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static-radio-ao3 · 3 months

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@jegulus-microfic // january 22 // prompt: cry // words: 1184 // cw: explicit sexual content

James Potter is loud. Unbearably so. He’s also talkative, which makes for a particularly frustrating combination. He’s always blabbering on about one thing or the other. His professors or the reading materials or the RA of his dorm, whose name is Frank Longbottom, by the way. This is something Regulus knows because James is —say it with me— loud.

James is either louder than usual today, or Regulus’ fuse is shorter than usual, but it is bordering on unbearable. Regulus is trying his best to focus on the economics of inequality, really, he is. But James Potter’s aggravating voice is cutting through his concentration at an alarming rate.

With a sharp exhale he slams the palms of his hands against the table and shoves his chair backward, causing Evan and Barty to look up. At the sight of Regulus fuming, they simply raise an eyebrow at each other and turn back to their assignments.

Regulus rolls his shoulders and steels himself for what is undoubtedly going to be a frustrating interaction.

He weaves his way through the library, surprised that no one else seems as bothered as he is about the noise, because it is fairly packed. Exam week is coming up and Hogwarts University is known for its rigorous program and harsh grading. This may or may not be the cause for Regulus’ short fuse today — he really needs to pass the econ exam if he wants to take an elective next semester.

Before he knows it, he is standing in front of James Potter’s table. Regulus clears his throat once to get James’ attention, but he seems so captivated by his own story that he doesn’t notice Regulus, standing there with a frown on his face.

It isn’t until James’ friend, Peter? Preston? Patrick? No, Peter sounds right, nudges him under the table that James looks up.

Regulus is met with a blinding smile. “Hi, Reg! What can I do for you?”

“Shut up.”

“Excuse me?” James asks, affronted. “You came and talked to me.”

“No, I mean what you can do for me is shutting up. You’re being loud and I can’t focus.”

The confused expression on James’ face morphs into a smug one almost instantaneously. “So what I’m hearing is that you find me distracting?” He asks with a wag of his eyebrows. Peter snorts out a laugh, but Regulus ignores him.

He rolls his eyes. God, this man is infuriating. “That’s absolutely not what I said. I simply can’t hear myself think over the sound of your voice.”

“Shame,” James tells him. “Although, I must admit I’m rather interested to hear what you’re thinking. Maybe you could tell me on Friday? Over dinner?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Dinner. Friday,” James repeats. Then he gestures between the two of them. “You and me.”

Regulus feels like a fish out of water, gaping stupidly at James Potter in the middle of the library.

Regulus is about to say something cutting and devastating like In your wildest dreams or Is this a prank or Absolutely the fuck not, but what comes out of his mouth is a hesitant, “Sure.”

James’ beaming smile is back. “Alright. I best get back to studying, then. Apparently I have plans on Friday, so I gotta clear my schedule.”

Regulus makes his way back to his table in a daze. Barty and Evan are waiting, gazes expectant.

“Well?” Evan prompts when Regulus doesn’t say anything. “How’d you get him to shut up?”

“By agreeing to go on a date with him,” Regulus says, still somewhat confused. He isn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t a prank and he also isn’t entirely convinced he’s awake right now. The interaction was so absurd, he's sure he dreamed it.

“What the fuck?” Barty asks. Yeah, that’s what Regulus is also thinking.

————————————————————————

“C’mon, James,” Regulus murmurs, “let me hear you.” He reaches up to tug James’ bottom lip out from between his teeth. With a particularly harsh thrust, he pushes James up the mattress a couple of inches, slamming the headboard against the wall.

James moans —loudly— and Regulus relishes in the sound. He chases it, covering James’ mouth with his own and licking into it as if he could taste the sound, somehow. He pulls back and attaches his lips to James’ neck, sucking a bruise into the flushed skin.

James moans again, and again, and again. The sound bursts out of him in breathy gasps every time Regulus pushes in.

“Love it when you get loud for me,” Regulus tells him.

“Used to—” James starts, but he is interrupted by yet another moan, “used to hate it.”

“That was before I knew better,” Regulus acquiesces, slightly breathless. “Now it’s my favorite thing in the world.”

The sound of the headboard hitting the wall fills the room, interspersed with the sound of James moaning. It doesn’t take long for James’ moans to rise in pitch, signaling that he’s close.

“Reg, Reg, I’m—” James tries to warn, but he cuts himself off with a cry of pleasure.

“I know, James,” Regulus replies. He furrows his brow in concentration, his fist tight around James' cock as he pushes him toward his release. “It’s okay, come for me.”

James spills all over Regulus’ hand and his own stomach with a particularly loud moan and Regulus follows close behind, tumbling into pleasure headfirst until he comes back down to earth.

He pulls out of James gently, discards the condom, and moves to grab a cloth. He wipes down James’ stomach and reaches between his legs to get rid of the excess lube. Regulus is just about to get comfortable again when there is a sharp knock on the door. With a sigh, he tosses James a pair of underwear and tugs on his own.

“What,” Regulus says sharply when he yanks the door open. James pads up to him and places a hand on his shoulder.

“Hi, Frank,” James says somewhat sheepishly.

“Hi, James. Regulus,” Frank says. His eyes get stuck on the blooming hickey Regulus left on James’ neck a few minutes ago. Regulus coughs pointedly, snapping Frank out of his daze. “Got another noise complaint. Would it kill you guys to be quiet?”

Frank definitely looks like he doesn’t want to be here. Regulus agrees. He would much rather be back in bed with James.

“Sorry, we’ll try to keep it down,” James says. The hand that is not resting on Regulus’ shoulder goes to his hair, running through it self-consciously. Even if they hadn’t gotten a noise complaint it would have been obvious what they were doing. The hickeys, the hair, the distinct lack of clothes.

“Anything else?” Regulus asks when no one speaks.

“Uh, no, that’s all. Thank—” but Regulus has already closed the door before Frank can even finish his sentence.

“Regulus,” James says, exasperated, “this is the third time we’ve gotten a noise complaint. They’re gonna kick me out, I swear.”

“Don’t worry,” Regulus tells him. “You can get up to five complaints before they consider eviction.”

With a loud laugh, James tackles him to the bed.

#yeah i have no excuse guys #idk how i got to over 1k #reg going from “james is so loud 😒” to “james is so loud 😏”#bottom james enjoyers come get your food #anyways uhh enjoy #james potter #regulus black #jegulus #jegulus microfic #mil's microfics #my writing

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sweetlilbambi · 2 years

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⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ EVANSVIEW UNIVERSITY!

pairings: professor!frank adler x sleazy!bus driver!ari levinson x naive!reader x pervy!lloyd hansen

warnings: dark content, non/dubcon, don’t read if that bothers u pls, general pervert stuff lol, masturbation, dirty thoughts, university stuff, depraved thinking, n i think thats it?

note: not a full fic!! just a lil concept of what me n sab always talks about hehe <3 s’like our lil baby n i wna share it to u all <3

attending a university where your professor is frank adler and all the girls on campus gush over the hot older brunette. how could they not when he walks around the campus with the sleeves of his buttoned up shirt rolled up to his forearms and deep voice booming thru the whole room whenever he speaks. he’s handsome and everyone knows it, he knows it.

so it’s not a suprise for him to use his charm when he set his eyes on you, pretty little you. his star student. walking around with your short skirts and adorable tiny dresses that almost leaves nothing to the imagination. it drives him insane, and sometimes he thinks that you’re doing it on purpose, especially since numerous people have tried shooting their shot on him.

but to his surprise, your naive self doesn’t realize all the longing looks you recieve from people, and the many heads that you turn just with your presence.

so don’t blame him if you walking up to his desk with that sparkle in your eye and the shy smile that grows on your face makes his cock hard as a rock. you’re asking for clarification about one of the questions in his assigned packet but frank can’t focus, no. his mind is full of thoughts about lifting up your skirt and bending you over his desk while he slides your panties to the side so he can ram his cock inside that tight little hole.

maybe he’ll make you ride him in his chair too. but he’ll leave the door unlocked just cause he knows girls like you loves a little risk. he’ll whisper in your ear about how much of a slut you are for letting your professor use your cunt as a stress reliever, and bully his way into your hole while he rubs your nub. oh his cock is twitching under his trousers just at the thought of it.

he snaps out of his thoughts once he hears you ask if you could set up an appointment for a bit of help on the topic, and he tells you that he’s free right this second. thinking that if he plays his cards right, he’ll have you on your knees in a snap. but the frown that replaces your smile makes him curse under his breath, listening to your explanation about your part time job in the library.

