2010.01.25 13:00 - Games, Drama and Importance

The Guardian for this meeting was Zen Arado. The comments are by Zen Arado.

Introductions and opening gambit of chat about chess:

    Zen Arado: Hi Storm:)
    Storm Nordwind: Greetings Zen
    Zen Arado: how are you?
    Storm Nordwind: Fine thank you. And you?
    Zen Arado: I'm good too
    --BELL--
    Storm Nordwind: Enjoying a midday coffee
    Zen Arado: nice
    Bleu Oleander: hi
    Zen Arado: Hi Bleu :)
    Storm Nordwind: Hi Bleu :)
    Storm Nordwind: Dressed for chilly weather Bleu?
    Bleu Oleander: :) do live in AZ you know ....
    Bleu Oleander: hey your pub got us playing chess again
    Storm Nordwind: You and TH?
    Bleu Oleander: yes
    Storm Nordwind: Dare I ask the result(s)?
    Bleu Oleander: you know
    Storm Nordwind chuckles
    Storm Nordwind: A fun time was had by all (Reuters)
    Bleu Oleander: :)
    Bleu Oleander: interesting article on chess in NYRB
    Zen Arado: we should have a chess competition
    Zen Arado: oh?
    Bleu Oleander: seems poker is a better choice for today's world
    Storm Nordwind: Please be my guest and do so Zen
    Zen Arado: :)
    Storm Nordwind: Better measured how, Bleu?
    Bleu Oleander: TH and i both have to brush up on our skills
    Zen Arado: yeah would take a lot of organisation I guess
    Storm Nordwind: the easiest one to do is a ladder. Then, if you want a tourney, to do a Swiss
    Zen Arado: you would have to start studying openings
    Zen Arado: lots of ppl play online games
    Bleu Oleander: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/23592
    Bleu Oleander: hi Eden
    Eden Haiku: Hi Bleu, nice jacket!
    Storm Nordwind: They do Zen, and I stopped when it was taking two hours every night!
    Bleu Oleander: thanks
    Zon Quar: hi all
    Bleu Oleander: hi Zon
    Zen Arado: Hi Zon:)
    Storm Nordwind: Hi Eden, hi Zon
    Zen Arado: Hi Eden:)
    Bleu Oleander: hey, has anyone heard from the group in Malta?
    Eden Haiku: Hi Zon and Storm and Zen. Talking about online games?
    Zen Arado: I have a friend who plays Draughts (checkers)
    Storm Nordwind: I used to play a lot of Tablut too
    Eden Haiku: No Bleu, not yet I think.
    Bleu Oleander: what is Tablut?
    Storm Nordwind: Tablut is the oldest variation of the board game that preceded chess in Europe
    Storm Nordwind: Old variants include Hnefetafl
    Zen Arado: admit I never heard of it either
    Bleu Oleander: me neither
    Zon Quar: me neither
    Eden Haiku: A game the Norses would play?
    Storm Nordwind: (Sorry I meant most recent variation)
    Zen Arado: chess originated inn England then?
    Storm Nordwind: Yes. And the Finns. And the Anglo-Saxons
    Bleu Oleander: I thought chess originated in India
    Storm Nordwind: No chess did not originate in England. But Tafl games were there when chess arrived from overseas
    Zon Quar: why do we play ?
    Storm Nordwind: Tablut is the Lappish variant which was fully documented
    Zen Arado: humans can't compete with computers now though?
    Bleu Oleander: I think they do
    Eden Haiku: Heard on the radio that play is essential for our brain development.
    Zen Arado: well and win I mean
    Bleu Oleander: didn't someone just beat Big Blue?
    Zen Arado: oh?
    Storm Nordwind: There is a new game that uses a chess board and pieces with which, allegedly, half decent humans can always beat computers.
    Storm Nordwind: It's called Arimaa
    Zen Arado: so more combinations?
    Storm Nordwind: Yes. A "bushier" tree :)
    Storm Nordwind: http://arimaa.com/arimaa/
    Zon Quar: sounds nice..a stupid computer ?
    Zen Arado: but they will get around that no doubt

Other games:

