Corrector Novus Occidentis – Epilogue

by | Mar 29, 2022 | Fiction | 198 comments

Previously: An Isolated Incident IIIIII The First Seal is Broken IIIIII, IV, V The Second Seal is Broken Part I, II, III.

Epilogue

Well, shit.  Frank’s last pronouncement was the death knell for the story.

I find I am unable to drive the story forward. Partly I didn’t have enough structure (in my head) and some certain parts I probably should’ve amplified, to form more coherent arcs to carry things along, and I didn’t. I let the story find its own way a little too much and that has limited me such that trying to force that in now doesn’t really seem to work. I guess maybe that goes with the approach (writing in series rather than to the end) or at least without a firm enough grasp on how it should progress.

I had roughly planned to push CNO to a degree of victory – this is where I failed to elaborate on how they were received by the public, and that they had created a wave of support which would be essential to that end. That element was tricky anyway because as someone made a mention about suspension of disbelief, I simply couldn’t now find a way to craft this in.  Particularly it got harder to move the story in a way that would end up more fantastic, given the realism I kept veering toward.  Early on there was a comment about magical realism, and maybe there was a path there, but I couldn’t find it. The victory was to have been bittersweet, in that the final act of accountability was to be self-imposed and they would commit mass suicide (as there was no way they could just simply melt back into society). That also was going to be tricky as that is almost a bit more Japanese than American as a sense of honor.  Alternatively, I couldn’t write toward an end where they failed – that was even more grim.  Rock, meet hard place.

I thank you all for being a kind and generous audience as I experimented with this; I’m glad I’ve entertained you, and I wish I could have brought this to a more satisfying conclusion. Perhaps everyone can imagine a better ending.

Editor’s Note: Glibs truly appreciates the contributions of Juris Imprudent, and all our other writers. Series are hard to write. Some drag on forever, or fizzle out unfinished (mea culpa). Glibs is a sandbox where aspiring (and experienced) writers can try things out. The best advice I can give to writers is to write, or at least plot, the whole thing out first. A series is basically a novel published one chapter at a time. Commenters may consider this an open thread. -T

About The Author

juris imprudent

juris imprudent

“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." --Winston Churchill

198 Comments

  1. R.J.

    You never know. You may pick this up again in a few months, or come up with something new from the experience. Either way, I salute your efforts!

  2. Animal

    My not-so-humble opinion: The best way to become a better writer, is to keep writing. Lots. Oh, and read a lot.

    Juris, this was some pretty interesting stuff. I enjoyed it. Hope you pick it back up again at some point.

    • Tonio

      The best way to become a better writer, is to keep writing. Lots.

      This. So much this.

      And that doesn’t mean you work on your magnum opus every day; it means you write something every day.

      Sometimes I describe an interesting thing I saw while out and about. Sometimes I record a character or bit of dialogue I find interesting. Even if these never turn in to stories on their own they provide the henchmen, passersby, and background for other works.

      • Dr. Fronkensteen

        I like that. Sort of an artist’s sketch but with words.

      • UnCivilServant

        I use the turn of phrase “Painting pictures with words”

        Sometimes I will set an even loftier writing exercise challenge – for example, can I take a character who is unlikable but make them a sympathetic protagonist? I failed at that one, since the character didn’t stay unlikeable and simply became human. On the plus side, I got a book out of that one.

        Delving into personality, depicting personality, and character motivations is vital practice as well. People notice shallow characterization as much as they do the scenery.

      • rhywun

        You also have to be someone who enjoys that.

        I like writing but I discovered long ago that I don’t like writing a lot.

        Luckily I found something else that I enjoy doing a lot and made a career out of it.

      • Chafed

        I’m going to leave that low hanging fruit right where it is.

      • MikeS

        Hey, 20 bucks is 20 bucks.

      • rhywun

        ?

      • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

        Hanging like a couple balls over the home sack?

        OK, I will admit to drinking. And going after low hanging fruit.

      • Don escaped Texas

        re-write something…..the next day, the next week….and then again a month later…..and then again a year later

        when we are in the middle of an idea, it is clear to us; when we are away from it, the innocent readers’ perspective becomes more obvious: what the hell did I mean to say is not something one says to himself ten minutes after first penning a line

        A technical writing professor had us cut the fluff out of some sample verbiage…..it was full of redundancy and tautologyl I would strike 30% of the words out of almost any document. Second, write work instructions for assembly and then years later see how may errors your best intentions failed to prevent.

