Dr. J.’s posts regarding games captured the imaginations of some of our readers (and writers). Our first letter comes from the ever so kind Operative JS:

Dear doctor doctor I’ve got a bad case of hemorrhaging you, 

I, too, enjoy board games. I remember playing Battleship quite a few times growing up (we weren’t allowed to have video games) and Risk even more- which taught critical thinking and strategy in a fun way, along with how to lose graciously (I played with some cutthroat people). I played a lot of Settlers of Catan in college (also known as “How to lose a friend in 3 hours”), and I still enjoy board games, although I don’t get the opportunity today that I did then. They are a different level of fun, and they definitely use a different part of the brain than video games- kudos to the Jedi Academy for having them present. Also, it’s much easier to get up and use the restroom without disturbing everyone else. It also allows for fun for hours without people looking at you strangely. 

Keep up the great work! You all are my primary source for political info. 

God Bless, Operative JS

Dear JS,

God Bless you too my friend and thank you for writing in. Yeah, Dr. J. turned a friend into an enemy over a game of Monopoly where the lad sold his soul for Park Place. Because he was sufficently cash poor and the deal permitted Dr. J. to complete a few property sets, he never could afford to build on his beloved dark blue properties and had to sell them to your Doctor before he ultimately lost.

It will be interesting to see how Yoda rolls out games as part of the curriculum. Dr. J. has sufficient faith that the younglings will take yet another quantum leap ahead of their New Atlanis peers. Also, the Lil Resident’s class has earned enough marbles (for good behavior) that they will be having a ‘Marble Party’ for a couple of hours on Friday afternoon. They’ve actually chosen to have a ‘board game’ party. Dr. J. can’t wait to see which game the Lil Resident brings in. He’s thinking of loaning her his prized Go board…though she might bogart her brother’s Mouse Trap game.

Our second letter is an intraoffice memo from GorT:

To: Dr. J. 

From: GorT 

RE: Games

By the way, loved the game night stuff – we had the same Star Wars game. But also played a lot of “Stop Thief” and some “Chopper Strike” among others. You can ask Volgi and Puter – I was known as the “game guy” in high school. I did battleship on graph paper with my Dad as well and even 1st edition D&D on paper. 

Best, GorT

Heh, Dr. J. remembers Stop Thief. One of his D&D buddies had that, it was one of the first forays into mixed media (board game with electronics). Dr. J.’s favorite of that genre, for sure, was Dark Tower. You had to find three keys, raise an army and kill the brigand horde inside the Dark Tower. Dr. J.’s never done Battleship on graph paper but from the Lil Med Student’s ‘Dangerous Book for Boys’ it has a chapter on games you can play with pencil and paper, and that is one of them. Dr. J. wiled away many an hour in the Chemistry lab at Ivy University playing Go on paper. That and Dots are his favorite  graph paper games.

Dr. J.