Eden Haiku: My favorite game as a child was 'Branch a branch.' Different kind of game...
    Zon Quar: whats that ?
    Zen Arado: they haven't got a computer that can beat 'Go' masters ?
    Storm Nordwind: I'm not aware of one Zen
    Storm Nordwind: Pema may tell you otherwise
    Eden Haiku: A game for neigbouhood kids. Hiding game in teams. ith secret codes and drawings in the sand.
    Storm Nordwind: The highest rated was 6 kyu the last time I looked. Not even 1st dan
    Zen Arado: a French game Eden?
    Eden Haiku: What did you play at as a child Zon?
    Zon Quar: to have fun
    Eden Haiku: No, the name of it at least was in English. Branch-a-Branch.
    Zon Quar: hide and seek
    Zen Arado: as a kid I played in the street most of the tme
    Zen Arado: outdoor games unlike modern kids
    Zen Arado: skipping was one of them
    Zen Arado: hopscotch
    Eden Haiku: rope-skipping Zen?
    Zen Arado: yes
    Zen Arado: two pllholding at each end of a rope
    Zen Arado: and you jumped in and out
    Eden Haiku: singing a sing-song
    Zen Arado: never see kis do that any more
    Zen Arado: yes
    Eden Haiku: rarely, but I still do see kids doing that
    Zen Arado: 'On a hillside lives a lady, who she is I do no know ...."
    Zen Arado: it comes back to me :)
    Zon Quar: smiles
    Eden Haiku: Nice!
    Bleu Oleander: :)
    Zen Arado: 'All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a nice young man....'
    Eden Haiku: Sing it foru us Zen? On voice?
    Zen Arado: oh dear blushes
    Storm Nordwind chuckles
    Eden Haiku: ;)
    Zen Arado: too embarassing
    Zen Arado: many of those rhymes were handed down for generations
    Zen Arado: and probably being lost now
    Eden Haiku: Yes, that is the beauty of it.

Humankind as a player of games:

Storm Nordwind really does intend to read "Home Ludens" by Johan Huizinga one day
    Storm Nordwind: *Homo
    Eden Haiku: ;) handed down part, not being lost part..
    Zen Arado: think we were much fitter than today;s kids
    Eden Haiku: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_Ludens_(book)
    Storm Nordwind: those that survived Zen ;)
    Eden Haiku: Bookmarked the book Storm, seems interesting.
    Zen Arado: perhaps they will die earlier too
    Eden Haiku: "Man the Player' might have inspired some other Flying Dutchman we know...
    Storm Nordwind: He has read it :)
    Eden Haiku: Bleu, I have been looking up the link to your salons. It seems very interesting!
    Zen Arado: animals play too and we are animals I guess
    Bleu Oleander: thanks Eden
    Zen Arado: it is a way of learning to hunt
    Zon Quar: i think play is deeper in us and in the cosmos
    Zen Arado: so play is essentila for their survival
    Eden Haiku: On that radio program about play they were saying that little boys who fight for fun are better at solving problems.
    Eden Haiku: Deeper in us and in the cosmos Zon? Please tell us more...
    Zon Quar: in vedas
    Zon Quar: the existence
    Zon Quar: is called teh divine play
    Zon Quar: lila
    Eden Haiku: lila
    Zen Arado: Hi Arch :)
    Zon Quar: the game of hide and seek
    Eden Haiku: Veils of Delusions
    Zon Quar: yes
    Eden Haiku: hello Archmage!
    Eden Haiku: And Koya ;-)
    Bleu Oleander: hi Archmage
    Zon Quar: the play we play with ourselves
    Zen Arado: we're talking about play
    Archmage Atlantis: HI, Zen, Eden, all
    Eden Haiku: Being hiding from being.
    Zon Quar: pretending to be separate little selfes with life dramas
    Archmage Atlantis: k, Thanks
    Zon Quar: on off
    Zon Quar: on off
    Zon Quar: hide seek
    --BELL--
    Zon Quar: thats teh basis of existence
    Zon Quar: according to vedas
    Zen Arado: intersting Zon
    Zon Quar: so play is not something extra
    Eden Haiku: My grandmother at an Easter dinner long time ago: 'God is an electricity pylon. And we are but sparkles of electricity.'
    Eden Haiku: Play is woven into the very fabric of life.
    Zon Quar: nods
    Zen Arado: they try not to have sparkles at electricity pylons though :)
    Zen Arado: sorry - I worked in that industry

Drama in life and games:

