Unitarian Address, Gaming and RPG Review, American Politics

[tcpip]

Yesterday I gave an address at the Melbourne Unitarian Church on Religious Freedom and National Self-Determination where I basically argued for both, as limited to universal moral rights. During the congregational talkback the final question raised the danger of religious freedom and indoctrination. This provided an opportunity to recount some comments on "real child abuse" by Dr. Richard Dawkins, a topic I have been recently debating. When I concluded that when the voice of an adult educator with authority is dealing with young minds that supernatural speculations can indeed be dangerous and harmful and that extreme caution is recommended, the congregation burst into spontaneous applause. I didn't expect that! A large number of members of the congregation also came up to me afterwards saying how highly they thought of the address. So I guess it was well received overall.

Afterwards we played the third session of imajica_lj's Call of Cthulhu campaign where, after a slow start, we've finally starting making some serious investigations in what will become a globe-trotting tale to stop evil cultists from well, something. In the other Sunday RuneQuest game, Gaumata's Vision from Shadows on the Borderland is possibly one of the creepiest scenarios I've had the pleasure to run. I'm still selling a fair quantity of AD&D stuff on ebay (and more coming). The upcoming roleplaying magazine, RPG Review is going well. I have received nearly all the articles now (including some excellent Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest articles from taavi and Steve Perrin has agreed to be interviewed for the first issue.

American politics has been pretty interesting over the past couple of weeks. Denis Kucinich provided a bit of fire and spirit at the Democrat National Convention. Economist Alan Blinder points out that historically that it is the Democrats who preside over periods of greater economic growth and reduced income inequality. Choosing Dan Quayle in drag as his Vice-President nominee has already backfired for McCain, as this 'candidate of integrity' seems have lied about well, a few things, actually. Oops.

Comments

[cluebyfour.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, that map is amusing, but not entirely fair. For one, water breaking is not automatically a sign of labor. And Palin still had to be induced even after she arrived at the hospital. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest the baby was endangered in anyway by her returning to Alaska (although it's certainly unusual--for one thing, airlines would refuse to allow a woman in labor or close to it to board a plane--so she must not have disclosed that fact to Alaska Airlines).

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

There's an interesting discussion on the matter at TPM Cafe Talk.

[jdurall.livejournal.com]

> For one, water breaking is not automatically a sign of labor.

No, but it is a sign that the amniotic sac is now ruptured, and that the baby is at risk for a variety of infections.

Additionally, women who've had previous children almost always have dramatically shorter periods of labor. Sometimes breathtakingly short.

A woman giving birth on a plane causes the plane to land immediately. That a woman in even the earliest stages of labor would even get onto a public airline indicates a callous lack of regard for her fellow passengers.