Author: everythingkidchris

Roll Call: Woes of Character Creation [Experimentation vs Repetition]

/ everythingkidchris / Leave a comment

community animated GIF

I have played a lot of Role Playing Games. I have created and been in charge of quite a few as well. As such, I have noticed trends and common problems. I intend to discuss some of those from time to time.

Let’s face it, character creation is simultaneously one of the most entertaining and daunting aspects of picking up a new RPG. At any given time, players have a myriad of questions they need to ask themselves while diving in. Afterall, excluding any unfortunate Owlbear maulings, this will be the character you are ultimately stuck with for a majority of the campaign, if not the whole darn thing. Thus, let’s talk about some of the woes and stressors that can rear their ugly little heads during this time.

Continue reading →

Chopped Drinking Game

/ everythingkidchris / Leave a comment

I missed posting last week because, well, I was fried and generally exhausted.

What better way to come back than a guide for how to get wasted while watching people stress of making food with ridiculous ingredients?

The “Chopped” Drinking Game

Everyone knows the show “Chopped,” right? Well if you don’t, it is a Food Network show (available on Netflix) that involves four chefs competing to wow three judges making meals in three rounds: Appetizer, Entree and Dessert. The catch is that in each round they have a basket with four ingredients that MUST be included in the dish. These ingredients range from normal, everyday things to odd and sometimes gross items. At the end of each round, the judges will select one chef to be eliminated, or “Chopped,” and the remaining will proceed into the next round until only one remains at the end of the final round. This person then gets some money, which gets taxed to Bejesus and back, but we don’t care because we’re all wasted.

Let’s get drunk!

At the start, everyone playing picks a chef. Do this after the goofy little intros so everyone can get a feel for the chef’s personality and whatnot. This is your chef that you will follow until they win or are eliminated. All rules will apply to things that happen to your chef. They are your guide to the drink. On to the rules.

You drink when your chef:

  • is in the pantry
  • looks expressively nervous
  • trash talks another player (in person or in the interview)
  • says a potty word (typically, just when they’re bleeped, but you can play with all profanity if, yknow… you’re offended by shit like that)
  • receives negative feedback from a judge (this includes both the cooking phase AND the judgement phase)
  • uses the ice cream machine (it’s a big deal in Food Network shows, who knows…)
  • discusses their background (family, prison, childhood, education, etc.)
  • discusses their heritage or nationality

EVERYONE takes a drink when:

  • The odd/disgusting ingredient is revealed
  • ANY chef says something lame/cheesy/embarassing
  • (If watching on TV) Commercials!

Take FIVE drinks if your chef:

  • Cuts their hand (or other body part I guess… but… what are your other body parts doing near the food… You know what? FIVE MORE DRINKS because you picked one creepy ass chef…)
  • Gets hot oil on the face or eyes (their sorrow is our sorrow/joy)
  • Drops food on the floor (FIVE MORE if they still serve that food…. Multiple chefs have done it in the past…)
  • Leaves out an ingredient or otherwise drastically fucks up their dish

FINISH YOUR DRINK when your chef gets eliminated. Then, once you’re ready, select another chef and get ready for the next round. Anyone playing should have a chef AT ALL TIMES. If yours is eliminated, you are not out of the game, you just jump on to another team. Booze waits for no man.

Alternate rules:

  • The same thang: If two or more chefs cook ultimately the same dish, all chefs involved take a drink.
  • Wagers: Who doesn’t like gambling? This rule works especially well when watching on Netflix/YouTube. After the ingredients are shown, pause the episode. Anyone interested can make ANY sort of wager toward the round. The wager can involve anything from “I think someone is going to fry the clams” to “I think the blonde chick is going to get eliminated.” Next to your wager you place an amount of drinks (or shots, if you are a real thrill seeker….). If your wager ends up being correct, you give those drinks. If you are wrong, you take them. NOTE: it’s up to the group to keep the wagers and drink amounts reasonable. I.e. make sure nobody in the group is like “I bid 20 shots that someones uses a pan this round.” Let’s all play nice folks.
  • Nicknames: This is just how my group works, but we like to give all the chefs nicknames after their intros. Sometimes when you’ve been drinking, actual names are elusive. So watch the intros and come up with fun, often offensive nicknames for the chefs. I’m sure they’d appreciate it (except “Chef Asshat,” but I mean… he’s an asshat…)

SO there you have it. I came up with this game with the help of my friend Allison on New Years Eve a couple years ago and have since played it many times. I think. Memory isn’t what it used to be, for some reason.

