Dark of the Moon Postcard Tournament!

[don]

The lunar eclipse of 20-21 February will be the last lunar eclipse until 2010 and will be visible for Europe in the AM of the 21st, North America in the PM of the 20th.  The NASA link for this event is:  http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html or thanks to tinyurl.com, http://tinyurl.com/2cgawu.

To celebrate, I'm running the Dark of the Moon Postcard Tourney (TourneyBot #2300) which will begin when the partial eclipse begins:

EST	CST	MST	PST	AST	GMT	GMT+1h	GMT+2h
08:43 pm	07:43 pm	06:43 pm	05:43 pm	04:43 pm	01:43 am	02:43 am	03:43 am

This is a postcard tourney:  I'm hoping losers will send a postcard to winners, potentially resulting in 6 postcards for the tourney-winner!  But this is voluntary, and winners may choose whether to give their snail-mail addresses to the losers or not.

• Matches will be 5-pt (main) and 7-pt (finals).
• 'tell TourneyBot register 2300' to sign up!

Enjoy!

--
don

[don]

I have decided that the tourney winner will receive a genuine porcelein Buddha statue, more than 50 years old!, if I'm told the address to send it too.

--
don

[webrunner]

I have decided that the tourney winner will receive a genuine porcelein Buddha statue, more than 50 years old!, if I'm told the address to send it too.

--
don

Picture?

[don]

No Webby, an actual statue, not a picture of it.  It's about 4 inches tall with a hole in the bottom so you can set it on an incense cone.

--
don

[webrunner]

No Webby, an actual statue, not a picture of it.  It's about 4 inches tall with a hole in the bottom so you can set it on an incense cone.

--
don

LOL, i mean.. it may help if you post a picture of the statue

[don]

Here he is, guaranteed to improve your dice!  He'll actually fit in a regular-size BG board.  Placed harmoniously near your computer monitor he will turn FIBS' dice into Backwoods' dice!

--
don

[Tomawaky]

Oh please remove me from this tournament. I don't want to see this at home 
I would make some nightmares

[sixty_something]

October 2004 eclipse

great idea for a tourney, don .. 'twas a double pleasure playing and winning it .. the Buddha power even worked in an Grunge match with Backwoods (at 40/70 odds for nacci points) .. gammoned him with the cube at 2 for a remarkable comeback when he rolled back to back 55's with two on the bar and i closed my board .. so, it was triple fun

for any that may wonder why a lunar eclipse is a big deal, see this USA Today story, or this Wiki article .. for all anyone might want to know about this, future, and past eclipses see NASA's excellent article .. for any who, like me, may have not seen last night's eclipse firsthand see Wired Science blog posts for photos from all over the world

for me, the eclipse was hidden in clouds on a rainy night on the upper Texas gulf coast .. at best i could detect a dimming in the moon light visible only through clouds .. my mind's eye imagined a reddish tint during the maximum eclipse, but probably only because i was looking for it .. eclipses have always been important seasonal and lifetime benchmarks for me .. i remember being very depressed and missing most of the October 28, 2004, eclipse even though it was very visible here .. i looked at it only for a few minutes, but it did cheer me up .. the one on September 27, 1996 was my favorite .. it was awe inspiring

i remember leaving E. L. Furr High School in Houston after preparing my first six weeks exam teaching math, the moon that night looked a lot like the image above .. i still use that image as an avatar on the Kerrville Staff Council message board where i was a very active member when first joining FIBS in July of 2006 .. i haven't posted much there since last summer when i got serious about finally learning a little about backgammon .. my next post will be a long overdue hello to other staffers and friends at Kerrville

so, Don's Dark of the Moon Post Card Tourney!!! has provided not only a lot of fun and satisfaction, it has been a nice little trip down memory lane and re-united me with some old Kerrville friends where our motto is

Kerrville Folk Festival
May 22 - June 8, 2008
see you in Kerrville

the image below is for a cool guy i know in Washington state who once owned a happy little porcelain Buddha that bears with it the blessings of the dice gods and is now mine!
go Coogs!


