Shaw beat his old man at a game of chess this week. I did give him an "are you sure? stare" early in the game where he was about to lose his Queen and he quickly realized his error and I let him rethink his move. Other than that, he beat me fair and square. He plays aggressively and he's clearly thinking 2 or 3 moves ahead at this early stage. For those who know chess, it is a complex game but one that even a 9 yr old who has only been playing for 3 or 4 months can grasp and even excel at.
Here's what happened to me: A smart player will usually make an escape route for the king within the first two or three moves of a game. I did that but then later in the game I used a castle maneuver where the rook and the king kinda trade places (there can be no players between the king and the rook and it has to be a first move for both players and the rook takes the king's place and the king goes one space before where the rook was) So, my king was behind three pawns and Shaw got on to my back row and I couldn't block, capture or escape. It was checkmate!
For a few decades, computers could not beat humans at chess but that weakness only seemed to be a function of not being able to consider all of the millions of possibilities in the given time and then making a decision. The human didn't consider the millions of possibilities but only the 3 or 4 moves that mattered. In the last decade, computers gained enough speed to consider the millions of possibilities in the given time and they finally beat the human chess masters.
It's a pleasure to watch Shaw weed out the fluff and focus on the moves that matter and be thinking of strategy and be willing to sacrifice a player to achieve a goal.
When I was a kid, I attended the Stowell family reunion each summer and part of the festivities was always a checkers tournament. It was single elimination in the interest of time and there were always two or three checker boards around Gramma and Grampa's house and you had to look at the chart and just schedule a game with you opponent and then the championship of the world game would be played Saturday night and for a long time, Grampa Stowell was always the champ. When I was about 14 or so, my older sister Lauri met and fell in love and became engaged to Kevin and he attended his first Stowell reunion and he beat all takers and rose to the top of the bracket and the championship game was to be played between Grampa Stowell and this new guy- Kevin. Well, he beat Grampa Stowell and I remember Gramma Stowell actually **GASPING** in shock that someone could beat Grampa Stowell. She was visibly shaken. I was 14 and shouldn't have had the life experience to understand that and put it into any context but I knew it was a big deal- the younger generation rising to the occasion...
Congratulations to Shaw on a big win! You GO boy!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Alas poor November, I hardly knew ye!
Lots of stuff to share this week. I'll let the photos do most of the talking.
My buddy, Scott, from Orange County CA came for a visit this week. He and I went hiking and did a couple of DJ jobs together. He rode all that way on a Honda 250- that's a small engine for such a large desert crossing! Shaw got to go for a ride around the neighborhood and he was pretty jazzed about that.
Scott even let him handle the throttle.
The dollhouse (see previous posts about that for an explanation) was displayed by Lesa in a cultural arts celebration and here are a couple of photos of the festivities. Here's Lesa illuminating some of the cool stuff in there to a Stake leader in attendance.
A view from the back with all of the miniaturized furnishings and knick-knacks from Gramma Margaret.
My buddy, Scott, from Orange County CA came for a visit this week. He and I went hiking and did a couple of DJ jobs together. He rode all that way on a Honda 250- that's a small engine for such a large desert crossing! Shaw got to go for a ride around the neighborhood and he was pretty jazzed about that.
Scott even let him handle the throttle.The dollhouse (see previous posts about that for an explanation) was displayed by Lesa in a cultural arts celebration and here are a couple of photos of the festivities. Here's Lesa illuminating some of the cool stuff in there to a Stake leader in attendance.
A view from the back with all of the miniaturized furnishings and knick-knacks from Gramma Margaret. Another interested attendee.
I helped Shaw make a new flagpole for the Cub Scout Pack that is much nicer than a piece of conduit with a flag screwed on and a #10 can filled with concrete. It has a really nice and stable but lightweight stand and a nice wooden pole that is stained and varnished. He's describing the features to Brother Corrington. 
In my opinion, one of the coolest features is the vines that Lesa painted going up the side of the house that you can see in this shot. I'll get a closer view a bit later. We still have some "icing on the cake" detail work that we want to do and we'll post pictures again later. Just click on the photo for a larger view.
We have been driving to the Stake Center construction site after church each week to view progress and Shaw leaned over in church this week and said that since the Stake Center was done, perhaps we could drive to the Gilbert Temple construction site each week. It's about 25 minute drive and I suggested we go once a month instead. They just broke ground last week but the contractor already has it mostly graded and it's well underway. Scott took this picture of Shaw and I arriving at the site. Lesa was in a meeting and couldn't come this time.
I'll try to remember this spot and get a monthly shot of Shaw growing up with the progress of the temple at his back.
Shaw is getting to be a pretty good photographer. Here's me and my friend Scott at the temple site.
It's a substantial piece of property and I'm anxious to see it starting to take shape. The construction fence had blown down in the wind so we could see things better.
I helped Shaw make a new flagpole for the Cub Scout Pack that is much nicer than a piece of conduit with a flag screwed on and a #10 can filled with concrete. It has a really nice and stable but lightweight stand and a nice wooden pole that is stained and varnished. He's describing the features to Brother Corrington. 
In my opinion, one of the coolest features is the vines that Lesa painted going up the side of the house that you can see in this shot. I'll get a closer view a bit later. We still have some "icing on the cake" detail work that we want to do and we'll post pictures again later. Just click on the photo for a larger view.
We have been driving to the Stake Center construction site after church each week to view progress and Shaw leaned over in church this week and said that since the Stake Center was done, perhaps we could drive to the Gilbert Temple construction site each week. It's about 25 minute drive and I suggested we go once a month instead. They just broke ground last week but the contractor already has it mostly graded and it's well underway. Scott took this picture of Shaw and I arriving at the site. Lesa was in a meeting and couldn't come this time.
I'll try to remember this spot and get a monthly shot of Shaw growing up with the progress of the temple at his back.
Shaw is getting to be a pretty good photographer. Here's me and my friend Scott at the temple site.
It's a substantial piece of property and I'm anxious to see it starting to take shape. The construction fence had blown down in the wind so we could see things better.
I had some DJ adventures this month too and photos of all that can be seen over on the other blog.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Veterans Day
We had so much to be thankful for that we had to celebrate Veterans Day two days in a row.
DAY ONE-
Shaw's school does a "donuts for dads" thang each year. They just ask the dads to bring the kids to school one morning and have a donut and a glass of milk compliments of the PTO. I once made the mistake of commenting in a PTO meeting that I wanted to be sure that the value added to community spirit and to the academic and social lives of our kids was equal to or greater than the expense of the event each year. Oops... hit a soft spot with the other attendees of the PTO meeting... I don't mind spending money on anything but I just want my value out of it. This may be the only outward thing to express their love that lots of dads do in a whole year for many of those kids. You can see that it is very well attended.
DAY ONE-
Shaw's school does a "donuts for dads" thang each year. They just ask the dads to bring the kids to school one morning and have a donut and a glass of milk compliments of the PTO. I once made the mistake of commenting in a PTO meeting that I wanted to be sure that the value added to community spirit and to the academic and social lives of our kids was equal to or greater than the expense of the event each year. Oops... hit a soft spot with the other attendees of the PTO meeting... I don't mind spending money on anything but I just want my value out of it. This may be the only outward thing to express their love that lots of dads do in a whole year for many of those kids. You can see that it is very well attended.
When you have a Krispy Kreme donut in your hand- that's happiness.
Right after the Donuts for Dads, they have a Veterans Day remembrance for about 20 minutes as school begins with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Preamble. 
There were a couple of songs by the 6th Grade Choir and some thank-yous to the veterans in attendance.
I ran into one of my past instructors from University of Phoenix- a veteran. I shook his hand and thanked him for the class and then I shook his hand again and thanked him for his service to our nation. I was so enjoying chatting with him that I lost my presence of mind to have Lesa snap a photo of us.
DAY TWO-
I had a customer in my office at 9AM on Veterans Day proper and right after that, we went to the local parade in downtown Mesa. 
Here's Shaw out at the edge of the street looking at the military hardware.
Several antique cars on parade. It seems that the Mesa Historical Society has about 12 cars in a collection.
A fly-by of some historic planes from WWI and WWII.
A Viet Nam era helicopter that got Shaw all excited.
How can you not respect and admire men and women who not only wear all of this gear but the uniform of the nation that they defend and represent? They do what they do in OUR name. God Bless America!
It was a great parade and the perfect day for it. Overall a bit too long with a bunch of unknown local politicians, local celebrities I've never heard of and a few winning contestants of obscure beauty pageants. It was balanced with lots of Scout Troops, all of the local high school marching bands and a couple of jr high bands and several veterans organizations.
I got a bit miffed by a few shameless commercial interests, like auto dealerships and such, that only displayed a flag or an aforementioned pageant winner and called it a parade entry when it was really an advertisement for goods and services. It just didn't seem the place for it.
The middle of the parade was a collection of photographs of recently fallen servicemen and women from Arizona. We stood with hands on our hearts and I crrrrried like a weeeeeee bay bee! I didn't get any photos of that because I had too much reverence for the moment.
Progress on the dollhouse
Lesa wants to get this done by Nov 20 for the cultural celebration the occasion of the dedication of our new Stake Center. Making progress but the remaining details are the little nitty gritty details- trim, touch up paint, roof shingles, hand rails for the upper and lower porches, staircases etc. Here's Shaw resting his chin on the 2nd floor and me taking a picture through the bedroom window.
We stained a batch of the roof shingles and they came out far darker than intended. This was supposed to be "red oak" but it looks rather "dark walnut" to me. The bag on the left is the other 2/3rds of the shingles and those got stained today in two lighter reddish colors and we'll put them on in a random pattern.
Here are a couple of interior walls ready for installation.
Front face with the windows sitting in place- they aren't glued in yet.
Shaw placed a salt dough boy named "Flat Jack" in the 2nd floor doorway to pose for this picture.
We stained a batch of the roof shingles and they came out far darker than intended. This was supposed to be "red oak" but it looks rather "dark walnut" to me. The bag on the left is the other 2/3rds of the shingles and those got stained today in two lighter reddish colors and we'll put them on in a random pattern.
Here are a couple of interior walls ready for installation.
Front face with the windows sitting in place- they aren't glued in yet.
Shaw placed a salt dough boy named "Flat Jack" in the 2nd floor doorway to pose for this picture.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Halloween decorations
Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, we skipped the trick-or-treating which was a hard thing for a 9 yr old. Luckily, we had the church party the night before. The neighbors were having a bit of a gathering out front and we didn't want to be anti-social so we made an appearance and had a bowl of chilli and some hot dogs with everybody for a few minutes.
One neighbor owns a little bouncy-jump and we let Shaw jump for just a few minutes with the other kids.
I pressed some DJ equipment in to service for our garage door. I usually use this to project a corporate logo or a bride and groom monogram on the dancefloor. I projected a Halloween greeting instead. The part at the bottom didn't get picked up to well by the camera but it says, "from the Whipples"
One neighbor owns a little bouncy-jump and we let Shaw jump for just a few minutes with the other kids.
I pressed some DJ equipment in to service for our garage door. I usually use this to project a corporate logo or a bride and groom monogram on the dancefloor. I projected a Halloween greeting instead. The part at the bottom didn't get picked up to well by the camera but it says, "from the Whipples"
We've decided to build a house
Lesa inherited a collection of miniaturized dollhouse furnishings most of which were hand-made/knitted/carved/sewn or otherwise crafted by her Gramma Margaret. You can see a staircase, a couple of beds, a stack of rugs and some picture frames. They aren't being enjoyed in a box in the spare closet.
On the right of this shot is a picture of the dollhouse Lesa is building. You can also see the shutters, and the chimney awaiting installation.
Paint, parts, glue, tape and other construction materials.
There is an access wall to reach hands into the forward rooms on the 1st and 2nd floor that was just installed. The clamps are holding things until the glue dries.
It's an 8 room house. There are two attic rooms on the 3rd floor. One is kindof a "dormer" room. and then 3 rooms on the 1st floor and 3 on the second floor.
The inner divider walls aren't installed on the 1st and 2nd floor yet but there will be a room on the left and then a front and rear room on the right. The front rooms will have access via that wall pictured before. You can see the clamps in the far corner.
Here's a front view. There will be porch rails on the top and bottom porches with decorative posts from the lower porch to the upper porch.
Another view.
She's trying to get it done by Nov 20th for a cultural celebration on the occasion of the dedication of the new Stake Center described in an earlier post. More pics to follow.
On the right of this shot is a picture of the dollhouse Lesa is building. You can also see the shutters, and the chimney awaiting installation.
Paint, parts, glue, tape and other construction materials.
There is an access wall to reach hands into the forward rooms on the 1st and 2nd floor that was just installed. The clamps are holding things until the glue dries.
It's an 8 room house. There are two attic rooms on the 3rd floor. One is kindof a "dormer" room. and then 3 rooms on the 1st floor and 3 on the second floor.
The inner divider walls aren't installed on the 1st and 2nd floor yet but there will be a room on the left and then a front and rear room on the right. The front rooms will have access via that wall pictured before. You can see the clamps in the far corner.
Here's a front view. There will be porch rails on the top and bottom porches with decorative posts from the lower porch to the upper porch.
Another view.
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