guess his desires will have to wait. but don’t worry, he’s a patient man. and what frank wants, frank gets. one way or the other.

your job on the other hand though, is just so lovely. everyday after your classes are over, you take the campus bus while you stare out the window with your headphones plugged in your ears and your curious eyes watching everything move around you.

but the sleazy bus driver, ari levinson, manages to always catch your attention. you learned his name from all the small conversations that he always makes with you, a hybrid of a smile and a smirk always on his face whenever he speaks. he always asks about yourself, your major, what you’re up to, your love life, and sometimes he even makes a comment or two about your sex life.

it makes you confused, but the smile never leaves your face while you answer his intrusive questions, it would be rude not to! and your mama always reminds you of your manners.

plus, mr. levinson is so nice! he always make sure you look your best before you head to work! you got a dirt on your chest? don’t worry, he’ll clean it for you while his fingers make contact with your nipples. the wind is blowing your skirt up? well he’s there to pull it down! he even gives your butt a firm tap and a little squeeze that makes you blush. his hands always linger a little too long, but you don’t mind. after all, a little touch is nothing compared to the service that he provides for the students!

though behind that reliable bus driver facade, lies his true intentions. his head littered with thoughts of just snatching you up and using you inside the bus that you use everyday. make you remember how his cock feels shoved inside you while he drives you to your destination.

he thinks he’ll go slow at first, his left hand covering your mouth while his right holds his base until the tip of his cock meets your drooling hole. maybe he’ll even tease you at first, slap your clit with his cock and rub it through your folds and spread your wetness until he finally push his cock inside you. he bets you’ll like that.

but ari knows you’re just a fragile little girl, and it will take some time til’ he gets to his goal. so he’ll stick to staring and groping you for now.

after you step out the vehicle and give ari a little goodbye wave, you’re off to your favorite place in the university! surrounded by books and quietness that you so need after a stressful day.

most of the work you do is only organizing the books and checking out the items that people get, most of the times the students can fend for themselves. but there’s a regular that’s always apart of your day.

you think he’s an outsider, not really thinking he’s a student since his looks are far from being one and you don’t necessarily think he’s a professor or a staff either. after looking at his library card many times before, you quickly learned that his name is lloyd hansen. the man with a mustache that’s always using one of the computers.

what you don’t know though is how he jerks off his cock under the desk while watching you walk around the room. his cock rock hard and tip an angry red while precum oozes out of his slit. he imagines you licking it up all the time.

he edges himself everytime he does it, he waits until you’re stacking the books and reaches the bottom section. he watches you take the books in your hand and bend over to put them in their rightful places. that way, lloyd can catch a glimpse of your pretty underwear (that he likes to think you wear for him) and it’s what always tips him over the edge.

every single time he makes sure to keep his cum in his hands, and after fixing himself up, he picks up a random book with his messy hand to have an excuse to go over and give it to you. he watches as you take the book in your hand and take notice of the white sticky substance that transferred on your palms. you only complain with a small “oops!” before wiping the wetness on your skirt and giving him a small thank you in return. the action is enough to make his cock hard again.

and everyday it’s the same, perving on the prettiest librarian that he’s ever laid his eyes on and making sure that she leaves with traces of him.

you on the other hand is none the wiser, heart full for the man who always helps you. even though his eyes always seem to be on you and everytime he hands you an object, it always seems to have this wet, sticky substance. but you don’t prod! just happy to have such a nice frequent visitor!

overall, you love attending this university and all the people in it! wether they be a secretly depraved professor, a sleazy bus driver, or a pervy regular! you don’t mind, they just make your day so much better.

#chris evans x reader #frank adler x reader #dark!frank adler #ari levinson x reader #dark!ari levinson #lloyd hansen x reader #dark!lloyd hansen #dark!chris evans x reader #dark!chris evans #ari <3 #frank a <3 #lloyd <3 #bambi’s concepts <3

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runa-falls · 9 months

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recent reads - july '23

if you enjoy these fics make sure to reblog and comment to show your support for the writers!

(*) nsfw (**) dark (~) angst (^) fluff

series - [read a lot more this month bc of travel!]

poe dameron

alabanza*^~ - @brandyllyn [ao3]

“A mis-delivered message causes You and Poe Dameron to become anonymous penpals. But falling for each other via letter while at the same time falling for each other in the real world leads to more than its fair share of complications.”

din djarin

miscommunication*^~ - @ezrasbirdie [ao3]

“When the Mandalorian brings you aboard his ship to care for and protect his son when he’s away, neither of you is what the other expected. You’re both exceptionally bad at reading each other, and you’re afraid of what might happen when your past inevitably catches up to you.”

henry cavill

crystal ship* (RPF - mafia AU) - @littlefreya

“Henry is the most dangerous crime lord in England, he has everything he wants and women throw themselves at his feet, but what really gets him off is what’s hard to get.”

(i usually never read rpf but littlefreya can make me read ANYTHING)

geralt z rivii

outlander*^~ - @leva [ao3]

“The witcher universe was cruel and unforgiving. You couldn’t imagine lasting a day in it yet here you were. It wasn’t all bad, the food was decent, some folk were nice and you even had your very own mutant bodyguard to boot. Not to mention Jaskier being your personal radio station on the road.”

kylo ren

cruel world*^~- @worm_girl [ao3]

"When Professor Ren moves in next door to your sorority house and you become one of his students, it is impossible for the two of you to ignore the pull you have to each other.”

[not reader-insert:]

reylo (my comfort ship)

all our days*^~ - @voicedimplosives [ao3]

"I can listen no longer in silence." The hologram projection of his strangely handsome face is cobalt blue, flickering, and full of static. "I must speak to you, Rey. You… you pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me that I am not too late.”

bamon (TVD) (my other comfort ship)

spellbound*^~ - @ladyloec

“An AU of Bonnie and Damon in the Prison World, without Kai, but with a problematic blood shortage that leads to our favourite judgy witch and snarky vampire getting closer than anyone anticipated.”

one-shots (all are reader-inserts!)

moon boys

satisfactory pt.1 + pt.2* (pornstar!jake) - @whatthefish

weightless~ (steven angst) - @m00nsbaby

call me* (feral!steven) - @writefightandflightclub

acts of service^ (marc fluff) - @ivystoryweaver

nice job!*^ (sub!steven fluff) - @romanarose

nathan bateman

indulge me* - @leoluved

poe dameron

wasted on you*^ - @campingwiththecharmings

blue jones

a long night** - @melodygatesauthor

beg** - @“”

santiago garcia

just friends pt.1* and pt.2*~ - @campingwiththecharmings

say my name*~ - @writefightandflightclub

threesome: santi x reader x frankie* - @youvebeenlivingfictional

a midnight picnic - @sweetly-yours-and-mine

miguel o’hara

rendezvous* - @campingwiththecharmings (i’m so sorry i’m tagging u so much lmfao)

stitches and claws* - @astroboots halo* - @missdictatorme

surrender* - @romanarose

llewyn davis

anchor* - @bits-and-babs

ezra prospect

darkness* - @ezrasbirdie

joel miller

what comes after*~ - @softlyspector

frank castle

all up in smoke^ - @saintmurd0ck

raymond smith + tangerine x reader

who you belong to*~ - @youvebeenlivingfictional

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hot-take-tournament · 10 months

Note

Today’s Fate shenanigans star Charles Babbage and his buds! This isn’t a terribly cohesive combat team but they’re all friends in universe , so it’s fun :9

the young lady in front is frankenstein’s monster, who Babbage adopted because fuck victor frank, what a dick! Together they solve robot themed mysteries and are trying to install AC in the historical people dorms. While Babbage tries to use tech to make sure the squad are safe and happy, Fran is using her new lease on life to enjoy making friends, creating an identity separate from victor F, and drag racing.

professor Moriarty is here because it turns out his weakness isn’t Sherlock Holmes, it’s being asked to become a father. Local crime lord would cry over The Last of Us, The Mandolorian and other cool dad and child team up shows. Fran is one of the only people to outscam the scammer, and he’s been derailed from causing problems on purpose by Fran asking to hang out and be spoiled. (….mostly.)

Babbage and Moriarty are trying to get along for Fran’s sake and it’s mostly working. It turns out they both like modding her racecar, who’d have thought?

what are the robot themed mysteries???? is fate set in the future?

this game's lore is like a rollercoaster ride that i hope never ends

oh, and in other news, a fate take was selected for the bracket!!

