Here's a montage of messages, just to show the kind of crazy shit that went down. I don't think I violate any private private stuff displaying these. Most of them are messages from me. but you can also see stuff other people said and contributed. It was really a neat team effort. 

Dearests, 

Inktea is in the CC line to indicate reading this is optional: take your time Inky baby, we love you.  

Let's move this conversation to this real email, so as to accelerate communication and track certain things. Cool?  

Okay everybody just calm the hell down we're not down to any wires :-D

However, I acknowledge, appreciate, and am <em>greatly gladdened in my heart</em> as the sense of urgency mounts among people. 

My first blush on both Dok's message and JJason's rules/comments is generally positive.  I have notes below.

ABOVE ALL
 - We need runners. 
nothing matters without turn out. right now I have no sense of the size of our crowd. If we have six checkpoints, three chase staff, and 24 runners, that will be lame and *all* special rules will be moot. 

 - Does anyone have guess as to size of our runner pool? I have been sending out press releases and working on getting into community calendars for a week now and I've sent about 2 dozen with no apparent response. I'm going to fax the next round (this is fairly standard PR practice) in another week. 

 - I've gotten susy derkins to help me with a full spanish language translation of the press release which I'll be sending to the two hispanic-community papers as well as adapting to spanish language signs (hence the subject of this email). 

 - I still intend to work out some promotional matters with some community websites, and may do a speck of advertising if the money's right. 

 - I've done some promo in terms of lit drops, handing out cards, and doing some posters at the Fringe festival but it's hard to gauge any level of interest. 

 - My main press target is City Pages and it's my goal and fervent desire to build on the successes of the two PQs and work some of my contacts there to get at least a calendar mention. Yeah, I would love A-List but I'm skeptical. 

- Posters need to go up in many many places. PDFs to follow. 

 - Facebook groups and LJ will only go so far but they'll help. What are the rest of our networks like? Personal contacts, gaming groups, Ed's Room and Craigslist, theater companies, etc. 

I'm skeptical we'll hit even 100, but that's the number of people I want. How the fuck did Spidere get to 300 I'll never know. But we *can not* have it be the meagre 12 or whatever that ran LA. We have a reputation to uphold! Fun to deliver to the masses! People coming in from out of townnnnn!!

STAFF
- Far as I'm concerned, the proposed strategy for staff chasers is fine, with my thought being I'd like 4 initial rather than 3. I'm ultimately concerned that we have enough of everyone. 

 - Yes to all staff notes PLUS the following:
	 * we have Dax and a "Mister E."  willing to serve as checkpoint staff
	* we have Loki, Julian Muffinbot, and Kid A, willing to chase, though expressing slight prefs for just running. I seek to honor that preference but will hold them in reserve, especially with the idea that one or two of them could be sleepers. 
 	* I want to honor Cali's desire to be out running around. I also would like to have at least one checkpoint have a woman at it, or perhaps a pair of people. The teenage and middle age checkpoints come to mind. 

 - This gives us at least four checkpoints, counting me at 6. So currently it's Jon, blank, blank, Spidere, blank, JJason, Jon  

 - whoever handles checkpoint one *could* close up shop with the last runner passing through and go be a chaser or help out as they desire. 

 - I seem to recall Oliver as desiring to join the chase. Star5, though? Can you clear that up? 

RULES

 - I have a negative response to eliminating sleepers, mostly for two reasons:  1) because I think it's a fine idea, 2) because when it was mentioned to SSI they responded so positively that I'd like us to introduce the innovation. I feel quite strongly enough about this but I don't want to get into turmoil about it. Do you require more convincing? 3) I have a couple people on my list who would be good candidates. Just a couple. I know the mechanic of it is also very manageable and, like Craig, I did not envision them making anything more than a cursory attempt to catch the people in their group--though everyone else on the other hand...

 - "Buses are mustes" in my book. The course is *seven miles long* and there's not much reason to use the train except from 2-3 (or 2 to bonus 2). I'd like to give a chance to players to rest occasionally and to consider the merits of our public transit. The risks are clear to both runners and chasers and the rewards are nice enough. Maybe the detail you're missing is that chasers can get on transit, they just can't tag? I'm not sure I understand what the issue is with buses. Though not the final argument, it carries weight for me that this rule worked twice in SF. It can work here. 

