I can't get over the fact that Hasbro has killed facebook Scrabble. Somebody call Alanis, this is irony, folks. The software is so slow and crappy and ugh. And I'm not just pissed that some glitch in the game resulted in my last turn being taken off the board (even though Scrabble doesn't have a challenge mode) and my lovely bingo rack being turned into shite.
Grr.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Non-Scrabble News
A friend of mine Yaron Koren has a new site up. It's called Referata. It's a semantic wiki hosting site...which means...um...I don't know, but I bet Referata is the best darn wiki hosting site out there!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Dreamworld
I was recently hospitalized and had my gall bladder removed. It was all pretty painful and uncomfortable, but there were a lot of good drugs involved. Which is the only way to possibly explain the following dream that I had. I think it's one of those things that started out as a dream, but I woke up halfway through, but was still amused, so I just imagined the rest of it.
So there I am talking to Ugarles' son about his progress through the threes and I say something like...you've got to get better, so someone in that house can give me a good game without using an anagrammer. He laughs and puts his father on the phone and Ugarles says are you going to put this much pressure on your kid? And I say "of course," if you think that child isn't going to hear the phrase "look it's your life and if you want Sidney to be a better Scrabble player than you are, well, I guess that'll just be your choice now won't it." And then I add, though I guess I'll use the name of a child closer to her age...you know, like little Moishe Hooper. Yeah. I'll be all I bet Moise Hooper isn't complaining about learning his Satire rack, no, he's just grateful for a break in the depressing music and the triple draw exercises.
I think this is where I start to wake up because I remember laughing that I've named the as-yet-born Hooper child "Moishe" and I know that no matter what this child ends up actually being named, I will always call him/her Moishe. Just ask Karol about her friend first born child Ephram.
So there I am talking to Ugarles' son about his progress through the threes and I say something like...you've got to get better, so someone in that house can give me a good game without using an anagrammer. He laughs and puts his father on the phone and Ugarles says are you going to put this much pressure on your kid? And I say "of course," if you think that child isn't going to hear the phrase "look it's your life and if you want Sidney to be a better Scrabble player than you are, well, I guess that'll just be your choice now won't it." And then I add, though I guess I'll use the name of a child closer to her age...you know, like little Moishe Hooper. Yeah. I'll be all I bet Moise Hooper isn't complaining about learning his Satire rack, no, he's just grateful for a break in the depressing music and the triple draw exercises.
I think this is where I start to wake up because I remember laughing that I've named the as-yet-born Hooper child "Moishe" and I know that no matter what this child ends up actually being named, I will always call him/her Moishe. Just ask Karol about her friend first born child Ephram.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sometimes change is not good
Sometimes change is not good
I’m back to playing tons of Scrabble. Although after my four-five month absence, I find myself wholly out-classed these days. However, it isn’t the losing that has irritated me the most, it’s that Hasbro has changed the game. Not the rules or anything, but the color scheme. Triple word scores, which used to be easily identified as red are now orange. Double word scores, once pretty in pink are now some form of putrid red. Even the board itself is no longer a gentle beige, but an absurd blueish thing. It was so horrifyingly distracting.
And now Hasbro has started its own version of Scrabulous on facebook. I was invited by the company to Beta test it because of my blogs, but I have to say I haven’t found anyone willing to complete a game with me on it because, well, it sucks.
First off, you cannot play in the challenge mode, which is the only way honest, God-fearing, red blooded Americans play Scrabble. Second, the graphics and animation are terrible. I believe Ugarles’ comment when we first started our game was “does Hasbro think we’re retarded.” Indeed, the bells and whistles are so overpowering they make it difficult to play your word or see clever hooks. It also makes it impossible to load at work – and dude, what’s the point of having a game on facebook if you can’t play at work.
So I don’t know what the outcome of this lawsuit will be, but I hope they come to some agreement whereby EA just agrees to buy Scrabulous - or take it by fiat, and we get the same Scrabulous interface without the copyright infringement guilt. Oh, but I am having a wicked awesome game against the poor Flying Pink Unicorn, who is explaining his current three hundred point deficit by saying that he’s taking it easy on me. He then promised to kick my arse at 80s Mets trivia…to which I responded with a hearty…bring it.
I’m back to playing tons of Scrabble. Although after my four-five month absence, I find myself wholly out-classed these days. However, it isn’t the losing that has irritated me the most, it’s that Hasbro has changed the game. Not the rules or anything, but the color scheme. Triple word scores, which used to be easily identified as red are now orange. Double word scores, once pretty in pink are now some form of putrid red. Even the board itself is no longer a gentle beige, but an absurd blueish thing. It was so horrifyingly distracting.
And now Hasbro has started its own version of Scrabulous on facebook. I was invited by the company to Beta test it because of my blogs, but I have to say I haven’t found anyone willing to complete a game with me on it because, well, it sucks.
First off, you cannot play in the challenge mode, which is the only way honest, God-fearing, red blooded Americans play Scrabble. Second, the graphics and animation are terrible. I believe Ugarles’ comment when we first started our game was “does Hasbro think we’re retarded.” Indeed, the bells and whistles are so overpowering they make it difficult to play your word or see clever hooks. It also makes it impossible to load at work – and dude, what’s the point of having a game on facebook if you can’t play at work.
So I don’t know what the outcome of this lawsuit will be, but I hope they come to some agreement whereby EA just agrees to buy Scrabulous - or take it by fiat, and we get the same Scrabulous interface without the copyright infringement guilt. Oh, but I am having a wicked awesome game against the poor Flying Pink Unicorn, who is explaining his current three hundred point deficit by saying that he’s taking it easy on me. He then promised to kick my arse at 80s Mets trivia…to which I responded with a hearty…bring it.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Funny things Joel Says
I have yet to come up with a feature for my humble not read Scrabble blog. I correct that oversight now!
The Director of the New York Scrabble club is a dude by the name of Joel Sherman. I'd say he's in his late fifties. He is most surly. And I mean, whatever you think of when I say surly...surlier. Anyway, I've actually come to like him a lot. There's no chitchat with him, he matter of factly says either you suck or you don't. He is slow to compliment and quick to mock. There's no bullshit whatsoever with him and it's a trait I've come to appreciate.
Now, when you deal with lots of different people and you, essentially hate them all, you tend to say things that would make the ordinary person cringe. Like when I told him I played in my first tournament last June, he looked at me and said "that was a stupid way to waste money."
And when my friend told him I won a tournament in Australia he said "I don't doubt it, they have horrible players there."
And now for tonight's gem:
An orthodox woman who plays at the club regularly was doing her usual complaining that all the big tournaments inevitably involve Saturday games which she can't play in because she can't count points or hit the clock or something like that. So, I told her there were monthly Sunday tournaments out in Queens. So, she asks Joel for the contact information. He gives it to her and tells her the next game is Sunday. She again starts to whine because evidently Sunday is Passover. Joel sighs heavily and says "Well, too bad for you. Anyone that keeps the Sabbath is an idiot that is wasting half the weekend for no reason." And then he walked away. I covered my face, but then peeked through my fingers to see her standing there speechless. I wonder if she'll come back.
The Director of the New York Scrabble club is a dude by the name of Joel Sherman. I'd say he's in his late fifties. He is most surly. And I mean, whatever you think of when I say surly...surlier. Anyway, I've actually come to like him a lot. There's no chitchat with him, he matter of factly says either you suck or you don't. He is slow to compliment and quick to mock. There's no bullshit whatsoever with him and it's a trait I've come to appreciate.
Now, when you deal with lots of different people and you, essentially hate them all, you tend to say things that would make the ordinary person cringe. Like when I told him I played in my first tournament last June, he looked at me and said "that was a stupid way to waste money."
And when my friend told him I won a tournament in Australia he said "I don't doubt it, they have horrible players there."
And now for tonight's gem:
An orthodox woman who plays at the club regularly was doing her usual complaining that all the big tournaments inevitably involve Saturday games which she can't play in because she can't count points or hit the clock or something like that. So, I told her there were monthly Sunday tournaments out in Queens. So, she asks Joel for the contact information. He gives it to her and tells her the next game is Sunday. She again starts to whine because evidently Sunday is Passover. Joel sighs heavily and says "Well, too bad for you. Anyone that keeps the Sabbath is an idiot that is wasting half the weekend for no reason." And then he walked away. I covered my face, but then peeked through my fingers to see her standing there speechless. I wonder if she'll come back.
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