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Diary of a B+ Grade Polymath ([personal profile] tcpip) wrote2005-07-30 08:40 am

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

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 [livejournal.com profile] 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. [livejournal.com profile] severina_242 presents normal life as frightening, lonely, and dangerous. Think Snowtown as an archetypal normal place and you have the inspiration for [livejournal.com profile] 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, [livejournal.com profile] 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.

[identity profile] kafechick.livejournal.com 2005-07-30 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
There's a few of us at the conference - will try to spot you out!!

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2005-07-30 01:47 am (UTC)(link)

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.

[identity profile] kafechick.livejournal.com 2005-07-30 07:00 am (UTC)(link)
The "Welcome to Country" I thought was *interesting* to say the least!?

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

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2005-07-31 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
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 :/

[identity profile] kafechick.livejournal.com 2005-08-01 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
Saw you in the nice black beret .. but everytime we thought about saying hi, you seemed deep in conversation.

Was a great weekend!!

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2005-08-01 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)

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...