Game 143 Recap: You thought I forgot again, didn’t you.

I didn't, but that doesn't change the outcome.

I'd go through the trouble of recaping this game, but nobody is paying attention anyway. Insead I'm going to turn to food. I've been trying to sneak more vegetables and less pork products [sadclown.jpg] into my diet lately. This recipe works well in that regard.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa (or burrito filling... or chip dip... or on top of shredded carnitas... mmmmmmmmmmm... pork.... D'oh).

You'll need one half cup of dried black beans (or one can if you're lazy), an ear or two of corn roasted on the cob (or a can if you're lazy), a red bell pepper, a poblano pepper, 3-4 good sized green onions (or one to two of the larger sweet bulb onions), part of (or the whole thing if you're not a wuss) jalapeno (or NM green chili which is in season right now !!1One!!!), a dash of lime juice, a hit of red chili powder, a healthy dose of cumin, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Soak the beans overnight, drain, rinse, and boil them to reconstitute. Once softened, drain and rinse the beans off in a bit of cool water. Combine all this stuff in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge for about 4 hours to marry. This stuff lasts about a week (give or take) covered in the fridge, is good on eggs, good in pie, good right out of the bowl, and makes for some quick burrito filling (with some additional peppers and onions and a little of that left over chicken) to take to the office.

culture club. Yeah, that's going to have to wait until I get done with this stupid commute. Friday I'll be going out to chicken wings and beer to celebrate never coming back to Baton Rouge ever again. I'm thinking about doing a monthly segment interviewing artists in MN for the front page, thoughts? BTW, you should all have clikced on the link Algonad provided in yesterday's cup.

WGOM Fitness: September 12, 2012, Back on Track

I should have alerted Twayn that this was a travel day. Sorry about that, Twayn. You can take tomorrow, as I will be tied up starting very early. Yesterday, I went back to the gym and had a very satisfying workout. A day after feeling lethargic, I came back stronger than ever. I have noticed this in the past that if I have a day where I just can't do it, there isn't really any sense in forcing the workout. Instead, the right answer is to listen to my body and rest. Yesterday, I did my full ride and I was very satisfied with the results.

I have noticed not only that I'm smaller than I was, but that I have a lot more energy. When I am working, I have more stamina. In the past, yard work or other projects would wear me out quite easily. In just over six weeks, I have increased my physical capacity tremendously. I am very happy about that.

As for my weight, the last few days have been a little bit of a slow down, but this morning I did weigh about 4 hours earlier than normal. Knowing about how much weight I lose overnight, I suspect that I probably would have weighed about a half pound less than what I weighed at the ungodly hour. So, my progress continues.

Day 50
Weight: 257.3
Total loss: 27.2
Estimated date of achieving target weight: Dec. 24 (Merry Christmas!)

Pixel Perfect Memories: Betrapped!

For anyone who missed it, the Top 100 NES games countdown has commenced over at Death By Troggles.  Today's game, Cobra Triangle, is #74 on the list.

Release Date: 2004
Platform: Windows
Developer: Oberon

Murder Mystery and Minesweeper.  It took this long for someone to combine the two?  Your guess is as good as mine.

BeTrapped! is the brainchild of Jane Jensen, designer of the Gabriel Knight series.  You play as Mr. Parker, solving a mystery in a manor filled with hundreds of booby traps.  Each time you enter a new room, you must play minesweeper, determining which spots on the floor have traps and deactivating them.  Once you’ve cleared a room, you can talk to houseguests to unravel the case of the murdered estate lord.

Unlike minesweeper, you are allowed to screw up on occasion and still not die (though there are a few local time limits), and even if you do, you can save your progress.  And unlike most games that pass themselves off as mysteries, you actually do have to take notes and deduce the murderer at the end of the game.  Though reaching the end is incredibly easy, winning requires an acute mind, as the clues are devilishly woven throughout the game.  Sadly, if you’re wrong, the game will tell you who the murderer is anyway.

Overall, this game is quite fun while it lasts, though it’s short and leaves little reason to replay it.  You can create your own rooms of booby traps to practice in (and to best one’s own speed records), but after a while I longed for the original minesweeper that accomplishes the same goal while being less tedious.  But BeTrapped! is a clever idea that was given the execution it deserved by one of the genres most original minds.

Whatcha playing?

Happy Birthday–September 12

Nick Young (1840)
Bob Groom (1884)
Fred Luderus (1885)
Spud Chandler (1907)
Charlie Keller (1916)
Andy Seminick (1920)
Stan Lopata (1925)
Albie Pearson (1934)
Mickey Lolich (1940)
John Montague (1947)
Scotti Madison (1959)
Thom Brennaman (1963)
Keith Hughes (1963)
Luis Castillo (1975)
Sean Burroughs (1980)
Carmen Pignatiello (1982)

And a happy birthday as well to CarterHayes.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 12

Remodeled basement. Same half-baked taste.