Podcasts about weirdly

A prayer against things impinging and pushing through boundaries.

This one starts with a dodgy lane choice, a Starbucks coffee, and a misjudged underpass. As always. I'm back in the Land Rover — which might be its final podcast outing before it finds a new home — and today's episode is a rambling, reflective road trip through customer service, creative resilience, and the rapidly growing presence of AI in our industry. The day started badly. Cold shower (thanks British Gas), broken editing software, and a head full of terabytes. But it ended with a reminder of why kindness, craftsmanship, and conversation still matter. A haircut from someone I've known for 18 years. A deep chat with the owner of Michel Engineering while he lovingly took apart my ancient-but-beautiful record deck — the very same design featured in A Clockwork Orange and owned by Steve Jobs, no less. And then... a disappointing interaction with a distracted barista and a headset-wearing drive-thru operator. Same building, worlds apart. Customer service, it turns out, is alive and well — just not always where you'd expect it. But the main theme of this episode is AI. Not the doom-and-gloom kind, but the real stuff: the tools I'm already using, how they're reshaping our workflows, and how they might be reshaping entire economies. It's not AI that's coming for your job — it's the photographer who learns to harness it. We talk about: AI tools I already use (like EVOTO, Imagine AI, ChatGPT, and XCi) Using AI as a teaching assistant, sub-editor, and productivity coach The real-world implications of AI-generated ads, coding layoffs, and what it means for creatives Plans for a new AI section on masteringportraitphotography.com And if you hang in there until the end, I'll tell you about a girl named Dory, a gutsy 12-year-old contortionist, and the new edition of Mastering Portrait Photography — complete with fresh images, a decade of stories, and a very special launch offer. So pop on your headphones, admire the wheat fields if you've got them, and come along for the ride. Spoiler: there's C3PO's eye in here too. Yes, really.  

Ian Madison rolls in with a background of ethically hunted animals (that's what he told us), evidence of like eight million Bad Religion shows, and some serious desire to talk about how traditional safety measurements are about as useful as a broken guitar string. Not a bass string, because a broken bass string is about as useful as the rest of them anyway.Seriously, though. Check out the video on YouTube to see what Ian has going on behind him.The episode title is one of the best punk albums of all time, The Process of Belief, from Bad Religion. It's a shoutout to Ian, and it's also a reference to the way we get hung up on our beliefs about what makes us safer and how we know. More on that in a minute.We've already had an episode on metrics, but Ian was driving this one, and even though it sounds like a lot of measurement talk and bashing on TRIR, it's really an episode about the things that take attention away from what matters. And bashing TRIR. Weirdly, Ian can get away with a lot more than Ron on that topic.Matt Hollowell and the CSRA get name-dropped for actually making sense, too. Not sure this podcast was the publicity they want, but you get what you get sometimes.The boys cover a lot of ground on this one: spiders, tailgate-to-person ratio, donuts and cheeseburgers, and whiskey. It moves almost as fast as Smelly's foot during Linoleum. And that's pretty fast.Back to the episode. It's seriously good. Like, just some dudes in a bar talking about safety stuff good. Ian has a way of simplifying concepts, smashing them into a story, and bringing people along in a way that makes a lot of sense. This episode has got a lot of exactly that.And the boys may have talked him into joining the Second Annual Punk Rock Safety Field Trip in LA this October.   DISCLAIMER: You probably shouldn't take anything in this podcast too seriously. Punk Rock Safety is for entertainment only. It's definitely not a replacement for professional or legal advice, and the fair amount of piss-taking, shithousery, and general ridiculousness ought to clue you into the fact that no one - and no organization - is endorsing (or un-endorsing, if that's a thing) any products, ideas, or other things. Except NOFX. We definitely endorse them.Oh, and give your money to Punk Rock Saves Lives. They're a rad organization that works in mental health, addiction, and human rights. And they're awesome people who can use your help to keep on kicking ass at what they do.https://www.punkrocksaveslives.org/Let us know what you think at info@punkrocksafety.com or on our LinkedIn page.Merch at punkrocksafetymerch.com

Jeb and Blake ponder Atlantis and "healing holes" in the waters off the coast of Bimini. (Weirdly this is almost literally true as Blake ended up actually in Bimini just a week before this ep released. More on that soon.) Links for Shownotes: Roby Yonge on "The Beatles Paul is Dead" Neptune Memorial Reef "Psychic" Irene Hughes Bimini Wall Edgar Cayce Beachrock The Healing Hole More on the crystal ball from 2010 (Cayce related)   Nimoy Fashion Alert: Other interesting images from the episode: Hemingway's Healing Hole: Robey Yong and Irene Hughes re-enact their experiences. Doc Raymond Brown and his crystal ball Marcel Vogel and some crystals - he was also in S01E01 on talking plants.  

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James T. talks about the nonsense liberal claims that the United States is not fit to host the world cup because of Trump. Weirdly, the conversation takes a swerve to talking about Voluptuous Plus Women.

Who invented Satan? If you said "the Bible," think again nerds! In this Origin Story Vol. 1 minisode, we go ancient, like really ancient and introduce you to Zoroaster, a Persian prophet who may have accidentally drawn up Satan's first résumé.Before YHWH got possessive and the Christians started branding anyone with hobbies as a witch, Zoroaster was preaching about ONE god ‘Ahura Mazda' and his cosmic nemesis, ‘Angra Mainyu'. This dualistic theology gave us some suspiciously familiar tropes:

Today on The Marilyn Denis Show we asked you, what is something that we are weirdly competitive about? Marilyn Denis gives her review of F1 and David Corey gives his review of Superman. Plus, our favourite board games, how to pick the perfect watermelon, and much more.

A Chinese park is hiring full-time forest monsters to scare tourists, grunt at passersby, and get paid $89 a day with accident insurance and zero dignity.READ or LISTEN to this #MindOfMarlar article:https://weirddarkness.com/MM-StartYourCryptidCareerMindOfMarlar™, WeirdDarkness®, Copyright ©2025

Anyone ready for a little chat about death? Well Depeche Mode was in 2023 with the release of their 15th (!!!) studio album after the tragic passing of their original member Andy Fletcher. Weirdly enough, they were ready to discuss it even prior to his death.Tune your synths, light a candle, and lets get dark with this mini episode for Depeche Mode.Original Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1654846/episodes/11614432-idx-021-0-depeche-mode Instagram: @indexed_podFacebook: IndexedShow Email: indexedpodcast@gmail.comIntro / Outro Music by VHX (https://soundcloud.com/djvhx)

This episode is a hoot and a half!!! Tune in for Mal and Syd pre-brunch conversation centered around bisexuality and weeeeeirdly close friendships we all had with our girl friends growing up. Were they a little gay? You tell us! (yes).  Follow Syd @sydrose___ and check out her podcast, Are We Flirting? here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4jmwsHdeU2D1W1pPhfUX1C Follow Made It Out Media @madeitout and follow Mal @malglowenke Check out our new show, Out For A Drive, and please remember to subscribe, engage, like, comment, show us some love babyyyy! https://youtu.be/Kk8c-SYuxpI?si=VU0CV9CTisXB4dro Season 1 guests include: Olivia Tiedemann, Robby Hoffman, Victoria Paris, Jonica Booth, and many more! For all other inquiries, please email ⁠⁠madeitout@mgmt-entertainment.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My journey to kick Diet Coke has led me to sparkling mineral water with aged balsamic vinegar and lime. Weirdly enough, it is more of a mind hack to fool the brain…same coloration with the carbonation and when the lime is added it takes away the “vinegar” taste…mostly. You really have to find the proper mix to work for you, though. Still working mine out! The Music Authority Podcast...download, listen, share, repeat…heard daily on Belter Radio, Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Mixcloud, Player FM, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, Pocket Cast, APPLE iTunes, and direct for the source distribution site: *Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/  AND NOW there is a website! TheMusicAuthority.comThe Music Authority Podcast! Special Recorded Network Shows, too! Different than my daily show! Seeing that I'm gone from FB now…Follow me on “X” Jim Prell@TMusicAuthority*The Music Authority on @BelterRadio Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 7 pm ET & Wednesday 9 pm ET*Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT! *The Sole Of Indie https://soleofindie.rocks/ Monday Through Friday 6-7PM EST!*AltPhillie.Rocks Sunday, Thursday, & Saturday At 11:00AM ET!July 5, 2025, Saturday, verse one…@Orbis 2.0 - TMA SHOW OPEN THEME@Permanent Green Light - (You & I Are The) Summertime@The Connection - She's A Keeper [Let It Rock]@The Speedways - Tonight You'll Find Love [Triple Platinum] (@Beluga Records)@The Miamis - All Alone Tonight@Persian Claws - Yours Sincerely@Fernando Perdomo feat @Pat Sansone - Ram On [Ram On The 50th Anniversary Tribute to Paul & Linda McCartney's Album “Ram”]@The Grip Weeds - Rainy Day #3 [IPO Vol 4]@Dave Keegan - Wavelength [Dave Keegan]@Ken Sharp - Girl Don't Tell Me [Happy Accidents]@The 66ers - Holiday [Have More Fun] (@Rum Bar Records)@Argent - I Am The Dance Of Ages [Hold Your Head Up]@Bill Lloyd - The World Turns Her All Around [Full Circle: A Tribute To Gene Clark]@The Jacks - I'm Falling@The Jive - Good Time Call (@Rum Bar Records)@Room Full of Strangers - Swimming In Circles [Bad Vacation LP]@Splitsville - A Glorious Lie [Mobtown] (@Big Stir Records)@Emitt Rhodes - Mother Earth [The Emitt Rhodes Recordings (1969- 1973)]@The Pozers - Save A Kiss [Something Pop]@Nick Lowe - Hope For Us All@Pezband – Love Goes Underground [Laughing In The Dark]@Nate Perry & Ragged Company – Tonight [Til The Well Runs Dry]

There's no way around this: all time banger of an episode, maybe Miguel's finest appearance yet. I'm pretty sure I cut all the bad parts so if this makes you mad at any of us that's due to a problem with your heart. The twisted throuple discusses wine using the lens of Coruscant, the urban planet at the center of the Galaxy. Weirdly enough, this actually works really well. Please go visit Miguel's new restaurant Beautiful Eyes, opening this fall in Manhattan. ////LIST////Xiaopu Hualai, Hanbei China, Roussane, 2022//Gerard Duplessis, Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, 2021//R. Lopez de Heredia, Rioja, Vima TOndonia Rosato, 2012////Support the show

Seth & Sean sit and listen to Diontae Johnson talk about his antics last season, including with the Texans.

In this engaging episode of Life After Kids, Dr. Brooke and Dr. Lynne explore the unique joys and quirky experiences that come with midlife, especially as children begin to leave home. They emphasize finding humor and happiness in everyday moments and share their personal anecdotes about adjusting to life when the focus is no longer entirely on the children. The discussion extends into how routines have shifted, with Dr. Brooke expressing delight in simple peace and quiet, and Dr. Lynne finding joy in planning events. Their conversation emphasizes how different experiences influence new life rhythms. The hosts dive into a series of "would you rather" questions, crafting a lively conversation around topics such as maintaining a youthful appearance versus keeping midlife wisdom. Dr. Lynne and Dr. Brooke explore how their perspectives have evolved, especially concerning confidence and authenticity. Both hosts share how these changes affect their daily lives, touching upon themes of self-care, authenticity in friendships, and the newfound freedom to structure their time as they see fit. The episode encourages listeners to embrace the freedom and authenticity that comes with aging, reminding them that midlife is about celebrating new beginnings and finding joy in doing things their way. Key Takeaways: Life after kids offers the freedom to focus on personal desires and interests that were previously overshadowed by parenting responsibilities. The importance of embracing the wisdom and confidence gained in midlife over the desire to retain youthful appearances. Finding delight in simple pleasures and personal routines can significantly enhance everyday joy in the midlife stage. Being intentional about daily activities, whether unplugging from technology or planning spontaneous outings, is crucial for a fulfilling midlife. It is liberating in midlife to express one's true thoughts without the sole aim of maintaining peace, fostering more authentic relationships. Resources: Follow "Life After Kids" on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok Website: www.lifeafterkids.com Seaweed snacks Wireless bras Join Dr. Brooke and Dr. Lynne as they bring humor and wisdom to the discussion of midlife joys. This episode is brimming with insights and laughter, painting midlife as a time of personal revitalization. Listen to the full episode to explore more unconventional joys and gather ideas on how to celebrate your own midlife journey. Stay tuned for more episodes designed to inspire and inform your life after kids. Timestamp Summary 0:00 Finding Joy in Midlife's Unexpected Pleasures 4:00 Embracing Freedom and New Rhythms After Kids Leave Home 10:31 Would You Rather: Health Versus Body Image Dilemmas 12:34 Choosing Between Unplugging and Binge Watching for Relaxation 15:54 Would You Rather: Perfect Hair or Never Shave Again 18:16 Embracing Midlife Wisdom and Letting Go of Past Burdens 24:02 Embracing Comfort and Style in Everyday Fashion Choices 31:57 Embracing Change and Authenticity in Life's New Chapters 34:38 Authenticity and Apologies in Personal Interactions 36:24 Cultivating Joy and Intentional Living in Midlife 40:35 Choosing Between a Dream Closet or Kitchen Remodel Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code AFTERKIDS to get UP TO $300 off! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-yearwarranty—an $84 value, free! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Receive 20% OFF any AquaTru purifier! Go to AquaTru.com and enter code AFTERKIDS at checkout.*Aquatru comes with a 30 day money back guarantee

This is the way season four ends, not with a bang but with a "weirdly ok." Alex John and Youngmi discuss the emotions that are topping them this week before discussing the topic of memory. Consumption: Alex: Last of Us Finale Youngmi: "Bad Influence" JdB: Oreo Mega Stuff and Hostess Strawberry Cupcakes Please send us your advice questions! And topic suggestions! Send us a voice note via our IG profile, email them to givingupthepod@gmail.com or send anonymously.

We still got a will and a burning rage to win, folks, because Ellis and Corbs are talking about WALK HARD! Topics: Non-linerar editing and audience testing, Judd Apatow, John C. Riley, paralell world Phil Hoffman, the evolving form of the comedy star during this time, the superior but rarely seen director's cut of this movire, and the weird line between parody and pastiche the movie straddles. Weirdly long? Corbin's Recco Here. Matt reccommends The Ankler, a newsletter about Da Movie Buziness.  Next week's episode is an episode about post continuity. Check out "Deja Vu" by Tony Scott and one of the Michael Bay Transformers movies if you want to be totally abreast of the thing we're doing but it's not necessary. 

My first impression of Critical Role's Daggerheart RPG is that it's definitely made for the DnD 5e crowd... there is ZERO question about that. Weirdly, Wizards of the Coast even congratulated this Dungeons & Dragons competitor publicly. Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

My first impression of Critical Role's Daggerheart RPG is that it's definitely made for the DnD 5e crowd... there is ZERO question about that. Weirdly, Wizards of the Coast even congratulated this Dungeons & Dragons competitor publicly.Watch this podcast episode on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify.CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles.D/REZZED News covers Pixels, Pop Culture, and the Paranormal! We're an independent, opinionated entertainment news blog covering Video Games, Tech, Comics, Movies, Anime, High Strangeness, and more. As part of Clownfish TV, we strive to be balanced, based, and apolitical. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://news.clownfishtv.com/On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTVOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvgOn Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629

New Moon in Gemini — May 26, 2025 | 6° Gemini Mercury, Sedna, and Hygeia rise with the Moon. Saturn and Neptune whisper from Aries. Pluto hums in harmony. Hekate waits at the crossroads. This isn't just a lunation. It's a new language for your becoming — threaded through intuition, sacred pause, and the raw power of your voice. In this video, I walk you through:

Featuring: AmmosArt, Belghast, Kodra, Tamrielo, and Thalen   Hey Folks! Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there who might be listening to our show. We are down an Ash and a Grace and have an under-the-weather Kodra, but push on.  We start off with Bel asking the question: What is the bare minimum required for something to be called a crossover in a game? Kodra shares his thoughts about his playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 and how it gives the impression of time pressure, but that there really is not any.  This branches off into a whole discussion about imaginary time pressure and actual hard clocks in games.  Weirdly, this also then branches off into a discussion about how “sexytime” is handled in games. In a more pure gaming experience, Tam shares his thoughts about the wildly successful Burrows and Badgets.  Bel talks about rolling a Gauntlet character in the Sir Gog led Path of Exile league and hitting a hard stop in Act 8.  Finally, we talk a bit about Dune Awakening and then attempt to explain the Dune universe to Kodra.   Topics Discussed: What Constitutes a Crossover in a Video Game? Diablo IV x Berserk Collaboration Cyberpunk 2077 and the implication of time pressure. Actual Time Pressure vs Imagined Sexytime in Gaming Burrows and Badgers Sir Gog's Soft Gauntlet in Path of Exile Dune: Awakening Beta Hopes Explaining Dune to Kodra

The Tape Baking Episode: The Cult of Baked Tapes, The Problem With Magnetic Media, Potential Solutions, Tape Baking Recipe, Digital and Analog Solutions, The Singular Moment on Tapes, A Very Long Consideration of Personalities. Weirdly, the best page I found on tape baking as an introduction is so retro you aren't 100% sure if they're not intentionally doing an aesthetic, but here it is, courtesy of Wendy Carlos: If I'd Have Known You Were Coming I'd Have Baked a Tape!