 - yellow ribbons are a great idea and combining them with bonus checkpoints is spot on.  I have five decent bonuses picked out: amphitheater by Rarig, berms on the mall, nicollet island, spoon bridge, stevens square. I would like to think about a sixth. 

 - I'd like to adjust the checkpoint originally over by Jeune Lune, either to the corner of Hennepin and 1st St. N (across from the federal reserve building)  or to a spot more direct line in the Hard Times-to-Loring no mans land. Like the bus depot or somewhere near the Jail/Henn Co. Gov't Center mall.  

That's it for now. Look for posters shortly those who've inquired.

love,
JonO

Comments below!

On Tue, Aug 12, 2008 at 12:08 AM, Craig Daniel <craigbdaniel@gmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 11:33 PM, Jon Olsen <burnunit@waste.org> wrote:
> ABOVE ALL
>  - We need runners.
> nothing matters without turn out. right now I have no sense of the size of
> our crowd. If we have six checkpoints, three chase staff, and 24 runners,
> that will be lame and *all* special rules will be moot.
>  - Does anyone have guess as to size of our runner pool? I have been sending
> out press releases and working on getting into community calendars for a
> week now and I've sent about 2 dozen with no apparent response. I'm going to
> fax the next round (this is fairly standard PR practice) in another week.

Agreed. Runners are the big thing that matters. I've announced the
event on the RPG.net forums, which I frequent; the thread's gotten
around 75 views, but I imagine many of them are from non-local people.
But we may well get a few from there. Similarly, JJason and I can make
sure folks at Macalester hear about the game; if it is both announced
to the Mac gamers early and has signs put up about it on campus I
suspect we could get a decent crop out of there.

But press should be massively helpful. Also, it's probably time to
start flyerbombing coffee shops and such, particularly the ones that
cater to people with the right sort of awesomeness, if this hasn't
already happened.
I've already volunteered to poster bomb the ACTC area. Probably first this friday, once more when it's closer to the event

> RULES
>  - I have a negative response to eliminating sleepers, mostly for two
> reasons:  1) because I think it's a fine idea, 2) because when it was
> mentioned to SSI they responded so positively that I'd like us to introduce
> the innovation. I feel quite strongly enough about this but I don't want to
> get into turmoil about it. Do you require more convincing? 3) I have a
> couple people on my list who would be good candidates. Just a couple. I know
> the mechanic of it is also very manageable and, like Craig, I did not
> envision them making anything more than a cursory attempt to catch the
> people in their group--though everyone else on the other hand...

My biggest reason for not objecting to eliminating sleepers is that I
want to make sure we have enough chaser types to fill all the desired
functions.

If it came down to tradeoffs between potential numbers of different
sorts of staff - and I'm guessing it won't, but worst-case here -
would we rather have sleeper agents or resurrections? Would two of
each sound good to you guys?
No. Two is far too little of both to make it worth it. Two of either and they won't be enough to impact anyone other than a tiny minority's night. I really think we need to get more to make it worth it. I said at least four resurections and I meant it. If it came down to not enough staff, I'd prefer that we pick one and have enough people to make it worth it, rather than do both of them half-assed.
 
The problem with chosing between sleeper agents or ressurections is that sleeper agents makes it harder for runners and resurrections makes it easier (not just cause it keeps the number of runners down - like the yellow ribbon it eases some of the pressure of the regular runners since chasers will target those with resurrection). And I really do worry about those runner's well being. As for getting staff, since Loki, Julian Muffinbot, and Kid A indicated a willingness to chase but a desire to run, these sorts of roles might be a good middle ground.
 
I still have my doubts about the sleepers but if the rest of you disagree with me we can go ahead with them.

>  - "Buses are mustes" in my book. The course is *seven miles long* and
> there's not much reason to use the train except from 2-3 (or 2 to bonus 2).

That's true, I keep forgetting how little area the train covers.
 
Who's advocating removing buses? Who said that? I'll punch that guy! Of course buses are required. No arguement there.

