Kendama enthusiasts bring ancient game to life in Boston
BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN WITHOUT STUMBLING UPON SOMETHING TRULY FASCINATING. OH YEAH, TODAY, KENDAMA. THERE ARE SEPARATE PARTS, RIGHT? THIS IS CALLED SOMETHING. IT’S THE KEN AND THE TAMA, WHICH TRANSLATES TO SWORD AND BALL. KEN. THE SWORD AND THE TAMA. THE BALL. KENDAMA MEANS BALL AND SWORD GAME. THE GAME’S ORIGINS ARE SOMEWHAT MYSTERIOUS. SOME TRACE IT TO THE FRENCH BALL AND CUP GAME POPULAR ACROSS EUROPE IN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES. HOWEVER, IT ARRIVED, THE TOY JOURNEYED ACROSS CONTINENTS AND CENTURIES BEFORE EVOLVING INTO THE GAME. WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT TODAY. WHEN I PICK UP THIS OBJECT AND I JUST START PLAYING WITH IT, I GO, IT’S NOT LIKE SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT I’M JUST MORE KIND OF HERE. I’M JUST PLAYING WITH THE KENDAMA. THAT’S THAT’S ALL MY BRAIN IS THINKING ABOUT. I’M USING MY HANDS A LITTLE HAND-EYE. I’M THINKING ABOUT WHAT TRICKS I WANT TO DO. SOMETIMES YOU REALLY GET DOWN TO MOVE TO LIKE, CATCH SOMETHING, AND THAT FEELS GOOD TO MOVE YOUR BODY. A RARE BUT FAST GROWING PURSUIT THAT BLENDS THE PRECISION OF JUGGLING THE INTENSITY OF SWORD FIGHTING, AND THE FLAIR OF A DANCE BATTLE ALL WITHIN A POCKET SIZED TOY. BUT IS IT A GAME OR A SPORT? KENDAMA IS A VERY NEW SPORT, SO THERE AREN’T A LOT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS ON WHAT THE RIGHT WAY TO PLAY IS. AND WE KIND OF, AS A COMMUNITY, ARE FIGURING IT OUT OURSELVES. IT’S FREESTYLE WHERE PEOPLE GO HEAD TO HEAD AND THEY GET LIKE 45 SECONDS TO A MINUTE ON STAGE, AND THEN A SET OF JUDGES DETERMINES WHICH TRICKS THEY LIKED MORE. YEAH, WE MAY NOT ALL BE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE GRACEFUL FLOW OF BRANT DUFFY AND FINN POUNDS, BOTH LEADERS IN MASS KENDAMA, A GROUP THAT MEETS EVERY SUNDAY AT THE QUINCY QUARRY TO SESH. IT’S A WOODEN STICK WITH CUPS AND A SPIKE, PLUS A BALL ON A STRING. SIMPLE, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN SPIN THE BALL AND KEEP YOUR EYE RIGHT ON THAT CENTER HOLE. A NICE GRIP ON THE KEN. THE REAL MAGIC IS IN THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE BALL AND GRAVITY. DO YOU THINK I’LL EVER GET IT ON THERE, GUYS? YES. OH! MILLIMETERS. I HAVE FOUND MY KRYPTONITE. YOU SWING, YOU MISS, YOU TRY AGAIN. BUT WHEN THE BALL FINALLY LANDS IN A CUP OR SPIKES PERFECTLY, WHEN YOU GET YOUR FIRST SPIKE, YOU SEE PEOPLE’S EYES LIGHT UP IMMEDIATELY. IT’S JUST LIKE WORLD CHANGING. AT LEAST IT WAS FOR ME. AND PRACTICE, AS THEY SAY, MAKES PERFECT ISH. OH, THANK GOODNESS, THANK GOODNESS. OK
Visitors to the Boston Public Garden are discovering the captivating world of Kendama, a centuries-old toy that combines elements of juggling, sword fighting, and dance. The origins of Kendama are somewhat mysterious, with some tracing it to the French ball-and-cup toy popular in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed to have reached Japan around the same time, possibly traveling along the Silk Road from China.”When I pick this up, I am just here, all I am thinking about is Kendama,” said one enthusiast. “Sometimes you really get down and that feels good to move the body, so it is body and mind and spirit.”Kendama is a fast-growing pursuit that blends precision, intensity, and flair within a pocket-sized toy. While some consider it a game, others view it as a sport. “Kendama is kind of a new sport, so there are not a lot of rules on how to play, so as a community we are figuring it out ourselves,” said a participant. The Kendama Boston Group meets every Sunday at the Quincy Quarry to “jam” or “sesh.”
Visitors to the Boston Public Garden are discovering the captivating world of Kendama, a centuries-old toy that combines elements of juggling, sword fighting, and dance. The origins of Kendama are somewhat mysterious, with some tracing it to the French ball-and-cup toy popular in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed to have reached Japan around the same time, possibly traveling along the Silk Road from China.
“When I pick this up, I am just here, all I am thinking about is Kendama,” said one enthusiast. “Sometimes you really get down and that feels good to move the body, so it is body and mind and spirit.”
Kendama is a fast-growing pursuit that blends precision, intensity, and flair within a pocket-sized toy. While some consider it a game, others view it as a sport. “Kendama is kind of a new sport, so there are not a lot of rules on how to play, so as a community we are figuring it out ourselves,” said a participant.
The Kendama Boston Group meets every Sunday at the Quincy Quarry to “jam” or “sesh.”
Marc Pierrat’s mind once ran as smoothly as the gears on his endurance bike. He was a mechanical engineer by training and a marathoner for fun, a guy who maintained complicated systems at work and a meticulously organized garage at his Westlake Village home.
Three years after his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, Marc’s thoughts are a jumble he can’t sort out alone. Once-routine tasks are now incomprehensible; memories swirl and slip away. His wife, Julia Pierrat, 58, shepherds Marc, 59, through meals and naptime, ensures he is clean and comfortable, gently offers names and words he can’t find himself.
It is often impossible for a person to talk about the internal experience of living with FTD, either because they can’t accurately assess their internal state or don’t have the language to describe it. In many cases the disease attacks the brain’s language centers directly. In others, a common symptom is loss of insight, meaning the ability to recognize that anything is wrong.
But minds can unwind in a million different ways. In Marc’s case, the disease has taken a path that for now has preserved his ability to talk about life with what one doctor called “the most difficult of all neurologic diseases.”
