Revenge

In September of 2011, ABC aired a new series called Revenge. I rarely become obsessed with TV shows, however, this show has me hooked. The plot centers around a mysterious and beautiful woman named Emily who moves back to the Hamptons, where she grew up, to seek revenge on the people who framed her father for a terrorist attack years prior. 

Emily arrives to the Hamptons with a new name, an unrecognizable appearance and a very malicious agenda. While she works her way into the circle of the Hamptons elite quite easily, her real intent is to get revenge on these people. She manages to ruin the lives of those involved in the framing by destroying their careers, ripping apart their families, exposing their secrets and even causing death on occasion. 

While it might not be totally obvious what this television show has to do with games, it is actually very relevant. Before Emily arrives to town, she does extensive research on every person that she intends to take down. From hacking their computers, to digging into their background and learning about their scandals, she is able to collect dirt on each person she wishes to harm. By learning about her opponents, she is able to strategically use the information she finds in ways that will cause the most damage. For example, when she finds useful information on one victim, she sneakily exposes it at a large ceremony honoring the person, thus embarrassing them and creating a total scandal.

In addition to her in-depth research and cunning strategies, her ability to use trickery, manipulation and deceit to work her way into the lives of these people while simultaneously destroying them is an example of the power of mind games. Even when suspicion rises, she is able to deflect it and have them completely fooled by manipulating their thoughts. 

Not only does Emily display skill when seeking revenge, but she is also extremely determined, another quality that is important in winning most games. In order to properly execute her plan of revenge she changed her name, moved to the Hamptons, and cut ties with anyone who knew her former identity. She also dedicates all of her time and energy to her plan, showing intense dedication. While revenge is no game to Emily, she uses tactics used in numerous forms of games to effectively execute her plan.

The Kentucky Derby

This past week I drove to Louisville Kentucky to visit my relatives for a three day weekends. Along with my moms 6 siblings and parents who live in Kentucky my brother attends the University of Kentucky as well. While making the long 5 hour drive I drove by horse farms after horse farms. I've grown up around horses and the famous race tracks such as Keenland and of course Church Hill Downs. My grandpa owns horses at Church Hill Downs and I've even been able to attend some horse races in person. While driving past all these horse farms I began to get very excited for the even that takes place every 1st Saturday in May...The Kentucky Derby.

I remember as a little kid my mom jumping up and down in front of the TV screaming for the horse she chose to win. I would attend countless derby parties as a child it was almost as though Derby Day is a bigger day for Christmas in my family and the whole state of Kentucky. ESPN after all does call it, "The most exciting 2 minutes in sport history."

"It is now or never for every horse in the race -- a single dash at immortality, a mile-and-a-quarter cavalry charge toward history. Unlike John Elway in the Super Bowl or Roy Williams in the Final Four or Phil Mickelson in a major, there are no second chances at the Derby. Thoroughbreds are only 3-year-olds once. Win and your name is memorialized on the paddock walls of Churchill Downs for as long as the place stands. Lose and you're assigned to the small type of the race charts, on your way to eternal anonymity" (ESPN.com).

Everything about Derby Day is exciting; getting to dress up and wear a giant hat, learning about the trainers and the horses stories, getting to make bets where you could become extremely rich or extremely poor in a matter of 2 minutes. It's exhilarating every one's heart starts to race; two minutes and it's over. all the training all hours put into these horses and jockeys two minutes and you get nothing back. It's what these people live for.

I know on May 5Th I'll be making the trip back to Kentucky to watch this exciting event that comes once a year. I'm hoping to suck up to my grandpa to see if maybe I can snag a ticket to the derby myself. Who knows maybe I'll be able to even make a buck or two...hundred.

Sorority Recruitment: It's A Game

Though I went through sorority recruitment well over a year ago, it is an experience that I'll never forget.

During first sets, each girl participating in sorority recruitment must visit every single house. These first few days are hectic, as the biggest challenges consist of finding each house, making it there during your scheduled time slot and finding your designated spot inline. Here, directional skills and time management skills come into play. Also, during these "mixers" it is important to make sure you are able to make a good first impression in the few minutes you have in each house.

As each round continues, girls must decide which houses they would like to cut from their list. They also must strategize the order in which they rank each house on their list. This involves evaluation of experiences in each house. Additionally, this involves thoughtful strategizing as girls must also take into consideration which houses may be cutting them during the given round.

