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Inspired by the drinking game ‘Kings’ Co-Authors:W.P.L. Cully, and L. Martin Requirements: 1 standard deck of cards 1 jug/tankard/chalice/large vessel 1 top hat (or suitably ‘posh’ headgear) at least 4 people Card Assignments: A: Drink Me (Drink your own drink) 2: Tweedledee Tweedledum (Two person waterfall, card drawers choice of partner, second person can only stop drinking after the card drawer) 3: Time for Tea (Group Waterfall, to stop drinking, person to your right must stop first) 4: Door Mouse (Last person to put their forehead on the table takes a drink) 5: Skive (Get out of jail free card to be used at any time until the next 5 is pulled from the deck) 6: Mad March Hare (card drawer can make up an arbitrary rule that lasts until another 6 is drawn) 7: Caterpillar (aka Questionmaster, if anyone answers a question posed by the cardholder, that person has to drink, this continues until another 7 is drawn) 8: Cheshire Cat (the drawer must grin until another 8 is drawn) 9: Rhymes (card drawer picks a word, and each subsequent person around the table must say a non-repeated word that rhymes with the previous word. When someone fails, they drink) 10: Do it again (if the previous card was NOT a face card, repeat the action) J: All Change (this drawer receives the hat, granting the power to randomly shout [loudly] ‘ALL CHANGE’, at which point everyone passes their drink (and the hat, passing on the power) to the person on their left. There is no limit to how long this goes on for, but when another J is drawn, the hat is given to that person) Q: Queen’s Cup* (Pour your entire drink into the central cup/jug/whatever. If Q♥ appeared before the last Q, down the remains of the cup. See also K) Q♥: Off with his head! (Down the cup, if this card appears before any other Q’s, down your own drink) K: Kings and Queens (Each respective suit-couples (K♥/Q♥) are paired such that for the rest of the game, when the Queen drinks, the relevant King must also drink. In the case of the cup being drank, it can be shared, but this involves two people drinking out of the same vessel so can get messy, otherwise take turns and the Q goes first. If the K is pulled with no corresponding Q, there is no initial penalty) ...

Contrary to popular belief, the concept of a ‘hacker’ (or at least self described ones) has very little to do with coding and networking wizards pounding through systems and stealing valuable information or just destroying everything they touch. In fact, Google (and Princeton University’s) first definition of the word has more to do with Golf than security (try it by googling “define:hacker”). The so called ‘hacker subculture’ is usually taken as a group of not necessarily like minded, but creative individuals with or without technical or theoretical skill, including artists, musicians, carpenters, machinists, or extreme knitters, and can generally be shortened down to ’tinker-ers’ or ‘messers’.Belfast is a growing hub of technology, software, and art of all forms within Europe; and with Londonderry being named the ‘City of Culture’ for 2013, it is clear the Northern Ireland is no longer (or never was?) the poor child of British (and Irish) creativity and excellence. ...

This is it; my first convention! Yes folks, I’m going to be attending (and volunteering) at TheNextHOPE (@thenexthope), 16-18 July. I’m really looking forward to my first real foray into a tech/hacker community, but don’t really know what to expect. But I’m going to jump in anyway. The tickets are only $85, or $100 at the door, but if you register on-line, you get an awesome hackable RFID tracking badge. Unfortunatly my partner (non-techie) has very little interest in going but I’m sure she’ll enjoy the fashion district on her own (or with the girls). ...