#Katie Proctor

[addictivecontradiction]

Sorry we missed you, 2019

[beesbeesdragons]

roy, in the housewife!roy au, chose to keep flame alchemy a secret from the world. He still uses it, but only domestically. When Riza shares it with him, he vows that it will never see combat for a reason beyond self-defense.

His reason is simple. He knows how dangerous fire is. Fire hurts, fire burns.

Instead of presenting fire to the state alchemist exam proctors, he chooses something else; he has a jar of crude oil, and uses alchemy to create a polymer; the first time nylon has been created in Amestris. It's revolutionary, and Roy earns his pocket watch, becoming the Synthesis Alchemist.

For the duration of the war, from 1905 to 1908, he is stationed in Central, researching and perfecting different synthetic materials. And he is perfectly fine with this. He's helping. He's home, with Ed and Al.

But then Order 3066 is signed. and Roy, as a state alchemist, is forced to leave his children. He's forced into the warzone, not as a combatant, but as support; his job is to repair things where possible; guns, uniforms, tents, whatever needs fixing.

It is here that he reunites with Hughes, who he hasn't seen since their graduation (and god, wasn't that so long ago), and Riza (beautiful, beautiful Riza), who he hadn't seen since he learned flame alchemy. and they talk.

he tells her of everything. of how he hadn't told the military about it, he swore. no one knew about flame alchemy, save for his two children (Ed and Al each had a pair of gloves, made with ignition cloth and embroidered with the circle for flame alchemy), who were under strict orders that it was for emergencies only. and she listens.

the war ends. ed and al welcome him home, and he meets with Bradley, and hands in his pocket watch. His duty, he claims, is to his family. After all, he had just reignited an old flame in Riza, and they were talking of engagement. The boys adored her, and she lived in his house. All that was missing was a ring.

Bradley accepts his resignation and Roy leaves, marrying Riza shortly after in a beautifully intimate ceremony. Riza ends up under Maes' command, and they're assigned to East City. Roy befriends Gracia Hughes, and as they adjust to East City, he meets the other parents at Ed and Al's new school. The ladies are all so nice, and once they hear of his adoration for his wife and boys? Well, of course they like him!

when he can, he calls his sisters. They're just that, his sisters. Whenever one of the ladies asks, he explains. He grew up in a foster home, and they're his foster sisters.

Roy joins the local craft group, at the behest of one of the ladies, and they talk for hours. They talk about everything; from children, to spouses (Ellery and Katie were newlyweds from Dublith, how wonderful!), to politics and the military.

By the time Ed and Al are leaving school (they were too advanced, anyway), Roy is firmly grounded in his network, and knows all the goings-on in the military, from the lowest janitor's breakfast, to Fuhrer Bradley's wife's favourite brand of tea.

After all, he is one of them. He's their alchemist. And alchemist? Be thou for the people.

[themattress]

So, I think the Viz dub of Sailor Moon is unquestionably the definitive English dub, no question about it. It blows DiC and Cloverway out of the water, and while I miss some of DiC's musical scores and songs, it is still clearly superior. With that said, these are the voices from those old dubs that I feel are just as good - and rarely, even better - than Viz's ones.

Usagi - Tracey Moore (DiC). To this day, Tracey Moore might be the most believable voice Usagi has ever had. Kotono Mitsuishi and Stephanie Sheh may be more definitive, but both are clearly putting on a high-pitched voice, whereas Moore's high-pitched voice sounded natural, like a real teenage girl's. More importantly, she nailed Usagi's character. Beyond Terri Hawkes being completely failed by her incompetent fanboy of a voice director who lacked all objectivity when it came to her and Linda Ballantyne being miscast, neither of them got Usagi's character right, voicing her as if she's a regular teenage girl which Usagi is not: she's a 14 year old who starts out with the maturity of a 7 year old. Moore had that childish quality down perfectly, as well as the heroic quality as Sailor Moon. That she ended up voicing the character the least out of anyone due to DiC rushing production is absolutely criminal.

Ami - Karen Bernstein (DiC). C'mon, how can you not like that odd Trans-Atlantic accent she gives Ami? Or the way she says "Mercury Bubbles - BLAST!" It sounds so appealing.

Rei - Katie Griffin (DiC/Cloverway). Now I love Cristina Vee, and kudos to Emily Barlow for temporarily filling in for Katie and giving a damn fine impression. But something about Katie's voice for Rei just sounds, much like Tracey Moore as Usagi, natural. I tend not to hear someone putting on a voice performance with Katie; I just hear Rei / Sailor Mars herself.