      • rhywun

        I do a lot of technical writing at work. I enjoy it.

    • juris imprudent

      As I told Tonio in private correspondence, I would have to revisit previous chapters to ret-con what I needed. That was a loathsome prospect. Probably needed a more solid outline, that could have kept me on point when I needed to be – mostly it was just in my head and you know, we forget things.

    • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

      There is a third thing; a ruthles editor. Tonio and I have gone back and forth a bit on this, and I can safely say that there are few things better than someone that can cut your Bs short.

  3. pistoffnick the refusnik

    I enjoyed the ride, Juris.

    • rhywun

      Dittoes.

      • Fourscore

        Moi aussi. Thanks JI.

        Kicks pebble, ponders another broken romance. It was good while it lasted. Don’t fret, JI, I’ll get over it.
        Who knows, it ain’t over ’til it’s over.

    • Fourscore

      Nick, I read your travelog late, an interesting trip down nostalgia lane. We did drive around the Lakes one year, in September. Mrs F got tired of Farm Museums along the way but it was interesting. We crossed back over in Montreal, the hills of Vermont-New Hampshire were absolutely gorgeous in fall colors. Then the UP and northern WI. A lot of small towns and villages, real life. Thanks.

      Also there is a parallel road to 61, I can’t remember where but maybe Silver Bay or farther north. I took a lot of fall pictures. Mrs F’s nephew was with us and he had a great time, seeing the north country. At Split Rock you can enjoy some Canadian music

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

      • pistoffnick the refusnik

        Thanks.

        Sorry to disparage Betty’s Pies. It was bad 35 years ago. And it was still bad the last 2 times I’ve gone. I don’t understand the popularity.

  4. Lackadaisical

    I’ll echo the other’s sentiments, very well done. Thanks for sharing.

  5. ron73440

    It might not have finished the way you wanted, but all the parts were well written and entertaining.

    Thanks for writing

    • MikeS

      ^ this ^

  6. Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

    Am I the only one who thinks this is a perfect segue into a crowd-sourced story, which could branch off from any of the preceding instalments? I did that once, eons ago when I was younger and even more of a studmuffin than I am now, on a BBS based on the Citadel software architecture back in the mid-to-late-1980s. (STadel, to be more precise…)

    • juris imprudent

      As long as anyone catching J.J. Abrams contributing shoots the bastard on sight.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

        Or Joss Whedon. Hate that guy.

      • MikeS

        Or Wil Wheaton.

    • MikeS

      That does sound fun.

    • Tulip

      Used to do that on car trips. One person would start a story, stop at a cliffhanger, and then the next would pick it up.

    • Shpip

      Naked Came the Libertarian

      • dbleagle

        I thought the sequel, “When Will the Naked Libertarian Get Off My Sofa?” didn’t deserve the awards.

  7. juris imprudent

    As atonement, I am writing a non-fiction piece that might even make publication for this slot next week.

    • db

      I apologize for what I did below. I really liked your series–these are exceptionally hard to write. I think you should keep on truckin’!

  8. Ownbestenemy

    Thanks for sharing Juris! Really enjoyed it.

  9. db

    Dick Slashballs crept silently down the hallway, the smooth wooden handle warm in his hand as he kept his eye on the agent ahead. The agent had his back turned and was distracted by something down the intersecting hallway to the left. Slashballs knew exactly what was distracting the man–he’d slipped the girl an envelope in the bar a half hour earlier. She never saw him, but the note, room key, and seventy-five hundred lira inside the envelope did his talking for him. She was headed for a room on the intersecting hallway, to the right of the agent.

    Slashballs paused his approach, sliding back into a recessed doorway as the girl passed the agent, who followed her with his eyes as she moved. As Dick continued, he picked up his pace, having estimated the girl’s. As she entered the room and its door closed behind her, Special Agent Frank Regan’s last breath was interrupted by Slashballs’ garrote. Dick caught the body as it relaxed, easing it toward the stairwell at the corner. Looking around, Dick saw that no one had observed him, and headed for the other stairwell, confident that his escape route for the final confrontation was now clear.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Dick!/Balls on you sir!

