Podcasts about spartan

Most people don't fall apart overnight. They drift when structure disappears. In this episode, former U.S. Army veteran, health and wellness entrepreneur, and podcast host Chase Chewning joins Joe De Sena to break down what happens when identity, purpose, and community are stripped away. Chase lays out the hard lessons from medical discharge, career-ending injury, and loss, and how discipline, ownership, and community rebuild momentum. This is a blunt conversation about resilience, daily structure, and choosing responsibility when comfort is easier. Listeners will learn how to reset after loss, why discipline beats mindset, and how to move forward without excuses.   Things You Will Learn: How to rebuild identity after injury, loss, or a forced reset Why community is required for resilience and long-term performance How ownership replaces motivation and keeps you moving Tools & Frameworks Covered: Ever Forward rule: move despite pain and uncertainty Community as structure: accountability when discipline slips Ownership principle: take responsibility, no matter the circumstance If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.   Chase Chewning's life is a story of breaking down and rebuilding stronger. After serving six years in the U.S. Army and enduring devastating injuries that left him learning to walk twice, Chase transformed pain into purpose.    Today, through his hit show Ever Forward Radio and his work in wellness and podcast education, he shares hard-earned lessons on resilience, mindset, and the power of turning struggle into strength.   Connect to Chase: Website: www.chasechewning.com www.operationpodcast.com   Instagram: @everforwardradio @operationpodcast   We gave you the tools, now use them during your next SPARTAN RACE! Use codeword PODCAST on checkout for 10% your next race. 

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus and Gaius use the legendary Spartan-Argos Battle of the Champions to frame the twenty-first-century standoff between America and Iran, arguing that American reliance on the magical fetish of air power ignores the historical reality that Persia has remained essentially unconquered for 2,500 years, with both sides poised for uncontrollable escalation without a settled definition of victory. 11746

Today we discuss the workforce projections for 2026 from an aviation training perspective with CEO of Spartan College Of Aeronautics and Technology, Rob Polston. https://www.spartan.edu Mentorship: https://valeri-aviation.thinkific.com/courses/group-career-coaching Use the coupon code “CoachItForward” for the first month free. One-On-One Coaching: https://valeri-aviation.thinkific.com/courses/career-coaching Special: One month of free access when you sign up for one-on-one coaching. Pay It … Continue reading ACP447 2026 Instructor Job Projections with Spartan CEO Rob Polston → The post ACP447 2026 Instructor Job Projections with Spartan CEO Rob Polston appeared first on Aviation Careers Podcast.

Today, on a special episode hosted by Maureen McCann, we had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Neal Bawa, aka the "Mad Scientist" of real estate. Maureen and Neal talk the multifamily and single-family housing markets and discuss the impact of interest rates, the shift towards a renter nation, and the importance of data in making investment decisions. Neal also touches on the need for patience in the current market and gives advice for navigating the real estate landscape in 2026 and beyond.Find Neal Bawa:Multifamily University: https://multifamilyu.com/Toby Mathis Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TobyMathis/videos--To learn more about our full-service turnkey operations, check us out online at www.spartaninvest.comConnect with Spartan!Facebook: @spartanTURNKEYInstagram: @spartaninvestLinkedIn: @spartaninvestConnect with Lindsay!Facebook: @spartanlindsaydavisInstagram: @spartanlindsaydavis

What if the alliance that crushed Persia had become a lasting settlement? We revisit the brief window after Plataea and Mycale when Greece looked coordinated, and we test a bold idea: Athens commands the sea, Sparta secures the land, and both accept firm limits. From the outside it sounds elegant. Inside the machinery, doctrine, ideology, and economics pull the partnership apart.We trace why Spartan warfare favored short, decisive campaigns tied to helot stability, while Athenian power thrived on long-haul naval pressure, trade protection, and cumulative influence across the Aegean. Those clashing tempos made joint strategy awkward: one side sought closure, the other needed continuity. Then we tackle freedom itself. Sparta equated liberty with order and control; Athens tied it to participation and autonomy at home and, increasingly, among allies abroad. Each city believed it defended Hellenic freedom, yet each defined it in ways the other found threatening, turning coordination into a contest of values.Material realities widened the gap. The Piraeus, tribute, and fortified long walls made Athenian security inseparable from projection. Spartan strength remained agrarian and territorial, built for defense rather than maritime governance. Pausanias's overreach hastened a shift: Sparta withdrew from Ionia as Athens organized the Delian League, converting emergency leadership into durable influence. Could institutions have rescued a dual hegemony—arbitration councils, command rotations, codified spheres? Perhaps in theory, but the polis world resisted supra-city authority, and neither side could reliably practice the self-restraint required.Across strategy, culture, and political tempo, the same pattern emerges: wartime unity simplified choices; peacetime complexity revived incompatible logics. The result is a clear takeaway for students of ancient history and statecraft alike: alliances can win battles, but only institutions and shared definitions turn victory into order. If you found this exploration useful, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves Greek history, and leave a review with the single reform you think might have saved the partnership.Support the show

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2026 is: laconic • luh-KAH-nik • adjective Laconic describes someone or something communicating with few words. Laconic can more narrowly mean "concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious." // The stand-up comedian is known for his laconic wit and mastery of the one-liner. See the entry > Examples: "Elijah did not enjoy all my choices. ... But my son listened closely to every selection. He remembered plot points better than I did and assessed historical figures concisely. 'Mean,' he said of Voltaire. 'Creepy,' summed up Alexander Hamilton. ... Most surprising, my laconic teenager shared my love of Austen. Those hours listening to Pride and Prejudice were some of the happiest of my parenting life." — Allegra Goodman, LitHub.com, 4 Feb. 2025 Did you know? We'll keep it brief. Laconia was once an ancient province in southern Greece. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. Laconic comes to us by way of the Latin word laconicus ("Spartan") from the Greek word lakōnikos. In current use, laconic means "terse" or "concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious," and thus recalls the Spartans' tight-lipped taciturnity.

A conversation with American classicist, military historian, and conservative political commentator Victor Davis Hanson.We discuss:Why Epaminondas remains one of the most underrated commanders in Greek history, and how the loss of Plutarch's Life of Epaminondas has obscured his legacyThe pivotal liberation of Thebes in 378 BC: how a small band of conspirators overthrew the Spartan-backed oligarchy and sparked a democratic revolutionEpaminondas's strategic masterstroke at Leuctra — the deep oblique phalanx on the left — and how it shattered 200 years of Spartan military supremacyHow freeing the Messenian Helots and building Megalopolis, Mantinea, and Messene permanently encircled and emasculated Sparta as a great powerThe fatal miscalculation of 335 BC: why Thebes revolted against Alexander on the basis of a false rumor, and how every potential ally abandoned themThe recurring pattern of doomed civilizations — from Thebes to Carthage to Constantinople — that share delusions about allies, enemies, and their own declineWhat ancient history reveals about America's current strengths and vulnerabilities, from demographic pressures to the China threatSubscribe to the Cost of Glory newsletter for detailed maps, images, and analysis of this pivotal moment in ancient history: https://costofglory.substack.com/Get in touch at:Website: https://costofglory.comX: https://x.com/costofglory

Siege lines rose like ribs around Syracuse, and for a moment it looked inevitable: Athens would seal the city by land and sea and claim a victory to match its ambition. Then a Spartan named Gylippus found an open path, a counterwall bit into Athenian plans, and the balance turned in a single campaigning season.We walk through the decisive mechanics of the siege: the capture of Epipolae, the fort at Labdalum, and the careful logic of building north and south walls to throttle supply. You'll hear how targeted Athenian raids shattered early Syracusan counterworks, why the marsh approach to the Great Harbor mattered, and how a split-second battlefield recovery cost the bold general Lamachus his life. Inside Syracuse, morale plunged and talk of surrender spread—until Corinthian ships slipped the net and Gylippus marched overland to reframe the war.From that point, the terrain of decision shifted. Gylippus struck at Lebdalum, forced Athens to defend too many seams, and completed a counterwall that kept Syracuse connected to the hinterland. Cavalry and javelin men exploited open ground, driving the Athenians back behind incomplete lines. Nicias moved supply points to harbor forts for safer seaborne logistics, but the longer haul to the heights invited harassment, fatigue, and a slow bleed of ship crews and morale. The result was a strategic stalemate tilting toward the defenders.At the heart of this chapter is Nicias's stark letter to the Athenian assembly, a rare moment of strategic honesty: withdraw entirely and accept the costs, or reinforce massively with hoplites, cavalry, money, and shared command. No half measures. From the safety of a calm Athens, the choice felt simple—send more. That confidence, nurtured by empire and habit, set the stage for a larger reckoning as Syracuse rallied allies and trained a fleet to contest the last Athenian advantage at sea.Listen for tactical lessons on siegecraft, counterwalls, and the danger of leaving a single approach unguarded, alongside the political lesson that ambition without mass invites reversal. If this deep dive sharpened your view of the Sicilian Expedition, follow the show, share it with a history-loving friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the series. Support the show

Baby Grooch has arrived, Kevin is on FMLA, and Michigan State got absolutely torched in Madison — so it's business as usual on Can't Read, Can't Write. Mike and Plum break down a brutal loss in Wisconsin (51-34 at the half says everything you need to know), dig into the coaching carousel with new QB coach John McNulty and RB coach Travis Russell — both with uncomfortable Michigan ties — and rant about a CBS listicle that had the audacity to give Kyle Whittingham an A.Hockey's rolling, Notre Dame's coming to town, and the guys preview two must-win games against UCLA and Ohio State. Off Grand River, a Providence-St. John's brawl, Doug Gottlieb losing his mind over a technical, Jerome Tang getting fired for cause (and his AD making it worse), and Canada's curling team getting caught doing the absolute worst thing you can do in a gentleman's sport — and then telling Sweden to go pound sand about it.Listener questions, a sponsor read, a whiskey review nobody asked for, and a formal welcome to the newest Spartan. Go green.

