*PLEASE READ PART ONE FIRST*
Charles had ironed his blue button-down shirt. His eyes were no longer dark red, having faded to bloodshot with a ring of red along the outer rim of the irises. His complexion was sill ghostly pale, but had evened out. Settling in, he offered up a wan smile.
“So, I’m the only one doing better from the sounds of the news outside. The craving is down to manageable levels, and my eyes. To be honest, I hadn’t even noticed until I posted the last video. As I showed, mirrors don’t work for me, and I’m not much for taking pictures of myself for casual viewing. I was able to leave my place, only to find everything shuttered up. I don’t know why a lot of these people are sticking around. I guess there’s a real fear among the… well, among certain groups that if they leave, their rivals will steal their contraband. It’s not unreasonable, since crossing the cordon means having to deal with the authorities. But staying means having to deal with zombies. There was a pretty big scare recently when one of the flying bricks got zombie blood in his eye and got infected. They did manage to treat him in time, but that got everyone scared. They finished testing my blood and it turns out I’m immune to reinfection. All of a sudden, I’m in high demand.”
Charles paused, composing his words.
“There are still volunteers who are helping with the situation, but there’s not enough suitable protective equipment to go in there and deal with zombies. A lot of them are agitating for clearance to just shoot the infected, since they are as dangerous as the undead, and taking them alive can get to be a problem. I was lucky in the steam tunnel that there was just one, and I got him restrained before the fight broke out. Imagine if there were five, or if the zombies were hostile from the word go. Even I have to worry about what happens if these guys rip me apart. I mean, there were tens of thousands, possibly over a hundred thousand people living within Riverside and the Bricks before the cordon went up. Nowhere near that many have been cleared and evacuated. We have no good measure of the number of zombies running around, or rather, shambling around. Anecdotally, I don’t think it’s as high as it might be. But when people start running low on food and have to venture out, we could see an explosion in the number of infections.”
“In fact, the best thing you can do if you’re within the cordon is get tested and evacuate. If you do get bitten, for goodness’ sake, get treated. Turning into a zombie is far worse than anything that might happen otherwise. Even if you have outstanding warrants, I’d take jail over being a walking vegetable any day. I know you might not put much credit into my opinion since I’m immune. But just think about what would happen to you – while you still have the capacity to think.”
Charles drew in a deep breath.
“Well, I did not intend for this to turn into a PSA. But that doesn’t change anything I said. As for me, the city wants me to help them find the cause of the outbreak, and to clear some more of the zombies. They’re going to send some more gear to help with that. Apparently there are also a few things some viewers have sent that got stopped at the cordon, since mail deliveries are suspended. Apparently neither wind nor rain nor the rest of it doesn’t include zombies. I don’t blame them. We’ll see what’s in those boxes when they arrive. I didn’t really think I’d amassed enough of a following for people to send me stuff. I mean this is only what? My fifth video? But, I’m not going to be rude. If you sent me something, I’ll share it, unless it’s wildly inappropriate, I mean.”
“I hear there are a few other people reporting from within the cordon. Surprise, surprise, none of them are professional journalists, just regular people with phone cameras. They’re braver than I am, but I still advise them to get out if they can. No, I am not going to go out of my way to meet up with them. Unless there’s a good reason, I’m not going to take the risk, or put them in danger by causing them to emerge from hiding. I have seen the comments about talking to these people, I just can’t justify the risk.”
“In the good news department, the BHA has decided they don’t need to torment me any more for the time being. I got an email saying they’ll mail me my card, but with deliveries suspended, well, it’ll be a while before I actually see it. I do have a few things I need to get done today, so I’m going to wrap up the video. Among the usual links to help me out, I’ve added some to charities who are helping with treatment and evacuation of people from the quarantine zone. I understand not wanting to give anything to me, but they could use some help. Anyway, I’ll see you next time.”
* * *
The video started with the view of a steel-clad door with four locks. It had green paint with scratches showing gray primer and bare metal. “We’re back to my lousy body cam for this one, because we’re going for a walk. The Community Fund has sent me a cowl that connects to the rest of the hero suit and prevents sunlight from reaching my skin. So, I can go out during the daytime. Anyway, it’s eerie out there.”
A gloved hand reached up and undid the locks on the door. Bright light washed out the camera’s image as he opened it. Hidden in the light, the video cut to a different view, as the light faded to a line of sight along an empty street from the double yellow lines. Old brick buildings sat crammed next to each other and crowding the sidewalks to convert as much of their meagre lots into interior space as possible. Most were three or four stories tall, with raised stoops leading to the front entrance. A handful of parked cars still sat at the sides of the street, but none drove along it. Every one of them was battered and well-used. There were no people visible.
“This is where I’m going to start recording again, because I didn’t want to show everyone where I live. You can see why it’s called the Bricks, that’s what pretty much every building around here is made from.” Charles gestured at the buildings. “There’s no activity, I don’t even hear any birds. Normally, you’d hear dogs, people, and cars. But now, it’s as if… well, listen for yourselves.” He let the silence linger for a long moment.
