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Originally recorded in January 2023.In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️
This episode is a follow-up to The Sound Barrier series, which explores our brain's relationship to sound. In our third episode of the series, we asked listeners to try to experience silence and record what they heard. Today, we share the sounds of quiet from across the world in a tribute to John Cage's 4'33”. Plus, Tinnitus researcher and Unexplainable guest Dan Polley answers your questions from the series. Guest: Dan Polley, tinnitus researcher at Mass Eye and Ear. Thank you to everyone who wrote in and shared their silences. If you still have thoughts or questions about the series, write us! We also heard from a few teachers who plan to use the series as a part of their curriculum. Is this you? Let us know! For show transcripts, go to vox.com/unxtranscripts For more, go to vox.com/unexplainable And please email us! unexplainable@vox.com. We read every email. Support Unexplainable (and get ad-free episodes) by becoming a Vox Member today: vox.com/members Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Week in Music History: December 15-21 | John Lennon’s Final UK Show, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Nirvana MTV Unplugged & More Join Buzz Knight and Master of Music Mayhem Harry Jacobs for an unforgettable journey through music history on the Takin’ A Walk podcast! This week’s episode covers December 15-21, packed with legendary moments that shaped rock and roll forever. Featured Music History Highlights:
As the December 19th DOJ deadline approaches, expectations for a meaningful Epstein file release remain predictably low. History suggests this will be less a moment of transparency and more a carefully managed pressure-release, offering recycled information already known while withholding anything truly damaging to the government or to Donald Trump. If there had been genuine intent to disclose the full truth, it would not have required months of procedural theater and resistance. Instead, the long delay itself signals reluctance, not resolve. A DOJ overseen by figures who have actively fought disclosure is unlikely to suddenly reverse course out of goodwill. Skepticism here is not cynicism for its own sake, but a rational response to an institution that has consistently prioritized self-protection over accountability.What should be expected is a document dump heavy on redactions, light on substance, and carefully curated to avoid embarrassment or legal exposure. FBI 302s, internal emails, candid assessments, and anything implicating systemic failures or political sensitivity are almost certainly off the table. Names may appear without context, timelines without consequence, and pages without meaningful content. If this release is perceived as insulting or deliberately hollow, it risks igniting a backlash that narratives and media spin may not contain. The real story may not be what is released, but what is conspicuously absent—and the justifications used to keep it that way. Epstein disclosures have only ever advanced under pressure, not voluntary transparency, and this release is unlikely to change that fundamental reality.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
As the December 19th DOJ deadline approaches, expectations for a meaningful Epstein file release remain predictably low. History suggests this will be less a moment of transparency and more a carefully managed pressure-release, offering recycled information already known while withholding anything truly damaging to the government or to Donald Trump. If there had been genuine intent to disclose the full truth, it would not have required months of procedural theater and resistance. Instead, the long delay itself signals reluctance, not resolve. A DOJ overseen by figures who have actively fought disclosure is unlikely to suddenly reverse course out of goodwill. Skepticism here is not cynicism for its own sake, but a rational response to an institution that has consistently prioritized self-protection over accountability.What should be expected is a document dump heavy on redactions, light on substance, and carefully curated to avoid embarrassment or legal exposure. FBI 302s, internal emails, candid assessments, and anything implicating systemic failures or political sensitivity are almost certainly off the table. Names may appear without context, timelines without consequence, and pages without meaningful content. If this release is perceived as insulting or deliberately hollow, it risks igniting a backlash that narratives and media spin may not contain. The real story may not be what is released, but what is conspicuously absent—and the justifications used to keep it that way. Epstein disclosures have only ever advanced under pressure, not voluntary transparency, and this release is unlikely to change that fundamental reality.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
This Week in Music History: December 15-21 | John Lennon’s Final UK Show, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Nirvana MTV Unplugged & More Join Buzz Knight and Master of Music Mayhem Harry Jacobs for an unforgettable journey through music history on the Takin’ A Walk podcast! This week’s episode covers December 15-21, packed with legendary moments that shaped rock and roll forever. Featured Music History Highlights:
In this episode, we engage with Bishop Cairn Dewar to explore the New Testament's foundational narratives surrounding the birth of Christ. Building on our previous discussion of the 400 years of silence, we examine the angelic announcements to Zechariah and Mary, uncovering the significance of divine intervention and the anticipation for the Messiah. onnect with Bishop Cei Dewar X/TWITTER Bishop Ceirion H. Dewar FSHC (@BishopDewar) / X SOCIALS LINKTREE bishopdewar | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree Connect with Hearts of Oak. . .
In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️
Many founders believe the exit is the finish line, but what happens after the deal closes often reveals a deeper challenge. In this solo episode, Jerome Myers explores why so many exited founders unknowingly rebuild the very businesses and lifestyles they were desperate to escape. He introduces the concept of the “ghost business” and explains how unprocessed identity loss, fear, and unresolved trauma quietly pull founders back into familiar patterns of overwork and self-imposed prisons. Through powerful metaphors, real-world observations, and reflective questions, Jerome reframes the exit as a starting line rather than an ending. He offers a path toward clarity, freedom, and intentional post-exit living. [00:00 – 03:15] The Ghost Business That Follows Every Founder Many founders rebuild businesses not from purpose, but from discomfort with stillness The post-exit “next thing” often exists to avoid more profound identity questions Fulfillment is mistaken for activity, leading to busy work instead of meaningful work [03:16 – 06:45] When Identity Is Tied to Output Founders often define their worth by productivity and problem solving Silence after exit can feel like irrelevance rather than freedom Losing daily validation creates anxiety and self-doubt [06:46 – 09:40] Free Time Can Become a Prison Most founders have never truly experienced rest If time is not intentionally allocated, it becomes overwhelming Avoiding what matters most is often disguised as dedication to work [09:41 – 12:55] Trauma, Motivation, and the Ghost of the Past Unprocessed exits function like unresolved trauma Motivation driven by fear replaces inspiration driven by purpose Founders recreate old patterns even when circumstances have changed [12:56 – 15:40] The Signs You Never Really Exited New ventures feel emotionally and operationally familiar The same stress loops and overcommitment reappear A liquidity event without inner change is just a relocation of the prison [15:41 – 20:00] Exiting To Something, Not Just From Something True post-exit success requires a clear North Star Freedom without direction creates drift, not peace The exit is the starting line for identity rebirth, not the end Key Quotes“Motivation runs when fear is chasing you. Inspiration runs because you chose the destination.” - Jerome Myers“Most founders don't rebuild businesses because they need money. They rebuild them because they don't know who they are without one.” - Jerome Myers Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today! https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now
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Hey cops and writers, thanks for being here with us today for another episode of the Cops and Writers podcast! I’m Patrick O’Donnell, and I will be your host for today’s show. Before I start, can I ask you all a favor? If you are enjoying this podcast, could you please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? It is so important, thank you. This show is listener supported, so thanks to all of you who keep this show going! I would especially like to thank those of you who are patrons of the show. Most notably, Frances Sheldrick, Kathleen Donnelly, Fran Cross, Katherine Kovacic, Richard Towles, Ryan Ta, Carl Vonderau, Melinda Colt, Jodi Burnett, and Richard Rybicki. Your generosity helps pay for the software, equipment, and my time producing this show. Yes, you too can become a patron for less than a cup of coffee or a pint of Guinness. Just go to patreon.com/copsandwriters. Welcome everyone, for my interview with my friend, podcaster, author, and retired NYPD Detective, Vic Ferrari. Vic worked a distinguished twenty-year career with the NYPD as a patrol officer and later moved up to the organized crime unit, working in the auto theft squad as a detective. Vic is now an author with nine books published, the most recent NYPD: Behind The Blue Wall Of Silence, and host of his very popular podcast, NYPD Through The Looking Glass. It’s always fun chatting with Vic and hearing his stories from the NYPD. Please enjoy my conversation with the one and only, Vic Ferrari! In today’s episode, we discuss: · Vic explains the title and intro to his newest book, NYPD: Behind The Blue Wall Of Silence. · A nude sunbathing cop on the roof of a precinct. · The herpes triangle. · What’s a rip? · Cops vs Firefighters football/hockey games. Why the bad blood? · Off-duty shenanigans. · Principal Fran Dresser and the power of the press. · Citizen complaints. · Working plainclothes in the anti-crime unit. · Wendy the whiner. · Hats and bats. · What happens to someone who assaults a horse used for crowd control? · His brother’s solution to the homeless problem. · Vic’s podcast, NYPD Thorough The Looking Glass. · Vic’s livestream with Det. Marique Bartoldus on 12-17-25 at 7:00 pm Eastern. All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast. Check out Vic's Amazon Author Page! Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel! Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!! Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series. Please visit the Cops and Writers website.
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Pastor Andy Cass 'Tis the season of noise—commercials, carols, wrapping paper, and endless hustle. But what if the greatest miracle of Christmas isn't found in the noise… but in the silence? In this Christmas message, Pastor Andy explores the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1, reminding us that sometimes God speaks loudest when we finally stop to listen. Big Idea: Silence is not the absence of sound. Silence is the space where God is invited to speak. TEXT: Luke 1:5–23, Galatians 6:9, Habakkuk 1:2, Mark 4:38–41, 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21, Luke 19:40 NOTES: The Problem: We are surrounded by noise—audible and internal—that muffles the most important voices in our lives. The Plan: Turn down the noise and create space to hear God. Practical Steps — How to Set Up Silence: Keep work at work. Shut off the screens. Try one weeknight with no TV or phone. No-phone zone. Leave your device overnight. Pause social media. Open your doors. Invite someone over—build connection. Make a memory. Do something simple and meaningful. Schedule silence. Set a time to be still and listen. Faith Formation Plan: Calm the Storm: Invite Jesus to quiet your chaos (Mark 4:38–41). Sit in Silence: Learn the art of listening—faith and doubt can both lean in. Raise Your Praise: If you stay silent, creation won't (Luke 19:40). Stay Connected: Give: https://theecho.churchcenter.com/giving Online Service: Sundays 9 AM (YouTube & Facebook Live) Connect: https://theecho.churchcenter.com/people/forms/113001 Instagram: @wearetheechochurch #EchoChurch #ChristianSermon #FaithGrowth #BibleTeaching
12-14-25 | When God Breaks the Silence: The Church by Plainfield Christian Church
In a world where men overshare everything, this episode is a reminder of the five crown jewels a man must never share, not out of dishonesty but out of strategy.In this episode, you will also get a 30-day silence challenge and a simple morning code to help you stop leaking power and start executing like a man.If you have been talking too much and building too little, this podcast is for you.Support the showTelegram Channel link: Click > THE WARRIORS X account: Click > Amerix Facebook: Click > Amerix Website: Click > Amerix Website
Elizabeth Birkelund is not just a novelist and journalist. She's a traveler of landscapes, both worldly and emotional, and a gifted listener to the human heart. Her newest book, A Northern Light in Provence, sweeps us from the crystalline silence of Greenland's ice fields to the golden, lavender-scented slopes of Provence. With her unmistakable tenderness and immersive storytelling, she reminds us how profoundly place can shape our imaginations, our choices, and our inner lives. Drawing on her own adventures, from the raw, rugged beauty of the Arctic Circle to the quiet, contemplative corners of rural France, Elizabeth writes with the authenticity of someone who has breathed these worlds in. In this episode, she invites us behind the scenes of her creative life: what it's like to research remote settlements at the edge of the map, how she absorbs the slow, sunlit rhythms of Provence, and why stepping outside familiar boundaries can spark the most unexpected insights.With wit, wonder, and a generosity of spirit, Elizabeth reflects on how landscapes mirror our private truths, how displacement can open doors we didn't know were locked, and how surrendering control in the creative process can make a story sing with honesty.For anyone who loves travel, transformation, and the quiet magic of being reshaped by the world, this conversation with Elizabeth Birkelund is a luminous journey and one you won't want to miss.Only on Speaking of Travel!Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.
