Natalie.ayerdis

Really, it makes a ton of sense that da Vinci’s journal would be a labyrinth in of itself. What genius Renaissance man just leaves his flying machine blueprints out in the open for any peon to flip through?

Gamers who can follow that line of logic are sure to find plentiful jollies playing along with the conceit of designer Brady Whitney’s Codex Silenda. Taking the notion of the novel-as-puzzle at least five steps farther than Byzantine fiction like House of Leaves, the Codex is at once a book and puzzle. The reader/player assumes the role of da Vinci’s apprentice, sneaking looks into the master’s private documents while da Vinci himself is away from his workshop. Each page covers a concise chapter of meta-narrative, and one can only advance through the book by solving each page-sized puzzle.

Whitney goes over the particulars in his pitch video for the Codex‘s Kickstarter campaign. Showing off the intricacies of its hand-crafted puzzles, he explains how this project was made to fill a very specific gap he sees betwixt cost, intricacy, and replay value in modern puzzlin’.

The campaign’s proven an astronomic success, so far–beating its funding goals by over 600% as of writing. Whitney’s even been able to add two additional puzzle pages to the Codex for backers.

Demand has exceeded expectations by such an overwhelming margin, in fact, that Whitney’s capped his stretch goals and sealed off some tiers. Fear not, though. There’s still an avenue to get the game and its goodies. Whitney’s set up a waiting list for any gamers who want in on this da Vinci mystery so bad, they’re willing to wait until after the campaign’s run its course.

Maybe you’ve got the patience to solve the Codex’s puzzles, but do you have the patience to wait for a hand-crafted copy of it? What other game/book/puzzles are worth backing? Hit the talkback. 

Featured Image Credit: Brady Whitney

Years of training allow Olympic archer Sarah Voegel to somehow resist shooting arrows at fans, stadium ushers, or birds flying overhead...(Read...)

George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series may be a huge hit in both the literary and the television worlds, but it’s far from his only work. Martin also served as an editor on a collaborative book series called Wild Cards. Set in a post-World War II alternate universe, Wild Cards is an anthology of tales about people who have been infected with a virus that either inflicts them with crippling conditions or turns them into super-powered heroes. These people are known as Jokers and Aces, respectively. The series has been in production since 1986 with 22 volumes currently available, and a 23rd on the way this month.

In addition to the books, Wild Cards also has graphic novels and games. The series offers dozens of characters, both hero and villain alike, making it an ideal candidate for a television series. Universal Cable Productions is doing just that in developing a TV adaptation. Wild Cards‘ assistant editor Melinda M. Snodgrass will be executive producing alongside Gregory Noveck of RED, Slow Learner, and SyFy Films. UCP is the company behind the shows Mr. Robot, Monk, Psych, and The Magicians.

The production is still in the very early stages of development, so it’s too early to predict exactly where the show is going. Martin stated that he will not be involved in the production because he has an exclusive deal with HBO and he’s still trying to complete that silly little The Winds of Winter book. For more details, check out Martin’s posting about the series’ announcement.

Are you a fan of Wild Cards? Which heroes and villains do you hope to see? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Image credits: TOR Books/Macmillan

By Aaron Gillies...(Read...)

Here's the official trailer for Marvel's Luke Cake, an upcoming 2016 superhero Netflix series starring Mike Colter stars as Luke Cage. Luke Cage will be available to stream on Netflix on September 30th, 2016."When a sabotaged experiment gives him super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive attempting to rebuild his life in Harlem and must soon confront his past and fight a battle for the heart of his city."..(Read...)

I got a surprising amount of use out of the drawing of me cringing in terror. I don’t what to think about what that might say about me. Doing so might cause me to cringe in terror.

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That phone, by the way, was a T-Mobile Shadow, and it was terrible.

It was an attempt to get the features of a smartphone without unnecessary extras like touch sensitivity, adequate memory, or a processor that could handle the load.

Here’s a fun little peek into life in the theme park industry. When I first started at Walt Disney World, cast members were not allowed to bring a cell phone on stage (that is, anywhere that a guest might see you). You had to either leave it in your car or put it in a locker. Later, they changed the rule, allowing you to have your phone in your pocket, but it had to be silenced and you could NEVER take it out on stage.