    • Tonio

      db, you little tease…

    • MikeS

      This seems like it could be a fun little story line. I wonder if someone could expand upon this.

      ?

    • Not Adahn

      Special Agent Frank Regan

      Can we redo this with Special Agent Frank Drebbin?

      /1980’s Priscilla Pressley

  10. UnCivilServant

    Out of context line of dialog from a story that’s been in-progress for Glibs for a while:

    “All right, let us assume we have Ivy League educated linguists eating people in the slums of New Port Arthur,” Iron Conjurer said.

    • db

      Ivy League educated linguists eating people in the slums

      I think there’s one word and an ” ‘s ” missing there.

      • UnCivilServant

        I don’t see it.

        How are you trying to change the character’s pattern of speech?

      • db

        what else do educated linguists around here eat?

      • db

        Sorry, I’m in kind of a mood tonight.

      • UnCivilServant

        This wasn’t a reference to Glibs. Here’s the context for the quote:

        “You are looking for a cult, typically a small one of fewer than a dozen members, who practices ritual cannibalism and holds ghouls to be sacred. This one happens to call itself the Sons of Xolotl.”

        “And that is where you have screwed up,” Van der Veen said. “I see where in the markings you pulled that from, but it isn’t their name. They are cursing the children of Xolotl. Which also doesn’t make any sense, because Xolotl has no recorded children.”

        “Who is that?” Charles asked.

        “An Aztec psychopomp, also recorded as the god of monsters, misfortune, sickness, and deformities,” Van der Veen said.

        “Seems appropriate for a zombie outbreak,” Charles said.

        “But not apropriate for a Devourer Cult,” Van der Veen said. “If you’re going to glom onto an Aztec diety to justify eating people, Mictlāntēcutli is a better pick, as he was traditionally worshipped with such activities.”

        “You are among the handful of people in this country who can pronounce that name correctly,” Iron Conjurer said. “It’s unlikely the cultists studied Nahuatl. And if your premise is correct that their faith is a fig leaf for their activities, they would pick something they have a better shot at pronouncing.”

        “Now you’re jumping to unsupported conclusions based upon assumptions.”

        “All right, let us assume we have Ivy League educated linguists eating people in the slums of New Port Arthur,” Iron Conjurer said.

        “Thats-” Charles started.

        “You’ve gone too far in the other direction,” Van der Veen said.

      • db

        OK, in that context, it’s a great use of wry humor.

      • Ted S.

        glom onto an Aztec diety to justify eating people

        Nice John-o there.

      • UnCivilServant

        I haven’t run it through a spellchecker yet.

  11. Tundra

    Commenters may consider this an open thread.

    Am I a freak? I fucking LOVE how this ended.

    Thanks for everything, ji!

    • UnCivilServant

      Yes, you are a freak. Whether or not that has anything to do with your opinion on the ending of the story is a separate question.

      • Tundra

        Fair.

    • hayeksplosives

      No, you’re not a freak. The ending (last installment) was great.

      It forces the reader to get in Frank’s position: he’s learned that the organization you’ve dedicated yourself to is corrupt, but the vigilante guys ain’t saints either. Does he stick with the agency and try to salvage it? Or does he go full over to the “Correctors”?

      Maybe he hangs it up entirely, moves to the country and becomes a woodworker.

      It’s left to the reader to decide what he should do, and how to live with the consequences either way.

      • juris imprudent

        See what I mean about a generous audience!

      • juris imprudent

        And actually that was how I lost track of the bigger picture – because I got interested in that dynamic. With a little more focus, I should’ve been able to carry off both. Lesson learned.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Or he goes mad with trying figure out if he’s in a double cross, triple cross, or it’s crosses all the way down.

      • hayeksplosives

        Ugh.

        Pardon the terrible switcheroo I made from “he” to “you” and back again.

        I must now turn in my grammar badge and gun.

      • Don escaped Texas

        okay

        but

        take the cannoli

      • Not Adahn

        *Frank leaps in the air, fist raised in victory*

        *freeze frame*

        *credits roll*

  12. mikey

    Thanks for this. It took a lot to do this in public. I can’t write this well and I’d never have the courage try this in front of others. Keep at it.

  13. Tulip

    Thanks for this. The parts were all interesting and fun to read.

  14. Tundra

    Watching the hockey game (WIld kicking some Philly ass).

    Subaru commercial comes on. Yep, one of SF’s.

