Latest news with #Scrabble
CNA
3 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
IN FOCUS: Play your tiles right – the Singapore Scrabble champions taking wordplay to the next level
SINGAPORE: They sit across each other, staring intently at the tables in front of them. Some clutch their heads, frowning; others are relaxed. No one speaks. The only sounds come from ticking clocks and small, plastic square tiles being sifted in small velvet bags before they take up positions on a board. This was not quite the level of intensity I expected to observe at the Millennium Cup, a Scrabble tournament in Singapore taking place in March every year. Here at a multi-purpose hall in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), over 50 players young and old engaged in 16 rounds of hour-long matches over two days. The concentration was relentless; the effort total. But as each round comes to an end, players break ranks to hover over other tables and peek at the words on display. One showdown, however, was of more interest: Hubert Wee versus Toh Weibin. The former is world No 3 and No 1 in Singapore. The latter is ranked 11th in the world and second in Singapore. Wee, 37, has been playing Scrabble competitively since 2003. It started with casual games with his family, but his interest took off after reading Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis, a collection of profiles of competitive Scrabble players. After playing online for a few months, he decided to start participating in local tournaments. What's kept him going, competitively, for over 20 years? 'I enjoy playing the game. It's intellectually challenging and engaging,' he said after a long pause. To the casual player, Scrabble involves forming words on a board, using tiles. They may sigh when they draw the lone Q or X, or pump a fist when they draw a blank tile (denoting any letter they choose). Using all seven tiles on a rack in one move is a bingo, adding a 50-point bonus to their total score. Often, that's as far as their understanding of the game goes. A competitive Scrabbler, however, knows how to make more than one word in one move. If luck smiles upon them, they know how to make words worth almost 200 points. They know there are 12 E, 9 A, 9 I, 6 N, 6 R, 6 T and 4 S tiles among the 100 in the bag. They know these letters can form the word 'nastier', but the more seasoned ones know they also form the words retains, retinas, antsier, ratines, stainer, anestri, resiant, retsina, starnie and stearin. Wee's inclination for the game emerged quickly. He entered the top division in local tournaments within a year of playing, and became a grandmaster in three. There have been about 25 grandmasters in Singapore. An average of one is crowned every year here, based on player ratings after tournaments. 'The first time I played him was in 2004. The second time I played him I lost already,' said Singapore's 10th-ranked player Ricky Purnomo, with a chuckle. Purnomo, currently president of the local Scrabble Association, recalled meeting Wee as a 15-year-old who came to tournaments accompanied by his parents. Then, Wee's routine involved studying the dictionary and practicing – both online and at a club once a week. Today, it's still practice and more practice – spending about half an hour to an hour a day simulating matches and studying words. He also plays four to five international major tournaments a year, including the World Championships. Is that what it takes to become a grandmaster? For Wee, some innate talent is also necessary. 'You need a good memory, anagramming skills and math skills,' he smiled. GOTTA MEMORISE THEM ALL Scrabble is not an 'English' game, according to Purnomo. 'It's a math game, to some extent.' More accurately, he added, it's a game of probability, where stronger players keep track of which tiles have and have not been played – to figure out what words their opponents may play, and to try and block them from scoring points. In chess, players have to think many steps ahead. With Scrabble, players also think ahead about possible word combinations, but it's based on what's left in the bag. The possibilities start off broad and narrow as the game progresses. While the casual player might only play with words they know, a competitive Scrabble player does not, in fact, know the meaning of all the words they concoct on the board. Noting that the game draws the likes of engineers and data analysts, Purnomo said: 'We realised that people who supposedly have a vast vocabulary can often be outdone by people who either are good programmers or musicians – people who can spot patterns.' In Wee's penultimate match against Toh, the words on their board included octofid, meve, muti and screeds. I asked if they knew the meaning of all the words they use. 'Of course not. Remembering the meaning of the words means less 'space' to memorise more words,' Wee replied. There are about 279,000 words in the Scrabble dictionary and competitive players usually try to memorise up to the eight-letter words, of which there are about 150,000. 'There are 43,000 nine-letter words which I don't bother to study, but Hubert has demonstrated consistently in the tournaments that he can play nine-letter words,' Purnomo added. At this year's Millennium Cup, he played the highest-scoring word: 'Chazanim', for 180 points. Globally, a Singaporean – Toh – has held one of the highest records of 850 points, since 2012. Purnomo acknowledged there were also good Scrabble players who are 'actually vocabulary people', who pick up the game because they want to put exotic words on a board. 'To me, in general, don't worry too much about the words,' he added. 