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 In this richly layered episode, the hosts follow up on unanswered questions from last week’s exploration of blue. They start by confirming what Russians actually call their beloved “Blue” cats—Синий русский (Siniy russkiy)—and dive into why Puritan “blue laws” might have literally come from blue paper or blue clothing. From there, the couple unpacks theories on how “blue” came to mean both “religious strictness” and “indecency,” tracing its tangled linguistic roots through New England idioms and 19th‑century slang.

The new word of the week, crèche, opens a thoughtful discussion on the Latin, French, and Greek origins of the manger scene and how baby Jesus’ “feeding trough” evolved into Christmas iconography. The episode closes on a spirited debate about when the holiday season should really begin, whether Thanksgiving deserves more respect, and even if daylight savings time should be abolished for good.

Keywords: Russian Blue cats, blue laws, etymology of “blue,” crèche, Christmas decorations, holiday culture, language history.

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Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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 Overview:

• An unexpectedly multifaceted English word examined through color, emotion, temperature, and cultural usage—plus comparisons to Russian and historical linguistics.

Why it came up:

• The hosts had recently discussed Russian—the language’s treatment of blue inspired today’s topic.

Linguistic Insight: Russian Words for “Blue”

• Russian distinguishes light and dark blue with two separate terms:
  • синий
     (siniy) — dark blue
  • голубой
     (goluboy) — light blue
• Scientific studies show Russian speakers identify shades of blue faster and more precisely than English speakers because their brains associate distinct words with each hue.
• English only modifies blue with adjectives (e.g., sky blue, navy blue, midnight blue), while Russian encodes the difference as separate words entirely.

English Uses of “Blue” - The hosts brainstormed, then checked definitions in the Oxford Language Dictionary.

1. Color:
   • Basic meaning: hue between green and violet.
   • Nuances: sky blue, ocean blue, navy, azure.
   • Describes appearance of things (skin tone from cold, animals like blue jays or Russian Blue cats).
   • Used categorically (even in physics: “blue quark”).
2. Feeling:
   • Emotional state of sadness or melancholy (“feeling blue”).
3. Content Rating:
   • “Blue humor” or “blue movie” = off-color, obscene, or adult-themed material.
4. Moral Tone (dated):
   • “Blue” once meant rigidly religious or moralistic — ironic given the modern usage for adult entertainment.
5. Nouns Representing Things:
   • Civil War: Union Army (“the Blues”).
   • Clothing color references, butterflies, and species names.
6. Verbs:
   • To “blue” metal (giving it a gray-blue finish).
   • “Bluing” laundry (washing whites with blue tint).
   • Historical variant of “blow” (as in “blew it all on sweets”).
7. Cooking Temperature (modern usage):
   • “Blue” or “extra rare” steak (110–115°F / 43–46°C).
   • So little cooked that the reddish interior gives the surface a bluish reflection.
   • Not temperature-safe per USDA guidelines (minimum 145°F).

Cultural and Personal Tangents

• Mention of “Code Blue” (hospital emergency) and “Blue Light Special” (retail slogan).
• “Feeling blue” leads to nostalgic reference to the song “I’m Blue.”
• Discussion of food safety and different national norms.
• Anecdote: earlier favorite restaurant’s rare steak special (so cheap, it may have caused bankruptcy).
• Humor about having a “Russian Blue” cat — ironic, since in Russia the name would mean something else entirely.

Closing Observations

• Russian’s two blues highlight linguistic relativity — vocabulary shapes perception.
• English compensates with creative modifiers but lacks built-in semantic depth for shades.
• Russian possibly “superior” linguistically: clearer color distinctions, simpler consonant system, and no confusion over English C/K/S spelling.

