Month: July 2007

My computer has a bunch of Internet games, including checkers, which are hosted through MSN. There’s a pre-set chat there — things like “Good luck,” “yes,” and “no” — so there’s no way to tell anyone you’re playing not to win, but to lose. They may just think you’re a bad player. Which is what I thought when I first started playing somebody yesterday. It took me at least one game to catch on. But then I was hooked.

Compulsive gambling with extreme losses — in two cases, greater than $100,000 — by people without a prior history of gambling problems has been linked to a class of drugs commonly used to treat the neurological disorder restless legs syndrome (RLS). A new Mayo Clinic study is the first to describe this compulsive gambling in RLS patients who are being treated with medications that stimulate dopamine receptors in the brain. The Mayo Clinic report appeared in the Jan. 23 issue of Neurology.

I picked up my own copy of The Deathly Hallows a couple of hours ago, but I’ve only just gotten around to reading any of it. True to form, there’s an adverb before the end of the first paragraph.

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to manage the sort of marathon reading that will be required to get through all 700-plus pages before the end of the weekend, much less today, but I’ll see what I can do. It’s actually less that I want to read the book (although I do) than that I want to be able to go back online without worrying I’ll run up against spoilers.

Regarding spoilers…I have to say, I agree with Caitlin R. Kiernan on this: there’s a point when avoiding them becomes ridiculous, and J.K. Rowling has gone past it:

Though I have been perplexed and annoyed at the mean-spiritedness of the people leaking spoilers online for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I am equally perplexed and annoyed at Rowling’s anger at today’s review of the novel in The New York Times. The book is being released on Saturday. With most novels, there would have been reviews weeks ago. I mean, yeah, sure, I enjoy the books, and I’m doing all I can to avoid spoilers, and sure she’s the Best-Selling Author of All Time, but I don’t see how that changes the rules. But that’s probably just the Socialist in me talking. Anyway…

What Rowling said, in part, was:

“I am staggered that some American newspapers have decided to publish purported spoilers in the form of reviews in complete disregard of the wishes of literally millions of readers, particularly children…

But I mean, really, are there lots of children reading The New York Times book review section? And I think most people, if they want to remain spoiler-free, can simply avoid reading the review altogether until after they’ve read the book.

Now, the people who have been going out of their way to spoil the book for readers, they can go to hell. But legitimate book reviews nobody’s likely to just stumble upon? Puh-lease.

1. I’ll give you a four-leaf clover
2. “Deja Vu” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, guessed by Eric
   If I had ever been here before I would probably know just what to do
3. “The Ancient Egyptians” by Dog Poi Pondering, guessed by Eric
   People would walk, wherever they had to go
4. “Mother Madam” by Carey Ott
   You’re a big girl in the same small town
5. “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel, guessed by Bryan
   I’ll be anything you need
6. “I Don’t Care If You Don’t Love Me Anymore” by the Mavericks
   You never showed the slightest bit of heartache
7. “New Art for the People” by the Indelicates
   You smell like ash, mildew and hash
8. “Traditional Irish Folk Song” by Denis Leary
   We have no heads, we have no heads
9. “Cecila” by Simon & Garfunkel, guessed by marisa
   I got up to wash my face
10. “Souvenirs” by Christine Fellows
    If you can’t bridge the distance then tell me who can