Podcasts about smirking

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time. Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What's up, Mom?”“I've got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I'm going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don't have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he'd just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he'd made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn't wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom's list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren't harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I'd see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won't settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I'm just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it's great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I'm, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don't know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that's sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I'll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn't believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline's fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I've got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I've got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason's longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She's an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don't belong on the same Planet as her! You're nothing'! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken's arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken's gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won't be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn't have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn't?”“I did. Jason, someday you'll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won't bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn't bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn't want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken's mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason's punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that's not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan's families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken's seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man's gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that's family; I don't want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles' cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I've got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it's Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I'll; I'll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It's a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn't even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You've reached Live 95.5 FM's world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you've reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn't help creeping on her! That's where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You're doing everyone a favor! If you'd like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken's rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn't even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She's far worse! I can't imagine how evil she'd be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken's mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn't know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason's words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn't have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken's initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason's cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that's not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle's Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It's a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.”“Oh, Jimmy Stewart, you charmer you.” Gabby sighed.Soon, her emotions welled up as the hopeless romantic that was George Bailey began to succumb to the pressures and injustices of life. He had blamed his own uncle for destroying their business, lashed out at his wife and children in anger, and gone crawling to his hated rival for a loan. The hardest scenes for her to watch were always the bar fight and the car crash. Still, she always stuck it out. The best was yet to come.Just as George stood atop the bridge, Gabby caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A young man of about nineteen or twenty was watching the movie from a distance away, leaning against a tree near the road. His face twisted in angst as he saw the pain on display in the film, and he soon spun around, walking into the nearby park. Gabby couldn't explain why, but something compelled her to follow him and make sure he was okay.Collecting her lawn chair, she walked along the perimeter of the green space, soon arriving at the entrance to the park. As she went, she began to hear angry shouting up ahead of her; it sounded like the young man was in distress. After a few minutes, she came upon the fountain situated in the center of the park. On a bench sat the man from earlier, appearing to be deep in thought. By the glow of the lamppost, Gabby could now get a good look at him. He appeared to be of average height, maybe 5'7”, and had shaggy black hair that seemed a bit unkempt. Still, it's color shone in the light of the park, and his white skin provided for quite a striking appearance. A pair of black horn-rimmed glasses framed his face, which combined with his red MIT hoodie to project a very specific image into Gabby's mind. He had to be incredibly intelligent.As she studied him, she saw the young man pull an object out of the pocket of his jeans. Catching a glimpse of something reflective, she could now see that he was holding a small folding knife. Gabby tensed up and wondered if she should run, but soon decided against it; he didn't seem to have even noticed her presence. In fact, the way he looked at the knife was quite unsettling. It was as if he saw that little blade as his best friend in the world. She knew the look in his eyes. She knew what would happen in a moment if she did nothing. Taking a deep breath, Gabby decided to act.“Hey.”Intervention.Ken was startled by the unfamiliar voice. Looking up, he now saw a woman in her early twenties standing across the way. She gazed at him with intent, but for what reason he did not know. Looking back at her, Ken's typical awkwardness began to kick in, as he could see that she was quite beautiful. Dressed warmly in a black winter coat and blue jeans, she wore a grey knit cap over her long blonde hair. Upon first glance, she appeared to be of some sort of Scandinavian descent, or perhaps German, though Ken couldn't be sure. His mouth went dry as he tried to find the words to speak.“Everything okay?” she asked.“Uh; fine. Why do you, um; why do you ask?”Smiling, she replied, “I saw you over on the green, watching the movie. By the look on your face, you were having a tough time with it. When I saw you walk off towards the park, I felt I should come and see if anything was wrong.”“No, nothing's wrong.”“Good. Then I shouldn't be concerned about the way you're looking at that knife of yours, right?”Shaking his head, Ken answered, “I'm not going to hurt you. Promise.”“That's not what I'm concerned about.”“Wha; what do you mean?” Ken asked, his eyes growing wide.“I've seen that look before,” she said, taking a couple of steps closer. “I am, sadly, all too familiar with it. You were about to hurt yourself, weren't you?”“You don't know a thing about me, lady,” Ken muttered, preparing to leave.“I don't have to know anything about you to be concerned,” she fired back.“Concerned,” Ken snorted. “How could you be concerned about me? You don't even know me!”“Easily rectified. Gabrielle Libertine. My friends call me Gabby,” she said, sticking out her hand with a warm smile. When he didn't respond, she smirked and continued, “This is the part where you tell me your name.”Sighing, he replied, “Ken. Ken Dix.”“A pleasure, Ken,” she said as they shook hands.“So; Gabrielle, eh? You supposed to be my Clarence or something?”With a playful gasp, she responded, “Oh my God! Does that mean you're Jimmy Stewart?! I've had the biggest crush on you for Years!”Ken gave a nervous laugh. “Alright, alright, I walked into that one. But in all seriousness.”“No, I'm not a Guardian Angel or the Word of God or anything like that. Just an average person like you.” Motioning to the bench, she asked, “May I?”“Sure, I guess,” Ken answered, scooting to the edge.“Thanks.” Taking a seat, she continued, “So tell me this, Ken: why would you want to hurt, maybe kill yourself?”His face twisted in pain. “You don't want to know.”“I do. Believe me, I do.”Sighing with reluctance, Ken relented and began to tell Gabby of the events of the day. He started with Jacqueline and Jason, then the confrontation with his uncle, and finally the fake phone number showing Jacqueline's true colors. Through it all, Gabby sat in silence, maintaining eye contact and nodding whenever appropriate. At last, he finished his story, and Gabby could feel her heart breaking within her chest.“Ken; I'm so sorry. I can feel the pain in your voice. No one deserves what you've gone through today. I know it's of little help, but I do understand what you're going through.”“Understand?” Ken said, incredulous. “How could a girl like you understand any of this? I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous, and I bet you've always been popular. Just like Jacqueline. Just like Jason. Just like Uncle Lee. None of you could ever imagine the world I live in.”With a stern look on her face, she replied, “I'm going to choose to let that slide, considering everything you've told me. Still, you need to know that what you just said was quite hurtful. Almost as hurtful as the things that have been said to you today.”Ken recoiled. He knew she was right. “I'm; I'm sorry. You're right; I should never have said that. You've been nothing but nice to me tonight.”“Apology accepted,” Gabby said with a smile. “Humility is a rare trait in men these days. Hang on to that.”Ken thought she might be mocking him, but bit his tongue nonetheless. He had already insulted her once, and he wasn't going to chance a second time.Seeking to turn the conversation to happier topics, she asked, “M I T, huh? You're an awful long way from home, aren't you?”“Huh? Oh, the hoodie. Yeah, I'm a freshman there this year, just home on break right now.”“Nice. Major?”“Health sciences. I want to go to medical school after MIT, though I'm still figuring out a specialty.”“Plenty of time to decide that. I'm sure you'll find the right career path,” she said with a grin.As nice as it was to talk about a familiar topic, a few things still bugged Ken's mind to no end. “I still can't figure it out; why would Jacqueline do this?”Frowning, Gabby replied, “Some people are cruel. Often the ones that are the cruelest disguise it with a kind, warm public demeanor. Jacqueline sounds like she fits that mold to a T.”“And she hid it all that time while we were in school?”“You were useful at the time, in her mind. She wasn't going to chance losing that. Once she got what she needed, she had no more reason to hide her true feelings.”“Yeah, but still. Why be all friendly to me in the store?”“In her twisted mind, she probably felt she was doing you a favor. She wanted to ensure you never tried to contact her again. To a cruel person like her; that's her idea of doing you a kindness,” Gabby replied sadly. “We just have to hope that there's enough real kindness in this world to counteract such cruelty.”Now noticing a silver cross hanging from her neck, Ken pointed to it and asked, “I guess this the part where you start lecturing me about suicide? That I'm being selfish and trying to go against God's plan?”“No,” she replied with simplicity.“No?”“No. Ken, I meant it when I said that I've seen that look before. I know better than most that suicidal thoughts are rarely that simple. There's no switch that can turn them off. It's a tide that must be turned back, bit by bit.”Stunned, Ken started to see that this woman understood what was important in life. Realizing he still had the knife in his hand, he folded it closed and put it back in his pocket.“Bit by bit,” she said with a smile. “My car's around the corner. Is there somewhere I can take you? Where do you live?”“I'm not going home. Not yet,” Ken replied. “Not with my uncles still there.”“No problem. I'm not going to force you.” Thinking a moment, she continued, “It's pretty cold out here. Why don't you come back to my place for a bit?”“That's; unnecessary. I'm fine on my own.”“Nice try, but no cigar,” she said. “I'm not leaving you alone with that knife, mister. And I'm certainly not leaving you alone on Christmas Eve. Nobody should be alone for the holidays.”“Thanks, but; won't your husband mind?”“He would, if I were married.”“Boyfriend?”“Nope, just my townhouse and me. Pretty cozy, all things considered. No problems with you coming over, but I do have one condition.”“And what's that?”Smirking, Gabby replied, “You call your mom right now and tell her you're okay.”Hesitating a moment, Ken soon relented. “Fine.” Tapping his phone, Ken waited as it rang. “Hey Mom, it's me; Yeah, I'm okay; No, seriously. I'm fine; Yeah I'm just hanging with a friend. I probably won't be back ‘til tomorrow; I will; Love you too; Bye.”“See? Now that wasn't so bad, was it?” Gabby teased him.Eying her, Ken asked. “You're seriously okay with bringing me to your home?”“Positive.”Taking his hand, Gabby led him to her car.Gabby's guest.The drive had been silent for the most part. Ken was still trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Who was this woman? Why would she go to such great lengths for a stranger she didn't even know? Gabby seemed to pick up on this, refraining from prodding him for any further conversation. She could tell he was still processing the events of the day. Soon, they arrived at her townhouse complex and pulled into her garage.“Come on in, make yourself at home,” she said as she turned on the lights. “Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”“Hot chocolate sounds good, thanks.”“Coming right up!”As she hung her hat and jacket up on a rack, Ken couldn't help but stare. He now saw that she wasn't just a pretty face; her entire body was sublime. She wore a tight burgundy sweater and a pair of tight, form-fitting jeans. This ensemble only served to accent her body even further. Her hourglass figure was delectable, her slim waist contrasting with her curvy hips and ample bust. She was also just as tall as him, perhaps a bit taller, with legs for miles. Though Ken had fantasized about some of his classmates, none of them could come anywhere close to Gabby. She was a woman, not a girl, and in the prime of her life no less.“Here you go,” she said, handing Ken a mug.After blowing on the hot drink, he took a sip, feeling the warm liquid spreading through his body. “Thanks,” he sighed.“No problem,” she replied with a smile. “Come on, let's go relax in the den.”She led him into an intimate area with a sofa and a loveseat. The only illumination came from the twinkling multicolored lights on her Christmas tree in the corner. As Ken took in the relaxing surroundings, smelling the delicious scent of her Frazier fir tree, Gabby stepped over to the fireplace opposite the sofa. Flipping a switch, she soon had a comfortable fire roaring from the gas logs. She then sat on the sofa, placing her mug on the side table and patting the spot next to her.“Come sit. I promise I don't bite,” she said with a playful grin.“Um, okay.” he mumbled, scooting as close to the armrest as he could to give Gabby plenty of space.“Tell me about M I T,” she inquired. “You mentioned you want to go into health sciences. Does that include medical school?”“Uh, yeah with any luck. Harvard would be my top choice, but I don't know if I could afford it. But assuming so, my dream has always been to be a brain surgeon.”“Brain surgeon?! That's so cool! They're like; the most badass of all the badass doctors! Not just surgeons, brain surgeons!” Gabby gushed.“It's, uh, not that big a deal,” Ken replied as he blushed with embarrassment.“Well, I could totally see you as a brain surgeon. Don't ever give up on it.”“Thanks.”“So, what then for you, Dr. Dix? What happens once you reach your dream?”Ken began to feel a strange amount of comfort with this woman, and started to open up to her. “Honestly; I don't know. I mean even if I become a brain surgeon, I'm still hopeless around girls. Maybe Jason's right. I'm gonna die a virgin.” Realizing what he had confessed to her, he turned to Gabby and blurted out, “Not that it's your problem, or anything. S-sorry, I just; I shouldn't have gone that far.”Gabby just smiled and moved closer to him, brushing her hand against his arm.“Don't worry about it. You have goals, both personal and professional, but aren't sure exactly how to achieve them. So you're a virgin. That's nothing to be embarrassed about, and it's healthy to express your anxiety about it. That can help you overcome your fears. In all seriousness, I think you underestimate yourself, Ken.”“Underestimate myself?”“Of course,” Gabby replied. “You're smart, considerate, polite, you even held the car door for me earlier! Any girl you'd want to be with is gonna swoon at traits like that. I can also tell that you still think of yourself as unattractive, but I disagree. You wear glasses, yes, but that doesn't make you a dork. Your hair is a little shaggy, but not greasy or anything. You may not have a tan, but your skin complexion is damn near flawless. You have nothing to be ashamed of, be it your looks or your personality.”“You're about the only woman who thinks so,” he sighed.“Doubtful, but if it's that big a worry for you, I can give you a couple of pointers, if you like.”“Um, oh, okay I guess.”“Great! Okay, so you definitely give off the ‘geek' vibe, but that's not a bad thing. Don't fight it; own it.”“How?”“Well, you can make just some slight alterations to your outward appearance that can change the way others see you. For example, you could switch to wire-framed glasses instead of your horn-rimmed ones. Your hair is a great color, and would do well in a short, clean-cut style, if I do say so myself. You can also change out your usual t-shirts for some casual polo shirts.”“So; the secret to getting women to notice me is to change who I am?” Ken asked, feeling more than a little offended.Cocking her eyebrow, Gabby replied, “Are you saying your glasses, hair length, and shirt choices define who you are?”“Oh, uh; fair point,” Ken conceded.“See? Humility. Such a rare quality these days,” Gabby said with a grin. “To be honest, all the changes I suggested are things my brother did a couple of years back. He was a complete geek, maybe even bigger than you. The poor boy was helpless around the fairer sex. But after he made these changes, he no longer came off as the socially awkward geek. He came off as a self-assured, confident geek, one who loves himself for who he is. I see that potential in you, Ken.” Grabbing her iPad from the side table, she pulled up a couple of pictures for him. “See? Here's before. And here's after.”“Woah,” Ken marveled. He could see the drastic difference. The guy hadn't done anything to make himself stronger or bulkier, nothing to increase his manliness, but the things he did change just popped in all the right ways. Was it really that simple?“That's great and all, but can new clothes and a haircut get rid of social awkwardness? I still don't have even a shred of confidence around women,” Ken said.“They can help, but a change in your mental confidence is completely based on your willpower. You have to love yourself as much as you want others to love you. If you don't, everyone else will pick up on it.”“Knew there was a catch.”Gabby bit her lip in frustration. There had to be a way she could give him the confidence boost he needed to love himself, but how? Getting one somewhat crazy idea, she moved closer to Ken.“I'm guessing from your previous statements that; you've never kissed a girl before. Is that right Ken?”Poor Ken Dix didn't even know what had hit him. Here he was, sitting with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and the unthinkable was beginning to happen. She was moving closer, running her fingers through his hair, and now wanted to know if he'd ever been kissed! This was too much, way beyond any of his hottest dreams. Unable to find the words to respond, he managed to slowly nod his head.“Close your eyes,” she instructed in her sweet voice. When he only blinked in reply, she whispered, “Close; your eyes, Ken. Trust me.”Guided by an unseen force, Ken felt compelled to obey her. His eyes finally fluttered closed, and his breathing became more labored in anticipation of what was to come. A small part of him doubted that she was being truthful, thinking that she'd fake him out just like Jacqueline had. Those doubts were soon quashed, as he felt the warm sensation of Gabby's face leaning close to his. He could feel her breathing. He could smell her perfume. If there was a God, Ken prayed, then and there; that He could make this incredible moment last forever.After what felt like eons, Gabby finally released their building tension and touched her lips to Ken's. Her kiss was soft at first, allowing him to savor the new sensations he was feeling. Ken was so terrified and excited all at once that he could barely even move his lips in reply. Not that it mattered to Gabby. She had expected his fear, and made sure to keep her technique simple yet enjoyable. After around thirty seconds, she withdrew at last, her face aglow in the Christmas tree light.“Wow,” Ken managed to mutter as he opened his eyes. He soon noticed that he couldn't see Gabby at all; his glasses had fogged up from their kiss.“Here, let's just take these off,” Gabby said with a giggle. She slipped his glasses off and laid them on her side table. “Now then, since we've gotten your first kiss out of the way, ready to really dive in?”“Dive in to what?” Ken asked, his nerves beginning to fray.“Kissing, silly! You do know there's much more to it than what we just did, right?”“More?”“Of course! Look, one day you'll get the prime opportunity to kiss a special lady, and I want you to be ready when that chance comes.”To be continued in part 2, based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts for Sex Stories.