Damian Lillard wrecks his achilles as the Bucks fall to the Pacers in Game 4 of their first round series. It's a complete deja vu moment for a team that has seemed cursed since they won the Championship in 2021. Bart is live after the game to break it all down

Relationship Reddit Stories, OP's friends boyfriend is constantly trying to get information on OP's life and everyone else thinks it's normal?!0:00 Intro0:19 Story 15:56 Story 1 Comments / OP's Replies9:12 Story 1 Update12:13 Story 1 Comment / OP's Reply14:24 Story 217:57 Story 2 Comments / OP's Reply#redditupdate #redditrelationship #redditstoriesreddit Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/mark-narrations-the-wafflecast-reddit-stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the key to investing wasn't finding the next big thing—but surviving the next unknown? Bestselling author and savings expert Morgan Housel shares the true story that changed how he sees risk forever—and how it reshaped his philosophy on money, markets, and why most people lose when they try to predict the future. Listen to the full episode here - Spotify - https://g2ul0.app.link/H8BQBpwjsSb Apple - https://g2ul0.app.link/Y3vybjBjsSb Watch the Episodes on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Morgan Housel's books - https://www.morganhousel.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a time where a global pandemic was ravaging the world, people were finally able to flock back to the theater for their first big theatrical experience in almost a year. What were they given after an overwhelming time? The film equivalent of your brain short circuiting! Christopher was back with 'Tenet'. Weirdly sandwiched between his historical dramas 'Dunkirk' and 'Oppenheimer', is this a natural progression on his usual twisty formula, or is a regression into old tropes?Starring - John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Michael Caine

Louise Edington discusses the astrology forecast for April 6th to 13th, highlighting significant astrology events and their impact. Mercury and Venus are both stationing direct and we have a Libra Full Moon as we emerge from the chrysalis of immense shifts. The tide is beginning to turn. #riseuptogether #togetherwerise #rootrisecreate Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE or PAID for group calls and more. https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation Follow Louise at her website louiseedington.com. Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CosmicOwlLouiseEdington/ Louise's fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ ///FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY /// FYI I READ EVERY COMMENT AND DELETE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS /// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Louise Edington discusses the transition of Neptune into Aries, a significant astrological event with a 165-year cycle. Neptune's move, expected to last until 2038, is expected to influence global energy and consciousness. Louise highlights the shift from Neptune in Pisces, marked by spiritual awakening and cultism, to Neptune in Aries, which may foster a rise in sacred identity, visionary action, and spiritual warrior archetypes. She notes historical parallels, such as the American Civil War era, and emphasizes the importance of personal power and vision in the coming years. Louise also mentions her YouTube membership program and upcoming live Q&A sessions for both Substack and YT subscribers. Subscribe to Louise's YouTube at “at cosmicowlastrology” Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation For more from Louise, subscribe to this channel and check the bell to receive notifications AND/OR follow Louise at louiseedington.com or https://www.facebook.com/WildWomanUnleashed/ My fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Louise Edington discusses the astrology forecast for MARCH 30 - April 5th, highlighting significant astrological events and their impact. She mentions the nodes at 27 degrees, Venus and Mercury's retrogrades in Pisces, and Neptune's move into Aries. Key aspects include the moon's conjunction with Chiron, Mars, and Neptune, and Venus's conjunction with the North Node. Edington emphasizes the importance of personal transformation, collective consciousness, and taking action aligned with one's values. She also introduces new membership options and encourages self-care and resilience amidst the ongoing changes. #riseuptogether #togetherwerise #rootrisecreate Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE or PAID for group calls and more. https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation Follow Louise at her website louiseedington.com. Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CosmicOwlLouiseEdington/ Louise's fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ ///FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY /// FYI I READ EVERY COMMENT AND DELETE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS /// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Ret FBI Behavior Analysis Chief Breaks Down Karen Read's Contradicting Statements & Actions Did a true crime documentary just tank Karen Read's defense? When you're facing an alleged second-degree murder charge, most folks would advise you to keep your head down, stay quiet, and maybe—just maybe—not hand your unfiltered stream of consciousness to a documentary crew. But that's exactly what Karen Read did in “Body in the Snow”, the HBO Max/ID doc that might double as a cautionary tale for anyone with a pending trial. Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke break down Read's on-camera contradictions—from her teary musings of “What if I ran over his foot?” to suddenly being sure she didn't touch a hair on his head. The emotional tone? Weirdly upbeat. The logic? Like a drunk game of Clue with a broken compass. Robin calls it “word salad.” Tony calls it narcissistic. We just call it… yikes. Then there's the blogger—Turtleboy—who Read allegedly had daily contact with, feeding him info while he stirred a digital witch hunt. Online harassment, stalking, intimidation… and it's not even the second trial yet. Is Karen Read the victim of a smear campaign, or her own worst enemy with a podcast mic? #KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillersPodcast #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #Turtleboy #BodyInTheSnow Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Ret FBI Behavior Analysis Chief Breaks Down Karen Read's Contradicting Statements & Actions Did a true crime documentary just tank Karen Read's defense? When you're facing an alleged second-degree murder charge, most folks would advise you to keep your head down, stay quiet, and maybe—just maybe—not hand your unfiltered stream of consciousness to a documentary crew. But that's exactly what Karen Read did in “Body in the Snow”, the HBO Max/ID doc that might double as a cautionary tale for anyone with a pending trial. Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke break down Read's on-camera contradictions—from her teary musings of “What if I ran over his foot?” to suddenly being sure she didn't touch a hair on his head. The emotional tone? Weirdly upbeat. The logic? Like a drunk game of Clue with a broken compass. Robin calls it “word salad.” Tony calls it narcissistic. We just call it… yikes. Then there's the blogger—Turtleboy—who Read allegedly had daily contact with, feeding him info while he stirred a digital witch hunt. Online harassment, stalking, intimidation… and it's not even the second trial yet. Is Karen Read the victim of a smear campaign, or her own worst enemy with a podcast mic? #KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillersPodcast #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #Turtleboy #BodyInTheSnow Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Big Tommy Gas Hands brought his rubber ducky to UFC London. See what he did there? That's a little elbow to the ribs of Jon Jones, who we know Aspinall has been chasing all over God's green earth trying to get a shot at unifying the heavyweight title. That's got to be frustrating. Weirdly, however, Aspinall emerged from a meeting with UFC brass last week saying he was excited, that he felt great, that “big announcements” are coming soon. Yet, he also didn't specifically say those big announcements had anything to do with Jones. So, is he just messing with us, or is something else on the horizon? Plus, Sean Brady jumped up four spots to No. 1-contender status on the UFC's official welterweight rankings after defeating Leon Edwards. Yes, you read that correctly. Brady now officially outranks THAT BOOT GOOD. SAY WHAT??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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We hit a nice tangent this morning of a bunch of good stuff Headlines with the two American astronauts returning yesterday Sports with an update on Tracy Morgan after he threw up at the Knicks game the other night

