TRO: 3087 - Shaman

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087.  

SMN-3OG
Overview
    When Black Dragon forces started another war with Clan Ghost Bear in 3068, they expected their disparate forces to roll over the Clanners as easily as the Star League Defense Force had defeated Clan Smoke Jaguar seven years previous.
    Instead, they found a Touman ready for a fight, with new weapons, new tactics, and new ‘Mechs. The Clan had to overcome its preference for slow adaptation as The Second Combine-Ghost Bear War forced it to choose between abandoning massive reforms wholesale or embracing them.
    While still utilizing fast, hard-hitting units, the Shaman is the second of a new generation of lighter, heartier ‘Mechs made to go up against the Inner Sphere. As a small, cost-effective unit, the omnipresent Shaman has come to overshadow the Ursus as the representative of those changes.
    It has fought in every major engagement between the Ghost Bears and the Draconis Combine over the past 19 years. Never a favorite with MechWarriors, it’s beloved by everyone from Star Commanders to Khans.

Romans!

Basket Run 15: Greatest Hits

17 to 01: Metamorphosis

You guys like heaps of oblique references to First Contact, right? 

I'm not really sure what the message for this episode is. Love trancends...something? Also, Zefram Cochrane: bisexual. I'd see John Barrowman play the role. You?

Episodes of 17 to 01 are available on iTunes. It updates Thursdays at 01:00 AM CT and Friday nights at 8:30 PM ET / 9:30 CT. We're also amazingly on Stitcher.

Apes, Man

Ahmed Mohammed

Adults: “This generation of kids is just stupid and lazy.”

Kid: “Makes an electronic device because he loves learning.”

Adults: “WhAt is thiS deviCe? HollywOod BoMB?! ARREST IT!!!1!!”

The real problems you have with “kids these days”:

Their lives are easier than yours were at the same age and you worried that all the suffering you’ve retroactively justified as “character-building” won’t be inflicted on them, when your alleged character determines which person is a human worthy of respect, opportunity, and basic fucking rights as a function of your mood.

You’re only used to exceptionalism and talent coming from very specific corners of society. When society quits patting white dicks on the back for existing and starts putting black folks in space, you think we’ve lost all sense of value.

You’ve kept your head down just turning a wheel until retirement and making sure your kids grow up to keep their heads down and find a wheel to turn until retirement. It must be a surprise when you’re forced to look up and realize there are children with an interest beyond that who’ve been learning about more than just surviving and that such knowledge confers power. Also surprising is the sudden realization that you can no longer tell diversion from danger.

Nothing kids can do this day can live up to your misremembered, rose-colored past.

Basket Run 14: Silence and Fury

17 to 01: The Gamesters of Triskelion

Despite all the hand-waviness, extreme Shatnering, and rubber brains, this one is really good. We also introduce the concept of the Enterprise's ballpit.

I believe in the ballpit.

I really like the ending of this one. It's the best ending that captures the hopeful, forward-facing ideology of Star Trek. Better endings in general though? I can't think of any.

17 to 01 is available on iTunes. It updates Thursdays at 01:00 AM CT and Friday nights at 8:30 PM ET / 9:30 CT. We're also amazingly on Stitcher.

TRO: 3087 - Red Howler

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087. 

HLF-01 Red Howler
Overview
    In a pattern familiar to military historians, the Jade Falcons were enjoying a successful campaign against the Lyran Commonwealth until the Wolves struck them in the back in March of 3073. The self-styled ilClan took a string of Falcon factory worlds from their original invasion corridor and dug in. The Falcons had been eager to crush the Lyrans and ignore the Wolves’ pointless war over a worthless title, but now true battle called.
    The Falcons’ efforts to convert native factories had been in progress for some time, but the loss of many of their core worlds was still a serious blow. Crash efforts were undertaken to convert many BattleMechs into more effective and versatile OmniMechs.
    Designs like the Red Howler, Nemesis, and Sparrowhawk were successful enough through the end of the ilClan War that they were produced as proper OmniMechs after the war’s conclusion.

Foo Fighters on the final Letterman show

I know this happened a while ago, but it's still a good bit.

I won't pretend to suddenly be a big Letterman fan, but it's gotta be a great look back for folks who are.

Basket Run 13: Basket Tumble

17 to 01: Catspaw (Season 2!)

When I said that "things get better" last week, I did not anticipate "Catspaw" being our first episode. Apparently the advanced future of humankind celebrates both Thanksgiving and Halloween.

Derek is happy that the crew of the Enterprise is finally acting like player characters. We learn that Doctor McCoy would turn on the crew in exchange for a world or pure imagination...and burbon.

17 to 01 is available on iTunes. It updates Thursdays at 01:00 AM CT and Friday nights at 8:30 PM ET / 9:30 CT. We're also amazingly on Stitcher.

It's what you all want, you monsters

They Don't Want Us to Exist

Kim Davis, a clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky is in jail right now for contempt of court. She refused to issue marriage licenses because she objected to the recognition of same-sex couples, despite a US Supreme Court decision that she should.

Less than a month ago, a Colorado court of appeals ruled against Jack Phillips for refusing to make a cake for a gay couple. Like Kim Davis, he cited his strong religious feeling as his reason for his discrimination against gays.

Putting aside for a moment three things:

1. If your religion demands that you sacrifice a child every full moon, you could not do that in America, because your religious beliefs do not allow you to break the law.

2. If you are of a pacifist faith, join the army, and then refuse to fight; you'd be in trouble not for your faith, but because if your job requires you to violate your faith, you should resign.

3. The United States does not give out permission slips from the Christian God and if you don't understand the difference between God and The US Government, you don't understand either very well. 

Basket Run 12: Dungeon Allure

17 to 01: Season 1 Supplemental

All good things must come to an end and after six months we have reached the end of 17 to 01's first season. We're going to take some breaks between seasons to keep with the pacing of Star Trek produced, so we've got at least one more coming before the end of The Original Series.

We've got a lot to reflect on after the first season and a lot of improvements we want to make for the second season. If you're interested in behind the scenes stuff and some nuts and bolts of amateurs making a podcast, you're in luck.

Standing here in the future of the second season, sometimes good things get better. You'll see that next week.

TRO: 3087 - Raven

3087 is a Battletech alternate universe where The Jihad never happened. Instead, political fracturing continues in the wake of the technological and military upheavals of the 3050's. Its history is told through the pages and designs of TRO: 3087. With any luck this series will be the last anyone hears about 3087. 

RVN-5L Raven
Overview
    As the other four great houses spiraled into seeming anarchy over the past twenty years, the Capellan Confederation has been a bastion of order. Those outside credit its geography (being far from the Clans) and its slow withdrawal from interstellar politics and trade.
    The Confederation’s recent military conflicts have been few, but often resulted in solid successes. Much of that is thanks to its impressive new Raven design. Both the Free Worlds League and Federated Suns have attempted to capture the cutting-edge electronics warfare machine, without success.
    It was hoped that when the Diamond Shark trade caravan passed through Capellan space in the early 3080’s that they’d emerge with new and ever-rarer intelligence from The Confederation. While the traders have had generally positive things to say about the upgraded Raven, they’re quick to mention it’s not as nice as the Sharks’ own Mad Cat Mk V.
    Though sources indicate their mission wasn’t a successful one, some of the few deals the Clanners struck included their silence about what they witnessed within the insular House.

Adam Savage's Star Trek Captain's Chair