When life is busy and being lived to the full, sometimes the opportunity to record and reflect falls a bit of the wayside. As a result, the following is a rather random collection of some activities over the past few weeks, and notably missing a rather extensive discussion on "organised noise" and of course, recent political developments, both of which will have their own entries over the next few days. At this juncture, I wish to give brief reflections on eResearch Australasia 2024, the All Saints' Day cocktail party, and the next issue of RPG Review.

I've written a few notes on the eResearch Australasia conference at the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park. In short, several hundred people in attendance, lots of high-quality content, plenty of opportunity to network, and my presentation on Spartan was very well-received. Since then, I also took the opportunity to bring together attendees from UniMelb for a bit of a debrief session and compiled notes of interest; "many eyes make all bugs shallow". I am still working on an abstract for the eResearch New Zealand conference for next year and also putting my mind to the THETA conference in Perth next year.

The weekend after eResearch, Luna and I hosted an "All Saints' Day Cocktail Party" for former residents and friends of two households in Stawell Street, Burnley and Rushall Crescent, North Fitzroy, from the 1990s and early 2000s. It was really quite a wonderful night to bring people together, and I really enjoyed playing the role of cocktail waiter. A special highlight was the opportunity to catch up with one Fiona C., whom I hadn't seen since Stawell St. We certainly had a lot to say to one another, but after almost thirty years, we still only scratched the surface. For entertainment purposes, I put together a setlist which we ran through a least a few times.

The next issue of RPG Review is already underway. Whilst the release date is December, we are already collecting content for this special double issue, dedicated to fifty years of "Dungeons & Dragons", a rather important popular cultural phenomenon. Of special note is the fact that our interview subject will be none other than Frank Mentzer, who is most notable as the author of the "BECMI" (Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, Immortal) boxed editions of the game, which would sell in the millions and be translated into eleven languages. That's kind of a big deal, really. Mind you, our online 'zine has had some astounding interview subjects in the past, and we had over five thousand unique visitors to our site last month with the release of the last issue of RPG Review. So perhaps we're a bit of a cultural phenomenon in our right.

This week is eResearch Australasia, probably the most significant meeting of minds in the country of its sort. I have presented several times in the past at this annual conference, and this time I'll be speaking on the "The Spartan HPC Story: From Small Scale Experimental to Top500 and Beyond" which, as one fellow staff member quipped, is "a love letter to Spartan". There is some truth to this; I have watched Spartan grow over the past nine years from being just a plan on paper, raised in innovative poverty, and becoming one of the most significant systems on the planet with volumes of research output. Supercomputing is important, with a return of forty-four dollars in profits or cost-savings per dollar invested. There is not an area of modern technology or science that has supercomputing has not touched (could you imagine where we would be with COVID-19 without supercomputing?), and it pleases me a great deal to be deeply involved in this industry and academic pursuit.

But this is not the only academic pursuit of recent days. I have already started drafting a presentation on bioinformatics HPC education for EResearchNZ, which will be held in Christchurch early next year. Apropos more New Zealand matters, last week I attended the annual Wellington University Alumuni event (when you've graduated from several universities, you get to go to a few of these), where Professor Nick Long of the Robinson Research Institute spoke of their fascinating developments in superconductors (which NZ is a bit of world leader in) for fMRI, electric aviation and space vehicles, and even fusion power. Further, this week I have also finished two major assignments (two PhD reviews) for the subject International Academic Writing for my doctoral studies at Euclid University, and finally, I have started writing a paper on catatonia with Angela L (she's the subject expert, I'm merely a helpful wordsmith making use of his psychology degree).

Far from being a cloistered figure, this weekend's big trip was out to Bendigo with the Australa-China Friendship Society, where we caught up with members of the Bendigo Chinese Association who have done remarkable work in preserving and promoting that community's strong ties to the region of Dai Gum San (Big Gold Mountain). We visited the Golden Dragon Museum, the Kuan Yin Temple, Guan Yin Miao (temple of The Goddess of Mercy), Yi Yuan ("Garden of Joy"), and the Bendigo Joss Hoss Temple. The visit was so enjoyable and educational, and the local Chinese association was so helpful and friendly that I believe it will become an annual trip for the ACFS.

