Originally published at The Whitechapel Project (for MP3s and polls, click this link). You can comment here or there.

Listen to this episode

 

Download this episode in MP3

Previously on Whitechapel

Mister Rich revealed some tantalizing information about Six’s past, although he was wary of Six’s true intentions. After Six had some food, a shower, and some new clothes, Mister Rich was followed by two police officers to the run-down motel that they were staying at. The situation escalated, and Six killed one of the officers with his mind while Mister Rich was wounded in a gunfire exchange with the second officer. Six realized that the cops were fake, but just as he was pulling Mister Rich’s car around to get him to a hospital, a black van showed up at the other end of the motel parking lot.

( Read the rest of this entry » )

I somehow contrived to miss the fuss around The Execution of Garry Glitter show as well as the show itself, I saw a couple of people mention it but didn't know anything about it and it slipped right past me. However it came up today on, of all things, The One Show (when Sir Ranulph Fiennes wasn't growling something about shooting Marxists).

This is a perfectly simple issue for me, in a world where justice isn't perfect, where people like The Birmingham Six can be wrongly imprisoned for many, many years, where flaws in the process where it is still practised (the US) where it's known that it has little or no deterrent effect and where, most importantly, you're trying to enforce a law that says 'Killing is wrong', it's simply not a goer.

Death isn't something you can compensate for. You can't dig someone up and let them go when you realise you got the wrong man. It's irrevocable and you can't get anything out of people who are dead. You can't study them, they can't repay their debt to society through prison work and it doesn't serve the cause of justice, only of revenge.

Most murders happen in one of two circumstances apparently:

1. The heat of the moment - when the threat of execution doesn't hold any threat over you.
2. In a meticulously pre-planned situation where you don't think you're going to get caught.

What execution would be - and is - then, is spectacle, the pursuit of revenge, a sop to the emotions of the bereaved. It doesn't serve justice, it doesn't move anything forward, it doesn't help, it just adds to death.

That's all in the case of murder, in the cases of rape or paedophilia, vile as they might be, there's even less parity. That's not a life for a life which has a certain, ruthless, biblical balance to it, but an excessive - by any stretch - punishment. That isn't to say that such things aren't horrible and don't deserve punishment, or psychiatric treatment (more likely in many cases) but just that they don't warrant death.

What was most shocking in that report was that some 70% of Brits now support the reintroduction of the death penalty. All of a sudden I don't much recognise my own country any more, hang 'em and flog 'em types have always been around but in such numbers? That and all this 'support the troops!' nonsense going around makes me feel like I'm in Texas again or something.

Google Wave invites are like buses, you don't have any for ages then loads come at once :D

I have a couple spare if anyone's interested :D

Today I went into Maplins. I went into Maplins to buy some DVD-R discs so that I could make recovery discs for my computer. My new computer didn't like the concept of making recovery discs on DVD RWs though I have no idea why this should be or what else one can do with DVD-Rs. If anyone knows, can they please share?

Anyway, the chap on the till in Maplins asked if I wanted to buy some pens with which to label my discs. I do like the labelling pens. They are good for labelling freezer bags and all sorts of things it tends to be hard to write upon. So I got a pack and when I'd made my recovery discs, I unwrapped the pens so I could label them...

The pens are made in China, for Maplins and have the following inscribed upon them:

• Available for any surface


• Please close the cap after use


• Special ingredient of ink, permanent and less effect of pollution


• Keep out of children


• Convenient to mark


• May not be washed if staining clothes incautiously

Note: Do not write on reading side of disc. Printing side is available only

In other news entirely, I had strange experiences with tracked packages. First they said the receiver had refused delivery and they would be returned then it said they were delivered. I had several conversations with remarkably helpful people at Parcelforce - I was very impressed by their customer service.

...that if you have nothing nice to say, go ahead and say it. People will find out your opinions soon enough, and it's better they hear it from you, rather then as gossip.

...that you should never, ever piss off a librarian. Your ruined body will be found shelved under the appropriate Dewey Decimal location for "dumbass".

...that all religions are not equal. Some are even more silly then others.

...that anyone who claims to have been a high priest or priestess in Atlantis in a previous life should be locked away in a mental hospital. Those fuckers are crazy. Everyone knows Atlantis was a secular society.

...that parents should fuck with their kids, just a little bit. Gift wrap clothes inside the box of an XBOX. Then, once they have that look of disgust on their face, hand them the XBOX. Then laugh.

...that if you piss off a cat, be prepared to find kitty presents in your shoes.

Let me know what you've enjoyed fighting or running, particularly in 4e but for any fantasy RPG.

Let me know what you've enjoyed fighting or running, particularly in 4e but for any fantasy RPG.

Today is a random mix of weird work-related limbo, boredness in meetings, feeling left out, wanting to plot, playing with Google Wave, feeling randomly stroppy and counting down the days until driving test and Legion of Dreams.

