Story: "Don't Try This at Home"

This story was inspired by dialecticdreamer who sponsored the "waterboarding" square on my 6-10-13 card for the hc_bingo fest. It belongs to the Schrodinger's Heroes project, taking place after the unscreened episodes.  There is a related poem, "Sloppy and Wet," which details the original incident.

WARNING: The following warnings are spoilers, and also very intense.  This poem is about extreme racism, bullying, and waterboarding, followed by the aftermath as one of the perpetrators is tormented by what he's done and therefore seeks advice on how to make up for it. The story does end on a relatively hopeful note, though.  If these are sensitive issues for you, carefully consider whether you want to read this.  Please make sure you're in a steady mindstate before clicking through.  (Special thanks to dialecticdreamer for offering to answer questions about the story from folks who aren't positive whether or not they want to read it.)

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10 New Species

Here's a list of 10 newly discovered species.

The clean room microbe made me laugh.  No matter what you do, life will find a way.  The harsher you make the conditions, the more durable the life you will breed.  This is not a surprise.  It is obvious.  It is how evolution works, no matter how much you might wish it didn't.

Jury Nullification

 Know your rights: If you are serving on a jury, and you believe the law is unjust, then you can choose to release the defendant regardless of the evidence.  The justice system works very hard to prevent people from knowing this.  Spread the word, because it's a vital part of producing actual justice.

Conversely, if you need to get out of jury duty, tell them that you know about jury nullification and plan to inform all the other summoned jurors.  People are routinely kicked out of courthouses for talking about it.

Poem: "Swallowtide"

This poem came out of the 2009 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from haikujaguar and LJ user Whuffle. It has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. This poem belongs to the series Sunken Nebraska, which you can explore further via the Serial Poetry page.

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Last Day of the Half-Price Sale

Today is the last day of the half-price poetry sale.  I have one poem left to post from the Sunken Nebraska series, which should go up later today.  There are two poems that haven't sold yet, both in A Conflagration of Dragons, one medium-long and one epic.  If you were planning to buy something from this sale, now's the time.

Poem: "The Songs That Know"

This poem came out of the January 6, 2009 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from haikujaguar , LJ users Whuffle, Ladyqkat, and Wyld_dandelyon. It has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. This poem belongs to the series Submerged Nebraska, which you can find on the Serial Poetry page.

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