> I'd like to give a chance to players to rest occasionally and to consider
> the merits of our public transit. The risks are clear to both runners and
> chasers and the rewards are nice enough. Maybe the detail you're missing is
> that chasers can get on transit, they just can't tag? I'm not sure I
> understand what the issue is with buses. Though not the final argument, it
> carries weight for me that this rule worked twice in SF. It can work here.
Huh. Yes, I am missing that detail. And I like it a lot, given that.
My main issue had been the idea of having chasers have no idea where
to wait for people to get off the bus - but if the chasers can ride
the bus too, the answer is obvious. They follow you onto the bus and
chase you when you get off.

Consider all objections withdrawn.

Maybe make the buses safe zones (though allow chasers to use them) but
not the bus stops?
 
I'm still advocating the system I put in my rules - 10 feet around a bus stop (specifically the bus stop sign) is a safe zone 15 second before and 15 seconds after a bus. So you're safe if you see a bus pulling up and you're safe after you've gotten off the bus. I just don't want chasers lurking right outside the door to a bus and tagging people as they get off nor do I want there to be a safe zone every block or so. Having a buffer there gives people to get off the bus in an orderly fashion, look arond for chasers, and then run off at high speeds. Buses are, of course, safe zones.

>  - yellow ribbons are a great idea and combining them with bonus checkpoints
> is spot on.  I have five decent bonuses picked out: amphitheater by Rarig,
> berms on the mall, nicollet island, spoon bridge, stevens square. I would
> like to think about a sixth.

These sound good to me. I confess I don't know the Minneapolis side of
things well enough to offer any brilliant insights.
 
Six seems like a good number. I'll think about places.
-J

Hola Andy, 
Here's an event we're promoting for September--it's like a race and a giant game of tag. We wrote up a press release and made a version in Espanol, which I invite you to share with people you know who might be interested. At least I'm guessing some members of the family might be, and if not them, please encourage people to pass it along. I have a friend from Mexico City who did the translation for us. I understand from some folks that she really communicated the tone of the game. I bet you could comment either way.

Love,
Jon 

Para comunicación inmediata 

Juego callejero gratuito aterriza en Minnesota 

Viaje al fin de la noche llega a las Ciudades Gemelas. 

La ciudad se extiende ante tí. Apresurarte de un punto a otro, iluminado por el lento estroboscopio de autobuses fluorescentes y calles oscuras. Tropezándote con situaciones inesperadas en busca de la firma de un extraño. Huyendo de perseguidores desconocidos, respirando agitadamente, admirando el paisaje y la multitud de mundos ocultos en él. 

MNZero, en cooperación con la Sociedad pro-Recreo y anti Aburrimiento orgullosamente anuncia Viaje al Fin de la Noche Minnesota el 13 de septiembre, 2008. Journey to the End of the Night-Minnesota es una búsqueda en toda la ciudad en seis partes. 

Originario de San Francisco, Journey to the End of the Night, un juego gratuito en la calle, se ha realizado en grandes ciudades de todo el mundo incluyendo Chicago, Nueva York, Londres y Washington. Se esperan cientos de corredores y docenas de ellos viajan desde otras partes del país para participar. 

Por una noche, los participantes son persuadidos a abandonar sus relaciones, su trabajo y actividades de ocio, y todos sus motivos habituales de movimiento y acción. Se les invita a ser atraídos por los atractivos de la caza y los encuentros que se descubran allí. 

El evento comienza con una reunión de participantes a las 6:00 PM en el sitio de inicio, ubicado en Philip W Pillsbury Park / Bluffs Hennepin Park cerca de SE 6th Ave y Main St SE. Situado en el extremo norte del histórico Stone Arch Bridge, la dramática vista desde esta línea de salida inspirará a los corredores deseosos de explorar la ciudad con sus pies y su ingenio. 

Más detalles sobre el evento están disponibles en línea en http://www.mnzero.org/journey.html 

---------- 

Contacto de prensa: Jon Olsen 612.817.5379 burnunit@waste.org  ~ Most of Jon's communications would be in English. 