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Thousands of people in the U.S. live with FTD. Marc can speak for only one of them, and at times he does so with clarity that breaks his wife’s heart. Occasionally Julia records snippets of conversation with his permission, mementos from a stage of marriage they never saw coming.
“It feels like walking into a closet you haven’t been in in a while, and you’re looking for something that you know is there, but you don’t know where,” Marc said recently, as Julia looked on.
“And then, you know, you just — yeah. You just give up,” he concluded. “It’s the giving up part that’s hard.”
Marc takes a selfie with his wife, Julia before Marc was diagnosed with FTD.
(Pierrat family)
Do you know the name of the disease that you’re living with?
Yes.
What is it called?
Frontotemporal dementia.
Yep, that’s exactly right.
FTD, for short.
How does it affect you?
Well, I guess, processing of inputs tend to, in a normal mind — they get processed efficiently to a decision. Like, if you’re going to catch a ball, you know, you have the ball in the air, [and] you have to raise your arm and your glove, and you catch the ball. And FTD interferes with all of that. So it makes it harder to catch the ball.
More than 6 million people in the U.S. currently live with dementia, an umbrella term for conditions affecting memory, language and other cognitive functions.
Up to 90% of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease, the progressive memory disorder, or by strokes and other vascular problems that disrupt blood flow to the brain. The rest arise from a variety of lesser-known but equally devastating conditions. Frontotemporal dementia is one of them.
After putting Marc in bed for an afternoon nap, Julia spends a quiet moment in the kitchen of their home in Westlake.
In FTD, abnormal proteins accumulate in the brain’s frontal or temporal lobes, damaging and eventually destroying those neurons. It’s frequently misdiagnosed, and so the number of current U.S. cases is hard to pin down — estimates place it between 50,000 and 250,000 people.
By far the best-known person living with FTD is the actor Bruce Willis, whose family disclosed his diagnosis in 2023.
Willis has primary progressive aphasia, the second-most common form. In his case, the most damaged tissues are in his brain’s left frontal or left temporal lobes, which play crucial roles in processing and forming language. One of his first noticeable symptoms was a stutter, his wife Emma Heming Willis has said in interviews; he now has minimal language ability.
But FTD is highly heterogeneous, meaning that symptoms vary widely, and it has affected Marc and Willis in very different ways.
The disease has several subtypes based on where the degeneration begins its advance through the brain.
Marc Pierrat dances with activity counselor Rhoda Nino who leads a class at Infinity Adult Day Health Care Center in Westlake Village.
Pierrat has the most common subtype, behavioral variant FTD. His disease has targeted his frontal lobes, which manage social behavior, emotional regulation, impulse control, planning and working memory — essentially, everything a person needs to relate to others.
FTD typically presents between the ages of 45 and 60. Because it shows up so much earlier than other dementias, its initial symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions: depression, perimenopause, Parkinson’s disease, psychosis.
Everything we think and do and say to one another depends on very specific physical locations in our brains functioning correctly. Behavioral variant FTD strikes right at the places that house our personalities.
When an eloquent person suddenly can’t form sentences, it’s typically seen as a medical problem. But when an empathetic person suddenly withholds affection, it’s perceived as an act of unkindness. The truth is that both can be the product of physical deterioration in a previously healthy brain.
If you were to describe to another person what it’s like to live with FTD, how would you describe it?
Oh my God. . . . Well, you can’t assess situations accurately. You see a train coming, and it’s gonna smash into your car, and you’d be, like, ‘Oh. Huh. That train’s gonna hit my car.’ And there’s nothing you can do.
The first sign came in late 2018. Marc, then 52, was in a fender-bender a few blocks from home and called Julia for a ride. When she arrived, he was not just surprised to see her, but angry. Why was she there? Who’d asked her to come?
She was taken aback by his forgetfulness, and more so by his hostility. Marc could be stubborn and confrontational; over the decades, they’d argued as much as any couple. But this outburst was out of character. She chalked it up to nerves.
Marc was a respected project manager in the pharmaceutical industry. He spent weekends on home improvement projects or immersed in his many hobbies: hiking, woodworking, 100-mile bike races.
Marc, Julia (right), and their daughter take a selfie on the Golden Gate Bridge during a bike ride.
(Pierrat family)
Julia was a business manager with Dole Packaged Foods. Their daughter was pursuing a doctorate at UCLA. The couple enjoyed life as empty nesters with shared passions for road trips and camping.
For a year or two after the accident, nothing happened that couldn’t be dismissed as a normal midlife memory lapse or a cranky mood. But by late 2020, something had undeniably changed. The harsh parts of Marc’s personality ballooned to bizarre proportions, smothering his kindness, generosity and curiosity.
He lost a phone charger and accused Julia’s mother of stealing it. He misplaced his binoculars and swore his sister took them. The neighbors asked the Pierrats to trim their gum trees and Marc flew into a rage, ranting about a supposed plot to spy on them.
His work performance and exercise habits appeared unaffected, which only made his outbursts more confusing — and infuriating — to Julia.
“At the beginning of the disease nobody knew he had any issue, other than he seemed like a total jerk,” she recalled.
The Pierrats did not know they were at the start of a chaotic period distinct to sufferers of FTD’s behavioral variant.
Julia laughs as Marc he squeezes by on a narrow bridge at the Foxfield Riding School in Lake Sherwood.
“Everything that can affect relationships is at the center of the presentation of the behavioral variant,” said Dr. Bruce Miller, director of the UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. “The first instinct of a spouse or a child or a human resource program or a psychiatrist [is to] assume a psychiatric problem.”
People with the condition start to lash out at loved ones or lose interest in lifelong relationships. They may snarl at strangers or shoplift at the mall. They consume food or alcohol obsessively, touch people inappropriately or squander the family’s savings on weird purchases.
And at first, just like in the Pierrats’ case, nobody understands why.
“When someone is not who they were, think neurology before psychology,” said Sharon Hall, whose husband Rod — a devoted spouse who delighted in planning romantic surprises — was diagnosed in 2015 after he started drinking heavily and sending explicit texts to other women.
At Julia’s insistence Marc visited his doctor in July 2021, who referred him to a neurologist. He would spend the next year making his way through a battery of appointments, scans and cognitive testing.
In the meantime, his life disintegrated.
Marc and Julia with their family dogs prior to his diagnosis with FTD.
(Pierrat family)
Just a few years earlier, bosses and colleagues praised Marc as a superlative manager. In January 2022 he was put on notice for a host of causes: combative emails, obnoxious behavior, failures of organization.
At home he botched routine fix-it jobs, missed crucial appointments and got lost on familiar routes. He stopped showering and called Julia appalling names. She went to therapy and contemplated divorce.
Finally, on July 18, 2022, the couple sat across from a neurologist who delivered the diagnosis with all the delicacy of an uppercut.
There was no cure, he told them, and few treatment options. He handed them a pamphlet. Marc showed no emotion.
In the car Julia sobbed inconsolably as Marc sat silent in the passenger seat. Eventually she caught her breath and pulled out from the parking lot.
Do you like being married?
Yes, I do.
Why?
It makes me a better person.
That’s so sweet. How do you think it makes you a better person?
Being able to talk to you and, you know, resolve through different problems together. I mean, it’s good to have an extra mind.
They left the neurologist with nothing: no instructions, no care plan, not even the stupid pamphlet, which was about memory problems in general. “It was diagnose and adios,” Julia said. “I hit the internet immediately.”
Julia now had three different roles: her paid job, Marc’s 24-hour care, and a part-time occupation finding support, services and answers.
Marc tries to figure out what he would like for lunch as Julia offers suggestions at the Joi Cafe in Westlake.
She insisted Marc fill the neurologist’s prescription for an anti-anxiety medication that diminished his irritability and agitation without zonking him out.
She found an eldercare attorney, and together she and Marc organized their legal and financial affairs while he was still well enough to understand what he was signing. Through Facebook she found her most valuable lifeline, a twice-weekly Zoom support group for caregivers.
She went on clinicaltrials.gov, a database of studies run by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and FTDregistry.org, which lists trials specific to the disease, and signed the two of them up for every study they qualified for.
Marc was accepted into AllFTD, a longitudinal study that is the largest ever conducted for this disease. The couple travels yearly to the University of Pennsylvania’s FTD Center for tests that track changes in his symptoms and biomarkers, with the goal of contributing to future therapies and preventive treatments.
Marc paints a bird house during an art class at Infinity Adult Day Health Care Center in Westlake Village.
She found the website of the nonprofit Assn. for Frontotemporal Degeneration. Eventually she became a volunteer AFTD ambassador, speaking and advocating for families affected by the disease. In August, she posed for a group photograph at the state capitol with Emma Heming Willis and other FTD advocates who traveled to Sacramento to meet with state lawmakers.
All of it is a way of finding purpose in pain. FTD has dulled Marc’s emotional reactions, leaving Julia to carry the full weight of their grief.
“He grasps the impact, but somehow the emotion is buffered,” she said. “I lose it sometimes. I cry my eyes out, for sure. I feel the full emotional impact of it, in slow motion. . . . There’s no blunting it for me.”
Julia helps Marc up from a couch on the back patio of their home in Westlake.
These days the Pierrats rise around 6 a.m., eat the breakfast Julia prepares, and then Marc takes his first nap of the day (fatigue is a common FTD symptom). When he wakes around 9 a.m. Julia makes sure he uses the bathroom, and then drives him to a nearby adult daycare program where he does crafts and games until lunch. He sleeps for another few hours at home, spends two hours in the afternoon with a paid caregiver so that Julia can do errands or exercise, and then the couple eats dinner together before Marc beds down by 8 p.m.
When they are awake together, they go for walks around the neighborhood or to familiar cafes or parks. The hostility of the early disease has passed. They speak tenderly to one another.
At each sleep, Julia walks him upstairs to the bedroom they used to share. She tucks him in and gives him a kiss. At night she retires to a downstairs guestroom, because if they share a bed Marc will pat her constantly throughout the night to make sure she’s still there.
My clock’s ticking. I could die any day.
Do you feel like you’re going to die any day? Or do you feel healthy?
I feel kind of healthy, but I’m still worried. Because I have something that I can’t control inside of me.
About two years ago, Julia and Marc were on one of their daily walks when she realized they had already had their last conversation as the couple they once were, with both of them in full possession of their faculties. In one crucial sense, Marc was already gone.
Julia makes sure Marc is comfortable for his afternoon nap at their home in Westlake.
But in other ways, their connection remains.
“The love that we have is still completely there,” she said recently in the couple’s backyard, while Marc napped upstairs.
“When you’re married to someone and you’ve been with someone for so long, you almost have your own language between you. He and I still have that.”
She looked out over the potted succulents and winding stone pathways they had spent so many weekends tending together.
“A lot of our relationship is preserved in spite of it, which is just so interesting, [and] also makes it more heartbreaking,” she continued. “Because you know that if the disease plays out like it is expected to, you will just continue to slowly lose pieces.”
The average life expectancy for people with Marc’s type of FTD is five to seven years after diagnosis. Some go much sooner, and others live several years longer.
At the moment, all FTD variants lead to a similar end. Cognition and memory decline until language and self-care are no longer possible. The brain’s ability to regulate bodily functions, like swallowing and continence, erodes. Immobility sets in, and eventually, the heart beats for the last time.
But until then, people keep living. They find reasons to keep going and ways to love one another. The Pierrats do, anyway.
Marc and Julia visit horses at the Foxfield Riding School in Lake Sherwood.
On a recent morning, the couple strolled through a nearby equestrian school where their daughter once took lessons. Julia brought a baggie of rainbow carrot coins she’d sliced at home. She showed Marc how to feed the horses, as she does at every visit.
“Hold your hand completely flat, like I’m doing,” she said gently.
“I don’t want to lose a finger,” Marc said as a chestnut horse nuzzled his palm.
“You’re not going to lose a finger,” Julia assured him. “I won’t let that happen to you.”
Marc and Julia walk hand-in-hand after visiting horses at the Foxfield Riding School in Lake Sherwood.
If you are concerned about a loved one with dementia or need support after a diagnosis, contact the Assn. for Frontotemporal Dementia helpline at theaftd.org/aftd-helpline or (866) 507-7222 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
“Inside Out 2” introduces new emotions like Anxiety and Envy as Riley navigates the challenges of growing up and forming her sense of self. This heartfelt sequel naturally builds on the inner world of its predecessor, teaching important lessons in mental health for both children and adults.
The original “Inside Out” (2015) was a monumental Pixar film that humorously depicted the chaotic inner world of emotions that we all have to navigate.