Makoto - Susan Roman (DiC/Cloverway). She did a great job. Not much else to say.

Minako - Emily Barlow (Cloverway). I will say that Stephanie Morgenstern did a far better job in the Pioneer-issued DiC movie dubs than she did in the show proper, but I still felt she failed when it came to conveying Minako's comedic side. Emily Barlow, fresh off of filling in for Katie Griffin as Mars, did a great job with that part of Minako's character. She was hilarious.

Mamoru - Vincent Corazza (DiC/Cloverway). Rino Romano was good as Mamoru but not as Tuxedo Mask, while Toby Proctor sucked as both. While he's no Robbie Daymond, Vincent Corazza is still the first to actually do the voices for Mamoru and his alter-ego well.

Artemis - Ron Rubin (DiC/Cloverway). Ron Rubin took a long time to get this voice down, voicing him too deeply in his first two episodes and then too high and scratchy for most of the DiC dub afterwards. But by the movies and Cloverway, he'd settled into an appropriate sounding voice for the character, nailing both his even-tempered and his comedic moments.

Shingo - Julie Lemieux (DiC/Cloverway). Here it is: a rare case of an old dub voice being much better than the Viz dub counterpart. I have no idea why Nicolas Roye was cast by Viz, but it didn't work. Julie Lemieux's voice actually sounds like a young boy's and is fitting to hear coming out of Shingo's mouth, rather than endlessly distracting like hearing Roye's is.

Naru - Mary Long (DiC/Cloverway). "It's Mawwwwwly!" Look, take the memeable accent out of the equation and Mary Long still put on a sweet and earnest performance as Usagi's best friend. And while I normally prefer Danielle Judovits, Mary's acting in Nephrite's death scene absolutely puts her to shame. It truly sounds like a girl screaming and crying as her love dies.

Chibiusa - Stephanie Beard (Cloverway). It's Suga BayBee, do I need to explain more?

Queen Beryl - Naz Edwards (DiC). The only issue I have with Naz Edwards is that she often wasn't directed to keep her voice down when she should in a scene, but that's not her fault. That aside, she was incredible as Queen Beryl, giving a theatrical performance that is both amusingly camp when it needed to be and maliciously terrifying when it needed to be. I honestly think Viz lucked out, as Cindy Robinson is perhaps the only voice actress I know of who is capable of matching Naz vocally. It is very difficult for me to choose between them.

Jadeite - Tony Daniels (DiC). Kevin Lund could've been great as Nephrite but he sucked due to crappy direction, Kirsten Bishop was great as Zoisite but the gender was all wrong, and Denis Akayama was wildly inconsistent as Kunzite. Tony Daniels as Jadeite is the only one who got it down perfectly, with a suitably smug, sadistic, raspy voice that could also disguise itself whenever the character was disguising himself. I prefer Todd Haberkorn, especially since he can do equally well as Crystal's Jadeite, but Tony Daniels was still great.

Ail - Vincent Corazza (DiC). Look, Brian Beacock is more accurate to the Japanese voice and has a better script, but I just love Vincent Corazza's dorkier take. It's just so lovable!

En - Sabrina Grdevich (DiC). Look, Dorothy Fahn is more accurate to the Japanese voice and has a better script, but I just love Sabrina Gredvich's dorkier take. It's just so lovable!

Grandpa Hino - John Stocker (Cloverway). Another time an old dub voice surpassed Viz! Michael Sorich does great and all, but John Stocker is a perfect match to the Japanese voice and even looks a lot like the character in real life! It was a casting match made in Heaven.

Rubeus - Robert Tinkler (DiC). For a third time, the old dub surpasses the new dub. Steve Staley worked better for Rubeus in Crystal, whereas Robert Tinkler did a far better job embodying the far more monstrous version in the 90s anime, with a deep voice prone to bouts of unhinged laughter. He really made Rubeus a character that you loved to despise.

Esmeraude - Kirsten Bishop (DiC). This was Bishop's best role, IMO. She had already displayed a great cackling laugh as Zoisite, so her then playing Esmeraude was perfect.

Saphir - Lyon Smith (DiC). Not much to say here. He did good.

Demande - Robert Bockstael (DiC). Sexy but creepy voice is fittingly sexy but creepy.

Wiseman - Tony Daniels (DiC). Tony did as good a job as Wiseman as he did with Jadeite, which is why it's so frustrating that he kept getting hampered by needless vocal effects.

Professor Tomoe - Jeff Lumby (Cloverway). Jeff Lumby did an excellent job being hammy, sinister, intelligent and hilarious sounding. He was clearly having a total blast in this role.

