| Puzzle Quest Over |
[Aug. 23rd, 2009|11:14 pm] |
Wow. I want to fall asleep forever.
A gazillion hours of puzzle design. Many days preparation and planning and coordination. Reworking of puzzles, writing of scripts, photoshopping nonstop, re-reworking of puzzles, playtesting, calculation of tiny details, extended discussion of minute details, fighting over microscopic details, and finally re-re-reworking of puzzles and...
And finally the event came.
The MN0PQ6 (mnzero.org) event that I, Gut, and Willson prepared (with much much help from others) happened today. 13 teams showed up, with 50 players in total, much of them playing for a grueling 8 hours in South Minneapolis (near the recent tornado damage).
It went well. No major disasters. People seemed to have fun, despite losing energy over the course of the marathon puzzle session. Several teams solved my ridiculously devious multi-part puzzle without any hints. Some people were completely taxed by it. Some people liked my other puzzles too. And that makes me happy. Really happy.
I am too tired to write nicely now, but I feel a sense of accomplishment that I haven't felt in a long while. Joblessness and school-lessness would have something to do with it. But I'm glad that even in this rut of a time in my life, I'm able to tap into a community of creativity, invention, and fun, and to be able to make a little something to be momentarily proud of.
I'm thankful for these connections in my life, who provide persistent inspiration, imagination, wonder, enlightenment, revelry, and comfort. Thank you.
And in less general terms, thank you the many people who helped us put this event on, the many people who showed up and played our game, and the many many other people who inspire such wanton creation. |
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| Online Puzzles |
[Feb. 18th, 2009|01:21 am] |
So, the logic puzzles I made last week have been applet-ized.
You can play them online with friendly colors! Like some sort of, like, logic puzzle flash game or something. Only with fewer explosions and less dead animal humor.
Awesome!
Play them at this very link down where it says 'applet' . Perhaps it will be more understandable/fun. Also, you don't need to print the puzzles out to do them now. Yay! Also, start from the end, they are more fun. (?)
Great Job! |
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| Puzzles |
[Feb. 12th, 2009|02:54 am] |
So for the past few months I've been spending some of my free time working on a type of logic puzzle (like, say, Sudoku), based on a conversation with Gut about making games from digital electronic logic. I've worked on it enough, written some computer programs to help me make them, and I'm ready to release a pack of puzzles for 'play-testing'. I went through them and tested them out and determined them to be the type of thing that I like. Other people are still a mystery.
If any of you are interested in this type of nerdy thing, I encourage you to check it out and give me some feedback. Any feedback whatsoever.
You can check it all out at this _here_. There are instructions there, but if the rules are still unclear, I can be more explicit about hints and tutorials. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 24th, 2009|11:57 pm] |
Tonight I got to watch the results of '24 Hour Theater' at the U of M.
Participants got together on friday night and broke into several teams and wrote scripts for 12 hours. Then at 8am this morning, each team got actors and a director. Then at 8pm the show started. The teams' theater thingies were each 15 to 20 minutes or so. And they were all fantastic and fun.
My brother Willson cowrote for one of the teams, and also prop-wrangled for it. It got wild applause when it concluded. I think he and his team did a great job, and that's awesome. |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 18th, 2008|05:00 pm] |
For the last few hours I've been watching the live proceedings of the Minnesota canvassing board, workign their magic on the coleman/franken contested ballots. While mind-numbing at times, it's kind of got a pleasant hypnotic quality that works well in the background. It's kind of fun, because all of the ballots are bizarre in some way. There are works of art, people trying to use circles and vote for the 'Obama-McCain' ticket, various methods for x-ing things out, and votes for Don Johnson.
One rule that has come up is the 'Lizard People' rule: if you write in a candidate, and do NOT vote for the candidate you write in and instead vote for another, it counts as an overvote. So once you write something in, it counts as a vote, which I think is dumb, but understandable. But I think it's just a sad day for smartasses who think they can treat their ballot as something on which they can write something clever.
It's quitting time for the day, and the official tally has Coleman up by an impressive 5 votes. Wild. |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 4th, 2008|10:32 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | obamatic! | ] |
... I don't know what this feeling is.
But it ain't bad. |
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| Food oughta make a good autumn bake |
[Oct. 16th, 2008|03:35 am] |
Whelp, being home has brought me: off of the internet. Kind of. Also: lazy. It's been a joy partying up and going to weddings and reading books and playing piano and hanging out with buddies. But now is the time for acting more responsibly: looking for a job. Also: money.
I'm leaving tomorrow for my East Coast Extravaganza: New York with parents, New Haven with Laura and EP, then Boston with the japanese bilingual jobfair thing (for which I have not, so much, prepared). I have not been to any of these cities, which makes the thing extra exciting. Also: New York!
I return one day before the election. Perhaps the good times may continue with that historic occasion, dare I venture to suggest (wouldn't that feel so good?).
I wish you all a fantastic turning over of the trees, because if we all don't appreciate it, who will? Also: apple pie to the max! |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 9th, 2008|11:35 pm] |
Huh.
Well, I was away from livejournal long enough that my friends page doesn't go back early enough for me to catch up. Internet Negligence or A Step In The Right Direction?
The reason for my internet absence was that my rascally cousin talked me into going to Burning Man with him. And then after I got back, delightfully, I had forgotten a lot of my internet habits.
So: it was awesome to the max. More explosions and lasers and dust storms and naked people and animal-shaped cars and domes and friendly people and dust storms and glowing things and fire dancers and drums and dust storms than I've ever seen in a short amount of time. The combined effect is hard to describe, so I pretty much won't try, though I feel compelled in my bones. (I mean, there were GINGERBREAD PEOPLE and there was a floating ELVIS CAR and there was a burning eiffel tower and glow-in-the-dark puppeteers and parachuting flares and... and...)
But yeah, I came back very dirty, my skin very damaged, and once again experiencing culture shock.
Now I'm already part of the way into Wed-tember. Too many people getting married. Err, I mean, Wonderful: so many people getting married! =)
And I haven't found me a Next Job yet. Laziness is overwhelming.
Going out to vote today actually turned out to be the only thing passing for activity on my part. Sad. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 14th, 2008|04:22 am] |
Another one of those days where it payed to ignore that voice in my head that says 'go back to the apaartment'. After saying goodbye to my friend Sumin (who I seriously expect will succeed in her goal of becoming a television journalist), I found myself wandering around, planless, in the most popular party area.
As usually happens after I part ways with friends and my system is tainted with alcohol, I got a little mopey.
But, there was a nice place to sit on a wooden plank in a high traffic area, and I listened to depressing classical music and watched people walk by. This instead of going home. Or before going home.
Anyways, not twenty minutes went by before a nice couple sat nearby and struck up a conversation. Turns out they were swingers! And I jumped in a taxi with them, for destination unknown!
...okay, they actually were swing-dancers, and the destination was a cosy bar/cafe called 'Aquarium' that was throwing a party. There, a korean rapper made some awesome performances, sitting on stage next to his beatboxist. He rhymed a lot of things about me that I did not understand. And then he asked me questions during his song, etc. Embarrassing fun.
Ah the dubious comfort and semi-acceptance of embarrassing spectacle. I wish I could get doses of this at home.
*
oh, and tomorrow: google puzzle championship! wpc.puzzles.com! I might be puzzling at 2am in the morning! |
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| Protest Real Time Strategy |
[Jun. 10th, 2008|05:25 pm] |
So ever since I started embedding myself in the massive protests here these past few weeks, I've been amazed at the interplay between the (rather organized and laptop carrying) protesters, and their police force opponents. The protesters want to swarm the Blue House (the korean equivalent of the White House). The policemen need to set up strategic bus barricades and stop the protesters from getting through, but also try not to kill anyone.
I thought immediately of Real Time Strategy games, and scenes from Lord of the Rings, after watching both teams make adjustments to their techniques.
(For example,
day one: the protesters start to bring ladders to climb the buses en masse
next day: the police set up makeshift walls on top of the buses
next day: the protesters bring rope to pull the walls off
next day: the police get giant snippers to cut ropes when they come)
It's fun, even though obviously it's not an actual game per se. But what I mean to say is, it could make a cool game.
Well, I'm not the only one who thought that. This korean guy made a picture of the territory for tonight's protest here.
It's funny for many reasons. The shipping containers are a new development.
Note: 2MB is the nickname of president Lee Myongbak (LeeMB -> (Lee = i = 2 in Korean)-> 2 MB. He originally had been given the nickname a long time ago as a compliment. But recently thanks to data inflation, it is used with derision.
Tonight looks to be another record-breaking crowd. 300,000~ is a figure being bandied about, since today is the anniversary of a famous protest.
Happening times! |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 5th, 2008|09:30 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | sure why not this thing also | ] |
Hmmm. I think my roommate has found himself in a dispute with some local neighborhood community group. Old school guys. Maybe kind of a gang.
Yesterday, I answered the door to a confused-looking duo of goons. They both were surprised, I said 'hey, what's up?'. They seemed to have the wrong apartment, from the looks on their faces, so I slowly closed the door on them, locked it, and went back to bed. Then an hour later, there was louder knocking at the door. And some yelling in korean. I got a phone call from my roommate asking me if I was okay. Huh? Then he told me "never answer the door". How did he know? Was this something about the zoning inspectors again?
I went to sleep thinking it was silly. My roommate got home at around 4am with his friend, a tv producer who is staying in the apartment this week.
Today, my roommate told me about the situation. I guess a neighborhood thug (basically just an old traditional guy who thinks that respect must be paid for age, time in the community, etc.) has been threatening him for the past few days. My roommate, since he does not really live in town, has not attended some neighborhood meetings, or something. And this has brought anger and threats from said old-school thug. So last night, my roommate met with his friend at the prosecutor's office and got some info on this character. This afternoon, my roommate made calls to some organizations, resulting, I hear, in some punishment to the offending harasser.
I told my roommate after hearing this that it would surely have one of two effects.
Well, it turns out to be the second one. My roommate just got a message from an unlisted number telling him to 'come home early'. I'm at work right now with him, still. I might convince him to call for a police escort or something. The more I hear about the situation, the more I don't want to walk home alone.
I seriously doubt I will come to actual harm. But I started thinking about the situation in reverse. If I was from some foreign country and went to work in America, and was faced with a similar situation, it would be pretty darned scary. There's vulnerability, I realize it now. Especially without full command of the language. Even if I called the police, could I tell them what happened? Could I tell them where I am? If I went missing who could find me? Most of my fears are based in this strange zone, where I combine images I've seen on The Sopranos with the images of drunken guys fighting in the streets I've seen here.
Worst case, maybe I'll get a nice pummeling. I mean, there's basically no guns here, thank goodness, so I'm safe there. And I don't really expect to be knifed either, but probably just because I've never seen a knifing before. Moreover, even if I do get pummeled, there's a great hospital within crawling distance.
Oh, but when I did answer the door yesterday, the look of confusion on the goons' faces was pretty priceless. If I were a little more intimidating, perhaps I could take advantage of my status as a creepy alien. Yell at them in english, or something. I could threaten to call in my nonexistent GI buddies. Sadly, whatever element of surprise I once had is gone now, since they know about me.
We shall see what happens tonight! Wish me survival! =) |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 26th, 2008|02:23 am] |
Went dancing for the first time in ages last night.
Attempted to convince Japanese and Korean friends to come along, but they were too scared because the club was in the bad part of town (By the military base).
But I showed up at the club by my solo-self, and they had the whole swanky outfit where large guys in suits determine who is eligible for entry. Mostly, I think, to prevent GIs from coming in and causing a ruckus. But also to keep out scrubs.
When I made it in (and I may have been under a slight influence of spirits from earlier in the evening, but:) I was witness to perhaps the densest group of attractive-looking people I've ever seen. Seriously, like ever. Maybe they were all rich and well-dressed and plastic-surgeried or what, but the cumulative effect was pretty daunting. Anyways, I realize that this is what it is like in big cities. There are fancy pantses about, and they like to commiserate. And I infiltrated their den. (As the night wore on, the attractivity-density decreased somewhat, but whatever)
My motivator was that BT was DJ-ing at the club that night, and I wanted to check it out. And he was good, awesome in fact, at whatever it is DJs do. Alternately playing for and against the expectations of the crowd, or something. The specifics of the art form are beyond me, I think. But I definitely appreciate the results.
And there's so many people around, dancing and watching each other. The eyes flitting about. Mouths curved in variations of smiles. Sensory overload. And the eyes and smiles, they are pleasant lies. There's always the chance that the gaze coming your way is on you, and that you are producing it. And then there's more chances that it is not, but you don't care. And you spread it, you look back and smile and bombard the opposite area with your positive signal. Possibly setting off further reactions. This feedback continues, and feeds the night, amplifies the dance. The crowd pulsates, the music crescendos, and then... then the fricking laser machines kick in and shower the crowd in futuristic light beams, like our energy is being scanned by an alien sensor device, downloading our animalistic enjoyment for further study. And just when things seem to be getting too hot, water vapor spurts from the ceiling. Just slightly cooler to the skin than the surrounding air, but further serving to destroy visibility briefly. As it clears again, the room's occupants have shuffled, the eyes are all new. And the cycle continues again. Everyone in this process is equally important, and that is the illusion that powers the whole system. Another pair of smiling eyes, another potential promise of connection, sliding through this mechanical mess of a society.
Good time. Good dancing. |
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| Some things |
[May. 3rd, 2008|09:47 pm] |
Due to being out of town yesterday, I was unable to make it to the bank --the town I went to was pretty much owned by a local bank branch, so no locations, and my bank hasn't given me a card for ATM use. I have alternate methods of payment, but I am kind of cheap so I'm going to go through the weekend with only the few bucks I have in my pocket (plus my change pile).
Right now I'm enjoying slacker dinner theater: instant ramen + hardboiled egg from supermarket + remains of coca-cola bottle from fridge + perhaps some leftover sweet-potato cake from last week
+ bad quality stream of harold and kumar over borrowed wireless internet
And since it's ridiculously hot out, I'll go for a midnight walk later, and enjoy the ambling of the drunk people while I listen to tunes.
*
Being in Kwangju yesterday was pretty interesting. I forget how big the difference is between Seoul and the rest of the country. While I feel weird sometimes in Seoul about being a foreigner, outside of Seoul it's like a circus side-show. All the faces look my way, and bands of children walk past, then say hi, then turn around and start following me. "I'm fine thanks!" they say. "How old are you?" "Do you like Kimchi?" Drive by english spam, because a lot of the kids don't even care about the response, they just want to fire off more of their phrases --but good for them, for trying to do well. Another guy in the park started up a more substantial mini-conversation, which was pretty strange.
*
A guy on BBC radio the other night used the expression "...scored an embarrassing 'own goal' by...", while describing an incident of a soccer star who was being blackmailed for picking up prostitutes that turned out to be transvestites.
*
During my train travel I read this article I had printed out, and it was a really well-written and depressing feature on a soldier serving in Iraq making his way home. Really really sad and moving stuff. I guess I haven't read many stories like this recently (maybe a few years ago when it was more 'hip'). I have the tendency of dehumanizing soldiers often (as our politicians do), and it's good to read this and make corrections to my perspective. The sheer numbers have been frightening enough (4090~ dead, ten times as many wounded, trillions of dollars and counting, and a 'bonus statistic' I read today that 1 in 3 female soldiers is raped during service), but sometimes it takes stories like this to invest the interest in a more personal way. The result is nauseating and affecting. (You can't spell motivation without 'vomit'?)
*
Anyways, from what I see of American news (and as a result the whole American conversation) these days, it still seems to be ridiculous garbage, like competitions of whose pastor is crazier, whose 'support' should be regarded or disregarded (renounced or denounced or withdrawn or repudiated), who is being 'backstabbed' or 'thrown under a bus', and it's such bullshit. People think a lot of crazy things, but they all have reasons, and a lot of those reasons can be shared. Our world is crazy right now. And even the people who seem like the best hope for the future pull the same goddamned safe political maneuvering, at the expense of their fundamental strengths, in order to poll a little higher, and meanwhile the actual real world is still filling up with dead bodies by the day, and money is disappearing into the hands of the undeserving through invisible channels, and I'm surprised there aren't more angry people, angry people with crazy and stupid but understandable reasons for their anger, and... well, I'm a little lost but you get the idea.
Frustrations with everything. |
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| Land of the rising fun! (of the scary variety) |
[Mar. 27th, 2008|11:50 pm] |
(If you are squeamish, you should skip this whole post. Or better yet, you should skip it anyway. Humanity is fine, nothing to see here. )
Well, I saw a strange news report about Japan on the internet today. Here is the video link.
Even if you don't know Japanese, see if you can figure out what happened. ( The answer here )
While checking out that strange little piece of news, I found another recent news
item. Which is a little more frightening.
I remember about this guy from a year ago. I'd thought that he had been caught by now. But it seems like he's been just 'hanging out' in like, my old neighborhood for the past year playing pachinko and possibly dressing up as a woman. He was the main suspect in the eerie murder of a british woman last summer. They don't mention the creepiest part of the incident though. ( What was it? )
And finally, my friend Dave just added another (older) story to the list of crazy Japanese depravity. It's a guy they call 'The Paris Cannibal'. The wikipedia entry tells the story pretty succinctly. ( Why do they call him that silly name? )
So this makes me feel a little safer from crazies here in Korea. At least in the South. If only out of ignorance.
On a lighter note: on the television just now, I watched for fifteen minutes as tv celebrities played a game of Jenga together. No commercials. Some fancy editing techniques to increase suspense. But: Fifteen minutes. Of Jenga. |
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