Caramblogage

"We used to have this concept called "future". It implied that, at some point in time beyond now, there would be change. I reject this concept- look at where we are! We are cared for, educated, fed and entertained. I never hear of anyone dying of disease or violence. Things work, people work, the state cares for us absolutely. We can live and die in peace. What more could we want? What change could we want? Even if we could fly to the stars, what would we find there to make it worthwhile? I'm sure that in their wisdom, they have taken steps to ensure that things never change… The idea of future fills me with dread. Better to live in the Moment" From the notes of the dissident Louk DeSalam, ca 235 STE After writing this, my fascination with the Arabic word for future "Al-Mostaqbal / المستقبل" grew under the shower. It derives from the root "Q-B-L"- which my Hans Wehr gives far too many translations for. Assuming Mostaqbal ...

We now find ourselves at the end of 2017, at the inception of a new project: Almanya auf Arabisch, which is conceived as a series of workshops in and around refugee camps, targeted at Arabic-speaking residents interested in integrating in Germany. And I have a written brief detailing what the design is supposed to communicate to a number of target audiences- when working with NGO's this is a rare and precious thing to hang on to. This occasion was enriched by detailed discussions around exact design placements, some serendipity in transparencies and the colour palette we had established over the last year. We decided early on that the Logo would include alphabetical and cartographical (fancy for: a map) elements. I still find the map questionable, as it delineates a geographic border which does not represent the breadth of its population and inhabitants in their entirety. But it is an understandable graphic representation which does not include beer, sausages, Lederhosen or...

Power is a very versatile parasite that feeds off belief, which is given. No Power is ever really taken, only given, or coerced over time- it can be demanded, demonstrated, rumored and/or reported, but it is not established until all involved voice their consent that what is on display is, indeed power, and not a display of fear. Once consent is given, an asymmetrical dynamic that is almost impossible to dismantle is established- ideas tend to flourish once they germinate. (Also: Zap)

In other news:  https://soundcloud.com/jakarta-records

Caram on Games (COG) is an occasional ramble in which I discuss computer gaming, gaming culture and how I perceive them, in an attempt to talk about a medium that I've always been passionate about, or at least enjoyed. Every part is an exploration of thoughts, meaning that it comes together as it is written- so while they may meander for a while, a point will eventually be reached. Maybe. After a lot of words, and sometimes numbers. You have been warned.  Let's start with the basics: 0. What makes a good game? This question has as many answers as there are ways to make a game, and most of them are subjective, dependent on how the individual gamer experiences their play, how deeply they are willing to delve into the details surrounding a game and how much time this will take, expectations towards gameplay and stortytelling, the studio and publisher, familiarity with methods of non-linear stories… This answer becomes more complicated from a publication and development pers...

The Agreement was the basis. Introduced and spread through media, it laid out the contract that upheld the Society, outlining the rights and duties of each citizen and the state that enveloped them, protecting them from any manner of harm from others.  The main right and duty of every citizen was to consume- to uphold the loop of capital that flowed from them to the commercial entities and then back to them through taxes. This system had been introduced in recognition of the fact that, although most basic needs had long since been satisfied, it now fell to every individual to express their individuality by indulging it as much as possible. To this end, a key of goods associated with every permissable type was created and frequently updated, describing the correct way of accessorizing to signal your adherence to a certain worldview. Depending on your monthly investment, your credit for the next month was adjusted. The more you spend, the more you get back (minus interest)-...

Over the course of the year that followed, we put out a number of print products, oriented around the colouring and visual style of the guide- again, having set that precedent to follow, we found it to be more expedient not to reinvent the roundness of the wheel every time, but to try to make a better wheel every time. 2016 did not bring more publications, to my disappointment (and some relief- those things are hard work), but it did provide several opportunities to play around with what we had already developed, and see how it dealt with the ever-changing contexts. And so followed a year of banners, flyers the aforementioned reprint of the "Best Practices" guide. Without going into too much detail, I think I can describe this period as business as usual- we had a certain basic vocabulary established, and familiar with that, we expressed ourselves through it and adapted it into new shapes and contexts.   Throughout year, we realised that the logo we had sta...