Friday, November 21, 2008

Top 5 things I like about lists

So this week in my Decision Analysis class, the topic of how to make a decision based on several factors was brought up as an example for some theory/equation. This got me thinking on what I really want in a house, so I asked my classmate Kate Servais what her top five things she would rate a house on, (if she were to buy one). This sparked a series of lists rating our top 5 of everything from people to Thanksgiving activities. The lists were in no particular order except for the order they were thought in.

My Top 5 favorite things about Winter:
1. The quiet peacefulness-there is less people out, less wildlife, even the wind sounds bare
2. Winter Sports-A little broad, but if I could pic one, it would be broomball.
3. The Holiday Season-I love the holidays, a lot. A full month of being joyous for no reason, hell yes, sign me up.
4. Hoar Frosts-Where I live, a good frost comes along and it's more magical than Narnia.
5. The appreciation of Spring- Without a good winter, Spring would never seem so amazing. Especially in Madison where people get soo cramped up in their places and then burst out on the first warm day above 40.

In doing so, I have found that list are a great way for us to think about how we truly feel about something, or maybe more importantly, how we want to feel about something. Theses lists were made as a declaration of my views, beliefs, morals, and goals. Such high important things in life, one could only hope, are filled with the right stuff.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

When games evolve.

During a recent medical tiff, I was left to wander Madison with a alcohol restriction. Being a homebrewer, host of a beer talk show, and part of a beer club, this was a challenge, not to mention it being football season in Madison. I still chose to attend all festivities and bars, just with a stronger focus on soda. It was here that I noticed how everyone has their own "house rules" to some very standard games, and more so, people have turned anything and everything into a drinking game. From this, I created Evolution, a drinking game in which the rules constantly change to best suit the players.
The game starts with a simple chug race of one can of beer. The winner gets to evolve the rules of the game. You can not make twenty new rules at once, as evolution takes time. An Example: So after say 10 rounds, the game becomes fill a glass 1/5 with beer, cheers, drink, and then flip the cup. It seems as though the game has evolved into flipcup. But now the winners wants a twist. The next round is quite similar, only it is teams of two. With a person on his back, he must cheers, drink, and now have the person on his back flip the cup. The game goes on and on until no one wants to play anymore.
The best part of this game is it quickly becomes tailored to the specific crowd and environment. If people are out on a lake, there may be a swimming to a raft addition. If the group doesn't want to get too intoxicated or slow the pace down, more team events and smaller quantities of beer can be entered into the rules.
The game was first played November 14th in Madison, Wisconsin.