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Difficulty: Hard Saturday, March 18, 2006

Not Completed Play This Puzzle

CHAT LOG for Saturday, March 18, 2006

12:14 am
mabisa`

where all da playas at??
12:14 am
mabisa`

wher y'all att????
12:15 am
Vega

You're the first to chat, maybe? =)
12:15 am
a

somewhere
12:15 am
mabisa`

Yes, I see that.
12:15 am
Debs40ish

Morning all
12:15 am
jojomnky

hi
12:15 am
mabisa`

I am, however, glad that so many are pimping Sodoku at this hour.
12:15 am
Debs40ish

Hiya Jo, Mab, a & Vega
12:16 am
Vega

Hi Debs!
12:16 am
a

hey debs
12:16 am
Debs40ish

Depends which hour it is... It's 06:15 here...
12:16 am
Vega

am or pm?
12:16 am
mabisa`

Oh. Never mind me.
12:17 am
Debs40ish

am
12:17 am
Debs40ish

I'm in England
12:17 am
Vega

Groovy!
12:17 am
a

5:15pm here :) if i start digging i might meet you
12:17 am
Vega

Nothing like a Sudoku to begin morning with. *G*
12:18 am
Debs40ish

OK... I'll grab a shovel...lol
12:18 am
Vega

You're in Melbourne/Sydney, a?
12:18 am
Debs40ish

I'm flitting bewteen here and babble
12:18 am
a

nah, down in Hobart :)
12:19 am
Vega

Ahh.
12:20 am
a

where abouts are you?
12:20 am
Vega

Mmm, on the mainland.
12:21 am
Debs40ish

US..Vegas?
12:22 am
Atnan

Fin. That was a good one.
12:22 am
Debs40ish

Well done Atnan....
12:24 am
Atnan

Howdy to all the Aussies too (I'm up in Sydney).
12:24 am
Vega

Hi Atnan!
12:25 am
a

hey atnan
12:25 am
Debs40ish

No howdy to me then!.... :-/
12:25 am
Atnan

This is a horrible website. So incosiderate - it's going to take up 20 minutes of every day :p
12:26 am
Debs40ish

Finished the game...
12:26 am
Vega

Tell me about it. Between Zone.com and here, it's not going to end.
12:26 am
Atnan

A special howdy to Debs40ish :)
12:26 am
Debs40ish

Cheers Nan... and a special Morning to you :)
12:27 am
Atnan

It's 5.30 at night here :p
12:27 am
Atnan

Which means I still have work to do. I'll probably catch you guys tomorrow. See ya.
12:27 am
Debs40ish

Cya Nan... tc
12:27 am
Vega

Cheers Sydneysider. =)
12:29 am
Debs40ish

I'm going to go off and babble for a bit so I'll catch you all later... Take care, be happy & smile...Lifes too short..Have fun cya again sometime (((hugs)))
12:29 am
a

cyas :)
12:39 am
Vega

Hooray, finished.
12:39 am
terfle

damn, that was fast
12:40 am
Vega

Could've been faster. =P But I spent quite a bit of time erasing and re-entering green numbers...
12:52 am
bstadil

Done
1:01 am
sprite

Morning all! Ready for a new one, this looks promising.
1:01 am
Krys10

Hey Sprite! I'm just going to bed, maybe I'll catch you tomorrow :)
1:01 am
sprite

Sleep well Krys! Was it fun?
1:02 am
Krys10

I just popped in to print out the puzzle to bring to bed with me.. just finished hosting a dinner party. that was fun, yes!
1:02 am
Krys10

'night, all
1:03 am
sprite

Even better :) Night Krys, enjoy the afterfeeling of the party and have fun puzzling.
1:27 am
peternl

uh oh - a hard one, the medium ones were challenging enough ;-)
1:31 am
a

i screwed up somewhere
1:32 am
sprite

Actually, this hard one is less hard than some of the medium :)
Too bad, a. Hope you find your way back.
1:33 am
guerro

ok, here we go
1:40 am
sprite

This was fun. Done for today with a little more confidence in myself. Looks like I do better with the Hard and Expert ones, lol.
1:57 am
Phil H

do you have to guess with this one? bit stuck atm
2:00 am
Texel

I don't believe so.. but the possible deductions you can make are very limited
2:16 am
peternl

the only difference between guessing and deduction is whether you do it in your head...
2:20 am
Atalante

hi guys!
2:21 am
licketySplitAUS

Hey Everyone - Hi Alalnte - Has anyone learn all the techniques - like Naked Doubles etc - or does it come natural to you?
2:22 am
Atalante

techniques? there are techniques?!
2:22 am
licketySplitAUS

Oh boy - I got so frustrated I researched it
2:22 am
Texel

actually, there is a large difference between deduction and guessing
2:22 am
peternl

interesting, explain the difference then...
2:23 am
Texel

i.e., guesses are only right some of the time
2:23 am
licketySplitAUS

http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=bbfm2k
df5zzzv
2:23 am
Atalante

lol I should too - I have no idea why x-wings and stuff are that people keep going on about!
2:23 am
licketySplitAUS

That's a link list of all the techniques
2:23 am
licketySplitAUS

And I don't know any yet!
2:24 am
peternl

yes, but deduction is just guessing in your head and checking which ones work, all in your head
2:25 am
licketySplitAUS

peternl - sounds like your a freak! no offense
2:25 am
Atalante

it won't let me load that page :(
2:25 am
peternl

grin - I've been called worse
2:25 am
licketySplitAUS

take out the space
2:25 am
licketySplitAUS

but don't bother - it's techo sukdoku jargon!
2:26 am
Texel

I suppose you are right in a way - but when I say "deduction", I mean obvious correct answers as opposed to correct answers derived by several iterations of checking
2:26 am
Atalante

oh duh. it didn't copy the second line!
2:26 am
licketySplitAUS

DooH!
2:27 am
Atalante

ok. that disturbs me.
Simple colouring - Discontinuous x-cycle of length n
Turbot fish - Discontinuous x-cycle of length 5
x-wing - Continuous x-cycle of length 4
Swordfish of 222 formation - Continuous x-cycle of length 6
2:27 am
peternl

fair enough definition. I've solved some puzzles where the deduction went along the line of "there are two posibilities here, one implies this implies this implies this implies contradiction, so it must be the other" Is that deduction or guessing...
2:27 am
licketySplitAUS

I told you!
2:27 am
Atalante

*runs away from sprite level stuff*
2:27 am
licketySplitAUS

the digits are chasing you!
2:28 am
Texel

anything I can't work out in my head I would call a guess :)
2:28 am
peternl

thank you!
2:28 am
licketySplitAUS

how about instinct ;-) that gotta sutff with a logical mind
2:28 am
Texel

my mind can only look ahead so many steps without making pencil marks
2:29 am
licketySplitAUS

even with pencil marks there are limits
2:29 am
licketySplitAUS

look at naked triples
2:29 am
peternl

the program I wrote to solve these used guessing and backtracking - its amazing how few boards have to be looked at to find the answer, much much much simpler than many others games
2:29 am
Atalante

*runs off to the grid with hopeless optimism and happily oblivious to complicatedness*
2:29 am
licketySplitAUS

Not related - just cause they are fun to look at ;-)
2:29 am
Texel

I was under the impression that a sudoku that can only be solved by true guessing is one with multiple answers
2:29 am
Texel

which is a "bad" sudoku
2:30 am
licketySplitAUS

Texel - sounds like number torture
2:30 am
Texel

number torture == math degree
2:31 am
licketySplitAUS

peternl - did you try the other programs out there first? The ones that give you step by step completion
2:31 am
Atalante

no no! I don't want to look at naked triples! Just give me naked Hayden and I'll be content!
2:31 am
peternl

why try other programs? What fun would that be?
2:32 am
licketySplitAUS

Well - I think your approach is guesswork
2:32 am
peternl

It's fun to program a solution, and fun to do the solution yourself, it's hardly fun to use someone elses program to do a solution!
2:32 am
licketySplitAUS

I'm a programmer ;-) I'm not using a tool.
2:33 am
licketySplitAUS

And to be honest, I don't have the skills yet to do this. A newbie
2:33 am
peternl

no, me either, well, only my brain, which isnt getting me far at the moment ;-)
2:33 am
licketySplitAUS

I did however find a tool (not using it), and it works really well - and can help you learn - tells you the next technique to use
2:34 am
Texel

I just prefer to beat my head against them until they yield
2:34 am
licketySplitAUS

The other night I did this thing 4 times and the last friggen number didn't fit
2:34 am
peternl

indeed. My wife is better at them than me, so I can always ask her for help ;-)
2:35 am
licketySplitAUS

I if wasn't drinking wine at the time - it might have helped ;-)
2:35 am
mrpresident

and I beat lickety to death in sudoku the other night... yah me!! go me!! and I had more wine than you!!
2:35 am
licketySplitAUS

