#mackenzie wagner

[amalthea-wolfwood]

Selfshiptober Day 5; all dressed up

(Molly-it/they, Kurt- he/him)

[downthetubes]

In Memoriam: Comic Creator and Songwriter Bernie Mireault

We’re sorry to report the passing of Canadian Hall of Fame, Montreal-based artist/cartoonist Bernie Mireault, creator of “The Jammer”, Montreal’s own bohemian costumed crimefighter, also described as comics first realistic superhero

[frogwhore666]

Not Mackenzi making the fact that she dated Danny her only personality trait 💀

[priestfrommidnightmass]

it’s so easy for you. to sit there behind that stupid camera and make accusations about people you don’t even know. and look i am sorry if we ignored you before but if this is what you’re really like then… i guess that’s the reason everyone thought you were such a loser. and now everyone’s secrets are out, throughout the entire school, all because of what? you WHAT? you had to make the BEST movie? you know what, when this is all over, so are you, ok? because you are nobody and you’re just mad about it.

[centuriesrpg]

[wausaupilot]

Cellcom awards scholarships

Congratulations, everyone!

Ava Blackburn. Photo courtesy Cellcom. WAUSAU – Cellcom recently awarded 16 graduating high school seniors from its service area $750 scholarships, including Ava Blackburn (Wausau West High School) and Elsie Brzezinski (D.C. Everest Senior High School). “Cellcom is proud to award scholarships to a remarkable group of students who have already made an impact in their communities,” said Cindy…

[alldancersaretalented]

Jump Wins By Dancer

17 Wins: Cami Vorhees

11 Wins: Kayla Mak

8 Wins: Brady Farrar, Brooklyn Simpson, Kya Massimino, Madison Taylor, Vivian Ruiz

7 Wins: Ella Horan, Kamryn Funk, Nicholas Bustos, Ying Lei Pham

6 Wins: Crystal Huang, Hailey Meyers, Katie McCleary, Kayla LaVine, Lily Gentile, Lola Iglesias, Rachel Quiner

5 Wins: Ava Brooks, Brooklyn Cooley, Christina Ricucci, Elizabeth Scott Lanier, Ellary Day Szyndlar, Giselle Gandarilla, Gracyn French, Isabella Jarvis, Jonathan Wade, Kaylin Maggard, Kylee Casares, Lucy Vallely, Mariana Rodriguez, Olivia Alboher, Sarah Moore, Sophia Lucia

4 Wins: Aimee Brotton, Ali Ogle, Ana Maria Zertuche, Ava Wagner, Avery Gay, Cambry Bethke, Camille Cabrera, Campbell Clark, Carly Thinfen, Christian Burse, David Keingatti, Destanye Diaz, Eliana Hayward, Emma Sutherland, Hailey Bills, Halle Lum, Izzy Howard, Jackson Roloff-Hafenbreadl, Jaycee Wilkins, Jayci Kalb, Kelsie Jacobson, Kensington Dressing, Lauren Yakima, Logan Epstein, Madalin Autry, Makaia Roux, Makayla Ryan, Mary Jordan Clodfelter, Mila Simunic, Patricio Lopez, Rosie Elliott, Sabine Nehls, Scott Autry, Sophia Frilot, Sophie Garcia, Stella Brinkerhoff, Sylvia Borash, Talia Gabriel, Taylor Worden, Tim Blankenship, Valadie Cammack