    I love this place. I love you weirdos.

    • rhywun

      Rangers kicking Penguin ass.

      • Tundra

        Good. Wild playing them shortly.

      • rhywun

        It’s a nail-biter now.

      • Tundra

        So nice to have Flower here.

      • hayeksplosives

        DON’T RUB IT IN!!!

        /sobbing Blackhawks fan

      • Tundra

        Come on

        He was only there for like an hour!

      • rhywun

        Whew.

      • Tundra

        Philly just scored. Nice fucking shot. Still 4-1.

      • rhywun

        Rangers missed like a dozen opportunities on Penguins’ empty net but somehow they couldn’t score either.

      • Tundra

        There will be a lot of ice after this game. An amazing number of blocked shots.

  15. Ted S.

    [ONE YEAR LATER]

    Frank wakes up and heads for the bathroom to take his morning shower. Frank is astonished to find Conor in the shower. Conor tells Frank the last year was all just a bad dream.

    [Take the story from there, and add whatever SF-like sex at appropriate points]

    • MikeS

      GAY!!11!!

    • juris imprudent

      I think you’d need Jesse_in_MB to pick up that storyline.

  16. MikeS

    Now THAT is a twist! Suck JI’s balls, MNS

    Please keep letting this story brew in your little grey cells. I’d love to see it return in the future.

    • Tundra

      Grey cells

      green.

      • rhywun

        Sigh I miss the nineties.

      • Tundra

        I listen to Godfodder at least a couple times a month.

      • MikeS

        UCS is right; you’re a freak.

      • Tundra

        Yep.

        And proud of it,

      • DrOtto

        That disc is in my roadtrip jacket of discs. For when SiriusXM gets to repetitive.

      • Tundra

        My 20 year old bass playing daughter loves it too. When she learned they had two bassists, it was over!

  17. MikeS

    Garlic-stuffed-olives are delicious.

    That is all.

    • UnCivilServant

      Sounds like a huge amount of garlic. Unless there is another filler to not have just a whole darn clove.

      • MikeS

        A whole darn clove. Garlic is good for you.

      • MikeS

        One a day (sometimes two) keeps the doctor away.

      • MikeS

        Put on your new experiences gloves and try it some time.

      • UnCivilServant

        But I already know I hate olives.

      • MikeS

        OK, so this is a true story: I used to think the same thing. Mostly because of those fucking black olives people seem to think they need to put on everything. And the disgusting pimento-stuffed cheap garbage.

        You should try some high (or even medium) quality, GREEN, stuffed olives. I went from pleasantly surprised to addicted in a few bites.

      • Tundra

        ?

      • rhywun

        Same. I still hate black olives but have grown to rather like green ones.

      • slumbrew

        Now I want a dirty martini with, like, 6 bleu-cheese stuffed olives.

      • Sean

        I can’t even with this.

      • Not Adahn

        Kalamata > green

    • Tundra

      I have been munching on garlic jalepeno olives from Costco. One of my faves!

      • MikeS

        I haven’t tried the jalapeno ones yet. I’ll have to get a jar to spice things up, as it were.

      • Tundra

        They are excellent. Not stupidly hot, but still more than just garlic.

    • pistoffnick the refusnik

      I really like both jalapeno stuffed green olives and bleu cheese stuffed green olives.

  18. kinnath

    JI was just going for a lady or the tiger ending.

    • UnCivilServant

      I always disliked how we never had enough information about the Princess’ character to assess whether she’d rather see him dead.

    • Fourscore

      I’ve liked Michael Lind’s stuff for many years, 20-25. Today though I had to take exception to at least one sentence.

      “many libertarians as well as progressives have supported the idea of a universal basic income,”

      I don’t know of any libs that would say that. One would lose his/her credentials right there.

      • juris imprudent

        Isn’t Lind the guy that has burned down more libertarian strawmen than Winston (and all the trolls of HnR combined)?

      • juris imprudent

        He offhandedly mentions Milton Friedman as though he were the Rosetta stone of Libertarianism, completely ignoring the rifts between him and other even more significant thinkers of that camp.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Even with his wife. She apparently gave him shit over the withholding scheme.

      • Brochettaward

        It’s a weird thing to pin on libertarians. Even the few libertarians who mull over the UBI do so under the pretext that it would eliminate other forms of welfare.

