ndntd

-Mouse quote: "Protected by 1 or more U.S. Pat:"-

I don't remember the dream I had last night, but it was interesting. I think.

Yesterday, I encountered about one of the silliest -- yet in that, most awesome -- groups yet: the Society for Creative Anachronism.

They recreate the most interesting parts of 17th century life (fencing, archery, feasting, battles, kings and queens), all while dressed in period garb. Or, depending on the person, sort of unrealistic but really cool looking "period garb".

So, anyway, some representatives of the group were at a fair I went to yesterday, and I got to try out fencing, which was fun. Of course, I knew my sworn opponent was being extraordinarily easy on me, but that didn't diminish the rush I got when I slayed her time and again.

Okay, so she slayed me once, and without much effort, but still!

Also, I'd have to say that SCA fencing is a lot more fun to watch than competition fencing, which is just people in white suits moving faster than anyone can see, resulting in a "competition" that only the machine can determine the winner of.

When I fenced, even the loaner armor was mostly sort of doublet-y and my adversary was in full garb. There was a lot of pointless circling, overly cautious jabs (mine), and many intentionally lazy parries (hers). Although I'd have to say that her tactic worked, as I'm now seriously contemplating going to SCA fencing practice next Wednesday.

Reality check. And oh! The balance of that rapier -- it was delicious.

ffqa7

-Coloradoan quote: "It'll be good fun."-

Well, I had a dream that I was driving around with family and saw a flag at half-mast. My dream-brain immediately supplied the explanation that it was the anniversary of September 11. How... uncreative.

Many people blog about their pets. I have no pets, and have never had pets, so I will instead insert photographs of the mushroom beastie I made out of glow in the dark Sculpey.



I would insert a picture of him glowing, but I'm afraid my point-and-shoot isn't up to that kind of light condition. He glows neon green, despite his odd peachy-tan color in sunlight.

Reality check. I'm afraid I am a bit nuts for glow in the dark items.

nd

-Flyer quote: "Eat lunch and learn"-

I think one scene in my dream had to do with flying in some sort of biplane to somewhere I wasn't ready to go. This probably stems from the computer game I'm playing, in which I'm trying to find an alternate mode of transportation to get to a new area, and I suspect (from reading the names of the music files in the game) that it will be an airship.

On the subject of computer games, don't you HATE triggers? You know, those things in adventure games where you need to do something completely unrelated to set up the conditions for another quest? I suppose it's preferable to having to wait for a certain real time interval, but it's still frustrating.

For instance, in the particular game I'm playing (I won't say which one so it isn't too much of a spoiler), there was one particularly annoying part where I wanted to get into a dwarf mine. Well, to get in the mine, I needed to get the dwarf password -- fair enough. I even knew where to find a dwarf, and also what dwarves like more than anything else: moldy cheese. In fact, I even knew where to find some moldy cheese! However, I couldn't pick it up (because it was "not so moldy yet" in the words of the person collecting it) until I advanced the main quest, which involved fighting an unconnected individual on the other side of the continent.

Right now I'm waiting on a shipment of exotic fruit, so I can give it to a hermit dude and get a truth mirror. However, I have this sneaking suspicion that I have to advance the main quest first, which is also proving difficult.

Reality check. Which is why I want to find an airship.

qnt

-Door sign quote: "This bathroom will be cleaneed..." (apparently it has a desperate need to be cleaned)-

I don't remember the dream I had last night. I think it was some sort of adventure... which I guess every dream is in some sense, but actually an interesting adventure, not just a "let me systematically destroy all my social relationships" adventure.

Speaking of bathrooms, that's one of the weirdest things I've noticed about Colorado, as compared to the Great Domesticated Desert of Doom^TM is that none of the public restrooms have toilet seat covers! See, here's how it was. When I first got into Denver airport, that was okay, since airports always try to gear their hygiene to the highest level that all the different people coming through would demand, so they had the covers. But then I went to a restaurant in a little tiny city called Golden. I didn't think much of the fact that there were no seat covers; the restaurant as a whole looked somewhat like a converted house, so it wasn't too unusual. True, in GDDoD even the pokiest restaurants have the covers, but I thought maybe I didn't go pokey enough before.

As time went on, however, more and more restrooms lacked the amenity, even in decidedly unpokey areas. It got to the point where my curiosity bugged me so much that I ended up asking a native to the area. And my suspicions were confirmed: most CO restrooms have no toilet seat covers.

