MBA Progress, Federal Election, Gaming Updates

[tcpip]

Received results for another semester of my MBA studies yesterday; a High Distinction for Economic Decision Making and a Distinction for Business Law. With the completion of these two subjects I have now completed a Graduate Diploma of Management (Technology); yay me. With the completion of the two courses I am doing this semester I will have finished all the prerequisites for an MBA, excepting four electives. Although the end is in sight I am already planning further post-graduate studies, planning for another Masters, this time in Education. I do not believe there is any particular shame in being a 'permanent student' (at least it means I am still learning).

For those Aussies who live under a rock, you may have missed the news that a Federal Election has been called. The incumbent Labor government is on a very slight majority - a 2.0% swing would be enough to see the very conservative Tony Abbot taking office. So far I have been impressed with the strategic orientation of Julia Gillard's campaign, even if I disagree with all the specific orientations on the main issues (especially on asylum seekers, where I shared Julian Burnside's considered opinions). The Gillard strategy has been to move Labor to the centre of the country's political outlook, resulting in the main debate being between Labor and the Greens with Abbot becoming quite isolated in the process. Abbott's centrepiece policy - cut government spending - has been poorly received from the appropriate experts in banking and the telecommunications industry.

Finished another session of Mouse Guard/The Enemy Within game tonight, an unusual crossover which is working very well. Two reviews of mine initially planned for simultaneous publication in RPG Review have appeared on RPG.net, namely 3:16 Carnage Amongst The Stars and The Terran Trade Authority RPG. Very impressed with Karl's GURPS Krononaut's game last Sunday as well; involving alternate timelines and the rocket experiments of Wernher von Braun.

Comments

[serehfa]

Remind me, where are you studying the current Masters, and how much has it cost you (if that's ok)? I am beginning to think I need to follow the same path to get anywhere career-wise, but if there was a way to sneak up on an MBA without paying extraordinary costs for all the subjects, I am interested.

[tcpip]

$1210.00 per course (with APESMA membership discount) * 12 units for the MBA = $14 520

I suppose that isn't too bad..

[tcpip]

More here:
http://www.chifley.edu.au/PostgraduatePrograms/programs/mba_technology.aspx
http://www.chifley.edu.au/PostgraduatePrograms/Admissions/fees.aspx

[kingtycoon.livejournal.com]

We just gave our copy of mouse guard to the children. I didn't even look at it myself, is it a good game? I'm curious, but not curious enough to throw over the new L5R to give it a shot.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It's a very good game, excellent scope and setting, very good rules. The only possible criticism I have of it is that it's a little on the crunchy side and a can be a little unfamiliar with core roleplaying conventions.

I did a review of it on RPG.net some time ago. In all honesty, I think I may have rated "system" a couple of points low

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14249.phtml

[zhenzhi.livejournal.com]

that is a beautiful article by Mr Burside.
i particularly like that he posed the question "what would you do if it were you?"

if education is freedom, then you are leading a very free life! good on you :-)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yes, that quote does have resonance. It does counter the claim that for every asylum seeker person taken by an "unauthorised arrival" one place is lost in the queue - there is no queue in Iraq or Afghanistan and I don't think we've taken anyone from the UNHCR in Indonesia since - well, I don't know when. So.. "What would you do?" is a very powerful response.

[iosef.livejournal.com]

For the ALP to move to the center would require a shift leftwards in policies that I don't believe is going to happen.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'd like that to be true :/

Sex Party

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

I'm voting for the Sex Party, maybe even above the line if their preferences go in a way I approve. (They should do)

I'm growing disappointed with The Greens, or at least dissatisfied. Shame HEMP stonered themselves out of contention with shoddy paperwork. (Memberships were messed up, couldn't meet the 500 member requirement.)

Even without the threat of Teh Filter, the ALP's only saving grace is that it is unlikely to give a Ministerial Appointment to Bronwyn Bishop (try voting Lib/Nat with that image in your mind).

At least without Labor preferences, Family First will be Biblically cast down. Bye Steve, give Danny Nalliah a kiss for us all.

Re: Sex Party

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

That's a very good choice; the ASP needs as many first-preference Senate votes that they can get. In most states the last Senate position will be a competition between the ALP, the Greens and the ASP - and with the latter having an outside chance at best. Their best possibility of success is to beat the Greens on first preferences.

Goodness knows I've been giving them as much advice as possible on such things. The nice thing is that they do seem to be listening.

Re: Sex Party

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

They are good at listening, usually a flaw in party politics but they are shaking things up.

Re: Sex Party

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

If they can get people to help out hand out How-to-Vote cards at the polling booths etc, they should get 3-4%. That might be enough at least to make the major parties sit up and pay attention.

I just hope that they kick the CDP, FF, DLP and other nutbag wowsers who want everyone else to follow their moral standards to hell and back.

No pun intended.

Re: Sex Party

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I've heard nothing of the sex party since they launched, and given that I'm in the seat of Melbourne I would have thought this would have been prime territory for them... I also know members of the party and haven't heard anything.

Having said that, I know at least half a dozen people who will be first preffing them.

Re: Sex Party

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

They don't seem to be getting much media coverage.

They do have a strong net presence, especially in the circles objecting to the Bamboo Curtain Conroy wants to impose on the net.

Re: Sex Party

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

No, they only get a little bit of media coverage as the issues that they concentrate on haven't really come up in the election campaign.

Still there has been some:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/20/2959171.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/09/2949844.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/20/2958780.htm

Can't complain about their recruitment ad for enrollment...

Re: Sex Party

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I'm on their mailing list and they're pretty active; normally two or three notifications per week. They ran in the Higgins and Bradsfield by-elections (picking up about 3.5% of the primary in both) and I believe they have Senate candidates in all states in the up-coming Federal election.

They won't be running in the lower house.

[loreleilove.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's any shame in being a perpetual student either. If I could pull it off, I definitely would. Congrats, by the way.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly. Of course, being a perpetual student doesn't mean that one is enrolled in an academic institution all the time.. But is certainly does mean that one is constantly engaging in serious and challenging studying. And that is hard enough.

The real University ... has no specific location. It owns no property, pays no salaries and receives no material dues. The real University is a state of mind. It is that great heritage of rational thought that has been brought down to us through the centuries and which does not exist at any specific location. It's a state of mind which is regenerated throughout the centuries by a body of people who traditionally carry the title of professor, but even that title is not part of the real University. The real University is nothing less than the continuing body of reason itself.

(From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)

[loreleilove.livejournal.com]

Wow, it's been so long since I've read that book. I would agree that lifelong learning doesn't necessarily have to happen in a university. The whole world is a university when we allow it to be.