Reflections on the mutability of the interwoven Internet
“The assignment, class, is to deconstruct this computer-generated poem.” Moans greeted this announcement, of course, because Lytton 3000 was as horrible at sonnets as its namesake was at prose. Still, Professor Fenwick could find nothing better to challenge his genetically enhanced students. With all the theatrical flair of Quentin Tarrantino, the Professor lowered the lights ... Read more
"Class, today is set aside for our recent graduates. Before embarking on his or her individual quest, each of them must complete the Sophist's Emancipation Course. "Successful completion of the SEC requires a demonstration of virtue, vigilance and vigor. Intelligence without purposeful action is as wasteful as an upended jug of water. Our graduates will ... Read more
"Let's invent a new game." Phineas stretched his mouth into an it's-a-beautiful-morning wake-up yawn. "Sure." Ferb, man of few words, scratched himself in pleasurable agreement. "I'm looking for inspiration. Say! This ancient desktop computer gives me an idea …." Phineas opened the rusty metal casing to reveal dust balls and wires. "Eh, never mind." As ... Read more
The exploit was crude, but effective. Molten Hail—aptly named—melted through firewalls before freezing servers. The only survivors were hardened servers specifically designed to test every byte passing through their ports. It was one of these computers that Jeremy was analyzing when Bertha walked into the lab. "Hi, Jer. What do we have?" "Hell if I ... Read more
Martians had no concept of prejudice. Their brains were wired like lobotomized slugs: each experience was new. Yet, their transcendent race had accumulated the wisdom to recognize xenophobia as it applied to them. I blanched at the unusual combination of smell and terror-inducing hisses emanating from my tour guide. “Plack manu frobbish, Gia?” What are ... Read more
The checkmate was flawless. The bloody aftermath was more of a mess. Raven Spassky's body lay in a puddle of its own fluids, most of which had leaked from multiple holes in her flimsy aluminum armor. Whoever had said plasma was a source of clean energy had never fired a shot in anger. I'm glad ... Read more
Tomorrow’s execution would be delayed no longer. All appeals had been exhausted; the wizard’s daughter refused to repent and the bishop had no choice but to make an example of her. To do anything less would only fuel the burgeoning unrest among the peasants. This close to the harvest, the king and his advisors were ... Read more
Last week, we tackled clothes from Rags to Riches. This week, let's look at the people behind the threads. To spice things up a bit, we'll use Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a segregator. Of course, the point values do not follow this pyramid scheme! "MaslowsHierarchyOfNeeds" by FireflySixtySeven - Own work using Inkscape, based on ... Read more
If you are what you wear, then the Emperor of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale is nothing. Unless you play some bizarre form of Strip Scrabble, you'll want to get out your ETUI and weave some threads. Not every stitch will be fit for a king, but you will be able to cover your assets. ... Read more
Although you shouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight, check out this array of sharp objects you can use to slice your Scrabble opponents to ribbons. From 3-letter defensive lightweights to 8-letter lethal weapons, some of these are sure to fit your scabbard, err, rack. Note: some duplication occurs, due to alternate spellings and one ... Read more