Last weekend was PAX Australia in Melbourne, a convergence of speculative popular culture and gaming of all stripes. With that came a number of interstate visitors and I was quite pleased to host a dinner for Conan of the Sydney-based Exiles gaming group and his fellow-traveller, Jade. The weekend was also time for the RPG Review Cooperative committee meeting and, subsequent to that, a release of the 56th issue of RPG Review; which will be added to our collection in the National Library of Australia once we get past a little technical issue that they're having. RPG Review has been around for sixteen years now, which, I believe, makes it one of the longest-running RPG 'zines in publication, although nobody will ever catch up to Lee Gold's monthly "Alarums and Excursions" which has been running since 1975! The next issue, which will come out by the end of the year, will be a double issue focussed on "Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons"; which incidentially is the unambiguous title of a new book by MIT Press.

It is pretty obvious that my interest in the hobby has waned in the past few years. During this time, over half of my collection has already sold, and the proceeds to various charities (my favourite, due to their maximum life benefits per dollar spent) are Effective Altruism. Nevertheless, as founding president of the association and editor of the 'zine I have certain responsibilities up and until I find someone else to be torchbearer of the Cooperative, it's journal, our extensive gaming library, various publications, repositories, and activities carried out under its name. Fortunately, I am also blessed by one of the best committees that any volunteer-incorporated association could ask for; they are intelligent, dedicated to helping out the cooperative and put in the effort to ensure our activities are a success.

For my own part, I am far from leaving the hobby in its entirety. Every Thursday, I alternate between running a game of classic "Call of Cthulhu", and playing "Wanderhome", a narrativist story-game with an anthropomorphic setting, explicitly stated as "inspired by the works of Brian Jacques, Tove Jansson, and Hayao Miyazaki". Tonight I have just restarted, after an eighteen month break, of my QuestWorlds Glorantha game which started in 2007! Further, just for the sheer joy of it, I have begun converting the famous-notorious "HeartQuest" interactive novels published by TSR into an online version (courtesy of copies gleaned from archive.org). Given their target audience, the stories were pretty simplistic to the point of being condescending, didn't exactly sell well (even if they are collectables today), and the series was cancelled. Nevertheless, it an interesting, even curious, part of RPG history and as such, deserves to be available in a more accessible format.

Friends will know quite well that I enjoy a drink. Over the years, I've hosted and attended numerous parties and dinners, following the lifestyle of "le bon vivant", and generally, I make for very good company in these situations. A bottle of wine and a meal between friends is almost guaranteed on entry to my home. However, it must be said that alcohol is a toxin, a depressant, and a carcinogen; it impairs the senses, and it clouds judgement, and that invariably doesn't end well. Such a situation occurred a few weeks ago when a friend, who I care very deeply about, said something that triggered me terribly. I critically failed my Stoicism check and told them to leave - at 3.30 am in the morning. The story is somewhat more complex and messier than that, but now is not the time or place to discuss the details. Whilst numerous dear friends whom I've discussed the matter with are very understanding of my reaction and the context (and I thank you all for your support), I certainly could have handled it better, and I've said as much in correspondence to my still estranged friend.

The practical upshot of this experience is, however, a reconsideration of my relationship with alcohol, the default social drug, even if my own preferences are more psychedelic. The recent incident, the fact that I need to keep my health in check, and I have a doctorate to work on, have all meant that I have (a) given up the drink, at least for a month, and (b) I've added a daily exercise and dietary regimen to my life, which in the past I've become somewhat lackadaisical. Just two weeks into this change of lifestyle, the effects are increasingly prominent. I have greater clarity of mind and better sleep, my driven dysthymia has been reduced, my energy levels are increasing, and I'm shedding kilogrammes quickly. All of this I have done in the past; in 2020, for example, I lost an impressive 25 kilograms over a few months (mainly through diet, cycling and weights), only to have it creep back up as Epicurean lifestyle choices re-asserted themselves. But this time, it feels quite different. I'm even investigating a longer-term plan that includes my age category for the triathlon and pentathlon.

