The dessert cart rolls on.

In case you missed it.

Download andersoncoopersnl.wmv

From here.

What formalism is.

Let me use an example.

Most are familiar with tic-tac-toe (TTT). Normally, TTT can be recognized by its well-known crosshatch playing field and its conventional playing pieces: Xs and Os. Yet neither of these two game elements — field or pieces — is critical to the formalist. The most fundamental property of any game, according to the formalist, is the relationship among game elements. In part, this relationship is described by the rules of the game; but the rules of the game may be expressed in different languages and in different ways. So, again, the surface appearance of the rules — whether these rules are written in, for instance, French or English — is immaterial. It is what the rules refer to, not the rules themselves, that constitutes game form.

Imagine another game (let’s call it T3) consisting of nine tiles, labeled a1, a2, a3, b1, b2, b3, c1, c2, and c3. In the game of T3, two players alternate picking tiles, attempting to select tiles that will create either an a-b-c sequence, a 1-2-3 sequence, or both. The game of T3, without a crosshatch playing field, without any Xs or Os, is formally identical to TTT. For the formalist, the elements of TTT and T3 that are dissimilar are inconsequential, and the parts of TTT and T3 that overlap are fundamental to an understanding of the game.

One technique of the formalist, then, is to identify and distinguish fundamental game forms, commonly found in rules-based relationships among game elements. However, while these forms are referenced by game rules, they are not, in all cases, determined by game rules. That is, formal relationships among game elements can be extended to include relationships among games and their players. Game form can then only be fully realized and known during interactive game play.

Since formalism is concerned with the relationships among game elements rather than with the game elements themselves, formalism is rightly concerned with abstractions. These abstractions are, simultaneously, references. And, therefore, formalism is ultimately concerned with semiotics, or the science of signs, symbols, references, and all those rules, explicit and implicit, governing their use.

Science is culture. Formalism remains formalism.

Yeah, I read game blogs.  Yes, I do.  Lots of them.  But only from time to time, I must admit.

Here’s one that used to be more about games than it has been recently.  But still interesting.  It is now associated with this, which, aside from the always annoying advertising, is interesting.

Their slogan appears to be "Science is culture."  I figure that is close enough to my current slogan, "Culture sucks," to be sympatico.

Oh, and on the Nagin chocolate endorphin thing:  I really like Billy Preston’s version better.

Much better.

Aw, cmon, sing along.

The price of beignets.

From here.

Mary Landrieu goes to Amsterdam, receives gift of Magic Delftware.

How much did she get?

   

This much!

   

New Orleans is saved!!!

The politically vetted, five-months-after-the-fact, leaked-to-the-press-and-trial-ballooned-already, everybody-gets-to-participate, just-like-ULI-but-wishy-washier, aiming-to-get-your-vote, four-month-delayed, wishful-thinking, wide-eyed-hopeful…

…kinda-serious new New Orleans rebuilding plan.

Well, at least they are finally refusing to issue building permits  Some said long ago that rebuilding at the bottom of a flood plain recently flooded by eight feet of 3+ weeks of standing, brackish, contaminated water was stupid and should be illegal and only benefited the structural engineers who, for a fee, were letting it happen.  Maybe I didn’t say it long or loudly enough.  Probably my fault.

Personally, I am happy our house is in one of those little green bubble zones on the front page of today’s TP that are supposedly earmarked for NOTHING WHATSOEVER. Good decision.

Now, if someone would just lasso Jay Batt and the Lakeview rebuilding crowd and the guys in the pickup trucks slowing down in front of your stinky, moldy, junky house long enough to yell out their rolled-down driver’s side windows that they can gut your house CHEAP, I’d be even happier.

***

http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/200512_katrinaindex.htm

For CMMNA895 students.

All grad students working on a thesis this semester should sign up for (contrary to normal procedure) CMMNA895001.  I believe most of done that now — but you have been warned.

CMMNA895001 is also available, this semester only, for thesis-related independent study hours.

See me.

I will email CMMNA895 enrollees with further information soon.  (Sometime after add/drop is done.)

Not much time. Or energy.

Not going to be able to post as much, since I don’t have internet access where I live.  This, it turns out, severely cramps my style.

***

I’ve been wondering whether the photo on the Loyola homepage is a strategic photo or not.  It did, after all, fairly strategically obscure the (relatively minor) storm damage to Holy Name Church.

All fixed now, though.  Just curious.

***

Here’s what I jotted down at the President’s convocation. 

About $24M lost tuition for the fall; a bit more in facilities and whatnot losses.  Total $30M loss.

Fired some people, cut some stuff –> saved $10M.  Total now $20M loss.

$15M in business interruption insurance + other insurance.  Not paid yet, but whenever.  Say total now $5M loss.

Govt funds avl.  $95M or so to be split among LA universities.  Total loss now???

No questions allowed during the convocation.  So those of use who rely on the public exchange of information must remain just curious.

Dewey wins — and miners alive.

Check this out.

And inspect the media panel.

Anybody get the been-there-done-that feeling?

Don’t know what all this talking is going to do exactly, particularly since it’s talking by all the usual status-quo-ish, the-system-is-the-solution suspects.  Most talking of this sort serves to do little more than promote the notion that these folks are the ones that those who listen to talking should listen to.

I don’t have that notion.  In fact, the current establishment of electronic media I have no hope for.  None whatsoever.  The Times-Picayune has done a better job since the hurricane, but failed in blatant, dismal, and electronic-media fashion during.

Maybe, one day, the talking will discuss these notions.

But, even if so, what’s going to be said other than what has already been said in a zillion other places, including here?  Though, I would suspect this particular panel would be inclined to advance a more positive and pro-jounalism spin, somethng maybe like this one.

If you really want to learn something new, it makes the most more sense to me to talk with people who did and are still doing something new.  Talk with the Interdictor crew.  Or talk with the people here.  Or here.  Or somebody, anybody who wasn’t part of the problem to begin with.   

Or, failing that, talk about why Garland and his "think tank" can’t institute a format more compatible with coherent interviews than their current talk-five-minutes-break-for-a-rerun-PSA-ad-infinitum.

Or, if WWL is indeed streaming live to “millions of people around the world,” why not devote a little time to their website?  A very simple improvement would be to allow comments on current interviews, similar to comments on play-list entries here.

Or let’s explain the strategy behind good-news filters like this one.

Or just post it all on the internet.  I doubt whatever gets said will be any more coherent or insightful than this.

For, it certainly seems, none of all this analysis and comment and talking can stop the scoop mentality from writing Tom Vanden Brook’s story in today’s USA Today…

"Twelve missing miners were found alive and rescued from deep inside a coal mine Tuesday… The men were taken by ambulances to a nearby hospital for examination.  There was no word on the miners’ condition."

The conditions right now.

I will have to reflect more once I get to my office.

Currently sitting on a stoop across from the Mojo Lounge & Cafe on Decatur.  A glob of spit to my right, some broken glass and a used swizzle stick to my left.

No internet access at the hotel, and, to the best of my knowledge, no city-wide internet access in the Quarter.  The city-wide network is accessible from the CBD; Megan hooked in while we were driving through. [update 1/5:  I now doubt this was accomplished; I now suspect city-wide internet access in New Orleans sucks city-wide.]

Cafe Du Monde has wifi at 50 cents per 15 minutes.  And there are a fair number of leechable access points scattered here and there.  But tough to find a spot that has a bench, a roof, and no give-me-some-inflated-tourist-money attitude.

The strip of Decatur containing Mojo’s, Coop’s, and Molly’s has the right attitude.  But they might leave one or two chairs out on the sidewalk for the people with the bad backs.

***

I unabashedly recommended the Krystal on Bourbon Street earlier.  I was wrong.  The Krystal company-owned stores provide free wireless.  The franchise stores, like the one on Bourbon, do what they want.  In the case of the Krystal franchise on Bourbon, this means charging severely bumped-up prices for their questionable-to-begin-with food and charging for wireless.  This latter is something akin in my mind to selling condoms in a franchise Disney store, but there’s your free market for you.

Just don’t go to the Krystal on Bourbon Street.

***

Called TD Watherouse toll-free (but still uses up your cell minutes) number.  Asked specifically if the St. Charles, New Orleans TDW office was open.

"Yes, yes.  8:30 to 5pm.  Do you need directions?" said the real-person voice that I beeped and buttoned and waited to talk to.

The 201 St. Charles TDW office is closed.  The toll-free number I called is Scotch-taped to their darkened door.

***

Still no city-wide wireless internet at 201 St. Charles, by the way.  And, just wait, there’s more.