Louise Edington discusses the upcoming eclipse on March 29th, emphasizing its significance as a portal of transformation and rebirth. She notes the eclipse's alignment with Venus and Mercury retrograde, the solar maximum, and previous eclipses. The eclipse is at 9 degrees Aries, opposing the new moon eclipse from October 2024. Key aspects include Mercury retrograde, Venus in Pisces, and the asteroids Salacia and Psyche. Louise highlights the themes of universal love, spiritual awakening, and the integration of depth and light. She encourages embracing creativity, joy, and the wildness of being, predicting a significant shift in human consciousness. Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation My fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Al and Kev talk about Piczel Cross: Rune Factory Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:23: What Have We Been Up To 00:23:29: Game News 00:32:12: New Games 00:38:58: Piczel Cross: Rune Factory 01:01:33: Outr Links Desktop Cat Cafe One Lonely Outpost Console Release Sprout Valley “Friends Forever” DLC Everholm 1.1.0 Update Farlands 0.4 Update Mika and the Witch’s Mountain “Into the Mount Gaun” Update Wholesome Direct Announcement Monsterpatch Kickstarter Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Al, (0:00:36) Kev: And my name is Kevin, and I’m, or so I’m told. (0:00:38) Al: and we’re here today to talk about how tired we are, and also Cottagecore Games. (0:00:44) Kev: Oh, gosh, yes. (0:00:46) Kev: Oh, whoa, hey, that, that’s the correct one. (0:00:55) Kev: That’s how my brain feels right now. (0:00:55) Al: That’s all of the enthusiasm you get from this episode, though. (0:01:00) Al: Right. This episode, we’re going to talk about Pixel Cross Rune Factory, the new Pixel Cross game. (0:01:06) Kev: by the not to pick across people yeah (0:01:11) Al: Yeah. Yeah. Pixel Cross by someone else. Before that, we obviously have the news. (0:01:19) Al: Look at a chunk of news. So we’re going to talk about that. But first of all, Kevin, (0:01:25) Al: what have you been up to? (0:01:26) Kev: Oh gosh. So, not a lot in terms of games and all that. Why, you ask? Because I went on a (0:01:36) Kev: work trip this week. I just got back this morning, a couple hours ago, when we start this recording. (0:01:47) Kev: So, I went to sunny San Diego, California. My first time back to my home state in almost 25 years. (0:01:57) Kev: I’m not from San Diego. I’m a little farther north. It’s my hometown area. But, (0:02:04) Kev: yeah, I went to San Diego a few times because SeaWorld was there. But not too many memories (0:02:09) Kev: other than SeaWorld. But the trip itself was fine. The work stuff was work stuff, whatever. (0:02:21) Kev: But just yesterday, I got basically an extra day. I’m gonna spend a (0:02:26) Kev: little time to run around San Diego. I went down to the beach, this place called La Jolla Cove. (0:02:35) Kev: There are sea lions, there are rocky cliffs. You can wade in the water in the beach. It is (0:02:43) Kev: all the hallmarks from my childhood because I lived by the coast. Farther north, like I said, (0:02:48) Kev: but almost the same thing. Many seals and sea lions. Very, very enjoyable. The weather was nice. (0:02:55) Kev: That was a great time. (0:02:56) Kev: So, yeah, that was fun. (0:02:58) Kev: What wasn’t fun was the kind of the bookends, the start and the beginning of this. (0:03:06) Kev: So, as I was leaving, I was bringing my own personal laptop because, you know, I might need it for something or wanted to do stuff with it. (0:03:16) Kev: And then I soon discovered that it wasn’t charging. (0:03:22) Kev: At first I thought I was the charger, that wasn’t working, then I thought it was the (0:03:26) Kev: port, but it wasn’t charging with another, the original charger which is a different (0:03:31) Kev: kind of port. (0:03:34) Kev: Long story short, I think my personal computer is dead. (0:03:37) Al: Oh, no. (0:03:40) Kev: So I have to get that repaired, I don’t know if it’s a battery thing or whatever, but I (0:03:45) Kev: would like that fixed because I have things on there including my other audacity and recordings, (0:03:52) Kev: that’s my usual recording computer. (0:03:57) Kev: Next, and also that explains the chromium audio quality coming from me today because I have (0:04:04) Kev: my microphone, but it’s a USB-A connector and the computer I’m using right now is only (0:04:12) Kev: USB-C ports because of the brilliant design of course I guess, and I don’t have a dongle (0:04:18) Kev: or adapter or whatever, so I’m just using standard laptop recording. (0:04:24) Kev: So yeah, sorry about that. (0:04:26) Kev: Folks. So that happened. That was not fun. I’m gonna address that. So the trip back, that was, that was something because the plane left or it was a, I had one layover in Los Angeles. (0:04:48) Kev: So my first flight left like at 6 p.m. San Diego time and it was only not even a full house. (0:04:57) Kev: I had a half hour to get to Los Angeles. So I was there by 7 p.m. or whatever, let’s just say, but then my, the other flight left at 11 p.m. So I was in the airport doing not much of anything for four hours. (0:05:10) Al: Yeah, always fun. (0:05:15) Kev: The fun part is, so we left at 11 p.m., right? And I’m traveling west to east so the time jumps gets weird and we had daylight savings time. (0:05:27) Al: Oh, just to make even more confusing. (0:05:27) Kev: So, yup. So my flight left at like 11 p.m. I arrived today at 7 a.m. but it was only a four hour flight. So you do the math. (0:05:42) Al: Well, I don’t I don’t think I want to do the maths on that, to be honest. (0:05:43) Kev: I, I, I’m, I think literally, yeah, yeah, yeah, literally. (0:05:47) Al: It was it was bad enough. It was bad enough trying to figure out what time it would be (0:05:51) Al: for you today when we’re recording it. What is normal time for me? (0:05:56) Kev: I lost, like the flight was half the time of the time change. Like it’s bad. I almost left four hours, but I landed eight hours later. (0:06:07) Kev: So I’m, it’s, I’m tired, my feet in pain from walking and all that. I’m kind of all beat up. So yeah, not a lot of games because of that. (0:06:19) Kev: I got in a game of Snap here or there, but not, not that much, you know, but what I did get to see on the way, on the flight too. (0:06:26) Kev: I got to watch a couple movies because it’s a longish flight (0:06:32) Kev: The first one was John wick chapter 4 (0:06:35) Kev: Have you watched the John wick movies? (0:06:37) Al: I have, yes, yes I have. I didn’t watch them for a long time because I was like, “Ugh, (0:06:38) Kev: Okay, um, so (0:06:43) Al: just another action film.” And then I watched the first one and was like, “Oh no, this (0:06:44) Kev: Yeah (0:06:47) Al: is, this is not just, this is like, I don’t, I don’t know why nobody told me before I watched (0:06:47) Kev: Yeah (0:06:53) Al: them that they were satire. Like, they’re fantastic, they’re so good.” (0:06:55) Kev: Yeah, oh, yeah, they’re incredible, right? (0:07:01) Kev: So, yeah, a big fan of the WIC series. (0:07:05) Kev: The fourth one, I think, is the weakest entry in the whole thing. (0:07:10) Kev: I feel like so obviously they’re just thinly veiled excuses for, you know, (0:07:17) Kev: gun cottas and choreography and stuff, right? (0:07:21) Kev: Like, I get that. (0:07:22) Kev: but even even by (0:07:25) Kev: those standards like I don’t know the plot here just wasn’t wasn’t doing it (0:07:29) Kev: for me right like John’s motivations didn’t line up like he was supposed to (0:07:35) Kev: go out and and kill the the 12 members of the table or whatever he killed only (0:07:40) Kev: the one guy I don’t know but anyways the the action was good of course I feel (0:07:48) Kev: like the most ridiculous of the the series which is you know a lot but cuz (0:07:53) Kev: We I don’t know why we have guns (0:07:55) Kev: Japanese bows and arrows and samurai swords, but we do because it’s cool. I guess but (0:08:02) Kev: But yeah, I don’t know. It just feels like (0:08:06) Kev: Even by John Wick’s changes. There are a few places that just kind of went a little over the top (0:08:11) Kev: Or maybe it’s just a little fatigue from seeing the other three entries or whatever. I don’t know (0:08:17) Kev: But I mean overall it was good. I’m not I’m not trying to berate it too much just probably my least favorite of the (0:08:24) Kev: The entire series (0:08:25) Kev: And hey, it’s Keanu, right? Like I was happy to see that and I love his his, you know, his his trademark (0:08:33) Kev: Yeah, that he does in every movie like 50% of his lines are just that yeah (0:08:41) Kev: Good old good old Keanu (0:08:45) Kev: Let’s see the other one I watched was A Quiet Place day one (0:08:49) Al: Hmm. (0:08:50) Kev: So I have not seen either of the other quiet place movies. I didn’t know a third one (0:08:55) Kev: came out but I saw it in my life so I was like sure why not. Have you seen quiet place either? (0:09:00) Al: - Yeah, I’ve seen them all, yeah. (0:09:04) Al: Which, I’m just noticing how funny this is (laughs) (0:09:09) Al: because we were having a chat on one of the slacks (0:09:13) Al: about someone claiming that I just watch everything (0:09:16) Al: and then the two series that you’re talking about, (0:09:16) Kev: Yeah, that’ll bring up. Yeah, yeah (0:09:18) Al: I’ve watched both of them, but anyway. (0:09:24) Al: The, I do, I don’t think it’s actually a bad place (0:09:30) Kev: Well, from what I understand, they’re not like, all the stories aren’t directly connected, (0:09:31) Al: to enter the series. (0:09:40) Kev: right? (0:09:40) Al: The first two films are, the second film is very much a direct sequel of the first one but day one is very much a prequel, not connecting directly to individual people, but the concept, yeah, so if you understand the concept of it, then yeah, but… (0:09:41) Kev: They’re different. (0:09:43) Kev: They are? (0:09:44) Kev: Oh gosh, that doesn’t, oh, nevermind then. (0:09:52) Kev: Okay. (0:09:53) Kev: Right. (0:09:54) Kev: Mhm. (0:09:55) Kev: Okay. (0:09:56) Kev: Sure. (0:09:57) Kev: Sure. (0:09:58) Kev: Sure. (0:09:59) Kev: Sure. (0:10:01) Kev: Yeah. (0:10:02) Kev: I do. (0:10:03) Kev: Yeah. (0:10:04) Kev: Yeah. (0:10:05) Kev: And then, you know, it’s not a terribly hard concept. (0:10:06) Kev: So, yeah. (0:10:07) Kev: Yeah. (0:10:08) Kev: I was familiar with that. (0:10:09) Kev: So, um, I don’t know, like, obviously I can’t compare it to the first two, I haven’t seen (0:10:12) Kev: them, but they, this one felt like a little, they were forcing it a little too much, right? (0:10:21) Kev: Like we, we, we’ve already got a cancer patient, right? (0:10:24) Kev: So, you know, they’re already trying to tug at the, the heartstrings or whatever. (0:10:29) Kev: and then you have a dank. (0:10:30) Kev: In this movie it looks like my cat, which caused my anxiety to spike so much, because the cat in that movie looks a lot like my cat, or one of my cats. (0:10:41) Kev: And of course what they can do, they’re going to keep putting it in danger. (0:10:48) Kev: But yeah, a lot of it was very heavy handed in how it was trying to raise the stakes. (0:11:02) Kev: But overall, not a bad film. (0:11:05) Kev: Yeah, I think there are a few moments where it’s a little questionable, like I don’t know why this character did this or whatever, but overall pretty fine. (0:11:19) Kev: Yeah, I don’t have much else to say, I liked it overall though. (0:11:26) Kev: Um, but that’s what I’ve got going on for me. What about you? What’s going on? (0:11:32) Al: Yeah, I’ve also not done a huge amount of gaming. This week has been busy, busy. Obviously (0:11:37) Al: I’ve been playing Pixel Cross Rune Factory for the episode. And I did a bit of raids (0:11:40) Kev: I did too. Great. Shadow Legend. Oh. [laughs] (0:11:45) Al: in Scarlet and Violet this weekend. And obviously I’m continuing on Pokemon Go every day. Yeah, (0:11:56) Al: that’s probably about it games-wise. I did watch the first two episodes of the new Daredevil (0:12:01) Al: Born Again series. (0:12:02) Kev: due to how are they do tell me (0:12:03) Al: There’s that I very much enjoyed the right word. (0:12:09) Al: I very much thought I thought there were I thought they were good. (0:12:12) Kev: I thought they were shows (0:12:13) Al: There was a couple of no, no, no, it’s more a case of I can’t say much (0:12:18) Al: without spoiling it, but there’s this stuff that happens that doesn’t make me (0:12:22) Al: happy, but it’s not meant to make me happy, right? (0:12:25) Kev: okay so mission accomplished that’s not necessarily a bad thing (0:12:27) Al: Yeah, I’m feeling what they want me to feel. (0:12:30) Al: it. Yeah, it’s (0:12:31) Kev: I don’t like the feeling. (0:12:32) Al: the. (0:12:35) Kev: OK. (0:12:36) Kev: What is the plot? (0:12:38) Kev: Because I don’t know any– (0:12:39) Kev: I haven’t heard anything about the specifics. (0:12:42) Al: Have you seen the the Netflix series? (0:12:42) Kev: What is– I have not, but I know enough about it, I think. (0:12:47) Al: I mean, the overall idea of the series is this is the Fisk is Mayor one, so, which they’ve (0:12:58) Kev: » Okay. Sure. (0:13:00) Al: done in comics before, I’m sure I know I’ve kind of seen some things about it, but that’s (0:13:05) Al: the kind of overall something happens at the beginning of the first episode that leads (0:13:10) Al: to Daredevil stopping. (0:13:12) Al: being Daredevil, and then Fist becomes Mayor, and now we’re a little bit further on, and (0:13:18) Al: now Matt wants to be Daredevil again, or doesn’t want to be Daredevil again. (0:13:22) Al: But you know what I mean? (0:13:23) Al: Like, it’s forced into being Daredevil again because of things that happen. (0:13:23) Kev: yeah yeah okay uh okay then you know that’s fine I guess but okay well fisk is mayor okay that that’s (0:13:29) Al: It’s hard to say much without spoiling the episodes, right? (0:13:36) Kev: the elevator picture I was looking for um okay here’s a question where does this fit into the (0:13:42) Kev: timeline like with she-ho because that’s the one i’m actually seeing with the good old man in any (0:13:46) Al: Yeah, it’s a good question. They don’t directly tie it in, but I think as far as I can tell (0:13:55) Al: it’s She-Hulk and then a little while later Echo happens and then a little while later (0:14:01) Al: this happens. They directly reference Echo happening in the past. Yeah, they don’t directly (0:14:02) Kev: Okay. Okay. (0:14:13) Al: reference the racist. (0:14:16) Al: that’s, I think it’s happened in the past, but not sure. Like just in terms of like (0:14:20) Kev: Okay (0:14:23) Al: just general MCU continuity, right? (0:14:25) Kev: Mm-hmm, um, okay that that’s interesting because I haven’t seen echo (0:14:32) Al: Echos, well, okay, I really enjoyed Echos. I thought it was very good. Yeah. (0:14:35) Kev: Okay (0:14:38) Kev: Okay, I mean no no like I believe it just I’m thinking just like cuz you know (0:14:43) Kev: obviously I feel like there’s a lot of important context because you know with the (0:14:48) Kev: the end of Hawkeye you get some kingpin and (0:14:50) Kev: then you got Echo and She-Hulk, so I’m just, yup, yeah he is and that’s fine cause it’s (0:14:51) Al: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he’s he’s popping up in a lot of things, (0:14:56) Al: isn’t he? (0:14:59) Kev: a great portrayal, but you know just context wise like how do I, I missed a few chapters (0:15:04) Al: I would watch Echo, I think it’s worth watching Echo. Not necessarily for Daredevil, (0:15:05) Kev: in how we got here. (0:15:10) Kev: I watch Hawkeye, yes. (0:15:16) Al: I don’t think it really does a huge amount for Daredevil, but it does for Fisk. I think (0:15:18) Kev: Yeah (0:15:21) Kev: Okay (0:15:22) Al: it’s important for Fisk’s story. (0:15:24) Kev: Okay, okay, that makes sense is Kate Bishop in it Kate Bishop in any of this oh (0:15:30) Al: has not been yet. I also like Kate Bishop. Yeah, there were some rumours that her stepdad, (0:15:32) Kev: But I like Kate Bishop specific (0:15:36) Kev: Specifically this one. What’s her name Haley Seinfeld? Yes (0:15:44) Al: what’s his name? I can’t remember his name. Yeah, there were some rumours that he’s going to appear (0:15:46) Kev: Oh the the sword guy (0:15:48) Kev: Oh (0:15:51) Al: in this series. But we’ll see. (0:15:52) Kev: Okay, uh-huh that’d be interesting I don’t remember his name is he supposed to be a sword master I don’t know whatever um (0:16:00) Al: I think he’s kind of loosely based on that idea, but he’s not actually. He’s just a bozo. (0:16:04) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:16:06) Kev: Yeah, that’s that’s the feeling I get (0:16:10) Kev: Well, you know, you know, I don’t even need Kate Bishop specific. I just want more Haley Seinfeld in my life (0:16:16) Al: Well, well, yeah, there is that. Yeah, I would be surprised if we don’t get her in the next (0:16:18) Kev: There is that (0:16:23) Al: two years in something. I guess, is that cheating? Because in two years, we’ve got secret wars, (0:16:25) Kev: I mean, yeah. Well, you know what? (0:16:30) Al: and if we don’t get anybody, if someone doesn’t appear in secret wars, (0:16:34) Al: they’re basically dead, right? Like, they’re not going to be in anything again. (0:16:36) Kev: I was look I was I was about to say with at the current state of the mcu (0:16:42) Kev: it’s a kind of a 50/50 on that question for almost anyone (0:16:46) Al: I don’t think, I don’t think Kate Bishop was badly received at all. Like, there are some characters (0:16:56) Kev: yeah (0:16:57) Al: that I could see them just, like, I would be really sad if she helped never appears again, (0:17:01) Al: but I would understand based on, you know, the internet. But I didn’t see anything about that with (0:17:02) Kev: yes (0:17:06) Kev: yeah (0:17:09) Kev: yeah yeah no i’m here’s the thing like my point is it feel like in such a (0:17:15) Kev: directionless disarray I don’t even think that’s a factor like what (0:17:18) Al: Well, I think I think they’re at the point now where they’re just wrapping up the stories (0:17:27) Al: that they weren’t sure about. And I think they probably have good ideas for what they want to do, (0:17:33) Al: but they need to wrap up what they were doing before they can do that, if that makes sense. (0:17:37) Al: Like it feels like we’re kind of almost like falling towards secret wars because they want (0:17:42) Al: to get it over and done with and then reset into something that they can do the stories (0:17:44) Kev: Yes (0:17:48) Al: they want to. The classic comic book way, right? (0:17:48) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:17:53) Kev: Yep, yep, throw away everything cuz we’re not sure anymore is just do the new thing I guess (0:17:59) Al: Yeah, we would like to do our film that lets us have Pedro Pascal (0:18:04) Al: alongside Robert Downey Jr. Please and thank you, move along. (0:18:07) Kev: Yeah, you know, that’s yeah. Ooh, you know, that’s that might be a fair trade-off (0:18:14) Kev: You don’t you won’t get what’s his name? Oh gosh One Direction guy Wow (0:18:20) Al: Oh yeah, Harry Styles, Star Fox. (0:18:23) Kev: Yeah, you’re not I promise you we’re not getting Harry Styles anymore, but we’ll get Pedro Pascal that’s that’s a fair trade-off. Oh (0:18:32) Al: Yeah. Look, the one that boggles my mind that they’ve not brought back is Shang-Chi. (0:18:33) Kev: Oh, man (0:18:38) Al: Why has he not reappeared anywhere? Bizarre. Bizarre to me. Like, that was such a well-received film. (0:18:42) Kev: Yeah (0:18:49) Kev: It was yeah, I mean it but really I mean (0:18:54) Kev: Everything post infinity war like not not not by individual like, you know, obviously there’s been great and highs and lows (0:19:02) Kev: but just like the entire (0:19:04) Kev: idea of their continuity and (0:19:08) Kev: Connectedness has been an absolute mess a train wreck. So I don’t know (0:19:12) Al: It’s really interesting if you look back on release dates. So we had a whole Iron Man trilogy (0:19:13) Kev: You (0:19:15) Kev: Mm-hmm. Yeah (0:19:21) Kev: Yes, right (0:19:21) Al: in five years, 2008 to 2013. It has been nearly four years since Shang-Chi came out. (0:19:25) Kev: Yeah (0:19:29) Kev: Oh sick (0:19:32) Al: So in the time that it has been since Shang-Chi, Iron Man was nearly at its third film. (0:19:40) Kev: Crazy. (0:19:40) Al: Thor had a full trilogy and. (0:19:42) Al: In six years, Captain America had a full trilogy in five years. (0:19:50) Al: Like it’s just, it’s fascinating how slow they are at getting sequels out now. (0:19:50) Kev: Oh, yeah, one of my favorite benchmarks of any time comparison is the US Confederacy, (0:20:02) Al: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Two thousand, yeah. Fun. Fun times. Anyway, uh, I’ve also been watching (0:20:03) Kev: right? (0:20:05) Kev: And we have now a full Confederacy between Shang-Chi appearances. (0:20:13) Kev: Oh, yeah. (0:20:22) Al: Avatar the Last Airbender, so that’s the thing I’m watching through just now. So I have just (0:20:24) Kev: Oh yeah, I forgot about that. (0:20:27) Kev: Mm. (0:20:28) Al: finished season one and I am enjoying it very much so. (0:20:32) Al: Particularly there was a fun, so when they get to the North (0:20:36) Al: Pole, there’s a very fun, Katara has a very fun fight with (0:20:36) Kev: Yep. (0:20:42) Kev: Yep. (0:20:42) Al: someone. I don’t want to say too much, just in case anyone else (0:20:44) Al: is wanting to watch them. It doesn’t want to get spoiled. (0:20:46) Al: That fight is an incredible fight. I love all the different (0:20:50) Al: ideas that they have for that fight. So yeah. (0:20:53) Kev: oh well buckle up buckaroo because one thing they did excellent throughout the entire show (0:21:01) Kev: up to the very end is the choreography um well the fight choreography and direction um it’s all (0:21:09) Kev: stellar um but you know because all the the different earthbending styles are based off real (0:21:15) Kev: life martial arts and whatnot and so they you know they they translate that well but then of (0:21:20) Kev: And of course you have elemental superpowers. (0:21:23) Kev: They translate, they do fun stuff with that sometimes. (0:21:25) Kev: Um… (0:21:27) Kev: But, uh… (0:21:28) Kev: Oh, I am very excited for you. (0:21:31) Kev: Uh, like, y-you’ve seen how good season 1 is. (0:21:34) Al: Yeah, and people well people keep saying it’s the worst season, and I’m like this is the worst my word (0:21:35) Kev: What if I told you… (0:21:38) Kev: Yeah! (0:21:38) Kev: YEAH! (0:21:39) Kev: YEAH! (0:21:40) Kev: YEAH! (0:21:40) Kev: YEAH! (0:21:41) Al: I’m looking forward to what comes next (0:21:41) Kev: YEAH! (0:21:41) Kev: YEAH! (0:21:43) Kev: Yeah, exactly what I was about to say, yeah, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. (0:21:45) Kev: You haven’t seen anything yet, you’ve seen garbage. (0:21:48) Kev: It’s… it’s so good. (0:21:49) Al: The humour in it is very good. It’s stupid for humour, but the comedic timing is what (0:21:50) Kev: Um… (0:21:53) Kev: It’s great. (0:21:56) Kev: Yeah. (0:21:57) Kev: Yeah. (0:22:00) Al: gets it, right? There’s a bit where Katara is pretending to be an earthbender, right? (0:22:00) Kev: Yeah. (0:22:01) Kev: Yeah, it- (0:22:06) Kev: Yeah. (0:22:06) Al: And they do this weird thing where Aang is blowing air through a hole in the ground to (0:22:11) Kev: Yeah. (0:22:13) Al: levitate a rock, and Katara is pretending to do that. (0:22:13) Kev: Yeah. (0:22:14) Kev: Yeah. (0:22:19) Al: The guys look over and they’re like, “Oh, that lemur’s earthbending!” It’s just such (0:22:24) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, you’re right, they are they’re killer with their (0:22:25) Al: a stupid moment, but because of the tension, and they build it up, and the timing, and (0:22:31) Al: that stupid moment is just so funny. (0:22:37) Kev: comedic timing, like in general, because it’s, it’s, it’s wild, because it’s such a serious, (0:22:44) Kev: like, show, right, like, both in terms of the overall plot, and they, they treat that, (0:22:49) Kev: the tone gets very heavy at times, but they still managed to pull off. (0:22:54) Kev: And I think part of it is because they’re stupid 12 year olds, you know, so they’re gonna do dumb stuff. (0:23:00) Al: » Yeah. (0:23:02) Kev: But yeah, oh man, I can’t hurry up and finish it so I can talk to you about my favorite episodes, the dragon dance. (0:23:04) Al: » Yeah. (0:23:10) Al: It will only be another few weeks. (0:23:12) Al: I’ve got these done in three weeks. (0:23:14) Kev: Alright. (0:23:14) Al: So we’ll be done soon. (0:23:16) Kev: Tell me you get to boo me. (0:23:20) Al: Yeah, I think that’s everything. (0:23:22) Al: So that’s what we’ve been up to. (0:23:22) Al: My word. (0:23:24) Al: I thought this was going to be a short episode. (0:23:24) Al: We’re 25 minutes in. (0:23:26) Kev: I’m on- I’m on this show, you know that won’t happen. (0:23:31) Al: - Let’s get through this news. (0:23:32) Al: So first off, desktop cat cafe is out now. (0:23:35) Kev: Okay. (0:23:35) Al: Not much to say about that. (0:23:36) Al: That’s the bottom of the screen cat cafe game, (0:23:38) Kev: The- the- the rusty leg is what I’d say, yeah. (0:23:39) Al: the Rusty Like. (0:23:42) Kev: Um, that’s- (0:23:44) Al: So if you were like, (0:23:45) Al: “Oh, I like the idea of Rusty’s retirement, (0:23:46) Al: but I want it to be cats.” (0:23:49) Al: There you go. (0:23:50) Kev: Yeah, the the cats are kind of I’m still not the whole idea (0:23:55) Kev: I don’t like I’m very on the idea, but the cats are very cute. I will say that (0:24:02) Kev: Yeah, it looks nice. I’m sure it’s a wonderful entry for you rusty. Yeah, it’s right rusty lights. I’m rusty like fans (0:24:13) Kev: I enjoy cute cats (0:24:15) Al: Next we have one lonely outpost have released their 1.0 and are now on switch Xboxes and (0:24:22) Al: PS5. (0:24:24) Kev: Wait, they weren’t already on Switch? (0:24:25) Al: They were not the this is their this is their console release. (0:24:27) Kev: Okay. (0:24:30) Kev: Oh, well, good for them. (0:24:31) Al: The 1.0 is pretty slim. (0:24:33) Al: It’s like yeah this is the 1.0 and it’s like almost all bug fixes. (0:24:38) Kev: Hehehehe, it’s a game! (0:24:40) Al: Which is like probably the right way to do it like I’ve always complained about