quote:

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Originally posted by DisinfoRedux:
Marshdrifter, do you play GO?

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Poorly.

quote:

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If so, do you know of any _good_ online go sites? I only play with my friends now.

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I really only play with a couple of people,
although I'll sometimes get creamed by complete
strangers. For one friend, we'll use the Yahoo
Games Go page. For another, we'll use
IGS/PandaNet. Sometimes I use a crappy cheap
board I have here at home. Really, I've only
used it with the girlfriend, but it's open to
all guests.

quote:

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For another, we'll use IGS/PandaNet.

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I'm not familar with that. Is there a URL? Cheers.

http://www.pandanet.co.jp/English/

I'm rarely on it. Also Marshdrifter has too many
characters for them, so I'm just Marsh.

Perhaps I will see you there, Dr.

No Dr.
Just Mr.

And what handle will you be using?

I prefer Master.

I'll think I'll just use Disinfo, Mr.

i've used neti pots for my sinuses. actually, a pyrex measuring cup can accomplish the same thing on the cheap for those with occasionally desperate sinus tribulations like me. necessity being the mother of invention and all that.

i'm sorry to hear about your family trouble, disinfo. my own father is a very 'un'emotionally expressive person who never really seems to approve of me or what i do. i have learned over the years how to deal with him.

my dad does express his love for us (his kids), but in his own weird ways. once i decoded these ways, i knew better how to talk to him on his level. an example is money: my dad graciously supported me through school and has always seemed miserly but in actuality quite generous. i had to grow out of being a spoiled brat to see that, and now if i feel the need to talk to my dad, i'll talk to him about money. my dad just isn't a conversationalist -- i can't just call him up and have a chat. i have to think of a reason to ask him for help. it serves a double purpose of bonding and making him feel good because i wanted and trusted his advice, and it makes me feel good that i have such a smart dad.

yes, my dad can be a bastard sometimes, but i just had to try and figure out how to communicate with him. i also have to keep my expectations in line with the reality that he isn't going to change anytime soon.

anyway, i'm not even going to assume that any of this matters to you. i just wanted to let you know that there are others out there with emotionally distant/absent fathers. frankly, a lot of the time i'm glad my dad isn't overly close or demonstrative, as that can be a whole nother boatload of issues.

oh right, as for gift ideas: amazon gift certificates and/or cheese/chocolate/food never go amiss.

I love my dad, I haven't seen him in person in years though, so maybe that's the secret

How 'bout for the kids? I have 5 to buy for. They're between the ages of 11-18. I have a feeling cheese won't go over too well. On second thought, the thought of presenting a chunk of tilsit to the 13 year old boy cracks me up.

Kid's are tough cause they are really picky (I know I was). Ask the parents what they are into, but it's always good to get them hooked on books when they're young.

Kids want useless crap. They know exactly what useless crap they want, and where to buy it at. Just give them the money, what was cool the week you bought it will be out of style three weeks later at Xmas anyway. This is pretty much true of adults as well, although an adult will be happy to receive a cheese slicer he/she didn't know they needed until they got one whereas the kid will just wish you had given them money casue they don't give a damn about cheese or slicing it. Note, this is quite different from cutting the cheese. Never discuss such things with children unless you are as moronic and simpleminded as I am.

i have a 10-year old neice that i love shopping for. every year, i buy her a batch of books that i loved when i was a kid, this year's is including The Secret Garden, Pippi Longstocking, and A Wrinkle in Time. we also got her a new tamagotchi since i saw a couple of girls her age playing with them on the tube and coincidentally it was on her list anyway. we're also probably going to give her a hand-me-down digital camera. i loved taking photos when i was a kid.

i donno, maybe it's because she's one of the few kids i really dig, but she's easy to shop for.

so, books and lego and gadgets for kids, i suppose, although they are terribly fickle.

Hopefully I'll finish my Christmas shopping today. I find the easiest way to get the right thing for a person at Xmas is to phone them up and say "Waddya want for Xmas?".

For my wife's 4 & 6 year old nephews I got Star Wars Galactic Heroes figures. I have trained them well in the apreciation of the Force.
For my 5 year old Nephew I got some toy knights (my brother said he's not into Star Wars )
My 7 year old niece wanted night vision googles, but she'll have to make do with a watch.
My 9 year old Niece wanted a Funky Friends alarm clock, but since I can only find those in Australia I'm going to hunt down some other kids alarm clock.
My brother's wife I've hopefully got a "nearly new" copy of Sam's Sandwich which should be winging its way across the Atlantic now. She's a teacher and she wanted it for her class.
My brother was easy - I got him The System of The World. I just have to remember to nag him every week to finish reading Quicksilver.
My mum wanted kitchen scales.
My step-dad wanted the Ryder cup 2004 DVD.
My Dad will probably get a Xmas card, but since he hasn't remembered my birthday or Xmas for as long as I can remember, and the last Xmas present I sent was returned by the Post Office because he couldn't be bothered to pick it up, he won't be getting a present.
My wife will be getting a stack of audio books on CD, a headphone remote for her iPod, if I can get it, and a Steiff Xmas tree ornament.

I threatened my brother with getting his kids the kind of boring but interesting stuff that our uncles and aunts used to get us. I still have the appendectomy scar from shortly after my first Ginger Beer brewing at the age of 7.

I put together the following letter to simplify my gift-giving:

Dear ___________________

Thank you so much for you lovely pre-holiday letter. It was so thoughtful of you to include the wish lists for each member of your family!

We have been going over our gift giving plans, and while we wish we could shower you with everything you have asked for, we just will not be able to provide the bone china, German kitchen knife set, the Harry Potter Hogwart’s Castle, or any of the other items on your list.

We have put together a list of items that we will be giving this year, and are sending it to everyone on our gift list. Please check any of the items you might like and return it to us soonest. Remember, it’s the thought that counts!

[] A book of coupons offering substantial discounts at many fine businesses. Two for one dinners on Wednesdays, half price carpet cleaning, auto detailing, you name it! (Actually, we have several of these.)

[] Small bottles of designer shampoo and conditioner along with
mini-soaps. You pick up so many nice things on business trips.

[] An individually hand numbered collectible spoon rest from the
Franklin Mint. Each month, another spoon rest will arrive, along with a bill for $48.97. They won’t stop. Ever.

[] A CD with internet software and a free month of AOL.

[] A collection of individually packaged condiments.

[] A subscription to any magazine I subscribe to. Yours will arrive at the END of each month.

[] A large bottle of “Smells like Channel” perfume. {Actually, “Smells like bug spray” would be more accurate.)

[] Puppies

[] Twenty CDs. Every month another CD will come. See the spoon rest deal for details.

[] Whatever Mom gets us. Yours will arrive a little late.

I'm giving a few people Maria Evora soap. It's gorgeous, well packaged, and smells like crack (which is my generic terminology for something that smells really terrifyingly good in a way you can't really put your finger on).



I'm mainly into the black ones. The carob/salt smell is amazing.

Another thing that I'm giving a few people is these solid ceramic fruits that I found. They're used for display in bowls and stuff at Rockridge Home. They're solid, so really heavy like one of those granite eggs, and they're unpolished, so they're not slick or shiney, light sort of falls into them, and they're white. They have black leather-wrapped stems. I've got a couple apples right now, and I'm going to go back and get some pears. I also need to find out how to clean them, because the beauty would be lost after they got smudgy. Anyway, they're totally useless, I just thought they were gorgeous. I guess they could be used in self-defense. They are really damn heavy for their size.

I'm giving L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time series to both sisters. Also got both of Pratchett's kids books for the younger (12) sister.



The twin boys (16) are getting Pratchett's Small Gods and Speaker for the Dead (he's already read Ender's Game), and 4 soundtracks (2 per boy, haven't decided who gets what yet): Braveheart, Jurassic Park (I), Somewhere in Time, and Schindler's List. They're both into classical music.

I'm really lucky in that all my siblings are dorks, and since I'm an uber-dork, that makes me really cool. I get to supply them with an endless supply of dorky books that they've never read before.

I bought The Fairest Fowl, not sure who I'll give it to yet. Just such a damned cool (also useless) book.



I'm getting one of my good friends the Hello Kitty toaster. She already has the Hello Kitty vibrator.



It's a pity I don't have anyone to buy sex toys for this year. I've always wanted to give the gift of instant orgasms.

hurts, using...let alone owning a "Hitachi Magic Wand," puts you in close running for "Ladies of the WGB calender" covergirl.

I hear Hitachi's teaming up with Kubota to develop a model with a turbo diesel motor.

Say, could you just slip these safety goggles on for me, kitten....