Tech Toys, Gaming, Religious Nutters,

[tcpip]

I've been fortunate in the past couple of weeks to acquire a HP Compaq nx5000 (although I'm at a loss why the inbuilt sound card is utterly silent), a Cisco Catalyst 2900XL switch and a dodgy Canon scanner.

People would be utterly disturbed by my LAN. The workgroup is called "Woodland". The computers are "Hedgehog" (Mandrake 10.1/Windows XP dual disk dual boot), "Bunny" (Windows 2000/FreeBSD dual disk boot) and "Rat" (Red Hat Fedora Core 4, the laptop). "Squirrel" (SQL server) and "Badger" (Windows 2003 server) and "Shrew" (BSD server) are also planned. Solved my USB problems from last week with a kernel upgrade. Annoying to say the least. On a related topic CCNA studies go well, with another two modules and c85% for the exams.

Also after over twenty years of collecting, I now have a complete set of Different Worlds magazines. The elusive copy was issue 23 which I gave away as a teenager to a kid down the road who wanted to see what the 'zine was about... On a related topic have hacked out the Mimesis RPS rules into some sort of very specific rules rather than the vague ideas and concepts that I was working with. A new design group is being set up within the next twenty four hours and anyone who wants to be a playtester/designer should contact me.

Related item: brain-breaker of the week goes to a line from patchworkkid "Only in an MMORPG could I use a knife forged from ogre shit by a blind elf to murder a dwarf for his magical hat."

Apparently 'Intelligent design' an option: Nelson; yeah, for the really stupid. On the same note, there's a good anti-homophobic thread going around. I won't repeat it, because most people on my flist would already agree and have already seen it. However, I do recommend you boycott Gloria
Jeans.

Comments

[baralier.livejournal.com]

I hadn't known about the Gloria Jean thing. Not that I buy coffee anyway but thanks for the tip.

[casca-2u.livejournal.com]

Thanks in particular for the gloria jeans segment of your post, because I do frequent it now and then... I'd like to think it matters in a little way where I put my money.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Better still is to write to them (politely of course) and explain why you're no longer buying their coffee.

[frou-frou.livejournal.com]

Squirrel huh? *raises eyebrow*

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

*tchring!* ;-)

Yes, as you know I've always felt that SQL should be pronouned "Squirrel" rather than the more common "Sequel" (after all, squirrels store nuts). Unable to change the IT industries nomenculture this will be the first step towards SQRL, an open-source dabatase program...

[cptjohnc.livejournal.com]

I just heard an "intelligent design" piece this morning going to work -- one of our states, Kansas, is apparently poised to make it the cornerstone of their science curriculum, somehow. What's next... burning witches?

I believe in a creator, in the abstract, theological sense, but I don't believe that there was a 6 day period, or that species haven't been allowed to evolve through natural selection. I tend to favor more of a 'first mover' approach. Makes me a bad Christian and a bad scientist, I know. Oh wait -- I'm not a scientist :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I don't have any burning issues with "Intelligent Design" or a deist sort of abstract creator in any way. The problem I have is the idea that this is taught as science.

On-topic, a letter from this morning's Age was just classic;

The ultimate proof

No woman who has ever menstruated, had menstrual difficulties e.g. bleeding fibroids or endometriosis, been pregnant, given birth, with or without complications, suffered from repeated thrush and/or cystitis infections, and especially no woman to whom all of the above applies, could find the theory of so-called "intelligent design" anything but absurd. The female plumbing system provides gilt-edged evidence of the complete absence of design, intelligent or otherwise! And as for the male plumbing system, what sort of designer would put a sewer pipe right through the middle of a playground?

Rosemary Sceats, Macleod

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Add to that, neither should any man who has suffered abdominal hernia. The nerve and blood supply goes out through the abdomen wall, and over the top/front of the pelvis and descends to the genitals. This makes perfect sense if the genitals are placed higher on the belly and you are a quadruped. Natural selection can't backtrack and change it's mind. Human intelligence can conceive many such examples of the intelligent designers lack of foresight, or limited of capability, or possibly his malevolence.

This world could be the product of an intelligent designer, but such a god could not be characterised as omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

No, certainly not benevolent....

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Ah, be fair, he could be benevolent but incompetent.

I reckon he can be two out of three, but to assert that his be all three is contrary to evidence.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Or benevolent, competent but not omniscient... Like "Damn, I would have stopped that tsunami, but I didn't see that happening! Looks like 'my program' has a few bugs in it still"..

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Any two out of three seems consistent with the world, but all three are required by the scriptures. And that's why I think a strict Christian faith is irrational.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

And that's why I think a strict Christian faith is irrational.

Ah well, the Xians I've discussed this with argue that their deity is not benevolent but "just" - and will punish!

They get upset when I tell them that their deity is a moral inferior ;-)

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm familiar with the arguement: By "just" they mean there are patterns of behaviour that might lead to reduced suffering but which are unacceptible to their god, "justice" requires judgement and absolute sanction.

However, all this means is that he is constrained and not omnipotent after all. It's an old line of reasoning, there are counters, the solutions all end up being self referencial slight of hand equating god's "justice" with god's "love".

Give 'em stone and call it bread.

I'd leave them to their own devices, but the practice of their faith causes harm, so keeping an eye out and being prepared to support the ones they leave broken is important.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

but the practice of their faith causes harm,

I think you'll enjoy this bit of historical research..

http://www.buckcash.com/opinions/temp/Christian_Crimeline.htm

BTW, just subscribed you to the design@mimesisrpg.com list - however from experience I can tell you that yahoo will plonk this into the Bulk Items folder. Have a look in there and mark it as 'Not Spam'.