“I’m going to walk to the cordon, hopefully they won’t mistake me for a zombie. If I keep talking, they’ll know I’m not. Zombies can’t form words, their brains are too far gone.” Charles began walking, the image wobbling as he did so. “It doesn’t appear as if there are zombies out on the street either. Everyone and everything has just… gone. I know some of these buildings are occupied, but I’m not going to mess with anyone in them. These are the same neighbors for whom a drive-by is a recreational activity. Well, not all of them, but enough.”
Charles paused at the intersection, turning to show the silent and still streets lined in brick buildings. “Any other time, standing here would be suicide. This is normally a busy road.” Continuing onward, Charles was quiet for a while. He stopped abruptly, words slipping slowly from his lips. “I… See…” he said. The camera panned to the side, refocusing on the shadows in an alleyway. Dozens of pairs of unfocused eyes peered back from a silent mob milling around an overturned dumpster. Charles resumed speaking in a whisper. “I’m not sure how well this camera is picking up the zombies in the alley, but there looks to be at least sixty or seventy in there. I can see five or six living infected among them. I know I advised people to get tested and evacuate, but I’m not sure how you’d go about evading packs like this. I’m just going to walk on and hope they don’t decide to follow me. Zombies do have some form of herd mentality. I don’t want to accidentally trigger it.”
Charles began walking again. Slowly at first, then picking up speed. “They’re not behind me. They’re not behind me. Oh, thank god, they’re not behind me.” Running flat out, Charles’ motion reduced the image on the camera to an indistinct blur.
“Halt!” another voice called out.
Charles skidded to a stop. As he did, the image stabilized to that of a barricade made from sandbags and concrete road barriers. Two soldiers in olive drab chemical warfare gear stood behind it, rifles level. “Don’t shoot, I’m not a zombie!” Charles said.
“How do we know that?” one of the soldiers asked.
“Because he can talk, you idiot,” the other answered.
“Take off that mask.”
“I can’t do that,” Charles said.
“You don’t look like one of the tights operating in the quarantine zone,” the first soldier said.
“Do you have any identification?” the second asked.
“I do,” Charles said.
“Step forward and let me see it.”
Charles approached the barricade and held out a packet of papers. The second soldier looked them over, struggling to read them through the lenses of his gas mask.
“So who is he?”
“That vampire who’s been running around the zone.”
“In daylight?”
“I guess that’s what the suit is for.” The second soldier handed the papers back to Charles and grudgingly said, “You can go through.”
* * *
The video switched back to Charles’ wall of cardboard. He sat in front of it, still only visible from the shoulders up. The black, form-fitting hero suit he wore extended up into a full-head covering cowl with oval red eye lenses. Reaching to the back of his neck, Charles peeled the cowl off and pushed his hair back into place. He set the cowl aside and donned his glasses. “In case you can’t tell, I’m back from the cordon. I’m not sure I can tell people in the zone to risk the trip if there are packs of zombies like the one we spotted earlier running around. It’s a judgment call. If you think you can make it, run. If not, make sure you have plenty of supplies and barricades.”
Charles sighed.
“The city wants me to look into-” the video abruptly cut, switching to another image of Charles in the same spot. “Sorry, I realized it was a really bad idea to broadcast what I was supposed to investigate to the whole world, so I had to trim that out, lest the target of the investigation find it. Lets just say nasty things have been happening inside the zone, and they don’t have too many options for investigating. I will record them, and share after everything is wrapped up, but it would only work against me to give too much information ahead of time.”
Adjusting the camera to show more of his torso, Charles quickly pulled a cardboard box onto his lap. Quickly enough that it had the appearance of unseemly haste. “I actually did get some stuff from my viewers, so lets take a look.” He cut the tape on the box and opened it. “There’s a letter.” Pulling out a piece of paper, he read the contents silently before giving the words voice. “Dear Charles, you really aren’t rocking the vampire aesthetic. You need a cape. So I sent you a cape. Signed, Dennis.”
He gave an incredulous look to the camera. “Uh huh.” Reaching into the box, Charles pulled out a heavy piece of fabric, it was black on one side and blood red on the other. Searching the edge, he turned up a collar, with a chain of little silver skulls as a closure. “I do see a problem, I’m afraid. Look at this collar, it looks as tall as my head. That would block my peripheral vision, and I need my peripheral vision.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe…” He turned the collar down and tested the height. It came up to his cheekbones. “I’ll have to think about that,” Charles said, setting the cape aside.
Cutting open a padded envelope, he extracted a notebook and began flipping through it. His expression grew more slack with each page turned. “I can’t show this on camera. That would get my channel shut down faster than you can say ‘Community Guidelines’.” Charles tossed the notebook onto a table out of frame. “There’s one more box from viewers, so lets see what’s in there.” He picked up the box in question as he set aside the box containing the cape. “There’s no return address.” Charles exaggerated raising an eyebrow. “If anything I’d think the last one would be the sort to come with no return address.” Plying his pocket knife to the tape, Charles opened the box. “There is a note.” Again, he skimmed the paper before reading it aloud. “Charles, your camera is-” Charles paused and made a gesture indicating an intentionally dropped word. “I want to actually see the action. Here’s a better camera for that. Signed, a rich… individual. Okay, they didn’t sign it an individual, but from the wording chosen, I presume this viewer is a woman. Anyway, she said it’s a camera, lets see.” Reaching back into the box, he extracted a long chain of air-filled plastic bags. On the second try, he extracted a smaller box emblazoned with product images showing a spherical object on a stand, alongside logos and slogans.
“This… looks like a Paragon Logistics Omnicam. I mean, it can’t be. These run five or six figures at the low end.” Opening the smaller box, Charles reached in and pulled out a small sphere swaddled in packaging. An instruction booklet and a pouch containing cables fell into the first box as he gaped at the object. “I mean… wow… This… camera is designed to capture hero fights from the perspective of the hero. It’s supposed to compensate for all sorts of movement or powers usage that makes ordinary cameras weep. It’s probably worth more than everything I own.”
Charles paused for a second.
“Is that why you gave anonymously? So I couldn’t even try to give it back? I guess the only thing I can do is make better videos. I’d better not drop this thing.”
Charles found a safe place to put the camera and the video ended.
* * *
The image of the empty street was far sharper than any of Charles’ previous videos. It slowly panned around, showing the surreal shortage of people.
“The omnicam appears to be on,” Charles said. “Aside from a camera test, I’m going to be checking out something the city has asked me to look into. I gather they’ve got drones orbiting the quarantine zone, and spotted activity. Anyway, I figured I could spend the time walking there to answer a few questions people have asked.” He began walking down the empty street, though there was almost no wobble to the image, just a gentle sway.
“The first question is whether the urban legend that you can’t be both a vampire and a werewolf is true. The short answer is I don’t know. From the research I’ve done, I’ve found out that werewolves have a highly aggressive immune system along with their regeneration. If this immune response is strong enough to destroy the virus within the first ten to twelve hours, then none of the genetic changes would take place. That’s a big if. But, there are no recorded instances of a werewolf being exposed.”
“What about the other way around? Well, Lycanthropy has more in common with a curse than a disease. But there are recorded cases where a blood transfusion has passed it on as surely as a bite. Preventing a complete transformation requires a ritual rather than medical attention. And that doesn’t always work. So I can’t theorize about what would happen if a vampire were exposed. I know that isn’t all that satisfying, but there just isn’t enough information. And no, I do not want to test it on myself. I have enough afflictions.”
Charles paused for a moment. “I suppose if there’s a way to detect and remove the curse early on, you could test the transmissability by blood, but it would be highly unethical.” Turning a corner, Charles’ stride faltered. “That’s… ominous,” he said as the camera panned to show a panel van tumbled onto its side. Pinned to the roof was a scrap of carcass, barely more than a ribcage and two arms splayed across the primer-gray metal. A series of arcane symbols were scrawled in rust-red around the near-skeletonized fragment. “No, I was not sent here to look into that. I don’t think the city’s drones have spotted it. But I don’t think zombies did that. They lack the cognitive ability to even come up with something like that.” Charles was quiet for a moment. “We’re looking at humans, ghouls, or another vampire. It looks like there are teeth marks on some of these bones, but I don’t know if they scavenged a zombie victim for this… display. I certainly have no idea what these symbols mean.”
Charles hesitated, then mused, “I don’t know if I’ll even be allowed to post this content. I’m going to leave it in and see if they take it down. While the active display is new, I’ve been coming across the skeletonized remains of zombie victims most of the times I’ve ventured outside recently.” Charles walked past the overturned van. “Though this would mesh with some of the reports of other brutal crimes going on within the zone. Some of it is your basic score settling that comes out when criminals know cops and capes aren’t going to be responding any time soon. Others are like that display on the truck. What we don’t have are riots or large scale looting. I guess that people figure zombies would be drawn to that type of activity. Probably. Though food stocks have got to be running low for the people still inside the zone. When that starts running out… all bets are off.”
There was a cut, with the image advancing to another street, somewhat wider, with shops on either side and looming concrete towers darkening the left hand side.
“I had to document that scene more, but didn’t want to bog down this video. So I’m picking up here on first street. This is generally regarded to be the boundary between The Bricks and Riverside, even though the Riverside Projects are still a block away.” The camera focused on the brutalist architecture towering ominously in the background. “First street is as close as I go to that place.” The view returned to the road ahead. “It’s surreal to have no traffic or people whatsoever. In front of us, you can see where they’ve raised the drawbridge to Gruefield. Behind us is a cordon barricade. I’d wager I’m being watched by snipers, but a guy in a cape isn’t going to draw their fire. Still, I don’t want to linger in someone’s crosshairs.” Charles began moving briskly down the street towards the raised drawbridge. “The activity I was asked to look into is not that far now. I don’t know if cars draw the attention of Zombies, but I don’t own one, and the zone is out of gas already. Utilities that come in by pipes or cables are still working, but the trucks that refill the gas stations aren’t coming into the zone. And I don’t blame them.”
Approaching a door below a sign that was deliberately blurred out, Charles opened it and stepped inside. The racking of a shotgun greeted him. A woman whose face was blurred kept the pump action level. The space appeared to have been a bar, and was in a terrible state of disrepair. Almost a third of the drop ceiling tiles were missing, and the rest stained to some degree. The stools were ripped and patched, the woodwork scored and vandalized where it hadn’t been torn off completely.
“Who the-” Bleep. “-Are you?”
“My name is Charles, I’m here on behalf of the city-”
“You’re that vampire.”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“There was an unusual amount of activity in this vicinity, and I was asked to see what was going on.”