'Don't worry too much about the strategy. Just enjoy.' Associate Professor Jeffrey Koh, a game design expert at the Singapore Institute of Technology, believes Singaporeans are "naturally disposed" to enjoying a game like Scrabble. He said logic and deduction are taught from a young age here, and that many Singaporeans also speak more than one language. Assoc Prof Koh himself is a fan. He learned the game from his father, an English professor, and now plays it regularly with his wife, even coming up with their own house rules. Between them, they accept any word, even in Hokkien or Tamil, as long as they can agree that it has a meaning. How does competitive scrabble work? When you buy Scrabble off the shelves, the rulebook in the box is about two to four pages long. Competitive players contend with a 39-page rulebook that's constantly being updated. Casual games can involve up to four players, but in competition it's only ever 1v1. Each player starts with seven tiles on a rack. They take turns to make a move, or place tiles on the board to form words. Over the whole game, they have 25 minutes each to play. Ten points are deducted from their total score for each minute they go over time. Realistically, this means most players make about 10 to 14 moves per game. Each tile has a point value and can be placed on premium squares, making them worth more points. Using all seven letters on a rack in one turn is called a bingo, which adds an extra 50 points to the total score. Opponents may challenge each other's words. In most international competitions, the player who was challenged wins points if the word is valid. In the US, a "double challenge" rule is more prevalent, where the challenger loses their current turn if the word turns out valid. In all tournaments, if the word is invalid, the person who played it loses their player who scores the highest point total wins the game. ANYTHING BUT GADGETS At the Millennium Cup in March, duking it out a few rows away from Wee and Toh were division three competitors – which included primary and secondary school students. More young players are coming on board these days, with inter-school tournaments gaining traction and the university – mainly NTU – scene still going strong, Purnomo said. In recent years, a YouTube channel run by American Scrabble grandmaster Will Anderson, with over 50,000 subscribers, has also led to Singaporean viewers reaching out to the local association, he added. 'He has a lot of non-Scrabblers who discover it by following chess or something else, and then they get interested,' said the 46-year-old. The Scrabble Association, Singapore now has 128 members ranging from primary school age to more than 70 years old. Younger people make up the majority of new joiners, and occupy most of the novice or intermediate divisions. The top division is occupied by seasoned adults with one or two special 'phenoms', Purnomo said. The game is also a co-curricular activity offered by several primary schools in Singapore. The youngest players start by memorising two- to three-letter words and forming what they call 'burgers' – multiple words stacked together either down or across. Thirteen-year-old Isaac Goh discovered the game at a school CCA fair, while in Primary 3. The students manning the booth had invited him to try scrambling and unscrambling tiles to make anagrams. 'I thought that was quite fun so I just joined the CCA,' Isaac said. His mother bought the family's first Scrabble set soon after. 'It's not very complicated for me. Simple, easy words; you just put down some, and then after that you get a score,' he told CNA while waiting for a training session to start. Participating in inter-school competitions and winning matches has motivated him to improve. To him, 50 per cent of a match is decided by luck, while hard work and preparation make up the other half. His mother Michelle Goh admitted that she initially leaned into her son's interest with an eye on the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme. Just one secondary school in Singapore – Maris Stella – takes in Scrabble players under the DSA, which lets students use talents in areas such as sports and music to get into schools ahead of examinations. Upon seeing her son warming up to the game after winning his first trophy in P4, she thought it would be good to send him for coaching and even overseas competitions for more exposure. 'He doesn't mind if I send him for more lessons for this. To me, anything that's away from gadgets is a healthy type of pastime,' said the mother. Isaac, who ended up enrolling in the Singapore School of Science and Technology, is still at it. After participating in the tournament in March, he has been attending Scrabble training sessions once a week throughout the June school holidays. He hopes to break into the top 10 in Singapore for his age group, to earn a shot at playing in the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Kuala Lumpur in August. The school to international circuit pipeline is not new. Singapore's second, third and fourth-ranked players all walked this path. Toh, Singapore's No 2, started playing in Secondary 2 before joining the school team, competing locally and globally and eventually joining the association. Three years after his first tournament, Toh won the World Youth Scrabble Championship in 2007. These days, the 34-year-old tries to play two to four major competitions a year, and will be taking part in the upcoming world championships in Ghana. 'I've been playing for some time already, at this stage it's about joining the ones I want to join. I'm not as hardcore serious about the competitions nowadays, but I do still try to join and meet up with friends. It's always a good experience to play overseas,' said the full-time public servant. Toh laughed and said he was sure his world ranking would drop soon, after placing 10th in a recent tournament in Malaysia. 'A UNIVERSE OF POSSIBILITIES' It's not just his motivations – Toh's playing style also differs from Singapore's other top Scrabblers. 