prezcon thursday

The rest of the week kind of went by in a blur. My teammates lost their tournaments and Chris made sure I wouldn't win mine (el Grande). He weaseled his way into the El Grande finals and then proceeded to beat me down. I ended up fifth and he fourth. I was so steamed for about an hour afterwards! So much for team work!

Saturday night was the auction and the two gems were two pre AH copies of Titan. They ended going for $650 and $700. I decided $300 was my limit (though I knew I wouldn't get them for that) In fact, I behaved myself at the auction and only ended up with three games (Formula Motor Racing $14; Hacienda- shrinkwrapped $16 and Space Dealer $20) Chris, on the other hand went crazy and bought enough that we conned Betsy into mailing a box back for us.

Saturday night also brought snow and sleet and we wondered if we would be able to leave. We were able to get out and just barely make it to our connection in Charlotte, though our luggage did not. It came the next day.

All in all it was a great trip! I made some wonderful new friends and got to catch up with some I had not seen in a while (I got to dinner with Strack and his wife and baby before the auction).
I ended up taking first in the Alhambra tournament and third in Detroit Cleveland Grand Prix. Chris ended up taking fourth in Advanced Civ and first in Caylus.

I definitely would like to do it again next year.
For more Prezcon photos check out these by E. Haas

Prezcon- day 2

One of the games I wanted to hit up while I was at Prezcon was Titan. I knew it was the Nationals and I knew it would be much stiffer competition than I had ever seen before, but I was game to learn a few tricks.

What I got instead was a quick decapitation in my first game. I discovered later that my two opponents were both former WBC champs David des Jardins (2nd place WBC 2006, 1999 and 2005 winner) and Ed Rothenheber (8th place WBC 2006 2002 winner). My second game, later in the con, I went head to head with Steve Koleszar, also another former WBC champ. Both games were much more agressive than I am used to. There was no bluffing or intimidation, it was just get the stacks in place and attack. Something I'll have to work on.

I also managed to get in games of Project Kells (an excellent two player game);

A very strange Power Grid game using the central map (which was new to me) I honestly believe I could have won if it had gone one more turn. Another player ended the game without paying attention to what Bill Crenshaw had on the table or in his hand and gave it to him. Oh well.

Then I got in a quick dinner with my sister at Rhetts, across the street and filled her in on the events. Afterward, she came and watched me get creamed by a little girl in Carcassonne (Ok, not creamed, I was 2nd out of 5)

I also came in second in my Caylus heat. I miscalculated at the end and fell short of the leader by two points.

And lastly I finished the night with a friendly game of Puerto Rico. I say friendly because we were all discussing strategies and not taking it as a serious heat. Dave Platnick ended up winning and managed to win the whole tournament. Need to keep an eye on that guy

Prezcon days 1 and 2

Trimmer and I headed off into the blue yonder seeking gaming glory and a good time. We were flying US Airways and they offered an upgrade to first class for a modest rate, and we both jumped on it. It made the first part of our trip so much better, as both of us are BIG guys and to get us into the puddle jumper seats from CLT to CHO they had to use vaseline and a plunger. Luckily that leg was only 45 minutes. My sister had warned me it had been cold (as we had been in Dallas) but as I got close to the airport, I began to wonder , as I could see lots of white on the ground and not much else. (They had gotten 3 inches of ice the week before and it hadn't melted yet). I guess I've lived in Texas too long, as I've begun to believe that white stuff falls from the sky but then is gone by the afternoon.

My sister picked us up in C'ville and since Trimmer had never been there before, we gave hime the penny drive by tour of UVA and then a quick stroll on the historic downtown mall.
Finally we stopped by one of my old favorites, Big Jim's. I had been talking up the BBQ on the way their, but ended up getting a burger myself. I don't think Trimmer was impressed, something to do with the cultural misunderstanding of what a "platter" is in Texas versus what it is C'ville.

We checked into the hotel (a Doubletree) got fresh hot cookies and then toured the convention area. Some of the organizers were there playing Combat Commander and they greeted us with enthusiasm. Later Trimmer tried to teach me Twilight Struggle in the game area and had to leave early to watch "Heroes". While we were playing two other guys showed up and were offering me tips. When Trimmer left he offered his position to one of the guys and I followed suit. It turns out the two guys play each other all the time online but had never met face to face. I tried to pay attention and pick up some tricks, but I don't think Twilight Struggle is my kind of game.



Tuesday
Bright and early we got up for our featured event, the reason we had come in so early. Advanced Civilization. I got to pick first and chose Babylon, but I still did horribly (6 out of 8). It's a game I have yet to entirely figure out. Originally I had planned on playing only 1 heat of Advanced Civ (there were three total), but the GM had it set up so the 2nd place player received 100 points and everyone else received points on their final score relative to his. Your best two scores were added up (if you chose all 3 heats) and the rankings were determined.
So against my better judgment I ended up playing in two heats, back to back- 15 hours of Advanced Civ. The final heat was set up for 9am the next morning, but since we didn't finish until midnight and I usually only play Adv. Civ once or twice a year, I decided I'd pass. One of my sister's old friends (Charles Minter) managed to edge me out of 6th place by playing in the final heat. But there were other things I wanted to do with my time ......

Cville, here I come

This week I am heading back East to the Hook, Cville, Hooville, the Big C; that paragon of Jeffersonian principles and virtue (gee you smell something in here?)

Prezcon.....

My friend, Trimmer, mentioned he was going to a con in my old stomping grounds and for kicks and giggles, I offered to go with him. It feels strange to be heading back without big plans to see all my friends and hang out in bars, etc. Instead, I am going back with the main intention of gaming.

It's a con full of boardgame tournaments. Sort of the winter opposite of WBC. I've been trying to get some practice in on games I haven't played in a while. Trimmer, Ken and I are all on a team where we each pick a game and our team scores for how well we do in our respective tournaments. I feel I am the weakest link in our group, but I think El Grande is my strongest choice right now. But it's all about fun, so I don't plan on stressing out.

The wife is staying here. My stepfather is still in Mexico (another odd story) and my sister is going to a concert. EH, I've seen the sis in January and February already this year, plus I know she leads a busy life.

I'm taking Zippy along, so hopefully I can get some pictures up. Weather should be warming up, so I expect no trouble (except getting to the airport on time tomorrow)

Stay tuned

Pan's Labyrinth

The Pookie and I went to see Pan's Labyrinth the other night.
I felt the pacing was a bit slow, but the story, cinematography and special effects were outstanding.

Combine the horrors of war with a little girl's overactive imagination and watch what happens.

See Pookie's review

Cartoon Network Terrorism Part 2

Firms to pay $2M in Boston bomb scare
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer (02/05/2007)

BOSTON - Turner Broadcasting Systems and an advertising agency agreed Monday to pay $2 million in compensation for planting blinking electronic devices around the Boston area in a publicity stunt that set off a terrorism scare.
The agreement between Turner, Interference Inc. and several state and local agencies resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the two companies, Attorney General Martha Coakley said.
"We hope that this painful lesson will not be lived or learned again either by the communities involved or ... Turner Broadcasting and Interference," Coakley said.
Bomb squads were called in and bridges and highways were shut down last Wednesday when authorities found more than three dozen electronic boards depicting a boxy cartoon character giving the finger.
The devices — planted in a subway station, on bridges and other spots — turned out to be part of a publicity campaign for Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."
The campaign also had been staged in nine other big U.S. cities in recent weeks without drawing as much attention.
Turner, a division of Time Warner Inc., and Interference, a New York City-based marketing company, issued a statement accepting full responsibility and apologizing.
"We understand now that in today's post-Sept. 11 environment, it was reasonable and appropriate for citizens and law enforcement officials to take any perceived threat posed by our light boards very seriously and to respond as they did," the statement said.
They said they were reviewing their policies on marketing strategies.
Officials said $1 million will be used to reimburse the agencies that dealt with the incident and $1 million will go toward homeland security and other programs.
"Last week's events caused a major disruption in the greater Boston area on many levels," Coakley said, "crippling public transportation, causing serious traffic problems, negatively affecting local businesses and perhaps most significantly, costing Boston and surrounding communities thousands of dollars."
As for whether the penalty was commensurate to the disruption, she said: "In the end, we have a marketplace and we think that people will judge with their clickers or their buying of this."
Authorities said two men were paid to hang the signs around the city. Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, have pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct. Coakley said prosecutors were in discussions with the men's lawyers to resolve the charges "relatively shortly."

Cartoon Network Terrorism

From CNN's website, with ramifications still unfolding:

Two held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Authorities have arrested two men in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday and prompted the closure of bridges and a stretch of the Charles River.

Meanwhile, police and prosecutors vented their anger at Turner Broadcasting System Inc., the parent company of CNN, which said the battery-operated light boards were aimed at promoting the late-night Adult Swim cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

Boston officials condemned Turner for not taking proper steps to end the bomb scares earlier and for not issuing an adequate apology to the city. (Watch how the scare unfolded )
Turner Broadcasting said in written statements the devices had been placed around Boston and nine other cities in recent weeks as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the show.
"We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger," Phil Kent, CEO and chairman of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., said in one of two statements issued by the company.

"As soon as we realized that an element of the campaign was being mistaken for something potentially dangerous, appropriate law enforcement officials were notified and through federal law enforcement channels, we identified the specific locations of the advertisements in all 10 cities in which they are posted. We also directed the third-party marketing firm who posted the advertisements to take them down immediately."

Peter Berdovsky, 27, a freelance video artist from Arlington, Massachusetts, and Sean Stevens, 28, were facing charges of placing a hoax device in a way that results in panic, as well as one count of disorderly conduct, said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. The hoax charge is a felony, she said. Both men were arrested Wednesday evening.
According to his Web site, Berdovsky is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and a founding member of a video artists group called Glitch who goes by the nickname "Zebbler" and sings in a band called "Superfiction."

Authorities believe Berdovsky was "in the employ of other individuals" as part of the marketing campaign, Coakley said. "How exactly this was executed, we are still investigating." Berdovsky is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m. Thursday in Charlestown District Court.
Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network, another Turner enterprise, but the adult-themed network is a separate entity.

Wednesday evening, Cartoon Network was running a statement during commercial breaks, expressing deep regret for "the hardships experienced as a result of this incident."
The devices displayed a "Mooninite" -- an outer-space delinquent who makes frequent appearances on the cartoon -- greeting passersby with an upraised middle finger. But the discovery of nine of the light boards around Boston and its suburbs sent bomb squads scrambling throughout the day, snarling traffic and mass transit in one of the largest U.S. cities.
"It had a very sinister appearance," Coakley told reporters. "It had a battery behind it, and wires."

The statement from Kent said Turner Broadcasting deeply regrets "the hardships experienced as a result of this incident."
CNN's Dan Lothian and Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.