A couple of days ago I started playing Ingress which has a nice alternative reality backstory involving the Higgs boson experiments and alien mind control (or enhancement, if you joined the good guys) with a global bi-factional conflict. Actual play, unlike many computer or 'phone games, requires one to go outside and even better still, locate (by foot usually) various sites of public interest or artistic merit. At its core it's a simple experience point and level advance system, but that's not really the important part of the game. At the moment I'm playing a bit "lone wolf", as I imagine a lot of starting players do, but it's quite clear that a significant degree of social coordination is required at higher levels.
On Saturday we rescued an injured common blackbird and took it to Lort Smith, just prior to dropping off![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
caseopaya's mother at the airport. A few hours later her brother and nephew arrived, en route from New Zealand. We dined a La Notte followed by drinks at the Queensberry. Visited some Unitarian friends on Sunday for a post-xmas gathering, followed by another group for a game of Shanghai Trader, an enjoyable historical game of extortion and exploitation, albeit a little random in its mechanics. Afterwards visited Brendan E., for dinner and conversation, and watched another episode of the increasingly disappointing Walking Dead television series; it seems that only the first season is worth watching.
Next Saturday I'm off to Linux Conf AU 2014 in Perth, where I'll be attending in the role of "Diversity Officer", which basically means I keep an eye out to ensure that everyone (regardless of colour, creed, or kink) has "quiet enjoyment" of the conference. Not only will probably be an enjoyable and informative conference (at least based on the several I have been to since 2006), it is also great to have an excuse to visit Perth again, which I have not done so for several years. Between now and then I must organise an evening with some select friends as I will only be over for a week, and most of that will be conference work.
On Saturday we rescued an injured common blackbird and took it to Lort Smith, just prior to dropping off
caseopaya's mother at the airport. A few hours later her brother and nephew arrived, en route from New Zealand. We dined a La Notte followed by drinks at the Queensberry. Visited some Unitarian friends on Sunday for a post-xmas gathering, followed by another group for a game of Shanghai Trader, an enjoyable historical game of extortion and exploitation, albeit a little random in its mechanics. Afterwards visited Brendan E., for dinner and conversation, and watched another episode of the increasingly disappointing Walking Dead television series; it seems that only the first season is worth watching.Next Saturday I'm off to Linux Conf AU 2014 in Perth, where I'll be attending in the role of "Diversity Officer", which basically means I keep an eye out to ensure that everyone (regardless of colour, creed, or kink) has "quiet enjoyment" of the conference. Not only will probably be an enjoyable and informative conference (at least based on the several I have been to since 2006), it is also great to have an excuse to visit Perth again, which I have not done so for several years. Between now and then I must organise an evening with some select friends as I will only be over for a week, and most of that will be conference work.