God always has a purpose in silence. Every moment of waiting, every unanswered prayer, every season of doubt is an invitation to trust Him more deeply. In this series, Hope in Silence, we'll explore powerful stories from the book of Malachi, where God's people wrestled with His quietness but discovered His faithfulness. From a nation questioning His love to individuals longing for His presence, these stories show us that God is always at work, even when we cannot see it. Each moment of silence becomes an opportunity to grow, to hope, and to encounter the God who never abandons His people.
Miracle On Route 34: Part 2 Virginia and Santa face extreme danger together. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Someone attacked Santa with a wicked-looking spiked hand-axe, something out of a sci-fi movie. He batted the weapon aside and clapped his open hands across the man's ears, busting his brain. Before he dropped, Santa grabbed the corpse and swung it around in a wide arc, smashing it into the foes surrounding him and knocking them back. "Shit!" Ginny squealed as one of the targets landed near her. "It's like the fucking Matrix in here!" As he threw the corpse away, he paused very briefly and glanced at her. "Since you happen to be right there, how about a little mood music?" "What?" "I'm just saying some music would be nice if we're going to be doing this," he called. "You're next to the entertainment system, how about putting something on?" "You’re shitting me, right?" she almost complained, wincing as she heard something delicate-sounding and expensive smash behind her amidst the wild brawl. She stared at the multimedia system, flapping her arms in frustration as she tried to focus through the noise. This couldn't be happening. She clutched the sleeves of her plush robe for a moment, trying to concentrate on its soft, fuzzy texture and center herself. She'd almost forgotten the large nerf gun in her hands but ignored it now, fixing her gaze on the mp3 playlist. She pressed a button. "Silent night; Holy night;" Bing crooned through the room. "Not really what I had in mind!" Santa mentioned loudly as he rammed his knee into a man's chin. "Try again!" Ginny bit her lip and pressed the button again, this time rewarded with Gary Glitter singing 'Another Rock And Roll Christmas'. "Still not quite there," he said as he snapmared another foe. "Better, but not quite!" "Well I don't know!" she shouted in exasperation. "What kind of music do you put on while Santa kills things in your living room?" Santa turned sideways and thrust his foot out, kicking an intruder in the chest and sending him sprawling backwards, rolling head over heels until he thumped into the entertainment system, jolting it and skipping the player. "I am a bitch. How do you want me? From behind, or on my knees? I am a slut, please hold me down, I'll be your noise, This shit will fuck you up!" "Perfect!" he declared as he fought, swarmed once again by foes. "Seriously?" Ginny yelled. "Combichrist is Santa's fucking fighting groove?" "I'm trying to figure out why you have it on your playlist," Santa replied. "I don't remember you liking aggrotech!" "Why the hell do you of all people even know what it is?" she shot back, wincing as she watched another body sail into the opposite wall with a sickening crunch before dropping to the floor and leaving a huge, crumbling dent in the stone. 'This Shit Will Fuck You Up!' "I prefer the term 'Hellektro' myself," he added. "And I know all songs, silly. I remember when the Dayglo Abortions wrote that 'Hey Santa!' song back in the '80's, they didn't get presents for” "I didn't ask, why are you answering?" she hissed. "Kill! Kill!" All the while, the pounding rhythms of the music filled the room. "I am a bitch. How do you want me? From behind, or on my knees? I am a slut, please hold me down, I'll be your noise, This shit will fuck you up!" "Well, at least we know why it's on your playlist, anyway!" he mentioned as he broke someone's back over his knee. "Very funny, red man!" Ginny hissed, scowling. She ducked wildly as another assailant flew overhead and landed in the Jacuzzi, his neck slamming against the hard edge with a snap noise and then tilting at a strange angle, his eyes wide and unseeing. "Fucking hell," she muttered. "These guys eat too much red meat!" Santa smashed two heads together before punting a third man in the chest, sending him staggering back until he fell against the entertainment unit, right next to Ginny, his eyes spiraling in his head. She scowled down at him for a moment before smashing the pitcher of nog on his cranium and sending him to the floor. Every single intruder stopped and turned to look at her suddenly, their eyes narrowing and turning very yellow. "Eep;" Ginny said quietly, going pale. They all howled and lunged toward her, even as Santa fought to reach her first. She shrieked in fright. "Darn it, Ginny!" he shouted in what almost sounded like irritation. "I told you not to do anything!" "You said not to use the stupid nerf gun!" she shot back as she dodged wildly and began to run around, evading her pursuers. "I meant don't do anything to get yourself noticed!" he growled as he bulldogged one man's head into the floor. He sprang to his feet and grabbed another man by the back of the head, ramming his face into the stone wall, creating a small crater from which the body slumped only slowly and wetly. "How the hell did they not notice the mostly naked girl in the room?" she yelled, sprinting around the circumference of the room, being chased by yellow-eyed foes. "They're mostly quantum, they don't always perceive real-state things or beings until they're interacted with!" he answered. "They weren't looking for you until you announced yourself!" "Oh, you and your weird physics shit!" she groused, her robe coming more and more undone as she ran. One of her tits was exposed, bouncing annoyingly and the nipple hardening as a cold wind from the endless holes in her walls and windows blew into the room. "Now what?" "Well, since they know you're here, you might as well use the gun," he answered as he tackled a small knot of them who were looking to cut off her avenue of escape. "At least then you can defend yourself if you're careful!" "The fuck am I supposed to do?" she shouted angrily as she clutched the ridiculous, useless gun. "Nerf them to death? Hope I shoot one foam dart down a throat and hope the bastard chokes and dies?" "Didn't you just let me inside all of your orifices?" he pointed out as he spun low, sweeping one foe's feet from under him and then taking him by the ankles to slam him off the floor. "Trust me, Virginia!" "Dammit!" she spat, steeling her nerve, hoping her resolve was harder than her nipple currently was. Taking a deep breath, she stopped running and spun, pointing the gun and pulling the plastic trigger; She yelped in astonishment as coruscating arcs of lightning crackled and lashed out from the muzzle, enveloping several foes, who wailed in glowing agony before disappearing from view. "Jesus H Fucking Tesla!" she exclaimed in amazement as she gaped down at her toy. "Virginia, language!" Santa warned. She rolled her eyes and pointed at another man rushing her, pulling the trigger and watching him explode in a shower of scintillating particles. "This shit will fuck you up!" blared the speakers. The wall splintered next to Ginny and several terrifying creatures barged in, causing her to shriek in fright, they were easily Santa's size, vaguely humanoid but covered in a greyish, segmented carapace, with insectoid heads, evil-looking mandibles and huge claws at the end of four arms. They hissed as the lunged for her. "Fuck fuck fuck!" cried out as she began running. "Fucking hate motherfucking bugs!" She fired wildly behind herself without looking, managing to strike one of the new creatures but only slowing it down. Ginny raced for the stairs, stampeding up them only to find more of the yellow-eyed humanoids waiting for her. "Santa!" she cried out in terror. "Help!" He glanced her way and grimaced at her predicament. "Aw, hell;" With a strength born of the desperation to protect one of his precious children, he surged forward, shoulder-blocking his way through a knot of assailants, springing through the air with astonishing agility, alternately using the wall and railing of the stairs to get to the upper floor, twisting and executing a flying kick that downed a foe about to attack Ginny. "Good thing I wore my enhanced parkour boots tonight, eh?" he muttered as he glared at the foes crowding to get up the stairs or down the hallway at them. "I don't even know what that means." Ginny snapped, backing up warily as the horde coming for them grew in numbers. "If that's some sort of geek speak, then we, are you getting bigger?" "I guess I am," he replied, grimly, glaring at their foes. "I don't expect what I'm saying to make sense, but the other iterations of me, my other selves, they're all coming here, merging with me to help meet the threat." "You're; consolidating?" she asked in disbelief. "That's one way to look at it," he said, his blue eyes flashing. "It's gonna make finishing the Christmas run tight if I get held up here much longer." "Oh, terribly sorry if I'm inconveniencing you, your highness." Ginny said, trying to not sound too snide. He put his body between her and her foes, backing her up against the wall. "They can't come through the wall you're up against, it's the South wall," he said quietly but with a sense of urgency. "You're safe from that angle. You can fire your gun past me or over the rail at the guys down below. Since they're trying to reach you that means they've solidified enough that they can't do crazy things like jump seven meters up to reach you, they'll have to use the stairs." "I thought they were after you." Ginny said hotly. "They were, until you announced yourself with a jug of nog," he pointed out. "Now they want to destroy you to hurt me." "Oh. Sorry." Ginny mumbled somewhat sheepishly. "You can make it up to me later!" he said as he surged forward suddenly, bulling his way through the approaching crowd, clotheslining several at once. Shouts went up and the fight was on again. Santa punched, kicked, elbowed, kneed and wrenched his way through the enemy horde. Ginny swore he was indeed bigger than he had been earlier. His already hard body physique was almost bulging with muscles now, like a California beach bodybuilder. Black blood glistened on his flawless skin as he maimed the attackers. Droplets that hit the carpet sizzled and ate through it, burning the hardwood floor beneath. "No!" Ginny wailed in despair. "Not the hardwood! I loved that feature!" She glared and gritted her teeth as she leaned over the railing and pointed the nerf gun down at the endless crowd on the main floor, pulling the trigger. The crackling arcs of energy enveloped several foes, who wailed and vanished. Same as before, the giant insectoids rarely disappeared but seemed slowed or staggered by the attack. Santa fought his way forward, forcing the attackers back from Ginny. Try as they might, no one got by him, even if it meant that they could strike at him instead. He took their assaults resolutely, using his body as a shield to protect her. Before long, the floor of the hallway was littered with bodies, some barely stirring, others not moving at all. Still, the foes swarmed up the stairs. One of the bug-things swiped at him with its vicious claws and he ducked under the blow before kicking his boot into one of the reverse-jointed legs, snapping it. The bug screeched and tumbled and he leapt onto its back, grabbing hold of one of the large, wet-grey chitinous plates that armored its back and pulled, it tore away with a mushy crack and the beast's keened agony as it shuddered and thrashed. Without pausing, Santa whirled around and slammed the exoskeletal plate across several men's heads, dropping them. Ginny kept firing the nerf tesla gun, wondering what sort of sociopath would invent a deadly weapon that looked like a famous kid's toy. She pushed it from her mind, realizing that she wanted to live and didn't care at the moment about the social mores of the issue. Santa was using the huge chitin plate almost like a shield, driving his foes back with it to the stairs. It finally cracked in half and he punched through the mess, unwilling to give the enemy time to regroup. He spun one man around with a fist across the jaw before grabbing his arms from behind and ramming his knee into the man's back, lifting him off the floor and letting him slam his spine onto the stairs. Without waiting, Santa launched himself through the air, knee raised and smashed it into the face of a man on the stair's corner landing. The foe's head went back through the wall with a loud crunch and he hung there limply, no longer part of the battle. "Ack!" Ginny squawked as the nerf gun sputtered and let out several impotent flashes and then died. "Not now! No no no!" One foe had broken through the cordon and now raced toward her. She yelled loudly and smashed the butt of her nerf gun into his face, staggering him for a moment. She glared at him angrily, waiting for him to fall, but her didn't, so she kicked him in the crotch with her instep. He groaned and sunk to his knees, holding himself. Ginny was practically jumping up and down on top of him by the time he stopped moving. "Stay; the; fuck; down!" she shouted angrily as she turned his ribcage into powder. She failed to notice the one last foe who rushed up behind her. But then Santa was at her side and he delivered a devastating haymaker to the man's thorax. Stunned, the intruder staggered back against the railing. With a growl, Santa grabbed him by the face and ruthlessly bent his back over the railing before leaping over and slamming his elbow across the man's neck as he went down to the main floor. The lifeless form crumpled next to him as he looked around, glaring. No foes remained standing. Aside from the music, all was quiet. "It is safe?" Ginny called from the gallery. "Are the scary guys and bug-thingies all gone?" "No," Santa said warily. "And the next wave is even bigger." "Great!" Ginny complained, tossing the useless nerf gun over the side. "And according to you, there's no one that can help us!" "I didn't say that," he countered, beckoning for her to come down the stairs and be near him for protection. "I just said there was no Easter Bunny." "No Superman either, apparently," she grumbled as she approached him, letting him put a huge arm around her possessively. He was, indeed, bigger than ever. She was practically child-sized next to him now. "So who the hell is there to help us?" "If help's arriving it had better get here soon," he said, taking her to the remains of her big glass bay windows and back door. The wind was howling as snow drove into the living room. What was left of it, anyway. Which was nothing. "It's now or never. Can you see them?" She peered into the darkness outside and a chill ran down her spine, hundreds of red and yellow glowing eyes could be seen in the darkness. And they seemed to be getting closer. "Do; do they see me?" she asked, swallowing nervously. "I'm sure they do," he said, grimacing. "Not going to take a chance and assume they don't. I'll do everything I can to protect you, of course." "Is; is that going to be enough?" She could hear the angry hisses and an evil chanting outside clearly now, getting closer with each moment. It pained Santa that he couldn't lie to her. "I don't know, Virginia." She sighed and smiled weakly. "Well, at least I know there's a Santa Claus now. And he gave me the night of my life before it all ended." He returned the smile, trying to feign a cheerfulness he didn't feel. "I don't;" Ginny faltered, trying to find the words. "I don't suppose that you'd; well; that you'd be willing to kiss me one last time? You know, before the end?" He turned to look down at her, his hands holding her arms with an unreal gentleness and a warmth in his eyes that comforted her even now. "Nothing would make me happier, Virginia." She smiled and closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Santa." "Merry Christmas, Virginia;" he said softly as he leaned down to kiss her. Then the night was filled with high-pitched shrieks, a noise that made her eyes snap open. She'd heard noises like that before, once a long time ago in grade school. It sounds like the hissing passage of meteors above, and getting closer. Or what she imagined artillery sounded like when it was incoming, like in all those war movies. Santa's head turned and an almost evil grin crept over his face as he listened. "That's more like it!" he declared, standing tall and pointing at the blackness of the night. "Watch the sky, Virginia;" She looked up and noticed glittering points of light, dozens of them, seeming to get closer. The hissing shriek was indeed their approach and they seemed to be aimed right at them. She felt Santa's hand squeeze on her shoulder, almost in excitement. His blue eyes were blazing ferociously. Finally, what looked like dozens of giant icicles, each larger and longer than a semi, lanced out of the night sky and slammed into the earth around her house, shaking it as they buried their tips in the frozen ground and came to a stop. Several impaled the intruders as they came in, while others kicked up a covering spray of snow as the enemy stopped and looked around in confusion. Then doors or portals opened on the sides of the titan icicles and tall, lithe beings began leaping out of them, wearing weird, form-fitting armor and carrying space-age guns and swords or axes. Their armor and long hair was a riot of colors that was reflected by the snow and ice. Wild, ululating war cries pierced the air. And a savage, bloody battle began on her property. "Who the hell are they?" Ginny almost yelled in astonishment as she watched. They moved with inhuman grace and speed, the ones not wearing helmets revealing long, beautiful facial features that were often frightening because of the wrath they displayed. The helmets were all tall and peaked, showing fearsome designs and glowing eyes. Weird runes pulsed and throbbed with light all over their armor. Guns hissed and shrieked while swords hummed as they slew. "My elves," Santa said, clearly pleased and also eager to fight but not willing to leave her side yet. "They got my call and converged on my position." "Those are elves?" she exclaimed in amazement. "Aren't they cutesy little toy-shop people?" "Cute myth, but no, not these ones," he replied, watching as several elves wearing bone-white armor with feminine features raced past, throwing themselves into a knot of the hulking bugs. They screamed and the masks of their wild-maned helmets gave off vibrations that shook Ginny's teeth in her head as it melted their foes' faces off. "No, a lot of my elves are warriors, meant to help me fight Krampus. They keep Christmas safe with me." "What the hell are they wearing?" she asked in disbelief. How could this weird night get any weirder? Santa sighed. "Truth? They've been spending way too much time playing Warhammer 40k and they; appropriated armor, weapons and tactics from the Eldar faction. They're space elves." "Wow. Gay;" she muttered, shaking her head. "Well, they're certainly earning their keep tonight." He nodded. "Been a long time since Krampus moved against us this hard. Apparently he got bored and was feeling uppity. That or he just forgot what a good thrashing felt like." Ginny watched as three elves, clad in scary black armor and wearing helmets that looked like peaked skulls, marched relentlessly forward, firing little rockets from elaborate launchers they carried in their hands and on suspensor harnesses. The rockets punctured the bugs' chitin shells and exploded inside them, sending shards of exoskeleton and stinking goo in every direction. Ginny squeaked and hid behind Santa as some of the nasty effluence landed right where she'd been standing only a moment before. Beams of super-heated plasma and tiny, shuriken-like projectiles hissed and whizzed by them, the remains of her lovely house now the center of a battleground while the winter storm raged on. Warriors in green armor, carrying weapons that looked like a horrifying hybrid of sword and chainsaw, tore into a knot of foes, slicing them to bloody ribbons. As savage as the battle had been earlier, when it had just been her and Santa, she suddenly appreciated its relative civility. "They need my help," Santa said finally, cracking his knuckles, his expression grim. "We have to finish this off or Christmas won't come on time." "I thought you said there was plenty of time." Ginny protested, frowning up at him. "There was," he admitted. "But in order to defeat Krampus' minions, I summoned every single quantum iteration of myself back to here to help me fight. No one is delivering presents anywhere at the moment. I can't change real-time if I'm here in my entirety." He turned and looked at her. "Hopefully we're keeping them busy enough that they don't worry about you. Stay against the wall and work the music, will you?" "Manning the music station," she said, nodding, focusing on giving herself a task. "Music for Santa and his homicidal elves to kill by. Got it;" She watched as Santa leapt through the shattered remains of her bay doors into the howling storm and crashed into a knot of foes, savaging them. She watched in disbelief for some time, trying to figure out how Santa could kill anyone. I mean, even serial murderers got presents in prison, didn't they? Maybe they didn't, she had no way of knowing and chalked up thinking about this to what could only be described as the weirdest night of her life. She squealed and dodged out of the way as a body came flying through the doors and landed next to her. She scrambled over to the entertainment center and stood in front of it, trying to figure out what the hell she should play. "Okay;" she breathed, trying to focus. "Mass slaughter music; mass slaughter music;" What constituted mass slaughter music? Death metal? Panic At The Disco? Teletubbies music? She had no playlists, so she began cycling through the radio, hoping to find anything that might suffice. Oldies; Christmas music; hip-hop; trance; disco; "Son of a fuck," she muttered. "This is harder than it looks." She finally came across a station playing 'Jailhouse Rock' and decided that was good enough, she was sick of looking. She winced, trying to ignore another splintering crash as a body came through her wall. She hugged herself but then felt her robe. She frowned as she looked down at it, realizing it had been thoroughly shredded in the fight earlier. Those shuriken-thingies had been cutting it real close. Ginny grumbled as she pulled it off and threw it away, standing there completely naked, it hadn't been keeping her warm in its current condition and she was thoroughly beyond giving a shit at this point about who saw her naked. They were all too damn busy tearing one another apart anyway. And that sort of pissed her off. She was buck-naked and no one seemed to care. She'd shaved her cunt for this? "And I thought my night sucked before," she sighed to no one in particular. "Not getting my cunt pounded had been my biggest complaint before this hack!" She never saw the menacing shadow that had slipped up behind her. Santa picked one of his foes up overhead and hurled him into a cluster of foes, bowling them all over. He then punched another man as he tried to run by, knocking him off his feet and into his back. A quick stamp on his solar plexus made sure he stopped moving. The huge man thrust his fist in the air and shouted loudly. "Clear!" he thundered, indicating no other enemies surrounded him. His elves responded in kind, many of them gathering in a tight ring about him, weapons facing out as they sought to protect him. Hundreds of bodies lay strewn across the landscape, some burning from plasma blasts, other shredded and blown apart by rockets or sliced into bloody jerky. The storm seemed to be abating, no longer a blizzard so much as a stiff wind and swirls of snow. "Sire, we detect no enemies in the immediate vicinity," one elf wearing blue armor with a tall, crested helmet announced, striding up and saluting by thumping his gauntleted fist over his heart. "This attack has been defeated." "Maybe," Santa said, looking around warily. "But that doesn't mean anything just yet. We have to secure the area, make sure Virginia is alright and then get back to” "Kringle!" "Damn," he muttered to himself. "I thought this was too easy." He made several complex gestures, sending his elves fanning out in a wide arc as he began trudging forward through the snow, heading toward where the voice had come from out of the night. The winds and squalls of snow continued to die down until there was an almost deafening silence, the moon shining brightly overhead and revealing the sheer carnage of the battle that had been waged, the snow and ice glittered with frozen blood. "Kringle!" snarled the inhuman voice angrily. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Santa said loudly, scowling. "Don't get your panties in a bunch!" He stopped in a clearing on the other side of the house, glowering at who confronted him, the beast was not as tall as he was, nor as muscular, but horrifying in aspect. The backward-jointed, hairy legs ended in wicked hooves. The skin not covered in coarse black fur was almost as dark and criss-crossed with innumerable scars. The vascular chest was crowned with a strong neck and sitting atop it was a blasphemous head, a demonic goat's visage from which grew four evil, twisting horns. The red eyes blazed like wrathful coals and sharp teeth glistened wetly inside the hateful mouth. Krampus. And in one of his powerful, clawed hands, he held Virginia by the neck, who looked like a rag doll. "Hi, Santa;" she said weakly, looking very apologetic. Santa kept walking forward, clenching his fists. "By all means, Kringle, keep coming forward if you mean to slay the child." Krampus growled, starting to squeeze and causing Ginny to shudder in fear. Santa stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. His elves had now cast a tight net around the scene, hemming in Krampus. One circle of warriors faced inward, pointing their weapons at the abomination while another behind them faced out, prepared for any further attacks. Santa didn't move. "Let the girl go, Krampus," he said levelly. "This doesn't concern her." "Oh, I beg to differ," said the beastman in an almost non-chalant tone. "It's always about the children, isn't it?" "Hey!" said Ginny angrily. "I am not a child, jerk! I'm twenty, Gurr!" "Oh, do stop talking, you're such an annoyance." Krampus said, giving her neck another warning squeeze. "Let the adults work this out." "There's nothing to work out, Krampus," Santa growled, his blue eyes flashing. "You'll let the girl go." "I think we both know that's not happening," intoned the vile intruder. "She is my victory over you, and you know it. Revenge is not only a dish best served cold but often. And not often enough for me." "About this cold revenge dish thing," Ginny said, squirming slightly. "Couldn't; couldn't I just find you a nice tin can to chew on instead?" "Shut up, girl!" Krampus said harshly while several elves could be heard to chuckle and even Santa smirked at her jest. "I hold your life in my hands, to dispose of as I please." His foul breath crackled in the cold night air. His touch was uncomfortably warm, almost hot and strangely kept her body from freezing in the winter night. His touch felt evil and her skin crawled in revulsion. His strength was terrifying. "It wasn't enough that I slaved in coal mines for you, giving you carbon lumps to deliver to naughty children," Krampus growled, glaring at Santa. "It wasn't enough that I found the worst of them and brought them to you in the night so you could lecture them." "Hey, nobody asked you or ordered you to do the coal thing, pal," Santa said angrily. "And the whole kidnapping kids thing was your idea. I decided to let you have some creative control and look what happened. When it didn't work out, you decided that beating naughty kids with reeds was the answer. You're damn right that wasn't good enough!" "Silence!" Krampus snarled loudly, stamping one of his clawed hooves and making the ground shake dangerously. "Your kind-hearted foolishness with these puny mortals changed nothing about their behavior! Your failure to recognize their inherent selfishness was why our efforts were doomed!" "These puny mortals?" Santa countered. "You used to be one of them, Pete, remember? You were a well-behaved boy once." "Shut up!" growled Krampus. "Well-behaved, but not good," Santa continued. "You followed the rules and wanted everyone to follow rules. You were a control freak. I brought you north to show you what kindness could do, but you hated the cheer and the happiness and you fled to the coal mines in Greenland, hiding in the dark where the light of Christmas couldn't touch you! And when making kids feel bad with coal didn't bring them into line, you started the whole whipping them with reeds thing. Good job there, Pete!" "I'm warning you, Kringle;" Krampus said dangerously. "Oh, he really gets your goat, doesn't he?" Ginny sneered, causing several elves to laugh loudly. Krampus now snarled furiously and lifted her into the air by her neck, causing her to cry out in pain. Santa watched warily, knowing better than to make a move. "We seem to have an impasse," Krampus said, an evil smile playing over his slavering mouth. "You cannot harm me, because you know I can slay the child, but I cannot as yet slay her because she is my bargaining chip. But my need to hurt you, old man, is so very strong." He lowered Ginny down until her feet were just touching the snow-covered ground. She frowned as she heard a wet slithering sound she could not identify. "And there are other ways to hurt you than slaying the poor dear, aren't there?" Ginny felt something slimy touch her leg and then start to crawl up it, wrapping around her smooth skin. She shuddered and squirmed in horror as she realized exactly what was happening. The snake-like appendage wound up her thigh and then behind her. She gasped as it slid between her ass cheeks and then underneath to her cunt. She felt the blunt head split her lips and then move upward again. "Don't do this, Krampus." Santa said, trying to figure out what to do without hurting Ginny. "And why not?" replied the qliphotic abomination. "Don't you have a present for me? Then I guess I'll have to give myself one." Krampus' organ continued to slither its way around her body, leaving a glistening trail on her skin. She stiffened and moaned as his appendage wrapped around her tits, squeezing them, the head pausing and teasing the nipples. "Hey, asshole, dinner and a movie first!" she spat angrily. Ginny was about to say something else when the large, grayish cockhead snaked up in front of her face and then plunged into her mouth, causing her to gag and go silent. Her eyes widened and she thrashed furiously, but to no avail. He was simply too strong. "Language, young lady." Krampus chided, still staring at Santa. "Hasn't Santa taught you anything?" "This isn't gonna end well for you, Pete." Santa said, his tone dire. "Christmas never does, Kringle," replied the demon, his cock sliding in and out of Ginny's mouth. "I'm just hoping to make the holiday every bit as awful and intolerable for you as it is for me. After all, misery loves company." He brought her body close to his head and his other hand reached over and stroked her cunt lips, which were glistening. He leered at his foe, knowing Santa was helpless to get closer. "Is she good down here?" Krampus said mockingly. "Nice and wet and tight for you? Was she the best one ever, in the endless list of good girls you have fucked?" Santa said nothing, just glaring at Krampus. His knuckles were white as he clenched his fists. "Sharing your toys is the spirit of Christmas, isn't it?" Krampus said evilly, finally pulling his cock out of her mouth. Ginny coughed and sputtered, tendrils of resinous spittle and worse trailing away from her lips. She glared at Krampus but was still immobilized. "Just get this over with and fuck me already, whip-cock," she spat. "You won't be my first egotistical disappointment, trust me." Krampus' eyes blazed red and his tongue sped around her naked form blindingly quickly while he released her from his clawed grip. The tongue wrapped and immobilized her arms, holding them out straight while still encircling her tits. It then snaked around her waist and legs, pinning those as well while his long cock, swaying about like a cobra, came to a stop in front of her swollen cunt lips. The head teased and tapped against the opening, causing her to moan and squirm. "As you wish, child;" The head forced itself through her lips, sliding deep inside her. Ginny cried out in a mixture of shock and indescribable pleasure. She felt the tip of his pointed tongue probe trailing around her nipples. The python-like length of his cock churned inside her cunt. The blinding light behind her eyes finally receded and she lifted her head, looking out into the night, feeling his tongue constricting around her neck. She could dimly see a huge being in red pants and black boots watching nearby, his powerful chest exposed. The startling blue eyes flashed in the darkness of the night. She could tell he wanted to rescue her but didn't dare come closer. She gasped and shuddered as Krampus' cock pushed still deeper inside her. She felt fuller than she had imagined possible, the slithering appendage stretching her wide. The sticky, squelching noises were hardly to be believed. "Ew, gross! Hentai noises!" she thought in revulsion. "Krampus;" Santa warned. His elves all pointed their weapons menacingly but he held up his hand, staying them. "The child is naughty," Krampus said, smiling through pointed teeth. "Very naughty. Such a sordid past." "Hey, back off, she was young and needed the money!" Santa snapped defensively. "That thing with the midget and the donkey was” "You're not helping here!" Ginny shouted, blushing furiously, even as Krampus violated her. "Wicked child," growled the vile demon, shoving his cock in and out of her, the peristaltic actions of its length causing her to writhe and squirm in his grip, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "Shameless. Even though I violate her, she finds a way to be concerned about how you perceive her. I find it; titillating." "Oh, do I make you horny?" she sneered, turning her head to smirk at him. "Couldn't tell, looking at that head of yours." "Silence!" Krampus hissed, spittle flying from his jaws, his eyes flashing angrily. "I hold your life and death in my hands." "How would I know?" she shot back. "Hope you're better with your hands than you are with your cock, Billy G." He plunged his cock deeper still inside her. She went rigid and cried out. "That all you got?" she rasped, trying not to faint as she felt popping inside her hips while he stetched her. "My brother got in deeper than that when we were little!" "Insolent!" Krampus snarled savagely, bouncing her up and down and he fucked her harder than ever, pulling on her arms and legs, stretching her joints til they creaked. She felt a deep, wet heat building inside her and in spite of the horror she consciously felt about the situation, even more dire was her need to cum. She felt her cunt squeezing around his cock. His snake-like tongue probed her ass and wriggled inside, further adding to her desperation. "Intholent bith, you will be punithed!" "What was that?" Santa asked, turning his head slightly and putting his hand to his ear. "I couldn't understand you, it's like you have a lisp or something." "Don't mock meef!" Krampus said angrily, his tongue whipping out of Ginny's ass, causing her to yelp suddenly. "I'll kill her, Kringle!" "Not before I cum, damn you!" Ginny panted, her body flushed and covered in sweat as she twisted and writhed in his grip. "Uh, so close, goddammit!" "Language!" Santa and Krampus both snapped at her. "Aw, c'mon!" she wailed. "You two are total pains in the ass! Do it, Billy! Show me what a bad boy you are!" Krampus glared at her and began fucking her harder than ever. "As you wish, child!" "Krampus!" Santa shouted, reaching out his hand in alarm. "Don't!" Krampus grinned evilly at Santa, his teeth clenching as he drew close to climax. His cock seemed to swell along its length, stretching her wider still. She threw her head back and gritted her teeth, straining as she was overwhelmed by sensation; Santa's fist slammed across Krampus' jaw with a powerful crack. The demonoid's eyes rolled into his head and he crumpled to the ground. Ginny wailed in frustration as his cock pulled out of her and retreated back to his body, like a wet, slimy Stanley tape measure. She collapsed to her hands and knees in the snow, panting and shaking, her eyes wide. Santa raced up and knelt next to her, his eyes shining with concern. "Fuck;" Ginny whispered, gasping for air. "Motherfucker;" She looked up at her rescuer now, her eyes flashing accusingly. "The hell? Couldn't you have let him make me cum first?" Santa paused. "What?" "I was so damn close!" she hissed, standing up and stamping her foot. "I was within half a second of the orgasm of my life and you had to choose that moment to intervene and play the hero! Don't expect a thank you card!" "Uh, Virginia," Santa said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to figure out what to say. "If he had brought you to orgasm, it would have killed you. When Krampus climaxes, his appendage you were so attached to bursts into spikes, basically killing you from the inside while denying you your orgasm." She paused and then deflated. "Holy cobra dildos. What a bastard." Ginny then pointed a finger at her savior. "But you still owe me an orgasm, then, pal. You may have rescued me from certain death, but that doesn't mean I don't need relief." Santa looked really confused. "What, here? Now?" "Damn straight," she said firmly, suddenly remembering she was buck naked in a snow-storm. In spite of the no-doubt freezing weather, her body was still warm and very wet with need. She put her hand down her cunt and felt around for a moment before presenting her sticky palm and fingers to Santa for inspection. "Do I look satisfied to you? You've already fucked me, Screamo the Goat Boy just fucked me, who cares if your freaky gay elves watch us? I need satisfaction now and I already am aware that you can't say no." Santa sighed. "It's gotta be quick, Virginia. I'm really behind, now that I'm completely temporal in one location." "Whatever, just get me to the promised land, man." Ginny replied, shrugging. "Who knows, maybe your entourage might enjoy a show." "Oh, right, about that," Santa said, standing up tall and shouting loudly. "About; Face!" As a single unit, the elves all turned around smartly on their heels, still arranged in a protective ring around their liege and his companion, weapons ready as they scanned the darkness for trouble, their eyes glowing menacingly inside their helmets. Santa strode up to Ginny, towering over her and ignoring the prostrate form of the still-unconscious Krampus, snuffling nearby. She smiled up at him, somehow warmed by his presence, in spite of the icy night she should have frozen to death in already. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. She moaned into his mouth as she felt her already molten core getting even more heated in response to his touch. Tongues tangled and played as he took her ass cheeks in his hands and squeezed them, making her shiver. Ginny's hands fumbled with his large black belt until it fell away and then pulled down his red pants. He pulled her onto his powerful thighs, resting her on them. She hooked her legs behind his waist and began grinding her wet, eager cunt against his hardening cock, which swelled readily. Her head was almost spinning, she was so horny. "Hmm, give it to me, baby," she purred, feeling the head of his cock touch her cunt lips. "Make me cum hard and fast." She sighed loudly as he pulled her close, penetrating and sliding deep inside her. Ginny moaned shamelessly as Santa once again began to pump back and forth inside her. His huge cock stretched her cunt wide, but not in the violent, violating way Krampus did. This felt warm and utterly perfect. She nipped at the skin of his chest while he moved in and out of her. "Yes," Ginny breathed as he began to moved faster, pumping strongly and rhythmically. She could feel her wetness trickling down between her cheeks, her cunt clutching at him hungrily, greedily and unwilling to let go until it was somehow sated. "Oh, God, just what I needed. Yes, fuck me, Santa!" He gripped her tight and thrust into her, picking up his pace just the way she wanted. She was gasping and yelping now and he squeezed her cheeks, one of his fingers poking inside her puckered knot. She clenched her teeth and groaned at the intrusion, murmuring that she loved it. She grew warmer and warmer, her body tingling with an exquisite fire that rippled out from her core. Santa turned her around and set her feet on top of his boots, bending her forward and pulling on her arms. She cried out as he fucked her harder, his hips thumping against her ass cheeks. Her hands clenched wildly, her breath coming in gasps as his overwhelming strength dominated her. "Oh, God!" she panted, beginning to shudder uncontrollably, almost drooling. "Uh, cum in me, dammit! Fucking cum in me!" Santa pulled on her arms even tighter as his thighs slammed into her. Ginny strained, craning her neck, teeth clenched as she tried not to scream, but it was no use, she wailed loudly as he came inside her, filling her once again in a way she could not describe. Her orgasm shook every last atom of her being, transporting her to a world of nothing but pleasure, edged with mint. She buckled, hanging loosely in his arms, exhausted. She'd been fucked hard at least five times tonight and had a dreadful suspicion that this experience would only make her libido even more hyperactive. She sighed as Santa scooped her naked form into his arms and cuddled her against the cold. Ginny purred and traced a fingernail across his broad chest. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Just what the doctor ordered. That quenched the flames, for now." He finally put her down and she looked at the remains of her ruined chateau, which was completely leveled and now on fire. "Poor Oatmeal," she murmured. "Where am I going to live?" She scowled down at the still supine Krampus, anger flaring in her. "It's this jack wagon’s fault. You should totally napalm his face." Santa looked down at her in shock. "Did you just say I should jerk off in Krampus' face?" "Damn right, he'd deserve it too." Ginny announced. "That and shove your sleigh up his ass." "I am not jizzing in Krampus' face." Santa said, clearly repulsed by the suggestion. "Fine, leave a woman to do a man's job," Ginny said testily, striding over to Krampus and putting one leg on either side of his head. She stuck three fingers inside her cunt and managed to tease out considerable amounts of Santa's minty cum, which she smeared all over Krampus' face and into his fur with glee, even giving him a glistening white moustache. "Take that, asshole!" She looked like she might have been done desecrating the unconscious form, but then she paused and squatted over him, peeing on his body and face, the stream steaming in the cold night air. She grinned evilly as she thoroughly baptized him. "Teach you to mess with me." Ginny muttered as she walked back to Santa, nodding. The huge man had a wide smirk on his face and shook his head slowly. "I can't believe you just pissed all over Krampus," he said, hugging her to him. "However, you're going to freeze to death at this rate;" He held out his hand and one of his elves dutifully brought him a large, velvety red cloak, which he wrapped around her. She blushed and smiled gratefully at his consideration, but only until he slid it off her, revealing that she was now wearing some ridiculous 'Hot Christmas Elf' outfit, complete with striped stockings and high heels. She looked like a Yule whore. "Seriously?" she asked, unimpressed. "This is your solution to my naked issues?" He shrugged. "I liked you better naked, but you would freeze quickly." "Whatever," she sighed, looking down and appreciating the considerable lift it gave her cleavage. It was incredibly warm, in spite of how scant it was. "So now what? I still have no damn home, you and Goatse here blew it up with your little barnyard brawl." Santa looked around warily. "That might be the least of your worries. The wind's picking up again, which means that another assault is coming. We need to get out of here." "Sire!" said one of the armored elves, thumping his fist to his breastplate and bowing his head. "We will cover you. You must go while you still have a head-start and the dark one is unconscious." Santa nodded. "Yeah, he's not gonna be happy when he wakes up and he's really gonna want revenge on you, Virginia." She felt her mouth go dry at the notion of another battle and Krampus waking up to even the score. "So; now what?" Santa shrugged. "I'd say it's fairly obvious. I've still got to make my rounds before the night is over and I'm not leaving you here;" She gaped as he put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. "Virginia, you're coming with me and you're going to help save Christmas." Chapter 3, Christmas Wishes "How the hell do you drive this thing?" Ginny called in a panic, her eyes wide as she held onto the reigns, twisting them wildly as she tried to steer. Up ahead of her, eight large reindeer squealed and thrashed their heads. The sleigh corkscrewed while it hurtled through the cold night air, the moon shining down on them. "Well, first of all, stop panicking," Santa replied as he stood on the back of the sleigh, atop his huge red sack of toys. He was more or less back to his original size she had become accustomed to, now that he had sent his other 'iterations' of himself out over the globe to deliver presents. "That would be an excellent start." "Easy for you to say," she snapped, scowling back at him for a moment since taking her eyes off her designated path seemed to make no difference to how she was doing at navigating. "You're used to doing this!" "Trust me, between the two of us, you're the one with the easy job right now and I'd be happy to trade," he called back as he ducked wildly. A comically large rocket thundered by, with an evil-looking man strapped to the bottom of it, swinging a weapon wildly to hit Santa. "Try to keep her steady!" "While dodging psychos on rockets, no problem!" she grumbled, trying to ignore the howling wind and roaring projectiles. "Have I mentioned Krampus is a gigantic asshole?" "Repeatedly," Santa answered, watching warily. The sky was threaded with jets of fire as their enemies kept coming about in ponderous, elliptical arcs and heading back towards them, intent on their destruction. They had only just pulled off from the smoldering remains of Ginny's country chateau when the assault began. Krampus was nowhere to be seen, but his minions were clearly determined to avenge him. "Maybe urinating on him wasn't such a good idea. He never did take humiliation well." Ginny squawked in alarm and ducked as a rocket streaked right at her. Santa jumped in the air, doing the splits to avoid the projectile and landing back on top of his present sack. Another tried to pull up alongside them but Santa grabbed the harness the man was wearing and wrenched the rocket off course, sending it speeding into one some distance away. Both rockets (and presumably their pilots) exploded in a violent orgy of noise and flashing lights. "Really hope people just think those are fireworks," Santa muttered as he looked glared balefully at yet another rocket considering approaching. "Fireworks right in the middle of the world's most spastic meteor shower. Sure, they'll buy that;" "Funny part is I can't tell if you're serious," Ginny said loudly. "If they don't believe that narrative, then they've gotta accept that Santa Claus was engaged in an epic air battle over their town with quantum men strapped to rockets." "Truth is often stranger than fiction," Santa agreed, nodding. "Fighting these jerks off is taking too much time!" "Well, don't you have anything in your back of tricks there?" Ginny asked. In spite of the sleigh being open, it seemed to have some weird form of climate control and she'd been getting rather warm. To that end she'd pulled down her top, exposing her tits to cool herself off. The breeze allowed through made her nipples tingle delightfully, but not enough to distract her from driving the sleigh. After all, she often drove ninety minutes to her job wearing a vibrating insert in her panties, so she knew for a fact she could orgasm and still control a vehicle. A wheeled one, at least. She wasn't so sure about a sleigh doing Mach Three at twenty thousand feet. "You mean a weapon?" Santa asked. "In the bag full of toys for kids?" "You gave me a nerf gun out of that bag and it turned out to be some sort of doomsday device, didn't it?" she pointed out. "Scary lightning bolts everywhere. I refuse to believe you don't have some other goodies in there." Santa shrugged and squatted down to look inside the bag, getting narrowly missed by another rocket that shot over his head. The pilot cursed and came around again, aiming directly at the chassis of the sleigh from the side. Ginny's eyes widened in fright as she saw him approach. She jerked the reins to one side and the sleigh tilted ninety degrees, presenting its wide, flat red underside. The rocket slammed into it and exploded. Whatever it was made of or whatever shielding was in place, Ginny only heard the detonation and felt a rumble, but there was no damage aside from that. "Ha!" Santa said, standing tall and holding an electric guitar in the air, its black body gleamed in the moonlight. He put the strap around his neck and took several seconds to tune it, ignoring the aerial mayhem that swirled around him. "The hell are you going to do with that?" Ginny asked, scowling as she looked behind to see what he was up to. "You said to find something, I found something," he said simply as he checked the pickups. "Now let's see what we can do here;" He took the pick in hand and strummed it across the strings, a screeching pulse of sound blared out from the instrument, heading in all directions. It struck several rockets nearby, which exploded brightly. Other were knocked off course, spiraling around crazily as they fought for control. Santa laughed loudly, apparently enjoying himself. "Quit laughing and kill, red man!" Ginny yelled, nonplussed by his amusement. "I want to survive the night and I've had several close calls with death already!" "I'm working on it, Virginia, patience." Santa chided, adjusting the tuners momentarily. "Near-death experiences make you cranky." "No shit, Sherlock," she grumbled as he blasted out another screeching wave of sound. "Do you plan to play anything or just keep shrieking out that one sound?" "As you wish," he said cheerfully, pleased to be doing as she asked. Making her happy was all he cared about. He began playing a heavy metal version of Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries', the pulsing walls of sound thundering out and striking every foe within hundreds of
In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️
Lara Neumeier is a German climber known for her composure on demanding, heady terrain. Her notable ascents include a repeat of Psychogramm (5.14a trad), Silbergeier and End of Silence—two of the iconic multipitch alpine routes that form Europe's so-called Alpine Trilogy—as well as El Corazón and the Pineapple Express on El Capitan. Before diving into Lara's climbing and approach to mental strength, we open with a conversation about the benefits—and potential pitfalls—of choosing a climber as your partner for life, both on and off the rock. This episode's final bit comes from Dave Pomeranz, a longtime climber balancing life as a dad and guitarist while roaming the American West. His band, Whale Fall, contributes the track “The Dawn Thief,” inspired by long night drives through deserts and mountains on the way to climb. Show Notes Follow Lara Neumeier: https://www.instagram.com/laraneumeier/ Pineapple Express: https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/lara-neumeier-nemuel-fuerle-repeat-el-nino-via-pineapple-express-el-capitan-yosemite.html Psychogramm news: https://www.lacrux.com/klettern/lara-neumeier-zeigt-nervenstarke-erste-frauenbegehung-von-trad-route-psychogramm/ Thomas Huber: The Day I Sent End of Silence: https://eveningsends.com/thomas-huber-the-day-i-sent-the-end-of-silence/ Whale Fall on Bandcamp https://whalefall.bandcamp.com Become a RunOut Rope Gun! Support our podcast and increase your RunOut runtime. Bonus episodes, AMA, and more will be available to our Rope Guns. Thank you for your support! http://patreon.com/runoutpodcast
Mel Elorche is a screenwriter and journalist who lives in California. She is known for investigating connections between various criminal cases, including the disappearance of screenwriter Gary DeVore and murders in Antelope Valley. She has collaborated with former law enforcement officials to explore these topics in detailElorche has focused on the connection between historical murders and missing persons, notably the case of screenwriter Gary DeVore.She has discussed potential links between these cases and law enforcement officials, such as Sheriff's Deputy Jon Aujay.In March 2025, Elorche released an article discussing the Antelope Valley murders and their possible connections to DeVore's disappearance.Covert ActionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.
This hypnosis session will help you break a superstition loop if you believe that you have to do something in order to avoid having bad luck. Adam worked with a client who felt that they would have to wear certain clothes in order to avoid bad luck, and Adam helped him change the inner voice to a tone they would want to defy. To access a subscriber-only version with no intro, outro, explanation, or ad breaks and 24 hours earlier than everyone else, tap 'Subscribe' nearby or click the following link.https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/adam-cox858/subscribe
From the moment she was arrested, Ghislaine Maxwell pursued an aggressive strategy to keep proceedings against her shielded from public view. Her legal team repeatedly sought to seal filings, close hearings, restrict media access, and limit the release of court records, arguing that publicity would prejudice her right to a fair trial and endanger her safety. Motions were filed to keep discovery materials confidential, redact filings referencing third parties, and prevent the unsealing of documents connected to the Epstein network. Maxwell also fought subpoenas and challenged disclosure efforts that could expose names, communications, and financial details beyond the narrow scope of her criminal charges.That secrecy campaign extended beyond trial logistics to the broader record of the case. Maxwell attempted to block the release of grand jury materials, oppose the unsealing of civil deposition transcripts, and resist public access to evidence already referenced in court. Judges repeatedly pushed back, emphasizing the strong presumption of public access in criminal proceedings, particularly in a case of extraordinary public interest. While some limited protections were granted, the courts largely rejected Maxwell's efforts to litigate in the shadows. The result was a steady erosion of her attempt at secrecy, reinforcing the principle that the prosecution of a central figure in one of the most consequential trafficking cases in modern history could not be insulated from public scrutiny simply because exposure was inconvenient or dangerous to powerful interests.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
Colum and Stewart look forward to what promises to be a monumental matchup between the Broncos and the Green Bay Packers. They anticipate a ferocious challenge against the most rounded team the Broncos have faced so far and predict where the clash might be won and lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Sound Chaser Progressive Rock Podcast is on the air. On the show this time I have new music from Art Griffin's Sound Chaser and Ian Neal, plenty of other music across the styles and eras of prog, the Symphonic Zone, an In Memoriam feature for Stig Arve Kvam-Jørgensen, and more. All that, plus news of tours and releases on Sound Chaser. Playlist1. Frost* - Welcome to Nowhere, from Experiments in Mass Appeal2. Peter Gabriel - I Go Swimming, from Plays Live3. Nic Potter - Off the Planet, from Self Contained4. Alex Machacek, Jeff Sipe, Neal Fountain - Put Me Back to Sleep, from The Official Triangle Sessions5. Art Griffin's Sound Chaser - The Yin and the Yang, from Approaching Translucence6. Kate Bush - Houdini, from The Dreaming7. Lodger Wright - Himalaya by Rail (The Darjeeling Line), from One Lump or Two?8. Ian Neal - The Thing That Hurts, from https://ianneal.bandcamp.com/track/the-thing-that-hurts9. Dwiki Dharmawan - London in June, from Pasar Klewer10. Side Steps - Because of Silence, from Verge of Reality11. The Tea Club - If I Mean When, from If / When12. Robert Rich - A Flock of Metal Creatures Fleeing the Onslaught of Rust, from Below Zero13. Barry Cleveland - Voluntary Dreaming, from Voluntary DreamingTHE SYMPHONIC ZONE14. The Watch - Soaring On, from Primitive15. Saga - Images, from Images at Twilight16. Sky Architect - The Curious One, from A Billion Years of Solitude17. Rafael Pacha - A Song for Toni, from Arqueologías18. Glass Kites - Leviathan, from Glass Kites II19. Checking for Echo Project - Time, from Life and Other Short Stories Vol. IILEAVING THE SYMPHONIC ZONE20. TNO - Space Walk Part III, from Space Walk21. Tusmørke - Kontakten Brytes, from Intetnett22. Brady Arnold - Forget Me, from One More for the Void23. The Picturesque Episodes - Old Static, from Young Galaxy24. Earthstar - Night Tones, from Salterbarty Tales25. Führs & Fröhling - Dancing Colours, from Strings26. Jean-Michel Jarre - Silhouette, from Métamorphoses27. Ashra - Club Cannibal, from Correlations28. Gong - Isle of Everywhere, from You29. Gong - You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever, from YouIN MEMORIAM Stig Arve Kvam-Jørgensen30. Arabs in Aspic - Arabide, from Strange Frame of Mind
Silence never felt so loud. In Pluribus Episode 7 (“The Gap”), the show dials down the dialogue and cranks up the emotion. With Carol wandering alone through New Mexico and Manousos crossing continents to find her, Pluribus delivers its most poetic, gut-punching hour yet — and Rhea Seehorn and Carlos-Manuel Vesga are jaw-droppingly good.Time Stamps:Pluribus Recap Started at (8:50)Brandon and Chanel Talk about what they Watched This week (52:00)Brandon & Chanel break down this word-light, emotion-heavy installment:Carol sings her way through grief: from R.E.M. to “Hot in Herre” to Sousa's greatest hitsManousos practices English across the Darién Gap — “I am not one of them. I wish to save the world.”The fireworks scene and Carol's near-death moment: dark, hilarious, existentialNature invades — wolves return, solitude creeps in, and the Others stay goneZosia's surprise return — a wordless embrace that says everythingA masterclass in sound design: music, silence, buzzing drones, and gut-wrenching criesWhy this might be Pluribus' most daring, visually stunning, and emotionally grounded episode yetWith its stunning cinematography, lack of traditional dialogue, and emotional storytelling told through music, motion, and silence, Episode 7 is an unforgettable midpoint marker. And Brandon & Chanel are here to unpack every lingering glance, aching lyric, and wilderness scream.
In this podcast, Christina Semmens reflects on the significance of the Advent season, emphasizing the importance of preparation, silence, and the role of Mary in guiding us towards Jesus. She encourages listeners to embrace the waiting period of Advent, to be present in their lives, and to cultivate a deeper awareness of God's presence. The discussion also highlights the need for silence in order to hear God's voice and the importance of responding with kindness and love during the holiday season. Ultimately, Christina calls for a joyful and peaceful approach to Christmas, focusing on the true meaning of the season.TakeawaysAdvent is a time of waiting and preparation for Christmas.Being present is essential to receiving God's gifts.Silence allows us to hear God's voice more clearly.Mary plays a crucial role in leading us to Jesus.We should focus on experiences rather than material gifts.Joy comes from a deep awareness of God's presence.Responding with kindness can prevent misunderstandings.The rosary helps us connect with Jesus through Mary.We must open our hearts to receive the Lord.Christmas should be celebrated with peace and joy.Sound Bites“We have to be present in order to receive.”“Take a beat before responding.”“Mary always points us to her Son.”Chapters00:00 Advent: A Time of Waiting and Preparation02:32 The Importance of Presence and Silence08:10 Joy in Advent: Embracing Silence and Awareness12:36 The Power of Silence in Communication17:39 Mary's Role in Advent and Discipleship
Adyashanti (dont le nom signifie paix primordiale) défie tous les aspirants à la paix et à la liberté de songer sérieusement à la possibilité de se libérer en cette vie. Il a commencé à enseigner en 1996, à la requête de son maître zen avec qui il étudiait depuis quatorze ans. Depuis, plusieurs chercheurs spirituels se sont éveillés à leur nature essentielle en côtoyant Adyashanti.Auteur de Emptiness Dancing (Conscience pure), The Impact of Awakening et My Secret is Silence, Adyashanti offre des instructions spontanées et directes analogues aux enseignements des premiers maîtres zen et des sages de l'Advaita vedanta. Néanmoins, Adyashanti déclare : «Si vous filtrez mes paroles au travers d'une tradition ou d'un système en –isme, vous passez à côté de ce que je dis. La vérité libératrice n'est pas statique; elle est vivante. Elle ne peut être émise sous forme de concepts et ne peut être saisie par le mental. La vérité réside au-delà de toute forme de fondamentalisme conceptuel. Ce que vous êtes se situe au-delà – éveillé et présent, déjà ci et maintenant. Je vous aide simplement à le réaliser.»Natif de la Californie du Nord, Adyashanti vit avec sa femme Annie, et enseigne surtout dans la région de San Francisco, offrant des satsangs, des week-ends intensifs et des retraites en silence. Il se déplace pour enseigner dans d'autres régions des États-Unis et du Canada. Bibliographie: Adyashanti - Conscience pure et méditation véritable (https://www.babelio.com/livres/Adyashanti-Conscience-pure-et-meditation-veritable/450453) Musique: Ethereal Ephemera (https://etherealephemera.bandcamp.com/album/the-eternal-music-box) Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
Do you ever feel called by God, but completely unqualified to walk it out? Like everyone else is confident and capable, while you're battling comparison, doubt, and that quiet fear that you're not enough? In this episode, I'm sitting down with my real-life friend, Marisa Anderson, who leads City Church alongside her husband in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and helps women silence the lies that keep them small. Together, we unpack imposter syndrome, waiting seasons, stepping into leadership when you don't feel ready, and how to stay rooted in the truth of who God says you are. If you've been second-guessing your calling or shrinking back from what God asked you to do, this conversation will give you the grounding, clarity, and confidence you've been praying for. I pray this blesses you! Want to join Marisa's upcoming retreat? Get all the details HERE. Ready to Make Consistent Income From a Podcast? Join my 5-Day Profitable Podcast Bootcamp! I'll show you how to create a podcast that makes steady income on autopilot—without relying on social media.
In this powerful episode of The Alpha Male Coach Podcast, Kevin takes brothers deep into the heart of awakened relationships - what he calls Alpha relationships - and reveals why most modern partnerships are built on misunderstanding, incompleteness, and unconscious need. Broadcasting from Tulum, Mexico, Kevin opens with reflections on the land, the energy, and the sense of peace that reconnects him to a timeless part of himself. From that grounded presence, he pivots into the core teaching of today's episode: what happens when two awakening beings encounter one another in relationship.Kevin explains the fundamental distinction between beta relationships - rooted in lack, need, codependency, and the ego's belief in incompleteness - and alpha relationships, which arise from wholeness, recognition, and conscious connection. Most people aren't falling in love, he explains; they're falling into need. They're entering relationships trying to fill a void within themselves. Two half-filled cups pouring into each other, emptying and refilling, never realizing the fullness must first come from within.But when two alphas meet - two awakening individuals who know who they are, who have remembered their true nature - everything changes. Alphas do not need each other. And it is the absence of need that creates the presence of true freedom, genuine intimacy, effortless communication, and deep mutual respect.Kevin reveals how awakened communication differs from ego communication: alphas aren't defending positions, playing games, or seeking validation. They're playing, exploring, listening, and learning from each other. They can fully disagree without conflict because neither identifies with the mind or its opinions. Silence becomes meaningful. Differences become invitations to expand. Mystery becomes celebrated rather than controlled.The episode dives into emotional mastery within awakened relationships - why alphas don't create drama, don't cling, don't possess, don't manipulate, and don't collapse into fear of abandonment. Kevin reminds us that only children and animals can be abandoned. Adults cannot. An alpha knows he is whole, complete, and unbroken - no matter what another person chooses.Kevin then explores physical intimacy, describing the spiritual and tantric depth that emerges when two alphas meet in sexual connection - not for validation, conquest, or escape, but as a conscious dance of awareness, play, and presence.He also speaks about conflict, growth, generosity, separation, and the natural rhythms of coming together and moving apart. In awakened relationships, there is no clinging. Space is not a threat. Change is not fear. Love is attraction and freedom, breath in and breath out.Ultimately, Kevin reminds brothers that after awakening, life still looks the same on the outside - chop wood, carry water - but the inner world transforms completely. Relationships don't change; the one who is in the relationship changes.This episode closes with the profound truth: when two alphas recognize each other, a field of consciousness is created that affects everyone around them. A relationship becomes not two separate beings in love, but love recognizing itself.Elevate your alpha, brothers.
Today's Song of the Day is “Ramona, Patron Saint Of Silence” from The Mynabirds' album It's Okay To Go Back If You Keep Moving Forward, out now.
