In the past few days I've been carrying out my casual lecture work for the Uni's master's level course, "Cluster and Cloud Computing". As a compulsory subject for computer science and data science students, it is perhaps not surprising that there are over three hundred students in the class, which is just huge for a subject at this level. Anyway, my contribution covers supercomputing, schedulers, and parallel programming. Their job (when I am converted from lecturer to tutor) is to produce code that deals with a data problem that uses these technologies. At the other end of the lecturn, I'm getting ready to submit my first assignment for my Grad Psych degree, on recidivism, which will be a little critical of disciplinary focus (worth stirring the possum early on). Further, I'm just about to submit a second draft of MHEd thesis for my supervisor, with a third and final one due at the end of next month.
After three weeks of selling off a good portion of my collection of tabletop roleplaying games, I've raised some $8.5K AUD for the UNHCR to provide support for refugees from the Ukraine-Russian war. There was also a generous donation of two sets of dice from a local Kickstarter effort from a certain Anthony Christou, so there's now a short video of yours truly conducting a raffle from donors for that prize. It's all very fun and sociable to be distracted by games and RPGs actually give one an opportunity for mental exploration of a shared imaginary space that other games do not. But one must always be cognisant of reality foremost. It is a source of significant depression to me that humans, once a level of wealth is acquired, seem more distractable by trivialities and lose their sense of solidarity with those less fortunate.
Recent events have led me to become more sociable of late. Justine and Simon were awesome company at the former's new digs with deep conversations of motorbikes and psychology (Justine really is patient zero). Wajeeha proved once again to be a very welcome visitor, and I'll never cease to be amazed how this wonderful woman has liberated herself from horrendous patriarchial and theological conditions to become the person they are today. Friday evening was a scavenger hunt in Fitzroy organised by the Wilds Arts Social Club with music and art objectives. About forty people were in attendance with a live performance by Synthotronica. Three sisters from the winning team decided to take me, a judge, for a night on the town with their winnings (oh my). Erica, with awesome cats, continues to be a loyal friend and on Sunday we went to Francis Ford Francis Ford Coppola's adaption of SE Hinton's "The Outsiders". I liked his attempt to recreate 1950s movie styles (albeit with a couple of anachronisms), and as a youngster I found myself identifying with The Greasers, the kids from the wrong side of town. Tonight I was blessed with a visit from Liza and Matthew, two campaigners for the recent successful changes to sex-work decrmininalisation in Victoria; more power to you, comrades.
After three weeks of selling off a good portion of my collection of tabletop roleplaying games, I've raised some $8.5K AUD for the UNHCR to provide support for refugees from the Ukraine-Russian war. There was also a generous donation of two sets of dice from a local Kickstarter effort from a certain Anthony Christou, so there's now a short video of yours truly conducting a raffle from donors for that prize. It's all very fun and sociable to be distracted by games and RPGs actually give one an opportunity for mental exploration of a shared imaginary space that other games do not. But one must always be cognisant of reality foremost. It is a source of significant depression to me that humans, once a level of wealth is acquired, seem more distractable by trivialities and lose their sense of solidarity with those less fortunate.
Recent events have led me to become more sociable of late. Justine and Simon were awesome company at the former's new digs with deep conversations of motorbikes and psychology (Justine really is patient zero). Wajeeha proved once again to be a very welcome visitor, and I'll never cease to be amazed how this wonderful woman has liberated herself from horrendous patriarchial and theological conditions to become the person they are today. Friday evening was a scavenger hunt in Fitzroy organised by the Wilds Arts Social Club with music and art objectives. About forty people were in attendance with a live performance by Synthotronica. Three sisters from the winning team decided to take me, a judge, for a night on the town with their winnings (oh my). Erica, with awesome cats, continues to be a loyal friend and on Sunday we went to Francis Ford Francis Ford Coppola's adaption of SE Hinton's "The Outsiders". I liked his attempt to recreate 1950s movie styles (albeit with a couple of anachronisms), and as a youngster I found myself identifying with The Greasers, the kids from the wrong side of town. Tonight I was blessed with a visit from Liza and Matthew, two campaigners for the recent successful changes to sex-work decrmininalisation in Victoria; more power to you, comrades.