Diana - Loretta Jafelice (Cloverway). Her high, squeaky voice was annoying, but perfect.

Fisheye - Deborah Drakeford (Cloverway). What is fascinating about Deborah's performance is that even as the fact was being censored for TV, she still voiced the character like a trans woman. There are several occasions where you can hear a masculine quality seep through even though it's a female voice actress. She deserves mad props for that.

Hawk's Eye - Benji Plener (Cloverway). He sounds a lot like Michael Yurchak, just slightly more posh, and something about his pink hair and outfit makes a posh tone fit him well.

Pegasus - Rowan Tichenor (Cloverway). Now hear me out on this last one - I am saying he was good as Pegasus. A soft, deep and dignified voice makes sense for him, and makes him more mysterious. The mistake came when they didn't cast someone else to voice Helios, as that voice coming out of him is more jarring than Nicolas Roye's voice coming out of Shingo!

Honorable Mention: The Amazoness Quartet. Their old dub voices were fine, but I can't say they qualify for this list since their Viz dub voices outperform them to an extreme degree.

[euripidesredux]

Extended credits for Museum at Tomorrow episode 5

Below the cut are all of the folks who I used (and asked to be credited) for recordings in Museum at Tomorrow episode 5- specifically, the "This is not for You" recordings.

(The list was too long for podcast episode descriptions)

These recordings were mixed into the soundscape of the show, heavily processed- so you may or may not be able to pick out your voice. Each unique recording is preserved as rhythem, timber, and shape within the episode.

Thank you for your work in creating the canvas of this piece.

Kate Bullen

K R Forsyth

Vega Jacobsen

Charlie

Rovi

Grace Gamble 

Wesley Lee Balete

Charlie Sloykowski

JC Hendry

Courtney Brothers

Arabella McDonald

Hanc Finestra

Katie H

Galacticguppy 

Beck Smith

GreenHeronHive

Micheal Vee

Mira Singer

Laurent J.L. Hall

Carley Mothersell

woaaah

cmt

November_Clouds

Elliott Neptune

Enrica Jossi

Ace

Jahan Shah 

Morgan Galagher

Niall LG

  Bates

Caroline Mincks

Daniel Kurtz

AJ Fidalgo

Tani

Shura

Zedek H

Halebop

Malia Northstar

Greg Ruddick

Solstice Hannan

Jessamy Thomison 

Cassie A.

Rachel Spokony

miss mr meow

Arti Richardson

Mattie J.

Geddy Cary-Avery,

 Ophelia Cary-Avery

Sophie Kaplan

X Speaks

Devin

Craux

Cap

Joe R

Ray Goldberg

Mog

The Marble System

Tina Case

Kate Bullen

Marionette

LD

Maddy Searle

Remi P

Meg Taylor

Beth

Evan Tess Murray

Amanda Jones

Amanda Ehrhardt

Nathan Fisentzou-Haji-Leonti

Johanna Andersson

Tess Huth

@faeriebullshit

Olivia Lion

Ange

Bridget M. Mueting

Wil Williams

Katie Utke

aceofgames

Savy Stay

Graham Rowat

Meredith

spaceacebreakface 

Molly Walsh

Belinda Parker

Erin Celovsky

liz

Caden Osojnak

Danniac 

Ray Schrader

Atlas Byrd

AJ. S.

JayseHasNoGrace

Fay Blackmore

Sharon Peterson

Katharina Abschlag 

Izzy

Ace Tayloe

kat B

Siz Hart

moth

Kathryn Cox

G. Honnigford

Pine Gonzalez

sisyphus

Essay

artie eigengrau

Rook Davis

Izzi Mata

grayson

Tamara Jones

Willow

G.F.

Leigh sharpe

Zelda MacFarland

Arkyn Wolf

Elany

Elaine Wiley

Mary Lewis-Phillipps

Claudia Elvidge

Kei Burke

Katie Vargas

Karleen Preator

Alicia Babich

Jonathan Sciance

Étoile

Hayden Laver

Barrett Vann

S Kramer

Maya Hiers-Lairson

judas

Archer Hickerson

Malinda

Nicole Liang

LF Haye

Louis Carroll

Stefanie K.

Autumn Wang 

jayvin

Badger Merriweather

Aiden

Sender Paulson

vexxervee

Rob Weiner

Peril

Lotte Schmidt 

fynn

Lor

Josie D. 

