Some days are like this

This happens to not be one of them but...

Jerks of the industry

I've been in contact with various members of the role-playing game industry over the past few years and with some before that and it's become my opinion that for the most part they are real jerks. Doing things like but not limited to:

• not responding to my email or phone calls
  
• acting like I am a complete moron
  
• treating me as a second class citizen
  
• shutting down discussions or groups with no explanation
  
• being almost indifferent toward me when they do bother to respond
  
• being ungracious with offers I have proposed
  
• acting interested in what I have to say and then not following up at all even with gentle encouragement
  
• being self-centered to the point of exclusion
  
• generally acting in a rude or anti-social manner

I have found only a few exceptions over the years to this behavior, among them: Greg Stafford, Steve Perrin, Loyd Blankenship and Fergie at Chaosium. All the other RPG writers, developers and publishers, including some at Chaosium, Mongoose Publishing, Steve Jackson Games have just been rude. Because of this I am serious thinking about giving up even the idea of playing or running another game. The only thing that might remotely encourage me is if the group of people I used to play with were to get back together - but this is extremely unlikely given that some of them have moved to Connecticut. Well hell. I'm more pissed about the industry people than anything else.

Update: I'd like to add Jason Durall to the list of friendly industry people listed above.

Email Privacy Warning

Here's a nice warning message to attach to your emails:

Warning: All contents of this email and all other communications by citizens of the United States to other citizens and non-citizens subject to unconsititutional, extralegal searches by the National Security Agency under the executive order of George W. Bush. This action is in violation of Foreign Intelligence Services Act of 1978 (Title 50 U.S.C. §§1801-1811, 1821-29, 1841-46, and 1861-62). Impeachment of George Bush by Congress, as stipulated for such executive offenses by the Framers of the Constitution, is possible and pending.

The Return of Total Information Awareness

The government project known as TIA (Total Information Awareness) has returned. It's now known as ADVISE (Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight, and Semantic Enhancement) and run out of Homeland Security instead of Defense. You trust Homeland Security more than Defense right? We weren't really using the fourth amendment anyway, were we?

To quote a friend:

"I knew they'd have to drive a stake through Poindexter's heart to put this to rest."

Here is a lengthy Christian Science Monitor article about it: Link

My Latest Spiel About PGP

Everyone who desires their e-mail communications to be private - or at least difficult to next to impossible for anyone besides the intended recipient to read should really use PGP.

Phil Zimmermann PGP Background

Wondering if PGP has a back door? Maybe but highly unlikely - see the FAQ:

Phil Zimmermann PGP FAQ

Unfortunately it's not super easy to use and it's not free - but then again neither is privacy. And it can't be used on public computers such at the library, etc. Actually the trial version becomes a free but more difficult to use version.

Harper's Index for January

Also because it's interesting and generally provides a good snapshot of the current economic and politcal climate - the Harper's Index.

http://www.harpers.org/HarpersIndex2006-01.html

Gonzales: Washington Liked Electronics Too

Alberto: President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/02/06.html#a7043

This is so astoundingly absurd a thing to say I can hardly believe it. Even though it's pretty obvious what he was getting at that isn't true either. Not one of those presidents authorized surveillance in flagrant violation of statute and the scale has been technically impossible until recently.

They are breaking the law and flauntinf the fact - it's up to the people to get their representatives to put a stop to this lest congress become a useless appendage of the governement.

Entry for February 6th 2006

Once again I am trapped in a small room no more than 5'x5'. The typical grey walls and flourescent lights of this prison allow only the muted strains of The Who to trickle into my hearing from several cells away. Oh, wait, I forgot - I'm at work - not in prison. Though the difference seems slight in this day and age of serfdom under the imperial might of the corporation.

Or if you prefer:

Once again I am trapped in a small va va voom nah more than 5'x5'. the bloody typical grey walls and flourescent Ian Wrights of this Boom and Mizzen alla only the muted strains of the 'oo ter trickle into me 'earin' from several cells away. Oh, wait, I forgot - I'm at Kathy Burke - not in Boom and Mizzen. though the difference seems slight in this day and age of serfdom under the imperial might of the corporation.