NYT 2:05 ... LAT 2:21 ... CS 1:39 ... ND 1:39
I guess Crossword Butler is having one of those unscheduled outages...
Monday, 8/29/11
NYT 1:26 ... LAT 1:38 ... CS 2:13 ... ND 1:19 ... JON 2:01 ... BEQ 3:31
This is post #1000! Thank you to my tens of readers for your continued support.
This is post #1000! Thank you to my tens of readers for your continued support.
Sunday, 8/28/11
NYT 5:05 ... LAT 4:27 ... MR 4:34 ... BG 4:35 ... ND 3:31 ... CS 1:58 ... WP 3:19 ... Acrostic 8:45
Friday, 8/26/11
NYT 3:30 ... LAT 2:29 ... CS 2:13 ... ND 2:11 ... WSJ 4:27 ... MGWC 8:31 ... TM 5:23
Thursday, 8/25/11
NYT 2:23 ... LAT 1:44 ... CS 2:24 ... ND 2:10 ... BEQ 3:41 ... AR #38 (p) 9:00
Moving yesterday's BEQ time to today's post, just for consistency...
Moving yesterday's BEQ time to today's post, just for consistency...
Tuesday, 8/23/11
NYT 2:05 ... LAT 2:07 ... CS 1:39 ... ND 1:25 ... BT 2:24 ... TO 2:03
I've just learned that George R.R. Martin's LiveJournal is called Not a Blog. He is such a liar!
I've just learned that George R.R. Martin's LiveJournal is called Not a Blog. He is such a liar!
Sunday, 8/21/11
NYT 4:04 ... LAT 3:59 ... MR 4:02 ... BG 4:51 ... ND 2:43 ... CS 1:50 ... WP 4:17 ... TM 3:28
Saturday, 8/20/11
NYT n/a ... LAT 2:18 ... CS 1:58 ... ND 3:57 ... Spell Weaving (p) 5:30
I test-solved the Lollapuzzoola finals (re-published in the NYT today) in 5:35.
I test-solved the Lollapuzzoola finals (re-published in the NYT today) in 5:35.
Tuesday, 8/16/11
NYT 1:35 ... LAT 1:50 ... CS 1:37 ... ND 1:25 ... BT 3:05 ... TO 2:21 ... JH 2:09
Jangler has some new puzzles up since last I checked (hat tip: Tyler). Been relying on Andrew's Puzzle Links to find self-published puzzles, so send him tips!
Jangler has some new puzzles up since last I checked (hat tip: Tyler). Been relying on Andrew's Puzzle Links to find self-published puzzles, so send him tips!
Sunday, 8/14/11
NYT 5:14 ... LAT 4:05 ... MR 4:48 ... BG 4:58 ... ND 3:58 ... CS 1:45 ... WP 3:50 ... Acrostic 11:45
Saturday, 8/13/11
NYT 3:42 ... LAT 2:28 ... CS 1:51 ... ND 5:28 ... Hex Cryptic (p) 11:10
I'm going away for the weekend, so next update will be Monday!
I'm going away for the weekend, so next update will be Monday!
Friday, 8/12/11
NYT 5:29 ... LAT 2:19 ... CS 1:41 ... ND 2:05 ... CHE 3:16 ... WSJ 4:50 ... MGWC 2:25 ... AR #37 (p) 10:20
I see Joon beat me soundly on the NYT today... I couldn't make much headway in the NE corner until guessing FLAB.
I see Joon beat me soundly on the NYT today... I couldn't make much headway in the NE corner until guessing FLAB.
Sunday, 8/7/11 (and Lollapuzzoola 4)
NYT 4:34 ... LAT 4:16 ... MR 4:05 ... BG 4:41 ... ND 3:57 ... CS 2:03 ... WP 3:14 ... Diagramless (p) 7:23
Lollapuzzoola was a smashing success once again. It's a good thing organizers Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer booked a bigger room in Manhattan, because there was a huge walk-in crowd and somewhere around 170 people competed. Jeffrey Harris took the title again, edging Al Sanders and Dave Tuller on the big boards. I enjoyed my first full day as a judge, collecting papers, grading them, and joining the Google Team when needed on the hardest puzzle. Fun and pizza was had by all!
Below are my times from when I test-solved the puzzles a week or so ago. Some clues changed for the final version, but they're essentially the same puzzles, if you'd like to compare your times to mine. (I don't know how I would have compared to the top finishers today, and I'm not sure I will find out, because the times won't be posted with the results... then again, perhaps Al will check in, and he finished first on points.)
Puzzle 1 - 2:55
Puzzle 2 - 7:00
Puzzle 3 - 5:30 (and 2:00 for the bonus answer)
Puzzle 4 - 9:00 (but they clarified the theme clues after I pointed out a minor problem)
Puzzle 5 - 7:45 (and 0:45 for the bonus answer)
Puzzle 6 (Express Finals) - 5:35 - which certainly would have won, even allowing for whiteboard awkwardness, but the clues were toughened up a bit after my round of test-solving.
Lollapuzzoola was a smashing success once again. It's a good thing organizers Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer booked a bigger room in Manhattan, because there was a huge walk-in crowd and somewhere around 170 people competed. Jeffrey Harris took the title again, edging Al Sanders and Dave Tuller on the big boards. I enjoyed my first full day as a judge, collecting papers, grading them, and joining the Google Team when needed on the hardest puzzle. Fun and pizza was had by all!
Below are my times from when I test-solved the puzzles a week or so ago. Some clues changed for the final version, but they're essentially the same puzzles, if you'd like to compare your times to mine. (I don't know how I would have compared to the top finishers today, and I'm not sure I will find out, because the times won't be posted with the results... then again, perhaps Al will check in, and he finished first on points.)
Puzzle 1 - 2:55
Puzzle 2 - 7:00
Puzzle 3 - 5:30 (and 2:00 for the bonus answer)
Puzzle 4 - 9:00 (but they clarified the theme clues after I pointed out a minor problem)
Puzzle 5 - 7:45 (and 0:45 for the bonus answer)
Puzzle 6 (Express Finals) - 5:35 - which certainly would have won, even allowing for whiteboard awkwardness, but the clues were toughened up a bit after my round of test-solving.
Saturday, 8/6/11
NYT 3:09 ... LAT 2:35 ... CS 1:38 ... ND 3:45 ... Rows Garden (p) 15:35
Off to Lollapuzzoola in the morning! Once again I'm volunteering/proctoring/judging, and enjoying the festivities and camaraderie without the pressure. The puzzles are outstanding, the pre-registrations are way up over last year, and the new venue is apparently very well air-conditioned. Should be fun.
Off to Lollapuzzoola in the morning! Once again I'm volunteering/proctoring/judging, and enjoying the festivities and camaraderie without the pressure. The puzzles are outstanding, the pre-registrations are way up over last year, and the new venue is apparently very well air-conditioned. Should be fun.
Thursday, 8/4/11
NYT 3:12 ... LAT 2:20 ... CS 1:46 ... ND 1:57 ... BEQ 2:28 ... FB 3:09 ... PB2 1:42 ... Double or Nothing (p) 17:30
I figured out "Double or Nothing" within a minute, and it still was beastly. Meanwhile, Patrick Blindauer may never write an easier puzzle...
I figured out "Double or Nothing" within a minute, and it still was beastly. Meanwhile, Patrick Blindauer may never write an easier puzzle...
Tuesday, 8/2/11
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