I know of at least one cast member who was fired for posting on Facebook on stage, in front of guests. After he was fired, he complained about it on Facebook, which was not surprising.

Anyway, my fellow cast members would sometimes look at me like I was insane because I kept my phone in a Ziploc bag. Later, when we’d get caught in the rainstorm that seems to hit Orlando every day of the summer at about three in the afternoon, they’d often ask me which size of Ziploc I recommended.

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A policeman offers some invaluable advice......(Read...)

My dad, for as long as I can remember, has had a big recliner, and has always fallen asleep in said recliner in front of the TV. Every night this happened.

I considered buying a big recliner recently. I chose not to, partly because we have cats, and spending too much on any one piece of furniture would be folly, and partly because pushing the recliner into its fully reclined position instantly made me sleepy.

Note from Missy: Oh, man, that sofa was SO COMFY to sleep on. I don’t remember the name of it; it’s an IKEA model that hasn’t been for sale in 10 years. It had one giant bottom cushion, a round backrest, and one metal-pole arm that you covered with a big bean-bag pillow. Sucked if you wanted to sit up straight, but oh, the epic naps I took on that beauty.

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I thought you would be a duck in a sailor suit.

I was excited. You were blustery. And you definitely had the temper of a sailor duck, for sure. At first, I thought perhaps you were a whole bunch of angry ducks in a grown-up man suit. I was wrong.

You, sir, are no duck.

How dare you, sir? How. Dare. You. After I patiently sat through your speech, my pants all full of one of my Top 3 All-Time Poops, you decided to kick me out. Because I was crying. Well, I’m sorry, but you are just a very loud and scary man with a great big pumpkin head. And this is coming from someone who lets a vampire teach him how to count.

Add on to that the sheer amount poop in my pants. Which I assure you was an admirable amount. And I poop a lot, sir. I poop so much you wouldn’t believe it. It is truly a remarkable feat that I take pride in and also makes me fussy. So yeah, I cried. I’m a baby. Sue me.

(Editor’s Note: We understand that you are quite litigious, Mr. Trump, which is your right as an American. Nevertheless, we implore you, Mr. Trump. Please do not to sue an actual human baby.)

Kicked me out! For crying! After taking in everything you said so clearly. This is not a compliment, sir. For you see, I am a baby. I am only this many. I should not be able to understand your proposals and ideas for being the big chair and house man. There is a reason I am not allowed to vote or take off my floaties. And on this same note, as a grown man, your hands should be larger than my own.

But you have crossed a line, sir. Babies everywhere will hear of this and poop their pants just terribly. You have awoken a giant sleeping baby. True, we cannot vote. But our parents can vote. And we are loud, and we are manipulative. We know how to get what we want. And we always get what we want, sir. We will cry and kick and scream until we get our way.

Apparently, this is behavior you are all too familiar with.

_______________________________________________________

Peter Kremidas is a graduate of The Second City Conservatory, The Severn Darden Graduate program where he performed with Bluff, The School at Steppenwolf, iO, and The Annoyance. His one man show Roots and Branches: An Untrue Story Based on Several True Ones premieres September 8th at The Public House Theatre.

Image via Wikipedia.

The post An Open Letter to Donald Trump from the Baby You Kicked Out of Your Rally appeared first on The Second City.

I’m not nearly as into hot wings as I used to be. Really, they were more of a social thing than anything else. Ric and I would eat hot wings at a place called the Wing Dome, which is in Seattle, and is built in an old Vespa garage. Then we’d go to one of our places and watch some obscure sci-fi movie, like ZARDOZ or Colossus: The Forbin Project.

Hmm. We’d eat painful food, served in a loud, cold, drafty environment, then watch movies we knew to be bad. It’s entirely possible that Ric and I are masochists.

That would explain our friendship, given that he spent a decade enduring my public ridicule, and that I never, in that entire decade, ran out of material.

