Podcasts about Splendid

We're so glad you're enjoying our meanderings down memory lane to rediscover these classic Stack o' 45s episodes you might have missed. We're having a ball reminiscing about some of The Splendid Bohemians finest moments, so grab a Sazerac and kick back with the boys as you dig on this pair of Delta Royals: Miss Irma Thomas, The Soul Queen of New Orleans, and the self-titled “Emperor of the Universe,” Ernie K. Doe. 

The Time Riders: Part 10 Egyptian Acheology, In Real Time. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 16 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Mark felt a cold chill, but also was strangely assured that she didn't begin screaming. If anything, she sounded vaguely amused. He didn't come out, but he pushed one of his hands through the linens and waved at her. "Silly," she giggled, still smirking. "You might as well come out, because all I have to do is scream if I want help. I'm not afraid of anyone stupid enough to break into the personal chambers of a devotee of the goddess." Mark took a deep breath and walked out from beneath the linens, stopping and looking down at her, blushing at getting caught. She looked up him curiously, although she was still clearly amused, and made no attempt to cover her nudity. "You're a slave," she remarked, noting his attire. "What compelled you to hide in my room?" What was the point in lying? "I was hoping to fuck a Vestal," he confessed, shrugging and turning his palms to her in a gesture of honesty. "That's the simple truth." She raised an eyebrow. "That's brazen of you. You know we're all virgins on purpose, right? We took a sacred vow." Mark shrugged again. "Everyone has needs and urges, even sacred virgins." Aemelia giggled. "I suppose that's true. But why would; excuse me, I don't know your name, slave." "Bonosus." "Well, then, Bonosus," she intoned, setting her arm on the edge of the basin and then resting her head against two fingers while she observed him, more than a little intrigued. "What makes you think a sacred virgin of mighty Rome would want to fuck a slave, if she were indeed subject to such base desires as you describe?" "Well, you wouldn't need to take a vow if you weren't subject to them, would you?" he reasoned. "And as to why;” He slowly slipped off his ragged tunic, leaving him naked. Aemelia's eyes widened slightly as his cock came into view. "Woof," she muttered to herself as she fixated on his limp cock. "Your father, is he Bacchus, or a satyr? Because only a god or a creature of sin should be lavished with a prong like that." "Interested?" he asked, smirking back at her. "Because if you're not, maybe Marcia or Licinia would be willing to make use of me if you're not' "Hold on, now," the blonde interrupted in a quiet but calm voice, holding up her hand. "I didn't say that. All I asked was what you had to offer that a sacred virgin would be willing to compromise her vows for. And that thing makes up for a lot of sacred vows;” She rose slowly, the water cascading down her body. Not surprisingly, as a sacred virgin, her cunt was unshaved, but her wet hairs were rather light and sparse, the same color as her honey hair. "Um, you're eighteen, right?" Mark asked, wondering for a moment. Aemelia gave him a wry look, her hands moving up to her tits. "I am. A little more, in fact. Is that a problem? Am I too old for you to want to fuck me?" "No, I'm perfectly okay with you being eighteen," he assured her. "Kinda counting on it, in fact." "Well, that is good to hear," she said, allowing her hands to fall away from her tits and exposing herself again. She seemed strangely shameless, which was no doubt quite a trick to hide in these environs. "It'd be one thing for me to reject you, but it would be unthinkable for me to be rejected by a mere slave. And if you were indeed intent on someone younger, I would have to summon Lucia or Domi' "Nope, I'm intent on you, if you're willing," Mark said firmly, smiling as she watched his cock swelling slowly. He wasn't getting hard, but he was getting aroused, and it had the desired effect on his potential partner. Aemelia bit her lip as she watched his cock grow. "Normally, I just pleasure myself in the bathing basin, since it is easy to hide," she said as she stepped out of the water and walked over toward the linens he was standing in front of, drawing close to him and smiling rather saucily. "But to be fucked in the bathing basin would create too much noise, I fear. No, base slave, if you intend to have your way with me, it must be quick and dirty, and allow me to conceal any evidence after. You do not want to know what happens to a sacred virgin who has broken her vows of chastity." "I can only imagine," Mark said as he took one of the linens hanging on a peg and knelt down on one knee, beginning to dry her off. She seemed amused by his attentiveness, and put one foot on his thigh, allowing him to continue. "So, what, I should probably fuck you somewhere in here, since it's farthest from the door and least chance to be heard, right?" Aemelia nodded and pointed at the bed. "But you cannot have me on my bed either, slave, as there will be evidence of my activities. No, I fear you will simply have to push me up against a wall and fuck me, like a common whore." "Probably all we have time for," he pointed out, leering as he stood, towering over her and pulling her body to his and beginning to fondle her. She closed her eyes and sighed as he groped her tit and ran his other hand down her back to caress her ass. "Uh, my first man," she whispered, not at all flinching from his touch. If anything, she parted her legs slightly, which she reached down to stroke his hardening cock with one hand. "Not only breaking my vows to my goddess, but the sheer indignity of losing my chastity to a lowly slave;” He could tell she was getting really turned on. His hand found her cunt and he slipped two fingers inside, making Aemelia moan. She was already very wet, and he couldn't find a hymen, so he would have no problem fucking her. "You are feeling around; for my chastity," she breathed, opening her hazel eyes and looking up at him while he fingered her. "It was broken many years ago, while I was riding atop of a horse to a ceremony. It was determined to be an accident, and not a symbol of the goddess' disfavor, so I was permitted to continue serving her. Now, my chaste cunt will serve you, slave. You may fuck me. But first;” She pulled away from him and went over to the far wall, then took hold of a small wooden peg and tapped on the wall three times in a certain rhythm, then three more. She put the peg down and then walked back to him, her eyes glinting with excitement. "You may fuck me against the wall right there, slave;” she whispered breathily, clearly getting eager. She stopped in front of him and waited for something. Then he heard three faint taps in a certain rhythm, which seemed to come from the wall she'd just tapped on. Without any further hesitation, she led him over to the wall she'd indicated and bent forward, exposing her ass to him while steadying herself against the wall. Mark didn't wait, but simply placed his hands on her ass cheeks while standing behind her. He teased his hard cock against her wet twat before sliding the head inside. He felt her stiffen, her back arching, and then she was murmuring to herself. "I am disgraced; I am disgraced;” Mark smiled evilly and pushed deep inside her with one long, slow stroke. Aemelia shuddered and choked, fighting the urge to cry out as he violated her. She hissed as he bottomed out in her, pushing back on her hands to take him in further. She was silent now, just trembling as she felt his cock pinning her to him. Mark then began to stroke back and forth slowly, letting her adjust to the sensation. She was indeed tight, and he was inclined to believe her claim that she was still a virgin, even if she had no hymen. "Bonosus;” she said in a quiet voice somewhere between a gasp and a whisper. She pushed back against him again, starting to grind her ass in circles, reveling in the sensation of a man deep inside her, committing such an extreme blasphemy against Mother Rome. The two were thinking the same thing: Fuck Mother Rome. Mark started moving faster, knowing they didn't have a lot of time. His hips began smacking against her ass, and he watched as his cock glistened, sliding back and forth in her slippery cunt. "Uh, less noise, less noise!" she rasped, waving almost frantically with one hand, her eyes squeezed shut. "Do you want us to both be executed?" Mark kept pumping back and forth strongly, but refrained from slamming against her. He was still more than deep enough to send her into convulsions, though, and the priestess hissed lustily, looking back at him with glazed hazel eyes. "Make me cum," she panted, working herself against him rather inexpertly, but with amazing enthusiasm. "Disgrace my body, my temple, with your cum, slave!" Mark moved faster, and felt her cunt rippling and contracting around him greedily, indicating she was not far off from orgasm. His hands pulled her ass cheeks apart, stretching her and she bit her knuckle and keened. Covered in sweat, her arm flashed out to the side, pointing at the linens hanging next to them. "A linen!" she gasped, her breath catching in her throat. "Give me a linen before I scream!" Mark reached out and grabbed one of the long linen swaths off a peg and handed it to Aemelia, who hastily shoved as much as she could into her mouth, right before her body contorted and was wracked by orgasm. She screamed in ecstasy, the linen muffling the otherwise piercing sound magnificently. Her cunt clutched his cock fiendishly, and Mark stifled a loud groan as he began to cum deep inside her. They ground and squirmed against one another heatedly as he filled her with his pearly essence, and he could feel her cum slathering his thighs. Finally, she sagged, leaning against the wall to keep herself up while removing the linen from her mouth so she could breathe heavily. Some moments later, she eased herself forward, off his throbbing cock, gasping as it popped out of her. She turned around, leaning back against the wall and pulled Mark to her, pressing her mouth against his and kissing him deeply. She may have been a virgin, but she certainly knew how to kiss. Then again, if it was just her and a few other young women living here, that was probably to be expected. "This, slave," she whispered breathily, looking up into his eyes while she reached down and massaged his sticky, still oozing cock. "This has now been in the most sacred of cunts, a sacred temple, defiled by your base desires. Do you know what an honor you've had?" "I can guess," Mark replied, using his body to pin her to the wall and pushing back inside her again. Aemelia shuddered and groaned, going up on her toes and clasping him. "You glad I defiled your temple?" "Yes, but we need to get you out of here," she managed to say, gently pushing him back so that he fell out of her. She knelt and kissed his cock while picking up the linen she'd stuffed into her mouth, and cleaned him off with it. She then hurried over to the pegs on another wall and slipped on a simple white robe, tying it shut. She was flushed, but obviously jubilant. She helped him get back into his slave tunic. "Well, I can strike that off my bucket list," Mark mused to himself in English, smirking. "What did you say?" Aemelia asked, looking up at him as she tied the cord around his waist. "Oh, I was just thinking that at least I can count on you to not brag about this," he said somewhat hastily. "Probably not many people you wanna tell." "True, there's really only Licinia and Marcia I would tell, because they are like-minded to myself. I would tell Domitia, since I suspect she has at least as licentious a heart as any of us, but dare not, because she is impulsive, and not prone to subtlety." "No shit;” Mark muttered as she finished helping him dress. "So now what? How do we get me out of here?" "There's a secret passage you can use at the end of this hallway. It'll take you down to the basement level again, and out though a garden. Be vigilant, but you should be safe. Take a sack of supplies out into the streets, so that it looks like you're on an errand. It'll help you avoid scrutiny." She led him through her apartment and opened the door to poke her head out into the hall, looking both ways. She then took his hand and pulled him out, hurrying down to the end of the hall and then pointing at a large plaster lavabo that dominated the wall. He used his fingers to pry it open like a door, which led into a dark stairwell. He was about to step into the stairwell when she took him by the hem of his tunic and pulled him back to her, kissing him deeply and passionately for several seconds before pushing him back through the aperture and then closing the door behind him. Aemelia leaned back against the ornate plaster lavabo and sighed, looking at the ceiling. She laid and hand on her tit, stood up, straightened her robe out, and then walked down the hall, attempting to look dignified. Thankfully, servants and the priestess' minders rarely came to this floor except at designated hours. She stopped in front of the door of the apartment next to hers, which had a plaque that red 'Licinia' and rapped on the door softly. The door opened and she was pulled inside by her wrist. The door had barely closed before she and another, younger priestess were kissing one another feverishly, hands wandering over each other's bodies. "Thank you for letting me watch," Licinia murmured as her tongue tangled with Aemelia's. "I am so jealous that you got to fuck first, even if it was just a slave. But what a cock he had on him." "I know, and it was everything we had hoped it would be, sister," Aemelia breathed, breaking the kiss and pulling her sister-priestess' bedchamber robe off. "If only it could have lasted longer. But for now;” She shed her own robe and leaned back against the wall, tilting her hips forward and using two fingers to spread her thick cuntlips wide. "You need to suck his cum out of my cunt while you can;” Mark's back was getting slightly sore from carting around sacks in order to get places without being stopped and questioned. He humped several cords of wood into the rear entrance of the Trajan Baths, sighing heavily as he dumped them down near other piles meant to heat the pools, and then went in search of Becky and Nanu. He heard them before he saw them, not surprisingly; he followed the telltale noises toward a smaller, more private bath chamber away from the main rooms. He paused in the door of the room, grinning and leaning against the entranceway while he just watched. In the shallow water, Becky and Nanu were sitting facing into one another, legs scissored and pussies pressed together. They panted and moaned as they slithered and ground against each other, resting back on one hand in the cool water, and gripping each other's arms with the second. They strained against one another, backs arching and their behinds out of the water, eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched. They both keened loudly before the dam broke. Sighing and moaning shamelessly, they squirmed and writhed, bathing each other's cunt in frothy cum. They girl-fucked one another hard, cumming for a long period before finally relaxing and settling into a squishy embrace, tits and pussies pressed together as they kissed lovingly. Mark finally came into the room, noticing that two young attendants were waiting in corners, linens ready. He shed his tunic and stepped down into the shallow pool, joining them. Becky broke the kiss to smile at him lewdly. "Well, hey, handsome," she purred, reaching over to stroke his cock, noticing it was recently used. "What did you get up to while Nanu and I were enjoying ourselves?" He was kneeling next to them, rotating his neck. "Might've used our loop to get revenge on the city for trying to kill me next week," he mentioned. "Found a certain temple, might've fucked a priestess;” Becky shook her head. "I swear, you're terrible at time theory, unless it involves doing something heinous, Mark. You are a menace." "Yeah, but you love it," he pointed out, grinning and reaching into caress one of her tits, his other hand fondling Nanu's. "Admit it." "I admit to nothing, young man," she purred, loving how his hand felt on her while she continued to stroke his cock. "Nanu asked if we could visit her family, see if they're okay. She hasn't seen them for a decade now." "I'm all right with that," Mark answered, shrugging. "We should give 'em money, too, improve their lot in life. Sounds like Egyptian peasants in the Roman era don't have a lot goin' for 'em." Becky smiled slyly. "Now that you mention it;” Akhmim, in a corner of the former Lower Kingdom. It was the time of year where the mighty Iteru was to have overflowed its banks and then receded, leaving the land gloriously fertile, and ready for the people to grow their crops and sell their goods to the merchants in the cities. But this year, the great god Hap'i had withheld his bounty, and the river had barely breached its banks. The land was dry, and crops scarce. People had been bringing muddy water from the edges of the river in buckets in a desperate attempt to fertilize their fields. Kiya sighed glumly as she tilled a shallow trench in the woefully dry soil on their farm. A wind blew across the field, and she was depressed to see that it carried reddish dust with it. She was the youngest remaining child, and she did the least skilled work as a result. She despaired of ever being married, since her parents could not afford to lose her. Years ago, they had sold their youngest daughter, in the hopes of getting enough money to improve the farm, with new tools and maybe some irrigation equipment, but they'd been had, and the materials and tools they'd bought were junk. It had cost them all the money they'd made in selling their child, and now they had less than ever. They barely subsisted even in the bountiful years, and during droughts like this, it could be deadly. Other farms were empty, due to death or abandonment. She stopped for a moment and leaned on the rickety hoe she was using, squeezing her eyes shut and stifling a sob. She missed her little sister. Yes, Nanu had only been a year younger than her, but she'd been a joy in Kiya's young life, and they were very close to one another. Kiya loved little Nanu, and then one day, she was gone. As she opened her eyes and looked out over the dusty field at the long, thin rows of trenches, she wondered if Hap'i was punishing them for selling her little sister. Kiya wouldn't have blamed the god; she remembered being angry too, and she hadn't talked to her parents for days. Her older siblings, especially Aneksi and Joba, her eldest sister and brother, had loudly declared that it was a good thing to do, since it was one less mouth to feed, and Nanu had been useless for chores anyway. She was six years old when we sold her! Kiya thought angrily to herself as she glared at the barren field. What did you think she was going to be able to do? She heard a horn call and looked down at the distant river dully; she could see an ornate boat sailing downstream, being punted by dark-skinned Nubian slaves, the huffer standing at the bow waving for less important ships to move aside. Nobles, she grumbled to herself sourly. Probably on their way to Memphis to eat splendid food, and meet with their Roman friends. Splendid food. She'd almost forgotten what anything other than bread or little bits of fish tasted like. And the drought made even bread scarce, while fish were dangerous to try to catch, because of the hippos and crocodiles that crowded the river. In years like this, the crocodile demons were especially aggressive. Movement caught her eye, and she saw a palanquin coming up the banks on the small, dusty road. It wasn't even a road, really, so much as a failed ditch that had been meant for irrigation of the nearby farms. Slaves carried the palanquin on their shoulders, and diaphanous curtains concealed who sat within. A tall, light-skinned slave walking with a tall stick led the way. Just behind him came a woman riding a mule, a cloak wrapped around her upper body to protect her from the dusty wind. They seemed to be coming this way. Why are they headed this way? Kiya wondered with a frown. What could they possibly want here in dusty little Akhmim? She stood up and began walking toward the palanquin as it drew closer, her hoe held casually in her right hand: unthreatening, but ready in case their intentions were malign. She could see now that the male slave leading the way was rugged and handsome, with brown hair and deep eyes. Behind him, she woman on the horse, whom she assumed was still a slave, seemed rather pretty beneath her swathes of dark grey linen and fabrics. Were her eyes; blue? She glanced over at her ramshackle house that she, her siblings, her parents and grandparents lived in. No one else seemed to have noticed yet, or were too far away to see. Clearly this would be up to Kiya for now. So how should she react? She played it safe and got down on both knees, bowing her head and looking at the reddish-brown ground beneath her. It was hot on her knees. She hoped this wouldn't take long, for she had to get back to the trenches, so that the other could pour their meagre water and begin to plant seeds. Kiya waited quietly. "I always did like seeing you on your knees, Ki;” she heard a sweet, girly voice say. Her head flicked up and she looked at the source of the voice; she could see a beautiful face leaning out between the curtains of the palanquin and smirking at her. Kiya's eyes widened and her jaw opened as the young woman slid down out of the palanquin and began walking toward her. She was wearing shimmering white clothes that hugged her lovely figure, and her hazel eyes danced in excitement. She was wearing gleaming gold jewelry, adorned with lapis and other gems. She was radiant, like a goddess. "N; Nanu?" Kiya asked in a tiny, incredulous voice. The vision of her long-lost sister nodded, still smiling. "NANU!!!" shrieked the older girl, dropping the hoe and launching herself forward into a crushing hug with her sister. She'd burst into tears by the time she reached Nanu, and the younger sister was crying as well while they embraced. Mark and Becky looked on, smiling as the sisters were reunited, crying together. True, Nanu's sister (the one named Kiya, they assumed) was getting dust all over Nanu's immaculate clothing, but it didn't matter. There were plenty of new outfits for her anyway. Kiya began planting tear-wet kisses all over Nanu's face, almost as if they were a method of making sure she was real. The weeping Nanu returned the kisses. Mark's head began tilting slowly on an angle as he watched, because the kisses were becoming slower, and seemingly more meaningful and; affectionate. "Well, now;” Becky said as she watched intently. "Hello, ancient Egypt." Nanu and Kiya were now absorbed in a very deep kiss, holding one another tight. Mark could see their tongues rolling around the insides of their cheeks. The whimpers of crying had given way to muffled moans while their hands wandered up each other's backs and came to rest on their ass cheeks. Still they kissed one another almost hungrily. Mark leaned in closer to Becky and whispered to her. "I get the feeling they really missed each other." The sisters finally broke the kiss, more for needing oxygen than any other consideration. They pressed their foreheads together, panting heavily as they stared into one another's eyes. Their lips were still glistening from the kiss they'd shared. Nearly a minute had passed before Kiya pulled her head back and looked at her little sister in renewed wonderment. "Nanu;” she managed to say. "How; what are you;” "Do you like it?" chimed Nanu, stepping back just far enough to do a twirl and display her raiment. The gold she wore on her neck, arms and ankles tinkled almost musically. "I have lots more." "We; mom and dad sold you;” Kiya said, still gaping. "They; they sold you as a slave. What miracle of the gods is this?" "Oh, the best kind," the younger girl quipped, giggling. "But I don't wanna explain this ten times, so why don't you get everyone over here? I'll have my slaves set up a shelter for us all to sit under." Kiya will still bordering on confused, but she nodded and turned to race back toward the hut, calling out loudly for people. Nanu watched her for a few moments before turning to look at Mark and Becky and smiling. "You two sure missed each other," Mark observed, grinning, while Becky fanned herself. Nanu gave Mark a snarky look and stuck out her tongue. "We were best friends, Kiya and I, we only had each other, really. And then I was gone for ten years. Is it really so surprising that we can pick up where we left off?" "Nah, just some culture shock is all," Mark chuckled as he laid down the packs he was carrying and then began unslinging others from the side of the mule Becky sat on, and the palanquin. "Shall I set up the shelter, your majesty?" Nanu giggled. "I could get used to that. Please!" The porters placed the palanquin on the ground, and began helping Mark set up the shelter. Along with their pay, they'd been promised good food and wine, so they were more than willing to put in great effort. Mere minutes had passed before a shelter was set up on sturdy poles, with curtains that could be fastened to the sides to keep out the dust and wind. Nanu crawled back inside the palanquin while Becky waited just outside. Before long, a group of people was approaching, being led by an eager Kiya. She kept badgering everyone to hurry up, and several seemed more than a little annoyed at her harrying them. They were of various ages, and all dressed similarly to Kiya, in the common wear of Egypt's teeming peasantry. Becky glanced subtly to the side, to look at Nanu. The young Egyptian woman was staring at the approaching throng, her eyes glassy, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. She didn't want to be crying when her family saw her again. Becky drew the curtains closed to give her some time to compose herself. She then stood and waited patiently while everyone approached. They were a rough lot, clearly hardened by a life of toil on one of the endless farms that lined the Nile. There were young men and women, some children who belonged to what she assumed were couples, and some elders laboring to bring up the rear. The crowd stopped near the shelter, and looked at the visitors silently. Becky nodded to them all said then spoke in a clear voice. "Do any of you speak the tongue of Rome?" Silence and blank stares greeted her. Unimpressed, she turned and called back. "Mark, none of them speak Latin, I need you." "Not the last time I'll ever hear you say that," he