Miscellaneous: Logic Puzzles

I love puzzles. My mini-obsession began when I was young and I watched my mother complete logic grid puzzles. She would buy Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games, in which there were only 4 logic puzzles. I would make my own grid after she solved (sometimes before!) and complete the puzzles. Later, I purchased my own magazines with only logic puzzles and have some which date back to the late '80s. For my 21st birthday I made tons of puzzles and games for my guests to solve instead of drinking (which I don't do.)

It is hard to pick up logic puzzles if you don't like games, and logic riddles can be very frustrating. I like logic grid puzzles in which there is a reasonable, not tricky, answer through deduction. In Dell Logic Puzzles Magazine, the puzzles are ranked from 1 to 5 stars. The five star problems take me several days to solve.

Example - Ann, Bill, and Carl like to ride bikes. Their bikes are blue, red, and green. Match the person with the color of his or her bike using these clues: None of their first name initials match with the first letter of the color of their bike. Ann's bike color is not a primary color.

That was pretty easy, right? I did make the clues a little more challenging for such a simple match. Braingle has some online logic grid puzzles with interactive grids for solving. The general rule is to put an X in the intersecting box in which the answer is "no" and a dot in the box for "yes." Some puzzles don't work as well with the traditional grid and have different ones. Dell has a great 'how to solve' section in the front of each magazine showing two types of grids.

There are several other logic puzzles I like. To be continued.

Men: Jason Statham

Jason
Statham

Name: Jason Statham
Best Known For: Movies, The One and Transporter
Year of Birth: 1972
Status: Single
Height: 5’10”
Fun Fact: Member of a diving squad (Olympics too)

Jason isn’t my normal choice for the Men category. He doesn’t quite have that cute face, however he is very, ahem, sexy. He has a great bod, he regularly plays bad boy types, and he does his own stunts…his own stunts! That’s right, folks. The climbing over the top of a truck to an overhead bridge, speeding through the streets in a Lamborghini, fighting off several guys at the same time, all him. Too cool.

Of course it takes martial arts knowledge, diving and driving skills, modeling experience, and an ooh la la accent (He’s British) to make him a stud muffin.

Dreams

I've noticed that when I'm really busy I'm too tired at night to remember my dreams. When I'm stressed I have dreams directly related to my stress. May was a stressful month and I ended up having a dream about my boss and her bosses - it was not pretty. This past month I haven't been really stressed nor too tired, but I've been having dreams. Really weird dreams.

If I'm crocheting or surfing the Internet, I sometimes watch the SciFi channel's ridiculous B-movies. I had watched this movie Premonition the night before and dreamt about a plane crash. I knew the plane crash was coming, but didn't know when. For some reason I was at work, but not working. I was walking with my friends from high school (I still keep in contact with). One of them was killed by the crashing plane. I don't know why her in particular although I have some theories. I also think I know why it took place at work.

I had another dream last night. In getting the computer up this morning and counting up the number of pages I've read, I've forgotten the dream. It was another weird one. Anybody out there know how to analyze dreams? I think this appearance of dreams has something to do with having to get back to hard work. Sigh.

Book Update...Starting on June 12, 41 books read = 13,508
Weight Update...Gained another 2 pounds. I don't think it's muscle, but when I get back to work I think I'll start to lose again. Reading books doesn't burn calories.

Chocolate: Withdrawal

There have been longing looks in the grocery store check out lines, a mysterious magnetic pull to the candy aisle of Sam's Club, and a general feeling of discontent as I'm cleaning the house. I'll be looking in the kitchen for something to eat, but the bag of chips, granola bars, and carrot sticks are not right. I feel a little empty - like something important is missing from my life. I crave chocolate.

I also know that the minute I cave in and buy chocolate that I'll be sabatoging myself. My two current chocolate cravings are Peanut M&Ms and Oreo Fudgies.

I usually buy the big bag of M&Ms. I'll grab handfuls while I'm reading or whatever and munch. I don't really pay attention to how many I eat. Then, when the crunchy part gets hard on my jaws (because I really do eat that many) I start putting them in my mouth one by one and sucking them down to the peanut before chewing. I love finding the perfectly round ones. Those don't have any peanuts in them.

Fudgies are new. In fact, I can't even find them listed in the products on the Oreo web site. They are dee-licious! I don't even get a glass of milk for these. They are long like Vienna fingers, but are the opposite - chocolate cookies with chocolate creme. The chocolate has a deeper chocolate taste than the regular cookie.

