Yay, so I found out today I'm definitely going to Boston. A friend of mine and I are both driving up. Where is a good place to stay? I don't know hotels in the area and she's never been there.

Anyway I'll be there all day Sat--the other days are travel days so kinda difficult.... but that Sat, nov 7th, if anyone wants to hang out lemme know!

I need to do this and would appreciate any input.

As you have heard a thousand times, I'm a violinist, and long story short I need to play for someone over the net, in real time, in a high a quality image as possible (webcams are not yet anywhere NEAR the quality they need to be).

I figured out what I believe the best hardware solution; A MAC coupled with a camcorder with firewire connection (since the MAC will interact directly with the camera, and it can be used in applications such as ichat, etc).

Here's the problem; standard software was designed for slower internet connections, and thus has a sizable compression rate. This means the hi-def aspect of the camera would be lost in transmission (since both I and the person on the other end have fast internet, and hopefully macs!, the image getting distorted over the internet is not in itself a problem). Programs such as Skype and ichat seem to not be programmed for high def. There are other programs out there in beta testing. Here's my question: is there currently ANY program available that will let you stream high quality (especially hi def) video from your camcorder, in real time? So I'm not talking about uploading existing videos to a program like Vimeo. I need this to be in real time.

If no program yet exists, would anyone out there that is computer-savvy be willing to build one? It can be a lucrative offer, since right now there are a LOT of people wanting to stream in hi-def and I know at least a few who would want this software....soooo...there could be money in it. Anyway anyone with experience or advice in this area, please suggest away!

I couldn't find my bingos from last tourney, but of course the one I remember is hAL(F)TOnE for a triple triple. There's one more that would have fit like that, with the f in the fourth position. My rack was AELOT?? with the f on the board. I tied Sam Rosin for the most bingos (29), but lost that on spread.

From this tourney, in no particular order, here are my bingos:

KIElBAs(I), HERNIAE
BANDITR(Y), INSIdES
FANNERS, ASSLIKE
NEWSmAN, COHERES
GAlEATE, (M)INeRALS
S(P)ORTIER, DURIONS
USURIES, GHERAOES
PTERINS
DISUnITY
OSTEOID, DETRAIN
INEDITA
IRONSI(D)E, HASTIER, METOPAE
PAUSINg, AUNT(L)IER
AMORET(T)I, SeNORAS
CElESTA
REN(O)TIfY, (D)ARIOLES, TAILRA(C)E

I might be missing some as usual. I'm sooo tired from driving back and forth every day. I got 5 hours sleep total for all 3 days, and my shoulder is killing me. Time for a nap.

Wow, great tourney and I miss all of you already. James was a fantastic host. I also loved keeping company of all the farm animals at the zoo. TMI turkey, Yawning Yak, Awkward Turtle, F you rabbit (hi, kurt!), and etc(see jessed's CGP post for more info). In the airport in Vancouver, there was this larger than life fish tank. One of the fishes did a PERFECT Yawning Yak. Its mouth was just hanging open in one of the hugest, laziest yawns heretofore ever seen. It even put Cesar's Yawning Yak to shame, but I will concede he has the best by far among humankind. And congrats Cesar on a great tourney and breaking 1800 and the whole secret handshake. Tho only 25 more points and you'll have to teach me the secret handshake for 1700s, even if I never get to learn one for the 1800s.

Some more random things I discovered in Vancouver was that it has even better sushi than here in NYC. I love coconut gelato more than anything on Earth. And Vancouver tourneys puts the east coast to shame. There were enormous windows overlooking the city and these huge dreamy mountains submerged in mist. The people are also much more laid back, which made everything run smoothly. I thought being up North meant frigid weather, but they get to enjoy the outdoors year-round. Almost perfect, save the lack of direct sunlight, though I'm told that appears in the summer. And the outdoors is too cute. There was the marketplace, and all these little bohemian artsy stores. Someone PLEASE invent a machine that can just instantly transport you anywhere in the world. "Beam me up, Cesar. Or, teach me how to play scrabble." ;)

Oh and the most boring part is my bingos. Please don't read it if you don't like to be put to sleep or bored out of your head. Nothing fancy here. Just for my own records.

