Snowguard

Well, as a third angle on this polygon, I think I'll dip in and have my view on the media in this country. Keep in mind that I don't have the level of experience either of you have. I keep well-informed, try to find unbiased sources but don't think I'd cut it as a Journo. I'd probably piss of the Editor coming in late with pieces, wanting that extra edge to a story.

The ABC here is the closest thing we have to a balanced news-reporting outlet. They're not unlike the BBC in that they have television and several radio subsidiaries. Whilst a good deal of their overseas reporting is culled from other outlets, they make an effort to get reporters into any major stories. There is a debate in the government at present that the ABC is too 'Pink'. I don't see how journalistic integrity equals Leftist ideals, though I'll admit I'm biased. There is a programme on Radio National, undoubtedly the most broad-minded of ABC products, that attempts to provide a counterpoint, hence the name. The ABC has a network focused on News, NewsRadio, which gets feeds from the BBC, NPR, DeutschVelle, Radio Netherlands and pretty much anyone else they feel like playing. Some might find it dry, but I'm a data-hound.

There is also SBS, our 'ethnic' broadcaster. Given that everyone is of some ethnicity or another, you'll understand how loaded the statement is. Let me rephrase... SBS is the network established for people of a Non-English Speaking Background. (Political correctness isn't all bad) They don't have anywhere near the resources of the ABC but put together what I feel is the best news wrap. They focus on global stories for much more of their bulletins, covering events no one else would touch.

The Commercial media in this country is a joke. It's all about pretty faces, big paycheques and efforts to 'shape national conscience'. More people seem to watch them, so who am I to have a view that is contrary?

Don't even get me started on the Fourth Estate. Aside from the Financial Review, we'd be better off leaving the trees standing than producing this sludge. My own local paper, the Courier Mail, is good for two things;

1) Calvin and Hobbes

2) My Horoscope (Yes, I'm off with the fairies)

*rant mode: off*

Okay, just to keep this on topic, I tested as a Prowler when I first took this baby. I haven't taken it in a while, but last time I did, a few alterations gave several options. One was MedTech, which I couldn't really do but have considered. The other is Fixer, which I know a little something about. I introduce people to people.

Couple a quick ones you might want to investigate...

Chicago is a swingin' town, with some slick operators. Joe, the GM, is happy to incorporate all sorts, but a strong background is a plus.

No limits has our first attempt at Open Gaming, which is more focused on story-telling than munchkin-gaming. It's not quite true to Canon, but most of us have our issues with what R.Tal has laid out. Kiri isn't fetid squallor, unless you're hitting the favellas, and you can't really take a motorbike burning through them. (A jetski might be okay though)

Given your recent arrival here, I put in an appearance in at No Limits first, get your name known here, then see what pops up. Who knows. You might even want to start a game of your own one day.

Keep it chill, Gato.

Johnny is next to stand up. In many ways, he shares a lot of featues with Edward. Dark curls, olive skin, a Southern accent. True, Johnny looks undeniably Mediterranean, and his 'Southern accent' is Australian. Dressed in classic denims, Johnny's curls are syled with product, going for the casual rugged man about town look.

"Uh, Hi. I'm Johnny. I'm a Technical Specialist of sorts. Background in Electronics, did some time in Asia. Nothing remarkable." He carries himself with an air of confidence without being arrogant. "If any of you have seen a kid, about 12, I'd kinda like to know. It's a a favour to his sister." Remembering where he is. "Causcasian male, you know the drill." He hopes they do. This crew seems motley enough to have heard an interrogation or two.

Brisbane, Australia 2004[/size]

Yes, this isn't quite the normal style, but I'm trying to show you how far the future isn't. Some snapshots from a relatively normal Saturday morning in a bland First-World City....

I got up early this morning, caught the first train into town to mix it up online with some gatos in the 'Room. I'm a member of two net cafes, well, three actually, but one of them is kinda pricey. The one 10 minutes walk from my house is only open from 1000-2200, so I'm in the CBD, at CyberRoom, that is 24/7/365. This place is open Christmas! There were Spanish-speakers on the train, something of a rarity compared to the EU and Americas. For you folks they're neighbours, for us, they're exotic.

