#Heath Richardson

[therealefl]

Bradford City Contract Dilemmas

Bradford City Contract Dilemmas @hopping_writer

At the time of writing, Bradford City is still in need of a point to fully secure themselves a spot in the League Two playoffs and to be in with a chance of playing League One football for the first time in 4 seasons. Mark Hughes’ appointment perhaps raised some eyebrows in the footballing world but, with help from players like Andy Cook, he has guided The Bantams to their highest finish since…

[dowagercountess]

The Patriot (2000)

[perfettamentechic]

14 novembre … ricordiamo …

14 novembre … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2021: Heath Freeman, attore statunitense. Era noto per aver interpretato il ruolo di Gavin Dillon nella serie televisiva statunitense Avvocati a New York, e ruoli in Bones (come il serial killer Howard Epps), NCIS – Unità anticrimine e Skateland. Freeman è morto per intossicazione combinata da droghe nel novembre 2021, all’età di 41 anni. (n. 1980) 2019: Maria Baxa, pseudonimo di Marija Baksa,…

[docgold13]

All The Jokers

From the best of the best to the not so best of the rest...*

1). Mark Hamill

2). Heath Ledger

3). Cesar Romero

4). Frank Welker

5). Jack Nicholson

6). Alan Tudyk

7). Joaquin Phoenix

8). Zach Galfinakis

9). Lennie Weinrib

10). John DiMaggio 11). Kevin Michael Richardson

12). Jeff Bennett

13). Cameron Monaghan**

14). Troy Baker 15). John Kassir

16). Jason Spisak

17). Larry Storch

18). Brent Spiner 19). Michael Emerson

20). Michael McKean

21). Jeff Bergman

22). Barry Keoghan

23). Lloyd Floyd

24). Jared Leto

*Agree, disagree; have I left anyone out? Let me know what you think.

**Cameron Monaghan did not specifically portray The Joker in the television show Gotham; but rather a thinly veiled alternative due to licensing rights or some such matter. Yet The Joker and Jerome were essentially a difference without a distinction...

[izunias-meme-hole]

Since you've been rebloging this clown like crazy, who are your favorite Jokers?

Oh no... how could I ever choose?

Anyway.

Number 10. Brave And The Bold - A Silver Age inspired Joker with the Golden Age design and genuine menace. A pretty good combo if you ask me!

Number 9. 1966/Caesar Romero - He's the most iconic of the purely campy Jokers, and honestly he's just fun. I know that's not a heavy reason to like this iteration of the character, but it's true.

Number 8. Gotham - The Valeska Twins share a spot, purely because Cameron Monaghan's performance as them was so great. First there was Jerome, who was originally supposed to be a one-off possible Joker, and remained that way throughout the entire show even as he became somewhat of a Proto-Joker that was simultaneously heinous and fun. Though near the end of the show's 4th season, Jerome dies, but his twin brother Jeremiah ends up getting infected with an insanity gas that his brother cooked up, turning Jeremiah into a Golden Age inspired Proto-Joker who slowly evolves into the clown that we're more familiar with.

Number 7. The Batman 2004 - This clown offers almost everything you'd want, but they're all packed within an extremely different exterior! His bare feet, dreads that resemble a jesters hat, Kevin Michael Richardson voicing him, and just how athletic and animalistic he is make this Joker unique, even if what he brings to the table is still pure fun mixed with genuine heinousness and a bat obsession.

Number 6. Arkhamverse - Despite having that shit final boss and his bad habit of constantly overshadowing other villains, Joker in these games is an absolute blast to see and hear. Doesn't matter that he's a big bad, a secondary antagonist, or just "flirting with Batsy", he's great. It also helps that both Mark Hamill and Troy Baker do a phenomenal job at bringing him to life.

Number 5. Golden Age - Ah, Original!Joker my beloved. A scary as shit cunning sociopath with a haunting grin, clownish exterior, and a nice purple suit who just came outta nowhere. Plain, simple, yet very effective at the time.

Number 4. Nolanverse/Heath Ledger - I swear to god Heath Ledger's take on Joker is the definition of "don't judge a book by its cover" because while he kinda spawned more cringeworthy and edgier Jokers (Lookin' at the New 52 & Leto), he also manages to distill the essence of the character perfectly. He's colorful yet subtle, funny yet terrifying, arrogant yet self-deprecating, brilliant yet insane, motivated to cause chaos yet feeling the need to justify that chaos to the rest of the world, hates Batman yet loves him, and he just simply exists. My only real issue with him is that he isn't baroque or absurd enough visually.

Number 3. Batman 1989/Jack Nicholson - Perfect casting, perfect costume, feels like he leapt straight outta the comics and onto the big screen, and he has a near perfect origin. If only he wasn't responsible for the death of the Waynes. Still he's a phenomenal elseworlds Joker and an ICON.

Number 2. BTAS/DCAU - Forever one of the best Joker adaptations. Mark Hamill's voice was perfect for the clown, his designs are iconic, his origin being a perfect blend between "we know what he's about" and "we don't know shit," he's still funny yet terrifying, he's a chaotic artist, his toxic dynamic with Harley Quinn was perfect (which is funny since Quinn was invented FOR BTAS), his death and actual defeat were cathartic, and overall he's the most comic-accurate yet innovative Joker.

Number 1. Post-Crisis Comics - We got Joker's Five-Way Revenge, Laughing Fish, Dreadful Birthday Joker, The Killing Joke, and A Death In The Family out of this iteration of the character, all of which pretty much came to define The Joker in one way or another, for better or worse. Out of all of the reboots of DC's universe, Post-Crisis had THE Joker.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Me Rating the Super Mario Bros movie characters performances (now that the Euphoria of the movie has calmed down)

Spoilers below

Mario:

Everyone wants to bag on Chris for being Mario. But I will say, He pulled it off well. There was an accent and if you weren’t listening for it, you probably wouldn’t know it was Chris Pratt voicing him. Say what you will, but Chris knows how to voice act the Everyman hero type. That’s Mario. His love for his brother and Captain America levels of determination make him admirable and not stale. The decision to go more for a Brooklyn accent was a nod to the 1980’s show and I appreciate it. It’s nothing spectacular but it’s what was needed for Mario. 7.5/10

Luigi:

Charlie day was near perfect casting for Luigi. I will be honest, I thought this would just be Charlie day voicing luigi and while funny he usually would teeter on annoying. But for his performance, Luigi had great comedic timing, relatable, supportive and cowardly. It’s honestly captures luigi perfectly. He does get some great lines, I will say the only flaw is how he was sidelined. It felt less like a Mario bros. Movie and more like a Mario and Donkey Kong movie. But in the third act he does bring in some good chops. I do like how they maximized his performance. 8.5/10

Peach:

Anya Taylor-joy as Peach. So I’m conflicted here. It’s not a bad performance, but I wouldn’t say the voice felt like peach. When Peach has the softer moments and is acting like a ruler, I think she is great. But the first half of the movie, she felt surprisingly cold to Mario. And I get that he is a stranger, but peach’s whole bit is her compassion and care. Peach can kick ass, that’s not the issue (plenty of source material shows she can hold her own) my problem is that she felt like she was missing her sweetness. Near the end we see her soften and it could be argued that Peach wasn’t really feeling sweet because of the situation… but anyone whose played a Mario game knows that’s not an issue. She didn’t need to be a damsel in distress, I just like when my peaches are sweeter. Also I wanted some Mareach. But I’m not gonna reflect that in the rating 5/10.

