wave. "I think I almost fucked you yesterday, yeah?" I coughed. "Um, no. Definitely not that close." "Hmm," she smiled, looking around the chaos of the house. "Well, maybe not, but I definitely remember wanting to jump your bones. Where can I get some water?" "Through there," I pointed her towards the kitchen. "Hey, we didn't actually meet. I'm Harrison, Leo's roommate." "Oh, right," the woman said, then stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. A naked-lady hug. While I was looking over her shoulder at Erica, who was staring from the hallway door with an expression between utter confusion and the kind of stare I could only imagine a 13-year-old boy would have when looking at this same sight. I made a 'what am I supposed to do?' face at Erica, and slowly hugged the naked woman back with one arm, trying not to think about those perfect tits pressing into my side and chest. "I'm Danielle," the woman said. I was struck again by that strange accent that I couldn't place, elongating some of the vowels and with just a touch of different intonation. "I got told all about you and Leo by that government lady on the way here. I guess I didn't realize you wouldn't have gotten the full story." "Yeah, no. She isn't really one of our biggest fans," I said. Danielle stepped back from the hug, with a warm smile. "This is Erica, Leo's twin sister and my, ah" "Girlfriend," Erica said, stepping forward. She opened her arms and Danielle happily stepped in for a hug with Erica as well. Erica looked at me over Danielle's shoulder and mouthed, 'Oh my God!' "And vaccine partner." "Oh, god," Danielle said, leaning away. "Fuck, I wasn't even thinking about that. Are we supposed to still be careful? We're all vaccinated, right?" "Very vaccinated," Erica said, then looked at me again and smirked. "Very, very vaccinated." "You too, huh?" Danielle asked. "Those orgasms,” "Out of this fucking world," Erica nodded. "Let me get you that water," I said. I left the two in the living room and went to the kitchen, taking a moment to adjust my cock in my pants before fetching a cup. Erica was attractive as all hell, and while I might not have been in love with her yet, I knew I was going to get there and fast. The physical and the personality just synced with us like that. But this girl. Woof. She was that unattainable attractive tier that you saw in movies, or on Instagram. When I was coming back, Danielle was slipping on my flannel shirt. "I'm really fine with it," she was saying. "I like being naked, and I'm a stripper so I'm used to it. Honestly, it kind of turns me on." "Yeah, well there's about twenty construction workers outside right now and I don't think anything is going to get done if they catch a look at you, Dani," Erica said. Danielle laughed and shrugged while she brought the sides of the flannel shirt up and tied them between her tits. I don't think my shirt had ever looked better, and somehow she just effortlessly made it a perfect, teasing shape that hugged her cleavage and slim torso. "You're a stripper?" I asked, offering her the water. "I thought most women in that business preferred 'dancer' or something like that "Hmm, only the ones who are embarrassed about it deep down," Danielle said. She took a sip from her glass. "But I made $300k American last year as a stripper, so why should I care what other people think of me? I'm a businesswoman and entrepreneur, and I work hard to make sure my product is amazing. And my product happens to be stripping off my clothes and making guys cream their pants." I almost choked on my own spit as Danielle casually dropped her tax bracket. "You made that much?" "Oh, you must not be a strip club boy, are you?" Danielle smiled at me. "He will be," Erica said, chuckling. "I will?" "Oh yeah, baby," Erica said. "Half of my best clients are strippers. I'm a tattoo artist, by the way," she said to Danielle, then smirked at me again. "Once the world opens back up, I know some babes who are going to rock your world. I can't wait to see the look on your face!" "Well, it's always nice to find a discerning lady-fan of the art," Danielle said. "Honestly, women always make the best fans. Guys shell out more cash, but women just appreciate us more." The front door of the house opened and Vanessa walked in, stopping as she saw Danielle standing between Erica and me in nothing but my shirt and her panties. "Fuck, sorry," she said, and she looked like she was going to head right back out the door, then re-thought that and stayed where she was. "Um, Harrison, we could use your help out in the barn. Any shot we can get that old tractor running to move the planer?" "We can try," I said. "I didn't need it to plough the past couple of winters since the ATVs did the trick. I'll see if it'll turn over." I left Danielle in Erica's hands; something which both brought chub-inducing pictures to mind, but also just a touch of jealousy considering the open lust my now-girlfriend was showing for her twin's vaccine-fuck-friend. We really need to figure out some terms and definitions, I sighed. The tractor, in fact, did not turn over. It was deader than a doornail. With enough leverage and muscle power, we managed to get Leo's big planer; which he had thankfully already prepped for moving; onto a trailer we used with the ATVs and carefully towed the sucker with two guys on either side to keep it balanced and upright. Vanessa shooed me away after that, telling me to go keep packing up the valuables and let her paid gorillas do the heavy lifting. The big laborers all grumbled good-naturedly at her name-calling, and as I was leaving them I heard one trying, "Me Tarzan, you Jane." "Yeah, and I'll Jane you right in the mouth if you start trying to hit on me, Tarzan," she replied. "I don't shit where I eat, unlike you goddamned animals." Back in the house, Erica was helping Danielle start packing Leo's things up in his bedroom, so I went back to work cleaning out all the corners of the house. The one thing I realized was that I didn't actually need to be neat about anything. The last time I'd moved, when Leo and I had left our place back in Portland and come up to the homestead, half of the bother was cleaning everything up to make sure we got our security deposits back. This place was gonna get knocked over in two days, so what was the point of cleaning? I'd been trying to find time to sneak Erica to somewhere private, and maybe to fool around a bit now that that was part of our relationship, but Danielle was too full of questions. If she wasn't chatting with Erica, she was asking me all sorts of questions about the house, my family, and the deal with the land and the vaccine. I was happy to chat with her as we packed up the kitchen, or while she helped me as I handed her things out from the little root cellar under the house, but that smile and those eyes were hard not to get distracted by. Not to mention the braless cleavage in my shirt and her toned, bare midriff and legs since she only bothered to slip on a pair of booty shorts to complete her outfit. It turned out that Danielle had known about the vaccine longer than any of us by about a day and a half. The Government, whichever agency was running the whole thing, had gotten her contact information from a couple of the strip clubs in Portland where she'd been scheduled to work before the lockdown. Danielle was the kind of girl who took risks, so she immediately signed up to be a Phase 2 tester for the vaccine; Portland was one of three secondary trial locations across the country in 'Phase 2.' She'd asked around once she got tested and entered the Quarantine Hotel, and it turned out most of the women who'd been contacted had been sex workers of one sort or another; strippers, dancers, Only Fans models, high-end call girls, even a few honest to god porn stars. Danielle figured whoever was in charge had decided the sexual nature of the vaccine lent itself more easily to openly sexual people. It seemed... Well, it seemed weirdly logical to me, but also shady as hell. She'd received the same briefing Erica had, which she said had felt more like a meeting selling timeshares in Boca than anything else, had done the questionnaire and then picked a guy out of a list of twenty photos of her top 'matches'. She remembered seeing Leo on that first list but didn't remember why she picked the guy she did. They drove her to a big building in downtown Portland, but she never got out of the car. Her escorts came back about twenty minutes later and told her the guy wasn't a valid partner anymore, and she had to pick again. She got a new list, and Leo was on it. "I can't help but notice you aren't asking about him," I said to her as we were carrying the dining room table across the backyard towards the storage containers, each of us on an end. "You've gotten half my life story at this point. You're not curious about the guy you're, well, imprinted on?" Danielle smiled and shook her head. "Naw, I had my guy pegged the minute I saw him. I have all the time in the world to learn the details, I know what I need to know. He's sweet and boyish, and honest. You should have seen him blush when I walked up and kissed him. Hah! He didn't know what hit him." "Neither would I," I said. "You're quite the woman, Danielle. Leo's a lucky guy." "Well thanks, hun. But I have a feeling you'd know just what to do with me. I could see it in the way you were standing when I got out of that car yesterday." "The way I stand?" I asked. "Oh, for sure. You're a big guy. Muscly, but not a bodybuilder. You have that mountain-man vibe with the longer hair and the beard, but even after a couple of months of quarantine you still keep it trimmed and neat. And your eyes were looking at everything all at once. My Dad had eyes like yours, and he was Australian military back home. A man like you, if he isn't a prick, well... let's just say I've known a couple of gals with guys like you, and they are quite happy." We'd set the table down outside the storage containers and were headed back for the chairs now. "Well, thanks I guess. Hopefully Erica feels the same." "Oh, she does," Danielle smirked. "She may not realize it completely yet, but the way she's grinning to herself when she didn't think I was looking? She does." That little nugget of information made my heart sing. "Sorry if it's a button, but I noticed you said your Dad had eyes like mine. He's gone now?" I asked. "Hmm," Danielle nodded. "Years ago, so don't worry about it. Cancer. I was fifteen and it hit me hard. Mum got a boyfriend the next summer and within six months of that she moved us to California and I finished high school in the Valley. I hated the new guy, and then the guy after that, so I moved back to Sydney as soon as I could and was planning to go to school there. But then I took a job at a strip club to pay the bills, and the rest is history. I've been doing it for five years and did a tour up the east coast of the US last year, so I figured I'd do the west coast this year." "Oh, well, I'm still sorry to hear that. It all sounds tough," I said. "But I guess it's good you found your... calling?" "Hah," she laughed. "Something like that. I'm not like other girls who have specific ambitions. I've just been banking as much money as I can, while I can, and having fun doing it. I'm not looking to go to med school, or become a lawyer or something." We were carrying the last of the chairs, and Danielle was telling me a story about her senior year in high school when Leo came back. It turned out Danielle's accent, a bastard amalgamation of Aussie twang and Valley girl, was the one thing she disliked about herself but she was just plain terrible at trying to fix it and it was because of some traumatic bullying while she'd lived in the Valley. As soon as Leo came out of the mouth of one of the trails, the chair Danielle was carrying was forgotten as she dropped it in the middle of the yard and began sauntering over towards Leo and the surveyors. She looked like a lioness on the prowl, and Leo stopped when he saw her coming. The surveyors, about two-thirds of whom were men, all moved aside to let her past them, watching with big eyes as she stalked up, knocked Leo's baseball cap off his head and molded herself to him as she planted a kiss on him that I could feel searing from across the yard. And she didn't stop. They were kissing a solid thirty seconds, hands wrapped around each other, before the surveyors backed away and came towards me, shaking their heads and grinning. "We need fifteen minutes, then are you ready to head out again?" one of them asked as they got near me. "Sure, sure," I said. "How many are coming out?" "All of us," one of the ladies said. "About... fifteen?" "Jesus Christ," I said, shaking my head. "Hey, big project at speed. Most of the time you pick quality, quantity, or speed. The government wants all three, and they are throwing around the kind of money needed to make it happen right now," the first guy said. "We'll be working like crazy for the next two weeks getting all the info, then another two handing it all off to the developer team, then back on site again to make sure everything is being built in the right place." I headed back to the house to get my hiking gear back on. Danielle and Leo had stopped making out and were talking now, but I could see Leo was holding Danielle's hand while she had her other on his chest, and he was grinning and nodding along with whatever she was saying. I smiled, happy for my friend, and went inside. "Hey," I said when I found Erica upstairs, cleaning out my closets. "I need to head out in about ten minutes on another tour." "Oh yeah?" Erica asked, turning to face me. She was still wearing that tight t-shirt, her sweat from hard work making it stick to her a little more. It cupped under her tits, making them stand out just that touch more, and I could see the bumps of her nipples in the black fabric. "Yeah," I said lowly, and stepped beside her, offering her a hand to help her up. "And Danielle and Leo are out in the backyard talking right now." Erica's eyes lit up as she let me help her up. "Well why didn't you say so?" she asked, and I pulled her in to kiss her, feeling her tits press against my chest. She hummed happily into my lips and slid her tongue across mine. I picked her up without breaking the kiss and brought her over to the bed, and she lifted her legs up to circle my waist and cling to me as I laid her on her back. I was leaning over her and she wrapped her arms around my neck, keeping me close as we made out. "Hmm, I want you," she whispered between kisses. "Yeah?" I asked. "Good. I want you, too." "How bad do you want me?" Erica asked me. "Utterly. Totally. Bad to the bone." She snickered and pulled up her top over her tits, freeing them, and I shifted to quickly mouth over them, kissing as much of them as I could all at once and as quickly as I could. "Ooh, baby, baby," Erica crooned. "God, you make me feel so sexy." "You are sexy," I said, pulling away from her tits and mauling them with my hands as I lifted my lips back to her. "Deadly sexy. Femme fatale. Boss bitch." "You say the nicest things," she laughed. "I'm glad you aren't freaked out by all of this." "Oh, I'm freaked out more than enough," I said to her, pausing our kisses to press my forehead to hers and looking down, meeting her eyes. "The entire world stopped, and now it's going faster than it ever has before, but you Erica Lacoste are enough to make me not care about any of it." She cupped my cheeks with her hands, then ran her fingers through my beard and pulled me down to her, kissing me hard as she kept her eyes open, looking at me through the soulful, hungry kiss. There was a bang downstairs, the back door opening and closing, and we could just hear the muffled sounds of Leo talking with Danielle. "Fuck," I said, as Erica let go of my beard and our kiss ended. "Fuck," Erica groaned. "Fucking Leo." Erica straightened herself out, getting her shirt back on properly and standing back up, while I straightened my hair a moment and pulled it back and then changed into a new shirt. I caught Erica eyeing me up from across the room while I was shirtless, and she didn't even blush or look away. "Yummy," she said and winked. "You're trouble like this," I said with a smirk. "You don't know the half of it," Erica said. "I feel like I've been set free. The only thing keeping me from tearing your pants off is the thought of my brother being in the next room." That made me laugh, and as I got myself together and was ready to head out I kissed her one more time, one hand squeezing her ass and pulling her into me as I held the back of her head with the other. "Ugh, you bastard," she said when we separated. "You keep getting better at kissing me." "Just taking your cues," I said. "Fuck you like I hate you, right?" "Did I say that?" Erica thought. "God, everything yesterday went so fast." "Actually, I think you said you wanted someone to love you, but who fucks you like they don't. I figured that went for steamy kisses, too." "Oh, it certainly does," Erica said, one finger tracing down her boob and nipple over her shirt. "But now I'm going to need to change panties, you bastard. God, you're leaving me here soaking wet." "I prefer to think of you as simmering for later," I smirked, and she scoffed and threw a sock at me as I left the room. The tour with the Surveyors was slow going, but it was late in spring and we had plenty of light left to us. Leo had taken them along a bunch of the lowlands areas, so I took them up the other side of the property, pointing out some of the ponds and a couple of old growth copses of trees. There was a solitary Redwood on the property which they all agreed would be a shame to lose, and I pointed out some other big, ancient trees that served as landmarks. Deep into the hike we reached the Spring Pond, high on one of the rolling hills near the back of the property, and I showed them where I wanted mine, my sisters and Leo's houses to be built. I didn't much care how they organized the lots, but the Spring Pond fed down as a stream into the Nehalem River that bordered the property, and it had sweet, pure water that had been a swimming hole for my family for generations. Other than the old House itself, this was where the Black family had made their mark. It helped convince the Surveyors when I pointed out that my family graveyard, dating back more than a hundred and fifty years, was an acre up the slope overlooking the pond. At the mention of a Native burial ground I could almost see all of them shudder, not in fear of spiritual consequences but of Red Tape. I had a feeling this particular project wouldn't actually care one shit if they came across potential burial grounds, but all of these folks had horror stories of major projects getting stalled for months, or even years, by old bones in the ground. The sun was setting over the hills when I led them back down, having reached the very far edge of the property and pointing out the markers my great-great-grandfather had erected prior to the first World War. It was twilight during the last few minutes of the hike, and despite being veterans of their work I could tell the long day of heavy walking, questions, and note-taking on the move had drained them all. As they left, trudging around the house back to their work trailers to file away their notes, I saw Vanessa just shutting off the light in the barn. "Hey, how'd it go today?" I asked. "Good. Better than I hoped, actually," she said, grinning widely. "How's it going in the house with your wife and... who was that?" "Erica's my girlfriend, and that's kinda new, and Danielle is; well, it's a long story. How's a beer sound?" I asked. "That sounds fucking great, actually," Vanessa said. She checked her watch and then nodded. "I've got some time. I'm technically off shift already, we just don't have any time clocks or anything set up yet. I sent the boys back in the van about fifteen minutes ago, I'll take my truck back to the motel when we're done." I fetche

