Day 15: Pace of Peeps' and Commerce slow as temperatures and regulations rise
Monday
It was a sticky day in T.S.T.W.R.S.A.E.C.C.C.T.T.S.K.W.B.A.O.T.B.I.A.G.C! In addition to sultry summer temperatures, the FED made Peep movement at Land Time EVEN HARDER by increasing their regulations on "non-real" vehicles. At Land Time, Peeps (and the Homesteaders moving them) must move at "Peep speed". As if it wasn't difficult enough to move at a scaled down speed, the Fed has now also instituted Land Time Level II: Increased Realism. Is this one of the factors that led to slower commerce at Land Time today?
The story of the "Levels of Land Time" begins early last week when we had our first Land Time.
Land Time Level I
During Land Time, Peeps must move at Peep speed: 11 Human Feet per Minute or 11 HFM. We had a good time making assumptions and calculating a Peep's speed. (We figured that if a "typical" human walks about three miles per minute, then a Peep walking at 1/24 of that would be moving at 11 human feet per minute (11HFM).)
When we first discussed Land Time, some Homesteaders were appalled by the slowness of the pace. Their reactions delighted the Fed, because we know that inconvenience often leads to innovation. Homesteaders quickly set about creating creative ways to move around. (See Day 13).
We FEDs were, at first, amused to hear such questions as, "Can we use stilts?" and "What about vehicles?" We'd been hoping for just such types of questions, and of course said yes to both. Later, we realised that we hadn't been specific enough about the definition and limitations of "vehicles" and their capabilities. That day, Land Time Level 1 was born.
Land Time Level 1 developed like this: We gathered together in the circle to discuss Land Time plans. We listened as each person explained how she or he was going to manage to move around at Peep speed. Some had no innovations--they either didn't mind the idea of moving everywhere at Peep speed, or they planned to stay on their land to operate their businesses (e.g., Bella-Cose's Flexa-Rugs and the multiple pet stores). What we didn't see coming were the planes, jet packs, and even a teleportation machine(!) that appeared around the circle. They'd been constructed hastily during Werk Bezerk I in efforts to avoid the tedium of moving at Peep speed.
Now don't paint Ze wrong picture, (says Jacques), 'zere was of course ze unicycle created by Alex
??????, and zere was crafty Herbert III wiz his very clevair steeelts, no? And deedn't zose who deedn't have ze way to move around queeckly copy heem once Land Time had begun?
Jacques makes an excellent point--there were some creative folk who created simple and plausible solutions speed up their Peep's travel over land. Others' creations, however, left us flabbergasted for a few minutes as we tried to decide which vehicles would be allowed and which would not. A plane created from popsicle sticks, complete with wheels and a Peep-sized cock-pit, was deemed "allowed" by the crowd in the circle, but a paper airplane "that my Peep will ride on" was not allowed. One homesteader created a simple jet-pack from paper clips (the shoulder braces) and duct tape. It was also deemed "allowed," and discussion of appropriately-scaled speeds of movement continued as we shared around the circle.
One sticky wicket was the teleportation machine. Many Homesteaders wondered what form of dubious Physics was behind the supposed machinations of the supposed teleporter. Whether it should be allowed or not was a subject of hot debate, until someone moved to put it to a vote. The residents of the town decided by the narrowest possible margin to allow the device (likely due to the promise by the Homesteader who created the teleporter that there would be "a teleportation unit installed on everyone's property, for free!"
The big point here is that Land Time Level I allowed vehicles of all types--real and imagined, and Homesteaders were soon zipping around the town land without much trouble at all!
The Commissioners of the FED mulled over the issue all weekend. They tossed and turned in their beds, and finally realized that this type of ease of movement simply would. not. do. First, even though we are technically playing a made-up game with made-up characters, the idea that you can just create a vehicle from stuff you found and glued together and then move at reasonably safely at a high rate of speed was simply ridiculous. A cobbled together car would hardly be street safe without inspection criteria, and their is something just not-quite-acceptable about the fact that you can run your vehicle with no discernible fuel. That type very-much-make-believe invention was NOT the kind of innovation we are hoping it cultivate here at Village, though the discussion of "scaling down" the speeds of different types of vehicles was a worthwhile one!
Land Time Level II: Increased Realism
New Rule 1: Peeps must move along the ground unless in a vehicle.
New Rule 2: Vehicles must actually work to be allowed. (Peeps MAY ride wheeled vehicles that go under their own speed--for example, Mia, pictured above right, has a wheelchair.)
News from Land Time: Sales Sluggish in sultry weather
Many pets, shoes, furniture and rugs were again for sale, though the rate of sales at most establishments dropped precipitously. We don't know if demand for the items is slowing down as Peeps and their houses are completed, if Peeps are running out of money as they invest in their own business start ups, or if the lack of vehicles combined with the hot weather kept the shoppers home from the shops! One enterprising homesteader used Land Time to complete the map of his land, while others gathered at Lanaea's pool for a dip or in the town center to play games.
