Computer Recovery!

In the past, when I have not had a computer to access, sometimes, I was able to access personal email at work.  Or go to the library and use a computer.  By accessing the Suddenlink Home Page  on my smartphone, I was able to keep updated on my email, clean out my email box, read the important email, and defer the rest.  That was good.

I also did one game,  The Set Game, that is part of my routine and does not have an archive. The others I play all do have archives.  

One thing I always I do, is to play Words with Friends.  Well, I have that application on my smartphone, and use it a lot, so I was more or less able to keep up with that.  And, I met the challenge the week this all started.  Not sure about this week:  I spent a lot of time getting caught up with email, newspaper headlines, and the many games I play each day. These games include: The Uclick Sudoku,  the AARP Daily Crossword,  and  the Merriam Webster Cryptogram.  So, I picked up the computer Thursday night, and by Saturday I was "caught up," which surprised me that it went so quickly. But that is why I may not meet the Words with Friends challenge. 

That is okay, I used to do everything I could to meet the Words with Friends challenges. But I found I was neglecting other activities, and decided that I would no longer do that. 

I also really like the new keyboard.  It is awesome!

I'd Rather Read

For I don't know how long, I have been addicted to playing "Words with Friends" and have accepted their challenges.  And have tried to complete the challenges.   And, I knew that as I did so, I was not attending to other interests in my life.  I justified it by thinking that sharpening my word skills was a valid endeavor. And it is.

But, I realized that playing "Words with Friends" limited my other activities.  Most recently, I have started reading again instead of playing "Words with Friends", and I realized how much more meaningful reading is to me, than playing "Words with Friends." It is not that I will not play, it is just that I will play on my own time frame, and not to complete  a challenge or otherwise be co-opted  into playing when I have better things to do.  

New Monopoly

For the last several springs, the local supermarket chain has had a Monopoly game as a customer incentive.  You collect game cards that contain four pieces you add to a collection card and you get an additional playing piece that might offer a coupon, an instant prize, or a chance to play online for a prize. I am not sure when this year's game started, but just recently, I believe.  I have won a magnet online, and am awaiting the email instructions regarding how to redeem.  Hmmm.

Missing Games

I have been missing Texas Tech men's basketball games, and Lady Raider games.  Sometimes it is because I have something else to do, sometimes it is because I cannot find the radio broadcast of the game, and lo and behold, today, it was because I mis-read the schedule.  But that is okay.  The men won, and the women were routed.  I would have been miserable at the woman's game, anyway.

The men are having a very successful season, the women, a horrible season.  So be it.

Words With Friends

Have I written about Words with Friends before?  I do not think so.  https://apps.facebook.com/wordswithfriends/.  Well, this is a Scrabble  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrabble like word game that Facebook promoted.  There was a time when you could play Scrabble on Facebook, and I had several friends who did so. But then Words with Friends took over. I think you can still play Scrabble on Facebook, but no one I know does. And then, Words with Friends started promoting "challenges" which will earn you a "badge."  The challenge is a two part challenge, to earn a certain number of points, and then to complete some other task, like making so many 30 point words, or making so many 3 words with one play or making so many JQXZ words.  All challenges in a week. 

When these challenges started, I started getting invitations from strangers to play.  Words with Friends will suggest people who play at your level, more or less.  The more people you play with, the more likely you will reach your challenge, but there is a maximum number of games you can have open.  Sometimes, all I do is play Words with Friends. I realized at one point that I was "addicted" and neglecting other things, like reading.  (I still do my household chores.)  So, I have had to manage myself, and play Words with Friends when I would be watching TV, or for a time limited session.  

Sometimes, I meet the challenge, and sometimes, I do not. 

World Series Baseball

So even though I am not a fan of the Chicago Cubs or the Cleveland Indians http://mlb.mlb.com/home, this is such an historic World Series, that I have been watching it.  As with the other games, the game tonight has been very good, and I am enjoying the suspense of it.  Wrigley Field is a neat place.  I like the way there are stadium seats on top of the buildings outside of the stadium. 

It seems that Wayne Messmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Messmer often sings the National Anthem at the opening of the Cubs games. And, during the 7th inning stretch, they have had celebrities lead the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and showed the Harry Caray video of the same.  I am glad to see the Cubs fans count with their fingers when it is time to sing "it's one, two, three strikes you're out." 

If I had a preference, I would like to see the Indians win, because my favorite teams are American League teams.  Also, I would like to see Terry Francona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Francona win the series and end the Indians' World Series Championship drought, just as he did with the Red Sox.  Think of it, ending two long running World Series droughts by one manager! 

The Cubs one game 5!  It is awesome to see the fans continuing to sit in the stadium, chanting.  People are starting to move but slowly. 

I actually would like to see a 7 game series, because the baseball has been really, really good.  I will try to watch the game Tuesday. 

Playing "Hit The Pencil"

I may have written about this before.  Haiku likes to play "fetch the pen." (or pencil, but she seems to prefer a pencil.) 