Zon Quar: so i wonder why so many ppl here write in their profile " no drama"
    Eden Haiku: My grandma was obvioulsy not an engineer, ;-)
    Zon Quar: as thats what life is
    Zen Arado: :)
    Zon Quar: lol
    Storm Nordwind: because it's a shorter word than histrionics Zon ;)
    Zen Arado: stems from ego I guess
    Eden Haiku: ;) Storm
    Zon Quar: Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric
    Zen Arado: (ego usually puts in an appearance)
    Zon Quar: always lerning new...
    Archmage Atlantis: I would guess, "no drama", is a wish to escape RL....to be in an L where there are only lollipops and gum drops :)
    Storm Nordwind: Defn: "Exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect."
    Zon Quar: so..its just exaggarated
    Zon Quar: normally we do it more sophisticatedly
    Storm Nordwind: The accent is on the 'emotional'
    Storm Nordwind: and also the attempted manipulation that ensues
    Zen Arado: drama is mostly in realtionships I think
    Zon Quar: isnt that what life is
    Zon Quar: relationships
    Zen Arado: because they touch our emotions more deeply
    Eden Haiku: You knew if you had a couple of acquaintances who are Zon...I find it a very annoying peronnality trait.
    Zen Arado: well I mean man/woman relationships
    Zon Quar: yes..exaggeration is..i know
    Eden Haiku: Histrionics to my knowledge do not touch anything deeply.
    Storm Nordwind: And many people enter SL not wanting to touch anything deeply
    Zen Arado: no..they usually don't work I would say
    Archmage Atlantis: You mean, Eden, a cry for attention then.......I saw it as more an attempt to escape
    Archmage Atlantis: Some drama is inevitable
    Archmage Atlantis: Even useful
    Zen Arado: stems from anger ?
    Storm Nordwind: Useful to whom, Arch?
    Eden Haiku: Drama is, no need to add to it I would think :-)
    Zon Quar: a little bit of drama is spicy..if u dont take it too seriously
    Zen Arado: we all do it thoigh?
    Zon Quar: according to vedas,,yes
    Archmage Atlantis: That I agree with Eden......drama for drama's sake it probably a sign of a troubled spirit
    Zon Quar: we r the drama
    Archmage Atlantis: *is
    Zen Arado: it achieves nothing I think
    Eden Haiku: And that is that case taht is called 'histrionic'
    Archmage Atlantis: But there is drama that is also the fabric of life
    Eden Haiku: Otherwise, it is just us having a bad day...;-)
    Zon Quar: nods to arch
    Storm Nordwind chuckles at Eden
    Zen Arado: we are like players on a stage
    Zen Arado: What did Shakespeare say?
    Eden Haiku: Who would you be Zen?
    Eden Haiku: I would like to be the Empress of japan...
    Zon Quar: we all have our role
    Zen Arado: a King of course :)
    Zon Quar: in the drama of the existence
    Eden Haiku: King of Ireland?
    Zon Quar: better play it well
    Eden Haiku: bettre yes...
    Zon Quar: using those cards
    Zen Arado: no that would be too troublesome :)
    Zon Quar: we have been dealth with
    Storm Nordwind: Yes we already have our parts and roles. The problem only comes when we don't know it and maybe try to start another play - on the same stage at the same time! ;)
    Zen Arado: "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."
    Eden Haiku: Zon Quar: we have been dealth with: Nice idea Zon!
    Eden Haiku: I never knew the beginning of that quote by Shakespeare. Thanks Zen.
    Zon Quar: signifying itself
    Zon Quar: no thing
    Archmage Atlantis: To be an Empress or a King, what responsibility to assume.....that of an entire people.
    Zen Arado: it shows we take ourselves too seriously doesn't it?
    Zon Quar: yes
    Zen Arado: everything so important
    Eden Haiku: I would be a very playing Empress...
    Zon Quar: cause we think we r separate points of existence
    Eden Haiku: Would play chess all day
    Zen Arado: yet we will be forgotten so quickly....