Community College Course: Business Planning
Our favorite itinerant professor Gus stopped by again this morning to teach a Community College course on owning your own profitable business. Students in the course learned about the ideas of supply and demand, commodification and branding. They discussed taglines, jingles and logos, and created some of their own.
...And, we also did all the normal Village things!
Pluses
 |
| Mia in her wheelchair. She lost her legs when trying to use stilts to get around during a Land Time last week. |
The story of the "Levels of Land Time" begins early last week when we had our first Land Time.
Land Time Level I
During Land Time, Peeps must move at Peep speed: 11 Human Feet per Minute or 11 HFM. We had a good time making assumptions and calculating a Peep's speed. (We figured that if a "typical" human walks about three miles per minute, then a Peep walking at 1/24 of that would be moving at 11 human feet per minute (11HFM).)
When we first discussed Land Time, some Homesteaders were appalled by the slowness of the pace. Their reactions delighted the Fed, because we know that inconvenience often leads to innovation. Homesteaders quickly set about creating creative ways to move around. (See Day 13).
We FEDs were, at first, amused to hear such questions as, "Can we use stilts?" and "What about vehicles?" We'd been hoping for just such types of questions, and of course said yes to both. Later, we realised that we hadn't been specific enough about the definition and limitations of "vehicles" and their capabilities. That day, Land Time Level 1 was born.
Now don't paint Ze wrong picture, (says Jacques), 'zere was of course ze unicycle created by Alex
 |
| Josephina using her stilts to move faster than Peep speed along the ground. |
Jacques makes an excellent point--there were some creative folk who created simple and plausible solutions speed up their Peep's travel over land. Others' creations, however, left us flabbergasted for a few minutes as we tried to decide which vehicles would be allowed and which would not. A plane created from popsicle sticks, complete with wheels and a Peep-sized cock-pit, was deemed "allowed" by the crowd in the circle, but a paper airplane "that my Peep will ride on" was not allowed. One homesteader created a simple jet-pack from paper clips (the shoulder braces) and duct tape. It was also deemed "allowed," and discussion of appropriately-scaled speeds of movement continued as we shared around the circle.
One sticky wicket was the teleportation machine. Many Homesteaders wondered what form of dubious Physics was behind the supposed machinations of the supposed teleporter. Whether it should be allowed or not was a subject of hot debate, until someone moved to put it to a vote. The residents of the town decided by the narrowest possible margin to allow the device (likely due to the promise by the Homesteader who created the teleporter that there would be "a teleportation unit installed on everyone's property, for free!"
The big point here is that Land Time Level I allowed vehicles of all types--real and imagined, and Homesteaders were soon zipping around the town land without much trouble at all!
 |
| Alex ?????? moves at Peep speed. She did some very nice flips along the way. |
Land Time Level II: Increased Realism
New Rule 1: Peeps must move along the ground unless in a vehicle.
New Rule 2: Vehicles must actually work to be allowed. (Peeps MAY ride wheeled vehicles that go under their own speed--for example, Mia, pictured above right, has a wheelchair.)
News from Land Time: Sales Sluggish in sultry weather
Many pets, shoes, furniture and rugs were again for sale, though the rate of sales at most establishments dropped precipitously. We don't know if demand for the items is slowing down as Peeps and their houses are completed, if Peeps are running out of money as they invest in their own business start ups, or if the lack of vehicles combined with the hot weather kept the shoppers home from the shops! One enterprising homesteader used Land Time to complete the map of his land, while others gathered at Lanaea's pool for a dip or in the town center to play games.
 |
| Students learn about business at Community College. |
Community College Course: Business Planning
Our favorite itinerant professor Gus stopped by again this morning to teach a Community College course on owning your own profitable business. Students in the course learned about the ideas of supply and demand, commodification and branding. They discussed taglines, jingles and logos, and created some of their own.
 |
| Above is Bella Cose's house, complete with hardwood floors! Below, Emmalie's floor is added. |
- We sang!
- We went swimming! (Complete with a host of leeches.)
- We had a town meeting! (It was convened and adjourned in short order. No new business was discussed.
- We worked on houses!
- We played CTF and other games in the meadow!
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| Alex ??????'s nearly-completed house |
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| The swimmin' group! |
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| Herbert III interviewing Robin. |
Pluses
- Coming to Village
- Winning at Ninja
- Ninja and sharing watermelon
- Teledraw (x2)
- Four-legged banana
- CTF! (x3)
- Being at Village today
- Selling a duck!
- Cookies and Rainbows
- Got a lot of shoes to add to inventory
- Working with Emmalie's person in the workshop
- Almost finished my house.
- Teledraw and Ninja
- Swimming!
- Finish my house
- Being interviewed by Herbert III
- Got my hotel painted
Wishes
- Be at Village MORE
- Do more work on my house tomorrow
- Teledraw more (x2)
- Get house DONE tomorrow
- SHEEP! and People will buy my food.
- NOT SO HOT (x2)
- Everyone gets houses done tomorrow (x2)
- Wish for fish
- Rainbows and Cookies
- Get covered porch.
- Roof becomes a roof-deck!
- More NPR (National Peep Radio)
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