#Linda L. Richards

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Dead West by Linda L. Richards

The Endings Series #3

I had trouble relating to the main character and it took a while to get into the story. I am not sure if coming into the series on the third book was the reason why I felt the disconnect or if the female assassin was so lacking in depth that it felt plodding, then again, perhaps she was plodding through life and that feeling is what was what the author was trying to achieve.

Katherine Eveline Ragsdill seems to have taken up killing for money after a traumatic event occurred in her life. The event was no doubt covered in previous books along with her decision to step into her new job description. I believe, from reading reviews and book synopses, that the previous two books might give more insight into Katherine and would have helped me know her better.

Anyway, this book has her sent out with a designated kill contracted for. Meeting the mark, finding out that he is a good person with high ideals, and feeling drawn to him are the first mistake she makes in being able to fulfill the contract. Then Walker is kidnapped, she feels the need to “save him”, and the plot thickens. Katherine has to contend with as the story progresses including truly evil men who use and abuse, a man she admires but can’t have, someone young that she feels connected to and helps in a big way, many she will not see again, and a new course to set at the end of the book. The final scene is of Katherine driving  down the road with her dog toward…well…I’m not sure where she will end up.

I never really got to know the woman who is the main character. I don’t know if she has a moral compass or not. She has killed before and perhaps some of those killed were not evil. Perhaps she is growing and evolving and coming out of the stupor of grieving to find herself capable of moving on to something positive and she will end up somewhere better in the future. I might give the next book in the series a chance to see what happens next with her and the dog she is now traveling with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanvies Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

BLURB

Rule #1 of being a hired never get to know your target . . . and definitely don' t fall in love with them Taking lives has taken its toll. Her moral justifications have faltered. Do any of the the people she has killed — some of them heinous, but all of them human — deserve to die? Her next target is Cameron Walker, a rancher in Arizona. When she arrives at his remote desert estate to carry out her orders, she discovers that he is a kind and beautiful man. After a lengthy tour of the ranch, not only has she not killed him, she's wondering who might want him dead.  She procrastinates long enough that a vibe grows between them. At the same time, she learns that he's passionate about wild horses and has been fighting a losing political battle to save the mustangs that live on protected land near his property. He's even received death threats from those who oppose him. She finds herself trying to protect the man she was sent to kill, following a trail that leads from the desert, to the Phoenix cognoscenti, to the highest offices in Washington, DC. Along the way she encounters kidnappers and killers, horse thieves and even human traffickers. Hopefully she can figure out who ordered the hit before they hire someone else to execute the assignment. Perfect for fans of Dean Koontz and Tana French While the novels in The Endings Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is as Endings Exit Strategy Dead West

[gatutor]

Richard Widmark-Linda Darnell "Un rayo de luz" (No way out) 1950, de Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

[byneddiedingo]

Linda Darnell, Sidney Poitier, and Richard Widmark in No Way Out (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)

Cast: Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally, Mildred Joanne Smith, Harry Bellaver, Stanley Ridges, Dots Johnson, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Amanda Randolph, Maude Simmons. Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Lesser Samuels. Cinematography: Milton R. Krasner. Art direction: George W. Davis, Lyle R. Wheeler. Film editing: Barbara McLean. Music: Alfred Newman.

Although its treatment of race relations in America seems naive today, No Way Out stands up as a solid drama about an issue that in the post-war years was finally receiving the attention from Hollywood filmmakers that it had too long deserved. It also launched the career of Sidney Poitier as well as, in smaller roles, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. The plot hinges on the novelty of a Black doctor, Luther Brooks (Poitier), serving as an intern in hospital in a large city. When two brothers, Ray (Richard Widmark) and Johnny Biddle (Dick Paxton) are admitted to the prison ward of the hospital after being shot by the police during a robbery, Brooks notices that Johnny's symptoms are not just that of a leg wound; suspecting some sort of mental impairment, Brooks does a spinal tap, during which Johnny dies. Ray Biddle has already demonstrated his racist animosity toward Brooks, and claims that he killed his brother. An autopsy would determine whether Brooks's suspicion that Johnny's death was caused by an undiagnosed brain tumor is correct, but Ray won't allow it, and he's backed up by his brother George (Harry Bellaver) and initially by Johnny's ex-wife, Edie (Linda Darnell). She once had an affair with Ray, but she loathes him and has done what she can to escape the poor-white neighborhood, Beaver Canal, where she grew up and the Biddles still live. Ray spurs the rabble-rousers of Beaver Canal to start a race riot, but they are met with resistance from the Black neighborhoods. The film is a little over-plotted: The crux of the plot, the autopsy, gets resolved in a way that isn't entirely convincing, and the confrontation of Brooks and Ray Biddle arrives in what's almost a coda, as an anti-climax. Widmark is allowed to overact in the role of Ray, and Poitier has yet to acquire the confident presence that made him a star. The best performance in the film comes from a deglamorized Darnell, who gives Edie a real toughness and vulnerability, suggesting that her inclination to do the right thing is at war with her experience growing up in Beaver Canal. The film's portrayal of raw racism still has the power to shock: We rarely hear white actors use the N-word today, even when their roles as bigots might seem to require it, and I flinched when a white woman spat in the face of Poitier's character. It's weaker in the treatment of racial violence: No one on either side seems to have any guns. 

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

No Way Out

Sometimes I catch up with a movie after years and wonder why I’ve waited so long. That was the case with Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ NO WAY OUT (1950, Criterion Channel, YouTube). With writer Lesser Samuels (whose name always suggests the existence of a Greater Samuels), he crafted a mixture of film noir and social problem picture. Sidney Poitier, in his first feature, is a hospital intern forced to treat two criminals shot while holding up a service station. When one dies, his racist brother (Richard Widmark) blames Poitier, and things go south from there. The script tackles racism head on, and viewers should be warned that the language can be quite disturbing. But it’s also the rare film that gets into the psychology of racism, because it also deals with class. Widmark comes from the city’s worst slum, and being white is the only thing he can use to manufacture any sense of pride. When his brother’s ex-wife (Linda Darnell) tries to get him to allow an autopsy to clear Poitier, he gets her on his side by convincing her the doctors are all looking down on her because of where she comes from. Some of his complaints about feeling overlooked by society and his blaming that on black people feel oddly prescient. Today he’d wear a MGA hat. The film gets preachy at times, but most of that is confined to the head of surgery (Stephen McNally), who’d be the white savior in a lesser film. But the picture also allows its black characters their humanity. Poitier’s family — which includes Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis in their first film together, appropriately cast as husband and wife — don’t all agree about his plans to pursue another year of residency rather than join a prosperous practice, and some of his black friends look down on his choice to work at a white-run hospital. The cast is uniformly fine, but the biggest surprise is Darnell. 20th Century-Fox typed her so firmly as a sex symbol, I don’t think anybody but Mankiewicz realized what a fine actress she could be. Without her usual glamour makeup and in a wardrobe that seems to have been pulled off the rack at a thrift store, she creates a convincing picture of lower-class abjection. Mankiewicz likes long takes and almost theatrical dialog scenes, and she more than holds her own opposite stage-trained actors like Poitier, Widmark and McNally. She also has some beautiful silent moments just lighting a cigarette after her first meeting with Poitier or listening to McNally’s housekeeper (the wonderful Amanda Randolph) and Poitier’s wife (Mildred Joanne Smith) and realizing how alike they are as women. It’s a surprising, wonderful performance in a surprising, wonderful film.

[esonetwork]

Popeye | Episode 390

New Post has been published on http://esonetwork.com/popeye/

Popeye | Episode 390

Mark Maddux joins Jim for a loving look back at a classic film of the fantastique from 1980 and Director Robert Altman – “Popeye,” starring Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Paul L. Smith, Paul Dooley, Donald Moffat, Ray Walston, Richard Libertini, Bill Irwin, Wesley Ivan Hunt, Peter Bray, Linda Hunt and Jack Mercer. Altman’s homage to the loveable cartoon character from the 1920’s takes us into the magical world of Sweet Water. Find out more on this special Holiday episode of MONSTER ATTACK!, The Podcast Dedicated To Old Monster Movies. 

[tulypes]

♡ AZ HEADCANONS: richard ríos

oi, tchucas! alfabeto fofo com ríos, espero que gostem. se tiver algum erro, me perdoem! isso foi escrito muito rápido, na rua, num pico de criatividade. | ♡ materlist.

( A ) ACTIVITES — o que ele gosta de fazer com você? como vocês passam o tempo livre?

vocês amam sair em viagens, principalmente para lugares que tem praia, e ir à festas.

mas, estando cansado, ele prefere ficar em casa, assistir à um filme no conforto da cama.

( B ) BEAUTY — o que ele admira em você? o que ele acha que há de bonito em você?

ele te acha linda por completo. sua personalidade, o seu jeito, para ele, foi um diferencial.

richard ama sua risada e seu sorriso.

( C ) CONFESSION OF LOVE — como ele se confessou a você?

após uma briga, onde vocês decidiram romper o que tinham. ele ficou detonado, com raiva de si, chateado porque realmente te amava, mas não tinha coragem de assumir isso.

quando percebeu o erro que estava cometendo, bateu na porta da sua casa durante a madrugada, completamente encharcado pela chuva, falando o quanto te amava — tão alto que os vizinhos reclamaram.

resultado disso: vocês reataram e ele ficou gripado.

( D ) DREAMS — como ele imagina o futuro com você?

imagina e planeja, tudo que tem a ver com o futuro dele, ele te inclui.

richard se imagina em um grande estádio, carregando uma taça, juntamente a você e seus filhos. é, definitivamente, o que mais passa pela cabeça dele.

( E ) ENDING — se tivessem que romper com o parceiro, como fariam?

sejamos sinceras aqui: ele é claramente o tipo de homem que termina o relacionamento, arquiva todas as publicações do instagram em que você está e posta stories para mostrar que está solteiro. NÃO preciso elaborar.

no off, fica “oi, saudades”

( F ) FIGHT — supondo que vocês tenham um filho juntos, como ele reagiria em uma situação de briga?

richard vai ser o tipo de pai que não consegue brigar com a criança, principalmente se vocês tiverem uma menina. ele prefere que você faça isso.

porém, se você reclamar sobre a sua falta de pulso, com certeza ele vai se posicionar mais — com muito medo de magoar a criança.

( G ) GRATITUDE — quão grato ele é em geral? ele está ciente do que você faz por eles?

ele é grato demais por te ter ao lado dele, e faz questão de demonstrar isso sempre.

( H ) HONESTY — ele tem segredos que esconde de você? ou ele compartilha tudo?

no início, ele seleciona muito o que vai te dizer, pensando sempre duas vezes, com certo receio de citar coisas que ele considera inapropriadas para o estágio de “se conhecendo” que vocês estão.

porém, com o relacionamento já estabelecido, ele fala tudo, ABSOLUTAMENTE tudo que passa pela cabeça dele.

( I ) I LOVE YOU — com que rapidez ele diz que te ama?

demorou um pouco, vocês optaram por ir mais devagar; se conhecendo verdadeiramente, analisando todas as situações com calma, porém, quando richard falou que te amava, ele teve certeza que queria você ao lado dele para sempre.

( J ) JEALOUSY — ele fica com ciúmes facilmente? como ele lida com isso?

ciumentíssimo! se richard se sente ameaçado com presença de algum homem, ele começa a marcar território, segura sua cintura, te beija na frente de qualquer pessoa, deixando claro para todos que vocês estão juntos e que você é dele.

( K ) KISS — eles beijam bem? como foi o primeiro beijo?

ele beija sorrindo. sorrindo bem descarado e largo. richard prefere beijos lentos, mas firmes, segurando o seu cabelo com força e mordiscando seus lábios.

o primeiro beijo de vocês aconteceu em uma festa, um pouco mais afastado das pessoas presentes, já que nenhum dos dois queria expor. ele deu uma cantada ridícula, mais tão ridícula que te fez rir; e foi assim que vocês começaram.

( L ) LITTLE ONES — como são perto das crianças?

ele é tão querido com as crianças que se aproxima dele! richard é apaixonado pelo sobrinho, e você observar as interações dele com o garotinho só te faz imaginar o quão bom pai ele seria.

ele se agacha para falar com as crianças, ficando do tamanho delas, para dar o máximo de atenção que pode.

( M ) MARRIAGE — quer se casar? como seria o casamento?

ele quer MUITO casar. sonha em fazer a cerimônia na igreja, com todo o tradicionalismo brega possível.

( N ) NICKNAMES — como ele te chama?

“minha mulher”, namorando ou não, Richard diz que você é a mulher dele; te apresenta a todos desse jeito.

ademais, “minha princesa”, “amor” ou “linda”— tudo isso fora da cama…

( O ) ON CLOUD NINE — como eles são quando estão apaixonados? É óbvio para os outros? Como eles expressam seus sentimentos?

no inicio, ele fica um pouco confuso, sem saber o que fazer, tampouco em como lidar com a situação de estar apaixonado. não conversava muito sobre os sentimentos dele com os amigos, mas os outros jogadores do time notaram que tinha alguém na vida do colombiano. talvez o primeiro a notar isso foi o endrick, o que deu um certo espaço para desabafar sobre.

porém, minha filha, quando esse homem resolveu mostrar para o mundo que te amava…

a real é que ele enchia o saco dos amigos, falava de você até enjoar.

( P ) PDA — ele faz demonstrações públicas de afeto ou é tímido para beijar, etc., quando outros estão assistindo?

ele é um exibicionista nato. richard ríos te exibe como um troféu; você é o troféu e ele venceu! te ter como namorada, esposa, companheira de vida, era uma vitória para ele.

fotos em redes sociais, mas sem muitos textos. ele gosta de te beijar, mostrar que você é dele. richard também te presenteia com colares com o nome dele e você faz questão de desfilar com ele para todo mundo ver.

( Q ) QUIRK — alguma habilidade aleatória que ele possui que é benéfica no relacionamento.

ele é um muito comunicativo, precisa sempre se comunicar contigo e quer que isso seja recíproco.

( R ) REMEMBER — qual é o momento favorito dele no seu relacionamento?

ele ama todas as lembranças que tem de você, mas vocês se abraçando com toda paixão no meio do allianz parque, no final do Paulista, assim que o apito soou, sempre vai ser um dos seus momentos favoritos. richard estava tão feliz por te ter ali com ele, naquele momento tão importante.

( S ) SUPPORT — ele está ajudando você a atingir seus objetivos? ele acredita em você?

com certeza! ele acredita em você e nos seus sonhos, independentemente de qual seja. ele te apoia em tudo.

( T ) THRILL — ele precisa experimentar coisas novas para apimentar seu relacionamento ou prefere uma certa rotina?

ele não é muito fã de rotinas, então adora experimentar coisas novas.

( U ) UNDERSTANDING — quão bem te ele conhece? eles são empáticos?

richard nunca imaginou que pudesse conhecer tão bem alguém, como ele te conhece, desde os gostos pessoais, até os trejeitos.

ele conseguia te ler, devido à toda intimidade que compartilhavam. se você estivesse triste, ele saberia, sem ao menos precisar perguntar.

( V ) VALUE — quão importante é o relacionamento de vocês? quanto vale em comparação com outras coisas na vida dele?

o relacionamento de vocês era muito importante para ele.

para richard, era você, a família, e o futebol, as coisas mais importantes.

( W ) WILD CARD — um fluff headcanon aleatório.

ele é muito mimado, então quando você nega beijos a ele, richard fica bicudo até que sua decisão mude.

( X ) XOXO — ele é muito carinhoso? ele adora beijar e abraçar?

muito carinhoso! adora deitar com a cabeça sobre seu peito, enquanto acaricia sua cintura. seus abraços eram a casa dele, onde ele encontrava amor, conforto e paz.

te beijar era uma das coisas que ele mais gostava na terra. ele gosta de beijar o topo da sua cabeça.

( Y ) YEARNING — como ele lida com a sua ausência?

quando precisa viajar para outros estados ou para a Colômbia e você não pode ir, richard tenta levar numa boa, se concentrando nos treinos ou na presença dos companheiros de equipe.

mas, está sempre te enviando mensagem e, quando pode, te ligando.

( Z ) ZEAL — ele está disposto a fazer tudo pelo relacionamento de vocês?

se souber e enxergar que você também está disposta, ele faz de tudo.

[citizenscreen]

Linda Darnell and Richard Widmark of Joseph L. Mankiewicz‘s NO WAY OUT (1950) on the cover of the September issue of Screen Stories.

[usafphantom2]

On Memorial Day 2024: Let’s remember that by any means necessary, the United States was prepared to protect our homeland from attacks from our enemies.

Preventative action would include the CIA flying covert missions using an SR-71

After the CIA’s eleven A-12s were put into storage. This was the agreed-upon action stated in option three in the Memorandum for President. This was a Congressional study to determine which fleet of reconnaissance airplanes the United States would keep funding the SR 71s or the A- 12s It was agreed reluctantly by the CIA to release to storage their spy planes. With the option that they could use an SR 71 if necessary using civilian pilots to fly covert missions. The A-12s were in storage in case the majority of the SR 71s were destroyed by our enemies or accidents and they were needed.

Richard “Butch” Sheffield, was the RSO picked for this CIA position. He was selected by Colonel Doug Nelson to fly with former A-12 pilot Ken Collins.

Butch was briefed into the A-12 oxcart program early in 1965 then he was the last SR 71 crewmember debriefed from the A-12 oxcart program. He stayed at Edwards working on what he called special projects. The Oxcart program was so secretive that they had a drying-out time. In case Butch was captured by the enemy and they managed to torture out of him pertinent information. In the document “Memorandum to the President the CIA flies SR 71 the very date picked for the President was the date that Butch became a spare RSO for 18 months. This was in conjunction with the arrival of Ken Collins from the A-12, Butch was assigned to help him check out in the SR-71 and then they flew five flights together. Ken did not need five flights. These flights were used to get Ken and Butch used to each other during a covert mission flight. Ken then went into a Staff position.

