Game Theory

broderic on March 5, 2011

Post Oscar Pool thoughts.

I had done the categories part of the Oscar Pool form soon after the nominations had gone out. I didn’t post it for a while because I was trying to figure out a better way to assign points. I had read slate’s take on point assignment and it made me want to change my scoring. I was looking to add a bit of strategy to making the choice. You can see it with the fact that I made the points a choice. (Although, Ness and Angeli didn’t notice).

It was trying to gauge how well you believe in your vote. Unfortunately, the strategy made for choosing the highest value if you wanted to win.

I wanted to make the votes themselves optional, but I feared that someone would win with 1 vote. I had wanted to add a 0 value along with the optional choice — that was the basis for the no-prize reference.

After all the scores had been , I went into theoretical mode. Who wins if all categories were worth the same points? Who wins in the straight pick ’em? I was able to see how the points worked, but not into how you would choose what. I could only see how the points affect your current choice, but not how the point system would affect your choice.

I’m thinking of a better point system for next year.

Virtual Oscar Party

broderic on February 28, 2011

Live blogging the Oscars! I’ll post scores (maybe) or the winners.

8:27 EST PM: Watching the Amazing Race. And can’t believe that the Cowboys made it past the last roadblock.

8:28 EST PM: You could also follow my tweets here!

8:32 EST PM: Opening monologue/movie. Are you laughing yet.

8:37 EST PM: What the hell does Back to the Future have to do with anything tonight?

8:41 EST PM: Switched over to The Amazing Race again. The teams are in kangaroo suits!

8:42 EST PM: This is boring me. How much longer? 4 hours!?!?!

8:44 EST PM: Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland. Lots of people made this choice!

8:48 EST PM: Cimematography: Inception. Only 1 hit!

8:52 EST PM: CapitolSwell’s in the lead with 13 points. Everyone else is going backwards. Trying to catch the end of the Amazing Race. Come on asian dudes!

8:59 EST PM: It was the engaged couple who got the uturn in the first episode that were philiminated. And Melissa Leo wins the Supporting Actress. I’m going backwards.

9:07 EST PM: Animated short: The Lost Thing. Only CapitolSwell and Marge get that one. Animated Feature: Toy Story 3. Only Angeli missed that one! That was the shoo-in of the week! I mean that category is the annual Pixar Oscar!

9:13 EST PM: White tie!

9:17 EST PM: Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network. And this guy talks alot. I thought he could speak faster!

9:21 EST PM: Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech. I thought Inception. Akeshia in the lead with 19 points.

9:35 EST PM: Supporting Actor: Christian Bale. Foreign Film: In Better World. I should’ve made the scoring more dynamic. Everyone in the hunt is bunched. And it looks as if it will come down to the Best picture.

9:42 EST PM: Sci Tech Awards! Marissa Tomei was the presenter? The couldn’t find another young hottie to have hosted this one? What? Where was the Black Swan girl? No, the other one?

9:44 EST PM: Oscar winner Trent Reznor? Wha!?

9:53 EST PM: I am bored. Let’s hurry up and finish this?! Wait! The SciTech awards!

10:01 EST PM: Makeup: The Wolfman. Costume: Alice in Wonderland. James Franco is dying on stage. Anyone tweet that out to him?

10:03 EST PM: I’ve never been so relieved to see them singing the nominated songs on the telecast. It brings something to this boring show. I’m too busy updating the numbers. Here’s something hilarious: Marge has 3 points, but has guessed 6 correctly! Hi hi!

10:28 EST PM: Billy Crystal. Bring this guy back.

10:30 EST PM: Bob Hope. Bring this guy back.

10:37 EST PM: Worst show in a while.

10:44 EST PM: Wait. That song was nominated? Was it really longer than that?

10:53 EST PM: I noticed that I haven’t posted winners in awhile. Meanwhile Brian and Eleanor tied for the lead.

10:58 EST PM: @jamesfranco‘s twitter feed more interesting than his hosting capabilities. Bring back the ghost of Bob Hope!

11:01 EST PM: Congratulations, nerds! is making the google rounds!

11:05 EST PM: It’s a tie! Brian and Eleanor have it from here on out. Unless The Social Network makes a run… doubtful… We’re gonna have to go to the tie breakers!

