Parody of Ratings Progress

Oct., 1997: Dumb as a stick.

Jan., 1998: Very very dumb but a dim sense of a clue emerges.

Apr., 1998: Still very dumb and frustrated.

Jun., 1998: Major breakthough. I now only feel dumb!!!

Aug., 1998: I'm stuck at dumb. I don't know what to do. Some people say that you suck a lot before getting better. Maybe I'll get less dumb very soon!

Dec., 1998: Still dumb. I got okay for a bit and then fell back to dumb. Sigh

Feb., 1999: Wow, I'm getting it now. I just learned that ... now I'm okay. I don't suck so bad.

Mar., 1999: Man, I suck! I mean, I'm better than a year ago. I know because I looked at my game records. But I can't help but feel that I have so much to learn.

May., 1999: Depressed. Still okay. I have trouble with ... I lose a lot when... But then there are those nights where... and I really feel progress. But, overall, I'm still just okay.

Jun., 1999: I've come a long way since last month. I can't explain it. Maybe it was all the tea I've been drinking or the way I've changed the order of things I do in the shower. Anyway, I'm a solid okay now.

Aug., 1999: Progress has been steady. The lessons I had with this awsome player really helped. They were worth every penny. Man, I can't wait to be even half as awesome as that awesome player. I'm a only a decent player now. Not great, but decent. You know?

Aug., 2000: I haven't written in a while because so much was going on. I ... My wife ... Then the kids needed... Ugh! Who has time for go!? But I did play a bit online. I was away from the club for a few months and when I came back I was actually a bit better. All that online fighting helped maybe. I'm a solid decent player.

Jan., 2001: I'm good now. Oh yeah!

Mar., 2001: Damn this game. Good just doesn't seem good enough. I mean my friend, who only started last year is damn good (!!!). I used to give him ... stones and now I have to take black and put a hex on him to come within 10 points. I feel like a moron.

Jun., 2001: I'm damn good. Not expert of course. But damn good! I finally beat my friend and as white. He thought he was hot stuff but I'm back baby!!!

Jan., 2002: I finally broke through! I'm expert now. I went 4-0 at the last tournament. My last game was against this kick !!! guy and I beat him because I pulled this crazy tesuji out in the endgame that was 6 points in sente. He had a 4 point lead (or so) before that. The look on his face... oh man.

Jan., 2003: Remember how I said I was expert? I wasn't totally right. It was more of a damn good streak. But now I really am expert. Solid expert. Not stellar.

Aug., 2003: Look out! I'm awesome!

Sept., 2003: A new guy came to the club. He moved out from ... He said he was awesome. So we played even. Oh, the humanity! He killed me. He's been kicking the stuffing out of me for a solid month now. I asked him how he knew he was awesome because he seemed more like crazy amazing to me. He said he had played at the ... Congress last month and was even with the other awesome players. So, I've got to conclude I'm not awesome after all. I'm so depressed. Damn him. I guess I might learn something from him but it sucks not being awesome. It has been so hard to get to awesome. Why is it so hard!?! I hate this game.

Oct., 2003: This game is so cool. I just met... and he showed me this ... and it really opened my eyes. I feel ... stones stronger just knowing about that! I'm looking forward to using it in the next tournament.

(from http://senseis.xmp.net/?SnotNose)