In the first one, the young protagonist Riley had to learn that negative emotions like “Sadness” (a blue-colored character) aren’t something that have to be avoided at all costs, but are appropriate emotions to feel sometimes, and even a necessary function of a happy and healthy life. It was a powerful lesson in emotional intelligence that resonated with both children and adults alike.
The sequel “Inside Out 2” (2024) continues to build off of these themes in a fun, organic, and intuitive way. Riley is now thirteen and about to enter high school. She starts to experience a new range of emotions (especially “Anxiety” and “Envy”), which start to influence her newly forming “belief system” and a “sense of self.”
The creators of the Inside Out franchise have a team of psychologists that help them illustrate key concepts in an imaginative way, which makes this film both enjoyable and educational. This article will explore some of the new concepts in the film and how the mental world-building in the franchise continues to expand.
New Emotions
Inside Out 2 introduces a bunch of new emotions into Riley’s inner world. In addition to the original line-up (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, Disgust), they also include:
Anxiety (orange): The focus of the film. Anxiety is always thinking ahead and wanting what is best for Riley, but also overworks and overworries her. The main narrative of the film shows Riley wanting to become the best hockey player she can possibly be; anxiety tries to help her achieve this by motivating Riley to constantly push herself forward, wake up early to train more, and work harder. However, too much anxiety distracts her from other core values in life, such as kindness and friendship, and also hurts her ability to just have fun and enjoy the game of hockey. At the climax of the film, Anxiety works itself up into such a frenzy that it freezes and has a panic attack (this scene has resonated with a lot of people who have experienced similar attacks, including myself). Riley must learn that while anxiety can be a powerful motivator it also needs to be balanced with feelings of acceptance, relaxation, and joy.
Envy (cyan): This emotion is always admiring others, looking up to them, and wanting what they have. When Riley first meets her hockey idols, she becomes envious of how “cool” and “successful” they are, so she strives to become just like them by mimicking them and copying their behaviors, including at one point dying her hair the same way to be more like them. Like all emotions, envy and jealousy can be insightful emotions with the right perspective: they can show us what we want or value in life. However when our lives are completely run by these feelings, we end up trying to be something we’re not.
Embarrassment (pink): A big goofy emotion that looks away and covers his head in a hoodie whenever something shameful or embarrassing happens to Riley. It’s interesting to note that many of the new emotions added have a social component to them. This makes sense as Riley comes of age and begins to balance her self-perception with how she is perceived by others.
All of the emotions in Inside Out 2 (both old and new). One cool thing about each emotion is that it is naturally paired with a specific color. Sadness is blue, Anger is red, Joy is yellow, Disgust is green, and Anxiety is orange.
Ennui/Boredom (purple): A humorous emotion with a stereotypically snobby French accent that constantly pretends to not be interested in anything. They will often deflect serious or uncomfortable situations with sarcasm, irony, or feigned disinterest. This character cleverly shows how many people use sarcasm as a defense mechanism when they are too afraid to be honest or sincere about their true thoughts and feelings. It reflects a common attitude among teenagers and young adults where it’s perceived as “lame” to care too much about anything.
Nostalgia (beige): This emotion is a side character that pops up a couple times throughout the film. Each time the other emotions humorously tell “Nostalgia” that she is arriving too soon, and that Riley has to at least wait for her first date, first kiss, or graduation before she starts reminiscing on the past. Perhaps Nostalgia will be the main character in Inside Out 10, when Riley is much older and has already lived the bulk of her life.
The original creator Pete Docter conceived of between 5-27 emotions that could be added to the Inside Out world, so it’s likely newer emotions will continue to be introduced if the series keeps going. Check out different classifications of emotions here, the original five in the movie are based on Paul Ekman’s model (excluding “surprise”).
Belief System and Sense of Self
One of the most interesting new features added to the Inside Out world is the idea of a “belief system.”
In the first movie, they introduced the concept of a “core memory” as a highly emotionally charged event that is then stored in Riley’s brain. Now these core memories can be brought to the “belief system” and turned into a belief (or recurring thought pattern). For example, when Riley fails an important exam at school, that core memory may be turned into the belief, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not smart enough.”
Here’s how the belief system is visually represented, it looks similar to a bunch of neurons in a brain. Each ray of light represents one specific belief:
All of these beliefs come together to create Riley’s “sense of self.” This is depicted in the movie as a type of “electric tree,” with its roots representing each core belief.
At first the character Joy takes complete control over Riley’s “sense of self.” It only feeds positive memories and positive beliefs into her belief system, and tries to protect her from negative memories by throwing them into the “back of the mind” where they can be ignored forever.
When the emotion Anxiety takes over, only negative beliefs are fed into the sense of self, such as “I’m not good enough” or “I need to be better.” The “sense of self” changes color and shape to reflect these changes in how Riley sees herself.
After Riley suffers from a panic attack during a hockey game due to being completely controlled by Anxiety, the character Joy intervenes and gets Anxiety to “let go” of the controls.
In the outside world, Riley practices a grounding technique by making note of her five senses and taking deep breaths to bring herself back to the present moment. She then does the right thing by apologizing to her friends for being so mean and distant toward them.
Finally Riley “calls” Joy back to her and allows herself to have fun playing the rest of the hockey game with her friends.
By the end of the movie, Riley forms a completely new “sense of self” that accepts all of her thoughts and feelings, even when they can be conflicting or contradictory at times. Riley’s emotions come together and realize that she needs all of them.
No single emotion gets to determine who Riley is – they all contribute in helping Riley become the best version of herself.
Conclusion
Overall Inside Out 2 is a worthy sequel that builds off of its predecessor in an organic and intelligent way that is bound to resonate with both children and adults. Make sure to put it on your watchlist this year!
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I’d long forgotten the enlightening words I heard from the depths of my mind on an lsd trip as a young man. I was upon a sailing ship in the vacuum of space when a tidal wave of cosmos crashed down and pitched the boat around. The words, “your greatest joy will be furthest from shore” rang out.
Big surprise: 3 Body Problem, Netflix’s new show based on a trilogy of sci-fi novels that regularly deal with advanced quantum science theories, doesn’t offer a lot in terms of easy answers. Why did Vera Ye kill herself? What do people see when those shaky countdowns get to zero? And who, really, are the incoming aliens known as the San-Ti (Chinese for “three-body [people]”)?