Work has been absolute chaos for Mike while Katelyn gets to enjoy February vacation! We reached out to a few guests but due to availability continuing to be pushed back we needed to fall back to rereleasing a previously released episode.  This time on a beloved Winter Spartan Race at Greek Peak in New York! This was the one year that we were able to make it and pretty sure the second to last one that they ever did. So come back with us on a trip to 2019 when the sport was still pretty amazing in North America ... or don't and we will talk to you next episode!  Start – 2:44 – Intro 2:44 – 6:16 – Quick News 6:16 – 7:30 – Content Preface 7:30 – 1:05:44 - reRUN of 114. Spartan Greek Peak Winter Sprint with Elites! 1:05:44 – End – Outro Next weekend we will be hearing from a Hyrox athlete who confirms that their events may just be for everyone! ____ News Stories: New England OCR Expo Dubai Games Happened MudGear Hannibal Race Pro Team Changes Spartan and Tough Mudder Fees Class Action Lawsuit Spartan and Tough Mudder Fees Class Action Lawsuit Joke Post German Bobsledder Funded by OnlyFans From Bush in Super Bowl to NYC Marathon Rylan Schadegg's Brother and Dad Race Hyrox Boston Marathon in Space Manchester Adaptive Hyrox Twins Interview Secret Link German Hang Secret Link Eight Count Secret Link Sperm Race Secret Link Chicken Banana Secret Link ____ Related Episodes: 9. Greek Peak Winter Spartan! 62. Greek Peak Spartan Sprint, Tough Mudder Ambassador, and FIT 'Rock Trail 5k! 114. Spartan Greek Peak Winter Sprint with Elites! ____ The OCR Report Patreon Supporters: Jason Dupree, Kim DeVoss, Samantha Thompson, Matt Puntin, Brad Kiehl, Charlotte Engelman, Erin Grindstaff, Hank Stefano, Arlene Stefano, Laura Ritter, Steven Ritter, Sofia Harnedy, Kenny West, Cheryl Miller, Jessica Johnson, Scott "The Fayne" Knowles, Nick Ryker, Christopher Hoover, Kevin Gregory Jr., Evan Eirich, Ashley Reis, Brent George, Justin Manning, Wendell Lagosh, Logan Nagle, Angela Bowers, Asa Coddington, Thomas Petersen, Seth Rinderknecht, Bonnie Wilson, Steve Bacon from The New England OCR Expo, Robert Landman, Shell Luccketta Jules Estes, and Alan "Muddy Duck" Moore. Sponsored Athletes: Javier Escobar, Kelly Sullivan, Ryan Brizzolara, Joshua Reid, and Kevin Gregory! Support us on Patreon for exclusive content and access to our Facebook group Check out our Threadless Shop Use coupon code "adventure" for 15% off MudGear products Use coupon code "ocrreport20" for 20% off Caterpy products Like us on Facebook: Obstacle Running Adventures Follow our podcast on Instagram: @ObstacleRunningAdventures Write us an email: obstaclerunningadventures@gmail.com Subscribe on Youtube: Obstacle Running Adventures Intro music - "Streaker" by: Straight Up Outro music - "Iron Paw" by: Dubbest

This week on PS THIS IS AWESOME, Fred and Jake dive into the games they've been playing: Fred tackling the high‑intensity loot shooter ARC Raiders and the tactical fantasy strategy of Unicorn Overlord, while Jake is deep into Baldur's Gate 3 and the freshly released God of War: Sons of Sparta, exploring Kratos' early Spartan adventures in a surprise 2D Metroidvania.We kick off the news with a recap of the latest State of Play, where we saw everything from Kena: Scars of Kosmora and the Ghost of Yōtei Legends DLC, to PC news with Death Stranding 2, plus a variety of gameplay reveals including 4 Loop, Pragmata, Resident Evil Requiem, Control Resonant, Crimson Moon, Beast of Reincarnation, Saros, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and more. Remasters, surprises, and teases were everywhere, from Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, Brigandine Abyss, and Dead or Alive 6: Last Round Free-to-Play, to Dead or Alive 7, God of War Trilogy Remake, and fan favorites like Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition, Mina the Hollower, and Neva: Prologue.We also cover the spookier side with Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Silent Hill: Townfall, and Rev.NOiR, plus high-octane trailers for John Wick, Marathon: Server Slam Beta, Yakoh Shinobi Ops, Project Windless, Star Wars Galactic Racer, and 007 First Light. The PlayStation Plus segment brings a mix of classics and catalog highlights, featuring Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Tekken Dark Resurrection, Time Crisis, and Big Walk.Finally, we wrap up with all the exciting new releases hitting PS5 and PS4 this month, from aerial chaos in Aerial_Knights Dropshot, epic fantasy adventures like Avowed and Under the Island, quirky and dark RPGs like Calamity Angels: Special Delivery, Death Howl, and Soulslinger: Envoy of Death, to platformers, strategy games, and remasters such as KLETKA, Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, Showgunners, Prize Fighter: Heavyweight Edition, and the latest entries in Ys X: Proud Nordics. With so many genres and surprises, this episode has something for every PlayStation fan – from Qbert nostalgia to modern action and strategy chaos!Visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome to support the show and help us continue producing the content you love!Please, if you enjoyed the content — or even if you didn't quite enjoy this one — come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Share with your friends and help us grow our awesome PlayStation community!As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by Tough Mudder HQ heavyweights Matt Brookes and Karen Trickey for a deep dive into everything shaking up the OCR world. From World's Toughest Mudder 2026 to the evolving relationship with Spartan, nothing is off the table. Matt and Karen pull back the curtain on some of the new course features coming to WTM—yes, including the much‑whispered Morning Glory—and share early insights into how the event is evolving for 2026. We also rewind to the standout moments of 2025, celebrating the athletes, obstacles, and stories that defined the season. But that's not all. We explore the brand‑new Hex Medal Collection, the launch of the Tough Mudder Trifecta, and the gear choices that are winning over the community—right down to Alan and Matts love of shoes  It's an episode packed with transparency, nostalgia, and a look ahead at what's next for the world's muddiest family.  If you have any questions about the show or would like to explore advertising opportunities, feel free to reach out to us at admin@ukocr.com.

February 13, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Steve Courtney talk with Tom Izzo about tomorrow's game against Wisconsin, they also discuss Valentine's weekend plans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

Verkannt, vergessen oder ein Verlust: Heute geht's um Filme wie BABYLON, A SCANNER DARKLY, ALLES EINE FRAGE DER ZEIT oder I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS. Also um Filme, die bei der Kritik durchfielen, zu wenig gesehen wurden oder an den Kinokassen so richtig untergingen, obwohl sie… eigentlich echt gut sind. Angeregt durch eine Liste des Time Magazines, die den Titel THE 50 MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED MOVIES OF THE 21ST CENTURY trägt. Wegen der wollen Antje, Matthias und Schröck nämlich eine ähnliche Liste erstellen, nachdem sie erst ein wenig die Parameter geklärt haben und auf die inspirierende Time-Liste eingegangen sind. Deswegen geht es darüber hinaus auch noch um Streifen wie WALTZ WITH BASHIR, A CURE FOR WELLNESS, 11:14, JUGEND OHNE JUGEND oder POSSUM. Außerdem wollen wir noch PFERDE STEHLEN, eine Runde mit WORLD'S GREATEST DAD abhängen, den SPARTAN auf seiner Mission begleiten und THE MUSTANG zähmen, bevor wir uns an THE WILD GOOSE LAKE - SEE DER WILDEN GÄNSE zur Ruhe setzen. Abgerundet durch ein paar weitere Überraschungen wie G.O.A.T. - BOCK AUF GROSSE SPRÜNGE, KNIVES OUT: GLASS ONION, BRIMSTONE: ERLÖSE UNS VON DEM BÖSEN oder KNIGHTRIDERS – RITTER AUF HEISSEN ÖFEN. Doch das Beste ist: Ihr könnt an der Liste mitwirken. Wir laden diese Liste wieder bei Letterboxd hoch, so dass Ihr dort Vorschläge machen könnt, um noch weitere Filme, die mehr Liebe verdienen, auf die Liste zu packen. Bis dahin wünschen wir Euch aber erstmal viel Spaß mit dem Talk und bleibt bitte so gesund wie gut drauf. Adiós. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