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time. Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What's up, Mom?”“I've got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I'm going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don't have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he'd just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he'd made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn't wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom's list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren't harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I'd see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won't settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I'm just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it's great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I'm, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don't know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that's sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I'll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn't believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline's fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I've got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I've got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason's longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She's an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don't belong on the same Planet as her! You're nothing'! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken's arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken's gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won't be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn't have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn't?”“I did. Jason, someday you'll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won't bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn't bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn't want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken's mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason's punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that's not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan's families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken's seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man's gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that's family; I don't want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles' cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I've got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it's Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I'll; I'll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It's a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn't even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You've reached Live 95.5 FM's world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you've reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn't help creeping on her! That's where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You're doing everyone a favor! If you'd like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken's rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn't even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She's far worse! I can't imagine how evil she'd be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken's mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn't know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason's words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn't have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken's initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason's cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that's not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle's Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It's a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.”“Oh, Jimmy Stewart, you charmer you.” Gabby sighed.Soon, her emotions welled up as the hopeless romantic that was George Bailey began to succumb to the pressures and injustices of life. He had blamed his own uncle for destroying their business, lashed out at his wife and children in anger, and gone crawling to his hated rival for a loan. The hardest scenes for her to watch were always the bar fight and the car crash. Still, she always stuck it out. The best was yet to come.Just as George stood atop the bridge, Gabby caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A young man of about nineteen or twenty was watching the movie from a distance away, leaning against a tree near the road. His face twisted in angst as he saw the pain on display in the film, and he soon spun around, walking into the nearby park. Gabby couldn't explain why, but something compelled her to follow him and make sure he was okay.Collecting her lawn chair, she walked along the perimeter of the green space, soon arriving at the entrance to the park. As she went, she began to hear angry shouting up ahead of her; it sounded like the young man was in distress. After a few minutes, she came upon the fountain situated in the center of the park. On a bench sat the man from earlier, appearing to be deep in thought. By the glow of the lamppost, Gabby could now get a good look at him. He appeared to be of average height, maybe 5'7”, and had shaggy black hair that seemed a bit unkempt. Still, it's color shone in the light of the park, and his white skin provided for quite a striking appearance. A pair of black horn-rimmed glasses framed his face, which combined with his red MIT hoodie to project a very specific image into Gabby's mind. He had to be incredibly intelligent.As she studied him, she saw the young man pull an object out of the pocket of his jeans. Catching a glimpse of something reflective, she could now see that he was holding a small folding knife. Gabby tensed up and wondered if she should run, but soon decided against it; he didn't seem to have even noticed her presence. In fact, the way he looked at the knife was quite unsettling. It was as if he saw that little blade as his best friend in the world. She knew the look in his eyes. She knew what would happen in a moment if she did nothing. Taking a deep breath, Gabby decided to act.“Hey.”Intervention.Ken was startled by the unfamiliar voice. Looking up, he now saw a woman in her early twenties standing across the way. She gazed at him with intent, but for what reason he did not know. Looking back at her, Ken's typical awkwardness began to kick in, as he could see that she was quite beautiful. Dressed warmly in a black winter coat and blue jeans, she wore a grey knit cap over her long blonde hair. Upon first glance, she appeared to be of some sort of Scandinavian descent, or perhaps German, though Ken couldn't be sure. His mouth went dry as he tried to find the words to speak.“Everything okay?” she asked.“Uh; fine. Why do you, um; why do you ask?”Smiling, she replied, “I saw you over on the green, watching the movie. By the look on your face, you were having a tough time with it. When I saw you walk off towards the park, I felt I should come and see if anything was wrong.”“No, nothing's wrong.”“Good. Then I shouldn't be concerned about the way you're looking at that knife of yours, right?”Shaking his head, Ken answered, “I'm not going to hurt you. Promise.”“That's not what I'm concerned about.”“Wha; what do you mean?” Ken asked, his eyes growing wide.“I've seen that look before,” she said, taking a couple of steps closer. “I am, sadly, all too familiar with it. You were about to hurt yourself, weren't you?”“You don't know a thing about me, lady,” Ken muttered, preparing to leave.“I don't have to know anything about you to be concerned,” she fired back.“Concerned,” Ken snorted. “How could you be concerned about me? You don't even know me!”“Easily rectified. Gabrielle Libertine. My friends call me Gabby,” she said, sticking out her hand with a warm smile. When he didn't respond, she smirked and continued, “This is the part where you tell me your name.”Sighing, he replied, “Ken. Ken Dix.”“A pleasure, Ken,” she said as they shook hands.“So; Gabrielle, eh? You supposed to be my Clarence or something?”With a playful gasp, she responded, “Oh my God! Does that mean you're Jimmy Stewart?! I've had the biggest crush on you for Years!”Ken gave a nervous laugh. “Alright, alright, I walked into that one. But in all seriousness.”“No, I'm not a Guardian Angel or the Word of God or anything like that. Just an average person like you.” Motioning to the bench, she asked, “May I?”“Sure, I guess,” Ken answered, scooting to the edge.“Thanks.” Taking a seat, she continued, “So tell me this, Ken: why would you want to hurt, maybe kill yourself?”His face twisted in pain. “You don't want to know.”“I do. Believe me, I do.”Sighing with reluctance, Ken relented and began to tell Gabby of the events of the day. He started with Jacqueline and Jason, then the confrontation with his uncle, and finally the fake phone number showing Jacqueline's true colors. Through it all, Gabby sat in silence, maintaining eye contact and nodding whenever appropriate. At last, he finished his story, and Gabby could feel her heart breaking within her chest.“Ken; I'm so sorry. I can feel the pain in your voice. No one deserves what you've gone through today. I know it's of little help, but I do understand what you're going through.”“Understand?” Ken said, incredulous. “How could a girl like you understand any of this? I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous, and I bet you've always been popular. Just like Jacqueline. Just like Jason. Just like Uncle Lee. None of you could ever imagine the world I live in.”With a stern look on her face, she replied, “I'm going to choose to let that slide, considering everything you've told me. Still, you need to know that what you just said was quite hurtful. Almost as hurtful as the things that have been said to you today.”Ken recoiled. He knew she was right. “I'm; I'm sorry. You're right; I should never have said that. You've been nothing but nice to me tonight.”“Apology accepted,” Gabby said with a smile. “Humility is a rare trait in men these days. Hang on to that.”Ken thought she might be mocking him, but bit his tongue nonetheless. He had already insulted her once, and he wasn't going to chance a second time.Seeking to turn the conversation to happier topics, she asked, “M I T, huh? You're an awful long way from home, aren't you?”“Huh? Oh, the hoodie. Yeah, I'm a freshman there this year, just home on break right now.”“Nice. Major?”“Health sciences. I want to go to medical school after MIT, though I'm still figuring out a specialty.”“Plenty of time to decide that. I'm sure you'll find the right career path,” she said with a grin.As nice as it was to talk about a familiar topic, a few things still bugged Ken's mind to no end. “I still can't figure it out; why would Jacqueline do this?”Frowning, Gabby replied, “Some people are cruel. Often the ones that are the cruelest disguise it with a kind, warm public demeanor. Jacqueline sounds like she fits that mold to a T.”“And she hid it all that time while we were in school?”“You were useful at the time, in her mind. She wasn't going to chance losing that. Once she got what she needed, she had no more reason to hide her true feelings.”“Yeah, but still. Why be all friendly to me in the store?”“In her twisted mind, she probably felt she was doing you a favor. She wanted to ensure you never tried to contact her again. To a cruel person like her; that's her idea of doing you a kindness,” Gabby replied sadly. “We just have to hope that there's enough real kindness in this world to counteract such cruelty.”Now noticing a silver cross hanging from her neck, Ken pointed to it and asked, “I guess this the part where you start lecturing me about suicide? That I'm being selfish and trying to go against God's plan?”“No,” she replied with simplicity.“No?”“No. Ken, I meant it when I said that I've seen that look before. I know better than most that suicidal thoughts are rarely that simple. There's no switch that can turn them off. It's a tide that must be turned back, bit by bit.”Stunned, Ken started to see that this woman understood what was important in life. Realizing he still had the knife in his hand, he folded it closed and put it back in his pocket.“Bit by bit,” she said with a smile. “My car's around the corner. Is there somewhere I can take you? Where do you live?”“I'm not going home. Not yet,” Ken replied. “Not with my uncles still there.”“No problem. I'm not going to force you.” Thinking a moment, she continued, “It's pretty cold out here. Why don't you come back to my place for a bit?”“That's; unnecessary. I'm fine on my own.”“Nice try, but no cigar,” she said. “I'm not leaving you alone with that knife, mister. And I'm certainly not leaving you alone on Christmas Eve. Nobody should be alone for the holidays.”“Thanks, but; won't your husband mind?”“He would, if I were married.”“Boyfriend?”“Nope, just my townhouse and me. Pretty cozy, all things considered. No problems with you coming over, but I do have one condition.”“And what's that?”Smirking, Gabby replied, “You call your mom right now and tell her you're okay.”Hesitating a moment, Ken soon relented. “Fine.” Tapping his phone, Ken waited as it rang. “Hey Mom, it's me; Yeah, I'm okay; No, seriously. I'm fine; Yeah I'm just hanging with a friend. I probably won't be back ‘til tomorrow; I will; Love you too; Bye.”“See? Now that wasn't so bad, was it?” Gabby teased him.Eying her, Ken asked. “You're seriously okay with bringing me to your home?”“Positive.”Taking his hand, Gabby led him to her car.Gabby's guest.The drive had been silent for the most part. Ken was still trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Who was this woman? Why would she go to such great lengths for a stranger she didn't even know? Gabby seemed to pick up on this, refraining from prodding him for any further conversation. She could tell he was still processing the events of the day. Soon, they arrived at her townhouse complex and pulled into her garage.“Come on in, make yourself at home,” she said as she turned on the lights. “Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”“Hot chocolate sounds good, thanks.”“Coming right up!”As she hung her hat and jacket up on a rack, Ken couldn't help but stare. He now saw that she wasn't just a pretty face; her entire body was sublime. She wore a tight burgundy sweater and a pair of tight, form-fitting jeans. This ensemble only served to accent her body even further. Her hourglass figure was delectable, her slim waist contrasting with her curvy hips and ample bust. She was also just as tall as him, perhaps a bit taller, with legs for miles. Though Ken had fantasized about some of his classmates, none of them could come anywhere close to Gabby. She was a woman, not a girl, and in the prime of her life no less.“Here you go,” she said, handing Ken a mug.After blowing on the hot drink, he took a sip, feeling the warm liquid spreading through his body. “Thanks,” he sighed.“No problem,” she replied with a smile. “Come on, let's go relax in the den.”She led him into an intimate area with a sofa and a loveseat. The only illumination came from the twinkling multicolored lights on her Christmas tree in the corner. As Ken took in the relaxing surroundings, smelling the delicious scent of her Frazier fir tree, Gabby stepped over to the fireplace opposite the sofa. Flipping a switch, she soon had a comfortable fire roaring from the gas logs. She then sat on the sofa, placing her mug on the side table and patting the spot next to her.“Come sit. I promise I don't bite,” she said with a playful grin.“Um, okay.” he mumbled, scooting as close to the armrest as he could to give Gabby plenty of space.“Tell me about M I T,” she inquired. “You mentioned you want to go into health sciences. Does that include medical school?”“Uh, yeah with any luck. Harvard would be my top choice, but I don't know if I could afford it. But assuming so, my dream has always been to be a brain surgeon.”“Brain surgeon?! That's so cool! They're like; the most badass of all the badass doctors! Not just surgeons, brain surgeons!” Gabby gushed.“It's, uh, not that big a deal,” Ken replied as he blushed with embarrassment.“Well, I could totally see you as a brain surgeon. Don't ever give up on it.”“Thanks.”“So, what then for you, Dr. Dix? What happens once you reach your dream?”Ken began to feel a strange amount of comfort with this woman, and started to open up to her. “Honestly; I don't know. I mean even if I become a brain surgeon, I'm still hopeless around girls. Maybe Jason's right. I'm gonna die a virgin.” Realizing what he had confessed to her, he turned to Gabby and blurted out, “Not that it's your problem, or anything. S-sorry, I just; I shouldn't have gone that far.”Gabby just smiled and moved closer to him, brushing her hand against his arm.“Don't worry about it. You have goals, both personal and professional, but aren't sure exactly how to achieve them. So you're a virgin. That's nothing to be embarrassed about, and it's healthy to express your anxiety about it. That can help you overcome your fears. In all seriousness, I think you underestimate yourself, Ken.”“Underestimate myself?”“Of course,” Gabby replied. “You're smart, considerate, polite, you even held the car door for me earlier! Any girl you'd want to be with is gonna swoon at traits like that. I can also tell that you still think of yourself as unattractive, but I disagree. You wear glasses, yes, but that doesn't make you a dork. Your hair is a little shaggy, but not greasy or anything. You may not have a tan, but your skin complexion is damn near flawless. You have nothing to be ashamed of, be it your looks or your personality.”“You're about the only woman who thinks so,” he sighed.“Doubtful, but if it's that big a worry for you, I can give you a couple of pointers, if you like.”“Um, oh, okay I guess.”“Great! Okay, so you definitely give off the ‘geek' vibe, but that's not a bad thing. Don't fight it; own it.”“How?”“Well, you can make just some slight alterations to your outward appearance that can change the way others see you. For example, you could switch to wire-framed glasses instead of your horn-rimmed ones. Your hair is a great color, and would do well in a short, clean-cut style, if I do say so myself. You can also change out your usual t-shirts for some casual polo shirts.”“So; the secret to getting women to notice me is to change who I am?” Ken asked, feeling more than a little offended.Cocking her eyebrow, Gabby replied, “Are you saying your glasses, hair length, and shirt choices define who you are?”“Oh, uh; fair point,” Ken conceded.“See? Humility. Such a rare quality these days,” Gabby said with a grin. “To be honest, all the changes I suggested are things my brother did a couple of years back. He was a complete geek, maybe even bigger than you. The poor boy was helpless around the fairer sex. But after he made these changes, he no longer came off as the socially awkward geek. He came off as a self-assured, confident geek, one who loves himself for who he is. I see that potential in you, Ken.” Grabbing her iPad from the side table, she pulled up a couple of pictures for him. “See? Here's before. And here's after.”“Woah,” Ken marveled. He could see the drastic difference. The guy hadn't done anything to make himself stronger or bulkier, nothing to increase his manliness, but the things he did change just popped in all the right ways. Was it really that simple?“That's great and all, but can new clothes and a haircut get rid of social awkwardness? I still don't have even a shred of confidence around women,” Ken said.“They can help, but a change in your mental confidence is completely based on your willpower. You have to love yourself as much as you want others to love you. If you don't, everyone else will pick up on it.”“Knew there was a catch.”Gabby bit her lip in frustration. There had to be a way she could give him the confidence boost he needed to love himself, but how? Getting one somewhat crazy idea, she moved closer to Ken.“I'm guessing from your previous statements that; you've never kissed a girl before. Is that right Ken?”Poor Ken Dix didn't even know what had hit him. Here he was, sitting with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and the unthinkable was beginning to happen. She was moving closer, running her fingers through his hair, and now wanted to know if he'd ever been kissed! This was too much, way beyond any of his hottest dreams. Unable to find the words to respond, he managed to slowly nod his head.“Close your eyes,” she instructed in her sweet voice. When he only blinked in reply, she whispered, “Close; your eyes, Ken. Trust me.”Guided by an unseen force, Ken felt compelled to obey her. His eyes finally fluttered closed, and his breathing became more labored in anticipation of what was to come. A small part of him doubted that she was being truthful, thinking that she'd fake him out just like Jacqueline had. Those doubts were soon quashed, as he felt the warm sensation of Gabby's face leaning close to his. He could feel her breathing. He could smell her perfume. If there was a God, Ken prayed, then and there; that He could make this incredible moment last forever.After what felt like eons, Gabby finally released their building tension and touched her lips to Ken's. Her kiss was soft at first, allowing him to savor the new sensations he was feeling. Ken was so terrified and excited all at once that he could barely even move his lips in reply. Not that it mattered to Gabby. She had expected his fear, and made sure to keep her technique simple yet enjoyable. After around thirty seconds, she withdrew at last, her face aglow in the Christmas tree light.“Wow,” Ken managed to mutter as he opened his eyes. He soon noticed that he couldn't see Gabby at all; his glasses had fogged up from their kiss.“Here, let's just take these off,” Gabby said with a giggle. She slipped his glasses off and laid them on her side table. “Now then, since we've gotten your first kiss out of the way, ready to really dive in?”“Dive in to what?” Ken asked, his nerves beginning to fray.“Kissing, silly! You do know there's much more to it than what we just did, right?”“More?”“Of course! Look, one day you'll get the prime opportunity to kiss a special lady, and I want you to be ready when that chance comes.”To be continued in part 2, based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts for Sex Stories.

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we watch three episodes of pro wrestling from 1984! A episode of Memphis Wrestling, an episode of Southeast Championship Wrestling, and an episode of Southwest Championship Wrestling! We talk Jerry Lawler, Randy Savage, Tonga Kid, Mr. Wrestling II, Rick Rude, Blackjack Mulligan, Manny Fernandez, Jimmy Golden, Joe Blanchard, Kevin … Continue reading Episode 327: Smirking, Shirtless Jimmy Golden → The post Episode 327: Smirking, Shirtless Jimmy Golden appeared first on Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam.

Chapter 5 - An Excess of PhlegmQ1 - Tonks seems really sad and out of it at the beginning of this chapter…why?‘What do you like me to call you when we're alone together?' Even by the dim light of the lantern Harry could tell that Mrs Weasley had turned bright red; he himself felt suddenly warm around the ears and neck, and hastily gulped soup, clattering his spoon as loudly as he could against the bowl. ‘Mollywobbles,' whispered a mortified Mrs Weasley into the crack at the edge of the door. ‘Correct,' said Mr Weasley. ‘Now you can let me in.'Q2 - What do you think of Mollywobbles?Mrs Weasley made a noise that sounded like ‘tchah!' ‘Mum hates her,' said Ginny quietly. ‘I do not hate her!' said Mrs Weasley in a cross whisper. ‘I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!' ‘They've known each other a year,' said Ron, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door. ‘Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course.Q3 - What do you think of Fleur coming back into the story?‘Nobody knows what it said, though,' said Hermione quickly. ‘It got smashed.' ‘Although the Prophet says –' began Ron, but Hermione said, ‘Shh!' ‘The Prophet's got it right,' said Harry, looking up at them both with a great effort: Hermione seemed frightened and Ron amazed. ‘That glass ball that smashed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said,' Harry took a deep breath, ‘it looks like I'm the one who's got to finish off Voldemort … at least, it said neither of us could live while the other survives.' The three of them gazed at each other in silence for a moment.Q4 - What do you think of Harry telling Ron and Hermione the prophecy?Harry did not really listen. A warmth was spreading through him that had nothing to do with the sunlight; a tight obstruction in his chest seemed to be dissolving. He knew that Ron and Hermione were more shocked than they were letting on, but the mere fact that they were still there on either side of him, speaking bracing words of comfort, not shrinking from him as though he were contaminated or dangerous, was worth more than he could ever tell them.Q5 - Why do you think Harry is feeling this?Q6 - What do you think of Harry's OWL results?Q7 - Do you remember what you got on your SATs?Harry looked back down at his results. They were as good as he could have hoped for. He felt just one tiny twinge of regret … this was the end of his ambition to become an Auror. He had not secured the required Potions grade. He had known all along that he wouldn't, but he still felt a sinking in his stomach as he looked again at that small black ‘E'.Q8 - So Harry can't become an Auror, what career path will he go down now?Chapter 6 - Draco's DetourHe spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasleys' orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well-matched).Q1 - How much does Ron suck at Quidditch?‘And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it – well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother Regulus only managed a few days as far as I can remember.'Q2 - What do you think about Igor Karkaroff being dead?Q3 - What do you think of Ollivander being gone?Q4 - How is Bill able to take money out of Harry's vault?‘I see that being Dumbledore's favorite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you.' Harry looked mockingly all around the shop. ‘Wow … look at that … he's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!'Q5 - Is Harry smart to instigate this?Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You SHOULD Be Worrying About U-NO-POO – the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!‘“Patented Daydream Charms …”' Hermione had managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter and was reading the information on the back of a box bearing a highly coloured picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship. ‘“One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side-effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.” You know,' said Hermione, looking up at Harry, ‘that really is extraordinary magic!' ‘For that, Hermione,' said a voice behind them, ‘you can have one for free.'Q6 - How brilliant is the joke shop?Q7 - What is their best invention: Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, Decoy Detonators, or Shield Hats?They had drawn level with the only shop in Knockturn Alley that Harry had ever visited: Borgin and Burkes, which sold a wide variety of sinister objects. There in the midst of the cases full of skulls and old bottles stood Draco Malfoy with his back to them, just visible beyond the very same large black cabinet in which Harry had once hidden to avoid Malfoy and his father. Judging by the movements of Malfoy's hands he was talking animatedly. The proprietor of the shop, Mr Borgin, an oily-haired, stooping man, stood facing Malfoy. He was wearing a curious expression of mingled resentment and fear…‘… you know how to fix it?' ‘Possibly,' said Borgin, in a tone that suggested he was unwilling to commit himself. ‘I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?' ‘I can't,' said Malfoy. ‘It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it.'Q8 - What is Draco trying to mend?‘No?' said Malfoy and Harry knew, just by his tone, that Malfoy was sneering. ‘Perhaps this will make you more confident.' He moved towards Borgin and was blocked from view by the cabinet. Harry, Ron and Hermione shuffled sideways to try and keep him in sight, but all they could see was Borgin, looking very frightened.Q9 - What did Draco show him?Chapter 7 - The Slug Club‘Malfoy, revenge? What can he do about it?' ‘That's my point, I don't know!' said Harry, frustrated. ‘But he's up to something and I think we should take it seriously. His father's a Death Eater and –' Harry broke off, his eyes fixed on the window behind Hermione, his mouth open. A startling thought had just occurred to him. ‘Harry?' said Hermione in an anxious voice. ‘What's wrong?' ‘Your scar's not hurting again, is it?' asked Ron nervously. ‘He's a Death Eater,' said Harry slowly. ‘He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!'Q1 - You think Harry is right about Draco being a Death Eater?‘Au revoir, 'Arry,' said Fleur throatily, kissing him goodbye. Ron hurried forwards, looking hopeful, but Ginny stuck out her foot and Ron fell, sprawling in the dust at Fleur's feet. Furious, red-faced and dirt-spattered, he hurried into the car without saying goodbye.Q2 - Is Ginny becoming a mean girl?‘They're staring at you because you were at the Ministry, too,' said Harry, as he hoisted his trunk into the luggage rack. ‘Our little adventure there was all over the Daily Prophet, you must've seen it.' ‘Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity,' said Neville, ‘but she was really pleased. Says I'm starting to live up to my dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!' He pulled it out and showed it to Harry. ‘Cherry and unicorn hair,' he said proudly. ‘We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold, he vanished next day – oi, come back here, Trevor!'Q3 - Is Neville going to be better or worse now that he has a new wand?Q4 - Why did Draco forgo his role as Prefect?Every now and then students would hurtle out of their compartments to get a better look at him. The exception was Cho Chang, who darted into her compartment when she saw Harry coming. As Harry passed the window he saw her deep in determined conversation with her friend Marietta, who was wearing a very thick layer of makeup that did not entirely obscure the odd formation of pimples still etched across her face. Smirking slightly, Harry pushed on.Q5 - Does Marietta deserve this?Q6 - What do you think about Slughorn's little club?Q7 - Is Draco dating Pansy Parkinson?Malfoy yawned ostentatiously. ‘I mean, I might not even be at Hogwarts next year, what's it matter to me if some fat old has-been likes me or not?' ‘What do you mean, you might not be at Hogwarts next year?' said Pansy indignantly, ceasing grooming Malfoy at once. ‘Well, you never know,' said Malfoy with the ghost of a smirk. ‘I might have – er – moved on to bigger and better things.'Q8 - What do you think he means by this?‘I thought so,' he said jubilantly. ‘I heard Goyle's trunk hit you. And I thought I saw something white flash through the air after Zabini came back …' His eyes lingered for a moment upon Harry's trainers. ‘That was you blocking the door when Zabini came back in, I suppose?' He considered Harry for a moment. ‘You didn't hear anything I care about, Potter. But while I've got you here …' And he stamped, hard, on Harry's face. Harry felt his nose break; blood spurted everywhere.Q9 - What do you think of Draco besting Harry?Chapter 8 - Snape VictoriousQ1 - How do you think Tonks found Harry?‘Hagrid was late for the start-of-term feast, just like Potter here, so I took it instead. And incidentally,' said Snape, standing back to allow Harry to pass him, ‘I was interested to see your new Patronus.' He shut the gates in her face with a loud clang and tapped the chains with his wand again, so that they slithered, clinking, back into place. ‘I think you were better off with the old one,' said Snape, the malice in his voice unmistakeable. ‘The new one looks weak.'Q2 - What do you think of Patronus' changing form? How would it change form?Q3 - Why do you think Snape is mean to her?‘Fifty points from Gryffindor for lateness, I think,' said Snape. ‘And, let me see, another twenty for your Muggle attire. You know, I don't believe any house has ever been in negative figures this early in the term – we haven't even started pudding. You might have set a record, Potter.'Q4 - The points are stupid.‘Professor Snape, meanwhile,' said Dumbledore, raising his voice so that it carried over all the muttering, ‘will be taking over the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.' ‘No!' said Harry, so loudly that many heads turned in his direction. He did not care; he was staring up at the staff table, incensed. How could Snape be given the Defence Against the Dark Arts job after all this time? Hadn't it been widely known for years that Dumbledore did not trust him to do it?Q5 - What do you think of Snape getting the Defense against the Dark Arts job? And knowing the curse on the position, do you think he'll be there after a year?

This episode we're headed down south to Texas. America, meet Kodi Sawin (@KodiforTexas). She's running for the Texas House of Representatives in the 19th district and is up against some stiff competition. But her common sense, no nonsense approach might just have what it takes to win as an independent in deep red (but always independent) Texas. Welcome back to our groundbreaking “Meet The 2024 Independent Candidates” series—highlighting independent candidates of all kinds, for all levels of office, from all across America. In our third episode in the series we met Dan Osborn, an independent VETERAN candidate.  Kodi has served for years as the founder of the Sawin Group, specializing in public and government affairs for infrastructure and natural resource projects. She has been recognized for her knowledge and expertise in water issues in Texas and has worked with utilities, landowners, and non-profits to help fix the problems her community faces. It's a great look at the local level and the kind of race the national media never takes the time to look at, but the reality is that it's the kind of race that will make the most impact on the lives of the voters and the rest of the people that live in Sawin's district. If you're interested in independent politics—or American politics in general—this is a rare inside look at politics at the local level. If you're an independent, you've found your home. And an inspiring one at that.  Your host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) rips into all of it in this all new episode of Independent Americans. And he's digging into the announcement of the two Biden/Trump Presidential debates, the latest primary result warning signs, the news out of Ukraine, and why a Fight Club scene is a good reflection of how millions of Americans feel this election year.   Because on Independent Americans, we're focused on not just what's happening now, but also on what's happening next. Every episode is the truth beyond the headlines–and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's content for the 49% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.  -Learn more about Kodi Sawin and her race on her campaign website.  -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -WATCH video of Paul and Kodi's conversation. -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared laughs in the face of NADDPOD Dungeon Court! Lilly (once again!) accuses the Ruadons of incest! Olivia and Campbell reveal how we adopted Jared, and our Patreon goes live in the middle of recording! Grab a snack and get the scoop in this historic study break. Join the party!To unlock juicy bonus content and support us on our adventures, subscribe to our Patreon.To talk with us, theorize, and send memes, join our Discord.To stay up to date on all things G&G, follow us @galsandgoblins on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Youtube.Don't forget to leave a 5 star review! If you write us something, we'll read it on the show!

