#IT Support Boise

[merchantservices444]

POS Systems in Boise, ID: Streamlining Transactions for Local Businesses

[humming-fly]

Good News for 4/20

My daily call reminder for everyone today includes some recent good news courtesy of this reddit post, which I've just copypasted wholesale for everyone over here to enjoy!

Resistance

crosswalks in Seattle were hacked to play AI audio of Jeff Bezos asking not to tax the rich, in reference to Washington’s regressive tax structure

crosswalks in Palo Alto were hacked to play AI audio of Elon talking about be being a friendless loser

A constituent at Marjorie Taylor Green’s town hall called her a “butch body bigot”

Constituents at Chuck Grassley’s town hall demanded they get Kilmar Abrego Garcia out of El Salvador (this was in IOWA, and was mostly older white people)

5 Calls posted that people are averaging 50 calls a minute to representatives via the app, specifically about Kilmar and CECOT

Posters went up around Philadelphia just before 4/15 about Elon and his companies not paying taxes

Protesters showed up outside a courthouse in Vermont in support of Rumeysa Ozturk during her detention hearing

People travelled from all over Missouri to speak out in opposition of a proposed abortion ban during a committee hearing

Home Alone 2 director wants to cut Trump’s cameo out of the movie

Attorneys in the solicitor general’s office of the DOJ are resigning

A group of current and former Big Law attorneys are organizing to fight back against the administration’s attacks on law firms

More associates have quit law firms that capitulated to Trump

Harvard refused to comply with Trump’s demands, despite losing billions in federal funding

Protesters marched to Fetterman’s Philadelphia office demanding he hold in person town halls

Universities are creating NATO-like alliances of “mutual defense compacts”, where they’d all support and defend each other if Trump attacks one

Farmers in Maine had a tractor “parade” to protest USDA cuts

Boise city hall is continuing to have their pride flag up despite a new Idaho state law banning pride flags on government property

Republicans breaking ranks

Mark Kelly said republicans will start to distance themselves from Trump and speak out against his policies, that they’re saying things in private they won’t say publicly

Lisa Murkowski heavily criticized Trump’s policies during a nonprofit leadership summit, also said there’s a “growing number of republicans” opposing Medicaid cuts

12 house republicans signed a letter to Mike Johnson saying they won’t vote for a final budget reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid

17 republicans in the Montana state senate joined democrats to block an anti-trans bill that would have made it a felony for an adult to help trans kids under 16 access gender affirming medical care

The Libertarian Party of Travis County, TX passed a resolution calling for Trump to be impeached

Dems doing stuff

Chris Van Hollen went to El Salvador to put eyes on Kilmar Abrego Garcia and attempt to negotiate his release. After being denied access to CECOT or even a phone call on Wednesday, he was able to meet with Kilmar on Thursday

Robert Garcia and Maxwell Frost are trying to get a congressional delegation authorized to travel to El Salvador

Cory Booker, Maxine Dexter, Yassamin Ansari, and Mark Desaulnier have all said (separately) they plan to travel to El Salvador

Chuck Schumer is blocking Trump’s nominees for federal prosecutors in NY—this is different than when senators put holds on cabinet nominees and this would completely block the appointments instead of just slow them down

Becca Balint Led 67 House Colleagues in Demanding Answers from DHS and the State Department on Mohsen Mahdawi’s Arrest

Elizabeth Warren and Melanie Stansbury introduced a bill to create stronger ethics rules and crack down on conflicts of interest for special government employees

Sarah McBride forced the Trump admin to reverse course on slashing a manufacturing support program in Delaware

Sean Casten held a town hall in the deepest red district in Illinois

Democrats have identified 35 vulnerable republican house seats to target in the midterms

Texas state representative John Bucy introduced a bill to expand online voter registration

Kathy Hochul supported a law passed by NYC city council to shift payment of broker fees from renters to landlords, after the Real Estate Board of NY sued the city to block it

Tony Evers locked in an increase in public school funding in Wisconsin for 400 years, the state Supreme Court backed it up

Janet Mills refused to comply with Trump’s orders on banning transgender athletes, said “I’m happy to go to court”

Illinois house democrats advanced legislation to require public colleges and universities to provide reproductive health care services to students

Jared Polis signed the Protecting the Freedom to Marry Act, protecting every Coloradan’s right to marry who they love

Nevada democrats introduced legislation to help the state hire federal workers fired by Trump and Elon

Wes Moore signed legislation aimed at connecting laid-off federal health care workers with jobs

NC AG Jeff Jackson sued property management companies over using RealPage to set and inflate rents, the second largest one settled and agreed to stop using it

Legal stuff

A lawsuit was filed against the DoD on behalf of students at schools on military bases, stating that book removals and curriculum changes violate their first amendment rights

Gavin Newsom is suing Trump over tariffs

Newsom is planning to sue Trump over the dismantling of Americorp

Judge Boasberg finds “probable cause” to hold Trump admin in contempt over Alien Enemies Act deportations

Judge Xinis ordered two weeks of discovery in the Abrego Garcia case, including depositions of the four officials who signed affidavits, and doesn’t rule out holding them in contempt

An appeals court denied the Trump administration’s attempt to appeal the order from Judge Xinis to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia

A former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice had his law license suspended for 3 years for violating professional conduct rules during a probe of the 2020 presidential vote

A group of small businesses is suing Trump over the tariffs, arguing they’re illegal under the IEEPA

A judge blocked Trump’s EO targeting law firm Susman Godfrey

Appeals court blocked the ban on trans military service members

Supreme Court temporarily blocked deportations under the Alien Enemies Act

A court denied the administration’s attempt to appeal an order mandating officials’ depositions about Kilmar’s deportation

A judge blocked the administration from enacting a policy that bans the use of “X” gender markers on passports

Foreign students are suing DHS over their visas being terminated

A federal judge blocked the Department of Energy from cutting over $400M in research funds to universities

A judge blocked the EPA from withholding billions in funds from clean energy programs

An Idaho judge ruled to broaden medical exceptions to the state’s abortion bans

Misc

Trump’s approval rating among independents is -22, the lowest ever for this point in a presidency

Three pentagon officials have been suspended in a leak investigation

Spokane, WA city council is proposing an ordinance that would include Two-Spirit people in the city’s human rights code, double up on state shield protections and ensure city employees’ insurance covers gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare

David Hogg (DNC vice chair) is planning to spend $20M funding primary challengers against sitting House members in safe blue districts who aren’t fighting hard enough

Florida lawmakers unanimously approved making medical marijuana cards free for veterans

Run For Something reported that over 200,000 people have signed up with them to run for office since 2017, and they’re currently averaging 500 new signups a day

National Republican Senatorial Committee is warning republicans that democrats are out-fundraising them

Six men in Coeur d’Alene, ID have been charged after dragging Teresa Borrenpohl out of a town hall in February

Mike Lindell (MyPillow guy) cried to a judge that he was “in ruins” and had no money after refusing to pay sanctions to Smartmatic

Portland city council unanimously voted to grant an appeal to stop a Portland General Electric project that would cut down 397 trees in Forest Park to build power lines

Unions form pro bono legal network for federal workers targeted by Trump

Funding was extended for the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database (cybersecurity)

Democrats are more trusted on the economy than republicans for the first time in years

The FDA granted fast track status to a bird flu vaccine

Dems won against Maga candidates in the Newark school board election

Labor union reps in Utah got twice the required number of signatures to get a referendum on the ballot to repeal a recent bill that ended collective bargaining

Washington state senate passed a bill that would require insurance companies to cover a 12-month supply of hormone replacement therapy at a time

Betty Martinez Franco became the first Latina elected to Irvine city council. She came to the US as an undocumented immigrant and has since become a citizen, gotten a masters degree, started a PR agency, and is now elected to city council

Elon’s L’s

Elon dropped DOGE’s savings goal from $2T to $150B—less than 10% of the original goal

Elon was outed as dm’ing women he’d never met and offering to impregnate them, shortly after that he announced he was deactivating twitter’s dm feature

Elon’s meeting at the Pentagon on China was stopped by Trump (“what the fuck is Elon doing there? Make sure he doesn’t go”)

[animalphotorefs]

Want fish reference images? Donations to the repository Ko-Fi this week will help that happen!

I'm planning to drive out to Boise, ID this weekend for an Easter enrichment event, and the current Patreon support will cover the cost of that, as long as I car camp.

If I can, I'd like to stay in the area a couple extra days and hit up the Loveland Living Planet aquarium to get photos for the upcoming the fish and invert categories. I can't swing it on my current budget, though. If you'd like to help make it a reality, this is a great time to throw a little at the Ko-Fi to cover gas and other travel costs.

Zebra mantis shrimp from my last visit to LLP as photo tax.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - June 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. Missoula, MT Adopts Pride Flag As "Official Flag," Legally Defying Ban On Flying It

“Montana HB819 was intended to ban Pride flags from flying on city property, but had an exception for "official flags." So Missoula made the Pride flag an official flag. […] In Salt Lake City, council members moved to designate the Pride flag, the transgender flag, and others targeted by state bans as “official city flags.” Boise, Idaho, took the same approach after its state legislature enacted a similar restriction.”

2. Dilly Dally the sea turtle returns to the ocean after flipper amputation

“An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly Dally crawled into the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday morning, months after having a front flipper amputated at a Florida turtle hospital. […] A satellite tracking device attached to Dilly Dally’s shell will allow the center and the public to follow her journey. […] All sea turtles are endangered or threatened species. “So every sea turtle that we can save and get back out there is the win for the species.””

3. Japan’s First Zero-Waste Town: Kamikatsu

“[… R]esidents are encouraged to bring their waste to a Zero Waste Centre and separate it themselves at different stations that correspond with each of the [45] waste categories. […] By 2020, the town was recycling 81 per cent of all its waste, far above Japan’s national average of 20 per cent. […] In true circular economy thinking, the first step in the town’s waste process is not disposal but reuse, with items directed to a free thrift store[….]”

4. Puerto Rico Supreme Court recognizes ‘X’ as third gender for birth certificates in landmark decision

“Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court has mandated that the government include an “X” gender marker on birth certificates in a ruling issued on Monday. A group of nonbinary Puerto Ricans filed the case, and the ruling allows for the representation of those who identify outside of the gender binary. […] “Specifically, Plaintiffs request the Court to order the Demographic Registry of Puerto Rico to modify its application to amend a Puerto Rican birth certificate, to include an option to change one’s gender marker to an ‘X.’””

5. Smallest otter in the world rediscovered in Nepal after 185-year absence

“WWF is helping to build community stewardship for the conservation of otters and their prey, raising awareness and strengthening livelihoods. […] 375 local community members have received training on traditional gear, fish breeding seasons and eco-friendly fishing practices. […] Sonaha and Tharu households have also been supported in establishing small businesses that use their local knowledge and are less reliant on the river’s resources[….]”

May 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[trinketfairy]

"Although animals as therapy adjuncts, even pets, can help reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation, owning or working with an animal may not be a viable option for everyone in need. Therefore, stuffed animals, which represent a source of comfort in times of stress for young people, may serve as a suitable replacement. Rose M. Barlow of the Department of Psychology at Boise State University in Idaho wanted to see if stuffed animals would serve clients equally as well as live animals. In a recent study, Barlow surveyed a sample of high and low dissociative female college students and those with dissociative identity disorder (DID) about attachment to live and stuffed animals. She found that the DID women had significantly stronger attachments to both live and stuffed animals than any of the other women. She also found that those with high dissociation and those with DID reported higher levels of attachment to stuffed animals than live animals when compared to the low dissociative group. The findings of this study have several important clinical implications. Even though comorbid issues such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar were not considered in this research, the evidence suggests that stuffed animals may be particularly helpful to those with high levels of dissociation. Because symptoms of dissociation, even disorganized attachment, can begin in childhood and result from emotionally unavailable parents, divorce, or abuse, integrating stuffed animals into therapy for young children can provide a sense of security and help to rebuild impaired attachment bonds. “Animals, live or stuffed, can aid therapy for both children and adults by providing a way to experience and express emotions, a feeling of unconditional support, and grounding,” Barlow said."

