#Billionaire M.D.

[kiernanshayemckay]

Edward Robert Hughes - Midsummers Eve c. 1908

Infatuation - A Michael McKendrick Billionaire Novel

“Infatuation is a journey of Kasey, Jeffery, and Michael, who hope to find love. Kasey examines her life while in New York City. She is in a long-term relationship with Jeffery Jonsson, M.D., a neurosurgeon and psychiatrist, who is desperately in love with her and lives in Washington D.C. However, in a chance encounter, she meets Michael McKendrick, a billionaire looking for his perfect match. Will Kasey turn to Jeffery for love…or Michael? Will she stay in New York City...or return home to Washington, D.C.? The question is: What are the ramifications of the journey to find love?”

Visit me on www.kiernanshayemckay.com

Book due to release on www.amazon.com in December 2023

Have a fantastic day

Kiernan Shaye

[copperbadge]

Is the Galian pork thing related to the Spanish pork thing, in the grander history, or is it just fun to be frustrated about bacon? (aka massively antisemitic history, something something the inquisition, rooting out marranos?)

I feel like bringing the Spanish Inquisition into the books is probably not the mood I want :D Although it's certainly context that some readers would have, and I'm comfortable with that. The goal is to acknowledge the cultural challenges this family is dealing with, without making it about those challenges, because the books are meant to be gentle in the way Hallmark films often are. You know, "Oh no, do I marry the billionaire or the prince?" (I think very often of the romance novel @scifigrl47 told me about, whose title is simply "His Majesty, M.D.")

Writing the Galian Bacon issue was mostly to highlight the cultural differences between the countries, and give Jerry one more thing to be irritated about. The Galians just have a pork-based cuisine due to geography and local agriculture. (I wanted their main export to be high-quality coffee, but that entire region is too far north.) Also, I think it highlights how Galia's a bit faddish; putting bacon into everything is a trendy-foodie kind of thing to do, in keeping with their habit of picking up whatever they think is cool from their neighbors, like Davzda cocktails and Shivadh clothing fashions.

In fairness to Galia, their bacon and cured hams are spectacular. And now that they've got a couple of fashionable young royals of their own, the Bright Young Things can set about redefining Galian culture on their own terms. (For example, at Alanna's suggestion, Count Carlo is about to be drafted to help run the propaganda campaign for the new Galian constitutional government. That's going to be hugely character-building for him.)

[robertreich]

The Shame of the Sacklers

Today a federal judge is expected to certify Purdue Pharmaceutical’s bankruptcy plan – a $4.5 billion settlement between the company and thousands of state and municipal governments that have sued for damages related to the opioid epidemic. The settlement occurs more than two decades after Purdue began aggressively marketing OxyContin to an unsuspecting public and after more than 500,000 people died in the United States as a result.

Purdue will be bankrupt, but members of the multi-billionaire Sackler family -- who were responsible for the decisions that led to these deaths and profited the most from Purdue’s opioid dealings -- will gain near-total immunity from future litigation. By the time the settlement is paid out they most likely will be as wealthy as they ever were.

So where does personal responsibility come in?

Arthur M. Sackler made a fortune in the 1980s by being the first to directly market prescription drugs to physicians. Utilizing many of the same direct-marketing techniques, his brothers Mortimer and Raymond and nephews Richard and Jonathan, began pushing OxyContin, which had about 1.5 times the strength of morphine. Richard, while an executive and then president of Purdue Pharma, claimed repeatedly that opioids were not highly addictive. To increase company profits, he urged doctors to prescribe as high doses as were possible, even having Purdue measure its performance in proportion to the strength of the doses it sold despite allegedly knowing that sustained high doses of OxyContin risked addiction. As Paul Hanly, a leading attorney in the case, told the Guardian, “this is essentially a crime family … drug dealers in nice suits and dresses.”

Not just nice suits and dresses. The Sackler family also purchased fawning respectability from universities, medical centers, and museums to which they contributed a fraction of their billions. Even prestigious medical schools ostensibly dedicated to advancing the public’s health fell for the ruse. One example, from the Yale School of Medicine’s magazine in late 2009:

“It would be an understatement to say that philanthropy runs in the family of Richard S. Sackler, M.D., and his brother, Jonathan Sackler. The names of their parents, Raymond and Beverly Sackler, adorn cultural and scientific centers around the world, from the Sackler Galleries at the British Museum to the famed Sackler Wing of New York’s Metropolitan Museum, to the just-launched Raymond and Beverly Sackler Institute for Biological, Physical, and Engineering Sciences at Yale. … In keeping with their family’s long-standing generosity to Yale, the brothers’ respective foundations have now joined forces to donate a $3 million endowment establishing the Richard Sackler and Jonathan Sackler Professorship, expressly intended to be held by those appointed as director of Yale Cancer Center. Richard Sackler said, “My father raised Jon and me to believe that philanthropy is an important part of how we should fill our days.”

In America, shame and honor have become confused partly because institutions that bestow honors often have the ulterior motive of extracting as much money as possible from rich honorees while knowing as little as possible about how these donors obtained their wealth. In return for the donation, honorees are imbued with moral approval.

Richard Sackler and other family members involved in this tragedy deserve to be shamed. Institutions that took their blood money should remove the Sackler name from their centers, professorships, buildings, and pediments. If they won’t be held accountable in a court of law, they must be held accountable at least in the public sphere.

[lcdrarry]

LCDrarry 2021 Master List

Dear lovely Participants, Creators, Alpha and Beta Readers, Commentors, Cheerleaders, Readers and Fans of our fest,

Our 3rd installment of LCDrarry is coming to an end, and we'd like to thank you all for taking part in our little fest, for creating so many amazing new Drarry works for us all to enjoy, for commenting on your favourite creations, for sharing and recommending the LCDrarry gems with your friends and blog followers, and for making this fest another amazing experience for everybody!

You can find out under the cut who created what ;D

~Your LCDrarry Mods Tami ( @celilasart​ ) and Suzi ( @erin-riwen​ )

PS: Please have a look at the author notes and tags on AO3 for additional information and more detailed warnings.

PPS: As always, reblogs are very much appreciated to promote all the wonderful works of LCDrarry.

Thank you! :)

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Podfic

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[Podfic] Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix

Title: "Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix" Written by: postjentacular Read by: @porcelainsalt​ | bluedreaming (AO3) Word Count: 1,304 words / 8 minutes Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: An exasperated werewolf-slash-professor, a decidedly not-dead drama queen, a brat, and a straight white man settle down to watch a movie. It goes as well as you’d expect.

Listen to "Harry Potter And The Disorder Of The Phoenix" on AO3.

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Art

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[Art] At the Beginning (With You)

Prompt: "Anastasia", 1997, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman Artist: @zandragorin​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: It's one, two, three, and suddenly he sees it a glance.

View "At the Beginning (With You)" on AO3.

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[Art] Between Your Heart and Mine

Prompt: "Crimson Peak", 2015, Guillermo del Toro Artist: @kryptidfox​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: Auror Harry Potter is called to investigate barren and isolated Malfoy Manor, home to Sir Draco Malfoy. There, he finds forgotten secrets, lingering ghosts and perhaps even love.

View "Between Your Heart and Mine" on AO3.

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[Art] Fallen

Prompt: "Chocolat", 2000, Lasse Hallström Artists: @julcheninred​ & m4gOrtz Art Medium: paper, thread, chalk, ink Rating: General Warnings: Food, Depression, Clergy

Summary: As Père Harry passed the window of the chocolate shop early on Easter morning, he was shocked to discover the Comte de Malfoy, who had destroyed the shop's window display and fallen asleep in his grief and exhaustion.

View "Fallen" on AO3.

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[Art] I am only one side of a coin.

Prompt: "Merlin", 2008-2012 Artist: @digthewriter​ Art Medium: Digital Art in Photoshop Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: The better side, obviously. Merlin/Harry Potter fusion. Harry as Merlin & Draco as Arthur.

View "I am only one side of a coin." on AO3.

