bad day

Last week, I was looking over the shoulder of a fellow Internet searcher (Tim) researching Douglas Adams (best known as the author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series).

I noticed that he had also created this game.

The gist of it is, the player is challenged to confront a long and complicated series of bureaucratic hurdles resulting from a recent change of address. Mail isn't being delivered, bank accounts are inaccessible, and nothing is as it should be. The game includes a measure of simulated blood pressure which rises when "frustrating" events happen and lowers after a period of no annoying events. Once a certain blood pressure level is reached, the player suffers an aneurysm and the game ends.

I was thinking how clever this was, and also thinking how lucky I was, having the recent fortune of being un-bothered by bureaucratic bullshit.

A mere 12 hours later, I get a letter in the mail informing me that my identity has been stolen. Not cool. No fun, none at all.

After hours of phone calls, a home visit from a surprisingly friendly female police officer, photocopies and faxes galore, I think I'm out- free and clear.

Lesson Learned: If you laugh at something, something might happen?