Jaryn Tyson

Common Blue Icarus

resplendeo

Claire Alpern

skelejor

Matt Weiss

M Zemlock

Kay Eileen

Callisto Holmes

Rhys

Noah Quinn

Sarah Elizabeth

Willow Belden

Amanda McCormack

Esrah Del Carlo

sunny

the Hartmans

Lee Ann Eden

Bob Proctor

Clueless

deda eliensis

Ohallo

Tara Schile

Marzi 

Flameheart Dryad

Sarah Lambrix 

JB Segal 

Ellis C

Ash

Autumn

Jaime Tamar

Haze Peers

Moose

Erin Bevan

Luci Tomich

Bryn

Michael W.

Kim Fukawa

Amy Strieter

Petra Hall

Mal

Charlie Rayshich

Susan Weiner

Everett Blackthorne

Vergess

Tor

ArionWind

M. Alti

N. B. Green

Aiden Nicholson

Jacky Rubou

Nura Lawrence

Gwen Clancy

Ollie M.

Caroline

Duo

Iris

ML Beck

Ray Makowski

Eljay Rich

MV8

Michelle Pigott

Rachel Pfennigwerth

Janika

Jamie Gump

Mason J Miller

Ella Watts

Cole

Mady Oswald

Valerie "ShinyHappyGoth" Kaplan

Anne Baird

Emily Ricotta

el-draco-bizarro

Ansel Burch

Nathan Sowell

LM Heß

Cy

Richard Peers

[eurowhat]

🇨🇿🇦🇱🇳🇴🇲🇹🇱🇻 NEW EPISODE 🗽💪🐺🔄🙏

First-time guest Katie Proctor joins us to kick off our coverage of Eurovision 2024 Semi Final 2! We explore the full range of revamps with this week's set, including lyrics tweaks, remastering, and translation. Were the changes made by Czechia, Albania, Norway, Malta, and Latvia successful? eurowhat.com/226

[rockislandadultreads]

NoveList Combo: Creepy & Atmospheric 

Did you know NoveList is a database you can access with your library card to find reading recommendations? Find your next favorite read with this fantastic readers tool! Check it out on our website here.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden

It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling. Up and down the street, horrifying secrets are being revealed, and all the while, mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man. There’s a small clearing in the woods now that was never there before, and a blackthorn tree that doesn’t belong at all. These odd children claim that The Cunning Man is coming for them...and they want the local kids to protect them. But with families falling apart and the neighborhood splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road?

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

A young father and son set out on a road trip, devastated by the death of the wife and mother they both loved. United in grief, the pair travel to her ancestral home, where they must confront the terrifying legacy she has bequeathed: a family called the Order that commits unspeakable acts in search of immortality.

For Gaspar, the son, this maniacal cult is his destiny. As the Order tries to pull him into their evil, he and his father take flight, attempting to outrun a powerful clan that will do anything to ensure its own survival. But how far will Gaspar’s father go to protect his child? And can anyone escape their fate?

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

Founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.

Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process--and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming--which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.

Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group--known as "Arrivalists"--who may be fomenting revolution.

Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized--and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden

It's 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England.

But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn't quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis's widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.

Lonely and unsure whom to trust, Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But as Margaret's history threatens to catch up with her, it isn't long before she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall.

[jcmarchi]

2024 Math Prize for Girls at MIT sees six-way tie

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/2024-math-prize-for-girls-at-mit-sees-six-way-tie/

2024 Math Prize for Girls at MIT sees six-way tie

After 274 young women spent two-and-a-half hours working through 20 advanced math problems for the 16th annual Advantage Testing Foundation/Jane Street Math Prize for Girls (MP4G) contest held Oct. 4-6 at MIT, a six-way tie was announced. 

Hosted by the MIT Department of Mathematics and sponsored by the Advantage Testing Foundation and global trading firm Jane Street, MP4G is the largest math prize for girls in the world. The competitors, who came from across the United States and Canada, had scored high enough on the American Mathematics Competition exam to apply for and be accepted by MP4G. This year, MP4G received 891 applications to solve multistage problems in geometry, algebra, and trigonometry. This year’s problems are listed on the MP4G website.

Because of the six-way tie, the $50,000 first-place prize and subsequent awards ($20,000 for second, $10,000 for third, $4,000 apiece for fourth and fifth and $2,000 for sixth place) was instead evenly divided, with each winner receiving $15,000. While each scored 15 out of 20, the winners were actually placed in order of how they answered the most difficult problems. 

In first place was Shruti Arun, 11th grade, Cherry Creek High School, Colorado, who last year placed fourth; followed by Angela Liu, 12th grade, home-schooled, California; Sophia Hou, 11th grade, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Virginia; Susie Lu, 11th grade, Stanford Online High School, Washington, who last year placed 19th; Katie He, 12th grade, the Frazer School, Florida; and Katherine Liu, 12th grade, Clements High School, Texas — with the latter two having tied for seventh place last year.

The next round of winners, all with a score of 14, took home $1,000 each: Angela Ho, 11th grade, Stevenson High School, Illinois; Hannah Fox, 12th grade, Proof School, California; Selena Ge, 9th grade, Lexington High School, Massachusetts; Alansha Jiang, 12th grade, Newport High School, Washington; Laura Wang, 9th grade, Lakeside School, Washington; Alyssa Chu, 12th grade, Rye Country Day School, New York; Emily Yu, 12th grade, Mendon High School, New York; and Ivy Guo, 12th grade, Blair High School, Maryland.

The $2,000 Youth Prize to the highest-scoring contestant in 9th grade or below was shared evenly by Selena Ge and Laura Wang. In total, the event awards $100,000 in monetary prize to the top 14 contestants (including tie scores). Honorable mention trophies were awarded to the next 25 winners.

“I knew there were a lot of really smart people there, so the chances of me getting first wasn’t particularly high,” Katie He told a Florida newspaper. “When I heard six ways, I was so excited though,” He says, “because that’s just really cool that we all get to be happy about our performances and celebrate together and share the same joy.”

The event featured a keynote lecture by Harvard University professor of mathematics Lauren Williams on the “Combinatorics of Hopping Particles;” talks by Po-Shen Loh, professor of math at Carnegie Mellon University, and Maria Klawe, president of Math for America; and a musical performance by the MIT Logarhythms. Last year’s winner, Jessica Wan, volunteered as a proctor. Now a first-year at MIT, Wan won MP4G in 2022 and 2019. Alumna and doctoral candidate Nitya Mani was on hand to note, during her speech at the awards ceremony, how much bigger the event has grown over the years.

The day before the competition, attendees gathered to attend campus tours, icebreaker events, and networking sessions around MIT, at the Boston Marriott Cambridge, and at Kresge Auditorium, where the awards ceremony took place. Contestants also met MP4G alumnae at the Women in STEM Ask Me Anything event.

Math Community and Outreach Officer Michael King described the event as a “virtuous circle” where alumni return to encourage participants and help to keep the event running. “It’s good for MIT, because it attracts top female students from around the country. The atmosphere, with hundreds of girls excited about math and supported by their families, was wonderful. I thought to myself, ‘This is possible, to have rooms of math people that aren’t 80 percent men.’ The more women in math, the more role models. This is what inspires people to enter a discipline. MP4G creates a community of role models.”

Chris Peterson SM ’13, director of communications and special projects at MIT Admissions and Student Financial Services, agrees. “Everyone sees and appreciates the competitive function that Math Prize performs to identify and celebrate these highly talented young mathematicians. What’s less visible, but equally or even more important, is the crucial community role it plays as an affinity community to build  relationships and a sense of belonging among these young women that will follow and empower them through the rest of their education and careers.”

Petersen also discussed life at MIT and the admissions process at the Art of Problem Solving’s recent free MIT Math Jam, as he has annually for the past decade. He was joined by MIT Math doctoral candidate Evan Chen ’18, a former deputy leader of the USA International Math Olympiad team.

Many alumnae returned to MIT to participate in a panel for attendees and their parents. For one panelist, MP4G is a family affair. Sheela Devadas, MP4G ’10 and ’11, is the sister of electrical engineering and computer science doctoral candidate and fellow MP4G alum Lalita; their mother, Sulochana, is MP4G’s program administrator. 

“One of the goals of MP4G is to inspire young mathematicians,” says Devadas. “Although it is a competition, there is a lot of camaraderie between the contestants as well, and opportunities to meet both current undergraduate STEM majors and older role models who have pursued math-based careers. This aligned with my experience at MIT as a math major, where the atmosphere felt both competitive and collaborative in a way that inspired us.”

“There are many structural barriers and interpersonal issues facing women in STEM-oriented careers,” she adds. “One issue that is sometimes overlooked, which I have sometimes run into, is that both in school and in the workplace, it can be challenging to get your peers to respect your mathematical skill rather than pressuring you to take on tasks like note-taking or scheduling that are seen as more ‘female’ (though those tasks are also valuable and necessary).” 

Another panelist, Jennifer Xiong ’23, talked about her time at MP4G, MIT, and her current role as a pharmaceutical researcher at Moderna.  