Young woman finds lust and love at Christmas.By JagFarlane. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mel swiped the credit card along the terminal, waited for the receipt to print, stuffed it into the restaurant’s portfolio along with a couple of Ande’s mints, and turned to stroll towards the table. She dropped it off to the table’s occupants and hurried off to the kitchen, trying to look busy though probably fooling no one. It was Christmas Eve after all and the bulk of the town’s part time residents, university students and staff, had all scattered off to home days ago leaving behind the few full time residents to keep the place from looking like a ghost town.She was a student at the university too, but had elected to remain behind this year much to the restaurant manager’s relief. Not that the money had been very good, with the vast majority of the students gone there were only a few souls that made it into the building each night and sometimes she wondered if it had even been worth it to the management to even turn on the lights. Stepping out to pick up the signed receipt and bus several dessert plates away, a glance was given to the tips section and a bit of a relieved sigh at the decent tip. At least the residents routinely tipped, she smiled a bit to herself.After taking a look around and finding no one else at any of her tables, Mel leaned up against the entranceway to the kitchen and allowed herself a quiet moment. Another Christmas Eve alone; not that she hadn’t gotten used to it during her stint in the Air Force. But they still were never easy to take. She’d gotten out and took the chance to move to the one area she’d dreamed of living ever since she was a little girl, Boise, Idaho. Shortly after arriving, she’d invested most of her savings into a condo figuring that not having a monthly house expense was the best route. From there she had enrolled in the local community college and after graduating moved to Boise State University.Between the part time gig as a waitress, her G I Bill money, and a couple small grants Mel was living a fairly comfortable albeit Spartan lifestyle. Still, it hadn’t left a lot of time for romance and it didn’t help that she spent most of her time around people who were a few years younger than her. Just finding someone she could sit at the bar with, legally, was a challenge sometimes and often the grad students were either too busy or in a serious relationship already. Fingers played in the curls of her long, dark red hair as she mulled over her current state in life. That is, until the snapping of fingers in front of her face brought her back to reality.“Hey, you’ve got one on table six.” Sandy smiled to her as she ducked into the kitchen.Shaking her head a little to clear the daze, frowning for a moment as she realized that Jingle Bells was playing for fourth time tonight, and then putting on her best smile, Mel made her way over towards table six. A quick glance at the clock revealed closing time was drawing near and she said a silent thanks to her shift being over soon. She just hoped this last customer wasn’t someone who had gone out to get drunk, and then stopped here on the way home.Phil looked up from the menu as the waitress approached, still mulling between the hickory burger and the spicy chicken sandwich. A moment was spent admiring the waitress’ legs, shown off by the green and black plaid skirt she was wearing. Slowly his eyes moved upwards, the thought of the hickory burger fading as he looked over her full chest and the red curls lying upon it. It had been a long day of travel then in the barn tending to the mare and the approaching woman was a welcome sight indeed, both for the eyes and the promise of getting a decent meal at some point today.She rolled her eyes a bit at the stare she was getting, some days she didn’t mind getting ogled but over the years it had grown quite annoying. So annoyed she was that she didn’t even notice that he appeared to be familiar. “Good evening and welcome to Terry’s. Can I start you out with a drink and perhaps an appetizer?” She put on her best server smile and hoped that perhaps his eyes would move up from her chest to at least her chin.“Can I get a Miller Light and a half order of mozzarella sticks?” He waited for her to write down the order, “And I’ll take a umm, hickory burger, medium rare.” Phil put down the menu to fish out his driver’s license and passed it to the waitress.She scribbled down the order and took the license as it was passed to her, glancing down at the date of birth then at the picture and passed it back to him. As Mel made her way back to the order station, the nagging thought of the familiar face in the picture was bugging her. She hadn’t red the name, and for once regretted not doing so. A glance over her shoulder as she input the order didn’t reveal much as his head was down to play with his phone.The sound of a skirt swishing as the waitress came up to the table caused him to glance up, just long enough to take the pint glass and take an appreciative sip of the amber liquid. Sure, it was a little watery but after the last two days it felt like heaven. Eyes glanced up to watch the waitress walk away, her red hair swaying behind her. Her shape reminded him a bit of someone else but he wasn’t fully sure who and made a note to try to look at her face the next time she came around.Sandy had taken the mozzarella sticks out to him so Mel stood off to the side; taking note that closing time was coming up in a few minutes. Of course the handful of customers still in the joint would be allowed to finish their meals but not to place any more orders after the doors were locked. Mel was fairly sure she’d figured out who her guest was, but wanted an up close look at his face to be sure. If he was the person she thought he was, it was to be a pleasant surprise, particularly since he’d never paid her figure that sort of attention before, even with there seeming to be a mental connection. A cross of her fingers, perhaps Christmas was looking up after all.Phil sipped at his third beer of the night, glad that the town bus system was still running through the holidays. The redhead hadn’t been by him since bringing the latest beer, a little more than he was used to consuming on a normal evening but it did mean she was coming by more often. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to look her in the face yet, or maybe he was just enjoying the other views, he wasn’t quite sure which one it was. The debate became moot when his head snapped up at the voice behind him and his eyes finally looked at Mel’s face.“Hey Phil, long time!” She was finally certain it was Phil Clauser, who had been the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Intro to Equine class she’d taken to minor in equine studies. Mel could still remember how the muscles of his forearms threatened to tear the rolled up cuffs of his flannel shirt when he was teaching them out to do groundwork with a stubborn mare. There had been a couple of jokes among the girls about how they wouldn’t mind taking a roll in the hay with him but as far as Mel knew none had done more than chatted about it.For a moment he regretted having finished three beers already as it seemed they were fogging his brain. The face attached to the tall redhead was vaguely familiar. He thought he could place it in a classroom setting. What seemed like an eternity passed before he imagined her hair tied back, a pair of jeans instead of the skirt, and a sweatshirt; finally placed her as a former student of his. “Hey, Melissa. It has been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”She let out her breath a bit, in relief. Sometimes the red hair was nice in that it often helped people to remember her. For once that was playing into her favor. She set down the burger and another beer, “Merry Christmas Eve! I hope it’s going well for you.”“It’s going good now,” he gave her a faint smile and proceeded to tell her about how one of the mares under his charge had come down ill and he’d come back on short notice to oversee her care. He’d only gotten back this morning and had spent most of the day at the barn, only getting enough time to shower the barn smell off, change his clothes, and come in for dinner. “Such of the life of working in agriculture, but it’s worth it to me,” he offered a smile to her as she stole a fry from his plate. The sound of a lock clicking brought him back to the restaurant, “I guess I should eat up, don’t want to keep you late on Christmas Eve of all nights.”“Oh, it’s okay,” she looked up as the manager called out for the waitresses and slid from the table, “I’ll be right back.” Off to the backroom she went, leaving him to work on his meal.He looked up when she rejoined him at the table, sliding herself back into the chair. She placed a glass of eggnog in front of him with a little smile, “On the house. So, what are you doing for Christmas since you’re back on short notice?” He watched as she tilted her head and seemed to be anxiously awaiting his answer. “Oh, I’m not sure. I guess just go home for the night, have to spend some time with the mare, tomorrow and otherwise maybe I’ll just catch a few movies on the tv.” He took a sip of the eggnog and noted a hint of Southern Comfort. When he looked up, she just gave him a little smile. “You?”“Probably about the same thing, except for the mare part. Just catch up on some Christmas movies, have a couple of drinks, sleep in, and do the same tomorrow I suppose. Or,” she paused, grinned a bit at him, “or, maybe you could join me and at least we would have some company to enjoy during our movie watching.” Mel wagged her eyebrows just a bit in excitement.He watched her eyebrows in a bit of amusement, and chuckled softly “I think I would be a fool to turn down the offer. I would be glad to join you.”She smiled widely at that, and rose up to go retrieve the check and complete the formalities of shutting down the restaurant for the night. He watched her dart from spot to spot, helping with cleaning up tables and putting away silverware. A bit of wonder got to him, how different she was here, than in the classroom, where she had always been a bit formal. He wondered briefly if that had to do with her being a veteran. Perhaps it was because of how she’d lived. It wasn’t long though, before she popped up to the table and gently grabbed his arm to signal that it was time to go. Getting to his feet, he realized just about how much alcohol he’d had, but made it out the door and onto the metro bus, to her place.They walked the two blocks from the bus stop to the complex, where Mel’s condo was. Phil looked up, blinking, “I didn’t know anyone rented these out.” Mel just smiled and shook her head, “I own one. Much better than living in the apartments near campus, and especially much quieter and more private. Plus, I don’t have to compete with the younger women at the pool.” She gave a little wolfish grin at that last part and led him towards the door of her condo.Inside, he found the place lightly decorated for Christmas. Little figurines placed here and there, a few window decorations, Christmas cards taped above the entranceway to the kitchen. The condo itself was cozy. From what he could see it seemed like a two bedroom place and he smiled a little at the fireplace in the living room with a stocking hung to one side. The place had a very homie feel to it; something he hadn’t felt except at his parent’s place, in a long time.She ran around in the background, picking up a few things here and there. None of her plans had included company being over for the night. Normally she would have just come in, poured a glass of wine, stripped off her work uniform and caught up with her TiVo in panties. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight though she stifled a little giggle as she imagined what his reaction would have been to that. “There’s beer, eggnog, and soda in the fridge and the cabinet above the freezer has the liquor in it. Feel free to help yourself, so long as you make me an eggnog with spiced rum in it. I’ll be out in a minute.”She pulled off the top and the skirt, throwing them into her laundry basket. After a moment thinking it over, her bra followed shortly afterwards, letting a heavy chest hang freely. Deciding to go all in and fully change, panties were thrown in last. Into the master bathroom she wandered, taking up a warm wet washcloth, and using it to wipe some of the sweat away from underneath her breasts, around her thighs, and a few other places. Fingers ran through her curly red bush. It was a little overdue for a trimming and there was a bit of a wish that she had the time to, but she figured if it came to that he probably wouldn’t mind terribly much. A few pats with a towel to dry off and she put on a stretchy sports bra, tee-shirt, and a pair of university sweat pants. Two spritzes from a bottle of warm vanilla sugar body spray then quick brushing of her hair and out the door she came.Phil had taken a seat on the end of the couch, having made two of the eggnog and spiced rum drinks. Slowly he sipped at one, just admiring her place and the country style décor she seemed to prefer. A smile crossed his face as she came out, a little surprised at how she could make even sweats and a tee-shirt look sexy. He was just content to watch her as she went over to the fireplace and got a compressed log lit, admiring her rear as she bent over to do it, then as she put a movie into the player and came over to the couch.They chatted idly during the first movie, discussing career goals, college experiences, and general background information. Phil purposely kept only slowly sipping away at his eggnog, making the drink last the entirety of the first movie and giving the alcohol time to course its way out of his system. As they chatted he found himself becoming more intrigued with this young woman, her variety of interests and the passion she brought to life. He liked how her face lit up as she talked about taking an internship at a dig in the Badlands and at having found actual dinosaur bones. Even if he wasn’t so interested in what she was studying, he just liked being around someone who was so happy doing what she was doing.The topic slowly turned towards their shared love of horses. He’d grown up on a horse ranch a few hours south of where they were and she’d only just started taking lessons after moving to Boise. He knew more of the technical side but she had the passion beyond that of someone who had just gushed over ponies as a little kid. When she came back from changing the DVD’s and accepted her second drink, he took note that she was sitting much closer to him than at the beginning of the evening. Each time she came back from getting up it seemed she moved a few inches closer till it was shortly after one am and upon coming back from putting in a new movie she was cuddled up against his figure. He could smell the faded scent of vanilla spice on her, it felt inviting, it just felt right.She knew it was the alcohol. She’d been making hers stronger than usual just so that she’d have the excuse to blame the alcohol. But now she found herself spooned up against Phil and having decided that she’d already crossed the line of no turning back. Mel gently guided his arm to rest over her stomach, snuggling herself fully against him, closing her eyes and just savoring the feeling. It had been too long since she’d last felt the comforting warmth of another person pressed up against her, this time with the bonus of his muscles giving her the protective feeling of being wrapped up. Through her sweats she could even feel the gentle pressing of a stiffening cock. She smiled to herself and gave a tiny wiggle just to get a better feel of it then pressed softly against him feigning snuggling in more.By about halfway through the movie and all of the way through her glass of eggnog curiosity and hormones couldn’t be contained much more. Her hand gently drifted to his pants and upon finding no resistance she unzipped the jeans and slipped her hand in, seeking the opening of his boxers. Fingers gently caressed the head of his swollen member and slowly she began to guide it out into the open. Slowly and gently she caressed him, just enjoying the feeling of his hard cock throbbing in her hand. When she felt his fingers touch the edge of her sweats, Mel arched a little to urge him to seek further. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she felt his hand gently cup her swollen mound and fingers softly rub upon her clit and external lips.He had been hoping that there might be a little fun after she had been wiggling and adjusting against him during the movie. When she reached for his cock, it felt like he’d stiffened even more at the anticipation. The stroking was pleasant but it hadn’t compared to reaching within her sweats, finding her not wearing a pair of panties, and that she was already damp from the little bit of play they’d already gotten into. Gently he played with her clit, loving the little moans coming from her throat. When she felt wet enough he slipped two fingers within her and began to massage the inside of her cunt while caressing her clit. When he felt her fingers leave his cock for a moment he internally sighed at the loss, but seconds later he felt her sweatpants slip down and the soft skin of her rear caress against his stiff member.As much as Mel was enjoying having her cunt caressed by his fingers what she really craved was the stretching that only a thick cock could give her. Twisting her body a bit, she wiggled upwards till she could stand and straddle his feet. Facing away, she slowly lowered he beautiful ass into position. He guided her down with his two hands on her ass cheeks. Then he gently spread her cheeks until his cock head rubbed against her wet, swollen lips. She reached between her legs and gently grasped his shaft. Then she slowly rubbed the head against herself, enjoying the feeling and giving it enough time to get thoroughly wet. She had taken larger cocks, but he was up there in size and she knew that plenty of lube was her key to really enjoying the experience. When she felt she had gotten his cock wet enough, she pressed his head against her tight hole and slowly she began to wiggle herself down, allowing him to enter. A soft groan slipped from her throat as the head popped within, slowly followed by the thick, veiny shaft.Only when she finally felt her ass begin to press against his body, did she finally breathe out and just waited, feeling him within her.  Phil then slid both his hands upward. Very slowly, his manly hands slid around her ass. Then he slid them forward to her navel, sliding one finger into her tender dimple. She had goosebumps for a moment, and he waited until her body calmed. Then  he resumed his slow upward journey, maintaining a contstant firm contact along her narrow waist.Mel rested her back on Phil's chest. Tucking her head on one of his shoulders, she leaned her head alongside his.Finally, his hands slid up, under her tits. He turned his wrists to cup each of her tits, and her ass continued to gyrate on his lap. Her cunt continued to c

