In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “Alchemical Journey”.

After Nate brags about his minimalist achievement in the Android App Drawer, Brian brings up some strange tweets and bizarre circumstances surrounding the recent shooting at White House Correspondents Dinner. The lads are left to speculate how much of our reality is actually manufactured for our consumption. The boys then dig into ruling class’s motivation for deception. To buttress the point, Nate launches into a brief history of attempts to dismantle the USA’s only public bank, the Bank of North Dakota.

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “Alexandria”.

The boys begin by discussing the abrupt Spirit Airlines shut down this week, on which Nate just flew this past week. The lads then turn their attention to the bizarre shooting incident at the White House Correspondents Dinner, apparently anticipated by bizarre twitter post from 2023. Next, Russell Brand’s recent US tour comes up, along with his pending rape trial, and his candidacy for Mayor of the City of London. Finally, the boys discuss the latest Lego-themed video from a Iranian propaganda campaign that’s as hilarious as it is sophisticated.

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “Crucifixion”.

The boys discuss the scene in Boston on Marathon Monday before turning to the war in Iran that continues to grip the world. Even if it ended today, the conflict won't have been resolved in time to forestall a disastrous energy crisis. The lads then address the bizarre list of missing scientists that's gaining traction in the news. Finally, Nate shares some quotes from historian Will Durant about the cyclical nature of history.

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “By Their Fruits”.

The lads ruminate on the experience of consuming the news during the war in Iran. With history unfolding before our eyes, today’s news is being digested by the public and converted into tomorrow’s history. Nate draws a comparison the with the Suez Crisis of 1956, as the US wrestles with the age-old tradeoff between sustainability and empire. The recent warehouse fire in California and the attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman anchors the discussion as the lads zoom out to consider the long sweep of history.