Wasting a Crisis

Wasting a Crisis

It's taken for granted that Millennials are among the most left-leaning generations. Those who subscribe to Fourth Turning theory ascribe this leftward bent to a Hero generation coming of age during a time of unprecedented ease. The great crisis the Millennials spent their childhoods waiting for never came. Therefore they…
March 31, 202011 Comments
Mad at a Library

Mad at a Library

The Internet Archive's announcement of a National Emergency Library to give students access to reading material during the quarantine has run afoul of a certain Witch. Courtesy of @Dataracer117 on Twitter: Not a good look--especially since archive.org is in fact offering Wendig's books through their lending library--not via direct download.…
March 30, 202021 Comments
The Phones that Didn’t Ring

The Phones that Didn’t Ring

The United States has now surpassed China as the country with the most confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide. As of this writing, total US cases stand at 85,498 while the Chinese total is 81,340. Or is it? Contra the famous quote about lies, damned lies, and statistics, you could probably find some egghead…
March 27, 202019 Comments
Combat Frame Data: XCD-105

Combat Frame Data: XCD-105

XCD-105 Eschaton XE Technical Data Model number: XCD-105 Code name: Eschaton Nickname: Eschaton XE Classification: stealth attack combat frame Manufacturer: Zeklov-Astraea modification of a BEC design Operator: Coalition Transportation Ministry, HALO First deployment: CY 40 Crew: 1 pilot in cockpit in chest Height: 18 meters Weight: 102 metric tons Armor type: “1D” carbyne laminar armor Powerplant: cold fusion reactor, max output 2963…
March 26, 20206 Comments
The Other Black Panther

The Other Black Panther

A reader of yesterday's cryptid post responded with a comment that blew my sighting out of the water: I've heard and seen one of the anomalous big cats during one of my excursions to visit family in Missouri, but I don't think it was any sort of phantom. They do…
March 25, 20209 Comments
Phantom Animals

Phantom Animals

Cataloging reports of unknown animals--cryptids to folks in the business--is one of my guilty pleasures. Who doesn't love a goose bump-raising tale of giant footprints in a creek bed or anomalous shrieks in the night? Sometimes, though, the juxtaposition of familiar critters in impossible places can be just as unnerving. It’s…
March 24, 20208 Comments
Trump’s Kobayashi Maru

Trump’s Kobayashi Maru

It's been ten days since President Donald Trump's coronavirus address in the Rose Garden. After stumbling out of the gate, he seemed to be rising to the occasion, with talk of more robust travel restrictions, medical guidelines, and direct aid to the American people. But yesterday, Trump posted a tweet…
March 23, 202041 Comments
Congressional Lemmings

Congressional Lemmings

The coronavirus pandemic has turned into something of a Voight-Kampff test. Instead of androids, it detects Suicide Cultists, which are really the next best thing. We can debate the government's wisdom in locking down travel and commerce. In fact, Mister Metokur debated comedian Dick Masterson on Ethan Ralph's #Killstream last…
March 20, 202019 Comments
Corona-chan and the Revolution

Corona-chan and the Revolution

Our visit from Corona-chan is proving to be much like sports--which may be some consolation to fans, since sports are cancelled. The pandemic isn't so much building character as revealing it. First, Corona-chan revealed the ineptness and even malice of our global ruling elite. Chinese officials could have stopped the…
March 19, 202010 Comments
Combat Frame Data: XCD-101-2 Eliseus

Combat Frame Data: XCD-101-2 Eliseus

XCD-101-2 Eliseus Technical Data Model number: XCD-101-2 Code name: XSeed Eliseus Nickname: Eliseus Classification: space use electronic warfare combat frame Manufacturer: Lunar Underground modification of a Browning Engineering Corporation design Operator: Lunar Underground, Wehrbund Bavaria, HALO First deployment: CY 40 Crew: 1 pilot in cockpit in chest Height: 19 meters Weight: dry weight 115 metric tons, full weight 130…
March 18, 20205 Comments