Of being important:

Zon Quar: we must feel us important
    Zon Quar: moe imortant than the others
    Zen Arado: why Zon?
    Zon Quar: to fill our emptyness
    Zon Quar: the error
    Zen Arado: life is precious
    Zon Quar: hide and seek
    Zen Arado: but we are not important | think
    Archmage Atlantis: Was that poem by Coleridge, Oxymandais......Look on my works...I'll have to look it up
    Storm Nordwind: and dispair
    Zen Arado: yes Arch
    Zen Arado: look at my mighty works and tremble
    Eden Haiku: In your Evernotes Arch?
    Zen Arado: on a scrap of paper in the desert
    Archmage Atlantis: Yes :) - if I understand your meaning Eden
    Zen Arado: Ozymandias I think it is
    Storm Nordwind: http://holyjoe.org/poetry/shelley.htm
    Zon Quar: marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship
    Zen Arado: it always stuck in my mind that
    Zon Quar: = important
    Zen Arado: it is self-importance that is bad though
    Zon Quar: so we all r important
    Zen Arado: ?
    Archmage Atlantis: TY Zen, Storm that was it
    Zon Quar: to think im better than u is not true
    Zon Quar: but to think im important as u r also
    Zen Arado: you are much better than me Zon :)
    Zon Quar: is true
    Zon Quar: if i would be better
    Zon Quar: than u
    Zon Quar: i would be in illusion
    Zon Quar: that im separate
    Eden Haiku: Fighting in the courtyards boys ;-)?
    Zon Quar: which would make me
    Zon Quar: worse than u
    Zen Arado: it's an old joke with Zon and me :)
    Zon Quar: lol
    Eden Haiku: Good for your solving problems skills!
    Zen Arado: it's only because I am so humble :)
    Bleu Oleander: :) c u all later ... have to deal with my puppy
    Eden Haiku: Love the Shelley poem Arch.
    Zon Quar: im humber !
    Zen Arado: bye Bleu
    Storm Nordwind waves
    Archmage Atlantis: bye
    Eden Haiku: By Bleu! Always nice to see you here ;-)
    Zen Arado: Hi Flux:)
    Zon Quar: who r u to call urself humble.....lol
    Eden Haiku: Hi Flux
    Zen Arado: more humble than you anyway :)
    Zon Quar: hoe dare u
    Eden Haiku: Flux vanished...
    Zon Quar: lol
    Zon Quar: im the most humble man on earth
    Storm Nordwind: am / are not / am too... !
    Zen Arado: :)
    Archmage Atlantis: Now that's a Broadway tune - "Anything you can do, I can do better, I can do anything better than you" *g*
    Eden Haiku: Lila is dancing wildly!
    Zen Arado: it's important to be humble
    Eden Haiku: So important! And it is humble being important too...
    Zon Quar: its important to play with ur ego
    Zen Arado: 'but you cain't get a man with a gun....
    Eden Haiku: I don't have any ego Zon, do you, poor you!
    Zon Quar: u dont have an ego..how dull..lol
    --BELL--
    Storm Nordwind slips away quietly...
    Eden Haiku: waves
    Zon Quar: flyes away with his ego...
    Zen Arado: bye Zon
    Eden Haiku: And the winner is: ZON!!!
    Archmage Atlantis: bye Zon
    Zen Arado: :)
    Eden Haiku: All this during the silence, We are being bad...
    Archmage Atlantis: This was fun, thanks for the interlude......bye all
    Zen Arado: I know:)
    Eden Haiku: Bye Arch!
    Zen Arado: bye Arch
    Zen Arado: do you play chess Eden?
    Zen Arado: Hi Eliza
    Eden Haiku: Hi Eliza!
    Eden Haiku: Is there a time workshop today?
    Zen Arado: going to Time?
    Eliza Madrigal: Hi Zen, Eden. :)
    Zen Arado: yes I think so
    Eden Haiku: No, I played only once or twce Zen.
    Eliza Madrigal: Yes, it is going on, though many will be missing
    Eliza Madrigal: great outfit, Eden :)
    Eden Haiku: I completely forgot to read the pages...
    Eden Haiku: Thanks...
    Zen Arado: wish I could get into that book!
    Eliza Madrigal: Okay... ono my way :) Bye for now
    Eliza Madrigal: I just finished now... hehe
    Zen Arado: bye Eliza
    Eden Haiku: Bye Eliza. I will go to listen.
    Eliza Madrigal: We'll have to talk about it... I had to read it for a while before it began being comprehensible...
    Eliza Madrigal: and read in a diff way, too...
    Eden Haiku: Bye Zen!
    Eliza Madrigal: Okay,, see you soon
    Zen Arado: bye Eden