Charisma Quotient: Build Confidence, Make Connections and Find Love
Have you ever wondered why you keep attracting emotionally unavailable partners, even though you seem to have it all together in your career and personal achievements? What if the secret to meaningful relationships isn't about doing more, but about truly connecting to how you feel and who you are? In Episode 424 of The Charisma Quotient, "Emotional Healing for Deeper Connection: Interview with Rebecca Silence" Kimmy welcomes renowned emotional healing expert Rebecca Silence to explore the powerful shift from achievement-driven living to deep emotional alignment. In this episode, Kimmy and Rebecca delve into the hidden patterns that high achievers—especially women—face in dating and relationships. Drawing from personal experience, Rebecca Silence shares how her own journey through trauma, success, and a life-changing cancer diagnosis helped her uncover the true foundation for authentic love: emotional alignment and vulnerability. The conversation moves far beyond typical dating advice, revealing how taking inventory of your emotions, owning your triggers, and prioritizing boundaries can radically change your relationship patterns. You'll hear: Why high achievers often struggle in relationships, despite their "success" The hidden connection between achievement, childhood trauma, and love patterns What it means to attract partners from your "healed self" instead of your "survival self" The 3-step "Make Your Triggers Your Bitch" process for emotional freedom How women can embrace feminine energy, receive more, and create healthy boundaries in dating If you're ready to move past survival into joy and excitement, book a free call with Kimmy here: https://www.kimmyseltzer.com/breakthrough-session/ Charisma Quotient Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many of your other favorite podcast channels. ************************************************ Kimmy Seltzer is a Confidence Therapist and Authentic Dating Strategist implementing targeted style, emotional and social intelligence to your life. ************************************************ Would you like to connect with Kimmy? Website: https://kimmyseltzer.com/ Chat: https://www.kimmyseltzer.com/breakthrough-session/ Instagram: @kimmyseltzer Twitter: @kimmyseltzer Join her FREE Facebook Group Love Makeover Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovemakeovers Take her Flirt Quiz to see what kind of flirt you are www.flirtover40.com
On September fifth, nineteen eighty two, twelve year old Johnny Gosch walked out of his West Des Moines home before dawn to deliver newspapers and vanished without a trace. His case changed America forever, leading to the first missing child on a milk carton and landmark legislation that transformed how we handle abducted children.But the story most people know barely scratches the surface of what really happened.In this episode of The Redacted Report, we dig into the buried facts, the covered-up connections, and the questions that powerful people have spent four decades trying to silence.We begin with Police Chief Orval Cooney, the man tasked with finding Johnny. What most people don't know is that Cooney had a violent past, including a nineteen fifty one assault conviction. Just months before Johnny disappeared, eighteen of his own officers went on record accusing him of brutality, harassment, and drinking on duty. When volunteers searched for Johnny, witnesses say Cooney climbed onto a picnic table and told everyone to go home, calling the missing boy a damn runaway. He stonewalled the family at every turn until his sudden death in two thousand three, just as a lawsuit was about to expose what he knew. Then there's the newspaper itself. Johnny delivered papers for the Des Moines Register, the same company that employed Frank Sykora, who admitted to molesting at least seven paperboys, and Wilbur Millhouse, a former circulation manager found with a list of twenty two hundred boys' names when he was arrested. Millhouse reportedly told people for years that he knew who took Johnny and why. We examine the chilling prediction made two months before thirteen year old Eugene Martin vanished in nineteen eighty four. According to Noreen Gosch, a private investigator warned her another paperboy would be taken the second weekend of August on the south side of Des Moines. She passed this information to authorities. They did nothing. Eugene disappeared exactly when and where predicted. The episode explores the proof of life that emerged after Johnny's abduction. A confirmed sighting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where investigators said a boy crying for help was positively identified as Johnny. A dollar bill with his authenticated signature surfacing in Sioux City three years later. Signs that Johnny was alive, somewhere, trying to send a message. We dive deep into the Franklin Credit Union scandal and the testimony of Paul Bonacci, who claimed he was forced to participate in Johnny's kidnapping. Bonacci knew physical details about Johnny that weren't public knowledge. A federal judge ruled his testimony truthful and awarded him one million dollars in a civil judgment. Yet police never interviewed him about the Gosch case.he investigation into Franklin led to tragedy. State investigator Gary Caradori was collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, building a case against powerful people. On July eleventh, nineteen ninety, his plane came apart in midair over an Illinois cornfield. He and his eight year old son were killed. His briefcase of newly obtained evidence was never recovered. A documentary about the scandal called Conspiracy of Silence was pulled from the Discovery Channel before it could air. We trace the trafficking network run by John David Norman, a career predator whose operations spanned decades. His thirty thousand customer index cards were sent to the State Department and destroyed. His associate Phillip Paske worked for John Wayne Gacy. Investigators following witness testimony found an abandoned Colorado ranch with a hidden underground chamber and children's initials carved into the walls. The episode covers Noreen Gosch's claim that Johnny visited her in nineteen ninety seven, fifteen years after his disappearance, and the mysterious envelope of photographs left on her doorstep in two thousand six showing bound and gagged children, one of whom she believes is her son. Johnny Gosch would be fifty five years old today. No arrests have ever been made. No body has ever been found. The West Des Moines Police Department still refuses to release their complete case file. Someone knows what happened that September morning. Someone drove the blue Ford Fairmont. Someone flicked that dome light three times. And someone has kept this secret for over four decades. This is the story they buried. This is The Redacted Report.
Send me a DM here (it doesn't let me respond), OR email me: imagineabetterworld2020@gmail.comToday I'm honored to have on the show once again: Child and foster care, religious abuse, child sexual abuse, trafficking, and satanic ritual abuse survivor and whistleblower, campaigner of historical child abuse, Founder of S.A.F.E. - Seek And Find Everyone abused in childhood, independent researcher and reporter, podcast regular, and someone I feel honored everyday to call my friend: Dave SharpFrom the moment he drew his first breath, Dave was an orphan - entrusted not to loving arms, but to the care of the Catholic Church, a place that should have been a haven of mercy. Instead, it became the gateway to sixteen years of unspeakable torment. From infancy through adolescence, he was trafficked across Scotland, passed like a shadow between hidden houses in Glasgow's darkest corners, where men sworn to holiness orchestrated rituals of pure evil. Dave and countless other children were drugged and delivered to satanic sex parties - violated by multiple predators amid scenes of calculated depravity. These were not random cruelties; they were the work of an organized network that deliberately targeted the most defenseless: orphans and children with no family, no voice, and nowhere to turn.His tormentors were not strangers in the night. They were the very priests, nuns, and officials who had vowed to protect him. The system meant to shield the vulnerable became the perfect hunting ground, proving a harrowing truth: the safest place for a predator is the one that grants unlimited, unquestioned access to children.Yet out of this abyss rose an indomitable spirit. At sixteen, Dave shattered his chains and stepped into freedom, though the scars walk with him still. Survivors seek him out, drawn to his unbreakable courage, sharing stories that echo his own. These are not isolated tragedies; they are the unmistakable evidence of a rot that ran deep, hidden behind collars and titles.But make no mistake: Dave is no mere victim. He is a warrior forged in fire, anchored by a profound and unshakable faith in Jesus Christ. In his darkest moment he proclaimed with gratitude: “I am so grateful that God has chosen me to go out and show the evil that exists in Scotland and to tell the world to put His children first.”And that is exactly what Dave will be doing today. For weeks on end, Dave has been travelling across Scotland, campaigning for and connecting with countless other survivors across his country. And today we will hear the continued testimony of Dave's advocacy work and what he has learned and discovered on his journeys. You will not want to miss a moment of this episode. What Dave has discovered is disturbing, concerning, and upsetting, yet he brings hope to this conversation. There is simply no one who has pieced together the dirty underbelly of Scotland as Dave has, and with the sadness also comes revelations of solutions, healing, and ways we can stop this epidemic on our children in it's tracks. CONNECT WITH DAVE: X: https://x.com/davesharp59CONNECT WITH EMMA / THE IMAGINATION: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginationpodcastofficialRumble: https://rumble.com/c/TheImaginationPodcastEMAIL: imagineabetterworld2020@gmail.com OR standbysurvivors@protonmail.comMy Substack: https://emmakatherine.substack.com/BUY ME A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theimaginationVENMO: @Support the show
The Count and his Lord - A Game of Snake and Mongoose Link: https://wordsandwhiskey.show/episode/284-empire-of-silence-episode-4-to-make-a-myrmidon-speak-like-a-child
In this episode, Petia explores why believers sometimes don't feel God emotionally and why this does NOT mean God is distant. She shares encouragement, Scripture, and seven biblical ways we often sense God that have nothing to do with feelings. Key Points: Feelings are not the measure of God's presence. Exhaustion and motherhood deeply affect emotional sensitivity. God's presence is constant even when our awareness is low. Silence is often God deepening spiritual maturity. Practical steps to reconnect with God gently. 7 Ways We Sense God (Even Without Feelings): A verse becomes alive. Peace that doesn't make sense. Strength you didn't have before. Desire to pray, even weakly. Gentle conviction or redirection. Moments of comfort — music, words, quiet. Perseverance that comes from the Holy Spirit. Scriptures Included: Psalm 42:5 James 4:8 Call to Action: Share this episode with a friend. Connect with Petia on Instagram @petiakolibova Thank you for listening — remember, silence is not separation, and God is closer than your breath.
Eva Aridjis-Fuentes, director of the fascinating documentary "Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus,” helps us celebrate what would have been the 65th birthday of the mysterious singer, best known for her haunting track “Goodbye Horses” in Jonathan Demme's film “The Silence of the Lambs.” Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Ep. 226 What happens when we finally stop hiding our pain and start writing our truth? I'm excited to introduce you to my upcoming anthology, In the Pursuit of Fearless Living: From Wounds to Wisdom, and one of the incredible women featured in it—Leatrice de Bruhl. Her chapter, “Scars That Speak of Strength,” is a powerful testament to what it means to rise after life has broken you open. Leatrice takes us inside her journey through abuse, injustice, and the unimaginable loss of her son Malik. She shares how grief brought her to her knees, but also how God rebuilt her from the inside out. Her willingness to break her silence—and help other women break theirs—is exactly why I chose her for this anthology. This conversation is raw, faith-filled, and overflowing with wisdom. If you're navigating pain, questioning your strength, or wondering how to rise again, Leatrice's story will remind you that healing is not a moment—it's a series of courageous choices to stand back up. Connect with us IG: @LeatricespeaksLife
Send us a textThe 12 Days of Christmas series on Clipped continues with another quick, practical tip to help creators streamline their workflow. Today is Day 8 of 12, and this episode focuses on using Riverside's built-in editing tools to speed up post-production—especially if you're not a full-time audio or video editor.This episode highlights how Riverside's AI-powered features can clean up recordings, tighten pacing, improve audio quality, and even help you build video content more efficiently. Whether you're brand-new or a seasoned producer, the platform offers simple, powerful tools that remove tedious steps from the editing process.
