Mark A. Rayner's Blog: Mark A. Rayner's Goodreads Blog, page 17

Forty-seven Signs of the Apocalypse (#29)

From the Book of Coiffureum And unto the Faithful, a terrible abomination will stalk the land, and there will be a great wailing. Unto the bros there will be a hunger & impatience. Verily, their own hair will not suffice, nor will they wait for it to grow into Fullness, and they shall take the hair of […]

Dr. Tundra Perfects the Whatsit Upgrade

Whatsit 2.0 had been so popular that Dr. Tundra did not waste any time getting started on 3.0. It would be ready by the next quarter. And then there was the new Danglybit PX he was working on. If he could capture the men’s market and the women’s market at the same time, his practice […]

The Ruins — a new flash fiction at the Caesura Letters

I have a new flash fiction up this week at the Caesura Letters called The Ruins. It’s a different kind of piece — a meditation on the nature of Stoicism (though to be fair, it has a dash of existentialism in it.) If you haven’t already checked out the Caesura Letters, you really should. It’s […]

The Digital Sabbath, or Why I Never Reply to Your Emails on Saturday

If it’s Saturday and you’re reading this, I am far away from you. That’s because every week, I unplug and celebrate what I call the digital sabbath. I know, I know, it’s kind of blasphemous, but it is the best way to think about the activity of disconnecting from the Internet to give my brain a breather. […]

Twitter etiquette

If someone follows you, please, don’t immediately DM them and ask them to friend you on FB now, or buy your book, or watch your hilarious YouTube videos, etc. Imagine you’re at a party, and you’ve just encountered Bob. Bob seems interesting. Bob has a neat beard and a funny t-shirt. So you start a conversation. […]

The tyranny of freedom

  From Kurt Vonnegut’s Bluebeard, 1987.  

After the Clown Apocalypse

Like all pandemics, the Bozo Virus ran its course. For those of us who were immune, we had to watch society go mad with clowning. Some saw the horrors of chainsaw juggling. Others experienced the exquisite madness of of buffoonibalism. We were there to witness the collapse of a global economy, the end of civilization as we […]

Why the 30 Years War lasted so long

It wasn’t just because all the players had such deeply held religious beliefs. It was also because they had a virtual parity in robots and x-wing fighters. Just a little tip of balance, and it would have been over in weeks. Alltop tips the balance towards funny. Excellent photoshoppery by David Blackwell.

Gonzo street

One of my guilty pleasures is Jim’ll Paint It — where readers request crazy scenarios and Jim makes them happen through the magic of imagination (and some kind of hallucinogen, I’m guessing.) Alltop loves a good hallaughinogen.

At the GruntWerx Board of Directors Meeting

As you know, GruntWerx is the premier human relations solution provider to the world. Our products and services help the globe’s most influential companies maintain, improve and oversee their workforces. As CEO, my personal mission has been to bring ridiculous value to the shareholders. And I have. Before I reveal our latest plans, let’s step […]