Donkey Kong

It’s just Seth Rogen’s voice. Now it’s not an awful performance. But everytime he spoke, I heard Seth. That being said, the character was fine. I liked Mario and DK’s Frenemy dynamic. They clearly butt heads and compete. It’s amusing. That being said, I wish Luigi got more scenes, instead of Seth Kong. He is never irritating, I do enjoy the cockiness and overall flare, but I wish they did something more with it 5/10

Toad:

Keegan Micheal-key’s Take on Toad is inspired. I found myself enjoying whenever Toad is on screen. I had no worries regarding his performance. But similar to Luigi, he isn’t given much to do. His main thing is a couple of gags and moving the plot along. I love him and wish he had more time given. 8/10

Kamek:

Kevin Micheal Richardson didn’t just do good in this roll, HE ABSOLUTELY SLAYED as Kamek. The loyal servant/father figure/ hype man of Bowser nails that slimy ness and fear he has for bowser. His dialogue is great, he is also just so much fun on screen. He did not need to go this hard for Kamek, but he did. 9/10

Cranky kong:

Fred Armisen phoned it in. This didn’t feel at all like Cranky to me. He didn’t even sound old. I’m glad he isn’t in the movie long but it bothered me. It’s just the kind of performance where you aren’t mad, just disappointed

2/10

King Penguin

Khary Payton, For a character basically made for the movie, he was perfect. My bias on both the Voice actor and Penguins. He had great lines, coming off as epic and comedic. His reaction to the Luma was also glorious. He wasn’t there for too long but he was there the right amount. 8/10

Bowser

Let’s talk about Jack Black as bowser. It’s perfect casting. Jack black PERFECTLY blended all of the bowser’s together to create in my opinion, the best version of bowser. In a vain similar to how Heath Ledger combined different Joker’s to make his performance. This bowser is intimidating, arrogant, funny, a simp, cruel, and overall everything you want in a kids movie villain. I could write a whole analysis on how this bowser is basically a perfect kids movie villain. But that is for another day. The power ballad alone makes him worthy of 10/10. Easiest 10/10 ranking I’ve made

[disneytva]

Ariel To Make A Splash Debut Thursday, June 27, Streaming Next Day On Disney+

Disney Branded Television announced today the premiere date for the highly anticipated animated musical series “Ariel.” Inspired by “The Little Mermaid (2023)” the series will debut on THURSDAY, JUNE 27, on Disney Junior (9:00 a.m. EDT/PDT) and air on Disney Channel later that day, with an initial batch of eight episodes available on Disney+ the following day, FRIDAY, JUNE 28.

Disney Junior has also released the theme song who will be Disney TVA 's #98 series overall.

To help build excitement for “Ariel,” it was also announced that a new series of shorts titled “Ariel: Mermaid Tales” will be featured across Disney Junior, Youtube and Disney+ beginning Wednesday, June 5. Each two-minute short will highlight a different aspect of Ariel’s life in Atlantica.

Recurring Guest Cast on ARIEL include Yvette Nicole Brown ("Firebuds", "Pupstruction") as Aquatica, Melissa Villaseñor ("Primos", Cartoon Network Studios "OK K.O Let's Be Heroes") as Navi, Ron Funches (Pixar Animation Studios "Inside Out 2") as Delfino, Kevin Michael Richardson ("The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder", "La Familia Avenúñez") as Sebastian, Parvesh Cheena (Netflix Animation "Centaurworld") as Ravi, Danni Washington as Tantie Chantale, Alanna Ubach (Nickelodeon "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera") as Cristina Cuttles, Dana Heath (Nickelodeon "Danger Force") and Jessica Mikayla (Disney Launchpad "Project CC") play Ariel’s twin sisters Ayanna and Alanna, respectively.

The acclaimed songwriting teams are comprised of Anthony M. Jones (Tone), Sofia Quinn, Olivia Waithe, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga and Rosemarie Tan.  Christopher Willis ("The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse" franchise) serves as composer. Sean Skeete, dean of the Professional Performance division at Berklee College of Music, is the Caribbean music consultant.

Walt Disney Records will release a digital soundtrack on Friday, June 28, and an array of dolls, playsets, role-play, costumes, apparel, books and more from Disney Consumer Products and Disney Publishing Worldwide will be available this summer.

[axel-the-goat-guy-and-gal]

Oh my.

I just found a really crazy organization.

The Anti-Sugar Consortium is anonprofit organization run by Adam A. Kellogg, Heath S. Nutt, Samantha T. Nutt, Gladys L. Richardson, Heather E. Pitt, and Walker Y. Walkerson.

They are anti-sugar activists, and have a fascination with yogurt.

According to their chairperson, they make their own yogurt to perform yogurt enemas.

“Growing our own yogurt is labor-intensive and barely worth it.” The person said “we wish there were more sugar-free yogurts.”

Their slogan is “We Will Not Dessert You”.

XD

I like what you did with the names there. Clever.

[meanstreetspodcasts]

Episode 600 - A Sherlockian Six Hundredth Show

Great Scott...600 episodes?! To mark the occasion, I'm on a trip to 221B Baker Street with my favorite radio adventures of Sherlock Holmes. In this super-sized Sherlock special, we'll hear John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson in "A Scandal in Bohemia." Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are Holmes and Watson in "The Notorious Canary Trainer" (originally aired on Mutual on April 23, 1945) and "The Speckled Band" (originally aired on Mutual on November 12, 1945), and then Bruce is joined by Tom Conway as Holmes in "The Adventure of the Tolling Bell" (originally aired on ABC on April 7, 1947). My personal favorite Holmes and Watson - John Stanley and Alfred Shirley - headline "The Laughing Lemur of Hightower Heath" (originally aired on Mutual on October 26, 1947), "The Cadaver in the Roman Toga" (originally aired on Mutual on November 9, 1947), "The Stolen Naval Treaty" (originally aired on Mutual on November 23, 1947), and "The Case of the Sudden Senility" (originally aired on Mutual on January 11, 1948). And finally, it's - appropriately enough - "The Final Problem," with Gielgud, Richardson, and special guest star Orson Welles as Professor Moriarty.

In the mood for more Holmes and Watson?

Click here for our spotlight show on Edith Meiser, the woman who brought Holmes to radio and penned his adventures for years.

And here's a collection of mysteries featuring Holmes and Watson battling seemingly supernatural foes.

  Check out this episode!

[misfitwashere]

November 21, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

NOV 22

Today, former Florida representative Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the office of attorney general. He did so shortly after CNN told him that they were going to report that the House Ethics Committee had been told there were witnesses to yet another sexual encounter between Gaetz and a minor in 2017. There was already evidence that he had sent more than $10,000 to two women who later testified in sexual misconduct investigations. The notes explaining the payments said things like: “Love you,” “Being my friend,” “Being awesome,’ and “flight + extra 4 u.” 

Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told Will Steakin of ABC News that discussions of Gaetz’s payments “are meant to undermine the mandate from the people to reform the Justice Department.” 

Gaetz’s withdrawal turns attention to Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth. As host of the weekend edition of Fox & Friends, Hegseth has no relevant experience to run a crucial United States government department, let alone one that oversees close to 3 million personnel and a budget of more than $800 billion. 

According to Heath Druzin of the Idaho Capital Sun, Hegseth has close ties to an Idaho Christian nationalist church that wants to turn the United States into a theocracy. 

Jonathan Chait of The Atlantic did a deep dive into Hegseth’s recent books and concluded that Hegseth “considers himself to be at war with basically everybody to Trump’s left, and it is by no means clear that he means war metaphorically.” Hegseth’s books suggest he thinks that everything that does not support the MAGA worldview is “Marxist,” including voters choosing Democrats at the voting booth. He calls for the “categorical defeat of the Left” and says that without its “utter annihilation,” “America cannot, and will not, survive.” 

Like Gaetz, Hegseth is facing stories about sexual assault. Yesterday, officials in Monterey, California, released a police report detailing a 2017 sexual assault complaint against Hegseth. The report recounts chilling details of a drunk Hegseth blocking a California woman from leaving a hotel room and then sexually assaulting her. A nurse reported the alleged assault after the woman underwent a rape exam. Hegseth says the encounter was consensual, but he paid the woman a settlement in exchange for a nondisclosure agreement. He was never charged.

Trump’s pick for secretary of education, Linda McMahon, is also short on experience in the field of the department she has been tapped to oversee. She once incorrectly claimed to have a bachelor’s degree in education when she was trying to get a seat on the Connecticut Board of Education and is known primarily for her work building World Wrestling Entertainment. And she, too, has been entangled in a sex abuse scandal. In October, five men filed a lawsuit claiming that she and her husband, Vince McMahon, were aware that former ringside announcer Melvin Phillips was assaulting “ring boys” who were as young as 13.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition said of McMahon’s misrepresented credentials: “These types of politically motivated attacks are the new normal for nominees ready to enact President Trump’s mandate for common sense that an overwhelming majority of Americans supported two weeks ago.”

But Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence makes McMahon look like a prize. As military scholar Tom Nichols points out in The Atlantic, former representative TulsI Gabbard is “stunningly unqualified” to oversee all of America’s intelligence services, including the Central Intelligence Agency. Nichols notes that her constant parroting of Russian talking points and her cozying up to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad make her “a walking Christmas tree of warning lights” for our national security.  

Former Republican governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley suggested that Gabbard is “a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer” who has no place at the head of American intelligence. A Russian state media presenter refers to Gabbard as “our girlfriend” and as a Russian agent.

And then there is Trump’s tapping of Robert Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has no training in medicine or public health and, in addition to being a prominent critic of the vaccines that have dramatically curtailed disease and death in the U.S., is an outspoken critic of the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health.

There are a number of ways to think about Trump’s appointments. The people he has picked  have so little experience in the fields their departments handle that Erin Burnett of CNN suggested that he is simply choosing them from “central casting”—a favorite phrase of his—to look as he imagines such officials should. Indeed, as Zachary B. Wolf of CNN pointed out, while President Joe Biden vowed to make his Cabinet look like America, Trump’s picks look “exactly like Fox News.” Trump has actually tapped a number of television hosts for different positions. 

That so many of his appointees have histories of sexual misconduct is also striking, and underlines both that they share his determination to dominate others and that they do not think rules and laws apply to them. 

But there is another pattern at work, as well. In a piece he published on November 15 in his “Thinking about…” newsletter, scholar of authoritarianism Timothy Snyder explained that destroying a country requires undermining five key zones: “health, law, administration, defense, and intelligence.” The nominations of Kennedy, Gaetz, Hegseth, and Gabbard, as well as the tapping of billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to run the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to destroy the administration of the government, are, according to Snyder, a “decapitation strike.” 

“Imagine that you are a foreign leader who wishes to destroy the United States,” Snyder writes. “How could you do so? The easiest way would be to get Americans to do the work themselves, to somehow induce Americans to undo their own health, law, administration, defense, and intelligence. From this perspective,” he explains, “Trump's proposed appointments—Kennedy, Jr.; Gaetz; Musk; Ramaswamy; Hegseth; Gabbard—are perfect instruments.  They combine narcissism, incompetence, corruption, sexual incontinence, personal vulnerability, dangerous convictions, and foreign influence as no group before them has done.”

But that destruction of the United States is so far still aspirational. The constant references to Trump’s supposed “mandate” are misleading. He did not win 50% of the vote, meaning that more voters chose someone other than Trump in the 2024 election than voted for him, and even many of his voters appear to have misunderstood his policies. 

According to Jonathan Karl of ABC News, Trump’s loyalists have tried to shore up support for his nominees in the Senate by threatening the Republican senators: "If you are on the wrong side of the vote, you’re buying yourself a primary. That is all. And there’s a guy named Elon Musk who is going to finance it.” 

That threat is a direct assault on the Constitution, which gives to the Senate the power to advise the president on senior appointments and requires their consent to a president’s choices, and one that also hands the U.S. government over to an international billionaire. Forcing a leader’s political party to get into line behind that leader is the first task of an authoritarian, who needs that unified support in order to attack political opponents. 

But, so far, the threat hasn’t worked: it could not save Gaetz in the face of public outcry. 

Almost as soon as Gaetz withdrew his name, Trump presented former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi as his replacement for the attorney general post. In March 2016, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) found that the Trump Foundation illegally donated $25,000 to support Bondi at a time when she was considering joining a lawsuit against Trump University. Her office ultimately decided not to join the lawsuit. 

Bondi defended Trump in his first impeachment trial, during which she was a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel. She supported Trump’s campaign to insist—falsely—that he won the 2020 presidential election. She is also a registered lobbyist for Qatar. 

Meanwhile, Republican perceptions of the economy have changed abruptly. As Philip Bump of the Washington Post notes, since Trump’s election, there’s been a 16-point drop in the percentage of Republicans who say they were doing worse a year ago than they are now. 

While that change is due to Trump’s election, in fact Biden’s policies continue to deliver. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters today that for the second year in a row, the average price of a Thanksgiving dinner has fallen. According to the American Farm Bureau, that price fell 5% this year, with the cost of turkey down 6%. Gasoline to travel for the holiday is also down to its lowest point in more than three years, by about 25 cents per gallon since this time last year, falling to below $3.00 a gallon in almost 30 states. 

Tonight, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo suggested that Americans should keep scorecards of the country’s economic numbers, “charting where inflation, unemployment and GDP were at the end of Biden’s term and regularly updating it with Trump’s latest numbers.” He noted that “the country is now covered with embryonic factories, businesses, economic redevelopment projects and more courtesy of Joe Biden’s CHIPS act and the Inflation Reduction Act,” and predicted that Trump will claim credit for all Biden accomplished. 