A Journey Through the Clouds: Reflections on Humanity's PathIn a world where the skyline meets the clouds, two souls find themselves pondering the mysteries of existence. As they ascend to the 86th floor, the view of New York City sprawls beneath them, a testament to human achievement and the complexities of life. But what happens when the streets below are empty, and the world seems to have paused?The View from Above: Michael and Eve's journey to the observation deck is more than just a physical ascent; it's a metaphorical rise above the chaos of everyday life. From this vantage point, the city is a tapestry of stories, each building a chapter in the book of humanity. Yet, as they gaze upon the vastness, a sense of solitude creeps in, prompting questions about the nature of existence and the fate of mankind.A World Paused: The narrative takes a turn as the couple realizes the streets are eerily silent. The absence of people and the stillness of the cityscape evoke a sense of unease. Is this a temporary pause, or has something more profound occurred? The silence becomes a canvas for introspection, as they contemplate the possibility of being the last remnants of humanity.Reflections on Creation and Destruction: Eve's musings on the creation of life and the potential for its end are both haunting and thought-provoking. Her reflections challenge the reader to consider the delicate balance between creation and destruction, and the role of a higher power in the grand scheme of things. Could it be that the world has been reset, leaving only a few to start anew? As the sun sets and darkness envelops the city, Michael and Eve are left with more questions than answers. Their journey is a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing each moment. In a world where the future is uncertain, their story serves as a beacon of hope and a call to action for humanity to strive for a better tomorrow.Subscribe Now: Join us on this journey of discovery and reflection. Subscribe for more thought-provoking stories and insights into the human experience.The story explores the emotional and existential themes surrounding a couple's experience in New York City, reflecting on the beauty of the skyline, the unsettling silence of the city, and the mystery of human disappearance. It delves into theories of divine intervention and the potential for a new beginning amidst chaos, culminating in a call to action regarding war efforts.TakeawaysThe beauty of urban landscapes can evoke deep emotions.Silence in a bustling city can be unsettling.Existential questions arise in moments of crisis.Theories of divine intervention can provide comfort.The idea of starting anew can be both hopeful and daunting.War impacts not just soldiers but civilians as well.Community support is crucial during wartime.Financial contributions can make a difference in war efforts.The importance of facing reality in difficult times.Hope can emerge from despair. New York, urban experience, disappearance, divine intervention, war, existentialism, emotions, skyline, silence, new beginnings
Cette semaine, on commence par explorer une base lunaire dans Routine. L'ambiance pesante et le design sonore très réussi sont les gros atouts de ce titre qui laisse souvent le joueur seul face à ses interrogations. On continue avec l'univers complètement barré de Skate Story, où l'on incarne un démon fait «de verre et de douleurs» qui doit parcourir les enfers pour dévorer des lunes. Le tout en skate, bien sûr. Avec une bande originale de haute volée, le jeu signé Sam Eng nous emporte dans sa folie. On termine avec la version 1.0 du chef d'œuvre musical Rhythm Doctor qui nous emmène toujours plus loin dans la découverte de ce qu'est vraiment le rythme.Jérémie Kletzkine, dans sa chronique jeux de société, nous parle de Duel pour Cardia.Chapitres :0:00 Intro5:52 Les news21:21 Le com des coms26:17 Routine56:09 La chronique jeux de société : Duel pour Cardia1:01:28 Skate Story1:32:06 La minute culturelle1:36:57 Rhythm Doctor1:52:44 Et quand vous ne jouez pas, vous faites quoi ?Retrouvez toutes les chroniques de jérémie dans le podcast dédié Silence on Joue ! La chronique jeux de société (Lien RSS).Pour commenter cette émission, donner votre avis ou simplement discuter avec notre communauté, connectez-vous au serveur Discord de Silence on joue!Retrouvez Silence on Joue sur Twitch : https://www.twitch.tv/silenceonjoueSoutenez Silence on joue en vous abonnant à Libération avec notre offre spéciale à 6€ par mois : https://offre.liberation.fr/soj/Silence on joue ! c'est l'émission hebdo de jeux vidéo de Libération. Avec Erwan Cario et ses chroniqueurs Patrick Hellio et Julie Le Baron.CRÉDITSSilence on joue ! est un podcast de Libération animé par Erwan Cario. Cet épisode a été enregistré le 11 décembre 2025 sur Discord. Réalisation : Erwan Cario. Générique : Marc Quatrociocchi. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
Fluent Fiction - Danish: Winter Magic at Tivoli: Finding Inspiration in Snowy Silence Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/da/episode/2025-12-12-23-34-02-da Story Transcript:Da: Snefnug dansede ned fra himlen, som små stjerner der landede blidt på folks hatte og frakker.En: Snowflakes danced down from the sky like little stars landing gently on people's hats and coats.Da: Tivoli Gardens var fyldt med julelys og dekorative boder, hver med duften af gløgg og brændte mandler i luften.En: Tivoli Gardens was filled with Christmas lights and decorative stalls, each with the scent of gløgg and roasted almonds in the air.Da: Det var jul, og stedet var en magisk verden af vinter og glæde.En: It was Christmas, and the place was a magical world of winter and joy.Da: Lars stod under et overdækket område, beskytter mod det pludselige snefald.En: Lars stood under a covered area, sheltered from the sudden snowfall.Da: Han kiggede ud over haven, mens han forsøgte at finde inspiration til sin kunst.En: He looked out over the garden, while trying to find inspiration for his art.Da: Han var en stille, eftertænksom mand, der ofte fandt det svært at tale med andre.En: He was a quiet, thoughtful man who often found it difficult to speak with others.Da: Ved hans side stod Sofie, en kvinde med et lysende smil og glade øjne.En: Beside him stood Sofie, a woman with a bright smile and happy eyes.Da: Hun elskede juletiden og alt det vidunderlige, den bragte med sig.En: She loved the Christmas season and all the wonderful things it brought with it.Da: Hun så sneen som en gave, en mulighed for nye minder og eventyr.En: She saw the snow as a gift, an opportunity for new memories and adventures.Da: "Det er smukt, ikke?"En: "It's beautiful, isn't it?"Da: sagde Sofie og pegede op mod de svajende grene, hvor snefnuggene samledes.En: said Sofie, pointing up at the swaying branches where snowflakes gathered.Da: Lars nikkede, trak skuldrene lidt op.En: Lars nodded, shrugging his shoulders slightly.Da: "Det er det," svarede han kort.En: "It is," he replied briefly.Da: De blev stående i stilhed et øjeblik.En: They stood in silence for a moment.Da: Sofie kunne mærke, at Lars ikke var typen, der kastede sig hovedkulds ud i samtaler.En: Sofie could sense that Lars wasn't the type who plunged headlong into conversations.Da: Men hun ønskede at lære ham at kende, ønskede at dele denne smukke dag med ham.En: But she wanted to get to know him, wanted to share this beautiful day with him.Da: "Jeg elsker, hvordan Tivoli ser ud om vinteren," sagde hun, i et forsøg på at åbne samtalen.En: "I love how Tivoli looks in winter," she said, trying to open the conversation.Da: "Det er som om stedet bliver levende på en helt ny måde."En: "It's as if the place comes alive in a whole new way."Da: Lars kiggede på hende, denne gang med et lille smil.En: Lars looked at her, this time with a small smile.Da: "Jeg er her for at finde inspiration," sagde han lidt tøvende.En: "I'm here to find inspiration," he said a bit hesitantly.Da: "Jeg må male noget... noget der fanger dette."En: "I need to paint something... something that captures this."Da: Sofie satte pris på hans ærlighed.En: Sofie appreciated his honesty.Da: "Måske kan jeg hjælpe dig," foreslog hun ivrigt.En: "Maybe I can help you," she suggested eagerly.Da: "Lad os finde noget, der kan inspirere dig."En: "Let's find something that can inspire you."Da: Lars tøvede igen, men der var noget i Sofies optimisme, der dragede ham.En: Lars hesitated again, but there was something in Sofie's optimism that drew him in.Da: "Okay," sagde han til sidst.En: "Okay," he finally said.Da: Sammen gik de langs de sneklædte stier, mens Sofie pegede på de små detaljer, hun elskede.En: Together they walked along the snow-covered paths, while Sofie pointed out the little details she loved.Da: Månens lys, der reflekterede i snedriverne, børn der grinte og legede, den varme glød fra en julebod.En: The moonlight reflecting in the snowdrifts, children laughing and playing, the warm glow from a Christmas stall.Da: Som de gik, åbnede Lars sig gradvist.En: As they walked, Lars gradually opened up.Da: Han delte sine drømme og tanker med Sofie.En: He shared his dreams and thoughts with Sofie.Da: Hun lyttede opmærksomt, glad for at kunne skabe en forbindelse med ham.En: She listened attentively, happy to create a connection with him.Da: I et øjeblik af stilhed stoppede de ved en lille bænk, hvor sneen lagde sig som et blødt tæppe.En: In a moment of silence, they stopped at a small bench where the snow lay like a soft blanket.Da: "Det er her," sagde Lars pludselig.En: "This is it," Lars suddenly said.Da: "Jeg kan se det nu.En: "I can see it now.Da: Maleriet.En: The painting.Da: Det vil handle om glæden og roen her."En: It will be about the joy and peace here."Da: Sofie smilede bredt.En: Sofie smiled broadly.Da: "Jeg vidste, vi kunne finde det sammen."En: "I knew we could find it together."Da: De blev siddende lidt længere, delte drømme og håb.En: They sat a little longer, sharing dreams and hopes.Da: Lars følte en ny form for åbenhed, en lyst til at opleve verden.En: Lars felt a new form of openness, a desire to experience the world.Da: Sofie mærkede værdien af at møde en sjæl, der forstod hende.En: Sofie felt the value of meeting a soul that understood her.Da: Da de til sidst gik deres vej ud af Tivoli, vidste de, at de havde fundet noget særligt i hinandens selskab.En: As they eventually made their way out of Tivoli, they knew they had found something special in each other's company.Da: Lars havde fundet sin inspiration, og Sofie havde fundet en ven, der virkelig så hende.En: Lars had found his inspiration, and Sofie had found a friend who truly saw her.Da: I vintermørket lyste Tivoli op som en stjerne på himlen, en påmindelse om den skønhed og forbindelse, der findes i de mest uventede øjeblikke.En: In the winter darkness, Tivoli lit up like a star in the sky, a reminder of the beauty and connection that can be found in the most unexpected moments. Vocabulary Words:snowflakes: snefnugdanced: dansedestar: stjernerlanded: landededecorative: dekorativeroasted: brændtescent: duftencovered: overdækketsheltered: beskyttersnowfall: snefaldquiet: stillethoughtful: eftertænksombright: lysendegathered: samledesknit: strikkedeplunged: kastedeheadlong: hovedkuldsinspiration: inspirationhesitantly: tøvendeeagerly: ivrigtreflection: reflekteredesnowdrifts: sdriverneattentively: opmærksomtconnection: forbindelsemoonlight: månens lysglow: glødopened: åbnedebench: bænkblanket: tæppepeace: roen
Where to live after 55 — without getting crushed by taxes, culture wars, or cost of livingWe lay out 10 great (and still affordable) places to live after 55 — based on real-world factors like cost, quality of life, culture, and common sense (not glossy brochures or political spin).And... the bigger question:Bari Weiss' controversial move into CBSWhy the Epstein files still haven't surfacedThe U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and new sanctionsAnd why millions of people now rely on independent media instead of legacy outletsWe close with some levity, a few pranks, and Mark's AI Tip of the Week, showing how regular people can use AI for real research.Question:If you were starting over after 55, what matters more — affordability, culture, or freedom?#OverFiftyStartingOver #WhereToLiveAfter55 #EpsteinFiles #BariWeiss #MediaTrust #IndependentMedia #CurrentEvents #PodcastWhy do so many official narratives — from media, government, and institutions — feel increasingly disconnected from reality?
Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about Erika Kirk finally responding to Candace Owens spreading baseless conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's assassination; Candace Owens' twisted reaction to Erika Kirk's Fox News interview and her doubling down on trying to link Turning Point USA staff to Charlie Kirk's murder; CBS News' Bari Weiss difficult interview with Erika Kirk where she addressed people who openly celebrated the murder of her husband Charlie Kirk; Donald Trump's first public comment on the seizing of a Venezuelan oil tanker for violating sanctions with Iran; Border Czar Tom Homan telling Newsmax how he plans to handle Zohran Mamdani's plans to thwart ICE raids and help illegal immigrant fight back against ICE agents; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt humiliating the mainstream press to their faces for their ignoring the murder of Iryna Zarutska while doing endless reporting on Daniel Penny and the killing of Jordan Neely; and much more. Dave also hosts a special "ask me anything" question-and-answer session on a wide range of topics, answering questions from the Rubin Report Locals community. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Noble Gold Investments - Whether you're looking to roll over an old 401(k) into a Gold IRA or you want physical gold delivered right to your home Noble Gold makes the process simple. Download the free wealth protection kit and open a new qualified account and get a FREE 10-ounce Silver Flag Bar plus a Silver American Eagle Proof Coin. Go to http://DaveRubinGold.com Balance of Nature - Make sure you are getting all the positive effects from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Get 50% off the Whole Health System FOR LIFE with this limited-time offer! Go to https://www.BalanceofNature.com Kars4Kids - All you need to do is schedule a pickup for your car and sign the title if you have one. They handle all the paperwork. The whole process of donating your car takes about two minutes. Go to http://kars4kids.org/rubin or call 1-877-KARS4KIDS for the quick and easy way to donate your car!
Candace Owens' conspiracy spiral continues — and Erika Kirk finally sets the record straight. In one of the most emotional and revealing episodes we've done, Erika opens up about the personal toll of the lies, the impact on Charlie's legacy, and how these conspiracies are actively hurting the prosecution's case.We break down Candace's latest attacks, the Community Notes fallout, responses from Tim Pool, Harris Faulkner, and even Tucker Carlson stepping into the drama. Plus: why the left's violence gets ignored, insane tech mishaps, and a bunch of wild moments you won't believe actually happened.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Plan ahead with long-lasting food from ReadyWise—visit https://ReadyWise.com today and usecode CHICKS10 for 10% off.Give your dog great health this holiday season. Get a FREE Jump Start Trial Bag—just covershipping. Visit https://RuffChicks.com and use promo code CHICKS.Get 60% off Webroot Total Protection at https://Webroot.com/Chicks to protect against holidaycybercrime.Through Christmas Day, get incredible deals from MyPillow at https://MyPillow.com/Chicks withpromo code CHICKSSubscribe and stay tuned for new episodes every weekday!Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTikTokXLocalsMore Info
This talk was given by Matthew Brensilver on 2025.12.10 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://youtube.com/live/BhObExe6_q4. ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
After Dark with Hosts Rob & Andrew – Media outlets ignore two unfolding scandals: the long-unidentified January 6 bomber now revealed as Brian Cole Jr., and a $2 billion Minnesota aid scheme allegedly funneled to Somali gangs and al-Shabaab. I expose how federal agencies stalled, reporters looked away, and accountability vanished whenever the facts threatened political narratives, revealing a pattern of selective attention and...