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[Art] No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin

Prompt: "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare Artist: writingsbydestiny Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: Inspired by Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare starring Draco Malfoy as Juliet Capulet and Harry Potter as Romeo Montague.

View "No Sweeter Innocence Than Our Gentle Sin" on AO3.

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[Art] The Malfoy Family

Prompt: "The Addams Family", 1991, David Levy Author: @moondraconis​ Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: None

Summary: Harry and Draco have just got engaged. Now Harry has to sit for a family portrait with his weird new in-laws.

View "[Art] The Malfoy Family" on AO3.

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[Art] The Poet's Choice

Prompt: "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", 2019, Céline Sciamma Artist: @kairennart​ | Personaje (AO3) Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: none

Summary: On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteen century, Harry is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of Draco without him knowing, since he refuses to pose. That means a lot of staring, and a lot of time together. Time goes by, and, inevitably, like everything in life, they fall in love. But Harry has to finish his painting, and Draco has to get married.

View "The Poet's Choice" on AO3.

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[Art] there are dangerous men about

Prompt: "The Legend of Zorro”, 2005, Martin Campbell Artist: @dragontamerdame | dragontamerdrarry (AO3) Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: None

Summary: Two wizards engaging in a vicious duel, but make it gay and sexy.

View "there are dangerous men about" on AO3.

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Fic & Art

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[Fic & Art] One More Lantern

Prompt: “xxxHoLiC”, 2006-2010 (anime)/2013 (live action) Author/Artist: vivi1138 Word Count/Art Medium: 8,373 words & Digital Art Rating: Teen Warnings: Smoking

Summary: Harry is plagued by spirits who seem intent on devouring him, and there’s only one place they can’t follow: a house hidden in wizarding London, belonging to Draco Malfoy. Harry didn’t intend to stay. He certainly didn’t foresee falling in love. Yet here they are. A slice of life where Draco is a sap, Harry buys ice cream, and spirits keep throwing their peaceful life into chaos.

Read and view "One More Lantern" on AO3.

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[Fic & Art] In the Shadow of Your Heart

Prompt: Howl's Moving Castle, 2004, Hayao Miyazaki Author: @fantalf​ Word Count/Art Medium: 854 words & Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: sectumsempra scars, memory loss

Summary: When the recluded ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy finds Harry Potter wandering around the hills, with no memory whatsoever of who he once was, he and Teddy decide to welcome him into their little family.

Read and view "In the Shadow of Your Heart" on AO3.

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Fic

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[Fic] Paging Healer Twatwaffle

Prompt: "House M.D.", 2004-2012, TV-Series Author: @veelawings​ Word Count: 1,550 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mild dub-con and manipulation, but they’re already friends with benefits.

Summary: Healer Malfoy is an absolute wanker.

Read "Paging Healer Twatwaffle" on AO3.

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[Fic] (Let's Take Our Time) Just Moving Slow

Prompt: "Holidate", 2020, John Whitesell Author: Melacka Word Count: 1,886 words Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: Harry and Draco have a mutually beneficial arrangement: automatic dates for all holidays and public events, no questions asked, no obligation, no strings. It all seemed like such a good idea when they started. Harry certainly never expected to develop feelings for Draco.

Read "(Let's Take Our Time) Just Moving Slow" on AO3.

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[Fic] Jurassic Drarry

Prompt: "Jurassic Park", 1993, Steven Spielberg Author: PhenomenalAsterisk Word Count: 1,941 words & Digital Art Rating: General Warnings: Unconventional disposal of dinosaurs; fanart includes graphic image of meat

Summary: An unflappable palaeontologist, a sexy chaos theorist, and a distracted palaeobotanist are called in to tour an eccentric billionaire's pet project.

Read "Jurassic Drarry" on AO3.

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[Fic] My Saviour Won't Stop Texting Me

Prompt: "Hercules", 1997, Ron Clements, John Musker Author: fwooshy Word Count: 5,012 words Rating: Teen Warnings: Texting fic

Summary: Long ago, in Ancient Greece, there was a man named Draco Malfoy who sold his soul to Voldemort. Tortured by his sins, he... oh, who am I kidding? This is a Hercules AU texting fic, not some Greek tragedy! Harry and Draco get together and everyone has phones in Ancient Greece. Please enjoy.

Read "My Saviour Won't Stop Texting Me" on AO3.

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[Fic] The Malfoy Family

Prompt: "The Addams Family", 1991, David Levy Author: floydig Word Count: 7,088 words Rating: Mature Warnings: All Addams Family Warnings Apply, Morbid and Dark Humor, Loving Horror, Mild Body Horror (fun), Carnivorous Plants, Blasphemy, Necromancy, Implied Sexual Content

Summary: The Malfoy Family is the Addams Family, and things are about to get interesting. Draco and Harry Malfoy are odd, intriguing, endearingly creepy, and completely and utterly infatuated with one another. This is going to be a fun one. Featuring deadly magical creatures as house pets, recreational use of Unforgivable Curses, hungry carnivorous plants, and plenty of mayhem in between. Also, the whole thing takes place at a Magical Multi-Purpose Store. The Malfoy Family goes shopping!

Read "The Malfoy Family" on AO3.

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[Fic] Love that Blinds

Prompt: "The Batman", 2004-2008, TV-Series Author: aminathescorpio Word Count: 7,245 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Brief graphic descriptions of violence, dubious consent, gaslighting

Summary: When Draco Malfoy gets accepted to work as a psychiatrist in Azkaban Asylum, he finds himself caught in a complicated relationship with none other than Azkaban's most infamous resident: Harry Potter.

Read "Love that Blinds" on AO3.

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[Fic] Sesame Seeds and the Entire Spectrum of Human Emotion

Prompt: "The Proposal", 2009, Anne Fletcher Author: @bisexualronaldweasley​ Word Count: 9,530 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Nudity, Boat Incident, references to past abuse/neglect

Summary: Faced with exile, Draco pretends to be engaged to Harry Potter, who agrees to play along for Narcissa's sake. When they're forced to spend a weekend together celebrating the engagement with the Weasleys, they might try to kill each other, or... they might just fall in love. . Based on the movie The Proposal (2009), though you don't have to have seen the movie to understand the fic!

Read "Sesame Seeds and the Entire Spectrum of Human Emotion" on AO3.

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[Fic] Ghost

Prompt: "Ghost", 1990, Jerry Zucker Author: @maraudersaffair​ Word Count: 10,761 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: major character death (MCD), canon-typical violence, grief and mourning

Summary: When Harry is killed tragically during an Auror raid gone wrong, Draco does his best to move on. He's even a little cheered when Theo Nott starts pursuing him. Then Sybil Trelawney visits Draco.

Read "Ghost" on AO3.

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[Fic] all in good time

Prompt: "Groundhog Day", 1993, Harold Ramis Author: saltwatergarden Word Count: 13,054 words Rating: Mature Warnings: mentions alcohol

Summary: Draco Malfoy's life is boring and repetitive. He supposes he shouldn't complain, since that's better than sharing a house with Voldemort, or doing time in Azkaban. When he gets trapped in a time loop, however, he is forced to confront the routine he has fixed for himself, and try to break out of it. It isn't all bad, facing no consequences for his actions can be fun for a bit. But after he starts visiting the Auror Headquarters and having brief but remarkably pleasant conversations with one Auror Potter, he finally has the real motivation to break out of the time loop - something worth sticking around for.

Read "all in good time" on AO3.

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[Fic] Star Crossed

Prompt: "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare Author: GallifreyisBurning Word Count: 13,615 words Rating: Teen Warnings: none

Summary: Two Quidditch teams, alike in dignity, In fair Great Britain, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. The Wimbourne Wasps and the Appleby Arrows have been bitter rivals for centuries. When a nasty brawl ends one of their Seekers’ careers, the teams need new blood to take up the slack and divert attention from the bad publicity. And who better to distract the press than the infamous Draco Malfoy and golden boy Harry Potter? Called back from successful careers abroad, the pair are once again to be pitted against one another in an epic feud. Too bad no one told them that before they started flirting…

Read "Star Crossed" on AO3.