28 total, 14 games:

TRAVELED, SINGLET, UNIPODS, AcCOUTrE
BLINDEST, ROBElIKE*, REDLINER, one or 2 more? don't remember
CANEWARE, sUNSETS
INDABAS, TOLuENES
STReELS
TENPINS
ALINERS
BOLDENED*
REVAlUED, THIAMINE
MOTILEs
RAVELING, ORALIST, ERODIBLE
SHORINGS
LECTORS, ABRASION
FOLlIES, JOUsTING

I'm missing a few more in these games, because I had 28 total that my opponents signed for that I turned in the sheet for. I need to write down more of my bingos! Also about 9 blanks total, but one or 2 more I may have had. I know I was double blanked quite more often than I double blanked, but was lucky enough to get other things that worked besides blanks, and thus came out with a slightly winning record, and some more rating points. But that wasn't my favorite, or most important thing in the tourney. The best was Vancouver.

Well, I know it's not good to ever be invested in tourney results ratings, etc., but I am really excited to have gone 8-6 in the main event, my first 'big' div 1 tourney, breaking at least 1635.  What was also fun was I got to play 9 of the top 11 seeds, one of them 3 times in a row, the last 3 games of the tourney.  I got to play some fun bingos, like icterics.  Whee!  Thanks to everyone at the tourney and back on east and west coasts who were really encouraging and supportive and gave me confidence.  Your good vibes came in handy.  I was showered with good luck.

Bingos list:
CORdELLE, NUTLETS
ARMUReS, TONSILS
ICTERICS, DEODARAS
WOORAlIS (okay that's wooralis, it just looks funny cause I lower-cased the blank), FEATURED, COOtIES
TOASTER, REGiNAL, GADARENE, OUTLIER, FLINCHES (590 this game, and won $20 for high game)
none against the mighty Aaron :)
TOStADO, HOARSEST, GELLaNT
FOREBARE* (or did I play forebear?), CAREgIVE*, ADULATOR
SLITTIER, AuNTHOOD
MOULAGE, HIRpLES
STEELIE, ROOsING
STAIDLY
PATInAED
NAIVEtES

29 total.  Apparently 2 games where drew both blanks, and 2 where my opponents did, and the rest were split evenly, so overall exactly even.  Of course, I still had wonderful luck on top of it.  But I think that's maybe my first ever tourney where t was split exactly like that.  After the tourney some bostonites connecticans, and joisey ppl grabbed some food, and like the fanatics we all are, of course spent time trying to find all the 8s in AHOOTS?? and etc.  And everyone was so nice in cheering on their fellow scrabblers.  Well, anyway, it was fun, and thanks again to my fellow scrabblers that made this a tourney I'll always remember.  And I'll see a whole bunch of you in the tourney in a few days.  And, I get to do div 1 there, yay.

My Subaru can be fixed!  For almost 1 grand, but it's certainly cheaper than buying a new car, and besides, I'd miss her too much.  The real miracle was making it alive to this tourney.  There was a foot of snow when I left in the am, to be followed by ice.  The borrowed car doesn't grip the road that well, even though it's all wheel drive.  But here I am.  Actually what I really want to do is practice, but I've never brought the violin to a tourney.  Not everyone here like Tchaikovsky (who tends to go on and on and on, and whose dwelling on this half-step theme throughout was described by my teacher as obsessive), and even so, they may not appreciate hearing the same passages over and over.  Well, on Sunday I get to look forward to being reunited with my violin, and Monday, my car.  And of course, my poor cat who protested my leaving quite loudly this morning.

-My middle sister plays scrabble too!  She got involved in scrabulous.  Who knew?  I couldn't help chip in a bit, so now she also knows monoglot, polyglot, oilproof, and gaydar (she's like, "that's actually good in scrabble?!"), and the rest of the q without u words that she didn't already know.  She's pretty good at anagramming I thought, but I may be biased. :)  Unfortunately or fortunately, she's way too sane to ever play tourneys.

-If my youngest sister has got them copyrighted, I can post her paintings she did for Koko the gorilla (yup, she gave paintings she did of Koko to Koko and Koko recognized the photo they were from!  you read that right).

-Even if you see cookies that look like they have your name on it, that they were made for you (they were cats for crying out loud!  And they had ginger, and after all I am gingerchan), if you know in advance you're allergic, it's really not a good idea to eat them.

-I need to practice more, and not let things like a visit turn into an excuse.  Tchaikovsky wrote a damn long concerto.  Paganini wrote tough caprices.  There's work to be done!  Time to practice.

 He or she(I never did decide) was born in 1992, a year before my violin came into this world.  We became acquainted in 2001, yet I never gave it a name. Sometimes you take things for granted until they're gone.

Yesterday at approximately 6:00 PM, I may have very well have taken the last ever ride in my car.

She (hm, I guess it is a she) started out with no warning signs.  At the height of rush hour, I was making a turn in the middle of a busy 4-way intersection.  Out of the blue, all the indicator lights went on.  I thought, hm, good thing I'm turning, because I need to be pulled over and not in the middle of this intersection.  That's when my car stopped responding to any of the commands she usually obeyed so quickly and effortlessly.  She just broke.  And there I was, in the middle of a busy 4-way intersection, blocking traffic at th height of rush hour.  Eventually the cops came (two big males) and even they had trouble pushing her out of the way.  She looks tiny but weighs a ton.

So I had my poor little Subaru (it's nothing like regular Subaru's; leather seats, sports car, windows that are stylishly lined and don't open all the way up top, 250 horse power, sweet sound system, limited edition, a car collector's dream) towed to the people that usually have worked on it time and again, and at least had always returned her in working condition.  This time, they had the following to say: "we're sorry, we can't get it to start, and we can't figure out what's wrong. We've checked everything.  We need you to take your keys and have it towed."  Towed again?  To where, the junkyard?  NOOOOOO!

The dealership is my next (her next) and last stop. :(  They prolly won't help much, because although it is a Subaru it is such a rare car that even the people at Subaru have little to no experience with it.  I don't want her to die yet; it's not her time.  Only 160K miles or so on her.  Not to mention, I can't afford getting a new car!  Well, this can be solved in 2 ways: get a new car, or move to Boston.

If the unthinkable happens, what shall I do?  I've been thinking about a Prius when the inevitable happened.  Any other ideas?

After sitting in traffic for like 6 hours, finally back from albany!  Really tired.




Albany Bingos (in no particular game order):

STOLLEN (could have played elopement, with those 2 blanks!!, but it opened a dangerous lane--my only chance to play a 9 :(.
QUANTING, BINDINGS, SWATTING
FLEDGING, SWEATER
JAUNTERS*, FIERCELY
TAUNTERS, BEGIRDLE
FETIDLY, FRIVOLS
HEIRESS, TENDRILS
SNIPERS, OVERKILL
INVERTED, GRUMPILY, UNNOBLE*
LEADIEST, BENCHES, OUTLIES
SEDGIER, ZEALOTRY, NASTIER
IGNITES, FILMERS, and an intended JESSANT which came out as SEJANTS* while I was distracted by making it fit on the board but it stayed
BOASTER
ONERIEST
PARODIES, RESILIN
INTENTLY, LOITERS
ANIMATOR
FAILERS*
ACEROLA
PETALOID, LOMENTS
BLASTED, ENNEADS
TELSONIC
TAPERING

Some more bingos I failed to write down.  I was either so behind or so ahead I stopped writing stuff.  My luck was one of the most streaky in all my tourneys, either extreme luck or a bunch of unluck.*  Either I scored near 500 or my opponents did.

A cool 9 that almost played: subwoofer.

I wasn't sure whether to take a lesson today embedded in an already busy schedule of teaching my own students and getting them ready for their auditions (orchestra seating and in some cases, pre julliard).  I hadn't practiced for good reasons, but still.  I was so tired anyway, and running to the city seemed like a bad idea..........so naturally, I went.  It was a great lesson, too.  Maybe I should 'not practice' more often.  My teacher approved me playing the Tchaik concerto, a minor miracle considering the sorry lack of practice it had.  He also gave me the biography of Michael Rabin, this sort of tragic figure that is considered to be the best violinist ever.  Rabin didn't have as long  of a career due to an early death under mysterious circumstances that spread around gossip and rumors and just adds to his whole mystique.  My teacher was a friend of Rabin's apparently, and supplied some of the letters in the book.  He also signed it for me--heh, may be worth something someday.

Well, the palm people inaccurately told me to do a hard reset and that I could restore the SuperMemo info if I did it.  Now my palm was turned into a completely broken thing, which costs more to repair than buying a new one.  Here's the big problem; I've lost supermemo and all the info I've ever put on it.  That's over a year's worth of work. :(  However right before my palm died I did a hot sync.  I am hoping that there is a way to retrieve it.  Where does the computer store it?  Anyone know?  Any way to retrieve it?  If I bought a new palm product and synched it, would the supermemo be restored on it?

My palm pilot Tungsten E2 froze while attempting to re-align the stylus.  It won't respond to the stylus or anything else.  The screen is frozen.  It will change when I press the buttons on the side.  It would synch with my computer.  But when I reset it it is still frozen after it loads, no matter how many times I try.  Albany is this week, and all the stuff I study is on that palm.  I'm sunk without it.  Can anyone please help?

Edited to add:

It's NOT the touchscreen that's broken.  It's somehow the thing that aligns the stylus.  It moves forever, even though on that screen alone it responds to the stylus.  If anyone knows what this problem is so when I can talk to the tech people I can tell them please let me know.  

So, apparently, I'm resistant to the antibiotics I was on now and all last winter, so been sick for 6 weeks and counting.  It's super expensive.  The new meds I bought today and the other meds I'd tried and time off from work = $1,000!!!  That's almost like 2nd place at nationals.  the slightly annoying and amusing side effect I've noticed is that there is a direct correlation between how sick I am and how many phonies I make up when I go to the NYC sunday club.  The more unintentional phonies I play, the worse the sinus infection.  Isn't that lovely.  Aren't ya glad I shared that lovely tidbit of info.  Hopefully if my fever goes away I can go back to work tomorrow!  I had to miss my first gig with the band I'm in.  And I actually miss practicing the violin.  There's this Paganini caprice that I'm totally obsessed with.  Nothing to do but scrabble today.  Oh well, as long as I recover by my next tourney.  Otherwise I might be losing lots of turns.  On a totally unrelated note, congrats to Suanne Ong on world youth results.  I've said it before, and I believe it; one of these days, there WILL be a woman world champ.

So apparently I hadn't staved off whatever it was that I caught from cape cod.  Face too swollen to speak last night (though those who've heard me talkative may have been amused)  It's a sick day, no work!  Nothing but ISC for entertainment.  Only problem is, everyone's at work.  Plus, I keep making up phonies accidentally.  I can't wait to get drugs.  In that spirit, I've sent some of my friends virtual crack.  Congrats to the new world champ and all worlds participants.  The rest of us were all living vicariously through you.

Anyone else think it's really cool that a woman is kicking butt here?  Go Suanne!  Good luck to american and canadian competitors too, but it would be really neat if Suanne won, too; has there ever been a woman world champion?

Not that there ever is a convenient time to not feel well, but it's a little disappointing to miss Andre Watts playing (only $6 tickets) tonight.  Also have to learn 1st violin parts of my orchestra gig this week, which involve a lot of those noodle-y high notes.  And waking up super early to go for a lesson before teaching.  So this really isn't a convenient time.  I'm just like a lump right now, unable to practice or do anything (maybe isc?).  Maybe it's the tourney that paved the way for me to come down with something; tourneys do take a lot out of you.  Usually not this much though.  I can kind of understand where Plath was coming from with that line, except that I may have changed the words a bit.  I can't remember much from high school english.....

So, the trip down was longer than expected, resulting in both myself and magratheazaphod having to withdraw from the pairs tourney.  However, each of the people we were teamed with formed into their own team, and won--congrats!!

With tight divisions and a relatively low amount of games, the results were volatile; a single game could determine whether you landed in the prize money or at the bottom.  I started out almost last, and stumbled my way into 3rd place and a nice new tile bag thanks to betonies, a triple triple which took place in a game that I lost.

Here are my bingos:
OVERAWE, RATT(E)NED, DEACONS (lost this game)
RETINaE, OARfISH
TWANGeR, fULLEST
(A)NCeSTOR, F(E)ASTING
POLENTA, ETEsIANS
bETONI(E)S (trip trip!)
EARLIER, cANON(M)EN*
CHE(L)OIDS
STOURIe
(H)OATZINS
RESToCK
SIN(U)ATED

Hm, less bingos than usual/game.  I know I could have played some that I held off on.  Oh well.  Time to warm up for orchestra rehearsal.

....is Ray Van DeLay.

A combination of my middle name and a Seinfeld reference.  They also told me I'd appreciate Curb, which I've never seen.  Is it any good?