2004 eclipse in Seattle

sixty

Life is short. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly.
-- Robert Doisneau (1912-1994)
French photographer noted for his frank and often humorous depictions of Parisian street life.
Doisneau's work gives unusual prominence and dignity to children's street culture;
returning again and again to the theme of children at play in the city, unfettered by parents.
His work treats their play with seriousness and respect.
(play is a good thing)

[don]

I actually was going to post the winner of my Dark of the Moon tourney but sixty's done pretty good taking care of that.  In case you don't know, sixty beat signine in the finals and won the Buddha.

I will message participants regarding their postcard debts, but thanks to all who played.

Regarding the Buddha, I'm looking into having it engraved, if it's possible.  Also, since Tomawaky seems to love it so, perhaps sixty would consent to Tomawaky holding the trophy?

--
don

[Tomawaky]

 

[don]

Unfortunately, the little Buddha did not survive my efforts at at inscribing sixty's nic, so I sent this little guy on its way to Texas instead.

--
don

[sixty_something]

cool picture, dono .. the sleepy Buddha looks great .. too bad about the happy little fellow .. hope you can repair it, but wonder whether you're just trying to avoid giving away the happy Buddha dice blessings .. lol

at first glance i thought the picture was one of the Conquistadors conquering the Aztecs .. on second glance i noticed details that contradict that .. here's my guess

Spoiler

William Armstrong Custer at Little Big Horn .. the tell was the empty pistol in his left hand and raised cavalry saber in his right .. confirmed it by noting the coup stick in the hand of the fellow about to count his coup .. and of course the dice can be arranged in two ways to make 7, for Custer's 7th Cavalry .. i hope the globe positioned the way it is is a hint that this little sleepy Buddha may see a sunrise at Stonehenge

[close]

way cool way of awarding the trophy .. let's have another trophy tourney soon - anybody got a trophy?

[spielberg]

There was a knock at my door this week and when I opened it I found a strange little fat guy sitting on my doorstep. As he made me feel better about my own chubbyness I decided to treat him to a little sight-seeing.

"What a heap of rocks"

(Stonehenge is around 5,000 years old. To this day no-one really knows what it was for tho' there are LOTS of theories!)

"Paaahh - modern architecture"

(Salisbury cathedral is officially 750 years old this year. The spire was added c. 1330AD.)

Then , like a flash, he was gone muttering something about Our Lady, Sacred Heart and "j'aime Paris en le printemps".

[don]

Wow!

I don't know how Buddha wound up in England!  Perhaps he got mixed up in SeaTac airport on his way to Texas.  But, as mentioned elsewhere, he may have been attracted to stellar happenings in the Netherlands!  Buddha is a lover of life, particularly new life!

--
don

[Tomawaky]

Here who is knocking at door this morning ....
The fat guy was hurry to get out of his box and we decided to play a little game.
Then I put him, nearby my indian on the chimney waiting our journey to see Notre Dame de Paris

[don]

Tomawaky!

How in the world did my Buddha get to France?  I thought he was headed for Texas!

--
don

[Tomawaky]

  Think the little man is on the road to see Madelien 
Are you ok Webby to host the fat Guy at home for couple of days  ?

[webrunner]

Sure.. but i don't have much time to entertain it
Madelien demands a lot of attantion

[Tomawaky]

Our Buddha met today the hunchback

Here is some pictures of the day

[don]

Hey Tomawaky!

I know Buddha enjoyed his discussion on physical angst with Quasimodo, but I should have let you guys know, Buddha has taken no vows of celibacy.  Or is there some other reason you haven't introduced him to any women?  Some women go for little fat guys!

--
don

[cassandra]

YES - good one, mr don! 


one of the next steps he will visit me. then we will see how much this little fat old wise rich guy likes cassandras

[webrunner]

here are some pictures of the littyle fat man's stay in our little country

[webrunner]

and more

[don]

Say Webby!

That's a pretty cute chick the little fat guy was sharing a pillow with!

--
don

[webrunner]

 

More to come soon.
I will take him to see a windmill and after that.. on to the next place in the world.