“MP4G is what made me want to attend MIT, where I met my first MIT friend,” she says. Later, as an MIT student, she volunteered with MP4G to help her stay connected with the program. “MP4G is exciting because it brings together young girls who are interested in solving hard problems, to MIT campus, where they can build community and foster their interests in math.”

Volunteer Ranu Boppana ’87, the wife of MP4G founding director and MIT Math Research Affiliate Ravi Boppana PhD ’86, appreciates watching how this program has helped inspire women to pursue STEM education. “I’m most struck by the fact that MIT is now gender-balanced for undergraduates, but also impressed with what a more diverse place it is in every way.”

The Boppanas were inspired to found MP4G because their daughter was a mathlete in middle school and high school, and often the only girl in many regional competitions. “Ravi realized that the girls needed a community of their own, and role models to help them visualize seeing themselves in STEM.”

“Each year, the best part of MP4G is seeing the girls create wonderful networks for themselves, as some are often the only girls they know interested in math at home. This event is also such a fabulous introduction to MIT for them. I think this event helps MIT recruit the most mathematically talented girls in the country.”

Ravi also recently created the YouTube channel Boppana Math, geared toward high school students. “My goal is to create videos that are accessible to bright high school students, such as the participants in the Math Prize for Girls,” says Ravi. “My most recent video, ‘Hypergraphs and Acute Triangles,’ won an Honorable Mention at this year’s Summer of Math Exposition.”

The full list of winners is posted on the Art of Problem Solving website. The top 45 students are invited to take the 2024 Math Prize for Girls Olympiad at their schools. Canada/USA Mathcamp also provides $500 merit scholarships to the top 35 MP4G students who enroll in its summer program. This reflects a $250 increase to the scholarships. Applications to compete in next year’s MP4G will open in March 2025. 

[paperback-bitch]

Review: Liar's Beach

Liar’s Beach #1 By Katie Cotugno Hardback: $18.99 – Paperback: $12.99 – E-book: $8.99 Approx. 288 pages – Audiobook: 9 hours YA Mystery/Thriller

SYNOPSIS

Michael Linden—or just Linden to his preppy boarding school pals—doesn’t belong in wealthy, storied Martha’s Vineyard. But when his roommate Jasper invites him to spend the end of summer at his massive beachfront home, August House, Linden tries his best to fit in. Linden wouldn’t call it lying, exactly. Though it turns out August House is full of liars. Then someone is found unconscious in Jasper’s pool, and everyone has something to hide—Jasper, his beautiful sister Eliza, their older brother Wells, and their friends. The accident is written off as just that—an accident—but Linden begins to wonder... Enter: Holiday Proctor. Linden’s childhood friend, and the one person on the island who knows the truth about Linden. There’s nothing Holiday loves more than a good old-fashioned mystery and she’s convinced there's a potential killer on the Vineyard. The only question is…who?

Themes: Classism, Keeping Secrets, Jumping to Conclusions

Tropes: Teen Detectives, Rich vs Poor, I Love The Idea of You, House Party Gone Wrong

Warnings: Minor character death (it is a murder mystery retelling, after all), underage alcohol usage, mention of an affair.

REVIEW

Have you ever picked up an Agatha Christie novel and thought to yourself, “Wow, I sure wish Hercule Poirot was a female teenage socialite, and also not the main character of his series”? No? Unfortunately, Katie Cotugno has written that concept into this book, the first of a series in which the second book has already been released.

Liar’s Beach sets itself up to follow Linden, a boy from “the wrong side of the tracks” as it were, who happens to attend a wealthy prep school on a sports scholarship. His school friends invite him to their summer home on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where Linden spends the entire trip trying to fit in with the gang and keep his financial status a secret. He spends his time pining after his best friend’s sister Eliza, unless he’s busy treating his childhood friend Holiday like she’s an uncomfortable nuisance.

Holiday is our Poirot stand-in, since this book is a retelling of Agatha Christie’s novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and she’s part of the wealthy world Linden so desperately wants to belong in. His mother used to be the maid for Holiday’s family, and Linden is terrified she’ll spill his secrets and “ruin” things, despite the character never once giving the impression she would behave that way.

I don’t try to summarize too hard in my reviews; I usually prefer to give you my impressions and let you read the book or not, so I try to avoid spoilers and plot by plot recounting. I will say this mystery is woefully simple, especially if you’re a frequent reader of mysteries or thrillers. The book makes you suspect pretty much every character at some point but Linden and Holiday, to the point that the reveal felt kind of meaningless. There was no skill employed in dropping hints and weighing the odds of who might have done it because it was so vaguely possible it could be anyone. I managed to predict who was guilty, and it wasn’t even very fun to try and do so.

