Life In 19x19

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc diagram made at http://hiddema.nl/diagrammer/
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . O . .
$$ | . . . X . . X . . .
$$ | . . 2 1 . O . . X .
$$ | . . 3 a . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ +--------------------[/go]

John Fairbairn's translation of Rin Kaiho's Golden Opportunities wrote:"Players who drop down to A with 3 will always have to be satisfied with belonging to the Tupperware school of go."

Position 18, diagram 3, page 63

Do they get sucked in to something that looks useful at the time but, when they look back, all they see is a clutter of useless junk?

TheBigH wrote:Do they get sucked in to something that looks useful at the time but, when they look back, all they see is a clutter of useless junk?

I was thinking about someone tightly sealing in a small portion of leftovers that wind up as something nobody wants to eat in the back of the refrigerator. But your explanation is good too.

This is a shibboleth of age, I suppose. As the translator, I seem to recall that the original Japanese referred to zarugo, which is go played by poor players, and by extension the poor players themselves, and by further extension to weak players.

It comes from zaru = bamboo baskets, used by those who can't afford go bowls. At the time of the translation, it was normal in tournaments and clubs in Europe (and USA as well, I presume, because Sid Yuan understood the reference) to use plastic Tupperware containers for stones. It may seem a bit elitist to associate poverty with poor play, but it is a fact of life even today that the stronger players at tournaments get the best equipment.

With so many purely pixellated internet players today, the allusion is probably otiose. So, while we all know that the internet and computers are killing off major things like books and walking, let us not forget the destruction it has wrought on the minor treasures of life such as Tupperware parties and the Avon Lady.

Of course the internet is not all doom and gloom. It has brought within the grasp of even little kiddies trolling, piracy and plagiarism. Anonymity, easy homework and instant gratification. What more could a happy onanist want?

It even lets grumpy old men grump more easily.

John Fairbairn wrote: It may seem a bit elitist to associate poverty with poor play, but it is a fact of life even today that the stronger players at tournaments get the best equipment.

I seem to recall this earlier discussion...

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... 41#p125441

Is it just me or is there some inverse relationship between strength and amount of equipment ordered?

John Fairbairn wrote:...

Of course the internet is not all doom and gloom. It has brought within the grasp of even little kiddies trolling, piracy and plagiarism. Anonymity, easy homework and instant gratification. What more could a happy onanist want?

...

Don't forget narcissism.

Kirby wrote:

John Fairbairn wrote:...

Of course the internet is not all doom and gloom. It has brought within the grasp of even little kiddies trolling, piracy and plagiarism. Anonymity, easy homework and instant gratification. What more could a happy onanist want?

...

Don't forget narcissism.

Let's not have this conversation again. Let John live in his own world. He posts enough interesting stuff to let this sort of thing go.

John Fairbairn wrote: Of course the internet is not all doom and gloom. It has brought within the grasp of even little kiddies trolling, piracy and plagiarism. Anonymity, easy homework and instant gratification. What more could a happy onanist want?

Somehow, the pop song, "The Happy Organ", comes to mind.

Bill Spight wrote:

John Fairbairn wrote: Of course the internet is not all doom and gloom. It has brought within the grasp of even little kiddies trolling, piracy and plagiarism. Anonymity, easy homework and instant gratification. What more could a happy onanist want?

Somehow, the pop song, "The Happy Organ", comes to mind.

Another shibboleth? Further discussion is probably otiose anyway, and I'm sure we've all got better things to play with than our dictionaries. BTW, tupperware is by no means a thing of the past - it's even possible to host a tupperware party online. Maybe it's time to seal this discussion with a *plop*.

daal wrote:

Bill Spight wrote:

John Fairbairn wrote: Of course the internet is not all doom and gloom. It has brought within the grasp of even little kiddies trolling, piracy and plagiarism. Anonymity, easy homework and instant gratification. What more could a happy onanist want?

Somehow, the pop song, "The Happy Organ", comes to mind.

Another shibboleth? Further discussion is probably otiose anyway, and I'm sure we've all got better things to play with than our dictionaries. BTW, tupperware is by no means a thing of the past - it's even possible to host a tupperware party online. Maybe it's time to seal this discussion with a *plop*.

Shibboleths R Us

xed_over wrote:

John Fairbairn wrote: It may seem a bit elitist to associate poverty with poor play, but it is a fact of life even today that the stronger players at tournaments get the best equipment.

I seem to recall this earlier discussion...

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... 41#p125441

Is it just me or is there some inverse relationship between strength and amount of equipment ordered?

I think John Fairbairn's reference was not to how much go equipment people buy but rather to the fact that at tournaments the strongest players are given the nicest go equipment to play on.

gowan wrote:I think John Fairbairn's reference was not to how much go equipment people buy but rather to the fact that at tournaments the strongest players are given the nicest go equipment to play on.

sure, but as that discussion evolved, it too became less about quantity and more about quality as well.