#conrad hoyle

[milliondollarbaby87]

The Outrun (2024) Review

Rona had been living life on the edge in London and when she reaches breaking point with addiction and wanting to properly heal, she returns to Scotland’s Orkney Islands where she grew up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading The Outrun (2024) Review

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

THE OUTRUN (2024)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Nabil Elouahabi, Izuka Hoyle, Lauren Lyle, Saskia Reeves, Stephen Dillane, Eilidh Fisher, Naomi Wirthner, Danyal Ismail, Posy Sterling, Patch Bell, Nabil Elouahabi, Jack Rooke, Seamus Dillane, Conrad Williamson, Tony Hamilton and Ammar Younis.

Screenplay by Nora Fingscheidt & Amy Liptrot.

Directed by Nora Fingscheidt.

Distributed by Sony Classic Pictures. 118 minutes. Rated R.

Substance abuse, alcoholism and addiction are very difficult to deal with, even from the relatively safe distance of a theater seat.

They can be dangerous roles to play for an actor, but they are also juicy, dramatic characters full of flaws and hitting rock bottom.

Once upon a time in film, these examinations of recovering addicts were staples of serious, Award-courting movies – things like The Lost Weekend, The Days of Wine and Roses, Leaving Las Vegas and Clean and Sober.

In recent years, this kind of film (and role) has become a bit scarcer, partially because of the discomfort of the audiences, partially because of the extreme toll the characters can take on the actors.

Therefore, all credit is due to Saoirse Ronan – who has always been a fairly fearless actress – for allowing herself to take the bumpy emotional ride of the small arthouse film The Outrun, which was adapted from an acclaimed memoir by Amy Liptrot.

Ronan plays Rona, a thirty-ish recovering alcoholic who had spent a decade partying in London and has now moved back to the area in which she grew up – the Orkney Islands off of Scotland – in an attempt to get her life back on track. (The somewhat inscrutable sounding title The Outrun actually refers to a type of outlying coastal farmland on Orkney that's not suitable for cultivation, which is where Rona ends up taking residence and reinventing herself.)

The Outrun flips back and forth in time in Rona’s life – from her troubled childhood with a bi-polar father and religious mother, to her wild party days in London, to her current desperate attempts to keep herself sober.

Needless to say, there are some very depressing parts of The Outrun. However, as Rona rediscovers her home in the stunningly beautiful, if slightly remote and rundown island, the nature and the landscape soothes the audience as well as the heroine, which is a nice cinematic trick.

By simplifying her life, her needs and her world, we can see Rona potentially getting it all together, and it is a rather cathartic feeling.

The Outrun is not the type of movie that will ever get a huge following – particularly not in this period of cinematic history – and that is kind of a shame. It is definitely a film worth seeing.

I just hope that it makes enough of a splash that Saoirse Ronan is remembered during Awards season, because this fearless tightrope performance is definitely worthy of at the very least some serious nominations.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: October 4, 2024.

[13yearsoflorien]

[aroace-number-eight]

Power of Six

Isabela outwitting Lucas in the hotel and while trapped in her mind

Eight

Miki

Conrad Hoyle

Kopano's mother (an obscure choice, but I like how Akuzium's character set the foundations for Kopano's arc, and her time in the story was also spent being cool as fuck)

Einar

Submari

Subsistence salt

No faves, I'm very neutral about ships and just like whatever

Lorien Legacies Favorites Challenge

('Cause I'm bored)

Reblog with your:

Favorite Book.

Favorite Scene.

Favorite Loric Garde.

Favorite Non-Loric Garde.

Favorite Cepan.

Favorite Human.

Favorite Villain/Anti-Hero.

Favorite Legacy.

Favorite Inheritance.

Favorite Ship.

[lonewolfshayu]

Conrad is the Cêpan of Number Two. They both feature in The Fallen Legacies novella, which is part of the Lorien Legacies book series.

[seattlesea]

Lorien Legacies Fancast Part Two (The Cêpans)

Hilde- Glenn Close

Conrad Hoyle- Toby Stephens

Three's Cepan- Morris Chestnut

Henri- Timothy Olphant

Albert- Jeff Bridges

Katarina- Scarlett Johansson

Adelina- Michelle Rodriguez

Reynolds- Demian Bichir

Sandor- Milo Ventimiglia

Crayton- Daniel Day Lewis

[descendantstidalage]

Lorictober Day 29

One led me and Maggie to a hotel off the beaten path. Well, a room in said hotel to be more precise. She disappeared just as Maggie knocked on the door, leaving me alone with a Garde who seems to trust me and her well armed Cepan. I’m more nervous than I thought I’d be when the door opens. Conrad Hoyle has a small handgun that he fixes on me the moment he sees me, to be expected since my people are hunting him down. I still think this is going to be the end of me and that I might’ve made a big mistake.

I take a step back, hissing for One, but she’s really abandoned me. Hell of a time to disappear. Then Maggie steps in front of me with more determination than I have. “He helped me find you and avoid the Mo—the others. He says he can see One.”

Conrad looked at me suspiciously. “That who you talking to?” He towered over me, big, muscular and intimidating. He didn’t lower his gun.

“She’s not here, right now.”

               Maggie frowned at me. “But she was—“

               “She just left.”

               Conrad looked between us. “What’d he say that makes you believe him? He could be bringing them here.”

               “He knew about that night. The night we got on the ship and what we saw.”

               Conrad frowned, studying me, like he’s trying to see if I could’ve been on sight. He lowers the gun a moment later and waves me in. Maggie followed, closing the door behind her with a click of finality that rang in my bones. There wouldn’t be any turning back. I was betraying me people.

               I wiped my palms against my jeans as Conrad gestured for me to sit in the bed. I tried just casually perching on the edge, but ended up more collapsing on it. My body was still screaming at me for doing too much so soon after waking up, and I felt like I could throw up at any moment. Not the ideal situation to try winning over the Loric.

