More Thoughts On The Pattern

When I did my experiments to discover the nature of the Pattern, I took it seriously, treated it with respect and reverence and never overdid it nor abused it. The Pattern was revealed to me because I myself was synchronised with the Pattern.

Imagine a computer transferring a bunch of 8 bit binary information using 1 and 0. These eight digits form a binary number, and each number represents a letter of the alphabet. This stream of information then represents a message written in English, like these sentences, and it makes perfect sense. But this message is continuous, perhaps repeating, or part of a larger message, and you are intercepting it in the middle of its transmission. Since there is no gap between the letters, and each letter is made of eight pieces in series, there would be only one correct starting point with each letter and seven incorrect ones. So for example if you started at the fifth digit and take the next eight digits to form your first letter, your second letter also begins at the fifth digit. You would thus get a completely different set of numbers and related letters from the same stream of information.

It would be complete nonsense, without any kind of recognisable pattern in it - even though the pattern is still there in the stream of information, remaining hidden from you. Even if by some amazing chance it DID make clear English sentences, it would still be completely different to the ACTUAL message which is encoded into the information stream. You would have to ensure the way you were reading it is perfectly synchronised with the way it was written in order to get the right message.

Consider the experiment results I posted here a while ago. I had asked God - the Pattern himself - to show me some specific information about an extremely uncertain future, as well as something happening far away I have no knowledge of. And apparently the Pattern heard me, answered me, and what I received by plucking out a small section of this great stream of the Pattern was absolutely perfectly correct. My plucking was at just the right moment, in just the right way to be synchronised with my decryption of the information stream. The Pattern was revealed to me, just as it was in all the experiments I did.

Probability clearly shows that it's EXTREMELY unlikely that it would be synchronised by chance every time, so it seems the Pattern had allowed me the glimpses at it all the times I tried, but if I do more experiments in the future, it might not. While the underlying Pattern should still be there, I might not be synchronised with it, and even if I am synchronised just by chance, the variable "message" part of it may still be incomprehensible to me. The Pattern itself chooses.

This is very important to consider if you choose to experiment and have dealings with the Pattern. It is not like examining a regular machine that always behaves in the same way; you are dealing with what appears to be a living being, which has character and choice. You must be synchronised with the Pattern, and also do what "pleases" it in order to receive the correct interpretation of the information stream plucked from the fabric of reality.

Puzzle Pirates

PUZZLE PIRATES (online multiplayer)

This is an excellent game. There is so much to do in this game I think it's best that I describe a pirate's typical journey through the world. But first I'll mention that there are two different ways to play. First you can play by subscription. This is free to play, but in order to get access to every part of the game you'll need to pay a regular fee. But best of all is the "doubloon ocean" option. This is also free to play, but the player has the option of purchasing money within the game for extra benefits. This isn't necessary however, and it's quite an interesting challenge to make your way through the world earning the money for yourself for everything you need. But still if you can afford it, it's sometimes nice to make things a bit easier for yourself by using your real world money to increase your wealth within the game.

The game contains a complete pirate-themed world. Many of the people there act and even talk like pirates, saying things like, "Arrrrr! Avast from yer whinin' ye scurvy dogs and get back to work, so we can get our cargo o' vast booty safely back to shore." And everything that exists there is manufactured or run by other players. For example a sailing vessel can either be bought ready-made from another player, or else has to be built in a shipyard. This will require workers, as well as all the materials, which in turn require manufacturing from other basic materials, which can be bought or foraged from islands. A vessel will stay active until it gets sunk in battle, but other items such as weapons and clothes, unless put in storage, will gradually wear out and require replacing over time. This keeps the economy going, and requires the players to constantly need to be earning money not only for new things, but also to replace their old things. Many activities also require badges to enable them to be done, and these badges also need to be bought, and also wear out over time. However, things only wear out while the player actually plays the game, except for labour badges, which still get used even while the player is offline.

