Scrabble Proverbs

A recent post on Tommyjournal linked to a wonderful collection of Go proverbs. Here are my top 10 from that list:

•	There are possible things, impossible things, and things that happen. Sometimes things happen that were impossible.
•	The axe’s handle rots while the mind lives to the rhythm of the stones.
•	5 lines for extension in front of shimari.
•	It is difficult to know exactly what you are doing.
•	Proverbs do not apply to White.
•	Strange things happen at the one-two points.
•	Never try to cut bamboo joints.
•	In the corner, five stones in a row on the third line are alive.
•	If you have one stone on the third line, add another, then abandon both of them.
•	You can hide nothing on the goban.

I have never played Go, but of late I have been playing a lot of Scrabble, and between moves I came up with some Scrabble proverbs.

•	There are words, and there are spaces between words.
•	Seven tiles sit side by side, meditating on possibilities.
•	Be wary at family games, but remember that your reputation is not worth more than 50 points.
•	If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. Then flip the board over (as if by mistake).
•	There is only one g in crzjgrdwldiwdc. (Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe)
•	Aspire for the seven-letter word, but make friends with the TWL98 two-letter word list. Played rightly, UT (syllable used in the fixed system of solmization for the note C) can be worth more than QUIXOTIC.
•	Ecstasy is a seven-letter word.
•	Here the word, there the meaning. (Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations)
•	In the bag, all letters are worth nothing and everything.
•	Let no one see your rack.

If you can come up with any others, please leave a comment. Just to get you thinking, here is the board from last night’s Scrabble game.

And before anyone objects to SEXT (L-13), I hasten to clarify that it means the fourth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, or the prayers prescribed for it.

Truck on Kalikapur Road, Kolkata

Are you annoyed by the ringing of mobile phones? Do you wish that mobiles were always on silent and didn’t have any other mode at all? And do you wish that such mobiles were widely available, so that you could use them yourself, and better still, hand them out to others?

If so, help is at hand.

Fishmonger Wisdom

This is not a political blog; nevertheless I thought I would share an anecdote about Mumbai and Bal Thackeray, the recently-deceased right-wing politician and founder of the Shiv Sena.

In the wake of his death, there is no shortage of fawning obituaries, but if you are unfamiliar with Thackeray and his legacy, this Hindu Op-Ed is worth a read. It is also worth noting that over four decades, Thackeray and the Shiv Sena have been responsible for fomenting hatred variously against communists, trade union activists, Dalits, Muslims, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Kashmiris, South Indians, North Indians, Biharis and people who celebrate Valentine’s Day – hatred which has led to violence and sometimes murder.

I was in Bombay last week, and on Thursday, it being the day after Diwali, Jogeshwari market was nearly deserted. When Mrunmayee went to buy fish for dinner, there was just one solitary fishmonger. This was two days before Thackeray’s death was officially announced, but the fishmonger (like many other Mumbaikars) believed that Thackeray had died already, and his death was being hushed up so as not to clash with the Diwali festivities. She said her main concern was clearing out her stock before the announcement brought Mumbai to a standstill. “बालासाहेब ने हमारे लिए क्या किया?” she said. “मुझे तो मेरी मछली बेचनी है । काम करो, महेनत करो ।” (“What has Balasaheb done for us? I need to sell my fish. Work hard, do your job.”)

This is why I like Bombay.

A Cooler Room

Delhi girls who are concerned that their room is not cool enough may want to call the numbers on this poster, which I saw today at Alaknanda Market in South Delhi.

Report Card

I was rummaging through old files and books at home (i.e. in Calcutta) and found an old report card from Class II.

I was eight years old. “Disturbingly talkative” got me into a lot of trouble with my parents.

A Brief Discussion on Love

This Sunday’s cycling trip took us to Victoria Park, where gathering clouds created a dramatic backdrop to the autumn foliage.

The building on the right is the park café, where we stopped for a bite to eat. Everyone else was feeling cold, so I was drawing a considerable amount of criticism for taking my time over my sandwich, coffee and carrot cake. I thought they were overreacting (it wasn’t that cold), and to substantiate this I pointed to a couple who were boating on the lake in their shorts.

Saha:	My god, how are they wearing shorts? It’s freezing!
Natalie:	But it’s different with them. They are in lurve!
Saha:	That doesn’t help! Have you not watched Titanic?

Two Tings

It is generally better for public signage to be precise rather than vague, but you feel things may have gone a bit too far when the Regent’s Canal Towpath Code of Conduct prescribes not only that you ting, but also the appropriate number of tings.

The Wisdom of Batman

I generally try to cook dinner at home. But if I have had a rough day at work, sometimes I feel tempted to cheat and buy a microwave meal. But then I think of a picture sent me by my wise friend the D-man and now taped (on the D-man’s recommendation) to our microwave.

And I smile sanctimoniously and start chopping onions.