people (0:24:45) Al: 1.0 and like here’s half the game now because it’s because it just ends up being buggy. (0:24:48) Kev: Yeah. (0:24:50) Al: So this is probably the right way to do it but it’s just really funny saying here’s the (0:24:53) Al: release notes for 1.0 and the only thing that isn’t a bug fix is added four new artifacts (0:24:59) Al: to Sydney’s shop. (0:25:00) Kev: I was about to say like, the amount of content for 1.0 is debatable maybe or a little subjective, (0:25:13) Kev: yada yada, but the one thing, the game should work, right? (0:25:17) Kev: That’s the minimum, so if it’s all just bug fixes to get to that point, I can live with (0:25:22) Kev: that I guess. (0:25:23) Kev: I probably won’t play this game, but you know, good for them. (0:25:26) Al: for sure. (0:25:28) Kev: They crossed a finish line. (0:25:30) Al: Next we have a new DLC for Sprout Valley, it’s the Friends Forever DLC, I think this (0:25:36) Kev: Didn’t expect this I don’t know why I just I don’t know but here we are sprovella dilsen (0:25:42) Al: is what happens when you release a game that costs like a fiver, you sell DLC, 11 new friends (0:25:45) Kev: I guess yeah (0:25:49) Al: that can be found while visiting new islands, each of them has their own gift preferences, (0:25:53) Al: hobbies, unique style, and they’re all different. (0:25:56) Al: They’re all different kinds of creatures from buffaloes to frogs. Each new island’s dweller has a questlet at the end of which await new workspaces, items, and rewards. (0:26:06) Kev: cool. 2-bit or 8-bit Hello Kitty Island adventure, basically. Yeah, no, I’m kidding, I’m kidding, (0:26:12) Al: I it’s not as big as that, not by in no way as it was. (0:26:16) Kev: I know. I know. Yeah, yeah, no. I’m just saying, because I’m looking at one of the, I think (0:26:18) Al: I had fun with the, what, like five hours I played it. (0:26:25) Kev: it looks like a dog. It looks a little like a cinnamon roll. Anyway, it’s still a very (0:26:29) Kev: cute game, no matter what. Good for you Sprout Valley, keep on trucking. (0:26:35) Al: Next, we have Everhome have released a 1.1.0 update. (0:26:40) Al: This adds cooking, and it adds a compendium, tracking discoveries. (0:26:42) Kev: like cooking that’s always a good one feels like it should have been at 1.0 (0:26:48) Al: Yep. (0:26:52) Kev: but mmm true (0:26:52) Al: Yeah, well, as you say, always debatable what these things are. (0:26:58) Al: And they’ve also overhauled their quests and luck systems. (0:27:02) Kev: oh okay that that’s probably good um well I get it you touche (0:27:05) Al: So maybe we’ll see. Who knows? (0:27:13) Al: Firelines have released their 0.4 update, adding relationships into the game. (0:27:18) Kev: oh goody finally now now they’re cottage core oh um (0:27:24) Al: I think you’ll find their space cottage core. Thank you very much. (0:27:33) Kev: yeah I don’t i’m trying to think of a clever name I can’t think of one but here we are oh man (0:27:40) Al: base kedge no i’m not no I should have not but (0:27:46) Kev: Can I rome can I romance aliens do just the cat people boo (0:27:50) Al: I don’t think so (0:27:55) Al: yeah I haven’t seen anything about that anyway (0:27:58) Kev: This should be (0:28:00) Kev: There’s very clearly an alien-looking guy again. I would guess it’s an alien-looking guy (0:28:06) Al: You know what, I think you might be excited about, OK. (0:28:09) Kev: Yeah, the next news item (0:28:11) Al: Mika and the Witches Mountain into the Montgaunt is now available. (0:28:16) Kev: Oh snap this is a reason to come back (0:28:16) Al: This is the as far as we know, as far as we know, (0:28:22) Al: it’s the last update for Mika and the Witches Mountain. (0:28:27) Al: I say as far as we know, just because in the release information, (0:28:31) Al: they’re saying it’s the latest free content patch. (0:28:36) Al: They’re actively saying it’s the final one. (0:28:38) Al: But they have previously not mentioned any announcement of any other updates. (0:28:44) Kev: Yeah, okay (0:28:44) Al: But this is the one that adds in dungeons. (0:28:46) Al: So there are three dungeons in the game to test your skill. (0:28:50) Kev: So I was about to say because I’m looking down the dungeons (0:28:54) Kev: There’s one of fire one of wind and one of water and I’m and you know, I’m no secret. This is (0:29:02) Kev: Oh my god, but oh my goodness (0:29:07) Kev: Wind Waker jeez, I know I took me to I’m tired people. Um, it’s wind Waker inspired (0:29:08) Al: Mm-hmm (0:29:12) Kev: I’m looking at like all that. I know that (0:29:14) Kev: Wind Waker dungeon. I know that Wind Waker dungeon (0:29:17) Kev: And I’m like, yeah, we’re just turning up the Wind Waker dial and then I scroll to the near the bottom (0:29:24) Kev: And oh, there you go. They’ve also introduced your actual actually (0:29:30) Kev: Link’s costume you get the tunic and a green hat. They call it the green witch but (0:29:32) Al: I, yeah, I think you’ll find this is the green witch outfit, thank you very much. Legally distinct. (0:29:43) Kev: Very cute (0:29:44) Kev: Is this reason for me to fire up Mika? Yeah, I actually probably is I haven’t touched it so (0:29:46) Al: you you yeah absolutely did you play the other two updates (0:29:53) Kev: I’ve not so I’m gonna get them all at once. Yeah (0:29:55) Al: well there you go then I was waiting for the for the mall as well maybe we (0:29:59) Kev: Yeah, I’m down for that (0:30:03) Kev: This is uh (0:30:06) Kev: Whoa (0:30:07) Kev: Sorry, I’m just reading when you get the green witch costume you get upward flight. So I (0:30:13) Al: Oh, finally! There we go. Just a shame that that’s for completing the dungeons, i.e. having (0:30:15) Kev: Snap (0:30:17) Kev: The limiters are off (0:30:19) Kev: Then it’s (0:30:22) Al: done everything in the game. Well, hey, maybe it’ll be fun, who knows. (0:30:24) Kev: Yeah, pretty much (0:30:28) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I’m always I was kind of (0:30:32) Kev: I’m always torn on this sort of design right because it’s it’s not uncommon where you get the (0:30:37) Kev: The full power at the very end or whatever right and like on the one hand it makes sense that you know (0:30:44) Kev: That’s where the progression leads to (0:30:46) Kev: But on the other hand like what are you gonna do with it now, you know? (0:30:50) Al: Yeah, yeah, I think this there is a balance to be had there and I think I (0:30:55) Al: think this is why I like 3d platform or certain nothing just platformers in general because (0:31:01) Al: You know excluding Metroidvanias, which the whole point is just unlocking (0:31:05) Al: Skills as you go. I like the idea that it’s (0:31:09) Al: What gets you through the game is your skill improving not necessarily the game just giving you things to make it easier (0:31:16) Kev: Okay, sure, sure. (0:31:18) Al: Um, and speaking of metroidvanias, I did. (0:31:20) Al: Once, which you didn’t unlock stuff as you went through the game, it just told you about stuff as you went through the game. (0:31:28) Al: So if you like just experimented and tried things, you would actually be able to do things much earlier than the game told you about them. (0:31:35) Kev: Yeah, I like that, see that is a good design right there. (0:31:40) Al: Next, we have the announcement that the Wholesome Direct is coming back this year, coming in June, there we go. (0:31:47) Kev: Okay, just like I don’t mean like one punch man. Okay. I’m like, all right. Yeah, that’s fine (0:31:56) Al: There we go. (0:31:56) Al: That’s the thing. (0:31:58) Al: That is a nice, easy episode for us later in the year. (0:31:58) Kev: Yeah (0:32:01) Kev: Yeah, that’s the real excitement here easy episode announced (0:32:07) Al: No preparation except watching a video. (0:32:09) Kev: Yeah, we can do that (0:32:13) Al: And finally, we have the announcement of Monster Patch. (0:32:17) Al: We have vaguely talked about this in the past, because this is the monster-collecting farming (0:32:26) Al: game by the maker of Littlewood. (0:32:26) Kev: Oh, by Sean Young. Yeah. (0:32:30) Al: Yes, so, but this is like the first proper thing of it, and this is the Kickstarter (0:32:35) Al: is going live soon. (0:32:38) Al: So yeah, it’s very much Gameboy-style graphics, kind of traditional Pokemon-style graphics. (0:32:46) Al: So if you like that, yeah. (0:32:46) Kev: Very not just graphics like even art style like that those trainers. That’s a Brock misty and ash (0:32:56) Al: Yeah, I was going to say the first one is definitely Gary. (0:32:56) Kev: And there’s even a Gary on the first image (0:33:00) Kev: That is definitely Gary (0:33:03) Kev: And even some of these Pokemon, you know getting getting in that little little bit of power world school of thought that you know (0:33:12) Kev: He squint is that a whooper? No (0:33:17) Kev: It’s an ax a lot. No, that’s not a that’s not a whooper (0:33:25) Al: Hold up. Hold up just a minute. Is Whipper based on an axolotl? (0:33:27) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:33:30) Al: I had never noticed that before, but you’re right. It is, isn’t it? (0:33:31) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s got the little little you know antenna with a little (0:33:34) Al: Wild. There you go. (0:33:40) Al: It totally is. It totally looks like what… (0:33:42) Kev: Yeah, yeah, there you go. Yeah, we made that connection. Oh, yeah (0:33:47) Kev: um (0:33:48) Kev: Could we make a cuter ax a little probably cuz ax a little are very cute, but whooper is good. No, it was good. Nonetheless. Um, I (0:33:59) Al: And of course it’s shiny pink, isn’t it? Which is the standard axolotl, axolotl colour. (0:34:01) Kev: Yeah, that’s correct (0:34:04) Kev: Standard yeah, okay. Yeah. Yeah, you know, okay slight slight (0:34:13) Kev: tangent here, um (0:34:15) Kev: so (0:34:17) Kev: They are you know 99 PI 99% invisible, okay, um (0:34:23) Kev: For folks who don’t know it’s a podcast that just goes into the history and origins of all sorts of random topics (0:34:28) Kev: I’m just everyday things um (0:34:30) Al: It’s mostly like design stuff, but yeah, they stretch out of that quite a bit, but that’s the original idea. (0:34:32) Kev: Yeah design stuff yeah (0:34:34) Kev: They do they do yeah, yeah (0:34:39) Kev: There’s an episode where they talk about axolotls (0:34:42) Kev: And how the the pink acts a lot of the common one that (0:34:46) Kev: so famous and popular and you can get pet shops is is so very distinct and different now because (0:34:57) Kev: long story short they years ago they some researchers got like a handful like eight (0:35:04) Kev: axolotls from the wilds of mexico and then like all the lab quote unquote lab axolotls though the (0:35:12) Kev: the pink ones with the translucent skin all those are more or less descendants (0:35:16) Kev: and they’ve just become so distinctly different from the wild ones because if (0:35:23) Kev: you look at a wild axolotl from the ones in Mexico they’re not even pink (0:35:26) Kev: they’re more like gray and they’re a little more fish-looking for lack of a (0:35:33) Kev: better word they might just because their skin isn’t translucent like the (0:35:36) Kev: the ones that so famous but it’s it’s a fascinating topic I love axolotls both (0:35:43) Kev: with the wild ones and the not wild ones. (0:35:46) Kev: But yeah, so going back to thing, Whooper’s cool, and more importantly Monster Patch. (0:35:54) Kev: Like, all the jokes about the style and whatever side, it looks, at least the images look competently made. (0:36:02) Kev: So I’m curious to see how this will pan out. (0:36:07) Kev: Do we have a date for the launch? I don’t think we do, do we? (0:36:09) Al: No, we just it’s coming. (0:36:11) Kev: Alright, well, keep your eyes out. (0:36:15) Kev: Yeah, I don’t know, we’re growing things. (0:36:18) Kev: And Pokemon are there. (0:36:20) Al: - Yes, yeah, fun. (0:36:23) Al: We’ll see what it’s like, but I liked Little Wood, (0:36:26) Al: so, and I like Pokemon. (0:36:29) Kev: I do. I don’t know. I actually haven’t played Little Wood, but I like Pokémon. (0:36:35) Kev: So we’ll see. That Apple Dragon Crocodile thing, I don’t know what that is. That’s a cute looking one. (0:36:44) Kev: I’m down. Let me know when. I mean, obviously you will let me know when this launches, but I’m just (0:36:49) Al: Oh, I just noticed it does actually say the Kickstarter is launching. (0:36:50) Kev: speaking to Sean Young, I guess. Not you, Al. But let me know when it launches so I can play this. (0:36:56) Kev: I am intrigued. (0:36:59) Kev: Oh, yeah, there it is at the very end. Oh, that’s soon, relatively, but yeah, but it kills us. That’s no indicator. You know, it just gives us the various tiniest, like false hope of when it actually comes out because that, you know, we’re talking about it like, oh, that’s lunch. That is no correlation to when we can play it. Done. (0:37:19) Al: yeah there was because they (0:37:27) Al: yeah because there was the um what was the other chibi game uh elusive um the kickstarter for (0:37:35) Al: that launched last week and yeah it was the expected release date for that is uh may 2027 (0:37:43) Al: so two years time (0:37:44) Kev: You know what? At least, I think I almost prefer a long launch window because that feels realistic/believable/but you know, I get it. (0:37:56) Al: Yeah, yeah, but it’s also the fact that elusive was announced three years ago originally. (0:38:04) Kev: Oh, that’s a different story. You’re right. (0:38:07) Al: So it’s like, yeah, games take a long time, but also this will be like five years from (0:38:12) Al: the first time we hear about it when it eventually releases. (0:38:14) Kev: Oh, sick. (0:38:16) Al: It’s our first official 2027 release date. (0:38:21) Kev: That is, that is also… (0:38:21) Al: Just checking my spreadsheet. (0:38:23) Al: We have a few saying 2026, but nothing saying 2027. (0:38:26) Kev: Look, I don’t mean, I don’t want to be mean to elusive. (0:38:30) Kev: Alright, like, the game dev’s hard, I get it, but… (0:38:34) Kev: I just, again, it’s one of my favorite benchmarks. (0:38:37) Kev: The elusive dev cycle is longer than one Confederacy of the United States. (0:38:50) Al: Where am I? I lost my tab. There we are. That’s all the news. We are now going to talk about (0:38:57) Kev: We did it (0:39:01) Al: Pixel Cross Rune Factory. Now before we get into this, Kevin, did you play the previous (0:39:03) Kev: So (0:39:06) Kev: Yes, yes, yeah, yeah we did I was on the episode we did the episode yes, it was (0:39:08) Al: one? (0:39:09) Al: Pixel Cross. (0:39:10) Al: It was me and you, was it? Right, OK. (0:39:13) Al: So next question, did you actually get any time to play this game this week? (0:39:15) Kev: A little bit it I’ve reached the first boss. There’s my (0:39:20) Al: OK. Yeah, that’s decent. I think you get the customization by that point. (0:39:26) Kev: Yeah, oh, yeah, you get that early on that’s like one of the first ones you get yeah, so I have enough to have thoughts (0:39:31) Kev: I haven’t seen the full things, but I certainly enough for opinions. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Yeah (0:39:34) Al: I think you’ve seen enough. You’ve seen enough, realistically, right? (0:39:39) Al: Because you also see, I think the boss, the only thing you won’t have done is a colour one. (0:39:44) Kev: Yeah, I’ve not seen a gun of color one yet. No, but uh, but (0:39:47) Al: but I think they’re pretty clear. (0:39:50) Al: They’re just slightly more complicated ones, but what comes to them when we come to it? (0:39:51) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:39:58) Al: I’m changing this list around. I want to talk about the customisation first, (0:40:02) Al: because this is the thing that’s different. This is the thing that’s different about this game, (0:40:03) Kev: Oh (0:40:06) Al: other than the bosses are different, the colours are different, but this is the thing that seemed (0:40:09) Kev: Okay, well (0:40:12) Al: the most interesting to me until I played the game. (0:40:14) Kev: Well, there’s a few things oh (0:40:16) Kev: Okay, I’m gonna take us to (0:40:18) Kev: Hold on before we get them we can take one step back just for anyone who might not remember because you know (0:40:23) Kev: That was a while ago and people aren’t remember, right? So we’re talking on a grand pic cross puzzles, right? (0:40:29) Kev: Um, they did, uh, when we’re talking about his- his pixel-cross story of- (0:40:33) Kev: That’s the previous game, and that was just a very straightforward bare-bones- (0:40:39) Kev: Here’s a bunch of Picross puzzles, um, and there happens to be Harvest Moon, you know, they’re all Harvest Moon, er, story of seasons images, there’s (0:40:47) Kev: music in the background, and a little farm growing in the background. Um, but that- that was pretty much it, right? A very- (0:40:53) Kev: Yeah, I- I enjoy it, ‘cause I enjoy nonagram, but, um, but straightforward and, uh, basic sort of collection of puzzles. (0:41:03) Kev: This one, they’re- they- they upped- they upped it. I’m just- I’m surprised, I didn’t think they could take it places, but they did, they’re doing stuff, right? (0:41:13) Kev: Um, because- okay, let’s get into the customization. Now, that’s one of the biggest ones, ‘cause story of seasons was just (0:41:21) Kev: automatically happening in the background, you kind of looked at it here and there, but here, go ahead, Al, tell them. (0:41:24) Al: Yeah. Yeah, so here you I mean, realistically, it’s not fundamentally different, right? Like, (0:41:33) Al: the back, the background is still doing the same thing is the background. And you have a farm, (0:41:39) Al: like the previous one, because it’s all still farming, right? But you get to like, choose how (0:41:45) Al: your farm looks, basically, right? So you have, you can, it’s very specifically, you can go down (0:41:52) Al: down to which crops you want on which. (0:41:54) Al: Crop plot point, you can say “I want a turnip here, I want a potato here, I want a cabbage there”. (0:42:00) Al: You can be very specific about it. Weirdly detailed and you can also change your character’s (0:42:08) Al: look and weapons and stuff like that. I guess the thing I was disappointed about it was (0:42:14) Al: it doesn’t change anything. It is just the background and that’s fine. Maybe I shouldn’t (0:42:18) Al: have expected any more but it doesn’t make any difference to gameplay. (0:42:24) Al: It’s just changing what is on in the background which some people might really like but I’m just (0:42:29) Al: a little bit… I don’t particularly care because it’s really in the background. It’s there but (0:42:35) Al: you’re looking at the puzzle and especially… I don’t know how you play these games but I’m (0:42:39) Al: trying to do them as quickly as possible and then I put it down when I finished. (0:42:42) Kev: Yeah, right (0:42:45) Kev: Well, okay there is I (0:42:48) Kev: Think there’s a few more there’s a little more to it that gives it a little more meat on the buns (0:42:52) Kev: First of all, this now introduces a collection aspect, right? (0:42:55) Kev: Like one that you can actually display right whether it’s your displaying different crops on the field or perhaps more importantly to us (0:43:02) Kev: You you can collect monsters, right? (0:43:05) Al: Oh yes, I forgot about the monsters, of course. (0:43:07) Kev: Yeah, right you can have a couple monsters on your farm and they’re just walking around (0:43:12) Kev: background elements, but (0:43:14) Kev: Gotta catch them all. You’re right. Gotta catch them all (0:43:16) Al: Well and, and including, you won’t know this, but you can have the boxes there as well. (0:43:20) Kev: Yeah, I figured so I think there’s a page for that like you could kind of see it on the (0:43:26) Kev: Customization pages, but yes including bosses. So that’s fun (0:43:32) Kev: And actually (0:43:34) Kev: I guess you know, no, I’ll get to that in a second. Um (0:43:38) Kev: The other big one I think is the quote-unquote (0:43:42) Kev: And I say big is still not that big but the arms or equipment or whatever (0:43:48) Kev: So you can unlock different weapons because room factory, you know has this combat based (0:43:54) Kev: And there are combat scenes in the background when you’re fighting monsters to capture them or whatnot, right? (0:44:02) Kev: So depending on the weapons you equip you actually get different animations going on the background (0:44:07) Kev: I don’t know if you played around with that now or caught it but if you equip gauntlets versus a sword (0:44:12) Kev: Or an axe or whatever you get different animations and again just background stuff. Nothing cats significant, but it’s it’s a cute little (0:44:20) Al: Yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s fun. And I get why people like it. It’s just that’s not really my thing. I’m much more interested, I think, in the changes they made to gameplay, which we’ll come on to in a minute. (0:44:21) Kev: Cute little nod. I appreciate that. Yeah (0:44:27) Kev: Sure (0:44:33) Kev: Sure sure (0:44:34) Al: But yeah, it was… (0:44:36) Kev: Okay, before we get to the some of the different puzzles or how they spice it up (0:44:42) Kev: Other thing that I like so when you start the game you’re asked (0:44:46) Kev: Basically, there are two modes you can do you can do puzzle mode or adventure mode now puzzle mode is just basically like the (0:44:55) Kev: The first one where it’s just a collection of puzzles and you just do them (0:44:59) Kev: And you know, I think you can still not the customization and so on and so forth, but it’s just a big (0:45:05) Kev: block of (0:45:07) Kev: puzzles a list of puzzles (0:45:10) Kev: Adventure mode is a little bit (0:45:12) Kev: different because you unlock the puzzles basically on a sort of map where you clear one puzzle and then surrounding tiles on them on this map will unlock so you can kind of bounce around and progress right at the end you know it’s it’s it’s just a it’s still just a list of puzzles just a slightly different direction and a little different presentation but it’s it’s again kind of a fun little nod to the rune factory series where you got exploration and whatnot right. (0:45:40) Al: - Yeah, it kind of doesn’t make any difference (0:45:43) Al: but in a way it does ‘cause it gives you a lot more (0:45:46) Al: flexibility on what you’re playing, right? (0:45:48) Al: Like in standard one, standard like nonogram games, (0:45:51) Al: you just got like, here’s a list and you go and do one (0:45:53) Kev: Yep. (0:45:55) Al: then you do the next, you do the next, you do the next. (0:45:57) Al: Whereas here, you do one and it kind of unlocks (0:45:58) Kev: Yep. (0:46:00) Al: the top and the left of that one (0:46:02) Kev: Yeah. (0:46:02) Al: and you do the one over there (0:46:03) Al: and it does the bottom and the right of that one. (0:46:05) Al: And it gives you lots and the, (0:46:08) Al: As much as I was like, not massive. (0:46:10) Al: I do feel like purely this map-based layout does make me feel a little bit more immersed (0:46:19) Al: in this world, right? (0:46:20) Kev: It it does it (0:46:20) Al: Because it actually feels like you’re traveling, it feels like you’re exploring, and especially (0:46:25) Al: as it shows you there are some areas there, but you can’t get to them yet, and then you (0:46:28) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:46:30) Al: unlock that, and then it shows you more areas you can get to. (0:46:32) Al: It feels like I’m exploring much more than anything else. (0:46:33) Kev: Yeah (0:46:34) Kev: It does right and it’s some that’s that establishes a goal of sort right like (0:46:41) Kev: Actual progress which is you know not associate with the nonagram collection game, but but I agree (0:46:48) Kev: Yeah, because like you said there’s (0:46:50) Kev: I’ve reached a puzzle where okay, I cleared the the puzzles next to them, but it didn’t lock. Why is that? (0:46:55) Kev: Well, that’s I guess I for me to discover and that’s kind of fun (0:47:00) Kev: And you know if nothing else like I think it’s all I’m impressed by how clever all these ideas are right like (0:47:07) Kev: Cuz they you don’t have a lot of room to play with this sort of game, right? (0:47:11) Kev: Like it’s the bread and butter is just the nonagrams (0:47:14) Kev: So how do we make it a little more interesting and they’re using some fun ideas here (0:47:18) Kev: and the adventure map (0:47:20) Kev: absolutely is one of them. (0:47:22) Kev: Now the other thing with adventure mode is that you also get some different challenges, (0:47:29) Kev: which are optional in the standard puzzle mode. (0:47:35) Kev: And that amounts to different variations on the puzzle. (0:47:39) Kev: The first one is color puzzles, (0:47:43) Kev: which I don’t even know if it’s actually just locked to adventure mode. (0:47:47) Kev: But anyways, so you have the color mode where– (0:47:48) Al: I don’t think they are. I think the only thing that’s locked to Adventure Mode is (0:47:51) Kev: Oh, really? Oh, okay, well. (0:47:56) Al: the boss battles being challenges. (0:47:58) Kev: Yeah, I think I said you can do challenges and puzzle, but it’s not required (0:48:02) Al: Yeah, that’s the thing. Adventure Mode is you have to do them. But yeah, anyway. (0:48:04) Kev: Yeah (0:48:07) Kev: Yeah, you’re forced to do it. Yeah, okay, so the color puzzles as the name implies like (0:48:14) Kev: You now not only have your numbers that you’re filling out, but you have them in different color blocks (0:48:21) Kev: You need to fill them with the correct color. I haven’t done one. So I don’t remember all the specifics but (0:48:28) Kev: but I think (0:48:31) Kev: I’ve done other (0:48:33) Kev: Nonogram games that they’ve done similar mechanics and I it’s always a fun little touch to add (0:48:37) Kev: Just know just a little variation at least in the in the puzzle, right? (0:48:42) Kev: Oh, oh, you know what this also reminds me (0:48:46) Kev: One thing that I found intriguing is when you start the game and you’re setting up your profile (0:48:51) Kev: You’re actually given a little tutorial on all the elements of the nonogram puzzles in the different modes and stuff (0:48:59) Kev: You know not (0:49:01) Kev: It’s nothing super heavy. No hand-holding. In fact, maybe it’s a little light for you know, how complex these can be but&l

Something's not right in the world of location data.In January, a location data broker named Gravy Analytics was hacked, with the alleged cybercriminal behind the attack posting an enormous amount of data online as proof. Though relatively unknown to most of the public, Gravy Analytics is big in the world of location data collection, and, according to an enforcement action from the US Federal Trade Commission last year, the company claimed to “collect, process, and curate more than 17 billion signals from around a billion mobile devices daily.”Those many billions of signals, because of the hack, were now on display for security researchers, journalists, and curious onlookers to peruse, and when they did, they found something interesting. Listed amongst the breached location data were occasional references to thousands of popular mobile apps, including Tinder, Grindr, Candy Crush, My Fitness Pal, Tumblr, and more.The implication, though unproven, was obvious: The mobile apps were named with specific lines of breached data because those apps were the source of that breached data. And, considering how readily location data is traded directly from mobile apps to data brokers to advertisers, this wasn't too unusual a suggestion.Today, nearly every free mobile app makes money through ads. But ad purchasing and selling online is far more sophisticated than it used to be for newspapers and television programs. While companies still want to place their ads in front of demographics they believe will have the highest chance of making a purchase—think wealth planning ads inside the Wall Street Journal or toy commercials during cartoons—most of the process now happens through pieces of software that can place bids at data “auctions.” In short, mobile apps sometimes collect data about their users, including their location, device type, and even battery level. The apps then bring that data to an advertising auction, and separate companies “bid” on the ability to send their ads to, say, iPhone users in a certain time zone or Android users who speak a certain language.This process happens every single day, countless times every hour, but in the case of the Gravy Analytics breach, some of the apps referenced in the data expressed that, one, they'd never heard of Gravy Analytics, and two, no advertiser had the right to collect their users' location data.In speaking to 404 Media, a representative from Tinder said:“We have no relationship with Gravy Analytics and have no evidence that this data was obtained from the Tinder app.”A representative for Grindr echoed the sentiment:“Grindr has never worked with or provided data to Gravy Analytics. We do not share data with data aggregators or brokers and have not shared geolocation with ad partners for many years.”And a representative for a Muslim prayer app, Muslim Pro, said much of the same:“Yes, we display ads through several ad networks to support the free version of the app. However, as mentioned above, we do not authorize these networks to collect location data of our users.”What all of this suggested was that some other mechanism was allowing for users of these apps to have their locations leaked and collected online.And to try to prove that, one independent researcher conducted an experiment: Could he find himself in his own potentially leaked data?Today, on the Lock and Code podcast with host David Ruiz, we speak with independent research Tim Shott about his investigation into leaked location data. In his experiment, Shott installed two mobile games that were referenced in the breach, an old game called Stack, and a more current game...