“They’re in the back room,” she said, a hint of mirth entering her tone. Charles slowly approached a door covered in marker scrawl and crudely carved lettering in a nonsensical jumble. The audio cut out as Charles opened the door. The space beyond had once been a storeroom, and was lit by a pair of bright halogen lamps. The walls had been freshly painted white, and an altarcloth had been draped over a folding table at the far end. Rows of mismatched chairs stood in for pews, and the congregation, all in their Sunday best, faces blurred out, turned to look at the interloper.
Sound returned as Charles closed the door and backed out of the makeshift church to the laughter of the guard.
Outside, Charles walked briskly across the street, towards the sea of brick buildings he was more familiar with. In the distance, the shining towers of New Port Arthur gleamed outside the cordon.
“Okay, now, for anyone who is curious, I wasn’t actually repelled by any of the religious symbology. It was just an extremely awkward moment to barge in on their service like that. I just felt rude. Anyway, I’ve got to get back, see what video I’ve gotten, and-” Bleep.
The camera swung down to where half an old woman had reached out from between two parked cars and grabbed Charles’ ankle. Cloudy, unfocused eyes stared blankly as she tried to pull herself within biting distance. Her lack of teeth proved no deterrence to the instinct.
“Off, off, let go!” Charles cried out, tugging and shaking his foot to free himself from the partial zombie’s grasp. In a few stumbling steps, he was loose. The low moan that rose from dozens of incoherent throats around him made Charles pause. Staggering, shambling forms emerged from doorways, alleyways, and in between cars, each turning their ill-focused attentions towards the creature in their midst not of the pack.
“Oh-” Bleep.
With zombies on all sides, Charles drew his sword and ran. The undead surged towards him. Those whose bodies were fresher moved faster, while those whose muscles had atrophied or decayed stumbled along like the heaps of putrescence they were. With the ring tightening, Charles hacked and chopped at any limb that reached for him. Cleaving into any skull within biting range, he fought to break free of the ring, to reach open ground where his speed would get him clean away. Red, festering ichor splattered the camera as his sword bit into decaying flesh. Near-mindless hands continued to reach for him as Charles lashed out with his gore-drenched steel.
Meh.
Who writes this stuff?
Was gonna read it later. You saying it’s not worth reading?
I don’t get the appeal.
*snort*
Someone with a love of word games?
There’s a slight issue with the link to part one.
Remove the extra characters at the end or go here: https://www.glibertarians.com/2022/04/blood-on-the-bricks-part-1/
The woman who gave him the camera – potential love interest?
More of a plot device to have actual action scenes later.
She doesn’t show up again in this story. (Not really a spoiler)
Oh.
It seemed a bit like a gender swap of thirsty guys sending Female youtubers stuff.
I wasn’t even thinking along those lines. My thought was more fans of all stripes sending stuff to a content creator. I guess I don’t watch enough people who attract that kind of attention.
My mind is in the gutter.
If it were a longer story, I might have expanded on the characters of the fans, but I’m under 15,000 words for the whole story – not quite to a novella.
This could be a really fun series. Is there anymore in the works after this story concludes?
I’d need to come up with another plot idea.
And you don’t know, Charles might end up staked by the end of Part 4.
Good point. I hope nit, though. So far I really like him.
What is the physics of mirrors not working but cameras do?
The physics of folklore.
But don’t cameras have mirrors?
Some do some don’t. An SLR does for certain. I suppose I could have looked into the structure of a digital camera sensor to see if some component there is also a mirror.
Sweet Jesus.
I missed part one.
This might be my favorite of your stories – even the ones I bought.
Thanks, UCS.
I want to acknowledge your enjoyment, but I’m at a loss for how to do so appropriately.
Just keep writing,
I am astonished at how many worlds you can create.
I don’t think I could stop writing if I wanted to.
This is in the same world as the Tarnished Sterling series (Shadowboy, Shadowdemon, Lucid Blue, Shadowrealm)
But not the same story arc, correct?
Correct.
Charles is an entirely new character and the events are unrelated.
OT: Project Veritas’ latest
Twitter Lead Client Partner Says Woke “Ideology” Responsible For Company’s Inability to “Profit”
These Veritas clips are providing no new information. It’s still nice to see the clowns who work for Twitter completely admit to everything they’ve been accused of by the right. And I don’t think you could more succinctly sum up the left’s view on free speech better than this guy did. You can’t just let people be exposed to information and make up their own minds because they’re going to come to the wrong conclusions…
It’s almost as if the left’s arguments are utterly unconvincing, and that deep down inside, they know it.
It’s also just stunning how stupid the employees at these big tech companies are. Like, set aside all ideology for a moment…this guy is just a fucking moron.
He’s a sales drone. Outside of engineering, there’s nothing separating tech companies from any other corporation, smarts-wise. Even in engineering people tend to be narrowly “smart” – lots of stupid ideas about non-engineering issues, in my experience.
The Veritas dude reading the Twitter email warning that that people like… Project Veritas are sniffing around and Twitter employees should be careful is hilariously cruel.
That Twitter guy is gonna have a bad Wednesday.
OT: PA Primary results:
Josh Shapiro run unopposed on the Democrat side for governor. He is ready for the dangerous extremists from the Republican party.