The A-12 had no backseat. The CIA had no one who knew the backseat in detail like Butch did. In other words to fulfill the promise to the President. The only way that it could be done in the SR 71 was to have a fully qualified RSO fly the mission. How Would this be accomplished? Depending on how much time was required to get a mission going. If required right away a message would come into Beale l sending us TDY to Palmdale. The SR-71 would be flown in that had all the sensors on board required for the mission.

Ken Collins and Butch Sheffield would be released from active duty on the spot and stay that way until the mission or missions were completed.

Butch writes” The cover story would be that I had left my Wife and Children. The Air Force would say my family was in the process of moving off the base if I was captured.

The other men who flew the SR 71 did not know that there was another Blackbird that looked almost identical to the SR 71 that only had one cockpit the A- 12.

Butch writes in his unpublished book this was the lowest part of his career, watching the men that he had trained for the RSO position go to Okinawa before him. Butch was rewarded by receiving some very interesting missions when he was deployed to the Kadena Air Base for operational missions in 1969. The interesting missions included the first SR-71 flight over North Korea and along the Chinese border. Flying straight into the Soviet Union so that they would release the SA-5 signal and flying and writing the mission to alert the POW at the Hanoi Hilton that they were to escape using sonic booms

I do not know if Butch and Ken went on a CIA mission in the SR 71.

But I know they were ready to leave the families that they loved if necessary. They both knew the risk if they were captured during a covert mission. They were both willing to die for their country.🇺🇸🫡

Written by Linda Sheffield copyright@

Source unpublished book “The Very First” by Colonel Richard E. “Butch “Sheffield

@Habubrats71 via X

[toxicanonymity]

It's been a second since I said hello in your inbox but l was doing a bunch of these guess the show/movie/video game theme song games on YouTube with my partner and it was super fun! He knew all of the video game themes and I knew all of the TV shows

But there was a horror movie one and it made me think of you and got me wondering what your favorite horror movie theme/score/soundtrack is? Are there any that you dislike? I love the conjuring movies but I think that theme sucks bc it’s too sappy lol

I can't decide which is my favorite. Exorcist, Psycho, Halloween, or Silent Hill. Jaws too, if that counts 🦈

Bug, my friend!!! I am so happy to hear from you. Great question, and I like your answers (jaws counts). I have a few soundtrack moments that come to mind. . .

in The Night House: Calvary Cross by Richard and Linda Thompson - most impactful horror soundtrack moment I recall for me.

in Halloween Ends: Midnight Monsters Hop by Jack & Jim - perfect festive bop; Come 2 me by Johnny Goth - super sexy. I love the original Halloween score and the updated main theme.

Apparently I liked the score in Hansel & Gretel (2020) enough to mention it in a micro review.

Biggest disappointment - In the Happy Death Day trailer, every time the phone went off it was 50 Cent's In da Club, one of God's most perfect songs. But in the movie, it was nowhere to be heard 💔. Good movie though.

Dishonorable mention - A Quiet Place. If your schtick is going to be dead silence, go big or go home. Don't ruin it with a melodramatic score. (edit: my qualms against krasinski)

I'll think on soundtracks/scores as a whole. I got letterboxd recently (user latoxica). Also, that tag game was going around of songs you'd put in a horror movie, and I have not forgotten, those who tagged me.

Thank you for asking! And stop by anytime. I don't even worry about spamming my answers anymore lol.

Love you 🖤

[emailsfromanactor]

I got the DVD of the Gielgud-Burton Hamlet! It is a little better than the video I already had! It looks like that one zoomed in a bit by cutting off the very top and bottom of the image. The DVD video still isn't terribly clear - it was shown in movie theatres! it must have been better than this originally! - but for something that was supposed to be destroyed, I guess it's not bad.

The "unseen interview footage" the box advertises is just this, split into the interview and the trailer:

If only Electronovision had caught on. So many iconic performances could've been preserved. :( Anyway, the DVD also has filmographies and lists of awards for Gielgud, Burton, and Hume Cronyn.

I wish there was a commentary track. There could have been - Gielgud was still alive when the DVD was made, as were Cronyn, Eileen Herlie, and Robert Milli. John Cullum, Linda Marsh, and (of course) Richard L. Sterne are still around today! And now I'm wistfully thinking about a world where William Redfield lived long enough to do DVD commentaries. Imagine.

[anonymousewrites]

Adolescent Antichrist (Book 3) Chapter Eleven

Father Figure! Lucifer x Teen! Reader

Chapter Eleven: She had been Doing Good

Summary: Charlotte Richards turns her life (and afterlife) around.

            “So, everything’s going well?” asked (Y/N).

            “Yes! Everything is exactly how it was, and that’s exactly how it should be,” said Lucifer happily.

            (Y/N) smiled in satisfaction. They had solved the issue and made sure Lucifer and Chloe could stick together. “I’m glad.”

            “Yes, and Pierce seems to have his tail between his legs,” said Lucifer proudly.

            (Y/N) smirked. “Anything to get Cain to shut up.”

            “Now, I must return to the investigation. Poor Charlotte Richards is trying to make sure she doesn’t go back Hell, so she is helping us catch a killer who got away once before,” said Lucifer brightly.

            (Y/N) frowned. “Wait, Charlotte knows?”

            “Oh, yes. About it all,” said Lucifer.

            “Wow. All in all she must have reacted better than Linda did,” remarked (Y/N).

            Lucifer nodded. “Well, after dying, everything else seems to be a little more trivial.”

            “I guess so,” said (Y/N).

            “Well, I’ll head off,” said Lucifer. He paused. “And…thank you again for your help.”

            (Y/N) smiled and felt themself brighten at the praise. “I wanted to help you.”

            Lucifer smiled and ruffled their hair affectionately. “You’re a good kid.” You’re my kid.

l

            (Y/N) frowned as they saw their phone ring. “Em, do you recognize this number?”

            Em leaned over. “Isn’t it from the LAPD office? I think I’ve seen Maze get calls from that number.”

            “Wonder who it is.” (Y/N) answered the call. “Hello?”

            “Hello, this is Charlotte Richards,” came the reply.