FINAL NOTE: Remember to ALWAYS drink responsibly. Know your limits, know your body, and never NEVER drive while intoxicated. I enjoy the drink, but in no way am I promoting being irresponsible.

Anywho, give it a shot (hyuck) and tell me what you think.

And tell your liver I’m sorry…

~C

I Have Returned

/ everythingkidchris / Leave a comment

I am back from New York, safe and sound.

My trip was a very impromptu journey. My best friend’s grandfather passed away a week or so ago and they were heading up to NY for the burial service. They were leaving on Friday and my friend, Matt, asked me on Tuesday if I would like to join them. Having only two days notice, I did exactly what the responsible thing was:

I said yes.

You see, Matt and his mother had been doing a lot for his grandfather, in terms of taking care of him and being there for him during the final and hardest stage of his life. Its certainly not an easy thing to do, taking care of someone like that, but they handled it with strength and determination, the same drive that I’ve seen in Matt and has drawn me to him creatively for years now. However, with his grandfather’s passing I could tell one thing in my friend: that he was tired. He and his mother just needed some support: someone to crack jokes from time to time, help keep things organized, and take Matt out for drinks to unwind at the end of a busy day of being with family and dealing with logistical stuff. I don’t know how effective I was, being that I never find myself successful at anything, but I could tell on occasion that the little benefit my presence provided was at least significant enough to keep the two of them smiling. Overall, I thank them for letting me be a part of the experience and again offer my condolences for their loss.

What I take from all this is that sometimes doing something impulsive isn’t about doing something entirely selfish or leisurely. Sometimes it’s about dropping what you’re doing to help a friend. Cancel a weekend plan to help a friend move into a new place. Get out of work early because a friend broke down on the side of the road somewhere. I know I’ve talked about the importance of spontaneity on here before, and I stand behind that. However, we can’t let our rigid lives and yearning for leisure get in the way of the rewarding feeling that comes with just being there for someone. Hell, a year ago, I never would have done this. I would have been too afraid to ask off from work, or just instantly convinced myself that I couldn’t do it. But I am so glad I did, as getting to bond with one of my closest friends was exactly what I needed right now.

I wish Matt and his mother the best of luck and good health for years to come. And I want them both to know that I will gladly be there for them if ever they need me.

In Memoriam
Paul Baptist Kass
1931 – 2015

~C

The Blight of “The Casual”

/ everythingkidchris / Leave a comment

Welp, I’m off to New York. More on that later. Feels moderately irreverent to talk about it on here before hand.

What I did want to talk about is something I’ve noticed lately that has bothered me (probably more than it should).

Have you ever noticed that people are more commonly sacrificing manners and politeness in order to seem super casual and approachable? It isn’t them being outwardly rude and they are still doing their best to be nice, but they just omit certain social niceties in order to seem like “that cool guy.”

It’s like this: You go into a place of business and the clerk or an employee says “Hi there, how are you folks doing?”  and the general response would be “Great. How about yourself?” Or some variation. However, in the past few years at different jobs or just in general public I have received many different responses to that question:

  • “Livin’ the dream, my man.”
  • “Just another day in paradise”
  • “Would be better if my wife wasn’t in the hospital”
  • “Fuck Off… nah, I’m playin. I’m good.”
  • “No thanks.” (in regards to “how are you?” not even “may I help you.”

In addition, I’ve noticed people (typically men, since I am also a man: Not sure if the experience would be different in regards to women speaking with other women) rarely ever use “sir” or “ma’am” for people they don’t know and are operating in some sort of working capacity (i.e. retail, food, etc.). They opt instead for words like “buddy,” “boss,” or the ever popular “man/my man.”

It just seems odd to me that people, or “we” I suppose, spend so much time trying to break down the barrier of formality that it sometimes feels as though the people to whom we are giving our patronage haven’t earned/ don’t deserve the extra level of respect that simple choice of diction conveys. It’s odd to me that we would rather say “I’m cool and you’d want to have a beer with me” over “I respect the work you are doing and thank you for your services.”

I know it seems like a small thing, and like I said, this trend doesn’t directly correlate with blatant rudeness (though there are plenty of rude people in the world). However, it does sometimes feel demeaning, especially for younger individuals in higher ranking positions. This would bother the CRAP out of me when I was a property manager, in that dads and older residents never seemed comfortable treating me with formality, opting instead to treat me as “some kid” that they just have to do business with right now. It was unfair, often making me feel directly demeaned and disrespected simply because I was under the age of 30.