Keeping track would help preserve those projects in the face of threatened Republican cuts and at the same time prevent Trump from being able to claim more credit for his administration than it has earned. 

—

[wanderingmind867]

Why is it so fun to laugh maniacally? I don't know, but it is bizarrely fun. This is probably why I like Joker as a character. I enjoy being able to just read about a character who's so silly and fun. I also sometimes smile or laugh at inopportune times, usually because my brain can think of old things i found funny at any moment, including ones meant to be serious. I don't really get how anyone can hate Joker. Unless it's one of the bland, dark interpretations. Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, people like them. They're no fun. So dull and dark. They completely get the character wrong. Is a man called the Clown Prince of Crime going to be a serious man? No! No, he is not. He's the antithesis of order, rigidity and darkness. He's chaos, he's madness, he's comedy! That's what it's all about.

Look at Cesar Romero. Mark Hamill. Jeff Bennett. Kevin Michael Richardson. All wonderful. Really, as long as you sound like you're having fun with the role, them you're doing something right. Because I don't think of darkness when I think Joker. Joker is inherently the opposite of darkness. If Batman has to be so dark all the damn time, then Joker gets to be incredibly funny and goofy. And that's why I love him. Even when he kills, he makes you laugh. Whereas Batman saves you but scares you out of your wits. Who'd you prefer? I think the answer ends up obvious. Joker is unpredictable, but he's not intimidating in a dark and scary way. He's a wild card and a goofball, and that's about it. I still love how the Cesar Romero Joker always commited crimes that made no sense on the surface, just because he was a madman. We need more of that.

[themattress]

Favorite Arch Enemies

Beyond all of the ones that I've already covered, anyway.

The Joker - Here he is, at long last. The man, the legend, the Clown Prince of Crime himself. In my opinion, the Joker is the greatest arch-nemesis in the history of fiction because he compliments his heroic adversary perfectly. Batman is a dark, brooding, frightening figure with a semi-demonic visage, yet he is a hero dedicated to the cause of justice and protecting the innocent citizens of Gotham City. The Joker is a bright, colorful, exuberant and funny clown, something that's supposed to bring joy and laughter to others, yet he is a nihilistic, psychopathic criminal whose only goal in life is to spread death, destruction and chaos through Gotham City because that's what brings him joy and laughter. It's just such a natural conflict: the miserable vigilante vs. the happy murderer, law vs. anarchy, order vs. chaos, hope vs. despair, purpose vs. purposelessness....a battle that is truly timeless, which is why it has endured since 1940. Outside of comic books, the Joker has been depicted masterfully by Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Cameron Monaghan, Joaquin Phoenix, Barry Keoghan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Jeff Bennett, Richard Epcar, John DiMaggio, Michael Emerson, Troy Baker, Christopher Corey Smith, Zack Galifianakis, Jeff Bergman, Tony Hale, Alan Tudyk, Mick Wingert.....and of course by Mark Hamill, perhaps his definitive portrayer.

Doctor Octopus - In the realm of comic book superheroes, Spider-Man's assortment of villains comes second only to Batman's. And his arch-foe is Doctor Otto Octavius, aka "Doc Ock". Octavius is much like Peter Parker, except older, crankier, and much more prideful. Like Peter, he invokes an eight-legged creature - an octopus rather than a spider - and takes it a step further through the usage of four mechanical arms attached to his spine. But while Peter had to learn to put aside his hurt feelings and inflated ego because "with great power comes great responsibility", Ock is more a believer in "with great power comes great domination of everyone weaker". Many of Spider-Man's greatest battles have been against this mad genius who seeks to enforce his sense of superiority upon the world. Actors who have portrayed Ock outside of comics include Vernon Chapman, Stan Jones, Michael Bell, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Rodger Bumpass, Alfred Molina, Joe Alaskey, Peter MacNicol, Tom Kenny, Scott Menville and William Salyers, with Kathryn Hahn portraying a female version in Into the Spider-Verse.

[ultraericthered]

Top 6 versions of the Joker

1. DC Animated Universe version. Real original choice, I know, but he's not only my first Joker, he's easily the best Joker in terms of getting down absolutely every essential element needed to make Joker who he is as a character, villain, and nemesis for Batman, all held together by Mark Hamill's legendary and iconic voice acting.

2. The Dark Knight version. Why so serious? The writing, the direction, the soundtrack and especially Heath Ledger's character acting for him made this Joker the stuff of myths, horror stories and nightmares. A fascinating, unforgettable take on the villain.

3. Batman (89) version. This movie falls a bit short of the greatness displayed by the similar Superman: The Movie and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, but I don't think anyone could deny the key component to making it work was Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Ominously creepy, entertaining, and quotable as hell, Jack nailed the essence of the character as he was portrayed in the comic books at the time.

4. Joker version. Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck is chillingly good. Look forward to seeing his return to the big screen in two months!

5. Under The Red Hood version. Something about the way the character is designed, John Dimaggio's voice acting, and the things he does in the story leave a massive impact on you well after you've watched this movie. Easily one of the scariest Jokers IMHO.

6. The Batman version. He deviates tremendously from your traditional Joker portrayal and in all his many appearances wasn't quite so strong an arch foe to the Batman as I'd have liked, but he really stands out among the crowd as an enjoyable Joker in his own right, with Kevin Michael Richardson really bringing his voice acting A game with what he was able to do in the role.

[icespur]

We need more Batjokes Mpreg Joker fanfics. There is an unfortunate shortage of Mpreg fics. All I want is fanfics of Batman and Joker with a child. Preferably animated batman verse, or game verse. Heath Ledger is lovely, but I want Mpreg Hamill Joker, Kevin Michael Richardson Joker, I'll even take comic Joker! Just give me some Mpreg Joker, Batjokes fics.

[goalhofer]

2024 olympics U.S.A. roster

Archery

Brady Ellison (Chula Vista, California)

Catalina Gnoriega (Mexicali, Mexico)

Casey Kaufhold (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)

Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez (Ciudad Mexico, Mexico)

Athletics

Capers Williamson (Greenville, South Carolina)

Kenneth Bednarek (Rice Lake, Wisconsin)

Fred Kerley (Taylor, Texas)

Noah Lyles (Alexandria, Virginia)

Erriyon Knighton (Tampa, Florida)

Christopher Bailey (Atlanta, Georgia)

Quincy Hall (Kansas City, Missouri)

Michael Norman; Jr. (Murrieta, California)

Bryce Hoppel (Midland, Texas)

Hobbs Kessler (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Brandon Miller (St. Louis, Missouri)

Cole Hocker (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Yared Nuguse (Louisville, Kentucky)

Grant Fisher (Park City, Utah)

Abdi Nur (Phoenix, Arizona)

William Kincaid (Littleton, Colorado)

Nico Young (Newbury Park, California)

Freddie Crittenden III (Shelby Township, Michigan)

Stanley Holloway; Jr. (Chesapeake, Virginia)

Daniel Roberts (Hampton, Georgia)

C.J. Allen (Mason County, Washington)

