Doesn’t change the fact that you can’t be promoted to a position already filled without displacing someone, and the top leadership of shadowy conspiratorial organizations generally don’t so much step down as roll out (feet first).
That being said, I’m not 100% sure that Green is the very top of the shadow government: perhaps there’s yet another curtain with someone behind it. (OZ analogies are somewhat confused by the fact that the Wizard never really was a Bad Guy: as the movie version says, a bad wizard, but a good man.)
Ivan / Ira insisted he’s not a bad man, but who can rely on his testimony now? (I just the other day realized that Sweetheart-in-the-drone VR adventure was set off by Ira’s “human suit” suggestion, which means Anasigma knew about it all along>)
We have a great deal of _objective evidence_ that Green is a bad person. I can’t recall anything bad Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs did aside from sending off Dorothy and her companions to confront the witch (although admittedly that was sort of a biggie), and in the books he does a lot of heroic stuff later.
While the shadow gov. is heavily infiltrated by Anisigma right now, they are in fact just a private company. If there anyone/anything truly in charge it’s not Ira. My bet is currently a web of beauracracy so complex everyone things someone else calls the shots but no one does, but it could be anything. Like maybe a completely normal bust of george wasington sitting on an office chair in a completely unused office
It’d be hysterical if it ended up being, you know, the current US President. Worst day of my life when I discovered that there wasn’t actually any Illuminati, and we were strictly on our own.
It was pretty much a revelation. I was on the DC Metro coming back from a tossed-together advisory meeting on the Hill (so tossed-together I had to bring my eldest with me in the stroller) where I had to explain to a bunch of Congressional staffers half my age how to manipulate New Media paradigms that nobody really understood (or still understands), and then the light shone down upon me: it was like this *all the way both up, and down*. There was no hypercompetent cabal of shadowy insiders out there, ready to step in if things got too squirrelly. There was no evil masterminds who went to school for this stuff. There wasn’t even a twenty year strategy. We were all on our f*cking own.
It’s all right: I don’t expect anybody to believe that, and I’m not even mad if they don’t. If I had the choice, I’d go with the hypercompetent masterminds myself.
It’s always easier to believe the government is run by a secret cabal of which the visible politicians are mere puppets than that, yes, the incompetent you voted for is really in charge, and you _own_ what he or she does.
Thanks.
I have a copy on my hard drive, that I have been keeping up to date myself.
I will think about whether I should change mine where we disagree about punctuation etc.
Haven’t been following along, but I’m sure I read some of this somewhere without following along or reading the compilations. Couldn’t find it in my files, though…some earlier link? Or has this story been going on so long I did read part of it years ago?
The story started with the very first strip back on 12/31/2007 with the words “Tip wore white”. I started doing my copy about 6 years ago when John’s edition had fallen seriously behind. After he caught back up, I just kept on doing mine. I know that bits of the story have been quoted in comments now and then over the years, so maybe that’s where you’ve read it.
If you’re in a hurry, you can just whip out a can of shark-repellent bat-spray from your bat-utility belt. Um. Not that I’m Batman, or anything. [vanishes]
All orgs must have someone, have someone
Who would have an extra vantage,
And can handle what’s begun.
Someone who can command them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
All orgs must have someone, have someone
Who would be well sycophantic,
And would go for all or none.
Someone to stand astride them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
I saw it magnify,
That Tip had caught your eye.
He’s offering a try.
America to conquer at the end,
And gone around the bend,
And take it on again.
All orgs must have someone, have someone
Who would have an extra vantage,
And can handle what’s begun.
Someone who can command them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
Someone to stand astride them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
—from “You Just May Be the One,” sung by the Monkees, written by the late Mike Nesmith.
Doesn’t the shadow government still belong to Ivan Green?
The shadow government doesn’t belong to anyone. It is, in itself, just another country to be conquered. And Tip aims to do it.
Doesn’t change the fact that you can’t be promoted to a position already filled without displacing someone, and the top leadership of shadowy conspiratorial organizations generally don’t so much step down as roll out (feet first).
That being said, I’m not 100% sure that Green is the very top of the shadow government: perhaps there’s yet another curtain with someone behind it. (OZ analogies are somewhat confused by the fact that the Wizard never really was a Bad Guy: as the movie version says, a bad wizard, but a good man.)
Ivan / Ira insisted he’s not a bad man, but who can rely on his testimony now? (I just the other day realized that Sweetheart-in-the-drone VR adventure was set off by Ira’s “human suit” suggestion, which means Anasigma knew about it all along>)
We have a great deal of _objective evidence_ that Green is a bad person. I can’t recall anything bad Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs did aside from sending off Dorothy and her companions to confront the witch (although admittedly that was sort of a biggie), and in the books he does a lot of heroic stuff later.
I wonder if openings keep appearing just as “Chris” needs them? Perhaps a dreadful rash of bee sting allergies?
Sting operations??