...

it probably isn't the one you were hoping for

#asks #not a poll

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hellsitesonlybookclub · 7 months

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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

CHAPTER IV.

From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, in the most comprehensive sense of the term, became nearly my sole occupation. I read with ardour those works, so full of genius and discrimination, which modern enquirers have written on these subjects. I attended the lectures, and cultivated the acquaintance, of the men of science of the university; and I found even in M. Krempe a great deal of sound sense and real information, combined, it is true, with a repulsive physiognomy and manners, but not on that account the less valuable. In M. Waldman I found a true friend. His gentleness was never tinged by dogmatism; and his instructions were given with an air of frankness and good nature, that banished every idea of pedantry. In a thousand ways he smoothed for me the path of knowledge, and made the most abstruse enquiries clear and facile to my apprehension. My application was at first fluctuating and uncertain; it gained strength as I proceeded, and soon became so ardent and eager, that the stars often disappeared in the light of morning whilst I was yet engaged in my laboratory.

As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that my progress was rapid. My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters. Professor Krempe often asked me, with a sly smile, how Cornelius Agrippa went on? whilst M. Waldman expressed the most heart-felt exultation in my progress. Two years passed in this manner, during which I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries, which I hoped to make. None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder. A mind of moderate capacity, which closely pursues one study, must infallibly arrive at great proficiency in that study; and I, who continually sought the attainment of one object of pursuit, and was solely wrapt up in this, improved so rapidly, that, at the end of two years, I made some discoveries in the improvement of some chemical instruments, which procured me great esteem and admiration at the university. When I had arrived at this point, and had become as well acquainted with the theory and practice of natural philosophy as depended on the lessons of any of the professors at Ingolstadt, my residence there being no longer conducive to my improvements, I thought of returning to my friends and my native town, when an incident happened that protracted my stay.

One of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal endued with life. Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? It was a bold question, and one which has ever been considered as a mystery; yet with how many things are we upon the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our enquiries. I revolved these circumstances in my mind, and determined thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to those branches of natural philosophy which relate to physiology. Unless I had been animated by an almost supernatural enthusiasm, my application to this study would have been irksome, and almost intolerable. To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. I became acquainted with the science of anatomy: but this was not sufficient; I must also observe the natural decay and corruption of the human body. In my education my father had taken the greatest precautions that my mind should be impressed with no supernatural horrors. I do not ever remember to have trembled at a tale of superstition, or to have feared the apparition of a spirit. Darkness had no effect upon my fancy; and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life, which, from being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm. Now I was led to examine the cause and progress of this decay, and forced to spend days and nights in vaults and charnel-houses. My attention was fixed upon every object the most insupportable to the delicacy of the human feelings. I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted; I beheld the corruption of death succeed to the blooming cheek of life; I saw how the worm inherited the wonders of the eye and brain. I paused, examining and analysing all the minutiæ of causation, as exemplified in the change from life to death, and death to life, until from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me—a light so brilliant and wondrous, yet so simple, that while I became dizzy with the immensity of the prospect which it illustrated, I was surprised, that among so many men of genius who had directed their enquiries towards the same science, that I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret.

Remember, I am not recording the vision of a madman. The sun does not more certainly shine in the heavens, than that which I now affirm is true. Some miracle might have produced it, yet the stages of the discovery were distinct and probable. After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.

The astonishment which I had at first experienced on this discovery soon gave place to delight and rapture. After so much time spent in painful labour, to arrive at once at the summit of my desires, was the most gratifying consummation of my toils. But this discovery was so great and overwhelming, that all the steps by which I had been progressively led to it were obliterated, and I beheld only the result. What had been the study and desire of the wisest men since the creation of the world was now within my grasp. Not that, like a magic scene, it all opened upon me at once: the information I had obtained was of a nature rather to direct my endeavours so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search, than to exhibit that object already accomplished. I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead, and found a passage to life, aided only by one glimmering, and seemingly ineffectual, light.

I see by your eagerness, and the wonder and hope which your eyes express, my friend, that you expect to be informed of the secret with which I am acquainted; that cannot be: listen patiently until the end of my story, and you will easily perceive why I am reserved upon that subject. I will not lead you on, unguarded and ardent as I then was, to your destruction and infallible misery. Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it. Although I possessed the capacity of bestowing animation, yet to prepare a frame for the reception of it, with all its intricacies of fibres, muscles, and veins, still remained a work of inconceivable difficulty and labour. I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man. The materials at present within my command hardly appeared adequate to so arduous an undertaking; but I doubted not that I should ultimately succeed. I prepared myself for a multitude of reverses; my operations might be incessantly baffled, and at last my work be imperfect: yet, when I considered the improvement which every day takes place in science and mechanics, I was encouraged to hope my present attempts would at least lay the foundations of future success. Nor could I consider the magnitude and complexity of my plan as any argument of its impracticability. It was with these feelings that I began the creation of a human being. As the minuteness of the parts formed a great hinderance to my speed, I resolved, contrary to my first intention, to make the being of a gigantic stature; that is to say, about eight feet in height, and proportionably large. After having formed this determination, and having spent some months in successfully collecting and arranging my materials, I began.

No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. Pursuing these reflections, I thought, that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.

These thoughts supported my spirits, while I pursued my undertaking with unremitting ardour. My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement. Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realise. One secret which I alone possessed was the hope to which I had dedicated myself; and the moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding-places. Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil, as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave, or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay? My limbs now tremble, and my eyes swim with the remembrance; but then a resistless, and almost frantic, impulse, urged me forward; I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit. It was indeed but a passing trance, that only made me feel with renewed acuteness so soon as, the unnatural stimulus ceasing to operate, I had returned to my old habits. I collected bones from charnel-houses; and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame. In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creation: my eye-balls were starting from their sockets in attending to the details of my employment. The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials; and often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation, whilst, still urged on by an eagerness which perpetually increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion.

The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit. It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage: but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature. And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time. I knew my silence disquieted them; and I well remembered the words of my father: "I know that while you are pleased with yourself, you will think of us with affection, and we shall hear regularly from you. You must pardon me if I regard any interruption in your correspondence as a proof that your other duties are equally neglected."

I knew well therefore what would be my father's feelings; but I could not tear my thoughts from my employment, loathsome in itself, but which had taken an irresistible hold of my imagination. I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed.

I then thought that my father would be unjust if he ascribed my neglect to vice, or faultiness on my part; but I am now convinced that he was justified in conceiving that I should not be altogether free from blame. A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquillity. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule. If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind. If this rule were always observed; if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquillity of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved; Cæsar would have spared his country; America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed.

But I forget that I am moralising in the most interesting part of my tale; and your looks remind me to proceed.

My father made no reproach in his letters, and only took notice of my silence by enquiring into my occupations more particularly than before. Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves—sights which before always yielded me supreme delight—so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation. The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close; and now every day showed me more plainly how well I had succeeded. But my enthusiasm was checked by my anxiety, and I appeared rather like one doomed by slavery to toil in the mines, or any other unwholesome trade, than an artist occupied by his favourite employment. Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow-creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime. Sometimes I grew alarmed at the wreck I perceived that I had become; the energy of my purpose alone sustained me: my labours would soon end, and I believed that exercise and amusement would then drive away incipient disease; and I promised myself both of these when my creation should be complete.

#frankenstein #mary shelley #october #spooky month #book club #read along

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 4 months

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Stellar birthplaces in the Whirlpool galaxy

An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and involving the University of Bonn has mapped the cold, dense gas of future star nurseries in one of our neighboring galaxies with an unprecedented degree of detail. The data will enable the researchers for the first time to mount an in-depth study of the conditions that exist within the gas during the early stages of star formation outside the Milky Way at the scale of individual star-forming regions.

Their findings have now been published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Paradoxically, hot stars begin to form in some of the coldest regions of the universe, specifically in thick clouds of gas and dust that straddle entire galaxies. "To investigate the early phases of star formation, where gas gradually condenses to eventually produce stars, we must first identify these regions," says Sophia Stuber, a doctoral student at the MPIA in Heidelberg and the first author of the research paper.

"For this purpose, we typically measure the radiation emitted by specific molecules that are particularly abundant in these extremely cold and dense zones." Astronomers generally use molecules such as HCN (hydrogen cyanide; also known as prussic acid) and N2H+ (diazenylium) as chemical probes for this purpose.

Using molecules as chemical probes

Thanks to the large-scale observation program known as SWAN (Surveying the Whirlpool at Arcseconds with NOEMA), the researchers have now been able to undertake these measurements across a vast area across another galaxy, having previously been restricted to our own Milky Way.

