My favorite graphic designer (Nathan Adams) is a finalist in a design competition for Fluevogs. Vote for Nate this week: http://www.fluevog.com/code/fc_finalists.php.
Also, check out his design portfolio and blog.
Aiden Ran off with the Camera!
Aiden (2 1/2) had our camera in the playroom for 15 minutes. He thought he was taking pictures but it was set to video. He took the camera on the slide, stood on the entertainment center, said cheese a bunch and ended up with 47 videos. I combined them, edited them and added subtitles. Still could use a tweak or two but it’s on YouTube for now.
I’m just glad he didn’t give us a tour of the bathroom.
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Facebook Down (and back up)
Ok, so with Facebook offline, how do I update my status to say I’m frustrated about Facebook being down?
Update–
Of course Facebook comes back online right after I blog about it being down.
Posted in Mafia Wars, Random
Leave a comment
Aiden in the Car
So Aiden get’s kinda cranky sometimes when you try and buckle him into his car seat. I thought it was just the terrible twos but I have figured out that he has a routine that he goes through before he will let you buckle his seat belt. First he sits on his seat, then he stands up and leans across the seat in front of him to push the play button on the DVD player (while the car is off). Then he looks over his shoulder into the trunk. Next he reaches up to grab the “oh sh** handle” (what’s the real name for that?). Finally he must push the unbuckle button 3 times and then you can help him to buckle. And he better have his monkey nearby.
Try interrupting Aiden while he is in the middle of his routine with anything other than candy and you will feel the wrath of Aiden. His name means fiery – it all makes sense now.
At least there is someone in the family that will make sure the stove is off.
Posted in Family
Leave a comment
New Facebook Apps
Over the next couple of weeks, I plan on publishing new applications on Facebook. I have one game in progress and a couple ideas for others. I will also create an application or two that will work (unofficially) with Mafia Wars to make it easier to send gifts among other things. Before publishing anything to Facebook’s catalog, I will probably make an announcement here that I need a couple of testers. Should be fun.
Posted in Mafia Wars, Random
Leave a comment
Crazy Guy On the Bus
I make a habit of getting on the first bus that heads downtown in the morning. I’m not naturally a morning person, but I like being able to start my day in the office with nobody to interrupt me or keep me from getting things done. The bus also tends to be emptier with several unoccupied seats. A few months ago, this guy got on the bus and as he sat down next to me he turned to face me and loudly proclaimed in an almost exaggerated tone, “HI!” When I’m on the bus, reading a book or messing with my phone, I never get interrupted so this took me by surprise. I said hi back and he proceeded to ask me questions like “So, do you live nearby? Where do you work…?” This went on until he got off at his stop 15 minutes later. When I got off at my stop, someone remarked “looks like you made a friend.”
Next day, the crazy guy was back. Just as before, he sat very close to me, stared, and attempted to make conversation. I tried to keep it a little less friendly. I don’t want to be rude but when it’s 5:30 in the friggin morning, I’m still a bit groggy and cranky and the last thing I need is some weird guy who now thinks I’m his best friend.
Day number 3 and someone else sat next to me one stop before he got on. When the crazy guy saw that someone else was sitting next to me, he looked confused, then sat in the seat in front of me, turned around and said “HI!” Crap. So I don’t particularly enjoy his company and this is beginning to get annoying. He doesn’t even have anything intelligent to say.
Over the next few days, I tried to come up with ways to avoid the crazy guy. I have waited 30 minutes for the next bus to come to miss him — that works of course. I tried some experiments to see how he would react. I sat in the seat across the aisle from my usual seat, just in case I have just been sitting in his favorite seat. Nope. I tried moving back a couple of seats. He moved back too. Then one day I sat in the very back of the bus. I found a loophole. He doesn’t look that far back.
For weeks I agonized each morning, trying to decide if I wanted to face the crazy guy or not. Should I get on a different bus? Sit in the back? Just sit through the 15 minutes with the crazy guy? Then I decided to see how he would react if I was sleeping. I put my bag in the seat next to mine, put headphones on, and pretended to be asleep. When the crazy guy got on the bus, he stood next to my seat confused. Then he started touching my bag. He actually stood for 3 or 4 minutes on a mostly empty bus trying to move my bag or decide how he could sit next to me. Then he sat across from me. With my eyes barely open, I could see the pathetic scene as it unfolded. Now you know why I refer to him as the crazy guy.
Ok, so pretending to sleep every day is a little silly, especially when I’d rather be on my computer, reading a book, or playing a cell phone game than try and fool a crazy guy. That can get quite exhausting. Several more times, I have gotten on MY bus, sat in MY seat, and put my headphones on. The crazy guy still sits next to me (WAY too eagerly). We haven’t spoken in weeks but I still call him crazy guy. I started writing this post during the 15 minutes he was next to me one day this past week. Am I crazy or is this guy just weird?
Posted in Random
Leave a comment
Baby Geese Stuck on a Ledge
I’ve been amazed at how much news coverage there’s been for the ducklings in Spokane that were caught by a banker who brought them to safety. Is it really that newsworthy? About 5 years ago, a goose laid six eggs right outside my office window on the sixth floor at a previous job. After catching them from a sixth story drop, I published this stupid rhyme about the geese (but I didn’t alert the media).
A tale of 6 geese. |
|
 |
 |
| Six Little Goosies Walking on the Ledge. | One Fell Off and Landed in a Hedge. |
 |
|
| Angie Went to Get Him and Then She Said,”No More Goosies Jumping Off the Ledge.” | |
 |
 |
| Five Little Goosies Walking on the Ledge. | One Fell Off and Bumped Her Head. |
 |
|
| Tim Went Down to Get Her and Then He Said,”No More Goosies Jumping Off the Ledge.” | |
 |
 |
| Four Little Goosies Walking on the Ledge. | Security Went out to get them and put them to bed. |
 |
|
| We Sent Them to a Farm and the Farmer Said,”No More Goosies Living On the Ledge.” More Goose Pics! |
|
Posted in Random
Leave a comment
Socialism in Mafia Wars
I think I have figured out an explanation for the recent changes to Mafia Wars. Here’s the message I am waiting to hear from Zynga …
In these difficult economic times, Zynga has implemented their Mafia Wars Stimulus Package which will help stabilize the criminal economy and allow everyone to prosper together. It has come to the attention of the Godfather that some mafias are unfairly targeting smaller and weaker mafias that they can easily win, rather than fighting mafias that are the same size and level that have an equal chance of winning or losing. Players have also exploited the loot drop items, limited edition, and Godfather weapons, giving them an unfair advantage over the more casual and less dedicated players. Changes have been implemented to level the playing field and give every mafia equal opportunity to be mediocre.
Problem #1: Mafia Wars has become a little too violent and many players are frequently killed and robbed because they are easy targets for the stronger mafias.
Problem #2: Some players have discovered that the stronger weapons available from the Godfather, as limited edition weapons, or loot drops from jobs and fights give them an advantage. This advantage is being exploited, allowing some to grow too fast and too strong at the expense of the weak.
Problem #3: Large mafias are preying on small mafias and winning just because they outnumber them. As a result, small mafias are experiencing greater losses, causing feelings to be hurt and making some feel like they are inferior.
Problem #4: Players who advance to high levels have figured out that if they fight and rob lower level players, they will win more fights.
Problem #5: The hitlist has been abused and has become a tool for the weaker players to get back at those who have bullied them. Remember, 2 wrongs don’t make a right.
The new changes address these problems and allow for an environment where everyone feels like they have a chance to become a top mafia. There will be no more feelings of resentment and anger, no more hurt feelings, but a more peaceful game playing environment. By implementing the new changes, we hope everyone will focus less on fighting and knocking each other down and more on giving gifts to our mafias. Only then will the true purpose of the game be fully understood: getting enough of the #$%@ untraceable cell phones.
An overview of the enhanced Mafia Wars:
Fighting will be allowed only to people close to your level and mafia size. When you fight, bonus and loot items will not be used. When defending, you will use only your revolver (hope you’re a good shot!). If you manage to find a way to attack a low level mafia through a profile page, you will likely lose because that only makes sense. Also, you can only attack someone once per day. If we allowed strong mafias to attack the weak, it would only give the weak mafias motivation to achieve higher levels and strengthen their own mafias which is clearly not the purpose of Mafia Wars. Now, the only available players to fight are the ones that are at your level where you have a 50/50 chance of winning. Now when you advance in the game, so do your opponents. You will have an equally frustrating game experience at level 5 as you do at level 500.
It should be a relief to all that we no longer have to worry about people who find ways to get an advantage by adding more friends, getting better loot, and spending hours developing great strategies. We are protected by the Godfather, who wants all to have fun. Isn’t equality great?
We are thinking of additional improvements such as universal healthcare for those who are out of money – free hospital visits for the frequently attacked, paid for by the top mafias. Also, for those who are unable to level up fast enough because they don’t have enough energy or stamina, once every few hours, a chunk of energy and stamina from the greedy high level players will be distributed to those who don’t have enough.
http://misterrandom.com/mafia-wars-collections-trading/
http://misterrandom.com/mafia-wars-loot-trading/
Posted in Mafia Wars
4 Comments
Mafia Wars Addict
I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to get enough of Mafia Wars on Facebook. I’ve posted a permanent page for loot and for collection items that are available for trade. This will be updated daily. (my wife was here) Current mafia members can let me know what they need and I will give it to them if I have one to spare.
If you’re not my friend yet, add me as a facebook friend
http://facebook.com/addfriend.php?id=1204688667
and put mafia wars or something in the message. Then add me to your mafia
http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/status_invite.php?from=1204688667
I will add comments, tips, and things learned from time to time when I feel like it. I may even be persuaded at some point to share my embarrasingly extensive set of spreadsheets that I use to maximize return on investment for property purchases and energy usage for completing jobs.
Posted in Mafia Wars
Leave a comment
This is the Place
Chapter 6…
We got in the car and my wife suggested we go over to the pond and up the farm access road which is on the other side of the creek. The weeds were getting tall next to the pond. I got out of the car to walk to the edge of the pond. When I got close, a whole host of frogs leapt into the pond to take cover. The road which leads to an empty field and the forested hills had deteriorated a bit so I had to go on foot. My wife waited in the car with our son while I proceeded with my camera. I knew there was a large clearing that I had seen from satellite images from Google maps. The field looked brown and the trees were bare in the image I saw online so I didn’t have high expectations.
Walking up the road I noticed many wild birds that I had never before seen. There was one that was magnificently colored with bright blue and other colors. I paused momentarily before proceeding to watch the birds and take in the fresh summer smell and the sound of the birds chirping in the trees. It was beautiful and very peaceful. As I continued walking, I went around the corner, no longer within sight of the car. A smile gradually overtook me that I was unable to remove from my face until long after leaving the property.
Walking only a couple hundred feet further I was able to see much of the clearing. Despite the image I had seen online, the field was green and the trees were covered in leaves and full of life. Looking all around, the area was completely hidden from the road and visible only to one house. A house built here would be completely surrounded by forest. It was very easy to visualize a safe area for my children to run and play and a house could very easily be built here. There was more than enough room for anything we needed there. I had found the place and the feelings just moments earlier were understood. The future location of our family home would lie just across the creek from the family farmhouse. We would be able to start something new and retain the old.
Why did this area seem to make me so happy? Why the spontaneous smile and all the joy. There was much to learn and many unanswered questions, but I felt that I had found the right place and that was enough for right now.
Posted in The Big Move
Leave a comment