Many great (scifi) stories from Asimov and Clarke to Bear and Card have thier roots in the exploration of the limits of science (knowledge) and connecting them to human experience. I can even point to similar impluses in literary fiction. One of the best example that comes to mind is Cosmicomics by Calvino
This recent article in the New Scientist, 13 More Things That Don’t Make Sense, is a great list of such fodder. Of course that implies there were 13 other things that didn’t make sense. Those are here.
Maybe I will get to starting a story on one of this, or maybe I will just spend break cleaning and playing GTA4. Maybe just playing GTA4.
Since enrolling in the part-time MBA program, I have see a marked decrease in my time outside the real world–few elements of being fictive or playing slipped in my schedule. Luckily, I have a 3 week break to try re-acquaint myself with “hardcore” fiction and gaming.
As a transition step I have been logging a lot of time on Kongregate.com. Mr Do told me about a while ago and sure I popped in and played an occasional game as a study break, but now I am taking it seriously. For those that don’t know kongregate provides a community portal for those who enjoy (and make) flash games. Current there are over 18k games and systems of community building including inline chat, forums, user profiles, and more. My favorite feature is the creation badges for individual games. Badges are earned by achieving certain progress or success in the game. I have received 34 badges so far and hope to double that number before classes begin.
As one can imagine, there is a broad range of games both in quality and types. Luckily, you can use the user rating system to help separate the wheat from the chafe as it were. Here are a couple of recent favorites:
Upgrade complete: A great tongue and cheek take on the endless upgrading arcade shooters. You are required to upgrade everything in the game from ship parts (nice and simple custom ship builder) to game menus the quality of the game graphics.
Mastermind: World Conquerer[sic]: An amazing criminal mastermind simulation like evil genius. Play this game really gave me a new respect for the potential of flash games.
So, check it out look for me there. Look for most game review posts from Kongregate.
Sheriff reminded me as we entered the exhibition hall we were entering the geek throngs. So, I tried to ignore the Ren-folk that were selling authentic swords (some for $1,200), wooden swords, and even realistic looking foam swords. We were there for the board games after all. Mr. Do had even come with his wish list. Unfortunately, some of the key games we were looking for weren’t there. However, we did find a couple of tempting new games.
The first of which we stumbled upon as we began our loop around the hall, Battue was a finalist for game of the year at the convention. We were sucked into a brief overview of the game mechanics. Basically, you randomly place buildings inside the city walls, so the players can storm the city for loot and race to gain control of the city–fighting the city guard the whole way. Combat is resolved by a die roll plus number of troops attcking/defending. So first you attack the city guard then you defend against your follow players for control of the city. We got a free limited edition tile, but weren’t totally sold on the sales pitch for the $50 game. The rules are a little simple for our taste, though I imagine it could be fun. Looking at boardgamegeek.com, it has a rating of 6.4/10.
But really the exciting find at the convention which was Blasphemy: The Race to the Cross. Basically, the goal of the game is to be the messiah and, well, get “nailed up” on the cross. Though I think the real blasphemy is the $99 price tag. I could be good irreverent fun read more at www.blasphemygame.com.
I wrote a while back about how much I wanted to be Yahtzee Croshaw but lack the bullocks, profane disposition, or the writing chops. Anyway, Gamespot did an interview of Croshaw. Reading through the interview, I could hear Croshaw’s accent in the rhythm of his quotations. Glancing down at the comment, I find myself with the sick realization that I am about as original as a light tan coil of poo. Sure others might validate my opinion, but I should–but can bring myself–to want to poke out my eardrum rather than hear his voice in reading the interview. That is such a lightsaber building, Klingon speaking, coplay-type, fanboy thing to do.
I even wanted to expand on some of his comments on the sad state of video journalism. Which just brings up a horrible Gamasutra editorial I started ranting about last month, but stopped. I figured if all I wanted to do was call the author a t’nuk. I should stop. So before I reopen that rage, I will stop. After all, I got to get up tomorrow and learn more databases.
The powers that be have allowed me to polish my FilemakerPro skill by attending a 4 day certification training. At the other end of which I hope to have the 73tt skills to finish the project management system I am building. Plus, it will be nice to be able to fix any problems once it goes live. My biggest fear is that once it is up and we’re dependant on it, something will break and I won’t know what to do.
8:30 a.m. - Arrived at training, fellow attendees are here, but no trainers yet. I never did get a follow-up e-mail about the timeline of the training. The other guys seem nice. One from a small HR firm who builds systems for schools. Another from university that is building an inventory management system for a high-tech lab. Is there any work beging done at a university that is not high-tech? or even cutting edge?
I will post more as the excitement continues…until then enjoy this from fark:
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update: 8:45 am
The trainer has finally shown. I think I recognize him from the server training (could be wrong). Anyway, his plane was late getting in last night–apparently is it possible for the pilot to miss his flight. So, we are ready and taking off into the wonderful world of database development.
Lunch break: Pizza Hut…mmmm, buffet with chocolate pudding.
Afternoon: It went fast, but it was good. During out discussion of ERDs and complex relationships, we talked through some solutions for the dynamic contact/addressbook mapping I have been trying to do. So that will give me some different ideas for attack. We got out a bit late, but still managed to get TheWife to class on time. I hung with Mr. Do till there class was done. All said not a bad day.
Anyway, I wanted to post some promised pics of the lake we had in the backyard this week.
This is typical for a heavy rain, given the grade of the yard is below both the alley way and the house. Hopefully, there is a rich silt from the Nile let from the flood to feed the garden this year.
I have already started my seeds and can’t wait to get them in the ground. If I have time this weekend, I will post pictures of this year’s seedlings.
Posted by admin on 28 Nov 2007 | Tagged as: theWife
We had a (surprise) gathering last night to honor theWife’s b-day.
Just about the time everyone showed up, one of the cats made a run for it. So we ended up with a 20-minute impromptu ice-breaker of catch the cat. Difficult: Black at night. After 10-minutes I have to get help from theWife, since she is so much better at it than me and Jack was spooked by all the “strangers.”
Once it all settled down it was a nice time. Coffee. Cake. Conversation. I didn’t realize that you would fit 12 people, though cozily, in my kitchen/dining room area. Though the cake and coffee were gobbled, we moved to the living room where theWife was anxious to show off he new Guitar Hero skills. We played a few song, with me on Bass, before passing the axe around.
All in all it was a great time. Happy b-day sweets. I love you. And thanks to everyone for coming out to hang with us.
I have always had problems with post-Thanksgiving Friday. I am not one for joining the throngs at the mall nor do I feel like joining theWife in sleeping the day away. (Though to be fair, her recent crown is still hurting. And when you add the effect the meds are having on her stomach to the generally craziness of the cats yaking hairballs at our bedside at 4 am, she hasn’t been sleeping much of late.) Left to my own, I am not finding motivation to do much. I did venture out to Target this AM to look for the holy grail of gifts my Dad wants to buy Zack. No luck, though I did find the gift we were going to get Zach–and half-off. Unfortunately, that trip plus a run to stare at TVs we cannot afford, only got me through to 10 a.m. (Well, the cats did manage to get me up very early.)
So I have spent the last hour combing through gamespot–looking for a game that might fill the hole in my live (a hole that I can only imagine will widen through rest of the weekend) and distract me from addressing any of the deeper existential questions that plague me–only to stumble upon a game review column on The Escapist by an Ozzie writer and amateur game designer Yahtzee Croshaw. I want to be Yahtzee Croshaw.
I am not sure if it his accent (hell, I have been to Australia 3 times, but can only manage a stereotypical Dundee meets Irwin affect), the flood of pop/game culture references (hell, that is why I love theWife), or the simple and direct animation in his reviews (hell, I can do that). Add to that, his atful use of profanity and the fact that his personal website, it is much more fully formed version of what I have hoped my sorry excuse for a web site might become (i.e., having interesting game/narrative related content).
Anyway, his “video” reviews are amazing. I am still laughing. I have embedded one below for Tabula Rasa, which I also beta tested. I might have described as a World of Warcraft shat out a Super Mutant, but Yahtzee manages to do a much better job.
(Warning: NSFW language)
A list of all Yahtzee’s reviews can be found here. I found his review of Manhunt (the first one) to be both spot-on and piss-your-pants funny.
Perhaps only theWife and other Patton Oswald fans out there will get this joke. But since theWife is busy watching Bones, I am left with this entry. The reason I am not watching TV with theWife is that I am ripping some audio pleasure for a co-worker for her upcoming Turkey-Day travels. Any by audio pleasure I mean some of the comedy CDs that theWife and I obsessively listen to.
See, I have never been a “music” person. Sure I like music, but I have always preferred to listen to books on tape. I have fond memories of listening to Cosby’s comedy albums (yes, actual vinyl. You youngin’ will just have to wiki it.); and in my mid teens started listening to Douglas Adams HHGTTG on tape non-stop. So I would more than likely have an audiobook or comedy tape/CD in while driving than anything else. This habit has rubbed off on theWife who play sample Paste CDs of late. Anyway, in addition to the endless supply of DVDs that we borrow for theWife’s brother, he has lent us a few comedy CDs over the past year, and theWife has been collecting some edgier comics. These has suited by love of Lewis Black since the beginning of his bits on The Daily Show.
So, I have regaling my co-worker with a tale of joy at listening to Carrie during last weekend’s trip to Cleveland to see Lewis Black, then back with a side trip to Ikea. It was nice, since the 6-7 hour trip allowed for us to complete the audiobook. Since my co-worker has a long trip ahead of her this weekend, I offered to borrow her some of audio pleasure.
In talking about audiobooks to lend, we realized that my tastes run a bit more sci-fi and fantasy (must be too many video games) than hers. Besides with the prospects of in-laws and family on the horizon, she thought she would like some laughter to frame the tears. I hope that she won’t might all the f-words. She does like Lewis Black, so I doubt she will wilt. But when I pull out the Eddie Izzard, David Cross, Patton Oswald, and Bill Hicks, I wonder. I am sure they will be fine, cause it is some funny shit. TheWife and I are particularly fond of Patton Oswald’s first album, Feelin’ Kinda Patton. It is an artful blending of high culture and low culture, base language and high diction, obscenity and poetry. Hopefully, they will like it, and then they might understand the link at the top of the entry. You can too if you buy Patton’s album.
In the meantime, watch this clip from his second album.
on tape non-stop. So I would more than likely have an audiobook or comedy tape/CD in while driving than anything else. This habit has rubbed off on theWife who play sample Paste CDs of late. Anyway, in addition to the endless supply of DVDs that we borrow for theWife’s brother, he has lent us a few comedy CDs over the past year, and theWife has been collecting some edgier comics. These has suited by love of