Trevor Bassitt (Richland Township, Ohio)

Rai Benjamin (Mt. Vernon, New York)

James Corrigan (Los Angeles, California)

Kenneth Rooks (College Place, Washington)

Matthew Wilkinson (Minnetonka, Minnesota)

Quincy Wilson (Gaithersburg, Maryland)

Leonard Korir (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Conner Mantz (Smithfield, Utah)

Clayton Young (American Fork, Utah)

Salif Mane (Bronx, New York)

Donald Scott (Apopka, Florida)

Shelby McEwen (Abbeville, Mississippi)

Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi)

Chris Nilsen (Kansas City, Missouri)

Jacob Wooten (Tomball, Texas)

Ryan Crouser (Clackamas County, Oregon)

Joe Kovacs (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

Payton Otterdahl (Rosemount, Minnesota)

Joseph Brown (Mansfield, Texas)

Andrew Evans (Portage, Michigan)

Curtis Thompson (Florence Township, New Jersey)

Daniel Haugh (Marietta, Georgia)

Rudy Winkler (Sand Lake, New York)

Heath Baldwin (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Harrison Williams (Houston, Texas)

Zach Ziemek (Addison Township, Illinois)

Malcolm Clemens (Oakland, California)

Vernon Turner (Yukon, Oklahoma)

Jeremiah Davis (Lee County, Florida)

Jarrion Lawson (Texarkana, Texas)

Russell Robinson (Winter Garden, Florida)

JuVaughn Harrison (Huntsville, Alabama)

Sam Mattis (East Brunswick Township, New Jersey)

Graham Blanks (Athens, Georgia)

Christian Coleman (Fayetteville, Georgia)

Courtney Lindsey (Rock Island, Illinois)

Kyree King (Ontario, California)

Vernon Norwood (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Bryce Dedmon (MIssouri City, Texas)

Melissa Jefferson (Georgetown, South Carolina)

Sha'Carri Richardson (Dallas, Texas)

Twanisha Terry (Miami, Florida)

Brittany Brown (Upland, California)

McKenzie Long (Pickerington, Ohio)

Gabby Thomas (Northampton, Massachusetts)

Aaliyah Butler (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)

Kendall Ellis (Pembroke Pines, Florida)

Alexis Holmes (Hamden, Connecticut)

Nia Akins (San Diego, California)

Juliette Whittaker (Laurel, Maryland)

Isabella Whittaker (Laurel, Maryland)

Allie Wilson (Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania)

Emily Mackay (Union, New York)

Elle Purrier-St. Pierre (Montgomery, Vermont)

Elise Cranny (Boulder County, Colorado)

Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa)

Weini Kelati-Frezghi (Leesburg, Virginia)

Alaysha Johnson (Houston, Texas)

Masai Russell (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Grace Stark (White Lake Charter Township, Michigan)

Anna Cockrell (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Jasmine Jones (Atlanta, Georgia)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Dunellen, New Jersey)

Valerie Constien (Vail, Colorado)

Marisa Howard (Boise, Idaho)

Courtney Wayment-Smith (Layton, Utah)

Dakotah Lindwurm (St. Francis, Minnesota)

Fiona O'Keeffe (Davis, California)

Emily Sisson (Chesterfield, Missouri)

Tara Davis-Woodhall (Agoura Hills, California)

Jasmine Moore (Grand Prairie, Texas)

Monae Nichols (Winter Haven, Florida)

Tori Franklin (Chicago, Illinois)

Keturah Orji (Mt. Olive Township, New Jersey)

Vashti Cunningham (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Rachel Glenn (Long Beach, California)

Brynn King (Montgomery County, Texas)

Katie Moon (Olmsted Falls, Ohio)

Bridget Williams (Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania)

Chase Jackson (Los Alamos County, New Mexico)

Jaida Ross (Medford, Oregon)

Raven Saunders (Charleston, South Carolina)

Valarie Allman (Longmont, Colorado)

Veronica Fraley (Zebulon, North Carolina)

Maggie Malone-Hardin (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Annette Echikunwoke (Pickerington, Ohio)

DeAnna Price (Troy, Missouri)

Erin Reese (Elk Grove Township, Illinois)

Taliyah Brooks (Wichita Falls, Texas)

Anna Hall (Douglas County, Colorado)

Chari Hawkins (Rexburg, Idaho)

Whittni Morgan (Panguitch, Utah)

Parker Valby (Tampa, Florida)

Rachel Tanczos (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

Jayden Ulrich (Wood River, Illinois)

Aleia Hobbs (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Tamari Davis (Gainesville, Florida)

Kaylyn Brown (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Quanera Hayes (Hope Mills, North Carolina)

Shamier Little (Chicago, Illinois)

Badminton

Joshua Yuan (Fremont, California)

Howard Shu (Los Angeles, California)

Vinson Chiu (Milpitas, California)

Zhang Beiwen (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Annie Xu (San José, California)

Kerry Xu (San José, California)

Jennie Gai (Fremont, California)

Basketball

Wardell Curry; Jr. (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Anthony Edwards (Atlanta, Georgia)

LeBron James (Akron, Ohio)

Kevin Durant (Rockville, Maryland)

Kawhi Leonard (Riverside, California)

Tyrese Haliburton (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)

Jayson Tatum (Creve Coeur, Missouri)

Joel Embiid (Gainesville, Florida)

Jrue Holiday (Los Angeles, California)

Edrice Adebayo (Pinetown, North Carolina)

Anthony Davis; Jr. (Chicago, Illinois)

Devin Booker (Moss Point, Mississippi)

Canyon Barry (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Jim Fredette (Glens Falls, New York)

Kareem Maddox (Ventura County, California)

Dylan Travis (Bellevue, Nebraska)

Jewell Loyd (Niles Township, Illinois)

Kelsey Plum (La Jolla, California)

Sabrina Ionescu (Orinda, California)

Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Chelsea Gray (Manteca, California)

A'Ja Wilson (Columbia, South Carolina)

Breanna Stewart (Cicero, New York)

Napheesa Collier (Jefferson City, Missouri)

Diana Taurasi (Chino, California)

Jackie Young (Princeton, Indiana)

Alyssa Thomas (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

Brittney Griner (Houston, Texas)

Cassidie Burdick (Matthews, North Carolina)

Dearica Hamby (Norcross, Georgia)

Rhyne Howard (Cleveland, Tennessee)

Hailey Van Lith (Wenatchee, Washington)

Boxing

Roscoe Hill (Houston, Texas)

Jahmal Harvey (Prince George's County, Maryland)

Omari Jones (Orlando, Florida)

Joshua Edwards (Houston, Texas)

Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas)

Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho)

Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, California)

Morelle McCane (Cleveland, Ohio)

Breakdancing

Jeff Louis (Houston, Texas)

Victor Montalvo (Kissimmee, Florida)

Logan Edra (Chula Vista, California)

Sunny Choi (Queens, New York)

Canoeing

Casey Eichfeld (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Aaron Small (Seattle, Washington)

Jonas Ecker (Bellingham, Washington)

Evy Leibfarth (Sylva, North Carolina)

