Civilization II

I know no one really cares about my favorite game , Civilization II, but I achieved something in a recent game that I don't think I've achieved in my 30 years of playing it.  I got all the top 5 cities in the world!

As a turn-based strategy game, Civilization II models the historical development of human civilization. A player, when creating a game, may pick one of 21 historical civilizations or a custom-named civilization. The computer will intelligently control multiple rival civilizations.

Cities occupy one tile and harvest yields from nearby tiles: food, trade and production. They may build units, city improvements or wonders of the world. Typically, each civilization will constantly expand by founding new cities until all of the map is settled. Analogous to chess pieces, the many different units vary in their functions, mirroring historical types of soldiers and occupations. Units occupy one tile at a time and may move every turn. Most of them can attack others in battle; a minority have non-military functions.

After civilizations make contact, they begin diplomatic relations. In war, a civilization may conquer another civilization's cities. When all of a player's cities are conquered, they are permanently removed from the game. To end war, two players may negotiate peaceful relations.  

Scientific research is a focal point of the game. Players begin with primitive technology and hence limited possible actions. Grouped by eras from ancient to modern, civilization advances, both scientific and societal, offer numerous advantages.

There are three paths to victory: conquering all other civilizations, building a spaceship that reaches the Alpha Centauri star system using advanced technology, and otherwise surviving until 2020 AD (being ahead in civ score over the others). A player's score is calculated after finishing the game.

There are many games available on the internet.  But I really like this one.  It is never the same game twice, I don't have to move fast, it is no "shoot them up", and I know the rules and tech advances.  It is more of a thoughtful game (like chess or risk).  I enjoy being able to consider actions and do some planning without time-pressure.

Memorial Day (Observed)

 

Birthday

I made it to another one! 

Dental Issues, Part 2

Well, I mentioned bad news from the dentist a few days ago about the condition of my teeth.   They are in wretched condition.  Think of a pile of loose boulders compared to a good pyramid...  It isn't a question of "will they start breaking, but how soon?".

So yesterday, I had a "consult" with the Dentist.  Not my usual "fillings and routine stuff", but a more specialty one who visits weekly for advanced work.  He recommended placing new crowns on most upper teeth and replacing old existing ones then, but yesterday's visit was for a more detailed exam, a timetable, and costs.

The news is serious.  Though I don't currently have any tooth sensitivity, it is coming soon, and each repair will be harder as less durable.  Basically, I can wait for each individual tooth to fail and be in pain for several days waiting for an available appointment, or get it all fixed over a couple months.

Here's what he wants to do...

1.  Put temporary caps on the 2 left and right upper back molars.  This is to provide some slight leverage on my jaws to align them better and get me used to feeling a change.  Part of my problem is that I have a small jaw and an overbite.  And BTW, I have a family history of bad teeth.  I have outstanding health otherwise, but bad teeth.

2.  The Dentist will also do a digital scan of the shape of my teeth at the same time.  Well, good, I won't have to suffer that hard molding stuff they used to use.  I always hated that.  A lab will create new permanent crowns based on that (as needed - this whole process will take several months).

3.  After those few weeks of adjustment, the Dentist will put temporary crowns on my 8 upper front teeth.  And I will wait several weeks to adjust to those.  

4.  Then, he will replace the back crowns with permanent ones.  A week later or so, he will put on the permanent front crowns and make any minor crown-shaping to make the new crowns

    ----------

So he had described the procedure.  He had advised me that each active appointment would mean numbing both sides of my mouth each time (ack).  His insurance tech developed a cost estimate.  I was shocked!  Apparently, my health insurance company does not provide the same level of coverage as they used to (and I didn't notice that in the renewals).  And on my Federal Govt health care program, I can only change plans in December each year.  😭

Something just short of $13,000!  😠. OK, I can afford it.  I am planning some home and driveway renovations/repairs anyway and that would just be a 1/4th of all that.  But I wasn't expecting such a large cost.  

So, sitting in the Dentist's chair and looking at the detailed cost chart, I thought about how legitimate this all was.  So I asked him about implants (which I already knew they didn't do themselves.  The Dentist said that was a good option.  He said there were some advantages to that.  It could be done in just a couple visits, and offerred to refer me to an implant specialist with a great reputation.  He said that can be easier on some patients and that there is even sedation implant specialists.

So that answered my internal concern about the Dentist just wanting to do all the crown work just for the money.  

I also asked about the general cost of full implants.  He said they were a good option.  He said it is generally about $25,000 "per arch", meaning both upper and lower.  OK, $50,000 will make me think twice too!  😰

So, I am going ahead with the 12 crown replacement at my regular Dentist.  I'm going to hate it.  Just having one new crown is miserable, 12 is going to be much worse.

I asked about the durability of the new crowns.  He said 10-15 years.  OK, 15 years from now I'll be 90 (if I live that long).  I guess I have to do this...  10-15 years of good teeth is worth something, and there is not much point in dying rich when the option is good teeth for most of the rest of my life.

I have another option that just occurred to me now.  If I wait until December, I can switch to a Govt Health Care plan that covers major dental work.  I'll have to call the Dentist and ask about the consequences of delaying all this work that long.  He may say yes that would work or he may say I have some teeth that won't last that long.

But it won't hurt to ask.

Advice welcomed...

Answers To Comments

 I haven't done "Answers To Comments" here before (I think) but there have been some questions...

*  I mentioned a difficulty in getting some flowers in April.  Pilch asked "Would Lowe's let you pick them up instead?  Oddly, no.  Their website specifically said they were not open for onsite shopping.  Their garden center was not open yet.  And at $15 for online order delivery, I passed them by.

*  My new Brother color/toner printer was driving me crazy.  I finally found a small reference to having the printer plugged into a different wall outlet than the computer/router.  It worked.  Why that matters is beyond my understanding, since both outlets are on the same circuit.  But Pilch also commented "Glad you figured it out".  So am I.  👍

*  There was another issue about prescription cat food.  Marley needs a kidney-care diet and I have tried the 2 types of Hill's and the 3 of Royal Canin.  He won't eat any of the Hill's stuff.  Royal Can comes in 3 types (E, T, and T).  E is chicken liver.  T is pork liver and chicken liver.  D is T with some Salmon.  He will eat Royal Canin  T and D.  

He doesn't really like either but will eat it.  The weird thing is that Taz and Binq adore the stuff!  They nose into his bowl if I turn my back for a moment.  I had to buy a few pink foodbowls so I could keep track of which one had Marley's food and move them around to keep Marley's bowl under his nose.

Getting prescription canned cat food is tricky online.  Petsmart sells it in store (and I have to show the prescription each time), but they will stop offerring it in October because they are closing down their Vet connection.  Amazon and Chewy sell it but say the Vet has to approve.  My Vet says they don't approve online vendor requests.   Catch-22!

Pilch commented "Not sure if it is my state or a law all over, but they make you get the script from the vet and send it in now instead of having the vet contact them".  I can't find where to send it to Amazon or Chewy yet, but I have a few months to figure it out.

*  I've been having photo problems with iCloud.  It ruined my saved photos folders/file structure on the desktop.  I think I've escaped iCloud and got the photos back...

Messymimi commented "It's weird. I have to upload all photos directly from my phone even though I write on the computer. Supposedly it's all in the cloud, but I can't get it to come down to Earth".  I really understood that comment.  I don't understand iCloud either.  Mostly, I can't get it to work the way I want.  I really appreciated that comment!

*  I have a difficult dental situation.  The dentist says "your teeth are all beat to Hell.  You need a complete to top row of crowns at least".  The problem is whether to suffer 12 crowns in 8 visits or risk having some teeth just "break".  I go in for a detailed "consult" exam next week about that.  My dentist can do crowns with me awake but numbed.  I'm wondering about sedation implants (which my dentist doesn't do).  It will be an interesting "consult" and a difficult decision either way.

But Messymimi commented "I'm sorry to hear this. It's not fun to have dental work".  I appreciated that.

OK Maybe...

 I think after a couple days, I have managed to retrieve most of my files from the iCloud.  It sure wasn't easy.  Most important were the photos.  The desktop folder/file structure is gone, but I can probably slowly re-construct most of it (or live with the less-structured folders).  The newer pics are more important.

After confirming (I hope) my files from iCloud retrieval , I cancelled the account.  Apple kept sending serious warnings of things I wouldn't be able to do if I did, but those aren't things I do anyway.

I was able to export Full-sized (3-6Mb) pics from Photos library to my "blogger-size" (200-300 Kb) pic folder, reducing them to usable size there (I use Preview).  

I lost some early May pics.  Can't find them anywhere.  I'll survive...

But I think I will be back posting in a day or two.  I still have to go through all the April pics and list them on my paper record of pics/cats/subjects, and that will take some time.  

I still don't like the way Mac Sequoia has forced changes in my file structure, and the loss of control over how my photos are arranged, but I don't have much control over that.  I do what I can with the limited settings, but Mac sure makes it hard sometimes.  

But I tried a Windows computer a couple years ago and could not make any sense of it.  So I'm stuck with Mac.

Dental Issues

 Visited the dentist 2 days ago for 6 month tooth-cleaning.  Got bad news.  I am healthy in general.  But my family has a history of bad teeth.  And among family, I may be the worst.  

My dentist thinks I grind my teeth at night.  I don't want to be indelicate, but I have had a few intimate relationships and asked my bed-partner if I grind my teeth (and do I talk at night)?  The unanimous answer has been "no" (but I do toss and turn a lot).  And one partner really did grind her teeth (to the point where I woke her up expecting to see pieces of broken teeth).

What actually happens is "earworms" in daytime.   Some people tap their feet to the tune, some humm.  I slide my lower jaw back and forth.  That is not "tooth-friendly".

So my teeth are beat all hell now.  The dentist said there is severe wear and "holes".  He says that they are worn down so much that the only way to save me from full implants (which he does not do) is to place crowns on most of my teeth.  

I have some crowns, so I know what one involves.  I have had 3 teeth extracted because even a root canal wouldn't save them.  I have a consultant visit scheduled in 2 weeks to have more examination and discussion.  He wants to look at my teeth more carefully and discuss a timeline of appointments to crown teeth 3 or 4 at a visit.

I'm going to have to agree with his expectations.  I know my teeth are bad and getting worse.  But damn, it is going to be a miserable few months!

I always need a 2nd novocaine shot (I am somewhat drug-resistant and pain-sensitive).  And I have a small jaw so it is difficult to keep it open enough for dental work.  Heck, I can't even eat a thick sandwich!

My dentist doesn't push any "special treatments" on me, so when he says I need something, I have to trust him on that.  So it looks like I'm in for a lot of unpleasant dental work this Summer...

More Computer Problems

Photos has messed up my iPhotos folders.  I'm stuck on iCloud and trying to escape back off it.  Hours of work and not much success.

I feel like I've been forced onto iCloud without much benefit and many problems.  I'm trying to undo that.  But it sure isn't easy!

😖

I only mention this now because my original post was rejected and I had to remove some specific complaints that mentioned a Brand Name.  I'm a Mac user, so you can guess the Brand Name...

I'll detail that on another forum...  😐

And The Powers That Be decided my original post was OK after all, but I had already deleted it...  

😄

Meanwhile, I was slowly working my way back through the lost processed pics and re-processing the originals.  I caught up.  It's almost 9 am now, but worth the effort.   I think I'll stay up long enough to mow the lawn (it really needs it) and then let the mews go out while I transplant some tomatoes.  Then we will all come inside and I'll let them sleep around me (after their meal) until 6 PM and totally ruin my sleep cycle.  😎

Losing It

I have fallen behind the tech curve to keep up with some computer apps.  I may have to just give up and stop blogging.

Mac iPhotos has gone away and I need to go to the cloud.   I don't really have much idea what that is other than I have to go "somewhere else" to access my pictures.  

I've been a happy "cat-dad" for a couple decades.  I was able to switch from MS to Mac without major problems.  But Mac is getting kind of weird.  And I don't think I can switch back to MS.  I tried an MS computer 5 years ago and I couldn't make it do anything I wanted.  So it's a $1,000 doorstop.

I'll try to learn about "cloud", but I think my learning days are about done.  I have always been in total control of my computer and files, but I guess that is over now.  

OK, OK, I'm not good at quitting.  I'll try to learn about the "cloud" starting right after I post this.  But I think I;m not going to like it.

Computer Technology Issues

And for once, I don't mean mine.   I mean internet services and commercial computers.  I've been noticing more problems with both lately...

I shop at a grocery store that requires customer use of a touchscreen to pay.  First, the display always asks for donations.  It's irritating to have to deny a donation at every cash register in every store.  But I shop at the grocery store most often.

Sometimes I can't get the "No Thanks" notice to go away.  Tap the button with fingernail, fingertip and card corner and it stays for many tries.  I give directly to several charities, so I don't need the store to get a "cut" of what I donate.

Then I try to pay for my food.  The touchscreen offers tap, slide, and insert.  Tap almost never works.  Slide or Insert usually do. And my card offers all 3 options.  The cashier said they always have problems with Tap.  They didn't used to.

And the cashier's computer monitor shows different items than I bought.  The price is correct, but a peach is not a nectarine, and green leaf lettuce is not red leaf lettuce.  Well, if the price is the same, it doesn't matter too much.  

But sometimes I ask the produce manager why they have so much of one thing and not enough of a similar thing.  He says the store deliveries are based on the checkout data.  Given the inaccuracy of the checkout computer, I can easily see where their problem is.  Seriously, if their computer calls all peaches "nectarines", no wonder they have lots of nectarines and few peaches!

Outside at the store gas station (where I can use grocery-purchase points to get cheaper gas), the pumps no longer want to accept my store loyalty card half the time.  That it does work sometimes and not others means they have a tech problem.  

At a DIY store the other day, the card reader would not accept my card when inserted.  But it did when slide.  

This seems to be happening more and more often.  Are businesses just letting their technology fall behind to save money?  Are their profit-margins so tight that they have to let some things degrade to keep prices down?  I looked up my grocery store.  It had increased profits last year (and so far this year).

On the internet, Google has suddenly gotten worse about Blogger.  Suddenly for a week, when I want to upload images, it fails the first time, blanks the 2nd time, and usually works on a 3rd try.  Is it just me?  I stay updated on all software.

So it is something else.  Do they just not care, or are they just being careless about everything?  It seems to be happening everywhere I shop.

I'm not any sort of conspiracy-theorist.  Most problems are just people not doing jobs very well or getting overwhelmed by tech.  And I love tech!  It makes my world work.  But it feels like we are sliding downhill in some basics.

Do any of you have similar problems?

  

Hummingbirds

 I set out feeders 2 weeks ago.  One is by the kitchen window.  But I never saw any.  I feared that they weren't returning to my yard this year.  

But I heard a hummer-chirp in the yard a couple days ago.  And then I saw a male flitting around.  And if there is a male around, there must be a female.  And yesterday, I saw both at the feeder near the window.  YAY!

Mine are Ruby-Throated.  Not my own picture, but it was very like this...

I was SO glad to see both.  There is probably a nest in the backyard spruce tree.  They like that tree.  I have found nests there after they are unused by late Summer before.  I won't disturb them.