Podcasts about sighs

BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT! In this episode, Ayden details the shocking legend of the Puente de Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs) from Comala, Mexico. A bridge said to be built with the blood of missing children.Want to hear your story on Susto? Fill out the Letters From the Beyond form or visit SustoPodcast.com to be shared on the show!Become a Patron here!

Today's poem is one of the few enduring works of a poet and playwright who burned brightly during his heyday and then blinked out almost entirely. Happy reading.Leigh, son of James Mathews Leigh, was born in London on 29 March 1837. At an early age he engaged in literary pursuits. From time to time appeared collections of his lyrics, under the titles of Carols of Cockayne, 1869 (several editions); Gillott and Goosequill, 1871; A Town Garland: a Collection of Lyrics, 1878; and Strains from the Strand: Trifles in Verse, 1882. His verse was always fluent, but otherwise of very slender merit.For the stage he translated many French comic operas. His first theatrical essay was in collaboration with Charles Millward in a musical spectacle for the Theatre Royal in Birmingham. His ‘Falsacappa,' music by Offenbach, was produced at the Globe Theatre on 22 April 1871; ‘Le Roi Carotte' at the Alhambra on 3 June 1872; ‘Bridge of Sighs,' opera-bouffe, at the St. James's, 18 Nov. 1872; ‘White Cat,' a fairy spectacle, at the Queen's, Long Acre, on 2 Dec. 1875; ‘Voyage dans la Lune,' opera-bouffe, at the Alhambra, on 15 April 1876; ‘Fatinitza,' opera-bouffe (the words were printed), adapted from the German, at the Alhambra on 20 June 1878; ‘The Great Casimir,' a vaudeville, at the Gaiety, on 27 Sept. 1879; ‘Cinderella,' an opera, with music by J. Farmer, at St. James's Hall, on 2 May 1884 (the words were published in 1882); ‘The Brigands,' by H. Meilhac and L. Halévy, adapted to English words by Leigh, was printed in 1884. For ‘Lurette,' a comic opera, Avenue, 24 March 1883, he wrote the lyrics; and with Robert Reece he produced ‘La Petite Mademoiselle,' comic opera, Alhambra, on 6 October 1879. He edited ‘Jeux d'Esprit written and spoken by French and English Wits and Humorists,' in 1877, and wrote Mark Twain's ‘Nightmares' in 1878.His last theatrical venture—a complete failure—was ‘The Prince Methusalem,' a comic opera, brought out at the Folies Dramatiques (now the Kingsway), Great Queen Street, London, on 19 May 1883. He was a Spanish, Portuguese, and French scholar, a brilliant and witty conversationalist, and a humorous singer.He died in his rooms in Lowther's private hotel, 35 Strand, London, on 16 June 1883, and was buried in Brompton cemetery on 22 June.-bio via Wikipedia This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

This week, the party does their best to assist the ever-dramatic Lady Shimmersnips—though she doesn't exactly see it that way. Here's hoping she hates leeches more than she fears dentists!

The group finds out what lies in the hole at the bottom of the Tower of Sighs.

Remember the Crying Lovers' Forum where we read about dacryphilia, the fetish for crying? Remember how sometimes we do a deep dive on a specific person because they just make us go “w-what?” Well here's your reminder! Amans Lacrimae and Lucky_Princess[some numbers] are having a dubiously consensual cry fetish rp that's hundreds of posts long. […]

