Category: Entertainment
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Cas(s)ino
Today’s quote: Il faut pas chanter juste, il faut juste chanter. Casino (or “Cassino”) is a two- to four-player card game. I’ve never played the four-person version. It’s a go-to option when there are only two of you. There’s a particularly fun 21-point variation that I’ll share with you today. Game Setup Gameplay Scoring I…
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Horripilation
Amuse-bouche: My daily step-count average according to my phone (which I don’t always have on me when I walk) for 2023 was 3,333. For 2024, my daily average was 6,666 steps. Today’s Wonderful Word: “horripilation.” Definition: a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold or fear. Alternate definition: goosebumps. Example: The chilling horror…
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Art Amateur
Today’s quote: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”– Richard Bach Amateur Art I enjoyed high school art class. I loved experimenting with new media and styles. Some of my favorite approaches involved pointillism and geometric figures. M.C. Escher was an inspiration. In courses throughout all four years of high school, I learned…
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Pong
Today’s quote: Table Tennis is like an atom. To the ignorant it is merely microscopic and insignificant in existence, but to the dedicated, it is intricate in design and the building block to everything we know. – Matt Hetherington I got a lot of ping back from the last one, so here goes another one.…
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Ping
Amuse-bouche: Art is saying what needs to be said. Today’s Wonderful Word: “parsimonious.” Definition: frugal to the point of stinginess. Example: A society that is parsimonious in its personal charity (in terms of both time and money) will require more government welfare. —William J. Bennett, The Death of Outrage, 1998 Don’t be parsimonious in your ping ponging. Be lavish yet…
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International Day of Yoga
Today’s quote: “Victory and defeat are a part of life, which are to be viewed with equanimity.” – Atal Bihari Vajpayee In respect of International Yoga Day, I’ve created a yoga flow. Out of a fondness for volleyball, I’ve embedded a focus on some of the movements of the sport into the flow. For all…
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Something about music
Amuse-bouche: A flight of stairs takes you to a landing. “Flight” and “landing,” like a plane. Today’s Wonderful Word: “incunabula.” Definition: the earliest stages or first traces of anything. Etymology: Incunabula was first recorded in 1815. It comes from Latin and means variously “the straps holding a baby in a cradle,” “earliest home,” or “birthplace.”…
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It’s like riding a bike.
Today’s expression: “It’s like riding a bike.” Meaning: Said of a skill that, once acquired, can never be lost. Origin: It’s rumored that the expression began before the invention of bikes. It was used with a reference to swimming, but with the same meaning. Examples: “I’m worried to pick up driving again. It’s been six…
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Nickelodeon
Amuse-bouche: Ugly as sin. Meaning: extremely ugly. Today’s Wonderful Word: “nickelodeon.” Definition: an early movie theater to which admission usually cost five cents. Etymology: From 1888, as the name of a theater in Boston. By 1909 as “a motion picture theater,” from nickel “five-cent coin” (the cost to view one) + –odeon, as in Melodeon (1840) “music hall,” ultimately from…
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Halloween
Amuse-bouche: I’m bored, so I’m gonna go chug some water and then keep sipping a little bit here and there until I can sit on the toilet and keep a constant stream of pee flowing. Today’s Wonderful Word: “skullduggery.” Definition: mean dishonesty or trickery. Alternative definition: “Skullduggery” can also refer to an instance of dishonest…
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Wall Ball (Part 6)
Today’s expression: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Meaning: You can’t have everything. Don’t be greedy. Example: “I’m so upset that I didn’t get a Ferrari for my birthday. All I got was a Lamborghini. And I’m not even 16 yet, so I can’t drive.” “You can’t have your cake and eat…
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Wall Ball (Part 5)
Today’s expression: “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Meaning: This isn’t over yet. There is still time to complete a task before it is due or before it is too late. Origin: Opera. It’s been a wonderful month of Wall Ball, hasn’t it? As we approach the end of our 6-part journey in…
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Wall Ball (Part 4)
Today’s expression: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Meaning: What you’re doing is too risky. I hope you all are enjoying Wall Ball Month. Today, we’re going to talk about the object of the game and introduce some more rules of gameplay. Get ready! The object of the game: As a Wall Ball…
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Wall Ball (Part 2)
Today’s expression: “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Meaning: describes the minor or routine action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions. Origin: the proverb “it is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” In continuation of our celebration of Intl. Wall Ball Month,…
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Wall Ball (Part 1)
Today’s expression: “That’s the last straw.” Meaning: My patience has run out. Alternative: “the final straw.” Explanation: The last one in a line of unacceptable occurrences causes a seemingly sudden and strong reaction. The final problem, setback, or source of irritation in a series that causes one to finally lose patience or for something to…
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Bball Lingo (Part 3)
Today’s quote: “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan Lane / paint: the rectangular area of the court that extends from underneath the goal to the free throw line. This area is sometimes painted a different color than the rest of the…
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Bball Lingo (Part 2)
Today’s quote: “Students can’t be ‘taught’ – they can only be helped to learn.” – Leo Jones Crossover: a dribbling move / technique where someone dribbles from the right hand to the left hand or vice versa, crossing the ball over to the other hand and changing the body’s direction to get around an opponent…
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Bball Lingo (Part 1)
Today’s expression: “To be in the same boat.” Meaning: In the same situation, experiencing similar circumstances Court: the rectangular playing area with one goal at each end Goal / hoop / basket / basketball goal: the place where the basketball goes in order for a team to score points To hoop / to ball /…
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Jeopardy!