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Accessibility is an important issue in games, though an oftentimes neglected one. With the revival of board gaming, there are more exciting games to play than ever before. But we often forget that sometimes their design makes it difficult for everyone to enjoy them.

That’s where Meeple Like Us comes in. They’re a group of game developers, academics, and enthusiasts focusing on studying and improving the accessibility of board games. Improved accessibility in games benefits everyone, after all. The way things stand now, large swathes of people are excluded from gaming due to disabilities they were either born with, or developed later in life. Games are a valuable means of therapy, education, and escape. They’re a portal to entirely new worlds. It’s well within the realm of possibility to take these disabilities into consideration when designing how we experience games.

Meeple Like Us studies games you might already be familiar with to understand how we can design more accessible games. Games in these “teardowns” are reviewed for five different criteria:

• Visual – Includes blindness, visual impairment, and color blindness
• Cognitive – Concerned with memory, attention, emotiveness, and problem solving
• Communication – Looks at issues involving hearing, talking, reading, and expression
• Physical – Pertains to motor skills that require “large movements”
• Socioeconomic – Deals with issues of representation, gender, inclusivity, and pricing

Their evaluation process is pretty open-ended. If the team spots something that could potentially prevent someone from playing the game, they’ll discuss. They outline their entire process in great detail on their website, but in short they’re “not trying to persuade you to buy, or not buy, games based on [their] analyses.” Instead, they want to help people make an informed decision when purchasing a board game.

We took a look at teardowns for a few popular games to see how well they held up. You might be surprised by the results!

Carcassonne

It turns out that Carcassonne might be pretty difficult to play if you are colorblind or visually impaired. It can be difficult to differentiate between the different colored meeples (check out the image above). It’s even harder to locate your meeple on the board, as they tend to blend into scenery if you are color blind. It’s also set back by it’s tile laying nature, which requires fine motor skills.

The good news is, Carcassonne performs relatively well on all other fronts. Thanks to the game’s flexibility, competition can be refined to accommodate fluid intelligence. Carcassonne requires little communication, so it’s also a good choice if that’s an area of concern.

Pandemic

On the flip side, Pandemic didn’t fare quite as well. The game is difficult to parse visually, with its tiny text and even tinier maps and points of reference. People who are color blind will have a very difficult time following cubes as they move across the board over the course of the game. The cubes’ small size compounds this problem, and also makes it difficult for people with physical impairments. Players need to be able to move cubes and pawns around the board, or else recruit a friend to assist.

Pandemic did get a B grade for socioeconomic accessibility, though. The game features a good gender balance that’s free of stereotypes–there are female scientists and researchers, although it lacks for racial diversity. Pandemic got a B in communication, too. The game, by nature, is about communication, although the game’s fast pace could make things difficult for some players.

Dixit

Dixit is one of Meeple Like Us’ highest rated games so far. It’s only downfall is its color blind accessibility. The meeples are not on a color spectrum accommodating people who are colorblind, and the tokens used for keeping score are nearly impossible to differentiate. The game is image heavy, and it can be difficult to interpret some of the images on the cards. In the example above, the bottom middle card shows poppy flowers. But when you’re color blind, you might be seeing something else entirely–autumn leaves perhaps?

Visual accessibility aside, Dixit scored well in every other category. It’s great for cognitive accessibility, as the game in its purest sense is about looking at an image and deciding what it means to you. There are no right or wrong answers. The game is also not competitive, so it also gets a great score for emotiveness, too.

The reviews at Meeple Like Us are pretty eye-opening, and it’s easy to see how simple design choices could totally determine whether or not you can play a game. Board games are meant to be shared, and working to ensure that many more people can join in on the fun is certainly worth the effort.

Featured Image Credit: Game Inquire
Carcassonne and Dixit Image Credit: Meeple Like Us
Pandemic Image Credit: Hajime Nagahata | Flickr

HD-DVD! I barely remembered that it was ever a thing! It was Betamax to Blu-Ray’s VHS. I remember you could buy an external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360. I’m sure they sold a ton of those.

