My Mom is a fan of FreeCell. Whenever she talks about playing games on the computer, it's invariably FreeCell.
I have fond memories of Mom playing Klondike, also known as old-style Solitaire. When I was growing up, she played with actual cards, shuffling and laying them down in columns on the table. It was a way to pass the time, and I sensed the game's calming influence on her. She was a nurse in a busy city hospital, so relaxing with Solitaire must have been a nice break for her.
FreeCell is different from Klondike, and I don't know how she would have gotten into it aside from the game being on Microsoft Windows. Like Klondike, FreeCell is a card game played by one person. These are known as patience games. Unlike Klondike, however, FreeCell is a game where nearly every hand is winnable. According to the fantastically detailed FreeCell Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, every hand (except one) that Microsoft FreeCell generates is a hand you can win.
My current Solitaire game is by Solebon, and it contains fifty different patience games. One of these is FreeCell, and for the past few weeks I've been playing it. The FAQ is right: many of the games I start I can actually "win". Its statistics report that I've won 13 in a row so far. FreeCell requires you to think a few moves ahead, so there's a bit of strategy involved, which I like.
I think of Mom when I play, how patient she seems to be when she's playing her card games. She had to be patient working as a nurse and raising three boys, so how hard could a card game be? Whenever I get stuck in FreeCell, I wonder what she would do
with this hand. My FreeCell has an Easy mode and an Undo button and I can't wait to show
her.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Review: A Rock Star's Autobiography
Over vacation, I finished Joe Perry's autobiography Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith. I remember seeing Joe Perry on a news clip a few years ago. This aging guitar god was talking about living in Vermont, and I remember being surprised at the time: he lives in Vermont?
Then a few months ago there was a lengthy and detailed article about the Run-DMC song "Walk This Way" (by Geoff Edgers for the Washington Post, May 18). In addition to the oral history recollections from people involved in that classic song, there was also video of Joe Perry playing that signature riff in a crowded studio.
In Joe Perry's book, I learned all this and more about this rock group's humble beginnings, their long road to success, their swift fall from the top, and their rebirth after getting clean. There's lots of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll in the pages of this enjoyable book (co-written with David Ritz), but there's also a lot of love, heartache and redemption as well.
Joe grew up in Massachusetts and spent summer vacations in Vermont. He was not a good student, which left him and his parents disappointed. He originally wanted to be a marine biologist, but the thought of going to college was painful to him. His remaining ambition was to learn to play the electric guitar, and in this endeavor he completely succeeded.
I enjoyed reading was how hard working Aerosmith was at the very start of their career. In the early 1970s, they played in high school and college parties, before they began playing at clubs, theaters and eventually arenas. Joe's difficult relationship with front-man Steve Tyler is captured throughout the book as well. The band's difficulty with managers is also described. Being a world-renowned rock band is not all glitz and glamor. Success is hard-won and easily lost.
I really liked this book. It would probably help to listen to some of their music before reading this book, but chances are you've heard their signature riffs (Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, Same Old Song and Dance, Dude Looks Like a Lady). That lead guitar talking to you is Joe Perry's, and his biography is a study in being steadfast, persistent, and passionate.
Then a few months ago there was a lengthy and detailed article about the Run-DMC song "Walk This Way" (by Geoff Edgers for the Washington Post, May 18). In addition to the oral history recollections from people involved in that classic song, there was also video of Joe Perry playing that signature riff in a crowded studio.
In Joe Perry's book, I learned all this and more about this rock group's humble beginnings, their long road to success, their swift fall from the top, and their rebirth after getting clean. There's lots of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll in the pages of this enjoyable book (co-written with David Ritz), but there's also a lot of love, heartache and redemption as well.
Joe grew up in Massachusetts and spent summer vacations in Vermont. He was not a good student, which left him and his parents disappointed. He originally wanted to be a marine biologist, but the thought of going to college was painful to him. His remaining ambition was to learn to play the electric guitar, and in this endeavor he completely succeeded.