      • Don escaped Texas

        shorter, maybe better than I put it………..that’s what I’m getting at, yes

      • rhywun

        I don’t have the attention span.

        Sheesh, buddy, wrap it up.

      • Don escaped Texas

        Lind’s stuff

        As brilliant as he is, Lind is not above the non sequitur. For example, he criticizes libertarianism per se because no country has adopted it; the self-serving vacuity of majorities or the abject evil of despots isn’t the problem, you see: it’s libertarianism’s own fault that she is not pretty enough to be asked to prom. That a philosophy of liberty cannot be thrust upon others does not occur to him (or does and like most intellectuals of our day he prefers popularity and influence to intellectual honesty?). An avatar or a short cut is one thing; dodging ingenuity is another.

        I suspect he knows better but is merely too lazy to take on the issue. I don’t know why he is not yet a senator.

      • Gustave Lytton

        At best, perhaps observing that we already have a UBI and considering replacing all of the welfare programs with a single cash transfer.

        Lind can fuck right off with glorification of a slave army. If anything, the link didn’t end in 1973, it ended when all military age males were no longer subject for a single conflict and it became a beginning of adulthood lottery for whatever staffing the military decided it needed.

      • Brochettaward

        If citizenship is going to come with obligations, than military service to me would be the most basic and appropriate. I tend to fall into the camp that believes citizenship should be tied to military service. Either that or at least paying taxes.

      • The Last American Hero

        Fuck. That. Let’s not give Uncle Sam 10x the budget and 5x the number of soldiers to fight the mic’s wars.

        I didn’t join. And I didn’t join because I didn’t trust my government not to make me kill people who posed no threat to our country or to be killed or maimed by people that pose no threat to our country. In thirty years of hindsight, it was the right call.

      • Gustave Lytton

        I would be happy with something between the current part time status/fulltime obligation of the current reserves and the unorganized militia.

  19. Brochettaward

    Sometimes, I wonder if I do not spoil the Glibs. I give them so much of me with every First. Does not the entire world deserve the light of my Firsts? I share here and there with the rest of the world, but the largest part of me has been given to you…the people of Glibs.

    Would you miss the paternal warmth of my Firsts, my dear Glibs, if I shared it more broadly?

    • EvilSheldon

      Just so long as you don’t bring any diseases back…

      • Brochettaward

        I First so much, that I have near unbreachable immunity. I have super white blood cells. Not even super AIDS could harm me.

  20. CPRM

    Did a fresh install of the updated Windows, when I was trying to open my restore files it froze, now I can’t even get it to boot up, I only get a BIOS splash everyother restart and then just a black screen with a mouse cursor. 🙁

    • Ownbestenemy

      Got a Windows recovery USB?

      • CPRM

        I have the disk I just used to do this fresh install, but now my BIOS isn’t showing the prompt to boot from the disk.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Try another fresh install?

      • CPRM

        Like I said, now my BIOS doesn’t give me the option to boot from the disk

    • CPRM

      And now this laptop BSODed twice trying to find an answer. WHAT DON’T THEY WANT ME TO KNOW?!!

    • CPRM

      FINALLY, after about 6 hrs, got it back up and it’s doing restoring from the back-up. Fuck sake.

    • Sean

      Step 1 – get some tannerite …

  21. straffinrun

    A very interesting piece by Mate. D.C. knew exactly what would happen if they flooded Ukraine with weapons after Maidan. We know this because Blinken himself describes what would happen. This mess has McCain’s finger prints all over it.

    https://mate.substack.com/p/urging-regime-change-in-russia-biden?s=w

    “Expanding U.S. assistance to Ukraine, including lethal military assistance, would likely increase the costs to Russia, in both blood and treasure, of holding the Donbass region,” the study said. “…The Ukrainian military already is bleeding Russia in the Donbass region (and vice versa). Providing more U.S. military equipment and advice could lead Russia to increase its direct involvement in the conflict and the price it pays for it. Russia might respond by mounting a new offensive and seizing more Ukrainian territory.”

    Written in 2019 and for some odd reason played out exactly like that in 2022.