"If the only voice you trust is your own—you're being discipled by a liar and a fool." Oof. That one left a mark. We all want to believe we're following truth… but how do you know who to trust anymore? Politicians? Influencers? Yourself? Your spiritual Spotify playlist? This week at NewChurch, we talked about competing voices, the lies we buy into, and what happens when God's truth disrupts the noise.

Hey, Who fans and welcome to Episode 428.Twenty years after their on-screen adventures, Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper are re-united for more trips in the TARDIS over at Big Finish. I've got all the details in this episode! "Back to the Powell Estate, where the Doctor's past returns to haunt him, and out into the universe where enemies old and new are waiting... "In other news, Doctor Who has landed its first-ever Emmy nomination — amazingly, after more than 60 years — in the category for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming. (Not something I ever expected to tick off on the "Doctor Who Emmy Nominations Bingo Card"!)Writer Mark Gatiss dropped some interesting thoughts on making Doctor Who in a recent interview, touching on the use of nostalgia, with this cutting line: "...It's part of the reason we're in the mess we are...". Oof! It's a great interview and Mark has many of us, myself included, nodding along.We've also got a few other bits worth shouting about: the upcoming spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea is rumoured to arrive this autumn, there's a fun interview with Ncuti Gatwa (including a random run-in with Matt Smith), and some insights from BBC Studios' Commercial CEO Tom Fussell on their continued commitment to the show.Oh, and some tasty merch is on the way — including the long-awaited Season 13 Blu-ray Collection.Sonic Screwdriver at the ready. Let's go.Links to the stuff we mentioned:Emmy NominationTom Fussell interviewMark Gatiss interviewTVZone Autumn highlights (TWBTLATS)Season 13 Blu Ray CollectionChris Eccleston and Billie Piper back for Big FinishThis is The Big Blue Box PodcastJoin us each week for a new episode every Friday from your hosts Garry and Adam. We talk news, reviews, commentaries and general chat on everything Doctor Who PLUS listen to our monthly Round Table episodes with the whole team. Check out our website where you can also listen to all of our episodes for free along with the amazing reviews and articles from our writing team.Follow us on the socialsCome and get involved and chat Who between episodes on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We also have a free Discord server for you to hop in and chat with other like-minded Who fans.Thank you for listening to this episode and remember to follow the podcast on your fav podcast app so you don't miss an episode when they drop every Friday...

In this episode, I had three experts come on the show, but they're not the typical experts I have on Focus Forward. I got to sit down with three incredible teens, Eliza, Mark, and Sam, to talk honestly about conflict and how to manage it between teens and adults. This episode is one I've been wanting to do for so long and I'm thrilled to bring it to you today.We covered everything from communication styles to what it feels like to be misunderstood, and even how trust is built—or broken—in those tricky conversations. And of course, I couldn't not mention EF skills, so you'll hear me comment here and there on how key executive function skills like self-regulation, flexible thinking, and perspective-taking show up in real life and impact us during conflict and resolution. Listen to learn from these teens about the importance of creating space for mistakes and learning, and how trust is the answer - we have to work to trust them and they us. It's a hard journey that we're all making together. These teens were thoughtful, vulnerable, and wise beyond their years. I think you'll walk away with some valuable insight—and maybe even a few moments of, "Oof… yeah, I've done that as a parent or teacher." I know I experienced this multiple times! But, as we've heard Ellen Galinsky, Nerissa Bauer, Ken Gisburg, and others, say, it's never too late to make a difference in how you interact with your kids. Thanks for listening!Here are the show notes from today's episode: Learn More About Conflict Resolution with TeensFamily Conflict Resolution: 6 Worksheets & Scenarios (+ PDF)https://positivepsychology.com/conflict-resolution-family-kids/Parent-teen conflicts less troublesome when teens feel loved, study showshttps://news.yale.edu/2020/07/14/parent-teen-conflicts-less-troublesome-when-teens-feel-loved-study-showsOther Focus Forward episodes on teen-related topics:Ep 66: From Overwhelmed to Empowered: 4 Essential Coping Skills Every Teen Needs to Thrive (ft. Dr. Jackie Wolfman)https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=mj2r59gs2vEp 62: Lighthouse Parenting: How to Communicate, Connect, and Guide with Confidence (ft. Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg)https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=v0rl5xa5ubEp 40: The Breakthrough Years: Raising Thriving Teens Through Executive Function (ft. Ellen Galinsky)https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=fhebx5zqflEp 54: Self-Regulation Starts with Us: Helping Kids Manage Big Emotions (ft. Nerissa Bauer)https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=kqhshzq15xEp 38: Coping with College Stress: How to Meet the Demands of College Life with Confidence (ft. Dr. Bianca Busch)https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/podcast?wchannelid=y1lzulxlcs&wmediaid=baxmpspptjAttend our MAP Demo!July 21 12:00pm ET/9:00am PThttps://beyondbooksmart.zoom.us/j/81330992542Learn More About Our MAP Programhttps://map.worksmartcoaching.comLearn More About 1:1 Coachinghttps://www.beyondbooksmart.com/how-it-worksGet in Touchpodcast@beyondbooksmart.comInstagram/Facebook/Tiktok: @beyondbooksmartcoachingwww.beyondbooksmart.com

So, apparently all it takes is four emails telling me you liked the solo episode for me to get back on the mic - here we are. Today's episode is short, slightly chaotic, and all about the difference between suffering and hard work. Big topic, big feelings, but don't worry, it's under 13 minutes and I manage to spiral only once or twice. If you've ever found yourself pushing through something just because that's what you were taught to do, this one's for you. Lets dive right in.Highlights: (00:40) Only took four compliments to get me back(02:05) Suffering vs. hard work - know the difference(04:48) You can literally choose discomfort. Wild, right?(06:32) Your actions are louder than your words(09:10) Maybe you're living someone else's values. Oof(12:25) Suffering? Or just good old discipline? DecideQualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