Good Therapy - Animal-Assisted Therapy: Does It Work with Stuffed Animals?

[shiftythrifting]

40 isn’t old if you’re a tree - a sentiment I can get behind

Let’s hope grandpa has a small business making stepstools. The stool-esque shape on the sign is a mirror

Man floating in the water has a custom canvas company sticker on the back.

Topical fluoride in a vintage-looking package. I couldn’t find a best by date.

And a white onion, spotted on a support pillar outside the store

Several shops in Boise, ID

[mariacallous]

The owner of an Idaho bar and restaurant plans to host a two-day “Hetero Awesome Fest” outside of the state Capitol in Boise in June to coincide with LGBTQ Pride Month . . . [it] will feature live music, speakers “who are on the front lines defending traditional family values” and local food and drink vendors. —NBC News.

First and foremost, straights: We see you. For too long, your culture has been shrouded in obscurity, and even shame. But your queer friends and neighbors are here to support you in your journey to share your true selves with the world—whether you’re a suburban Texas mom whose identity is inexplicably linked to your Stanley cup, or a teen-age boy in Florida who posts really gross stuff in subreddits. We may not always understand you, but know that you are loved.

It’s 2025, and our society should be evolved enough to finally recognize the important contributions that the straight community has made to our culture. We’re here to honor notable heterosexuals such as Jimmy Buffett, Margaret Thatcher, and Kendall Jenner. Did you know that even former President Ronald Reagan was rumored to be a straight man?

While we are absolutely on board to support you—we’re even making T-shirts!—we hope that you’ll be patient with us as we learn to accept your life-style choices. Some of us are still struggling to wrap our heads around straight cultural hallmarks such as peel-and-stick wallpaper, Keurig coffee, and sex that is only satisfying for one partner.

Rest assured, though, we won’t just be sitting on the sidelines for Awesome Fest. We’ll be right there with you for every activity. The nonbinary folks will cheer you on at the Kohl’s Cash Dash; lesbians will help you shovel asphalt at the Driveway Repave-athon; and we’re working on finding volunteers to wipe away your tears as you struggle into shapewear at the Negative Body Talk Booth (admittedly, no one’s rushing to sign up for this one).

Then we’ll raise skinny margs to toast your unexamined desire to make sweet love to the opposite sex, and bond over unlimited breadsticks from the Olive Garden. These rituals are part of your culture’s rich tapestry, and we’re here to honor them. Who knows? At the end of that caloric roller coaster, we may find out that we’re more alike than we think!

Don’t worry, we’re sticking around for the after-party, too! Some of the lesbians (not naming names) have had their bachelorette parties at straight bars—it’s just so fun to let loose without feeling the pressure to impress a room full of queer women, you know? We can’t wait to show off our best moves to classic straight jams by Ted Nugent, Anita Bryant, and Kid Rock. We’ll bring our hot pants, tiaras, and body glitter—apologies in advance if any rubs off on you on the dance floor. And if it does, don’t worry, you’ll still be straight—probably.

[celeste-the-witch]

I really can't keep anything, huh? Every single decent thing I had in life is being stripped away day by day. I went to my milan laser hair removal appointment today only to find out that the receptionist with the pride flags who i loved talking to is gone and my provider who had a trans kid and understood how hard dysphoria can be and would give me free face and neck treatments because of that is ALSO gone, transferred to Boise to be specific. The new provider is completely by the book and refuses to give any treatment that isn't listed. So now my appointments have stopped being fun little 30 minute outings where I get to chat with people and get my stupid facial hair removed and are instead a less than 5 minute waste of gas (30 minute drive there) where I get zapped one time between my eyebrows and get sent home. The absolute cheapest they could make the actual payments for the face and neck since it's not free anymore is an additional 70ish dollars a month on top of the 20ish I was already paying for the eyebrows. I can't work enough to afford that. I'm so tired of shit like this happening. I might just stop going. What's the point anymore? Wow I can get the hair between my eyebrows removed, that's so helpful and definitely totally for sure makes a huge difference. Wow, I love talking to a receptionist and provider who don't understand the lgbtq experience in the slightest. Sure, they're supportive, but it's not the same. They don't get it. They're just okay with it.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

By DEVI SHASTRI

A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board.

Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department.

While policymakers in Texas banned health departments from promoting COVID vaccines and Florida’s surgeon general bucked medical consensus to recommend against the vaccine, governmental bodies across the country haven’t blocked the vaccines outright.

“I’m not aware of anything else like this,” said Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She said health departments have stopped offering the vaccine because of cost or low demand, but not based on “a judgment of the medical product itself.”

The six-county district along the Idaho-Oregon border includes three counties in the Boise metropolitan area. Demand for COVID vaccines in the health district has declined — with 1,601 given in 2021 to 64 so far in 2024. The same is true for other vaccines: Idaho has the highest childhood vaccination exemption rate in the nation, and last year, the Southwest District Health Department rushed to contain a rare measles outbreak that sickened 10.

On Oct. 22, the health department’s board voted 4-3 in favor of the ban — despite Southwest’s medical director testifying to the vaccine’s necessity.

“Our request of the board is that we would be able to carry and offer those (vaccines), recognizing that we always have these discussions of risks and benefits,” Dr. Perry Jansen said at the meeting. “This is not a blind, everybody-gets-a-shot approach. This is a thoughtful approach.”

Opposite Jansen’s plea were more than 290 public comments, many of which called for an end to vaccine mandates or taxpayer funding of the vaccines, neither of which are happening in the district. At the meeting, many people who spoke are nationally known for making the rounds to testify against COVID vaccines, including Dr. Peter McCullough, a Texas cardiologist who sells “contagion emergency kits” that include ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine — drugs that have not been approved to treat COVID-19 and can have dangerous side effects.

Board Chairman Kelly Aberasturi was familiar with many of the voices who wanted the ban, especially from earlier local protests of pandemic measures.

Aberasturi, who told The Associated Press that he’s skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines and national public health leaders, said in the meeting and in an interview with the AP that he was supportive of but “disappointed” in the board’s decision.

He said the board had overstepped the relationship between patients and their doctors — and possibly opened a door to blocking other vaccines or treatments.

Board members in favor of the decision argued people can get vaccinated elsewhere, and that providing the shots was equivalent to signing off on their safety. (Some people may be reluctant to get vaccinated or boosted because of misinformation about the shots despite evidence that they’re safe and have saved millions of lives.)

The people getting vaccinated at the health department — including people without housing, people who are homebound and those in long-term care facilities or in the immigration process — had no other options, Jansen and Aberasturi said.

“I’ve been homeless in my lifetime, so I understand how difficult it can be when you’re ... trying to get by and get ahead,” Aberasturi said. “This is where we should be stepping in and helping.

“But we have some board members who have never been there, so they don’t understand what it’s like.”

State health officials have said that they “recommend that people consider the COVID-19 vaccine.” Idaho health department spokesperson AJ McWhorter declined to comment on “public health district business,” but noted that COVID-19 vaccines are still available at community health centers for people who are uninsured.

Aberasturi said he plans to ask at the next board meeting if the health department can at least be allowed to vaccinate older patients and residents of long-term care facilities, adding that the board is supposed to be caring for the “health and well-being” of the district’s residents. “But I believe the way we went about this thing is we didn’t do that due diligence.”

[inkandguns]

Every liberal I know shit talks Idaho so hard - that’s why I think it’s an ideal place to live

[gotxpenny]

Surviving Love || {i/lvii}

Emilia McKenna was deemed to be a sweetheart in the eyes of others who met her, but in the eyes of John Brady she was an itch he couldn't scratch. The tension between them was palpable, yet, over time, as they saved each other's lives and saw past the tough exteriors, their respect for one another grew. And despite their initial hatred, an undeniable attraction simmered beneath the surface.

Paring: John Brady x Fem!Oc

Prompt: they hated how much they made the other felt

Word Count: ~2,800

Genre: Frienemies to lovers, SUPERRRR slow burn, mostly fluff but angsty towards the end

Setting: On route to Bluie West One Airfield, South Greenland

Warnings: mentions of blood, slight gore, language

Note || I am incredibly excited to post more about Emilia and Brady!!! There aren't a lot of MOTA fics and especially Brady fics so I decided to feed into my own delusions and write one myself. Anyways enjoy lovelies<3 love les, xxx

gotxpenny’s masterlist masters of the air masterlist surviving love masterlist

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." – E. E. Cummings

━━━━━━━━━━

| MAY 1943|

THE rumble of the engines reverberated through the B-17, the air thick with tension and the stench of oil and gunpowder. Flight Nurse Emilia McKenna sat across from a wounded soldier, her gloved hands working swiftly to secure his bandages. The plane jostled violently with each passing gust of wind, but her hands never wavered.

After months of tending to men in the thick of combat, turbulence was the least of her worries, "Hold on, kid. We'll get you home," she muttered under her breath, his pallor concerned her, but there was little she could do up here.

She had only gotten to know the poor kid just mere minutes before a prop blast went off beside him. Jackson Sadie was only 19, he lived on a tiny hill with his big family in Boise, Idaho. He had lied about his age so he was eligible to be recruited and be just like his brothers. I bet he regrets that now, Emilia thought to herself.

The storm outside battered them mercilessly, and the soldiers groaned in discomfort, their bodies weak from injuries sustained in the chaos of war. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on her, but she couldn't let it show. Not now. They were flying back to Thorpe Abbots after a long mission, one that had taken them as far as Greenland to provide emergency aid to an outpost. The crew had been on edge the entire time, knowing how treacherous the route could be. Emilia had seen worse, but it didn't make the danger any less real.

Suddenly, the plane lurched again, harder this time, forcing her to grab the metal bench for support. The overhead lights flickered, and she cursed under her breath. This damn plane wasn't going to hold together at this rate.

She glanced up toward the cockpit where she knew John Brady was. The very thought of him made her clench her jaw, "Damn, Cowboy," she muttered.

Brady had been piloting this particular plane for weeks, and every time he took the controls, he flew as though he had something to prove—like the entire world was a race, and he refused to come in second. She had warned him time and time again that recklessness in the air put everyone at risk, but Brady had never been one to listen to her advice.

As if on cue, the crackle of the coms came alive and whose voice was it? John Brady's. From the cockpit Brady glanced at his best friend Zim, all swagger and smirk, with that perpetual look of confidence plastered across his face. His hair was windswept, and his flight jacket clung to him like a second skin, "You okay back there, Sugs?" he asked, his voice carrying a casual drawl that made her grit her teeth.

The nickname had started as a taunt, but now it seemed like he was using it just to rile her up.

She glared at the walls of the plane rolling her eyes, "I'm fine," she snapped, focusing back on her patient. A prop blast had got him, "Just try not to get us killed with your 'fancy flying'."

Brady let out a low chuckle, clearly unbothered by her attitude, "You wound me, McKenna. This is just a little turbulence—nothing I can't handle."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to patch up half our fucking crew every time we land if you learned how to fly a little smoother, Lieutenant Wiseass," there were a few chuckles from other men through the comms.

His eyes narrowed, that cocky grin fading just slightly, "Is that so?"

Emilia shot the walkway to the cockpit another glare over her shoulder, "Yes. That's so," for a moment, neither of them spoke.

The hum of the engines filled the space between them, and the plane hit another rough patch, making the wounded men groan softly in pain. Emilia returned to her work, deliberately ignoring him, though she could feel his presence lingering, "You know," Brady said, "Not every flight's going to be smooth. You've got to learn to roll with it," he said with a smile.

Emilia could hear his smile through the damn intercom.

