theorchidshow

theorchidshow, 25 days ago to random

#NYTXW Kind of a different feel today, hard to say exactly why. Not really a Friday, at the very least, but everything feels so amorphous and irregular now with regard to weekly puzzle balance that I almost feel like it's not worth the effort to think much about it anymore. Today's solve music was Crazy Dreams Band's self-titled album (Holy Mountain, 2008).

theorchidshow, 1 month ago to random

#NYTXW Can't decide if the NE construction was poor or if the cluing was especially careless in that region - kealoa territory feeding into natick city; oof! Irresponsible. Unpublishable as is. Today's solve music was The Muffins' 'Manna/Mirage' (Random Radar, 1978).

theorchidshow, 1 month ago to random

#NYTXW I had the grid 99% filled in before I determined exactly how the grid specifically wanted its gimmick relayed. I was under the impression that it was a rebus situation until the absolute last possible opportunity and can't decide if I'm more annoyed with myself for it taking an extra minute to grasp or the constructor for doing an annoying yet begrudgingly impressive thing. Today's solve music was Kubelka's 'We’re Gonna Do It Like This Now' (She Sells, 1999).

theorchidshow, 2 months ago to random

#NYTXW Generally horrible NW that I got so much wrong in and some truly ugly crossings in the SW, too. Regardless of the day of the week, accessibility is important. A puzzle can be clued soberly yet still be challenging - this grid was the perfect place to keep things straightforward while still offering a satisfying and rewarding solve; how tragic that it failed to do so - is Fagliano deliberately throwing to make Shortz look good? Today's solve music was Merzbow's 'Hinawave' (Slowdown, 2022).

theorchidshow, 3 months ago to random

#NYTXW This was mostly fine, even if I've never heard anyone say 36-A before and a couple of crossings felt like they were reaching to be more than was truly necessary for the sake of satisfying this being a late-in-week grid. Today's solve music was The Automaton Adventure Series' self-titled cassette (private-press, 1998).

theorchidshow, 3 months ago to random

#NYTXW Couple crossing towards the end of my solve whose issues could have been easily remedied with less shitty cluing but on the whole, I found myself on the wavelength of the editor throughout most of this, though in some cases I don't know if that means that this was a natural puzzle or if I've merely been doing these for too long. Today's solve music was Hochenkeit's 'I Love You' (Road Cone, 1999).

theorchidshow, 1 year ago to random

happy birthday keith jarrett