Season 3 of the Long Blue Leadership podcast is a wrap! From established national leaders to rising stars, this season features inspiring stories from U.S. Air Force Academy graduates. SUMMARY This season's guests included Dr. Heather Wilson '82, former Secretary of the Air Force; Dr. John Torres '82, NBC News Senior Medical Correspondent; Maj. Gen. Thomas Sherman '95, Vice Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and 2nd Lt.  Wyatt Hendrickson '24, NCAA wrestling champion.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    TAKEAWAYS Leadership is about collecting tools over time. Your identity is not defined by your profession. Intentionality in actions leads to personal growth. Leadership can be practiced at any level. Admitting mistakes quickly is crucial for growth. Respect and loyalty are earned through care. Every moment is an opportunity to make an impact. Legacy is built in real-time interactions. Conversations can unlock deeper insights about leadership. Sharing stories fosters connection and learning.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Celebrating leadership lessons from Season 3 03:07 Insights from Dr. Heather Wilson '82 05:47 Chad Hennings '88 on identity and leadership 08:55 Young leader Wyatt Hendrickson's '24 journey 11:51 Jemal Singleton '99, leading where you are 14:53 Emma Przybyslawski '10 on leadership beyond the uniform 17:49 Dr. John Torres '82, earning respect and loyalty 20:37 Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman '95 on trust, courage, and legacy 23:47 Looking ahead to Season 4   ABOUT OUR HOSTS BIO's LT. COL. (RET.) NAVIERE WALKEWICZ '99 Senior Vice President, Engagement With over two decades in leadership roles, my current focus at the Association of Graduates - U.S. Air Force Academy is fostering a robust network of 50,000+ alumni. This commitment involves igniting a culture of engagement and inclusivity, underpinned by a strong foundation in support of our Air Force Academy. - BIO COPY CREDIT:  LINKEDIN.COM MR. WYATT HORNSBY Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications | Executive Producer Wyatt Hornsby is passionate about developing marketing and communications talent and cohesive, high-performance teams. He is senior vice president of marketing and communications at the Air Force Academy Foundation and the Association of Graduates. He leads the work of the foundation and alumni association marketing and communications division, while also coordinating with various Air Force Academy offices, including Public Affairs and Strategic Communications. - BIO COPY CREDIT:  LINKEDIN.COM     CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org  Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Co-Hosts:  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99  |  Mr. Wyatt Hornsby   Naviere Walkewicz  00:26 Welcome to our retrospective for Season 3. We're celebrating the first three seasons of the Association & Foundation's premier podcast and the countless leadership lessons shared by some of the most accomplished Air Force Academy grads.   Wyatt Hornsby  00:41 Naviere, in Season 3, we've showcased some amazing stories and takeaways that apply to life, both in and out of the military. From the start, Long Blue Leadership has given listeners an inside look at real experiences, insights and advice from seasoned leaders as well as those just beginning their journeys. These deep dives explore how leaders not only face challenges head on, but also find ways to inspire and empower those around them.   Naviere Walkewicz  01:06 These conversations are amazing. What really sets this podcast apart are how these leadership discussions consistently touch on teamwork, perseverance, humility, excellence and service before self.   Wyatt Hornsby  01:17 Well said, Naviere. And in this edition of Long Blue Leadership, we're gonna respond to a few clips and share our own perspectives related to some of our favorite moments, and we'll also preview what's coming up in Season 4.   Naviere Walkewicz  01:30 Now Wyatt and I would be remiss if we didn't share — listen, we could go on about every guest that's on this podcast, because everyone is remarkable, but we're just going to focus on a few of them. So let's jump right into some of our favorite moments from Season 3.   Wyatt Hornsby  Let's do it.   Naviere Walkewicz  All right. Well, this first clip is someone that you're going to recognize: Dr. Heather Wilson, Class of '82. What an amazing graduate. And you know, when we think about what she's accomplished — she's a Distinguished Graduate, secretary of the Air Force, I mean, going on into Congress — she is a mentor for many. And this particular clip, she actually is referring to someone who's been a mentor for her and being able to make an impact in his life. So let's take a listen.   Dr. Heather Wilson  02:12 My grandfather was an aviator. He was also a mechanic. He could use any tool. I mean, he was just amazing with his hands. And I had learned a new tool in school, and I took out a piece of graph paper, and I drew a curve, and I said, “Grandpa, do you think you could find the area under this curve?” And he said, “Well, I'd probably count up the squares and estimate from there on the graph paper.” And I then I showed him something new, and it was called calculus, and it was the first time in my life that I realized I had a tool that my grandfather didn't have. He had a high school education and had gone into the RAF during the First World War, and he was a great mechanic and a really good man, but I realized that there were opportunities for me that maybe my grandfather never had.   Naviere Walkewicz  03:14 What an amazing conversation with her. What did you think about that comment about the tool?   Wyatt Hornsby  03:19 That's very, very moving. You can see just what her grandfather, what he meant to her, and just to think about those experiences and how they informed and influenced how Dr. Wilson has been a leader to so many in Congress, as secretary of the Air Force and now as president of the University of Texas, El Paso.   Naviere Walkewicz  03:38 Yes. And when you go back to that conversation, I think she talks about tools in a toolbox, and she relates it to her grandfather and her dad, I think, as well. But she talks about the toolbox almost serving as — you never know when you're going to need a tool. So as long as you collect tools over time, they can make a difference. And so she likens them to the people in your life and the people who serve with you and under you and above you. But if you start to recognize the tools that they have, you never know when they're going to make a difference. And in her case, she was actually able to provide a tool like calculus for her grandfather.   Wyatt Hornsby  A great lesson.   Naviere Walkewicz  Yes, yes. So make sure you take a listen on that one.   Wyatt Hornsby  04:15 Well, Naviere, this next conversation I absolutely love — Chad Hennings, Class of 1988, who went on, I believe, to serve in the Gulf War, flew the A-10 before joining the Super Bowl-winning Dallas Cowboys. And I love this conversation. Chad talks in this conversation about who you are isn't necessarily what you do. It comes from who you are from within. I just love this clip. Let's listen to it.   Chad Hennings  04:41 One of the questions that I ask someone who is changing and transitioning in their careers, whether that be from professional athletics or from the military, I ask them, “Who are you?” You know, a lot of times they'll say, “I'm well, I'm Captain so-and-so,” or, “I'm a former F-16 fighter pilot,” or, “I'm a former running back.” I go, “That's what you do. Who are you? What you do does not define who you are.” I mean, that's the thing that I think so many people need to grasp, is that their identity is not based on what they do. It's more of an inner pursuit.   Naviere Walkewicz  05:14 Well, I won't put you on the spotlight and ask you who you are, but I remember that conversation, and it was really quite a reflective one for me, because I remember, as he was sharing those things, I started thinking, “Well, who am I, you know, as a leader, etc.” So that was really meaningful.   Wyatt Hornsby  05:30 Indeed. I mean, all across our lives and careers, we do a lot of different things. We wear a lot of different hats at various points, and I think it's hard, but I think it's so meaningful to really reflect on your own personal values in determining really who you are from within. I just loved how Chad talked about that.   Naviere Walkewicz  05:50 Yes, that was just one of the lessons that he shared. And I think it really kind of goes back to understanding yourself and growing as a leader. So it's certainly a wonderful conversation for those interested. Well, let's take a visit to one of our younger graduates. Most recently, 2024 class, and his name is Wyatt Hendrickson, so another Wyatt here. Some might remember him as Captain America. I think he's been called that lately, in the news, but known for just his accomplishments in the world of wrestling and what he's continuing to go on, hopefully here in the Olympics. But this conversation really is about some real insightful moments that I think he's had as a young leader, that he recognizes the importance of doing things for yourself. And some might first think, “Well, that sounds kind of selfish, right? You know, we're taught to be team members and team players and do things together.” But when we, when we listen to this clip, I think we understand why he talks about doing things for yourself. Let's take a listen.   Wyatt Hendrickson  06:49 As a leader in at the Air Force Academy, I started going to these briefs, and I'm like, “You know, I'm not going to try to have the a bad mindset. I'm not going to show up here, just check a box. I'm going to show up here and try to take something from it.” So what I did, I bring like a notebook or a small little pamphlet, just to write notes. And everything you do, do it with intent. Don't do it because you're afraid of a bad result — you're afraid of something here, there. Do it because you want to do it, and you have to decide you're doing it for yourself.   Naviere Walkewicz  07:18 You know, what I really like about that clip is understanding that you have to do things for yourself and not others. And so I liken it — you know, we are parents, and at one time we are children. And so we probably did things. We do things as parents for your children. When you're a child, you do things because you don't want to make your parents unhappy, or you want to make your teacher proud or your coach proud. And I think he learned early as a leader that if you're going to do something with intent, to do it for yourself. What do you think?   Wyatt Hornsby  07:44 That's right. Being able to invest in yourself so that you can show up for others as well. And so I think when you really consider that, he's really talking about a little bit of service before self within that as well. And I think it's working out well for him. You know, he just pulled off, some say, the biggest upset in NCAA wrestling history. And I agree, we'll hope that he gets to the Olympics. Just what a remarkable young leader and athlete.   Naviere Walkewicz  08:11 Yes, and what an exciting and engaging conversation that I hope you'll take a listen to as well. There were some exciting moments in there that he experienced, I think. You know, with the president and, you know, just kind of reflective moments with his coach, but certainly a conversation that many will be engaged by.   Wyatt Hornsby  08:28 And when we talked to him, his life was very busy, and we just so appreciate him taking time to talk with you, Naviere.   Naviere Walkewicz  Yes, absolutely.   Wyatt Hornsby  All right. Naviere, this next guest I absolutely love — Jemal Singleton, Class of 1999.   Naviere Walkewicz  Gold will shine.   Wyatt Hornsby  That's right, assistant head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, also coach for running backs for the Eagles. And this was such a great conversation. We were you were able to go to Philadelphia and sit down with Jemal and really hear his story and something — I mean, the conversation was just full of great insights. But one thing that Jemal said that I absolutely loved was, no matter where you are in your life and career, lead where you are. You don't have to have a big team or direct reports, just lead where you are. So let's listen to that clip.   Jemal Singleton  09:17 I think the biggest thing that you can do is lead where you're at, and it doesn't matter where you're at. “Oh, well, I'm not the CEO,” or, “Oh, I'm not the head coach,” or, “Oh, I'm not the commander.” So? Leadership comes in a million different ways. And I truly believe that you know kind of what you do with the little things, is how you do everything. And if, in your position, whatever it may be — maybe nobody even works for you — you can still lead from that position. You can lead from that spot. And I think that's it. Don't be afraid to step out. Don't be afraid to be a leader in your own mind. It's got to start there. At some point, you keep honing those skills and then maybe you are going to grow. And then, hey, you have three people working for you, but you then be a leader at that point. And it's kind of like what I mentioned earlier, about be where your feet are; lead where your feet are at.   Wyatt Hornsby  10:09 What a great insight. And I think that is just so helpful for not only people who are earlier in their career, and maybe they want to be able to grow as a leader. But also for leaders as well, in terms of how they instill in the people who they're privileged to lead, how they can continue to grow and advance.   Naviere Walkewicz  10:30 Yes, what a great life lesson in general. I think sometimes we are so eyes forward on the next thing, that we forget to be our best at the present and the moment. And that was a really, I think, a key message that I took from that was, you know, when he says, lead where you are, you know, be fully present where you are, just like we are right now, reliving, kind of that moment with him. And so what an engaging and amazing conversation with Coach Jemal Singleton. Of course, being a '99 grad, you'd expect that, but, you know?   Wyatt Hornsby  10:58 We wish him. We wish him all the best. What a run he's on right now. Congrats to the Eagles.   Naviere Walkewicz  11:03 Yes. And if I may just offer this: I did want to extend to the team with the Eagles — I mean, what a world class operation out there, to be able to invite us in and put us in their amazing studio to help us share the story that really goes beyond the football, right? It goes beyond the field and how they're doing things as leaders out there. So thank you so much for that amazing support. We really appreciate it. All right. This next clip, Wyatt, is someone that we know well. She is one of our past AOG board directors, Class of 2010, Emma Przybyslawski, also a Young Alumni Excellence Award winner for us, what a remarkable leader. You know, she served in the Air Force, in the special operations community, but also went on after the uniform to really kind of lead her team and her business. In this particular clip, she's talking about leadership outside of uniform. And I think it's important for our listeners to know that leadership comes in and outside of uniform, and so we want to make sure we highlight that. But this particular clip, she talks about getting to “no” as fast as you can — and that's an odd statement to hear, but I think it's really impactful.   Emma Przybyslawski  12:14 One of my key tenets is having the stomach to say, like, “Oof, this didn't work out the way that I wanted it to,” or, “Maybe we were wrong about that.” Step 1, right? Admitting the problem. Step 2 is then pivot, move on, let it go. Just let it go, and either take some great lessons learned from it — hopefully you do — or just bail on it and like, go on to something different. Get to no as fast as you can. Like, no is an OK answer, but man, let's get there as fast as we can. Because the more time you iterate and waste on bad ideas that you don't know if they're bad yet, that they're going to be, the sooner you can get to no, the better off you are.   Naviere Walkewicz  12:59 I really like that, just because it's so different. I mean, it's a different perspective on being thoughtful. on resources and time and how you actually utilize all that as a leader and when you're making decisions that impact others. I just thought that was really insightful. What'd you get from it?   Wyatt Hornsby  13:16 I agree, and what I hear from that is integrity and discipline. No one likes to admit that they're wrong. It's not the most fun thing in the world, but what I heard Emma say was, “If we got something wrong, just admit it. Get there as quickly as possible, learn and move on.” So I love that leadership insight.   