Podcasts about Utopia

This week, we're sharing two segments: a chat with Palestinian writer and assistant professor Abdaljawad Omar and a segment of the October 2025 B(A)D News with network participants discussing thinking through resisting the rise of fascism. Assessing The Israeli Ceasefire First up, an interview with Abdaljawad Omar, a writer, analyst and an Assistant Professor at Birzeit University in Bethlehem in the West Bank in Palestine. For the hour we speak about the status of the ceasefire, the continued killing by the Israeli state and the lack of significant humanitarian supplies of food and medicine in Gaza, ongoing violence in the West Bank and settlement expansion and settler impunity, representation of Palestinian resistance in Western media and meaningful solidarity from abroad. Mr Omar's writing is frequently featured on Mondoweiss and the newly launched Equator Journal and other journals listed in our show notes. He can be found on X and Bluesky and has a couple of books due out in the near future. Appearances in: Mondoweiss Communis Magazine Ebb Magazine Electronic Intifada Al-Shabaka Millennails Are Killing Capitalism Truthout Equator other texts, thanks to Analu Lopez an essay by the title of one of his upcoming books on RustedRadishes Playing Out Resistance The next segment was recorded at the annual A-Radio Network gathering that happened in Freiberg, Germany, by participants in the network in attendance. For this segment, you'll hear people discuss a workshop they participated in about thinking through preparation for rising authoritarianism, keeping safe while preparing for social revolution. Feel free to reach out to projects on the participants page for the A-Radio Network website (we suggest you first try A-Radio Berlin as they're quite good at answering their email) if you would like the materials used in the workshop to host one with your community. . ... . .. Featured Track: Mapa by Murcof from Utopia

For a brief moment in time, the Democrats were humiliated in defeat. November of 2024 was the body blow necessary to end the war on Trump. They lost. Trump won, and that was that.They never absorbed that loss, however, except in the way that it made them meaner, angrier, and more willing to blow through norms and abandon what remained of their humanity to chase victory by any means necessary. That would include spending hundreds of millions on Prop 50. It would include celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk and fantasizing about Trump's imminent death.It would be about sacrificing being “good people doing good things” to “stop fascism.” And somewhere in there, they took a dark turn. I watched it. I wrote about it. I warned about it. I could see it in their attacks on Tesla and their destruction of Elon Musk in an attempt to kill him and his business.I could see them at the No Kings rally, angry and motivated. Their desperation to find a Joe Rogan or compete with the memes on the Right failing at every turn. They looked to me like the monster in The Thing that could imitate but could never be what they thought won Trump the election.Their men are attempting to appear more masculine. Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker have no problem fomenting insurrection against the government, and the newly elected Mayor of New York just taunted Trump to “turn up the volume.”The women bask in it and pretend they're still feminists when all they wanted all along was to be rescued by men, and here we are again. It's funny. But not so funny.To them, all is justified in the name of “saving democracy.” But that's never been what any of this has been about. They are totalitarians at heart, and they are prepared to sacrifice almost everything - friends, families, marriages, whole industries of culture and education - to attain it absolutely.Utopias only have two potential paths. They become totalitarian, like the Soviet Union, like China, or they collapse. What you sacrifice in chasing utopia is personal freedom, art, journalism, comedy, and common ground with those who disagree with you. A totalitarian system wants it all and is prepared to take it if it isn't given willingly.They were already halfway there before Zohran Mamdani became the new leader of the new Left. Matt Taibbi calls this the end of the Democratic Party, and he's right. Totalitarianism will mean giving up even that. It's all for one and one for all, and those who aren't on board will be left behind.Here is Ben Shapiro:For now, they are holding their not-famous, bland, cookie-cutter centrists —like those who won in Virginia and New Jersey —whose names and faces no one remembers, close enough to not scare people away. They're centrists in name only. The new socialist wave will obliterate them, and if they don't realize that yet, they soon will.This came through my mail, even though I was never put on any list, and I have no idea how it arrived after five years of trying to leave the Democratic Party.Does the Right have anything like that? Are they in any way prepared to go up against people this fired up? No. They aren't. They have Scott Pressler, and they had Charlie Kirk, and everyone else seems to be invested in building their platforms for clicks and views, not for votes. MAGA is on the ropes.The heart of a totalitarian is that all things are necessary to achieve the singular goal of absolute power and dominance for the cause. The cause is usually a Marxist-like government system, but it doesn't have to be. It can be fascist, too. But even that has its roots in socialism because in totalitarianism, there is no power for the individual against the state.Over at the Free Press, Olivia Reingold looked deeper into the DSA:…The Free Press reviewed thousands of pages of internal Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) documents, which show that the organization's leaders view Mamdani as a tool in their agenda to abolish prisons and borders, and ultimately end in what they call the “barbaric order of capitalism.” The DSA, founded in 1982, is a political body dedicated to the doctrine of democratic socialism, which is a variety of socialism that simply specifies how it would like revolution to occur: peacefully, through the subversion of democracy. Mamdani, a dues-paying DSA member since 2017, is the tip of that spear.The Democrat machine cultivated “cancel culture” and used it as a method of societal control. No one would dare say anything that would get them banished from Utopia, except those of us who did and were. That form of policing was straight out of the Cultural Revolution, or Stalin's Komsomol or Hitler's Youth.In our bubble of the Left, we required no military because the system we built made it possible to destroy people with a single accusation. Over time, our hearts and minds had to be captured or suppressed. If you could not go along with it, and I couldn't, you were out.For a society that had migrated to the virtual frontier, that didn't mean you were sent to a gulag or killed, but it did mean you could lose everything and have to rebuild. Not the end of the world, but still, imagine a system like that attaining absolute power because MAGA dropped the ball?That totalitarian practice of punishing thought crimes and dissent spread to government when Joe Biden took power, which is why they censored the internet with impunity and would have continued to do it had the richest man in the world not bought Twitter and freed speech, which allowed for a counter movement to rise and win.Joe Biden and his administration, along with the Democrats, thought nothing of indicting Trump on weak charges, raiding Mar-a-Lago to paint him as a criminal. Their dehumanization and rage for him knew no bounds. They wanted him in jail. They wanted him off the ballot. They wanted him out of their government, their culture, and their country. They wanted him dead. And still do.Jay Jones' texts fantasizing about the death of Republicans and their children are not an exception. It's the rule. They openly talk about “when it happens” to Trump and plan to celebrate that day with playlists and dancing in the street. That is where they were mentally before this November 4th, and their blue wave revived the movement. Now, they are winning.You'd think, given that, they would ease up on the ugliness, the dehumanization, and the hate. Think again. These aren't people who want to share this country or even share the same restaurant as Trump and MAGA. You can't lie about a whole group of people like they have, calling them Nazis and racists and bigots, and not have it end as easily as one election. This is, to them, war.Mamdani's speech proved it. It was masks off, and here comes the revolution, and the enemies are the rich, the Capitalists, and the free thinkers. You think cancel culture was bad? Just you wait until they have control of AI, YouTube, Facebook, and all social media platforms, not to mention all of Hollywood, book publishing, universal preschool, and the universities.And what happens when the money runs out? Even now, Mamdani needs money, and he's asking for it to help pay for his transition team. Get used to it, rich people. You are the ones who will fund this production.The policies matter less than their total control of the country they believe belongs to them. But the one person they can't control is Donald Trump, and that's how he's gotten the better of them again and again. They believe this time, they finally got him. They think the time has come to declare victory. I wouldn't be so sure.When you control the corporate press, the universities, the public schools, the culture, you can create any reality you want. That's a totalitarian paradise, and why they've constructed it that way. A Trump win was never in the plan. It took them a while to find just the right narrative to preserve utopia, which was in a state of collapse.All it took was for Trump to focus on tariffs and not the economy, to celebrate a lavish Halloween ball amid a government shutdown, and most of all for voters to get a taste of Republicans ripping away SNAP benefits and rising healthcare costs. So they shut down the government to manufacture a crisis because, of course, they did. It was Defcon 1.Victor Davis Hanson on Emily Jashinsky's After PartyThat handed the Democrats their oppression cosplay, lining up the shot perfectly. How did the GOP not see this coming? They became arrogant and too comfortable with the idea that the Democratic Party had imploded. The only reason they imploded is that they didn't have the right script. Now, they do.The forces at play to destroy MAGA are everywhere. Do you think totalitarians play around? They do not. Now that Tyler Robinson conveniently assassinated Charlie Kirk, the vultures have flown in, and there is division everywhere.Nick Fuentes, boosted by the New York Times, will become the face of MAGA over the next few years. Excusing him, excusing those who interview him, or apologizing for him is a gift handed to the Left on a silver platter like the Epstein Files. Don't say I didn't warn you.The more people try to censor someone like Fuentes, however, the more energy and popularity he will attain. Anger among the public, especially the young, will find its way out and land somewhere. It will be sucked up by the totalitarians on the Left, or the identity-obsessed faction of the Right.Vivek Ramaswamy:Fuentes is popular, and no amount of scolding will change that. Shutting people up will never be the answer, and it won't work anyway in the age of influencers, clicks, and views. Brett Cooper and others will want a piece of that audience. And so they will placate, they will lean in, and they will excuse.But a Fuentes Right plays like a Reichstag Fire for the totalitarians. MAGA will not survive unless they have some beacons of morality, of true virtue, like Charlie Kirk, guiding them.As Konstantin Kisin points out:There is no saving the totalitarians. They already thought Charlie Kirk was as bad. Even now, none of them felt his assassination in any way. They did not tone anything down. They justified their celebrations and are determined to smear his legacy in death. They would watch and laugh if hundreds of Trump supporters were lined up and shot.Totalitarians want all of you. They want your mind, your heart, your devotion, your loyalty, your past, your present, and your future. They want it all, and they will take it all. And if you aren't on board, out you go. The only hope we have is a sane and common-sense alternative, which we have in Donald Trump. Somehow, in this mess, he comes out as the normal one.If Charlie Kirk were here right now, he'd be on the phone with Trump and urging him to address the economic woes that just lost Republicans a landslide election and ask him to say to the people, “I know you're suffering. I hear you. Here is our action plan to bring down costs and boost the economy. Here is our plan for healthcare. Here is why we won't let anyone starve in the richest country in the world.”But Charlie isn't here. Trump is relying on a team of Yes Men who will not pick up the phone and challenge him, like Charlie would have. But someone must.MAGA must have in place right now a mobilized effort to win in 2026, enlisting all influencers who want to help in the effort to beat back the Totalitarians and their massive alignment of power and their army of fired-up zealots.Otherwise, the totalitarians take America back. They'll raise the drawbridge, and that will be that. They will have whole generations in their universal preschool, shaping those minds however they please. Choose your gender, never think for yourself, do as you are told, utopia.If they take control of AI, that's it for free thought in America. None of them realizes it or even thinks about it. The heart of a totalitarian is not to question but to obey.Gen-Z is facing nothing but a depressing future - no home, AI coming to take the jobs, crippling student debt, and a magic man handing them everything they could ever want for free. Except it's not free. It will cost you everything because it will cost you your freedom.It will sound great at first, like those early enthusiastic speeches in Animal Farm. But if and when the money runs out, if and when there isn't enough for everyone, well, then it becomes the stuff of nightmares.America wasn't built for totalitarianism. It was built to be exactly the opposite. Just visit a socialist country, any one of them, and you'll see why. Charlie might be gone, but thousands of others have risen and attempted to fill his shoes, like Benny Johnson announcing this homeownership program for young people:America is always changing, evolving, and recreating itself. People come here to make their dreams come true. A republic, if you can keep it. Godspeed, MAGA. Godspeed.…// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe

R.C Sproul addresses The Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology 1984. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 28 Sandwiches? In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Some masks hide who we are. Others show who we want to be                I could bowl Mercy over with a feather. Rio and I are doing the same social mechanics and come to the same conclusion. There are three reasons to marry a gay guy; 1.      money, 2.      social pressure and 3.      camouflage. Felicity doesn't need the money, so we simply assumed it to be number two. We totally missed the other reason; Felicity is a lesbian. Rio takes it in her slow and easy style. She walks up and puts Felicity in a gentle Mercy, Felicity, Rio sandwich. "I am going to have so much fun breaking you in," Rio whispers affectionately to Felicity. "When you get good at it, I'll let you play with Mercy, she likes to be played with but you have to be firm. Do you like it firm and hard, my most favorite and annoying little Ass-Tramp?" Subtle like a freaking tsunami. Mercy recovers from her shock to nod her head vigorously. "What about Barbie Lynn?" Felicity inquires with velvet hunger. "She's Zane's," Rio informs her. Felicity looks a bit disappointed. "Zane shares her though, so don't expect her to fall in love with you," then leans in and up, "but you'll find out her lips, titties and ass are to die for. Now let's go back to my room and let me show you some things," Rio grins, looks over her shoulder and gives me a wink. Who's room? Barbie Lynn pats my ass then skips after the trio. "We are going to lube up Mercy and try out some of the basics," Rio instructs Felicity. "We'll see what intrigues you then I'll send you home with some toys to practice with and, well, loosen you up a bit. Mercy didn't become fantastic overnight. I had to work on her a lot. See, and the conversation is drowned out by the rest of the students on the floor. No one has batted an eye about Mercy, Rio, and/or Felicity either. Maybe I really am the downfall of the Judeo-Christian tradition after all. Rio is taking responsibility for Mercy. Mercy just stepped out to the World as her true self, a tiny, tiny step anyway. Barbie Lynn is playing Dorm Mother in spades and in a manner way beyond the Handbook's job description. Valarie, Vivian and Iona have gathered together then when Vivian finger-beckons me over. I saunter over to see what's going to go wrong with my life next, and if they have any Tribbles hiding there I'm going to burn the little bastards in the sink. That's not what brings me over. "All the Advocate-candidates have been approached and agreed to serve," Vivian seems amused to inform me. "They want what little ceremony exists to be performed and the Advocates sworn in at 9pm." "Has someone worked on an Oath of Office," I groan. 'To one's self be true', what else can I say? "It seems some of the prelaw students actually had a little contest and they've put something together," Vivian smiles warmly. "It has been downloaded to your phone, it is under Advocate Oath of Office." "Why are you being such a smart ass?" I look her over. "Hasn't my day been bad enough?" "Zane, have you seen your phone log for the past twelve hours?" Vivian asks me. I have been ignoring my phone, in fact. I check it now and I bless those hard working Taiwanese and the huge memory capacity they've put in my global lifeline; otherwise my phone would have melted down hours ago. Fuck, I have phone calls from people I don't even know, who live in, France, Germany, Brazil and Belarus? I rack my mind to remember where Belarus is, blonde-haired, blue eyed Slavic ladies, now I know! The viewing of Star Trek humiliations seem to be universal but at least they don't know my name or face. There is some serious Time Lord Mafia paddling over this one. They've used my damn private phone number. "When do you think you'll talk to Rio," Iona asks cautiously. "I'll take care of that right now, while she's feeling happy and playful," I comfort Iona. "Besides, it could be worse; everyone is looking for a pudgy Sasquatch, not me." The three ladies all stare at me. "Oh fuck," I groan. "Well," Vivian looks away (oh hell), "the footage sort of shows you taking a shower plus your name and phone number." "But your transformation into is a fur-ball is truly precious," Valarie comforts/mocks me. "All my gal-pals out West think you are so cute; Phoenix, one of my Mom's jailbird friends, even used the 'too cute' emoticon and I didn't even think she knew what emoticons were. She sent it to all her buds still in lock-up too." "Great, I'm popular in a women's correctional facility, at least it is in another state," I sigh upward. I pray to God that never becomes relevant. "Hell, I have a housewife in Belarus she wants me as a house pet." "What does she look like?" Valarie seems curious. "How would I know?" I am somewhat offended. Valarie takes my phone but I don't resist too much. She scrolls a bit then hits the number. "Don't call her," I bark. Valarie laughs then hands me my phone back. She shows me the 'entirety' of the girl's message. Nice bikini, or what there is of it and I can't imagine it being too practical that far north. She is divorced, with a one year old son, 22 years old and fresh out of college with a job as a PR specialist for a real estate development firm. She also speaks seven freaking languages, I feel like such an underachiever right now, or male underwear model. Maybe I'll make her a pen pal ~ she's a half a world away. I should be safe. Right now I can't play it safe though; I have to go play with Rio and I know that violates my health insurance under the 'feeding dangerous animals' clause. "Zane," Iona offers to take my phone so I give it to her (why should I distrust her right?). Her delicate little fingers fly across it then she hands it back. "You now have a fifteen minute warning," she is trying to be helpful. "Paige seems to have vanished," I request, "so when you see her, tell her to give us some peace please." The three of the saner women I know give me a nod. I round the final screen and there is my sleeping platform. Barbie Lynn and Felicity are examining a stunning large collection of sexual aids (that my credit card must have paid for), which Rio is sedately explaining to them, sort of what you would expect from a Mary Kay or Avon saleswomen. Mercy is bent over the bed, pushing up her ass by standing on her toes, skirt and panties gone and surreptitiously undoing her blouse buttons when she thinks Rio isn't looking. Mercy even flashes a precious grin my way when she sees me. It is the 'Weeee! I'm about to get fucked' look. While amiably chatting away, Rio puts her hand over one of Felicity's hands and leads it over to Mercy's flank. Felicity puts up a token resistance. "Do that again and it will cost you," Rio purrs. Felicity stares at Rio's feral nature, seeing her truly for the first time then obeys. "Good girl," Rio coos in Felicity's ear. That reminds me what I've forgotten to do today, the air filters. I look around the various wardrobes for some sort of precision tool like a baseball bat, crowbar, sledgehammer, fire axe or chainsaw, I have a cricket bat? What the hell am I doing with a cricket bat? Isn't that the National sport of India; is it even played on this continent? It may be one of a kind; I'll spare it. "Zane!" Rio snaps. Apparently she's been calling my name for a second or two. "Yeah Bro, what do you need?" I answer. I'm not being attacked by someone so she must need something from me. "Felicity is self-conscious about being naked in front of us girls," Rio grins. "Could you pick out a swimsuit for her that is conservative and demur?" In Rio-speak that means three small circle Band-Aids and some dental floss. "What color would you like Felicity?" I ask. She says white; I groan because when you sweat/drip on white it becomes translucent. Maybe she's teasing me. I pick out a Rio-approved set (she has a whole drawer labeled 'Slut Wear' after all), hides it from her until I walk around and hand the 'suit' to Rio. Top lesson: 1.      Rio is in charge. Rio approved approves the look suit then hands it to Felicity. "You expect me to wear this?" Felicity gasps. "That's going to cost you Sweet-cheeks," Rio grins wickedly. "I can't wear this," Felicity stammers. Rio puts a finger to her lips to stop Felicity from saying anything else. "I apologize, Ms. Tolliver," Rio nods, "I think you are in the wrong place. Thank you for the books; good-bye now." Felicity is looking back and forth between Rio, Barbie Lynn, Mercy and me. Barbie Lynn gives Felicity a friendly shrug; I mirror that gesture while Rio takes up a medium lavender dildo, a bottle of lube and pours an expertly delivered thin stream on the tool and Mercy's asshole as if they are one. She's pointedly ignoring Felicity. Felicity is a 'Prom Queen' type and now some jumped-up freshman has dismissed her like she is nothing; I doubt that has ever happened before. On the other hand, Rio is brazenly open with her sexuality and sexual desires; a freedom Felicity has always felt denied her. Felicity almost makes a crucial mistake but I catch her starting to form the words 'I'm sorry' to me but I redirect her with a tilt of my head. "I apologize," Felicity whispers. "Zane, could you take over for me please," Rio says. I step around to her far side and start working my dildo slowly into Mercy's rectum. She wiggles her ass playfully to the intrusion. Rio steps up to Felicity, rises up on her tiptoes and grips Felicity's head firmly but gently. Rio tries to kiss Felicity but I can tell the taller blonde's jaws clench and her body stiffens. "One last chance," Rio insists. She lets the implications sink in then kisses her again. It is a close thing but Felicity finally breaks down and let's Rio's tongue master her tongue, mouth and lips. Felicity moan eradicates a decade of repression and denial and it is with some reluctance that the taller blonde lets the short, darker Rio settle down. Rio presses a finger to Felicity's lips again. "This is going to be the last time I'm nice to you for some time," Rio begins. She stops Felicity from speaking once more. "Zane and I are closer than family, he's number 1 in my book; there is no other. I will call you whatever I want to call you and you will not talk back. My safe words are 'That fucking hurts' or clapping your ankles together if you can't speak." "Mercy is mine; hurt her and I will bury you, my hand to God. Outside of that, I will use you like I want to. I will show you things you've only read about, make you dress in clothes that terrify you, and press you as hard as I can because I care about you Felicity. Are you a virgin?" Rio inquires. "Yes," Felicity moans somewhat frightened. "Your vaginal virginity is yours, your oral and anal virginity are mine," she explains. "When I say come over, don't make excuses, bring your ass to wherever I am. I am going to be hard on you and give you to my friends to play with because it amuses me, clear? Are you okay with this; if you aren't, this is your last chance to back out because I will hunt your ass down after tonight." "I can, I'm okay with this," Felicity says with less trepidation. "Okay Bitch," Rio growls, "Take off your shoes, panties and skirt; pick out the paddle you think you deserve to be spanked with and bed over the bed. That shirt better not be in the way. Oh, you are leaving your bra with me tonight, go home without it. You only wear panties if you have my permission as well." "Yes, Felicity falters. "Call me Rio," she clarifies. "I'm not afraid of who the fuck I am. You've looked down at people like me all your life and now you are going to be as degraded as what you wanted me to go through. Payback is a bitch." "Yes Rio," Felicity confirms softly. "Well, get to it," Rio snaps and swats Felicity's ass. "I want to waste some time on my beautiful, wonderful, annoying slut here," she moved to Mercy, "and her tricky little self has been taking off her clothes without my permission." The slap Rio plants leaves a red handprint on Mercy who exhales contentedly at Rio's attention. "Oh, you've been a naughty little fuck-slut, and you are wetter than the damn river," Rio whispers in Mercy's ear as one hand pumps the vibrator in her ass and the other strokes her wet cunt. Yeah Rio, that's putting the fear of God in Mercy, right. Felicity takes the most-wicked looking paddle available and I've never even seen Rio consider using. "Bro, we have a meeting at 9pm so we need to break it up in about an hour," I give the bad news. "Zane, damn, take over Mercy once more; I trust you with her but I want tears and if you could get her to bite up a ball gag, I'd appreciate it," Rio asks. Mercy has been placated and her position with Rio affirmed. She's a happy little Bottom once more because Rio finds her annoying, which means 'love' when translated into sane people-speak. "Barbie Lynn, warm her up for me," Rio requests of the blonde bombshell as she falls on Felicity's behind's like a Bedouin dying of thirst. I can see Felicity about to turn and plead for Barbie Lynn's attention because she mistakenly believes BLT will be hesitant. Boy, she's in for a surprise. Barbie Lynn's thumbs push the base of Felicity's softly resistant ass up and apart. Barbie Lynn is lapping like a dog at Felicity's cunny alternating flicks of the tongue along the labia and short, rapid intrusions. "What kind of sick masochist are you?" Rio snarls, waving Felicity's chosen paddle before her eyes. "I use this to crush the skulls of rogue water buffaloes; where was I supposed to hit you; on the asses of your ancestors cause that was where you were headed? What the hell was this even doing in my collection anyway?" "Also, what are you doing with your bra still on? I'm going to want those bad boys milked before you escape tonight," Rio grumbled. "You didn't, Felicity starts to protest even as Barbie Lynn twirls her toward orgasm. "Shut up!" Rio hisses. "Barbie Lynn, teach her a lesson." Barbie Lynn frees up one hand long enough to give her one 'moderate' spank. "Where is Paige; I need her nimble, spider-like finger of Evil." I can't seem to spot her so Paige is forced to clear her throat, she has carefully hidden herself behind my, pillow; she's hiding by the simple expedients of being in semi-darkness and being very still. It is so eerie I almost love her, love her. "Jesus H. Christ," Rio jumps. "I'd put bells on you but I'd probably end up with them in my cunt, now that actually, focus Rio!" she chastises herself. "Paige, help me strip my latest toy down and give her nipples a stress test," Rio requests. "Deal, but you need to do me one favor," Paige starts crawling over toward Felicity. "Sure, now get snappy," Rio urges her on as starts to pull Felicity's shirt over the girl's head. "Forgive me for forcing Iona to help me and the Time Lord Mafia," Paige cashes in her favor immediately. It is all the more self-sacrificial in that I suspect Cordelia kept Paige out of the whole plot. "Bitch," Rio seethes at Paige, "if you messed up Iona I'll still find a way to make you pay, I promise you." "You granted me a favor," Paige reminds Rio cautiously. "Zane, do something," Rio pleads. "I've already sworn not to make the responsible parties pay, beyond what Cordelia has already granted me," I grin. "I get Paige's ass whenever I want, how often I want, until the end of October," I add. Paige lowers her head and trembles with fear and anticipation; the 'threat' of anal sex is something Paige and I are working through plus, since Paige fears it, Rio will love the fantasy vision of Paige squirming on my 'meaty pole', see Barbie Lynn's thesaurus. Rio can't get away from Paige fast enough, falling into the narcotic pleasures of Mercy's treasures. Rio is often misunderstood; pain is a daily part of her life brought about by her blatantly aggressive lifestyle and the wraiths of her past. Mercy isn't in any danger; she could hardly be safer at the moment, figuratively speaking. Mercy's ass and cunt are getting a workout to the point I'm afraid that Rio is going to shove that dildo all the way into Mercy's colon and Rio's tongue might end Mercy's 'pesky' virginity by tongue-muscle action alone. Paige shoots me a sad smile before she gets on her back and starts sliding under Felicity. When they are face to face, but running in different directions, Paige and Felicity exchange some wistful kisses. "You are beautiful," Felicity moans down at the pale pink lips and snowy skin of someone who is working both overtime at being my lover and more importantly, a friend to my group of friends. "I know," Paige responds confidently before wiggling her way further under Felicity. Soon she has the first taste most likely anyone has had over of her breasts and nipples. I can tell when Paige draws in the first full gulp of tit because Felicity goes off like a bronco mare with a cougar cub on her back. She is making deep, guttural moans but at least she's not screaming her head off. "Rio, do you want Felicity to taste my tits?" Paige asks. Rio is being petulant. "Rio, if you want I'll never talk to Paige or Iona again because they are both Time Lord Mafia and they all had a part to play in this," I declare. "I know of only one who didn't, and if she's my sole friend with them after this, so be it, but you have to let me fight my own fights alone from time to time and let me decide what counts as a victory." "Fuck the bitches," Rio pops up, much to Mercy's astonishment, "One is more than enough." "Fine, Iona is out Rio. The only one who didn't have a part in this morning was Paige," I tell Rio. "I'll go tell her that you two are done, but I'll have you know she was operating under my orders, sort of. I told her not to go against Cordelia and she did as I asked." Rio seems truly conflicted for the longest time then she drapes herself over Mercy's body. "Honey-hole reach back, take over and keep yourself going or I'll make you feel up each Karate Club member during practice Monday," Rio purrs to her lover. Mercy hastily obeys because I think something about the way the situation playing out intrigues her. Rio shuffles down to Barbie Lynn, Felicity's posterior and Paige's head. "You fucking lied to me you freaky douche," Rio declares venomously at the albino Paige. Paige wisely keeps silent, there is nothing positive she can say. SheRio plants four resounding smacks on Felicity's exposed bottom. Felicity squeals, distracting Rio momentarily. "You'll pay for that, you skank," Rio hisses at Felicity. "Paige, how fucking dare you disappoint me," she growls. "How dare you act above my expectations; you are almost a human being," Rio finishes - as if the term 'human being' is as horrid a term as ATF agent or fashionista. Rio stands up and views her domain. Mercy is going all out though she clearly misses her Top and Felicity is panting herself toward another, more prolonged climax. "Barbie-licious, would you take care of my prize for me; you know what she likes," Rio requests with a hint of her normal madness. "Paige, give her some nipple-age and I'm going to break in Felici-hump's whore-hole." For the English-speaking public that means (I think) that Paige is to open her own shirt, unfasten her front-access bra and lead Felicity's lips to those translucent, succulent breasts I find so tasty. Felicity is clearly in a sexual buzz; otherwise she might spend precious minutes trying to figure out that Rio just declared her intention to introduce Felicity to anal sex of the strap-on variety. "Hey, pansy-boy," Rio mocks me and my reclining majesty, "get over here and give me some of that magic tongue and finger work that will turn her back into a straight." That's just mean. "Please don't make me like men," Felicity stammers. Her eyes are glassy and feverish. Rio smacks both buttocks this time and Felicity squeals louder. "You don't get to talk, you listen," Rio commands. "You are a perfect lover, a lesbian," Rio explains from some teasing twisted core. "We simply sleep with men to control them, but I don't want you sleep with Lance without my permission, is that understood?" Felicity keeps her words within her lips as well as going back to use another one of Paige's nipples for further succor. This is just bizarre, the bi-sexual is demanding/empowering the lesbian to not sleep with her gay fianc , I couldn't write stuff this weird and then avoid rehab. "In fact, Zane has an in with your future Mother-in-law and she'll tell him if she even suspects her baby boy is having sex with a woman," Rio double-pumps her eyebrows at me. Rio doesn't 'know' that I'm having sex with Rochelle Wellington; Felicity's soon to be MIL. We do both know Lance, the fianc , likes playing with other men's cocks. We have the video file to prove it too. "You step out on me and I'll sell you to that sorority next door to Zane's house for a weekend," Rio threatens. Felicity isn't Mercy, she's repressed while Mercy is perverse (by outside standards). Full exposure to the town at large frightens Felicity because she doesn't want deal with the social consequences of being labeled homosexual. Mercy is actually afraid of her sexual proclivities themselves as well as the real physical danger of exposure. Once Felicity finds her own identity her relationship will change, in essence she'll never replace Mercy in Rio's heart. There is never going to be that vulnerability and utter acceptance that those two have. Felicity is going to be fun and in time I think Hudson Lane may be a better match as a companion. Hudson and Felicity are adults where Rio fights adulthood with every breath. Rio's choice in strap-ons is odd to say the least; the only time Rio had shown it to Mercy, Mercy had been afraid, afraid that Rio would waste their time on something so, unimpressive. Until I noticed Mercy's distress that morning I didn't think Rio had something so, (training wheels?) in her arsenal; this was what Rio picked to break Felicity in. No one knows my buddy like I do. Rio is still working Felicity's bunghole over with a sole finger when she leans over the tall slender blonde's back. Rio uses one hand to cord that long hair until it is one thick mass, and then she pulls it back like a corded rein. It isn't until the tip of the dildo nestles into the cusp of Felicity's sphincter that Felicity figures out what's about to happen. "No Rio, please, I don't want this," Felicity panics. "Sssh," Rio coos, "it is going in and I'm going to teach you how." "Rio, I don't," Felicity trembles. "Why?" Rio whispers her question. 'Why is Felicity afraid of this violation' is what Rio is aiming for. They stay there locked and silent. After a minute, Rio picks up her actions. "When I begin to thrust forward, I want you to use your inner muscles to push back," Rio says tenderly. Rio goes forward and Felicity tenses so she stops. "Relax, it won't hurt, only feel funny," Rio assures her. Not always true but, This time things culminate with Felicity gives a sharp gasp followed by a whispered sigh. "Okay," Rio murmurs to her prey, "I am tired of doing all the work. You need to push back now," she continues. "Come back against me you cunt-loving whore." Felicity bucks slightly and shakes her head. "No, no," she pleads at barely above a whisper herself. "It's okay," Rio runs a hand along Felicity's spine. "You can come back later if you like. Your ass is mine but I'll wait for you to give it to me but, no cunt for you to taste or lips upon your cunt until then Felicity. I'll be taking care of Barbie Lynn for you". Rio winks at me, "Or more likely you are leaving her for Zane, man that he is; you know she'll get addicted to that cock eventually." Bang! Felicity looks heart-shot. Felicity starts working Rio's artificial cock down her asshole. Rio looks at me and gives the best 'Home Alone!' face I've ever seen. She's floored that Felicity has been sucked into our mad circus. She then puts both hands on Felicity's hips. "Slow down Felicity, and welcome to the club," Rio grins down at her. Felicity rests for about thirty seconds then Rio spanks each flank. "Giddy-up now; you still have four inches to go." "I thought I could stop," Felicity whined. "You said, "You stopped; I let you stop," Rio sneered, "Now I'm telling you to back your sweet ass up." I'm going to give Rio a Janus mask for Christmas. I'd get her medication for her insanity but I know she'd eventually slip it into my food no matter what. "Come on now Felicity-Sugah," Barbie Lynn joins it. "You always had such a gentle hand training me in Karate. It'd be a crying shame if no other girls got to feel the way you made me feel. You have always been so strong, be strong now." Felicity rotates her head somewhat foal-like and stretches the hair Rio is using as a rein before she pushes back again. This time when Felicity stops Rio slaps her ass lightly. My buddy also grins madly at me and mouths 'I am so going to Hell over this' then giggles. I mouth back 'Right beside you'. Felicity is finally all the way back and resting when Mercy begins to shudder violently. "Holygoddamnfuckingpieceofshit!!!!" Mercy howls into the sheets. Barbie Lynn hammers her bunghole and mangles her clit so much that she repeats the phrase three times in rapid succession and all the time she looks as compassionate as a mother changing a newborn. Felicity takes that inspiration and runs with it. Rio is pulling back with the strap-on when Felicity pushes back hard. Rio pushes her forward and rotates her hips for more of a sensation before snatching up a slender blue paddle that seems more flexible than rigid. She quickly makes good use of it, stinging Felicity's rump and making the ride home for her interesting. Paige starts flicking Felicity's clit but that is more than Felicity can take. Thankfully she releases Paige's right tit before she clamps her teeth and bows her back up and down multiple times as orgasm hits her. Rio has to grip Felicity's hips tightly to not be bucked off and she's loving it. Felicity collapses on Paige but I quickly roll Felicity on her back, Rio's strap-on slides out painlessly, so I can pull Paige to me. Paige and I exchange a heated kiss while Rio unfastens the dildo, lets it fall to the floor. Rio crawls on the bed, hooks a finger into Mercy's collar and forces the exhausted beauty to follow her farther up the bed. Rio reclines against the headboard with Mercy resting her head on her Mistresses stomach, hair cascading over Rio's stomach, crotch, and thigh as well as her own face. Rio is running her hands through her lover's hair with an affection few at the school would believe. Barbie Lynn decides to take her own approach with Felicity. She mentioned experimenting with girls before meeting me on the day I first moved into this dorm, downstairs and a long, long time ago it seems. With the fear that permeated this place, it was probably furtive touches at night in bed with your roommate or a quick grope in the showers. Felicity barely has the time to register Barbie's presence before Barbie Lynn has Felicity's legs up, bent at the knees and cunt full exposed. Barbie doesn't dive in, instead crawling onto Felicity's body until they are face to face. Felicity gets this surprised, I can't believe this is finally coming true' face, the Barbie Lynn's lips are pressing hers. "Hey Honey-Trap," Rio snaps playfully, "what do you think you are doing with my Thing Two?" (Note: Never combine Rio and Doctor Seuss on You Tube; legions of little minds will be forever corrupted) "Give it a rest Rio," Barbie Lynn looks up and grins at my Bud, "Felicity gets a time-out and she gets to have it with me, are we clear?" This is not a fight I'm stepping into and Rio, Mercy and Barbie Lynn know it. Barbie Lynn doesn't ask for much from Rio and is pretty tolerant of her so now that Barbie Lynn is making a stand and, "This is really hard on her," Rio says affectionately. "Take your time." I leave Barbie Lynn and Felicity to play and carry Paige around to the far side of Rio. Paige is coiled around my body so I doubt she could be happier outside of 'bouncy, bouncy'. "What's going on Babe," I whisper to Rio. "What's your game?" "Don't tell anyone because they won't believe you but I've been reading," she tilts her forehead against mine. "I've been reading the diary of an actual dominatrix by the firelight of me burning 'Fifty Shades of Someone Stupid'." "You are right," I snicker, "no one would ever believe you actually read a book." She punches me then Mercy shoots me a weak blow to the ribs. "Hey you," Rio tapped Mercy's nose, "who said you could get in a fight? I think someone is getting hog-tied and ice cubes rubbed up and down their spine." Mercy shivers happily. "Do you want to do anything like that with me," Paige purrs. "I want to sneak into your parent's room and fuck you hard on their bed in every position we can think of," I state calmly, as if I've given it great thought. Paige's dampness streams down onto my left hip and thigh as she shivers in delight. It is all about knowing your partner. This forbidden act knocks her right out of the ballpark. "Are we, you and I, any closer?" Paige murmurs. "You know who has my heart, Paige, but we are closer, if that matters," I tell her. "When did that happen?" Paige smiles up at me. "About fifteen minutes ago," I kiss the tip of her nose. "So I had to lie to a total nut-job to save another friend of yours and risk a beating to take us a step forward, and it wasn't the black leather micro-mini," Paige moans as finds the perfect spots on my chest and lap to settle into. It is a precious few minutes we share, with Rio alternating tender caresses with pinches to the nipples and slaps to the breasts, buttocks and thighs. Mercy makes mewling little sighs in response to both sets of gestures. Felicity has finally rolled Barbie Lynn over and engaging in every less-than-vanilla sexual act she thinks she's missed over the three years she's known, showered with, and competed with my Georgia Honey-box. By the play of Barbie's right hand, the thick, sloppy sound that's emanating from between Felicity's thighs and Felicity's shortness of breath, Barbie Lynn is driving her former classmate made with lust. "Bro, can I turn Mercy into an ice cream dispenser? Sort of 'squeeze these wonderful titties' then scoop out some Neapolitan from her cunt," Rio snickers my way. She loves yanking my chain, and Mercy's, from time to time. "No! That has to be cold as hell and you may not make Mercy poop or pee dairy products," I command, "Rio-saurus Rex!" "Oh, that's gross," Rio dares to look offended. "I would never put ice cream up my favorite Lust-receptacle's butthole. That is for the ice cream cones." "Fine, you may not stuff Mercy like an clair," I clarify. "I'm putting my foot down and if Paige and I have to do full body cavity searches to make sure you behave, so be it." Felicity erupts through her final orgasm of the night, her body twisting and stretching as sweat drips off her body. Barbie Lynn keeps subtle control of Felicity's body which is both touching and frightening, she's getting sexually wound up and she's going to corral my cock and drive it up her ass, my approval being optional. The dirty, sexy look she shoots me is as good a piece of proof as I need. "I can't have you two touching my bitch without supervision," Rio states angrily, yeah right. "I'll have to check out all her opening once you two get done, a triple check." Mercy looks over toward Paige and me. Her eyes are open wide with lust and anticipation. "I suppose we could simply trust Mercy and take her word for it," I tease. "No," Rio goes off, "I can tell you right now; she's one sneaky little slut." "I don't trust her," Paige nods. "The pretty ones always need to be kept in line, harshly." Mercy merely shakes her head vigorously in affirmation of her devious and untrustworthy nature. "Where are you people from?" Felicity pants through her fatigued smile. "The People's Republic of None of Your Damn Business," Rio slaps Mercy's thigh. "We keep Rio in a steel box," Barbie Lynn pets Felicity's left nipple. "The rest of us are regular students. Okay, Zane's a tad irregular, but he means well." My phone buzzes from the far side of the bed. "Time to wrap it up team," I give out the bad news. "Felicity, you can sweep step out with Barbie Lynn to the shower, different showers because giving the freshman student body an alternative lifestyle exhibition is not an option for tonight. The rest of us will give it a few minutes and go out and pretend the world is a normal place." "Felicity, I want your bra and panties up here on my pillow," Rio demands. "I'm going to use them to bind up Mercy tonight. She's been, umm, mediocre so I'm gagging her with that boring underwear and hooking her hands over her head with that sad, old bra of yours." "I thought you only wanted my bra," Felicity questions? "Spank her for me BLT," Rio growls. Barbie Lynn gave gives three sharp, alternating smacks on each ass cheek. Felicity bites her lower lip and whimpers. "No back talking now F; I said no bra tonight, but also no panties ever without my approval." Felicity nods. Barbie Lynn takes Felicity by the hand, over to the towel closet then leads her somewhat reluctantly out into the main floor. "Rio, did I do you a good turn," Paige asks. Rio thinks that over for a minute, making small circles in Mercy's hair. "Yes, yes you did, you albino deviant," Rio allows. "Can I have Mercy for my use for one night sometime soon?" Paige requests. "That's not how it works," Rio scolds Paige after a few seconds. "She's mine to use, no one else's. I can have someone use her for my pleasure but she's a damn human being, not a bean-bag chair. I will give you this though, because you can be so incredibly stupid about people, I'll let Mercy know that it would make me happy to see her with you; how is that?" Mercy is resting on her head on Rio's lap, so she clearly hears what's going on. Rio is really the best friend in the world, and one of the best people I've ever known. I can live with the crazy. Homecoming. So, it was Friday, Homecoming Day at FFU, and several dozen of us were not doing what we were supposed to do but I wanted this headache taken care of before the rest of the day's festivities. All the Advocates were gathered as was Ms. Goodswell, as a Student Advisor. Other people were gathered to observe the spectacle and guessing which way I would jump. This first major crisis of my role as Mediator since the creation of the Janissaries wouldn't have been complete without Iona, my trusty sidekick, and Rio, my chronic pain in the ass & truest friend. In fact, Rio was the reason for this meeting. She had been given the writing assignment of 'place the writings of a juvenile story into an adult setting'. The train wreck wasn't hard to foretell. Rio had chosen four works of the late, lamented Doctor Seuss (if he wasn't dead he would be after reading halfway through Rio's creation). Rio had attacked the project with a gusto that made Ms. Tucker, her English instructor, hopeful that Rio was finally fitting in (read: conforming). Rio turned in the pornographic Tales of a Cat with a Really Big Hat on Tuesday. Ms. Tucker had flunked the effort and dragged Rio down to Doctor Victoria Scarlett's office but that senior educator had volleyed this time bomb into my lap. I promptly told them to pick an Advocate and get back to me after dinner. Rio Talon/Christina Buchanan's argument had been that the vagueness of the instructions allowed for a liberal interpretations of the assignment. Athena Varna (representing the rest of Ms. Tucker's class)/Joy Jefferson had argued that the standard was what 'any reasonable individual going to a Christian school would find acceptable' as their defense, which meant that it wasn't acceptable in their opinion. Two days of mediation went nowhere and I wasn't going to let this matter fester through the weekend. I had called all the concerned parties to join me after breakfast and received Doctor Scarlett's blessing for missing Assembly where many of the students and their families were gathered in our daily religious/social function. "Okay, I've given the matter serious thought and I saw merit to both arguments but I found Ms. Jefferson's argument to be the more compelling," I led off. "We live in a society; each person should be free and act with freedom but that cuts both ways, we have to give our society some support to retain our harmony. This is my judgment." "I would hope that since Rio did make an exceptional effort in her creative writing work that Ms. Tucker would consider allowing Rio one additional week to make up the assignment since this is one-quarter of her grade and her effort, while misdirected, was acknowledged as a vigorous attempt. That is my suggestion anyway," I said hopefully since I wasn't sure if I could instruct a teacher in any manner, much less order a do-over for Rio. It took a few seconds for my words to sink in. This was hardly re-writing the Charter of the Commonwealth of Virginia but it did mean I'd ruled against my best friend and the woman I wanted to marry and several girls looked at me in some disbelief that I hadn't gone that way. "Thank you Mediator," Joy was the first to offer me her hand, and she was still technically the enemy, being in the Traditionalist faction here at school. "Your argument carried the day, Joy. I'm pretty sure there was no favoritism involved," I smiled. "I will get you next time," Christina came up and shook Joy's hand. She turned and clasped my hand after that. "You were wiser than I thought you'd be," Christina winked to me. A few people came by and went through the same routine until Rio approached last of all. She hit me in the shoulder causing multiple heads to swivel our way. "You threw me under the bus Bitch," she laughed. "Don't look so surprised," I rubbed my shoulder, "you built the bus I rolled over you with, ya Deviant." Iona gave me a shy wave right before she slipped out to go meet her parents and most of the girls did likewise. Finally it was Ms. Goodswell, Christina, Faith, Rio and myself. "Faith and I will polish off the minutes of your final decision Zane," Christina said before turning her imperious head away and leading Faith out to do what seniors do. "So, are you two going to be hiding out all day?" Virginia Goodswell looked Rio and my way. "I would but two dozen over-eager and overly-endowed students have asked Zane to be available to meet their ancestors or some other such cheesy crap," Rio ranted. "Besides, I'm sure there is some law or ordinance that causes the rest of you to never leave me alone." "Yes Ms. Talon," Ms. Goodswell said with some gravity, "That is the Self-preservation Act of 1908. You are listed under 'Elements with Corrosive properties." "Woot!" Rio hollered, "I'm a corrosive influence!" "Thanks Virginia," I addressed my teacher and Spiritual Advisor, "like she needed more ammo." Goodswell laughed and headed out toward the main campus while Rio and I headed for our dorm. "I think I'm going to become a superhero," Rio teased me. "My X-ray vision will vaporize the panties off of unsuspecting stuck-up babes." "Wasn't there a time when heroes were heroes and villains were villains; none of this gray crap?" I half-grinned. "Zane," Rio sounded exasperated and but motherly aka Ma Barker, "you keep saving girls and they keep kicking you in the teeth." "I look at it as opportunity to get back up again," I smiled. "That's called masochism, look it up," Rio sneered. "Let's go to my room," I said, rather redundantly, as we'd reached the elevator door and I'd hit the button. Rio became oddly close to me as we got on board and even let me wrap an arm around her. For me, being parentless today required I convince Aunt Jill that parking would be a bitch and I'd see her Saturday night, we had our first Marksmanship outing tomorrow morning in Kentucky, so I'd would be back to have dinner with my sole family member. Rio's parents hadn't asked Rio if she wanted them to come. They hadn't made any contact at all, denying Rio the ability to scream at her parents and tell them to 'fuck off'. Adding to the misery, Mercy's parents were here and everyone in our close circle had convinced Rio that being close to Mercy would be disastrous, in the belief that Rio had poor impulse control, imagine that. When the end of Assembly sounded and the parents began exiting the building to join up with their kids, we proceeded to my Solarium level of the dorm. The parents would meet their girl's friends, teachers, & the key members of their various clubs. We opened my 'vault' door and Rio led me upstairs then gave a start. I slipped around her to see what the problem was, Cordelia Dresden. To her credit, Cordelia and her Time Lord Mafia had either been behaving or doing things in such a sneaky manner as to avoid my notice. Besides the three of us, only three freshmen girls occupied the rest of the floor, leaving us effectively alone. "Hi Rio!" Cordelia led off, "Zane, I only want you to know you have our full support," was her cryptic statement that I was still digesting when Rio hurled herself at the slender brunette. Cordelia cried out as Rio toppled them both to the floor. Rio rose up on her knees and slapped Cordelia across the face. "Get her off me," Cordelia screamed as she raised her hands to defend herself. "What's the fucking secret you're hiding?" Rio growled. "Yank Rio off me right now. Zane," Cordelia snapped as she took a second slap to the cheek. "You know what I can do." "Cordy, Rio wants to live free or die trying; so you might want to consider your next words carefully," I shrugged. "She prefers to exist free of fear. Rio, I'm going to the shake dispenser; do you want something?" "A strawberry shake sounds good," Rio smiled as she began pinning Cordelia's wrists down. Once she finished that maneuver, Rio glared triumphantly down at Cordelia. "Great," Cordelia met that glare with one of her own, "what's your next brilliant plan; a little sexual assault to go with your brazen attack?" "Nope, I'm going to drool spit on your face and ears Cordelia-baby," Rio answered then began swirling her tongue in her mouth to gather up her first glob of spit. "Zane," Cordelia pleaded. "Rio, let her up," I requested (Rio knew my vocal tones). "She's agreed to help you with your Mercy problem." Cordelia had done no such thing but Rio would need help dealing with her lover's parents and Cordelia could be a powerful ally. Cordelia could lie her way out of things, except she would be lying to me and our trust was a fragile thing. If it was just Rio, Cordy would lie in a heartbeat but I believed I was somewhat special to her. Cordy said nothing and Rio got off of her. It wasn't Rio's style to offer Cordelia a hand up even though she knocked her down. Rio joined me making shakes and grinned evilly. "Cordelia, do you want a shake," I called over to her. "Peach," she replied. Somewhat reluctantly she walked over to us. Cordelia, like Rio and me, had no parents coming. "So, are you going to tell Zane what your secret is or do we go for the best two out of three falls?" Rio sneered. "Let it be Rio," I nudged her. "It isn't something bad. If it was bad, she would have coughed it up already." "I don't know what you see in this wacky Whore," Rio asked me, with Cordelia standing beside us. "She's Ra's al Ghul to my Bruce Wayne," I explained. "How can I step beyond the streets of my own personal Gotham without her?" "Wait, does that mean I'm Harlequin?" Rio mused. "No, you are the Joker, Rio," Cordelia huffed, "and yes, that makes Mercy Harlequin." "Cordy, there are times I wish you weren't so evil and manipulative," Rio observed. "Titles such as Evil, like genius, are the hobgoblin of small minds," Cordelia countered. "Zane sees that, which is why I tolerate the rest of you." "You just want to play jockey to his thoroughbred," Rio snorted. "Never said I didn't," Cordelia bantered. Rio stole a look toward the door so I leaned into Cordelia. "Thank you," I whispered. Cordy nodded. "Pist," Rio hissed. "Iona is here with a slightly larger version of herself and two guys who look vaguely related to her as well." I looked over and there was Iona pointing what had to be her mother my way. She didn't look furious but she wasn't beaming sunshine and happiness at me either. "Scatter," Rio whispered. "Pissed off Momma on the way," before dashing off behind the showers. "I'm gone," Cordelia gasped playfully, took her peach shake and slunk away. Iona "Mr. Braxton?" this conservatively dressed woman with a slight build and shoulder length black hair addressed me. I'd seen a few pictures of her on Iona's Facebook page. "Mrs. Beckett, I am Glenn Zane Braxton, but please call me Zane. Your daughter is one of my closest friends." She seemed to mull that over, whether to be stiff or to give me a chance. "Zane, is there a place we can talk in private?" she inquired. "Absolutely," I nodded; then led her to the far corner and sat down on a sofa with her so that we could both look out over the changing leaves on campus. "Mr. Brax, Zane, what are your intentions with my daughter?" she came right out with it. "She was my second friend here and constantly supportive of my often precarious situation and she's never asked for anything in return," I stated. "I'd paint her house if she asked me," I continued, "or drive across country to help her move. She's that great a friend." I didn't brag about killing or even hurting someone for her, though I would, because that wasn't the kind of extreme friendship her Mom was looking for. "Very well, Zane; but I am worried about you and Iona in another way," she sidestepped. "You are an attractive young man and there are rumors that you have several girlfriends on campus." "I think I can answer the real question with three statements of my own; the only person I have ever called girlfriend is Heaven Vickers, a senior here. "I love Heaven's best friend, Christina Buchanan, and they are both aware of our relationship. Second, your daughter is the second-smartest, most level-headed, and most forward thinking young woman I have ever met; you have done a wonderful job raising her," I related. "Lastly, I have offered to have sex with your daughter twice and she's said 'no'." "You did?" she studied me intently. "And she was naked in bed with me both times. She's seen me have sex, too, but she's decided that when she's ready, she'll ask me and I'll say 'yes' because I'm positive that she will pick the moment when it is right for her and no one else." "Wha, what?" Mrs. Beckett's eyes grew wide. "Naked in bed with you? And nothing happened?" "Yes; but I felt safe because I trust her," I said calmly. "You have to admit she is diligent and organized and she's not going to simply jump feet first into anything." "I have to admit I was afraid you were taking advantage of my daughter's kind nature; but you seem oddly frank about everything you two have done. I admit I expected you to be, more deceptive and evasive," she mused. "Do you have sex with any of the girls on campus?" "Tons; though thankfully, things eased off with midterms approaching," I smiled. "Is that so," she said in a clearly questioning tone. "I want you to understand that Iona thinks the world of you. She writes home every day, and you often figure in her experiences, though I knew she was editing some things, like why she appears to be friends with Ms. Talon." "When we started out, Rio and I were doomed to be expelled but Iona joined with us and together we survived some really rough times." "I recall getting several letters from the Chancellor from that time. Was Iona in any danger?" she asked. "Yes, she got a pair of bloody knees but please believe a whole lot of us were looking out for her," I responded. "Trust me, Ion has a fair number of friends who appreciate her numerous qualities." "Mom," Ion called out as she came over. "I hope Zane hasn't been scaring you." "Iona, it is only that you didn't have many friends in High School," her mother smiled at her daughter. "Mom, I had no friends in high school, but Zane gave me the courage and opportunity to come out of my shell," Iona interrupted. "Zane says you two have been sleeping in his bed, naked," Iona's mother met her daughter with an even gaze. "Yes," Iona blushed furiously, "but I bet he's also informed you that we haven't had sex," she leaned into her mother, "and there he lied." Mrs. Beckett stared at me, a bit peeved. "Mom, that is only because what Zane considers sex and what you would consider sex are two slightly different things. Suffice it to say, I am still a virgin as far as the marriage bed is concerned," Iona assured her parent. "And I have Zane well in hand, because I have control of his phone." "I keep telling you that smarts count for more to in life than a model's good looks," Iona's mother reminded her daughter. "I'm glad Iona has both," I chimed in. Both women looked my way then grinned. "He is such a good friend, Mother; that I forgive his exaggerations," Iona reached over and kindly touched my cheek. As that gesture ended, Iona's face grew shocked. "Mom, I think we need to go see Mrs. Worsham's class now, if we are going to get everything taken care of before lunch," Iona hurried her mother. "It was nice to meet you Zane," we shook hands as we both stood as well. Hope I followed Iona's gaze and my heart stopped. It was Hope, looking so do-able in her school-wear. With her were a petite woman, smaller and maybe a bit heavier than Hope, three more little Hope's in descending age and lastly, a male version of Hope, but this one was made out of Lego bricks, really big Lego bricks, it was Yeong Song. Yeong Song had charisma in spades; he wasn't the Angel of Death, he had grabbed that punk by the short and curlies and taken over his job. That was how he appeared to me at that moment. Oh yeah and he was looking right through me. As if on cue, Hope smiled and whispered something to her father and they both came my way. Imagine a choreographed interpretive dance troupe; you had Hope's three younger sisters spread out over the middle half of the room, having fun with some of the few freshmen girls that were hanging around. Yeong was like his eldest daughter in the way they moved, you could tell they were walking toward you but I couldn't recall their feet moving or even hearing footfalls. That was probably just my fear speaking. From personal experience I knew Hope was human with all our frailties and imperfections, she was simply more perfect than most. "Father, this is my good friend Glenn Zane Braxton, who is known by the name Zane to both his friends and enemies," demurred Hope. "Zane, this is my Father, Major of the Republic of Korea, retired, Yeong Song," she introduced her father to me. I extended my hand, he took it in a granite grip and gave it two sharp shakes. I stood there like an idiot but at least my heart was beating and I was breathing again. "Your pulse is racing young man, your palms are sweaty and you are staring at me with dilated pupils," Yeong noted dispassionately. "Well, since I've lain down with your naked daughter for a variety of bedroom antics on several occasions; I naturally assumed you had come here to kill me," I blathered. "You have been naked with my eldest daughter," he said in a way that could be contrived as a statement or a question. "You didn't know?" I groaned. I wondered if this counted as suicide. "You have honorable intentions toward my daughter," he informed me. Huh? "No," I gulped. "I was thinking we could fool around, mainly." "I understand you are the last of your line," he glared at me. Uh oh, wait. "You know who I am, so you must have already been told by Hope what's really been going on," I breathed a sigh of relief. "See Father, Zane's not dense," Hope hugged her father's arm, "he's simply terrified of you." "I noticed," Yeong almost smiled. "Mr. Braxton, I don't mind you seeing my daughter socially, but please learn at least to fight as well as my youngest daughter, she's nine." "You learn from people who are better than you, not from people you are

