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Difficulty: Hard Monday, March 20, 2006

Not Completed Play This Puzzle

CHAT LOG for Monday, March 20, 2006

12:14 am
Rachel

tough one
12:15 am
flarfu

is everyone's puzzle flickering?
12:15 am
camflan

nope
12:15 am
brentb

nope
12:15 am
flarfu

dang
12:15 am
131313

i am about 2/3 the way thru
12:15 am
131313

just refresh your page
12:16 am
flarfu

i had to restart firefox to get rid of it
12:17 am
sandyloo

mine's not flickering just logged on
12:31 am
BehemothCat

Ah - donE!
12:32 am
Debs40ish

well done Behe
12:33 am
Debs40ish

Morning to everyone :)
12:33 am
Onpaki

Morning
12:34 am
Debs40ish

Morning On.....and sorry evening or afternoon which ever it may be
12:34 am
Chameleon

flarfu: which version of Firefox do you have?
12:34 am
flarfu

1.5
12:34 am
flarfu

the newest one
12:35 am
Chameleon

ok
12:35 am
flarfu

i just restarted firefox and it was fine
12:35 am
Chameleon

flickers with older versions
12:38 am
guerro

ahhh a hard one well, here goes
12:39 am
Onpaki

Debs, it is afternoon for me. Trying to keep awake.
12:40 am
Debs40ish

I haven't long got up so having the same problem...lol
12:40 am
licketySplitAUS

I've got none in the middle cube yet - tough one
12:42 am
Debs40ish

I've finished :)
12:42 am
Onpaki

Oh, that's quick. You aren't as sleepy as you said! Lol!
12:42 am
licketySplitAUS

Your good Debs!
12:43 am
Debs40ish

I can be!......lol ty lick
12:43 am
Onpaki

Congrats!
12:43 am
Debs40ish

Ty On....... :)
12:45 am
Debs40ish

Well I'lll leave you all to it I'd better go and check Damian reincarnated is getting ready for school
12:45 am
Debs40ish

Take care, be happy & smile.. Lifes too short ((((hugs))))
12:45 am
Onpaki

see you tomorrow!
12:45 am
Debs40ish

Will do On... I'll bring the coffees ;)
12:46 am
Onpaki

sounds good.
12:46 am
Debs40ish

I am...lol
12:46 am
131313

finished. night folks
12:55 am
Goldthang

hey..
12:57 am
licketySplitAUS

131313 - that was fast too!
12:57 am
Onpaki

i'm done too. going to take a nap. zzzzz.....
1:04 am
sprite

A hard one! Is it fun? Morning all :)
1:10 am
balker

it's pretty good - was stuck for a while, spotted the single remaining clue, and then it fell like a house of cards.
1:11 am
sprite

:D
That sounds more than promising. So far all goes smoothly here, but the hard part is yet to come.
1:20 am
Krys10

Hi Sprite!
1:20 am
Krys10

Hi Sprite!
1:21 am
Krys10

I don't know, this one was fun but I think it may be the easiest I've done on this site - fell together very quickly for me.
1:21 am
Krys10

I'm still baffled about how the difficulty ratings are set - the medium puzzle seems to really stump me.
1:22 am
sprite

Ha Krys10! Yes, I know, the diff ratings are very obscure to me too. This one is a breeze so far. But I don't mind, I just jump in every morning and see how things go :)
1:23 am
trioptimum

huh, I feel inferior. getting nowhere with this one.
1:23 am
Krys10

I'm headed to bed. Sprite, my business partner found another 5-vowel word today - "hellacious" Also "cautiousness"
1:24 am
sprite

Beautiful words! Sleep well, see you tomorrow :)
1:25 am
Krys10


trioptimum, it's weird, it seems like there's always people posting that a puzzle is easy and others saying it's hard, and it's usually not the same people from day to day. I'm convinced that it has to do with what type of puzzle strategy you use, what corner you start in, etc. If it's any help. I filled in all posslble values starting near the bottom and worked my way toward the middle. Everything fell together nicely!
1:26 am
trioptimum

I have a grid full of red values where I've blocked out every single non-possibility and I'm still nowhere :)
1:26 am
trioptimum

I guess my strategy needs work.
1:28 am
sprite

I have no real strategy at all, I just jump around the grid and do some reasoning. If anyone should work on her strategy, it's me :)
1:28 am
licketySplitAUS

i got stuck at the bottom, but then got out of it using locked candidates
1:28 am
boric

Nah. The jump around strategy works for me too.
1:29 am
trioptimum

hee. well, I'll have another stab at it later, need to get ready for work.
1:29 am
mikeh

blaaah what time zone are you in
1:29 am
sprite

So far I did a lot of counting with this one. You know, going from 1 to 9 and see what is excluded by appearance on same row, column or box.
1:30 am
sprite

It's 8.30 am here.
1:30 am
boric

That's my strategy. Usually works.
1:30 am
trioptimum

GMT
1:30 am
mikeh

oh dear, i accidently clicked away from the page....there's no way to revert if you haven't clicked the 'save' button is there
1:30 am
mikeh

EST
1:31 am
sprite

I am sorry mikeh, no, there isn't. You have to start over :(
1:31 am
mikeh

bah - nothing to do anyways haha
1:32 am
sprite

Happened to me first day, couple of times even. Didn't know that going to the HOW TO page or My Account page removed the entries. Now I save very regularly, lol.
1:32 am
mikeh

yes yes
1:33 am
mikeh

i was like oo i want a picture
1:33 am
sprite

Exactly :)
The picture bit is for pro's, as I found out then.
1:34 am
mikeh

haha yes
1:34 am
mikeh

i'm going to give it a week or so before i put money into my habit
1:35 am
sprite

That's what I like about Dr_God's approach: you can play for as long as you like, forever even, without ever having to pay. It is entirely up to us whether we want to pay or not. :)
1:43 am
rbmjw

done deal
1:44 am
sprite

done too
1:46 am
flarfu

done
2:06 am
The Wac

hola
2:19 am
mikeh

phew
2:19 am
mikeh

i finished
2:19 am
mikeh

even though my numbers notations had gone whack at the end
2:26 am
Vega

*waves hello*
2:44 am
Vega

There has to be a better way to clear greens and reds without having to click on each square...
2:44 am
hurshy

not yet vega
2:45 am
Vega

Well then, it has to be made. ;)
2:48 am
hurshy

tis
3:11 am
trioptimum

right, let's have another go at this... this time from the office
3:12 am
RobG

ditto
3:30 am
trioptimum

hmm, 20 minutes later and I've filled in one more number
3:30 am
trioptimum

think I'm gonna need every one of these 20+ remaining hours
3:30 am
RobG

i've given up on actually putting numbers in and am simply populating everything with green numbers :)
3:32 am
trioptimum

yeah I've filled out every square with red and green numbers
3:32 am
trioptimum

and it's not helped me much
3:32 am
RobG

red?
3:33 am
RobG

ooh, red!
3:37 am
RobG

need many, many more 7s
3:39 am
tchansen

How do you reset the puzzle to start over?
3:43 am
trioptimum

no idea, tchansen.
3:44 am
tchansen

Thanks. I just cleared them by hand, I was looking for a quick way. I noticed that there is a save button but no way to restore to that save either.
3:45 am
trioptimum

that saves it against your profile, I think reloading the page will restore to it.
3:45 am
ali

to restore just reload the page
3:47 am
trioptimum

ah finally making some progress!
3:50 am
huggie

Woo a number in the middle at last.
3:52 am
trioptimum

at last, finished it!
4:00 am
huggie

\o/
5:15 am
Atalante

hard? meeeeeeeeeep - doesn't sound good!
5:28 am
Ricey

too easy.........
6:14 am
peternl

hmm, a hard one...
6:41 am
sundae1888

whew, that was some mental workout
6:44 am
Ian Bradbury

Maybe it was miss tagged and should have been bloody hard.
6:45 am
peternl

grin
6:45 am
Ian Bradbury

I like to think I'm fairly good at these - but today. It's just not happening for me.
6:46 am
peternl

I've gotten somewhere, havent hit a block yet, but its slow going
6:51 am
Atalante

this one is certainly hard work
6:56 am
peternl

hmm, yes, very slow now
6:56 am
Ian Bradbury

I'm going to have to go with a hunch and see where it takes me
6:59 am
pennypiece

Ian... try opening another browser & working your hunch out in there... makes a useful 'play' area, as long as you don't save it.
6:59 am
OzzieRain

Missed yesterday - let see if this is any good...
7:01 am
pennypiece

sorry, didn't make that very clear... open another grid (it'll open your last saved one) in another browser.
7:04 am
peternl

cracked a bit more off
7:06 am
peternl

I wish it displayed a progress (number of unfinished squares)
7:07 am
Atalante

nah. thats too deprssing!
7:09 am
peternl

man, thats a lot of little green numbers
7:12 am
Kellie

hi all.. was hoping for an easy day.. no such luck!!
7:17 am
peternl

hmm, a number in the center box would be nice
7:18 am
Atalante

I've got one - kinda tentatively! but only tentatively
7:25 am
peternl

got one!
7:27 am
Atalante

I just know this is going to go wrong. I'm going far too much on gut feeling!
7:29 am
Thuryn

yay! i filled in another square! ;p
7:30 am
peternl

another number in the center box
7:33 am
Kellie

it all went wrong with 2 boxes left!!
7:34 am
Thuryn

ouch
7:34 am
Kellie

yep.. very painful
7:34 am
peternl

doh
7:36 am
Thuryn

yay! third-level logic box filled. those are so satisfying. all that work so rarely actually pays off...
7:36 am
peternl

"third-level logic box"?
7:37 am
Thuryn

if this, then this. since THAT, then THIS, and since THAT, then this must be X.
7:37 am
peternl

ahh
7:37 am
Thuryn

oh, and luckily, because of X, then Y. ;)
7:39 am
Kellie

your method has got me on a role again... any money it goes wrong
7:39 am
Kellie

yep
7:40 am
Thuryn

what sucks is that all of my logic now comes back to two boxes.
7:40 am
Kellie

yeah me too. the most annoying things is i cant remember what i did at the begining to try it the other way.
7:41 am
Thuryn

when did you save last
7:41 am
Kellie

after i put all the possibles in
7:41 am
Thuryn

wow! fifth-level logic! w00t
7:42 am
Kellie

lol.. now Im stuck again!!! :( lucky I'm not busy at work today
7:47 am
Thuryn

oh for cryin out loud
7:48 am
Kellie

grrrr dead end again!
7:48 am
Thuryn

it's stupid when you have the four numbers you need to work out one in the center and it takes you 10 minutes to notice...
7:50 am
peternl

done!
7:51 am
Kellie

no way!! wd
7:54 am
Thuryn

w00t! Finished!
7:55 am
X

wow...I come in, and someone's done! Heartening XD Nice one, Thuryn! Congrats :)
7:55 am
peternl

have fun all
7:55 am
Thuryn

:) It took less than an hour, but I'm not doing anything else, if that helps.
7:56 am
X

ah...I'm headbanging, could that hinder concentration a little? ^^
7:58 am
X

...and it's only now that I notice the bit which says 'difficulty: hard'
8:01 am
OzzieRain

...nice - done, but lucky with 3 guesses. 8(
8:02 am
Kellie

well doen ozzie
8:02 am
OzzieRain

ta..roll on a medium - and keep plugging away.
8:03 am
Kellie

roll on an easy
8:05 am
X

nice one, OzzieRain :) An influence to us all XD
8:05 am
pennypiece

urgh, finished.... and I'm not ashamed to say, that about kicked my ass square :/
8:05 am
X

congrats, Pennypiece! *envy envy*
8:07 am
pennypiece

ty, X ... unless you're envious because *you* wanted to kick my ass square ;)
8:08 am
X

LOL! this is not the place for my sadistic fantasies :)
8:10 am
pennypiece

*snerk* Actually, I would have thought everyone tackling this grid today qualifies as a masochist.... right, I'm off, enjoy the boxes everyone :)
8:15 am
X

you may be right...enjoy the rest of your day :)
8:19 am
Kellie

darn... i think i have done all my green numbers wrong... no matter what way i go i end up with either 2 in the same row or none at all in a box!!! grrrr
8:21 am
X

Breathe, Kellie, breathe! *hands out chocolate* best cure :)
8:23 am
FMitch

Afternoon, that was hard but not as hard as some of the mediums that have been here recently!
8:24 am
X

Afternoon, FMitch...you're done! If you are, then I will be building a bronze statue of you and placing it at the top of the hill, and I will pilgrimage to it every year :)
8:24 am
FMitch

LOL x I am done but no need for the statue!!!!
8:25 am
twofisted

Done
8:25 am
X

oh, well...at least a little sort of wooden effigy I can place in a shrine, or something? XD
8:25 am
twofisted

Much easier than Sat's medium
8:26 am
FMitch

ROFL Oh OK then,.
8:26 am
X

wow...congrats to Twofisted, as well! Hopefully FMitch, you aren't the jealous type XD
8:26 am
X

LOL...did I twist your arm? ^^
8:27 am
FMitch

Yea, BTW you could let go now.. please.
8:28 am
X

*looks guilty* er...yes :) only if I get an autograph.
8:30 am
FMitch

LOL x, gotta go now.
8:30 am
Atalante

*sigh* starting again ...
8:31 am
X

later, FMitch :)
8:31 am
FMitch

Oh hey Atalante!!! you done with Babble or just taking a break?
8:31 am
X

Boo...Atalante, that sucks :/ Luckily for me, I haven't got far enough to know I have to start again :)
8:50 am
Atalante

about to throw my hands up to both of them today! For some reason, I cant see words *and* I cant see numbers!
8:52 am
Atalante

but now I have chocolate, so it might get better
8:53 am
bex777

chocolate makes evrrything better!!
8:53 am
Atalante

my thoughts exactly!
8:54 am
Ian Bradbury

I'm starting over..
8:58 am
X

I'm still staring at it with an expression of horror in my eyes. Why, God?! WHY?!
9:07 am
bex777

ok have completely stopped
9:08 am
X

Bex, join the club! I came to a complete stop about an hour ago...yet, I'm still sitting here. WHY?
9:08 am
AlienHunter