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[Fic] The Slytherin Host Club

Prompt: "Ouran high school host club", 2006, Bisco Hatori and Takuya Igarashi Author: shushu_yaoi_lj Word Count: 14,377 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: explicit sexual content, scars, non-graphic mention of past abuse

Summary: Harry is simply looking for a quiet place to finish his Potions essay.It's a pity he ends up at the Slytherin Host Club instead. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise, since he's had a crush on Malfoy since the beginning of his eighth year...

Read "The Slytherin Host Club" on AO3.

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[Fic] It is on the other side of my soul (where your name is written)

Prompt: "Call Me By Your Name", 2017, Luca Guadagnino Author: opaleopioid Word Count: 16,372 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: implied switching, rimming, anal sex, no age difference (HP canon-compliant age difference)

Summary: Harry’s having it all, now that the unpleasantries of being treated like a loose cannon is gone: the war is well over, and Voldemort is long dead. He’s made the choice to stay in B, an unplottable magical town in Northern Italy, whose protection wards had kept him in one piece at the height of the second wizarding war, and whose seclusion provides him with the quiet, normal life that he now lives. Harry adores the grassy hills that enclose B like the warm arm of a mother; Likes playing the grand piano from dawn to dusk; Cherishes his current life, on the whole. He gets himself Mocaccino every morning and sometimes has dinner with the Weasleys at their cottage nearby. With the majority of his friends and family falling in love with B and gradually settling down as well, Harry feels like this is the last place he would ever want to leave. To say that the arrival of a certain wizard—a razor-sharp, infuriating blond—makes anything remotely different for Harry would be absurd, of course.

Read "It is on the other side of my soul (where your name is written)" on AO3.

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[Fic] In Search of Our Better Selves

Prompt: "Mad Max: Fury Road", 2015, George Miller Author: alrespirar Word Count: 17,519 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mentions of past torture, mentions of past rape, brief mention of miscarriage, descriptions of gun violence and injury. Sexual content.

Summary: Five times Imperator Draco saved Potter’s life and the one time Potter saved his.

Read "In Search of Our Better Selves" on AO3.

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[Fic] Where in the World is Draco Malfoy?

Prompt: "Carmen Sandiego", 2019, Series Author: Anaxandria Word Count: 18,029 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Minor mentions of homophobia, violence, and blood

Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter took parallel paths of fighting crime. Draco discovered the existence of VILE, an international organisation dedicated to the eradication of Muggle-borns. With the help of his best friend, Blaise, he commits international capers to steal artifacts before VILE can get their hands on them. Harry is the auror investigating the heists, but his instincts tell him there’s more than meets the eye.

Read "Where in the World is Draco Malfoy?" on AO3.

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[Fic] My Fair Gentleman

Prompt: "My Fair Lady", 1964, George Cukor Author: emilattes Word Count: 20,766 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: light alcohol use and mentions of child neglect by Dursleys

Summary: After an extended stay at Charlie's Dragon Reserve in Romania, Harry returns to London and makes a fool of himself at his first Ministry Gala. Minister Shacklebolt orders Harry to seven months of etiquette lessons with Draco Malfoy. Will Harry pull through and become an expert in PR? Will Draco manage to make over the biggest PR disaster the wizarding world has seen in years? Wouldn't it be loverly?

Read "My Fair Gentleman" on AO3.

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[Fic] saying yes (instead of no)

Prompt: "Schitt's Creek", 2015, Series Author: Pineau_noir Word Count: 21,022 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: canon typical alcohol and drug use, marijuana use, explicit smut

Summary: “It’s a general store that’s also a very specific store,” Draco grumbled. “Most people won’t realise this, but I want to market Muggle goods to the Wizarding world as well. I want something that will help boost the economy of the Hamlet and Muggles have so many amazing things we don’t have.” . Draco sighed again. “I think it would benefit everyone.” He glared at Emily. “But there’s not a single witch, wizard, or wix who will shop at a place owned by Draco Malfoy.” . “What if it’s owned by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy?” Potter asked. . “That would be preposterous,” Draco mumbled. “Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy would kill each other before the store opened.” . “What if you didn’t?” Emily asked. Draco opened his mouth to let her know, they would indeed kill each other, but before he could say anything, she continued, “What if it turned into a lovely business?” . “There’s only one way to know,” Potter said. “I really think this is a good idea, Draco."

Read "saying yes (instead of no)" on AO3.

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[Fic] A First Look Into Resurrecting Mummies With the Aid Of the Chosen One, and Why It Should Be Advised Against (an Essay by Draco Malfoy, Assistant Archaeologist)

Prompt: "The Mummy", 1999, Stephen Sommers Author: @cibeewastaken​ | Cibee (AO3) Word Count: 21,948 words Rating: Mature Warnings: minor violence elements

Summary: Draco hopes to find an ancient spell book rumoured to be in Hamunaptra after Astoria found a map to the lost city. If he makes this discovery, maybe the Magical British Museum will finally look at his application, and his annoying colleague will finally leave him alone. It’s a good plan, until Draco is reunited with Harry Potter for the first time in ten years, as the man is about to be hanged.

Read "A First Look Into Resurrecting Mummies With the Aid Of the Chosen One, and Why It Should Be Advised Against (an Essay by Draco Malfoy, Assistant Archaeologist)" on AO3.

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[Fic] Wicked Game

Prompt: "Jumanji", 1995 or 2017 Author: DearJames Word Count: 22,044 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Sexual Content, Implied PTSD

Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy crossed a line during one of their late-night Astronomy Tower Bonding Sessions and neither are sure what that means. Not that they got particularly far, considering they were caught and assigned detention for their antics. And, now, they've been sucked into a boardgame. That's just fantastic...

Read "Wicked Game" on AO3.

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[Fic] Love in Three Parts

Prompt: "Bridgerton", 2020, Series Author: static_abyss Word Count: 24,172 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Canon-typical content

Notes: Thanks so much to my beta, L, for all her help and her encouragement as I wrote this fic. Thanks to the mods for hosting this fest and to the Anonymous prompter who inspired this fic.

Summary: Draco has everything needed to be the diamond of the season. He has the looks, the pedigree, and if he should be short on the money end, well, it isn't up to him to convince anyone they want to marry him. And yet, he finds himself with no prospects and no suitable matches until Harry James Potter, Wizarding Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor, makes his first appearance in proper Wizarding society for the first time in five years. Together, they hatch a plan to secure Draco a husband and keep the debutantes' mothers away from Harry. And if someone should develop feelings along the way, well, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Read "Love in Three Parts" on AO3.

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[Fic] He would always win the fight

Prompt: "Killing Eve", 2018 - ongoing, TV Series Author: Akira-kun Word Count: 26,578 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Serial Killer, Off Screen Murders, Corpses, Political Polarity, Corruption in Government, Corruption in Justice System, Off Screen Violence, Post War Instability, Ambiguity, Dark!character, Vengeance, In a Twisted Way, Obsessive Behaviour, Crime Mystery, Open Ending

Summary: “But you were always just a puppet, weren’t you, Potter?” That voice kept haunting him, in his dreams and during his days, as if hovering over his shoulder, cold as a ghost, lost and lifeless. He wasn’t sure why it hurt like that. Maybe because it was an ugly truth that Harry hoped no one would ever throw back in his face. Or maybe because it was Malfoy. . Killing Eve inspired Drarry where people are getting killed, Harry is getting desperate, Draco is too sexy for his own good, and all hell will break loose.

Read "He would always win the fight" on AO3.

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[Fic] Peaches & Cream And A Little Bit Of Acid

Prompt: "Modern Love", 2019, Series Author: shortie990 Word Count: 27,755 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: suicidal thoughts, mental health issues

Summary: In love there is no real hiding. You have to be pretty up front on who you are. The problem was though, Harry didn’t have a clue who he was one moment from the next.

