It's simple. I slap 'em around a bit, torture 'em, make their lives hell...Sure, the nice guys'll run away,but every now and then you'll find a prince like Spike who gets off on it.

Buffy ,'Get It Done'


Natter 56: ...we need the writers.  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Daisy Jane - Jan 15, 2008 6:36:54 pm PST #3500 of 10001
"This bar smells like kerosene and stripper tears."

Huh. That's quite the time difference.


javachik - Jan 15, 2008 7:57:09 pm PST #3501 of 10001
Our wings are not tired.

Has anyone gotten the postcards I sent while I was on vacation? I ask because I just got an email from my friend in Houston saying he just got his yesterday.

I got mine about a week ago and I suck for not saying so! It's on my fridge!!


Daisy Jane - Jan 15, 2008 8:20:28 pm PST #3502 of 10001
"This bar smells like kerosene and stripper tears."

That's so weird. So Chicago takes about a month. SF a month and a half and Houston almost 2. Ok, so when I go to Sydney, we need to try this with a bunch more cities and judge the time difference.

ETA: YOU DO NOT SUCK!


Susan W. - Jan 15, 2008 8:21:29 pm PST #3503 of 10001
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights

Anyone here a chess player?

I'm writing a scene where a semi-expert is playing with/teaching a novice. What are some things the semi-expert might do to even things out a little? Like, could he let the novice make some extra moves at the beginning of the game or something?


DavidS - Jan 15, 2008 10:01:08 pm PST #3504 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

Like, could he let the novice make some extra moves at the beginning of the game or something?

No. Never. What era? Because different strategies happen in different eras - depending on who came up with them.

So if this is one of your 19th century scenarios, the standard chess openings would be different than the ones that happened in the mid 20th century.


Susan W. - Jan 15, 2008 10:05:15 pm PST #3505 of 10001
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights

Early 19th century, my usual era. I'm not looking for a detailed description of a game. The novice is a 9-year-old girl, semi-expert a 24-year-old man. The girl has just lost another game, and she's arguing all the reasons the man should be letting her win, saying it's not fair and so on. He says, basically, "Look, if I just let you win, this wouldn't be the educational experience I'm shooting for. And I *am* helping. I did X, Y, and Z that I wouldn't have done if I were playing someone on my level."


DavidS - Jan 15, 2008 10:09:34 pm PST #3506 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

He would probably show her either standard openings or standard Endgames.

If the latter, he would kick a bunch of pieces off the board and show her how to mate the King with just a Knight and Pawn or something like that.


DavidS - Jan 15, 2008 10:10:27 pm PST #3507 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

Endgames

King's Indian Defense - a standard opening.


Strega - Jan 15, 2008 10:41:59 pm PST #3508 of 10001

He could give up a couple of pieces, or put shorter time limits on his moves.


billytea - Jan 16, 2008 1:54:24 am PST #3509 of 10001
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

Assuming it's for your historical novel, I think giving up a piece or two would be the more likely handicap to offer.