War and Pisces

Report for Duty

2008-03-29T22:01:00.007-04:00

Saturday, March 29th
19:00 (SHARP!)
Central Park Entrance at 110th and Lenox Ave.
This March, we're going to go out like we came in. ROAR! Help us celebrate March birthdays and finish up the month high-octane with an urban edition of Capture the Flag and a military dance off. Read on for full details, but all you need to do is bring your cell phone and RSVP. Simple.
RSVP by posting a comment to this post.
If you have to come late, go to the Central Park entrance at 110th and Lenox and call Becca (513.708.7785)

Plan of Action

2008-03-29T22:00:00.015-04:00

19:00 Register at Central Park entrance of 110th and Lenox Ave
19:15 Team assignments (Team Blue/Team Fuchsia)
19:30 Opening ceremonies and briefing for Operation Capture the Flag (CTF)
19:45 Strategic planning and battle positions (see map)
20:00 Operation CTF
21:30 Farewell to arms
21:45 Regroup at original rendezvous point and brief for dance off (Operation Happy Feet)
22:00 Strategic planning (choreography and practice) for Operation Happy Feet
22:30 Operation Happy Feet
23:00 Mission debrief and awards ceremony

Operation CTF

2008-03-29T21:50:00.006-04:00

An urban spin on the classic game of Capture of the Flag.

How to play:
Object:
The object of the game is to score points for your team by stealing enemy flags and bringing them within your boundaries without being tagged. The team with the most points after 90 minutes of play wins.

Teams:
Upon registration, each person will be assigned to a team (Blue or Fuchsia). Each player will be given a color-coordinating glow-in-the-dark necklace that must be worn and visible during the entire game. Each team will have a captain with whom they will be in communication throughout the game primarily via text message.

Setting up the field:
After teams have been assembled and rules reviewed, teams will have 15 minutes to strategize and assume their positions within their boundaries. Each team will have 3 flag-and-cone combos that they will place in 3 separate locations within their boundaries. Each flag must be placed on a street corner so that it is approachable from 360 degrees (shown below as fig. 1). Flags cannot be placed in an alley (fig. 2), within 5 ft of a building or other major obstacle like a trash can (fig. 3) or on an island in the middle of a street (fig. 4). Teams must draw a 50-ft border around each flag with chalk and string for measuring (provided at registration).

Scoring:
After the teams have had 15 minutes to set up their flags and positions, play will start. A point is scored when someone steals a flag from the opposing team and brings it back to their own home territory without being tagged. If you are tagged while carrying a flag, you must surrender the flag immediately to the person who tagged you and no point is scored. The flag will be returned to its original position. If you score a point by bringing an enemy flag back to your territory, contact your captain and one of your referees via text and the ref will meet you to retrieve the flag from you and return it to its original location where it will again be immediately available for capture.

Guarding and tagging:
Players defending home territory may not come within 50 feet of the flag while it is still in position. Players may not form human chains inside their territory to block streets or pathways. Once the flag has been removed from the cone, this 50-ft "safety zone" immediately disappears and the opposing player may be pursued and tagged. If you are tagged in enemy territory, there will be no jail. You will be escorted back to your side by the person who tagged you.

You may be tagged if you are inside enemy territory. Sidewalks, inside buildings and underground are considered enemy territory if they are outside of your territory, but within game boundaries. ALL streets and on board public transportation are neutral/safe zones along with any territory outside of game boundaries ONLY if you are not carrying a flag. You may be tagged on a street or other neutral zone if an opposing player can reach you while they are still in physical contact with their territory. For example, if they have a foot on their sidewalk and can still touch you, you may be tagged. You may not remain outside game boundaries or on neutral ground for more than a count of 10. For instance if you are being chased or you chase someone outside of game boundaries or onto a street, you have 10 seconds to return back into game territory. You must reenter game territory even if the only accessible territory is enemy territory and you are being chased. The only obvious exception to this is if you are outside of game territory and the only way to re-enter is to cross a street at a dangerous moment. Only in this instance, may you stall longer than 10 seconds before reentry. Once traffic is clear, who ever is counting may pick up in the count where they left off when traffic occurred. If the player counting gets to 10 while you are outside playing boundaries, consider yourself tagged and you will be escorted back to your territory. If you are carrying a flag, the ONLY safe/neutral zone is the street directly in between the 2 zones--in this case St. Nicholas Ave.

Communicating during the game:
At the start of the game, all players will receive the cell numbers of their team captains and the referees. The following forms of communication will be available:

Game start and final score at end: Referees will communicate to team captains via text when the game has officially started and ended. Captains may designate key players on their team to communicate this information to the rest of the team either via a text tree or by word of mouth on the streets.
Scored points: When a player scores a point, they are responsible for texting their team captain and one of the refs with their location. The team captain will note the point and the referee will meet the player (or designate a closer ref) to retrieve the flag from the player and return it to its original location.
30-minute updates: At 30 and 60 minutes into the game, referees will collect score information from captains and a current score for both teams will be sent back.

Underlying rule:
Don't do anything dangerous and CAPTURE THE FUN!

War Zone

2008-03-29T21:49:00.001-04:00

Click on the map to view the larger image.
Shaded areas show boundaries of Teams Blue and Fuchsia.

Operation Happy Feet

2008-03-29T21:40:00.003-04:00

The classic military dance off comes to life in Central Park. PUH-LEASE! Like you've never heard of the classic military dance off!