Naviere Walkewicz  13:33 Yes, and when you look through history and you think about, those greats, those innovators — but you know, over time, they failed because they failed to actually move forward or stop something that was no longer working. They just held on so tight. I think as a leader, it's important to recognize that. And her, as you know, such, I think, a young and enthusiastic and, you know, impactful leader realizing that it's an important lesson I think we can all take.   Wyatt Hornsby  13:56 It's easy to see, you know, when we hear Emma talk about leadership, it's easy to see how far she's come in life, and, you know, what she's been able to do.   Naviere Walkewicz  14:05 Yes, so make sure you listen to that. While she does talk about that outside of uniform, she does share some incredible stories while she was in the special operations community. I think our listeners will really enjoy learning some of that too.   Wyatt Hornsby  14:16 All right, Naviere, our next guest, Dr. John Torres, Class of 1982 — and that's a name that many of our listeners and viewers may be familiar with. Chief medical correspondent for NBC News. And I love this conversation. Dr. Torres was able to take time from his schedule and visit with us here in Wecker Hall. And really what he talked about, what I took away from this was that leaders earn respect and loyalty. They take care of their people, and they put their people really before themselves. So let's listen to this clip.   Dr. John Torres  14:47 Watching leaders and how they did things, both when I was here at the Academy and when I was in the Air Force and even through medical school, the doctors that were good and talked to people appropriately. The leaders that were good and they had the men and women following them because they wanted to follow them, versus following them because they had to follow them. And as you know, there's a huge difference there. And I tried to model myself after the ones who had people who followed them because they wanted to follow — they respected them. They earned that respect. They earned that loyalty. And to me, that was always an important thing. And so when I transitioned over to medicine, especially being a flight doc, I wanted them to do the things that medically were important for them because they wanted to, because they trusted me, and they understood that I was looking out for them and not just their career or not just their flying, but looking out for them and their families.   Naviere Walkewicz  15:32 I remember that conversation.   Wyatt Hornsby  15:35 Caring deeply about the person, and not necessarily what they — putting that before what they do.   Naviere Walkewicz  15:41 Exactly. That conversation went on because it was referencing the fact that, as a medical doctor in the service, you know, you had those that really wanted to fly like that was their calling. And when they had a medical issue arise, you know, Dr. Torres, because he led in the way that he did. He created that relationship and that trust, to be able to say, “This is what we're up against,” and, you know, to be able to make a leadership and a professional recommendation, and then that, you know, “I care about you as a person, so I'm gonna ask you to consider this,” even if it might be the hard decision that they'd have to make. And I think that that goes a long way for leaders, because sometimes we have to give bad news to our people.   Wyatt Hornsby  16:21 That's right, and really caring about those who were charged with leading and taking care of their best interests, sometimes having those tough conversations. But when we do that, when we authentically care about our people, they will respect us. They will trust and that's really what he was talking about. Powerful.   Naviere Walkewicz  16:43 I think we could probably both think about examples of leaders in our lives that maybe we didn't get the best news, but we always knew they had our best interests, and we would walk through fire for them.   Wyatt Hornsby  That's right.   Naviere Walkewicz  Yes, what a great conversation with an amazing speaker. You'll have to take a listen to the entire conversation with Dr. Torres, because his was really incredible. And the fact that he actually almost left the Academy, but stayed because of survival training. So you make sure you listen to that. All right. Well, this last clip we're going to visit is, gosh, I still just got goose bumps thinking about the conversation with him. It's a recent conversation with Maj. Gen. Tom P. Sherman, Class of 1995, the current vice superintendent of the Air Force Academy. And I could go on and on about, you know, the way he inspires through his words, but this particular clip, Wyatt, was one where he talks about courage, right? And when he recognized a moment in time. This is from a conversation with his AOC, back when he was a cadet at the Air Force Academy, and he had a moment of clarity.   Wyatt Hornsby  17:45 We've both had the opportunity to see Gen. Sherman speak, and just an incredible speaker and presenter — really gets to know his audience. So let's listen.   Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman  17:57 But I think really where the Foundation came in is where we started to talk about leadership. And you know, what I was asking him to do was to pull my rated recommendation form. So we had just submitted them, and I was asking him to pull my rated recommendation form. I didn't want to compete for it anymore. And so we started to talk about leadership. And he says, “You know, hey, Cadet Sherman, you need to understand that, you know, leadership in this Air Force is being the lead F-16 pilot on a bombing run. You know, putting iron on target.” And that's true. It's a very important part of leadership. It is a very important part of tactical operational leadership in this Air Force. So he's not wrong in that space, but I was looking at it from a different lens, and I was looking at it, I think, on a larger level. And what I don't think he realized is that 30 seconds before I walked into his office, he set me up for success. I just happened to be waiting outside the office, and all of a sudden I looked on his cork board, and somebody, and I don't know who it was, had pinned a note that was written to Airman Magazine by an airman first class. And this airman first class titled this, “I need a leader.” And this A1C felt so strongly about what they were feeling, and I have no idea who this person was, felt so strongly about it that they put pen to paper — and this would have been the fall of 1994 — and sent this into Airman Magazine, and it says, “I need a leader. Commissioning sources: Send us lieutenants that we can look up to that will hold us accountable when we do wrong, that will encourage us when we do well, that will be an example that we can look up to, that will care about us as human beings, because you are not sending them to us now. Air Force: I need a leader.” Like that 30 seconds just before I walked into his office, that changed my life. And it changed my life, because for me, at that moment, what I was getting ready to go ask my AOC to do what I was looking at inside myself like that became my charge.   Wyatt Hornsby  19:57 Naviere, I mean, as a graduate, how does that land with you?   Naviere Walkewicz  20:01 I have chill bumps right now, and it's not because it's cold in here, because it's not. I think you nailed it when you said he's someone who can really kind of inspire through his words. But you know, when I hear him say that, it makes me want to go back through the Academy all over again. I want to do it again to see if I can do it better. Because I want to be a leader for that airman and for anyone else that is serving alongside me, under me, etc. That's what I felt hearing that again.   Wyatt Hornsby  20:33 Yeah, and just from the whole conversation, I mean, that's really, I think that's the essence of Gen. Sherman's career, in my eyes, is that he has done everything he can to deliver or to develop as a leader and to be able to bring out the best in everyone who he has had the opportunity to lead and work with.   Naviere Walkewicz  20:51 One of my favorite moments in that conversation was about, you know, “What do you want your legacy to be?” You know, I think that was some kind of — that was maybe a way that I asked the question, and his answer was so unique, because he said, “You know, I don't really think about legacy, like, down the road.” He says — it's almost like he thinks about it in real time, and I'm paraphrasing, so you'll have to listen to the conversation. But he talked about, like, his legacy is when he makes an impact in every moment. So, like, this, you and I together, if I'm able to make an impact through our conversation, like, that's his legacy. And in off the screen, I didn't get to share this in our conversation, but my son, Arden, he's a cadet now, and when I told him I was going to be doing this podcast with Gen. Sherman, he had nothing but amazing — “Mom, I would walk through fire for him. He's so amazing. He's so inspiring.” And I shared that with Gen. Sherman, I said, “Well, you should know, sir, that you created a legacy with my son,” and it actually brought some emotion to him, and that that's who he is. I think that's who we want to be.   Wyatt Hornsby  21:52 Absolutely a remarkable leader and just an amazing episode. And hope that you all take the time to listen to it.   Naviere Walkewicz  22:00 Yes. So those were our highlights from Season 3. And like I said, we could go on about every one of our guests, because they're so impactful and amazing. And just — we take something from each of them.   Wyatt Hornsby  22:12 We did Naviere, and I want to just take a moment too, just to thank you for doing such a great job in Season 3. And just not asking questions, but just having conversations. And it's just easy to see that this just is kind of like a conversation over coffee, where you're just talking about leadership and really getting a sense of what their journey has been, whether it's been the good or the not so good, but just really finding out who they are authentically. So thank you, Naviere, just for leading those conversations.   Naviere Walkewicz  22:43 It's my great pleasure. I think some of the best work behind the scenes comes from this place of wanting to help share their story in a way that our listeners may not have ever heard before, and almost unlocking within them something that surprises themselves, about themselves, you know what I mean? Where they're actually like, “Wow, I'm sharing this,” and it's almost unlocking this new portal on leadership, on themselves. And so that's kind of how I always approach preparation for a conversation. And my goal is just to leave someone with something that really resonates with them.   Wyatt Hornsby  23:18 Well done, Naviere. And while we're at it, we're going to put Ted, our producer, our amazing producer, on the spot here. Ted, congratulations again on a great Season 3. And what are you — just any reflections that you want to share?   Ted Robertson  23:33 Loving watching Naviere grow and glow as a host — she's just my favorite person ever to work with, and thank all of you. This doesn't happen without a whole team committing time and resources and effort, eyes, ears, ideas. It doesn't happen without this group effort. It's a wonderful, wonderful place to be in. Speaking of places to be, you're going to talk about this a little later. Some listener feedback coming up next that Wyatt is going to tell you about. But we have the gift of a new studio that you're some of you are seeing for the first time inside of our new building that we can't wait for many of you to see. So thank you both for everything you do, your support, your encouragement and giving me this couple of minutes to share my thoughts with all of you.   Naviere Walkewicz  Thanks, Ted.   Wyatt Hornsby  24:23 Yeah. Thank you, Ted, again, great work, and we're just we're very grateful for all the heart and soul you put into Long Blue Leadership.   Naviere Walkewicz  24:31 Well, up next, Wyatt has some listener feedback to share with you, but before we do that, I'd like to take a moment and thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. This podcast publishes the first and third Tuesdays of the month in both audio and video, and is available on all your favorite podcast apps. Be sure to watch or listen to all episodes of Long Blue Leadership at longblueleadership.org. Once more, that's longblueleadership.org   Wyatt Hornsby  24:58 And a note I saw from Allison D. in reference to Naviere's conversation, particularly with Emma Przybyslawski. And this highlights how hard Naviere has worked and how well she has done as host of Long Blue Leadership. And I'll start with Allison's note to Naviere, and then I'd like to add some thoughts of my own. From Allison: “Just wanted to do a quick shout out to let you know that I've been listening to your interview with Emma P. and I thought you did a phenomenal job. Emma's willingness to share her perspective in experiences in such an authentic way was a testament to her. But I also wanted you to know that while I was actively listening to her responses, I was also blown away by your ability to follow up with each response with an insightful and natural follow up question. My brain was still digesting her last response, and I don't know how you were able to digest and formulate such an interesting follow up question in such a short amount of time. Well done, Naviere.”   Naviere Walkewicz  25:58 I remember that comment. What a special moment to get that from Allison. Thanks for sharing that, Wyatt.   Wyatt Hornsby  26:05 Our pleasure, and thank you again, Naviere, for doing such a great job as our host.   Naviere Walkewicz  26:10 Well, Wyatt, let's talk about Season 4. It's coming out. Yes, some new things. Do you want to talk about kind of where we're in right now? What to expect?   Wyatt Hornsby  26:17 We're going to be having 13 episodes. Ten are going to be Long Blue Leadership, and then two are going to be really developmental focus, special presentations. Can't wait for that. And then, of course, we'll wrap up Season 4 with a retrospective, Naviere.   Naviere Walkewicz  26:31 Oh gosh, it's going to be amazing. I think what we've learned from the past seasons are people really enjoy hearing the stories from graduates that they can connect with — some transformational moments in their lives. But really excited. We kicked it off here at the end of Season 3 will be coming from our new studio here in Wecker Hall, so they'll get to see the studio and really hear the stories from our graduates. Those are really influential and key leaders in their fields.   Wyatt Hornsby  26:56 I can't wait. And some of our guests — they'll include academics, warfighters, general officers, business leaders, scholars, diplomats, entrepreneurs, policymakers and others.   Naviere Walkewicz  27:08 Yes, and you mentioned it, that kind of leadership. Those two special episodes on leadership, this focus on leadership, we're actually going to go to experts in a field. Maybe they're published authors, but they are going to be some real experts that help our graduates and our listeners hone in on their leadership development. So it's really going to give them some tactical and tangible things that they can do to improve on their own leadership.   Wyatt Hornsby  27:30 I can't wait Naviere, an exciting new feature on leadership as we just continue to elevate our game. It's going to be really great.   Naviere Walkewicz  27:37 It's going to be great. It's going to — that focus on leadership will kick off in October with our second one in December. Wyatt and I want to thank you for joining us today. We can't wait to share the fourth season of Long Blue Leadership with you. Starting this September, you can expect more compelling stories from outstanding Air Force Academy graduates. We like to keep the podcast conversations thoughtful and aimed at telling our guests stories as we explore their personal leadership journeys, their philosophies and their styles. Season 4 promises to engage, inspire and empower. Whether you're an aspiring, emerging or seasoned leader, visit longblueleadership.org for more episodes and past seasons, or nominate a guest or send us your feedback at socialmedia@usafa.org. Long Blue Leadership is available on all your favorites podcast apps.   Wyatt Hornsby  28:30 And Naviere, this was such a great conversation, and I want to encourage you, if you've listened to these episodes or you've watched and you were particularly inspired, please share across your social media channels, share with your friends and colleagues and family members, because we really want these conversations to be for anyone who's interested in developing as a leader, regardless of what career pursuit they've taken.   Naviere Walkewicz  28:54 We like to say “like, subscribe and share.” There you go. Well, I'm Naviere Walkewicz.   Wyatt Hornsby  And I'm Wyatt Hornsby.   Naviere Walkewicz  Until next time.   KEYWORDS Leadership, Air Force Academy, mentorship, personal growth, teamwork, perseverance, service, identity, respect, legacy.       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