               “Explain,” Conrad demanded, not putting the gun down, but no longer actively pointing it at me.

               “After One—“ the memory burned fresh in my mind, sword through her chest—“was killed, I was hooked up to her body to go through her memories. But she was there. I saw her life, talked with her…” It didn’t feel like it summed up what really happened between us.” I swallowed. “She changed me. When I woke up… I’d been in a coma for three years. And then One showed up. After we found you.” I met his eyes. “She told me I had to stop them.”

               “You left out the giant crush part.”

               My head started spinning as I looked over at One leaning against the wall. And then I blacked out.

               When I came to, I was being jostled and One was entirely in my face. The sun shone on her hair, and I was vividly reminded of watching her play with her telekinesis in the car. She pulled back with a knowing smirk. “You need to work on your fainting issues.”

               “I just woke up from a coma. I’m adjusting,” I replied dryly.

               “You’re awake!” Maggie cried and I looked over at her. She was leaning around the passenger seat of the car. It took a couple more moments to orient myself. I was sprawled over the entirety of the backseat, completely unbound and Conrad was driving, glancing back at me at Maggie’s declaration.

               “Is that One you’re talking to?” He continued on without waiting for a response. “You’ll need to practice not talking to her out loud. It’ll draw attention to us if you don’t.”

               I nodded. “Where are we going?”

               “We received a encrypted message offering help. They knew information only us cepans remember.” He gave me a look like he thought Mogs having that kind of knowledge might not be as far-fetched as he first thought.

Part One

Part Two

[aroace-number-eight]

Day 19 with Conrad Hoyle as a swordfish! Wanted to incorporate some form of fighting with him, hence the fins

[worldhopper8]

Number Two and her Cepan!  I haven’t read their story yet so my drawing is probably off a bit.  

@yeetsintovoid

[darylandbethfanforever9]

Devil’s Backbone

Devil’s Backbone

Chapter 3

AN: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, and thank you everyone who has commented, reblogged or liked the story :)

Story Rating: Explicit, 18+

Warnings: Smut, violence, flashbacks of past sexual assault, descriptions of torture and racial hate. Not Tony Stark friendly.

Relationships: Bucky/OC, Steve/Natasha, Billy/Wanda/Grant, Sam/Sharon, Clint/Laura, eventual Clint/Yelena and Frank/Karen Page.

Summary: In the aftermath of the Blip, Bucky struggled to find his place among the world and the Avengers. However, when he is sent on a mission to Madripoor to investigate a mysterious woman, he starts to realize maybe his past isn’t too far behind him. Co-Written with WalkingPotterGirl14.

The girls at the Red Room would whisper about the Winter Soldier. He was a ghost story, a tale whispered to keep them in line by warning them if they didn't succeed in the classes or missions, that the soldat would creep into their room and kill them.

She remembered seeing those cold eyes watching her and over girls when he had come to the academy to train one of their classes. He had thrown a young girl called Polina Paseka across the room after she failed four times to do a pirouette in ballet class.

She frowned as she tried to make sense of how the Winter Soldier had escaped the Red Room. It was rare when someone was able to make it out, almost impossible. She decided to call Carter and inquire about the soldier. Her interest was piqued by the man. Maybe she would know something.

Bucky and the others returned to the compound to inform Fury about the black ops team that the Power Broker had sent to kidnap Isaiah and Eli Bradley. The man must have been hellbent on creating the serum after Zemo destroyed the ones that Dr. Nadler had created. "Hill is identifying the people who were sent to kidnap Isaiah and his grandson. Two of them have already been identified," Fury announced grimly. He pulled up two images of two men, one of whom that Bucky recognized instantly. Jack Rollins. He knew him from being there at the Ideal Federal Savings bank when he had his mind wiped by Pierce after trying to kill Steve, Sam and Natasha in Washington D.C. "You might remember the guy on the left, Barnes and Rogers. That is Jack Rollins, former member of the STRIKE Team. After fleeing the U.S., he settled in Madripoor and began working as a mercenary for the highest bidder. Tomas Calderon is a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent, who was fired after killing a group of Inhuman refugees in Nairobi, Kenya," Fury explained gravely. He paused for a moment before glancing their way. "Rogers, Wilson, I want you to ask Carter if she knows how long this mystery young woman has been living in Madripoor. See if there's a gang war brewing over a power struggle. Barnes, Barton and Maximoff, I want you three to talk to Russo, Karen Page, Murdock, and Curtis Hoyle. See what they know about the Power Broker," the director instructed. They nodded and all left.

