Author: Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic Randomness!

School or no school, the blog’s monthly Random Thread keeps rolling along regardless. It’s the place to talk about anything or nothing at all.

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

School or no school, the blog’s monthly Random Thread keeps rolling along regardless. It’s the place to talk about anything or nothing at all.

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)

Calvin and Hobbes

John Calvin (1509-1564) was a 16th-century French Protestant theologian. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was a 17th-century English political philosopher. Some MuseBloggers have become interested in their ideas and have requested a thread on which to discuss them.

Just kidding! We know about Bill Watterson’s comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes” and love it as much as you do. Here’s a place for you to talk about Snow Goons, propellor beanies, G.R.O.S.S., and other memorable parts of Calvin’s world.

Purple Panda’s Inner Self

Your family and friends might know you pretty well, but how many of them have seen the interior of your gastro-intestinal tract? Pan has graciously provided us with photographs of hers, which she’ll explain on this thread. (Photos below the fold.)

Your family and friends might know you pretty well, but how many of them have seen the interior of your gastro-intestinal tract? Pan has graciously provided us with photographs of hers, which she’ll explain on this thread.

——————————

——————————

——————————

So, what do you think? Is beauty only skin-deep?

Muse Still Needs Your Writing!

CALLING ALL MUSERS!

Editor Elizabeth Preston writes:

Could you make one more announcement on the MuseBlog about the “Muserology” (readers’) page? We need to have one more in, for November/December, before the first one gets published (September). I only got a few submissions earlier, and then they stopped coming. But various bloggers were talking about ideas they had for articles, which they never sent in. So…they have another chance! (Also, if someone sent something and didn’t get a response, they can send it again–I think some things got unnecessarily deleted from the Muse email.)

Cool Britannia

A thread devoted to the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland).

Americans have long since forgiven them for trying to stop our Revolution. Now we think they’re flamablamablous. We devour their books, and we like their accents almost as much as Australian ones. Here’s a place to talk about them.

(Requested by The Man for Aeiou.)

Chess Lesson

Purple Panda and Robert are playing a game, with Robert annotating (talking about positions) as they go.

Purple Panda (White) vs. Robert (Black)
###pgn###
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Nc3 Nc6
4. Bc4 Nxe4
5. Nxe4 d5
6. d3 d5xc4
7. d3xc4 d8xd1+
8. Kxd1 Bf5
9. Ng3 0-0-0+
10. Bd2 Bg4
11. Re1 Nd4
12. Re3 Bc5
13. Ne4 Nxf3
14. Nxc5 Nxd2+
15. Kc1 Nb3+
16. c2xb3 Rd1+
17. Kc2 Rxa1
18. f3 Bf5+
19. Ne4 Rd8
%%%pgn%%%

——————————-

Previously, Robert and Purple Panda analyzed Pan’s recent game with The Man for Aeiou (below). TMFA played White; Pan, Black. (The diagram shows a variation starting at White’s 16th move.)
###pgn###
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 e5xd4
4. Bb5 Qf6
5. O-O Bd6
6. Na3 a6
7. Bd3 Ne5
8. Re1 Nh6
9. Nxd4 Bc5
10. Na3b5 a6xb5
11. Nxb5 O-O
12. Re3 Bxe3
13. f2xe3 c6
14. Nd6 Qxd6
15. Bd2 Ne5g4
16. g3 Qf6
%%%pgn%%%

——————————-

(For reference, the squares are coded like this:)

BLACK
a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 c6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
WHITE

Pie in D.C., Saturday, August 16?

Rosanne is going to be in the Washington (D.C.) area soon, and she and Robert are thinking of getting together for some pie on the 16th. Unlike last August, this time they’d like to eat the pie. Would anyone else (and ens parents) like to come along?

They might have a picnic in a park, or might go to one of the area’s pie-renowned restaurants. The plans will depend partly on which option is better for any local MBers who might show up. Any thoughts?

MuseBlog Chess, v. 3

Maybe these games will move faster than the ones on v. 2.

Board 1: The Bookworm (White) vs. earthgirl Robert (Black)
(Moved to Chess, v. 4)

——————————
Board 2: Taiwan Hippo Fan (White) vs. The Man for Aeiou (Black)
###pgn###
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Nf3 Nc6
4. Bc4 Qe7
5. Nb5 Nxe4
6. Nxc7+ Kd8
7. Nxa8 Ng5
8. O-O Nxf3+
9. Qxf3 f6
10. h3 Qd6
11. Bf7 Be7
12. Qh5 g6
13. Qg4 f5
14. Qc4 h5
%%%pgn%%%
——————————
Board 3: Kokonilly (White) vs. peary moppins (Black)
###pgn###
1. d4 b6
2. e4 c5
3. Bf4 d6
4. Nf3 f6
5. Bb5+ Bd7
6. c4 e5
7. d4xe5 f6xe5
8. Bg5 Nf6
9. h4 h6
10. Nc3 h6xg5
11. g3 Be7
12. 0-0 a6
13. Ba4 Ng4
14. Nxg5 Rxh4
15. Bxd7+ Qxd7
%%%pgn%%%
——————————

Board 4: LadyGaladriel (White) vs. Adeia ZestyLemon (Black)
###pgn###
1. b4 d5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 Nxd4
4. h3 e5
5. Nxd4 e5xd4
6. Qxd4 Ne7
7. Qxd5
%%%pgn%%%
——————————

(For reference, the squares are coded like this:)


BLACK

a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 c6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1

WHITE

Alter Ego Thread, v. 2008.6

We don’t understand why these threads are the most popular ones on the blog, but so it goes. The Big Idea: Post under a false name, and try to guess who other posters are.

Continued from v. 2008.5.

NOTE: Check your posts before sending them. The Administrators will not rescue you if you accidentally submit one under your “real” blogname. Many an alter ego has fallen victim to a careless “submit” click.

Cooler Than Ever, Part 1

This month’s random thread continues the theme of July’s: thinking cool amid what for many of us continues to be decidedly uncool weather. Think cool, act cool, be cool!

This month’s random thread continues the theme of July’s: thinking cool amid what for many of us continues to be decidedly uncool weather. Think cool, act cool, be cool!

(Users’ Manual: Obey The Rules. Consult The Guide. Have fun!)