chuckled as he joined her. She gave him a sour look and swatted his arm. He ignored the assault and called out to everyone. "Has Kiya told you what we're doing here?" Many of the people shook their heads, but still didn't say anything. Mark gave Becky a sidelong glance, and the blonde woman went back to the palanquin, knelt, and pulled aside the curtain. She helped an elegant woman in white out of the vehicle, and she walked forward, holding a gauzy white veil over her head to conceal her features. She approached the group, and an older man finally pushed to the front and addressed her humbly. "How can this humble family serve you, mistress?" he asked. Nanu now pulled the veil over her head, letting them take a good look at her. Kiya looked like she was almost ready to burst. Several faces remained blank for quite some time, but others began to express shock as recognition set in. "Nanu?" asked the man in a quavering voice. "Yeah, it's me, dad," she said, her eyes shining again. "I'm home for a visit." "NANU!" an older woman blurted as she forced her way through the crowd and dashed forward. Nanu quit trying not to cry as she embraced her mother for the first time in more than a decade. Becky pressed her fingers to her lips as she watched and tried not to tear up. Mark just grinned. "Mommy," Nanu choked as she held the other woman tight. "I've missed you so much!" "How is this possible?" her father asked, sinking to his knees. "We; I had to sell you, to those Romans, in order to make enough money to' "The Flavians in Clysma, yes," Nanu affirmed, looking over her mother's shoulder and nodding while the elder woman wept. "And they sent me to Rome, once they discovered I could dance." "You always were a good little dancer!" Kiya gushed, almost bouncing up and down on the spot. Many of the other members of the family were drawing closer now, still gazing in wonder. Her father seemed to be going pale and trembling, though. "Are; are you sent back as a glorious spirit, to punish me for selling my beautiful daughter? Have mercy on me, I' "Dad, stop being so dramatic," Nanu almost complained as she let go of her mother and walked toward him. She hauled him to his feet and placed her tiny hands in his, letting him feel them. "See? I'm still flesh and blood, not a stupid spirit. I'm not a Flavian slave anymore, either. I'm wealthy and I have my own slaves." They all looked at Mark and Becky now. Becky pulled down the fabric around her head, and many of them gasped as her golden blonde hair and sea-blue eyes came into full view. They'd never seen anyone like her before. These were Nanu's slaves? Her father shook his head slowly. "I still do not understand. How did this happen?" "Who cares?" someone groused from the back of the crowd in a gruff, male voice. Nanu knew it right away, and looked up sourly. The crowd parted to let the speaker come forward. It was her eldest brother, Bata, and he was the second eldest of the siblings after Meritites, Nanu's big sister. He'd always been something of a bully toward her. More than something, actually. Nanu and Kiya both had unpleasant memories of the older boy. "We sold you for money, and what good did it do us?" the young man sneered, moving forward now. Nanu took half a step back, clearly intimidated. "The tools we bought were shit, and we're struggling harder than ever. You can't even be sold without fucking things up for your fa' Mark had lunged in and slammed his fist across Bata's jaw, sending him spinning to the ground. Everyone except Becky gasped, and one sister cried out in fright. Mark stood over the downed boy, glowering at him. Bata was holding his jaw, his eyes wide in shock. He could taste blood. "Got anything else to say about my mistress, shitbag?" Mark challenged. Bata glared at Mark before his gaze flicked over to the axe he'd dropped when he got punched. "Oh, please try that, I dare you,", Mark growled, unmoved by the perceived threat. "I'll shove that axe handle so far up your ass that you'll have splinters in your tongue for a month." Bata looked away, unable to endure Mark's glare. The younger man stepped back and let Nanu's brother get to his feet. Bata grabbed a woman by the wrist and stomped off, dragging her behind. Several of Nanu's siblings sighed and were visibly relieved. Mark then stepped back and let Nanu take over again. The Egyptian girl, still a little rattled, took a deep breath, composing herself. She then spoke to her family again. "I'm sorry. I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I'd die, far from home, never to return. I; I want to make sure that mom and dad never have to do anything like that again for our family's survival." Nanu brought her mother back to the family and helped her father stand. They were murmuring to one another and hugged, while people began crying. Several men and women watched on, some passively, some with curiosity. Mark assumed these were spouses who had married into the family since Nanu's departure some ten years ago. Nanu was hugging her oldest sister, Meritites, and sharing kisses with her, although not quite as affectionate as those she'd shared with Kiya. She then hugged and kissed her other siblings; Djoser, Ameny, Khafra, Nefer, Tiaa, Horemheb, Jobra, Anpu, and Senet. Jeebus, Becky thought, trying not to frown as she looked at the mother, whose name was apparently Pypuy. Twelve kids? How did her uterus not just fall right out? Nanu's father, Akhom, still seemed overwhelmed, but maybe that was understandable. He had, after all, clearly made an agonizing decision and it seemed to be revisiting him, even if the circumstances were joyous for everyone else. Nanu had explained to Mark and Becky that selling children into slavery in order for a poor family to survive was not uncommon in Egypt, but clearly it was still painful for all involved. Finally, the greetings ended, and Nanu, with her eyes still glistening, smiled at her family. "Let's eat, I brought lots of food." The shelter Mark and the slaves had erected was large enough to conceal everyone from the sun. They ate bread, figs, fish, and wine. Kiya excused herself and ran back to the house. Even Nanu's father seemed to have adjusted and was now enjoying himself. More than anything, though, there were endless questions. "I got lucky," Nanu said simply. "I know it seems impossible, but look at me. What more proof do you need? I am wealthy now, and not a slave. I came home to let you know, and also to give you money, so that you no longer need to struggle. You will live very comfortably. You could probably even retire from the farm and move into a town or city if you wanted to." "You're not coming with us?" her sister Tiaa asked, looking rather upset. "We just got you back, and you've been gone so long." Nanu looked down at the ground, going silent, wondering what to say. She felt very torn. Here she was, back with the family she'd missed her entire life, and giving them money, but beyond that, she had nothing to back it up; Mistress Aurora and Bonosus, or whatever their real names happened to be, were not her slaves. She had no talents that made her a patrician. She could barely read. She'd come here, so secure in her plan to see her family, alleviate any suffering they were enduring, and then go off on this grand adventure with her new beloved associates. They'd even told her she might be able to see her family again. But now, in this dingy but so comforting environment. She looked up and saw Kiya approaching again, carrying something in her arms. Everyone let her through, and she knelt next to Nanu, smiling. Nanu's eyes went wide. Kiya gently passed her the baby. It couldn't have been more than a year old. "Her name is Nanu," Kiya said softly, her brown eyes shining. "Named after the little sister I thought I'd lost forever." Nanu looked up and her eyes were glassy with wonder. "Who is her father?" Kiya smiled sadly. "The river took him earlier this year, during Akhet. I'm sorry you never met him." "She's beautiful," Nanu murmured, caressing the tiny cheek with her thumb, and feeling her heart thrum in her chest. "So beautiful." "There's all the time in the world now, for you to raise her and love her," her sister said, putting a hand on Nanu's arm. "I know you'll love her as much as I do. We can raise her together, just like we always talked about when we were younger. And I; what's wrong, Nanu?" Tears were now streaming down the younger girl's face as she tried to keep from bursting out crying. Becky found herself trying not to cry as well, even if she didn't understand the language. "I'm; I'm sorry, Kiya," she managed to say, while her sister's eyes teared up, knowing what was coming. "I can't stay, I now have a different life I must get back to. And it's not here in Akhmim, or even Keme itself." "I understand," Kiya rasped, her eyes red as she tried to hold it together. She loved Nanu so much. "Can't take us with you?" "No, I can't," Nanu said sadly, shaking her head slowly as she squeezed her eyes shut, crystalline tears falling onto the linen the baby in her arms was wrapped in. "I don't know how that would work." "Will we ever see you again?" her sister Ameny almost pleaded. "I want to say yes," Nanu replied, her eyes still closed. "But even visiting now was very difficult to arrange. But I promise you, I will try. And if I ever find a way to take you all away from here, then I will. And we'll all live in splendor together forever." Most of the girls were crying at this point, and even a few of her brothers were sniffling. Her mother and father just knelt quietly, looking very forlorn and lost. Nanu handed the baby back to Kiya and hugged her parents tight. "But even if I can't be here, I'm still looking after you, like I promised," she said in an earnest tone. She glanced over at Mark, who nodded and rose, using two of the porters to unfasten sacks from the mule and also the palanquin. When he brought them over, he laid them in front of Nanu, who opened them to display the contents. Her family members gaped in awe. More gold coins than they could have imagined glittered within. "You'll need to be quiet for some time about where it all came from, and not just spread it around, but this'll give even my niece's great-grandchildren a very comfy life if you're not stupid with it," she announced, running her hands through the coinage so they could hear the sound of it. "Like I said, you could become the wealthiest farmers in the region, or become traders in a nearby city. As long as you look after one another, always. Even Bata." "Don't worry about Bata, sis," grunted the second eldest brother, Anpu, looking at Meritites and smiling. She reached over and squeezed his hand. "We'll make Bata behave." "I know," sniffled Nanu, smiling and wiping at her eye. She'd always liked her big brother Anpu. He wasn't a jerk like Bata. "Just protect my sisters, Anpu, and my niece." He nodded, looking proud, since she'd assigned him this task. "Do you really need to leave already, Tahemet?" Djoser asked, calling Nanu by her childhood nickname of 'Queenie'. When they'd all been younger, Nanu, as the youngest, usually got the short end of the stick about everything. So she made up for it by having an active pretend life, where she was a queen, regal and worshipped by all. Meri, the eldest, had given her the nickname, but not in a mocking way, even if Bata used it as such. Nanu considered. Mark turned around and whispered to the porters. "Stay with us another night, and we'll triple your pay and give you all the remaining food." The men nodded readily. Nanu wanted to ask Mark and Becky, but they were supposed to be her slaves for this visit, so she couldn't be asking them. The decision was hers. She opened her eyes and smiled. "I'll stay until tomorrow." Everyone seemed relieved at her proclamation, and they continued eating and drinking merrily. Becky had to admit, they were taking this all in good stride. Then again, when all your deities had bird or reptile heads, there probably wasn't a lot you couldn't take on faith anyway. Mark now conversed with the family (with Nanu's permission), about how Nanu had come into wealth and escaped slavery, not to mention acquiring two exceptional specimens such as himself and Becky for slaves. Mark did something he was becoming distressingly good at and lied. It saved Nanu the hassle, which was just as well, since she spent much of her time holding Kiya's baby and talking quietly with her sister. Clearly they'd been attached at the hip when they were younger, and there was much about one another they were keen to rediscover. Watching them subtly touch each other and hold hands, thumbs gently caressing, brought a smile to Becky's face. She resolved to make sure Nanu got to see her family again. The day had worn on, and Nanu had to remind everyone repeatedly that there was no immediate need to get back to toiling over the barren landscape, since she had come with plenty of money. Evening was upon them, and the family began returning to the dwelling that served as their home. Mark added treated skins around the shelter, converting it into a tent, while Nanu begged Kiya to stay with her for the night, to which the older sister agreed readily. Last of all, she hugged her father and mother, promising to see them in the morning. They took little Nanu with them, leaving Mark, Becky, Nanu, and Kiya alone in the tent. The porters had returned to the boat and would sleep there. Once the flaps were all fastened shut, Nanu and Kiya had almost attacked one another, kissing feverishly, and tearing one another's clothes off. Alex smiled and watched while they took their own clothes off. They lay on a blanket together on their sides, with Mark spooning her. He caressed and fondled her gently while she squirmed her ass back against him and they watched the sisters, small sturdy covered lamps in the corners providing dim illumination. Naked and wrapped up in a tangle of writhing limbs, Nanu and Kiya were continuing to kiss hungrily, moaning the entire time. Hands wandered over forms they hadn't touched in over ten years, and those had probably changed considerably in the interim. They murmured and whispered to one another through the kissing, words Mark didn't try all that hard to make out. Let them have their fun. "Umm, there you are," Becky purred as she felt Mark get nice and hard while watching the show. She reached behind herself and took hold of his hard cock, guiding it to her cunt. She teased it up and down the slippery nether lips before letting Mark press home, and sinking deep inside her. They both moaned with relief at the coupling. Mark kissed Becky's neck and fondled her opulent tits as he began pushing his cock in and out of her slowly. They slowly made love while watching the sisters just to their side rediscover one another, after over a decade apart. Becky smiled as Nanu kissed Kiya deeply, expressing her innermost longings and desires. The younger sister lay on top of the older one, holding one another tight and kissing, their nubile bodies squirming together. "I love watching family reunions," Becky sighed quietly as she flexed her fingers on Mark's hip while he slid in and out of her, still massaging her opulent tits. "Look at them, Mark, they're so in love, and so happy to see one another." "It's certainly a feel good moment," he agreed, loving how she flexed her cunt muscles around him as he pushed him himself back and forth. "Mind you, just about everything involving you is, I find." Becky smiled and reached up to caress his cheek before turning her face to kiss him. While they were engaged in a tongue-lock, Nanu began kissing and nibbling her way slowly down Kiya's soft, responsive body, thrilling to hear the murmurs and whimpers of her sister again. She kissed her tan tits, swirling her tongue around the hard brown nipple, before biting and tugging on it, then giggling. "You can't imagine how long I've yearned to see you with tits, Ki," she said quietly, smirking up at the older girl. "They're everything I've ever hoped for and dreamed of." "Just wait until you see my cunt, then," Kiya replied, shivering beneath her sister's kisses. How she'd missed them! "And let me see if yours has become everything I've ever dreamed of." Nanu nodded and then wiggled around until her hips were over Kiya's face. In the dim light, the older sister could see the tempting twat, glistening with arousal and shaved curiously smooth. It must have been how they did things in distant Rome, of which her little sister was now apparently queen or some such thing. Without a moment's hesitation, she craned her head up and began kissing, sending shudders through Nanu and making her moan. The sisters kissed and lapped at one another, lovers reunited after agonizing years apart. They fell into it naturally, remembering what the other loved and craved, even if their bodies had changed in the interim. Nanu sighed in bliss at the taste of her sister, cloying and sweet on her tongue. She felt Kiya go rigid as one of her fingers slipped inside her twat. They rolled slowly onto their sides, legs locked around each other's head as they sucked on one another's cunt hungrily, lost in mutual pleasure. Mark and Becky kept watching, undulating and squirming as quietly as they could, letting the sisters rediscover their lost love. Nanu and Kiya were moaning into one another's pussies now, little gasps escaping them. They could see Nanu's ass cheeks clenching and pushing forward against her sister's face, even while Kiya slithered her tongue around inside her. They were both trembling and sweating now, bodies shining in the dim, flickering orange light inside the tent. "Ooh, here we go," Becky whispered, her hand reaching back to rest on Mark's neck and help keep her braced against him. "Let's see how long this has been pent up;” Both sisters were shaking now, but still lapping and sucking on each other relentlessly, squeaking and whimpering as they tried to hold out. But their lust would not be denied, and they both keened and strained, finally cumming. Mark and Becky watched in fascinated delight as Nanu bathed her sister's face in her glistening cum, and heard her moaning as Kiya reciprocated. Becky shivered and pressed her ass back against Mark, hard, sighing as she began to cum as well. Mark pressed forward with his hips, pushing his cock as far inside her as he could, pumping his cum deep into her greedy cunt. They squirmed and ground against each other, with Mark biting Becky's neck and her fingers running through his hair. "Umm, Mark;” she cooed, nuzzling against him, loving the feel of his molten cum inside her. "You have no idea how good this feels." "If it's one tenth as good as that, then pretty damn incredible," Mark said, nodding at Nanu and Kiya, who were still kissing one another's pussies, murmuring quietly and caressing. Nanu disengaged her mouth from Kiya's snatch and turned around again, lying on top of her sister as they began kissing again, tasting themselves on each other's lips. Kiya moved her right leg and Nanu her left, shifting around until their gooey pussies were squashed together, which they both obviously found immensely comforting. They ended their kiss, and Nanu looked over at Mark and Becky dreamily, her face shining with cum. "I would like to let Kiya taste you both;” Mark and Becky nodded, remembering that they were still pretending Nanu was noble and they were mere slaves. Mark slowly pulled his cock out of Becky and rolled onto his back. He pulled his teacher on top of him, facing up, with his cock poking up between her legs. The sisters crawled over, with Kiya looking rather hesitant, but trusting her little sister. She gazed at Mark's erect cock and Becky's twat in wonder. "He's huge," she breathed, unconsciously licking her lips. "You're lucky to have such a big cock at your disposal whenever you like, Nanu." "Don't I know it," giggled the younger sister, taking hold of Mark's tool and holding it up for Kiya, while she began kissing Becky's cunt, shivering as she tasted Mark's cum dribbling out of her mistress. "You'll love the taste of this cunt, too." Kiya began experimenting with kissing Mark's cock, which was glistening with his and Becky's mingled cum. The Egyptian girl seemed intimidated by its size initially, but remembered that Nanu clearly loved it, so there must be nothing to fear. Her hand joined Nanu's around the base of the shaft and soon she was sliding her tongue up and down his length, much like Nanu was doing to Becky's sweet twat. The sisters paused to kiss, tongues tangling as they shared the cum they'd both lapped up, humming contentedly into one another's mouth. To watch them, Mark would have sworn they'd done this before. They both stroked his shaft, while Nanu caressed Becky's cunt. The two girls pressed their foreheads together, giggling at some secret between them. Nanu looked at Becky and Mark warmly. "We should sleep, my family will not leave us alone for long. And I want my sister to try fucking you both before we must leave." "I do not want you to go," Kiya sighed. "I just got you back, Tahamet, it breaks my heart that you intend to leave again. Couldn't; couldn't you and your servants stay with us? You could even lead our family, since you are the one with the wealth. We could live wherever we wanted. I wanted to raise my daughter with you, my other half, missing for so long." Nanu's eyes glistened as she looked over at Mark and Becky. The blonde woman smiled lovingly. "Nanu," she said gently in Latin, which Kiya didn't speak. "This is your decision. If you want to stay with your sister and your family, Mark and I will understand. We'll leave the money with you, and even come and visit you when we can." The tear on her cheek was proof of how torn the young woman was by this decision. And it was one she had to make alone, possibly for the first time in her entire life. It had to be terrible for her. Finally, she hung her head for several moments, and when she looked back up, she was smiling. "Ki, I must go back to my life,", she sighed, her mind made up. "Trust me, I really want to stay, or to take you with me, especially you and little Nanu, but it must be this way. I can promise to visit, and that will have to do." "I understand," the older sister choked, nodding as her eyes welled over with tears. "I do. It's just hard. I'm so glad that you're alive and happy. It means so much to me. If the price is sending you away again, I can endure it. For you. For us. You know how in love with you I am." "Same as I am with you," Nanu said, her voice cracking and tears flowing. "Just remember that I'll keep my promise and visit whenever I can." The sisters grappled onto one another and began kissing feverishly, lying on their sides while their hands wandered freely. Mark chuckled and allowed Becky to clamber off him. She went to lie on the far side, spooning into Nanu and making sure she stayed pressed to her sister. Mark, meanwhile, spooned into Kiya, holding her in place against Nanu, while the two girls continued kissing and whimpering into one another's mouths. The two time travelers reached across and rested a hand on each other, smiling and relaxing, waiting for the Egyptian girls to nod off, their lips still pressed together in a forever-kiss. It was a long-overdue night of safety and contentment for the two. It was just dawn now, and Kiya looked like she was going into convulsions as she rocked up and down on top of Mark's cock. It was far the largest she'd ever had inside her, and it felt like it was splitting her open, like a wedge split wood. She could feel crackling and popping in her hips. How did Nanu, who was even smaller than her, endure it? Becky was kneeling right behind Kiya over Mark's thighs, pressed into the smaller girl and smiling wickedly while she molested her tits. Meanwhile, Nanu was kneeling over Mark's mouth, letting him lash her cunt with his tongue, while she faced into her older sister, loving the look on Kiya's face as she was almost fucked in half. Kiya squirmed and writhed, gasping like she was being choked, her eyes rolling up into her head. It wasn't long before her cunt clenched Mark ferociously, and Nanu had to lean forward and kiss her sister before Kiya shrieked in unreal ecstasy and woke up the entire family over and over, three hundred meh-ta away. Mark ground into Nanu's cunt as he arched his hips, pushing up somehow deeper inside Kiya and then cumming, filling her so profusely that she was once again shaking like she was having a seizure. The squishy noises of his cum bubbling out of her filled the tiny tent. Nanu shivered and came on his mouth seconds later. Becky hauled the nearly unconscious Kiya off of Mark's pole, while Nanu leaned down and sucked it clean quickly. She then moved forward quickly to lie between her sister's legs, sucking Mark's cum out of her cunt with a fiendish eagerness. Becky crawled over to join Mark and they watched the sisters quietly. Nanu finished draining Kiya of cum, finally, and crawled over her, nestling down onto her body. Not surprisingly, they were kissing again. "Jeez, you ever seen too people more in love?" he mused, smirking as he lazily caressed her tits while she sat in front of him. "I ain't complaining about the show," Becky replied, nodding and grazing her fingernails along his forearm. "She must really believe in our promise to her if she's willing to leave her sister and niece behind to come with us. I feel slightly bad about it." Mark shrugged. "She wouldn't have even had this choice without us, Becks," he pointed out. "Clearly our offer means a lot to her. 'sides, she knows she can always visit them now, just like we promised. And if the Holmes Field Device won't bring her forward, we can leave her here with them, right?" "I guess that's true," Becky agreed, nodding and just watching. "What is that language they speak to one another when they don't want anyone to understand them?" Kiya asked in a whisper, looking just past her sister's shoulder at Mark and Becky suspiciously. "I don't even know," Nanu confessed. "I've never heard it before. Anywhere." Kiya gazed up into her younger sister's eyes, giving her a skeptical look. "They're not your slaves, are they? There's no damn way two people as magnificent as that are slaves to anybody, forget a dopey little slut of a girl from Akhmim." Nanu sighed. "Fine, you got me," she whispered, pretending to kiss her sister's ear, while Kiya squirmed and held her close. They made a show of grinding their pussies together, giving Mark and Becky something to look at. "They're not my slaves. I was hers, for a little bit. But what they really are is adventurers, from very far away. And they're taking me with them, to share their adventures. Not as a slave, but as one of them." Kiya assessed what her sister was saying for some time, trying to parse it out. It sounded absurd, but then, so was Nanu

Edit Piaf once famously sang “Je Regrette Rien” (I Regret Nothing), and listening to the following heart wrenching live performances, I'm reminded that anyone claiming that spiritual stance must be in denial - or, crowing in battered defiance in order to buttress themselves against the memory of life's cavalcade of pain and tortured conscience. For who can sincerely state that they have no regrets? No harsh word you wish you could have retracted?; No unsubstantiated suspicion that poisoned the well of a friendship or a faithful love?; Are you discounting the abuses large and small that have piled up so high that, somehow, you've become numb to them?; What about the road not taken…?These songs tell tales about the burden of living under the crushing weight of regret. If you don't shed a tear listening to them, your fluids need replenishing. The divine Spanish diva, Luz Casal singing Jackson Browne's “These Days”, accompanied by the writer and his ride or die Sancho Panza, David Lindley on his keening fiddle is like hearing a penitent sinner's weary confession; and, then there's the  incomparable Rufus Wainwright, in a duet with Sara Bareilles, delivering her own anthem with a thrilling operatic intimacy. THESE DAYS / LUZ CASAL, JACKSON BROWNE, AND DAVID LINDLEYThe preternaturally wise Jackson Browne was sixteen when he wrote “These Days” for Nico, who intoned it with a teutonic world weariness that spoke volumes. What did he know then about regrets? Certainly, the intervening years have instructed the now 76 year old songsmith in all the permutations of tragedy, yet somehow, he has managed to valiantly soldier on, staying creative, performing, and advocating for humanity.  There is something almost mystical about the voice of Luz Casal, and the delicacy with which she interprets Jackson's lyrics that transcends her heavily accented pronunciations. The words are sometimes hard to follow - but not the meaning - that's never lost. Time collapses as the message of this song, originally brought into being by the foreign born Christa Paffgen - and resurrected now, almost 60 years later, by this Goddess, comes full circle to enfold the aging songwriter in the arms of his own mortality. SHE USED TO BE MINE / SARA BAREILLES AND RUFUS WAINWRIGHTSara Bareilles wrote She Used to Be Mine as a show stopper for her Broadway musical, Waitress, and it's a barn burner. Here, in combination with the musical magus, Rufus Wainwright it morphs into something entirely different from it's template: it has become a religious act of forgiveness and redemption - an acknowledgment of life's profound losses, and at the same time an appreciation for what was - a ritual of devotion that celebrates living in all its ecstasy and futility - the duality of darkness and light, love and death. First Rufus sings alone, then Sara… but, when they harmonize the full extent of the love that was lost, and yet remains, lifts us up to the realization of the eternal knowledge that love is never lost. It is a requiem.

As the holidays roll around, and daylight retracts, the thoughts also cloud over to infuse the mind with a grayish motif. We're encouraged to gather our loved ones close and practice gratitude for life's bounty. But, what if life's gifts have been obscured by the overwhelming influence of a mortal depression, a reflection of the disconnect between what we see around us - (disease, deprivation, tyranny, man's inhumanity to man, etc.) - and, the opposing commercial messages which exhort us to joyfully consume? Is this dark attitude the result of an imbalance of chemicals in the brain which can be easily adjusted by the ingestion of a pill? Or, is the undertow into hopelessness something more fundamental - an irreconcilable part of our genetic makeup - a part of life we just have to stoically accept and get on with? Great artists reckon with these impulses by creating profound music. Today we celebrate two of the most striking practitioners of this heroic enterprise: Will Oldham and Nick Drake.WILL OLDHAMI See a Darkness is a masterpiece of simple straight talk about the things most of us never say. It expresses an honest representation of the apprehension that a sensitive soul feels, yet mostly keeps to themself about the inevitability of the abyss. Death walks beside us at all times, and, it helps to staunch the bleeding of fear by keeping our blindfolds on. But, sometimes, there is an urgency to share these thoughts with a friend or a counselor, and the monologue of this song invites us into that private conversation. It packs an overwhelming punch. Johnny Cash also interpreted this song near the end of his life as everything in his being boiled down to the basics. Bonnie Prince Billy, aka Will Oldham is a DIY, Kentucky based actor-musician with a diverse resume, featuring projects with many collaborators. He's a married man with a child, and perhaps all this inter-activity has grounded him and kept him productive. This makes sense - there is raw boned sense of the practical inherent in his style that complements the mystical. NICK DRAKEThe doomed, etherial Nick Drake was not so lucky. He stood apart, and was other-worldly from the beginning, always uncomfortable in his own skin. His recorded output was sparse, and number of his performances minimal, yet profound in their influence. Dead at 26 from an overdose of antidepressants, Nick didn't live long enough to see the reach that resonates with his work today, 50 years after his passing. River Man, in 5/4 time plucked on a nylon string guitar, abetted by a serene string arrangement by Harry Robertson, is a mysterious descent into the deep waters of associative imagery. Nothing is overtly stated, but the character of Betty and the narrator going to see the River Man who has the answer to the meaning of life puts me in mind of the Millais' painting of drowned Ophelia, floating in the river, surrounded by flowers. At peace at last.

You asked, and we answered. Since you enjoyed the Bobbie Gentry vs. Joey Heatherton marathon smackdown so much, we've resurrected two more tantalizing STACK O 45s archival episodes to enrich your day and fire your imaginations: You Don't Own Me by Leslie Gore, and Is That All There Is? by the one and only Peggy Lee. 

There is an interesting theme coursing through these are three dynamic pop hits of the Brill Building era, all by one hit wonders, sung by extraordinary, up and coming stylists, and crafted by some of the most influential music men of the time: Cathy Carroll's 1962 hit, “Poor Little Puppet” (produced and arranged by Stan Applebaum, written by Howard Greenfield (Neil Sedaka's partner, here collaborating with Jack Keller); 1963's “Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys Do,” by Earl-Jean McCrae (with the Cookies), produced by Gerry Goffin, written by Goffin and Carole King, also with Jack Keller; and Tracey Dey, singing “I Won't Tell,” from 1964, produced by Bob Crewe, written by Crewe with The Four Season's Bob Gaudio. The theme is irony. All three feature tough minded, independent young females, endeavoring for autonomy in a man's world, delivering songs written by powerful men who controlled every aspect of their creation and production. These appeared in the time pre-Women's Liberation, and demonstrate strength, heartbreak, and a tension that pulls against the undertoe of subservience.Taken in chronological order:“Poor Little Puppet” was originally recorded by Jan and Dean in 1961 as a sleepy, Everly Brothers clone, and it didn't do much. But, here, as interpreted by Cathy Carroll, and helmed by Stan Applebaum, the tune takes flight in a punchier, more uptempo arrangement. It charted at 91 on the top 100 - Cathy's only showing, and the surprise twist at the end is powerful, when the singer, looking in the mirror, admits that she herself is the puppet, whose strings are being controlled by the man whose love she craves.2. In 1963, The Cookies were on top with “Chains,” the Goffin-King hit, later covered by The Beatles, and “Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys Do,” (also by those chart-topping songwriters), was perfectly designed for them and their irresistible lead singer Earl-Jean McCrae. When they sing: “I'm everything a girl should be.. 36-21-35,” it feels quite cringe-worthy nowadays. Irresistible is right, because Gerry Goffin proceeded to make a baby with the vocalist, even though his marriage with King remained undissolved until 6 years later. They even continued to write for Earl-Jean, creating (I'm Into Something Good - which she recorded before Herman's Hermits)3. In “I Won't Tell,” from 1964, the singer vows to keep her illicit romance a secret, so as not to hurt her sister. Tracey Dey, born Nora Ferrari in Yonkers, had made a name for herself as the “Teenage Cleopatra” capitalizing on the notoriety of  the Liz Taylor blockbuster. She caught the eye of The Four Season's maestro, Bob Gaudio when she recorded “Jerry, I'm your Sherry” , playing off the title of the group's hit ‘Sherry”. Together with the production genius Bob Crewe, they crafted this pop classic the teenage Cleo.  Tracey soon got out of the business, earned a Master's degree from Columbia, and became a teacher and screenwriter. Clearly, this was a savvy entrepreneur from an early age. (Btw: the original masters of this recording were lost - so, this version was taken directly off a 45 disc). Enjoy!

Jason Ware thinks the labor market is still doing ok and says “most of the economy looks good.” He thinks Fed cuts could help the sluggish areas perk up. He reacts to the Challenger report and says he prefers the Initial Jobless Claims report for a better picture. Jason also digs into consumer spending, noting a slowdown in lower income discretionary spending that's hitting fast food or low-cost retailers. “I think overall spending looks ok,” he concludes. He likes the Mag 7 minus Tesla (TSLA), TJX Companies (TJX), and Costco (COST).======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, Marie-Anne Chazel, Bruno Moynot, Maxime Molina, pour le livre "Le Splendid par le Splendid, nous nous sommes tant marrés!" aux éditions du Cherche Midi.Tous les soirs, du lundi au vendredi à 20h sur France 5, Anne-Elisabeth Lemoine et toute son équipe accueillent les personnalités et artistes qui font l'actualité.

Nos invités de la deuxième partie de C à Vous du lundi 3 novembre 2025:

 My first time with Cosplay Beth. By Thintri - listen to the podcast at Steamy Stories. She stood there, waiting impatiently for the delicious meat to slide into her eager hands. She looked forward to having it in her mouth later, I could tell. She continued to caress her belly and nibble on a fingernail as she waited impatiently.She stood around 5'4" in her Converse sneakers. She wore a black pair of boot-cut jeans and a gray tee that read “Never tell me the odds!” and had a set of red, tumbling dice and a star-fighter with four wings in the shape of an “X” sitting above a plate held up by a small plastic pole  The tee was super tight around her breasts, but I didn't notice any bra lines. I would guess she was a 36C or D. Her hips were just as wide and her ass complimented her full hips and busty chest. Her hair reminded me of that Scottish Disney movie princess, all wild and fire red. Her skin was extremely fair, like she would to burst into flames if she stepped outside. She didn't look much older than the drinking age, a good decade or more younger than me. Another adult millennial in the big city. “Seventy Three!” She pounced and grabbed the too thick package and examined it in her suddenly small hands. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and you could almost see saliva well up in the corner of her mouth. I needed to step in before she made a terrible mistake. “Excuse me. That's my Butt.” I said. “I beg your pardon?!” She responded incredulously. “Seventy Three?.. Your holding my Boston Butt.” I said, holding the ticket for her to see. “Oh, right. I'm sorry. I'm in a different world today.” “You actually look really hungry. Are you going to have time to cook or are you going to eat something raw here in the store? I'll have that Butt now.” I said holding my hands out. “Your butt is so big! Erm… I mean…” She said as she handed it over and I placed it in my cart. “Yeah, What's a bachelor going to do with all this food, right? I'm actually hosting a game night for my friends tomorrow. There will be seven of us total. Eight, if you'd like to have a taste of this Butt.” I said making “Butt” sound more like an actual innuendo this time. “T.J.” I added, extending my hand. “Beth. Pleased to meet you, T.J. What's that stand for?” She said, shaking my out-reached hand in a delicate manner. “Thaddeus Junior. ‘Thad' sounds too douchey.” “What do they call your father?” “Thad…” I said, rolling my eyes sheepishly. “But he's too old to even pretend to act like a douche. He would have no idea where to start.” “Oh, well that's good. I bet he showed you how to be a real gentleman.” She said with a slight giggle in her voice. “He showed me how to rub a butt properly, that's for sure.” “Pardon?!” She said eyes wide again. “Barbeque… dry rub? A good rub down and then moisten it up later.” “Oh, yeah… Right…” “So… Wanna come over tomorrow and join my party? You'd even out the group.” “I don't see why not. Could be fun, right?” “Splendid! That means you'll have to come over tonight to get your character squared away and maybe help prep for dinner? I promise I'll feed you tonight, too. I have flank steaks marinating.” “Oh, I don't know…” “You'll have my address and you can tell all of your friends where you'll be. There's even a doorman and a security camera in the lobby.” “Oh. That sounded well-rehearsed. Invite a lot of ladies home, do you?” She asked suspiciously. “No ma'am. I just want your mind at ease.” I lied with my hands up in a disarming manner. My response was also rehearsed, but it worked like a charm. “Tell me about the marinade.” She said slowly, squinting her eyes and nodding her head up at me. “It's a lazy meal night. It's just a store bought Italian dressing, but I add some of this and that. I was thinking maybe use my indoor grill or broil them. Do you have a preference?” I said trying to sink the hook in deeper. I'm not going to broil a steak. That's ridiculous. “Grill it!” “Agreed. So I'll see you at 6:30 then?” “Yeah. Sounds good.” Hook, Line, and Sinker. “Eighty Three!” said the butcher. “I think you're eighty three.” I said pointing at the ticket in her basket at her feet.“ “Oh. That's me!” She said turning towards the counter. We exchanged information and I gave her my address so we could meet up later. I was actually quite excited about making a new hot friend and maybe even more than that. I'm not the type of guy to jump into bed with just anybody. I really wanted to get to know her and see where in my life she might fit. 6:45 rolled around and I finally got a text from Beth: “Hey, Sorry. The train was running late and there's no cell service down there. I'm walking up to street level now. I'll be at your place in Ten minutes. Is there anything you want me to pick up?” I responded: “Hey, glad you're on the way. I was worried you split on me or worse. All I have is vanilla ice cream and toppings for dessert. If that's not good enough, we can walk around the block and get an Italian Ice from the pizza shop. Is red wine okay with the steaks? If not, I have beer. Should I let the wine breathe or would you rather beer?” She responded: “Italian Icies! And beer, please. Wine feels too formal. [Winky emoji] Be up in five.” She wasn't kidding about the train running slow. The news interrupted my background show. There was a brown out on my line that took 20 minutes to fix. One train was in emergency lighting the whole time. I already called ahead downstairs for the doorman to let my new friend up. He needed to send her up manually because she didn't have a key fob to my apartment. The elevator opened to each unit, but they all had entryways prior to the front door. It was a private place to take off wet clothes and hang jackets and kick off shoes before entering. I left the front door open and she let herself in. “Hello? TJ?” “In the kitchen.” “Hey!” She said, giving me a friendly hug. She smelled like strawberries. I also took a good look at her while were chit-chatted. She wore a Falmouth Falcons Jersey and a matching pleated skirt. She had on short two or three inch heels on that had open toes and matched her outfit well. She quickly discarded them and left them in the hall outside of the front door and closed it behind her. She also put a pair of clips in her hair, leaving the right side of her neck exposed. “I was just about to text you to ask how you like your steak cooked?” “Medium. It's okay if it's a little rare, just don't cook it too much, please.” “Oh, that makes it easier on me. I can put them on around the same time.” “Do you need any help with the cooking?” “Umm… Did you want the potatoes mashed, or as is?” “Hmm… Nah. We can leave them like that. They look done, too.” She said, looking into the pot. “Fork ready!” I said stabbing at them. I went ahead and strained them while Beth flipped the steaks. I also served up a helping of corn for each of us and added the potatoes. “How do they look?” She asked me, pointing to the steaks. I poked at one with my finger and pushed until I felt it push back. “Feels about Medium rare. Maybe another minute on that side.” I said. Beth took it upon herself to grab two beers from the fridge. I was just about done with my second, so it was good timing on her part. “This looks interesting. ‘Axel Rogues' P.O.'d India Pale Ale'? Is it new?” “It's from a brewery a couple of my friends partially own. They send it up from the Alabama Coast for me. They might be giving me a bit of a drinking problem.” I said in jest. “Isn't it bad to have cartoon characters on your beer labels? Something about advertising to minors?” “It's a promotional thing. Only a few of those labels were printed. It was mostly for investors and the grand opening a few weeks back.” “Oh. This tastes pretty good!” She said, wide-eyed. I was told it's a bit of a panty dropper, but I wasn't telling her that. “Yeah. It's got a lot of subtle tastes that the female focus groups enjoyed. The male groups said it's refreshing, but might be too easy to drink. Hence my problem.” I kidded again, even though it was true. Dinner went by pretty quickly and we both cleared our plates and then dumped the dishes in the washer. She was on her third beer and I had just finished my fourth. “Would you like another or maybe a Manhattan?” I asked, trying to grease her wheels some. “Can you make a White Manhattan?” She asked. It felt more like a test. “Sure. Is Hudson okay?” I asked, volleying her serve. “That'd be perfect!” She said all too eagerly. Beth went ahead and wiped the table down and moved some of the settings aside to make room for us to work. She had brought her messenger bag and pulled out a large Velcro binder with a few gaming books. I was actually impressed with her line of questioning and her surprising neatness. We decided that one of her old characters, a Human Monk, was a good fit for the group and I gave her the run-down of the story so far, as best as I could remember. She wasn't surprised by the content being sexual in nature. Lots of groups add a sexy/romantic spin thanks to modern fantasy movies and books. One girl in the group, Adrienne, had to re-roll after a death because she decided to fight her way out of an Orc rape scene rather than lose her purity. She was playing a Paladin at the time, so it was pretty fitting. She did set fire to the camp site and take out a few Orcs before she died, though. It was pretty awesome. She re-rolled into a rogue who was her last toon's “Black Sheep” sister; she was a very pissed off rogue. We completely forgot about going out for Icies and decided to chat some more about the group and where I felt the story might lead. I noticed in my peripheral vision that her nipples started to show through her tight shirt. My apartment isn't that cold. I like it to be around seventy six degrees. The air is humidity controlled, so the extra A/C isn't needed. The conversation slid over to her cosplay hobby and how devout she is to it. She whipped out her phone and swiped through several characters she's played at conventions and ren faires. She's even done some minor MeTube shorts in character. We were sitting side-by-side, nearly shoulder to shoulder as she swiped. One particular picture was done in a mirror “selfie” fashion. She was wearing a very tight corset dress that was blue and white, similar to a very familiar droid we all know and love. Her breasts were practically pouring out of her top and her hand was between her legs in a provocative manner. “Whoops… You weren't supposed to see that… Sorry” “Hey now… You should share with the rest of the class, Missy.” I said leaning in closer to her and her phone. “Okay, but they really aren't much to look at. Really.” She said modestly. The pics varied from lingerie to sexy cosplay back to lingerie. Some were topless, but her free hand covered her nipples. There was still an eye-full of side and under boob, though. “I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” She demanded playfully. I had several shirtless gym “Swole” pics as well as a few cosplay pics, too. None as flattering as her pictures, but she seemed pleased with them. She was definitely excited about my picture with me wearing a Fez and bow tie. As I got up for another drink, I opted to switch back to beer. I offered her one over her shoulder and she took it, letting her hand linger on mine, not taking the bottle, though. She let the cold glass rub her neck and shoulder, and when she finally took it, she pulled me into a bent over, sideways kiss. I'm pretty sure she was feeling similar fireworks to mine. I went ahead and climbed over the couch, letting our head bump in the process. We giggled as we put our beers down and started making out like ninth graders. I was being a complete gentleman and let my hands fall on her face and neck as we kissed. Her hands were in similar places, but soon explored down to my chest. I kept it cool and let her do her thing while both of my hands were now working her neck and tangled in her hair. She reached up and pulled her clips out so I didn't pull on her hair the wrong way. I kept up my aggressive assault above her shoulders as she continued to grope my chest and stomach over my shirt. I was wearing a light, loose button-down and low-rise dark blue jeans. Her hands explored more while undoing a button or two. Her left hand snaked into the opening and now rubbed my chest more over my ribbed tank tee underneath. Once all my buttons were undone, I took some initiative and grabbed her under her thighs and pulled her into my lap. She was now kneeling on both sides of my pelvis. We only broke the kiss long enough to discard my top and then my undershirt. My hands were now under her tee shirt, caressing her back. My fingers roamed and slid over where her bra strap would have been. She felt my mouth peak at the sides in a little smile at that. She giggled and pulled her tee off and tossed it to the adjacent love seat. We were sitting bare chest to bare chest as she started moving her hips in a subtle rocking motion on my lap. My hands found her breasts as I continued to molest her tongue with mine. My cock was rock hard and rubbing against her pussy though my jeans and thin fabric of her underwear. She started undoing my belt and pants as I worked on unbuttoning her skirt and pulling the hip zipper down one handed as my mouth found her right breast. Her strawberry scent was so much stronger with my face in her chest. It was driving me crazy. “Take them off.” She said breathlessly, standing up and discarding her skirt, adding it to her tee. I hopped my butt up and pulled my pants off without standing. She was standing between my legs and I would have prolly head-butted her again if I tried to stand. I decided to leave my boxer briefs on to match her level of dress. She sat back down straddling my lap again, only leaving more room between our pelvises this time. My mouth found her left breast as she blindly reached into the opening of my shorts. I was cupping her left breast with my right hand as my left hand began to fondle her right ass cheek. She was wearing a g-string. My hand would squeeze her ass and slide between her cheeks and back to squeezing again. She gasped as she grabbed my cock with her hand. She couldn't see it past my head or through my shorts, but she was certainly pleased with it's size and current level of petrification. She knelt on her left knee and tried to slide my shorts down. I miscued my attempt at helping by hopping my butt again and we head- butted again. We giggled, took a drink and she took my shorts off and took her place back in my lap again. This time, she was crushing my cock against her slit, covered by the tiniest triangle of fabric I've ever seen… Or felt for that matter. Her rocking increased and she was now dry-humping my cock. I could feel her moistness lubricating my dick through her g-string. My pre-cum was starting to bubble over my mushroom cap. Her nails dug into my chest. I didn't notice them until now… They were French tipped and matched her Quidditch jersey. My hands were both on her ass now, as my fingers were sliding up and down her crack and slipping under the thin thread. Her breathing became ragged as my fingers found her drenched pussy from behind. One hand was holding her string aside and her pussy open for me. My right hand found her opening and clit as she rocked back. She started to cum, grinding harder onto me. She called out my name as she climaxed and crumpled onto my chest. Her head on my shoulder. She was panting hard. My fingers continued to rub her from behind softly, easing several after shocks out of her. “Excuse me a moment.” She finally said through choppy breaths. She made her way to the hallway bath and I took the opportunity to grab a condom from the coffee table drawer. I had just enough time to tear one free from the rest and tuck it into the side of the couch cushion when the bathroom door opened up. Her face and chest were flushed, and she still wobbled a little when she walked. It was a combination of her orgasm and the alcohol, I guess. She was holding her g-string in one hand. Her pussy was clean shaven except for a thin trail of red pubic hair just above her clit hood. My dick jumped in approval. “What are we going to do about that?” She said hitching her head towards my crotch. “What did you have in mind?” I said standing before she got too close. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into another passionate kiss. My cock was rubbing against her navel and my hands found her ass again. She pushed/eased me back onto the couch and got between my legs. She tossed her undies to the side, this time missing the pile and ending up on the floor. The flimsy fabric wasn't heavy enough to make the whole flight. She also had a condom in her hand that she sat on the couch beside me. She must have snuck it out of the medicine cabinet. Her eyes didn't leave mine as her hands stroked my cock. Her butt lowered to a sitting position on her heels. Her mouth opened wide enough to lick the head as she pumped me. She licked from the root to the tip. Her face was covered from her chin to her hair line when she was at her deepest. My dick was longer than her face. She started to suck me off, never stopping to close her eyes, she barely blinked as she stared right into my mine. I would have loved to close my eyes and roll my head back, but her eyes were entrancing. It was the hottest blow job I have ever gotten. Hands down. She was moaning on my cock, flicking her tongue in my tip's slit, lapping up any pre-cum that was leaking out. There was plenty of it, too. My dick was practically drooling. As soon as she was certain that she killed half of my fortitude, she leaned over and retrieved the condom and handed it to me. I ripped it open and popped it on like a magician doing a close-up magic trick. A dove flew out from under my sack. I'm kidding. I grabbed her and pulled her to the couch letting her fall supine. My cock was already at her moist opening. Her heels dug into the backs of my thighs. My dick slid in a good quarter of the way, our gaze never breaking. Her heels let up some and I retreated only to thrust in again. I found a bit of resistance when I got better than half of my shaft inside her. I finally bottomed out on the fourth stroke. I could feel her cervix give about an inch and then kiss my crown with every pass. It was incredible. I still had about an inch to give her, but she'd have to take that herself, I wasn't going to hurt her. Once I got into a good rhythm, I reached up to place my right hand over her shoulder to support my weight over her a little better. She took my hand and placed it on her neck and gently squeezed my forearm until my fingers mimicked her squeezing. Once she was satisfied with my ministrations on her neck, she started to grind against me from underneath. Her left leg took footing on the floor and bounced up onto me. She was looking for the last inch. My left hand wrapped around her left ankle and lifted her leg up over my shoulder and she finally got what she wanted. I was completely inside her and now, my pubic bone grinding into her clit with each thrust. I shortened my stride and let her clit join in on the fun full-time. I found a nipple with my left hand and rubbed it gently, increasing the sensations more and more. A good deal of my upper body weight was on her neck as I squeezed, but she didn't seem to mind. Her mouth creased into a thin smile as she moaned louder and louder. She was going to cum again, only this time she was cumming on my sheathed cock. Her pussy gripped me tighter and my hands involuntarily did the same to her neck and nipple. Her eyes shot open wide as the convulsions started. My pace quickened and I started to penetrate her deeper again. Her squishing was suddenly louder and more pronounced. Her juices were coating my balls as she continued to shake and moan breathlessly. I released her and leaned back and pulled her legs further apart and rubbed her clit in a similar fashion as before. She shook and gasped as she let a third orgasm pass on by. My strokes came to a halt and stopped rubbing her clit. “Are you okay?” I asked smiling at her. The redness dimmed in her face now that the blood returned, but she was still very flushed. “That…was pretty fucking perfect!” She said honestly. “If you let me turn you over, I can go for extra credit. How does that sound?” I replied. “Oh! You didn't cum yet! Take me anyway you'd like!” She said rolling over onto her hands and knees. My right thumb immediately found her puckered asshole. “Okay, not anyway, Cowboy.” She added, giggling. I leaned in and slid all the way in, missing her cervix this time because of the angle. I was stretching her out while hitting all the right spots. My balls nuzzling her clit as I stroked into her. I could see her pussy pull out with me slightly despite her moisture and the lube on the condom. Her climax surprised us both as she began to ram back onto me. I didn't slow down because her canal tightened up and was now hugging all my favorite spots. I plowed through her narrowing passage looking for my own prize. She didn't have any time to recover as she reached orgasm again and again until I was ready. “Where would you like it?” I asked, being a perfect gentleman. “Don't you… fucking dare… pull out… FUCK!” She gasped between strokes. One last look at the condom to check on it's structural integrity and I was plowing harder, deeper, and faster now. Her moans reached a familiar volume again and I was doing my best to time my nut with her next orgasm. As soon as my seed spilled into her condom-protected cunt, she came hard again. We both grunted our approval as my balls emptied. We stayed like that for a moment, knotted together in pleasure. I could feel my cock softening so I took it as a cue to pull out. I grabbed the base of the condom and my cock and slid it out slowly. She tried backing into me to keep me inside her. The latex held and there was a considerable load sloshing in the tip. It would have produced triplets if that's how sex actually worked. She rolled over and collapsed back onto the couch. Seeing the condom in my hand, she grabbed it and poured it all over her huge breasts and rubbed it in, licking her fingers and popping a nipple in her mouth, purring like a cat. It was the grossest thing I ever saw. I fucking loved it, though. I showed her to my master bath and started the shower. I had a garden tub and a shower stall with just enough room for us both inside. We cleaned up and kissed some under the water, then dried off. She retrieved her clothes in one bundle. Her eyes looked like she had something to say, but her lips didn't move. We were both pretty drunk by now and the trains were far too dangerous to ride. I offered to call her a cab and pay for it, but she declined taking my money, saying something about feeling like a hooker. I assured her that wasn't the case and she smiled. I also offered her my spare bedroom, assuming that sleeping in the same bed would be too intimate for her. She gladly accepted. I grabbed something for her to sleep in. A pair of sweats and a big, soft white tee. I was wearing something similar, although they fit me better. After showing her to the spare bedroom and turning the bed for her, I gave her a sensual kiss on her mouth. No tongue. A peck on her forehead and I walked to the door. “What time do you wake up?” She asked, fiddling with her phone above the covers. “Got somewhere to be?” I jested. “Ten? Maybe? Wake me if you're up first. How does pancakes sound for breakfast?” “Oh my Gaia, He's making me pancakes…” She said laughing out loud. “It's a deal!” As I hit the light, I could see her face lit up by her cell phone screen. She was prolly giving the “all clear” to one of her girlfriends, assuring them that she was alright. Prolly better than alright. I reached my bedroom and wiggled under the sheet and took my rest for the night. My bedside clock said 1:37 AM. Not a bad first date, eh? My eyes were heavy and I surrendered to the best sleep of my life. By Thintri , for Literotica

 My first time with Cosplay Beth. By Thintri - listen to the podcast at Steamy Stories. She stood there, waiting impatiently for the delicious meat to slide into her eager hands. She looked forward to having it in her mouth later, I could tell. She continued to caress her belly and nibble on a fingernail as she waited impatiently.She stood around 5'4" in her Converse sneakers. She wore a black pair of boot-cut jeans and a gray tee that read “Never tell me the odds!” and had a set of red, tumbling dice and a star-fighter with four wings in the shape of an “X” sitting above a plate held up by a small plastic pole  The tee was super tight around her breasts, but I didn't notice any bra lines. I would guess she was a 36C or D. Her hips were just as wide and her ass complimented her full hips and busty chest. Her hair reminded me of that Scottish Disney movie princess, all wild and fire red. Her skin was extremely fair, like she would to burst into flames if she stepped outside. She didn't look much older than the drinking age, a good decade or more younger than me. Another adult millennial in the big city. “Seventy Three!” She pounced and grabbed the too thick package and examined it in her suddenly small hands. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and you could almost see saliva well up in the corner of her mouth. I needed to step in before she made a terrible mistake. “Excuse me. That's my Butt.” I said. “I beg your pardon?!” She responded incredulously. “Seventy Three?.. Your holding my Boston Butt.” I said, holding the ticket for her to see. “Oh, right. I'm sorry. I'm in a different world today.” “You actually look really hungry. Are you going to have time to cook or are you going to eat something raw here in the store? I'll have that Butt now.” I said holding my hands out. “Your butt is so big! Erm… I mean…” She said as she handed it over and I placed it in my cart. “Yeah, What's a bachelor going to do with all this food, right? I'm actually hosting a game night for my friends tomorrow. There will be seven of us total. Eight, if you'd like to have a taste of this Butt.” I said making “Butt” sound more like an actual innuendo this time. “T.J.” I added, extending my hand. “Beth. Pleased to meet you, T.J. What's that stand for?” She said, shaking my out-reached hand in a delicate manner. “Thaddeus Junior. ‘Thad' sounds too douchey.” “What do they call your father?” “Thad…” I said, rolling my eyes sheepishly. “But he's too old to even pretend to act like a douche. He would have no idea where to start.” “Oh, well that's good. I bet he showed you how to be a real gentleman.” She said with a slight giggle in her voice. “He showed me how to rub a butt properly, that's for sure.” “Pardon?!” She said eyes wide again. “Barbeque… dry rub? A good rub down and then moisten it up later.” “Oh, yeah… Right…” “So… Wanna come over tomorrow and join my party? You'd even out the group.” “I don't see why not. Could be fun, right?” “Splendid! That means you'll have to come over tonight to get your character squared away and maybe help prep for dinner? I promise I'll feed you tonight, too. I have flank steaks marinating.” “Oh, I don't know…” “You'll have my address and you can tell all of your friends where you'll be. There's even a doorman and a security camera in the lobby.” “Oh. That sounded well-rehearsed. Invite a lot of ladies home, do you?” She asked suspiciously. “No ma'am. I just want your mind at ease.” I lied with my hands up in a disarming manner. My response was also rehearsed, but it worked like a charm. “Tell me about the marinade.” She said slowly, squinting her eyes and nodding her head up at me. “It's a lazy meal night. It's just a store bought Italian dressing, but I add some of this and that. I was thinking maybe use my indoor grill or broil them. Do you have a preference?” I said trying to sink the hook in deeper. I'm not going to broil a steak. That's ridiculous. “Grill it!” “Agreed. So I'll see you at 6:30 then?” “Yeah. Sounds good.” Hook, Line, and Sinker. “Eighty Three!” said the butcher. “I think you're eighty three.” I said pointing at the ticket in her basket at her feet.“ “Oh. That's me!” She said turning towards the counter. We exchanged information and I gave her my address so we could meet up later. I was actually quite excited about making a new hot friend and maybe even more than that. I'm not the type of guy to jump into bed with just anybody. I really wanted to get to know her and see where in my life she might fit. 6:45 rolled around and I finally got a text from Beth: “Hey, Sorry. The train was running late and there's no cell service down there. I'm walking up to street level now. I'll be at your place in Ten minutes. Is there anything you want me to pick up?” I responded: “Hey, glad you're on the way. I was worried you split on me or worse. All I have is vanilla ice cream and toppings for dessert. If that's not good enough, we can walk around the block and get an Italian Ice from the pizza shop. Is red wine okay with the steaks? If not, I have beer. Should I let the wine breathe or would you rather beer?” She responded: “Italian Icies! And beer, please. Wine feels too formal. [Winky emoji] Be up in five.” She wasn't kidding about the train running slow. The news interrupted my background show. There was a brown out on my line that took 20 minutes to fix. One train was in emergency lighting the whole time. I already called ahead downstairs for the doorman to let my new friend up. He needed to send her up manually because she didn't have a key fob to my apartment. The elevator opened to each unit, but they all had entryways prior to the front door. It was a private place to take off wet clothes and hang jackets and kick off shoes before entering. I left the front door open and she let herself in. “Hello? TJ?” “In the kitchen.” “Hey!” She said, giving me a friendly hug. She smelled like strawberries. I also took a good look at her while were chit-chatted. She wore a Falmouth Falcons Jersey and a matching pleated skirt. She had on short two or three inch heels on that had open toes and matched her outfit well. She quickly discarded them and left them in the hall outside of the front door and closed it behind her. She also put a pair of clips in her hair, leaving the right side of her neck exposed. “I was just about to text you to ask how you like your steak cooked?” “Medium. It's okay if it's a little rare, just don't cook it too much, please.” “Oh, that makes it easier on me. I can put them on around the same time.” “Do you need any help with the cooking?” “Umm… Did you want the potatoes mashed, or as is?” “Hmm… Nah. We can leave them like that. They look done, too.” She said, looking into the pot. “Fork ready!” I said stabbing at them. I went ahead and strained them while Beth flipped the steaks. I also served up a helping of corn for each of us and added the potatoes. “How do they look?” She asked me, pointing to the steaks. I poked at one with my finger and pushed until I felt it push back. “Feels about Medium rare. Maybe another minute on that side.” I said. Beth took it upon herself to grab two beers from the fridge. I was just about done with my second, so it was good timing on her part. “This looks interesting. ‘Axel Rogues' P.O.'d India Pale Ale'? Is it new?” “It's from a brewery a couple of my friends partially own. They send it up from the Alabama Coast for me. They might be giving me a bit of a drinking problem.” I said in jest. “Isn't it bad to have cartoon characters on your beer labels? Something about advertising to minors?” “It's a promotional thing. Only a few of those labels were printed. It was mostly for investors and the grand opening a few weeks back.” “Oh. This tastes pretty good!” She said, wide-eyed. I was told it's a bit of a panty dropper, but I wasn't telling her that. “Yeah. It's got a lot of subtle tastes that the female focus groups enjoyed. The male groups said it's refreshing, but might be too easy to drink. Hence my problem.” I kidded again, even though it was true. Dinner went by pretty quickly and we both cleared our plates and then dumped the dishes in the washer. She was on her third beer and I had just finished my fourth. “Would you like another or maybe a Manhattan?” I asked, trying to grease her wheels some. “Can you make a White Manhattan?” She asked. It felt more like a test. “Sure. Is Hudson okay?” I asked, volleying her serve. “That'd be perfect!” She said all too eagerly. Beth went ahead and wiped the table down and moved some of the settings aside to make room for us to work. She had brought her messenger bag and pulled out a large Velcro binder with a few gaming books. I was actually impressed with her line of questioning and her surprising neatness. We decided that one of her old characters, a Human Monk, was a good fit for the group and I gave her the run-down of the story so far, as best as I could remember. She wasn't surprised by the content being sexual in nature. Lots of groups add a sexy/romantic spin thanks to modern fantasy movies and books. One girl in the group, Adrienne, had to re-roll after a death because she decided to fight her way out of an Orc rape scene rather than lose her purity. She was playing a Paladin at the time, so it was pretty fitting. She did set fire to the camp site and take out a few Orcs before she died, though. It was pretty awesome. She re-rolled into a rogue who was her last toon's “Black Sheep” sister; she was a very pissed off rogue. We completely forgot about going out for Icies and decided to chat some more about the group and where I felt the story might lead. I noticed in my peripheral vision that her nipples started to show through her tight shirt. My apartment isn't that cold. I like it to be around seventy six degrees. The air is humidity controlled, so the extra A/C isn't needed. The conversation slid over to her cosplay hobby and how devout she is to it. She whipped out her phone and swiped through several characters she's played at conventions and ren faires. She's even done some minor MeTube shorts in character. We were sitting side-by-side, nearly shoulder to shoulder as she swiped. One particular picture was done in a mirror “selfie” fashion. She was wearing a very tight corset dress that was blue and white, similar to a very familiar droid we all know and love. Her breasts were practically pouring out of her top and her hand was between her legs in a provocative manner. “Whoops… You weren't supposed to see that… Sorry” “Hey now… You should share with the rest of the class, Missy.” I said leaning in closer to her and her phone. “Okay, but they really aren't much to look at. Really.” She said modestly. The pics varied from lingerie to sexy cosplay back to lingerie. Some were topless, but her free hand covered her nipples. There was still an eye-full of side and under boob, though. “I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” She demanded playfully. I had several shirtless gym “Swole” pics as well as a few cosplay pics, too. None as flattering as her pictures, but she seemed pleased with them. She was definitely excited about my picture with me wearing a Fez and bow tie. As I got up for another drink, I opted to switch back to beer. I offered her one over her shoulder and she took it, letting her hand linger on mine, not taking the bottle, though. She let the cold glass rub her neck and shoulder, and when she finally took it, she pulled me into a bent over, sideways kiss. I'm pretty sure she was feeling similar fireworks to mine. I went ahead and climbed over the couch, letting our head bump in the process. We giggled as we put our beers down and started making out like ninth graders. I was being a complete gentleman and let my hands fall on her face and neck as we kissed. Her hands were in similar places, but soon explored down to my chest. I kept it cool and let her do her thing while both of my hands were now working her neck and tangled in her hair. She reached up and pulled her clips out so I didn't pull on her hair the wrong way. I kept up my aggressive assault above her shoulders as she continued to grope my chest and stomach over my shirt. I was wearing a light, loose button-down and low-rise dark blue jeans. Her hands explored more while undoing a button or two. Her left hand snaked into the opening and now rubbed my chest more over my ribbed tank tee underneath. Once all my buttons were undone, I took some initiative and grabbed her under her thighs and pulled her into my lap. She was now kneeling on both sides of my pelvis. We only broke the kiss long enough to discard my top and then my undershirt. My hands were now under her tee shirt, caressing her back. My fingers roamed and slid over where her bra strap would have been. She felt my mouth peak at the sides in a little smile at that. She giggled and pulled her tee off and tossed it to the adjacent love seat. We were sitting bare chest to bare chest as she started moving her hips in a subtle rocking motion on my lap. My hands found her breasts as I continued to molest her tongue with mine. My cock was rock hard and rubbing against her pussy though my jeans and thin fabric of her underwear. She started undoing my belt and pants as I worked on unbuttoning her skirt and pulling the hip zipper down one handed as my mouth found her right breast. Her strawberry scent was so much stronger with my face in her chest. It was driving me crazy. “Take them off.” She said breathlessly, standing up and discarding her skirt, adding it to her tee. I hopped my butt up and pulled my pants off without standing. She was standing between my legs and I would have prolly head-butted her again if I tried to stand. I decided to leave my boxer briefs on to match her level of dress. She sat back down straddling my lap again, only leaving more room between our pelvises this time. My mouth found her left breast as she blindly reached into the opening of my shorts. I was cupping her left breast with my right hand as my left hand began to fondle her right ass cheek. She was wearing a g-string. My hand would squeeze her ass and slide between her cheeks and back to squeezing again. She gasped as she grabbed my cock with her hand. She couldn't see it past my head or through my shorts, but she was certainly pleased with it's size and current level of petrification. She knelt on her left knee and tried to slide my shorts down. I miscued my attempt at helping by hopping my butt again and we head- butted again. We giggled, took a drink and she took my shorts off and took her place back in my lap again. This time, she was crushing my cock against her slit, covered by the tiniest triangle of fabric I've ever seen… Or felt for that matter. Her rocking increased and she was now dry-humping my cock. I could feel her moistness lubricating my dick through her g-string. My pre-cum was starting to bubble over my mushroom cap. Her nails dug into my chest. I didn't notice them until now… They were French tipped and matched her Quidditch jersey. My hands were both on her ass now, as my fingers were sliding up and down her crack and slipping under the thin thread. Her breathing became ragged as my fingers found her drenched pussy from behind. One hand was holding her string aside and her pussy open for me. My right hand found her opening and clit as she rocked back. She started to cum, grinding harder onto me. She called out my name as she climaxed and crumpled onto my chest. Her head on my shoulder. She was panting hard. My fingers continued to rub her from behind softly, easing several after shocks out of her. “Excuse me a moment.” She finally said through choppy breaths. She made her way to the hallway bath and I took the opportunity to grab a condom from the coffee table drawer. I had just enough time to tear one free from the rest and tuck it into the side of the couch cushion when the bathroom door opened up. Her face and chest were flushed, and she still wobbled a little when she walked. It was a combination of her orgasm and the alcohol, I guess. She was holding her g-string in one hand. Her pussy was clean shaven except for a thin trail of red pubic hair just above her clit hood. My dick jumped in approval. “What are we going to do about that?” She said hitching her head towards my crotch. “What did you have in mind?” I said standing before she got too close. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into another passionate kiss. My cock was rubbing against her navel and my hands found her ass again. She pushed/eased me back onto the couch and got between my legs. She tossed her undies to the side, this time missing the pile and ending up on the floor. The flimsy fabric wasn't heavy enough to make the whole flight. She also had a condom in her hand that she sat on the couch beside me. She must have snuck it out of the medicine cabinet. Her eyes didn't leave mine as her hands stroked my cock. Her butt lowered to a sitting position on her heels. Her mouth opened wide enough to lick the head as she pumped me. She licked from the root to the tip. Her face was covered from her chin to her hair line when she was at her deepest. My dick was longer than her face. She started to suck me off, never stopping to close her eyes, she barely blinked as she stared right into my mine. I would have loved to close my eyes and roll my head back, but her eyes were entrancing. It was the hottest blow job I have ever gotten. Hands down. She was moaning on my cock, flicking her tongue in my tip's slit, lapping up any pre-cum that was leaking out. There was plenty of it, too. My dick was practically drooling. As soon as she was certain that she killed half of my fortitude, she leaned over and retrieved the condom and handed it to me. I ripped it open and popped it on like a magician doing a close-up magic trick. A dove flew out from under my sack. I'm kidding. I grabbed her and pulled her to the couch letting her fall supine. My cock was already at her moist opening. Her heels dug into the backs of my thighs. My dick slid in a good quarter of the way, our gaze never breaking. Her heels let up some and I retreated only to thrust in again. I found a bit of resistance when I got better than half of my shaft inside her. I finally bottomed out on the fourth stroke. I could feel her cervix give about an inch and then kiss my crown with every pass. It was incredible. I still had about an inch to give her, but she'd have to take that herself, I wasn't going to hurt her. Once I got into a good rhythm, I reached up to place my right hand over her shoulder to support my weight over her a little better. She took my hand and placed it on her neck and gently squeezed my forearm until my fingers mimicked her squeezing. Once she was satisfied with my ministrations on her neck, she started to grind against me from underneath. Her left leg took footing on the floor and bounced up onto me. She was looking for the last inch. My left hand wrapped around her left ankle and lifted her leg up over my shoulder and she finally got what she wanted. I was completely inside her and now, my pubic bone grinding into her clit with each thrust. I shortened my stride and let her clit join in on the fun full-time. I found a nipple with my left hand and rubbed it gently, increasing the sensations more and more. A good deal of my upper body weight was on her neck as I squeezed, but she didn't seem to mind. Her mouth creased into a thin smile as she moaned louder and louder. She was going to cum again, only this time she was cumming on my sheathed cock. Her pussy gripped me tighter and my hands involuntarily did the same to her neck and nipple. Her eyes shot open wide as the convulsions started. My pace quickened and I started to penetrate her deeper again. Her squishing was suddenly louder and more pronounced. Her juices were coating my balls as she continued to shake and moan breathlessly. I released her and leaned back and pulled her legs further apart and rubbed her clit in a similar fashion as before. She shook and gasped as she let a third orgasm pass on by. My strokes came to a halt and stopped rubbing her clit. “Are you okay?” I asked smiling at her. The redness dimmed in her face now that the blood returned, but she was still very flushed. “That…was pretty fucking perfect!” She said honestly. “If you let me turn you over, I can go for extra credit. How does that sound?” I replied. “Oh! You didn't cum yet! Take me anyway you'd like!” She said rolling over onto her hands and knees. My right thumb immediately found her puckered asshole. “Okay, not anyway, Cowboy.” She added, giggling. I leaned in and slid all the way in, missing her cervix this time because of the angle. I was stretching her out while hitting all the right spots. My balls nuzzling her clit as I stroked into her. I could see her pussy pull out with me slightly despite her moisture and the lube on the condom. Her climax surprised us both as she began to ram back onto me. I didn't slow down because her canal tightened up and was now hugging all my favorite spots. I plowed through her narrowing passage looking for my own prize. She didn't have any time to recover as she reached orgasm again and again until I was ready. “Where would you like it?” I asked, being a perfect gentleman. “Don't you… fucking dare… pull out… FUCK!” She gasped between strokes. One last look at the condom to check on it's structural integrity and I was plowing harder, deeper, and faster now. Her moans reached a familiar volume again and I was doing my best to time my nut with her next orgasm. As soon as my seed spilled into her condom-protected cunt, she came hard again. We both grunted our approval as my balls emptied. We stayed like that for a moment, knotted together in pleasure. I could feel my cock softening so I took it as a cue to pull out. I grabbed the base of the condom and my cock and slid it out slowly. She tried backing into me to keep me inside her. The latex held and there was a considerable load sloshing in the tip. It would have produced triplets if that's how sex actually worked. She rolled over and collapsed back onto the couch. Seeing the condom in my hand, she grabbed it and poured it all over her huge breasts and rubbed it in, licking her fingers and popping a nipple in her mouth, purring like a cat. It was the grossest thing I ever saw. I fucking loved it, though. I showed her to my master bath and started the shower. I had a garden tub and a shower stall with just enough room for us both inside. We cleaned up and kissed some under the water, then dried off. She retrieved her clothes in one bundle. Her eyes looked like she had something to say, but her lips didn't move. We were both pretty drunk by now and the trains were far too dangerous to ride. I offered to call her a cab and pay for it, but she declined taking my money, saying something about feeling like a hooker. I assured her that wasn't the case and she smiled. I also offered her my spare bedroom, assuming that sleeping in the same bed would be too intimate for her. She gladly accepted. I grabbed something for her to sleep in. A pair of sweats and a big, soft white tee. I was wearing something similar, although they fit me better. After showing her to the spare bedroom and turning the bed for her, I gave her a sensual kiss on her mouth. No tongue. A peck on her forehead and I walked to the door. “What time do you wake up?” She asked, fiddling with her phone above the covers. “Got somewhere to be?” I jested. “Ten? Maybe? Wake me if you're up first. How does pancakes sound for breakfast?” “Oh my Gaia, He's making me pancakes…” She said laughing out loud. “It's a deal!” As I hit the light, I could see her face lit up by her cell phone screen. She was prolly giving the “all clear” to one of her girlfriends, assuring them that she was alright. Prolly better than alright. I reached my bedroom and wiggled under the sheet and took my rest for the night. My bedside clock said 1:37 AM. Not a bad first date, eh? My eyes were heavy and I surrendered to the best sleep of my life. By Thintri , for Literotica

Was it really a simpler time, way back when? As teenagers, Rich and I pined for those older women who seemed to embody the tidal pulse of desire. For me, it was the Delta song-spinner Bobbie Gentry, whose Ode to Billie Joe, a mystery delivered in honeyed, but troubling tones, captured the world's - and, my imagination; for Rich, it was the slinky seductress Joey Heatherton, who complicated his yearnings by aligning herself with Bob Hope on those USO tours during the Viet Nam war. The way podcast Stack of 45s would work was that Rich or I would nominate a song to be explored and celebrated, then the other would have a chance to bring forward their choice. In this case, my record, Ode to Billie Joe appeared first, and this inspired Rich to find and re-examine Gone by Joey. Enjoyed back to back these episodes bring back some good memories for me. And, hopefully, if you've been with us awhile, you'll enjoy hearing these again, too. And if you're new to the party, you've got a treat ahead of you.

In the mood for some baseball? Of course you are; it's still our national pastime, after all, despite the threat of encroachment by football, soccer, basketball, Nascar and Monster Trucks. And now that the innovation of the pitch clock has trimmed down the times of games, it's a little more dynamic than it used to be back in those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summers past. This World Series has been a humdinger, breaking several records, but it ain't over yet - The Toronto Blue Jays now have a 3 game to 2 advantage as they return to their hometown field and crowd. What had seemed like an inevitable win for L.A. after game three, now is in nail-biting doubt. Just goes to show you that, in the words of Yogi Berra - "it ain't over 'til it's over!"

Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe recap a telling Matchweek 9 in the Premier League0:54 - Eberechi Eze's strike against his former club lifts Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, a win that Mikel Arteta called the most valuable of the season so far12:09 - Liverpool travel to Brentford and walk away with a fourth-consecutive defeat in the Premier League, fading their title hopes to a slim chance so early in the season25:58 - Aston Villa grab their 4th-consecutive Premier League win on the bounce with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City, who were left frustrated by missed opportunities30:50 - Sunderland serve up the surprise of the season so far with a late 2-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which lifted the Black Cats to 2nd in the table on Saturday38:15 - A roundup of the rest of the results: Manchester United 4-2 Brighton, Everton 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United 2-1 Fulham, Wolves 2-3 Burnley, Leeds United 2-1 West Ham Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is one of the best depictions of the creative process that I've ever seen, exploring where an artist's ideas come from: those sources, personal and environmental that are processed via one's family history, dreams, desires - and are then delivered through said artist's private relationship with their tools - (in this case the Tascam Portastudio, Echoplex reverb unit, and a water-damaged boombox). I was thrilled by that examination, and by Bruce's steadfast protection of his lo-fi masterpiece when it was being threatened by corporate pressure to compromise. Jeremy Allen White is one of America's finest exemplars of smoldering emotion, and the close ups on Springsteen's anguished face were a tour de force of inner conflict. The protean Stephen Graham as Bruce's complicated monster of a father found vivid expression with just a smattering of dialogue. And, Jeremy Strong - an actor capable of the deepest levels of immersion portrays Bruce's guardian angel of a manager, Jon Landau with such grace, and generous restraint that it made me cry. Kudos to all.The pace is pokey, and I personally could have done without the manufactured love story in which the actress, Odessa Young has the unenviable task of having to deliver clunky exposition, notably when she psychologizes Bruce for us. But, all in all, for a story that chronicles depression and child abuse, the darkness is mitigated by the knowledge that our hero emerges from this crucible to become a happily married family man and cultural hero, and create a timeless work of art. The Splendid Bohemians are honored to feature a couple of tributes to The Boss, which recognize his influence and influences: First, a duet with Bruce and Pete Seeger, the Patron Saint and Johnny Appleseed of folk music, singing Bruce's still relevant- (sadly)- homage to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath: The Ghost of Tom Joad.  And, we'll close with Ryan Adams' honorable rendition of Nebraska, the title song from those sources which are celebrated in Warren Zanes book and Scott Cooper's film

Splendid erfinden auf ihrem selbstbetitelten Debut die Mundart-Lyrik und ganz nebenbei die musikalische Coolness neu. Veronica Fusaro liefert ein Album ab, das nur aus Hits besteht. Und dann sind da noch neue Songs von Zoë Më, Marius Bear, Black Sea Dahu, Pat Burgener, Esmeralda Galda und Müslüm!

Kids' clothes get out of hand FAST. Which is why in this episode, I share seven practical strategies to help you stay ahead of the kid clothing chaos. It's so refreshing when drawers close easily, laundry feels manageable, and weekends aren't spent sorting piles of outgrown stuff. You'll learn: • Why we accumulate too much kid clothing — and how to stop the cycle • How a simple 3-bin system (Too Small, Too Big, Incoming) keeps everything organized • Why setting clothing limits makes laundry easier and mornings smoother • Smart ways to manage hand-me-downs without letting them take over • How to deal with sentimental outfits (without guilt!) • How to teach your kids to declutter and take ownership of their clothes • The key to keeping new clutter from coming in When we simplify our kids' wardrobes, we free up time, space, and mental energy — and we teach our children that enough really is enough. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MENTIONED THIS EPISODE Ep 5: Decluttering Sentimental Items Ep 86: Strategies for Getting Your Kids to Declutter Ep 39: How Living with Less Inspires Generosity with ultralight backpacker, Glen Van Peski Ep 24: Decluttering Photos on Our Phones & in Our Homes Chatbooks Gift Request Template (under "freebies") Story of Pitbull coming to Kodiak, Alaska Shoe Organizing Bin Hanging Shoe or Clothes Organizer Drawer Divider Bins PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠10 Life-Changing Decluttering Hacks (free)⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING 20% off Longevity Mitopure Gummies for Urolithin A at ⁠⁠timeline.com/PARING ⁠⁠ 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to Prolon's 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet. *remember this is for metabolic health, not simply a weight loss hack*: ⁠⁠prolonlife.com/paring⁠⁠ Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! High-quality, eco-friendly activewear at ⁠⁠fabletics.com/PARING⁠⁠ - sign up as a VIP and get 80% off everything. 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our review of PR pitches and mergers and acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here we discuss the biggest pitch wins, mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in October 2025Andrew is the lead consultant PR, social, content and influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies.PR Masterclass the Agency Growth Forum is now live. Virtual and face to face tickets are now available.Check out PRmasterclasses.com or the homepage of PRmoment for the full speaker lineup.Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors, the PRCA.Here is a rundown of what Andrew and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed:Pitches  National Express - Block Report - Block Report launched earlier this year Founded by Chris Grimwood of Iris and Social Chain and Jack Colchester of Wonderhood. Singapore Tourist Board - Splendid - UK integrated marketing agency. This win follows an open RFI. Splendid won Heathrow Express in April. Belfast City Council -  Cavendish Consulting, Lanyon Communications (part of Consello) and Open Strategic Communications PPHE Hotel Group (formerly Park Plaza Hotels Europe) - Launch PR. Retained consumer and corporate brief. 51 properties across eight countries. Rangemaster - Stakked - Iconic cooker brand with global recognition and deep British roots. Previously in-house. BFI London Film Festival - Vamp - 69th film festival. Vamp has worked with clients inc. Disney, paramount, Netflix, Prime, C4 Apple TV etc Aardman Animation - Wonderland. New Ewe Knit it campaign invites fans to create knitted items that can be turned into blankets for the homeless in London. Toy Retailers Association - WPR. To promote the dream toys list of the hottest toys for Christmas 2025.  Butlins - Popcorn. Positioning the holiday resort as the Home of Entertainment. Popcorn is strong in consumer and lifestyle - clients include Thorpe Park, Panasonic and London Designer Outlet. Hey Dude - Words+Pixels.  Launch of new campaign with Lewis Capaldi. Acai Berry Foods - Neon Brand Communications - Neon are specialists in health, wellness and beauty and lifestyle brands (hotpot yoga, coconut collab etc.) For Goodness Shakes - Frank. Launch protein and collagen drink, Glow. Lipton Teas and Infusions - Clarion. Retained consumer pr for sub brands PG Tips and Pukka. Youngs Seafoods - Brazen. Consumer pr, social media, influencer. Frozen fish brand - supplies approx. 40% of all the fish eaten in the UK every year, apparently! Omi/Shakers/Dints - Ballou. Trio of new clients for Ballou UK. Nationwide Building Society - Popeyes, Ogi and DEBRA - Folk  Border to Coast Pensions Partnership - Apella Advisors. Appella was founded in 2019 by ex APCO UK boss James Acheson Gray - works with Aviva, KPMG and Nationwide Building societyRoyal Mint - Third City. The Royal Mint is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Monopoly Board game. Vinted – Smarts. Pan European pr, social and creator for online marketplace for selling, buying and exchanging new/second hand items. POD - Tin Man. EV electric charging provider, joins Tin Man's existing energy division - EDF, Electrify Britain, Energy GB. Changan - Woosah - Chinese auto firm launching into UK market with all electric Deepal SUV model. Paddy Power - Pitch - Addition to roster alongside Ready10.  M&A Team Lewis acquire Instinctif Partners. This deal will double the size of Team Lewis' UK ope

We are being influenced by way of comparison more than we even realize, and this episode is a really inspiring and uplifting conversation about learning to live in a way that we love—not letting advertising or insecurity drive our choices. I sat down to talk with Amy Slenker-Smith, founder of Simply Enough, about how comparison quietly drives both clutter and overspending. We explore how advertising shapes what we think we “need” how to create a home and life that reflect your values—not what social media or society tells you they should be. the difference between healthy inspiration and harmful comparison And more! You'll walk away feeling more peace, clarity, and confidence in your own choices. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AMY SLENKER-SMITH Website: https://www.simplyenough.net/ Instagram: @simplyenoughamy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slenkersmith PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 10 Life-Changing Decluttering Hacks (free) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: 20% off Longevity Mitopure Gummies for Urolithin A at ⁠timeline.com/PARING ⁠ 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to Prolon's 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet. *remember this is for metabolic health, not simply a weight loss hack*: ⁠prolonlife.com/paring⁠ Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! High-quality, eco-friendly activewear at ⁠fabletics.com/PARING⁠ - sign up as a VIP and get 80% off everything. $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This nation's troubled history with Manifest Destiny will continue to haunt us for some time. Throughout the decades some Native voices have emerged and contributed to the ongoing cultural conversation: most recently on the Broadway stage, on film, and television, and this awareness might move us towards some, if not restitution for atrocities past, at least a dialogue that might point the way towards the future.Today Double Trouble features the efforts of two important Americana artists, neither one Native American, but both identifying with them. Johnny Cash believed that he was part Cherokee- (a notion disproved by DNA). They both raised their voices in advocacy with the dispossessed. Pete La Farge wrote The Ballad of Ira Hayes, which Johnny Cash delivers here, and then Mr. La Farge himself mourns the disappearance of the Coyote as a consequence of Capitalism's rapacious destruction of sacred lands.JOHNNY CASHFrom his 1963 concept album “Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian”, The Ballad of Ira Hayes tells the story of a WW2 War Hero, one of the men raising the flag over Iwo Jima in that iconic photo. Upon returning to the states, Ira had to confront the irony of his impossibly low status on home soil, and descended into alcohol addiction and death. Pete La Farge wrote 5 of the songs on Cash's album, and became known, along with Buffy St. Marie, as one of the most prominent singer-songwriters concerned with Native themes. Johnny Cash was a life-long representative of Native peoples, trying through his popular status to bring about an awareness of the wrongs that had been committed in the name of “progress”. PETE LA FARGEGiven the focus of his creative output during his short life - he died, age 34, of a stroke - one might assume that Mr. La Farge was Native American, but not so: he was the son of an anthropologist and Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and a Rhode Island heiress. Growing up in New Mexico and Colorado, he developed a love of Native American culture, and that became his artistic touchstone. Most famous for The Ballad of Ira Hayes, his tribute to a discarded, fallen hero, the song has been covered by Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger among many others. Here, in Coyote, La Farge channels the mournful sound of the dispossessed animal as it fades away into the ether, after losing its habitat to business interests - an issue we're still dealing with today. 

The Book of Lecan Conference During this two-day event in October 2025, speakers explored the production of the Book of Lecan or Leabhar Mór Lecain, its scribes and patrons, and the texts contained within the manuscript. The manuscript known as the Book of Lecan (Leabhar Mór Lecain) was created in Co. Sligo in the early fifteenth century. It contains a large amount of genealogical material, especially relating to the families with which the scribes were associated, as well as historical, biblical and hagiographical material. Included are a Dindshenchas, Bansenchas, and versions of Lebor Gabála, Uraicept an nÉces, Cóir Anmann, and Book of Rights. The conference papers shared new insights into how the manuscript was produced, its history of ownership and the significance of the various texts found within the compilation. The event was a collaboration between the Royal Irish Academy, Maynooth University, and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Recordings have some of the lectures have been made available, subject to the presenters' consent. It is hoped that the proceedings of this conference will be published as part of the Codices Hibernenses Eximii series in due course. Thursday 2 October 2025 2.00 pm Making the Book of Lecan - Pádraig Ó Macháin 2.45 pm The Later History of the Book of Lecan - Bernadette Cunningham 3.30 pm Coffee break 4.00 pm Poets and Poetry in the Book of Lecan - Elizabeth Boyle 4.45 pm Lebor Bretnach and the International Perspective of the Book of Lecan - Patrick Wadden Friday 3 October 2025 9.30am A History of the Men of Britain: Text and Context - Alex Woolf 10.15 am Lebor na Cert: a “Grossly Overrated” Text? - Seán Ó Hoireabhárd 11.00 am Coffee break 11.30 am Gilla Íosa Mór: Pseudohistorian - John Carey 12.15 pm Shaping Dindshenchas Érenn: What the Book of Lecan Version Reveals - Máire Ní Mhaonaigh and David McCay 1.00 pm Lunch 2.30pm A Return to Cóir Anmann: its Etymologies, its Date and the Book of Lecan Text - Sharon Arbuthnot 3.15pm The Book of Lecan's Secular Genealogies (especially those of Connacht) - Nollaig Ó Muraíle 4.00 pm “A Splendid Family Heirloom”: Manuscript Illumination and the School of Lecan - Karen Ralph

Can you live a minimalist lifestyle in a big house? In this episode of Paring Down, I explore what it really means to live minimally in a large home—and whether buying in bulk actually helps you save money or just adds more clutter. Discover how American home sizes have changed over time, why the “bigger is better” mindset often backfires, and how to practice realistic minimalism and intentional living no matter how much space you have. In this episode, you'll learn:

In this episode of Historical Happy Hour, bestselling author Jane Healey welcomes back Rhys Bowen to discuss her latest novel, Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure. Set in the South of France on the eve of World War II, the book follows Ellie Endicott as she discovers independence, friendship, and courage after being abandoned by her husband. Bowen shares the inspirations behind the novel—from a crumbling Italian villa to her reflections on “invisible women”—and dives into themes of resilience, female friendship, and personal reinvention during tumultuous times. The conversation also explores her research process, writing routines, and the challenges and joys of balancing hope with historical truth.

In 1941, Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams was the last hitter to bat over .400 in a season. What was his batting average? Play. Share. Listen with the Host of the Gaines for Girls podcast and former NCAA swimmer, Riley Gaines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Ware sees more highs ahead, and if there's a pullback, he calls it a buying opportunity. He describes the “Splendid Six,” which is basically the Mag 7 minus Tesla (TSLA). He thinks TSLA's valuation doesn't fit with the other megacaps. In addition, he also likes names like Oracle (ORCL), Starbucks (SBUX), TJX (TJX) and Uber (UBER). Of the Splendid Six, his favorite is Amazon (AMZN).======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – / schwabnetwork Follow us on Facebook – / schwabnetwork Follow us on LinkedIn - / schwab-network About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

What is the fascination that we have with seductive avatars of oblivion? Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams indoctrinated the adolescent me to the possibilities of the Succubus, and became my tween age, gothic sex symbol; the painting by Pre-Raphaeite John Millet:  Ophelia (who floats beautifully in the river) hung on my dorm wall for years.  Today, Double Trouble features a couple of ice queens who inspire detached sexual delirium, one contemporary, and one long gone, but still as magnetic as when she walked the earth: the enigmatic Lana Del Rey and Andy Warhol's muse - Nico (nee Christa Paffgen). LANA DEL REYWhen Lana Del Rey sings “We were born to die,” you know she's not fooling around. Her voice might be studiously without affect, but you can sense some psychic turmoil underneath. And when she purrs, “you like your girls insane,” she is obviously speaking from experience. Her Greta Garbo air of mystery smolders like an ember that could reignite and singe you at any moment. Of course, LDR is vastly more multi-dimensional as an artist than simply existing as a blank canvas on which to project our emo fantasies. Her later work, such as her fifth album, the widely acclaimed “Norman Fucking Rockwell” has generous reserves of humor, complexity, and intelligence to ponder and appreciate.  And, her recent marriage hints at even further explorations of domestic bliss. So maybe our gothic goddess will be embracing life going forward.NICOSpeaking of blank canvasses on which we can project our fantasies - Nico, the fashion model, turned Chanteuse, was the ultimate receptive surface.  She wasn't even a singer at first, veering off key as she often did, but her voice with its hypnotic, Germanic drone had its undeniable charms. And, Andy Warhol knew the socko glamor that he was wielding when he saddled the Velvet Underground with her, making her their front person. Who knows if the group, as brilliant as they were, would have garnered any attention initially if it wasn't for Warhol's 1960s answer to Marlene Dietrich. Nico struggled with heroin addiction and died tragically young in a senseless bicycle accident, but before she left us she created, (with the help of Velvet's veteran John Cale as producer) some unforgettable mantras. Frozen Warnings is one of the most compelling - It's harmonium and droning viola conjure the sense of tip-toeing across a frozen lake and feeling the ice cracking under your feet as you try to reach the glaciated siren.

Whether you're an adventure junkie or totally risk-averse, this episode is a fun and motivating listen because it highlights how living with fewer possessions can help you live a more fulfilling life. I chat with Shannon and Gerry Arner of the popular podcast and blog, Arner Adventures, about how their decision to pare down what they own opened the door to more adventure—both in everyday life and beyond. We cover: • How adventure affects our relationships • What happens when a leap of faith goes wrong • The amazing adventures we'd never do again — but are still grateful we said yes to, just once. Tune in for a heartfelt and inspiring conversation about finding joy, connection, and adventure when you clear out the clutter—inside and out. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ARNER ADVENTURES Instagram: @arneradventures Website: www.arneradventures.com PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At risk of seeming sexist, it must be noted that the two prodigies of the bass featured here are female, and perhaps that, in some sense, informs their approach to their artistry.  Listening to BC by Tal Wilkenfeld, and Esparanza Spalding's Vague Suspicions, one cannot help but appreciate both the technical precision, and the soulfulness of their musical expression. The bass rarely takes the lead in an ensemble - they are usually responsible for holding down the bottom with the drums. However, occasionally, the bassist will step forward into the limelight - Charlie Mingus and Jaco Pastorius come to mind - and, this inversion can lead to some amazing revelations. ESPERANZA SPALDINGI was inspired to read that Esperanza Spalding had been afflicted with Juvenile idiopathic Arthritis as a child. That this was to be the launching pad for a career as master of one of the most physically demanding instruments imaginable - the upright bass -, puts me in awe.  (She also plays the violin, guitar, piano and the oboe). Having the ears and instincts of a prodigy, she was given a full scholarship to the Berkelee School of Music, where she was also granted an honorary doctorate and professorship at age 20.By the way: let's not neglect to mention her singing, which is miraculous, lifting easily from conversational mode to a soaring airiness, there are unmistakeable echoes of Billie and Ella.  Besides all this, she's on a mission to make jazz more mainstream - attested by the title of the album Radio Music Society, from which this track derives. If anyone can accomplish this feat, it's this Grammy Award winner. TAL WILKENFELDI first became aware of Tal Wilkenfeld when I saw Jeff Beck play A Day in the Life at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies. There was Beck, looking relaxed and dashing - delicately maneuvering his whammy bar… and to his left stood what looked like a street urchin with wild ringlets, following his every nuance, note for note, wielding a massive Fender bass, which was as big as she was. It was alchemy. Later, I watched the Live at Ronnie Scott's video where you could really see the two magicians extended celebration. She was around 20 at the time, possessed of a preternatural talent, and sidekick to one of the greatest guitarists who ever lived. Since then, the master has left this realm, and the apprentice has stepped forward to become her own front person - living in Nashville, playing with her band, and her calendar is filled with multiple special appearances and collaborations. And, to top it all, she's jolly. Her sense of humor is obvious, partnering with comedians, Marc Maron, Spinal Tap, and Jeff Ross on their projects. 

Episode Notes Audubon Area Community Services has been an invaluable asset to many in need over the years . . .yet far too few of us are knowledgeable about their program offerings. For this reason, I'm giving Audubon a long-overdue "Notable Nonprofit" spotlight! It's with great pleasure that I present Heather Yeiser, who serves as Audubon's Director of Employment Services. Join her as she explains how she found a home at Audubon, and describes the honorable mission of the organization. She also fills us in on Audubon's upcoming Veterans Resource Fair, its RSVP Program matching seniors with volunteer opportunities in their communities, and its Senior Companion Program connecting patrons with partners who assist them with various day-to-day tasks. Heather most certainly has a heart for helping . . .so, feel free to email her with any questions you may have regarding our conversation at hyeiser@audubon-area.com. And, don't forget to visit the website linked here for even more insight on the remarkable work of Audubon Area Community Services: https://www.audubon-area.com/. Find out more at https://blabbin-in-the-bluegrassblabbi.pinecast.co

Getting a little personal this week. Living with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)—or ANY chemical imbalance, hormonal sensitivity, or particularly difficult season of life—can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to keeping up with your home. In this episode, I'm sharing practical ways to manage your space while living with a recurring shift in your energy and emotional bandwidth. You'll learn: What PMDD is and how it impacts my daily life 5 simple strategies to declutter and tidy your home even during tough PMDD days Mindset shifts that help you give yourself grace while still making progress If you've ever felt like your home gets out of control during your PMDD cycle (or another challenging state), this episode is for you. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Ep 71: How Growing Up in a Cult Made Me More Intentional Ep 102: Creating Systems to Be Productive Toward What Matters with Chelsi Jo Ep 94: Practical Advice for Living Intentionally with 7x NYT Bestselling Author, Gretchen Rubin Ep 78: Addressing the Mental Load of Clutter with Dr. Morgan Cutlip Happier Podcast by Gretchen Rubin The Moth Podcast (live true-story storytelling) Modern Love Podcast Little Green Machine ⁠ PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you to everyone who has listened and watched the Splendid Sports Cards Podcast. Please head over to:Follow Sports Card Clubhouse on SpotifyFollow Sports Card Clubhouse on Apple PodcastsUse promo code SPLENDID for 10% off your entire order at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zion Cases⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Splendid Sports on Instagram

DT: STRING THEORY / TELEVISION AND KALEIDOSCOPEThe guitar as we know it has had an illustrious evolution, starting its journey in ancient Mesopotamia, then finding its earliest recognizable incarnation 5 centuries ago in Spain, and continuing to move through various cultures until blossoming into its electric manifestation in the modern era. It was the magic wand to the baby boom generation - suddenly, everybody had to have one to express themselves, along with a garage band with whom to practice their 3 chord fantasies. Then, there were the transcendental wizards who blazed trails of such sonic originality that the instrument's sound never got boring. Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, to name a couple. Most of them were firmly rooted in the blues form. Today we feature two bands (Television and Kaleidoscope) whose unique recorded output, though small, blew minds with their sublime, far-reaching soundscapes - reaching deeply into themselves, and searching widely for other cultural inspirations to make original music no 60s/70s rocker teens had even heard before. KALEIDOSCOPEDavid Lindley merged his folk cred with Solomon Feldhouse who brought a middle eastern sensibility to the mix, and they struck world-fusion-rock gold. Lindley started off as a banjo picker, but could play anything with strings, and Feldhouse, a Flamenco artist who had grown up in Turkey, was giggling as an accompanist for belly dancers. Theirs was an unlikely,  but unimpeachable partnership.In this cut from their 1967 debut album, Side Trips, the boys take us on a magical mystery tour through the sanctum of the Egyptian Gardens, where Oud riffs twirl madly through the perfumed air, and scantily clad dancers hypnotize us with their charms. TELEVISIONPunk music was completely democratic. It was said that you didn't have to have chops to play; all you needed was passion. Not so with Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd's band Television. Their debut album, 1977's Marquee Moon immediately splintered that myth. The two virtuoso guitarist's method of meshing their sound together threw down the gauntlet to any aspiring duelists, and their achievement remains unparalleled, and unchallenged. It was an intellectual approach heretofore unseen in CBGBs, and the other dives of the lower east side. There was a jazz-like, improvisational element at work, and in the record's eponymous cut, Marquee Moon, you can hear Verlaine and Lloyd spur each other on to increasingly ecstatic heights. 

DT: STAYING HYDRATED WITH MARTY ROBBINS AND REV. AL GREENH2O - we can't live without it. As the temperatures rise, physically and spiritually, you better keep plenty of the life giving elixir handy. The human body contains over 50% of the stuff, the earth- about 70 percent. It's all around; within and without us. From the book of symbols: “River is vital fluidity: the rivers move through both the upper world and the lower world, over ground and underground, inside and outside: rivers of fertility and prosperity, rivers of forgetting, rivers of binding oath, rivers of commerce, rivers of blood and rivers of water, rivers of rebirth, rivers of death, rivers of sorrow…”Two streams of much needed refreshment will be  delivered by Marty Robbins and the Rev. Al Green today; dip in and be baptized.MARTY ROBBINS  / COOL WATERCool Water had been around for about 20 years when Marty Robbins included the song in his 1959 album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, which also featured the hit “El Paso”. It was written by Bob Nolan, founding member of The Sons of the Pioneers, and had been covered many many times. But, nestled here, among the other songs that comprise this formidable concept album, it takes on a mythic resonance. As Marty urges his parched mule, Dan forward through the unending desert,  his emotion choked voice cries out for an oasis of redemption. REVEREND AL GREEN / TAKE ME TO THE RIVERThe Reverend Al Green became fully ordained in 1976, two years after he wrote and recorded this soul classic. In 1974, with the assistance of production wizard Willie Mitchell, he created this toe tapping ode to spirituality and lust.  Al must have had an premonition of the rebirth that was about to occur, because'74 was also the year that his peccadillos came home to roost: when he was scalded by hot grits, wielded by suicidal, ex-lover, Mary Woodson.And, this cut contains both the sacred and the profane in equal measure - not explicitly, but in the hip chugging funk juxtaposed with the call for baptismal relief.  Rock n Roll has been called “The Devil's Music:” Al may have strayed, but has since devoted himself to the gospel of rehabilitation.

What would life look like if you didn't have to decide what's for dinner? If you had a communication system that actually worked with your spouse? If you weren't trying to squeeze in work and family at the same time? Today's episode with Chelsi Jo from Systemize Your Life is a game-changer. You'll look at your life completely differently and wonder, how can I be more intentional so that I actually feel good about how I've spent my time at the end of each day? Decluttering our schedules and systems is just as important as decluttering our belongings—in fact, they often go hand in hand. I hope you enjoy this conversation! Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CHELSI JO Instagram: @chelsijo.co Fundamental Needs System System quiz Time Blocking Workbook Systemize Your Life Podcast Website: chelsijo.co PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ANCHORS AWEIGH!This episode comes from diary entries written from March to August, 2018 - and, involve labyrinthian efforts to get my nephew into the Navy.  My dreams were plentiful and disturbing, but nothing compared to the bureaucratic nightmares that lay before us.  Enjoy!

