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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeJul 18th 2006 edited
     

    I just wanted to comment on this fact:

    The world record time for saying the alphabet backwards is 2.131 seconds. The previous record was 2.324 seconds.

    This is Anglo-centric. Naturally, the record for saying the Spanish alphabet backwards is longer... not only are there 4 more letters (ch, ll, ñ, and rr) but most of the letters are two-syllable. Then again, it may be that the English alphabet is the quickest to say backwards of all alphabets.

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeJul 18th 2006 edited
     

    Again with the Anglo-centrisms...

    I'm sure that with practice, I could recite my native alphabet backwards in less than 2 seconds. I'm Kamchatkan, and there are only have 11 letters in the Kamchatkan alphabet (spelled phonetically here with English letters): Ang, Aino, Ash, Ino, Oovero, Oint, Igl, Ar, Lurl, Rurl, and Ine.

    I'm not positive, but I think that Kamchatkan has the fewest alphabetic characters of any language still natively spoken.

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      CommentAuthorhitchhiker
    • CommentTimeJul 18th 2006
     

    try Scottish, their alphabet seems to consist entirely of the sounds Eye, Noo, Ucch (like you're coughing up phlegm), Ohh, Wee.

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      CommentAuthorMrFingers
    • CommentTimeJul 18th 2006
     

    I met a Polish guy the other day and his alphabet had some 40 characters... don't ask how we got onto that topic lol.

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeJul 19th 2006 edited
     

    I didn't realize Kamchatka was still around until I invaded it from Irkutsk during the great Real-World-Risk Tournament of 1998. I would've taken 2nd, but I was forced into the precarious "Take and hold Asia" strategy. The guy who held Australia was just too strong to migrate south. But I did hold Asia for 4 turns, which gave me enough firepower to hold out for 3rd.

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeJul 19th 2006
     

    "You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!"
    -- Vizzini in The Princess Bride

    Personally, I prefer the "take Australia and let everyone else duke it out for a while" strategy...

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      CommentAuthorAthene
    • CommentTimeJul 20th 2006
     

    Inconceivable!

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeJul 20th 2006
     

    My mother beat me at Risk once.

    Once.

    • CommentAuthorTephy
    • CommentTimeJul 20th 2006
     

    @Udoboy

    Ahh, I've studied that game and I do agree you were put into a very bad position. However, despite common believe, holding Australia is not as good as you may think, you have a 45% better chance holding South America then Australia. This is clearly displayed in the classic 1995 match of Rudsunky vs Smith (and four othres who names escape me, but it is normally refered toas Rudsunky vs Smith)

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeJul 20th 2006
     

    I actually saw that Rudsunky / Smith match live at Harvard Square, back when professional Risk was a bit more popular. To me, Adam Smith was clearly the better tactical player, but Rudsunky clearly had a bunch of VERY lucky die rolls that day. My girlfriend at the time had actually dated Adam Smith, but apparently broke up with him because he was a "freakin' nerd" (her words, not mine).

    My son is only 5 now, so we mostly play Pokemon cards and memory games, but maybe he'll take to Risk in a year or two.

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      CommentAuthorAthene
    • CommentTimeJul 21st 2006
     

    I've never played at a competitive level, but I have many fond memories of college days when my friends and I would close the bars, then go back to my best friend's house to play Risk until the dawn broke and birds sang in the trees. Ahh, the good old days.

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeJul 21st 2006 edited
     

    The RWRT is my highlight every year. Unfortunately, I've never made it to the final table except my 3rd place finish. You're right, Tephy. Only the Winner and first runner-up ever get any credit. But I'm glad I can still live off my winning from the 3rd, and the other times I've placed. I just keep my day job because I love the children.