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Vacation Over: Back To Work = …?

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Games, Yankees on April 23, 2012 by slateman

OK, so my week off is over. I may say I hate vacations but I got to spend a full week waking up and hanging out with the boy and my sunshine (that’s Aiden and Kairi for the uninitiated). In any event, what’s the week to come to bring?

Module: Imagineering

First off, I’m kinda psyched that Module has released a new album. His Site has the full album…I should just buy it? The Shatter soundtrack is just about perfection. From what I’ve heard, I like this…I don’t love it. Oops…I was listening to samples from his first album. NP: The new one. OK, I more than like it.

What I DO love? The Yankees coming back from 9 down yesterday. I think the rain-out today is actually beneficial to the Sox. Let’s face it, they won’t be this bad forever. When we make this game up, likely sometime in September, they’ll win it. Mark my words.

I guess I miss my students a little bit. Sue me for loving my job so much.

The Windmill Cube is the bomb…BTW. So much fun.

To work in the AM. Bring it on!

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Wednesday Roundup

Posted in Cubing, Games, Ys with tags on April 19, 2012 by slateman

Oh vacation, how I loathe thee. I should love vacation but every time it is just full of suckage. BUT, rather than complain, let’s see what’s good.

First off, GameFly shipped me Portal 2. I played through a bunch last autumn but had to send it back to get something new (can’t recall what), and now it’s time to get back into it. I’ll say, this is a frustrating game. Like all puzzle games, if you’re stuck, it’s downright shit. However, when you do complete a level, it’s a very rewarding feeling.

Still playing Magic Piano (by Smule). It’s fun and somewhat relaxing. I need that during weeks like these.

Got two new Yankees shirts. \m/

Also got Beowulf finally. This translation is by Seamus Heaney and I nabbed the illustrated edition. It’s actually a cool edition and I look forward to finally reading it. Also on the to-read list, Catching Fire (Hunger Games book 2), Sigurd & Gudrun, Tolkien’s poem and Game Of Thrones. Let’s face it though, that last one is gonna take forever.

Oh, playing Ys: Oath In Felghana on the Vita. Sure, it’s a PSP game, but the ability to pause and run other apps is kinda cool. The game is fun but the difficulty ramps up ridiculously on boss battles. Meh.

Ahh, forgot to mention that I solved the megaminx and the windmill cube the other day each without algorithms. It’s a good step, makes me feel good about myself and only through this do I really count it as ‘solved’. I started a tutorial on the windmill cube. Editing takes 10x longer than the filming.

OK, that should be it. Need a vacation from the vacation!!!

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Tuesday Rumblings

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Games, Music, Yankees on April 10, 2012 by slateman

I hate Tuesdays. They are the worst day of the week. The novelty feel of Monday has worn off. It’s not yet Wednesday. Hello Tuesday; I hate you.

OK, Today’s rumblings. First off, the Yankees won last night. It was nice seeing them string hits together and having that feel of certain victory. I don’t care that it came against the (3-0!) Baltimore Orioles. It’s a W. We started off 1998 0-3 as well.

Windmill Cube Solved! OK, that’s not news, but doing so without a guide is! I was using my
notes and algorithms but with so little to remember, I was kinda proud of getting it done myself. It’s a fun cube!

JKB’s Posthuman comes out soon and I hope to have a promo shortly. Definitely looking forward to this one. More over at Crumbling Flesh when it does arrive.

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Cubing: Windmill Cube – Algorithms

Posted in Cubing on April 3, 2012 by slateman

Windmill Cube


I tossed up some algorithms over at my Cubelog. Having solved the cube a few times, I’ve found a way to improve upon the original tutorial and may eventually make my own. However, for now, it’s a guide for myself. As it turns out, the cube itself isn’t as difficult as its presentation would suggest. It is actually quite fun.

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New Cubes Get!

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on March 28, 2012 by slateman

New Cubes Get!

I ordered these cubes on Saturday and they arrived on Tuesday. Now THAT is service! I’m super thrilled as these are three interesting new additions to the collection. Now, I must say that I’m having a tough time with the Megaminx and am completely bewildered by the Windmill Cube. The Void Cube just has that one parity issue, but it’s rather fun. The others…I’m so confused. I don’t care though! I’ve got new cubes!