3 Wins: Addison Moffett, Aimee Smyke, Ali Deucher, Allie Andrew, Alyssa Robert, Amy Benedetto, Avery Lau, Bostyn Brown, Braylynn Grizzaffi, Britton Johnson, Brooke Cheek, Brooke Cox, Brooke Toro, Caden Hunter, Caitlyn Polis, Camila Cordero, Candace Vincent, Casey Tran, Chau, Chloe Madding, D'Angelo Castro, Dasha Waldemer, Dyllan Blackburn, Ella Dobler, Ella Jones, Ellen Grace Olansen, Emma York, Erin Bailey, Esme Chou, Findlay McConnel, Fiona Sartain, Fiona Wu, Grace Lethbridge, Harper Anderson, Hayden Hopkins, Hudson Pletcher, Isabel Ulloa, Isabella Lynch, Isabella Vorhees, Isabella Weidmann, Jazmine Raine Werner, Jessica Ferretti, Josie Lutz, JT Church, Justin Pham, Keagan Capps, Keely Meyers, Keira Redpath, Kennedy Anderson, Lauren Shaw, Libby Borash, Lindsey Weaver, Logan Hernandez, Lucia Piedrahita, Mackenzie Meldrum, Maddie Ziegler, Maria Jose Gonzalez, Mariandrea Villegas, Marion Norris, Michelle Quiner, Mini Preston, Miyah LaGrant, Morgan Higgins, Neala Murphy, Nicole Ishimaru, Payton Schultz, Preslie Rosamond, Rachel Louiselle, Reegan Francis, Regina Lozano, Ricky Ubeda, Ruby Castro, Samantha Falk, Savannah Folding, Savannah Manning, Savannah Manzel, Scarlett Ferrell, Selena Hamilton, Sidney Ramsey, Sienna Morris, Sylvie Win Szyndlar, Tessa Marr, Vera Escamilla

[adnauseum11]

Northern Attitude Ch 9

“Me too.” She breathed and he looked up at her, her pulse already fluttering under his palm. She shifted above him, moving her legs to bring her hips into better alignment with his. Mac kissed him as her weight settled onto him, making him groan into her mouth, tugging on the base of her braid again. His hands were slow, making a meal out of getting her free from her cardigan and tracing the shape of her body under her shirt. She broke away from his mouth with a gasp when he tweaked her nipples, making her back arch. Logan used the opportunity to tug her shirt over her head, throwing it without looking. She looked down at his intense face, his palms cupping her breasts, her bra tugged low. His eyes were locked on her dusky pink nipples, inches from his face. She watched as his eyes fluttered closed and his mouth wrapped around one tightened bud, her palm instantly cupping the back of his head to keep him close. He groaned against her skin, the sound and vibration making her nerve endings sing. He leaned back, releasing her hard nipple with a pop and undid her bra, tugging the useless fabric from her body and throwing it in the same vague direction as the rest of her clothes. She bit her lip as his eyes stayed locked on her tits and tugged on his hair hard enough to finally break his concentration, the pale ring of blue nearly obliterated by the dilated black of his pupils.

Northern Attitude (48110 words) by Ad_nauseum Chapters: 9/? Fandom: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel (Comics) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Logan (X-Men)/Original Female Character, Jane Foster/Thor, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Clint Barton/Laura Barton Characters: Logan (X-Men), James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Hank McCoy, Bruce Banner, Charles Xavier, Kurt Wagner, Pepper Potts, Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), Matt Murdock, Nick Fury Additional Tags: no beta we die like women, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Needs Therapy, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, Avengers Compound, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Captain America Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Protective Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Frenemies Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson, Sam Wilson is not here for your shit, Human Disaster Matt Murdock, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Past Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Alcoholic OFC, Depression, Suicide Attempt, Canada Olympic Women's Hockey Team Ensemble, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, Genius Tony Stark, Sassy Bucky Barnes, Sassy Steve Rogers, Logan is a Softie (X-Men), Protective Logan (X-Men), martial arts master Logan, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Shameless Smut, Original Character(s), X-Men References, Alternate Universe - X-Men Fusion, SHIP DARCY LEWIS WITH ALL THE THINGS, Therapist Sam Wilson, I'll Probably Keep Adding Tags, Medical Doctor Hank McCoy, Mental Health Issues, Logan has forgotten more about combat than you'll ever know, Logan in love is a dangerous man, hello unstoppable force, meet immovable object, Hockey, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Spy Natasha Romanov, Penis In Vagina Sex, Cunnilingus, Blow Jobs Series: Part 3 of The Labyrinth Song Summary: As former Olympian Mackenzie Drouin tries to navigate life as a new amputee, her freshly minted boyfriend is reluctantly drawn into another intrigue. With the Winter Solider needing intervention before being cleared for field work again, the Avengers are down not one, but multiple members. They turn to Logan for help in filling the gap - only to have things go even further off the rails when worlds collide.

[eldritchboop]

The Vikings & Norse Mythology Book Collection

The Lost Book Archive charges $15 for this collection. If you found this roundup helpful, please consider donating to the Internet Archive instead.

Mythology by Edith Hamilton (1942)

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson (1941) (Ed note: this is a rental; I cannot find a public domain version)

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson (1954)

The Prose Edda: Tales by Norse Mythology by Snorri Sturlusson, Jesse Byock (1220)

East o' The Sun and West o' The Moon - P. C. Asbjornsen (1921)

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes (Unknown)

The Poetic Edda - H. A. Bellows (1923)

Germania by Tacitus Tacitus (AD 98)

Myths of Norsemen: Retold from the Old Norse Poems and Tales by R.L Green (1960) (Ed note: this is a rental; I cannot find a public domain version)

Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia by E.O.G. Turville-Petre (1964)

Myths of the Norsemen from the Eddas and sagas by H. A. Guerber (1908)

The Story of Rolf and the Viking's Bow - A. French (1904)

An Elementary Grammar of the Old Norse or Icelandic language - G. Bayldon (1870)

The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature (1968)

Heimskringla: The History of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson (1230)

In the Days of Giants; a Book of Norse Tales by A. F. Brown (1902)

Asgard Stories - Tales from Norse Mythology - M. H. Foster (1901)

The Children of Odin - P. Colum (1920)

Norse Mythology Or The Religion Of Our Forefathers Containing All The Myths Of The Eddas By: R. R. Anderson (1875)

The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus Vol. 1 and 2 - S. Grammaticus (1905)

A Handbook of Norse Mythology Hardcover by Karl Andreas Mortensen (1913)

The Perfect Wagnerite - a commentary on the Niblung's Ring - B. Shaw (1912)

The Nine Worlds - Stories from Norse Mythology by M. E. Litchfield (1900)

The One-Eyed God: Odin and the (Indo-)Germanic Männerbünde by Kris Kershaw (2000)

The House of the Wolfings and all the Kindreds of the Mark - W. Morris (1888)

Bulfinch's Age of Fable or Beauties of Mythology (1855)

Asgard and the Gods by W. Wagner (1902)

Teutonic Myth And Legend - D. Mackenzie (1921)

Teutonic Mythology Vol. 1 by J. Grimm (1835)

Teutonic Mythology Vol. 2 by J. Grimm (1835)

Teutonic Mythology Vol. 3 by J. Grimm (1835)

Teutonic Mythology Vol. 4 by J. Grimm (1835)

Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg by F. Klaeber (1922)

Beowulf; an introduction to the study of the poem with a discussion of the stories of Offa and Finn by R. W. Chambers (1921)

The Kalevala - The epic Poem of Finland Vol. 1 and 2 - J. M. Crawford (1904)

Manual of Mythology - Greek and Roman, Norse, and old German, Hindoo and Egyptian mythology - A. S. Murray (1875)

Laxdaela Saga - translated from the Icelandic by Muriel A.C. Press (1899)

Myths of Northern Lands, narrated with special reference to literature and art by H. A. Guerber (1895)

The Heroes of Asgard - Tales from Scandinavian Mythology by A. Keary (1908)

Norse stories retold from the Eddas by H. W. Mabie (1900)

Kalevala, the land of heroes Vol. 1 & 2 - W. F. Kirby (1907)

The viking age the early history, manners, and customs of the ancestors of the English speaking nations Vol.1 by P. B. Du Chailu (1889)

The ethical world-conception of the Norse people by A. P. Fors (1904)

The Heimskringla or, Chronicle of the kings of Norway Vol. 1 - S. Laing (1844)

The Heimskringla or, Chronicle of the kings of Norway Vol. 2 - S. Laing (1844)

The Heimskringla or, Chronicle of the kings of Norway Vol. 3 - S. Laing (1844)

Viking Tales - J. Hall (1902)

[i-am-q]

KATIE LUCAS (MAIDEN NAME), I DO NOT CONSENT TO TREATMENT

Dr. Koven of Santa Barbara involuntary inpatient facilities, I do not consent to treatment.