AP called Democrat US Senate race for Fetterman.
With 21% of votes counted, Mastriano is in the lead for Republican gubernatorial nominee.
Oz is in second place for Senate.
I’m heading to bed. ABC is projecting the Republican gubernatorial nominee will be Mastriano.
Oz is still in second place. That makes me happy.
Watch out for those 3AM vote dumps.
Between all the hoopla over Oz and that Barnette (?) chick, I don’t know a thing about the other one who is in the lead.
Former hedge fund manager.
Very fun! The the dialog and Charles’ actions really paint the picture of him being an accidental hero. Great job. I look forward to the rest of the story.
From the previous thread:
Tonio on May 17, 2022 at 3:39 pm
Do you have a strategy for getting back on your feet and becoming stable?
Roughly. I’m currently at the mercy of my employer. Luckily he only lives just a hair over two miles away from me and is willing to drive me to and from work…on the condition that I take a $2 an hour pay cut. Considering the rapidly rising cost of gas, I consider that a fair compromise. The biggest hurdle to stability is the lack of work. Like I said in my plea for help, my car is effectively dead and though my boss is generally a good cat, he isn’t exactly a highly motivated individual. So I go to work whenever it’s convenient for him. As of the last couple of months I’m working 25-30 hours a week, tops. Often it’s less than that. That’s not entirely his fault though. The price of paint and materials has skyrocketed over the last year or so, causing a hell of a lot of people who would normally indulge in a cosmetic home improvement to think otherwise. Honestly, I could probably earn more money a week working at the local Subway, Taco Bell, or Little Caesar’s if I was guaranteed a solid fourty hours a week. As of now, I’ve drastically cut back on my food intake, have resigned myself to eating the most inexpensive stuff possible (beans, rice, off brand wheat bread, peanut butter, spaghetti, fresh meat is right out, ect, ect,…) I a hopeless smoker and a functional drunk. I have however started smoking cheap, horrible tasting cigarettes at $2:50 a pop, and try to keep it around half a pack a day(yeah, that’s still weak but there it is. I have been saving the last quarter of the cig for future use), I’ve cut my drinking in half over that time and am buying the cheapest beer I can find but at this point I’m pretty much sober because I just can’t afford it. I haven’t smoked weed in weeks… basically I’m weening myself of my vices because they simply aren’t as important as keeping a roof over my head and the lights on….sure, I’m a fiend but I’m not a complete asshole. The AC doesn’t kick on untill the temperature gets over 76 degrees, and I keep any and all lights off at all times, even in the room I’m currently in at any given moment. My apartment complex doesn’t have a washer or dryer so I hand wash my worn clothes once a week instead of going to the laundromat….
These aren’t long-term fixes to my situation but I’m doing my best to make do with the limited resources I have available.
Would a bicycle be an option to negate the need for rides from the boss and allow you to collect that extra $2/hour?
Would a change of employment be a positive? Have you looked into that much?
Aside from my utilities and rent payment I’m…technically off the grid. I work for cash and most of my jobs are anywhere from ten to thirty miles away. I turn fourty-two on Thursday and frankly the years of smoking has rendered me too old for that shit. A change in employment would be a positive if I was guaranteed a solid work week but my legal status is so much in limbo that that’s not a viable option.
Seriously, I’ve spent the last few years making it a point to “float around the system”. So much so that I’m technically living an illegal lifestyle (Hi, Preet! Fuck you, and the IRS. All you can do to me at this point is rob me of my freedom. I own fuck all).
Dude. I hopped back on the bike at 47. It can be done. But, yeah, 10-30 miles would be pretty daunting to start out with.
Just because you’ve been living off the grid doesn’t mean you have to keep living off the grid does it? Unless here are other difficulties that will be exposed by passing out your SSN to prospective employers. I’m not trying to pry or push, I just want to see you get on your feet. And if that means some initial difficulty by re-entering society, maybe it’s still worth it?
It would be the wise move. The major hindrance is my crippling social anxiety. I’m fucked up, man. Half the days I’m required to leave the apartment I have to wake up very early and give myself a two hour pep talk just to open the front door. If I ever won the lottery I’d probably buy a shit ton of depressents, glaze my brain, curl up in the fetal position and drug myself to death in six months.
Poverty may very well be the only thing keeping me alive.
*To all you GFM donors today: you still have time to reconsider your donation. I ain’t worth it*
You are not a loser. You’re a good dude. You have issues. You recognize them. You are doing your best to deal with them. You are not a loser.
You are not a loser.
You are not a loser.
Remember: Those who can and did donate, WANT to. Clearly, you are valued here.
Mike’s advise is wise.
When my alcoholic brother hit tough times and was looking to get drunk for cheap, he would by a 4 pack of Icehouse Edge. It’s 8% alcohol and does the job surprisingly effectively, but I believe they’ve stopped making it.
Natty Ice has filled that niche.
I’ve tried that shitty Natty Ice that’s overproof and it doesn’t hit the same.
THE EDGE IS WHERE IT’S AT
I don’t get the appeal of U2.
Still haven’t found what you’re looking for, eh?
I’m guessing I’ll find it where the streets have no name.
