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 |   Random Writing, Blogs and Adventures |
A mix of Random writing in an attempt to organize my thoughts, storyboard ideas and conserve portfolio space in the process.  |
Speed Chess A minute for the game... You have to make your move. There's hardly time to think. Just quickly find your groove. Thinking on your feet will be put to test. You'll have to decide fast and chose the move that's best. Make sure to hit the clock or else the game is done. If you can't counter quick the game cannot be won.   Author Note: I was inspired to write this poem while I was working on my last blogging entry "Blitz Chess"  which gives a little bit more context of how this version of the game is played.  |
| By popular request (though if I am being really honest It was bound to happen eventually)... Today's post is a Chess Themed Post!!!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------- A Game of Blitz Speed Chess aka Blitz Chess is a version of chess where everything is sped up. It is played like normal chess except the time each player is allowed is extremely limited. In a normal chess tournament players' clocks are given a time limit of 30 minutes to several hours of playing time. For Blitz each player's clock is set to 5 minutes or in extreme cases 1 minute. The clock count down whenever it is a player's turn and is paused once a player makes their move. When a player's time expires, they lose the match. As a result, the pace of the game is frantic as players struggle to hold onto the time they have remaining. Every second becomes precious as they quickly help determine the difference between winning and losing. I'm the type of person that likes to plan and strategize carefully so I struggle at Speed Chess quite a bit. However there are certain strategies that players can use to survive a Blitz Chess game: 1) You have to think at lightning speed so often you are making the best move you can think of in the moment. You are going to be using your intuition a lot. 2) Get into the habit of pausing your clock as soon as you make your move. The quicker you do this the more time you can save. 3) There needs to be at least a little bit of thought involved. You might be tempted to just move any piece you see and hope you can beat your opponent on time. However, experienced chess players will destroy you with that strategy and you could wind up checkmated even before your clock runs out. 4) Since there is very limited time to think, make sure to use the time your opponent is making their move to analyze the board and strategize as much as possible. It will help speed up your game when your turn comes. If you are able to think on your feet and have the chess skills for an intense fast paced challenge... give Blitz chess a shot! |
I'll Reach Week 5 (An I Will Survive Song Parody) I write has reached week ten and I am way behind. With 5 entries still not even present in my mind. I still have so much to do producing writing that is new but with some drive I can make it to week 5. Oh yeah that's right cause I'm not done. With 4 entries in the hole I am just starting to have fun. You thought I might have to call it at week two with so much work but I am certainly not through. Oh yessiree... I will not quit. If I can do two entries every day than this will not be it. 8 entries in a single week might seem like lots of stress but remember you are dealing with a master of speed chess.  I'll reach week 5. I'll reach week 5. As long as I am halfway there I'll keep that dream alive. There's a merit badge at stake and it is no piece of cake. But I'll still thrive I'll reach week five Hey hey!!  Author's note: A Special Thank you to Gloria Gaynor whose song was the obvious inspiration for this.  |
| The Mexican Pizza is back at Taco Bell after being taken off the menu for over 2 years. Well more precisely...it was back. The item sold out within two weeks of being released. I did get a chance to try it before it was gone however... so let's do a review on the latest release. Just to provide a little bit of background, Taco bell is my favorite fast food restaurant and the Mexican Pizza is actually the first item I ever tried from there. I first remember hearing about Taco Bell from a series of television commercials. The company had hired Little Richard to advertise for them. I remember the ads would involve him singing "Run for the Border" as a tagline. At the time I wasn't that impressed and only wound up trying the restaurant because it was the most convenient place available during one of the road trips I was traveling on. Back in the early 90's, I used be a pretty picky eater and wasn't that adventurous with my food choices. The Mexican Pizza was the item that made the most sense for me because in my mind the name sounded more familiar to my ears than any other choice on the menu. I remember there was a little bit of disappointment that what I received wasn't anything like Pizza but had to admit it was still pretty good. It wound up being my go to order on the rare occasions I would wind up eating there. I think I only wound up eating there two or 3 times in my teens. It was years later in college that Taco Bell became my favorite fast food restaurant. I had wound up trying one of their burritos and really liked it. Their menu matched my Palette well because I really liked Spicy and Savory foods and the restaurant meals provided a great blend of spices to them with the options of increasing the heat even further with Fire sauce. There was a convenient location near my dorm on campus and I wound up eating there one to two times every week alternating between a beef burrito or a set of gorditas as my order. I remember the Mexican Pizza being available as an option but it was more expensive than the other two options and not quite as tasty. I think I had it once or twice during that time period just to mix things up. Flash forward to 2020... Taco Bell announced they were removing the item from the menu citing its cost didn't offer a big enough return for them to keep it around. Nothing creates more interest than the idea that something will no longer be available. A lot of people found themselves lamenting its loss (myself included). When I heard the news I took the opportunity to try the Mexican Pizza one last time for old time's sake. Truth be told, though I was little sad I had to admit to myself that I was ok with letting it go. It wasn't something that I ordered often and the restaurant had far tastier items on the menu to choose from. Other Taco Bell lovers were not as accepting and there was even a petition created to bring back the Pizza. After 2 years Taco Bell acquiesced to fan demand announcing they would bring back the Mexican Pizza to its menu for good. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and like many other Taco Bell lovers I was among the restaurant's visitors ordering the item the weekend of its release. It is a good thing I went when I did because as it turns out Taco Bell greatly underestimated the demand for the item and it sold out very fast. So how was it? It was good. If you see the comments on Twitter, fans are a little harsh saying that Taco Bell tweaked the recipe with cheaper ingredients. The shell the newest version of the pizza was created with was criticized as not being like the original. To be honest having tried the item before and after it was taken off the menu... I didn't notice a huge difference. The ingredients and tastes were more or less the same. The item is created with two tortilla shells layered with meat in between (or potatoes/beans if you are ordering a vegetarian version) topped with a Mexican 3 cheese blend and garnished with tomatoes. All the flavors of the ingredients are more or less there and blended nicely. I chose to increase the Spiciness adding a packet of Taco Bell's diablo sauce on top for even greater taste. That said, the Mexican Pizza probably still wouldn't be my order of choice. My go to Taco Bell order these days is the Crunchwrap Supreme which is in many ways similar to the Mexican Pizza but with added ingredients that are wrapped and toasted in an additional fajita shell. With the Crunchwrap Supreme available, the Mexican Pizza pales in comparison. Despite that I still recommend the Mexican Pizza as a good item and I don't think any newcomers looking to sample it would be unhappy with it. Twitter nitpicking aside, most fans of the item would enjoy it too. After over 25 years I feel like I've come full circle with a similar opinion to when I tried the Pizza the first time in my life... It may not be the best but it is a tasty choice. While currently sold out... the Taco Bell restaurant chain is working to get the Mexican Pizza back on its menu soon. There will still be an opportunity to get one in the future for those that are looking to try it. ^_^   |
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