PatG
2012-08-31
Has it really been 4 years? Wow.
2008-10-24
Took a break to play a little online diplomacy. Got waxed again this morning but in an even game so not so bad. :-)
2008-10-11
I know you are supposed to lose your first 50-100 games as quickly as possible but boy does the ego take a hit.
2008-10-12 Actually no - a massive hit. Nine stones from 1k and 1 dan and I still get walked over. Disheartening is an understatement.
Bad day yesterday on IGS - lots of sloppy frustrating play on my part.
Happiness is realizing that I'm only taking 5 stones from GnuGo - and winning.
2008-10-07
Even though I'm taking study more seriously in the past and my game is improving - I still get waxed by GnuGo - so depressing....
However - I did get my 5 wins (out of 20 played) on IGS so now exactly how bad I suck will be recorded for all to see.
;)
2008-09-21
Had a day off from the election and went to the local anime store with my daughters to buy more Fruits Basket etc. I found Hikaru no Go #1 and bought it. Read it - twice in 12 hours.
Now I'm hooked again....
2006-03-02
Still alive - My youngest has shown an interest in go.
2004-11-03
Just finished a major renovation of the bathroom in my house. The house is over 100 years old and all walls are sheathed in 1" pine(?) boards. I now have several pieces of quarter sawn 12" wide 1" thick knot free pine. One table board coming right up.
2004-09-23
Unhappiness is taking 7 stones from GnuGo and still losing - but only by 18 points instead of 180.
Happiness is finding the Dragon Go server. Nice relaxing game.
Having had a really good look a poplar, I find it too has a very coarse grain. More thinking to do. A friend has promised me whatever I can get from a massive poplar on his property if it ever comes down. Assuming not too much heart rot, there should be enough for several full sized floor gobans with masame grain.
2004-09-01
I still have a life thus no time to get onto any Go servers. However, I had an epiphany the other day and began to really understand playing "lightly" karui. Very exciting for all the hotshot players out there I know, but pretty damn cool for me all the same.
Started on a 19x19 practice Goban yesterday. Nothing spectacular - just particle board with pine veneer. Although the pine is too grainy, other veneers are available which may look better. Still working out the aesthetics of the folding board. I am now thinking of a butcher block style poplar board with the undersides routed out.
According to most computer programs I'm around 17 kyu on 9x9 but I regularly get pummelled by human opponents no matter what the board size. I was first exposed to Go many, many years ago as an adjunct to my high school chess team.
I was an "old school" Otaku quite a while ago (Macross, Orguss, Dirty Pair, Dr. Slump all in Japanese). My interest has been rekindled through my children (Hamtaro, Sailor Moon et al. and of course Miyazaki). I have not yet seen or read Hikaru no Go so I can't blame it for my poor play. The intro to Go sessions at Anime North 2004 got me interested in the game again.
Right now, I would say my interest in Go is more aesthetic than competitive. Its simplicity and complexity are appealing but it is the view of Go as a conversation between players that I find most intriguing.
Thanks to MAsterdam for dropping in the links. I especially liked the Otaku definition. I was offended by the definition for a few seconds then realized that I had spent many hours watching bad recordings of anime from Japanese TV without understanding a word of Japanese - so yes I was Otaku but I'm better now.
Kosh: Do you have pictures of your Goban(s)?
Yes. They're not the prettiest boards by far but they do the trick. More details here