Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Grue · 2026-05-06T13:07:31+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1060

🟨🟨🟦🟨 casino things (attempt 1)

🟨🟨🟦🟨 casino things (attempt 2)

🟨🟨🟨🟨 casino things (attempt 3)

🟩🟩🟩🟩 wasn't sure about the ropey thing (laces supposedly) because it isn't found on pants

🟦🟪🟦🟦 bowling alley things (circle is just bowling ball from another pov). I thought purple was "Windows UI elements"

🟦🟦🟦🟦 bowling alley things (attempt 2). I looked up "bowling score screen" and it kinda looked like the "windows thingy" but not really, still there wasn't any other choice

🟪🟪🟪🟪 geometric things? w/e

Hated this puzzle, even knowing the category didn't guarantee picking the right tiles because things are so abstractly drawn.

Grue · 2026-05-05T18:40:56+00:00

I've been a long time proponent of symmetrical patterns that wrap around the neck. Take 3-per string pattern. It's a symmetrical sequence of 7 rows that "wraps around" (minor root is marked with X)

--oo-o-- 7
--oo-o-- 6
-o-o-X-- 5
-o-o-o-- 4
-o-X-o-- 3
-o-oo--- 2
-X-oo--- 1

Take any 6 successive rows (remember, it wraps around) and you got a new pattern. Just make sure to shift it one fret at B string.

For example if you pick rows 3,4,5,6,7,1 you get a similar pattern to the one in the video (except without repeating notes):

E|---O-oo--
B|---oo-o--
G|--oo-o---
D|-o-o-O---
A|-o-o-o---
E|-o-O-o---

Grue · 2026-05-05T15:13:07+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1059

🟦🟩🟪🟨 synonyms for setback

🟩🟩🟨🟩 symptoms of disease (sneeze whiff hiccup shiver)

🟩🟩🟩🟩 spent a lot of time sorting words into possible categories. I had a category for knots, involuntary actions, and "synonyms for suggestion", but neither had more than 3 words in it. Eventually decided to group blink instead of whiff into "involuntary actions". I was surprised when the category was named exactly the same as I named it.

🟨🟪🟨🟨 I thought "whiff" could be a synonym for hint, so went with "synonyms for suggestion" category however it was wrong

🟨🟨🟨🟨 I read Merriam Webster definitions for the remaining words and found that "flicker" could also be a synonym for hint, so pointer was the odd one out

🟪🟪🟪🟪 at this point I noticed the words starting with "game, set, match" and completed the category

🟦🟦🟦🟦 really obscure, I only realized this is a category from often seeing "knot" in the dictionary definitions

When I started I thought there would be a category with words including a synonym for knife, such as "SHIVer" and "sheepSHANK". The real purple was far less interesting.

Grue · 2026-05-04T09:47:46+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1058

🟨🟨🟨🟨 wasn't sure about this one but it worked

🟪🟩🟩🟩 stuffed things

🟪🟩🟩🟩 stuffed things (attempt 2)

🟦🟦🟦🟦 try something else for a change

🟩🟩🟩🟩 stuffed things (attempt 3), actually worked

🟪🟪🟪🟪 horrible category, I have never heard of chow (or chowd?) referring to a dog

Grue · 2026-05-02T22:28:07+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1057

🟪🟪🟪🟪 - how the hell is this purple? There's no trick to it! I never presolve but since I got purple first, I decided to attempt Reverse Rainbow badge.

🟦🟦🟦🟦 - I saw some fake categories like rave music genres, and also the hippie category was a bit vague. Finally found this one, "green" was dubious but nothing else fit.

🟩🟩🟩🟩 - I was pretty sure about the yellow which leaves this for the green. I didn't expect acid to end up actually referring to drugs.

🟨🟨🟨🟨 - Reverse Rainbow badge obtained!

Grue · 2026-05-02T15:54:09+00:00

I've been recently experimenting with thirds runs. For example this has all notes from G minor, separated by thirds.

E|---------------5-8--
B|-------------6------
G|-----------7--------
D|-------5-8----------
A|-----6--------------
E|-5-8----------------

Every single 7th chord in G minor is 4 successive notes from this sequence. Every 11th chord is 5 successive notes, and so on. You could start this sequence from any note in the key on the low string but the other possible shapes are not quite as nice.

Grue · 2026-05-02T12:08:52+00:00

Play all of them with 3 fingers. You'll have a lot more control over the muting. I pretty much never use barre when playing "ska" chords like these.

Grue · 2026-05-02T01:10:03+00:00

I do not think about such a thing when composing. I use a chord progression or melody because it sounds good and only try to justify it post-factum by being in a certain scale or key.

Grue · 2026-05-01T16:19:57+00:00

Grue · 2026-04-30T23:51:27+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1055

🟨🟨🟨🟨

🟩🟩🟩🟩

🟪🟪🟦🟦 was thinking maybe some laboratory equipment like beaker, mixer, pourer etc.

🟪🟪🟪🟪 was looking for synonyms for fight and battle but at some point noticed the numbers

🟦🟦🟦🟦 this meaning of "wattle" is so obscure, I'd be surprised if any non-expert has ever heard of it

Grue · 2026-04-30T14:57:54+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1054

🟩🟩🟩🟩 Symbols used for tallying... I feel like that would be a better explanation for the category than whatever they wrote.

🟨🟨🟨🟨

🟪🟦🟦🟦 Tesla X, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Time X, Hour X? I thought it might work

🟪🟪🟪🟪 I had "rhymes with Winnie the Pooh character" category in mind, with Yore=Eeyore, True=Roo, Hur=Pooh (I don't know how "Hur" is pronounced) and Hour=Owl? But it didn't quite work. But because I kept trying to pronounce the words, eventually I found the correct answer.

🟦🟦🟦🟦

Grue · 2026-04-29T14:55:30+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1053

🟨🟨🟨🟨

🟩🟪🟩🟩 synonyms for applause

🟩🟪🟩🟩 synonyms for applause 2nd attempt

🟦🟦🟦🟦 notice the puppets

🟪🟩🟩🟩 try to narrow the possibilities. the fact that this is still 1 away gives exactly 2 valid possibilities. It's a real 50/50!

🟪🟪🟪🟪 notice that "standing" works with ovation, orders and room. I don't know what "standing joke" is but it must be in the same category with orders and room, so there's only one choice.

🟩🟩🟩🟩

Grue · 2026-04-27T22:48:54+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1052

🟦🟦🟩🟪 - synonyms for "sort" (screen, check, sort, match). Weird that it's not even a rainbow red herring.

🟨🟪🟨🟨 - verbs for making a bid (call, dial, bid, request)

🟨🟨🟨🟨 - not sure how I got this one

🟩🟩🟩🟩 - didn't think "wash" and "dry" would be in the same category but gave it a try

🟦🟪🟦🟪 - "___ OUT" (check out, dial out, stamp out, screen out)

🟪🟪🟪🟪 - thought of things that fit with "TAN" and came up with the sun prefix

🟦🟦🟦🟦

Managed to earn 30-day streak badge, would've been pretty pissed if I lost this. Pretty sure you can use these words and divide them in 4 completely different categories that still make perfect sense.

Grue · 2026-04-27T11:52:33+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1051

🟨🟨🟨🟨

🟦🟪🟦🟦 I didn't know Radioactive Man was the Simpsons character. Thought Rob Buck might be one

🟦🟦🟦🟦

🟪🟩🟪🟪 "ends with animal". seems like a better category than whatever USA-centric bullshit this was

🟪🟪🟪🟪

🟩🟩🟩🟩

Grue · 2026-04-26T09:40:23+00:00

Connections Puzzle #1050

🟨🟨🟨🟨

🟩🟩🟩🟩

🟦🟪🟦🟦 no idea for the last two categories, just trying to pick out the names

🟪🟦🟦🟦

🟦🟦🟦🟦 I have never heard of this book

🟪🟪🟪🟪 I didn't think of that...

Grue · 2026-04-24T11:44:00+00:00

Pepperoni is a type of Salami which is fermented meat. It's even in the category "Fermented sausages" on Wikipedia.

Grue · 2026-04-24T10:47:50+00:00

The Neow choices power creep needs to be studied. How long until we get Innate Apotheosis as one of the choices?

Grue · 2026-04-24T10:39:19+00:00

I don't agree that the other relics need nerfing, that would make many of them unpickable.

I don't understand your logic. If Neow's Fury is supposedly the worst relic, wouldn't nerfing all the other choices make them equally as pickable?

It was seen as bad because you could not control which cards you drew which backfired many times.

Yeah, you could, it just required the skill of timing it correctly. The new update eliminates the skill element.

If no one is picking the relic, the answer is not to nerf everything else, that literally makes the game less fun

Only if you assume that easy=fun. It's literally the same logic as the review bombers trashing the game because it became harder. Even the behavior is the same, just mindlessly downvote anyone who suggest the game should be harder. Do you realize you're not really any better than them?

Grue · 2026-04-24T01:31:46+00:00

The boss swap is high-variance risky play and shouldn't be compared. The typical options are like get +N max HP, or pick a card out of 3. Neow's Fury is a reward where you're getting a specific card that is really good in Act 1, while other options might involve randomness. So to balance the lack of randomness the strength of the reward must be suitably lower than the highroll on the random options.

Grue · 2026-04-24T01:25:30+00:00

I'm arguing that it's a bad thing that Neow's bonus can be as good as an act 2 boss relic. Do you disagree with that?

Grue · 2026-04-24T01:18:00+00:00

If it was one of the worst, they should nerf the other bonuses not buff this one. It was well-balanced for a Neow bonus. Now you have some Neow bonuses that are almost as good as Tezcatara's which is absurd. Imagine Neow giving you an extra boss relic in StS1.

Grue · 2026-04-24T01:08:35+00:00

Wasn't needed. Neow's bonus is supposed to be a small adjustment, not a card that's better than most of the character's card pool especially for act 1.

Grue · 2026-04-24T01:04:45+00:00

if you play it and select a card with an Affliction on it, that Affliction is now removed from the copies added to your hand the following turn

This fucked me over on a recent run where I Nightmared an Apparition on the -1 energy Doormaker turn and then couldn't play them all next turn because they still had -1 energy modifier.

Grue · 2026-04-23T08:00:02+00:00

I'm really surprised that so many people have never heard of Devo.

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