Re: "AP English" January 8, 2021
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:40 pm
Where in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
A place to discuss the WSJ Weekly Crossword Contest and other "meta"-style crosswords
https://www.xword-muggles.com/
Where in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
That happens to me with the PMs, too, Bob. But not every time. About half of the time, I get the confirmation that my PM was sent. The other half, I must hit Submit a second time.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:39 pmMatthewMatthewL wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:21 pm Thanks to all who nudged. Interestingly, all the nudges were very similar. They helped, and inspiration finally struck. I am ashore (I believe -- guess we'll find out). One question -- I tried to reply to the several PMs folks sent, but all the messages appear to be hung up in my Outbox, as opposed to Sent folder. Not sure why the messages won't go, but in any event, thanks again to all who nudged.
Matthew
For me, the PM's are a little quirky
From my experience, PM's stay in the outbox until they are read - sometimes that means forever. They will disappear from the outbox when read or when you delete them.
When I create a PM and hit "submit", the PM does not go out. I have to scroll down and hit PM a second time. Probably I am doing something wrong but I have yet to figure out what.
Also for everyone, in Come Aboard/FAQ Solving Resources and in the Acapulco Lounge, there are muggles thoughts on Nudges - how and when to request and what to expect. Generally a PM to someone or someones who has the answer is best. Explain what you did and where you got stuck even if it is "I don't have the slightest idea where to go". This does several things - first it lets the person you are asking know in what area to guide you, also when you have a general broadcast, no one know whether you got no responses or 25 of them, finally it helps you establish a relationship with another muggle. This relationship is not a lifelong commitment so you can PM several people.
Interesting. I will try that! Thanks.ky-mike wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:43 pmAt first, I thought that there was an inelegance with the meta solution, but after going back and using my highlighter (one of the solver's tools that I use every week), the inelegance that I sensed went away.Susan Goldberg wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:54 pmI agree and am wondering if we are thinking of the same inelegance.Andrew Bradburn wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:12 pm On shore. The mechanism became obvious to me rather quickly, but the solve came a day late due to what I will call here an inelegance. I don't want to say any more about it until Tuesday so as not to be spoilerish. That said, I can sympathize with how difficult it can be to construct any meta-puzzle. I once created a variety meta-puzzle with a somewhat similar inelegance, and it was left in place because I could not, despite a lot of effort, make the puzzle work any other way. Other than that one glitch, I think this is a first-class puzzle!
I do agree that clueing was not along the lines of Gaffney or Shenk, but was consistent with what I see in Pete's MMMM.
As President of Freedonia, I approve this message.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:03 pmFred and anyone else
We have worked very hard over the years to keep this blog nonpolitical. Please work to keep that way.
Thank you.
Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:55 pmSome number of years ago, we were given the puzzle "the flat banana". We got the edge and the Dole sticker but after that every piece was identical so we gave up and donated the puzzle to someone.tim1217 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:05 pmOne of my favorite movies from the early 80's is 'Diva'. One of the characters spends the better part of the movie sitting on the floor of a large loft apartment in Paris chain-smoking Gitanes and doing this giant jigsaw puzzle of a wave. I'm sure I would at least be able to complete the bird in the lower right-hand corner.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:44 pm
That is the kind of jigsaw puzzle I like - you can separate sections and they have straight lines. The one I am doing has shades of blue and black with other pieces that are shades of white and yellow. And no discrete objects
IMG_6968.jpg
Asa's Island, Hague. Northern LG. Sailing waters of The Commodore.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:40 pmWhere in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
The 'hero' of Ticonderoga (right around the corner), Ethan Allen, was born today in 1737.Commodore wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:01 pmAsa's Island, Hague. Northern LG. Sailing waters of The Commodore.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:40 pmWhere in the Adirondacks is that? I grew up spending summers around Lake George.
Completely disagree.EVJ wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:23 amAgreedamefox wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:56 pm Still filling out the grid here, but I found myself so outraged about one of the clues that I couldn't sit and finish without commenting first. (I don't think this is any way related to the meta, but I'll put a spoiler over it in case people don't want to read about the grid before they finish.)
A friend and I had season tickets a couple of years for the Pats at Schaefer Stadium. Those years it was Jim Plunkett scrambling for his life and throwing long to Randy Vataha just before he got crushed. And the stadium was cold. Really cold. It seemed that every year the Pats had a home game in December in the cold rain. No matter what you did, you could not keep dry or stay work.Tom Shea wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:37 pmIt's Belichick's team. He built it. His hands are on all the controls.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:01 pmTom
There are plenty of Jets, Bills and Dolphins fans who are also reveling in the Patriots misery. However for those of us who were Patriots fans through the 70's, 80's and much of the 90's where they were worse than awful, we are immune to the spears and arrows.
The comparison of who made who should not be judged on this year alone. Brady went to a very good team that needed a good QB. He then got them to add AB and Gronk to what was already an excellent receiver corps. The Patriots were without an average (forget about even good) quarterback, their tight ends sucked and their wide receivers were either young or not very good. You can't win in the NFL with that combination. It will take a few years for the Pats to retool especially with Buffalo looking good for a few years and Miami also looking quite good. Sorry Jets fans, your team will remain on life support even with Taylor Lawrence unless you get rid of the owner.
As far as the 80's, I remember being in Australia for all of January 1986. *Before* the interwebs existed. Sports pages there were football (the round ball type), cricket, Rugby, Aussie football, Aussie rugby football (not to be confused with Aussie football), sailing, betting parlors and other types of 'parlors'. Picked up the Sydney Sunday Herald and saw the Patriots were playing in the super bowl -- that day. Could not believe it. I told the Missus it must be a misprint.
Never went there, but remember the horror stories about Schaefer Stadium. And you did suffer greatly during that period, with some really bad teams and a horrible ownership. So welcome back to my world! At least we have the Jets (Acronym for 'just end the season') to look down on.
To quote Kipling "you are a better man than I am, Gunga Din"FrankieHeck wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:35 pm The hardest puzzle I ever finished was solid purple. I started it sometime in the early- to mid-1980s, and then abandoned it. About five years ago, my Dad found it on a tray under my childhood bed, with just the border complete and glued together. He brought it over, and I arranged all the pieces by shape and brute-forced my way through it. I could not believe all the pieces were still there, with only a few having been nibbled by our old dog. Only puzzle I ever glued together and saved.
I on the other hand, am just getting ready to watch the Bears 'try' and beat the Saints...only to then have the pleasure of playing the well-relaxed Packers at GB. Are we having fun yet? Thank you sir, may I have another!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:27 pm
However we had a great 20 year run which is more than any other team so no complaints
Ah yes. January 1986. The high water mark for the Bears when we beat NE in the Superbowl. The only sadness in that game was when Sweetness (Walter Payton) did not score a TD. That was the greatest year in sports! Well, that and 2016 for the Cubs. And now a dry spell for both.Tom Shea wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:37 pmIt's Belichick's team. He built it. His hands are on all the controls.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:01 pmTom
There are plenty of Jets, Bills and Dolphins fans who are also reveling in the Patriots misery. However for those of us who were Patriots fans through the 70's, 80's and much of the 90's where they were worse than awful, we are immune to the spears and arrows.
The comparison of who made who should not be judged on this year alone. Brady went to a very good team that needed a good QB. He then got them to add AB and Gronk to what was already an excellent receiver corps. The Patriots were without an average (forget about even good) quarterback, their tight ends sucked and their wide receivers were either young or not very good. You can't win in the NFL with that combination. It will take a few years for the Pats to retool especially with Buffalo looking good for a few years and Miami also looking quite good. Sorry Jets fans, your team will remain on life support even with Taylor Lawrence unless you get rid of the owner.
As far as the 80's, I remember being in Australia for all of January 1986. *Before* the interwebs existed. Sports pages there were football (the round ball type), cricket, Rugby, Aussie football, Aussie rugby football (not to be confused with Aussie football), sailing, betting parlors and other types of 'parlors'. Picked up the Sydney Sunday Herald and saw the Patriots were playing in the super bowl -- that day. Could not believe it. I told the Missus it must be a misprint.
Never went there, but remember the horror stories about Schaefer Stadium. And you did suffer greatly during that period, with some really bad teams and a horrible ownership. So welcome back to my world! At least we have the Jets (Acronym for 'just end the season') to look down on.
Van Gogh took about a week, chipping away a little each day. I think Game of Thrones took like 2 months!!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:31 pmHow long did it take you?hunkra wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:23 pmWe just finished that very puzzle! It was a doozy, but fun -- although not as bad as a recent Game of Thrones map puzzle I did that only had 3 colors.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:17 pm
Are you available to help on my Christmas jig saw puzzle? Van Gogh's Starry Night - makes the meta look easy
The two places I worked the most (time-wise anyway) the last five years before retiring are NOLA and Chicagoland. I am only a little torn on who to root for, since I've worked in Chicagoland for 20 years before that also and have many more friends there (2020 was the first year in a couple of decades where I did not set foot in the city). Met da coach at Ditka's a few times, so I'm rooting for Da Bears, but realize I have a 99% chance of disappointment, either this week or next.tim1217 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:42 pmI on the other hand, am just getting ready to watch the Bears 'try' and beat the Saints...only to then have the pleasure of playing the well-relaxed Packers at GB. Are we having fun yet? Thank you sir, may I have another!Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:27 pm
However we had a great 20 year run which is more than any other team so no complaints
... to someone you did not like?Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:55 pmSome number of years ago, we were given the puzzle "the flat banana". We got the edge and the Dole sticker but after that every piece was identical so we gave up and donated the puzzle to someone.tim1217 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:05 pmOne of my favorite movies from the early 80's is 'Diva'. One of the characters spends the better part of the movie sitting on the floor of a large loft apartment in Paris chain-smoking Gitanes and doing this giant jigsaw puzzle of a wave. I'm sure I would at least be able to complete the bird in the lower right-hand corner.Bob cruise director wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:44 pm
That is the kind of jigsaw puzzle I like - you can separate sections and they have straight lines. The one I am doing has shades of blue and black with other pieces that are shades of white and yellow. And no discrete objects
IMG_6968.jpg