"I've learned to roll with a lot of things, Brady," she bit back, "But your ego isn't one of them," Brady's lips twitched into a smirk again, but this time there was something different in his eyes—something almost challenging. He had always enjoyed pushing her buttons, but now there was a flicker of something more, something deeper.

Before he could retort, the intercom crackled to life, the navigator's voice cutting through the tension, "Navigator to Pilot, we've got incoming weather ahead. Prepare for a rough descent," Brady straightened up, his demeanour shifting back to business in an instant.

"Looks like it's going to get bumpy again. You sure you can handle it, Sugs?" Emilia answer him and just rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that day.

"I can handle more than you think, Lieutenant," Brady didn't answer back and just switched off his intercom.

Emilia let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. She could hear the men talking up front, preparing for whatever storm they were about to fly into, but her mind was stuck on Brady.

How could one man be so insufferable?

Shaking off the thought, she focused back on her patient, tightening the bandage around his arm. The storm outside may have been growing, but the one inside this plane was the one that truly worried her.

And John Brady was at the centre of it.

Just as Emilia was reaching for another roll of gauze, the intercom crackled to life. Brady's voice came through, sharp and sarcastic, "Hey, Florence Nightmare, you planning to save that poor kid or talk him to death?"

Emilia pressed the comm button without hesitation, "Well, if you'd stop rattling this tin can like you're driving a getaway car, maybe I wouldn't have to re-wrap his bandage every five seconds!"

Brady shot back, "Sorry, Sweets, forgot turbulence bothers people who prefer hospital beds to cockpits."

She rolled her eyes, speaking into the mic again, "Tell me, Brady, do you come with a volume control or is arrogance your default setting?"

Zim—Brady’s co-pilot, finally chimed in with the exasperation of a man who's dealt with this far too often, "Alright, alright, children, enough. This is a B-17, not a schoolyard. Let's use our inside voices, shall we?"

Brady muttered under his breath, still loud enough for the mic to catch, "Hard to use an inside voice when Nurse Ratched's yelling in my ear..."

Emilia, voice icy-sweet, "Say that again, Brady, and I swear I'll climb up there and use my stethoscope in creative ways."

Zim sighed heavily, adjusting his headset, "Okay. You—" he pointed at Brady even though no one could see, "fly the goddamn plane. And you—" he said toward the belly of the aircraft, "Patch up our boy and pretend the pilot doesn't exist. Everyone wins. Especially me, who doesn't need a migraine before we even hit Greenland."

Brady smirked, but his voice softened just a bit, "Copy that, Mum."

Zim muttered, "One more 'Mum' and I'm turning this plane around," the intercom clicked off, but not before everyone heard the stifled laughter from the rest of the crew.

The storm outside may have been brewing, but it didn't hold a candle to the turbulence between John and Emilia.

| MAY 1943|

AFTER what felt like an eternity of turbulence, the B-17 touched down with a jarring thud on the tarmac in Greenland. The wheels screeched in protest, the aircraft shuddering before finally grinding to a halt. Emilia's knuckles were white from gripping the metal bench, and she let out a breath as the engines whined to a stop. The soldiers groaned in relief, and Emilia quickly went back to checking her patients.

Her mind was still racing from the flight, the tension from both the storm outside and the simmering frustration with John Brady twisting her insides, "You did good, boys," she said softly to the wounded men, offering a rare, fleeting smile as she patted one on the shoulder, "You're safe now. We'll get you the help you need," as the crew started unloading, Emilia caught sight of Brady jumping down from the plane and sauntering down to her like he hadn't just put all their lives at risk for the past few hours.

His leather jacket hung loosely on his shoulders, he had those sunglasses on that made his cocky grin even more smug than it already was, his cap tilted back just enough to make him look effortlessly cool, as always.

She busied herself with her patients, trying to ignore him, but he made it impossible when his voice rang out over the din, "Nice and smooth, eh, Sugs?" Brady called out, striding toward her with that infuriating grin plastered on his face, "I told you I'd get us here in one piece," a smirk plastered on his lips.

Emilia turned sharply, glaring at him, "One piece, yes. But barely," she gestured to the groaning soldiers behind her, "Some of them are hanging on by a thread. You're lucky that storm didn't finish us off," Brady just shrugged nonchalantly.

But there was a glint in his eye that told her he was enjoying this far too much, "Like I said, you've got to roll with the punches. Not everything's in our control up there, McKenna."

He knew he was pushing her buttons. Hell, half the time, he did it on purpose just to see the fire in her eyes flare up. There was something electric about it—the way she snapped back without missing a beat, the way her voice cut through the intercom like a knife dipped in honey and arsenic. She wasn't like the other women he'd known, the ones who batted lashes or stayed quiet in the presence of authority.

Emilia McKenna was made of steel wrapped in starched linen, and for reasons he didn't fully understand yet, Brady found himself circling that storm like a moth drawn to a flame.

But there was more to it than banter and barbs. When he said, "Not everything's in our control up there," he meant it—maybe more than he should've admitted. Flying through the frozen air over the Atlantic with a plane full of half-frozen boys and one too-stubborn nurse, he felt the weight of it all. The burden of lives that depended on his decisions, the unpredictable skies, and the haunting possibility that any moment could be their last. So he covered it with cocky smirks and one-liners. But deep down, his words were part truth, part warning—to her, maybe even to himself.

"That doesn't mean you have to act like you're invincible," she snapped, stepping closer to him. She was tired, frustrated, and had just about enough of his attitude, "These men need someone who takes their lives seriously, not some hotshot cowboy who thinks every flight is a game."

His smirk faltered, just for a moment, before he crossed his arms and cocked his head at her, "You think I don't take this seriously? You think I don't care about them? I've known these men longer than you, so don't go acting like you fucking care about them more than me," this time his tone was a bit more serious.

The words came out sharper than he intended. As soon as they left his mouth, John felt the weight of them drop like a stone in his chest. He hadn't meant to question her heart—not really. Emilia had proven time and time again that she cared, probably too much for her own good. That was what made her so goddamn admirable. And infuriating. The way she'd stay up through the night checking on every injury, every cough, every bruise. The way the men, even the most hardened ones, looked to her like she was something solid in a world that constantly spun out of control.