As the rounds continue and the list of house options are narrowed down, the time spent in each house gets progressively longer and it becomes more important to make a good impression in the houses that you would like to keep visiting. At this point in time, the game consists of making sure you win over the minds and hearts of the members of the sorority, playing up your strengths and the qualities that make you a good fit for the house in question. Obviously, there is a limited number of spots in each house for new members. As the rounds continue, competition gets stiff.

As unfortunate as it may be, sorority recruitment possess many qualities of games. There is an element of competition as there is less space in houses than there are girls going through recruitment. There is the element of strategizing as girls must be sure to think about the cuts and rankings. Lastly, there is the element of being good at the game of interpersonal interaction. While some girls are able to effectively display their strengths and positive qualities during visits in houses, other girls struggle to give off an amazing impression, despite how personable they may be. All of these factors determine the success that one will have during sorority recruitment.

Ouija

It's not your typical game. There are no teams. There is no winner. There are no official rules. There is no competition. 

Ouija is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words "yes", "no", "hello" and "goodbye" and numerous symbols and graphics. Interestingly, it is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc., a company which markets and distributes the Ouija Board as part of its line of board games. With this board, users can ask questions while lightly placing their hands on a pointer that moves across the board to stop on letters, spelling words and thus providing answers and advice. While Ouija believers feel that paranormal or supernatural forces are responsible for Ouija's movement, others believe that it may be explained by unconscious movements of those controlling the pointer, a psychophysiological phenomenon known as the ideomotor effect, according to Wikipedia.

In addition to lacking many of the common characteristics of typical boardgames, another thing that makes the Ouija board unique is that it is related to controversial topics given its connection to the belief of paranormal and supernatural forces. Compared to other boardgames, such as Life or Candy Land, there are heavy implications that come with the game as it touches on spiritual connection and communication. Additionally, these concepts are interwoven with religious beliefs, making this game the subject of criticism from some, depending on their religious background. 

It's very interesting that something that shares very few characteristics of common boardgames is produced by a company such as Hasbro and marketed as a casual board game. Additionally, the game's controversial nature makes it a product unlikely to be purchased by many demographics of people. Personally, I think the idea that a board game could be so powerful is a very interesting concept but I'm not so sure I believe it. Do you believe in the aptitude of the Ouija board? 

Magic the Gathering

This game is a trading card game, similar to that of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, I guess; however, it's 19 years old!  It was one of the first trading card games that came into existence.

My brother first got me into the game when I was in 3rd grade.  The game has so many layers of strategy involved, even outside of actually playing the game.  The strategy already starts with building your deck of cards.  There are 5 main colors in Magic, Red, Green, Blue, Black, and White; each of these colors correspond to certain kind of play-styles and you can mix and match as much as you want.  After you've built a deck, you start playing.  This is where even more strategy takes place.  Now, your deck is put to the test against someone else's deck, and you fight to win.  In the end, the winner is determined by who reacted better to each other's plays, who built a more balanced deck, and an ounce of luck.

The interesting thing about Magic is that the card is always right, even if it contradicts the foundation-rules of the game.  This attribute of the game makes it ever-evolving and full of surprises.  I mean, it's lasted 19 years so far.  

Recently, I've been rekindled into playing the game ever since I met some friends here at the University of Michigan who also shared interest in the card game.

The last time I've played the game was probably in middle school, and now that I've come back, I see how much the game has evolved since then (immensely).  So many new abilities have been introduced and the cards there's so much variety now that it's almost jarring!

Maybe it's my nostalgia, but the game is still as great as ever, and it's a great study break game with my friends.  Games can range from 10-20 minutes each and it's the perfect combination of luck and strategy!  So if you're looking to find a strategy-intense game to pick up, this is the game for you!  Hopefully you'll find some people around who have heard of the game to rekindle their childhood and play with you!

BirdHit! - A game of my design

For my major quest, I've been working on a video game for the Google Chrome and Safari only.  It uses HTML5 and Javascript.  I was hoping you guys could test it and possibly post your high score?  If there are any bugs you can identify, please inform me!

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dustbui/birdhit.html

Quick Instructions:
WSAD or Arrow Keys to move around.
Hit the flying Gir as many times as you can.
Grab incoming power ups as they fall.
Press 1 to use Speed Up
Press 2 to use Stop Time
Press 3 to use Zero Gravity
**You get only ONE power up to use freely at first, but as you get a higher score, you can get more to use

Games and Gimmicks

Tonight was the debut of the Miami Marlins new ballpark, a $515 million modern addition to Miami. Ballparks are often admired for being majestic, traditional, and at times nostalgic. Old yankee stadium and Fenway Park are seen as great ballparks for these reasons.

Marlins Park could not be further away from those grand shrines to baseball.

Tell me if these things sound like they belong in a baseball stadium:
-2 aquariums that total over 1000 gallons of water
-A swimming Pool with a poolside bar
-A sculpto-pictorama with flamingos, marlins, and neon waves and colors
-A photography exhibit
-A bobblehead museum


Yes, these can all be found at this new ballpark.

A wild pitch will bounce up against bullet-proof glass that protects the aquariums at the backstop. A Homerun will lead to a 30-second show from the sculpto-pictorama.

Games, especially sports, seem to benefit from these gimmicks, albeit financially. Quirks like the ones found in this ballpark are important for the fans who follow these storied sports. These games have so much tradition and history, yet require new points of interest to increase attraction and fanfare.

The focus on fans is essential in sports and the eye-catching features of Marlins Park show the extent to which a team is willing to impress and invigorate its fan-base in order to make the atmosphere around the sport and team even better.

Into the Wild

Everybody has their favorite book they read when they were younger. I was lucky enough to come across mine this afternoon while cleaning out my closet in my house. I brought the book "Into the Wild" with me to college last year and have not read it since the long 14 hour car ride from New Hampshire to Michigan. I loved everything about this book the freedom, the self motivation, the passion. It makes me want to go out there and do something with my life, but not something I could do every day..something extraordinary.

When scimming through this book as I sat on the floor of my bedroom I could not help but think about our major quest that were assigned to us in class the first week. I reflected on what I did, and just laughed out loud because nothing is greater then the quest Christopher McCandless did by donating his entire life savings to charity and hitchhiking, and finding ways to get to Alaska and into the wilderness. I think this quest challenges game theory in all aspects. Coming out of your comfort zone alone, and finding the competitor within, he took risk taking to the logical extreme. He was sick of society and the way it was run so he just quit it all together; like quitting a bad game.

I hope someday I will find a quest like this something that I myself am very passionate about and let nothing in my way stop me to accomplish it. I will leave you with my favorite quote from the book....

"Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild."

Free Will and the Theory of Parallel Universes

With the most recent readings and lecture, I thought about the intersections between the theory of free will and what it would mean if there existed parallel universes.

If you are unfamiliar with parallel universes, the concept I am referring to is the theory that there are multiple universes (near infinite) that encompass all possible outcomes of the universe.  For example, there would be a universe in which I chose to eat a ham sandwich for lunch, and there would be one in which I chose to eat a turkey sandwich.  Likewise, there would also exist a universe in which I was never born and in which I’m a girl.

Now what I’m confused at is whether ALL the possible universes were created at the beginning and consequently follow a linear path per universe (which would contradict free will).  This would assume that our brains are prewired to react to scenarios a certain way as well as assume that those scenarios would happen anyway based on the particular settling of particles when the universes were created.

Or, new universes are created for each possible outcome, initially starting at a single possibility.  For instance, new universes would be created when I have the choice of either a ham or turkey sandwich.  There would be a universe created for both of those choices and my being would be split, and I would only be aware of traversing down one of the paths.  The same would happen to my other parallel self, he would share my entire history except for the fact that he chose the opposite type of sandwich, so his mind believes he is traversing down a linear path.  (This supports free will)

                                           

                                       

What do you guys think of these concepts?  Please point out anything I overlooked, for these are pretty simplified versions of these theories.

Masters Weekend

There's nothing better than sitting on the couch on a beautiful sunday afternoon, watching one of the most prestigious events in golf, The Masters. The Masters is the most prestigous golf tournaments in history and and it is played at one of the most world-reknown golf courses, called Augusta National. This is a tournament that every golfer has dreamt of winning ever since they were a kid. To win the Green Jacket would be an enormous accomplishment for anyone, even if its Tiger's 5th. Golfer's strive to experience that moment, when, after winning, they accept the green jacket from the previous years' winner on the 18th Green. After 4 rounds at Augusta, who do you think will be the survivor this Sunday?