Teams Blue and Fuchsia will divide into 2 dance squads. Each squad, representing their respective teams, will be responsible for coming up with choreography and performing an approximately 1 minute and 30 second segment for the judges and the opposing team. Each squad will have approximately 30-minutes to choreograph and practice their dance before performing. Squads will earn points for their teams based on creativity, technical difficulty and overall execution.

Teams Blue 1 and Fuchsia 1 will be dancing to Pat Benatar's Love Is A Battlefield.

Teams Blue 2 and Fuchsia 2 will be dancing to Edwin Starr's War.

Birthday Generals

2008-03-09T23:11:00.013-04:00

Refereeing Operation CTF and judging Operation Happy Feet:

Amy Middleton (March 6th)

I was born on the same day as Shaq and Michelangelo (the artist, not the ninja turtle--although I have been known for my nunchuck skills). This is no surprise because I have enormous feet and like to paint. Ok, so my feet aren't big and my greatest work was probably a portrait of Jeffery Zeldman (tempera on posterboard), but I was born on the same day as Kiki Dee so you know I won't go breakin' your heart (I couldn't if I tried).

Kimmie Lathana (March 11th)

Oh snap, Joel and Benji Madden (Good Charlotte) were born on the exact same day and year that I was! We're practically triplets! Except, you know, for the whole different parents thing. Bygones. So, I like shopping, Boggle, making lists, hiking, roller-blading (don't hate), and rock-climbing. And there's no way that I would've cheated on Hilary with Nicole. Just saying.

Becca Shim (March 14th)

I was born on Pi Day, which is pretty much the best day to be born for someone who likes numbers and circles. Other people of note who share my birthday are Albert Einstein (you know, the GENIUS) and Taylor Hanson (Mmm Bop). I like to cook and clean and go to bed early and wake up early in the morning. Also, I like celebrity gossip and speaking in Pig Latin. Also, I like to lie just for kicks. Except that part about Einstein and Hanson--that part's true. Also, the part about lying, that's also true...and ironic.

Jen Nuckols (March 20th)

(MORE TO COME)

Collin Smith (March 26th)

I'm not technically a pisces, but since Aries is the god of war, the others decided to let me stay and play. I share a birthday with Steven Tyler, Diana Ross, Martin Short and Leonard Nimoy (to name a few). All that means is that I like to rock, I'm a diva with legs of steel, much of my greatest work has been overshadowed by bit parts and I'm from another planet. Live long and prosper!

CTF Team Captains

2008-03-09T23:08:00.003-04:00

Team Blue Captain: TBA

Team Fuchsia Captain:
Richard Gordon-Mary-Kate and Ashley-Jada-Pinkett-Smith

If being a decedent from the Knights of Malta doesn't qualify me as a leader, I don't know what will. Probably my name. Yes, it makes up the the largest portion of my resume and no, I cannot repeat it for you (try and catch it all the first time). A strong leader requires a strong name, or at least a long one. I like to think I qualify with both.
I require the strictest of discipline from my troops. I also require that they are familiar with the work that I have done. Team Fuchsia members need to be astute and able, and have just enough flair to put them in the middle of blue and mauve.

SPECIAL MOVE: The Maltese Hips

*Now recruiting.

Dance-Off Officers

2008-03-09T23:01:00.008-04:00

Aja Graves

Aja has been dancing since she was 3, where she debuted as an oak sapling. She has now grown into larger roles, playing sunburst maples and quaking aspens. Aja has a particular affinity to trees, growing up in the "Tree City" of Springville, Ut where she first was inspired by her nickname "Leaf."

Jeff Hofmann

Jeff Hofmann shares a birthday with Hitler, but promises there will be no goose-stepping in his team's routine. Jeff has no formal choreography experience, but as you can see he has been known to wear tights on occasion. Usually, the tights are worn not for dancing but for fighting crime, although sometimes both can be done at the same time. Members of Jeff's team should expect to do a lot of jumps, kicks, hand-jiving and crumping, but they should probably not expect Jeff to do any of those things.

Rachel Smith

All you really need to know about Rachel and her mad hot dance skillz is that she got a B+ in tap dancing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Rachel is the creator of well-known sweet dance moves such as the one-footed-folk-song-stomp and the hang-on-to-your-jacket-lapels-shoulder-shimmy. Also, she loves dancing so much that one time in a lyrical class she got a heart-shaped blister on her big toe (see above). BEAT THAT, SUCKAHS!!!

Collin Smith

From the arguably insane genius that brought you the smash hit DAYglo Cloud Warrior, comes the dance off that'll rock your pants off. Taking inspiration from David Bowie, Zoolander, and that fierce tranny hotmess herself Britney 'funktard' Spears, the Cloud Warrior Crew is ready to kick(ball step) the other teams into the ground. From his early days choreographing the neighborhood orphans into kicklines, recreating the rooftop scene 'Step In Time' from the award-winning Mary Poppins...on actual roofs!, directing an all-bicycle version of West Side Story, and countless music videos with the likes of Lionel Ritchie and Salt 'N Peppa, this young man has proven himself capable of leading anyone into battle royale!! Plans for this massive attack are on super-charged lock down.

We Want You

2008-03-09T17:00:00.003-04:00

If you would like to be a Team Captain for Operation CTF, please apply by posting a comment to this post for why you are qualified for the position. Basically, if you are ridiculous awesome, you are qualified. Minimal preparation may be required.

The Mission Debrief

2007-03-27T14:38:00.000-04:00