tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post290372075138440841..comments2024-03-29T04:50:38.638-07:00Comments on Blaine's Puzzle Blog: NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 10, 2011): Classic TV Show and a Well-Known WriterBlainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-1446914060591923492011-07-17T06:09:39.183-07:002011-07-17T06:09:39.183-07:00Blaine wrote:
"While we are on the topic, I&...Blaine wrote:<br /><br />"While we are on the topic, I'm curious how much editing Will does when you submit a puzzle. Did he call the show "classic" or did you? Did you mention the word lengths? Did you call Sartre a writer?"<br /><br />Good questions. This time he didn't really edit the puzzle much. I called it a classic TV show and also chose to call Sartre a writer (I figured philosopher or playwright would give too much away). It was Will who gave the word lengths, although after the taping was over he remarked that he might have preferred to leave the word lengths out, presumably because he thought that made it too easy.<br /><br />Last year Will edited a puzzle I submitted. The version he aired was much improved over the original. I wrote about it here:<br /><br />http://www.benbassandbeyond.com/2010/07/from-npl-to-npr.htmlBenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04754156636762779545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-87084376442821752622011-07-16T19:17:19.220-07:002011-07-16T19:17:19.220-07:00This puzzle got on my nerves.This puzzle got on my nerves.Natashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14139505187498448200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-55904856610683302492011-07-16T17:10:25.253-07:002011-07-16T17:10:25.253-07:00If you don't get the answer right away, let it...If you don't get the answer right away, let it incubate awhile before admitting defeat.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-80006884781261139002011-07-16T16:56:17.368-07:002011-07-16T16:56:17.368-07:00Okay everyone, the new puzzle is out, but not enti...Okay everyone, the new puzzle is out, but not entirely either.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-27300459557161690242011-07-16T06:10:32.740-07:002011-07-16T06:10:32.740-07:00Regarding my clue above: "I too have written ...Regarding my clue above: "I too have written to NPR wanting to play but have never been called. I'm trying to be philosophical about that."<br /><br />I think of Sartre more as a "play" wright (written) and philosopher.<br /><br />I have actually never sent in my answer to NPR.laurieohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02381156543264009826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-79650726895823485952011-07-16T05:34:36.572-07:002011-07-16T05:34:36.572-07:00Blaine, I had a puzzle selected (8/21/08) and I ca...Blaine, I had a puzzle selected (8/21/08) and I can tell you Will does A LOT of editing.<br /><br />Here's what I submitted:<br /><br />Take the two-letter postal abbreviations for three U.S. states. Add the letter A. Then add the two-letter postal abbreviations from three more states. You'll have 13 letters in all. Reading from left to right, you'll get a phrase that's been used as a title for a book, a TV show and a movie.<br /><br />Go back and check out the edit job.Tommy Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03373838653732634600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-44213674011135633422011-07-15T22:33:10.834-07:002011-07-15T22:33:10.834-07:00I had thought of Star Trek, but I couldn't put...I had thought of Star Trek, but I couldn't put together a writer. I have never heard of Sartre. Damn.googlyeyes1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07427775761638331436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-18604177655663580592011-07-15T18:12:25.553-07:002011-07-15T18:12:25.553-07:00My musical clue refered to the fact that Robert Wi...My musical clue refered to the fact that Robert Wise directed both The Sound of Music & Star Trek: The Motion Picture.Curtishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05685055278145414455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-88200197752298435762011-07-15T17:37:21.134-07:002011-07-15T17:37:21.134-07:00Ben:
I stopped by the puzzle convention breakfast ...Ben:<br />I stopped by the puzzle convention breakfast here last year, where i live, in Seattle, where it never stops raining, on the morning of the last day, a Sunday, (yes, even in Seattle!) to hand deliver a puzzle suggestion to him, but he was not there. (Hangover?) I had to leave and open a magic shop, so I left it in a sealed envelope with a barely awake attendee, who promised to deliver it to Will should he arrive. I do not believe Will ever got it because it is a super puzzle, and not too difficult to solve either, but I have never heard back from him. I sure wish I had a direct email address for the dude.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-31643151010071571472011-07-15T17:10:34.654-07:002011-07-15T17:10:34.654-07:00Blaine: Excellent questions!Blaine: Excellent questions!skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-23119490383880109592011-07-15T16:47:42.157-07:002011-07-15T16:47:42.157-07:00@Ben, Congratulations on getting another one of yo...@Ben, Congratulations on getting another one of your puzzles selected as the weekly challenge. I wonder why they neglected to note that on the website? Will said it on the air, though. And thanks for the "behind the scenes" account of what happens during the taping.<br /><br />While we are on the topic, I'm curious how much editing Will does when you submit a puzzle. Did he call the show "classic" or did you? Did you mention the word lengths? Did you call Sartre a writer?Blainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-54556559682941683532011-07-15T16:41:11.214-07:002011-07-15T16:41:11.214-07:00DT,
