If you use OpenOffice, I highly recommend upgrading to version 2.2. Autokerning is now enabled by default. It makes a noticeable difference in making documents easier on the eyes.

I tried out the Folding@Home client on my Playstation 3. It is interesting to watch the ball-n-stick molecule model twist in real-time. In the background is a rotating Earth with points of lights around cities. The program caused my PS3 to run hot. The fan was so loud I had difficulty getting to sleep. I decided to move the PS3 out of its shelf in the entertainment center and place it on top where it can get better air circulation.

I believe the trouble with my Linux box is the Ethernet adapter card. Since NewEgg didn’t have the Intel card I wanted I decided to get a Trendnet TEG-PCITXR gigabit Ethernet card. It is supposed to have good Linux support. Does anybody have experience with this card?

I am helping to write the Spycraft LARP (Live Action Role-playing) game for DieCon 7. I set up a Wiki for the all of the authors to use. I have spent the better part of the past week creating pages for last year’s characters and brainstorming pages for this year’s game. I’m a little disappointed that the organizers don’t have more of a sense of urgency since the game is close to eight weeks away. Last week I changed my plans in order to get together with the others. I didn’t hear anything so I contacted one of them who told me the meeting wasn’t going to happen. Frustrating! Ah well, I gotta tell myself I am only volunteering my help. If I was in charge of getting the game together, I would do things differently.

I had fun at DieCon 6 this past weekend. I was good to see all of my buddies. I had a blast playing Rock High, a role playing game based on a high school full of mutants, and the Spycraft LARP. I lugged around a backpack full of books. That was mistake. I had serious back pain yesterday and self-treated it with ice packs and aspirin. Today it was a little better. I called in sick to work and am nursing my back with heat packs and Aleve. I hope to be well enough to limp my lame self around the office tomorrow.

The weekend before last I took my boss’ sister to a tribute show at Pops. That’s the closest I’ve come to a date in a long time. We had fun watching the tribute acts to Kiss, AC/DC and Ozzy. The Kiss tribute band had a lady who stood out front of the stage and translated the show in sign language. It was interesting to watch Kiss lyrics being signed by a cute blonde woman. The AC/DC band was good. The Ozzy band played a few too many obscure tunes for my taste, but still did a decent job.

DieCon 6 starts Friday, June 2 and runs through Sunday, June 4. It is an annual gaming-only convention held at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville IL, which is a short drive from St Louis MO. This is not a poker tournament where you gamble away your hard earned money. It is all about having fun without paying too much.

This year’s Gaming Guest of Honor is Patrick Kapera. I had the honor of meeting Patrick at GenCon last year. He is a talented game designer whose author credits include Spycraft. Word is that he is making a cameo in this year’s Spycraft Interactive (LARP).

I played a few friends in a game of Settlers of Catan last night. I won the game, which was the second one I’ve ever played. I got lucky and acquired points early. That made me a target but also psyched out the other players. Isn’t it interesting how sometimes part of a game is playing the players?

I met with Jason to help with the newly formed Atomic Squash Productions. We are putting together next year’s Spycraft LARP for Die Con 6. I’ll post more details in the future.

This past weekend I went to DieCon 5. My buddy Jason ran a Spycraft LARP Saturday night. We had fun. It was a casino story that took place on a boat. I was a deep cover operative working as a bodyguard for a boss named Hugo Gauge. Ultimately my cover was blown. Boss Gauge took me out in a fight that started by him shooting a flamethrower cigar at me. I kid you not!

I look forward to next year’s DieCon and the SpyCraft LARP. For now I am making plans for this year’s GenCon Indy

Last weekend I attended DieCon 4. As luck would have it my first game Kobolds Ate My Baby! was cancelled. I found a few friends playing Command Decision. The game master graciously let me join the game. I ended up playing that game the rest of the convention.

Command Decision is a modern-day miniatures war game. The game master says that he also runs these scenarios to train military people to face difficult command decisions.

The detail of the tanks and landscape was incredible. I have included some pictures to give a sense of scale and the detail in this game. Every detail was covered down to the railroad crossing signs and other road signs. My tanks even had a small crest painted on them.

My role was to play the Croatian defense. The U.N. was played by several other players including troops from the United States, Germany, Russia and France. My goal was to prevent the refugees from leaving the town and heading to Croatia.

The game played out over a day and a half. Even though I was massively outgunned I was secretly aided by the Russian player. I successfully blew up the one bridge leading into the town making it difficult for the Ohio National Guard player to move his tanks in.

It was tense at moments. The game master made sure each of us felt the pressure of having to make critical decisions. We got into the game, had a few laughs and pondered what decisions real military leaders would do in the same situation. Overall, it was a brilliant game in a beautifully modeled town.

If you are at Origins later this month, be sure to check this game out. The game master and his team promise to be there.

Model City

City Schoolyard

Roads Leading In

Refugee Camp