Explore every episode of the podcast The Drunk and The Ugly

Freedom has always come with asterisks, footnotes, and apologetic parentheticals. There is no total freedom; we are bound by causality, space, physics, time, ability, location, background, wealth, the limited freedoms of others. Yet, there are small freedoms every day in the choices we make, consciously or unconsciously, and in the

The docks had been closed for months now, its runners knee deep in one of the last and most powerful labor strikes in the city. No scab dared cross the picket line, the union bosses cold as ice and deeply respected by their allies. But as infrastructure in the city

Addiction is a powerful thing. Or maybe more relevantly than addiction, the expectation of instant gratification and constant stimulation. The jury is out on just how addictive those cycles can be, and that jury may always be out, for its own concerning reasons. Children move from toy to phone to

It was the same as it had always been. “Open enough boxes of Cracker Jack” became “use your decoder goggles,” which became “get a full set of hidden stickers,” which became “scan the right QR code.” And always for a prize that could be, but was statistically unlikely to be,

Look, gunshot wounds take a while to heal, okay? After all, It’s Only Business. Side Chatter MUSIC CREDITS PLAYERS

Sometimes you get fucking shot. After all, It’s Only Business

The casino business had changed. Not as much as anyone thought it was going to, but it had changed. With the advent of the chip that changed the world, sleep no longer existed in a meaningful way for most. The night stretched on and on, with anxiety and fatigue weighing

There are few who would disagree that the meaning of life is more than the collection of good experiences to a degree that they maximally outweigh bad experiences. But how MUCH more? In their centuries of debating hedonism, utilitarianism, stoicism, and a hundred other worldviews, philosophers have considered the thought

Sometimes, when you work on your own for long enough, your plans become inseparable from you, attached irreparably to the way you think. This is all well and good until the plan leaves your grasp, and others start to grapple with it, only to find that what has been created

The cogs continued to turn, squealing under the friction of the grit placed within them, but turning nonetheless. Tired, twitching fingers fretted at the keyboard, eyes bouncing between shorthand sections of past plans. The links were there, even if a good number of the boxes were marked with a small,

Another day, another demand. The city had long since stopped paying for the upkeep of the few remaining public prisons, after years and years of shrinking budgets. Strategic privatization meant only so much of the city revenue came through the tax system, and it became politically difficult to allocate that

Monopolies are often more complicated in the modern era than the board game would have you believe. With the size and complexity of the business incorporation space, a corporation of a certain size often needs to build both horizontal and vertical integration. A certain size above -that- often needs to

Some days it was better than others. Today was not one of those days. Some days it was a minor annoyance at the back of his mind. Today, it felt like lightning was pouring through his nerves. Another day in the dark, fingers clutching at the remote as he scanned

[BEGIN COMMERCIAL] [BEGIN MUSIC, SOURCED FROM “CALMING” AND “CALL TO ACTION” PSYCH TAGS] [FADE FROM BLACK TO REVEAL CEO, VIDEO EDIT TO SOFTEN FACIAL FEATURES, CREATE WARMTH] CEO: Welcome to GeneHome. Where your legacy is assured through your contribution to science. [SWING SHOT, HALF-SMIRK TO ENSURE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE, ADJUST

Our blood-shot eyes disguise their lies Our cries all rise up to the skies God help them when they realize Our knives arrive to end their lives They never let our city sleep They count on us to be their sheep The pens are full, the labor cheap But they’re

Since time immemorial, the powers that be have valued entertainment. It doesn’t only pacify the masses, leaving them blind to the injustice and the exploitation of the system that contains them. They pay for it too. This leaves the powerful to search for the most potent, resonant messages, and when

The conditions were perfect. Or at the very least, in the very particular setting of this tube, they were perfectly designed to accomplish what the bosses wanted. Restful, continuous, and above all, predictable sleep. It was dark. Sixty-four degrees Fahrenheit on the dot, he’d heard them say, with continuous modifications

The system had never specialized in long-term investment for the future. Or at least not the future of humanity. How would you justify it to the board of investors when all of the other companies are part of humanity too? What the system DID specialize in was finding a need