Reality check. After I found that out, I gave up constructing covers myself out of toilet paper.

qs

-Letter quote: "Sambah Naturals"-

I was again abruptly roused by my alarm clock, and hence have no dreams to report.

If you could have everything delivered to your door, would you do it? How about if I added that if, for instance, you were grocery shopping, you could view a live feed of the produce stand and pick exactly the fruit you wanted, or perhaps get a chance to order several sizes of an article of clothing and try them on in the comfort (and privacy!) of your home before handing the rejects back to the delivery man.

But if it was carefully worked out, it could be more efficient than the current system. Have a fleet of vans that load the orders until they're full (and car trunks today may get full-ish, but rarely are they packed to the maximum), then run a loop of the houses they service. People wouldn't have to use a bunch of separate cars all the time to do their shopping, and even if the products were a bit pricier than normal, the net effect would be cheaper. Considering that shopping is probably what most non-commuting people are on the road for, it would also clear up traffic. Shopkeepers would probably enjoy having yet another thing besides the credit card to make shopping convenient, as people would no doubt buy more when they know they don't have to haul it to their car and back out to their kitchen when they arrive home.

Now, admittedly, this already happens in the realm of online shopping, but it does seem to have yet to spread to the more frequently purchased necessities, like groceries.

Reality check. Moo.

jfd

-Invitation quote: "Stratton Commons (large grassy area in front of Stratton Hall)"-

No dreams of note last night (at least not that I can remember).

Presumably to save space, bus schedules contain no colons to speak of. I noticed this particularly a couple days ago, when I realized I would have to travel somewhere on the abovementioned mode of public transportation, due to a sudden lack of private transportation. Is private transportation the correct phrase? Why do we call mass transportation "public" but do not likewise label individually owned transports as "private"?

Anyway, I dusted off my bus schedule and set out to read it, only to realize that the various intersections in the area were apparently in some sort of prolonged tournament with each other. I noticed also that the intersections listed farther right were winning. However, I was not looking for interstreet scores; I wanted to know the bus schedule!

So I turned to a more seasoned bus rider for assistance. And she helpfully pointed out that the cryptic columns of numbers were, in fact... times.

Reality check. I know it saves typing, but why, oh why must they leave off the COLONS? Times just don't look like times without them.

mnqa

-Winnie the Pooh quote: "I've got rumblies in my tumblies! Time for something sweet."-

Well, I had an interesting dream last night (and finally managed to beat the alarm clock). I suppose the most interesting part was where there was a large green bubble and somebody shoved their hand through the bubble and released a handful of smaller bubbles. But yet, this somehow corresponded to somebody giving me information.

Yet another reason I would prefer indoor bonding activities: my hands. For some weird, probably genetic (my brother gets it too) reason, if I'm out in the sun too long, my hands and other extremities swell up into large meaty balls of pain. The worst thing is, sunscreen doesn't seem to avert the condition.

Which probably explains why I remembered my dream so well, as I would wake up every few hours last night to press my hands against the cool wall. Or get up to go to the bathroom, as past experience with... whatever this is... has shown that it goes away faster if I guzzle as much water as I possibly can.

Reality check. As strange as it sounds, I think I might be allergic to the sun.

mnf

-Truck of Vast Happiness and Goodwill quote: "WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!!" (apparently upperclassmen trying to rouse the freshmen of an area college. At around 5:45 am)-

So, I almost forgot my dream last night, due again to an alarm clock, but finally remembered that I was playing an RPG and purchasing (from an igloo) a large weapon for my warrior.

Do people really need to bond over outdoor activities? Really? Do they need to fry with sunburn right before serving hot and probably salty foods from the barbecue; exactly the kind of foods that the summarily burnt do not want to touch for several weeks? What is it about outdoor activities anyway, that makes them better than indoors -- in a nice, climate-controlled, cave-geek friendly auditorium?

Perhaps it is the weather here. In the Great Domesticated Desert of Doom^TM, we see sunny days and think, Meh. In Colorado, there is rejoicing in the streets, apparently necessarily followed by the same soaking in of rays evidenced in a GDDoD rainstorm.

Reality check. I suppose once I get used to the weather, the outdoor bonding won't seem so odd.

sf f

-Subject line quote: "nitwose"-

Yet again, I have nothing to tell you about my dreams last night, which were intercepted by my annoying beeping alarm clock. I better get to bed earlier.