Hey. How's it going? So I have a couple things. First, I am putting down below the recruitment thing I had in mind for you. It's pretty cool. Unfortunately we JUST had Spidere drop out as a checkpoint agent and I'm at a loss. I was wondering if you might be able/interested in doing that. We need checkpoints 1, 2, 3, and 4 for sure and we're doing them "themed" -- with the themes not being announced but just as a kind of pleasant meta layer. I thought you might be good at checkpoint 2 "adolescence." Not because you're an adolescent obviously. Though you know some current adolescents who might serve as ...uh...inspiration? Heh.  Can you help a brother out?

The info at bottom is what I was going to pitch to you. if it sounds SO COOL that you simply MUST do it, please tell me and I'll look elsewhere for checkpoint staff.

Love,
JonO
On Aug 25, 2008, at 6:57 PM, Laura Gerald wrote:
1) I'm planning on being there!!!!
2) I'd rather not run, but I'm more willing to chase or help out in
some other way. My only exception to helping is I'm unavailable the
weekend before JTTEOTN since I'm in a wedding (Sept 5-6).
3) oooh, I love a secret! so, yes!
4) I'm excited too!!!!

kisses,
Mean J9

This version of Journey to the End of the Night will include a handful of "Resurrection Runners" and "Sleeper Agents. You are hereby inducted into this top secret crew.

We plan to hand out a small group of special runners' ribbons which, when the runner is captured, will not only cause the runner to become a chaser (as normal) BUT will CONVERT the capturing chaser back into a runner.

The caught runner surrenders their special blue ribbon (with the conversion rule attached). The chaser takes off their red ribbon, puts on the blue ribbon they've just taken, takes the runner's manifest, and has thirty seconds to escape, while the new chaser and any chasers who saw the tag can't pursue. These instructions would be printed on something attached to the inside of the ribbon, along with the MN0 logo to prove it's legit. The resurrected runner would proceed with the manifest they'd just captured. The ribbon is transferrable only through capture by another chaser.

Sleepers infiltrate regular teams and the details of their identities are unknown to runners, staff chasers, and each other. The sleepers will be expected to run the course as normal, teaming up and winning the trust and affection of their fellow runners. At a moment decided by "Journey central" we will issue a signal (text, plus phone call) to these sleepers to awake. At which point the sleepers will stop their group to take the phone call, follow the instructions, nod and say "I understand." Then begin to take off their blue ribbon and don a red one. It is our hope to manufacture a set of red ribbons with velcro, that can be applied one-handed. Their teams will have 30 seconds to run.

The upshot is, you get to run the course as normal. Everything changes if you get yourself caught or if you are awakened.  We are including the proviso that conversion runners may be called on to be caught intentionally  between checkpoints 2 and 3 if reports from the field find too little of the desired mayhem.

I will need to give you your special ribbon(s) in relative secrecy before the event, obviously. We could really use your cell phone number. And it would help to know what you look like if you're dressed up beyond what I've come to know on SF0. 

These rules are secret and any mention of this conversation will be denied by all MNZero planners until game night. Thank you and welcome to the nightmare.

Love,

JonO

On Aug 29, 2008, at 11:51 AM, Ink Tea wrote:
I've met Scott Seekins a number of times, I think that's a HILARIOUS proposition, but he may want money to do it.  Let's talk a little more about what you'd want him to do, and I'll call him up and see what I can do to influence him.

The way I see it, One way to make Scott work is we make Nick & Eddie a checkpoint--it faces Loring Park and I know one of the co-owners--though I don't know what their stance would be on having people come up to their restaurant. Doug is a crazy guy from way back. Maybe if they knew Scott was involved, too... Anyway,  We ensconce Scott at the front of the bar area and let people come to him. He's in Nick & Eddie all the time so I know he likes the place, at least. We could chip in and buy him a bottle of wine, make it easier...

Otherwise, checkpoint 4 was going to be in or in the vicinity of Loring Park. It's a tough call because it's almost certainly going to be later in the evening when people start hitting #4. Late night on a Saturday, all those places are going to be open facing the park. That's the detail I really wanted to surveille this weekend close up. 