We follow up with Damian, Gina and Jack on this year's Glastonbury festival and talk all about it. Relive the last Glasto for a couple of years here with your favourite OOF mods!

Let's get real for a sec.What do you do when your brain is hyperfocused on your child's appearance- and not in the “she's so cute I could cry” kind of way?In this episode, I respond to a mom who's caught in an anxiety spiral about her daughter's facial features after surgery. Despite reassurance from doctors and her partner, her brain keeps ruminating over every detail and whispering unhelpful things like:

Oof. Tough week in Xbox Land. PSVG's Donnie Reece joins Sean to break down the week that was in Xbox. ★ LINKS ★► Support Carpool Gaming on Patreon: https://patreon.com/carpoolgaming► Join our amazing Discord community: https://discord.gg/eBKUyABg8U► Get your Carpool Gaming merch: https://carpoolgaming.com/► Check us out on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/carpoolgaminglive► Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/carpoolgaming► Follow on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/carpoolgaming.comThanks so much to everyone who supports us on https://patreon.com/carpoolgaming★ ULTIMATE PRODUCERS ★Johnathan Brown: https://linktr.ee/pme.jibTechMike, who says "Whether you are Kevesi or Agnian, you're a Xenobabe at heart."★ PLATINUM PRODUCERS ★Peje EPSmokin_JoeThe CaptainTim Paullin★ GOLD MEMBERS ★Adam KAnnaAwesomeDave1337BennyBrad MooreBrian ReeseCecily CarrozzaDan & LumaDannohhEmily O'KelleyJon32LauraLigerWoods330Mr GigglesOldMrFrumpSteven Keller

Oof, what a stacked show this week: Germany's minimum wage saga reaches its disappointing denouement, German voters begin to wonder what the SPD is actually for, and Germany's Retail Institute comes up with an all but useless report on shoplifting. Meanwhile, a bold wood pigeon wants in on the mega sesh, and yes, wine and lemonade does indeed make an excellent summer drink. Salud!Megan's Megacan theme song by Eden Ottignon from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Planet OTT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy us a round, ask us a question! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/megansmegacan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Or follow us on whichever psychotic billionaire's data-fracking machine you like best:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/megansmegacan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MegansMegacan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-o_U5nqe4_-yKfOm1CXOPA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The email said, “I talked my spouse into going to therapy.” Another one asked, “How do I drag my spouse to therapy?” Oof. The first person was proud of the “convincing.” The second person got my response: You Don't! (Unless, of course, you want to damn the process from the very beginning… and in that case, drag away!) Marriage therapy tends to be the default response to a marriage crisis (although the stats would not support this as the preferred action). If there is a problem, time to head to therapy! First task: get a spouse there. By pressure, if necessary. I think there is a (false) belief that if you can just get them there, the therapist will work some magic and convince the spouse to work on the marriage. The therapist won't/can't. And your spouse won't. Fail/fail. But why? There are some Therapy Traps that you fall into when you try to drag a spouse into therapy (I cover the Traps in the podcast episode below). And in the process, you actually cause further entrenchment on the part of your spouse that things won't work out. Yep, it makes things worse. I explain why in this episode of the Save The Marriage Podcast.  Listen below. RELATED RESOURCES Therapy Problems Can You Save It Alone? Can Your Marriage Even Be Saved? Book:  Beyond the 3 Barriers Program:  Save The Marriage System Toolkit:  When You Are Working Alone

Crunchyroll was busted in 4K using ChatGPT for English subtitles for the anime Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show... because the ChatGPT prompt was left onscreen! OOF! Now Bluesky has their torches and pitchforks ready! Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

What if you're so busy managing the symptoms... when you should be fixing the roof?In this episode, Andy shares a few famous last words (spoiler: Elvis died doing exactly what he said he was going to do), before rolling into a parable that didn't make the book - but might just make your brain go “Oof.”It's the tale of Miss Cleverclogs, Ralph, and a leaking maths classroom. A ridiculous story, yes. But also... not. Because it's a metaphor for how we handle mental health - more buckets, more apps, more busyness. Still dripping.Tune in for irony, weather warnings, and a reminder that the bravest thing you can do sometimes is climb up and fix the actual flipping roof.

[Mom Mode, CEO Energy] Becoming a mom of twins flipped my life and business upside down—in the best (and most chaotic) way possible. But if I could go back and give my pre-mom CEO self some advice? Oof. I'd have a lot to say. In this episode, I'm sharing the exact mindset shifts, boundaries, and business truths I wish I had locked in before motherhood. Even if you're not a parent, this will hit home—because so many of us are building our businesses with goals that don't actually match the life we want to live. We'll cover: What I used to prioritize in business (and why it no longer works) What I would've done sooner to protect my time, energy, and sanity How to build your business to support your future self—whatever that looks like Why life-first scaling isn't just for moms, and how to start doing it now Links Mentioned: [Business Story Blueprint Freebie]: https://meganyelaney.com/business-story-blueprint Join the waitlist for the next round of The Distinctive Edge: https://meganyelaney.com/tde DM me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganyelaney

In this solo episode of 'Don't Cut Your Own Bangs,' Danielle Ireland dives into key lessons from her recent therapy sessions, emphasizing the importance of relationships. She explores how the drive to 'win' an argument often results in everyone losing, the power of genuine apologies over hollow ones, and the significance of understanding rather than feigned confusion. Danielle also shares personal insights and practical steps to navigate relationship conflicts with compassion and kindness, while promoting her journaling tool, 'Treasured,' aimed at deepening personal growth and self-awareness.   00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the Solo Cast 01:47 Lessons from Therapy Sessions: Relationship Edition 03:03 Winning or Losing in Arguments 08:30 The Power of Pausing and Reflecting 14:23 Hollow Apologies and True Acknowledgment 18:02 Understanding and the Desire to Change 23:07 Final Thoughts and Encouragement RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE TO “DON'T CUT YOUR OWN BANGS”  Like your favorite recipe or song, the best things in life are shared. When you rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, your engagement helps me connect  with other listeners just like you. Plus, subscriptions just make life easier for everybody. It's one less thing for you to think about and you can easily keep up to date on everything that's new. So, please rate, review, and subscribe today.    DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below.   Website: https://danielleireland.com/   The Treasured Journal: https://danielleireland.com/journal   Substack: https://danielleireland.substack.com/   Blog: https://danielleireland.com/blog/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW   Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured Transcript Winning Isn't Everything: Lessons from Therapy Sessions [00:00:00] Hello. Hello, this is Danielle Ireland and you are listening to Don't Cut Your Own Bangs Today. I am coming at you with a solo cast. These are so fun for me for many reasons. it's like a living, breathing journal where I can process things that are happening in my life or things that I've learned with clients and therapy sessions or just new aha things or whatever's really exciting for me. [00:00:28] I get an opportunity to put those in a place. I have been having some really juicy, juicy therapy sessions with clients over the last couple weeks, and what I've started to do, There are moments when I'm in a session with a client and I'm taking notes or I'm listening to something they're processing or something will fly outta my mouth, just improvised in the moment and I will think to myself, damn. [00:00:52] That was a tasty dish that was really interesting or that was super poignant, or I get like full body chills and I don't really know exactly what to do with the information, but I wanna put it somewhere. And so what has ended up happening over the years is I'll scribble something on a post-it note or I'll scratch something at the top of the client note to try to revisit later. [00:01:15] Sometimes in previous lives I've written them into blog forms or just brought them up with my husband over dinner thinking this. And actually little sneak peek behind the curtain. That is one of the ways, one of the first ways that the title for wrestling a walrus came to me. [00:01:34] It happened in a therapy session. I'm pretty sure I used it just as a way to iterate whatever the client was processing or experiencing in the moment. I wrote it down and it just stuck with me. And there's lots of moments like that. And so what we're gonna talk about today in this solo cast is lessons from sessions, but the ones that are really focused in on relationships. [00:01:58] So this is the lessons from Sessions, relationship edition, solocast, and. The only thing that's ever shared, in this podcast space is the. [00:02:12] Lessons that are gleaned, the takeaways that we can all find value from in the human experience, not personal anecdotes, addresses, names, identifiable characteristics, nothing like that. The point is not to out anybody at all. One that would be terribly unethical and I would lose my license for it. [00:02:32] But also just on a human level that feels ick. That feels really icky. I think that anybody who's curious about therapy or anyone who is in therapy, but wondered what it would be like in someone else's session. There is this innate curiosity of, is anyone else dealing with this too? [00:02:48] Has anyone else ever thought this also, or what do you do when you face this? That is, I think, a healthy, normal, reasonable curiosity I love that there's a place to share that. So yeah, we're gonna talk about relationships. So winning or losing in the context of relationships, particularly in an argument, if the goal is to win or if, if the goal is to not lose. [00:03:15] Depends on what side you're on. Are you righteous or are you just digging your heels in and being stubborn? if you are fighting to win or doggedly. Preventing the feeling of loss. Somebody always loses, win or lose. Somebody always loses in that type of dynamic. [00:03:33] So what happens when we do a fake apology? A hollow apology. And the last is the phrase I hear a lot. I just don't understand. I just don't understand. So we're gonna talk about each of these, how they play out in relationships, what you might be able to find value from within them, where you may be able to see yourself in them. [00:03:55] And I'll also share where I see myself in these too. though I sit in a therapist chair when I'm actually working with clients. I do my own work. I'm human too, and we're figuring this out together. So let's start with. When it's about winning or losing, you always lose. I think what gets lost in most heated exchanges, if we even peel back before the disagreement itself, there is a momentum. [00:04:26] That leads to disagreements, whether a repeated pattern, a repeated behavior or a fight that we keep having over and over and over again. It's never just isolated in that moment in time, there is a momentum that leads to it. [00:04:43] The issue in the kitchen or the fight in the bedroom, or the feverishly upset text exchange, Thing that we are fighting for is to be heard or to feel validated or for the other person to give us something. Usually something in the context of, you are right, I was wrong. [00:05:03] I see it your way. I will change and I will never do that thing that has led us to this moment that makes you uncomfortable ever, ever again. We're looking for some kind of either validation or a guarantee, and some of that makes sense and some of that is. Just not. and it's hard to know in that moment in time when we are flooded with feelings we're escalating and two people have dug their heels in. [00:05:30] It's sometimes hard to see the woods through the trees, but. What I know to be absolutely true, having worked with couples who are actively fighting in front of me, which is not fun. It's probably my least favorite experience working as a therapist. it really activates my nervous system, but also in my own fights and my own disagreements with my husband. [00:05:52] For example, when I am fighting to prove myself right at his expense, the expense of his experience or his point of view. I will lose because I'm either going to say something hurtful to win or I'm not listening, so I'm not receiving any of the information he's sharing. And also, once I'm that flooded and fighting to get my point of view across, I'm no longer in the environment, and I'm no longer sitting in front of my husband. [00:06:21] I'm sitting across an enemy and I'm a battle. And once that happens, once that mode is activated. That's when our worst qualities, our most destructive behaviors, can rise to the surface, and that erodes trust. it creates the opposite of really looking for, we're looking to be heard, one of the things that can be helpful is to even just catch that you're in it. am I trying to win or am I trying to understand something new? Am I trying to win or am I seeking to be heard? Am I trying to win? Meaning I need to be right. [00:07:04] And because in order for me to be right, they have to be wrong. Now, there are of course times where there maybe is a clear cut right and wrong, but what I'm speaking about in this context is not physical altercations or the extremes that are a little more clearly discerned. It's those. Muddy, messy, icky moments with someone that you actually care about or somebody who has a relationship that's important to you. [00:07:33] 'cause maybe it's not always a spouse or a romantic partner. it could be a friend or could be a family member. It could even be a coworker, but they're not a villain. They're not evil. But that is also sometimes a trick that our mind will play on us when we are fighting so hard to win, is we'll make the other person an enemy and we'll convince ourselves a story about them [00:07:53] Whatever our mode of operating makes sense to us, but what you can do is if you catch yourself in that place, you're like, oh, the warrior, the Warrior's armors on, and I am trying to win. This is, by the way, the hardest thing for me to do. Anytime because whenever there is unease, unrest, discomfort in a relationship, my need to fix or my need to get to a resolution quickly is so strong. [00:08:26] One of the best things you can do is pause the conversation, pause and walk away for a little bit. if like me, you have that hypervigilance that that need for resolution, that need to care take. Or if you are a justice seeking person, you're like, I will fight the good fight. [00:08:46] This is going to be really freaking hard. but I absolutely know. Based on the science, based on what is happening in our brains, what's happening in our nervous system, when we are engaged in an interaction like that, win or lose, you're gonna lose. So the best thing you can do when you catch it, even if it's mid-sentence, is to, and I'll actually do this, I'll do something, I'll do a gesture with my hands. [00:09:13] Like I'll throw up my hands like this, like, woo, I need, I need to stop. Or I'll do a timeout, hand signal. But I'll take a breath. I'll pump the brakes. Literally and metaphorically, I'll pump the brakes on the conversation and I need to pause and take a beat. There's actually a really common thread that I've, clients have told me about and I've actually experienced in my own life. [00:09:38] many times. I'll get off of a heated phone call and I'll hang up, and then a few minutes will go by. something will soften or a new thought will come to me, or I'll have a moment of clarity, or I'll start to feel contrite and maybe a little guilty at something at how I said something or what I said, and I'll actually have a better opportunity to reconnect through sending a text. [00:10:05] Now, I'm not a fan of text fighting or avoiding actual connection through text, but there is this phenomenon of. I have to stop the chain of events. That's un that's gaining momentum that I have. I'm losing control and I'm fighting hard to win. And I press pause and I stop and I breathe and I reflect [00:10:28] And then I'm seeing things in a different way. And then the act of texting. Is not to avoid the deeper connection, but I think there is something to, similar to why I love journaling. I'm thinking about what I'm writing and I'm thinking about what I'm sending. And generally that is either an apology or a more well-formed thought or a clarifying statement or a question that helps reframe. [00:10:56] There is something about step out of the game. If you catch yourself in this like pickleball match of like point, counterpoint, point, counterpoint, point, counterpoint, you're just trying so hard to win. [00:11:08] Step outta the game. So the pause is not abandoning the other person or abandoning the topic altogether, or it's not avoiding it. But I need to get out of this. The rules and the context of this game win or lose. I'm gonna step out. I'm gonna breathe and, you know, you're in a better place to reapproach the conversation when I come back online. [00:11:31] That's the language I use. it's hard to articulate into words 'cause it's a full body experience, The more I am caught in winning or losing or making somebody wrong, my focus becomes really narrow and I only see the examples. I only see the points that prove my perspective. Right? When I step out of the game and I breathe, [00:11:57] I come back to the present moment. from that perspective, I'm able to actually see the context of a broader frame of reference, and that opens up the conversation to better possibilities that are less corrosive and less draining. [00:12:15] So the takeaway from there, if you are fighting to win or lose, you will always lose. There is a better way to do it and my recommendation is to pause, step outta the game, breathe, reframe, and only reenter back into that interaction. When you feel yourself come back online. if you are in a relationship with a partner where you were the one choosing to step away and they. [00:12:40] Have an anxious attachment style or they are maybe more like me in this example where they're like, but they need, they need, they need to resolve. [00:12:47] So letting them know that I'm not walking away from you and I'm not avoiding us coming to. A resolution together, but now is not the time for me and I can't be my best me and do this. So depending on who you are and where you fall in each dynamic, it can be helpful to sometimes tend to that. If you have a partner that is a little bit more anxious attachedIf you've ever wanted to start a journaling practice but didn't know where to start, or if you've been journaling off and on your whole life, but you're like, I wanna take this work deeper, I've got you covered. I've written a journal called Treasured, a Journal for unearthing you. It's broken down into seven key areas of your life, filled with stories, sentence stems, prompts, questions, and exercises. [00:13:28] All rooted in the work that I do with actual clients in my therapy sessions. I have given these examples to clients in sessions as homework, and they come back with insights that allow us to do such incredible work. This is something you can do in the privacy of your own home, whether you're in therapy or not. [00:13:47] It has context, it has guides. And hopefully some safety bumpers to help digging a little deeper feel possible, accessible and safe. You don't have to do this alone. And there's also a guided treasured meditation series that accompanies each section in the journal to help ease you into the processing state. [00:14:06] So my hope is to help guide you into feeling more secure with the most important relationship in your life, the one between you and you. Hop on over to the show notes and grab your copy today. And now back to the episode. [00:14:19] When I am, sorry. Falls flat. Ooh, there is nothing. Well, okay, maybe there are other things. It really bothers me when there is a hollow, like a chocolate Easter bunny empty on the inside. I'm sorry. There are so many ways that repair is done wrong, and I think a lot of what though, these fake or hollow apologies feel rooted in. [00:14:49] It's an apology in sheep's clothing. we want a guarantee. If I just knew the right words, if I just knew the script, if I just said the right thing, then I could hijack all of the awkward, uncomfortable, vulnerable conversations that I don't wanna have. I don't actually have to feel any of the sticky, icky, uncomfortable feelings that. [00:15:10] Are involved in making amends, taking responsibility, because once I know something, I can't unknow it. And if I know something and I can't unknow it, then I might need to change. And change is uncomfortable and change is hard. if I just repeat the script, then I can just skip all that crap and get right to the fun part, which is, you know, avoiding discomfort altogether. [00:15:33] I'm sorry, but, or there's a good rule of thumb that whatever comes after, but is what you really mean. So if you find yourself either hearing or saying, I'm sorry, but blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm gonna tell you the, I'm sorry you just said was total bullshit and what you actually think and feel and what you mean is what comes after. [00:15:56] But there are so many ways that we say the words, but we don't mean the words. And so sometimes what I recommend to couples is to just swipe it from your vocabulary altogether. Because a lot of the time what we're looking for in place of an apology of atonement is acknowledgement. I see the impact my behavior had on you. [00:16:24] I see the effect that the way that I said what I just said, I can hear it now through your ears because you just shared. Your history, that experience you had when you were young, or you told me about the type of day you just had. I can now hear how that joke I thought was a joke or that comment that kind of came out sideways, or the fact that I'm frustrated and impatient I can now hear in a new way. [00:16:52] I have a new frame of reference. I have a new context because of what you shared, and I really appreciate you telling me that's not an apology, Fuck is that more powerful than so many times where we say, oh, I'm sorry, because I am sorry. Just, I'm sorry. I thought I was just making a joke. [00:17:11] Be discerning about your apologies. And also I think a really important question to ask that I will share with clients all the time. [00:17:24] Does the situation really call for an apology or is what the other person, or what you asking for is. Clarity and confirmation that your feelings matter. That your experience is real. And most of the time that is what we really are looking for. And that is enough Hollow chocolate bunny Apologies. Can Well, they can, they can get out 'cause I'm over 'em. [00:17:54] and I just don't understand. Oh. I just don't understand the faux helplessness, the performed confusion that a lot of us do. This one I find fun because when we are confused. Then we can't really make a choice. [00:18:19] And if we can't really make a choice because we don't really understand something, then guess what else we don't have to do. We don't have to change. And so a lot of times I will be working with a client who is either in a relationship with someone who is conveniently confused or they themselves. Are maybe not ready to know what they're on the cusp of knowing, or they're not ready to acknowledge what they already know. [00:18:46] There's all these different stages of readiness when it comes to making change, because change is hard and it's scary and it's uncomfortable, but this helpless confusion, I just don't understand. This is my favorite follow up question to that, and I empower you to use it. Just be ready for it though, because you can also use it on yourself. [00:19:10] I just don't understand. Do you want to, do you want to? Oof. I love that so much. Do you wanna understand, so just imagine you're having a conversation with you don't understand. Would you like to, because I'm happy to explain why it matters to me, because this is , the beauty and the really challenging part about emotional awareness . once we become aware. We can't unsee. If I don't know, then I'm gonna just keep doing what I've always done. But if I know I'm now presented with a choice that maybe I didn't have before, but now I have a choice and my choice is to either do the same thing pretending I don't know, or I'm gonna do the same thing, knowing full well and still choosing to do the same thing. [00:20:12] But it's a choice. It's not this helpless foe. I'm just lost and confused. I can't possibly be held accountable. Oh, record scratch. You do know now, and it's a real clarifying moment for an individual or for a relationship or for a job. Once I know what I know, I can't unknow it. [00:20:36] Now I'm being called to do something with this knowing, and sometimes that's a scary leap. The example that's actually coming to mind as I'm sharing this is I knew but wasn't ready to know for six months that I was ready to go out on my own and leave the practice. That helped me develop as a therapist and launch out on my own. [00:20:59] I knew for about six months that. I could afford it, that I was capable, that I had all of the resources I needed to make this happen. But I was scared to take the leap because change is hard. The unknown is uncertain and scary, and it's a new environment and new and scary, and it is just all, all the reasons why we may be avoid doing anything that's new. [00:21:24] But I knew and needed to be confused and then reminded and confused, and reminded and confused and reminded until I couldn't ignore what I knew anymore. And then I acted on it. And I think sometimes too , to wash this all with a, a big dose of compassion. I also think that a lot of times that that. [00:21:47] Knowing, not being ready to know, knowing not being ready to know is its own form of preparation. Like maybe what we see on the outside is procrastination is its own form of preparing. Getting ready to be ready, to be ready to change, [00:22:04] wherever you see yourself or your relationship or someone in your life in this process, I hope. That this has been clarifying. I hope you found some value in it or maybe sparked a fun conversation that we can continue to have. I welcome questions. I want your questions and I would love to be able to answer them for you here. [00:22:23] You can always email me at danielle@danielleireland.com. I am the only person who has access to that email, so I'll be the person that receives it. So hit me up with a follow up question. If you want me to expand on a topic or if you have a new one that you're curious about, let me know. [00:22:38] The thing I wanna leave, whether it's about winning or losing, or whether it's about when Hollow chocolate bunny bullshit apologies or being fake confused about something. If there was a way that we could simplify, well, okay, what do you actually do with this? [00:22:55] The first is breathe. The first will always be breathing. Because the breath is what allows all of the important problem solving parts of our brain that kick offline when we're absolutely flooded with emotion or in terror or thrown back to our 8-year-old emotional selves. Breath brings us back. So breathe. [00:23:19] I love doing this next step. I will think of myself or imagine myself as somewhere between like five and eight years old, but I think of little Danielle. [00:23:29] And then whenever I'm in conflict or mentally struggling with or taking issue with anyone, truly any other person, I will then imagine them as little them. So there's little Danielle and there's little them, and it softens me because one, the reality is we go back to an emotional age wherever, whenever we are flooded with emotion, the experience is exceeding our capacity to meet the moment. [00:24:01] And this is not a judgment, it's just a truth that when we get overwhelmed or flooded or have an adult tantrum or lose our temper emotions are seeping out our eyes, right? Whatever the expression is, the emotion of the moment is exceeding our capacity to meet it. Breath helps us kick back online and then remembering, oh, this is little me not knowing how to meet this moment. [00:24:25] And she's doing the best she can do. And then there's also a little version of this other person. Who is likely having the exact same experience in their own way, and it doesn't excuse behavior and it doesn't excuse mine, especially if I step outside the bounds of what's respectful. But to meet the moment with kindness and truth, doing that with compassion, with respect to what's likely happening inside me and likely happening inside the other, just really adds a nice, soft, cozy touch to the whole context. [00:25:00] Don't worry about a goddamn script. I've spent way too much time with clients, particularly in my early years, trying to craft the right thing to say. And I gotta say that those scripts will fail you when you're actually in the moment. Sentence stems can help. And maybe if you need a point of reference to launch into a well-worded email or text, but when you're speaking from the heart, it's gonna be the right thing. [00:25:25] But you won't be able to access that if you're not breathing. Disarm yourself, disarm the other. You're not enemies. You're not fighting. No one is trying to win or lose. And then say what you really feel and mean what you're saying. you'll know that it's the truth when it's also delivered with kindness. [00:25:48] Because what I absolutely believe to be true. A belief being just something you think a lot, and I think this a lot, that the truth can always be delivered with kindness. It doesn't mean it's gonna be comfy, cozy, it doesn't mean it's gonna be easy, and it doesn't mean the other person's going to like it, but it can absolutely is kind. [00:26:07] The truth is kind. So breathe, trust yourself, disarm yourself in the other. And try to do it with as much kindness as you can access. [00:26:20] I wanna hear from you. I wanna know what you think. I want to answer your questions, and I want to grow and get better with you. So before you leave, make sure to check out the show notes, all of the important links for my children's book, wrestling, a Walrus, my journal, treasure, a Journal for unearthing you, my website, all the fun ways you can connect with me. [00:26:40] They are there for you in the show notes. Make sure to check those out and write, review, subscribe to the podcast. Those three things are like the 1, 2, 3 power punch that help this podcast meet other people who can get value from it. The best things in life are shared, so please share and I hope you continue to have a wonderful day. [00:26:59]