    • mikey

      Watch “Ukraine on Fire”. I thanks it’s of Rumble now the YouTube canned it. There’s a scene after Maidan with McCain and Lindsey Graham talking with a bunch of Ukrainian military with Graham telling the Ukrainians that the US would give them full support in their fight against the Russians.
      The two fucks were promising to defend Ukraine down to the last Ukrainian.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Yet Ukraine never was really serious about defending itself. Like going the Swiss route of a robust citizen army and militia. Or Finland. Instead it was about grifting and skimming as much as possible for everyone involved.

      • straffinrun

        I saw that a week or so ago. Blowback is real and doesn’t absolve Bin Laden or Putin. But, it sure does explain why you don’t rile up an already volatile situation.

      • rhywun

        And they got all the blue-checks to fly little Ukrainian flags. What a world.

      • UnCivilServant

        I’m annoyed that there’s one flying at City Hall.

        I’d understand if the Ukranian Catholic Church a few blocks away from city hall were flying a Ukranian flag, but it should not be on city hall at the same height as the US flag.

      • rhywun

        No it should not and it is an amazing example of how agitprop can take on a life of its own.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Linked article

      https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10014.html

      Did they do similar undermine studies about Canada, Germany, or Japan? All of those could potential competitors. Gee, I wonder why not. Theses top.men. have been trying to provoke and escalate conflict with Russia for years now and why? Fall of the Berlin Wall was even more disappointing than to the grey hair hardliners in the Politburo?

      • straffinrun

        They never will be satisfied until they have total control. Since they never will have total control, there will be continuous war.

      • rhywun

        I wonder if there’s one for China.

    • CPRM

      I had pinapple on pizza a couple times, and it was all right, now mayonaise, that is insanity

      • CPRM

        ‘EST 1918’ sounds fucking communist.

      • l0b0t

        Wow! There’s a name I haven’t heard in 40 years. Nice reference.

      • straffinrun

        Bakery pizza. Ugh. Bread with tomato sauce and random stuff.

  22. Ownbestenemy

    I say go for it

    Ocasio-Cortez to Clarence Thomas: Resign or face impeachment

    • Gustave Lytton

      Please please please let there be a pubic hair on AOC’s coke in her locked apartment tonight. No one gets away with threatening Justice Long Dong Silver.

    • rhywun

      Sandy thinks wives should stay in the kitchen and not express independent thoughts.

  23. UnCivilServant

    Morning, Glibs.

    Have to go into the office today. At least today I don’t have meetings all stacked up on the same time slot.

    • Sean

      *flings olives at UCS*

      Wait, that seems wasteful. Give them back.

      • UnCivilServant

        You seem unhinged this morning.

      • Sean

        Wait till the coffee kicks in…

  24. Sean

    From the dead thread:

    “Sean, It’s all Sean’s fault.”

    I don’t think that’s right.

    *shrug*

  25. Sean

    wfmz.com/news/area/berks/reading-to-honor-transgender-visibility-day/article_e71077f8-afea-11ec-8e7c-7bdf7b91e493.html

    Wut?

  26. UnCivilServant

    *sigh*

    Have to get on the road.

    • TARDis

      I was on the road. Then I went back home. Stoopid vertigo.

      • UnCivilServant

        There was a damn traffic jam on the way to work.

        At 6 in the morning!

        I only commute so damn early to avoid traffic!

      • UnCivilServant

        I was also tempted to quip about the time vortex giving you vertigo. I hope that clears up.

      • TARDis

        It’s already getting better, thanks. Bonine works pretty good for me, just not as fast as I’d like.

        /Checks traffic.

        I hate Atlanta. I’ll be going in a bit later, methinks.

  27. TARDis

    I hate pollen.

    • Festus

      Yup. Migraines and then later, gushing blood from the nose. Every Spring.

  28. Gender Traitor

    Good morning, TARDy, Sean, rhy, and U!

    I managed to stay awake through Curse of Oak Island last night. On what had seemed to be a promising dig about 150 feet down in what they appropriately (though not in the sense they’d prefer) call “the money pit,” they hit bedrock and thus found…nuthin’. ? So they moved the equipment and started digging another hole.

    • UnCivilServant

      Ah well. They get their money from selling TV shows anyway. Finding treasure would end the series.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Oak Island is one of those modern legends where the promise is far more than the payoff. I wish they had left well enough alone so I could still think The Templars buried Solomon’s treasures there or whatever it is they’re pushing.

      • Festus

        I’m waiting for the big reveal wherein everybody there gets face melted.