It’s simple enough, in my opinion. Thank you. Yes sir. Excuse me. Please. Easy phrases that remind individuals that you respect them, whether they’re an officer of the law, a CEO of a multi-million dollar conglomerate, or the cashier at Wal-Mart. It doesn’t matter. They wake up and have to do what they have agreed to do every day. Just remind them that you appreciate it, whether they care what you think or not. And if you frequent a place enough and learn the names of the people working there, then sure, call them “buddy” and crack lots of jokes. Do whatever you like at that point, because both you and they have reached an adequate comfort level. You have moved beyond customer/patron/employee and have instead become an acquaintance.

Just remember: Formal First, Casual Second.

~C

We Have Nothing To Fear, Yet Fear Ourselves

/ everythingkidchris / Leave a comment

I have a serious question for anyone who reads this. I honestly and truthfully want to know opinions or thoughts on this question because it really just bothers the hell out of me. My question is as follows:

When did life become more about living for society and less about living for yourself?

Or, more importantly, when did we decide to sacrifice the things that make us truthfully happy for the things that our neighbors or coworkers enjoy? Why do so many people change how they live because of the way people they’ve never met live? Why do they exercise just because movie stars always look good? Why do they read books just to have something to talk to coworkers about? Why do they alter the way their relationship works just so it will match the family in Happy Days, or whatever programs the kids today watch?

Okay, so maybe that was more than one question, but the main question remains: When did life become less about being happy and more about being average? Why do so many people live in so much fear of persecution that they toss their own joys to the wind and settle? This is something that has plagued me for years as I’ve watched my peers grow up and slowly shed their golden dream scarves (excellent band name) and adopt lives that their former selves would have scoffed at.

Now, don’t think for a second that I am so naïve that I choose to believe that larger persecutions such as those on Religion or Race are things we can simply dash with a few poignant words. I understand that in any country where there exists majority and minority (excluding portions of Russia where there is a majority of cold and a minority of fun and the two seem to work hand-in-hand), there will be some form of persecution or conflict between the two groups. This will remain true until the day we resemble the androgynous Thermians from Galaxy Quest. Now, I may have made the jump from naïve to cynic, but in no way am I saying we shouldn’t at least try to nurse the wounds caused by such persecution. I merely mean to say that a look at the human condition shows that a group in power will almost always persecute weaker (politically or economically) or more sparse groups in order to maintain that power until the day when the two groups become similar, either in population or literal description. Thus, I want to point out that this post is not about the persecutions that run incredibly deep, such as Race, Sexuality and Religion. That’s a strong topic for another post. This is more an analysis at how the nature of persecution has seeped into the very heart of most men and women, creating a society wherein most people are persecuting themselves in fear of not fitting into the world around them.

As people go through life, we are constantly met by choices. These choices range from life-changing to choosing today’s socks, but they all cross through the same avenues in our brain. A choice usually begins down an avenue of our own preference, then continues to a brief look into the past, an analysis/prediction of the future and finally a look at factors in our present world that might affect our choice. For instance, when I wake up and mosey over to the basket where I keep my plethora of socks my first thought is that I prefer softer, thinner socks. I will then recall which socks I have worn recently and check to make sure I won’t be needing any socks for future engagements (i.e. black socks for a suit and tie day). Having mostly decided on a pair of thin white socks, I will then recall that the weather forecast has stated that it is going to be quite chilly, so I will instead choose a thicker pair of socks. Done. Decision over. Obviously, decisions with more of an impact can take much longer in any particular stage or can even address multiple stages at once. For instance, a decision about a relationship usually spends a large amount of time in the past whereas a decision about a job will spend much of its time in the future. Recently, this process has seen a new addition, a freshly installed bureau of affairs that must process all new arrivals. We now pass through the office of Society. We now judge every decision on how normal or abnormal the result will be. When looking at jobs, we fear not that we won’t get the job, but we fear that the failure will sever us from the average. We fear that being unemployed will make us abnormal. As we get older, we worry about not having a relationship not simply because we feel lonely, but because we are afraid of what our friends, family and strangers will think of us. It even affects our more superficial decisions, from hairstyles to clothing. From pets to apartments. From food to television shows. We are constantly rating our own decisions against those of society. Constantly wanting to fit the mold for average and afraid of taking risks that might result in our failure to conform.

Now, everyone who has been reading this is thinking one of two things. First, your brain is telling you “damn, we really need to watch Galaxy Quest again.” Second, you are screaming out at me with rebellious fervor. You are shouting, “I am not a conformist! I fit no molds! I am a member of generation X and drink Pepsi and love to skateboard and bask in my youth!” I respect you, ye gentle Lords and Ladies of uniqueness, I do. But let’s look at a scenario for a second. Say you buy a new shirt and you think you look absolutely gorgeous in it. You wear it to work/school/social function the next day. How would you feel if a) people blatantly showed disregard/disgust for your new shirt, b) people went out of their way to compliment you on your shirt choice, or c) nobody said a damn thing. If you peaked even slightly on your emotional scale for any of these, then you may not be as free from society’s grasp as you think. And, true, maybe you honestly don’t care what people think about your clothes. Replace the shirt with anything and it still holds true. What about if you were out on the town with your new guy/gal? Or driving your new car around? Or just got your hair cut? Or showing people your new business cards with your fancy new job title on them? If you place a heavy weight in the attention of others, either positive or negative, then you are not the rebellious punk God that you hoped to be. And maybe you honestly just don’t care, and Society has let you slip through its fingers. Well, answer me this: What are your friends like? Who are your role models? What books do you read or TV shows do you watch? More importantly, do all the major influences in your life have ultimately the same outlook on life as you? Nonconformity in groups is still conformity. Just because you and all your friends are too outside of society to vote, it doesn’t make you that rebellious if you all constantly listen to the exact same Gogol Bordello album on repeat.

So what are we doing to ourselves? I personally believe that our Super-egos have gotten moderately out of hand. We no longer have three levels of psyche. The id and ego have been drastically crammed together and represent mostly the same thing, with one presenting itself more forcefully at different times a la the Incredible Hulk. On the back of this feeble creature of dual personality rides the fat, pompous super ego, his bulbous belly ripe with the spoils of his recent feast of media, society and, most decadent of all, E! News. Our psyche is now rigidly controlled, whether we decide to conform to the average or conform to the nonconforming. Every move is watched by the elements that fill our brain. We take less risks. We’re less impulsive. We no longer live in the moment, but live more in a place of over-exaggerated past and paranoid future. Constantly, we fear the repercussions that society may enact should we make the wrong decisions. This fear has made us, as a whole, complacent and weak, settled in our position of slaves to a mindless, faceless entity that exists only inside of our own minds.

A few final thoughts:

First, I truly believe that there are plenty of people who are actually capable of living outside of this control. Do I think I am one? Not in the slightest. I recognize that I am a victim of the same circumstance I have just described, but I am trying to break myself of it. Second, you may be wondering what I think has caused this, and honestly I’m not sure. My hunches would be the influence of media and the cult of the celebrity. I personally believe that this slavery to ourselves is a result of the importance that we place in people whose ‘job’ it is to look nice as often as possible. These folks, in many ways are REQUIRED to be presentable whenever possible. Now, I have nothing against celebrities, I simply have a problem with how we try to adopt celebrity culture into everyday life. This results in a society full of people who imagine themselves as characters in their own TV series or stars of their own film. Our existence in the hyperreal is, in my opinion, the largest catalyst at work here. I feel this is exacerbated by Social Media, which allows various third parties direct access to our lives much easier than was ever possible in the past. Finally, I also do believe that this is mainly a problem in Western Society, and more specifically a problem in America. Though there are signs of self persecution in other countries, it usually takes on a different tone or has a much different cultural origin than it does here in the States. I am in no way an America basher, in fact I love the hell out of this country. I just hate seeing what’s happening to it.

So remember: Don’t resist doing things because you want to do them. Obviously, this doesn’t mean break the law because it felt right, but don’t let the opinions or concerns of others dictate your life. Be impulsive from time to time. Go to the gym and juice your pecs because you felt like it, not because your girlfriend keeps talking about Chris Hemsworth. Eat a burger from time to time and then diet because you want to for you. Take a day off from work to focus on your personal mental health. We need to stop fearing society, because we ARE society. We’re only fearing what we’re capable of. We’re afraid of what we can accomplish. Without that fear, the world is yours. Regain your psyche and take back your life.

~C

What do you think is causing this self persecution? Do you feel this problem is getting worse or better? Was I completely off base? Are you all about that bass? Let me know.

More Like BORED Games…

/ everythingkidchris / Leave a comment

Let’s face facts, the classics never die, but they also never really improve to awesome. There’s only so many times you play 6 hours of Monopoly only to land on someone’s Boardwalk with like fifty hotels as they smirk and go “uh oh, I don’t think you’ll have enough” and all you want to do is punch them in their stupid face but you can’t because it’s your nephew and he’s like 5, which stings even more.

