I think I've become some sort of anarcho egalitarian socialist.
I think, anyway. My view here isn't as well thought out as some, hence why it's in my listening collection.
But, in short:
- a world with rules, not rulers
- where political equality is ensured: everyone participates in governance.
- everyone has enough to eat and drink and health care and education, access to broadband and all the other tools necessary for modern life.
I've got more ideas on details that I'm happy to discuss, but I'm primarily looking for thoughts regarding those three pillars.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
I talked about Popper this week, and now XKCD is about him.
I talked about Popper this week, and now XKCD is about him.
https://xkcd.com/
Ask questions if you don't get it.
https://xkcd.com/
https://xkcd.com/
Ask questions if you don't get it.
https://xkcd.com/
Monday, November 26, 2018
I need new shoes; my favorite pair has a whole in the leather.
I need new shoes; my favorite pair has a whole in the leather. My feet got went this morning in the rain. I'm wearing my boots now.
I am likely to buy the same shoes, but am open to suggestions.
Ideas?
I am likely to buy the same shoes, but am open to suggestions.
Ideas?
Saturday, November 24, 2018
2 / N
2 / N
In a previous thread on the Paradox of Tolerance, Tony Lower-Basch asked about bad faith arguments.
My answer has gotten long, and deserves it's own post.
Here we go:
1. From Sarte and Simone de Beauvoir, Bad Faith describes the state in which human beings disavow their own freedom and act inauthentically.
What the crap does that mean? What does it have to do with internet arguments?
Without taking everyone down the path of the Existentialists: to act in bad faith is to not act in accordance with the Project of being you. Sarte uses the example of a waiter who is too much of a waiter, and has disavowed the project of being himself.
In this regard, the project is seeking truth. To participate in bad faith is to not be seeking truth. To argue in bad faith is to enter into such a debate without the goal of seeking truth.
This can be authentic to the project of you, but it is not authentic to the project of debate. By participating in the argument, we tacitly agree to seek truth.
2. Bad Faith and Devil's Advocate are different things. A devil's advocate is there to strengthen positions and get closer to truth. They are acting authentically to this project, when it is done correctly. To find holes in our arguments is a duty that is often assigned to the smart people
Especially in this collection, I ask people to find holes in arguments. To tell me where I am wrong. To help us get closer to truth.
But, here's the thing: Self-Appointed Devil's advocacy is a red flag, and often a sign of bad faith. In this case, the self-appointed devil's advocate does not care about seeking truth, but about preventing an interlocutor from having the energy to do anything but defend.
3. Where that leaves us: Arguing in bad faith is to not engage in the agreed-upon project of seeking truth. This is related to but distinct from what Sarte and de Bouvier mean by bad faith, as they are referring to not engaging in the project of being you. This is also different from a true devil's advocate, who is a necessary component of seeking truth.
That's about where I am. This got long.
Comments / thoughts /. questions / concerns are all welcome. Have I misunderstood / remembered the Existentialists? Do I not know how debate works? You tell me!
In a previous thread on the Paradox of Tolerance, Tony Lower-Basch asked about bad faith arguments.
My answer has gotten long, and deserves it's own post.
Here we go:
1. From Sarte and Simone de Beauvoir, Bad Faith describes the state in which human beings disavow their own freedom and act inauthentically.
What the crap does that mean? What does it have to do with internet arguments?
Without taking everyone down the path of the Existentialists: to act in bad faith is to not act in accordance with the Project of being you. Sarte uses the example of a waiter who is too much of a waiter, and has disavowed the project of being himself.
In this regard, the project is seeking truth. To participate in bad faith is to not be seeking truth. To argue in bad faith is to enter into such a debate without the goal of seeking truth.
This can be authentic to the project of you, but it is not authentic to the project of debate. By participating in the argument, we tacitly agree to seek truth.
2. Bad Faith and Devil's Advocate are different things. A devil's advocate is there to strengthen positions and get closer to truth. They are acting authentically to this project, when it is done correctly. To find holes in our arguments is a duty that is often assigned to the smart people
Especially in this collection, I ask people to find holes in arguments. To tell me where I am wrong. To help us get closer to truth.
But, here's the thing: Self-Appointed Devil's advocacy is a red flag, and often a sign of bad faith. In this case, the self-appointed devil's advocate does not care about seeking truth, but about preventing an interlocutor from having the energy to do anything but defend.
3. Where that leaves us: Arguing in bad faith is to not engage in the agreed-upon project of seeking truth. This is related to but distinct from what Sarte and de Bouvier mean by bad faith, as they are referring to not engaging in the project of being you. This is also different from a true devil's advocate, who is a necessary component of seeking truth.
