| I just turned the game reviews over to John O'Neill. It's the last section -- save for the Knights of the Dinner Table art -- that was needed to complete the upcoming issue, most of which John already has set up for the printer. You may have noticed lately that all the game reviews are favorable. It's not that we don't find bad modules, it's that we like to devote our rather limited space to describing goodies we think our readers would enjoy. This time we've got a big review for Paizo's impressive Pathfinder Role-Playing game core rulebook. The indefatigable Andrew Zimmerman Jones (no relation despite certain name similarities) dug in deep and then took the rules for a spin with several Paizo modules.  Vincent Darlage's excellent Ruins of Hyboria was covered in detail by the EvilDM himself, Jeff Mejia, and I enlisted Vincent to write up some reviews of several Goodman Games products. Though not really a Dungeons and Dragons fan, he was quite taken with Blackdirge's Dungeon Denizens,  as well as the Cortex system from Margaret Weiss games. New reviewer Robert Rowe took a long look at the Mongoose Games new Judge Dredd hardback.  I'm an unrepentant Traveller fan, so I was delighted to find much to like in the new Mongoose Traveller releases Aslan and Tripwire.  As sword-and-sorcery is my favorite genre, my heart was won by Legends of Steel.  . It's a big issue, and I think you'll like our broad selection of product reviews, among them info on an innovative science fiction game, Far Avalon, from one of my favorite game writers, and Shard, a nifty game Andrew stumbled across at Gen Con this year. Perhaps the biggest surprise to me was a boardgame I'd been sent. I foolishly put off reviewing it until the last possible moment, never dreaming how much fun it would be to run with the family. I tested out the game with HeroScape's new wave 9 products (I especially liked the Mohican Indians that came in two of the four expansion packets) with my good friend ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bthepilot and two young gamers I found loitering in my living room, and all four of us were converted. I'll explain why inside the issue. I hope to cover HeroScape's wave 10 products and their new Dungeons & Dragons playset in an upcoming issue. Be warned -- I'll probably do my best to convert all of you into players.  All of these products and more will be reviewed in depth in the upcoming issue of Black Gate, available in December. See you there! --Howard Andrew Jones | |
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| <..j-cut text="cut for length>Forwarded from the ILC:
Dear Friends:
As you will read below, the de-facto regime of Roberto Micheletti is preparing the conditions for arresting and jailing all opposition leaders and activists who have called for a boycott of the November 29 elections. The regime is spreading disinformation about alleged foreigners from Venezuela and Nicaragua entering Honduras illegally with the sole purpose of disrupting Honduras' "democratic elections."
The specter of Chavez and the foreigners was precisely the justification for the June 28 coup; Chavez was alleged to have been behind Zelaya's so-called power grab -- when, in fact, it was the pressure of the Honduran people that got Zelaya to agree to hold a non-binding referendum as to whether or not the profoundly undemocratic 1982 Constitution should be changed. There was never any question of Zelaya extending his term of office.
Now the foreign bogeyman is being conjured up once again -- this time to deny the legitimacy of the boycott campaign and to prepare the roundup of activists who call for a boycott of the elections.
We have to build a massive movement internationally in defense of the National Resistance Front Against the Coup and their right to boycott fake elections and to fight for genuine democracy -- that is, for a National Constituent Assembly.
And we must step up our campaign to press President Obama to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the November 29 fake elections and of the new government emanating from these fake elections.
Hands off the National Resistance Front!
Down with the coup government and its fake elections!
In solidarity,
Alan Benjamin and Rodrigo Ibarra
Co-Editors
El Organizador
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ALERT!!!
[sigue abajo en español]
Roberto Micheletti: "Hundreds of foreigners coming in to boycott elections"
(translation from Diario El Tiempo, Nov. 16)
De-facto interim "president" Roberto Micheletti said that hundreds of foreigners have been entering the country to boycott the elections scheduled for November 29th.
"We have knowledge of this. Our military, supported by our allies and friends, have initiated an investigation that has secured information about people from Venezuela or Nicaragua coming here to try to cause trouble to the electoral process", said Micheletti.
"There is a security plan to protect the population in general, for them to vote without fear, so that they can elect their new authorities".
Micheletti recalled that the Electoral Law in its article 209 stated that, "Whoever, without legitimate authorization, seeks to impede another person, through violence, from the exercise of their electoral rights, will be sanctioned with a penalty of four years in prison ."
A secondary law expresses that in addition to the electoral crimes that will be sanctioned with prison, will be also punished with prison time all persons who by any means impede access to the electoral locations that are needed for the functioning of the elections.
Calls to boycott the elections have been made by "sectors of society, as well as foreigners who have entered the country", for example "the leaders of the group called Popular Resistance, which has as its intent to prevent the election".
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Roberto Micheletti: Centenares de extranjeros han entrado a boicotear elecciones
Diario Tiempo, 16 de Noviembre, 2009
El presidente interino, Roberto Michelletti, dijo ayer que han ingresado al país centenares de extranjeros para boicotear las elecciones previstas para el 29 de noviembre.
"Tenemos conocimiento pleno de eso, ya hay también una investigación bastante fuerte de parte de nuestro Ejército, de nuestros aliados, unos amigos que nos están informando sobre la pretensión de que alguien de Venezuela o de Nicaragua pueda venir a tratar de causar problemas a nuestro proceso electoral", dijo Micheletti.
Existe un plan de seguridad para resguardar a la población en general para que acudan sin ningún temor a ejercer el sufragio y de esa manera poder elegir a sus nuevas autoridades.
Recordó que la Ley Electoral y de Organizaciones Políticas establece en su artículo 209 que "serán sancionados con la pena de reclusión de cuatro a seis años a quien, sin estar legítimamente autorizado impidiere a otro mediante el uso o no de violencia, ejercer sus derechos electorales".
Además, la misma ley secundaria expresa sobre los delitos electorales que serán castigados con reclusión a "quien no permitiere o por cualquier medio obstaculizare a los organismos electorales la ocupación oportuna de los locales públicos necesarios para su funcionamiento".
Acusó que las intenciones de boicotear las elecciones han estado presentes de diferentes sectores de la sociedad y del extranjero, por ejemplo los líderes del grupo denominado Resistencia Popular han expresado que sus intenciones de impedir los comicios electorales. | |
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| From EFF's Secret Files: Anatomy of a Bogus Subpoena | Electronic Frontier Foundation http://ping.fm/IhGHC | |
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| Edward Woodward is dead at 79.
A classy Brit actor who spent most of his screen time in supporting actor roles, he's probably most famous for Breaker Morant, which, with Judgement At Nuremberg, vies for the title of greatest military courtroom drama ever.
I first saw him in the Callan series in the 70s (which you really had to hunt for on PBS over here), a story of a veteran Cold War agent. It was very film noir meets John le Carré, but I liked Callan. He had a moral code, yet you totally believed his moments (and they did just last a fatal second or two) of cold ruthlessness. It was also hyper-realistic in its depictions of violence, not in a porny "Saw" manner but rather in what it does to people both in the moment and long after.
They adapted Callan (rather less than more) for American TV in the 80s. The series was called The Equalizer and I watched it religiously, but while it kept some of the cold grimness Robert McCall was a bit of a cross between Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes and they downplayed the violent burn-out aspects that made Callan so fascinating.
Still, it was pretty dark for 80s TV.
He was in some of my favorite movies, including The Champions, The Final Option (aka Who Dares Wins in the UK) and, of course, the great original version of The Wicker Man.
I did briefly chat with him once. In Marshall Fields Oak Brook, of all places. He gave me a signed photograph, gentleman that he was. I still have it here in my library. | |
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| Er, so you know that bit below where I said I'd make Cory sign plenty of copies for the store? Well, in this case, by 'plenty', I mean 'four'.
We have only four signed copies of Makers left*. So if you want a signed copy, now's the time. They won't last long.
*and those only because the lovely person from Fenn dug up a few extras for us. Cory's a rock star! | |
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| It was a typical Windycon in every respect but one. I've never seen so many theme-related costumes. The Steampunk crowd showed up wearing their colors ("steampunk is the Goths discovering brown") in force. Saw many LJ friends, favorite vendors, and the Writers Workshop was another success. Had a nice break when we were invited for high tea with a few other aeronauts, courtesy of Lord (disputed) "Boom Boom" McCallister and associates. ( pics ) | |
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| Last night after the SEC game on TV (my Gators beat the Gamecocks, yay!) I went down to Riverdale to Dan W.'s place for song circle. First one I've been to this year.
About a dozen of us showed up, enough to make Clio, Dan's cat, hide under the bed. Four of us active Common Thread choristers, three who are taking a year off, the rest fans or on the waiting list. I was hoping Bob B would show up with his Tam Kearney dulcimer, but I was the only MD player there, with 4 guitarists, 2 drummers, and a cowbell. This was the first time I'd taken the MD to song circle, and the second one I've been to ... last time I took my ocarina along but hardly played at all.
We mostly did songs from Rise Up Singing, as usual ... that is the world's greatest fakebook, I swear. ::grin:: I tuned into D-A-A and was able to play along on Red River Valley and a number of other songs, and led on The Water is Wide. The others had not heard the MD before, some had never seen or heard of one at all; I gave them the 3-minute explanation of how it works and where it comes from, and think I made a good impression for the instrument! They were fascinated by the drones and the noter-and-drone playing method. I may just recruit a few more players over the next little while, heehee!
So I still have not seen or heard Bob B.'s dulcimer. He says it was built for him about 20 years ago by Tam Kearney, who used to manage the old Fiddler's Green folk club here in Toronto. I didn't know Tam was a luthier! It's apparently been hanging on Bob's wall for years, but he wants to learn to actually play it. (He had a class from Sally Rogers at The Woods Music and Dance Camp the year he got it, but has not played it since.) We'll be getting together sometime in January probably so I can show him what I've learned. | |
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| Tomorrow's going to be a lot of fun. Three writers from ChiZine Publications will be here, each of them with a new book. David Nickle will launch Monstrous Affections; Claude Lalumière will launch Objects of Worship; and Robert J. Wiersema will launch World More Full of Weeping. With so much booky goodness on offer, we'll get started earlier than usual. So please join us at 2pm (not at 3pm, as we said in an earlier email*).
*because we have very poor memories. 2pm. Two | |
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| U.S. Is Doing No Good in Afghanistan By Malalai Joya November 12, 2009 MALALAI JOYA spoke at San Jose State University Saturday and signed copies of her new political memoir, A Woman Among Warlords, co-written with Derrick O'Keefe. The survivor of four assassination attempts, she was elected to Afghanistan's parliament in 2005 and kicked out in 2007 by the warlords. She wrote this article for the Mercury News. http://ping.fm/JGiNEAs an Afghan woman who was elected to Parliament, I am in the United States to ask President Barack Obama to immediately end the occupation of my country. Eight years ago, women's rights were used as one of the excuses to start this war. But today, Afghanistan is still facing a women's rights catastrophe. Life for most Afghan women resembles a type of hell that is never reflected in the Western mainstream media. In 2001, the U.S. helped return to power the worst misogynist criminals, such as the Northern Alliance warlords and druglords. These men ought to be considered a photocopy of the Taliban. The only difference is that the Northern Alliance warlords wear suits and ties and cover their faces with the mask of democracy while they occupy government positions. But they are responsible for much of the disaster today in Afghanistan, thanks to the U.S. support they enjoy. The U.S. and its allies are getting ready to offer power to the medieval Taliban by creating an imaginary category called the "moderate Taliban" and inviting them to join the government. A man who was near the top of the list of most-wanted terrorists eight years ago, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has been invited to join the government. Over the past eight years the U.S. has helped turn my country into the drug capital of the world through its support of drug lords. Today, 93 percent of all opium in the world is produced in Afghanistan. Many members of Parliament and high ranking officials openly benefit from the drug trade. President Karzai's own brother is a well known drug trafficker. Meanwhile, ordinary Afghans are living in destitution. The latest United Nations Human Development Index ranked Afghanistan 181 out of 182 countries. Eighteen million Afghans live on less than $2 a day. Mothers in many parts of Afghanistan are ready to sell their children because they cannot feed them. Afghanistan has received $36 billion of aid in the past eight years, and the U.S. alone spends $165 million a day on its war. Yet my country remains in the grip of terrorists and criminals. My people have no interest in the current drama of the presidential election since it will change nothing in Afghanistan. Both Karzai and Dr. Abdullah are hated by Afghans for being U.S. puppets. The worst casualty of this war is truth. Those who stand up and raise their voice against injustice, insecurity and occupation have their lives threatened and are forced to leave Afghanistan, or simply get killed. We are sandwiched between three powerful enemies: the occupation forces of the U.S. and NATO, the Taliban and the corrupt government of Hamid Karzai. Now President Obama is considering increasing troops to Afghanistan and simply extending former President Bush's wrong policies. In fact, the worst massacres since 9/11 were during Obama's tenure. My native province of Farah was bombed by the U.S. this past May. A hundred and fifty people were killed, most of them women and children. On Sept. 9, the U.S. bombed Kunduz Province, killing 200 civilians. My people are fed up. That is why we want an immediate end to the U.S. occupation. | |
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| http://ping.fm/M7BnDThis jerk posed as a disinterested expert on the region for YEARS despite owning a big chunk of an oil company poised to make megabux in Kurdistan. and people wonder why liberals make me puke. | |
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| In case you haven't heard, Cory Doctorow is in town today. This evening we'll launch his new book, Makers, at the Merril Collection. The Merril is at 239 College, just east of Spadina, on the third floor of the Lillian Smith Library. Cory will get started at 7pm, but his events are usually SRO, so come a little earlier if you want a seat.
If you can't make the event but would like us to get a copy of Makers personalized for you, you have until 5pm today to let us know. But if you miss that deadline, don't despair: we'll make Cory sign lots of copies for the store. | |
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| Conyers and Smith caved in the house. Kucinich kept to principle ahead of party and voted NO. Kevin Gozstola wonders what's next. Maybe Bernie Sanders will be able to get a state single-payer option through the Senate? http://ping.fm/UXocp | |
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| This article in the New York Times http://ping.fm/AB9wg says it all. It is a shame and a disgrace. torture supplies NO usable information, the victim will tell the torturer EXACTLY what the torturer wants to hear WHETHER IT IS TRUE OR NOT, the only real use of torture is the gratification of the torturer's sadistic impulses. IF YOU TRY TO JUSTIFY TORTURE YOU ARE A WAR CRIMINAL AND SHOULD HANG. Period. This discussion is over. | |
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