Today Gwenno joins Matthew Shaw for a conversation about language, landscape, culture and of course Gwenno's music across the years and about her latest album Utopia.

Elsoo returns for her second appearance in our podcast series with a deep and groovy mix. Based in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, she made her debut in 2022 at the renowned Utopia event. Since then, her sound has found a home on labels such as Evaporate, Tzinah Records, Rayzeh, and more. Hit play and enjoy the journey! Keep an eye on Elsoo: https://instagram.com/sophiaeloo https://soundcloud.com/elsoo-o Listen to more electronic music on Intaresu https://intaresu.com

Pop Socket and Chin Hammer. Go Go Gadget Grandma! Pika Chew. The Weighted Knob. Corduroy Slander. Lyfting Loquacious Ladies. Let me cry like a Real Baby. Utopia has Fallen. Giving Tina the Mango. Scott Ruins Brownies. Play in the Dark, While the Wife Sleeps. Nearly Bobbited. The Third John Wayne. 15 Minutes of Public Weiner. If you thought you had problems before - Call now, and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop Socket and Chin Hammer. Go Go Gadget Grandma! Pika Chew. The Weighted Knob. Corduroy Slander. Lyfting Loquacious Ladies. Let me cry like a Real Baby. Utopia has Fallen. Giving Tina the Mango. Scott Ruins Brownies. Play in the Dark, While the Wife Sleeps. Nearly Bobbited. The Third John Wayne. 15 Minutes of Public Weiner. If you thought you had problems before - Call now, and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Deer IQ podcast we continue in our series on public land hunting details that make the difference,  we look at finding “deer utopias” on public land - part 2 with my guest John Eberhart - straight from my visit with him at his Mid-Michigan home. I suggest watching part one that goes with this on saddle hunting, (SEE HERE:https://youtu.be/NU0PaIJxFhM) . If you have a hard time dealing with other hunters on public land, finding the truly out of way places you can find and hunt mature bucks successfully year after year, this is a must watch episode.  We discuss:• How to find locations deer flock to and hunters don't. • Why John will never walk to hunting locations.• How he uses other hunters to his benefit.• How he approaches Michigan hunting vs. out of state very differently.• A playbook for how to approach out of state hunts - what to do and where to look.And more!* 2A DISPLAY PRODUCTS  (10% OFF Code "IQ" ) Here: https://www.2adisplay.com/ * John's Book - DIY Bucks https://tethrd.com/products/ultimate-guide-to-diy-bucks?srsltid=AfmBOopBOf8_m8NKeWIwJ0RzGUDul0MPYUEjt2GGeemTsh31I0d8W5vR • Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE: https://deeriq.com/full-assessment/Other DEER IQ Resources:** Season 3 Quiz: https://deeriq.com/season-3-quiz/ • Get a Strategic Land & Hunting Plan for your Private Hunting Property HERE: https://deeriq.com/land-and-hunting-plans/ • GENERAL INFO about ALL Deer IQ Resources HERE: https://deeriq.com/services/ Website: https://deeriq.com  Facebook Private Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/511109237864762  Deer IQ  FREE Journal: https://deeriq.com/journal/  Pressured Public Lands Hunting Guide:  https://deeriq.com/public-land-hunting-guide/  Newsletter Signup: https://deeriq.com/signup/  Patreon - Contribute Financially to Deer IQ: https://www.patreon.com/DeerIQPatreon   Scent Control Regimen: https://deeriq.com/scentcontrol-regimen/  Episode #112Guest: Host Adam Lewis, John EberhartIQ ranking - 5 (Intermediate)

Yaffa As is a trans Palestinian author, culture worker, organizer, and artist. Their work lives at the intersection of disability, immigration, queerness, transness, Palestine, and Muslimness. Their focus on direct action and community care is incredibly inspiring, and over the past year alone, they have helped redistribute over $500,000 to queer and trans communities impacted by genocide.They have written several books, host the BCSD podcast, and always remind us to imagine and build the utopia we all deserve. Our conversation is an infusion of hope, which feels aligned with - and necessary for - the current moment. Enjoy Part 1.PS Yaffa is offering an 8-week session called Organizing to a Living Utopia, built around their book Letters From a Living Utopia...details here!Yaffa InstagramYaffa PatreonLeah Instagram

Pour cette 42è édition des Assises de la Traduction, l'Association Atlas ouvre le débat sur le thème de la censure et de l'autocensure dans la traduction.  Traduire, est-ce trahir ? Comment dire ce qui ne peut s'écrire dans certains contextes ?  Depuis plus de 40 ans, les Assises de la Traduction réunissent à Arles, traducteurs et passionnés de littérature, auteurs et amoureux de langues. Cette année, le thème retenu est «Traduire sous contraintes».  Un thème que connait bien Arezou Dadvar, traductrice. Elle a traduit King-Kong Théorie de Virginie Despentes en persan : «un projet assez difficile depuis le début. Je trouvais ce texte unique. Je me suis lancée dans cette traduction, j'avais proposé cette traduction à cinq éditeurs qui ont tous refusé. Finalement, je me suis autocensurée en traduisant et ai proposé une version modifiée, mais cette version n'a pas passé la censure. Je suis allée voir un éditeur à Paris».  En effet, Tinouche Nazmjou publie depuis Paris des auteurs iraniens ou afghans qui écrivent en langue persane et qui sont censurés dans leurs pays. Les thèmes liés au désir, à la passion et les mots du sexe, ou liés à l'alcool, sont proscrits dans les écrits : «Les écrivains envoient leurs textes au Bureau de la Censure et des gens jugent leurs écrits pour savoir s'ils sont conformes aux lois islamiques du pays. Ce sont donc parfois des pages qui sont arrachées ou des écrits qui sont totalement censurés, mais il y a énormément de moyens de détourner cette censure. On va ruser et trouver un «code» entre le lecteur et le traducteur». Si la censure est un thème majeur de la rencontre de cette année, la contrainte est également inhérente à la difficulté que peut rencontrer un traducteur face à des poèmes ou des auteurs tels que James Joyce qu'on a décrits comme «intraduisibles». Xavier Luffin est, entre autres, traducteur littéraire de l'œuvre de l'écrivain soudanais Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin — dont le romain Le corbeau qui m'aimait a été publié aux éditions Zulma «Un texte difficile à traduire, car il y a de nombreux dialectes qu'il faut réussir à restituer».   Invités :  - Arezou Dadvar, traductrice du français vers le persan et traductologue. Elle travaille sur la sociologie de la traduction littéraire en Iran et notamment sur les thèmes de la liberté expression et de la traduction littéraire - Tinouche Nazmjou, traducteur, éditeur, metteur en scène. Il a créé sa Maison d'édition Naakojaa  (qui veut dire «Utopia» en persan) en 2012 et édite des auteurs persans et des traductions d'ouvrages en persan interdits en Iran. Il est désormais «interdit de plume» en Iran - Xavier Luffin, membre du Conseil de l'ATLAS (Association pour la promotion de la traduction littéraire), professeur de Littérature arabe à l'Université Libre de Bruxelles.    Les 42è Assises de la traduction littéraire : «Traduire sous contraintes» se tiendront à Arles les 7, 8 et 9 novembre 2025.    Et comme chaque semaine, la chronique de Lucie Bouteloup décrypte les expressions de la langue française ! Cette semaine, «on essuie les plâtres !». Une chronique enregistrée avec Géraldine Moinard des éditions Le Robert, et toujours avec la complicité des enfants de la classe de CM2 de l'École élémentaire Vulpian à Paris !   Programmation musicale :  L'artiste Aya Nakamura avec le titre «La femme alpha».  

