Planet Earth, The Swine Hunt, Gaming, OS Wars

[tcpip]

This Sunday I'm giving a presentation at the Melbourne Unitarian Church on "The Future of the Planet Earth", where I discuss potential disasters in international relations, politics and especially the environment. I neither seek to alarm or to appease, but rather to give a solid presentation of factual information to the best possible knowledge provided scientific knowldge.

I was supposed to be the the poster child of the revolution in the great hunt against The Swine (those who support theory and system in RPGs). I was supposed to become 'the first stuffed pig mounted in the commemorative smoking room of the Great Swine Hunt". Instead, it seems it was a total disaster for the the RPGPunbdit and jimboboz. Read it yourself for great amusement value. My personal favourites were the enlightening "It's written on the box" and phasmaphobic's summary. When I get around to it I'll also do a write-up of the Ten Thousand Islands game too. I guess The Year of the Pig is not the time to call a Swine Hunt, eh?

In other gaming news, I've started an epic-level high fantasy HeroQuest Glorantha PBeM with eleven players. AD&D Norman Britian on Sunday will see further investigation of the slavelords of Navarre (and the tie to the historical War of the Three Sanchos). Next Friday is Everway Aesheba. Next Sunday is the first game of Dragonlords (at the moment little more than RuneQuest (3rd ed) plus house rules). Adopting a holding position in Diplomacy. I think that brings the number of people I do regular gaming with to over thirty. Oh, I've been told that my Rolemaster Companion will be re-released this year (after fourteen years!)

Senior IT security expert warns to stay away from MS-Windows Vista. ("The Vista Content Protection specification could very well constitute the longest suicide note in history"). Eric Raymond tells Linux developers that 2008 is a hard deadline in their attempts to gain world domination.

And valedictions to the great author and discordian philosopher: Robert Anton Wilson has died.

Comments

[phasmaphobic.livejournal.com]

What gets me the most about the "pundit"'s arguements is that he swears you said something you didn't, and then when it is clearly and succinctly proven to him that no, you did not in fact say what he thought you said, he still denied it, and continued to rather angrily and foul-mouthedly swear the same thing.

Some people just can't listen to, tolerate, or discuss reason.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

One thing that popped in my head this morning is that surely one day in the future, when he's old, sick and probably with cancers eating his lungs, is that he might even consider what an incredible waste of time and energy his behaviour has been.

[phasmaphobic.livejournal.com]

Heavens know I find myself often looking at the wastes of time and social graces that were several prime moments of my youth. Thing is, I understand he's an older fellow, perhaps aged 40 or so. I'd think he's pretty set in his ways, and his only thoughts of these times in the later years will be as a glory ride in his imaginary war against his imaginary enemies.

As a USENET grognard

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

One is certainly entitled for "youthful language". However as time goes on the rational person realises that time is limited and best spent with reasonable people, rather that the impolite.

[seriouspaul.livejournal.com]

Everyone burns their candle in their own way. I burn a bit hot at times, but I like that at times. Still, I do try to be reasonable about it all. After all if there is one thing I've learned from my job is that patience really is a virtue.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the opportunity does present itself for a good flaming, I agree - and it's hard to resist. But, as I mentioned I think in the last post the flames that burn the coolest are the most effective.

What's your job?

[seriouspaul.livejournal.com]

I work as a Corrections Officer in my states highest security level prison. We're sort of the end of the line for everyone who can't behave once inside prison walls.

I always think of flaming as a poor descriptive, but I guess it's fair. I'm a fairly sarcastic person in real life, in what I hope is a humorous way, but likely isn't always. I try to keep my posts online in a format to represent how I would say it in real life-it's easier for me, and more honest. (A lot of people make use of dictionaries, and google to make themselves look better. While I do use a spell checker (Most of the time. Heh.), I try not make more posts any more artificial than they have to be.

At any rate I guess my point is I am used to dealing with people who get hostile pretty quick, and aren't afraid to act on those impulses. I tend to diffuse them with humor. (And occasionally use of force, should it be needed.) As such I'm pretty thick skinned, and quick on my feet when it comes to what we call the "blaze game." I don't shy away from these discussions, as I find them amusing-most of the time. (Yes, I'm that guy who tapes a quarter to the floor to see how many people stop and try to pry it up.)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I work as a Corrections Officer in my states highest security level prison. We're sort of the end of the line for everyone who can't behave once inside prison walls.


Bloody hell. That would take nerves and a mind of steel.