chess and coffee clubs

[recovering_fan]

While reading an old post from the Judge, about the Khess and Koffee Klub to which he used to belong, I started wondering what you all in the anti-sports crowd did for fun. Where does everyone go to meet people, since clearly red-neck sports bars and gladiatorial arenas are not an option?

FM's post:
http://www.sportssuck.org/phpbb2/viewto ... 9&start=15

In my case, I just graduated from college, so on Wednesday nights I stay in touch with an old college debating society with which I became involved during my last semester. On Friday nights, I could go to the chess club, but they don't talk there at all, and there aren't any girls there.

What sorts of things do you have in your home towns?

--RF

[The Imperialist]

THe Anime Society I run.
If not, bookshops, libraries, Anime Conventions and at somebodies house.

[recovering_fan]

@Imperialist:

Well, that's interesting. The only bookshops they have around here feature authors of mystery novels, which I don't like. (After joining this group and finding it much to my liking, I actually googled "mysteries suck" and "harlequins suck" in the hope of finding a site similar to this one but run mostly by women who were fed up with their friends recommending stale and cliche mystery novels for them to read. However, such a site does not seem to exist, and it appears all women are mystery novel fanatics! But, hey, at least they're reading something and not staring at the television in a catatonic state!) But I should definitely raid one of the lectures at the city library, because I've heard the stuff there is better.

That's very impressive that you actually run an anime society, despite not even having gone away to college yet. I have only read one manga myself (Gunnm) and have only watched one anime (Death Note) from beginning to end. I liked the way the Death Note played out. It was like a chess match where only minor pieces are ever exchanged and the two sides lines up everything around the center squares in anticipation of a coming war.

I would have answered you sooner, but I wanted to hear what other people did for fun with sports not an option.

And for those who are wondering, this is not the anime thread (see http://www.sportssuck.org/phpbb2/viewto ... 5&start=15). This thread was created so I could find out what people did for amusement. I need to find something to fill the void left from not watching sports!

Thanks,
recovering_fan

[i_like_1981]

Well, I've been to a gym this evening to get a bit of much-needed physical exercise that doesn't happen to be particularly common in my life. I do it weekly on Monday evenings. Surprisingly it isn't full of "jocks" and people who let their egos command them what to do, but mostly people slightly older than me who also seem to care about improving their physical status and strengthening their bodies for a better standard of life and health. I don't really talk to anyone there, but maybe I should. Now and again I'll see the odd colleague from work there and perhaps even get some tips off them. Strangely enough, they seem to do better on those machines than I do. Nonetheless, it's good that it's not a competitive setting and you can go at your own pace. If school PE lessons were like this and had been for me, I wouldn't have so much to say against sports on this forum. But the bozos who run PE departments around the world think that EVERY STUDENT will benefit from competitive sports. They should be catering for the rights of the less-athletic as well if they want any hope of creating a full class of stronger people.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[recovering_fan]

Hi 1981,

The latest method I have found of staying fit without competing is nature hiking. This weekend I went up a mountain with some friends, and we ran into a number of snakes on the trail, as well one honest-to-god wild turkey on the road in. Not everyone was able to make it up the mountain, so we were forced to turn back, but the excursion was pleasant nevertheless, and we all got a workout. British excursionists may have a more difficult time connecting with nature, since their country is so densely populated, but I remember from a trip over in AD 2000 that you can still see some exotic birds and beasts out in Cornwall. The beauty of the terrain itself is worth the walk on the Coast to Coast trail in the North of England, although one would have to train awhile before attempting that trip.

--recovering_fan

[Fat Man]

I remember many years ago when I live in Las Cruces New Mexico, there was a little coffe house and restaurant there where they served all kinds of coffees like Espresso, Cappuccino, or Latte.

There were shelves with books and chess or checker games or toys like puzzles and Rubik's Cubes, etc. etc.

So, while you were there having a meal or coffee with friends, you could garb a book to read, or take down a chess set, or amuse yourself solving a complex puzzle.

Unfortunately, it was only in business for a few months.

But I would go there almost every day.

Nothing like that ever lasts very long in Las Cruces, because it's just an uncultured redneck town.

[i_like_1981]

Hi 1981,

The latest method I have found of staying fit without competing is nature hiking. This weekend I went up a mountain with some friends, and we ran into a number of snakes on the trail, as well one honest-to-god wild turkey on the road in. Not everyone was able to make it up the mountain, so we were forced to turn back, but the excursion was pleasant nevertheless, and we all got a workout. British excursionists may have a more difficult time connecting with nature, since their country is so densely populated, but I remember from a trip over in AD 2000 that you can still see some exotic birds and beasts out in Cornwall. The beauty of the terrain itself is worth the walk on the Coast to Coast trail in the North of England, although one would have to train awhile before attempting that trip.

--recovering_fan

Hiking also sounds quite a good idea. I should do it more often (well, not proper hiking, just general country walks) but my inspiration to go out during weekends is always... quite low at best. Despite being a country with many notorious reputations, like run-down suburbs, Chavs and high rates of teenage pregnancy, Britain does have plenty of beautiful countryside and important historical sites to offer its more cultured, intelligent citizens in terms of entertainment. Perhaps next Summer I will attempt to go on some long walks. At the moment things are getting colder, the days are getting shorter and the nights are starting earlier. But I must say, that Britain can never be completely run down - we do have quite a bit to be proud of over here. Some of the natural scenery for example.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[The Imperialist]

Well, aside from that, it just happens that the members of the school anime society I run mostly do fencing, so we also kind of meet each other during the compulsory 'Games' lesson (games being actual proper sport, not like those stupid PE, so do proper cricket, football *shudder etc).

But I do admit, we are mostly indoor hobbyists, so most of our interests are indoors.

[i_like_1981]

My problem with PE is that they do nothing but force these "proper sports games" like football and cricket onto everyone. They believe that all boys will enjoy them and gain both emotionally and physically from being able to play these games every lesson. That's basically stereotyping. I had a rather... unpleasant experience with cricket, as I have written about on this forum numerous times. It's hardly education, is it? They really should remove the "education" from the term "Physical Education" and just call it "Sport" like the Germans do, because frankly, there was very little of any educational value in the PE lessons I participated in. It really was just watching the same people beat everyone else at all the games and then start rubbing it in their faces. It didn't develop me physically at all - in fact, it only turned me against the idea of improving my physique or fitness level. How are you supposed to gain if idiots constantly run down all your efforts to do so?

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[recovering_fan]

So, while you were there having a meal or coffee with friends, you could garb a book to read, or take down a chess set, or amuse yourself solving a complex puzzle.

Unfortunately, it was only in business for a few months....
Nothing like that ever lasts very long in Las Cruces...

Nothing like that lasts anywhere, these days. The old fashion clubs and Chinese tea houses cannot compete with television.

--RF

[Fat Man]

So, while you were there having a meal or coffee with friends, you could garb a book to read, or take down a chess set, or amuse yourself solving a complex puzzle.

Unfortunately, it was only in business for a few months....
Nothing like that ever lasts very long in Las Cruces...

Nothing like that lasts anywhere, these days. The old fashion clubs and Chinese tea houses cannot compete with television.

--RF

Also, nice quirt Coffee Clubs where you can hold a conversations with friends and hear classical music or 60's style rock can't compete with noisy sports bars where they have 7 great big flat screens TVs going each one on a different football game and all with the volume turned up to the max.

You know, these great big flat screens that you can hang up on the wall like a picture, they're a wonderful piece of technology, but they might eventually cause the downfall of civilization, because the art of conversation is now dead.

Unless you can find a nice quite restaurant somewhere.

Bur here in El Paso Texas, the Redneck Trailer-trash Capital of the USA, more and more places are getting those great big flat screen TVs so that every place will become a sports trough for the pigskin crowd.

The US Government actually likes the idea, because they really don't want us citizens having quiet conversations among ourselves. The Tea Party crowd in the Republican party are afraid that we might be plotting against them.

Soon, our conversations will be monitored in our homes.

As you are watching your TV, your TV will be watching you!

And in the future, we might all get arrested and sent to prison for the crime of not watching enough sports on our TVs, or for going to too many anti-sports web sites.

[i_like_1981]

I'm sure that'll never happen, people getting arrested and imprisoned for not watching sports or going to an anti-sports website. But there are a lot of people out there who would like to see that happen. I should know - I work around some of them.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Silence]

I usually go to my school's library from time to time, only during lunch or enrichment periods. I read classic novels or informative books. I stray from anything marked as "YA" or "Young Adult."

I also play a fair share of video games, one of my favorite series is Final Fantasy. I'm currently playing Final Fantasy VI, loving it so far.

Then I also listen to music, and Evanescence has been an obsession of mine for a few months. I just love to hear their music for some reason, I relate far too well to most of their songs.

Other than that, nothing else really. There's really no clubs in my city or school that support my interests.

[recovering_fan]

I usually go to my school's library from time to time, only during lunch or enrichment periods. I read classic novels or informative books.

Then I also listen to music, and Evanescence has been an obsession of mine for a few months. I just love to hear their music for some reason, I relate far too well to most of their songs.

Have you read anything by Kurt Vonnegut? I would highly recommend him. The first book of his I read was called Player Piano. It was also the first book he wrote, and probably the most conventional. If you can't get hold of that, read something like Jailbird or Slaughterhouse Five. I would not begin with Cat's Cradle, simply because it jumps around so much. In general, I think the books he wrote in his later years, like Jailbird and Hocus Pocus, are better books, because the bitter pessimism he felt about the world in his youth gives way to a zany, crackpot sense of humour.

--RF

[Silence]

Have you read anything by Kurt Vonnegut?.

Unfortunately, no. I'm in the middle of reading some other books, the "House of Night" series by P.C. and Kristin Cast and the "Psy-Changeling" series by Nalini Singh.

As much as I loathe Young Adult Novels, they provide a very good read in a weird way. My distaste from those types of books stems from the fact that they are hyped heavily and become obsessions of the public, which then closes off people's eyes and ears from less popular books.

I may take up on the books you mentioned. After I have read the ones I am currently reading. I'll probably take a short trip to a bookstore if I can't find any of Vonnegut's books in my school's library.

I also forgot to mention, I like to write as well. I've been writing since I was 11 I think. Most of my stuff, well most of my writings from 6th and 7th grade were usually handwritten, ridiculous to me in my eyes. Then comes my 8th grade and 9th grade stories, all of which were done in my own time or done for schoolwork for English. I have tried to write a novel 2 months ago, which I had ended since I lost my inspiration.