#⤷ file / ronald lewis.

[gaerlhoss-a]

TAG DROP  –  ronald lewis,  i.e. my goodest boy.

⤷  file  /  ronald lewis.

⤷  ronald  /  character study.

⤷  ronald  /  characterization.

⤷  ronald  /  visage.

⤷  ronald  /  interactions.

⤷  ronald  /  rel.  breanna casey.

⤷  ronald  /  rel.  sophie devereaux.

⤷  ronald  /  rel.  alec hardison.

⤷  ronald  /  rel.  parker.

⤷  ronald  /  rel.  eliot spencer.

⤷  ronald  /  rel.  harry wilson.

[wwhatev3r]

Easy Company going to the Zoo | Headcanons

Note: I do believe Zoos are ultimately harmful to animals; this is only for entertainment purposes. I recommend to read everything because is kinda connected.  

– Dick Winters - This man is calmly watching every animal, listening silently to what the guides say like the perfect man that he is. Nix takes pictures of him like he is the wife that died at the beginning of the movie. He is genuinely embarrassed when the boys do something stupid and he has to apologize to strangers. He sees them getting along and Shifty helping random kids and he is on Proud Dad Mode. An elephant patted his head and he was so happy. 

“Alright everyone, if anyone falls off the railings it will make the animals sick, so please be careful. You are hard for the animals to digest.”

– Lewis Nixon - A monkey stole his sunglasses and Winters laughed at him instead of helping him. Can’t stand kids screaming at the animals. Starts oversharing how bad his marriage was with the animals.

"Nix, they're gonna get depressed." Winters told him. "Even more? We are all trapped in some way, aren't we?" He replied after a sigh with a gloomy voice.

– Carwood Lipton - Plans everything as always. When the zoo guides are telling information It’s him who tells everyone to be quiet. He asks everyone to take a group picture. He really likes the red pandas. 

"Come on guys, form a single file line."

“Do not pick the goats Perconte, can’t you read the sign?”

– Ronald Speirs - Gets offended because a parrot starts imitating him. Refuses to eat there because it is too expensive. He stole a mini toy turtle from the gift shop, and at the end of the day he gave it to Lip. He doesn't trust the raccoons or the lemurs because he thinks they are going to steal from him. 

“Sir, can you help me find the kay-muls?” Muck asked. “You mean ‘camels’?”  “Yes, that’s what I said.” “Fucking idiot.” 

– George Luz - George tries to teach the parrots how to swear. He makes fun of the penguins too. A baby koala climbed on his shoulder to hug his neck. Talks with the zookeepers and learns more than the other guys. He looks at Don and Skip messing around and says: “Look at the primates socializing.” My poor boy really tries to communicate with the monkeys tho.  "Hey, It's you George." Bill said, pointing at the monkey while laughing.  “Sure, look Bill, It's you too." George points at the trash can.

– Joe Liebgott - The first one to volunteer to pet a snake. Almost threw hands with a kid because he stole his sandwich. He pushed Web and he almost fell in the otters water tank. He scares Babe with fake stories about animals who attacked people. Says dark humor jokes to offend Shifty.

“Shit, that leopard would make a pretty good coat.”  “Lieb, please stop. It 's not even funny.” Shifty replied. 

– Bill Guarnere - He is so excited to see the lions. If other companies are there, he is always screaming at them like it's a school trip. Runs back and forward in the front of the glass, to make the cheetahs run with him. Feeds the animals that are forbidden to be fed by the visitors. 

“Bill, stop feeding them before anyone sees you.” Malarkey warns him.  “What? No! Look at them, they have skinnier legs than Lieb.” “Bill, that’s a flamingo.” Webster replied.

– Joe Toye - He is against zoos, so he starts screaming at a zookeeper and Lip has to apologize in his name. Wants to make himself look like he doesn't want to be there but at the first cute animal that he sees he lets escape an "Anw." A bunny pooped on him. He is kinda scared a peacock wants to mate with him because he shook his feathers to him. 

“Look, Toye found a girlfriend, how cute.” “Shut up George.” 

– Donald Malarkey - Donnie is so excited and happy to be around the animals. He takes pics with every single one of them. In the farm section he spends his money to buy food to feed the goats. He buys so many stuffed animals. He saw a ginger monkey and got so happy. Names everyone animal like is going to keep them.

“Look how long their necks are.” Perconte says about the giraffes.  “Don’t say that.” Malarkey replied angrily, “She might hear you.” “Yeah, don’t you hear him, Louisa.” George says playfully to the giraffe, “You have a lovely neck.”

– Warren “Skip'' Muck - Yes, he definitely dances to the monkeys. Brings everything from the gift shop. Imitates the meerkats when they stand up. Makes a stare contest with a lizard. Presses his face against the glass and Martin yells at him. He and Bill find orangutans kinda creepy and suspicious (??).

“Are we allowed to ride giraffes?” “NO.” Lip yelled. 

– Darrel “Shifty” Powers - He was the one who volunteered to feed the elephants. He stays watching an animal no one else seems to be interested in. He loves to be around the animals but feels genuinely bad for them. He helps scared kids pat the ponies. He wants to adopt a kitten from the shelter of the zoo but he thought he wouldn't be responsible enough to take him.

“You know sir, cats don’t like loud noises, what if I talk too loud near him?” “I don’t think that would be a problem, Shifty.” Winters said with a kind smile. 

 – Eugene Roe - When they were in the farm section, he spent the whole time gently rubbing the belly of a pregnant bunny. I feel like he loves pandas. Asks the zookeeper's how many times each animal is being fed during the day and wants to know about the treatment of the sick ones. Even in the zoo he has to carry his first aid kit. 

“Hey, look, it's a pelican.” Babe said.  "That's a toucan.” Eugene replied.

– Edward “Babe” Heffron - He fed a deer and then got scared when they started to surround them. He is kinda scared of birds. He gave his lunch to a peacock because he bit him. He genuinely loves lizards. 

“Heffron, you know It’s your fault that you got bit.” Eugene told him while taking care of his injury. “How is it my fault?” “You were trying to do a mating dance for the peacock.” “And I gave him my lunch, and for what? For him to like Toye instead. I hate birds.”

– David Webster - Web, Aka Shark boy, just wants to see aquatic animals. Is genuinely interested in learning about animals. He reads every board with the animal information and also acts like the teacher’s pet to the zoo guides. 

“No, sir, actually they live 15 to 45 years.” “Shut the fuck up Web.” Lieb told him. “Ok.” 

– Frank Perconte - He kinda judges giraffes for having long necks. He hates how the zoo smells. He wants to keep every lost belonging but Shifty convinces him to give it to the zoo staff. He leaned in to see the crocodiles better and almost fell but Martin grabbed him by his shirt right on time.

“If you fall in there, I won’t save you.” Martin said. “You won't, sergeant?” Perconte replied with a sad expression. 

– Denver “Bull” Randleman - He is compared by everyone to a bear. He makes Perconte hold his shirt to not lose him in the crowd. He will call out anyone who taps the glass. Makes the guys wear hats because of the sun. He notices Talbert taking pictures of the animals mating and says to Martin: “Look, that creep is taking pictures of the zebra putting the stick on the honey.” (No, but imagine him saying this with his accent, I-...) 

– John Martin - I feel like he has a special love for rhinos. A baby binturong fell asleep on his lap when they were in the Baby Room section. A hawk shitted on his shoulder and he got pissed. 

"Alright everyone, let's go! If anyone touches, teases or even screams at the animals will be thrown at the Lions. Oh, and Bill, don’t try it on purpose.”

"For fuck sake, Muck don't dance to the monkeys." 

– Floyd Talbert - The most distracted, instead of looking at the animals he is looking at the women. He sees two animals mating, quickly whoops Malarkey’s camera to take pictures. Is envious of how beautiful the alpacas hair are. He flirts with the zookeepers.

“Yeah, that’s a pretty big snake. You know what else is b-...” “Sergeant Talbert, get your ass back here.” Sargent Martin yelled at him.

[flashnthunder]

WIP Tag Game

tagged by @blood-mocha-latte <33

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

new england webgott

priest fucking allegations baberoe

winnix one shot to wake one shot so i don’t shake

webgott long fic !! HYPE

george/lip fluff

luztoye wings

luztoye apocalypse RAHHH

speirton ptsd angst ~ post war

winnix soulmates agnsty smangsty

tagging (if you want to!!) @ewipandora @deputy-buck @ronald-speirs @lewis-winters

[todaysdocument]

On 9/19/1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee subpoenaed witnesses on the “inroads the communists have made in Hollywood.” 

Among the witnesses were Charlie Chaplin, Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney, and others.

File Unit: Exhibits, Evidence and Other Records of the Investigative Section of the Internal Security Committee During the 79th through 94th Congresses Related to the Hollywood Black List, 1945 - 1976

Series: Committee Papers, 1945 - 1975

Record Group 233: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015

Transcription: 

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 19, 1947

Honorable J. Parnell Thomas, Chairman of the Committee on Un-American Activities issued the following statement for release Sunday morning ["Sunday morning" underlined] newspapers, September 21, 1947:

"Subpoenaes have been issued and are now in the process of being served upon the following witnesses to appear in Washington beginning October 20 in connection with the Committee on Un-American Activities' forthcoming hearing on communist influences in the motion picture industry:

Alva H. Bessie

Roy E. Brewer

Herbert Biberman

Berthold Brecht

Lester Cole

Gary Cooper

Charles Chaplin

Joseph E. Davies

Walt Disney

Edward Dmytryk

Cedric Gibbons

Samuel Goldwyn

Rupert Hughes

Eric Johnston

Howard Koch

Ring Lardner, Jr.

John Howard Lawson

Louis B. Mayer

Albert Maltz

Thomas Leo McCarey

Lowell Mellett

James McGuiness

Lewis Milestone

Adolph Menjou

Sam Moore

John Charles Moffitt

Robert Montgomery

George Murphy

Clifford Odets

Larry Parks

William Pomerance

Ronald Reagan

Lela E. Rogers

Howard Rushmore

Morrie Ryskind

Adrian Scott

Dore Schary

Donald Ogden Stewart

Robert Taylor

Waldo Salt

Dalton Trumbo

Jack L. Warner

Sam Wood

The order of appearance of the witnesses will be announced at a later date.

In making public the names of the witnesses, however, I want to emphasize that the mere fact they are being called to testify before the Committee should not be considered a reflection in any way upon their character or patriotism. These persons are being brought with the sole objective of obtaining the facts regarding the inroads the communists have made in Hollywood. Some of the witnesses are friendly to the Committee's purposes. Others are undoubtedly hostile. The Committee wants to hear both sides.

[page 2]

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

- 2 -

The Committee had originally hoped to begin this hearing on September 29. However, a number of unforeseen circumstances have arisen regarding the membership of the Committee which necessitates a delay until October 20, in order that all members may be present for this important hearing. Mr. Mundt and Mr. Nixon are now in Europe as members of Congressional committees studying conditions there. Mr. Veil is convalescing from a recent operation, and Mr. Peterson has informed me that he cannot possibly attend the hearings this month. I feel quite certain, however, that all the members will be available by October 20.

Hearings will begin as scheduled September 24 on the Hanns Eisler phase of this hearing. This cannot be delayed until the October date for the reason that all of the witnesses have been subpoenaed and are in Washington at this time, some having been brought from foreign countries. The announced witnesses in the Hanns Eisler care are as follows:

Sumner Welles

P.C. Hutton, Second Secretary and Consul, Guatemala City, Guatemala

George S. Messermith, former Ambassador to Argentina

Joseph Savoretti, Asst. Commissioner for Adjudication U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Clarence R. Porter, Chief Inspector U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Hearings will begin in the Caucus Room of the Old House Office Building, at 10:30 A.M., September 24.

I should also like to announce at this time that I intend to make a nation-wide radio address early in October relative to the Hollywood hearing."

[heystovepipeboys]

I posted 6,976 times in 2022

That's 6,504 more posts than 2021!

7 posts created (0%)

6,969 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@sovengardeswag

@weepylucifer

@couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name

@jackspacepirate

@lookslikeaquentinblakedrawing

I tagged 99 of my posts in 2022

#band of brothers - 56 posts

#dick winters - 14 posts

#lewis nixon - 13 posts

#winnix - 12 posts

#the pacific - 10 posts

#snafu shelton - 5 posts

#carwood lipton - 5 posts

#hbo war - 5 posts

#jessi talks - 4 posts

#ronald speirs - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#and explained he watched it recently after listening to the audiobook helmet for my pillow (which i was like 'that is the pacific my man)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

curious about How to Guide Tertius :)

Lip frowns, but before he can even reach for words to try to calm the Sentinel down, the feeling is ebbing back, changing without his help. It's quick. Speirs has got it well under control, extremely practiced in this, the same way he is at everything, it seems.

"So," Lip says, hesitating for a moment, his heartbeat kicking up faster. "No need for a Guide then, sir? Or is that more myth-making for Tertius too?" 

How to Guide Tertius iiiis a Sentinel and Guide fic mostly focusing on Lip keeping Easy together during Bastogne and Foy, basically comparing Dick and Dike in Lip's experience as Sentinels/COs to Ron. I really like Sentinel and Guide stuff, some good soulmatey flavour in the tropes and it's gr8 in a war setting. Ron is so obviously a Sentinel and his self-assurance has totally caused rumours that he doesn't need a Guide at all...

thanks for the ask!!

1 note - Posted December 4, 2022

#4

WHOA HERSHEY BARS

2 notes - Posted December 28, 2022

#3

WIP Tag Game

RULES: post the names of all of the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it.

Doing this of my own volition for fun, do it if you want to.

--

BAND OF BROTHERS:

How to Guide Tertius

Dumb boys

black widow babe

Learning

Cats and Dogs

Nix ruins parties

Sentinel & Guide

Soldier

and one lone STARSKY AND HUTCH:

Need (Starsk)

--

me @ myself staring at my keyboard:

3 notes - Posted December 4, 2022

#2

5 notes - Posted December 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

yo friends and fellow hbowarthots, if anyone has any pacific or bob screenplay pdfs, I would super super appreciate if u could send them to me

14 notes - Posted January 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[johngarfieldtribute]

JULIE DOING “STUFF” WITH FAMOUS PEOPLE (7th post)

Julie and columnist, Hedda Hopper famous for her big hats and big flapping gossip.

“The biggest liar in the world is They Say.” —poet, Douglas Malloch

In a publicity photo for FLOWING GOLD, Julie poses with his costar, Frances Farmer. She struggled personally, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and institutionalized several times.

Frances and Julie were also cast mates in the GROUP THEATRE production of GOLDEN BOY in 1937, and she had an affair with Julie’s friend, writer Clifford Odets. It is said that Julie later campaigned for her to get the film role in FLOWING GOLD to help her.

Hanging with Lee J. Cobb in the actor’s dressing room while appearing together in a Broadway revival of GOLDEN BOY in 1952.

Hedy Lamarr and not sure who on the right chill In Julie’s dressing room between filming scenes for TORTILLA FLAT. Maybe Julie was getting guitar lessons😃.

John Garfield sitting at table strumming ukulele surrounded by (left to right) Kermit Bloomgarden, Robert Lewis, Aline MacMahon, Harry Carey, and Will Lee (with Philip Loeb standing in back) during rehearsals for the stage production HEAVENLY EXPRESS. (NYPL DIGITAL FILE COLLECTION)

Julie training with professional boxer, Johnny Indristano for his role in BODY AND SOUL.

In 1940 Julie, Anne Shirley, producer Hal Wallis, and "Miss Finland," Aune Franks, discuss plans for the great Motion Picture Finnish Relief benefit at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Anne was his costar in SATURDAY’S CHILDREN.

Although the picture is a bit fuzzy, it’s fun to see Julie and Edward G. Robinson sharing a laugh. They starred in THE SEA WOLF and were contract players at Warner Bros. They only starred together once, but it seems they crossed paths a lot.

Well, here’s Julie with former U. S. President Ronald Reagan back in his film days. Pictured from left: Kay Eldridge, Charlie Ruggles, Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan, Alice Talton, Edward G. Robinson and Julie. They were in Sonoma for 1941 for the premiere of THE SEA WOLF. The two men on the right starred along with Ida Lupino, who wasn’t in the photo.

If you want to see photos of the celebrities from Old Hollywood then check this one out! Julie is peeking in the back middle in this group of some of the most famous film stars of their time. They are gathered to sign a petition to urge an economic break with Nazi Germany in 1938.

Pictured: Claude Rains, Paul Muni, Edward G. Robinson, Mr.Hornblow (Myrna Loy's husband), Mrs. Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart, James Cagney, Groucho Marx, Aline McMahon, Henry Fonda, Gale Sondergaard, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas, and Carl Laemmle. (Laemmle was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures.)

[lils-writes-stuff]

A Thin Line

spencer reid x reader 

Best years part 4 | part three | part two | part one

summary: the team takes on a case in California involving home invasions. the reader has a surprise for her when they get back. 

warnings: normal criminal minds things, mentions of racism and sexism (are those warnings idk)

A/N: based on season 7 episode 15; this ones cute ngl 

“I think you should tell Spencer,” Penelope said turning in her swivel chair to Y/N who was sitting behind her. 

“Tell him what, ‘Hey Spence, guess what, this girl who tormented me through my college life has come back to haunt me.’ Yeah, okay,” she said, shaking her head. She took a sip of the coffee in her mug, “And besides, there’s nothing really to tell him, she could just be trying to scare me, she loves to play mind games.” 

“Well, you should at least tell him what’s going on, you’ve received two more notes from her since the night that you called me, and it’s been almost a month,” Y/N sighed knowing that Penelope was right. “And you guys have been going out for that long now, so I’m sure he’ll understand if you don’t want to tell him all about your past right away.” 

“You’re right,” Y/N said, her finger trailing along the rim of her mug as she thought about when she should tell him. 

“And you should also tell Hotch.” 

“Tell Hotch? Why would I need to tell him?” Y/N asked looking up at Penelope. 

“I think it would just be smart, you know in case something happens,” Penelope responded with a small sigh, remembering back to the whole Emily situation and what happened when she didn’t tell them.

“I’ll tell him if I get another note.” 

“Okay, good,” Penelope said, then she smiled and began to get really excited. “So, you have to tell me, how have you and the good doctor been doing?” 

Y/N giggled as she watched her friend get excited about her relationship. “It’s been going good, we’ve gotten to know each other a lot more on our dates, the other night we went to this museum, and at first I didn’t think that would be a cool place to go on a date, but then it turned out really romantic,” Y/n smiled as she thought back to the night of the date. Spencer’s hand grasping her’s as they roamed the halls of the museum. Her eyes trained on him as he spoke about the parchments in a case or as he explained in depth about the artifact on the wall.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so adorable!” Penelope exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. “Have you two kissed yet?” 

“No, we haven’t, but I’m not rushing this, I don’t want to rush it.” 

“Oh my- that is so mature, look at you, you're all grown up,” Penelope said, taking Y/N’s face in her hands squeezing her cheeks together. “I remember when you first joined the team, your 26-year-old self all antsy and ready to catch some serial killers. Now, look at you! 27 and so grown up I-” 

“I’m 28 actually,” Y/N corrected Penelope with a laugh. 

“Did we miss your birthday?” Penelope asked with a guilt written face. 

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it, birthdays are just days,” Y/N said trying to reassure her friend. 

“Don’t worry about it? You and Spencer both, he did the same thing awhile back on his birthday,” Penelope said referring back to when Spencer had turned 30. “And they’re not ‘just days’, it’s the day that you were born, they are wonderful days! We need to do something for it, when was it?” 

Y/N just shook her head with a laugh before standing, “It was last week, but we really don’t have to do anything.” She tried to explain to the bubbly woman in the chair. 

“No, we do, we are going to have dinner together as a family, and you are going to like it,” she stopped her rant when she saw her case alert go off and a text from Hotch. “Right when you get back from this case.” 

--------

   Y/N walked into the round table room smiling at her co-workers then making eye contact with Spencer. “Hi,” she said with school-girl glee as she took a seat next to him. 

“Hi,” he said back, the light blush on his face growing. 

“Y/N and Spencer, sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-,” JJ began to sing the schoolyard rhyme.

“Shut up,” Y/N said giggling looking at the blonde who just laughed at her. 

“Alright let’s get started,” Hotch said, taking his seat Derek and Emily following closely behind him. 

“San Bernardino, California,” Penelope began as everyone opened up their tablets with the case file. “Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart, exact same M.O… Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines cut, and they broke in through a back window.” 

“In each case, the entire family was shot and killed?” Spencer asked, eyebrows raised at the thought. 

“Yes, that is right. I present to you the Mitchells and the Lewis family,” Penelope grabbed her remote from beside her, pulling the pictures of the family up on the screen. 

“They took out the power and phone so what, they could feel isolated?” Y/N asked. 

“The alarm system wouldn’t work and they couldn’t call for help,” Rossi explained the probable reasoning for why the power was cut. 

“Most modern alarm systems have a backup generator and a cell phone connection to the security company,” Spencer said wondering why this didn’t happen in this scenario.

“Yeah, but the Mitchells had an older system, and the Lewis’ were behind on their account, so it was inactive,” Penelope explained. 

“An assailant was killed in each case?” JJ asked, looking at Penelope next to her.

“Affirmative, but the sheriff hasn’t I.D.’d them yet.”

“So both families were armed, and fought back and shot one of their attackers,” Emily said looking around the table. 

 “Is that a coincidence or a connection?” Derek asked looking over to Emily. 

“What concerns me is the frequency of the kills,” Hotch said looking up from his tablet. 

“Only four days apart,” Y/N said looking at the dates. 

“Alright, it’s a long flight, we better get going, wheels up in 30.” Everyone stood up and headed out of the room to grab their go-bags. 

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

“Brian Mitchell was an avid hunter and Matt Lewis was an Iraq war vet, so it doesn’t surprise me that they both owned guns,” Y/N said looking up from her tablet. 

“Last year, southern California’s inland empire ranked fourth in the nation in foreclosure rates. Typically, as the economy falls, the crime rates will rise,” Spencer said. 

“Times are tough, desperate people do desperate things,” Rossi said, agreeing with Spencer’s statement. 

“Greetings all,” Penelope said as she appeared on the screen. “Your herald bears tidings.”

“What you got, Mama?” Derek asked as he turned to the screen. 

“The sheriff I.D.’d both the dead home invaders,” Penelope began to type on her computer pulling up some of the files. “First up is Alex Collison, twenty. Made an impressive list of bad life decisions before he croaked, included but not limited to...possession, a couple of drug charges, a card-carrying member of the Verdugo heights boys.”

“They’re gang members,” JJ realized as she listened to what Penelope was saying. 

“Oh, he was, but slow your roll, home-girl,” Penelope said before she told of the next victim. “Because next up is Ronald Underwood, 19. Zero records, unless you want to count some volunteer work. Straight-A student, putting himself through school.”

“Not exactly the home invasion type,” Emily said. 

“Both from a poor area of town, grew up a mile apart,” Hotch said while he looked down at the tablet in his hands. 

“Hard to actually tell from the crime scene photos of how many assailants there actually were,” Y/N said as she swiped through the photos. 

“Well, if it was gang-related, there could be a lot of them,” Emily said looking at Y/N.

“The homes that got invaded were on the other side of town, a predominantly white area full of middle-class families,” JJ explained the demographics.

“Hey, guys,” Penelope said, bringing the attention to her. “The M.E. report just came in, both of them had high levels of oxycodone in their system.” 

   “That’s strange. Violent crimes like these are normally associated with stimulant drugs,” Spencer said puzzled as to why that was. 

“Like meth?” Y/N asked turning her head to look at Spencer next to her. 

“Yeah, like meth.” 

 “Underwood’s as straight as an arrow,” Derek began. “Collison’s a garden-variety gang-banger. I grew up with knuckleheads like that, high-risk break-ins, and oxy, that’s not their M.O.”

“Regardless, we need to get ahead of it. The press has got a community on the verge of panic,” Hotch explained. “JJ and I will coordinate with the sheriff’s office, I want the rest of you at the crime scene.” 

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

Y/N walked into the home of the Lewis’, inspecting all the blood on the walls. It almost felt like she could hear them scream for help and she so desperately wanted to go back in time and save them from all this. The shattered family photos and the torn-up house just made her feel so unsettled. 

 Y/N turned as she had finished with the room she was in and headed out meeting Emily in the hallway. 

“You alright?” She asked as she saw Y/N’s sad face.

“Yeah, just family annihilators, they always hit me differently, you know?” She said as they turned and walked down the hall towards the stairs. 

“Ballistics confirmed that the rest of the Lewis family was shot with the same 357,” Spencer said as he turned and watched Y/N and Emily walk down the stairs together.

“So if it was a gang, there was only one shooter,” Rossi stated after processing the information he had just received. 

“The second and third victims were Trisha Lewis and six months old Blake,” Emily said. 

Spencer shook his head at the thought of a six-month-old being killed. 

“The injury patterns suggest that Mrs. Lewis tried to shield the baby with her own body,” Y/N said with a sigh trying not to let herself get worked up. 

 “Matt Lewis was found right here,” Rossi said with his hands pointed to the floor. “Ronald Underwood just over there-” he pointed to the blood spot to his left- “Underwood was shot eleven times in the head and abdomen.”

“But Lewis himself only had a single gunshot wound to the head at almost point-blank range?” Spencer questioned.  

“How did someone get that close?” Y/N asked looking between Rossi and Spencer. 

“He could’ve been subdued first,” Emily proposed. 

“The M.E. didn’t find any signs of a blitz attack or struggle,” responded Spencer. 

“Well, it had to be an ambush of some kind,” Derek said as he inspected some of the walls with blood spatter. “Probably when he was confronting Underwood.” 

“But that’s almost impossible based on where the body was found,” Spencer said looking over at Derek. 

“It’s right in the middle of the room,” Emily said as she looked at the bloodstains. 

“It’s too out in the open to surprise somebody,” Y/N said agreeing with Emily. 

“Matt Lewis wasn’t shot here,” Rossi said as he pointed to the spot where the body was found. 

“No, but someone moved the body to make it look like he was,” Spencer said. 

“Forensic countermeasure designed to make us think that these guys died in a gunfight that never occurred,” Derek said as he realized what probably happened. 

“Bullet and blood everywhere, too messy for an accurate reconstruction,” Rossi said. 

“Okay, so the unsub gets the drop on Matt Lewis,” Y/N said as she pointed to where Matt Lewis was found. “He then kills the rest of the family, and then leaves behind a drugged-up patsy to cover his tracks?” 

“This wasn’t a burglary at all. There was a higher purpose here, they’re staging the crime scene as some kind of message,” Spencer said. 

“This guy’s trying to make it look like black kids from the hood are killing white families, in white neighborhoods,” Derek said. 

“Pretty powerful message,” Emily said.

“No kidding,” Y/N added as she shook her head. 

The five finished up in the house and decided to head back to the station

“You good?” Spencer asked her as they walked out of the house, noticing how she was looking a bit upset. 

“Yeah, yeah, I just can’t believe what happened in there really, family annihilators you know they just get to me, this one more than the others,” she explained to him. 

“Yeah, this one is sad, I get it,” he said as he looked at her. “But we’ll catch him like we always do, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to put the cuffs on him.” The last statement was a hope to make her smile because he loved her smile so much.   

It worked. 

A smile crept up to Y/N’s face. “I might just do that.”

-----------

 Y/N sat in the station the next morning. Head laying on her arms as she looked at the crime board on the wall. Another family had been killed last night, so they had been added to the board.

 She stared at the victims of the first two families, they looked so much like hers. She saw herself in the shoes of the young girls, the memories of her childhood overwhelmed her. She lifted her head up and rubbed her face with her hands lightly, not wanting to rub the makeup on her face off. 

The feeling of a warm hand on her back made her pull her face out of her hands. She looked beside her and saw Spencer as he sat down after taking his bag off, a coffee in his hand. 

“You didn’t bring any for me, I see how it is,” Y/N said with a fake hurt expression on her face as she leaned into the back of her chair. 

“Actually-” he pointed to her right side- “I did think of you.” 