So go out an celebrate your chocolate craving. I'll have to live vicariously through you.

Books: Update

I'm currently reading book #42.

But book #38 was The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. I've been on a little chick lit kick lately that has brought my page count down (11,988 pages,@ book 38). Just in case you don't keep up (and that's probably nearly all of you out there) I'm trying to beat my record of reading 102 books in a summer from a few years ago. FYI, Not. Gonna. Happen. :o( I'm happy that I've been able to consume quite a few books, and it is only just over the middle of summer, but I really wish I had more time. As it stands I will likely get up to about 70.

I liked Moriarty's book. There was a bit of a mystery mixed in that was keeping me turning the pages. But there was an annoying side character, a woman who clearly has post-partum depression and hasn't a clue. Moriarty continues to keep giving clues as if we don't get it. I kept reading assuming that she had something else planned for this character and all the build up was necessary. In the end I'm thinking that it didn't need to be that descriptive. I liked everything else, including the main character.

Another chick lit I read was excrutiating. Help Wanted, Desperately by Ariel Horn. The Amazon reviewers gave it 4 1/2 stars and thought it was great while I was about to die under the mounds of drivel from the main character who was in her early twenties. And that might be the problem - I'm not in my early twenties. Seriously only read this book if you are a great fan of chick lit. When I read, and I'm engrossed, it would take acts of nature to disengage me. With this book I was distracted by my bookmark - the library receipt.

My best book news? Being able to read both Pandora's Daughter and Quicksand by Iris Johansen. Although the books center on different characters, reading Pandora first gives you a little more background on a side character in Quicksand. Holy cow! The ending had me floored and wishing its sequel was out right this very minute. Second to that would be a sequel for Pandora.

I've had a few suggestions for new reading material and most are on target, but there are a few genres I won't read. Historical fiction, (auto) biographies, and non-fiction are a few. I like to immerse myself in fantasy, and I'm still taking suggestions...

TV: Psych

No, I didn't want to watch it when it first premiered. B was the one that really wanted to. I thought I would hate watching it. Indeed, I do cringe everytime the characters pretend to be someone else to get the job done. But in the end, it was entertaining. I'm talking about USA Network's Psych. The show comes on after Monk and started it's third season on July 18.

I don't know why, but I worry when characters in TV shows put on ridiculous costumes to accomplish a task. I always worry what strange and horrible consequences will befall the characters. I know, I'm taking this way too seriously, but I cease to enjoy TV when I'm agonizing over what's coming next. Anyway, this show is riddled with funny costumes, made up names, and strange accents.

The main character, Shawn Spencer (James Roday), could have been a great detective like his father. His powers of observation (exaggerated for effect) have been finely honed by his dad from when he was young. However, he is quirky personified and would rather open a detective agency in which his observational skills can pass as psychic ability. He is supported by his stalwart friend, Burton Guster (Dule Hill).

The little extra takes at the end of an episode and the newer cartoon shorts aside (and they should be, I cringe more), the show is funny. It is also cool to try to figure out "who done it" just like in Murder She Wrote and similar detective series.

So you've missed the first episode of the season. USA repeats a lot. Tune in just once and see what you think.

Miscellaneous: The Fifth Element

I have this collection of a few movies that I call my own personal "cult favorites." One of those is The Fifth Element starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich. It has been on cable channels this summer (and does so often) to my delight. I have two, yes two, DVD copies of the movie which don't cut out the PG-13 rated sex-ish references and foul language like TV is required to smudge out.

Fifth didn't get great reviews back in 1997, but who listens to critics anyway? This movie rocks! I laugh so hard every time I see it - even if they show it twice in a row. Willis always does a great job playing the gun-toting hero. Jovovich did a good job playing vulnerable, She-Ra, and comedianne ("chick-en"). I loved Ian Holm as the intellectual priest, and Chris Tucker as the nutty radio personality. All the actors (Gary Oldman, Lee Evans, Brion James, Julie T. Wallace - and she didn't speak!) did their parts to make the movie come together.

The writer and director is Luc Besson. Besson, besides creating a great script, also does something I've not seen in any other movie. He switches locations during the scenes and makes them connect through the dialogue. It's awesome and hilarious.

All of the "real people" critics who dislike the film just think it's stupid. I can see what they mean, but it's fun. I think Pez dispensers are cheap and non-functional. I can never get the candy into the thing nor can I get it out smoothly. It's still considered fun. If you can tolerate a few sexual references and swear words I think you should see the movie. If not, then watch the watered down version on cable. Just watch.