It looks like David Scott will be getting The Annotated Lovecraft. Sorry Jay, but he was first. Don't worry though, I will be sending you a copy too as (appropriately for you) an Easter gift.
Today I will be making available two offerings, though I ask that David and Julie give some other people a chance on this one. I will make it a rule that contestants can only win with lightning speed bids once per week. David's post was almost instantly after I posted the article. I figure that's unfair to our reader in Kuala Lumpur or to the myriad readers who come merely to look at the South Park Version of Me (minimum 5 hits a day).
So today's offerings are:
1.A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. This book is a published version of the journal Lewis wrote in response to the death of Joy Davidman. Someone recently gave me a copy to read, not knowing that I already have a well loved one at home, so the edition offered is "uncracked." This is the Bantam Paperback version. It's a quick read, the Lewis section is only 89 pages, and is well worth the time.
2. Triplanetary and First Lensman by E.E. "Doc" Smith. These are the first two volumes in the famous, maybe even quintessential, Lensman "Space Opera" series. Anyone who is a big Star Wars fan should read these. That goes double for anyone who is a fan of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. The Silver Age GL tales are very much inspired by the "Men of the Lens." The first 80 pages or so of Triplanetary are a little dull because they set the background/history for the series, but once you get past this point the series gets more action packed. If you are a Savage Worlds fan, this is a setting dying to be "savaged" and Triplanetary has almost all the information you need. Triplanetary is a 75 cent Pyramid Books edition, read but well taken care of, printed in 1970. First Lensman is $2.50 Berkeley edition printed in 1982. Both have mild yellowing, but no chipping. I have recently acquired Old Earth Books editions of the series and these need to move.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Own a Piece of Christian Johnson's Library -- Free Lovecraft Book
In a Cinerati first, I am going to offer free of charge to our blog fans a piece of Christian Johnson's library. From time to time I will be offering, free of charge, to Cinerati readers -- on a first come first serve basis -- overstock from my book collection. As many of you know, I read a lot of books. Some good...some bad. But reading a lot of books also means that I accumulate a lot of books. Sure I am donating some to my local library, but I would also like to share a limited few with people who I have tangential connections to.
So without further ado, the first book to be offered on Cinerati is The Annotated Lovecraft. I have two copies of this book and one of them needs to go.
The Annotated Lovecraft is a collection of some of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous tales edited by Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi. The book contains useful and enlightening annotations and benefits from Joshi's love of the material. Joshi's hard work in promoting scholarly research and weird writing is something that I deepley appreciate, but his disdain for the "Cthulhu Mythos" phenomenon is one that I take issue with. To quote:
Joshi's own atheism, he has written books on the subject, seems to have made him overlook certain influences into Lovecraft's mythology. This is not to say that atheism isn't the best lens to look at Lovecraft, it is, rather that Joshi's particular atheism has made him overlook certain aspects in the fiction. Chief is the influence that Lucretius and the Epicurians had upon Lovecraft's mythos. As Bertrand Russell points out in his "Has Religion Made Useful Contributions to Civilization?," Lucretian Epicurianism is no friend to religion, but Epicurianism does have a kind of representation of the gods.
Epicurian "gods" are described as living inter mundia (in the spaces between universes) and Lovecraft and his friends often describe the "Mythos" characters as living "in the spaces between the stars." Not to mention the underlying elemental nature of Epicurian "theology" as witnessed in Lucretius' "De Rerum Natura." Derleth got his concept of the elemental nature of the "gods" from somewhere, but Derleth (like Joshi ignores the elemental connection) ignored the lesson from "Mountains of Madness" that the gods aren't really gods.
All of this is neither hear nor there for the collection, which is wonderful, or for Joshi's contribution, which is significant.
This volume includes the following stories:
Rats in the Walls -- Lovecraft's most Poe-esque piece (other than "The Stranger")
The Colour out of Space
The Dunwich Horror
At the Mountains of Madness
and his essay on Weird Fiction.
If you want it, just leave a comment and email me where to ship it. If you want to reimburse me shipping that's fine, but not necessary. I might, just might, request that you post about the book.
So without further ado, the first book to be offered on Cinerati is The Annotated Lovecraft. I have two copies of this book and one of them needs to go.
The Annotated Lovecraft is a collection of some of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous tales edited by Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi. The book contains useful and enlightening annotations and benefits from Joshi's love of the material. Joshi's hard work in promoting scholarly research and weird writing is something that I deepley appreciate, but his disdain for the "Cthulhu Mythos" phenomenon is one that I take issue with. To quote:
Nor need we rehash the sorry story of the "Cthulhu Mythos," which (thanks largely to Derleth's rabid enthusiasm) took on a life of its own...