So, you sent a Save the Date... and now you want to uninvite them? Oof. That’s not just bold - that’s a social plot twist! Sure, it’s technically not a contract. But let’s be honest: once that card hits their fridge, it’s real. You told them, “You’re in.” Now you’re pulling a disappearing act? Yikes. Look, we get it. Life changes. Budgets shrink. People show their true colors. But if you’re thinking about snatching that invite back—just know: it’s messy, it’s awkward, and yeah, it might spark drama. If you have to do it? Be grown. Pick up the phone. Say what’s up. Don’t ghost. Don’t sugarcoat. Do. It. Right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oof! This episode had me laughing, gasping, and seriously needing a cold shower

Two Hot Takes host, Morgan, is joined by guest co-host Lauren! We're analyzing all these stories today with the lens of "Were the people involved being a little short sighted.. a little naive? Or are they numbskulled and a little foolish?! Like a woman's husband who keeps appearing in gym girls tiktoks.. or a man who says his wife didn't actually give birth because she had a c-section.. OOF buckle up for some of these my friends! Partners: Duluth Trading!! http://duluthtrading.com Skims: http://Skims.com/tht Bonus Content on Patreon including FREE episodes and the jolly rancher story with Chris!! : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TwoHotTakes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MERCH HERE ! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.twohottakes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send us a letter? Our PO Box!! Two Hot Takes. 5042 Wilshire BLVD. #470. Los Angeles, CA 90036 WRITE IN TO US!!! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://reddit.app.link/twohottakes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Full length Video episodes available on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/TwoHotTakes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Index: 00:00 -- Start Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So I feel like we all know that feeling when you watch someone launch a business, or start posting vlogs, or announce their new side hustle, and whilst most of you is like WELL DONE a small part of you is like: “Oof… that's brave.” It's that feeling that I want to get into today. That tiny little cringe feeling we get, is basically our own fear of being seen trying. And today, I want to have a chat about why that fear is not only unnecessary, it's also can really hold us back.+DILEMMA SUBMISSIONIf you'd like to submit any dilemmas to the podcast to be answered in the bonus episodes, please send them to podcast@grace-beverley.com with the subject beginning DILEMMAS!+MY LINKS: https://gracebeverley.komi.io/+RETROGRADE, SHREDDY, TALA and THE PRODUCTIVITY METHOD are my own businesses, therefore any mention of them - whilst not being a sponsorship - is monetarily endorsed. As usual, sponsorships do not change my opinions nor my honesty, but I will always disclaim to make sure motives are clear

⚔️ Back Orcs are A-HOLES! TTRPG Inspired Enamel Pin Set - http://BadOrcs.com Disney-Pixar's Elio is shaping up to a MASSIVE failure for Disney, according to tracking. It will only open to $35-40 million and reportedly cost a whopping $300 million. It's on track to be a bigger bomb than Lightyear. OOF. Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

“I'm canceling my appointment. The price I paid? No way. Disappointing.”That was the message my student (and dear friend) received from a client — and she was crushed. The client didn't understand why an assistant had worked on her, questioned the pricing, and accused her of being unethical.Oof. Those texts hit hard — especially when you're working so hard to build something bigger than yourself.But here's the truth:If you've ever received feedback like this… you are not failing.Your assistant program is not broken.And you do not have to crumble every time someone doesn't understand your vision.In this episode, I'm walking you through what to do when clients question your pricing, your team structure, or your leadership — especially when emotions are high and doubts start to creep in.Because moments like this? They're not the end — they're a part of the growth.Inside this episode, we'll unpack:The exact message a client sent that left one of my students reelingWhy feedback like this stings — and how to process it without spiralingWhat this kind of pushback really means (and doesn't mean) about your businessHow to respond with leadership, clarity, and confidenceWhy building an assistant program will always come with a learning curve — for you and your clientsThis is the pep talk you need when things feel shaky and you're questioning it all.

Anxiety isn't just about your thoughts, it's about whether or not you see *YOURSELF* as capable enough to handle life (OOF!). In this episode, I get into this and SO much more with anxiety expert Dr. Stephanie Lopez (you can check out her FREE training for ditching anxiety here). If you'd like a one-on-one coaching session with Remy, go here.If you'd like a birth chart reading with Remy, go here. Want to connect? Find me here:⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠Email: patraumaparty@gmail.comThe contents of this podcast are provided for informational purposes only. None of the material presented is intended to be a substitute for psychotherapy, counseling, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need to speak with a professional, you can find one local to you and reach out directly, or, in the US, you can call 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Hotline.

Disney keeps on losing. A judge ruled that their lawsuit against YouTube over a poached employee probably won't go anywhere -- and is potentially illegal. Then the guy in charge of their Canadian animation studio just got poached by Netflix. OOF. Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

Jesse Montano and Meghan Angley are BACK after a long weekend! In this episode of Off Ice, Jesse and Meghan are breaking down all the biggest stories around the world of hockey this week: 

You know that moment when someone says something small, but your reaction feels huge? Like, your heart's racing, your mind is spiralling, and you're suddenly questioning everything?Or maybe you lose it, and then after think "Oof, where did that come from?"(Or I've often seen others lose it and also wonder, "Oof, where did that come from!")One of my clients recently asked a question that I know so many of us have wrestled with:"If something triggers me today, how do I know if I'm just reacting from an old wound - or it something's actually not ok right now?"Yes. Yes. YES.That's exactly what this week's episode of the Building Resilience podcast is all about.We're diving into:* Why your nervous system doesn't do timelines* How “story follows state” (and what that really means)* 6 powerful tools to help you sort out what's now and what's then* And how to bring compassion no matter what you findNervous System Journaling Club: https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/about?ref=06e003b61b8148ebbafd3a067f3cc2e1#nervoussystemhealing #nervoussystemregulation #nervoussystemreset Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WWE Raw – May 26, 2025 was absolute f'n chaos.

You've been praying for a husband for years…and nothing.  You're faithful, you're doing your part, and yet the loneliness still stings.  I came across a post that said, “Your singleness isn't a problem to fix – it's a space to flourish.”  I loved it.  But the comments underneath? Oof.  They broke my heart.  Today, we're talking about what might be really happening when it feels like God's ignoring your prayers – and how to shift your prayers and perspective so you can finally feel seen, loved and confident again. Grab that diet coke, put in your ear buds and let's talk friend to friend.

Our Divorce Crash Course was designed to hold your hand through the process and help you avoid major and expensive mistakes. Learn more here: https://www.hownottosuckatdivorce.com/divorce-crash-courseSo… your spouse wants a divorce and you don't? Oof. That's a brutal position to be in—and one we know all too well. In this candid, no-holds-barred episode, Andrea and Morgan dive into the exact steps you need to take—legally and emotionally—when divorce isn't your idea, but it's happening anyway. Whether the papers haven't been filed yet or you've already been served, this is your guide to protecting yourself, preparing smartly, and finding solid ground when your world feels upside down.What You'll Learn:The first 3 legal steps to take if your spouse hasn't filed yetHow to emotionally process being blindsided by divorceWhat to do (and not do) if your spouse has filedWhen discernment counseling works (and when it won't)How to avoid expensive legal mistakes just because you're overwhelmedWhy it's critical to understand your attorney's strategyBurning Questions Answered:“What if I don't want a divorce—do I have any control?”“How can I financially prepare if I'm in the dark?”“Is couples therapy enough to save us?”“What happens if I ignore the divorce petition?”“How do I hold it together when I'm falling apart?Our Family Wizard is another fantasitc resource for those who need help navigating the "fun" world of coparenting. Head to this landing page to see how we work closely with them to support our listeners! http://www.ourfamilywizard.com/notsuckFriends, slide into our dms, we love love love hearing from you. We are always here to listen and help in any way we can. You've got this and we've got you.Instagram: @hownotosuckatdivorceFollow Andrea: @theandrearappaportFollow Morgan: @divorceattorneychicago

Y'all, also make sure you subscribe to my newsletter because SO MUCH has happened this week! Between concerts and colonoscopies, it's been wild lol. Subscribe here to hear more about it: https://atallgirlspodcast.beehiiv.com/ There is a strong connection between your height and your health. And yes, we commonly know the aches and pains and posture problems that come with being tall, but we're gonna go deeper than that. Like I'm talking about chronic diseases, like bone disease, peripheral neuropathy, and certain cancers. Oof, that sounds scary. And lowkey it is, but we'll get into that a little bit later. While we're on the topic of diseases, apparently, being tall happens to be viewed as a disease, specifically for girls. Yeah, we're going to get real deep into the health risks of being tall and what this whole “being tall was a disease” thing means, so let's get into it! This episode was actually a request from one of you guys! One of you asked if I could do an episode on tall woman diseases, and if I could have a doctor on this episode. So yes, we are talking about diseases tall people are more susceptible to, BUT we don't have a doctor on this episode lol. However, I will be incorporating TikTok videos of health professionals speaking on this matter. And this is a good time to provide a disclaimer. This is NOT meant to give medical advice. I am NOT a medical professional. I'm just a tall girl with a microphone who has done some research and is sharing it on the Internet lol. But before we get into diseases and so forth, let's talk about something interesting I found. Apparently, being tall was viewed as a disease??? Back in the day, doctors would give young girls hormones to prevent them from growing to adult height. What's the deal with that? Tune in to the full episode for more! Here is the article regarding this: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-oe-cosgrove5-2009apr05-story.html | https://hormonesmatter.com/des-used-stunt-growth-tall-girls/ Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/atallgirlspodcast Subscribe to A Tall Girl's Newsletter: https://atallgirlspodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribeLet's stay connected: https://beacons.ai/atallgirlspodcast Leave a review and let me know how tall you are: https://atallgirlspodcast.com/reviews

