Before I fell apart, I had learned about a locomotion breakthrough in robotic snakes that I was going to save for future use if C. Scagnetti acted up again, but that isn't going to happen now. In fact, I may have to retire AcMo's entire psychological warfare division. This is a new and troubling precedent in AcMo's history. Any division we had to close in the past was a result of market difficulties or poor choice in managers, but we have never had an outside non-regulatory party force us into closure. That changed along with everything else this past Friday.
My entire weekend was ruined by one link, and life as I knew it ceased to exist. I could no longer feel comfortable walking anywhere with bare feet. The option to be shirtless in the office evaporated. No corner was safe, and I had to adjust to always looking above me for threats. How could one link reduce me to a cowering mess of fear and paranoia? It is still so disturbing that I refuse to share the link with anyone else because it can cause nightmares while being wide awake. This linked article was about a house that has (yes, "has" because they won't leave!) an estimated 6000+ venomous brown recluse spiders living in it. The spiders have been squatting in this property for years and have prevented the owners from living in their own home. I don't understand why the house wasn't immediately burned to the ground before the spiders had the opportunity to fill their ranks. THAT was a rookie mistake. I'm certain the insurance company would've understood.
I had used Snob's fear of spiders to threaten him by suggesting the possible deployment of two spiders. He had to go and multiply that by 3000 to retaliate. He went straight to the nuclear option instead of folding as I had expected. Now it is my turn to fold because that many spiders is too many. We went to DEFCON 1 and instituted new 24 hour security and containment protocols. We are now at war with the spiders, and we are losing.
This weekend was almost sleepless. Of course there were a lot of races to watch, which contributed to that, but it is hard to sleep with all of the lights on when you are trying to keep the spiders from emerging from their hiding spots, or at best pretending they aren't there. We didn't even have any insecticides on hand that would guarantee spider eradication. Life is not as much fun when the entire situation seems hopeless. I tried so hard to take my mind off of the spiders, but I just couldn't stop looking over my shoulder.
I was always able to count on watching motorsports as a solid distraction from everything else in the past. Even that failed to be anything more than a fleeting relief. This weekend involved a lot of historical milestones. What should have been exciting and memorable events were almost melancholic instead. The threat of necrotising tissue is horrifying to me. I shouldn't have even mentioned that. I can't stop thinking about the spiders and writing about them doesn't help. Facing the spider menace head on isn't even an option.
Maybe a brief recap of the motorsports events from the weekend will free my mind from torture. Honda's Marc Marquez clinched his second straight Moto GP title at Twin Ring Motegi, which was also significant because it was the first time Honda had ever won the title at their own track. The best part for me is that Marquez's title meant that his teammate had failed again to win the title.
The FIA WEC 6 hour race at Fuji was also contested this weekend. This one was a bit more difficult to watch because of timing and limited broadcast options in the US. Limited in this instance meant internet viewing only, and even that was difficult. Porsche was kind enough to provide a live feed from the #20 919 Hybrid. This was a late night viewing which was well past my shut down time, but I wanted to see the LMP1 cars on a track I don't like very much. I started viewing just after two hours had elapsed. The feed was enjoyable enough until I saw two of the Toyota TS040 Hybrids (1000hp anyone?) demoralize the #20. They moved away from the Porsche as if it was in a different and much slower class. It was not right. When I glanced at the live timing screen, the times for the 919 indicated it should have been competitive with the Toyota's, but for whatever reason, that wasn't the case while I was watching. I was only able to view another twenty minutes before I lost hope. Despite my early abandonment, the #20 919 managed to take the third spot on the podium.
The final race I watched was the first ever Russian F1 event. It was held at a "street" circuit built in Sochi encompassing the Olympic venue. If you're familiar with the Valencia circuit, this track has some similarities. It is the third longest track on the schedule and each lap is over 3 miles long. The race itself was a bit ridiculous in that there was almost no tire degradation, and Nico Rosberg was able to do all but one lap on the same set of tires. That was also not right. With Hamilton and Rosberg finishing first and second, Mercedes clinched the F1 Constructor's Championship for the first time.
I had hoped that watching all of the above motorsport events would take my mind off the spider threat, but my relief was only temporary. My secondary hope was that writing about it now and forcing myself to keep it in my consciousness would free me from the fear locked in my imagination. That didn't work either. The only option left for me is to focus all of AcMo's resources on stopping the spider menace before it gets any worse. I do not want to have to start abandoning new bases of operation because of this. The one positive from this terrible situation is that I have been able to eliminate certain states from ever having potential AcMo bases. Limiting our expansion will give me more time to focus on the bases we have already established.
Defeat has been painful and is enduring in this instance. I admit that the Ferrari 288 GTO is better than the F40. Damn you, Snob Duben. You'll pay for this treachery.
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