I enjoyed reading was how hard working Aerosmith was at the very start of their career. In the early 1970s, they played in high school and college parties, before they began playing at clubs, theaters and eventually arenas. Joe's difficult relationship with front-man Steve Tyler is captured throughout the book as well. The band's difficulty with managers is also described. Being a world-renowned rock band is not all glitz and glamor. Success is hard-won and easily lost.
I really liked this book. It would probably help to listen to some of their music before reading this book, but chances are you've heard their signature riffs (Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, Same Old Song and Dance, Dude Looks Like a Lady). That lead guitar talking to you is Joe Perry's, and his biography is a study in being steadfast, persistent, and passionate.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Me and My AC
Every year around this time I go through the effort of installing two air conditioners. They are identical units (Kenmore Model 580.76100), both purchased in the 1990s, and both very heavy. It's the heaviest thing I lift in the entire year.
Two things improved in how I've handled this yearly chore.
The first thing was to keep the upstairs unit upstairs. I don't remember when I started doing this, but it had to have been very early. When we first moved into our house, I kept both A/C units in the basement, which resulted in me carrying one of them up two flights of stairs! I now store the upstairs unit in a closet right next to the window its installed in. Now I only have to lift it up to the window sill.
The second thing was to use an old toy wagon to roll the A/C on the floor. Before, when I was younger and stronger, I could crab-walk the unit from the corner of the basement, up the stairs, then to our dining room window. This heavy lifting does a number on my back! With the little wagon, the only lift I do is up a single flight of stairs. Once upstairs, I take the wagon and roll the A/C to the window. I started using the wagon in five years ago.
Every year my technique for installing the air conditioners becomes more refined. I take notes. I use work gloves. I have become familiar with the unit's bizarre center of gravity, which helps in the lift. During the Olympics, when I watch weightlifting, I wish one of those competitors could help me when I have to mount and unmount my air conditioners.
I'll be exploring mini-movers to help with this task in the future. Or maybe I'll just find a home with built-in air conditioning.
Two things improved in how I've handled this yearly chore.
The first thing was to keep the upstairs unit upstairs. I don't remember when I started doing this, but it had to have been very early. When we first moved into our house, I kept both A/C units in the basement, which resulted in me carrying one of them up two flights of stairs! I now store the upstairs unit in a closet right next to the window its installed in. Now I only have to lift it up to the window sill.
The second thing was to use an old toy wagon to roll the A/C on the floor. Before, when I was younger and stronger, I could crab-walk the unit from the corner of the basement, up the stairs, then to our dining room window. This heavy lifting does a number on my back! With the little wagon, the only lift I do is up a single flight of stairs. Once upstairs, I take the wagon and roll the A/C to the window. I started using the wagon in five years ago.
Every year my technique for installing the air conditioners becomes more refined. I take notes. I use work gloves. I have become familiar with the unit's bizarre center of gravity, which helps in the lift. During the Olympics, when I watch weightlifting, I wish one of those competitors could help me when I have to mount and unmount my air conditioners.
I'll be exploring mini-movers to help with this task in the future. Or maybe I'll just find a home with built-in air conditioning.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Lost Hiker
In today's digital age, it seems nearly impossible to get lost anymore. The recent story about Geraldine Largay reminds us, however, that you can still get fatally lost as a hiker.
In July 2013, she went off the path of the Appalachian Trail in Maine. A search crew was dispatched as soon as she missed her expected arrival date, but the search was in vain. Her remains were found only two years later (N44 59.011, W70 24.099)! Based on a report by the Maine Warden Service [PDF], she was just 30 minutes away from the nearest outpost.
The speculation is that Ms. Largay needed to use the bathroom, and stepped off the trail to do so. When she attempted to return, she lost her orientation, and was instantly lost. How dense must the woods be to get disoriented like that? I sometimes walk the small conservation lands near my house, and even in the middle of the area I can still sight a landmark.
