Dave's Philosophical Nattering Last Updated: 9/21/08     Every so often I wax philosophical...it helps keep the brain shiny and rust-free. Here's a few pieces I've written, either about life in general or dealing with the online world. Life In General a.k.a. the Deep(ish) Stuff Kitbashing as Philosophy - After spending a few years now painting and rebuilding toys, I realized that there's something about it which has changed my outlook on life. Expect this essay to be altered, repainted and otherwise changed every so often as I realize something new about the subject. The Problem of Evil: A Solution I Can Live With - my modest attempt at a solution to this theological blockbuster. The Problem With Organized Religion - If you're gonna sell your religion to a potential convert, you have to focus on how it differs from all the rest. And that informs what the religion starts to see as truly important. The Eye In The Sky -or- How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love My Krogers Card - A bit of a rant on how people tend to go overboard in trying to avoid leaving an electronic footprint. Growing Up (and its pitfalls) - I address the topic of what I call "juvephobia," the fear of being thought to be childish or silly. Personality Test - These are the results of my taking the IPIP-NEO Narrative Report personality test. I took the short form, so the subscales are less than reliable, but the main scales should be reasonably solid. Some interesting apparent contradictions in there, but I contain multitudes. Moving Weekend - A sort of proto-blog, keeping a diary on my PDA of the experience of moving from Michigan to Kansas by car, taking a leisurely three days. The Net Web Design Philosophy - As someone who has been online long enough to remember when adding images to a webpage was the latest thing, I think I'm legally required to write something about how this crusty old netter thinks webpages should be made. Written before 2000, so a lot of details are incorrect now. Net.Equanimity - Originally written to apply to a specific newsgroup, the tips in here are helpful for anyone wanting to learn to live with the more frustrating elements of online communities. Writing And Storytelling Theory Dave's Guide to Guides to Writing - Lots of people tell you how to write, I tell you how to listen to those people. :) Getting Into The Story - Some musings on how authors end up in their own stories. Good, bad and Mary Sue. Advice On Running Mysteries In RPGs - or "This Ain't A CRPG, So Loosen Up!" Trying to run a mystery on rails rarely works with players, and it can be frustrating for all involved. Here's some other ways to do it. Lack Of Life In General a.k.a. Other Hobby Stuff Why Is Scalping Wrong? - No, I'm not talking about removing someone's scalp. In this essay I address the matter of buying up toys the instant they leave the truck and then reselling them at huge markup, and why it's a Bad Thing. The Bad Girl Art Index - Before Diamond Distribution became a monopoly, I'd mock Previews on a monthly basis, pointing out all the hideous Bad Girl Art in the catalog. This is how I kept score. Grandparent Gifts - Some stuff really only gets given to kids by people other than their parents, here's a guide to two of the more common types. Dave's Online Nest