No Rest For The Wicked

Author: The Devil You Know

  • Plausible Deniability

    Plausible Deniability

    “If you are not a practiced liar don’t try to start. It will backfire. You are dealing with pros. You would not believe the time and energy that real liars pour into honing their craft.” -Someone on Substack

    Not to put too fine a point on it, but that’s exactly right.

    I don’t think of myself as a liar. I’m an engineer. I almost never tell lies. Lies are dangerous and they’re a lot of work. Lies are unsophisticated at best and they take up a huge amount of working memory. Lies require backstories and supporting evidence. You never know when a lie will come unraveled due to factors beyond your control.

    (more…)
  • Oversharing

    Oversharing

    Don’t talk about Fight Club.

    OMG, the van is his! I don’t know where it came from, if he bought it or he already had it. But the timing in which it appears matters.

    Two weeks ago Alphonse went to a national gathering of motorcycles out in the middle of the desert with his wife and his brother and his brother’s wife.

    He was gone for a week and I found myself unexpectedly distraught during that time. A couple months ago he went on a cruise with his family and I felt the same way.

    (more…)
  • A Personal Revelation

    A Personal Revelation

    There’s Nothing Wrong With Me

    One day about five years ago, I woke up with an epiphany that changed everything.

    At 45 years old, I had spent a lifetime trying to answer the question: “Why can’t I be like everyone else?”

    My friends all went to college, got married, popped out some rug rats, worked a reliable job. They followed the instruction manual.

    But not me.

    (more…)
  • The Power of Water

    The Power of Water

    Persuasion

    Water didn’t carve the Grand Canyon in a day. In fact, the desert floor initially said “no,” despite its desperate thirst.

    (more…)
  • Cool Heads Prevail

    Cool Heads Prevail

    Alphonse is a doctor. I like doctors.

    The technical challenges of carrying on a relationship with Alphonse are numerous. Like, too many to count. They’re not my challenges, they’re his, and one of them is that his place of business is not a suitable location for shenanigans.

    (more…)
  • Alphonse

    Alphonse

    Alphonse spent three years making direct eye contact, standing too close, touching me whenever he could.

    But he didn’t know with whom he fucketh. Imagine playing the lottery and accidentally picking the Crossroads card.

    His bold actions intrigued me.

    (more…)
  • Raising My Price

    Raising My Price

    It’s not always about money

    2025 was an incredibly challenging year for me.

    Right out the gate my best friend, Monique, dies of MS. At exactly the same time, things with Jared spin dangerously out of control, forcing me to step away from him temporarily. But we weren’t done, fate had other ideas. I got really sick and then rolled an ankle walking down stairs and became grievously injured. The wizard might be broken and crazy but he’s still a wizard. Aside from that, I promised I would not abandon him. I went back to Jared.

    (more…)
  • A Word On Acceptance

    A Word On Acceptance

    Believe what you see.

    Word to the wise, you can only ever trust someone to be themselves.

    When they show you who they are, believe them – even if it conflicts with who you wanted them to be.

    (more…)
  • The Attention Whore

    The Attention Whore

    For God sake, everyone please shut up.

    The worst part about you-know-who being president, again, is..well, everything. But aside from the rampant stupidity, endless lies, war crimes, pedophilia, incoherent babbling, and unmitigated audacity – the worst part about him being president is everyone else.

    (more…)
  • An Unpopular Oracle

    An Unpopular Oracle

    A lesson from the 10 of Pentacles

    Sometimes the real work we’re called to on to perform has nothing to do with our job. When we feel put out and frustrated by an older relative demanding help with a menial task, or a friend having a life crisis; when the demand for our time, attention and wisdom makes us feel angry or resentful because of the “work” we’re not getting done, it’s important to consider which “work” it is we’re actually called on to do.

    (more…)