Amuse-bouche: Down With Capitalism! Today’s Wonderful Word: “jeopardy.” Definition: peril or danger, hazard or risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury. Etymology: From 1200–1250, Middle English j(e)uparti, joupardi(e), j(e)upardi(e). From Anglo-French, Old French: literally, “divided game or play,” hence, “uncertain chance,” “problem” (in chess or love), equivalent to j(e)u: “play,” “game” +…
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Wingspan
Today’s quote: “Open your mind before your mouth.” May I introduce you to my favorite board game? Wingspan is a one- to five-player engine building game. On your turn, you may play a bird, gain food, lay eggs, or draw bird cards. You have 26 turns to score as many points as possible. Here’s an…
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Achilles
Today’s quote: Below are the lyrics from one of my favorite songs. The bold text highlights my favorite part. You can listen to the song on Spotify here. Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths [Verse 1] Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, come down Won’t you get up off, get up off the roof? You’re scaring us and…
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Puzzling
Today’s expression: “under the weather.” Meaning: Sick. Example: I’ve had a temperature since last night, I didn’t sleep well, and I’m still feeling under the weather this morning. “Another piece!” I placed the edge piece on the table and clicked it home. The border was done; now on to filling it in. I had never…
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Tenet
Today’s expression: « Prendre des vessies pour des lanternes » Definition: « se faire des illusions grossières sur des choses ou des gens ; se tromper lourdement dans ses appréciations ; être naïf ; se faire des illusions ; faire une confusion absurde et naïve ; se tromper grossièrement » For more information, click here.…
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Climb Time (Part 2)
Today’s quote: Sometimes the greatest treasures are found in the spaces in between. Before reading further, check out Part 1 here if you haven’t read it yet. Whether it’s riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers; mysteries, stories, and series; systems, techniques, and processes; or history, current events, and future predictions, I enjoy understanding. I feel at…
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Climb Time (Part 1)
Today’s quote: A jack of all trades is a master of none, but a jack of all trades beats a master of one. Climbing vocab Bouldering: These are short climbing routes, usually less than 20 feet in height. Climbers who complete bouldering routes do not use harnesses, ropes, carabiners, or other gear typically associated with…
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Mighty Maito Gai (Part 2)
Spoiler alert! I am about to reveal information from Naruto: Shippuden. If you have not seen Naruto: Shippuden (or if you have not heard of it before), please do not read below this paragraph (and please watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden). If you skip this post and would still like to see today’s brain teaser, send me an email at samediqqch@gmail.com.…
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Mighty Maito Gai (Part 1)
Spoiler alert! I am about to reveal information from Naruto: Shippuden. If you have not seen Naruto: Shippuden (or if you have not heard of it before), please do not read below this paragraph (and please watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden). If you skip this post and would still like to see today’s brain teaser, send me an email at samediqqch@gmail.com.…
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Wendell Walker was a friend of mine
Today’s expression: « À chacun son goût. » Variations: « Chacun son gout. » « À chacun ses goûts. » « Chacun ses goûts. » Literal meaning: “To each his/her/their own.” Figurative meaning: Everyone has different tastes. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Lyricism is high on my list of what makes a song worth listening to. Wendell Walker by Andy Shauf has the strongest storytelling lyricism…
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