Global Politics, Gaming Reviews, Kant in Space, Social Life and Rodent News

[tcpip]

Scotland has had an election which has seen a plurality to the SNP. The Socialists in the upcoming French Presidential elections have received a late boost with the leader of the far-right, Le Pen, calling for a "mass absention" and the centrist François Bayrou declaring he will not vote for the right-wing candidate, Sarkozy. Australia however retains the title of the nation with perhaps the most idiotic politicians in the OECD with Bill Heffernan declaring that Deputy Labor Leader, Julia Gillard is unfit for public office because she is "deliberately barren".

In the parallel reality in RPG.net they've had a Superheroes week; not my favourite genre but any stretch of the imagination, but nevertheless did reviews for the first Superhero RPG, Superhero 2044 (with the lowest possible rating) and DC Heroes. In a comparison of tough fantasy scenarios, have also recently reviewed AD&D's Tomb of Horrors and RQ's Snake Pipe Hollow. I would love to expand the latter into a larger setting, but the way licensing has been set up RQ3e/Glorantha is sadly as dead as the dodo.

Interrupting my normal life, has been a rather significant debate on philosophy, where I was challenged with the new community rule kumite over Kant, causation and space-time. This has led to a follow-up post on causation in science and I have just posted on discourse ethics and 'kumite' and rephrased the questions concerning Kant, space-time and mathematics.

On May Day attended Keating! The Musical with tabouli, ananas2003 and caseopaya. Quite good, great musical parodies although some of the humour was a bit amatuer. The setting, the Comedy Theatre, is full of old-world charm. In rodent news; Vagabond has declined significantly over the past few weeks, apparently suffering from what I suspect is osteoarthritis. He's ridiculously happy with all the extra affection he's getting, but his movements are slow and of very modest distances. He turned on the charm for ser_pounce and hathhalla who visited on Friday night for an eve of fine Indian food and the delights of Munchkin Cthulhu.

Comments

[mr-figgy.livejournal.com]

Kumite... is where I put on a pad helmet, gloves, footgear, shinguards and groin cup and then go get the crap kicked out of me by someone fifty pounds heavier. I have a tough time reworking that for philosophical discussion, unless you're in the Orcish Philosophy Guild--where, after the argument, counterargument, and counter-counterargument, they draw weapons and enter a melee, and may the gods grant victory to whoever is right.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Personally I think kumite is profoundly ridiculous is a genuine philosophical debate. In the dialogue, one is trying to have themselves shown to be incorrect. That would be the equivalent suicide in a argumentative brawl.. In other words, the request is not to be philosophical.

[mr-figgy.livejournal.com]

I also don't see how a "verbal ass whomping" really convinces anyone of anything. It rules out people holding on to what they believe for reasons as simple as spite. Bitterness and spite toward the rude person who you think isn't treating your point of view fairly. In my opinion, people have the extraordinary ability to cling to ideas, or to pretend to espouse different ideas until they can find some way to avoid or get rid of the ad hominem arguer.

Also... this is an Internet forum, yes? I always thought of a true appeal to force as something which occurs in person--where you can physically hurt others. What's the equivalent on a 'Net forum? "Agree with me or I'll hack your computer"? "Agree with me or I'll call you funny names"? "I can figure out where you live"?

[mundens.livejournal.com]

I know nothing of what you speak with regard to philosophy , but I suggest you need to determine which form of kumite is intended.

I'd imagine an argumentative equivalent to gohon kumite might be just as useful as a technique in training people how to think.

Also, the form of philosophical argument engaged in by Tibetan monks often looks very much like free-sparring!

[tau-iota-mu-c.livejournal.com]

As an added bonus, the author slash something of Keating is a denizen of alt.religion.kibology.

I, alas, never did see it or him when I was in Melbourn.e

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Now that's very interesting indeed... That's far in the fringes of USENET...

I may ask for your advice at some stage on the Kant debate.. You'll probably know some of this maths/physics stuff better than I do...

[claudine-c.livejournal.com]

far in the fringes of USENET

Ha! a.r.k is where I first met TimC!

I never made it to Keating! either. Bad fan-girl.

[slowlight.livejournal.com]

"i wanna do you slowly ..."

keating the musical is soooooooooo funny. keating the person is increasingly so too.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

That was a magical moment and I'm glad they included it. I remember watching it on Parliamentary Question Time. It was Hewson's best speech imo. And Keating just destroyed it with wicked humour.

[slowlight.livejournal.com]

I don't remember Hewson's speech, but I'll never forget Keating's rejoinder.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Hey, Lev,

Liked the review that you did of DC Heroes, 3rd Edition, although might have been better off reviewing the Blood of Heroes RPG instead, despite its being an overwrough piece of work. It's more current in terms of the MEGS system, but DC3 has some good stuff going for it too (other than some of the Powers and the page layout and writing).

Keep up the good work! :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, but to do that review I'd have to own the book and have played it!

Keep up the good work! :)

Will do! Any requests?

[zey.livejournal.com]

In rodent news; Vagabond has declined significantly over the past few weeks, apparently suffering [...]

You know, I initially parsed that as being a new current affairs story regarding another corporation John Howard's had corrupt dealings with.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Wrong sort of rat!

kumite.

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

This just makes me angry ... it's all a bit Magicthighs and Broomfondel.

Energy wasted.

Re: kumite.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The discussion on Kant however is very useful. Having stripped away any of his pretensions to ontology or epistemology, I've ended using Gödel to rescue him at the 11th hour with phenomenology.

Re: kumite.

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

So this is now a discussion on Kant that uses Hegel and Heidegger as proponents of dialectic truth?

[mikey-ob.livejournal.com]

Excellent and entierly justified review of S1. I remember playing through it "back in the day" - 1982 was my first encounter. It was cool to my 13 year old mind, which says a lot about the module. I liked your point about trying to remember how to not get killed.

On the other hand I see you play the woeful Munchkin, or its themed expansions. Funny ONCE, for about 5 rounds, then the joke is spent. I find it a very dull game with an uninspired system. The use of player spite as a balancing mechanic means that games tend to drag on until I cry with boredom.

Please Lev lad, there is a world of really good boardgames out there, you don't have to play Munchkin. We are in a wonderful age of boardgaming, you can do better!

Here are some games you might enjoy:
Tigris & Euphrates
Imperial
Die Macher
Arkham Horror (Revised FFG Ed.)
Yspahan
A Game of Thrones
Here I Stand

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Munchkin is the sort of game I play over dinner and several glasses of wine. It's rules lite, strategy lite and because we haven't gone through all the versions, still amusing. I do agree that it is overall a fairly limited product as Shannon A., makes clear in his brief but honest review on RPG.net

For in-depth strategy and setting goodness I am very keen on Here I Stand, having read through the ruleset you pointed me towards. I've heard lots of good things about Tigris & Euphrates and Arkham Horror, of course, is an old favourite.

One game I really want to spend a wet weekend playing is De Bellis Antiquitatis.

[mikey-ob.livejournal.com]

I have heard of WRG HOTT but not DBA. Although they are minitures games and, well, GW have really ruined me and put me off minitures gaming experiences.

For my ancients battles I am playing a lot of Command & Colors:Ancients with its wooden block goodness, and for when I want a more indepth and historically stronger fight I pull out my copy of Great Battles of Alexander from the GMT GboH series. Although I only play it solo because it is a bit too intimidating for most gamers.

I think you would really enjoy T&E, it's light enough for after dinner; and I have a sneaking suspicion that Die Macher is right up one of your particular fields of interests.

[ser-pounce.livejournal.com]

I love playing Munchkin because it is amusing and it is a game that is easy for non-gaming enthusiasts to play. Over dinner and wine, as you say.

I'm probably gonna get the recently-released version of Arkham Horror soon :)

[anthanum.livejournal.com]

Saw Keating! a couple of years ago, highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see it. Liked it so much I bought the soundtrack :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, that would have been at the days when it was showing at Trades Hall... There was a huge attendance at the Comedy Theatre...

[ser-pounce.livejournal.com]

We had a wonderful night on Friday. Thank you for the wonderful company and food.

Sending you e-mail now about Japan Festival

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it. That Indian restaurant is pretty damn good, isn't it?