This said, I wish to emphasise that I'm not entirely given up the drink just yet. After all, Luna and I have arranged for a cocktail party at my place on November 1st ("All Saint's Day") for housemates and friends who used to live in either Stawell Street in Burnley or Rushall Crescent in North Fitzroy in the 1990s and early 2000s, which will be a wonderful opportunity for old friends to catch up. I think she's the only one who lived at both abodes. Plus, with a liquor cabinet that contains some thirty bottles of spirits and at least twice that in wines (the oldest being fifty-six years in the bottle), I can hardly let that all go to waste. What I do feel comfortable with is reducing my alcohol consumption to once a month, at those certain events that really matter, and really keeping track of my consumption at such times. A small amount makes for good social lubrication; nothing good comes from a large amount.

Friends and long-term readers of my journal will be all too aware of my rat fancy. Well, this weekend I decided to rejoin The Cult of the Rat. Erica and I travelled to The Happy Rattery to bring two youngsters into my home. A big welcome to Mayday (with the white-furred face) and Mayhem (splodgy face). It has not been since 2017 that I've had such animal companions, although some twenty-two rodents graced my life in the fifteen years before that. It is mostly Mel's fault; I expressed disappointment that my travelling lifestyle didn't suit having such pets, but she offered to look after them if I was away. So I hired a steam cleaner for the carpets; you have to protect those ratty noses and gave the place a thorough scrub. It's amazing how much ingrained dirt there was that Reginald the Robot didn't pick up.

In addition, a few months ago Ruby pointed me to a new game in development seeking playtesters. With just a hint of experience in such things, I conducted a thorough review and several sessions with Erica, Mel, and Julie, and sent all the notes to the designer, Benjamin Cadenza. I am very pleased to say that the game, "The Happiest Rat", is now thoroughly tested, and with crowdsourced sales underway, reaching its target in under 48 hours. The author has designed a game with subtle strategy, complexity, and flexibility whilst at the same time being very aware of the behaviour and personality of rats. So these are the main influential vectors that have led me, for the first time in seven years, to have actual rats back in my life.

Just how much of a rat fancier am I? Apart from the twenty-two pet rats I've had the past (I won't list their names), there has been the fundraising for APOPO that Erica and I had for our civil union in 2010, a cyberpunk conference I organised in 2020 that went under the subtitle "Year of the Stainless Steel Rat", an address given to the local Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, initiating a memorial campaign for the Bramble Cay Melomys (a rat of sorts), substantial contributions to the Wikipedia entry for the novel "Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife", lobbying against the now-abolished "forced swim" test, and, of course, my only tattoo, a rat with the equations derived from Curt Richter's brutal experiments. With all this background, I assure you I will do my best to ensure that Mayhem and Mayday are The Happiest Rats.

I sometimes like to journal capsule movie reviews (and occasionally long-form reviews). Whilst I have been to several in recent weeks, the opportunity hasn't really provided itself to mention these in-line with other posts. The following includes movies watched on flights travelling to and through China ("A Million Miles Away", "Peter Rabbit 2", "Ravi and the Last Dragon", "Barbie", and "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish"), a visit to iMax with Ruby ("Gravity 3D"), and two visits to the Astor Theatre with Erica ("The Third Man") and Erica and Julie ("Megalopolis"). I must, as always, mention the deco glory that is the slightly dilapidated and Heritage-listed Astor Theatre, Melbourne's iconic 1936 single-screen cinema with dress circle and stalls. The place could only be improved by having a house cat again; Marzipan and Duke both were such a presence in the place and certainly left their mark, literally and metaphorically. On to the reviews - in reverse order of experience.

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Late last week my dear friend Lara and I purchased an apartment in Darwin. Or, to be more accurate, we paid the deposit, signed the contract and will be receiving a bank loan. It's large, modern, and centrally located, with wonderful views over the Fisherman's Wharf and harbour to the National Park. It's very close to where Lara used to live and where somehow I helped her move in twice, despite living almost 3,800km away. To think that it was only several weeks ago that Lara was featured on the ABC news on rental issues in Darwin as she and her housemate were forced out of their apartment by a questionable real-estate agent whose management of a mould issue left a lot to be desired. Lara had future funds pending and the ability to pay, but time was of the essence. Plus, a loan application from a single person for such a place was tricky at best. My offer to help with the deposit and to put myself down on the application was graciously approved ("with complete astonishment" is probably a fair addition).

It is inevitable in such circumstances that I must sing Lara's praises. We met on a COVID-era cocktail group in 2020 where she developed a powerful drink named "The Brett Sutton". Due to both past and current work requirements, I found myself able to send the recipe to the former Victorian Chief Health Officer. When a visitation became possible, we tested the drink to some excess and determined it could probably wipe out anything (including us). But it was also a very timely meeting of minds; I was in a very dark place, going through a very tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship with a person whom Lara knew all too well, and she was able to give me great insight into how current behaviour correlated with past behaviour. Far from the only person who helped me through those days, she accepted me into her life with both sympathy and a strong sense of ethics. Importantly, this included a mutual acknowledgement of our own failings with a sense of contriteness and remorse when such failures occur. I do wish more people showed that.

Lara is an incredibly stylish woman; she carries herself like a well-dressed rogue pixie with an adorable dwarf rabbit and her beautiful red convertible. She lives with almost spartan modern furnishings, but ever-questing for the best quality culinary delights. Our politics are quite compatible (she's a green and I'm a red) with a notable lack of partisanship. We have both engaged in numerous visits to special events at galleries and museums, and we have taken interstate and international holidays together. In recent months, I have also had the opportunity to meet her family and close family friends who have accepted me into the fold. Most importantly, through our many deep and extended conversations and activities, I find myself in a position where I trust her sense of loyalty and responsibility completely. Whilst utterly requisite in financial situations like this, it also speaks volumes of her character. I am so lucky to have Lara in my life as are all who know her. I will forever recall with great fondness after our first meeting that I declared, like Captain Louis Renault and Rick Blaine, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

The last leg of this year's trip to China started with a long drive to Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city, a visit to the Tashilhunpo Monastery and staying at the Shiga Yangcha Grand Hotel. The Monastery grounds reminded me of the old parts of some European cities, whereas the hotel had a Victorian-colonial style (flocked wallpaper, dark wood features, lush curtains) all of which I quite enjoy. The following day we had a day of travel from Shigatse to Lhasa, to Chongqing, and eventually to Guangzhou which elder folk will know as Canton. The word "eventually" is due to the delay in the flight to Chongqing for a few hours. Despite the extended delay, I could only touch upon wandering among the enormous shopping centre of name-brands, which is not really my thing, but impressive in its scale.

Eventually, we reached Guangzhou and were whisked to the Chaoman Hotel located in the old town, next to the famous Pedestrian Street and near the arts and crafts district. Our post-midnight taxi driver was notable for being gruff, their "efficient" driving, and having the sort of physique that you would want him as a friend in a dark alley. I'll take this opportunity to mention that the Hotel had perhaps the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in (and I have some experience in a variety of sleeping locations). The following day we made our way around our surroundings, spending time at the Art Museum of Cantonese Opera, which included a live performance among the gardens. Cantonese opera, of which my knowledge is woefully insufficient, is really quite an extraordinary art form. Nearby was Blan Bunny, a rabbit-themed tea vendor which proved to be too cute to resist, and Bruce Lee Ancestor's residence, now turned into a museum. Rather famous for his martial arts films, Lee combined these skills with some rather insightful comments on personal development inspired by Taoist philosophy. The evening was topped off with a pleasant canal cruise.

For this final day, we started off at the Cheng Family Academy and Folk Arts Museum, an extraordinary building dating back from the days of the Imperial exams and now dedicated to historical and continuing arts and craft. From there we went to Sun Yat Sen's Memorial and Gardens. Revered as the founder of modern China for organising the revolution against the Qing dynasty and establishing the Chinese Republic, Sun Yat Sen has certainly been extremely influential in developing my own social and political theory, especially with his contributions to balancing nationalism and cosmopolitanism, the importance of resource rents as a foundation of social welfare, the importance of planned infrastructure on the large scale, and the modernisation of political systems. The gardens and memorial were fitting to the greatness of the man, with the central hall, in particular, being especially grand. Speaking of which, I now find myself at Guangzhou International Airport, an item of exceptional modernism and grandness. As I am about to board and return to Melbourne, I rather suspect that Sun Yat Sen would mostly approve of how China is developing.

Arriving at Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, we checked in to the Kyichi Hotel (aka Jiqu Fandian) and made a rendezvous with another fellow-traveller, Alison. Located near the Lhasa old town the hotel features comfort, an excellent style, and very pleasant dining courtyard. Lhasa, following a massive increase in Tibetan annual economic growth over the past thirty years (around fifty times, yes you read that right - although I haven't calculated real and per capita values), is a surprisingly modern bustling city with the central government pouring money for years into infrastructure and education with resulting commercial benefits; in 2020, the per capita disposable income was double the figure from 2010. The permanent population of the region of 3.5 million is at least 80% ethnic Tibetan (by language), although it does receive some forty million domestic tourists per annum, whilst foreign visitors is a mere 500,000.

The area does have some truly impressive cultural centres; on our second day we visited the Drepung Monastery and then the Sera Monastery, both home to monks of the Geluk ("yellow hat") sect, dominant in the region. The former monastery is the largest of its sort, whilst the latter is renowned for the theatrical "debating monks", which is more for show rather than an expression of serious differences. The following day was a visit to the massive Potala Palace, the historical seat of the Tibetan government and the local Jokhang Temple and finally, today, the Ganden Monastery and the "caves" (really nooks with small buildings attached) Drak Yerpa. Visiting these locations requires a degree of fitness; eschewing the modern conveniences of lifts etc, visitors will often have to climb several thousand steps and the temples themselves are located on mountain-sides.

As a strange aside, apparently locals and visitors alike think I'm an Australian yeti; I'm big, wild shoulder length hair, grey beard, etc, all of which makes me quite a novelty here. The yeti theory is the only logical conclusion that the travel group has come to on the number of people (men, women, monks, youngsters) who have asked me for photo opportunities. Whilst people are friendly and say "hello" to our group, but apparently I'm the exotic circus geek or something. I'm not too sure what to make of the woman who immediately rang her husband and tell him about the "super cute Australian" she had just met, or the marriage proposal from the security guard. This all said, tomorrow morning our party heads out into the countryside for my version of a temple - nature - and eventually to Mount Everest (aka Qomolangma to the locals).

I probably should leave out the "young" part at the very least, but Jesus Jones isn't young either. It seems that I am boarding a plane to China for a couple of weeks through the Australia-China Friendship Society, again without any work requirements (but some might come up) but for an actual holiday. Mind you, two ACFS committee meetings (National and Victorian) this week are probably enough! In addition to other international news, I've put in an application to do my doctorate at EUCLID University in Climate Science and Sustainability. The fact that this is a doctorate in climatology, and in a developing world context, and it's a United Nations treaty university, all ticks the boxes for me. The degree is all online means that I don't have to travel to Africa, but it does provide a good reason to visit if the opportunity arises. It's all a good fit: "Let's shock the world with what we know".

My pending departure has led to a rather full weekend. On Friday evening I had a classic wine and cheese night with Nitul, Anton, Andrew, and Erica in attendance. Erica and Mel joined the following day for an expedition out in the suburbs to buy various homewares that suit our style as elder goths. Julie, unable to join us on Friday night, turned up for dinner on Saturday evening and ended up at "Sopranos" which fits the bill of Italian "cheap and cheerful". On Monday I had a visit from Erica again for dinner which primarily consisted of the small mountain of leftovers from Friday night. Today I had a very pleasant visit from Ruby, where I was finally able to ply her with oysters, French champagne and French gin (Citadelle is pretty damn good), whilst discussing some of the finer points of fine art and creative writing. Of course, the week has many other events; there were two days of high performance computing workshops that went well. There was also a long and reflective literary and personal essay, "Lev The Idiot", which really deserves a follow-up from the Tolstoy perspective. But all that will have to wait at least a couple of weeks. The top of the world awaits!