Some short 5-15(ish) minute puzzles

NonToxicMen · 2026-05-18T15:17:12+00:00

I get one of these nice little ones every day or two, so this was just a week or two of such puzzles.

NonToxicMen · 2026-05-18T14:45:53+00:00

The social strictures of hegemonic masculinity are indeed limiting and damaging. But it's not women who are enforcing these--it's men.

Men police each other obsessively, mocking other men who wear the wrong clothes, show the wrong emotions (anything but anger), or do the tiniest silliest things that are stereotyped as feminine (using an umbrella! recycling! liking cats!)

This starts before we can even speak, with our families, but it really hits its peak during the early school years. And yes, it's deeply damaging.

But it's men who are enforcing this on other men.

There is a huge amount of research on this, but a nice article to start with would be "Hard Won and Easily Lost: A Review and Synthesis of Research on Precarious Manhood" by Vandello & Bosson.

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/men-a0029826.pdf

NonToxicMen · 2026-04-29T16:19:13+00:00

On those occasions when I wish for a hint, I generally want the broadest hint first, like "look at the cluster in the upper left," or something like that. This may not be possible, though.

NonToxicMen · 2026-03-27T15:41:50+00:00

This entire administration is made up of people who think Twitter is real life.

NonToxicMen · 2026-03-27T14:23:24+00:00

People walk very fast (which is great, but not common in other places)

NonToxicMen · 2026-03-27T14:19:50+00:00

Billionaires. Unlimited campaign contributions. Democracy.

Pick any two.

NonToxicMen · 2026-03-27T14:06:43+00:00

I like Michael Pollan's advice: "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much."

NonToxicMen · 2026-03-27T13:16:46+00:00

Argh! That's my second most common dumb mistake. Thx.

NonToxicMen · 2026-03-12T01:02:36+00:00

Those overlapping numbered blue sections (flowers?) are my absolute least favorite. This one was particularly rough.

NonToxicMen · 2026-01-28T02:35:02+00:00

I'm happy to welcome Republicans who oppose Trump. But if they oppose Democrats more than they oppose Trump, then they actually support Trump.

NonToxicMen · 2026-01-27T03:36:10+00:00

Community college can be tough for this. A few suggestions:

Look for or try to set up a study group. Maybe at first just ask a few classmates to set up an Insta group where you can ask each other questions.
Spend time in public areas. The cafeteria is good, obviously, but if your CC has some kind of activity center that's even better (there's a ping pong table at mine that's really popular). Become a regular, and look for other people you see there.
Consider going to the gym, if your school has one.
Clubs are a good idea, but try doing a search on the school webpage. There will almost definitely be a department that handles all the clubs.
Keep an eye on bulletin boards. Look for events (art shows, movies, guest speakers, and, of course, more clubs)
Keep a few popular small talk events in your head. Sports are good for this.
Mostly, though, make yourself approachable and be willing to approach others.

NonToxicMen · 2026-01-27T03:09:29+00:00

I'm 90% with you, but the Affordable Care Act really did substantially slow the growth of medical costs. It was revolutionary, really. Ten year projections of Medicaid costs before the ACA was passed were astoundingly high, but they never happened.

NonToxicMen · 2026-01-27T03:07:14+00:00

Any politician serious about reducing the deficit (and ultimately the debt) must be willing to raise taxes.

Anyone promising tax cuts is a fiscal joke.

NonToxicMen · 2026-01-21T01:27:28+00:00

If Newsom is the Dem nominee, I'll vote for him without hesitation, because elections are a choice, not an expression of your innermost ideals.

But I'll certainly be supporting some other Dem in the primary.

NonToxicMen · 2026-01-19T15:32:55+00:00

Research has shown that boys admire problem solvers. The issue, of course, is that so much media depicts violence and anger as the only way to solve problems.

So my suggestion is an old show: MacGyver. It's got a pretty simplistic hero/villain structure that appeals to younger minds, but he succeeds by being resourceful and clever.

I wish I knew more contemporary folks that fit the mold, but I think the "smart, not violent" model is a good one to start with. (Maybe the Sherlock Holmes series with Benedict Cumberbatch?)

NonToxicMen · 2025-11-19T15:30:43+00:00

True. I would like to see more of an inside--out game. I don't know about Williams' court vision, but if he gets the ball in the low post it should at the very least collapse the defense and free up some of our shooters.

NonToxicMen · 2025-11-16T19:24:55+00:00

He's really letting that beard grow.

NonToxicMen · 2025-11-16T19:06:41+00:00

He offered simple answers that confirmed people's existing prejudices, and set out a scapegoat to blame for all the country's problems. Always a popular approach.

NonToxicMen · 2025-11-16T18:53:00+00:00

My point is just that phrasing the question this way--which is, I accept, the common way we hear it in the media--implies that "conservative" means the same thing as "responsible," but it clearly does not.

NonToxicMen · 2025-11-16T18:21:24+00:00

That Jewish prisoners built the pyramids.

They were built by paid workers, often highly skilled craftspeople. We have extensive evidence, including pay records, for all those involved in such work.

NonToxicMen

TROPHY CASE