I apologize for the delay in getting this issue of The Game Report into your grubby little paws. My life has been rather hectic lately, and various factors made it difficult to produce this issue on time. Since last issue, I quit my job, moved back to Seattle, went to Europe for six weeks, unpacked all my belongings in a new home, searched for a new job, got a job and promptly started spending a lot of time at the new office. So you can understand why it's taken so long to produce this issue.
The trip to Europe was my second-- the first was three years ago. I returned to many of the places I visited last time, as well as a couple of new cities I bypassed in 1990. A ten day Eurail Flexipass served me well, and it's a great way to see Europe. If you're planning a trip to the Continent, I can offer some recommendations. Barcelona was an unexpected jewel-- great food, beautiful beaches, fascinating sights, friendly people, and low prices. Did I mention the beaches? It was also a kick to make use of my five years of high school Spanish. Going to the French Riviera? Don't stay in Nice-- stay in the youth hostel at Cap D'Ail instead, where you can sleep on a cot in one of the three large tents about fifteen meters away from the Mediterranean. There's nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of gently lapping waves. Beautiful. It's also a 20-30 minute walk along the coast (quite literally, along the coast) from the hostel to Monte Carlo where you can ogle the spectacular yachts of the rich and famous. If you're near Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle (the model for the centerpiece of Disneyland) is only two hours away and worth every minute. Salzburg is a must, even if you're not a Sound of Music or Mozart fan-- the water gardens of Schloss Hellbrunn just outside town are fantastic, & great food abounds. Be sure to sample a bosna (curried sausage sandwich) and Mozartkugeln (scrumptious chocolate-marzipan balls), both local specialties.
London is like New York-- you could spend a lifetime there and still not see or do it all. If you have an international student or youth ID card, many West End theaters will give you the best seats in the house for rock-bottom prices if you go an hour before the performance. I sat 5th row dead center for Kiss of the Spider Woman for $15, saw Crazy For You for $6, and saw four other shows (The Invisible Man, City of Angels, Blood Brothers, and Five Guys Named Moe), none more than $19 and all good seats. If only Broadway was as accomodating.
Of course, while in London you should definitely visit Just Games at 71 Brewer St. (near Picadilly Circus, 0114471-437-0761 from the US, 071-437-0761 from within the UK). The manager, Mark Green, is very friendly and knowledgeable and was extraordinarily helpful. He located games for me while I travelled and had them waiting for me when I returned six weeks later. Just Games has a large selection of games from all over Europe. Most of the best games come from Germany these days, but unfortunately they rarely include English rules. Just Games solves the problem by inserting English translations in all the foreign games they sell. If you have them ship games directly to you in the US, they'll also deduct 17.5% VAT (value-added tax) from the price (if you're bringing the games home yourself, ask them for a claim form and you can get the VAT taken off at the airport customs desk). VAT can really add up-- especially if you get over two dozen games like I did. [3/10/99: Alas, Just Games has closed for good. Its successor, called Playin' Games, is located near the British Museum. - Ed]
In between playing all these new games, I've been listening to a lot of a cappella music. I'm on a major a cappella kick. I got the chance to pick up a few Flying Picketts CDs while in London-- they're an all-male group with wonderful harmonies who hit the top of the UK charts a few years ago with a version of Yaz's Only You. Thanks to a Usenet newsgroup, I've picked up a bunch of collegiate a cappella CDs with some great arrangements. If you've got any cool a cappella to share, I'd love to hear it. I also picked up Billy Joel's new album. As usual, the best tracks are the slower ballads heavy on piano and light on electronics. I wish he'd stop trying to be a rocker and stick to what he does well. The new live James Taylor double album was a welcome surprise upon my return from Europe. JT is great in concert, and the new CDs are great background music for late nights at the computer.
Yegads. I just saw what must be the absolute nadir in the history of product placement. Apparently, in the new Stallone flick Demolition Man, all restaurants in the future are Taco Bells. And of course, the film clip which tells us this features prominently in a commercial for the inevitable Taco Bell tie-in promotion. Pardon me while I make a run for the bathroom.
If you're a Scrabble fan and you've got Internet telnet access, you'll want to log into ScrabbleMoo. MOOs are virtual worlds you can wander, interacting with the inhabitants, objects, and other visitors. To connect to this one, telnet to phoenix.aps.muohio.edu 7777. You'll find an online Scrabble mecca with other players waiting to take you on in a friendly game. The Official Scrabble Player's Dictionary, Vol. 2 is available for online consultation, as are lists of all legal two- and three-letter words. A ranking system keeps track of your standing relative to other players, and organized tournaments are run every so often. When you're not playing a game you can kibbitz other players. When you wander into a "room" where a game is in progress you can look over players' shoulders at their racks of tiles (although commenting on them or making suggestions is frowned upon). If you're in a more relaxed mood, you can go to the lounge and chat. ScrabbleMoo players hail from all over the globe and are generally very friendly. For example, I spent a half hour last night gabbing with a native Israeli professor. ScrabbleMoo has lots of amenities and all the features you're used to in a Scrabble game, in, and it's a great way to play when you can't find an opponent.