Well, as my continuing attempt to improve the world, I have come up with a few variations on classic games to make them, I don’t know… more… creative, I suppose. (Note: These are probably more enjoyable with booze)

Here it is. My List of Variations on Classic Boardgames (that there’s a Google line, yessir):

reactiongifs animated GIF

Co-opoly:

  • Need: One copy of Monopoly (any variation), 4 or 6 players, two unclaimed game pieces (two different coins would also work)
  • Summary: Players will form businesses and acquire property from a collective pool of money. A randomly controlled piece will represent the fluctuating nature of the economy, and ultimately screw some people over.
  • Rules:
  • Split into two/three teams of two.
  • Divvy out the money as per the core Monopoly rules, giving each player the designated amount of bills, however each teammate’s money will ultimately be combined to form that team’s money pool.
  • Come up with goofy team names, preferably representing your business name.
  • Each player needs their own game piece despite being on a team. They will move across the board individually and be able to buy property and whatnot on their own. However, their money for these activities will come from their team money, meaning it would be important for them to discuss any acquisitions with their business partner.
  • NOTE: This is why it is important for team money to be combined, despite players still moving and acting individually.
  • Team order should progress so that one member of each team goes before the member of the other team. Thus, with two teams, the order would be ABAB, and with three it would be ABCABC
  • The game proceeds like normal, going until only one business is not bankrupt or until players are bored and it’s 5 in the morning.
  • There are three main rule changes:
  • Jail- If one player ends up in jail, they are in there for some sort of corporate fraud or insider trading. As such, their teammate is an accomplice. The player in jail has three rounds to roll doubles with no option to pay a $50 fine to get out of jail. After those three rounds, their partner joins them in jail as an accomplice. Both players now have three rounds to get out of jail or can pay a joint ($50 x 2 = $100) fine. One player may not leave jail without the other, so if one player decides to skip the rolling, he must also post bail for his partner. If they fail to roll doubles after three rounds, they have to play the $100 fine.
  • Swedish Bank Account- If a player lands on any space that provides them with money (I.E. Chance Cards, Passing “GO,” Free Parking, Etc.) They have the option to set aside any portion of this money as their “luxury fund.” Essentially, this money can come in and out of play at that players leisure and represents their personal bank account. All payments for property tax and whatnot will come directly from the company’s funds, but the players with private accounts can supplement their company’s account as they see fit. At the end of the game, if a player’s company goes belly up and she has more personal funds than her teammate, then she gets the pleasure of having lost less than her partner and can rub it in his face that he’s in the poor house and she is sipping pina coladas in Maui. There is little benefit to the private accounts except to help regulate funds, keep money from an over-eager partner, and to have some sweet bragging points to ruin a friendship. However, if a player’s partner feels that person is setting aside too much and not investing back into their company, they can have that person arrested for laundering. The whole thing goes to court, which is represented by both players rolling a D6. If the defendant rolls higher, they have to pay a $200 payment for lawyer fees, but ultimately get off scot-free. However, if the accuser rolls higher, then the defendant goes to jail for D6 turns and all their private account is dispersed, with half going into the bank and half going to charity funds (Free Parking). The company has to pay $100 to the bank for lawyer fees.
  • Boom and Recession- These economic cycles are represented by the two unclaimed game pieces on the board. The Boom piece moves anytime doubles are rolled (even if rolled by a player in jail). It moves the amount rolled. If Boom lands on a space owned by a player it provides that player with 2D6 x 10 dollars (for example, if it rolls a 5, the company gets $50). On a roll of doubles, that player can chose to either A) take $$$, B) place a house on that space for half price or C) take a chance card. If Boom lands on a space with a player, that player receives $200, like passing GO. The Recession piece moves every time a 6 is rolled. Unlike the Boom, the Recession rolls a separate movement die, which is one D6. If the Recession lands on a place owned by a player company, that company loses 2D6 x 10 dollars (for example, if it rolls a 5, the company loses $50). On a roll of doubles, disaster has occurred and the space loses one house in addition to the amount displayed on the dice (if a space has a hotel, it is reverted down to four houses). If the Recession lands on the same space as a player, that player loses 1D6 x 100 (so, on a roll of 5, that player loses $500). On a roll of 6, the company is being audited and players can either A) pay the $600 or B) go to jail.

Jules Winnfield the Game:

  • Needs: A Copy of Guess Who, 2/4 players, booze
  • Summary: Players compete in a charades style game of Guess Who, where the only thing they can ask is “Does he look like a bitch?” with different body language and inflection to accompany.
  • Rules:
  • Game plays exactly like a game of guess who, where opposing players take turns trying to guess the character that the other player selected by asking relevant questions.
  • However, these players are all taking the role of Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction and can thus only ask the all important question “Does he look like a bitch?”
  • It’s up to them to use proper inflection and body language to relay what their actual questions is, and it’s up to the person across from them to understand it.
  • Play continues until one player reduces their board to all but one character. They then shout “DOES Character Name LOOK LIKE A BITCH!” If they are correct, they win. If they are wrong, they lose.
  • A 3rd and 4th player may be added as teammates who work as spotters to streamline the game a bit. These spotters will sit with the opponent of their team and watch. If at any point the opponent drops the tile for the character your team has selected, the spotter will call it out and the opponent automatically loses. The addition of the spotter is simply to end the game early if there is any miscommnication.
  • This game will most DEFINITELY result in a lot of people not guessing correctly. It’s more fun for the rare chance that someone actually succeeds.
  • With the above note, this would probably be more fun with alcohol involved.