Mat, Dale, and Jack are here to go through all of the big reveals from this week's Sony State of Play, including the now available God of War Sons of Sparta. Plus, thoughts of High on Life 2. Check out the official IGN UK Podcast "Respect the Sea" shirt, which you can buy here: https://store.ign.com/products/ign-uk-podcast-respect-the-sea-t-shirt  Remember to send us your thoughts about all the new games, TV shows, and films you're enjoying or looking forward to: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast is a part of the Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Visit Geek.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SEND US FAN MAILChildhood cancer survival rates differ dramatically worldwide. In this episode of the Spartan Nurse Podcast, Courtney Sullivan, assistant professor and global pediatric oncology nurse scientist at the Michigan State University College of Nursing, discusses quality indicators, safe chemotherapy delivery, nurse safety, and how global health initiatives are working to reduce survival disparities.Topics include pediatric oncology nursing, childhood cancer care, global survival inequities, nursing research, workforce development, and the World Health Organization's Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer.Learn more about the Michigan State University College of Nursing:https://nursing.msu.eduTo find your breaking news and latest updates within the College of Nursing, please refer to our website at nursing.msu.edu. You can also find us on all social media platforms @MICHSTNursingIf you have a question for our hosts or a prospective guest, please message us at: MCOM.nursing@msu.edu

Alan powers through a toothache, shows off his DIY core board, and somehow ends up debating northern accents, oat‑milk lawsuits, and why he's currently fuelled by cow's milk instead of beer. Ian brings the chaos with fitness trends gone wrong (yes, someone runs a 6‑minute mile just to justify fast food), questionable race branding like "Hyathlon," and the latest hybrid racing gossip. They dive into: • The dog‑friendly OCR • AI vending machines behaving badly • Spartan's halftime challenge • DEKA's big marketing opportunity • OCR series updates & adaptive athlete wins • Judges get pay at Deadly Dozen • Six Nations predictions and England's chances It's fast, funny, and full of the usual Swift Half tangents — from dodgy Amazon deliveries to sea‑creature TV shows.  If you have any questions about the show or would like to explore advertising opportunities, feel free to reach out to us at admin@ukocr.com.

Kenneth Walker III just became a Super Bowl MVP, and the guys break down how K9 took over the biggest stage, what it means for Michigan State, and why running backs still matter in today's game. They also dive into Pat Fitzgerald's early recruiting moves, his heavy Midwest focus, and how the new staff is reshaping Spartan football from the inside out. Plus, reactions to the Bad Bunny halftime show, the end of Detroit's bowl game, wild NCAA eligibility decisions (hello, ninth-year linebacker), and some candid MSU hoops talk after another chippy Big Ten weekend.​Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/this-is-sparta-msu--5664600/support.

Pressure reveals the truth. It shows what you trained and what you avoided. In this episode, strength coach, strongman gym owner, mental conditioning coach, and licensed therapist Brian Alsruhe talks with Joe De Sena about why discipline fails before strength and how missed decisions under stress lead to quitting. They break down using physical hardship to train the mind, stacking small wins daily, and choosing discomfort to build resilience. The listener gains simple rules to perform under pressure, own outcomes, and stop making excuses.   Things You Will Learn How pressure exposes weak discipline How to build mental toughness through daily discomfort How small decisions decide long-term performance Tools & Frameworks Covered Stacked Wins: build discipline through daily action Pressure Training: sharpen decision-making under stress Discomfort Practice: strengthen resilience before it's required   If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.   Guest Bio: Brian Alsruhe is a strength coach, strongman athlete, and founder of NEVERsate Athletics, a global community built around resilience, discipline, and personal accountability. His background in counter terrorism and his work toward a graduate degree in clinical mental health shaped his approach to physical and emotional endurance under real pressure. Brian's life represents three core themes: overcoming adversity through discomfort, using strength as a tool for transformation, and teaching people to become harder to kill in both body and mindset.   Connect to Brian: Website: https://www.neversate.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neversate  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Rt7E2JVz4fPmC8AhjDoaA    

CB and Clay rode the Spartan basketball rollercoaster this past week with a bad loss and a great win. The NBA saw a few big trades that have veteran players on the move. We respond to the NFL Hall of Fame inductees and regular season award winners. Kenneth Walker III leads the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX victory.

