ONLINE BOARD GAMES

A couple of months ago a good friend of mine, Tammy Jo Dearen, moved back to her home town of L.A. leaving me one friend and backgammon partner short. We promised to keep in touch and to sign up for backgammon online to continue the tradition. We talk more often than I apprecaite my phone bill telling me, however, due to a small time difference and two busy schedules, we still haven't managed to get online at the same time for a game or two. The other day I broke down and went online to play random strangers. I was hooked immedtiately! An hour or so later my enthusiasm for the game not dented, I was starting to resent my opponents. Whether they were winning or losing, at a certain point towards the end of the game they would leave! I would win by forfeit. I found this thoughtly frustrating as a person who had only ever played previously face to face till the end, even if it was obviously to my demise. After calling the computer screen a few choice words I resided to the fact that it was just another sign of how technology distances us from real things and allows us to take full advantage of automacy.