First, a little background- It starts off sad but gets better.

My adorable, artistic, goofy sweet 13 year old niece Nicole was killed by a drunk driver last Tuesday in Houston. She was getting off the school bus, at 3 PM, and was plowed down by a man who was on probation from his last DUI conviction - a conviction that was reduced to a misdemeanor and "time served". (Article in Houston paper)

Even though she (and my sister/brother-in-law) live in Houston, I've kept up with Nicole through My Space. Nicole (aka Lillyh) would always have comments posted that would include "I lost the game", but I never could figure out what it meant.

I did ask my sister and found out the story. Before you read any further, you should know that once you know about "the game", you are in the game and it never ends and you can never win.

The Game

Though The Game is very simple, it can be difficult to comprehend initially. A new player usually has to lose The Game once or twice to fully understand it.

Rules
1) When you think of The Game, you lose The Game.
2) When you lose The Game, you announce it to those around you.

Those are the only two rules of The Game.

Game play
The first thing a new player needs to know is that when someone loses The Game (i.e. when someone thinks about The Game), game play temporarily stops for that person and for those around that person (since he must announce his game-loss aloud). The Game then restarts on a person-by-person basis when each person stops thinking about The Game. The Game never actually ends permanently.

No one wins!
No one can ever technically win The Game. It could be argued that when one is not losing The Game (i.e. when someone is not thinking about The Game), they are winning The Game, but it still holds true that no one can ever definitively win The Game.

Example
You have just learned the rules of The Game and how to play. Because you now know this, you are playing The Game, and will be playing The Game for the rest of your life. At this moment in time you are thinking about The Game, so you are losing The Game. Let's say you leave this site, start doing something else, and The Game leaves your mind. But then you start thinking about this site again and therefore you start thinking about The Game... that's a loss of The Game!

Keep in mind that it doesn't matter what makes you think of The Game. Usually it is something completely completely random and unrelated to The Game that all of a sudden reminds you of The Game.

The bottom line
Any time you aren't thinking about The Game and then start thinking about The Game, you lose The Game. It's that simple.

What's fun is when a lot of people are playing. Since a rule is that you have to announce it when you lose, once you do, then everyone who hears you also loses! The website address above states that gameplay could have been going on for over 12 years so far.


(Nicole - I lost the game! )

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Unions - the folks who brought you weekends!
Proud Army Mom

Old...

But everyone on OKCTalk just lost the game.

new to me - but I'm old

Yep

__________________
Unions - the folks who brought you weekends!
Proud Army Mom

I didn't get much further into the 'game' portion of your thread ....wow - my condolences go out to you and your family. How very tragic.

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

Mid, it's not often that your posts irritate me, but this one did. She's posting something in memory of her niece that died last week. Who cares if it's old?

Lauri, you and your family have my sympathies. Thanks so much for introducing some of us to "The Game". You niece would be so proud!

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"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity." -George Bernard Shaw

Ah didn't read that part.

I'd stop losing the game if people would stop posting in this thread! (Yeah, you just lost again, huh?)

I don't get it. Seems kinda dumb.

Thanks Karried and Sweetdaisy - you get it!

Dang it - lost again

__________________
Unions - the folks who brought you weekends!
Proud Army Mom

So, being a half-full type, I'll just say that although I've just lost the game, along with so many others, at least we are doing the public a service by spreading the word!

game ... set ...match ..night

Exactly so - plus I hope that some of you can spread the word to legislators in the coming year - we need tougher penalties and mandatory sentences for DUI convictions. If you're drinking - call a cab.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming - Merry Christmas - lost the game.

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Unions - the folks who brought you weekends!
Proud Army Mom

You gave me major points with my 16 year old son by telling me about this. I told him I lost the game and he just looked at me with the most incredibly shocked face and asked me how I knew about "the game". Thanks, I just lost the game again.

I've lost the game about 15 times today, but wasn't anywhere near the computer to say anything.

I'm keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers, Lauri. As long as they are on my mind, I will happily lose the game.

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"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity." -George Bernard Shaw

Now THAT is freakin funny stuff!

Oh, and I lost the game

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"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity." -George Bernard Shaw

Thanks, sweetdaisy - we all appreciate that!

CCOKC - isn't it fun when you can "out-cool" your teenager?

Midtowner - great pic - was that from "I can has cheezburger?" ? (Never mind - now I see the fine print - thanks for posting!)

I need to put that on Nicole's MySpace page!

Damn - lost the game

__________________
Unions - the folks who brought you weekends!
Proud Army Mom

Guess what? dammit. (losing the game again)

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"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity." -George Bernard Shaw

What a very tragic and horrible thing to go through my condolences to you and your family.

I admit defeat I also lost the game

You bunch of losers....

My condolences Lauri.....

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"Pear Pimples for Hairy Fishnuts!"

Thanks, all for your thoughts. Nicole was an amazing child who accomplished so much during her short life.

I lost the game again...

__________________
Unions - the folks who brought you weekends!
Proud Army Mom

I lose the game constantly because I'm reminded of Nicole .. and then I think of the 'game'.

I'm not sure I understand the game, but I think it's a nice way to keep a loved one in your thoughts.

What a hard Christmas it must have been. ((( hugs ))).

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "