#margaret chase smith

[higherentity]

[antebellumite]

On June 1, 1950, Maine senator Margaret Chase Smith stood up two rows in front of Senator McCarthy to deliver what she called a “Declaration of Conscience.” “I speak as a Republican, I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American,” she began. Smith wanted Republicans to win the upcoming elections as much as anyone, she explained, but she did not want to see “the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear.” “As an American, I condemn a Republican ‘Fascist’ just as much as I condemn a Democrat ‘Communist,’” she concluded. “They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country.” The Dewey wing of the party quietly applauded Smith, but only six Republican senators concurred in her declaration. For his part, McCarthy sneered at “Snow White and the Six Dwarves.”

— To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party

We love a girlbossss

[maa-pix]

Excerpts (emphasis mine):

Over the last 30 years, the Republican Party has effectively eliminated its moderate and liberal voices — as well as the conservative voices that put country over party. The consequences of this takeover by an increasingly right-wing faction include the threats to democracy that have become increasingly prominent since the Jan. 6 riots...

When [Newt] Gingrich was elected Republican minority whip by a single vote in 1989, he and his supporters seemingly had one goal: not to govern, but to control, stifle and stymie Congress. They got less actual governing done as they frustrated Congress’s work, and in many ways their strategy worked...

What followed over the next few years was the deliberate quarantining of Republicans from Democrats: separate orientations for new members, a sharp curtailing of bipartisan activities and an increasing insistence that members toe the party line. The very idea of “voting your district” — which was alive and well when I was elected — became anathema within the Republican caucus. Simultaneously, the weaponization of the evangelical religious right and the organization of wealthy conservative donors was going on, largely behind the scenes, with money and organizing often used against moderate Republicans as well as Democrats...

In 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, a moderate Republican from Maine, attacked McCarthyism and its “four horsemen of calumny — fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.” Republicans today seem to use Smith’s warning as an inspiration, projecting their own worst excesses upon their opponents. There is little room left in the G.O.P. for any disagreement — indeed, of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump, only one appears very likely to be in Congress next January...

It may be too late for the Republican Party to again welcome moderate and liberal voices into its ranks. But the focus of moderate and liberal Republicans — both elected officials and the voters who supported us — was historically on governing to solve America’s critical problems, not on accruing control for its own sake. If the Republican Party cannot be an instrument of democracy, independent-minded moderates will do what we’ve always done: Vote our conscience, and vote for someone else.

[hear-what-she-said]

“…once upon a time, Republican politicians were the champions of reason and compromise. Famously, on June 1, 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican from Maine, stood up against Republican Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin and his supporters, who were running roughshod over American democracy.”

[alliluyevas]

for my beloved followers interested in mormon polygamy name discourse, i have compiled and presented a list of the children of four different 19th century mormon polygamist men, ranging from 30 to 66 children. I included middle names when I could find them and the children are listed in chronological order of their birth.

Brigham Young:

Elizabeth, Vilate, Joseph Angell, Brigham Jr., Mary Ann, Emma Alice, Luna Caroline, John Willard, Brigham Heber, Edward Partridge, Oscar Brigham, Hyrum, Joseph, Moroni, Mary Eliza, Ella Elizabeth, Alva, Alma, Fanny Decker, Emily Augusta, Marinda Hyde, Clarissa Maria, Jeanette Richards, Zina Presendia, Evelyn Louisa, Hyrum Smith, Caroline Partridge, Ernest Irving, Nabby Howe, Willard, Eudora Lovina, Mahonri Moriancumer, Emmeline Amanda, Shamira, Alfales, Brigham Morris, Phoebe Louisa, Jedediah Grant, Arta DeChrista, Joseph Don Carlos, Louisa Wells, Susa Amelia, Lorenzo Dow, Miriam, Albert Jeddie, Feramorz Little, Alonzo, Josephine, Clarissa Hamilton, Charlotte Tallula, Ruth, Phineas Howe, Lura, Daniel Wells, Rhoda Mabel, Adella, and Fanny van Cott

Heber Kimball: 

Judith Marvin, William Henry, Helen Mar, Roswell Heber, Heber Parley, David Patten, Adelbert, Charles Spaulding, Henry, Brigham Willard, Sarah Helen, David, Margaret Jane, Abraham Alonzo, Isaac, Solomon Farnham, Samuel Chase, David Orson, Prescinda Celestia, Murray Gould, David Heber, Joseph Smith, Augusta, Cornelia Christine, John Heber, William Gheen, Susannah, Samuel Heber, Joseph Smith, Harriet, Newel Whitney, Willard Heber, Jacob Reese, Jonathan Golden, Horace Heber, Rosalia, Albert Heber, Lydia Holmes, Jedediah Heber, Hyrum Heber, Enoch Heber, Peter, Daniel Heber, Ann Spaulding, Sarah Maria, Jeremiah Heber, Mary Melvina, Andrew, Alice Ann, Eliza, James Heber, Joshua Heber, Washington, Mary Margaret, Moroni Heber, Sarah Gheen, Joshua Heber, Eugene, Wilford Alfonzo, Franklin Heber, Lorenzo Heber, Abbie Sarah

Joseph F. Smith:

Mercy Josephine, Sarah Ellen, Mary Sophronia, Leonora, Hyrum Mack, Donette, Joseph Richards, Alvin Fielding, Heber John, Joseph Fielding Jr., Alfred Jason, Rhoda Ann, David Asael, Edna Melissa, Minerva, Albert Jesse, George Carlos, Alice, Robert, Julina Clarissa, Willard Richards, Elias Wesley, John Schwartz, Franklin Richards, Emma, Emily Jane, Lucy Mack, Calvin Schwartz, Zina, Rachael, Jeanetta, Samuel Schwartz, Andrew Kimball, Ruth, Edith Eleanor, James Schwartz, Jesse Kimball, Asenath, Martha, Agnes, Silas Schwartz, Fielding Kimball, and Royal Grant

