US Election, NaNaWriMo/Gaming, IT Issues

[tcpip]

The election of Obama was pretty convincing, although I would hope that American conservatives are beginning to understand why their electoral system needs preferential voting and proportional representation, in the same way that Canadian liberals are hopefully beginning to understand. Many are having problems (hat-tip to jhubert), to which schadenfreude pie is on offer. To many conservatives this was a "referendum on socialism" - which was lost. Whilst there is some socialist orientations in Obama, in the centre-left, European social-democratic model but more realistically one must avoid the twin errors of cynicism and overconfidence. It is also worth keeping on eye on what Bush will do in his remaining days of office.

My NaNaWriMo game-design project is going very well; so far I'm pushing 20,000 words which is reasonably good for the four days although I did have a fair amount of notes and material to draw upon. It is certainly easier to write about something that one already has an interest and background in without the strict requirements of veracity as I discovered in 2006 when I started a historical fiction novel. The greatest strength of the process is, of course, providing one a discipline habit of concentrated writing. On a related topic I have started bringing articles together for the next issue of RPG Review. One of the nice discoveries over the past few days is to find that I have been listed as a playtester for most recent edition Traveller; something I didn't know about! It would be good to get into some sf gaming, it's kind of a big glaring empty spot in the various genres I'm involved in at the moment. Blue Planet would be a nice choice, although I'm also fond of Traveller 2300/2300AD. Any others?

The past couple of weeks in IT has been very interesting. Minister Conroy must now realise that almost nobody supports his proposed clean feed (156 against, 1 for). Andrew Keen has established himself as a person who appears not to understand technology or economics; "Economy to Give Open-Source a Good Thumping". In enormously good news (hat-tip arjen_lentz), the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) has thrown out most software patents! Has your Internet feed been slow in the past 36 hours or so? Mine has at work and at home; that's because Sprint and Cogent are having a little dispute.

Comments

[mr-figgy.livejournal.com]

Card really lost me when I read an article I'm sure was his, about how people who voted for Bush in 2004 were voting with their hearts, their guts, and shame on anyone who could hate them for it. I think there was the implication that people who care about gay rights, liberation, equality, must therefore be appealing only to talking points and rhetoric but not their hearts, because surely nobody in their right mind cares about people who are different than themselves. The recent Republican experience is surely a matter of people following what they feel is right, and their feelings can't be wrong.

People recommended his novels to me, but I think I'm put off items of his which might actually be written well, which is too bad.

[darkstardeity.livejournal.com]

Some of Card's novels seemed to me to be fairly progressive, which made it all the more surprising when I read some of his personal rantings. Which are reactionary and hate-filled. It makes me wonder whether or not some of his best works were actually written by him - or indeed, if he's even read them!

I find it ironic that he goes on and on about how precious his disabled son is, that everyone should respect and accept him just the way he is because "that's the way god made him", and then he can turn around (sometimes in the same essay) and spew bile on other people's "different" sons and daughters who happen to be gay. What happened to "that's the way god made them"? He seems to be oblivious to the fact that once upon a time his child would have been reviled, marginalised, even killed, and that he and his wife would have come under grave suspicion of moral failing for having produced such a child. Just as he is doing to gays and their families today.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Heh. I knew someone who wouldn't listen to Rachmaninoff on account of him being a Russian emigre from a privileged background. I suspect they were unaware that he was once part of a liberal-left group that supported freedom of expression in the arts.

This however is different. Card, from all accounts, is no Rachmaninoff. There are plenty of other, far better, science fiction writers to choose from.

I hope you like Rachmaninoff

[bar-barra.livejournal.com]

There is a concert coming up of the Vespers, sung by Gloriana, many of whom are friends of mine. I can't go (30th Nov) because I am doing Wedding Singer impressions, but it will be great. Blagosloviye, Gospodzi!

Re: I hope you like Rachmaninoff

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

*nods* I like Rachmaninoff.