CCNA , Game Development, Speaking, Taxes, Bigotry and more

[tcpip]

Because I have an upcoming two weeks in Perth, I've had to move ahead somewhat in my Cisco classes at NMIT. Last night I sat the final two module tests (85.7%, 94.6%) and the end of semester exam (89.2%) and have therefore passed a couple of weeks early. Onward!

Visited Kyle Schuant on Thursday, designer of the d4-d4 roleplaying system which is quite a sound publication. He has also been making some good contributions to the Mimesis RPG list, which will receive a pretty thorough upgrade over the weekend as it beginning to attract a fair bit of traffic. For the Outbreak of Heresy game, I've taken the opportunity to put up some maps for Europe in 1560, Central Europe 1547, Medieval Commerce, the Ottoman Empire (two maps), and Medieval Universities. Links via the Heresy page.

Ever thought there was something unfair, upside down and back the front with our tax system? Apparently, under this government, it is designed to reward single income families with children who earn a lot of money. How about that for ideology? For an opportunity to hear about a voluntary tax system where you only pay for what you use, come along to tonight's Prosper Australia dinner.

Bronwyn Bishop is just a regular racist who hates freedom when it doesn't comply with her point of view. Leslie Cannold is a different sort of bigot - one who thinks that the way to achieve equality is through suppressing choice. On a related note, mainly because of a dissenting figure on the Committe of Management, the Melbourne Unitarian Church is having a debate (September 18) on the recent state legislation on racial and religious vilification. Speakers include Mark Zirnsak (Uniting Church, for the legislation), Anne O'Rourke (Liberty Victoria, against the legislation) and I'll be conducting the service; with a couple of choice readings, I assure you..

Pat Robertson called fro Chavez to be assasinated. In response? Venezuela to Provide Discounted Heating Oil and Free Eye Operations to U.S. Poor, Venezuela's CITGO to Provide Cheap Gas for U.S. Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Schools, Venezuela to Completely Overhaul Its Health Care System. I so enjoy seeing "actually existing socialism" that is libertarian, democratic and functional.

Meanwhile, in the UK publishers are desperate to stop the research findings of British academics being made online for free. A case of vested interests against the public good.

Comments

[shorxrore.livejournal.com]

i have one of those feelings that Venezuela isn't going to last long.

i think if china really does overtake the US as the global superpower in the next few years, as is suspected, then maybe - finally - countries like venezuela can be left alone to develop and eventually be on par with all the white countries that have kept prospering to themselves.

still, you know the old story, if things don't change eventually the US will DEFINITELY overthrow the venezuelan government.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

i have one of those feelings that Venezuela isn't going to last long.

People said the same thing about Cuba ;-)

The difficult path is whether Venezuala can continue to have a system of government which allows oppositional politics that have no desire to accept the government of the day. Allende tried to run a democracy in a situation where the opposition wanted fascism. That doesn't work.

I'd also imagine that any attempt to invade Venezuala would be met with a rather stern response from their big neighbour, Brazil.

Brazil versus the U.S. would be quite messy.

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

I don't really think China would be more tolerant of uppity small countries than the USA is. Their treatment of Vietnam is not very pleasant.

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

On a totally unrelated tangent but still up a political alley, what do you think of this whole John Brogden thing?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I think he's an arrogant idiot who has a stupid reactionary point of view and disgraceful attitudes and behaviour. He also evidently has a terribly fragile ego and for that he has my deep sympathies.

[spinner.livejournal.com]

Just to jump in, should we really consider getting a bit pissed and going nuts on one's forearm with an letter opener a suicide attempt?

Not that that's what happened, but I sincerely doubt his ultimate intentions.

[fryboy.livejournal.com]

Hey

Saw you got tapped by LUV for this year's committee...poor guy :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... Treasurer! No, it should be OK... Not too onerous and has the interesting task of finding out what is exactly required to become a charitable or educational body.

Thought I'd leave the announcement off until it was actually confirmed ;-)

We did that poll go?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

BTW - If you're wondering where the anarchist poll (which I scored as a Christian anarchist!) went, I zapped it upon discovery that changing one question could invert the result. Not good enough!

Re: We did that poll go?

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

What, you found an online poll that was badly designed?

Quelle horreur!

[v3nu5.livejournal.com]

Bronwyn Bishop is just a regular racist who hates freedom when it doesn't comply with her point of view. Leslie Cannold is a different sort of bigot - one who thinks that the way to achieve equality is through suppressing choice.

I'd like to see that in a national publication with a massive reader base, because how you have phrased it is perfect and I'm frightened of the way things are headed

[fryboy.livejournal.com]

http://www.nswccl.org.au/issues/bill_of_rights/other.php

Support the adoption of a national Bill Of Rights!

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

Remember when Bronwyn Bishop was touted as a potential First Female Prime Minister?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It is good of course to see women like yourself coming up against Leslie Cannold's point of view that because something is (apparently) a symbol of oppression that therefore we should attack the symbol and not the oppression.