While the shadow gov. is heavily infiltrated by Anisigma right now, they are in fact just a private company. If there anyone/anything truly in charge it’s not Ira. My bet is currently a web of beauracracy so complex everyone things someone else calls the shots but no one does, but it could be anything. Like maybe a completely normal bust of george wasington sitting on an office chair in a completely unused office
It’d be hysterical if it ended up being, you know, the current US President. Worst day of my life when I discovered that there wasn’t actually any Illuminati, and we were strictly on our own.
I find this utterly interesting? How did you discover there weren’t any Illuminati?
It was pretty much a revelation. I was on the DC Metro coming back from a tossed-together advisory meeting on the Hill (so tossed-together I had to bring my eldest with me in the stroller) where I had to explain to a bunch of Congressional staffers half my age how to manipulate New Media paradigms that nobody really understood (or still understands), and then the light shone down upon me: it was like this *all the way both up, and down*. There was no hypercompetent cabal of shadowy insiders out there, ready to step in if things got too squirrelly. There was no evil masterminds who went to school for this stuff. There wasn’t even a twenty year strategy. We were all on our f*cking own.
It’s all right: I don’t expect anybody to believe that, and I’m not even mad if they don’t. If I had the choice, I’d go with the hypercompetent masterminds myself.
It’s always easier to believe the government is run by a secret cabal of which the visible politicians are mere puppets than that, yes, the incompetent you voted for is really in charge, and you _own_ what he or she does.
It would be fitting if the pinnacle of shadow gov authority was a Genetic Organism Designed Only for Thought.
The exact relationship between the shadow government and A-Sig has never been made very clear. (Now _we_ need an org chart.)
It’s that Military-Industrial Complex you’ve heard tell of.
Most of that isn’t really shadowy. At all.
America conquered by Sweetheart, and Tip assisting Tigerlily with her nefarious plans? What is the world coming to?
An end.
Sad but true.
A whole 20 minutes? They must be slacking.
Don’t forget to bring the frickin’ lasers.
I’m sure they have upgraded to fracking, or even frocking lasers by now
Isn’t the frocking laser one of the big secrets behind Tip’s outfit changes?
If not, it really, really, should be.
Only the unenlightened think that sharks are already weaponized!
Sweetheart’s history with authority makes me less enthusiastic than you, Tip
You just stick its soul into a kitten.
So what are the other two questions?
And for anyone following along at home, I just added the last two months or so of the filename story.
Thankyou, much appreciated!
I am amused at the proximity of the Department of Precambrian Defence.
John Campbell I’m so glad you’re doing that. Sorry to be behind the curve. Do you have a link?
Here’s the link for John’s copy: http://www.ci-n.com/~jcampbel/skinhorse.txt
I also have an up-to-date copy I’ve been doing: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s9e62nuzq4gkooz/Skin%20Horse%20filename%20story.txt?dl=0
Thanks so much, awgiedawgie!
Thanks.
I have a copy on my hard drive, that I have been keeping up to date myself.
I will think about whether I should change mine where we disagree about punctuation etc.
Haven’t been following along, but I’m sure I read some of this somewhere without following along or reading the compilations. Couldn’t find it in my files, though…some earlier link? Or has this story been going on so long I did read part of it years ago?
The story started with the very first strip back on 12/31/2007 with the words “Tip wore white”. I started doing my copy about 6 years ago when John’s edition had fallen seriously behind. After he caught back up, I just kept on doing mine. I know that bits of the story have been quoted in comments now and then over the years, so maybe that’s where you’ve read it.
Must be that, then.
Weaponized sharks? Remind me again which volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking has the shark repellent recipe?
If you’re in a hurry, you can just whip out a can of shark-repellent bat-spray from your bat-utility belt. Um. Not that I’m Batman, or anything. [vanishes]
If they’re sinister secret operations, do you have to be left-handed?
That could be a problem for Sweetheart…
All orgs must have someone, have someone
Who would have an extra vantage,
And can handle what’s begun.
Someone who can command them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
All orgs must have someone, have someone
Who would be well sycophantic,
And would go for all or none.
Someone to stand astride them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
I saw it magnify,
That Tip had caught your eye.
He’s offering a try.
America to conquer at the end,
And gone around the bend,
And take it on again.
All orgs must have someone, have someone
Who would have an extra vantage,
And can handle what’s begun.
Someone who can command them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
Someone to stand astride them,
Sweetheart just could be the one.
—from “You Just May Be the One,” sung by the Monkees, written by the late Mike Nesmith.
I thought they couldn’t use sharks anymore due to conservation efforts.
No, that was dolphins. I think. Maybe.
The Navy ran out of dolphins depressed enough to undertake suicide missions?
He’s leaving it for her to use. The org chart is hers to peruse. She can be the First Minister of secret gov sinister—an offer she cannot refuse.
d’aww
Moe, your advisory meeting required your first born?