Word. A six pack of Natty Daddy tallboys at 8% abv for under under $5. Three of them are worth eight Bud Lights at around half the price. Three are more than enough to calm the savage beast. $2.50 a day for beer and $1.25/half a pack of shitty smokes on a good day, tops…I miss pot.
I don’t even think a First from The First Of All Firsters could have saved this thread.
Oz still second, by about 3,000 votes. However, Lancaster County apparently has 20,000 mail in ballots that can’t be counted by machine due to a “coding error.”
Will now have to be hand counted. Lancaster County probably isn’t Oz country. Fetterman is a dangerous proggie, probably would vote lockstep with Sanders and Warren.
What’s more, he appeals to the kind of blue collar Democrats who have been voting Republican lately in Western Pa.
Madison Cawthorn got primaried.
Idiot or the establishment went deep with the knives? Little from column A, little from column B..
Thanks for the story.
I am getting to it quite late tonight.
I’ve never been an avid reader of the horror genre other than some Poe as a kid. Because I’d enjoyed Stephen King’s nonfiction book On Writing, a couple of years ago I tried reading some of his earlier novels, but they just didn’t grab me. I like this better. I think it may be the depth and humanness of the character, and I think the “framing” (?) device of presenting the story as a series of videos posted online is inspired.
So, putting aside King being kind of an asshole IRL (at least lately) are there any of his (maybe later) novels that are worth a try for one who’s not usually into horror but likes good writing?
Speaking of horror, our local minor league baseball team had a 6-1 lead after seven innings, then in a shocking twist gave up a total of 7 runs in the 8th and 9th. ?
Yes! It slipped my mind to mention that in my earlier comment, but I really liked that plot device, too.
I ran through everything he had written when I was ~15 or thereabouts, and never went back to continue reading him as new books came out. My 15-year-old self was rather taken by “The Mist” (short story). It was the concept of comfort sex that drew me up short.
The one of his I loved most (up to that point) was a Richard Bachman book, Thinner. You really can’t go wrong with Carrie, if you haven’t seen the movie(s).
“The Mist” movie is actually better. A really good adaptation.
“Misery” and “Dolores Claiborne” are great but you’ve probably seen the movies.
If you’re into fantasy, his duo with Peter Straub “The Talisman” is wonderful. The Dark Tower stuff is great for three books but I got lost in the fourth.
I don’t know anything newer than “Under the Dome” which was mediocre.
Different Seasons. For Novellas under one title. All turned into movies — two of the movies were exceptional.
For King: I like his earlier works and his short stories. I also liked some of the Dark Tower series, which is probably an unpopular opinion. He retconned/reworked a few of the earlier books based on ideas he had while working on the later books. In my opinion, he shouldn’t have done that.
I AM THE GREAT FIRSTER’S SON…SON….SON….
I AM THE GREAT FIRSTER’S SON….SON…SON….
ROCK WITH THE GREAT FIRSTER
I love this, UCS. Totally up my alley.
Looking forward to more.
Took me all evening to read amongst all my other distractions but nice ?
Maybe Shadowboy will swoop in and rescue our hero.
Same. UCS brings it.
That would get my channel shut down faster than you can say ‘Community Guidelines’.”
So, how fast does anyone say “community guidelines”?
Forgot to tell you: I saw your eye drawing. I am so impressed by your progress.
Thx, Mojo. Practice makes better.
Did a strawberry yesterday.
https://ibb.co/G7B8hs0
Can’t tell if the pencils are drawn as well.
Gorgeous!
Wait, are the pencils part of the drawing?
No, lol. Just for size reference.
I was very impressed by how realistic they were 🙂
Great job on the berry
Wow
Next up, a blackberry?
He’s too shy to share all the pictures he draws of penes. That is his real passion.
Just imagine the detail – all captured in charcoal down to every last stray pubic hair and even the faintest of veins.
Just think of the detail he puts into them. All captured in beautiful charcoal down to every last stray pubic hair. The faintest of veins.
Thank you!!!!
Yay. Oregon is going to proudly have the nation’s official first dyke governor. Bend over and enjoy the reaming Kotex is going to give for the next
48 years.For me, I just can’t give AF about politics for the time being. It’s dumb culture war stuff and clearly idiotic ideas being implemented by govt. (More than usual). Burned out.
I think what’s going on with Russia goes well beyond that and will involve anyone.
My opinion on that war isn’t popular with anyone.
Outside our hall monitor, I don’t think anyone here would be offended if you shared.
I think you have the hall monitor pegged incorrectly
No, I’m fairly certain I don’t and that it’s painfully obvious that the guy is a self-righteous blow hared with the intellectual curiosity of your average prog.
This isn’t helpful.
I’d say that, while clearly Putin’s invasion was wrong, it was less egregious and unwarranted than America’s invasion of Iraq.
Or rushing back into Somalia. Why does that shit hole require our presence? Is there some untapped natural resource?
That thought has been expressed by myself and others on here. I have stated repeatedly that Putin has been a more responsible and ethical actor on the world stage than his American counterparts. What he does domestically is pretty much in line with what the Russian people want and their culture, as well, whereas the past twenty years we’ve seen American presidents basically launch a full on attach on a host of civil rights/freedoms that were once upon a time considered sacred in this country (at least, people had to pay lipservice to respecting things like free speech).