Nevin Harrison (Seattle, Washington)

Cycling

Marcus Christopher (Canton, Ohio)

Cameron Wood (Great Falls, Montana)

Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho)

Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Arizona)

Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, New York)

Grant Koontz (Houston, Texas)

Riley Amos (Durango, Colorado)

Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colorado)

Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Kamren Larsen (Bakersfield, California)

Daleny Vaughn (Tucson, Arizona)

Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Indiana)

Olivia Cummins (Ft. Collins, Colorado)

Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska)

Jennifer Valente (San Diego, California)

Lily Williams (Tallahassee, Florida)

Haley Batten (Park City, Utah)

Savilia Blunk (Marin County, California)

Perris Benegas (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Hannah Roberts (Buchanan, Michigan)

Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa Township, Illinois)

Alise Willoughby (St. Cloud, Minnesota)

Diving

Andrew Capobianco (Holly Springs, North Carolina)

Carson Tyler (Moultrie, Georgia)

Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Missouri)

Greg Duncan (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Daryn Wright (Plainfield, Indiana)

Sarah Bacon (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Alison Gibson (Houston, Texas)

Delaney Schnell (Tucson, Arizona)

Kassidy Cook (Montgomery County, Texas)

Jessica Parratto (Dover, New Hampshire)

Equestrian

Marcus Orlob (Palm Beach County, Florida)

Steffen Peters (San Diego, California)

William Coleman III (Madison County, Virginia)

Boyd Martin (West Fallowfield Township, Pennsylvania)

Kent Farrington (Chicago, Illinois)

McLain Ward (Southeast, New York)

Caroline Pamukcu (Springhill, Pennsylvania)

Adrienne Lyle (Coupeville, Washington)

Laura Kraut (Camden, South Carolina)

Fencing

Colin Heathcock (Beijing, China)

Filip Dolegiewicz (Park Ridge, Illinois)

Nick Itkin (Los Angeles, California)

Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, California)

Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, California)

Miles Chamley-Watson (New York, New York)

Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Massachusetts)

Mitchell Saron (Ridgewood, New Jersey)

Anne Cebula (New York, New York)

Hadley Husisian (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Margherita Guzzi-Vincenti (Delafield Township, Wisconsin)

Lauren Scruggs (Queens, New York)

Tatiana Nazlymov (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Magda Skarbonkiewicz (Portland, Oregon)

Elizabeth Tartakovsky (Livingston Township, New Jersey)

Maia Chamberlain (Menlo Park, California)

Kat Holmes (Washington, D.C.)

Jacqueline Dubrovich (Maplewood Township, New Jersey)

Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Kentucky)

Maia Weintraub (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Field Hockey

Kelee Lepage (Honey Brook, Pennsylvania)

Abigail Tamer (Dexter, Michigan)

Ashley Sessa (Royersford, Pennsylvania)

Megan Valzonis (San Diego, California)

Brooke DeBerdine (Millersville, Pennsylvania)

Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pennsylvania)

Madeleine Zimmer (Derry Township, Pennsylvania)

Amanda Golini (Randolph Township, New Jersey)

Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pennsylvania)

Elizabeth Yeager (Greenwich, Connecticut)

Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Alexandra Hammel (Duxbury, Massachusetts)

Sophia Gladieux (Olney Township, Pennsylvania)

Karlie Kisha (Hamburg, Pennsylvania)

Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas)

Meredith Sholder (Alburtis, Pennsylvania)

Soccer

Patrick Schulte (St. Charles, Missouri)

Gabriel Slonina (Addison Township, Illinois)

Nathan Harriel (Oldsmar, Florida)

John Tolkin (Chatham, New Jersey)

Maximilian Dietz (New York, New York)

Caleb Wiley (Atlanta, Georgia)

Walker Zimmerman (Lawrenceville, Georgia)

Miles Robinson (Arlington, Massachusetts)

Francis Tessmann (Birmingham, Alabama)

Djordje Mihailović (Chicago, Illinois)

Jack McGlynn (Queens, New York)

Gianluca Busio (Kansas City, Missouri)

Benjamín Cremaschi (Miami, Florida)

Paxten Aaronson (Medford Township, New Jersey)

Duncan McGuire (Omaha, Nebraska)

Taylor Booth (Weber County, Utah)

Griffin Yow (Clifton, Virginia)

Kevin Paredes (Loudoun County, Virginia)

Alyssa Naeher (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

Emily Fox (Loudoun County, Virginia)

Korbin Albert (Avon Township, Illinois)

Naomi Girma-Aweke (San José, California)

Trinity Rodman-Moyer (Newport Beach, California)

Casey Krueger (Naperville, Illinois)

Crystal Soubrier (Hempstead, New York)

Catarina Macário (San Diego, California)

Mallory Swanson (Chicago, Illinois)

Lindsey Horan (Golden, Colorado)

Sophia Smith (Windsor, Colorado)

Tierna Davidson (Menlo Park, California)

Jenna Nighswonger (Newport Beach, California)

Emily Sonnett (Marietta, Georgia)

Jaedyn Shaw (Frisco, Texas)

Rose Lavelle (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Samantha Coffey (Mt. Pleasant, New York)

Casey Murphy (Bridgewater Township, New Jersey)

Carolyn Campbell (Kennesaw, Georgia)

Croix Bethune (Alpharetta, Georgia)

Katherine Hershfelt (Marietta, Georgia)

Lynn Williams (Fresno, California)

Golf

Wyndham Clark (Scottsdale, Arizona)

Collin Morikawa (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Xander Schauffele (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Scottie Scheffler (Dallas, Texas)

Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Florida)

Lilia Vu (Fountain Valley, California)

Rose Zhang (Irvine, California)

Gymnastics

Asher Hong (Tomball, Texas)

Paul Juda (Vernon Township, Illinois)

John Malone (Sarasota, Florida)

Stephen Nedoroscik (Sarasota, Florida)

Fred Richard (Stoughton, Massachusetts)

Aliaksei Shostak (Lafayette, Indiana)

Simone Biles-Owens (Houston, Texas)

Jade Carey (Corvallis, Oregon)

Jordan Chiles (Los Angeles, California)

Suni Lee (Auburn, Alabama)

Hezly Rivera (Plano, Texas)

Evita Griškėnas (Orland Township, Illinois)

Jessica Stevens (Howard County, Maryland)

Judo

Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, New Jersey)

John Jayne (Chicago, Illinois)

Marie Laborde (Kenosha, Wisconsin)

Angelica Delgado (Miami, Florida)

Pentathlon

Jess Davis (Bethlehem, Connecticut)

Rowing

William Bender (Norwich, Vermont)

Oliver Bub (Westport, Connecticut)

Ben Davison (Inverness, Florida)

Sorin Koszyk (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan)

Chris Carlson (Bedford, New Hampshire)

Peter Chatain (New Trier Township, Illinois)

Henry Hollingsworth (Dover, Massachusetts)

Rielly Milne (Woodinville, Washington)

Evan Olson (Bothell, Washington)

Pieter Quinton (Portland, Oregon)

Nicholas Rusher (West Bend, Wisconsin)