I might have to tidy my desk at this rate, just so I can have some work to do that isn't waiting for someone else! :O

But I do have coffee sweets :D Coffee sweets mean this day isn't entirely pants :D

The weather forecast says that this Friday it will be getting within a degree or two of freezing. Of course, there is also supposed to be zero chance of precipitation on Friday, so I can't yet have my yearly schadenfreude over incompetent South Carolina drivers on snow.

Or "Stealing the Locked Content Model Back from the Videogame Industry".

I'm doing one thing that's new to me with New Model Colony, and that thing is making a lot of options for PCs into an alternate form of reward. Initially, player-characters must be Men and can only choose between the following four classes: Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard. Choices for special abilities (where applicable) will be under similar constrictions. One of the motivations for play, therefore, is to expand those options; some (new racial options) can't be quickly brought into play as it requires replacing an active character while others (spells and items) can be brought into play swiftly.

The difficulty of discovery varies greatly, as does the difficulty of acquisition, and there may be ongoing costs involved. (Acquiring access to, for example, Raptorans as an option means maintaining good relations with the Raptoran nation; this means that PCs will, now and again, need to go to the aid of the Raptorans or risk losing access to Raptoran PCs.) It is possible to botch the acquisition attempt and permanently lose that option, as there is often negotiation involved, but I have no intention of making mutually-exclusive or exclusive options because that's pushing up against the borders of Dick Move territory.

Part of New Model Colony is the opportunity to make your fortune and determine your own destiny. Blazing paths that leads to making contact with alien nations, and then heading up diplomatic relations with them, is a major way to make a name for yourself in colonial society. As I fully intend to make use of the old-school endgame of establishing strongholds and dominions, these sorts of things will become key to making such moves with high-level characters. By making access to spells, techniques, races, classes, etc. into rewards and resources that can be won or lost I maintain the reward scheme while allowing me to control what does and does not get into the game in a manner consistent with my beliefs and practices regarding fun and TRPGs.

Humph, so there is one thing I can't do well and that is be a sailor. I get motion sickness at the drop of a hat... or turn of the screw, or rock of the boat, bump of the car of whatever else colorful phrase you want to insert therein.

I went out on the research vessel today to collect samples, even took Bonine (though apparently not early enough) and ended up not doing ANYTHING but puking over the side, puking in the bathroom, and laying on the bunk trying not to puke. However, even a fellow student who went with me and NEVER gets sick, actually felt sea sick. The weather was rough, overcast, windy, and rainy, and the waters were swollen with 6-9 foot waves. For a relatively little research vessel, this is not equal to smooth sailing.

However, I got off the vessel, went home, showered all hot, rested, ate, and returned to school feeling better. I'm still not 100% (several hrs later)- the world keeps moving and my stomach is rather uneasy, but all will be well tomorrow I hope.

As I have said before, only two people in my lab don't get sea sick. The remaining 6 do, so I don't feel too bad. My mentor assured me it happens and it's ok. What a wonderful guy :) In fact everyone was very sympathetic and supportive and Vanessa not only collected the samples, but made sure I got water and crackers and rest while on the boat. I am grateful to have had her support.

I seriously need to find some stronger medication though. I've gotten several suggestions so I will test those out. I want to say "seafaring be damned!" while waving my arms maniacally, but somehow marine research is still way too cool to stop doing. Especially the prospect of sampling in Antarctica. I will be turning in my second grant tomorrow :) W00t. Both my undergrad mentor and old boss said their recommendations were so strong, they wouldn't be surprised if I got both the grants! That is rather thrilling :) But I know both the grants are extremely competitive... We shall see. I am optimistic :)

Alrighty, time for some more R&R and maybe anime!

I've had two big league discussions about religion, philosophy and society lately and they were very different things. One was online in another LiveJournal and one was face to face. In the first there was someone who claimed to be a scientist and someone educated in science, and in the second there was a philosophy graduate and a genuine scientist. I refer to the second one as a 'genuine scientist' because the first, while probably telling the truth, appeared to have zero understanding of the philosophy of science, evidential process, logical thought or The Burden of Proof (but then, neither does Behe when it comes to religion). In both conversations things got pretty heated but in the second one it ended amicably while in the first I, laughably, ended up being banned from commenting on that journal any more, something I find to be quite, quite cowardly of someone blatantly losing an argument.

What was odd about both arguments was that in neither case was I arguing with any actual theists. In the first there was some 'militant agnosticism' and in the second - unless I've misinterpreted - the argument was basically that there's some unique utility to religion and that people need it for some reason. In both cases there was some hostility to what's perceived to be the militancy of the New Atheism and even accusations that it's somehow 'fundamentalism', which in formal English has a very specific meaning that uniquely relates to religion. 'Fundamentalist' as a pejorative is strictly colloquial term, though enjoying greater use.

These were, in other words, people who for sentimental, fearful or perceived utilitarian reasons don't believe in god, but 'believe in belief'. Now, I'll be the first to agree that people need hope, people need comfort, people need things to get by in life, which can grind you down, chew you up and spit you out. I have beliefs, I have things that get me through, amongst them the evaluation that - to quote Dawkins "For me, the dominant motivation is that the truth is beautiful." Sure, it can be terrible too, a storm is majestic and beautiful, but it also destroys homes. It doesn't actually help anyone to think that the storm is a vengeful god that can be appeased though, what helps is to batten down the hatches, pile up the sandbags and take to the cellar. The truth is both beautiful AND practical. I don't see how religion uniquely addresses any of these perceived needs or that it is needed to meet them and I don't equate a 'belief system' with religion.

This is, of course, part of the problem that we face in such discussions. They're full of woolly, subjective terms like faith, belief, religion and even god that are so mutable and personal that one must spend most of any discussion agreeing on definitions to be used. This gives the 'believers in belief' or 'murkys' to quote Dennett again - and the theists - an advantage because the rational, sane person is always on the back foot, trying to erect a logical, rational, structured argument on the shifting sands of the other persons terminology.

I think these sorts of arguments disturb me, if anything, more than my head-to-head confrontations with theists because, to be perfectly frank, it just comes across as horribly patronising. 'Oh, these poor little intellectual midgets NEED their religion, there'd be chaos, despair, suicide and so on if we took away this support mechanism.' I credit people with a bit more intelligence and willpower than that. Other animals, after all, get by fine without religion, even those that exhibit consciousness. Religion is NOT essential to being, to life, to love, to enjoyment, to hope or anything else we need or want. Religion, rather, like a drug, like nicotine or heroin, creates an artificial need, by telling you that you need it for things that millions upon millions of people have fine without it. Indeed the statistical evidence, while flawed and muddied, tends to suggest that the less religious a society is the more successful, progressive and enlightened it tends to be. That non-believers are less criminal, earn more and so on. Sure there's other factors involved, it's too complex to really get into in this post and would take a whole post of its own to discuss, but the overall picture that it paints is the exact opposite of the fears of both the theists and the 'believers in belief'. As a species we get on just fine - if anything better - without religion than with it and, at absolute best, it makes no discernible difference.

Like it or not, religion is a problem we have to tackle if we're going to exit the bottleneck* successfully because religion is a massive source of conflict and a major brake on scientific and social advance. We don't have time to pussyfoot around any more and I do think the aggressive approach of the New Atheism is a practical approach to this problem. For two reasons:

1. It creates dialogue and raises awareness that non-belief is a valid standpoint and one that's sustainable.
2. By forcing someone to defend the indefensible you demonstrate that it's indefensible and plant seeds of doubt, if not in the person arguing, then in the observers.

Maybe our targets for discussion, however, shouldn't be hardcore creationists and apologetics spewers, they're not going to change and they hang themselves given enough rope, maybe it's the 'reasonable' (scare quotes used with good reason) people who are making excuses and perpetuating the 'belief in belief' who should be gone after aggressively.

Maybe what we need isn't 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.' , but rather 'Shit, or get off the pot'.

*The problem of easily attainable resources and scientific advance being able to achieve a new, sustainable level of plenty before we exhaust our resources and collapse back to inescapable primitivism.

Stop getting stuff done, and watch THIS!



-The Gneech

I find it strange, i find it all strange.

People argue that characters that they play have responses to certain situations or something another character has said. That they will play out these responses because otherwise it would be metagaming (playing out of character for your own benefit).

I find it strange because like people I see characters as malleable things, capable of changing over time and even responding differently to a similar situation everytime.

I also see positive sides to this metagaming but for other peoples benefits. It seems in the IOD the Low MC versus High MC has reared its ugly head again regards to national plot. I personally think that most people go out of their way to accomodate new players sometimes even to their own detriment, I know personally I have. I have spent entire games bringing entire clutches of new people in game into the eye of the storm. I have even given away a life boon to get a new player some involvement in said eye of the storm. It still seems however I am the villain and I am categorised by my High MC.

This is not a depressing post about the game or IOD. Its just further supporting what I originally thought, that there are some people who roleplay who are in it for themselves. So introverted that it is only their own enjoyment that matters, to hell with other people an their enjoyment, only mine matters.

I am sure it was a storytelling game we are all involved with. This includes the storytellers who also have to get some measure of enjoyment from the game no matter how much some people believe they are only there to serve the whims of the players.

Here endeth the whingeth

Something to share with you that wickedthought found.
Proof that freedom of speech is a wonderful thing and often does your job for you.



There is nothing like republicans to make me feel so much better about being British.
(although, not that much better as Tory rule looms ever closer)

In other news, I have google wave invites if anyone wants one!