Taki likes to play "Hit the Pencil."  I hold the pencil, and she slaps at it. Sometimes with one paw or the other, sometimes she sits on her haunches and hits the pencil with both paws.  But she hits at it, over and over again.

It is a game that she likes to play.  I like to play it too.  I am glad she has a activity she likes to play. 

Words With Friends

I have been playing Words With Friends for a long time.  I like Scrabble, but it seems most folks I know prefer Words With Friends.  I play with people who are no match for me.  I play with folks against whom I usually win.  I hate that, for the other player.  Don't get me wrong, I like to win, and can be very, very competitive.  But I want the other player to enjoy the experience, and losing a lot of the time is no fun. 

I used to just have one or two games going, and sometimes, even those games were intermittent. I started playing Words With Friends on my smartphone.  I started playing Solo, for practice.  And I started getting invited to play by people whom I do not know.  I was leery, at first, about playing with strangers.  But, I have started doing so.  I now have multiple games going all the time.

I like playing on the smartphone.  When I am bored, such as standing in a long line at the store, I will play a game or two, for example. I like the convenience of having Words With Friends on the smartphone.

Everybody gets a mention tonight.

So I have written about Sake and Haiku tonight.  I cannot neglect Taki.  She is not doing much tonight but occasionally sitting at my feet, as she likes to do.  Then she scampers off, and silently comes back. I don't know what is in her brain, but she frequently sits, staring, as if she is waiting for something to move, so she can pounce.  I wonder if she has visual hallucinations, because she does pounce, for no reason I can see.  It is a game she likes.

I know my cats play. Well, Haiku and Taki do, and Sake has started playing some recently. She used to play a lot, but since she has not felt well, she has not played much.  The reasons I know my cats play include that I see them play, and their toys are moved around almost every day. I also hear them scampering around in the middle of the night.

Most recently, a plastic purple ball and a cloth fish have been in the large bathroom.  I moved them out last weekend when I cleaned, and a couple of days later, they were back in the big bathroom. Their location in the bathroom moves almost everyday, too.  I figure there is a cat reason for these items to be in the big bathroom, so they will stay there until I clean this weekend.

So, anyway, Taki is scampering around tonight, and not just sitting at my feet. 

The other day, Taki scampered into the garage.  I was trying to get her to go back into the house. She would hide under the car, come out, circle around the front driver side tire, and hide under the car again. She did this several times.  I decided if she wanted to play that game, I would play it with her.  We did that for several minutes, and then she decided to go back into the house. I guess that was a fun game for her.

Apples to Apples

I went to a "get together" tonight (really last night, November 6, 2014).  We played a game called "Apples to Apples" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apples_to_Apples.  This was fun!  We were amongst co-workers who do not always socialize together, but treat each other as friends.  What a pleasant experience.

Taki Dumping Stuff on the Floor

We were sitting on the end of the sofa which has an end table abutting the sofa arm.  This end table is STACKED with papers and other stuff.  So, Sunday night, Taki was sitting on the sofa arm, and started dabbling with the piled stuff.  She hit at it, and hit at it, and pushed it, and slapped at it.  Well, she unbalanced the stack so a few papers fell off. She kept at it, and she did a little more, and a little more.

For the time being, I left the stuff on the floor. I do not want Taki to think this is an acceptable game, because there are papers stacked all over my house (I am a "mini hoarder.) 

On the other hand, Haiku likes to play "the pen game."  But, it does not have to be a pen, it can be a pencil, an eraser, a white out container or even a thumb drive (but we stop that in a hurry.)  The pen game consists of Haiku slapping at a pen, like you might a hockey puck, until it falls off the desk or TV tray next to the desk. Then she sits, looking down at the object, until you retrieve it and she can do the same all over again. We have played this game for hours on end, when I have been at the computer. She does not play in the living room or at the dining room table, however.  She could reset the game by jumping down, getting the object and jumping back to her perch.  But she is not motivated to that.  I think this is designed to be an interactive opportunity with me.

PING! PONG!

Taki loves to play with ping pong balls.  They are light, they rebound well, they fit into her mouth.  We have lots of other cat balls, but ping pong balls are her favorite.  We have some heavy solid balls that do not interest her.  We have some plastic strip balls, with bells in the center that are okay, but not her favorite. We have some fluffy fiber balls, and sponge balls, about the size of ping pong balls. Those are all okay, and she does sometimes play with them.  But ping pong balls are the best.

I buy them in an assortment of colors. She seems to like the white and red balls the best, but will play with balls of other colors.

Taki has me well trained. If she thinks a ping pong ball is under an item of furniture, she sits and stares, until I check it out, and, if she is right, I free the ping pong ball.

Sometimes, Taki likes to play ping pong hockey in the middle of the night. It wakes me up, but the rhythmic ping pong, ping pong of the ball is very soothing, and I enjoy listening to it, and usually, fall back to sleep fairly soon.