Her heart fluttered, “You sure know the way to my heart Spence.” She grabbed the large coffee cup and took a sip from it. The warm liquid running down her throat soothing her. 

“Hey love birds, we’re about to give the profile,” Derek said leaning into the room they were in. The two stood up and made their way to where the rest of the team was.

 “We believe we’re looking for a white male, in his late twenties to early thirties,” Hotch said, beginning the profile. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” A deputy said quickly. “I’m sorry, I thought we were looking at black gang-bangers?” 

“The unsub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible,” Derek said to the deputy.

“Why would anyone do that?” The deputy asked. 

“We think he’s trying to create some racial conflict,” Y/N said hoping that was the best way to answer. 

 “In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-La Bianca murders, in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites that he referred to as Helter Skelter,” Spencer explained. 

 “A name he stole from a Beatles song,” Rossi added, the comment only being funny to the team since they knew that Rossi’s friends with Ringo.

“Members of the Manson Family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in blood in the hopes of convincing authorities that the black panther was responsible,” Spencer continued on his explanation. 

 “Hate groups like the Aryan Nation believe that race war is not only inevitable but necessary,” Hotch said looking over the see of officers. 

 “Our unsub may be a member of one of these groups,” Emily added. 

“Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prisons, so he may be an ex-con or even possibly related to a convict,” Y/N said. 

“We think he may also be some kind of zealot,” Rossi began. “He believes his war is already being fought, and these murders are a mission to him.”

“And like a soldier, he is willing to put himself in harm’s way,” JJ added. 

“The unsub may also be vulnerable somehow, weak mind, or even lonely. His cause gives him a sense of power and belonging,” Spencer said giving more depth to who the unsub might be. 

“He’s physically fit enough to move dead bodies, so he’s probably young,” Derek said. 

“But not too young as to be impulsive,” Y/N added quickly.

“These attacks took planning and focus. So, he’s disciplined,” Rossi said. 

“He uses oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners,” Spencer explained. 

“He does this without killing them, which shows that he is knowledgeable about dosages,” Y/N said. 

“And oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals and caregivers, anyone with access to prescription drugs,” Emily said. 

“This unsub is dedicated and driven, it makes him especially dangerous. Surrender is not likely part of his strategy,” Hotch said as the profile came to a close. 

---------

“Hey Hotch, Y/N,” Derek said as he walked over to the two that were sitting at a desk going over some geographics to help Spencer with his profile. “There’s a mayoral race in town, and there’s a guy named Clark Preston all over the news.”

“Looks like he’s running a close second,” Y/N said as she looked at the tablet in Derek’s hand. 

 “Yeah, and check this out,” He scrolled down and clicked on the video. 

“These vicious home invasions are a sign of the times,” Clark Preston said in the video. “As demographics change, so do crime rates. Now we may not be able to slow the browning of America, but we can sure as hell take our city back. And if you elect me, I’ll lead that charge.”

“The browning of America?” Y/N asked with astonishment. 

“That’s a damn near hate speech,” Derek said as he looked at Hotch.

 “He’s using the murders to further his campaign and I guess people are rallying behind it,” Hotch said. 

“So what if our unsub is nothing like Manson? Manson never got his hands dirty, what if our unsub is more like his followers?” Derek proposed. 

“You think he’s being manipulated?” Y/n asked pulling her legs up in the seat she was sitting in. 

“Maybe even unintentionally, but either way, rhetoric like this could fuel his fire,” Derek said. 

“We should talk to Preston,” Hotch said, nodding to the tablet. 

“I already sent a car,” Derek told Hotch. 

“Good,” was Hotch’s short response. “Y/N, do you mind talking to him with us, your knowledge in political science might help,” Hotch said turning to the woman in the chair. 

“Sure,” she said with a nod. 

“I can’t tell you how happy I am you’re here gentleman,” Preston said, not even acknowledging Y/N in the room. “Maybe now someone will stop these savages, what can I do to help.” 

Derek looked at Y/N with one raised brow in question, after noticing that the politician in the chair wouldn’t even look at her. She just shook her head while she shrugged her shoulders and listened to what Hotch was saying. 

“We were hoping to talk to you about some of your rhetoric,” Hotch asked as he looked at Preston across from him. 

���My rhetoric,” Preston said, it wasn’t a question just him repeating what Hotch said hoping he heard him right. 

“We believe the recent murders maybe hate crimes,” Derek said walking closer to Preston. 

“Some of the things you say, well they maybe be construed as inflammatory,” Y/N said while she moved spots to stand behind Hotch.

“Agent Y/L/N’s referring to some of your recent campaign speeches and the references to the murders,” Hotch explained.

 “We believe that whoever’s responsible for these crimes is impressionable and may be responding to the vitriol,” Derek said. 

“You think I’m responsible?” Preston asked, turning to look at Derek. 

“Nobody said that,” Y/N said crossing her arms. Preston never even looked at her when she spoke. 

“If this person is motivated by racist sentiments, then what you are saying publicly may be affecting him,” Hotch explained making Preston turn his attention towards him.

“You’re profilers right?” Preston asked. 

“Right,” Hotch responded. 

“You study behavior, not actual facts,” Preston’s comment made Y/N sigh. “And then you come up with theories.” 

“It’s really, not that simple,” Y/N said as she looked at the man. For the first time, he looked at her, and then he rolled his eyes at her statement.

“I’m sorry, who are you a secretary or something?” The blood in Y/N’s body boiled with rage at the question. She then watched Preston turn to Derek, “I’ll bet you had to work extra hard to get in the bureau, didn’t you? Probably still have to prove yourself on a regular basis. I respect that. I wish there were more like you.” He took small pauses in between each statement.

The man stood up from his chair and began to head towards the door. “I’ll cut back my media appearances, for now. But I suggest you start proving some of those theories of yours. And get some of those hard-working men to arrest those punks doing this.” 

The way he said men made Y/N want to punch him so bad that she had to fit the urge to walk over to him and do just that. 

“You gentlemen enjoy your day,” Preston then let himself out, once again not acknowledging Y/N. 

 “We should check out his list of contributors and his staff, it might be somebody in his camp,” Hotch said standing up from his chair.  

“We need to check him out, too,” Derek said. 

“No kidding,” Y/N said stilled enraged by the man. “Did you see what he was doing? Or more like wasn’t, he wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence and than he dared to ask me if I was a secretary.”

“The guy is no doubt a racist and is also very sexist,” Derek said.

“Oh yeah for sure,” Y/N said as she walked over to Derek by the door. 

  “Come on Pretty girl, don’t let him get you all riled up,” Derek said to her as they walked out of the room. 

“I know, I know, it just makes me angry,” Y/N said as she and Derek walked over to the area where the rest of the team sat.

“What makes you angry?” Spencer asked as she sat down beside her. 

“Clark Preston, not only is he a racist, and let that be known when he spoke to Derek, but also he is majorly sexist,” she grabbed a paper cup from the middle of the table and then poured herself some water. “The whole time we were speaking to him, he didn’t even look at me, and the one time he did he rolled his eyes and asked me if i was a secretary.” 

“Are you serious?” Emily asked with disbelief.  

“That’s ridiculous,” Spencer said while he shook his head. 

“Uh-huh, you know Derek if he is a part of this, you know what would make me so happy,” She said as she turned to Derek. 

“What’s that?” He asked her. 

“If we got to arrest him, but I want to put the cuffs on him, just to let him know that a woman has power over him,” she said with authority.

Derek laughed before agreeing and promising her that if Preston was a part, they would do that. 

The team sat scattered at various desks around the station they were at. Y/N stood next to Emily and Spencer as they looked over some maps of the area. Rossi sat at a large desk to left and Derek in a desk behind them towards the right. 

“Hey, talk to me, doll face,” Derek said answering his phone to talk to Penelope, everyone’s attention now drawn to Derek and the woman on the phone. 

  “I got some dirt on your mayoral candidate, Clark Preston,” she spoke. 

“He’s a politician, that shouldn’t be hard,” Rossi said as he walked over to be closer. 

“Yeah, he’s a real estate lawyer who ran for city council last year and lost,” Penelope explained. “And he’s rich, as in if money was dirt he’d be filthy. He quadrupled his net worth in the last ten years, mostly from real estate.”

“So he managed to thrive despite the area’s economic downturn,” Spencer said in realization. 

“What do you mean by mostly?” Y/N asked leaning closer to Derek’s phone so that she could be heard. 

“Well, he is on the board of several financial institutions. Hedge funds, pension funds, oh, he likes to shuffle his money around. Even found some offshore accounts of his, I did,” she said giving what other dirt she could find on Preston.

 “You only do that if you’re trying to hide it,” Emily said.

“What about his staff and contributors?” Spencer asked the woman on the phone.

“Uh-uh. No, they’re clean,” she said.

 “Alright thanks, Garcia,” Derek said before he hung up the phone.“Preston’s a part of this, me and Y/N both think so.”

“Yeah you should have seen him in there,” Y/N said as she turned to Emily. 

“He’s sexist, racist, and a little shady, maybe, but a murderer?” Emily asked as she looked between the two.

“It may be just a feeling, but I know he’s in this, we just need to figure out how,” Derek explained.  

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

The next morning the team arrived to bad news, as another family was killed earlier that morning. Surprisingly this time, the guy the unsub would have left for the blame got away.

 “His names Ramon Gomez, he’s an undocumented immigrant from Mexico City and he’s pretty freaked out,” JJ said as her, Y/N, Derek, Spencer, and Emily stood in front of the room Ramon was in. 

“That’s pretty understandable,” Y/N said while she folded her arms over herself. 

“Was he able to give a description of the unsub?” Spencer asked as he looked at JJ. 

“Uh, just of the vehicle, his English is not that good,” JJ explained. “We put an APB out.”

 Emily nodded her head, then turned to walk into the room with Ramon in it. “Hole, mi nombre es Emily Prentiss,” she said to Ramon. 

The four others stood outside and watched as she interacted with the man sitting at the table.

“This poor guy,” Y/N said as she looked at the frightened man sitting at the table. 

The three beside her hummed in agreement as the continued to watch and somewhat listen to what Emily was saying to Ramon. He pulled his arm out showing scars on his arm. He then got a look of realization on his face as he remembered more.

Emily then thanked him and walked out of the room to the other four. 

“He remembers hearing a train and then loud music,” she said as she came to the four standing. 

“That’s something, let’s get started,” Y/N said and the five began walking towards the area they had been working in. 

“There are approximately two hours between Ramon’s abduction here-” Spencer pointed to one spot on the map- “and his escape here. He crossed the train tracks here. Now, given the time and distance parameters, there’s no way the unsub could have ventured outside this radius.” 

“Okay, so he said the train was close, and he heard laughter and loud music,” Emily said. 

“I looked at points of interest next to the train tracks and there really isn’t much. There’s a warehouse, a taco stand that would have been closed, and a bar called the drunken dog ” Spencer explained.      

“Why stop there? He need a drink?” Rossi asked. 

 “He doesn’t seem like the drinking type,” JJ said. 

“Yeah, he’s not impulsive or sloppy enough,” Y/N said sticking her hands into the back pockets of her pants. 

“I live to serve you, sir,” Penelope said as she answered Hotch’s call. 

“Garcia, what can you tell us about a bar called The Drunken Dog?” Hotch asked.

“Ooh, I like it already. Let’s see- uh- it’s been around thirty years. It was opened by a warehouse worker named Manny Gresham, upon his death six years ago it was bought by a hedge fund company called First Advantage.”

“Why would a hedge fund company want a bar?” Emily asked. 

“Let’s see. Well, they bought it for a song,” Penelope began. “And, poor man, his medical expenses bankrupted him, I guess that’s why-- shut the front door.” 

“What is it?” Y/N asked. 

“Clark Preston is on the board of First Advantage, which explains why the bar is on a shortlist of local businesses that support Preston for mayor,” Penelope answered.

 “Of course it is,” Y/N said as she sat down on the desk behind her.

“Okay we missed something, we need to go back over his staff and contributors again,” Emily said looking at Spencer beside her. 

“They all came up clean,” JJ said.

“Garcia, look up DMV records and find every registration in the area that matches the description on the unsub’s vehicle,” Derek said to Penelope over the phone. 

 “Okay, 79 names and I’m way ahead of you, none of them match anyone Preston’s team-” she stopped. “What the what? Oh. I’m good at my job. Pamela Mills donates monthly to Preston’s campaign. Her son Trevor, his car matches the description, and it’s registered in his name.”

“Got a photo and an address?” Y/N asked.

“Yes, I do. I also have a place of work for Trevor. He is a part-time messenger, I’m sending it now,” Penelope said pressing ‘enter’ on her keyboard aggressively. 

“Alright JJ, Morgan, and Prentiss take the workplace, we’ll take the house,” Hotch said dismissing everyone to go off. 

  ---------

“What do you have, Garcia?” Hotch asked as he sped down the road, lights on in case they were stopped. 

“Sir, I found the connection between the Mills family and Clark Preston. Ten years ago, the Mills were the victims of a home invasion. Robert Mills, the father, and 10-year-old Julie were killed. Pamela was raped, and now she has a lot of brain damage, that has left her in a near vegetative state,” Penelope said explaining the sad story of the family. 

“What about Trevor?” Spencer asked. 

 “He hid in the closet and when it was over, he called 911,” Penelope answered. 

“That’s why he stuffed that boy in the closet,” Hotch said referring to the last family that was killed.

“He was reliving his own victimization.” Y/N said in realization.

“He didn’t do that to the other children he murdered because he didn’t relate to them,” Rossi said. 

“Garcia was anybody convicted of the crime?” Hotch asked.

“Yes, a Ronnie Green and Carlos Jackson. Both African American, both serving like in Folsom,” Penelope said before she continued with her story. “And then after the murders, Preston, he financially supported the family almost entirely. “ 

“So they’re close, he’s known the family for years,” Rossi stated. 

“That must be how they’re paying Pamela’s medical expenses,” Spencer said. 

“Yeah, it would be really hard to cover with Trevor’s part-time messenger salary,” Y/N added looking to Spencer beside her. 

‘Yeah, I mean, it’s a top-flight policy,” Penelope said reading the health care bill.

“So Preston is playing the savior,’ Rossi said. 

“And it looks like that monthly donation, that Pamela makes to Preston's campaign, is her disability check,” Penelope added.

“My guess is Trevor authorized that because he feels beholden to Preston,” Rossi said piecing together why that would happen. 

 “He probably Idolizes him,” Y/N added. 

 “So Preston is manipulating the Mills family to further his own agenda, he’s behind everything,” Hotch said coming to the conclusion that Preston was part of it all along.

 “He took advantage of Trevor in a vulnerable state and made him trust and then brainwashed him,” Y/N said. 

“Turned him into a killer,” Spencer added. 

 “Uh, guys,” Penelope interrupted. “There’s something else, Preston bought the Mills home after the invasions.”

The tires came to a screeching halt as Hotch pulled up to the Mills house. The four hoped out of the car, taking out their guns and walked to the front door. 

 Hotch pounded on the door, “FBI!” 

When no answer came, Hotch pushed the door in and entered the threshold of the house. Y/N stood between Rossi and Spencer as they walked into the house. They then split up and looked around the house, Hotch and Rossi downstairs, Spencer and Y/N upstairs. 

  Y/N held her gun out in front of her as she entered a small guest room. She made sure the room was clear before walking out and meeting Spencer in the hall. 

“You find anything?” She asked while she holstered her gun on her hip. 

“Yeah, this note,” Spencer said as he inspected the note in his hand. 

“Come on, let’s go find Hotch and Rossi,” She said before they walked downstairs. 

 “He’s not here,” Y/N said as she walked into the room with Hotch and Rossi. Spencer close behind her. Pamela Mills was seen laying in the bed not moving but looking at the four by her door.  

“I found this in his bedroom,” Spencer said holding out the letter he found. “It’s addressed to her,” he said referring to Pamela.

“ ‘The price of peace is sacrifice, and I’m prepared to pay that price, no matter how high. I hope you’ll still love me.’ This is a goodbye letter,” Rossi said after reading the letter. 

“Or a suicide note,” Hotch countered. 

“He doesn’t profile as suicidal,” Spencer said in a hushed tone not wanting to disturb the woman in the bed. 

“No, but he knows this could be his final mission,” Rossi said. 

“He may want to go out in a blaze of glory,” Y/N said as she glanced at the woman in the bed. 

“It’s all about the election, he’s only got one move left, we need to secure Mayor Wennington, I’ll have the rest of the team find Hilary Ross,” Hotch said pulling out his phone to call Derek. 

They headed back out to the car and got an address for Mayor Wennington heading over to his house. Y/N walked up the front door, the three men with her following behind closely. 

“Mayor Wennington?” She asked when the door opened and a white-haired man in a loose-fitting tie answered.

“Yes,” he responded. 

“Hi, I’m Agent Y/N Y/L/N, this is Agent Hotchner, Rossi, and Dr. Reid, we’re with the FBI,” she said introducing the men behind her. 

“Is this about those recent murders?” The Mayor asked with concern. 

“Yes, sir, we have reason to believe you might be in danger, would you come with us,” she said gesturing to the car in his driveway, 

“Yes, of course, let me grab my coat,” he turned around and walked ten steps to a coat rack to grab his jacket before he headed out the door with them. 

“Yeah, Morgan,” Hotch said answering his phone while they walked to the SUV.

“We’re on our way to Hilary Ross’ house now, she’s still not answering her phone,” Derek said.

 “All right, call local police, he’s not going to go quietly,” Hotch ordered.

“You have Mayor Wennington?”

“Yeah, keep me posted,” Hotch said before hanging up. 

----------

The next day, Y/N pulled into Clark Preston’s campaign office parking lot with Rossi ready to arrest him. 

“You want to do the honors kid?” Rossi asked Y/N as they exited the vehicle they were in.

“Absolutely,” she said with a smile, her wish from the previous day coming true. 

“I hope this is a good enough birthday present,” Rossi said with a smirk looking at Y/N.

“Who told you? Penelope? I thought she would’ve dropped that by now,” she said with a laugh as she opened the door to the office.

The two agents walked back to the room where Preston was sitting. 

“Clark Preston you’re under arrest,” Y/N said as she walked over to the man sitting at his desk. She pulled him out of his seat and placed her handcuffs from her pocket on him. 

“For what?” He asked defensively. 

“For orchestrating the murders of the Mitchells, Lewis’, and others,” Rossi said as he and Y/N began to lead Preston out of his office. 

“What proof do you have?” He asked trying to find a way out of the situation. 

“Voicemails left by Trevor Mills,” Y/N said shoving him when he stopped walking.

“Voicemail messages? That’s ludicrous, that boy is mentally unstable, always has been,” Preston said. 

“Clark Preston you have the right to remain silent,” Y/N said, not only because she had to but because she really didn’t want to hear his pathetic excuses anymore.

“I’m Innocent!” He tried to protest. 

“And please feel free to exercise that right,” Rossi said grabbing Preston’s other arm as he tried to move out of Y/N’s grasp.

“Anything you say can, and will be used against you in a court of law, you have the right to an attorney, if you can’t afford one, one will be appointed to you,” She continued as Rossi opened the door and led them out. 

--------

“Come on, Spence please tell me where we are going,” Y/N asked, her arm linked with Spencer as they walked down the street. 

“I can’t do that Y/N, you know that,” he said as he led her further down the road. 

“Can you tell me if this has to do with my birthday?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, come on, I told Penelope that we really didn’t have to do anything,” Y/N said as she shook her head. 

“Well, I learned that you need to let them have their moment with you, cause they’re the closest thing you’ve got to family here until you have your own,” Spencer explained to her as he looked at her with a smile.

Y/N sighed in defeat, knowing Spencer was right. 

“Oh look we’re here, can’t believe you didn’t notice where we were going before,” he said as he turned to Y/N’s favorite dive-bar in the downtown area of D.C. Spencer began to pull her inside but she stopped him before he could walk up the small stairs to go inside. 

“Wait- Spencer, before we go in, I have to do something,” she said pulling on his arm making him turn to her. 

“What is it?” He asked facing her with a curious look. 

She replied by placing her lips on his in a gentle kiss. It was a kiss that made both their stomachs do flips. His hands reaching up to grab her face as hers gripped the front of his coat. A year and a half's worth of bottled up feelings were expressed as Y/N deepend the kiss. 

“I just really wanted to do that,” she said to him after they pulled apart. A smile came on Spencer’s lips and he pulled her in again for a shorter but just as meaningful kiss. 

“I really like you Y/N,” he said face still close to hers. 

“I really like you too, Spencer,” she said back with a smile. “Come one let’s go in.” 

The happy couple walked into the bar seeing their friends standing in a corner to the left of the door. 

“There’s the birthday girl!” Penelope said as she saw Spencer and Y/N walk in. 

“Happy Birthday!” They all said. 

Y/N blushed as she approached the table, “Thanks, guys.” 

The team laughed, drank, and danced till the late hours of the night. Even Hotch laughed and gave Y/N a hug as they all danced to the music. A smile stayed on Y/N’s face the whole night as she danced with all her friends and drank happily. 

Spencer watched the woman he was beginning to fall in love with belt the lyrics to a Coldplay song that played through the speakers and dance with Penelope and JJ. Y/N looked over and saw Spencer staring at her at her and walked over to him. 

“You know it’s rude to stare,” she said with a giggle.

Spencer laughed, “I wasn’t staring.” The blush on his cheek told Y/N otherwise.

She quickly grabbed his arm and started to pull him onto the dance floor.  

“Oh no, I don’t dance really-” he tried to protest but Y/N wasn’t having it. 

“You do tonight!” 

She brought him to the dance floor Penelope and JJ yelling ‘Hi!’ over the music as they started to dance again. Y/N tried to help Spencer move less awkwardly and he eventually started to get the hang of it. Taking Y/N’s hand in his he spun her around and danced with her. A smile formed on their faces hoping the moment would never end.

tag list (let me know if you want to be added!!):

@throughparisallthroughrome​ @word-scribbless​ @nintendumbfuck​ @confused-and-really-hungry​ @justine-en​

[96thdayofrage]

Liberals and labor leaders were continually at odds with the president, straining relations between the White House and Democrats in Congress and harming Carter's ability to pursue an agenda. Soaring inflation and a domestic energy crisis further eroded his standing before Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts stepped forward to challenge him in the 1980 Democratic primaries. A third candidate, Gov. Jerry Brown of California, who'd made a game effort late in the '76 primaries, also jumped in, but gained no traction and was quickly forgotten. This would be a two-man battle: Carter versus Kennedy.

The allegiance of black voters was in question.

Carter had followed through on his promise of appointing African Americans to significant positions, but he infuriated black leaders in the summer of 1979 by ousting Andrew Young, one of his key '76 supporters and a civil rights icon, as U.N. ambassador after Young secretly negotiated with a P.L.O. official — a violation of official administration policy. Rep. Shirley Chisholm of New York accused Carter of making Young "a scapegoat for the entire muddled mess in the Middle East.” (“The Black Backlash,” David M. Alpern with Kim Willenson and Thomas DeFrank, Newsweek, Aug. 27, 1979.)

Carter did enjoy support from some influential black mayors and members of Congress and was again endorsed by the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., who said: "Kennedy’s young and he should wait four more years. Carter's done a good job — should give him another four.” (“Tribute to ‘Daddy,’” Jacqueline Trescott, The Washington Post, Oct. 24, 1979.)

But the 17-member Congressional Black Caucus declined to make an endorsement, with Illinois Rep. Cardiss Collins, the group's first female leader, saying of the president: "He has nothing to say." (“The Coming Out of Cardiss Collins,” Jacqueline Trescott, The Washington Post, Sept. 21, 1979.) Kennedy, in addition to capitalizing on disappointment with Carter, hoped the extensive goodwill his brothers had built in the black community would extend to his own campaign.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Rep. Shirley Chisolm and Rep. Cardiss Collins, announce their support of Sen. Ted Kennedy for president on March 6, 1980.John Duricka / AP file

A geographic divide emerged. In the initial contests in his native South, Carter scored overwhelming statewide victories that were aided by black voters. In Alabama, for instance, he won heavily black areas by 3-to-1, according to estimates at the time — proof, one black Carter supporter declared, that "Edward Kennedy is not John Kennedy at all." (“State blacks repeat support for Carter,” Danny Lewis, The Montgomery Advertiser, March 12, 1980.) Campaigning for his uncle, a frustrated Robert Kennedy Jr. asked, "God, how the hell does a black go out and vote for Jimmy Carter after what he's done to them?” (“On the stump for Uncle Teddy,” Jeff Jarvis, San Francisco Examiner, May 7, 1980.)

Kennedy, though, was bypassing the South and banking on a strategy of winning big industrial states. In New York, where he notched his first significant victory, Kennedy bested Carter by 6 percentage points with black voters. In Pennsylvania, where his statewide margin was wider, he routed Carter by nearly 2-to-1 with black voters, according to NBC News’ black voter data analysis. A black union leader working for Kennedy offered an explanation: "The people want relief from inflation."

The pattern largely held throughout the primaries. Black voters delivered for Kennedy in the North, his home region, but stayed with Carter in the South, where the president enjoyed favorite son status. Polling showed that black voters were frustrated with the president when it came to the economy but they also, barely a decade after Chappaquiddick, had reservations about Kennedy's personal character.

More broadly, though, the 1980 Democratic race convinced much of the black political community that it was being ignored, a sentiment that reached critical mass when both Carter and Kennedy — and every Republican candidate — skipped the late-February National Conference on a Black Agenda for the '80s, which attracted 1,500 black leaders and activists from around the country.

Surrogates for the candidates did appear, but received receptions ranging from lukewarm to hostile. Andrew Young, still a Carter loyalist, was jeered as he tried to make the president's case. "If you boo, who the hell are you?" Young asked to the crowd. "I'm going for Jimmy Carter. You can make up your own damn minds!"

Andrew Young, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks from the pulpit to the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Ohio on Nov. 28, 1977.AP file

By contrast, one of the loudest ovations at the conference came for the 38-year-old leader of Operation PUSH, an activist group that had gained attention with campaigns to pressure corporations into adopting affirmative action programs.

"The presidential race," PUSH's leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, declared, "is a three-ring circus between the Democrats, the Republicans and the media" and "an exercise in entertainment and a diversion from the real issues that affect the lives of Americans, especially black Americans.” (“Black Parley Stresses Feeling of Issues Being Ignored,” Thomas Morgan, The Washington Post, March 3, 1980.)

Carter held off Kennedy to win the nomination and — with a few notable exceptions — black leaders closed ranks behind him in the fall against Republican Ronald Reagan. "As I see it," Jackson told an October rally of black activists, "there is no room in Reagan’s world for us.” (“10 million is black power-ful number in 1980,” Earl Caldwell, New York Daily News, Oct. 17, 1980).

The push wasn't nearly enough to stop Reagan, who carried 44 states over Carter, but Jackson and other black leaders emerged intent on preventing the new conservative president from being re-elected — and on flexing their own political muscle in the next Democratic primary contest.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 6, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

This week, lawmakers will begin to construct the details of the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package they declared their intention to pass. On August 11, the Senate approved a budget resolution telling committees to hammer out the details of a bill that will deal with the “soft” infrastructure not covered in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that dealt with roads, bridges, broadband, and other “hard” infrastructure needs. The larger bill will focus on child care, education, elder care, health care, and climate change.

If this measure passes, it will expand the ways in which the government addresses the needs of ordinary Americans. It updates the measures put in place during the New Deal of the 1930s, when Democrats under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shored up nuclear families—usually white nuclear families—by providing unemployment insurance, disability coverage, aid to children, and old age insurance.

After World War II, people of both parties accepted this new system, believing that it was the job of a modern government to level the economic playing field between ordinary men and those at the top of the economic ladder. Republican presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon expanded government action into civil rights and protection of the environment; Democrats Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter expanded education initiatives, health care, anti-poverty programs, civil rights, and workers’ rights.

But opponents insisted that such government action was “socialism.” In America, this word comes not from international socialism, in which the government owns the means of production, but rather from the earlier history of Reconstruction, when white opponents of Black voting insisted that the money to pay for programs like schools, which helped ordinary and poorer people, must come from those with wealth, and thus redistributed wealth. They demanded an end to the taxes that supported public programs.

They elected Ronald Reagan president in 1980 to reject the post–World War II “liberal consensus” that used the government to level the economic playing field, focusing instead on cutting taxes to return power to individuals to make their own decisions about how to run their own economic lives. Over the past forty years, that ideology has cut the national safety net and moved economic power dramatically upward.

True to that ideology, opponents of the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package are already calling it, as Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) said, a “freight train to socialism." But more than 60% of Americans want to invest our money in our people, as lawmakers of both parties did from 1933 to 1981.

Grover Norquist, a former spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce who rose to power by pushing the opposite idea, that economic development depended on consistent and complete tax cuts, told Michael Scherer of the Washington Post, “We are really on this precipice, this knife’s edge, and each party goes, ‘If I just push a little bit harder I can control politics for the next 20 years.’” The conservative activist added, “And it’s true.”

But what Norquist didn’t spell out was that Democrats are trying to win control by protecting the ability of Americans to have a say in their government, while Republicans are trying to make their ideology the law of the land by skewing the mechanics of our democracy to permit a minority to rule over the majority.

Scherer laid out what this skewing looks like. Since 1988—the year George H. W. Bush was elected—Democrats have won the popular vote in seven of nine presidential elections. And yet, Republicans have taken the White House through the Electoral College and have appointed 6 of the 9 justices now on the Supreme Court.

The concentration of Republicans in rural states with smaller populations means that the Senate is also skewed toward the Republican Party. Public policy scholars Michael Ettlinger and Jordan Hensley crunched the numbers to show that today’s 50 Democratic senators represent 26% more people than Republican senators: 202 million compared to 160 million. They go on to say: “A Black American is 16% less represented in the Senate than an American on average; [a] Latinx American 32% less.”

Ettlinger and Hensley note that, as the Senate has become less representative, Republican senators have relied on arcane rules to let a minority stop popular legislation. “In the current Senate,” they report, “41 Republican senators representing as few as 75 million people can block most legislation from even coming to a vote—thwarting the will of a group of Democratic and Republican senators representing as many as 270 million Americans."

In the House of Representatives, gerrymandering allows Republicans to hold more seats than their share of the popular vote. In 1996 and 2012, Republicans lost the national vote tally but controlled Congress nonetheless.

The skew in state legislatures is also large. Scherer points out that the Michigan legislature, for example, has a Republican majority although Democrats have won a majority of the popular vote there for a decade. In North Carolina in 2018, Democrats won 51% of the popular vote but got only 45% of the seats.

After the 2020 election, Republican-dominated legislatures in states where Democrats likely make up the majority—Georgia, Texas, and Florida, for example—have worked aggressively to restrict voting rights. More than a dozen states have enacted more than 30 new laws to suppress votes. Tonight, Texas governor Greg Abbott announced that tomorrow he will sign another major voter suppression measure in his state.

Noting “how far the [Republican] party has fallen on fundamental matters of democracy,” the Washington Post editorial board today called on Democrats to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore and expand the Department of Justice’s protection of the right to vote, gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013 and 2021.

The board continued: “They should merge it with other provisions designed to promote fairness at the ballot box, such as universal voter registration, protections for absentee voters, standards to guard against rampant gerrymandering and restrictions on partisan interference with vote counting. They should dare Republicans to vote down a package that unambiguously enhances democracy, with no extraneous measures. If Republicans continue to unify against it, they should consider ways to reform the filibuster rule blocking urgent democracy reform.”

At stake is whether our government will work for ordinary Americans who make up the majority of our population—including in 2021 women and minorities as well as white men—or whether it will serve an entrenched minority.

—-

Notes:

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/10/1026081880/senate-passes-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill

https://mettlinger.medium.com/the-2021-senate-is-exceedingly-unrepresentative-in-multiple-ways-899ceedf064a

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/abortion-republican-victories/2021/09/04/c7a0b8da-0c23-11ec-a6dd-296ba7fb2dce_story.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/us/politics/democrats-biden-social-safety-net.html

Marc E. Elias @marceelias🚨BREAKING: Texas Gov. Abbott will sign the voter suppression bill tomorrow at Noon ET. Expect litigation to be filed immediately thereafter. Follow @DemocracyDocket for alerts and details.

3,198 Retweets12,143 Likes

September 6th 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/06/john-lewis-act-would-restore-key-voting-protections-democrats-should-fight-it/

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[kwebtv]

TV Guide - April 30 - May 6, 1960

June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925)  Actress, primarily in 1950s and 1960s television, also with performances on stage and in film. On two television series she played mother roles, Lassie and Lost in Space. She also portrayed Dr. Janet Craig on the CBS television sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–70).

In 1955, Lockhart appeared in an episode of CBS's Appointment with Adventure. About this time, she also made several appearances on NBC's legal drama Justice, based on case files of the Legal Aid Society of New York.  In the late 1950s, Lockhart guest-starred in several popular television Westerns including: Wagon Train and Cimarron City (in the episode "Medicine Man" with Gary Merrill) on NBC and Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, and Rawhide on CBS.

In 1958, she was the narrator for  Playhouse 90 's telecast of the George Balanchine version of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, featuring Balanchine himself as Drosselmeyer, along with the New York City Ballet.

Lockhart is best known for her roles as TV mothers, first as Ruth Martin, the wife of Paul Martin (portrayed by Hugh Reilly), and the mother of Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) in the 1950s CBS series Lassie (a role that she played from 1958 to 1964). She replaced actress Cloris Leachman, who, in turn, had replaced Jan Clayton – who had played a similar character earlier in the series. Following her five-year run on Lassie Lockhart made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as defendant Mona Stanton Harvey in "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor."  Lockhart then starred as Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, which ran from 1965 to 1968 on CBS, opposite veteran actors Guy Williams and Jonathan Harris.

In 1965, Lockhart played librarian Ina Coolbrith, first poet laureate of California, in the episode "Magic Locket" of the syndicated western series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Ronald W. Reagan. In the storyline, Coolbrith develops a tenuous friendship with the teenaged "Dorita Duncan" (Kathy Garver), later the dancer Isadora Duncan. The two have identical portions of a broken locket. Sean McClory (who also played her husband in the Perry Mason episode) played the poet Joaquin Miller, author of Songs of the Sierras.

Lockhart would then appear as Dr. Janet Craig on the final two seasons of the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–1970), her character being brought in to fill the void created after Bea Benaderet died during the run of the show; she was a regular in the ABC soap opera General Hospital during the 1980s and 1990s, and was also a voice actor, providing the voice of Martha Day, the lead character in the Hanna-Barbera animated series These Are the Days on ABC during the 1970s.

Lockhart appeared as a hostess on the "Miss USA Pageant" on CBS for six years, the "Miss Universe Pageant" on CBS for six years, the "Tournament of Roses Parade" on CBS for eight years and the "Thanksgiving Parade" on CBS for five years.

In 1986, she appeared in the fantasy film, Troll.  The younger version of her character in that film was played by her daughter, Anne Lockhart. They had previously played the same woman at two different ages in the "Lest We Forget" episode of the television series Magnum, P.I. (1981). In 1991, Lockhart appeared as Miss Wiltrout, Michelle Tanner's kindergarten teacher on the TV sitcom Full House. She also had a cameo in the 1998 film Lost in Space, based on the television series she had starred in thirty years earlier. In 2002, she appeared in two episodes of The Drew Carey Show as Lewis's mother, Misty Kiniski, alongside fellow TV mom Marion Ross, who played Drew's mother.

In 2004, she voiced the role of Grandma Emma Fowler in Focus on the Family's The Last Chance Detectives audio cases. Lockhart starred as James Caan's mother in an episode of Las Vegas in 2004. Lockhart has since guest-starred in episodes of Cold Case and Grey's Anatomy,  (Wikipedia)

Lassie -  Famous female Rough Collie portrayed for many years by the original male collie named Pal and then by many of Pal’s descendants on film and the television series which ran for 17 seasons. 

Jonathan Bion “Jon” Provost (born March 12, 1950)  Actor, best known for his role as young Timmy Martin in the CBS series Lassie.

[looselipssinkshipsmeme]

Mail Call #33 (Fortnight of 25 August 2020) New Fills This Issue Three Strands to a Braid by @muccamukk BAND OF BROTHERS, Denver 'Bull' Randleman/Johnny Martin/William 'Wild Bill' Guarnere, Established Bill/Johnny where Bill keeps leaving marks on Johnny, and Bull keeps seeing them and being sick with jealous pining, until he snaps at them (over the matching tattoos?) and it ends in an OT3. New Prompts This Issue BAND OF BROTHERS, Carwood Lipton/Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters/Ronald Speirs, Dick decides to join in officer's poker for the first time. Why? Instead of cash or loot, Carwood has been added to the pot. Dick, Lewis and Ron play furiously to win, but in the end no one loses. BAND OF BROTHERS, Denver 'Bull' Randleman/Johnny Martin, Messy sex involving a lot of chocolate sauce. BAND OF BROTHERS, Edward 'Babe' Heffron/Eugene Roe, You wouldn't think someone who looks as sweet as Babe could be such a pushy little shit in bed. BAND OF BROTHERS, Joseph Toye, Joe deserves a happy ending. BAND OF BROTHERS, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Before the war, Nix had a double life as a drag queen. Now that they're back stateside, Nix slips back into the old habit, but he omits to tell Dick. Dick follows him one night and finds out. BAND OF BROTHERS, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Lew thinks that Dick isn't picking up on all the sexual references and double entendres he's laying on. Dick is absolutely getting them, but wants to see how far Nix will go. BAND OF BROTHERS, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Nix gave Winters an expensive fighting knife in November 1943. Later, it turned up with the inscription partly filed off. What's the story with that knife? BAND OF BROTHERS, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Nix never made it back from his third combat jump and was declared MIA. Many years after the end of the war, Dick receives a visit from the US Army: an American man was found in a German forest, traumatised and convinced that the war is still ongoing, and he won't believe it's over until a Major Richard Winters of the 101st comes tell him so. (The Hiroo Onoda AU.) BAND OF BROTHERS, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Nix wearing only whipped cream. BAND OF BROTHERS, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, The only kind of 69 Dick likes is not VAT. GENERATION KILL, Brad 'Iceman' Colbert/Nathaniel 'Nate' Fick, Designated Survivor AU with Nate as, you've guessed it, the designated survivor. Brad's role up to the author, although I find the idea of them already being together/married and suddenly being tossed into that situation quite fascinating. GENERATION KILL, Brad 'Iceman' Colbert/Nathaniel 'Nate' Fick, He wants him to grow his hair out so he can pull it. THE PACIFIC, Andrew 'Ack-Ack' Haldane/Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones, Eddie spends a couple hours taking Andy to pieces. Andy looks good with tears all over his face. THE PACIFIC, Andrew 'Ack-Ack' Haldane/Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones, Eddie's something of an adrenaline junkie, and it scares the hell out of Andy. THE PACIFIC, Andrew 'Ack-Ack' Haldane/Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones, It started with licking his fingers. THE PACIFIC, Andrew 'Ack-Ack' Haldane/Edward 'Hillbilly' Jones, They both make it through Peleliu, but the senselessness of the losses there leads to Andy losing faith that the war is a just cause of has any meaning, and Eddie struggles to find a way forward for both of them.

[lloyds-department-archive]

Journal date: July 15, 20xx

Mr. Charleston has insisted I call him Ronald so in the event an outsider reads these before they're published, there is no confusion while you read.

Mango has significantly improved in behavior! Arto is good for my fruit, so as a reward I've given the two a beanbag chair and some hair ties and such. I'm very impressed with the attitude adjustment that Mango has gone through.

Ronald brought it to my attention yesterday that Arto has stated that she is uncomfortable being referred to as "it", so in order to maintain a comfortable environment I've been prompted to refer to both projects as "The Girls".

File photo:

Above is Arto seeming to play with Mango's hair, much to her enjoyment. The girls have been having what is like a typical teenage girls sleepover (not that I've been to one. I've never been interested in women enough to infiltrate.)

Mango is still requesting better clothing and treatment. Since she's been such a good fruit sometime this week I'll be going out and purchasing such things. She has had the same shirt for over 4 years I feel she'll outgrow it sometime soon.

Arto seems to have a function Ronald was unaware of: changing the shape of her pupils. Ronald seemed shocked when she changed them to hearts upon seeing Mango was in the room holding their new chair and a bag of hair things.

I'll report on things when new behaviors occur.

Logging off, Derrick Lewis

[musicnoots]

The Raid - Storming Area 51 (2/3)

Band of Brothers

A/N: Listen here, I wrote this over the course of three days in which I consumed an ungodly amount of caffeine so the writing here was pretty decent and then spiraled out of control.

Synopsis: The car ride and the raid on Area 51 doesn’t go as planned, but the men do whatever it takes to see those aliens. 

Part 1 Part 3

Tags: @gottapenny @dustyjjumpwings @higgles123 @wexhappyxfew @medievalfangirl @bandofmarvels @croatianbagudna @curraheev

“I said I didn’t want to go.”

“Well, Dick—life sucks, and then we die.” Lew kicked up his feet on the backseat of the driver’s seat of Lip’s minivan, stretching his arms and yawning as the Nevada landscape flew past them. 

Dick was pretty sure he made it clear that he didn’t want to accompany the men on their voyage to the alien prison. He clocked out early last night, making sure everyone left his residence before midnight. He even double locked his front door and the door of his bedroom, but everyone knows that with Ron Speirs, the man can get everything and anything he wants. 

It took less than fifteen minutes for the men to break into Dick’s house, pick the lock of his bedroom door and carefully shove him into the backseat of Lip’s minivan. Not to mention that they stopped by to take Liebgott, Webster, Guarnere, and Toye because in the words of Ronald Speirs—the more the merrier.

Now, they were awfully close to the site of Area 51, and everyone was ecstatic to go and see the aliens. They were like little children on a field trip—fighting over the snacks and singing car ride songs over and over again while Dick sat with his arms crossed looking like the kid whose mom forced him to go.

