Mah Jongg est You Jongg

Mizz Betzey has advice for them what wants to learn how to Mah-Jongg (literally: "My finger got savagely pinched between those two tiles there"):

Here is a website that I think is relatively clear about the game which is confusing.  It might help if people read a bit about it if only to get familiar with the tiles. (There are only 3 suits--characters, bamboo and circles).  The start of the game, the East seat etc. can be ignored in beginner games.  The main thing to learn is the setting up of the "wall", picking up and discarding, and when to yell out kong pong or chow.  I still get confused after 4 years of playing.  If you look at the site and get too confused, I can really simplify it.  Let me know what you think.  Remember, this is Chinese Mahjong, not American mj.

http://www.cs.utk.edu/~clay/mahjongg/rules.html

Read carefully. "A player's own wind" means something entirely different from what I expected.
I had one question about the above, and I'm sure that when you read the article, that one thing will be something that you need clarification about, and Betzey confirmed my suspicions: her crack has numbers.
Just in case that explanation isn't clear, the "characters" suit is known conversationally as "crack," and it is important to know what the numbers are in order to make Chows (numerical runs, or sequences). The "crack" tiles on Betzey's Mah-Jongg set have Arabic numerals (in addition to the Chinese symbols for numbers), to make it easier for us Murcans.

Possible mnemonic devices:
Mah-Jongg: Pa Jongg couldn't stop staring at Ma Jongg's four sets and a pair.
Kong: That giant gorilla just swatted "four" airplanes outa the sky.
Pong: One of those kinda stinks, but "three" of them together really give off a rude pong.
Chow: I had some chow a while ago, and now I have the "runs."

Meeting scheduled for Tuesday 20 May. More info to come.

eRubberh*ids

SANEsters,

The world is heavier by several dozen paper beads today, and my SANE
drawer (actually, rather more of a heap atop the boxes beside the
bookshelves in my office) is a few millimeters taller. Leslie & the
Pams seemed rather productive, and Pam P may actually have produced
enough beads to do something with them, and B&M&M produced rather
more heat than beads, accordion to my careful notes(!). But my own
plans for world domination through Mod Podge will have to wait for a
few more projects. Imagine me (in my 90s), with SANE crafts hot-waxed
to my flak jacket, standing in the lobby of Pearl Arts & Craps,
yelling: "Everybody stay where you are, drop your parcels. If anyone
moves, I swear I'll applique this onto your forehead and make you
hold it there until it dries (which will actually be quite soon)."

But I digress.

The next SANE meeting will be Tuesday, 20 May 2008, and Betsey will
lead us through the labrynthine world of Mah Jongg. We need not bring
supplies, but I'm guessing a note pad/parchment/flat stone and
pencil/pen/quill/chisel might come in handy, as there are a passel of
rules. Them what are easily bored could bring domino tiles, and you
can go to the kids' table and set them up & knock 'em down, as long
as you keep the noise down so the adults can hear, fer crissakes!

Don't forget to vote in Pennsylvania's primary. Try several
precincts, tell them you live on 2nd Street and your name is Franklin
or Penn. Or Penfranklin. That should work.

Benwilliam

Papier Ma Beads

After Pam Ps report, I poked about on the web and found some things to look at, paper-bead-wise:

arty/farty
mezzo-arty
fancy-schmancy (page down oncet or twicet)
ditto
a how-to
anudder how-to
how-three

Might want to consider bringing a box to dry your beads on (see illustration in "how-three" above): notch the edges, lay the center of your knitting noodle, stick, straw, longish toothpick in the notches and the bead can merrily drip into the box on your way home, tra la.

Little Webster

P.S. Printing out first pass at taxes now. Keep yer digits askew, yet close.

SANE meeting Tues 4/15/2008

SANEsters,

No, my taxes aren't done yet. But we're still meeting on 4/15 at (TBD), and the project is Paper Beads or Paper Clay. For the uninspired, Pay-Per-View. You know how Sigfried & Roy made the big bucks in Vegas? Pay-per-Tiger (sound it out).

An udder announcement will be made about the place, once that has been established.

Elsie & Elmer