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Thanks, yahoo seems to have delivered to my inbox so that cool. It'll be light reading if Frankfurt is as boring as everyone suggests it can be.

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Thinking about this some more: If it's in a science curriculum, and were I science teacher obliged to teach it then it would be the ideal tool for illustrating scientific method.

What makes a scientific theory? The ability to formulate experiments the failure of which disprove the theory.

What would such an experiment look like for intelligent design? Propose contrary designs that would have been better designs, (we've seen a few). But any such experiement then includes assumptions about better, (we've judge that better means reducing human suffering). And the response is that the designer didn't judge that to be better. Fine, but any experiment can be met with that response, so there's no experiement that can fail, it's not a scientific theory.

Can this can be reduced to a sound bite and trotted out each time the matter comes up, sending them back to the prayer closet?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

What makes a scientific theory? The ability to formulate experiments the failure of which disprove the theory.

*nods* Althought these days falsification is also used for normative positions (and aesthetic expressions as well, for testing personal consistency). Indeed, falsification has become de riguer for anything claiming to be a rational area of inquiry.. Whereas science is strictly about using the falsifiable model with an objectivating attitude towards the physical world.

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

True, I'm just practice penning sound-bites for the media. There's a game to be played, and I'm realising I don't want to lose.

3 things:

[lardarsegreg.livejournal.com]

Those computer names aren't that strange, At least you have some idea of what computer does what.

It's nice to get a full set of something, even though I have no idea what the magazines are about.

And that quote is just insane...

Re: 3 things:

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

1) Computer Names: Thanks! They do make sense, albeit it's always immediately obvious (Hedgehog is not a firewall, btw.. But it should be!)

2) The magazine: Great roleplaying magazine from the eighties, with time to less well-known systems and sensible design.

3) The quote: Yes!

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

Quite interested in the Mimesis rules, and game design in general. I'd enjoy being involved in any review.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

OK, you'll be getting an email today. Glad to have you onboard...

[rustythoughts.livejournal.com]

I've got a couple of years of enthusiastic participation at The Forge lurking in my past. I know you've poked around there, so you'll have a feel for some of things that interest me: the match between what is rewarded in the game and what you want the game to be about, etc...

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I like a good theoretical debate with practical implications...

I'll also take this opportunity to mention I've learned a lot through strangedave, but not that much through The Forge.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

My server naming scheme is voodoo loa.

I'd be interested to look at the Mimesis RPS rules, though I might say mean things about them :-)

Nelson has expunged any ideology or opinions of his own in favour of blatant opportunism - with luck his pursuit of conservative vogue will lead him into territory unpopular with most Australians, because transplanting US politics into Australia really doesn't work.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

My server naming scheme is voodoo loa.

Hmmmm.... You're trying to make Mona Lisa Overdrive a reality?

I'd be interested to look at the Mimesis RPS rules, though I might say mean things about them :-)

Good! The meaner the better!

Indeed, someone with your design meanness is needed on the RQIV playtest list. There's some mind-boggling stupidity going on there...

... with luck his pursuit of conservative vogue will lead him into territory unpopular...

I think so as well... But it could also be a smoke-screen to distract from IR reforms...

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I just am really into voodoo -- though Mona Lisa Overdrive was probably the thing that made me connect it to computers.

Haven't really had the time to look at the RQ4 playtest as much as I want to. Did meet Wulf Corbett at Worldcon and chat about it a little.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fustian/]

Different Worlds: smartest gaming mag of the Golden Age. I've had the Superhero Issue #23 for decades, but I'm still missing 5-7, 11-13, 32-35, 39 and 44-47; according to the link you posted though, all my missing issues are still available!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

You know, I think I have some spares of the issues you've listed...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fustian/]

If you aren't planning to keep your spares, maybe we can find something to swap for them. I don't suppose you're interested in old Dragons?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Sure that sounds fine. I'll bring them over with me when I'm heading to Perth in a few weeks..

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fustian/]

Good stuff.

Looking at the list, I'll take your Different Worlds #7 and #32 and offer a range of about 40 Dragons (and about 15 White Dwarfs, if you care).

Wow — I had no idea I had so many spares. Maybe I should start an ebay store.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

OK here's the good news...

I have spares of issues

7 (although missing the Foundchild cult insert - easy to p/copy and include), 8 (just arrived from the UK - an 'accidental' purchase on my part), 31, 32 (these two issues are *great*), 36, 40, 42 (also a great issue), and 42 (yes, I have *three* copies)...

Take your pick and don't be shy...

lan names....

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

Rat is the perfect name for FC4...as in stabbed in the back by a dead...

On AXIS I have:
TheMountain OpenBSD(IP Lan Bridge/IDS)
TheAvatarsCave Debian Sid/HURD/OpenBSD/dragonflyBSD/netBSD/ (workstation)
TheValley HURD (mine, as in my one day soon distro) (hurd build system)
TheRiver OpenBSD/HURD(L4)/BEos (sql/apache/ldap)

And a buncha other stuff I am not gonna talk about here. :)

Re: lan names....

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Rat is the perfect name for FC4...as in stabbed in the back by a dead...

Heheh. I was thinking more about the mobility and stashing power of the hardware...

Re: lan names....

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

I was remembering all the promises, good feeling, support , code and hours of free testing and document writting we all gave Red Hat inc.

I will see you all crammed in the third eye of Hell you bunch of pig fuckers.

Re: lan names....

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well, if they lose the community that supports them they only have themselves to blame....

Re: lan names....

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

Indeed.