As a new pirate you'll be dressed in rags with a basic sword, very little money and no reputation, ready to start your adventure. The first thing to do is join the navy, where you can practice the jobs required to run a vessel, while also getting paid for your work. Every activity on deck requires performing a puzzle, and how well you do in the puzzle reflects how well you do the job, and the puzzles resemble the job you are doing. For example sailing requires you to fill the sails with wind, or rigging, an alternative to sailing involves pulling ropes. Sailing will speed up the vessel, or keep her at full speed. Navigating is optional and requires lining up stars, which will increase the efficiency of the sailors. Carpentry requires efficiently filling in holes in the vessel with wooden pieces, to prevent water filling up the vessel. Bilging pumps water out of the vessel, as the bilge water will slow down the vessel so the sailors have to work harder. Loading cannons requires cleaning and filling the cannons with powder, wadding and a cannonball in the right order, ready for shooting in battle.

You may find the puzzles fun, but they can be also quite tedious sometimes, especially if you are required to do a job you don't like for a long time. Most activities throughout the world require an equivalent puzzle, and as you improve your skills your reputation also increases. Likewise, the more you work for the navy and do good work, the quicker you will advance through the ranks and get rewards. You can even get command of your own vessel after a while, and get into battles, with computer controlled players called 'swabbies' working for you. The navy swabbies are quite good, but the regular swabbies you can get to work for you outside the navy, though reliable, will only ever do average work. These swabbies can be found on land as well as at sea, and can be challenged to games, and if your abilities are fairly even will also accept a little wager on the outcome.

After you've learned a bit of sailing in the navy next you'll be advised to practice your fighting. This is either a swordfight or a rumble, and you can practice with the swabbies before getting into fights with other pirates. The fights are also in the form of puzzles, and weapons are used. If you have no weapon you just use a stick for swordfighting and your fists for rumbling. In these puzzles you send swords or blows to your opponent, while blocking the ones they send. Once you know how to fight it's time to get a job working on board a player vessel, which is usually far more profitable than working for the navy. This is usually a pillage - attacking other vessels at sea and stealing their booty, though there is also much more to do.

First the crew will get the vessel up to a nice speed, get the cannons loaded and keep her shipshape. Then the captain or officer in charge will search along their charted course and try to engage a suitable enemy vessel (or avoid being engaged by an unsuitable one). This then results in a sea battle in which the sailors produce moves, and the vessels fight with cannonballs on a board, which includes strong winds, whirlpools and rocks, which need to be avoided or used to your advantage. Though you can attack other player vessels, the majority of sea battles are against computer controlled vessels, with the players all working together against the computer. The battle goes on until one of the vessels gets the chance to disengage and escape from the battle, or else grapples the enemy vessel, boards it and a fight starts. This will either be a swordfight or a rumble, but with multiple players at once. These team fights are fought tactically, attacking whichever individual you want, and each individual can be attacked by several enemies at once. And with rumble you also have the option of defending one of your own crew instead of attacking one of the enemy crew.

During battle any damage received through cannonballs and collisions will injure the crew and make it more difficult for them to win the final battle on deck, and whichever crew wins then steals a portion of the enemy booty and cargo. The crew gets a share of the money plundered straight away, and the rest is put in a booty chest, to be divided accordingly at the end of the voyage - or whatever is left if enemy pirates have attacked and successfully robbed a portion of it. In addition the crew can sometimes plunder treasure maps to small islands and shipwrecks at sea, where additional wealth can be found through digging and hauling puzzles.

As well as pillaging, crews can run several other types of voyages. Some crews will pay pirates to staff their vessels carrying needed cargo between islands for profit, and will usually try to avoid battles, as they risk losing some of their precious cargo. Others will pay workers to forage on desert islands for raw materials, which can then be sold at inhabited islands. For example plants of different colours could be used in the manufacture of coloured paint for vessels and builings, as well dye for clothing for all the different colours people want. Or they could sail to strange places, fight ghost ships, sea monsters or whatever, while hauling up great treasure from other vessels sunk in these dangerous places. Or They could either attack or defend an outpost, attack an armada or several other things. New things are sometimes added to the game, increasing its variety even more.

After a long voyage the pirate is worn out and decides to take a break. He goes to the local inn, where pirates gather to play various games or compete in tournaments, usually involving gambling. The games are accessed by using game tables, which are manufactured, and can also be bought for private use on vessels, or in homes and other properties owned. Playing the games requires buying a parlour badge, however every day a couple of them are free for everyone, so you get to play every one on certain days. Of course if you were good at certain games and wanted to play them whenever you wanted, you could easily win enough money by betting in the games, or at least get enough additional income from going on pillages or wherever else you might do to pay for your badge. There is a nice selection available. There are some good card games, including Poker, as well as others such as a drinking game and team swordfights or rumbles. The tables connect everyone together who is currently on the same ocean in the same part of the world as you are, so everyone has a chance to join a game against people who are using their own tables miles away.

There are other things to do on land, such as buy a shop to manufacture and sell whatever people need, or get a labour badge and work for other people's shops, or buy a house, where furniture can be stored, including useful items like the game tables or storage devices, such as a wardrobe so your spare clothes don't get worn out by always being carried around with you. Pirates like to show off their fine vessels, houses, furniture, clothes and other wealth and achievements, and can have parties and pay to advertise them to the whole ocean.

After a bit of experience in various things the pirate chooses his path. He might like to join a good crew full time, and rise up the ranks, getting more control of the vessel, rather than taking whatever temporary job he can find. Being in a crew gives you the rank privileges in your own crew, but you're still free to work for other crews as a temporary jobber if your own crew isn't at sailing. Pillages are the most fun part of the game, and are also very profitable. It's very enjoyable being part of a team defeating an enemy at sea and stealing their booty and cargo, which can be vast and worth a lot. Even if the crew is entirely swabbies, since you can only get 3 or 4 at once in place of pirates, it's a nice challenge to successfully sail the smaller vessels singlehanded, helped only by a few swabbies and their low skill performances, and still win battles against larger vessels with more crew.

He might want to start his own crew, or become a trader, gem smuggler, navy commander, Poker player, Blacksmith, etc. Or whatever combination of activities that are enjoyable and profitable. You just do whatever you want in this game. The only problem is the voyages require commitment, and can sometimes last a lot longer than expected. Especially if you are the lone officer on a vessel capable of commanding it and you've got to get the vessel safely back to shore before you can leave. But overall, it's this wonderful world of real pirates with lots to explore and do. It's living the life of a pirate, and everything is a game!

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Barbie Super Sports

BARBIE SUPER SPORTS (Playstation)

This isn't a great game, but I include it to complete the list of Barbie games which are interesting, fun and challenging for the older player. As a male transvestite I would highly recommend the Barbie games for others, as they have the perfect combination of girliness to satisfy the girly-boy and entertaining gaming good enough to satisfy the male. In this game Barbie has the choice of two cool sports. Either she can go rollerblading or snowboarding.

After Barbie chooses her destination she then goes to the shop, which she can return to any time, to choose her outfit. She also chooses which skates or board she wants, but these must be purchased with tickets collected throughout the game, with the better, faster ones costing more. This advanced equipment is required to have a chance of winning the events, which can be quite difficult, and it requires a lot of practice. Another nice feature is the opportunity to choose from a decent selection of music while you play. Apparently the PC version may be better and it also has better music choices.

There are useful practice areas available, where Barbie not only learns how to skate and snowboard, but also can try out the different tricks she can do. I'm not sure if doing these tricks can get you extra points in the events, but even if not it's still a fun addition to the basic game. There is also a two player option for some or all of the events. I haven't yet got very far in this game, and there's still more to learn, but I'm enjoying it so far. Overall it's a fun little game worth trying if you'd like to do the sports, and certainly if you enjoy the other good Barbie games.

There may be other good Barbie games out there I haven't tried yet, and I've found a little enjoyment from some others I have tried, but this is the end of the list for those I would recommend for anyone to try. The basic part of any Barbie game is you are playing with a doll, or "action figure" and other toys, which is the basis of the majority of computer games. Except in the good computer games the toys are alive and actually play with the player, and a story unfolds which the player's toy is a part of. Barbie always looks good, and sometimes chooses her own outfits suitable for the environment, but often the player gets to play dress up with their living doll as well. Many men enjoy playing as/with a female character in their computer games, and these Barbie "games for girls" can also be enjoyed by men.

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Barbie Detective: The Mystery Cruise

BARBIE DETECTIVE: THE MYSTERY CRUISE (Playstation)

This is a fun little game requiring patience, thought and a bit of skill. You play as a member of Barbie's detective agency, and direct Barbie around looking for clues to help solve the mystery of the stolen artwork on board a cruise ship. Barbie searches rooms and desks, etc. and interviews characters she meets, inputting everything into the crime computer for later analysis, where Barbie will give her opinions about things. She finds some useful items along the way, but begins with just her special detective gear - an infrared lipstick to uncover hidden fingerprints, a compact to dust the prints, and a mobile 'phone to photograph prints and send them to the crime computer. Barbie has a cruise ship to explore, as well as three nearby islands with interesting things to do at every location.

