dgeisert

Author

dgeisert

New Era

I played a really close game of New Era last night, and would have really run away with it if there had been one more turn. Adam got exactly 33 points to end the game, with me sitting at 32 points and a great engine on my board. I didn’t have many point scoring cards, which is what really did me in. I should have gotten a few more, and payed more attention to when I could have gotten them. I think picking up a point scoring card on the third turn would have made my life much easier. I got an amazing start with the New Road card being in my starting hand with a good number of small buildings to put down. I need to focus on not building the engine on turn 3 and 4, but focus on getting points instead. I think that is where I have been falling short so far.

Adam and Andrew came to 906 to play with Nick and I. We might end up having games night there if no one else is hosting.

BGG Link

August 15, 2013 0

Squash with Nima

I played some intense games of squash with Nima, most of which were incredibly close. He won the first one by the narrowest margin, and I won the second by an even closer amount. It was hard fought the entire way on both games. The third game he beat me out with some amazing ball placement.

Our game is collectively stepping up, and it is really fun now that it is closer. I think I have a chance to beat him next week.

I saw Amy at the gym, rock climbing. She is doing well, and I need to have her over to my new place. I’m thinking Tuesday for house warming.

August 15, 2013 0

Night of Coding with Julian

Tuesday night Julian and I stayed up late coding together. He was working on the project to help his dad out and I was working on the game. With his help and using Nick’s feedback I was able to get a design that was fun, had a lot of depth, and wasn’t overly complicated. I showed it to Robert and he thought it was fantastic. I’m glad I was able to find the fun in the game so early, and now all I need to do is polish and focus it so that it stays as fun as it is promising to be.

Julian and I hung out at his place for the hacking, and I got to see the gigantic cat that lives there. I hope my cats don’t get to be that big, as Archer would give me shoulder problems.

August 15, 2013 0

Moving Day

I rented a Uhaul yesterday and moved pretty much all my furniture to my new place. I got all the major items set up there and it is feeling like a nice place to be. I’m really liking my choice to move there, and am looking forward to having the automation system. The x10 system will make it much nicer since I won’t need to turn each light on and off when walking in and going to bed. The kitties got there and immediately got in trouble by getting back near the water heater. I blocked that area off as well as I could and they haven’t gotten back there again so far. I’m going to take the toilet training a little slower to let them get used to the new place, but so far they have been handling it perfectly. They were playing and having a great time together, so I’m not worried about them adjusting well. This upcoming weekend will be their first big test at being left alone for a whole day while I’m at the Beer and BBQ festival, but I think they will be just fine. I’ll leave them a good bit extra so they won’t want for anything.

August 13, 2013 0

Ender’s Game

This book was quite good, although a little short and not terribly in depth on any given part. That is probably because I’m comparing to the other recent fiction books I’ve read, Song of Ice and Fire and Wheel of Time. Compared to those two series, most anything would be short and not very explanative. I liked the story, and how the games turned out to be real. It was an excellent book, and I look forward to the movie.

Audible Link

August 13, 2013 0

Startup Weekend: How to Take a Company from Concept to Creation in 54 Hours

This book was a great representation of what I experienced at Startup Weekend when I won the gaming vertical in Mega Startup Weekend. There is only one thing they don’t really talk about, and that is how the people you meet and get along with in 54 hours may not be people you get along with in longer term settings. In my case it was a little bit of that combined with the person I started the weekend with not putting me as a founder, but as the first employee. It was a little disheartening; especially since he didn’t officially tell me that until nearly a month and a half later. I did learn a ton in the experience, both worldly knowledge and technical skills. I might even go to another startup weekend event.

Audible Link

August 13, 2013 0

The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley’s Most Exclusive School for Startups The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley’s Most Exclusive School for Startups

I really like the story of this book, but was expecting more of a how to than a long narrative. There was a ton of advice that came from lots of sources in the book, but none of it was distilled to be useful directly in my situation. I think I’d like to give applying to Y-Combinator another go for the upcoming session, but I’m not sure if any of the people I would want to work with are up for that kind of adventure and life investment.

Audible Link

August 12, 2013 0

The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career

This book had a lot of good points around self improvement being the driving factor of life. It also made the point that money should not be an end goal. Money is purely a means to other items. That mantra is in line with one of my personal mantras; it is the use and experience of something that gives it value, ownership or control are simply easy ways to get use. I’m already doing most of what the book recommends, but I should be networking a good deal more. I certainly have enough friends in interesting groups and companies that could introduce me to more interesting people. I have been ok at keeping in touch with my friends and acquaintances, but haven’t used them for introductions as much as I could.

Audible Link

August 12, 2013 0

Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change

This book had some really amazing points about the processes behind phsychological treatments and practices. The best of which is how they don’t tend to follow the scientific practice, and how anyone can spout nonsense and get others to pick it up. This was especially well demonstrated by the best seller “The Secret.” In The Secret the reader is told that things are attracted to you when you think about them, which is absurd and doesn’t go into edge cases well. The best way in my understanding to know if some process is real or fake is if the edge cases are appreciably addressed. There is also the double blind controlled study, but that is hard to come by when dealing with people.

One of the things I’m taking away from this is that determining the story one thinks about oneself can drastically change the way one behaves. This mantra can be applied to myself, or I can work on others by trying to change their story. I do all the time with Steph to help her see how amazing she really is; that cute, ninja, scuba, sailor, geeky, robot-making, adventurous, kind woman.

Audible Link

August 12, 2013 0