But still, his pride flared hot and fast, drowning out the regret before it could surface fully. He clenched his jaw, locking it behind another wall of defiance. Because if he apologised—if he showed that sliver of vulnerability—he wasn't sure he could pull himself back together before the next mission.

Emilia's breath caught for just a second—not because of what he said, but how he said it. There was something cracked in his voice, like he wasn't just angry at her, but at himself. At the world. At the war. But her anger burned brighter. It always did when it came to him.

"I think you're reckless, Brady," Emilia shot back, "And one day, it's going to get someone killed," for a second, his cocky façade dropped, and Emilia saw a flash of something raw— anger, yes, but it wasn't aimed at her. Not really. 

It was self-loathing, maybe. Guilt. That aching kind of pain that came from too many losses and not enough time to grieve them, or something deeper—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

Masked again with that signature smirk and tightened jaw, as if she'd imagined it. Emilia swallowed, the fight still simmering in her veins, but now tangled with something else—concern. Confusion. Maybe even guilt of her own for striking a nerve she didn't realise was exposed.

And yet, neither of them moved. Neither of them looked away. The storm outside roared louder, but it was nothing compared to what had just passed between them.

Brady finally took a step closer to her, his voice low, "I do what I have to do to get us all home. Maybe you don't see it, but I care more than you think, Sugs," that nickname, the way he said it with a teasing edge even now, made her grit her teeth.

"Don't call me that."

He chuckled softly, taking a step back, but his eyes lingered on her, a mix of challenge and something else, "Sure thing, Sugs."

Emilia huffed in frustration, turning her back on him to help the medics load the soldiers into ambulances. Her heart was still pounding, not just from the adrenaline of the landing, but from their exchange. There was something about Brady that got under her skin—something she couldn't quite shake. He made her furious, but there was more to him than just that cocky exterior, and it was driving her mad.

As she helped the last soldier into the ambulance, one of the other medics approached her, "Thanks for the help, McKenna," he said, giving her a nod of respect, "You're one of our best."

"Just...doing my job," she replied with a tired smile.

The medic glanced over at Brady, who was leaning against the plane, watching her with that same unreadable expression, "He's a tough one, that Brady. Cocky as hell, but...he's damn good. He always gets us back."

Emilia frowned slightly, her eyes flicking toward Brady, "Yeah. So I've heard."

The medic gave her a knowing smile, "You two don't seem to get along, huh?" it wasn't really a question but more of a statement—everyone knew they didn't get along since the first day they met.

They were both at each other's throats.

"That's an understatement," she muttered. With the ambulances loaded, the airstrip began to quiet, and Emilia finally allowed herself to relax.

But just as she thought she was done, she felt Brady's presence beside her once again, "Hey," he said, softer now, almost like an olive branch, "We make a good team, you know that?"

Emilia sighed, glancing up at him, "Do we?" he smiled, but this time it was different—gentler, less sure of himself. And for a brief moment, Emilia saw past the cocky flyboy exterior to the man beneath. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Brady than she had given him credit for. But she'd be damned if she let him know that, "Don't let it go to your head, Cowboy," she said, turning to walk away before he could respond.

Emilia saw John Brady as nothing more than an arrogant, self-assured pilot who got by on charm and sheer audacity. He's the kind of man who walked into a room and expected it to revolve around him, the type who's used to winning—whether it's in the air or with the people around him. And Emilia had no patience for it. She's worked too hard, fought too long to be taken seriously, to let some cocky flyboy get under her skin.

Yet, despite her best efforts, Brady had a way of slipping past her defences. He's persistent, always pushing, always showing up when she least expected it. And what frustrated her the most is that sometimes—just sometimes—he surprised her. Like in moments like this, when his bravado faded, and she caught a glimpse of something real beneath the smirk.

She doesn't know what to do with that. She doesn't want to know what to do with that.

So she shoved it aside, convinces herself that it doesn't matter. But as she walked away, the ghost of a smile betrayed her, hinting at a truth she wasn't ready to admit—not yet, anyway.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Internet Is Forever: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Summary: A man is going around killing women in their homes and filming it for all to see. It's heartbreaking to watch but you're determined to catch him before he can hurt anyone else.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

Penelope logs out of video chat to continue doing her work. You have the video now so you go over it with a fine tooth comb. The unsub walks up the stairs and briefly looks into the camera. Only his eyes are shown.

"Look at that. He's acknowledging the camera. He knows his audience is watching. We know the MO, so the question is how. What kind of job gives him access to the victims' houses?"

"It has to be a network job like an IT guy. You know, someone to hook up your internet. It gets them inside their house and into their computers."

"I went through all the women's internet service providers with a fine-tooth comb. They all used different companies and had no overlap with sales reps," Detective Fordham says.

"What about the onsite tech support?"

"Clean as a whistle. They all had alibis with no criminal records."

"What I don't understand is why he takes the bodies with him after they're dead. It'd be one thing if he took them while they were still alive, but he's accomplished his task. He murders them and he completes the performance. Why risk carrying a corpse to his car?"

"There must be some postmortem behavior or signature or something we're not seeing."

"Let's think about that for a second. He's sharing this murder with a crowd of onlookers. What could he be doing to these bodies just for himself?"

"Hey, guy." Derek walks into the room while on the phone. "Garcia's got something for us." He puts her on speakerphone. "Go ahead, baby girl."

"I have some good news. First, here is the thing that sucks. I located the network the unsub is using in Boise, and it is the victims' own wireless network."

"Does he hack in before he starts the murder?"

"I don't think so. Hacking is obscenely time-consuming. I just make it look easy because I'm a genius, and he's not me. My guess is that he's got to lurk around their network for at least a couple of days to a week before he kills them."

"That's brilliant on his part," John says.

"Yeah, he knows when we follow his online paper trail. It'll lead us right back to the murder site."

"What's the good news?" you ask.

