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Sunday, January 22, 2006 · posted at 9:17 AM

Contradictory victory. I love group word games. Catchphrase. Taboo. Squabble. Cranium. They're fun and at the same time, very telling of the players. You find out who the natural leaders (and cheerleaders) are. You see who cracks under pressure and who excels. You test relationships with competition. You find out who was a Mathlete and who was the drama kid. It's really a personality/IQ test under the guise of a game.

Yesterday we played Outburst Remix. This game is basically Family Feud (guess ten popular answers in the topic) except team members are simultaneously making guesses, hence the outing of the bursts. How it differs from Outburst the Original is unclear, but hey you get to use a pentagonal trapezohedron die reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons (for the inner Carlos the Dwarf in you).

I have three gripes about the game:

It uses 3-D technology, you know, "hiding" words by printing a red layer on top that can only be revealed by putting in the super secret red decoder. Granted 3-D is now so old that it is almost retro cool, but still.

The answers, particularly #10, can be ridiculously obscure. Example: picking up dog doo is a "household chore" over ironing, kitty litter, and plumbing.

Anytime you can, and do make a biblical version of a game, it's over, you've lost me. I can only imagine what the categories would be like... sexually oppressive verses? references to religious (and other) intolerance? songs that borrow from the text?

It's like fun with the Flanderses!
Where are Good Samaritan and Clothe the Leper?

Complaints aside, it's fun and apparently less threatening than my favorite, Catchphrase, which I'm told is too much pressure at the individual level. It was a close game, but we managed to scrape ahead, thanks in part to my solo performance on the Insynk (where they came up with the "k" for this loose topic hint I have no clue... Ecclesiastes x:x, perhaps?) card with the topic: Members of the boy bands *Nsync and Backstreet Boys.

Before the timer was even started I had already rattled off Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter. Then it was noted that surnames weren't even required, but come on, you can't say Howie without the "D." for Dorough.

It was a lightning quick round that ended faster than Kimberly Stewart and Laguna Beach's Talon's engagement. As I high-fived my teammate (yes, first glaring warning of dorkdom) over our dominant takeover, I thought to myself:

How is it possible to win, yet feel like a complete loser?

Seriously, this is what my grey matter retains? Not the definition of egalitarian (which I always, always have to look up), not the quintessential example of a health behavior planning model (PRECEDE-PROCEED), or even for that matter how to spell quintessential. I hesitate when asked when the War of 1812 was because I suspect it to be a trick question. Boy band members (specifically boy bands, not just bands - ask me who the "other guys" in Coldplay are and you'll get a blank stare) and Ben and Jerry's flavors. That is the culmination of 18 years of school. And they say public education is in the dumps.

As a result of my coup, two friends are on the cusp of disowning me... Sadly, what's plagued me most about this incident is that I forgot to check who the obscure #10 was - Joey Fatone or Kevin Richardson?



	Sunday, January 22, 2006 · posted at 9:17 AM Contradictory victory. I love group word games. Catchphrase. Taboo. Squabble. Cranium. They're fun and at the same time, very telling of the players. You find out who the natural leaders (and cheerleaders) are. You see who cracks under pressure and who excels. You test relationships with competition. You find out who was a Mathlete and who was the drama kid. It's really a personality/IQ test under the guise of a game. Yesterday we played Outburst Remix. This game is basically Family Feud (guess ten popular answers in the topic) except team members are simultaneously making guesses, hence the outing of the bursts. How it differs from Outburst the Original is unclear, but hey you get to use a pentagonal trapezohedron die reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons (for the inner Carlos the Dwarf in you). I have three gripes about the game: It uses 3-D technology, you know, "hiding" words by printing a red layer on top that can only be revealed by putting in the super secret red decoder. Granted 3-D is now so old that it is almost retro cool, but still. The answers, particularly #10, can be ridiculously obscure. Example: picking up dog doo is a "household chore" over ironing, kitty litter, and plumbing. Anytime you can, and do make a biblical version of a game, it's over, you've lost me. I can only imagine what the categories would be like... sexually oppressive verses? references to religious (and other) intolerance? songs that borrow from the text? It's like fun with the Flanderses! Where are Good Samaritan and Clothe the Leper? Complaints aside, it's fun and apparently less threatening than my favorite, Catchphrase, which I'm told is too much pressure at the individual level. It was a close game, but we managed to scrape ahead, thanks in part to my solo performance on the Insynk (where they came up with the "k" for this loose topic hint I have no clue... Ecclesiastes x:x, perhaps?) card with the topic: *Members of the boy bands Nsync and Backstreet Boys**. Before the timer was even started I had already rattled off Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter. Then it was noted that surnames weren't even required, but come on, you can't say Howie without the "D." for Dorough. It was a lightning quick round that ended faster than Kimberly Stewart and Laguna Beach's Talon's engagement. As I high-fived my teammate (yes, first glaring warning of dorkdom) over our dominant takeover, I thought to myself: How is it possible to win, yet feel like a complete loser? Seriously, this is what my grey matter retains? Not the definition of egalitarian (which I always, always have to look up), not the quintessential example of a health behavior planning model (PRECEDE-PROCEED), or even for that matter how to spell quintessential. I hesitate when asked when the War of 1812 was because I suspect it to be a trick question. Boy band members (specifically boy bands, not just bands - ask me who the "other guys" in Coldplay are and you'll get a blank stare) and Ben and Jerry's flavors. That is the culmination of 18 years of school. And they say public education is in the dumps. As a result of my coup, two friends are on the cusp of disowning me... Sadly, what's plagued me most about this incident is that I forgot to check who the obscure #10 was - Joey Fatone or Kevin Richardson?	Recent Posts Legano, ni legano...is gray area. At Gene's weddin... What's the number for 911?Q: How many emergency ve... I am dreaming for a purpose. ~ Innocent, Night... sh*t or get off the pot. Heather Graham's new sitc... Nursery Tales. I've read The Nanny Diaries, thumbe... And then? No, no 'and then'! I'm always surprise... A GPS for all time. In Movies and the Meaning of ... I'm ideologically promiscuous. ~Louis, "Mu... Ply Wars: Why is 2-ply paper softer than 1-ply?Whe... Walden dreams, part II. I was at the public librar... Morning news babie goose ryan bluemouse daves son dawntaught desiree diorama emily escadawg galveric high entropy invisible cube jepgato kyellow lilly mhuang mogbert nudream starfish + coffee verbivore Archives March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 January 2007 March 2007 April 2007 November 2008

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