Welcome. This time I trying something a little different. Some people have time to read, others would rather listen. So this time, you get your choice. Pick the one that suits you best. Or OD on both and get some sleep! Use the Comments section to let me know your preference.Thanks!Grab your Tin Foil Hat and read on…Everyone from Tucker Carlson to (insert Sage Pundit here) is saying “Something big about to happen.” You can feel it in the air. Things are super wrong and something's gonna pop. Soon.Do you agree? Are you getting that nervous tingle more now than then? It's OK. It's going around. Even cable “news” shows are mentioning “Armageddon” – but only in sentences that start with Trump and end with Elected! So what else could it be?Well, there are lots of theories out there. Some actually have more than a tad of credibility: The end of the petro dollar. The implosion of the Fed. EMP. Civil War III. Another pandemic. Epstein didn't commit suicide. Michelle Obama for President, and, of course, CLIMATE CHANGE!!!We've heard them all plenty of times. Most make the “News” frequently enough. But this new one is crafty, conniving cleaver and you haven't heard of it until now! It's not some flaming disaster that would wipe out millions in a matter of days. But just as deadly. Here it is: Destroy the Supreme Court and in doing so, the Constitution and Rule of Law will follow.Consider: The only branch of Government holding our three branch system together is the Supreme Court and its reliance of the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Like Extreme Democrats (and they're all Extreme), you may have a philosophical problem with certain SCOTUS decisions. Personally, I'm still pissed about Wickard v. Filburn. Today, the EDs are ripped about Marbury v Madison. Last week, it was Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.  Next week, they'll get back to dumping on the Alabama Supreme Court ruling on frozen embryos. But it's Marbury v. Madison that's threatens death to the Liberals', Progressives' and Democrats' addiction to power bordering on blood lust. Why Marbury? Because it established judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws and confirming the Supreme Court as a co-equal branch of government.With Trump's surprise win over HRC, Liberals started seriously sweating coming SCOTUS vacancies. Hillary's loss guaranteed Trump SCOTUS replacements would put the future of Roe V Wade, the Democrats (un)Holy Grail of Re-Election, in critical danger.  First came the Gorsuch nomination and the embarrassing confirmation hearings. Then came the Super Spectacle of the Kavanagh confirmation which exposed the obscene conduct of Senate Democrats and the extremes of character assassination they would employ to ruin an individual's reputation - all for the sake of abortion. In addition to the repulsive conduct of Democrat Senators during the televised confirmation, 83 ethics complaints were simultaneously filed against Kavanagh. Following his confirmation, protesters began singing, "We Shall Not Be Moved," outside the capitol and a gang of protesters broke through a police line, storming up steps to pound on the doors of the U.S. Supreme Court.Then came Roe v. Wade's second day in court. “Politico leaked an initial draft majority opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. The draft, which allegedly had five votes needed to constitute the majority opinion, would strike down the landmark case Roe v. Wade” (earthrights.org).That really set the Liberals on fire. This was proof President Orange Man had nominated Justices Kavanagh and Gorsuch specifically to overturn Roe, the Extreme Liberals nightmare and the Christian Right's sweetest dream. Always the Left's campaign wedge issue, it now became worse.  For over a year, protesters picketed outside SCOTUS houses in violation of Federal law. In what could be correctly identified as an early example of Lawfare, Attorney General Merrick Garland repeatedly ignored the violations. No arrests were made until a man was caught with a gun near Justice Kavanagh's residence, arrested notably by Montgomery County Police, not Federal agents.As angry reactions to the leaked draft grew, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer executed the most egregious action of all. Smirking and screaming into microphones before roaring protestors on the steps of the Supreme Court building, he bellowed his threats to Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch personally “I'm telling you Kavanagh, I'm telling you Gorsuch! You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price!” Denying this was a direct threat leveled at two Supreme Court justices confirms one's flaccid grasp of the English language or status as a frothing rabid Liberal as mentally diseased as Schumer. Of course, with MSM support, the bulletproof hubris of elected officials and the two-tiered system of lawfare practiced by liberal judges and the entire Biden DOJ, Schumer paid no price for his threats. The Secret Service has arrested law-abiding American citizens for less.It's constructive to remember Democrats and their evil spawn have a congenital fault. They dependably telegraph their actions and intentions by accusing their opponents of precisely what they are doing in real time or plan for the future. For this New Conspiracy Theory, you'll want to recall the overt war against the Supreme Robes had its first public showing during the 2010 SOTU presented by Barry O. This was followed by other SCOTUS decisions that did not sit well with the first Black megalomaniacal President.Now, direct your attention to MSNBC, Lisa Rubin, Sky News, Chris Hayes,   Joy Reid,  Wolf Blitzer  the Democrat's primary PR firm and their choreographed, invidious melt down over the recent SCOTUS decision to hear former President Trump's immunity claim. But the prime piece de resistance came from MD Representative Jamie Raskin in a chat with CNN's Anderson Cooper in which he said “the courts weren't fast enough. The people need to become “Engaged and aroused and demand action.”Notice all of the comments have been hyper-critical attacks on the Supreme Court and its unethical allegiance to Donald Trump's legal problems. These are the ‘dog whistles' Democrats like to talk about, the ‘clues' of subversion, racism, homophobia, only MAGA Republicans can hear – as translated by Extreme Liberals. This is the foundation of the New Conspiracy Theory.By example and current events, Extreme Democrats are desperate to do anything to prevent Donald Trump becoming President again. Yet, so far, all the rumors, fake Russian dossiers, salty language, strippers, taxes, family business, election interference, insurrection, business fraud ad nauseam have done nothing other than cost Trump millions in legal fees and hours of campaigning time in court while his poll numbers grow and grow and opponents lose and lose. With Extreme Dems hair on fire fanned by the ineffectiveness of their MSM's Yellow Journalists, it has come down to a Supreme Court decision.The seeds of chaos, social unrest, economic upheaval have all been sewn by Extreme Democrats, the “party of chaos”, the illegal immigrants Best Friends, the foster parents of Ukraine – all at the expense the American economy and the American Middle Class. And still Trump wins. The ‘fundamental transformation of America” cannot wait any longer. The backbone of America, the US Constitution, already downgraded to a relic for tourists and settling the occasional legal issue, is already ignored by the Chief Executive. He even brags about it. Respect and preservation of Constitutional principles, the Bill of Rights and Rule of Law must be destroyed in order to “save our Democracy.” If successful, it will obviously do the exact opposite. That's the Super Bowl Game Plan of the Extreme Dems.Having disparaged the Constitution as being written by white supremacist slave owners, Supreme Court decisions derided by a sitting President during the State of the Union address, attacking Trump appointed Justices, the refusal of the Attorney General to act in accordance with his Constitutional responsibilities by enforcing Federal law protecting Jurists, Biden threatening to ‘pack the court' to guarantee the passage of unconstitutional Liberal schemes, gives anticipatory credence to this New Conspiracy Theory. Now add the white hot hatred and blood curdling fear of another Donald Trump presidency that would cancel the cherished New Green Deal, close the border, rebuild the military and hold accountable those who have lead the treasonous efforts to betray the American dream. Extreme Democrats and their myrmidons will go to any and all lengths in their paranoid desperation to prevent another Trump presidency. In the months leading up to the November election, with a Supreme Court decision coming that can destroy the dreams of more than half of American voters and, likely, most of those in power, the New Conspiracy Theory, the “something big” now being bandied about will come to pass at some point. In some way. But the desperation of the Extreme Democrats all but guarantees it.Like any armature Conspiracy Theorist, you wish mightily to be wrong, that everything will return to the good Old Normal of Mom, God, apple pie, baseball, hot dogs and Chevy trucks. Of course, you're free to disregard it all; have some giggles, point and laugh with your friends. If I'm wrong, you'll read it here first. If I'm right, what are your choices?BWWell…there you have it! Mash the Buttons below to Subscribe and Share with everyone you've ever met through your entire life! That should take care of the entire weekend for ya!Back with The Two and Only in a couple days. Brian Wilson Writes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Brian Wilson Writes at brianwilsonwrites.substack.com/subscribe

Schlüpfrig wird es heute beim Le Brunch von Insert Moin mit Micha, Manu und Michi - aber nur, weil die Drei so gut gelaunt sind und über merkwürdige Emojis und Death Stranding philosophieren. Das eskaliert. Vorher wird aber auch ganz klassisch über Spiele gesprochen, unter anderem Moonbreaker, das in Version 1.0 erschienen ist, Valheim oder das neue Tennis-Spiel Tie-Break. Micha hat mit Persona 3 Reload und Granblue Fantasy: Relink zudem JRPG-Schinken mitgebracht, während Manu alle Aufbau-Freunde heiß macht auf New Cycle. Wir wünschen wie immer viel Vergnügen.

Hellen, Coco, and John were 3 peas in a pod. Hellen was dating John but Coco was her best friend and they did everything together. Right now, they were sitting side by side planning what to do for Hellen's 19th birthday. Hellen and John shared suggestive looks with each other before the door opened and their nemesis walked in. Camellia. Hellen and Camellia had been in a fight over the same boys and it was coming to an end now. Hellen had finally put Camellia in her place. The 3 best friends' names were called. They stood up, smiled at each other, and made their way to the front. The judge read their charges - “kidnapping, assault, and torture.” How do you plea? “Not guilty.” They smirked and glared at Camellia. Full Source Notes: rottenmangopodcast.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Karl and Vinnie try not to murder each other as they present their nominations for Creepiest Tattoo Artist. In WATC, we check in with a true crime "10" with a bizarre way of ending sentences on a show called Serial. In the Scum Parade, we meet a really dumb thief, a couple who enjoy the company of dogs, and a very progressive mom.The score is currently 1-0 in favor of Vinnie, visit thecreepoff.com to vote and decide this week's winnerCheck out the Scum Parade stories: Bright red Crocs lead detectives to Florida man accused of robbing bakery where he used to work (yahoo.com)Grandma pushed down stairs, hit with sauce can in fatal fight with daughter, cops say (yahoo.com)State police charge three in sexual assault of a dog in York County (yahoo.com)Smirking mum 'had sex with own daughter, 10, and invited paedo round to join in' - Daily StarWant to support the show? Find us on Patreon, Supercast & Backed.by to get exclusive merch an extra bonus episode every week! 

Chapter 6 - Draco's DetourHe spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasleys' orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well-matched).Q1 - How much does Ron suck at Quidditch?‘And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it – well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother Regulus only managed a few days as far as I can remember.'Q2 - What do you think about Igor Karkaroff being dead?Q3 - What do you think of Ollivander being gone?Q4 - How is Bill able to take money out of Harry's vault?‘I see that being Dumbledore's favorite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you.' Harry looked mockingly all around the shop. ‘Wow … look at that … he's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!'Q5 - Is Harry smart to instigate this?Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You SHOULD Be Worrying About U-NO-POO – the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!‘“Patented Daydream Charms …”' Hermione had managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter and was reading the information on the back of a box bearing a highly coloured picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship. ‘“One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side-effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.” You know,' said Hermione, looking up at Harry, ‘that really is extraordinary magic!' ‘For that, Hermione,' said a voice behind them, ‘you can have one for free.'Q6 - How brilliant is the joke shop?Q7 - What is their best invention: Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, Decoy Detonators, or Shield Hats?They had drawn level with the only shop in Knockturn Alley that Harry had ever visited: Borgin and Burkes, which sold a wide variety of sinister objects. There in the midst of the cases full of skulls and old bottles stood Draco Malfoy with his back to them, just visible beyond the very same large black cabinet in which Harry had once hidden to avoid Malfoy and his father. Judging by the movements of Malfoy's hands he was talking animatedly. The proprietor of the shop, Mr Borgin, an oily-haired, stooping man, stood facing Malfoy. He was wearing a curious expression of mingled resentment and fear…‘… you know how to fix it?' ‘Possibly,' said Borgin, in a tone that suggested he was unwilling to commit himself. ‘I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?' ‘I can't,' said Malfoy. ‘It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it.'Q8 - What is Draco trying to mend?‘No?' said Malfoy and Harry knew, just by his tone, that Malfoy was sneering. ‘Perhaps this will make you more confident.' He moved towards Borgin and was blocked from view by the cabinet. Harry, Ron and Hermione shuffled sideways to try and keep him in sight, but all they could see was Borgin, looking very frightened.Q9 - What did Draco show him?Chapter 7 - The Slug Club‘Malfoy, revenge? What can he do about it?' ‘That's my point, I don't know!' said Harry, frustrated. ‘But he's up to something and I think we should take it seriously. His father's a Death Eater and –' Harry broke off, his eyes fixed on the window behind Hermione, his mouth open. A startling thought had just occurred to him. ‘Harry?' said Hermione in an anxious voice. ‘What's wrong?' ‘Your scar's not hurting again, is it?' asked Ron nervously. ‘He's a Death Eater,' said Harry slowly. ‘He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!'Q1 - You think Harry is right about Draco being a Death Eater?‘Au revoir, 'Arry,' said Fleur throatily, kissing him goodbye. Ron hurried forwards, looking hopeful, but Ginny stuck out her foot and Ron fell, sprawling in the dust at Fleur's feet. Furious, red-faced and dirt-spattered, he hurried into the car without saying goodbye.Q2 - Is Ginny becoming a mean girl?‘They're staring at you because you were at the Ministry, too,' said Harry, as he hoisted his trunk into the luggage rack. ‘Our little adventure there was all over the Daily Prophet, you must've seen it.' ‘Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity,' said Neville, ‘but she was really pleased. Says I'm starting to live up to my dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!' He pulled it out and showed it to Harry. ‘Cherry and unicorn hair,' he said proudly. ‘We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold, he vanished next day – oi, come back here, Trevor!'Q3 - Is Neville going to be better or worse now that he has a new wand?Q4 - Why did Draco forgo his role as Prefect?Every now and then students would hurtle out of their compartments to get a better look at him. The exception was Cho Chang, who darted into her compartment when she saw Harry coming. As Harry passed the window he saw her deep in determined conversation with her friend Marietta, who was wearing a very thick layer of makeup that did not entirely obscure the odd formation of pimples still etched across her face. Smirking slightly, Harry pushed on.Q5 - Does Marietta deserve this?Q6 - What do you think about Slughorn's little club?Q7 - Is Draco dating Pansy Parkinson?Malfoy yawned ostentatiously. ‘I mean, I might not even be at Hogwarts next year, what's it matter to me if some fat old has-been likes me or not?' ‘What do you mean, you might not be at Hogwarts next year?' said Pansy indignantly, ceasing grooming Malfoy at once. ‘Well, you never know,' said Malfoy with the ghost of a smirk. ‘I might have – er – moved on to bigger and better things.'Q8 - What do you think he means by this?‘I thought so,' he said jubilantly. ‘I heard Goyle's trunk hit you. And I thought I saw something white flash through the air after Zabini came back …' His eyes lingered for a moment upon Harry's trainers. ‘That was you blocking the door when Zabini came back in, I suppose?' He considered Harry for a moment. ‘You didn't hear anything I care about, Potter. But while I've got you here …' And he stamped, hard, on Harry's face. Harry felt his nose break; blood spurted everywhere.Q9 - What do you think of Draco besting Harry?Chapter 8 - Snape VictoriousQ1 - How do you think Tonks found Harry?‘Hagrid was late for the start-of-term feast, just like Potter here, so I took it instead. And incidentally,' said Snape, standing back to allow Harry to pass him, ‘I was interested to see your new Patronus.' He shut the gates in her face with a loud clang and tapped the chains with his wand again, so that they slithered, clinking, back into place. ‘I think you were better off with the old one,' said Snape, the malice in his voice unmistakeable. ‘The new one looks weak.'Q2 - What do you think of Patronus' changing form? How would it change form?Q3 - Why do you think Snape is mean to her?‘Fifty points from Gryffindor for lateness, I think,' said Snape. ‘And, let me see, another twenty for your Muggle attire. You know, I don't believe any house has ever been in negative figures this early in the term – we haven't even started pudding. You might have set a record, Potter.'Q4 - The points are stupid.‘Professor Snape, meanwhile,' said Dumbledore, raising his voice so that it carried over all the muttering, ‘will be taking over the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.' ‘No!' said Harry, so loudly that many heads turned in his direction. He did not care; he was staring up at the staff table, incensed. How could Snape be given the Defence Against the Dark Arts job after all this time? Hadn't it been widely known for years that Dumbledore did not trust him to do it?Q5 - What do you think of Snape getting the Defense against the Dark Arts job? And knowing the curse on the position, do you think he'll be there after a year?