Kelly Soa (Maiden Name), I do not consent to treatment

Zoe Mackay ZACKER, I do not consent to treatment.

Dr. Masa and the staff at Marion Regional Medical Facilities and the greater Santa Barbara/Cruz County areas thank you for respecting my lack of consent to treatment and attempting to keep my brain working (ie. allowing for neurotransmitters to diffuse and bind to their correct receptors at the steady state that my body operates under—whether you think it’s healthy or not).

To the pharmacist at CVS on E Market, thank you for also respecting my current treatment which follows the same treatment I have undergone for the last 10 years minimum and not blocking the medication I am prescribed from working.

To those of you interested in research conducted on my body-Addie Keating otherwise referred to as one of the following names through sophisticated image and video augmentation (ie. “Deep Fakes”):

Kayla Keating, Elly Zaid, Shannon Zaid, Savannah Snyder, Reaghan Ruff, Daria King, Libby Aker, Gabby Dangle, Gabby Rey, Abby Mackay Zacker (ie. Abbie Keating), Zoe Mackay Zacker, Carrie Wagner, Mackenzie McPike (ie Mac/Mackenzie/Kenz/Kenzie Lofgren), Erin McPike, Madison McPike? (Just in case they need someone new), Luciana Rivera Molina, Kayla Williams Pavlantos, Mary Richter, Riley Richter, Madison Richter (or any other cousins that are now POWs to the Lesbian Nazis in my family), Constantine IU, or Edy, EA, your local community college is enrolling for the fall.

Prerequisites to be considered for this study are General Chemistry I and II (no nursing chemistry does not count—you would not be funded by the NIH), Organic Chemistry I and II, Physical Chemistry I and II, Quantum Chemistry/Physics or a Basic Understanding of molecular tunneling, Multivariable Calculus (yes this requires Calculus I and II), Research Ethics, Q-Level security clearance, Genetics, Previous Experience or Funding with the NIH, NSF, etc.

Finally, a verbal agreement that you can in fact refer to me as Ho-O due to a mutual respect for the Born-Oppenheimer approximation prior to learning from the slave tutor, Dr. Addie Keating, PhD while on her road trip “journey”

*Yes the subject does not need the same prerequisites as those “researching” her.

[lovelybishop]

Character/Fandom List

(Updated February 5th, 2023)

*I DO NOT WRITE FOR CELEBRITIES.

*Strikethrough means currently not accepting requests for said character/fandom

*If you see a character that is not listed, please ask! I’m sure I write for that character, I just forgot to put it on this very long list!

*If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

—

DC Extended Universe

Suicide Squad (2016) / The Suicide Squad (2021)

Abner Krill/Polka-Dot Man, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker, Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2, Floyd Lawton/Deadshot, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Robert Dubois/Bloodsport

Birds Of Prey

Dinah Lance/Black Canary, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress, Roman Sionis/Black Mask

Fear Street Trilogy

Cindy Berman, Deena Johnson, Heather Watkins. Christine “Ziggy” Berman*,Kate Schmidt, Nick Goode*, Ruby Lane, Samantha Fraser, Simon, Tommy Slater

*Please specify which actor

The Last of Us (HBO)

Joel Miller, Tess Servopoulos

The Good Place

Chidi Anagonye, Eleanor Shellstrop, Janet, Jason Mendoza, Michael, Tahani Al-Jamil

