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Scalzi’s Latest: But I didn’t get MY say!

skzb — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:29:45 +0000

John “Breathtakingly Brilliant” Scalzi has made another breathtakingly brilliant post. At 800 comments and late at night, he finally said “Enough,” especially because everyone was repeating himself (and anyone who didn’t notice the non-sex-specific “he” in that sentence might have problems with this conversation). Point is, I had something to say about it, and, after reading all 800 comments, no one said it. So I will say it here.

First, please read his post.

Okay, when I say it is ‘breathtakingly brilliant,” I mean it, because it has beautifully redefined things for me. It was a classic case of, “You’re bothered by this metaphor, so let me give you a new metaphor without the emotional baggage, so that, just maybe, we can discuss the actual issue.” It worked.

And, in so doing, it highlighted my problem with the whole, massive bundle. My problem can be stated thus: All of this effort put into either a) How do we make the game more fair, or b) At least making us aware of how unfair the rules are, makes it that much harder to focus on what is, to me, most important: THE FUCKING GAME SUCKS.

I don’t want to play it, I don’t want to be forced to play it, I don’t want strangers to have no choice but to play it; I don’t like smug assholes “dropping out” to live in the woods and then claiming they aren’t playing it.

The game needs to go. It needs to be replaced by a game that doesn’t have a wealth stat, or an education stat, because those things are just always maxed for everyone. It needs to be replaced by a game in which the stats are different talents, and the only thing to put points in are interests and passions.

John calls his game real life, and he’s right, it is. But I passionately, deeply believe it isn’t the only choice for what real life can be. Most people will believe my desire here is unrealistic, and dismiss it; but we must not forget that many of these people believe (or believed) that voting for Obama made a difference, so exactly who is unrealistic is open for debate. In terms of material wealth and capacity for wealth production, there is, at present, enough to create the game I want, or at least get pretty close. In order to concentrate on changing the rules for stat setting, you must believe the game is always going to be there, more or less the same.

I will never accept that.

Casting the Whedoneseque Vlad TV show

skzb — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:19:33 +0000

This from Twitter over the last few days. We’ve decided that it should be an HBO or Showtime series, written, produced, and directed by Joss Whedon and his Usual Suspects, staring:

Vlad: Alan Tudyk

Loiosh: Robin Williams (I know he’s not a Whedonite. But)

Cawti: Summer Glau

Sethra: Gina Torres

Sticks: Nathan Fillion (the part would have to get much bigger)

Daymar: Ron Glass (edited)

Kragar: Sean Mehar

Morrolan: James Marsters

Aliera: Felicia Day

Norathar: Eliza Dushku

Zerika: Sarah Michelle Geller

Lady Teldra: Morena Baccarin

Melestav: Adam Baldwin

ETA Noish-pa: Anthony Hopkins

The Demon: Mark Sheppard

Sethra the Younger: Jewel Staite

Mario: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Now, of course, if they manage to get Firefly back, all bets are off. I’d rather see that happen.

Health report

skzb — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:13:40 +0000

About three weeks ago I developed a toothache–lower left canine. Thanks to Will and Emma, I found a really, really good dentist. Good people, good doctors, and there is an especially hot dental assistant. The canine seemed fine, but the four front teeth next to it Had To Go. I got what’s called a “flipper” (I named it Dolphin, of course) to replace them. Unfortunately, the tooth didn’t stop hurting. It’s been getting worse. Usually, it’s fine as long as I’m upright, but when I lie down, it is very very painful. This, of course, means an inability to sleep.

A few days ago it reached the point where the drugs (percoset, motrin) weren’t helping. We finally decided that Something Had To Be Done. We rejected referred pain, sinus problems, heart complications. However healthy that tooth seems, it had to go. So I scheduled an appointment with a dental surgeon. I got up to go in on Thursday, walked down the stairs, and couldn’t catch my breath. I should have known things were going to go wrong when Hot Dental Assistant didn’t want to out with me.

Fuck. The term is, “congestive heart failure,” and you don’t want to fuck around with it. The only sane thing to do is skip the dentist appointment and go into the ER. Right? Yeah, but, the tooth HURT. So I went to the oral surgeon. The oral surgeon, being smarter than me, sent me to an urgent care, where they did an EKG and decided it looked sort of marginal, and sent me to an ER, who checked me in.

I spent Thursday night at Nicolet Park Methodist Hospital. Now, you may say that Mr. Wesley and the other Methodies are over rightous, but they make a fine, fine hospital. The staff was wonderful, taking more than good care of me, and, while they couldn’t make the tooth stop hurting, they never stopped trying, or stopped caring.

So, yeah, there was fluid in my lungs. They got my heart stabilized, and let me go last night. Corwin, Dee, Carolyn, Aliera, Toni, and Martin all showed up, as did my friend Betsy, and Will. Was wonderful to feel so supported. Summer Glau didn’t call, but that was probably because she was busy. Or else because she’s never heard of me.

Last night, for no reason I can think of, my tooth stopped hurting. I got 11 beautiful hours of sleep. Today, the tooth hurts a bit, but nowhere near where it was. I dunno. I guess I’ll talk to the dentist on Monday.

I’m now on more drugs: something to keep my heart beat regular, and a mild diuretic. I’m told I could use an operation to insert something into my chest that will shock my heart if it goes into, uh, I don’t remember. Ventrical a-fib, maybe? But it’s supposed to keep me alive. I can no more afford the operation than I can pay the hospital bills I just incurred, BUT….

I met with a social worker, who seems confident she can get me heath care–enough to help with those bills, and get the operation, and fix my teeth, and even deal with the fucking polyp in my nose that’s been making life interesting for several years. This is very, very good news. I am actually feeling hopeful.

Maybe I’ll ask Hot Dental Assistant out again.

Anyone want to buy a hat?

skzb — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:08:35 +0000

I’ve finally replaced my hat, which I’ve had since I think about 1988 or 89, so I’m putting the original one up on ebay. It’s falling apart, and missing the post to keep the side up. Bad shape. But it’s still the hat. You can find it here.

Time to change the subject

skzb — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:34:59 +0000

Seems the last conversation has a gotten a bit personal, so I thought I’d bring up something simple and non-controversial so we can all be polite to each other.

What do you guys think about the Occupy Wall Street movement?

Auction for Terri: Dedication to my next novel.

skzb — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:24:13 +0000

A bunch of cool people are having an auction to benefit Terri Windling, who first published me, and pretty every good fantasy writer (except R.A.McAvoy) between 1980 and 1990. There are many cool things to bid on. I’ve put in the dedication to my current work in progress, Hawk. Yes, indeed, I’ll dedicate to you; or to someone you want me to.

Check it out here:http://magick4terri.livejournal.com/41067.html

Anyone know a furniture maker

skzb — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:05:14 +0000

I need a particular piece of custom-built furniture. I can’t go into detail (it’s for a present, and if I describe it, the person it’s for will figure it out), but it will take someone who is good and creative. Does anyone know someone who can do this sort of thing?

On populism, despair, hope, and science

skzb — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:45:06 +0000

I’m currently reading William Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. It’s brilliantly researched, and the author’s prejudices and idealism do little to reduce its value. One of the things that strikes one very forcefully is the list of 25 demands in the program of the Nazi party, and the discussion of which ones were implemented and which ignored. Many of these program points are reminiscent of American populism–both the left-wing variety and the right-wing. If you look at some of the right-wing American populists (Father Coughlin, Huey Long, &c) you’ll see the same thing you see in the program of the Nazi party: proposals to break up financial oligarchy and to distribute the wealth more evenly–the same things you see in the program of left-wing populists. Is the only difference between them that these program points are instantly dropped and forgotten when a Hilter or a Long comes to power?

Both left-wing and right-wing populism are distinguished by hostility to theory and to politics–by the belief that we don’t need an in-depth understanding of what we’re fighting against, it is sufficient that we’re angry at how the elite are abusing their privileges. But privilege and power have a complex dialectical relationship to one another; it takes power to maintain privilege, and privilege in turn confers power. Power in a society is what we call politics, and the argument over who has this power, who ought to have this power, and what ought to be done with it is the expression of the economic conflicts that drive society. To take a stand on the economic conflicts but to ignore the political is to leave one’s self open to the influence of demagogues. At best, you have the IWW, whose hostility to theory and politics led to their collapse; at worst you find yourself backing a Hitler, a Huey Long, a Ron Paul, and wondering how you got there.

Shirer’s book is frightening, because it shows what can happen when rage and despair have no productive outlet. It is also encouraging, because a scientific understanding of how society works–and this book exactly a contribution to such an understanding–is our best hope.

A question for US history buffs

skzb — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:34:13 +0000

What, where, and when is the greatest massacre of US citizens by the US military? For this purpose, Indians were not considered citizens before 1924 (the Snyder act), nor were Confederates during the recent unpleasantness between the states. Copyright 2008 The Dream Cafe.A question for US history buffs ©2012 Words Words Words. All Rights Reserved..

Technology that has been done right–barely

skzb — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:25:26 +0000

This is a tricky one. I’m looking for some technology from any time in the last 20 years or so with the following characteristics:

1. It is ubiqutous.

2. It was done right–ie, it’s a good thing they did it THAT way instead of some other way.

3. It is either true or believable that it COULD have been done some other way that wouldn’t be as good.

For example, the 26-key pad on the I-phone makes life better than if everyone had to triple-tap. Unfortunately, that fails #3.

Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks!