Nuadha's Tale

Ignorance can be tolerated, where reason is left free to combat it. -Thomas Jefferson

Friday, January 31, 2003

Quick News Bit
A bishop from Bush's denomination is in a new anti-war ad. It's about time the church spoke out. Maybe this will get the Republicans a reason to pause. I'm not counting on it as it didn't slow down Bush's murdering of Texas criminals (better known as the death penalty), but I can hope.

Mutants and Masterminds
My usual Champions group played Mutants and Masterminds last night. M&M is a new superhero RPG that is based on the D20 (D&D) system. They made some great changes to the rules and I was extremely impressed with it. I read the d20 pen gaming license a while back when I was thinking about the possibility of writing The Dreaming City as a d20 suppliment and I was given the impression that you couldn't change the level system in a d20 product and that was part of what discouraged me fro mdoing so. (Level-based roleplaying systems bother me.) However, M&M changed how characters build off of experience. They didn't put the d20 logo one their cover and maybe that was why they could do so. The other thing they changed was the damage system and its.....genius. It's one of those things that leaves you asking, "why didn't I think of that?" Anyways, I'll be stopping at Borders this weekend to order myself a copy.

Oh and in other Champions related news- Last week, Jubei learned he has a daughter he never knew about and she seems to have some abandonment issues (she wants to kill Jubei). Neil can be a damned evil GM sometimes.

Still a Troll...
troll portrait
Wow! You're a Troll! Your fae appearance is
similar to that of a blue-skinned Nordic god,
and you have the physical strength to knock
down walls. Beware though, your extra height
can be a painful gift when you forget to duck
when entering a building.


Which European Changeling Kith do you belong to?
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I thought at first they did this quiz as one that included some of the European Kiths such as the Ghille Dhu, but looking at the questions I'm not sure what the author was thinking was the differences between the American Kith and their European counterparts.

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

I am Shiva
I am Shiva
You are Shiva! You may not be one for comradery, but you get the job done with icy precision. Beware of the Diamond Dust!

What Final Fantasy summon are you?
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Sunday, January 26, 2003

Blogs and Work
Work sucked this week, so I avoided spending any extra time on the computer. I'm now caught up on my blog reading. There's a few WISHes I keep meaning to reply to but I don't know when I'll get to them. I'll try and post some on this blog this weekend, but work is also leaving me with a hurting wrist from typing a lot. This problem started in my old department and sems to be carrying over with the new department. To make things worse, the new position (customer service) is set up so that the company tries to keep you sitting at your desk and on the phone through your whole shift by making it so that you don't even need to get out of your desk to get something off of the printer. When you print something out, someone else brings it to your desk. This results in you having to remind yourself to get up and stretch occasionally. I'm trying to stay aware of how I'm typing so I don't develop a serious problem, but right now it is starting to bother me whenever I type, no matter how careful I am of being in the right typing position.

Another reason...
...to oppose a war on Iraq. From this CBS article detailing the US military plans for airstrikes:

"There will not be a safe place in Baghdad," said one Pentagon official who
has been briefed on the plan.

Are we forgetting that Baghdad is a city populated with civilians!?

I heard on NPR yesterday that they are now trying to sell this war as a war to bring democracy to Iraq and liberate it from Saddam Hussein. I guess they realized that nobody was buying the "war on terrorism" angle, so now it's to better the lives of the Iraqi people. I'm sure they'll appreciate that after we turn Baghdad into another Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Note- They used the same change of message during the Afghanistan invasion when the US's bloodlust from the 9/11 attack started to wear off. They started telling us it was to help the women of Afghanistan while they dropped cluster bombs on Afghani villages.

Tuesday, January 21, 2003

Human Shields
Human Shield volunteers are heading for Iraq. Has this ever happened before? I can't think of another war that has been so opposed by the international community.