'I don't go that heavy into knowing all the words. Compared to Hubert, my word knowledge is definitely not as strong,' he said, as he Googled the meaning of 'grilses', a word that caused him grief at a previous tournament because he didn't realise his opponent had spelled it wrongly. 'I think even Ryan now has almost leapfrogged me in terms of word knowledge.' He was referring to Ryan Wee, who's ranked third in Singapore and 30th in the world. The 25-year-old freelance writer grew up playing the game at home with family before joining his primary school team. '(Hubert) inspired me to play Scrabble,' he said as he left the hall after the March tournament, gesturing towards the older Wee. Ryan met Hubert shortly after his first tournament in 2015. 'Before that I had read bits and pieces in the newspapers, and you'd see this name … to meet him in person was quite awe-inspiring,' he said. He described Singapore's top player and the world No 3 as a 'very nice guy' happy to exchange tips on how to get better, and whose outstanding game has pushed him to improve. 'Because that's the benchmark. You want to get close to where Hubert is. I think it's very attainable, you just have to know as many words as he does,' he said. 'It's just a joy to play with him. It's something to look forward to. Every time I see that Hubert has registered, I'll try to play in the tournament as well, just to see where I'm at.' Ryan sets aside about one to two hours a day to study anagrams. He doesn't like thinking too much about probability, though, because it 'kills the fun' of the game for him. 'I love the fact that every game is different; it's unique … Every time you dip your hand in the bag it's a universe of possibilities. You never know what your next rack is going to be,' he added. 'I like the fact that it really tests your mental strength, fortitude and equanimity. Whatever comes my way, whether good or bad, I just have to soldier through.' Isaac's coach Liew Kian Boon, who's ranked fourth in Singapore and 48th worldwide, started playing competitively in Secondary 2. While in university, he was invited to Hong Kong to coach their representatives for the World Youth Scrabble Championship, and realised there were opportunities to teach more people to play the game. After a five-year hiatus because of work, he started organising informal sessions in Tanjong Pagar. With two other partners, he has been working with various organisations to bring Scrabble interest groups together, mostly made up of newbies with no competition experience. These groups meet once a month and gather about 20 participants each time. The 34-year-old, who is coaching four students this June, told CNA he comes from a family that doesn't speak English. 'Scrabble is the thing that helped me in my language and at school,' said Liew, adding that the game also helped him learn how to study better. 'It really helped me and I also want to help other people, especially in terms of the youth.' The game is nostalgic for many, said educational psychologist Wilma Vialle, who used to be a competitive player and has been tournament director for the World Championships about 10 times. 'Scrabble is a very enduring game ... You don't ever get to the point where you know it all. You can know the entire dictionary and you can have all sorts of strategies at your fingertips, but there is always something else to be learned,' she added. 'It is that sense that there's always another challenge.' Dr Vialle added that 'the people who are very, very good are mentally tough". 'You can do only so much on your own, but it's only when you're challenged by the competitive environment that you learn from others,' she said. SOCIAL CLUB All the players CNA spoke to pointed to the community and the camaraderie as a big part of why they pursue the game seriously. On top of Liew's interest groups, the Scrabble Association also organises a Kebun Bahru Scrabble Club which draws 10 to 20 players every week. The club's convenor is the association's oldest member – a 79-year-old who returned to competitive Scrabble two years ago, after a 16-year hiatus. 'We do see more youngsters joining us after COVID, but pleasantly we also see some adults who used to play when younger, stepped away from the game while they spend more time on family or career, and now rejoining the scene as their family or career have been well cared for or as they approach retirement,' association president Purnomo added. The Kebun Bahru club held its first session in June 2024, and the association has since launched another club in Punggol, which had its first session in February. There are plans to start a third club in Bedok by August. Back at the Millennium Cup in March, the players – from the local elite like Hubert Wee and Toh, to young bloods such as Isaac – spend time in between matches analysing and comparing their moves and strategies. At the table and on the board, the world No 3 might be in a league of his own, but his close friendship with the rest is evident. 'Maybe Hubert doesn't get to see from the inside out, but from the outside, over 20 years, Hubert has been much more social than when he first started out. I think Scrabble has something to do with it, which to me is a bit unique,' Purnomo said. Wee eventually came out on top after winning 12 of his 16 match-ups. He remarked that our hour-long interview 'was more difficult than the tournament'. Singapore's top grandmaster plans to continue competing locally. He still sees value in participating in tournaments here, and the players still pose a challenge. 'I have no particular goal,' he said after another long pause, when asked about new targets or career highs to aim for. 'Maybe to win the (Singapore) nationals?' 'You have done that,' said Purnomo, sitting opposite him. 'I have a feeling he will want to dominate (now).'
