Rilbur

Another awesome chapter.
Thankfully, I think Paul is completely on safe footing -- his defensive spell may be a bit aggressive, but if you deconstruct it a bit, it's specifically saying "Return threefold whatever they send my way, and the only mercy they receive is I don't kill them."  Just... couched a little less pleasantly than that.
Frankly, it's almost a perfect choice for the environment he's in.
Poor Karla.  I think her idiocy is about to lead her to a dark, dark fate.

So just noticed this wonderful story, and -- as is too often the case -- all I can say is "Please sir, may I have some more?" in my best orphan-child-puppy voice.

Another awesome chapter.
Thankfully, I think Paul is completely on safe footing -- his defensive spell may be a bit aggressive, but if you deconstruct it a bit, it's specifically saying "Return threefold whatever they send my way, and the only mercy they receive is I don't kill them."  Just... couched a little less pleasantly than that.
Frankly, it's almost a perfect choice for the environment he's in.
Poor Karla.  I think her idiocy is about to lead her to a dark, dark fate.

Another awesome chapter.
Thankfully, I think Paul is completely on safe footing -- his defensive spell may be a bit aggressive, but if you deconstruct it a bit, it's specifically saying "Return threefold whatever they send my way, and the only mercy they receive is I don't kill them."  Just... couched a little less pleasantly than that.
Frankly, it's almost a perfect choice for the environment he's in.
Poor Karla.  I think her idiocy is about to lead her to a dark, dark fate.

So just noticed this wonderful story, and -- as is too often the case -- all I can say is "Please sir, may I have some more?" in my best orphan-child-puppy voice.

I am a programmer.  I develop software for a living.  It's one of the reasons I often don't write as much as I'd like, or as much as I used to.  I tend to either be gainfully employed, with a deadline to meet and limited time to spend, or out of a job, depressed as I watch the money trickle out of my bank account faster than I can fill it back up with odds and ends of work.
But sometimes, something fun pops up.
I develop out of a building run by a company called Bitwise, 'the mothership of technological innovation'.  They recently had the grand-opening celebration of their new building, and this video was unveiled there.  And I wanted to share it with everyone.  Because it is awesome.
https://shift3tech-1.wistia.com/medias/v7lgf7f6bq
Enjoy.  The mothership has landed.

The fact that both parties are polarizing to such a degree, entrenching in such deep divides that no compromise is seen as acceptable, is the biggest reason I think a civil war is more or less inevitable.  Someone pointed out that the US military forces just won't cooperate with that scenario, and they may have a point, but...

He's the best option of a bad lot.  He's more libertarian than republican, he actually has a clue about how dangerous the rampant overreach of the intelligence agencies is, and he's actually comfortable with the concept that there are some problems the federal government shouldn't solve -- that it isn't meant to solve.
 
And lets be honest: at the end of the day, the reason I appear more left-leaning is because I can't stand the religious zealots who have a headlock on the republican party.  Remove those idiots from the equation, and I'd probably jump ship in a heartbeat.
 
Of course, I'd prefer for the libertarian party to actually be a real political power, but realism trumps idealism.

He's the best option of a bad lot.  He's more libertarian than republican, he actually has a clue about how dangerous the rampant overreach of the intelligence agencies is, and he's actually comfortable with the concept that there are some problems the federal government shouldn't solve -- that it isn't meant to solve.
 
And lets be honest: at the end of the day, the reason I appear more left-leaning is because I can't stand the religious zealots who have a headlock on the republican party.  Remove those idiots from the equation, and I'd probably jump ship in a heartbeat.
 
Of course, I'd prefer for the libertarian party to actually be a real political power, but realism trumps idealism.

Frankly, the comparison between Trump and Hitler is rather scary... if only because you draw some really good parallels.
 
Frankly, I don't like most of the current crop of presidential candidates.  The idea of Hillary Clinton in the White House is only slightly less scary than Trump, and I have a sinking feeling she's going to win the democratic nomination.  About the only one I halfway care for is Rand Paul.  (Much to my shock, given his republican leanings)

As I've said before... and frequently...
 
Please, be brutally honest with me!

Wow, D'Artagnon, don't hold back.  Tell us what you really think of the guy.  Holding it in isn't healthy for you!

I'm gonna have to disagree, slightly, with Roland.  It's not about accepting that others believe differently.
 
To borrow the terminology in Eric Flint's Mother of Demons, It's about the difference between the Question and the Answer.  Human beings are drawn to the certainty of the answer -- we want there to be One True Way.  We want to believe, because we hate doubt.
 
Until people learn to embrace the question instead, the ability to open your minds and wonder, we're going to have shit like this.  A fanatic is, at the end of the day, someone who has chosen a Truth and will do anything to support it, to destroy those who dare question it -- or rather, make him question it.  It's easier to label those who disagree 'heretic' and kill them than the try to answer their questions, or to accept that their questions undermine your faith.

Why does the idea of Kyle with a baby seem... frightening?

Erwin:
 
"Whoa boy, whoa," Erwin said calmingly, approaching the startled horses.  This job was going to take all his concentration, so he took a brief moment to look around the area for threats before continuing.
 
{ Action:  Examine the area around Erwin, looking for any signs of threat, including bandits, animal tracks, etc etc.  Also wanting to get a feel for the general area they're in. }
 
{ Action:  Try to calm the animals with animal handling. }

Billy,
 
You clearly feel strongly on this topic.  Unfortunately, the argument you support is unfairly conflating two critical items.  You're saying that yes, some religious people commit wrongs, but so do some atheists.  But the key difference is that those atheists don't commit those wrongs because of their atheism.  Their atheism may allow their actions, but it does not cause those actions.  Far, far to many of the wrongs committed by religious nuts are in fact rooted directly in their religion, a direct effect of their beliefs.  "My God commands me to retake Jerusalem with fire and sword!"
 
Also, McCarthy may have had some justification in his actions, but I don't think anyone can argue away that he was creating a witch-trial atmosphere, where justice took second place to jingoism and the blame game.  Exactly the type of atmosphere that a clever Russian agent could use to advance his own position, by being amongst the loudest shouting down the 'red threat'.  And whether he was justified or not, his actions trampled all over the first amendment in appalling and unacceptable ways.
 
In many ways, the US is one of the best places to live, and we too love this country.  But we aren't blind to the fact that it's been heading down hill for a long, long time.  If something doesn't change, we're going to charge blindly ahead into 1984, and I'm not sure if we can stop that.

1 and 3 are easy.
 
Number 2 is going to be a strain.

Isn't that something of an aphorism?

1 and 3 are easy.
 
Number 2 is going to be a strain.

Oh hell.  I need to prepare my fortification agains...  that dreaded day is coming.
 
What hte hell is with this nation and bowling?

I'll certainly try to get some updates out soon.
 
I'll also answer a single supposition from up above: yes, Andy is dealing with a new augmentation.  One that is dangerous to himself because he doesn't yet know how to control it.
 
Oh... and by the time he's done, Andy is going to wish all he'd had to deal with was the rage-eater itself...

I apologize Ken but as I am not Shakespear, Edgar Allen Po, or another author in whose lifetime excessively flowery and complex language was considered a positive and skillful display of good taste and writing capacity, I must refuse, on moral, ethical and professional grounds, to indulge this puerile butchering of the English language and proper writing skills on the grounds it has no and can never gain any reasonable purpose or legitimacy, as such legitimacy not only should flow but could only flow from the development or enhancement of a necessary proficiency in either a useful skill or a domain of knowledge.

I apologize Ken but as I am not Shakespear, Edgar Allen Po, or another author in whose lifetime excessively flowery and complex language was considered a positive and skillful display of good taste and writing capacity, I must refuse, on moral, ethical and professional grounds, to indulge this puerile butchering of the English language and proper writing skills on the grounds it has no and can never gain any reasonable purpose or legitimacy, as such legitimacy not only should flow but could only flow from the development or enhancement of a necessary proficiency in either a useful skill or a domain of knowledge.

I apologize Ken but as I am not Shakespear, Edgar Allen Po, or another author in whose lifetime excessively flowery and complex language was considered a positive and skillful display of good taste and writing capacity, I must refuse, on moral, ethical and professional grounds, to indulge this puerile butchering of the English language and proper writing skills on the grounds it has no and can never gain any reasonable purpose or legitimacy, as such legitimacy not only should flow but could only flow from the development or enhancement of a necessary proficiency in either a useful skill or a domain of knowledge.

I apologize Ken but as I am not Shakespear, Edgar Allen Po, or another author in whose lifetime excessively flowery and complex language was considered a positive and skillful display of good taste and writing capacity, I must refuse, on moral, ethical and professional grounds, to indulge this puerile butchering of the English language and proper writing skills on the grounds it has no and can never gain any reasonable purpose or legitimacy, as such legitimacy not only should flow but could only flow from the development or enhancement of a necessary proficiency in either a useful skill or a domain of knowledge.