Parley Pratt:

Parley Parker Jr., Nathan, Olivia Thankful, Susan, Moroni Llewellyn, Alma, Helaman, Nephi, Julia Houston, Belinda Marden, Cornelia, Agatha, Abinadi, Lucy, Ether, Mormon, Mosiah, Malona, Lehi Lee, Henriette, Marian, Omner, Teancum, Mary Wood, Moroni Walker, Phoebe Soper, Isabella Eleanor, Sarah Elizabeth, Evelyn, Mathoni

also who had the best name taste and who had the worst

[her-penetrating-soul]

"When people keep telling you that you can't do a thing, you kind of like to try it."

~Margaret Chase Smith

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

Match Ups - Round 1

Since Tumblr has a link-per-post cap, here is a list of the Round 1 matchups with their links:

ROUND 1

WEEK 2

33.) Kendra Young (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series) vs Sylvanas Windrunner (Warcraft) 34.) Katherina Minola (The Taming of the Shrew) vs Barbarara Gordon (DC Comics) 35.) Arcee (Transformers) vs Naomi Misora (Death Note) 36.) Orihime Inoue (Bleach) vs Julia (Hellraiser) 37.) Talia al Ghul (DC Comics) vs Amy Amanda Allen (The A-Team (TV Series)) 38.) Britta Perry (Community) vs Grelle Sutcliff (Black Butler) 39.) Athena Cykes (Ace Attorney) vs Carmelita Montoya Fox (Sly Cooper) 40.) Kotori Mizuki/Tori Meadows (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL) vs Iris Sagan (AI: the Somnium Files) 41.) Kairi (Kingdom Hearts) vs Clarke Griffin (The 100) 42.) Gamora (MCU) vs Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones) 43.) Mary Winchester (Supernatural) vs Konan (Naruto) 44.) Jade Harley (Homestuck) vs Chloe von Einzbern (Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA) 45.) Natasha Romanoff (MCU) vs Sylvia (Two Gentlemen of Verona) 46.) Dragona Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The JOJOLands) vs Gwen Stacy (Marvel Comics) 47.) Katara (Avatar the Last Airbender) vs Eve (Paradise Lost) 48.) Jiang Yanli (Mo Dao Zu Shi) vs Cordelia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series) 49.) Misa Amane (Death Note) vs Nami (One Piece) 50.) Rey (Star Wars) vs Nezuko Kamado (Demon Slayer) 51.) Tetra (The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker) vs Margaret Houlihan (MASH (Movie 1970)) 52.) Amy Pond (Doctor Who) vs Madison Paige (Heavy Rain) 53.) Casca (Berserk) vs Sweet-P (The Caligula Effect) 54.) Stephanie Brown (DC Comics) vs Aki Izayoi/Akiza Izinski (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's) 55.) Dahlia Hawthorne (Ace Attorney) vs Ophiuchus Shaina (Saint Seiya) 56.) Hélène Kuragina (War and Peace) vs Laurel Lance (Arrow (CW)) 57.) Sky (Lost in Blue) vs Sonia Hedgehog (Sonic Underground) 58.) Elektra Natchios (Marvel Comics) vs Celica (Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia) 59.) Charlie Bradbury (Supernatural) vs Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) 60.) Mildred "Millie" Knolastname (Helluva Boss) vs River Tam (Firefly) 61.) Allura (Voltron: Legendary Defender) vs Mikaela Banes (Transformers) 62.) Ophelia (Hamlet) vs Momo Yaoyorozu (My Hero Academia) 63.) Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs Alys Brangwin (Phantasy Star IV) 64.) Abbie Mills (Sleepy Hollow) vs Misaki Unasaka (Buddy Daddies)

WEEK 1

1.) Starfire (DC Comics) vs Nya Smith (Lego Ninjago) 2.) Natasha Rostova (War and Peace) vs Gwen (BBC Merlin) 3.) Marwa (What We Do in the Shadows (TV Series)) vs Mikoko Sakazaki (Kaiji) 4.) Azula (Avatar the Last Airbender) vs Jennifer Lopez (John Dies at the End) 5.) Chloe Bourgeois (Miraculous Ladybug) vs Milla Maxwell (Tales of Xillia) 6.) Kallen Kouzuki (Code Geass) vs Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball) 7.) Padmé Amidala (Star Wars) vs Bumble (Warrior Cats) 8.) Irene Adler (BBC Sherlock) vs Leia Organa (Star Wars) 9.) Alex DeWitt (DC Comics) vs Elya Musayeva (Топи/The The Swamps (2021)) 10.) Is (Kamen Rider 01) vs Amber Volakis (House MD) 11.) Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Miraculous Ladybug) vs Throné Anguis (Octopath Traveler 2) 12.) Jane Crocker (Homestuck) vs Jade (Dragon Quest 11) 13.) Leafpool (Warrior Cats) vs Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries) 14.) Holy Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders) vs Poppy Pipopapo (Kamen Rider Ex-Aid) 15.) Mikan Tsumiki (Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair) vs Ochette (Octopath Traveler 2) 16.) Lisa Cuddy (House MD) vs Brunhilda/Mym (Dragalia Lost) 17.) Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa V3) vs Juvia Lockser (Fairy Tail) 18.) Agent Texas (Red vs Blue) vs Kamala Khan (Marvel Comics) 19.) April O'Neil (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)) vs Teresa (Maze Runner Series) 20.) Stephanie “Steph” Nocanonlastname (EverymanHYBRID) vs Megaera (Hades) 21.) Ochako Uraraka (My Hero Academia) vs Julia Wicker (The Magicians) 22.) Ran Mouri (Detective Conan) vs Malty S Melromarc (Rising of the Shield Hero) 23.) Magne (My Hero Academia) vs Asuna (Sword Art Online) 24.) Tasha Yar (Star Trek: The Next Generation) vs Yan Hui (Back from the Brink) 25.) Sakura Haruno (Naruto) vs Ada Vessalius (Pandora Hearts) 26.) Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto) vs Niki Nihachu (Dream SMP) 27.) Pyrrha Nikos (RWBY) vs Quiet (Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain) 28.) Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail) vs Pussy Galore (Goldeneye) 29.) Ann Takamaki (Persona 5) vs Mikuru Asahina (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) 30.) Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) vs Kes (STar Trek: Voyager) 31.) Flora Reinhold (Professor Layton) vs Agent South Dakota (Red vs Blue) 32.) Deanna Troi (Star Trek: The Next Generation) vs Nemu Kurotsuchi (Bleach)

[fyeahcompetentwomen]

Round 1 Roundup!

or, one post to find them all...

All four groups of Round 1 are now live! Find each group's masterpost with all respective links here:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Plus, all 64 individual polls are linked below the readmore.

Group 1

Sarah Jane Smith vs. Leia Organa

Deanna Troi vs. Florence (Gunpowder Milkshake)

Jody Mills vs. Andromache the Scythian

Kim Wexler vs. Villanelle

Paris Geller vs. Dr. Maura Isles

Delenn of the Religious Cast and Chosen of Dukat vs. Sister Beatrice

Lisa Cuddy vs. Seven of Nine

Ziva David vs. Michael Burnham

Una Chin-Riley (Number One) vs. Evelyn Wang

Nyota Uhura vs. Moana

Alex Danvers vs. Olivier Armstrong

Barbara Howard vs. Joan Watson

Barbara Gordon vs. Dr. Helen Magnus

B'Elanna Torres vs. Esmeralda "Granny" Weatherwax

Raelle Collar vs. Parker

Lwaxana Troi vs. Sidney Fox

Group 2

Xena vs. Bad Wolf

Lindsey Boxer vs. Anna May

Siuan Sanche vs. Jules Callaghan

Ally McBeal vs. Eve Baird

Sidney Prescott vs. Kira Nerys

Jill Valentine vs. Susan Ivanova

Chrisjen Avasarala vs. Cameron Howe

Hermione Granger vs. Henrietta Wilson

Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman vs. Susan Sto Helit

Fujiko Mine vs. Naomi Nagata

Yu Shu Lien vs. Melinda May

Jane Rizzoli vs. Dr. Bernie Wolfe

Dana Scully vs. Death of the Endless

Erza Scarlet vs. Rhaenys Targaryen

Root vs. Anissa Pierce aka Thunder

Kara Thrace vs. Dr. Addison Montgomery

Group 3

Buffy Summers vs. Jocelyn "Joss" Carter

Scarlet (Gunpowder Milkshake) vs. Modesty Blaise

Moiraine Damodred vs. Margaret Houlihan

Elizabeth Swann vs. Laris (Star Trek)

Aeryn Sun vs. River Song

Dr. Beverly Crusher vs. Kathryn Janeway

Gabrielle of Poteidaea vs. Breanna Casey

Phryne Fisher vs. Shauna Sadecki

Ava Silva vs. Miranda Priestly

Galadriel vs. Yalena "Dutch" Yardeen

Regina Mills vs. Abigail Carmichael

Sara Lance vs. Nomi Marks

Mulan vs. Hera Syndulla

Myka Bering vs. Donna Noble

Philippa Georgiou (Mirror) vs. Éowyn

Cosima Niehaus vs. Violet Baudelaire

Group 4

Jenny Calendar vs. 13th Doctor

Madeleine (Gunpowder Milkshake) vs. Helena "H.G." Wells

Camina Drummer vs. Philippa Georgiou (Prime)

Raffaela "Raffi" Musiker vs. Jane Doe

Eda Clawthorne vs. Olivia Dunham

Daisy Johnson vs. Anne Lister

Anna Mill vs. Sophie Devereaux

Dr. Temperance Brennan vs. Ahsoka Tano

Catherine Willows vs. Lara Croft

Holga Kilgore vs. Sameen Shaw

Inej Ghafa vs. Evie Frye

Jadzia Dax vs. Lena Luthor

Annabeth Chase vs. Mildred Ratched

Laura Roslin vs. Shuri

Jo Lupo vs. Samantha "Sam" Carter

Claudia Donovan vs. Willow Rosenberg

[itsfarrah]

|Chapter 3|

The days following my arrival at Barton Cottage passed in a whirlwind of new experiences and warm companionship. Each morning, I awoke to the gentle sounds of birdsong filtering through the window, a welcome contrast to the cacophony of city life back in America.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting dappled shadows across the garden, the Dashwood family and I embarked upon our daily routine. Mrs. Dashwood tended to her beloved roses, imparting her wisdom on their care as we meandered through the flower beds. Margaret skipped ahead, her laughter mingling with the rustle of leaves as she chased butterflies through the garden.

Elinor, with her practical demeanor, busied herself with household tasks, organizing the pantry and attending to correspondence. Despite the mundane nature of her duties, she approached each task with a quiet efficiency that left me in awe of her capabilities.

Meanwhile, Marianne and I retreated to the parlor, where she indulged my curiosity with tales of English literature and music. With each passing hour, I found myself captivated by her enthusiasm and passion for the arts, eager to absorb every word she uttered.

As the afternoon waned into evening, we gathered around the table for a simple yet satisfying meal, the clatter of cutlery and lively conversation filling the air. We feasted on roasted chicken, accompanied by buttered peas and mashed potatoes, followed by a delectable apple tart for dessert. Between bites, the Dashwood sisters engaged in animated discussion, exchanging tidbits of gossip from the town.

"And did you hear about the recent scandal involving the Thompsons?" Marianne exclaimed, her eyes alight with excitement. "It seems that Mr. Thompson was caught in a compromising situation with Mrs. Smith at the local inn!"

Elinor shook her head in disbelief. "Scandalous indeed," she murmured, her brow furrowed in concern. "It's a wonder how such rumors spread like wildfire in our small community."

Just as Mrs. Dashwood was about to reprimand us for discussing such unladylike matters, a servant entered the room, bearing a letter addressed to the Dashwood family. With eager anticipation, Mrs. Dashwood broke the seal and began to read aloud.

"My dear Dashwood family," she began, her voice carrying a note of excitement. "I am delighted to extend an invitation to a dinner and garden party at Norland Park, hosted by Sir John Middleton. The event is to take place in two days' time, and he kindly requests the pleasure of our company, as well as that of our dear guest, Miss Farrah."

The room erupted into joyful exclamations, each member of the Dashwood family expressing their delight at the prospect of attending such a prestigious event. Marianne's eyes sparkled with excitement, while Elinor nodded in agreement, already considering the logistics of our attendance. Margaret clapped her hands in delight, eager for the chance to explore the grounds of Norland Park.

As Mrs. Dashwood folded the letter and set it aside, she turned to explain to me who Sir John Middleton was. "Sir John is a dear friend of our family and a respected gentleman in the neighborhood," she began. "He is known for his generous hospitality and his fondness for hosting grand gatherings at his estate. His garden parties are particularly renowned, filled with music, dancing, and lively conversation."

Marianne chimed in, her excitement palpable. "And the guests! You'll have the opportunity to meet some of the most esteemed families in the area. The Middletons are well-connected, and their parties are always attended by a delightful mix of society's finest."

Margaret, ever the irrepressible one, interjected with a mischievous grin. "Who knows, perhaps one of us will find a dashing suitor amidst the festivities," she teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Elinor raised an eyebrow, casting a pointed glance at her sister. "Indeed," she replied dryly, her lips quirking into a small smile. "Though I suspect Marianne may be the one to catch the eye of a certain gentleman."

Marianne's cheeks flushed pink as she swatted playfully at her sister. "Oh, hush, Elinor," she protested, her laughter filling the room.

But Marianne, ever perceptive, noticed the blush that had spread across my cheeks. With a playful glint in her eye, she turned her attention to me. "And what of you, dear Farrah?" she asked, her tone teasing. "Do you anticipate the arrival of a charming suitor at Sir John's party?"

Feeling the weight of their teasing, I blushed furiously, my gaze falling to my hands in embarrassment. "Well," I began, my voice hesitant. "I suppose I am open to the idea of finding a suitable gentleman, but I shan't get my hopes up too high."

Elinor and Mrs. Dashwood exchanged knowing glances before Elinor spoke with a reassuring smile. "Oh, my dear Farrah, there is no doubt that you will capture the attention of a fine gentleman at the party," she said confidently.

Mrs. Dashwood nodded in agreement. "Indeed, my dear," she added, her eyes twinkling with maternal warmth. "You are a charming and delightful young lady, and I have no doubt that there will be many suitors vying for your affections at Sir John's party."

Grateful for their words of encouragement, I nodded in agreement, hoping to bring an end to the teasing. But before I could utter another word, Marianne and Margaret seized upon the opportunity to indulge their penchant for fashion.

"Come, sisters," Marianne exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We must begin planning our attire for the party at once!"

Margaret clapped her hands in agreement. "Indeed!" she declared. "We shall pick out the most elegant dresses, the finest makeup, and the most stylish hairstyles. We shall be the belles of the ball!"

And so, under the watchful eyes of Marianne and Margaret, we embarked upon a whirlwind of satin and lace, trying on dresses and experimenting with hairstyles until the late hours of the night. As I retired to my chamber that evening, the image of the Dashwood sisters' laughter and camaraderie filled me with a sense of belonging, eager for the adventures that awaited us at Norland Park.

[aninsecurewriter]

100 must-read books!

This is a list of books considered "must-reads" from various lists and online posters. I'll be reviewing them as I go but mainly keeping track of what I have and haven't read here.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Secret History by Donna Tart

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Norwegian Wood bt Haruki Murakami

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Lolita Vladimir Nabokov

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Ulysses by James Joyce

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Gulliver's Travels by Johnathan Swift

The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Beloved by Toni Morrison

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Macbeth by Shakespeare

The Lord of the Rings (trilogy) by J.R.R Tolkien

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally

London Fields by Martin Amis

Sherlock Holmes and the The Hound of the Baskerville's by Arthur Conan Doyle

My Man Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Gladys Aylward the Little Woman by Gladys Aylward

Mindnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

Dissolution by C.J Sansom

The Time Machine by H.G Wells

Winnie the Pooh (complete collection) by A.A Milne

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Castle by Franz Kafka

Dracula by Bram Stoker

All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Misery by Stephen King

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis

The Shining by Stephen King

The Odyssey by Homer

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson

Tell No One by Harlan Coben

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

[psalm22-6]

Michael Rennie and Robert Newton as Valjean and Javert in Lewis Milestone’s Les Misérables (1952) [source]

The Los Angeles Daily News, 5 February 1952

Remaking of an old film classic always results in many strange parallels and anecdotes. Well, we dup up [sic?] an oddity out at 20th Century-Fox, where Lewis Milestone is directing "Les Miserables,” the daddy of all chase pictures. It concerns the casting of Robert Newton and Sylvia Sidney in the Victor Hugo epic. Twenty three year ago, Newton, who had been introduced to Milestone by the late Robert Benchley, saw the actor in numerous plays which Newton produced at his own Schilling theater In London. That same year Milestone met Newton again in New York, where the latter followed Laurence Olivier In the Broadway production of "Private Lives." After the play Milestone asked Newton to come to Hollywood to star in “The Life of Don Juan In America.” Newton came, but by that time the depression hit and the films financial backers pulled out. Now, after nearly two decades, Newton and Milestone finally working together. It was the same year that Milestone, then with Howard Hughes, saw Sylvia Sidney In New York. He asked her to come to Hollywood to appear In "The Front Page” in the role of the girl who jumped out the window. But Ben Schulberg signed Sylvia to a long term contract, leaving Milestone to find another girl. The other day Sylvia walked on the set of “Les Miserables” for the first time. Milestone said, "Welcome Sylvia, it took me 23 years to make a bad girl out of you.” He was, of course, referring to Sylvia’s role in the film -- that of Fantine. 'Les Miserable' still good Milestone feels that this version of "Les Miserables” will be superior to the last film treatment, because it has both greater dramatic scope and is more compact -- somewhat of an achievement for screenwriter Richard Murphy, who wrote the 148-page script from Hugo's 1250-page immortal literary classic. Milestone points out that the timelessness of Hugo's work makes it Ideal film material. Its account of man’s inhumanity to man, of political as well as romantic strife, are as applicable today as they were back In 1816. It is still, he says, one of the great suspense stories of all time, and the manhunt theme defies parallel. (The final chase through the sewers' of Paris has been the highlight of every "Les Miserables” made thus far.) Darryl Zanuck made the last "Les Miserables” for 20th Century (not 20th Century - Fox that was just before the merger). It starred Frederic March as "Valjean" and Charles Laughton as “Javert.” The old Fox Films company made the first American version in 1917 with William Farnum as the hero and Hardie Kirkland as the French policeman assigned to track him down. Harry Bauer played "Valjean" in  the French version In 1934 (Pathe-Naton). Lux Films made it in Italy In 1948 with Valentina Cortesa in the roles of both "Cosette" and "Fantine.” [. . .]  As usual, films like “Les Miserables” have their share of makeup problems. For example, Ben Nye toiled for many hours trying to get Rennie to look like Milestone’s conception of “Valjean.” Before Rennie made the grade he looked like everyone from Lincoln to one of the Smith Brothers. Finally, however, Nye captures Milestone’s desires and the result made Rennie almost unrecognizable.  In fact, one day Rennie’s lovely wife, London musical comedy star Margaret McGrath, visited the set during shooting of the galley sequence and had to have her husband pointed out to her.  “Gosh,” she remarked uninhibitedly, “am I married to THAT THING?”

[charliethomascoxuniverse]

Interview with Charlie Cox (HBO)

01 January 2012 (X)

Season 3, Owen seemed like a slightly different man - what changed in him while he was working with Nucky in Atlantic City?

As we’ve rejoined ‘Boardwalk Empire’ this season and skipped the year and a half coming into New Year’s 1923, I think over the time we’ve missed, Owen has remained very faithful to Nucky - certainly in a business sense. He has more responsibility, and people in the world who want to get to Nucky know to go through him. I think that last year, after growing up in Ireland during the war, Atlantic City seemed like child’s play. But I think as time passes and we get further into Season 3, Owen starts to think this is a lot more dangerous than it appears to be. He’s witnessed Nucky killing his kind-of son, and then in the fourth episode this season, he sees Nucky kill another young kid, almost to prove a point. People’s lives are a lot more dispensable than he at first thought.

How did his relationship with Margaret change from their first fling last season?

He’s fallen in love with her - it’s the only way to explain what he’s doing now. Because if he got caught, he knows it would be game over. In the first season, he was chasing her around, kind of trying to f**k her, and thinks that would be fun, like, “Can I get the boss’s wife?” When it comes about this season, it’s a much bigger decision, and there’s even a point where he says, “I don’t think this is a good idea.” I think it started off as a game to him, but as he’s been away from home, I think he’s gotten lonely, and they have that old-country bond a little bit.

You mentioned the scene where Nucky kills Rowland Smith to prove to Owen that he’s willing to go all the way. Did that impress Owen with the respect for his boss that Nucky wanted him to have?

I can only talk from how Owen views Nucky - I don’t know who Steve thinks Nucky is deep down. I think Owen has probably seen more real suffering than many of the people in this show. What he went through in Ireland has given him a grasp on the important things in life and an ability to value them more than a lot of the people who are in this world. In that scene, Nucky shoots that guy partly to prove a point to Owen, “Now you understand what happens if you f**k me over.” I think the Owen of 1923 doesn’t doubt for a second that Nucky would put a bullet in his head. He probably thinks it’ll happen anyway, and that at some point it’s part of Nucky’s plan, since he already knows too much. He’s got to get out before that happens.

Of all the different gangsters Owen deals with, do you think he has any kindred spirits?

I think if Owen could work with anyone or for anyone, it would be Arnold Rothstein. I think they’re of similar mentalities. Owen’s still maturing, but if he were there already, he wouldn’t have slept with Katy or Margaret. He has a stoic nature about him and an ability to remain cool and remove ego. He reveals less and plays his cards very close, so I think he really respects the way Arnold Rothstein does business. There’s a coldness to Rothstein’s relationships - he doesn’t have personal relationships, just business relationships - and I think Own respects that immensely. I think he looks at Nucky some of the time and thinks, “What the f**k are you doing with this chick in New York?”

So it all ends for Owen in “A Man, a Plan…” What did you think when you saw how his story was coming to a close?

Hey, it’s an amazing, beautifully written episode. It was a shock to me, so it’ll probably be shock to the viewers. I mean, Owen was never safe - he’s not one of those characters. But it still comes unexpectedly. I feel like you think, “If Owen is going to die, it’s because Nucky is going to discover something and shoot him in the face.” So, because we’re not quite there and he’s killed by Joe Masseria on a job … It’s kind of beautiful how it happens. Owen finds out he’s going to be a father and that he and Margaret are going to run away with each other, and I think that’s why he died. I don’t think he’d get this wrong; I think he got distracted. In one of the earlier scripts there was a fight scene we didn’t end up filming. But the hit wasn’t well scouted-out, and Owen wasn’t on his game. He was thinking about other things, and the beautiful irony is that discovering how his life would turn out ended up killing him.

~*~

[emilynightshade89]

OC Profile:

TW: Mentions of Alcohol Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Mentions of Canon Typical Vampire Violence. (Please take care and let me know if i need to add more!)  

Fandom: Daybreakers (2009)

Face Claim: Joyce Byers in Stranger Things

Full Name: Wendy Jessamy Conwell McCoy

Nicknames/Aliases: Bones (Given by Elvis affectionately), The Day Rider (Given by the Vamp. military squadron set on her capture and the findings of her human colony) 

Age: Mid to Late 40s

Height: 5′ 3 1/2 inch. 

Sexuality: Bisexual

Gender: Cis-Gendered Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Religion: None

Personality Type: ISFJ-T “The Defender”

Alignment: Neutral Good

Birth Date: March 21st 

Star Sign: Aries

Birthstone: Bloodstone 

Clothing Style: Mostly laid-back plaids over tanks and band t-shirts with jeans and boots. Her favorite band tees would consist of: Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pearl Jam, and more. Typically wears ripped jeans. Will don her military gear for holding supplies and tools over her motorcycle outfit while scouting. A black long sleeved collared jacket, black pants, and sometimes a green parka hoodie for when it gets cold at night. She also wears a helmet that’s tinted so you won’t be able to see her face, but she can see you just fine.     

Family Members: 

Margaret Conwell McCoy (Mother, Deceased)

Joseph Conwell (Father, Deceased)

Travis McCoy (Stepfather, Deceased)

Jeremy Conwell McCoy (Brother)

Two unnamed nieces 

Significant Others:

Laverne Bree (Fiancée, Deceased) 

Lionel “Elvis” Cormac (Current Partner, Eventual Spouse)

Children: 

Matthew Dillon Cormac (Eventual son)

Platonic Relationships:

Friends -> 

Audrey Bennett

Edward Dalton 

Gavin Smith (Former leader of Wendy’s Military Squadron, Colony Representative)

Parker Hayes (Military Deserter, Colony Doctor)

Guadalupe Romero (Military Deserter, Colony Electrician)

Levi Chambers (Military Deserter, Colony Emergency Rep.)

Trudy Spier (Jeremy’s girlfriend)

Enemies ->

Hudson Fowler (Vampire Military Squadron Leader)

 Pets: 

Lisa Marie ~ A brown and white Border Collie shared with her partner Lionel.

Chester ~ An orange Tabby cat, found and gifted to her by Lionel and Ed for her birthday.

Elton ~ A Doberman Pinscher adopted by son Matthew Cormac after Lisa and Chester’s eventual passing.   

Hobbies: Riding her motorcycle on patrols, listening to music, Playing the guitar and drums (as a teen), Roller Skating, Archery.  

Skills: Close combat with a knife, Gun Handling, Archery, Licensed Nursing.  

Childhood:

Oldest daughter of two, Wendy was born to Margaret and Joseph Conwell and was their only daughter and child until she was seven and was given a baby brother named Jeremy. Her mother was a nurse, and her father owned a business that unfortunately had run into some serious legal trouble that took a hard toll on him. 

As a result, Wendy’s home life would soon become a rocky one. At the age of twelve, her mother Margaret was working constantly at the hospital while her father Joseph was always away and lost money to gambling and feeding into his alcohol addiction as he claimed he was trying to get money to bring his old business back to life. 

In school Wendy had no trouble making friends, but it soon proved difficult to keep them since she was more worried about looking after her baby brother most of the time due to both her parent’s absence at home. She never blamed her mother for it since her work brought food to the table, but she steadily blamed her father for sure since he always came home a drunk with empty pockets 

Eventually her father’s temper snapped when he realized Margaret had plans to take the kids and had stashed money away from him to do so. This led to a horrible fight where Wendy was awoken from sleep to the sound of her mother screaming and rushing to find that Joseph had shoved her into her bedside table and had drawn blood. Wendy retaliated in anger and fear by hitting him with an empty beer bottle and her mother managed to chase him out with a bat and call the police. 

Margaret was able to safely move Wendy and Jeremy out and filed for divorce that week. They cut ties with Joseph completely despite him reaching out once to borrow money. 

Adolescence:

Wendy still had trouble dealing with what she had seen and done and in high school, started drinking to forget and calm herself down. She had a bad friend that would help her get the drinks and eventually Margaret found out about her daughter’s habit and confronted her about it.

This led into a rather nasty fight between them, concluding with Wendy sobbing in the kitchen apologizing and begging her mom for help out of fear that she might end up like her father. Margaret, without hesitation, held her daughter close and vowed to do what it took. 

Wendy received the help she needed, along with therapy for her trauma and cut ties with the friend. She graduated high school with a plan to become a nurse like her mother. 

Margaret fell in love with a man named Travis McCoy and soon enough the new couple was dating. Jeremy liked him and got along with him, and he seemed decent enough, but Wendy didn’t trust him out of fear that their family history would repeat. However, after a group trip to Australia one summer, Travis and Wendy had a heart to heart, and she saw in him what Joseph should have been and accepted him. 

After some time with the family, Travis asked her if it would be alright if he married her mom. Wendy, to her own surprise and delight, said it was.   

Adulthood:

Wendy worked in a renowned Hospital when she met the first love of her life; Laverne Bree. It had started out as a friendship, since Bree had just moved into the same building and was working as a cop. But in the time spent together, Wendy found out that she felt a certain way about her friend and soon discovered her own bisexuality. When she felt secure to tell Laverne the truth, she was surprised to hear that Laverne had felt the same as she was already a closeted lesbian. 

They took their relationship steadily and slow, and soon found confidence and started dating. Wendy brought Laverne around often to see her family and they adored her. Laverne doesn’t speak to her family and would always be ecstatic to join Wendy on holiday trips to see hers. Wendy eventually asked Laverne to marry her after years of dating. 

Wendy and Laverne were about one year into planning their wedding when Wendy heard at work about a sudden mysterious outbreak of multiple people being bitten and behaving in strange and monstrous ways. An attack on a staff member at her hospital caused her to witness exactly what was happening for herself and her concerns grew about what would happen to her family.

The news steadily became more alarming as it was already estimated that vampires had humans outnumbered and that there was a need of what to do with these citizens as they still held onto themselves after being turned and were still considered people. While trying to stay busy after her hospital was shut down, Wendy decided to join the military in an effort to help make sense of what to do to help those in need. The program she entered into taught her all the tactical skills she would later use, and she was put into a squadron with a man named Gavin Smith who would soon become a good friend of hers. She met Parker, Levi, and Guadalupe there as well. 

Gavin, Wendy and the rest of their troop spent their deployment setting up shelters and aid facilities as the world leaders came together to discuss what to do about the dwindling numbers of humans and the steadily rising of vampires. Wendy, while in constant contact with her loved ones, found out from her mother in a frightened voice that the area in which her father Joseph was still kept in prison was attacked and raided by a group of vampires and that Joseph’s body wasn’t anywhere among the dead accounted for. Wendy became fearful and told her mother to contact Laverne for help.

Wendy and her squadron were able to return home early and with things getting much worse on the news, she anxiously returned home that night as fast as she could but was too late and found her mother and stepfather slaughtered and drained of their blood in their own beds. Jeremy was nowhere to be found in the house as he had just been visiting with his girlfriend Trudy and there were more signs of an attack leading towards the kitchen. There, Wendy was horribly distraught to see her fiancee Laverne strewn on the floor bloody and no more. Her police gun a mere feet away from where she had fallen. 

Wendy in her grief, was found by Joseph still inside the house and she vengefully did everything to stop him from turning her as he attacked her. she was almost bitten when Joseph was suddenly decapitated from behind by a worried Gavin as he stood before her with his machete. He helped her out of the house despite her struggles in vain to find her brother as they were joined by the other three members of their squad. Their plan was to abandon their ranks from the military after they had heard about it being announced that military forces were to be turned into vampires as a new protocol by all the world leaders after they had been turned into vampires as well. Finding out for themselves that being immortal was an upside to being undead.  

In the weeks after going rogue, Gavin told Wendy to find an abandoned base that was hidden deep into the mountains nearby that he had heard about. They would hunker down somewhere safe until he had gotten word from her and in the meantime would try to save as many human lives as they still could. After a few months, Wendy was successful and the team along with survivors turned the place into their new home as the world outside changed and became dangerous. 

In the few years that followed, Wendy would scout outside the colony walls by herself, looking for new survivors and being hunted by members of her old squadron lead by a man named Hudson Fowler, who had willingly been turned and were tasked with finding her and the other deserters.    

Late Life:

In her mid to late 40s, Wendy would still scout despite the constant decreasing in human survivors. 

As rumors spread that the Vamps were getting desperate for human blood, her trips became more dangerous and one day, while playing her emergency broadcast for other humans, she ran alongside a car with a Phoenix painted on it and met Lionel Cormac, Edward Dalton, and Audrey Bennett. She guided them back to her colony but ran into some trouble along the way back.

They all arrived there safe, and soon enough Ed, Audrey and Lionel introduced that there was a way to cure vampires back into human beings.

Wendy would ultimately decide to help them convince her colony that it was true, and this collaboration led her to become close with the trio, and eventually causing her and Lionel to become friends and eventually fall in love.

Within a few months, hope spread through the colony as word went around that because the blood substitute was working without any struggles, the conversation around what to do about the remaining humans became relevant again and more senators and government officials were deeply interested in trying to preserve the human race. 

 For the first time in a long while, Wendy was hopeful for a future where she and Lionel could live together.

Wendy was asked by Gavin to seek out another human colony that were in peaceful contact with Vampire senators that wished to help the humans return safely. She accepted and Lionel volunteered to travel with her.

Upon meeting the new colony in a remote location, Wendy was shocked to find her brother Jeremy alive and well with Trudy and their two daughters. Overcome with joy, the McCoy siblings embraced. But it was very short lived as a rogue party of Vampires found them and attacked. 

They were fought off, but Wendy was bitten while protecting her new nieces from being harmed. 

While escaping towards home with the colony in tow, Wendy revealed to Lionel that she had been bit and was worried about turning on her loved ones. Lionel assured her that she wouldn’t and once they got back, immediately set up a space for Wendy to be quarantined away from everyone else. Only Lionel and Ed refused to leave her as Parker does his best to care for her before she painfully turned into a vampire. 

Lionel offers her his blood without hesitation, but Ed warns him that she might actually end up killing him since she was newly turned and hungry. Before any of them could do something, word spread to them about a group of vamps scouting the mountains near their hiding place and Wendy, fearing the worst, snuck away and successfully lured them away from the mountains on her bike. She was captured by Fowler and was taken to the city to be questioned. 

Lionel, Gavin, Audrey and Ed were able to rescue her back and turn Wendy into a human again. Upon seeing that it was in fact possible, Gavin agreed to meet with the Vampires who advocated for human life with Jeremy and Audrey. 

Months pass and the vampire community and government has set up peaceful conditions and places of reserves for humans to live openly and safely during the day. Laws are passed condoning the killing of humans by Vampires and while some are displeased on both sides, steps have been taken to ensure humanity continues safely. Wendy has long since recovered and upon coming home from visiting Jeremy and his family, is accompanied by Lionel and in the following weeks discovers that she has become pregnant with her first child.

Wendy at first is troubled by how late at her age she has become pregnant at and is concerned for their baby’s health while Lionel completely supports her by whatever decision she chooses. At this point Ed and Audrey have already had their first daughter and after confiding in Audrey, Wendy decides she wants to keep her baby.

 After 8 1/2 months she gives birth to a small but healthy baby boy, she and Lionel name Matthew. 

As the years pass and Matthew is now 12, Wendy and Lionel are married and are living happily in a small town that has both a Human and Vampire population within it. Lionel has another garage that services both vampire modeled and human modeled vehicles while Wendy works with Parker at their town clinic.

Wendy lives out the rest of her days with her loved ones, her husband Lionel and son Matthew doing what she loves and at peace with her life.   

[kaileeandag]

Minor Characters in Brooke’s Series

-Kaitlin Borden: an 18 year old that babysits Brooke and her siblings during the events of Meet Brooke, she is attending Pierre’s School of Cosmetology. At the moment, she is recovering from two cracked ribs due to attending the infamously badly handled Woodstock ‘99 festival. -Ms. Carole Breault-the grandmother of Brooke’s friend Alicia,she works at Cyro as a boss. Even when she wants to watch ‘her stories’ (soap operas),she’ll let her grandkids and their friends play Super Nintendo instead. Has a bit of a dry sense of humor. -Mr. Bussiere: a 6th grade teacher at Willard. Brooke has a grudge against him due to him thinking that she was having a Tourette’s fit on purpose. -Mrs. Robin Donarumo-a neighbor of the Meyers, she has her own business making balloon arches for special events such as weddings. Seems to have a huge amount of patience,especially when it comes to her only child Kailee. -Mrs. Jones: Brooke and her brother Austin’s 4th grade teacher. She isn’t too amused when Brooke sings the song Mr. Jones by Counting Crows after introducing herself. Other than that,Brooke enjoys having her as a teacher. -Ms. Margaret Maurais: the 3rd grade teacher of Brooke’s brother Christopher,as well as Brooke and her siblings before her. She works at Margaret Chase Smith Elementary,a grades K-3 school. Many of her students speak highly of her. -Dr. Pierce: a doctor at Goodall Hospital, he sees Brooke’s brother Jake during the events of Happy Y2K,Brooke, when Brooke accidentally cracks three of Jake’s ribs while the two were using Socker Boppers. -Mr. Charles Potter: the principal at Willard School. He is mostly seen during the events of Brooke’s New School, when he tries to calm the girl down when she’s accused of acting up on purpose. -Mr. Christopher Ridge: Jake and his twin brother Stephen’s 5th grade teacher. Parents and students either love him or hate him. Brooke becomes one of Mr. Ridge’s students by the end of her fifth book. -Ned Shanahan: a new kid from Australia,he’s in Jake’s 5th grade class. Brooke seems enamored with what he has to say about his home country,such as the wildlife being largely dangerous and lethal,as well as how you can get ice pops at the school canteen (cafeteria) or a Sunny Boy to beat the infamous Australian heat. His favorite snacks from his home country are the Polly Waffle,Fairy Bread,strawberry & lemon Calippo Shots,and Vegemite Snackabouts.

[delux2222]

"One of the basic causes for all the trouble in the world today is that people talk too much and think too little. They act impulsively without thinking."

Happy Birthday, Margaret Chase Smith (1897-1995)

[hiddenwashington]

anonymous said : fc suggestions for maya & katie matlin, grace cardinal, fiona coyne, and imogen moreno?

sure thing – this is going to be a long one ! for maya matlin : kathryn newton , zendaya , haley lu richardson , diana silvers , taylor russell , madelyn cline , grace van patten , leah lewis , maddie hasson , josephine langford , thomasin mckenzie , or olivia dejonge ; for katie matlin :  alva bratt , alisha boe , katie douglas , virginia gardner , bahar sahin , kaitlyn dever , grace beedie , rachel keller , vanessa morgan , zoey deutch , chase sui wonders , or sophie cookson ; for grace cardinal , i’d highly suggest her canon actress nakuset “nikki” gould ( who has plenty of gifs ! ) , but otherwise : anna lambe , grace dove , jenna clause , tanaya beatty , hon'mana seukteoma , michaella shannon , quannah chasinghorse , or devery jacobs ; for fiona coyne : alexxis lemire , samantha logan , margaret qualley , zion moreno , lee sunbin , savannah lee smith , aslihan malbora , danielle rose russell , chelsea clark , kaia gerber , nychaa nuttanicha , or benedetta gargari ; then finally , for imogen moreno : lana condor , gideon adlon , belissa escobedo , myra molloy , kaylee bryant , elisha applebaum , isabella gomez , sarah catherine hook , maia mitchell , rachel hilson , odeya rush , or andrea chaparro !