Review: "Jennifer Government" by Max Barry

"Jennifer Government" is a brilliant, fast-paced, hilarious satire by Australian author and former Hewlett-Packard employee Max Barry. The book illustrates a world controlled by American corporations: where the Police and the NRA are publicly-owned corporations, McDonald's runs the school system, people change their last name to that of their employee and Nike has a bigger budget than the US Government.

The book kicks off with Hack Nike, a Nike Merchandizing Officer who's suddenly offered a job in Marketing. The catch? The job is to kill ten customers to create a buzz for Nike's latest product: the six-thousand dollar Nike Mercuries. It then shoots off into about five different storylines: Jennifer Government, Buy Mitsui, Bill NRA, Victoria, and Hack Nike, each of which has a established character. Don't worry about discord between the storylines, because Max Barry ties them together with the skill of brilliant author.

Max Barry's writing in the book is excellent. He manages to convey a huge amount through a small amount of words... a scene that might take a different author a page to describe takes Barry a paragraph. Cutting through the book is a jagged line of satire that takes a swing at corporations and the corporate lifestyle, and it works. This book is one of the best I've read, and I've read a few. Max Barry is definitely a top-notch author with a huge future ahead. Read Jennifer Government today.

Random Rant: "Sunrise" on Seven: An Exercise in Bias and Spin

This morning I watched about fifteen minutes of "Sunrise", the Seven network's morning "infotainment" program hosted by two boring-looking Personalities. One of the startling things I noticed in this program was its bias towards John Howard and the Liberal Party. In 15 minutes, I saw 2 anti-Latham... well, I dunno what to call them, because they were like ads but intergrated into the program, and one news spot on the new Liberal Party ad, which seemed to have no reason for being in the news other than reiterating the points made in the ad.

By the way, the Liberal Party's ads about Latham's problems as Mayor don't mention the circumstances of the problems, or the fact that Latham will not actually be the treasurer.
Political advertising should be banned.

An alternate history map.
KEY FOR LINES:
Airships are yellow, railroads are red, cruiseliners are blue.
KEY FOR NATIONS
Pink: Great Britain and the British Empire. 

Expanding the Security Council

Expanding the Security Council

If it wasn't for the veto, it would be a good idea... all 4 are democracies.

But 9 or 10 members with a veto? How are they going to do anything?

I think the veto should be abolished. If you really must, give each of the permenant members a double vote, but otherwise, it should not be there. It was only there so the Soviets would join... now they're gone, bring on the reformation.

Same Sex Marriages: A Long History

I read this letter in the paper:

"Murray Hogg (22/9) is a bit selective when he argues that the idea of marriage between a man and a woman is common to every culture at every time and place in history. This is probably true. But he overlooks the historical fact of same-sex marriages also having existed among many groups in Africa and elsewhere: the Azande in Central Africa, the Ibo of Nigeria, the Lango, Iteso and Karamojan of Uganda, the Nandi of Kenya, the Kaluli in Papua, the Mojave, Navajo, Omaha and Zuni in America, the Zulu in South Africa, the Zapotec in Mexico, and so on. There is also some evidence of consecrated same-sex marriages among some early Christian groups in Europe. Those who support homosexual marriage are not imposing anything on anybody. They just want to be treated equitably, and increasing numbers of Australians with a sense of common humanity recognise their just claims.
A. Ferguson, West Preston"

Random Rant: The War on Terror

The current US approach to the "War on Terror" is to use military force to fight terrorism. Not many people have really questioned this approach... after all, a tooth for a tooth, right? But what people have not realized is that their is a prior model for this approach to the War on Terror: Israel. Israel has been using military force to retaliate against terrorism. They have been blowing up terrorists for years and years. And you know what? There's still suicide bombings in Israel. There's still terrorist attacks. Israel's nuclear weapons haven't stopped it, let alone their tanks or missiles. Do you really want America (and thanks to J.Howard, Australia) to become a larger Israel?

The reason that military force doesn't work is, in Buzzspeak, "collateral damage". Or more bluntly, the deaths of innocents in their thousands. The 30,000 or so Iraqis killed by the American invasion had families, friends, and spouses. Even if every Saddam loyalist was slain in the invasion, America would still be having problems in Iraq. The reason? Grief and anger change people. Normal people can be turned into killers by grief. The families of the Iraqis killed by collateral damage are not going to sit and rest until they think they've exacted justice. Their friends will form organized groups to fight the occupiers, which would evolve into new terrorist groups. But not all Saddam loyalists were killed. Nothing short of flattening Iraq to nuclear wasteland would do that. So the old guard recruits the angry families and friends, even changing those who would not have become resistance fighters to terrorists. And a new cycle begins. You see how terrorism works? No "War on Terror" can ever be won. A new option needs to be found.

What other option is there? The anger needs to be fought. The grief needs to be fought. Remove the anger, and the terrorists no longer have new recruits. Remove the anger, and you win.

You know, it's strange how well a quote from Star Wars fits here:
YODA: "Fear leads to anger. Anger... leads to hate. Hate... leads to the Dark Side of the Force"

Now think of terrorism as the dark side of the force. Right now, most people in the Middle East are either scared of the Americans, angry at them, or terrorists. Remove the fear, and you end the cycle.

How to get rid of the fear? Perhaps less violent reprisals and retaliations might just work?

Rifle Ranges, Swimming Halls?

The richest private schools across Australia are whining that their already high fees will rise if the Labor government passes its educational policy. Well, excuse me if I don't cry. Among the facilities that taxpayer's dollars are paying for in these schools are rifle ranges, horse stables, and swimming halls... hardly educational necessities, I'd think. Of course, not all students at these schools are from wealthy families, but I doubt they would complain much if the stables or the rifle range was shut down instead of raising fees. And the wealthy families? If they want rifle ranges or horses for their children, go out and buy a membership in a club. Taxpayer money shouldn't be paying for luxuries.

(this letter I wrote was published in The Age newspaper)

My Birthday!

It's my birthday! Happy Birthday to me.


I'm having a LAN party.

Review: "Interface" by Neal Stephenson

Neal Stephenson is an excellent postcyberpunk author, and I reccomend that you read "Snow Crash" by him if you want to see his best work. Nevertherless, this book is an excellent book. The basic plot is thus: a US presidential candidate has a stroke just befor announcing his candidacy. A secretive business organization that owns a large section of the American national debt (which the incumbent president is planning to ignore) wants to take control of the presidency. The organization suddenly invests billions of dollars into brain-implants that could fix the candidate, William A. Cozzano. They do, but along the way, they discover an even better thing: a way to link Cozzano directly to a computerized polling system. The mood of the electorate is wired directly into his brain.

The characters are interesting, being much more than stereotypes, and the writing is brilliant. What really makes it shine is the plot: well conceived and then executed with excellence. I also laughed out loud at several points at the satirization of the American electoral system. In short: I reccomend this book for anyone who likes near-future Sci-Fi or political satire.

Score: 9/10

What's wrong with libertarianism

What's wrong with libertarianism

This is an awesome site.

What's wrong with libertarianism

What's wrong with libertarianism

Is government eeevil?

Is government eeevil?

More food for libertarians. Chew and spit.

Hmmm.....

Liberalism and the Last Century

A well-written essay, if a little dated(written pre-Bush)

One of the most important aspects I will quote:

"Government regulation. People flirt with lunatic libertarianism... but the Fed, the FDIC, and the FDA are still in business. Laissez-faire capitalism is great for making a few people rich and the rest of the country miserable; if 1890s America is hazy in your mind, you can see the results today in Russia.

Liberal capitalism-- with government regulation of banks, financial markets, and product safety, and social nets and progressive taxation to prevent excessive concentration of wealth-- is simply the most successful economic system yet invented.

Conservatives feel most comfortable in an aristocracy. But aristocratic nations are poor nations. (The conservatives who realize this don't mind it, because they are or feel they should be part of the elite.)

A luminous exception: Henry Ford, who doubled the wages of his assembly-line workers-- earning the scorn of the 1920s business community. Ford, however, saw the potential of a huge class of consumers rich enough to buy automobiles. Liberal capitalism thrives because a huge middle class, as in the U.S., is a better market than a small wealthy elite, as in Brazil."

MY SOAPBOX

Liberal capitalism leads to a large middle class and a bell curve of wealth, which is the key to prosperity. Both libertarianism and communism produce the same net product: a mass of poor and a small elite, the distrubition of wealth looking more like an function of inverse variation.

You say that libertarianism hasn't been tried? Between the industrial revolution and the rise of regulation, it was a lot like the libertarian ideal. The result? A bunch of poor and a small wealthy elite. It's been like that for almost all of human history, up until the developement of the middle class in the 20th century.

And now conservatives the world over are attempting to disband the structures that built the middle class. Good idea. I'll see you in the huddled masses.

This is humanity's first, last, and only chance to succeed. Don't gamble with it, or leave it to some future generation to fix. Please.

Social Ills Deadlier Than Terror

Sadly true.

The Death of Metaphors

Something terrible is occuring to the English language... it's not the excessive destruction grammar, or the plague of tpin lik tis, it's the DEATH OF METAPHORS. When's the last time you heard somebody say "as dead as a duck"? Or "as mad as a Queenslander"? A while ago, I'd say. Now people just say "dead" or "really dead", or even worse "like... dead".

Now to be fair, there's a reason for this. It's the increased globalization of English. When I'm speaking to people across the globe, they haven't the faintest clue what I'm saying if I say "madder than cut snakes.". But still, metaphors are wonderful things. They add color to language. Next time you would say "really (adjective)", why don't you instead say "as (adjective) as (noun)"?

Join the Metaphor Protection Society today!

Template Screwed Up?

Can you see the sidebar on the left side of the page? If not, please comment. The sidebar doesn't seem to display properly in some versions on Internet Explorer- it display down near the footer. I think I can fix this, but it will mean removing some of my template edits that I like, so only if I get a response will I fix.

Trust? I think not.

John Howard has decided to make this election one about trust. This is rich coming from a man who has betrayed the public's trust so many times. As a member of Australia's youth, I don't trust John Howard with my future.
I don't trust him with the economy. He's overspent and seems to have as his aim blatantly bribing the Australia people. Then he claims that intresent
I don't trust him with the environment. He's refused to cut greenhouse gas emissions... in fact, he's trumpeted the fact that greenhouse gas emission have increased by 8% since 1998. If moves aren't made now to protect the environment, the future looks grimmer for today's youth.
I don't trust him with foreing policy. His policy of being "America's Sheepdog" is ridiculous and has only helped transform Australia from a relatively respected nation into a hated one. He's exposed Australians to greater risk of terrorism than need be.
In short, I wouldn't trust John Howard to run a cake stall, let alone a nation. Please, look out for Australia's future. I only hope there will be an Australia left by the time I get to vote.

Australian Embassy Bombed

CNN

This is going to be bad. The terrorists behind this don't mind if they kill Indonesian or even other Muslims. Their aim is to destabilize Asian states to replace them with Islamic theocracies.

I also believe that this has little to do with Australia's involvement in the Iraq war, though that has raised Australia's profile as a terrorist target.

I also have little doubt that the Government will try to score political points off of this attack.

D&D Stuff: Enhancing Your Hexblade: Feats for Hexblades Only

Jinx [General]
You may expend the force of a curse on a single check.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, 3rd level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend a curse to create a jinx upon a creature. If the creature fails its save, it takes a -10 penalty on any one roll you designate.

Curse Item [General]
You may curse items with your powers.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 5th level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend one curse to curse a magic item. The next time that item is used, it operates in reverse.

Cursed Spell [Metamagic]
You may use your cursing ability to make your spells difficult to dispel.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 4th level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend one curse to curse a spell as you cast it. The spell may not be dispelled without the use of remove curse.

Painful Curse [General]
Your curses cause agony as well as unluck.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 6th level hexblade
Benefit: You may choose to have your curses cause your oppenents to be nauseated with pain for 1 round after the curse. This may not be used in conjunction with Terrifying or Blinding Curse.

Terrifying Curse [General]
You may use your curses to create an effect of fear.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 6th level hexblade
Benefit: You may choose to have the target of a curse become shaken for 5 rounds after the use of the curse. This is a fear effect. This may not be used in conjunction with Painful Curse or Blinding.

Blinding Curse [General]
You may use your curses to create an effect of fear.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 5th level hexblade
Benefit: You may choose to have the target of a curse become blinded for 1 round after the use of the curse. This may not be used in conjunction with Painful Curse or Terriying Curse.

Extra Curse [General]
You may curse more times per day.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, able to use Hexblade's Curse
Benefit: You gain an extra use per day of Hexblade's Curse.

Everlasting Curse [General]
You may curse opponents for a year.
Prerequisites: Cha 17, 14th level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend four curses to create a dastardly curse. A dastardly curse lasts for one year.

Insanity Curse [General]
Your curses may cause damage to their target's minds.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 9th level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend two curses to create an insanity curse. An insanity curse causes 1d6 temporary Wisdom damage.

Insanity Curse [General]
Your curses may poison their targets.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 9th level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend two curses to create a poisonous curse. A poisonous curse causes 1d6 temporary Constitution damage.

Curse Legion [General]
Your may curse many opponents.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, 14th level hexblade
Benefit: You may expend fours curses to create a legion's curse. A legion's curse curses all within 30ft of a target.

D&D Stuff: Topiary Golem

Note: The following creature is of untested CR. The preliminary CR of 6 is determined

Topiary Golem

Large Construct (Augmented Plant)
Hit Dice: 8d10+25 (69 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40ft (8 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +4 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+
Special Attacks: Berserk, thorns
Attack: Slam +10 (1d6+4) or thorns +10 (1d4+4, wounding)
Full Attack: Thorns +10 (1d4+4, wounding), two slams +5 (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft
Special Attacks: Berserk, thorns
Special Qualites: Construct traits, damage reduction 15/slashing, darkvision 60ft, immunity to magic.
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +3
Abilites: Str 19, Dex 19, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Enviroment: Gardens
Organization: Solitary or hedge (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-18 HD (large), 19-27 HD (huge)
Level Adjustment: -

The oversized humanoid hedge trimming suddenly moves, thorns springing out from its leaves and two blossoms opening where eye sockets should be.

Topiary golems are often created by wizards to guard gardens, or by druids to guard secret druidic groves. They are powered by arcane fertillizer absorbed through their roots.
They are faster and more supple than other golems due to their flexible construction. Their gait is strange, like a treant except faster.
A topiary golem may not speak or communicate in any way, but it will accept commands from its master.

Combat
A topiary golem likes to use its long reach to its advantage when fighting smaller opponents, wounding them with its thorn attack then withdrawing to a safer distance.
Berserk(Ex): Each time it enters combat, a topiary golem has a culmative 1% chance each round its earth elemental spirit breaks free and the golem goes berserk. The uncontrolled golem goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest creature or smashing objects if no creature is within reach.
Thorns(Ex): Each time a topiary golem hits with its thorns, the creature it takes one damage each round from the multiple bleeding cuts until healed by magic or a DC 20 Heal check, in addition to the normal damage.
Immunity to Magic(Ex): A topiary golem is immune to all magic that allows spell resistance. In addition, a number of spells and effects function differently against the topiary golem.
A plant growth spell increases its size to Huge, grants it +25 hit points and a +5 bonus to all attacks and armor class, for a number of rounds equal to the caster's caster level.
A repel wood spell moves the golem back 120ft and deals 3d6 points of damage.
Fire Vulnerability(Ex): The topiary golem takes double damage from fire.

Interviews with Homeschoolers

This week I'm beginning a new series of posts... interviews with people I know about their views on homeschooling.

My first interviewee is my sister Sarah. You can check out her blog at http://pony_horse.blogspot.com.

Q: How and why did you start homeschooling?
A: I started it because we had gone to lots of different countries and seen lots of different school systems and decided not to go back to school when we came back to Australia.

Q: What is your favourite thing about homeschooling?
A: It means that I can have riding lessons and do what I want to do.

Q: What is your least favourite thing about homeschooling?
A: Nothing.

Q: What is your favourite activity or hobby?
A: Horseriding.

Q: Anything else?
A: Can I use the computer now, John?
Q: No.
A: That's not fair.
Q: I need to finish my blog.
A: I want to update my blog too.

Random Rant: Dick Cheney and Idiocy

Cheney's statement that an electoral victory by John Kerry would leave America more vulnerable to terrorist attack is patently ridiculous. Could I remind that the September 11th terrorist attacks occured eight months into G.W Bush's presidency? Is G.W. Bush to blame for making America "more vulnerable"? Possibly, but it's likely that they would have still occured had Gore been in office.

In any case, has any Republican looked at the outside world... especially, y'know, the Middle East? Do you know where all that hatred is directed? Squarely at Dubya's big ol' face. If Dubya stays in office, the chance of America being hit by another terrorist attack is probably a lot higher... if Dubya stays in office, Al-Quaeda and groups like it will have many more recruits who are motivated by a hatred of George W. Bush.

Similarities between the Communist movement and the religous right

Religous Right=Liberal Left?

That is an interesting site, but I feel their are also similarities between the Communists of the early 20th century and the Religous Right of the present:

• Both groups emphasise the need to devote your attentions to a single entity: Jesus, or The State.
• Both groups have doctrines that tell them to help the poor, but seem to do little about it.
• Both groups expect unwavering support from their adherants.
• Both groups have as an aim the elimination of other philosophies, supposedly through peaceful means. (theocracies do have a tendency to prosecute those not subscribing to their philosophy... sound a little like the Soviet Union to you?)
• Both groups tend to use history to prove their points, however disconnected that history may be.

On the other hand, there are many differences, but some the similarities outlined are some of the fundamental charecteristics of both groups.

Random Rant: The Religous Right

I just watched the first part of "With God on our Side", a documentary on the rise of the Religous Right within American politics, and it made me understand American politics a lot better. It was well done, and managed to be extremely impartial, despite the lack of viewpoints from outside the religous right.

I didn't know that any major political personage in any Western nation still opposed equal rights for women. Apparently, a large subsection of the Religous Right does. This single statement, I would think, is enough to destroy the credibility of that section of the Religous Right. I think that is not really acceptable in any nation.

I didn't know that 14 years ago, the Religous Right set out to become America's most powerful political group. Yes, before then, they were powerful, but not as powerful. 14 years ago, the Christian Coalition developed a 5-fold plan to become the most powerful political group in America. They succeeded. More than 40% of American voters identify themselves with the Religous Right, but less than a third of the total population identifies themself with this entity. It's scary how much one well-connected political minority group has come to dominate the American political scene.

More Info

D&D Stuff: Four New Weapon Styles

Serpent Dagger [Style]
You are a master of fighting with daggers, and have learned to make your dagger strike quickly when it is least expected.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (dagger), Improved Feint, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: If you make a succesful feint, you may make an extra attack against the same opponent as a free action. This attack counts against your attacks of opportunity for this round.

Roaring Wind [Style]
When fighting with a bastard sword, you slice through the air with such power that the wind roars with fury.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Power Attack, Cleave, Perform (weapon drill) 4 ranks.
Benefit: You may take a move action to make a Perform (weapon drill) check with a bastard sword. If you succeed, all opponents within 30ft must make a Will save vs. the result of your Perform check or be shaken.

Lightning Fangs [Style]
You are a master of fighting with two shortswords, and have learnt to strike with one right after the other.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (shortsword), Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Weapon Finesse (shortsword)
Benefit: When you take a standard attack action (not a full-round attack), and strike with one shortsword, you may immediately make another attack against the same opponent with the other sword at you highest base attack bonus. You still take the normal penalties for fighting with two weapons.

Flaying Blade [Style]
You can use a falchion to strip the very skin from your opponents.
Prerequisties: Dex 11, Weapon Focus (falchion), Improved Critical (falchion), Power Attack, Cleave
Benefit: When fighting with a falchion, you make take a standard action to make a flaying attack against an opponent. This attack is made at a -2 penalty. If you succeed, the target is nauseated by pain for 1 round, in addition to normal damage.

Australia: Not Globo-Cop

In the past few years, Australia(well, the Howard government at least) has shown a disturbing tendency to act more and more like the US: calling people UnAustralian, buying cruise missiles, and participating in American missions like Afghanistan or Iraq. This is wrong and bad. Australia is not America. We do not have the same resources, we do not have the world's most powerful military and we don't have the same mindset(yet). Attempting to become Deputy Globo-Cop is bad for Australia in general and our military personnel in specific. Australian personnel should only be involved in missions in Blue Helmets.

FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Report: 16 Killed in Russian School Standoff

FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Report: 16 Killed in Russian School Standoff

Not good.