[amarynth.livejournal.com]

You know I find myself rather loathe to really get in behind Chavez. Now in many ways, particularly in that he allows opposition to exist, he's better than his buddy Castro, but we are talking about a former coup-leader here. I worry that he simply cloaked himself in semi-socialist rhetoric because it's fashionable now. He clearly seems to enjoy the paperphenalia of power.

And I really don't like the term 'Bolivarian'... Simon Bolivar was a pretty terrible person.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Simon Bolivar was a pretty terrible person.

Well, he did set himself up as dictator, but that was pretty common at the time. And of course, he was a soldier so we can imagine he killed a few people as well.

However most will see him as the person who gave South America independence from the Spanish.

Whilst Chavez did attempt to lead a coup d'etat some years ago, today he's an elected President who, if opinion polls are telling the truth, has overwhelming support. In that respect, he should be supported.

[monkeygirldiva.livejournal.com]

the scheme to provide cheap fuel to impoverished communities in the US appealed to me on so many different levels... it's brilliance on hugo chavez's part. :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The genius of the action is that it increases his support in the heartland of the nation that opposes him and it's in line with his political and economic principles. Smart guy.

[nvcarnie.livejournal.com]

You make me want to live in Australia.... *grin*

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

You make me want to live in Australia.... *grin*

Heck, I keep on going on the ridiculous problems the place has.

[zey.livejournal.com]

Hey, well done on those Cisco results :-). Best of luck with the cert exams.

Yeah, it's been interesting seeing some normally conservative economists and accountants in the media being quite dismissive of Howard/Costello's tax record.

Re Venezuela, I really do think they'd be best off just turning around (especially now, just after the huricane) and refusing US Dollars and demanding Euro. Make a big announcement of it even, along with a sale of any US Dollars their central bank holds.

Re the UK publishers vs Brit academics thing... In the end, I think it should be the Copyright holders decision. That might be the research authors or the research councils or publishers (if they purchased the Copyright rights). As far as the public good goes, I'd rather see governments fund more research, buy the Copyright from the researchers as part of that, then release the data as the Copyright holders :-).

[darkstardeity.livejournal.com]

I'd rather see governments fund more research, buy the Copyright from the researchers as part of that, then release the data as the Copyright holders

It seems to me that in a round-about way that is what they are doing, by making online archiving a requirement of research grants.

[xsophiax.livejournal.com]

Good job on the exams. :)

I'm quite suprised why so many people are pro-Chavez. I interviewed a Venezuelan a few weeks ago, on a fairly casual basis, who went into great detail about how when people peacefully marched on Chavez to remove him, his supporters ran into the streets and started randomly shooting people. He's also a very good politician, far better than Castro ever was. Still, it rings alarm bells when nobody besides right wings nut-jobs seem to be attacking him.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Good job on the exams. :)

Thanks.

I interviewed a Venezuelan a few weeks ago, on a fairly casual basis, who went into great detail about how when people peacefully marched on Chavez to remove him, his supporters ran into the streets and started randomly shooting people.

Which doesn't say much for some of his supporters.

I guess the main points is that he's an elected leftist that's a survivor of a right-wing coup attempt (not too many of those) due to popular support and he keeps on doing things like the above.

I suspect he's a shoe-in for the 2006 presidential elections as well...

[taavi.livejournal.com]

err - did I leave a comment here you've edited out? Was it that offensive? Or has my computer suffered an update-fart?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Or has my computer suffered an update-fart?

I'd say this one... Repost! Repost!

[(Anonymous)]

It was Tuesday you visited, not Thursday. Bloody students, don't know what day it is;) "Sound publication"? That's like another guy who said, "good touch all around." What it means, I don't know, but it sounds good:)

Chavez is a good one. It's even better than when, after Sept 11 2001 attacks on the USA, Gaddafi was the first to offer condolences, money and support:D This is an offer they'll have to accept! Humiliate the elites, help the people. Excellent! Chavez's offer is conspicuously absent on CNN and Fox so far...;)

At least the USA has some cash to spend. They were a bit stingy after the Indian Ocean tsunami, they must have been saving up for their own disaster! Interesting to see that, moments after getting ten billion from Congress, Bush asks for private donations... hmmm, domestic disaster, government _expects_ private contributions? Even the most devout gun-wielding libertarian reckons there should be public funds for disasters, but not, apparently, Dubya... part-private, part-public. But I guess after learning that the people who were shut up in the Superdome were the ones who didn't have the fare out of town, nothing should surprise us.

What a country. What we have waiting for us under "under pays," eh? "No fare out of town? Then drown, you bastard."

Cheers,
Kyle

So you've found me eh?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

*rereads post*

You're right it was Tuesday. Typo on my part.

Apart the Cubans managed to deal with the hurricane with few problems. But they have neighbourhood committees that deal with almost everything. The advantages of decentralisation.

[lardarsegreg.livejournal.com]

Caltrops at 10 paces??? Just use Fudge dice, ffs...

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Heh. Probably the least popular aspect of the game is the use of the d4. Mind you, if that's the only substantive criticism....