Hana shines and Aya rises.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it.”My equilibrium decided to cut me some slack and not invoke the reflexive vomiting. "It is only me, Hana, Imogen, Deidre, Mom, Buffy, hi Juanita," I hadn't spotted my designated bodyguard standing behind Chaz."Don't talk to me right now," she seethed. "I'm furious with you." Yep, she was the Caribbean Buffy."Perhaps she's pissed about the five extra Illuminati bodyguards added to the regular two around Hana plus the two circling Ghost Tigers having not a fucking clue what those other armed parties are doing in Hana's company," Pamela joked. She could. Everyone else was giving me crap about my social gaff."Hey now. This meeting is important. Imogen and I are going to have a child," I enlightened them. The door chimed open and we piled in with two Amazons whose 'fresh' look indicated a use of the showers within the past ten minutes."You consistently maintain particularly low standards," Chaz dryly remarked."I sent her here for a check-up and that gave Buffy a chance to meet Mom, Deidre and Imogen, plus two unarmed bodyguards," I kept bailing out the Titanic."Chaz, I am happy we aren't going to miss this one (lunch)," Pamela smiled at her two grandsons."Cáel, are you going to tell your fiancée you've impregnated your aunt?" Chaz was back to being mildly sympathetic to my 'totally fucked-up' life."Yes. I figured Buffy shooting death rays at me from her eyes will garner me enough confusion to get the words out of my mouth without her throwing her drink in my face, slapping me, then storming out," I envisioned.I got no more shit until I reached the garage for my vehicle. There an armed FBI Special Agent Virginia Maddox (did you know when a Federal Agent adds 'Special' to their title it means they have a gun?) stood next to my chariot. She'd drawn the short straw, meaning she had been given the chore of driving today.I found myself wondering when Yasmin would finally finish her orientation. Her training involved some serious mental challenges including a crash course from the FBI at Quantico concerning modern judicial theory & practice as well as whatever pre-Iron Age jurisprudence the Host practiced.Javiera promised me (and Katrina) that she would not-so-subtly remind those scholastically-groomed legal minds that a (couldn't use the word 'Amazon') legal code they followed had existed, with minor tweaking, as a successful social instrument for over 3,000 years. If they truly behaved in a respectful manner, the owners of the code might even show those people the Codex on the original horse-skin, written in Hittite cuneiform.Anyway, everyone assumed I had a good reason for heading to my apartment (aka need to retrieve a sleepy Odette.) Had I repeated 'the Bitch stole my fortune cookies', they might have simply taken me to an Asian-inclined grocery store. As we hit the second story landing, Chaz in the lead, we heard a passel of folks come down toward us from the fourth level.I didn't think there were that many people on the entire floor. Chaz and Pamela each went for their holstered pistol, while keeping them hidden in their jackets. Wiesława, who went for her PDW, backed up so she could fire through the stairs from beneath.Juanita, bless her heart, and Virginia had remained in the S U V because sending in more people would have left us piled into one another. If a firefight did break out, Juanita could bring in some serious hardware to back us up while Virginia called the appropriate authorities before rushing in herself.Around the corner on the third floor landing came a number of women, early/mid-twenties, physically fit, foreign clothes and downcast expressions. A few looked like they were about to cry. They were all in shirts and jeans, with no obvious weapons. Not looking lethal didn't ratchet down Chaz's vigilance. Me? I was instantly reminded how much sex I had been missing."Prince Cáel! You are alive!" spilled out of the first one, a fiery red-head with a billowing, thick mane, porcelain skin and adorable freckles. Her Irish brogue was enchanting. I had to wonder if she cried out in Gaelic during orgasm. Wasn't I about to meet my future bride plus numerous other love interests?She was fit, curvy and wearing an aqua shirt which exposed her midriff with a belly ring bearing a pearl drop, the requisite tattered skin-tight jeans and soft leather calf-boots."Why wouldn't I be alive?" I grinned, like a pirate discovering an all-girls school oceanographic classroom in need of plundering."How do total strangers know how unlikely it is that you would still be alive?" was Chaz's spin on things."We talked with your roommate. He said you had moved to Svalbard where you suffered an excruciating painful, yet richly deserved, death in a lemming stampede," she pouted, "and then the UN had your ashes exiled to Pluto because the Sun was too good for you."9, 10, 11 --12 of them looking, 3 with pale blonde hair that eerily reminded me of my fiancée, another red-head, two russet and five with deep, dark brown, or black hair. They were all fit, fit, fit! With an air of 'I graduated college only to discover: 1) no one was hiring Saline Soil Scientists, or 2) I no longer want to do any of the things I wanted to do when I picked this major. I was familiar with both types.Timothy would have been at work and Odette would have invited the troupe in to regale them with all sorts of tales, which would have included a tour of my bedroom. They clearly had missed Odette so, now I recalled; that particular excuse was one of the ten I had given the guy in 4B should anyone suspicious come calling.I imagine twelve hot, English-as-a-Second-Language girls might be considered, a bit odd. See, his was my address of record. I lied about my actual apartment, so random people who came looking for me went to him instead. This arrangement had been made prior to my understanding of the nature of my employment at Havenstone.I'd neglected, telling him to move out and go far, far away? Poor guy. I'd find a way to make it up to him later."Actually it was a southern vole immigration incident that was set off by the Bulgarian consulate offering repatriation for the first 10,000 applicants," I frowned, clearly traumatized by memory of the incident."These poor southern vole, native to the vacationer-friendly Black Sea resorts, were accidently introduced to the coldest inhabited place in the Northern hemisphere and they've been trying to get home ever since, that would be the equivalent of a century and a half in 'vole-years.""Despite the UN trying to quarantine any news of this Cricetidae catastrophe, I decided to evacuate the six most critically injured vole using a Bortolanza Pluto ultralight, which he must have confused with the UN sending my ashes to Pluto," I explained.Mind you, the 'southern' voles are native to, among other places, Norway, the owner of Svalbard. They were also native to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast so, The Pluto ultra-light, once built in Italy, is now called the 'Puma' and made in Canada, has a maximum range of 675 km, which would leave me crash landing into the Barents Sea, 260 km north of the northernmost airport in Norway, rendering me and my voles so much frozen food."You are an animal rights activist too?" several of the girls gasped. Yes. Yes I was. I was an animal and I was all for me having rights."Please, don't tell anyone about this," I grew serious. "I don't want my philanthropic efforts to be publicized. What I do, I do for the Earth's endangered ecosystems because it is what everyone should do, not because we suddenly feel bad about neglecting it.""E haere koe ki te whai kia nui ai," Pamela snorted. I'd ask her why she knew Maori later, right after I figured why Grandpa knew it."Ko toku mahere whānui," I replied. The girls looked confused."I'm also trying to revitalize endangered languages and revive dead ones. It is more of a hobby than life pursuit," I informed them."You really are a modern-day noble warrior-poet," the red-head leader sighed."Nah. I'm just a guy," I shrugged. "Besides, Ba ch ir fear a bheith ar eolas ag a gn omhais, n  a oidhreacht." (A man should be known by his deeds, not his heritage)."Sa ch s go bhfuil misneach, t  s il agam," she replied using my 'family' motto."Jos on jalot on toivoa,", "Ahol van b tors ga, van rem ny," and "cesaret olduğu yerde umut vardır," all followed. 'Where there is Valor, there is Hope' in Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish. I got the sneaking feeling this wasn't a college field trip gone awry. These chicks were coming at me with a purpose that included more than sexual gratification and a kiss good-bye. Ugh."Thank you," I genuflected, paying honor to their reciting of my personal vow. "Anyway, you appear to be looking for me, but I am afraid I don't know any of you. Taking into account that I have a late lunch date with my fiancée in a half-hour and will be taking notes at a feminist convention at 8, what can I do for you?" I was establishing my escape plan."We have come here to join you," an assertive, dusky-skinned one smiled. I had to think about this. I was a bit tired. Taking all twelve of these girls on in one orgy was currently beyond me. I'd do eight tonight and the last four before breakfast tomorrow. Ah, happy thoughts of the Lacrosse Finals."What exactly do you plan to do with Mr. Nyilas?" Chaz interrupted."We are the (Irish) 'Na conairte soith an   S aghdha ar', (Hungarian) 'A szuka kuty kat Herceg Nyilas', (Turkish) 'Prens ok u Kaltak K pekleri' and (Finnish) 'Narttu koirista prinssi jousimies'," they chorused.Pamela snickered. All of those fancy sounding names were variations on 'the Bitch Hounds of Prince Archer/Nyilas (with the Irish going for O'Shea)."You want to be my bodyguards?" I gawked. Lacking lions, the Irish choice of the 'fur-balls of death' were hounds. Being women technically made them 'bitches'. I had to move fast. Any second now Wiesława was going to figure out these over-anxious non-Amazons were trying to replace her."You do realize I've left piles of dead bodies in my wake, right?" I nearly choked. Pamela slapped me on my back."Of course," they sounded so chipper. Fuck you Internet and 'First Person Shooter' games. This wasn't a fucking game! Trained combatants who joined my retinue met grisly ends and this was their freaking profession!"Can I think about it? I mean, do any of you have any combat experience at all? Attacked someone in anger? Send off a blistering instant message?""Some of us have (combat experience I was assuming). We won't let you down.""You do realize Ms. Dubois is going to kill them, don't you Sir?" Chaz sent me a chilling look."Ms. Dubois?", "who is that?" and "kill us?" floated around."Ms. Dubois is my blood-hungry ferret who wears a 'naughty berserker' human suit to trick the masses.""Three of us have military training," one of the Finns spoke up.By that they meant they had volunteered for military service in their native countries, then left after their first term because they found military life to be boring. On the 'plus' side, all but one had martial arts experience and six of the twelve had been a member of a Gun Club of some kind. Yep, Buffy was going to kill them, all twelve at once by herself."I'll make you a deal," I offered. Chaz was giving me his 'I'm a stone yet clearly unhappy with you' face. "At 7:15 tonight, you will show up at Havenstone. I will sign you in, we'll go upstairs to one of the gyms and then warm up for fifteen minutes. When you are ready, or 7:30 rolls around, we are going to the sparing mats. If I lose, you can stay. If you lose, you will write this off as one of a legion of ideas that look good in print yet are foolish in practice. Do you accept?""How many of us do you have to beat for us to join with you and your Crusade?" the lead Irishwoman asked."All of you. I will fight you all at once. The mat space is quite extensive.""You mean all twelve of us against you at the same time?" one of the Turks blinked in disbelief."Yes. I am not disrespecting you, any of you. You've shown initiative, courage and a spirit of adventure. I found all three to be both admirable and worthy of reward (i.e. I will gladly have sex with you). What I am also telling you is of the three people with me, the only one I can most likely defeat in single combat is her," I motioned to Wiesława, "and I'm only saying that because she is 19 and relatively new to the art of killing."Their eyes flickered to Pamela. Chaz was scary without even trying. Pamela could be threatening, or appear harmless, as she wished."Chaz is a professional military man from a long line of diligent warriors and in a branch of service that requires close contact with hostile individuals, teams, tribes, clans and nations.""The woman behind me is much, much worse. I've met precisely three people who could possibly kill her and I killed one of them. Would you agree, Chaz?""Absolutely," he concurred."We know who you two are," a Finn spoke up. She had a dazzling smile and cleavage that had to obscure her toes when she stood."You do?" Pamela played nice. For once, it was technology biting her in the ass, not me. Yay?"You are Rhingyll lliw Siarl Yfory," the Irish lass looked at Chaz. That was Welsh, and meant Color Sergeant Charles Tomorrow, I imagined his superiors in the British military weren't going to be happy with any of us, him being a 'secret military operator', emphasis on the 'secret'."And you are Sverkhsekretnykh Shpiona Vsemed Svaya," the Turkish girl pointed at Pamela. Pamela snorted. In Russian that meant 'Super-secret Spy Pamela Pile'. Since Pamela in Russia was pronounced 'Pamela' they had gone back to the origin of the name of Pamela, a fictitious 17th English novelist creation using mangled Hellenic, which translated as 'all-honey'.'All-honey' in Russian was Vsemed. Pamela snickered. Oh yeah, those twelve had combed through millions of articles and pictures to figure out who Chaz was and who Pamela claimed to be. Actually, one of my Hungarian admires back when we were all in Eastern Europe had suggested Pamela was a remorseful ex-SMERSH agent turned Princely-sidekick. Pamela jabbed me, the unspoken 'sidekick' thing.