Class Warfare, Marketing Consultant!, The Odyssey, Gaming, CDs!

[tcpip]

greylock has pointed me to insightful reports on the matter; an interview with Kerry O'Brien and John Howard. Given that these changes aren't about increasing productivity (indeed, there's a good argument they'll cause a loss of productivity) one is left with the obvious conclusion that they're about increasing profit at the expense of wages and conditions.

In international politics, Schroeder shows ineptitude in losing the Chancellorship of Germany that, if he were prepared to deal with his natural allies (the Left, the Greens). Of course that would mean he'd have to admit he was wrong about welfare and IR reform.

Pakistan earthquake toll looks like it'll be over 30,000. The Australian government donates $500,000 which compares rather poorly to the $10 million given to the American Red Cross after Cyclone Katrina.

Gave my second presentation to Prosper Australia on the principles of marketing last night. Started off my giving my opinion on people who engage in marketing without having a personal commitment to a product; I quoted Bill Hicks (expletives deleted of course). How about that? I'm a marketing consultant. I better take up cocaine or something.

lokicarbis, caseopaya and I went to see a modernised version of the Odyssey last week after a quick visit to 2600. Loki's comments that they were trying too hard was appropriate. The presentation of Circe as a naked dominatrix didn't work either, which is kind of surprising.

envoutante is visiting soon with a whole bunch of EMB, industrial and 90s goth CDs she's selling. Excellent!

Have been debating the relative benefit of randomness in game design. _fustian? I haven't forgotton. I'll send an email tomorrow with more on the Outbreak of Heresy game. Damn writing is time consuming.

Oh, and Rogue escaped under a nine foot wire fence and was almost eaten by a cat earlier in the week. He's safe now. Silly rat.

Comments

[horngirl.livejournal.com]

EMB?
;-)

[monkeygirldiva.livejournal.com]

*blinks* did australia/australians give $10 million toward the cyclone katrina relief effort?

my current frustration is i desperately need about A$2000/month to keep three rural health clinics going. (they're currently treating well over 100 patients a day in isolated regions with endemic malaria as well as offering community outreach services, health mobilisation and education, and supporting the government vaccination programmes)... do you think i can get it? oh... and two months ago a prior donor spent 65,000 euro on a two week external evaluation of the clinics! priorities, eh?

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I think you underestimate the ease with which Schroeder could create a SPD/Green/Left coalition -- he would need the active support of both, leading to a very fragile and unwieldy three way arrangment, and basically sacrifice the majority of his agenda, handing a huge amount of long term capital to his opponents. At least this way he gets to keep talking reform, get someone else to do the unpopular bits, and hopefully claw back the few % he needs for next election. Not saying its the perfect solution, but I can see his reasoning.

[mr-e-cat.livejournal.com]

I think the australian governments total relief $ for the asian earthquake is now areound the 5.5 mill mark

[belegdel.livejournal.com]

debating the relative benefit of randomness in game design

Where randomness interferes with the narrative (or continued failure detracts from enjoyment) a kind of karma and/or fate system could restore balance (like fate points in Rolemaster but perhaps not as such an obvious kludge to patch an overtly capricious combat system :)
Important successes could be ensured (or at least rendered more likely) using fate, and a continuous run of bad or good luck could be counteracted later by karmic retribution.

Similar systems could be employed to "soften" systems that allow for assured success/failure by virtue of limitted randomness.

[dcrisp.livejournal.com]

I guess you had a rogue rat for a while.