  29. Fourscore

    Mornin’ GT, TARDy, Sean, rhy, and UCS and all the rest of the crowd,

    UCS, I haven’t forgotten the piece of rail but the snow is still coming down. Looks like a few more days ’til I can have a looksee.

    Had the first cuppa, eyes are 1/2 open.

    • UnCivilServant

      I have patience, besdes, depending on how much my upcoming repairs cost, it’ll be that much longer before I’ll have someplace to work.

  30. Ghostpatzer

    Mornin’, reprobates. Need more coffee.

  31. TARDis

    5️⃣4️⃣
    6️⃣9️⃣

    Boring!

    • Ghostpatzer

      6 4
      5 8

      *Yawn*

      • Grumbletarian

        6 3
        4 7

  32. Tres Cool

    suh’ fam
    whats goody

  33. robodruid

    Good Morning my fellow Glibs…
    Sheep that we weren’t sure was pregnant was indeed pregnant.
    Gave bath to two girls, one was stillborn. Mom was not attached to the other. So we had a baby kid in the house. We think we have successfully reunited the two. Have been kinda busy. Its something holding a sleeping baby sheep…..

    Loved this story, i am not as brave as to put something out there.

    • Festus

      The lambs shall come to him

      • robodruid

        Well most of the time, they run away from me.

  34. Tres Cool

    Overnight at work, some HVAC maintenance was being performed by some contractors. I was up on a step ladder doing something, and this huge, Hacksaw Jim Duggan m’fer walks past.
    His hat was turned backwards so when he passed me and I turned to glance at him I could read it:

    “Show me your butthole”

    I about fell off the ladder from laughing so hard.

    • Festus

      I wish I were burly enough to rock that look. F’n awesome!

  35. Festus

    Morning! Mornin’ Glibbies. Eldest Grandson just fucked off to the coast for some reason. He’s 17 and drives his own bought and paid for truck. I fail to see the reason for the resulting freak-out by his Mom and Grandmother. I know that Autumn did much crazier shit when she was his age. So did I by about an order of magnitude. They even got the RCMP involved…

    • Fourscore

      I was reminded yesterday of my youth, my wife mentioned that the Russian soldiers looked so young. I told her of my first days in the army, I was 19 and terrified. A year later I was on my way to Germany, confident and looking for new adventures. It takes some of us longer than others to begin to find ourselves.

      • Festus

        He’s being a little shit for being so secretive but the hypocracy is a little much. I don’t know the details.

      • Tres Cool

        i had my 18th birthday in basic training.

      • Festus

        Right? He goes to school and has been gainfully employed at his step-dad’s shop for the last two years. He’s a man. An apparently immature man but here we are.

      • Tres Cool

        Im not going to make maturity judgements. Ive mentioned before that when Im working or with my idiot friends, I still act like a 15 year old.
        When Im with my 15 year-old kid, I act like my Dad.

      • Festus

        Connie was somethin’ else, wasn’t she?

  36. Fourscore

    So, I’m sitting in front of my computer for an hour and now I’m beginning to get a strange smell around me. I look at the gas stove, burning the way it’s supposed to, look at the trash can, nothing there.

    As I ponder and scratch my head, it dawns on me. It’s the smell of a skunk. WTF is up with that? Then I remember that it’s about time skunks come out of hibernation, and wander around looking for food. I’m guessing I’ll see tracks in the snow by my front door.

    The smell is beginning to dissipate so that’s good news.

    • Festus

      We don’t have them here but on the other side of the Great Divide they are legion. I did see one last year.

    • Ghostpatzer

      It’s the smell of a skunk

      You get that smell in Washington Square Park, NYC, but not from skunks. Comes from burning a once illegal weed.

      • Festus

        First bag of skunkweed that I ever bought. Had to stash it in my locker. That wasn’t your older Brother’s red-thread…

      • Tres Cool

        A friend of mine works for an airline, and thus has free travel. Since he lived in Pittsburgh he’d fly home on weekends to party and fly back. Once (way pre 9/11) he bought some weed here to take home and put it in his carry-on. Evidently it stunk the cabin up to the point that the flight crew asked him. His quick, on-his-feet answer?
        “Oh, when I was home I was camping with some friends, and a skunk got into our stuff. It must’ve carried over to the bag I have.”

        Genius thinking for a stoner. They believed him.