Endless Knots

Lexulous: there is a just universe

Facebook, whose population is now nearly half the size of the US (it hit 150 million this week, according to the company's blog), is definitely different strokes for different folks. Shortly after I joined, I ran into Ruthie, an old friend from my days in England, who told me that she mainly used Facebook for Scrabulous. I looked it up and soon I was hooked too. As was my friend Judy, with whom I'm played more than one game of Scrabble "in real," both of us having been trained at our mothers' boards, she better than I. Judy is one of the truly great Scrabble players--and she's relentlessly competitive. I rarely if ever win when playing her - or nearly anyone else. For a writer, I'm really not very good at word games.

Well, that didn't last long, the Scrabulous, that is. As I reported with a long face last July, Hasbro took offense and, poof, Scrabulous was gone (see the detailed history in Wikipedia, which no doubt has inaccuracies). In its place from the same developers came Wordscraper, which for me at least didn't compare. Nor did the Hasbro's version of real-Scrabble, with a clunky interface and lacking Scrabulous's functionality.

Now today all of us Scrab-devotees received this message on Facebook from the Indian developer-brothers of this terrific time-waster.

Dear User,

Our game was disabled on Facebook for some time as we were engaged inresolving some legal matters. We are now pleased to provide you withan improved game - LEXULOUS - that you can enjoy in peace with friendsfrom ALL COUNTRIES for free!

Your games in progress, statistics, and messages have been preserved. Good luck, and here's wishing you a very happy 2009 :)

Warm Regards,
Rajat & Jayant Agarwalla

And so, with thanks to Rajat and Jayant and their crack legal team, I resume this game with Judy, who current score aside, will definitely beat me once more:

Scrabulous no more?

Got this when I clicked on Scrabulous* on Facebook this morning:

Scrabulous is disabled for US and Canadian users until further notice. If you would like to stay informed about developments in this matter, please click here.

Then I sent this message to my Scrabulous opponents.

My Scrabbie buds,

What are we going to do? It would appear that Scrabulous has been taken down on FB due to the impending lawsuit from Scrabble/Hasbro.

Feels like I can't get my morning cuppa.

Sadly,

xjiimvr - approx  letters on my last tray :(((

*Scrabulous is a version of Scrabble on Facebook invented by two brothers in Calcutta. Has reported 500k-2 million users; Hasbro is citing infringement, which according to Chicago Trib article, has only 8600 Scrabble users on Facebook.

Image from Camelotonline.net - thanks

Mölkky, anyone?

Photos by Miranda Stamps

Sharpen up your skills, sports fans. It's time for...
Mölkky!

Never heard of it? You're not alone, as it's been around for only ten or so years, and in the US for a considerably shorter time. And had it not been for a chance walk through Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn on a warm summer day in early August, your faithful blogger would be among you.

My hubby, my son-in-law, and a friend were out for a stroll when they spotted unusual activity in the park. Wooden pins with numbers on them, two men and a ten-year-old boy, and a not inconsiderable amount of alcohol were at work (on the part of the people with the pins, not my family, of course), engaged in a serious game of undetermined origin.

Next they knew, they were called over by a man who'd been imbibing a bit, who went on to explain that on a trip to visit his girlfriend in Scandinavia, he discovered the Finnish game, Mölkky. Similar to bowling but not really, the game involves setting up the pins, called skittles, in a particular pattern, then heaving the mölkky (a cylindrical piece of wood) at them. Points accrue on the basis of how many pins you knock over in a bizarre system whereby you actually can get fewer points by knocking over more pins (go figure).

We've imported the game to New England. Perhaps we're the first (though there are a few others to be sure in the US). Tournament to come. Join us.