  Successful management of the massive investment funds that the state of North Carolina maintains is no small or easy job. But it's also not rocket science. Many states have done quite well for decades with a standard mix of moderate-to-conservative public and private investments. Weirdly, however, this simple, commonsense approach regularly runs afoul of […]

Louise Edington discusses the astrology forecast for February 27 to March 9, highlighting the Pisces New Moon, Venus retrograde, Mercury retrograde, and upcoming eclipses. She notes the occultation of Mercury by the Moon on February 28, conjunct the North Node and Neptune, symbolizing the dissolution of beliefs. Venus stations retrograde on March 1, with a conjunction to the Moon less than three hours later. Mercury enters Aries on March 3, and Hecate stations retrograde on March 7. The conversation also touches on the significance of Pluto and Haumea's 13-part square, emphasizing transformation and rebirth. #riseuptogether #togetherwerise For more from Louise, subscribe to at cosmicowlastrology on Youtube and check the bell to receive notifications when new content is uploaded. Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE or PAID for daily written updates and more. https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation Follow Louise at her website louiseedington.com. Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CosmicOwlLouiseEdington/ Louise's fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ ///FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY /// FYI I READ EVERY COMMENT AND DELETE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS /// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Louise Edington discusses the astrologY forecast for the week beginning February 23, including Mars stationing direct, Venus going retrograde, and a Pisces New Moon. She highlights the emotional and transformative energies associated with these events, emphasizing the importance of self-care and community support. Louise mentions her upcoming Venus retrograde class, which began on February 23rd, and encourages those struggling financially to reach out for assistance. She also notes significant astrological aspects, such as Mars stationing direct at 17 degrees Cancer and Mercury conjuncting Saturn, which bring clarity and challenges. Louise concludes by pulling tarot cards to provide further guidance for the week, focusing on partnerships, overcoming anxiety, and embracing divine service. #riseuptogether #togetherwerise For more from Louise, subscribe to @cosmicowlastrology on YouTube and check the bell to receive notifications when new content is uploaded. Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE or PAID for daily written updates and more. https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation Follow Louise at her website louiseedington.com. Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CosmicOwlLouiseEdington/ Louise's fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ ///FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY /// FYI I READ EVERY COMMENT AND DELETE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS /// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Where are you spending most of your time? Are you planning or doing? That's what we are looking at this week.    You can subscribe to this podcast on: Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | TUNEIN   Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin The Ultimate Productivity Workshop Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived Subscribe to my Substack  Take The NEW COD Course The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 358 Hello, and welcome to episode 358 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show. Podcaster Chris Williamson has recently caused a bit of a stir in the productivity world with the phrase “the productivity rain dance”. Cal Newport picked this up and it's something I've written and spoken about for many years.  If you are obsessing about productivity tools—apps, techniques and systems—you're not doing the work. You're doing the productivity rain dance. It's organising, planning and searching for new tools in the hope that somehow the work will get done.  It won't. And while you are wasting all that time planning, and playing, the work continues to pile up.  This week's question is linked to this in that it's about tools and organising work and I hope, my answer will help you find the balance between collecting, organising and doing.  Before I hand you over to the Mystery Podcast voice for this week's question, I'd like to mention that the first Ultimate Productivity Workshop of 2025 is coming.  On Fridays 14th and 21st March I invite you to spend two hours with me learning how to create a time management and productivity system that's focused on doing the work so you have time for the things you want time for.  In the workshop, we will cover getting control of your calendar and task manager . Then in week two, I will show you some simple techniques to get control of, and more importantly, stay in control of your communications—email, Slack/Teams messages AND the all important daily and weekly planning sessions.  Places are limited so, if you would like to develop a personal productivity system that is focused on doing rather than organising and planning, get yourself registered today. The link to register is in the show notes.  Okay, back to this episode. Let me now hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question.  This week's question comes from Alastair. Alastair asks, hi Carl. I recently came across your work and wonder how you avoid getting caught up in the wonderful world of productivity apps. I never seem to able to stick to anything and I know I am wasting time.   Hi Alastair, thank you for sending in your question.  I'm not sure you are necessarily wasting time looking for the right tools. If you are at the start of your productivity journey, finding the right tools is inevitable and yes, it can be confusing. There are so many.  However, there comes a point when you need to stop and settle down with a set of tools.  Those tools are: A calendar, a notes app and a task manager.  The good news is the built in tools that comes with your computer will do. You don't need expensive subscriptions to so called AI enabled tools or collaborative project management tools.  What are you trying to do when you decide it's time to get organised and be “productive”?  It's not about getting more work done. That's a bit of a misnomer about productivity. It's about getting the important stuff done and eliminating the less important.  Getting your kids up, dressed, fed and ready for school each morning is important at 7:30 am. Checking email and messages is not. There's a time and place for those messages, but 7:30 am is not the time.  The world we live in today has made communication incredible fast and easy. Forty years ago, the only forms of communication were letters and telephone calls. (Although some offices had fax machines too). If you were not next to a telephone, no one could contact you. And if you were not in the office, you didn't know what surprises were contained in the correspondence waiting for you.  It was therefore easier to compartmentalise your days. Today, it's much more difficult because you can be alerted to problems instantly, and those problems can derail your day very quickly.  The challenge therefore is to be able to quickly sift through all the stuff coming at us and to decide what is important and what is not.  When things are coming at us all day, they appear loud and urgent. But urgent is not necessarily important.  If you have a thousand emails backlogged in your email system and your boss is demanding you send in your employee evaluations by the end of the week, your employee evaluations are the more important task. The backlog will have to wait.  And let's be honest, if someone's been waiting three months for you to reply to their email they're not going to be bothered if they have to wait a further week.  If you consider that scenario for a moment, your productivity tools are not going to help you.  The only thing you need to know is that writing your employee evaluations must be done. Shuffling that task around your productivity tools won't do that for you. You are, in effect, procrastinating. I like the analogy to the rain dance here. A rain dance is performed to persuade God or the gods to bring rain to water the crops. Yet, the dance doesn't produce the rain. You can dance as much as you like, you can wear elaborate costumes and involve other people. None of that will give you what you want—water to feed the crops.  You can download as many productivity tools as you like. You can organise your notes in such a way that finding stuff is quick and easy and you can spend hours curating your notes and tasks so they look pretty. Yet, none of that gets the work done.  Doing the work is the only way the work will get done. So, all you need each day is a list of things you have decided are important and you get done and do them.  For that, you don't need expensive apps. A single sheet of paper would do that.  I've always found it interesting how productive people get their work done. The common thread is they do the work, not organise it.  If you Google Albert Einstein's desk you will see a mess. Papers and books strewn all over the place. If you search for Jeff Bezos' desk from the early days of Amazon, you'll see something very similar.  These guys got a tremendous amount of work done without the need for clean and tidy systems. They got on with doing the work that mattered and cleaned up when they were finished.  Sadly, unproductive people don't achieve very much so we cannot see their workspaces, but I'll bet they were beautifully neat and tidy with bookshelves of neatly organised books and papers lined up perfectly on their desks.  A few years ago I got into watching YouTube videos of minimalist desk set ups. (Weirdly, these videos are still popular!). I remember at the time wondering how they ever got any work done. It must have taken hours to keep their workspace so clean.  The key to all of this is knowing what is important and what is not. This is why I recommend doing two exercises before you begin developing any kind of system.  The first is to establish what your areas of focus are. These eight areas around your family and relationships, career, finances, health and fitness, lifestyle and personal development are important because they define what is important to you as an individual.  The next is to get clear what your core work is. This is the work you are employed to do and directly effects your promotional prospects and ultimately your income.  Being quick to answer your phone, respond to a message or email or being on time to every meeting is not your core work. Well, not unless you work in customer support.  Once you know what your areas of focus are and your core work is, you have a pre-defined set of priorities on which to base your decisions about what you should be doing each day.  For example, one of my areas of focus related to my work (career) is to help as many people as I can become more productive and less stressed. To do that, I produce several pieces of content each week.  Creating and publishing that content is always a priority for me.  I don't need a lot of tools to to do that.  A calendar protects time each week for creating that content—I have twelve hours a week protected for this.  I have a very disorganised list of content ideas in a single note in Evernote—a notes app I've been using for almost 16 years now.  And, of course, I have an app for writing and producing that content.  Are there better calendars, notes apps and writing tools out there? Possibly, but how much faster would I be able to create content with those new tools? Probably no faster because using them would be unfamiliar to me.  The tools I use I've used for over ten years. I know them inside out and they are boring. And that's good because I'm not tempted to organise them, or even look for new apps. They do the job I need them to do and I can focus on creating the content.  If you want to become more productive and get the important things done on time every time, the only way you will do that is to do the work. There are no shortcuts and no productivity tool will do it for you. Only you can do that.  If you need to write a report, open up Microsoft Work or Google Docs and write the first paragraph. If you need to prepare a presentation, open up PowerPoint or Keynote and create the first slide.  If you need to wash your car, go to the car wash centre and wash your car.  If you need to do your taxes, download the documents and write in your name and national insurance number.  Funny how none of those things requires you to add a task into a task manager. You just need to decide when you will do them and do them.  So there you go, Alastair. Focus less on the tools and more on what you need to do to get the job done. You really don't need elaborate apps, complex organisational structures or a minimalist desk.  You just need time protected to get the work done.  Thank you, Alastair for your question and thank you for listening. Don't forget to get yourself registered for the Ultimate Productivity Workshop where will cover many of these concepts (and much more). It just remains for me now to wish you all a very very productive week.   

Louise Edington discusses the current astrology and cosmic events as a peak period of transformation in human consciousness. She highlights the significance of the Venus retrograde, the Venus star point, and the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces). Edington references historical Venus transits in 2004 and 2012, linking them to the Mayan calendar and the ongoing shift in consciousness. She emphasizes the importance of adapting to these changes, integrating universal principles, and working together in community. Key dates include a blood red moon eclipse on March 14, 2025, and the Venus star point on March 22, 2025, coinciding with the moon's maximum declination ON THE SAME DAY. Register for the Venus Journey at https://bit.ly/venusjourney2025 https://www.moontracks.com/moon-declinations.htmlThe Sikh Prayer https://valariekaur.com/2016/11/a-sikh-prayer-for-america-on-november-9th-2016/ Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation For more follow Louise at louiseedington.com or This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

