Monthly Archives: February 2008

Game Day 02/28/2008

Game #1

Wabash Cannonball

My second playing of this game was much better. We played with the correct rules (well discounting that one minor hiccup). And we used my version of the game board (which I spent way too much time working on). But it worries me that there are a couple of people in this group who are against playing it. So sad.

Game #2

Glory to Rome

Chapel brought this game last week and we did not play it. So I took it out and made sure that we played it. This game is very similar to Race for the Galaxy. Except it has a Roman theme where RftG has a Science Fiction theme. The rules, mechanics, and building powers are slightly different. But not different enough to make me want to play both. I still like RftG better than GtR.

Links

Austin Scientology raid link via

The great wall of China is very difficult to see from space link via

The curse of the Simpsons link via

John Cleese’s “Letter to America” link via

Mr Toledano’s pictures link via

Do’s and Don’ts with babies link via

Food photography: Lighting is everything link via

Magnetic curtains link via

Pop bottle rocket into orbit link via

Panoramic photos of Tokyo link via

Portal link via

Evolution of tech company’s (including IBM’s) logo link via

Park wheel link via

[I wonder what the story about this one is] link via

Fire the product placement person (slightly NSFW) link via

Finding Earth link via

You are beautiful link via

Polish riot police try new mindf*ck technique link via

Payback link via

5 unbelievably cool research facilities link via

The worlds loneliest prada store link via

Licorne #4 link via

Phun – 2D physics sandbox link via

Virtual shoes link via

Electronic tattoo display runs on blood link via

Disc Golf 02/23/2008

John breaking down

The meetup group played at Wells Branch today. And since the course is so tiny, we played it twice. John did well except for one hole. Where he broke down on putting and took five attempts to make it into the basket.

Easy birdie

I had a couple of birdies. Hole one was one example. After throwing a hyzer out over the stream, it came back down to land under the basket.

After disc golf, we headed out to Cafe Panini in Round Rock where we played some two player games with meetup folks.

Game Day 02/21/2008

Game #1

Wabash Cannonball

I came across this game when reading clearclaw‘s posts and became intrigued. A lot of people like this game and rate it highly. So I tracked down Winsome games and ordered it. When I ordered it, I was warned that the components are rather cheap. And they are extremely cheap. The rules are black and white and pixellated. They remind me of a photo copy. The map is a plain folded color sheet. The railroad income track is at least laminated. The cubes are standard colored wooden cubes. But the money and railroad stocks are cheap paper.

Gameplay was interesting. And i definitely want to play this again. On the forums, a couple people have already went to the effort of sprucing up the map and including some helpful information. But, due to fears of litigation, they have not shared their work with others. This motivated me to try it myself. I spent two very long days working with (and learning) Inkscape. I will see what comes of it.

Game #2

Tichu

To finish out the night, we played Tichu. I had an amusing pass where I received K,J,J! I love it when you trade up. Also, on one of my hands, I had an Ace bomb, Phoenix, pairs, and some low cards. I was all set on calling Tichu. However, Mike plays a length 8 straight, Kings full of Queens full house and has one card left. I did not know where the Dragon or the Dog was so I did not call it. I was sad to learn that my partner has both of them. And he also plays high enough so that Mike passed on singles a couple of times. Oh well.

Due to a scoring error, we shouldn’t have played the last hand. But it was a fun one. We thought the score to be 745 to 955. It was desperation Grand-Tichu time. Jon was not paying attention as he was talking about Dexter. So I am forced to call it. I made my GT. And Jon goes out second for the win (we had all the high cards between us).


02/21/2008 The scorecard for a game of Tichu

GT or T bet made or lost

This team scored more points than the other or one twoed

GT/T Team #1 GT/T GT/T Team #2 GT/T
MarkH & Jon JohnG & MikeCh
  300 T+   0  
 
390
    10  
  305 T- T+
195
 
 
375
    225  
 
565
T+   135 T-
 
645
    155  
  665    
335
T+
  705   T+
495
 
  735    
565
 
  735     865 T+
  745    
1055
T+
GT+ 1145     1055  

Tichu and Texmex 02/17/2008

One thing that I notice beginners have a problem with is being overly aggressive when going for points. That happened in this game. When trip Kings are played, is it wise to go over it with your trip Aces? How many honours do you have left if you do? If you go out last because if it, then I don’t think that it was worth it. The same is true if a pair of Kings are played.

Now if your partner has gone out first, then that strategy is fine. I will even focus on taking at least some points if my hand is likely to cause me to finish last.


02/17/2008 The scorecard for a game of Tichu

GT or T bet made or lost

This team scored more points than the other or one twoed

GT/T Team #1 GT/T GT/T Team #2 GT/T
MarkH & Wayne JohnG & JohnH
 
80
    20  
  125    
75
 
 
180
    120  
 
295
    105  
  445 T+ T- 55  
  645     55  
 
615
T-   85  
 
700
    100  
T+ 1000     100  

Disc Golf 02/17/2008

John and Jon at Pease

After two rainy and miserable days over the weekend, I just had to go outside when Sunday turned out to be beautiful. Jon and John were up for it and we decided to head down to Pease Park. It was unsurprisingly crowded. We had to wait in line for two groups to play hole one. And another group of people came behind us as we were waiting.

bag of ice

Look, how considerate! People left their garbage ice for us.

It seems that a low tech “cooler” is a bag of ice that they use to hold the beer. And it seems that these people left it hanging on a tree when they were done with it…

Lucky shot

Hole six is heavily wooded. Jon makes his throw. And I convince him that he should have used a pancake shot (a hammer thrown horizontal that skips on the ground). Well, I was perfectly right! That throw landed in the basket! He would have had a birdie if it counted…

darts at Opal Divines

We stopped for beer at Opal Divines and played some darts. Well, let me rephrase that. Others played darts and I just threw them… randomly.

Dart stuck in dart

Jon had an interesting throw. One dart stuck in the back of another one! And look at that dart board. Why are the numbers randomly upsidedown or flipped?

Happy smelly hole day!

Love is a smelly hole

I love magnets on the refrigerator. People love to play with the poetry ones. I wonder who left those words of wisdom?

P.S. Is anyone else tempted to add some hands to this picture?

Chili pizza

Chili pizza

A friend of mine gave me some venison which I used to make chili. So, in an effort to get rid of the leftovers, I used the chili for a pizza. It was not bad at all. Although it would have been better with some raw onions and Cheddar cheese.

You know, for the next pizza, I am thinking on using rice in some form. Perhaps a risotto? I need to search for some recipes that use rice and cheese…