That's about where I am. This got long.
Comments / thoughts /. questions / concerns are all welcome. Have I misunderstood / remembered the Existentialists? Do I not know how debate works? You tell me!
Friday, November 23, 2018
On the Intolerance of Intolerance, or; the Paradox of Tolerance
On the Intolerance of Intolerance, or; the Paradox of Tolerance
Preface: If you don't know the name Karl Popper, this is a thread for you to ask questions in. You can sub, you can ask questions. Everybody can do that.
If you DO know the name Karl Popper, Rawls, etc - then you are welcome to state your own formed thoughts and opinions. Do please disagree!
Is this gatekeepery behavior? Yes. This is the collection where I get to act like a crotchety old philosophy professor with a Socratic stick up my ass.
Here's my thesis: In order to have the sort of community and gaming that accepts in persons who don't look like, well, me, we must not allow the intolerant into our communities. This is everybody from out and out fascists to racists, and bigots of all sorts. For shorthand, I'll refer to them as fascists as, well, there's more of them than I'd hoped.
The reason we cannot is pretty straightforward: The perspectives of others create better gaming - and the interaction with others are literally why we play games. Fascists inherently reduce the scope and depth of others who will be in the community, as by attitude, word, action, body-language they increase the friction for those not like them. It is more difficult for people who are mocked, ridiculed, etc to join these communities and to stay in them.
Folks who stay while facing such difficulties are necessarily dedicated, and this is obvious.
To be clear, the above is a self-serving reason to get rid of fascists from our communities; they make them less of a community than I want to be in.
Here's another reason: Fascists are immoral assholes. We shouldn't give our time and attention to immoral assholes, because they are immoral assholes.
Thoughts / comments / questions / concerns?
Preface: If you don't know the name Karl Popper, this is a thread for you to ask questions in. You can sub, you can ask questions. Everybody can do that.
If you DO know the name Karl Popper, Rawls, etc - then you are welcome to state your own formed thoughts and opinions. Do please disagree!
Is this gatekeepery behavior? Yes. This is the collection where I get to act like a crotchety old philosophy professor with a Socratic stick up my ass.
Here's my thesis: In order to have the sort of community and gaming that accepts in persons who don't look like, well, me, we must not allow the intolerant into our communities. This is everybody from out and out fascists to racists, and bigots of all sorts. For shorthand, I'll refer to them as fascists as, well, there's more of them than I'd hoped.
The reason we cannot is pretty straightforward: The perspectives of others create better gaming - and the interaction with others are literally why we play games. Fascists inherently reduce the scope and depth of others who will be in the community, as by attitude, word, action, body-language they increase the friction for those not like them. It is more difficult for people who are mocked, ridiculed, etc to join these communities and to stay in them.
Folks who stay while facing such difficulties are necessarily dedicated, and this is obvious.
To be clear, the above is a self-serving reason to get rid of fascists from our communities; they make them less of a community than I want to be in.
Here's another reason: Fascists are immoral assholes. We shouldn't give our time and attention to immoral assholes, because they are immoral assholes.
Thoughts / comments / questions / concerns?
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Coming soon: We're going to do some sweet-ass OSR-like dungeon crawlin'.
Coming soon: We're going to do some sweet-ass OSR-like dungeon crawlin'.
We're gonna use Freebooters, which is a DW hack to make the characters a whole lot less powerful and a whole lot more breakable.
And, hey, stats are rolled 3d6 in order. You get to switch two, which is pretty dang generous!
Should be fun. The game even has victory conditions.
We're gonna use Freebooters, which is a DW hack to make the characters a whole lot less powerful and a whole lot more breakable.
And, hey, stats are rolled 3d6 in order. You get to switch two, which is pretty dang generous!
Should be fun. The game even has victory conditions.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Atomic Robo
Atomic Robo
Diaspora
Fate Core
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple
Dresden Files Accelerated
Happy Birthday, Robot
I've enjoyed all of these, in one way or another. I know some of the authors; I was college roomates with one of them. Diaspora caused two marriages, and a person only exists because of my GMing skills in Diaspora.
Also, I understand Improv for Gamers has a kickass proofreader.
Diaspora
Fate Core
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple
Dresden Files Accelerated
Happy Birthday, Robot
I've enjoyed all of these, in one way or another. I know some of the authors; I was college roomates with one of them. Diaspora caused two marriages, and a person only exists because of my GMing skills in Diaspora.
Also, I understand Improv for Gamers has a kickass proofreader.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
We're looking for how to appropriately scale our scrum teams.
We're looking for how to appropriately scale our scrum teams.
