#spring donor retreat

[balanchine-ballet-master]

Above: The New York City Ballet leadership team. Left to right: Katherine E. Brown, executive director; Alexei Ratmansky, Artist in Residence; Jonathan Stafford, Artistic Director; Justin Peck, Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor; and Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director. Photo: Erin Baiano via the NY Times

This is the second of several articles from The New York Times about the New York City Ballet, whose 75th Anniversary Season opens Tuesday, October 19, 2023.

NYCB at 75

New York City Ballet Was in Peril. Then Came a Revival.

The company has rebounded after the pandemic and a series of scandals, stabilizing its finances, revamping its culture and attracting younger audiences.

By Javier C. Hernández

The leaders of New York City Ballet filed into a banquet hall at Lincoln Center one day in the spring of 2022 for an urgent meeting.

The organization was in an uncertain position. It had lost about $55 million in ticket sales during the pandemic shutdown, and as cultural institutions reopened that season, there was no guarantee that audiences, or donors, would return in force. The company was still working to recover from a series of scandals, including accusations of abuse against a former ballet master in chief and an outcry over vulgar texts sent by male dancers. And the nationwide reckoning over racial injustice had brought fresh attention to the dearth of people of color on and offstage in ballet.

At a daylong retreat inside the David H. Koch Theater, the company’s longtime home, City Ballet’s board, staff and artistic leaders began to map out a strategy.

They would keep a heavy focus on George Balanchine, the company’s co-founder, while commissioning more works by living choreographers; they would redouble efforts to recruit Black, Latino and Asian artists and overhaul the company’s work culture; and they would continue to work to attract younger audiences in part by collaborating with pop-culture figures and investing in digital marketing.

“We came away with a mantra: we have to be excellent,” said Diana Taylor, the chair of City Ballet’s board, who organized the meeting. “And everything else comes under that.”

Above: the box office of the New York State Theater. Photo: Pentagram

Hit hard by the pandemic and other crises, City Ballet has led a spirited revival ahead of its 75th anniversary season, which begins this month, stabilizing its finances, revamping its culture and attracting new audiences.

While many cultural institutions have scaled back during the pandemic, City Ballet is growing: Its budget for the fiscal year that ended in June was about $91 million, compared with $88 million before the pandemic. Contributions and grants have risen sharply, totaling about $30 million last year, compared with $26 million in 2019.

Audiences were back at pre-pandemic levels last season, with attendance at 73 percent of capacity. And in a shift, the number of young people has increased: The median age of ticket buyers has dropped to 44, from 54 in 2008, and more than half are under 50, compared with roughly a third in 2008. (The Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic’s attendees, by comparison, still skew older, with the average age in the 50s.)

A new generation of dancers and choreographers has brought fresh energy, as have splashy premieres, including a recent collaboration with the pop star Solange Knowles.

“There’s an excitement and a drive,” said Selena Light, a 23-year-old employee at a technology company, who last season attended her first performance at the ballet, a premiere of an evening-length work set to some of Aaron Copland’s most popular music by Justin Peck, City Ballet’s resident choreographer.

“Especially after going through all the darkness of Covid,” Light added, “dance and ballet feel more relevant and alive.”

Above: Ashley Bouder in Balanchine's Donizetti Variations in 2010. Photo: Paul Kolnik

The company’s more than 90 dancers have sensed a shift as well.

Megan Fairchild, a principal dancer who first joined the company as an apprentice in 2001, said that a few years ago, when City Ballet’s scandals dominated the conversation, working there could feel like “watching an institution that we all very much cared about getting dragged through the mud.”

The pandemic was another setback, Fairchild said, but it also brought the company closer. “It was a difficult transition,” she said, “but we’ve all evolved.”

As City Ballet begins a new chapter, many challenges remain. Government aid that helped sustain the company during the pandemic has dried up, and subscriptions, once a major source of revenue, have dwindled. Audiences remain unpredictable, and recent economic jitters could make fund-raising more difficult. “I’m not sure we’ve reached a steady state yet, but it’s certainly on the upswing,” said Katherine E. Brown, City Ballet’s executive director. “There’s a lot of optimism. But there’s still anxiety.”

Above: Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley in Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations. Photo: Erin Baiano via DanceTabs

Only a few years ago, City Ballet’s success was far from assured.

In 2018, Peter Martins, the company’s powerful ballet master in chief, stepped down amid accusations of sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse. That same year, the company fired two principal male dancers, Zachary Catazaro and Amar Ramasar, after they were accused of inappropriately sharing vulgar texts and sexually explicit photos of female dancers. The scandals roiled the company and became high-profile tests of the #MeToo movement.

City Ballet’s leaders vowed to take action, but the company struggled to move on. Martins, who ran the company for 35 years, continued to exert influence after his resignation, angering some dancers. And in 2019, an arbitrator ordered the company to reinstate Catazaro and Ramasar, alienating some women in the company.

Then the pandemic hit, forcing City Ballet to cancel hundreds of performances, disrupting the careers of many rising stars and delivering a financial shock. City Ballet, like other cultural institutions, reduced the salaries of dancers and other artists as it worked to weather the crisis.

When live performance returned in the fall of 2021, there was relief and excitement, as well as questions about the company’s future — how it should balance traditional fare with contemporary works, for example, and use technology to draw new audiences.

The company made targeting young people a priority, building on the success of pre-pandemic efforts. A program that offered $30 tickets to people between the ages of 13 and 30 surged in popularity during the pandemic. And the company’s art series, in which visual artists install large-scale works at the Koch Theater, continued to attract newcomers to dance. City Ballet also expanded its presence on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms, taking users behind the scenes of productions like “The Nutcracker” and posting interviews with dancers about their lives outside of ballet.

Above: Costumes for The Nutcracker in NYCB's Costume Shop. Photo: Henry Leutwyler via Vanity Fair

Taylor, a finance leader and the partner of former New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg who, in 2021, became the first woman to serve as board chair in City Ballet’s history, worked to galvanize donors. When a potential board member expressed concern about joining “my grandmother’s dance company,” Taylor assured her that City Ballet was not beholden to the past, noting premieres by Peck and others.

“Our challenge is, how do we keep up with current trends and current tastes while not sacrificing who we are and what we’re trying to do?” she said. “Balanchine was a great innovator in his own time. Innovation is good, but we also need to keep the excellence in everything that we’re doing.”

The company increased the annual amount required to join the board to $150,000 from $100,000. Donations rose significantly; the spring gala this year, which was attended by Bloomberg, took in $3.5 million, breaking records.

At opening night of the 2021-22 season, the first after the pandemic, the audience gave the company a standing ovation. Photo: Lexie Moreland via Women's Wear Daily

As the financial picture improved, City Ballet worked to make its culture more collaborative and inclusive.

The company has put in place better protections for dancers, instituting a code of conduct and hiring an intimacy director to care for the physical and emotional well-being of performers.

While the company was once known for a “fear-based work ethic,” said Jonathan Stafford, City Ballet’s artistic director, it has tried to give dancers more of a voice, meeting with them more regularly and offering more frequent feedback.

“We tried to be proactive,” he said. “We tried to think through, what does this company need right now? What do these artists need right now? How do we need to be as leaders? How do we need to treat people? How do we need to communicate with people? The company was pretty siloed for a long time. There was not feedback for dancers, there were not ways forward to improve or to know what was expected of you. We’ve tried to fill in all those gaps and offer more resources for physical health, well-being and recovery.”

Wendy Whelan, the company’s associate artistic director, said the administration had tried to get to know its dancers at a deeper level.

“We’re looking at the whole dancer,” she said. “It’s not just their body, their technique, but their mind, their spirit — everything.”

Above: Backstage at NYCB. Photo: Henry Leutwyler.

The national discussion over race has increased pressure on City Ballet to bring more diversity on and offstage. The company dance corps remains predominantly white, as do its audiences, but there have been signs of progress.

The company has hired more Black, Latino and Asian dancers in recent years and promoted them to key positions. As parts of its most recent labor contract with the union representing the dancers, the company formally adopted a policy allowing dancers to use tights and shoes that better match their skin tone, rather than standard pink attire. The company has also pledged to work to eliminate racial and ethnic stereotypes in ballet.

Programming has grown more diverse, featuring a greater array of choreographers and composers, helping draw new audiences to the ballet. In February, City Ballet presented “Fortuitous Ash” by the Thai American choreographer Keerati Jinakunwiphat, her first work for a ballet company. Last fall, City Ballet premiered “Play Time,” by the choreographer Gianna Reisen, with an original score by Solange. About 70 percent of ticket buyers for that program had never been to City Ballet before. The renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, who spent the past 13 years at American Ballet Theater, recently joined City Ballet as artist in residence, a coup for the organization.

Above: The 2022 world premiere of “Play Time,” with NYCB dancers, from left, KJ Takahashi, India Bradley, Davide Riccardo, Indiana Woodward and Emma Von Enck. Photo: Julieta Cervantes for The New York Times

As the 75th anniversary looms, the company still faces challenges: the uncertain economy, increasing competition from streaming platforms for time and attention from audiences, and questions about its modern artistic identity as the Balanchine era grows more distant.

Peck, the choreographer, said it could become more difficult to keep staples of the repertoire “sharp and clear and potent” as the connection to Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, one of the company’s most influential choreographers, faded.

City Ballet is like a garden that “we have to continue to work on day in and day out, regardless of any success that we’ve had,” Peck said.