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Movies

Ajak, Alexei/The Red Gurdian, America Chavez, Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Christine Palmer, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Darcy Lewis, Doctor Stange Variants, Drax the Destroyer, Druig, Gamora, Gilgamesh, Hela, Hope van Dyne/The Wasp, Ikaris, James “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier, James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, Jane Foster, Jimmy Woo, Katy, Kingo, Lady Sif, Loki, Makkari, Mantis, Maria Hill, May Parker, Melina, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Nebula, Nick Fury, Peggy Carter, Peter Parker Variants, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Phastos, Phil Coulson, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Sam Wilson/The Falcon/Captain America, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Sersi, Shang-Chi, Sharon Carter, Sprite, Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thena, Thor, Tony Stark/Iron Man, T’Challa/Black Panther, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Valkyrie, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, Vision, Wanda Maximoff Variants, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Wong, Xialing, Yelena Belova

Disney+ Series

*This list is for characters who have not appeared in any movie (with the exception of Captain Carter.)

Agatha Harkness, Bruno Carrelli, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, Joaquin Torres, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop/Hawkeye, Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab, Madisynn King, Mallory Book, Marc Spector, Mary MacPherran/Titania, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Maya Lopez, Mobius, Monica Rambeau, Nikki Ramos, Peggy Carter/Captain Carter, Ralph Bogner/”Pietro” Maximoff, Star-Lord T’Challa, Steve Grant, Strange Supreme, Sylvie, Taweret

Agents Of Sheild Series

Melinda May, Grant Ward, Daisy “Skye” Johnson/Quake, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse, Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie, Lincoln Campbell, Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, Deke Shaw

Netflix Series

*I plan on watching all Marvel Netflix Series. Though Because Matt Murdok was in No Way Home and She-Hulk, I still will write for him.

Spider-Verses

The Amazing Spider-Man

Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Into the Spider-Verse

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Olivia Octavius/Doctor Octopus, Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man

X-Men

Alex Summers/Havok, Bobby Drake/Iceman, Charles Xavier/Professor X*,Ellie Phimister/Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Erik Legnsherr/Magneto*,Hank McCoy/Beast*,James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine, Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix*,Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler*,Marie D’Ancanto/Rogue, Nathan Sumers/Cable, Neena Thurman/Domino, Ororo Monroe/Storm*,Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver, Psylocke*,Raven Darkholme/Mystique*,Scott Summers/Cyclops*,Wade Wilson/Deadpool, Warren Worthington III/Angel*

*Please specify which actor.

Free Guy

Guy, Millie Ruck, Walter “Keys” McKey

The Office

Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly

Wednesday

Ajax Petropolus, Biance Barclay, Enid Sinclair, Gomez Addams*,Larissa Weems, Marilyn Thornhill/Laurel Gates. Morticia Addams*,Tyler Galpin, Wednesday Addams, Xavier Thorpe, Yoko Tanaka

*Please specify which actor.

Star Wars

Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Bix Caleen, Bo-Katan Kryze, Boba Fett, Captain Phasma, Cassian Andor, Cobb Wanth, Din Djarin/The Mandalorian, Fennec Shand, Finn, General Hux, Han Solo, Jyn Erso, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Poe Dameron, Princess/General Leia Organa, Qi’ra, Reva Sevander/Third Sister, Rey, Rose Tico, Zorii Bliss

Stranger Things

Dustin Henderson, Eddie Munson, Eleven Hopper, Jim Hopper, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, Michael Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington, Will Byers

*I do not write for Billy Hargrove

[ao3feed-danielsousa]

Doesn't Mean They're Lost Forever

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/iXEnM9y

by lizziesromanova

An Au set in a Marvel/Aos/Xmen universe where Y/n discovers that there have been unknown guests living in her house... and she's now determined to make everything okay for them.

Words: 16158, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, Gen

Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Tessa | Sage, Jean Grey, Scott Lang, Scott Summers, Maria Hill, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Moira MacTaggert, Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, Raven | Mystique, Logan (X-Men), Ororo Munroe | Bloodstorm, Hank McCoy, Rogue (X-Men), Remy LeBeau, Kurt Wagner, Colossus, Bobby Drake, Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, Alex Summers, Warren Worthington II, Nathaniel Malick, Wade Wilson, Lorna Dane, Toad (X-Men), Pyro, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor (Marvel), Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Vision (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes, James "Bucky" Barnes, Hope Van Dyne, Carol Danvers, Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Groot (Marvel), Phil Coulson, Melinda May, Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Grant Ward, Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, Bobbi Morse, Lance Hunter, Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez, Jeffrey Mace, Holden Radcliffe, Daniel Sousa, Wong (Marvel), Stephen Strange, Nick Fury

Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/Reader, Pietro Maximoff/Tessa | Sage, Jean Grey/Scott Summers, Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov, Moira MacTaggert/Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier

Additional Tags: Protective Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Lesbian Wanda Maximoff, Teen Jean Grey, Jean Grey Lives, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - College/University

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/iXEnM9y

[dannythedog]

The woman who has her legs on Danny's lap is quite literally Mackenzi's aunt, she's her mom's sister. She's also the mom Mack's cousin who always appeared in Josh's films. The Kiszkas, the Gunterman-Wagners and the Anthonys have been friends for longer than the boys and Mackenzi have existed lol, They're all family almost

Oh yeah I forgot that her family actually goes way back with them. The moms talked about it on Melissa’s channel

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.17 (1840-1945)

1862 – American Indian Wars: The Dakota War of 1862 begins in Minnesota as Dakota warriors attack white settlements along the Minnesota River. 1862 – American Civil War: Major General J. E. B. Stuart is assigned command of all the cavalry of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. 1863 – American Civil War: In Charleston, South Carolina, Union batteries and ships bombard Confederate-held Fort Sumter. 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Gainesville: Confederate forces defeat Union troops near Gainesville, Florida. 1866 – The Grand Duchy of Baden announces its withdrawal from the German Confederation and signs a treaty of peace and alliance with Prussia. 1876 – Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung, the last opera in his Ring cycle, premieres at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. 1883 – The first public performance of the Dominican Republic's national anthem, Himno Nacional. 1896 – Bridget Driscoll became the first recorded case of a pedestrian killed in a collision with a motor car in the United Kingdom. 1914 – World War I: Battle of Stallupönen: The German army of General Hermann von François defeats the Russian force commanded by Paul von Rennenkampf near modern-day Nesterov, Russia. 1915 – Jewish American Leo Frank is lynched in Marietta, Georgia, USA after his death sentence is commuted by Governor John Slaton. 1915 – A Category 4 hurricane hits Galveston, Texas with winds at 135 miles per hour (217 km/h). 1916 – World War I: Romania signs a secret treaty with the Entente Powers. According to the treaty, Romania agreed to join the war on the Allied side. 1918 – Bolshevik revolutionary leader Moisei Uritsky is assassinated. 1942 – World War II: U.S. Marines raid the Japanese-held Pacific island of Makin. 1943 – World War II: The U.S. Eighth Air Force suffers the loss of 60 bombers on the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission. 1943 – World War II: The U.S. Seventh Army under General George S. Patton arrives in Messina, Italy, followed several hours later by the British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, thus completing the Allied conquest of Sicily. 1943 – World War II: First Québec Conference of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King begins. 1943 – World War II: The Royal Air Force begins Operation Hydra, the first air raid of the Operation Crossbow strategic bombing campaign against Germany's V-weapon program. 1945 – Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaim the independence of Indonesia, igniting the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch Empire. 1945 – The novella Animal Farm by George Orwell is first published. 1945 – Evacuation of Manchukuo: At Talitzou by the Sino-Korean border, Puyi, then the Kangde Emperor of Manchukuo, formally renounces the imperial throne, dissolves the state, and cedes its territory to the Republic of China.

[wealthtv]

career and cc ideas for Jessica Alexander?

obviously  love  this  question.  and  honestly,  the  first  thing  that  comes  to  mind  with  her  is  absolutely  a  figure  skater  (  cc  ideas:  gracie  gold,  ashley  wagner,  tessa  virtue  ),  but  also  heiress,  musician  (  cc  ideas:  tate  mcrae,  girl  in  red,  phoebe  bridgers,  maisie  peters,  hey  violet  ),  a  professional  dancer  with  the  american  ballet  theatre,  podcaster  (  call  her  daddy  perhaps?  ),  dallas  cowboys  cheerleader  (  ngl  used  to  be  obsessed  with  watching  the  show  ),  model,  or  perhaps  an  actress  (  some  cc  ideas  there  could  be  kathryn  newton,  kiernan  shipka,  sophie  turner,  mackenzie  foy  (  could  combine  with  someone  else  too  ),  kristen  stewart,  maude  apatow,  or  phoebe  dynevor  ).

[rhetoricandlogic]

Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald

Matt Hilliard

Issue: 11 April 2016

True to its title, Ian McDonald's latest novel, Luna: New Moon, takes place almost entirely in a sprawling Moon colony. Technically, everything on the Moon is operated by a company called the Lunar Development Corporation, but in practice the colony is controlled by five powerful family-run businesses nicknamed the Five Dragons. The narrative focuses on the Corta family, who are both the youngest of the Five Dragons and the most precarious. Their founder, Adriana Corta, worked for another great family, the Mackenzies, before she secretly secured outside investment to start her helium business, thus earning her the lasting enmity of the Mackenzies as well as their ferocious competition. Under Adriana's leadership the Cortas have achieved incredible success, but she's near the end of her life and is transferring power and responsibility to her sons.

Rafa is the eldest and therefore next in line, but her second son Lucas is thought by many, not least himself, to be the shrewder and more ruthless businessman. The already delicate situation is inflamed when someone tries to assassinate Rafa. Is it the Mackenzies trying to sabotage the succession? Is it Lucas, trying to take the place of his brother? As accusations fly and tensions rise, the rest of Adriana's children are drawn into the growing crisis. Ariel Corta, Adriana's only daughter and an influential lawyer, finds herself being courted by several different factions hoping to gain from the crisis. Carlinhos Corta manages the family’s day-to-day mining operations, so he is on the front lines as dirty tricks escalate into outright violence. The youngest son and family black sheep, Wagner, meanwhile makes it his mission to find out who is attacking the family who mostly shun him.

The powerful, feuding families have led many, not least the author himself, to compare the plot with Game of Thrones. McDonald has also compared it to the television show Dallas. These comparisons are useful for marketing because they promise readers who liked a certain work that the same thing they liked will be in the new book, but they aren't wholly positive, particularly in science fiction. In a genre that prides itself on new ideas, "X but in Space" might be fun—but it's not the most exciting of premises. Luna's plot indeed feels very familiar and, worse, quite predictable as it proceeds through the usual moves and countermoves toward a not-at-all shocking revelation about the forces behind the assassination attempts.

One better reason for transposing a familiar narrative to a science fictional setting is to use it as a framework to explore a new environment. Compared to its overfamiliar plot, Luna does far more to distinguish its moon colony from its many science fictional predecessors. First, as one would expect given the focus of previous McDonald novels on non-Western countries, his Moon is a multicultural place. It's not just that there are some token characters from other cultures; Americans and western Europeans are almost entirely absent, making room for characters from Brazil and the rest of the southern hemisphere along with some Russians and Chinese. And whereas traditional science fiction often forgets poor people exist, Luna's corporate-run colony is a place of massive economic inequality. The wealthy Five Dragons live amid opulent gardens and citadels, throwing lavish parties and hosting sporting events. But many more live day to day doing menial labor, struggling to pay for the very air they're breathing. Unlike the rich who live far underground, the poor live near the radiation-drenched surface, and although there are medicines that can cure the resulting cancers, that treatment must also be paid for.

This setting seems like a springboard for a critique of crony capitalism or libertarianism, but after the opening scenes that introduce the divide between the rich and the poor, there's not very much in this vein. The Five Dragons are companies, yes, but their family ownership, dynastic succession, marriage alliances, private armies, and prioritization of loyalty and honor over profit all conspire to make them feel a lot more like the noble families of a weak monarchy than weakly regulated companies. It's also never made clear how this situation came to be. Adriana mentions investors when describing the founding of her company and there is a board of directors, but in practice she seems answerable to no one. The government of China is said to have been an early investor in another of the Five Dragons but since forced out. Otherwise Earth governments don't seem interested in controlling the Moon (apparently their militaries haven't read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress).

