Passing On, Secularism, Federal Election, Gaming Updates

[tcpip]

Recently found out that angel80 has passed away, quite close to her birthday. She is a person whom I only had the pleasure of meeting once, a pleasant afternoon at a pub in Randwick, but had engaged in excellent discussion on livejournal since my days in Timor-Leste. A recognised expert in transitional and developmental economics, and especially the status of women, she is leaving behind quite a cadre of students whom she supervised PhDs, and had undertaken her courses. I am giving consideration to compiling a collection of works in her memory and honour.

On Thursday night, despite suffering the throaty effects of a very stubborn minor cold, spoke at the Victorian Humanist Society on Secularism, individual rights and democracy. It was well attended with excellent questions, even if I felt my delivery was less than optimal (*cough* *splutter*) on the night. Following night had dinner with Andrew R. and discussed the choice of the Victorian Secular Lobby for the worst major candidate (FB link) in the Australian election.

Speaking of which opinion polls do not look good for the Labor. This is quite strange given the budget blow-out by the Coalition, their ridiculous shop for boats policy, and their proposal to deny franking credits on their parental paid leave plan. Either the polls are wrong, or people really have taken leave of their senses.

On a completely different subject matter, my review of the indie axial age narrativist game.In A Wicked Age has been published on RPG.net; next review lined up is Albedo, which is weird combination of furries, hard science, and crunchy mechanics. RPG store continues do to quite well, especially given the minimal time that I'm dedicating to it. Tomorrow is another session of Karl's Space 1889 Ubiquity game, following our successes on Mercury last time.

Comments

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

One of the issues with the polls is that the two-party preferred basis doesn't allow for people who won't vote for either of the major parties, either because they think they're both terrible, or they consciously wish to vote for someone else. I remember being polled and just alternating between Labor and Liberal for the questions, because they weren't giving me the choice I would have had at the polling booth.

Also, it really feels like this time around, we're being asked to look at Abbott and Rudd almost in terms of a presidency. What with the debates, and all. It's irritating, and it certainly puts me off both of them. Which is annoying, and worrying, because I don't want the Libs to get in, but Labor has said it won't take preferences from the Greens, right? It leaves me in a pickle.

[frou-frou.livejournal.com]

Either of the major parties will negotiate with the other MPs if they do not rule in their own right - regardless of what they might say. It's not surprising that they prefer to avoid it though, and I'm sure they want the voters to think they have to vote for a major party.

[goodliver.livejournal.com]

I felt very grateful to you for posting this information about angel 80. I don't post very much any more, but I do check in on my old lj friends and I noticed she had dropped out of communication in the last few months. I will miss her posts here.

[microbie.livejournal.com]

Wow, I completely missed you mentioning her. Good grief, I am bad at reading.