Has it really been a month since my last update? I’ll have to do something about that.

Just popping on to say that I am still alive, and that part of my silence the past couple of weeks has been the result of discovering podcasts… I’d been hearing about them for a while now, but never really looked into it (figuring that it was something limited to iPod users).

I’ve also been hooked into the series Lost — which was actually responsible for my getting hooked on podcasting. See, I have a friend who TiVo’s the series, but she didn’t have the second season premiere — just the episodes after that.

I learned that ABC was offering Lost through iTunes, to coincide with the release of the new video iPod… I downloaded iTunes, downloaded the season two premiere, and watched it on my laptop (no iPod necessary — though I want one even more now). The latest version of iTunes has a podcast directory, and I discovered podcasts devoted to Lost and Firefly… two of my favorite shows right now.

Speaking of Firefly — I caught Serenity a couple of weeks ago, and… well… it’s really good. I’m kind of sorry that it didn’t do especially well at the box office, because this liekly means it’s the last we’ll see of the series.

I also got Scars the long-overdue first novel of the Immortals trilogy by Caroline Spector (the third volume, Worlds Without End, was published something like ten years ago). It’s pretty good, too.

Anyhow… I’ve got a bunch of reviews and comments that I want to make here in the next few days, so stay tuned. I’ll have some links, updates, and stuff shortly (maybe even including an update on the status of the Earthdawn Player’s Compendium).

Really!

It’s been a while since my last update… but this is kind of an embarassing tidbit I need to share.

I think my computer caught a virus the other night.

I (foolishly) opened an attachement I thought was safe — even after scanning it with Norton. Now the machine won’t allow me to run Norton, won’t let me open the task manager, and won’t even let me open the registry editor (which is a pretty good indicator to me that I have something wrong).

If you happen to receive any e-mails from me with mysterious attachments, do not open them — even if they scan safe. I have tried to minimize the damage by exporting my address book and deleting all the relevant info from Thunderbird (my e-mail client of choice). But you never know… so be safe!

This problem will hopefully be resolved in a day or two — I have an IT buddy of mine who is going to put together a rescue disk and (hopefully) salvage my machine without having to backup everything I want to save and do a clean install (’cause that would be a pain in the ass).

More updates as they develop.

My left wrist has been bothering me for the past week or so — mostly a dull ache towards the end of the work day. This past Sunday (and a couple of times since then) I had a couple spells of sharp, stabbing pain radiating up my left forearm starting in my wrist, and more or less running along the tendon, and the general pain started showing up earlier in the day.

It got annoying enough that I went to see the doctor yesterday afternoon. Not surprisingly, I got diagnosed with carpal tunnel, and so now I have to wear a wrist brace on my left hand whenever I’m working.

It’s taking some adjustment — the splint restricts the freedom of movement (as its supposed to), and that means that my left hand isn’t quite as precise when it comes to typing.

The doctor was a bit of an idiot in terms of his advice (he’s not our regular doctor, hes just the only one in the office who could see me on short notice). He suggested that I cut back on the computer use. This is impossible to do at work — considering that my job pretty much involves constat computer use. And I can’t really cut back on my home use, because my other job (working on Earthdawn Classic) requires a bunch of online time….

“Don’t use the computer.” Thanks doc, that’s a big help.

Capsule blurbs from the most recent Science Fiction Book Club newsletter…

Star Trek: Captain’s Peril by William Shatner

The Dominion War is over, and Kirk and Picard are off to enjoy some well-deserved down time together. At a dig site on Bajor, the captains join a group of scientists, only to find they’re being stalked by a killer. When Picard disappears, Kirk must reach into his past to confront a threat to the existence of all life in the galaxy.

I don’t really want to consider the implications of Kirk & Picard “enjoying some down-time together” (*squick*)…

Star Trek: Captain’s Blood by William Shatner

While trying to reunify the Romulans and Remans with their distant forebears, the Vulcans, Ambassador Spock is assassinated, and the investigation falls to James T. Kirk. Accompanied by his five-year old son, Joseph, Dr. McCoy, and Captain Picard, Kirk sets out on a StarFleet spy ship. But StarFleet has its own agenda, and Picard his own covert assignment…

So… Shatner finally takes the opportunity to kill off his big rival in the Trekverse (Spock)…

I find it really sad (and amusing) that this guy, who tried so hard to distance himself from Star Trek in the 70s, is now basically writing fan fiction with the ultimate Mary Sue character — himself.

And it isn’t enough for him to write tales set in the ‘classic’ Trek era, he has to force himself into the Next Gen/DS9 age, in order to make sure the glory of The Kirk overshadows the heroic captains of that era.

I’ve known for a while that Shatner was an asshole, but I didn’t realize (until just now) how much of his own okeydoke he’s swallowed.

Hello. In order to add a bit of interactivity to my blog, I’ve turned on comments. Please feel free to leave thoughtful (or not-so-thoughtful) replies to whatever randomness I post.

In the ‘exciting news’ department, my copy of Mage: The Awakening was delivered today. It is a very pretty book, and I look forward to reading it.

I read Playboy for the articles. Really I do.

For example, in October’s issue (which I received a couple of days ago) there is a great interview with George Carlin, a couple of essays on the World Bank, and a great little short story by this year’s winner of their annual college fiction contest.

I look at the girls as well — don’t get me wrong — but I just don’t find myself incredibly turned on by an airbrushed, 20-year old blonde with big boobs. I don’t even find the basic idea of nudity itself to be that exciting. I tend to more inspired by lingerie, clothing that conceals as it reveals (like, say, the Victoria’s Secret Catalog)… it does more to fire my imagination.

Anyhow… it was just an interesting realization I had earlier today.

I haven’t gotten the book yet (still waiting on delivery, but it should be here later this week), but I’ve been reading a bunch of threads over on RPGnet about Mage: The Awakening, and a few thoughts have percolated in my mind about why the old game (Mage: The Ascension) never really gelled with me, while the new one has me quivering in delight.

The main point relates to the underlying metaphysical reality of each game, and how that clicks with my own philosophy on how the universe works.

The fundamental conceit of Ascension is that reality is ultimately malleable — and therefore, false. There is no objective, fundamental truth we can uncover. Anything that seems to be ‘true’ in an objective sense is held in place by the collective weight of popular opinion. Gravity only works because we believe that it works — that sort of thing.

Awakening, on the other hand, does have an objective reality. Reality happens to be deeper than ‘mortal science’ has been able to penetrate — those who unlock these deeper mysteries, or tap into the hidden energy can do things considered impossible by science (in part because science doesn’t have all the answers).

It is much closer to my own ideas about the world — I believe that there is an objective reality that can be studied, and measured, and (at least partially) understood. The relativist ideas presented in Ascension ran counter to my own ideas, and ultimately I couldn’t deal with it.

I understand, to a certain extent, why Mage was (and is) a game that provokes such passion among its fans (and detractors) — and why the camps are so divided. More than any of the other World of Darkness games (old or new), it dealt with one of the fundamental metaphysical questions we face as self-aware beings… and each version of the game (Awakening vs. Ascension) presents mutually exclusive answers to that question.

Not a value judgement on either game (by any stretch)… but it was an interesting idea that came to me in the wee hours of the morning.

For those of you who give a damn, White Wolf’s newest World of Darkness game, Mage: The Awakening, hit stores this week. There’s all sorts of debate and discussion going on, some of it rather heated.

For example, this thread over on RPGnet. The main point of contention seems to be the existence of “Atlantis” as a major part of the Awakened mythic history. One poster in particular is of the opinion that this piece of information, coupled with other bits and pieces in the text, gives the game a strong Euro-centric slant — so strong, in fact, that it invalidates any non-Western occult tradition.

The Atlantis thing has caused problems since it was first revealed in the spoliers White Wolf released over the summer. Using an existing piece of mythology (like Atlantis) can add levels of resonance to an artistic work that a wholly original construct could never bring to the ballgame. The danger you face when co-opting mythologies for your own purpose is that your audience may bring all sorts of unintended personal resonance — and those mental affiliations may alienate a porton of your audience.

I’m reminded of the furor raised in the circles of Xena fandom I was involved with back when the latter seasons of the show were airing — particularly the “Christian” story arc during the tail end of season four and the beginning of season five. I even wrote an article on the subject (Closer to God). I didn’t think it was a big deal there, and I don’t think it’s a big deal in Mage: The Awakening.

Of course, it may be that my position as a priviliged child of western mythic tradition prevents me from feeling the pain of those whose cultural heritage is somehow slighted in the latest White Wolf rulebook. Perhaps the symbology chosen for the game is so closely aligned with my own inner symbology that I can’t recognize or appreciate the disconnect felt by those who don’t share that symbology.

I take a rather Campbellian view of myth, however. Symbols are just that — symbols — and while the exact image may vary from culture to culture and myth to myth, they generally represent something common to the human experience (whatever cultural tradition you come from). The important thing is not to get hung up on the symbol itself, but rather what the symbol represents.

Atlantis may not have been the wisest choice to go with, but what symbol could you have chosen that generates the same sort of mythically appropriate resonance? If you don’t choose one, you risk diluting your thematic emphasis so much that it becomes meaningless, and that much harder for people to plug into. You need to write to your audience, and the primary audience for White Wolf’s games are westerners. It may not be terribly politically correct, but it makes a certain amount of sense to me.

I haven’t read the book to see how narrow the focus really is, but I can’t help but feel that there’s plenty of room for expansion into other mythic traditions and modes of thought.

If you haven’t heard, there is a proposal before the Kansas School Board to give Intelligent Design (ID) theory equal time to Evolution in the state science curricula. The problem with this (at least, as I see it) is that ID theory uses the worst kind of ontological pseudo-science to justify its existence.

(Not that I don’t believe in the creation of the universe by a higher being of some sort, it’s just I don’t think ID theory properly falls under the umbrella of present-day science.)

Anyhow, as a response to this, a guy in Oregon has drafted a letter to the Kansas School Board demanding that if ID theory gets time in state science classes, his theory (which is just as valid as ID theory) should get time as well.

He believes that the universe was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Bask in his noodly greatness!

Very quick note here, because I am knackered after my sister’s wedding this past weekend. It was a good time, but the tale of that will have to wait for another day.

I would like to announce that the PDF version of the Earthdawn Player’s Compendium is available from Drive-Thru RPG! Here’s a direct link for you…

Player’s Compendium PDF.

This means that the print version should be available in about 2-3 weeks (assuming it all looks good). Stay tuned for further updates!