Tales of the Belt pt.16 Alamo

by | Nov 1, 2021 | Comic, Fiction, Science | 264 comments

Pt. 16 Alamo

 

 JR

Unnamed asteroid,

CCP had been waiting for us, and after the first wave I knew there was more to this than a mining op, Cat was running a decoy as my ships gunned the Fuckers to the Sun, but there were too many ships for us to handle at once, and we resorted to tossing our guns into the middle of a CCP pack, and taking out twenty or so at a time, thanks Elon, this bought us some time.

 

I led First Company into what looked like the main base, Cole at my side, did I tell you he was an ancient cousin of Cat himself? Impressive, but whatever. CCP used a swarming pattern on us, but they were easy pickings, at first, then came the second wave, then the third, we were 20 to 1 better, but attrition was taking its toll.

 

Two days before

 “Cat, stations report timing and readiness” here we go, Gentlemen, I wish you well this day, may Victory be ours! The call went out over the main comm, and the men cheered, ready for action,

 Commence Action! 

 

CCP knew we were here, but I was stunned at the ease in which we took out their installations, railguns reduced to ash, and Lord knows how many souls lost, so much so that two of JRs companies resorted to intel cleaning up, not like there was much left.

 

Meanwhile it seemed JR was having a time, our railguns weren’t having much effect, maybe a grav field? No matter, we dropped a fresh company in the piss pot, and tried to pull JR, but he was having none of it. “Win or Die Cat!, we stand, we have intel from a captive that tells us You need to watch your back”

 God Damn it! Fine, I put the fleet on high alert and prepped the armored shuttles for evacuation. That’s when shit got real.

 

1000 guns

Turning and burning was the game, high G flips, hard turns around small ‘roids, CCP pilots were good, but we had a higher sustained rate of fire, enabling us to stick to a target longer, bye bye!

But again, they swarmed like bees, and it was only our railgun tosses that kept us in the battle, we were losing, then it happened.

 

At first we were lost and disoriented, like everyone I imagine. Maybe we recovered first, maybe they did, but no one was in any shape to fight, so we stood down, for now.

“Cat, it was the Anomaly what did it, when it senses weapons, it appears to cancel them, we can’t fight close to it, or we’re done Sir” Steve at sensors was right of course, I don’t hire yes men you know

Fine, Boom and Zoom, commence! What was JR’s status? We have had no contact since the boom.

Support

“We need guns on our right flank!” That was the last we heard, and the order was given, I sent the armored shuttles down and proceeded to evacuate what Mercs were injured, and prep for a total bailout, and jumped on the next shuttle to find JR. I found him in a ditch with Cole, laying out another defensive sweep, “dude, you guys need to get out, there is no reason to stay here”

Cat, I get it, but if we don’t stand here, now, they will never go away, we must finish it.

 

Cole was put in charge of evacuation, he was angry not fighting with his brothers but did his job, and we were left with a platoon of our best, I wasn’t leaving, so we waited for the assault we knew was coming. Things happened fast, as all gunfights are, and we were on the losing end this time. JR was hit, mortally it turned out, but his only question before he Died, are the Boys Safe?

I knew then we needed to bail out fast, then……

 

Seamus

We were a week out when Cat called me, I told him there was trouble afoot, I took the the ships in high parabolic trajectory, over the plane of the ecliptic, and ended right on top of Cats position, then my worst nightmare, there were no ships, just a debris field full of spaced bodies

.

We looked for survivors from any ship and found none, a tough battle indeed, CCP were gone, as if they were never there, which brought up some questions, which we can never answer I guess. I took me crew and went home with our Booty.

 

 Epilogue

 We arrived to a Hero’s welcome, I don’t see why, we lost the Cat, we have riches, but not a leader, then I heard, “HAIL SEAMUS, LEADER OF THE TRIBE! What? Me? I’ll have to try, you can’t get out of being a leader, but in honor of the Cat, I’ll do my best! 

 

 JR Gibbons (2220-2265}

  Letter written by commanding officer after leaving the grave site of James R Gibbons.

Lieutenant James R Gibbons of Company C Barry Battalion Southern States Frontier Regt.

 

On the 8th day of Jan 2265 Lieutenant James R Gibbons fell mortally wounded in the battle with CCP in the Dove Creek Battle. He lived until Jan 16th. A braver officer than Lieutenant Gibbons was never sworn. He was a freemason, a Christian, a good man and a true soldier. He was respected by those who knew him best.

We can not call him back so let us revere his memory on the banks of the Concho. Far in the distant stars he lies

this brave warrior in his quiet peaceful rest.

S G S McGarry

So lies Catatonio Fletcher, leader of men, friend to all,

The End, of this Tale

 

 

About The Author

Yusef drives a Kia

Yusef drives a Kia

Punctually illiterate But never late

264 Comments

  1. R.J.

    You finished! Proud I am.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      More tales to come, why not?

  2. Ownbestenemy

    Good job Yusef.

  3. Yusef drives a Kia

    I realized, I killed everyone off, hehe,

    • db

      oops!

    • Ownbestenemy

      No one lives forever

      • Ownbestenemy

        Close, I was thinking more this

  4. rhywun

    Ugh I really shouldn’t do night work half drunk on a Teams chat.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Come Sail away with me Lad!

      • rhywun

        Dennis, is that you?!

      • slumbrew

        You know, because of the implication.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        I’m more Jean Micel Jarre TBH,

  5. kinnath

    thanks for the story

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      You are welcome, I can do more, if there is an audience,

      • Ownbestenemy

        Your audience is here and it is wanting.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        I got you covered,

  6. db

    Thanks for writing, Yusef. Gotta keep at it myself.

    • EvilSheldon

      I was about to say, how is Dick Slashballs doing?

      • db

        If I were writing a novel, he would be at a slow exposition point but an action serial demands quick action.. How to flow from the past to the future?

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Start in the future, and reference the past, works for me!

  7. Ownbestenemy

    So after that meat-a-palooza, I have a 11lb whole packer brisket thawed. I started thawing it and it was halfway done when some of the friends decided “nah, we know you are cooking, but we can’t make it”. Gonna separate the point and flat. The flat I will take and start the process of corning it, to be prepped for smoking it and making it some delicious corned beef. The point I will probably smoke normally and freeze (except the burnt ends) to be used in chili or something.

    Speaking of chili, I will use the remaining 4ish lbs of pulled pork into a pork chili. The rest of the rib meat will be used for breakfast hash and the chicken was pulled, so I can chop that and make some tacos. Good news is, oven can remain off for the rest of the week.

    • Ownbestenemy

      *making it some delicious corned beefpastrami

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Ahhhh, Pastrami, I wish you could mail me some, but, not so good.

    • Lackadaisical

      ‘meat-a-palooza’

      So, we’re really not doing phrasing?

      • Ownbestenemy

        Only when the words are: meat, holes, deep, dark, moist, cavernous, smoke, slap, and deep are used. Other than that, yes phrasing is still being employed.

      • db

        “You said “Derp” twice.”

        “I *like* deep.”

      • db

        Fucking autocorrect

      • Ownbestenemy

        ha! well…

      • Ownbestenemy

        Yes sir!

    • Sean

      You live too far away. ?

  8. db

    Hot tub time! Finally refilled the thing after 2 yrs of renovations on the house.

    Hot water, beer, Liquid Tension Experiment playlist engaged ..

    • db

      Now on King Crimson…Tony Levin is the thread.

      • db

        Now on Dream Theater.

        My skin is all puffy but the water feels goooood. Like floating in space. Not like Yusef’s poor characters. More like Valentine Michael Smith.

      • Hyperion

        Puffy is way better than Hyponatremia. I’ll say that much. Fortunately for me, I no longer have either.

      • Swiss Servator

        I AM NOT JEALOUS. NO, SERIOUSLY…

  9. blackjack

    I’ve been on the phone with my fellow conscientious objectors from work. We all just got our demand letters of doom. We’re being punished specifically for requesting exemptions. It also seems notable that our particular mandate is by way of a city ordinance. It only applies to people the city can easily punish, the rest of the city can happily eschew the vax at will. Seems like an equal protection thing, to me. Since when do laws only apply to a small class of people? And how is it OK to cause damage to people for merely requesting exemption from your random and capricious law? Anyways, I printed out the signable PDF and then wrote ” under duress” under my signature. I’m turning it in in person tomorrow, despite them only giving me 24 hours to sign. Today was my day off. The first available opportunity. The only reason I’m signing it is because the punishment for not signing is worse than the punishment signing agrees to. I feel like everything is about to explode. I don’t know if I’m handling this the best way or not.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      I know it sounds simple, but Stand Your Ground! there is a time, and the time is now,
      /So Say We All

    • slumbrew

      That sucks, blackjack – I wonder if Ozy knows any lawyers doing representing non-military folks?

    • blackjack

      Thanks, guys. I’m still holding out. The real battle is going to be over my kid. He’s not getting near any needles, and I’ll do anything to prevent it,

    • Ownbestenemy

      I submitted my request for reasonable accommodation based on religious factors going on 3 weeks now and they still haven’t gotten back it if is approved, need more info, disapproved….the lot of us that are also conscientious objectors are all thinking that FedGov is going to now do a mass rejection on November 9th, meaning none can come into compliance by Nov 22nd.

      • Swiss Servator

        Let us know ..at least 3-4 of us Glibs are lawyers..

      • Ownbestenemy

        They couldn’t be stupid enough to drop a mass denial, could they? I guess the SCOTUS is sorta helping that hubris along.

    • Sean

      You are not alone. Don’t let them fool you otherwise.

  10. Yusef drives a Kia

    A new course opened in my Little town, 9 holes, short,but very technical, tunnels full of trees, the works. Angela, Nick and me showed up to play today, and it was Cold!
    I checked the weather and layered up but Nick was Cold and Angela was frozen, she’s little like me, so I handed out what extra hoodies I had, (of course you bring extra, it’s Michigan)
    a great time, really tight hard shots, any mistake and your Double bogey. I also learned that just because you grew up here doesn’t mean you know Shit about weather,
    /Comfy Yusef

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      I want the Hoodie

      • JaimeRoberto (shama/lama/ding dong)

        Hoodie? No, they should sell fuzzy sweaters.

    • slumbrew

      I know he’s a bit of a grifter, but he really keeps making me like him.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        the GOV makes the offer, he takes it up, he also launch GOV stellites at 10% of ULA rates, so maybe he saves us money? why yes, yes he does.

    • rhywun

      I love it.

      Be totally serious about it, and dare the Karens to explain why it’s baaaad.

      • Hyperion

        CNN is busy spinning this right now. It’s self explanatory. Why it’s bad is racism, global warming, and Trump.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        They can’t let go of him, notice? I read there dreamed up Movements and factions, no there is no there, eh?

      • Yusef the Elonite

        My first wife was named Karen, she would have kicked the other Karen’s Ass, Just Say’n

  11. Gustave Lytton

    Watching Tucker’s 1/6 miniseries. What a shit show. If you weren’t wearing tinfoil already… wow.

    • rhywun

      I’ll reserve judgement until the rest of the MSM tears it apart and trustworthy fact-checkers push back.

  12. Hyperion

    Anyone seen the latest from Grettel? I mean when you think a kid cannot get any uglier.

  13. hayeksplosives

    A worthy finale for your space opera, Yusef. And approximately, it ends with a pile of bodies on the stage like a Shakespearean tragedy or an opera. Although, strictly speaking I guess it’s less of a heap of bodies and more of a nebula in miniature, a slow motion ballet of mortal husks.

    Bravo!

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Well said, thanks!

    • db

      I was thinking along the lines of the finale of Poe’s The
      Conqueror Worm

      • db

        Play at 1.25x for the proper original cadence.

    • straffinrun

      Lose a toe instead of a finger?

      • Gustave Lytton

        I’m thinking that machine could make a stumpy that would fit the ladies.

    • MikeS

      That is cool. Very cool.

  14. Hyperion

    Thought Crime

    Well, the Bolsheviks and Nazis had nothing on these guys.

    • rhywun

      Good grief. Pooh Bear smiles and nods.

      • Hyperion

        Whoever first said ”1984 was not an instruction manual”, that was golden.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        I am Offended, My Wendy was Pooh, I was Owl, daughter was tigger, and the boy was eeyore,
        FXB!

      • Hyperion

        You did know that Pooh, Owl, and especially Tigger were all white supremacists?

      • Yusef the Elonite

        My Family is 1000% White, red headed Vikings, and this is a problem?
        We are your saviors! We Fight!

      • Hyperion

        Of course it’s a problem. Too bad you don’t have some people of color in your linage like I do, I mean the Welsh.

        Repent sinner!

      • Yusef the Elonite

        Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but it’s those of us who stand up now, that create the Covid etc. freedom we all deserve,
        I’ll stand,

      • rhywun

        Tigger, please.

    • straffinrun

      “Our comprehensive Online Safety Bill will make tech companies responsible for people’s safety and we are carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations on strengthening criminal offences.”

      “Responsible” means turning the tech into informants for their BS govt.

    • Chafed

      Airstrip One is now the optimistic scenario.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Nice rolling music for end of night cool down.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        it’s favorite, glad you like it, Oceanside…

  15. Trigger Hippie

    One minute left, Chiefs up by three…they will failvand I’ll laugh.

    • Trigger Hippie

      failvand?

      Sure, why not.

      • rhywun

        LOL you know they’re playing the NYG right? Who got the requisite bullshit call against them?

      • Trigger Hippie

        Well I’ll be.

        Proven wrong… they’re still a bad team this year. One doesn’t skate by at home scoring twenty with very generous penalty calls against the freaking Giants to improve to .500 halfway through the season without being run of the mill.

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Welll did they?

    • Hyperion

      The Giants pretty much suck. When Kermie goes up against a real team like the Raiders, he’s going to bet pwned.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, they suck but it was still entertaining due to KC’s recent suckitude.

      • Trigger Hippie

        What’s the over/under on pwned?*

        *like I’m one to talk shit…

      • Hyperion

        Well, it’s like this. Kermie is extremely overrated. He cannot handle pressure and he’s going to get a lot of it from the Raiders.

        He’s not really good enough to play in the NFL except for maybe a backup. He’s only been able to survive this long because of Tyreek Hill.

        Kelsie is OK, but the Raider’s Waller and Morrow are both better.

        I’ll just say this, KC will lose both those games by at least 10 pts.

      • Trigger Hippie

        Excellent shit talking. The Land of Delusions ain’t just for Progs.

        Keep living the dream!

      • Not an Economist

        Mahones is trying to through a touchdown on every pass. Not a recipe for winning in the NFL.

  16. straffinrun

    9 new cases of corona in Tokyo yesterday, 86 nationwide.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Shut it down…all of it. Are they insane about testing there or is that just people actually feeling sick and going to an ER/clinic?

      • Hyperion

        Tes, 9 whole cases of cold, Godzilla couldn’t possibly do worse.

      • straffinrun

        ?

      • Yusef the Elonite

        History shows again and again,
        How Nature points out the Folly of Men

      • Hyperion

        Go go Godzilla!

      • Trigger Hippie

        There was a time in my teenage years when I sported a BOC shirt featuring Godzilla battling the Reaper in front of an upside down Egyptian cross…I also had a blue Mohawk…this was at a Thanksgiving dinner. Grandma overreacted, believed I actually joined a cult.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        @ TH And you were cool! Hell yes!

      • Ownbestenemy

        Hmm, US is testing like 3 per 1000 and Japan is testing 0.36 per 1000. Wonder if that has any play on overall reported ‘cases’…

      • Yusef the Elonite

        They dropped a decimal point, it’s obvious.

      • rhywun

        Or is the country locked up like Australia thus delaying the inevitable?

      • straffinrun

        Not at all.

      • rhywun

        So what is it?

        NYC reports like hundreds of new cases every day.

      • Ownbestenemy

        See above. You test often to keep cases alive and well, to drive up numbers. You test only when needed, you probably get accurate numbers of people that are truly sick. My take on it at least.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        Are you sick? that’s the only metric that counts FFS!

      • Ownbestenemy

        Exactly…you know, when we used to be a semi-sane people.

      • Hyperion

        It was only last week that I got a memo that said ‘While the pandemic rages all around us’.

        Seriously, they are never giving this shit up until billions die.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        What? of starvation? cause it ain’t because of Covid eh?

      • Hyperion

        Why do we not take these people seriously? They keep saying they want 80% of humans to die. That’s 6 billion people. That’s their idea of justice. They even have a new name for it, again, ‘The Great Reset’.

      • Hyperion

        Starvation is just one long known tactic of global communism.

        This time, they’re going to throw genetically engineered viruses in.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Saw the news that the “new” government is opening up entry for business visitors. Ready to “sponsor” some working Glibs? Won’t need to bunk with Evan for two weeks first anymore.

      • straffinrun

        There is only enough room on this door raft for Rose and myself. Uh, maybe not even that much. *Shoves Rose off*

  17. Trigger Hippie

    https://youtu.be/cWipItq_9bk

    YouTube has grown increasingly insufferable.

    One of the few bright spots is the Screen Rant Pitch Meeting.

    Here’s Ryan George ripping apart Squid Game.

    TW) Spoilers

    • Hyperion

      Stop that, damnit, you’re a winner.

      • Hyperion

        Reminds me of my 2019 172 lb self. Best I’ve maybe ever looked. I want to get back there but will probably have to stop drinking beer, again.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        I fight to stay at 130, Angela is trying for 112, We both eat all the time but can’t stay up on our weight, don’t know hy.
        /My abs look badass though

    • Timeloose

      Here is a interesting new solution to gasoline production using natural gas as the starting point.
      https://gascompressionmagazine.com/2021/05/31/turning-natural-gas-into-gasoline/

      They are claiming 50$ a barrel for gas. It also captures carbon and can be make hydrogen.

      They are building two factories in the US and one will be near me.

      How long till the greens push back once it is seen as successful? I hope the hype is close to reality.

      • db

        Is this Fischer-Tropsh? If so, not new.

        This comes up every 20 years or so when oil is expensive. It works but is uneconomical when crude is cheap. Inevitably people look at the capital cost and the fixed op costs and wait til crude drops because they would lose their shirts. Better to invest in crude production and exploration.

      • db

        Mainly it was developed by the South Africans when the world oil embargo against apartheid was in force. Once that ended so did the need for F-T refining. It’s clever and if someone could make it economical it would be worthwhile.

        It’s more useful for liquid fuel production off earth in combination with sabatier or other processes to make methane from CO2 and H2.

  18. Brochettaward

    16 parts and not a single one worth Firsting on.

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Bro, I write like an 8th grader, but I have more imagination, in my sleep than you can muster, really dude, you are relevant here, why the schtick?

      • Trigger Hippie

        ‘why the schtick?’

        Trolls gotta eat, yo.

        I’ve fed them in moments of drunken weakness to my regret.

        It ain’t worth it.

        *Let them starve.

        *I realize I respond to Hype but his trolling doesn’t come remotely close to the level of predictable/repetitive, much less schtick. That’s all in good fun and never gets personal. Not sure why some people feel the need to shit on our content contributers’ submissions but there you have it.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        I don’t trip, but i love firing back, Idiots rule? Not here, Tall Cans TH!

      • Trigger Hippie

        Bro isn’t an idiot. He’s likely far more intelligent than both of us.

        He just enjoys getting people upset on the internet for whatever reason.

      • MikeS

        And I’ll white knight yet again and ask why his schtick is so “upsetting”.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        I find it tedious not upsetting in the least, do you take me for a Snowflake?

      • MikeS

        I was asking TH.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        Well there you go,

      • MikeS

        And ‘Hype’s trolling isn’t predictable? Or annoying? Come on.

      • straffinrun

        Hype isn’t trolling. Having a take people disagree with isn’t trolling. I don’t know what you call Bro’s thing. Running gag of some sort.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        What straff said, Hype isn’t trolling and Bro is just doing his thing, it annoys me because he is so articulate,

      • MikeS

        TH is the one who said Hype was trolling.

        However, I don’t think I disagree with that. IMO Hype is a contrarian and he trolls for reaction. So if it walks like a duck…

        I like Hyperion. I really do. I wish he’d comment a lot more like he did back before I tool time off. I also wish he’d just comment as a regular part of this community instead of as a troll. Most of his comments (that I have seen since I returned) are an opposing view that he often doesn’t stick around to engage in a conversation to defend. That’s not a troll?

      • MikeS

        And so Bro is doing a running gag. So what? If it is so annoying, don’t read his comments.

      • Mojeaux

        You talking about Hyperbole or Hyperion?

        Bro = has a schtick that annoys some and amuses some, but he also contributes

        Hyperion = ADHD central, bouncing all over the place with decent content

        Hyperbole = has different takes on things, usually pointing out philosophical inconsistencies

        None of them are trolls.

      • Mojeaux

        And so Bro is doing a running gag. So what? If it is so annoying, don’t read his comments.

        QFT

      • straffinrun

        Fuck this thread. I’m not reading all that.

      • MikeS

        Mo’: Hyperbole is who we are referring to. Yes, he does often make valid points. And he also often makes one -maybe two- comment and doesn’t come back. I’ve said it for as long as both of us have been here, I think he’s a contrarian. And fine, that’s his schtick (ahem), but recently, I’ve not seen him debate his point as he used to. And that’s what makes me lean towards troll.

      • Ownbestenemy

        So what I can gather from this thread is…

        Point to Hyperbole

      • The Hyperbole

        You talking about Hyperbole or Hyperion?

        And this is why TPTB must force the Impostor to change his handle.

    • Chafed

      Why the fuck would you shit on someone’s article? Try contributing something you dick.

      • Festus

        I like all of you all. My tits are calm.

  19. Gustave Lytton

    BBC America has added motion smoothing. What is wrong with people? Who thinks it actually improves anything??

    • Chafed

      The drunk video editor hoping to collect a pension?

    • Festus

      Bowie cleans up nice!

  20. Yusef the Elonite

    Shit! Popcorn snow coming down, already? yep, Shit Shit Shit.

    • Trigger Hippie

      Shit! Popcorn Snow was the name of my second album.

    • MikeS

      Welcome to not California.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        I’m starting my second year here, I know, and I’m ready, Ice golf anyone?

      • Yusef the Elonite

        And I spent several years in CO,

      • MikeS

        If you want to experience real winter, come visit me in January.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        Where? I’ll be at -20 by then, and Disc golfing because I’m crazy,

      • MikeS

        NoDak. If it’s -20 where you are, it’ll be -40 here.

      • Yusef the Elonite

        Then you come here, it’s warmer by the Big lake,:)

      • MikeS

        I should. I do want to visit Michigan in winter. However, I want to go the the Keweenaw. It would be a trip to see all the snow they get there.

  21. straffinrun

    This economic shitshow makes sense if you follow the old adage “Feed a flu, starve a virus.”

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Starve the unvaccinated?

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Holes, keep digging,

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Uh, wut?

      • straffinrun

        Straight guys trying to eat noodles while looking a dick. Seemed self explanatory.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Yeah, they were not hiding that. It was right in the face of the viewers on what was happening.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Japanese CKY2K. Good stuff.

  22. Yusef the Elonite

    Winter in Michigan is odd, some folks thrive, ice fishing and hunting, snowshoeing and bla bla. I take photos in a driving storm with safety glasses on so I don’t get hit in the eyes with flying Icicles. We Disc in the Ice and snow, weather never means much to us, insane, Oh Hell yes!

  23. Ownbestenemy

    So at what point will polling be shut down to make up for McIEndorseBlackFace down now?

    • Yusef the Elonite

      Friday, they already rigged it thyat way,

    • Chafed

      No code to crack there.

    • Chafed

      Trump broke a lot brains including plenty of Republican voters.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Americans are pretty resilient to uprisings because we are comfortable, can get food, have relative ease of access to money and feel we have a voice in the matter. All of those pillars are not on a solid foundation.

  24. Ownbestenemy

    Grade A…WTF. Yeah I know…Salon.

    https://www.salon.com/2021/11/01/surge-in-gops-on-free-speech-should-sound-alarms/

    The right’s desire to suppress any speech they don’t like is metastasizing.

    Look no further than Donald Trump’s latest effort to create his own social media network for the perfect example of the Orwellian way in which conservatives use the term “free speech.”

    So, people breaking into the market is bad cause the might be different than us. Then they go on to point out the language of the TOS of Trump’s endevour, acting like it is something new in TOSs (sorta like the sudden harrumphing about vulgarity towards a president or Brandon).

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    If we remove content that you have shared in violation of our Community Standards, we’ll let you know and explain any options you have to request another review, unless you seriously or repeatedly violate these Terms or if doing so may expose us or others to legal liability; harm our community of users;

    Twitter
    Hides there’s in their rules, not TOS, but basically what Twitter says is bannable, is bannable.

    So I am not really seeing a difference between the three on the use of their technology and services. Which is how it should be. They built it, they invited you and you agreed to be there.

    • Ownbestenemy

      FTA

      The national war on what has been misleadingly described as “critical race theory” in public schools is, in reality, of course, a right-wing attempt to censor any discussion of racism, historical or otherwise.

      Reframing in real time the argument between what is being taught under CRT

      Its a shitshow all around. The crazy rabid assholes want to ban cause it might include sex, rape, incest, humor, racism, death, blood, smoking, etc on both sides.

      • Akira

        a right-wing attempt to censor any discussion of racism, historical or otherwise.

        Nobody talked about censoring “any discussion” at all. They’re mostly disagreeing with the notions that:
        – Slavery is the most important aspect of early American history
        – Slavery is unique to the United States or worse than other forms of slavery in other times and places
        – White Americans today bear responsibility for slavery and need to make amends for it
        – America is only wealthy and prosperous because of slavery

      • Gustave Lytton

        And traditional American values, norms, and mores are inherently racist. Along with traditional institutions are structurally racist.

    • rhywun

      Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics?

      No.

    • db

      The right’s desire to suppress any speech they don’t like is metastasizing.

      Yes, it is The Right that is doing that. Sure.

      • db

        I mean, everyone seems to want to suppress their enemies, but to act as if the Left is blameless here is ridiculous. Who controls the media outlets? Who controls the social media filtering algorithms? Who controls the fact check orgs?

  25. Sean

    Happy voter fraud day!

    Write in Zardoz for everything!

    Follow-up as appropriate.

    #NewGrainSlaves

  26. Sean

    https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2021/11/01/new-jersey-governor-election-phil-murphy-jack-ciattarelli/

    NJ is fucked.

    “In New Jersey, if we win — and that’s what we’re trying to do — then what we’ve been doing for the past four years is working and that folks wanna see more of it. We talked about a stronger, fairer New Jersey that works not just for some but for everybody,” Murphy said.

    Murphy is touting first-term accomplishments like hiking the minimum wage, enacting paid sick leave, and stricter gun laws. He’s also become the face behind the Garden State’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with weekly press briefings, promoting mask and vaccine requirements.

    Ciattarelli is the best they could come up with?

    • rhywun

      “If you don’t like high taxes, maybe Jersey isn’t for you.”

      Who doesn’t want four more years of that?

      At least NJ has a sort-of functioning opposition party.

    • Ghostpatzer

      Ciattarelli is the best they could come up with?

      I guess Christie was unavailable. We are truly fucked.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      A pinned Tweet: “Not a drop of sympathy for Kristy Swanson. She shouldn’t have listened to all the misinformation about COVID-19 she was spreading. Covid likes company and it has chosen Kristy as its latest friend.“

      Does that hold for the vax hawks that get Covid as well because there are plenty of them. These people would be a lot more tolerable if they weren’t so holier than thou.

      • rhywun

        I wonder if there is there anything in America that has created more assholes than Twitter.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        It hasn’t so much created them as empowered them but I get your point.

    • Tres Cool

      sup’

      • Gender Traitor

        Good morning to you, too, homey!

    • Gender Traitor

      Good morning, U, Stinky, Sean, & rhy!

      Anyone have some GOOD news to share?

      • Tres Cool

        Jugsy is home.
        Thats good for her, but after being essentially bachelors all summer, its a big re-adjustment for me & The Dozer.

        sup’ pimp-juice

      • Festus

        My new Merrell hiking shoes are working out well. That’s sorta, kinda good news at least for me. Even fit a pair of “Mega-Comfort” insoles into them. Half an inch taller and comfy feet! I’ll take the win.

      • Tres Cool

        Good lookin’ out.
        My work boots are beginning to degrade and Ive been thinking about replacements. A couple of people here commented on Merrell.

      • Gender Traitor

        The judges will accept that!

        Good morning, Fes!

      • Festus

        Mornin’ to you my delightful red-headed friend!

      • UnCivilServant

        Good news? Picky, picky.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Good news? Sorry, if it bleeds it leads.

      • Ghostpatzer

        Good news? Ask and ye shall receive!

        Latest updates from corporate bricked my workstation yesterday, giving me an unscheduled day off. Nothing to do today either until the “loaner” arrives (they think they can fix this. fat chance.). And I am getting paid!

      • Gender Traitor

        Woo hoo! A “snow day” for grown-ups! ?

      • Festus

        That is indeed happy news! Never happens for me unless there is a “white-powder” freak out.

      • Ghostpatzer

        ? Things go better with Coke ?

      • Tres Cool

        +1 booger-sugar

      • Festus

        Last year it was those styrofoam beads. Shut the plant down for three hours. Idiots. If they’d asked an expert little kids would have had a visit from Santa.

      • Tres Cool

        Baby-Mama is having some out-patient surgery next week, and Im taking Tres Ver. 2.0 to school. Which I often do, since Im just getting off work anyhow.
        But with her out of our hair, I think he’s gonna skip so we can get breakfast, and go here.

      • Ghostpatzer

        “Axe throwing”.

        Digital is not bad, but in this case analog would be more fun.

      • db

        We did axe throwing as part of a friend’s bachelor party. I don’t know how the place manages to keep insurance, serving alcohol and handing people axes.

      • robodruid

        Good Morning GT.
        No great or good news, but no horrible news.

      • Gender Traitor

        Good morning, ‘bodru!

      • Not Adahn

        The fall weather makes all the dogs at the park super-frisky.

        The ones in the small dog section are bundled up in what looks like soft beer cooler material.

    • UnCivilServant

      Took the AC out of the window, changed the filter on the furnace.

      I don’t think I’ll need the furnace quite yet, but I need to get it ready.

  27. Tres Cool

    suh’ fam
    whats goody yo

    • Festus

      Work is done, drinking copious beers, enjoying cigarettes. Judi has taken up wood burning on her barn wood frames. Pets and both of us seem healthy and neither of us were fired over the mandates last week. That’s not so bad! Of course we’re both acting like Berliners awaiting the Red Army.

      • Tres Cool

        Im sure us Glibs can arrange to air-drop you smokes, Molsons, and Kraft Dinner during the blockade eh
        Oh, and back bacon

      • Festus

        Vote those assholes out of office that are charging us 5-6 dollars a gallon for gas. Dude, $100 to fill my Tacoma last week…

      • Tres Cool

        Back around ’07 when diesel was $5/gallon, of course I had job with a commute of 200 miles a day.

      • Festus

        About a year ago it cost $50 and I had to rock the truck back and forth to make the last two dollahs fit.

    • Festus

      Frozen hen or GTFO!

    • Ghostpatzer

      Sean would not abuse a ribeye like that, a pumpkin would be a better choice.

      • Sean

        Correct.

  28. Ghostpatzer

    Mornin’, fellow reprobates!

    • Gender Traitor

      Good morning, ‘patzie!

    • Festus

      Periscope or go home!

      • Tres Cool

        I think I just now got that.

        Well done.

    • Ghostpatzer

      ? Rubber duckie, you’re the one ?

      • Festus

        I guess it was even too much for The Children’s Television Workshop to imply that Bert and Ernie bathed together, holding feet back in 1969. You just wait. “Rubber ducky will become some sort of twisted safe sex message. I’m so sorry for writing that.

      • Tres Cool

        Ive told Tres Ver. 2.0 “Of course we had LGBTQ…whatever when I was in school. It was just called Drama Club”.

      • Ghostpatzer

        I’m so sorry for writing that.

        Taking classes at the SugarFree school of creative writing?

      • Festus

        It kinda rubs off on you.

      • Gender Traitor

        Phrasing??

      • Festus

        Well, Yeah…

    • rhywun

      Hanyang University said it will hold a personnel committee meeting to get to the bottom of the incident and decide whether to take disciplinary action against the professor.

      OFFS why are people so uptight?

      • Ghostpatzer

        “bottom of the incident”

        Heh.

      • Tres Cool

        I wasnt going to say anything, but I thought that too.

      • Festus

        Loosen up, Man! Just be cool. There’s chicks everywhere!

  29. Festus

    This is goody! Everyone that I know that was pushing for the vax has backed up a bit and now it’s “Oh no, what are you gonna do?” It’s becoming humanized.

    • Ghostpatzer

      Good news! Tall Covfefe!

    • Tres Cool

      Dissent only breeds contempt within the heart of bureaucratic pigs. The want their orders followed w/o question.

    • Festus

      They finally feature that when the hard core walk away, it might lead to less than satisfactory results. I’ll hold out as long as I can.

      • Festus

        No Blood Oath but I already got fired and rehired last Friday. We’ll see which way the wind doth blow.

  30. db

    I sent an email to my favorite HR person about the message that came out regarding vaccine status yesterday. Got a relatively quick reply back. Evidently they don’t have any kind of a plan; they put this message out to get something out ahead of the OSHA rule, which she says is expected to be released sometime this week. She says it was based on the “President’s comments,” whatever that means–he’s not OSHA, so why would they base any policy on anything he said at a press event?

    It is supposed to be completely voluntary, but anyone who declines to disclose their vax status will be required to have weekly testing done. No details at all yet on who pays, how that gets reported, or whether it’s required for remote workers.

    I also asked about exit strategy; whether they have criteria set that will terminate this requirement: nope.

    She sounded very uncertain about whether the OSHA rule would really require much at all.

    So, is it possible that the OSHA rule might be so toothless as to allow companies very wide latitude to do what they feel is best? Our CEO stated that our new policy is an attempt to balance employee health concerns with personal choice in vaccination. Which is way better than most CEOs are saying, it seems.