Hah! I don’t think that’s either that unpopular or even the extreme around here. Was expecting ‘waiting for WWIII to finish and then returning to the homeland to claim Sean’s irradiated bacon and bourbon’.
We’re going in to pave the roads. Damn anarchists.
When the “special military operation” launched in late February, my take was basically that Russia would eventually meet most of its objectives, the Ukrainians were unworthy of support given their actions in Donbas since 2014 and that NATO expansion provoked Putin. Literally, all Russian talking points, but seem accurate to me. If that’s popular around here, cool. I could be misreading the situation, however, and don’t mind hearing other opinions.
It’s really hard to figure out what Putin or Russia is actually trying to achieve. Donbas seemed like the lynch pin but also the in your face we will join NATO line from Ukraine might have provoked the attack.
Putin has actually been pretty straight forward about what he’s doing. Doesn’t make him right, but the neocon assertions that his real goal is to conquer all of Europe is where the real mind reading begins.
I dunno if popular is the right word, but it’s not uncommon. Like everything, there’s a range of opinions regarding the invasion. I’d say the only ones that aren’t is “we need to intervene directly and kick some Ruskie ass” or “Putin needs to man up and recreate the CCCP and Warsaw Pact, maybe even roll right through to Gibraltar because the Euroweenies deserve it”
I personally want the West to be humiliated. It’s awful that Ukraine has to be the theater of this war between Russia and the Global American Empire. Some of my best friends have been Ukrainians–the mildest exaggeration ever. The Canadian truckers would have been better, obviously. But if it has to be Putin then so be it.
What’s Dixie Lee Ray? Chopped liver?
Not official.
That’s fair.
to my knowledge she was never inducted into the Order of the Golden Birkenstock.
Our main TV is a Sony Android TV from 2015. Looks like all the streaming apps decided its build is too old to update and now all my streaming services are not working. Botched video on Hulu and only sound on Prime. Lame
The downside of “smart” TVs.
Just give me a good screen and let me worry about the inputs.
Hypocrite that I am, it was eye-opening to see what the TCL Roku app was up to after I installed PiHole
That’s my next home project.
I’m wondering if it’s worth it to dump the roku devices into their own vlan from the other devices. Really no other IOT stuff to lock away.
Mine is 2013. I attached a Chromecast and use Google TV. You can get anything you want through it.
I can’t count the number of fingers I have on one hand.
I was almost one less today
Is it still functional? You’re management now, gotta be able to type
That’s what I get for being a “out from behind the desk manager”.
https://pasteboard.co/wrePWmW24UGd.jpg
Progresses beyond that I might just get it xrayed
Ouch. WTF?
Was lowering a bridge on the lowering dock and finger caught the chain. Was really lucky it didn’t get caught in one of the links and rip the finger off. Think just bruised cause I can apply pressure to it.
Medic!
It’s looking angry. You icing it?
ISTR icing is the wrong approach if it’s actually broken, but I may be misremembering
For the swelling ya. Ice it for 5 min or so on 20 min cycle. I made that timing up but it doesn’t hurt at all.
OBE is determined to give everyone on this board the finger.
Get it xrayed.
Please note: A patients who has had a hysterectomy does not, in general, need a urine pregnancy test to see if that could be causing her vomiting.
I’m not a biologist, but you may be right.
The doc I am transcribing right now is about THISCLOSE to calling all the previous physicians for this patient fucking idiots.
It’s more a matter of hoping the insurance will pay for the test….
Or Medicare.
Wife would tell me stories on all the crap they would bill for a simple annual teeth cleaning. Just to get a few extra dollars out of insurance companies.
But you definitely need maternity coverage under the ACA.
And UCS…compelling story thanks!
Nothing like getting home at 1:30 am after picking your kid up at the airport. Tomorrow is going to be interesting m
And I’ve been up since 2am. Guess I’ll go to work now.
And overnight, Mastriano won the PA primary for governor. The PA Republican Senate race is too close to call, but dammit, Oz took the lead.
Yup. Good and not good. ?
Mornin’ All!
Off to the gym.
Mornin.
GREAT STORY.
When “help step bro” goes wrong.
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/05/17/juveniles-toms-river-beach-sand-collapse/
By all accounts, that should have happened to me when I was a stupid thirteen year old. We would dig massive holes on the beach because… well because we were stupid thirteen year old boys.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/elon-musk-announces-will-vote-republican-first-time-ever-years-voting-democrat/
Lulz.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b6EDLIPDYbI
?
Morning, Glibs.
I apparently zonked out and slept through the night. It was cooler than it has been for the past week, and I needed the sleep. I am not looking forward to summer.
Sleep is good. ☕
Unfortunately, I’m now at the office, where I have to deal with an application that’s been down all night, and the fact that some of the emails looking for aid with it I thought I’d sent were still open waiting for me to actually hit ‘Send’.
“I have to deal with an application that’s been down all night”
Bad application! Give it a stern reprimand.
Yeah, my application has been doing that more lately. Good luck!
Good morning, U, Tulip, Scruffy, Sean, Stinky, & DEG!
Another bravo for this installment of the story, U, and sorry you’re still having to deal with the outage (downage?) Hope you can get it back up & running ASAP.
Still speaking of horror, today I get to listen to the Zoom recording of our Board of Directors meeting and try to write up the minutes for same.