Yay! Just done it...
9:09 am
X

Congrats, AlienHunter! *fireworks*
9:09 am
Atalante

its mesmeric
9:12 am
Shyzzy

i too am now starting over.
9:12 am
Shyzzy

I can't do any work till I get this finished
9:16 am
carolecs62

I found this one easier than one of last weeks medium's!!
9:16 am
HatesTheInternet

I'm more than halfway done and I haven't hit any roadblocks....yet...
9:20 am
X

Woo! Go, HatesTheInternet! Keep it up :)
9:20 am
HatesTheInternet

Heh, just got done. I agree with carolecs62. It took me 15 minutes
9:23 am
Atalante

mutters. I wish I could turn the chat log off! Its too depressing! :P
9:32 am
Shyzzy

Hate to add to that but I finally finished.
9:33 am
X

nice one...*is in awe*
9:33 am
X

LOL Atalante...just think about the chocolate, think of nothing but the chocolate...
9:40 am
Kellie

X.. how you getting on.. i have again had to start all over again.. the chocolate didn't work!!! I'm gonna have a fag and go again!
9:41 am
chebuctonian

15-20 minutes. that was actually fairly easy
9:43 am
Kellie

OMG cheb this is my 3rd attempt
9:45 am
HatesTheInternet

This one was actually pretty straightforward. I didn't have to resort to weird strategies
9:49 am
Perry

Same here, I just finished. I don't know the strategies yet, but did it by elimination except for one spot where I applied the "these two can only be here and here so the others in the same boxes have to go" strategies, and that helped
10:25 am
Kellie

finally i have done it!!! good luck everyone
10:26 am
bzikofski

holy crap i need to start over..
10:27 am
jojomnky

i had to do that too it sucked i feel better about this time around i dont know where i went wrong last time
10:27 am
bzikofski

it really seemed easy.. i really don't know where i got sidetracked ;)
10:48 am
caderoux

Couldn't do today's puzzle online. I had to go to the DMV at 6am (opens at 8am) to get in line. I typed it into Simple Sudoku and left the house. Unfortunately, it only took 5 minutes in SS with no hints and no invalid moves - so then I had to sit in my camp chair for another hour and half. I had a weak open wireless signal there (and a strong encrypted one), and was never able to get to the Internet. See y'all again tonight...
10:49 am
hurshy

how thou dost suffer
10:49 am
tchansen

Very Slow. Just can't get the lynch pin to solve this...
11:16 am
mzhokie

I agree tchansen, I know I'm missing something but not sure what this time. Going to take a break and come back to it later.
11:24 am
Anj

LOL! startover #16 here... : /
11:24 am
tchansen

#3 for me. Glad for the save though...
11:24 am
mzhokie

oh I have all my little notations in place now... still drawing a blank
11:24 am
hurshy

16!!!
11:26 am
hurshy

done!
11:26 am
hurshy

and shoot, i forgot to capture the screen first AGAIN
11:26 am
davidtoc

i think i've done about all i can do without a cup of coffee. back later...
11:26 am
Anj

I've got down to 2 numbers to go about 10 times...
11:27 am
Anj

Needless to say toys have been launched out of the pram due to mt numerical ineptitude today } ( LOL : )
11:27 am
hurshy

poor anj
11:30 am
Anj

Hursh, just one of those days I guess. I've given up on strategy. Now it's every number for itself. Itr's not pretty... : /
11:31 am
tchansen

I've found that I can 'pencil' one color or the other - If I try both, I mess up.
11:32 am
Anj

I've broken off diplomatic relations with the subscripts } (
11:32 am
tchansen

Heh.
11:35 am
raerae7133

1 minute left?
11:37 am
dplass

NaN+
11:39 am
dplass

LOL
"Last saved: Somethin' ain't right. Hopefully Dr_God's on the case"
11:45 am
Dr_God

The server has a little indigestion at the moment. It should let out a relieving burp any minute now...
11:57 am
dplass

lol
11:57 am
Noumenon

i warned that server about eating too much crab rangoon...
11:58 am
GingerUK

Hi Dr God ... just discovered this game... cool!!
11:58 am
moedog

crab raccoon?
11:58 am
GingerUK

do you have to pay a fee to get the little flags etc here as well as ABBLE?
11:59 am
Dr_God

Sí
11:59 am
GingerUK

OOOPS Babble not abble!
11:59 am
Noumenon

i'd like to see a crab racoon
12:00 pm
raerae7133

Dr_God. Figured out what was wrong with the server yet? :)
12:00 pm
moedog

put a tiny lil mask on a crab, noumenon
12:00 pm
moedog

that'll take care of one end...
12:01 pm
chu

my technique is easy and quick ha
12:01 pm
Dr_God

haxored-
I know I caused it, just not how yet. ;)
12:04 pm
raerae7133

The good lord giveth, and he taketh away
12:11 pm
Noumenon

The New Iron Sudoku Mascot!!! http://andrewtibbetts.com/images/crab-racoon.
jpg
12:12 pm
TP17

whoa, that's kind of creepy
12:12 pm
mzhokie

I finished but I admit I guessed.... took two tries at a different number in the center square and working out from there.
12:13 pm
mzhokie

I know I should have been able to figure it out without guessing but I was tired of staring at it so I took a stab in the dark!
12:17 pm
raerae7133

I'll be back later to figure this out.
12:19 pm
Atalante

urf. I hate this puzzle! dammit puzzle! I WILL subdue you!
12:20 pm
dplass

crap
12:21 pm
mog

why, why, why am i doing this at 2.21 am in the morning?
12:22 pm
naive

at least someone else in asia (or at least the 2:21 a.m. time zone) is doing this with me :)
12:22 pm
dplass

i was thisclose
12:22 pm
dplass

Dr_God, please for to make a "clear all' button
12:22 pm
mog

ooh. where are you from, naive?
12:23 pm
naive

taiwan
12:23 pm
mog

;) im from singapore.
12:25 pm
naive

expat?
12:25 pm
bzikofski

i can't see the horizontal block dividers in opera - is this a bug ?
12:25 pm
mog

nah. imma singaporean.
12:26 pm
naive

doing this online is ten times harder than on paper
12:31 pm
Dr_God

naive-
Check out the How to Play page for instructions on how to use subscripts.
12:31 pm
jix

That was an easy one.. no guessing
12:32 pm
naive

Thanks muchly, Dr_God - I think you just pushed my bedtime about 30 minutes closers
12:37 pm
Anj

...for the 25th time this grid raises my hopes, then dashes them quite expertly...
12:37 pm
dplass

25th?
12:37 pm
Anj

...at least... :' (
12:39 pm
Atalante

same here Anj!
12:41 pm
Anj

Thanks Atalante : ) I was beginning to wonder if my brain had downgraded during the night, lol!
12:42 pm
Atalante

I think mine has!
12:42 pm
scottru

sigh. getting killed on this one.
12:43 pm
Linda

well, it does say it is 'hard'
12:43 pm
scottru

indeed it does, indeed it does.
12:44 pm
David Mitchell

I thought I had it, but I made a mistake (not a guess) somewhere.
12:44 pm
davidtoc

i wish u could fill in all the subscripts at once, and then remove the ones that don't apply, rather than have to go thru and add EVERY SINGLE SUBSCRIPT separately!
12:46 pm
Danno

I think that is what hte red subscript is for
12:47 pm
Danno

add the ones in red until there is only 1 missing...
12:48 pm
davidtoc

i mean start out with all the boxes filled with every green small number 1-9, instead of having to add the 1, and then add the 2, and then add the 3... and so on for every box.
12:49 pm
Linda

i'd just done loads and forgot to save it! so going to have to start again. at least it is always quicker the second time . . .
12:49 pm
Danno

so you want everybox to start with the numbers, then you remove them when you know they can't go there?
12:49 pm
HKK

same here!
12:49 pm
davidtoc

yes!
12:49 pm
Linda

why? davidtoc
12:50 pm
Danno

Well thats what hte red subscript is for. Leave it blank, then when you know the 2 can't go there, you add the 2 in red
12:50 pm
davidtoc

makes it easier. plus, faster to set up so i can start figuring it out right away rather than have to "write in" all the small numbers first.
12:51 pm
Linda

you shouldn't need to write in allllll the small numbers
12:52 pm
davidtoc

well, i realize that. but it's easier tohave all 9 to start with and quickly remove the ones you don't need.
12:53 pm
Linda

we're going round in circles!
12:53 pm
davidtoc

For example, let's say a cell has candidates 1,3,4,5,7,8,9
12:53 pm
davidtoc

i have to shift-click SEVEN times to enter those. and that's just for ONE cell.
12:54 pm
davidtoc

it would be nice to automatically enter all 9 for that cell and then remove the 2 and the 6.
12:54 pm
Danno

david - most people would add 2,6 in red
12:54 pm
Linda

rather than going for the blank cells, try looking for cells you can fill in easily first eg you can fill in the second column quite easily without too many pencil marks
12:55 pm
davidtoc

i just use the green. mixing red and green on the same board is too confusing for me.
12:55 pm
Linda

by the way, i don't usually finish the hard ones!
12:55 pm
davidtoc

i do, Linda. because you're right--that does save a lot of time and a lot of clicking.
12:55 pm
Anj

I've got the 2nd column and the 3rd row...it's everything esle that's gone to h*ll in a handcart : /
12:56 pm
davidtoc

but it would be nice it when you clicked, that in addition to the 1-9 buttons and the cancel and the clear buttons, there was a "add all" button.
12:56 pm
Keisha

is this one hard
12:56 pm
Linda

ok, we get the message. you would like to be able to pencil in all the 9 numbers!!!
12:56 pm
elzorroviejo

sonofabitch...that sucked...took me 4 restarts...but it is done...now to get on with my life!!
12:57 pm
davidtoc

yes, Linda. I would. :)
12:57 pm
davidtoc

yes, Linda. I would.
12:57 pm
davidtoc

yep
12:57 pm
naive

3 a.m. is my limit - i've been defeated
12:57 pm
davidtoc

oops! sorry about that.
12:57 pm
Linda

ok, after 2nd column and 3rd row, any suggestions where to go?
12:58 pm
Anj

...bilndfold and pin??
12:58 pm
Atalante

random number generators?
12:59 pm
davidtoc

haha.
1:00 pm
scottru

I'm not seeing a lot of "I solved this"
1:01 pm
torgone

Hey, Dr_God! How about an easy one for morons like me?
1:02 pm
Linda

and easy for me too pls!
1:02 pm
Linda

giving up for now - going to get my tea. might be back
1:02 pm
Anj

bleat : (
1:03 pm
GingerUK

Hi Anj... been away from Babble a while, nice to see something new and some old faces!!
1:04 pm
Anj

Hi Ginger : ) Nice to see you again. I haven't even looked at Babble today yet. This beast has me in thrall... : /
1:04 pm
hurshy

torgone - you can practice on easy ones on websudoku.com, and then you'll get better :)
1:05 pm
hurshy

oh, scottru - i solved this
1:05 pm
GingerUK

yeah, I didn't pick a good one to start on did I!!
1:05 pm
Anj

...and clear down again : (
1:06 pm
torgone

That's what I do, hurshy. A bunch. And books too.
1:08 pm
Keisha

has anyone ever ready addicted
1:08 pm
hurshy

oh...
1:08 pm
Keisha

read Addicted
1:08 pm
Keisha

by Zane
1:08 pm
hurshy

hmm... i don't know what to tell you, tor.
1:09 pm
hurshy

i haven't read any books...i just started playing sudoku a week ago...but as i've done virtually nothing BUT sudoku all week, i am now confident that i can solve any sudoku.
1:10 pm
hurshy

maybe that's half the battle... if you believe you can do it, you can!
1:10 pm
hurshy

no keisha, have not read that.
1:10 pm
Keisha

ok
1:11 pm
Keisha

i just started sudoku on this site today
1:11 pm
hurshy

welcome!
1:11 pm
Keisha

ty
1:12 pm
mwpeterson

10 boxes left and something is wrong. argh.
1:14 pm
torgone

No words are necessary, hurshy. I'm just bemoaning the fact that I have trouble here ..
1:16 pm
hurshy

oh, i'm sorry tor. :(
1:17 pm
lola

hi guys : )
1:17 pm
Anj

Hi babe ((xx)) : )
1:17 pm
hurshy

loly!!
1:17 pm
hurshy

(does anyone ever call you loly?)
1:17 pm
torgone

Howdy!
1:18 pm
lola

Hey you ((xx)) .....why aren't you spending time with your folks?? lol : D
1:18 pm
lola

hi hurshy! Um, no. But then they don't call me lola either (except for tbear!) : )
1:19 pm
davidtoc

crap. how do u reset the puzzle?
1:19 pm
lola

hi tor! : )
1:19 pm
Anj

I am...they are drinking my wine while I flounder in this grid of purgatory : (
1:20 pm
lola

LOL! You should get your dad to help you, bet he''d be great at this : )
1:21 pm
hurshy

oh, your name isn't really lola?
1:22 pm
GingerUK

is there a way of clearing everything at one?
1:22 pm
tchansen

GingerUK, not that I know of.
1:23 pm
GingerUK

ok thanks!
1:23 pm
tchansen

Sorry, davidtoc, I didn't see you ask the same question.
1:23 pm
lola

no hurshy : )
1:23 pm
tchansen

Still stressing over this puzzle; not reading the comments much.
1:24 pm
hurshy

well then is it ok if *i* call you loly, or does that make you want to roll your eyes?
1:24 pm
lola

of course it is hursh ; )
1:25 pm
The Wac

hello!
1:25 pm
lola

hi wac : )
1:25 pm
hurshy

ok then :D
1:25 pm
hurshy

curious - why do you call yourself "the wac"
1:26 pm
Anj

Lo he was hot metal. He looks on computers with the sort of disdain politicians reserve for democracy...
1:26 pm
lola

lol, thought that might be the case! : D
1:26 pm
The Wac

my initials are wac. . .cheesy i know
1:27 pm
lola

damn! Have to leave, back in a bit : )
1:28 pm
The Wac

bye lola
1:28 pm
Keisha

bye
1:28 pm
davidtoc

finished! now i can make my boss happy and actually get some work done.
1:28 pm
Babbler

boo ! :D
1:29 pm
davidtoc

be back at midnite... :)
1:29 pm
Anj

Babbler, run away while you can. This one has teeth : (
1:29 pm
hurshy

not cheesy
1:29 pm
Babbler

I know. : / I tried on paper, it seduced me into thinking I was doing ok, then gave me a big slap! :'(
1:29 pm
hurshy

just a screen name
1:30 pm
Babbler

I have to start all over again.
1:30 pm
kaos415

haha
1:31 pm
The Wac

right right
1:31 pm
The Wac

dang babbler
1:31 pm
Babbler

it used up so much of my brain juice, I had to take a nap!! lol! gonna try again ...
1:34 pm
The Wac

can you do this one without guessing?
1:34 pm
hurshy

yrd
1:34 pm
hurshy

oops
1:34 pm
hurshy

that was yes
1:34 pm
hurshy

with fingers in the wrong places
1:34 pm
The Wac

ha ha hurshy
1:34 pm
The Wac

you're certainly not the only one who does that
1:34 pm
tchansen

AAAUUUUGGGGHHH!
1:34 pm
tchansen

I messed it up AGAIN.
1:35 pm
Babbler

disheartening isn't it, tchansen? I'm with you, I know how you feel. :'(
1:35 pm
EasternBlue

