It's Friday, the 12th of March, in the year 2010
CoN: An Electronic Magazine for the Puerile Pundit

Currently: Classic Videogames Mutate in Game Over Art Show
posted on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 13:00 EST

Latest article: Really boring books (You have to read anyway): Silmarillion
written by David Dylan

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There are some books that will bore you to tears. Books that are a waste of time just sitting there on the shelf. But you have to read them, because they are relevant, or because they help you understand things, or because just because. This series of articles looks at some of these books. This instalment: Silmarillion (More)
Cheap computers, readily available broadband and increasingly easier to use interfaces also means the experience has become more and more instant. There is no learning curve, no sense of being 'new' and the humility that brings. Frankly, without wanting to sound hateful, it also means the bar has been lowered beyond a point where people we wouldn't invite to a party can now join in without restriction or buffer to help them, or force them, to spend time to adapt to their new surroundings. (More)
There are some books that will bore you to tears. Books that are a waste of time just sitting there on the shelf. But you have to read them, because they are relevant, or because they help you understand things, or because just because. This series of articles looks at some of these books. This instalment: Anne Frank's diary. (More)
I began to complain lately that I hadn't done any writing. It's true, I haven't. But the problem was not just a matter of having writer's block or that I couldn't figure what to write. After a long day, sitting in front of a computer and trying to write something was the last thing on my mind. And so no writing got done because it was far easier to just complain about it. It's kind of like complaining that you never win the lottery when you never actually go out and buy a ticket. Here's what I'm doing about it to change that. (More)
I play Dungeons & Dragons. I admit it. I love it. Besides; it was my love of games and my interaction with the game's inventor (Gary Gygax, RIP old bear), whom I was proud to call a friend for a while, that made me go into multi-media. This week (and the week before, and the week before...) my group couldn't get together. So, instead I played with Photoshop. The result is rather D&D-ish... but I like it. (More)
First and foremost, Basil Baxter (who Loves You) wishes to address some personal grievances. Basil Baxter (who Loves You) has noted with mounting displeasure that, despite claims to the contrary by your extensive PR department, you apparently do not, in fact, read all letters sent to you. (More)
Why can't I analyze people? Because it's not my field? What the fuck? Seriously. I can analyze an electric circuit, I can analyze a computer program. Why not a person? (More)
Economics, like many faith based beliefs, actually depends on wilful ignorance in order to exist. Bankers are the front line of this faith. They claim natural disaster when human failings are inevitably the cause. They create double-speak and misdirection in order to maintain control of a system of value that has nothing to do with the real world. (More)
Outside throngs of kiddies, accompanied by parents with visibly frayed nerves (as is always the case whenever large packs of toddlers gather) were waiting in the pale sunshine. Large signs proclaimed that there was to be a movie premiere. This was just perfect. Basil Baxter loves movie premieres. He loves any reason for crowds to gather. (More)
Today's event would be an exceptionally good one. Having all but completely depleted the sordid pool of muck that is TV-formats that end with "with the stars", the TV production company had moved on to "with the children". Basil Baxter can think of many things to do that involve children. Mostly it also involves either killing them or recruiting them as assassins. (More)
It was overcast. Jimmy liked the overcast skies; they were so not like home. He loved the light. He took out his ageing camera and took a few pictures. He ducked deeper into his thick coat. It was hard getting used to the cold. It was cold, bitter cold. In the distance the hills looked colder still, there was snow coming. Funny how you learn these things in just a few years.

Hit Play before reading. (More)
Dear Usama,

Thank you for your interest in joining Basil Baxter on his drive to purge the world of all that possesses life. Your kind letter has brightened Basil Baxter's day. (More)
The doorbell rang, and rang again. Dave cursed; he'd completely forgotten that a reporter was coming around to do an interview. He practically jumped into his jeans and put on a T-shirt he found laying next to the mattress he used as a bed. After pushing the button that opened the downstairs door, he popped in a CD and started to make coffee.

Hit "play" before reading. (More)
There was a long line at the venue. Fortunately Basil had had the foresight to arrange backstage passes so he whistled a little tune as he nonchalantly sauntered past the waiting throng to the VIP entrance. His passes were all-access and one special one that would give him dressing-room access. (More)
She's too young and by far not innocent enough for him. Under the knockout-blonde exterior anything could be lurking. A chaste virgin with dreams of the one true lover. Or a child with too many boyfriends. He doesn't know. (Hit "play" before reading.) (More)
It was early in the morning. Outside the birds sang. It was going to be a sunny spring day. Basil had just disconnected a phone call from the contractor; his cement truck was due to arrive in three hours. He sat down to finish his breakfast. (Kitten with pancakes and syrup.) (More)
Computers hummed in the cramped room. Monitors broke the morning light with their plastic glow. Dead light fighting the life trying to claw its way into the dusky atmosphere behind unwashed windows. (Hit "play" before reading.) (More)
The vicar had made a moving speech. The bride and groom were very much in love. The mothers had cried, the fathers were still swaying from the copious amounts of beer they had imbibed at the bachelor party. It looked like rain, but for now it was still dry. It was a pretty spring morning and blossoms floated through the air. It was going to be a pretty picture, just how pretty, only Basil knew. (More)
It had been a slow day. John and Pat sat in the shade of the porch out in front of the small laboratory. Their lab coats looked yellow in the dim afternoon sun but, to be fair, they looked yellowish the rest of the time too.
     Pat wiped her brow and took a sip from her beer. She wiped some of her blonde hair from her face and lit a cigarette. (More)
It sucked.

Yes, that's right you die-hard nut-jobs jacking off to anything with Quentin's name on it; it sucked. (More)

I'm extremely individualistic and yet I have a social conscience. I've had arguments with some conservative friends who can't understand how I can be so Darwinistic on one hand and so socialist on the other. They say it's contradictory. I explain it like this. (More)
'OK, let's try again. I'm pretty certain it will work this time.' The man addressed as Doc had turned to face Mich. 'I've upped the energy throughput and refined the coordinates. We should have you back in time in no time.' (More)
Despite all its bad, the "evil" Capitalistic system has done more than any other system: it has brought humanity out of the dark ages; it has allowed freedom; it has created a level of comfort never experienced before; it has created a safer, healthier, better educated society; it has outlived all the other systems that tried to replace it; it has proved to be a truly democratic system we are all participating and voting members in; and, ultimately, when Capitalism does evil, it is society's collective fault. (More)
I'm surprised that radical feminists would even argue that such a concept would be feasible. The same radical feminists who condemn the capitalist system, patriarchy and go so far to even say that heterosexuality is compulsory, are the same feminists who argue that equality would be accomplished by employing the same system they condemn. How does one revolutionize the world by using the same archaic mentality one tries to overthrow? (More)
While in school, stupid jobs have the advantage of giving your brain time to recover from the copious amounts of bullshit it generated in your last assignment, have flexible hours, don’t need a degree in rocket science to perform, and provide you with a financial reward. Best of all if it lets you do as little as possible. That was my job in the photo lab in a nutshell. (More)
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