Speaking of bed, if the manufacturer really wanted me to put the computer into "sleep" instead of turning it off -- with the benefit being faster startup speed since it is not, in fact, starting up -- couldn't they at least leave out the bright blue light that stays on in that state? I do like sleeping or hibernating my computer since it doesn't use much power and allows me to start working in record time... but there is the small matter of ME sleeping. I cannot sleep with little blue lights flooding half the room.

Listening, manufacturers?

Reality check. Okay, so it doesn't FLOOD the room. But it is pretty bright when none of the other lights are on.

qa a

-Lip balm quote: "Natural Ice"-

I had a wonderfully detailed adventure dream last night... which I remember precisely none of because the alarm went off in the middle. It really is true that as soon as you move, you forget it. Ah well.

I finally have a mouse for my laptop, which is a nice step up from the touchpad. However, it did take some getting used to, even though the computer I previously used was a desktop. Apparently one loses skills mind-blowingly fast. I am still at the point where the cursor rockets around when I first grab the human interface device (really, why do the manufacturers call them that when NO ONE else in the entire WORLD calls them anything but "mice"? Is "mouse" too non-technical-sounding?) and I do tend to reach for the dead -- well, guess it's more accurately "nonresponsive" -- touchpad when I'm not thinking.

Reality check. If the mouse is plugged in, guess what? The touchpad doesn't work, dork. Ahhhhh... I literally reached for it again RIGHT AFTER TYPING THAT!!! There I go again!!!

nnmq

-Projector clock quote: "FOCUS"-

Given the fact that I spent last night in a hotel in a new state (where I'll be staying for a while), I suppose it shouldn't be surprising that I dreamed about doors. Many, many doors, and black goo that I had to avoid. And I even had one of those partial dreams where I felt the bed underneath but still felt like I could levitate up to a bunch more doors, leading to (often comically distant) locations.

The Denver airport is hilarious. First off, when you approach, I suppose it's supposed to look like a stylized interpretation of snow-covered Rockie Mountains... but it looks like a really big white tent with a bunch of poles poking up at random intervals, as if the tent-setter was concerned that one pole was not enough to hold it up. Then, when the plane comes in and you come out of the gate, the first sight to greet your eyes is not a small, tasteful row of shops scattered against the wall. No - immediately upon being disgorged from the belly of the plane, what vision should greet your eyes but the very image of a large mall? And then, to get to baggage claim, the traveler must proceed to a miniature subway train, which is graced by musical chimes whenever it comes to station, stops, the doors open, the doors close, and tigers are snorkeling off the coast of Madagascar. Also, there comes a polite voice saying such nuggets as "The doors are closing" and, if it becomes impatient as passengers continue to enter the "closing" doors, "YOU are delaying the departure of the train."

That part was the most amusing, I think. There is a definite stress on the word YOU, enough to create a few apologetic expressions among the entering group.

Reality check. Oh, and it rains more here. A lot more (rain? In AUGUST?? That messes with some natural law).

fj

-Overheard quote: "Okay, it's smaller than a human."-

I remember nothing of last night's dream. I would guess, however, that it again had to do with the RPG I'm playing.

Why do people think of fingernails as pink? Mine have an area of pink, I suppose, but the overall impression is sort of a faint purple. The nails are very purple toward the base, then sort of gradient out to a peachy color (then white) at the end.

Come to think of it, they look remarkably like miniature sunsets. If I wanted to be sappy, I could say I have ten sunsets with me at all times.

Reality check. No wait, make that 20.

fjft fjf

-John 14:15 quote: "If you love me, you will obey what I command."-

The dream I had last night involved a large room. I think. I would guess the part I can't remember has something to do with an RPG I'm playing right now, but that's merely conjecture.

I have yet to figure out why people enjoy doing drugs. Probably my brain just isn't wired that way (and I should be grateful), but I simply cannot understand why people would willingly let a chemical take control of their lives. I know there's the whole "ooooo risk taking" factor and the "it can't happen to me" bunk, but considering that the possible risk, and I'm sure even the "invincible" types still admit to a small possibility they're susceptible, is enormous, the cost -- merely monetary, even -- is huge, and the benefits are... what, an ever-diminishing rush followed by a crash?

Reality check. I guess this speaks to the illogical way people's minds work.

