News: School open!
By Frontierville post: Schoolhouse is now open! The schoolmarm is here now! There are a few things to do to get the school up and running.
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News: Winning with 3-Letter Words
If you think you're a Scrabble genius because you have all the two-letter words memorized, you're sorely wrong. To be a Scrabble genius, you have to know practically "every" word acceptable in Scrabble, so I'm guessing there's not too many Scrabble geniuses out there, because it's an impossible feat.
How To: Encrypt And Decrypt Text In Python
In this article, I'll show you how to create a simplistic AES python based text encryptor. You'll need python 2.7 and PyCrypto (found here). The code is fairly simple, a user enters an encryption key (which basically tells the program how to scramble the text, using an algorithm), then the text to be encrypted. The program takes the key and text and inputs it into the "cryptograph" or code-based algorithm from PyCrypto. PyCrypto can use 16, 24, or 36 character encryption keys, but for the sak...
Scrabble Challenge #12: Can You Unscramble the Derivative Words?
Last week's challenge brought up a good question (thanks Lisa) regarding the functionality of the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition, both online and in print form. The word TACTICAL was the answer to the first puzzle in that challenge, but when you search for the word directly in the print version, it can't be found. Likewise, when you search the online dictionary on Hasbro's site, you won't find it either. Go ahead, try it. You won't find it looking for TACTICAL specifically.
How To: Score Big with Simple 2-Letter Words in Scrabble
No matter what word game you're playing, whether it's Scrabble or one of its near-homogeneous counterparts like Lexulous, Wordfeud or Words with Friends, one of the easiest ways to stay on top of your opponent is knowing all of the legal two-letter words you can play. You're not going to win by only playing two-letter words, but there are definitely occasions when the game could slip from your hands by not playing them.
News: Encrypting Passwords With an Old-School Tabula Recta
Have an old-school tabula recta lying around? No? Then just print out the chart below. Nothing ensures better password security than this centuries-old cipher technique. Here's how it works, via Wikipedia:
How To: Write A Letter From Teachers To Parents
Parental involvement is a crucial ingredient in the success of many children. Teachers know the saying all too well that it takes more than a village to raise a child, for one - it takes parental involvement. Thus, it is important for teachers to reach out to parents in that first week of school. Teachers should write a formal letter that is welcoming and easily comprehensible to the parent and the student. This letter should be able to communicate that the teacher values the child’s educatio...
How To: Make Coasters with Scrabble Tiles
Make your own personalized coasters using Scrabble tiles! You design them, so they can say anything you want them to! Pick a theme and make a set or make each coaster completely different from the rest.
Introduction to Cryptography: Archaic Beginnings
Cryptography is a quintessential part of computer security in the modern world. Whenever you buy something on eBay or log into Facebook, that data is encrypted before it's sent to the server in order to prevent third parties from eavesdropping and stealing your sensitive information.
Scrabble Challenge #17: How Many Words Can You Find in TURKEY?
The big day may be over, but the weekend is still full of Thanksgiving spirit. And so is this week's puzzle. But let's keep it short this time, because we should all be taking this time to play a real game of Scrabble with friends and family. I was thinking of making a puzzle about edible birds in general, but practically every bird is edible, meaning there's a lot of avian-related words. Since the turkey is such a big part of Thanksgiving, let's just stick to that...
Scrabble Challenge #6: What Would Your Opening Move Be?
Now that you have your two-letter words down and have practiced your skills, it's time to move on to another important part of Scrabble gameplay—the opening move. There's a well known adage that states, “The player going first will win 54% of the time—all other things being equal."
Scrabble Challenge #18: Can You Win at Scrabble Rack Attack?
As touched upon in the past, knowing all of the possible words you can play is key to being a better Scrabble player. If you don't have the vocabulary, then you can't compete against the best of the best, and you'll never even get the chance to spar against professionals such as Nigel Richards, Joe Edley, Andrew Fisher, and Wayne Kelly.
Scrabble Challenge #14: Which Variant Word Wins the Game (And Which Doesn't)?