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Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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 Word of the Episode: Timidity

• Definition (Oxford): Lack of courage or confidence.
• Usage: More common historically (esp. 1800s), in decline until a slight uptick since 2019—possibly linked to its appearance in modern Bible translations (e.g., NLT). Example usage: “She believes everyone can overcome their timidity.”
• Etymology: From Latin timidus (“fearful”) ← timere (“to fear”). Related to timid, intimidate, etc.
• Comparison: Timidness exists, but AI claims timidity is more established—a claim the hosts dispute, saying they had never encountered it until now.
• Biblical Connection: Appears in 2 Timothy 1:7 in NLT (“spirit of timidity”), contrasted with KJV “spirit of fear.”
  • Greek root deilia: cowardice, shrinking back.
  • Discussion of translation nuances—“spirit of fear” preferred by hosts for theological clarity.

Name Tangent

• Timothy: From Greek Timotheos (“honoring God”), unrelated in meaning to timidity despite phonetic similarity.
• Interesting contrast: Timothy = honor; timidity = fear.

Language and Teaching Anecdotes

• Story about teaching reading: oldest child insisted the letter “C” was unnecessary (preferred K for hard sounds, S for soft sounds).
• Hosts reflect on English language idiosyncrasies and societal norms—sometimes you must teach or conform to standard usage even if logically flawed to maintain group consistency (e.g., scripture memorization in one translation).
• Discussion of debate skills:
  • One host enjoyed logical fallacy education but disliked formal debate constraints.
  • Questioning realism of debate rules in everyday argumentation (should everything be allowed?).

Fun Debates

• Waffles vs. pancakes:
  • She: waffles for crunch and syrup pockets.
  • He: soft, cake-like waffles preferred; long-term choice would be pancakes.
• Crunchy vs. soft dessert preferences and cookie texture differences.
• Crunch in food: she likes chips in sandwiches; he prefers only certain crunchy foods.

Cultural Reflection

• On language reform: can’t rewrite every word/book; sometimes must “share empathy” about constraints.
• Suggestion: learn languages without English’s “C” problems (e.g., Russian, Asian languages).

Closing Notes

• Core lesson: functioning in society often means aligning with group standards (like using C in spelling or reciting scripture in a shared translation), even if logically imperfect.
• Encouragement: “Need not have a spirit of timidity” in learning or sharing—be bold, though the hosts admit they’re still working on that confidence.

Tone & Takeaway:

• This episode is playful, linguistic, and philosophical—mixing etymology with personal stories about teaching, language quirks, group conformity, and confidence. It ties biblical language curiosity to everyday communication and social norms.

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Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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Word of the Episode: Polemical

• Definition (Oxford): Expressing or constituting a strong critical attack or controversial opinion.
• Etymology: From Greek polemos (“war”) → polemikós (“warlike/hostile”).
• Discussion:
  • Related to debate and controversy, not to Ptolemaic (Claudius Ptolemy’s geocentric astronomy).
  • Hosts joked about confusing the two since they sound similar, imagining a “Ptolemaic polemic.”
  • Takeaway: polemical ≠ Ptolemaic, but both useful as play on words.

Connection to Past Episodes

• Revisited pontificate: noted they’re now noticing frequent (often incorrect) uses of the term in culture and academics.
• Bridge to discussion: morals vs. morale can easily become “polemical topics” depending on viewpoints.

Main Discussion: Morals vs. Morale

• Her perspective:
  • As an adult, her morals (e.g., Christian faith, honesty, ethics) are “locked in,” unlikely to change.
  • Thus, she is more affected by other people’s morale (positive or negative energy) in everyday life.
  • With children, morals matter more since they are still shaping beliefs and behaviors—she prefers surrounding them with adults who share her moral framework.
• His perspective:
  • Defines morals as a “systematized pattern of acceptable behavior” (actions/ethics), distinct from worldview (beliefs about God, humanity, existence).
  • Argues even people with different worldviews can reach the same moral behaviors (e.g., both an atheist and a Christian can refrain from cutting in line).
  • For him, morals take priority over morale, since behavior aligns society regardless of mood or energy.

Illustrative Debates & Anecdotes

• Examples:
  • Trash pickup — Is it moral duty to clean up? What if someone rationalizes leaving trash as “providing jobs”?
  • Grocery/self-checkout — Some claim it’s moral to avoid kiosks to preserve jobs.
  • Baseball/foul ball incident & golf ball souvenir — personal anecdotes about moral codes, property, and differing interpretations.
• Reflection: disagreements often reveal overlap of moral codes vs. worldviews and how they shape actions.

