It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

The very first computer game I played was Zork I on the Apple II. While the era of text-based adventure games is over, the art of interactive fiction is still holds a magical appeal despite the billions of polygons and realistic physics of today's games.

Once the family got a PC clone, I played almost all of the text-based Zork series, as well as other Infocom gems like Planetfall, Spellbreaker, and A Mind Forever Voyaging.

So it brought a smile to my face to see the Zork 404 page. I know it's not new, but it's the first time I've run across it in my many years surfing the web practically every day.

Netflix Origami

Diversion of the day: I normally shred the disc mailer covers from Netflix, but there's a far more entertaining use for them--Netflix origami!

My first attempt looked somewhat like the polo shirt origami, though probably an irregular, big & tall version on the clearance rack.

Sorry, we're out of Beverly

Here's news about the upcoming 100-flavor soda stations (which will make ordering a Coke in the South even more interesting since all soda is known as Coke). Brings back two fond memories: first, mixing Suicides at 7-Eleven: combining all flavors of fountain drinks (or Slurpees or both) in the same cup. Second: taking relatives and guests to The World of Coca-Cola and innocently getting them to try a healthy sample of Beverly from in the sampling room.

Sail-van Concept

Normally, I usually say, "WTF were they thinking?" when I see concept cars at auto shows. But in the case of the VW Caddy Topos Sail, I'm in love. The wood deck may not be practical (like having to recline on a grimy, bird- and bug-stained roof or keeping the neighborhood kids and my co-workers off of it), but it's strangely enticing. Must...have...impractical, gimmicky Eurovan...just for the teak deck with railing.

PixelJunk Eden

Not that the PS3 needs more eye candy, but a title that has that and more is PixelJunk Eden. A download title from the PlayStation Store, it's a gorgeous puzzle platformer with a great techno/chillout soundtrack. It's kind of hard to describe but IGN and 1Up have done a good job explaining the premise of the game.

I've downloaded the demo, and as soon as I get my PS3's hard drive upgraded, it will be the first downloadable title that I'll buy. Even the wife was fascinated by Eden, and she's not really into console or action games. Check out a video of the action to get an idea why it is such a unique title--and a bargain at $10.

Lightning at Sunset

I have a new desktop wallpaper: Lightning at Sunset by Sam Javanrouh. Aside from being a great photo technically, the detail, colors, and the lightning make it a fantastic wallpaper. As a completely amateur photographer, this falls into the "I hope I can take a photo like this before I die" category.

Thanks to Sam for making a high-res, widescreen version available on his Flickr collection, and for Lifehacker and Kaelri for featuring it.