I could have jumped on the bike and worked it out ;-)
2:36 am
licketySplitAUS

(Bowing) to mr president
2:36 am
peternl

thats one box done
2:37 am
peternl

eight to go ;-)
2:37 am
licketySplitAUS

peternl - did you use any of those techniques?
2:37 am
peternl

probably, but I don'
2:37 am
peternl

don't know what they are called
2:37 am
licketySplitAUS

use green number?
2:37 am
peternl

just self taught I'm afraid
2:37 am
EvilBernd

someone ever tried the "medium"-ones which seems to be harder than this here
2:38 am
peternl

yes, I use the green numbers
2:38 am
licketySplitAUS

You are human!
2:38 am
licketySplitAUS

;-)
2:38 am
peternl

but only when there are only two (or sometimes three) places in a box where the number can go
2:38 am
peternl

until close to the end, then I tend to do all the possibilities in all the squares
2:39 am
Texel

hah
2:39 am
Texel

I just realized that this implementation does support pencil marks
2:39 am
peternl

yeah, took me two days (and several printouts) to work that out ;-)
2:39 am
licketySplitAUS

I kept writing stuff on paper and hit Cntrl C
2:40 am
peternl

one box, one row, one column, that's progress...
2:41 am
mrpresident

lickety, I would have thought the pencil marks on your computer screen were enough!
2:41 am
licketySplitAUS

yeah but the screen died - so I had to use paper
2:42 am
mrpresident

no wonder!
2:42 am
licketySplitAUS

then the mouse and the pencil had a go at each other!
2:43 am
mrpresident

did the screen die of lead poisoning??
2:43 am
licketySplitAUS

no - 'bad handwriting'
2:43 am
mrpresident

ha ha ha
2:44 am
licketySplitAUS

fu4,42
2:45 am
peternl

hmm, a number in the center box would be nice
2:45 am
licketySplitAUS

yes it would!
2:46 am
Texel

alllllmost thre
2:46 am
Texel

there*
2:46 am
Atalante

is it because there's no number in the middle box that this is categorised as "hard"?
2:46 am
peternl

no, there is nothing special about the center box
2:47 am
peternl

if you take a puzzle and swap the left column of three boxes with the middle column of three boxes, it is the same puzzle
2:47 am
Atalante

what officially makes them easy / hard then? is it literally the number of numbers you ahve to start with?
2:49 am
Atalante

ooooh lickety - this page is written in proper English! http://angusj.com/sudoku/hints.php
2:49 am
sprite

I think it's not that easy. I think it is a combination of number of squares given and the amount of steps you have to think ahead to find a new number
2:49 am
licketySplitAUS

Yeah - I've seen that one - it's the best! I've even downloaded the cool program from it - helps you learn
2:51 am
Atalante

hey sprite :)
2:53 am
sprite

Ha Atalante :)
I must admit I do not use that many techniques, I just jump in and see what I can find. First the obvious ones, and then I try to reason things out. Guess I would be a lot faster if I'd learn techniques, but this is so much more fun ;)
2:54 am
Atalante

I think so!
2:57 am
peternl

I pretty much just start by going thru the numbers, look for all the 1s, then all the 2s, then ... Then when I get to 9, I start again using the new filled in numbers to help. A couple passes like that will actually finish an easy puzzle.
2:57 am
licketySplitAUS

does it work for this?
2:57 am
peternl

no ;-)
2:57 am
peternl

but it gets you started
2:58 am
licketySplitAUS

exactly! That's when I went to the web for advanced tech
3:00 am
sprite

It is pretty straightforward logic, solving a sudoku. That's what I like about them. At least SOMETHING in my life is straightforward logic :D
3:04 am
Atalante

its nice logic. it feels nicely *right* when you know you're going the right way
3:04 am
licketySplitAUS

ok so the fact that i've only got 3 numbers so far is frustrating!
3:06 am
licketySplitAUS

2nd time round though ;-)
3:09 am
sprite

Got to be off, my daughter wants me to go shopping for earrings with her. :)
3:09 am
bex777

bye sprite!!!
3:09 am
licketySplitAUS

Have fun! sounds lovely
3:09 am
Atalante

oh fun! byee!
3:15 am
peternl

hmmmm
3:16 am
peternl

it needs a progress indicator, so I can accurately guage just how fast I'm not progressing...
3:18 am
mrpresident

good one peterni!! I need that too!
3:19 am
bex777

if i had one it would never move!!!
3:19 am
mrpresident

I big red flashing indicator !!! YOU HAVE SCREWED UP in (x) boxes... that would help!!
3:20 am
guerro

mrpresident: it already does that
3:21 am
mrpresident

oh, I know guerro! I just need it to TELL me!!
3:21 am
guerro

hah
3:24 am
peternl

man, the whole middle box is green now :-(
3:25 am
peternl

I give up, I'm off to Mackers, maybe that'll help (yeah right ;-)
3:25 am
licketySplitAUS

have a mc'fun time
3:26 am
bex777

yey!!!! finished!!!!
3:42 am
Texel

oh thank god finally
3:49 am
euph

\o/
5:12 am
pennypiece

arrgh, I'm stuck like a... sticky thing... in a glue factory
5:50 am
peternl

yeah, me too. very slow moving...
5:51 am
a

i'm down to 2, and moving around lots of 4's and 5's
5:52 am
caderoux

naked pent in column 6 just got me a 1 in the middle cube
5:53 am
peternl

I dont know what a naked pent is, but now that you mention it, there's only one green 1 in all of the center box, cool!
5:55 am
caderoux

that was a joke it was the hidden 56 pair I couldn't see for concentrating on the 12347
5:55 am
peternl

ahh, yes, that is indeed what led me to it
5:57 am
peternl

its nice to have something black in the middle box finally
5:58 am
caderoux

now stuck again, though
5:58 am
caderoux

it's gotta collapse soon, though
5:59 am
peternl

you'd think...
6:04 am
peternl

ahh, a couple more in the middle box...
6:07 am
caderoux

going
6:09 am
peternl

yeah, but its still putting up a fight
6:10 am
caderoux

close
6:11 am
caderoux

done
6:12 am
caderoux

because there's no undo, I find myself just leaving the green ones so I don't have to backtrack to the beginning if I make a mistake It takes a while to fill them all in...
6:14 am
peternl

done
6:16 am
peternl

phh well, off to do something more productive like watch TV ;-) cya
6:42 am
Atalante

done! woot!
6:47 am
beertje

groan.. stuck
7:52 am
tuco

done
7:59 am
Mark007

Why doesn't this enable you to write in the corners? I need to do that...
8:00 am
jix

Mark007 it does
8:00 am
jix

read how to play
8:17 am
raerae7133

yes! finally a hard one :)
8:36 am
raerae7133

+5 points!
8:36 am
acheekymonkey

haxored: that was fast!
8:37 am
raerae7133

19 minutes is fast? O:-)
8:37 am
acheekymonkey

haha! genius? what me?
8:37 am
raerae7133

What can I say, I <3 sudoku
8:38 am
raerae7133

keeps my mind from going to mush
8:39 am
acheekymonkey

too late for me!
8:40 am
raerae7133

oh no :(
8:40 am
acheekymonkey

misspent youth :)
8:40 am
acheekymonkey

i <3 sudoku too!
8:49 am
jojomnky

ack the blank middle is giving me trouble
8:50 am
raerae7133

It was the last one I filled
8:53 am
acheekymonkey

i'm ready to start guessing any minute!
9:01 am
acheekymonkey

i think there is a technique I'm forgetting to apply
9:02 am
jojomnky

are there any websites on sudoku strategy
9:02 am
jojomnky

i saw one but its really simplistic i want ultra advanced techniques
9:05 am
peternl

Someone posted this a while back
9:05 am
peternl

http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=bbfm2k
df5zzzv
9:05 am
acheekymonkey

wow
9:07 am
hexx54

anyone finished already?
9:08 am
peternl

yup. night all
9:19 am
MrOoijer

not very hard :-)
9:19 am
MrOoijer

about 10 minutes
9:20 am
acheekymonkey

congrats
9:20 am
hexx54

been doing it for 5 minutes and it seems pretty easy
9:25 am
terfle

did you see the large blank box in the middle?
9:35 am
acheekymonkey

X-wing for teh win!
9:39 am
elzorroviejo

yesssss!! it took me a little more than 10 minutes (lol) but it did get done...
9:54 am
uiklop

that wasn't so hard
10:26 am
sharp925

Tim...what are you doing?!?!
10:43 am
MDFreaK76

g'morning all
10:45 am
beertje

WOOHOO!
10:45 am
beertje

Finally
10:46 am
beertje

I had never read anything about those strategies like naked triplets and swing and whatever those things are called before, but those really opened my eyes.
10:46 am
smaller

so if you stare at the numbers long enough, will you eventually figure out how to play this darn game?
10:47 am
zatrix

most definitely
10:47 am
MDFreaK76

bjorn - where can i go to find out about that stuff?
10:48 am
smaller

ok, busy busy
10:48 am
smaller

sure are pretty numbers
10:49 am
beertje

Try here: http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=bbfm2k
df5zzzv
10:50 am
beertje