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Munya, celebrity couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! You really belong with the cultural elite in NYC, not here in this winter terrorland with the rest of us. But thanks for slumming it to talk about the latest failures of our federal government in the face of mass death, and the latest dunk over the heads of our local government by outgoing hero Jenny Durkan. Please remember us when you are a brand.

Email Us Here: Disturbinglypragmatic@gmail.comWhere To Find Us!:  Disturbingly Pragmatic Link Tree!This Episode has EVERYTHING!It's got:Paul Needs a Massage!Dave is NOT a Good Druggie!We Talked With Our Friend in Detroit!France! What Are You Gonna Do??!Succession Shivs Us!Alan Ruck is 65?!?!Christmas Time Is Still Here!Paul is Shopped Out!Kink Shaming!Random Porno Stuff!Josh Duggar Has NOTHING To Smirk or Be Smug About!Michelle Duggar's Uterus Escape!TLC? Where is the Learning?The Toiletry of A&E, Bravo, and TLC!Paul Lures Dave out of the Rabbit Hole!Childhood Christmas Memories!Thanks Herpicol!Socks and Underwear Don't Belong in a Stocking! Prove Me Wrong!Melted Chocolate!We Have Magical Water Pressure!Tic Tacs!Boomers Are Entitled ASF!She Picked the WRONG BITCH, BITCH!Roadhouse!SNL Was Funny!A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone Are Perfect! Their Sequels Are NOT!Disney's Marvel In Trouble!Episode Links (In Order):"Wrong Bitch" by Todrick Hall!"Home Sweet Home Alone" - Amanda the Jedi Review!"Better Watch Out" Christmas Horror Film!MUSIC CREDIT! Opening Music Graciously Supplied By: John_Yasutis from Pixabay! 

Series: Be'erot, Love & Relationship with God. Synopsis: How Yitzchak's fear/reverence of G-d creates a context in which love can come about.   Episode Transcript It might help me to tell you that I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the things I want to give over to you. With that said, I'll launch into what I believe is an appropriate continuation of we were exploring last time we met. And it revolves around the nature of how we become able to love and especially focused right now on how that happens with our relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And last time we spent time focused on the vulnerability that Hakadosh Baruch Hu allows for in His making of an other who can say no. And I want to continue with that this time and go into it more deeply. (Getting Chumashim with Rashi) The way I want to go about this is by introducing you to the idea of din in the world. The processes by which what we call din—judgment, gevurah, power—and that actually functions in a way in which we normally see that as being anitithetical to aspects of life that are love–oriented that have to do with chesed, with life enhancement, giving life, and yet, there is a most profound phenomenon, one of the deepest ironies by which we live: in order for there to be a relationship in which there will be a giver and a receiver, so there needs to be a withdrawal. By which I mean—and it's something we're all able to experience and know—if I truly desire the beloved, not that I should desire to be able to love, so then I need to withdraw myself, so that the beloved may become who he or she needs to become. And this, I'm going to pick up where we left off last time, the way Shlomo HaMelech begins Shir Hashirim, and he says, Shir Hashirim asher l'Shlomo, this is the Song of Songs of Shlomo, yishakeini m'neshikot pihu. Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth. Ki tovim dedecha mi yayin. Because Your dodim, Your love, is greater than wine. And if you look at that verse, you notice, that this is the Song of Songs of Shlomo, yishakeini m'neshikot pihu is said in the third person, Ki tovim dedecha mi yayin. And then in the second person, because Your love is greater than wine. M'neshikot pihu. Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth. We're talking to G-d. Ki tovim dedecha mi yayin. Because Your dodim, Your love, is greater than wine. And so in the verse, there is a shift from speaking to Him in the third person to speaking to Him in the second person. And this, if you remember , we explained, has something to do with, well as the Rabbis put it, a very profound difference between Torah she b'al peh, and Torah she b'dichtav, the Oral Law, and the Written Law, as it's usually reported as being. See, the depth of the difference between the Oral Law, and the Written Law is not that one is passed down orally and the other is passed down in writing (a phenomenon that is the result of something that's profoundly different about them), but rather that the Written Law refers to things which are directly given and revealed by G-d in the "face-on" relationship with G-d speaking face-to-face with Moshe, as the verse says, panim el panim, G-d spoke to him face-to-face. The Oral Law doesn't come about by G-d's revealing His face at all, but rather by G-d withdrawing, so that we should become those who will grow and create and develop by living in a space vacated from G-d's direct revelation, so that creativity will now be possible for those who live without a face-to-face contact with G-d. Let me say that a little more slowly. (What did you say about the Written Law?) The Written Law is what G-d, like I'm speaking to you now, says to you directly, which is what Moshe says directly. There's no real space there for you and what you need to become, create, and say, and what your life needs to say, and your particularity and specificity. Come on. The Law's the law, nothing to say, open the book, done. This is the Law, this is a chok, this is set in stone, literally. That's the nature of the Written Law. The fact of it being written is an indication of that. It's handed down in writing because that's the way it really is in its essence. But that's its essence. He's telling you like it is. But then there's this spaces (sic) In fact (8:53) one of the ways Rashi points this out is that the spaces between the words and sentences are very dear. And they express G-d's endearing, for instance, at the beginning of Vayikra, where it says Vayikra el Moshe, we're told that G-d told to Moshe, and He called him by his name. You should know that's a very crucial passage there at the beginning of Vayikra, because it describes how G-d reveals most of the Torah, from the Tent of Meeting to Moshe. Rashi reveals that he is called out by his name, yes, and there's another few statements that Rashi makes, but the important one I want to point out is the following. He says that He called to Moshe, the voice would come to his ears, the rest of the Jewish people didn't hear. Might it also be that G-d called Moshe for the spaces in between? (What do you mean, "the spaces in between"?) I'm just reading literally now. Because the spaces in between comes to tell you vay'daber. Called him for the speakings but not for the waitings. Well now, then what were the waitings for? Answer: To give Moshe a chance to integrate and to contemplate between teaching and teaching, and between one matter and the next. Certainly, Rashi goes on, when a regular person teaches and learns from a regular person; every time G-d spoke to Moshe, He would speak and wait. The waiting is the withdrawal, which allows for the moment during which Moshe Rabbeinu will himself be able to identify with and integrate what's been spoken. Okay, one level. The deeper level of the spaces in between, or the one we experience, are the space in between G-d having revealed Himself at Sinai, and the rest of history. The rest of history is one long pause, during which G-d is not speaking to us directly, but has rather withdrawn His direct revelation so that we should be mitbonen, which is to contemplate, draw out implications, draw out applications, creatively become involved in the process of revealing His word. So, that withdrawal is actually the path to the empowerment of the other to become what they are meant to become. In the case of G-d, ironically, withdrawal is what is necessary for us to reveal His own voice. His own revelation. But that's a complicating factor when it comes to G-d, so we'll put it aside for the moment and keep it first in what we know for life about how crucial it is. You see, oftentimes people mistake love for doting on someone, for being always there for them, for constantly being connected to them. That's devaikut. That's davak b'ishto. As you may remember, we saw in the Ramban, that couples completely couple together in communing. There's a constant awareness of the presence. That's what it's meant by Vdavak b'ishto. You know that Rashi says that therefore the man leaves his father and mother, joins his wife, and they become one flesh. That is that they are always in communion with one another. That's powerful and deep and connected to a relationship of love. But if that's all there is, then there cannot be love. And the reason for this is that love requires withdrawal, so that there can be an other whom I love. And that other must have the space within which to develop into that person of fullness, because they can blossom into the fullness they were meant to be by virtur of having been given the area and the arena in which that can happen. See, this is another aspect of what we were exploring last week when Adam Harishon has to discover his loneliness and the lack in order to truly enter relationship. That's from his perspective. But now we're looking at it from the perspective of the recipient of that love. If it would not be that there is a provision of space for you to be who you need to become, so that's not love, because I'm not allowing you to be the one who I'm in love with. Well, this is the way G-d made His world. And from the very beginning, there's the peculiar dance between ahava and deveikut, between love and full communion. With love involving actually a withdrawal which allows room for the other to be. And communion, deveikut, involving a full communing with that beloved. Do you have a little bit of a picture? Good, I really like it that I can just talk this way. But hopefully we'll bring it down even more alive for you. Let's appreciate this rather incredible dynamic upon which the world is created. This is the dynamic, that according to the Rabbis, Shlomo HaMelech is referring to when he says, "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth." Because your love is greater than the love of wine, meaning the following: When in the third person, so to speak, I'm experiencing You—Him—kissing me with His mouth, that He has withdrawn. That's why it's in the third person, as withdrawn. When I'm experiencing Him kissing me with His mouth—third person—ah. Your love, I'm now experiencing You very intimately, Your love is dearer than the love of wine. And if you remember, I explained to you that wine is the Written Torah, the direct revelation, when He is totally with us, davek with us. Like we say, v'atem hadeveikim bashem elokeichem, like the Rabbis say, deveikim mamash, truly deveikim, as it says in the Gemara in Sanhedrin, truly davek, like a flask has its cover at one with it. Glued to it, so that it's one piece with it. That's how the Rabbis actually describe that deveikut. A full oneness in communing, as opposed to the tovim dodecha, your love which comes from when you have withdrawn, is greater than the wine, which we say is the Written Toah, meaning that it's that which sits—that's how they read that verse. (Who's they?) The Rabbis. It's a Gemara or midrash that reads this pasuk this way. Yishakeini m'neshikot pihu, let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, that's the Torah she b'aal peh. Ki tovim dedecha—the Torah she b'al peh—is greater than yayin. So that there's a process of Him withdrawing, third person, and then I'm experiencing His love, His dodim, in the second person of Him begin near to me. And that experience, the third person to the second person, is far more dear than the wine, which the Rabbis say is the Written Torah. I'm bringing that as an illustration of the way G-d has made His world, and that is that, quite astoundingly, in order for there to be a space in which we can exist, He needs to withdraw. And that withdrawal is known as the tzimtzum. And that tzimtzum is an act of din. (Passing out sheets) The Chasdei David, who was one of the great mkubalim, says, (19:35) T'chilat hakol haya or ein sof baruch hu pashut. V'ein davar panui mimenu. In the very beginning, the infinite light of G-d was utterly simple, and there was nothing empty of Him and His presence. When there was an arousal of His will to create worlds, whatever that is, and how that came about, that there should be a knowing of Him. So He contracted Himself, and left an empty space in the middle. These are all geometric terms that are meant to arouse some level of undertstanding. U'vmakom hahu he'etilu kol haolamot. And in that place He eminated all the worlds. And that tzimtzum is the root of din. Din being that which is the power to give things a place that is appropriate to them. To mete out what is appropriate to them by making space for them. See, in my meting out to you by virtue of my making space for you, so I am actually acting from the principal from din, as opposed to from the principal of chesed, which is a flat, undifferentiating awarding of existnece. So the way this is working now, that in order for G-d to make an other with whom there can be a relationship of love, so there must first be a relationship of withdrawal. So the Rabbis say the following: it's quoted here also in Rashi, that bereshit barah elokim, the name of elokim which refers to him as din, is the creator of heaven of earth. At the beginning, G-d thought to create it in din only, And then he joined to it the midah the rachamim. That's the Rashi here. Even hikdim the midah of rachamim, he even preceded everything with the midah of compassion. Now here's the catch, and it's a beautiful one. The word rachamim is the same word that we use for womb, woman, her uterus, her place of carrying a baby. That's exactly it. The mother withdraws herself, so to speak, from occupying all the space of her body, in order to allow that there should be an other that will become formed within her, and so her uterus is, so to speak, the sod of the tzimtzum, that allows there to be an other to be formed within in. That's the depths of shitafei midat harachamim (22:56). He actually created a whole context for this withdrawl, that it should be a place within which life will form. Now, the reason this is important to me for us to recognize is because of there is whole principal that is going on that is withdrawal leads to creative love; withdrawal leads to relationship and is necessary for it. It's a simple point, but it's one which is not always so available to us, I mean when we're raising children, when we're in relationship with another. And certainly, living in this consciousness, when it comes to our relationship with G-d is very challenging, and we'll see why and how that is as we go along. This is all sort of by way of introduction. And what I want to do with you today is explore the experience of the personification of this through Yitzchak Avinu. The way I want to do that is maybe a little bit odd at first. To take a look at one of the readings of Yitzchak, which is the only story in the Chumash where he appears to be active. And I want us to understand something. You see, it's important to know about the avot, that they are archetypes in the sense that the avot are the lived qualities and principals that we are describing. If we want to learn about Yitachak, then we need to understand what it is to live as the withdrawn one. In other words, the one who experiences in the depth of his being, G-d's having withdrawn to make space. So that he knows that indeed G-d is the infinite one for whom, when he is present, there is no room for any other, and that G-d, so to speak, sacrificed Himself to make room for us. You can see that in his life, in the way he sacrificed himself to make room for G-d. But he deeply experiences this phenomenon that there is none other than He, than G-d. And this is the experience of the Akeidah, and we've seen this in the past. Hakadosh Baruch Hu coming to Yitzchak to tell him, "You will no longer live," really leaves him speechless. What is he going to say? There is nothing he is going to say to Hakadosh Baruch Hu at that moment, because he has no entitlement to life. G-d is freely and lovingly giving him life at every moment, just like every one of us. He experiences that more deeply than anyone else because there was never anyone who G-d came to and said, through his father, that the one who gave him life in this world, you are not going to live. I am going to take your life away from you, and there was no one who had the experience with such trauma that there is nothing that you could say that would justify your right to continue living. I mean, after all, what would you say, that I've done a lot of nice things in the world? Where is that going to go? The life that you did all those nice things with is the very life given to you by the One who is now saying, It's finished, it's enough, gone. –But there are many more things that I want to do! –Well, I don't want you to do them. In that dialogue, there is only the space for the consciousness that it's all G-d, it's all Him, there is really no essential existence to anything than His existence. So Yitzchak knows this, and Yitzchak experiences more deeply than anyone that G-d has, so to speak, made space for us. Now if you understand Yitzchak as being the one who lives that, then Yitzchak is the one who, so to speak, makes space. What is that like, being the one who is always making space? (Very humble) Very humble. So look at something really interesting about Yitzchak's appearance on the stage of activity. And what I'm talking about is chapter twenty-six, verse twelve through fourteen. This is where we find him actually doing something. But we have to look very carefully about (sic) what it is he is doing, and how the Chumash describes that doing. So Yitzchak sows and plants in that land, and he found in that year one hundred portions, and G-d blessed him. And he gets very great, and he gets even greater, until he got really really great, he's gotten really big. And then he had a lot of possessions, and because he had a lot of possessions, so the plishtim are jealous of him. In verse fifteen, it says that all the wells he had dug, that his father had dug, actually, well, the plishtim had filled them up with afar. Avimelech says to Yitzchak, get lost. You're too big, we're not going to allow you to be here any more. So Yitzchak goes away and he encamps in Nachal Grar, and that's where he lives. Yitzchak goes back, and he redigs the wells that his father had dug, or that had been dug in his father's time, and that the plishtim had filled in, we already know about them, that the plishtim had already filled them in after Avraham had died, and he called them the same names that his father had called him . So Yitzchak was a reflection of his father, and he was, in a sense, continuing his way and maintaining what his father had brought into the world—these wells—at least in this aspect. Then his servants, they dig wells, and there is an argument with the plishtim and then there is another well that his servants dig, and there is another argument about it, and then he goes and he digs one, and its rechovot, it's very broad. Why? He says, because now G-d has made breadth, and we can truly multiply in this land. G-d has made space so that we can be fruitful and multiply. It's exactly the picture of G-d has made space. And all of this activity of Yitzchak is nothing more than making space. It looks like he's doing something, but actually, regarding his father, being a conduit through which his father's work will be maintained and continued, and in terms of the earth, he is digging away to allow what is there to become revealed. He's not really doing anything. He's the one who is making the chalal panui. He's digging away the earth so that the waters that are there, should be able to flow forth. Even his planting, the way the Torah describes it, he's plans, and then, wow! he finds in that year, in that place, a hundred times what he could have expected G-d bless it all (sic) 32:31. That isn't me, I didn't do this. I just found it. Vayimtza bashanah hahi. But what I think is most interesting is the way in which the Torah orders the story. Take a look at this. If you were having to order the verses in the story— There is a thing you do when you're trying to teach a kid how to write compositions, so you take a paragraph, and you mix up all the sentences, and you try to figure out which sentence goes before what. So, take a look at verse fifteen. Where should verse fifteen go? All of the wells that have been dug by his father's servants, the plishtim had covered them up. Those next two verses are out of place, because the next move that is in response to that is eighteen, right? It says that Yitzchak goes back and digs the new wells, or he digs the wells of his father. So that description of what needed to be done, or what was wrong, should then be described after that by what he then went and fixed. Everyone agree on that? Those two sentences in the middle, they are not supposed to be there. But they are. If you leave the perspective of Yitzchak, they are. Because even the way life unfolds, is so to speak, it's not your doing, it's that there's these filled-up wells which need clearing. Well, let me tell you a story. Avimelech comes to Yitzchak and tells him that it's time for him to move on. So Yitzchak moves on. And where does he end up? Right near his father's wells that need to be cleared out. You hear? It's not like it happened that he had this situation with Avimelech and then he goes to the place where the wells are, but rather that he needed to get to where the wells are, so the situation with Avimelech erupted to get him to the place where the wells are. That's the way the Torah tells you the story. First it needs to be corrected. Then it tells you the story unfolding, which gets him to the place where he needs to be. (Technically, I'm confused. Where are the wells, and where is he?) He's been in the land of the plishtim, (So the wells are in the land of the plishtim) No, the wells are in the land of Grar, where he now goes to. (So he returned…) Either he's going back to eretz plishtim, (Well, how can the plishtim be filling them up, if they're not in their own—) Territory? It's a question. I'm not sure I understand vayashov yitzchak vayachpor et be'erot hamayim asher yachfru bimei avraham that he went back and redug the wells which had been dug in the time of his father. That's the vayashov. Why is it that the plishtim were taking such vigorous interest in what he's doing in Nachal Grar, that needs to be looked at better. But I think the simple meaning of the word vayashav is that he went back and dug again what his father had dug. (Pasuk yud ayin, you said they should be there.). They need to be there at some point, because they tell the story of how Yitzchak had to leave and ended up, in the way I'm reading, going to the place where Avraham had dug wells. I don't know why they would fill in those wells. I actually have something I want to say about the nature of his relationship with the plishtim, but that needs to be better clarified. (They were jealous…) They were jealous. Something that's going on between them and Yitzchak that makes them into his primary antagonists. Yeah, Chaya? (According to the Gur Aryeh, the wells were located in the valley of Grar while the valley had been un inhabited, the plishtim would stop them up to withhold them from the attacking armies. When Yitzchak moved to the valley (unclear because someone is moving a chair) 37:51 B'seder, that was the Maharal's perush on Rashi. So we have two things. The most important thing right now is to see how the story unfolds through Yitzchak. It's something that needs to happen, and it will happen through him, but not by virtue of his doing, but rather by virtue of its needing to be done. Which will be done. Okay, if you like the point, good. It's not crucial. I think it's important to see how the Torah has ordered the things. Yitzchak is the man who digs out space. His is the life of a man who is nothing more than space. He is that open space. Now, the interesting thing is, that there is a very deep quandry, problematic (sic) that we live in our relationship with G-d, Who has made space for us, and that is—get this— you see, the more you live out being in that space, which is a consciousness that He is not here so that I can be here, well, the farther you are from Him. Again, the more you live out the space of being in that space which G-d has vacated so that you can be here, so in a certain level, the further away you are from Him. The less you live the consciousness of separateness and individation, so the closer you are with Him, the more at one you are with Him. I'll put it to you in life, although it's not exactly parallel. The more your lover has distanced himself in order that you should have room to become who you must become, the more you become who you become, the more distant you are from the one who you're wanting to be with. It's even deeper with G-d. In order for us to live this life, viewing ourself as separate and independent entitites, so we need to live it, so to speak, with a consciousness which blocks out the all-present infinite presence of G-d in which there's no space for another. And the truth of what tzimtzum is, more deeply than G-d's withdrawing. It's He who has given us a consciousness and awareness which has it be as if He is not here. See, it's our consciousness that He's given us that creates the reality which we experience as being one in which He is not here. I'll try to make this a little less wacko-sounding, I don't know, but you see, our minds work on a certain frequency. We pick up certain things. We hear the clock ticking, we feel the table, we can see each other, because we're picking up what's around us on a frequency at which we pick it up at that level. There are other things going on in the room that we don't pick up because we're not tuned to them. If our minds were actually like a radio tuner, we'd actually be hearing the news right now, probably the weather report, because there would be an attunement to something which we're not now attuned to, which then we could access and receive. We're all familiar with this, but we don't think about it that way. What's real is what we see and feel and touch and hear, and everything else isn't really real. Until we get into radio waves which, yeah, I guess it is real, so how come I'm not seeing it if it's not real? Well, there are realities which you can't see. Well, why don't I see them? Because you're not attuned to see them. You're not attuned to see infra-red, but if you would, then you might actually be able to see through the wall. See through the wall? What, are you off the wall? Yeah, I'm off the wall! I've actually inside the wall. (?) 43:36 Go to the other side of the wall. Why? Because I'm able to see with a frequency that sees right through matter. What, you wouldn't see the matter? No, I wouldn't see the matter. Could it be that I would vibrate at a frequency where I wouldn't feel the matter either? You mean I could just walk through the wall? Like Superman? Yeah, if you would vibrate at a different frequency, then that's the way you would actually experience things. You wouldn't experience this as solid matter, which it barely is, you would just experience it as something which would pass right through. (That's actually what scientists are working on.) Yes, that's what scientists are working on. And they are probaly going to get there soon. Because it's not a big deal, it's just a matter of changing your frequency. And tune us up, just a little bit, and then our vibration shifts, and then the way we relate to matter shifts. Everything shifts. Everyone knows this, when your emotional state shifts. And all the people whom you thought were offensive and ugly or repulsive, suddnely, well, he's kind of okay, well half an hour ago you were— Well, I was just in a bad mood. Now I'm in a different state. I'm picking up a different wavelength about my emotions and it's all shifting all the time. Emotions shift more than anything else. That's why they are kneged ruach in the four types of realities, so emotions are related to the wind, the air, as opposed to the ground, which is the body, okay, we're not going to go through them right now. But we experience those shifts all the time because we're shifting our frequency. Just to say it in that simple sense, so you realize so maybe there would be like a divine frequency, when I don't see anything at all, but when I see things from a divine perspective? There is nothing but Him? Yes, there is such a thing. There is such a divine frequency, And you actually have a part of you that is always vibrating at that frequency. It's called the yechida. It's your highest level of soul. It's always at the frequency in which there is nothing but G-d. Wait a minute, but there is me, yeah? Right, just turn down the…..(talking slowly in a low voice) fre-quen-cy on…the…receiver, and everything comes back to independent and separate realities. In fact, in Chassidut it's taught that the tzimtzum really is a phenomenon of our consciousness. That we see things as separate. And it's the great gift of G-d that we should. It's not that it's a hazayah, an illusion, that I see you. Just like it's not an illusion when I pick up the radio waves. But there's a reality which is sort of a different vibration, frequency, in which you're not there. There's only G-d. There's only his presence. Now, on a ceratin level, the more I saw you, so the less I see Him. If I could just tune up my frequency and only see Him, then I wouldn't see you, you're in the way. I'm in the way. This is a painful irony, probably one of the most painful ironies and paradoxes of spiritual life. And it had lead all kinds of spiritualities to all kinds of crazy conclusions. Including the conclusion of maya, of illusion. Because, I'll put it like this (48:05)…if the world were with no willing Creator, if it wasn't that G-d had a will, then indeed the fact that you're there is just an illusion, we're just not tuned to the highest, most pristine and true frequency. So you're an illusion, you're in the way. (Pause) I'm just talking to myself. (Laughter). But if One who made all that consiousness, which is the consciousness we all live, the One Who has a will and desires that we should have it, well, that changes everything. Then it's not just some illusion. It's what He wills us to have. Yeah, but it's not real! Yes it is, It's as real as the one who is giving it to you, and He's the most real thing that is! Bad, thing, not a good word. Do you hear that? It's G-d who's making us see things this way, that there is a place where He is not. That G-d, so to speak, Who is making us see things this way, is Elokim, that's the name Elokim. And it's why of all the names of G-d, it's the only one in the plural, Weird isn't it? We, the big monotheists, have a name for G-d that;s in the plural? That's bad, it shouldn't be that way. We have kel, shem havaya, but Elokim? And what's worse, that same word, if you think about many gods, that's just elohim. Same word. Because multiplicity is a product of din, which is the withdrawal. But that withdrawal is the creation of a consciousness which will see things as if He is not there. It's like you've put on dark glasses. You're wearing now the polaroid glasses so that you're only picking up a certain reality. So now I want to shift out of that. I don't want to be apart from Him, I only want to be with Him. You just shift out of that and tune up to a place where all I know is Him. And be completely mitbatel, completely gone from my ego-consciousness which is creating a sense as if I'm separate from Him. I'm going to let that go. It's a sin to be in that state of separateness from Him, I'm going to let that go. No, wait a minute. He made me that I should have this consciousness. So, it would be a violation of the will of the very One that I'm seeking to come close to for me to strip myself of that consciousness so that it will be only with Him, because He made me such that I would see all of you and myself as separately and independently existing realities. So what do I do? To strip myself of that is to come close to Him. No it's not, it's a denial of His will. But to stay in this reality in which I don't have the experience of His being wholely and completely and fully present is to lose Him. This is the paradox and ultimate tension within which any divinely-attuned human being lives. And Yitzchak, more than anyone, has really seen that there is nothing other than G-d. In Chassidut it's explained that he lives in a state of the yechida. That's why he's the one who's called bincha, yechidcha, your son, the only one, because he's actually living the "onlyness" of G-d. But ironically, one who lives the onlyness of G-d, to become really close with Him—so to speak, by becoming like Him—has to live uniqueness here. So he becomes the unique one. And this is because, when one realizes that it's G-d whose wanting me to have this consciousness of separate individuated realities, then I am now going to give ultimate and full reverance to every single unique being that is here desired by G-d to be here. See, someone who's never experienced that as only G-d will never be able to experience the ultimateness and value and worth of every single creature that G-d has made here, because he will never know how much G-d, so to speak "gave up that He should contract himself, that we should be here, or how much, so to speak, G-d has awarded us by giving us the reality as living as a separate entity. This is why din always also is the origin of yirah, reverence. Of being fully aware of the divinity of the other. And always dances around the smallest of myself (55:39) or on a different level, the ultimate worth of myself. Where, depending on whether you're experiencing the all-present G-d or the small nothingness of myself, or G-d Who has withdrawn to make space for me! And is therefore living a full and deep relationship of responsiveness, which is what din is, when I'm responding to you. What you do, I do to you. That's when things become energetically connected in relationship. So that it's either all abnegation, or the full and whole presence of another to whom I respond. Because G-d, making that person now, he can't have come from anywhere else, if it weren't that G-d were making him now, giving him that consciousness now of existing as a separate entity, giving me the consciousness now to see him as a separate entity. Should we have a little interaction here? Should I give you people a little space? (57:15) Could I just treat you to one more thing here? Why don't you ask your questions. (You said that Hashem cannot feel the specialness of every animal?) Chas v'shalom, I didn't say that. You said creatures. Okay, Kol hanivraim. Yesh lahem erech muchlachat, mipne she haboreh olam hu machlit bchol regah latet lahem et he yishut shelahem. Vmachlit bchol regah, He is deciding at every moment to give me to see Him as separate from Him. You can hear now why if you just rest in this a bit. You can hear why the phlishtim are Yitzchak's greatest antagonist. Here's a deep thing that's really wild. The Rabbis say that phlishtim are leytsanim. They are mockers, scoffers, cynics. And they teach this in a wild place. There's a Gemara in Avodah Zarah, page eighteen. I'm starting to realize that I have another two hours of talking here. We'll divide it up. So the Rabbis say, Ashrei haish asher lo halach b'atzat reshaim u'bderech chataim lo amad. And b'moshav laytzim lo yashav. So you have this verse which is the way that David Hamelech opens up Tehillim He says, Happy is the man, or well-estabilshed is the man who didn't walk in the ways of the reshaim. And he didn't walk in the ways of the chotim and he didn't sit among the scoffers. Hm. So, he didn't walk like reshaim walk, he didn't stand like chotim stand, and he didn't sit like latzim sit. (Laughing) That's great. So the Gemara says, this is all about Avraham, who didn't walk the walk of those reshaim who built the tower of Babel. Nor did he stand the standing of the people of Sodom, about whom it says that they were raim l'chataim, nor did he sit the sit of leytsim, namely the plishtim. All right, what's the deal? So the Maharal says that the reshaim anre people who are actively evil, they go and do bad things. Chataim are people who withdraw from doing good. That's why the word choteh means a lack. Pull back, like the anshei Sodom don't give Tzedakah. And then there are the leytsim, they just sit, they're the scoffers. They just sit back and laugh, What, are you crazy? What, are you nuts? You think this really means something? It's all just a empty black hole, there's nothing here! What, do you think you're going to get close to G-d. What are you trying for? Smirking at anything that anyone tries to do. Sit kind of sit back and, why would you even try to move, or get up? You're just wasting your time. It's all just a figment of your imagination anyway. It's all just an empty hole. Nothing real can happen here. That's why the word phlisha actually menas to break through a hole, right? That's exactly what they do to reality, they break a hole in reality. Plisha, pleshet. It menas to clear it away. Why, you know what? Gee. They also dig holes in the sand, don't they, except the holes in the sand that they dig is all of the reality that you see. It's all just empty. Except for them, when they dig the hole, it doesn't reach water. Because mfulash means that it's open at both ends, just goes nowhere. Mefulash in Hebrew, hamavoi mefulash (1:03:21) is one which is opened at both ends, it's just totally broken through, there's no water at the end of it, there's nothing there. What do you think? What, are you crazy? And guess what the chachamim say. Where do we know that the plishtim are leystim, scoffers, from? It says about the anshei plishtim, vayhi, katovli bam. When they were like really feeling good in the time of Shimshon, vayomru, kiru l'shimshon. Call Shimshon in, vayisachek lanu, and let him make us laugh. Oh my goodness, let him make us laugh. And this is the risk that Yitzchak lives, to laugh a laugh of scoffing. Because the one who knows there's an empty space, we live in empty space, knows that the realness of it is only by virtue of an awarded consciousness, which is only seeing things on a certain frequency. So why bother doing anything. There's really nothing to be born here. Nothing happening. And in fact, Yitzchak's name is a result of two kinds of laughter, his mothers' laughter and his father's laughter. And anyone who's ever sought a chauvinistic interpretation in the Bible, well, he's got to be bothered by Avraham and Sarah's laughing. Avraham's laughing, and that's great, and the Targum translates, he was overjoyed. Rashi says, ah, Avraham is a joy of fullness. And then Sarah laughs, and the malachim get there: Look, she's laughing! I didn't laugh—yes you did! I didn't laugh—yes, you did! You were scaffing(?) (1:05:52). What's going on here? Well my husband laughed! Shh. Quiet, get back in the tent! (Laughter all aroud) Until you look at what they say. There's also the male-female thing, that's also a part of it, but it's too complicated. So put that aside for now. But just look at what Avraham says: Could it be that a man of a hundred would give birth? Could it be that a woman of ninety would give birth? Astounding! You mean there can be birth out of this nothingness of my wife and of myself. Oh gosh, unbelievable, what joy. But Sarah says, it says, she looked at herself and she said, Me? After I've gotten so old? I would give birth? She's seeing herself in the dimunitive—I'm nothing, can't do it, forget it. Scoffing. Avraham is looking, You mean there was nothing and now there's something? Whoa. Unbelievable. And Yitzchak, in a sense, can go either way, and you know why? On a certain level, he does. One son is called Esav. And the other one is called Yaakov, and we'll see, B"H, how these actually live out the life of scoffing, or of being present to, in full presence, with what something called tmimut(1:08:04). But tmimut which lives in the tent, lives in the consciousness which we have been awarded, but that maintains a connection with the one who has been awarding it at every moment. Whereas Esav becomes the scoffer, vayivez, despises the bechora—You know why he despises the bechora? Because he really despises life The first born is just the gift of life. I'm going to be dead soon anyway, man , the whole thing is nothing. How long were you around? It's just nothing. Why would I want bechora. It's not just he's despising it because it's avodat Hashem—that's the result—is that he doesn't experience himself as one who would possibly find enough value in himself as being a servant of G-d , because life itself, how much have you got and what the heck is your life? Seventy, eighty; in our days—ninety years? You know how much ninety years is? It's a speck of nothing. That's Esav, that's why he's walking around tired and bored. The only he can find to entertain himself with is killing, which is denying reality, denying the other, taking away life. That's why ultimately, with this we'll close, the Rabbis say, You know who the great-great grandson of Esav is? He's a man named Haman. And the Rabbis say, that same vayivez, et ha bechora that Esav despised—the "first-born-sonness"—became, many generations later, vayivez haman lishloach yad l'mordechai lvado. Haman despised killing Mordechai alone. And the Rabbis say, bazui ben bazui, the despised one, son of the despised one. That's Haman, who's the Amalakite, the great scoffers of reality. And what did he despise? That he kill one person. What the heck is one person? Man. If I'm going to kill, it might as well be an entire people. But the depth is, that vayivez, even though it says that he despised, the Rabbis say that he is the despised one, the despicable one, because anyone who despises, must also be experiencing himself as despicable on some level or another. You can't be despising another in their reality unless some place in your heart you're despising your own. So that the leytsanim are the great threat to Yitzchak. But that's not his life at all. B"H we'll see next time the real life of Yitzcahk and actually how he becomes the great source both of forgiveness, and of the ultimate valuing and adoration of life and other in reverence. How are we doing? I'll just check in with where people are holding. Confused? Enlightened by this? Or I need time to think about this, or this means something to me. I'm actually serious about the question. (I feel like I'm internalizing it. Me too. I'm like, observing it. Really grateful. You can be adversary. I need time to digest. It's big piece. It's beautiful.) Okay, that's a relief. I'm going to make closure now, then I'll take questions, then we'll take time for integrated work. How this is all related to loving, is Yitzchak is the principal of making space for love to come about. He himself, in his relationship with G-d, the Rabbis teach, is not in a relationship of love. Because he experiences love as non-existent in the presence of G-d. To be a lover, you need to be in existence. But he knows the great love of G-d in having made space that there should be an other. (01:15:50) Because the whole reason G-d made space that there should be an other is an act of love that there should be an other with whom He will have a loving relationship. And this is the meaning of the beginning of the parshah, where it says, Eleh toldot Yitzchak, These are the generations of Yitzchak. Avraham holid at Yitzchak. Avraham who is the principal of love, he gave birth to Yitzchak, he gave birth to the principal of contraction and withdrawal. Because the whole reason for the contraction and withdrawal is that there should be the appearance of Avraham, the appearance of love and compassion. All this withdrawal is for that. So he serves that purpose in the withdrawal, just like withdrawal serves that purpose. (So you're saying Yitzchak doesn't love Hashem?) The Rabbis say that he lives in total awe of G-d. Avraham is the lover of G-d. Chas v'shalom to say that he doesn't love G-d, but that's not his, these are archetypes, and his archetype is fear and awe. That there's nothing but Him. (That's what he represents.) Right. But he is in the consciousness that that vacating of there is nothing but Him, when G-d does make that space for there to be a world of love, and that's why he is the first one to love his wife, because out of that he sees, Wow, if there's someone there, and I have the consciousness to see her? That means that G-d is really, really wanting this; really, really wanting her; really, really wanting me. And so he experiences the depth of an other and himself with far greater intensity that anyone else can in their uniqueness and in their utter separateness. See, this is his power and it all is derived from a G-d who desires a world in which there should be love, and therefore again, paradoxically and ironically, withdraws Himself so that it may be. On a certain level, we blow this as parents, very often, when we think our children need us taking care of them, doting on them, watching them, guarding them, directing them, all the time, feeling our love for them all the time by our being there for them all the time. All the time for them. That's deveikut. But love also requires the principal of withdrawal. But as parents, oftentimes, we're afraid to withdraw, because our kids might stop loving us. Oh, No! Yeah. If I withdraw, then my kid won't love me. Hm. So who are you loving exactly? If you're really loving them, then you have to let them grow. Of course, guide them, teach them, etc. (sic) But there's a shift in the drivenness in I'm always wanting them to know that I'm loving them, and loving them. Is it coming from your neediness? Or is it coming from your wholeness, that will determine that. (I have a question about the zugim. Is it that Yitzchak and Rivka have like a giving and receiving side to each like sefirah that they represent?) I'll tell you something about Rivka, and it's like a really amazing thing to know, that if you look at the way she's chosen. I'll choose two deep things and I'll try to say them really briefly, and you can listen up, we talked about this last year. B"H I'll put this up on a website. I have a website but I don't know how to operate it… So,…the place the Rabbis learn that a woman has a say in the question of whether she gets married or doesn't get married to the man, is from Rivka. Up until then, you don't find the woman having any say, and he takes her, he takes her, he takes her, she gets pregnant, she gives birth, she gets pregnant, she gives birth, and they begat, and they begat. Begat, begin, begat, begin, right? But then, all of a sudden there's this wild scene where they say, Well of course we're going to send her with you; after all, it's clear that it's come from G-d. Scene two, wait a minute: what if she stays another year, or maybe a couple of months, or couple more weeks, and Eliezer says, No, no, it's time, it's time right now. Well, lo and behold they say, we have a drastic idea. Why don't we call her in and ask her what she thinks. Ta dum! Woman liberated. She becomes the other. She becomes the knegdo. And this appears first with Rivka because she's going to be living with Yitzchak who's the vacated space. So she must be the one who is in power to stand on her own two feet and be able to say no. That's the only presence that he'll really be able to love, from the vantage point of the one who is vacated space. Was she really three years old? Yeah. The point is, this is very important about Rivka. That's why we explained that camels were a very important thing in the story. That's why her test was whether she would give the camels to drink, because camels are about independent standing…But that's the nature of Rivka. This is why, by the way, and then we'll end this. (Sighs) Someone's got to create a kli here, someone's got to stop me, otherwise I just keep on unraveling. But, um—anyone volunteering? (I want you to keep going! [Laughter.]) What I really want to do is workshop work, because it's extremely vaulable. I'll just say one more thing. The reason why Eliezer goes out is, to seek the wife for Yitzchak, is a total representation of that. And that is that Avraham says to him, and very briefly, to go and get my (sic) wife from somewhere else. Well, maybe she won't come. Maybe she won't come? Of course she will come! G-d's going to send his angel who's certainly going to guarantee that this is going to be a success, and you're under oath, and you know what, if she doesn't come, then—forget the whole thing. That's mamash what Avraham says. You look at that and say, What? Where is his bitachon? And why isn't he certain that G-d is going to make it happen? Because you can't be certain that G-d is going to make it happen. You're dealing with another person, for whom there must be space within which to say, "no." And to know that and to know that it's all G-d, and it's His doing, and it's His reality, all at once. Sorry not to leave you with something clear, because it's not, it's a ratzo v'shov, back and forth, all the time, and it's from that space that real marriage comes about, and real love comes about, and the possibility for forgiveness comes about, too. I just want to remind us of what we want to look it. Okay. I'm stopping here. (You were talking about multiplicity. I didn't get it.) All I was saying was that din creates the possibilitiy that there will be significant others. So therefore there will be rebui, multiplicity, that there will be many. Chesed doesn't make room for many, chesed just gives existence. It's flat. (So it's not real self-centeredness. It's that you have that room open for another person to exist.) That's right. Okay. (So in order to be able— I don't know, I just feel like they're… one extreme and another, so is the goal not to be able live simultaneously in duality where we see the delusion and past the delusion? Yes, I would avoid calling it delusion. (Okay, the creation?) Yeah, and that will have everything to do with Yaakov. (All right.) Good. (That's awesome, and I want to find some way to experience it, not making it too cerebral, not thinking about it, where we could (write out/ride out?) places where we don't see G-d in our lives in our world. We might think about this one and think, how does this distance create love? To apply that kind of question to it, and maybe do it in some kind of meditational form. That seems like intellectualizing it instead of experiencing it, I feel that it would be valuable to experience what you're talking about. To experience that G-d is not in this situation and how do I experience that as a gift?) As His allowing me to become what needs to be for me as an act of love, and the way He allows that to be is in His withdrawing, the obviousness or overtness of His presence. That's big stuff. It even seems related to the last two exercises in that one was about recognizing the good and then feeling the lack of it, then praying for it, and one about the power of (inaudubible due to mike moving) the lack and asking to get the experience the, feeling the lack of not having your partner… that's the necessary step towards the fulfillment of it. This is different in that it's just feeling the lack. And knowing that G-d's in that. That's the higher level. Yeah. That's the higher level. So, how can we create a setting where people could just experience that? I want to say, first of all, regarding what I introduced last week, which was about accepting and being whole with the experience of the chisaron as a place from which the awareness of the need will lead to prayer or action, was very significant for me. I did it more than once. Accepting that is so crucial, and to do it open-heartedly and not in bitterness. Crucial. So I hear you, I think that can work, what you're describing. I think like, maybe just calling upon people to do that. Usually people need an interpretation, like a reframing to know that Hashem is in that. You know what I mean? I thought He was gone, but really He was there. And I see how He was there in those moments that were so painful and dramatic and difficult for me. That's usually how that kind of forgiveness is accessed. Wholeness with things is accessed. But here we're talking about before that. This act of withdrawal itself is the act of love. Giving me the opportunity to become an even more unique and different being. Right, this is the soil in which I am flourishing that G-d has given me. So pratically how to get there. So this is the idea that I have…