[don]

Say Webby.

Since I somehow mystically mailed the fat guy to England instead of Texas (who knew?) it appears he likes to travel.  Would it be possible to maintain a list of people with hospitable attitudes who might help him find his way to Texas, other than posts here?  This list should include:

• cassandra:  Freiburg, Germany
• DeaDice: Los Angeles, CA, USA
• goof:  Seattle, WA, USA
• Paul_William, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• ...

My suggestion would be that anyone who wants to help him on his way sign up for hosting a visit, agree to post a pic. here, and send him on.  Warning:  The little fat guy likes good-looking women as can be seen by who he's sleeping with at Webby's place!  Also, I am NOT responsible for his behavior if you get him drunk!

Recipients can communicate privately with people on the list to get snail-mail addresses, or send to someone not on the list, so long as pic. and agreement to move the Buddha on is understood.

--
don

[cassandra]

little buddha arrived in freiburg, its feeling well and sleeping at the moment

pictures will follow

[socksey]

Blotsalot lives in Texas, Don.  Maybe you can chat with him. 

socksey



Age doesn't make you forgetful.  Having way too many stupid things to remember makes you forgetful.
- Maxine

[cassandra]

schnitzeljagd in freiburg
hare and hounds

24.07.2008: interessantes in meinem ;) garten
2008/07/24: interesting things in my ;) garden

[cassandra]

24.07.2008 II

[cassandra]

24.07.2008 III

[cassandra]

24.07.2008 IV

[cassandra]

24.07.2008 V

back at home
zurück zu hause

[cassandra]

after this relaxed days in freiburg and the park little buddha seemed to be bored of modern, weird sculptures and naked boys. he grizzled things like *old rocks* and *pritty women* - well ...

the mining-explorer-group catched him and dragged him into a really old mountain


SPECIAL THANKS TO CHRISTIAN (born in black forest), INGO (born in ddr) AND KWIEPFERD (bavarian-greek)!!!

we visited a silver/lead mine, grube teufelsgrund in münstertal, which started in middle ages. later, they mined flourite (flourspar).




++++
!!!take a look at the fascinating pics on other internetsides!!!
more informations about grube teufelsgrund: http://www.teufelsgrund.de
and general informations about mining in the black forest: http://www.bergbau-schwarzwald.de/




on this pics: map of the region (where you see the bird, i lived my first 20 years)
in the mining-waggons: ingo (holding little buddha), me, christian, kwiepferd

[cassandra]

machines



++++
!!!take a look at the fascinating pics on other internetsides!!!
more informations about grube teufelsgrund: http://www.teufelsgrund.de
and general informations about mining in the black forest: http://www.bergbau-schwarzwald.de/

[cassandra]

impressions



++++
!!!take a look at the fascinating pics on other internetsides!!!
more informations about grube teufelsgrund: http://www.teufelsgrund.de
and general informations about mining in the black forest: http://www.bergbau-schwarzwald.de/

[cassandra]

middle-aged-hole



!!!take a look at the fascinating pics on other internetsides!!!
more informations about grube teufelsgrund: http://www.teufelsgrund.de
and general informations about mining in the black forest: http://www.bergbau-schwarzwald.de/

[cassandra]

little buddha meets saint barbara


http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_von_Nikomedien

!!!take a look at the fascinating pics on other internetsides!!!
more informations about grube teufelsgrund: http://www.teufelsgrund.de
and general informations about mining in the black forest: http://www.bergbau-schwarzwald.de/

[boog]

Somehow I think you meant to call this Darkside of the Moon.

[manxcat]

Uhhh no goob,
it was a lunar eclipse tournament, duhh

[webrunner]

Cassandra, i think you might have worn the little fellow out with all that travelling!
Great Job, after the lazy rest he had at our place and the beach he needed some exercise.

[boog]

Uhhh no goob,
it was a lunar eclipse tournament, duhh

uhh, duh. A lunar eclispe reveals a dark moon. uhh, duh.

[cassandra]

the last pics of buddha in freiburg are ready now
it are very much pictures and i had to chose, what was not easy

sooo
buddha and me enjoyed a very nice freiburg sommer weather in a lazy way, we have beenoutside and in holes (sroll up),  watching leo the tomcat (you see the pics in a prev. posting) and the moon (scroll down), we were in the city and looked around, saw some nice and some wired statue but many people - so buddha prefered to stay in my  backpack - we were backgammoning (sroll down viva) with the fibsters graugnom and marc and some other players. sometimes we were inside meditating or watching fibs.tv.

when the weather changed, we remembered our mission. a sight seeing tour  .
it was rainy and clowdy.  
and it was cold.  

but we had an order...  
- something important in freiburg - for sure this are the twin towns. in this section we chose matsuyama.* (see pics of the japanese garden)
- the most weird edge (city hall for technics)
- typical freiburg edges (solarcells, tram and mobility&bicyle-center) *giggle*
- the region
- the muenster
- a memorial


the next step was koeln/cologne. we had a ruminant train journey and arrived at a much colder and totally clowdy koeln. sure he had to see the dom. what is the catholics chirch (mondays are demonstrations there). and there were again too many people. buddha was afraid to climb out of the bag. but in the end he was happy about his courage. and as you see - he was overwhelmed. just now someone crossed our view. and - for a little advertisement in internet we could go on photographing.

in koeln, we visited erdbeere, who did not know the story of the little buddha. the first moment she seemed to be a little iffy (snapshot, not authorized yet), but then it changed, and she was interested and got amused in the end.


she took the little buddha to the fibsmeeting**. ty erdbeere, good job!  

so buddha arrived at his new host: paul
ok then... enjoy








* partnercitylink
http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/menu/1143623_pcontent_l2/index.html
http://www.freiburg.de/servlet/PB/menu/1145583_l2_pcontent/index.html

** fibsmeeting 2008
http://www.hardyhuebener.de/photos/fp2008_photo25.html

[cassandra]

unfortunately

freiburg is a poor city

and has no money for water for the fountains 

[cassandra]

at home.

buddha liked my pigs, liked to pose for fotos, and most he liked to sit in the fountain aside from reshs couch.
after this extensive baths, buddha dried by blewing into his ears.

[cassandra]

after buddha escorted me to the employment agency he wanted to feel big again. so we had a fotosession

[cassandra]

ok now. the most weird edge of freiburg.

[cassandra]

region - freiburg - black forest - 3-lands-edge (swizerland, france, germany)

we were on the top of a 17-floors-building (which is big for freiburg). here more then 4 pictures are needed, because this coward was too cute, wandering on the railing

[cassandra]

next region-pics

and then we were swimming - btw. he was not laughing about my old fighting-shoes!

[cassandra]

a memorial

in freiburg, there are very much memorial
so we went to the biggest in our park. there is a inscription to translate:

alemannisch - kaiserstuhl-dialect
*worum trenn uns a rhi? ass mir zeige choenne, wie me brucke baeut*
german
*warum trennt uns ein rhein? damit wir zeigen koennen, wie man bruecken baut*
english
*why is a rhine separating us? that we can show, how to build bridges*

so then. order done.


but
we like the other edge of this memorial too. but when we had our session, kids were coming and scared us!!!

[cassandra]

freiburger edges - 1st the tram and solarcells

[cassandra]

central railway-station, solarcells, bicyle-&mobility-center.... some people looked strange

[cassandra]

muenster - what is a protestants chirch

well - we were there. other peoples too. some were repairing the muenster, because of this there are scaffoldings, some were here to buy their food on the marked, and inside buddha did not allow to take a foto, there were many tourists fotographing.

ok then. order done. buddha was not in the mood to crawl out.

[cassandra]

on the way to koeln, the dome - see the story above.

[cassandra]

erdbeere and paul


in koeln, we visited erdbeere, who did not know the story of the little buddha. the first moment she seemed to be a little iffy (snapshot, not authorized yet), but then it changed, and she was interested and got amused in the end.

(scroll up)

[cassandra]

we had all fun with this fat little buddha and looking foreward to ne next visit


the last pics: a  spontaneous visit of my good old friend thomas

[cassandra]

well - i forgot the moon pictures 

[sixty_something]

way - looks like the happy little fellow has been having fun in his world travels .. Stonehenge and Salisbury, at the beach with Madelien, Notre Dame in Paris,  Freilburg in the Black Forest, Koeln, a FIBS meeting and still on the road to to Edinburgh, Scotland, and other exciting spots visiting FIBS friends .. way to go y'all and thanks for all the neat pics - keep'em coming .. wow, what a road trip!

a special thanks to cassandra for her enthusiasm at even building a scaffolding to put the little fellow atop the Freiburger Münster and her many other pics .. what a treat to see all this on my first visit back to FIBSboard in several months!

[don]

OK, where is the Buddha?  Why no new pics?  What evils is Paul William teaching him?

Oh the humanity!

--
don

[sixty_something]

the fault lay with me, not Paul_William .. i asked him to take the little guy to a pub near the Old Course at St. Andrews owned by a guy from my hometown .. i'm still trying to find the name of that pub lest Paul and the Buddha get lost in an endless pub crawl .. well, trying to remember to try to find the name of the pub is a better description .. thanks for the reminder

meanwhile, here is a picture of two happy Texans with Buddha-like bellies from just before Christmas .. on the left is my cousin Jeb, a very special pal with Fragile-X syndrome who just turned 21 this year .. on the right is yours truly with my full beard which is why Mama calls me a "Santa reject" , but Jeb likes it 

[socksey]

The little fat guy has been unheard of for so long, I thought perhaps he had been kidnapped by dark forces, succumbed to the feminine wiles of some fetching young lady, or flushed down the toilet!   

Where, oh, where is our little fat man?   

socksey



Could it be that there is one belief system that has greater heuristic potential than all others?? What would it be ?? - unknown

[Paul_William]

So, at last, here he is.

After the wee fat guy’s winter hibernation, he asked to go out and see a bit of the countryside.  Went fishing to Loch Markle and here he is posing with 2 of the local Trolls, each having landed a 9 pound trout.

[Paul_William]

Sorry, technical glitch here, some problem with the human interface's control mechanism.  Story to be continued in the morning

[Paul_William]

OK, try again

After the fishing, a trip to the river was next on the agenda, and he seemed to be impressed by the Forth Road Bridge.....

but wasn’t sure why there was a giant Meccano set put across the river beside it.

After that, a quick trip into town to see the Castle.  Fatty just loves posing on that pimp-mobile! 

Edinburgh Castle is one of Edinburgh’s biggest tourist attractions.  So is Holly from the Wally Dug.

The poor wee guy looks like he is being sucked down.  Hope he survives it.  The half-face is Mac, a musician with North Sea Gas, who will be touring the USA in May this year.  Catch them if you can, they are awesome.

[Paul_William]

That night was poker night, so his belly was rubbed for luck.  It seemed to pay off because here he is surrounded by Paul_William’s winnings.  The 6,2 off suit beside him were P_W’s final winning hole cards, so any poker players can draw their own conclusions from that!..............

Next, on to the best local in the world, The St. Vincent bar, so he went for a quick lunchtime pint with his new mate, big Bo.  Note the joke of the week on the mirror behind them.

Finally, he couldn’t resist the whiskies and begged to be allowed in amongst them.

You can tell it’s Scotland, 4 whiskies for £10, almost as good as buy one get one free.

[Paul_William]

Finally, here’s one for Don.  You said you wanted a buxom barmaid.

The wee fat guy is away now â€" hope he enjoys his next spot as much as this one 

[stog]

she has gone straight in to the front page random image folder!!
twice:)

what went into a bar?


wonderful bar too!

[Paul_William]

Two jump leads

[don]

What is a "jump lead"?

[Paul_William]

'Jump leads' are cables used to connect one car's battery to another's, if the other's is flat, therefore enabling the car to start.

[cassandra]

great pics paul!
thank you