Monday, January 20, 2003

Martin Luther King Jr.
"The dispossessed of this country- the poor, the white and the Negro- live in a cruelly unjust society. They must organize a revolution against that injustice, not against the lives of the persons who are their fellow citizens, but against the structures through which society is refusing to take means which have been called for, and which are at hand, to lift the load of poverty."

We still have a long way to go. The world needs another Dr. King today.


Oh yeah...
Carla and I also went to look at a house she found Saturday. It's a nice house and we're thinking of making an offer on it. Now, if our house would just sell.....

My Weekend
On Saturday, I went to the peace protest in Ann Arbor. Their were a few hundred people there. It was freezing cold, so I half-expected it to have a small turnout. I was glad to see I was wrong. I'll try to write more about the protest later. Saturday night, I rented Romeo Must Die for Carla and I to watch. It was..so-so. It had a couple good martial arts scenes and a decent plot but the script was horrible and noone in it could act. I was in the mood for a martial arts movie and had gone to rent Van Damme's Bloodsport. Laugh if you will, but I think Bloodsport was one of the best Martial Arts movies. It had a solid plot and decent acting, but best of all you get to see a whole bunch of people fight using completely different styles. We played Champions Thursday night and Jubei was involved in a martial arts tournament. Ever since then, I've had Bloodsport stuck in my head. Blockbuster didn't have Bloodsport so I was out of luck. I should have rented Enter the Dragon.

On Sunday we had the New Tara game. It was fun. I don't think the game is working out quite like I had wanted, but I've got some really good players (and I'm not just saying that because some of them read this page) and the game has a whole lot of potential. I just need to go back to a more structured plot than what I have been doing. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that. In the previous campaign, I saddled the players with a quest. I don't want to do that again. Still, this last session worked out where everyone was together for the end....a combat that could have been left out and should have been run diceless, by my own rules. ("If the combat isn't integral to the plot, don't roll dice.") You see, at the end of the scenario, I wanted to hint that these "dream-creatures" who the players had seen in the real world had also been plaguing the dreaming. I wanted them to have an encounter with some but it didn't need to be a full-blown combat.

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

Composition II
I went to my second class this morning. It's kinda weird going to class before work. With my new shift, I don't start until 11:00 so I'm taking classes when most people would be at work. So, I'm in this class with a bunch of kids straight out of high school. The teacher asks a question and they all sit there silent. I started answering all the questions until I got tired of it and sat back to watch them. I feel for the teacher, who is the only one in the class about my age. In my previous college classes it always seemed that the older the student, the more involved he or she is. This class seemed to prove my theory.

The class is on argumentitive papers. The instructor told us on the first day not to write about politics, religion, "the war on terror" or any of the topics people normally argue about. We're supposed to write about things that interest us. Putting aside the fact that I would be interested in writing about politics, religion or other such topics, I was ready to go ahead and write about roleplaying games and movies. Today she assigns the first assignment: a paper on our reactions to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and how it changed us. She gave us an example of how she decided to join the National Guard after 9-11.

Time Poll
The European version of time has a poll right now, "which country is the greatest threat to world peace, Iraq, N. Korea or US?" Guess who's winning with 80% of the vote? poll here.

Anti-War Rally in Ann Arbor
of local interest

January 18th Anti-War Protest Rally and March in Ann Arbor
12 noon, Federal Building, Ann Arbor.

STOP THE WAR BEFORE IT STARTS!

For those of us who are not planning to go to Washington, D.C. on January 18th for the national demonstration against the war in Iraq, there will be a local rally and march in Ann Arbor.

This action is sponsored by PeopleĀ¹s Progressive Network of Washtenaw County and is endorsed by Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace, Coalition Against the War, Solidarity, Street Wall Journal, WILPF, Wooden Spoon Co-op (more to come).

1. Rally at the Federal Building at noon on Saturday the 18th. Protest the current bombing and imminent U.S. war against Iraq, as well as the ongoing U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, U.S. support for the military actions in Palestine, and U.S. threats against North Korea.
2. There will be speeches by members of the various groups who endorse the
rally, as well as spirited chants and noise-making. There will probably
be a picket line in front of the main entrance to the Federal Building. Bringsigns.

3. There may be a feeder march from the Diag to the Federal Building at noon prior to the rally and there may be a march through downtown areas after the rally.

4. There will be planning/sign-making meetings Wed. & Thurs. nights (1/15 & 1/16) at 7 pm at Wooden Spoon Bookstore, 200 N. Fourth Ave.

For more information contact Phil Carroll at carrollz@umich.edu



Fox News
I caught a few minutes of Fox News while getting ready this morning. There should be no suprise that they pissed me off on several points. One- "When will Bush give the green light to attack Iraq?" OK, so we're all pretty sure that Bush will use any excuse he can to start the war. He doesn't just want it, he needs it. The Gallup polls show him losing support and the typical Americans will, with the help of media like Fox News, rally behind a president during a war. Plus, he needs to pay back his oil buddies who baught his presidency. Two- The show was blasting Martin Scorsece for Gangs of New York, saying that he was "un-american" because he made a movie that shows a more unfavorable part of history. Since when is the truth unamerican!? This sounded scarily like the McCarthy era. Well, there's more...but I gotta start my shift at work here so I gotta go.

Who am I?
After all these tests, I'm losing track of who I am....

Blake%3A%20revolutionary%20or%20lunatic%3F
Which Season One Blakes 7 Character Are You?

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Gandhi
I have a new book of Gandhi quotes. This one is particularly fitting for these times:

The cause of liberty becomes a mockery if the price to be paid is the wholesale destruction of those who are to enjoy liberty.
-Gandhi

Bush Watch
For the first time since 9/11, Bush's approval ratings have slipped below 60%. Does this mean some people are waking up? Will Bush start the war now to give his approval ratings a boost and distract people from his disasterous handling of the economy? Time will tell. article here

Monday, January 13, 2003

We Americans claim to be a peace-loving people. We hate bloodshed; we are opposed to violence. Yet we go into spasms of joy over the possibility of projecting dynamite bombs from flying machines upon helpless citizens.
- Emma Goldman

Saturday, January 11, 2003

Where are the liberals?
TomPaine.com has this article, which asks why Michael Moore isn't on tv as much as Ann Coulter. They both have best selling books (I believe Moore's sold better than Coulter's) and are provocative. Moore even has one up on Coulter. He's got a movie...a damn good movie. A political movie that features an interview with Charlton Heston that is worth the admission alone. (Although my favorite part was his animated history of America...) However we rarely see Moore on TV while Coulter is ever present. Why? It all goes back to what I was saying. Michael Moore tends to be anti-corporate while the major medias are owned by corporations. Oh well. His message is getting out.

Another Chance to Get it Right
I don't know if everyone has heard about this, but Nike was sued in Caifornia for making false claims. They were advertising that they had improved their working conditions...their sweatshops. A consumer in CA called them on their lie and took them to court. (In California a citzen may sue corporations for making false advertising claims.) Rather than try to claim they were not lying, Nike is taking their case to the Supreme Court, claiming that first amendment laws allow a corporation the same right to free speech, (the right to lie) that an individual citizen.

A group in Pennsylvania is trying to set things right. They point out that corporations were never meant to have the same political rights as an individual and the founding fathers actively worked against allowing such power to fall in the hands of corporations. In the late 19th century, corporations gained a lot of power in American politics but this was never how it was meant to be. It will be tough for such a movement to ever happen while Americans still get a majority of their news and information from corporately controlled media but this is exactly what America needs. We, the people, must take the power back.

Morpheus Interrupted
This probably needs lots of editing but I'm tired. I had a tough time deciding what my fourth game should be, but finally settled on the idea of doing a follow up to Morpheus Calling. There were too many games I wanted to run this year.
A question burns in your mind. "What is Amber?" Morpheus has the answers. He can help you see through the world that has been pulled over your eyes, keeping you from the truth. You are a prisoner of a war you cannot remember. Morpheus can help you remember. He can show you the door to the true world but you must step through it. The choice is yours. Amber is in ruins and she needs you. She needs you to rebuild and protect her from enemies hidden in shadow. First, you must wake up. Then you can join in the fight. it has been a year since Morpheus and his crew liberated Amber from the forces of Chaos, but they are still out there. It is only a matter of time until Amber's children must fight once more for survival in the desert of the real.

Friday, January 10, 2003

Dreaming City at Ambercon!
I gotta quit waiting to write these descriptions until the last minute...
Welcome to the streets of Murias, the ancient home of the Tuatha de Danaan. In the century since the fae of the city opened it up to mortals, the city has seen many changes. The city has grown into a large metropolis where technology exists side by side with the magical. For the last decade, the Corelli family has been unchallenged in its control of the criminal underworld of the city. The Corellis earn a little money off of almost every vice in the city. A few months ago, some new players arrived. They moved in on all of the family's operations and they are building quickly. Antonio Corelli has called a meeting. Something must be done. Can a deal be made with this new outfit or will war break out on the streets of the Dreaming City?

Gary Flinger at Ambercon!
An Ambercon 2003 LARP
For almost half a decade, the Chaosian Broadcasting Network has presented the Gary Flinger Show, the raunchy daytime talk show of which all others are but shadows. The 50th anniversary of the show is quickly approaching and Gary Flinger has a special treat for his fans. A special marathon of Gary Flinger's most popular episodes (including "Vampire Sex Secrets" and "Baby, I'm in Love with your Clone!") will end with a brand new episode introducing his viewers to the most dysfunctional family in the multiverse, the royal family of Amber! they've decided to come clean with eachother about all the secrets they've been keeping and they've decided to do it on the Gary Flinger Show!

I'm not sure if I like the description but I kind of rushed it.

Flash Animation
Right here. I love the music....

The problems with Corporate Media
All of the 24 hour news channels have catchy names for Bush's new war. My favorite is MSNBC's "Showdown with Saddam." They keep covering the weapons and equipment that out troops will use in Bush's new war and glazing over the fact that the weapons inspectors aren't finding anything. Herr Bush says that Saddam looks evil and the media follows the party line. They tell us that this is war of good against evil and people believe it. Is it good reporting? No. The news media no longer attempts to tell the whole story. They are so used to getting the news spoon-fed to them from white house press secretaries that its much easier for them to give the white house's version of the news than actually do any research and why wouldn't they want people to believe the white house? They all have the same goals.

Wednesday, January 08, 2003

Goodbye Bill
He was a friend and I'll miss him. Bill O'Rights got in the way of Ashcroft and Bush and now Bill is dead. Read about it here. When is the US public going to take note?

In Nomine quiz
The%20Seraph
Which In Nomine Choir are you?

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(Via Djinn)

Monday, January 06, 2003

Iraq Conference
I keep meaning to blog this. I am going to a conference on peace activism and Bush's upcoming war on Iraq this weekend. It's in Ann Arbor, so if anybody reading this is in the area and interesting in attending, the website for it is here. I know it's not much notice, but if you can make it it should be educational.

Hello Tarot
I was talking about this with a friend over the weekend: The Hello Kitty Tarot

Sunday, January 05, 2003

New Gods at War!
An Ambercon 2003 scenario

There came a time when the old gods died! In their final battle, the brave died with the cunning, releasing an ancient power that ended an era in fiery holocaust. The world of the old gods was split in halves, two giant molten bodies spinning slow and barren. These worlds were clean of all that had gone before, adrift in the fading sounds of cosmic thunder. The two worlds would become a home for the new forces to rise up, grow and achieve powers to move the universe in new ways. Today, there is New Genesis, a world caught in the joyful strains of life. Thanks to the wise rule of the Highfather, New Genesis has enjoyed peace and prosperity for hundreds of years. An ancient pact keeps the peace with its sister planet, Apokolips. A planet forever orbiting in the shadow of New Genesis, Apokolips is marked by mammoth fire pits which illuminate its stark and fuctional temples in which creatures of fury worship a creed of destruction. Now, the pact has been broken and the master of Apokolips, Darkseid, begins the ancient war once more. Darkseid, forever in search of the anti-life equation, has taken the battle to earth where the brave and noble Orion is there to resist him. On New Genesis, Highfather gathers the greatest warriors of New Genesis to help Orion to fulfill the ancient prophecy, "The father of Apokolips shall meet his banished son in the lights of the fire pits and there the war will be decided!"

Thursday, January 02, 2003

The Draft Re-visited
Before I go into the topic, I hope everyone had a good New Year's celebration.

A so-called liberal congressman from New York is proposing the return of the draft. Here is his proposal:

Bring Back the Draft
By CHARLES B. RANGEL
December 31, 2002

WASHINGTON
President Bush and his administration have declared a
war against terrorism that may soon involve sending
thousands of American troops into combat in Iraq. I
voted against the Congressional resolution giving the
president authority to carry out this war - an
engagement that would dwarf our military efforts to
find Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

But as a combat veteran of the Korean conflict, I
believe that if we are going to send our children to
war, the governing principle must be that of shared
sacrifice. Throughout much of our history, Americans
have been asked to shoulder the burden of war equally.

That's why I will ask Congress next week to consider
and support legislation I will introduce to resume the
military draft.

Carrying out the administration's policy toward Iraq
will require long-term sacrifices by the American
people, particularly those who have sons and daughters
in the military. Yet the Congress that voted
overwhelmingly to allow the use of force in Iraq
includes only one member who has a child in the
enlisted ranks of the military - just a few more have
children who are officers.

I believe that if those calling for war knew that
their children were likely to be required to serve -
and to be placed in harm's way - there would be more
caution and a greater willingness to work with the
international community in dealing with Iraq. A
renewed draft will help bring a greater appreciation
of the consequences of decisions to go to war.

Service in our nation's armed forces is no longer a
common experience. A disproportionate number of the
poor and members of minority groups make up the
enlisted ranks of the military, while the most
privileged Americans are underrepresented or absent.

We need to return to the tradition of the citizen
soldier - with alternative national service required
for those who cannot serve because of physical
limitations or reasons of conscience.

There is no doubt that going to war against Iraq will
severely strain military resources already burdened by
a growing number of obligations. There are daunting
challenges facing the 1.4 million men and women in
active military service and those in our National
Guard and Reserve. The Pentagon has said that up to
250,000 troops may be mobilized for the invasion of
Iraq. An additional 265,000 members of the National
Guard and Reserve, roughly as many as were called up
during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, may also be
activated.

Already, we have long-term troop commitments in Europe
and the Pacific, with an estimated 116,000 troops in
Europe, 90,000 in the Pacific (nearly 40,000 in Japan
and 38,000 in Korea) and additional troop commitments
to operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and
elsewhere. There are also military trainers in
countries across the world, including the Philippines,
Colombia and Yemen.

We can expect the evolving global war on terrorism to
drain our military resources even more, stretching
them to the limit.

The administration has yet to address the question of
whether our military is of sufficient strength and
size to meet present and future commitments. Those who
would lead us into war have the obligation to support
an all-out mobilization of Americans for the war
effort, including mandatory national service that asks
something of us all.


Charles B. Rangel, a Democrat, is a representative
from New York.

God and Goddess help us all. It gets harder and harder to tell the difference between the parties. I like how he tries to make it sound like a populist sentiment. It's not like rich people can find ways out of the draft or anything. Just look at how dutifully our rich-boy president served during Vietnam.