This tournament has hosted the best golfers in history and has seen some of the most incredible victories take place. However, the Master's is more than just 4 rounds of golf. Every hole presents a challenge weather its physical or mental. Golfing requires incredible amounts of precision, accuracy, and of course some luck. A player has to take into account the wind, his lie, the temperature, flag placement, distance, and even what kind of swing he's going to take, every single shot. After collaborating with their caddies and planning a shot, players still have to execute that shot having great aim, a perfect swing, and a pure ball strike a(and of course a little luck).  To win though, requires something more, something beyond the physical, and that is the mentality. This includes dealing with the galleries talking while your shooting, blocking out all of the cameras and TV's and anything else that the press bothers players with. Players also hear the roars when other golfers have incredible shots. Competitors need to have the ability to have a short memory, they can't get too mad at a horrible shot, but they can't get too excited over a great shot either. It takes the perfect amount of mental stability in order to win a golf tournament. This game is unpredictable, anything can happen on any hole, players can lose balls in the water, or even hole out from the fairway. It requires consistency, shot after shot, hole after hole, round and round; this is essential for victory. It is truly a difficult challenge for an individual to win a golf tournament, let alone the Masters and it will be fun to watch this weekend.

We all know that the game of golf is more exciting when Tiger is in the hunt. And guess what, this week Tiger is the headline of the masters, predicted by almost everyone, to win the tournament. Coming off an impressive win at Bay Hill two weeks ago its seems that Tiger might be back. Its been 2 and a half years since we've seen the excitement that Tiger brings to the table, especially when he's wearing red on Sunday. However, the PGA tour has been very unpredictable over that same time span and we have seen a different winner at every major over those two and half years. With Tiger back on his game, and a field of players eager to win the tournament, including the no. 1 ranked golfer in the world Rory McIlroy,  it should be one interesting weekend of golf. Who knows what kind of excitement we'll see at Amen corner this Sunday; are we going to see any spectacular shots like the one Tiger had on hole 16 a few years back.   Regardless of what goes down this weekend I am excited to watch how this tournament will unfold this weekend with Tiger on the prowl. My money is on Tiger, Who are you betting on this weekend?

http://www.pgatour.com/2012/r/04/02/expert-picks-masters/index.html#

Rocked My World

Musical instruments and video games did not seem to be a match made in heaven a decade ago, but now, with the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises being wildly successful, the two have become nearly inseparable.

Guitar Hero and Rock Band, which emerged later, have both transformed the interactive video game industry, and the learning process for instruments.

I still cannot sing, play the guitar, bass, or drums, but now I have much more respect for those abilities, and it still helped me a bit with my still-mediocre musical ability. The influence it did have on me was that it made me want to try to play these instruments, or collaborate with friends on getting a new high score on a song or making a fictional band on Rock Band.

Of course there were many multiplayer games I played before this, but none seemed as fun and cooperative and competitive as Rock Band. It was a new level of gaming because it brought in some real-world skill.

After having played these games, video games that have more levels of interactivity have become more appealing, and this is evident in the new wave of video game peripherals made by Nintendo (Wii), Microsoft (XBOX Kinect), and Sony (Playstation Move).

Aside from being part of a shift in video gaming, these games have also started to shift learning techniques for certain instruments. Some of my friends who loved these games actually starting trying to play the actual instruments, and soon, there will be games that have actual guitars that can be synced with games that track how well you are playing, and tries to help you improve.

These games have been huge hits, and important catalysts in the changing atmosphere of gaming and music.

Game day

Whether you're an athlete or a performer there is no better feeling then waking up on the day of your performance. Every day you strive and work harder to be perfect at what you do, and when you wake up on the day of the performance you know that everything you've worked for comes down to this moment.

I love the feeling of waking up on the day of my soccer games. Even though its spring season, and these games don't matter the competitor inside of me make them matter. The first thought that pops into my head when I wake up is, "it's today." It is impossible not to get the jitters and butterflies in your stomach. I'm sure someone who performs on stage or sings gets these same feelings as well. I love being able to mentally and physically prepare myself all day, by hydrating and eating pre game meals. Everything is different about game day; the way you think, act, the people around you, and you can even feel it in the air.

When it finally comes time to put the uniform on, and you get that adrenaline rush; everything you've suffered for to get to this moment makes it all worth it. The lights above you, the crowd, your teammates, the moment you step onto the field, I love this feeling.