Ms. Largay tried to use her cell phone to send a TXT for help, but cell towers are not always available in the wilderness. Serious hikers can now use satellite based devices like PLBs or Satellite Messengers. These look pricey, but if I were planning a hike on the AT, I would invest in one.
I am drawn to thinking what I would do in her situation. She set up a camp, and used a reflective blanket as a marker. She tried to set a fire. She wrote. When I get temporarily lost driving around in my car, the sensation of being lost can quickly become overwhelming. Would I remember to stay calm, and gather my wits?
Many hikers are learning lessons from Ms. Largay's unexpected demise. The main one: be prepared!
In July 2013, she went off the path of the Appalachian Trail in Maine. A search crew was dispatched as soon as she missed her expected arrival date, but the search was in vain. Her remains were found only two years later (N44 59.011, W70 24.099)! Based on a report by the Maine Warden Service [PDF], she was just 30 minutes away from the nearest outpost.
The speculation is that Ms. Largay needed to use the bathroom, and stepped off the trail to do so. When she attempted to return, she lost her orientation, and was instantly lost. How dense must the woods be to get disoriented like that? I sometimes walk the small conservation lands near my house, and even in the middle of the area I can still sight a landmark.
Ms. Largay tried to use her cell phone to send a TXT for help, but cell towers are not always available in the wilderness. Serious hikers can now use satellite based devices like PLBs or Satellite Messengers. These look pricey, but if I were planning a hike on the AT, I would invest in one.
I am drawn to thinking what I would do in her situation. She set up a camp, and used a reflective blanket as a marker. She tried to set a fire. She wrote. When I get temporarily lost driving around in my car, the sensation of being lost can quickly become overwhelming. Would I remember to stay calm, and gather my wits?
Many hikers are learning lessons from Ms. Largay's unexpected demise. The main one: be prepared!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Fixing My Knee Pain
For the last two years, I've been living with hip and knee soreness. I shrugged it off at first. When I ice skate in the Winter, I usually fall once or twice as I figure out my edges again. Of late, the knee soreness graduated to full-on knee pain. It presents itself when I climb up and down stairs.
As the months wore on, the pain never went away. I went to my primary doctor, who at first suggested a regimen of ibuprofen three times a day. This helped for a few weeks, but it was fleeting. As soon as I stopped, the pain blossomed again.
The next time I saw the doctor, he suggested a knee specialist. "These guys could even give you a shot that removes the pain," he said. Later on, my wife asked "Have you ever seen the needles that they use to administer those kind of shots?"
I finally visited the knee specialist this month. Their office took a few X-rays, and when the doctor walked into the room, I was brimming in anticipation. "Our X-rays show nothing wrong!" he announced.
He examined my knee, twisting my leg forwards and backwards and to the sides. He declared I had Chondromalacia Patella. "Your lateral facet has some wear and tear." He suggested I start doing some Iliotibial Band (ITB) stretches. He also said I should do some simple wall squats.
On YouTube (my virtual doctor), I learned a very basic ITB stretch, which involves stretching each side of your body into a curve. I felt a lot of tightness at first. I kept at it for a few days, skeptical that it would lead to anything, and anticipating needing yet another specialist. However, a few days ago, as I climbed the stairs in my house, I suddenly noticed my knee was completely quiet. The pain had gone away!
So now I'm trying to maintain a routine of ITB stretches in the morning and evening. The pain reawakens now and again, but the fact that simple stretching alleviates it is a miracle to me. The ITB connects the hip to the knee, which explains why my hip seemed affected at first.
Maybe I'll try to find an off-season rink, to really test things out!
As the months wore on, the pain never went away. I went to my primary doctor, who at first suggested a regimen of ibuprofen three times a day. This helped for a few weeks, but it was fleeting. As soon as I stopped, the pain blossomed again.
The next time I saw the doctor, he suggested a knee specialist. "These guys could even give you a shot that removes the pain," he said. Later on, my wife asked "Have you ever seen the needles that they use to administer those kind of shots?"
I finally visited the knee specialist this month. Their office took a few X-rays, and when the doctor walked into the room, I was brimming in anticipation. "Our X-rays show nothing wrong!" he announced.