(careful, the chat may create a new-line so you have to rejoin those into a single line for the URL to work) It's alot of reading... :) I recommend the first one to begin with, the rest seems more advanced, most of it. More theory
10:50 am
smaller

and what a pretty orange fan. ok back to staring.
10:53 am
MDFreaK76

thanks!
10:54 am
hexx54

this is tough
11:00 am
hexx54

how do u finish this without guessing?
11:04 am
TankGirl

i found an X-wing and I now I don't know what to do with it :)
11:06 am
raerae7133

Gotta love the x-wings
11:06 am
chu

need these to be more difficult
11:07 am
raerae7133

www.websudoku.com
11:18 am
Thuryn

chu: :(
11:18 am
Thuryn

i'm stuck again
11:19 am
smaller

thanks haxored!
11:25 am
chu

no guessing required thuryn
11:36 am
chu

there's a strategy guide at http://www.sudokudragon.com/sudokustrategy.ht
m
11:41 am
smaller

info holy grail
11:41 am
smaller

thanks chu!
11:54 am
smaller

rrrrrgggghhhhh
12:01 pm
hurshy

greetings, babble friends... and others...
12:02 pm
macuser

hi hurshy
12:03 pm
hurshy

hey mac
12:23 pm
hurshy

WOOHOO
12:23 pm
hurshy

practicing on websudoku.com really helps.
12:25 pm
hurshy

smaller, mac - how goes it?
12:26 pm
macuser

I'm just getting started... had to to some housework first :/
12:26 pm
hurshy

ahhh.
12:30 pm
smaller

hursh,
12:30 pm
smaller

you're done?
12:30 pm
smaller

WOW, this is my first game. congrats!
12:32 pm
hurshy

oh, yes, well smaller, as i said, it helps to practice
12:32 pm
hurshy

i had never done sudoku at all before this week
12:32 pm
lola

hi guys : )
12:33 pm
hurshy

lola!
12:33 pm
macuser

hi lola
12:33 pm
lola

hurshy!
12:33 pm
lola

hi mac : )
12:33 pm
hurshy

with yellow feathers in her hair...
12:34 pm
lola

...and her dress cut down to there. Not bloody likely in this weather, lol! : D
12:34 pm
hurshy

lol
12:34 pm
hurshy

you done with this, too, lola/
12:35 pm
lola

nooooo, just started! Well done to you though! : )
12:35 pm
macuser

are you done, hurshy?
12:36 pm
hurshy

yes, 22 mins
12:36 pm
macuser

WTG! hurshy! Congrats!
12:36 pm
hurshy

if sudoku is japanese, we should get belts in different colors as we improve, like with karate.
12:36 pm
hurshy

:) thank you.
12:37 pm
lola

great idea hurshy. Except I may strangle myself with mine : /
12:38 pm
macuser

I have a 1st degree brown belt in karate, but it doesn't help me here :/
12:39 pm
beertje

Any other places where I can play Sudoku online? Preferably where you can list candidates for each cell like here...
12:39 pm
hurshy

lol mac AND lola
12:39 pm
hurshy

www.websudoku.com! billions of puzzles!
12:40 pm
hurshy

you can't put in ALL the numbers there - only up to five per box, i think
12:40 pm
hurshy

i haven't tried that feature there.
12:40 pm
hurshy

i have no belt in karate, btw, mac
12:40 pm
beertje

Thanks hurshy :)
12:58 pm
ashling

is ther a way to restart the puzzle? if you've saved a little?
12:58 pm
mzhokie

not yet ashling, you just have to clear each box individually
1:00 pm
ashling

oh all right, thanks
1:27 pm
ashling

stuck! ;D
1:27 pm
mzhokie

the only way I'm surviving at all is to fill each square in with green and red notations and work from there
1:27 pm
ashling

yeah that's what i did
1:27 pm
mzhokie

so figure out what will and won't work for each square... long process
1:28 pm
ashling

what's the diff between green and red?
1:28 pm
hurshy

green: possible number red: impossible number, although nothing to stop you from using them the other way round
1:29 pm
mzhokie

true, just green go and red no for me
1:29 pm
ashling

ah
1:29 pm
ashling

i just put in possibles and ignore the rest :)
1:29 pm
mzhokie

it's more work that way but helps when I'm flustered and I usually only do it on a certain row or a certain block
1:30 pm
mzhokie

otherwise it's usually just the possibilities
1:31 pm
ashling

yeah
2:13 pm
Kurosaki Ichigo

finally i solved it
2:13 pm
Kurosaki Ichigo

arrr
2:25 pm
Atalante

wheeee! I've just subscribed!
2:25 pm
MDFreaK76

its all downhill from here
2:26 pm
macuser

Congrats, Atalante! Now it's official... you're addicted ;)
2:27 pm
Atalante

I know! and a few days ago I couldn't remotely cope with sudoku - quick addiction!
2:27 pm
lola

yay! well done ata...now add me as a friend! : D
2:27 pm
Atalante

*whispers* how do I do that?
2:28 pm
lola

go to 'who's online' and you'll see the link : )
2:28 pm
Atalante

woot! done!
2:29 pm
lola

: )
2:30 pm
terfle

hi sharp925
2:41 pm
hurshy

d'you spose it would be impertinent to add dr_g as a friend
2:46 pm
hurshy

hmm, no outcry, no exclamation, no joy in mudville...?
2:48 pm
lola

hurshy! WOOT! (sorry, was faffing with my iTunes!) : )
2:48 pm
lola

...and...um...I did! lol : D
2:48 pm
hurshy

i have so much trouble with itunes
2:49 pm
hurshy

and thank you lola :)
2:49 pm
wwd

why do you have trouble with itunes?
2:50 pm
hurshy

i can't get into the store a lot of the time, even though i have a constant internet connection
2:50 pm
hurshy

and then even if i can get in the store, i can't get it to let me buy anything
2:50 pm
wwd

hmm
2:50 pm
wwd

sounds weird
2:50 pm
hurshy

it IS weird. maybe my computer just isn't strong enough to handle it.
2:51 pm
wwd

what kind of computer do you have?
2:51 pm
hurshy

IBM, about 5 years old.
2:51 pm
lola

I haven't used the store yet, but so far I'm enjoying iTunes : )
2:51 pm
wwd

that might have something to do with it
2:51 pm
hurshy

oh, lola, i can listen to things i've uploaded from CD
2:52 pm
hurshy

but i don't want to buy a new computer just for that!!
2:52 pm
hurshy

wwd, do you know, is it a processor issue, memory, what? is there a way i can improve my computer rather than buy a new one?
2:52 pm
wwd

no, but if you buy a new computer it will make your all around computer experience better. (especially if you buy a mac :) )
2:52 pm
wwd

no, but if you buy a new computer it will make your all around computer experience better. (especially if you buy a mac :) )
2:52 pm
wwd

oh...
2:52 pm
wwd

well, you could buy mor RAM
2:52 pm
hurshy

i am otherwise quite satisfied with my all around computer experience.
2:53 pm
hurshy

i demand little from the poor machine.
2:53 pm
wwd

it would probably speed your computer up
2:53 pm
wwd

but you have an old processor, so a new one would also speed things up
2:53 pm
wwd

RAM is probably the easiest thing to do
2:53 pm
hurshy

please, i used to use DOS, i think things are lovely fast on this.
2:53 pm
wwd

ok
2:54 pm
whitewoe

if your computer is old you should reinstall windows
2:54 pm
hurshy

how much does more RAM cost
2:54 pm
wwd

that's not necessarily true
2:54 pm
hurshy

oh we did have new windows installed over the summer
2:54 pm
wwd

RAM isn't that expensive
2:54 pm
whitewoe

ok nm then
2:54 pm
hurshy

we had to in order to make our wireless card work
2:54 pm
wwd

go here http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/
2:54 pm
whitewoe

that makes sense
2:55 pm
wwd

it will tell you what you need
3:00 pm
hurshy

well i did it
3:00 pm
hurshy

i am not totally sure i did it right
3:00 pm
wwd

and...
3:00 pm
GreySim

!!!
3:00 pm
GreySim

Kitty!
3:00 pm
wwd

oh... i thought you meant the computer scan... hehe
3:01 pm
hurshy

i did mean the computer scan
3:01 pm
wwd

oh
3:01 pm
wwd

he
3:01 pm
hurshy

it asked me for my type of IBM
3:01 pm
hurshy

and i said thinkcentre
3:01 pm
wwd

right
3:01 pm
hurshy

and then it wanted to know what specific model
3:01 pm
wwd

you can find all that information in you control panel
3:01 pm
hurshy

and mine appears to say it's an M 8199
3:02 pm
hurshy

oh, where in control panel
3:02 pm
GreySim

Arg. This one *is* hard. :(
3:02 pm
wwd

not sure.... i am on a mac :)
3:02 pm
wwd

i am a sys-admin at work, but i really dont' like PC's that much
3:03 pm
GreySim

Control Panel -> System
3:03 pm
GreySim

Control Panel -> System
3:03 pm
hurshy

glad you like my kitty, grey
3:03 pm
GreySim

k.
3:03 pm
GreySim

Sorry, I mean "I think."
3:03 pm
hurshy

ok, then there are 5 tabs
3:03 pm
GreySim

My computer is freaking out at the AJAX chat. A tad on the slow side. :)
3:04 pm
GreySim

(My computer, I mean. Not the AJAX.)
3:04 pm
hurshy

i have 384 MB of RAM
3:04 pm
hurshy

but i don't see any model number
3:04 pm
hurshy

i have a 2.2 GHz celeron processor.
3:05 pm
hurshy

are these numbers very low?
3:05 pm
wwd

it might tell you in the BIOS, but you have to turn the computer off for that
3:05 pm
hurshy

well anyway i picked A 8199, since that was the only letter that had those numbers.
3:06 pm
hurshy

and it told me to buy a $58 RAM thingy.
3:06 pm
whitewoe

you can also download cpuZ and that will tell you
3:06 pm
hurshy

my goodness.
3:06 pm
hurshy

they really should not make so many different models of thigns
3:07 pm
wwd

ha... then they wouldn't make so much money... which is what it is generally all about for them
3:07 pm
mamabear

Hello number maniacs!!!! How come yesterday's took me 20 minutes and this one is impossible?????????????? Or is it me?
3:07 pm
GreySim

It's not just you!
3:07 pm
svs

taking me awhile too :)
3:07 pm
flarfu

i'm having trouble too
3:07 pm
hurshy

oh, it's all you mama :)
3:07 pm
helenkeller

hi all, hiya hurshy
3:08 pm
hurshy

oh good, helen! i can make you a friend too.
3:08 pm
helenkeller

i thought we were friends :)
3:08 pm
hurshy

now i have 6.
3:08 pm
hurshy

oh, of course helen, but i meant, in the my friends tab.
3:09 pm
helenkeller

i see i have no friends cause i'm not a pro :(
3:09 pm
hurshy

it is why i went pro!
3:09 pm
hurshy

:)
3:10 pm
lola

hi mama and hellen! : )
3:11 pm
helenkeller

i'm considering it - after all, i seem to be spending a great deal of time here
3:11 pm
helenkeller

hi lola
3:12 pm
hurshy

dr_g needs to eat!
3:12 pm
hurshy

i want to make an official announcement
3:12 pm
lola

*waits with baited breath*
3:12 pm
mamabear

It's me, hurshy????? *mamabear has bottom lip out really far*
3:13 pm
mamabear

hi lola & helenkeller!
3:13 pm
helenkeller

hi mama
3:14 pm
hurshy

ANNOUNCEMENT: the difficulty level of the puzzle has nothing to do with how hard an individual person finds an individual puzzle. sometimes things just click and sometimes they don't. the fault, dear brutus, is not in our algorithm, but in our neurons.
3:14 pm
mamabear

announcement? pray tell, hurshy!!!
3:14 pm
hurshy

so, you see, i was just teasin' before, mama :)
3:15 pm
Aelis

My neurons must be very poor, then.
3:15 pm
hurshy

BUT practice definitely helps!
3:15 pm
svs

haha i was thinking the same thing Aelis
3:15 pm
mzhokie

I'm stuck. :(
3:16 pm
hurshy

oh, a fellow cat!
3:16 pm
mzhokie

yup.... she's a calico with a personality very close to a dog!
3:17 pm
hurshy

i have 2 others besides the one in my icon.
3:17 pm
hurshy

i have never seen so many new babblers in one day!!
3:17 pm
mzhokie

oh urs is too spoiled for us to have others.... she use to live with two dogs but after 3 years without them. she doesn't like dogs anymore either.
3:17 pm
Aelis

My mother has a chronic fear of cats. D:
3:18 pm
hurshy

aelis - probably bc the media are biassed against cats.
3:18 pm
Aelis

That may be the case.
3:19 pm
hurshy

biased? that looks better... not sure which is right
3:19 pm
mamabear

I think I need to go adjust my neurons....brb
3:19 pm
raggedyandy3478

this ones hard!
3:19 pm
Aelis

Yup, it's biased.
3:20 pm
mamabear

Once you have it partially saved, is there a way to clear the whole thing without going to each square individually, does anyone know?
3:20 pm
raggedyandy3478

nope, you have to manually go to each square at that point
3:20 pm
raggedyandy3478

nope, you have to manually go to each square at that point
3:20 pm
hurshy

no, mama, not yet, dr_g is working on it
3:20 pm
helenkeller

can you refresh?
3:21 pm
hurshy

refresh takes you to last save
3:21 pm
hurshy

ty aelis
3:21 pm
Aelis

No problem. .-.
3:21 pm
mamabear

If I refresh, it still keeps what I had saved. My computer kept losing the connection, so I started saving alot, but now I think I have to just start over.
3:22 pm
mamabear

have any of you people finished this one yet?
3:22 pm
hurshy

yes, i have mama
3:23 pm
lola

yup! : )
3:24 pm
hurshy

i think anj is coming
3:24 pm
mamabear

okee dokee then
3:24 pm
Anj

Hurshy, stop looking at the Babble log! lol : )
3:25 pm
lola

Hey babe! (((xx))) : )
3:25 pm
Anj

Hiya (((xx0)) : )
3:25 pm
Anj

uh-oh! hard... : (
3:26 pm
mamabear

How is the Babble grid today?
3:26 pm
lola

You'd be so proud of all my iTunes babe! : )
3:26 pm
Anj

Have you tidied them up then?
3:27 pm
hurshy

babble is 143 mama, a smidge tough but not too bad.
3:27 pm
Anj

Mama, it's ok but not a gimme : /
3:27 pm
hurshy

why can't i look at all the logs, anj?
3:27 pm
hurshy

and why couldn't you let them think i was psychic?
3:27 pm
Anj

I am the Penn & Teller of Babble : D
3:28 pm
lola

Yup! And added loads of stuff...got the wildhearts and the CJ you did for me on there now : )
3:28 pm
hurshy

i am the siegfried and roy of domestic short-haired cats
3:30 pm
Anj

Woot! Get listening - I need my usual Last.fm neighbours back : /
3:31 pm
arcuradio

anj - you last.fm too? my username is 7878ponce what's yours?
3:31 pm
Aelis

mine's apocalypseaelis. o_o
3:31 pm
Aelis

although nobody has asked it, I have boldly decided to put it out anyway.
3:31 pm
Anj

I'm Soundhog
3:31 pm
Aelis

I've got like, two friends. And all I listen to is movie soundtracks and classical composers.
3:31 pm
raggedyandy3478

wats last.fm?
3:32 pm
Aelis

it's like a music community that records what music you and others listen to...sort of.
3:32 pm
Kyle

i listen to it for the radios
3:32 pm
Kyle

neat way to get streaming radio, no commercials
3:32 pm
raggedyandy3478

why would u want something recording what you listen to?
3:33 pm
Kyle

i just subscribed for $3 for one month but.. i'm not seeing much of a point to it
3:33 pm
Kyle

it recommends similar artists and songs
3:33 pm
Kyle

so you can discover new music
3:33 pm
raggedyandy3478

oh, it costs money, sorry that counts me out, i am a college kid, i dont have money
3:33 pm
arcuradio

to find other people who listen to similar music, to discover similar artists, to know what you're listening to (statistics)
3:33 pm
Kyle

it's free
3:33 pm
Kyle

but by paying you get a few more features like listening to many songs you've marked as you like
3:33 pm
Aelis

Teh SUBSCRIPTION version costs, but you can get a free membership. :D
3:34 pm
Kyle

i'm not seeing much of a point in paying honestly.. i likely won't do it again
3:35 pm
raggedyandy3478

i might check it out later then
3:35 pm
Aelis

You get a pony if you subscribe.
3:36 pm
mzhokie

YES!!!! I finished!
3:36 pm
arcuradio

and you get to see who's stalking you -- i mean looked at your profile
3:36 pm
raggedyandy3478

haha
3:36 pm
raggedyandy3478

wtg mzhokie! any suggestions on how to get it done?
3:36 pm
Anj

I'm a subscriber - like the options you get. Plus it helps the site develop
3:36 pm
lola

hi arcuradio, see you visited ; )
3:37 pm
mzhokie

I just had to use the notations to get me through
3:37 pm
jojomnky

this is such a tough one
3:37 pm
mzhokie

That and sometimes walking away when it's a blur!
3:38 pm
raggedyandy3478

so right about now, i should walk away
3:38 pm
arcuradio

pixies fan too eh? ( ^ :
3:38 pm
Kyle

how do you make notes?
3:38 pm
mzhokie

If you hold the shift down you can put green notes and the alt gives you red notes
3:38 pm
mamabear

I'm walking away...... going to go babble for a while....see ya later!
3:38 pm
Kyle

ahh awesome
3:38 pm
raggedyandy3478

i have only been trying to do this for 3 days, and have yet to get one done correctly
3:38 pm
Kyle

thanks
3:39 pm
lola

yup! You'll see lots of South African rock that you may not have heard on there too : )
3:39 pm
lola

'bye mama : )
3:42 pm
ashling

my puzzle looks like it had chicken pox
3:42 pm
terfle

wow, just got it done
3:43 pm
terfle

had to guess a few times...which probably isn't the way it is suppose to be done
3:43 pm
hurshy

i'm doing an "evil" over at web sudoku that i swear is changing numbers on me when i'm not looking
3:44 pm
lola

hurshy, lol!
3:45 pm
lola

Anj, how you doing babe? : )
3:47 pm
Anj

Still on my first attempt... It's a bit of a brute tho' How about you?
3:48 pm
lola

finished awhile ago babe : )
3:54 pm
hurshy

seriously, this evil one, i think it's not solvable. i am so careful and yet i get contradictions every time.
3:57 pm
Anj

aargh! Just realised I goofed early in attempt #1 so it's a clear down and restart for me : D
4:04 pm
contestant

Okay, new guy.
4:14 pm
hurshy

anyone done and want to help me with my evil?
4:15 pm
totony

wow. this is a tough one...
4:15 pm
totony

10 minutes and found only one "easy pick"
4:16 pm
SaintNick

This is one where the easy picks are hard to find - go for the hard doubles first.
4:17 pm
Kyle

blah
4:17 pm
Kyle

SaintNick of txd?
4:17 pm
SaintNick

Yup - Unlogikal?
4:17 pm
Kyle

ya
4:17 pm
SaintNick

Nice to see ya bro.
4:18 pm
Kyle

yea likewise, this is a toughie heh
4:18 pm
SaintNick

That's true...
4:18 pm
Kyle

i have little red notes everywhere
4:18 pm
SaintNick

I have little green notes everywhere.
4:19 pm
Kyle

green is too hard to see on my powerbook unless i turn brightness up :-P battery killer
4:19 pm
swati

I've just begun
4:19 pm
SaintNick

Never thought of it that way - I'm on a Compaq laptop.
4:19 pm
Kyle

so far i have the top left and right boxes full
4:19 pm
raggedyandy3478

i cant figure out the 1 and 7 in the top left
4:19 pm
swati

I have the top right full, that's about it
4:20 pm
Norman

me 2
4:20 pm
Norman

me 2
4:20 pm
raggedyandy3478

kyle, i have a powerbook and i see the green just fine
4:20 pm
Diane

top right, top row, 3rd column, and stuck.
4:21 pm
contestant

Save, run with a guess as far as you can, and then try again, I presume?
4:21 pm
swati

ah just finished the top row ;)
4:21 pm
raggedyandy3478

u just explained my exact situation Diane
4:22 pm
Kyle

same here now
4:22 pm
raggedyandy3478

i need the 1 and the 7 in the top left, or the 2 and then 8 in the middle right box
4:23 pm
Norman

middle box? that empty ^^
4:23 pm
Norman

middle box? that empty ^^
4:23 pm
Diane

yep, me 2
4:23 pm
swati

he he, my middle box is also empty
4:23 pm
Kyle

ya my middle box is empty
4:23 pm
raggedyandy3478

same
4:23 pm
OzzieRain

ditto
4:23 pm
SaintNick

The 2/8's in the middle right box pair up nicely. They have to be together so they eliminate other possibilities in other related rows.
4:24 pm
Diane

don't understand Nick
4:24 pm
OzzieRain

likewise the 6/8 in the bottom right
4:24 pm
SaintNick

Exactly
4:25 pm
swati

yep, the 6/8 for me too
4:25 pm
raggedyandy3478

that too
4:25 pm
Diane

so how to handle the 1/7; 2/8/ 6/8?
4:25 pm
Anj

woot!
4:26 pm
raggedyandy3478

neone have suggestions? cuz that is throwing me for a loop!
4:27 pm
lola

Yay! Go Anj! : ) xx
4:28 pm
Diane

guess we're on our own, raggedy
4:28 pm
hurshy

congrats anj
4:28 pm
hurshy

the trouble is, dear folks, we can't see our puzzle if we are done, and my memory isn't THAT good...
4:29 pm
Babbler

told you you'd finish before I found my next number, Anj. :'( waaaaaaaahh!
4:32 pm
Kyle

man this sucks now lol
4:32 pm
raggedyandy3478

ill say
4:33 pm
Kyle

it's that damn middle box
4:33 pm
Diane

I'm willing to compare notes, if that's kosher here
4:33 pm
SaintNick

Big. Empty. Middle. Box.
4:33 pm
SaintNick

Sure... I've got the third column done...
4:33 pm
raggedyandy3478

lol
4:34 pm
SaintNick

I wish there was a way to replay or back up VCR style.
4:34 pm
Kyle

everyone got 6 or 8 for 7th column bottom two?
4:34 pm
Diane

Ok, top r box - 2 boxes, both with 1 & 7
4:35 pm
Diane

y, kyle
4:35 pm
SaintNick

7 on left, 1 on right of top right box
4:35 pm
SaintNick

Yes, Kyle. Same here.
4:35 pm
Kyle

ok, only two i have in that box.. just making sure
4:36 pm
Diane

so, SN, middle row of top r box is 918?
4:36 pm
SaintNick

Hmmm... we're out of sync.
4:36 pm
hexx54

man this is tuff
4:36 pm
Kyle

that's not what i got
4:37 pm
SaintNick

Top Right = Top to bottom: 791, 456, 283
4:37 pm
hexx54

ya
4:37 pm
hexx54

i got that
4:37 pm
raggedyandy3478

same here
4:37 pm
Kyle

same as nick here
4:37 pm
Diane

OOOPs- meant top LEFT
4:37 pm
Babbler

me too
4:37 pm
Diane

I'm in sync with the others on top r
4:38 pm
Kyle

top left box?
4:38 pm
Kyle

which ones do you need?
4:38 pm
Diane

y
4:38 pm
Kyle

so i don't give anything away
4:38 pm
SaintNick

Top Left = 234, 9?8, ?65
4:38 pm
Kyle

same as nick
4:38 pm
Diane

mid row - 918, bottom 765?
4:38 pm
raggedyandy3478

im right w/ SN on that too
4:38 pm
davidtoc

FINISHED! WOO HOO!
4:38 pm
Anj

If it's any help, the first column I completed was the left hand one on the right hand set of boxes
4:39 pm
raggedyandy3478

how did u get the 6 and 8 down low?
4:39 pm
Diane

me, too, anj
4:39 pm
Babbler

that's where I'm stuck too raggedyandy
4:39 pm
Kyle

i'm tempted to take a guess on that one
4:40 pm
Kyle

i'm going to write down what i have and take a guess and see if helps lol
4:40 pm
raggedyandy3478

i took a guess somewhere yesterday, and lets just say i learned my lesson
4:40 pm
Babbler

I'm already on guess.... :'(
4:40 pm
Diane

I'm confusing myself now. I'm gonna shut up. My first was column #3 from left
4:40 pm
Kyle

/me puts data into Sudoku Companion
4:40 pm
Kyle

i'll guess in that one
4:40 pm
Anj

raggedy, that was the key for me - I only put them as subscript until the rest of the bottom lines made more sense
4:41 pm
raggedyandy3478

well i have every single box marked w/ all green and red, and still cant figure any of it out
4:41 pm
hexx54

how do you solve this WITHOUT guessing?
4:42 pm
Babbler

hexx, you can. I try to limit it to one guess, or I get lost in a fug.
4:42 pm
hexx54

ya i try not to guess, kills the point of the game
4:43 pm
SaintNick

Guessing rapidly leads to a locked puzzle.
4:43 pm
Kyle

yea, i'm only guessing because i don't have all day to do this
4:43 pm
Anj

I think the 'logic' comes in recognising that you've made a bad guess before you go too much further...
4:43 pm
Norman

I got it yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
4:43 pm
Norman

I got it yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
4:43 pm
SaintNick

Darn it - I've got to go and enjoy sunlight before it disappears behind the snowy hills.
4:43 pm
hexx54

hahaha
4:44 pm
Babbler

lol! I just found me a number! I think I deserve a break! :D
4:44 pm
raggedyandy3478

ne of the 3 sets of numbers that we have been stuck on all dya?
4:44 pm
Kyle

haha... guessing still gets me stuck either way
4:44 pm
Kyle

figures
4:44 pm
Norman

that was tough. you gotta take a pen and write down all possibilities for each number in each square and that you get it very easily
4:44 pm
Norman

that was tough. you gotta take a pen and write down all possibilities for each number in each square and that you get it very easily
4:44 pm
contestant

Norman: You can do the same with the green/red system
4:45 pm
Norman

yeah, but excel works better for me. btw: why are my messages shown doubled?
4:45 pm
Norman

yeah, but excel works better for me. btw: why are my messages shown doubled?
4:45 pm
raggedyandy3478

i think Norman is talking about actually filling it out and seeing if that guess works out in the end, as opposed to just looking at possibilities
4:45 pm
contestant

ah.
4:45 pm
contestant

well, it's well established by the looks of this that I'm no good at these things
4:45 pm
OzzieRain

done it
4:46 pm
Babbler

blimey! middle boxes left to complete! but have I gone wrong (again??)
4:46 pm
Anj

contestant - it's not an easy one : /
4:46 pm
raggedyandy3478

contestant, i have yet to finish one in the last 3 days
4:46 pm
Kyle

yea this one is rough
4:46 pm
Anj

Babs, the middle left box was the last one I completed : )
4:47 pm
Diane

ok, first box: 234 / 9?8 / ?65
4:47 pm
raggedyandy3478

i want the top left, middle right, and bottom right boxes
4:47 pm
HatesTheInternet

I'm doing pretty well. I started five minutes ago and got 8 squares
4:47 pm
dplass

please don't give answers or hints
4:47 pm
hexx54

haha i finished yeterdays easy
4:47 pm
HatesTheInternet

Yeah Diane geez
4:47 pm
Babbler

contestant, this is one of the hardest grids I've played in a while.
4:48 pm
hexx54

agreed
4:48 pm
Kyle

i'm using Sudoku Companion
4:48 pm
raggedyandy3478

wats that?
4:48 pm
Diane

what's that?
4:48 pm
Kyle

it let's me lock tiles for easy going back
4:49 pm
Kyle

OS X sudoku application
4:49 pm
Kyle

they have a "Sudoku of the Day" too, so I do two of these things a day
4:49 pm
raggedyandy3478

whered u get it?(im on OS X)
4:49 pm
swati

bada bum bada bum. this game should have a timer
4:49 pm
HatesTheInternet

It has a 24 hour timer...
4:49 pm
Kyle

verek.com
4:49 pm
Babbler

aarrggh! I have 4 numbers left to find: 2,8,2,8. But what goes where???
4:50 pm
swati

thats a time limit. i'd like a timer
4:50 pm
swati

to see how long it takes me to finish
4:50 pm
swati

;)
4:50 pm
131313

is there a way to check if the solution you've guessed is correct, or do you have to wait til midnight?
4:50 pm
Babbler

finished on paper..... let's see what the screen says....
4:50 pm
HatesTheInternet

You will know when you're done because it gives you points
4:50 pm
Anj

Babs, that's this one all over - a mix of 2,4,7 & 8 that all can go in at least two places... : ?
4:50 pm
131313

okay
4:50 pm
raggedyandy3478

whats the price of this sudoku companion?
4:51 pm
lola

i had to guess today : /
4:51 pm
Kyle

$8 i think
4:51 pm
Kyle

$9
4:51 pm
Kyle

I got it on MacZot.com with 4 other applications for $15 a week ago
4:51 pm
Anj

Me to - the bottom of my first column, but it all worked out : )
4:52 pm
Kyle

there's another app i like more called MacSudoku but it's like $12
4:52 pm
raggedyandy3478

was that in the surprise package?
4:52 pm
Kyle

yup
4:52 pm
lola

Hmm, I had a column but had to guess a box i think...
4:53 pm
Babbler

woot!! :D:D:D
4:53 pm
hurshy

*resisting temptation*
4:53 pm
Babbler

(only took me most of today) :'/
4:53 pm
lola

yay! Well done babs! : )
4:54 pm
hurshy

congrats, babs!
4:54 pm
hurshy

i added you to my friends, btw :)
4:55 pm
hurshy

is this :'/ to indicate crying?
4:55 pm
hexx54

im pretty sure everyone is stuck where i am but, am i missing one move or what
4:55 pm
hurshy

bc it looks like a thermometer to me :)
4:56 pm
Kyle

this is bloody freakin impossible
4:56 pm
Babbler

hursh, it's a wry smile in my book. a tear just adds to it.
4:57 pm
Anj

WTG Babs : )
4:57 pm
Kyle

i think we all screwed up
4:57 pm
hurshy

:/ wry smile, :'/, wry smile + fever, got it. :)
4:57 pm
Babbler

ty ty ty! :D:D:D my poor brain :(
4:57 pm
Kyle

if you're stuck like i am, i think there's no way around it
4:59 pm
Kyle

nevermind, it's possible
4:59 pm
Kyle

just got it
5:01 pm
Anj

Kyle was that a finish?
5:01 pm
Kyle

yup
5:01 pm
Kyle

i had to guess though :(
5:02 pm
Diane

congrats!
5:02 pm
Babbler

congrats!
5:02 pm
Kyle

i guessed, got stuck, went back, flipped my answer and it worked out that way
5:02 pm
hurshy

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
5:02 pm
Babbler

I did that too.
5:03 pm
Kyle

the one i guessed on was the 6/8 in the bottom right box
5:03 pm
Anj

Kyle that's what I did at the end - had to go back 6 entries and flip them : ) Worked tho' wtg!
5:04 pm
Kyle

granted i also used another program to do my game, it allows me to undo which helped keep things straight during my guess, i really don't like the web interface on here, too limiting to what i'm used to
5:04 pm
Kyle

paper seems easier than this interface lol. great idea though
5:05 pm
Babbler

I guessed the 1, 7 in the top left box
5:05 pm
MpP

yeah...it would be nice if the interface had some sort of scratchpad ability. USAToday has that, it helps.
5:05 pm
Kyle

Babbler that was actually easy to figure out
5:06 pm
Babbler

I didn't have the right numbers to figure it out.
5:06 pm
Babbler

I had a world of nothingness
5:06 pm
Kyle

ah i can't remember exactly how i got it, but it worked itself out without guessing there
5:06 pm
Kyle

heh
5:08 pm
Diane

darn - down to last 2 and it doesn't work out
5:09 pm
Kyle

bah, i hate that
5:09 pm
HatesTheInternet

This seriously only took me about 20 minutes.
5:09 pm
HatesTheInternet

Sorry guys
5:09 pm
Kyle

i call BS on that
5:10 pm
Babbler

someone else said he found today's easier than yesterday.
5:10 pm
Babbler

hmmmmm
5:10 pm
HatesTheInternet

THAT i don't believe
5:11 pm
Babbler

yup, that's what he said
5:12 pm
hurshy

kyle - it may not be BS - i did it in 22 minutes, and my friends will back me up that i wouldn't lie! :) i didn't guess, and i didn't even use the little numbers. however, the evils over on websudoku are keeping me humbled.
5:13 pm
Kyle

blah
5:13 pm
hurshy

blah humbug
5:14 pm
Diane

one q: is bottom row, middle # 4?
5:15 pm
Kyle

bottom row, which box from the left?
5:15 pm
Diane

5th
5:15 pm
Kyle

not 4
5:16 pm
lola

I'm off to bed guys, goodnight : )
5:16 pm
Diane

I think that's hwere I got screwed up :(
5:16 pm
Kyle

:(
5:16 pm
hurshy

night lola
5:16 pm
Diane

is there a way to clear the whole screen?
5:16 pm
Kyle

not that i know of
5:17 pm
swati

there should be an option to start over, eh?
5:17 pm
Diane

y
5:17 pm
Kyle

from here on out i'll be doing it on paper or in Sudoku Companion
5:17 pm
Kyle

just makes life easier for me
5:20 pm
hurshy

dr_god is working on a clear option
5:21 pm
caderoux

hopefully Dr_God will make an export/import in one of the standard formats or implement undo and some of the other features from the better computer-assisted solvers
5:21 pm
MpP

where can i find information on some of the standard formats?
5:23 pm
Anj

Night Lola : )
5:24 pm
caderoux

http://shrinkster.com/d4b
5:24 pm
hurshy

boy, when they say evil...
5:25 pm
totony

ok, i'm officially stuck...
5:25 pm
totony

i have to learn new tricks... :-)
5:25 pm
caderoux

quote from wife "you're not even playing, you're just watching other people playing - that's just pitiful"
5:25 pm
Kyle

lol
5:26 pm
totony

:-)
5:26 pm
caderoux

sudoko is now officially a four-letter word in this house, and comes right after geocaching in the dictionary
5:42 pm
caderoux

websudoku - evil - 8,116,662,931 - 12 minutes, required no advanced techniques - wtf?
5:43 pm
hurshy

the first one i tried i had no prob, caderoux, but then some of the others...
5:44 pm
Anj

Hursh, I have problems with the medium ones on that site : /
5:45 pm
hurshy

i have been doing tons this week anj...
5:47 pm
lola

okay, so I lied. I didn't go to bed : / You got mail Anj.
5:48 pm
caderoux

it would seem that within a site they should be consistently rated - I keep Simple Sudoko generating at Expert only and it always requires at least X-Wing, Swordfish or Colors.
5:49 pm
hurshy

i have no idea what those terms are - i have not read any strategy thingies, i just use my little noodle
5:51 pm
hurshy

my noodle has improved a lot this week but still clearly has some learning to do
5:51 pm
caderoux

just names for the patterns/techniques you're already using
5:51 pm
Anj

Me too, just my brain and a little imagination...
5:51 pm
Anj

Me too, just my brain and a little imagination...
5:51 pm
Anj

*scuttles off to read mail*
6:11 pm
The Wac

hola!
6:13 pm
Anj

No-one here but us chickens 8 )
6:13 pm
lola

hi wac : )
6:13 pm
blad

im not a chicken lol
6:13 pm
lola

replied babe : )
6:13 pm
Anj

*scuttles off again*
6:14 pm
The Wac

how goes it
6:18 pm
hurshy

i am no chicken, i am a turkey
6:19 pm
lola

No! You're a pretty red hurshy bird! ; )
6:20 pm
hurshy

i can be a red turkey - a rhode island red - i grew up there and it's the state bird
6:21 pm
hurshy

am basing my turkey-ness on frustration with evil sudoku
6:21 pm
The Wac

that could be an interesting experience. ..
6:21 pm
beertje

what time is it CT?
6:21 pm
lola

LOL! What time is it by you hursh?
6:21 pm
beertje

ah, heh. The timer on the chat is CT...
6:22 pm
The Wac

are you sure?
6:22 pm
hurshy

one hour later than chat, 7:22
6:22 pm
131313

dammit i thought i solved it and 2 numbers conflict.... how do i do figure out which ones are wrong?
6:22 pm
hurshy

yes, chat log timer on US central time
6:23 pm
The Wac

it's only 5:22 here
6:23 pm
beertje

ok, where's the sense in that?
6:23 pm
hurshy

are you in IN, wac?
6:23 pm
lola

it's Sunday here already : )
6:23 pm
The Wac

never been there
6:23 pm
hurshy

where are you, wac?
6:23 pm
hurshy

happy sunday, lola
6:23 pm
beertje

yah, here too :)
6:23 pm
The Wac

good old utah
6:23 pm
helenkeller

well, yet again, the difficult one was much easlier than those mediums - i think i've only been here about 10 minutes
6:24 pm
hurshy

well that's why then, you're on mountain time
6:24 pm
The Wac

true story
6:24 pm
hurshy

helen, try some evils on websudoku, some of them are truly reprehensible
6:24 pm
helenkeller

babble took much longer - aoudad
6:25 pm
The Wac

where you at hurshy?
6:25 pm
helenkeller

lol hurshy - k, will check it out
6:25 pm
hokie carla

I'm not even going to bother at Babble this late.
6:25 pm
Anj

helen, you either have preternaturally fast fingers or I ma suffering time dilation in an amazing compressed space : /
6:25 pm
helenkeller

but carla, i just gave you a head start!!! wasted much time on that
6:26 pm
helenkeller

anj, no, i don't have fast fingers at all, what do you mean?
6:26 pm
hokie carla

how many words today>
6:26 pm
helenkeller

aoudad
6:26 pm
hurshy

wac, i am in connecticut
6:27 pm
helenkeller

143
6:27 pm
hokie carla

I mean ?
6:27 pm
hurshy

lol helen
6:27 pm
The Wac

sweet hurshy
6:27 pm
helenkeller

i'm going to use it in a sentence now: my foghorn says "aoudad" (helen uses deep stage voice)
6:27 pm
Anj

10 mins is lightspeed compared to my dog0leg brain : /
6:28 pm
hurshy

lolololol
6:28 pm
helenkeller

anj - once you get a few , the rest just fall in place (everything in this puzzle hinges on a single quadrant - at least it did for me)
6:29 pm
helenkeller

that's a new word for me - gotta play with it ~~~~ AOUDAD
6:31 pm
hurshy

it makes me think of baobab
6:32 pm
helenkeller

they're probably related, second cousins or something
6:32 pm
jix

solved!
6:33 pm
Anj

Helen, me too, but I then spend ages pondering the next move. I make Boris Spassky look impetuous!! : /
6:33 pm
jix

i guessed the middle field.. the 3rd (out of 3) guess was the right one...
6:33 pm
lola

Anj, LOL! : D
6:39 pm
helenkeller

lol anj
6:40 pm
helenkeller

have a great evening (day) everyone, see ya later
6:42 pm
hurshy

AHA
6:43 pm
hurshy

i don't think these ones could ever be as hard as the evils on websudoku, bc of the red and green numbers. if it were really hard those would be immensely helpful.
6:44 pm
lola

'bye hellen : )
6:46 pm
totony

too many '4's, too many 8's' ... /me going carzy
6:46 pm
harpjane

What are the advantages of signing up? (instead of playing free)
6:46 pm
Anj

Hurshy, I shall one day attempt one of those evil ones with just a cup of tea, pencil, paper and a baseball bat for company } )
6:48 pm
hurshy

anj...baseball bat? lola - i think you better protect anj from himself...
6:49 pm
hurshy

in fact take away his cup of tea too, that could also be dangerous
6:49 pm
hurshy

and a pencil... hm...
6:49 pm
hurshy

you better stick with online, it's safer
6:50 pm
hurshy

doing the evils is helpful, i am figuring out more tricky tricks
6:51 pm
hurshy

oh, harp, well, you get to make yourself a friends list, have your icon and all like on babble, you can use different tiles if you want instead of numbers...
6:51 pm
harpjane

okiedokey hurshy will do
6:53 pm
hurshy

but if we start having icon themes HERE in addition to on babble, i may not be able to handle the strain
6:53 pm
harpjane

maybe we should have a secret pact, no themes. or always use yesterday's theme? or tomorrow's?
6:55 pm
The Wac

gotta run. . be back later
6:59 pm
hurshy

no themes, just individual expression
6:59 pm
hurshy

themes are fun but so are not-themes
7:01 pm
hurshy

i can't believe the avg solution time for evils is 16 minutes
7:01 pm
Anj

Hursh, are you saying i'm up for rubber wallpaper and the anorak that does up at the back??
7:01 pm
hurshy

*looks around, whistles*
7:02 pm
Anj

neat sidestep : D
7:02 pm
hurshy

*bows*
7:03 pm
hurshy

did you see how many new babblers there were today?
7:03 pm
hurshy

i am amused by the ones that sign their names at the end of every post
7:03 pm
stubie

What? -stubie
7:03 pm
hurshy

lol
7:04 pm
stubie

What?! -stubie
7:04 pm
hurshy

ok, here is what i think. i think some people start an evil, print it out, hit pause, do it on paper, and then just put it in, so that it takes no time at all, and thus bring the average way low. (LOL stubie!)
7:09 pm
harpjane

I'd be happy to finish one, anyway. anyhow. I can't finish them on paper either.......ah well.
7:09 pm
stubie

Same. I haven't finished a puzzle since I started here.
7:10 pm
raggedyandy3478

same here
7:10 pm
hurshy

oh, well, here are some ideas:
7:11 pm
hurshy

get the ones you can see easily first
7:11 pm
hurshy

then put red numbers everywhere
7:11 pm
stubie

Why red vs. green?
7:11 pm
hurshy

and if you get stuck and have to guess
7:11 pm
hurshy

use green to mark a trail and see if it works
7:11 pm
raggedyandy3478

i have all the green and red numbers EVERYWHERE and still cant figure it out
7:11 pm
harpjane

why is hurshy using haiku?
7:12 pm
hurshy

am i?
7:12 pm
harpjane

not a bad idea, hurshy. I might try it. Not today. I'm already too enmeshed.
7:12 pm
hurshy

see don't use greens at first, wait until you want to mark a trail, raggedy.
7:13 pm
raggedyandy3478

interesting
7:13 pm
hurshy

and practice, practice, practice. i have improved vastly in just a week, doing tons of these on www.websudoku.com
7:16 pm
hurshy

of course, some people have... jobs and stuff... i'm on spring break, which helps
7:17 pm
moxSapphyre

a job is just something to do in between sudoku puzzles ;)
7:17 pm
Anj

Raggedy, i've found that overuse of the subscripts leads to mass confusion and a brain meltdown...
7:17 pm
ashling

*pants and finishes*
7:17 pm
hurshy

yay ashling!
7:17 pm
moxSapphyre

good job
7:17 pm
Anj

woot!
7:18 pm
torgone

WTG ashling!
7:18 pm
ashling

this is the one that has been the hardest. of all the ones i've made :P
7:18 pm
ashling

though i find them easier to do on paper
7:19 pm
Anj

Hey Torgone.
7:20 pm
torgone

Heya Anj dude!
7:21 pm
totony

mmmkay. done.
7:22 pm
totony

but had to try long trains before finding contradictions...
7:22 pm
stubie

Hmmm
7:22 pm
torgone

Yay totony!
7:23 pm
totony

now that i'm dead, of to bed I go. ho ho ho.. damn . 2 am already...
7:25 pm
moxSapphyre

2am, wow that's far....only 3:25pm here
7:26 pm
totony

moxSapphyre it's not far, just late ;-)
7:26 pm
stubie

Doing okay right now.
7:26 pm
totony

gotago, by all...
7:27 pm
moxSapphyre

true, late...but I meant in terms of time zones...very far from me
7:27 pm
harpjane

my guess, totony is in Europe and moxSapphyre is in Alaska. Am I close?
7:27 pm
moxSapphyre

pretty close. I'm actually in hawaii. I would guess totony is in euro also
7:28 pm
harpjane

HI was my second guess. So far my first guess has always been wrong today. Why change now?
7:29 pm
moxSapphyre

lol
7:30 pm
harpjane

only 20 squares to go. I think that's my best so far
7:31 pm
lem45

Is anyone willing to tell me the top 3 top things I should be doing to solve this thing?
7:32 pm
harpjane

I got some tips from wikipedia, believe it or not!
7:32 pm
moxSapphyre

use red/green numbers to work out a possible solution
7:32 pm
moxSapphyre

I had a hard time reading some of the tips on wikipedia...they look like they make sense but kinda complicated
7:32 pm
lem45

I'll checkout wikipedia - thanks
7:33 pm
stubie

Feeling accomplished at 37 to go.
7:33 pm
stubie

Feeling accomplished at 37 to go.
7:33 pm
stubie

*sigh*
7:38 pm
harpjane

ten to go.
7:38 pm
hurshy

well, now we know where the term "evil genius" comes from. if you can do evil sudoku puzzles, you're a genius
7:40 pm
mzhokie

mox... took me a while, I finally had to walk away and come back. numbers were blurring and I was checking the same combinations over and over again
7:40 pm
mzhokie

hurshy... do you do the sudoku on USAToday's site?
7:42 pm
harpjane

three to go......
7:42 pm
harpjane

two to go
7:43 pm
harpjane

one to go........
7:43 pm
harpjane

should I do it?
7:43 pm
hurshy

no, mzhokie, i have not tried that, i have been using websudoku.com where there are billions of puzzles
7:43 pm
hurshy

capture the screen first, harp, i keep forgetting to do that
7:44 pm
hurshy

that way you could help people if you want
7:44 pm
hexx54

HEEEEELP
7:44 pm
mzhokie

I didn't care for websudoku .... not as easy to notations
7:44 pm
mzhokie

usatoday just has one puzzle a day like here
7:44 pm
harpjane

DID IT DID IT DID IT DID IT DID IT DID IT.........
I got 5 points, is that good?
7:44 pm
mzhokie

wtg harpjane
7:45 pm
hexx54

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp
7:45 pm
caderoux

10 for the next level of difficulty
7:45 pm
hexx54

is it possible to be stuck?
7:45 pm
mzhokie

not sure I want to see the next level of difficulty
7:46 pm
hexx54

ive been staring for hours
7:46 pm
hurshy

it is possible to be stuck bc you're human, but not possible to be ACTUALLY stuck
7:46 pm
mzhokie

hexx, I have been known to start from scratch when I get really stuck
7:46 pm
hexx54

i started this morning and i was on a roll
7:46 pm
hexx54

but ive came back to my PC 5 times trying to solve
7:46 pm
hexx54

got yesterday's puzzle like a piece of cake
7:47 pm
harpjane

I'm not sure we should give clues on these. It would be so easy to do it wrong!
7:50 pm
hurshy

well, but, harp, if you're done...
7:50 pm
hexx54

does it get harder everyday? :/
7:51 pm
hurshy

no hexx, the difficulty level varies
7:52 pm
hexx54

good
7:52 pm
israel

well, it was hard. I just finished it, but I used an offline program that I find a bit easier.
7:54 pm
harpjane

OK. here's a clue. The very middle number, in the middle square, is 2.
7:54 pm
hexx54

no lie?
7:54 pm
harpjane

Oh, and I upgraded!
7:54 pm
lem45

I hope not
7:54 pm
israel

she's right
7:54 pm
lem45

crap
7:57 pm
licketySplitAUS

Ya - I just finished too
8:03 pm
moxSapphyre

I think Im done. a whole lotta red numbers...time to redo it in black
8:03 pm
hurshy

hey, proharp
8:04 pm
mzhokie

well I'm sure I'll see some of you folk tomorrow... going to watch more basketball. Later and good luck to those still solving!
8:06 pm
moxSapphyre

man...not much to do once you finish the puzz. 4 more hours till the next one
8:06 pm
mzhokie

mox... have you tried Babble?
8:07 pm
moxSapphyre

babble? is that the link at the top of the page?
8:07 pm
mzhokie

yup... that can be addictive too
8:07 pm
moxSapphyre

whoa...babble looks like fuunnnn 8D
8:22 pm
hexx54

WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO
8:22 pm
hexx54

ABOUT TIME!!!!!!!
8:22 pm
hexx54

:D
8:28 pm
raggedyandy3478

still cant get it
9:01 pm
raggedyandy3478

im giving up for the night
9:11 pm
Twinkie

the hint someone threw helped me finish it, but I'm wondering what i'm missing that makes me stuck at a certain point--any tips/strategies for what to look for?
9:17 pm
SaintNick

I dunno - I notice that I'll get off track somehow, somewhere, and then the whole damned puzzle is screwed up.
9:17 pm
SaintNick

Right now. I'm screwed up.
9:17 pm
hokie carla

5 pts? I thought a hard puzzle was 10?
9:18 pm
hokie carla

st. nick: a lot of times I do better if I clear everything & start from scratch.
9:18 pm
SaintNick

Is there an easy way to clear the whole thing at once?
9:18 pm
hurshy

expert is 10
9:19 pm
wth

Yeah, was stuck without the hint, and solved it with the hint. I figure there *has* to be a way to do it with pure logic (without guessing) and couldn't do this one.
9:22 pm
hokie carla

I think he said the Clear All was coming soon.
9:23 pm
SaintNick

I'd like to be able to backtrack incrementally.
9:23 pm
jonathanpoh

yeah.. i think we need an 'undo' button
9:23 pm
hokie carla

I got the expert one the other day easier than today's & the last few mediums.
9:24 pm
SaintNick

It's funny - empty rows are easier than near full ones. More potentials I guess.
9:24 pm
hokie carla

St. - Just save every once in a while (instead of after every number like I do) & you can go back.
9:27 pm
jonathanpoh

i tend to fill up all the empties with all the possibilites, and end up confusing myself just because there are so many potentials
9:33 pm
SaintNick

I hate/love the "DUH!" moments when you see an easy one.
10:03 pm
swati

finally done!
10:03 pm
swati

good luck to everyone else trying ;)
10:23 pm
bish

yay! finished.
10:25 pm
The Wac

why hello!
10:29 pm
The Wac

for those of you who have recently finished. . . is this one actually hard?
10:32 pm
sandyloo

ok have just joined and want to check the icon which is meant to be my dog
10:32 pm
sandyloo

whoo hoo im a computor genius!!
10:32 pm
The Wac

yep, pretty sure that's a dog ;)
10:33 pm
sandyloo

lol ok time to change my babble icon to the same thing (chocolate theme todayand she is always stealing any she can find)
10:34 pm
The Wac

you have to have pro to have a picture don't you?
10:44 pm
jonathanpoh

well i've managed to complete this 'hard' one but not the last 'medium' level....
10:45 pm
jonathanpoh

but i'm new to sudoku anyway.. this is only my 3rd time playing, ever
10:45 pm
SaintNick

You da man Jonathan
10:51 pm
The Wac

i'm feeling slightly stuck
11:00 pm
SaintNick

Everything but the last two squares. I hate/love this game.
11:00 pm
SaintNick

Where. Where. Where. Did I go wrong?
11:15 pm
naruto

you'll get it man
11:16 pm
naruto

it's not too hard
11:27 pm
McLuhanesque

Simple
11:28 pm
Phox

finished
11:31 pm
svs

phew... finally finished
11:36 pm
Limer

Nailed that puppy!
11:36 pm
torgone

crap
11:45 pm
Thuryn

damn. once again, looks like i have to guess.
11:45 pm
Thuryn

:/
11:56 pm
caderoux

ready
11:56 pm
Su

wohoo
11:57 pm
Thuryn

Bleh.
11:57 pm
Thuryn

had to guess, but made it at that last minute
11:58 pm
bstadil

Thuryn Congrats Down to the wire