Blog – Page 89 – The Designer Monologues

July 11, 2013

GenCon Concerns

Given recent adjustments to Indiana law, I’m having some serious concerns about whether I can in good conscience continue to attend GenCon after honoring my commitments this year.

They’ve had a gay marriage ban on the books for ages — including one which could imprison same-sex couples for applying for a marriage license on the basis that they’ve “falsified” the application. This was only recently noticed by some blogs, and reported as if it was new. However, what was new is that they’ve added a law stating that anyone who “solemnizes” the marriage of a same-sex couple can face up to 180 days in prison, and a $1,000 fine.

“Solemnizing” is nothing to do with the state — it’s purely ceremony. So Indiana has just criminalized private religious practice — even for those denominations that have no problems with same-sex marriage.

I talk a lot about slacktivism, meaningless feel-good “support” and the tendency of geek progressives to hedge and hem and haw when the rubber meets the road, and their principles slam head-first into stuff they like or want to do. (“Orson Scott Card is a toxic asshole with virulent anti-gay positions, who heads up an organization that lobbies to strip civil rights from same-sex couples…. but, but, Ender’s Game is a cool SF movie that I want to see!”)

GenCon is a big deal — especially for those of us who do work in the tabletop games business. A decision to stop attending would have a major affect on our business.

Perhaps those of us who come in to Indiana every year and pump (according to recent figures) 25-30 million dollars to the Indianapolis economy should make it known how we feel about this. I know that I, for one, will be talking to GenCon, LLC and asking what, if anything, they can do. (I will, of course, wait until after the show — they’ve got enough on their plate right now.)

If you have similar concerns, I urge you to share this post, or post your own — Facebook, Twitter, Google+, what-have-you. Let the concern be heard.

June 26, 2013

Asimbonanga

News is coming out of South Africa that the country is bracing itself for the death of Nelson Mandela, who is now on life support.

This man, who was labeled a terrorist, imprisoned, eventually freed and literally changed his country — I cannot begin to express how rare such a man is, or how much more we need people like him today. As I watch my own country flailing through the throes of a second Civil War, different from our first, yet just as vital to be won, and I wonder when our Mandela comes, or if it’s even possible here.

Many of us around in the 80s remember the songs of protest that were aimed at the South African regime, and so even for us Non-South-Africans, Mandela is a huge figure. I recently saw this story on the internet, that claimed The Special AKA track “Free Nelson Mandela” as the most potent protest song ever recorded.

I disagree. I say that this song, by South African band Savuka, fronted by Johnny Clegg, was even more powerful. It was released in 1987, by a mixed-race band, in Apartheid South Africa, at a time when Mandela was still in prison, and also called out the names of three martyrs of the South African liberation struggle – Steve Biko, Victoria Mxenge, and Neil Aggett. Listen to the track. I’ll include the lyrics below.

Johnny Clegg and Savuka – “Asimbonanga.”

Asimbonanga (we have not seen him)
Asimbonang’ umandela thina (we have not seen mandela)
Laph’ekhona (in the place where he is)
Laph’ehleli khona (in the place where he is kept)

Oh the sea is cold and the sky is grey
Look across the island into the bay
We are all islands till comes the day
We cross the burning water

A seagull wings across the sea
Broken silence is what I dream
Who has the words to close the distance
Between you and me

Steve Biko, Victoria Mxenge, Neil Aggett

Asimbonanga (we have not seen him)
Asimbonang ‘umfowethu thina (we have not seen our brother)
Laph’ekhona (in the place where he is)
Laph’wafela khona (in the place where he died)

Hey wena (hey you!)
Hey wena nawe (hey you and you as well)
Siyofika nini la’ siyakhona (when will we arrive at our destination)

May 30, 2013May 30, 2013

Insurgent Creative: Huge Increase In Independent Musicians

The rising trend of creatives moving to independent production and distribution — what I’ve called the “Insurgent Creative” life — has been going on long enough now that we’re starting to see measurable data coming in. Techdirt has just posted a great article which dispels a commonly-cited claim by the Recording Industry Association of America (and repeated by media and politicians) that there’s somehow been a 40% decline in employment for musicians over the past decade — apparently due to “piracy”, which is trotted out as a reason to try to legislate away the open internet which is actually allowing creatives to end-around traditional gatekeepers, like the RIAA, in the first place.

In the article, Mike Masnick provides data that shows that there’s been an 510% increase in independent musicians making a full time living, in just the past decade.

Five hundred and ten percent.

He points out that, yes — very few people are lucky enough to do it as a full-time job, so the numbers aren’t that big at all. But this graphic, compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics data, tells it all:

That’s the change that’s been occurring in music, which was the first creative industry to be hit with disruption from the internet, and its ability to allow artists to directly reach their audience. That disruption has now firmly hit publishing, and is beginning to hit film/television. Expect to see the shape of this graph reflected in those industries as well over the coming years.

Grab your opportunity. Create your work, and find your audience.