The Megaminx is solved largely like a standard 3×3, but wrapping my mind around that concept isn’t working too well. I’m just…so confused. The Windmill Cube (YJ Wheel Puzzle) is just too strange for me to grasp. I’m having such an hard time understanding how the entire thing works.

Void Cube Parity Algorithms
Swap UF with UR
R F’ L2 F2 U’ D R’ F B’ D’ F2 D F’
U2 R2 D R’ L B’ R2 F2 U D’ R’ F’ B U

Swap UF with UB
U F’ L’ B U’ R’ L2 D L’ D’ B R L2 U
F L R’ B U2 D’ F U L’ U’ L R’ D’ F’ R’

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Updated: Cube To-Buy List

Posted in Blog, Cubing on March 24, 2012 by slateman

With my new purchase in ‘shipping soon’ status, I’ve updated my wish list with some new stuff. I really thought I was almost done but I’m kinda interested in some of these different types of cubes. No rush on this stuff.

Master Skewb ($15)
QJ Megaminx (~$10, or $9) (or MF8 VII?) ($12.50)
LanLan Void Cube ($5)
YJ Wheel Puzzle ($8)
YJ Fisher Cube
SS 5×5
SS 6×6 ($23)
SS 8×8 ($88!)
Dayan ZhanChi

New Stuff
QJ 1x1x3 (6.50)
C4U 3x3x4 ($12)
LanLan Flower Rex Cube ($10)
Curvy Copter ($18) (or LanLan for $15)
MF8 Gigaminx (gonna be expensive…)

OK, do I *NEED* this stuff? Mainly, no. I do want a Megaminx though. The Void Cube & Master Skewb should be cool too. Then to start looking at the odd 3x3xNs. There are plenty of those to collect. Anyways, just some links for now. Future reference and all.

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Cubing: New Order!

Posted in Blog, Cubing on March 24, 2012 by slateman

I’m psyched about receiving this one. It’ll be a while before I get it, but I am looking at a QJ Megaminx, a LanLan Void Cube and a YJ Wheel Puzzle. The latter is a lot like a Fisher Cube, but I don’t know much about it. Whatever, these should be new and exciting challenges, and all three were rather cheap! I’m so psyched!!!

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New Cubing Record: 4×4 – 2:53.61

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records on March 18, 2012 by slateman


I’ve been solving the 4×4 a bunch lately, it’s so much more enjoyable now that I have the ShengShou, and it’s becoming a nice quick solve. This is something I can do in just a few minutes when I have a few to spare. I’ve given up on getting more than one color in the middle layer at a time, as it just slows me down. I realize it’s better, but I have a hard enough time figuring out which color is next sometimes. So, after a few runs this morning, including another sub-3 minute solve, I bested my record by just about 3 seconds. It’s not a wonderful speed, I guess my new goal is 2:45, but it’s something. I encountered parity in my last step, but that’s an easy algorithm. I truly hate having to do the long parity alg. The boy was ready for a nap, so he cried the entire last minute. Good thing I can tune him out. heh. So, 4×4, a new record, felt pretty good about things!

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New Cubing Record: 7×7 – 28:24.34

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records on March 15, 2012 by slateman

Yeah…that’s right. 28 friggin’ minutes. Well, I’ve been meaning to do an actual speed (?) run and tonight was the night. Now, first off, the 7×7 is a beast. It took 10 minutes just to get the centers, another 6 to get the middle 3 edges, but another 10 (!) for the final edges. I messed up a few times on that one. I’d say that wrecked my chances for a fast run, but let’s face it, it took forever. Ultimately though, I really wanted to have a figure, and 28 minutes+ it is. It was fun. I listened to some Satch, got over the fact that my son drooled on the cube and lost a green/yellow edge sticker. At least it turns a bit better than my V-Cube 6, but it was harder than normal to align the layers to turn at first. OK. Done. 7×7 record set. I’m happy.

7x7 Cube Record

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New Cubing Record – UPDATED: Pyraminx – 13.80

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records on March 7, 2012 by slateman

I think I’ll dissolve my old Cubelog and post everything here. After my new purchase a few weeks ago (3x3x2, Pyraminx, Skewb), I realized I would never go for speed on most. However, the Pyraminx is not a difficult puzzle and so I did decide to time myself. Today’s record of 13.80 seconds is not bad. With only three algorithms, really (I’d actually say two) it’s not hard to go for speed. A little luck goes a long way! Cube Records posted here.

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