Culture - On Music and Erasure

 Culture - On Music and Erasure

So normally when playing d&d in person, I score all my games.

Obviously, with covid and everyone playing remote now, I haven't been doing scoring because it's kind of a technical headache.

We played the other week though when Emry was in town in person, and I kicked on my old playlist.

And realized it didn't really fit though. Because it's mostly western fantasy music. A lot of European/American film scores and things like that.

Thinking I should source more Asian music, more Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, etc.

And then I realized I've never actually composed any Asian music really (I did a couple Japanese style tracks back in uni) but nothing since then.

I've composed a lot of Western music, studied Italian masters, German composers, messed around with modern rock styles and transitioned into instrumental and post-rock.

Only extremely rarely studying Japanese rock music. But my knowledge of their styles and work are mostly confined to video games or anime.

And I'm thinking a lot about that invisible erasure I didn't know existed until today.

And I grieved this missing piece of myself, stolen perhaps by colonialism and my own missing ignorance.

Tragedy - Gaza

 Tragedy - Gaza

I will say that for days as the conflict has been unfolding this week. It is very difficult to feel equipped to comment in any meaningful or fair way. But it's also important to me at least that I say something, anything. And saying anything is to condemn the politics and policies of attacking civilians of Palestine. It is impossible to categorize the 'war' going on as anything other than aggression of a colonizing force, and possibly at worst, some form of ethnic cleansing.

Design - On Common

 Design - On Common

Common as a language system in d&d is a simplification in order to facilitate design around getting people moving forwards more quickly.

But you should also be adept enough to recognize that it is rooted in a deeply colonialist idea.

Choice - Silent

Choice - Silent

Do me a favor.

When you see posts of people fighting against racism, calling out discrimination, or even just being brave, forthright and honest...

Don't be silent.

Tell them "I see you. I hear you. Thank you." Even DM them, if you don't feel you can post that publically.

Don't be silent.

We hear that silence.

I'm still hearing that silence, more than a week later.

I've been hearing that silence my entire life.

Life - Culture and Games

Life - Culture and Games

I've been thinking and writing a lot of late about the intersection of culture and games. It has been a lasting series of thoughts upon which I have many ideas.

I've been working on Wire Run, my latest universe on and off for years. This is our second foray into it for the RPG table. This 'campaign', I have been working on for about 6 months. During my time creating it the first time, I spent a lot of time building my own lore. Basically taking what was existing, and doing my best to both remove problematic parts of what I perceive as being at odds with a modern Sci-Fi, and also laying foundation work for a sandbox world to play in.

That first campaign was set in Vancouver, about 60 years into the future. It was easy. From a design perspective, it was a simple crutch. The players were familiar with the locations, if not the history. They understood the geography, the places, the people. They know what it means to live in a slum section on the lower East Side. They know what the travel time is between Downtown and North Van. They have a cultural appreciation for what it means to live in Surrey, vs Kits.

It was so easy.

Letters - 14 / 15 Dear Partner

Dear Partner,

This is a letter, sealed from this moment, perhaps this is who I am now, and not who I will be when we meet one day tomorrow. I have no partner at present, I am seemingly walking this strange line again of being a diligent artist, a faithful worker, and a very confused, adrift soul.

Letters - 13 / 15 Dear Ex Best Friend

Letters - 13 / 15 Dear Ex Best Friend

Dear ex-best friend,

I have never explained out loud why we had our falling out. But I know keenly why.

It is because you disavowed our friendship in order to find social position. I remember it exactly. Because there was someone else, a peer, you wished to impress. So you callously threw years of our friendship away. For someone who was white. For someone who was interesting, and advantaged. For someone you admired, instead of someone you already enjoyed the trust of...me.

Life - Helpless Rage

Life - Helpless Rage

I am alone, standing before a heavy bag. Music I don't remember. There is an acrid smell of chalk and sweat, and the lights are half on, cold, and quiet.

Fists up.

Film - Green Book

Film - Green Book - Isaac Ike

An essay on Green Book winning. By Isaac Ike

Numbers - Kevin M Kruse

Numbers - Kevin M Kruse

Kevin M Kruse wrote this on twitter.

https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1031660257171464195

Unpacked:

Open Letter - Kevin Loring to Ex Machina

Open Letter - Kevin Loring to Ex Machina

Attn: Artistic Leadership of Ex Machina and Theatre Du Soleil,

I am speaking to you as an Indigenous Theatre Artist in Canada.

It is with great concern and disappointment that I am writing you to address the issues arising from your production of Kanata that will run in New York and Paris in the coming months. Billed as “the history of Canada through the prism of relations between Whites and Natives,” it appears that the truth of this production is that it is in fact an analog for the relationship between “Whites” and the Indigenous Peoples of this land. Having read about the process that lead up this production in Le Devoir and hearing accounts from Indigenous artists and leaders who took part in the consultation process I can only conclude that this process was deeply flawed.

Nothing about us without us

Writing - On Politics: Yesterday Today

Writing - On Politics: Yesterday Today



I listened as they called my President a Muslim.
I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.
I listened as they said he wasn't born here.
I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.
I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.
I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.
I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog.
I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.
I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.
I watched as they did just that.
I listened.
I watched.
I paid attention.

Now, I'm being called on to be tolerant.
To move forward.
To denounce protesters.
To "Get over it."
To accept this...

I will not.

Quotes - Kimchi and Cool

Quotes - Kimchi and Cool

“I see a lot of white guys making Korean food, and I’ll be honest, it pisses the shit out of me, because it’s everywhere now: kimchi this, kimchi that. I’m like, ‘You weren’t ostracized in elementary school because everyone thought, when they visited your house, it smelled like garbage.’ They didn’t have to endure emotional hardship, and now it’s cool.” — Chang, Ugly Delicious "Fried Chicken"

Theatre - On Othello, Walterdale, and White Privilege

Theatre - On Othello, Walterdale and White Privilege

I'm angry.

And then I'm alternately sad.

I like the Walterdale. That theatre is fun, and we've mounted many shows on that stage. I've seen a lot of my friends cut their teeth on productions in that space, as actors, as directors. It provides a great training ground with different stakes that are necessary to provide more fuel for a successful theatre community.

Then I was made aware of their mid-season show, Othello.

It's heartbreaking.

Letters of Note - To My Old Master

To My Old Master

A post I shared several years ago, which seems like it might be pertinent these days.

Ethics - Safety Pins

Ethics - Safety Pins

I've been reading about safety pins. And I get it. I understand why.

And I disagree.

I don't disagree with the spirit of what is happening by wearing a safety pin. But I do disagree with the practicality of it. I also disagree with the shifting onus that it represents.

For those that are interested, there's a "safety pin campaign" that has been going on over the last week since the lamentable results in America. I'm not going to comment on that yet, I'm still digesting, and likely might be for the next 4 years. But that safety pin campaign says wear a visible safety pin to demonstrate to marginalized groups, (LGBTQ, Minorities, Immigrants), that you are an "Ally."

The safety pin is supposed to symbolize that you are "safe", that you are an "ally". People of those marginalized groups can come to you for safety.

Fuck off.

Politics - Attacking Trump Supporters

Politics - Attacking Trump Supporters

Drew Magary wrote this inflammatory 'open letter' attacking Trump Supporters. It's awesome.

Politics - Fuck All Lives Matter

Politics - Fuck All Lives Matter

With the recent spate of news regarding "Black Lives Matter", there again is the ever present rebuttal that "All Lives Matter." This happens over, and over. It happens with gender, it happens with culture, it happens with religion, it happens with sexual orientation. The thing is, like others have posted, until we started saying #BlackLivesMatter nobody ever said #AllLivesMatter. Until we had #GayPride, there was never a #HeteroSexualPrideDay. #WhiteHistoryMonth sounds ludicrous against #BlackhistoryMonth, and the idea of #MensRights makes us all cringe.

Here's the problem. All Lives Matter, is 'strictly true'. But it's also tone deaf. It's tone deaf because it's not about finding nuance, it's about maintaining status quo. It's about silencing the very real problems people have with what is going on in society right now. GeekAesthete wrote this about why it's not okay.

Racism - On Hollywood and Whitewashing

Racism - On Hollywood and Whitewashing

Originally I wrote this rant about Hollywood, and whitewashing stories. It was angry, and inspired by the most recent stab in Ghost in the Shell, where they've decided to cast Scarlet Johansson (whom I love as an actress) as the quite Japanese Mokoto Kusanagi.

Then I thought about my rant. It's not just that I'm angry, but actually, it is more that I'm hurt. And I'm hurt not only for Hollywood, which I'm angry at, but I'm hurt for everyone culturally that shares the plight with me. I'm hurt for everyone who has gone before me and seen mainstream media evolve this way. I'm hurt for my generation, caught in this weird precipice of knowing better and not being able to express ourselves on what we want or how to get it.

And I'm hurt for the generation that is coming after mine, that deserves better.

Life - Racism, Hard Truth

Life - Racism, Hard Truth

Listen, if you ever say that you don't believe racism still exists, then I have a hard truth for you. You occupy a space in the world then that doesn't have to deal with, see, or otherwise have contact with racism. You live a life of privilege. You are also quite possibly without empathy, or also very, very stupid. You might be both.

Racism is less today about slurs and negative epitaphs, although those still exist as well. Racism is about how a group of people are finding ways to justify why it was appropriate to shoot a 12 year old black boy.