The first thing Ana decided to do was renovate the whole damn penthouse that the Power Broker owned. She ordered new bedding, a new mattress, and a nice bed frame. There was no way in hell she was sleeping in his bed. She followed suit with the rest of the apartment, glad to have all this control now. The next thing she did was arrange a meeting with all the criminals who lived in Madripoor. She was putting down some rules. She was no saint - far from it - but no way in hell was she tolerating slavery, sex trafficking, and fucking child molesters and pedophiles. She knew Madripoor thrived on crime, but she was going to be instilling some rules for everyone. She personally called off the bounties on the Winter Soldier, the Falcon and Baron Zemo, from what she had heard around. She had no quarrel with them at the minute. Her main focus was going to be ensuring the Red Room remained shut down. She didn't want anyone else to go through what she had gone through. No child deserved that horror. The buzzer rang then, and she answered the call immediately. She had a feeling that a few of them were going to be aggravating. But she had dealt with worse people. "Miss Liukin, this is Conrad Mack. You wish to speak with me about a beneficial arrangement between us?" The man asked politely. She smiled slightly. "Please come in, Mr. Mack," she said smoothly. The door was unlocked and locked behind him. She might have her bodyguards, but she wasn't defenseless by herself if Conrad decided to play dirty. Two could play at that game. Conrad Mack entered the living room. He was a handsome man in person. He had dark brown eyes, but there was a sharpness in them, like an eagle, always watching. He was wearing casual, but smart clothing. "Mr. Mack, it's a pleasure to meet with you. I've heard a lot of things about you," Ana said warmly. The man offered her a charming smile that showed perfect white teeth. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Liukin. I have to say that I'm impressed by your bloodless takeover of Madripoor. If you don't mind me asking, what inspired you to take over Madripoor from the Power Broker?" She smiled at his question, as she sipped from her glass of red wine and Conrad drank from his glass of whisky. The man was a gangster, but he did have morals. She decided to give him some of the truth. "The Power Broker wished to recreate the Super Soldier serum after Baron Zemo destroyed the vials that Karli Morgenthau stole from him. But he wanted me to kidnap a man called Isaiah Bradley and his grandson…I presume you know who he is?" she asked meaningfully. Conrad nodded, his smile turning to a grimace. "Yeah, I know who he is. My grandaddy fought with him in World War II. The US government threw him in jail and took his blood. He escaped during the eighties and settled down in Baltimore," the man said bitterly, well aware of America's racial discrimination against African-Americans. Ana nodded at his answer as she looked at the Monet art that decorated the walls. She disliked racists fiercely. "Then you understand why the Power Broker had to go, Conrad?" He lets out a quiet nod at that. "As I've said before, I'm not a saint. I've done some horrible things. But I draw the line at people dragging innocents back into their dirty hands. For years I had no control of what I was able to do, and now that I do, you can bet I'm going to make sure that no one else gets hurt like that." Conrad smiles to that. "That's very noble of you." Ana snorts and shakes her head. "Not noble. It's called being a human. However,…I'm not a good person too. And the reason we're here is because of that." She comes over to him, leaning against her chair. "I know about your little business on the side here. You thrive from the drug community here, don't you?" "If we're being honest, it is one of, if not the most, profitable business you can have in Madripoor." "On the brink of a collapse the city would be if that whole system decided to go belly-up," Ana states, holding her glass in her hands. "Which is why I'm willing to offer a truce with you. An agreement, of sorts. If you keep a low profile and continue your business, I'll make sure it can still run with the people here and the cops won't be on your ass. I know how hard it can be to stay on the downlow but I'm willing to compromise on that as long as your guys don't interfere with what I'm trying to do." Conrad raises an eyebrow. "You're very interesting, you know that?" She raises an eyebrow back at him. "How so?" "You're like the opposite version of what you say you are. You're trying to be good but also trying to keep crime going…it's a strange contradiction, if you will." Ana shrugs her shoulders, walking over to where he sits. "We all have our contradictions. But the main part here is making sure your business can still run despite those contradictions. So…" She holds out her hand to him. "Do we have a deal?" Conrad looks at her hand for a split second before extending outwards, shaking it firmly. "We have a deal."

Talking with Karen, Frank, Matthew and Foggy had gone about as well as Bucky had been expecting. They didn't know that much about the Power Broker except for the fact that he just wanted to have as much power as possible, simple as that. They had stumbled into them when Fisk had gone away to jail, leaving his powerful empire in the city free for the taking. Due to the power vacuum, the Power Broker had tried to break in.

But luckily, they had come in at the right moment to stop him from taking over, before he had escaped off to Madripoor. Bucky truly wondered what went through this man's mind to make him think like that, that he could suddenly own everyone just because one man got arrested. But then again, the man was clearly unstable. If he wanted to still create more and more super-solder serums for the world to use…there was no way he would allow that. Secretly, Bucky really hoped this new mysterious woman had killed the Power Broker. Hell, maybe even taken over herself. If she was willing to help Sharon out and let them know about Isiah, she at least had some sort of morals compared to the original man. But he also had a feeling that Fury, if he did find out who this woman was, was most likely going to send them after her. So maybe he'd get the chance to meet her after all. A part of him still couldn't believe that he had seen Ana at a coffee shop…it was such a small world. A part of her still felt so familiar, and at the same time he couldn't remember where he had seen her before. He was thankful that the Wakandan's had gotten out all the trigger words in his mind but damn it, he wished he had his whole mind back. Something he would just have to live with for now.

Was this a stupid idea? Probably. Could Fury walk in at any moment? Most likely. But Natasha needed to know. She had to know if this woman was alive truly or not. Maybe she would get lucky, and they would be able to swing around this situation. Maybe the woman who had come into the facility wasn't even close to her. When Nat and Yelena had destroyed the Red Room area, they had been able to access their system remotely to be able to view who had died and who had lived from the program. She had never checked for her to see if she was still around. But this time was better than no time. She typed in the name quickly, searching through the files before she lands on the one, she had wanted. And her shoulders sink as soon as she reads through the file on the computer screen. 'Anastasia Liukin. Dead – complications of operation.' "Oh, thank God," Natasha breathes out, running her hand through her hair. This at least said that she was gone. Maybe she would be able to get out of this alive. But something still didn't sit right. A part of her didn't think that she was dead. If it wasn't her…then who? She bites her lip, glancing deeper into the file.

"Fuck it," she said finally, before delving further into the files. She found information on Anastasia about the year she was born. The young woman had been born on July 10, 1995 in Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast, Russia in the aftermath of the Soviet Union collapsing. Her mother had died when she was five years old, and she had no one else to raise her. She was then placed in an orphanage until the age of seven when the Red Room had approached her under the illusion of being taken to a ballet boarding school. There were no other records of her aside from the file about her dying from an operation. The reasons for the operation were redacted, but deep-down Natasha knew the reason. 'I had to do it. I had to protect Yelena. She was too soft for the Red Room despite all the training we put her through,' she thought rationally, ignoring the pang of guilt that pulsed through her.