The Gridiron Throne Podcast is not the podcast for NFL analytics... it is for the RAW emotion of being a football fan! Jessie, Isaac and Tyler banter, talk trash, drink from their goblets, and get emotional! The only numbers that matter are the final scores! If you don't agree, TAKE A WALK!

thanks for listening! catch us in between episodes @kpoppillowtalk on both instagram and twitter! wanna support the pod? buy us a coffee! ko-fi.com/kpoppillowtalk --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

 “Shark Attack” is a lie… Sunscreen recall… Is it sad or a scam?... Words are a changing / Chicken / Pigs / Gypsy Moths offensive / no longer presumed innocent… Better Common Names Project… Subscribe to the YouTube Channel… Email to Chewingthefat@theblaze.com Subscribe www.blazetv.com/jeffy Promo code jeffy… Sewage spill in California / Andrew Heaton Poetry ‘Los Angeles is Hideous'… Tiger King given the wrong sentence… Officer charges teen with hate crime / Smirking in an intimidating manner… Restaurant closes for day because people are mean… Britney gets to hire own attorney… Naked lady gets stuck between two walls… Divinely immune from courts law… Family gets arrested from 1/6… VP Harris is not nice, “allegedly” Shep Smith not nice “allegedly” Cruise ship quarantine… Misinformation and scare tactics… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Hogan, TJ Ryan and Mark Landers join Anthony Daly to review the weekend's championship action. With Renault Ireland

Does Culley possess the personality of coach Caserio will look for as the process continues? CP3 and Arizona smirk in the direction of H-Town and Lopez's list. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recording of a Jenuine Healing private session

It's the adaptation we've all been waiting for. This week we are reviewing the newest Netflix release, Shadow and Bone. Join us in loving Jesper, being disappointed by Kaz, and losing our collective minds at Ben Barnes. Daddy Darkling we are ready! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/eatscast/message

ONE YEAR MENTAL ANNIVERSARY - 10 minute Version. We’re celebrating with a brand new Chapter: Gloating and Smirking come to life looking down on Lackeys and Boot-Lickers, with minty breath and better hair. Discover how manipulated selfies give you Swagger and better sex appeal. Dixon Ticonderoga gets introduced to the power of social media, and there's a new female superhero in town with powers of an ancient civilization. Dizzying cinematic excitement, big laughs,& Pep-Fortified Optimism guaranteed. 

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY We’re celebrating with a brand new Chapter: Gloating and Smirking come to life looking down on Lackeys and Boot-Lickers, with minty breath and better hair. Discover how manipulated selfies give you Swagger and better sex appeal. Dixon Ticonderoga gets introduced to the power of social media, and there's a new female superhero in town with powers of an ancient civilization. Dizzying cinematic excitement, big laughs,& Pep-Fortified Optimism guaranteed. 