While searching for clues and fingerprints Barbie can take a break and enjoy a game with Teresa, or else against a second player. Here is where the most useful feature for a Barbie game - the difficulty setting - can be altered to make it more of a challenge to win against the computer, and the hard setting is indeed very hard. There are three fun and interesting games to play. There is a fun jetski race, with ramps to jump and huge beach balls to avoid. There is also an awesome glider race, in a kind of hang glider with a propellor. These two races are challenging and exciting, but for a more relaxed and tactical game, also requiring skill, there is shuffleboard. You can either play against Teresa, another player, or play in a tournament with the other characters on the ship.

These games aren't just a fun distraction. Learning a bit of skill in the vehicle racing games will turn out to be useful at the end of the game when the thief decides to try and escape, and it ends with an exciting chase across the sea and through the air. And while playing single games of shuffleboard, this offers the opportunity to listen in on the conversations going on nearby. These little pieces of information are sometimes useless, but will sometimes be an important clue worth recording. Apart from the fun games the main part of what makes the game interesting is analysing everything, consulting with Barbie, and trying to figure it all out for yourself before the big reveal when the fingerprint analysis is complete. The more you search and get people to talk the more clues you will find that point to the truth, and you can talk to the other detective team members for help in how to progress if you get a bit lost.

Overall this game is a lot of fun, both as a challenge that can be adjusted to the skill of the player, and as something that makes you think and get involved in the game. Once you've completed it, when you play again there will be differences throughout and probably a different thief, so you can play again and again with a new mystery to solve each time. The optional games were a lot of fun, especially the way they were part of the story, making the whole experience a great combination of enjoying a leisurely cruise around some interesting islands while also solving a mystery, returning some stolen artwork and catching a thief in the final chase scene.

I'd recommend this one for anyone as a great little detective game that can be played multiple times with a different outcome, and you can get as much fun out of it along the way as you want. It's like going on holiday to have some fun and getting involved in an exciting mystery adventure as one of your activities.

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Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue

BARBIE HORSE ADVENTURES: WILD HORSE RESCUE (Playstation 2)

Even though this game is much more varied and interesting than the Riding Camp game, I didn't find it as enjoyable - though it is still a lot of fun. In this one Barbie and her friends arrive at riding school to do a bit of horse riding, but (once again) a storm has resulted in some problems. This time a lot of horses have escaped and become lost along several different trails. Barbie and her friends offer to help bring all the horses back, and you play as Barbie, who seems to be doing most of the work.

You get to choose your own horse, and as more are rescued more become available to use. You can also change the appearance of the horses if you wish, and also Barbie can change her outfit, with more outfits becoming available as Barbie collects coins and gift boxes along the trails. There are three different areas to explore, each with three trails, and if you find all the horses this then unlocks another bonus trail - and finding all the collectables may possibly unlock another. This optional part of the game in addition to finding the horses is the hardest part, as there are many hidden areas to be found and it requires a thorough search to find them all.

On each of the trails there are six foals to be found, and these must be walked and tied to a save point ready to be picked up. This often involves solving simple puzzles, and some of the foals can also be hard to find. Barbie uses objects, climbs and does other things to get to the foals and get them back to the save points. In addition there is one full grown horse to be found on each trail, and these require chasing and catching with a lassoo. This is one of the most fun and challenging parts of the game, especially the last one, which runs around a cave full of hazards. But sometimes one of the other characters catches the horse instead, and decides to take a break and challenges Barbie to a horse race, which she must win instead of catching the horse on that trail.

Apart from the puzzles to be solved, Barbie encounters many hazards along the way, such as jumping over obstacles on horseback, or ducking underneath them - which if she doesn't do she'll get knocked off her horse. There are also things like rolling logs to avoid, and dangerous animals. Some must be avoided completely, while others can be distracted for a while by throwing them food. The animals and other hazards will trouble the horses until they lose all their trust for Barbie. This can be restored by feeding them, and sometimes by praising the horses. They will also get dirty along the way and require cleaning. This can be done by riding around in deep water, where available, or else the horses must be taken back to the stables to be washed in a sort of minigame. Barbie only has one minute to clean the entire horse, and if it is very dirty this can be a little challenge.

