Unitarians, Gaming, Cancer, Sociability, LJ dying?

[tcpip]

My presentation to the Melbourne Unitarian Church on The Future of Planet Earth. On the wider scale, it seems that there is a strong emergence of religious humanism among Unitarian Universalists. The former president of Meadville Lombard Theological School, is the author of a new book, Reason and Reverence: Religious Humanism for the Twenty-first Century. All this comes as I'm reading Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion". It will be nice to make comparison.

In gaming news, my review of Fantasy Imperium is up at RPG.net. I have several others coming up very soon. Will be attending Arcanacon this week. HeroQuest Glorantha pbem has had over 120 posts in the first two weeks and is now into the third scene. Everyway Aesheba game successfully wrapped up last Friday. Before one adopts online roleplaying first get a real life, merci, baralier. For designers and swordfighters, this magnificant (if bloody) article on real swordfights. To his credit, Mitchell Toy engaged in correspondence with me over his concerns of "video game violence" (personally I think "fake realism" is a problem).

anthanum alerted me to Cure for Cancer. Further research reveals that it is having trouble getting funding.

Caught recently up with darklion and SO whilst in Melbourne. Turned 39 on Saturday, and, as for the past three years, completely forgot the day and ended up dining with Paula the MCF, Craig and caseopaya who provided a very fine french cuisine dinner for me - and some very Australian cookies ;-) Had a visit from the mad and dangerous to know, dukeofmelbourne today.

Is Livejournal Dying? since introducing ads? For Firefox users there is a neat login tool and adblocker.

Comments

[lederhosen.livejournal.com]

For designers and swordfighters, this magnificant (if bloody) article on real swordfights.

I've been pointing people at that one for years. Great stuff!

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

Re: the cancer cure, Orac has a description of what is actually going on. In short, yes it's good news (although not the first time we've had this sort of good news about cancer). But New Scientist is really blowing things out of all proportion and creating a conspiracy where none exists. And there is funding for the next step available.

[iosef.livejournal.com]

Maister Crown was for a long time a luminarie of the classical fencing list that William Willson runs. Since his departure that list has been very quiet excepting aroung Lansing and when new translations of the classic manuals become available.

Any more comments and this will approach spam levels

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

I prefer the review of first life personally.

[cluebyfour.livejournal.com]

Happy belated birthday! I turn 39 this year as well, and I'd probably like to forget it too. ;-)

The LJ usage stats are interesting, but I'm not sure it correlates strongly with the introduction of ads. It's more likely due to the rise of MySpace which seems to have ensnared the vast majority of teenie-boppers who are less interested in journaling than in socializing--something MySpace is probably far better suited to than LJ. Eh, they can have 'em.

On that note, I wonder how many LJers have also moved over to SixApart's MySpace clone VOX.

I am a bad friend

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

I forgot your birthday!!! Sorry!!!

To make up for this, I propose a dinner.

I may be away over the Invasion Day weekend, but when I get back, can we either go out for a slap up dinner, or I'll do the cooking thing at my place (preferably on a Friday so we can 'relax' ie, drink lots)

Happy Birthday!!!!

Love Ms. V

[discordia13.livejournal.com]

LJ has adds? First thing I did when I recreated my LJ last year was adblock every add frame, just like I do for every website. I cant say I like MySpace a whole lot either. I'm yet to find anyone that can make a good website on there.

I'm currently using adblock, noscript and flashblock for a very nice and safe browsing experience.

PS. I may be in Melbourne for the first week of August. We will have to catch up.

[ser-pounce.livejournal.com]

*applause* Great presentation :)

Still on for Saturday, 12:30?

[hawk-eye.livejournal.com]

Nice linkage on the fencing material. All my experience in dark age re-enacting and some limited fencing has always suggested that the last thing that any sane man would want to do is enter into a fair, one on one duel.

[amazinggoatgirl.livejournal.com]

Happy belated birthday to you as well!

Also, the way I see it at least, livejournal was a huge fad back when I joined in 2002 and for a couple years afterward and now that part of it is waning. Now all the trendwhores are joining MySpace or the Facebook (guilty!) instead. Facebook is on a downward spiral, as far as quality and safety go, since they opened it to non 'dot edu' email addresses, like high school students, parents, prospective employers and cops, but nonetheless remains pretty useful. I have a facebook and a livejournal for completely different reasons, so I don't think livejournal will die unless it depends on 13-20 year old trendwhores for its revenue.

[luciusmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday.

I can't believe the Cure for Cancer thing - it's fantastic... I wonder if they've considered doing an online drive and have people put money towards it.

[amazinggoatgirl.livejournal.com]

If they're handy, could you possibly hook me up with some links to sources you used for your presentation, please? I'd like to show them to my 'willfully ignorant' boyfriend. ; )