The SWAN team used the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA), a radio interferometer in the French Alps, to study the distribution of radiation from several molecules within the central 20,000 light years of the Whirlpool galaxy (Messier 51). The 214 hours of observations from this program are being supplemented by about 70 more from another survey using a 30-meter single dish telescope in southern Spain.

One of the leaders of the SWAN project is Professor Frank Bigiel from the Argelander Institute for Astronomy at the University of Bonn, who states, "The spectral lines of the different molecules let us draw highly specific conclusions about the physical properties of the gas, such as its density. This allows us to make a detailed study of what conditions in the interstellar medium are conducive to star formation within galaxies. For the first time, we're now in a position to investigate large areas of a galaxy in this way—and do so at a higher resolution than ever before, so that we can even distinguish between individual star-forming regions."

Gas properties are environment-dependent

In the study that has now been published, the researchers focused on two molecules: Hydrogen cyanide and diazenylium. Because the Whirlpool galaxy is a mere 28 million light years away, it is even possible to study characteristics of individual gas clouds in regions as different as its center or its spiral arms. "We leveraged this circumstance to determine how well the two gases trace the dense clouds in this galaxy for us and whether they are equally suited," Stuber explains.

While the intensity of the radiation given off by hydrogen cyanide and diazenylium rises and falls to the same extent along the spiral arms, thus delivering equally good results for determining gas density, the astronomers have found a marked difference in the galaxy's central region, where the brightness emitted by hydrogen cyanide increases much more significantly. In other words, there appears to exist a mechanism that causes the hydrogen cyanide to shine more brightly but not the diazenylium.

The team suspects that responsibility for this phenomenon could lie with the Whirlpool galaxy's active galactic nucleus, a high-energy zone surrounding the massive black hole in its center. Before the gas falls into the black hole, it is pushed into a disk shape, accelerated to high speeds and heated up to thousands of degrees Celsius by friction.

This causes it to emit intense radiation, which could indeed explain some of the extra emission from the hydrogen cyanide molecules. "However, we still need to explore in detail what makes the two gases behave differently," adds Eva Schinnerer, research group head at the MPIA and another co-leader of the SWAN project.

A worthwhile challenge

It would therefore appear that diazenylium is a more reliable "density probe" than hydrogen cyanide, at least within the Whirlpool galaxy's central zone. Unfortunately, however, it shines an average of five times more dimly at the same level of gas density, considerably increasing the time and effort required for measurements. The additional sensitivity that is needed thus comes at the price of much more observation time.

"These investigations have brought us another step closer to answering our fundamental question of how stars are formed," says Professor Bigiel, a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area "Matter" at the University of Bonn. "We'll now be able to pool our data with observations of star formation activity and come up with an overall picture."

Over the long term, this would enable answers to questions such as "How dense does the gas need to be for stars to form?" and "What are the best 'probes,' or molecules, for tracking down this gas inside galaxies?"

IMAGE....This illustration depicts the distribution of diazenylium molecule radiation (false colors) in the Whirlpool Galaxy, compared with an optical image. The reddish areas in the photograph represent luminous gas nebulae containing hot, massive stars traversing dark zones of gas and dust in the spiral arms. The presence of diazenylium in these dark regions suggests particularly cold and dense gas clouds. Credit: Thomas Müller (HdA/MPIA), S. Stuber et al. (MPIA), NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI) und das Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #astrophysics

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thealmightyemprex · 1 year

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Top 10 Hammy 80's movie villains ranked by hammyness

Evil is over the top ,at least in film .So I wanted to do a list of my 10 favorite scene chewing villains but as I was thinking about and looking at the great scene chewers of cinema I noticed something ,the most insane over the top baddies tend to be from the 80's ,so doing my top 10 Hammy 80's villains ranked by hammyness ,so this isnt necesarily ranked by favorites ,just the most gloriously over the

10.Raven Shaddock from Streets of Fire-

I love this guy,This guy is bonkers.Played by a young Willem Dafoe ,this guy just does whatever he wants like rush on stage with his biker gang to kidnap a singer,Ellen Aim cause he thinks she is hot and challanges the main character Tom Cody to a SLEDGE HAMMER DUEL .So why isnt he higher? Well the ove the topness cause more from the script then performance and this is already a very over the top movie .I'm not saying Dafoe isnt hamming it up,It is Willem Dafoe after all ,ya got odd faces and he is doing this sort of southernish accent ,but I would say he is kind of channeling the classic black hat villains youd see in old westerns and I have also seen Dafoe go bigger .The fact this guy is only 10 shows you how over the top the other villains are

9.Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors

This thing is a sassy voracious manipulative man eating singing plant...You dont expect it to be subtle .I debated whether to include vocal performances ,but...HOT DAMN ,Levi Stubbs brings it .See Levi Stubbs was not an actor nor did he have asperations to be one ,he was a singer ,and yet he brings such a energy to this role ,being both flamboyant but also powerful . Levis voice has a seductive yet dominant quality ,and props to the team of puppeteers ,making a villain that not only chews on the scenery but on its costars

8.The Kurgen from Highlander

An immortal warrior who seeks to slay other immortals to achieve a great prize ,on paper this guy is so flat ,just an elementally evil dude .....Thank GOD for Clancy Brown .I mean Brown is a very intimidating guy ,very tall with a deep voice that Brown adds a rasp to ,but Brown plays the role like a guy whio just loves fuckin with people ,like its not enough he kills people but he loves messing with them too .He drives insanely while mocking the love interest,barks at an old lady,licks a priest,etc.Like anything to get a reaction .Combined with his costuming ,and very bad hairstyle choices(YEs I am including when he shaves his head ) ,this is a villain with punk rock energy

7.The Joker in Batman

Hey what do you get when you take an already kind of out there actor,give him a perminate smile ,cove him in white makeup and just let him loose?Ya get Jack Nicholsons Joker.Now Joker is an over the top character,a grinning laughing madman whose sense of humor is murder and Nicholson was a perfect choice to play a demented gangster with a twisted sense of humor .Also of the live action Jokers ,he is the funniest

6.Skeletor from Masters of the Universe

So the hammyness of Frank Langella is diffrent then the others on this list .....Cause his over the topness is really a reflection of how seriously he is taking it ,as he is playing the role of this skullfaced overlord as if he was Macbeth or Richard III.Its a really good performance ,wreally hitnting that Skeletor feels trapped by his own villainy....What makes it hammy ,is just the contrast with everything around him,a shakesperian villain giving grand speaches while he fights a nearly naked muscled man ,and Billy Barty is running around,and there is a lizard creature and a beast man and a tough talkin cop and Courtney Cox is there-Just what is this movie?I'll tell ya:Its fun

5.Professor Ratigan from the Great Mouse Detective

Disney Villain played by Vincent Price ....Nah I dont need to explain this one

4.Baron Vladimir Harkonen from Dune

This....Is one of my favorite villains to qoute .A very vile man who seeks to take over Arakis and kill Duke Leto and his family , while flying around doing nasty things ,he is so grotesque it becomes funny .Hats off to Kenneth McMillian who COMMITS ,shouting,laughing ,and overall he just looks like he is having a BALL .He is such a weird creepy horrible man,he is kind of the reason I love the movie next to Patrick Stewart running into battle with a pug in his arms

3.Lord John Whorfin from the Adventures of Bukaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

So Buckaroo Banzai is already a bonkers movie.,,,I swear,Jon Lithgow looked at the script and said"....I'll make it weirder "Playing a scientist posessed by an alien lizard from the 8th dimension ,in a sea of rather deadpan performances ,Lithgow stands out with his insane mannerisms and very goofy Italian accent

2.Stubbs from Enemy Mine

So Stubbs ,a cruel scavenger and slaver who kidnaps the adopted alien kid of the main character is only in the third act of the movie.Now if you havent seen the movie you might be asking ,"Emprex ,if he isnt in the movie a lot why is he so high"...Thats because he makes his minimal screen time count . A lot of it comes down to Brion James who just DEVOURS the scenery,shouting almost every line .I dunno ever since I saw this movie ,this asshole has really stuck with me

1.Frank Booth from Blue Velvet

A character so hammy he is kind of terrifying .In the world of the film everyone is wrather subdued.....Then Frank enters the film,screaming,rambling,raving and cursing and he is so unhinged it is truly frightening .DEniss Hopper is honestly perfect as this man who is a basically a raging id ,hes one of my favorite villains in film and by far one of the best scene chewers

So what do ya think?Agree?Disagree? Share your thoughts! Who is your favorite hammmy 80's movie villain?Who did I miss

@ariel-seagull-wings @filmcityworld1 @the-blue-fairie @princesssarisa @angelixgutz @amalthea9 @themousefromfantasyland @goodanswerfoxmonster @theancientvaleofsoulmaking

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renee-writer · 5 months

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The Heart Don't Lie Chapter 17

AO3

Lallybroch. She finds her hands getting sweaty on the steering wheel as she drives under the arch that leads to the house.

The memories flood her mind. She first entered the manor house twenty-two years previously. Jamie brought her to meet his family. She recalled how nervous she felt. The same nerves cause her stomach to jump as she drives up to the front stoop.

Jamie stands at the top of the steps. She steps out, shielding her eyes to look up at him. They stand still, staring at each other for a few minutes. They both realize that they are alone for the first time since their last and final fight.

She turns, with a swallow and opens her boot to get her medical bag out. He hurries down to help her.

“Thanks for coming. I know it is a long drive.” He says, reaching in to pick up her medicine bag.

“It is okay. She doesn’t need to be making the trip. Especially with a fever.” They are both saying the right thing but there is a stiffness to it. They aren’t sure what their relationship is. How do you go from lovers/ soulmates to friends or whatever they are?

“Aye,” he leads them up the stairs, “ it is worrisome after all she has been through.”

“We will find out what is going on.” She assures him.

“I trust you, Claire.” They walk into the house.

It has changed. New pictures on the walls. Jamie and Anna, the girls slowly growing up, Jenny and Ian and their children. She stops to look, amazed at the changes in the children she last saw as infants and toddlers.

“Amazing isn’t it? Wee Ian and Maggie are both married and expecting their first children. Janet, Michael, and wee Jamie are all in university.”

She slowly shakes her head. “That is insane.”

They both giggle. Some of the tension lifts. “Aye, it is.”

Willa comes downstairs. “Oh Dr. Beauchamp. Glad you made it. Daddy, Rose wants some of that rose lotion that she loves. I am going to run out and get it.”

“Thanks Willa. Drive carefully.” She kisses his cheek, smiles at Claire, and hurries out.

They head upstairs.

Rose lays on her childhood bed. Beth sits on the bed beside her. Claire frowns at seeing her. Her patient is quite pale. She moves immediately to her.

“Where does it hurt?” she asks.

Willa stops in the way into the drugstore. She blinks clearing her eyes. Nope, the image is still there.

She storms over to them. “Janet Murray, what do you think you are doing? He is married!”

Her cousin jerks away from the professor she is kissing. Frank Randall looks at Willa in shock.

“You know her?”

“My cousin, Willa Fraser. Yes, he is married but they have an open relationship.”

“You’re a fool Janet. You’re a bigger one, Professor Randall. Dr. Randall is an awesome woman who deserves better than you. She is at our house treating Rose right now,” this she addresses to Janet, “While her husband is robbing the cradle. Disgusting.”

“Willa, you can’t tell mam!” She turns away in disgust.

#my writing #outlander fanfic #the heart don't lie #chapter 17 #cannon divergence #outlander fandom #modern au

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edworld · 6 months

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Memo to K-12: Teach kids to read in FIRST GRADE or get out of education. That’s the “Marva Collins Challenge”

Truth is, we have tens of millions of people who could claim to read in some sense. But they can't reach the important threshold that so many of us take for granted: reading for pleasure.

Lucy Calkins has been the queen of reading for the last 25 years. Her bad prescriptions were merely echoing the bad prescriptions of Professors Frank Smith and Ken Goodman, and before them the literacy pretenders who introduced Whole Word in the 1930s.

Here’s what all the false prophets taught: English is read by memorizing thousands of sight-words. As that is hugely difficult for most children, they should follow other clues: use context; consider initial letters; guess; skip ahead, consider picture clues. This nonsense almost guarantees illiteracy.

Balanced Literacy is now jargon for try-anything-maybe-you’ll-get-lucky.

During most of the time Lucy was preaching her fake theory, I was writing articles saying hey, this is obviously bad theory. I enjoy thinking I made a small contribution to her ideas being rejected by Columbia University and Teachers College.

(Here's some background: "Episode 118: Reading Rescued" -- https://letsfixeducation.buzzsprout.com/1792553/13712120-episode-118-reading-rescued-thanks-to-lucy-calkins-oct-4-2023 )

The knowledge was always there for anybody who cared to listen. Rudolf Flesch wrote his famous book in 1955 explaining that sight-words are the reason Why Johnny Can't Read.

More recently, Marva Collins, who operated her own school in Chicago, stated: Most children can learn to read in first grade!

My message to the slackers of education: if you can't do what Marva did, you should retire.

English is a phonetic language and must be taught with phonetics, i.e. phonics. It's a vast language with nearly 1,000,000 words but only someone with a photographic memory can memorize even 500 sight-words. Literacy rates have dropped continuously since the imposition of sight-words. That’s all you need to know to reject sight-words.

Here is Marva Collins in her book Marva Collins’ Way: “Children as young as 3-1/2 to 4 years of age, are admitted to my school at the beginning of every school year in September.

I guarantee that they will all be reading by Christmas, three months later. That has been the results since I started my school in 1975.”

————————------------------------------------------------------

Here's where we are now. If you search the terms balanced literacy, science of reading and similar, you will find a shocking array of conflicting opinions about how to teach reading. I doubt there has ever been such chaos in the Education Establishment.

I suspect one of the things the professors learned from almost a century of promoting bad ideas is that you don't need to win every argument, or enforce every opinion. You only need to inject a bad habit or two in every student. They will be damaged and literacy will continue to decline. I believe that is the goal.

So all the confusion is not necessarily a weakness. People don't realize where each kid is being damaged the most. So a lot of bad instruction will continue in plain sight.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are hoping that sight-words do work, see this video. Only seven minutes and you'll know the horror.

“How Dolch Words Cause Illiteracy and Dyslexia”

youtube

————————————————————————————————

CODA: We need to get the whole country involved at a little higher level. That's how we get the reform we need. See Episode 118 on Let's Fix Education

.https://www.buzzsprout.com/1792553/episodes/13791258

#sightwords #phonics #illiteracy #communism #agitprop #dyslexia #knowledge #teachers #literature #books #academicsuccess #dumbingdown #ignorance #K12 #literary #dolchwords

#socialism #dumbing down #john dewey #saving k-12 #Youtube

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kudosmyhero · 8 months

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Detective Comics (vol. 1) #401: Target for Tonight!/Midnight Is the Dying Hour!

Read Date: January 31, 2023 Cover Date: July 1970 ● Writer: Frank Robbins / Dennis O'Neil ● Penciler: Bob Brown / Gil Kane ● Inker: Joe Giella / Vince Colletta ● Colorist: {uncredited} ● Letterer: Ben Oda / John Costanza ● Editor: Julius Schwartz ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: (first story) ● Batman the target of a hunter. He’s in his penthouse as Bruce Wayne watching t.v. with Alfred when a hunter with a trained falcon is on the program. Just then, an arrow zips past them and shatters the television. Implying that the hunter knows Bruce Wayne is at least connected to Batman? ● Carleton Yager is the hunter’s name. (And since he knows Batman’s identity, I assume something will happen to cause Yager’s death. A non-major character knowing someone’s identity is practically a spoiler that they’re going to die soon.) ● I’m not sure why Batman is crouched atop a piling but… hey, at least it looks cool:

● Yager has Batman in a net. He’s outsmarted Batman every step of the way so far. ● Batman has admitted a couple of times tonight that he’s only going after Yager because of his pride. ● NOW Yager is on my bad side. He has Alfred tied up with a target on him. Leave my Alfred alone! ● Batman kicks Alfred out of the way:

● oooOOoooh… you’d think I’d be used to people in comics using latex masks by now. “Alfred” was actually Yager. I thought Batman was kicking him out of harm’s way before an arrow could hit, but nope, he was actually kicking the snot out of him. ● Yager falls to his death. ● The story is only worth one clap, but the art brings it up to two: ● 👏👏

(second story) ● Okay, so back to Batgirl being bricked up behind the wall. ● Earlier, Robin investigated Willard’s death even before police arrived. No sign of a struggle, and Willard is pointing to a book of poetry, which Robin finds odd because Willard has voiced his distaste of literature. ● Robin walks around campus, pondering the mystery. Some of the info he knows due to being a student here: “Willard and his pals fought with Professor Huntington about whether or not to sell the university’s woodland property. Huntington claims it’s valuable for research… Willard claimed the school needs the money. The jocks and some of the drama majors sided with Willard… while Hank, myself and a few of the hippie types stood for the prof…” ● Robin then remembers a Poe play and puts the pieces together. He finds one of the theater guys with the trowel. The guy escapes by throwing a wad of wet cement in Robin’s eyes. ● Hearing something moving behind the freshly built wall, Robin begins to dismantle it and finds Batgirl. ● A sandbag drops from above, and Robin has to save Batgirl again by knocking her out of the way. ● Batgirl says that what she thought had been the smell of ether had been the smell of spirit gum, which some actors use when wearing false facial hair… so someone was disguised as Hank Osher. ● And the book of poetry the dead man was pointing to, he was specifically pointing to POEtry… which Robin put together as an actor in the upcoming Poe play (a bit of a stretch, but ok) ● Batgirl and Robin capture Jack Markham and turn him over to the cops. ● 👏👏

Synopsis: A big-game hunter who dubs himself "the Stalker" deduces Batman's secret identity and announces his intention to hunt down and kill the Caped Crusader. Batman decides to live up to his reputation as a manhunter and he starts looking for the criminal in order to stop his plan. Batman goes to the Stalker's mansion, where he almost falls for a deadly trap and learns that the hunter has prepared their final encounter in an island near Gotham City.

Batman goes to the location and tries to confront the hunter unseen, but the hunter has prepared a few traps for Batman. The Dark Knight manages to break free and starts looking for his enemy. After a quick search, Batman finds Alfred in a shooting gallery. Musing that he would endanger both their lives by trying to save him in the Stalker's booby-trapped gallery, Batman retreats only to return and tackle his butler to the ground and deliver a strong punch to his face. As unusual as this action seems, Batman has deduced that Alfred is in fact the Stalker in disguise and when the hero unmasks the Stalker, the latter tries to escape by jumping away from Batman, unaware that he'd be jumping to his death.

Unable to save the Stalker, Batman leaves the place and meets with the real Alfred, who had followed Batman to make sure he defeated his enemy. 

SECOND STORY Stumbling upon a murder plot at Hudson University, Batgirl soon finds herself the killers next victim after being bound, gagged and sealed in a room behind a brick wall.

Earlier in the evening, Dick Grayson had taken on his guise of Robin in order to conduct his own investigation of the murder. Finding that the body of Willard was pointing at a book of poetry (particularly the words "POE") and remembering the Poe festival, Robin finally realizes who the killer might be.

Rushing to the theater, Robin catches the killer just before he can apply the last brick that would seal Batgirl's tomb, but the murderer manages to get away. Robin then frees Batgirl, and the two heroes begin searching the theater for their assailant. After a chase through the theater, Robin and Batgirl manage to catch the killer who turns out to be none other than student Jack Markham.

(https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Detective_Comics_Vol_1_401)

Fan Art: Batgirl: Barbara Gordon by FelipeSmith

Accompanying Podcast: ● Batgirl to Oracle - episode 11

#dc #dc comics #my dc read #podcast recommendation #comics #comic books #fan art #fanart #detective comics #batgirl to oracle #batgirl #barbara gordon

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shinmiyovvi · 2 years

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CoD Zombies Modern Au Concept

So here is my concept for my Modern Au Fanfic in Ao3 that I've planned for months and made some changes with it. Of course, this is full of headcanons of mine and I hope everyone would love this concept of mine 💖

(Note: The timelines are still separated but both timelines are already in the modern era.)

Primis:

“Tank” Dempsey:

A defense instructor.

Best friends with Val (OC) like their Primis counterpart.

Sometimes, he’s a gym instructor as well.

Likes to visit the bar where Val and Alfonso have their late-night gigs when they were still college students.

A great wingman to Val when it comes to having a relationship with someone.

Valena Villanueva (OC):

A famous detective around the city.

She is the junior of Marcus Cunningham (Oc) and a senior of Alfonso de Guzman (Oc and Val’s childhood friend).

Has a band for late-night gigs in bars when she was still in college.

Best friends with Dempsey.

She is the wife of Nikolai Belinski. (Which makes her Valena V. Belinski *fangirling intensifies*).

Nikolai Belinski:

A well-known writer.

He lived with his first wife peacefully until he lost her due to a car accident. (History repeats itself, I guess.)

He has a lot of novels and gets praised by everyone who reads his literature.

He first met Val when she was asking him questions about his wife before the accident happened, being concerned with his status as a target, she puts him under witness protection and let him stay in her apartment until the case was settled.

He then starts a new life with Val as her husband. (I hope my brain is happy with this.)

Takeo Masaki:

A swordmaster (Headcanon)

He has two children ( Headcanon & because he mentioned something like “Listening to the joy of my children at play.” in Tag der Toten.)

Likes to spend time teaching his children katana training.

A caring and loving father and husband to his family.

Likes to make origami during his free time or clean his katana.

Edward Richtofen:

A professor at a university where he teaches pathology.

He gets praised a lot by his students at the university.

Helps Dr. Maxis with their usual experiments, making inventions, and enhancing their technology.

Was interviewed by Val and Alfonso about a murder that happened at Woodridge University.

He loves to read books during his break time while drinking coffee.

Listens to classical and oldies music (A huge fan of Frank Sinatra of course).

Ultimis:

“Tank” Dempsey:

A police officer (Headcanon)

Lives with Phoebe and his daughter.

He was part of the US Marine Corps and retired after the Iraq War.

He’ll always protect his family from any danger, even if it means causing his own life.

Tends to hang out with his friends during their day off.

Loves to take his wife and daughter to any place they wanted to go as they bond together.

Valena Villanueva (OC):

A physicist (Like her Ultimis counterpart)

Lives with her family and helps out with paying Agatha’s (OC’s younger sister) tuition fees in college.

Usually visits Nikolai’s bar to see her childhood friend Marcelito Gonzales (OC’s childhood friend) who works there to have some conversations with him.

A colleague of Richtofen, in which she finds her coworker weird for being an alchemist.

She is Takeo’s girlfriend (I hope everyone would agree with me on this headcanon)

Visits Takeo during his stand-up comedy session to boost his confidence.

Nikolai Belinski:

An owner of a bar.

Has a daughter whom he made his employee Marcel be his daughter’s babysitter.

Keeps the bar manageable as possible.

Takes care of his wife’s chamomile garden while she’s busy taking care of their daughter.

A caring husband and father to his family.

Takeo Masaki:

A former Japanese Imperial Guard.

He is the boyfriend of Val. (#Redemption Arc let’s go!)

Like his Ultimis counterpart, he still brings honor to his ancestors and the Emperor himself.

A stand-up comedian who still tries his best to make his audience laugh.

Loves to go to any parks with Val while drinking matcha frappe.

Edward Richtofen:

A physicist

He’s also an alchemist and tends to drag Val into his hobby, though Val isn’t fond of alchemy, if that's what makes him happy, then she’s fine with it.

Val’s coworker and friend.

A guardian to Dr. Maxis’ daughter, Samantha Maxis. Still, he hates her for being annoying and stubborn when he’s around while getting jealous when she treated Val as her big sister.

Loves to play the piano in his free time.

#cod zombies fanfiction #codz au #original character #cod zombies #call of duty zombies #ao3 stuff #codz

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xtruss · 6 days

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A close-up of asbestos, a mineral with known links to fatal health conditions. Photograph By John Cancalosi, National Geographic Image Collection

The United States Just Announced An Asbestos Ban. What Took So Long?

American manufacturers started widely using asbestos in their products in the 19th century. Here's why use of the material persisted, despite attempts to ban it decades ago.

— By Sara Novak | March 22, 2024

This week the Environmental Protection Agency announced a ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos, the most common form of asbestos still used in the United States.

Such a ban has been a long time coming, according to experts who contend that there are no safe levels of asbestos, a substance that still kills 40,000 People Annually in the U.S. In all, over 50 countries have already banned the mineral, known to cause a Laundry List of Cancers including Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the membranes that line the Lungs and Abdomen. It’s also been shown to cause Lung, Larynx, Ovarian, Stomach, and Colon Cancer.

Labeled with asbestos and lead warnings, sheeting covers rubble from demolished barracks in Fort Ord, California. Asbestos became popular in construction in the 19th century, but by the 1980s became known as a health threat. Photograph By Noah Berger/AP Photo

Earlier bills meant to ban use of asbestos were caught in a legal juggernaut for years before being largely thrown out, says EPA press secretary Remmington Belford. “EPA tried to ban asbestos 35 years ago, in 1989. In 1991, a court decision largely struck down that ban and significantly weakened EPA’s authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA),” Belford said in an email.

That’s part of the reason that Congress decided to significantly amend TSCA in 2016 under the Obama Administration. The hope is that this time the ban will stand up in court. Still, experts say that it doesn’t go far enough. While the rule covers the most widely used asbestos fiber, it doesn’t cover all six forms. It’s focused on banning gaskets, diaphragms containing asbestos used in the production of chlorine, and some automotive products like aftermarket brakes and linings.

“I applaud that the EPA has taken a modest step forward, but no one should think this is a comprehensive ban,” says Arthur Frank, a professor of environmental and occupational health at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Frank says that countries including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Brazil, and many others have all banned asbestos, and none have done it using this type of “piecemeal approach” that doesn’t ban all forms at once.

Close up of a specimen of chrysotile, or white asbestos. The EPA recently announced a ban on this popular form of asbestos. Photograph By John Cancalosi, National Geographic Image Collection

The History of Asbestos Use in the U.S.

The U.S. has had difficulty parting ways with the deadly carcinogen because of the sheer number of products that asbestos has been added to over the years. Use of asbestos insulation began in 1879 and became widespread in construction, peaking in the 1970s when it was used in pipe insulation, fireproofing textile materials, gaskets, siding, vinyl tiles, roofing, piping, and even insulating the space shuttle for NASA.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that resembles microscopic needle fibers. Mixing it with a host of products makes for stronger, more resistant industrial materials that hold up well against fire. Once mined all over the world, it’s now mostly produced in Russia as well as a few remaining enclaves in Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe and China. The U.S at one time got most of its asbestos from mines in Canada before it was banned there in 2018.

Inexpensive to produce, effective, and abundant—lobbying and legal efforts led by the chemical industry have slowed the process of phasing it out. While one administration may try and ban it, the next may reverse course, says Linda Reinstein, co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.

The Trump Administration has consistently opposed legislation that would ban asbestos as well as excluding the other types of asbestos from EPA’s 2020 risk evaluation, later used to ban chrysotile asbestos. Reinstein, whose husband died from mesothelioma in 2005, has long advocated for an act of Congress: the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2023, eliminates all types of asbestos from use. “This way, industry can’t go to the courts and sue to overturn a ban,” she says.

We’ve known about the link to cancer for nearly a century; when asbestos dust gets trapped, it accumulates and causes scarring and inflammation in the body. Over time it can lead to gene mutations that cause cancer. “The reason that it’s so toxic is the same reason why we’ve long used the fibers in products, they’re highly resilient,” says Brenda Buck, a medical geologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “Once asbestos is in the body it never breaks down, it’s basically in there for life.”

How To Protect Yourself From Asbestos

While asbestos has been largely phased out in the U.S., legacy uses still remain in homes and can make people sick. Recognizing potential exposure is key to protecting yourself, says Buck. In older homes, and especially those built before 1970, it’s worth getting an asbestos survey to pinpoint potential hotspots. An expert can do a laboratory analysis of building materials to accurately identify those that contain the substance.

If you find that your home contains asbestos, it should be remediated professionally, which entails sealing off areas that contain asbestos to prevent contaminating the rest of the home. In some cases, this can suffice, but when products containing asbestos, like vinyl tiles or insulation, start degrading, they need to be removed. Remediation can involve encapsulating the asbestos and removing it from the building so it’s no longer a threat. If your home contains asbestos that can’t easily be removed, air purifying with HEPA filters can help reduce potentially dangerous particulate fibers from the air.

An x-ray shows lungs infected with asbestos. Inhaling even trace amounts of asbestos can cause infections and fatal conditions such as cancer.

Another concern is unexpected exposure caused by natural and manmade disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes that cause hazardous materials once locked within walls to be broken down and released into the air. If you’re around a natural disaster or if you’re doing your own home renovations, always wear an N95 mask to avoid what might be in the air.

The World Trade Center is one example of how quickly this exposure can lead to health effects: 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants after 9/11 and an additional 5,380 people have died in the two decades since.

Massive disruptions like this put first responders, clean-up crews, and the general public at risk of exposure after a building’s structural integrity is compromised.

Buck contends that while you can’t completely eliminate your risk, you can take steps to identify possible sources and safely remove them. As a nation we’ve been slow to act, and, as a result, asbestos is still a common presence in older buildings.

“It’s been used in our environment for a really long time and it’s difficult to get rid of. While this is an important step, we’ve got a long way to go,” she says.

#Toxic Waste #Diseases #Cancer #Pollution #Public Health #Asbestos #History of Asbestos | United States 🇺🇸#Asbestos Ban in US 🇺🇸#Protection Vs Asbestos

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dd20century · 1 month

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The New Formalist: Edward Durell Stone

This is the second part of a two-part post. Read part one.

Stone’s Academic Career

During the late 1940s into the early 1950s Stone was an “associate professor of architecture at the Yale University School of Architecture” (2). His reputation allowed him to connect with other prominent architects in academia such as Walter Gropius at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and Pietro Belluschi, dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning. He also guest lectured on architecture at Cornell, Princeton, and Stanford. (2)

A New Woman Brings a New Influence to Edward Durell Stone’s Life

Edward Durell Stone and his first wife, Sarah, divorced in 1952. After his divorce, while on a transatlantic flight, Stone found himself seated next to “Maria Elena Torchio, a fashion writer… and proposed to her before the plane landed” (1). The couple were married in 1954 and “would have two children, Benjamin Hicks Stone III and Maria Francesca Stone” (2).

Stone’s Pivotal Commission in India

In 1954 Stone’s firm was commissioned by the United States government to design a new embassy in New Delhi, India. Stone strived to create a “modern structure that would respect the architectural traditions of its host country” (2). The embassy would define a major shift in Stone’s style which would become known as “New Formalism.” The most prominent feature of the clean, elegant building is its decorative concrete grille. Stone’s hero Frank Lloyd Wright who rarely praised the work of other architects, publicly lauded it (2,4).

Edward Durell Stone, United States Embassy (1954), New Delhi, India. Image source.

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger called it “one of the best‐known pieces of American architecture of the decade” (1). The success of the United States Embassy in New Dehli established Stone’s place as a major American Twentieth Century architect. It also led to important commissions such as the “John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, … the General Motors Building in New York, and the State University of New York campus at Albany” (1). “Business Week called him ‘the man with a billion on the drawing board’ ”(3).

“These designs fused the formalism of Stone's early Beaux-Arts training with a romantic historicism, … influenced, in part, by Maria Stone's Italian origins” (2). The couple took several trips to Italy during this time which “reawakened his interest in the classical and Italianate” (2) architecture. While Stone did not intend that his work copy classical architecture he hoped that his work would embody its timelessness. (2)

Edward Durell Stone, Koff Apartments (1965), Deerfield Beach, FL. Image source.

Stone becomes a Celebrity Architect

Edward Durell Stone’s work garnered him publicity both at home and internationally. In 1958 Time did a cover story on the architect. He appeared on many television programs, including Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now.” Stone published his autobiography, The Evolution of an Architect in 1962. (5)

Edward Durell Stone, Carlo M. Paterno House, aka The Atrium House (1962), demolished around 2010. Image source.

Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art

Stone’s later work “became more romantic and more highly embellished” (1), such as the Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art built on Columbus Circle in New York City in 1964.

Paul Goldberger described the building as “an eccentric marble box on delicate legs with arches at top and bottom and characteristic Stone grill work tracery up and down the sides.” The structure's delicate legs caused many New Yorkers to refer to it as “The Lollipop Building.” In the mid-2000s the structure would become embroiled in a controversy over preservation.

“New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission refused to consider its eligibility for landmark status” (2). Little of Stone’s original design remains after its renovation designed by architect Brad Cloepfil. (7)

Edward Durell Stone, Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art - Two Columbus Circle (1964). Image source.

Edward Durell Stone’s Later Work

Stone’s firm continued to “garner major architectural commissions”, and his later work includes, “the Standard Oil building in Chicago, Illinois (completed 1973); the First Bank Tower in Toronto, Ontario (completed 1975); and the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee (completed 1978)” (2). His last residential work was the Sheldon Cohen House (1976) in Greenwich, CT. (3) Although successful, these later works earned more scorn than praise from the critics.

Edward Durell Stone, First Bank Tower (1975), Toronto, Canada. Photo credit: Arild Vagen. Image source.