Ironheart is getting a new trailer, but does anybody care? Really? Then we talk about the utter state of Marvel's YouTube page. Comic book videos hardly get any interaction whatsoever, and other than movie trailers (which can be used as advertisements) the views on most videos are very low for the number of subs Marvel has. OOF. Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

So y'all know I'm a sucker for a good “know thyself” moment, and Dominic came in hot with a masterclass on self-mastery, curiosity, and the very real power of actually liking yourself. We talked about how most of us have been taught to look outside ourselves for approval, instruction, and even identity, and how the real work (the delicious, messy, glorious work) is in turning inward. Dominic broke down the concept of finding your “edges”, those fear-based borders that show us where we've stopped exploring, and how real growth happens when we gently push past them. He compared it to lifting in the gym: you don't go from squatting 185 to 400 overnight. You show up, you stay curious, and you chip away at those limitations rep by rep, choice by choice. Preach.And when he started talking about the body? Oof, I felt that. If you've ever worked with me, you know I'm all about reconnecting with your body after years of diet culture disconnection. Dominic echoed this hard, reminding us that movement isn't about aesthetics, it's about discovering what your body can do, and using that information to fuel your emotional and even spiritual well-being. We had this moment talking about crying at sunrises (yes, I cry at sunrises now, don't come for me), and it all tied back to being present enough, grounded enough, nourished enough in your body and your nervous system, to actually feel the beauty of life. This episode was like a deep stretch for the soul. You're gonna want to hear it.As always, I hope something lands with you today. I hope something you hear tugs at your heart strings and/or I hope you laugh.Bio: Dominic, known as the Inner Peace Advisor, helps people around the world access a deeper state of self-awareness and lasting inner peace. Drawing from a unique blend of coaching, NLP, Tantra, and remote healing, along with degrees from Stanford (B.S. in Engineering) and Wharton (MBA), he guides clients in dissolving limiting beliefs and aligning with their true selves. His approach is rooted in contemplation, self-knowledge, and the belief that inner peace is not an emotion, but a powerful state of being that transforms how we engage with life.Music by Prymary: Sean Entrikin (my hot husband) on guitar, Chris Quirarte on drums, Smiley Sean on keyboards, Rob Young on bass, and Jaxon Duane on vocals.Connect with Dominic!Website: https://explorewithdominic.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerpeaceadvisorWhere can you find me?Linktree: https://linktr.ee/beautifulbeastwithinstudiosTired of battling your body? What if food felt easy, movement felt good, and your worth had nothing to do with a number?I help people break free from the cycle of diets, guilt, and shame so they can feel at home in their bodies again. No more rules. No more punishment. Just support, compassion, and a path toward peace.Curious what that could look like for you? Book a free, no-pressure chat and let's talk about it.https://beautifulbeastwithinstudios.com/exploration-chat-schedulingAffiliate LinksBreakthrough Coaching Certification: If you feel called to help others heal or grow, Sean Smith's Breakthrough Coaching Certification is where that calling becomes real. https://coachseansmith.ontraport.net/t?orid=27037&opid=43Opus Clip: I use Opus Clip mostly for captions, and it's a game-changer for turning long videos into usable clips. If you use my link, it supports the show, and I appreciate you big time! https://www.opus.pro/?via=1118d2Mary Kay: Listen… I've been using Mary Kay since I was 17. I'm 40 now and people still ask me what college I go to. Not really, but you get the idea. Grab your faves here: https://www.marykay.com/kaitienoelleUnveil the Beautiful Beast Within YOU!Zoom Background:By Behr

Oof.

Do you ever wonder if you're sharing too much online? Whether you're trying to connect with your audience, show the “real you,” or just vent in the moment—there's a fine line between being vulnerable and accidentally making people question if they should hire you. (Oof, yep…we're going there.) In this episode, I unpack what it really means to practice intentional vulnerability—aka how to share the messy without looking like a mess. We talk about: How to check yourself before sharing emotional stories (the “scar vs. wound” rule I live by) Why oversharing chaos in real time might be costing you clients The exact questions I ask before posting vulnerable content How to share your life and build trust without sacrificing your credibility What “professional” actually means in the age of real-time stories, twin toddlers, and unfiltered IG lives I also share behind-the-scenes updates about: My upcoming rebrand (!!) and why this launch feels extra personal A full-circle moment after a rough season where I almost quit my business What embracing chaos as a CEO and a twin mom looks like (laundry piles and client wins can coexist) This is the episode to listen to if you're stuck wondering: “Am I showing my audience I'm human...or just overwhelmed?”

Een gedresste sla bewaren kan niet, maar weggooien willen we niet; vouw ‘m in een omelet! Yvette heeft een koelkast vol ingrediënten waar Oof wel raad mee weet en Teun was in Marseille. Hij kreeg overweldigend veel gangen en raakte compleet overvoerd. Wat doe je met te veel eten? Je hoort het in Etenstijd!Onze sponsor:Matt Sleeps: Ga naar mattsleeps.com en krijg met de kortingscode etenstijd een knallende korting!Productie: Meer van ditMuziek: Keez GroentemanWil je adverteren in deze podcast? Stuur een mailtje naar: Adverteerders (direct): adverteren@meervandit.nl(Media)bureaus: adverteren@bienmedia.nl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just embarrassed all of AAA gaming with incredible sales and the highest Metacritic score of all time -- OF ALL TIME -- for a video game. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that the director came from Ubisoft, and quit because he was "bored" and tied down by the red tape of that company. OOF. Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

Send us a textIn this unapologetically chaotic daily drop, Jared rolls through everything from drones dropping grenades to pedos in court and AI that's apparently too complex for senior leadership to Google. Welcome to the April 30th edition of the Ones Ready podcast—where we break down the actual DoD news that gets sent to generals...and then we make fun of it.From failed Firefly launches to tribal warfare over F-15EX seating arrangements, this episode is basically the Pentagon's group chat with better commentary. Also, find out which documentary produced by the Obamas might make you respect the Thunderbirds (but probably won't), and why the “Women, Peace, and Security” program was killed for being “woke,” even though it came from the Trump administration. Yeah, we're confused too.Stick around for:A take on why AI still scares generals more than enlisted TikToksA borderline unhinged breakdown of why drone swarms are everyone's problemWhether dropping 500lb bombs equals dead livestock in Houthi press releasesThoughts on Thunderbirds, martial law, and why fake rifles in basic are weak sauceAnd yes—don't forget to like, subscribe, comment, check out 18AlphaFitness, and hit up the Ones Ready merch store. This podcast is for operators, future operators, and the people wondering why military budgeting is run like a reality show.

The race to fill Democratic Sen. Tina Smith's seat in Washington just got more crowded. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig announced Tuesday she is pursuing the job, joining a growing field of candidates. We find out what this means for Minnesota politics. We hear from Minnesotans about President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. Plus, a Minnesota medical system is taking racial information out of pregnancy tests and screenings in an effort to remove bias. And two podcast hosts are keeping track of new medical breakthroughs in the state.A new girls flag football league launched last weekend. We talk to a father-daughter duo who are part of one of the fastest growing sports in the country.The Minnesota Music Minute was “Who Walks in When I Walk Out” by Sugar on the Roof. The Song of the Day was “Return of the Swamp Thing” by Oof & BRUTE.

Oof.   If you enjoy our content, want a shout out on the show, or maybe you just want to talk sumo with some die hard fans, consider signing up for our Patreon. If you'd like some GSB merch, check out our RedBubble Shop. New theme music by FreeMusicBox

(Airdate: 4.25.25) Jay Leno is clearing the air—turns out that whole "stole The Tonight Show from Letterman" drama might've been more media myth than late-night reality. Spoiler alert: Jay says, “I didn't steal the show—Dave never had the show!” Could a reunion be coming? Eh, don't hold your breath, but Jay's open to it! Meanwhile, you can now snuggle up to Morgan Wallen and Post Malone—literally—thanks to some wildly weird new stuffed animals that fans are losing their minds over. Build-A-Bear's somewhere crying in a corner. Speaking of painful decisions: Pete Davidson has dropped $200,000 (!!!) laser-zapping his tattoos off one slow, sizzling session at a time. And he's only 30% done. Oof. And @HalleBerry Listen to the daily Van Camp and Morgan radio show at: https://vancampandmorgan.com/stations buy us a coffee      

Oof. The transformer near the mansion blew up last night, hence the late download.

Google just lost hugely. A judge determined that they used underhanded tactics to control the ad-tech market, and another breakup may be incoming. This is after they've been ordered to divest themselves of Chrome. Oh, and Japan is big mad at them too. OOF.

Today we tackled the countercultural topic that marriage isn't just about your happiness. Oof, we know this one is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of people but in a world telling us to only pursue what makes us feel happy in the moment, we felt this episode was an important reminder that when it comes to your commitment to marriage, it's always worth pursuing. We hope that whether you're engaged, newlyweds, or have been married for a long time you find hope in this episode, knowing that marriage is a beautiful gift and wonderful tool for character refinement, compromise and selflessness- sometimes more than we'd prefer ;) Love you guys! Shawn & Andrew Check out SKIMS best intimates including the Fits Everybody Collection and more at https://www.skims.com/couplethings #skimspartner Beam Kids is now available online at https://www.shopbeam.com/COUPLETHINGS Take advantage of our exclusive discount of up to 40% off using code COUPLETHINGS Follow our podcast Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/shawnandandrewpods/ Subscribe to our newsletter ▶ https://www.familymade.com/newsletter Follow My Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/ShawnJohnson Follow My Tik Tok ▶ https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnjohnson Shop My LTK Page ▶ https://www.shopltk.com/explore/shawnjohnson Like the Facebook page! ▶ https://www.facebook.com/ShawnJohnson Follow Andrew's Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/AndrewDEast Andrew's Tik Tok ▶ https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewdeast?lang=en #Marriage #Happiness #Refinement #Relationships #ShawnandAndrewPods Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two Hot Takes host, Morgan, is joined by guest co-host Michaela Okland. Sometimes in life you just need to take the trash out.. whether it's a boyfriend who says you're not marriage material or a partner who says you can't slow down despite a cancer diagnosis..Oof. Going to need your help sorting whether these are garbage or if there's a chance at recycling! Be sure to checkout the poll and leave your comments! Bonus Content on Patreon including new full length episodes: https://www.patreon.com/TwoHotTakes MERCH HERE ! https://shop.twohottakes.com Send us a letter? Our PO Box!! Two Hot Takes. 5042 Wilshire BLVD. #470. Los Angeles, CA 90036 WRITE IN TO US!!! https://reddit.app.link/twohottakes Full length Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TwoHotTakes Index: 00:00 — Start  03:38 — Story 1  13:07 — Story 2  26:43 — Story 3 TW child abuse  52:42 — Story 4  1:10:10 — Story 5  1:18:14 — Story 6  1:24:18 — Story 7  1:39:03 — Story 8  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There understandably is a lot of anxiety among many federal employees. But that anxiety can quickly turn into emotional blackmail, like an E-mail I received from a listener that included the line, "You claim to be a Christian, but..." Oof. How should we, as Americans, and as Christians, work together to get a more efficient government? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CC393: Lindsie and Kail are all in for a potential return of Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag - aka Speidi. Both of them double down on their opinions on last week's topic about spending separate time with OG family members. News of insurance companies dropping fire coverage in California months before the devasting fires has Kail and Lindsie feeling some type of way... And this Tiktok ban isn't helping. A listener asks if they should tell their BFF that they don't like their husband... Oof, we've all been there! Thank you to our sponsor! Better Help: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/coffee today to get 10% off your first month. IQBar: Get 20% off every IQBar product plus free shipping when you text CONVOS to 64-000. By Texting 64000, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing messages from IQBAR. Message and data rates may apply. No purchase required. Terms apply, available at IQBAR.com. Reply "STOP" to stop, "HELP" for help. Lume: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that's over 40% off) with promo code Coffeeconvos at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod Orgain: For 30% off your order, head to Orgain.com/CONVOS and use code CONVOS. Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!