Conclusions

• She: In her daily life, morale matters more (shapes her energy and interactions). With young children, morals come first.
• He: Morals hold higher priority as they define acceptable action, though morale influences group dynamics.
• Both agree: ideally society holds to good morals, which then produces high morale.
• Polemical debates about morals vs. morale show how easily language and worldview shape conflict.

Other Notes

• Joking sidebars:
  • Don’t be “polemical” if you want good morale.
  • Don’t be “Ptolemaic” (thinking the world revolves around you).
  • Musings about Mars missions and abandoned past sign-ups.
  • Reminder of abandoning planned 3I/Atlas probes.

Tone & Takeaway:

• Playful but reflective exploration of language lessons (polemical, Ptolemaic, pontificate) tied to deeper life discussions (morals, morale, worldview, behavior).
• Closing mantra: disagreements aside, “through talking we begin the journey to understanding.”

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Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice. 

Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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Words of the Episode: Morals vs. Morale

• Morals
  • Definition: Standards of behavior or principles of right/wrong by which a person lives; also lessons drawn from stories.
  • Etymology: From Latin mos/moris → morales → moralia (used by St. Gregory in his exposition on Job) → Middle English.
  • Can be good or bad, but always refers to a guiding code.
• Morale
  • Definition: Confidence, discipline, and outlook of a person or group at a given time (e.g., workplace morale).
  • Etymology: From French moral in the mid‑18th century; respelled morale in English to preserve stress on the final syllable.
  • No root connection to morals—it is its own word, with earliest English usage around 1752.

👉 Key Takeaway: Despite sounding similar, the two words have completely different origins. “Morale” was modified in English to avoid confusion with “moral.”

Discussion

• Both hosts were close on definitions, but one assumed they shared a common root—turns out they do not.
• They explored how confusing it would be in speech if a leader said “group morals are high” versus “group morale is high,” since both phrases make sense but mean very different things.
• Reflection on homonyms/homophones in English—words that sound/look the same but differ in meaning. Unlike typical homonyms (e.g., “bat” the animal vs. “bat” in baseball), morale was respelled precisely to avoid that category.

Personal Anecdotes About Misunderstanding

• Jumper cables story:
  • During a Cub Scout campout, one leader asked if anyone had jumper cables.
  • Host assumed it was for a skit prop (since they were prepping for skits), but the leader’s truck battery was actually dead.
  • Quick laugh followed, then real jumper cables solved the issue—illustrating how context can cause misinterpretation.
• Name misunderstanding:
  • One host admitted to mishearing someone’s name due to an accent, thinking it was something odd, only to learn later it had an important cultural meaning.
  • Tied into the larger lesson of how cultural background and preconceived ideas affect how we interpret words.

Closing Reflection

• Clear, precise speech matters to reduce misunderstandings.
• People bring different contexts, cultural baggage, and assumptions into conversations.
• Full-circle conclusion: good morals help ensure right speech and actions, while good moralekeeps groups positive and functional.

Final Question Raised:

• Which is more important, morals or morale?
  • Answer given: Morals come above morale—though morale strongly affects group energy, it does not outweigh a person’s guiding moral code.

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Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice. 

Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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 Links to materials mentioned in the episode:

• Link to book by Avi Loeb: Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.
• Link to the paper co-authored by Avi Loeb: Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology? (PDF)

Word(s) of the Episode

• ʻOumuamua
  • Hawaiian name for the first observed interstellar object (2017).
  • Meaning: “A messenger from afar arriving first” or “advance scout.”
  • Had unusual properties—possibly pancake-shaped, non-natural trajectory, and odd light reflections that led some scientists (e.g., Avi Loeb, Harvard) to propose it might be an artificial probe.
• 3I/Atlas
  • The third confirmed interstellar object, discovered July 1, 2025.
  • Name breakdown: “3” (third), “I” (interstellar), “ATLAS” (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System).
  • Oddities observed:
    • Appears to off-gas methane based on color/spectral readings.
    • Its “tail” sometimes points toward the sun instead of away.
    • Shows unexplained accelerations—speeding up, slowing down, changing course beyond gravity’s pull.
    • Trajectory lies unusually close to the orbital plane of the planets.

