Trish and I first met when I was running games at a single day game convention many years ago. As it turned out, she'd signed up for all three of the RPG events I was running that day without realizing they were all run by the same person. I said at the time that we'd either be close friends or bitter enemies by the end of the day because we'd be spending so much time together, and as it happens, we became friends, having very similar tastes in RPGs. Trish turned up in some of my conventions sessions after that. I met her husband John along the way, though we didn't know each other well at the time.
Years passed, and John and Trish moved close to where I lived. The Boy had joined their family by then. Trish couldn't play as often as she used to, but John and I spent a lot more time together and expanded the scope of the games we played together. I'm more of a roleplaying game guy, and John is more of a tactician (though he runs one hell of a game of Paranoia), but we each enjoyed what the other brought to the table. John joined Steve Jackson Games' Men In Black program (of which I was already a member), and we went to a lot of conventions together. We played many a vicious Magic: the Gathering duel.
We all went to MEPACon together a couple of times, Trish and the Boy included, which added flavor to the mix. I'm sure we'll stay in touch, and that I'll see John at game conventions in the future, but we probably won't get to do it quite that way again.
I enjoy going to the local minor league hockey team's games, but my wife doesn't. John isn't a sports fan, but Trish is, so she became my hockey buddy, and we went to several games together over the last couple of years.
It was taking a new job that brought John, Trish, and the Boy here, and it's John taking a new job in Houston that's moving them away. I like the symmetry, but I'll miss the time we used to spend together.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
I Seek Refuge in the Dharma
My recent Buddhist reading has caused me to re-evaluate much of my life through a different lens. Even if Buddhism per se doesn't pan out for me, it's always good to re-examine what you're doing with your life to decide if it's working for you or if you need to make some changes. I wouldn't consider myself a full-fledged Buddhist at this point, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that it could happen. My wife has said that's fine with her as long as I don't give up my job, sell our possessions , and start wearing saffron robes all of the time. I've run into some interesting conflicts between Buddhist thought as I understand it versus my life as I've been living it, which could make for some very interesting blog entries in the future.
I've taken up meditation most mornings before work. That's worked out well, as it puts me in a nice, relaxed frame of mind going into my generally stressful work day. I'd like to do it more regularly, but if I'm running behind in getting ready, something has to give. I haven't been doing it on weekends, even though I really should, because I don't feel the need as much when I'm already relaxed. It'd be better to maintain the practice, though, so I may try to change that. My wife has suggested that meditating after work might be more productive, clearing my head after the day, and she has a good point there. I'm considering doing both, for about 15-20 minutes a session to start.
One measure of how any practice is working for you is whether or not it's improved your life. I have to say that my anger management (sometimes a problem at work, if not much elsewhere) has greatly improved, my relationships with people have been better in general, and I'm flat out happier than I've been in some time. I still get upset about things, but I don't stay upset, and that's the main difference. It's hard to stay overly upset when you remember that everything is ultimately temporary, including yourself.
I'm really curious to see what sort of impact, if any, this is going to have on my creative work. Ethical issues have been a huge component of my writing from the very beginning, so that's not going to change, but I suspect the nature of the ethical dilemmas may subtly shift. Others may not even notice the difference, but I might. I'm looking forward to it.
I've taken up meditation most mornings before work. That's worked out well, as it puts me in a nice, relaxed frame of mind going into my generally stressful work day. I'd like to do it more regularly, but if I'm running behind in getting ready, something has to give. I haven't been doing it on weekends, even though I really should, because I don't feel the need as much when I'm already relaxed. It'd be better to maintain the practice, though, so I may try to change that. My wife has suggested that meditating after work might be more productive, clearing my head after the day, and she has a good point there. I'm considering doing both, for about 15-20 minutes a session to start.
One measure of how any practice is working for you is whether or not it's improved your life. I have to say that my anger management (sometimes a problem at work, if not much elsewhere) has greatly improved, my relationships with people have been better in general, and I'm flat out happier than I've been in some time. I still get upset about things, but I don't stay upset, and that's the main difference. It's hard to stay overly upset when you remember that everything is ultimately temporary, including yourself.
I'm really curious to see what sort of impact, if any, this is going to have on my creative work. Ethical issues have been a huge component of my writing from the very beginning, so that's not going to change, but I suspect the nature of the ethical dilemmas may subtly shift. Others may not even notice the difference, but I might. I'm looking forward to it.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Valentine's Day
Interesting day, and a good one. We were hit hard by snow, and started the day with the question of whether or not it was safe to attempt to go to work. The weather reports were saying that the precipitation would stop by around noon, and many businesses were operating on a two hour delay. We ultimately decided to wait until 10 AM and see how things looked at that time. We exchanged Valentine's Day gifts and occupied ourselves until then.
Things didn't look any better at that time. The weather reports still weren't changing, and yet the precipitation seemed to be getting markedly worse. I went outside to scout the situation, finding that the snow was especially wet and heavy, and difficult to shovel. I started shoveling us out, and could only make it to the driveway (never mind getting the driveway itself done), so that put an end to the idea of the idea of going to work today. The snow continued, and we found other things than work to do with our day, reading side by side, shoveling the rest of the way out, getting a few necessary things done around the house, and generally resting.
Nature gave us a Valentine's Day gift. It wasn't the day we'd planned, but we got to spend the day together instead of going to work. Not that the things we have to do at work aren't important, but they'll wait for a day. Sometimes life is good.
Things didn't look any better at that time. The weather reports still weren't changing, and yet the precipitation seemed to be getting markedly worse. I went outside to scout the situation, finding that the snow was especially wet and heavy, and difficult to shovel. I started shoveling us out, and could only make it to the driveway (never mind getting the driveway itself done), so that put an end to the idea of the idea of going to work today. The snow continued, and we found other things than work to do with our day, reading side by side, shoveling the rest of the way out, getting a few necessary things done around the house, and generally resting.
Nature gave us a Valentine's Day gift. It wasn't the day we'd planned, but we got to spend the day together instead of going to work. Not that the things we have to do at work aren't important, but they'll wait for a day. Sometimes life is good.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Diversity
I believe diversity is a Good Thing, but have to laugh at some of the things done in attempts to create diversity, especially in the workplace. The company I'm about to discuss shall remain nameless to protect the not-so-innocent, but the following is factual. For the record, the company involved is not my own employer.
The Company published a diversity-themed calendar this year, with each month featuring a different ethnicity. No problem there. The Company also has a monthly get-together for the employees, where volunteers bring food in, and people who don't usually have reason to interact in the workplace get to spend some time together. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, and it almost certainly helps to reduce territoriality in the workplace.
Here's where things get foolish: An Executive decides that the Company needs to take action to promote diversity in the workplace. Lacking creativity (and probably having a calendar right in front of him/her), that individual decides to make it mandatory that all offices use a diversity theme for the monthly get-togethers, said theme to be based on the ethnicity-of-the-month on the calendar. It has to be mandatory because you don't want someone in one office fussing because another office did "African American" month (just for an example, so feel free to plug in the ethnicity of your choice) and theirs didn't. The Executive also decides to make attendance at the monthly get-together mandatory, which was not previously the case. The reason for this is less clear to me, but I'll assume that there is some good reason. Maybe it was so that nobody felt snubbed because somebody else didn't attend their ethnicity's get-together. The Executive moves on with his/her day, believing the task accomplished.
The problem is that the Executive moved on without thinking this through. Let's say that there is only one person of the ethnicity-of-the-month in an office of approximately sixty people. The food is supposed to be themed to the ethnicity, and what if that one person is literally the only person in the office who knows how to make that food? Is that one person supposed to make enough food for sixty people alone? That doesn't seem right. I suppose that person could recruit help, and might be able to teach others how to make their particular ethnic specialty (assuming preparation doesn't require specialized skills), but you've still put them in charge of the undertaking, like it or not. What if that person has other projects (professional or personal) due this month and doesn't have time right now? Too bad, because you have to go by the calendar!
What if said person happens to be single, living far from family, and doesn't happen to enjoy cooking? I suppose you could order from an appropriately specialized restaurant, if there is one available, but what if there isn't?
What if your particular office just doesn't happen to have anyone of the ethnicity-of-the-month? Who is going to take charge and provide the food? The restaurant option may also apply here, but again, what if there isn't an appropriate one available in your area?
What if there are ethnicities in the office that are not represented on the calendar? As it happens, in the office I'm talking about, there is such a situation. Most ethnicities were covered in the calendar, but not this particular one. So someone is left out who may well have wanted to be involved.
There is a gay/lesbian month on the calendar. What food do you serve for gay/lesbian month? As far as I know, they eat the same food everybody else does.
Lest you think I'm just throwing bricks without suggesting a viable alternative, I do have one. Why not just do a diversity month (or a couple of months) and ask volunteers to bring food representing whatever their particular background happens to be? You should get true diversity out of that without becoming bogged down in a host of ludicrous possibilities.
A little thought could have made this a great idea instead of a bad joke, but obviously somebody couldn't be bothered to think that much.
The Company published a diversity-themed calendar this year, with each month featuring a different ethnicity. No problem there. The Company also has a monthly get-together for the employees, where volunteers bring food in, and people who don't usually have reason to interact in the workplace get to spend some time together. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, and it almost certainly helps to reduce territoriality in the workplace.
Here's where things get foolish: An Executive decides that the Company needs to take action to promote diversity in the workplace. Lacking creativity (and probably having a calendar right in front of him/her), that individual decides to make it mandatory that all offices use a diversity theme for the monthly get-togethers, said theme to be based on the ethnicity-of-the-month on the calendar. It has to be mandatory because you don't want someone in one office fussing because another office did "African American" month (just for an example, so feel free to plug in the ethnicity of your choice) and theirs didn't. The Executive also decides to make attendance at the monthly get-together mandatory, which was not previously the case. The reason for this is less clear to me, but I'll assume that there is some good reason. Maybe it was so that nobody felt snubbed because somebody else didn't attend their ethnicity's get-together. The Executive moves on with his/her day, believing the task accomplished.
The problem is that the Executive moved on without thinking this through. Let's say that there is only one person of the ethnicity-of-the-month in an office of approximately sixty people. The food is supposed to be themed to the ethnicity, and what if that one person is literally the only person in the office who knows how to make that food? Is that one person supposed to make enough food for sixty people alone? That doesn't seem right. I suppose that person could recruit help, and might be able to teach others how to make their particular ethnic specialty (assuming preparation doesn't require specialized skills), but you've still put them in charge of the undertaking, like it or not. What if that person has other projects (professional or personal) due this month and doesn't have time right now? Too bad, because you have to go by the calendar!
What if said person happens to be single, living far from family, and doesn't happen to enjoy cooking? I suppose you could order from an appropriately specialized restaurant, if there is one available, but what if there isn't?
What if your particular office just doesn't happen to have anyone of the ethnicity-of-the-month? Who is going to take charge and provide the food? The restaurant option may also apply here, but again, what if there isn't an appropriate one available in your area?
What if there are ethnicities in the office that are not represented on the calendar? As it happens, in the office I'm talking about, there is such a situation. Most ethnicities were covered in the calendar, but not this particular one. So someone is left out who may well have wanted to be involved.
There is a gay/lesbian month on the calendar. What food do you serve for gay/lesbian month? As far as I know, they eat the same food everybody else does.
Lest you think I'm just throwing bricks without suggesting a viable alternative, I do have one. Why not just do a diversity month (or a couple of months) and ask volunteers to bring food representing whatever their particular background happens to be? You should get true diversity out of that without becoming bogged down in a host of ludicrous possibilities.
A little thought could have made this a great idea instead of a bad joke, but obviously somebody couldn't be bothered to think that much.
GenCon Prep
You know you're enthusiastic about a vacation when you take a day off from work just to plan that vacation. Rooms are hard to come by when 25,000 or so other people want them, too, so I'm planning on getting mine reserved today.
I've long wanted to run something at the Super Bowl of gaming, so I'm going to run a couple of events, but mostly I want to soak in the whole experience, largely in the company of my good friend Dr. Aether. The largest convention I've ever attended was probably about 5,000 people, and the largest one where I've run anything was about 1,200, so this is more than a small step up.
Revising my earlier plan, I'm going to run sessions of Sorcerer ("Well Being"), In Nomine ("Lilim Faire"), and GURPS ("A Slice of Blackwoods"). I'd intended to keep it to two systems because I wanted to limit the number of books I take with me, but couldn't bring myself to choose to get rid of any of the three, for various reasons. I'm not doing much as a Man In Black for Steve Jackson Games, but it'll have to do.
I'm excited to the point where I've lost sleep over planning this. Hopefully that'll stop once I have my room and registration secured.
I've long wanted to run something at the Super Bowl of gaming, so I'm going to run a couple of events, but mostly I want to soak in the whole experience, largely in the company of my good friend Dr. Aether. The largest convention I've ever attended was probably about 5,000 people, and the largest one where I've run anything was about 1,200, so this is more than a small step up.
Revising my earlier plan, I'm going to run sessions of Sorcerer ("Well Being"), In Nomine ("Lilim Faire"), and GURPS ("A Slice of Blackwoods"). I'd intended to keep it to two systems because I wanted to limit the number of books I take with me, but couldn't bring myself to choose to get rid of any of the three, for various reasons. I'm not doing much as a Man In Black for Steve Jackson Games, but it'll have to do.
I'm excited to the point where I've lost sleep over planning this. Hopefully that'll stop once I have my room and registration secured.
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