7fjf q

-Annoying Bird Outside My Window quote: "Hgraw hgraw hgraw hgr"-

I had a rather grisly dream last night about a reality show in which the eliminated contestants were immediately guillotined. Of course, my dream self being the nice, logical human it is... I was thinking about all the forms those kids' (yes, kids -- the contestants were all teenagers!) parents must have had to sign. Then later in the dream -- no doubt psychologically scarred by watching that show -- I found a stuffed Winnie the Pooh toy and wanted to plant him and make a Winnie the Pooh tree. And I also dissected a stuffed shark.

I can't say THAT dream lacked for interest. Although I'd rather not have it again, thank you.

The weather here in the Great Domesticated Desert of Doom^TM is for once as lovely as advertised. There's a slight breeze, it's sunny but not too hot (well, at least here indoors -- and I have no A/C), and my nose seems to have finally decided the pollen counts are not extreme. Also, as noted previously, the birds are chirping. One of them in particular just made that chirp-flutter-flutter noise in a tree that always sounds like it was trying to take off, but forgot there were other branches, thus whapping itself against them for several moments before settling.

Of course, since there's finally good weather here, I'll soon be doing a stint in Colorado.

Reality check. And coming back to GDDoD right when it's hottest, I'm sure.

mt

-Watch quote: "CASIO SUN" (the last part referring to the day of the week, not the large hot ball of gas)-

My dream last night had something to do either with fantasy or sci-fi, and was very interesting. It was also one of those that teases you with brief snatches of itself all day while you're trying to concentrate on other stuff, and cannot, therefore, stop to follow through.

I just found out that my schedule may become somewhat busier beginning around next week. It is also busier locally -- today I am visiting some more relatives for lunch. Therefore, this post will be somewhat abbreviated. In fact, it is ending right now. Yes, now. At this moment. Without further ado. Why are you still reading? Finished. Done.

Reality check. So at any rate, as I was trying to say, posting may possibly become less regular shortly.

fqa fqa

-Christmas carol quote: "Then all the reindeer loved him / and they shouted out with glee (yippee!)"-

Nothing but vagueness to show for last night's dreams, although I think the mug of freezing water does help me wake up in time to record what I remember. Specifically, my BLADDER wakes me up.

*looks up at the previous statement*

Isn't "bladder" an awesome word? Not the meaning, just looking at it. The appearance of the letters is reminiscent of some sort of ancient hero (like Bladdud).

I tend to inspect the appearance of the oddest words. Such as "the". If you look at the word "the", it looks like it's missing something at the end -- like the writer forgot to finish it.

And how about "like"? Visually, it's a mix between "bike" and "lick", but it has a completely different mouth feel when you say it.

I guess that's the most interesting part: examining the word's appearance, then noticing how it deviates from the way it feels to say it out loud.

Reality check. I could go on about this in an infinite loop. I suspect my acquaintances find my observations annoying.

a

-Conversation quote: "We're going to stick it in with your rock, so weight doesn't matter."-

Fittingly enough, my dream last night involved the Olympics. Granted, I have yet to see an opening ceremony in which the entire U.S. Olympic team leaped off a tall building into a trampoline... but it WAS interesting, that's for sure. Especially since my tiniest aunt was somehow on the team, and staying in the tall building. Her room had this awesome tidepool-thing spanning the floor, and she was also supposed to jump off with me, my brother, and an elephant.

Since I was doubly reminded of the Olympics this morning (aside: oh no, that means I am soon to get THAT TUNE stuck in my HEAD!!!!!), I got to thinking back to the Athens games. I remember being fascinated that all the announcements were made in Greek, English, and... French?

Wait. Rewind. I thought we were over the whole "French is the universal language" thing. I thought that if it were anything but English, today's hot UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE^TM was Mandarin Chinese.

And then this train of thought worked around to Why do people make up "universal languages"? There are already enough real-world contenders for the spot without some linguistic intern developing one that no one speaks.

I mean, sorry to bust your language-idealism bubble, but no matter how sane and beautiful and grammatically tidy and logical a made-up language is, if you want it to become the international language, you have an insurmountable barrier -- no one speaks it, as compared to the jillion that speak Mandarin and the gazillion who speak English.

And unfortunately for linguistic tidiness, people learn languages they think will advance them NOW. Not in some future world of language perfection. NOW.