We have two beautiful CBAC stories for you on the podcast this week! Today's episode is with our friend, Melanie. Her first unexpected Cesarean was in April 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a very lonely and traumatic experience. Melanie found healing through a birth trauma therapist who helped her process her story and prepare for her second birth with a strong mindset. She took charge of what she could while making peace with what she couldn't control. Unfortunately, many things out of her control did happen, and Melanie faced another Cesarean. All of the healing work paid off though, as Melanie was not traumatized but empowered instead. “Birth stays with you forever. It's not something you ‘move on from'. My first birth was 5 years ago and still barrels me over from time to time. Likewise, the pride I feel in how I advocated for myself during my second birth continually gives me strength.”IMG_6660 (1) - Melanie Doyle.jpgCBAC Support - The VBAC Link CommunityBirth Story MedicineNeeded WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: This is actually the week that we are kicking off CBAC week. This week you'll hear two CBAC stories. If you haven't caught on yet, every month we have one week with a couple episodes that is a more specialized episode. So if you're looking for CBAC stories, this is your week, and we have our friend, Melanie, with us today.Hello everybody, it's Meagan. I have my friend, Melanie, with us today. Melanie is a 31-year-old mama of two who had two C-sections. While she struggles with birth trauma from her second birth, an emergency C section, it was still quite healing, she said. I love that you're talking about that. You still struggled with this, but it can still be healing. That was how I was. I wanted a VBAC with my second birth. I really, really, really wanted a VBAC, but it didn't happen. It didn't go as planned, and I had a CBAC. I walked down to that or and I had that second C-section, and it was not what I wanted. There was still trauma involved and lots of feelings, but it was still one of the most healing experiences for me. Weirdly enough, I think it's what he needed. I needed that to help me heal from birth one and birth two.So let's talk a little bit about CBAC, and how it can be as a mom who is wanting a VBAC and it doesn't go as planned. Do you have anything to say on that?Melanie: Sure. Thanks, Meagan. Yeah, I have a lot of things to say on that. Honestly, like you, I wanted the VBAC. I did all of the things to try to get that VBAC. I did the yoga and the teas and the stretching and the chiropractor, and the acupuncture. I did it all, and it didn't happen. It wasn't meant to be.I guess I'll get more into that when I dive into my story. But the CBAC was healing because even though I didn't get the outcome I wanted, I was much more empowered throughout the whole process than I was in that first birth. Through a lot of healing and therapy, I realized that it was that empowerment piece that caused a lot of the trauma from my first birth. It wasn't the C-section itself. That wasn't what instigated all of those feelings and all that hurt, but the way I was made to feel, the way I was treated the doubts and insecurities that were planted in me from that experience that took away my power. Even though I did not get that outcome in my CBAC, it undid a lot of that in a way. I was able to of regain some strength and some autonomy. That's lasted a lot longer. I think in this kind of healing journey, it's still hard sometimes. I still feel like I'm just barreled over by the grief that's wrapped up in both of those births. Even though I have two wonderful, beautiful, healthy children, it doesn't all disappear, but it did help me regain a lot of confidence in my ability to advocate for myself and know what I'm capable of.Meagan: Yeah, I love that you pointed out that, that it was a more empowering experience, and you felt more empowered. I really think that along these journeys, if we can be educated and feel empowered, even if it doesn't go the exact way we want it, and that doesn't even just mean Cesarean and VBAC. I didn't want an epidural, and I got an epidural. I didn't want Pitocin. I got Pitocin.Melanie: Right.Meagan: There are all these different things that can happen that we didn't want. But if we can feel empowered and involved and educated and like we are making the decisions too, and sometimes we can't make them. Sometimes our babies make the decisions, and that's frustrating. That's hard. It's like, well, what could I have done? And we go down these real big spiraled, spaces. But if we can really feel empowered along the way, even though we still might not agree with wanting, the outcome of what we wanted, we can feel empowered and have more healing to come.I wanted to talk more about that too, because we see this happen in the VBAC group where it's like, "Hey guys, thank you so much for being with me along this journey. This group has been amazing. However, I feel like I just have to leave now. I can't be here. I don't feel welcome here because I ended in a Cesarean." One, Women of Strength, I want you to know you are always welcome. You are always welcome. And you are incredible. You do. You were not less than anybody else just because you've had a Cesarean. And two, we actually have a CBAC group. I wanted to point that out to any mamas who have maybe gone for the VBAC route or even decided not to VBAC and wanted to have a Cesarean to go into that CBAC group. It is so, so special. It is led and run mainly by the very own Paige on our VBAC team, who is incredible. I just love that group so much. It creates this just abundant amount of love and support that I think everyone deserves. I don't want you to feel alone because I know. I was one of them. When I had my CBAC I was like, I can't keep seeing these people have these VBACs. I wanted a VBAC. I didn't get a VBAC. There were so many feelings, and I didn't feel welcome there. It wasn't even because they didn't make me feel welcome. I just didn't categorize myself as qualified to be in that group. Yeah, so check out The CBAC Link Community on our Facebook and know that Women of Strength, you are incredible. Whether you have a vaginal birth or not, you are incredible. Melanie: Okay, you guys, we're gonna dive into Melanie's stories, I should say. There are two. There are two stories. So, yeah, let's start with birth number one.Melanie: Goodness. So my first birth, my daughter, who is about 4.5 now, was born in April 2020. So it was right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown which really set the scene in the most terrible of ways, as many of listeners probably remember, especially for anyone who had a baby during that period. I mean, it was so challenging those final weeks of my pregnancy. Every doctor's appointment I would go to alone. There was just new bad news being delivered to me about the restrictions that were being put in place. And I was very depressed. It was a heartbreaking time. Those final weeks of my pregnancy, I imagined nesting and being cozy with my husband before we had our first baby, and it was just all kind of ripped away like so much was during that period of time. I became really disassociated from my pregnancy and the joy that was meant to be coming. If someone had approached me on the street and said, "We can get that baby out now," I probably would have said, "Sure." I was really in a place of not caring, I guess, about what happened. I was just so desperate for this baby to be born before the restrictions got worse and before my husband wouldn't be allowed to be at the birth. So I was disassociated, I think, is the only way I can describe it. And then, of course, I went overdue because my kids don't come on time. This will be a recurring thing.Meagan: And with your first baby, that is also very common. Just saying. A lot of people carry over that 40-week mark, right?Meagan: Yeah. They don't tell you that when you get the handbook at the beginning of the pregnancy. I was overdue and was desperate to be induced. I went into this prior to the pandemic and everything, being pretty knowledgeable. I had attended a birth before. I had seen things go wrong and had originally had ideas about what I wanted my birth to be like. But at that point, I really was just desperate. The induction started really well. They placed Cervadil, and it kickstarted things like rapid-fire. It worked super well for me and I thought, "Okay, this might still be okay despite the induction. Despite all this, this might still go fine." Given the COVID-19 restrictions at the time, my husband wasn't allowed in with me until I progressed to a certain degree in my labor.Meagan: Wait, what? Melanie: Yeah. Meagan: Not at all until you progress to a certain point?Melanie: So around 7 centimeters, they were going to give him a call.Meagan: What was the difference of you being there at one point over the other?Melanie: Oh, it was tragic. So he waited in the car in the parking lot.Meagan: Oh, poor thing. Poor you. Melanie: So I was alone. And it was terrible. My contractions just came on so super fast because of the Cervadil. I started dilating really quickly and I thought, "Okay, they're going to get him in here. It's going to be okay." It Wasn't. I started to panic. I had not wanted an epidural, but I was obviously experiencing a lot of pain. They got the Cervadil out because of how I was reacting to it. The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural, and I said, "No, I'm okay for now. I'm coping." I waited a while longer, and I was still alone. They still hadn't called my husband, and I just couldn't do it alone anymore. The nurse talked me into the epidural, and I didn't want it, but I felt a little pressured. Yeah, pressured. That's the word. And again, in looking back on that, I recognize that a lot of the birthing people on the floor at that time were also alone. The nurses did what they could in those situations. But, yeah. I still hold a little bit of resentment, I guess, for those moments where I was my most vulnerable and by myself.Meagan: Yeah, understandably. That makes sense.Melanie: Yeah. So I got the epidural. My husband was allowed in shortly after, and things were still okay. I was still progressing fine. Then labor just stalled, which is the start of many stories. So we waited through the night. At some point, they started Pitocin. I was moving in all these ways. I should say that my doctor is a saint among humans. She's incredible. She was on with me all night. She did everything she could. She wasn't on when I first got admitted, but she came on later in the night, and she was phenomenal. She did everything she could to get things going again. And then her shift ended the next day, and somebody else came in. By that time, I had that pesky little cervical lip. My baby's head was OT. She couldn't make that last. I was 9 centimeters, but she couldn't get that last turn because of the tilt. I was swelling. There was meconium. Her heart rate was doing some wonky things, and off to the OR we went. I was okay with it initially.It felt like, "Okay, this is what happens." It was fine, really. I had a pleasant Cesarean experience. I wasn't nauseous. My husband was able to be there with me for the birth, and I had a lovely surgeon, so it was okay. I felt okay for the most part afterward.But again, because of the COVID-19 restrictions, my husband was only permitted to stay two hours after the birth. She was asked to leave and not allowed back until we were released. It was just me and my beautiful baby girl who was 8lbs, 9oz alone for 2.5 days after I was just recovering from major surgery.Meagan: Wow.Melanie: Those first few days were challenging. Breastfeeding was a disaster. A had terrible edema from all the fluids during the C-section. I was huge trying to breastfeed. I was just so puffed up. Everything was impossible. And again, because all the birthing people on the floor were without their partners, the nurses were run ragged. It was very difficult to receive care, to put it politely. I think honestly, a lot of the trauma that I have from that time came from my hospital stay afterward and how I was treated or how I felt kind of neglected and was again alone, in some of the most formative times of my motherhood experience. Meagan: Yeah. Melanie: So that was that really. That was my first birth. As the days progressed, and I got home and I just felt so defeated by and let down by how I was treated and not even how I was treated by people but by the situation. I mean, a lot of it was beyond anyone's control.Meagan: Yeah, that time, I have a lot of feelings. I was not a, mom birthing, but I was a doula supporting couples and saw a lot of really stupid stuff to say that didn't make sense at all. But everyone was so restricted and rules were changing literally by the day and even by the hour. Right?Melanie: Yeah.The hospital I gave birth that has since it kind of acknowledged that they took it a little too far. Laboring people shouldn't be alone. Who would have thought?Meagan: Women in labor should not feel deserted. Yeah.Meagan: So some of that was nice to hear but it was just a little too late for my own benefit. The more that all settled with me, and when we had our first baby, we didn't know down the road if we wanted more kids. I'm an only child. I love being an only child. So I thought, maybe a family of three is fine. But I remember sitting with my doctor at one of our follow-up appointments, and I just broke down by the whole experience and I was like, "I can't do that again. Regardless if I want to. I just can't." She was crushed by that. She just couldn't let me Live with that feeling. "If you don't want more kids, great. You don't. You do you. But that, that can't be how we leave you." So she recommended a therapist to me who has become one of the most dearest people in my life. She's also a doula. And all of her therapy practice focuses on birth trauma, infertility, infant loss, and things of that nature. She was a godsend once we decided that we were ready to have a second baby. I don't think I could have done any of the rest without her. So then moving on to my second birth, it took a while to come around to being ready for that. After that first experience, there was a lot of therapy and a lot of trying to recognize that what I went through wasn't my own fault.Meagan: Yes.Melanie: There was nothing. The choices I made and giving in to the epidural, that wasn't a moral failing on my part. Being alone wasn't that I was not deserving of care, it was just the situation of the time. So a lot of that took some time to reckon with. And then as I began, I knew right away that I was going to try for the VBAC.My doctor was, "Yeah, of course. If you want to 100%." She felt because I did labor so well once we finally got things going, she was pretty confident that things might go okay for me the second time. So she was a great support. But once I started looking into a lot of the VBAC literature in the VBAC world, there were so many pockets of it that I really struggled with. Some of the language around how we can prepare was really off-putting to me. It felt like if you know enough and if you do enough, you'll be okay. It just felt really focused on blaming people for whatever went wrong the first time, if you had known more, if you had advocated for yourself more, if you had breathed more or meditated more, things would have gone better. So I really tried to avoid some of that in preparing for my second birth. I was really focused on the things I could control. My doula/therapist/friend really helped me with a lot of that. A lot of what we focused on and preparing for that second baby was focusing on things that would be true regardless of how that birth happened.  I became really into this series of affirmations. That is not my thing. I'm not into that normally, but they became very treasured to me and still kind of are. I really prioritized creating ones for myself that would be true regardless of what happened. It wasn't about birthing my baby vaginally because that might not happen. I knew that going in. It was more about acknowledging that my body is strong and capable. That's true regardless of what happens. So those sort of sentiments really echoed through my whole pregnancy and leading up to the birth. For the most part, I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy except for the fact that in my 20-week anatomy scan ultrasound, they discovered that my placenta was low. It was partially covering my cervix. My doctor was great. She was like, "Yeah, don't worry about it. It'll move. We're not going to worry about that until we have to. That often happens. We're not going to let that slow us down right now".So that was fine. And then later in my third trimester, I was measuring gigantic. I'm a very small person. I'm barely 5 feet. I'm petite, and I grow big babies. I was measuring quite large. We re-screened for gestational diabetes. I had a weird borderline response. I was doing these funny diet things and trying to get that under control, but I was still measuring pretty large. But again, my doctor wasn't really discouraging about that. "I know people have big babies. The bony pelvis, it moves, don't worry about it." So I still felt pretty good, and I kind of loved the idea of tiny little me having this huge baby. it seemed like I'd be pretty proud of it. But I had to have a follow-up ultrasound to check on the placement of my placenta to see if it had moved enough. And it did. Fortunately, it seemed like it was in the clear. My doctor, who was lovely, indicated that this was not a growth scan. We were just checking the placenta. But of course, the maternal-fetal unit loved to check the size of that baby. So of course, he was huge. They were trying to really say, "Are you sure you still want to do this? Because he's going to be quite a large boy and all that." I mostly tuned that out. I was like, "Yeah, I know. No big deal. I know I can't do anything about that. That's not within my control at this point. I'm 32 weeks pregnant." We carried on as normal. At this point, I was going crazy. I was walking so much. I was seeing the chiropractor. I was doing prenatal yoga. I was curb-stepping everywhere. I lost my mind a little bit in terms of all the preparation I was trying to do trying to get everything right. I became super obsessed with the baby's positioning just knowing positioning had factored into my first birth. I don't think I lied on my right side for months. Basically, I was just really focused on trying to keep things where they should be. Get that baby low and in the right angle. It became a bit of an obsession, but also the thing I'd look back on in a really positive way. I got really good at feeling where he was trying to pick out a spine and what way he was facing. And in retrospect, it made me feel a lot closer to him than I had with my daughter in some ways when I was pregnant. I became very in tune to his movements.Meagan: Yeah.Melanie: So I look back on that and I'm thankful. But yeah. So things were fine. I was growing a big baby, but all seemed well. I felt like I had a great team who supported me and were progressing the way we wanted to. We kind of expected this baby would also be "late" just given my first was. So we kind of prepared for that. We talked about the ways we could induce if needed or how long I wanted to wait until an induction.At the hospital near me, it is standard of practice to be automatically booked for an induction one week past your due date. You get that letter in the mail regardless of whether you want it or not. So as my due date approached, I got that letter. I called my doctor. She canceled that. That was not our plan. We were going to wait and see. So she was great in terms of letting me make the call, I'll say. But at a week past, or I guess just a little over, I did have to have a biophysical. That was the condition which for me turning down the induction was to have the biophysical. And again, my doctor was great. She gave me the heads up that like, "It's pretty easy to fail these and you're 41+ weeks over too." So she was advocating for me that we were not going to jump the gun here. But it was the requirement of their unit to have that. So I went in for my biophysical at 41 and change. I can't remember the exact day. And lo and behold, we failed. I think we had a 6 out of 10. His heart rate didn't do the right things in the right order or whatever the scoring is. I can't recall. And he also didn't score for the seeing the breathing movements. I knew just from my own reading that a score of 6 was a gray area. I wasn't too worried about it. But the staff in the maternal field was like "Oh, well, you're having this baby today." I was like, "Well, no, I'm not. This is not my plan." I know they see the worst cases. That is their space, but I already had the conversation with my doctor so I felt pretty well-informed. I knew that I was not ready yet. I also knew that my doctor was on call that day.So I did go up to labor and delivery which is what they had recommended. She did another biophysical up there and then did a third non-stress test. I also failed the second biophysical but the non-stress test turned out okay. We needed some time, a bit of a walk, some water, and things seemed okay. So I went home and waited for another couple of days. At this point we were, we were really cooking. We were looking at 42 weeks. I did agree to have the induction on a Thursday. I was disappointed that we were going to have to have the induction. I forgot to mention this. I wasn't followed by an obstetrician during my pregnancy. I was with a family practice group. We don't have midwives in the area where I live, but we do have a family practice group who have delivery privileges but they can't perform Cesareans, obviously. So I was followed by this lovely GP who would have delivered had my babies been born vaginally. Because I had to transfer temporarily to the obstetrics unit for the induction, I knew I was going to  encounter some more pushback than I had faced to date with my current doctor because she was so lovely and supportive. I went in and prepared for that. And the OB on that day of my induction was quite-- I don't know how to put it politely. He was very blunt. I don't think he thought I was an overly smart person to be looking at 42 weeks still insisting on trying to have this very large baby vaginally. But to his credit, he respected my autonomy and was like, "Yeah, sure, we'll give it a shot. I think it's the wrong call, but it's your call to make." So I have a love/hate relationship with him to some extent. So they did another non-stress test and things looked okay. And then I think he left and a resident came in to start the induction. I was a little dilated, so they were going to try the Foley, which they had initially some trouble getting in. It was the worst pain I've ever been in that didn't compare it all to labor on my first. But that Foley was like, whew. As soon as the resident got it in, all hell broke loose. My husband was by my shoulder and just turned white as a ghost. The resident looks up and she's like, "I think that's a little more blood than we would expect." Meanwhile, I can just see it pouring onto her shoes. I'm just hemorrhaging. Meagan: Whoa. Melanie: I'm hemorrhaging. So she runs out. There's a nurse there trying to mop things up and I'm still holding whatever sort of contraption they used to hold the Foley in. The OB comes in with an ultrasound machine. They're, of course, fearing my placenta is beginning to rupture or whatever. So he's checking the ultrasound. The heart rate monitors plummet. The baby's heart rate drops into the 60s. The room fills with people and I'm petrified. I'm just shocked. The OB's trying to move me and trying to get the Foley out. It felt like an hour. I'm sure it was only a minute that the heart rate recovered, but the decision is made like, "We're going to the OR." They didn't know what the source of the bleeding was. I was still hemorrhaging. I asked the OB like, "Can I just talk to my husband for a minute?" And he said "No, we don't have time. We're going."So we go to the OR and it was really quick. It was so much faster than my first birth. I don't even think the terror really caught on to me until later when they finally gave me the baby and the OB ensured me, "Oh yeah, no. He wasn't without oxygen for any extent. He checked out okay. He's fine." And I'm not sure it hit me that that was ever in doubt that it could have gone a way that he wouldn't have been fine. So it was a lot. It was a lot. To say it wasn't what we were expected would be an understatement. To say I didn't get my VBAC was an understatement because it just became a conversation of so many greater things. Fortunately, my doctor happened to be in the hospital, and she took care of us. We only stayed there for a day. Fortunately, that was the main thing on my birth plan that regardless of what happened, to get me out of the hospital as quickly as possible. So we were released the next day. The baby was fine, and I was fine. We were all healthy. There was no great source of the bleeding outside of that they suspected that my placenta was still a little too low compared to how it showed on the scans from in my third trimester. So when they inserted the Foley, things shifted enough that it tore a teensy bit or something, and hence the blood, but not enough to cause damage to me or my son. But that, the proximity of my placenta to my cervix wasn't quite clear on that ultrasound in my third trimester. So, yeah, that's my birth story.Meagan: Oh my gosh. Oh, my gosh. You know, birth sometimes can unfold in those really wonky, unexpected ways. And like, I have questions too. Like, could they have torn your cervix from placing the Foley? Could the Foley have nicked your placenta if it was too low inside? Right? There are all of these questions, and we tend to go that way, wanting to know the answers, but sometimes we just don't know the answer. We've talked about this a long time ago in our radical acceptance. Julie and I did a radical acceptance episode, which if you haven't checked that episode our, I really highly suggest listeners check it out because sometimes there is not an answer. The answer is unknown and it will remain unknown. Sometimes not knowing the answer can consume us, and it can leave the trauma, the doubt, the fear, and all the feelings that come with. Sometimes that means we have to let it go. We're not getting the answer. We just not getting the answer. Letting it go helps us grow, helps us heal, helps us move on to that next stage.And when I say move on, I don't mean just ignore it, wipe it out, or it never happened. It's accepting that it happened. Accept that where we were then is where we were. We made the decisions we made with the information that we were given, and now we're moving on. You did the best thing you could do for your baby by saying, like, "Okay, yeah." And like you said, it didn't even happen or occur to you until later that, "Wait, my baby couldn't have been okay?" I'm sure that sat really heavily.Melanie: Oh, my gosh. Yeah, hugely. Right? It was. It all happened so quickly. There was so much blood. Again, you're on your back. You can't really see well, but when you see it just as when the resident leaves the room, and t's on her shoes. I'm not okay. There's a problem there right now, right? Yeah. And, you know, my son was big. He was 9 pounds, 15 ounces. I don't think his size had anything to do with this part of the conversation, but in my mind, I think I've somehow accepted that I think he was going to be born via Cesarean regardless of what happened in my first birth. My placenta was low right from the start. That was a known thing that I was going to deal with, C-section or not. I know there's obviously some evidence to show that the way placenta can attach can be influenced by previous C-section scars, of course. But, I think that's how I've been able to make peace with a lot of that. It was just always going to be this way for him. I don't know. Because I was empowered through some of the decisions I made, and because I felt genuinely supported by the people around me, except for maybe that kind of cranky OB besides him, it's much easier to come to terms with what happened. And in a lot of ways, even though, my second birth is the much scarier of the two situations, I don't have nearly as much trauma associated with it. It was a crappy birth. I'll be frank about it. But it is what it is. It was scary, but it's not what keeps me up at night sometimes still, like that first birth where I felt disempowered and disenfranchised and ignored and neglected. That is the lasting problem. While I've done a lot to overcome that, I think it just goes to show how we treat people in these moments can really have a lasting impact. It's not just about the physical pain, the physical trauma, and the health emergencies that cause trauma. It can be a lot of the emotional harm as well.Meagan: I love that you pointed that out and you mentioned this along the way with some of your prep you're like, "I am not the affirmation type. It's not my thing. I don't connect to it." But you did. I think affirmations are so powerful whether or not you are an affirmation person or not. I really think having those on your side can be impactful. Like you said, you're like, "I still kind of like, hold on to them and cherish them today."Melanie: I really do. I have a list of them on my notes app on my phone. They're the same ones. They were the ones I wrote when I was pregnant with my second baby. Sometimes when I'm having a bit of a bad day or when you see another one of those photos, like the people you referenced earlier who don't associate with the VBAC groups anymore, they don't see themselves every now and then, when a photo of a super strong, awesome person with their fist up in the air celebrating their VBAC. Some of those will just hit me the wrong way one day. I'll go back to those affirmations and remind myself that my body is strong and accomplished and whatever I need to hear that day. They do have a long-lasting impact. Another one that got me through a lot was, "I'm strong enough to face what comes." Whatever that is.Meagan: Strong enough to face what comes. I love that. Yeah.Melanie: Yeah, it's been a bit of a journey. My kids are 4 and 2 now. We're not sure if we're done.Meagan: Yeah.Melanie: But despite all of these experiences, I would still 100% go for another VBAC.Meagan: Yeah.So I was going to ask you that too. Do you feel at this point that you would rather just do Cesareans? Would you have said, "Looking back, I just wish I would have scheduled it at 40 weeks, or are you feeling pretty content and empowered with the choices that you made?"Melanie: That's a great question. I think about it a lot. I'm fairly positive I wouldn't have just scheduled the C-section. And partially because despite being alone for part of my labor with my first birth, I kind of loved labor. Before I got the epidural, I have never felt so strong and so awesome in my whole entire life. I was like, "I am woman. Hear me roar." Maybe that is just in retrospect, but I also have a couple of selfies from those few hours. I'm enjoying a lot of it. So when I was preparing for my second birth even knowing that maybe this will end up in a C-section, I kept thinking, "Oh, well, at least I'll get to labor again. I'll have that. That would be great." And I didn't. I didn't get any of that. I'm not turned away from that. I'd be very much open to trying again. I think if we were to have another, I would not do all the things I became so obsessed with making sure I was getting 12,000 steps or whatever it was, and the curb-walking and the squats. I did so many squats, and I ate so many dates. I would just let go of a lot of that because I think a lot of that was the pressure of, "You need to do everything you can to get this right." And I don't have that pressure on me anymore. Maybe because I'm older than I was then, or because I was maybe foolish. I think I know a little more, but I think I would just. Let's just try. Let's see what happens.Melanie: Yeah.Meagan: You know, I want to talk a little bit about that. You talked about how you did things that you could control, but then you also focused on how you went down that path of-- I call it obsession. The path of obsession.Melanie: It was.Meagan: I was once on the path of obsession as well with my second, my second that I wanted to VBAC that went Cesarean. I ate the dates. I drank the tea. I did all the things too, and then it didn't unfold exactly how I wanted it. I don't think the things that I did or the things that I didn't do, as far as the prep goes, really impacted as much as I didn't choose the right provider. But with my second, I let go of some of the things, but then hyper-obsessed with some of the other things. I didn't sit on a couch for nine months. I sat in a car really, really straight up paying attention to my sway back and my pelvis.But I did the things that I could control that felt right for me. I went to a chiropractor. That made me feel better. I was like, "All I can do is go and hope for the best. Right?" I drank my tea. I let go of the dates. I couldn't eat another date for a very long time. I do now. I actually add them to oatmeal and things, but I couldn't even stomach a date. There were things that I did and I didn't do. So try not to go down the path of obsession because I think sometimes it takes away from our pregnancy. Do all the things that you can do within your control that feel right. So eat well. Hydrate well. Get a good prenatal. Process your birth. Process your past birth. Know what you want. Hire a doula if you want to doula. Find your right supportive provider. But also, if it's too much and you need to be like, "You know what? I'm going to do what I can over here, and I'm just going to let it unfold over here," I don't think there's any shame in that. I don't think anyone should be like, "Well, but you're not doing x, y, z." Yeah, I'm not because right now it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel right. Melanie: That's exactly right. I think I was just so afraid if my birth didn't go well, if I would think that, "Oh, there's something else I could have tried." That was, I think, my mindset in preparing for that second birth. But I'm glad you mentioned the feeling right because I did actually give up the acupuncture at 40 weeks because I hated it. I hated going. I didn't like the way it made me feel. It made me groggy. I felt like I was sleepwalking.Meagan: Not right.Melanie: Not right, but yes, letting that go. But again,  initially, I felt guilty for it. Almost like I'm not doing everything I could. But sometimes we need to let that go if it doesn't feel right for us.Meagan: Yeah, I agree.So really quickly, to wrap this up, we asked for a secret lesson, and then we asked for your tips. I wanted to read what you wrote. When I said, "What is a secret lesson or something no one really talks about that you wish that you would have known ahead of time when preparing for birth?" Your answer was, "Birth stays with you forever. It's not something you just move on from." Like we were just saying, it isn't. It's not just something that you move on from and you forget about it. It's just gone. It's not. It really does stick with you, and it can impact future births. So know that that's a thing, and you need to work through that if you have trauma. She says, "My first birth was nearly five years ago, and the trauma still barrels over her." Likewise, the pride that you feel and how you advocated for yourself during your second birth continuously gives you strength. So I love that secret lesson. I think it's very empowering.And then when I asked, "What is your best tip for someone preparing for VBAC?" There's a lot here, and I'm just going to read exactly what you wrote because so it's all so good. And you also kind of talked about it within your story, but I just wanted to write what you wrote. It says, "Preparing for a baby and birth is a mental, emotional and cognitive journey, not just physical. I did so much work with the support of a wonderful doctor, doula, therapist and partner that all helped me cope with this birth. I did chiropractic care, pelvic floor PT, acupuncture, yoga, massage, but it was the mental work and preparation that I did that really made the difference." And then you said, "If someone is into affirmations, find or create some that will be true regardless of whatever happens." Again, pointing out what you said earlier. I think it's important to note. Women of Strength, you can prep. You could do everything, and sometimes when I think we do everything and then they don't unfold exactly how we think, "We did everything. And it sucked. It failed me." It's not true. You did everything that felt right for you, and you have to embrace that and congratulate yourself for that and say, "I did what I could." But I love that you talked about the affirmations that can stay true. I love that so much. Your body is strong. No matter how you birth your baby, your body is strong. So, there's something that you did through therapy and healing that I would love to talk on before we go. Is there any way you could dive into that a little bit?Melanie: Yeah, sure. So it's a practice called birth story medicine. I'm not an expert in it by any means, but it is the train of schooling that my therapist, who's also a doula, specializes in with birthing people who have birth trauma. It's really a part of a birth story. Listening. So having someone reciprocate in the dialogue of your birth story, really similar to what goes on in this podcast in a lot of ways, where you are being heard when you tell your birth story. But through that process, over months and months of the telling and retelling of my birth story, particularly that first birth, my therapist was able to really help me get to a place of re-seeing it. That's when I began to re-see my role in that. It really centers around this idea that through discussion and through sharing, that can be the medicine we need to heal emotionally. So it's again, not always about those physical scars we're left with, but emotionally what we carry and giving value to those, having those be heard in a space where they're not often heard. When we go into a hospital or a birth center, we don't always create space or are not always given the space to have those feelings and that trauma heard. That birth story medicine approach really helped me re-see my experience for my first birth.I love that you talk about this. We actually have something similar in our VBAC course when it comes to mental and physical prep because I think that's honestly where our course starts as mental and physical prep. I truly believe that's where this journey starts. But I talk about the senses. So when we are processing our birth or going through this birth medicine journey, I suggest doing things where you write your birth story. Physically write it. Read it, so you're seeing it. So you're physically doing the action. Now you're seeing it and you're reading it. Okay? Read it out loud to someone so you're hearing it being said and someone else is hearing it. Receive validation. Okay?Really walk through those five senses because I truly believe that it helps you heal. But hearing it, seeing it, writing it, being validated. I guess it's not even the five senses. We can't smell our birth, but we talk about that like taking yourself back, putting yourself in that feeling, hearing those sounds, smelling the smells and processing those is so empowering. It's a little different, but kind of similar. I love it. I love that so much. Is it birth medicine? Is that what you're calling it?Melanie: Birth story medicine. I can't remember the woman who wrote the book quite literally, but I recommend everyone check it out.Meagan: We're going to find it, and put it in the show notes. Birth story medicine. Here we go.Okay, really quickly before we go, will you give us two or three affirmations that really stuck with you if you have them? If not, no worries.Melanie: Oh, sure. I still do. So one that I don't hold on to as much now, but it was really important to me leading up to that second birth, especially given my first was, "I am not responsible for starting labor when it starts." I tried, but I had to remind myself, "I am not responsible for starting labor." Another one was, "My baby will be born. I will birth my baby."Meagan: Yes.Melanie: However that happens, I will birth my baby. The final one may be that again, I think because of the trauma I had from my first birth during the pandemic was, "I am not alone. My baby is with me."Meagan: Love those so much.Melanie: Oh no, I'm very emotional.Meagan: I'm sorry. I did not mean to make you emotional, but I really thank you so much for all of those and for your words. I am so happy that you were able to come through on the other side of this experience with the mindset that you have. I know it's not easy. I know it hasn't been easy. The journey is really a journey and like you said, it sticks with you forever. I will never forget all three of my births.As of the day of this very recording, my daughter turned 13 yesterday. My first C-section was 13 years ago yesterday. Let me tell you, I reflected deeply. I had a lot of emotions. I cried. I smiled. I had so many feelings that it, literally makes me emotional thinking about it right now. But you guys, I was amazing back then. I didn't fail. I didn't fail. I think that's just so important that we know that no matter how our baby is born, we are going to be with our baby. Our babies will be with us, and we didn't fail. We did the best we could, and you were incredible.Melanie: Thanks, Meagan. You too. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Professor Jeffrey Flier is a distinguished service professor and Higginson Professor of Physiology and Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is the former dean of Harvard Medical School. We talked about the recent (and sudden) change in NIH funding. First a note on Professor Flier. He is not a normal medical school dean. He is active online. He speaks candidly, often critically. He and Vinay wrote together in STAT news during the pandemic. It was a great honor to talk with him for 47 minutes about the NIH news. Here is the Tweet that went crazy viral Friday afternoon. I had only a superficial understanding of grant funding. It turns out that every time a scientist earns an award, the institution receives extra funding known as indirect costs. The extra funds are given to support the infrastructure of the research center. Weirdly, as you will hear, some of the biggest research centers earn the highest percentages of indirect funds. The controversy stems from the sudden and massive cut in these indirect costs. It is an understatement to call the online reaction polarized. It was totally utterly hyper-polarized. Here is Elon Musk. Richard EbrightThere is absolutely no defensible basis for non-uniform indirect cost rates and absolutely no defensible basis for >=60% indirect costs. The previous system was a colossal fraud.Micheal Eisen It's like saying you're going to save money on a football team by cutting all the linemen.Anil Makam Whoa. Better accountability was needed where these expenses went, but this is draconian cut. Many institutions will struggle to support scientific infrastructure.C. Michael Gibson Woah…The government used to pay academic institutions 60% + on top of the costs of research grant to cover “Indirect costs.” That number just dropped to 15%. The viability of US academic medical centers & research is at risk.And of course Vinay Prasad, who also wrote Ten Things to Know about the NIH change. Good! This was the greatest slush fund ever created. It made researchers with NIH dollars invincible. Universities shielding them at all costs, even when research was fraudulent. This money was used to support initiatives, which Americans rejected, like DEI training & admin bloat.Sensible Medicine is a reader-supported publication. This is a free post but please consider becoming a paid subscriber as we aim to remain free of advertising support Here are some quotes I received via email from unnamed NIH funded researchers: A lot of the indirects go to admins who are increasingly important for grant submission process because it is unnecessarily cumbersome. I've been on 3 NIH funded grants. All from the same team. Each one was sillier than the prior.Another person—from the Southern US I submitted an R01 a few months ago and it's difficult to navigate everything alone without admin support. The process for grant submission could be improved a lot And there should be more focus on important questions and more clinical trials.Another—from the MidwestUnless I wanted to study goofy BS, I realized my chances were hopeless. So the only other option was to stay and truly advance in the academy was to align with industry. And yet another from the MidwestThis overhead reduction is long overdue. Universities have been eating at the free buffet for a long time. They will, however, quickly figure out ways to take money away from researchers. I expect that lab space rent, personnel fees, and supply costs that the universities charge the investigators will become much higher in the coming year.Lastly, the US government wants to keep the additional indirect costs, I get that. Universities will find ways to bridge the gap by taking more money from investigators. The initial pain will be at the administrator level, but early investigators will bear the brunt of this in the coming 1-2 years. It's not a great time to be in academic medicine, esp as an investigator reliant on grants. Thank you for your support. Thank you Professor Flier. JMM This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sensible-med.com/subscribe