J

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Content:

Well, I suppose I could crank out a trophy or two. Zer0gee is also awesome at the medal-making. What is your award list?

I would love to hear about rule innovations. Although, I do plan to come there and play. Would this compromise my ability to dominate?

Dax

---- Burn Unit on Aug 18 9:42 am---- 

Hi, forgot to look at the database on teh mnzero website where you clearly offered to make trophies there too, regardless of what I got from Cali second-hand!! SO, does that offer still stand? Do you still have time?

Would you like to hear about and help with one or two of the rules innovations we have planned? I will email you off-site. I have a very special plan in mind for your assistance if you're up for it...

JonO

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Begin forwarded message:
From: "Craig Daniel" <craigbdaniel@gmail.com>
Date: September 9, 2008 3:02:15 PM CDT
To: burnunit@waste.org, "Oliver X" <oxymoron@waste.org>, cali <velouria@waste.org>, "Ink Tea" <inktea@gmail.com>, "Julian Hyde" <jkhyde86@gmail.com>, mamjjason@gmail.com
Subject: Journey and MetroTransit

I've been on the MetroTransit website planning the bus routes most
likely to help people running Journey. This is key information both
for planning safe zones and for knowing where to chase from. What
follows are my thoughts.

By the way, I would like to have four non-biking, non-sleeper chasers,
if we can. At present we have three, I believe - me, Cali, and Oliver.
But I'd put priority on having enough secret staff before recruiting
another generic chaser.

The bus from the start to checkpoint one is at 6:54 - but if people
wait for it, they can go straight to the checkpoint without transfers.
Let's assume people don't want to wait that long (particularly with
Julian being scary at the start) and everybody walks to checkpoint
one, and arrives in time to leave it at 7:00. In which case, a 3B bus
leaves Eddy Hall (by checkpoint one) and goes to "Washington Ramp and
Cedar Avenue" (.2 miles from checkpoint two). A 16 bus to the same
stop is available slightly later at Coffman Union, for those wishing
to walk a little bit more.

The Washington ramp bus stop needs not to be in a safe zone! It also
needs to have a chaser or two present by 7:00 to chase those who wish
to use the buses!

You can get a bus to come closer to Hard Times if you're willing to
transfer at Willey Hall, which people from the U might know things
well enough to try. So that's probably also a spot worth considering
having a chaser at, as it's also right on the stretch of Washington
most likely to have people using it, but it's less important in my
opinion than the Washington ramp.

Therefore, I suggest the following initial places for chasers:

Me: Somewhere yet to be determined along the way to checkpoint one.
(Spare if we have one: Same area, though not with me. Especially f we
don't have a spare, Inky should be focusing on this area at first
also.)

Oliver: Washington Avenue in the general vicinity of Willey Hall.
Cali: en route from the Washington Avenue ramp to Hard Times, closer
to the ramp than to the checkpoint.

For the three (four if we get a spare) non-biking chasers, I encourage
lurking near these suggested areas - but going further afield if
necessary - until you've got your first kill. Try to make the first
kill happen as early as possible to get our population up quickly;
converted runners will do most of the chasing work for us and can
cover much more territory with their numbers.

Then, move to somewhere after the second checkpoint (where will depend
on how far the runners tend to be; if you guys want, I can be watching
the Twitter stream and on call to suggest places as we go.

The beginning of the next chunk of the route is going to depend on
which checkpoint three we use.

People will be out of checkpoint two by 7:20 if they're taking buses,
I suspect. They can then hop on a 7 bus at Cedar and 3rd and ride it
all the way to 1st St and Hennepin, which means two things. one, we
can't even consider using the Jeune Leune as a checkpoint, since a bus
will give people a ride that's safe the whole way from checkpoint two
to checkpoint three if we do. Second, that's perilously close to
replacement 3.A, which I think is a good reason to avoid using it. If
we use replacement 3.B, they can get to either Hennepin and 1st or
Hennepin and 3rd; either one gives them a couple blocks only to walk
to the checkpoint - so there had better be a chaser during those
couple blocks!

If we use replacement checkpoint 3.C, people have to go to either the
Washinton Ramp again (hitting Cali a second time) or to Cedar and 3rd,
but then they can get a bus to take them from either of those places
to 4th Avenue and 4th St. (Actually that's only available on the 22
from Cedar and 3rd; the Washington Ave ramp will get them back on a 16
that stops at 4th St and 2nd Ave.)

If we go with 3.A or 3.B,, people will be getting on a bus from the
checkpoint to 15th and Nicollet, after which they must walk to Loring
Park. That area, thus, seems like a useful one for some chasers to
retreat to after their first kill. The other option, though, is to
walk to Hennepin and get on a 4 bus, at which point they can go to
Lyndale and Vineland Place - which is actually slightly further away
from the park, though this time on the other side of it.

Enticingly, MetroTransit won't give me a route away from checkpoint
3.C. If you guys can get it to help you out there, I'd love to hear it
- but if you can't, that sounds like an excellent reason to use that
checkpoint. In fact, without knowing the spot, I'm going to declare
that it has my vote, based on bus routes alone, as our third
checkpoint. Like the others, leaving it for bus use will probably
entail getting to Nicollet and going south along it before walking to
the park; the space between 3.C and Nicollet is worth considering as a
spot to chase if you leave your starting place particularly early. In
any case, bus folks will be heading to Nicollet to catch a bus from
there to Spyhouse; that's easy and should be obvious to most runners
especially the locals.

Therefore: chasers around the Loring Park checkpoint's safe zone are a
must, ideally on both sides but especially to the east. So chasers, if
you get a kill before many people are through checkpoint four I would
encourage hoofing it to Loring Park (possibly aided by the buses; it's
worth knowing bus directions from your starting point to Nicollet and
15th) and waiting on either side of the safe zone. I think we should
preferentially chase close to Nicollet, but if there's already plenty
of chasers there, consider going west of the park. When you catch
runners, this may also be a place to consider suggesting they go if
they don't want to stay near the beginning.

The final run down eat street and the Mall is going to be very, very
easy to do by bus - to the point where I see no excuse for doing
otherwise. You get on a 17 or 18 northbound and get off right by
Peavey Plaza. Therefore, we should keep some space between Nicollet
itself and the final safe zone, if we can, and any chasers who report
into the finish line to claim their early-success prizes should be
encouraged to swarm that area. We won't have too many until after the
bus people have finished the race, I think - but getting to the finish
line should not be an easy task if we can avoid it, and good
encouragement of chasers may make the bus a singularly unwise way to
travel the last couple blocks.

By the way, I think if you do this all by bus and we use 3.A or 3.B
for checkpoints you can finish the race by 8:30, if not earlier - but
you'd have to know the bus system. I don't know how fast you can be
from 3.C, but probably slower.

Knowing that the 18 follows Nicollet and being familiar with the 16
would be enough knowledge of local bus routes to be amazingly helpful,
and so we should generally plan chasing locations with the asusmption
that most locals will use those two routes at least somewhat. (The
proposed initial chaser locations make reference to the buses around
the U and the 16 in particular, but are also decent for the foot
traffic.) I'm also thinking Cole should be making an effort to hit the
bus stops relevant to this approach to the race when circling the area
on her bike looking for the evil dinosaur thief.

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Lauren DeSteno" <lauren.desteno@gmail.com>
Date: September 11, 2008 1:47:59 PM CDT
To: velouria@waste.org, "Jon Olsen" <burnunit@waste.org>
Subject: Journey: food & flowers & peavey event

Food - $20 bought us: 

3 kinds of grapes
3 containers of strawberries
a lot of carrots, zucchinis & cherry tomatoes
green, red, and yellow peppers

I did not have time to get: 
lemonade
hummus
a few extra things for salsa bean dip

But I may have a chance to get these things tomorrow before work. $30 or so is about all I can budget to help with things right now, but I'm happy to give what I got!

Flowers: I've only made 6 so far, but I'm going to try and make more at work tonight. I'll let you know how far I  get.

Peavey Plaza: The Orchestra folks told me that they're having their premiere/season opener on Saturday night from 8-10pm. Should be a fun mashup of events, no? ;)

Lauren