Right now, each team is operating essentially independently of each other, and line managers can and do move people between sprint teams. I don't think this is good.
Here are my core suggestions:
1. Volunteerism: The members of the scrum teams MUST be volunteers who have committed to the team.
2. The Scrum TEAM is the central unit, containing all skills from full time volunteers to ship code. The team is constant, existing on the order of YEARS instead of weeks or months.
3. Managers should be mentors, never task givers.
4. Tribes and Squads: Each manager leads a tribe on a functional area, and meets with the tribe each day and makes themselves available to others wanting to learn. The Scrum teams are squads, with every skill needed.
5. A fast-response team may be a good idea.
6. Combined planning sessions, reviews, retros. All teams join together for the combined planning session, with two rotating volunteers from each squad. The Reviews are done together, with hand off to each individual team. Do retros individually by squad, bringing larger-scale issues up in the combined Retro.
Those're the major items.
Whatcha think?
Right now, each team is operating essentially independently of each other, and line managers can and do move people between sprint teams. I don't think this is good.
Here are my core suggestions:
1. Volunteerism: The members of the scrum teams MUST be volunteers who have committed to the team.
2. The Scrum TEAM is the central unit, containing all skills from full time volunteers to ship code. The team is constant, existing on the order of YEARS instead of weeks or months.
3. Managers should be mentors, never task givers.
4. Tribes and Squads: Each manager leads a tribe on a functional area, and meets with the tribe each day and makes themselves available to others wanting to learn. The Scrum teams are squads, with every skill needed.
5. A fast-response team may be a good idea.
6. Combined planning sessions, reviews, retros. All teams join together for the combined planning session, with two rotating volunteers from each squad. The Reviews are done together, with hand off to each individual team. Do retros individually by squad, bringing larger-scale issues up in the combined Retro.
Those're the major items.
Whatcha think?
Some steps to immediately improve the US Government:
Some steps to immediately improve the US Government:
- Disband the electoral college, go to popular vote system. We can do this is states equal to 270 electoral votes say they'll do it.
- Everyone can vote. Registration is automatic. Voting day is a national holiday on the scale of July 4th. Early voting is eligible for a month before the day.
- House seats are determined by algorithm, not by state legislatures. "Least lines" is a pretty decent way to go.
- DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc all become states
-- 18 year terms for the Supreme Court.
These are the obvious things. Any particular disagreements?
Some more questionable things that I think would be good:
- Create a Chamber of Experts to weigh in on areas of scientific and other matters of expertise. PhD's only. Create a Chamber of People, chosen by lot and weighed on demographics such that this chamber is proportional on gender, race, etc. Pay anyone in this 2.5 times the average salary. Eventually, get rid of both the Senate and the House such that government is of the people, not the states.
- Create a minimum basic income such that poverty is eliminated. Provide a public option for housing, utilities, food, healthcare, etc.
- No guns in cities. No assault rifles.
Any particular disagreements on the above?
- Disband the electoral college, go to popular vote system. We can do this is states equal to 270 electoral votes say they'll do it.
- Everyone can vote. Registration is automatic. Voting day is a national holiday on the scale of July 4th. Early voting is eligible for a month before the day.
- House seats are determined by algorithm, not by state legislatures. "Least lines" is a pretty decent way to go.
- DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc all become states
-- 18 year terms for the Supreme Court.
These are the obvious things. Any particular disagreements?
Some more questionable things that I think would be good:
- Create a Chamber of Experts to weigh in on areas of scientific and other matters of expertise. PhD's only. Create a Chamber of People, chosen by lot and weighed on demographics such that this chamber is proportional on gender, race, etc. Pay anyone in this 2.5 times the average salary. Eventually, get rid of both the Senate and the House such that government is of the people, not the states.
- Create a minimum basic income such that poverty is eliminated. Provide a public option for housing, utilities, food, healthcare, etc.
- No guns in cities. No assault rifles.
Any particular disagreements on the above?
Friday, November 9, 2018
Most of my time was spent in conversation, talking to people about various nonsesense.
Most of my time was spent in conversation, talking to people about various nonsesense.
People have noticed that:
1. I check in on people and mean it
2. I want people to take care of themselves more than the sprint.
3. I genuinely care about people.
That's me. It was a rough day for others, but exactly the reason I wanted the job.
People have noticed that:
1. I check in on people and mean it
2. I want people to take care of themselves more than the sprint.
3. I genuinely care about people.
That's me. It was a rough day for others, but exactly the reason I wanted the job.
I have a very strange relationship with hierarchy.
I have a very strange relationship with hierarchy.