Pour cette 42è édition des Assises de la Traduction, l'Association Atlas ouvre le débat sur le thème de la censure et de l'autocensure dans la traduction.  Traduire, est-ce trahir ? Comment dire ce qui ne peut s'écrire dans certains contextes ?  Depuis plus de 40 ans, les Assises de la Traduction réunissent à Arles, traducteurs et passionnés de littérature, auteurs et amoureux de langues. Cette année, le thème retenu est «Traduire sous contraintes».  Un thème que connait bien Arezou Dadvar, traductrice. Elle a traduit King-Kong Théorie de Virginie Despentes en persan : «un projet assez difficile depuis le début. Je trouvais ce texte unique. Je me suis lancée dans cette traduction, j'avais proposé cette traduction à cinq éditeurs qui ont tous refusé. Finalement, je me suis autocensurée en traduisant et ai proposé une version modifiée, mais cette version n'a pas passé la censure. Je suis allée voir un éditeur à Paris».  En effet, Tinouche Nazmjou publie depuis Paris des auteurs iraniens ou afghans qui écrivent en langue persane et qui sont censurés dans leurs pays. Les thèmes liés au désir, à la passion et les mots du sexe, ou liés à l'alcool, sont proscrits dans les écrits : «Les écrivains envoient leurs textes au Bureau de la Censure et des gens jugent leurs écrits pour savoir s'ils sont conformes aux lois islamiques du pays. Ce sont donc parfois des pages qui sont arrachées ou des écrits qui sont totalement censurés, mais il y a énormément de moyens de détourner cette censure. On va ruser et trouver un «code» entre le lecteur et le traducteur». Si la censure est un thème majeur de la rencontre de cette année, la contrainte est également inhérente à la difficulté que peut rencontrer un traducteur face à des poèmes ou des auteurs tels que James Joyce qu'on a décrits comme «intraduisibles». Xavier Luffin est, entre autres, traducteur littéraire de l'œuvre de l'écrivain soudanais Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin — dont le romain Le corbeau qui m'aimait a été publié aux éditions Zulma «Un texte difficile à traduire, car il y a de nombreux dialectes qu'il faut réussir à restituer».   Invités :  - Arezou Dadvar, traductrice du français vers le persan et traductologue. Elle travaille sur la sociologie de la traduction littéraire en Iran et notamment sur les thèmes de la liberté expression et de la traduction littéraire - Tinouche Nazmjou, traducteur, éditeur, metteur en scène. Il a créé sa Maison d'édition Naakojaa  (qui veut dire «Utopia» en persan) en 2012 et édite des auteurs persans et des traductions d'ouvrages en persan interdits en Iran. Il est désormais «interdit de plume» en Iran - Xavier Luffin, membre du Conseil de l'ATLAS (Association pour la promotion de la traduction littéraire), professeur de Littérature arabe à l'Université Libre de Bruxelles.    Les 42è Assises de la traduction littéraire : «Traduire sous contraintes» se tiendront à Arles les 7, 8 et 9 novembre 2025.    Et comme chaque semaine, la chronique de Lucie Bouteloup décrypte les expressions de la langue française ! Cette semaine, «on essuie les plâtres !». Une chronique enregistrée avec Géraldine Moinard des éditions Le Robert, et toujours avec la complicité des enfants de la classe de CM2 de l'École élémentaire Vulpian à Paris !   Programmation musicale :  L'artiste Aya Nakamura avec le titre «La femme alpha».  

durée : 00:13:12 - Carnets de campagne - par : Dorothée Barba - Un titre dans le journal le Monde fut le déclencheur : "Comment la France maltraite ses vieux". Anne-Marie Faucon, créatrice des cinémas Utopia, a décidé de vieillir en coloc. A Bérat (Haute-Garonne), elle a créé avec d'autres une alternative à l'EHPAD, un habitat partagé dans une maison de maître. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

En este episodio de Cierra el libro al salir, correspondiente al mes de mayo de 2019, te ofrecemos los siguientes contenidos: 0:00 Presentación 5:05 Noticias 22:45 Cuéntame un libro: Fernando nos cuenta ¿Sueñan los androides con ovejas eléctricas? de Philip K. Dick… ¿O era Blade Runner? 43:50 Fernando lee un fragmento ¿Sueñan los androides con ovejas eléctricas? 47:00 Libro de reclamaciones con Eloy Tizón, que dialoga con sus libros, en especial con Labia. 57:20 Cuéntame un libro: Ana nos cuenta Lectura Fácil, de Cristina Morales. 1:11:50 Ana lee un capítulo de Lectura fácil. 1:24:06 Entrevista a destiempo. Hoy hablamos con Patricia Highsmith, con la colaboración en el doblaje de Elvira (¡mil gracias, Elvira!) 1:31:30 Reseña Borgiana. Ana nos habla del libro Una mujer que camina, de Antonio Salerno. 1:42:45 Oído por ahí: literatura que nace en la calle. ¿Cuidamos a nuestros amantes? 1:44:40 Despedida y cierre. Hoy, los enlaces de los libros apuntan a la Librería General de Zaragoza. Si conoces una pequeña librería a la que quieras que enlacemos, por favor, dínoslo. Todas las músicas que han sonado durante el programa son de Charles Matuschewski, excepto Overload, de The Error Team (fragmento de ¿Sueñan los androides con ovejas eléctricas?), Utopia, de Bjork (fragmento de Lectura fácil), Mistery Forest, de Lobo Loco (Entrevista a destiempo) Cualquier sugerencia o crítica, incluso malintencionada, nos la podéis enviar a hola@cierraellibroalsalir.com Esto es todo por esta vez. Dentro de un mes, otro episodio. ¡Ah!, no olvidéis cerrar el libro al salir.

Bailey's trip has come to a close and she's ready to sit down and share everything! She and her friend Kim started off their adventure with a first time stay at Universal's Terra Luna Resort. Next, they headed to Coronado Springs Resort and enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon followed by a day dedicated to beignets and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. The vacation concluded with a sailing on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas. September 30 - October 6, 2025 Post Trip Interview: recorded 10/9/25   Episode Specific Links: Follow Bailey on @magic_by_meczkowski (Instagram) and @Bailey-Meczkowski-Travel-Agent (Facebook) Bailey is a travel agent and would love to help you plan your next magical trip, whether it's to Disney, Universal, a cruise…you name it. Set up an appointment to chat with her today! Video - Terra Luna vs Stella Nova Resorts Antojitos Cocina Mexicana at Universal CityWalk Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas Amy Bradley is Missing on Netflix People mentioned in this episode: Jeanette - @pixiejeanette Nanci - @nancibat3   Be Our Guest: Do you have an upcoming trip you'd like to share?  Submit your trip information here to be considered as a podcast guest.   Get in Touch: If you would like to reach out to Virginia for something other than a trip report guest submission (for that use the link above!), you may email whereilongtobepodcast@gmail.com.   Follow: Instagram: @whereilongtobepodcast Facebook: @whereilongtobepodcast TikTok: @whereilongtobepodcast Website: whereilongtobepodcast.com

Bailey is getting excited for her upcoming trip because there are a lot of firsts happening: first ever cruise (Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas), first time staying at Universal's Terra Luna Resort, first time staying at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, first time at Typhoon Lagoon, and first time at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. So much to look forward to and she's going to take us all along for the ride. Trip Dates: September 30 - October 6, 2025 Pre-Trip Interview: recorded 9/22/25   Episode Specific Links: Follow Bailey on @magic_by_meczkowski (Instagram) and @Bailey-Meczkowski-Travel-Agent (Facebook) Bailey is a travel agent and would love to help you plan your next magical trip, whether it's to Disney, Universal, a cruise…you name it. Set up an appointment to chat with her today! Antojitos Cocina Mexicana at Universal CityWalk Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas   Be Our Guest: Do you have an upcoming trip you'd like to share?  Submit your trip information here to be considered as a podcast guest.   Get in Touch: If you would like to reach out to Virginia for something other than a trip report guest submission (for that use the link above!), you may email whereilongtobepodcast@gmail.com.   Follow: Instagram: @whereilongtobepodcast Facebook: @whereilongtobepodcast TikTok: @whereilongtobepodcast Website: whereilongtobepodcast.com

Sam is fresh off Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas, and she's sharing her real take — what stood out, what surprised her, and the experiences that made this ship a standout.

Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,

JJ critiques part of a recent conversation between podcaster Joe Rogan and Elon Musk, who is now selling the dream of a tech and societal utopia, including a universal high income for all, brought about by developments in AI together with robots. Can he be believed?Related episodes:Brainiac Joe Rogan Terrified of Debating Gavin Newsom https://youtu.be/GBGhZtWvf_ETesla Grok AI FAIL: Inappropriate Chat Exposed to Kids https://youtu.be/R9V0AE_D3L0All Elon's Tesla Q3 Earnings Call BS in One Dump https://youtu.be/tVUMRoFbELwReferenced video:Joe Rogan Experience #2404 - Elon Musk https://youtu.be/O4wBUysNe2kDisclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

JJ critiques part of a recent conversation between podcaster Joe Rogan and Elon Musk, who is now selling the dream of a tech and societal utopia, including a universal high income for all, brought about by developments in AI together with robots. Can he be believed?Related episodes:Brainiac Joe Rogan Terrified of Debating Gavin Newsom https://youtu.be/GBGhZtWvf_ETesla Grok AI FAIL: Inappropriate Chat Exposed to Kids https://youtu.be/R9V0AE_D3L0All Elon's Tesla Q3 Earnings Call BS in One Dump https://youtu.be/tVUMRoFbELwReferenced video:Joe Rogan Experience #2404 - Elon Musk https://youtu.be/O4wBUysNe2kDisclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

Send us a textThe gangway drops, the music hits, and we kick off a cruise-driven, faith-forward journey from Port Canaveral with one goal: make your time at sea effortless, joyful, and unforgettable. We introduce our duo—Captain Jesse and the Cruise Coach—and dive right into how to choose the best Florida homeport, from Miami's buzz to Tampa Bay's Skyway views, and why that first decision shapes your itinerary, budget, and onboard rhythm.We unpack the big Caribbean question—East, West, or South—and explain what each route delivers, from Cozumel tacos and Cayman reefs to longer Southern escapes like Aruba. Then we zoom in on the ships themselves: Utopia, Icon, and Star of the Seas redefine “floating city” with aqua theaters, two-tier promenades, solariums, and spa sanctuaries that rival land resorts. You'll hear smart, actionable tips: Boardwalk and Central Park balcony hacks on Oasis-class ships, the best ways to catch the AquaTheater (including from your own balcony), and complimentary breakfast windows that most guests miss.Competition is reshaping the industry for the better. We talk MSC's rise, why dry docks matter, and how more than fifty new ships on order will push design, dining, and entertainment forward. Private islands are leveling up too—think Perfect Day at CocoCay and Carnival's Celebration Key—making short sailings feel like full-on resort getaways. If you're a first-timer, we demystify gratuities, inclusions, and what “turn off your brain” truly means once you step aboard.Most of all, we're building community. Join our hosted group cruises to get concierge-style planning: curated excursions, dining guidance, show reservations, and flexible tracks for families, foodies, and adventurers. Link two ports in one vacation with Brightline rail, or bookend your sailing with Cocoa Beach sunsets and Orlando theme parks. We keep it service-first and faith-centered, closing with a prayer for safe voyages and lighter hearts.Subscribe, share with your cruise-curious friends, and tell us where you want to sail next. Your next great story might be waiting just beyond the pier—come aboard and let's chart it together.Support the showFollow us on Instagram @spacecoastpodcastSponsor this show Want to watch our shows? https://youtube.com/@spacecoastpodcast

Greg and Sorcerer Chromatic drink and review (4:25) Weihenstepahner's Festbier (Freising, Bayern, Germany) In the Beer News (8:47), we talk about putting ice in beer 25 years before Gen Z did it. And the breakdown of this years Utopias by Samuel Adams (Boston, MA). Instead of our Cöld Brüe List (19:19), we give out this year's Cöld Brüe Awards to ur favorite beer names of the medal winners at this year's Great American Beer Festival. Best Pop Culture-inspired names and Best Original names. We rate our beer on Untappd (38:56). In our Drunken Shenanigans (41:59), we talk some football. (How original.) Recorded October 26, 2025

Brim, Mr. Greer and Kim Adragna are back at it again. Apart from all the usual shenanigans, the gang chats about everything pop culture with all the trimmings including how Axl Rose had a major meltdown at a recent show, how a Harvard scientist believes that a Manhattan sized space object could be showing signs of alien maneuvering, and how in the current world environment - it wouldn't be surprising. The crew also chats about Halloween parties and parties in general, Brim's past epic holiday parties, and why he doesn't throw them anymore. The cast talks about how it is way too early for Christmas music and advertising, Sweetbriar's Barn Owl Nebula is still missing, and the major sneaker heist in Florida. They talk about Long Island legendary stores like Utopia, and that they just shut down all the stores - Brim offers a little history about the LI Landmark of the Alternative. The crew also discusses sneaker bongs, when MapQuest and Tomtom's were a thing, and how people don't use maps anymore. The crew chats about entertainment news, opinions and other cool stuff and things. Enjoy.Wherever you listen to podcasts & www.thegrindhouseradio.comhttps://linktr.ee/thegrindhouseradioThe Grindhouse RadioFB: @thegrindhouseradioTW: @therealghradioInstagram: @thegrindhouseradio