            (Y/N) blinked and covered the receiver. “It’s Charlotte Richards.”

            “Does she sound like she’s insane from the knowledge that God and the devil exist?” asked Em.

            (Y/N) considered. “No, she sounds pretty civil.”

            “Disappointing. That would have been interesting,” said Em.

            (Y/N) snorted and went back to the phone. “Hey, Charlotte. This is (Y/N).”

            “Hello, (Y/N). I was wondering if you would be willing to talk? I understand that you know about…everything,” said Charlotte.

            (Y/N) considered. They felt no ill will towards or from Charlotte. “Sure. Does the park work?”

            “Yes,” said Charlotte.

            “Alright, I’ll see you there,” said (Y/N). They hung up and turned to Em. “I’m heading to the park.”

            Em stood. “I’m coming with you. Just in case.”

            (Y/N) rolled their eyes. “Fine, fine.”

l

            “Charlotte. Amenadiel,” greeted (Y/N) as they and Em walked into the park.

            “(Y/N),” said Amenadiel. “How are you?”

            (Y/N) shrugged. “I’m doing okay. What do you want?”

            “I thought that since Linda and my mother had an…unpleasant encounter that perhaps Charlotte could speak with you in order to have someone else understand what she, as a mortal, is going through while knowing us celestials exist,” said Amenadiel.

            “Missy also threatened me,” said (Y/N), crossing their arms. “Or did you forget that?”

            “Actually,” said Missy, stepping forward, “That’s why I wanted to come.”

            Em took a step forward, ready to defend (Y/N) if Missy tried anything.

            “I…want to apologize for the Goddess’s actions,” said Charlotte.

            (Y/N) waved a hand. “It wasn’t your fault.”

            Charlotte sighed. “No, but…I wake up from nightmares. I can see my body threatening you, and it’s terrible. It’s not just that I don’t want to return to Hell. You’re just a kid. So, I’m sorry, for everything.”

            (Y/N) cracked a smile. “Thank you. But you shouldn’t feel so guilty. I heard you took down a corrupt man. Several, actually.”

            Charlotte laughed nervously. “Yes. I’m trying to make up for the mistakes of my past.”

            (Y/N) wasn’t given to softness, but they’d be kind to Charlotte. At this point, she deserved it. “You’re doing a good job. It’s more than most people can do. You’ve decided to do the right thing. That isn’t easy.”

            Charlotte’s heart lightened, and she smiled. “Thank you. I’m happy that my work is helping—!”

            Bang!

            A shot rang out, and a bullet flashed through the air. Em pulled (Y/N) back, and it narrowly missed Amenadiel, hitting Charlotte. She fell, blood seeping from her wound. (Y/N) cried out and covered their mouth, Em grabbing them tightly. As Amenadiel caught Charlotte and examined her worriedly, Em guided (Y/N) to sit.

            Gently, she took (Y/N)’s phone, and while they held (Y/N)’s hand tightly to ground them, they called Lucifer. “You need to get over here,” she said. “Charlotte’s been murdered.” They glanced at (Y/N), shaking and staring at the body. “And (Y/N)’s not doing well.” Em got no response, only Lucifer hanging up, but she knew that he was already on his way.

            Em carefully held (Y/N) and turned their head away from Charlotte’s body as Amenadiel took her soul and flew into the air to take her to heaven where she belonged. “Don’t look,” they murmured.

            “Em…Where’s Lucifer? I need Lucifer,” muttered (Y/N), squeezing their eyes shut and taking deep breaths.

            “He’s coming. He’s coming,” promised Em. They hugged (Y/N) tighter. “You’re gonna be alright, Birdie.”

l

            Cain cursed as he ran from the park. He had hoped to kill Amenadiel with the bullet of melted demon steel. Then he could regain his mark. After his heartbreak with Chloe, he wanted it back, so that he wouldn’t be hurt again. Killing one of God’s children was supposed to be his ticket to punishing immortality once more.

            Instead, he had shot Charlotte Richards, and Amenadiel was nowhere to be seen. Cain paused. Amenadiel wasn’t the only death that would prompt such punishment. Another person connected to the celestials, another innocent, would do the trick.

            Cain could kill (Y/N).

            But first, he’d need to kill Lucifer. Luckily, taking (Y/N) would draw Lucifer in. Cain cleaned his gun methodically of all fingerprints and replaced the missing bullet. The Sinnerman was back with a plan.

l

            Lucifer didn’t want to let go of (Y/N) as he guided them back into the penthouse. “You’re okay,” he murmured. “You’re okay.” He sat them down on the couch, and Em hovered behind him worriedly.

            “He did it,” stammered (Y/N). “I know it, I know it. He did it. Cain, that bastard, I just know it.” They were nearly incoherent as they rambled.

            Lucifer pulled them close. He narrowed his eyes, and the irises flashed red for a moment. He too knew that Cain was behind it. “The Detective and I are going to take him down. I promise.”

            “She didn’t deserve it,” murmured (Y/N). “She had been doing good.”

            Lucifer kissed their forehead in a moment of familial affection he barely allowed himself. “She’s in Heaven. She’s at peace.”

l

            Em raised their head from the chair they’d been sleeping on as the elevator doors clicked open. Their eyes widened as they saw Cain walking in.

            “(Y/N)!” they shouted, jumping up and dodging towards Maze’s stores of weapons.

            (Y/N) jolted away and scrambled up as they saw Cain intercept Em. He punched, and even though Em evaded and ducked around him, the millennia-old man, infinitely more experienced in fighting, managed to turn and grab the young demon. He tossed them over the piano. Em twisted and landed on her feet, darting towards (Y/N) to protect them from Cain. This time, he threw them into the wall, and Em slumped to the ground.

            “Em!” shouted (Y/N). Cain grabbed a blade from Maze’s case, intending to finish off the demon. “No!” (Y/N) raised a hand, and shadows twisted up protectively over Em. It was barely a shield with the poor level of control (Y/N) had, but it was enough to surprise Cain, who paused and looked at them questioningly.