mfw animated GIF

Anti-Trust-Opoly:

  • Needs: Two copies of Monopoly, 4-6 players
  • Summary: Players compete with one person (representing the Big Corporation) has considerably more funds and resources than the others
  • Rules:
  • Decide who will be playing the Big Corporation; all other players will be the Small Businesses
  • Divvy out the money to all the Small Businesses as per the Monopoly rules. The Big Corporation player will get X times the starting amount, where X equals the amount of Small Businesses (Thus, if there are 4 Small Business players, the Big Corporation starts with 4 times the starting amount). This is why you need two copies of monopoly, because you will probably need to let the Big Corporation player have his own set money.
  • Remove all “get out of jail free” cards from the decks
  • Each Small Business starts with one randomly selected property in their control. The Big Corporation player should be the one to shuffle and distribute these properties.
  • The Big Corporation will always go first and the play order proceeds clockwise from that player
  • Jail- if the Big Corporation goes to jail, they follow the same rules as found in classic Monopoly. If the Small Businesses go to jail, they have three turns to roll doubles. If they fail, they must give a property (randomly selected) to the Big Corporation. If they do not have any property, they are considered bankrupt and are out of the game.
  • The Big Corporation wins if they own X complete sets of properties, where X equals the original number of Small Businesses. A complete set is when a player owns every card in a particular color, railroad or utility.
  • If a player is knocked out of the game, the Big Corporation DOES NOT now have to collect one less complete set. The number is based on how many Small Businesses were present AT START OF GAME
  • The Big Corporation CANNOT include the two utilities as their complete sets. They may still buy these, but they cannot win with them.
  • The Big Corporation also wins if all Small Businesses are bankrupted.
  • The Small Businesses win if they bankrupt the Big Corporation or if each Small Business owns a complete set and can hold on to them for three rounds. In other words, once the last Small Business to acquire a complete set purchases their last needed card, it must make it fully around the turn order to that person three times without a) a Small Business losing a property b) the Big Corporation gaining the required amount of complete sets. The person who was last to complete a set will be the last player to go.
  • If one person is knocked out of the game, and the remaining businesses all have complete sets, this begins the win scenario. The three turns will begin with the next Small Business player to go after the player is eliminated.
  • The Small Businesses CAN include the Utilities as their complete sets.
  • If at any point a Small Business manages to meet the win condition for the Big Corporation, their business has become a Big Corporation and immediately defeats all other players (i.e. if a Small Business collects X complete sets, they have ousted the original Corporation as dominant and instantly win the game, screwing over the smaller, weaker businesses that once were their compatriots).
  • NOTE: Though small businesses are technically on a team, they are still REQUIRED to pay when landing on another player’s property. They may be friends, but this is business, people…

Reflecting on Life:

  • Needs: One copy of The Game of Life
  • Summary: Now aged and resting, players reminisce on their lives leading up to their current situation.
  • Rules:
  • The focus of this game is more to be narrative and silly than have a defined winner and loser
  • Players take on the roles of elderly people sitting around a table reminiscing about their lives.
  • At the start of the game, each player selects a piece, randomly chooses an occupation, and selects how many kids they want or if they have a spouse, and randomly selects a house.
  • Play proceeds as is usual in this game, except players will be moving backwards across the board, starting at what is typically the finish.
  • Players need to be in character and narrate as things happen in their lives. All cards involving career or housing change happen in reverse (i.e. changing jobs, you will explain why you went from being a doctor [your new card] to being a plumber [your starter card])
  • Any acquisition of large sums of money must also come with a story of how you lost that money in the past.
  • Landing on marriage or child related spaces result in a loss of that family piece.
  • The fun of this game comes from the stories you make up and the fact that INEVITABLY something won’t match up. Say, for instance, someone starts with only two kids, but then draws lands on ANOTHER kid space, having no kids to remove. This should be narrated with some sort of funny anecdote like “A yes, my eldest child, Bernie. I try to forget about Bernie. On account of his tastes in men. Or something to that effect.
  • This is more a narrative, role playing type game akin to Fiasco and other freeform RPG’s. Players should feel free to go crazy and have fun with their characters.

