The Cryptic Crusader: End of Days

So the last day of The Cryptic Crusader was Tuesday and I haven't blogged about it until today. Terrible.

So my last cryptic crossword to dissect for this blog did not go well. No clues. None. So much for going out with a bang. I'll keep trying, working at mastering this king of puzzles. Sorry to all those people who tuned in for amateur views, but this was just something for me to try out.

I'll be moving and starting a job soon, so don't expect too much on this blog over the next week - it's going to be a busy one for me.

Next post: The to-do-before-you-die list. Everybody loves a list, right?

The Cryptic Crusader vs The Long Weekend

I did attempt the cryptics over the weekend (not the big one - I did the quick clues on that one) but didn't devote much time to them, hence not having amazing results to report (about 4 clues on each).

I have had time to attempt the Monday cryptic, number 24,210. My attempts are clearly paying off - 11/28.

A laird's poet's rewritten poem (8, 4)

Rewritten, A laird's poet's becomes Paradise Lost, a poem. Viola!

Series of soldiers controlled Kansas (5)

Gotta watch those states in cryptic clues - easy way to get pairs of letters into the clue. Kansas becomes KS. 'Series of soldiers'? With the R at the start (from a down clue), controlled could be ran, hence the answer in ranks.

After signal to stop limousine, pretty regularly see VIP on this? (3,6)

What do you see a VIP on that is (3,6)? Red carpet. Does this fit? Signal to stop = red, limousine = car, pretty to pet? Maybe pet as a term of endearment. Good enough.

Connective material soldier put back inside... (8)

From the letters already in and 'connective material' I went for ligament.

Pair encountering dragon move forward (8)

Pair = pr, dragon=monster which can be ogre or, to fit with 'move forward' ogress, making progress. Exactly what I'm making with my cryptic mindset. Getting used to the methods.

Produce document again, in entirety, perhaps (6)

Pretty easy, this one. Produce document again = retype, which appears in entirety, perhaps as highlighted above.

Country girl's study (7)

I liked this one. Country = Peru, girl = Sal, study = perusal. Classic cryptic.

Smallest of family, a male, very thin, allowed to undergo punishment (3,3,8)

This was another good one. Smallest of the family = runt, a male = he, very thin = gaunt, allowed = let. To run the gauntlet is to be punished. The punishment involves being forced to run between two rows of soldiers who proceed to beat you as you pass.

Hurry up! Ale keg has split (5,1,3)

Split here means mix up the letters. 'Ale keg has' becomes shake a leg. This is the first clue to jump out at me today - the number (5,1,3) made this so much easier.

In a cricket match, time to declare (6)

A cricket match is a test. To declare is to attest. The Times are nice enough to throw the occasional easy clue my way.

Louder! State your views firmly (5,2)

Speak up! I don't think I need to explain this one.

The rest are beyond me so I'll go and take a gander at http://community.livejournal.com/times_xwd_times, a splendid site to help learn cryptics. Thank you to petebiddlecombe (petebiddlecombe) for putting me onto the site, instantly improving my cryptic ability. Getting to know the mind of the crossword setter is important. Hopefully I'll soon be filling the entire grid solo, but it'll take practice.

The Return Of The Cryptic Crusader

Last picture of me in the suit, seriously. I'm not sure if I'll be able to show my face in public if I put too many of these up.

Day 3: Some success at Times Crossword 24,208. Not much, but some.

Quicker way to stop circuit court imprisoning you in hearing (5,3)

After some thought, some connecting clues, and no solid logic I came to the conclusion that the answer for this clue was short cut.

Piano solo's beginning, frequently (4)

Read as 's beginning' and frequently=oft, therefore the answer is soft. Oh yeah.

Financial wrongdoing concealed by boards I'm on? Yes (6)

Concealed = look for the word in the clue. Simony (-the buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges, for example pardons or benefices) happens to be a financial wrongdoing. Sussed.

Artist repeatedly stopping at Biblical mount (6)

I'm not sure how good your knowledge of Biblical mounts is, but Ararat is the supposed landing place of Noah's Ark. You got that one too? Excellent.

Successful period that could make one ladyfied (5, 3)

Ladyfied? Suspicious. It just so happens to contain all the letters to make field day - a successful period. Coincidence? I think not.

A party connected with, e.g., American red or blue state (8)

A party = a do. American red or blue = color. Connected they make Colorado, a state.

Sit there, improperly in casual wear (3, 5)

'Sit there' mixed about ('improperly') becomes tee shirt, an item of casual wear. Score another one for The Cryptic Crusader.

Meat cooked in two ways for sporting colleague (4-4)

Meat? Two ways? A sporting colleague? Why, it's a team-mate of course!

Breaking off due to strain of second trial (8)

Second = S, trial = hearing, put 'em together and you get shearing - breaking off due to strain.

Golding's novel released before autumn (4, 4)

Released = free, autumn = fall (for Americans). Hence the clue refers to Free Fall, the 1954 novel by William Golding about a renowned artist going mad in a prisoner of war camp.

Part of Henry IV, as a last resort, included in some folios (8)

Now my reasoning for this is not really acceptable, but it fits in with other clues and is very close. A last resort might refer to a fail safe. A character in Henry IV is Sir John Falstaff. That's enough to satisfy me.

11 clues, and weak ideas for many of the rest (29 clues in today's puzzle). A marked improvement on my past performance. Stay tuned folks!

The Cryptic Crusader: Dark Days

Day 2 of my week of cryptics. Whilst my day was mostly spent with people who solve problems that are really a matter of life and death (at a hospital), I still had an evening to peruse the answers of yesterday - I'll update yesterday's blog post to include answers - and face today's cryptic monster.

Long story short - not a single clue. I'm clearly not cut out for this, but my determination might have me crack it in time. Will friday be my lucky day?

The suit probably didn't help.

The Dawn of The Cryptic Crusader

Happy Earth Day everyone! It's like a bEarthday celebration for our planet (couldn't resist) so recycle, cycle, turn the heating down, take shorter showers, turn off lights - you know the drill. Shame on you if you're not doing these things already. Let's do our bit to ensure a better future.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's... The Cryptic Crusader!

I like to think of myself as a bit of a puzzle aficionado, dabbling in sudokus, kenkens, fukoshiki, codewords, quick crosswords, all the good stuff, but I have never been able to crack the pinnacle of newspaper puzzling, the cryptic crossword. The king of these is widely regarded to be the Times Crossword. I am a big fan of The Times. When looking for a paper, I opt for The Guardian or The Times. Both cover real news, have interesting asides, and contain simple pull-out magazines with puzzles and quick reading for the busy days. The Times, however, provides more puzzles (including the fantastic Saturday crossword) - 3 sudokus (1 killer), 2 crosswords (1 quick, 1 cryptic), a polygon, trivia questions, a mini sudoku, a workout, a kenken, and a codeword. Fantastic. So, when I decided to become the Cryptic Crusader for a week, to conquer all paper puzzles, I was glad to have an excuse to be picking up The Times every day.

What prompted this, do you ask?

The Times2 supplement on March 26th 2009 encouraging people to face their fears, banish their excuses, and face the dreaded cryptic crossword. Armed with their guide, a mug of coffee, a biro, and my wits, I will become The Cryptic Crusader, striving to solve cryptics for the good of... well... my puzzling ability. Strap in, it's gonna be wild!

The Clues for puzzle 24,206:

 One American without land vehicle who made unwise flight?

No idea. (Icarus)

Vulgar home, dive son escapes from

Still nothing. (Indecent)

Most welcoming table - any number can tuck in

I see a pattern developing here... (Snuggest)

Venture penetrates deepest river

Tee-hee... (Strive)

Water-loving type takes in fluid, shy sort

Sigh... I am trying, really. I can't really type my thoughts as I go and wouldn't want to embarrass myself anyway. Tomorrow's cryptic reflections are going to be presented differently - I'm wasting space here. (Wallflower)

Stare at headless phantom

Ghost, spook without a letter? Shade? Or is it 'stare at' minus a letter? I can't think of a 4 letter word for phantom. 4 letter for stare - gape, peer, ogle, gaze or gawk? (Ogle)

Low spirits as catastrophe returns

This will be getting really boring to read. I'll only write the ones I get right tomorrow. (Mood)

Let's wrap this up. I'll keep at the rest of these clues, you can go spend your life on better things than this blog post. Or sit and wonder about the post coming tomorrow. That's good too.

The other clues:

Beast taking in pub with nothing on (Barbary Ape)

Part of winner's prize shortly to be received by a model (Apostrophe)

Writer unhappy about Chopin's end? (Sand)

Bridge partners at table drinking pop (Soda?) (Span)

Like very critical PhD examiner's bit of argument? (Antithesis)

Cannot greeting come from the corners of the eyes? (Canthi)

A king seen by everyone in court as a wild beast (Wallaroo)

Period of schooling at home, a learner's last (Terminal)

Long time in depression? Get a psychologist! (Good advice!) (Piaget)

Insect has a look inside vessel for fruit (Cantaloup)

Feted revolutionary is full of wind (Regaled)

Ask for short interview (See)

Interested in having wife as companion for journey (In Tow)

A mastermind worked out possible subject of international agreement (Disarmament)

Superficial and contemptible person, remorseful but lacking heart (Cursory)

Orange that is regarded with complacency (Navel)

Champion of freedom has energy and time variously absorbed by bookkeeper (Libertarian)

Final hope for cad (End?) (Rip)

One being bound to criticise that lot in tights (Pantihose)

Tear out manuscript repaired in private room (Sanctum)

Composer stirred man's tea (Maestro? or an actual composer? Could be Julius Eastman, especially as Eastman is an anagram of man's tea.) (Smetana)

Shallow vessel in South American river (Canoe?) (Plate)

Keep changing what's on bottom to get drier (Towel)

Comrade turning up for revolution (Lap)

I haven't got any so far! This is awful, even for me. Maybe after seeing today's answers in tomorrow's paper I'll be inspired for the Thursday cryptic, number 24,207. I blame it on not being in the suit.

You doing better than me?

The Old Patagonian Express

I've not been blogging for a while as my computer was away being repaired and for that I'm sorry to any faithful readers. It did, however, give me a chance to finish The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux. I do not plan to review this book here as I have not the literary experience to do it justice, nor the wish to dissect the pleasure of reading the book. I merely offer some brief thoughts on the book for your consideration.

"Beginning his journey in Boston, where he boarded the subway commuter train, and catching trains of all kinds on the way, Paul Theroux tells of his voyage from ice-bound Massachusetts and Illinois to the arid plateau of Argentina's most southerly tip. Sweating and shivering by turns as the temperature and altitude shoot up and down, thrown in with the appalling Mr Thornberry in Limón and reading nightly to the blind writer, Borges, in Buenos Aires, Theroux vividly evokes the contrasts of a journey 'to the end of the line'."

The blurb sums up the book, but doesn't do it nearly the justice it deserves. It is, as I feel a blurb should be, a taster that doesn't give away any of the greater treats in store. Starting with his justifications for his style of writing, his feelings on travel writing and the purpose of a travel novel, he works interesting personal views and literary references (which, if you're anything like me, will leave you wanting to get your hands on the quoted works) into his descriptions of the peoples and places he encounters. 

The descriptions of life and society through South America were interesting, and leave me wondering if much has changed in the 30 years since the book was published. I find his accounts of passing through the countries, from shanty towns through tourist traps, and the people he encounters along the way, much more honest and stark than some other travel writing, which is probably why I find his works are that cut above so many others in the genre.

An excellent travel writer (I'm not forgetting his other works, I just haven't strayed beyond his travel writing so couldn't possibly comment), I recommend any of his works on the subject. Interesting routes, beautifully written, highly entertaining - do you need any more encouragement? 

Get Psyched Mix

"People often ask me, 'Barney, how is it that you're so psyched so much of the time?' And the answer is right here, my own personal Get Psyched Mix.

Now people often think a good mix should rise and fall but people are wrong. It should be all rise baby! Now prepare yourselves for an audio journey into the white-hot centre of adrenaline! Bam!" - Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

This quote, this episode, behooves me to make my own Get Psyched Mix. Barney's actual mix (as seen on the cover of the case) is as follows:

1) I Wanna Rock -- Twisted Sister
2) You Give Love A Bad Name -- BJ (Bon Jovi)
3) Lick It Up -- KISS
4) Paradise City -- GNR (Guns & Roses)
5) Dancing With Myself -- Billy Idol
6) Rock You Like A Hurricane -- Scorpy (Scorpions)
7) Panama -- Van Halen
8) Talk Dirty To Me -- Poison
9) Thunderstruck -- AC/DC
10) Dr. Feelgood -- Crue (Motley Crue)
11) Round and Round -- Ratt

(http://www.tvsquad.com/2005/12/20/barneys-get-psyched-mix/)

My mix, obviously, is somewhat different. I compiled a (by no means exhaustive) list of about 40 songs that get me going, narrowed it down to 23, and ordered it as best I could. This mix activity is not something I'm used to, I'm a confessed shuffle listener.

Anyway, enough build-up, this is my personal Get Psyched Mix:

1) Prelude - Pendulum

2)Requiem for a Tower, Movement 2 - Corner Stone Cues

3)Requiem for a Tower, Movement 3 - Corner Stone Cues

4)Requiem for a Tower, Movement 4 - Corner Stone Cues

5)Lift - Poets of the Fall

6)You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi

7)Harder Better Stronger Faster - Daft Punk

8)Hash Pipe - Weezer

9)Man With The Hex - The Atomic Fireballs

10)Time Is Running Out - Apollo 440

11)Throw Away Your Television - Red Hot Chili Peppers

12)Anxiety - Black Eyed Peas

13)Locking Up The Sun - Poets of the Fall

14) Jesus Walks - Kanye West

15) Long Way To Fall - Autopilot Off

16)Major Tom - I Hate Kate

17)No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age

18)Slam - Pendulum

19)Diamonds and Guns - Transplants

20)Open Your Eyes - Goldfinger

21)To The End - My Chemical Romance

22)Out of Control - Hoobastank

23) Welcome To The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

I hope this inspires you to select the tracks that get you riled, stick 'em a CD and get psyched!