Sharon was honestly trying to keep herself calm as she drove to the penthouse that was owned by the Power Broker. She hadn't seen the mysterious woman again, but she had told Sharon to call her Ana. Now, she was driving there and was stunned by the sight before her very eyes. The building itself was amazing and very spacious, but the apartment was even better. She was shown into the penthouse by a bodyguard and kept her face neutral as she was greeted by none other than Ana. "You wanted to see me?" She asked politely. Ana smiled at her calmly as Sharon sat down on the comfortable black velvet sofa. The living room was very spacious but had a homey-vibe around it. There were framed photographs on the mantelpiece. "Yes. I was wondering if I could buy some of the Art Deco paintings and sculptures in your art gallery?" Ana asked curiously. Sharon blinked in surprise but nodded and leaned forward. "I'll be happy to sell you them, Miss Liukin," she said reassuringly, stunned that the woman wasn't going to kill her for helping Bucky, Sam and Zemo escape from the Power Broker. Speaking of the man, she hadn't seen him around Madripoor for the last couple of days. She wondered if finally, someone had killed him for having too much control and power. Considering Ana was in his penthouse, she had quite the feeling it had something to do with her, since the man had been tied up by her not that long ago. "Then I'll see you tomorrow morning. I'll enjoy doing business with you, Sharon," Ana said kindly, her voice genuine. Sharon nodded as they both walked out, seeing that the whole penthouse was being renovated. At Sharon looking, Ana smiled as she put her bottle of water down on the coffee table. "This penthouse belonged to the Power Broker, and it didn't give a welcoming feel. So, I decided to have the whole house renovated, including an indoor ballet studio, along with an indoor swimming pool, a library, and many bedrooms," the woman explained amusedly. Sharon smiled before saying goodbye and Ana watched her leave. She had to admit, it seemed the women had the strength to stay around – and wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

Bucky was annoyed with himself. He felt like he had seen Ana before and not at the coffee shop. It was irritating to say the very least, as he walked to the conference room, where Fury was holding a team meeting. He entered the room, sitting next to Steve, Sam, Clint and Wanda as Billy and Grant joined them. He wasn't surprised to see Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne being in the room but was wary about seeing Bruce and Tony in the room. Both of them, along with Natasha and Yelena, despised him. He didn't blame Natasha for hating him - he had tried to kill her three times, and had attempted to apologize, but she had refused his apology. "Now that you're all here, I have news about the mystery woman who infiltrated the compound. We ran her through Interpol, MI6, FBI, and the S.H.I.E.L.D database and found nothing on her. She's unknown to us," Fury explained gravely, his face betraying nothing. "So, what you want us to do then? It's pretty obvious that she's dangerous if she escaped the HYDRA base, and they had her in cyrostasis," Tony questioned suspiciously. It was Steve spoke up. "That doesn't necessarily mean that she's dangerous, Tony. She's most like been forcibly placed in cyrostasis. We did uncover some possible information," Steve informed Fury, who looked interested as he looked at the man. "What did you and the team find out then?" The director inquired curiously. He was clearly wondering if the young woman was a threat to them. "We did some digging - plus Sharon called us this morning. The Power Broker might possibly be dead, as he's not been seen for at least three days. He was last seen Monday night, and had arranged to meet a young woman to discuss kidnapping Isaiah and Eli Bradley, so he could use their blood to recreate the Super-Soldier serum. According to Sharon, the young woman refused to comply, and a fight broke out," Steve explained quietly, his voice not quite disapproving at the young woman's actions and possibly murdering the Power Broker. "She was the person who told Sharon about the attack on Isiah." Fury looked thoughtful and looked around at everyone who was sitting at the table. Natasha and Yelena were silent, but they were clearly hiding something. "Is there something you'd like to add, Belova and Romanoff?" he asked calmly. Natasha nodded. "There is something I'd like to add, Fury." Natasha stands as she grabs the file of Ana, placing it on the table. "I did some digging on this girl with the file that we found in the HYDRA base in Siberia. As the ones who shut down the Red Room and the areas surrounding it, we are allowed remote access to the former directory of agents that we've had interactions with. It turns out that Ana has actually died from an operation due to unforeseen circumstances," Natasha states. "At least that was what her records state." "Hold on." Bucky stands from where he was, gesturing to the file. "That's impossible. We've been doing our own research and there has been some steady evidence that she's still alive." "Barnes, I remember her. She's gone." "That's impossible because I saw her literally days ago," Bucky says angrily, but he holds back his temper to a point. He didn't want to let go of his own morals because Nat's words contradicted his own. Her brow raises in shock. "You're-wait, what? How the hell did you-" "She was in a coffee shop," Bucky states, crossing his arms against his chest. "A couple days ago before heading off. I didn't learn the girl's name, but she looked exactly like Ana. There's no mistaking it." "You're insane, she's gone!" "No, she's not!" "ENOUGH!" Fury yells, his booming voice causing them to jump in surprise. They both turn their eyes to where Fury was breathing heavily, his head down, clearly trying to control his own temper. He takes a moment before looking at the two of them. "Sit both your asses down now!" The two Avengers do as he says, knowing that if they pissed him off even more there'd be more than just yelling coming their way. Fury starts to pace before he looks to them. "From what I see, we have several problems here. One is-" His phone suddenly pings, and he pulls it out quickly to glance at it before cursing under his breath. "Now we got even more problems," he mutters, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Just got word from H.Q. Apparently, the original Power Broker is officially dead." Silence rings throughout the room. Bucky knew it. He just knew it.

"Again, now we got even more problems," Fury continues, running a hand along his head before looking to them. "One, we have some mysterious woman that broke into our damn base and now is missing. Two, we have a power dynamic clearly underway in Madripoor, and another young woman there that we don't know about looking to take over. Third, we have two goddamn conflicting arguments about a girl that we don't even know about. There’re too many things here for us to even come to a proper conclusion. I'm over this fighting that we got going." "Then what do you suggest we do, sir?" Natasha asks, raising her brow. Fury sighs and then nods back at the team. "What we do best – undercover. But there ain't no way I'm sending a whole team after this girl. If the Power Broker is dead, that means she's a serious threat, regardless if she'll hurt us or not. She's got friends in high places. Only one of you are fit enough to do a proper undercover mission of this high of a status." His eyes turn directly to where Bucky was. "And that's you, Barnes." His brow raises in surprise. "Me?" "I can't think of someone better than the former Winter Soldier. It can't be Nat or Yelena with personal ties to this said mystery woman, but we don't know how much she knows about you possibly. It's the best option for us going forward. I'm not about to let any other goddamn intruder come in, so we need to find out who this woman is as soon as possible, and if she's taking over as the Power Broker." Bucky was quiet for a moment, letting his words mingle. He wasn't wrong. He most likely would be able to find her the quickest and see exactly who this woman was. "Plus, you've literally seen her before," Steve agrees lightly. "If anything, that'll only help you try and find her again." "I think he's got this," Sam states, agreeing. Bucky rolls his eyes and glances at his friends. "It's alright, guys. I'm fine." He always knew that the ones who were on his side tried their best to show their support for him, but something he just wanted to prove it himself. He turns back to Fury. "I can do that, sir." "Good, glad to hear it." Fury stands and grabs the file. "You leave as early as tomorrow. We want to make sure we handle this with care but as quickly as possible. Don't want to linger any longer. Pack your belongings – I'll inform Sharon that you're heading to Madripoor and you're undercover there." "Sounds good," Bucky responds, standing. "Meeting adjourned," Fury concludes, getting up and heading out, pulling his phone as he does so. Bucky hears Tony groan as he stands, sighing. "He's making a mistake sending you out." "Tony, we don't need this right now," Steve responds, trying to shut down the fight before it even began. "How can you even trust him to do a good job? He was literally part of HYDRA, the place that this mysterious woman is even coming from!" "So are Nat and Yelena and you trust them," Wanda points out from where she stands. "They at least had a head on their shoulders to sign the damn accords." Steve sighs and shakes his head. "I'll never be able to prove to you that Bucky is a good man, but that's your loss. It's not like I'm not surprised Nat is on your side after she did what she did." At Nat's confused expression, Steve snorts. "Don't show me that look, Nat. I know that you agreed with Tony to lock Bucky up is a psych unit even before he was pardoned. I know you don't want him here just as much as Tony doesn't. You don't need to say anything." Bucky runs a hand through his hair stressfully. Good god, this wasn't how he wanted his mission to start out.

[the-record-columns]

March 20, 2019: Columns

Out of the ashes: An old radio from an old and dear friend…

The 1930 Crosley console radio

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

At this past Monday night's meeting of the Rotary Club of North Wilkesboro, Dr. Conrad Shaw was honored with this year’s Rotary Club Citizen of the Year Award. 

This much deserved award was received by Dr. Shaw with thankfulness and humility as he was literally surrounded by family and friends.

On a personal level, Conrad Shaw was the principal of the North Wilkesboro Elementary  School for 14 years, eight of them when I was a student there.  He was the nearest thing to God-on-this-Earth I ever knew--running a very tight ship--tough, but always fair.  And, when we left the 8th Grade for high school, we could read, write, count, and knew we had better behave.  No if's, no and's, no but's, no or's, no nor’s - PERIOD!

We were none the worse for the wear, either   

Many years later, I helped launch Thursday Magazine, predecessor to The Record.  I used the old Hoyle Hutchens house on E Street in North Wilkesboro for our offices, and it became a refuge for anything old, odd, or eclectic.  Among my favorite things in that office was my old radios.  Over the years I had bought everything from a coin-operated radio in a metal case to a wide variety of other radios out of everything from Bakelite cases to some with beautiful woodwork.  

The one common thread through all these radios was Conrad Shaw, who had become a dear friend in my adult life.  After he left NWES, he worked the rest of his education career at Wilkes Community College, He retired in 1995 and made a hobby of restoring old radios--a hobby which meshed perfectly with mine.  Over a period of time he has repaired and or restored nine radios for me.  When we had that awful fire in 2004, all of them burned up.  Not too long after the fire Conrad asked me about the radios and I told him they were all lost.

Around Christmas time of that year, I received a phone call from Conrad asking me to stop by and see him. Of course I was glad to, and even more so when I realized why he had called.  Sitting in his basement workshop was a beautiful 1930 Crosley console radio.  Conrad plugged it in and in about 30 seconds it was playing perfectly. He went on to explain the steps he had gone through in restoring the radio to its original working condition, and that it came from the home of the late musician and historian J. Jay Anderson. I told Conrad about some of the things I had purchased from that estate and my own somewhat quirky relationship with the eccentric Mr. Anderson. 

"I knew you had purchased several things from there," Conrad began. “And you had told me you had lost most of your radios in that fire. To That end, I want to make this old Crosley console a gift to you.  You can now say you are back to collecting radios again."

I was, and am, more pleased than I can say in words. Yes, I love the old radio, but more importantly, I love being thought of.  It is a wonderful feeling — the feeling of friendship I feel when Conrad makes one of his visits to the offices of The Record.

Truly, Conrad Shaw has been good to me my whole life — even before I knew it.

Congratulations again on being Rotary's Citizen of the Year, a much deserved honor.

 Time After Time By HEATHER DEAN  JOURNALIST/PHOTO JOURNALIST

Generation X: We were the most radical in so many ways. Atari was in three colors, we pulled down the Berlin wall, TV shows and movies were all original (there was no need for remakes or reality TV), the music was full of synthesizers and wicked cool guitar riffs. We were making history in all genres, especially in the areas of the World Wide Web. Star Wars was everything good in life, and the effects were cutting edge technology. David Hasselhoff was the coolest guy ever.

Fast forward to 2019. We the teens of the 80’s are now parents and some even grandparents. Cars can’t fly like we had planned, but they can talk like KITT. We hold palm sized computers in our hands, and can speak or text anyone in the world in an instant. All our Sci-Fi fantasies turned into term papers and valedictorian speeches of our well laid plans for the future, have turned into distant memories, like the fog at a Bon Jovi concert- palpable then gone.

Last week the best of the 80’s were brought back for a weekend as the Wilkes Playmakers presented the hit musical “Back to the 80’s.” All the characters had heartthrob names: Corey, Tiffany, Debbie, Ferris, Eillen, and Alf. The nerd learned karate kid moves and took down the bully at the end. The kids sang songs by WHAM, Madonna, The Buggles, Cindy Lauper, and Jefferson Starship to name just a few. (My favorite was a reference to Milli Vannili.)

During rehearsals, we had to explain why some of their lines were so funny to us, the parents. The kids just didn’t get it. Some of them had never seen the iconic movies they were playing out on stage. The Breakfast who? What’s an Atari? They had never known a time without cell phones and they certainly didn’t know the struggle to create the perfect mix tape.

So here our theatre kids were, learning 80’s dance moves, and songs, albeit with eyes rolled the first few weeks of rehearsal. Then came time for costuming; the girls were mortified at the shoulder pads, blue eye shadow, everything neon, and big hair. As they filed in for dress rehearsal I squealed and said “Oh. Em. Gee. You look AMAZING!!!” They were spot on with the help of moms who lived it. “Heather, we look stupid. I can’t believe y’all wore this mess. It’s so gross.” But that ‘gag me with a spoon’ sentiment soon led into a love of everything glossy and hot pink and was replaced with “hang on, you need more blush” and “is my hair big enough?’ Pass the Aquanet please.”

Our kids had struggled at first, but in the ‘final countdown’ they had morphed into GenX, and it showed. A packed Thursday night rarely happens, and we had to use overflow parking down the street at the First Baptist Church for every performance. Saturday sold out, something that hasn’t happened in a decade, and Sunday’s show was almost sold out, another rarity. These kids were now the history makers, as the audiences cheered and sang along with the live band. Many even dressed up in 80’s regalia to attend the show.

One night, as we were all in the dressing room helping the girls get ready, two of the girls said “If we were teens in the 80’s I bet we would be best friends” This struck me as funny. “If you were bff’s in the 80’s, you would be your mom and me now.” Eyes widened and a hush fell in the hairspray laden air. “Ladies, as cool and amazing as you are NOW, is how totally radical your parents and I were THEN.” Perspective. It will get you every time.  

Then, “Oh, Heather, you’ll always be cool.”

Bless em.

Congratulations to cast and crewmates of Back to the 80’s. It was totally tubular.

Give Peace a Chance

By EARL COX

Special to The Record

Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to U.S. President Donald Trump, has been working on a peace plan to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Details of this plan are being kept under lock and key but will be revealed soon after the elections in Israel on April 9th.  If Benjamin Netanyahu is reelected, he will become the longest serving prime minister in Israel’s history thus far.   It would be quite an achievement for both Trump and Netanyahu to have a workable peace plan with the Palestinians however, unless and until the Palestinians and all parties to any such plan agree that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, no peace plan will be possible.  Furthermore, the world must stop holding Israel to a different and higher standard.  Rules, regulations, fairness and justice must apply equally to all. 

Israel is often accused of being an apartheid state however nothing could be further from the truth.  All Israeli citizens are not Jewish however all are treated equally under the law without regard to race, religion or sexual orientation.  Muslims, Bedouins, Druze and others serve in senior level positions within the government of Israel, however the media and the liberal left want the world to believe otherwise.

Here in the United States there has been a growing movement on our college and university campuses by various pro-Palestinian organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine.  These organizations, with the support of liberal professors, are promoting and engaging in BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaigns against Israel claiming they are helping the Palestinian cause. Those who promote the truth in an attempt to stop these anti-Semitic BDS campaigns are accused of stifling freedom of speech.  

The aim of the BDS movement is not to help the Palestinians.  It is to isolate Israel internationally and do as much economic harm as possible as part of the plan to erase Israel from off the face of the earth. The Palestinians are then expected to be crowned rightful heirs to inherit whatever remains of the Jewish state.

Thanks in large part to the efforts of the Israel Allies Foundation which is the international arm of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, a total of 27 states have passed legislation making it illegal for local governments to contract with companies that participate in the BDS movement. Opposition to such anti-BDS legislation leans heavily on the complaint that Americans’ First Amendment rights are being infringed upon. However, none of the anti-BDS legislation restricts an individual’s right to boycott Israeli products or businesses. It only restricts the government from being party to such boycotts.

The BDS movement incorrectly and unfairly places blame on Israel for all aspects of the conflict with the Palestinians despite the fact that Israel has made multiple peace offers all of which the Palestinians have rejected. Those in the BDS camp promote a distorted history that Israel is an illegal occupier of the land and maintains that Israel is responsible for Palestinian poverty and suffering. The BDS movement holds out false hope to the Palestinians that they can achieve their nationalistic aspirations without having to negotiate a deal directly with the Israelis because only Israel will be forced to compromise for peace.

By attempting to bludgeon Israel into submission through economic isolation, they believe Israel can be weakened enough to capitulate to every Palestinian demand. This is unrealistic, especially given Israel’s strong economy and superior military capabilities. In short, the Palestinians want a Jew-free state. They want Israel eliminated and replaced with a Palestinian state.  

BDS must be stopped in its tracks.  How can you help?  Ask your local grocery stores and other retailers to consider stocking Israeli products. Buy Israeli Bonds to support the booming Israeli economy and whenever you have an opportunity, speak the truth about Israel.  A loss for the BDS movement is a win for everyone else - Israelis and Palestinians. This is how to give peace a chance.   

‘I’m a Teacher and Legislator: We’re Making Strides in Increasing Teacher Pay’

By REP. JEFFREY ELMORE

N.C. House

This week, we received welcome news in our efforts to increase teacher pay in North Carolina.

According to a new report released on Tuesday by the National Education Association, one of the nation’s largest teacher unions, North  Carolina has now jumped to 29th in the nation in average teacher pay and second in the Southeast. In addition, the average teacher salary in North Carolina has now reached $53,975.

As a public-school teacher for nearly two decades in Wilkes County and a legislator in the N.C. General Assembly since 2012, I have a personal understanding of the challenges facing our teachers. Furthermore, as the only school teacher in the state legislator, I know that teacher pay is an emotional issue for many in our state, as the education system has had an impact in some way on everyone.

Regardless of political party, ensuring quality teachers in the classroom is of the upmost priority. Sadly, teacher pay has been used as a political football, even a weapon, by politicians to advance their agenda and careers for decades. For me, this is very frustrating and it is my goal to highlight the positive work being done to reward our teachers.

Make no mistake, there is more work to be done and we will continue to build on these efforts. This report is exciting news, especially when you look at how far we have come in teacher pay.  

When voters gave Republicans the majority in the General Assembly in 2011, North Carolina was ranked 47th in the nation in teacher pay. Furthermore, due to decades of irresponsible spending and budgeting, school systems across the state were considering a reduction in force, instituting hiring freezes and furloughing teachers.

That’s why we immediately went to work and laid out a plan to reward, recruit and retain teachers in North Carolina. We set out realistic goals, not based on winning votes, but actually delivering real results for our teachers, students and parents.

After five consecutive years of pay increases for our teachers, including over 9% in the past two years, we are meeting those goals and getting the results we planned for. As reported this past week, North  Carolina is now 29th in the nation and second in the Southeast in teacher pay – and has an average teacher salary of nearly $54,000.

In fact, teacher salaries in North Carolina have risen at the third highest rate in the entire country over the past five years.

While the ranking is a step in the right direction, and second in the Southeast is a great accomplishment, we must and will do more. Our goal is and has been to reward teachers for their hard work while ensuring our children are getting the best education possible to prepare them for the future.  

Since the Great Recession, our state has faced many challenges. We have made progress. We will continue to prioritize our state’s sound fiscal footing.  We will continue to save for the unexpected rainy day.  Lastly, we will continue to make strategic investments for our future.

Representative Jeffrey Elmore serves the 94th House District in the N.C. General Assembly and is the Chairman of House Education K-12 and Education Appropriations. He is also in his eighteenth year as a Wilkes County School teacher.

 Conway, a Black River and Spring Time

By CARL WHITE

Life in the Carolinas

I discovered historic downtown Conway, S.C., by happenstance while on my way to Myrtle Beach for the production of our first Christmas special. On that day I was the guest for the morning show on 93.9 FM WCRE in Cheraw. When I left the studio I put the Myrtle Beach address in my GPS. Based on the displayed ETA, the drive time was about two and a half hours; this would give me plenty of time to arrive and check into our hotel before evening activities.  

About midway through the drive I realized I was seeing places and things I had never seen before. For me, this is always exciting and I was stopping more than I had planned, and before long I became aware that time was slipping away. I knew if I were not careful, I would go from having plenty of time to being late, so I got back on the road.

I soon found myself in the midst of a picturesque Southern town with charming buildings reminiscent of times before strip malls and by-passes, times when the town center was the heart of commerce, shopping, dining and entertainment.

It was late afternoon, Christmas music filled the air and the streets and storefronts were decorated, thus intensifying the feeling of being in a special place. This was a part of Conway that I had never seen before. I guess I was like the millions of other people who only knew the Conway by-pass, which, like most by-passes, has no sense of history.  

From downtown I crossed the Waccamaw River and continued to Myrtle Beach. When I arrived at the hotel, I asked the front desk staff what they could tell me about Conway. I collected some information and contact names and went on with the evening's events.

It would be some months before I could make it back to Conway, but when I did, my first stop was the Chamber of Commerce. I learned about the historic Live Oaks that some call the oldest citizens in town. It is said that some of the trees predate the founding of America.

I was given the name of Larry Biddle as a champion for all things Conway. I called Larry and asked if we could meet. He agreed and we met that afternoon and I was given the grand tour of Conway as it is today and a lesson on the founding of Conway and much of its colorful history.

While I had gone fishing in the black waters of the Waccamaw River, I did not know that the river was the highway for the Waccamaw Indians who were in the area prior to the founding of America.

The Waccamaw was also the water way that a young Englishman traveled while charting the Royal Governor, Robert Johnson's Township Plan. The King's Town was formed in 1732 and the name was shortened to Kingston before finally becoming Conway.

I enjoyed discovering this part of our history while strolling on the meandering boardwalk along the banks of the Waccamaw. This is also when I noticed the beauty of spring time in Conway. The tender green color of new leaves on the trees that border the Waccamaw River looked fresh and alive. From certain views, the moss draped ancient Live Oaks and large azaleas were spectacular.

There are many more stories for me to share about historic Conway and her people, this one is about how I first discovered this charming Southern town and the beauty she displays in spring time.

Carl White is the executive producer and host of the award winning syndicated TV show Carl White’s Life In the Carolinas. The weekly show is now in its seventh year of syndication and can be seen in the Charlotte viewing market on WJZY Fox 46 Saturday at 1noon.  For more on the show visit www.lifeinthecarolinas.com, You can email Carl White at Carl@lifeinthecarolinas.com.  