Observer
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
Board games: Where fun and learning meet
Memories of childhood spent playing Ludo and Snakes-and-Ladder are almost disappearing with the tides of time, but other board game options have become popular among different social groups. While Covid saw an exponential rise in the popularity of board games, their continued popularity is more surprising but happening for all the right reasons. Already worth billions of dollars, the tabletop board game market is set to grow to $32 billion by 2032, according to Forbes. This is a massive rise for a past-time which was considered more suitable for retirement communities and rainy days. An important reason for the rise of board games is the need for tangible experiences in a digital world of screens. Gathering around a table and actually playing with someone across the table adds a dimension that younger players may not have experienced. Of course, nostalgia is a big factor too. Many millennials have fond memories of playing board games with family and friends and they do try to share the experience with their children. These games create memories and help to connect with our past, adding chatter and nostalgia to the mix. Board games also provide social connections. It is not surprising that there is a trend towards cafes which offer board games to choose from. These create opportunities for face-to-face interactions, creating a community and enhancing social relationships that are being lost in the world of Zoom calls. There is also a wide variety of board games to choose from today – not just the traditional Monopoly or Scrabble but also games like 'Catan' and 'Ticket to Ride', which cater to every taste and age. Some have also become competitive, with gamers meeting other enthusiasts in physical competitions. Tabletop games have also re-invented themselves to stay relevant. There are story-driven and interactive games which depend on collaboration and narrative immersion. Games like 'Pandemic' make players work towards a common goal, increasing and improving collaborative skills. Narrative games like 'Gloomhaven' immerse players in a story where the choices they make will change the course of the story. This creates opportunities for players to understand the consequences of human action, even through fiction. Of course, board games have found a digital space as well, with players engaging in interactive games online. It is this adaptability that makes the games popular. Board games offer nostalgia, social connections, imaginative space and technological possibilities. But they also have many educational benefits. Games like Settlers of Catan help with strategy, Sushi Go enhances calculation skills, and of course, Scrabble improves language abilities. But games also help in developing other skills like cooperation, team building, communication and cultural awareness. They also help in developing personality traits like patience, politeness and concentration. There is almost no negative side to playing board games. They remain a popular way for families to bond. Allowing children to choose the games and explain the rules gives them ownership and makes them feel valued. This long summer, introducing our families to the age-old tradition of board games may be the best use of our time.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
On Father's Day, I think of all the questions I wish I'd asked my dad
To my daddy on Father's Day, because we never talked about any of this. And because I didn't get to tell you goodbye, and there was so much more to say. It sometimes hits me, Daddy: There was so much we never talked about. Things you don't bother to discuss because you're too busy living ... until you're rifling through a pile of faded photos of lost loved ones one day and the woulda, coulda, shouldas set in. I'm sorry I didn't listen and watch more often when it came to how to do things like build a good fire in the fireplace, strategize in Scrabble and make the world's best, flavorful, just-this-side-of-greasy fried potatoes. You did all that as easily as breathing. I wish we'd spent time talking about your childhood, which I know was miserable at times. I know about the mismatched shoes you had to get from a church one time as a kid because they weren't giving away two that fit your feet. Maybe you didn't want to talk about it, or to dump that misery on a kid of your own. But what did you want to be when you grew up, besides poor? You were so busy working your tail off in a factory and on a farm, taking care of us and some of your relatives as an adult … but what did you dream about when you were a boy? Where did dreams take you? Or did fantasies never materialize in the dark for a kid whose parents moved again and again, grubbing away as farmers in the 1920s and '30s? Do you remember how cool it was when we moved into the new home I hope you'd dreamed of, and you built a picnic table? Do you remember scaring my friends when they came for slumber parties by making spooky noises, and us laughing as we ran past you in your chair in the den, fake-screaming because we knew it was really you? And making another friend think a lobster was screaming when you dropped it into boiling water? And convincing 4-year-old me that the courthouse in our hometown, then a white building, was the White House, and a great place to stop and use the bathroom? And that a group of transmission towers off an old country road was a bunch of spaceships ready to take off? I loved doing the TV Guide crossword puzzles with you. And cutting out coupons with you. And watching really awful TV comedies with you, and hearing you spin tales that captivated people. And hearing you whistle. You were a killer whistler. People don't whistle enough now. I do. Every chance I get. When you left Kentucky for Florida to work at the Hollywood Hotel in your early 20s, why didn't you stay longer? What did Al Capone look like up close? And tell me about Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable and the other pin-up girls of the 1940s, the ones whose tinted, glossy pictures you kept in a big envelope that I loved to look through. What was it like to serve in World War II — you, a country boy who was drafted once you were back in Kentucky — and fly on your way to battle in Italy and North Africa? You never talked about it and didn't join any veteran groups. What happened that you never wanted to fly again, ever? I remember seeing you, from the plane on the runway in Louisville and Cincinnati, waving to me from behind glass windows in the terminal. What were you thinking as you pressed money into my hand as I kissed you goodbye? Were you secretly happy that I was finally living the life I chose? When you think of me, Daddy, and I hope you do, do you smile? Do you laugh out loud in that all-consuming way that filled the room as you regaled people with those wonderful stories, and made your eyes look less tired and far-away? I never told you: You made me want to be a storyteller. Are you still disappointed about the times I had to come running home to the farm, broke and broken? Or can we agree now that even when I made a mess of everything, the only person I really hurt was me, and that maybe you could've been more supportive when I wanted to spread my wings? It's OK. I figured out all of this as an adult. I know you wanted so much for me; for me to be a person who could come to you, openly, with my problems and stupid life decisions … but geez, from the time I was 10, you could make being open so hard. (And don't lie, mister. If you'd had your way, all of your kids would have lived a mile from you as adults, and buried one day right there beside you and Mommy at Pythian Grove cemetery. P.S. Doug and I are going to be cremated. I can see Mommy's face now. Give her a hug.) Opinion: For many Brevard seniors, need never ceases. But Aging Matters faces funding hurdles Do you remember giving me a kiss on the cheek before I went to bed, every night of my life, until I left for college? And carrying my trunk on your back up the steps to my first dorm room? And sneaking a hot plate into one of the dresser drawers, though you knew I wasn't allowed to have it, and telling me to lock my door at night? And paying for the refrigerator when Doug and I bought our first house in Arizona, and smiling through the phone when I told you I decided to buy one at a scratch-and-dent store and use the rest of the money you sent on food? And calling me almost every day when I was on my lunch break on my first reporting job, walking me through your day and asking me what I was writing about? I felt the pride, old man. You can't fool me. Do you still wear Old Spice? Do you know that I can smell it in my dreams, and feel your scratchy-beard-stubble cheek against mine, and that I still don't know all the two-letter words I should know to excel in Scrabble? And that I can see you now, 31 years after your death, waving from behind a see-through cloud that's almost like an airport terminal window? You're shaking your head, with happy eyes and a half-grin on your face, wondering why I'm writing all this garbage but loving it, and me, anyway … and whistling as you head home. People really don't whistle enough, Daddy. They just don't. Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@ Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Father's Day: So many memories, so many unanswered questions | Opinion
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Tolentino: Return of article of impeachment allowed under Rules of Court
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Sunday said the return of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives is allowed under the Rules of Court the senator judges have adopted. In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB's 'Bantay Balita Sa Kongreso,' Tolentino said the senators as the impeachment court adopted Senate Resolution 39 which contains the pre-existing rules of the Senate used during the impeachment trial of former chief justice Renato Corona. The senator judges also adopted the Rules of Court as a 'supplementary rule,' he added. Citing Rule 135 Section 5 of the Rules of Court on inherent powers of the court, Tolentino said, 'every court shall have the power to amend and control its process and order so as to make them conformable to law and justice.' 'Ibig sabihin ng inherent powers of the court, meron pong mga essential and implicit powers ang mga husgado kahit hindi nakasaad sa batas para maipatupad ang processes,' Tolentino explained. (Inherent powers of the court mean that the judges have essential and implicit powers even if it is not indicated in the law to implement its processes.) Among these inherent powers are contempt power, power to issue writs, power to control proceedings, power to protect its jurisdiction, and power to amend processes, according to Tolentino. 'Pumapasok dito Section 5 Rule 135 ng Rules of Court 'yung inherent power of the court to return,' he said. (To return is an inherent power of the court under Section 5 Rule 135 of the Rules of Court.) The solon also cited Section 6 Rule 135 of the Rules of Court, which states that 'means to carry jurisdiction into effect any suitable process or mode of proceeding may be adopted which appears conformable to the spirit of the law or rules.' 'So ibig sabihin ina-allow (So, this means it's allowed),' Tolentino said. Tolentino made the response after the decision to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte drew criticism from the public and members of the legal community. He reiterated Duterte's case has not been dismissed or terminated. Escaping the issue In the same dzBB program, reelected Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña countered the return of the articles of impeachment is the Senate's move to flee from the issue. 'Kahit tayo ay nalilito na kung remand ba o return. Ang ginawa ng Senado, para silang nag laro ng Scrabble— humugot ng kung ano-anong salita para lumayo sa isyu at hand,' Cendaña said. ''Yung issue at hand ay pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan at pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Mahalaga na tandaan ng Senado na ang Kongreso, ginawa ang kanyang trabaho. As far as the rules of the House is concerned, nagawa natin 'yun,' he added. (We are even confused whether it is remand or return. The Senate seemed like they played Scrabble, throwing all sorts of words to get away from the issue at hand, which are the abuse of power and stealing from the country. It is important for the Senate to remember that the House did its part. As far as the rules of the House are concerned, it did its part.) Cendaña endorsed the impeachment complaint filed by advocacy groups on December 2, 2024. He said the Senate action is 'damaging the mechanisms of accountability.' 'Itong ginawa nilang pambabalahura, pananabotahe sa process ng impeachment, hindi lang si Sara Duterte ang palulusutin nila, [pati na ang] iba pang mang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan,' Cendaña said. (By sabotaging the process of impeachment, they not only let Duterte get away with it but also those who abuse their power.) House to comply with Senate prosecution Meanwhile, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arman Panaligan said the House will comply with the Senate prosecution as long as it is mandated by the Constitution and within the proper procedure. 'Mag ko-comply naman kami (we will comply) as long as it is in accordance with the rules,' Panaligan said. Panaligan, who is a House prosecutor, made the statement as the Senate prosecution mandates the House of Representatives to certify the non-violation of Article XI, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the Constitution and that the 20th Congress communicates it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint. The House of Representatives has yet to transmit to the Senate its resolution certifying that the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte complied with the 1987 Constitution. 'Hindi naman [sa sinasabing patay na ang impeachment against Duterte]. Nakabitin lang kasi wala nang session ang Congress. Nag-adjourn na kami... Pati impeachment court, naka-suspend din,' Panaligan said. (We're saying the impeachment has not been dismissed. It's been left hanging since Congress has adjourned and the impeachment court is suspended.) For Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, there is no impasse with the House of Representatives in Duterte's impeachment court. 'Hindi na dapat tinanong ang House of Representatives. Kasi kung ayaw nila, ipu-pullout naman nila ang articles of impeachment. Ang magiging aksyon ng House of Representatives diyan, kapag nag-convene sila, June 28, magpapadala sila ng certification o magpapadala ng bagong listahan ng prosecutor,' Gatchalian said. (The House of Representatives should not be questioned because if they don't want to pursue the impeachment case, they will pull out the articles of impeachment. Once they convene on June 28, they will either send the certification or send a new list of prosecutors.) 'Sa ganitong punto, wala pa naman akong nakikitang impasse. Sa body language ng Kamara, nagpadala na sila ng certification. Makikita sa kanila na gusto nilang ituloy ito,' he added. (At this point, I don't see any impasse. The House wrote a certification. I can see they want to pursue the impeachment case.) —RF, GMA Integrated News
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Internet Scrabble Club': The Retro Site That Shames Modern Apps
Online Scrabble is a crowded field It looks like it hasn't been updated since 1996. It has sound effects that you've not heard since the glory days of AOL. Yet the Internet Scrabble Club puts the game's official apps to shame. Created by a Romanian player called Florin Gheorghe, according to the site's Wikipedia page, the Internet Scrabble Club is all about the game – there are no ads, no in-app purchases, no distractions. There's a premium tier for those who want to unlock more advanced features, but anyone can play for free. It's a glorious reminder of what the Internet used to be like and the best place to play online Scrabble that I've found. There is no shortage of apps and sites out there that will let you play Scrabble online – although many avoid using the 'S' word for intellectual property reasons. One of the officially endorsed apps is Scrabble Go, which is available for both iOS and Android, but it's a user experience horror show. It's a barrage of pop-ups and promotions as you play, desperately trying to convince you to link social media accounts or buy virtual currency so that you can purchase needless trinkets such as fancy tiles. It feels more like playing a slot machine than Scrabble. Scrabble Go deluges players with constant promotions FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Then there's Classic Words With Friends, which is very similar with the constant pleas to try this and that, and the full-screen, unavoidable video ads after you play each word. Some of the websites are better. lets you get on and play without even requiring you to register, and with minimal intrusive advertising. However, not having to register means anonymous players think nothing of abandoning games early if they're getting well beaten and the site has some curious features. For example, it shows you precisely what letters remain unused, including your opponents' letters when you get down to zero tiles left in the bag. That just feels like cheating. The curiously named is a decent Scrabble site, too. It's a non-profit funded by donations, allowing it to run ad-free. My only real gripe with the site is that it's often difficult to find people waiting in the lobby for a game, especially outside of U.S. hours. The Internet Scrabble Club doesn't look pretty, but it's a haven for players The Internet Scrabble Club doesn't make the best first impression. It looks like a site that was abandoned around the turn of the millennium, with dated graphics and few concessions to modern web design. Don't let that put you off, because the gameplay itself is wonderful. It clearly has a small but committed community of players. There's rarely any trouble finding an online match at any time of day and the players take it seriously. I've played almost 40 Scrabble matches on the site now, and only one of those games has been abandoned, with an opponent leaving midway through. Players are courteous, but not overly chatty. It's common to wish the opponent good luck before a game starts; seven-letter bingos are normally met with a 'wp' (for 'well played'). It will take a while to get used to the site's labelling and acronyms. The figure in brackets next to a player's name is their ranking. Anything over 1,000 is seriously good, while 800 is the average (according to the site's help files). Your rank will improve greatly if you topple a much better-ranked player, but it's best to find opponents in and around your level and improve your rank gradually. Most players use the CSW (Collins Scrabble Words) dictionary, which accepts both U.S. and U.K. English spellings and is more generous with two-letter words than most dictionaries. Most will play in a mode where you're simply not allowed to play words that aren't in the dictionary, but some players use 'Challenge' mode where the opponent can dispute whether it's a valid word, and you lose your turn or points if it's not in the dictionary. There is a variety of match times on offer too, ranging from three minutes per player right up to 20 mins. If you're new, I suggest starting at ten minutes or longer. The faster 'blitz' games require extraordinarily quick thinking. The site looks like it's desktop-only and it certainly plays best when using a PC or laptop, but it does play fine on tablets too. There's the odd glitch as you drag a tile on to the board, but it's more than playable on an iPad or Android tablet. It's even usable on smartphone screens, although I personally find it a little small and fiddly. So if you're looking for a game of online Scrabble and you're willing to be part of a friendly community, you could do a lot worse than party like it's 1999 at the Internet Scrabble Club.
