Work, Play, Art, Politics, the Environment. Typical.

[tcpip]

Installation issues have cut short my work at Datalink. Basically, too many sites required extensive customisation. A quirky way to celebrate System Administrator Appreciation Day. Please, don't do this. I'm taking the opportunity to not take up any additional work for two months. I have just enough work to see me through this period and I have more than enough other things to keep me busy for this period; especially a number of projects that have been sitting on the back burner for far too long.

I've noticed something on my comments on the RuneQuest IV playtest (which is currently at 150 messages per day) list; a certain old-timer, Steve Perrin, keeps on supporting my suggestions. Even when it means admitting that some of his old design ideas were wrong. I've also taken the opportunity to do some major design changes to my home-brew Mimesis RPG (including halving the number of die rolls for skill resolution).

Wrote another two gallery proposals for severina_242 in the past couple of weeks. I enjoy these are her art is great; the overall theme of using physical aesthetic norms (clothing, buildings etc) with honest psycho-social disturbances quite a refreshing change from mainstream sociology claiming that normal life equates blandness whilst corporate marketeers present it as bliss and happiness. severina_242 presents normal life as frightening, lonely, and dangerous. Think Snowtown as an archetypal normal place and you have the inspiration for severina_242's art.

What happens when an incompetent abuser of human rights meets a competent one; Mugabe sells bankrupt Zimbabwe's assets to China". Bob Carr quits as Premier. I'll miss him in politics. Tough and bookish, a rare combination, especially in Australia. Meanwhile, New Zealand is having an election and Labor has scored an sudden poll reversal.

Australia and the United States have been working in secret on a plan to bypass the the Kyoto Protocol. Who calls the policy decisions in Australia on environmental issues? How big energy won the climate battle. Apropos, Environmental disaster stares Spain in the face

Off to the Now We The People conference in an hour. A decent collection of speakers from the Australian left and with a concise draft conference declaration. Should be an interesting weeked.

Edit

Oops, ivansun? I apologise, I accidently deleted your post when trying to unscreen it. :/

It was: I think it's great that you help out other artists with gallery proposals... it takes special writing talents for that...

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.

Comments

Polls

[erudito.livejournal.com]

It is normal for incumbents to improve in polls after an election is announced (an Opposition which is behind in the polls mid-term is in all sorts of bother -- e.g. Labor under Crean -- just as is a trailing government which fails to improve after an election is announced -- e.g. Labor under Keating), but that is a very big shift. Of course, sudden shifts of that magnitude also suggest weak voter attachment.

Re: Polls

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I agree, I agree and I agree. ;-)

Mind you Brash had very little chance of gaining points on foreign policy. New Zealanders, with their fair dose of Maori and Scottish background, treat the idea of independent foreign policy with a degree of seriousness.

Re: Polls

[erudito.livejournal.com]

I am a little surprised foreign policy had a significant effect at all -- it is not as if there is an obvious issue which actually impacts on voters.

NZ is like Canada in their fortunate geography: they can bludge off us the way the Canadians can bludge off the US :)

Re: Polls

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I am a little surprised foreign policy had a significant effect at all -- it is not as if there is an obvious issue which actually impacts on voters.

That's because you're not thinking like a New Zealander ;-)

Re: Polls

[erudito.livejournal.com]

Clearly not. However, I wonder if does not then lead us back to the weak voter attachment point.

Re: Polls

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I guess we'll have to wait for the next poll to see whether that is the case or not.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Some people can express beauty is a visual manner, and others can express reason in a written manner. I'm hope I'm OK at the latter.

The arts feed off the arts, so I will always concur; l'art pour l'art.

[kafechick.livejournal.com]

There's a few of us at the conference - will try to spot you out!!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Great first day. Workshops were a little long, but the quality of conversation was excellent.

Guy Rundle made some great comments regarding working class politics;

ie., this is the era of globalisation, so the best thing that Australians can do is act in solidarity with workers in the developing world.

[kafechick.livejournal.com]

The "Welcome to Country" I thought was *interesting* to say the least!?

My workshop was cool .. did the human rights one!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The "Welcome to Country" I thought was *interesting* to say the least!?

Ahh, I missed that... What happened?

My workshop was cool .. did the human rights one!

I did the Women, GLBT (it sounds like a lunchtime snack) and the religious right. Was very amused to see an article I wrote earlier this year was listed under 'recommended and further reading' on the conference briefing papers.

Sunday I went to (of course) the refugee workshop. I started at the community development one but realised that it wasn't going to be what I wanted :/

[kafechick.livejournal.com]

Saw you in the nice black beret .. but everytime we thought about saying hi, you seemed deep in conversation.

Was a great weekend!!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ah, that beret has become a instant recognition marker ;-)

Oh well, next time no doubt.. Mind you, I was involved in a lot of conversations...

[lardarsegreg.livejournal.com]

Oops!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I feel like a damn fool. You should see the paranoia and double-checking I go through every time I type rm * -r -F