[lookatmyb-rudler]

i can’t get you out of my brain;

Havia passado um tempo considerável desde o feriado natalino, o qual, pela primeira vez em sua vida, havia passado longe da parte Hoyl da família. É claro que Olivia havia recebido cartas da mãe, e nesse momento ela agradecia à qualquer possível ser onisciente e onipotente - se é que existe algum - pelo fato de a mãe ser trouxa, pois sabia que caso contrário, na certa ela receberia diversos berradores. Como a mãe não faz parte deste mundo, ela apenas recebeu cartas comuns vindas da mãe, que não eram nada agradáveis de se ler. No entanto, isso era um assunto para depois, um assunto a ser tratado com Conrad - uma vez que ele era a pessoa que ela falava sobre as complicações de sua família, mesmo ele sendo total contrário ao jeito que Via decidia lidar com a mãe. Chacoalhou a cabeça um pouco, no intuito de esquecer dessas coisas na aula atual. Não porque queria prestar atenção cem por cento no que a professora dizia, mas porque este era um assunto que não lhe agradava muito. De qualquer forma, sabia que não conseguiria parar de pensar nesse assunto se não começasse algum outro que lhe fizesse pensar. “Ei, Will.” chamou, inclinando-se um tanto na direção do rapaz, logo após ter percebido que ele sequer havia lhe dado atenção. Alguns dias após o feriado, William e Olivia haviam ficado. Isso não era o problema, muito pelo contrário: eram dois jovens cujos lábios precisavam de atenção no momento, atenção esta que fora dada tanto pelo rapaz quanto pela garota. O problema encontrava-se no modo em que subitamente, Will pareceu ficar estranho. É claro que Olivia também estava - afinal, não só o beijo tinha sido ótimo, como ele também havia feito-a sentir algo, coisa que normalmente não acontecia -, mas ela havia lidado com aquilo. Já William... era outra história, na visão da grifina.  “Eu ouvi falar que vai ter uma festa perto da Casa dos Gritos nesse fim de semana e queria saber se...” sequer conseguiu terminar a frase, sendo interrompida pela professora, que aparentemente não estava em seu melhor humor “Senhorita Hoyl, quantas vezes eu já não lhe disse para não conversar enquanto eu explico a matéria?!” após esta fala, a expressão de Olivia não poderia ser mais representativa de sua indignação: tinham diversos alunos conversando a aula inteira, e no momento que uma simples frase era proferida por ela, ela era a única a ser chamada a atenção? “Mas o quê?! Eu só-” “Fora.” foi tudo que a professora disse, apontando em direção à porta. Inicialmente, Olivia deixaria a sala sozinha, mas subitamente, teve uma ideia, parando um pouco antes da porta “Sabe o que é, professora? Uma conversa não se faz sozinha. Se quer ser justa com seus alunos, você deveria chamar o senhor Blanchard para me acompanhar, afinal, não foi você mesma alegou que o que eu estava fazendo era conversando, e não monologando?” Contestou, esperando alguma reação da professora. Sabia que William ficaria revoltado, mas talvez com isso ele sentisse um pouco o gostinho do que Olivia estava sentindo - embora não admitisse, e embora fosse em menor escala. Apenas foi deixar a sala quando ouviu a professora dizer para que William também se retirasse, deixando a sala com um sorriso de que ao menos uma coisa lhe foi favorável naquele dia.

@willblanchard

[captainofthekryptonspacemarines]

Chapters: 2/40 Fandom: Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms, Tomb Raider (Video Games), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Punisher (TV 2017), Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, DC Elseworlds, Jessica Jones (TV), StarCraft (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Lara Croft/Samantha Nishimura, Minor or Background Relationship(s), David "Micro" Lieberman/Sarah Lieberman, Jessica Jones/Patricia Walker, Dinah Madani/Billy Russo Characters: Lara Croft, Samantha Nishimura, Jonah Maiava, Alex Weiss, Conrad Roth, November "Nova" Terra, Frank Castle, Karen Page, David "Micro" Lieberman, Sarah Lieberman, Curtis Hoyle, Billy Russo, Dinah Madani, Jessica Jones, Elites | Sangheili, Brutes | Jiralhanae, Unggoy | Grunts, Kig-Yar | Jackals, Hunters | Mgalekgolo, Drones | Yanme'e, Engineers | Huragok, Prophets | San'Shyuum, The Covenant (Halo) Additional Tags: Alien Invasion, Krypton Survives, Alternate Universe - Krypton did not embrace isolationism, Alternate Universe - Alien Invasion, Alien Technology, Alien/Human Relationships, Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Alien Mythology/Religion, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Slow Dancing, Canon Disabled Character, Lesbian Characters, Romance, Eventual Romance, War Summary:

It's been two years. Two years since they arrived and destroyed our cities. Two years of hidding, of running, of screaming as millions upon millions die or are captured for things nobody dares to imagine. Two years of going from one shore of a desolate country to the other, evading their patrols and their raids; scavenging here and there for food, guns, ammo, resources and maybe just a little more time in hopes of a miracle that will never arrive.

Until one day everything changes.

Don't worry if you don't know the characters. Knowledge of all fandoms is not required.

[lilylovesthings]

disney descendants jane outfit 3 by sarah-j-hoyle featuring marble jewelry

Topshop off shoulder blouse, 39 AUD / Valentino scalloped shorts, 850 AUD / Adidas Originals rubber sole shoes, 185 AUD / Ban do cotton bag, 82 AUD / Chan Luu pearl pendant necklace, 120 AUD / Marble jewelry, 20 AUD / LC Lauren Conrad tie necklace, 11 AUD / Quartz jewelry

[loric-dee]

The Cêpan.

[lorienlegaciescountdown]

Conrad Hoyle was Number Two’s Cêpan.

Description (From The Fallen Legacies):

Projected on the wall behind my father is the image of a red-haired man in his early forties. 

Most of the time her Cêpan smiles indulgently, but other times the photographs are candid: Conrad reading a book next to a fire, Conrad chopping wood.

Known dwelling locations:

Lorien

Ireland

Scottish Highlands

London, England

Traits:

Not much is known, except that he took down a large group of Mogs in the Scottish Highlands

Quotes:

Nothing in the books.

Current status:

Killed by Ivanick in England.

Do you like Conrad Hoyle? Show him now by posting photos, graphics, videos, fanfictions, writing, facts, gifs or anything else related to Conrad Hoyle to participate. Make sure to tag them #LLCcharacterweeks and #LLCcepan!