Joshi's own atheism, he has written books on the subject, seems to have made him overlook certain influences into Lovecraft's mythology. This is not to say that atheism isn't the best lens to look at Lovecraft, it is, rather that Joshi's particular atheism has made him overlook certain aspects in the fiction. Chief is the influence that Lucretius and the Epicurians had upon Lovecraft's mythos. As Bertrand Russell points out in his "Has Religion Made Useful Contributions to Civilization?," Lucretian Epicurianism is no friend to religion, but Epicurianism does have a kind of representation of the gods.
Epicurian "gods" are described as living inter mundia (in the spaces between universes) and Lovecraft and his friends often describe the "Mythos" characters as living "in the spaces between the stars." Not to mention the underlying elemental nature of Epicurian "theology" as witnessed in Lucretius' "De Rerum Natura." Derleth got his concept of the elemental nature of the "gods" from somewhere, but Derleth (like Joshi ignores the elemental connection) ignored the lesson from "Mountains of Madness" that the gods aren't really gods.
All of this is neither hear nor there for the collection, which is wonderful, or for Joshi's contribution, which is significant.
This volume includes the following stories:
Rats in the Walls -- Lovecraft's most Poe-esque piece (other than "The Stranger")
The Colour out of Space
The Dunwich Horror
At the Mountains of Madness
and his essay on Weird Fiction.
If you want it, just leave a comment and email me where to ship it. If you want to reimburse me shipping that's fine, but not necessary. I might, just might, request that you post about the book.
The Coulbert Report on D&D Online
Thanks to Matt Forbeck for pointing this one out.
Now for a brief cheat sheet to some, but nowhere near all, the jokes.
GenCon is the largest gaming convention in the country.
Len Lakofka wrote two of the early Dungeons and Dragons modules Secret of Bone Hill and Assassin's Knot. These adventures were known as the Lendore Isle series because of their location on the Lendore Isles on the World of Greyhawk. Assassin's Knot was one of the modules that first introduced me to true city based gaming and was innovative for its abandonment of the traditional "dungeon crawl" motif. These modules marked the first time that modules began to simulate narratives rather than tactical wargames.
All Paladins have to be Lawful Good.
There is no "Save vs. Psionic Attack." The appropriate save would be "Save vs. Spells" or "Rods, Staves, or Spells" depending on whether he was playing Basic or Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.
[Edit: After looking through my 1st edition DMG, I must correct myself. There is indeed a save vs. "Psionic Blast" for non-psionics. The implication then is that Coulbert's Paladin was a non-psionic character. Naturally this is a testimony to his honesty, and fairness, as a player. After all if your 21st level Paladin is non-psionic you can't be a munchkin.]
The idea that a "Cure Light Wounds" spell would be used on a 21st level Paladin is itself funny.
Tenser is a powerful mage in the World of Greyhawk.
The Sheldomar Valley is on the World of Greyhawk.
Displacer Beasts, Mind Flayers, and Beholders are creatures unique to the Dungeons and Dragons game.
By Stephen's difficulty pronouncing the names and places, it is likely his writers didn't go to "Exorcism Summer Camp" or find girlfriends.
Now for a brief cheat sheet to some, but nowhere near all, the jokes.
GenCon is the largest gaming convention in the country.
Len Lakofka wrote two of the early Dungeons and Dragons modules Secret of Bone Hill and Assassin's Knot. These adventures were known as the Lendore Isle series because of their location on the Lendore Isles on the World of Greyhawk. Assassin's Knot was one of the modules that first introduced me to true city based gaming and was innovative for its abandonment of the traditional "dungeon crawl" motif. These modules marked the first time that modules began to simulate narratives rather than tactical wargames.
All Paladins have to be Lawful Good.
There is no "Save vs. Psionic Attack." The appropriate save would be "Save vs. Spells" or "Rods, Staves, or Spells" depending on whether he was playing Basic or Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.
[Edit: After looking through my 1st edition DMG, I must correct myself. There is indeed a save vs. "Psionic Blast" for non-psionics. The implication then is that Coulbert's Paladin was a non-psionic character. Naturally this is a testimony to his honesty, and fairness, as a player. After all if your 21st level Paladin is non-psionic you can't be a munchkin.]
The idea that a "Cure Light Wounds" spell would be used on a 21st level Paladin is itself funny.
Tenser is a powerful mage in the World of Greyhawk.
The Sheldomar Valley is on the World of Greyhawk.
Displacer Beasts, Mind Flayers, and Beholders are creatures unique to the Dungeons and Dragons game.
By Stephen's difficulty pronouncing the names and places, it is likely his writers didn't go to "Exorcism Summer Camp" or find girlfriends.
Lagunies: The Real Newpsies
Following in the footsteps of MTV the Bravo (an NBC Universal Company) network will be premiering its new series The Real Housewives of Orange County tonight at 10pm. The Washington Post article by Tom Shayles makes it clear that the title is meant to appeal to fans of the ABC show Desperate Housewives, but his description of show content makes it sound more like Laguna Beach. To quote a description of an episode:
That sounds more like one of the storylines on Laguna Beach than on Desperate Housewives, though to be honest most Laguna stories aren't much like The OC either. The OC focuses on people who feel "out of place" in Orange County and Laguna Beach focuses on "real" versions of the people who make Ryan, Seth, Marissa, and Summer feel out of place. In The OC the "Newpsies" (definition: McMansion Divas) are characters on the edges of the storylines who are antagonistic toward the central characters. In other words, the "newpsies" are stereotypes used to show that the central characters play against type. It looks like Real Housewives has decided to further ingrain that stereotype in our minds.
So I just have one question. Would you rather hang out with Kimberly Bryant or Julie Cooper?
For my money, I'll take Julie Cooper. Primarily because she even looks hot as an undead punk rock zombie.
Fans of "The O.C." know fully well the show's meta-cognative qualities. Summer, played by the beautiful Rachel Bilson, watches both The Valley (an evening soap like The OC and Sherman Oaks: The Real Valley. So it is only a matter of time before we hear mention of Lagunies: The Real Newpsies on the show. I am sure this will immediately be followed by Seth screaming, "Hey you guys!" when the show is on. (That's a Goonies reference, if you didn't get it.)
BTW, Rachel Bilson has been slowly but surely working her way up the charts toward actress I have the biggest crush on. Currently, Renee Zellweger is in first place, but that Summer as Wonder Woman image from Season 1 keeps coming back.
To give you an idea of the style of living: A teenage boy is given a new Mercedes-Benz as a present from his parents, but when his friends claim that the model is a "girls' Mercedes," the boy complains and is promptly given a new one, a different model. The original car goes to his 16-year-old sister.
That sounds more like one of the storylines on Laguna Beach than on Desperate Housewives, though to be honest most Laguna stories aren't much like The OC either. The OC focuses on people who feel "out of place" in Orange County and Laguna Beach focuses on "real" versions of the people who make Ryan, Seth, Marissa, and Summer feel out of place. In The OC the "Newpsies" (definition: McMansion Divas) are characters on the edges of the storylines who are antagonistic toward the central characters. In other words, the "newpsies" are stereotypes used to show that the central characters play against type. It looks like Real Housewives has decided to further ingrain that stereotype in our minds.
So I just have one question. Would you rather hang out with Kimberly Bryant or Julie Cooper?
 |  |
For my money, I'll take Julie Cooper. Primarily because she even looks hot as an undead punk rock zombie.
Fans of "The O.C." know fully well the show's meta-cognative qualities. Summer, played by the beautiful Rachel Bilson, watches both The Valley (an evening soap like The OC and Sherman Oaks: The Real Valley. So it is only a matter of time before we hear mention of Lagunies: The Real Newpsies on the show. I am sure this will immediately be followed by Seth screaming, "Hey you guys!" when the show is on. (That's a Goonies reference, if you didn't get it.)
BTW, Rachel Bilson has been slowly but surely working her way up the charts toward actress I have the biggest crush on. Currently, Renee Zellweger is in first place, but that Summer as Wonder Woman image from Season 1 keeps coming back.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Origin Award Nominees Announced
Every year the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design of the Game Manufacturers Association announce the nominations for the "Origin Awards" or the American Gaming Oscars. Thanks to Matt Forbeck's site, I am able to list the nominees. But to be fair to Matt I will only post the categories I have something to say about, and I will post comments as well. If you want a complete list go to Matt's site.
Of these games, I own Vegas Showdown and Shadows over Camelot and I have to be honest that I do wish I owned the others. But finances and time are limited and so must my choices be. Of the two I own, I am particularly fond of the Camelot game. I like collaborative games and this is a good collaborative game. The added effect of the possibility that one of the knights working to save Camelot may indeed be a traitor adds some nice depth.
Vegas Showdown was a pleasantly surprising game. Players pretend they are Steve Wynn and try to become casino moguls, not at all what I expected by the title. The components, like much of Avalon Hill these days, don't keep pace with other company's offerings, but the design and playability make up for it.
Disappointments: Where is World of Warcraft?
My Vote: Shadows over Camelot.
This is an extremely strong category. I own all the games except Plunder, they are all fun, but Gloom holds a special place in my heart. Poison is published by Playroom Entertainment and I have to be honest that their Killer Bunnies card game is one of the best games ever made.
It is a sad year when none of the roleplaying games nominated feature original game mechanics and when they are universally from licensed products. This is not to say that individually these are bad games, but it does say something about the state of the industry when licenses and reused mechanics are the nominees.
Artesia uses the sometimes maligned, but quite good, Fuzion system as its basis for mechanics. Fuzion was originally designed as a reboot for the Champions rpg. While the system was quick, easy, and innovative, the grognards of Champions largely rejected it.
Serenity uses the system used in the first release of the Sovereign Stone RPG (Sovereign Stone eventually went to d20 in order to increase sales). The mechanics are solid and work similar to those of Savage Worlds, there was talk on the Savage boards about how Serenity seemed "too similar," but those players didn't realize that the similarities came not from the rules being inspired by Savage Worlds, but from The Great Rail Wars which also served as the inspiration for Savage. Yes GRW was inspired by Deadlands which was inspired by...(we don't have to take the regression too far do we?) Serenity is a good game based on a cult show/film.
Army of Darkness is has high production qualities and uses Eden Studio's Uni -System. With a little work Ash can fight Buffy and Angel and All The World's Zombies. The mechanics are good, why reinvent the wheel, and the semicompatability with other rules sets expands the playability of the game.
Deryni, which came out late from Grey Ghost, uses the Fudge rules set. Fudge is to RPGs what Linux is to programmers (d20 is Windows, and Champions/Gurps are Apple OS). That is to say, it is something that appears simple, but then requires a lot of work and that most of the support comes from other individuals who have very little consensus regarding mechanics. Grey Ghost is a great company who released a game based on Dying Earth a couple of years back. Deryni is a good product, but I don't think it quite measures up to Dying Earth.
World of Warcraft is this year's obligatory d20 nomination. I can say without a doubt that I love the d20 system, I honestly believe that Dungeons and Dragons is the greatest rpg ever made. I often defend the ability of d20 to simulate any genre, but I don't think it can reflect accurately every IP. WoW is case and point. After seeing how well Fantasy Flight mirrored the MMORPG experience with its boardgame mechanics, it is hard for me to play a d20 Warcraft game. I think Savage Worlds or an extrapolated version of Fantasy Flight's boardgame system would be more suitable to the feel of Warcraft. If you want to use d20 well, you have to be flexible like the Game Mechanics or Green Ronin.
All I have to say is that you need to go out and buy Shackled City now. After that, you might want to buy Midnight just to read, but Shackled City demands to be played. Shackled City collects a series of adventures published in Dungeon magazine which form a campaign spanning from first through about twentieth level (D&D). The adventures are well written, balanced, and fun. Even if you don't play them, the book is a perfect text for how to design a compelling campaign.
Nominees for Board Game or Board Game Expansion of the Year: (Board Game College)
Amazonas by Mayfair Games, Inc.
Parthenon: Rise of the Aegean by Z-Man Games, Inc.
Rheinlander by Face 2 Face Games, Inc.
Shadows over Camelot by Days of Wonder
Vegas Showdown by Avalon Hill
Of these games, I own Vegas Showdown and Shadows over Camelot and I have to be honest that I do wish I owned the others. But finances and time are limited and so must my choices be. Of the two I own, I am particularly fond of the Camelot game. I like collaborative games and this is a good collaborative game. The added effect of the possibility that one of the knights working to save Camelot may indeed be a traitor adds some nice depth.
Vegas Showdown was a pleasantly surprising game. Players pretend they are Steve Wynn and try to become casino moguls, not at all what I expected by the title. The components, like much of Avalon Hill these days, don't keep pace with other company's offerings, but the design and playability make up for it.
Disappointments: Where is World of Warcraft?
My Vote: Shadows over Camelot.
Nominees for Traditional Card Game or Expansion of the Year: (Traditional Card Game College)
Gloom by Atlas Games
Oriente by Mayfair Games, Inc.
Paranoia by Mongoose Publishing
Plunder by Laughing Pan Productions
Reiner Knizia’s Poison by Playroom Entertainment
This is an extremely strong category. I own all the games except Plunder, they are all fun, but Gloom holds a special place in my heart. Poison is published by Playroom Entertainment and I have to be honest that their Killer Bunnies card game is one of the best games ever made.
Nominees for Role-Playing Game of the Year: (Role-Playing College)
Army of Darkness by Eden Studios
Artesia by Archia Studios Press
Deryni Adventure Game by Grey Ghost Press Inc.
Serenity by Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd.
World of Warcraft by Sword and Sorcery Studios
It is a sad year when none of the roleplaying games nominated feature original game mechanics and when they are universally from licensed products. This is not to say that individually these are bad games, but it does say something about the state of the industry when licenses and reused mechanics are the nominees.
Artesia uses the sometimes maligned, but quite good, Fuzion system as its basis for mechanics. Fuzion was originally designed as a reboot for the Champions rpg. While the system was quick, easy, and innovative, the grognards of Champions largely rejected it.
Serenity uses the system used in the first release of the Sovereign Stone RPG (Sovereign Stone eventually went to d20 in order to increase sales). The mechanics are solid and work similar to those of Savage Worlds, there was talk on the Savage boards about how Serenity seemed "too similar," but those players didn't realize that the similarities came not from the rules being inspired by Savage Worlds, but from The Great Rail Wars which also served as the inspiration for Savage. Yes GRW was inspired by Deadlands which was inspired by...(we don't have to take the regression too far do we?) Serenity is a good game based on a cult show/film.
Army of Darkness is has high production qualities and uses Eden Studio's Uni -System. With a little work Ash can fight Buffy and Angel and All The World's Zombies. The mechanics are good, why reinvent the wheel, and the semicompatability with other rules sets expands the playability of the game.
Deryni, which came out late from Grey Ghost, uses the Fudge rules set. Fudge is to RPGs what Linux is to programmers (d20 is Windows, and Champions/Gurps are Apple OS). That is to say, it is something that appears simple, but then requires a lot of work and that most of the support comes from other individuals who have very little consensus regarding mechanics. Grey Ghost is a great company who released a game based on Dying Earth a couple of years back. Deryni is a good product, but I don't think it quite measures up to Dying Earth.
World of Warcraft is this year's obligatory d20 nomination. I can say without a doubt that I love the d20 system, I honestly believe that Dungeons and Dragons is the greatest rpg ever made. I often defend the ability of d20 to simulate any genre, but I don't think it can reflect accurately every IP. WoW is case and point. After seeing how well Fantasy Flight mirrored the MMORPG experience with its boardgame mechanics, it is hard for me to play a d20 Warcraft game. I think Savage Worlds or an extrapolated version of Fantasy Flight's boardgame system would be more suitable to the feel of Warcraft. If you want to use d20 well, you have to be flexible like the Game Mechanics or Green Ronin.
Nominees for Role-Playing Game Supplement of the Year: (Role-Playing College)
Exalted Autochthonians by Whitewolf
GURPS Infinite Worlds by Steve Jackson Games
Mage by RPG Whitewolf
Midnight 2nd ed. RPG by Fantasy Flight
Shackled City by Paizo Publishing, LLC.
All I have to say is that you need to go out and buy Shackled City now. After that, you might want to buy Midnight just to read, but Shackled City demands to be played. Shackled City collects a series of adventures published in Dungeon magazine which form a campaign spanning from first through about twentieth level (D&D). The adventures are well written, balanced, and fun. Even if you don't play them, the book is a perfect text for how to design a compelling campaign.
The Future of America's Political Parties
Sometimes my 9-5 work and my graduate work line up together in beautiful ways. The month of April is a month where there are two events that do just that.
The Henry Salvatori Center at Claremont McKenna College will be hosting a one-day conference April 7th. The subject of the conference, and the tagline of this post, is "The Future of America's Political Parties." Yes, I know that CMC is an undergraduate college, but I go to Claremont Graduate University 25 steps away from CMC and take classes from CMC professors from time to time.
The CMC event will have speakers adressing, not surprisingly, the health and strategies of the two major political parties in the upcoming elections. Speakers for the Democratic side are Peter Beinart of The New Republic, Professor Elaine Karmark of Harvard University, Professor Samuel Popkin of UC San Diego, and Dr. Ruy Teixeira of the Center for American Progress. Essentially two intellectuals and two "pundits."
What I like about the mix is that the two pundits represent what I see as the split in current Democratic politics. Peter Beinart represents the Wilsonian Social Liberal. If you don't know what that means you had better rush to the newstand to pick up last week's New Republic. But to quote Peter,
BTW, Peter has been very good to the non-profit I work for by speaking at a number of our events. His is generous of his time and sincere in his beliefs, something his critics don't often give him credit for being. An acquaintance once commented how "The liberal New Republic" was something of a joke among "progressive" circles, but I assure you that TNR is anything but a joke. It is a thoughtful and well written magazine with a long history of liberal politics. Sure, Walter Lippmann (an early TNR Editor) might disagree with some of their current arguments, but he would admire their sincere love of liberal politics.
On the other end of Democratic politics, at what is often called the "progressive" end, is Dr. Ruy Teixeira. Dr. Teixeira writes the Public Opinion Watch column at the CAP website. Dr. Teixeira, and the CAP, are perfect examples of what I think of as the Wisconsin-Madison brand of modern liberalism. From the Winter Soldier hearings to today's anti-war movement the northern Mid-West has played a significant role in American progressive politics, a brand of liberalism that is more socialist than that advanced by TNR.
On a side-note, the fact that the more socialist left uses the term "progressive" I find mildly ironic. After all, Wilsonian Progressivism was created as a response to socialism/socialist movements in the United States and some of the most heated "redbaiting" was during Wilson's administration. I think that might also explain some of the tension between TNR and CAP liberals.
On the Republican side of things the speakers include Michael Barone of US News and World Report, Professor Andrew Busch of Claremont McKenna College, Professor John Green of the University of Akron, Hugh Hewitt (Radio Host) of Chapman University Law School, and William Kristol of the Weekly Standard. I look forward to hearing from Barone, Green, and Busch, but am leary of Hewitt and Kristol.
Though the Republican panel features one additional speaker, I don't think it will much affect the substance of discussion. Hewitt will paint Republican politics with rose colored pro-Bush glasses. Hewitt's raison d'etre seems to be defense of Republican Presidential policy without criticism, not Republican politics generally, just Presidential. And for those who want to expose the dark conspiracy at the heart of PNAC, Bill Kristol anxiously awaits your conspiracy theories.
My one criticism of this panel is that while it has its "partisan hack" (Hewitt), it doesn't well represent the split in Neo-Conservative politics. While the panel includes William Kristol, son of Irving Kristol (an early Neo-Conservative and student of Leo Strauss), it doesn't include Francis Fukuyama. I think any discussion of modern conservatism necessitates a debate over the the "neo-conservative rift." Fukuyama may have theorized that the End of History was all nations becoming free democracies, but he has been critical of the forceful promotion of that end since before the Iraq war. Kristol believes that one can militarily promote democracies while Fukuyama sees any democratization as the long working out of History (the capital H is for the Hegelian use of the word). Hopefully either Professor Busch or Green will bring up that position.
Later Panels will include discussions by Professor Nelson Polsby of UC Berkeley and Professor William Mayer of Northeastern University.
Needless to say my inner PoliSci geek is weeping with joy.
The second event is an event being hosted by Southern California Grantmakers on April 10 and is about "Supporting Nonpartisan Voter Mobilization" with a panel that includes the Elvis of Modern Mobilization research Dr. Donald Green of Yale University. I look forward to listening to his ideas, especially considering this is an off-year for elections so increasing turnout is badly needed.
The Henry Salvatori Center at Claremont McKenna College will be hosting a one-day conference April 7th. The subject of the conference, and the tagline of this post, is "The Future of America's Political Parties." Yes, I know that CMC is an undergraduate college, but I go to Claremont Graduate University 25 steps away from CMC and take classes from CMC professors from time to time.
The CMC event will have speakers adressing, not surprisingly, the health and strategies of the two major political parties in the upcoming elections. Speakers for the Democratic side are Peter Beinart of The New Republic, Professor Elaine Karmark of Harvard University, Professor Samuel Popkin of UC San Diego, and Dr. Ruy Teixeira of the Center for American Progress. Essentially two intellectuals and two "pundits."
What I like about the mix is that the two pundits represent what I see as the split in current Democratic politics. Peter Beinart represents the Wilsonian Social Liberal. If you don't know what that means you had better rush to the newstand to pick up last week's New Republic. But to quote Peter,
In 2001, Mead published a book titled Special Providence, in which he argued that four traditions comprise U.S. foreign policy. Wilsonians believe America must make the world safe for liberty. Hamiltonians believe America must make the world safe for commerce. Jeffersonians fear that both of these crusades threaten liberty at home. And Jacksonians believe in destroying America's enemies and defending America's sovereignty, no matter what the rest of the world thinks.
Mead described Bill Clinton's foreign policy as a coalition between Wilsonians and Hamiltonians. Wilsonians saw the post-cold-war world as a golden age for democracy. Hamiltonians saw it as a golden age for free trade. When human rights and moneymaking clashed--over China, for instance--the Wilsonians and Hamiltonians split. But they agreed on something fundamental: The best thing for America was to make the rest of the world as much like us as possible.
BTW, Peter has been very good to the non-profit I work for by speaking at a number of our events. His is generous of his time and sincere in his beliefs, something his critics don't often give him credit for being. An acquaintance once commented how "The liberal New Republic" was something of a joke among "progressive" circles, but I assure you that TNR is anything but a joke. It is a thoughtful and well written magazine with a long history of liberal politics. Sure, Walter Lippmann (an early TNR Editor) might disagree with some of their current arguments, but he would admire their sincere love of liberal politics.
On the other end of Democratic politics, at what is often called the "progressive" end, is Dr. Ruy Teixeira. Dr. Teixeira writes the Public Opinion Watch column at the CAP website. Dr. Teixeira, and the CAP, are perfect examples of what I think of as the Wisconsin-Madison brand of modern liberalism. From the Winter Soldier hearings to today's anti-war movement the northern Mid-West has played a significant role in American progressive politics, a brand of liberalism that is more socialist than that advanced by TNR.
On a side-note, the fact that the more socialist left uses the term "progressive" I find mildly ironic. After all, Wilsonian Progressivism was created as a response to socialism/socialist movements in the United States and some of the most heated "redbaiting" was during Wilson's administration. I think that might also explain some of the tension between TNR and CAP liberals.
On the Republican side of things the speakers include Michael Barone of US News and World Report, Professor Andrew Busch of Claremont McKenna College, Professor John Green of the University of Akron, Hugh Hewitt (Radio Host) of Chapman University Law School, and William Kristol of the Weekly Standard. I look forward to hearing from Barone, Green, and Busch, but am leary of Hewitt and Kristol.
Though the Republican panel features one additional speaker, I don't think it will much affect the substance of discussion. Hewitt will paint Republican politics with rose colored pro-Bush glasses. Hewitt's raison d'etre seems to be defense of Republican Presidential policy without criticism, not Republican politics generally, just Presidential. And for those who want to expose the dark conspiracy at the heart of PNAC, Bill Kristol anxiously awaits your conspiracy theories.
My one criticism of this panel is that while it has its "partisan hack" (Hewitt), it doesn't well represent the split in Neo-Conservative politics. While the panel includes William Kristol, son of Irving Kristol (an early Neo-Conservative and student of Leo Strauss), it doesn't include Francis Fukuyama. I think any discussion of modern conservatism necessitates a debate over the the "neo-conservative rift." Fukuyama may have theorized that the End of History was all nations becoming free democracies, but he has been critical of the forceful promotion of that end since before the Iraq war. Kristol believes that one can militarily promote democracies while Fukuyama sees any democratization as the long working out of History (the capital H is for the Hegelian use of the word). Hopefully either Professor Busch or Green will bring up that position.
Later Panels will include discussions by Professor Nelson Polsby of UC Berkeley and Professor William Mayer of Northeastern University.
Needless to say my inner PoliSci geek is weeping with joy.
The second event is an event being hosted by Southern California Grantmakers on April 10 and is about "Supporting Nonpartisan Voter Mobilization" with a panel that includes the Elvis of Modern Mobilization research Dr. Donald Green of Yale University. I look forward to listening to his ideas, especially considering this is an off-year for elections so increasing turnout is badly needed.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
New Games in 2006
This past week was GAMA's annual trade show which is the gaming equivalent of E3 or the ShoWest. At this event, the various gaming manufacturers make announcements regarding the products they will be releasing this year in the hopes that local hobby stores will carry their merchandise. There were some pretty exciting announcements this year, though none as major as Fantasy Flight Games' announcement of the World of Warcraft boardgame at last year's show.
Without further ado, here are some of the offerings.
BLACK INDUSTRIES
Black Industries has announced the long awaited production of a Warhammer 40k Roleplaying Game. 40k's first incarnation, Rogue Trader, was a semi-rpg miniatures game which has made longtime fans fantasize for decades about the posibility of a true 40k rpg. Games Workshop has had many products that continued the desire, games like Space Hulk, Inquisitor, and Necromunda combined with the detailed background of the 40k wargame universe make this one of my most anticipated games of the year. Black Industries will continue to support the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game that is currently available.
FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES
FFG had the surprise announcement of last year's trade show, they announced a board game version of World of Warcraft (the popular Massive Multiplayer RPG). The announcement was huge, but so was the game when it finally released last November. It was a solid game by a solid company. This year's announcements by FFG look like they are continuing to build their reputation as possibly the leading American boardgame manufacturer.
A complete list of their offerings this year can be found at their rant page in the 3/13 listing. But I am particularly excited about the following.
The Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures game. Mutant Chronicles was an RPG that satisfied my hunger for a 40k rpg for sometime. You see, unlike 40k, Mutant Chronicles started as an RPG and then became a miniatures game called Warzone. It looks like the IP is returning in the form of a pre-painted miniatures game. If the figures are of the standard of most pre-painteds coming out today, I'm in.
Building on their success at adapting Blizzard computer IP into boardgame format, Fantasy Flight will be releasing Starcraft as a boardgame. The Starcraft computer game is one of the most successful computer games in the history of computer games and Fantasy Flight has shown they are capable of making enjoyable and challenging games based on PC IP. I can't wait to blow up zergs with my Terran marines.
2006 will also see the release of some games announced by FFG in 2005. FFG may make quality games, but their production schedule does leave something to be desired. I have been waiting with baited breath for the release of the Marvel Superheroes board game and it looks like I will finally get my hands on a copy this Summer.
FFG will also be releasing new editions of their Drakon and Cave Troll games. These are games, along with the exceptional Twilight Imperium, that helped establish FFG as an American company capable of producing quality and "newbie" friendly boardgames. It also appears that they have finally found the proper look and feel for their enjoyable Mag-Blast card game. John Kovalic's artwork looks like a nice addition.
In addition to new games, and new editions of older games, FFG will be releasing expansions for some of the excellent games they released in 2005. Look forward to additional sets for Arkham Horror, Battles of Middle Earth, Game of Thrones, and World of Warcraft.
This weekend I will post information about some of the other games coming out this year. I am still overwhelmed by the FFG announcements. No massive "new" announcements, but I am drooling so hard over their potential games that I might shut down my computer.
Without further ado, here are some of the offerings.
BLACK INDUSTRIES
Black Industries has announced the long awaited production of a Warhammer 40k Roleplaying Game. 40k's first incarnation, Rogue Trader, was a semi-rpg miniatures game which has made longtime fans fantasize for decades about the posibility of a true 40k rpg. Games Workshop has had many products that continued the desire, games like Space Hulk, Inquisitor, and Necromunda combined with the detailed background of the 40k wargame universe make this one of my most anticipated games of the year. Black Industries will continue to support the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game that is currently available.
FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES
FFG had the surprise announcement of last year's trade show, they announced a board game version of World of Warcraft (the popular Massive Multiplayer RPG). The announcement was huge, but so was the game when it finally released last November. It was a solid game by a solid company. This year's announcements by FFG look like they are continuing to build their reputation as possibly the leading American boardgame manufacturer.
A complete list of their offerings this year can be found at their rant page in the 3/13 listing. But I am particularly excited about the following.
The Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures game. Mutant Chronicles was an RPG that satisfied my hunger for a 40k rpg for sometime. You see, unlike 40k, Mutant Chronicles started as an RPG and then became a miniatures game called Warzone. It looks like the IP is returning in the form of a pre-painted miniatures game. If the figures are of the standard of most pre-painteds coming out today, I'm in.
Building on their success at adapting Blizzard computer IP into boardgame format, Fantasy Flight will be releasing Starcraft as a boardgame. The Starcraft computer game is one of the most successful computer games in the history of computer games and Fantasy Flight has shown they are capable of making enjoyable and challenging games based on PC IP. I can't wait to blow up zergs with my Terran marines.
2006 will also see the release of some games announced by FFG in 2005. FFG may make quality games, but their production schedule does leave something to be desired. I have been waiting with baited breath for the release of the Marvel Superheroes board game and it looks like I will finally get my hands on a copy this Summer.
FFG will also be releasing new editions of their Drakon and Cave Troll games. These are games, along with the exceptional Twilight Imperium, that helped establish FFG as an American company capable of producing quality and "newbie" friendly boardgames. It also appears that they have finally found the proper look and feel for their enjoyable Mag-Blast card game. John Kovalic's artwork looks like a nice addition.
In addition to new games, and new editions of older games, FFG will be releasing expansions for some of the excellent games they released in 2005. Look forward to additional sets for Arkham Horror, Battles of Middle Earth, Game of Thrones, and World of Warcraft.
This weekend I will post information about some of the other games coming out this year. I am still overwhelmed by the FFG announcements. No massive "new" announcements, but I am drooling so hard over their potential games that I might shut down my computer.
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