Updated Monopoly game

I got a chance to play the updated version of Monopoly the other evening.  This is the one that has no paper money in play.  Instead, each player has a credit card-looking card which is used to buy properties and pay penalties.  It is also  used to accept payments from other players or from passing Go.  It looks very hi-tech and gives the game an up-to-date feel without destroying its ancient charm.  But right away we noticed several things:

1. It is much easier for little kids to play because you don't have to count money or make change;
2. There's  either total transparency (if the banker announces the new balance(s)) or total secrecy (if the banker does not).  No more hiding your money and  pleading near poverty.
3. It is easier for the banker to make a mistake by punching a wrong button than by handing back or accepting the wrong bill.
4. There is no audit trail.  Under the paper money system there wasn't either but the actual bills changing hands worked much better than a calculator display.
5. The connection between money and what it represents is stretched even further leaving almost no connection for the players.

Carolyn and I have devised the following spreadsheet to use with the game.  By logging each transaction, the participants get a better feel for the money impact of each transaction.  Thus, we hope to eliminate problems 3 and 4.  We'll have to see if anything can be done about the others.

Player[AVL1]  1 name		Player 2 name		Player 3 name
+/-Amt	Balance	+/-Amt	Balance	+/-Amt	Balance
Player 4 name		Player 5 name		Player 6 name
+/-Amt	Balance	+/-Amt	Balance	+/-Amt	Balance

The world of "no instructions"

Carolyn got an iPad for Christmas and like many electronic devices nowadays, it came with no instructions at all.  Hold it, there may have been instructions on how to charge the unit.  But as to how to turn the machine on or off, run applications (or as they're now cutely named  "apps"), or communicate with the world, the user is left to "intuit" the answers.  The interface is so natural and intuitive that additional training would be superfluous.  Ha!

I should have known this would happen 35 years ago when one of the more popular games on the  Apple ][ was called Blackbox.  The object of the game was to find out the object of the game and that in turn was to figure out how the Blackbox "worked" or treated input.  And while PC makers and their related software producers haven't exactly been perfect trainers or documenters, they don't assume you'll just "pick it up" as you use the hardware.

It influences the younger generation's view on life.  My son was teaching his nephew how to  use the Tennis emulator on Wii with the advice that the younger boy swing his racquet any way, any direction and he'd soon pick up what was happening.

I'm sure it's just  a sign of old age but I need a little instruction so that I don't feel like I'm flailing my tennis racquet in the air.

Traditions

We slept in past 8:00 this morning.  We turned on the TV to catch a couple hours of the Rose Parade.

There have been years when most of the day would be behind us by then.  Years when at 8:00 am on New Year's Day we were in the middle of volunteering at the Holiston Methodist Church breakfast, serving people who had come to see the Rose Parade.  (We were rewarded with curbside seating to watch the parade.)  We have fond memories of serving alongside Cindy and Larry as well as not so fond memories of watching one parade in a driving rainstorm.

There have been other years when at 8:00 we were preparing a pancake breakfast at our own church, attempting to start a tradition.  That tradition was interrupted this year with the demise of the ward activities committee and we will just have to wait and see if it is revived next year or really dies.

I'm convinced that some traditions are really important, others are just good to remember.

New wheels for my "wheels"

One of the problems with getting non-standard equipment is having to look for non-standard replacement parts.  I've used the brakes so much that Matilda (Walker Matilda) has virtually no tread on her left rear wheel and the right rear wheel is  also showing significant wear.

Duke McMillen told us about a place near the Wonder Bread Outlet store that has always supplied him with any size and type of wheel he's needed.  We tried to find out today but the company is off until after the New Year.  So many companies take that time off that some people have even started to think that the whole week is a holiday.  No, folks only New Year's and Christmas are close to being universally recognized as official holidays.

Fortunately, I have a spare walker to get by on until next week.

Sometimes snake oil works

I use the tern "snake oil" to represent any device, exercise, medicine, program, ceremony, or other activity that purports to heal or alleviate symptoms of disease and distress without scientific evidence or scientific explanation.  AS a general rule, I see no value in snake oil except as a placebo.  And I do believe in placebos.

The latest miracle cure is a machine to provide foot and ankle massage.  It feels somewhat like a dull-toothed crocodile trying to chew your leg off.  I find it irritating and sometimes painful.  Most other people find it tickles or pleasantly massages.  But whether I enjoy the feeling or not, using the dang machine seems to be reducing somewhat the swelling in my left foot and completely eliminating the swelling in my right foot.

We dropped by the sales display in Costco, tried out the machine, and said definitely NO.  I didn't need a machine that felt like it was killing me.  But that evening the evidence of some decrease of swelling was evident.

Santa brought me a machine.

Feet go in this side

Extension to massage legs and calves

I"m baaaaack

I don't know for how long and it certainly isn't going to be every day, but I'm back on the web.  During my self-imposed vacation from blogging, I realized that the world doesn't stop simply because I don't blog.  It doesn't even slow down.  But I do stop thinking "wow, I should blog that" or "wonder if any of my readers have heard of this."  I even read a book or two that might not get reviewed now because my memory of them isn't as bright as it was two weeks ago.

My posts will also be shorter for your sake and mine.  As a plus, that means you won't have as much to read to keep up.  As a negative, I'm likely to sound more disagreeable simply because I won't explain myself in a much depth.  Too bad.

I trust you had a good Christmas.  I feel I had another perfect one.  Lots of friends and family around or at least sending greetings, lots of presents, and relatively good health.

I wish the best to you and yours this holiday.

Arnold

Merry Christmas - 2010

Carolyn reminded me that we traditionally post our Christmas letter on the blog in a desperate gesture to try to catch all those who we've somehow missed in our other attempts at wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and in all other ways a Happy Life.

Arnold & Crolyn

p.s.  Click  on the letter once  or twice if you need to enlarge it for reading.

Clean your computer

I think you recognize the symptom:  The older your computer gets, the slow it operates.  So naturally I was attracted to a TV ad promising a product MAXMYPC to clean up your computer and make it run like new.  It was free to download but only the analysis part.  To actually do something, you had to pay $49.99 and download the actual cleaning program.

But before shelling out any cash, I wanted to see some product reviews.  We've found that peer and professional reviews to be very enlightening.  When I googled MAXMYPC I found several entries that were positive but the review by Frank C at http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.ccleaner.com?trk=search was really valuable.  Not only is he not enamored with MAXMYPC, but he recommends CCLEANER a product of Piriform.

CCLEANER is free for home  use although donations are welcomed.  And it has done a marvelous job with my  PC.  Ican't say all I'd like to about CCLEANER without sounding like one of those on-TV admen.

Try it.  I think you'll be impressed.

My Latest Toy<-ol

Since getting my power wheelchair, it has always bothered me that we could only transport  it with our van and only load it with the rear seat stowed, limiting the van to 4 people.  Although I can still handle the ramp comfortably, I'm sure the time will come when I won't be able to.  Already, I get people rushing over to help me when I'm loading or unloading.



Anyway, last week we installed a lift on the back of the Highlander Hybrid using the Class 3 hitch we installed on the rear.  This lengthens the footprint of the Highlander about 18 inches but otherwise is quite unobtrusive.  We haven't had it long enough to know how it affects gas mileage.




One of the nice features about this lift is that it can be swung away, giving total access to the rear door of the Highlander.  Of course given the weight of the power chair, the swing-away feature is only available when the lift is empty.





This is what it looks like with the power chair loaded on the lift and ready for travel.  We have a barbecue cover to protect the chair from weather but we don't keep it on for little trips around town.