Or there was DIVX. It was an alternative to DVDs. The discs cost a lot less, but they only worked for 48 hours. If you wanted to watch the movie again after that, you had to pay more money. You were essentially buying the right to rent the movie in the future. Surprisingly, that didn’t work out.

In other news, there’s a 4K-disc player out. I don’t suggest buying one just yet.

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I have a lot of questions about these two men.

Do Chubby Checker and Fats Domino know each other? If they do, are they friends? Are they enemies? Did they start as enemies, then slowly, almost grudgingly come to respect one another, eventually forging a strong bond because, at the end of the day, they are the only two men on earth who understand the incredible stresses one endures when being a musician whose last name is a game-piece and whose first name is an insulting reference to their weight?

I haven’t found the answers to any of these questions, but I have learned one surprising fact. According to Wikipedia, as of this writing, both Fats Domino and Chubby Checker are still alive!

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Today is Amazon Prime Day, Amazon’s day of lowered rates and deep discounts. If you absolutely, positively need something awesome shipped to your doorstep, here is your window of opportunity. Open wide. But not everything Amazon has on offer is worth buying. We found several ridiculous items, none of which we would purchase for ourselves, not even in our low self-esteem days.

However, if you want to buy a gift for someone you hate, here’s a chance to show you don’t care—at a bargain. (Question for Amazon’s marketers: Why did Amazon make its “Prime” Day on the 12th when it could have chosen the 11th or 13th?)

Inflatable Tauntaun Costume

Amazon commenter:
“Um, why is this bozo dressed like Luke on Tattooine. Hoth outfit, c’mon! This tauntaun would die on Tattooine. It’s science.”

“The guy in the photo looks very pleased with himself but I’m not sure the tauntaun was fully consenting from the look on it’s face. We really need to stop exposing our kids to these images, people.

I mean, what adults and their favorite sci-fi creatures get up to in the privacy of their own home is their business but I think it’s a bit much for trick-or-treating is all. I’m afraid to find out what Leia is up to.”

Human Body Fat Replica

I never knew that people could have a fetish for liposuction. I do now.

But it turns out that this blob of fat has a real purpose as a motivational tool. As someone in the comments wrote:

Amazon commenter:
“I purchased this to motivate me not to eat junk food. I even gave it a name. Fat Tony and I go everywhere together…. When I crave a Mc Whopper I ask Fat Tony and he always says no.”

55-Gallon Drum of Lubrication

Question: How much partying can you do in one weekend? Answer: Apparently all of it.

Amazon commenter:
[One-star review]
The hole is too small.

Dental Anatomy Coloring Book

Amazon commenter:
“I am wondering if there are ‘better’ coloring books out there for this subject.”

Schrodinger’s Cat Executive Decision Maker

Amazon Commenter:
“I was always a very tentative person. Unable to decide on the simplest of questions, fearful of making a wrong choice or statement. I tried using a Magic 8-Ball, but the vagueness of the responses always left me more uncertain than ever.

“Then I discovered Schrodinger’s Cat Executive Decision Maker, and life became much more definitive. Its scientific philosophy gives its answers an assurance that more superstitious methods (the aforementioned Magic 8-Ball) lack. Its compact, futuristic design is a welcome addition to any desk. Supervisors cannot argue with or contest Schrodinger’s Cat, therefore it confers credibility on you; once Hesitant, but now Confident.”

Harry Potter Dobby Deluxe Adult Latex Mask

Amazon Commenter:
“[D]on’t leave it lying around casually. The creepy, cold, dead eyes…they stare into your soul and will give you nightmares.”

What are you going to be shipping to your enemies on Amazon Prime Day? Let us know in the comment section below or give us some ideas for some of the things we should send off.

Image Credits: BuyStarWarsCostumes, Amazon, Daily Motion, The House Mistress, eBay.

Feature Image Credit: Warner Bro. Films

A lot of readers thought she was flipping me off in the second panel. Of course, she isn’t. Though, the idea that she’d blast me with one of the highest-powered obscene gestures while calling me a “jerk” is pretty funny.

For those who are disappointed that she’s not “flipping” me “the bird,” rest assured, the fact that numerous people made it clear that they couldn’t tell from my drawing exactly what gesture the character was making was more insulting to me than any mere finger.

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This small 240 sq. foot  tiny home (24 by 8.6 feet), it is beautiful! "This beautiful, innovative tiny house gets her looks from the wonderful contrast of material and style. Its modern aesthetic is contrasted with beautiful natural, textured materials: clean modern lines and large glass windows, shou sugi ban cedar siding and mechanical seam metal roof, hardwood floors and reclaimed barnwood ceiling. Coupled with closed cell spray foam insulation and Typar rain screen and moisture barrier, you’d be warm and dry at the bottom of the ocean. Among the Alpha’s stand out features is a custom fold down deck and awning, tempered glass garage door, a giant sliding glass door, and a custom 8 person dining table. Multi functionality and a maximization of space are the calling cards of this tiny house. Everything about the design and materials in this home are the highest luxury. "Price starts at $79,000...(Read...)

I’m quite proud of this comic. I like that in the end I’m the one not “getting it.”

I’ve had a few jobs where I was occasionally asked to stay late. I won’t claim to have always liked it, but I always preferred it to being told that I had to stay late. It’s just part of my mental make-up. I don’t think it’s laziness so much as resentment.

I remember when I was in elementary school and my teacher introduced the idea of homework. I instantly recognized it as a terrible injustice. Here I’m already spending all day in this stuffy room with you and a bunch of other kids, doing whatever you tell me to do, and now you’re telling me I have to go home and do more stuff you didn’t get around to? Seems to me like you need to work harder, teach.

It is not an attitude that served me well.

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I still say that alarm clock would work. Really though, the most effective alarm sound would be a recording of your spouse saying, “The alarm didn’t go off!” That wakes you up fast.

I once had a cat creep up to me while I was napping, stick her little nose in my ear, and sneeze. I’ve never gone from fast asleep to wide awake so quickly in my life. Cats trained to do this could be used instead of smelling salts to wake up people who have passed out. If someone I love is ever in a coma, I am going to try sneezing in their ear to wake them.

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It’s a classic love story for the ages. Girl reads a funny tweet about Pokémon from her local book shop and replies, boy responds back with witty tweet, and then they get married. Simple, right? Well for Victoria and Jonathan this is a totally real thing that happened. This summer the two got married but their love story started almost four years earlier on Twitter.

Once upon a time, Jonathan tweeted from the bookstore account where he worked in London:

Naturally, Victoria found this combination of both Pokémon and books adorable and knew she had found her true love. So, she publicly professed this new love:

Twitter flirting is a pretty simple way to break the ice with your crush:

Jonathan told Mashable that one day Victoria brought doughnuts into the shop, they went on a walk during his lunch break, and then had their first date. And the rest is history I guess you could say. Almost four years later, Jonathan and Victoria tied the knot. A Jynx even made it to the ceremony which is totally a sign:

After the ceremony, Victoria crafted another adorable tweet, beautifully summing up their story–from tweet to wedding. Goodness, they look happy!

The next time you hear someone say Pokémon or Twitter are ruining the world, please share this delightful fairytale. Because of course, the Internet can be a terrible place, but it can also bring lovely people together. Congratulations Victoria and Jonathan!

H/T: Mashable

Featured Image Credit: Twitter / @VictoriaOB_ 

Do you know another Twitter-based love story? Let us know in the comments!

Tommy Edison, who’s been blind since birth, has noticed something strange lately as he walks around his neighborhood...(Read...)

It’s been a summer of ups and downs for fans of the Star Trek franchise, and today’s news regarding CBS’ new Trek series continues along a similar, bittersweet path.

CBS and Netflix announced in a press release that the two networks are teaming up to bring the upcoming revival series overseas, broadcasting the episodes internationally on Netflix, 24 hours after the episodes air on CBS’ streaming service, All Access.

This deal delivers the show to 188 countries via Netflix, the U.S. and Canada not included.

This is exciting for Trekkies across the globe who would otherwise not be able to view the new series through CBS All Access, but it is a little disappointing to fans in the U.S. and Canada who are still reeling over having to pay $5.99 a month to CBS in order to see the show.

“‘Star Trek’ is a worldwide phenomenon and this international partnership will provide fans around the world, who have been craving a new series for more than a decade, the opportunity to see every episode virtually at the same time as viewers in the U.S.,” Armando Nuñez, CEO of CBS Studios International said in a statement. “Thanks to our world-class partners at Netflix, the new ‘Star Trek’ will definitely be ‘hailing on all frequencies’ throughout the planet.”

However you feel about the revival series and it’s location for viewing, it’s important to appreciate the deal with Netflix for what it is. Star Trek’s fanbase is dedicated and passionate, and the new show’s premiere this January will be a turning point in the 50-year lifespan of an already beloved universe.

What are your thoughts on the new series as a whole? Are you a diehard Star Trek fan, but not interested in paying for the new episodes? Let’s talk in the comments below, or find me on Twitter @bekahbabble.

Featured Image Credit: Paramount Television

"We’re The Superhumans", a wonderful 3-minute BBC Channel 4 trailer for the upcoming 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, a wonderful swing band made up of incredibly talented differently-abled musicians perform the classic Sammy Davis, Jr song “Yes I Can“, while paralympians from all over the world proudly demonstrate their amazing talent for their chosen sport...(Read...)

Ever wanted to learn to code? Well here’s a great opportunity to have fun with BB-8 and Elsa while learning to code. Code.org has recently introduced Star Wars and Frozen-themed components to their 80-hour curriculum to teach kids the basics of coding. Their belief is that “every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.” Well, we have to agree with that mission!

Not in K-5 anymore? Have no fear, Code.org also has an Hour of Code program for ages 6-106. So, that means everyone has the opportunity to learn code with BB-8, Rey, Anna, and more! Check out Kathleen Kennedy’s introduction to the Star Wars coding component to get an idea of how it works:

The Hour of Code courses are simple and fun, giving the user increasingly difficult puzzles to complete in order to move on. The left side of the screen shows what you’ve built while the right side demonstrates the code as you build it.

What are you waiting for? Head over to Code.org and get started with your first hour of coding. And don’t forget to share the courses with anyone who might be interested. Coding is an important skill and now that you can learn to code with your favorite characters from Star Wars and Frozen, there’s no excuse not to give it a shot!

Are you learning to code? Let us know how it’s going in the comments below!

H/T: TechCrunch

Featured Image Credit: Code.org

The Rio 2016 Olympics Games start on the 5th August...(Read...)

This bot battle ends in flames! Watch this fight between Blacksmith and Minotaur...(Read...)

This is a video of a stunt plane simultaneously flying under a tightrope walker and a guy performing a backflip on a motorcycle."Aerobatic pilot Melissa Andrzejewski flies under highliner Sketchy Andy Lewis and freestyle motocross legend Jimmy Fitzpatrick in a first of it's kind aviation stunt. "..(Read...)

The Bagel Tape is a bit of a misnomer since there’s no actual tape to speak of, but it is a measuring device that packs a few features never seen elsewhere. It works on three modes: String, Wheel, and Remote Mode. On the first, you simply pull the measuring string out and the digital display will tell you exactly how far out it’s been extended. On Wheel mode, you hold the Bagel Tape with one hand and roll it on a surface to get its length. And finally, on Remote More, an ultrasonic sensor will bounce off walls and tell you how far away they are. All measurements can be sent to your smartphone, and annotated with a voice memo. So that way you don’t have to write anything down, and you’ll easily remember which measurement is for what. Priced at $60...(Read...)

I did once yell “Pants baby, pants!” in my sleep. I have no idea what I was dreaming about … other than pants.

The dead bug in my toothbrush thing happened too. Physically, emotionally, psychiatrically, I was not prepared for the grim, meat-hook realities of living in Florida. I found myself thinking, At least it was a small bug in my toothbrush. If it had been one of those palmetto bugs (a charming euphemism for what is actually a cockroach the size of your thumb) I might never have brushed my teeth again.

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Matt Damon Pranks People with Surprise Bourne Spy Mission..(Read...)