The legalization and proliferation of an commercially-offered implanted brain chip, especially one that interfaced with the notoriously vital hypothalamus, was met with public outcry and legislative difficulty, to the surprise of no one. However, the surprise over the speed with which that public outcry and legislative difficulty drained away was

When trying for a role in a criminal enterprise, and with the right connections, it doesn’t take much for an outsider to see results. The question is whether the results are the ones you want. Ask the right questions, and exert the right (lower-case-L) leverage, and your life is liable

San Francisco is a very different place than it used to be, but not by as much as one might hope. In the near future, corporations have almost complete reign over local, state and national governance, with Silicon Valley used as a testing ground for not only new technologies, but

After a splitting of their tribe, a bunch of goblins are left to strike out for someone else to live. They reach a campground near a large, heavily forested canyon that should suit their purposes, but troubles lurk in all directions. Strange cults and dark prophecies threaten their new home

Every goblin knows that when you’ve got nothing better to do, you listen to Free Guff on the only working radio station. When the day comes where he realizes he’s been broadcasting all along, he puts out a call for anyone who can provide him with music; CDs, records, instruments,

The Rowdy Riders are a band of goblins known for two things: riding on something and doing anything for pay. To go through with a trade, the Riders are hired to escort a truck full of explosives to its destination, hoping that thieves, mutants and the local Redcap problem don’t

Another year, another Gen Con.  Our largest party so far traveled to Indianapolis and all have stories to tell of steps walked, games played, and unusual botanical liquors consumed.

//Forum: Neo-Idoru Interests, Sub-Forum: FW-48 Topic: Sightings and Location (Pinned) Ratboy_AF: Can confirm at least two on Locus. Flash concert near the Amoeba,

Kanawa: They calling it FW-48? FW? j0benz: I mean, strictly speaking, there are an almost limitless combination of things that acronym could mean. Even if you restrict yourself to those languages that use the Greek alphabet, ignoring other languages’ uses of the

The following is a pamphlet recovered from the locker of a Tau soldier killed in action during naval engagement. The Tau ship was presumed en-route to Bellom to engage Astra Militarum forces. “While Bellom may seem of little use to us, scorched though it is, both the agents of the

What follows is a partially decoded transcript of a message intercepted between previously unknown Eldar agents operating on Bellom. The veracity of the claims or even existence of the Eldar is as yet unconfirmed but assumed to be true. From Farseer Aeglen for the ears of Pathfinder Sobir- Static lasting

Log of Captain Hepatia, Sword-Class Frigate Alexandria 125.817.M41 2032 Hours Operational Theater: Rheelas We have been engaged with Stigmartus ship elements for 4 hours, the majority of the time with only visual communication. Contact with the ground has been extremely limited, and battle order has been difficult to maintain. Despite

Conflict Report In Progress of Captain Roman, Ultramarines 125.817.M41 1946 Hours Operational Theater: Rheelas 1-Unsuccessful attempt to coordinate actions with Storm Wardens and Salamanders (see report D-RHE1982, Unsuccessful diplomacy attempt preceding Rheelas conflict Gamma) 2- Enacted joint operation with Deathwatch Squad, successfully assaulting previous seat of power on Rheelas utilizing

Final Transcribed Transmission of Land Raider Izod, designated transport of Captain Tobias 125.817.M41 1827 Hours Operational Theater: Rheelas Tobias: “Squad Alpha, get me a visual on the other side of that grain depot. If we lose the rations, we’re looking at a thousand rebels turned to a million. Igneous, give

Pre-Battle Report of Captain Alister Mac Lir125.787.M41 1813 Hours Operational Theater: Rheelas The meeting with the Salamanders and Ultramarines has amounted to little but wasted operational time and a foul taste in my mouth. However, the presence of the Deathwatch, and the fact that a fellow brother ranks among them,

From the desk of Inquisitor Ulysses Wright 125.787.M41 1357 Hours In Transit to Hestus, Jericho Reach [Achilus Crusade] Lord-Captain Incanus Gilden, Rogue Trader: I write this to you mere moments before we enter transit, this very temporary delay only justified by the potential inexcusable loss of Rheelas. I have deployed

There comes a time in one’s life where you need to look at the decisions that you’ve made, and decide that enough is enough. That just because you’ve spent a great deal of time and effort pursuing something, that alone does not mean that you should continue without purpose, or

As the cruel winter subsides, one last cold front moves in to rock Upper Minnesota.  Will our intrepid entrepreneurs be able to cross the perilous roads and find their target, or will the cruel wheels of fate smash them into the pavement? This is part of an ongoing interpodcast series. 