Read "Peaches & Cream And A Little Bit Of Acid" on AO3.

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[Fic] Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

Prompt: "Survivor", 2000-ongoing, Series Author: Albuss Word Count: 30,976 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Brief homophobia, mentions of past health issues

Summary: Draco loves Survivor. Loves it. So when his job at the Dept. of Mysteries offers him the opportunity to go on as a contestant, he can't think of anything that could go wrong. He is sorely mistaken, but a little chaos turns out to not be such a bad thing. Featuring gratuitous descriptions of Survivor game-play, really jargon-y magical theory I got way too excited about, and Draco's best friend Isabelle being an absolute QUEEN.

Read "Outwit, Outlast, Outplay" on AO3.

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[Fic] Advantage Rule

Prompt: "The Queen's Gambit", 2020, Series Author: @ziezie13​ Word Count: 42,738 words Rating: Mature Warnings: Character death, Parental neglect, Brief references to eugenics, Sexual content, Mild homophobia, Alcoholism, Drug abuse

Summary: Draco's life has been struggle after struggle. He was exiled as a baby, his mother died, he was forced to live with muggles... Need I go on? Quidditch was supposed to be his escape, but how is he supposed to beat Victor Krum and take the world title if he can't even beat Harry Potter? ~No knowledge of The Queen's Gambit required~

Read "Advantage Rule" on AO3.

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[Fic] (This Will Be) An Everlasting Love

Prompt: #12 (also fulfils #6) | "While You Were Sleeping," 1995, Jon Turteltaub Author: @drarrelie​ & @janieohio​ Word Count: 45,139 words Rating: Teen Warnings: None

Summary: Life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan. That’s what Draco’s mother always used to tell him, but Merlin, who could have predicted how right she would be? A story about feisty dragons, loneliness, family, and friends — and finding love in places you least expect.

Read "(This Will Be) An Everlasting Love" on AO3.

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[Fic] In a Field of Chrysanthemums and the Woods

Prompt: "The Untamed", 2019, TV-Series Author: @outstandingmoralfiber​ Word Count: 83,399 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

Summary: Three notes, and yet they made all the difference. Draco could feel it, the slight magic and wavering notes, washing over him in a brief but calming wave that lit his soul and it was then that he knew that he was going to learn how to play this guqin no matter what. Little did he know that, like dominos, this one simple decision would diverge him onto a path he would've never imagined. - Wizarding world in the Untamed setting, (but you don't need to know anything about the Untamed). Drarry AU starting from Goblet of Fire. Rated E for the smut scene in Chapters 13 & 14, but is otherwise rated T.

Read "In a Field of Chrysanthemums and the Woods" on AO3.

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As always, reblogs here on tumblr are very much appreciated to promote all the wonderful works of LCDrarry. But of course, please also shower our creators with comments and kudos on AO3 ;D

And yes, dear creators, you can now credit your alphas and betas and cheerleaders and of course answer the comments :)) 

And if you like, use the banners here to promote your works on your own blogs. Tag us, so that we can reblog your claiming posts.

Thank you again for participating! See you 2022 ;)

[superangsty]

“Billionaires buy movie studios to get laid. They buy hospitals to get respect.” “And the reason you want respect?” “To get laid.”

HOUSE M.D. 1x14 - Control

[siachenstudios]

Who is the Strongest Avenger?

Hey folks, hope you all are doing great! Do you know who is the strongest avenger? If not, then this article is all that you need in order to satisfy your curiosity, to know about who is the strongest avenger?

However, This is strongly based on Marvel’s Avengers Ranked From Most to least Powerful. So without any further ado, let’s dive straight into this article.

Who is the strongest avenger?

1.  SCARLET WITCH

Scarlet Witch is the most powerful Avenger. We will shout this from the rooftops if we have to! With the power of telekinesis, she can move anything with the wave of a hand.

Her fight with Thanos in the MCU showcased the most power out of any of the Avengers by far. She breaks The sword of Thanos which was able to cut through Captain America’s shield.

2. CAPTAIN MARVEL

A lot of you will wonder why Captain Marvel isn’t the first on this list, and we get that! Even Kevin Feige himself has stated that Captain Marvel is the strongest of the Avengers, and if we were looking at the comics, she would definitely be on top.

While her powers include the usual heightened abilities of a superhero, she also has a special “seventh sense” which surpasses Spidey’s sixth sense. Unfortunately, Captain Marvel didn’t have the chance to show all she has to offer.

Many fans were a little disappointed as there was a lot of build-up for her character, only for her to be flung back into the sky from whence she came. The strongest avenger ever.

3. THOR

In Infinity War, we see Thor take on the full force of the sun. THE SUN, y’all. It doesn’t look like Thor will live to tell the tale, but he does! He’s a god after all!

Interestingly, he is immortal and has the ability to control lightning?

Even if he isn’t everyone’s favorite original Avenger, there is no denying The God of Thunder is the strongest of the original group.

READ MORE – 12 Marvelous Best Mario Characters Of All Time

4. THE HULK

The Hulk has a lot more to offer! For starters, he is a LOT stronger than Drax, has a fast healing factor, and can go without water or sleep if needed.

Behind the big green guy is Bruce Banner. He is one of the smartest Avengers and eventually is able to become one and the same as Hulk.

However, It’s safe to say The Avengers would not have the same force without The Hulk’s ability to smash all things in his path and take any blow.

5. DR. STRANGE

Stephen Vincent Strange, M.D., Ph.D. is a Master of the Mystic Arts. Originally being a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon.

Dr. Strange may not be everyone’s favorite Avenger, there is no denying his power. Strange can shift time and dimensions of free will.

Having also been joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy, Strange battled against Thanos. He has the abilities of flight, teleportation, astral projection, and so much more.

6. VISION

The vision was a synthezoid made from vibranium, created by Ultron with the help of Helen Cho, and given life by the powerful artifact known as the Mind Stone.

Upon his birth, Vision declared he was neither Ultron nor J.A.R.V.I.S., but one that would fight with them to protect humanity. How cool!

However, Because Vision wasn’t a victim of the Decimation, he wasn’t restored when Bruce Banner used the Infinity Stones. The strongest avenger ever.

Wanda Maximoff continued to mourn his loss and talked with Clint Barton who lost Natasha Romanoff about those that they have lost.

READ MORE – 15 Most Powerful Female Marvel Characters

7. IRON MAN

Speaking of this wonderful man, Anthony Edward “Tony” Stark was a billionaire industrialist, a founding member of the Avengers, and the former CEO of Stark Industries.

A brash but brilliant inventor, Stark was self-described as a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist.

However, With his great wealth and exceptional technical knowledge, Stark was one of the world’s most powerful men.

Tony’s Suit gives him superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility, reflexes, senses, and supersonic flight.

It also contains missile projection and regenerative abilities.

This suit makes Tony indestructible, and the best part about it is that he made it himself. The strongest avenger ever.

He is the one to ultimately defeat the big bad, after all. But a few other heroes give him a run for his money due to their sheer power which cannot be matched.

8. BLACK PANTHER

Black Panther has genius-level intellect as well as superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes.

This guy can smell fear, amazing isn’t it? Well, I personally don’t know about you, but that is an individual I would want on my side.

People loved him when they saw him Using the incredibly sharp claws on his suit.

Black Panther slashed at his enemy and tried to kill him, eventually pinning him to the ground and attempting to stab his target through the throat. What a scene it was! Mind-blowing.

You brought unexplainable energy to the screen that can’t be matched. Rest in power.  

9. CAPTAIN AMERICA

Captain Steven Grant “Steve” Rogers is a World War II veteran, a founding member of the Avengers, and Earth’s first known superhero.

Speaking of him, Rogers grew up suffering from numerous health problems, and upon America’s entry into World War II, he was rejected from serving in the United States Army despite several attempts to enlist.

Due to the serum coursing through his veins, Cap has enhanced strength, speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, senses, and healing. The strongest avenger ever.

READ MORE – Thor vs Captain Marvel: Who Is More Powerful?

10. WINTER SOLDIER

I guess you all may be surprised to find him on the list of Strongest avengers. Nevertheless, Winter Soldier is the most powerful Avengers and none other than a BEAST.

This guy has a LOT more combat and weapon experience, and frankly, many of us are shocked that Cap won their fight. Intriguing, right?

Conclusion:

Scarlet Witch is the most powerful among the list of who is powerful Avengers. Wanda’s power is magic.

She can warp reality and is able to put all of the Avengers in a dream-like state when she is first introduced.

The best part about her? Wanda is still discovering her power. She has showcased so much power, yet most of it is still contained inside of her.

We can’t wait to see more of her and everything she has to offer!

[rudyabaut]

False: Fauci, Gates, Epstein and Soros have ties to drug company Moderna

EXCLUSIVELY for Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories Suckers 

View video before it is taken down...

MODERNA FAUCI(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAZFl1bhMH4)

Then come back to reality...

Read this: Fact check: Fauci, Gates, Epstein and Soros have no ties to drug company Moderna

by Chelsey Cox, USA TODAYSept. 11, 2020

The claim: George Soros founded Moderna, Jeffrey Epstein was an investor, Anthony Fauci was its first CEO and Bill Gates was his college roommateNews of biotech company Moderna's planned development of a vaccine against the coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, has incited internet conspiracy theorists. A popular social media claim links certain high-profile individuals to Moderna and their apparent investment in the vaccine. USA TODAY reported on Moderna's progress in late August.

One such post by blogger Lynna Smith went viral. Smith posted the claim to Facebook on Aug. 12 with a link to a video uploaded to a corresponding YouTube account.

The video outlines alleged connections between Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as part of a larger conspiracy theory about government-mandated vaccinations against the coronavirus.

The narrator of the video claims Moderna already has the vaccine. It also states Fauci, a graduate of Cornell University, was Moderna's first CEO. Fauci's ties to Gates began at Cornell, the video alleges, because the two were roommates.

The video also states IG Farben, a company that was "heavily involved" in experiments during World War II, was run by Soros, a "Jewish Nazi" who later became an American citizen. Soros apparently formed Moderna from IG Farben.

Finally, the video claims Epstein, the billionaire financier who died in prison while awaiting a trial for sex-trafficking charges, was a major financial backer of Moderna.

Smith summarizes the "relationship" between Soros, Fauci, Gates and Epstein in the post caption, finishing with, "DO YOU GET IT NOW."

Smith is described as a "Truthseeker" and proudly declares "2 of my pages were deleted by FB" on a Facebook profile page. Smith also claims to manipulate mainstream media and references U.N. Agenda 21 in a Gab.com profile. Gab.com is a social network that "champions free speech, individual liberty and the free flow of information online," according to its website.

USA TODAY reached out to Smith for comment.

Another version of the claim was posted to the Facebook page for The Meme Aesthetic, an account that curates "the worst memes on the internet," according to its Instagram page. 

Was Soros a 'Jewish Nazi?'

Soros was born in Budapest in 1930. His father, a Jewish lawyer, forged papers that disguised their religion during the Nazi occupation of Hungary, according to the BBC. 

There is no evidence of Soros joining the Nazi party during WWII — he would have been 14 years old when the Nazis surrendered in 1945 — or anytime during his transformation from London investment banker to billionaire American philanthropist. 

Soros has openly supported the Democratic Party. The BBC reported Soros has been the target of right-wing attacks founded in Nazi-era conspiracy theories about Jewish bankers plotting a "New World Order."

Who founded Moderna?

The founding of the biotech company is incorrectly attributed to Soros in the claim. Harvard University professor Dr. Derrick Rossi founded Moderna in 2010 to manufacture his research-based therapeutics, according to a 2014 interview with the Journal of Young Investigators.

"The biotech company is called Moderna Therapeutics and it’s probably one the most successful young biotech companies in Boston/Cambridge right now. It is only 4 years old. ... The technology at the heart of the company, which we developed in my lab, is very exciting and very powerful," Rossi told JYI.

Soros did not create the company from IG Farben. The German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate was dissolved by Allied forces after WWII for manufacturing gas chamber poison and exploiting slave labor, according to The New York Times. Its most important factories formed the basis of chemical companies Bayer, Hoechst AG and BASF, but not Moderna. 

Was Fauci the CEO for Moderna?

Moderna's founding team was comprised of Doug Cole and Noubar Afeyan, according to the website for investor Flagship Pioneering. Afeyan is also Flagship's founder and CEO.

Stéphane Bancel is credited by Flagship Pioneering as the founding chief executive officer of Moderna Therapeutics. He has served in this role since 2011, according to Moderna's website.

A search for "Fauci" on Flagship Pioneering's website produced no results. Fauci is included in two search results on Moderna's website. The first mentioned his interview with National Geographic about an experiment conducted by Moderna. He is listed as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in that entry. NIAID is part of the National Institutes of Health.

The other search result is a 2019 Shareholder Letter that names Fauci as a co-reviewer of a vaccine platform Moderna is working to improve.

Fauci is not identified as the former CEO of Moderna in either instance. Widely available evidence, like his official biography on the NIAID website, states Fauci has served as director of the institute since his appointment in 1984.

Were Fauci and Gates college roommates?

Fauci received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical Center in 1966, according to the Brooklyn Reporter. That is nearly a decade before Gates entered Harvard University. NPR reported Gates intended to study pre-law but shifted his focus to math and science before taking his first of two leaves of absence in 1975. He was eventually awarded an honorary degree in 2007. Gates and Fauci did not attend the same colleges and could not have been college roommates.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is listed as one of Moderna's collaborators, according to Flagship Pioneering. 

What is Epstein's relationship to Moderna?

Epstein left his position as a tax adviser with Bear Stearns Cos. to start his own investment company in 1982, according to USA TODAY. Details about Epstein's Financial Trust Co. are reportedly vague, but the company is not listed as a primary stockholder in Moderna, according to CNN Business.

A search for "Jeffrey Epstein" on the websites for Moderna and Flagship Pioneering generated no results.

Our rating: False

We rate this claim FALSE, because it is not supported by our research. George Soros did not found Moderna, as the claim states. Dr. Anthony Fauci has served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, but never worked for Moderna. Bill Gates and Fauci attended different colleges and could not have been roommates. Lastly, Jeffrey Epstein's company Financial Trust Co. is not a major stakeholder in Moderna, according to records.

Our fact-check sources:

> National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Anthony S. Fauci, M.D."

> Flagship Pioneering, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Companies: Moderna"> Flagship Pioneering, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "People: Noubar Afeyan, Founder & CEO

"> Flagship Pioneering, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "People: Stéphane Bancel, Venture Partner"

> BBC News, May 31, 2018, (archived): "Profile: Billionaire philanthropist George Soros"

> CNN Business, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Moderna Inc. Shareholders"

> USA TODAY, July 8, 2019: "Who is Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire charged with sex trafficking girls as young as 14?"

> NPR Legacy, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Timeline: Bill Gates, From Geek to Gazillionaire to Do-Gooder"

> Brooklyn Reporter, March 2, 2020: "Brooklyn-born disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says we may be on the brink of a pandemic"

> Journal of Young Investigators, Oct. 1, 2014: "Interview with Dr. Derrick Rossi of Moderna Therapeutics"

> Moderna, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Moderna’s Work on a COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate"

> Moderna, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Moderna 2019 Shareholder Letter"

> Harvard Stem Cell Institute, retrieved Sept. 4, 2020: "Derrick J. Rossi, Ph.D."

> The New York Times, May 2, 1999: "THE BUSINESS WORLD; I.G. Farben: A Lingering Relic of the Nazi Years"

Learn more at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/11/fact-check-fauci-gates-soros-epstein-not-tied-moderna/5715707002/

Related reading:

Fact check: U.N. Agenda 21/2030 'New World Order' is not a real document (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/07/23/fact-check-uns-agenda-21-2030-agenda-wont-create-new-world-order/5474884002/)

Is George Soros paying protesters? Soros' conspiracy theories surge as protests sweep nation(https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/21/george-soros-conspiracy-theories-protests/3232738001/)

[scifigeneration]

DYSTOPIA SCI-FI CON COMES TO LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER FOR INAUGURAL LAUNCH IN NOVEMBER

Three-Day Event Hosts West Coast Edition of The 8th Annual Philip K. Dick Sci-Fi Film Festival

Star Trek Veteran Tim Russ and Oscar-Winning Makeup Artist Barney Burman Among Celebrated Artists and Filmmakers Set To Appear

Beyond belief lies the heart of science fiction and this fall, fans of the genre will assemble at the inaugural Dystopia Sci-Fi Con, a new interactive event featuring a cinematic lineup of sci-fi, cyberpunk, virtual reality, and future noir alongside special guests, panels, exhibitors, and more. The gathering will also host the first half of The 8th Annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, a thriving platform for independent film in honor of acclaimed novelist Philip K. Dick. A number of celebrated actors, filmmakers, and speakers will appear including David Brin, Barney Burman, Elizabeth Karr, Julianna Robinson, Tim Russ, Saku Sakamoto, M.D. Selig, and John Alan Simon. Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the event will run from November 8-10, 2019.

Theorized that science fiction is the science of tomorrow, Dystopia Sci-Fi Con will serve as a captivating observation into the future. “Dystopia refers to a world out of balance where the human spirit is crushed under the weight of monopolistic corporations,” said organizer Daniel Abella. “Our event is a fascinating way of watching how our lives will be affected by what is to come.” With a slate of activities highlighting feature and short films, cosplay, and guests from across the genre’s spectrum, Abella promises an enjoyable and satisfying occasion. “We are brining back the look and sound of traditional sci-fi cons,” he said. “In such a welcoming environment, fans can express their interests and feel more connected to everything they love about sci-fi.” As the West Coast home for The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, screenings will be held as part of its eighth annual outing that continues in New York City in March 2020. “Philip K. Dick created the modern spirit of rebellion through his questioning of a world run by conformity,” said Abella. “His work centered on the plight of humans keeping their dignity in the face of a dehumanized world and more than any other writer, he foresaw what is happening today.” The festival will present a lineup of independent films and a series of panels that explore revolutionary views and Philip K. Dick’s influence on science fiction. The timing of the gathering also honors a key work in the PKD universe with a noteworthy tribute planned. “Blade Runner takes place in L.A. in 2019,” said Abella of the 1982 film based on PKD’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? “For this reason alone, I cannot think of a better time than now to christen our sci-fi con.” Central to the festival’s program are two early official selections including the World Premiere of M.D. Selig's The Gunrunner Billy Kane, which follows a rogue professor in the arms trafficking business who funds scientific experiments to save the life of his dying daughter. Also screening is Wild Boar directed by Oscar-winning makeup artist Barney Burman in his directorial debut. The L.A. Premiere film depicts a hidden colony of mutant wild boars who prey on innocent people in a world where humans are no longer in control. “We are proud to have these films on our schedule because they show us that science fiction is the dress rehearsal of tomorrow,” said Abella. “They both speak of worlds with new and frightening living conditions after the balance between man and nature has been irrevocably lost.” Dystopia Sci-Fi Con will also introduce Deep Interactive Cinematic Experience, otherwise known as “Deep ICE,” where film and theater blend together and communicate insights into the nature of reality. “The audience will get to participate in a cinematic living theater to uncover the mysteries that connect us to some of the most popular sci-fi films of all time,” said Abella of the multimedia method that follows a “Matrix-style” simulation. “A mega-narrative will be weaved before the audience and they will experience something that is nothing short of a personal transformation.” Featured prominently throughout the convention will be a showcase of creative brands heavily influenced by science fiction. “We will have collectibles, graphic novels, comics, and artwork,” said Abella of the plans to have more than 100 businesses participating. “This is an important element because exhibitors being fans themselves are passionate about their products and services. They collectively represent another dimension of the sci-fi current.” The full schedule will be announced closer to the event. Early Official Selections: The Gunrunner Billy Kane (2019) — WORLD PREMIERE Director: M.D. Selig Run Time/Country: 57 min, USA Synopsis: A rogue professor runs guns to fund dangerous brain experiments that could possibly save his dying daughter. Starring M.D. Selig (Zero Dark Thirty), Mark Arnold(Blade Runner 2049), John Kassir (Jack The Giant Slayer), Imelda Corcoran (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Julianna Robinson (Nun). Wild Boar (2019) — L.A. PREMIERE Director: Barney Burman Run Time/Country: 97 min, USA Synopsis: In a world where man is suddenly no longer at the top of the food chain, a group search in the desert for a bounty left by an eccentric billionaire but instead end up being hunted by a mutant boar with an axe to grind. Starring Augie Duke (Burning Kentucky), Daniel Roebuck (The Fugitive), Jessica Sonneborn (The Basement), Douglas Tait(Hellboy), Jim Nieb (I'm Dying Up Here), and Michael Reed (Brides of Satan). Special Guests + Panels: Panels devoted to film screenings, artificial intelligence, classic film and television, dystopian futures, genetic engineering, graphic novels, stem-based applications, time travel, UFO’s, and the legacy of Philip K. Dick will be held. The following attendees have been confirmed ahead of a full guest list slated to be announced at a later date. Tim Russ — Actor/Director/Musician Well known for his impressive roster of film and television credits, Mr. Russ has appeared in Spaceballs (1987), The Highwayman (1987-1988), and The Orville (2019) in addition to his extensive presence throughout the Star Trek franchise that includes Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993), Star Trek Generations (1994), and Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001). He directed and starred in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men (2007) and Star Trek: Renegades (2015) and is an accomplished musician with albums such as Only a Dream in Rio (1998), Tim Russ (2000), Kushangaza (2001), and Brave New World (2003). David Brin — Writer/Speaker/Futurist As a New York Times best-selling author and winner of Hugo, Locus, Campbell, and Nebula awards, Mr. Brin’s novels include "The Postman" (1985), "Heart of the Comet" (1986), "Kiln People" (2002), and the successful "Uplift Universe" novels which envision galactic issues of sapience and destiny. In addition to his writing career, he is a renowned internet security expert, business and governmental consultant, social media influencer, public speaker, and scientist with a Ph.D. in Physics. Barney Burman — Makeup Artist/Director/Screenwriter Winner of the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup for Star Trek (2009), Mr. Burman is a highly acclaimed special effects makeup artist. He has worked on many notable productions including Body Snatchers (1993), The X-Files (1998), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001), and Bird Box (2018). For his directorial debut, his film Wild Boar (2019) will hold its L.A. Premiere at The 8th Annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in 2019. Elizabeth Karr — Actor/Producer/Teaching Artist As producing partner for Discovery Productions, Ms. Karr has overseen numerous projects including the film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel Radio Free Albemuth (2010). She produced the documentary The Good Breast (2016), which follows the journeys of four women and their surgeon through the course of breast cancer treatment and through her position as an executive member at Women In Film, is an advocate for female representation in cinema. In addition to working as a private acting coach and teaching artist, her acting credits include ER (2005), House (2005), Sleeper Cell (2006), and Women's Murder Club (2007). Julianna Robinson — Actor/Director/Producer/Screenwriter A performer of noted depth, Ms. Robinson’s credits include The Undertakers (2014), The Funeral Guest (2015), Nun (2017), and The Gunrunner Billy Kane (2019). For her work as a director, producer, and screenwriter, she has taken part in the productions of Lucky Penny (2015), The Many Mishaps of Penelope and Ursula (2017), The Party (2019), and Hurricane Forecast (2019). Saku Sakamoto — Animator/Director/Screenwriter Skilled at the techniques of animation, Mr. Sakamoto has directed several short films including Denshinbashira Eremi no koi (2009), Mattsu, Yamma, and Moburi (2014), and Fisshâman (2016). He also created the digital effects for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) and wrote and directed his first feature film ARAGNE: Sign of Vermillion (2018), an official selection at The 7th Annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in 2019. M.D. Selig — Actor/Director/Producer/Screenwriter Having served in the U.S. Marines, Mr. Selig is a decorated combat veteran of Desert Storm. His first feature film Southern Justice (2006), for which he wrote, directed, produced and starred appeared on all major video outlets and is currently streaming on Netflix. He has been associated with several projects including Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and his production of The Gunrunner Billy Kane (2019), which will hold its World Premiere at The 8th Annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in 2019. John Alan Simon — Director/Producer/Screenwriter A highly successful director, producer, and screenwriter, Mr. Simon serves as the president and CEO of Discovery Productions. He is noted for the film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel Radio Free Albemuth (2010), which won Best Science Fiction Feature at The Inaugural Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in 2012. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in the financing, production, sales, and marketing of films including The Haunting of Julia (1977), Out of the Blue (1980), Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf(1985), and The Wicker Man (2001). Event Dates and Location: Dystopia Sci-Fi Con will take place November 8-10, 2019 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015). For more information visit, https://www.dystopiasci-ficon.com and https://www.lacclink.com/events/detail/dystopia-sci-fi-con. Event Passes: Passes are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dystopia-sci-fi-con-tickets-63888970631.