Janice and I had a similar experience two year...DT,<br />Janice and I had a similar experience two years ago. Within a few months of having missed "the call", we were called again and Janice got to play on the air (although she was not given a choice of one-air puzzles). It seems clear that the "random" selection process includes some form of special considerations for those who missed their initial call. Perhaps they are placed in a separate pool which is used only if the randomly selected winner cannot be contacted.<br /><br />Looking forward to the replay of your performance on Sunday! You may find that your responses may have been edited slightly to "improve" on what I'm sure was already a stellar performance.Lorenzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08116815111532628378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-82669516498752686652011-07-15T13:16:12.496-07:002011-07-15T13:16:12.496-07:00Hey everyone,
Because we were both in Providence ...Hey everyone,<br /><br />Because we were both in Providence for a puzzle convention, I had the pleasure of joining Will Shortz in the radio studio for the taping of this week's show. <br /><br />I wrote about it here:<br />http://www.benbassandbeyond.com/2011/07/puzzling-weekend.html<br /><br />If you're as avid a listener as I am, you might enjoy it.<br /><br />Blaine, congratulations on getting on-air props for your blog the other week. I thought that was pretty great.<br /><br />Best,<br />Original BenBenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04754156636762779545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-10643301644988653422011-07-15T13:11:02.170-07:002011-07-15T13:11:02.170-07:00DT:
Thanks for your thoughts.
I solved the puzzle ...DT:<br />Thanks for your thoughts.<br />I solved the puzzle right after it was posted, but I solve them the hard way. Since the answer was near the end of the alphabet it took me about 25 or 30 minutes, and I got it as soon as I saw the name of the show. I waited a very short time and then submitted the answer and my reply is time dated 5:18:26. <br />More to the point is that the recent puzzle with Helmet Kohl being the answer, since I saw the puzzle posted the very minute it came out and i solved it as I was reading it and then submitted my answer immediately, this tells me that I must have been the first person to send in an answer. I do not believe they pay any attention to order received. I have thought many times about how they might go about choosing, and I think they are probably reasonably fair, but just how in the world do they place the entries? That is the big question for me. I could go on and tell you stories of contests having to do with jobs I worked at and how they were all corrupt, but I don't really have the time right now. :)<br />Consider this: If they kept your number and called you at a later date/week, after you missed the call, then they could justify that in a way, but that means all the rest of us who sent in answers were just wasting our time. Since they are no longer awarding the hard copy dictionary, (the ONLY reason I keep entering) I don't really care that much. I do not want to play the puzzle on the air and have no desire for the other prizes, including the pin. I do care about ethics however, and would like more information on just how they actually function.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-14769668092541505802011-07-15T12:26:07.818-07:002011-07-15T12:26:07.818-07:00Thanks, DT.Thanks, DT.Tommy Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03373838653732634600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-16779028859097154222011-07-15T12:24:04.611-07:002011-07-15T12:24:04.611-07:00@skydiveboy: Consider this - this week's Star ...@skydiveboy: Consider this - this week's Star Trek puzzle was so easy that it took me less than 15 minutes to solve (including the time it took to write the program that spit out the answer) after I read it from NPR's web site Saturday night. So my answer was in early, and I got a reciept from their robo-mailer timestamped 7:59pm EST. Perhaps the "random selection" is "first correct answer in the queue"? I can't say. The first call I got (with my phone off) was back in March. I checked my old emails, and I hadn't submitted the answer to *that* one until Sunday. So who knows. The one thing I do know about true randomness is that sometimes it doesn't seem random at all... you *can* get ten heads in a row.<br /><br />@Tommy Boy: Thursday about three I was looking at the clock, and thinking "if they're going to call, now would be the time", when the phone rang :) There was a nice young lady on the other end (whose name, alas, I have forgotten) who told me I'd won, and asked me if I'd ever played before (I'm guessing if I'd said yes, that would have been that), my address for my prizes, what I did for a living, how long I'd been playing the puzzle, and maybe one or two other things. She said that I'd be playing today at 12:45 (they'd call me), and one reason they called beforehand was so people didn't get cold-called to play the puzzle. Makes sense to me.<br /><br />Today she called back, and I was recorded. Before the recording Will said he had two puzzles, the first having to do with Geography - at which point I screamed "Anything but geography!!" :D That's my Kryptonite. So he said I get what's behind door #2... and IMHO I think I got a pretty easy puzzle. I'll let you guys be the judge :)<br /><br />I did get to hear what next week's puzzle is! No, I'm not sharing. I don't want to put those "Grammar Girl" books at risk :) :) :)Doctechnicalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06817162059249352531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-22093082200329192152011-07-15T11:51:49.845-07:002011-07-15T11:51:49.845-07:00DT - I always assumed that 3:00 Thursday was '...DT - I always assumed that 3:00 Thursday was 'showtime'. Apparently not. Can you share the details of the call or is it a trade secret that may cost you your life?Tommy Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03373838653732634600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-22919939033248828762011-07-15T11:18:35.955-07:002011-07-15T11:18:35.955-07:00DT:
Congrats, I am sincerely happy for you, but I ...DT:<br />Congrats, I am sincerely happy for you, but I think something is very odd about you getting the call again, and so soon. I remember a few years back when they announced that the winner had missed the call the previous week. This makes me think they do not pick the winners randomly as they insist they do. <br />Sorry if this seems cynical, but if we have never had a president who could tell us the truth, and congress is even worse, not to mention corporations, Wall Street and the media, then someone will have to give me a damn good reason why I should trust NPR.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-21309355159664590812011-07-15T10:30:44.737-07:002011-07-15T10:30:44.737-07:00Congrats, Doc!Congrats, Doc!janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-21383938478239556172011-07-15T10:07:03.684-07:002011-07-15T10:07:03.684-07:00Guess who just got off the phone will Will & L...Guess who just got off the phone will Will & Linda :D<br /><br />Got "The Call" yesterday (and just after I whined about missing it last time). The recording was today, I guess it'll be on Sunday.Doctechnicalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06817162059249352531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-24093370015924020512011-07-15T07:27:53.091-07:002011-07-15T07:27:53.091-07:00As to my clue, if you took the first name of Sartr...As to my clue, if you took the first name of Sartre (Jean-Paul) and changed one gospel for another (Paul -> Luke/Luc) you got the first name of the "Next Generation" captain. (Jean-Luc Picard). But it appears I got my gospels/apostles/whatever all mixed up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-87598109714297659572011-07-14T16:59:36.396-07:002011-07-14T16:59:36.396-07:00@Chuck - Well, at least I still have my Weekend Ed...@Chuck - Well, at least I still have my Weekend Edition Sunday Lapel Pin, which must be the . . . . most unattractive? . . . . piece of jewelry I've ever seen. I've noticed they have stopped listing the full prize collection for those who play on air; someone must have decided it was getting to be too much of an advertisement for Books By Will Shortz?<br /><br />Re: jan's observation - The name of Patrick Stewart, star of STNG, contains as many or more of the letters of Star Trek and Sartre as Shatner!Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-16057761543171724282011-07-14T16:13:11.316-07:002011-07-14T16:13:11.316-07:00Believe it or not, when I made my "James I of...Believe it or not, when I made my "James I of Scotland" comment before breakfast on Sunday, it completely escaped me that I was naming two Star Trek characters. When I eventually realized what I had done, I, too, wanted to "start wretching".<br /><br />The story goes that James was assassinated on February 20, 1437, despite the <i>extraordinary</i> defensive maneuver of Catherine Douglas; which <i>may</i> be the origin of the expression "Katy, bar the door!"<br /><br />K.T...the discard letters; "bar the door", a reference to "No Exit", the only Sartre work I ever read.<br /><br />However, as Unknown was quick to point out, Spock would be quick to point out that "which side of the door" is an important consideration when it comes to barring.<br /><br />I thought SDB's "Wagon Train" reference was to the SAfe Road TRains for the Environment project, which doesn't seem all that feasible to me, but what do I know?Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-80042526674508575012011-07-14T15:11:11.621-07:002011-07-14T15:11:11.621-07:00What's the difference between the cast of the ...What's the difference between the cast of the TV show and a group undergoing experimental discectomy?<br /><br />One group goes to SPACE (THE FINAL FRONTIER) while the other group goes to FACE THE SPINAL FRONTIER.kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05882757881891590225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-35220566557249453082011-07-14T14:06:44.959-07:002011-07-14T14:06:44.959-07:00BK –
A similar thing happened to me.
I played on...BK –<br /><br />A similar thing happened to me.<br /><br />I played on-air in ’05. Then I was picked again about a year or year-and-a-half later. The producer seemed unaware of my previous appearance when he called on Thursday afternoon and offered the spot to me for a second time. However, I brought up my earlier appearance because I didn’t want to p--- off bunches of NPR listeners who had tried and tried and were never lucky enough to be picked.<br /><br />I told him I’d be happy to play again but if he wanted to pick someone else that’d be OK, too. He thanked me for that and said that’s what he’d rather do. And that’s the way we left it.<br /><br />I don’t know if this is true or not but I’ve heard that it’s permissible to play on-air more than once. Actually, I get a big kick out of figuring out the solve-at-home puzzle each week. Playing on-air was fun but it’s not exactly a life-altering experience. If I get picked yet again, I think I’d give them the same choice unless there’s a bunch of new stuff in the booty bag :)<br /><br />Chuck<br /><br />Blaine –<br /><br />Good one!Chuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13956539217339532507noreply@blogger.com