He examined my knee, twisting my leg forwards and backwards and to the sides. He declared I had Chondromalacia Patella. "Your lateral facet has some wear and tear." He suggested I start doing some Iliotibial Band (ITB) stretches. He also said I should do some simple wall squats.
On YouTube (my virtual doctor), I learned a very basic ITB stretch, which involves stretching each side of your body into a curve. I felt a lot of tightness at first. I kept at it for a few days, skeptical that it would lead to anything, and anticipating needing yet another specialist. However, a few days ago, as I climbed the stairs in my house, I suddenly noticed my knee was completely quiet. The pain had gone away!
So now I'm trying to maintain a routine of ITB stretches in the morning and evening. The pain reawakens now and again, but the fact that simple stretching alleviates it is a miracle to me. The ITB connects the hip to the knee, which explains why my hip seemed affected at first.
Maybe I'll try to find an off-season rink, to really test things out!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
The New Social Media
Lately, I've been experimenting with Periscope and Snapchat.
Both of these platforms are new social media, even though today's teenagers have probably been using them since middle school. Snapchat came out in 2011. Periscope came out last year (and has since been acquired by Twitter).
Snapchat is multi-media chat. You and your friends send 'snaps' to one another. These snaps are video, pictures, and even plain old text. In Snapchat, you can also draw and label and add emoji to your snaps, adding to the whimsy. Snaps are between two people, but you can post snaps into Stories which all your friends can read.
Periscope is live video broadcast from your smart phone. You can be at the beach or at the mall or even at home and viewers can see whatever you point your camera at. Viewers can chat with you and other viewers on your scope, though they're limited to text and emoji.
Both feature disappearing content. Anything that you post on these platforms is temporary. This simple concept introduces a profound change in how we express ourselves electronically. After your snap has been viewed on Snapchat, it disappears. After your scope has been up for 24 hours on Periscope, it disappears. Snapchat asked "what if we rethought the whole idea of the assumed permanence of social media?" What if?
(It should be pointed out that snaps can be saved and Periscope videos can be found, provided you're willing to perform a few technical steps.)
There's a certain lightness I feel posting updates to these new media. I'm posting true slices of my life. I think I'm more whimsical on these platforms. There's less self-editing. I've made rules of conduct for myself on social media but they don't seem as pertinent on SnapChat or Periscope.
As I said: I'm experimenting. If you're on these platforms, look for me at 'rickumali'.
Both of these platforms are new social media, even though today's teenagers have probably been using them since middle school. Snapchat came out in 2011. Periscope came out last year (and has since been acquired by Twitter).
Snapchat is multi-media chat. You and your friends send 'snaps' to one another. These snaps are video, pictures, and even plain old text. In Snapchat, you can also draw and label and add emoji to your snaps, adding to the whimsy. Snaps are between two people, but you can post snaps into Stories which all your friends can read.
Periscope is live video broadcast from your smart phone. You can be at the beach or at the mall or even at home and viewers can see whatever you point your camera at. Viewers can chat with you and other viewers on your scope, though they're limited to text and emoji.
Both feature disappearing content. Anything that you post on these platforms is temporary. This simple concept introduces a profound change in how we express ourselves electronically. After your snap has been viewed on Snapchat, it disappears. After your scope has been up for 24 hours on Periscope, it disappears. Snapchat asked "what if we rethought the whole idea of the assumed permanence of social media?" What if?
(It should be pointed out that snaps can be saved and Periscope videos can be found, provided you're willing to perform a few technical steps.)
There's a certain lightness I feel posting updates to these new media. I'm posting true slices of my life. I think I'm more whimsical on these platforms. There's less self-editing. I've made rules of conduct for myself on social media but they don't seem as pertinent on SnapChat or Periscope.
As I said: I'm experimenting. If you're on these platforms, look for me at 'rickumali'.