(For those who don't know, in Russian SMERSH loosely means 'Death to Spies', it really existed from 1943 to 1946 and was resurrected by Ian Fleming as a foil for James Bond.)"Chaz, since Cáel is, without a doubt, already having a stupendously wretched day, we must insist he inform Addison of all three of these developments, in person. I want to see the look on her face," Pamela plotted with the man who had thrown himself between me and an explosive vest, probably out of some psychic impulse that I would suffer far, far worse later, like in today, within less than 24 hours of said act."Why am I here again today?" I lowered my head and groaned."Are you okay?" a dozen innocent voices cried out."We are here to pick up Odette," Wiesława reminded me."Oh yeah, fortune cookies," I mumbled."Is 'Fortune Cookie' a nickname for one of your other operatives? Many of them are real enigmas. We can't find out anything about her," one of the Hungarians said. Yeah, because SD doesn't have a Facebook page, or Twitter account. Odette, she was protected by a completely unremarkable lifestyle, but I had a feeling that was fading fast."Excuse us," I asserted myself. "I need to get something on the third floor. Chaz began pushing forward while Pamela had my back."What are you doing?" to me and "Hey, is that a gun?" to Chaz, then Wiesława. Pamela was too sneaky to get caught."I'm here to pick up Agent Fortune Cookie then head out to a meeting with some really shady characters and my fiancée," I informed them."Agent Fortune Cookie," Chaz mused. "She's going to love that,""And then," Pamela continued."She is going to want a gun," I groaned.Oh goddess! No! Chaz had joined Pamela and my 'group think'."No, I have not," Chaz corrected me, about my mental ruminations."I've been coaching him," Pamela faux-consoled me. As my new prospective bodyguards parted for my current bodyguards,"Do you have psychic powers?" "Where is your android?" and "Is it true you can have sex up to ten times a day?""Yes, but we can't talk about it," then, "Which one? We have six models," and finishing up with, "Yes, I can have sex up to ten times a day with each session lasting at least an hour, though I do need breaks for food, drink, quiet romantic conversations and showers, cause shower-sex is so damn fun."While they mulled that over, I unlocked my door in time to see a nicely-dressed (as if she was about to go out on an expensive lunch date) Odette spring off the sofa. Looking at the crowd behind me, she blessed me with an incredibly happy smile."Oh cool! Do we really have enough time for an orgy?"I wanted to cry.(A Family FUNction, minus the 'fun' part)My fiancée giving me a congenial and contented look. Good.My fuck-buddy/friend Libra giving me a salacious 'you and me are going to hook up soon' smile while dressed in a red, 'business suite/slinky number' combo with a plunging neckline. I put her invite on my mental day-planner. Fellas, if you can't keep it in your mind, forget about it. Print equals pain, believe me.Brooke had joined the lunch group, sharing a smile and wink with Libra with the secret agreement for a three-way. Sweet! I could do this, hmm, lunch break Friday, yum-yum-yum. She was wearing a beige business suit with slacks, minus the shirt. Only her cunningly cut jacket kept her goodies from exposure.Hana was a saint for putting up with those two, and me.Buffy was studying me with the clear desire to put me in a dog cage for the rest of the week. Technically she had to produce my body for work Monday. As for the hot, sweaty, intense Brooke-Libra-Cáel m nage   trois, Buffy was reading the undercurrents and setting up a breakwater. At least her attire suggested well-paid, successful international assassin. I wondered if I had paid for her clothing as well. I'd given Chaz's wardrobe a serious upgrade courtesy of Pamela faking my signature.The gathering was rounded out by Mom, Imogen and Deirdre. Thank God they all had different hair styles and forms of dress. Mom was in 'casual-durable' attire, Imogen was going with the military-chic and Deirdre's get up was in the same style as Hana.I was pleasantly pleased that Hana had reserved two adjacent tables for what she assumed would be my support network, Pamela, Odette, Chaz, Wiesława and Juanita, plus Imogen's five and her (Hana's) two Illuminati minders. That made me squeezing my twelve newest over-eager admirers into the mix doable, if not comfortable. Better yet, none of the new girls was dressed for a restaurant this exclusive.Hana was quietly amused. Buffy was volcanic. Thankfully she was being a volcano on the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge ~ submerged."Chaz, Pamela, explain," Buffy seethed."I don't work for you," Pamela playfully bantered back, "Sweet-Cheeks.""They are part of a clandestine operation to provide cooperation and assistance from the European Union," I offered up in such a sincere manner. I almost had them. Buffy looked to Chaz who opted to channeled his 'inner- Cáel'."I can neither confirm nor deny their status as operators from four European nations," he nodded.Buffy forked a helpless appetizer shrimp then catapulted at one of my Finns, I thought it was Oili. It bounced off her bosom. She couldn't even claim to not have seen it coming."What?" Oili gasped."Operatives?" Buffy sizzled at me."Prince Cáel," Flannery asked, "why did that strange woman throw a, shrimp at Oili?""It was a hand-eye coordination test," Odette informed her. "Had Oili been a real spy, you would have snatched up a nearby napkin, deflect the item with the napkin and all while drawing down on her. It is what they do all the time. It is pretty neat to watch.""Why use a napkin?" Oili asked Odette while eyeing Buffy in case another decapod was coming her way."You use a napkin because the shrimp might have a contact poison on it," Odette rolled her eyes. "Buffy used a fork to flip it at you. She didn't use her hands, so the possibility existed." Pamela gave Odette an 'atta girl' high five."Prince Cáel?" Brooke giggled. "What have you been up to?""Okay. I got this. Ladies, may I introduce Annikki, Belgin, Berit, Flannery, Gizi, Ilkay, Kato, Neve, Nuray, Oili, Pirkko and Zsuzsi. These fine women have decided to put their productive lives on hold so they can be my bodyguards," I made the introductions."They have volunteered to be, basically the 'Hounds of Prince O'Shea/Nyilas/Archer'. My Hounds, please let me introduce Hana, my fiancée, Brooke, my close friend, Libra, a sweet & sincere childhood acquaintance, my Mother, Sibeal, my O'Shea aunts, Deidre & Imogen and Kalmarasērmi Buffy."Despite the absurdity of the situation and my clear irresponsibility, Buffy let a smile crease her frown. 'Kalmarasērmi' was my term for her in the Amazon language = my Mountaintop."I will volunteer my facilities to train them," Aunt Imogen offered me drolly. She was the primary trainer for all O'Shea guardians/Special Forces."Train us?" a half dozen voices murmured."Yes Child. I am Imogen O'Shea, Cáel is the greatest treasure in my life and I have serious doubts any of you can be anything more than distracting bullet-catchers for my favorite (and only) nephew. It annoys me to think you are yet another walking advertisement showing him to be both big-hearted and soft-headed.""I will offer prayers upon the mounds of my ancestors (lie, her only 'ancestor' refused to stay buried) for Cáel's safety. You should invoke whatever supernatural entity you place faith in to keep Cáel safe as well, because if he gets so much as a scratch defending any one of you, I will exercise my nearly endless knowledge of human pain to make you pay.""Is she Ms. Dubois?" Flannery asked Odette."That would be me," Buffy showered fury their way."Do you really want to kill us?" Neve tried to stare Buffy down."Until ten seconds ago, Yes. Now I want to hand you over to these two," she motioned to Deidre and Imogen with her fork."Prince Cáel, why are they all so hostile?" Flannery requested understanding from me. "We have come here to help you. We have skills. All we are asking if for a chance to prove ourselves to you.""To Us," Buffy snapped. "Cáel's vote doesn't count.""Chill, Buffy," I snapped back. "I'm dealing with this, and your lack of trust is pissing me off.""Buffy," Hana intervened. She placed a hand on Buffy's thigh out of sight, yet not outside of my notice. "When was the last time Cáel failed to take your advice on something life-critical? These young ladies appear to be honest and diligent. If not, Pamela and the Color Sergeant wouldn't have let them come here, or near Odette."If I dated dumber women I would have less explaining (lying) to do, but I'd miss the challenge both inside and outside the bedroom. Hana's deft touch and gentle words calmed Buffy more than anything (outside of a righteous cocking) I could have accomplished. I was suddenly seized with the realization there was a goodly number of Katrina's positive attributes in Hana. How had I missed it?"Marrying you is going to be Hana's first step toward mortal beatification," Brooke teased me. Normally only dead people were made saints."A Servant of, probably not Jehovah. I think everyone at the table can agree she has interacted with supernatural forces," Sibeal hid her joking well."Martyring her hopes of monogamy?" Deidre's fey gaze flickered over the women of note (the women at the main table)."Her Heroic Virtue is Prudence?" Buffy added. Buffy had been Catholic?"Ladies, I'm Lutheran. We don't normally venerate saints. Joking aside, I was given a reason to believe this lunch date was important on a social level between myself and my fianc . Food would be nice too."Brooke and Libra's presence regulated Pamela and Chaz to an adjacent table. A waiter slipped in, took my order, I decided to forgo an appetizer because I was late, then the conversation began."Hana, this is my Mother, Sibeal Nyilas. Imogen and Deidre are my family from Ireland," I made the introductions, most definitely unnecessarily. I was buying time to get a better read on the women around me."I know," Hana showered me with mature compassion."Get to it, damn you," Buffy huffed."Wow, I'm thinking of the best way to tell you this," I barely could meet Hana's eyes."I am pregnant with your fianc 's child," Imogen cut to the chase. What she said was delivered on purpose. Imogen wasn't as socially maladjusted as Rachel. The fewer women in my life, the easier the O'Shea would have roping me in. Imogen's words were meant to hurt Hana and drive a wedge between us."You too?" Hana's sad eyes studied Imogen. She hid her anger-disappointment-disgust well. In this crowd her efforts to obfuscate her feeling only worked on Libra and Brooke. Those two ladies were less astute at concealing their surprise."She's your aunt, right?" Libra's look settled on me instead of a blatant Imogen, or a pained Hana."No," Mom answered for me. "My sisters and I were born sterile. It is impossible that our paternal heritage has been passed along. Whatever Imogen's maternal contribution was, it is not from our DNA. My sister does have a child inside her, Havenstone verified it and will have the precise genetic make-up within 24 hours," she persisted (lying)."If Cáel has a failing, it is that he was seduced by my sisters who played upon his very confusing Mother-Son relationship. I faked my death when he was seven. I 'died' in a quite painful manner and he had to watch helplessly as he witnessed me wasting away. I did such a horrible thing to a young boy because the people who were hunting me down, the two O'Shea before you and the nine who aren't here, would have used numerous means of torture to verify my death."(Until they realized 'what' I was. Then my imprisonment would have begun)"My wonderful husband would have died without giving them the truth. It was too much to ask of our son. For fifteen years he believed me dead. He learned the truth at his Father's funeral. I believe every woman at this table knows my son doesn't handle emotional pain well.""Imogen's statement was a thinly-veiled stab at Hana's heart and a kick to my son's sense of responsibility to both Hana and his unborn child. How could this not hurt Hana? How could Cáel possibly respond, torn between the woman who has already sacrificed so much of her happiness for a man barely aware of his own maturity, and the woman bringing his child into the world?""Good one, Imogen. Those two are better than you, or I. By all means, make a mockery of my son, your nephew, who has pledged to fight for your life when he should clearly walk away and let the rest of you die. He asks nothing of you yet you feel no remorse at sullying his happiness.""There are ten good reasons for you getting up and walking out of here intact right now. There are six better reasons for making you pay for your cruelty," she threatened."Ten?" Brooke whispered."The sisters' five bodyguards, the two body guards they gifted me with, Deidre, Imogen and Cáel. You don't think he would let the woman bearing his child take a beating, do you Brooke?" Hana enlightened her."No.""The Six?" Libra scanned the room."My other two bodyguards won't act unless I am directly threatened. They won't be out to hurt anyone. If anyone tries to hurt me, they will jump straight to the making them dead option. The 'Six' are Buffy, Pamela, Chaz, Juanita, Special Agent Maddox and Sibeal.""We'd help," Libra insisted. Brooke was onboard with that proclamation."No," came forth from Hana, Mom and me."Brooke and Libra; you two, Odette, the other twelve and the wait staff will only confuse the issue. My sisters and their soldiers will use you and the rest to distract Cáel. Except for Ms. Maddox, the rest won't give a fuck so your best bet is to hit the deck and let the professionals deal with things," Mom clarified."Brooke, Libra, this is a wacko chicks with guns moment," I put things in perspective."Hana?" Libra put a hand on Hana's shoulder."Don't mind me," she patted Libra's hand. "I'm diving for cover and not getting up until you, Brooke, Cáel, or Buffy tell me to get up. Sorry Sibeal, but I don't know you that well yet.""I understand," Mom agreed.To punctuate the awkwardness of the moment, Aisha (the Arabic swimsuit model) and three other SD ladies waltzed into the place and took a table. When the maytre dee tried to impede them, Aisha threatened to exterminate his entire extended family with a look alone. Been there, done that, and the maytre dee was nowhere close to being in my league.I had to think that through. Had Buffy called them, the SD would have been here before I arrived. Pamela was a possibility, except the SD still hated her over Constanza's maiming. If she told them my life 'was' in danger, they would still show up. My life wasn't in danger and Pamela wouldn't yank their chain.It had to be Juanita. The head of my bodyguard telling Elsa that I was in an exposed position with 9 armed Illuminati would have elicited this level of response. Pamela prodded Odette. Odette had a 'what do you want me to do' non-verbal exchange with Pamela then got up and went over to Aisha.Odette even remembered to navigate the room in such a manner Aisha and her team could keep an uninterrupted view of the threat. Pamela