Political Consciousness and Geography, We Are One Day, Ten Thousand Islands, Red Friday, and The Bla

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orethule's gathering went well last Thursday. Main concerns raised was the loss of community in the outer suburbs meaning that individual households are highly suspectible to the influences of mass propaganda and mass media. I raised the somewhat leftfield suggestion that land taxes (primarily a state government responsibility) would significantly help reduce this. Simply put, I suggest that urban geography has a great deal to do with mass political consciousness and that outer suburbia is intrinsically orientated towards the self-interested lower-middle class. Just the people I loathe the most.

Sunday was an very impressive turnout at the Unitarians for Elizabeth Young, a highly compassionate and idealistic youngster who has formed the international organization We Are One Day (yes, I have offered to fix the website). Elizabeth emphasized the need for unity among all peoples (even those we dislike) and the use of reason to stop people engaging in pathological acts. She's on a collision course with power and money, methinks. But still, the idealism of youth was a pleasure to behold. The presentation was joined with work from the Pheonix Choir who had a Macedonian Xmas Carol, a Congolese capella homily about Johnah, a Georgian style hymn of the Beatles' "Yesterday", an Arabic hymn of peace and a some US Gospel-style performance.

I have started a new roleplaying play by email roleplaying campaign, entitled Ten Thousand Islands. It was inspired from my experiences in East Timor and travels through the Malay archipelago. As a fairly open campaign, people are free to join up pretty much at any time now that I have the requisite number of initial players. I have drafted a fairly complete overview of the "world". It is also intended that this provide the foundation for a new roleplaying system. About time I actually wrote my own, methinks. I've been talking about it for years.

It must have been a week for starting things. I also started distribution of a little e-zine entitled "Red Friday" (in response to the more maudlin Blue Monday") with news and opinion in the information and communication technology. It has been generally well received and I do have this utopian idea of turning into a serious webmagazine. After all, I can write (if little else). All I need to do is find more ICT writers.

Congratulations are due to strangedave to his election to the board of Electronic Frontiers Australia. Dave did so in response to the election of Family First and their plans to levy Internet users to pay for a ring of firewalls (like Saudia Arabia) to keep pictures of naked people out of God-fearing Australia. Onya Dave. And I joined EFA simply because of his planned nomination (apart from the fact I probably agree with everything they say).

This week also saw the visitation of a certain little black dog. He drops by every several months and I usually dispense of him quite easily. This time he was rather tenancious, probably caused by reciting state-by-state election figures to me and mocking my average performance at the Excom interview. It's can a difficult thing when the country which you voluntarily adopted citizenship turns out to have little civic consciousness. It is personally disappointing when you make mistakes on matters that you know about.

Comments

[caseopaya.livejournal.com]

He drops by every several months and I usually dispense of him quite easily. This time he was rather tenancious, probably caused by reciting state-by-state election figures to me and mocking my average performance at the Excom interview. It's can a difficult thing when the country which you voluntarily adopted citizenship turns out to have little civic consciousness. It is personally disappointing when you make mistakes on matters that you know about.

You are very lucky to be able to mostly dispense of the "black dog" with ease, its a lot harder for a hell of a lot of people.

I definitely feel with you regarding the election - I think that is when my latest bout started. I guess this is when you have to remember that there are a lot of people who did NOT vote for the coalition, even if it doesn't seem that way, and they are all feeling like shit too..... Then there is always the other option - we can all leave Australia if we want to.

[17catherines.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming you meant to link to Electronic Frontiers Australia, not the Epilepsy Foundation of Australia? If so, you may want to fix that link...

[amphigori.livejournal.com]

Hey! Nice e-zine! I actually didn't think it'd sing to my soul, but you really did pull out some great, relevant and interesting articles and issues. Well done!

Now...onto check out your PBEM. If Hugh doesn't know about that yet he'll probably be leaping at the link just as soon as he gets home!

[cyn-goth-prog.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the EFA link. I think I'll keep my eye on them, and dig a little more around their site when I have some time.

[j]

[drjon.livejournal.com]

> This week also saw the visitation of a certain little black dog.

That damned dirty dog... Me, I'm waiting for the blowback. Only three more years...

[jahbulon.livejournal.com]

In my Commerce Studies exam in high school, we had a series of questions pertaining to euphemisms used in question time etc. For "What is the guillotine?" I answered: "A french device used to decapitate prisoners circa 18th century"

So forgive me when I ask : Black dog? Wtf?

I was speaking to Bob Howard the other day. (brother of satan) You probably know Bob, Lev, being all political and stuff. I commiserated with him on the results of the election and asked him something I'd been curious about : Does Little John actually believe the crap he spouts? Bob advised that this is the biggest problem he has with John. The guy believes his own prattle. This is what it sounds like when doves cry.

Writers? You need writers? What's an ICF? Whatever, I'll do it.. Gimme something to write!!!

rofl

[bodgirl.livejournal.com]

I misread your topic as Political Concussion.

I think that would make a good book title.