Monday, February 29, 2016
My Three Best Movies about Journalism
Last week, I finally watched Spotlight, the movie about the Boston Globe journalists who wrote about the Catholic Church child sex abuse scandal and cover-up in Boston. I remember reading those articles back in 2002, and I worried about how the subject matter would be tackled in a film. After I finished it, I realized I now could add it to my short list of best movies about journalism.
"All the President's Men" (1976). I blogged about this movie in 2003, but I have certainly watched it again since then. The power of journalism to keep a presidency in check is on full display here. Also on display was the doggedness of journalists Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Berstein (Dustin Hoffman). I love watching this film, a classic 70s movie. Possibly my favorite part is seeing Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards) in his tux with the draft of an article in his hand, saying "run that baby!" to Woodward and Bernstein.
"The Insider" (1999). The headline actor is Al Pacino, who plays 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman. It's fascinating to watch Mr. Bergman juggle multiple stories, and fight his management at 60 Minutes. The star is Russell Crowe, however. His performance as a big tobacco scientist-turned-whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand is mesmerizing. I also think this is Michael Mann's best movie, his lush style amplifying the stakes. Super movie.
"Spotlight" (2015). In the movie, we see how the reporters put together the list of priests who were abusing children. The four of them each took several directories of Massachusetts priests, and cross-referenced all the names against certain key words that suggested a reassignment due to abuse. Set to music, in montage style with fast cuts, it is easy to see how tedious work ultimately produces an important result. I loved how movie made such details captivating. I was glad Spotlight won the 2015 Best Picture Oscar!
Honorable mentions:
"Kill the Messenger" (2014). Jeremy Renner portrays journalist Gary Webb. Gary begins to uncover a conspiracy between the CIA using illegal drugs to raise funds for the contras of Nicaragua. As with the Insider and All the President's Men, there are scenes in court houses, clandestine meetings with nefarious people, and a sense of foreboding and dread.
"State of Play" (2009). This is a fictional movie, but it deserves a mention. The movie stars Russell Crowe as a print journalist and Rachel McAdams (from Spotlight) as a web journalist. The movie, more than the others, tried to address the difference between old and new journalism. The movie is based on the "State of Play" TV mini-series (2003) from the BBC.
"All the President's Men" (1976). I blogged about this movie in 2003, but I have certainly watched it again since then. The power of journalism to keep a presidency in check is on full display here. Also on display was the doggedness of journalists Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Berstein (Dustin Hoffman). I love watching this film, a classic 70s movie. Possibly my favorite part is seeing Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards) in his tux with the draft of an article in his hand, saying "run that baby!" to Woodward and Bernstein.
"The Insider" (1999). The headline actor is Al Pacino, who plays 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman. It's fascinating to watch Mr. Bergman juggle multiple stories, and fight his management at 60 Minutes. The star is Russell Crowe, however. His performance as a big tobacco scientist-turned-whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand is mesmerizing. I also think this is Michael Mann's best movie, his lush style amplifying the stakes. Super movie.
"Spotlight" (2015). In the movie, we see how the reporters put together the list of priests who were abusing children. The four of them each took several directories of Massachusetts priests, and cross-referenced all the names against certain key words that suggested a reassignment due to abuse. Set to music, in montage style with fast cuts, it is easy to see how tedious work ultimately produces an important result. I loved how movie made such details captivating. I was glad Spotlight won the 2015 Best Picture Oscar!
Honorable mentions:
"Kill the Messenger" (2014). Jeremy Renner portrays journalist Gary Webb. Gary begins to uncover a conspiracy between the CIA using illegal drugs to raise funds for the contras of Nicaragua. As with the Insider and All the President's Men, there are scenes in court houses, clandestine meetings with nefarious people, and a sense of foreboding and dread.
"State of Play" (2009). This is a fictional movie, but it deserves a mention. The movie stars Russell Crowe as a print journalist and Rachel McAdams (from Spotlight) as a web journalist. The movie, more than the others, tried to address the difference between old and new journalism. The movie is based on the "State of Play" TV mini-series (2003) from the BBC.
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