• Elite 15 judging controversy from HYROX Phoenix • Wall ball depth calls and sled line penalties • Judge positioning and why some no reps are impossible to see • Why HYROX should back judges publicly and fix issues privately • Passport and birth certificate requirements for regional championships • Certified copy confusion for U.S. athletes • U.S. versus European passport culture • Spartan DEKA Discovery activations at race festivals • What worked and failed with Spartan Games • Mixed doubles judging and workload imbalance • Why sim times do not count as real race results This Monday Not So Live starts with the HYROX regional championship requirement that you prove you're actually from the region, and the big twist for Americans: it is not "show your license," it is "bring a passport or certified birth certificate." From there the episode bounces through passport culture differences, studio upgrades, and a surprisingly smart Spartan move, DEKA Discovery activations at Spartan festivals that funnel muddy OCR people into fitness racing. The second half is the real meat: Phoenix judging. Cheryl and Dave lay out why the Elite 15 backlash feels louder this time, from wall ball depth calls to sled line penalties that look impossible to judge from the assigned position. They argue HYROX is trying, but the sport is now too big and too high stakes for anonymous, inconsistent officiating. They want better judge positioning, clearer standards, more tech support, and more accountability. The episode closes with a side quest on mixed doubles and why it is hard to regulate at the elite level, plus Matt's ongoing crusade that sim times are not race results and will never impress him the way a real chipped race does. Listen on Apple or Spotify Support us through The Cup Of Coffee Follow Hybrid Fitness Media on IG  

This week, Charles Yoo-Naut joins the show to unpack Rain's explosive growth and what's next for crypto payments. We deep dive into the Rain origin story, their recent $250M fundraise, partnering with Visa, who wins the crypto card race, how Rain grew to a $2B company, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Charles: https://x.com/cnaut Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here: https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire -- "Mantle Global Hackathon 2025 is live! Running from Oct 22 to Dec 31, Mantle invites builders to design the future of Real-World Assets (RWAs) on its modular L2 stack. Key Highlights: - $150,000 Prize Pool + Grants & Incubation opportunities - Access to Bybit's 7M+ verified users - Judges from Bybit Ventures, Spartan, Animoca Brands - 6 Tracks: RWA/RealFi, DeFi, AI, ZK, Infra, GameFi Join the Hackathon: https://www.hackquest.io/vi/hackathons/Mantle-Global-Hackathon-2025" -- This Empire episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Onchain Economy ETF (NODE): http://vaneck.com/EmpireNODE An investment in the Fund involves a substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. It is possible to lose your entire principal investment. The Fund may invest nearly all of its net assets in either Digital Transformation Companies and/or Digital Asset Instruments. The Fund does not invest in digital assets or commodities directly. Digital asset instruments may be subject to risks associated with investing in digital asset exchange-traded products (“ETPs”), which include the historical extreme volatility of the digital asset and cryptocurrency market, as well as less regulation and thus fewer investor protections, as these ETPs are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) or commodity pools for the purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Visit vaneck.com to read and consider the prospectus, containing the investment objective, risks, and fees of the fund, carefully before investing. © Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation. -- Uniswap's Trading API offers plug-and-play access to deep onchain and off-chain liquidity, delivering enterprise-grade crypto trading without the complexity - from one of the most trusted teams in DeFi. Click to get started with seamless, scalable access to Uniswap's powerful onchain trading infrastructure. https://hub.uniswap.org/?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ww_web_bw_awa_trading-api_20251117_podcast_clicks -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:52) The Rain Origin Story (15:23) Partnering With Visa (30:05) The Opportunity In Emerging Markets (36:48) Ads (Coinbase, Mantle, VanEck, Uniswap) (40:16) The Crypto Card Race, Agentic Payments & Onchain Credit (48:00) What Chains Does Rain Work With? (53:28) Rain's Journey To Raising $250m (01:03:00) How Rain Grew To A $2B Company -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Former Dubuque Senior standout and first-ever DASP Player of the Year Jacob Williams returns to the podcast to talk about his journey to collegiate success at the University of Dubuque. Jacob reflects on growing up in hoops, the moments that shaped him, the differences between high school and college basketball, and how Senior prepared him for the next level. He also shares what lies ahead, how he handles expectations, and — of course — what it was like having Coach Maneman as a teacher. A fun, insightful, and energizing conversation with a hometown star.

We've got another property spotlight episode this week, showcasing 114 Elrie Blvd, in Bessemer! We're covering the affordability and cash flow potential of the area, the property's renovations, appreciation rates, and much more. --To learn more about our full-service turnkey operations, check us out online at www.spartaninvest.comConnect with Spartan!Facebook: @spartanTURNKEYInstagram: @spartaninvestLinkedIn: @spartaninvestConnect with Lindsay!Facebook: @spartanlindsaydavisInstagram: @spartanlindsaydavis

February 9, 2026 ~ Host and Host talk Olympics with sports columnist Jeff Seidel. They discuss Nick Baumgartner's Olympic journey. Jeff Seidel shares insights on Baumgartner's career and the Detroit Tigers' upcoming season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SPONSORS: 1) BLUECHEW: Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code JULIAN at BlueChew.com. Visit https://BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information. 2) MOOD: MOOD: Get 20% off your first order of federally legal, hemp-derived cannabis gummies, flower, and more at https://mood.com with promo code JULIAN. JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey WATCH PREVIOUS EPISODES w/ TOLDINSTONE: Episode 251: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wjoqdFMl75spLxkO8x4vr?si=849fdfd7cf0a4c15 Episode 252: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ZkNpepvo3jBVEnRK16cNk?si=88cb295a88cd465a (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Garrett Ryan ("Toldinstone") is an Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece Historian, PhD, Author & YouTuber. You can find him here:  @toldinstone  GARRETT's LINKS: YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@toldinstone WEBSITE: https://toldinstone.com/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 – Intro 01:26 – PhD life, Gladiator vs Gladiator II, Roman espionage, Sertorius, Arminius, Salamis 11:40 – Late Empire armies, Germans, Hadrian's Wall, Persian power, standing army costs 23:58 – Alexander the Great, Macedonian cavalry, speed of conquest, Persian collapse 34:01 – Roman taxes, cities as culture, multicultural empire, governing at scale 47:52 – Byzantine beacons, Pantheon engineering, pirates, Roman shipping 01:03:08 – Rome, WWII damage, Mussolini, churches, St. Peter's legacy 01:15:20 – The Vatican, Egypt Links Rome in Britain, founding London 01:29:06 – Caesar in Britain & Cleopatra 01:37:37 – Eastern vs Western Empire, Pompey, conquest strategy 01:49:05 – Greek influence on Rome, Homer, The Odyssey & The Iliad 01:58:22 – Origins of Greek myth, Rosetta Stone, canon of the gods 02:10:58 – Greek gods, afterlife, mystery cults, Christianity parallels 02:21:52 – Greek philosophy, Plato, Archimedes, science 02:33:26 – Daily life in Greece, slavery, Sparta 02:43:54 – Spartan warfare, fitness, Olympic roots 02:50:43 – Rome's fall, Germanic tribes, decay from within, America vs Rome 03:01:17 – Toldinstone's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 380 - Garrett Ryan Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the mission ends, discipline gets exposed. What happens when the uniform comes off and no one is giving orders anymore? Former Army Airborne Infantry soldier and nonprofit founder Jonathan Milkovich joins Joe De Sena to talk about life after service, losing structure, and rebuilding standards from scratch. They cover the gap between military experience and civilian reality, why discipline must become self-directed, and how endurance training, competition, and finish lines replace lost mission and purpose. This episode delivers clear rules for ownership, structure, and performance when no one is watching.   Things You Will Learn How to keep discipline when orders and structure are gone How to rebuild purpose through standards, not motivation How competition and finish lines create accountability   Tools & Frameworks Covered Calendar-Based Challenges: create urgency and structure without external orders Endurance Training & Finish Lines: rebuild identity through proof of work Checklist Ownership Systems: replace motivation with repeatable discipline  If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.   Jonathan Milkovich is a military veteran who struggled deeply after transitioning out of service, losing the structure, identity, and sense of purpose that once defined his daily life.   Through endurance racing, he rebuilt discipline, clarity, and self-belief, discovering that physical challenge could become a pathway back to meaning. That journey led him to found Operation WarriorFit, centered on purpose after service, discipline through fitness, and rebuilding identity through shared challenge.   Connect to Jonathan: Website: https://www.operationwarriorfit.com/new-page-1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkovichjonathan/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Operation-WarriorFit-61569077765518 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathangmilkovich

In a Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal collaboration, the "Hail Yes!" and "Spartan Speak" podcasts join to preview Michigan vs. Michigan State. Freep's assistant sports editor Andrew Birkle, U-M sports reporter Tony Garcia, MSU sports writer Chris Solari and Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch answered listener questions live. Read all about the Michigan Wolverines by heading to our website at freep.com/sports.

