…with Gary Moss

Archive for May, 2011

Stand up and take a good look all around you. Notice the things that are close enough to touch. Notice the things that are in the distance. See the colors and shapes of objects. Notice the faces of people, what they are wearing, the direction that they are heading.

Now take 5 steps to your right. Close your eyes for 5 seconds. When you open your eyes look again. Focus on the same kind of things that you did earlier.

What occurred? Everything has changed. That quickly, everything that was is now somewhat different.

But you knew that. And yet somehow we expect things to be the same. When we get to the end of the street we live on it is comforting to know that making a left turn and going a mile will bring us to Starbucks.

But you knew that. And yet we look forward to certain predictabilities in life. And truly, those constants are not standing still any more that the rest of things.

(Imagine how disorienting it must be these day to live in Joplin, Missouri.)

In a world where our planet is spinning at 1,000mph and our planet is moving at an even greater speed through the galaxy, why is it such a surprise that the rest of our lives are in motion.

In a world where the tiny atoms of which we are made up each have parts that are in continual motion, why is it such a surprise that the rest of our lives are in motion.

I know a scrabble player who had been a regular player at clubs, a few years ago, and for personal reasons left the scrabble scene to deal with other business. His project recently concluded and he anxiously returned to the scrabble club, anticipating reentering the group right where he left off.

SURPRISE!

•The world had turned. •5000+ new words had been added to the OWL2 since he had last played at a sanctioned club. •Players whom he had always lorded over in the past were now beating him. •Past glories were just that . . . ‘past glories’.

The lesson here is ‘Don’t Rely On Solely What Is’. By all means, enjoy the present . . . but always be building your future. Anticipate change. Be a forward thinker. Beware of coasting, things will pass you by, when you least expect it.

This is true for all the important pieces of our lives:
Career
Community
Education
Family
Finances
Health
Relationships
Scrabble
Spirituality

I can’t take any credit for what you are about to hear and watch if you click the link below. But I do have a connection. The young man in this youtube presentation is my nephew, Alex Hale. Alex is my sister Kiki’s son. Alex has the condition known as Auspergers, a form of AUTISM. Alex’s performance will disspell the notion that some people have that people with Auspergers are not capable people. While they do have a whole set of challenges that the rest of us cannot easily comprehend, they each battle there own way to get out into ‘the light’. I have watched Alex and his demons over the years. There isn’t a single pill or a silver bullet.

Alex has a musical talent. He wrote the song that he sings. He also has a very talented, musical uncle, in the person of my brother Joel. Joel has won Grammies and Oscars, working with the likes of Ray Charles, Tony Bennet, and Elton John. In this project, Joel collaborated with Alex and brought in some other professionals in order to make this youtube video happen.

I am a very proud uncle and brother,

I hope you enjoy the music and consider making a donation to AUTISM SPEAKS in Alex’s honor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g9slDSZs2U

CLICK Check out AUTISM SPEAKS CLICK

Send Alex a note of congratulations via email: baseballwiz727@yahoo.com

If you are not in Laguna Woods, California this morning you have missed your opportunity to play in the 21st Annual Orange County Scrabble Tournament.

But not to worry. There is always another tournament on the horizon.

1st Sunday in June, June 5th for instance, you can enroll into that 1st Sunday Tournament. CLICK HERE.

This weekend I’ve been directing a 2-Day event. Here is how we stand after the first day of play. The rest will happen between 9:30 AM and 4:00 PM. If you want the final results and you do not receive my emails, send me a request by email to Letter.Man.Moss@gmail.com

STANDINGS AFTER 7 GAMES
1 Rachel Knapp
2 Gary Moss
3 Doug Brockmeier
4 Esther Kisich
5 Jim Laris
6 Bruce D’Ambrosio
7 Paul Rickhoff
8 Diane Kerner
9 Arna Schutz
10 Micah Chaney
11 Howard Lee
12 Rebecca Owen
13 Jacqueline Heller
14 Maliha Mahmood
15 Michael Chaney
16 Desiree Engle

High Game: 548 Rachel Knapp
High Play: 101 ‘ragweeds’ Rachel Knapp

1 BROCKMEIER DOUG/842: W13-535 W12-506 L11-341 W10-465 W9-485 L8-447 W7-2
2 KNAPP RACHEL/1244: W9=486 W7-464 W5-439 W3-377 W16-548 W14-403 W12-502
3 D AMBROSIO BRUCE/301: W8-499 W6-371 L4-415 L2-284 L15-329 W13-413 W11-394
4 MOSS GARY/533: W7-347 W5-505 W3-433 W16-451 W14-343 W12-401 W10-417
5 OWEN REBECCA/292: W6-384 L4-279 L2-302 W15-381 L13-330 L11-380 W9-391
6 KISICH ESTHER/427: L5-323 L3-351 W16-418 W14-382 W12-385 W10-397 W8-422
7 SCHUTZ ARNA/96: L4-347 L2-321 W15-437 W13-394 L11-370 W9-438 L1-389
8 RICKHOFF PAUL/66: L3-282 W16-392 W14-485 W12-343 L10-363 W1-476 L6-335
9 MAHMOOD MALIHA/-814: L2-275 W15-379 L13-267 L11-256 L1-243 L7-314 L5-330
10 KERNER DIANE/57: W16-345 W14-332 W12-476 L1-310 W8-402 L6-301 L4-349
11 LARIS JIM/ 114: L15-327 W13-311 W1-386 W9-403 W7-424 W5-390 L3-281
12 ENGLE DESIREE/-1113: L14-289 L1-241 L10-221 L8-304 L6-249 L4-339 L2-224
13 LEE HOWARD/-239: L1-279 L11-304 W9-374 L7-321 W5-402 L3-298 W16-320
14 HELLER JACQUELINE/-378: W12-367 L10-273 L8-250 L6-367 L4-314 L2-277 W15-368
15 CHANEY MICAH/-127: W11-363 L9-301 L7-303 L5-350 W3-382 W16-385 L14-368
16 CHANEY MICHAEL/-721: L10-322 L8-286 L6-244 L4-357 L2-292 L15-350 L13-287

A masterful game by Paul Rickhoff:

I am so perplexed by people these days. Maybe it just goes along with me growing older. I find myself becoming very critical and judgmental of others. Maybe I just have too much idle time and spend that time looking around. You be the judge.

I run into people at some of the more casual scrabble clubs who attend regularly, whom I assume enjoy the game. It brings them back week after week. But they don’t invest any energy to learn the 2-Letter-Words. These same people drive cars and know the rules of the road. Some of these people prepare meals for themselves and follow recipes. I’m certain that they have memorized their own phone number and numbers of some of their family and friends.

What’s with those certain people who do not turn off their cell phones at scrabble club, in restaurants, and at the movies? Even after being asked kindly they somehow figure that the rules do not apply to them.

Several simple item that I consider a common courtesy are ignored too (probably the same people). •Hold the tile bag up to eye level or higher when drawing tiles. •If you must talk during the game, only talk on your own turn. When it is my turn and my clock is running . . . BE SILENT! •Keep an accurate running cumulative score for both players, turn by turn.

What’s with bright people who know how to spell, being too lazy to do simple addition accurately? Why should I have to sacrifice the time on my clock to keep your score?

Why do so many players count their scores by placing the inky point of their pen or the lead tip of their pencil onto the tiles? Why aren’t they thoughtful enough on their own to touch the tiles with their finger or the eraser part of their pencil? (These are the same people who never bring their own equipment.)

Now let me throw a dig at HASBRO. Why in the world have they changed the color of the ‘HOT SPOTS’ on some of the newer scrabble boards? What were they smoking?

And why oh why would a competitive scrabble player buy one of those boards? It’s like some long distance runner buying shoes that are two sizes too small. The new boards create confusion and break the standardization in competition. SHAME ON HASBRO!

Let me know what gripes you. LETTER.MAN.MOSS@gmail.com

Do you ever wonder how and why things happen?

If you think that things happen because of a creator, you are right.

People all around you are the points of creation every day. And I bet that you are a point of creation too.

21 years ago Gena DuMez had an idea to create an annual tournament in Orange County California. Now here I am 21 years later, continuing her legacy, directing the 21st Annual Orange County Scrabble Tournament.