When the application is down it causes an outage. You had it right the first time.
What function do meeting minutes serve? In what context do they get referenced?
Since our Board members could potentially be held liable if there were ever any financial hanky panky going on at the CU, the minutes document any official actions they vote on, and the minutes also document what senior management has reported to them with respect to the financial condition of the CU. Thus, while I’ve not been involved directly with that aspect of an audit, I’m sure the auditors review the minutes (which are also reviewed and approved by the directors each month at the NEXT meeting.)
That is a horror.
Still beats hell out of having to attend in person, frantically scribbling notes in real time (which I did many times years ago, before my original CU employer merged with the current one.) This way, I don’t have to suppress my eyerolls.
“I get to listen to the Zoom recording of our Board of Directors meeting”
Blecch. We have an all hands meeting this morning, for the second week in a row. Something’s up.
???
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/05/17/pennsylvania-delaware-new-jersey-covid-cases-rising/
[Yawn]
With the midterms coming up they’re going to try to play this to the hilt again. Hopefully people care more about gas prices, and prices in general, than this shit.
No love for hay fever? Allergic reactions to pollen are going through the roof, we need to do something!!!
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/trump-backed-candidates-continue-winning-streak-bad-behavior-catches-up-to-cawthorn/
Cawthorn out.
LOL, stay classy with your “news” reporting, AP.
https://www.twincities.com/2022/05/17/mn-woman-fleeing-police-stuck-concrete-wet-rochester/
Clever, she is not.
At least the contractor doesn’t have to cover it.
Daily Quordle 114
7️⃣8️⃣
6️⃣4️⃣
quordle.com
?⬜⬜⬜⬜ ??⬜⬜⬜
Bloody Hell!
Daily Quordle 114
8️⃣7️⃣
6️⃣?
quordle.com
⬜?⬜⬜⬜ ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜?⬜?
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜?
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜?
?⬜⬜⬜⬜ ?⬜⬜⬜?
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜?
??⬜?⬜ ?????
????? ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬜⬜⬜?? ⬜⬜⬜?⬜
⬜⬜⬜?? ⬜⬜?⬜⬜
⬜???? ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
⬜???? ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
⬜???? ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
????? ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜⬜?⬜⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬜⬜?⬜⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ?⬜??⬜
Back in the saddle!
Daily Quordle 114
5️⃣6️⃣
7️⃣3️⃣
quordle.com
4️⃣3️⃣
6️⃣8️⃣
Left the door open for whiz, kicking myself for not taking a flyer at a 2, would have been right, and hindsight and all coulda had a 17, As someone once said Quordle favors the bold.
Holy multiple possibilities and useless seed words, Batman!
Daily Quordle 114
6️⃣7️⃣
9️⃣4️⃣
Daily Quordle 114
4️⃣5️⃣
6️⃣7️⃣
Only one blatantly stupid guess this time. I should still wait until I’ve had my coffee.
Daily Quordle 114
3️⃣4️⃣
7️⃣8️⃣
quordle.com
Mornin’, reprobates.
Clearly I have been too busy, I did not even realize UCS had posted new stuff. I need to catch up.
Mama groundhog has set up a domicile with her two pups under the shed in my backyard. I wonder which flowers will survive this year.
C4 time? Oh wait, that’s Gophers.
Are you DENYING that MASKS WORK?
Cancel this man!
We investigated ourselves and found we did nothing wrong.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/05/18/Syria-airstrike-casualties-report/5771652840923/
“The officer received confirmation that no civilians were in the strike area before conducting the attack, the report said”
It would be good to know the source of this intel.
“ A U.S. Department of Defense investigation into dozens of people killed during a 2019 airstrike in Syria found no rules or laws were broken but a number of compliance deficiencies caused the initial reporting of the incident to be delayed.”
What about conducting military operations without a formal declaration of war?
I’ll be here all week. Try the fish.
I’ll try the waitress, thanks.
Daily Quordle 114
4️⃣3️⃣
6️⃣7️⃣
quordle.com
?⬜?⬜⬜ ???⬜⬜
⬜?⬜⬜⬜ ?⬜⬜⬜⬜
??⬜?⬜ ?????
????? ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬜⬜⬜?⬜ ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
?⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜? ⬜⬜?⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜?⬜⬜
?⬜?⬜⬜ ⬜??⬜⬜
????? ⬜?⬜⬜⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ?????
Daily Quordle 114
8️⃣6️⃣
5️⃣4️⃣
quordle.com
I made one careless guess top left. *sigh*
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/05/17/toddler-uses-moms-phone-orders-31-cheeseburgers/6661652819615/
“A Texas mother learned a lesson about leaving her phone unlocked when her 2-year-old son used DoorDash to order 31 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s.”
If true, that’s a pretty bright two year old.
“Golden said the cheeseburgers cost her $61.58 and Barrett included a $16 tip, bringing her total to $91.70.”
And a 28% tip. I’m calling bullshit. Cute story, though.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/05/17/retail-sales-report-april/6691652800954/
“American shoppers don’t appear to be deterred by rising prices in the United States, as retail spending increased by nearly 1% during the month of April, the Commerce Department said in its monthly report Tuesday.”
And how much did the price of necessities increase during this period?
Yeah, “fun” with numbers. I ain’t buying it.