…a new blog.

I wasn’t neglecting this blog enough, so I decided I needed to make another one.

No, seriously, this all makes perfect sense in my head. Really.

Recommend: Viva Goa in Pyrmont. Nothing like chatting to the chef on the footpath after the meal.

About half of my presents are alcoholic or alcohol-related. Awesome. Merry Christmas all!

Vivaldi’s Gloria on TV. I can still remember the bass part after 11+ years, but do I remember where I put my keys last night? NO.

#Zendo rule from lunchtime: grounded vertices=(pyramids-1)*5/2+3. The Master’s rule was simpler, but that was the guess, and is equivalent.

Been Christmas shopping all day, not much progress. Someone needs to remind me why this is a good idea. #bahhumbug

Interesting round of #Zendo at lunchtime. Ran out of time before anyone got my rule. Opinion differs on whether they would have eventually.

The comprehensive rules for Magic: The Gathering say (amongst many other things) this:

101.1. Whenever a card’s text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time (see rule 104.3a).

Okay, fair enough, the exception means that they can’t publish a card with the effect

Target player can’t concede this game.

That makes sense. In fact there are tournament situations where you’d rather concede than let an ability resolve that would give away information about your deck – for example, you’re losing the first game of a three-game match, your opponent has just cast Extirpate, and the key piece of your deck hasn’t come out yet. You’d probably rather concede than let your opponent know what to sideboard against.

And in a broader sense, I’m not sure what it would mean for the rules of a game to say that you’re not allowed to just stand up and walk away.

But… but but but… the rule doesn’t say that a card can’t override rule 101.1 itself. So they could print a card that says

This card can override a player’s right to concede the game at any time.

Target player can’t concede this game.

It just has to override rule 101.1 before it overrides rule 104.3a.

…

I didn’t say they would print it.

Well, that’s it.

I had a dream last night that one of my ears was cut off. One wonders whether it was a bit of a Chopper Read moment – although it was only one ear, so it could equally be a Picasso or a Reservoir Dogs reference; my subconscious tends to go for the ambiguous and multi-layered.

Anyway. Everyone reading this, go and make a donation, or I’ll… paint you with both eyes on the same side of your face.