After a life changing death in Bruce's life, he turned to Spartan, DECA & other races to help get his mind right.  In his journey Bruce learned his purpose and knew he wanted to help others. He is now in the personal training and health & wellness space.Bruce is still driving truck but he knows that his passion is going to help so many other people.Support the show

In this episode of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, I sit down with Everyday Ultra coach Ben Lehman — an ultrarunner whose journey into the sport started from a place much deeper than finish times and race results.After losing his best friend, Ben turned to running as a way to process grief, rebuild himself, and eventually find purpose through endurance. What began with Spartan races turned into a passion for long mountain adventures — including completing his first 200-mile race at Cocodona 250.In this conversation, we talk about the emotional side of ultrarunning, the mental skills required to survive multi-day races, and why endurance sports can become a powerful tool for healing, identity, and growth.We also dive into Ben's training philosophy, lessons learned from Cocodona, pacing mistakes, sleep strategies, aid station efficiency, and how he now coaches athletes preparing for their biggest races yet.This is a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation — about pain, resilience, and learning how to keep moving forward when things get hard.In this episode, we cover:• How Ben got into running after losing his best friend• Why ultrarunning became a form of healing• Lessons learned from completing Cocodona 250• The mental “system override” that helps during dark moments• Why pacing and patience matter more than fitness• How to approach sleep during multi-day races• Training lessons for 100-mile and 200-mile athletesIf you're training for an ultra — or navigating something difficult in life — this episode will remind you why endurance is about more than just running.SHOW LINKS:Want to work with Ben as your coach to help you crush your big ultra goals? Book a free consult call with him here to see if it's a good fit: https://calendly.com/benlehmanracing/new-meetingRegister for our race, The Desert Peak Ultra 100K + 50K at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠desertpeakultra.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to work with me to crush your next ultramarathon in our group coaching program? Sign up for our group coaching program here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.theeverydayultra.com/group-coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to be coached by me and my team to crush your next ultramarathon in our 1:1 coaching program?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Book a free call here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with one of our coaches to see if we are a good fit!Follow Joe on IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Everyday Ultra YouTube Channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUelKGeptWZivD6yRIDiupg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com/GORUN to give it a try today.Try Mount to Coast shoes, designed specifically for ultramarathons, and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠going to the link here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Try HYPERLYTE Liquid Performance running nutrition and get 15% off your order when you use code EVERYDAYULTRA at www.hyperlyteliquidperformance.comTry CurraNZ to boost recovery and performance and get 15% off your first order with code EVERYDAYULTRAPOD at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.curranzusa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE TrainingPeaks account to track, plan, and analyze your training easier at trainingpeaks.com/everydayultraTry PlayOn Pain Relief Spray at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠playonrelief.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try Bear Butt Wipes and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at bearbuttwipes.comTry Janji apparel and get 10% off your order with code EVERYDAYULTRA at Janji.comBen's IG: https://www.instagram.com/lehmanracing13/

Ultras, OCR Chaos, and Big Industry Shake-Ups** Alan survives a gritty 50K ultra, while Ian opts for rugby and lemonade. The lads chat booze myths, zero-alcohol Peroni, and the genius idea of recording a podcast to release in 25 years. Fresh from HYROX Manchester, they break down "Friday Night Lights," a world record relay attempt ruined by a timing chip, and the joys and headaches of volunteering. Mud Monsters volunteer perks get a shout — along with a plea for clearer merch options. The big topic: the open letter from 307 athletes across 23 nations calling out OCRWC Ireland for sky‑high accommodation costs and murky pricing. Does the OCRWC response really cut it , Alan and Ian push for real answers while inviting listener questions. They also cover  new Spartan and Tough Mudder ambassadors, Courtney DeWalter carrying the Olympic torch, and the buzz around Tartan Warrior's new obstacles. Plus: British Champs training days, Deadly Dozen's South Africa success, and HYROX' new qualification rules — including the controversial "same-country doubles" requirement. The episode wraps with a look ahead to the Running Show and its stacked speaker lineup.  If you have any questions about the show or would like to explore advertising opportunities, feel free to reach out to us at admin@ukocr.com.

Welcome to Watch. Review. Repeat. This is the podcast where two best friends discuss the latest in film and television and then do it all over again the following episode! On bonus episode thirty-five (the first and only episode of 2025, sorry), Spartan warriors Colton and Andrew fight at the battle of Thermopylae in '300' before fighting at the battle of Artemisium in '300: Rise of an Empire'! This episode was originally presented as a Patreon exclusive bonus episode. Support us on Patreon to gain timed exclusive access to all future bonus episodes and early access to all regular episodes.  00:00:00 - Episode Teaser/Intro Music/Opening 00:04:44 - Andrew's Mythology Trivia Question of the Episode! 00:08:41 - Patreon Information/Why We're Covering the '300' Films 00:16:52 - '300' (Spoilers) 00:45:29 - '300: Rise of an Empire' (Spoilers) 01:13:01 - The Future of the '300' Franchise and Final Thoughts 01:18:33 - Conclusion/Outro Music Visit our website! Support us on Patreon! Thank you for listening! Got something to say? Send it our way to watchreviewrepeat@gmail.com! Produced by: Anna Mattis Intro/Outro Music: Mechanolith Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What holds when everything breaks is not motivation, talent, or hype? It's rules built under pressure. In this episode, elite ultra-endurance athlete and coach Jeff Browning, aka Bronco Billy, talks with Joe De Sena about how distance exposes weak standards and why rules, not motivation, decide who finishes. They break down hard calendars, pre-set rules, and the cost of quitting under pressure. This is a straight talk on ownership, preparation, and making clear decisions when fatigue hits. Listeners leave with simple rules they can apply immediately to training, work, and life.   Things You Will Learn How setting rules in advance prevents quitting under pressure Why long distance and hard deadlines force discipline faster than motivation How finishing hard things builds repeatable resilience   Tools & Frameworks Covered Hard Calendars: Force daily accountability and consistent action Pre-Set Rules: Remove emotional decision-making under fatigue Finish vs. Quit Framework: build resilience by training completion, not comfort   If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.   Jeff Browning, known as Bronco Billy, is one of the most durable and decorated ultrarunners on the planet. With over 200 ultras and 40+ career wins including 32 victories at the 100 - mile distance he's proof that grit, adaptability, and discipline can outlast age and adversity. From farm chores in Missouri to near-death mountain moments, Jeff's story embodies endurance through hardship, mindset mastery, and the pursuit of longevity through "the hard way."   Connect to Jeff : Website: https://www.gobroncobilly.com/about-jeff-browning/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gobroncobilly 

This week, Lindsay chats with Liz Faircloth of The Real Estate InvestHER, who shares her journey into real estate investing and the creation of InvestHER, a platform designed to empower women investors. She discusses her early influences, the challenges women face in the real estate space, the importance of building a supportive community, the need for a supportive network that helps women grow their portfolios mindfully and intentionally, and so much more. Lindsay and Liz also cover the tools and resources available for women investors, and offers advice for aspiring investors, stressing the significance of defining personal success and seeking support from others.This is such a wisdom filled episode that you don't want to miss!Connect with Liz Faircloth:The Real Estate InvestHER websiteInvestHER PodcastFacebook Community--To learn more about our full-service turnkey operations, check us out online at www.spartaninvest.comConnect with Spartan!Facebook: @spartanTURNKEYInstagram: @spartaninvestLinkedIn: @spartaninvestConnect with Lindsay!Facebook: @spartanlindsaydavisInstagram: @spartanlindsaydavis

Episode 340 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast features Chris Salsberry, whose Fred Vegas Smokers captured the Grand Championship at last weekend's 63-team Lakeland Pig Festival. That earned Chris an auto bid into the inaugural BBQ World Cup in 2027, an event that he says is getting people excited in the competition world. We learn about the origin of the name Fred Vegas Smokers while Chris takes us through his background in the competition world, ranging back to the early days in 2012. It's also time for our monthly trip to the Grill Guys of Missouri for the latest from Charlie Wallace and Skyler Spartan, co-owners of one of the region's hottest stores for all things BBQ. And co-hosts Lyndal and Steve review their weeks, with news and notes from the BBQ world and a breakdown from the AFC and NFC championship games - with some early thoughts on Patriots vs. Seahawks for the big game on Feb. 8.  Check out the show on your favorite #podcast platform and find all 340 episodes since 2019 at tailgateguysbbq.com  A big thanks to our show sponsors and marketing partners. Please support them: Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #charcoalofchampions  The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  The Grill Guys of Missouri #grillguys417 Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq  Meat Rushmore BBQ #meatrushmorebbq Lovely Jubbly BBQ #lovelyjubblybbq  Mister Brisket #thighlife Have a great week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Alan is Joined by Spartan Fans, Nikkifirefly and graham Wells to discuss the upcoming spartan season.   Covering all  five Spartan events, focusing on venue details, race specifics, and travel recommendations   Exploring various Spartan race events and accommodations, including discussions about the new "hex" medal concept and how many you could earn in one weekend   Checkout spartan at https://uk.spartan.com/ Follow Nikki at Instagram Follow Graham at Instagram  If you have any questions about the show or would like to explore advertising opportunities, feel free to reach out to us at admin@ukocr.com.

Chris sits down with Adam Famularo, CEO of WorkFusion, in a rainy New York City as the holiday season begins. Adam shares his unconventional path from elite Spartan racer to technology executive, and how endurance, resilience, and gratitude shaped his approach to leadership. His journey is a reminder that meaningful careers are rarely linear—and that growth often comes from overcoming challenges rather than avoiding them.The conversation centers on human-centric leadership in an AI-driven world. Adam explains why technology should exist to elevate people, not replace them, and how a “giver” mindset, genuine curiosity, and gratitude have guided his success. Rather than chasing outcomes, he focuses on helping others thrive—trusting that success follows naturally.Chris and Adam also explore what leadership looks like during times of crisis, including the responsibility to prioritize people over business when it matters most. Adam reflects on using gratitude as a tool for resilience and the importance of acknowledging the support systems—at work and at home—that make high-level leadership possible.This episode is a powerful reminder that everyone matters. From mentors and teammates to the people we encounter every day, Adam reinforces that real impact comes from empathy, appreciation, and leading with humanity—no matter how advanced the technology becomes.10 Key TakeawaysPrioritize People Over Technology: While technology budgets often dwarf human-centric spending, the true value of automation is to empower humans to do more meaningful work.The Power of a "Giver" Mindset: Success often comes as a byproduct of helping others achieve their goals rather than pursuing success directly.Lead with Genuine Curiosity: To build strong relationships and align with others, one must be curious about what drives and motivates people.Gratitude for Support Systems: High-level success, such as running a company and serving on multiple boards, is only possible with a strong support system at home.Gratitude is a Tool for Resilience: Giving and expressing thanks can be used to improve a situation, rather than waiting for circumstances to improve before being grateful.Embrace Obstacles: Career and life paths are rarely straight lines; the ability to overcome challenges and objections is a primary thread of a meaningful life.The Importance of Human-Centric AI: Successful AI adoption involves giving technology human-like traits, such as names and personas, to help employees feel like it is part of the team.Caring for People in Crisis: Leadership means putting business on hold to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees and their families during global conflicts.Acknowledge Mentors: Success is a journey where influential people—from coaches to business leaders—play critical roles in shaping an individual's path.Value Every Role: Every person, regardless of their job title—from a security guard to a CEO—plays an interesting role in your life and deserves appreciation.10 Key Quotes"Smart people can smell BS a mile away.""Getting human every now and then is a good thing for us.""We talk too much about technology and not enough about the human.""Technology was always about automation... and enabling people to use their minds and doing things that really matter to them.""If you help enough people in this world get what they want, you will ultimately get what you want without of course looking for it.""Everybody is a person at the end of the day. They're all driven by something.""It's very easy to do good by others, even if it's just smiling and saying hi and thank you.""You don't have to wait for things to be good to give. You can use giving as a way of making things good.""Luck is when hard work meets opportunity.""There is no easy path, there's no easy buttoning... [it's] about overcoming major obstacles in career and life."About the Guest: Adam FamularoAdam Famularo is a veteran technology leader and entrepreneur with over 28 years of experience.Current Role: CEO of WorkFusion, a company focused on "ending boring work" by deploying AI digital workers to fight financial crime and money laundering.Previous Experience: Formerly the CEO of Erwin Inc. (acquired by Quest Software) and held executive roles at Verizon and CA Technologies.Background: A former elite Spartan racer who applies an endurance mindset to the boardroom. He is also a dedicated father, son, and friend who prioritizes people above all else

Michigan State University has unveiled the signature initiatives of its specially appointed Green and White Council. The Council was convened by MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and tasked with bringing forward ideas to strengthen the state's workforce, connect students to high-quality careers, and accelerate innovation across Michigan's industries. Launched by Guskiewicz in April, and co-chaired by Matt Elliott and Sanjay Gupta, the Green and White Council comprises more than a dozen prominent leaders, including representatives from Dart Container, Bedrock Detroit, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, ITC Holdings and Carhartt, representing a cross-section of industry and innovation that drive the economy.  Conversation Highlights:(1:37) - Before we discuss the signature initiatives, remind us why you thought it was important to pull this group together and what you charged them to do.(2:57) - Why did you select Matt and Sanjay to co-chair the council? And talk about the membership of the council and the variety of backgrounds you wanted to get input from.(4:16) - Why was it important to you to co-chair council and lead this initiative? And talk about the process and collaboration of the council. How did you do your work and go about selecting these three initiatives?(7:15) - Enhancing MSU's current work to connect education and industry, the members of the Green and White Council used their experience, knowledge and effort, to shape three transformative initiatives:  AI-Ready Spartans Career-Connected Spartans Spartan Catalyst Elaborate on the initiatives, and why did you settle on these three?(8:34) – What do you mean by AI-Ready Spartans?(12:00) – What are Career-Connected Spartans?(16:20) – What is a Spartan Catalyst?(21:33) – What are your thoughts on what Matt and Sanjay have been discussing?(23:23) - How do you envision the initiatives being implemented across campus over the coming weeks, months and even years?(27:36) - Will the council disband or will you keep working?(28:34) – Closing thoughts from the group.Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows. Conversation Transcript:Russ White (00:00):Michigan State University has unveiled the signature initiatives of the specially appointed green and white council. The council was convened by MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and tasked with bringing forward ideas to strengthen the state's workforce, connect students to high quality careers and accelerate innovation across Michigan's industries. Launched by President Guskiewicz in April and co-chaired by Matt Elliot and Sanjay Gupta. The Green and White Council comprises more than a dozen prominent leaders, including representatives from Dart Container, from Bedrock Detroit, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, ITC Holdings and Carhartt representing a cross section of industry and innovation that drive the economy. And President Guskiewicz it's always great to have you back on the program. Good to see you again.Kevin Guskiewicz (00:51):Good to see you, Russ. Thanks for having me.Russ White (00:52):Sanjay Gupta is the Dean Emeritus, and Eli and Edythe L. Broad endowed professor in MSU's. Eli Broad College of Business. Sanjay, great to have you on again.Sanjay Gupta (01:02):Always good to be with you, Russ. Thank you.Russ White (01:03):And Matt, you've got your hands into so many things. I know Bank of America, just tell us how you'd like our audience to know about your background.Matt Elliott (01:10):Well, I'm the former president of Bank of America, Michigan, and now I lead a group of people under the banner of Blue Lake Ideas. And what we do is we consult with companies, boards, and institutions to help them lead through a world of accelerating change.Russ White (01:24):Excellent.Kevin Guskiewicz (01:25):And he's a proud Spartan alum. Russ White (01:26):Kevin, before we discuss the signature initiatives, remind us why you thought it was important to pull this group together and what you charge them to do.Kevin Guskiewicz (01:38):Well, Russ, I've said since I got here about 22 months ago now, that I wanted to be sure that Michigan State was always leading, that we were viewed as the leaders in research, education, service to the state, but also to the nation and the world. And we're going to lead in how we redefine the way in which we can better prepare our graduates for the workforce demands of today and tomorrow, jobs and careers that don't even exist today, that our graduates will be needing to be prepared for over the next three, four decades. So we charged them with gaining a better understanding from industry leaders in about five or six different sectors as to where higher ed is not delivering, it's going to be needed for the future, and I couldn't be happier with where we are. That's sort of one of the initiatives and others really around how we can better connect our graduates t...

Pressure doesn't ask if you're ready. It hits, and most people freeze. Retired Navy SEAL officer and combat leader Jason Redman talks with Joe De Sena about Hell Week, Ranger School, combat failure, recovery, and the rule of getting off the X. They break down why thinking too long gets you stuck, why quitting in the moment is a mistake, and how discipline is built by moving first and fixing it later. The takeaway is direct: act under pressure, own the outcome, and build resilience through discomfort, not comfort.   Things You Will Learn: How to act when pressure hits Why hesitation keeps you stuck How discipline is built through movement   Tools & Frameworks Covered: Get Off the X: act before conditions improve Never Quit in the Moment: avoid bad decisions under stress Awareness–Preparation–Action: stay effective when plans fail   If this episode hit, don't sit on it. Get off the X. Take action. Subscribe to the podcast. Follow for more hard rules. Check Spartan races, books, and resources at Spartan.com. Own the work.   Jason Redman is a former U.S. Navy SEAL whose life was transformed by combat injury and near-death experience, turning that hardship into a powerful message of resilience, leadership, and human potential. After being severely wounded in Iraq and undergoing dozens of surgeries, he authored bestselling books and built a career speaking and coaching on overcoming adversity, teamwork, and mindset. His core themes: "get off the X" (moving from crisis to action), leadership under pressure, and the belief that greatness is within you regardless of circumstance.   Connect to Jason: Website: https://jasonredman.com/    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonredmanww/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonredmanww/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-redman-b8324210/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYlcniaDl7BxOLMCn-EoXqw  