Many of the answers to the latter question revolve around a virtual reality game encased in a sleek chrome headset that resembles something Apple would sell for several thousand dollars. Early in Episode 1, Jin Cheng (Jess Hong) is given one of these devices on a visit to Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao), the mother of Jin’s recently deceased friend Vera. Wenjie claims Vera was gaming regularly in the weeks before her death, which piques Jin’s interest since her particle physicist friend would never deign to carve out time for video games.
Headset affixed, Jin finds herself in a hyperrealistic desert landscape. The words “Level One” echo loudly. The headset is able to affect every sense, not just seeing and hearing, effectively transporting her mind to a new plane of being. Jin marvels as the wind ripples the traditional garb she’s been outfitted in, smiles and squints as a massive sun rises over a stately pyramid, and screams in terror when the wind picks up, revealing a desiccated, still-alive humanoid figure buried at her feet. I’m not a big fan of tutorial levels, either.
Eventually, one of Jin’s friends, snack magnate Jack Rooney (John Bradley), gets his hands on her headset. But his experience playing the game is even more bonkers. When Jack first puts on Jin’s device, which was evidently intended just for her, a woman (Sea Shimooka) appears behind him and sternly observes, “You were not invited,” before cutting him down with a sword. The same thing happens when another friend, Auggie (Eiza González), tries to play. The San-Ti want only a select few people to use their tech. But with time, Jack finally makes the cut. A shiny headset of his own comes with a card that reads: “We invite you to play.”
Initially, the VR portions of 3 Body Problem do resemble some kind of incredibly immersive game. Putting on the headset and engaging with the AI once again, Jin meets a suave NPC, the Count of the West, and another simply referred to as Follower, a young girl Jin immediately takes a shine to. The Count welcomes Jin to “Civilization 137” and tells her that this world has “chaotic” and “stable” eras. She must deduce whether an era is chaotic or stable, and if she’s wrong, the civilization is destroyed.
As in any good game, you need a big end-of-level boss. Here in Level One, it’s Emperor Zhou—a real-life tyrant king from about 3,000 years ago. The Count, desperate to appease the emperor, tells Zhou that he can use divination to predict the next stable era, which just so happens to be in eight days and will last 63 years. Jin, a trained scientist rather than a mystic, disagrees with the Count’s assessment. But Zhou is on board with the Count’s prediction and dismisses Jin’s interjections about “the laws of physics: everything we know to be true about the world.”
“Which world?” he asks her.
The emperor moves forward with the Count’s plea to “awaken your dynasty and let it prosper.” But that decision quickly proves to be misguided, as Zhou’s civilization is completely obliterated by a massive ice storm. Nevertheless, Jin’s foresight in choosing science over mysticism results in her passing Level One. Several doomed civilizations later, Jin and Jack solve Level Two together: This world is part of, get this, a three-body star system, moving unpredictably between the gravity of three suns, causing constant ecological disasters and apocalypses. Throughout the “game,” they’re tasked with explaining complex modern physics to NPCs who are based on important figures in Earth’s history and whose temperaments range from “unimpressed” to “cartoonishly hostile.” And I mean cartoonishly. At one point, Kublai Khan tries to boil Jin and Jack in a big pot, which is something Wile E. Coyote would attempt. A series of comedic cameos adds to the heightened reality and playfulness of these scenes compared to the rest of the show, like when League of Gentlemen alum and Sherlock cocreator Mark Gatiss—in character as Isaac Newton—spits at Jin to “shut the fuck up, troll!” after she questions his (very cool) human-powered binary computer. The San-Ti are at least hip to a bit of gamer lingo, then.
It’s a fascinating way to tell the San-Ti’s story, which becomes clearer and clearer with each progressing level. This game is not a puzzle; the three-body problem is unsolvable. Any species existing within such an unstable star system will always face eradication, eventually. It’s a demonstration by the San-Ti that they have no choice but to abandon their planet and find a new home.
Jin and Jack are invited to Level Four, which, as it turns out, is basically an initiation. Donning the headsets one more time, they are greeted by the game’s “guide,” that mysterious woman with a sword. “There is only one solution when your world is doomed,” the woman says. “Flee,” Jin whispers in response. And so, after 9,478 total civilizations have been built, destroyed, and rebuilt, the San-Ti are accepting an invitation to Earth that—surprise—Ye Wenjie extended to them at the end of Episode 2. Wenjie, exasperated with the cruelty she experienced at the hands of her fellow human beings during the Cultural Revolution, believes the San-Ti could save humanity—even if, and perhaps explicitly because, the San-Ti warned Wenjie that her “world will be conquered” if she responded to the their messages sent decades before Jin’s VR excursions.
Jack and Jin, as “Level Four champions,” are invited into a sect of humanity that’s led by Wenjie and is preparing to welcome the San-Ti, whom they call “Our Lord.” The game is designed not only to literalize the history of the San-Ti, but to select players who will be sympathetic and malleable to the San-Ti’s own ends. “Your cingulate cortex [an area of the brain commonly associated with emotion and empathy] activity was the highest we’ve ever recorded,” true believer Tatiana (Marlo Kelly) tells Jin.
Inside the careful and occasionally humorous craftsmanship of the games, there are more hints to be gleaned about the nature of the San-Ti. First—and this is the one that’ll stick in most people’s minds—they have the ability to “dehydrate” themselves, essentially pausing all biological functions and flattening into a rolled-up canvas so that they can preserve themselves during the chaotic eras of their home world. When a stable era arrives, any surviving, hydrated San-Ti toss them into pools of water and they come back to life, like those compressed hand towels that start out looking like tiny pills that you sometimes get at Chinese restaurants. Though the San-Ti civilizations are based on human ones in the game, they clearly have a very different biology. “We don’t look anything like this,” the sword woman tells Jin and Thomas Wade (Liam Cunningham) in a final demonstration later on. When asked what they do look like, she calmly tells Wade he “wouldn’t like it.”
More troublingly, the game’s design betrays the implication of the San-Ti’s authority over humanity. In each level, Jin and Jack are presenting their ideas to some of the most powerful and notably violent figures in history. This is not the San-Ti asking for help; they’re already on their way. This is them explaining how things will work once they arrive.
By the season’s end, there’s still a lot about the headsets that remains mysterious. Why did the San-Ti, a species that takes things very literally (to the point that they’re incapable of lying or understanding the concept of a fairy tale), construct such a narratively complex fable to highlight their perspective? They clearly know the broad mechanics of a video game, but not Little Red Riding Hood?
In the end, though, another useful purpose for the headsets emerges: outright threats. The woman with the sword is an avatar for the Sophons: four 11-dimensional supercomputers folded back into the size of a proton (seriously, don’t think too hard about this) and quantum entangled with one another on the San-Ti fleet, allowing for instantaneous communication even though they’re 400 years from reaching Earth. The Sophons can be anywhere, see and hear anything, cause mass hallucinations, and even disrupt the laws of physics, slowing down humanity’s scientific progress so that it’ll be less able to defend itself when the San-Ti arrive. They’re omnipresent gremlins designed to drive everyone employed at the United Nations insane, basically.
By the end of the first season, humanity’s relationship with its alien counterpart, the San-Ti, has already deteriorated to the extent that they publicly announce their intention to conquer Earth. As 3 Body Problem’s first season progresses and Earth and the San-Ti fleet morph from uneasy allies into all-out belligerents, the headsets become less prominent in the story. There’s only so much you can do to recruit more pro-San-Ti influencers after you’ve called all of humanity “BUGS” on an LED display in Piccadilly Circus. But, curiously, Tatiana herself receives a headset at the end of Season 1, even though she was already all in on the San-Ti cause. “If one survives, we all survive,” the card included with her device reads. Expect to see some different tricks from the headset when Season 2 inevitably drops. For the rest of those who received them, the San-Ti’s message is clear: Play ball and help, or die with Earth Civilization no. 1.
Tom Philip is a Scottish writer based in Brooklyn, New York. He’s written about entertainment and culture for GQ, Vulture, and The New York Times and contributed some truly awful jokes for the likes of ClickHole, The New Yorker, and CollegeHumor. You can yell at him on X here: @tommphilip.
What does the daily life of a legendary philosopher look like? Learn about Arthur Schopenhauer’s unique routine that he consistently followed for over 27 years.
Arthur Schopenhauer was a major figure in German philosophy throughout the 19th century along with Friedrich Nietzsche and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.
While he’s known for his pessimism and negative outlook on life, there’s no denying that Schopenhauer was an intellectual powerhouse of his time who influenced many great thinkers, philosophers, and artists long after his death.
His book Essays and Aphorisms is a great introduction and overview of his philosophical ideas. It explains his core metaphysical belief of “world as appearance,” continuing the legacy of other idealist philosophers like Plato, Kant, and Indian philosophy, which warn about viewing the world strictly through a materialist lens.
The beginning of the book provides a nice biography of Schopenhauer’s family background, education, and life history. There’s one interesting section on his daily routine that caught my attention and wanted to share; it’s always fascinating to gain insights into the habits and lifestyles of influential figures, especially potential role models we can emulate and borrow from.
This specific routine characterizes the last third of Schopenhauer’s life:
“From the age of 45 until his death 27 years later Schopenhauer lived in Frankfurt-am-Main. He lived alone… every day for 27 years he followed an identical routine.”
Keep in mind, I’m only sharing this for educational purposes. I don’t necessarily recommend this way of living, but there are interesting lessons to takeaway from it, including how some of these habits relate to Schopenhauer’s overall philosophy.
Arthur Schopenhauer’s Daily Routine
Here’s a breakdown of Schopenhauer’s daily routine for the last 27 years of his life:
“He rose every morning at seven and had a bath but no breakfast;
He drank a cup of strong coffee before sitting down at his desk and writing until noon.
At noon he ceased work for the day and spent half-an-hour practicing the flute, on which he became quite a skilled performer.
Then he went out to lunch at the Englischer Hof.
After lunch he returned home and read until four, when he left for his daily walk:
He walked for two hours no matter what the weather.
At six o’clock, he visited the reading room of the library and read The Times.
In the evening he attended the theatre or a concert, after which he had dinner at a hotel or restaurant.
He got back home between nine and ten and went early to bed.”
While Schopenhauer mostly kept to this strict routine unwaveringly, he was willing to make exceptions under specials circumstances such as if he had friends or visitors in town.
Key Lessons and Takeaways
This daily routine seems fitting for a solitary and introspective philosopher, but there are key lessons that fit with conventional self-improvement wisdom:
Early Rising: Schopenhauer started his day at 7 a.m., which aligns with the common advice of many successful individuals who advocate for early rising. This morning ritual is often associated with increased productivity and a sense of discipline.
No Breakfast: Skipping breakfast was part of Schopenhauer’s routine. While not everyone agrees with this approach, it resonates with intermittent fasting principles that some find beneficial for health and mental clarity.
Work Routine: Schopenhauer dedicated his mornings to work, writing until noon. This emphasizes the importance of having a focused and dedicated period for intellectual or creative work, especially early in the day.
Creative Break: Taking a break to practice the flute for half an hour after work highlights the value of incorporating creative or leisure activities into one’s routine. It can serve as a refreshing break and contribute to overall well-being.
Outdoor Exercise: Schopenhauer’s daily two-hour walk, regardless of the weather, emphasizes the significance of outdoor exercise for both physical and mental health. This practice aligns with contemporary views on the benefits of regular physical activity and spending time in nature.
Reading Habit: Schopenhauer spent time reading each day, reflecting his commitment to continuous learning and intellectual stimulation.
News Consumption: Reading The Times at the library suggests Schopenhauer valued staying informed about current events. It’s worth noting that he limited his news consumption to a specific time of day (but it was easier to restrict your information diet before the internet).
Cultural Engagement: Attending the theater or a concert in the evening indicates a commitment to cultural engagement and a balanced lifestyle.
Regular Bedtime: Going to bed early reflects an understanding of the importance of sufficient sleep for overall health and well-being.
While Schopenhauer’s routine may not be suitable for everyone, there are elements of discipline, balance, and engagement with various aspects of life that individuals may find inspiring or applicable to their own lifestyles.
The Immovable Mind
Schopenhauer was known for his persistence and stubbornness – his consistent daily routine is just one manifestation of this.
He wrote his magnum opus The World as Will and Representation in 1818 when he was only 28 years old, and he never fundamentally changed his views despite continuing to write and publish until his death at 72.
Schopenhauer has been described as an “immovable mind,” never letting himself deviate from the course he was set out on.
His two hour walk routine in any weather is one of the most popular examples of this. From the biography in the book:
“Consider the daily two-hour walk. Among Schopenhauer’s disciples of the late nineteenth century this walk was celebrated fact of his biography, and it was so because of its regularity. There was speculation as to why he insisted on going out and staying out for two hours no matter what the weather. It suggests health fanaticism, but there is no other evidence that Schopenhauer was a health fanatic or crank. In my view the reason was simply obstinacy: he would go out and nothing would stop him.”
While this immovability has its disadvantages, you have to admire the monk-like discipline.
Schopenhauer was a proponent of ascetism, a life without pleasure-seeking and mindless indulgence. A lot of his philosophy centers around a type of “denouncement of the material world,” so it’s not surprising that a little rain and wind wouldn’t stop his daily walk.
This way of living is reminiscent of the documentary Into Great Silence, which follows the daily lives of Carthusian monks living in the French mountains while they eat, clean, pray, and fulfill their chores and duties in quiet solitude.
One of the hallmarks of a great routine is that it’s a sustainable system. The fact that Schopenhauer was able to follow this regimen for the rest of his life is a testament to its strength and efficacy, and something worth admiring even if it’s not a lifestyle we’d want to replicate for ourselves.
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Norman Lear popped up on my computer screen at the designated time, wearing his signature bucket hat. I’d waited weeks for the interview and knew I had to think fast, because Lear was busy — as always — juggling projects.
That was the point of the interview. He was 98 in 2020 and still working like an ambitious upstart. I was 30 years younger than him, contemplating retirement and researching a book about how to know when it’s time to go.
I’ll admit to being more than a little nervous. Lear, who died Dec. 5 at age 101, was a legend, for one thing, a pioneer in the realm of prime-time TV shows that delivered social commentary along with entertainment. As a much younger guy, I half feared Lear might tell me to quit wasting his time.
California is about to be hit by an aging population wave, and Steve Lopez is riding it. His column focuses on the blessings and burdens of advancing age — and how some folks are challenging the stigma associated with older adults.
I asked Lear if he ever thought about retiring. He appeared to be in his kitchen, snacking on something, but he didn’t hesitate.
“Not for a second,” he said with an exclamation point, making me feel like maybe I should go get my own bucket hat, pull it down to my ears and get to work.
I had already talked to another Hollywood legend and Lear contemporary, Mel Brooks. I wanted to know if working, for them, was oxygen. If you stop working, you suffocate.
“When I go to sleep at night,” Lear told me, “I have something that I’m thinking. Among other things, it’s about something I’m doing tomorrow … a day in which there are things I wish to do. So today is over, and we’re on to the next.”
Here I was, making the vagaries of human existence more complicated than they needed to be as I tried to make sense of where I’d been and where I was headed in a year, in five, in 10.
Lear obligingly played therapist, saying he lived in the moment, which really is all any of us can do. He said that he was certainly grateful for all the accolades and awards tossed his way in an epic career, but that he didn’t dwell on the past as much as what was in front of him right now. Imagine you’re in a hammock, he said, and you’re swinging.
From over, to next. Over, to next.
Norman Lear joins actor Marla Gibbs at a ceremony to award her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gibbs was a cast member on Lear’s TV sitcom “The Jeffersons.”
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
“So long as I am interested in the next, I’m moving,” Lear said. “And there have been, for 98 years, a lot of wonderful nexts.”
Lear had an insatiable intellectual and spiritual hunger, and that, along with the luck of physical health, is key to a long and happy life. Recently, I hiked Griffith Park with a 100-year-old gent, Pete Teti, who is all about embracing change. As one friend explained: “He’s made two violins, he does engraving, he’s a painter, he’s currently creating animation, he’s constantly learning about physics, geometry, fractiles.”
At age 93, Lear once asked, in a New York Times interview, “Aren’t you expected to grow, learn more about yourself, learn more about the world? Why would you be less expected to grow when you’re 80? The culture dictates how you behave, and maybe the elderly buy into it, the way they grow old. My role here now is to say wait a minute. That’s not all there is. There’s a good time to be had at this age.”
Marty Kaplan, director of USC’s Norman Lear Center — established in 2000 by the Lear family to study the impact of entertainment on society — said Lear was attending writers’ meetings and giving notes on current projects right up until the end. Kaplan said in a tribute on the center’s website that Lear “moved our hearts and minds to embrace our common humanity and live up to what is best in us.”
But there was more to the man than work.
“The list of things associated with longevity — with centenarians — all apply to him,” Kaplan told me. “Family and love in your life is paramount, and for him, it always has been. And then, purpose, an awfully important thing. The sense that you matter.”
Another critical ingredient in the Lear recipe for aging well was gratitude, Kaplan said, citing Lear’s wartime service as a radio operator and gunner on dozens of World War II combat missions.
“He wasn’t just swinging in the hammock. He was reveling in the pleasure of being alive, in existence, and the sheer miracle of anything existing,” Kaplan said.
In our conversation, Lear wondered why I’d be contemplating retirement, given how much I loved my job. Well, I told him, there might be other things I’d love, but I’ve never had time to try them. I’d like to travel more, and maybe live in different places.
Lear suggested the best of both worlds was within reach. Maybe I could travel more, have new experiences, and write about it.
“It’s not retirement,” he said. “It’s on to the next.”
I took inspiration from Lear’s zest. Work might well have kept him breathing, but it was all of life he embraced. He kept probing, shining a light, speaking out about ignorance and division. He once had a pen pal relationship with President Reagan because he thought it was important to hear the perspectives of political opponents.
Kaplan wrote that Lear “moved our hearts and minds to embrace our common humanity and live up to what is best in us.”
He said that in the hours after Lear’s death, he was looking through his biography, “Even This I Get to Experience,” and was struck by the epigraph. It was a quote from George Bernard Shaw.
“You haven’t overcome the fear of death until you delight in your own life, believing it to be the carrying out of universal purpose.”
Hot on the heels of HEART, RAVENSCOON has now revealed the next pivotal chapter of his debut album, PERIPHERY, titled MIND.
The 18-track opus, PERIPHERY, uniquely fragments into four thematic EPs: BODY, HEART, MIND, and SOUL, each resonating deeply with RAVENSCOON’s multifaceted musical ethos.
MIND EP offers a potent concoction of cerebral soundscapes and impeccable sonic detailing. Included in this release are tracks such as “Soundboy”, “Vantablack” in collaboration with Deadcrow, and the energizing “ACID” produced alongside Emurse and featuring Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. Cinematic visualizers, a result of RAVENSCOON’s collaboration with renowned cinematographer Magela Crosignani, accompanies the tracks in a incredible fashion, adding even more depth to this stunning collection.
As the “PERIPHERY” era unravels, RAVENSCOON remains resolute in broadening his musical horizons, captivating the steadfast WAKAAN fan base and making inroads with trap enthusiasts and ambient music connoisseurs.
MONDAY, Nov. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Eating more berries and drinking tea may help slow mental decline as you age, new research suggests.
In a study of more than 900 adults, researchers found that foods like these — containing antioxidant flavonols — delivered brain benefits to older adults. Flavonols are found in fruits like berries, green leafy vegetables, tea and wine.
For example, people who ate a serving of leafy green vegetables a day slowed their rate of cognitive decline by about 32%, compared with people who didn’t eat any foods with flavonols, said lead researcher Dr. Thomas Holland, an instructor of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
“Flavonols are both anti-inflammatories and antioxidants,” he said. “These foods that contain flavonols destroy free radicals and prevent cell damage. They prevent cell damage in the brain as well as in other organs, such as the heart and vascular system, kidneys, liver, etc.”
Holland isn’t keen on getting flavonols from supplements. He believes the best way to stock up on flavonols is through diet.
“You’re going to get a higher diversity of nutrients from foodstuffs,” he said. “I like to maintain supplements as exactly that, supplements. They should supplement a healthy diet.”
For the study, Holland’s team collected data on 961 adults, average age 81, who did not have dementia. Over an average of seven years, participants completed yearly questionnaires about their diet and took cognitive and memory tests. The tests involved remembering lists of words, recalling numbers and putting them in the correct order.
Holland cautioned that the study shows an association between higher amounts of flavonols and slower cognitive decline but cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Also, people’s recollections of what they ate might not have been completely accurate.
The researchers found that people who ate the most flavonols, about 15 mg a day (equivalent to about 1 cup of dark leafy greens), had slower memory decline, compared with those who consumed the least, about 5 mg a day. This association remained after taking into account age, sex and smoking.
The foods that contributed most to slowing mental decline included kale, beans, tea, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, apples, tea, wine, oranges, pears, olive oil and tomato sauce, the researchers said.
“Plant foods contain a treasure trove of powerful nutrients that offer significant health benefits,” said Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
Flavonoids are just one family of over 5,000 compounds found in plants. “Included in this family are a subgroup called flavonols,” she noted.
This study focused on the flavonol content in people’s diets and its relationship with cognitive health, but we do not sit down and have a plate of flavonols for breakfast, said Heller, who had no role in the study.
“We eat foods that contain an array of phytonutrients [healthy plant compounds], such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals, such as flavonols. These phytonutrients work together synergistically, as a team, and this is what boosts the health benefits we derive by eating them,” she said.
These elements interact with each other in many biological processes — for example, reducing inflammation, supporting the immune system, protecting and repairing cells, and reducing oxidative stress, Heller said.
She stressed that one element in the diet is probably not a magic path to a long and healthy life.
“Perhaps the people in this study who ate a more plant-based diet saw the greatest cognitive benefits, but this was not assessed. Research suggests that shifting to eating more legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains helps us live longer, healthier lives,” Heller said.
Holland agreed that flavonols alone aren’t going to keep mental decline at bay. The best path to maintaining physical and mental health, he said, includes a healthy lifestyle complete with a diverse diet of fruits and vegetables, physical activity and cognitive training — challenging yourself each day with learning something new.
“Also, sleep and stress reduction are all collectively going to be beneficial for overall health,” Holland said. “It’s never too early or too late to start making healthy changes.”
The report was published online Nov. 22 in the journal Neurology.
More information
For more on flavonols, see the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Thomas Holland, MD, instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago; Samantha Heller, MS, RD, CDN, senior clinical nutritionist, NYU Langone Health, New York City; Neurology, Nov. 22, 2022, online
CHICAGO, July 12, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– Adveractive, Inc. and Tribune Content Agency, LLC announce the launch of Giant Jumble® Crosswords, a free app, today, July 12, in these app stores: Apple iTunes Store, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store.
Giant Jumble® Crosswords is a fast playing, challenging new variant of Jumble® Crosswords and Jumble® puzzles currently syndicated to over 600 newspapers, magazines and websites.
This app is utterly simple to play and fun for players of any age. Every crossword puzzle has a “Final Jumble” clue and answer. Players discover the needed letters for this final answer by solving the crossword puzzle grid. Every one of the 300 included puzzles will stimulate player minds. This free app will deliver hours and hours and hours of enjoyment.
Puzzle creator David L. Hoyt wrote every clue and answer for each puzzle. And David chose 300 of his favorites for the launch set of puzzles. More puzzles will be added in frequent future updates. David L. Hoyt is popularly known as the “The Man Who Puzzles America” and these puzzles are David at his best.
Features: * 300 of the best Jumble Crossword Puzzles ever * Six different levels of puzzle difficulty * A new Daily Jumble Crossword Puzzle every day * A new Jumble “Bonus Round” every day
Giant Jumble® Crosswords is the newest release in the Just Jumble® and Just 2 Words™ series of apps developed and published by Adveractive. The previous apps feature puzzles by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek and they have been top downloads on Apple, Android and Amazon Kindle devices.
Device Requirements: * iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch * Apple – Requires iOS 8.0 or later * Android Phones & Tablets or Amazon Kindle Fires * Android – Requires 4.2 or later * 45 MB
Price and Availability: Giant Jumble® Crosswords 1.0 is free and available worldwide through three App Stores. It appears in both the Word Game and the Puzzle Game categories. Giant Jumble® Crosswords is recommended for all ages (12 and up) and it contains nothing but fun and mind-stimulating material.
App Store Links: Apple App Store: http://bit.ly/JumbleCrossword-Apple Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/JumbleCrossword-Google Amazon App Store: http://bit.ly/JumbleCrossword-Amazon
Adveractive Inc. has been a leading developer of digital online games, download games and apps since 1995. Steve Bullock is the founder and President of Adveractive which is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. All Material and Software (C) Copyright 2019 Adveractive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.
Steve Bullock President Phone: 919-968-4567 Email: sbullock@adveractive.com