After a few hours of chatting, I decided to go and visit my grandmother. On the way, I ducked into a department store, and after seeing a minor celebrity couple, (Natalie and Simon from 'My Restaurant Rules') decided to come back later. I noticed him before her, even though it's her hint of cleavage on the back of every bus in town that draws your eye. She needs some serious skin treatment and both of them are short. (I'm 5'6 and could take both of them)

On the train I played 'Hellos' with a little African boy. Don't ask me more specifically where he was from, but he spoke something with his mother I couldn't place. The Cradle of Mankind isn't my forte. After visiting my nanna and chatting briefly with her Filapina carer, I came back into town to do some window shopping. Cruising through aforementioned department store, I was on the lookout for a Ralph Lauren denim jacket I'd seen at another branch of the store. They didn't have the particular version I was after, and given that I'm going to have to wait for the Diesel cardigan I ordered to come in, I was wanting a fill-in purchase. The one I'm ordering is somewhere between khaki and goodness knows what, and is made in either Turkey or Greece, depending on which jacket you get.

After that I went to Colorado, passing a salsa display in the mall. Japanese girls and Indian boys held hands coyly, finding a sweet and innocent connection and pissing off to major cultural blocks in the process. Colorado had a belly-dancer out front, trying to shed it's conservative image and give and air of adventure about the place. At present I'm wearing pretty cloned generic garb, a light blue t-shirt, paint-splattered khaki cargoes, faded white runners and denim jacket. All but the shoes are 100% and all of it's made in China. I'm working on upgrading my wardrobe though, so in a little while most of this will move on to other places. The pants and shoes are keepers though. They may be generic, but they're sure as heck individual.

I had a light midday bite at a Taiwanese noodle shop of lightly-fried dumplings while reading an article on David Unaipon, the 'Aboriginal Leonardo Da Vinci' and one of the faces on the Australian $50 note. Making my way back to CyberRoom, I grace you with this garalous garble for your gestation. Whilst doing so I'm listening to 'Arabix, the Mediterranean Longue' on Live365 and periodically checking the webcam of the Zona Do Nape and Kun Iam Statue in Macau.

You people want the future? I say I'm a couple of implants and a Nova CityGun off living the future. Okay, maybe not quite that close. But it's getting closer every day.

Trial of the Century? Care to fill us in gato?

You talkin' OJ?

Actually, the more you talk about it, the more Kaliningrad does sound like Hong Kong. The vast majority of the population there live in 'project'-style high-rises, and like anywhere else, a lot of people with no money living on top of each other in shoebox-like conditions are bound to get a little antsy.

Another thing, despite what you may see in movies, most HK street battles are solved with knives, bottles, big bars of metal, etc. just like anywhere else on the planet. The 'Young and Dangerous' series of films give a good, if somewhat romaticised insight into what Street Trach and Low Level T-boys have to live through. It's not all slick suits and John Woo movies.

Sounds like a contender for the Wild Wild East! Even moreso than Hong Kong.

Maybe a campaign linking the two?

Yeah, you know I want it!

Listening to the Hybrid mix on here and loving it. Not into the mournful rock earlier on, but that's just me. Already added it to my favorites, naturally, and hope I find many hours of inspired punking behind it.

*BBC World Service-style*

This is VftE in Brisbane.

The Sprawl, aka BAMA, is the Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis. It runs down the eastern US seaboard from Boston to Atlanta, though my guess is that it has long since spread out from these confines. Mona's Miami smacks of the Sprawl, though this just may be my reading of post-Collapse America. Sorry, my knowledge of that part of the world is somewhat limited.

Hope I have been of some help.

While there is a bit of bipolar with regards to Case's age and experience later in the book, If I recall correctly, it says that he is 24, which is apparently old for someone in his line of work. First chapter, if I'm not mistaken. But then again, it's been a long time since I've read it.

Davious, that joke is in somewhat poor taste, don't you think?

There are some tools that will improve your TECH level, and there's always Dab Hand and Brown Study....

Mmmm... TECH drugs!

Although if you work in consultation with the GM and have all the minutae planned out well beforehand it would certainly provide for an interesting campaign. I can see it now... Night City low lifes on a Milk Run get narc'ed and wake up in a cramped Kowloon hotel, or for even more contrast, a house on Victoria Peak with spectacular views of the Harbour. Then just sit back and watch them freak.

Yeah, I'm cruel, unusal and a Hong Kong Fanboy.

Okay, so maybe they do and maybe they don't. I'm guessing that at in a worrst-case scenario they're found a coffee-analog, even if it is kinda pricey.

My thought on this topic regards what we have with or morning special. I'm a guy who likes soy milk. In the near-future would it be more likely that we'd automatically get soy lattes and have to request/pay extra for animal milk?

Just a thought to weird you all out.

Half-way down the stairs Ah Fu came to a crouch, using the darkened area as cover. Looking out at the scene before him fills him with a mixture of confusion and disgust. There are suddenly a lot more people down here, including the camera crew he spotted from the window upstairs. The metal mountain seemed to be negotiating something with them, and Ah Fu hoped that it didn't involved too much destruction.

Ivan's track record up to this point didn't fill him with confidence.

The rear part was somewhat more disturbing. The strange foreign woman had created something of a temporary triage station. To Ah Fu it looked more like the slaughterhouse of a wet market. Blood-tainted water was been slowly cleaned from the area by a couple of young pok gaai, who seemed none-too-happy about their predicament. Ah Fu desperately tried to fight against the images that came to mind. He didn't know who had been seen too, but he knew how barbaric these foreigners were with their enemies from the basement incident.

Raising his hand to block any further view of the scene, he turned his attention to the conference. With any luck no one would see him.

(OOC: Ah Fu is making an effort to be non-conspicuous, though not a major one. Crouching on the steps might make him look like just another nobody, though the Medias may have done more research than that. Depends who they know.)

I would like to extend heartfelt wishes to you  and your closest for the Chinese New Year. I hope that the Year of the Monkey brings you much success and prosperity in your endeavours, and that only good things happen.

To the Edgerunners present, Ah Fu is being uncharacteristically outgoing and generous. He invites you all out to a big feast of dumplings, noodles, lychee nuts and a whole fish! It's a feast of meanings for the Neo-Family.

It may not be for everyone, but enjoy your day anyway.

Hehehe, Yes, I guess it would. It work even better if you seduced them before/as you drugged them.

As for Honkers, you go there, make sure you invite me along. I wanna be there as a 'Technical Consultant'  

Only one way to make that happen Gatos. You gotta jump into the mix and get posting. There's a thread just beneath us for more players required, and if you don't mind playing a Techie in Azerbaijan, I'd say get drafting.

The tinkering of the kids outside and the ever-changing swing in conversation from downstairs just wasn't conducive to sleep. Letting out an exagerated sigh, Ah Fu opened his eyes. He lay staring at the ceiling. It would be mid-morning back home. They'd be showing childrens's shows, news briefings and re-runs of 60 year old movies.

Nothing like quality viewing.

Getting into a crouch, Ah Fu gathered his gear together. May as well go and see what all the foreigners are up to. Maybe they've got some food down there. None this hot dog crap either, but some noodles or dim sum. Ah Fu's mouth watered at the thought of siu mai and steamed pork buns.

Nothing like yum cha.

Standing, he started towards the stairs, dragging his feet in a sign of apathy despite his wish for food and TV.

I SO want one!

Maybe if someone could draw up some stats on this, we could say it's an early forerunner to the ACPAs of 2020

Hmmm... Middle Eastern, hey? I DO have a few ideas floating around in my head, and yes, Techies are a possibility. Do you want them to actually be from the region or foreigners? Is it the CP2020 worldview of the MidEast or something leaving a little more room to manouver?

In retrospect I overreacted to the link/thread. As I said, I've got a lot of friends who are, and I'm kinda protective of them.

As for the other thread, yes, you do have the right, although from what I've inferred, I may well be part of those would be subject to your policy Mr Harry. I'm unemployed, and have thus far been able to obtain a decent job of even temporary nature.

The Voice of Annoyance.

Bowral! Holy Crap! My folks live there! Methinks it's about time I went and visited Ma and Pa Guard

Sounds like Cruz to me, though he ain't so heavy on the Cyber.

Hmmm... not at all impressed by this. Given that most of my friends don't fit the current conservative world-voew of an 'ideal' lifestyle, I suggest you tread VERY carefully around this topic. I barely tolerate the thinly veiled racism over on the Immigrant-fingerprinting thread, but this gets my goat up like you wouldn't believe.

Careful, people.