Christian Tabash (Alexandria, Virginia)

James Plihal (St. Louis, Missouri)

Justin Best (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania)

Liam Corrigan (Old Lyme, Connecticut)

Michael Grady (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Nick Mead (Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania)

Clark Dean (Sarasota, Florida)

Azja Czajkowski (Chula Vista, California)

Sophia Vitas (Franklin, Wisconsin)

Kristi Wagner (Weston, Massachusetts)

Emily Kallfelz (Jamestown, Rhode Island)

Kaitlin Knifton (Austin, Texas)

Mary Mazzio-Manson (Wellsley, Massachusetts)

Kelsey Reelick (Brookfield, Connecticut)

Teal Cohen (Dallas, Texas)

Emily Delleman (Davenport, Iowa)

Grace Joyce (Northfield Township, Illinois)

Lauren O'Connor (Westfield, Massachusetts)

Cristina Castagna (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Claire Collins (Fairfax County, Virginia)

Margaret Hedeman (Concord, Massachusetts)

Kara Kohler (Clayton, California)

Jessica Thoennes (Madison, Wisconsin)

Mary Reckford (Millburn Township, New Jersey)

Michelle Sechser (San Luis Obispo, California)

Molly Bruggeman (Dayton, Ohio)

Charlotte Buck (Orangetown, New York)

Olivia Coffey (Elmira, New York)

Meghan Musnicki (Naples, New York)

Regina Salmons (Methuen, Massachusetts)

Madeleine Wanamaker (Neenah, Wisconsin)

Rugby

Aaron Cummings (Grand Haven, Michigan)

Orrin Bizer (Montgomery County, Texas)

Naima Fuala'au (Hayward, California)

Malacchi Esdale (Newark, Delaware)

Kisi Unufe (Provo, Utah)

Matai Leuta (Seaside, California)

Marcus Tupuola (Carson, California)

Kevon Williams (Houston, Texas)

Stephen Tomasin (Santa Rosa, California)

Madison Hughes (Lancaster, Massachusetts)

Perry Baker (Port Orange, Florida)

Lucas Lacamp (San Diego, California)

Ariana Ramsey (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Sarah Levy (San Diego, California)

Alexandria Sedrick (Herriman, Utah)

Alena Olsen (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Leyla Kelter (Anchorage, Alaska)

Ilona Maher (Burlington, Vermont)

Kayla Canett (Fallbrook, California)

Kristi Kirsche (Franklin, Massachusetts)

Lauren Doyle (Macon, Illinois)

Naya Tapper (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Samantha Sullivan (Fayetteville, North Carolina)

Stephanie Rovetti (Reno, Nevada)

Sailing

Noah Lyons (Clearwater, Florida)

Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, Florida)

Ian Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)

David Liebenberg (Richmond, California)

Hans Henken (Laguna Beach, California)

Stuart McNay (Marion, Massachusetts)

Dominique Stater (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)

Sarah Newberry-Moore (Miami, Florida)

Daniela Moroz (Berkeley, California)

Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wisconsin)

Maggie Shea (New Trier Township, Illinois)

Lara Dallman-Weiss (Miami, Florida)

Shooting

Sgt. Ivan Roe (Manhattan, Montana)

Will Hinton (Dacula, Georgia)

Conner Prince (Burleson, Texas)

Henry Leverett (Bainbridge, Georgia)

Sfc. Keith Sanderson (Plymouth, Massachusetts)

Derrick Mein (Paola, Kansas)

Vincent Hancock (Ft. Worth, Texas)

Katelyn Abeln (Douglasville, Georgia)

Ada Korkhin (Brookline, Massachusetts)

Ryann Phillips (Borden County, Texas)

Sgt. Sagen Maddelena (Woodland, California)

Mary Tucker (Pineville, North Carolina)

Alexis Lagan (Boulder City, Nevada)

Rachel Tozier (Pattonsburg, Missouri)

Austen Smith (Dallas, Texas)

Dania Vizzi (Pasco County, Florida)

Skateboarding

Gavin Bottger (Vista, California)

Tate Carew (San Diego, California)

Chris Joslin (Cerritos, California)

Tom Schaar (Malibu, California)

Jagger Eaton (Mesa, Arizona)

Nyjah Huston (Davis, California)

Ruby Lilley (Oceanside, California)

Minna Stess (Petaluma, California)

Paige Heyn (Tempe, Arizona)

Poe Pinson (Fernandina Beach, Florida)

Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas, California)

Mariah Duran (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Swimming

Caeleb Dressel (Orange Park, Florida)

Chris Guiliano (Amity Township, Pennsylvania)

Jack Alexy (Mendham Borough, New Jersey)

Luke Hobson (Reno, Nevada)

Aaron Shackell (Carmel, Indiana)

Kieran Smith (Ridgefield, Connecticut)

Robert Finke (Clearwater, Florida)

Luke Whitlock (Noblesville, Indiana)

David Johnston (Lake Forest, California)

Joseph Armstrong (Dover, Ohio)

Ryan Murphy (Jacksonville, Florida)

Keaton Jones (Gilbert, Arizona)

Nic Fink (Morristown, New Jersey)

Charlie Swanson (Richmond, Virginia)

Matthew Fallon (Warren Township, New Jersey)

Josh Matheny (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Thomas Heilman (Albemarle County, Virginia)

Luca Urlando (Sacramento, California)

Shaine Casas (McAllen, Texas)

Carson Foster (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Chase Kalisz (Harford County, Maryland)

Ryan Held (Springfield, Illinois)

Matt King (Snohomish, Washington)

Brooks Curry (Dunwoody, Georgia)

Drew Kibler (Carmel, Indiana)

B.J. Pieroni (Chesterton, Indiana)

Ivan Puskovitch (West Chester, Pennsylvania)

Jaime Czarkowski (Calgary, Alberta)

Keana Hunter (Issaquah, Washington)

Audrey Kwon (Seattle, Washington)

Jacklyn Luu (Milpitas, California)

Daniella Ramirez (Miami, Florida)

Ruby Remati (Andover, Massachusetts)

Megumi Field (Cerritos, California)

Anita Alvarez (Buffalo, New York)

Simone Manuel (Sugar Land, Texas)

Gretchen Walsh (Nashville, Tennessee)

Alexandra Walsh (Greenwich, Connecticut)

Kate Douglass (Pelham, New York)

Torri Huske (Arlington County, Virginia)

Erin Gemmell (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Claire Weinstein (White Plains, New York)

Katie Ledecky (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Paige Madden (Mobile, Alabama)

Katie Grimes (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Katherine Berkoff (Missoula, Montana)

Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minnesota)

Phoebe Bacon (Chevy Chase, Maryland)

Lilly King (Evansville, Indiana)

Emma Weber (Denver, Colorado)

Alexandra Shackell (Carmel, Indiana)

Emma Weyant (Sarasota, Florida)

Erika Connolly (Cornelius, North Carolina)

Abbey Weitzeil (Santa Clarita, California)

Anna Peplowski (Metamora Township, Illinois)

Mariah Denigan (Fairfield, Ohio)