Nearly every game takes strategy to win, but when it comes to games like Scrabble and Words with Friends, you've also got to have a lexically inclined mind full of wonderful and weird words. Most start out by learning all of the two-letter words in the Scrabble dictionary, then work their way up to three-letter words. But where do you go from there?
News: Letter to Jane magazine for the iPad
New and old school publishing collide. Letter to Jane's newest issue is available in app format for the iPad for $0.99.
News: Winning with 2-Letter Words
When your opponent throws down "AA", you tell them no abbreviations, but alas... it's not. They build "ZA" on the board for 64 points, and you say it's slang, but it's in the dictionary. Next is "EF", and you let them know that spelling out letters is not allowed and ridiculous... but it's totally legit.
How To: Pipe a Message on an Iced Cake
Finish decorating your cake by adding a special (and edible) message. Learn how to write frosted lettering on your cake. Write on Cakes - How to Write on Cake With Frosting Video.
How To: Pronounce and recite the Spanish language alphabet
This video demonstrates how to pronounce and recite the Spanish language alphabet. From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to pronounce the Spanish alphabet, For Dummies.
How To: Edit Multiple iOS Reminders at Once
With each iteration of iOS, Apple makes the Reminders app more and more of a true task manager. That doesn't change with iOS 14 — the big update adds a powerful productivity tool to the app, allowing you to edit multiple reminders at the same time.
News: Advanced Cracking Techniques, Part 2: Intelligent Bruteforcing
Following the first part in this series on advanced cracking techniques, we are going to go over how we can intelligently crack passwords using the old-fashioned bruteforce method. These unique cracking techniques aren't widely used, because most crackers are Script Kiddies who have no idea what the concepts are behind cracking passwords, thus, word won't get around too quickly.
Scrabble Challenge #15: What Would Be Your First Move in Words with Friends?
The concept of Scrabble and Words with Friends is the same—play words, score points, win. But the games require different strategy in terms of letter placement, premium squares, tile point values and word choices. Here's the main differences between the two games.
News: 50 Years Later, Dabble Materializes into a Scrabble Friendly Word Game App for iPhone
He may be the oldest person to have invented an app for Apple devices, but 84-year-old George Weiss didn't originally intend on marketing his Dabble word game to the mobile crowd. He first came up Dabble back in 1958 when he was just 31. “A lot has changed since 1958, but people still love a good game,” said Weiss on his introduction into the iTunes App Store last month.
News: amrecday3
This is "JUST" a reminder!!!!
How To: Pronounce vowels in Spanish
This video demonstrates how to pronounce Spanish vowels. From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to pronounce Spanish vowels, For Dummies.
How To: Say the Arabic alphabet
Trying to learn Arabic? The best place to start is the alphabet. Once that's mastered, you can start pronouncing full words, even ones you may not know yet. Follow along with the Arabic letters as they're shown and pronounced individually. Watch this video language tutorial and learn how to speak and read the letters of the Arabic alphabet. Say the Arabic alphabet.
News: W.E.L.D.E.R. Blends Bejeweled, Boggle and Scrabble into Word-Building Addiction
There are tons of mobile apps out there for the gaming logophile, but there's a new word building game taking over iPhones and iPads, and it not only wants you to have fun, it wants you to fight back in the "war against words". It's the Word Examination Laboratory for Dynamic Extraction and Reassessment. But you can just call it W.E.L.D.E.R. Since its release earlier this month, W.E.L.D.E.R. has developed quite a following with its addicting mesh of Bejeweled, Boggle and Scrabble gameplay. It...
The History of SCRABBLE Boards: Glass, Vintage, Gold... & Star Trek?!?
The game has undergone many transitions over the years, since its days as LEXIKO (1931) to its briefness as CRISS CROSS WORDS to its current and amalgamated, renowned brand of SCRABBLE. There has been many editions of the word board game along that historic metamorphosis, and SCRABBLE has even given in to pop culture, sports memorabilia, and fanaticism.
Quick Tip: There's an Easy Way to Capitalize Words After You Type Them
So you're typing a fairly long sentence to a friend in WhatsApp and you realize five words down you forgot to capitalize their name, what do you do? The lazy way is to delete your way back to the last word. The slightly better approach is to delete the one letter and retype it. But neither of these is the best way.
How To: Find North in Minecraft Without Using a Compass
It's easy to lose oneself when playing Minecraft and easier still to get plum lost. That's why it's always good to have a compass on hand. No compass? No problem. There are, in fact, no fewer than seven methods at your disposal for finding true north in a Minecraft world. Better still, a lot of them are accessible to you from the very moment you start playing the game.
How To: Write a revealing cover letter
In order to write a revealing cover letter, you will need to freshen up your resume. Try re-writing it. Change your format. The most common form is chronological. Remove all the empty words and vague phrases. Remove all clichŽs. Highlight your achievements not just the duties you performed in past jobs. Try to quantify your achievements. Create a clear career summary. This will help the employer to see how you will be able to fit in and help prospective employers. Fill in all of the gaps. Don...
How To: Answer to Scrabble Challenge #20
It's sad to say, but I will no longer be writing up anymore Scrabble Challenges. Frankly, I just don't have the time to make them now. And though they are incredibly fun and "challenging" to conjure up, I'm not sure that people are finding them as useful as I had hoped. But really, it all comes down to time. So, unless I have a future craving for puzzle-making, last week's Scrabble Challenge #20 was the last one.
Scrabble Challenge #9: Can You Win the Losing Game on the Last Move?
The end game is a very important aspect of playing Scrabble. If you have just a few letters left on your rack and there are none left in the draw bag, but you're currently losing the game, you still might have a chance to win if you play your cards (er… tiles) right. No matter if you're playing a casual game at home with a friend or competing against diehards in club or tournament games, the scoring process at the end provides the same results.
New Game by Hasbro: Electronic SCRABBLE Flash
Nope, this isn't a flash game version of SCRABBLE. There's already one of those (and a multitude of imitations) for the Apple iPhone, iPod, and Facebook. This is an electronic game, and it's not a "handheld" game like the SCRABBLE Pocket Pogo Touch Screen Game (pictured right). It's an entirely new way to play everybody's favorite word game, and it's called SCRABBLE Flash (BOGGLE Flash outside of the U.S. and Canada).
Post Pi Day Coding Project: Let's Uncover the Hidden Words in Pi
Today isn't actually Pi Day, but I was unable to get this article out in time. Pi Day was actually yesterday, March 14th (3.14), so let's call this a post-Pi Day treat!
How To: Pick a "Street Art" Name.
Banksy, Cope2, Invader, Retna, Mr.cartoon, They all have a few things in common. Firstly, they are all extremely talented and well known urban artists. Secondly, they all have very memorable and very, very cool names.
How To: Distort text in Illustrator
When you want to distort text, make sure to have the pathfinder tab open. This tutorial will show you how to manipulate text by moving around the letters and parts of each word, and using different effects that are pre-built into Illustrator. Simple, but well explained, this tutorial is a great Illustrator basic. Distort text in Illustrator.
Scrabble Challenge #11: Would You Pass Up the Opening Move?
In these weekly Scrabble Challenges, so far we've covered two-letter words, double bingos, high scoring moves, triple-triples, last moves, parallel plays, phoneys and opening moves. For this week's puzzle, we're revisiting the strategy for opening moves.
News: 10 Peculiar Game Rules for Competitive Scrabble Tournaments
The 2011 Toronto International Scrabble Open (TOSI) took place last weekend, with former World Champion Adam Logan beating out all of the human competition for the $3,000 grand prize. But when it came time to take on the Quackle program in the Human vs. Computer Showdown, he lost his first two games and won the last two, ultimately losing with a measly 28-point differential of the combined total scores. But he still came out three grand happier.
News: 5 Eccentric Scrabble Variants That Never Saw the Light of Day
Thanks to the advent of smartphones and mobile apps, Scrabble has spread like wildfire across the globe, whether it be Scrabble or one of its many popular word game spinoffs, such as Words with Friends, WordWise and Kalimat.
News: Scrabble's 2-Letter Words - Defined
Ok, so you've memorized the list of valid 2-letter words, but when challenged after playing one, can you smugly demonstrate your dominating intellect by spouting out the proper definition?