MuseBlog

Continued from Books and Reading, 2008, Part 3.

Bilbo and Frodo were both born on September 22, on different years of the Third Age of Middle-earth. All hail the heroic hobbits (even if Merry and Pippin were funnier)!

Something everybody likes to talk about.

Continued from version 2008.2.

Unlike the random thread, this discussion thread stays on topic until the topic changes.

Newcomers should read The Rules and The Guide before plunging in.

Current topic: Travel
Gardens

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.

Being GAPAs of Very Little Brain, we’re not sure how much more there is to be said about Pooh & Co. But they are clogging up the Words and Names thread, so we’re relocating the discussion here.

(Requested by Kokonilly.)

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.)

Before the discussion takes over the Romance and Relationships thread, we should move our little idyll to its own thread.

We started with oxlin’s comment:

Bah. I’m sick of society. I want to go live in a shack somewhere with Teal and not pollute and eat mushrooms and herbs we gather and carrots we grow and draw and write and be happy.

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

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

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


BLACK

WHITE

Unlike the random thread, this discussion thread stays on topic until the topic changes.

Newcomers should read The Rules and The Guide before plunging in.

Current topic: The Olympics
Computer programming / Web design and graphics

Words & names you ♥ or just want to talk about. Hey, is ♥ a word?

Continued from version 2007.3.

(This includes the “What’s in a Name?” thread that several MBers have recently requested.)

We celebrate his birthday every year, but clearly he deserves much more.

Requested by The Man for Aeiou.

He may no longer be writing for Muse, but you can still read his “Mathematical Tourist” columns on the website of his now-employer, the Mathematical Association of America.

We tried team chess the first time around, and it eventually turned into one-on-one games. This time, let’s start with two-player games.

Results so far:
Purple Panda vs. TMFA: 2-0
Midnight Fiddler vs. Agrrrfishi: …
Adeia vs. Red-tailed HAWK: …
Taiwan Hippo Fan Raynpho vs. ZVX: …
Eragon vs. Logogeo96

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


BLACK

WHITE

It’s time for another one of these. Be sure to post spoiler warnings if you’re posting any.

It’s called “Raw Materials,” and he posts it on a blog on the Discovery Channel’s Web site. It’s like “Peanuts” for nerds. Check it out!

Continued from Books and Reading, 2008, Part 2.

Last month conversation at the H&H turned to the subject of creative alphabets and shorthand techniques. Do you use special symbols or abbreviations when you take notes? We’ll extend the question to include alphabets, invented languages, or any idiosyncratic note-taking habits.

To start off, here’s a shorthand system created by Nora the Violist.

It’s time — 4/4 time, 3/4 time, whatever time you like. Just don’t mark time, please; make this thread march!

Continued from version 2008.1.

Unlike the random thread, this discussion thread stays on topic until the topic changes.

Newcomers should read The Rules and The Guide before plunging in.

Current topic: haircuts
favorite stores
crazy ways MBers decorate their rooms

“Could we just do Muse Chess and get it over with?” –muselover

Request granted!

The game so far (double-check at the bottom of the thread — the GAPA may not have included the latest moves):

Game 1.1 — OVER, White Won
###pgn###
1. d4 d5
2. e3 Nf6
3. Bd3 c6
4. a4 Qd7
5. Qf3 e5
6. Ne2 e4
7. Bxe4 d5xe4
8. Qf4 Bd6
9. Qg5 Ng4
10. O-O c5
11. Qxg7 Rf8
12. Qxh7 Qc7
13. Qxe4+ Be6
14. d5 Bxh2+
15. Kh1 f5
16. Qxe6+ Kd8
17. e4 Qh7
18. Bg5+ Kc7
19. g3 f5xe4
20. d6+ Kc6
21. d7+ Kc7
22. d8(Q)+ Rxd8
23. Bf4+ Rd6
24. Qxd6+ Kc8
25. Qe6+ Kd8
26. Rd1+ Nd7
27. Bg5+ Kc8
28. Qe8+ Kc7
29. Bf4+ Ng4e5
30. Bxe5+ Nxe5
31. Qxe5+ Kc6
32. Qd6++
%%%pgn%%%

Game 1.2
###pgn###
1. d4 d5
2. e3 Nf6
3. Bd3 c6
4. a4 Qd7
5. Qf3 e5
6. Ne2 e4
7. Bxe4 d5xe4
8. Qf4 Bd6
9. Qg5 Ng4
10. O-O c5
11. Qxg7 Rf8
12. Qxh7 Qc7
13. Qxe4+ Be6
14. d5 Bxh2+
15. Kh1 Nf6
16. Qh4 Bxd5
17. Qxf6 Bc4
18. Nb1c3 Rg8
19. b3 Qc6
20. Qxc6+ Nxc6
21. b3xc4 Rh8
22. Nf4 Rd8
23. Nh3 Bb8
24. Nd5 f6
25. Nxf6+ Kf7
26. Bb2 Ne5
27. Bxe5 Bxe5
28. Rb1 Kxf6
29. f4 Bd6
30. Kg1 Rh7
31. Rb1d1 Ke7
32. Kf2 b6
33. Rh1 Rd8h8
34. Rh2 Rg7
35. Re1h1 Rf8
36. Ng5 Rxg5
37. g3 Rg5f5
38. Ra1 Be5
39. Ra3 Bb2
40. Rd3 Rh8
41. Rxh8 Bxh8
42. Rd5 Rf6
43. Rh5 Bg7
44. Rh7 Kf7
45. Rh5 Ke7
46. g4 Rd6
47. Rd5 Re6
48. Kf3 Rh6
49. Rh5 Rxh5
50. g4xh5 Ke6
51. e4 Kf6
52. Kg4 Bh6
53. f5 Ke5
54. Kf3 Bc1
55. Kg4 Kxe4
56. f6 Bh6
57. f7 Ke5
58. f8Q Bxf8
59. Kg5
%%%pgn%%%

Unlike the random thread, this discussion thread stays on topic until the topic changes.

Newcomers should read The Rules and The Guide before plunging in.

Current topic: The Beatles
Wal-Mart
Odd Characters We Know

(Coming soon: Places We Want to Visit During Our Lifetimes)

Born on 25 May 1859, he gave the world Sherlock Holmes (who, by the way, said both “elementary” and “my dear Watson,” but never together). A few pies of gratitude, please, for the Master.

May 25 is the day when fans of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy celebrate H2G2 and its creator, Douglas Adams, by, well, carrying around a towel. Go thou and do likewise (or otherwise, if you like), and talk about it here.