I might have more at some point, but this is all for now. Get out there and play!

~C

A Guide to Comics: Marvel Women Part 3

/ everythingkidchris / 2 Comments

Welcome back, ladies.

Marvel Men: 1  2  3

Marvel Women: 1  2

Thor
  • Character Summary: At time of writing, actual identity is unknown (and even after it’s revealed I won’t mention it here because, come on now… spoilers); A mysterious woman who lifted Mjolnir and took over the mantel of Thor, who lost his ability to hold Mjolir due to an equally mysterious series of sneaky whispers (fo’ real); “Lady” Thor is presented as much more than that, or rather more than just a “Lady” version of regular Thor; In fact, it is laid out multiple times in the comic that she is not a woman with the Thor title, but rather is ACTUALLY Thor, with all the powers, respect and responsibility that comes along with being so; The writers have a done a decent enough job not making this Thor seem any less capable than the original, putting her in similar scenarios as the previous Thor would often find himself in; All in all, the series is still very new, but I seriously hope that it’s popularity is sustained even after the identity is revealed.
  • Common Themes: Adapting to new powers; Secret Identities; Trust; Obligations and Responsibilities
  • Good For: Thor Fans; Fantasy Fans; People interested in VERY powerful female superheroes
  • Go To Series: Only the one right now, but THORS comes out in May as part of the Secret Wars Crossover
  • Stand Out Stories: Still making them!
…

Jean Grey/Phoenix

  • Character Summary: Jean Grey, Omega Level Mutant Telepath/Telekenetic; Admittedly, Jean breaches my rule of avoiding characters who are mainly attached to a team; Jean doesn’t have too many solo arcs, and honestly, that’s why I’m including her; As a character, Jean has a lot of depth and intrigue; She is a vessel and avatar for an interstellar entity known as the Phoenix Force, which is a being of pure energy that feeds on creation and destruction; She has severe relationship issues thanks to her time with X-men and is generally constantly on edge due to the massive amounts of destructive power that flows inside her; HOWEVER, throughout much of the runs of the comics, Jean is mainly used as a plot device; She is strong when she needs to be and weak when the writers need her to be; She also stands as one of the primary examples of a comic book cliche- the inability to actually die; Jean has died and come back a number of times, which is usually attributed to her ties to the Phoenix; Ultimately, Jean Grey stories are worth a read because A) Jean is actually a really cool/powerful character and B) they often represent some of the mistakes that can and have been made in comics [This isn’t to say all Jean comics are bad, just that, much like Ms Marvel, Jean suffered in the beginning from the era of writing]. AS A SIDE NOTE: I prefer Jean Grey from the Ultimate universe; She is more tough, more badass, and a bit nerfed power-wise.
  • Common Themes: Power and Control; Relationships for Heroes; Separation from Society
  • Good For: X-Men fans; Hero team fans; People who like the tension of unstable heroes
  • Go To Series: X-Men (Vol 2); New X-Men (Vol 1); Ultimate X-Men; All New X-Men
  • Stand Out Stories: Endsong; New X-Men #150; Phoenix Saga; Dark Phoenix Saga

Continue reading →

Been Ramblin’

/ everythingkidchris / 1 Comment

Image result for moving right along gif

Good Morning, all!

Sorry I’ve been away. Went on my honeymoon recently and between travelling and sight-seeing, hadn’t had much time to produce any posts. But I’m here now, so everything is right with the world.

The wifey and I decided that for our honeymoon we wanted to take a road trip, experience some places we hadn’t been before. So we traveled up the coast to Philadelphia and Boston, then hit the Outer Banks on our way back down. It was an awesome experience, though definitely a cold one for our sun-soaked Florida bones.

We mostly just hung out in the cities. Did a handful of touristy things: Got a cheesesteak in Philly, went to Walden Pond, walked around Harvard and gawked at students, etc. But mostly, we just hung out: checking out bars and shops, finding hole in the wall restaurants, and just generally enjoying ourselves. One thing we decided a long time ago (and this may be why we get along so well) is that we love travel, but we don’t feel like travelling benefits from being held to a rigid itinerary.

Sure, any time you visit a place, you should have a definite list of things you want to do, but by no means should you plot out every hour of every day. The experience benefits from being allowed to be more free-form, more organic. And really, that’s what travel is all about: An exciting, unpredictable experience. Not that an overplanned trip wouldn’t be fun at points, but it just feels so formulaic, so rigid. When you travel, you should be open to surprises, to new and exciting adventures. Be impulsive once in a while. Get lost somewhere. Not knowing what might be around the next corner just makes the experience that much richer.

For me, experiences are everything. Again, that’s why Tee and I decided on a roadtrip. The journey and voyage are more important to us than just a few nights at a luxury hotel on a beach or at a theme park. Seeing new things, meeting new people, and experiencing something different is much more important. All in all, we just love to travel, so much so that for the past few years, we have opted out of getting each other physical Christmas presents so that we can instead use the money on a holiday time adventure. Wanderlust is our friend.

To end this post on my typical weird note, I did notice something interesting on our travels. Each state has a certain theme in the billboards that you find along the road. Obviously, not all billboards are about one singular topic, but some states have billboards that appear much more frequently than ads for food places and truck stops. Here’s a quick list of some of the weird ones:

Florida – Anti-Abortion
Maryland – Human Trafficking
New Jersey – Anti-Vaccine
Massachusetts – People just generally being shot
South Carolina – Canned Goods

Seriously, there was a sign about canned something every single mile in South Carolina. It’s like nobody in SC eats anything unless it comes from a can. It was crazy.

~C

Life Rushing At Me

/ everythingkidchris / 1 Comment
batman animated GIF

Symbolism?

It’s been a busy year so far.

I awoke this morning to news that I now have two brand new baby nieces. My brother and his wife just brought two beautiful twin girls into the world, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Also, twins, which is pretty cool. I’ve known a handful of twins in my life, but never been related to any. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me but that is kind of exciting.

And today I find myself reflecting on my life and the things that have happened to me, even just those of this year. Not a few weeks ago I got married to someone I have been with for almost a third of my life already (good Lord…) and now that I’m far enough away from the moment, the details flood in to me. Maybe it’s just me being me, but I look at all the things I would do differently about the wedding, small details mostly, as I actually found the entire thing to be very close to perfect and very much “us” in terms of the general feel of the day. Like, I would have moved the dancing inside and out of the sun. I probably would have enjoyed the food more (I never got a damn omelette). I think about and wonder how that day will stick in my memory, especially with the fact that my brother was not able to be there. He decided it was better to be at home with his pregnant wife, and I agreed with him. He made a rational, adult decision and I supported him 100%, but you never see yourself getting married without your closest family member by your side.

And I realize we aren’t as close as we once were, when we were young. It’s nobody’s fault per se, just how things turned out. My brother is in the Air Force and is moving all over the country. Between that and my general hatred of phone calls, we don’t talk much, and we see each other considerably less. Granted, every time we actually do get to spend time together, it is the definition of fun. We crack jokes, laugh, mess with our mom, typical brother stuff. I love the holidays and vacations and whatnot where for a few days it feels like nothing has changed.

But now his job has him moving way out to North Dakota, and I can’t help but wonder what this means. And I can’t help but feel angry that my ability to spend time with my family is being affected this way.

I really wanted to have some presence in the lives of my nieces and nephews during their formative years. And now I’m worried I’ll be relegated to “cool Uncle Chris: the guy we see once every two years or so, mainly just because he lives near Disney World.”

And it makes me angry. It does. At nobody in particular. Just at life in general.

I don’t make this post to cheapen anything that’s happened or make anyone feel bad. I guess it’s just good to reflect on reality from time to time. Too often due to the fictional discourses around us are we prone to flights of romance and high hopes. We expect every event and happenstance in our life to share the same magical allure as it does on the page or the TV screen. But more often than not, it doesn’t. Someone can’t make the important event in your life and you have to accept it. Someone goes to war and doesn’t come back. Someone forgets something important to you and your relationship isn’t improved from the experience. Someone moves away and you drift apart. Fights occur and are never reconciled. You don’t get that perfect job.

Though doleful, these are things that can make us better in the long run. Reality isn’t entirely just a bundle of disappointments, one after the other. It’s on us to look to the positives, and if we can’t find any nearby to make our own damn happiness. We can be made stronger by our reaction to things, not by having only fortune and order everyday. That makes us weak, placated. That puts us in a worse position when something does go differently than expected. We have to adapt and take things as they come, and thus I appreciate life for it’s elegant directness, it’s unabashed disregard for our daily itinerary. Reality’s beauty is in it’s inability to be what you expect, to sometimes defy plans and predictions.

I want to end by saying how happy I am for Alex and Brittany and their new baby girls. I am so excited for the chance to meet them, whenever that may be. And though he can’t read this (because he’s two), I just want to tell Ben that I know he’ll be a fantastic older brother.

Because he’ll learn from the best.

Welcome to the world, Sadie and Daisy

10982136_10101242550221653_373695694809748852_n

~C