Gawd daym... GAWD DAYM the Pusher!

So I have been accused of being a "pusher". That is, a person who gives a 'taste' of something so people get addicted and want more. But, there's a reason... you see, I like to believe that I have good taste in some things. Not all... but some.

So a year ago (about) my good friend (and Gamer's Haven store owner) Rob showed me a game that was kind of interesting. It was a collectible card game called Perplex City, but you did not "play" the game against other people... you played against yourself.

See, each card had a puzzle on it. A mind bender. The red-bordered cards were common and easy. Then, like in the colours of the rainbow, they got rarer and more difficult with purple, black and then silver being the hardest.

I just last night picked up my first 3 packs at the store... and these two easy cards got me hooked.

(Click on the images for bigger pics)


When you think that you have the correct answer for the card then you scratch-off this silver area at the top of the card and go online. There, you enter the code and then give the computer your 'answer'. If you're right, then you get points for that card. Supposedly you can win things with a lot of points.



But it didn't stop there. There are sometimes puzzles within the puzzles. Glossy clear paints over the large 4 1/2" x 5" cards that have clues for something bigger, perhaps some writing on the back, or even a map... more devious... a TREASURE HUNT (and you all know how much I LOOOVE treasure hunts even though I don't win them!) This time, there's $200,000 offered for a "missing cube". Solve the puzzle within the puzzles, and win the prize. Or you can, like me, just enjoy the cards.



There is a board game of Perplex City that has a lot more of these mind-puzzling games and it too is offering a separate prize of $200,000 on the side for the game within the game! Or you can just enjoy the board game as it is. So interesting!

Great googaly moogally! I am so hooked right now. So, if you like the three cards above... and think you can figure them out for yourself... give this game a shot. It's ~$3.99 for a pack of 7 cards... and they're a fun time.

Consider these three cards your 'taste'.

Jen's new hair-style (large files)

Because I'm too busy here at work to re-size the damn things... here's 4 pictures of Jen's new "doo". Don't you think she looks European? Italian or Greek?

HERE, AND HERE, HERE AGAIN, AND THE LAST

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Weekend Goodness

Well my wife has been a bit down on herself lately, and it's been a very tough couple of weeks. This week was a difficult one as well.

So, my mom came down to go to tea with us and to a Sky Sox baseball game, but my mom was concerned about the weather (with the HUGE gray clouds rolling in) and didn't want to go see the ball game. Little did I know that THAT hit Jen really hard... but she, being the sweetie she is, didn't tell me so that we could have a good day.

When my mom left at 5:20pm (the game started at 5:05pm) she really got sad. I finally got her to tell me what was wrong (like pulling teeth, I tell you), and she said how sad she was to not see the game. So, letting her know that we didn't miss much and trying to boost her up, I got her in the car and we took off for Sky Sox stadium to see the game ourselves.

We had (as per usual) a great time. We only missed the first three innings and still had plenty of game to enjoy. It didn't rain, and was quite fun (Sox won 7-1).

Sunday we went out to get my hair cut and she wanted a change herself. So, she got a perm. I haven't seen her so happy for (literally) MONTHS! What a change it did for her own happiness. And here I thought that she couldn't possibly look any more beautiful... but here she is! MAN! She looks like she's from Italy or Greece. Gorgeous!

On a personal note (not that my wife isn't the most personal person in my life) I finally got the USB/NES and USB/SNES adapters I ordered from RetroZone... and they look and work like a charm. Well worth the wait. With these two beauties and my new camcorder... that project shall be getting off the ground shortly.

Then, even better, I got this email from Cliff Johnson:

Justin,
Next year, I'll finally be able to do another April Fool's day contest — congratulations again on your 4th place win.

And... I truly appreciate your show of support in pre-ordering this game — thank you!

A quick recap, I’ve tracked down the Macromedia Director/Flash memory bug and I am in the process of re-wiring/re-working the couple dozen Flash programs. Then, a final beta test. And then DONE!

This April, or thereabouts,
I shall ship your copy of The Fool and his Money.

Your name shall be immortalized in the Compendium of True Believers inside the game as:

Justin Carmical — see a preview of your name.

This weekend Jen and I have been going over his game "Three in 3" again (since I didn't finish it the first time). She seems to be enjoying the puzzles and (most of the time) is faster on the draw to figure them out than I am.

I love her so much... and I'm SO glad she's happy again.

Little Poet

Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him?

So I just made a BIG decision today: I will wait on a bigger TV.

Why? Well, one Jen and I really need to save for our trip to England next year. A big TV would be fun... but I can't afford it. So I'll save... but it'll still be a while.

And two................ um... I bought a game. Not a Wii, DS, PS2, or any console game... but a Mac game. A Fool And His Money.



Lemme explain my reasoning behind this almost $50 purchase.

So I love puzzle/logic/cryptogram games almost more than anything else. Really. I love them. I started when I got my first issue of Games Magazine, and I never looked back. Hell, I even made my own Meta-puzzle game for here in Colorado (which nobody has won yet). I was the first person to crack the language of the little alien Prospero in the comic PS-238 and one of only 14 people to decrypt the Legend of the 5 Rings RPG Hare Clan adventure's puzzle.

I discovered "A Fool's Errand" when I was living with Collin (along with the great title "Heaven & Earth"). I didn't play it until I moved in with Jen in 2002/2003. WOW! What a great game! I immediately jumped into his other classic game "3 in Three" and STILL haven't finished it. Man, that one's tough.

So for years, now, I have been waiting for Cliff Johnson's sequel to The Fool's Errand... and waiting and waiting and waiting (for 3 years... as it is pushed further and further back). I have refused to pre-order because I always expected it to be a hoax (hence the name)... but deep in my heart I knew it was "real".

So, with that game in mind, I went to the site and just decided to go through with it. Hopefully it ships this month. If it's HALF as good as Fool's Errand was, or even three-quarters as intense as his 2005 April Fool's Day Challenge was (in which Jen and I placed Fourth Place by a mere 5 hours... there's a GREAT story to go with that as well) I'll be satisfied with this purchase.

You can download "Fool's Errand" and "3 In Three" for free from his website HERE. Please play them. They're MARVELOUS games and WELL worth the play.

Giving Blood

I just gave blood again today and found out that I was at 9 pints making me 1 pint over being a 1 gallon donor! I got a cool bag and a spiffy pin. Kinda' cool.

Give blood.

My interview with GameJew

YAY! The interview is up (Son Of Cheese Podcast #45), and it's not as bad as I thought. It was my first interview and I was VERY nervous... but it came out pretty well (great googally moogally was I giggly). Thanks again to Derek for allowing me the chance to interview GameJew on his show.

SO ENJOY!

Song Link:
Snow Fort

Project I have been working on for Gamer's Haven

I have just finished a league board for the game Anachronism for the Gamer's Haven group. I wanted it to look like a version of the Rosetta Stone but personalized. It has different writings on it with hidden (not so well hidden) History Channel 'H'-es throughout the board as the kingly names were in the Rosetta Stone.


How it works is when a player gets gain 25 wins, they will get your name on the board in the white area. 50 wins gets their name in the red area, and 75 wins gets their name in the blue area. The White symbol is a Celtic knot, the red is an Aztec face, and the blue symbol is a Fleur de Lis.

Each of these three areas has a metal strip for the name (with magnetic backing) to affix to.


Now, for those fortunate enough to get 100 wins, they get their name written in gold in this blank area here.


I'm really excited to see what people think of this board. I worked pretty hard on it, but I flubbed some of the areas getting too excited to get things done. But, if people at the Haven like it... then that's good enough for me.

Little Poet

Get on da Freak Train!

Ok. The Freak Train is a show where people get up on stage (after paying $5) and get 5 minutes to do whatever they like. Acting, poetry, stand-up comedy, plays... anything. Depending on who shows up, they have a thing called the "13th freak" where an audience member will be asked to come up and perform... so don't be surprised.

This month, I'll be going up to do some comedy that I have written... and you all have expressed interest in coming to see me. So here's the information and all. I'll be driving up with my friends Derek and Collin. Derek has a half-hour podcast that I was on speaking with the organizer of Freak Train. If you have some time to blow... give it a listen HERE.

Show is Monday (yes, Monday... sorry) April 30th, tickets are $5, doors open at 7, shows start at 8. If you can't make it, we will have video from (our part of) the show up that week on YouTube. I'll probably be doing this every month afterwards too... (last Monday of every month) so this won't be the last.

Monday Music

Great music from Bump Of Chicken

Interview, Camcorder, Majora's Mask...

Well, the interview with GameJew (Jonathan Mann) went along really well. He's sincerely one of the nicest guys I have ever talked to, and it was a pleasure to have my first interview be with him. Great guy. I'll let you all know when the interview is to be posted on Derek's site. It will be either this Wednesday or the next, I think.

Ordering the camcorder from online tonight. Very excited.

Now, onto Majora's Mask info: Majora's Mask: 21 Hours 15 minutes

So finding Epona was a chore and a half. I am quickly realizing that the Zelda games are meant to be enjoyed and not zoomed through (as I have mentioned before) bit I really am enjoying all this running around although these hint-less Zelda games are getting a bit tiresome. Very soon I can just sit down and enjoy Twilight Princess... but for now, Majora's Mask calls.

I hope to have this game finished by the end of the week so I can delve to the GameBoy Color for the next games... and one-step closer to Twilight Princess.

Little Poet

Jen's poetry, and my art.



Thanks to my aunt Ronda for suggesting this (hopefully) every-Friday thing.

I have a chance to interview GameJew!

So, I sent GameJew a couple of pictures for his website (see GameJew.com and JewWario) and mentioned that I would really like to interview him for Derek's podcast sometime. He asked me "When?"

So, I have been getting some questions together, and I'm emailing him now to see if he can do it this Saturday! TOO COOL!!!

Music Monday a day late...

... but hopefully you won't regret it. A new favorite song of mine.

Akeboshi - Yellow Moon


All day yesterday
My cellphone’s call signal kept going off
An out-of-tune fuzz guitar
In a strange park

On my motorbike, oblivious
Overtaking the wind
The crescent moon is history
Above me
The earth is my goal line
The dogs and the lions
Are all moving on to Venus
It’s kind of annoying

A yellow moon. Keep on counting
To three, and open your eyes
Shadow moon
Still dreaming

Look in my eyes, look in my eyes
As we stand with our backs to each other
Look in my eyes and tell me, yes or no?

Every day every night
I want to tell you right now, with words of love
About my love for you
Every day every night
With an ordinary signal
I want to tell you about this feeling that’s out of control

Feeling fine, with you this time
Holding each other in a golden church

Yellow moon
As the moon wanes in the night sky
It shines with a serene smile once again tonight

Look in my eyes, look in my eyes
As we stand with our backs to each other
Look in my eyes and tell me, yes or no?

Every day every night
I want to tell you right now, with words of love
Every day every night
About my love for you

Every day

A yellow moon. Keep on counting
To three, and open your eyes
Shadow moon
Still dreaming

Look in my eyes, look in my eyes
As we stand with our backs to each other
Look in my eyes, when will I see you again?

Every day every night
I want to tell you right now, with words of love
About my love for you
Every day every night
With an ordinary signal
I want to tell you about this feeling that’s out of control

A magic code change
In this sleepless town
A jazz guitar playing a soft minor
That changes every day