This morning, very early, she was playing ping pong on the bed. I have to admit, the rhythmic ping pong of the ball was very soothing, although I would have preferred to sleep through it. But she did not start ping pong until the first time the alarm went off. I have the alarm set early, so I can get up early if I want to, or snooze a little or a lot, if I want to.  I could not fault Taki for waiting to play ping pong until the alarm went off.  I just hope she does not play ping pong on the bed in the middle of the night!

I Have a Competitive Streak in Me

I  have a competitive streak in me.  I am not physically adept but mentally, I can compete at some level, so I enjoy doing word games, trivia, sudoku and the like.  I have always enjoyed those activities. I have written in the past about my history of doing word puzzles.

I think my most favorite word puzzle is a double acrostic http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/169829/double-acrostic. It is difficult to explain, but you have a set of clues that are enumerated first by a letter and then, by letters, and in each clue, there is a number for each space.  When the clue is solved, the letter is placed in the enumerated space.  If you read the first letter of each clue, it gives the name of an author, and a title of the author's work.  When you put the letters into the appropriate boxes, there is a quote from the work of the author.

I enjoy working on these puzzles, and have, in the past, enjoyed sharing these puzzles with my companions who have helped me to solve them.  I have been looking for a renewable, printable online sight for these puzzles, and finally found one: http://www.americanacrostics.com/.  I have had trouble, over the years, finding books of these puzzles.  Waldenbooks was my best source, but even they were not always reliable. I have a book now. If I can find another book I will buy it, but am so thankful to have found a websource for these puzzles.

Trash and Tissue

For a large part of her life, Taki has had a fascination with trash and tissue.  I had a tapered wicker trash can near the computer, and it tipped easily. Taki would strew the trash all over the place. I swapped that out for a more solidly standing trash can. Taki does not empty it as much. But this weekend, I put a lot of trash in it, and Taki has taken to playing with the trash.  The contents are mostly empty old envelopes, and other paper.

Taki likes tissue, also.  She has been known to strew strands of bathroom tissue throughout the house.  Lately, she has been taking facial tissue out of the box, tearing it up and leaving it throughout the house.

I do not understand the fascination she has for this.  The trash crinkles, so that may be an attraction. 

Whatever, it is basically harmless play. 

The Infield Fly Rule

I like baseball, and I have enjoyed it since I was very young.  I remember, years ago, asking my father what the infield fly rule was and why they had it.  I remember my father giving me an answer, but I do not recall what it was, or understanding it. If you are not familiar with the rule, http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp I would suggest you read it.

Tonight, I was watching the first ever Major League Baseball wild card game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. During the eight inning, there was a controversial use of the Infield fly rule http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8467263/st-louis-cardinals-atlanta-braves-nl-wild-card-game-halted-fans-protest-infield-fly-call .   Understandably the home town fans were upset, and stopped the game by throwing debris.  The Braves manager, Fredi Gonzales lodged a protest, and there is some question, but ostensibly, the game was finished under protest.  According to the television announcers, Major League Baseball had officials on sight and would try to resolve the matter as soon as possible.  And rightly so.  It is said that baseball is a game of series, but this year, the wild card was just one game, although I understand that in the future it will be a series.  But since there is only one game, any protest needs to be resolved ASAP as the winning team needs to prepare for the next game, on Sunday as part of the National League Division Series.

So, finally, I was curious enough to wonder what is the purpose of the infield fly rule. I was surprised, but should not be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infield_fly_rule . It basically keeps everyone safe and does not allow an intentional missed catch to allow an unfair advantage by the infielder over the runner.

The point is, that as ever, human beings will try to play the angles, figure how they can best the opposition by taking advantage of the rules in an unintended way.   I see it every day in my client population.  Why would I be surprised to see it in baseball. Especially when you learn about the early years of baseball.  There were a lot of cadgers and characters when the game was young.  So, the infield fly rule protected the game from players purposely missing a fly ball to get more outs than if they caught the ball!

Games

I have been watching a little bit of the XXX Games of the Olympiad http://www.olympic.org/. And, I just finished reading The Hunger Games.

Eerie parallels.  I think the eeriest for me was when an Olympic athlete was interviewed about his being chosen the flagbearer for the closing ceremonies.  The Hunger Games  included a lot of official publicity duties for the contestants.

Another parrallel: The 1936 Olympics http://www.olympic.org/berlin-1936-summer-olympics when Hitler wanted to use the Olympics as a showcase for his Aryan superiority philosphy.  What I have read about Germany during that time was that Hitler hid all the German policies while the games were in progress. How fragile the meaning of the games can be, if put in the wrong hands.

As with the Olympic games, the Hunger Games had Games Makers that design the look and feel of the games, and help to prepare the athletes. 

Doing some reading about The Hunger Games, it was as I thought.  The name of the country Panem was taken from the Latein "panem et circenses" http://thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/Panem, literally "bread and circuses." This was the Roman policy of feeding and entertaining the masses to keep them from worrying about the real problems of the day. While that was not the purpose of The Hunger Games, they did serve to distract people from their everyday woes. And they did serve to keep the districts at odds with each other, so they could not unite and revolt against the central government.

I think it is so important to keep things in perspective, and to be knowledgeable about what is happening poitically around the world.