"Hackers are very loyal to their spoofing techniques, and if they think no one's watching, they'll use the same roads over and over. If he goes through Russia, China, and North Korea again, I will catch him so fast he won't know what hit him.

"That's only going to help us if he commits another murder."

"Yes, that's also true."

"Garcia, if he does stream this again, how much time will you need to find the network?"

"I'm just guessing here but seven minutes?"

"That's not fast enough. He's in and out of the house in five."

"Shoot. I'm going to have to trim my time down, then."

"Garcia, get it done. JJ, we need to call a press conference. Now that we know how he's killing these women, we need to get it out there," Hotch says.

"Okay," she nods.

Spencer walks into the conference room with the picture of Dorris he took from the fridge.

"I know what connects the victims. I was staring at pictures of the victims and I knew there was a pattern connecting them, but I couldn't tell what it was until I broke it down mathematically. Why are we so drawn to celebrity faces? Because there's a symmetry to their beauty--the eyes, the ears, and the ratio of the forehead to the chin. The more balanced they are, the more appealing they are to our eyes."

"These women aren't celebrities," John says.

"No, but there are similarities between them, and it wasn't until I scanned their pictures and got it to the guys at Quantico that I had a full breakdown." He pulls up a picture of all three female victims. "Strip away eye color, hair color, and skin tone." He does so and reveals their geometric faces. "What are we left with geometrically?"

"They're all slightly dystopic. The left eye is slightly lower than the right eye on all the victims. All the noses are narrow. The forehead has the same ridge."

"He might not even be aware that he sees it in them. There have been studies that suggest that we pick our spouses subconsciously based on facial symmetry that we recognize. Consciously or unconsciously, when he recognizes it, he has to destroy it which means he only has interest in the bodies as they relate back to him."

"What if they are a reflection of him?" you ask. "Remember what he did at the end of the video with Dorris? He wiped a tear away. It's another act of compassion he's not capable of. His narcissism prevents him from that. In the Greek myth, Narcissus was so self-absorbed that he fell in love with his own reflection in the water."

"Exactly," Spencer backs you up. "He finds women with the same face, he strangles them, and then stares at them after they've died. Whose image does he really see? His own."

You now have a profile to give to the Boise police department. John gathers his men and women to hear what your team has to say.

"Most of us take the internet for granted. We forget about texts that we share or updates we put on social networks, but the internet never forgets. Once it's out there, it's out there forever. We all know about the horrific deaths that get shown on the web--the murder of a journalist or the stoning of an Iranian dissident. Those murders are immortal. This unsub craves that same immortality."

"He recognizes his face in theirs, and he kills them as a way of saying, 'This is what I look like.' We think this also informs his compulsion to take the bodies with him. He takes them to a secondary location where we believe he preserves them so that every time he looks at them, he sees his own ego reflected," Spencer explains.

"Fortunately for us, this means we have a good idea of what he looks like. Based on the shape of the victims' faces, we have a rough composite sketch." JJ passes the sketch around. "This unsub is an expert with computers and home networks. Look into criminal records of men with extensive computer training."

"We know you've already looked into the victims' computer IT settings, so we'd like to expand the search. Look into electronic stores, computer distributors, and IT departments where the women worked," Spencer says.

"We overuse the term narcissistic in our culture, but we're going back to the psychological definition," you say. "Every aspect of this man's life has been constructed around an inflated sense of self. Unsubs like this are particularly vulnerable to what's called narcissistic injury. If his self-worth is attacked or damaged, he will lash out."

"If you find this unsub, do not challenge him publicly. Say you just want to talk to him to see if he knows anything about the brilliant mastermind who's stalking these women. Under no circumstances should you denigrate him. As difficult as it is, we need to talk up his exploits as if we respect him," Hotch says, concluding the profile briefing.

JJ is able to get a last-minute press conference with the local press. She shows a picture of the sketch she passed around. He's a white male, roughly five-foot-ten, and highly skilled with computers and networks. She encourages everyone to monitor the information people post about themselves on social media. When she opened up for questions, she didn't realize the backlash she might get.

"How did the FBI generate this sketch if there were no eyewitnesses?"

"Can you comment on the rumor he has some sort of facial symmetry with his victims? Does he look like them?"

"Why would he target women who look like him?"

"What should people do to protect themselves? Change their face?"

Who the hell told them about the profile before the FBI was ready to release it? JJ handled it like a pro but she waltzed back into the station with a look of annoyance and frustration.

"Hotch. Somebody leaked our profile. The press started asking questions about facial symmetry."

"It must have been one of your officers," Hotch says to John.

"Look, my guys were checking their cell phones but that's just habit now."

"I talked to the press independently, and I can get this off the 10:00 PM news but this went out live."

"What are the chances he didn't see it?"

"Not good," Hotch sighs. He takes out his phone and dials Penelope. "How are you doing with pinning down the network?"

"I was just about to call you. Remember how I said he was spoofing his signal off different servers? Well, it turns out some of those are a decoy meant to waste my time."

"Does that mean you can find him faster?"

"Yes. I can write a program that filters out the decoy--" Alarms start ringing on her computer. "Oh crap."

"Is that him?"

"Yeah, okay, I'm going to have to filter this one on the fly."

"Can you send us the feed?"

"Yes. I think I can intercept it in Ukraine."

Hotch pulls the phone away from his ear and looks at everyone.

"He's going live."

Penelope sends the live feed through and you take a seat because you know you're going to be overwhelmed. The video starts and the unsub is practically running toward a house.

"Look at the way he's moving. He's not slow and deliberate. This guy's pissed."

"He saw the press conference," you sigh.

"Alright, what do we see? Any determining markers?"

"It's a one-story cottage."

"It could be anywhere."

"Is there a number on the house?"

"No, he's already at the door."

"Garcia?" Hotch asks and places her on speakerphone.

"He's using twice as many proxy servers."

There is a small white box behind the live footage of words coming through like a comment section on a Youtube video.

"This window here on the bottom, is that the chat room?" Emily asks.