In addition to the main game there are a few minigames to play, such as horse racing or catching horses, and these can be played as either one player against the computer or against the clock, or else two player against your friend. Each trail also has the clock minigame, where Barbie has to ride around collecting all the clocks within a time limit for a bonus prize, and this is sometimes quite challenging. One of the areas is icy in places, and this introduces an extra hazard and challenge as the horse slips and slides. Even if a trail has been completed and everything found there, once it has been opened it remains open for Barbie to return to and ride again any time she wants.

Overall this is a fun game, but it can be quite tedious at times, especially if you are trying to collect all the coins, which can be inconveniently scattered about and hidden. Barbie has to continually get off her horse to do things, which can take quite a while. It might be better if there were more of a challenge involved, and the puzzles were harder to figure out, but for a younger player I imagine it might be quite hard. Unlike Riding Camp where most of the things can be done on horseback if preferred, and with long rides, this game doesn't have the same flow, where you're happily riding along uninterrupted. It doesn't have quite the same beauty either, though the scenery is excellent, and it has some great music. So as I said, though it is far more varied and interesting, for a horse riding game it doesn't have quite the same charm as Riding Camp - but still it's very good and well worth a try.

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Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp

BARBIE HORSE ADVENTURES: RIDING CAMP (Playstation 2)

This one probably won't suit some people's tastes, but I think it is a magnificent game. Barbie and her best friend Teresa have enrolled at riding camp on an island to learn to ride horses. However a recent storm has caused lots of problems for the inhabitants, and they will need some help with various tasks. You play the game as Barbie, and will occasionally encounter Teresa, as well as the other inhabitants, who usually have a cheery greeting to give as Barbie approaches.

What makes this game so great is that Barbie has absolute freedom to explore the island, and go anywhere and do anything - though some things require that Barbie qualifies for them first. It looks and sounds beautiful, and apparently the PC version is even better. There is only a certain time available each day, until darkness begins to fall, accompanied by a gorgeous sunset, and lamp posts switch on. When it becomes too late Barbie gets a 'phone call from Kyle, who arrives to take her back to the stables. She can also call him up any time to do this if she becomes lost, or if her horse needs urgent care, or if she's just too lazy to find her own way back. Though Barbie's 'phone has a useful map and GPS, so getting lost usually isn't a problem. Barbie can choose to ignore Kyle's call and stay up all night if she wants to be naughty, and as night falls the stars come out and the forest sounds quite different.

The horses need care along the way - they need to drink, eat, be groomed and have their hooves cleaned to avoid injury, and there are places scattered about where this can be done. Barbie can also work in the stables caring for the other horses for extra camp credits. These camp credits can also be earned by completing tasks and collecting objects scattered around the island. The credits can be used in the dressing room to purchase new outfits or saddles for the horse, and there is a nice selection available. As a male transvestite, playing the part of Barbie at riding camp is very satisfying! When Barbie tries on new outfits Teresa also comes along to give her opinion, and I find myself agreeing with her comments.

The tasks Barbie has to perform are usually very simple, though I find it very enjoyable riding around doing things, and trying not to get into trouble. There is even an interesting mystery that Barbie solves, beginning with finding a message in a bottle on the beach. My only complaint is that most of the time you are shown exactly where you are supposed to go, and merely have to find your way there by the best route. For example one thing you have to do is find a missing cat, and its precise location is pinpointed for you. I would much rather have had to actually search for it - though I suppose you could cover up your permanent map to make it a little more difficult. Or at one point on my travels I came across some horses wandering on a hill, then later Kyle asked me to find some missing horses. I thought, "Hey! I've seen them - I know where to go!" But of course as usual I was directed straight to their precise location.

The goal of the game is to graduate from riding camp by winning ribbons in several events, which get progressively more difficult. There may only be a certain number of days to do this before Barbie has to leave, though I'm not sure about that yet. You are usually given plenty of opportunity to fail, and it isn't too hard to win the ribbons, though it is likely that you'll mess up in the harder events and have to start again if you're not careful. And you can go back any time to try and improve your times in the events, and this is a lot of fun and very challenging. For example I still haven't managed to complete the show jumping event without knocking off at least one of the bars, and I keep going back to try and do it perfectly - while still beating my previous best time. As you win the ribbons you get access to different horses, and each one is different, and better suited to some of the events. For example some horses are better at jumping, some are faster, and some are better at endurance.

You could even make up your own events to try and complete within a set time. For example you could travel from one side of the island to the other, visiting several difficult to reach locations, and finding and collecting a set number of horse shoes or whatever along the way - while also trying to have the minimum number of accidents, and also keeping your horse well looked after so it doesn't go thirsty or require other care. The adventures you can have are only limited by your imagination!

Overall I find this game to be a wonderful dreamlike experience, like a fondly remembered holiday that I never want to end. Though as I said, others might not enjoy it so much, and may find it boring, especially if they rush through it and don't take the time to immerse themselves in the game. So if you love this sort of thing then I would highly recommend this game, and if perhaps not then it's still worth a try - you never know, you might enjoy it!

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Secret Agent Barbie

SECRET AGENT BARBIE (Gameboy Advance)

If you are wanting to try out this game, I highly recommend the Gameboy Advance version. There is also a PC version available, though this will only work with older computers. The PC version is superior in graphics and sound, but far inferior as an actual game. It's a lot more like watching a film, with a lot of cool cutscenes, but with very easy and boring gameplay in between (it also has a different story). But the Gameboy Advance version is entertaining and challenging throughout.

This time Barbie is an international secret agent, called in to investigate the theft of the crown jewels. She must travel to different locations throughout the world, pursuing the villains, discovering their evil plot and put a stop to it, before finally capturing them. Barbie can run, jump, roll, climb, hide and use a variety of spy gadgets to help her in her missions. For example she has a compact with mirror she can throw at guards, which releases a cloud of powder to confuse and blind them, or a robot puppy dog that can scout ahead, sneaking past guards unseen, and get into small spaces, or start barking to distract guards away.

Barbie does not fight the guards. Instead she has to try to sneak past them without being seen, and if she becomes too visible she is captured and the mission is over. The male guards are usually quite lazy and not too hard to avoid, but the female guards are far more dangerous, and will actively chase Barbie, running and jumping after her relentlessly. There are also robot guards to avoid. In addition Barbie must pick a variety of electronic locks to open doors, and this can also be quite challenging.

The game gets more difficult as it progresses, and once it has been completed this unlocks the expert mode, which is even more difficult. In addition there is the option of finding and collecting data disks scattered around as an extra challenge; and finding them all in a mission unlocks extra outfits and gadgets, such as a spy car. The missions are quite exciting, and also involve things like a car chase and speedboat chase, as well as underwater scuba diving. It's a great little adventure!

Overall I recommend this for anyone as a fun little game with great scenery and interesting variety. It's nicely challenging and fun to play.

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Barbie Explorer

BARBIE EXPLORER (Playstation)

I include the Barbie games in my reviews as they have a reputation of being boring, easy games for young girls. But not all of them are so, and I wanted to show the exceptions I have discovered. This game above all stands out as being the best of the bunch for the older gamer who is looking for an entertaining challenge. Despite it being reasonably short, the younger players can take years to complete it.

There is a two player option for the game but I'm not sure what this is about. In the one player version you take on the role of Barbie, this time being an archaeologist adventurer in the style of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. (Though in the game she's actually a reporter, but she's Barbie - she can do anything!) Barbie runs, carefully walks, jumps, rolls, climbs and swings her way through various obstacles, as well as manipulating objects. There is a useful training level to familiarise yourself with all of Barbie's abilities and how to control them. There are also three difficulty levels; easy, medium and hard, which define how many accidents Barbie can have before she dies.

Barbie's mission is to collect four artifacts scattered around the world. The three opening locations can be visited in any order, and in their natural order become progressively more difficult. Once all three have been completed this reveals the fourth mystery location, most difficult of all, where the final artifact can be found. Each location has three levels to complete, usually increasing in difficulty with each one, and ends with a fourth level in which Barbie must get past a creature guarding the artifact. She has no weapons and does not fight, so to deal with the guardians and other creatures along the way that are trying to hurt her, the only option is to avoid them.

The way is pretty much linear throughout each of the levels, so there's no getting lost, although there are side ways to explore and hidden passages. It's mainly a physical challenge throughout requiring skill, but there are also some puzzles requiring thought, some with a time limit. These usually aren't too tricky but can cause problems. For example the first one I encountered was extremely simple, but the way it worked was deceptive and made it appear far more complicated than it actually was. Also one of the puzzles I never managed to figure out, but just got it right by chance. In addition to the main mission Barbie has the option of collecting gemstones along the way, and to find and collect them all makes the game even more difficult than it already is.

Overall the game is quite challenging and exciting, and never gets boring. As it progresses new interesting things appear, for example in Tibet many of the paths are icy and Barbie slips and slides while doing even the most simple of things. My only complaint is that compared to the rest of the levels, the guardian levels were a bit too easy, and could have been more exciting if there were more of a challenge involved. But I would recommend this game to anyone. As Barbie herself says when she completes it...

"It wasn't easy, but it sure was fun!"

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Game Reviews

I plan to do some game reviews of computer games I have enjoyed playing recently. I am a fan of old 8 bit computer games from the 1980s for the Acorn Electron, and I could go on and on about them, but the ones I will be reviewing will be some modern games for a PC (or other game machines that can be emulated on a PC). All these emulators and games can be downloaded for free if you choose from the internet. You can also get an emulator for the Acorn Electron computer, eg. 'Elkulator' or 'Electrem' to play on the PC, and can find a massive number of games for it at the 'StairwayToHell' website. I've also made some videos on my 'Youtube' channel showing some Acorn Electron games synchronised with songs - partly intentionally synchronised and partly by coincidence as usual.

Lately I have become fascinated by 'Barbie' games, in which you play as the popular doll character. These are supposedly for young girls only, and are very simple, but I have found a few really good ones which are interesting, fun to play and quite challenging for anyone. I'll probably be reviewing these first. I've also tried watching a couple of Barbie films as well, and as surprisingly as with some of the games, these have turned out to be very enjoyable to watch. This just goes to show how "if you never try you'll never know what you're missing!"

A popular online multiplayer game I used to play is called 'Runescape', and though I would recommend it I probably won't be reviewing this one. I enjoyed it in the past, but then there was a significant change to it that ruined the main part of what was so good about it. Still, like some other online multiplayer games, this is a good 'virtual world' for people who live far apart to meet and engage in activities together, and get to know each other better than just by writing words in messages.

I might mention a few others, but these are the games I will be planning to review. Some appear identical played on different machines, but some are quite different, or else don't appear at all on other machines. Even if I don't get around to reviewing them, these are ones I highly recommend checking out...

Barbie Explorer - Playstation
Secret Agent Barbie - Gameboy Advance
Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp - Playstation 2
Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue - Playstation 2
Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise - Playstation
Barbie Super Sports - Playstation

Puzzle Pirates - online multiplayer
Legend Of Edda - online multiplayer
Pirates Of The Burning Sea - online multiplayer

The Movies - PC
Silent Hill 3 - PC
Army Men RTS - PC
LSD Dream Emulator - Playstation
Rule Of Rose - Playstation 2
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds - Playstation 2
Artificial Girl 3 (with English subtitles) - PC
Kari Virtual Girlfriend - PC

There are other good games I would recommend that could be played either directly or emulated on a PC, and I might mention them, but these are mainly ones that have stood out as exceptional, or at least noteworthy in some way, and that I would never tire of playing it seems.


As a final note, another couple of games worthy of mention (but which I probably won't review) are the Bruno R. Marcos Star Wars games. These are excellent games Marcos has written and offers free. One is called 'The Battle Of Yavin', which is based on the classic Star Wars game, based on the space battle at the end of episode IV. The other is called 'The Battle Of Endor' and is based on the space battle at the end of episode VI. Get them here...

http://www.bruneras.com/

Sleepyhead song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFjvJlArqM The poem 'Sleepyhead' set to music.

A Little Poetry

SLEEPYHEAD
------------------

The darkest shadow has begun to fall
where sun shone bright and all walked tall.
A creeping disease too slow to see
has infected the lives of you and me.

Under the stones as you rest your weary bones
a parasite crawls and sneaks through our homes.
And who can see by the glare of the TV,
which flickers at just the right frequency?