Hi kids!! I was stuck for awhile...saved where I KNEW I had the correct numbers, and then just tried a combo that ended up working!!
1:36 pm
The Wac

guessing eh?
1:36 pm
EasternBlue

I haven't attempted the babble grid today...
1:36 pm
Babbler

((EB)) that's encouraging! :)
1:36 pm
Anj

Hi EB, slap me with that fish of belief!
1:36 pm
EasternBlue

*gentle whack*
1:38 pm
EasternBlue

I love how you can put the numbers you think it might be in 'green' in the subscript...it's how I work my paper ones too...
1:38 pm
Babbler

me too, EB : )
1:39 pm
The Wac

same with me
1:40 pm
EasternBlue

hey Wac - are you a fellow "Babbler" too??
1:40 pm
The Wac

occasionally
1:40 pm
The Wac

i think i would like it a bit better if i could actually do it
1:40 pm
EasternBlue

ah, well, then - pleased to meet you (do you use the same name there?)
1:41 pm
The Wac

yep yep
1:41 pm
The Wac

nice to meet you too
1:42 pm
EasternBlue

Anj - have you tackled the babble grid today?
1:42 pm
hurshy

babble babble
1:42 pm
Kerryanne

yey i finished
1:42 pm
The Wac

that reminds me of a fish
1:43 pm
EasternBlue

congrats Kerryanne!!
1:43 pm
Kerryanne

*sigh*
1:43 pm
EasternBlue

hi hursh!!
1:43 pm
hurshy

of COURSE babble reminds you of a fish
1:43 pm
hurshy

hi auntie! :)
1:43 pm
The Wac

i got a fish the other day
1:43 pm
Kerryanne

i usually am only able to do the easy ones, must mean i'm improving.. possibly.. anyway, your obviously all pros
1:44 pm
hurshy

you are on "my friends" list, auntie!
1:44 pm
hurshy

kerryannee, have you been listening to what they're saying?
1:44 pm
lola

I'm back! So, is this one a toughie?? : )
1:44 pm
hurshy

anj has had to restart...at least 17 times (what's the count now anj?)
1:44 pm
Atalante

run away lola!
1:44 pm
hurshy

depends who you ask, loly
1:45 pm
Babbler

not that many times, Anj??
1:45 pm
EasternBlue

Kerryanne - this was not an easy one...
1:45 pm
Anj

...i've stopped counting : ' (
1:45 pm
Kerryanne

obviously not, sorry, i just wanted to see if this box would work, you know the hearts convo ones microspft does never works
1:45 pm
Babbler

Lo - it's a big bad nasty monster. :'(
1:45 pm
hurshy

:)
1:45 pm
EasternBlue

hursh - I haven't gone pro yet...perhaps I should!!
1:45 pm
lola

...the restarts or the glasses?? ; )
1:45 pm
hurshy

perhaps you should, auntie :)
1:45 pm
lola

hi EB! : )
1:45 pm
Kerryanne

i cheated and printed the thingy out
1:45 pm
EasternBlue

*hands tissue to Anj*...there, there...you'll get it!!
1:45 pm
EasternBlue

hi lola!!
1:45 pm
The Wac

ah nuts
1:45 pm
hurshy

congrats, anyway, kerryanne.
1:45 pm
The Wac

i have to restart too
1:46 pm
hurshy

i don't think printing is cheating.
1:46 pm
EasternBlue

kerryanne - it's only cheating if someone else gives you all the answers!! : )
1:46 pm
Kerryanne

what would be the point in that
1:46 pm
Babbler

sympathies, Wac : (
1:47 pm
The Wac

thanks babbler
1:47 pm
The Wac

it wouldn't be such a problem if i hadn't saved right before i found the mistake
1:47 pm
Kerryanne

it took me, like maybe an hour, just staring at it going.. c'mon etc etc.. didn't really help, then there was this thing, and suddenly, wow, very exciting (okay i need to go out more)
1:48 pm
Babbler

I've restarted on screen. Can't face all that effort again. Let's see how I do...
1:48 pm
Babbler

really Kerryanne?? hope that happens to me too :)
1:48 pm
The Wac

i'd rather not have the staring for an hour part
1:49 pm
totony

ouch.
1:49 pm
EasternBlue

oh, wac...that's harsh...
1:49 pm
totony

major inconcistency :-/
1:49 pm
Babbler

I did the staring, taking breaks, back to staring, carefully entered numbers, and still got slapped. :'( (I'll be over it soon, promise).
1:50 pm
totony

everything was going smoooothly, and bang ...
1:50 pm
EasternBlue

((Babs))
1:50 pm
Babbler

I hear you, totony : /
1:50 pm
hurshy

i think the key to sudoku is to be very, very careful.
1:50 pm
Babbler

thanks, EB ((collapses into most welcome hug)) :' )
1:50 pm
totony

hurshy: agreed...
1:51 pm
Kerryanne

i'm sure perserverance (sp) will pay off, i like scribbling in the boxes though, yeah the hour thing, well one fall out boy album later. . . well it entertained me, going for lunch, later everyone
1:51 pm
Babbler

laters, Kerryanne : )
1:51 pm
EasternBlue

*hands Babs a shot of whiskey*...that'll 'shore you up!!'
1:51 pm
EasternBlue

bye Kerryanne
1:51 pm
Babbler

ooooh!! : D thanks, EB!!
1:51 pm
totony

and even then, you have to be even more careful. just to be on the safe side...
1:52 pm
The Wac

see ya kerryanee
1:52 pm
EasternBlue

hursh - agree...I save when I know the #'s are right...and then play around for a bit...if that doesn't pan out, it reverts back to my last save...
1:53 pm
Babbler

ooh! that's interesting. how do you save?
1:53 pm
The Wac

at the bottom of the sudoku
1:53 pm
EasternBlue

Babs - on the bottom of the grid, there's a 'button'
1:54 pm
Babbler

LOL!! I see, the big button that's been staring at me! I thought that was an instruction, not a button. duh!! :' )
1:54 pm
The Wac

ha ha
1:54 pm
EasternBlue

Babs - LOL!!!
1:54 pm
The Wac

tis alright babbler
1:55 pm
Babbler

awwww, that's cheered me up. good to have something to laugh about. :'D
1:55 pm
Noumenon

im gunna suggest again that Dr_god get a Dr_Bot that periodically tells people to check out the 'How to Play' section ;)
1:56 pm
EasternBlue

Hi Noumenon!
1:56 pm
The Wac

probably a good idea ;)
1:56 pm
Noumenon

yooooooo
1:56 pm
Babbler

if I click on your profile, will my grid revert to start? Hi Noumenon. : )
1:57 pm
EasternBlue

Babs - if you want to keep anything you've done, save first, then click on the profile...
1:57 pm
Babbler

aah, thanks EB :)
1:58 pm
EasternBlue

Babs - I learned that one the hard way...I was almost finished the other day, click on a profile (hadn't saved) --whoosh!!! entire grid wiped out...(and I even heard the music!!)
1:59 pm
hurshy

btw, we all wondered at first if it was really always possible to do these without guessing...found it hard to swallow...but i am now convinced that it is in fact true.
1:59 pm
Babbler

awww, poor you!! ((EB)) It happened in my first grid, I went to look at the rules. Luckily it was an easy grid that day. : )
1:59 pm
Babbler

you can play sudoku without guessing, hurshy, but it depends on the grid. Some are so difficult, Stephen Hawking would have trouble.
2:00 pm
Anj

OK, I'm ending up crashing and burning on the same number every route I take : ( Quittin' time. I'm Babbling...
2:00 pm
hurshy

in the last few days i have been playing only "evils" on websudoku, and have never had to guess
2:00 pm
EasternBlue

hursh - I think most can be completed w/o guessing...but I'm not sure...
2:00 pm
EasternBlue

bye Anj...
2:00 pm
Babbler

was it an 8, Anj? see you later, :')
2:01 pm
EasternBlue

I have to go too...see you later (conf. call...)
2:01 pm
lola

later babe : ) xx
2:01 pm
hurshy

i have done about 1000 of these this week, that is what convinced me :) t
2:01 pm
Babbler

laters, EB : )
2:01 pm
Anj

No, it's a 6 in the middle box every time : (
2:01 pm
hurshy

bye auntie
2:01 pm
The Wac

see you both
2:01 pm
jhlipsey

I can't believe it. I finished the puzzle, then the server had an error, and now it shows the state it was in three hours ago.
2:01 pm
The Wac

oh that's horrible jhlipsey!
2:01 pm
Babbler

so sorry to hera that jhlipsey!! : '(
2:02 pm
Babbler

hear I mean
2:02 pm
lola

'bye EB : )
2:02 pm
EasternBlue

good luck all...bye!
2:04 pm
hurshy

argh, hiccups
2:06 pm
The Wac

that's exciting hurshy
2:06 pm
hurshy

NO it is NOT
2:06 pm
The Wac

ok, maybe you're right
2:06 pm
The Wac

but i was hoping for the best
2:06 pm
TP17

I have a cure that I use all the time and it works 100% for me, but for some reason, not for everybody else
2:07 pm
hurshy

well????
2:07 pm
TP17

I get a glass of water, put my lips on the far side of the glass, and lean my head forward towards the floor, until I start to drink, and I keep drinking the water, basically wiht my head upside-down, and the hiccups are gone
2:07 pm
Spakky

I have someone scare me ;)
2:08 pm
The Wac

that's pretty intense stuff tp17
2:08 pm
TP17

just a few sips necessary, not the whole glass
2:08 pm
hurshy

oh, yes, i have tried that in the past with no success
2:08 pm
hurshy

for me, holding my breath for 30 seconds usually works
2:08 pm
TP17

my mom had me try it when I was young, and it's ALWAYS worked for me. it's very strange
2:08 pm
hurshy

i think i just got rid of them
2:08 pm
Atalante

that always works for me too TP17
2:09 pm
Babbler

hi Atalante! : )
2:09 pm
hurshy

the annoying thing is, have you noticed that when you have them once in a day, you get rid of them, but you tend to get them back again
2:09 pm
hurshy

why would that be?
2:09 pm
Atalante

hi Babs!
2:09 pm
allanx2000

yay... first tiime i finished by myself
2:09 pm
The Wac

couldn't help ya there hurshy. . .they must like you ;)
2:09 pm
Babbler

wow! congrats, allan! : )
2:10 pm
The Wac

hooray for you!
2:10 pm
Babbler

what do you mean, all by yourself, btw?
2:10 pm
allanx2000

i usually get some help from other ppl
2:11 pm
allanx2000

after spending 2hrs on this one, something clicked
2:11 pm
Babbler

ahaa! well, you picked a good grid to complete on your own. This is a toughie!! You can give yourself a pat on the back!
2:11 pm
allanx2000

thanks
2:12 pm
allanx2000

g2g now.... hf
2:12 pm
The Wac

see you
2:12 pm
Babbler

laters, allan
2:12 pm
jhlipsey

Well, at least it was easier the second time.
2:12 pm
sherb

evening all :D
2:13 pm
The Wac

goodnight. . . even though it's barely afternoon here
2:13 pm
raggedyandy3478

yesterdays was a sinch compared to this
2:13 pm
Babbler

yup, it was, raggedyandy
2:13 pm
Babbler

evening sherb!! :D
2:13 pm
hurshy

hello sherb!
2:14 pm
lola

hi sherb : )
2:14 pm
hurshy

i see sudoku won, sherb :)
2:14 pm
sherb

evening Babs and hurshy :D :D ...and lola :D
2:14 pm
The Wac

well. . .food is calling. . i must be off for now
2:15 pm
sherb

sudoku won for the moment... until I get stuck, which may not take long!!
2:15 pm
Babbler

laters, Wac
2:15 pm
hurshy

lol
2:16 pm
Noumenon

anyone wanna tell me the first solid they got in the center block?
2:17 pm
Noumenon

not where but what #... if they remember...
2:17 pm
torgone

2
2:17 pm
Noumenon

thx
2:17 pm
Babbler

the first I got in my first attempt was a 1
2:17 pm
Noumenon

hm
2:17 pm
Babbler

hi Tor-Tor!! :D
2:18 pm
sherb

I wish I knew how the answer to that question helped...
2:18 pm
torgone

Heya Bab-Bab!
2:18 pm
Babbler

tee hee!! :D:D:D
2:19 pm
lola

5
2:19 pm
Babbler

well, my first attempt was all wrong, so maybe I shouldn't have answered that. : /
2:20 pm
torgone

I hope I'm right ..
2:21 pm
lola

me too!
2:21 pm
hurshy

i keep forgetting to capture my screen before i finish
2:21 pm
hurshy

i was determined to remember today
2:21 pm
hurshy

but then it's so exciting when you're about to finish everything else flies out of your head
2:26 pm
TP17

I'm at a standstill, and I'd rather not guess
2:26 pm
TP17

never mind
2:26 pm
TP17

heh
2:27 pm
Babbler

take a little break and come back, TP17, usually helps : )
2:28 pm
torgone

Now we're moving ..
2:28 pm
torgone

Oops ..
2:28 pm
mwpeterson

TP17, I guessed, only to discover I had guessed wrong when I had 10 squares left
2:30 pm
Babbler

I guessed too, and went an awfully long way before I had two of the same number in the one column. :(
2:30 pm
torgone

