More from Peter Goldsbury on the kata of play: "Kagura and shugyou are part of a cultural history of play in Japan which remains to be written and which would require the description of activities as diverse as pilgrimage, gambling and the martial arts, tea ceremony and karaoke."

How and why people use camera phones: "...the camera phone is neither an incremental step forward from a mobile phone, nor a poor relation of a digital camera. Rather, it is a device which is sometimes used rather like a digital camera, but is different in the range of activities it supports." (via Jay)

Finding difficult puzzles: "The best such puzzles are easy to explain, yet difficult to solve. Historically, they have been devised by trial and error. But earlier this year, Jim Lewis, an inventor based in Midland Park, New Jersey, set out to find the hardest possible “simple” puzzle, using a computer-based search.".

We got onto this subject yesterday at the sushiFest, talking about Suicide Chess and Bastard Tetris: both games which take an established, understood game environment and turn it on its head by a simple change of the rules/behaviour.

It was the Good Technology 10th Xmas party last night, so after I'd finished in town I hooked up with Ju and we wandered over there. GT Bashes are usually held in interesting locations (e.g. Aldwych tube station, Barcelona) and this years was in Holborn NCP car park.

We had a really great time; the music was ace (Frenchbloke & Son), we caught up with a few old faces (and unfortunately failed to catch up with a couple of others), and Steve did his infectious dancing thing to perfection.

There Was Rolling.

Wow. I am on one of the wi-fi enabled trains, and I didn't even know it! Currently writing this whilst hurtling between Brighton and London. The first I knew of it was when email started turning up in my inbox :)

Double WOW.