Reality check. Was that a rant? No, not quite I suppose.

jft fqaa fqaa

-Advertisement jingle quote: "I want a Manwich please"-

I have a vague notion that last night's dream had some sort of either fantasy or perhaps renaissance mood. But that's about it.

An interesting Paradox of Life:

Why is it that eyewear shops that specialize in speed (an hour, perhaps, for a typical pair of glasses) require progressively more time to finish more complicated glasses? On one level, this makes sense -- they are not as used to grinding prisms and astigmatism correction into glasses and thus are less efficient (or have to ship the frames elsewhere to have these done).

However, there is the other level where this makes no sense at all. Namely, people who have to purchase these singular spectacles (i.e. me) are the ones LEAST ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT THEM FOR EXTENDED PERIODS.

Reality check. This would be frustrating if it weren't so funny.

j

-CD quote: "SWISSTEC BY SKY MEDIA"-

I had an involving dream last night in which I was in some sort of race. The first part involved setting off a firework and taking vitamins or supplements of some sort, if necessary (they were for health reasons, not increased speed, and the pills were enormous and like jellied Listerine strips in texture) and then going upstairs to the kitchen to make some sort of cold blueberry puree. Finding the food processor in all the cupboards took a good deal of time.

Fun little party game to make a small wad of cash:

THE DOLLAR AUCTION

You pull a $1 bill (or some other small denomination) out of your wallet and announce to your friends that you are auctioning it off. Bidding starts at 1 penny (or similar ridiculously small amount) and there are only two rules.

1. Each bid must be at least 1 cent higher than the previous one.
2. When bidding is finished, both the highest bidder and the second-highest bidder must pay you their highest bids. However, only the highest bidder receives the dollar.

With a couple minutes' thought, you can see where this is going. Bidding starts fast, as people try to get some free money. Gradually, though, as bidding gets higher, people start to drop off, so by the time bidding nears $1, there are only two people left, we'll call them Mark and Robert. Mark bids 98¢, and Robert follows up with 99¢. A hesitation. Then, not wanting to lose 98¢ for nothing, Mark bids $1 to break even. Of course, Robert quickly realizes that losing 1¢ is better than losing 99, so he proceeds to bid $1.01 for a $1 bill. And the process continues.

Human greed nearly guarantees that you will come out on top. However, if your friends are smart (and this is why you don't do this more than once to the same group of people) they will team up at the beginning and stop bidding well under a dollar, splitting the cost and the earnings between themselves.

Search "game theory" to find more dilemmas of this kind.

Reality check. This trick was originally found in a GAMES magazine -- wonderful publication by the way.

qq a

-Trade Pact Universe quote: "Terk shifted, apparently uncomfortable with so much happiness in one room."-

I had another of those frustrating mornings where I know my dream was very involving, but can't remember a speck of it. This one was worse than most -- I am POSITIVE I'm forgetting something good. Ah well. Since I have less to say about the dream, I suppose I'll mention what techniques I've been using recently. I'm not drinking as much milk as I usually do, since the jugs seem to run out at the oddest (not to mention most inconvenient) times. However, I am having an ice-cold travel mug of water before bed... though nixing the exercise thing for now since the Great Domesticated Desert of Doom^TM is having a series of particularly sweltery nights.

I remain particularly tickled with the Passively Multiplayer Online Game. However, I have noticed through my web travels (which are considerably more interesting when I stumble across another PMOGer's Mission) that the beginner's guides to the game are singularly lacking in useful information. So, I will attempt to bang together a passive strategy guide to fill this lack.

The Shoat's Guide to PMOG

Chapter One: Getting PMOG

You will need either Firefox or Flock (Internet Explorer, sadly, will not do) to play PMOG, for the simple reason that PMOG exists as an extension of those browsers. Don't get the extension just yet; sign up at http://pmog.com first, and it should prompt you with the latest version.

(NOTE: for those -- like me -- who are paranoid about downloading nasties, know that the PMOG extension is on download.com, and thus "Safe, Tested, and Spyware Free!")

So set up your profile (default privacy settings hide everything except your username and motto), then download the latest PMOG toolbar. Restart your browser, then click PMOG Sign In > Login > New Login on the new toolbar. If you can't see the toolbar, click the ornate P on the bottom right of the window, and it should unhide it. You will probably notice that all your supplies have gaping 0's in front of them. Awwww. Don't worry, Shoat, this will soon be remedied.

You should now be taken to the main page of PMOG. Proceed directly to your profile (click on your username near the top of the screen) and there should be a starter crate of goodies from PMOG. Click to loot the crate, and wait for it to display its contents, which will be added to your supplies. The first order of business is to click on the Armor button on the toolbar, turning it from off to on. It is generally considered in poor taste to St. Nick shoats (more on that tool later), but Mines can hit anyone, since they are generally tied to a location on the internet and not a person.

You can now experiment a little with your tools, just remember to keep your Armor on -- it will go off if it gets hit by 3 mines, so not likely -- and not spend too much of your wealth in tools and Datapoints (money) just yet.

Chapter Two: Shoat Strategy

There are two paths for you in PMOG. There's the obvious Passive path, where you go about normal browsing, getting hit by the occasional Mine and finding the odd Crate, Mission, or Portal, and then there's the Active path, where you set a goal (I want a Benefactor association, say) and try to force your way to it. Predictably, perhaps, you'll get more long-term enjoyment from the Passive path. However, right now I'll cover some pointers on the Active path.

ASSOCIATIONS
Right now, O Shoat, you are probably in levels 1-4, where associations are nonexistent or tenuous. This is a good thing for you, since it allows you to buy anything you can afford from the Shoppe (click on the Datapoint button to go there). At level 5 and above, you can only buy tools that match your associations, so if you are, say, Benefactor-Vigilante-Bedouin, you may only buy Crates, St. Nicks, and Armor. Associations are never permanent, however, you can change them by your use of the tool corresponding to that association. Before level 5, don't worry about your association too much, just save up on supplies and keep your Armor on. Past that, you'll be glad you saved up on supplies because that will allow you to change your association as needed to buy more stuff. For instance, you may have a good wad of cash that you want to spend on Mines. But if you don't have a Destroyer association (past level 5) you can't buy them at the Shoppe. So, you can either go to the trading forum and pawn some of your other stuff, or just use a lot of your Mines, without touching the other tools. This will increase your Destroyer association the next time your stats are updated (this can take from one day to three) and you can buy the Mines you need.

A few things to keep in mind, when stocking up supplies.

Portals are EXPENSIVE, but you only need a couple of them unless you want Seer to always be your main association. Personally, I don't use them at all, but I figure someone might want to trade for them, and as previously mentioned, they're worth plenty DP.

Lightposts seem like something you'll only need a few of... you're not making Missions every day or anything... but when you use them, you'll find you need TONS of them at a time.

Crates are something you'll probably use frequently, but they're cheap and, annoyingly, one of the most popular items to put in Crates -- this has something to do with the Benefactor ethos, but I'm not sure what. So don't worry too much about these; keep a modest stash of 5 or more and you'll have enough.

Armor is deceptively slow to wear out. Ten pieces of Armor may last you a couple weeks. Unfortunately, Bedouin association is hard to get since it's a matter of finding Mines and exploding them against your Armor before someone else does... and there is heavy competition. On the bright side, your associations will tend to default to some combination of Benefactor, Vigilante, and Bedouin if you don't use tools at all for a few days. But nonetheless, keep a good supply of that Armor!

Mines you will need a lot of to get any satisfaction. You will find that once you're past the Shoat stage where everyone's nice to you, they will St. Nick you into oblivion every time you lay a Mine. This is of course rather annoying since it means you'll probably spend 5 St. Nicked Mines before you can get one that actually lays on the page. In addition, most people are always wearing Armor, so the chances of actually inflicting damage with a Mine are minimal. On the other hand, Mines ARE awfully fun ways of marking out pages you loathe.

Finally, St. Nicks. Vigilante association is definitely fun, although you will face some frustration when you try to St. Nick someone only to find that they already have the maximum 5 Nicks attached. I like to watch the Activity Log (from pmog.com just click on the ornate P near the top of the page) and look for someone who lays a lot of Mines, or someone who's recently set off a St. Nick, thus hinting they may have a space available for another. These are straightforward tools, so keep a good stock of them but not excessive. Unlike Mines, they can't be defused.

TOOLS
I've already discussed them, O Tasty Bacon.

MISSIONS
If you're really desperate for DP, I might advise taking a Mission from Mission Central (accessible from the left PMOG button on your toolbar). Otherwise, it really is more fun to turn your content filter up to 4 stars -- you can find this in the normal taskbar under Options > PMOG -- and just browse sites as you normally would. Thus, when you stumble upon a mission, it ALREADY includes a site that interests you, and probably will be more of the same. There is a delicious serendipity in this method.

ALLIES & RIVALS
PMOG at its kooky best. Don't worry about actually getting to know people before adding them as an Ally or Rival, just choose a silly arbitrary reason, and inform them of that reason with an IM. I know, I know, messages cost a whopping 1 DP. Fine. Only do it if you're making an ally.

And don't hesitate at all to make Rivals, they won't take it personally -- feel free to add ME as a Rival if you want. It merely makes the game more fun by giving both of you an excuse to Mine and St. Nick each other on a whim (which, I might add, is actually useful if you're trying for a Bedouin association -- Rivals can be allies in disguise).


THE END? Perhaps I will add more tips as I discover them.

Reality check. I am a nerd.

mnfjqa

-Me quote: "That's hilarious. Florida??"-

I had a somewhat disturbing dream last night involving tanning (although how my brain convinced me I would ever submit to a tanning bed is BEYOND me) and subsequent skin cancer.

With the housing market slumped as it is, I sometimes wish that I could purchase a house now, but, you know, come up with the money for it later. I suppose that's the sort of situation that would encourage people to take out loans -- how you always learn in economics that inflation actually helps reduce the national debt. It works because when you buy something now (say with a loan -- or in the government's case, a bond) perhaps you pay $5 for it. Inflation takes its course and the object you paid $5 for increases to a price of $6. If you pay less than $1 in interest on the loan, you come out ahead, having bought something now worth $6 for less. This is of course unlikely to happen, since banks have to make money too, but if there is a sudden spike in inflation, it is weirdly possible to benefit.

However, when the market performs as predicted, you merely get saddled with debt and a worse credit rating.

Reality check. Which would be a slight downside.

jft,

-Title quote (translated): "Disagreeable [lit. sing-not] Noise"-

The most interesting thing by far from last night's slumber was dreaming that I was somehow wearing really tall flip-flops. I remember none of the context surrounding this singular footwear, which only serves to make it infinitely more humorous. However, given the tendency dreams have toward segue, perhaps there IS no context.

I am currently listening to the neighbor diagonally to the rear of my house playing what sounds like a seriously troubled synthesizer. No doubt the psychologically disturbed instrument is actually some sort of oddly amped electric guitar, but that is very hard to verify, despite having heard its thinly veiled cries for help on and off at least one early afternoon per week. Every so often, the heartrending sound will be punctuated with the feral cry of the local birds, clearly a deep expression of avian sympathy toward the stringed one's anguish.

Reality check. More likely, the birds are threatening the instrument.

,,t mqm

-The Essential Blender quote: “Guide to 3D Creation with the Open Source Suite Blender”-

Last night I dreamt I was at a party and a bunch of us got together and squshed someone against the wall. We were having fun, but as she was at the very bottom of this whole deal, she was not. O, the flamboyant lapses of judgment we have in dreams!

Being the silly geek I am (now armed with Firefox!) I found a neat little browser extension yesterday: the Passively Multiplayer Online Game. It’s basically like a MMORPG for lazy people – you rack up coins (called Datapoints) for every webpage you visit. Then you can use these coins to buy Crates, Mines, Lampposts, Armor, Portals, and St. Nicks. Crates allow you to leave money or stuff on websites for the next PMOG player to loot; mines are similar, except that they blow up in the next person’s face (shaking the browser window in the process) and subtract DP from their savings. However, you can counter mines with armor (each piece of armor blocks 3 mines) or St. Nicks, which will foil the person’s next attempt at laying a mine. Since mines are a sizable 40 dp, this can be quite the revenge.

Lampposts and portals are the tourist side of PMOG – and, you might argue, its most important elements once you’ve gotten over your rush for mayhem and counter-mayhem. A lamppost forms part of a mission, which is essentially a user-made tour through a set of websites, often a obscure and off the beaten track. Missions are also the primary determinants of association, basically the factions you are part of as you level up. Portals just zap you blindly from one site to another.

Really fun little game, since you can practically level up on autopilot if you want to, or take a more active role if you feel like it. It's like a giant game of tag across the internet.

http://pmog.com/

Reality check. If you start see an ad from the Bedouin association, it is not a dream, but PMOG.