tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post264859080779775548..comments2023-12-22T06:42:08.261-05:00Comments on Sun Blocks - A Crossword Blog by Pete Mitchell: Wednesday, July 16, 2008Pete Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915253628212019131noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post-44009766552451305172008-07-17T11:00:00.000-04:002008-07-17T11:00:00.000-04:00no need to apologize, patrick--it's their fault! i...no need to apologize, patrick--it's their fault! if indeed there is anybody who uses lowercase h, that is. i myself go lowercase only for e and a; nothing else seems worth the effort. it took me about a week to get used to it and now it seems normal.<BR/><BR/>i forgot to mention this yesterday, but "what you own" is my favorite song from any musical ever (which happens to also be from my favorite musical). i've also heard this same song referred to as "america," "america in the millennium," or "millennium." is there an official name for broadway songs?Joonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825085755390339668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post-47426730429867970422008-07-16T23:24:00.000-04:002008-07-16T23:24:00.000-04:00Patrick,It took me quite a bit longer to figure ou...Patrick,<BR/><BR/>It took me quite a bit longer to figure out what the Hs symbolized than it did to find the H-line during solving. Then again, I'm not a very visual/symbolic person; have trouble seeing optical illusions, stereograms, map directions to familiar places, etc.<BR/><BR/>And yet, after a bit of staring at the Hs and the clues, it suddenly (finally?) dawned on me. D'oh!<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the momentary frustration, and also that moment of clarity that made it worth the while. Clever!<BR/>(Poor H, usually so underappreciated ;).)<BR/><BR/>Ellen - I often end up writing 'e's and a few other letters in lowercase when I solve. It seems to be a natural extension of realizing that if I write too quickly, my handwriting is bad enough that it just makes those letters easier to distinguish. I certainly didn't plan to do that, and it doesn't change solving time any as far as I know. But if I don't solve online or at a tournament, I'm not looking at a clock anyway, so can't say for sure.<BR/>Just seems to be an alternative explanation for the whole changing-case thing.Howard Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766792795622192271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post-25357937797702548482008-07-16T19:39:00.000-04:002008-07-16T19:39:00.000-04:00Major thanks to PG for helping to shape this theme...Major thanks to PG for helping to shape this theme. As you probably guessed, the H-ladder was the starting point. At first I had JACOBS in the grid, but when I noticed that TREEHOUSE had an H in the middle...well, it was one of those rare moments when the stars seem to have aligned properly. <BR/>Apologizes to any lower-case writers - actually, Ellen, you *do* know one. ;-)><BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>PatrickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post-85375034825347146862008-07-16T19:15:00.000-04:002008-07-16T19:15:00.000-04:00The idea that speed-solvers write letters in lower...The idea that speed-solvers write letters in lowercase is generally a myth. At least, no one I know does this.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09699703443886498884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post-67277287680527442802008-07-16T11:00:00.000-04:002008-07-16T11:00:00.000-04:00for some reason, i thought the kellogg was a music...for some reason, i thought the kellogg was a music school, which led to them awarding MFAs instead of MBAs... which led to a very interesting surname for young charlie. that corner was awfully tough for me, though. didn't know PARASKI or ALATEEN. eventually i guessed ATKINS off of __K__S and things sort of fell into place.<BR/><BR/>the H ladder was certainly interesting. i suppose it doesn't "work" if you're one of these speed-solvers who does some letters in lowercase because it's faster to write them that way.Joonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825085755390339668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6797119770533435005.post-87235019585202026212008-07-16T10:33:00.000-04:002008-07-16T10:33:00.000-04:00Al Trautwig is a pretty well-known sports commenta...Al Trautwig is a pretty well-known sports commentator. This year I noticed his absence from the VS. network's coverage of the Tour de France, now in progress. (He's probably involved with pre-Olympics this month.) Cycling fans are split on whether he's an idiot or a calm Everyman, as compared to the other universally admired Tour commentators.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com