The one perspective we have from outside the rich and powerful comes in the form of Marina Calzaghe, an immigrant woman doing menial jobs and living in dire poverty. Her story provides an intriguing answer to the question: "How does one become a poor, menial laborer on the Moon?" She has a "postgrad degree" in "computational evolutionary biology in process control architecture" but the contract that brought her to the Moon fell through after she arrived, leaving her unemployed and almost immediately impoverished. As a reminder that, in the Moon's heartless and exploitative economy, even someone with an elite education is just one paycheck away from homelessness, she should be the most interesting character. Instead, she's almost immediately swept up into the Cortas' orbit and becomes a starstruck bystander to great events, her perspective compromised by access to money and incipient romantic feelings. Little is made of the glaring fact she is likely far more educationally accomplished than the Cortas she works for.

This decision to focus on the scheming, incredibly rich, and often ruthless Corta family could easily have been a disaster. Other stories of this sort, such as Game of Thrones and Dune, ease the reader into their worlds by letting them follow sympathetic children who are young enough that they are (initially, at least) innocent victims of family infighting rather than perpetrators of it. McDonald has what could have been similar characters at hand in Adriana's three grandchildren, but instead most of the narrative is devoted to Adriana's children and augmented with her own first person reminiscences.

Yet the characters are easily the strongest part of the novel and elevate it from a potboiler with nice scenery into something memorable. Each of the Cortas has a distinct personality and voice, something that is impressive by itself in a novel with a large cast. There is conflict among the family members but, at least within the family, there aren't any actual villains. One could easily imagine a version of this story in which Rafa is the rightful heir and Lucas is a scheming upstart, or one where Rafa is the dissolute incompetent who will waste his inheritance while Lucas is hardworking and unappreciated. Instead, both of these dichotomies are present but neither is definitive. All of the Cortas are flawed, but none of them are evil. Rather than root for one against the others, the reader is encouraged to hope—as Adriana does—that they find a way to put aside their differences and work together to avoid a disastrous conflict with the Mackenzies.

As the situation escalates, all the adult characters get a chance to be active and make choices that feel grounded in their personality and circumstances. There's never a sense that a character is doing something (or worse, behaving stupidly) merely because the plot requires it. The third person narrative provides just enough access to their thoughts and feelings for their decisions to be understandable, but although some characters are beset by anxiety or self-pity, McDonald trusts the reader enough to let this show through their actions instead of wallowing in it.

The reason the characters work so well is that the narrative pays attention to their lives and slows down to depict a few illuminating moments that have no direct relationship to the setting or plot. We find out, for example, that Lucas Corta has a secret passion for music that develops into a secret passion for a particular musician. This small subplot does nothing to advance the overall story and sheds no further light on the setting, but it makes Lucas into a real character instead of a simple stereotype. Taken together with a dozen similar moments with other characters, it enables the novel to finally mount an unexpected criticism of the Moon's rampantly capitalist society. There have been many stories about futures that involve a few rich people living among an impoverished many, but Luna's focus on character allows it to ask whether these rich people are happy and, if not, what would make them happy. This is a crucial question in a story where the great families' struggle for money and power is destabilizing both their own positions and the entire society.

So far the novel lets the reader draw their own conclusions about this question, but then conclusions are one thing the novel does not attempt to provide. This is a self-contained novel only in the most literal of senses. In the last few pages, various characters are hung off their respective cliffs in preparation for the second novel and the story simply stops. For readers who are most interested in plot, the story here probably isn't interesting enough on its own to justify its lack of closure. But those interested in spacefaring settings and, in particular, those who enjoy reading about compelling characters in those settings, Luna: New Moon is well worth the price of admission.