Who had this idea of me gaining 10,000 points in Enemy Territory? Yes, I know; it was only a figure of speech! After numerous promotions and rewards I am still just below 4000 points, not even half way through to the end. Fear not though, because I will prevail and emerge victorious!
Who am I kidding? After hours of endless battling I will probably be too dizzy to even care!
Wednesday 31 January 2007
Friday 26 January 2007
Thing #9 Update
The last few days I did not have much time to invest in completing Thing #9, but nevertheless I managed to gain 2500 XP points. I hope to have this one finished sometime next week!
Thing #12: Paint a picture good enough to hang on the wall
When I read this Thing my initial reaction was that the 101 Things had just become 100. Ironically, not only I can not use a map to get from A to B (see my previous post my fellow good reader), I can not even draw a straight line from A to B. So, what were there chances I would manage to paint something good enough to hang on the wall.
I started thinking I could use one of the 'Learn how to draw in 17 steps' kind of self-taught courses that they advertise on TV, or I could even go to a drawing class for real. Nah, that's too artistic for me. Then it stroke me (ironically ironic!) that I could use the PC to draw something. I validated by decision by thinking that I have replaced pencils and pens with the keyboard and the mouse for many years now, so that should be fine.
Having overcome this initial hurdle, I started thinking about what to draw. I decided to draw something that was based on simple geometrical figures, but encapsulated something complex. For a long time I have been thinking that random events in our lives often dictate our future. Have you ever wondered for example when you meet someone how many times you may have previously passed by them without even thinking about it? Why would you anyway? You don't know him or her, do you?. And then you get to know them and your whole life changes. I am fascinated by this 'random purposefulness'. I guess this sounds like the butterfly effect to some extent.
The image below is what I came up with. I call it 'City Life', because the two main lines reminded me of the city's skyline. I gave it to a friend who promised to have it hanged, so not only have I drawn something, but convinced someone else that it does not look tooo bad.
I started thinking I could use one of the 'Learn how to draw in 17 steps' kind of self-taught courses that they advertise on TV, or I could even go to a drawing class for real. Nah, that's too artistic for me. Then it stroke me (ironically ironic!) that I could use the PC to draw something. I validated by decision by thinking that I have replaced pencils and pens with the keyboard and the mouse for many years now, so that should be fine.
Having overcome this initial hurdle, I started thinking about what to draw. I decided to draw something that was based on simple geometrical figures, but encapsulated something complex. For a long time I have been thinking that random events in our lives often dictate our future. Have you ever wondered for example when you meet someone how many times you may have previously passed by them without even thinking about it? Why would you anyway? You don't know him or her, do you?. And then you get to know them and your whole life changes. I am fascinated by this 'random purposefulness'. I guess this sounds like the butterfly effect to some extent.
The image below is what I came up with. I call it 'City Life', because the two main lines reminded me of the city's skyline. I gave it to a friend who promised to have it hanged, so not only have I drawn something, but convinced someone else that it does not look tooo bad.
Thursday 25 January 2007
Thing 90: Go from A to B using a map
I was in London the other day and just got out of Kings Cross. It was a relatively cold night, but not that cold so I thought to walk. After careful consideration though, I took the tube and got out to the station that was indicated on the map printed on my hotel's reservation. Thing #90 was just about to be completed! Or so I thought!
You see, maps are usually supposed to help you. Not confuse you. In this case the map was a small square one about 3inches by 3inches that had only the major streets labeled. If you thought that the hotel's street would have been labeled to help you find the hotel easier, well think again. The good news though was that there were maps on every bus stop so I was able to use them to figure out the hotel's street. That made me fell very proud for my problem solving skills!
Anyway, I got out of the metro station and was instantly faced with the big decision. Shall I go right or left? Hmm... left, no right, no left, probably right or... left. OK, right it is. After wondering around the block for some 30 minutes I found myself back to point A. Deja vu! Surely, I have been here before!
I could not believe how difficult something so 'simple' had become. I mean the hotel was supposed to be 5 mins walk from the station, and in fairness it was, provided you knew how to use the map. Standing outside the tube station, for the second time, I decided to go left. This is when I learnt a very important lesson about using maps: you need to be in the right direction.
10 minutes later I was finally there. Yes, I wrote above that the hotel was 5 mins later, but what made you think that I suddenly became an expect on map reading?