“Each year, it feels like we are always starting over again, as if it’s the first time,” he added. “If we don’t stay on top of it at all times, the weeds will overtake it, and it will lose its clarity and its order.”

Above: company curtain call, 2015. Photo: Kent G. Becker via Smithsonian magazine

#New York City Ballet #NYCB #ballet #ballet companies #NYCB at 75 #future of ballet #NYCB@75

[meret118]

Hours before ProPublica revealed new details about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' relationship with the Koch network, a group of Democratic senators filed a brief on Thursday warning that Koch-backed entities are closely involved in an upcoming case that could further gut the federal government's regulatory power—and enhance the strength of the conservative-dominated high court.

The case in question is Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which stems from a New Jersey-based fishing company's challenge to a law requiring certain fishing boats to carry federal compliance monitors to enforce regulations.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was at the Bohemian Grove, a secretive all-men’s retreat in Northern California, with billionaire industrialist David Koch, right, and Ken Burns, whose films Koch has financially supported.

During the summit, the justice went to a private dinner for the network’s donors. Thomas has attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years, according to interviews with three former network employees and one major donor. The justice was brought in to speak, staffers said, in the hopes that such access would encourage donors to continue giving.

That puts Thomas in the extraordinary position of having served as a fundraising draw for a network that has brought cases before the Supreme Court, including one of the most closely watched of the upcoming term.

Thomas never reported the 2018 flight to Palm Springs on his annual financial disclosure form, an apparent violation of federal law requiring justices to report most gifts. A Koch network spokesperson said the network did not pay for the private jet. Since Thomas didn’t disclose it, it’s not clear who did pay.

#SCOTUS #Corruption

[blaserables]

Dragon 4ge Day Charity Conversions

Happy Dragon 4ge Day! We designed a few items for the Dragon Age RPG for charity!

From The Wonders of Thedas Podcast, by GM Reyn

As a thank you for the donors to Child’s Play, donating on Dragon 4ge Day during the livestream of Ghil Dirthalen, we promised to make a custom magic item every time someone made a donation of $10 or more after Reyn came on the stream at 2PM! We had four total donors after their appearance donate $10 or more, so here are four new items for the Dragon Age RPG!

Hack

Battle Axe

Masterwork Benefits: +5 Damage

Superior Benefits: Minimum Strength -1

Talent Level:  One Level

Focus Benefit: Yes

Rune Slots: 0

Holding this axe seems to make you thirsty for some reason. When the axe is used in battle the wielder’ thirst seems to disappear. Blood seems to fountain from strikes with this axe, and it leaves your foes reeling and afraid. The wielder gains access to the Messy Kill stunt for 4 SP. The next time the wielder kills a target, they nearly explode in a shower of gore. For one round after, all enemies involved in the conflict (and potentially allies) who witness this kill must make A Willpower (Courage) test with a TN of 10+your Strength to attack the wielder. Those who fail must take the Defend or Move action instead.

Blade of the Many

Dagger

Masterwork Benefits: +3 Attack, +3 Damage

Talent Level:  Two Levels

Focus Benefit: Yes

Rune Slots: 2

Many weapons become legends because they had a great owner who performed impressive deeds with the weapon. This weapon did not have a single great owner, but many capable ones. The dagger has a thick ruby in its hilt, that legend claims holds a piece of the soul of every warrior and thief who died with the dagger in hand. Focusing on the ruby brings voices into your mind that call for vengeance. The wielder of this dagger may whisper to the ruby as a minor action, calling for aid. Ghostly figures shift in and out of focus behind the wielder of the dagger and their allies within 10 yards, granting the wielder and their allies the dagger’s damage and talent bonuses for one encounter, as these ghostly spirits guide their weapons and spells. This weapon has been taken by the Templars more than once, and anyone caught with it is quick to be labeled an apostate or maleficar.

Hood’s Message to the King

Long Bow

Masterwork Benefits: +2 Attack +5 Damage

Superior Benefits: Minimum Strength

Talent Level:  Two Levels

Focus Benefit: Yes

Rune Slots: 2

The existence of this weapon is as much myth as history. It is a story passed down among the Free Marches, the identity of “Hood” changing with the city, the bards telling the stories, or the passions of the world’s current troubles. The message is varied but clear: the people want a change, and they will have it. This bow’s construction is very stiff, and pulling back a shot takes a full round, but a shot from this bow flies far and punctures like a qunari cannon. The bow’s range is is incredible, with a short range of 45 yards and a long range of 1117 yards. Finally, the wielder may perform the Pierce Armor stunt for 1 SP, and the Lethal Blow stunt for 3 SP when firing this bow.H

Cold-Blooded

Staff

Masterwork Benefits: +3 Ice Damage

Talent Level:  One Levels

Focus Benefit: Yes

Rune Slots: 3

The mage who created this staff was famed to have escaped the Templar of his Circle by retreating into one of the coldest winters the Free Marches had seen in decades. While the Templars came for him in the spring, that long and brutal winter was not an idle one. The mage was well-versed in blood and primal magic before he left, and by the time the Templar found him he was a master of both. Using this staff as a focus, and several other items he crafted himself with blood magic, he slew the Templars who gave chase, leaving them frozen outside his hiding place as a warning to those who might come too close. He eventually settled down and passed down several powerful creations to his children, one of whom was supposedly a mage. While this staff only makes one part of the Regalia of the Frozen Heart, it is still a potent magical item. Whenever the wielder casts a Blood or Primal spell, they may perform the Fast Casting stunt for 2 SP instead of 4, but only if the spell they cast with the stunt comes from the other school (if the spell that generates the points is a Primal spell, they must cast a Blood spell with the stunt). Additionally, whenever the wielder of the staff enters Blood Magic mode, they may choose a single element to which they become immune to. Damage from spells, hazards, bombs, or other sources that come from the corresponding element deal no damage to the wielder.

We hope these items help inspire you to make your own! Have fun playing the Dragon Age RPG, and we wish you lots of 6s on that Dragon Die!

#blase dattrpg

[cattarattat]

A MUST, MUST, MUST READ!!!

"The latest outrage over Thomas' conduct follows a report revealing his ties to the Koch brothers' political network…

Legal and political experts have erupted with disgust online Thursday after a report revealed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has participated in two Koch donor summits and ultimately aided the political network, which has appeared before the high court in multiple cases — including one of the most highly anticipated of the upcoming term — in its efforts to raise funding.

According to ProPublica, who conducted interviews with three former network employees and one major donor, Thomas has attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years with the justice, staffers said, being flown in to speak in hopes that it would encourage attendees to continue donating. Thomas did not report the 2018 flight he took to Palm Springs for the Koch organization's annual summit on his disclosure form, and a spokesperson for the network told ProPublica it did not pay for the jet.

As the outlet notes, Thomas' participation in the events is part of a yearslong, personal relationship he has with the networks founders — libertarian billionaires David and Charles Koch — that has largely remained out of the public eye and sprouted from years of trips to the Bohemian Grove, a secretive, all-men's retreat in Northern California Thomas has attended for two decades.

The revelation comes after ProPublica's previous reports have also shed light on the conservative justice's ties to GOP megadonor and billionaire Harlan Crow, who financed a number of luxury trips for Thomas across decades, paid private-school tuition for two years for the child Thomas raised and purchased property from Thomas — including his mother's home — in 2014.

Thomas neglected to report these dealings with Crow in his annual financial disclosures but acknowledged in his most recent financial report that he took three trips aboard the billionaire's private plane last year and included amendments to reports filed between 2017 and 2021 to address matters he 'inadvertently omitted.'

Thomas' ties to billionaires whose political interests have been brought — if not also seen success — before the Supreme Court has sparked calls for the imposition of an ethics code on the justices and instilled doubt in the public's trust of the high court. The latest revelation has only bolstered those concerns with some experts and officials on Friday renewing calls for his resignation.

'Justice Clarence Thomas continues to bring shame upon himself and the United States Supreme Court,' Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'He should resign. What are we going to find out next? A fundraiser for Trump headlined by Clarence Thomas? Ridiculous.'

'Personally, I'd go right to resign. It's long overdue. And I'd revisit the cases he's decided—including Citizens United and Shelby v Holder, which together handed our democracy to the rich—while we're at it. Corruption of the highest order,' said Boston College professor of 19th-century U.S. history Heather Cox Richardson, whose research focuses on American political history and ideology.

Other experts have expressed outrage and further critiqued Thomas over his acceptance of gifts and failure to disclose them or recuse himself from relevant cases.

'The whole point of disclosing conflicts & recusing is to maintain public confidence in key democratic institutions, like the Court,' former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance tweeted. 'It's clear that the integrity of the branch of gov't he serves in is not important to Justice Thomas.'

'Clarence Thomas might not be the finest Justice money can buy, but he's definitely bought,' attorney and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Moe Davis, said on X. 'Imagine if Supreme Court justices were held to the same ethical standards we demand of a 21-year-old Army lieutenant.'

'As a public servant who sacrifices donor $ (I don't take donations from elected officials, PBAs, or attorneys with cases before my office), b/c I believe the justice system should be free from even the appearance of political influence, this sickens me,' added Mimi Rocah, a former federal prosecutor and current district attorney for Westchester County, New York."

[ramonekindrat]

In the Spring of 2017, Matterhorn PR was engaged to take care of all public release activities for Proud Fertility’s Managing Director, Nathan Chan. Our objective was to get Proud Fertility’s press releases in the hands of relevant Canadian journalists. In addition, our goal was to achieve media coverage via print, radio, TV, and or online media sites for Proud Fertility.