[theeditorreads]

Billionaire, M.D. by Olivia Gates

Billionaire, M.D. by Olivia Gates

My Rating: 5/5 Genre: Romance (Fiction) Pages: 189 (Kindle) Publisher: Silhouette Desire (Harlequin) Date of Publication: 24 March 2010

Synopsis: The female protagonist is somewhere in the middle of dreamscape and wakefulness. She is lying in a hospital bed, and when the handsome doctor approaches her, she is aware of the fact that she too is a doctor, but she can’t remember anything other than…

[nomanwalksalone]

ON ENVY

by Alexander Freeling

I speak today of a secret vice. Rarely admitted, but relentlessly practiced. “The sin that everybody commits.”* No, not that one. A distinctly modern sin, made for (and perhaps made by) a modern consumer economy: envy.

The rise of a distinctly American envy—as a national mood but also a national worry—is the topic of an incisive social history by Susan Matt.** She charts a growing concern in the late 1800s that while it is getting richer and more comfortable for some, America is becoming more competitive, more anxious, and more envious. 

Direct comparison between people’s internal lives in 1870 and 1910 may be impossible, but their worries in print are immediately legible. S. Weir Mitchell (M.D., LL.D. HARV., thanks for asking) wrote Wear and Tear, or Hints for the Overworked in 1871 “as a warning to a restless nation.” George Miller Beard, who coined the term “neurasthenia” to describe the condition of pathological nervousness, addressed the topic at length in American Nervousness, Its Causes and Consequences (1881). William James simply called it “Americanitis.” Their diagnosis was this: in the land of opportunity, the constant and exhausting pursuit of success was fraying the nerves of a nation. 

Ambitious worry fed aspirational male dressing. A fine suit glowed with the promise of advancement, while a cheap but perfectly good one signified falling behind. Young men threw away ready to wear suits and bought bespoke on credit. As Matt’s book makes clear, this wasn’t vanity but strategy. Workers enviously calculated the cost of one another’s clothes while trying to measure the unsteady value of their own labor. In a small town, your reputation precedes you. Arriving in an anonymous metropolis, you must make a good impression by other means, one temporarily disadvantaged millionaire observed. Morals could make your name on the farm but were no use in Manhattan.

For critics of America’s nervous aspiration, this was exactly the problem. You needed competitive drive to succeed in these new jobs, but competition was making even the successful worker exhausted, avaricious, and unhappy with what he had. For advocates, endless desire was the whole point. Envy drives people to great things, they argued, so long as it aligns with business success, and not pushing your manager down the stairs. “Let him always strive,” one such argument went; “there is happiness in the very strife.” Aspirational people get things done. Consumption drives economic growth. You might never have enough suits, but still create a very successful blog along the way. The debate between thrift and envy around 1900 replayed in sartorial terms the oldest argument of political economy: can private vice create public benefit?

That debate rolls on much the same today. But while American Nervousness has become a global hit, we can be thankful for one small change: now that billionaires wear hoodies and the man at court in vicuña is probably the defendant, beautiful suits hardly symbolize honesty or financial success. At last, we can envy those things in which a tailor takes pride: the balance of the quarters or a hand-attached sleeve. Symmetry above finery. Elegance that proves nothing.

* “The Sin That Everybody Commits and How I Cured Myself of It,” American Magazine, December 1919.

** Susan J. Matt, Keeping Up with the Joneses: Envy in American Consumer Society, 1890-1930 (UPenn Press, 2002).

Artwork: ‘Jealousy’ by Edvard Munch

[cajunscabinet]

Bound to Him by Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory

Bound to Him by Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H63JKYB?tag=books2read02-20 The Billionaire Who Wins at All CostsTexan Alton Bouchard always gets what he wants. There’s not much money can’t buy, and for everything else he bulldozes his way to victory. The moment he sees Noah Divine, the heir of the Divine Conglomerate, Alton knows he wants him. Alton digs up enough dirt to scare Noah’s father, and before…

[kiernanshayemckay]

Elie Saab Ready-To-Wear Dress

This is the dress I based my description on for Chapter 2 of Infatuation - A Michael McKendrick Billionaire Novel. when Jeffery takes Kasey to Afternoon Tea. 

“Infatuation is a journey of Kasey, Jeffery, and Michael, who hopes to find love. Kasey examines her life while in New York City. She is in a long-term relationship with Jeffery Jonsson, M.D., a neurosurgeon and psychiatrist, who is desperately in love with her and lives in Washington, D.C. However, in a chance encounter, she meets Michael McKendrick, a billionaire looking for his perfect match. Will Kasey turn to Jeffery for love…or Michael? Will she stay in New York City…or return home to Washington, D.C.? The question is: What are the ramifications of the journey to find love?”

Visit me on www.kiernanshayemckay.com

Book due to release on www.amazon.com in December 2023

Kiernan Shaye

[giancarlonicoli]

Submitted by Eric Zuesse, originally posted at Strategic Culture

The medical journal, The Lancet, is one of the world’s Big Three scientific journals of medicine; that’s the triumvirate of authorities for physicians worldwide, and the other two are the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the New England Journal of Medicine. On August 27th The Lancet published “Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories”. Here is the visual that’s in it, which shows the United States as having, by far, the world’s costliest medical care, at around $9,000 per person per year, and yet as having lower quality of health care than virtually all other industrialized nations do:

Here is another such study, showing the same thing, and calculating it more simply:

What explains this?

Quite simply, the United States is the world’s most corrupt nation, and medical care is such an extreme necessity when a citizen needs it, so that they’ll pay whatever the system charges them for it — and investing in healthcare products and services is therefore enormously profitable in the United States. Actually, the only other market-sector that competes with it for providing simultaneously high returns and low risk (the combination that offers the best of both worlds to investors) is consumer staples, such as foods, which likewise are necessities of life. When people are desperate, they’ll pay, whatever the cost, because these are things they don’t just want — they need. Here, from Maksim Papenkov’s award-winning 6 February 2020 paper, “An Empirical Asset Pricing Model Accommodating the Sector-Heterogeneity of Risk”, is his sector-specific calculation of stock-market profitability during 2000-2018, showing that “HC” Health Care, and “CS” Consumer Staples, were the best at combining low risk with high returns, during that 19-year period:

(“CD” there is Consumer Discretionary and includes Automobiles and Hotels. It’s the only sector that has higher returns than Health Care, but those returns are twice as risky. The S&P500 have lower returns than Health Care and slightly higher riskiness. At the opposite end, “IT” Information Technology is both the riskiest and the least profitable; and “F” Financials are the second-worst sector for investors. The most-profitable sectors are the necessities, the sectors that take the most from the most-desperate.)

In May 2017, Axene Health Partners published their actuary, Chris Slaybaugh’s, study, “International Healthcare Systems: The US Versus the World”, which stated:

The United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not have Universal Health Coverage for all citizens. … Rather than one system, United States citizens and residents are insured under a variety of sometimes overlapping systems. The United States is also the only developed country where a significant number of citizens are permitted to be uninsured and where a person’s employment can determine whether they have insurance and what insurance they have. … The extent to which medical bills contribute to bankruptcy is hard to tease out from other factors, but even those who are skeptical of the claim that medical costs cause the majority of bankruptcies concede that they are a significant contributor.13

In the rest of the developed world, by contrast, medical costs are rarely or never cited as a driver behind personal bankruptcy.

In fact, CNBC headlined on 11 February 2019, “This is the real reason most Americans file for bankruptcy” and reported that,

Two-thirds of people who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a key contributor to their financial downfall.

While the high cost of health care has historically been a trigger for bankruptcy filings, the research shows that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act [“Obamacare”] has not improved things.

What most people do not realize, according to one researcher, is that their health insurance may not be enough to protect them.

While Barack Obama was running for President in 2008, he was promising to provide Americans with a “public option” in order to reduce profits for health insurance companies and thus lower costs, but he dropped that proposal immediately when he won the 2008 election, and he never pushed for it (not even to use as a bargaining chip with the Republicans in shaping his Obamacare). (In fact, Obama chose the conservative head of the Senate Finance Committee, Democratic Senator Max Baucus, to draft his Obamacare, because Baucus was against there being a public option, and because the progressive Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy’s Health, Education & Labor Committee had just drafted an Obamacare with a public option — Obama refused to have Kennedy draft his healthcare legislation. Obama was actually against there being a public option; only his public rhetoric was for it. Joe Biden is apparently now following the same tactic, of lying promises to the public, and true promises to his billionaire backers, to win the White House.) Obama promised the public “universal coverage”, which means 100% of the population covered, like in all other advanced economies, and his Obamacare increased the percentage insured from 84.5% when he came into office in 2009, to 87.7% two years after Obamacare started in 2013 — around 3%, by 2015 (which was after two years). That was still far short of the promised 100%. He was lying through his teeth in order to win election, and the ‘news’-media still hide (instead of expose) the fact that he did, and that he was actually an agent of the billionaires. He’s now the big hero among Democrats, because maybe Trump is even worse. Trump is up-front about his fascism. And Trump’s opponent now is another hypocrite (after Obama), Obama’s V.P., Joe Biden, who was the U.S. Senate’s leading Democratic Party segregationist and won his nomination by claiming to have been instead a civil-rights champion. Everything in U.S. politics is bait-and-switch. That’s the reality in America’s ‘democracy’: a bait-and-switch ‘democracy’, which serves actually only the wealthiest few. The politicians who are elected serve only the wealthy and well-connected.

America is the most libertarian, or “neo-liberal,” of the advanced industrial nations, and this is why it has the world’s most overpriced medical care. It provides the most liberty for the billionaires.

One of the few extremely bold Americans who rose high in the U.S. healthcare system and tried to tell the public how intensely corrupt it is, has been Marcia Angell, M.D, who held numerous prestigious posts in the U.S. medical system, and she was for a while the Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. On 15 January 2009, Dr. Angell headlined “Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption”, and wrote:

Conflicts of interest pervade medicine. … It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine. … So many reforms would be necessary to restore integrity to clinical research and medical practice that they cannot be summarized briefly. Many would involve congressional legislation and changes in the FDA, including its drug approval process. But there is clearly also a need for the medical profession to wean itself from industry money almost entirely. … Breaking the dependence of the medical profession on the pharmaceutical industry will take more than appointing committees and other gestures. It will take a sharp break from an extremely lucrative pattern of behavior. But if the medical profession does not put an end to this corruption voluntarily, it will lose the confidence of the public. …

She had said, nine years earlier:

If we had set out to design the worst system that we could imagine, we couldn’t have imagined one as bad as we have. … Our health care system is based on the premise that health care is a commodity like VCRs or computers and that it should be distributed according to the ability to pay. … That market ideology is what has made the health care system so dreadful, so bad at what it does. … That is a fundamental mistake in the way this country, and only this country, looks at health care. … The only way to both reduce cost and increase access and quality is to change the system, to scrap it and start over. … I would pay for health care in a single payer system, and what goes into that pot can vary. In Germany, employers have to contribute to that pot. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I would rather see it come straight out of tax revenues.

Experts who are that public-spirited and knowledgeable about the system should be appointed by U.S. Presidents to lead the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, but the billionaires prevent that (of course).

On June 27th, NPR headlined “After Pushing Lies, Former Cigna Executive Praises Canada’s Health Care System”, and interviewed a retired PR executive for America’s health insurance companies, who said that maybe the work that he had done smearing Canada’s socialized health insurance — “to spread misinformation about Canada or use cherry-picked data and anecdotes” so as to deceive Americans to accept America’s existing medical system — was partly to blame for America’s having performed significantly worse than Canada had done on the coronavirus crisis. (As of 29 August 2020, Canada had 3,378 cases per million and was the 76th worst out of 215 countries, whereas U.S. had 18,522 cases per million and was the 9th-worst. On deaths, Canada was the 27th-worst at 241, whereas U.S. was the 11th-worst at 564.)

America’s billionaires derive the vast majority of their net worth from stocks (capital gains and dividends), and from interest that’s paid to them; and, since nothing does this for them better than healthcare investments, the current for-profit system in health care is terrific for them; and these few hundred people, billionaires, extract this wealth from the hundreds of millions of Americans, the general public, and want to continue doing so, and they consequently finance politicians such as Joe Biden and Donald Trump (and their predecessors, such as Bush and Clinton), and they also set up ‘charitable’ foundations, and donate to medical schools, so as to inculcate this libertarian belief, not just into the public, but especially into the students and professors, who receive that trickle-down from them, as employees and future employees. While many in academe are against it, they’re not the ones who get advanced to the prestigious and high-paid positions. “He that pays the piper calls the tune.” It’s top-down (aristocracy), and it only pretends to be bottom-up (democracy). And, so, the corruption continues, and Americans die younger, and poorer, because of this aristocratically controlled system. It’s the American way. It’s the American system. Of corruption. Americans call it “capitalism.”

Of course, another area in which the U.S. Government is extraordinarily corrupt is its Military-Industrial Complex; and, on August 28th, a former top official of the NSA, Bill Binney, provided, online, an in-depth description of what he personally knows about that. His personal knowledge is enormous concerning within the Government itself, but not outside it — i.e., not regarding the corporations and billionaires who control the economic rewards system that the top public officials, who typically are agents of the “Deep State” (the billionaires), are serving. However, what he says there is informative and highly reliable regarding the way that the Government’s bureaucracy itself functions, and he is extraordinarily honest about the intense corruption within the official Government. He makes clear that the U.S. Constitution is being systematically and routinely violated by top U.S. officials; so, the U.S. Government routinely violates the U.S. Constitution, in this ‘democracy’, where the system functions like clockwork, for the billionaires.

[vanessaarm-blog1]

The Billionaire of Aspen Estates (The Concord Series #1) - M.D. ...

The Billionaire of Aspen Estates (The Concord Series #1) M.D. James Genre: Children's Fiction Price: Get Publish Date: May 17, 2012 The Billionaire of aspen estates is the first book in a new series by M.D. James. Think of a mixture between Downton Abbey and a V.C. Andrews book and you'll have this first book of the Concord Series. Jonas is a pre-teen boy living happily in an orphanage when his long-lost Uncle comes for him. He is transferred to a world of wealth and riches and finally gets to learn all about his mother. But, all is not as it seems. Soon he is running for his life and must find a way to stop those that wish him dead.

[rosemaryja-blog]

The Billionaire of Aspen Estates (The Concord Series #1) - M.D. ...