check out the web site for Live Earth. A series of concerts around the globe to bring even more awareness to global warming. A look who's headlining in Sydney! A reformed Crowded House. Out-friggin-standing!!
http://www.liveearth.org/
Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Post 82: 310806 9th World Tantrix Championships
The 9th World Tantrix Championships is underway and last night I had my first games. This year’s 200 competitors have been divided into groups of four or five for Phase 1. I’m in Group 1 with 3 others and before the 12th of September we must play four games against each other.
My first opponent was ‘Sanabas’ from Australia. We played all four games in one hit. Things started badly and did not improve. In our second game I took some small satisfaction after falling into a trap in the opening tiles, of being able to defend a slender lead of 14. I took the win by 1 point. As for the other three games I lost them all by narrow margins. I have to perform well against the other two if I want to progress to Phase 2.
Follow the link to the summary of Phase 1
My first opponent was ‘Sanabas’ from Australia. We played all four games in one hit. Things started badly and did not improve. In our second game I took some small satisfaction after falling into a trap in the opening tiles, of being able to defend a slender lead of 14. I took the win by 1 point. As for the other three games I lost them all by narrow margins. I have to perform well against the other two if I want to progress to Phase 2.
Follow the link to the summary of Phase 1
Friday, August 25, 2006
Post 80: 250806 Solar System Update
Just in case you were worried about the status of our Solar System i have an update for you. It's now official, we only have 8 planets. Pluto no longer qualifies but has been re-termed a 'dwarf planet' along with Ceres and 2003UB 213.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Post 78: 170806 Our Solar System
Without much in the way of personal goings on over the last few days I’ve been looking further a field for something to report on. Being an avid space enthusiast it’s no surprise that my attention was drawn to the current conference of leading and not so leading scientists discussing and refining the nature of our universe.
Yesterday if you had innocently asked how many planets were in our solar system then you would have been given the nonchalant reply of ‘Nine’. Today however, that answer has changed.
It all began with the defining of Pluto, is she qualified to be a planet. If she is then several other bodies floating out there of a larger mass also qualify to be called planets. Well, the answer was ‘Yes!’ Pluto is a planet which then gives us three more of the little suckers to call our own. Not that we didn’t claim them before but now we can puff our chests a little larger and say there are twelve planets in our swinging solar system dancing on the outer arm, looking in on a densely populated spiral galaxy.
Get this, one was given the dubious name ‘Xena’ after the New Zealand grown television show. What this means is that all books and posters proclaiming accurate knowledge of our Solar System are now out of date. A further problem arises when we learn that there are more bodies drifting by out there that are larger than Pluto but for the time being we can’t get a good enough handle on them to define them. More reprints no doubt to ensure school children know just what our neighborhood looks like. But for now here is what our Solar system currently looks like and check out http://www.iau2006.org/ for the facts.
Yesterday if you had innocently asked how many planets were in our solar system then you would have been given the nonchalant reply of ‘Nine’. Today however, that answer has changed.
It all began with the defining of Pluto, is she qualified to be a planet. If she is then several other bodies floating out there of a larger mass also qualify to be called planets. Well, the answer was ‘Yes!’ Pluto is a planet which then gives us three more of the little suckers to call our own. Not that we didn’t claim them before but now we can puff our chests a little larger and say there are twelve planets in our swinging solar system dancing on the outer arm, looking in on a densely populated spiral galaxy.
Get this, one was given the dubious name ‘Xena’ after the New Zealand grown television show. What this means is that all books and posters proclaiming accurate knowledge of our Solar System are now out of date. A further problem arises when we learn that there are more bodies drifting by out there that are larger than Pluto but for the time being we can’t get a good enough handle on them to define them. More reprints no doubt to ensure school children know just what our neighborhood looks like. But for now here is what our Solar system currently looks like and check out http://www.iau2006.org/ for the facts.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Post 70: 260706 9th World Tantrix Champs
Check out the list of current entrants in the 9th World Tantrix Championships. It kicks off next month and despite winning the Asian Champs i have little confidence of progressing far. There are alot of very serious players out there.
This year they are hoping for over 200 entrants from at least 30 different countries. Not bad for a little game that started in New Zealand.
This year they are hoping for over 200 entrants from at least 30 different countries. Not bad for a little game that started in New Zealand.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Post 61: 100706 Italia
Just so there's no confusion. How happy am i right now? Perhaps not as happy as the Italians but pretty damn happy. They hold on for their forth World Cup title.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Post 54: 270606 Tantrix Final
Tonight, somehow, don't ask me, i was crowned Tantrix Asian Champion for 2006. I played 'joky' in the final whom i'd met in the opening rounds. The first game was a draw then i won the next two and if i'd won the forth it would have been a forgone conclusion. He won it however and i had to wait until the 5th to put it beyond doubt. We completed our sixth game for the sake of it, which i won as well. So as of this evening i can say i've won a title.
"What does it mean! What does it mean!"
"What does it mean! What does it mean!"
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Post 48: 210606 Tantrix Tournament Con't
Well I made it through the first round by the skin of my teeth as they say. Six wins from twelve games. As so began the Quarter finals. The knockout phase comprising of six games. But if you are within 5 TP’s after those games then you have up to three more games for one player to get clear.
My opponent was ‘Highrange’ from Papua New Guinea. I thought I was doing pretty well as after four games I had won three. That was when he made his comeback with two successive wins, the first of which was sizable enough to propel him into the lead. After our regulation six games he was a few points ahead, requiring at least one more.
In the seventh and what become the final game I won 17 to 9. Giving me a big enough lead to go through to the Semi-finals. My opponent will be ‘kina’ from South Africa.
My opponent was ‘Highrange’ from Papua New Guinea. I thought I was doing pretty well as after four games I had won three. That was when he made his comeback with two successive wins, the first of which was sizable enough to propel him into the lead. After our regulation six games he was a few points ahead, requiring at least one more.
In the seventh and what become the final game I won 17 to 9. Giving me a big enough lead to go through to the Semi-finals. My opponent will be ‘kina’ from South Africa.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Post 43: 130606 Tantrix Tournament
After what seemed like a good start I thought I would be reasonably well placed at the end of Phase 1. Today is the deadline for Phase 1 games and I am currently placed second in my group so there is little doubt I will go through to the knock-out phase. I think this is mainly due to two people from our group dropping out and two more not completing their games. They do have a few more hours but at this stage it’s looking unlikely.
So my phase one record stands at 6 wins and 6 losses. The last loss coming when I completed the set of three games yesterday with ‘tzujoe’. A close game throughout but was beaten at the finish despite having the tiles to complete a mammoth loop, he had the turn and took 1 essential piece. Final score 22 to 17.
Knockout phase will follow which I’m not feeling all that confident about. I’ve dropped over 100 points in my ranking over the last few weeks due to an ineptness of play. I’m lacking a necessary component that enables one to see the board further in advance. I was never that good at chess either, opting to play more with instinct rather than strategy.
So my phase one record stands at 6 wins and 6 losses. The last loss coming when I completed the set of three games yesterday with ‘tzujoe’. A close game throughout but was beaten at the finish despite having the tiles to complete a mammoth loop, he had the turn and took 1 essential piece. Final score 22 to 17.
Knockout phase will follow which I’m not feeling all that confident about. I’ve dropped over 100 points in my ranking over the last few weeks due to an ineptness of play. I’m lacking a necessary component that enables one to see the board further in advance. I was never that good at chess either, opting to play more with instinct rather than strategy.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Post 34: 290506 Tournament Day 3
Saturday night and I was fit for a fight or so I thought as I sat on my plush pink pillow before my sleek silver laptop with while Miles wailed in my ears. But the bubble soon burst and left me surly.
I jumping into the Tantrix lobby hoping to see someone I’m yet to play from group A but alas there was none. ‘tzubobo’ invited me to a game and in need of a warm up I obliged but while we were trading turns, ‘kina’ from South Africa jumped into our room to announce her presence. She needed to play both of us and I was the lucky schtick who got to go first.
The first game was close until a late run saw ‘kina’ take it 20 to 16 but I wasn’t overly worried as I still felt like I could win the next to. In the second game I lead early on and needed a single tile to join two lines and take a commanding win but the tile was not to fall and my lead was erased and I lost 23 to 19. In game three saw a repeat of game two but at the very least it thought I could win one and take some much needed points away from our sparring. But again the lead was squashed and a third loss was recorded, 22 to 18.
So now my record stands at 6 wins and 5 losses with four games left to play.
I jumping into the Tantrix lobby hoping to see someone I’m yet to play from group A but alas there was none. ‘tzubobo’ invited me to a game and in need of a warm up I obliged but while we were trading turns, ‘kina’ from South Africa jumped into our room to announce her presence. She needed to play both of us and I was the lucky schtick who got to go first.
The first game was close until a late run saw ‘kina’ take it 20 to 16 but I wasn’t overly worried as I still felt like I could win the next to. In the second game I lead early on and needed a single tile to join two lines and take a commanding win but the tile was not to fall and my lead was erased and I lost 23 to 19. In game three saw a repeat of game two but at the very least it thought I could win one and take some much needed points away from our sparring. But again the lead was squashed and a third loss was recorded, 22 to 18.
So now my record stands at 6 wins and 5 losses with four games left to play.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Post 33: 250506 Tournament Day 2
It took a while to arrange the next set of games and as yet it has proved impossible for anyone in Group A to play the competitors from South Africa. This evening saw 3 games squared away against another Taiwanese hopeful. He flies under the name ‘joky’ and from around 8pm while I was still at work until just before 10pm as I sat in the comforts of home we completed our set.
Game 1 saw me take a casual approach that nearly ended in disaster but resulted in a win. The second game was a different story with ‘joky’ getting a 26 point loop and me playing catch up. At the final tile I was a point behind. The third game was close to begin with but I pulled away near the end to take a comfortable second victory.
My current record stands at 6 wins and two losses. With one member of Group A dropping out the number of games needed to be played has dropped to 15.
Game 1 saw me take a casual approach that nearly ended in disaster but resulted in a win. The second game was a different story with ‘joky’ getting a 26 point loop and me playing catch up. At the final tile I was a point behind. The third game was close to begin with but I pulled away near the end to take a comfortable second victory.
My current record stands at 6 wins and two losses. With one member of Group A dropping out the number of games needed to be played has dropped to 15.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Post 31: 230506 Tournament Day 1 Con't
A little while later a second competitor from Group A signed in to the Tantrix Lobby. ‘tzujoe’ is also from Taiwan. It was about midnight my time and I was a tad apprehensive at first of getting into it. I sucked it up and gave him a bell.
The first game was close and could have gone either way but a lucky fall meant I connected my tiles and took the win. The second game I was ahead but a late charge kept me nervous but when the tiles ran out I was still on top. 2 for 2. Understandably my opponent was not up for the third game so once we are better rested we’ll complete our set.
I currently stand at 4 wins and 1 loss. Phase 1 consists of a total of 18 games.
The first game was close and could have gone either way but a lucky fall meant I connected my tiles and took the win. The second game I was ahead but a late charge kept me nervous but when the tiles ran out I was still on top. 2 for 2. Understandably my opponent was not up for the third game so once we are better rested we’ll complete our set.
I currently stand at 4 wins and 1 loss. Phase 1 consists of a total of 18 games.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Post 30: 220506 Tantrix Tournament Day 1
And so it begins. I entered myself a little while ago into the AFRICAN & ASIAN TANTRIX CHAMPIONSHIPS (2006) and this evening played my first games in the opening round. There are fourteen players in the tournament divided into two groups. I am in Group A and seeded 8th overall.
I have to play each of the other six players in my group 3 times and it is up to us to organize the games. This can be tricky as some of the opponents are in Africa which is 7 or so hours behind Korea. All games in phase 1 have to be completed by the 16th of June.
My first opponent was ‘tzubobo’ from Taiwan. He is seeded sixth. I lost the first game and thought I was going to be on the receiving end of an old fashioned arse-womping. The second game went faster and I pulled it out of the bag for the win. The third game was closely fought but I came away with it. So after Day 1 my record stands at 2 wins and 1 loss.
Should you wish to check out the overall standing then follow the ‘Tantrix’ link under Current Escapes.
I have to play each of the other six players in my group 3 times and it is up to us to organize the games. This can be tricky as some of the opponents are in Africa which is 7 or so hours behind Korea. All games in phase 1 have to be completed by the 16th of June.
My first opponent was ‘tzubobo’ from Taiwan. He is seeded sixth. I lost the first game and thought I was going to be on the receiving end of an old fashioned arse-womping. The second game went faster and I pulled it out of the bag for the win. The third game was closely fought but I came away with it. So after Day 1 my record stands at 2 wins and 1 loss.
Should you wish to check out the overall standing then follow the ‘Tantrix’ link under Current Escapes.
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