>> There is no way to provide some other number to initialize the random state.

> True, but it may be sufficient to "customize" your numbers based on some 
> additional local information.

> For example you might simply wrap the call to the random function with your 
> own code that XORs the sequence with the machine's IP address, or some 
> similar scheme.

The point is that the call to the time function is buried somewhere
inside the call to make-random-state (when given the argument t).
There is no way to XOR or otherwise modify the number that is used to
create a new random state.  This is unlike, C, for instance where you
can XOR the time with the machine's IP address (or similar schemes) to
initial the random number generator.  The only portable way to
initialize the random number generator is with a call to make-random-state.

Wow, it is not often that I come up with advantages of C over Common
Lisp.  :-)

Art

-- 
Arthur Flatau                           Texas Microprocessor Division
<amd.com at Arthur.Flatau>                   Advanced Micro Devices
Senior Member of Technical Staff        5900 East Ben White Boulevard
                                        M/S 625 Austin TX 78741