Dan  @DansVintageBaseballPC  Mike  @BaseballCollector  and Graig  @MidLifeCards  engage in a spirited discussion about PSA's changed grading standards and how it affects many aspects of the hobby, including the viability of the PSA Set Registry.--Link To YouTube Episode--Use promo code SPLENDID for 10% off your entire order at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zion Cases⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.--⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Splendid Sports on Instagram

I hope this episode feels like a warm hug—the embodiment of sweatshirt weather—inviting you to shed clutter from a place of romanticism, not panic. Fall is a natural invitation to slow down, reset, and create a home that supports rest and connection. Today, you'll learn how to create space for warmth, peace, and simplicity by taking cues from the changes in nature during the autumn season. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: ⁠Ep 7: Making Holiday Decor Meaningful⁠ ⁠Chatbooks for family yearbooks⁠ PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interesting eBay store. What's going on at Fanatics Collect? And having some fun  @CardLadder Use promo code SPLENDID for 10% off your entire order at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zion Cases⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://zioncases.com/?ref=splendid⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Splendid Sports on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/splendidsports/

You know how you just meet someone and you think, "oh. my. gosh! This human is totally RAD? (an homage to our Gen-X peeps out there), well, that's what happened when I got onto Zoom with Elizabeth, and it was such a bummer that our online convo had to end! (but we've all got lives don't we? Well, at least you do!) Elizabeth is SPLENDID! She's an Author, an Integrative Medicine Practitioner, THE Fermentation Maven, as well as an Acupuncturist and finally, Urban Homesteader! Whew! She tells the entire story on the pod, of how she sort of stumbled and then more intentionally, created a life in her small garden, and is feeding herself and fermenting delicious veggies, and in general, trying to help us all eat better and be better! To check out her website click here! To check out her fab book, The Homesteader Mindset, click here! YOU KNOW WE LOVE RATINGS AND REVIEWS SO BE A DEAR AND DO ONE OR THE OTHER, OR BETTER YET, DO BOTH PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Your bit of beauty is on tap here, a TEDtalk called "Let Your Garden Grow Wild" by Rebecca McMackin, who urges us all to let our gardens get all wild and woolly. Because guess what? It's good for every little think that calls our gardens home!

You know how you just meet someone and you think, "oh. my. gosh! This human is totally RAD? (an homage to our Gen-X peeps out there), well, that's what happened when I got onto Zoom with Elizabeth, and it was such a bummer that our online convo had to end! (but we've all got lives don't we? Well, at least you do!) Elizabeth is SPLENDID! She's an Author, an Integrative Medicine Practitioner, THE Fermentation Maven, as well as an Acupuncturist and finally, Urban Homesteader! Whew! She tells the entire story on the pod, of how she sort of stumbled and then more intentionally, created a life in her small garden, and is feeding herself and fermenting delicious veggies, and in general, trying to help us all eat better and be better! To check out her website click here! To check out her fab book, The Homesteader Mindset, click here! YOU KNOW WE LOVE RATINGS AND REVIEWS SO BE A DEAR AND DO ONE OR THE OTHER, OR BETTER YET, DO BOTH PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Your bit of beauty is on tap here, a TEDtalk called "Let Your Garden Grow Wild" by Rebecca McMackin, who urges us all to let our gardens get all wild and woolly. Because guess what? It's good for every little think that calls our gardens home!

Long ago and far away, around 1970, there was a smoldering rage that permeated through every strata of American society. Following a flurry of assassinations in the mid sixties, the Manson murders in ‘69, riots in Detroit, the Motor City in '67, and in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic Convention, at Kent State in ‘70 with the murder of four protesting students - it seemed that the whole fabric of society was coming apart due to the country being mired in the Viet Nam war and the never ending specter of racism.  Step up to the mic Gil Scott-Heron and the MC5. In “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” Mr. Scott-Heron, in a performance that has earned him the title “The Godfather of Rap” in some quarters - eviscerates those couch potatoes who are watching it all unfold on tv, and that expect things to right themselves between commercial interruptions. And he does it with jazzy flair that made the absurdity of the whole situation crystal clear.. And, then there was the  Motor City 5, those scruffy provocateurs whose manager, John Sinclair was jailed for two joints, who fought the good fight the only way they knew how: by “Kicking out the Jams, Motherfucker!”GIL SCOTT-HERONScott-Heron's combination of spoken word poetry with soul-jazz is a style which has made him influential throughout the decades. So much so that he was inducted as an influence in the Rock and roll Hall of Fame. In “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” he melds the two strains  - one melodic, one verbal - together to deliver an unassailable message: there will be no change without intentional activism. It's word play may be humorous, but it's deadly serious. Now we have the internet and social media and people are less inclined to believe what they see, or even commit to any action because their attention is being relentlessly consumed. In 1970, despite the horrendous condition of the political scene, Gil Scott-Heron still believed that societal change was possible.MC5The same optimism resounds in Kick out the Jams by the MC5. These were kids who saw the wrong headed direction of their government, and tried, by assuming the outlaw stance of revolutionaries, to influence the youth. However, the enterprise was hobbled from the start by drugs, their association with White Panther Party founder, John Sinclair, - and, the radio censorship by their label of their most famous song because of the introduction's unacceptable word “motherfucker!” They were a great live band of proto-punks, home-town heroes in Detroit, who never achieved the national prominence they deserved. It's not the lyrics of Kick out the jams that are dangerous - it's the exuberant energy of the offending word - that, ironically, created history.

We made it to 100 episodes of Paring Down! For this milestone, I wanted a super practical episode that will change your life. So I sat down with the incredible Tech Whisperer, Amanda Jefferson, to talk about simple, life-changing hacks that help you make technology your personal assistant (instead of your enemy). *No apps mentioned in this episode are sponsored. But we get to the nitty gritty with exact app names, specific Alexa features, and even which buttons to push on certain set ups. In this episode, we cover how tech can assist with: • family shared calendars • grocery lists • meal planning • travel itineraries • time blocking • password managing • email reminders • maintaining habits • decluttering photos on your phone This conversation will make you wonder how you ever lived without these hacks! Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AMANDA JEFFERSON Instagram: @hey.amandaj Website: indigoorganizing.com APPS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Calendly (for scheduling appointments) Motion (for time management) Reminders Feature for Grocery ListChrome BookmarksTrip It App (for managing travel itineraries) 1Password (for managing passwords)Superhuman (for managing emails) Hello Fresh (Get 10 free meals at this link) Cleaner Kit (for decluttering digital photos) Whats App (for communication) Marco Polo (for communication) SHANNON'S BOOK REVIEWS Fiction Nonfiction 100th EPISODE—FAVORITE EPISODES OF PARING DOWN: 50: The Guilt & Fear of Decluttering Gifts 81: The Art of Making Friends & How it Helps Us Declutter 19: Decluttering as a Couple with my husband, Aaron Leyko 77: What If I End Up Needing What I've Decluttered? 25: Releasing Shame When Decluttering with ADHD with Elena Willitts 94: Practical Advice for Living Intentionally with 7x NYT Bestselling Author Gretchen Rubin 85: Become an Essentialist with NYT Bestselling Author, Greg McKeown 72: Reclaiming the Sacred: Does Money Make Us Happier? with Jeff Golden 48: Decluttering Books as a Book Lover 5: Decluttering Sentimental Items 91: Things that Feel Illegal to Declutter (But Aren't) 45: Determining Your Priorities with Ashli Pollard PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠AquaTru.com⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe HIllA songwriter, itinerant laborer, and union organizer, Joe Hill became famous around the world after a Utah court convicted him of murder. Even before the international campaign to have his conviction reversed, however, Joe Hill was well known in hobo jungles, on picket lines and at workers' rallies as the author of popular labor songs and as an Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) agitator. Thanks in large part to his songs and to his stirring, well-publicized call to his fellow workers on the eve of his execution—"Don't waste time mourning, organize!"—Hill became, and he has remained, the best-known IWW martyr and labor folk hero.Born Joel Hägglund on Oct. 7, 1879, the future "troubadour of discontent" grew up the fourth of six surviving children in a devoutly religious Lutheran family in Gävle, Sweden, where his father, Olaf, worked as a railroad conductor. Both his parents enjoyed music and often led the family in song. As a young man, Hill composed songs about members of his family, attended concerts at the workers' association hall in Gävle and played piano in a local café.In 1887, Hill's father died from an occupational injury and the children were forced to quit school to support themselves. The 9-year-old Hill worked in a rope factory and later as a fireman on a steam-powered crane. Stricken with skin and joint tuberculosis in 1900, Hill moved to Stockholm in search of a cure and worked odd jobs while receiving radiation treatment and enduring a series of disfiguring operations on his face and neck. Two years later, Hill's mother, Margareta Katarina Hägglund, died after also undergoing a series of operations to cure a persistent back ailment. With her death, the six surviving Hägglund children sold the family home and ventured out on their own. Four of them settled elsewhere in Sweden, but the future Joe Hill and his younger brother, Paul, booked passage to the United States in 1902.Little is known of Hill's doings or whereabouts for the next 12 years. He reportedly worked at various odd jobs in New York before striking out for Chicago, where he worked in a machine shop, got fired and was blacklisted for trying to organize a union. The record finds him in Cleveland in 1905, in San Francisco during the April 1906 Great Earthquake and in San Pedro, Calif., in 1910. There he joined the IWW, served for several years as the secretary for the San Pedro local and wrote many of his most famous songs, including "The Preacher and the Slave" and "Casey Jones—A Union Scab." His songs, appearing in the IWW's "Little Red Song Book," addressed the experience of virtually every major IWW group, from immigrant factory workers to homeless migratory workers to railway shopcraft workers.In 1911, he was in Tijuana, Mexico, part of an army of several hundred wandering hoboes and radicals who sought to overthrow the Mexican dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, seize Baja California, emancipate the working class and declare industrial freedom. (The invasion lasted six months before internal dissension and a large detachment of better-trained Mexican troops drove the last 100 rebels back across the border.) In 1912, Hill apparently was active in a "Free Speech" coalition of Wobblies, socialists, single taxers, suffragists and AFL members in San Diego that protested a police decision to close the downtown area to street meetings. He also put in an appearance at a railroad construction crew strike in British Columbia, writing several songs before returning to San Pedro, where he lent musical support to a strike of Italian dockworkers.The San Pedro dockworkers' strike led to Hill's first recorded encounter with the police, who arrested him in June 1913 and held him for 30 days on a charge of vagrancy because, he said later, he was "a little too active to suit the chief of the burg" during the strike.

Preview: Interstellar. Colleague Bob Zimmerman comments on the splendid results of Comet 3I/Atlas. More later.

Has decluttering has become more overwhelming than freeing? You're not alone. In this episode of Paring Down, I share how to reset when your'e completely burned out. I hit some major burnout of my own this week, so hopefully the examples from my own life will give you fresh ideas to move forward. Inside this episode, you'll hear: Why decluttering burnout happens (and why it doesn't mean you've failed) A mix of practical strategies and mindset shifts to keep you from throwing in the towel The difference between intentional rest vs. taking a break  And plenty more. When you finish listening, I hope you're ready to make progress with decluttering that doesn't feel like a slog. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: FREE TICKET to the Get Organized HQ Virtual Summit⁠ My Daughter Needs Me⁠ The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Substack Ep 89: The Key to Staying Motivated to Declutter Ep 97: Harnessing the Scientific Power of Enthusiasm Ep 77: What If I End Up Needing What I've Decluttered? PARING DOWN RESOURCES: The L.E.S.S. Express weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Free 10 Life-Changing Decluttering Hacks ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to⁠ AquaTru.com⁠ and use promo code PARING $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠AquaTru.com⁠ and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 15% off all Lume products like aluminum-free deodorant at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lumedeodorant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING Only $1.99 per meal with EveryPlate meal service - code paring199: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.everyplate.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If your house feels like it's working against you—or you can't seem to keep the clutter from coming back—this episode is for you. After her divorce, today's guest Mia Danielle realized she needed to create a home that supported her, somewhat like a partner in life. That transition sparked her journey into minimalism and intentional living, where she began designing a home that worked for her, not against her. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How to create a home that supports your wants, needs, and lifestyle Why traditional decluttering often fails and leads to the clutter cycle Mia's holistic approach to decluttering and minimalism Small but powerful shifts to make your home feel like a supporter, not a stressor Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MIA DANIELLE Instagram: ⁠@itsmiadanielle YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MiaDanielle Website: ⁠miadanielle.com⁠ Resources: miadanielle.com/freebies PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to AquaTru.com and use promo code PARING $15/month 5G wireless with Mint Mobile: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mintmobile.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 20% off chic, soft closet staples from Splendid:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://splendid.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING at checkout For Hers Hair Growth: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.forhers.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 15% off all Lume products like aluminum-free deodorant at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lumedeodorant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- use code PARING Only $1.99 per meal with EveryPlate meal service - code paring199: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.everyplate.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[Première diffusion le 8 octobre 2024] L'acteur Michel Blanc est décédé dans la nuit du jeudi 3 au vendredi 4 octobre 2024. Sa disparition brutale à seulement 72 ans est survenue des suites d'un malaise cardiaque provoqué par une réaction allergique. Depuis, les hommages s'enchaînent et mettent en lumière le parcours d'un acteur aux multiples talents. Retour sur sa carrière, de sa rencontre sur les bancs du lycée avec les futurs membres de la troupe du Splendid (Thierry Lhermitte, Gérard Jugnot et Christian Clavier), au cinéma d'auteur qui finit par le bouder après le succès populaire des Bronzés. Cet épisode de Code source est raconté par Catherine Balle et Yves Jaeglé journalistes au service culture du Parisien.Crédits. Direction de la rédaction : Pierre Chausse - Rédacteur en chef : Jules Lavie - Production : Clara Garnier-Amouroux, Thibault Lambert et Clémentine Spiler - Réalisation et mixage : Julien Montcouquiol - Musiques : François Clos, Audio Network. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

#857. He Drove Up in a Cupcake and Drove Off with Our Hearts! Kaitlyn is joined by the one and only Chris “Cupcake” Strandburg for a trip down memory lane through her entire season of The Bachelorette. From being the first kiss on night one to reminiscing on group dates in Ireland, Chris shares the wildest behind-the-scenes stories — including how he landed the iconic cupcake-mobile (yes, it involves Burning Man), hilarious moments from the Aladdin group date, and how Kaitlyn rode off into the sunset in two helicopters… while he took a three-hour bus ride back. He spills on Amy Schumer, almost being cast on Andi Dorfman's season, and even shows up with actual Bachelor memorabilia!! Nostalgic, hilarious, and unexpectedly sweet — this reunion is one for the books.If you're LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE!Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these deals!Quince: Go to QUINCE.com/vine to get free shipping and 365-day returns.Apartments.com: The Place to find a place! Better Help: This episode is brought to you by Better Help. Off The Vine listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/VINE.Splendid: Right now, Splendid is offering our listeners 20% off when you go to Splendid.com and use promo code VINE at checkout or when you shop at Splendid in stores.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: (9:16) Chris reveals he was originally cast for Andi Dorfman's season — and why he turned it down.(12:38) The full story behind the cupcake entrance that made Bachelor Nation fall in love.(23:09) Wait… WHO did Chris meet before filming? The wild “don't steal my girl” moment with a future castmate.(41:12) Behind the scenes of the Aladdin Broadway group date!(58:41) Cupcake comes bearing memories: a dried-up rose, a mini cupcake replica, and an actual tabloid cover.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#853. Ben Zorn is back as Kaitlyn continues her 10-year Bachelorette reunion series—yes, the guy from the escape room one-on-one! He shares what it was really like getting cast at the last minute, the story behind giving Jared a black eye, and how he ended up with the “dog guy” edit on Paradise.Ben reflects on what he wishes viewers saw, whether he's finally cried since his tear-free confession, and how life has changed since reality TV—complete with a wife, two kids, and way less Bachelor buzz these days. Tune in NOW!If you're LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE!Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these deals!Booking.com For the bookings you've dreamed of, list your property on Booking.com!Apartments.com: The Place to find a place! Splendid: Right now, Splendid is offering our listeners 20% off when you go to Splendid.com and use promo code VINE at checkout or when you shop at Splendid in stores.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: (6:11) How a last-minute casting twist landed Ben on Kaitlyn's season just days before filming(9:37) Ben reveals he can't cry—and why that's more literal than you'd expect(14:00) The truth behind giving Jared a black eye during the boxing group date(20:40) Reliving their escape room date—Kaitlyn's bird phobia vs. Ben's fear of snakes(26:15) What really happened on Paradise—and how his dog storyline took over the edit(27:55) Life 10 years later: reconnecting with his now-wife, becoming a dad, and where he's at now!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode, Heather is back in the Atlanta studio after a very stressful and eventful week. Definitely feels like she can't get her neck above water and brings you along her insane days. She relives her experience at the emergency vet that could rival The Pitt, getting her pap on her anniversary, and receiving a very special gift that may be light at the end of a very long tunnel. She then takes voicemails about how the rest of the world is also on on fire and one caller's decision to move to the USA.Episode Sponsors:Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/ABSOLUTELYNOT you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.Get 15% off your first order of $100 or more at hillhousehome.com with code ABSOLUTELY15.To find out what all the hype is about for yourself, go to cakesbody.com. You can even use code ABSOLUTEY for 20% off your first order this summer.Go to cokeurl.com/simplyPOP to find out where you can try Simply Pop!Right now, Splendid is offering our listeners 20% off when you go to Splendid.com and use promo code absolutely at checkout or when you shop at Splendid in stores.Head to BranchBasics.com to shop their Premium Starter Kit and save 15% off with code ABSOLUTELY at BranchBasics.com.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.