As horrors untold begin to unfold,
at the edge of perception the fear takes hold.
And so we deny, and embrace the next lie,
warmed by the globe as the people grow cold.

And I tried to explain but a haze filled my brain,
and I couldn't quite say how we got here today.
But then came a man; a man we should cherish.
He knew, and his name was Brian Gerrish.

He was sound as a pound - though my pound hit the ground,
and dwindles away as I watch day by day.
And though all the services can't get their pay,
the banks get bailed out in some magical way.

And war raged on, began by a lie,
though I never heard all the innocent die.
I only saw stars wearing this, doing that.
I only saw stars wearing this, doing that.

As a Common Purpose slipped into place
behind the scenes as if far out in space,
in all of society the leaders were set...
including the ones who aren't leaders yet!

And though they would cheat and steal, that's OK;
all those above us can have their own way.
The laws and the statutes are only for slaves;
a legal fiction from cradle to grave.

My words could go on and on and on
and on and on and on and on...
But too much is wrong to write in a song.
I've already spoken for far too long.

I just ask that you hear and not wait another year,
or for some dark date when it's far too late.
I ask that you look in the history book...
It's happened before; it will happen once more.

And if it's not clear with your finger in your ear,
or safe with your beer to give you your cheer,
you need to wake up and put down your cup.

YOU NEED TO WAKE UP!




------------------------------------------------------------


CONSPIRACY FAIRIES
----------------------------------

A cry never heeded: Unity is needed.
All that is tall will fall with this call.

But none ever hear, if you scream year by year.
They do nothing but speak, growing ever more weak,
while the enemy roars, and the truth-teller bores.

The dictators creep while the wakened ones sleep;
an illusion so deep.

I long for the mission. Will any ever listen?
A strong horn and tooth says, "We know the truth."
But that means nought; it's only a thought.

The dream will come true when we choose to DO!


-----------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts on The Pattern

What I call "the Pattern", or the Logos, or Tao, etc. is the "thing" behind reality, always changing yet always remaining the same, like a living (and seemingly intelligent) creature - always keeping the same shape, but always moving into different positions.

The way this is sampled is a one dimensional sampling of reality in an extremely simplified form, translated into a two dimensional picture of reality, then translated into a three dimensional picture of reality (and sometimes expanded into a four dimensional picture, including time as well as space). The one dimensional sampling of reality corresponds precisely with the actual observed three dimensional reality. But how is the whole of reality, or at least the portion of it being observed recorded?

My method is a simple flipping of 36 coins, six coins six times, three with the left hand and three with the right, flipping left and right at the same time. Each coin flip, whether it turns up heads or tails simplifies each portion of a sequence of reality into binary, and transforms that period of observed reality into a binary number. Many things could have happened during that time, and the coins could have moved in a massive variety of different ways. But their massively complex movements, and all the possible events in the world are simplified into whether one half of them happened or not. Obviously this could be made more sensitive by using dice, and more rolls but using this simple 6x6 binary form shows us the simplest possible picture of reality - the true building blocks which form actual experience.

So what we see is that reality is always made from the same picture, but it always varies its appearance into different configurations, while always keeping the same form - like all the different ways in the world you could draw a picture of a house. I don't know whether or not that it's a consequence of using six coins six times, with the left and right halves seperated and at the same time, that the 6x6 image shows a picture of reality, imagined as a two dimensional image in your eye expanded into a three dimensional picture of reality, as well as the left and right hand 3x6 halves showing different pictures seperately. Additional images appear as both black on a white background and white on a black background, and also when the image is turned and looked at in a different way. So within the same simple image there can be as many as TWENTY-FOUR different images! The different pictures which appear sometimes are of the same thing at different points in time, simulating an actual three dimensional moving scene. Perhaps also seperating it into left and right together divided physical location into left and right halves of total reality in the pictures.

Of course the numbers can be looked at in many different ways, producing yet more pictures, as well as the numbers themselves, being seen as occurances within reality that also form those same events and numbers. Another experiment that needs to be done is getting numbers from a completely different location, as all of my experiments, where reality is seperated into left and right halves, have been done in the exact same location.

The Plan Of The Elite

'The Plan Of The Elite' video I made. Where fiction and reality meet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m8qQQ4geWk

I might post the video here too if there is space.