            (Y/N) used his distraction to dart towards the elevator. Cain wanted them. He’d leave Em alone if (Y/N) ran. They swallowed a shout of pain as the throwing knife Cain held ripped through the skin of their arm, and they stumbled to the side, gripping their arm as blood began to drip down. Cain stalked towards them, and (Y/N) threw up their hands instinctively, allowing the shadows to take form and reach up for Cain. He pulled against them, straining until (Y/N)’s concentration broke as pain crawled through their extended arm.

            “Leave me alone!” cried (Y/N) as Cain grabbed them. “Lucifer will kill you if you touch me!” they said savagely, straining against him.

            “No. I’m going to kill Lucifer.”

            Cain through (Y/N) against the floor, and their vision went black.

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[raybizzle]

"No Way Out" (1950) is a brilliant noir film debuting the acting career of legendary Sidney Poitier and starring an excellent cast that includes Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally, and Mildred Joanne Smith. The movie also features Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis in their first film together. By 1950, black actors with significant roles in Hollywood films were still uncommon, particularly in non-stereotypical roles such as medical doctors. Moreover, the Race Era was ending, so the opportunities for black actors mostly faded. However, a year before, James Edwards starred in "Home of the Brave," and Juano Hernadez starred in "Intruders in the Dust," which set a new trend for black male actors in Hollywood. In addition, the presence of Mildred Smith as the supportive and loving wife living in a middle-class family added to this new narrative. These subtle differences were giant leaps for Hollywood as it was risky for them to show black people other than stereotypical servants, field hands, mammies, Uncle Tom's, or slow-talking dimwits. So how does "No Way Out" differ from some of its precessors? "Home of the Brave" is about a black man in a war setting. "Lost Boundaries" and "Pinky" had a 'passing for white' theme with different story premises. "No Way Out" tells the story of a black man in a white man's everyday world as a professional. Darryl F. Zanuck produced the 1949 film "Pinky" and enthusiastically backed "No Way Out" after reading Lesser Samuels' script and soon assigned Joseph L. Mankiewicz to add his expertise in filmmaking. Zanuck wanted both movies made as they dealt with two different subject matters of black life. The search for a suitable actor for the black doctor Luther Brooks was a nationwide search by Zanuck and casting director William Gordon. Several dozen actors auditioned, but eventually, Gordon selected 23-year-old Poitier for the role. Ruby and Ossie Davies starred in the Broadway and American Negro Theatre play, "Anna Lucasta" for the West Coast road company, while Potier played lead in the Eastern show. However, the head of the American Negro Theatre of the New York Actors Guild, Fredrick O'Neal, was among the biggest supporters of the movie. He remarked: "It's the most honest (scripts) I have ever read on the subject. The resemblance between this story and life is strictly truthful." Overall, this movie has many layers, and if you're critical like I am, you'll see many social components addressed on race, class, and patriarchy. It's a beautiful cinematographic film with intense emotion and drama. The film dives into how hate blinds people from the truth, even when their life depends on it. Richard Widmark did a superb job in his challenging role as the hate-filled low-class criminal mourning the death of this brother and the symbolic end to his truths. And Linda Darnell, the bewildered damsel trying to figure out the world around her while struggling with her prejudices, did an excellent job in the movie. I highly recommend this film and all of its glory and energy. You will be satisfied. Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Writers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Lesser Samuels, Philip Yordan (contract writer) Starring Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally, Mildred Joanne Smith, Dots Johnson, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Harry Bellaver, Stanley Ridges, Maude Simmons, Amanda Randolph Storyline When a white patient in a hospital dies under the care of a black intern (Sidney Poitier), the victim's racist brother (Richard Widmark) seeks to destroy the doctor's career. Although the hospital's idealistic Chief Resident (Stephen McNally) tries to diffuse the escalating tension, the victim's ex-wife (Linda Darnell) seems to go along with the vengeance-seeker until she realizes she's on the wrong side. https://www.daarac.ngo https://www.daaracarchive.org/2017/09/no-way-out-1950.html Available on Blu-ray (Region B only). https://www.amazon.com/Way-Blu-Ray-combo.../dp/B07BX6Q789 Available on DVD (Region A), but it's out of print. Also, on streaming services. https://www.amazon.com/Way-Out-Fox-Film-Noir/dp/B000CNE08S

[gatutor]

Richard Widmark-Linda Darnell-Sidney Poitier "Un rayo de luz" (No way out) 1950, de Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

[stlhandyman]

Supreme Court, U.S FILED In The OCT 2 2022 Supreme Court ofthe United States  RALAND J BRUNSON, Petitioner,

Named persons in their capacities as United States House Representatives: ALMA S. ADAMS; PETE AGUILAR; COLIN Z. ALLRED; MARK E. AMODEI; KELLY ARMSTRONG; JAKE AUCHINCLOSS; CYNTHIA AXNE; DON BACON; TROY BALDERSON; ANDY BARR; NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN; KAREN BASS; JOYCE BEATTY; AMI BERA; DONALD S. BEYER JR.; GUS M. ILIRAKIS; SANFORD D. BISHOP JR.; EARL BLUMENAUER; LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER; SUZANNE BONAMICI; CAROLYN BOURDEAUX; JAMAAL BOWMAN; BRENDAN F. BOYLE; KEVIN BRADY; ANTHONY G. BROWN; JULIA BROWNLEY; VERN BUCHANAN; KEN BUCK; LARRY BUCSHON; CORI BUSH; CHERI BUSTOS; G. K. BUTTERFIELD; SALUD 0. CARBAJAL; TONY CARDENAS; ANDRE CARSON; MATT CARTWRIGHT; ED CASE; SEAN CASTEN; KATHY CASTOR; JOAQUIN CASTRO; LIZ CHENEY; JUDY CHU; DAVID N. CICILLINE; KATHERINE M. CLARK; YVETTE D. CLARKE; EMANUEL CLEAVER; JAMES E. CLYBURN; STEVE COHEN; JAMES COMER; GERALD E. CONNOLLY; JIM COOPER; J. LUIS CORREA; JIM COSTA; JOE COURTNEY; ANGIE CRAIG; DAN CRENSHAW; CHARLIE CRIST; JASON CROW; HENRY CUELLAR; JOHN R. CURTIS; SHARICE DAVIDS; DANNY K. DAVIS; RODNEY DAVIS; MADELEINE DEAN; PETER A. DEFAZIO; DIANA DEGETTE; ROSAL DELAURO; SUZAN K. DELBENE; Ill ANTONIO DELGADO; VAL BUTLER DEMINGS; MARK DESAULNIER; THEODORE E. DEUTCH; DEBBIE DINGELL; LLOYD DOGGETT; MICHAEL F. DOYLE; TOM EMMER; VERONICA ESCOBAR; ANNA G. ESHOO; ADRIANO ESPAILLAT; DWIGHT EVANS; RANDY FEENSTRA; A. DREW FERGUSON IV; BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK; LIZZIE LETCHER; JEFF FORTENBERRY; BILL FOSTER; LOIS FRANKEL; MARCIA L. FUDGE; MIKE GALLAGHER; RUBEN GALLEGO; JOHN GARAMENDI; ANDREW R. GARBARINO; SYLVIA R. GARCIA; JESUS G. GARCIA; JARED F. GOLDEN; JIMMY GOMEZ; TONY GONZALES; ANTHONY GONZALEZ; VICENTE GONZALEZ; JOSH GOTTHEIMER; KAY GRANGER; AL GREEN; RAUL M. GRIJALVA; GLENN GROTHMAN; BRETT GUTHRIE; DEBRA A. HAALAND; JOSH HARDER; ALCEE L. HASTINGS; JAHANA HAYES; JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER; BRIAN HIGGINS; J. FRENCH HILL; JAMES A. HIMES; ASHLEY HINSON; TREY HOLLINGSWORTH; STEVEN HORSFORD; CHRISSY HOULAHAN; STENY H. HOYER; JARED HUFFMAN; BILL HUIZENGA; SHEILA JACKSON LEE; SARA JACOBS; PRAMILA JAYAPAL; HAKEEM S. JEFFRIES; DUSTY JOHNSON; EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON; HENRY C. JOHNSON JR.; MONDAIRE JONES; DAVID P. JOYCE; KAIALPI KAHELE; MARCY KAPTUR; JOHN KATKO; WILLIAM R. KEATING; RO KHANNA; DANIEL T. KILDEE; DEREK KILMER; ANDY KIM; YOUNG KIM; RON KIND; ADAM KINZINGER; ANN KIRKPATRICK; RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI; ANN M. KUSTER; DARIN LAHOOD; CONOR LAMB; JAMES R. LANGEVIN; RICK LARSEN; JOHN B. LARSON; ROBERT E. LATTA; JAKE LATURNER; BRENDA L. LAWRENCE; AL LAWSON JR.; BARBARA LEE; SUSIE LEE; TERESA LEGER FERNANDEZ; ANDY LEVIN; MIKE LEVIN; TED LIEU; IV ZOE LOFGREN; ALAN S.LOWENTHAL; ELAINE G. LURIA; STEPHEN F. LYNCH; NANCY MACE; TOM MALINOWSKI; CAROLYN B. MALONEY; SEAN PATRICK MALONEY; KATHY E. MANNING; THOMAS MASSIE; DORIS 0. MATSUI; LUCY MCBATH; MICHAEL T. MCCAUL; TOM MCCLINTOCK; BETTY MCCOLLUM; A. ADONALD MCEACHIN; JAMES P. MCGOVERN; PATRICK T. MCHENRY; DAVID B. MCKINLEY; JERRY MCNERNEY; GREGORY W. MEEKS; PETER MEIJER; GRACE MENG; KWEISI MFUME; MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS; JOHN R. MOOLENAAR; BLAKE D. MOORE; GWEN MOORE; JOSEPH D. MORELLE; SETH MOULTON; FRANK J. MRVAN; STEPHANIE N. MURPHY; JERROLD NADLER; GRACE F. NAPOLITANO; RICHARD E. NEAL; JOE NEGUSE; DAN NEWHOUSE; MARIE NEWMAN; DONALD NORCROSS; ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ; TOM O'HALLERAN; ILHAN OMAR; FRANK PALLONE JR.; JIMMY PANETTA; CHRIS PAPPAS; BILL PASCRELL JR.; DONALD M. PAYNE JR.; NANCY PELOSI; ED PERLMUTTER; SCOTT H. PETERS; DEAN PHILLIPS; CHELLIE PINGREE; MARK POCAN; KATIE PORTER; AYANNA PRESSLEY; DAVID E. PRICE; MIKE QUIGLEY; JAMIE RASKIN; TOM REED; KATHLEEN M. RICE; CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS; DEBORAH K. ROSS; CHIP ROY; LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD; RAUL RUIZ; C. A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER; BOBBY L. RUSH; TIM RYAN; LINDA T. SANCHEZ; JOHN P. SARBANES; MARY GAY SCANLON; JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY; ADAM B. SCHIFF; BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER; KURT SCHRADER; KIM SCHRIER; AUSTIN SCOTT; DAVID SCOTT; ROBERT C. SCOTT; TERRI A. SEWELL; BRAD SHERMAN; MIKIE SHERRILL; MICHAEL K. SIMPSON; ALBIO SIRES; ELISSA SLOTKIN; ADAM SMITH; CHRISTOPHER H. V SMITH; DARREN SOTO; ABIGAIL DAVIS SPANBERGER; VICTORIA SPARTZ; JACKIE SPEIER; GREG STANTON; PETE STAUBER; MICHELLE STEEL; BRYAN STEIL; HALEY M. STEVENS; STEVE STIVERS; MARILYN STRICKLAND; THOMAS R. SUOZZI; ERIC SWALWELL; MARK TAKANO; VAN TAYLOR; BENNIE G. THOMPSON; MIKE THOMPSON; DINA TITUS; RASHIDA TLAIB; PAUL TONKO; NORMA J. TORRES; RITCHIE TORRES; LORI TRAHAN; DAVID J. TRONE; MICHAEL R. TURNER; LAUREN UNDERWOOD; FRED UPTON; JUAN VARGAS; MARC A. VEASEY; FILEMON VELA; NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ; ANN WAGNER; MICHAEL WALTZ; DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ; MAXINE WATERS; BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN; PETER WELCH; BRAD R. WENSTRUP; BRUCE WESTERMAN; JENNIFER WEXTON; SUSAN WILD; NIKEMA WILLIAMS; FREDERICA S. WILSON; STEVE WOMACK; JOHN A. YARMUTH; DON YOUNG; the following persons named are for their capacities as U.S. Senators; TAMMY BALDWIN; JOHN BARRASSO; MICHAEL F. BENNET; MARSHA BLACKBURN; RICHARD BLUMENTHAL; ROY BLUNT; CORY A. BOOKER; JOHN BOOZMAN; MIKE BRAUN; SHERROD BROWN; RICHARD BURR; MARIA CANTWELL; SHELLEY CAPITO; BENJAMIN L. CARDIN; THOMAS R. CARPER; ROBERT P. CASEY JR.; BILL CASSIDY; SUSAN M. COLLINS; CHRISTOPHER A. COONS; JOHN CORNYN; CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO; TOM COTTON; KEVIN CRAMER; MIKE CRAPO; STEVE DAINES; TAMMY DUCKWORTH; RICHARD J. DURBIN; JONI ERNST; DIANNE FEINSTEIN; DEB FISCHER; KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND; LINDSEY GRAHAM; CHUCK GRASSLEY; BILL HAGERTY; MAGGIE HASSAN; MARTIN HEINRICH; JOHN HICKENLOOPER; MAZIE HIRONO; JOHN HOEVEN; JAMES INHOFE; RON VI JOHNSON; TIM KAINE; MARK KELLY; ANGUS S. KING, JR.; AMY KLOBUCHAR; JAMES LANKFORD; PATRICK LEAHY; MIKE LEE; BEN LUJAN; CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS; JOE MANCHIN III; EDWARD J. MARKEY; MITCH MCCONNELL; ROBERT MENENDEZ; JEFF MERKLEY; JERRY MORAN; LISA MURKOWSKI; CHRISTOPHER MURPHY; PATTY MURRAY; JON OSSOFF; ALEX PADILLA; RAND PAUL; GARY C. PETERS; ROB PORTMAN; JACK REED; JAMES E. RISCH; MITT ROMNEY; JACKY ROSEN; MIKE ROUNDS; MARCO RUBIO; BERNARD SANDERS; BEN SASSE; BRIAN SCHATZ; CHARLES E. SCHUMER; RICK SCOTT; TIM SCOTT; JEANNE SHAHEEN; RICHARD C. SHELBY; KYRSTEN SINEMA; TINA SMITH; DEBBIE STABENOW; DAN SULLIVAN; JON TESTER; JOHN THUNE; THOM TILLIS; PATRICK J. TOOMEY; HOLLEN VAN; MARK R. WARNER; RAPHAEL G. WARNOCK; ELIZABETH WARREN; SHELDON WHITEHOUSE; ROGER F. WICKER; RON WYDEN; TODD YOUNG; JOSEPH ROBINETTE BIDEN JR in his capacity of President of the United States; MICHAEL RICHARD PENCE in his capacity as former Vice President of the United States, and KAMALA HARRIS in her capacity as Vice President of the United States and JOHN and JANE DOES 1-100.  

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-380/243739/20221027152243533_20221027-152110-95757954-00007015.pdf

[thebridgeofdeaths]

Insensible Loss

by Linda L. Richards   Thriller Date Published: September 17, 2024   After attempting to sever all ties to her life as a hired assassin, a woman struggles to understand who she has become. She knows she doesn’t want to kill again—but it proves to be a difficult habit to break, particularly in a world where people are after her and those she loves most. Adrift and disconnected, she meets an…

[ccandd96]

This brand-new book is the perfect thing to pick up to cap off summer! Scars Publications just released a huge cc&d magazine collection book of the May-August 2024 issues of cc&d, titled “Insurrection”! This 422-page volume is a great way to stock up on issues if you didn’t buy all of the issues, which makes this a GREAT deal! A listing of all the contributors and titles is available at Scars online, and authors are also listed in the description now online through Amazon throughout the U.S., and can also be ordered in the U.K., all of Europe, and even Japan and Australia!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBD43LLF

https://scars.tv/2024May-August-issue-collection-book/Insurrection.htm

The contributors to this book (of writing and art) include Aaron Wilder, Adam Michael Levine, Alfredo Bravo de Rueda, Allen F. McNair, Andrej Bilovsky, Anila Bukhari, ayaz daryl nielsen, Bill Tope, Binod Dawadi, Bradford Middleton, Brian Daly, Brian Hosey, Carl Chapman, Christina Culverhouse, Christopher Hivner, Claude Chabot, Corbin Schaefer, Corey Villas, Darrell Petska, David J. Thompson, David Jackson, David Sowards, Diane Funston, Dr. Schnooz a.k.a. Daniel Weinberg, DS Maolalai, Duane Anderson, Edward Michael O’Durr Supranowicz, Elizabeth Allison, Eric Bonholtzer, Frank De Canio, Frederick Frankenberg, Greg Beckman, I.B. Rad, James Bates, James Croal Jackson, James Razor, Janet Kuypers, Jeffrey S. Hartnett, Jenene Ravesloot, Jenny Morelli, Joe Sonnenblick, John F. McMullen, John Yotko, Julianna May, Karen Hedges, Kathleen S. Zoll, Kenneth DiMaggio, Kyle Hemmings, L. R. McGary, Lee Hammerschmidt, Leigh-Anne Burley, Lima Das, Linda L. Bielowski, Ph.D., Linda M. Crate, Lou Faber, Louis Marvin, Malcolm Bell, Mark Pearce, Michael Gigandet, Michael H. Brownstein, Michael Lee Johnson, Mykyta Ryzhykh, Nancy Machlis Rechtman, Norm Hudson, Patrick Fealey, Retta Lewis, Richard LeDue, Robert Paul Allen, Salem B Holden, Sterling Warner, Thom Woodruff, Thomas Elson, Tim Newton Anderson, Todd K. Denick, Toney Dimos, Üzeyir Lokman Çayci, and Westley Heine.