Forest Shade Play

While searching for the name of a board game, I came across what appears to be an amusing German children's game called Waldschattenspiel (Or "Forest shade play", a name that showcases the ability of Germans to throw unrelated words together to make up a new word.)

Basically, the game consists of a board, a die, 10 wooden "trees" of various sizes, seven pawns, a wooden pusher, and a candle, yes, a candle. In a kid's game, no less.  (Ages 5 and up, according to the manufacturer.)

It starts off with all the players but one taking all the pawns and hiding them, one to a tree, on the board such that they aren't visibile by the light of the candle.  (Did I mention that this game is played entirely in the dark?)  The player who was not involved in hiding the "dwarves" then rolls the die and moves the candle that many spaces along the path — using the pusher if need be, as he is not permitted to leave his seat while the game is in session.  If any dwarves are illuminated during this time, they are "frozen" and can't move until they are once again in the shadow and another dwarf comes to unfreeze them.

After the candle is moved, the other players are then permitted to move the dwarves around the board, provided the pawns don't cross over or into the light.  The candle mover is, of course, not permitted to look during either this turn or the initial hiding turn.  Play continues until either all the dwarves are frozen, or they have all succeeded in gathering in the shadow of a single tree.  Think of it as frozen tag without all the running around.

Ok, it sounds simple enough, and amusing as well.  Just the type of game I'd like to track down and play. Unfortunately, it's never been released outside of Germany, however someone has translated the instructions, which would save me the trouble of attempting to do so with my very limited German (eine, zwei, drei, da, nein, auf wiedersehen).  The only other problem is, of course, shipping, with a possibility that the amount would cost more than the 20€ deluxe version of the game.

Ah well, maybe if I fail to get my hands on the Weird Tales issues, I'll buy it.  (Mmmm…. Vintage Lovecraft)

This Food Looks Kinda Funky, But It Tastes Kinda Fun-kay!

Let it hereby be noted that, although it may seem like a good idea at the time, combining pineapple and cheesecake is not something that should be done.  (At least, not by me.  I've had good pineapple cheesecakes down at the market.  Mmmm… Market)  On a brighter note, the cannelloni (just visible on the lower shelf) turned out quite well.

No points, since it's from the same place as my last cheesecake entry.  Listen, there's only so many cooking quotes that I can come up with on short notice.

Posted by g026r at 00:16 | 2 comments | Most recent by g026r

USB 2.OOOOOOOOO God Yeah!

I'm pretty sure most people who actually bother to visit this site also visit Fark, but just in case: Ins and Outs of Teledildonics.  I have no real idea as to the actual usefulness of such a device, but I'm sure it will become popular with cam whores everywhere.

Solomon Hercules Atlas Zeus Achilles Mercury

Unlike other people, I can't blame my recent lack of updates on the start of classes, so instead I'll blame it on a touch of the traditional "start of the term flu" that tends to arrive when the new and returning students do.  To while away the time when I'm not sleeping or trying to sleep, I've been playing Fable and putting a dent into the huge pile of comics I've acquired over the past couple of years and that been meaning to read.

To give a brief summary of both categories, starting with the first: Fable isn't all that revolutionary.  If you've only played console RPGs, then it might seem to be incredibly open, but it's really not all that different, concept-wise, from the RPGs I was killing my GPA with back in first year.  In some ways, it's reminding me of Neverwinter Nights; sure, there's different ways to approach the quests, but they all just boil down to "get to point A and kill the badies".

As for comics: I've finally, after god knows how long, finished Sandman.  (Oddly enough, I'd read The Wake long ago.  The collection I hadn't read was The Kindly Ones.)  It is, as everyone already knows, excellent.  The others I read varied in quality.  There was the also excellent, but very disturbing, Miracleman (although only the Alan Moore issues, I couldn't find copies of the Gaiman ones), an absolutely terrible Batman/Grendel cross-over featuring Grendel Prime (why did I even have this?), the good to decent Mage: The Hero Discovered (and part of The Hero Defined), along with the Grendel stories that shared space in the latter issues of The Hero Defined and their far superior Red, White, and Black retellings.  (Basic summary:  Matt Wagner, who both wrote and illustrated the original Grendel stories, dislikes them so much that he's vowed never to reprint them.  However, since the rest of the Grendel books supposedly make little sense without these stories, he instead chose to publish reworked versions of the stories.)  In addition, I'm finally begining to put a dent in the massive pile of Hellblazer I've accumulated.  Current verdict on that one: not bad, but nothing to write home about either.

Finally, since I know that that must have bored most people, I present a pair of links.  The first is a video clip of a speech given by President Bush that contains a strange choice of words.  That, however, is not the reason I laughed at it.  I laughed at it because of the stunned expression that remains on the newsanchor's face for the fifteen or so seconds after the clip of the speech finishes.  Ah, the joys of live television.

The second link is a column from The New Yorker:  Lord? Please don't let me die in a funny way.  Finally, a prayer we can all agree on.

So, here's the deal:  either you tell me the significance of the title and how it links in with what I posted (2 points), or you tell me what mumblety-peg is (1 point).  An extra point is given if you didn't use a search-engine, and yet another point (for a total of 3 possible) is given if you've actually played it.  Yes, I trust people too much.

If You Are Under The Age Of 18 Or Find This Photograph Offensive, Please Don't Look At It

This is the cover of the current issue of Time magazine (dated for the week of Sept. 20th, 2004).  I can't help but think that there is something that is just plain wrong about the way in which the image is designed.  I'm not sure whether to hope it was intentional or unintentional.

Almost forgot: one point for the title, you sick sick bastard, you.

Engrish

This comes courtesy of a table that Dmitrii and Linda purchased for their new apartment.  Please remember to exercise cautious when smelling your new furniture.

New Monitor Smell

I managed to blow one of my monitors (the 15" one) back in July (as mentioned previously).  I did my usual thing after something like that happens, namely I complained to anyone who would listen.  Whilst mentioning it to Boyd the fact that I could likely acquire a cheap monitor through a co-worker of his arose.  (To make a long story short:  she wanted a new computer, but in order to qualify for some sort of discount she needed to buy a monitor.  She already had a perfectly serviceable monitor, so she was just going to sell the new one off.)  Unfortunately, my financial difficulties prevented me from gaining a monitor in this manner, and I was unable to make it to the government sale to procure another used one.

Fast forward to about two weeks ago, and I receive a message from Boyd.  "I will probably have an early Christmas present for you soon."  A bit more prying and I find out he's bought the monitor and will be up to drop it off eventually.  Well, eventually was yesterday, and am now once again basking in the radiation of a dual-monitor setup.  Only this time I now have two 17" displays.  The only downside is that the entire apartment stinks of new monitor.  Well, that and I have to think up a really good Christmas present to buy Boyd as thanks.

For Example: Amy, You're Cute, So I Baked You A Pony

Andrew's Peach Cheesecake

You will need:

• 1 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 of a cup of melted butter
• 4 medium peaches
• 3/4 of a cup of granulated sugar
• 3 250g packages of cream cheese (softened)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Peach-flavoured dessert glaze

Combine graham crumbs with melted butter.  Press mixture in the bottom of a 9" spring-form pan.  Peel and slice 3 of the peaches.  Swear repeatedly while doing so.  (The previous step is not optional.) Cover the graham-mixture with peach slices.

Combine sugar with softened cream cheese and vanilla extract.  Mix until blended.  Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just blended.

Cut up half of the remaining peach into small pieces and combine it with cream cheese mixture.  Pour the mixture into the spring-form pan and cook at 350° for 45 minutes, or until the middle is set.

Remove pan from oven and coat the top of the cheesecake with a light layer of glaze.  Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes.

Let cool for 3 hours or more.  Top with peaches and serve.

1 point