Discussion

• Alien Connection?
  • Avi Loeb suggests these interstellar objects could be probes from advanced civilizations, linking them to the Dark Forest Theory (a proposed answer to the Fermi Paradox).
  • Fermi Paradox: If alien life should exist widely, why don’t we see evidence?
  • Dark Forest Theory: Civilizations hide in fear that others will annihilate them; some may send probes to preemptively eliminate threats.
• Alternative Views:
  • Could just be an unusually shaped or chemically different rock.
  • Only 3 interstellar objects have been observed—too small a data set to generalize.
  • Likelihood of danger is deemed infinitesimally small.
• Hosts’ Take:
  • One host doubts alien life entirely (prefers theological explanation of humanity as unique).
  • The other finds it interesting but not worth worrying about—no control if it were dangerous.
• Speculation:
  • What if aliens invited humans aboard—would you go? (Hosts conclude “not alone, only maybe with whole family, and only with proof of trust.”)
  • Playful talk of aliens celebrating Christmas, or whether to buy presents early if Earth were to be destroyed December 19th (closest approach).

Pop Culture Tangents

• Netflix’s Don’t Look Up (mixed opinions on its ending).
• Light detour into Hawaiian names and humorous restaurant memories.

Closing

• They note how social media obsessions with “jumbotron scandals” drown out real, fascinating science.
• Suggest listeners check out Avi Loeb’s book and recent paper.
• Tease but skip over talking about Charlie Kirk, noting “everyone else is already covering him.”

Tone & Takeaway

• Language lesson: Hawaiian terms like ʻOumuamua; technical naming of 3I Atlas.
• Science lesson: Pareto principle revisited in practice—only a few rare objects spark most debates.
• Life lesson: Balance curiosity with perspective—most things (like alien probes) are unlikely threats, but thinking them through can be fascinating.

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Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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Episode Milestone

• Hosts note that Episode 75 feels like a meaningful number (cool, but not as significant as 60 was for them). Next true milestone will be Episode 100, expected in ~25 weeks.

Word of the Episode: Pareto (Pareto Principle)

• Definition: The Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule: roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes.
• History:
  • Coined by Italian economist Wilfredo Pareto (1848–1923), originally observing that 20% of Italians owned 80% of land.
  • Later applied by Joseph Juran to quality control (20% of causes lead to 80% of defects).
• Other Names: “Vital few,” “principle of factor sparsity.”
• Applications:
  • Donations: 20% of donors often give 80% of funds.
  • Manufacturing/quality control: 20% of machines may cause 80% of defects.
  • Social contexts: often summarized as “20% of people do 80% of the work.”
• Fun Note: They joke about sounding “pontificatious” by using the fancy term principle of factor sparsity.

Main Topic: The Phillies Baseball Game Incident

• Event:
  • A man retrieved a foul/home-run ball several seats over, gave it to his son.
  • A woman in Phillies gear confronted him, demanded the ball, touched him aggressively, and allegedly cursed/gestured.
  • Man eventually gave her the ball.
• Father’s Behavior: Seen as loving and sincere—the ball was clearly for his son (hugged him, put it in his mitt).
• Debate:
  • Host 1: Believes ball retrieval is first-come, first-served. Since the woman didn’t catch it, it was fair game, and the dad did nothing wrong.
  • Host 2: Thinks as a grown man, he should’ve let fans in the immediate area retrieve it; still, the woman was completely out of line.
• Aftermath:
  • Marlins team stepped in, gave the family consolation gifts (goodie bag, signed gear, possibly even a PS5).
  • Rumors circulated that the woman may have lost her job (unconfirmed, possibly misinformation).
  • Observed that her partner’s body language looked exhausted and unsurprised by her behavior.
  • Discussion on Philly fan culture (“aggressive, confrontational, almost embraced as an identity”).
  • Hosts argue the dad’s choice to hand over the ball was the wiser path of de-escalation.
• Connection to 80/20: They joke that “20% of people like her cause 80% of altercations.”

Closing Teasers for Next Episode

• Future topics teased:
  • 3I Atlas
  • Avi Loeb (Harvard astrophysicist, head of the Institute for Theory & Computation, Center of Astrophysics)
  • The interstellar object ʻOumuamua

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Language lesson: Pareto Principle = 80/20 rule, applicable far beyond economics.
• Life lesson: Ballpark drama shows how a few people cause outsized conflict—but grace (the dad’s decision) sets a better example.
• Style: Conversational, humorous, with teases and callbacks to ongoing themes (pontificate, big numbers milestones, “jumbotron incidents”).

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Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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 Word of the Episode: Pontificate

• Hosts’ Initial Guess:
  • They believed it meant to think deeply to arrive at a decision.
  • They even associated it with careful contemplation and resolution.
• Actual Definition (Oxford Languages):
  • To express one’s opinions in an annoyingly pompous or dogmatic way.
  • Far from quiet reflection—it's about pompous expression.
  • Negative connotation, closer to “know‑it‑all” behavior.
• Additional Meaning: In Roman Catholic Church context, pontificate = officiate as a bishop at mass; also used as a noun for tenure (e.g., “the Pope’s pontificate”).
• Etymology: From Latin pontifex → Old French pontificat → late Middle English pontificate.

👉 Discovery: Many who jokingly say “let me pontificate” are actually self‑insulting.

Main Discussion: Planning, Urgency & Arbitrary Deadlines

• Topic: The tension between:
  1. Big‑picture do‑it‑now mentality (one host = act immediately, finish early, no burden later).
  2. Wait‑until‑necessary mentality (other host = if the deadline is months away, wait; urgency is lower).
• Personal Contrast:
  • One host: finishes things quickly, even taking on extra work (did 3 college senior projectsjust to stay productive).
  • Other host: efficient under pressure but prefers pacing, resting first, “working the system” by doing only what’s required to meet the goal.
• Conflict:
  • Upcoming deadlines set 4 months away — one frustrated at others’ lack of urgency, the other argues most people only act when urgency arrives.
  • Suggested solution: “arbitrary deadlines” to create urgency. But one host feels this is deceptive and prefers transparency.
  • Possible compromise: present early dates as “goals” instead of hard deadlines.
• Reflection on Society:
  • Many people only act under true deadlines or emergencies (“Your lack of planning is not my emergency”).
  • Debate over whether arbitrary goals motivate or manipulate.
  • Hypothesis: People fall into thirds—early planners, motivatable by goals, and last‑minute doers.
  • Closing Pontification: maybe it’s less “thirds” and more Pareto principle (tease for Episode 75).

Tone & Takeaways

• Language Lesson: Pontificate ≠ “think deeply”—it’s “speak pompously.”
• Life Lesson: People manage tasks and deadlines differently; tension arises over efficiency vs. pacing, transparency vs. manipulation, but balance can come with clear goals.
• Humor: Self‑aware jokes about whether they were “pontificating” the whole episode in the negative sense.

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Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice. 

Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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 Word of the Episode: Libfix

Definition: A “libfix” is a liberated suffix—when part of a word (often mistaken as a suffix) gets reanalyzed and reused as a suffix for other words.

• Examples:
  • -gate (from Watergate): now used to mean “scandal” (e.g., Pizzagate, Elsagate).
  • -core (from hardcore): extended to music genres or aesthetics (metalcore, cottagecore, tropicore in Animal Crossing).
  • -holic (from alcoholic): becomes workaholic, shopaholic.
  • -cation (from vacation): staycation, workcation.
  • -punk (from cyberpunk): steampunk, dieselpunk, etc.
• Etymology: Libfix = “liberated suffix.” Differs from a normal suffix since it wasn’t originally a suffix but part of a fuller word, later “liberated” and reused.