I didn't guess, but I goofed up somewhere ..
2:33 pm
Babbler

gosh, I like that save button a lot!! lol : )
2:34 pm
euph

\o/
2:35 pm
Babbler

what does "\o/" mean? I keep seeing people use it, but haven't figured it out. : )
2:35 pm
euph

hands over head
2:36 pm
torgone

Giving birth?
2:36 pm
euph

hint: the "o" is the head ;)
2:36 pm
Babbler

oh! nice one! : )
2:36 pm
Babbler

lol Tor-Tor! :D
2:36 pm
lola

hey, that wasn't so bad! : )
2:36 pm
Babbler

have you finished, Lo?
2:36 pm
lola

yup! : )
2:36 pm
Babbler

wow!! congrats!! I haven't recovered from my earlier dashed attempt yet.
2:37 pm
lola

Thanks!...think I'll go taunt Anj in babble...LOL! : D
2:39 pm
Babbler

have you started today's grid? I think I've left it too late for myself.
2:40 pm
lola

yes, finished there too : )
2:40 pm
Babbler

well double congrats!! lol!! :D
2:41 pm
Atalante

hey lola, do you have msn or aim?
2:41 pm
lola

er....yes, msn but I've never used it! : /
2:42 pm
sherb

my grid is a sea of green and I'm going nowhere... except back to Babble... :D
2:43 pm
Atalante

lol! I am so stuck on this sudoku and I don't know enough about them to understand what I'm doing wrong or where to correct myself! I need someone to give me a shove in the right direction!
2:43 pm
Atalante

or else I'll never *learn*
2:43 pm
torgone

Son of a . .!
2:44 pm
hurshy

ata - i have aim
2:45 pm
lola

ata, addy in profile : )
2:45 pm
hurshy

atalante, if you look in my profile you'll see what you need to put on my name to get my aim screenname
2:46 pm
Atalante

woohoo! thanks guys!
2:46 pm
hurshy

let me know when you've got it so i can take it off again
2:47 pm
Atalante

got it :)
2:49 pm
hurshy

you will be my 7th buddy! send me a message!
2:49 pm
Atalante

k! let me just kick aim into working!
2:50 pm
lola

ata, can I leave hursh to help you? Don't want to confuse things : )
2:54 pm
totony

not happy...
2:55 pm
totony

finished , bt folowed a trail that lead me to the end...
2:55 pm
totony

it like just guessing :-)
2:55 pm
Atalante

urf. now aim can't find you - but I loathe aim and it loathes me back! my name there is elegaer if you can find me! but I guess sudoku is pretty impossible to give hints for anyway. perhaps I should just clear the board and start *again*!
2:56 pm
lola

ata, clear it and start by looking for the obvious numbers. If you get too carried away with the red and green numbers they will just confuse you : )
3:00 pm
Atalante

*am chilled* serene, happy, all things are possible!
3:00 pm
mwpeterson

is there an easy way to clear the board?
3:01 pm
lola

Yay! Also, I only use green numbers : )
3:01 pm
lola

mw, not if you've saved I'm afraid.
3:04 pm
Babbler

congrats, totony! : )
3:04 pm
Babbler

euw... just took a break, returned, looked at my grid, and see a sea of green.... : /
3:05 pm
sandr

evening all just popped on to put in y grid printed off a copy this morn n finished it at work,i thought it was alot easier than yesterdays
3:06 pm
Babbler

hi sandr. : ) I'm finding today's harder.
3:06 pm
lola

hi sandr...me too! : )
3:06 pm
sandr

well it was for me babbler till i found what i call the key to the puzzle
3:06 pm
jdog

first time on I.S. I <3 sudoku tho
3:07 pm
lola

hi jdog : )
3:07 pm
dplass

grr. i need a 'clear all' button
3:08 pm
Linda

sandr - where do you get easier from? i'm struggling here
3:08 pm
jdog

hi, how are u?
3:09 pm
sandr

woo hoo another 5 points for me,linda its easier if u work out what cannot go where with this one
3:10 pm
Linda

never done 'cannot go' before. might be too late today
3:11 pm
sandr

anyway ill go over to babble now talk to you lot tommorow probally
3:14 pm
Linda

i've messed up again and haven't got time to go and re-do it. hopefully have an easy one tomorrow. bye for now
3:21 pm
totony

i think we need a "clear all" and multiple "undo" buttons
3:23 pm
lola

totony, I believe DrG is working on it : )
3:24 pm
totony

that would be great :-)
3:46 pm
lola

ata, babs...how are you doing? : )
3:46 pm
Babbler

making verrrrrry slow progress, Lo. But I've got half an eye on the football.... ; )
3:47 pm
Babbler

Man City are my team! poor things are losing (as per usual)
3:49 pm
lola

well, I need to get some sleep. Another early start tomorrow and I'm helping out at s/p's nursery! : )
3:49 pm
Babbler

wow, I bet that's fun, Lo! All those cute little'uns! :D Sweet dreams and see you tomorrow : ) xxx
3:50 pm
Anj

Babs, they are down to 10 mn as well... : /
3:50 pm
scottru

ok, coming back to this evil puzzle.
3:50 pm
Babbler

Anj, it's killing me. I told you my sis is West Ham?
3:50 pm
lola

Anj! Was about to go to bed....do you want any help??
3:50 pm
Anj

Here,..all the help I can get : (
3:51 pm
Anj

Every strategy i've tried has ended up in an impasse in the centre...
3:51 pm
Babbler

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anj did you see that???
3:51 pm
Babbler

i cannae believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 WOWWWWWWWW!
3:51 pm
Babbler

i cannae believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 WOWWWWWWWW!
3:51 pm
lola

well, I was helping ata on msn...wanna do the same?
3:51 pm
bish

famous last words: it's amazing what 'starting over' does... i feel like i'm well on my way to success.
3:52 pm
scottru

don't tempt me
3:52 pm
Anj

That was a rather good goal!
3:52 pm
Babbler

my heart's still thumping, Anj!! :D:D:D
3:52 pm
Anj

Lo, I can't run MSN. My system will fail : (
3:52 pm
lola

last shoutbox?
3:53 pm
Anj

Yup, that will do : )
3:53 pm
Babbler

ooh! ooh! mind if I peek?? I need help too! :'(
3:53 pm
Babbler

pretty please?
3:54 pm
lola

i don't mind babs : )
3:54 pm
Babbler

ooh! was gonna start crying then, lol! thanks! :D
3:56 pm
scottru

where;s the shoutbox on this site?
3:56 pm
binaryslave

is there an easy way to clear the whole board?
3:56 pm
Babbler

there isn't one here. there is on Last FM. : )
3:56 pm
jonathanpoh

scott: you're in it
3:56 pm
Babbler

oh yeah, this is it for here, lol : )
3:57 pm
scottru

ah yes,that I am.
3:58 pm
scottru

never mind. sigh.
3:58 pm
scottru

Should I be looking for a swordfish?
3:58 pm
Babbler

this one'
3:58 pm
scottru

I've never used it before.
3:58 pm
Babbler

this one's got a piranha
3:59 pm
lola

Anj, are you still there?
3:59 pm
scottru

I've never heard of a piranha.
3:59 pm
Babbler

it's a fish that bites you! lol : D
4:00 pm
scottru

sigh. thanks.
4:00 pm
Babbler

(I might have spelt it wrong)
4:00 pm
Anj

Yup...beavering at this soab : /
4:00 pm
lola

middle babe : )
4:00 pm
Babbler

have you finished Babble as well, Anj?
4:00 pm
Jiraya

that's the right spelling
4:00 pm
Jiraya

guess you're good at babbler!
4:01 pm
Babbler

thanks Jiraya
4:01 pm
Jiraya

sorry babble
4:01 pm
Jiraya

(i'm not so good!)
4:01 pm
Babbler

I'm not too bad, but there are plenty who are miles better! thanks, Jiraya. Do you play?
4:01 pm
beertje

WOOHOO!
4:01 pm
beertje

Solved it
4:01 pm
Jiraya

no, english is my second language, so I'm not even trying
4:02 pm
beertje

Man, that was easier than the last two... those took me hours
4:02 pm
Babbler

what? that West Ham won or you've finished, bjornkri?
4:02 pm
beertje

hehe reminds me of a joke.. stop me if you've heard it.
4:03 pm
beertje

So this, whatchamacallit, guy who shovels coal on the train right? He dies and goes to hell.
4:03 pm
beertje

So the devil walks by on his routine check to see if everyone's miserable enough, and sees this coal guy. He's smiling.
4:04 pm
beertje

"How come your smiling?" Asks the devil. "This heat," says the guy, "it's just like a nice day by the steam engine."
4:04 pm
Anj

*smell of burning brain* } /
4:04 pm
Babbler

sssh, Anj! *wags finger*
4:05 pm
beertje

So the devil, the devilish as he is, won't allow this and turns up the heat. Grins devilishly and all that.
4:05 pm
lola

do you have the 5 in the centre box? That was the first one I got.
4:05 pm
beertje

So the next day everyone is even more miserable. Except the coal guy who's even happier. "How come you're so happy?" asks the devil, annoyed. "This heat," says the guy, "it's just like a warm sunny day by the steam engine."
4:06 pm
beertje

But the devil is clever and sees where this is going, so this time he turns down the heat, so it's freezing.
4:07 pm
beertje

The next day howeer, the coal guy is ecstatic. "What the hell! (no pun intended)" excaims the devil, "what are you so happy about now?!"
4:07 pm
Anj

No : /
4:07 pm
beertje

"Man City must have won the title!"
4:07 pm
beertje

... sorry :P
4:08 pm
lola

what no's do you have in the middle box?
4:08 pm
Babbler

*gasp* : o !! and I listened patiently and shushed a friend! tsk!
4:08 pm
lola

LOL! : D
4:08 pm
beertje

I said I'm sorry ;)
4:08 pm
bzikofski

yeah wasn't that hard. no guessing indeed. good luck all !
4:08 pm
beertje

Not sure lola, the thing goes blank once you've solved it :\
4:09 pm
Babbler

I'd best ask Anj if he'll forgive me for shushing him. mutter grumble horrendous joke mutter mutter.
4:09 pm
beertje

But I had a revelation in the lower right box, and that started a chain reaction.
4:09 pm
Babbler

Anj, I'm sorry I shushed you. :'( pls forgive me?
4:09 pm
lola

sorry bjorn, that last post was for Anj...will stop being rude now : )
4:10 pm
Jiraya

I agree with bzikofski, this was easier than the Medium ones from the last few days
4:10 pm
beertje

uuh eeh... ok got it
4:10 pm
Babbler

you're not Man U, are you, bjornkri?
4:10 pm
beertje

I had to look at my fingers while typing that joke, couldn't follow the conversation
4:10 pm
beertje

I am a man, you.
4:11 pm
beertje

But no, I'm not even English :P
4:11 pm
beertje

... whatever that means
4:11 pm
Babbler

noooo! lol! do you support Manchester United football club?
4:11 pm
bzikofski

Jiraya, definetely easier than last hard (3 days ago or so..)
4:11 pm
beertje

Babbler, I got that ;)
4:11 pm
beertje

But no just about everything but
4:11 pm
Babbler

well that's something in your favour :P
4:12 pm
beertje

hehehe
4:14 pm
beertje

My old man is or was a Leeds fan. The reason? They were the easiest team to recognize on a black and white TV :)
4:15 pm
Babbler

*whooshes over head* is their strip b&w then?
4:15 pm
Babbler

clueless
4:16 pm
beertje

hehe, white. Or they were anyway, think I saw them playing in blue not too long ago
4:17 pm
beertje

Might be the away kit
4:17 pm
Babbler

that's what I thought. I thought Newcastle were b&w
4:17 pm
Babbler

could be. don't know much about these things : )
4:18 pm
beertje

Yeah, but on a b&w screen red looks black, so they'd get mixed up with.. uh... Suderland? Southampton?
4:18 pm
beertje

hehe me neither :P
4:19 pm
lola

Anj, yes : )
4:20 pm
beertje

What do you get if you pay for this, by the way?
4:20 pm
lola

Anj, that column is wrong : /
4:20 pm
Babbler

I was just gonna say!! that's not right, Anj
4:20 pm
Anj

That's where my logic imploded then : /
4:21 pm
lola

swap your 2 and 8 : )
4:21 pm
Babbler

swap the 2 and 8
4:21 pm
lola

have you finished babs?
4:21 pm
Babbler

no :'(
4:22 pm
beertje

Uh.. How can you watch each others' games?
4:22 pm
Babbler

we're chatting on another site : )
4:22 pm
Anj

...sorry, misread my own list. That's what I had...
4:23 pm
lola

bjorn, I'm watching you right now } ) LOL!
4:23 pm
beertje

Ah ok
4:23 pm
beertje

hehehe
4:23 pm
Babbler

yeah me too, bjorn! boo hahahahahah
4:23 pm
Babbler

} )
4:23 pm
beertje

I was seriously contemplating giving out my username and password on the medium one the other day :P
4:24 pm
beertje

Just so I could ask for some hints
4:24 pm
lola

bjorn, don't ever do that : /
4:24 pm
beertje

I know, I know
4:25 pm
beertje

I managed to guess my way through it in the end ;)
4:25 pm
mwpeterson

I get to a point where clearing the green and starting fresh is the only way to make progress again.
4:25 pm
lola

...just say 'yes, mom'. *sigh* everyone else does...
4:27 pm
lola

babs, replied in my shoutbox : )
4:27 pm
Babbler

you star!! :D:DD:
4:30 pm
jonathanpoh

i think another potentially useful feature would be to invert reds to greens or vice versa?
4:31 pm
jonathanpoh

eg 1,3,5,7,9 red becomes 2,4,6,8 green
4:31 pm
lola

like a toggle?
4:31 pm
jonathanpoh

yeah... what do you think?
4:31 pm
lola

yeah, sounds good : )
4:32 pm
jonathanpoh

how do people use the reds and greens anyway? both at the same time? or exclusively all reds or all greens?
4:33 pm
Babbler

I stick to one, green for go. (too much thinking involved as it is to start thinking "this box is deffo not..." lol)
4:33 pm
lola

i stick to green : )
4:35 pm
lola

Anj, how're you doing sweets? Lola's getting bags under her eyes : /
4:35 pm
Babbler

gah, just spotted a very obvious number, but I confused myself by misusing the greens. : '( sooooo frustrating!
4:35 pm
Anj

...badly : ( Go to bed babe, Im a lost cause : ' (
4:35 pm
mikeh

so is there no way to play archived puzzles if you haven't already?
4:35 pm
lola

babs, I used the greens a lot less tonight and found it easier : )
4:36 pm
lola

awww babe, don't want to leave 'til you're done : (
4:37 pm
Anj

I've just blown it again...
4:37 pm
Babbler

I don't often fill a grid with potentials. Only when I'm very very stuck
4:37 pm
Babbler

((Anj)) :'(
4:39 pm
lola

Okay babe, going to bed then...can't keep my eyes open any more. G'night, sweet dreams (((xx))) : )
4:39 pm
Anj

'nie babe, thanks for trying ((xx)) : )
4:40 pm
Babbler

nite Lo, sweet dreams (again) : ) I'm taking 5 but I'm still playing, Anj : )
4:40 pm
lola

'nite babs : )
4:40 pm
Anj

OK Babs : )
4:41 pm
Anj

Oh good grief, i've just fluked it : /
4:42 pm
lola

have you finished babe??
4:44 pm
Anj

Yes, but I haven't a clue how. Total fluke : /
4:44 pm
Anj

Hey thanks for the encouragement babe : ) x
4:44 pm
Babbler

WOW! good going, Anj! :D
4:44 pm
lola

Yay! Well done!...quick slow dance before I really do go to bed??
4:44 pm
Anj

Reeeaaal slow...I'm out on my feet, lol! : )
4:45 pm
Anj

Babs, no idea how : /
4:45 pm
Babbler

I guess I'll be here a while longer yet :'(
4:45 pm
numbers scare me

.
4:46 pm
Babbler

nice name, numbers : )
4:46 pm
lola

mmm, me to. Maybe we should just snuggle? ; )
4:46 pm
evanonut

hey, i've heard of hard, but aren't some number supposed to prefill in here?
4:46 pm
numbers scare me

if i were a guy. that might be tempting
4:47 pm
numbers scare me

thank you babbler
4:47 pm
Babbler

hi evanonut : )
4:47 pm
numbers scare me

thank you babbler
4:47 pm
numbers scare me

oops
4:47 pm
evanonut

hey babs - you got number?
4:47 pm
Babbler

???
4:47 pm
Anj

Hey 'nut! : )
4:48 pm
Anj

LOL, behave babe ; )
4:48 pm
evanonut

hay anj
4:48 pm
dummy

ok i have redone the puzzle and captured it this time so can help if needed
4:48 pm
evanonut

i've got numbers now!
4:48 pm
dummy

oops wrong account
4:49 pm
hurshy

ok
4:49 pm
lola

right, really am going now. g'night(again!)
4:49 pm
hurshy

here is the real me
4:49 pm
hurshy

dummy was me
4:49 pm
hurshy

i had to set up a dummy account to redo the grid
4:49 pm
Anj

Hursh I fluked it : ?
4:50 pm
hurshy

well if you want help i can give it now!!
4:50 pm
evanonut

hursh, i kinda like that dummy name
4:50 pm
hurshy

you think it apt, nut?
4:50 pm
Anj

'nite babe : )
4:50 pm
evanonut

uh...no hursh, not at all...i just think it sounds nice
4:53 pm
Anj

Babs, are you still with us??
4:53 pm
Babbler

yup
4:53 pm
Babbler

:'(
4:53 pm
Anj

Shoutbox!
4:53 pm
Babbler

got it :D
4:54 pm
hurshy

you're done babs?
4:54 pm
Babbler

nope :'(
4:54 pm
hurshy

i can give hints if anyone wants them
4:55 pm
evanonut

so can i, you're looking for a number between 1 and 9.
4:55 pm
Babbler

I feel like I'm missing something very very obvious (again)
4:55 pm
hurshy

no i mean really
4:55 pm
hurshy

i screencap'd the puzzle before the last number
4:55 pm
hurshy

so i can see it in paint
4:56 pm
evanonut

i think i'd rather logic it out myself
4:56 pm
hurshy

i have also done it twice through, the second time walking through it slowly with bex and atalante as a tutorial
4:56 pm
hurshy

so i am really well versed on this particular puzzle
4:56 pm
hurshy

good for you nut!!
4:56 pm
Atalante

and we love you for it!
4:56 pm
hurshy

oh, hi ata!
4:56 pm
hurshy

i have yet to get my dinner :)
4:57 pm
evanonut

try to forget about it before bed, i had a sudoku dream once, i found it very stressful.
4:57 pm
hurshy

i know, somehow when i look at my cat, i think where do the numbers go on her
4:57 pm
hurshy

it is weird
4:57 pm
hurshy

well if no one here wants help i think i WILL get my dinner
4:58 pm
David Mitchell

Is an advanced strategy needed for this, or is elimination enough?
4:58 pm
hurshy

i don't know
4:58 pm
hurshy

i don't know what counts as advanced strategy
4:58 pm
hurshy

and i don't know all the funny names like xwing and swordfish
4:59 pm
hurshy

clearly boys made up the strategy names
4:59 pm
Atalante

x-wing is a good name .... the others arent!
4:59 pm
Babbler

I don't know any strategy names either : /
4:59 pm
hurshy

but you notice there aren't any called tulip or anything
5:00 pm
fnurt

Well this looks like a fun site. Are other people here from Babble?
5:00 pm
hurshy

babbler isn't
5:00 pm
Bear

what is babble?
5:00 pm
Atalante

x-wing could be renamed chocolate box as its kinda just a square
5:00 pm
Babbler

I name this puzzle Piranha!
5:00 pm
evanonut

yeah, there should be a pansy
5:00 pm
fnurt

Babble is another game site by the same person who made this one. www.playbabble.com
5:00 pm
Bear

ah, thanks!
5:01 pm
Atalante

how many of u got here ...
5:01 pm
Atalante

*us!
5:01 pm
Anj

ug?
5:01 pm
David Mitchell

This is the second puzzle I've attempted. I know only the odd-man-out elimination technique..
5:02 pm
Atalante

sounds about right
5:02 pm
Babbler

there's another one, where, if there are 2 boxes with the same 2 numbers, you can eliminate that pair from others in the same box. (if that makes sense)
5:02 pm
Anj

David, this one if full of multiple choices : / Doesn't make for a stress free environment in my experience, lol
5:03 pm
evanonut

too right you are babbler
5:03 pm
Babbler

Anj? Last?
5:09 pm
David Mitchell

That does make sense, Babbler
5:10 pm
David Mitchell

Unfortunately I don't seem to have anything that applies to
5:11 pm
Babbler

same here. doesn't apply today, I think. : /
5:14 pm
Anj

I'm getting a feel for strategy slowly, even if it's because i'm learning by my mistakes... : /
5:14 pm
Atalante

done!
5:14 pm
Anj

woot! Ata : )
5:14 pm
Babbler

WOW!! DONE !!! woo hooooooo!!!! thanks Anj! :D
5:14 pm
Atalante

woot hurshy really for help!
5:14 pm
Anj

Woot! Babs : D
5:14 pm
Babbler

:'D phew! such a good feeling!
5:15 pm
vonesh

I dont get it what am I missing- I still havent gotten one of the middle numbers yet...did everyone else get those last?
5:15 pm
David Mitchell

I don't have any of them yet.
5:15 pm
Babbler

For strategy, I look for the bigger pattern first, then go for detail. Then I try that pairs thing. Can't think what else I try... : ?
5:16 pm
Babbler

vonesh, the first number I got in the middle box was 1
5:16 pm
Anj

Vonesh, I found part of the key was the 9 in the middle box. It can only go in two places.
5:16 pm
vonesh

I focused on the one too-maybe I need to take another look at that one
5:16 pm
Babbler

did you play today's Babble, Anj? I didn't. : /
5:17 pm
Babbler

the 1 can only go in one place. (look at the bigger pattern) : )
5:17 pm
Anj

Babs, I had to as this thing was fibrillating my brinjalls : /
5:17 pm
Anj

Needed to see some letters, not numbers...
5:18 pm
Babbler

how is today's grid? toughie? friendly?
5:18 pm
Atalante

k - I'm off back to babble!
5:18 pm
Anj

I had to go to the list with 50 to go, but I wasn't concentrating that well...
5:21 pm
Babbler

I'm going to chill and watch Supernatural. Laters everybody! Thanks again, Anj :D
5:23 pm
fnurt

Done! Once I found where the 5 goes in the center box it all fell magically into place.
5:28 pm
Anj

I think that was my achilles heel. I kept going with the 9 and *#!$ing up, as Mr Young would sing...
5:28 pm
Anj

'niters Babs : )
5:30 pm
Anj

I'm going to scoot as well. My brain is mush... later!
5:40 pm
evanonut

ooohee, dunners
5:43 pm
Kemayo

Once I assured myself that it was a logically sound to assume that if a row contained three squares potentially containing: (x,y,z / x,y,z / x,y) it was correct to say that no other squares in that row could contain x or y, it was easy.
6:16 pm
Keisha

exactly
6:16 pm
The Wac

oh goodness i'm stuck
6:20 pm
hurshy

may i offer any assistance, wac?
6:21 pm
The Wac

you could sing me a sad lament
6:21 pm
hurshy

i have the completed puzzle
6:21 pm
The Wac

i actually think i just cracked it
6:22 pm
The Wac

but thanks hurshy
6:22 pm
hurshy

yw
6:23 pm
The Wac

huzzah!
6:23 pm
The Wac

i win!
6:23 pm
hurshy

congrats :)
6:30 pm
The Wac

why thankyou!
6:32 pm
The Wac

well, i guess i'm off
6:32 pm
The Wac

have a wonderful day though!
6:33 pm
raerae7133

okay
6:33 pm
raerae7133

time to give this another shot!
6:37 pm
moedog

grrrrrrrrrr
6:44 pm
moedog

maybe i just shouldn't play on "hard" days!
6:46 pm
Limer

Keep at it, MoeDog
6:53 pm
hurshy

i am happy to offer assistance to anyone who wants it
6:55 pm
moedog

hursh, i'm pretty sure i've got all the zeros placed correctly. everything else i'm a little iffy on.... :)
6:56 pm
scottru

I still haven't placed a single number in the middle. Lots of either two or three slots, but...
6:56 pm
hurshy

lol moedog
6:57 pm
nickmracek

scott, same here... still messin with it though
6:57 pm
moedog

scott, we're probably staring at the same configuration...
6:57 pm
hurshy

my advice is that you fill the whole grid with possibilities, eliminating what you can as you go. don't try to figure too much out while you have a lot of blanks
6:59 pm
hurshy

patience is the key, not miraculous insights
6:59 pm
raerae7133

right now my board is marked to hell with green
6:59 pm
hurshy

you need never "follow" a what-if trail
6:59 pm
hurshy

haxored, tell me the greens you have in the bottom row
7:00 pm
raerae7133

heh
7:00 pm
raerae7133

in the bottom row I have
7:00 pm
hurshy

seriously
7:00 pm
raerae7133

7,9 - 7,5,9 - 7,8,9 - 2,4,5,8 - 4,2 - 7,8
7:00 pm
raerae7133

the only one I have complete is the 6 in the bottom left box
7:01 pm
hurshy

ok, so you see how you have 3 boxes with only some combo of 7 8 and 9?
7:02 pm
scottru

brb
7:02 pm
raerae7133

only one has 7 8 9
7:02 pm
hurshy

yes but one has 79
7:02 pm
hurshy

and one has 78
7:02 pm
raerae7133

yes
7:02 pm
hurshy

if nothing but those 3 numbers can go in those boxes, then they MUST go there
7:02 pm
hurshy

and none of them can go anywhere else in that row
7:03 pm
scottru

aaah. I should have thought of that, of course.
7:04 pm
scottru

That's a 'triplet' or some such thing.
7:04 pm
raerae7133

Still not following you
7:04 pm
scottru

so what that means then, haxored, is that the other boxes where you have green 7's and 9's can't have 7's and 9's.
7:04 pm
hurshy

you couldn't put anything but 7, 8, 9 in those 3
7:04 pm
hurshy

so you have to put 7,8,9 there in some order (which we don't know yet)
7:04 pm
hurshy

but we do know that they will be used up
7:05 pm
hurshy

and they cannot go in the other spaces in that row
7:05 pm
scottru

so for example if the fifth box in the bottom row has 5,7,9, it has to be 5, because the 7 and 9 are going to be in the other boxes.
7:05 pm
hurshy

exactly, scott
7:05 pm
hurshy

this principle also applies within a group of nine, not just rows and columns, of course
7:05 pm
scottru

i've done this with pairs but not triplets in the past.
7:05 pm
hurshy

same idea :)
7:06 pm
hurshy

once you get the 5, you can eliminate it from everywhere else in that group and column
7:06 pm
hurshy

so you may start with a lot of green
7:06 pm
hurshy

but you will whittle it away bit by bit
7:06 pm
scottru

moving now...
7:06 pm
nickmracek

lotsa green :)
7:07 pm
moedog

okay, i should've followed that, but i don't.
7:07 pm
hurshy

the whole thing, moe?
7:07 pm
moedog

i'm in the same boat - just the 6 filled in
7:07 pm
raerae7133

I must be going crazy cause I can't put anything in that bottom row and be sure about it
7:07 pm
moedog

i don't know what you're talking about with "green" numbers
7:07 pm
scottru

that opened a lot.
7:07 pm
hurshy

have you marked the possibles, moe?
7:08 pm
moedog

dunno how to mark the possibles
7:08 pm
hurshy

ah... moe... read how to play
7:08 pm
scottru

hax, in the box where you have 5,7,9 -
7:08 pm
moedog

READ?? ;) ok, brb
7:08 pm
scottru

wait, forget that for a second.
7:08 pm
moedog

ah - shift-click for possibles
7:08 pm
scottru

you have a 7,8 - 7,9 - 7,8,9 in the bottom row, right?
7:09 pm
raerae7133

I was wrong about that last group
it's 7,8,9
7:09 pm
hurshy

that's fine too hax
7:10 pm
hurshy

the point is, 3 numbers, 3 boxes. they must go there
7:10 pm
scottru

ok, so you have three groups; one is 7,8, one is 7,8,9, one is 7,8,9. is that right?
7:10 pm
raerae7133

79 and two 789s
7:10 pm
scottru

ok. so then you will have to put a 7 in one of those, right? because if those were the only three boxes and you didn't put a 7 in any of them, you'd end up with two 9's or two 8's.
7:11 pm
raerae7133

right
7:11 pm
scottru

ok. so somewhere else in that row you have a 5,7,9. right?
7:11 pm
raerae7133

yes
7:12 pm
scottru

but that box can't have a 7, because you know you had to put a 7 in one of the three other boxes.
7:12 pm
hurshy

same goes for the 9
7:12 pm
hurshy

making that box...
7:12 pm
raerae7133

5. ok
7:12 pm
scottru

that's a huge deal, it turns out.
7:13 pm
moedog

that gives me my first value for the middle 3x3
7:13 pm
hurshy

which means if you have a 5 as a possible in any other box in that group, you can remove it, for that group has its 5
7:13 pm
scottru

at this point, with just that insight, I've been able to fill in almost every slot.
7:13 pm
hurshy

really, that is all you need to solve any sudoku, even the most evil.
7:13 pm
nickmracek

i'm doing good to scotty... i'm givin it time
7:14 pm
raerae7133

indeed.
7:14 pm
raerae7133

I've never done the triplet before. I can blaze through anything easier than that though
7:14 pm
David Mitchell

Wait wait, which insight?
7:14 pm
hurshy

some puzzles are easy and you might not need that
7:15 pm
hurshy

but on the harder ones you do
7:15 pm
scottru

in fact, enough to solve the whole puzzle
7:15 pm
hurshy

:)
7:15 pm
scottru

done!
7:15 pm
hurshy

congrats, scott
7:16 pm
moedog

awright scott!
7:17 pm
Merkabish

thanks for that info hurshy it helped me finish this one up
7:17 pm
raerae7133

okay, I need a little more guidance here. I have 7,5,3 - 7,5,3 - 7-9-3. What can I do with that?
7:17 pm
David Mitchell

Ah... hmm... I'm starting to figure it out
7:18 pm
Diane

u talking bottom left box, hax?
7:18 pm
raerae7133

yeah
7:18 pm
Diane

I've got the same, plus a 7,9
7:19 pm
raerae7133

yeah
7:19 pm
hurshy

hax, you can't do anything with that at the moment, you need to do possibles for other squares
7:19 pm
David Mitchell

So now it starts to fall into place.
7:20 pm
hurshy

then later those will resolve
7:20 pm
scottru

thanks all!
7:20 pm
hurshy

yw scott
7:21 pm
David Mitchell

Thanks, scott
7:21 pm
David Mitchell

and hurshy, indirectly, it seems
7:21 pm
David Mitchell

)
7:21 pm
David Mitchell

err, :)
7:21 pm
hurshy

if you fill up your whole grid with possibles and look for pairs and triples and use that to eliminate them from other boxes, you will be able to solve any sudoku
7:21 pm
hurshy

:)
7:22 pm
hurshy

you just have to be willing to let it look ugly at first with lots of possibles
7:22 pm
hurshy

it's like cooking
7:23 pm
jdog

what do you mean by pairs and triples?
7:23 pm
raerae7133

It's not the ugliness I mind. It's the tedium of holding shift and clicking 50 times :)
7:23 pm
hurshy

well, yes
7:23 pm
hurshy

but you can try websudoku.com - you can type the numbers there
7:23 pm
raerae7133

I am making progress though
7:23 pm
raerae7133

thanks :)
7:24 pm
hurshy

jdog - if you have a pair of numbers - say - 4 and 8, that can only go in two boxes, but you don't know which is which...
7:24 pm
hurshy

you at least know that they don't go anywhere ELSE in that group (or row or column, as the case may be).
7:24 pm
hurshy

do you get that, jdog?
7:24 pm
jdog

ahhh, I see...
7:25 pm
hurshy

the same principle applies if you have 3 numbers and 3 boxes
7:25 pm
Diane

hursh, if you have in a box 6,9; 6,8,9 and 8,9, you can't do anything with those, right?
7:25 pm
jdog

ty!
7:25 pm
hurshy

you can know that the 6 8 and 9 don't go elsewhere
7:26 pm
hurshy

but you don't know which is which yet, diane
7:26 pm
Diane

in that box - but they could go elsewhere in that row or column, right?
7:26 pm
raerae7133

which means you could remove any possibles in the rows and columns involving those three boxes, right?
7:26 pm
hurshy

yes
7:26 pm
hurshy

yes diane
7:27 pm
hurshy

some people make the mistake of thinking
7:27 pm
hurshy

that if you have a 4,8 pair in a column, those don't go anywhere else in each of their rows
7:27 pm
hurshy

but that is not right because each of those rows will need both a 4 and and 8
7:28 pm
hurshy

you can only apply the principle within the row, column, or group in which the pair or triple is contained
7:28 pm
hurshy

so it is nicest when a pair appears together in a group
7:28 pm
hurshy

in the same row or column
7:29 pm
David Mitchell

Uht-oh, I'm stuck again... but I'm probably not seeing the complete effect of what I've just done
7:29 pm
hurshy

that often happens, david
7:29 pm
hurshy

you must just look carefully to see that you have removed everything you should based on what you've filled in.
7:30 pm
David Mitchell

Aha!
7:30 pm
hurshy

occasionally you must look to find a row or a group wherein there is only one of some number in all your possibles, in order to get moving again. but not in this one, only in the highest level difficulty.
7:31 pm
hurshy

:)
7:31 pm
David Mitchell

Actually, that's what I was doing.. :/
7:31 pm
David Mitchell

I think.
7:31 pm
hurshy

well it will work, david
7:31 pm
hurshy

it just isn't necessary
7:31 pm
hurshy

all it means is that you overlooked something
7:32 pm
David Mitchell

Sort of a brute-force approach..
7:32 pm
hurshy

but there is nothing wrong with doing it the long way
7:32 pm
hurshy

yes!
7:32 pm
David Mitchell

I don't have a grasp of the techniques yet
7:33 pm
hurshy

that's pretty much it, david. i mean, you look for obvious things first, then you use pairs and triples within the possibles and gradually eliminate.
7:34 pm
hurshy

you want to start with groups or rows or columns where you have a lot of stuff
7:34 pm
hurshy

so that you don't have too many possibles to begin with
7:34 pm
hurshy

and if you do it right, you will never have more than 5 possibles in a box.
7:35 pm
David Mitchell

How's that?
7:36 pm
hurshy

dunno exactly
7:36 pm
hurshy

i'm sure there is a technical mathematical explanation
7:36 pm
hurshy

it is just what i have found to be true
7:36 pm
hurshy

and i have done like a thousand of these in the past week
7:36 pm
patgas

i have a box with six possibilities at the moment
7:37 pm
hurshy

pat, that just means you shouldn't be filling in that box yet :)
7:37 pm
hurshy

you should hold off until you've done others.
7:37 pm
Diane

me, too, patgas
7:37 pm
patgas

oh, i thought you meant you would never have a box with more than 5 ever
7:37 pm
hurshy

my rule of 5 only works if you go in a good order.
7:37 pm
hurshy

no, obviously at the beginning you would have chaos
7:38 pm
hurshy

that is why you fill in most obvious things first, and work first with things where you have a lot of stuff.
7:38 pm
patgas

chaos is a good way to describe this
7:38 pm
hurshy

but, again, it is like cooking.
7:38 pm
hurshy

you start out with nice neat ingredients.
7:38 pm
hurshy

you make a big mess
7:38 pm
David Mitchell

Yay!
7:38 pm
hurshy

and it doesn't necessarily look like it's turning into anything
7:39 pm
hurshy

but in the end, it does, and you clean up the mess, and all is well, and you have a nice cake.
7:39 pm
hurshy

i guess you're done, david?
7:39 pm
hurshy

:)
7:39 pm
David Mitchell

Yes. :)
7:39 pm
hurshy

congrats.
7:39 pm
David Mitchell

Thanks for the help!
7:39 pm
raerae7133

3 points?
7:39 pm
hurshy

yw
7:39 pm
raerae7133

I thought it was 5.
7:40 pm
hurshy

it is 5
7:40 pm
raerae7133

Must've changed today?
7:40 pm
hurshy

no
7:40 pm
David Mitchell

I got five.
7:40 pm
raerae7133

I got 3 points just now
7:40 pm
hurshy

mine said i got five
7:40 pm
raerae7133

check the how to play page
7:40 pm
hurshy

hax - perhaps you are suffering from number confusion :)
7:41 pm
hurshy

OH
7:41 pm
hurshy

i guess he DID change it
7:41 pm
patgas

i don't think that's right, i've definitely gotten 10 points for expert
7:41 pm
raerae7133

yeah
7:41 pm
raerae7133

and I just got the shaft. *sob*
7:41 pm
David Mitchell

It does say three points for hard puzzles, but I got five
7:41 pm
hurshy

yes pat but maybe dr_g decided that was too much
7:41 pm
hurshy

so if you finished earlier today you got more!
7:41 pm
hurshy

i am surprised he didn't wait until a new puzzle to apply it
7:41 pm
raerae7133

I agree
7:42 pm
hurshy

poor hax, i'm so sorry
7:42 pm
hurshy

but you know what
7:42 pm
hurshy

he may be planning to go back and adjust everyone's totals
7:42 pm
David Mitchell

I reloaded the page and now it says three points have been added to my ranking
7:42 pm
hurshy

see, dr_g is fair :)
7:43 pm
David Mitchell

What happened to the logo?
7:43 pm
raerae7133

heh, it's no big deal though
7:43 pm
David Mitchell

It seems to have black lines through it now
7:43 pm
hurshy

at the top?
7:43 pm
raerae7133

I'm just pretending to be cranky. :)
7:43 pm
David Mitchell

Yeah
7:43 pm
hurshy

i have no black lines and i refreshed too
7:44 pm
David Mitchell

Hmm.
7:44 pm
hurshy

refresh again
7:44 pm
hurshy

see if they go away
7:44 pm
David Mitchell

Nope, but it's okay in Opera
7:45 pm
hurshy

what were you in before
7:45 pm
David Mitchell

Perhaps I need to restart Firefox
7:45 pm
hurshy

that reminds me, i need to do a system restore on my computer
7:45 pm
hurshy

if everyone is all set now, perhaps this would be a good time
7:46 pm
raerae7133

Go ahead
7:46 pm
David Mitchell

Good luck, hurshy
7:46 pm
David Mitchell

Restarting Firefox fixed it :)
7:46 pm
hurshy

thank you :)
7:46 pm
Diane

I'm still confused. I'm fine with the twins, but I have no triplets
7:47 pm
Diane

at least that are identical, with three boxes in a row or box or column that have the same, and only the same, 3
7:48 pm
David Mitchell

It works if you have a,b,c twice and a,b once
7:50 pm
ashling

oops. I ended up with a blank box
7:50 pm
ashling

;S
7:50 pm
David Mitchell

Uht-oh
7:50 pm
Diane

ok, my bottom row: empty: 7,9; 7,5,9; 7,8,9; 2,4,5,7,8,9; 2,4; 7,8,9.
7:51 pm
Diane

three boxes with the idential 7,8,9 - two with only that, the third with 3 extra numbers
7:52 pm
caderoux

The principles scale up. 2 with 2, 3 with 3, 4 with 4. X-Wing is 2 columns/rows with only 2 possibilities, Swordfish is 3 with 3.
7:52 pm
David Mitchell

You can't use the one with extra numbers but you can use the one with 7,9
7:52 pm
caderoux

That's actual a quad: 7, 5, 8, 9 It shoudl reduce to -,79,579,789,24,24,789
7:53 pm
nickmracek

ok, so let me get in on this, 7-9; 7-8-9; 7-8-9... what can you conclude?
7:53 pm
caderoux

nothing, sorry - except no 7, 8, 9 exlsewhere in that row.
7:54 pm
nickmracek

gotcha
7:54 pm
David Mitchell

You have three squares with only three possibilities, so those three possiblities won't show up elsewhere in the row
7:54 pm
David Mitchell

caderoux is quicker and smarter :)
7:54 pm
caderoux

more addicted...
7:54 pm
David Mitchell

Hehe
7:54 pm
nickmracek

yeah, i am getting that way :)
7:55 pm
Limer

How do you clear off all the numbers to start over?
7:55 pm
David Mitchell

The insight on that row broke the puzzle for me
7:55 pm
David Mitchell

I couldn't get anywhere with it
7:55 pm
Diane

I understand that - but I don't understand what happens if extra numbers are added, or how I can use the 7,9 along with the two 7,8,9s
7:55 pm
caderoux

There's a Greasemonkey for that - http://www.userscripts.org/scripts/show/3519
7:55 pm
jdog

click on that square and click Clear
7:56 pm
Limer

I thought there was a quick shortcut besides doing it one square at a time.
7:56 pm
caderoux

Only the Greasemonkey right now.
7:56 pm
nickmracek

caderoux.... wow
7:56 pm
nickmracek

:) addicted is right
7:56 pm
caderoux

Not my script.
7:57 pm
nickmracek

just that you know about it... well understandably you prolly learned about it from someone... ok i'll shutup
7:57 pm
caderoux

Diane: Can you clarify?
7:57 pm
Diane

ok, bottom row:
7:58 pm
hurshy

i'm back, let me try to explain to diane again :)
7:58 pm
Diane

7,9 - 5.7.9 - 7,8,9 - 2,4,5,7,8,9 - 2,4 - 7,8,9
7:59 pm
hurshy

the deal is this diane: the 7,8,9 boxes, along with the 7,9 box, are a triple because...
7:59 pm
hurshy

even though they don't all appear in all boxes, NOTHING BUT THOSE 3 can go in those boxes, so those 3 MUST GO in those boxes, in some order.
7:59 pm
Diane

ah . . .
8:00 pm
hurshy

this means that those 3 cannot go in any other boxes in that row, so you may eliminate them as options
8:00 pm
hurshy

which leaves you with...
8:00 pm
jdog

a light bulb!
8:00 pm
hurshy

well i meant a 5
8:00 pm
hurshy

but it may leave you with a light bulb
8:01 pm
jdog

:-)
8:01 pm
David Mitchell

Hehe
8:01 pm
Diane

leaving me with 7,9 - 5 - 7,8,9 - 2,4,5 - 2,4 - 7,8,9
8:01 pm
caderoux

Sorry, when I first looked at it, I thought it wasn't a triple. So, yes, that reduces the whole row a lot further.
8:01 pm
hurshy

ok, so now you have one box filled
8:02 pm
jdog

your 2,4,5 is actually a 2,4 now
8:02 pm
hurshy

and you can then eliminate that 5 from every other box in its row, column, and group
8:02 pm
Diane

y
8:02 pm
hurshy

because that row has a 5, it can't have another
8:03 pm
hurshy

you get it now diane?
8:04 pm
David Mitchell

Did you restore already, hurshy?
8:04 pm
hurshy

yes i did
8:04 pm
David Mitchell

That was quick
8:05 pm
Diane

I think - except I accidently deleted my greens in the middle box of the bottom row :( - took me a minute to get it back.
8:05 pm
hurshy

well you just tell it to do it and it just reboots
8:06 pm
David Mitchell

Oh, okay
8:07 pm
hurshy

system restore is just a thing you do to set your computer back in time
8:07 pm
hurshy

that way if you have anything unwanted it goes away
8:07 pm
hurshy

but it doesn't affect documents or anything, so it is really perfect
8:08 pm
David Mitchell

I never use it but I ought to know more about it
8:08 pm
hurshy

it isn't often needed
8:08 pm
hurshy

but when it is you are very thankful for it
8:08 pm
hurshy

i had downloaded something, uninstalled it, but it had left something behind
8:09 pm
hurshy

you just go into control panel and you'll see it
8:10 pm
hurshy

under "performance and maintenance" or something
8:10 pm
ashling

question...
8:11 pm
hurshy

query away
8:11 pm
ashling

oh nevermind i answered myself :) i think
8:13 pm
David Mitchell

Y'all have fun
8:13 pm
David Mitchell

I'll probably be back tomorrow
8:13 pm
David Mitchell

Thanks again, hurshy
8:14 pm
hurshy

nice seeing you david mitchell, and you're welcome
8:15 pm
jdog

thanks hurshy, finished it!
8:15 pm
hurshy

yw and congrats :)
8:15 pm
jdog

how do they calculate rankings? I got 3 points?
8:16 pm
hurshy

we don't know yet, the site is only a week old
8:16 pm
hurshy

in babble we have 3 types of ranking
8:16 pm
hurshy

so maybe he'll do more than one thing
8:16 pm
hurshy

but my guess is he'll just add them up
8:16 pm
jdog

what is babble?
8:16 pm
hurshy

rankings don't come out until april 1 anyway.
8:17 pm
hurshy

babble is the greatest game in the world
8:17 pm
jdog

i thought sudoku was! ;-)
8:17 pm
hurshy

umm...
8:17 pm
hurshy

anyway, dr_god, who just created this site, created babble, a few years ago
8:17 pm
jdog

or maybe golf
8:18 pm
jdog

what's the website?
8:18 pm
hurshy

www.playbabble.com
8:22 pm
Diane

FINALLY!
8:22 pm
Diane

Thanks, hurshy & others!
8:23 pm
hurshy

yw :)
8:33 pm
TP17

I give up on this puzzle. I restarted and I hate it
8:33 pm
TP17

I have one box that can't contain any #'s, and 3 in the same row that just say 7 or 9
8:33 pm
TP17

I have one box that can't contain any #'s, and 3 in the same row that just say 7 or 9
8:34 pm
TP17

I have one box that can't contain any #'s, and 3 in the same row that just say 7 or 9
8:34 pm
TP17

And I normally get these without any problems
8:34 pm
TP17

sorry for the repeat
8:34 pm
hurshy

tp17, are you really giving up or would you like help?
8:34 pm
TP17

I'm going to try again after my hockey game I guess
8:35 pm
hurshy

you can read the whole chat log, you know
8:35 pm
hurshy

using the button on the right
8:35 pm
hurshy

if you look back a little ways you will find help
8:35 pm
TP17

I know.... but thanks for the help!
8:35 pm
hurshy

after your game i mean
8:36 pm
hurshy

i thought hockey season was over...
8:37 pm
alika123

can some one help me with this game please
8:40 pm
hurshy

yes, alika
8:41 pm
hurshy

what do you need?
8:43 pm
macuser

hurshy... HELP! I keep ending up with either two 5s or two 9s in the same row :/
8:43 pm
hurshy

hi mac
8:44 pm
hurshy

are you starting over at the moment?
8:44 pm
macuser

hi :)
8:44 pm
macuser

no
8:44 pm
hurshy

alright, are you at a point where you are sure everything is ok, at least?
8:44 pm
macuser

I'm wondering if I made a mistake early on
8:45 pm
macuser

I thought so... but who knows
8:45 pm
hurshy

well you could ask me if a certain box is correct for starters if you wish
8:46 pm
macuser

okay... the middle box, I have from left to right, top to bottome...
8:47 pm
macuser

errr, bottom...
7,7 / 1,5,7,8 / 1,5,7,9 / 5,7,9 / 7.8 as possibilities
8:48 pm
macuser

ooops, make that first one 7,5
8:48 pm
hurshy

wait, i am confused, is that all in one row... or...
8:49 pm
macuser

no, the middle bottom cube
8:49 pm
hurshy

oh middle BOTTOM
8:49 pm
hurshy

ok
8:50 pm
Vega

Hrm, This one's a toughie.
8:50 pm
hurshy

and what do you have for possibles in the far right bottom square?
8:50 pm
MDFreaK76

i got 7 boxes in and i'm swamped
8:50 pm
macuser

7,8 9
8:51 pm
hurshy

and how about the bottom row third column?
8:52 pm
macuser

oh, that's what I just gave you - I have two numbers set and then the last box in the bottom corner is... 7.8.9
8:52 pm
hurshy

i know but i am referring to the grid as a whole
8:53 pm
hurshy

i want you to focus on the bottom row, 3rd, 6th, and 9th boxes
8:53 pm
macuser

the very last box at the far right at the bottom, I have... 7,8,9
8:53 pm
hurshy

ok, so you have 3 boxes in that row with no numbers in them other than 7, 8 or 9, correct?
8:54 pm
sandyloo

hi hurshy - its hard isnt it - but im done!!
8:54 pm
hurshy

congrats sandyloo :)
8:54 pm
macuser

no, i have numbers in that box
8:54 pm
hurshy

i am giving periodic tutorials
8:54 pm
sandyloo

lol i print it out and work on it while im watching tv ( i print a few copies)
8:54 pm
hurshy

mac, in the 3rd, 6th, and 9th boxes of the bottom row, you have possibles only, don't you?
8:55 pm
macuser

yes
8:55 pm
hurshy

and those possibles are 7, 8, 9 (not necessarily all 3)
8:55 pm
macuser

yes
8:55 pm
hurshy

ok, so think about that.
8:56 pm
hurshy

if there are 3 boxes, and no numbers but those three numbers can go in those boxes, then those numbers MUST go in those boxes, in some order yet to be found.
8:57 pm
hurshy

so that means that those numbers canNOT go in any other boxes in that row, and you may remove them as possibilities in those other boxes.
8:57 pm
macuser

I understand that concelpt, but when I get done with everything else, I end up with the two 5's or 9s :/
8:57 pm
macuser

*concept
8:58 pm
hurshy

at the very end?
8:58 pm
hurshy

or soon?
8:58 pm
macuser

yes
8:58 pm
hurshy

well then you have just been careless that is all
8:58 pm
macuser

lol, leave it to me
8:58 pm
hurshy

if you place a number, you must be careful to immediately remove it from every other box in its group, row, and column
8:59 pm
hurshy

otherwise it will mess you up later
8:59 pm
macuser

I do - but for whatever reason, this one is kicking my butt
9:00 pm
hurshy

well, keep at it mac, just go slowly and be patient
9:00 pm
macuser

patience ran out long ago, lol
9:00 pm
raerae7133

Still helping out us novices, hurshy? :)
9:01 pm
hurshy

attempting to :)
9:01 pm
hurshy

hax, i only started about a week ago
9:01 pm
hurshy

i had never done sudoku before dr_g created this site
9:01 pm
hurshy

so in some sense i am a novice too
9:01 pm
macuser

I think part of my problem is I haven't had any sleep for over 24 hours :/
9:02 pm
RoboLaserBear

hurshy - If I have (7,4,3), (7,2,3), (7,4,2,3) and (4,2) in a row, does it work as a quadruble like the triple you just explained?
9:02 pm
hurshy

sudoku, like driving, should not be done without a clear head
9:02 pm
RoboLaserBear

*quadruple
9:02 pm
raerae7133

oh. cool. I've been playing for a long time, but never really got into the advanced strategies
9:02 pm
hurshy

yes, robo, however, at that point you usually already knew the other things in the row for sure or as other pairs, so it doesn't tend to do much good
9:03 pm
RoboLaserBear

all right. thanks.
9:03 pm
RoboLaserBear

all right. thanks.
9:03 pm
RoboLaserBear

oops
9:03 pm
hurshy

the basic idea is just, whatever number of boxes you have, if you have that many numbers and no others, those numbers must go there.
9:03 pm
MDFreaK76

i do it too
9:03 pm
hurshy

i didn't know they were advanced strategies, hax, they were just things i figured had to be true
9:04 pm
hurshy

when i heard there were advanced strategies i thought they would be really cool crazy stuff, and it turned out there was nothing beyond what i had already been doing
9:04 pm
raerae7133

well aren't you miss smarty pants :)
9:04 pm
hurshy

:P
9:05 pm
hurshy

i guess it's cause i like spock
9:05 pm
hurshy

logic, you know
9:05 pm
torgone

Okay, so if I eliminate 7,8,9 from the 2 other boxes in the last row, I get a single number in box 5, yes?
9:05 pm
hurshy

yes you do tor!
9:06 pm
torgone

So I got that going for me ..
9:06 pm
hurshy

and then that number can no longer be a choice anywhere else in its group
9:06 pm
hurshy

or in its column
9:07 pm
torgone

That gives me another number in that group ..
9:07 pm
hurshy

indeed it does
9:07 pm
hurshy

and if you consider the 5's as a whole you may find out something else
9:08 pm
torgone

That gives me the first box in the center group ..
9:08 pm
hurshy

yes!
9:08 pm
hurshy

and then you can find a couple more in that group if you look
9:09 pm
WOODHOOD

I don't understand this game
9:09 pm
hurshy

when you say don't understand, what level are we talking?
9:10 pm
hurshy

are we talking, you don't know the goal?
9:10 pm
hurshy

or what?
9:11 pm
WOODHOOD

strategy
9:11 pm
hurshy

after that, torgone, you should keep filling in possibles and looking for more pairs and triples, and whenever you fill in a number, make sure you eliminate it from everywhere else in its group, row, and column
9:11 pm
WOODHOOD

thanks a lot
9:11 pm
torgone

4th column complete ..
9:11 pm
evanadine

evenin sudoku-ers!
;)
9:12 pm
hurshy

wood, was that real or sarcastic?
9:12 pm
hurshy

hi evanadine!
9:12 pm
WOODHOOD

real
9:12 pm
raerae7133

I bet it was really sarcastic ;)
9:12 pm
raerae7133

sorry woodhood. I had to :D
9:13 pm
evanadine

heya hurshy
i probably shouldnt have started this one just now -- im already tired!
9:13 pm
hurshy

oh ok, so you are picking up stuff from what i've been saying?
9:13 pm
hurshy

hax - don't cause trouble! :)
9:13 pm
raerae7133

easier said than done O:-)
9:13 pm
WOODHOOD

I can't answer all these questions, I'm trying to get some fives in
9:14 pm
hurshy

lol
9:14 pm
hurshy

yes evanadine, i did state earlier that sudoku, like driving, should only be done with a clear head
9:14 pm
macuser

btw, hurshy... I have an all grey kitty too :)
9:14 pm
torgone

Aha! Now I see where erred several times before ..
9:15 pm
hurshy

oh, this one is striped, but another of mine is all grey
9:15 pm
raerae7133

My kitty is gray with brown/black stripes. She's a real stinker sometimes
9:15 pm
hurshy

the one in this picture has a white chin and stomach, and her tummy has grey spots in orderly rows and columns (like sudoku!)
9:16 pm
hurshy

she is VERY pretty
9:16 pm
hurshy

this is her model pose
9:16 pm
macuser

Mine is a male with a very cranky meow
9:17 pm
hurshy

lol
9:17 pm
hurshy

my boy cat has the most pathetic meow of any of my 3
9:17 pm
hurshy

it's very high pitched and cute
9:17 pm
hurshy

i named him marty after marty mcfly
9:17 pm
macuser

I had an orange tabby once and he squeaked instead of meowing
9:17 pm
hurshy

but he also reminds me of chip in beauty and the beast
9:18 pm
raerae7133

I named mine Nomi.
9:18 pm
hurshy

lol
9:18 pm
hurshy

nomi--- that means something in japanese...
9:18 pm
macuser

Mine's name is... Bongo
9:18 pm
hurshy

flea
9:19 pm
hurshy

bongo bongo bongo
9:19 pm
raerae7133

it means flea, among other things
9:20 pm
hurshy

wood, tor, you guys doing ok?
9:20 pm
somethingsflesh

this is impossible
9:20 pm
raerae7133

I actually picked it because, at a former employer, one of the sales reps at a company we bought promotional materials from was named Nomi
9:20 pm
raerae7133

I just liked the name, that's all. It wasn't in her honor or anything :D
9:20 pm
hurshy

it is a cool name
9:21 pm
somethingsflesh

it's like claus nomi
9:21 pm
hurshy

i would tell people to read the chat log for tips but it is cut off at 3:50 this afternoon for some reason
9:21 pm
somethingsflesh

it's like claus nomi
9:21 pm
hurshy

is that happening to everyone's chat log?
9:21 pm
macuser

yeah, sometimes, it comes up blank
9:22 pm
hurshy

patently unhelpful
9:22 pm
raerae7133

I blame firefox
9:22 pm
torgone

Almost . . .done . . . must .get . .last FEW . . . . squares . . .MUST . .keep talkinglike . . . . .Shatner . . .
9:22 pm
hurshy

lol
9:22 pm
evanadine

heh, i still have y entire center cube empty
9:22 pm
hurshy

that is ok evanadine
9:23 pm
torgone

3 points!
9:24 pm
hurshy

congrats, torgone!
9:24 pm
raerae7133

Is it wrong that I want to stay up late in order to play tomorrow's puzzle?
9:24 pm
hurshy

yes hax
9:24 pm
raerae7133

I thought so. :)
9:24 pm
hurshy

i've been doing it for days with babble and it's very very wrong
9:24 pm
torgone

Thanks a ton, hurshy! I owe you 4 hours of my life ..
9:24 pm
macuser

Congrats, torgone!
9:25 pm
raerae7133

babble is definitely not my game
9:25 pm
hurshy

oh, tor, that's perfect, when can i claim them?
9:25 pm
hurshy

my house needs vacuuming.
9:25 pm
torgone

On demand, and in whatever way you see fit ..
9:25 pm
hurshy

of course knowing what to do is also going to save you many hours in the future
9:25 pm
hurshy

so really i think you should just become my slave for life :)
9:27 pm
torgone

Well, it is just a game .....
9:27 pm
hurshy

lol
9:27 pm
torgone

I keed!
9:27 pm
torgone

I'm yours.
9:28 pm
hurshy

babble is the greatest game on the fa-fa-face of the er-er-earth
9:28 pm
hurshy

to paraphrase lou gehrig
9:29 pm
hurshy

tor, i will emancipate you, on condition that you share the light of your newfound knowledge with those in need
9:31 pm
torgone

I hadn't thought about the 3 square combos. I just haven't studied it that much .. I will try to pass on your wisdom ..
9:31 pm
hurshy

i didn't realize before that it wasn't obvious to everyone.
9:33 pm
hurshy

today i figured people must not know it or they wouldn't have so much trouble
9:35 pm
innate

blech starting over. i find if i come back to it, i might as well start all over
9:38 pm
road

whew.. done
9:38 pm
hurshy

congrats, road
9:39 pm
road

thx
9:40 pm
terfle

is it that hard??
9:41 pm
hurshy

not if you know what you're doing, terfle?
9:41 pm
terfle

i've done a few...not an expert
9:41 pm
hurshy

btw, torgone, i hope i don't sound horribly snobbish. sometimes i am too candid.
9:42 pm
hurshy

well terfle, practice makes perfect
9:42 pm
Crckrjck

stupid center square... ;/
9:42 pm
terfle

usually 1/2 through these I have the thought "oh...thats what makes this one so difficult"
9:46 pm
torgone

Doesn't bother me, hurshy. That's what confidence sounds like ..
9:51 pm
hurshy

thanks tor. funny, though, in real life i am not a hugely confident person. i was very shy as a kid, except in the classroom. social settings are much harder for me than task-oriented ones.
9:51 pm
raerae7133

I'll drink to that
9:52 pm
hurshy

hax, is that you in your picture?
9:52 pm
raerae7133

yeah
9:53 pm
hurshy

are you in college?
9:53 pm
raerae7133

http://www.chipt.com/pictures/freaky_me.jpg (large version)
9:53 pm
Shaiman

sweet.. finally wrapped this one up
9:53 pm
hurshy

congrats, shaiman
9:53 pm
raerae7133

Nope. I'm all grown up
9:53 pm
hurshy

:)
9:53 pm
Shaiman

thanks, hurshy
9:53 pm
hurshy

yw
9:53 pm
hurshy

well folks, i think it is time for me to be going
9:54 pm
hurshy

east coast girl
9:54 pm
hurshy

it's been lovely, and i shall see you on the morrow
9:54 pm
macuser

Thanks for all you help, hurshy.... I think I've almost got it :)
9:55 pm
hurshy

oh, glad to hear it mac!
9:55 pm
macuser

*your help
9:55 pm
hurshy

night all!
9:55 pm
torgone

Bye hurshy. And thankx again. I'm off for a bit of babble.
9:55 pm
hurshy

have fun tor
10:06 pm
helenkeller

hey
10:31 pm
terfle

maybe I'm still learning...but it seems that you have to guess on this puzzle...is that correct/
10:32 pm
SightseeMC

No
10:32 pm
helenkeller

no
10:32 pm
dizzypop

done.......................!
10:32 pm
helenkeller

never, ever guess
10:33 pm
SightseeMC

Any correctly made Sudoku (which is every professionally done puzzle) means you won't have to guess
10:33 pm
helenkeller

there was 25 minutes of my life i'll never see again------good night everyone
10:33 pm
Twinkie

so i'm stuck
10:33 pm
SightseeMC

lol Gnight HK
10:33 pm
Twinkie

i started about 15 minutes ago
10:33 pm
Twinkie

help!
10:33 pm
Twinkie

:)
10:34 pm
SightseeMC

This one's pretty hard
10:34 pm
terfle

serious?...ok someone help me then...all of the number are unique for vertical and horizontal lines...and within each 9 square space. what do I do now?
10:34 pm
terfle

I should have said..."I've got it to a point where...."
10:35 pm
SightseeMC

How far would you say you are terfle?
10:35 pm
caderoux

it should tell you congratulations
10:35 pm
caderoux

unless there is a mistake you haven't spotted...
10:36 pm
terfle

wait sorry...I'm talking about my green marks
10:36 pm
caderoux

just turn them all into black marks (no shift)
10:36 pm
SightseeMC

Terfle, how many actual numbers have you filled in that you are certain of?
10:36 pm
caderoux

and you're done (until midnight)
10:37 pm
terfle

I can't make a logical decision based the vertical,horizontal or 9 square boxes
10:37 pm
innate

one more blinkin 7 and i'd have a game on my hands...
10:37 pm
terfle

I already have maybe 12 boxes filled in
10:37 pm
Twinkie

yes, exactly! was about to say that. stupid 7's!
10:38 pm
SightseeMC

Yeah, 7s the freak in this one
10:38 pm
SightseeMC

Terfle: OK, you're around 30%...which I'm only slightly past :)
10:39 pm
SightseeMC

Next step, start by finding the 9-cell boxes with the fewest gaps and deducing what must be there...
10:40 pm
SightseeMC

By comparing them with the vert/horizontal lines
10:42 pm
terfle

so do you have to think of it like chess? If I put this here then this will do this and that will do that....blah blah blah
10:42 pm
iLuke

os x 10.3.9 / safari 1.3.2.... i cannot get the shift or option commands to work -- is anyone else having trouble with this ?
10:44 pm
Twinkie

do you have firefox, iluke?
10:44 pm
iLuke

twinkie: yes, it doesn't work in FF either :-\
10:45 pm
Twinkie

weird
10:45 pm
terfle

I should say that I understand the basics of this game...and have all of the green makes filled out and 30% of the puzzle completed
10:45 pm
SightseeMC

Terfle: personally I end to think of them Like the old Lewis Carroll logic puzzles
10:45 pm
Twinkie

i have ff and it works ok--maybe quit out and restart ff?
10:46 pm
SightseeMC

But I'm only passably good at these, so my advice probably won't make it super easy. :)
10:46 pm
iLuke

twinkie: i'll give it a shot!
10:46 pm
iLuke

brb :)
10:46 pm
terfle

iLuke...do you have caps on/
10:46 pm
terfle

don't know if that would make a difference
10:48 pm
iLuke

terfle: tried it with and without caps in both FF and Safari
10:48 pm
caderoux

iLuke: It's not the first click where you need the midufuer key, it's the second.
10:49 pm
caderoux

modifier
10:49 pm
iLuke

caderoux: oi! you may have just solved me many many hours of pen&paper solving
10:49 pm
iLuke

thx!!
10:50 pm
caderoux

terfle - change your green singletons to black
10:50 pm
terfle


http://www.puzzle.jp/keys/sudoku_mid01-e.htm
l
11:01 pm
caderoux

that's a locked candidate which results in a single
11:02 pm
caderoux

http://www.angusj.com/sudoku/hints.php
11:09 pm
/dev/nall

is there a way to clear the whole puzzle after I've already saved?
11:13 pm
caderoux

Right now only this Greasemonkey script: http://www.userscripts.org/scripts/show/3519
11:22 pm
nagash

finally... 30 mins to spare :)
11:23 pm
ashling

i've returned :)
11:23 pm
ashling

to realise i'm stuck :S
11:25 pm
raggedyandy3478

same here
11:26 pm
raggedyandy3478

and ive tried guessing, and im completely stuck
11:26 pm
greylurk

Damn, I messed up something. Can I revert back to another save?
11:28 pm
ornith

those who are stuck: are you using the little green potential numbers?
11:28 pm
ashling

yeah loads of them
11:28 pm
ornith

try going through and making sure you didn't forget to delete any.
11:30 pm
ornith

then look for situations where, even though you can't tell what square is what, you can tell that, say, 4 has to be in the lowest line of the upper-right box.
11:31 pm
raggedyandy3478

im using all the subscripts, if thats what u want to call them
11:32 pm
raggedyandy3478

but there are 3 or 4 spots that 2 spots could be either this or that number
11:32 pm
ornith

once you eliminate as many little green numbers as you can, look through for any of them that only show up once in a line/box/column, or are alone in a square... and remember to delete the affected numbers when you fill someplace in
11:32 pm
ornith

you probably missed deleting one.
11:34 pm
raggedyandy3478

im currently checking my work again
11:34 pm
ashling

i'm missing so many squares that i have no green numbers that could go just once
11:34 pm
raggedyandy3478

im thinking that i have the same situation
11:36 pm
ornith

you need to look for the ones that you can tell are only in one of a few squares... if in one box, a number only appears in the bottom row, then in the other boxes that share rows, that number must be in the higher rows
11:38 pm
ornith

or if any two squares in a row have only "4 7" in them, you know that nothing in the rest of the row can be 4 or 7.
11:38 pm
ashling

*nods*
11:39 pm
raggedyandy3478

yes, i have all the red numbers marked, and have been guessing via green numbers and nothing, so i have deleted all green numbers, and still cant see anything
11:39 pm
ornith

I've never tried it with red numbers, I just use the green numbers
11:39 pm
raggedyandy3478

i get these situations where 2 boxes could be both this and that number based on what i have filled ind, and cant go any further
11:40 pm
ornith

scan through the whole puzzle really carefully, and make sure you haven't missed filling in the red number.
11:40 pm
raggedyandy3478

i think 'backwards' of the way you do it, i just wait until there are 8 numbers that you know it cant be, as opposed to narrowing it down to 1 # it can be
11:40 pm
raggedyandy3478

aight
11:40 pm
greylurk

Argh. I messed something up earlier today.
11:41 pm
greylurk

Can I clear all?
11:41 pm
raggedyandy3478

manually
11:41 pm
ornith

dunno, this is my first time running this program.
11:41 pm
caderoux

raggedy: that makes it hard to see the harder patterns
11:42 pm
caderoux

and the page gets more full as you go instead of less
11:42 pm
raggedyandy3478

thats just how my brain works, what makes it harder?
11:42 pm
ornith

it's easier to see the paired or triplet boxes with them green
11:42 pm
ornith

(like if one box in a row is "5 7", one is "1 7" and one is "1 5 7"...the other 6 boxes can't contain ANY of 1, 5, or 7)
11:43 pm
raggedyandy3478

and yet i see that situation via the number not being filled it
11:43 pm
caderoux

gl: this Greasemonkey script for Firefox gives you a clear all command: http://www.userscripts.org/scripts/show/3519
11:44 pm
ornith

well, if you really can see them that way, it shouldn't matter.
11:45 pm
raggedyandy3478

i can see them just fine this way, i realize that its backwards compared to the norm, but thats how i do it
11:45 pm
caderoux

raggedy: yes, if it's just as easy for you to see - but it's definitely harder for me on the puzzles which require lots of hidden triples, hidden quads, x-wings and swordfish
11:46 pm
ornith

I've actually never come across a puzzle I needed the x-wing or swordfish (or other really complex) patterns for, caderoux
11:46 pm
raggedyandy3478

x-wings and swordfish?
11:46 pm
raggedyandy3478

i have heard hidden triples and quads b4, but not those 2 terms
11:47 pm
ornith

they're really fancy patterns you see very, very occasionally. I can't even recognize them... caderoux, do you have a link that talks about them? I don't remember where I learned them
11:47 pm
raggedyandy3478

im on safari if that tells ya nething
11:48 pm
raggedyandy3478

im definitely not seeing the links you are talking about
11:48 pm
ornith

browser has nothing to do with it
11:48 pm
caderoux

not here - I play Simple Sudoku only on the extreme setting and it always requires one of those. The other day I found one on Sudo Cue which SS couldn't even hint at one point - a forcing chain which I had not seen before
11:49 pm
ornith

I'm not familiar with those sites/programs
11:49 pm
raggedyandy3478

same
11:49 pm
flarfu

http://angusj.com/sudoku/hints.php
11:49 pm
caderoux

Try: http://www.angusj.com/sudoku/hints.php
11:52 pm
ashling

oh i give up
11:52 pm
terfle

caderoux...I take it you solved this puzzle?
11:52 pm
ornith

oh, ok. I probably have used x-wing once or twice.
11:52 pm
ornith

I just think of it as a box instead.
11:53 pm
raggedyandy3478

ya, same, never knew it had such a technical name
11:54 pm
ornith

that trick with the colors is interesting though - I never used any program/site that could do more than put in the little green/red ones.
11:55 pm
caderoux

this morning - 5 minutes, no hints, no invalids - I typed it into Simple Sudoku, because I had to do it while waiting inline at the DMV. Normally I try not to do that because Simple Sudoku highlights so much stuff automatically, it almost feels like cheating
11:56 pm
Vega

*cheers* Finished it. This particular puzzle proves that no computer colouring/numbering can substitute doing it by hand.
11:57 pm
ornith

that's impressive, a puzzle this hard tends to take me about 10 (without fancy highlighting stuff - SS might do enough to speed me up).
11:57 pm
terfle

what is simple sudoku?
11:58 pm
caderoux

Windows program - free - http://www.angusj.com/sudoku/
11:59 pm
ornith

I was using Pappocom's Sudoku for a while, but I stopped when the free trial ran out.
11:59 pm
caderoux

ornith - it will - I always use auto highlighting and set to extreme. I like doing the ones here-it feels like flying wihtout a net
11:59 pm
caderoux

I switched from Pappocom - I like this one better
11:59 pm
caderoux

here comes a new puzzle