To learn more about Proud Fertility, visit the website at www.proudfertility.com.

The first order of business was to conduct extensive research to better know the organization, so that we could develop and execute four press releases for four upcoming events. Each press release was successful because it is uniquely written to target different aspects of the organization.

The first press release, generated journalist interest in Halifax and Greater Vancouver, its purpose was to debunk the myths of surrogacy and adoption. In the future when Nathan travels, he can inform journalists about any future public presentations. Adoption By Choice (ABC) and Proud Fertility collaborated to raise awareness because there is nothing to be ashamed about when it comes to being adopted and infertile.

The second press release, received media coverage through the online media site EnergeticCity.ca regarding Nathan’s public presentations made in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek in British Columbia, and Grand Prairie in Alberta. Nathan traveled British Columbia and Alberta to raise awareness and to debunk the myths surrounding surrogate mothers, egg donors and the laws around surrogacy.

The third press release, received media coverage through VOCM radio as well as their online site and a speaking engagement at Memorial University in St. John’s Newfoundland. Nathan traveled to Newfoundland with a pregnant surrogate and a Newfoundland egg donor, to educate and share his experiences with the students and the community.

Lastly, the fourth press release received TV coverage through Global TV’s – Shallima Maharaj at the Grow Centre in Edmonton; the TV interview is also available on Global TV’s website. Nathan traveled with eight proud surrogates to Edmonton for a retreat. Some surrogates were happy to talk to Global TV reporter about their experiences, so that they could shatter the stigma surrounding infertility.

The result was a total success as all press releases received media attention. This is a unique case for most PR companies but is typical of Matterhorn’s PR work.

#Ramone Kindrat #ramone kindrat calgary

[billthedrake]

Bill Drake stories

All stories at Nifty Archive (nifty.org), unless otherwise indicated

INCEST (dad-son)

After Football Practice

Game of Doubles

Unforgettable Workout

Parents' Weekend (12)

Night Call

Airman Orgy

The Meetup

Naval Tradition (47) / Naval Tradition Revised

Horny Dad Tales #1 Halloween Costume

Horny Dad Tales #2 The Poker Game

Horny Dad Tales #3 Camcorder

Horny Dad Tales #4 Punisher Punished

Horny Dad Tales #5 After the State Tournament

Horny Dad Tales #6 Shoeshine

Horny Dad Tales #7 Football Dads

Horny Dad Tales #8 Felch Fest Induction

Horny Dad Tales #9 Panic Room

Horny Dad Tales #10 Away At College

Horny Dad Tales #11 Troop and Son

Horny Dad Tales #12 Midlife Crisis

Horny Dad Tales #13 Chief's Boy

Horny Dad Tales #14 Becoming a Man

White Collar Tales #11 Junior Prosecutor

Horny Dad Tales #15 Tapped Out

Horny Dad Tales #16 Sibling Rivalry

Horny Dad Tales #17 Oral Fixation

Horny Dad Tales #18 Kev and Mr. B

Horny Dad Tales #19: Dads I’d Like to Fuck

Horny Dad Tales #20: Christmas Present

Horny Dad Tales #22: One on One

Horny Dad Tales #23: Father's Day Card

Daddy Week 5

Horny Dad Tales #24: Carbon Copy

Horny Dad Tales #25: Winter Break

Horny Dad Tales #26: When the Admiral Comes Home

Horny Dad Tales #27: Marrying Up

Horny Dad Tales #28: A Little Help

Horny Dad Tales #29: Father's Day Gifts

Horny Dad Tales #30: Dad's New Life (3 parts)

Horny Dad Tales #34: Dadfucker's Club 5

Uncle Mike Comes to Visit - GAYDEMON ONLY

Another Meetup

Christmas at Uncle Brad's

Workout Room

Golden Ticket

INTERGENERATIONAL (including dad-son roleplay)

My Lover's Dad

Spring Cleaning

White Collar Tales #3 Senator's Aide

Meet the Players

White Collar Tales #19: Power Lunch

Daddy Issues (16)

You Don't Know Jack (with jhtravus)

Daddy Week 1-4

White Collar Tales #23: Regatta Dad

Horny Dad Tales #21, 31-3, 35: Dadfuckers Club 1-4, 6

Country Club Stud

Upgrade - GAYDEMON ONLY

By the Book - GAYDEMON ONLY

Rec League

Affair with Coach T - GAYDEMON ONLY

JOCKS AND COACHES

After Football Practice

Team Reward (13)

End of Baseball Season

Jock Ass Lover

Working with My Star Wrestler

Bait and Switch

A Day in the Life of a Town Football Star (11)

Meet the Players

Reconnecting With Coach

Senior Week

Elite Football Camp

Rec League

Lake House Rules - GAYDEMON ONLY

Winning Team - GAYDEMON ONLY

By the Book - GAYDEMON ONLY

Affair with Coach T - GAYDEMON ONLY

FRATERNITY

SAE Action

Cooling Off With the UPS Guy

Road Trip with my Big - GAYDEMON ONLY

Life After Graduation - GAYDEMON ONLY

PRO/FAMOUS ATHLETES

Homerun Stud

Justin Gets Some Wood

SEC Spring Break

Spring Break With Gannon

Peyton's Place

Post Season Party

QB Club Retreat

QB Club Charity Challenge

QB Bottom Party (3)

National League Bromance

Kuechly's Best Bud

MALE PREGNANCY

Cornell, TX (17)

The Callahan Clan

The Pregnancy Chronicles - GAYDEMON ONLY

WHITE COLLAR GUYS/SUIT SEX

Big Jack

White Collar Tales #1 Brokers in Heat

White Collar Tales #2 The Nineteenth Hole

White Collar Tales #3 Senator's Aide

White Collar Tales #5 Late Train on the Metro North

White Collar Tales #6 Financial District Barber

White Collar Tales #7 Starting Out

White Collar Tales #8 Mentoring Program

White Collar Tales #9 Holiday Office Party

White Collar Tales #10 Boss's Cabin

White Collar Tales #11 Junior Prosecutor

White Collar Tales #12 Midtown Fuckbuddy

White Collar Tales #13 Executive Booty Call

White Collar Tales #15 Birthday Comes Early

White Collar Tales #16 Executive Compensation

White Collar Tales #17 Getting through B School

White Collar Tales #18 Myrtle Beach Afternoon

White Collar Tales #19 Power Lunch

White Collar Tales #20 Man on the Street

White Collar Tales #21 Executive Bait

Donor's Circle

White Collar Tales #22 Power Play

White Collar Tales #23 Regatta Dad

The Boardroom - GAYDEMON ONLY

Country Club Stud - GAYDEMON ONLY

MARRIED GUYS

Big Jack

Ranger John

White Collar Tales #4 Boys' Night Out

White Collar Tales #9 Holiday Office Party

White Collar Tales #12 Midtown Fuckbuddy

White Collar Tales #13 Executive Booty Call

White Collar Tales #14 Boating Opportunity

White Collar Tales #15 Birthday Comes Early

White Collar Tales #16 Executive Compensation

White Collar Tales #22 Power Play

Jeff's Bachelor Vacation (5)

Upgrade - GAYDEMON ONLY

Affair with Coach T - GAYDEMON ONLY

COPS

The Officer and the Quarterback

Precinct Visit

Cop Cadet

Cadet Takes a Ride

Horny Dad Tales #1 Halloween Costume

Horny Dad Tales #6 Shoeshine

Horny Dad Tales #11 Troop and Son

Horny Dad Tales #13 Chief's Boy

Daddy Week 4

MILITARY

Drill Sergeant Gets Drilled

Showing Private the Ropes

Horny Dad Tales #26: When the Admiral Comes Home

Naval Tradition (47) / Naval Tradition Revised

HOOKUPS

Fucked By a Pro

Friday Night Pickup

Jock Ass Lover

Numbers after title are the number of chapters.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

This weekend, Trump and a number of high-profile GOP lawmakers and supporters are meeting for a Republican National Committee spring retreat in Palm Beach, Florida. In a keynote speech Saturday night, Trump called McConnell a "dumb son of a bitch" for not helping him overturn the 2020 presidential election, as well as a "stone cold loser."

Participants at the event are discussing unity within the party and upcoming campaign plans after Trump vowed to punish his opponents in next year's GOP primary races. Among those opponents are Murkowski and other Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial in February.

Trump has pledged to fight against lawmakers who have publicly criticized him, highlighting an ongoing divide within the GOP as the party struggles to break away from the former president's influence.

McConnell, once considered a long-time ally, is among those Trump has recently gone after. Last month, Trump said McConnell was "hanging by a thread" and warned Republicans that his endorsement determines "the difference between victory and massive defeat."

Trump's criticism of McConnell comes after the Kentucky senator said the former president's actions on January 6 "provoked" a violent mob of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol. Though McConnell did not vote to convict in the impeachment trial, he called Trump "practically and morally responsible," for the riot that resulted in five deaths.

In response, Trump called McConnell a "dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack."

Now a McConnell-aligned Super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, has publicly endorsed Murkowski in a move that could add further fuel to the fire.

Last month, Trump said the Alaska senator was "disloyal and very bad" and confirmed that he would be campaigning against her next year after she joined six other Senate Republicans in finding Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection.

"She represents her state badly and her country even worse," Trump said in March. "I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be—in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad senator."

#politics #us politics #news #donald trump #trump #gop #republican #republicans #conservative #conservatives #mitch mcconnell #sen. mitch mcconnell #fuck mcconnell #newsweek #sen. lisa murkowski #lisa murkowski

[nazyalenskyism]

Can’t Fall in Love Tonight

Description: A modern Zoyalai political AU. Nikolai is running for office and Zoya is has been his right-hand woman since University. Feelings are finally realized and Zoyalai banter. 

A/N: Just Zoya and Nikolai being Zoya and Nikolai. I hope you enjoy, as always any feedback would be lovely, and the first chapter is under the cut.

Ao3: Can’t Fall in Love Tonight 

updated: Here are the links to chapter 2 and the final chapter, chapter 3!

Ao3 :Chapter 2

Ao3: Chapter 3

        “That’s unacceptable and you know it, don’t you?”

        “Y-yes ma’am.”

        Zoya resisted the urge to roll her eyes, dear lord, each new batch of interns was worse than the last. They had no backbone whatsoever, and when did it become part of her job to help them develop one? “So, if you know the criteria for all reports submitted to me, why didn’t you check with your supervisor that it had been done correctly? Why would you bring it to me without being sure?”

        “I-- I’m so sorry Ms.Nazyalensky, it won’t happen again.”

        She nodded curtly, “see to it that it doesn’t. We run a big campaign, and we can’t afford to have little things like this slow down the cogs of the machine. Double check all the requirements next time, because if you don't, there won't be any more chances, nor will you ever find a job with any political campaign again.” The kid, Paul-- no--Patrick, stared at her, his mouth wobbling, trying to find a reply. She’d given him another chance, why was he still standing there, acting like she’d already fired him? She opened her mouth, about to tell him to run back to his station when she noticed glinting gold out of the corner of her eye. Fantastic. The gallant hero riding in to save the poor intern from the stormy harpy. She knew the names they called her, and she didn't care in the least. There was a reason she had her job, and that was because she was the best, not because she was the nicest.

        “What Nazyalenksy means to say is that we constantly have to be updated with new incoming information that the format that you learned on your first day was created to save as much time as possible while conveying the information easily. Each individual on the staff has a significant role to play, something that seems as trivial as a document’s format has a big impact on the entire campaign. Your job is as important as mine, Pavel.”

        A hand clapped down on the young man’s shoulder as he replied, “really?” in an awed voice, mouth agape. Zoya fought to keep her composure again, these interns were always ready to bow down in front of their boss as if he were a king and they were mere subjects. A few words from Nikolai, a charming smile thrown their way and they were basically genuflecting.

        “Well, that’s not entirely true, I suppose. I do have to stand around and look dashing, the most difficult of my daily tasks,” the man said good-naturedly. This was typical Nikolai, when he was in front of the lower level employees, he was a commanding and kind boss. When he was before his biggest donors, he was a charming young man, telling lively stories about his time in university, his world adventures, how he’d sailed around the world in two years, anything that would ensure their support. Pavel stood rooted to the spot, this was clearly the first encounter he’d had with the Nikolai Lantsov, and he looked like he was close to passing out.

        “Run along now, Peter, and remember what I said.” The boy hurried away, too scared to tell her she’d called him by the wrong name, turning his head back to catch one last glimpse at Nikolai, paling as Nikolai raised a hand waving goodbye.

        “His name was Pavel, and you didn’t have to instill the fear of Zoya into him for his mistake,” Nikolai said, turning his head towards her.

        Zoya shrugged a shoulder noncommittally, “now he’ll never make the same mistake again. Where are we finding these new recruits, I swear we weren’t this incompetent when we did this.”

        “You, incompetent? Those words don’t belong together in a sentence at all.”

        “What about, Zoya’s unparalled talents save her incompetent candidate, Nikolai Lantsov from defeat yet again?” At that, Zoya saw slight tension creep into Nikolai’s stance. She sighed, they really couldn’t go more than an hour without yet another issue springing up, could they?

        “Perhaps that isn’t the most fitting phrase,” Nikolai said, tone shifting from easy and relaxed to all business. “Let’s talk in my office.” As he led the way down the hall of their headquarters, Zoya saw people stick their heads out of doorways to catch a glimpse of the golden boy, eyes wide, mouths agape. Zoya didn’t miss the looks towards her as well. Regularly she was their hardass superior who tolerated nothing less than perfection, but whenever their staff saw her go into a room alone with Nikolai, they got ideas that only added to the small, but ridiculous rumors that they were ‘a thing.’ She couldn’t care less, her job was to be his campaign manager during election season, and Chief of Staff otherwise— and so nearly half of her time was spent with Nikolai, heads bent over desks, trying to solve whatever new problem they encountered. Long after everyone had wrapped for the day, they would still be at the office, or retreat to Nikolai’s lavish apartment to continue working. She always went home after these late-night sessions, and nothing remotely scandalous had ever happened between her and Nikolai, but the rumors didn’t seem to care about facts. They were close, they always had been. She wasn’t about to act differently because of a small rumor. Unless their actions would negatively impact Nikolai’s image, she didn’t care. Still, Zoya swept the hallway with a cool glare, she was still their superior, and they didn’t have time to waste watching a man walk down the hall.

        By the time Zoya reached the end of the hall, Nikolai was gallantly holding the door open for her, and quickly shut it behind her. She didn’t particularly care for his office, it felt like a watered down, more palatable version of his home office, which was much more eclectic, filled with his personal hard-won treasures, not just that which looked the most interesting and professional. But she supposed, if anyone understood the importance of presentation, it was her. Her blue silk blouse with its delicate silver pearl buttons was paired with a sleek black skirt, and her usual heels were polished to perfection, not unlike Nikolai’s shining black Oxfords. “So, what is it?”

        “Zoya. It’s... It’s…” He scrubbed a hand over his face, and she froze, she hadn’t seen him this phased about something in a long, long time. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good.

        “Just spit it out Nikolai, whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”

        “We have reason to believe that Demidov has a new Campaign Manager.”

        Zoya felt her brows draw together, “that can’t be the whole of it, who is it Lantsov?” Nikolai looked at her pointedly and Zoya understood immediately, “no. No. No. Way. In. Hell.” She felt pure hatred course through her veins. ‘Any other problem, we could deal with-- any other problem than this. Why did it have to be this?’ She drew in a deep breath. She had been preparing to face him again for years. Not just to face him, but to beat him at his own game, and she knew that she could. She had learned a lot, grown, and become a force to be reckoned with. She was ready to beat him, and this time, she would.

        “Right then, what do you want our next move to be?”

        Nikolai looked up at her, his brows furrowed, she was almost sure that he was going to ask her if she was alright, which was the last thing she needed to hear right now. Instead, he shook his head slightly, clearing his face of all concern before drawing out files from his desk drawer. “We have to figure out their strategy. But before that, we have to tell the team. Demidov is definitely bringing his new manager to the charity ball tonight which means we’re all going to have to play nice.”

        Zoya snorted, “you can play nice Nikolai, I’ll be doing just the opposite.”

        “Zoya,” he caught her wrist as she turned to stand. “All of us hate him, but we can’t do anything in public today. I promise that we will find a way to get rid of him forever, but we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize future plans today, is that clear?”

        Her chest heaved, it had taken everything in herself not to let go and scream when she’d realized who Nikolai was alluding to, but she didn’t know if she could manage to do this-- to go through a 6 hour fundraiser while ‘playing nice’ with the man who had ruined all their lives. But she had a job, and that was to carry them through this election, to have Nikolai’s back, to ensure that they did what they could for the people they promised to serve, and she would not let him be the reason she didn’t fulfill her duties. She pursed her lips, nodding at Nikolai, “I won’t do anything to mess things up, but I sure as hell won’t be playing ‘nice’.”

        “I would expect nothing less of you,” Nikolai said with a genuine smile, tugging gently at her wrist, “if I wanted someone who would ‘play nice’ I wouldn’t have started working with you eight years ago.”

        “You didn’t start working with me, Lantsov, I started working with you. Without my intervention, you would still be in local politics.”

        “Semantics dear Zoya. If I hadn’t approached you in the law library, we would have never met.”

        “That’s wrong and you know it. We would’ve met when I ran for the head of the student body and beat you for the presidency. I would’ve loved to see you defeated by me. It’s fine, I guess watching you lose board game night every Friday for the last eight years is good enough.” She sat down, her wrist still in Nikolai’s grasp.

        “I don’t lose every time,” Nikolai frowned childishly, and Zoya had to suppress a laugh, she knew he was trying to up her spirits before they had to relay the bad news to the others. “I always win the strategic games, like chess, but you unfairly banned them.”

        Zoya leaned in, cocking her head at him, “we can’t all be boring like you Lantsov. What’s the point of a game night if half the group falls asleep by 9 PM?”

        Nikolai leaned in as well, “it’s not my fault none of you are worthy competitors, if you--” he was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, causing Zoya to pull away sharply, yanking her wrist from him. Nikolai shot her an unreadable look before inhaling deeply, “yes?”

        “Mister Lantsov, I have Ms. Safin, Mr. Kostyk, Mr. Yul-Bataar and Ms. Kir-Bataar here, like you asked.”

        Nikolai and Zoya shared a look, this was it then. “Let them in.”

                                                                        ---

        “Zoya, come on, we’re going to be late unless we leave right now,” Nikolai glanced at his watch, the charity event started in 40 minutes and with the traffic it would definitely take them at least half an hour to get there.

        “I’m coming!” Zoya’s voice drifted down from the upstairs floor of his apartment. Zoya lived in a cozy apartment in Hell’s Kitchen that she had shared with Genya and Tamar, but when Tamar had started getting serious with Nadia, she’d moved in with the girl and they’d gotten married shortly after. Now, Genya and David were newly engaged, which meant that David was always over, and so Zoya was spending more time at his place, because as she liked to say, “if I have to sit through one more dinner where it’s just the two of them goggling at each other the entire night, I’ll take out their eyes myself.” After they’d broken the news to the rest of their inner circle, Zoya had asked if she could get ready at his apartment, and when he’d said yes, had gone home immediately to grab her things. He knew she felt unreasonably guilty, that she felt like she’d betrayed her friends by allowing Demidov to hire him, even though she’d had no way to stop it from happening. He knew she didn’t want to have to face Genya alone immediately after they had told her, and he knew that was why she’d sought refuge in his apartment for a few hours before the party. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault, that she couldn’t change the past, only work with him to better things in the future, but these were things she already knew, and she relied on him to help her to move forward, not tell her what she already knew.

        Nikolai looked at his watch again, now they were actually about to be late, “Time to go! Where are you Zo—” Nikolai felt his breath skip. While he’d been distracted, Zoya had begun to descend the stairs, looking ethereal in a silky emerald green dress, her hair loose, tumbling in ink black waves over her shoulders. He felt a bit like a school boy, his breath quite literally knocked from his chest for a moment. Teardrop emeralds hung from her ears, and matching clips held back portions of her hair. He thought Zoya in her favoured blue had been difficult to resist, but Zoya in green was a sight to behold on its own. Had he not been practiced in restraining himself from her beauty, he was sure he would’ve trailed behind her the whole night like a forlorn puppy.

        “I’m ready, I’m ready!” She called, hurrying to the door to slip on her heels for the night. “Hold this,” she grumbled, smacking her clutch into his chest as she breezed by him.

        “Ouch, you know you could be more gent--”he broke off, nearly gaping. Backless. Her dress was backless. Nikolai looked up to the heavens, it seemed less and less likely that he was going to survive tonight. He shook his head, trying to clear it so he could focus on their task for the night, although he didn’t know how he was supposed to focus on anything else when his Chief of Staff was looking like that. He sighed audibly and Zoya’s head snapped towards him as they slipped out the door.

        “What, you’re not looking forward to tonight?”

        “No. I am.”

        “What is it then?”

        “I’m just thinking about how you’ve out-dressed me again. People are going to start thinking I have no sense of style if you keep upstaging me like his,” he replied, grinning at her.

        She rolled her eyes, “you’re not used to it yet, Lantsov? I’ve always been better dressed and better-looking. Maybe it’s time you up your game.”

        “Oh,” he clutched his chest in mock despair, “how you wound me.” Zoya snorted at him before flouncing towards the elevator. He stared after her, he definitely would never get used to this.

                                                                ---

        They’d sat through the initial speeches, the extravagant dinner with its ridiculously small portions and now the dance floor had opened up and yet, they’d yet to see Demidov or the newest addition to his staff. Nikolai had convinced Zoya to dance after she’d spent the better part of the evening making sure Genya was okay, and that Nikolai spoke to all the people they needed to secure as donors, and charmed everyone who came within 5 feet of him. Now, finally he’d been granted a short reprieve in the form of a dance with his favourite harpy.

        Zoya felt her pulse thrumming, her adrenaline had been high all night, and she just wanted the night to be over, the anticipation was tugging at her relentlessly. She’d agreed to a dance with Nikolai, and he looked especially the part of a prince tonight. She had to admit to that she’d had a moment of speechlessness when she’d seen him at the bottom of the stairs, the midnight black of his suit a stark contrast to his golden locks, and the gold tie pin and cufflinks he adorned highlighted the gold flecks in his hazel eyes. It was good that he looked handsome tonight, from a professional standpoint only, of course, people responded to beauty, they both knew that. She’d been around Nikolai, been his closest friend for long enough that she had made herself immune to his charms and looks. Still, she fought shivers when he placed her hand in his, the other sitting on the small of her back as he led her into a flawless waltz. As they began to gently sway to the soft string music, Zoya’s mind turned back to the issue at hand.

        “Do you see him?”

        “No. He’s probably waiting to make a dramatic entrance.”

        “Is that what you would do?”

        Nikolai hesitated, "I would never be in his position.”

        “You’re right. I just wish we knew what game he was playing. Or when he’d show up.” They passed a few moments in silence, both of them drawing closer together, content in the moment, until Nikolai saw a commotion out of the corner of his eye.

        “ I think your wish has been answered, Zoya dear.” Her head jolted upright just as the song ended. There, at the grand doors of the ballroom, was Demidov, looking the part as usual, and next to him stood a man dressed entirely in black.

        “Here we go,” Nikolai murmured. Zoya took his arm with one hand and grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing server’s tray in the other as they crossed the floor towards the men. Nikolai found David and Tolya’s eyes from across the room and gestured towards the ballroom door. They both nodded and Nikolai watched as they found Genya, Tamar and Nadia. Good, it was best that they all got out of here. Knowing the man, he would try to goad them with mentions of their friends, and Nikolai was not in the mood tonight.

        “Mr. Lantsov,” Demidov greeted them cheerfully, clasping Nikolai’s hand in a friendly handshake. “The always radiant Ms. Nazyalenksy,” he smiled, pressing his lips to her knuckles, not seeing the dangerous fire simmering behind her eyes. Only her true friends would ever be able to see how irritated she was by a man she deemed as, ‘having a backbone made of butterscotch pudding.’ He wasn’t fully aware what that meant, but Genya, Nadia and Tolya had agreed serenely when she’d first said it, so he supposed it must make sense.

        “Please, allow me to introduce you to my new campaign manager! This is--”

        “Aleks!” Nikolai exclaimed jovially, not missing the laugh in Zoya’s eyes. “My goodness, it’s been so long.”

        “You know each other?” Demidov said.

        “Oh yes, way back in my university days, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear that story, it’s far too long and features several ballads dedicated to my brilliance. It’s rather a production.”

        “I prefer to go by ‘The Darkling’,” Aleksander interjected coolly, inclining his head at Nikolai in acknowledgement, and resting his eyes on Zoya.

        “Oh,” Zoya started, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing any true emotion on her face. She brought a finger to her chin in mock-contemplation, though no one other than Nikolai and the Darkling would know it. “That’s a strange name, is it French?”

        “No, no. Zoya, I speak French, and whatever it is, it’s not French. Maybe it’s Russian?” Nikolai returned, looking thoughtful. Saints, he was a frighteningly good actor.

        She shrugged, “funny, I’m fluent and I've never heard that before.”

        “Is it not English, Aleksander?” Demidov questioned, clearly puzzled.

        The Darkling ignored them all. Instead he turned to Zoya, “Ms. Nazyalenksy, would you honour me with a dance?”

        “No.” Zoya enunciated clearly, looking directly at him. Nikolai laid a hand on her arm, a small reminder of their larger plan. His phone buzzed in his lapel pocket, and he glanced at it quickly, a message from Tamar, perfectly on time.

        “If you’ll excuse us, we have to take this,” Nikolai said holding up his phone, placing his hand on Zoya’s back, letting her know they were escaping this situation. Demidov nodded a goodbye as Zoya took a final sip from her glass.

        “It was so nice to meet you, Alexi!” she laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder, clearly dismissing him as if she were a queen and he were a mere peasant.

        “Goodnight, enjoy the festivities Aleks,” Nikolai added, nothing but a polite smile on his face as they turned and started towards a sheltered alcove in the corner of the room.

                                                              ---

        Zoya paced back and forth, “I hate everything about this— how could anyone even think to hire him after what he did?” Nikolai frowned, there was a note of desperation in her voice, very unlike Zoya. He knew the crimes of the man as well as the rest of his inner circle, they had all been directly impacted by him, but he knew that Zoya had never forgiven herself for being young, taken in by his seemingly perfect ideology and being unable to see the rot that lay beneath it all. Others who were older, and arguably wiser had been fooled just as easily as they all had, yet Zoya wouldn’t forgive herself, she held herself to a higher standard, he knew what that was like better than anyone else. The reason he’d told her before he’d broken the news to the rest of his staff was because of this, he knew that neither him nor Zoya would ever let that man inflict anymore hurt upon their friends.

        “He did a lot to bury his crimes, only a few people truly know what happened. The general public views them as allegations, not definitive crimes.”

        “Why? They’ve seen the evidence.” Zoya snapped, “they can see it every day.” He could see that she was a tightly wound coil after the news and that she needed a distraction.

        “Shall we share another dance?”

        “What?” she snapped, “Nikolai, I’m not in the mood.”

        “Whatever you say, Nazyalensky, but if you don’t dance with me, I’m 98% sure he’s going to ask you to dance next,” he said nodding towards Kirigin, one of many men who constantly trailed them at functions like this in an attempt to catch Zoya’s attention for a second.

        “Oh god, my options are you and Kirigin?” Zoya rubbed her temples, as much as she wanted to go home and finish a bottle of wine on her own, she knew they had to stay until the party was over. “Fine. Lead the way Lantsov, but I will be stepping on your toes.”

        “I would expect nothing less from you, my ruthless Zoya.”

#zoyalai #zoyalai fic #nikolai lantsov #zoya nazyalensky #kos fic #kos au #zoyalai au

[hummingzone]

RNC paid Trump's Mar-a-Lago over $175,000 for donor retreat

RNC paid Trump’s Mar-a-Lago over $175,000 for donor retreat

Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is in Palm Beach, Florida. Joe Raedle The Republican National Committee paid just over $175,000 to former President Donald Trump’s private club to host part of its spring donor retreat. Federal Election Commission filings show that the six-figure sum was paid in May to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, a month after the April donor event at the private club in…

View On WordPress

#business news #Donald Trump #Federal Communications Commission #Mar-A-Lago #Palm Beach #Politics #U.S. Republican Party

[maswartz]

Oh hey, a vaccine passport!

[tabloidtoc]

OK, March 8

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Bruce Springsteen

Page 1: Big Pic -- as part of Coach's latest campaign Jennifer Lopez posed with a supersized pink version of their new Pillow Tabby purse

Page 2: Contents

Page 3: Contents

Page 4: Chris Harrison gone for good? The Bachelor host's future with the show remains uncertain after his controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay

Page 6: Since the start of his career Justin Timberlake has endured his fair share of scandals but after welcoming his second son with wife Jessica Biel over the summer and celebrating his 40th birthday, he is confessing that he feels immense guilt about the past and he won't be making the same mistakes in the future -- Justin's done some soul-searching and accepts that he's wronged a lot of people over the years with his own terrible mistakes and he says he's still a work in progress, but step one has been to stand up and admit he's hurt too many women -- in addition to a boozy night out with his Palmer costar Alisha Wainwright in 2019 and his part in the now-infamous Nipplegate incident with Janet Jackson at the 2004 Super Bowl, Justin recently came under fire again due to the documentary Framing Britney Spears which showed him exploiting his breakup from Britney Spears to help his solo career -- Justin's learned from his mistakes and has a lot more sensitivity about the impact of his actions on other people and that's the big difference between the Justin of today and his old, immature self and that self-awareness was evident in an emotional statement that he posted apologizing to both Britney and Janet for the errors in his ways -- his words drew praise from his wife Jessica who says he's come a long way as a husband, a father and more importantly, a human being

Page 7: Wendy Williams is on the prowl for a new man and he's got to be husband material and she is ready for a serious commitment -- Wendy's been staying up until all hours of the night checking out guys online and on exclusive dating apps and she wants someone age-appropriate, fun, kind, independent and of course has no history of cheating -- she's feeling very optimistic and even buying new perfume and clothes and jewelry for all the dates she hopes to have once lockdown lifts

* Texas native Matthew McConaughey is seriously considering throwing his hat in the ring to become the state's next governor -- he's been putting out feelers to see if he's got sufficient support and if enough donors are willing to write checks, he'd mount an aggressive run in 2022 -- he's already gotten the thumbs-up from his wife Camila Alves and their three kids -- at this point, he needs to see an actual path to winning because he's not interested in just making a protest statement; don't be fooled by his aw-shucks attitude, Matthew means business

* Now that Keeping Up With the Kardashians is coming to an end, the hunt is on for a new family to replace the clan and one reality pro is poised to nab the prize: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna -- there's already been talk about Lisa picking up the torch and her family is camera ready, consisting of husband Harry Hamlin, and their daughters Delilah Hamlin who's dating Love Island's Eyal Booker and Amelia Hamlin who's dating Scott Disick

Page 8: Things keep going from bad to worse for Armie Hammer -- he was forced to drop out of his upcoming movie Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez after direct messages he allegedly sent to women in which he described himself as a cannibal and detailed disturbing sexual fantasies were leaked online -- Armie was also fired by his talent agency WME and now the disgraced star may get cut from his new film Next Goal Wins which has already been shot -- he's radioactive and everybody knows it and his completed but unreleased work is getting a second look as studios want to do damage control, and that includes another of his finished projects Death on the Nile where his part could end up on the cutting room floor -- he's a pariah now and it's hard to see how he's ever going to come back from this

* Jennifer Aniston has always had a spiritual side but these days she is taking things to a whole new plane -- Jen has surrounded herself with psychics and has been doing Goddess Circles with the same group of close friends for 30 years, but now she's taking courses to learn to heal herself and be her own guru -- BFF Courteney Cox has been a big influence and Jen's learned a lot from Courteney, who's had a long-term interest in mediums, astrologists and horoscopes, and she's trying to fuse it all together into her own brand of spirituality -- Jen's had a lot of time alone, which has only deepened her questions about the universe and how she can make the most of her life and she's determined to find the answers

* Princess Eugenie is over the moon after welcoming her first child, a baby boy with businessman husband Jack Brooksbank but now the new mom is torn about taking time out from her royal responsibilities -- Eugenie would love to take a long break from everything and focus solely on raising her son however she knows deep down how much she's needed, especially since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are showing no signs of coming back -- as she weighs her options, Eugenie is looking to her multi-tasking cousin-in-law Duchess Kate for some inspiration because she's impressed by how Kate is able to juggle her official duties while raising three young kids

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars captivate in enchanting puff-sleeve numbers -- Bel Powley, Aubrey Plaza, Lupita Nyong'o

Page 11: Kaitlyn Dever, Lucy Boynton, Margaret Qualley

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Hilary Swank vs. Madeline Brewer, Bella Hadid vs. Devon Windsor, Alison Brie vs. Dua Lipa

Page 14: News in Photos -- Tayshia Adams and her fiance Zac Clark felt on top of the world when the visited the Empire State Building together

Page 15: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were inseparable while out and about in Beverly Hills, Bill Murray and NFL player Larry Fitzgerald Jr. were among the many stars to shoot their shot during a charity golf tournament in Pebble Beach, Rita Ora performing on an episode of the U.K. show Dancing on Ice in Hertfordshire

Page 16: At the Australian Open Serena Williams came out on top during the fourth round, Bachelorette alum Jordan Kimball and fiancee Christina Creedon couldn't wait until they got home to enjoy Candy Pop popcorn's new Peanut M&M's flavor from Sam's Club in Houston, Heidi Montag spent the day hitting the slopes at Lake Tahoe

Page 17: Hailey Bieber starring in Beyonce's new Ivy Park x Adidas collection

Page 18: Brody Jenner had a blast snow tubing while shooting the second season of The Hills: New Beginnings in Lake Tahoe, Avril Lavigne stepped out with her new boyfriend Mod Sun for a romantic dinner in West Hollywood

Page 20: Justin Bieber looked like he'd just hopped out of bed in a sweater and checkered fleece pants in L.A., Robin Thicke in front of a piano in L.A.

Page 21: Steve Martin doubled up on face coverings on the set of his new project Only Murders in the Building in NYC, Michelle Obama on her new show Waffles + Michi, Cardi B spoiled herself with high-end goods during a day of shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills

Page 22: Brooke Burke romancing with boyfriend Scott Rigsby on Valentine's Day, Lucy Hale accessorized her look with her newest rescue pup Ethel in L.A., Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon masked up for a snowy outing in NYC

Page 24: For Galentine's Day Vanessa Lachey snacked on macarons and sipped on wine in L.A.

Page 25: Bella Hadid alongside models Mayowa Nicholas and Heejung Park in Michael Kors' new campaign for the Spring 2021 collection, Hugh Grant stepped out for some fresh hair in London, Sofia Vergara kept it casual during a visit to a pal's house in Beverly Hills

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley's Rocky Mountain retreat

Page 28: Marriage isn't easy especially during a global health crisis but for Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard divorce is not an option -- Kristen said she and Dax at the start of the pandemic were at a point in their marriage where they definitely needed a little therapy brush-up and every couple of years they're being very antagonistic towards each other and they don't want that so they go back to therapy and figure out how they can serve their team goal better and it's been incredibly helpful and even in the toughest times they always have each other's back and they're committed to being each other's biggest support systems -- while their relationship may never be perfect, they're happy and love each other and that's what matters most

Page 29: Now that Tom Brady has won his seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has set his sights on the next prize: baby No. 3 with wife Gisele Bundchen -- they've been telling friends they hope to make an announcement by summer at the latest and Tom and Gisele have been super loved-up since leaving Boston and moving to Florida after the QB signed on with the Bucs and the change of scenery has worked wonders on their love life and put them in baby-making mode -- the duo, who recently bought a $17 million spread on Miami's exclusive Indian Creek Island, plan to build a luxury mansion there complete with a nursery and they hope to be all settled in when the new arrival comes -- they've never felt healthier or been happier

* Aaron Rodgers looked positively giddy when he revealed he had a fiancee, Shailene Woodley at the NFL Honors, but the QB is dreading the next step: bringing her home to meet his parents because it's no secret that Aaron's been estranged from them for years and the last thing he wants is for Shailene to get caught up in the drama -- Shailene wants Aaron to clear the air with his folks, but he's not ready to do that and he doesn't want to bring Shailene into a toxic environment

* It's only been two years since Miranda Lambert married Brendan McLoughlin but she's already itching for some alone time -- she's headed to Texas in April for her first concert in over a year and she's told Brendan he shouldn't come because it will be all work and no play but she really wants to get away from him for a while and after the pair's recent road trip together, Miranda is desperate for some space -- sometimes Miranda feels like she's living with a baby because Brendan whines and complains about life on her farm

Page 30: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's romance is heating up fast, so much so that she's practically handed over the keys to her Calabasas estate and she loves having Travis sleep over and sometimes he'll stay the whole weekend -- he gets along famously with her children and Travis has been a friend of the family for years, so the kids have pretty much known him their whole lives and they'll do fun stuff together like hiking or playing video games and Travis loves making breakfast and showing off his pancake-flipping skills --Travis is spending so much time at Kourt's place that he's moved a bunch of his stuff in to make it easier for his kids Landon and Alabama with ex Shanna Moakler to visit him there -- everyone's convinced they'll be living together full-time before you know it

* Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were met with a flurry of well-wishes after they revealed they're expecting baby No. 2 -- the couple decided to wait until Meghan was safely into her second trimester to share the news and they only told a handful of family members before the public and they wanted to cherish this secret for as long as they could -- Harry and Meghan have been nesting at their Montecito mansion and have been busy prepping the nursery and making sure it's eco-friendly with energy-efficient lighting and they're keeping it as plastic-free as possible

* Love Bites -- Clare Crawley and Dale Moss reunited, Kit Harington and Rose Leslie welcomed a baby boy, Paris Hilton and Carter Reum engaged

Page 32: Cover Story -- Bruce Springsteen's private world -- he's an open book in his songs, but here's Bruce's untold story of his struggles with depression and regret -- he still has dark thoughts from time to time but therapy and medication have helped a great deal

Page 36: Stars' Cheating Confessions -- sometimes all you can do is beg for forgiveness; these celebs have all had to plead their case -- Donny and Debbie Osmond, Jude Law and Sienna Miller, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith

Page 37: David Letterman and Regina Lasko, Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling, Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish

Page 40: Interview -- Elizabeth Olsen -- the Avengers star dishes about getting witchy again for Marvel's mind-bending WandaVision

Page 42: Golden Girls -- how these Golden Globes nominees get their award-worthy figures -- Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Lily Collins

Page 43: Kaley Cuoco, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Seyfried

Page 44: Aadila Dosani's vegan recipe for Chickpea and Potato Soup

Page 46: Style Week -- Ashley Graham is the new global brand ambassador for self-tanning label St. Tropez

Page 48: What's Hot Right Now -- create a naturally gorgeous, flushed look with fashion designer Jason Wu's namesake makeup collection

Page 49: Haute hippie retro jeans -- take a trip back to the '70s with Revice Denim's ultra-cool capsule, Los Angeles Lovers -- Delilah Belle Hamlin

Page 50: Flower Power -- floral prints are spring's hottest trend -- rock the pretty blooms for a fresh, boho-chic look -- Kaia Gerber

Page 52: DIY Blowout -- these foolproof finds deliver impeccable hair right at home -- Drew Barrymore

Page 54: Entertainment

Page 55: Q&A with Mary Fitzgerald of Selling Sunset

Page 58: Buzz -- after months of playing it coy, these celebs confirmed their relationships on Valentine's Day -- Scott Disick and Amelia Hamlin

Page 59: Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker, Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Halsey on not conforming to conventional beauty standards, Anderson Cooper on coparenting with his ex, Ashley Graham on the importance of self-care, Kate Winslet on feeling like a fish out of water in Hollywood

Page 61: Tom Holland on the plot of the next Spider-Man flick, Mila Kunis joking about keeping her family entertained during quarantine, Drew Barrymore when asked if she's ever been skinny-dipping, Madelaine Petsch on playing a teen in Clare at 16

Page 62: Horoscope -- Pisces Lupita Nyong'o turned 38 on March 1

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Riz Ahmed

#tabloid #grain of salt #tabloid toc #tabloidtoc #bruce springsteen #elizabeth olsen #wandavision #aadila dosani #riz ahmed #chris harrison #the bachelor #justin timberlake #wendy williams #matthew mcconaughey #lisa rinna #armie hammer #jennifer aniston #princess eugenie #duchess kate #who wore it better? #katherine heigl #josh kelley #dax shepard #kristen bell #tom brady #gisele bundchen #aaron rodgers #shailene woodley #miranda lambert #brendan mcloughlin

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 8, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

Lots of stuff simmering, but nothing you can’t miss if you want to take a break from the news today.

There are two stories I’m following.

The first is the fight between former president Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC). Last Friday, Trump’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the RNC, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee—the three biggest Republican fundraising bodies—demanding they stop using his name and his photo to raise money. The former president is allegedly angry at the Republicans who failed to support him after the January 6 insurrection—especially Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)-- and would like to cut them out of the money he can raise.

Friday night, Trump released a series of endorsements for candidates he supports in 2022. He has warned the RNC that he will back primary candidates that support him rather than those whom he considers insufficiently loyal.

Today, the RNC rejected Trump’s attempt to protect his brand. A letter from the chief counsel of the RNC said the Republican Party ““has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First Amendment-protected political speech, and it will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals.”

Also today, the RNC moved part of its spring donor retreat, held in early April, to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, paying the former president for the use of his club and for meals. While most of the event will take place at a different hotel, Trump will address the organization at Mar-a-Lago.

At stake here, of course, is control of the Republican Party. Trump would like to be the party’s kingmaker; many Republicans would like to move him off center stage. But Trump is the party’s biggest fundraiser, so the RNC cannot simply toss him overboard, and he is determined to protect his brand.

How this plays out will say a lot about the future of the party.

The second story I’m following is that of the Senate filibuster.

A filibuster permits a senator to stop popular legislation. Initially, it required a senator to hold the floor by refusing to stop talking, which took many, many hours and was exhausting, so it was a last resort to stop something that otherwise would pass (and was almost always used to stop civil rights legislation). But, rules changes over time changed the filibuster to permit a senator to stop legislation simply by threatening to create such a roadblock.

This has meant that the burden of passing legislation has fallen on the majority, which needs to find 60 votes to stop a filibuster rather than a simple majority of 51 to pass a bill, while the role of the minority has simply been to refuse to entertain action. The Senate has largely ceased to legislate. This development has served the Republicans, who are happy not to pass legislation because they would like to turn the functions of government over to private interests, but frustrates the Democrats, who think that bills that pass the House of Representatives should get a hearing in the Senate and, if they get a yes vote from a majority of senators, should pass.

There has been resistance to ending the filibuster—including resistance from President Joe Biden—but there is increasing talk of returning the filibuster to its original form, requiring those opposed to a popular measure not simply to register their disapproval in order to take it off the calendar, but actually to hold the floor to talk a measure to death. When they give up, the measure can pass by a simple majority vote.

Reinstating the old system, in which a minority eager to stop passage of a bill must hold the floor and continue debate, has begun to win adherents, including Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). “The filibuster should be painful, it really should be painful and we've made it more comfortable over the years,” Manchin said yesterday on the Fox News Channel. “Maybe it has to be more painful.”

At stake in this issue in the immediate future is the passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping voting rights bill passed last week by the House of Representatives. Senate Republicans have vowed to kill the bill. Increasingly unpopular, Republicans are dependent on voter suppression techniques and gerrymandering—both addressed in the bill-- to continue to have a shot at winning elections. In illustration of that need, Republican legislatures across the country are currently trying to pass a slew of voter suppression measures.

For their part, Democrats recognize that if the Republicans’ voter suppression and gerrymandering techniques are allowed to go forward unchallenged, Democrats will be hard pressed ever again to win control of the government. The nation will, in effect, become a one-party state not unlike the one that controlled the American South from the 1870s to the 1960s.

So H.R. 1 spells the future of the American political system: with it, Republicans will have to reform and win elections on a level playing field; without it, Democrats will be unlikely to be able to compete against Republican rigging of the system.

The future of the nation depends on H.R. 1; the future of H.R. 1 depends on the filibuster.

—-

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From an American #Heather Cox Richardson #RNC #post Trump #Voting Rights #filibuster

[cksmart-world]

The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

February 2, 2021

REPUBLICANS: BREAKING BAD

We have a Second Amendment right to carry guns wherever we want and if you don't like it we'll shoot your ass off. Those weren't the exact words of newly minted Congresswoman Majorie Tailor Green, but damn close. As a freshman Republican lawmaker and a QAnon storm trooper, she is in the unique position of being able to tell House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy where the bear shits — because she and her fellow Q-Trumpians are the bear. Hoping to prop up his sagging libido, McCarthy beat a path to Mar A Lago to assure the Once and Future King that he still loves to kiss his big, pink fanny. So what if Trump told all those patriots to storm the Capitol and trash our democracy. Putting him on trial for sedition would be divisive and vindictive, according to 45 Republican senators, who are now — like it or not — abetting that Jan. 6 coalition of white nationalists and thugs. Nevertheless, Trump didn't start this neofascism, said Princeton Prof. Eddie Glaude, Jr., he was just “vomited up” by the Republican Party. The GOP, he said, now resembles The New Redeemers who seized control of the South after Reconstruction to enforce white supremacy. “They were willing to throw democracy in the trash bin.” Sound familiar? It's a Grand Old Party.

BURGESS OWENS COMES TO JESUS OR NOT

Hey you liberals, remember all that stuff I said, like you were a bunch of Marxist and Socialists? Well I gotta take that back on account of I just learned the difference between the quiche-and-white-wine set and those borsht-eaters over in Russia. After the Jan. 6 insurrection, us newbie Republicans got some “sensitivity” training. The big boys said, OK Burgess, don't go throwing molotov cocktails because our corporate donors are drying up — they think we're all with QAnon. But I told 'em, hey just because I snuggled up to the Q-ers during the campaign doesn't mean I'm really one of them. I don't even have one of their cool Q T-shirts. On his recent visit to the Utah Legislature, Rep. Suzanne Harrison, a Sandy Democrat, gave Burgess a big smile and said, “I really appreciate that, but I also feel like it’s in contrast to the tenor and tone that you’ve taken on cable TV shows or in your book, which is titled, ‘Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps.’” Oh, don't worry, Burgess retorted, I've changed. I even believe Joe Biden is president. I know, me and Chris Stewart voted against certifying his victory but we had to or we'd get on Trump's shit list. Remember Mia Love? Nobody even knows where she's buried.

GUNS AND ABORTION — GROUNDHOG DAY IN UTAH

OK, Wilson, how do you tell when the Utah Legislature is in session? No, it's not because alcohol sales go up, although that's probably true. You can always tell when Republicans get together to one up each other on Capitol Hill because all you hear is guns, guns, guns and fetuses, fetuses, fetuses. On this Groundhog Day righteous Republicans want to do away with concealed carry permits so any “good guy” can carry a Glock under his coat and — bonus —  no firearms training would be required. Feel safer, moms? Live free or die. And speaking of living free, women should not have control over their own bodies, but since Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land, this proposed legislation would wake their villainous hearts. Women seeking an abortion would have to watch an on-line presentation with “medically accurate” images of an abortion. But that ain't all. Under penalty of perjury they would have to sign an affidavit swearing they did saw it. But this is not to shame them — oh no. The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Steve Christiansen, can't understand why anyone would complain about fully informing people before any medical procedure — or why women don't know what the hell they're doing. Thanks Bishop Christiansen.

Post script — Some of the guys in the band think Punxsutawney Phil doesn't know his derriere from a hole in the ground. You know the drill: If the sun is shining when Phil sticks his nose out of his burrow on Feb. 2 he'll be frightened by his own shadow and retreat into the proverbial hole in the ground spelling six more weeks of winter. But good ol' Phil is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which has nothing to do with weather in Utah. But the Indians who named Timpanogos knew that Groundhog Day was important because it signaled the time when the days would begin to grow longer at a faster pace. Of course, they didn't call it Groundhog Day. According to the staff here at Smart Bomb, the Piutes called it “tasha tgal cuberant” — when daylight grows. (OK, we made that up, but it sounds good.) But get this: Feb. 1 and 2 make up the pagan holiday Imbolc that's based in Celtic tradition and marks the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox. (It's a fact.) And although it originated in Neolithic Northern Ireland and Scotland, it continues to be celebrated by Wiccans and witches. And if you think that's cool, wait 'till we get to Easter. It'll be better than groundhogs and bunnies. Groundhogs and bunnies? WTF.

OK, Wilson, you and your pagan-lovin' band must have something to help us celebrate Imbolc, but please, no bagpipes:

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night And wouldn't you love to love her? Takes to the sky like a bird in flight And who will be her lover? All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win? She is like a cat in the dark And then she is the darkness She rules her life like a fine skylark And when the sky is starless All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win? Will you ever win?

(Rhiannon — Fleetwood Mac)

PPS — During this difficult time for newspapers please make a donation to our very important local alternative news source, Salt Lake City Weekly, at PressBackers.com, a nonprofit dedicated to help fund local journalism. Thank you.

[watchmenofourforefathers]

[ao3feed-zukka]

Wild Child Country

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3edwiCI

by Sabretoothgooselion

Horseback riding. Whitewater rafting. Hot springs. Monastic retreats. Long ago, the tourist town of Avatar lived in harmony. But everything changed when the Inner Fire Personal Achievement Center moved in.

Katara’s pissed about the cult taking over her hometown. Suki's just trying to keep her bar afloat. Sokka wants to know what kind of jerk keeps booking his wilderness survival courses and bailing. Mayor Zhao wants Toph to quit trampling his campaign donors. Zuko's just trying to have a beer in peace.

Obviously, peace was never an option.

Feat. Cults, angst, secret tunnels, extreme equestrianism, disability rights advocacy, tea shops of questionable loyalties, and all our favorite friends in the Zukka Action-Hallmark Modern AU that you didn’t know you needed.

Words: 3326, Chapters: 1/9, Language: English

Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Sokka (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong, Aang (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Suki (Avatar), Azula (Avatar), Hakoda (Avatar), The Boulder (Avatar), Jet (Avatar), Arnook (Avatar), Zhao (Avatar)

Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aged-Up Character(s), Adventure, Romance, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ableism, Ableist Language, Canon Disabled Character, Disability Rights Discussions, Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, and a cult leader lol, Avatar is a place, The Fire Nation is Scientology, Jet is a cop, The Boulder is a horse, This all makes sense in context, Some underage drinking, Because Suki is a cool bartender, Nobody's going to school on my watch, but they are going on ADVENTURES, where they might have to cuddle for warmth, or do some insane horse stunts, or solve a murder, I can't believe it's not Crack

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3edwiCI

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #zukka #avatar: the last airbender #atla #zuko #sokka

[mediumsizetexart]

Saukko Karjalainen

  Mutated by fallout from the Chernobyl disaster nearly a decade Before WWIII, Saukko was discovered as a pup by an old pensioner couple who found him by a river in central Finland, standing up and catching fish with a handmade spear. The pensioners had been among the hundreds of thousands of citizens forced to flee Finnish Karelia after the Winter War in 1940, and were still bitter over the experience. Saukko was raised on stories of Karelia before the Russians came, so when Finland began mobilizing after The War, he was the first of the Beast Folk to volunteer for the newly energized Karelia Brigades, and went on to become one of the heroes of the Karelia War.

The Karelia War

  Most of the nuclear weapons used in the brief war were duds, but enough were launched that the world's political and financial capitals were still flattened. Decentralized federal nations recovered fairly quickly, as state or provincial governments were still largely intact and able to step in to maintain some degree of order; the same could not be said for strongly centralized "communist" and "socialist" nations, which descended into immediate chaos once their governmental heads were cut off. The Soviet Union collapsed overnight, and what military forces had escaped destruction were left with no leadership or direction, because they hadn't been prepared for an attack and weren't trained to have individual initiative.

  Finland, on the other hand, had been waiting half a century for this sort of thing.

  Although awash in fallout, Finland was otherwise unscathed by The Bomb. The government sealed the borders and told the rest of the world that Finland had been heavily damaged and was no longer able to interact with its neighbors; most of its neighbors were on fire, so no one bothered to fact-check the story, leaving the Finns free to begin a massive military buildup without interference. Six months After, the Finnish military stormed eastward and easily captured land as far as Lake Onega and the White Sea, including the Kola Peninsula and all of traditional Karelia. The population of the area had not fared well under Soviet rule, and a majority welcomed the freedom and higher standard of living promised by the new Greater Finland; there were pockets of fierce resistance, but most of the Soviet forces in the region simply abandoned their posts and equipment.

  The ruins of Leningrad were easily captured. The Finns announced that it was being renamed Pietari Kaupunki and would be used as a base of operations to build up forces for an eventual attack on what was left of the area around Moscow; to this end they would expel all of the surviving Russian citizens and fortify the city during the Winter. Nationalist remnants of the Soviet military used this as a rallying cry, and began massing forces in western Russia; when Spring came they launched an all-out assault on Pietari Kaupunki... and discovered that it had been abandoned.

  They had time to move in and set up their own base of operations before the entire city exploded around them.

  One of the Karelia Brigades had used captured Soviet weapons to rig the city for demolition, then moved out disguised as fleeing refugees. They had withdrawn just far enough east to hide in the surrounding region and wait for the single largest Soviet army still in existence to bottle itself up in a burning city on a narrow peninsula; when a Finnish army swept in from the west and forced a ruinous retreat of the surviving Soviet forces, the hidden brigade cut the fleeing columns to pieces. Western Russian military capacity was crushed, and in short order all of the former Soviet satellite states rose up and declared themselves independent. Individual Soviet soldiers for the most part realized that it was better to be a new citizen of Ukraine or Lithuania or Kazakhstan than a Soviet corpse, and nearly all of the Soviet forces remaining in the satellite states either defected or just walked away. The USSR was no more, and Greater Finland was born.

From my Adorable Creatures universe, which grew out of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles And Other Strangeness RPG campaign from the late '80s. It's set in the early 21st Century of a world where WWIII happened in 1995, and wasn't nearly as bad as everyone had expected. It was still terrible, hundreds of millions of people died, but it turned out that the vast majority of the world's nuclear weapon stockpiles... were fake. Politicians in the great powers had requisitioned trillions of dollars for defense spending over the decades, but had spent it on the same things politicians throughout history have spent taxpayer dollars on: ale and whores. Missile silos were top secret party caves for top military brass, with endless beer and nachos; nuclear missile submarines were underwater casinos for the rich and not-so-famous; strategic bombers were kitted out for Mile High Club joyrides for wealthy campaign donors; many of the real missiles and bombs had warheads made of carboard and aluminum foil and filled with sand. Enough warheads were real that most of the world's major cities got at least one airburst, and national capitals and financial centers were targeted for big enough saturation attacks that they were destroyed, but by Day Two it was obvious that civilization had been wrecked but hadn't completely collapsed.

In the aftermath of The Bomb, the whole world learned what Japan had known since 1945: All Radiation Is Mutagenic. Many humans began developing bioenergetic powers and became superheroes and/or supervillains... and many began mutating into animal-like forms. Millions of animals worldwide also began mutating, growing into larger, more bipedal versions of themselves, with functional hands and human-level (or greater) intelligence. These Beast Folk were common enough that most of the world's nations, both surviving and newly formed, were quickly forced to acknowledge them as citizens to prevent mass uprisings.[/bq]

#anthro #otter #Finland #no pony #SFW