Life Updates & Topics

• Busy Fall Schedule: School, Cub Scouts, pool duties.
• Pool Management Issue:
  • Community pool requires a lifeguard if the diving board is installed.
  • Volunteers (including hosts) now manage a daily routine: install board after school, remove it at night, reinstall next afternoon.
  • A bit taxing, but lifeguards are mostly teens with limited availability.
  • They agreed to extend the pool season through September with a lighter schedule (lifeguards only on weekends).
  • Confusion often arises between “the board” (diving board) and “the board” (volunteer board members).
• Cub Scouts Popcorn Fundraising:
  • Parents handling coordination after the original volunteer stepped away.
  • Tedious process: tracking online/offline sales, money, inventory.
  • Kids learning communication, confidence, and perseverance.
  • Anecdotes:
    • A child received a $100 donation that “made their year.”
    • Their own youngest lost 2 teeth in one day, prompting a Tooth Fairy dilemma (kids value two $1 bills over a single $5 bill).
    • Scouts sometimes value donations more than sales; one donor even purchased a popcorn bag just to give it directly to the child.

Closing Thoughts

• Language Takeaway: Libfixes shape much of modern slang, aesthetics, and genre naming.
• Life Takeaway: Volunteer work (pool duties, Scouts) and small acts of generosity make outsized impacts.
• Episode was kept shorter than usual due to their busy lives, but they promise more typical-length conversations when time allows.

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Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique. 

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 Word of the Episode: Penitent

• Usage: Came up while studying Psalm 6 (one of the “penitential psalms”).
• Common Associations:
  • Hosts thought it related to humility, kneeling, or seeking forgiveness.
  • One recalled Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the “penitent man kneels before God.”
  • Also connected to penance.
• Dictionary Definition: Feeling or showing sorrow/regret for wrongdoings; repentant. As a noun, someone who repents.
• Etymology: From Latin paenitent- (“repenting”) → Old French → English. Related to penance.
• Fun fact: Appears in scientific term “penitent ethylene” (plants shedding leaves under stress, a kind of “repentance”).

Main Discussion: Self-Care vs. Self-Indulgence

• Self-care: Actions that restore or maintain long-term wellbeing (health, mental stability, productivity, relationships).
• Self-indulgence: Actions for immediate personal gratification, often without lasting benefits.

Examples Game (off the cuff):

• Watching a TV show → indulgence.
• Going for a run → care.
• Eating out → usually indulgence.
• Taking a bath → care.
• Lighting a candle → indulgence (for him, since he doesn’t enjoy candles).
• Glass of wine → indulgence.
• Reading a book / podcast → depends on topic, could be care.
• Driving with windows down → indulgence. (He loves this, she hates it.)

Key Insights

• Mom culture marker: Bath + wine = commonly labeled as “self-care.” Hosts argue that’s indulgence or even self-medicating, not true self-care.
• Self-care is incremental/long-term: Prevent breakdowns rather than patching after exhaustion.
• Self-indulgence is not “bad”—just not the same as care. The labels matter because people often justify indulgence using the language of care.
• Litmus test:
  • If it helps you function better for others (family, work, community) = care.
  • If it only benefits you in the moment, selfishly or superficially = indulgence.
• Gray Areas: Some activities (exercise, TV, PTO days) depend on intent and balance.

Personal Examples

• Her self-care: Waking up early before the family—quiet time for prayer, planning, preparation.
• Her indulgence: Soda, used for stress relief (“self-medicating” after hard days).
• His indulgence: Occasional drinks, pizza/ice cream, driving with windows down.
• Shared indulgence: Falling asleep watching TV together—fun bonding, but rarely “care.”
• His self-care: Exercise, reading/listening to books, keeping up on news, taking PTO breaks.

Podcasting: Care or Indulgence?

• They conclude podcasting leans toward self-care, since it adds purpose, creativity, and could benefit listeners—not just themselves.

Closing Thought

• The key distinction: Self-care benefits both you and others long-term. Self-indulgence benefits you short-term.
• Message to listeners: If you enjoyed the episode, share it with one other person—that’s good “self-care” for the podcast community too.

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Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice. 

Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique.