The Greater Fool - YouTube: "1,837,582 views
6:01
The Newsroom - Olivia Munn Debates Piers Morgan About Celebrity and Journalism
by The Paley Center for Media
94,245 views
5:15
The Newsroom - Will McAvoy On Historical Hypotheticals
by Eric Geller
215,167 views
4:29
Will McAvoy's Apology (The Newsroom)
by 420Rellik
"
'via Blog this'
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Tenth Avenue North - Worn (Lyrics) - YouTube
I've been going through some stuff.
These two songs have helped. Thanks to my sister for telling me about them.
Tenth Avenue North - Worn (Lyrics) - YouTube:
Bethel Music: It is well
These two songs have helped. Thanks to my sister for telling me about them.
Tenth Avenue North - Worn (Lyrics) - YouTube:
Bethel Music: It is well
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Dr. Ben Carson's Experiences with God
I always enjoy stories of people's experiences with God. They are often insightful and can be taken at face value, devoid of assertions and interpretations which people may be sincerely wrong about.
In the particular speech that the below clip is taken from, Dr. Ben Carson has many things to say about evolution. Some of it comes across as pseudo-science, perhaps because he is speaking to a church, where not all people understand technical terms.
Nevertheless, the experiences he has stand on their own, and that is why I want to post them here. My sister and her husband are trying to sell their house, so his second story was especially interesting.
Embed A Youtube Video With Custom Start & End Points
Saw this, while trying to edit the Ben Carson vid
Embed A Youtube Video With Custom Start & End Points: ""
'via Blog this'
Embed A Youtube Video With Custom Start & End Points: ""
'via Blog this'
Friday, August 7, 2015
This is why my world-view is informed by science, rather than composed solely of it
Quote by William Blake:
'via Blog this'
This life's dim windows of the soul
Distorts the heavens from pole to pole
And leads you to believe a lie
When you see with, not through, the eye.
'via Blog this'
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
WordBase Strategy - Dominating the Center
Wordbase is a fun app 'made with love, in Copenhagen by Aller & Robocat & Greener Pastures'. Its an addictive game that combines scrabble with elements of chess.
Since most of the players I meet tend to focus on forming words, rather than strategy, I thought I would talk a little about strategy here. This post is going to talk about one major element of chess: Dominating the Center. The rule is, if you can dominate the center, you are in control of the game.
In Wordbase, of course, controlling the center also involves not getting cut-off. This is an important part of long-term strategy of the game. Amateur players often make rapid advances into opponent's territory and spread themselves too thin, so that a single move may alter the tide of a game. Its important to establish a solid base by making use of as many letter-bombs (aaand the NSA has just flagged me. Hi guys!) as possible.
For example, take the game which I am currently playing. We both started with a base that had 4 letter-bombs, and we proceeded to use them to strengthen our defenses. However, I played 'Crones' and 'Nighttide' which used 2 letter-bombs each, which, in chess-speak, put me '2 moves ahead'. As a result, while my opponent was working to utilize his next letter-bomb, with 'Douts', I was preparing to infiltrate his Base.
At this stage, I am undoubtedly ahead, in terms of tiles owned. One strategy, open to me would be to focus on the right of the board, so that he is forced to spend time establishing his base on the right, while I establish my base in the center of the board. If I do this, he will find it difficult to cut me off, and will constantly be on the back foot.
However, if I use my foremost letter, 'E', to attack, he only needs to cut me off from 'E' in order to set me back a move, and catch up. Therefore, in order to press my advantage, I need to create a good base from which to launch attacks, which will not be easily cut off.
I do this by playing the word 'Domineer'.
This move accomplishes several things:
1) It captures the O and the M next to D, thus creating a solid base to launch attacks from, which will be difficult to cut off.
2) Makes him scramble to act immediately. (I could now win with 'Rail')
3) Split his attention between the right side of the board, where he has an immediate need, and the left side of the board, where he was planning to explode 'T'. He is not even considering focusing on the center of the board.
4) Crucially, he is now prepared to play a short term move, that will get him out of immediate danger, rather than a long term move. Thus, he probably will not try to focus on the 'M' of 'Domineer', but will be satisfied to cut me off on any of the other letters. This is crucial to my future attack strategy.
My strategy from this point is simple:
A this stage, I am in control of the game, and am directing him to cut me off on the left, rather than to make inroads in the center. Assuming he cuts me off up till 'E' or even the 'N' of 'Domineer', he still cannot pose a significant threat to my base.
Thus, when I play 'Misstate', I cut off his 'E' and 'R' from the center, as well as pose a threat to his unused 'T' bomb. once again, I am controlling the game and directing his attention to the center and right of the board.
Even if his previous move advanced him to the 'N' of 'Domineer' (Say he played 'Snipes' or something short-term like that...) 'Misstate' will still cut him down all the way to his 'N' on the 4th row second column.
For this reason, he will be forced to, once again, focus on a short term escape, by either forming a word that explodes his 'T' letter bomb (and if he's an amateur, you know he's been dying to) or cutting off my access to it at one of the 'T's or maybe the 'S'.
Regardless, I will be able to press my advantage in the center of the board and win. If he does not cut me off at 'S', I will be in a position to win, with 'Slues'
I hope this was helpful. I will update this blog with the results of the game as soon as I can. Till then, you can subscribe to my feed to stay tuned for more Wordbase strategy tips.
Update:
He played 'Snigs', not 'Snipes'. The end result was the same. 'Misstate' cut off both his move's progress and his foothold in the center, putting me yet another move ahead of him.
At this stage, I imagine, since my opponent is not an amateur, he will know enough to cut me off from the left, and not the right or the center.
My strategy at this point is simple: I will solidify my second base and continue to attack from there. Much like Chess, or Age of Empires, the trick here is to continue to make forward bases and press your advantage until you defeat him. Happy playing!
Update 2:
The game is finally over. As expected, there was a bit of a battle for the second base. I did not even have to use misstart or merer, to connect to the middle. His strategy was to cut me off from the left, and mine was to keep cutting him back to 'G'.
In the end, he gave up, and tried to divert me by taking his last letter-bomb, appropriately using the word 'hate'.
Lessons learnt:
1) If you capture a letter that you know you're going to eventually lose, play a lot of words srarting with that letter, that way you can force your opponent to run out of words without losing your backup words.
2) Play variations of a root word. My opponent had played 'greases', but not 'grease'. This was part of the reason I had sought to establish my base. After I played 'missee', I would retain my 'S' for 'Slues' even if he played 'grease'.
3) For this reason, it might be a good idea to hold your best words back, until your opponent has exhausted his best words. Unless, like in this example, you want to strike a certain amount of fear into your opponent, in order to control the game.
4) Its always a good idea to form a double link to your forward base. This prevents you from being cut off too easily. Of course, in this example I did not do this, simply because I forced him to give up the center early on, and never really needed to take the center. However, I was prepared to do it with 'Merer' and 'Misstart', which would have solidified my dominance of the center.
As I learn more strategies and play better games, I will blog them. Leave your criticisms and comments, if any, in the section below.
Since most of the players I meet tend to focus on forming words, rather than strategy, I thought I would talk a little about strategy here. This post is going to talk about one major element of chess: Dominating the Center. The rule is, if you can dominate the center, you are in control of the game.
In Wordbase, of course, controlling the center also involves not getting cut-off. This is an important part of long-term strategy of the game. Amateur players often make rapid advances into opponent's territory and spread themselves too thin, so that a single move may alter the tide of a game. Its important to establish a solid base by making use of as many letter-bombs (aaand the NSA has just flagged me. Hi guys!) as possible.
For example, take the game which I am currently playing. We both started with a base that had 4 letter-bombs, and we proceeded to use them to strengthen our defenses. However, I played 'Crones' and 'Nighttide' which used 2 letter-bombs each, which, in chess-speak, put me '2 moves ahead'. As a result, while my opponent was working to utilize his next letter-bomb, with 'Douts', I was preparing to infiltrate his Base.
.png) |
| The opening words (I am Blue) |
.png) |
| The Board, at the end of 'Douts'. I've added Black squares to show where the Bombs originally were. |
However, if I use my foremost letter, 'E', to attack, he only needs to cut me off from 'E' in order to set me back a move, and catch up. Therefore, in order to press my advantage, I need to create a good base from which to launch attacks, which will not be easily cut off.
I do this by playing the word 'Domineer'.
 |
| The board, after I played 'Domineer' |
1) It captures the O and the M next to D, thus creating a solid base to launch attacks from, which will be difficult to cut off.
2) Makes him scramble to act immediately. (I could now win with 'Rail')
3) Split his attention between the right side of the board, where he has an immediate need, and the left side of the board, where he was planning to explode 'T'. He is not even considering focusing on the center of the board.
4) Crucially, he is now prepared to play a short term move, that will get him out of immediate danger, rather than a long term move. Thus, he probably will not try to focus on the 'M' of 'Domineer', but will be satisfied to cut me off on any of the other letters. This is crucial to my future attack strategy.
My strategy from this point is simple:
 |
| "Misstate" |
A this stage, I am in control of the game, and am directing him to cut me off on the left, rather than to make inroads in the center. Assuming he cuts me off up till 'E' or even the 'N' of 'Domineer', he still cannot pose a significant threat to my base.
Thus, when I play 'Misstate', I cut off his 'E' and 'R' from the center, as well as pose a threat to his unused 'T' bomb. once again, I am controlling the game and directing his attention to the center and right of the board.
Even if his previous move advanced him to the 'N' of 'Domineer' (Say he played 'Snipes' or something short-term like that...) 'Misstate' will still cut him down all the way to his 'N' on the 4th row second column.
For this reason, he will be forced to, once again, focus on a short term escape, by either forming a word that explodes his 'T' letter bomb (and if he's an amateur, you know he's been dying to) or cutting off my access to it at one of the 'T's or maybe the 'S'.
Regardless, I will be able to press my advantage in the center of the board and win. If he does not cut me off at 'S', I will be in a position to win, with 'Slues'
I hope this was helpful. I will update this blog with the results of the game as soon as I can. Till then, you can subscribe to my feed to stay tuned for more Wordbase strategy tips.
He played 'Snigs', not 'Snipes'. The end result was the same. 'Misstate' cut off both his move's progress and his foothold in the center, putting me yet another move ahead of him.
At this stage, I imagine, since my opponent is not an amateur, he will know enough to cut me off from the left, and not the right or the center.
My strategy at this point is simple: I will solidify my second base and continue to attack from there. Much like Chess, or Age of Empires, the trick here is to continue to make forward bases and press your advantage until you defeat him. Happy playing!
Update 2:
 |
| Misstate to Insane |
 |
| Insane to Glens |
 |
| Glens to Slues |
.png) |
| The Final Board |
In the end, he gave up, and tried to divert me by taking his last letter-bomb, appropriately using the word 'hate'.
Lessons learnt:
1) If you capture a letter that you know you're going to eventually lose, play a lot of words srarting with that letter, that way you can force your opponent to run out of words without losing your backup words.
2) Play variations of a root word. My opponent had played 'greases', but not 'grease'. This was part of the reason I had sought to establish my base. After I played 'missee', I would retain my 'S' for 'Slues' even if he played 'grease'.
3) For this reason, it might be a good idea to hold your best words back, until your opponent has exhausted his best words. Unless, like in this example, you want to strike a certain amount of fear into your opponent, in order to control the game.
4) Its always a good idea to form a double link to your forward base. This prevents you from being cut off too easily. Of course, in this example I did not do this, simply because I forced him to give up the center early on, and never really needed to take the center. However, I was prepared to do it with 'Merer' and 'Misstart', which would have solidified my dominance of the center.
As I learn more strategies and play better games, I will blog them. Leave your criticisms and comments, if any, in the section below.