There comes a time in every notable life when one must choose to use their strengths to pursue either wealth or their convictions. With luck, one might find the former while chasing the latter, but the latter almost always dissipates in the search for the former. And so it is

The residents of New Hamar have a need for steel and other materials and while their convoys are quite capable of carrying things out, their convoy and their own drivers are less expendable than the bounty they currently hold. A storm brews in upper Minnesota. Will our takers be able

From the desk of Inquisitor Ulysses Wright 093.787.M41 0400 Hours Watch Station Erioch, Jericho Reach [Achilus Crusade] Inquisitor Lord Concordia: Arrangements have been made for the assignment of one [1] 5 member Deathwatch Kill-Team to my command. I am confident that their unique skill-sets and operational freedom make them ideal

Agency Internal Dossier TOP SECRET – US EYES ONLY Verification Code 2-15-19-19-B Subject: Dr. Darius Hellstromme, Multiple Degrees, Multiple Universities Author: “Tom Bondsley”, Field Agent Alright, here’s where the (alleged) spy work gets tricky. There’s any number of fictionalized accounts of Hellstromme’s life and upbringing, ranging from him being some

Things were nice and peaceful in the goblins’ village. They lived on the remains of a human summer camp, enjoying their moldy leftovers and abandoned cabins. Their simple lives are disrupted when a tiny robot throws a poster on their wall offering fabulous prizes for those who can brave “Gameshow

Another day in the upper ten thousand lakes, another potential dollar for the enterprising crew of Freelance, a taker group that has made a name for itself in many ways, most of them bad.  A few new takers enter the fold and a few old ones come about to help

Agency Internal Dossier TOP SECRET – US EYES ONLY Verification Code 2-15-19-19-A Subject: Dr. Darius Hellstromme, Multiple Degrees, Multiple Universities Author: “Tom Bondsley”, Field Agent Well, here we are. I’m sure we have a million documents on this man, but I was assigned to study all the thousand scientists in

Just in time for the Holiday Season, enjoy this exploration of goblin holidays with some very tired people on the last day of Gen Con.

In the year 755 of the 41st Millenium, in the Calixis sector, on a routine visit with Rogue Trader Blain Arcadius, the navy frigate Spear of Tarsus made a discovery that would change the course of a trillion lives. On an emergency exit from a warp trip through the heart

Dear Diary, what am I doing here? In the name of pride, I find myself eating soot for breakfast, having failed a recovery even when I knew full well the target’s location. But it’s not simply shame in my heart. This place instills a sort of misery in you, a

GOBBLIN IS NOW LIVE ON DTRPG!  BUY MY BOOK! This is the story of the goblins from one of the villages of Mudhole. There are many Mudholes out there, and this is one pretty interchangeable with the rest. One evening, there was a knock at their cabin door.  The goblins are

Innistrad is not a place of life. It’s colors are deep and dismal, it’s people sturdy and sullen. But there are times of triumph. Singular times that stand out as proof that this doesn’t need to be the way things are. The world is not black and white. The harvest

Agency Internal Dossier TOP SECRET – US EYES ONLY Verification Code 22-9-3-20-15-18 Subject: Dr. Manfred Stark, PhD (Biology from Oxford University) Author: “Tom Bondsley”, Field Agent A proper doctor, as I understand it. As proper as a graverobber can be. Allegedly, anyway. By proxy. I know it’s more or less

Tatyana was dead. Sergei was dead. Maurer wasn’t sure what he was. The deal was simple and perfect. A conception bathed in a sense of infamy, but answered by the urgency of nobility and want. The Markovs had been generous that day so long ago, lit by candles and surrounded