The video switches to a camera inside the house, inside the kitchen. You're so anxious that you're bouncing your leg rapidly to try and give you something else to focus on. A woman is by her fridge looking in while the unsub enters her back door.

"There she is."

"He's in the house, guys."

"He's completely changed his MO. It is way too early. There's too much light. What happened?" Derek asks.

"Someone asked the wrong question at the press conference," JJ answers.

"Turn around," you whimper. "Please just turn around."

The man gets closer to her. The camera keeps switching angles from inside the kitchen, inside the dining room looking into the kitchen, and the POV camera on him.

"Maybe she can fend him off."

"She has new kitchen appliances. Can we track them through work orders?" Spencer asks.

"He'll be gone by then."

"Garcia, give us something," Hotch urges.

"I'm stateside now. I'm almost to Idaho. I just need more time."

"You're not gonna have it."

"Yes, I will. I will," Pen panics.

The unsub reaches the woman and begins strangling her on live video. You put your thumbnail in your mouth and begin biting it while still bouncing your leg. You can't seem to look away.

"Forget the unsub. Can you run a trace on everybody in the chat room?" Hotch asks.

"I can't do both, sir. Let me do this."

"Garcia, tag the viewers. That's an order."

It's too late. She's already dying. Tears are rolling down your cheeks but you don't make a sound. She gasps for breath but stops fighting him off. She's losing. She's dying... She's dead. Penelope quietly gasps and you wipe your tears.

"Penelope, don't do that to yourself. I know what you're thinking. It's not your fault."

She appreciates your comfort but she doesn't believe you.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[nerdygaymormon]

Earlier this year, the Idaho state legislature banned most flags from flying on government property, but still allows "the official flag of a governmental entity."

On Tuesday night, the Boise City Council voted 5 to 1 to pass a resolution that marks the Pride flag as one of three official city flags. The city also designated a National Donate Life Month banner as an official flag.

Council member Meredith Stead pointed out the city had flown the pride flag for a decade and removing it would not be a neutral gesture. She said, adding that recognizing one group did not diminish others.

Council president Colin Nash sponsored the resolution. He said he hoped it would send the message that people can live authentically in Boise. “There are so many folks that live lives of quiet desperation, every single day in our community, who carry with them a secret. I hope just once that the city of Boise’s flag, that someone will see that and know that they are not alone.”

[enthusispastic]

Hey friends! My zoo is in USA Today's top 20 zoos, and there's a vote among the top 20 for the top 10. You can vote daily, please vote for Zoo Boise!! We're a really amazing zoo that proportionally supports conservation causes more than any zoo in the nation!

[coochiequeens]

This could all have been avoided by offering a third category for trans, intersex, athletes with pronouns, boys who couldn't hold their own against other boys and older men who could no longer hold their own against younger men

Women athletes are forfeiting games to avoid competing against transgender athletes. I wish they didn't have to sacrifice so much to make their point.

By Ingrid Jacques April 11, 2025

If you need another example of how absurd it is for transgender athletes to be competing against women, look no further than what happened at a recent women’s pool tournament in the United Kingdom. 

The title match featured two transgender athletes, as allowed by the governing body, the English Pool Association. The two biological male players had defeated the biological women to reach the championship. 

What a coincidence. 

While that incident is maddening for anyone who cares about fairness in women’s sports, there have been recent examples of women standing against the gender insanity that’s crept into their lives. Since late last year, women in several high-profile instances have refused to compete – or forfeited a game – to protest transgender-lenient policies that undermine the entire point of women's athletics.

And these women – many of them young women – deserve our full support. 

Faced with a transgender opponent? This woman took a knee.

On March 30, Stephanie Turner created an online stir when she refused to compete against her transgender opponent at a USA Fencing-sanctioned tournament in Maryland.

Turner did it in a respectful manner. She didn’t cause a scene. She took a knee. 

And for that – standing up for herself – she was disqualified from the event. Refusing to compete earned her a black card, meaning she was out of the tournament. 

“I told them that I was refusing to fence because this person is a man, and I’m a woman, and this is a women’s tournament and I refuse to fence on principle,” Turner said on Fox News after the incident.

USA Fencing has said that it stands for “inclusion” and “fair competition,” but if it is disqualifying a female athlete at a women’s event to accommodate a biological male competitor, it’s hard to square its mission with its actions.Opinion: 

Just days after the fencing tournament, Abigail Wilson walked off the disc golf course at the Music City Open in Tennessee to protest being forced to compete against a transgender opponent.

“Females must be protected in our division,” Wilson said. “This is unfair. I refuse to play"

In November, the women volleyball players at Boise State University chose to give up their shot to reach the NCAA tournament when they refused to play San Jose State, a team with a transgender player, in a championship game.

Separately, there’s a related lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference related to its transgender policy. 

How many more women will have to give up opportunities?

When I see these examples of women standing for themselves and other women, I’m proud of their bravery.

But I also feel for them and what they’re giving up. Whether it’s a competition at the college or professional level, women who choose not to compete in an unfair situation are forgoing all the sweat, time and money they’ve devoted to their sport – not to mention other lost opportunities. 

Kiersten Van Kirk, a volleyball player for Boise State, told Outkick the decision not to play was “disheartening and heartbreaking” but that she’s looking beyond herself: “I know that we are all working towards future generations being able to have a safe place for female athletes to compete and putting that above ourselves, which is a really hard thing to do because obviously our goal was to win a championship. And I think that it’s extremely unfair and really terrible that it had to come to that.”

It is unfair. And that’s why more attention needs to be brought to what’s happening. Thanks to the efforts of female athletes like Riley Gaines, who has become famous for speaking out after she had to compete against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas while in college, more people are taking notice.

That includes President Donald Trump, who has made keeping women’s sports for women a priority. He signed an executive order in January protecting women’s athletics at schools that receive federal funding. Republicans in Congress are seeking to do the same, but Democrats are unwisely blocking the effort.

In the meantime, women are taking matters into their own hands. But I wish they didn’t have to give up so much to make their point. 

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques