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

[angel80.livejournal.com]

The Daily Kos story is a shitty attack of tabloid proportions on a 17 year-old girl who didn't choose her mother. I've looked at all those photos and there is no "evidence" at all - actually the other way around. I think the photos show that it was indeed Sarah, not Bristol, who was pregnant.

It really makes me wonder about the rest of the stuff. We've already seen how vicious they were about HC.

I'd rather stick to her politics.

[ytterbius.livejournal.com]

It's not strong evidence by any means, but it sure seems a bit funny.

Sticking with her politics doesn't do her alot of favors anyway. :)

[angel80.livejournal.com]

Not only is it not strong evidence, it is not evidence at all. It was written by a troll. That's probably the funny bit - Daily Kos publishing the work of trolls.

Otherwise it isn't funny at all, it's just sexist.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Don't you find it a little improbable that a person is seven months into a pregnancy, and no one noticed? Not even her own staff? What do you think of Alaska's Senate President Lyda Green? Or the comments Alaska Airlines representative Caroline Boren? Don't you find it a little hard to believe that this person is seven months pregnant?

Politics? Well she's a creationist who doesn't believe that human beings are responsible for global warming. It doesn't surprise me that she would pressure a young woman in falsifying an illness why she goes away for a while to have a baby and pretend not to be the mother for the sake of traditional right-wing family honour.

[angel80.livejournal.com]

No I don't find it particularly hard to believe, but then I don't know when the photo was really taken either. In the photo taken next to the other female governor she could easily be pregnant and in the one with the pink coat I'm pretty sure she is. There are other photos in which she also looks pregnant.

I do find it hard to believe that a family trying to hide a pregnancy would pose their daughter in a way that shows her (non-anorexic) tummy bump, clearly emphasised by the stretchy tight-fitting top over hipster pants.

I don't know what all these other people said because I've only read the "quotes" in one place.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Of course there is not conclusive evidence at this stage one way or another. What I find interesting is that this can be illustrative of Palin's own policies on related matters; to say the least, her policies on abortion and other forms of birth control, sex education and schools and so forth are downright reactionary. Whilst this story will get some media legs, I hope that people have the sense to move from the sensationalism to the related policy positions.

[angel80.livejournal.com]

I think the evidence is fairly conclusive that the DKos article was written by a troll. I found the photo of the allegedly pregnant daughter on the Alaska Daily News site. It was taken in 2006.

This is not sensationalism, it is a deliberate attempt to tell lies about her in a way that damages her daughter more than anybody else. Like the attacks on Chelsea during the Primaries.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I found the photo of the allegedly pregnant daughter on the Alaska Daily News site. It was taken in 2006.

Source? I've checked the ADN archives and the story is from March 9, 2008.

I don't think anyone has mentioned her daughter in a negative fashion. Or even thought negative things about her. That sort of thing is left to the minds of religious fundamentalists who seem to think that teenagers getting pregnant is a condition of wickedness rather than a medical matter.

[angel80.livejournal.com]

The ADN has a photogallery of Sarah Palin. The caption to photo #39 says 2006.

Anyway the story has been somewhat superseded this morning. That daughter is a "wicked sinner" all right, but the mother is not covering it up.