Categories
Politics

Many good posts recently

Charlie’s post about the War on Drugs ( War on Rationality), summarizes a lot of the problems I have with the drug war. Maybe it’s just a symptom of being a bad loser… or maybe I just want the best solution in the basket.

He also pointed out the amazing response time by Wikipedia– the new pope’s entry is already solid.

Amanda notices Bush’s newest excuse for his failure to capture Osama… Women in Combat. She decimates the idea beautifully.

Alas is always brilliant; Ampersand has just brought in a co-blogger, Pseudo-Adrienne. Sounds like a good thing getting better to me.

Edward at Obsidian Wings quotes Republicans from the Clinton era, underlining the hypocrisy of their musings about the nuclear option.

Bilmon returns to us with a detailed analysis of current account finances and other fiscal troubles. Globally, US consumption’s been dragging the train along… but home refinancing (which has been providing the cash for all this consumption) is running out of steam. His in depth analysis is second to none.

Kevin Drum has been pointing out that the terror of national health care isn’t seen that way in Europe and other adopters at all. (Other posts on the same issue are here, and here.)

Categories
Politics

A clear argument for unlimited pro-choice policies

Like Amanda at Pandagon, I think this is the bottom line. She snaked this from BitchPhD

The bottom line about abortion is this. Do you trust women to make their own moral judgments? If you are anti-abortion, then no. You do not. You have an absolute moral position that you don’t trust anyone to question, and therefore you think that abortion should be illegal. But the second you start making exceptions for rape or incest, you are indicating that your moral position is not absolute. That moral judgment is involved….

Let me unpack a bit, because I know this sounds polemical, since I am clearly stating a bottom line. When pro-choice feminists like Wolf, or liberal men, or a lot of women, even, say things like, “I’m pro-choice, but I am uncomfortable with… [third-trimester abortion / sex-selection / women who have multiple abortions / women who have abortions for “convenience” / etc.]” then what you are saying is that your discomfort matters more than an individual woman’s ability to assess her own circumstances. That you don’t think that women who have abortions think through the very questions that you, sitting there in your easy chair, can come up with. That a woman who is contemplating an invasive, expensive, and uncomfortable medical procedure doesn’t think it through first. In short, that your judgment is better than hers.

Think about the hubris of that. Your judgment of some hypothetical scenario is more reliable than some woman’s judgment about her own, very real, life situation?

Categories
Game Group

D&D Moves to Sunday

Last week, we agreed to try Sunday afternoon (April 24th) for our game. We didn’t set a time, so chime in below– what time works best for you. I’ll start with an offer of 2 pm– how does that work for you?

Categories
Memes Roleplaying

Lunchtime Poll #22: We’re Engaged!

Li’s got a new Lunchtime Poll:

I dropped into the local gaming store the other day and heard a GM complaining to the long-suffering clerk that he had a player who just wouldn’t react to anything that happened in the game, up to and including major injury or plot twist. Another bystander suggested that perhaps the situation stemmed from the fact that the character was three hundred years old and simply had a chronic case of been-there/done that. This week’s Lunchtime Poll is going to assume that a) the disengagement is on the part of the player, not the character, and b) the GM is running a reasonably interesting game and fairly distributing the plot cookies. That said,

How to you re-engage the enthusiasm of a bored or jaded player?

The main trick is to hook the player by making the game about his desires– not the GM’s cool plots. Too many players make a complex character with an intricate backstory that’s never used. You come to resent making complex backgrounds.

I suggest making the next plot arc character centered (re-read those backgrounds, or ask questions to establish a background), then threaten the issues that are brought up. If the character talks up his loyalty, but also his love, make sure the two come into conflict. Making a choice about what’s important is essential for a character who is going to mature.

Alternately, if the problem is widespread (not just one player), run a short game [three or four sessions] in a different style to shake things up. Or have someone else GM for a bit– you’ll probably find parts of the system frustrating as a player that you’ll never think about as a GM.

A final solution would be to co-opt the player. Let him know that you’ve noticed that he’s not interested. If they’re a good roleplayer, you can either ask them to co-GM (roleplay NPCs, etc.), or let them in on the backstory (finally someone to confide in) and let them concentrate on the roleplay, rather than the mystery.

Categories
Books

Angry Black White Boy & Mythago Wood

I finished Angry Black White Boy : A Novel by Adam Mansbach last night. It was a pretty good read; there was some social commentary (a lot actually), but also some strong characterization.

Macon seems pretty well characterized; he’s a strong character who has enough doubt and anxiety to seem real. As the downest whiteboy, he does a great job of walking the line between different groups. His reflections on family and privilege work– they don’t come across as the author preaching.

The book is almost a single POV book. The drawback is that the author dips into other POVs, but doesn’t always telegraph well. The few dips into other POVs seem like they could have been eliminated– they were infrequent enough to be annoying when they occurred, and they undermined my immersion in Macon. Save that, it’s clear and tackles interesting issues.

The previous book I read was Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock. It remains a good book; it’s set just after World War 2. Holdstock does a great job of building the setting, the family dynamic, and the mystery. This is one of my favorite books to return to.

Briefly, the family lives near Ryhope Wood. Steven, the character we’re following, is returning after being wounded and recovering in France. He’s filled with mixed feelings; partially resentment toward his neglectful father (who died during the war) and eagerness to see his brother and his brother’s bride.

When he returns home, nothing is as he anticipated. His brother is withdrawn… and obsessed, much as his father had been. Soon Christian (his brother) vanishes into the wood. We also get hints that the wood is more than it appears…

A good read, one I recommend, particularly if you enjoy fantasy/sci-fi.

Categories
Game Group

Next D&D Game: April 16

This weekend looks like it’s a go. Does anyone have a problem with playing Saturday evening, April 16th? Start at our usual 6:30 pm or so?

Categories
Books Memes

Books meme

The Fahrenheit 451 Book Meme came from several directions– and I didn’t wait to be tagged. If I did, it would be a very long wait…

You are stuck inside “Fahrenheit 451.” Which book would you save?

Mmm, tough. It seems like it should be something inspiring, but maybe something good would be enough to get people thinking about books after the culture vanishes?

I’d go for Lackey’s The Last Herald Mage: Magic’s Promise. It shows wistful fantasy, acceptance of diversity, and a desire to take responsibility. Not high lit, but it makes me happy.

Continue reading “Books meme”
Categories
Memes Roleplaying

Lunchtime Poll #21: Game Spinoffs

Lunchtime Poll #21: Game Spinoffs

What’s the best media tie-in game out there—Star Wars? Buffy? Take a position and explain it. Ladies and Gentlemen, start your opinions!

I own it, but haven’t played it. Despite that, I have to go with Decipher’s Star Trek. Its system is quite similar to the norm– 2d6+Stat bonus+skill, but the Narrator’s Guide is excellent. It gives concrete advice on how to structure an episode, how and why you’d want to choose different eras, practical advice on themes, and introspection on episodic versus campaign structure.

Character creation is pretty good, allowing you to select the character you want, plus it gives you enough picks to add some detail.

Honorable mention goes to WEG’s d6 Star Wars.

Categories
Memes Roleplaying

Ire #18: Sic Transit Papem

Ire #18: Sic Transit Papem

Our latest IRE (I missed last week thanks to ACUS) will acknowledge the 800 pound elephant in the news; the death of Pope John Paul II.

So, the death of a major religious figure. How do you figure it into a game?

Continue reading “Ire #18: Sic Transit Papem”
Categories
Politics

Capt. Mbaye, hero

Hilzoy writes an inspiring memorial for Capt. Mbaye, a man who risked his life many times to save victims of genocide.

Read it all.

He was a courageous man, well worth calling hero. I’ll look into his story further, and certainly watch Ghosts of Rwanda if I can find it.