as lincoln is reputed to have said re: some other topic--for those who like that sort of thing, i imagine that might be just the kind of thing they would like.
I'm sorry to disagree, but the very idea of pseudo wars with toys leaves me in a stupor. But then I never enjoyed watching boys beat each other up in football either...
That's boxing. Fighting in a football game gets you ejected. The real issue, since there's no way competitive contact sports are going to cease around the world, is when the much more advanced, individually fitted helmets some teams are using become de rigeur.
My psychotherapist cousin in Brookline recommended I read Steve Almond's book Against Football, which I did, and I repeat: all the diatribes against competitive contact sports are fails, we need to make them as safe as possible. We didn't used to mandate safety belts for cars and trucks, we used to tolerate smoking in restaurants, but incremental change is a thing!
The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good.
My escape is to head to either online films (halfway through Darkest Hour on Netflix) or 3 minute blitz chess of playchess.com (free, no registration required in their "Chess Cafe" and paid memberships open up a host of other possibilities), but if you do manage to win enough games to see your rating push into "Expert" territory (above USCF 2000) wham! they readjust ratings back to 1700 ad libitum or ad hoc periodically, so it's a kind of Sysiphean task measured in those terms or in other words, just enjoy the games, we are only here for a while.
Trying to win against players who log in from all over the world (four years ago I even played someone ALLEGEDY on the ISS, International Space Station --- very strong opponent and I managed to win but only because I played much faster and he or she ran out of time) with theoretically "unsound gambits" is great fun, also an acquired taste, but great fun for sure.
Have to check out these Las Vegas battling bots though, I can immediately see why people can get hooked on this stuff!
Lucian, I was delighted when I came across your blog. I remembering reading your columns in the Village Voice years ago. And I do not begrudge you a night or weekend or even a week off. You don't even have to do this daily. But while I am sure many enjoy all your personal stories, that is not why I signed up. Please cancel my subscription.
This guy was apparently under the illusion that I'm not a human being, but some sort of auto-pundit, like those soft drink machines you put coins into and cans drop out. He expected to see political pieces drop out of my newsletter because he put money in. I happily canceled his subscription and removed him from the free mailing list. I will continue to write whatever the hell I want to write and hope that enough people value my peregrinations through both politics and our collective past that they will continue to contribute coins to the column.
I value the personal stories as much as anything else. Since we grew up in the same time and have some similar experiences being from military families etc. they are always fun and trip back for me. The guy is a dweeb. :)
He may remember your name from the Voice, Lucian, but if he remembers what you wrote he couldn't have written that. I suspect there's more to his objections than this one posting.
I will be sure to recommend Lucian's blog to several people in my "network" based on this, thanks!
Why would your demurral elict that response, you wonder? Well, for one thing, Lucian opened up a way for other readers of the blog to mention, perhaps, some kind of roughly similar "guilty pleasure," and because...well,
"Sir Toby:
Art any more than a steward? Dost thou think because thou
art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
I like watching the dog races, not the greyhounds so much or betting on the outcome, but when some horse track has a bunch of little terriers or hounds running, especially since some of them just wander around and others take off like Secretariat!
as lincoln is reputed to have said re: some other topic--for those who like that sort of thing, i imagine that might be just the kind of thing they would like.
Lincoln also said Right is might
We do need big breaks from all that's going on. Good!
My husband and granddaughters love to watch this. We all get in the game and cheer for our favorites. Enjoy!
Battlebots is great fun. The engineering behind them pretty amazing. Watch it every year. You can stream the back seasons.
I'm sorry to disagree, but the very idea of pseudo wars with toys leaves me in a stupor. But then I never enjoyed watching boys beat each other up in football either...
That's boxing. Fighting in a football game gets you ejected. The real issue, since there's no way competitive contact sports are going to cease around the world, is when the much more advanced, individually fitted helmets some teams are using become de rigeur.
www.kcrg.com/content/sports/Iowa-football-set-to-use-new-helmets-476917103.html
My psychotherapist cousin in Brookline recommended I read Steve Almond's book Against Football, which I did, and I repeat: all the diatribes against competitive contact sports are fails, we need to make them as safe as possible. We didn't used to mandate safety belts for cars and trucks, we used to tolerate smoking in restaurants, but incremental change is a thing!
The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good.
My escape is to head to either online films (halfway through Darkest Hour on Netflix) or 3 minute blitz chess of playchess.com (free, no registration required in their "Chess Cafe" and paid memberships open up a host of other possibilities), but if you do manage to win enough games to see your rating push into "Expert" territory (above USCF 2000) wham! they readjust ratings back to 1700 ad libitum or ad hoc periodically, so it's a kind of Sysiphean task measured in those terms or in other words, just enjoy the games, we are only here for a while.
Trying to win against players who log in from all over the world (four years ago I even played someone ALLEGEDY on the ISS, International Space Station --- very strong opponent and I managed to win but only because I played much faster and he or she ran out of time) with theoretically "unsound gambits" is great fun, also an acquired taste, but great fun for sure.
Have to check out these Las Vegas battling bots though, I can immediately see why people can get hooked on this stuff!
Pint sized demolition derby.
I guess “boys will be boys” is really true! Have fun, Lucian because you deserve it.
I am hooked on Battle Bots… a serious guilty pleasure.
"I see your true colors shining through..."
Where is Madonna? Totally lacking in pretense,
with an emphasis on having a good time.
As my mother used to say: "Takes all kinds."
Lucian, I was delighted when I came across your blog. I remembering reading your columns in the Village Voice years ago. And I do not begrudge you a night or weekend or even a week off. You don't even have to do this daily. But while I am sure many enjoy all your personal stories, that is not why I signed up. Please cancel my subscription.
This guy was apparently under the illusion that I'm not a human being, but some sort of auto-pundit, like those soft drink machines you put coins into and cans drop out. He expected to see political pieces drop out of my newsletter because he put money in. I happily canceled his subscription and removed him from the free mailing list. I will continue to write whatever the hell I want to write and hope that enough people value my peregrinations through both politics and our collective past that they will continue to contribute coins to the column.
I value the personal stories as much as anything else. Since we grew up in the same time and have some similar experiences being from military families etc. they are always fun and trip back for me. The guy is a dweeb. :)
He may remember your name from the Voice, Lucian, but if he remembers what you wrote he couldn't have written that. I suspect there's more to his objections than this one posting.
Yikes, Jules needs to chill.
Battlebots is one of the things I bonded with my nephews over, same with LegoMasters.
You do you Lucian...that's what I subscribed for and, until Jules, that's what I gathered the other subscribers are here to enjoy!
Lego Masters Rocks
???????
Your loss, Jules Fried.
I will be sure to recommend Lucian's blog to several people in my "network" based on this, thanks!
Why would your demurral elict that response, you wonder? Well, for one thing, Lucian opened up a way for other readers of the blog to mention, perhaps, some kind of roughly similar "guilty pleasure," and because...well,
"Sir Toby:
Art any more than a steward? Dost thou think because thou
art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
TWELFTH NIGHT ACT 2, SCENE 3, 114–124
I like watching the dog races, not the greyhounds so much or betting on the outcome, but when some horse track has a bunch of little terriers or hounds running, especially since some of them just wander around and others take off like Secretariat!