Present: Conch Shell, Fourth Dwarf, The Independent Observer, Coyote (guest: Painted Stick) Late with no excuse: Eigga
Absent with no excuse: The Chair
Emergency: The Usual
Called by and Minutes by: 4D
1. Agatha's new direction
4D: Introduces the topic, asks how people feel about Eigga's new direction.
Eigga: It's "Aye-ga", not "Eee-ga".
Coyote: Suggests that this pronunciation should be comfortable for the dwarf given his nautical leanings.
CS, PS, IO: Huh? What are you talking about?
Eigga: Explains to those who cannot be troubled to keep up to date on important goings-on about her name change and the journey she is on.
CS: So you're giving away all your stuff? or selling it?
4D looks eagerly for the answer.
Eigga: I'll be putting it in storage.
4D: You aren't really giving up your material possessions if they're in a storage locker.
Coyote: Sorry, dwarf, you're not getting her art.
[The remainder of the discussion revolves around what arrangements can be made for Eigga's feline companion. CS insists he has lost weight, all others insist that this is not the case, and that in fact what has happened is that Conchie's feline companion has become morbidly obese.]
2. Weight Pulling
4D introduces the topic. CS and IO look sheepish.
Coyote: I've been reluctant to post because no-one else has been posting.
4D: That is lame.
Coyote: Well, I was the last one to post.
4D: Oh, all right.
Eigga: I got my own thing going on.
Others: Oh, right, your solo project. [Various supportive comments are made about Eigga's blog.]
4D: What if we were each assigned a day of the week to put up a posting. There's five of us, seven days. (actually, there are 6 ESIs) If it's not your day and you want to post something, that's fine. If it is your day and you don't post, well so be it, but we know who to point the finger at.
Coyote and IO nod.
Conch Shell: I like that idea.
Eigga: I don't know...
4D: So, the people who hardly ever blog are in favour, but the one person here who puts up a posting nearly every day isn't sure?
Eigga: But that's different. [Various supportive comments are made about Eigga's blog.]
While a rambling discussion takes place in which various members demonstrate their placement on the Attention Deficit spectrum, 4D canvases the group about which days they would want if we tried this system. In between discussing an ESI university and Conchie's upcoming voyages, the following assignments are made or requested.
Saturday - ???
Sunday - Fourth Dwarf
Monday - Eigga
Tuesday - Coyote
Wednesday - Independent Observer
Thursday - Conch Shell
Friday - the Chair
4D: This works nicely, I like that the Chair has "the hammer" so he can bring it all home at the end of the work-week. [4D explains the curling reference and a general discussion takes place of what it would be like if curling metaphors replaced football metaphors in politics. Example: so-and-so was dropped from the cabinet because he just couldn't get his rocks in the house.]
3. Harmony disses the Usual Spot
4D: Asks if the group should take an official position on Harmony suggesting the Usual Spot has gone downhill. [4D does not even bother to note that it was a groundless accusation, completely without foundation.]
Coyote: I don't think her blog has much street cred.
4D notes the remark, others express surprise that Coyote would be so blunt, Coyote dissembles that he really meant that he suspected her readership is low. A consensus arises to let it go.
4. Other Business
CS: Juniper has moved, its location is up for rent. Right next to the new GCTC location. We could take over the lease. We just need somebody to man it.
ESIs look around the table to see if anyone feels like "manning" a restaurant. Nobody volunteers.
Eigga: I like the idea of an ESI university.
CS: There has to be some way we can make money with blogging.
4D suggests putting ads on the blog. IO suggests he would find this distasteful. Eigga suggests that the topic would require a whole other meeting.
CS: I just went to the dentist for the first time in six years. No cavities and no tartar.
4D expresses his surprise as he flosses every day and sees his dentist every six months yet still has tartar.
CS: Do you use an electric toothbrush?
4D admits he does not. Coyote and others extoll the glories of electric toothbrushes. CS then describes a procedure her dentist suggested for replacing grey tooth enamel that creeped out the entire group.
Eigga: I like the idea of an ESI university.
The others finally agree that it is a brilliant idea.
Coyote: If you were involved with this school wouldn't that cause an ethical problem with your current employer?
Eigga: Ethics, shmethics.
IO: We should all teach something unrelated to our skills.
CS: So you wouldn't teach astronomy?
IO: Right. I could maybe teach terrorist skills.
IO withdraws this suggestion after others suggest it would be a bad idea to put a "terrorist skills" class in the course calendar.
4D suggests he'd like to see computer games where players learn so much while playing them that they could receive academic credit.
Coyote: Should we be accredited or non-accredited?
There is general consensus that being accredited would be too much trouble.
4D: Should we be something other than a "university"? Like maybe an "academy".
The others agree that it would be better to be an academy, institute or something else, with institute having the strongest support. No decision is reached on whether it should be IESI or ESII.
Not long after, the ESIs part, noting an intelligently-cute couple playing travel scrabble in the corner.
