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Month: September 2003

Quashing classification

September 21, 2003
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This is very sad. The Online Computer Library Center, who owns the Dewey Decimal System, is suing the Library Hotel. Apparently one’s not permitted to use the DDC without purchasing a license.

Since Melvil Dewey first published the DDC in 1876, one would think that at least the early editions would have passed out of copyright, but perhaps there’s a wrinkle I don’t understand. It’s still a malicious, nasty lawsuit.

“A person who came to their Web site and looked at the way (the hotel) is promoted and marketed would think they were passing themselves off as connected with the owner of the Dewey Decimal Classification system.”

Yeah, sure. And Al Franken’s book was published by Fox News.

Mmm french toast

September 21, 2003
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Haven’t fared past the first run of breakfast joints I found for a while, but I did today. The Lighthouse in Medford Square is not exceptional and does not provide any unusual taste treats, but it does a basic breakfast damned well and I rather expect I’ll drift by there again from time to time. The coffee is OK and the hash browns are not too greasy; the french toast is angelic. Bring your own real maple syrup.

WISH 65: Workin' for a Living

September 20, 2003
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WISH 65 asks about jobs and gaming:

Does what you do for a living have any impact on your gaming? Have you had occupational details intrude on your descriptions of how something works? Have you ever dared a player to go “Hotwire a car, then, if that’s how you think it’s done?”

I’m a computer guy, but the answer’s really “Nah.” I’ve played Shadowrun, and I don’t really mind that decking is nothing like real computer work — it’s just an analogy for magic anyway, so I can take it at that level happily enough. I don’t mind if someone gets their hacking descriptions wrong, and I generally assume any modern-day game takes place in a slightly alternate universe.

Now, if you turned the question around, I’d have to say yes. I currently work for a computer game studio, and one of the reasons I got the job is because I’m an avid player of their games. So there’s that.

I also — don’t laugh — attribute some degree of my management skills to spending a lot of time playing Amber online. I know that may sound like rank gamer arrogance. Allow me to elaborate. I think that a lot of management is simply being able to pay attention to what people are thinking and feeling. Gaming doesn’t give you that skill, but it is a good arena in which to practice that skill.

If you’re an insensitive idiot, playing a leader isn’t going to make you any better at it. If you have a certain degree of social eptness to start with, though, it’s just like any other skill. Practice makes perfect. And how many opportunities do you have to practice leadership in a simulated environment?

It’s also a chance to practice sounding confident, and again, practice makes perfect. I don’t manage people by threatening to send their families into exile from Chaos, mind you, but I know how to be direct and reassuring. That skill carries over.

Vamp said were said

September 20, 2003
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Haven’t seen Underworld yet, but it’s in the theaters. Here’s one take on the similarities between White Wolf’s mythos and the movie. Here’s someone disagreeing. Maybe I’ll get out to see it this afternoon and chime in with my own thoughts.

I’m getting PACER access so I can read the court documents, but once you request access they send you the password via regular mail so it may be a couple of days yet before I can go hunting for minutae.

A herd of motivations

September 20, 2003
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One of the members of the Iraqi Governing Council was shot today. Potential motivations are plentiful. Akila al-Hashimi is a woman, she cooperates with the United States, she is a Shiite, and she was a Ba’athist.

There are indications that women aren’t being treated so well in Iraq these days. Certainly cooperating with the United States can be dangerous. The Sunnis are worried about Shiite power gains, which has motivated recent killings. And nobody likes the Ba’athists.

Regardless, expect this to fuel the perception that the US can’t effectively secure Iraq.

Speaking of pirate day

September 19, 2003
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Verisign recommends innocence.com as an alternative to the following non-existent domains:

innocentes.net
brokeninnocence.com
visualinnocence.com (actually, the guy searched for girls.visualinnocence.com)
originalinnocence.com
lamented-innocence.com
innocenze.com
blk_innocence.com
www.iinnocence.com (you know, that probably was a legit typo)

I’m actually kind of tempted by a couple of those. Alas, lamented-innocence.com is taken, it just has no nameserver.

Oil purchase

September 19, 2003
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Here’s a conjunction of stories that bears investigation. Both Chevron and Exxon are bidding for a stake in YukosSibneft. YukosSibneft is the biggest oil company in Russia, and one of the biggest in the world. Meanwhile, the US and Russia are discussing Russian oil contracts in Iraq.

The obvious question is whether or not we’re seeing some quid pro quo here. Would the Kremlin speed up the Yukos/Sibneft merger and expedite the purchase by either Chevron or Exxon if the US agreed to honor Russia’s oil contracts? Would the US find it more worthwhile to make that deal if Chevron was getting a chunk of the revenues via a Russian company?

Well, there might be a quid pro quo, but YukosSibneft is not among the Russian companies with Iraqi oil interests. So, sure, there’s probably a dealinvolving Security Council votes and oil contracts, but the US doesn’t seem to have much of a stake in the YukosSibneft negotiations. Advantage: “there’s no conspiracy here, citizen.”

Why not them

September 19, 2003
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Juan Cole has more to say about the second order effects of getting too close to Pakistan. It’s unclear to me that Pakistan is that close to fundamentalist destabilization, but the effects of such destabilization would be pretty serious, so it behooves us to keep being careful.

Credit as due

September 18, 2003
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Partial credit for this one.

“There’s no question that Saddam Hussein had al-Qaida ties…. We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the Sept. 11 attacks.”
— George Bush

Well, 50% accuracy on those particular facts is a step up for him. But what’s that imply about his determination to go after Iraq as soon as possible post-9/11? And isn’t it clear that Pakistan had much stronger Al Qaeda ties? So why Iraq first?