John is joined by Kae Tempest and Fraser T. Smith to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album “Self-Titled”. Kae Tempest is an English recording artist and author. He began his career performing at open mic nights around London, quickly gaining a reputation for his powerful lyrical performances blending rap and spoken word poetry. Between 2008 and 2012 he toured internationally with his band Sound of Rum, launching a solo career with debut album ‘Everybody Down' in 2014. It and second album ‘Let Them Eat Chaos', released in 2015, were both nominated for the Mercury Prize. Kae has since released three further solo albums, including BRIT Award-nominated ‘The Line Is A Curve'. Kae is widely recognised as one of the UK alternative scene's most essential voices, acclaimed for his exceptional lyricism and acute social commentary. Both are particularly evident on his fifth studio album, ‘Self Titled', released earlier this year. ‘Self-Titled' is Kae's first collaboration with multi-award winning UK producer, songwriter and musician Fraser T. Smith. The trio sit down at Fraser's studio, Utopia, where the album was written and recorded, to discuss developing creative harmony working together for the first time, the process of building a song using ProTools, the influence of drum textures and bass sounds on the record, how one creative choice can completely change the direction of a track and much more. Tracks discussed: Statue In The Square, Forever, Till Morning TAPE IT Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast. Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off. LANDR  Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE LISTEN to ‘Self Titled' here - Self Titled by Kae Tempest LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI  GEAR MENTIONS Ableton Live Avid Pro Tools Soundtoys Phase Mistress Valhalla reverb XLN RC-20 Retro Colour Akai MPC4000 Akai MPC-X Steven Slate Trigger Oeksound Soothe 2 Soundtoys FilterFreak AMS RMX16 Roland SH-101 Boss RE-202 Space Echo Pedal Moog Voyager Soundtoys Decapitator Pultec EQP-1A Mellotron Shure SM7B Manley Gold microphone Tubetech CL 1B Undertone Audio Unfairchild Eventide H3000 Harmoniser Eventide MicroPitch Undertone Audio MPDI-4 Waves H-Delay OUR GEAR https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns. KEEP UP TO DATE For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on:  Instagram: @tapenotes  YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast Patreon: Tape Notes Discord: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you'd like to hear, slide into our DMs, message us on Patreon, send us an email or even a letter. We'd love to hear!  Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

This week, we began (and had to cut short) a close reading of The Concept of Left by Leszek Kolakowski. Kolakowski was a dissident Polish Marxist who later turned against the project altogether. However, before he did, he wrote much that is worth reading. The Concept of the Left- Leszek Kolakowski Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Chris O'Leary from Brew York joins me to talk about his beer travels and comments on a NY Times opinion piece about the state of craft beer. News from Stone Brewing, Wild East Grandiversary details. The return of Utopias. A future brewery on Mars? A full recap of a fantastic 30 year anniversary party with Dogfish Head and Swift Hibernian Lounge. Plus a visit to McSorley's and more. #metalforever #drinklocal #drinkcraftnotcrap #stouts #ipas #lagers #ales #sours #hops #pilsners #porters #beer #fcancer #smallbusinessowners #beerfestivals #beertours #music #podcasts #bloggerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your more interesting friends find hope in the youth of America.

On this week's episode of Economic Update, Professor Wolff delivers updates on the censoring of U.S. government reports on hunger, changes in U.S. agriculture amid capitalism's decline, the special place of white, male, Christian union members in the MAGA world, and the relation of A.I. and jobs. In the second half of the show, Professor Wolff interviews UCLA Professor Ramesh Srinivasan, host of the podcast “Utopias,” on technology, capitalism, and our collective future.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so.  You can support our work by joining our Patreon community:  https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate     Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else.  We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info

On this episode of Think Theory Radio we discuss AI, God, Utopia, & the Anti-Christ! Why did billionaire tech bro Peter Thiel recently do several lectures on the Anti-Christ? How religious theories of the end times relate to technologies like artificial intelligence. Can we utilize these same technologies to create a utopia or will it be a dystopian nightmare? Plus, AI as God, the end of money, & how close we are to this paradigm shift!

Join us LIVE from Disney's Old Key West Resort as we kick off DVC Fan Oktoberfest 2025!We're celebrating an incredible weekend with the DVC Fan community — from casual meetups and a morning 5K to tonight's sold-out EPCOT Fireworks Dessert Party!

Author : Elly Bangs Narrator : Christiana Ellis Host : Mur Lafferty Audio Producer : Summer Brooks “Space Pirate Queen of the Ten Billion Utopias” was first published in Lightspeed Magazine in November 2021 Copious amounts of casual strong language. This story was written in the summer of 2020, while the police were rioting and […] Source

Questions, suggestions, or feedback? Send us a message!Our guest this week is Kim Stanley Robinson, also know as Stan. He is an American science fiction writer best known for his Mars trilogy of novels. Over his career he has published over 20 books. Many of his novels and stories have ecological, and political themes, featuring scientists as heroes.Robinson has won numerous awards, including the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novel, as well as the World Fantasy Award.The Atlantic magazine has called Robinson's work "the gold standard of realistic, and highly literary, science-fiction writing." According to an article in The New Yorker magazine, Robinson is "generally acknowledged as one of the greatest living science-fiction writers." Time magazine named him “the hero of the environment” for his optimistic focus on future possibilities.His most recent novel “The Ministry for the Future” presents a vision for how humanity might unite together to overcome the climate crisis.We talk about:What is science fiction The difference between Utopia and Optopia Being optimistic whilst remaining vigilant Predicting the future What the hell is terraforming Finance as a tool for changing civilisation The current state of American politics Championing scientists If anything is possible, is nothing interesting?If you want to support the podcast please follow us on your favourite podcast apps, rate the show and share it with your friends.You can now message us with feedback and ideas following the link at the top of the episode description.Let's talk about the future!Web: www.whereshallwemeet.xyzTwitter: @whrshallwemeetInstagram: @whrshallwemeet

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2025 is: utopia • yoo-TOH-pee-uh • noun Utopia refers to an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect; a utopia is a place of ideal perfection. // It's a nice place to live, but it's no utopia. See the entry > Examples: “Despite the rest of the group arguing with and (mostly) disagreeing with him for half the evening, my colleague stuck to his guns: it would be handy to have robots writing poetry for people. … But at the heart of my colleague's provocative position was a utopian ideal: of a future in which technology was advanced enough to ‘do everything,' even write poetry, so that no one needed to work. Yet this position wasn't convincing either. His utopia sounded more than a little dull, and nobody wants to be bored out of their minds.” — Surekha Davies, Humans: A Monstrous History, 2025 Did you know? There's quite literally no place like utopia. In 1516, English humanist Sir Thomas More published a book titled Utopia, which compared social and economic conditions in Europe with those of an ideal society on an imaginary island located off the coast of the Americas. More wanted to imply that the perfect conditions on his fictional island could never really exist, so he called it “Utopia,” a name he created by combining the Greek words ou (“not, no”) and topos (“place”). The earliest generic use of utopia was for an imaginary and indefinitely remote place. The current use of utopia, referring to an ideal place or society, was inspired by More's description of Utopia's perfection.

 Carl, Dan, and Josh discuss how at least the brutally tortured mayor of Herdecke wasn't racist, Europe's Utopia and how the male gaze is back. To mark the launch of Stelios' new course, we will be holding another webinar on Ancient Greek Virtue Ethics this Thursday 16th at 6pm! Register here.

I Sold My Practice—Then Bought It Back: Why I Reinvested in Athlete's Potential In this episode, Doc Danny Matta shares a major announcement: he and his wife have reinvested in Athlete's Potential, the cash-based physical therapy clinic they originally founded, grew, and sold three years ago. Danny explains why he decided to buy back in, what's changed since selling, and how this move aligns with PT Biz's broader mission of transforming private practice ownership in the profession. Quick Ask Help us move toward our mission of adding $1B in cash-based services to physical therapy—share this episode with a clinician friend or post it on your Instagram stories and tag Danny. He'll reshare it! Episode Summary Full-circle moment: After selling Athlete's Potential to their clinic director, Jake Swart, three years ago, Danny and his wife have now bought back into the business as partners. New role: Danny will serve as a strategic growth advisor, helping scale the clinic through expansion, systems, compensation redesigns, and brand growth—without running day-to-day operations. Why return? After years of coaching clinic owners at PT Biz, Danny missed the hands-on, in-person side of brick-and-mortar ownership and saw an opportunity to reinvest in a clinic—and a leader—he truly believes in. Shared vision: The goal is to build the largest cash-based clinic group in the U.S.—potentially reaching multiple eight- and nine-figure revenues. Reframing success: Selling a business doesn't mean it's bad—it can be the right move for growth, but coming back can also reignite purpose and balance. Lessons & Takeaways Gratitude for your work: Owning a clinic is a privilege—few professions allow you to directly improve lives daily in such a positive environment. People first: The best and worst part of your business will always be the people. Growth happens when you give your team opportunities to rise with you. Big vision, bigger team: If your vision isn't large enough for your staff to see themselves in it, they'll leave. Growth should create opportunity for everyone involved. Balance matters: After years of remote, online work, Danny recognized the importance of being physically present in a mission-driven business again. Entrepreneurship reality: Not everyone is wired to be an entrepreneur—and that's okay. The goal is to create a place where great clinicians can thrive with freedom and stability. Mindset & Motivation Brick-and-mortar is special: In-person work brings community, culture, and real connection that can't be replaced by virtual meetings. Scaling through systems: Growth requires clear tracking, compensation systems, and recurring revenue models that align with mission and culture. Utopia for clinicians: The future of PT could be high-level clinicians working in thriving, well-run cash practices that offer better balance and fulfillment. Reinvesting in purpose: Sometimes the right move isn't a new business—it's doubling down on what you built and believe in most. Notable Quotes “We just put our money where our mouth is—with a significant monetary and time investment. I think the future of these businesses is massive.” “The best and worst part of your business is the people. Put them first, and they'll help you achieve your vision.” “If your vision isn't big enough for your staff to see themselves in it, they're going to leave.” “Being in person is special. It's something I missed deeply.” Pro Tips for Owners Audit your leadership: Ask yourself if your staff has clear growth opportunities within your company. Track what matters: Know your key numbers—capacity, margins, compensation ratios—and use them to guide expansion. Keep culture alive: Host in-person events and celebrate wins to strengthen team connection. Invest in people: The right partnerships and shared vision can take your business farther than solo effort ever could. Reignite purpose: If you're feeling disconnected, step back into what made you love this profession in the first place. Action Items Reflect on your clinic's vision—is it big enough for your team to see a future there? Revisit your compensation and growth plans to ensure they align with long-term retention. Host a team appreciation event or dinner this quarter to rebuild connection and purpose. Document your systems and metrics to prepare for future expansion opportunities. Programs Mentioned PT Biz Part-Time to Full-Time 5-Day Challenge (Free): Get clear on your numbers, choose your path to full-time, and build your one-page business plan. Resources & Links PT Biz Website Free 5-Day PT Biz Challenge About the Host: Doc Danny Matta—physical therapist, entrepreneur, and founder of PT Biz and Athlete's Potential. He's helped over 1,000 clinicians start, grow, and scale successful cash-based practices across the U.S.

