Thursday, October 12, 2006

Cryptic Crosswords, Loos, Archimedes

I had to find something to keep me occupied during the bus ride to work. On some days you can tune into interesting conversations, but you don't get to sit next to a smart aleck everyday. (Diverging: Sparun the pun-dit was pretty pleased with himself for writing "Smart Elecs" on the Electrical Engineering department's display board once.) Reading in a moving bus strains the eyes. Listening to the radio with earphones will gradually deafen you since you'll have to turn up the volume amidst all the din. Enter cryptic crosswords. Read the clue, think it over, and when the bus halts at a stop or junction, fill in the boxes. Almost every newspaper carries a decent cryptic crossword. I get Deccan Herald at home and it carries one in the Sunday edition. One crossword a week is good enough for a beginner like me. I also picked up a book with 80 crosswords from The Daily Telegraph. That should last me for months. Try this cryptic crossword solving tips page to get a hang of it.

I completed last week's Sunday DH crossword in a day. It was done in five or six sittings on the porcelain throne (I had a terrible stomach upset from a visit to Empire with the baays on Saturday.) Normally I don't even come close to solving one in a week. I think this is conclusive evidence to show that you think better in there. I know others who share this feeling. As further proof, I present the exhibit on the left - "The Thinker". What do you think this suggests? This leads to the question: Was Archimedes really in a bathtub when he had his great idea? I firmly believe King Heiro's PR department fudged the facts. If you are convinced and want to get yourself a really good "think station" now, consider one from Toto.