Rock climbing

Zach Hammer (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Colin Duffy (Broomfield, Colorado)

Jesse Grupper (New York, New York)

Sam Watson (Southlake, Texas)

Natalia Grossman (Boulder, Colorado)

Brooke Raboutou (Boulder, Colorado)

Emma Hunt (Woodstock, Georgia)

Piper Kelly (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Surfing

Griffin Colapinto (San Clemente, California)

John Florence (Honolulu County, Hawaii)

Caroline Marks (Melbourne Beach, Florida)

Carissa Moore (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Caitlin Simmers (Oceanside, California)

Table tennis

Kanak Jha (Milpitas, California)

Rachel Sung (San José, California)

Amy Wang (Mantua Township, New Jersey)

Lily Zhang (Redwood City, California)

Taekwondo

Carl Nickolas; Jr. (Brentwood, California)

Jonathan Healy (Houston, Texas)

Faith Dillon (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Kristina Teachout (Palm Bay, Florida)

Tennis

Christopher Eubanks (Atlanta, Georgia)

Taylor Fritz (Rancho Palos Verdes, California)

Marcos Girón (Thousand Oaks, California)

Tommy Paul (Boca Raton, Florida)

Austin Krajicek (Plano, Texas)

Rajeev Ram (Carmel, Indiana)

Danielle Collins (St. Petersburg, Florida)

Cori Gauff (Delray Beach, Florida)

Emma Navarro (Charleston, South Carolina)

Jessica Pegula (Boca Raton, Florida)

Desirae Krawczyk (Palm Desert, California)

Trialthlon

Morgan Pearson (Boulder, Colorado)

Seth Rider (Germantown, Tennessee)

Kirsten Kasper (Boulder, Colorado)

Taylor Knibb (Boulder, Colorado)

Taylor Spivey (Redondo Beach, California)

Volleyball

Andy Benesh (Rancho Palos Verdes, California)

Miles Partain (Los Angeles, California)

Miles Evans (Santa Barbara, California)

Chase Budinger (Carlsbad, California)

Matt Anderson (West Seneca, New York)

Aaron Russell (Howard County, Maryland)

Jeff Jendryk II (Evanston, Illinois)

T.J. DeFalco (Huntington Beach, California)

Micah Christenson (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Maxwell Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Micah Ma'a (Honolulu County, Hawaii)

Thomas Jaeschke (Wheaton, Illinois)

Garrett Muagututia (Oceanside, California)

Taylor Averill (Portland, Oregon)

David Smith (Santa Clarita, California)

Erik Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Taryn Kloth (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

Kelly Cheng (Fullerton, California)

Sarah Hughes (Costa Mesa, California)

Jordyn Poulter (Aurora, Colorado)

Avery Skinner (Katy, Texas)

Justine Wong-Orantes (Cypress, California)

Lauren Carlini (Aurora, Illinois)

Jordan Larson (Hooper, Nebraska)

Annie Drews (Elkhart, Indiana)

Jordan Thompson (Edina, Minnesota)

Haleigh Washington (Clear Creek County, Colorado)

Dana Rettke (Riverside Township, Illinois)

Kathryn Plummer (Aliso Viejo, California)

Kelsey Cook (Hanover Township, Illinois)

Chiaka Ogbogu (Coppell, Texas)

Water polo

Adrian Weinberg (Los Angeles, California)

Chase Dodd (Huntington Beach, California)

Ryder Dodd (Huntington Beach, California)

Johnny Hooper (Los Angeles, California)

Marko Vavic (Rancho Palos Verdes, California)

Alex Obert (Loomis, California)

Hannes Daube (Long Beach, California)

Luca Cupido (Newport Beach, California)

Ben Hallock (Los Angeles, California)

Dylan Woodhead (San Anselmo, California)

Alex Bowen (San Diego, California)

Max Irving (Long Beach, California)

Drew Holland (Orinda, California)

Tara Prentice (Murrieta, California)

Jenna Flynn (San José, California)

Jewel Roemer (Lafayette, California)

Emily Ausmus (Riverside, California)

Jovana Sekulic (Newtown Township, Pennsylvania)

Ashleigh Johnson (Miami, Florida)

Maddie Musselman (Newport Beach, California)

Rachel Fattal (Los Alamitos, California)

Maggie Steffens (Danville, California)

Jordan Raney (Santa Monica, California)

Ryann Neushul (Santa Barbara County, California)

Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Beach, California)

Amanda Longan (Moorpark, California)

Weightlifting

Hampton Morris (Marrieta, Georgia)

Wes Kitts (Knoxville, Tennessee)

Jourdan Delacruz (Wylie, Texas)

Olivia Reeves (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Mary Theisen-Lappen (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)

Wrestling

Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wisconsin)

Spencer Lee (Murrysville, Pennsylvania)

Zain Retherford (Benton, Pennsylvania)

Kyle Dake (Lansing, New York)

Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Maryland)

Kyle Snyder (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Indiana)

Kamal Bey (Oak Park Township, Illinois)

Joe Rau (Chicago, Illinois)

Adam Coon (Handy Township, Michigan)

Sarah Hildebrandt (Clay Township, Indiana)

Dominique Parrish (Scotts Valley, California)

Helen Maroulis (Marquette, Michigan)

Kayla Miracle (Iowa City, Iowa)

Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, California)

Kennedy Blades (Chicago, Illinois)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich :: Cartoon dated 12-24-17. Suddenly very appropriate.

* * * *

Trump has also vowed to cut the post–World War II government far more than anyone before him has done. He has put Musk and billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy in charge of a “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE); Musk proposes to cut $2 trillion out of the $6.75 trillion U.S. budget. How he would accomplish this is hard to imagine, since most of the budget is “mandatory” spending already baked into the budget, and much of that is Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. During the campaign, Trump promised he would not cut these very popular programs.

One of the things that constitute “discretionary” spending—which must be renewed every year—is veterans’ benefits, and yesterday Jeff Schogol of Task and Purpose noted “a growing chorus” calling for cuts to Veterans Affairs disability benefits after The Economist on November 28 called disability benefits “absurdly generous.” Disabled American Veterans spokesperson Dan Clare pointed out that the U.S. was at war for twenty years—in Afghanistan for twenty and in Iraq for eight—increasing the VA budget. Since Congress passed the PACT Act, formally known as the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, in 2022, more than 1.2 million veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxics have been treated for resulting health conditions.

Today, Phil Galewitz of KFF Health News noted that nine states—Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia—have trigger laws to end their expansion of Medicaid if federal funding is reduced. As many as 3.7 million people in these states would lose healthcare coverage if these laws go into effect. Other states might then follow suit as lost federal money would have to be made up by the states.

On X this week, Musk commented that a thread by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) attacking Social Security was “interesting.” Yesterday on the Fox News Channel, Representative Richard McCormick (R-GA) suggested: "We're gonna have to have some hard decisions. We're gonna have to bring in the Democrats to talk about Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare. There's hundreds of billions of dollars to be saved, and we know how to do it; we just have to have the stomach to take those challenges on."

[Letters From An American :: Heather Cox Richardson :: Dec.4, 2024]