Nothing funny about feldspar » Pretensions

July 4th WESP

Orthoclase — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 19:13:05 +0000

Today’s (unheard, since I’m off of NPR lately) Sunday Puzzle:

Next Week’s Challenge

From Eric Berlin of the National Puzzlers League: Take an eight-letter term that’s often used to mean “a good child.” Remove the first two and last two letters, and reverse what remains to get a four-letter word meaning “a bad child.”

Very easy, really.

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The context-dependent iPad review

Orthoclase — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:06:02 +0000

The Clase household loves it. All the “bad” stuff you’ve read is true, except we haven’t had any WiFi issues with it. All of the “good” stuff is also true. This is regardless of what you think of as “good” and “bad”. Most of the factual stuff is just that. This is one of those gadgets where you will just have to make up your own mind about what “good” and “bad” means.

The best part for me is that Plagioclase’s mother has willingly and of her own volition picked it up and started using it. (Scrabble was the wedge.) This is akin to your cat, who has always feared vacuum cleaners, running up to you one day and asking to be vacuumed.

This is not to say the device is perfect. I, like everyone, wish it were cheaper & lighter & easier to do x (for some values of x) on it. But you know what? That doesn’t mean I’m going to send it back.

Sunday Puzzle 3/28

Orthoclase — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:20:08 +0000

I’ve pretty much stopped listening, but every so often I go to the website to see what’s there.

Next Week’s Challenge

This week’s challenge comes from listener Mike Reese who’s a former writer and producer for The Simpsons, and who co-created The Critic. What 6 letter word beginning with the letter “S” would be the same if it started with “TH?”

It’s a groaner…

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The Sunday Puzzle, 3/14

Orthoclase — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:19:08 +0000

From NPR Weekend Edition Sunday:

Next Week’s Challenge

From Brett Yost via the Internet: Think of two words that are opposites, beginning with the letters “H” and “M.” Change the “H” to an “M.” Say the result out loud, and you’ll have the name of something nice to eat. What is it?

Depends on what you mean by “nice”. I don’t care for it, myself.

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The briefer Avatar review

Orthoclase — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:28:22 +0000

Every bad thing you’ve probably heard about it is true. Every good thing is probably also true. In the end, I thought the technical brilliance was completely eclipsed by the predictable, and yet still boring, story.