You see, maps are usually supposed to help you. Not confuse you. In this case the map was a small square one about 3inches by 3inches that had only the major streets labeled. If you thought that the hotel's street would have been labeled to help you find the hotel easier, well think again. The good news though was that there were maps on every bus stop so I was able to use them to figure out the hotel's street. That made me fell very proud for my problem solving skills!
Anyway, I got out of the metro station and was instantly faced with the big decision. Shall I go right or left? Hmm... left, no right, no left, probably right or... left. OK, right it is. After wondering around the block for some 30 minutes I found myself back to point A. Deja vu! Surely, I have been here before!
I could not believe how difficult something so 'simple' had become. I mean the hotel was supposed to be 5 mins walk from the station, and in fairness it was, provided you knew how to use the map. Standing outside the tube station, for the second time, I decided to go left. This is when I learnt a very important lesson about using maps: you need to be in the right direction.
10 minutes later I was finally there. Yes, I wrote above that the hotel was 5 mins later, but what made you think that I suddenly became an expect on map reading?
Thursday 18 January 2007
Wednesday 17 January 2007
Thing #9: Play a computer game to the end
When I was younger... much younger I used to play adventure games. Back then you use to type the commands and hoped that the game would understand what you were trying to say. To make the games more difficult, there were no hints 'n tips on the web, because there was no web. Ah... good times!
After all these years I came to realise that completing the game should not be the end goal. Instead you need to enjoy the game sooo much that you will actually make sure you will finish it no matter what. So for this task, instead of finishing a game I will almost the opposite and play a game that has no end!
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a freeware first-person shooter (FPS) computer game, and a standalone sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, created by Splash Damage. Enemy Territory comes with six official maps. On all except Rail Gun, the Allied team are attacking and the Axis team must defend. You have probably figured the goal of the game: stay alive.
As the missions are repeated again and again and again (and again), there is no end to the game. Instead, what I plan to do is gather 10000 eXPerience points. Usually when you join a game you start with 0 points. However many servers have XP save so that you can develop the soldier over time without having to start from scratch every single time.
Let the battle begin...
After all these years I came to realise that completing the game should not be the end goal. Instead you need to enjoy the game sooo much that you will actually make sure you will finish it no matter what. So for this task, instead of finishing a game I will almost the opposite and play a game that has no end!
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a freeware first-person shooter (FPS) computer game, and a standalone sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, created by Splash Damage. Enemy Territory comes with six official maps. On all except Rail Gun, the Allied team are attacking and the Axis team must defend. You have probably figured the goal of the game: stay alive.
As the missions are repeated again and again and again (and again), there is no end to the game. Instead, what I plan to do is gather 10000 eXPerience points. Usually when you join a game you start with 0 points. However many servers have XP save so that you can develop the soldier over time without having to start from scratch every single time.
Let the battle begin...
Tuesday 16 January 2007
Thing #1: Completed
Your Honor the People will like to present evidence items 1, 2 and 3.
The first piece of evidence is a tie in a bottle.
The second... red, yellow and green peppers in a bottle.
The first piece of evidence is a tie in a bottle.
The second... red, yellow and green peppers in a bottle.
And the third, vodka in a bottle!
Sunday 14 January 2007
Thing #4: Impossible
I will pretend I have completed Thing #4, i.e. learn how to tell when someone fancies you (and when they don't). This is impossible... especially if you are male.
Thing #1: Almost done!
I got myself in a big trouble! Where would I find three things from three different places (I thought to make this even harder) that are bottled and could be gifted? After visiting a dozen shops with no result, signs of early despair appeared on the horizon. Then, I realised that a lot of things are actually bottled! Sometimes we are too close to a challenge or a problem that we fail to spot even the simplest of things: I missed not only the forest, but the entire mountain!
Anyway, relaxed that I have found a couple of potential things to buy that were bottle and could be nice gifts I went to eat something. Two pastries, a sandwich a donut and some milk later I decided to visit a near by shop before calling it a day. I went in, had a quick look around and was about to leave when I thought to double check that I did not miss the treasure. 'Oh we do have bottle things, and you are a bit lucky as we only have one piece left at the moment!' I won't tell you what that thing is until I complete this task and produce the goods, i.e. photos of the three things in action.
Anyway, relaxed that I have found a couple of potential things to buy that were bottle and could be nice gifts I went to eat something. Two pastries, a sandwich a donut and some milk later I decided to visit a near by shop before calling it a day. I went in, had a quick look around and was about to leave when I thought to double check that I did not miss the treasure. 'Oh we do have bottle things, and you are a bit lucky as we only have one piece left at the moment!' I won't tell you what that thing is until I complete this task and produce the goods, i.e. photos of the three things in action.
Saturday 13 January 2007
The official web site
By the way this is the official blog for the book:
Design Monkey: "101 Things To Do Before You Die / 101 Things To Do Before You're Old & Boring / 101 Things You Need To Know ... and Some You Don't / and Other Projects ..."
Design Monkey: "101 Things To Do Before You Die / 101 Things To Do Before You're Old & Boring / 101 Things You Need To Know ... and Some You Don't / and Other Projects ..."
Decision time
A man is the sum of his decisions (has anyone said that before?). So this morning's decisions feature:
1) I am not going to throw a bottle in the sea as this is considered littering and contradicts another Thing.
1) I am not going to throw a bottle in the sea as this is considered littering and contradicts another Thing.
- Action: need to find a different way of completing this task. Does it count if I throw the bottle and then find it myself? Technically this should be OK! Probably not. So, what I will do is track down three different things (e.g. a ship, a tree, etc) in bottles and buy them. Then I will give them to a friend. With one stone three birds: I complete the task, I do some shopping and I make (hopefully) someone happy for about 10 seconds.
2) I will repeat some but not all the Things that I have already done; life is too short to do the same thing more than once, for the sake of doing it.
- Action 1: I will replace all those things that I will not do different tasks.
- Action 2: While doing so, I will also comment on the original Things too, so that we have a complete account of all Things.
3) I do not need to do things sequentially. Isn't it great when you can make the rules? I know I sound like Monica in Friends!
By the way, I added a table with the numbers between 1-101 so that I and, of course, you valued reader can track my progress. As decision number 2 allows me to retrospectively claim that a tasks was completed I officially announced that I have just completed Thing #36: Start your own blog!
Six degrees
You may have come across the term Six Degrees most probably because of its relation to Hollywood and namely the Kevin Bacon number and the movie with the same title that featured Will Smith. The basic idea is that human beings (i.e. you and me) are connected through relationships with at most six other people. In other words pick a stranger, in average he or she will be a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. (For those interested I strongly suggest reading Watt's Six Degrees: The new science of networks and Barabasi's Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life)
At first it may seem a bit bizarre. That's probably what Stanley Milgram thought and tried his small world experiment, which was later tested using emails (e.g. look here). Participants are given an item and a recipient. If they know the recipient they can forward it directly to him or her. If not they will need to forward it to someone who they think is closer to the recipient than them. Can you guess how long (on average) the chain is?
By now your question should have been: what do all the above have to do with the message in a bottle? Well, the message could have said: "If you find this bottle please forward it to X. If you don't know him forward it to someone who you think is closer to X". If you are going to start throwing bottles in the sea, you may as well do it for the benefit of science!
At first it may seem a bit bizarre. That's probably what Stanley Milgram thought and tried his small world experiment, which was later tested using emails (e.g. look here). Participants are given an item and a recipient. If they know the recipient they can forward it directly to him or her. If not they will need to forward it to someone who they think is closer to the recipient than them. Can you guess how long (on average) the chain is?
By now your question should have been: what do all the above have to do with the message in a bottle? Well, the message could have said: "If you find this bottle please forward it to X. If you don't know him forward it to someone who you think is closer to X". If you are going to start throwing bottles in the sea, you may as well do it for the benefit of science!
Friday 12 January 2007
Houston we have a problem
Throwing bottles in the sea can have a range of expected and... unexpected results. For example there is the case of the someone finding a bottle in the UK originating from the US and complained about littering. In another case they are used in a project or even to celebrate an important moment in one's life.
The problem is that by sending bottles out you are indeed littering, like it or not, which contradicts Thing #23: Help save the planet. So I need to find a different mean of completing this task.
By the way I went through all the Things and some of them I have already done. In fact I am doing one right now. Think #36: Have your own blog. So I need to make up my mind do previous experiences count? Perhaps I could substitute with something else and still earn my coloured star! I don't have to decide now. Plenty of stuff to do before we run out of Things.
The problem is that by sending bottles out you are indeed littering, like it or not, which contradicts Thing #23: Help save the planet. So I need to find a different mean of completing this task.
By the way I went through all the Things and some of them I have already done. In fact I am doing one right now. Think #36: Have your own blog. So I need to make up my mind do previous experiences count? Perhaps I could substitute with something else and still earn my coloured star! I don't have to decide now. Plenty of stuff to do before we run out of Things.
Thursday 11 January 2007
Messages in bottles
I started thinking about messages in bottles and remember of the movie with Kevin Costner (imbd). Basically, a woman finds a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach (yeah! where else?), and she decides to find the sender. There was also a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Regatta de Blanc.
I also did a quick search and you can order messages in bottles for £19.90 (not even £19.99). You have up to 2000 characters to express your feelings which are then put in the bottle. Then bottle is then sent to you; so you won't have to look for it at your nearby beach. It even comes with its own chest.
Actually, if you are to get a message in a bottle gift you may as well go to messageinabottle.com. They have a great selection for all occasions! I checked their frequently asked questions but they have nothing on how strong their bottles are and if they will survive in open sea.
I also did a quick search and you can order messages in bottles for £19.90 (not even £19.99). You have up to 2000 characters to express your feelings which are then put in the bottle. Then bottle is then sent to you; so you won't have to look for it at your nearby beach. It even comes with its own chest.
Actually, if you are to get a message in a bottle gift you may as well go to messageinabottle.com. They have a great selection for all occasions! I checked their frequently asked questions but they have nothing on how strong their bottles are and if they will survive in open sea.
Thing #1: Send a message in a bottle
This is NOT difficult. Or is it?
The first thing that came to mind is where to throw the bottle. It will have to be somewhere in open sea so that there will be a chance of it going far far and even further away. On the other hand it will probably get lost. Possible solutions: try multiple sites to ensure higher chance of at least one message surviving.
Second issue: what kind of bottle will it be? It has to be something that will be friendly to the environment but at the same time it will last the journey. The key here is perhaps the seal. I used a cork it will probably won't last too long.
Third point to think: the message. The book has a couple of suggestions. I could use both of them if I was to send out more than one bottles. It also suggests that the message is translated to different languages. Make sense. I could use Babelfish or even ask my friends to translate it for me. Eh... ok Babelfish it is (this was almost a joke).
So, it seems I have now a plan!
The first thing that came to mind is where to throw the bottle. It will have to be somewhere in open sea so that there will be a chance of it going far far and even further away. On the other hand it will probably get lost. Possible solutions: try multiple sites to ensure higher chance of at least one message surviving.
Second issue: what kind of bottle will it be? It has to be something that will be friendly to the environment but at the same time it will last the journey. The key here is perhaps the seal. I used a cork it will probably won't last too long.
Third point to think: the message. The book has a couple of suggestions. I could use both of them if I was to send out more than one bottles. It also suggests that the message is translated to different languages. Make sense. I could use Babelfish or even ask my friends to translate it for me. Eh... ok Babelfish it is (this was almost a joke).
So, it seems I have now a plan!
Finally in business!
The book arrived today, so I am finally going to give the 101 things a go. First impressions were excellent. The book has a nice feeling and seemed like great value for the 5 pounds I spent on it. It even has coloured stickers you can use to award yourself for each completed tasks.
.... which is one of the issues. You see it is actually targeting younger people... much younger than me. Still when one is determined to have, one will have fun. So I am not going to allow this minor detail to ruin the whole thing! So I proposed to myself the following: I will swap all things that would have been too easy for an adult or would not even apply with something else. Needless to say I immediately agreed with myself. Perhaps you can suggest things to do too. I will need a few more anyway because something I will not do (I will come to this when the time comes!).
Anyway, lets start!
.... which is one of the issues. You see it is actually targeting younger people... much younger than me. Still when one is determined to have, one will have fun. So I am not going to allow this minor detail to ruin the whole thing! So I proposed to myself the following: I will swap all things that would have been too easy for an adult or would not even apply with something else. Needless to say I immediately agreed with myself. Perhaps you can suggest things to do too. I will need a few more anyway because something I will not do (I will come to this when the time comes!).
Anyway, lets start!
Monday 8 January 2007
Your Amazon.co.uk order has dispatched
well ok, my order has dispatched and as soon the book arrives on my doorstep, hopefully within a couple of days, I will get going with the list!
Saturday 6 January 2007
Books with things to do
There are a few books with "x things to do before y". So I though to compile -perhaps ironically- a list of them:
- 101 Things to Do Before You Die / Amazon
- 101 Things to Do Before You're Old and Boring / Amazon
- 100 Things to Do Before You Die: Travel Events You Just Can't Miss / Amazon
- 1000 Places to See Before You Die / Amazon
- Ten Fun Things to Do Before You Die / Amazon
- 101 Things to Do During a Dull Sermon / Amazon
- 101 Things to Buy Before You Die / Amazon
- 211 Things a Bright Boy Can Do / Amazon
- 101 Things to Do in a Shed / Amazon
- Hotel Hobbies: 50 Things to Do in a Hotel Room That Won't Get You Arrested / Amazon
- The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do / Amazon
- 101 Things to Do After You Get Your Private Pilot's License / Amazon
- 101 Things to Do with a Slow Cooker by Ashcraft / Amazon
- Things to Do Now That You're 60 / Amazon
- Things to Do Now That You're 40 / Amazon
- 10 Things to Do Before You're 16 / Amazon
- How to Be Your Little Man's Dad: 365 Things to Do with Your Son / Amazon
- Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty: 60 Experts on the Subject of Turning 60 / Amazon
- 101 Great Things to Do with Your Digital Camera / Amazon
Friday 5 January 2007
New year resolutions
I am one of these people that connect things in their head piece by piece and then they have the big Aha! moment (you know the moment with the flashing bulb over your head?). Well I had one of these moments today. I have been thinking of something interesting to get myself involved with for sometime and came up with a long list of things. Mostly involved creating collections (or databases if you prefer) of things and putting them on the web. What's the point after all if you are to do something and keep to yourself?
I also wanted to start writing again. Not that I ever stopped. But I could not find anything to write about. Of course it would have be something interesting, otherwise no one will read it (remember the sharing concept?). It would also have to be interesting for me too, otherwise I will bore myself to death and this is supposed to be fun.
I struggled for sometime and then watched CSI.
No I am not going to get involved with any of the above (especially racing cockroaches!). It was just a reminder that I was probably spending too much time thinking about what I want to do instead of actually doing something. So now, well yesterday, I got determined, but still lacked the idea. And the idea came this morning.
I have a friend who listens to this random music called Jazz. I like Jazz; sometimes, not always, but that's another story. Anyway, he said why don't you try the '101 Things to Do Before You're Old and Boring'. The book gives you ideas and encourages you to log your experiences. This is the moment I had the flashing bulb over my head. I can do 101 things and then blog them. Sounds reasonably cool.
Actually I had already read '100 Things to do before you die'. Typical me, I read the booklet (very short read), highlighted the interesting bits and then filed it under 'Useful for quotes'. I guess you have figured the plan already. I follow the books and do what they say. Some of the stuff in this type of books can often be crazy or so improbable that they end up being crazy for my taste so I won't or I can not do them. Everything else I will blog and keep you updated of my progress.
I also wanted to start writing again. Not that I ever stopped. But I could not find anything to write about. Of course it would have be something interesting, otherwise no one will read it (remember the sharing concept?). It would also have to be interesting for me too, otherwise I will bore myself to death and this is supposed to be fun.
I struggled for sometime and then watched CSI.
Grissom: So, let's see. You surf, you scuba dive. You're into latex, you like fashion models and Marilyn Manson. And you also have a coin collection?
Greg: Weird, ha?
Grissom: Well, I race cockroaches.
No I am not going to get involved with any of the above (especially racing cockroaches!). It was just a reminder that I was probably spending too much time thinking about what I want to do instead of actually doing something. So now, well yesterday, I got determined, but still lacked the idea. And the idea came this morning.
I have a friend who listens to this random music called Jazz. I like Jazz; sometimes, not always, but that's another story. Anyway, he said why don't you try the '101 Things to Do Before You're Old and Boring'. The book gives you ideas and encourages you to log your experiences. This is the moment I had the flashing bulb over my head. I can do 101 things and then blog them. Sounds reasonably cool.
Actually I had already read '100 Things to do before you die'. Typical me, I read the booklet (very short read), highlighted the interesting bits and then filed it under 'Useful for quotes'. I guess you have figured the plan already. I follow the books and do what they say. Some of the stuff in this type of books can often be crazy or so improbable that they end up being crazy for my taste so I won't or I can not do them. Everything else I will blog and keep you updated of my progress.
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