In 1966 Stone and his muse, Maria Elena Torch, divorced. He remarried in 1972, this time to his executive assistant, Violet Campbell La Stella. The couple had a daughter, Fiona Campbell Stone…. Declining health forced Stone to retire from active practice in 1974.” (2) His firm Edward Durell Stone & Associates, however, remained in business until 1993.

Stone’s Tributes and Legacy

During his career Stone had several honorary degrees bestowed on him including one from the University of Arkansas in 1951. (4). Stone received numerous awards for his work including the Medal of Honor from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1955. He became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1958 (2). He won the Horatio Alger Award in 1971. (4) The Mullins Library at the University of Arkansas holds “an extensive collection of project and personal photographs in addition to a collection of architectural drawings and papers” (2).

Edward Durrell Stone died after a brief illness in New York City on August 6, 1978. (1) His career spanned five decades and encompassed Art Deco, the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, Modernism, and his own unique decorative style of architecture, reacting against the cold International Style. As Paul Goldberger wrote, “Mr. Stone sought not to go beyond the International Style but to turn the clock back to a personal kind of modern architecture.”

References

Goldberger, P., (7 August, 1978). Edward Durell Stone Dead at 76; Designed Major Works Worldwide. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/07/archives/edward-durell-stone-dead-at-76-designed-major-works-worldwide-a.html

R. L. Skolmen and H. Stone, (n.d.). Edward Durell Stone: Life. https://www.edwarddurellstone.org/

Smart, G., (2024). Edward Durell Stone, FAIA (1902-1978). https://usmodernist.org/stone.htm

Wikipedia.com, (7 February, 2014). Edward Durell Stone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Durell_Stone

Edward Durell Stone, The Evolution of an Architect, (New York: Horizon Press, 1962), 92.

Britannica.com, (n.d). Edward Durell Stone, American architect. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Durell-Stone#ref81069

Goldberger, P. (18 August, 2008). Hello, Columbus. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/08/25/hello-columbus

#architecture #edward durell stone

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kayvanh123 · 1 month

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Inadequate sleep associated with occurrences of migraine attacks.

A recent investigation by scholars from the University of Arizona Health Sciences has revealed a correlation between inadequate sleep and occurrences of migraine attacks, implying that enhancing sleep quality might reduce migraine incidents among individuals with this condition.

Many migraine sufferers often report experiencing sleep-related issues, such as insomnia, difficulties in falling or staying asleep, poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, awakening due to migraines, and being compelled to sleep because of migraine-induced headaches. Up until now, it remained unclear whether poor sleep caused migraines or vice versa.

Principal investigator Frank Porreca, PhD, who serves as the research director for the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction and as a professor of pharmacology at the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, commented, “The relationship between sleep and migraine has long been acknowledged. However, previous investigations relied heavily on subjective patient-reported data. In our study, we quantitatively assessed sleep in preclinical models and discovered that while migraine-like pain does not disrupt sleep, disrupted sleep significantly increases the likelihood of migraine attacks in migraine patients.”

Porreca led a team of researchers who employed preclinical mouse models to examine sleep disturbances, as the sleep patterns of mice closely resemble those of humans, including cycles of deep sleep, REM sleep, and light sleep. Sleep was evaluated using electroencephalogram recordings and visual observations.

The findings indicated that when mice experienced sleep deprivation, they were more prone to experiencing migraine-like pain. However, migraine-like pain did not interfere with regular sleep patterns.

Porreca highlighted that sleep deprivation can result from various factors, including stress. To isolate the impact of sleep on migraines in their study, the research team provided mice with novel objects to explore to prevent them from falling asleep.

“Mice are naturally inclined to explore novel objects. They feel compelled to investigate,” Porreca remarked. “This phenomenon is reminiscent of how teenagers often experience sleep deprivation due to excessive phone usage. Sleep experts commonly advise against keeping electronic devices in the bedroom to ensure optimal sleep hygiene.”

For individuals afflicted with migraines, adopting practices such as reducing electronic device usage before bedtime and adhering to other sleep hygiene guidelines could serve as simple yet effective strategies to mitigate the likelihood of migraine attacks.

“Early morning ranks among the most common times for migraine attacks,” Porreca stated. “Given that migraines disproportionately affect women, with a ratio of 3 to 1 compared to men, and the majority of affected women being of childbearing age, it’s plausible that many migraine sufferers are also parents. Waking up with a migraine attack adds further stress to an already challenging time of the day. Improved sleep hygiene is paramount and is likely to decrease the frequency of migraine occurrences.”

According to the American Migraine Foundation, over 39 million individuals in the United States are estimated to suffer from migraines, though this number is likely underestimated due to the considerable number of undiagnosed and untreated cases.

For more information about our clinic, medical professionals, and treatment options, please visit our main website.

#health #medicine #mental health #pain management #back pain #chiropractic #apdss #neckpain #depressionhelp #neurostar

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casbookproject · 5 months

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Frank Wisner

(https://www.cia.gov/legacy/museum/office-of-policy-coordination-established-to-manage-covert-action/)

Wisner was born in 1909 to a wealthy family with a lot of land in Missouri, one of the states in the US South governed by Jim Crow laws. He grew up in an insular, privileged household. As a child, he didn’t even put on his own clothes—he would lie down, raise his arms and legs, and his black maid would put his shirt and trousers on for him At the University of Virginia, he was tapped to the join the Sevens, a secret society so baroque that it only revealed the names of its members at their death. Afterward he became a lawyer at a white shoe firm on Wall Street. Restless, and driven by an intense sense of moral purpose, he enlisted in the Navy a year before the Japanese attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. The OSS(pre CIA) liked to hire elite corporate lawyers from the best schools, and Wisner was perfect for it. He got into the intelligence service with the help of an old professor and took to the the life instantly. When he was out on covert operations he would not only gather information but also extensively partying (lots of drinking) with royalty and Soviet agents.

"Frank Wisner, who had a story he would tell every time he was trying to explain why he did what he did for the United States government. Wisner had flown into Romania in September 1944 to work as station chief for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the temporary spy agency that Washington set up during the war. Once there, he heard, and believed, that the Soviets were scheming to take control of the country, but his bosses back home were in no mood to hear that their allies were up to no good. In January 1945, Stalin ordered that thousands of men and women of German descent be taken back to the Soviet Union to be “mobilized for work.” Wisner knew some of them personally. As the forced evacuation began, he rode frantically around the city, as he told it, trying to save them. But he failed. Thousands of people were herded onto boxcars and sent to labor camps. According to his family, those scenes would haunt him for the rest of his troubled life" (pg. 45).

In Berlin in 1948, Wisner was working on the big issue of the day in Germany—financial affairs in the divided country. Wisner pressed hard for an adversarial stance toward Moscow. He supported the creation of a new currency in the Western-occupied areas. In June 1948, the Allied governments decided to unilaterally issue a currency for West Germany, the deutsche mark, catching the Soviets off guard and likely forcing the long-term split of the country into two. By 1951, Wisner’s OPC had been absorbed into a newly formed Central Intelligence Agency and became the head of clandestine operations. From the beginning the CIA had two basic divisions. On one side was the gathering of intelligence through espionage. Their job was something akin to providing a private news service for the president. On the other side was covert action—the rough stuff, the active attempts to change the world. That was Frank Wisner’s territory. Through out his career he caused several successful coups and operations but the majority of their plans failed. This would often cause many to be killed, many of the troops he sent into regions never made it back out. Though the US denied this publicly, the CIA had been encouraging the Hungarians to revolt, and many did so thinking they would receive support from Washington. When the Dulles brothers decided against this course of action, seemingly hanging the protesters out to dry, Wisner felt personally betrayed. His behavior became increasingly erratic. William Colby, a senior CIA officer in Rome, said in 1956 that “Wisner was rambling and raving, totally out of control. He kept saying, all these people are getting killed.” His son noticed that he appeared overworked and was deeply emotionally involved in the events in Europe. In 1957 Wisner warned the Dulles brothers that the rebellion would be an unpredictable, potentially explosive affair. They ignored his concerns, and gave Wisner the authority to spend $10 million to back a revolution in Indonesia. The revolution failed. "Frank Wisner began to act increasingly erratically toward the end of 1958. Sometimes he would appear too excited, talking too quickly. Sometimes his eyes would just glaze over. Back in Georgetown, he saw a psychiatrist. He was prescribed a generous dose of psychoanalysis, and underwent shock therapy." (pg. 99)

On October 29, 1965 in Galena, Maryland—Frank Wisner found one of his sons’ shotguns while staying at the family farm, and used it to kill himself.

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