Actually the main thing I'm trying not to do is play Halo: ODST. But I think there's still an embargo on ODST reviews. So that's out. So the other thing I'm trying not to do is play Wurdle.
Wurdle is an iPhone app. You get a grid of letters. You swipe your finger over them in any direction. When you make a word, you get points, and it makes a little chime, and your brain secrets a little droplet of pure natural heroin. You feel happy. Then the feeling goes away, and you swipe some more. You have two minutes to make as many words as you can.
When two minutes are up, you learn whether or not your life has any purpose, depending on whether or not you notched a new high score. Then the little orange letters rearrange themselves excitedly -- it's a real graphical masterpiece -- as if they can't wait to be spelled on again. You can't wait either.
You learn a lot from playing Wurdle. It's really educational. You learn that RES is a word. And REC and REG. Words that in the past played little or no role in your emotional life become more important to you than your children and/or romantic partners. You learn that it is possible to walk along a crowded subway platform while spelling letters with your finger, and that your fellow subway riders do not and never will understand how important it is that you do so.
You also learn that other people are damn liars. Because there's no possible way anybody could crack 10,000 on this thing, at 2 minutes, with a 5x5 grid. Let alone 20K.
I know something else you're trying not to do. And I know you're pretty good at not doing it.
Kemper
Sep. 18, 2009 16:49:pm
at 16:49:pm
nobody doesn't do it better
Lev Grossman
Sep. 18, 2009 16:58:pm
at 16:58:pm
Never has one done so little too frustrate so many....
Way off topic, but I was just reading your blurb about Bood's A Rover in the fall preview deal. I'm a huge James Ellroy fan. Do you think it's going to live up to my high expectations?
Kemper
Sep. 18, 2009 17:33:pm
at 17:33:pm
Oh shoot, that headline was like t-ball and Kemper beat me too it. And so here I sit with too little brain power to dig for a deeper retort.
Actually, at this point I'm fairly sure Lev has caved and watched the show without informing us. First of all, nerds are known more for their nerdly curiousity than for their forebearance, and Lev in particular is known for his fanboyish ways and attraction to mega babes. His watching of the show is as inexorable as the gravitic pull of a black hole on a passing base station. We merely serve as the angels agents of his capitulation.
anon76
Sep. 18, 2009 21:26:pm
at 21:26:pm
Strikethrough test.
Well, at least it works in preview, which may no longer be my friend.
anon76
Sep. 18, 2009 21:29:pm
at 21:29:pm
Oh, I thought you found the word 'emos'.
D'oh!
hoben
Sep. 18, 2009 22:39:pm
at 22:39:pm
The “Qu” key seems oppressive to me. What if you want to score on QANAT using your QWERTY keyboard?
thebro88
Sep. 19, 2009 01:34:am
at 01:34:am
Lev, is, to paraphrase, the Master of his Demesne.
dennitzio
Sep. 19, 2009 12:18:pm
at 12:18:pm
[deep sigh] I couldn't finish it. It's amazing. It's just an amazing thing that I can't really read. Dense, complex, cynical, exhausting. LA CONFIDENTIAL meets TREE OF SMOKE. I'll be interested to see what you make of it.
Lev Grossman
Sep. 19, 2009 16:04:pm
at 16:04:pm
Yeah, Ellroy definately makes you work for it. I've been re-reading American Tabloid and Cold Six Thousand to get my mind right for the new one, and I think it's creeping in to my day-to-day. I've been going around muttering to myself like this for days:
.
"Kemper's hungry. Kemper needs a sandwich. Kemper scopes the fridge. Dig it. Ham and cheese. Fresh loaf of wheat bread. Kemper grabs a knife. Dig those craaaaazzzzy mustard splashes."
Kemper
Sep. 20, 2009 08:50:am
at 08:50:am
I am really looking forward to Blood's a Rover, too. Unfortunately, I do not have a handle such as Kemper's that fits in well with Ellroy speak. From what I can tell from the preview on Amazon, Ellroy did not make the entire book an exercise in complete alliteration, for which I am pleased. I reread American Tabloid this summer, but cannot stomach the Cold 6000 again. Liked the plot, didn't enjoy the aforementioned accomplished alliteration (or was it complete and counterproductive consonance?)
Lev -- I also recently finished The Magicians. I continued to think after completing the book, which is good. Think you nailed the egocentrism of the protagonist's age, both calendar age and maturity as well as generational age. Still trying to completely visualize The Beast's face and hands, as well as the complex conjuring hand gymnastics of the magicians. Well done. If you are ever book-touring through Omaha, you will have a friend here.
omahalawyer
Sep. 21, 2009 10:20:am
at 10:20:am
I score around 14k on 5x5 in 3 minutes with a good board, so 10k in 2 minutes is definitely doable. 20k feasible too, but with fast fingers and lots of long words. If you get a dodgy board, there might not even be 5k points available.
You play it enough, you start to notice common patterns, trends in the way words are formed. I'm don't play Scrabble or word games that much, although I do do the NYT crossword.
menevets
Dec. 18, 2009 15:50:pm
at 15:50:pm