The show is now a game! That's right each segment will be scored, scores will be tallied, and a winner will be crowned! Who scores the game? YOU DO!!  Head over to www.TheologyofGames.com/scorepad and select your winner and be entered to win a copy of The Kickstarter Edition of Cindr AND The Anniversary Edition of Cutthroat Caverns from Smirk & Dagger!  Today we have a guest host joining us! Curt Covert of Smirk & Dagger   Today's segments are! Fill in the Blank When a game is about __________(theme) I am instantly intrigued! The best game to play outdoors is _______. The game release I most anticipated was/is?________ Hot Takes - Curt shares the latest on Smirk & Dagger; The Night Cage, and The Spill! Lightning Round! King of all desserts is?  2.The Power goes out, what do you do to entertain yourself? Best Intellectual Property (IP) not made into a game yet that needs one Theology of Games Podcast is hosted by: Jeremiah Isley Scott Firestone and AJ Skifstad Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Don't forget to enter the contest for a copy of Space Park by scoring today's show at www.TheologyofGames.com/scorepad!

Today on TruNews, we discuss the new climate crusade being led by the billionaire bio-warrior who foresaw and profited during the pandemic. We dissect his interview with “former” CIA intern Anderson Cooper and address the Communist manifesto fueling the globalists’ Great Reset and their religious quest for population control to save the world for themselves. Rick Wiles, Doc Burkhart, Edward Szall, Matt Skow. Airdate 02/16/2021

Them boys is back babyyyyy. New episode covers everything from Lou's bladder problems, to horrific Tinder Bios, and much more. Tune in next week for our special guest, Lucian from Weekly Geekly! #RunningUpTheTab #RUTT #SynNationNetwork #Podcast #2020 #2021 #YourMomsHouse --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/runningupthetab/support

This week, Travolta/Cage hurtles inevitably into the over-amped action movie phase of our subjects’ careers, as John Travolta shacks up with Hong Kong action wunderkind Broken Arrow! Smirking and smarming his way into his first all-out villain role, Travolta plays an Air Force bomber pilot who decides to steal some nukes for some easy money, with only the wiry Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis to stop them. There are no doves, but there’s plenty of ‘90s cheese. Ain’t it cool? On the other side of the coin, Nic Cage is up to his usual tricks, playing the tic-heavy Little Junior Brown in Barbet Schroeder’s Kiss of Death, a remake of a 1947 film noir starring David Caruso (trying desperately to kickstart a film career post-NYPD Blue) as an ex-con wrapped up in a convoluted web of New York mob mayhem. Sure, it’s a bevy of that-guy character actors (Michael Rapaport! Stanley Tucci! Philip Baker Hall!), but it’s Cage, crying and gurning as an asthmatic tough-guy with a goatee and white tracksuit, who steals the whole thing out from under everyone. Riding shotgun with us on this wild ride is Fast Company culture writer (and author of American Cheese) Joe Berkowitz, diving through the air guns akimbo and bench-pressing strippers to prove his might. Pledge to our Patreon at patreon.com/travoltacage Follow us on Twitter @travoltacage Email us questions at travoltacagepod@gmail.com Podcast theme by Jon Biegen Podcast logo by Felipe Sobreiro

The cult film that launched a thousand dorm room posters. There was so much to discuss about the film and we tried to fit it in a super long episode.  We talk the impact of this film 20 years later, the vibes of Fincher, and the  fashion is just out this world amazing.--- GIVE US A 5 STAR RATING & SUBSCRIBE!Hosts: Lauren @lauren_melanie & Jai @jai_stylefactoryIntro & Outro music by Den-Mate @imdenmateFollow Fashion Grunge on Instagram @fashiongrunge and fashiongrunge.comemail us : info@fashiongrunge.com 

Is it a pig or a sweaty face? It's like the infamous dress or laurel/yanny, but a lot more obvious! We also discuss our personality types, gross shoes (for bowling and from dumpsters), and lose our minds over meteor and meatier and Google Meetier. It's a fun time! Send us your favorite tweets and viral moments of joy with the hashtag #mcdicklez, and follow us on twitter at twitter.com/retweetthispod! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/retweetthis/support

Notice how anger hides under agreeability

Just before Christmas of 1998 a young mother of two, Lynsey Quy would abruptly and mysteriously disappear from her home in Southport in the UK. Her family and friends were totally stunned by her departure and were adamant that Lynsey, who was devoted to her two young children, would never have simply just upped and left them. However, Lynsey’s husband of a few short years, Mitchell Quy was more frank about his wife’s sudden absence. In this episode I discuss about how he engineered, manipulated and almost became addicted to the media attention surrounding his missing wife. I’ll also explore the circumstances that led up to that fateful December over 20 years ago when Lynsey seemed to vanish without a trace. Why no one reported her disappearance for nearly seven weeks and who, the police had in their sights for the missing mum. And how simple greed would eventually be the downfall for detective’s number one suspect in the disappearance and murder of Lynsey Quy. Dr. Jane is a trained, qualified and experienced chartered psychologist specialising in the field of criminal behaviour.For show notes for this and all previous podcast please visit the Why Killers Kill webpage at whykillerskill.com - where you’ll also find a advice and help for domestic violence issues – Please do not suffer in silence.

Welcome to E20's bonus episode! This week Emma is in Iceland but we didn't want you to miss out so created a bonus episode for you to enjoy. Why not see this as an early Christmas present? This episode is packed with surprises. We react to EastEnders taking on Strictly for Children In Need and we read fan fictions. We also share outtakes from previous episodes. Next week normal service will resume and we will be discussing not 1 but 2 weeks of episodes.

The coverage of the new Joker film represents a deeper manifestation of cultural amnesia, 'smart homes' are really dumb, and one of the greatest PR stunts of all time. To support the show, please subscribe on Podbean, iTunes or Patreon Follow on Twitter @BoogieBumper Join the Discord Show links; The politics of the Joker, explained Why the Obama as Joker poster leaves a bad taste in the mouth Why ‘The Joker' Starring Joaquin Phoenix Is Causing Backlash TOP 10 BANE QUOTES Voice AI systems will be ‘everywhere' and ‘phones will disappear in 10 years' Riley Reid shows up to Area 51 and twerks...

Smirking on holiday - bush-whacked & gold Ropey, old bill-fold reach squalor for show Scissor prince dime bag may jones until dawn Bleeding that naturally, squeezed by the law

Ryan and Tucker come to the table with big goofy grins this week because they're so psyched to talk about July 31’s new books including POWERS OF X #1, BLACK PANTHER #14, VENOM ANNUAL #1, and FANTASTIC FOUR #12.

There's someone in there with you... Friend or Foe ...  Support or Judgement ..  Confident or Insecure ..  You believe that you are the compilation of all of these characters ... But..There is strength in knowing that YOU are the one aware of all of these versions,,  and YOU get to choose who comes along for the ride...  When you start to feel that you are "too Identified" with one of these Characters ... You just may feel your Higher Self... SMIRKING at you.... waiting with love patiently for you to understand you are limitless love.. and have access to Infinity ...   Have the best day ever !!

Twenty-two year old Sian O'Callaghan left a nightclub in Swindon in the early hours of 19th March 2011. She was never seen again. Why did Christopher Halliwell murder her? And what can we learn from the extraordinary investigation that brought him to justice? CREDITS:  Producer: Poppy Damon  Artwork: George Leigh Music: Dan Wansell CONTACT:  Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod Instagram: bloodties_pod Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com 

Smirking: The NEW Hate Crime | The Mark Harrington Show | 1.26.19   Routinely the March for Life is underreported but this year was different. What some Catholic High School students did after the 2019 March for Life garnered national media attention. Why because they dared to smile at a protester who was being provocative. Listen to The Mark Harrington Show to find out how we can respond to these blatant attempts to destroy efforts of God fearing Americans to express ourselves in the public square. Facebook Personal - https://www.facebook.com/MarkCreatedEqual Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/TheMarkHarringtonShow/ Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kM_Q0sgCk9iVWAg8HNSFQ Twitter - https://twitter.com/markreformer Website - https://markharrington.org

The world LITERALLY explodes after a Native American man and white teenager stare into each others eyes for an extended period of time. The Government shutdown continues while negotiations turn to petulant child like fighting. SCOTUS, AOC, and more. Kava from Grassroots Kava House Water from Kroger Music by J.Titus --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/muddiedwaters/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/muddiedwaters/support

John and Matthew return to Parts Unknown to talk with John Jones now that he's revealed his Martian identity to the citizens. While still living a double life as John Jones, how will the Manhunter solve this new dual I.D. lifestyle? "Covert Affair" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Meg and Elle are back with several new chapters! We read chapters 19-23 of Cocky Surgeon, which led to so many new observations about Hopkins's writing. Instead of cats, we try to figure out if smirking penises are euphemisms for something, how doctor residencies actually work, and whether or not the author sticks with one theme throughout all 18 books.  Chapter 19 - How old are you when you learn your last name? Chapter 20 - weird sex and workout routines  Chapter 21 - in which we have an entire chapter dedicated to tetanus shots and stitches  Chapter 22 - The author proves she doesn't understand residencies Elle also goes on a rant about Twilight after recently rewatching the series!  Follow us on Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Group Music this season: "The Porn King" by The Funky Filter

This month, there have been tough questions about the latest NAMM show product releases: Can Yamaha restart the 'marketing valve' gravy train? Should TC Electronic be shipping their new plug-in with a free pencil-sharpener? And who will walk away with PSTB's coveted Straight To Landfill Award? For Facepalm Of The Month, Jon takes a break from mixing the heartbeat of the universe to explain how some gigs are too classy for their own good, and what it feels like to be smirked at by a slice of cucumber. Meanwhile, as we push the quality bar for Toast Foley to new lows, Mike asks what instrument is actually the most difficult to record. Plus, join our bid for Summer Anthem 2018, a viral video sensation boasting ninja puppies, Monteverdi duetting, and beards with everything. (Any excuse to shoehorn Prince and Jimmy Somerville into the same sentence. There, did it again!) Fancy more of this nonsense? Then please support the podcast!

This month, there have been tough questions about the latest NAMM show product releases: Can Yamaha restart the 'marketing valve' gravy train? Should TC Electronic be shipping their new plug-in with a free pencil-sharpener? And who will walk away with PSTB's coveted Straight To Landfill Award? For Facepalm Of The Month, Jon takes a break from mixing the heartbeat of the universe to explain how some gigs are too classy for their own good, and what it feels like to be smirked at by a slice of cucumber. Meanwhile, as we push the quality bar for Toast Foley to new lows, Mike asks what instrument is actually the most difficult to record. Plus, join our bid for Summer Anthem 2018, a viral video sensation boasting ninja puppies, Monteverdi duetting, and beards with everything. (Any excuse to shoehorn Prince and Jimmy Somerville into the same sentence. There, did it again!) Fancy more of this nonsense? Then please support the podcast!

Suzanne Urban runs the Etsy shops Smirking Goddess Studio and Suzanne Urban Art and this week she shares the story of her Etsy journey, including how she transitioned into a full-time entrepreneur running her business on Etsy. Visit  for more information.

"This has happened, look what you've done," the robot wrote. Chris sent Danielle to her death in deep space, but her estranged husband still comes to visit. "It's just garbage," the robot continued. Smirking, a besunglassed Nick Breckon catches a ride on a dolphin and breaks the surface in a graceful arc. "Video game & pop culture cast, hacking and robot-mongering awaits," the robot concluded, incorrectly. "It's a good one!"

This is The Spoon, where we like big bugs and we cannot lie. Quint Tunes, Guns N Roses, Sex Pistols, I Broke Rob, Musical Prejudice, Plank Spanking, Michael Schenker, Stoopid, They Don't Need Me, Rush & Styx, Anti-Fun, Pixies Scuttlebutt, Greatest Song, Anthony Ferrante Rules, Chat Room Buzz, The Man Filter, No Doubt & Green Day, Punk Appreciation, Pr0n Technology, Morrissey, OMD, Howard Jones, Spoon Feeding, TMV Backpack Drive Music By QUINT Spoon Feeding Stranger Things Turbo Kid Jack Davis The Men Of The Spoon Robbie Rist Chris Jackson Thom Bowers The Spoon on FacebookSubscribe via iTunesEmail: the_spoon_radio@yahoo.com Listen LIVE! Wednesdays at 7:00pm PST on TMV Cafe

MOSTLY HARMLESS LIVE: "HOLIDAYS FROM HELL!" Guests include Bree Davies (Welcome To Rock Island Podcast, Denver Westword), Comedian Kevin O'Brien (These Things Matter Podcast) & musical guest: Jack's Smirking Revenge (Alex Pelissero)! Recorded in front of a "studio" audience at Mutiny Information Cafe in Denver! This episode is brought to you by Ratio Beerworks!  In this month's live episode, Damian drinks too much while the gang discuss horrible holidays past, the joys of retail and MORE! The gang also play a fun and filthy game of Mad Libs!This live event features a solo set with Alex Pelissero as Jack's Smirking Revenge!

Old man ponders the big questions, When are you old, Pants & Smirking dogs

--{ Fear Tactics Working--Elites Smirking: "World Rulers Fearfully Praying People Stay Oblivious to the Spraying, Dying of Allergies, Intensified Fears, Though They've been Sprayed Over Ten Years With Metallic Particles Suggested by Teller, H-Bomb Inventor, Scientific Feller, In Conjunction with HAARP, He did Find Could Make Populations Pliable, Dull of Mind, Easily Led in Confused Disorder Into Regimented New World Order, Punch-drunk with Crises, We've Become Accepting of Tyranny Since 2001, Those Still Conscious Notice Lately All This Horror Under 'Peace and Safety' " © Alan Watt }-- Daily Aerial Spraying, Sky Photographs, Polymer Mush, Metallic Particles in Atmosphere - Sudden Rise in Mystery Illnesses, Allergies, Autism, Asthma - Bacterial-Viral Warfare. Global Warming/Climate Change Excuse - Media Newscasters - New Feudal System, More Sophisticated Slavery - Voting for P.R. Images. Headline Conclusion - BBC-British Propaganda - Stampeding the Herd - U.K. Mental Health Poll, "Culture of Fear" - Pavlov, Russian Schools. Tidy Planet, Plato - CCTV Surveillance, Thoughtcrime - Fear of Crime (Falling Rates), Perception - Statistic Offices, Anxiety Disorders - Monsanto, GM Food in Canada. Right to Vote in "Democracy", Legal Contract - Toronto Amalgamation Vote - Ireland, Lisbon Treaty Vote, EU Diplomatic Corps. - Managerial Dictatorship, Parallel Government. Existence, Needing "Purpose" to Live (Serving World State). Piracy Nonsense, Pillaged Seas, Fishing Fleets. Freemasonry, Serpent Eating Tail, Higher Noble Orders - Selection Process, Degrees - Albert Pike, "Morals and Dogma" book - Obedience of Superiors' Orders - Neoplatonism. (Articles: ["Rise in multiple allergy patients" by Sue Emmett (news.bbc.co.uk) - April 14, 2009.] ["UK society 'increasingly fearful' " (news.bbc.co.uk) - April 13, 2009.] ["EU trains a new diplomatic corps - without waiting for Lisbon Treaty" by Bruno Waterfield (telegraph.co.uk) - April 12, 2009.] ["Analysis: Somalia Piracy Began in Response to Illegal Fishing and Toxic Dumping by Western Ships off Somali Coast" by Amy Goodman (democracynow.org) - April 14, 2009.] ["Bouncers hired to control classes in school because they're cheaper than supply teachers" by Mark Ellis (mirror.co.uk) - April 13, 2009.]) *Title/Poem and Dialogue Copyrighted Alan Watt - April 14, 2009 (Exempting Music, Literary Quotes, and Callers' Comments)