Amy Leigh Mercree is a bestselling author of nineteen books, journals, and card decks. She is the creator of Atomic Healing™, a media personality, holistic health expert, and world renowned medical intuitive. She instructs internationally sharing Meet Your Goddess Guides, Ancestral and Karmic Shamanism, Spirit Writing with the Grandmothers of the Seven Directions, and the Atomic Healing™ Method: Medical Intuitive Certification.Amy is an internationally acclaimed medical intuitive with 24 years of experience. Using a combination of spirituality and science, Amy's job is finding the root cause of imbalances in the body. She's helped thousands of people find the root causes of numerous mild and moderate medical conditions and uncover their bodies wisdom to heal permanently.Mercree has been featured in Glamour Magazine, Women's Health, Inc. Magazine, Shape, The Huffington Post, Your Tango, Soul and Spirit Magazine, Mind Body Green, CBS, NBC, Hello Giggles, Reader's Digest, The Oprah Magazine, Forbes, ABC, First for Women, Country Living, CW, FOX, Bustle, Well+Good, Refinery 29, Hello Glow, She Knows, Thrive Global, Spartan, Poosh, Parade Magazine, Oprah Daily, and more.Some of Amy Leigh Mercree's extensive work:Energy Healing & CrystalsAura Alchemy and The Atomic Element Healing Oracle.The "A Little Bit of..." guides for Chakras and Crystals.The Chakras and Crystals Cookbook and The Mood Book.Mindfulness & Daily Wellness100 Days to Calm and Joyful Living.The "A Little Bit of..." guides for Meditation, Mindfulness, and Goddess practices.Companion guided journals for meditation and energy healing.Holistic Lifestyle & Self-CareThe Healing Home and Blissful Baths.The Compassion Revolution and The Spiritual Girl's Guide to Dating.Handbooks for Essential Oils and Apple Cider Vinegar.In This Episode, We Explore:How ancestral energy shapes our current reality and deepens self-understandingThe way our internal energy, including both light and shadow, shows up in our auraWhy humans act as projectors, with the external world reflecting our inner stateHow energy projection influences our relationships and daily interactionsThe power of awareness and mindset shifts to transform our reality and life experiencesLearn more on www.AmyLeighMercree.com and @AmyLeighMercree on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest and @iamamyleighmercree on TikTok.GET AMY'S GROUNDING JOY BUNDLE FOR FREE!Stay Connected:Instagram @whitneyaronoffInstagram @starseedkitchenTikTok @whitneyaronoffTikTok @starseedkitchenLearn more about Starseed Kitchenwww.starseedkitchen.comShop organic spiceshttps://starseedkitchen.com/shop/code STARSEED for 10% offWork with a personal chefhttps://form.typeform.com/to/CGDu08tEBook a 1-on-1 callhttps://bit.ly/4smXWUfFind more of Chef Whitney's offerings herehttps://linktr.ee/whitney.aronoff

Rich, Ryan Kent, and Meg Jacoby go back to 2016 and break down how their past shaped their HYROX journey today—mindset, resilience, setbacks, and staying in love with the process. Meg shares a real update on her knee injury, PRP treatment, and why she's taking recovery seriously. No fluff—just real talk on training, identity, and what it takes to keep showing up.Train with Rich, Kent, Meg, and Coach Hannah in the RMR Training App with 12+ HYROX programs.00:00 Intro + what this episode is about08:45 Meg knee update + PRP plan22:30 Controlling the narrative online35:10 2016 stories: Kent's Spartan grind52:40 Rock bottom → rebuild + mindset shift

Text us a comment or question!Over 50 and frustrated with your progress? Book a free Silver Edge Clarity Call and get a clear plan forward.https://go.silveredgefitness.com/clarirty-call If you're over 50 and you feel like your body is starting to “fight back”… More aches. More stiffness. Slower recovery. Less energy. You're not crazy — and you're definitely not broken. In today's episode, Kevin sits down with Kris Gethin — world-renowned hybrid athlete, elite performance coach, and one of the most disciplined humans on the planet — to break down what it actually takes to stay lean, strong, athletic, and pain-free after 50. Kris is a drug-free professional bodybuilder, IRONMAN triathlete, ultramarathon runner, and Spartan competitor… and at 51 years old, he's still training like a savage — while also prioritizing longevity and recovery like a pro. This conversation is packed with no-BS advice on training, nutrition, inflammation, stress, and why most people are making fat loss harder than it needs to be. In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why “looking fit” doesn't always mean you're healthyThe biggest training adjustment Kris made after 50 (and why it matters)How to train hard without destroying your joints and recoveryWhy strength training is the foundation for longevity and metabolic healthThe difference between fitness, health, and performanceWhat Kris eats to stay lean, fueled, and strong (without obsessing over macros)The real reason most people struggle with inflammation after 50How stress, sleep, and cortisol can make fat loss feel impossibleKris's take on biohacking (and why the basics still matter most)The truth about peptides, GLP-1s, and “shortcuts” — and who they're actually forA powerful mindset shift for people who struggle with motivation and discipline Connect with Kris GethinWebsite: https://www.krisgethin.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisgethin/(He shares training, nutrition, discipline, and longevity strategies daily.)YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/krisgethin Enjoyed This Episode?If this episode fired you up, do me a favor:⭐️ Leave a quick review and share this episode with a friend who's over 50 and wants to feel strong again.Over 50 and frustrated with your progress? Click HERE to book a free Silver Edge Clarity Call and get a clear plan forward. Over 50 and frustrated with your progress? Book a free Silver Edge Clarity Call and get a clear plan forward.

When everything gets hard, discipline decides the outcome. This episode cuts through the noise and shows what holds when the body quits and motivation is no longer an option. Explorer, ultra-endurance athlete, and expedition leader Ray Zahab talks with Joe De Sena about surviving cancer, crossing the Arctic, disconnecting from distraction, and choosing action under pressure. A no-nonsense breakdown of ownership, resilience, and rules tested by real pressure.   Things You Will Learn: How to keep moving when energy is gone and comfort is no longer available Why simple decisions outperform complex plans under pressure How repeated hardship forges real resilience through action Tools & Frameworks Covered: Stop or Go Rule: eliminates hesitation and forces commitment Calendar Discipline: enforces action before emotions interfere Discomfort as Training: conditions mental and physical endurance through exposure  If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.   Ray Zahab went from being a sedentary smoker to one of the world's most accomplished ultra-endurance explorers, running thousands of kilometers across the planet's harshest environments. His journey from unhealthy habits to global expeditions reveals the power of mindset shifts, resilience, and purpose-driven adventure. Through his non-profit impossible2Possible, he transforms exploration into education proving that breaking limits, physically and mentally, can empower others to do the extraordinary.   Connect to Ray: Website: https://zachbitter.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachbitter  YouTube: https://zachbitter.com/hpo 

This week, Qiao Wang joins the show to discuss how AI is transforming what it means to be an investor in 2026. We deep dive into Claude Opus 4.5 and its breakout moment, why Qiao got into the Google trade, constructing a portfolio for 2026, where to allocate time in the age of AI and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Qiao: https://x.com/QwQiao Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- This Empire episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Onchain Economy ETF (NODE): http://vaneck.com/EmpireNODE An investment in the Fund involves a substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. It is possible to lose your entire principal investment. The Fund may invest nearly all of its net assets in either Digital Transformation Companies and/or Digital Asset Instruments. The Fund does not invest in digital assets or commodities directly. Digital asset instruments may be subject to risks associated with investing in digital asset exchange-traded products (“ETPs”), which include the historical extreme volatility of the digital asset and cryptocurrency market, as well as less regulation and thus fewer investor protections, as these ETPs are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) or commodity pools for the purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Visit vaneck.com to read and consider the prospectus, containing the investment objective, risks, and fees of the fund, carefully before investing. © Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation. -- "Mantle Global Hackathon 2025 is live! Running from Oct 22 to Dec 31, Mantle invites builders to design the future of Real-World Assets (RWAs) on its modular L2 stack. Key Highlights: - $150,000 Prize Pool + Grants & Incubation opportunities - Access to Bybit's 7M+ verified users - Judges from Bybit Ventures, Spartan, Animoca Brands - 6 Tracks: RWA/RealFi, DeFi, AI, ZK, Infra, GameFi Join the Hackathon: https://www.hackquest.io/vi/hackathons/Mantle-Global-Hackathon-2025" -- Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:33) Claude's Opus 4.5 Breakout Moment (08:40) How Does AI Impact Startups? (13:10) Do Moats Still Exist? (20:00) Getting Into The Google Trade (23:38) Where To Allocate Time In 2026 (26:23) Ads (VanEck, Mantle) (28:25) Using AI Models For Investing (41:30) How Does AI Change Brand & Distribution? (44:49) Qiao's Portfolio In 2026 (55:14) Health & Longevity -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Your mind quits before your body does. That's where most people fail. World-record ultra-endurance runner and endurance coach Zach Bitter sits with Joe De Sena to talk about what breaks people when the miles stack up. Discipline under load. Mental control past mile 60. The rules that keep you moving when quitting makes sense. They cut through ego, impatience, and comfort, explain how to manage mental breakdowns, and show why comfort destroys performance.   Things You Will Learn How to hold the line when your mind tells you to stop How to manage fatigue without negotiating with yourself How to build endurance through structure, not motivation Tools & Frameworks Covered Zoom Out / Zoom In Rule: keeps you moving by shrinking the problem and controlling focus Low-Intensity Discipline Model: builds endurance without burning out or quitting early Anti-Comfort Execution Rule: removes easy exits to maintain forward momentum   If this episode moved you, don't just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.   Zach Bitter is an American ultramarathon runner who set world records in the 100-mile and 12-hour runs, showcasing the limits of human endurance. A former collegiate athlete turned elite ultrarunner, Zach has built his career around disciplined training, mental toughness, and strategic performance. As a coach and podcaster, he helps others develop resilience, focus, and sustainable methods for peak endurance.    Connect to Zach: Website: https://zachbitter.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachbitter  YouTube: https://zachbitter.com/hpo