Alan's Soaps https://www.alansartisansoaps.comUse coupon code ‘TODD' to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bioptimizers https://Bioptimizers.com/ToddEnter promo code TODD to get 10% off any order.Bonefrog https://bonefrogcoffee.com/toddCelebrate the coffee lover in your life this Valentine's day with a special box from Bonefrog.  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital Bulwark Capital Management (bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com)Get a second opinion on the health of your retirement portfolio today.  Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review go to KnowYourRiskRadio.com today.Native Path Krill https://GetKrill.com/ToddVisit GetKrill.com/Todd to get your special offer of NativePath Antarctic Krill Oil for as low as $19 a bottle.Renue Healthcare https://renue.healthcare/toddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit renue.healthcare/toddI'll give you the inconvenient (to them) facts about CNN and WIRED's latest hit pieces on DOGE. Some Arizona food lobbyists want to convince you soda is healthy. Finally, Please Donald Trump, no WH Faith Office.2 Timothy 4:3“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”Episode Links:Why was USAID actively instructing media organizations around the world to "AGREE POLICIES ON STRATEGIC SILENCE" to all collectively censor social media narratives?"We have identified, and our reporting has identified six young men. All of our reporting indicates that they are between the ages of 19-24. They are either recent HIGH SCHOOL or recent college graduates...ALL with ties to either #Musk-owned companies or #PeterThiel-owned companies.Congress By the NumbersPlease watch this video carefully. My home state AZ legislature introduced a bill to remove soda from SNAP. Food Lobbyists argued on camera that soda doesn't cause obesity. As you can see at the end, I was not happy. These are the stakes of MAHA. We must protect kids.PRESIDENT TRUMP: "This week, I am also creating the White House Faith Office led by Pastor Paula White."Trump to create religious office in White House, target 'anti-Christian bias'This is an abomination. Paula White, head of Trump's White House Faith Office, is no Christian leader. She preaches the heresies of Word of Faith & Prosperity Gospel, both utterly opposed to authentic Christianity. Worse, she has lived a life of scandal, with multiple husbands, twisting the Gospel for profit. Arguably, this is the worst and most dangerous thing President Trump has done—putting a false teacher at the helm of faith outreach. Lord, have mercy on our country and this administration. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine..." 

Today witnesses the extreme hype of US employment data. Today's data also has annual benchmark revisions, which will confuse the headlines. Weirdly, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has cancelled all briefings explaining data. This is not necessarily helpful as data becomes more complex, inaccurate, and misunderstood. It has also fueled disquiet that the new US administration might politicize the way data is calculated (survey responses are already partisan).

Louise Edington discusses the Astrology of the Leo Full Moon on February 12, 2025, emphasizing its significance in the 9 year of the cycle and the 5/14 universal day, symbolizing change. The moon is at 24 degrees Leo, highlighting heart and joy, while the sun in Aquarius focuses on the nervous system. The chart features a fixed T-square with Uranus, Ceres, and Mercury, urging radical changes. Key astrological elements include Neptune-North Node conjunction, Chiron in Aries, and the upcoming Venus retrograde. Louise stresses self-care, regulation of the nervous system, and the importance of courage and bravery during this period. Subscribe to Louise's Substack blog for FREE https://cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/ Check out Louise's Amazon store for books and other products I love and recommend! https://www.amazon.com/shop/cosmicowlastrology-louiseedington Work with the Cosmic Owl: Book a consultation. https://bookme.name/louiseedington/astrology-consultation For more from Louise, follow Louise at louiseedington.com or https://www.facebook.com/WildWomanUnleashed/ My fave numerology resource is http://numerology-thenumbersandtheirmeanings.blogspot.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cosmicowlastrology.substack.com/subscribe

Is the Fraternal Order of policing regretting their decision to endorse Donald Trump for President yet? Weirdly, I'll bet Trump didn't expect this from his pardon...Plus - you will be surprised how Trump decided on a blanket pardon. Trump signs an executive order asserting that all American men are actually, legally women. With these people, the stupid goes all the way down.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After Jack Smith released his final report on Donald Trump's insurrection, Trump erupted, gloating over the failure to prosecute him. Meanwhile, Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, MAGA hero Pete Hegseth, had some alarming moments at his confirmation hearing, and the MAGA cheerleading for him hints at ugly times ahead. Take this all together and Trump and MAGA look invincible right now. So we talked to historian Julian Zelizer, author of a good piece in The New Republic that reminds us that George W. Bush looked formidable in 2004, only to see the tide turn dramatically two years later. Zelizer discusses his new book, In Defense of Partisanship, and explains why Trump-MAGA's grip on power may prove fragile, especially if Democrats fight them effectively. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices