Category Archives: Entertainment

One. Two. Three. Super Destructo!

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As promised, here are the rules to the Energy Game. While it looks complicated, it’s not. The entire time keep Rock, Paper, Scissors in mind and things will work out just fine.

Rounds
This is a two-person, multi-round game. During each round you can perform one move. Rounds are separted by the chant “One. Two. Three.” Each player chants before declaring his move while bumping both hands in a fist as you might during Rock, Paper, Scissors. Each move has an associated hand gesture. To complete a move, a player must vocally declare hsi move and execute the associated hand gesture to signify his move. The following is an example of what one player might say for two rounds’ worth of moves:

One. Two. Three. Energy! (first round.)
One. Two. Three. Block! (second round.)

Offensive Moves
There are three types of offensive moves. They are Punch, Double-punch, and Super Destructo. Each offensive move costs points from your energy bank (to be discussed below).

A single Punch costs one energy point; a Double-punch, two; and Super Destructo, three. A Punch beats Energy. A Double-punch beats a single Punch. Super Destructo, being an unblockable, defeats everything (including block).

The corresponding hand gestures are:
Punch, one fist forward,
Double-punch, two fists forward,
Super Destructo, lasso motion over the player’s head.

Defensive Moves
The only defensive move in the game is called Block. When calling Block, a player must form a cross with his arms. A Block successfully counters a Punch or Double Punch. It had no effect on Energy. A Super Destructo beats a Block. A player may block at any time. It neither costs or gains the player Energy.

Energy
In order to play any of the offensive moves, a player must first have the requisite amount of Energy in his Energy Bank. To place a unit of Energy in the Energy Bank, a player must call Energy! as his move. Be wary, however, as this is the only time when a player is vulnerable to a normal attack. To play Energy, a player calls out Energy! accompanied with a single double-fist hand pump.

Example Game 1
One. Two. Three. (1) Energy! (2) Energy!
One. Two. Three. (1) Energy! (2) Punch!
Player Two wins.

Example Game 1
One. Two. Three. (1) Energy! (2) Energy!
One. Two. Three. (1) Energy! (2) Block!
One. Two. Three. (1) Punch! &nbsp(2) Block!
One. Two. Three. (1) Punch! &nbsp(2) Energy!
Player One wins.

I hope this adequately explains the Energy Game. Go out and play it now! It’s a great energizer, spectator sport, ice breaker, and parent. Do it up, yo.

Backstreets, Sausage, and Particles

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Time for an update. On Sunday, Marion, Yan, and I trucked down to the Tweeter Center to see the Backstreet Boys on the Never Gone tour. As I’ve been telling people who’ve asked, I felt either too old or not old enough. Due to the weather, they closed the lawn and pushed everyone underneath the canopy. It was difficult, but I manage not to graze arms with the fourteen year old girls to my side. My neck and back were slightly strained as a result but are better now.

The crowd cheered, loudly, at unpredictable moments. Two patterns did emerge, however. Each time AJ sang, the crowd screamed, perhaps to continuously congratulate his laying off the coke for the past three and a half years. They acted similarly whenever Nick sang, perhaps because he was drunk. For being twenty-five he looks old. Also, he had accumulated enough sweat to warrant what the kids on the street call “swass” by the end of the first song. Oh, Nick, for shame.

Being with Marion and Yan at a Backstreet Boys concert was surreal. Even the car ride down was something of a trip. These are the sorts who, upon learning that Brian and Kevin were to be married (not to each other), they were excused from class to the library to cry. (This is anecdotal Yan, not Marion, though her dedication is equally complete.)

I spent Monday recovering at Paul’s, playing with his daughter Grace and chatting with Ellen. John Ardry and I headed over for lunch and stayed through dinner. I usually take Rte. 1. As Paul usually takes 93, I tried my hand at it, too. Neither John nor I knew the way, and as Paul had conveniently washed his cell phone with the laundry earlier that day, we had no real way of asking for directions. An hour later, we found the place.

The eats were good. Nothing less should be expected. Paul and Ellen pride themselves on their food. Well, perhaps that isn’t so. I pride them on their food. And I’m very appreciative for their hospitality. I left with a plate of meat and a bag of baked goods. Remind me to divie them up with John. [I left everything in my car last night in order to get to seminar less late; I was really late nonetheless. Sorry, Ian.]

Meanwhile, Sunday, before the concert, Verena was back in Cambridge after her European tour just in time to go on a particle physcists’ from the Northeast retreat on the Cape. She just called after day two. I’m glad I’m applying to math graduate school and not physics. We don’t program too much, so at least we won’t have to compete based on that.

I would like to go to the Cape, though. Instead I’m heading over to Jamaica Plain with Michelle. Maybe I’ll hijack her to Eastham afterward.

Gene Wilder Must Be Turning in His Grave.

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DJ and I missed the maitenée showings of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and so, payed too much. I don’t blame Johnny Depp, although perhaps I should, for this disappointing rendition of the movie classic. The problem stems from a poor script. This Willy is dull-witted, poorly timed, caught up in a flashback fight with his father.

Wilder was smart. Slow. Wonderful. He didn’t rely on CG tricks. He provided the tricks. You can’t tell if he’s lying or not, ever.

This Wonka is a confused, pale child who’s completely disillusioned with the human experience. The message is much more grim than the original and “The psychological math is rudimentary and borders on insulting.”

Anyway, go see it and regret it.

Afterward, I played with some new friends Araksya and Jordan well passed dawn. I hope we can spend some quality Arrested Development time together this summer.

More on Spin Structures.

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I’ve started taking notes from another book on spin stuff and Dirac operators. You can find notes on Jan Cnops’ book under my intuitively titled “Notes” section found in the navigation of every page on this site. Goodness, XML is painlessly effective sometimes.

Also, yesterday a troop of us headed down to Four Seas Ice Cream, Nauset Light Beach, Salt Pond, and a Lobster Shanty. Afterwards DJ and I saw Fantastic Four at the theater on the Commons. Mary Eagle saw it last night, too, but with her brother, and in Providence. I’d say more, but I still owe you pictures of Cara. (Yes, in my previous post I believe I wrote Clara. That’s not her name, Cara is. Promise.)