For one -- freely admitted -- I benefit from it. The deck is stacked very much in my favor in society.
Yet: I hate positional authority. I loath hierarchy. It's not that I want chaos, merely that positional authority destroys what I care most about.
I've had bosses I like. I've had bosses I dislike. Only recently have I learned how to leverage the relationship towards my own goals. It's hard for me.
When this started working, it turns out, is when I started working as a scrum master. And my goals? At a high level: To help the scrum team and it's members succeed through self-organization.
You know: To destroy hierarchy.
For one -- freely admitted -- I benefit from it. The deck is stacked very much in my favor in society.
Yet: I hate positional authority. I loath hierarchy. It's not that I want chaos, merely that positional authority destroys what I care most about.
I've had bosses I like. I've had bosses I dislike. Only recently have I learned how to leverage the relationship towards my own goals. It's hard for me.
When this started working, it turns out, is when I started working as a scrum master. And my goals? At a high level: To help the scrum team and it's members succeed through self-organization.
You know: To destroy hierarchy.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Meera Barry
Meera Barry
I have summed Meera by enthusiastic prior consent to answer questions about affordable housing.
Here's the one to start off: How can people like me who want everyone to have sufficient housing help?
I have summed Meera by enthusiastic prior consent to answer questions about affordable housing.
Here's the one to start off: How can people like me who want everyone to have sufficient housing help?
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Them: We've built a repository for our features, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
Them: We've built a repository for our features, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
Test Manager: Does it integrate to testrail?
Functionals (people who write user stories. Don't ask): Does it integrate with Word?
Devs: Does it integrate to Jira?
Them: Export to CSV spreadsheets, and to confluence. We can use confluence instead of word. We can build additional functionality to do the rest of this, integration is easy.
Integrations developers: The hell you say.
Functionals: What ....get rid of word?
Me: .... it sounds like the scope has expanded. You've built the slice for this to be useful for your team, right?
Them: Yes!
Me: Great! Then maybe the other slices should be built out from user stories gathered from those most affected. We should put really good resources on it, and continuously improve our internal processes.
Them: No. It'll be what we have made it. And no resources will be put on building internal tools.
Me: ....
--- slighly later---
Me, offscreen: This is a waterfall.
Everyone: Oh, THIS is why we gather user stories early and continuously refine them!
Me: ::smiles:::
--- slightly later ---
Me, to my management: It's a waterfall.
Management: Plus ambition. And you know what Shakespeare said about Caesar's ambition.
Test Manager: Does it integrate to testrail?
Functionals (people who write user stories. Don't ask): Does it integrate with Word?
Devs: Does it integrate to Jira?
Them: Export to CSV spreadsheets, and to confluence. We can use confluence instead of word. We can build additional functionality to do the rest of this, integration is easy.
Integrations developers: The hell you say.
Functionals: What ....get rid of word?
Me: .... it sounds like the scope has expanded. You've built the slice for this to be useful for your team, right?
Them: Yes!
Me: Great! Then maybe the other slices should be built out from user stories gathered from those most affected. We should put really good resources on it, and continuously improve our internal processes.
Them: No. It'll be what we have made it. And no resources will be put on building internal tools.
Me: ....
--- slighly later---
Me, offscreen: This is a waterfall.
Everyone: Oh, THIS is why we gather user stories early and continuously refine them!
Me: ::smiles:::
--- slightly later ---
Me, to my management: It's a waterfall.
Management: Plus ambition. And you know what Shakespeare said about Caesar's ambition.
Remember: The compromise between House and Senate exists so that Virginia can use its slave population towards...
Remember: The compromise between House and Senate exists so that Virginia can use its slave population towards population in the House.
Races:
Races:
- Jennifer Wexton in VA-10, kicking out a monster
- Kendra Horn in OK-5, where I'm from.
- Matt de Ferranti on the Arlington County board, kicking out a man against mass transit
- Jennifer Wexton in VA-10, kicking out a monster
- Kendra Horn in OK-5, where I'm from.
- Matt de Ferranti on the Arlington County board, kicking out a man against mass transit
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Remember to vote
Remember to vote
Did you buy a lottery ticket? Then vote
Do you disdain Trump? Vote
Do you want a better world? Vote
That is all.
Did you buy a lottery ticket? Then vote
Do you disdain Trump? Vote
Do you want a better world? Vote
That is all.
Monday, November 5, 2018
I am really surprised at how bad at statistics and compound interest really smart people can be.
I am really surprised at how bad at statistics and compound interest really smart people can be.
Example 1: Not so good with statistics.
Me: There's about a 5 chances out of 6 this six-sided die will roll above a one.
Them: ok ...
Me, rolls die: It's a 1.
Them: You are bad at statistics, and can no longer be trusted.
Me: ... I said this could happen.
Them: You said the other was more likely, and this is what actually happened.
Example 2: Not so good with compound interest
Me: A times B ^ T times C is the same as A times C times B ^ T
Them: No, because having C happen after the interest accrues means the output is larger.
Me: ....
These were both from real smart people. It's a humbling moment, as I realize I assuredly have similar blocks.
Example 1: Not so good with statistics.
Me: There's about a 5 chances out of 6 this six-sided die will roll above a one.
Them: ok ...
Me, rolls die: It's a 1.
Them: You are bad at statistics, and can no longer be trusted.
Me: ... I said this could happen.
Them: You said the other was more likely, and this is what actually happened.
Example 2: Not so good with compound interest
Me: A times B ^ T times C is the same as A times C times B ^ T
Them: No, because having C happen after the interest accrues means the output is larger.
Me: ....
These were both from real smart people. It's a humbling moment, as I realize I assuredly have similar blocks.
Excel: An incomplete guide to magic.
Excel: An incomplete guide to magic.
Standard use: a grid! This is the MOST USEFUL thing in Excel.
Cantrips: sum
White Magic - these are within Excel's wheelhouse and what it does well.
1st level: concatenate, references, formatting
2nd: conditional formatting, Linking to other sheets
3rd: PivotTables, IF statements, Charts
4th: AND
5th: OR (OR is always mentally more difficult)
6th:
7th:
8th:
9th:
Dark Magic - use with caution. This is outside of what Excel is best at.
1st level: Vlookup
2nd: index & Match
3rd: Offset
4th: Scripted VBA
5th: VBA
6th: VBA variables
7th: VBA parameters and meaningful subroutines
8th: Excel Front-ends and buttons
9th: Excel as ODBC Tool
What am I missing? Would you describe these different?
no need to ask me questions, unless you really want to. Just state your opinion and discuss with each other.
Standard use: a grid! This is the MOST USEFUL thing in Excel.
Cantrips: sum
White Magic - these are within Excel's wheelhouse and what it does well.
1st level: concatenate, references, formatting
2nd: conditional formatting, Linking to other sheets
3rd: PivotTables, IF statements, Charts
4th: AND
5th: OR (OR is always mentally more difficult)
6th:
7th:
8th:
9th:
Dark Magic - use with caution. This is outside of what Excel is best at.
1st level: Vlookup
2nd: index & Match
3rd: Offset
4th: Scripted VBA
5th: VBA
6th: VBA variables
7th: VBA parameters and meaningful subroutines
8th: Excel Front-ends and buttons
9th: Excel as ODBC Tool
What am I missing? Would you describe these different?
no need to ask me questions, unless you really want to. Just state your opinion and discuss with each other.
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Some things I dislike:
Some things I dislike:
free parking
Sommeliers
Cops those who, in a position of authority and privilege, use it to escalate violence and harm those they should protect
Advertising
Marketing
[ I'm oddly OK with branding. ]
Republicans Fascists
These are a few of my least favorite things.
free parking
Sommeliers
Advertising
Marketing
[ I'm oddly OK with branding. ]
These are a few of my least favorite things.
Friday, November 2, 2018
DS9 - S2: E20: The Marquis, part 1
DS9 - S2: E20: The Marquis, part 1
I've never liked this episode. I finally realized why.
It's goddamn racist. Also, slow.
Like: For star trek, it is racist. And slow. I do not like it at all.
I've never liked this episode. I finally realized why.
It's goddamn racist. Also, slow.
Like: For star trek, it is racist. And slow. I do not like it at all.
Life organization
Life organization
Some ways that we organize our life that is super helpful:
1. A schedule. So, for ex, I go running at 7:15 each morning. I'm at work by 9. Lights out is at 10 PM. etc. Game nights are set.
2. Planning sessions. Each week (or two), we have a small planning session where we discuss what needs to get done.
3. The standup: Yes, every morning we discuss what we're going to do and if things from yesterday got done. This let's us move things around and adjust.
4. Calendars, which are honored. If it's on the calendar, we fucking do it.
These help us avoid organizational chaos. What do you do to avoid chaos?
Some ways that we organize our life that is super helpful:
1. A schedule. So, for ex, I go running at 7:15 each morning. I'm at work by 9. Lights out is at 10 PM. etc. Game nights are set.
2. Planning sessions. Each week (or two), we have a small planning session where we discuss what needs to get done.
3. The standup: Yes, every morning we discuss what we're going to do and if things from yesterday got done. This let's us move things around and adjust.
4. Calendars, which are honored. If it's on the calendar, we fucking do it.
These help us avoid organizational chaos. What do you do to avoid chaos?
If you don't know this, you owe it to yourself to give a listen.
If you don't know this, you owe it to yourself to give a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRj2JK5oCI
What this is: acapella Bohemian rhapsody. None of them are Freddie Mercury, which they embrace and make a strength.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRj2JK5oCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRj2JK5oCI
What this is: acapella Bohemian rhapsody. None of them are Freddie Mercury, which they embrace and make a strength.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRj2JK5oCI
I live in a box a hundred feet above the ground.
I live in a box a hundred feet above the ground.
This is a really nice box: hard wood floors, electricity, hot running water, fast enough internet access, natural light, elevator, a concierge. It's 900 square feet for two people, with a lot of useable spaces that're designed really well for our life. But, fundamentally, this is a box of metal and glass and wires a hundred feet above the ground.
There's an incredible amount of infrastructure that makes this desirable: grocery stores, mass transit, jobs (the federal government is headquartered nearby), water, electricity, schools, a working local government, etc etc. That infrastructure is already built.
From the window, I can see the local jail. It's a pretty decent jail, with a 3-star yelp rating (I shit you not). I can also see the new county-run homeless shelter, which only takes men. Down the road is a shelter for women and families, run privately.
There are 230,000 people in the county. There are about 250 homeless people; 85 in families, 150 or so who are single. The unemployment rate is around 2%; there are more jobs than qualified people. The median household income is just over $100,000. Of those 25 and over, 40% have a masters or professional degree. The average rent is $1,858.
We are governed with patience and kindness. I know thanks to attending county board meetings and listening while my elected representatives deal with asinine questions. There are programs in place for housing assistance.
Given all of this: How in the hell do we have a housing shortage?
That is: The county is rich, and is governed by people who care. We have infrastructure. And yet, the average rent is very nearly a quarter of the median income. The rent is too damn high.
This is a really nice box: hard wood floors, electricity, hot running water, fast enough internet access, natural light, elevator, a concierge. It's 900 square feet for two people, with a lot of useable spaces that're designed really well for our life. But, fundamentally, this is a box of metal and glass and wires a hundred feet above the ground.
There's an incredible amount of infrastructure that makes this desirable: grocery stores, mass transit, jobs (the federal government is headquartered nearby), water, electricity, schools, a working local government, etc etc. That infrastructure is already built.
From the window, I can see the local jail. It's a pretty decent jail, with a 3-star yelp rating (I shit you not). I can also see the new county-run homeless shelter, which only takes men. Down the road is a shelter for women and families, run privately.
There are 230,000 people in the county. There are about 250 homeless people; 85 in families, 150 or so who are single. The unemployment rate is around 2%; there are more jobs than qualified people. The median household income is just over $100,000. Of those 25 and over, 40% have a masters or professional degree. The average rent is $1,858.
We are governed with patience and kindness. I know thanks to attending county board meetings and listening while my elected representatives deal with asinine questions. There are programs in place for housing assistance.
Given all of this: How in the hell do we have a housing shortage?
That is: The county is rich, and is governed by people who care. We have infrastructure. And yet, the average rent is very nearly a quarter of the median income. The rent is too damn high.
What we learn from games.
What we learn from games.
This is going to be a somewhat political post.
From Fiasco, I learned that outcomes are not really up to you.
From D&D, I learned that killing monsters makes you powerful.
From Apocalypse World, we learn different people respond to intimacy differently. That most of us are lead around by simple needs. That we can lose control of violence. And that a Leader with a Vision and a Gun is powerless against the maelstrom.
Oxygen Not Included teaches that we're all in it together. That before you bring in a new person to your society, you should have a bed, a table, and enough food and oxygen. That everybody works, and having new people is helpful.
Also: That making new people is completely optional, they are useful from cycle 1, and that it makes complete sense to choose who is born and who is not from a central authority.
The fog of reality is different than that last, I think. We cannot always predict new people, and it follows we should strive to be prepared for them. A central authority is not the right place to make these decisions, instead sendng them to those most personally involved -- if a pregnant person thinks a new person should be born, then she's probably right. And if she thinks a new person should not be born, she's also probably right.
In a lot of games, we have knowledge of how the system around characters works in ways that we just don't in reality. Experience points are an obvious one, but also moves, powers.
What else do games teach us? How are these applicable to political issues? How do games shape our political beliefs?
This is going to be a somewhat political post.
From Fiasco, I learned that outcomes are not really up to you.
From D&D, I learned that killing monsters makes you powerful.
From Apocalypse World, we learn different people respond to intimacy differently. That most of us are lead around by simple needs. That we can lose control of violence. And that a Leader with a Vision and a Gun is powerless against the maelstrom.
Oxygen Not Included teaches that we're all in it together. That before you bring in a new person to your society, you should have a bed, a table, and enough food and oxygen. That everybody works, and having new people is helpful.
Also: That making new people is completely optional, they are useful from cycle 1, and that it makes complete sense to choose who is born and who is not from a central authority.
The fog of reality is different than that last, I think. We cannot always predict new people, and it follows we should strive to be prepared for them. A central authority is not the right place to make these decisions, instead sendng them to those most personally involved -- if a pregnant person thinks a new person should be born, then she's probably right. And if she thinks a new person should not be born, she's also probably right.
In a lot of games, we have knowledge of how the system around characters works in ways that we just don't in reality. Experience points are an obvious one, but also moves, powers.
What else do games teach us? How are these applicable to political issues? How do games shape our political beliefs?
Thursday, November 1, 2018
POSITION: People who, in open office environments, do not turn off the laptop's speakers while surfing loud-ass...
POSITION: People who, in open office environments, do not turn off the laptop's speakers while surfing loud-ass websites, who YELL, or who talk at length to people who obviously need quiet should be fired.
Discuss. PLEASE disagree, I'd like to see why we should keep this asshole.
Discuss. PLEASE disagree, I'd like to see why we should keep this asshole.
During a retro:
During a retro:
Development team: As we're at one main developer, it's a lot on him. How can we mitigate that risk?
Me: .... Anyone know what T shaped people are?
Team: .... no.
Me: The idea is we have one area of specialty, plus a bunch of other skills that you can learn from each other. Testers can learn development, and vice versa. BA can learn dev and test, too! Everyone can learn from everyone.
Dev Team: But, we'd need to get it cleared by management...
Me: Sure, but let me handle that. It's no problem.
GUY WHAT IS THE PROBLEM, over the phone: LET ME DO YOU A FAVOR. If you want to learn anything, come to me.
...
Me, hangs up phone: Feel free to learn from each other. You do not have to go to that guy.
Like, JFC, shut the fuck up. They were so close to team cohesion, and I SEE the moment self-organization was taken from them. I could see there hearts break.
Development team: As we're at one main developer, it's a lot on him. How can we mitigate that risk?
Me: .... Anyone know what T shaped people are?
Team: .... no.
Me: The idea is we have one area of specialty, plus a bunch of other skills that you can learn from each other. Testers can learn development, and vice versa. BA can learn dev and test, too! Everyone can learn from everyone.
Dev Team: But, we'd need to get it cleared by management...
Me: Sure, but let me handle that. It's no problem.
GUY WHAT IS THE PROBLEM, over the phone: LET ME DO YOU A FAVOR. If you want to learn anything, come to me.
...
Me, hangs up phone: Feel free to learn from each other. You do not have to go to that guy.
Like, JFC, shut the fuck up. They were so close to team cohesion, and I SEE the moment self-organization was taken from them. I could see there hearts break.
In elsethread, Matt Johnson looked at my words about story games and said he doesn't get them.
In elsethread, Matt Johnson looked at my words about story games and said he doesn't get them.
And that's ok!
Here, I'm going to try to explain them words.I'll do so the most fun ways, with an example story.
In this example, there are three players: Charles, playing Millie the Hardhholder. Lauren, playing Octo the battlebabe. and George, playing Blane the Savvyhead.
The Hardhholder is the landlord, govenor, and military dictator of a small town.
The Battlebabe is, well. There are dangerous people in Apocalypse World, and then's there's the heat you know to walk away from. They cause trouble.
The Savvyhead takes care of machinery, keeps shit from breaking, and has a weird psychic connection with it all.
During character creation, we learn how these characters know each other, how they live, etc.
Millie's hold has 150 souls or so, and a gang of 30 people. These have good weapons, but shit for armor and are a pack of fucking heyenas -- no discipline at all. With some Q&A between everyone at the table, we figure out Millie's hold used to be a surburban mall that had a gun store, which explains all the weapons and how there's no armor at all. The community does some basic trading, and Chuck wants them to owe fealty and be owed it. Cool, so there's gotta be this network of people going from hold to hold. Nice.
Lauren interjects that her battlebabe visits the hold from time to time, but she's free and nobody, like, owns Octo or nothing. I ask if she gets around on foot, steals what she can find or, like, has a motorbike. She;s all, "nah, that's not the style. Like a pickup, rusted out and with treads in place of the tires. " And I'm like "that's awesome, yes"
George is like, "Blane is in the hold. I keep some air gears moving that brings in delicious air, tinged with whatever I want. " I look at Chuck, whose all "oh, absolutely. And Millie has no idea."
So, great. We've got a hardhholder with a gang and fealty, a battlebabe with a sweet-ass weird pickup and whatever guns she wants, and a Savvyhead who is ready to turn everyone into soup.
Pretty great. This is (mostly) all from the players, and is an unstable triangle.
Then I ask: Great. Start of session move; what sort of lifestyle?
Charles points out that Millie doesn't have to pay barter, because the hold takes of her. But she has a different start of session move: Leadership.
I love this move. It's a fucking trap for players that think having guns means you are in charge. I have him roll it first, figuring I can use anything from this in determining how we start.
He rolls a 7 on the dice, plus his 2 hard makes nine. The hold is in want; Chuck chooses for it to be that he's gotta go pay some fealty. I decide they want him, like, in person to show up. He's like "Yeah, so I'll take the gang and we head out with our ::looks at sheet:: YEah, like fucking tractors from the old Sears. With plated on armor that looks cool butr don't do anything, and guns violent."
"awesome. While the gang's away, Blane, what's your lifestyle like?"
George smiles and then is like "omg. The gang's gone? Hell yes. I do experiments and learn about people. I guess I'm living among others, so that's one barter to spend but really? This is perfect because I get to learn---"
"And I'm coming in and robbing the place. Cat's away, and I'm the fucking rat." Lauren says, as Octo.
"Sweet.."
And that's how the game starts. The problems emerged from the character sheets, the world from the character's guided imagination, and the interaction from Hx.
And that's ok!
Here, I'm going to try to explain them words.I'll do so the most fun ways, with an example story.
In this example, there are three players: Charles, playing Millie the Hardhholder. Lauren, playing Octo the battlebabe. and George, playing Blane the Savvyhead.
The Hardhholder is the landlord, govenor, and military dictator of a small town.
The Battlebabe is, well. There are dangerous people in Apocalypse World, and then's there's the heat you know to walk away from. They cause trouble.
The Savvyhead takes care of machinery, keeps shit from breaking, and has a weird psychic connection with it all.
During character creation, we learn how these characters know each other, how they live, etc.
Millie's hold has 150 souls or so, and a gang of 30 people. These have good weapons, but shit for armor and are a pack of fucking heyenas -- no discipline at all. With some Q&A between everyone at the table, we figure out Millie's hold used to be a surburban mall that had a gun store, which explains all the weapons and how there's no armor at all. The community does some basic trading, and Chuck wants them to owe fealty and be owed it. Cool, so there's gotta be this network of people going from hold to hold. Nice.
Lauren interjects that her battlebabe visits the hold from time to time, but she's free and nobody, like, owns Octo or nothing. I ask if she gets around on foot, steals what she can find or, like, has a motorbike. She;s all, "nah, that's not the style. Like a pickup, rusted out and with treads in place of the tires. " And I'm like "that's awesome, yes"
George is like, "Blane is in the hold. I keep some air gears moving that brings in delicious air, tinged with whatever I want. " I look at Chuck, whose all "oh, absolutely. And Millie has no idea."
So, great. We've got a hardhholder with a gang and fealty, a battlebabe with a sweet-ass weird pickup and whatever guns she wants, and a Savvyhead who is ready to turn everyone into soup.
Pretty great. This is (mostly) all from the players, and is an unstable triangle.
Then I ask: Great. Start of session move; what sort of lifestyle?
Charles points out that Millie doesn't have to pay barter, because the hold takes of her. But she has a different start of session move: Leadership.
I love this move. It's a fucking trap for players that think having guns means you are in charge. I have him roll it first, figuring I can use anything from this in determining how we start.
He rolls a 7 on the dice, plus his 2 hard makes nine. The hold is in want; Chuck chooses for it to be that he's gotta go pay some fealty. I decide they want him, like, in person to show up. He's like "Yeah, so I'll take the gang and we head out with our ::looks at sheet:: YEah, like fucking tractors from the old Sears. With plated on armor that looks cool butr don't do anything, and guns violent."
"awesome. While the gang's away, Blane, what's your lifestyle like?"
George smiles and then is like "omg. The gang's gone? Hell yes. I do experiments and learn about people. I guess I'm living among others, so that's one barter to spend but really? This is perfect because I get to learn---"
"And I'm coming in and robbing the place. Cat's away, and I'm the fucking rat." Lauren says, as Octo.
"Sweet.."
And that's how the game starts. The problems emerged from the character sheets, the world from the character's guided imagination, and the interaction from Hx.
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