Liar’s Beach has a cast of forgettable and/or unlikeable characters, including the POV character Linden who was especially irritating. He alternates between dismissive, paranoid, and confrontational so quickly that I got whiplash, and his priorities were essentially to sleep with Eliza and to bury his head in the sand at every opportunity to make things harder. Holiday is just as frustrating, but in other ways.

She has an insufferable mix of quirky and smug going on, where she’s just so brilliant and special – but usually just off screen so she knows everything we don’t and the reader has no chance to participate in the sleuthing. We’re left following along at her heels and missing all the best bits, which brings me back to my initial question: Who on Earth wants the protagonist to be recast as a side character in their retelling?? Certainly not me. It felt lazy and unsatisfying and ultimately left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This book wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t good either. I ended up being really glad that I got this book for $5 at the Barnes and Noble café, because I would have been very disappointed to pay the full price for it. 2/5 Stars, and a tentative ‘maybe’ on if I’ll be giving the sequel Hemlock House a chance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

I have to remind myself when I’m reading YA that it’s technically classed for ages 12-17. While I don’t think I could recommend this to most preteens, I would say this is an easy introduction into mystery novels for young teen readers. If you or someone in your life is 14-16 and needs a mystery novel they can toss in their beach bag this summer, Liar’s Beach could be a great choice. Otherwise it’s a bit too immature for most mystery fans I know, myself included, and ultimately I suggest you support your local library if you’re really interested in reading it instead of buying it.

[ulkaralakbarova]

The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, whose challenge of their anti-miscegenation arrest for their marriage in Virginia led to a legal battle that would end at the US Supreme Court. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Richard Loving: Joel Edgerton Mildred Loving: Ruth Negga Grey Villet: Michael Shannon Sheriff Brooks: Marton Csokas Bernie Cohen: Nick Kroll Frank Beazley: Bill Camp Lola Loving: Sharon Blackwood Raymond Green: Alano Miller Garnet Jetter: Terri Abney Judge Bazile: David Jensen Phil Hirschkop: Jon Bass Theoliver Jeter: Christopher Mann Musiel Byrd-Jeter: Winter-Lee Holland Deputy: Michael Abbott Jr. Percy Fortune: Chris Greene Virgil: Will Dalton Chet Antieau: Matt Malloy Laura: Andrene Ward-Hammond Alex: D.L. Hopkins Hope Ryden: Jennifer Joyner Cousin Davis: Lance Lemon Cousin Gerald: Marquis Adonis Hazelwood Older Sydney: Brenan Young Older Donald: Dalyn Cleckley Older Peggy: Quinn McPherson Middle Sidney: Jevin Crochrell Middle Donald: Jordan Williams Jr. Middle Peggy: Georgia Crawford Toddler Sydney: Micah Claiborne Baby Sydney: Devin Cleckley Infant Sydney: Pryor Ferguson Clara – Cashier: Karen Vicks Reporter #1: Scott Wichmann Construction Worker: Benjamin Loeh Court Secretary: Bridget Gethins Store Pedestrian: Mark Huber Drag Race Spectator: James Matthew Poole Secretary: Coley Campany Secretary: Sheri Lahris Construction Worker: Jordan Dickey Telephone Man: Coby Batty Drag Race Spectator / Bar Patron: Chris Condetti Richard’s Racing Crew: Logan J. Woolfolk County Clerk: Robert Haulbrook Bricklayer: Keith Tyree Spectator: James Nevins Prisoner: W. Keith Scott Photojournalist: Tom Lancaster Street Walker: Lonnie M. Henderson Court Audience Member: Brian Thomas Wise Drag Race Spectator: Ken Holliday Antieau’s Secretary: Terry Menefee Gau Driver: Marc Anthony Lowe Racetrack Spectator: Jay SanGiovanni D.C Teen: Tyrell Ford Baby Boy #1: James Atticus Abebayehu Phil’s Dad: Jim D. Johnston …: Derick Newson Boarding House Boy: Miles Hopkins Construction Worker: Kenneth William Clarke Reporter: Robert Furner Secretary: Victoria Chavatel Jimison Field Hand / Drag Strip Attendee / Shot Gun Shack Attendee (uncredited): Darrick Claiborne Courtroom Spectator (uncredited): Raymond H. Johnson Drag Race Driver: Dean Mumford Pregnant Girl: Rebecca Turner Magistrate: Mike Shiflett County Jailer: Greg Cooper Supreme Court Reporter: A. Smith Harrison Press Conference Reporter: Keith Flippen Soundman: Jason Alan Cook Courtroom Spectator (uncredited): Lucas N. Hall Film Crew: Director: Jeff Nichols Editor: Julie Monroe Producer: Peter Saraf Executive Producer: Jack Turner Executive Producer: Jared Ian Goldman Executive Producer: Brian Kavanaugh-Jones Unit Production Manager: Sarah Green Art Direction: Jonathan Guggenheim Casting: Francine Maisler Production Design: Chad Keith Storyboard: Nancy Buirski Associate Producer: Oge Egbuono Producer: Colin Firth Producer: Marc Turtletaub Set Decoration: Adam Willis Producer: Ged Doherty Unit Production Manager: Will Greenfield Costume Design: Erin Benach Music Supervisor: Lauren Mikus Original Music Composer: David Wingo Still Photographer: Ben Rothstein Director of Photography: Adam Stone Script Supervisor: Jean-Paul Chreky Special Effects Coordinator: Gary Pilkinton Special Effects Technician: Trevor Smithson Property Master: A. Patrick Storey First Assistant Director: Cas Donovan Second Assistant Director: Tommy Martin Stunt Driver: Dean Mumford Key Makeup Artist: Katie Middleton Second Second Assistant Director: Ben LeDoux Construction Buyer: Roslyn Blankenship Assistant Property Master: Hannah Ross Dialogue Editor: Brandon Proctor Genetator Operator: Maxwel Fisher Post Production Supervisor: Susan E. Novick Boom Operator: Proctor Trivette Leadman: Stephen G. Shifflette Second Assistant “A” Camera: Stephen McBride Sound Effects Editor: David Grimaldi Foley Mixer: Judy Kirschner Makeup Department Head: Julia Lallas Hairstylist: Brian Morton Sound Effects Editor: Joel Dougherty ADR Mixer: Chris Navarro Sound Effects Editor: P.K. Hooker ...

[courseforjob]

Katie Proctor – The Designers Toolkit

Katie Proctor – The Designers Toolkit UNLOCK AN EASIER BETTER WAY TO SERVE YOUR CLIENTS What You Learn In The Designers Toolkit A collection of our most popular templates for brand designers, all in one place. Including our Project proposal, Notion client portal, Brand strategy guide, Visual direction, Brand presentation, and Brand style guide. The Designer’s Toolkit is every single resource,…

[tonin-terets]

I'm Leaving from Cub Studio on Vimeo.

A story about going on holiday for children by Fraser Davidson & Chris Brandon produced by Cub Studio.

Written - Fraser Davidson & Chris Brandon Directed - Fraser Davidson Voiced - Ray Davidson, Katie St Laurence, Hannah Powell & Ben Skinner Animated - Simon Tibbs, Myung Kim, Sean Proctor & Fraser Davidson Audio - Morgan Samuel Music - Finlay Mowat & Conal Mooney Produced - Cub Studio

[ao3feed-stevebucky]

New Hands on Deck

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Py9k0Fn

by Duchess_On_Fire

Some people might call Bucky a shameless flirt. They would say that just because Bucky knows Chef Steve is attracted to him doesn’t mean he should lap it up and squeeze it for everything he’s got. And maybe they would be right. Maybe spending two hours at the gym and running late for work every day just so that his uniform will hug every single one of his muscles is in bad taste. Maybe preening at the way Steve clearly favors him over everyone else in the restaurant is tacky.

Too bad Bucky doesn’t give a shit.

Words: 6717, Chapters: 1/7, Language: English

Fandoms: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Tony Stark, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Rebecca Barnes Proctor, Winifred Barnes, George Barnes (Marvel), Scott Lang, Katy Chen, Shang-Chi (Marvel), Peter Parker, Michelle Jones, Kate Bishop, America Chavez, Carol Danvers, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Yelena Belova, Bruce Banner, Vision (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Ned Leeds, Kamala Khan, Bruno Carrelli, Nakia Bahadir, Nick Fury, Peggy Carter, Sarah Rogers (Marvel), Alexander Pierce, Brock Rumlow, Arnim Zola

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Chefs, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Chef Steve Rogers, Waiter Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Gay Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Tattooed Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Feels, Bucky Barnes Feels, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Past Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma, References to Depression, references to medical abuse, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Medication, Therapy, Hydra (Marvel), Mentions of Cancer, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Recovery, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Slow Burn, Food Porn, actual porn, Rough Sex, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Dom Steve Rogers, Switching, Happy Ending

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/Py9k0Fn

[ourbalancedlife]

[gregor-samsung]

Sorry We Missed You (Ken Loach - 2019)

[filmbook21]