“Looks like we’re almost there!” Lip exclaimed, pointing at a billboard with grey aliens on it reading Area 51 — Alien Center. “Okay, so make sure you have everything you need before you go. Lew, I have your camera here, so you can take pictures with the aliens and—Ron! Stop eating all of the string cheese!” He leaned over to the passenger seat and wrestled the pack of string cheese out of Ron’s hands, throwing them back into the center console.

“But I’m hungry!” Ron whined.

“Well, I told you to eat a full and hearty breakfast at Dick’s place, and plus, we have guests, so leave some for them.”

“My place?” Dick popped into the question, just now knowing that these men weren’t in his house just to kidnap him but to also eat his food. “You men ate my food?”

“Relax, Dick. We only made six peanut butter sandwiches, and Web ate all of your veggie straws,” Lewis said before out stretching his arm out and around Dick’s shoulders.

God, they kidnapped him and ate his food? And Webster ate his goddamn veggie straws? That was his favorite snack!

He slumped back onto the seat in both anger and annoyance. Not only was he pissed at the fact that his friends took his food and his veggie straws, but they kidnapped him when he said numerous times that he was absolutely, positively not tagging along.

“Oh, cheer up, Dick. Look at the bright side: you’re gonna see some aliens.” Lew drank his bottle of water, definitely not his preferred drink, but Lip said he can’t bring his Vat 69 into his van.

“Aliens?” Web spoke up from the back. “That’s where you’re taking us? I thought we were going to the beach! I even brought my camera to get some pictures of the ocean!”

“Pfft. C’mon Web, get with the program and forget your stupid shark creatures. Aliens are the superior species here,” Liebgott said, and the Harvard graduate merely rolled his eyes and held onto his camera through the bumpy car ride on the verge of tears because he’s trying to convince himself that it’s okay to take pictures of aliens instead of sharks.

Meanwhile, Bill was busy tugging on the back of Joe Toye’s hair just to mess with him and because he was bored. Bill forgot to bring his Mad Libs book where he put dick in the place of every noun.

“Guarno,” Joe warned, but the tugging persisted. Then he snapped and turned around, swatting the square jawed man’s hands away. “Bill, stop! That hurts!”

“What? I’m bored! And you gotta weird hairline, too.”

“Fuck off!”

It was like a school bus there. Dick buried his head into his hands, trying to block out the sound of Joe and Bill fighting and bickering like twelve year olds and the soft whimpers of Webster who really wanted to go to the beach for shark watching while Lew was taking up all the leg space. Dick should have never sat in the middle. He’s hit his head on the roof of the car seven times since they hit Nevada.

“Boys, looks like we’re here!” Lip announced, and almost everyone crowded the mirrors to get a peak of the secret alien storage area. 

It was nothing but desert and dust, but not too far away, there was a gate with a big stop sign on it and multiple warning signs. To Dick, it looked like a recipe for life in prison, but to Ron, it looked like a Disney store. He was about to get everything he wanted, shove it into a backpack, and go home with it. Hell, he’d even take a guard home.

As soon as Lip put the car in park, everyone was filing out of the car with their bags, complaining of the hot Nevada sun and the dust of the ground beneath them. Bill cursed especially loud because he dropped his bucket hat, saying something along the lines of Jesus fuck! Look at this Joe! Fuckin’ dust on my hat. I swear I’ll shoot it. 

“Alright, boys!” Lip said out loud as he was getting out of the car, hands on his hips. “Make sure to get your snacks! I want all of you to get at least one fruit or else no Area 51.”

All of the men groaned at his announcement. “Aw Lip! Really?” Lew pouted. He’s not much of a fruit guy.

“Yes, Lewis. Here, everyone get an apple,” he said, passing out red apples from his snack box before bringing out the second snack box. “Get your snacks, boys!”

Everyone ran towards Lip, raiding the snack box of its string cheese, trail mix, beef jerky, granola bars, salted nuts, and dried fruit. Web and Lieb got into a brief argument when they both touched the last pack of trail mix—the one with extra M&Ms. 

“Boys, stop fighting over the last pack of trail mix! M&Ms are not for men,” Buck said, separating the two and grabbing the packet for himself, “they’re for Buck Compton.”

“Lip! You didn’t pack my mini cinnamon rolls!” Ron whined, tapping his feet on the ground like a toddler throwing a mini tantrum.

Lip shot him a warning look. “Ron, cinnamon rolls are heavy. Wouldn’t want you slowing down on your quest for the aliens.”

“Fine. As long as we get ice cream on the ride back.”

“Of course we will, and that reminds me—boys! Change of plans! I’ll be driving you guys home, so I’ll be waiting here until you’re done!” Lip announced, watching the boys stray further past the gate with the big stop sign. “Okay, stay safe! Ron, I want you to text me every fifteen minutes, okay?”

“Yes, I know! You’ve told me eighty-seven times already!”

“And Lew! Take pictures with the aliens, please! Bill, get a souvenir for Babe! Nothing too scary, though! Stay safe!” he yelled one last time before turning to sit in the car, turning the air conditioning up full blast to beat the hot Nevada sun beating down on him. 

He started to eat Ron’s leftover fruit snacks before he saw Dick still standing at the side of the car with his arms crossed, looking defeated and beat down. Rolling down his window, Lip spoke, “Dick? I thought you’re looking for them aliens with the boys?”

Dick simply shook his head, still staring straight at the ground, and Lip invited him into the car to escape the heat. 

It’s not the fact that they’re literally breaking into top-secret private government property that bothers him, they can do whatever they want. It’s them breaking into his home, kidnapping him, and taking him to the middle of nowhere that makes him so annoyed. He thought was so clear with his distaste in accompanying them on a death wish, but he really should have planned more accordingly. I mean, we’re talking about Ronald Speirs and Lewis Nixon—two men of spontaneous tastes and interests who will do anything to get whatever they want. Even worse, Dick’s probably going to forgive them for this entire ordeal because he just can’t keep a grudge against them for longer than ten minutes.

“They took me even though I said I didn’t want to go,” he sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. “I told them at least seven times last night that I didn’t want to go on their alien adventure. I locked all of my doors, and they still managed to break in.”

“Well, you’re also dealing with Ron Speirs, and the man knows how to pick a lock when he needs to. What he wants, he gets,” Lip said, cracking open a pack of crackers and cheese and then offering it to Dick. “Want some?”

 At first, he didn’t reply. Dick was too angry to even pick up his head and look at Lip, let alone grab the pack of crackers and cheese. 

“He ate my veggie straws, too.”

“Who?”

“Web. Those were my favorite.”

“Ah, that’s alright, Dick. We’re getting ice cream after this anyways,” Lip smiled, and Dick felt okay for once. Sure, his friends were going to get into a load of trouble breaking into top secret government property, but they were probably going to get away with it anyways. Well, Ron will. He’s not so sure about Nix but deep down, Dick does worry about his wellbeing during the raid.

Meanwhile, the boys were busy getting into Area 51 and running around trying to find the aliens after successfully distracting the guard by shoving Web into one of the guards because Web won’t do anything. Why did we bring him? He’s useless. The distraction allowed the boys to make a run for it into three totally different directions even though Harry literally screamed for them to follow him. 

“Man, did we really have to ditch Web like that?” Lieb asked. He was the only person upset after seeing Ron shove Web into the guards. It was like watching a horror movie. “Like, I know he’s useless, but we really have to leave him? Couldn’t we have just waited for him?”

“Son, your friend thought we were going to the beach,” Buck said, taking lead of the group that was him, Lieb, and Harry. They took a left when the group splintered off into different directions and ended up in pitch black room with Buck holding a flashlight to light the way.

“He’s gullible!”

“So what are we lookin’ for anyways?” Harry asked and yawned from looking at the shelves of metal parts probably used to make the spaceships. He reached over and took five metal parts even though he had no idea what they were used for. He plans to give them to Kitty once they get home and display it on the bookshelf. “We buildin’ a spaceship of something?” 

“The aliens,” Buck said, “but looks like we went the wrong way.”

“This sucks!” Liebgott huffed, hunched over and crossed his arms, looking like a skinny hunchback of Notre Dame as he followed Buck and Harry through the dark hallway. He tried to make it look like he was still pissed for having left Web to elements of the security guards, but in reality, he was really scared of the parts and pieces displayed on the shelves. I mean, why does the US government even have this many probes? Just looking at them made the cab driver shiver. “Wish we had Web’s camera, then we coulda taken pictures of this shit, but nooooo! We gave him away to the fuckin’ guards! Like, who does that? We’re a team!”

Buck rolled his eyes and sighed. This was like babysitting an eight year old. “Shut up, Joe, or I’ll nail it to your head.”

“You said the same thing to Malarkey!”

“‘Cause it made him close his damn mouth. Now shut up.”

Putting Harry, Buck, and Liebgott maybe wasn’t the best decision, but it was one of the directions the men took after running past the guards during a quick adrenaline rush. While they were busy looking in and taking things from the shelves, the group that consisted of Lew, Joe Toye, and Bill went ran into the direction of the aliens, but it wasn’t quite what they were expecting. 

“Boo!”

Bill flinched back, his hands almost reaching over and strangling Joe after he jumped out at him out of the blue in an attempt to scare him. “I swear, Joe. I swear I’ll shoot you if you do that again. Fuckin’ bastard.”

“Hey, guys! No fighting!” Lewis said in a hushed voice, trying so hard not to yell and give away their position.

“You’re the one who’s drunk at least twice everyday.”

“It’s actually three times a day, and I’m very content with that statistic, thank you very much.”

Joe rolled his eyes. What did Lewis know? He might even be drunk right now! “So, these are the fancy little aliens that we’ve been raving about for the past seventy million hours in that damn car,” he said, touching the jars on the shelves until Lewis swatted his hands away. 

“Don’t touch that! Do you know what’s in those?”

Joe blinked. “No.”

Lewis opened his mouth to speak, but Bill spoke for him instead, pushing him to the side with his hips and taking ahold on Joe’s shoulders.

“Alien juice! Goddamn fuckin’ alien juice!” Bill whispered, almost on the verge of yelling. “You drink that and you’ll become an alien, and if you become an alien, we’re leavin’ you. You belong here now.”

They had taken the path that was way more interesting than just shelves of metals but also way more creepier than anticipated. It was shelves upon shelves of jars filled with alien specimen in some sort of juice that had Bill muttering alien juice, alien juice, alien juice over and over again. It was beyond creepy—more creepy than those unsolved mysteries Bill likes to watch at two in the morning in an empty house. 

It was the fact that these aliens were just looking at you, as if they were waiting for the right moment to pounce on you and eat your guts. That was what made all three men shine their flashlights in a 360 degree angle every two minutes, making sure that it didn’t suddenly become like the movie Cloverfield.

Lew was especially scared, and he wasn’t even drunk. Actually, if he was drunk, then he probably would have tried to open the jars of alien specimen and shove the contents into his pockets. “I miss Dick.”

“Yeah, yeah, you miss your boyfriend, but can you please tell us what we’re lookin’ for?” Bill groaned, and Lewis turned around faster than Sobel revoking weekend passes.

“He is not my boyfriend! He can never have my body!”

“You’ve literally said that you miss him eight times already.”

“You will never understand the connection between us, Bill,” Lew huffed before shoving his camera into the hands of Joe and standing next to the biggest jar of alien specimen. “Here, take a picture of me with the alien. I wanna show Dick what he missed out on so I can make him jealous.”

He put on his best smile and a peace sign—something that became part of his natural reflexes without any good reason. Dick was going to be so jealous, he would probably be all over Nix and his Area 51 souvenirs like a fangirl meeting their favorite boy band. That’s probably not going to happen, but Lewis has dreams. He has dreams.

Joe snapped a picture of Lewis and the alien, and then handed the camera back. “So, you aren’t dating Dick?”

“Pfft. Of course not. He is too good for me. Shit, that reminds me—I need to get a souvenir.” He shoved the camera back into his backpack. “You two, help me find the perfect alien souvenir. The best one for Dick, of course.”

Whatever an alien souvenir is, Bill and Joe had no idea and they were one hundred percent sure that Nix had the biggest crush on Dick and was really, really bad at pretending that he didn’t. It was him taking pictures of him and the alien specimen claiming that he was going to print it out and frame it in his home, but everyone knew he just wanted to make Dick jealous. He's really not that good at handling his own feelings, and even the aliens could tell.

As they scoured all over the dark and eerie room for things they can bring home, Ronald Speirs was having the best luck out of the eight men that entered the restricted area.

He had run on his own path which caused the initial split within the group. He had run over so many of his friends that by the time they got back on their feet, he was gone. Lewis was the one he actually ran over, knocking him down with the force of his body running faster than the speed of light, faster than the bullets ringing out from the guns of the guards trying to stop him from entering the jackpot. 

It was a huge, dimly lit room filled with full sized aliens.

Whether or not these aliens were alive and actually saw Ron looking at them with eyes the size of pinheads is unknown, but Ron was definitely going to take one of these home. How was he going remove and take them? Well, that was up to him.

Ronald Speirs was so full of surprises, you can never tell what the man was going to do. Once, he wanted sweet tea from the supermarket but it was closed, so he went to Alabama and made his own tea from organic ingredients. How he managed to find the ingredients and a kitchen at two in the morning will remain a mystery. Even more, how he managed to do all of that and come home with a pitcher of sweet tea by dawn is something never to be discussed. He just does as he pleases. There are no rules.

His eyes scanned each of the aliens, deciding on which one he wanted to take.

He wants the perfect alien. Nice and lean with a gorgeous turquoise color. Big eyes, too. He doesn’t want to worry about getting them glasses because they can’t see shit. They also have to be experienced in combat, specifically running in the middle of a battle and making it out alive. It has to be a super alien.

It’s been approximately forty minutes since Ron reached the vault, and he was still making up his mind.

So many aliens, yet just one Ron. He can only carry on, but if he could, he would free all of them and make his house into an alien sanctuary. Not even PETA can stop him.

It was until he heard the yells and screams of the other guys outside of the vault that he made up his mind, a shit-eating smirk dancing on his lips as he broke the glass of the incubator with his knife.

