I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

by Jason Pargin

Having a support group of friends could maybe have rescued Phil Greene, but he’d chosen isolation, and in isolation, human minds tend to get strange, like a self-portrait painted from memory, in the dark, using a live snake as a brush.

note to self. Avoid this

This is a Free Speech zone and if you can’t handle that, leave. PS: I have preemptively banned ZekeArt from posting here.

The first rule of freedom.

We may be on the same burning plane, but only one of us has a parachute.”

Look down before you bask in that...

“Listen: I fully believe that I would think the way you do, if I had lived the life you’ve lived and consumed the media you’ve consumed. But I have this theory, that everything that happens on our screens is designed to do exactly what’s happening here, to repel us from one another, to create a war of all against all. It’s like a filter that only shows you others’ bad behavior, blocking the pure and letting through the poison, to make you scared of everyone who isn’t exactly identical to you.

Jason Pargin, once again genius

had decided to grab some night breakfast and down as much coffee as the restaurant would allow before the staff ejected them from the establishment.

a Waffle House ejecting someone for drinking coffee?? That Waffle House doesn't exist!

Immediately, several people performed what Abbott now recognized as a modern dehumanization ritual: they pulled up their phones and started recording, breaking eye contact to focus on their screen instead. This gesture had a clear meaning: “You are now no longer a person but a vector for engagement. Whatever happens to you from here on out matters only in terms of the quality of content generated.”

been there. Hated it

“Why am I not surprised,” said Sokolov, “that someone of your generation wants a participation trophy?” “Why am I not surprised someone of your generation wants me to work for free?”

Amazing villain line

“Why am I not surprised,” said Sokolov, “that someone of your generation wants a participation trophy?” “Why am I not surprised someone of your generation wants me to work for free?”

with amazing riposte

It looks like I’ve been offered a Buc-ee’s sponsorship deal, too. I was head-to-toe in their merch at the time.” “I can’t tell if you’re joking.” “At this point, my brain is so fried that I can’t even tell myself.”

Life...

Ether added, “Generally, when you find yourself constantly in the middle of drama, it’s because deep down, you want it that way.” Sock brushed some sauce onto charred meat and said, “Well, in my defense, I am a huge dumbass.”

Solid defense

“Ooh,” said Cammy, pointing to the sky. “I think this is the finale.”

tears...