Oscar? I Didn't Even Know 'er!

(I never get tired of that joke. Yes, I am that weird uncle you don't like to visit.)

DeeAnn and I are almost ready to host our annual Oscar Party tomorrow! In the tradition of my previous posts about this, here are links to some materials you can use for fun and games at your own shindig, if you're so inclined...

Acceptance Speech BINGO

The perennial favorite which hopefully makes the endless blathering more bearable. Complete any straight line of five squares to get a prize, then blackout the same card to get a second prize. We let people play two cards at once if they really want:

snout.org/cgi-bin/OAS_BINGO/makecard.cgi

Print a randomly generated card (reload page for new card), and check out the source code and word lists if you're interested.

#OscarTrivia Slides

As the name implies, I'll be tweeting these out one by one tomorrow afternoon starting at 11:00AM Pacific Time. I'll share the complete set on Monday at 4:00PM Pacific, after their Twitter debut.

Meanwhile, here's a proper subset of the slides we'll be running during the party, showing all the nominees (info and pics from AMPAS, MoviePosterDB, and ET Online):

picasaweb.google.com/116737692309729475506/OscarNominees2015

Follow @sparCKL and search for #OscarTrivia to learn dozens of useless facts which may only be tangentially related to these movies!

Predict The Losers

New name, same game. Whoever predicts the most winners in all categories gets the grand prize! (Not sure of your picks? See what one Vegas oddsmaker thinks.)

This year, I like the New York Times' Oscar ballot the best; it's clean and well-organized, with minimal branding. Less visual clutter also means less printer ink used:

malum-iter.com/Movies/ob2015nyt.pdf

That's all I've got for now. If you want to kill some more time, the official Oscars web site has trailers of all the nominated films, organized by category. Go for breadth! Go go go!

I'm on a Boat!

One. More. Time:


http://youtu.be/avaSdC0QOUM

This is probably the last time we'll be sailing on the now-annual JoCo Cruise. We've done all five tours so far, and while it's been lots of fun, it is a long journey, and the inconvenience is starting to outweigh the novelty. But don't worry, we can find plenty of other opportunities to commune with our fellow nerds.

Meanwhile, though, we're enjoying our week in the Caribbean—including a tour of Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico! Where my mobile phone will also work without any special setup! That'll be important for reasons which should become clear next week. #waitforit

I am now an Associate Member of SFWA

That's the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to you:

(For the record, I'm glad Jim Kelly told me this summer to wait, and I'm glad Mary Robinette Kowal told me last week to go for it.)

But speaking of waiting, I'm also waiting until next week to celebrate properly. Why next week? Well, I'm glad you asked!

sfwa.org/other-resources/for-readers/reading-series/sfwa-northwest-reading-series/

I will be one of the featured authors at this quarter's installment of the SFWA Pacific Northwest Reading Series, along with Daniel H. Wilson and Django Wexler. (I am still a bit mystified at my invitation to this event, but I don't feel so bad now that I'm at least a SFWA member of some kind.)

Please join us at the Wilde Rover Irish Pub and Restaurant in Kirkland, WA on Tuesday, November 11th; or at McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland, OR on Wednesday, November 12th! It'll be great. You'll love it. Have a drink.

I Will Not Get Paid This Much for Any of My Novels

But it's nice to see that publishers still believe in science fiction.

Last month, this bit of news showed up in the Publishers Lunch daily newsletter:

Try not to think about the fact that Weir originally self-published his first novel, The Martian. Or the fact that he also got a six-figure publishing deal for that book. Or the fact that The Martian is now being made into a movie, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain, scheduled for release in November of 2015.

That way lies madness.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned at Viable Paradise (which is happening again this week, by the way) was this:

Do not compare your own writing career to any other writer's career.

Everyone finds a different path to publication. Everyone has a different story—literally. Keep writing. It'll happen. And meanwhile, make sure you're enjoying the ride, because it'd be a shame if you didn't have some fun during those years (and yes, it will take years).

In related news, huge congratulations to my fellow Pacific Northwest writer Jason Gurley, who just sold his novel Eleanor to a publisher! (Oddly enough, his book was also self-published originally, and it also went to Crown—just like The Martian. Coincidence?)

Jason and I, along with thirty other authors, will be attending Story Con this Saturday at the Fort Vancouver Community Library. If you're in the Portland, Oregon area, stop by and check out the panels, readings, and signings—I'll be moderating a panel on flash fiction which I promise will not be boring!

www.storyconvention.com

I may have some big news to share soon...

...but not quite yet. #WaitForIt

Meanwhile, please enjoy this short video of sea otters holding hands:


http://youtu.be/epUk3T2Kfno

SnoutCast #200: What's Next

In which we reveal our podcasting plans for 2014, and look back on some great interviews from our first four years.

[ Download mp3 - 25 MB ]

01:10 - "bicentennial"
01:34 - Listener Mail: it's pronounced LEHD-beet-ur
02:56 - you, too, should listen to Patrick Stewart's one-man-show of A Christmas Carol
03:53 - SnoutCast Future
10:23 - SnoutCast Present
16:33 - SnoutCast Past (see below for links)
22:37 - go watch some GC Summit videos, kid
25:36 - The End

What Else?

• SnoutCast 47 "Before Midnight" - Don Luskin (~40min)
• SnoutCast 64 "Homicide: Life on the Farm - 10 Years Later" - Sean Gugler (~1hr)
• SnoutCast 168, 169, 170 "The Coin Heist Report with Glenn Willen" - Glenn Willen (~30min each)
• SnoutCast 86, 87, 88 "Alternate Reality Games" - Matthew Schuler & Sean Stacey (~30min each)
• SnoutCast 53 "GC Summit 2011 Panel: MY FIRST GAME" - Dan Egnor, Justin Graham, Jan Chong, Dann Webster, and Trisha Lantznester (~50min)
• Keep watching the skies; also, Puzzle Hunt Calendar

Tell us we're wrong on the Internet! E-mail podcast@snout.org or post a comment at www.snout.org/podcast.

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Chiron Beta Prime" by Jonathan Coulton

[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

 

Wait For It

Just so you know: tomorrow's podcast will be delayed until after our triumphant return from PAX! But we believe it will be worth the wait. :)

Check snout.org/podcast in the evening, or get our feed:
[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

Hope you're all having a relaxing and fun-filled Labor Day Weekend!

 

SnoutCast #176: Gone in 15,638,400 Seconds

In which we look back on some significant-to-us (and possibly relevant-to-your-interests) events from the first half of 2013.

[ Download mp3 - 25 MB ]

00:59 - "semiannual"
02:10 - January/ongoing: monthly Puzzled Pints, weekly SnoutCasts and 512s
02:45 - February: JoCo Cruise Crazy 3, Oscar Party
05:35 - March: GC Summit, ClueKeeper alpha test, WARTRON: BOSTON applications, Tabletop Day
09:57 - April: that QueryShark thing, Paradise Lost, playtests for...
12:40 - ...May: Portland Afoot Game and DASH 5 PDX
20:54 - June: Famine Game applications, WARTRON: BOSTON
22:17 - upcoming events: Great America Race, Elevate Tutoring Puzzle Hunt, Midnight Madness NYC, and more!
26:55 - The End

Tell us we're wrong on the Internet! E-mail podcast@snout.org or post a comment at www.snout.org/podcast.

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton

[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

 

Friday Flash Fiction: "In Which Miss Hartfeil Drops Some Science on Her Tenth Grade Classroom"

Read "In Which Miss Hartfeil Drops Some Science on Her Tenth Grade Classroom" at 512 Words or Fewer

Listen, you just keep all your goddamn "Dora the Explorer" jokes to yourself, buster.

SnoutCast #168: The Coin Heist Report with Glenn Willen, Part 1 of 3

The first part of our conversation with Glenn Willen, one of the Manic Sages who ran the 2013 MIT Mystery Hunt!

[ Download mp3 - 20 MB ]

00:59 - "serious"
02:01 - a little bit of MIT history repeating
04:26 - Mr. Willen goes to Cambridge, Mass.
07:21 - how to win a Mystery Hunt (or not)
09:56 - tools for competitive solvers
15:03 - fun with clue construction
16:24 - experience in other puzzle hunts?
18:08 - why people run Games
21:24 - The End

Tell us we're wrong on the Internet! E-mail podcast@snout.org or post a comment at www.snout.org/podcast.

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "My Monkey" by Jonathan Coulton

[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

  

SnoutCast #149: 'Tis the Season

...for a little shameless self-promotion!

[ Download mp3 - 22 MB ]

00:59 - "wonderful"
03:15 - Adopt Lady Grey!
06:35 - Hire DeeAnn!
12:56 - speaking of consultants...
16:35 - Read Curtis's 512 Words or Fewer every Friday! (And tell other people if you like it!)
19:30 - Follow Curtis or DeeAnn on Twitter!
21:32 - (note to self: remind DeeAnn to NOT adjust her mic during recording)
22:11 - GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY
23:49 - The End

Tell us we're wrong on the Internet! E-mail podcast@snout.org or post a comment at www.snout.org/podcast.

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Chiron Beta Prime" by Jonathan Coulton

[ Subscribe to SnoutCast / iTunes link ]

 

Friday Flash Fiction: "Food for Thought"

More from this month's NaNoWriMo draft.

Eagle-eyed readers will note that the pictured food item is actually Korean, not Japanese.

And one of my favorite quotations of all time*, from the late Lin Yutang: "What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?"

Read "Food for Thought" at 512 Words or Fewer



* OF ALL TIME!

Delay of Podcast

Just so y'all know: tomorrow's SnoutCast will be delayed by several hours, but we have some very special guests lined up. It'll be worth waiting for! Guaranteed! Or your money back.

 

snout.org downtime

UPDATE (5/23 18.26 PT): Data center move rescheduled to "next week on some day Tuesday [5/29] onwards," and likely to be after business hours. Precise details to come later.

My primary web host is moving data centers this weekend--probably Friday, possibly Thursday--so the main snout.org web site will be offline for some time, and e-mail delivery to all addresses in the snout.org domain will be delayed.

More information and updates at rahulstatus.

For alternate contact methods, see curtiscchen.com.

Yeah, Mom, That's Me Too

On page 146 of this month's (May 2012) WIRED Magazine:



I believe I was the only Bay Area WHO helper costumed in a bow tie, as shown below. (The "Chen" mentioned in the next sentence is Crystal. No relation. I know, it's a bit confusing. You'll get over it.)

From WHO Game Bay Area re-cast

You can read more about the actual, not-so-brief berating in Larry Hosken's WHO Game write-up (skip down to "What the Yelling was About"). Good times.

The WIRED article should be online soon. It's a decent "highlight reel" of the WHO Game Bay Area re-cast, mostly written from a player's perspective. I'm not sure it fully captures the spirit of The Game, but I'm still happy to see our peculiar little hobby getting more mainstream exposure.

UPDATE: You can now read the complete Wired article online.

The dream of the '80s is also alive in Portland!

You will have to wait until this August...








...For the best kept secret in the world of THE GAME...








Things will never be the same.








WarTron








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