Quote
“One of the most frightening things about your true nerd, for many people, is not that he’s socially inept — because everybody’s been there — but rather his complete lack of embarrassment about it.” - Neal Stephenson
Haiku
It is a new year.
Make crazy resolutions.
You will not keep them.
Word of the Week
Pusillanimous adj. — lacking courage and resolution; marked by contemptible timidity.
Though he meant well, the pusillanimous lion was little help to Dorothy on her quest to meet the wizard.
Definition taken from http://merriam-webster.com.
Overseen and Overheard
“I just got a drunk text where the only discernible phrases are ‘Enya,’ ‘ergonomics,’ and ‘dick towel.’ I take it that party was excellent.” - Male student on Twitter
Stream of Facts
The term “checkmate” originates from the Persian word shah mat meaning “the king is defeated” and sounds the deathblow in the game of CHESS.
The game of CHESS was originally created by the people of India in the 600s. By 1000, the game had spread through much of Europe and the Middle East. Though the rules have changed slightly in the last 1400 years, modern players would still be able to recognize the original game, making the BOARD GAME one of the oldest still being played.
The best-selling BOARD GAME in history is Monopoly. It was created in 1934 by Charles Darrow, a man who was unemployed during the Great Depression. After self-publishing the game, it was picked up by PARKER BROTHERS. Since then, Monopoly has been translated into about 89 languages and has sold over 200 million copies.
In 1991, PARKER BROTHERS was bought by Hasbro Inc., which had previously purchased Milton Bradley Company, making HASBRO one of the largest toy and board game manufacturers in the world.
HASBRO is the maker of the popular NERF products that play a crucial role in RIT’s semi-annual Humans versus ZOMBIES game.
A lesser known and generally unpublicized variation on the rules of "Risk" involves the use of ZOMBIES. Play is largely the same except one player controls the zombie armies that have a chance to recruit any soldier that has fallen in combat.
Reporter Recommends
Old editions of “Risk”
Pretend for a moment that you and a group of friends, having just completed an arduous week of work. Facing several free hours, you decide to take a break and get in a game of “Risk.” Having not played the game in many years, you’re pretty stoked about breaking open your friend’s brand new box and taking over the world. Your heart races as you anticipate seizing those tiny soldiers and cannons whose mere presence on the board strikes fear into your opponents’ hearts.
At long last, you open the box and are blasted with a wave of disappointment so fierce it could extinguish the sun. Gone are those steadfast plastic soldiers and fearsome cannons of doom. Instead, you find pathetic plastic pieces that are an absurd combination of an arrow and a chevron. Beyond that, Hasbro, the makers of the game, have also seen it fit to change the default rules of the game. Instead of depending on shear global domination for victory, it is now possible to win the game by simply completing a series of challenges.
You can still play using the original rules if you choose, but to do so, you must first dig through a mess of “additional playing options” in the instruction booklet. All in all, this newest incarnation of “Risk” is nothing but a disappointment. You’re much better off finding an older, well-loved edition to fully satisfy your nostalgia.
Cartoon
 |
|
| Will Lawson |