This weekend there is an opportunity for you to become a part of the continuing history of scrabble in southern California.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you came, played, and conquered the field and the championship? Enroll Now by CLICKING HERE or calling: (949) 510-1673.

The two guys who played this game, pictured below, should be playing in the event. Amnon Meyers and J.D. Herrmann played this game at Club #350 on May 11th. Amnon had 5 bingos. J.D. had only 2 bingos, but he played the triple/triple ‘airshows’ for 140 points. Final score was: Amnon ’585′ vs J.D. ’425′.

You don’t have to be an EXPERT to join in all of the scrabble fun. About 30% of the game is a result of ‘LUCK OF THE DRAW’. But, with that said, it is also true that:

The More You Know, The Luckier You Become.

If you want to know about future scheduled events in southern California, Click Here.

Oh how I wish you had been listening with me to yesterday’s colloquy by Les Brown.
If you haven’t spent some time listening to Les Brown yet, you need to do it TODAY!
VISIT LES NOW.

What I heard yesterday had absolutely NOTHING to do with scrabble and at the same time it was ALL ABOUT scrabble.

How can that be, you ask?

It was one of those magical messages that helped me clarify just how I got HERE from THERE. Les told us, the audience, the secret that is in plain sight. He told us the truth that most of us ignore or just can’t see and grasp. He reminded us of the times in our lives when we did incredible things that made big differences. He reminded me of the times that I accomplished things in my life that were almost unimaginable.

An aside:
I grew up on the poor side of the tracks in Detroit, MI. I wore hand-me-downs from my cousins and uncles because money was scarce. I didn’t quite fit in with my classmates. My mom arranged for me to go to the High School where the cashmere set attended. (What was she thinking?) While my school friends were trying to determine where they would go away to college as they played golf after school, I was delivering newspapers, working in a game room, and doing other assorted jobs, earning bus money to get to and from school. My folks volunteered time as youth advisors to the synagogue youth group. I attended the group, became active, and took on leadership roles. I was popular and found myself elected to positions of Treasure and then President. Later on I was elected to regional offices including President of a 5 State Region (CRUSY). Imagine that.
In 1968, after the tragic loss of my first daughter to SIDS, I decided to create a school. Many of my closest friends and relatives laughed. I was 26 years old, a fifth year public school teacher, never owned a business. “How do you plan to do that”, they asked? I just somehow knew. Within 10 months my ‘IDEA’ became a ‘REALITY’. Just like a baby learns how to walk, falling now and then, I took one step after another until the doors opened and the students enrolled. (Sometimes, looking back, it all seems dreamlike. But I have pictures to prove and document the events. That was really me doing those things.)

How many times have you risen to the call at different points in your life?

And we all still have much more of that spirit living within us.

Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve met thousands of people all around the world.
Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve used my teaching skills to invent learning tools.
Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve organized several scrabble clubs & tournaments.
Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve developed my blogs.
Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve hosted cruises and the only Hawaiian Tourney
Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve created Letter Man and YouTube clips.
Using SCRABBLE as my vehicle I’ve had a TV Cable Show, ‘Just For The Spell Of It’.

And who knows where the road will take me next?

Les teaches us that are all filled with the potential to do great things.

Know that you can.

Repetition is powerful . . . but while it can be a GOOD thing, it can also be a BAD thing. How often have you heard something like this said about ‘bad habits’: “If you always do the things you’ve always done, you’ll always get the things that you’ve always gotten”?

Enjoy a sedentary life style and become a cushy couch potato.

Use exercise equipment improperly and risk hurting yourself.

Exercise regularly and properly to improve your health and stay in shape.

The same is true for wannabe competitive scrabble players. Continue to use the same old bad habits or weak habits and you’ll always get the same poor results.

Considering that the power is just sitting there waiting for you, why not choose to do the right things in order to achieve the skills? The correct path begins with you discovering the exercises that are efficient and productive . . . and then using a system of spaced repetition, over time, to build a word and strategy arsenal.

You should know: STEMS – HOOKS – ANAGRAMS – TRACKING

Tools you should know: Whiz Cards – Scrabble 101 – Zyzzyva

Simply owning the correct tools and lists is not enough. One must do the proper exercises and repeated them at regular intervals in order to make a difference.

The most important ingredient of all is ATTITUDE.

Sometimes when I sit down to study the words in the OWL2 I become a little overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.

155,000+ words to memorize, or at best recognize, as the legal words permitted in the game. A list that includes many words that I might never know or come into contact with, had I not chosen to play competitive scrabble in North America.

I could still play the game without having to learn the volume of information devoured by the set of experts, who walk off with the championship trophies and prize money from tournament play. I could find a casual club where people are content playing with the common words used in everyday conversation, words like ‘happy’ and ‘simple’ and ‘help’. I could avoid the challenge of learning words with ‘Q’ that do not require a ‘U’ like ‘qat’, ‘qi’, or ‘qanat’. I’d then only have to know about 7,500 words instead of 155,000 words.

Last evening I took a break from scrabble and attended a meeting of a local Astronomy Club. The meeting was especially convenient for me to attend. It met right across the parking lot, outside Clubhouse #5 in Laguna Woods Village. Just like regular scrabble players own custom boards and tiles, many members of the Astronomy CLub own elaborate telescopes, the like that I had never seen before. The one that most impressed me projected the image onto a small video screen. (No longer a need to squint into an eyepiece to see objects in the heavens.) I had the pleasure of watching sunrise on the Moon, the rings and moons of Saturn, and a double-star that is part of The Little Dipper. The amateur astronomers were very knowledgable. They could rattle off information about the planets and stars in the same way that I can tell a newbie all about stems and mnemonics.

The enormity of the scope of astronomy pales the enormity of the scrabble world. Whereas scrabble players have a finite mission to absorb 155,000 words, the plate of the astronomer appears to be infinite.

It is all relative.

I came away from last nights viewing feeling a little more reassured that my scrabble task is doable.

If you are looking to build your scrabble skills and develop you memory, contact me for help. Taking my online class, SCRABBLE 101, will put you onto the right path.

Happily Ever After

Earlier today I was asked the question, “What happened to ‘happily ever after’?” Today wasn’t the first time that I’ve thought about that. It usually pops up during struggles and hard times, when things in life aren’t going smoothly, things seem to be off track.

To understand a big piece of the answer, one is forced to look back to the beginning where the events began and where the journey emanated. Was there ever an agreed upon definition of what ‘happily ever after’ would look like? Probably not. There was what I thought we meant . . . and what he/she thought we meant. It was a time when ‘feelings’ drove the relationship and the decisions. No one wanted to break the mood that the ‘good feelings’ generated. All parties trusted that everything down the road would work out for the best. How could it not? We’re both so happy.

Ones’ sense of ‘happy’ is usually dependent upon ones’ personal desires and hopes. We have no control at all over others and events. I wish that the road turned West toward the ocean but the road turns East toward the desert. I wish that my child become a successful doctor but my child only becomes a happy civil servant. My partner and I said the words ‘love’, ‘obey’, and ‘respect’ as part of our vows, but on many days I ‘feel’ that all of that was only some well written romantic script.

Honest, deep, bare-bones discussions are rarely entered into at the very beginning. Relationships mostly evolve over time as a result of many meetings and interactions. These are usually based upon encounters that make one or the other feel good. When enough of those ‘feel good’ events amass and one or the other is ready for more, a proposal is made. At this euphoric time in the relationship neither party will usually bring up a laundry list of ‘practical’, ‘everyday issues’, to distract from the raging hormones and loving ‘feelings’.

BUT WHY NOT?

The breakdown of all relationships is usually over an accumulation of the ordinary, mundane issues that build up to some point when they become disappointments.

The majority of relationships never do develop a way to honestly communicate with one another. And when it becomes obvious, years later, it seems too hard and too much work to begin to learn how to speak to one another in an open, honest, non-threatening way. It is even harder to hear each other’s true feelings. Our bad habits, over time, built up from the beginning are the major obstacles to renewing good will.

It is hard for people to come to grips with the fact that there never was a WE.

There was usually only a ME reacting to YOU and a YOU reacting to ME in a framework that permitted the mirage of a WE.

Now and forever we’ve only had control of ourselves, not of anyone else. If you have ever had the thought that you can control the behavior of someone else, you are delusional.

Yes, I know, that other person did a whole lot of things for you and to you, that you enjoyed. And I know that you took credit for those things occurring. But be clear. That person did what they did for their own reasons.

I might scratch your back, hoping and expecting you to scratch my back in return. But I have no control of whether or not you scratch my back, and then, if you do, I have no control over whether you scratch me long enough, hard enough, or in the places where I itch. I can even ask you and train you. But I have no control of the final result.

And that’s what so much of life together boils down to. It is about how we scratch each others’ backs in regard to our work ethic, our family interactions, our view of money, health issues, and more . . .

And so where does happiness come in to all of this?

Happiness is always available for all of us. But we most often sabotage it by expecting it to show up in impossible places. You want it to show up in the form of walking hand-in-hand with your partner on a hike. (But your partner hates hiking.) You want it to show up in the form of cruises together to foreign ports. (But your partner gets seasick and hates cruising.)

Finding happiness may require YOU to change your definition of happiness. If you always do the things you’ve always done, you’ll always get the same results that you’ve always gotten.

An aside:
The Bravest Lady I’ve Every Met
It was 1986 when I enrolled myself at The Self Esteem Institute. I was trying to reinvent myself by working on my own personal issues. The 20 people in the seminar came from all walks of life and ranged in age from late 20s to late 70s. I learned an important lesson from a 74 year old lady.
Margaret had been married for nearly 50 years to her high school sweetheart. She was a full time mother. She never went to college or built a business. She was the perfect housewife. Together with her husband, they raised a family of 4 children and had 10 grandchildren. Margaret’s husband Jim had been a successful banker. He worked long hours. He loved his work and spent many extra hours on the job than required. Jim had always promised Margaret that upon retiring they would travel and see the world together.
Jim’s first opportunity to retire was at age 62. He told Margaret that he wasn’t ready to retire at 62. He convinced her that by working 5 more years that they would be able to live in luxury til the end of their days.
At 67, Jim was still a work-a-holic. He almost cried when he begged Margaret to allow him to work another 5 years. Margaret caved.
At 72 Jim agreed to retire. He convinced Margaret to purchase a luxury motor home. They packed up and set out on a 6 month journey. Jim’s other love, after Margaret was antique model cars. He mapped out a tour route around the country visiting car show after car show after car show. There was nothing else that Jim was willing to do with his time. Margaret wanted London, Paris, and Rome. Instead she got Lexington, KY., Marysville, OH, and Alfa Rheta, GA.
Now Margaret was sitting in my group at The Self Esteem Institute. She had served Jim with divorce papers just before coming to the seminar. At 74 Margaret was intent on finding the happiness she deserved (in some other form).

She had no power to change Jim. She could only change herself . . . and she was now doing that.
Imagine that at 74.

TIP #12: VISUALIZATION
Visualization works, but it works better for people who have practiced it and have learned how to use it effectively. WARNING! I have witnessed novice visualizers who have closed their eyes, drifted off, and slept through the entire 25 minutes on their clock. NOT GOOD.

One of the better ways to use visualization is to make some connection between a word and a mental picture. It can be reinforced by finding a picture online (Google images work well), then copy and paste it onto a blank page and write the associated word BOLDLY beneath it or around it. You might even place your creations onto flash cards.

There is no magic pill that can help all people build their recall. In fact, the overused phrase ‘Different Strikes For Different Folks’ is quite applicable when it comes to visualization. BUT, do not make a snap judgement if it does not work for you on the first try or two. Visualization itself is a learned skill. And I will tell you that it does not work for everyone. After giving it a good, honest try, if it is not your style, move on to some other study method that works more effectively for you.

Once you find the study method that is a match for you, you will know it immediately. Its like being at a shoe store, trying on new shoes. Many of the shoes look great but hurt your feet when you try them on. Then Voila! You find the pair that were made just for your feet. It is as simple as that.

My online students in SCRABBLE 101 are led through a wide variety of experiences to help them discover their learning niche. I can help you too.

Tip #12 is one tip in a series of tips for scrabble players and people who are striving to learn other things that require stronger memories. For more information, contact me: (949) 510-1673.