There are a few things that make you feel like your whole soul is smiling (who knew I could be such a sap?), and playing in band is one of them!  I had my first rehearsal with (almost) the full band tonight, and OMG.  It was amazing!  There are some parts where the violin and electric guitar are playing solos but in unison, and we're just jamming.  It goes right through your bloodstream.  Music has always given me a type of high.  We went totally nuts at rehearsal.  They loved the way the violin sounded and I loved the way the band fit together.  Hooray.  Who knew violin and electric guitar could blend so well!  They also stumped me twice with Seinfeld quotes, but I was able to stump the bass guitarist once.  There's a gig this Saturday they'd like me to go to! Yikes, that's soon!  I'm just on improv; it's not like orchestra where your part's all written out.  But it would be sooo much fun.  I'll let any of you scrabble players know if we're ever at venues in your area.

The big apple tourney was great.  Where to start?  Being in the city meant freedom!  And it was such an amazing venue.  I got to see all kinds of hotels too, from the ritzy to the sketchy.  Hehe, you had to be there to understand.  My final record was 10-5, and I was one place below the money--I was 5th overall.  It was good enough to gain 20 rating points (being a toppish seed, it's not easy to gain points!).  Oh and at least 2 of my friends broke 1800.  Hooray for them! :)  I'm tired for now, so just listing my bingos, opponents' later.

Mine:

MaRRING, CADASTE(R)
CAT(E)RANS, (V)IDETTEs
ENORMiT(Y), EUsTELE
RECHAN(G)E, ALiASED*
DESTRI(E)D*
ARrESTS
RESIDER, dEMONRY*
LOANERS, BAILIf(F)s
BEnCHIN(G)
ERMINES, ELO(I)GNER, (N)IDATIOn, AMNESIA
RENAILS
sTERNLY, GAPLeSS
(R)EsOLVED, INULaSE
INWARDS, INdEXER
(and one missing game with unknown bingos)
Edited to add: now I remember; it was my first game.  I dunno if I bingo'd at all.  None of my board openings or rack balancing decisions worked out.


And the missing game probably had some more bingos, like 2, but I don't remember them already.  It was exhausting being in a tourney.  Looking at the list, I can notice a few things:
I phonied more than usual
I averaged roughly 2/game
I drew more blanks than I ever have in quite some time; 16/30 here, and the missing game had none.
I had much more luck than I've had in the past few tourneys; the cosmos bestowed gifts on me
If I hadn't sabotaged myself, I would have placed between 1-3rd.  Such is life.

K, time to get some much needed food and rest

*intermission*

K, here are my opponents' bingos, in I think the same order as games above

(none)  I drew well
TERCELS (1 bingo to my two, but only a 12 point win--an exciting game!)  I also accidentally blocked my opponent's 100 point bingo; there were many lanes so it was anyone's guess.
(none) but he managed to scored almost 400!
TRITONE, STU(N)TINg, the game I lost by 10 and just needed to make any single non-phony play to win, and even win by over 100.  The knowledge that I could be in first after that game somehow stunned me into stupidity.
OVERBED, TaLLEST, SPARINg.  My biggest lost of the tourney, at 99 (boy was luck on my side!).  My opp played well; overbed is a beautiful natural
TAENIAE, DIvINED I lost by 4
IRONIES, INTeNDS if I had a way to block jo/jo outplay while scoring, and hold pe to front extend achier to peachier to triple for 45, I might have won.  I was low on time, but gave up pe to score 30 and block.  I lost by 20.  Have to see what quackle says.
(none) my opponent had to open the board because they were behind and needed to play off their q.  Unfortunately for them, their unlikely f bingo lane (which blocked my tun/stun setup) resulted in BAILIf(F)s, probably one of the lower prob words I've played.  Well, with two blanks, anything is possible!
(none) my poor opponent, he's a great player.  I blocked his only known bingo early on, just doing what was best for my rack and getting lucky with timing
HERNIAL, (U)NTRUESt okay one of the letters was a blank, I forget which.  He had 2 bingos to my 4, but I still only won 452-444.  I could have blocked his out bingo but I made my own score sheet (note to self: don't do it again) and severely mistracked.  Who knew?  Actually that  mistake alone could have landed me in the money.
REAdoUT As seen, my opp drew both blanks but on the same turn, and the bingo wasn't worth much, which allowed me to pull out the win
TACNO(D)ES same opponent who later played overbed.
STRAWED
(R)ELEARNT, DOgEARS 2 bingos each but I pull out the win
From that missing game, I remember my opponent played LEAFIEST with both blanks, but don't remember the rest of that game.


Out of the 14 games here (not counting that missing game # 15,) I have 26 bingos to my opps' 18 (or maybe more from that first missing game).  I was ridiculously lucky.  Many of my opponents could have defeated me just as easily with more luck in tiles or timing.