Grow me some more!

If you liked GROW and GROW RPG, you'll also enjoy GROW: CUBE.

HINT 1: The ball goes last.

HINT 2: The ball needs LONG tube to be completed.

HINT 3: The little people have to do lots of work, they have to go first.

HINT 4: Everything needs to grow - water goes second, right after the people.

HINT 5: No more hints. :)

UPDATE: WTF? You can switch the last two items (i.e. the ball goes second-to-last) and you also get "perfect ending", the same as I did (see talkbacks). This shouldn't be right...???

No need for sine (and cosine)?

If you have slightest interest in geometry, you have to read this. It's the first chapter of a new book called "DIVINE PROPORTIONS: Rational Trigonometry to Universal Geometry" in which the author proposes new system to handle Euclidean geometry without need for angles (and sin, cos, tan etc...). Lengths and angles are replaced by "quadrance" and "spread", which might seem like crazy idea at first, but has the effect of anyone being able to calculate trigonometry problems by hand, using rational numbers, without need for tables or calculators.

Not only is it "interesting bold idea", it could also be applied to computer software, possibly making things like realtime raytracing more feasible (although most in-game trigonometry today is done using pre-computed tables, I'm afraid).

Nintendo still in control?

You might not realize it but both videogame controller revolutions in the last 20 years (control pad and analogue thumbstick) were invented by Nintendo and everyone else copied them. (And this is also true for rumble feature and shoulder buttons.)

Today, Nintendo presented the new controller for their new Revolution console (to be available in 2006) which was held under wraps for a very long time to prevent the idea being stolen by Sony and Microsoft.

The main innovation is that the "remote control thing" is position sensitive, i.e. the game knows (wirelessly) where and how you point it. You really have to read this article to get all the interesting ideas Nintendo came up with.

Of course I am not sure if this catches on, but I like to see Nintendo innovating while others are increasing polygon numbers...

UPDATE: You can see video of controller in action here.

Attack of the clones

If you absolutely, positively, can't get enough of Albert, click here. You've been warned.

F*cking solved!

That's it. Our f*cking housing situation has f*cking finnaly been f*cking solved. That means we will be moving to our new f*cking flat at the end of the the month.

Moral of the story? Never ever trust anything the realty companies tell you unless you also have it in writing. Moral 2: Never trust the realty company which employs Operating Thetans even if they give you something in writing.

P.S: The heading and the first paragraph are encrypted. Please substitute the letters "U" in the place of the asterisks.

Find your inner Albert

I took a photo of a kids' toilet paper packaging which features a dog that very much resembles not only Albert's appearance but also his cheerful disposition and life philosophy. Except, in real life, he doesn't play with scissors very often.

Geek hierarchy

As a movie translator, I always had problems with finding the Czech equivalent of the word "geek", often having to resort to "obsessed" or "crazy" or other "cheap way out". I was unable to explain to non-English-speaking people what is the exact meaning of this word. Now, at last, I found this handy chart of geek hiearchy which explains lots of things. Also, I am now sure I conform to at least a dozen of geek stereotypes.

What exactly was my father doing in 1975?

Yesterday, I was invited by my former girlfriend to see "something really amazing". What was it? It was a concert of a band called Kalvados, whose frontman looks exactly like me! At first, it didn't seem like it. But later it became evident that he not only resembles me when I was younger (he is only 30) but his various quirks, gestures and expressions are very similar to mine. And his name is "Frantisek"!


Left: Frantisek Kalvas' photo from yesterday. Right: Me when I was 30.

Here is short clip (AVI) of Frantisek Kalvas in motion (really interesting if you ever saw me in motion).

Happy birthday to him

Chucky shares his birthday with Henry Ford (of Ford Motors). Although Henry Ford is older.

Jabba The Hutt

Nice lady in the Prague tram. Taken with inconspicuous cameraphone.