“Get your hands off my friend you filthy animals! Web! C’mon, we’re goin’ to the beach!”

“Lieb, please get off of him.”

“Guarno, I swear I will strangle you if you tie my shoelaces together again.”

“Eat shit, Joe. I have your souvenir, so think about that next time you threaten me.”

The pterodactyl screeches coming just feet outside the vault didn’t stir Ron even one bit. His eyes and hands were concentrated on taking the green alien out and onto the floor, waiting for it to invoke a reaction.

Please. Please be alive.

“Ron! Where are you buddy?” The voice of Lewis echoed throughout the facility, but Ron’s eyes were fixated on the extraterrestrial in front of him that was slowly but surely moving its fingers. “We’re leaving soon!”

Leaving soon? Ron Speirs leaves whenever he wants to.

Once he saw the alien blink and wave, Ron swore he could cry. He smiled and wiped a nonexistent tears from his cheeks. “Let’s go home, alien.”

[xtruss]

‘Freedom is Untidy’: Remembering The Late (WAR CRIMINAL) Donald Rumsfeld, Dead at 88

— By Morgan Artyukhina | Sputnik | July 01, 2021

Donald Rumsfeld’s family announced on Wednesday that he had died from multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. Rumsfeld, 88, had been retired from politics for several years, but in his time was a titular figure on the world stage. Sputnik takes a look back at some of the major points in Rumsfeld’s political career, which spans six decades.

Rumsfeld was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 9, 1932. His family were German immigrants, and he attended a Congregational church. He graduated from New Trier High School and Princeton University, where he was an accomplished wrestler and majored in politics. He was also part of the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps, and served as a naval aviator and flight instructor from 1954 until 1957 before shifting to the naval reserve, where he remained until 1989 when he retired at the rank of captain.

He began his political career as an administrative assistant to an Ohio lawmaker in Washington in 1957, but won office for himself as a Republican in 1962, representing Illinois’ 13th congressional district from 1962 until 1969. According to his memoir “Known and Unknown,” Rumsfeld was critical of the Johnson administration’s handling of the Vietnam War, believing South Vietnam was too dependent on the US, and that the US was too overconfident in its fight against the southern National Liberation Front and North Vietnamese Army.

First Administration Posts

He resigned in 1969 to join the administration of then-US President Richard Nixon, where he headed the Office of Economic Opportunity, an anti-poverty program that he personally opposed. During the year he worked there he hired two men who would later become key political allies: Frank Carlucci and Dick Cheney.

Rumsfeld cycled through several other Nixon administration positions before being tapped to head up Gerald Ford’s transition to the presidency after Nixon resigned without a sitting vice president to replace him. He became Ford’s defense secretary in 1975, where he directly clashed with George H. W. Bush, who was head of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Henry Kissinger, who was Secretary of State. He left office with Ford in 1977.

After several years in the private sector, Rumsfeld was appointed Middle East envoy by then-US President Ronald Reagan in 1983, putting him in charge of ensuring, among other things, that Iraq win the war it had started with Iran three years earlier. He traveled to Baghdad and met with the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, for 90 minutes on December 20, 1983, during which time they discussed a number of topics of unity, including their opposition to Syria as well as Iran, and building an oil pipeline through Jordan to the Red Sea port of Aqaba. He left the position when Reagan left office in 1989.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 1976

Project for a New American Century

In 1997, Rumsfeld joined the Project for a New American Century, a think tank set up by William Kristol and Robert Kagan to continue and expand Reagan’s militaristic policies into the 21st century, where the US had become the world’s sole military superpower after the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991. The think tank regarded the Republican Party’s policies at the time as being insufficient to do this, helping to earn them the moniker of “neo-conservative.”

Of the 25 politicos who signed PNAC’s founding statement of principles, nine would later become members of the George W. Bush administration, including Rumsfeld and Cheney, but also Elliott Abrams, Eliot Cohen, Paula Dobriansky, Paul Wolfowitz, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Peter Rodman. John Bolton, Richard Perle, and Dov Zakheim were also PNAC members who served in the Bush administration.

Bush Administration

Just months after Bush was declared by the US Supreme Court to have won the 2000 election, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, and Rumsfeld ordered the US military to DEFCON 3. At an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, Rumsfeld reportedly asked Bush: "Why shouldn't we go against Iraq, not just al-Qaeda?" The terrorist group was headquartered in Afghanistan.

As Pentagon chief, prosecuting the burgeoning War on Terror became his primary task, and the US launched an air campaign followed by a ground invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, overthrowing the Taliban government and setting up a puppet state against which the Taliban has rebelled ever since.

President George W. Bush announces his $74.7 billion wartime supplemental budget request in the Pentagon on March 25, 2003, as Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (center) and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz (left) look on.

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, US Army Gen. Wesley Clark had a discussion with another senior officer in the Pentagon who revealed to him plans to go after not just Afghanistan, but a total of seven other countries in the next five years, including Iraq but also Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, he wrote in a 2003 book.

The plan dovetailed very closely with goals outlined to him by PNAC members like Wolfowitz, who had opined to him in 1991 that “with the end of the Cold War, we can now use our military with impunity. The Soviets won't come in to block us. And we've got five, maybe 10, years to clean up these old Soviet surrogate regimes like Iraq and Syria before the next superpower emerges to challenge us.”

‘There Are Known Knowns’: The Iraq War

Despite the suspicions of US intelligence, no firm evidence had been presented to show Hussein had continued to wield weapons of mass destruction after the 1991 Gulf War. Rumsfeld and other neo-cons continued to press for Iraq to be the next target of the War on Terror, however, creating the Office of Special Plans to hound out enough evidence to justify an invasion, and in February 2002, he uttered one of his most famous - and baffling - quotes of his career:

“Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones.”

In March 2003, the US began its attack on Iraq, launching a “shock and awe” aerial bombardment prior to a ground invasion. Rumsfeld dismissed any notion the war would be long, costly, or demand a large number of troops, believing a swift strike to remove Hussein and his immediate cadres from office would be sufficient to turn Iraq into a reliable client state with some sort of democratic governance.

Instead, a massive insurgency erupted against the US occupation, and three-and-a-half years later, the war was no closer to being won and thousands of Americans and Iraqis were dead. Rumsfeld was at one point in 2004 accused of using an automatic signing machine for the condolence letters mailed to the families of fallen US soldiers.

“Freedom is untidy,” Rumsfeld remarked in April 2003 in response to reports of widespread looting in the Iraqi capital accompanying the fall of Hussein’s government, portraying it as part of the cost of the liberation.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld (C) signs a Baghdad road sign at the request of a US soldier April 30, 2003 during his visit to US troops at Baghdad's international airport.

Nor were the purported weapons of mass destruction Rumsfeld had claimed Hussein possessed and threatened other nations with ever found, either. Months after the invasion, he continued to claim US intelligence knew the locations of the weapons, which were supposedly in the western desert near the Syrian border.

Rumsfeld also presided over the torture of detainees in US prisons like Guantamao and Abu Ghraib, admitting his culpability in the scandal in 2004. The American Civil Liberties Union and other human rights groups filed several lawsuits against him on behalf of torture victims, but a federal judge ruled he could not "be held personally responsible for actions taken in connection with his government job.”

Estimates of the number of Iraqis killed in the US war in Iraq range from 110,000 by the Associated Press, covering the years 2003 to 2009, to more than 654,000 by the Lancet medical journal, covering the years 2003 to 2006. US forces left Iraq in 2011, following the termination of a status of forces agreement by Baghdad. According to Pentagon statistics, 4,418 US soldiers were killed in the Iraq War.

Political Departure and Final Years

As the war continued to worsen, Rumsfeld faced increasing pressure to resign, including from US and NATO generals, to which he eventually gave in on Election Day, 2006.

After his departure, Rumsfeld published his memoir in 2011. He made occasional forays into political life, criticizing then-Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, the NATO overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, and sounding off in support of Donald Trump’s presidential bid in 2016. Until the end of his life, Rumsfeld remained adamant that he had made the right decisions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He died in Taos, New Mexico, surrounded by family on June 30, 2021, at the age of 88.

"History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service, but for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country," his family said in a statement.

[cooliosims]

My Original 100 Baby Challenge

started 4/3/16, finished 2/8/20

Generation 1: Alix Grace

Flirty, Great Kisser, Irresistible, Hopeless Romantic, Nurturing

1. Efren Grace 🚹- Tucker Fernandez

Excitable, Light Sleeper, Genius, Proper, Unlucky

2. Emmaline Grace 🚺- Pawel Gallardo

Good, Clumsy, Animal Lover, Hopeless Romantic, Easily Impressed

3. Gabriella Grace 🚺 - Pawel Gallardo

Loves the Outdoors, Disciplined, Supernatural Fan, Loves To Swim, Born Saleswoman

4. Naomi Grace 🚺 - Doug Rodel

Brave, Artistic, Good Sense of Humor, Computer Whiz, Friendly

5. Lucas Grace 🚹 - Doug Rodel

Disciplined, Clumsy, Perceptive, Cat Person, Unlucky

6. Thalia Grace 🚺 🐾- Alfonso Alto

Adventurous, Perceptive, Perfectionist, Family-Oriented

7. Aurora Grace 🚺- Alfonso Alto

Adventurous, Friendly, Lucky, Cat Person

8. Farrah Grace 🚺 - Joel Vidal

Eccentric, Friendly, Party Animal, Handy, Family-Oriented

9. Victoria Grace 🚺 ✨ - Joel Vidal

Loves the Outdoors, Excitable, Computer Whiz, Disciplined, Absent-Minded

10. Logan Grace 🚹 - Joel Vidal

Absent-Minded, Easily Impressed, Inappropriate, Neurotic, Brave

11. Sophia Grace 🚺 - Sean Vidal

Loves the Outdoors, Good, Rebellious, Genius, Adventurous

12. Aster Grace 🚹 - Sean Vidal

Couch Potato, Genius, Over-Emotional, Irresistible, Artistic

Generation 2: Sophia Grace

13. Natalia Grace 🚺- Robin Banks

Good, Brave, Frugal, Hot Headed, diva

14. Anastasia Grace 🚺 - Robin Banks

Brave, Heavy Sleeper, Mooch, diva,

15. Evanna Grace 🚺 - Matteo Torres

Adventurous, Brave, Vegetarian, Eco-Friendly

16. Sebastian Grace 🚹🌺 - Matteo Torres

Adventurous, Heavy Sleeper, Rebellious

17. Stella Grace 🚺🐠 - Isaac Ponder

Loves the Outdoors, Friendly, rebellious, neurotic, perfectionist

18. Marina Grace🚺🐠 - Isaac Ponder

Loner, Clumsy, dog person, mean spirited

❌ Death of Emmaline Grace

❌ Death of Efren Grace

❌ Death of Naomi Grace

19. Cassandra Grace 🚺🧛🏻‍♀️ - Abram London

Loves the Outdoors, Evil, shy, perceptive, dramatic

20. Amelia Grace 🚺 - Abram London

Loves the outdoors, genius, dog person, inappropriate, loner

❌ Death of Gabriella Grace

21. Angelica Grace 🚺🌺 - Teodor Medina

Good, absent minded, loves the outdoors, savvy sculptor, mean spirited

22. Eliza Grace 🚺🌺 - Teodor Medina

Genius, Athletic, absent-minded, disciplined, shy

❌ Death of Lucas Grace

23. Rowan Grace 🚹 - Lenny Shutter

Loves the Heat, Eccentric, perfectionist, inappropriate, athletic

24. Oliver Grace 🚹 - Richie Striker

Evil, Friendly, diva, photographers eye, heavy sleeper

Generation 3: Eliza Grace

25.  Dakota Grace 🚹 - Alexy Fresco

Good, Loner, Hopeless Romantic,

26. Jade Grace 🚺 - Alexy Fresco

Brave, Loves the Outdoors

(Alexy Fresco died as Eliza was bringing the twins home)

27. Evan Grace 🚹 - Jupiter Belle

Hydrophobic, Loves the Heat

28. Austin Grace 🚹 - Harry Marks

Loves the Outdoors, Clumsy

29. Rosaline Grace 🚺- Daniel Laurence

Virtuoso, Loves the Outdoors

30. Brendon Grace 🚹- Daniel Laurence

Evil, Loves the Cold

31. Brooklyn Grace 🚺 - Dominique Kennedy

Adventurous, Good, Daredevil, Photographers Eye

32. Sage Grace🚹 - Dominique Kennedy

Adventurous, Loner, Loves the Cold, Nurturing

33. Alexander Grace 🚹 - Damian Braswell

Adventurous, Light Sleeper, Loser

34. Zinnia Grace 🚺 - Shea Quinones

Loves To Swim, Excitable, Perceptive

35. Carter Grace 🚹 - Shea Quinones

Excitable, Easily Impressed, Dog Person

35.1. Riley Grace 🚺💤 - IF

Daredevil, Never Nude, Friendly

35.2. Storm Grace 🚺💤 - IF

Daredevil, Inappropriate, Equestrian

35.3. Ruby Grace 🚹💤 - IF

Absent-minded, Brooding, Night Owl, Diva

Generation 4: Zinnia Grace

36. Collin Grace 🚹 - Goodwin Goode

Absent minded, hates the outdoors, unflirty, frugal

37. Mary Rose Grace🚺 - Goodwin Goode

Good, eccentric

38. Hunter Grace 🚹 - Goodwin Goode

Athletic, artistic

39. Matthew Grace 🚹 - Justin Kayes

Heavy sleeper, disciplined

40. Alissa Grace 🚺 -  Dennis Racket

Loner, Light sleeper, frugal, friendly, ambitious

41. Nora Grace 🚺 - Dennis Racket

Grumpy, couch potato, avant garde, friendly, inappropriate

42. Elizabeth Grace 🚺- Dennis Racket

Disciplined, eccentric, party animal, workaholic, neurotic

43. Arthur Grace 🚹 - Shamus Drudge

Couch potato, clumsy, good sense of humor, vegetarian

Vanessa Grace 🚺 - Marc Brandt

Excitable, virtuoso, loves the cold, childish, savvy sculptor

Daniel Grace 🚹 - Marc Brandt

Brave, genius, rebellious, shy, hopeless romantic

Jackson Grace 🚹 - Marc Brandt

Heavy sleeper, artistic, over emotional, excitable, commitment issues

46.5. Dawson Grace 🚹💤- IF

Loved the outdoors, party animal, perceptive, computer whiz

Leah Grace 🚺- Rickie Godwin

Athletic, loves the cold, animal lover, inappropriate

Carson Grace 🚹- Rickie Godwin

Clumsy, athletic, cat person, shy

Christopher Grace 🚹✨- Griffin Alto

Good, easily impressed, athletic, loser

Tyler Grace 🚹🐾- Gilberto Gonzalo

Friendly, heavy sleeper, adventurous

50.1. Bree Grace 🚺💤 - IF

Hates the outdoors; grumpy, ambitious, kleptomaniac

50.2. Adam Grace 🚹💤- IF

Night owl, perfectionist, kleptomaniac, mooch

Generation 5: Leah Grace

Charlie Grace 🚹 - Richter Steele

Neurotic, Friendly

Hannah Grace 🚺 - Javed Meir

Friendly, virtuoso

Thomas Grace 🚹 - Javed Meir

Easily impressed, insane

Rachel Grace 🚺- Jamar Whitfield

Excitable, Virtuoso

Trevor Grace 🚹🌺- Jamar Whitfield

Loves the cold, artistic  

Cameron Grace🚹 - Girbits Worthington

Athletic, insane

Artemis Grace 🚺🐾- Seth Monroe

Disciplined, excitable

Athena Grace🚺🐾 - Seth Monroe

Brave, grumpy

Ryann Grace 🚺✨- Willard Wright

Excitable, athletic

Max Grace 🚺 - Willard Wright

Excitable, athletic

Savannah Grace 🚺 - Rich Richmond

Loves the outdoors, good, brave, irresistible, couch potato

Dustin Grace 🚹✨- Rich Richmond

Evil, excitable

Generation 6: Savannah Grace

Anne Grace 🚺 - Cecil Walker

Hates the outdoors, evil, mean spirited

Yasmin Grace 🚺- Ronald Clifton

Hydrophobic, insane

Sadie Grace 🚺- Gendry Cabrera

Heavy sleeper, loves the outdoors

Teren Grace 🚹- Gendry Cabrera

Disciplined, loves the heat

Reid Grace 🚹- Gendry Cabrera

Light sleeper, hates the outdoors

Abby Grace 🚺 - Gendry Cabrera

Virtuoso, light sleeper

8/8/18 Save file was corrupted, RIP

Generation 6.5: Flashpoint - Savannah Grace 2.0

Naya Grace 🚺- Hates the outdoors, disciplined, mooch, bookworm, absent minded

Quinn Grace 🚹 - eccentric, insane, neat, adventurous, schmoozer

Renee Grace 🚺 - Chester Swain

Brave, Grumpy, diva, heavy sleeper, vegetarian

Liam Grace 🚹 - Pip Goodfellow

Heavy sleeper, virtuoso, loves the heat, technophobe, bookworm

Aria Grace 🚺 - Pip Goodfellow

Clumsy, brave, neurotic, perfectionist, dislikes children

Nico Grace 🚹🧛🏻‍♂️ - Tristan Van Gould

Photographers eye, irresistible, great kisser, loner, ambitious, evil

Bianca Grace 🚺 - Tristan Van Gould

Virtuoso, party animal, clumsy, slob, disciplined

Shane Grace 🚹 - Jules MacDuff

Absent minded, light sleeper, athletic, excitable, party animal

Stacy Grace 🚺 - Jeff Laughlin

Artistic, heavy sleeper, easily impressed, technophobe

Jane Grace 🚺 - Jeff Laughlin

Loves the outdoors, eccentric, daredevil, great kisser, can’t stand art

Iris Grace 🚺 - Alfred Hoppcraft

Loner, heavy sleeper, angler, excitable

Vincent Grace 🚹 - Alfred Hoppcraft

Heavy sleeper, genius, slob, childish, Star quality

Adrien Grace 🚹 - David Pok

Athletic, artistic, inappropriate, disciplined, vehicle enthusiast

Generation 7: Iris Grace

Lillie Grace 🚺🌺 - Cassian Stronghold

Virtuoso, loves the outdoors, ambitious, family-oriented

Lacey Grace 🚺 🌺- Everett Lark

Good, heavy sleeper, ambitious, slob, family oriented

Laurie Grace 🚺 - Tom Yates

Excitable, light sleeper, lucky, loser, great kisser

Lucy Grace 🚺- Craig Covington

Slob, disciplined, virtuoso, diva, excitable

Layla Grace 🚺- Craig Covington

Insane, easily impressed, light sleeper, coward

Luna Grace 🚺🌺- Craig Covington

Clumsy, Loves the cold, loser, over-emotional, neurotic

Lydia Grace 🚺 🌺- Lewis Layton

Brave, loves the outdoors, avant-garde, slob

(Hidden Mascot skill, what?)

Levi Grace 🚹 🌺- Lewis Layton

Loner, hates the outdoors, grumpy, snob

Leo Grace 🚹🧛🏻‍♀️- Ayden Van Gould

Loves the cold, artistic, star quality, light sleeper, computer whiz

(Ayden died RIGHT AFTER she got pregnant)

Generation 8: Lydia Grace

Justin Grace 🚹 - Victor Sharpe

Genius, loves the heat, evil  (Bieber)

Nicholas Grace 🚹- Victor Sharpe

Loves the outdoors, neurotic, perfectionist  (Jonas)

(Are these my first twin boys of the challenge?)

Scarlett Grace🚺 - Rafael Striker

Friendly, absent minded (Johansson)

Marcus Grace 🚹 - Rafael Striker

Genius, loner (Ruffalo)

Timothy Grace 🚹 - Michael Sleep

Brave, Athletic (eé Chalamet)

Julie Grace 🚺 - Victor Sharpe

Excitable, Easily Impressed (Andrews)

Peyton Grace 🚺 - Victor Sharpe

Good, loves the outdoors (Elizabeth Lee)

Jordan Grace 🚹 - Ritchie Striker

Grumpy, light sleeper (Fischer)

Keenan Grace 🚹 - Barry Tenderlove

Good, light sleeper, mean spirited (Thompson?)

100! Carrie Grace 🚺 - Antwon Bigelow

Loner, couch potato (Fischer)

Daisy Grace 🚺 - Antwon Bigelow

Clumsy, disciplined (Ridley)

Finished 2/8/20

Aurora was the only child to die (as a young adult, in a fire, resurrected with ambrosia)

Got married:

Alix

Aurora

Aster

Hannah

Favorites:

Victoria (Gen 1)

Aster (Gen 1)

Cassandra (Gen 2)

Alexander (Gen 2)

Zinnia (Gen 2)

For some reason it’s weird to me that Z and Cass are sisters

Christopher (Gen 3)

Hannah (Gen 4)

Nico (Gen 6)

[dailynewswebsite]

Trump’s encouragement of GOP poll watchers echoes an old tactic of voter intimidation

President Trump in the course of the Sept. 29, 2020 debate with Joe Biden. Olivier Douliery/Pool through AP

In the course of the first presidential debate, Donald Trump was requested by moderator Chris Wallace if he would “urge” his followers to stay calm throughout a protracted vote-counting interval after the election, if the winner had been unclear.

“I’m urging my supporters to enter the polls and watch very rigorously as a result of that’s what has to occur, I’m urging them to do it,” Trump stated. “I hope it’s going to be a good election, and if it’s a good election, I’m 100 % on board, but when I see tens of hundreds of ballots being manipulated, I can’t go together with that.”

This wasn’t the primary time Trump has stated he desires to recruit ballot watchers to observe the vote. And to some, the picture of hundreds of Trump supporters crowding into polling locations to observe voters seems to be like voter intimidation, a apply lengthy used within the U.S. by political events to suppress one aspect’s vote and have an effect on an election’s end result.

Within the historical past of voter suppression within the U.S. – together with makes an attempt to cease Black and Latino individuals from voting – Republican techniques within the 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial race are value highlighting. That incident sparked a court docket order – a “consent decree” – forbidding the GOP from utilizing a wide range of voter intimidation strategies, together with armed ballot watchers.

The 2020 presidential election would be the first in almost 40 years carried out with out the protections afforded by that decree.

The Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive

In November 1981, voters in a number of cities noticed posters at polling locations printed in vibrant purple letters. “WARNING,” they learn. “This space is being patrolled by the Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive.”

And voters quickly encountered the patrols themselves. About 200 had been deployed statewide, lots of them uniformed and carrying weapons.

In Trenton, patrol members requested a Black voter for her registration card and turned her away when she didn’t produce it. Latino voters had been equally prevented from voting in Vineland, whereas in Newark some voters had been bodily chased from the polls by patrolmen, one in all whom warned a ballot employee to not keep at her submit after darkish. Related scenes performed out in at the least two different cities, Camden and Atlantic Metropolis.

Weeks later, after a recount, Republican Thomas Kean gained the election by fewer than 1,800 votes.

Democrats, nevertheless, quickly gained a major victory. With native civil rights activists, they found that the “poll safety” operation was a joint undertaking of the state and nationwide Republican committees. They filed go well with in December 1981, charging Republicans with “efforts to intimidate, threaten and coerce duly certified black and Hispanic voters.”

In November 1982, the case was settled when the Republican committees signed a federal consent decree – a court docket order relevant to actions wherever within the U.S. – agreeing to not use race in choosing targets for poll safety actions and to chorus from deploying armed ballot watchers.

That order expired in 2018 after Democrats didn’t persuade a choose to resume it.

As a professor who teaches and writes about New Jersey historical past, I’m alarmed by the expiration as a result of I do know that Republicans in 1981 relied not solely on armed ballot watchers but in addition on a historical past of white vigilantism and intimidation within the Backyard State. These points resonate right now within the midst of the Black Lives Matter motion and continued GOP makes an attempt to suppress the 2020 vote in quite a few states.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis with Home Democrats earlier than passing the Voting Rights Development Act to remove potential state and native voter suppression legal guidelines, Dec. 29, 2019. The Senate has not taken up the invoice. AP Photograph/J. Scott Applewhite

The Republican ‘poll safety’ plan

Thought of an early referendum on Ronald Reagan’s presidency, New Jersey’s 1981 gubernatorial race held particular which means for Republicans nationwide. Kean – with marketing campaign supervisor Roger Stone on the helm – promised company tax cuts and relied closely on Reagan’s endorsement.

To safe victory, state and nationwide Republican get together officers devised a undertaking they claimed would stop Democratic dishonest on the polls.

In the summertime of 1981, the Republican Nationwide Committee despatched an operative named John A. Kelly to New Jersey to run the poll safety effort. Kelly had first been employed by the Republican Nationwide Committee in 1980 to work within the Reagan marketing campaign, and he served as one of many RNC’s liaisons to the Reagan White Home.

Later, after he was revealed because the organizer of the Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive – and after The New York Instances found that he had lied about graduating from Notre Dame and had been arrested for impersonating a police officer – Republicans distanced themselves from him.

In August 1981, underneath the guise of the Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive, Kelly despatched about 200,000 letters marked “return to sender” to voters in closely Black and Latino districts. These whose letters had been returned had their names added to an inventory of voters to be challenged on the polls on Election Day, a tactic often known as voter caging.

Within the Newark space, Kelly produced an inventory of 20,000 voters whom he deemed probably fraudulent. He then employed native operatives to arrange patrols, ostensibly to maintain such fraud at bay. To run the Newark operation, he employed Anthony Imperiale.

Newark’s white vigilante

Imperiale, in flip, employed off-duty law enforcement officials and workers of his personal enterprise, the Imperiale Safety Police, to patrol voting websites within the metropolis.

The gun-toting, barrel-chested former Marine had first adopted the safety position throughout Newark’s 1967 rebellion – 5 days of protests and a lethal occupation of the town by police and the Nationwide Guard following the police beating of a Black cab driver. In the course of the rebellion, Imperiale organized patrols of his predominantly white neighborhood to maintain “the riots” out.

Quickly, Imperiale turned a hero of white backlash politics. His opposition to police reform earned him widespread assist from legislation enforcement. And his battle towards Black housing growth in Newark’s North Ward delighted lots of his neighbors. By the tip of the 1970s, Hollywood was making a film primarily based on his actions.

Actress Frances Fisher arrives to talk at a downtown rally in Los Angeles, California on Might 19, 2016, to convey consideration to voter suppression. Frederic J. Brown/AFP through Getty Pictures

After serving as an impartial in each homes of the state legislature, Imperiale turned a Republican in 1979. Two years later, he campaigned with Kean. As soon as in workplace, the brand new governor named Imperiale director of a brand new one-man state Workplace of Neighborhood Security – an appointment typically interpreted as reward for Imperiale’s management of the poll efforts in Newark, however stymied when Democrats refused to fund the place.

Final result and legacy

Regardless of Kean’s slim margin of victory, Democrats on the time had been cautious to not declare that Republican voter suppression efforts had determined the election. (In 2016, the previous Democratic candidate claimed they did certainly make the distinction.)

Quite, the state and nationwide Democratic committees introduced go well with towards the Republican Nationwide Committee to make sure it couldn’t once more use such strategies wherever. For almost 40 years – by means of amendments and challenges – the ensuing consent decree helped curtail voter suppression techniques.

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Because the decree’s expiration in 2018, Republicans have ramped up their recruitment of ballot watchers for the 2020 presidential election. Final November, Trump marketing campaign lawyer Justin Clark – calling the decree’s absence “an enormous, enormous, enormous, enormous deal” for the get together – promised a bigger, better-funded and “extra aggressive” program of Election Day operations.

The Trump marketing campaign is claiming, as Republicans did in 1981, that Democrats “might be as much as their outdated soiled methods” and has vowed to “cowl each polling place within the nation” with employees to make sure an sincere election and reelect the president.

This November, Republican techniques in 1981 are value remembering. They reveal that the safeguarding of polling locations from supposedly fraudulent voters and of public locations from Black our bodies share not solely a logic. In addition they share a historical past.

That is an up to date model of an article initially revealed on August 10, 2020.

Mark Krasovic doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that might profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.

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