and Chaz's lessons were paying off. They weren't training her in the lethal arts. They were showing her how to not be an obstacle, which was better, given our current circumstances."Hana, don't hate Imogen. The only parent she's ever known was Granddad," I returned my attention to the crisis at hand."Oh, I'm sorry," Hana sent sympathetic waves Imogen's way. If there was a hint of 'you bitch' hidden within those words, none of us would admit it."Yes, yes," Imogen smiled back. "Father was a real troll.""That's not true," Hana responded. "I've met him and he has always been very nice to me. It was easy for me to look past the nations of dead he's murdered, his propensity to rape his daughters and his plans to destroy my Cáel.""I don't hold you to blame for not protecting Cáel more than you have. He's a handful and reminds you of your Father, the mass-murdering rapist. And Imogen, don't try to hurt Cáel using me again, you Bitch. I'm not a part of your circus. That doesn't render me powerless. I love more than I hate. I count a person great by the lives they save, not those they take. Where there is Valor, there is Hope and my fianc  has both in spades. Do we understand one another?""Proving you are smarter than Ms. Sievert is not something which equates to being a threat," Deidre countered."Cáel, why aren't you saying something?" Brooke whispered to me."Because he knows better," Mom grinned. "This is a battle Hana has to win, or lose, on her own.""Cáel has plenty of women willing to go behind his back and kill people, Brooke. Now, if Hana asks for such a favor, we know it is not over some petty bullshit," rolled menacingly forth from Buffy as her feral countenance made a few of the Illuminati at the next table nervous."That won't be necessary," I broke up the tension. "We are as dysfunctional a family as they come, but we are family and we will all treat one another as such by the standards of the only one who matters. Clear?""You?" Deidre soothed me."No. Ferko Nyilas', my Father and the best man I've ever known. He taught me to never make excuses for your own behavior. Surrendering our control over our lives is a cop-out. If you want to continue acting like the creepy-ass bitch daughters of Cáel O'Shea, so be it. That is your choice to make. I care for you.""I care enough for you to fight Granddad over your futures. I hope all of you know I mean what I say. Whatever you decide to do, no matter how you act, I will always love you. I've made my choices and I am going to hold you responsible for yours. Let's eat lunch. It has been a rough fucking day and it isn't over yet."If there was ever any doubt, I destroyed those twelve hopeful bodyguards on the mats. They possessed neither the skill nor the savagery necessary in a warrior culture. We Amazons didn't recoil from pain. Our sisters' lives were on the line. That was why you practiced no-holds-barred fighting with, or without, weapons."We can learn," the lead Finn protested. The rest were getting over the physical and spiritual pain of being so easily beaten."My normal bodyguards go through three years of intense 24/7 training. Being a member of that elite body means you train in all forms of weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat techniques.""Once you've mastered the core physical and skill baseline requirements, and this core training never stops, no point is considered 'good enough', you begin learning at least two specialties. Those are disciplines such as close-protection, sniping, small unit tactics, infiltration, battlefield medicine, electronics, computing, communication systems, linguistics and 'training' expertise.""In my current team, the ones who fought at my side in Hungry and Romania, all have three specialties. Discounting their regimen since the age of five, each had been on the job in a professional capacity at least six years. The leader had eleven years in.""Finally, when you are at that level of excellence, you need a specific mindset. What you need to do is think why you shouldn't kill someone, not if you should. If there is any doubt, you strike. If you hesitate, someone close to you might be killed, not just me.""Look around you. If you aren't ready to kill for any of your companions, you will never cut it. Now, I'm going to have you shown out. I will have taxis take you back to your hotel. Think about it. Seriously, think about dedicating yourself to more than some stranger you've met on the internet.""You will be dedicating yourself to the other elven women in your group, to the death. That is the level of spiritual dedication it takes to be at my side. Go, take a rest, talk it over, search your souls. Call me if any of you want to continue and we can have lunch Sunday and make plans. Questions?""Do the other women around you do this, make those choices?" one of the Turkish women frowned while nursing a bruised jaw."No. They have it worse. They have thrown their old lives away, never to return. Each and every one has either murdered a human being, or attempted to, before they are even considered for the task.""Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't be having his conversation. You would never be given the chance. You are woefully unqualified in every way except spirit. Your willingness to cross the Atlantic to make your offers resonates with me, so I am both warning you this is horrible, horrible path you are taking and I am explaining precisely how slender any of your chances are of accomplishing your goals.""I, I don't know," whispered one of the Hungarian lasses."At the Seven Skulls, I led three such women into combat (Rachel, Charlotte and Saku) against a group of warriors who were fighting free of 500 elite Romanian Mountain Troops. Of the Romanians, nearly 200 were either dead, or wounded. The FBI Special Agent we took with us was badly wounded."One of the three was killed, a head shot, and the remainder left her body where she had fallen because the enemy were still out there and they had to protect me. The world will not bend to your sensitivities. Life around me is exceedingly dangerous and unforgiving," I finished.No immediate consensus united them. Fear and disbelief were the major vibes I was picking up. None of them were angry, insulted, or overly terrified."Time for you to go," Buffy concluded our meeting. "Tigger Maeve and Dora Farānak, would you please see Cáel's guests to the lobby." A new pleasure of Buffy's was using the House names of the Full-bloods she interacted with.I have taken a few mystic liberties:Maeve was a Celtic War Goddess ~ the Enslaver of Men.Farānak was a Scythian Goddess also known as the Lynx Goddess and the Silent Huntress.As for the other new hires:Daphne was, as explained earlier, of House Cotyttia (Thracian Goddess of Sex, War and Slaughter)Fabiola was of House Minerva (Roman Goddess of War & Strategy)Violet Maza was in House Oshun, the Yoruba Goddess of Love, Sexuality, Beauty and Diplomacy; Lady of the Orisha ~ life spirits.Paula Wadena was of House Cybele (Phrygian Earth Mother, Guardian of the Lion Throne)}They were dismissed and smart enough to know that was the best possible answer to their current predicament, learning your romantic adventure was actually a gory supernatural battle for survival. A growing number of Isharans had been gathering while I dealt with the wannabes. A few were amused, perhaps even understanding, of my actions.Soon enough, using her position as Record Keeper of House Ishara, Helena cajoled the other Amazons into giving us peace and quiet. Not all left. Watching a jury-rigged House Ishara work through its business in a semi-public setting was an event both unlooked for and possibly enlightening.For this gathering, we had 122 of the 159 members. The missing members were not close enough, or were providing a critical function that wouldn't allow them to be in New York on this night."Sisters, a moment of personal prayer for each of us to seek guidance from our Ancestors as we seek to continue their legacy," I intoned softly, calling the meeting to order.I had barely opened my eyes, failing to get any inspiration from Yakko, when the struggle began."Why are we including them in a House Ishara meeting?" Madori pointed out the three 'new hires' who were sticking around."Memasant (Amazon for to speak true)," I answered her. Since Daphne, Paula and Violet had clearly been sitting among us before the meeting began, I gave Buffy a disappointing frown. "Ishara respects these three for teaching the rest of you the Amazon language so that we can teach it to others, thus all of you becoming able to engage all our sisters in our native tongue.""I doubt any other House would extend this honor to others. Thankfully, we are not like any other House. We know better. We have all been outsiders. We aren't a 'normal' House and I am working toward us never being one. We have to be kind and just when necessary, and forgive when it is what the Host needs.""We will do this because we Isharans alone will decide on the prestige of our sisters. If the other Houses make an issue of it, who cares? None of them have made the sacrifices necessary to be Isharans. I know that you have not all gathered here tonight to hear me pontificate. Who wants to be first?""Will you accept a challenge?" Madori stood up. We had spread out in a ring, two Amazons deep, along the edges of the mats. I had never sat down."Put forth your complaint," I responded."You emphasize duties other than that of a House Head. You don't take the time to show up at initiation ceremonies. In essence, you ignore your sisters to advance your own prestige.""Yes, I am not showing up at the initiation ceremonies.""Yes, I prioritize other activities over running the day-to-day operations of our House.""Yes, you are utterly ignoring the two Amazons sitting at either side of me. I chose Buffy Ishara and Helena Ishara to lead this House because I knew I would have others issues coming up in my life concerning the Host.""Buffy, are you challenging me?""No, Wakko Ishara," she responded angrily. She wasn't angry with me. She had chosen the majority of the assembly and they were turning on me, thus her."Helena, are you challenging me?""No Wakko Ishara. I am intimately familiar with your work and the dangers you constantly confront for the greater Host," she answered in an equally hostile tone."Now that the issue of relevance has been dealt with, I will accept any challenge from any of you selfish, bigoted, power-hungry cunts who wish to put your own self-interest above that of our House. By all means, stumble over one another for the top spot," I mocked them. I'd played nice. No more.It was telling that my classification of any challenger was completely ignored. Madori and five supporters stood. In theory, challenges were the rare 1-on-1 Amazon experience. Another Amazon, Arianne, stood with another supporter."Cool beans," I nodded.I backed up, stepped off the mats and picked up the four axes I had pre-prepared. Back on the mat I went past my handful of supporters, brandished two weapons and advanced a quarter way onto the sparring area. The mass of my opponents muttered in confusion and resentment."Ishara, we have not trained in archaic weapons. Most of our facilities never had then," Madori protested."Amazons don't play fair," I glared. Several migrated to the walls to pick out whatever looked the least daunting. Buffy, Helena, Marsha, Daphne Cotyttia, Violet Oshun and Paula Cybele did likewise."Is this how you want to answer a challenge for leadership?" Madori glowered. "Cheating, utilizing a clear advantage in a farce of equality and justice?""No. Please step back and call every member of JIKIT," my eyes narrowed. "How about this, call the Amazon's contact with the Earth & Sky? Can't do that either? How about convince the 9 Clans to help us pursue a House obligation?""You duties as Chief Diplomat are not that of Isharan House Head and actually make you less of a House Head," she countered. She had chosen a short spear, using it two-handed. And that made Katrina what precisely?"I should fucking kill you," Buffy snarled."Madori Ishara, Dot-Ishara is not the Goddess of Scrabble. She is not the Goddess of," and Madori tried to catch me flat-footed with a spear-thrust. I was appalled at how easy I dealt with her. My right axe diverted her spear enough so when I twisted my stance, she missed. I placed the head of my left axe on her shoulder, blade against her throat."Madori, you lose. Sit back down and contemplate that you were beaten by a 22 year old man," I seethed. There was no 'you didn't give me a chance' bullshit. She had struggled for advancement in the Amazon way. Such people weren't crybabies. "Next."Arianne approached me with a shield and short sword. My read on the situation was she was going to use acrobatics to compensate for my superior reach. I readied myself."I don't suppose you would accept a suggestion we fight unarmed?" she put out there. I took two steps toward her then dropped my axes."I trust you," I looked down at her. I could see the 'oh, fuck me' written all over her face. The unfairness had been tossed in her lap. She put the point of her leaf-shaped blade under the left side of my ribcage, close to my kidney."Yield.""Never.""Yield, or I will kill you."I took a quarter-inch penetration when I clamped down on her right wrist and slammed my elbow into her face. A quick exchange of footwork ended up with both of us on the mat, Arianne on her back, sword pinned to the mat and her shield trapped between us. Head-butt followed head-butt until she was unresponsive.I stood up, blood oozing down my side."Water!" I barked. A bottled water was rolled my way. Three more Amazons were sizing me up. This challenge phase was far from over. I splashed water down on Arianne's face until she sputtered into wakefulness."Pathetic," I sneered at her. "This House is worth any and all of our lives. If you were the best candidate to lead this house and I refused to yield, then why did you spare me? Not only could you not kill me when you clearly could, you failed to do so even when it became an unequal contest of arms."Arianne was shamed and furious. I was treating her like a presumptuous, outsider woman."I'm feeling particularly generous in victory, Arianne, don't you dare stand up," I growled when she tried. "I will not kill you for your disrespect. I will not exile you from our House because doing so would show both of us failing to grasp one of the key principles of our People, learn. Learn and keep learning. A loss is nothing more than a temporary setback. Learn, don't repeat the same mistake twice and never stop striving for success until you take yourself to the cliffs."One of the two newes

https://storage.googleapis.com/enduring-word-media/devotional/Devotional03202025.mp3 The post Sighs from the Christ – Mark 7:34 and 8:12 – March 20, 2025 appeared first on Enduring Word. https://enduringword.com/sighs-from-the-christ-mark-734-and-812-march-20-2025/feed/ 0 https://storage.googleapis.com/enduring-word-media/devo

It's a HUGE SHOW, where size and sighs matters.  One in a blue moon, everyone shows up for a game and here we all are! The Gang sets out to make good on the deal they made with Glam-Glam the Giant.  When things go sideways, one homicidal Halfling challenges Glam-Glam to feats of strength!

An old one with the UEMG that features Ed Mundell (ex-Monster Magnet), Collyn McCoy(Trash Titan, Circle of Sighs, Unida) and Rick Ferrante(ex-Sasquatch)

In Mark 7:31-35, Jesus encounters a man who is deaf and unable to speak clearly, and His response is unexpected—a deep sigh. This sigh reveals Jesus' heartache for the brokenness of the world, a world that was never meant to be this way. Yet, despite His sorrow, Jesus speaks healing over the man, demonstrating that His compassion is always followed by action. In this message, we reflect on the hope we have in a God who sees our suffering, sighs with us, and still speaks life and restoration over our brokenness today.

I sit down with producer and audio specialist Richard Whittaker to discuss the brand-new Thin Lizzy Acoustic Sessions album. Richard shares how he unearthed forgotten elements in the master tapes, recorded new guitar parts with Eric Bell, and balanced vintage authenticity with modern production. We also dive into his work on the 1976 Thin Lizzy Box Set, Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs, and The Who's Quadrophenia.There are also hints that there might be new Thin Lizzy Box Sets for the first two album and Nightlife and Fighting. Become a Patron (free trial -cancel anytime) https://www.patreon.com/nowspinningJoin the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnZSsMr4k8ZVlrJ8MUYR4GA/joinOr make a donation via Ko-Fi: https://kofi.com/nowspinningmagazinewithphilastonThe Now Spinning Magazine Merch Shop is now open! https://nowspinningmagazine.co.uk/Thank you everyone for being part of my journey and supporting me. Phil :) Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine

Having met Adam and Brian, a pair of adventurers bringing back a keg of beer to their camp near the Tower of Sighs. The gang befriend them and escorts them back to meet their leader, Ursic One-Ear. And then on to the Tower of Sigh itself and its lone livining inhabitants, Glam-Glam the giant. 

Watch this episode on YouTube. We're back in person, and it feels good. Today's theme is “crisis”—or the lack thereof. Whether it's a crisis in the White House press room, the FBI, the FCC, or a general “constitutional crisis,” we've got it covered. Plus, Chris gets nostalgic about Ajit Pai. Wretch on! Time Stamps: 2:06 - Front Page 43:05 - Obsessions 49:05 - Reader Mail 50:52 - Favorite Items Mediaite: White House Bans Associated Press Reporter From Trump and Musk Oval Office Event, Editor Says  TIME: Calling 'Em Out: The White House Takes on the Press  The New York Times: Trump's Actions Have Created a Constitutional Crisis, Scholars Say The New York Times: High School Trans Athletes Challenge Trump's Executive Order in New Hampshire  The New York Times: CPI Report: Inflation Rose Unexpectedly in January  The Washington Post: Sinkhole of bureaucracy  Semafor: ‘Almost like surrender': Steve Bannon on the media in Trump's ‘Days of Thunder'  The Washington Post: Hegseth's visit to U.S. base in Germany met with student walkout The Washington Post: U.S. intelligence, law enforcement candidates face Trump loyalty test The New York Times: Serena Williams' Super Bowl appearance with Kendrick Lamar ends a Drake tennis culture feud The Daily Beast: MAGA Melts Down Over Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Performance  Jewish Insider: CNN inks deal with Qatar to launch network hub in Doha  Semafor: Fake, viral conspiracies on X stump politicians, media  The Times: Was I enraged by America's controversial commentator on race? No, I was bored  The Washington Free Beacon: Toobin's New Beat: Renowned Masturbator Joins New York Times  The Washington Free Beacon: The Historical Case for Trump's Riviera

This episode features a good mix of humor and horror...really a quintessential AARPG episode. We continue our extended run of the Secret of the Dragon Emperor story as the gang enter the Haunted Marshes and find out just how haunted it is on their way to the Tower of Sighs.  Bonus, they Meet Adam & Brian!! Step into the rich tapestry of Dragonbane RPG as our actual play podcast unfolds in the Misty Vale, a region steeped in history as the heart of the Dragon Empire thousands of years ago. Join our diverse band of adventurers— Dane, the astute human scholar; Quiverwing, the Mallard Mage; Brains, the Wolfkin Thief; Sigyn, the Elven Huntress; Karyn, the Halfling Bard; Korgan, the Halfling Fighter; and Balor, the Dwarven Smith. Together, we'll explore the ancient secrets of a long forgotten empire, facing challenges and forging our destiny in a world where every castle, cave and crypt holds echoes of a bygone era. Get ready for an epic journey filled with laughter, suspense, and unforgettable moments in the Misty Vale!"

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Unmasking Venice: The Quest for a Hidden Masterpiece Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2025-02-01-23-34-02-it Story Transcript:It: Nel cuore di Venezia, mentre l'inverno avvolge i canali come un soffice mantello di nebbia, Luca passeggiava per i vicoli stretti.En: In the heart of Venice, as winter wrapped the canals like a soft cloak of fog, Luca strolled through the narrow alleys.It: Intorno a lui, la città si preparava per il Carnevale.En: Around him, the city was preparing for Carnival.It: Maschere colorate e costumi opulenti riaffioravano nei negozi e negli angoli delle strade.En: Colorful masks and opulent costumes reappeared in the shops and on street corners.It: Luca, con un taccuino stretto nella mano, sentiva il fremito dell'avventura.En: Luca, with a notebook clutched in his hand, felt the thrill of adventure.It: In quel preciso momento, un mistero affascinante lo attirava: un dipinto rinascimentale, scomparso da decenni, e si diceva nascosto tra i muri di Venezia.En: At that precise moment, a fascinating mystery drew him in: a Renaissance painting, missing for decades, was said to be hidden within the walls of Venice.It: Gli indizi erano celati in vecchie lettere, ma Luca non era solo in questa ricerca.En: The clues were concealed in old letters, but Luca was not alone in this quest.It: Aveva deciso di fidarsi di Giulia, nonostante girassero voci su di lei e i suoi legami misteriosi.En: He had decided to trust Giulia, despite the rumors about her and her mysterious connections.It: Giulia era una restauratrice d'arte, enigmatica e intelligente, con occhi che sembravano conoscere i segreti della città.En: Giulia was an art restorer, enigmatic and intelligent, with eyes that seemed to know the secrets of the city.It: Aveva incontrato Luca in un piccolo caffè nascosto, dove il profumo di caffè e biscotti caldi si mescolava all'aria fredda, e gli aveva raccontato di aver scoperto il primo indizio dentro una vecchia cornice dorata.En: She had met Luca in a small hidden café, where the aroma of coffee and warm cookies mingled with the cold air, and she had told him about discovering the first clue inside an old gilded frame.It: Seguendo le lettere, la coppia attraversò calli e campielli, sotto balconi scolpiti e tra ombre danzanti.En: Following the letters, the pair traversed calli and campielli, under carved balconies and amidst dancing shadows.It: Ogni indizio li portava più vicini al cuore del labirinto veneziano.En: Each clue brought them closer to the heart of the Venetian labyrinth.It: Un'indicazione parlava di "un ponte oltre il quale la maschera sorride," e così giunsero al Ponte dei Sospiri.En: One hint spoke of "a bridge beyond which the mask smiles," and thus they arrived at the Bridge of Sighs.It: Lì, un'altra lettera li guidò verso uno stretto vicolo, dove una porta consumata dal tempo si confondeva con il muro.En: There, another letter guided them to a narrow alley, where a time-worn door blended in with the wall.It: Luca e Giulia entrarono nel vicolo.En: Luca and Giulia entered the alley.It: Il freddo dell'inverno pizzicava la pelle, ma loro erano riscaldati dall'anticipazione.En: The winter chill nipped at their skin, but they were warmed by anticipation.It: Si avvicinava la notte di Carnevale e la città era un tripudio di luci e suoni.En: Carnival night was approaching, and the city was a riot of lights and sounds.It: Grazie agli indizi, trovarono una chiave nascosta sotto una lastra di pietra.En: Thanks to the clues, they found a key hidden beneath a stone slab.It: Aprivano la porta con cuore palpitante.En: They opened the door with pounding hearts.It: All'interno, in una stanza decorata con splendidi affreschi, il dipinto scomparso li attendeva.En: Inside, in a room decorated with splendid frescoes, the missing painting awaited them.It: Era circondato da figure mascherate, membri del gruppo che da anni ne custodiva il segreto.En: It was surrounded by masked figures, members of the group who had guarded its secret for years.It: I volti coperti dalle maschere esprimevano sorpresa e rispetto.En: The faces covered by the masks expressed surprise and respect.It: Luca e Giulia, dopo qualche istante di esitazione, misero da parte le paure e si fecero avanti.En: Luca and Giulia, after a moment's hesitation, set aside their fears and stepped forward.It: Il dipinto era un capolavoro, una celebrazione di colori e vita, un frammento di storia rinata.En: The painting was a masterpiece, a celebration of colors and life, a fragment of history reborn.It: Giulia, con tutte le sue conoscenze, si chinò per esaminarlo più da vicino.En: Giulia, with all her knowledge, bent down to examine it more closely.It: Luca la guardò con gratitudine.En: Luca watched her with gratitude.It: Saltavano insieme le tappe finali di una ricerca lunga e avvincente.En: They skipped together the final steps of a long and gripping quest.It: Quando le maschere si allontanarono, quasi in segno di approvazione, decisero che l'opera non doveva restare in ombra.En: When the masks withdrew, almost in a sign of approval, they decided that the artwork should not remain in the shadows.It: L'arte era fatta per essere vissuta, ammirata.En: Art was meant to be experienced, admired.It: Così, con attenzione e segretezza, consegnarono il dipinto a un museo veneziano, assicurandosi che fosse valorizzato al meglio.En: Thus, with care and secrecy, they delivered the painting to a Venetian museum, ensuring it was best appreciated.It: La loro identità restava un enigma per molti, ma il tesoro d'arte trovava una nuova casa.En: Their identity remained an enigma to many, but the art treasure found a new home.It: Luca si rese conto che l'arte, come l'avventura, non è mai completa se non viene condivisa.En: Luca realized that art, like adventure, is never complete unless shared.It: Avanzavano nel vicolo, ora illuminato dalle luci del Carnevale, con un nuovo legame e il cuore riempito di una gratitudine senza confini.En: They moved forward in the alley, now lit by the lights of Carnival, with a new bond and hearts filled with boundless gratitude. Vocabulary Words:the heart: il cuorethe winter: l'invernothe alley: il vicoloopulent: opulentethe costume: il costumeto stroll: passeggiarethe thrill: il fremitothe mystery: il misteroto trust: fidarsithe art restorer: la restauratrice d'arteenigmatic: enigmaticathe aroma: il profumothe clue: l'indizioto traverse: attraversarethe shadow: l'ombrathe labyrinth: il labirintothe bridge: il pontethe door: la portathe anticipation: l'anticipazionethe stone slab: la lastra di pietrathe fresco: l'affrescoto hesitate: esitarethe masterpiece: il capolavorothe gratitude: la gratitudineto examine: esaminarethe secrecy: la segretezzato ensure: assicurarsithe treasure: il tesoroto experience: viverethe enigma: l'enigma

It's time for our annual predictions scorecard episode, as the Ricks review their prognostications about trends in marketing, media, tech, and pop culture—the bullseyes, botched calls, and more. Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for

   Alessandro Cortini - Prime Cose - M3William Basinski · Richard Chartier - Aurora Terminalis - Aurora Terminalis (Excerpt 1)Tim Hecker - Shards - Sunset Key MeltBvdub - For Everything an EndFennesz - Mosaic - Loved and the Framed InsectsMarkus Guentner - Midnight SunSondre Lerche - Sea Of Sighs - Sea of SighsJames Blackshaw - Unraveling In Your Hands - DexterWill Samson - LoshultTristan Perich, Ensemble 0 -  Open Symmetry - Section 4Caterina Barbieri - Myuthafoo - MyuthafooFotografia de David Lynch(Last Show Jan 22)"Guardar Link Como" - "Save Link As"Right Mouse Button Click For Save 

This episode features a good mix of humor and horror...really a quintessential AARPG episode. We continue our extended run of the Secret of the Dragon Emperor story as the players have stopped to stay at the Road's End Inn on their way to the Tower of Sighs.

Sunday, December 8, 2024 Advent 2: The Sighs of a Savior - Moses Kodur www.LaurelBibleChapel.org

Hailing Frequencies Open - Send us a message!John C Meyers joins the gang to pow-wow (we're so sorry) about "Journey's End! Beverly snores, Geordie draws bad boobs, and Picard gets some stank put on him. Meanwhile Cameron find a sacred soda, Rob's parents visit him in a vision, Bobi asks for a biodome, John C Meyers is the only one that makes sense, and John T Bolds has no ancestors. All this plus not one, but two games! "Know Your Roots" and "Imminent Doh!-main." Engage!Hear more from John C Meyers on his podcasts, John and Alexx Hate Stuff & This May Hurt a Bit.And follow him on Twitter.Pick up some Green Shirt Merch

Thank you to Graham and Stacie for your stories! Visit our WEBSITE Subscribe to our PATREON Subscribe to our YOUTUBE CHANNEL Visit our MERCH STORE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul, Robert, and Liz continue their conversation about Jesus in his passion, considering what his sighs teach us about being human. "A sigh says so much. We know from Romans 8 that the Spirit himself 'intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words' (Romans 8:26). A sigh, or a groan, expresses things that words can't quite capture. There are two ways we encounter the impact of fall all the time: one is sin and the other one is death. Sin is the moral face of evil, and death, the physical." "Jesus' sigh is a hybrid of frustration and sadness – somewhere between a fit of anger and a burst of tears." "The cross deals with sin, and the resurrection deals with death. It's a one-two punch. Jesus' healing ministry is all focused on some impact of the curse on our physical world and our bodies. And his teaching ministry is focused on the impact of sin. And so both of them anticipate the final solution, which is the cross and resurrection. The church continues to live out those two ministries of Christ."

It's a slow news week, so we're still talking about the deeply bizarre “holding space” video from the Wicked press tour. We also discuss the nominees for 2025 AVN awards, Sean Baker's fabulous new film Anora, and we finally answer the question that is on everyone's mind: which Sex and the City boyfriend has the biggest schlong?  Chelsea's newsletter recs: Back Row by Amy Odell, Dana Thomas, Starf*cker by Liz Goldwyn, Sighs & Whispers by Laura Helms, Opulent Tips by Rachel Tashjian (this is invitation only, maybe DM her on Twitter?) Our favorite Louis Vuitton shows: S/S 2003 & S/S 2012. Honorable mentions go to S/S 2008 and S/S 2013. Also here is the full video of Andre Leon Talley talking about F/W 2012.  Our handbag recs: Sandy Liang's Recital bag, Telfar x Wilson's Leather Carry bag, The Clare V Petit Moyen in Black & Cream Woven Checker or Courrèges' Holy Tote Bag

Is your team allergic to change? Do they sigh at every new idea you have? To start changing the way they react, keep listening to this episode! Kirk Behrendt brings back Courtney Dalton, one of ACT's amazing coaches, to share three steps to get your team on board and excited for all of your future plans. To learn the most effective ways to get buy-in every single time, listen to Episode 817 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Courtney:Send Courtney an email: courtney@actdental.com Follow Courtney on ACT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalSend Gina an email: gina@actdental.com Email the ACT Team for the Stages of Change tool: info@actdental.com More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaJoin ACT's To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 817: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosDownload ACT's Creating New Agreements, Policies, & Systems resource: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/Creating%20New%20Agreements%2c%20Policies%2c%20&%20Systems.pdf Main Takeaways:Help your team understand the why so they buy into your ideas.When your why is clear to your team, the how becomes much easier.Create a space where your team will feel safe, and their ideas will be heard.If your team feels heard, they will align with your ideas even if they don't agree.No weigh-in, no buy-in. Consistently check in with your team on where they are.Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Take your time so that you can do things right.Understand the five stages of change and support your team wherever they are at.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.0:58 Why this is an important topic.1:34 Alignment doesn't equal agreement.4:00 Start with why.9:41 How to get your team on board.14:36 Ask open-ended questions.16:27 Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.19:24 Stages of...

“Clear Sighs of Coming Judgement“ was given by Pastor Stephen Pope from the pulpit of Calvary Baptist Church on September.11.2024. Thank You for Listening For PRAYER or Questions please respond. contact@cbcuniongrove.com Call 704-327-5662 300 Indian Trail Rd, Union Grove, NC 28689

Seaon 06 Episode 11: The collective sighs - let's talk about s-X, babyLet's talk about…. sex as a primal survival urge. The WhyWork Podcast reflect on their debate about the Australian Tradie's underwear ads discussed in Season 05 Episode 04. Sara makes a joke about performance drivers much to the chagrin of the boys, when Trajce quotes a Talking Heads lyric, “We're on the road to nowhere…”Sara explains primal inner-mammal neurobehavioural drivers of human activity, philosophies advanced by researcher Dr Loretta Breuning , and the ways in which these ideas are used in gaming technology, could improve road safety compliance, and can advance work design strategies.Alan loves the linguistics with words like ‘ontological framework' and ‘salutogenesis' and Trajce expounds on these ideas because of his interests in social science. “Your mind works like a prism,” Trajce remarks, “while my mind is like a kaleidoscope.”

She's sexy, she's kind, and she has a tail...sometimes. It's our first (and only) Nora mermaid love story! Bay of Sighs (2016) takes us to an even darker place, and we are here for it.

Massachusetts-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who began performing professionally at the age of just 15 years old. He is a co-founder of the band The Sighs, who were signed to Virgin Records and toured with such artists as The Gin Blossoms and The Spin Doctors. As a solo artist, last year he released a ten-song album, which he did with an Oscar-winning songwriter and producer. At the time of this episode's release, he will be performing as part of a five-week tour all throughout Germany, after having performed in August in Los Angeles.

Two interviews back-to-back, with Robert LaRoche (known for his works with The Sighs) about his 2023 album "Forevermore;" and its producer, John DeNicola (and also discussion about the latter's 2024 tribute song to Tim Lawless).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Clear Sighs of Coming Judgement“ was given by Pastor Stephen Pope from the pulpit of Calvary Baptist Church on September.11.2024.Thank You for ListeningFor PRAYER or Questions please respond.contact@cbcuniongrove.comCall 704-327-5662300 Indian Trail Rd, Union Grove, NC 28689

Fr Ben

This week, Steve picked an hour of songs about summertime, just in time for the unofficial end of summer.  We'll hear the artists: Barracudas, Go-Go's, Fountains Of Wayne, Kiwi Jr., Public Access T.V., Bad Lieutenant, The Sighs, emmet swimming, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Malarians, The Pretty Things, Jet, Bobby Mahoney, Baio, Freezepop, Pajama Slave Dancers and Eddie Cochran. On the Air on Bedford 105.1 FM Radio      *** 5pm Friday ***      *** 10am Sunday ***      *** 8pm Monday *** Stream live at http://209.95.50.189:8178/stream Stream on-demand most recent episodes at https://wbnh1051.podbean.com/category/suburban-underground/ And available on demand on your favorite podcast app! Twitter: @SUBedford1051  ***    Facebook: SuburbanUndergroundRadio   ***    Instagram: SuburbanUnderground   ***    #newwave #altrock #alternativerock #punkrock #indierock

Send us a Text Message.What happens when personal ambition clashes with professional and familial responsibilities? Join us as we unpack the dramatic twists and turns of Knot's Landing, season two, episode four, "Chance of a Lifetime." We'll explore Richard's relentless quest for validation amidst career chaos, Laura's steady rise in real estate, and Gary's risky business venture that threatens his friendship with Sid. Plus, we introduce exciting new characters, including Brian Dennehy as James Cargile and a boundary-breaking female mechanic, adding fresh layers to the narrative.Valene's journey of self-improvement becomes a focal point as we examine the balance between personal growth and familial duties. Experience the morning chaos with Karen, Abby, and Richard, offering both comedic relief and drama. The striking dynamic between Laura and Karen foreshadows Laura's potential evolution into a tougher persona. Meanwhile, Richard's unexpected rise within his law firm highlights both his expertise and the challenges he faces, creating a rich tapestry of professional and personal turbulence.Gary's entanglement with organized crime provides a thrilling subplot, while Richard's confrontation with his superiors and subsequent antics reveal deep-seated frustrations. Laura's career tensions and the strain on her relationship with Richard culminate in a pivotal moment, setting the stage for significant changes ahead. Don't miss our analysis of these riveting storylines and character arcs, where we also give practical tips on avoiding deceit and staying drama-free. Grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us for a deep dive into the layered world of Knot's Landing.

Join Moe as he discusses new market highs made last week and a notable rotation between the sectors. 

This week in politics: The U.S. Supreme Court gives Donald Trump the best possible gift: the longest possible delay in his federal trials In Michigan, a new state Senate map from the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Louisiana's Ten-Commandments-In-Every-Classroom law is challenged in the courts even as Oklahoma requires biblical training in public schools The Supreme Court also handed down a ruling which legalizes a form of political bribery Michigan's Legislature finalizes an $82.5-billion budget that targets education and economic development And two senior citizens got into an argument about golf in Atlanta last night. We will devote most of the podcast to that argument and other things they discussed. We are joined by one of Michigan's top political communications experts, Dr. Richard Cole. Cole was Governor Blanchard's communications chief and later Blanchard's chief of staff. He later chaired Michigan State University's nationally respected Department of Advertising and Public Relations. He also served as the top communications man at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, working under company president Richard Whitmer … and was a close unofficial adviser to Whitmer's daughter in her first campaign for Governor. Cole's mentors include the legendary Dr. Edward Bernays, the creator of modern public relations whose principles of PR are still the standard a century later both within and outside of politics. =========================== This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,  a full service survey research firm with expertise in: • Public Opinion Surveys • Market Research Studies • Live Telephone Surveys • On-Line and Automated Surveys • Focus Group Research • Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns • Political Campaigns & Consulting • Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research • Community - Media Relations • Issue - Image Management • Database Development & List Management =========================== NEW: The 34 for 45 Commemorative Mug Get your "34 for 45" mug today!

This episode contains content that may be alarming for some listeners, including topics that detail sexual abuse of a minor, suicidal ideation, religious conditioning, homophobia and conversion therapy. If you or a loved one are struggling in these areas, please visit the resources below for help and more information. In this deeply moving and inspiring episode, co-hosts Rachel and Megan Wilford introduce their first male guest, their Uncle Chris. Join us as Chris bravely shares his tumultuous journey through childhood trauma, grief and the struggle for acceptance in a highly religious family. From the harrowing experiences of molestation and the devastating loss of his mother, to his time in the army and the complexities of coming out as gay, Chris' story is one of resilience and transformation. Hear how he navigated family conflict, conversion therapy and ultimately found healing, forgiveness and himself. With humor and heart, this episode highlights the power of speaking out, the importance of family and the journey towards self-acceptance. Tune in for a powerful narrative that underscores the essence of The Traumedy Show – finding light even in the darkest of times. Resources: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 LGBTQ+ Support: www.thetrevorproject.org National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

Author of pilgrim's progress, listen to what John Bunyan thinks about how we should live life from day to day. Huge thanks to Timothy Fierens for reading todays sermon. You can see his youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@oldtimepreachingAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Unlocking Venice's Hidden Treasure: A Sunset Gondola Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/unlocking-venices-hidden-treasure-a-sunset-gondola-adventure Story Transcript:It: Il sole tramontava su Venezia, la città sull'acqua.En: The sun was setting over Venice, the city on the water.It: Luca camminava con calma lungo il canale.En: Luca was walking calmly along the canal.It: Era un bel giorno d'estate.En: It was a beautiful summer day.It: Decise di fare un giro in gondola.En: He decided to take a gondola ride.It: Salì su una vecchia gondola nera.En: He boarded an old black gondola.It: Il gondoliere era un uomo anziano, con una barba bianca.En: The gondolier was an elderly man with a white beard.It: Iniziò a remare lentamente, attraversando stretti canali e passando sotto ponti antichi.En: He began to row slowly, crossing narrow canals and passing under ancient bridges.It: Venezia era magica al tramonto.En: Venice was magical at sunset.It: Mentre la gondola scivolava sull'acqua, Luca notò qualcosa.En: As the gondola glided on the water, Luca noticed something.It: Sotto il sedile, c'era una piccola scatola.En: Under the seat, there was a small box.It: Era coperta di polvere.En: It was covered in dust.It: Con curiosità, Luca la prese e la aprì.En: Curiously, Luca took it and opened it.It: Dentro c'era un diario antico, con la copertina di cuoio.En: Inside, there was an old diary with a leather cover.It: "L'hai trovato finalmente..." disse il gondoliere, sorridendo.En: "You've found it at last..." said the gondolier, smiling.It: Luca era sorpreso.En: Luca was surprised.It: "Questo diario apparteneva a mio nonno," spiegò.En: "This diary belonged to my grandfather," he explained.It: "Racconta una storia incredibile."En: "It tells an incredible story."It: Luca iniziò a leggere il diario.En: Luca began to read the diary.It: Le pagine erano ingiallite dal tempo.En: The pages were yellowed with time.It: Parlava di un grande tesoro nascosto da anni.En: It spoke of a great treasure hidden for years.It: Un mercante lo aveva nascosto per proteggere la sua famiglia.En: A merchant had hidden it to protect his family.It: Nessuno lo trovò mai.En: No one had ever found it.It: Ma nel diario c'erano indizi dettagliati.En: But in the diary, there were detailed clues.It: Il primo indizio portava a Piazza San Marco.En: The first clue led to St. Mark's Square.It: Luca e il gondoliere seguirono le istruzioni del diario.En: Luca and the gondolier followed the diary's instructions.It: Arrivarono alla piazza e cercarono una statua specifica.En: They arrived at the square and searched for a specific statue.It: Sotto la statua, trovarono un nuovo indizio.En: Under the statue, they found a new clue.It: Il secondo indizio li portò al Ponte dei Sospiri.En: The second clue led them to the Bridge of Sighs.It: Qui, Luca trovò un piccolo simbolo inciso su una pietra.En: Here, Luca found a small symbol engraved on a stone.It: Continuarono a seguire gli indizi, passando per stretti vicoli e attraversando altri ponti.En: They continued to follow the clues, passing through narrow alleys and crossing other bridges.It: La città diventava sempre più misteriosa.En: The city became increasingly mysterious.It: Alla fine, il diario li condusse in una vecchia chiesa.En: In the end, the diary led them to an old church.It: Dentro, dietro un altare, trovarono una cassa.En: Inside, behind an altar, they found a chest.It: Luca aprì la cassa con mani tremanti.En: Luca opened the chest with trembling hands.It: Dentro c'erano monete d'oro, gioielli preziosi, e pergamene antiche.En: Inside were gold coins, precious jewels, and ancient scrolls.It: Il gondoliere e Luca sorrisero.En: The gondolier and Luca smiled.It: "Abbiamo trovato il tesoro nascosto," disse il gondoliere.En: "We have found the hidden treasure," said the gondolier.It: "Ora è tuo, per la tua curiosità e il tuo coraggio."En: "Now it's yours, for your curiosity and bravery."It: Luca ringraziò il gondoliere.En: Luca thanked the gondolier.It: Decise di donare una parte del tesoro alla città di Venezia, per preservare la sua bellezza e storia.En: He decided to donate part of the treasure to the city of Venice, to preserve its beauty and history.It: Tornò a casa, arricchito non solo da oro e gioielli, ma anche da un'avventura indimenticabile.En: He returned home, enriched not only by gold and jewels but also by an unforgettable adventure.It: Venezia, con i suoi canali e misteri, rimaneva la città più affascinante del mondo.En: Venice, with its canals and mysteries, remained the most fascinating city in the world.It: E Luca sapeva che i suoi segreti erano ancora molti, pronti per essere scoperti da chi avesse avuto il cuore e la curiosità di cercarli.En: And Luca knew that its secrets were still many, ready to be discovered by those with the heart and curiosity to seek them. Vocabulary Words:setting: tramontavacalmly: con calmaboarding: salìelderly: anzianobeard: barbarow: remareglided: scivolavanoticed: notòdust: polverecuriously: curiositàexplained: spiegòincredible: incredibileyellowed: ingiallitetreasure: tesorohidden: nascostomerchant: mercanteclue: indizioengraved: incisostone: pietraalleys: vicolitrembling: tremantichest: cassagold coins: monete d'oroprecious jewels: gioielli preziosiscrolls: pergamenebravery: coraggioadventure: avventurafascinating: affascinantesecrets: segretipreserve: preservare

SingerSongwriterGuitarist Robert LaRoche, began performing professionally at age 15.Originally from Holyoke, Massachusetts, LaRoche formed Power Pop sensations The Sighs in 1982.After 10 years of touring the collegeclub circuit of New England, the Sighs were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut cd “What Goes On” in 1992.The disc received fantastic reviews and the single “Think About Soul” was a staple on “Modern Rock” radio charts throughout the Summer of 1992.The band toured America extensively with such acts as The Spin Doctors and The Gin Blossoms.Their second release “Different” was released in 1995 on NYC indie label Big Deal Records.The band disbanded in 1996 and LaRoche moved on to his next career as lead guitarist and co-writer for Austin, Texas singer Patricia Vonne.Miss Vonne has released seven critically acclaimed cd's on the independent label Bandolera Records, and has toured Europe numerous times where they have built a loyal and ever growing fan base.LaRoche and Vonne have also performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in 2013, where they were awarded the critics pick for “Best Live Performance”In September of 2015, Robert released his solo debut cd entitled “Patient Man”.Recorded in Austin, Texas with producer Darin Murphy, the eleven track disc sparkles with gorgeous Everly Brother style harmonies and a finely tuned pop sensibility.LaRoche's song craft is based firmly in American roots music.Influenced by Buddy Holly, Del Shannon, and the aforementioned Everly Brothers, each track on LaRoche's “Patient Man” is filled with endlessly memorable hooks, bathed in a warm and honest production.The Sighs regrouped in the Summer Of 2016 to record for the first time in two decades. The subsequent release Wait On Another Day came out on NYC indie label Omad Records In November 2017. The disc received glowing reviews internationally.In July 2019, Austin singer-songwriter LaRoche released “A Thousand Shades”. This six song EP is bursting with irresistible hooks and LaRoche's signature harmonies and mesmerizing vocals. Backed by many of Austin's top Musicians, “A Thousand Shades” takes the listener on a journey of love and heartbreak, with a silver lining of redemption.In September 2023, LaRoche will released his new 10 song Cd “Forevermore” Produced by Oscar winning songwriter John DeNicola. https://robertlarochemusic.com

Peter W. Marty preaches on prayer. It can be hard to figure out what to pray. Many of us are focused on receiving some answers. That's why we pray. We should eliminate the word ‘answers' when we talk about prayer or prayer outcomes. Prayer is about conversation with God; conversations are not about answers but about engaging a relationship and sharing company with someone. Once we realize this about prayer, our relationship with God becomes much deeper.  Preaching text: Romans 8: 22-27 

Sighs Too Deep For Words by Matt Rawle

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Venetian Magic: Masks Unveiled in St. Mark's Square Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/venetian-magic-masks-unveiled-in-st-marks-square Story Transcript:It: Nel cuore vibrante di Venezia, sotto un cielo azzurro limpido, Giovanni, Francesca e Luca passeggiavano felici in Piazza San Marco.En: In the vibrant heart of Venice, under a clear blue sky, Giovanni, Francesca, and Luca happily strolled through St. Mark's Square.It: La piazza era piena di turisti, artisti di strada e un'infinità di negozi che vendevano meravigliose maschere veneziane.En: The square was full of tourists, street artists, and a multitude of shops selling wonderful Venetian masks.It: "Guardate quelle maschere!"En: "Look at those masks!"It: esclamò Francesca, indicando una vetrina scintillante.En: exclaimed Francesca, pointing to a glittering shop window.It: Giovanni annuì con entusiasmo, mentre Luca osservava con curiosità.En: Giovanni nodded enthusiastically while Luca watched with curiosity.It: Entrarono nel negozio, accolti da una signora gentile con un sorriso caloroso.En: They entered the shop and were greeted by a kind lady with a warm smile.It: "Benvenuti," disse, "Siete interessati alle nostre maschere tradizionali?"En: "Welcome," she said, "Are you interested in our traditional masks?"It: "Sì, per favore!"En: "Yes, please!"It: rispose Giovanni, con gli occhi spalancati di meraviglia.En: replied Giovanni, his eyes wide with wonder.It: Francesca si avvicinò a una maschera dorata con piume rosse.En: Francesca approached a golden mask with red feathers.It: "Questa è bellissima," disse lei.En: "This one is beautiful," she said.It: Luca, invece, era attratto da una maschera nera con dettagli argentati.En: Luca, on the other hand, was drawn to a black mask with silver details.It: "Mi piace questa," disse, incantato.En: "I like this one," he said, enchanted.It: La signora spiegò la storia dietro ogni maschera.En: The lady explained the history behind each mask.It: Giovanni ascoltava attentamente, affascinato dalle storie antiche.En: Giovanni listened attentively, fascinated by the ancient stories.It: Dopo aver esplorato tutte le opzioni, Francesca prese coraggio.En: After exploring all the options, Francesca mustered up her courage.It: "Potreste fare uno sconto se ne compriamo tre?"En: "Could you give us a discount if we buy three?"It: chiese con un sorriso speranzoso.En: she asked with a hopeful smile.It: La signora ci pensò un momento, poi disse: "Per voi, sì.En: The lady thought for a moment and then said, "For you, yes.It: Vi farò un buon prezzo."En: I'll give you a good price."It: I tre amici si guardarono con gioia.En: The three friends looked at each other with joy.It: Decisero di comprare le maschere che avevano scelto.En: They decided to buy the masks they had chosen.It: "Grazie mille," disse Giovanni mentre pagava.En: "Thank you very much," said Giovanni as he paid.It: "Non vediamo l'ora di usarle al carnevale."En: "We can't wait to use them at the carnival."It: Uscirono dal negozio con le loro nuove maschere e un senso di felicità.En: They left the shop with their new masks and a sense of happiness.It: Il Canal Grande scintillava sotto il sole e loro camminavano verso il Ponte dei Sospiri, ridendo e scherzando.En: The Grand Canal glittered under the sun as they walked toward the Bridge of Sighs, laughing and joking.It: Mentre si allontanavano, Luca disse: "Questa è stata una giornata indimenticabile.En: As they walked away, Luca said, "This has been an unforgettable day.It: Non vedo l'ora di tornare qui l'anno prossimo."En: I can't wait to come back here next year."It: "E noi ti aspetteremo," rispose Giovanni con un sorriso.En: "And we'll be waiting for you," replied Giovanni with a smile.It: Francesca annuì.En: Francesca nodded.It: "Sì, e magari compreremo altre maschere bellissime."En: "Yes, and maybe we'll buy more beautiful masks."It: Ed è così che Giovanni, Francesca e Luca vissero una giornata magica a Venezia, portando con sé non solo delle splendide maschere, ma anche ricordi preziosi che durano per sempre.En: And so Giovanni, Francesca, and Luca had a magical day in Venice, taking with them not only splendid masks but also precious memories that will last forever. Vocabulary Words:vibrant: vibranteclear: limpidostrolled: passeggiavanosquare: piazzaglittering: scintillantewarm: calorosodrawn: attrattodetails: dettagliexploring: esploratomustered: prese coraggiodiscount: scontohopeful: speranzosojoy: gioiacarnival: carnevaleunforgettable: indimenticabilefeathers: piumeenchanted: incantatowelcomed: accoltiancient: antichestories: storieadventurous: avventurosaattentive: attentamenteprice: prezzoglittered: scintillavamemories: ricordisplendid: splendidemultitude: infinitàcuriosity: curiositàapproached: avvicinògreeted: accolti

In this episode, we speak with singer/songwriter Robert LaRoche, former frontman of the great 90's band, The Sighs.  We discuss his journey with The Sighs and his solo career including a deep dive into his latest great album Forevermore.

Let's dive right into the complex topic of generational trauma - the emotional and psychological wounds that can be passed down through families over generations. I talk today about 7 basic ways that trauma forms over the course of our childhood, often without us even realizing it, and some methods for managing/stopping the cycle that work for me (when I can be present enough to use them). Have you ever experienced...Your emotions being minimized - Being told your feelings are "not that big a deal" or to "get over it" Being told not to feel a certain way - being prohibited from expressing anger, sadness, or other "undesirable" emotionsSomeone comparing their experience to yours - "Your problems aren't as bad as mine were" or "back in my day..."Someone distracting or redirecting you instead of validating your emotions - Changing the subject rather than listening and acknowledging your feelingsExpressing irritation or impatience with your emotions - Sighs, eye rolls, or blatant annoyance when you open up about how you're feelingBeing called attention-seeking for having big emotions - Dismissing strong feelings as "drama" or you just wanting sympathyYour perspective being invalidated - Telling you you're "making too big a deal out of it" or that "it wasn't that bad."Identifying these subtle patterns is the first step toward breaking free from the cycle of generational trauma. With self-awareness and compassion, we all can start to heal. Until we meet again

Welcome to The ET Podcast, we're back with another wild series of events to talk about. Thanks for joining us! If you enjoyed this conversation be sure to like and subscribe to see more special guests, pod-lucks, and conversations! Here at The ET Podcast we aim to put the spotlight on actual influencers, who are really making a positive change in the world. We also discuss, review, all things biblical, pop culture, food and fun. Join in on a new convo with Erick & Tré every Tuesday. #Podcast #ETPodcast #Episode213

This week on Rockonteurs we chat to guitarist Robin Trower. Robin talks about his early guitar influences, his love of James Brown, his time with Procol Harum and as the bandleader in his own power trio. April 2024 is also the 50th anniversary of his acclaimed album ‘Bridge of Sighs' which is re-released and includes brand new Dolby Atmos mixes too. Robin is an English rock n roll legend. Rockonteurs is produced by Ben Jones for Gimme Sugar Productions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guests: Alison Escalante, Author, PediatricianOn LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonescalantemd/On Twitter | https://twitter.com/AEscalanteMDWebsite | https://theprimarycarer.com/_____________________________Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast & Audio Signals PodcastOn ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli_____________________________This Episode's SponsorsAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?

Sigh, See, Start: How to Be the Parent Your Child Needs in a World That Won't Stop Pushing―A Science-Based Method in Three Simple Steps by Alison Escalante https://amzn.to/49vJ7EP In a perfectionistic parenting culture that tells you that you are never enough no matter how much you do for your kids, this unique approach empowers you with a simple parenting technique to gain confidence, remain grounded, and connect positively with your children. Dr. Alison Escalante is a board-certified pediatrician with more than two decades of experience who has spent the last ten years exploring ways to equip parents to meet their children's needs. She has experienced first-hand the culture of criticism and anxiety that drains parental joy and leaves parents feeling bad about what they should or should not be doing with and for their children. She calls this the parenting “ShouldStorm,” and this book is her invitation to escape that cycle and be the parent your child needs. In this game-changing parenting book, Dr. Escalante outlines her 3-step science-based approach to escaping the ShouldStorm and embracing should-free mindful parenting. Going into detail about each step, she clearly explains how to implement this approach in everyday situations where parents may feel overwhelmed and shares real results from parents and children who use the technique: SIGH: In moments of parental overwhelm, take a breath all the way into your belly. Imagine it's a sigh of relief. Sighs help you stop and center yourself instead of reacting to the "should" in your head. ​ SEE: Notice what's going on. See your child. Are they happy? Are they close to tears? Are their fists balled in anger? START: Then, and only then, start listening, and start thinking about what an appropriate reaction would be. Do they need a hug? Some space? Something else? In the vein of Good Inside, this book offers a simple approach and practical, proven strategies any parent can use. It also explores parenting culture and why it has become more and more intense over recent decades. For anyone who wants a proven toolkit for resisting a parenting culture that shames them when they can't meet unrealistic expectations, Sigh, See, Start is your new go-to tool for joyful parenting.About the author Dr. Alison Escalante is a board-certified pediatrician with more than two decades of experience who has spent the last ten years exploring ways to equip parents to meet their children's needs. She is an Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at Rush University. She is a Forbes Contributor, a writer at Psychology Today, a TEDx speaker, and author of Sigh, See, Start: How to Be The Parent Your Child Needs in a World That Won't Stop Pushing. Her undergraduate degree was in History from Princeton University, where she studied Ideological and Cultural History. She obtained her M.D. from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University. Her pediatric residency training was at Duke University and the University of Chicago. She is a former Clinical Instructor in Pediatrics at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine.

Get your new year's workout on girliepops, and don't forget your iStrings and your flamboyant exhales. Last episode of Season 4! Bryan's entire family got COVID He's a frequent flier at the doctor's office Overdramatic parents We blame gustavo! The old goose egg Dan Rather Who watches the nightly news? The streaming wars Apple tv is doing it right The jury, westworld, and SPACE! Get in the good car, kids! Bryan goes to the gym to watch his shows Bryan's airpods got washed Bryan's hip with his corded headphones The gym bros Let's sharpen up the gym etiquette in 2024 What are we getting rid of in n2024 The treaty! LINKS: Send us show ideas, comments, questions or concerns by texting us   626.ASK.TCB3 text or leave us a voicemail Watch TCB on YouTube Creator: Bryan Green Co-Host: Bryan Green Co-Host: Krissy Hoadley Producer: Christina A.  Producer: Gustavo B.