11:17 EST PM: At least this was a short telecast. Directing: Tobe Hooper, The King’s Speech. Actress: Natalie Portman.

11:25 EST PM: Colin Firth. The King’s Speech.

11:30 EST PM: Preliminary winner of the 4th Annual BrowserMetrics’ Oscar Pool is Brian if the numbers holds up. (and if it’s The King’s Speech)

11:38 EST PM: The King’s Speech! Wins 4 Oscars! Finally we’re done!

11:41 EST PM: Welp. We’re done for another year. Congratulations to all winners, both at the Academy and in the BrowserMetrics’ Oscar Pool. (I think it’s Brian as he gets the first tie breaker correct). I got to go add up the numbers and check all things we’ll see.

Thanks for playing!

And the nominees are….

broderic on February 24, 2011

It’s not too late to place in your entry to the Fourth Annual BrowserMetrics Oscar Pool. We’re up to seven entries two of which I have no idea who they are. So join in if you hadn’t done so.

The entries so far have only one unanimous winner, Toy Story 3. Yeah, Pixar is always a shoe-in for best animated film. I wish that weren’t the case. I think if Satoshi Kon was still alive he would give them a run for their money with his brand of anime.

I just bought a few of the Oscar nominated shorts: Let’s Pollute in the animated category and in the live action, The Crush and The God of Love. I don’t know why, but I wanted to see if these are as good as my bet for them were.

And don’t forget the winner (most positive points) can win any of the best picture nominees. It would be awesome as a download.

Fourth Annual BrowserMetrics Oscar Pool

broderic on February 17, 2011

It’s almost Oscar night, and once again, I give you, my reader, a chance to bask in the fame and glory that Hollywood provides that night. It’s the Fourth Annual BrowserMetrics Oscar Pool.

You know how to play: pick the eventual winners of the Oscars in all categories. Collect points. The most points wins.

I’m being particularly sadistic this year, though. I’ve changed the scoring structure and rules to win.

All categories are mandatory. The amount of points that a correct answer is worth is up to you this year. You can choose from 1 or 2 points in the “minor” categories and up to 3 points in the “major” categories. Choose wisely, because not only do you earn the points for the correct answer, you loose the points for a wrong answer. It’s a bet your placing that your hunch on the Oscar is correct. I’ll spot you 10 points; that’s 10 categories that you can totally guess at. The other 14 (I think) will give you nightmares.

The winner is the one with the most positive points. Most positive points gets you a copy (DVD, VHS, torrent, download) of any of the 10 Best Picture nominees when they are available in the United States. You can also win the no-prize of guessing the most correct, but it’s the points that count.

Good luck. Click me to start the madness

*Clang-Clang* *clap-clap*

broderic on January 14, 2011

Dear Kami-sama,

Please make sure that John Lackey and Josh Beckett continue to have subpar pitching performances in the upcoming season. Please make sure that Andy Petitte has truly retired, and if he hasn't ensure that he will not be the Andy Petitte that we all know and loathe. Please allow the Devil Rays to field a AAA level caliber team. Please allow Toronto to fall back behind the Orioles in the wild, wild AL East.

Please allow the Orioles to win some games in this tough division and to turn around their farm system so that 2012 is not El Apocalypto.

Thanks,
Orioles season ticket holder

Foo Bar Baz == nil

broderic on November 13, 2010

What we got is what we deserved. Those who need to tell us what we got need to tell us better. Those who know have to let others know. Those who disseminate have to inform. Make us smart. Make us informed. Listen and learn. What we deserved is what we got.

Something’s wrong with this

broderic on November 27, 2009

I don’t quite know how to explain what’s wrong with this venn diagram. What’s the circle on the right supposed to represent? Why does the box that encapsulates it all have two labels? What’s the junction supposed to represent when the circle doesn’t really have anything? Hunh?

It’s f’ed up. Bah. And I thought xkcd was smarter than this.

First and Last CDs

broderic on December 6, 2008

Picking up a meme from CapitolSwell I had to go deep into the recesses of my mind to remember both the first and the last. The first, because it was so long ago. The last, because I don’t remember buying CDs anymore.

First: The Beastie Boys, License to Ill
Last: Thievery Corporation, Radio Retaliation