In this imaginative and hopeful episode, Rob Hopkins—founder of the Transition movement and author of How to Fall in Love with the Future—guides listeners through a vivid meditation envisioning the year 2030. Drawing on years of community activism and storytelling, Rob invites us to step through a metaphorical door into a future shaped by collective action, resilience, and radical imagination. What might our cities, communities, and daily lives look like if we did everything we could to build a better world? This episode offers a powerful glimpse into that possibility.Episode 206: Meditation on Falling in Love with the Future—Rob HopkinsSupport the show

“The Future of Life Institute has been working on AI governance-related issues for the last decade. We're already over 10 years old, and our mission is to steer very powerful technology away from large-scale harm and toward very beneficial outcomes. You could think about any kind of extreme risks from AI, all the way to existential or extinction risk, the worst kinds of risks and the benefits. You can think about any kind of large benefits that humans could achieve from technology, all the way through to utopia, right? Utopia is the biggest benefit you can get from technology. Historically, that has meant we have focused on climate change, for example, and the impact of climate change. We have also focused on bio-related risks, pandemics and nuclear security issues. If things go well, we will be able to avoid these really bad downsides in terms of existential risk, extinction risks, mass surveillance, and really disturbing futures. We can avoid that very harmful side of AI or technology, and we can achieve some of the benefits.”Today, we take a closer look at the future of artificial intelligence and the policies that determine its place in our societies. Risto Uuk is Head of EU Policy and Research at the Future of Life Institute in Brussels, and a philosopher and researcher at KU Leuven, where he studies the systemic risks posed by AI. He has worked with the World Economic Forum, the European Commission, and leading thinkers like Stuart Russell and Daniel Susskind. He also runs one of the most widely read newsletters on the EU AI Act. As this technology is transforming economies, politics, and human life itself, we'll talk about the promises and dangers of AI, how Europe is trying to regulate it, and what it means to build safeguards for a technology that may be more powerful than anything we've seen before.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

In this episode Pat speaks with Dr Evie Kendal. Dr Evie Kendal is a bioethicist and public health scientist whose work focuses on emerging technologies. They discuss nostalgia TV, ectogenesis, and the uses and misuses of science fiction. A transcript of this episode will be available on the Concept : Art website here. Concept : Art is produced on muwinina Country, lutruwita Tasmania. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

“The Future of Life Institute has been working on AI governance-related issues for the last decade. We're already over 10 years old, and our mission is to steer very powerful technology away from large-scale harm and toward very beneficial outcomes. You could think about any kind of extreme risks from AI, all the way to existential or extinction risk, the worst kinds of risks and the benefits. You can think about any kind of large benefits that humans could achieve from technology, all the way through to utopia, right? Utopia is the biggest benefit you can get from technology. Historically, that has meant we have focused on climate change, for example, and the impact of climate change. We have also focused on bio-related risks, pandemics and nuclear security issues. If things go well, we will be able to avoid these really bad downsides in terms of existential risk, extinction risks, mass surveillance, and really disturbing futures. We can avoid that very harmful side of AI or technology, and we can achieve some of the benefits.”Today, we take a closer look at the future of artificial intelligence and the policies that determine its place in our societies. Risto Uuk is Head of EU Policy and Research at the Future of Life Institute in Brussels, and a philosopher and researcher at KU Leuven, where he studies the systemic risks posed by AI. He has worked with the World Economic Forum, the European Commission, and leading thinkers like Stuart Russell and Daniel Susskind. He also runs one of the most widely read newsletters on the EU AI Act. As this technology is transforming economies, politics, and human life itself, we'll talk about the promises and dangers of AI, how Europe is trying to regulate it, and what it means to build safeguards for a technology that may be more powerful than anything we've seen before.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

In this episode Pat speaks with Dr Evie Kendal. Dr Evie Kendal is a bioethicist and public health scientist whose work focuses on emerging technologies. They discuss nostalgia TV, ectogenesis, and the uses and misuses of science fiction. A transcript of this episode will be available on the Concept : Art website here. Concept : Art is produced on muwinina Country, lutruwita Tasmania. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Overview: In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, Matt Reiners speaks with Sasha Dawn, founder and CEO of Utopia Experiences — the company behind Spintopia, a live, customizable game show platform designed to combat isolation and spark connection in senior living communities.Sasha shares the deeply personal story that inspired her to create Utopia, and how a powerful interaction with a single activities director during the COVID-19 crisis changed her perspective on care and connection. From hilarious cat names to cross-country game show competitions, this conversation blends emotion, innovation, and joy — showing how intentional play can radically improve quality of life for older adults.Guest Bio:Sasha Dawn is the founder and CEO of Utopia Experiences, the creator of Spintopia — a customizable, senior-focused game show platform designed to combat isolation and spark joy in aging communities. Her journey from personal crisis to purposeful innovation has made her a passionate advocate for meaningful engagement in senior care. With a background in entertainment and a drive to create human connection, Sasha leads her team with what she calls “insightful passion and intuition.” Timestamps:01:00 — Meet Sasha Dawn: Game show host, CEO, and joy-giver03:00 — A father's stroke and the phone call that changed everything06:30 — The birth of Utopia Experiences: From grief to innovation08:30 — What is Spintopia? A game show built for senior living10:00 — A cat named McSneezy McSnotfly... and the magic of memory13:15 — Lessons in leadership, learning, and the $4 yellow blazer16:30 — Measuring impact: 75% increase in resident participation19:30 — Cross-community competition and virtual family moments22:00 — How engagement tech can reshape elder care25:00 — A 109-year-old's birthday game show and what's next for Utopia

In this episode Pat speaks with Dr Evie Kendal. Dr Evie Kendal is a bioethicist and public health scientist whose work focuses on emerging technologies. They discuss nostalgia TV, ectogenesis, and the uses and misuses of science fiction. A transcript of this episode will be available on the Concept : Art website here. Concept : Art is produced on muwinina Country, lutruwita Tasmania. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

This podcast episode is about integration. How do we go forward with all the colonial code, bumping up against the remembrance of our ancestral code? How do we integrate the concrete and the care? The cop in our head and the kid in our heart? How do we invite our fear and our spirit to the table? How might we act as the compassionate mediator? How might that compassionate mediation facilitate a practice of making art? My intention behind recording this episode is to wade inside of some of these questions with you.ResourcesLearn more and enroll into The Laboratory of Erotic Engineering: https://www.seedaschool.com/labLearn more and book a free Desire Discovery Call for 1:1 Erotic Engineering: https://www.seedaschool.com/engineerSubscribe to the Seeda School Substack: ⁠https://seedaschool.substack.com/⁠Follow Ayana on Instagram: ⁠⁠@ayzaco⁠⁠Follow Ayana on Threads: ⁠⁠@ayzaco⁠⁠Follow Seeda School on Instagram: ⁠⁠@seedaschool⁠CitationsMexican artist Pedro Reyes believes in art's functionality...“Truth, Lee and Elaw practiced what Phyllis Mack calls “spiritual theatre.” — Jayna Brown writing about Sojourner Truth in “Along the Psychic Highway: Black Women Mystics and Utopias of the Ecstatic”, Black Utopias: Speculative Life and the Music of Other Worlds, pg. 28 (2021)The Flesh of the Matter: A Critical Forum on Hortense Spillers (2024) edited by Margo Natalie Crawford and C. Riley Snorton“Moving On Down the Line: Variations on the African-American Sermon” by Hortense J. SpillersBeloved (1987) by Toni MorrisonVictor Strecher talks about his SPACE framework inside the “Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 2” Hidden Brain episode published October 6, 2025Cover Art: Simone Leigh (b. 1967, Chicago), Georgia Mae (2017), Medium: Salt-glazed stoneware, porcelain, and resin, Dimensions: 34 1/4 × 14 3/4 × 15 inches (87 × 37.5 × 38.1 cm) Source: Guggenheim Museum

In this episode, recorded on October 9th, we discuss:Google's Gemini Enterprise: A groundbreaking AI platform that is set to revolutionize workplace automation across various departments like marketing, sales, HR, and finance.California's Pioneering AI Law: Governor Gavin Newsom's new legislation aimed at regulating powerful AI models to prevent misuse and ensure transparency.AI in Governance: Insights from Isabel's Substack, Utopia and Beta, exploring the implications of AI in government, including Albania's appointment of an AI minister.AI in Relationships: A deep dive into how AI companions are impacting human connections and the psychological effects of interacting with AI.Event Alert: Join us for the upcoming Future of Money, Governance, and the Law summit in Washington, D.C. on October 29th and 30th! Learn more at gbaglobal.org.Don't miss out on this engaging conversation about the future of AI and its role in our daily lives!Stay curious, keep pushing boundaries, and subscribe to our channel for more insightful discussions!Support us through our Sponsors! ☕

Libertarian philosopher Robert Nozick made a classical argument against redistributing wealth and economic resources in his book "Anarchy, State & Utopia" based on a thought experiment about the basketball player Wilt Chamberlain. Marxist philosopher G.A. Cohen takes it apart piece by piece. Ben Burgis discusses!Read Ben's article about this in Jacobin:Follow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

For the British writer and cultural critic Olivia Laing, restoring and tending to their backyard garden has prompted complex questions of power, community, and mystery, concepts that they beautifully excavate in their latest book, the fascinating and mind-expanding The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise. Whether in their nonfiction works, including the critically acclaimed The Lonely City (2016), their art and culture writing and criticism (2020's Funny Weather: ​​Art in an Emergency), or their novels (2018's Crudo and the forthcoming The Silver Book, out this November), Laing turns an incisive eye to examining what it will take for people—our “temporal selves,” as they put it—to forgo loneliness and isolation, reconnect with nature and one another, and flourish on a planet in crisis.On this episode, recorded in their apartment at the Barbican in London, Laing explores gardening and writing's symbiotic relationship; the act of rebelling against a reactive culture by embracing slowness; and the importance of imagining, in vivid detail, the kinds of utopias we could one day very well live in.Special thanks to our Season 12 presenting sponsor, Van Cleef & Arpels.Show notes:Olivia Laing[4:35] The Barbican[7:39] “The Garden Against Time” (2024)[7:53] Mark Rumary[9:08] Notcutts[14:08] “The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone” (2016)[16:07] Jhumpa Lahiri[18:41] Piet Oudolf[19:21] Middleton Place[19:21] The Sackler family[22:54] “Modern Nature” (1991)[24:07] “Paradise Lost” (1667)[25:40] “The Secret Garden” (1911)[25:40] “Tom's Midnight Garden” (1958)[29:29] “The Garden” (1681)[30:29] “Everybody: A Book About Freedom” (2021) [35:07] “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” (2014)[39:57] David Wojnarowicz's "Magic Box"[39:57] Ana Mendieta[40:51] Agnes Martin[43:08] “Funny Weather: ​​Art in an Emergency” (2020) [45:29] “Crudo” (2018) [48:20] “A Dance to the Music of Time” (1951–1975) [50:29] “The Silver Book” (2025)[52:48] Federico Fellini[52:48] Pier Paolo Pasolini[55:17] “News from Nowhere” (1890) 

Socialism is growing in popularity. Democratic Socialists of America believe in a Utopia that is impossible. In fact, socialism has never worked. On the one hand, DSAs don’t believe in capitalism, but they believe the state should take over means of production, housing, and healthcare. Imagine the DMV and the VA taking over the energy sector. Hear Zohran Mamdani and Representative Rashida Tlaib in their own words to get an idea of their worldview. Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy award-winning sportscaster turned political and cultural commentator. Record-setting, four-time Sports Emmy Award winner Michele Tafoya worked her final NBC Sunday Night Football game at Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, her fifth Super Bowl. She retired from sportscasting the following day. In total, she covered 327 games — the most national primetime TV games (regular + postseason) for an NFL sideline reporter. Learn More about “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://linktr.ee/micheletafoya Subscribe to “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://apple.co/3nPW221 Follow Michele on twitter: https://twitter.com/Michele_Tafoya Follow Michele on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmicheletafoya/ Learn more about the Salem Podcast network: https://salempodcastnetwork.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Hamilton has worked as an actor since he was a teenager in NYC. On stage, he's been in the original productions of Kenneth Lonergan's This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery and The Medieval Play, on Broadway in Proof, The Real Thing, The Coast of Utopia and Dead Accounts. Off-Broadway includes Annie Baker's The Antipodes, Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want, HurlyBurly(Drama Desk nom), Scene Partners, Lie of the Mind, The Cider House Rules, Reasons to be Happy, Cherry Orchard and Three Sisters(CSC), The Bridge Project(BAM/Old Vic) and Wallace Shawn's Evening at the Talkhouse(National Theater). His film work has included Reality, 8th Grade(Indie Spirit nom), Maestro, Manchester by the Sea, Blaze, Landscape with Invisible Hand, Away We Go, Outsourced, Kicking and Screaming, The House of Yes, Alive. And on TV in The Walking Dead, 13 Reasons Why, The Last Thing He Told Me, Mrs. Fletcher, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Louie, Accused, and Ray Donovan. He can be seen in the upcoming The Long Walk, Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly, Concessions, Mayday(Apple), Something Very Bad is Going to Happen(Netflix), The Last Thing He Told Me season 2(Apple) and The Five Star Weekend(Peacock). And on stage in Wallace Shawn's new play “What We Did Before Our Moth Days” directed by Andre Gregory at the Greenwich House Theater in early 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recreational ketamine use is on the rise. But why are some people using it to dissociate in the club? Ketamine – a dissociative anesthetic – is illegal without a prescription and can potentially be harmful. Yet, it has had a massive rise in recreational use over the past decade. One study found that use increased by 81.8% from 2015 to 2019 and rose another 40% from 2021 to 2022. What is driving the illicit drug's sudden popularity? And is it's dissociative properties indicative of our times? Brittany chats with P.E. Moskowitz, a journalist and author of Breaking Awake: A Reporter's Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs, which explores our national mental health and drug use crises, and Benjamin Breen, associate professor of history at UC Santa Cruz, who specializes in the histories of science, medicine and drugs and is the author of the book, Tripping on Utopia. Together they investigate why ketamine is showing up in more people's social lives.Warning: this episode contains discussion of illegal drugs and drugs use and may not be suitable for all listeners. For more information on the science of ketamine, check out NPR's Short Wave podcast.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR's Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy