The Sphinx's Lair

Destructible Lemon

13:00

@humn ;_;

why did this get starred

also I would like to make a closing remark

"pentasyllabic" is a cool autological word

also "polysyllabic"

manshu

@DestructibleLemon Coz it is one of the humn's easily understandable statements.

Destructible Lemon

3 mins ago, by humn

manshu!

humn

(I'm not gonna go to the trouble of figuring out who you are, Destructible L, you're saving us the trouble in such a fun way.)

Destructible Lemon

well then, goodbye for real I imagine

manshu

@DestructibleLemon I am usually confused whenever humn does this. Is is taunt or something else?

Destructible Lemon

13:03

I think it's more of a tease or something

or saying that maybe you're being a bit silly

which is a bit ironic

humn

Took many scars before my feral cat taught me how to go belly up without fear.

manshu

That's what I guess sometimes.

Destructible Lemon

maybe they're just annoyed that you're stealing their gig

like, it's humns job to make statements like that

humn

@manshu , from one who adopted English to another. thank you.

Destructible Lemon

well, I would say goodbye for real but given recent examples its not likely that it would be

manshu

13:05

@DestructibleLemon I am supposed to use things he taught me

humn

After I conquer English, look out mathematics, you're next.

Destructible Lemon

@humn, what is your opinion of Don Quixote?

manshu

:o

I thought you know maths.

Destructible Lemon

@manshu ö

humn

Okay, after i vanquish English, look out mathematics, you're next.

manshu

13:07

@DestructibleLemon My eyes are bit bigger :p

Destructible Lemon

@humn but I'm using english!

Sid

@humn Oh, no. Vanquishing Maths would have consequences worse than nuclear war

manshu

@Sid Especially by humn

humn

@DestructibleLemon , Don Quixote is one of my treasure troves for quotes, even after translation.

Destructible Lemon

yeah... doesn't it originate "the pot calling the kettle black" in english?

which is pretty interesting

@humn I don't really remember the quotes

I like Sancho's rogue characteristics

despite being so friendly with Don Quixote, he still willfully tries to deceive him

humn

13:10

Nice!

Sid

Hmm... we don't seem to have great puzzles on the site. (Also, the ones which are great are beyond my understanding. :P)

manshu

reminds me..."frenemy" is also a nice word

Destructible Lemon

nah I'm not a big fan of that word

i feel like some of my least favourite words are portmanteaus

humn

@manshu , How I aim to land on your planet one day

Destructible Lemon

though a large amount of them are nice

@humn that was a bit harsh

manshu

13:12

@humn You will be welcomed by God knows what.

humn

@DestructibleLemon , might seem that way, but not at all harsh. I come in peace.

Destructible Lemon

@Humn, say something of the library of babel

humn

Put another nickel in!

I mediated a conversation between two others who had no common language. With each other nor me.

Destructible Lemon

@humn sounds like fun

@humn Material transporters are illegal in my system

humn

Teresa Brewer - Music Music Music (Put Another Nickel In) (1950)

►

manshu

13:16

@humn In other words, you were saving them the time for using Google Translate

Destructible Lemon

plus I don't think Aussie 5 cent coins count

manshu

@humn I have heard the opening tune in an advertisement or something... @Sid have you?

Sid

Sorry, can't use sound now.. guests at home

manshu

Nestle Maggi

humn

Yum! (that was a looker upper)

Destructible Lemon

13:20

so do we just post songs in here?

or do they have to relate to something someone said

humn

Far as I can tell it's game season until someone mentions CCCCCCCC

Sid

Oh, scon's C4 was solved?

Huh... it wasn't confirmed..

Destructible Lemon

Tearaway OST - Pilgrimage

►

humn

Much appreciated.

Sid

Free flags people: puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/53159/lined-to-the-nines/…

Destructible Lemon

13:22

@humn, have you ever played the hive "board" game?

humn

link?

Destructible Lemon

😂😂😂humn RESIGNED!!!😂😂😂

ok but for real

Hive (game)

Hive is a bug-themed tabletop game, designed by John Yianni and published in 2001 by Gen42 Games. The object of Hive is to capture the opponent's queen bee by completely surrounding it, while avoiding the capture of one's own queen. Hive is an abstract strategy game. Hive shares elements of both tile-based games and board games. It differs from other tile-based games in that the tiles, once placed, can then be moved to other positions according to various rules, much like chess pieces. Thus, the game has mechanics comparable to an abstract strategy board game and is marketed in that genre. It does...

humn

That was a badass stare. (from a visual critic)

Destructible Lemon

I like how it is a board game with no actual board

I don't like that I have to write "board" game instead of boardgame

it also has a cool text logo

I should probably be sleeping

humn

You fell asleep an hour ago. This is just a dream.

Destructible Lemon

13:28

nuh uh

I would have to be in bed to be asleep

humn

Thank you for a new game to play.

Destructible Lemon

nah, you should probably go buy the game

or you could play it in text form

but that isn't as good and also hex arts can be annoying

humn

... I've been out of money to buy books or games for quite a while ...

Destructible Lemon

dang

humn

fumes can keep the engine running!

Destructible Lemon

13:29

its 10 dollars on steam if you are low on cash/have noone to play it with in real life anyway

Rand al'Thor

@DestructibleLemon Why, why, why did you resign, Number Six?

humn

While I've been recycling hundreds of books, I did take a moment to calculate how many bucks I've supported authors with. Worthy cause.

(I've also supported countless authors by editiing their works to publication.)

Destructible Lemon

well, I'll be off now then. about a metre off; my computer is near my bed

probably closer to 2 thirds

I don't know, estimation has never been my strong point

seeya for real now probably

humn

Always worth a try!

Rand al'Thor

@DestructibleLemon So you keep saying.

humn

13:33

I tried to sleep a few hours ago. It worked.

Then I tried to wake up. Another success!

Rand al'Thor

How do you try to wake up?

humn

... really? you don't know my stock response by now? ...

I try to wake up just the best I can.

Doesn't always work.

manshu

@Randal'Thor Getting out of the bed is harder than you think

humn

The bed is my home planet. I spill out of orbit daily just to return.

manshu

That's poetic

humn

13:37

... always worth a try! . . .

Rand al'Thor

@manshu That's getting up, not waking up.

humn

@manshu , that was, thank you for noticing, yet another attempt toward your style.

manshu

@Randal'Thor Imagine yourself waking up and then not being able to get up from the bed. What do you do? You sleep again. These regular waking up and sleeping down causes the harder waking ups

:o Never knew I had a style.

humn

... by the time you recognize it, you'll seem awkward to others ...

Rand al'Thor

@humn I actually thought it was @manshu saying that, until I took a closer look at the name on the left.

manshu

13:40

people already call me awkward. Never found out why

humn

I stumble over my own words.

But, really, I've felt awkward my whole life and then found out that others admired me. How awkward!

Rand al'Thor

Draw kwa.

Would a kwa be a weapon or an artwork?

humn

You go! I had a comeback but you typed too quickly.

M Oehm

@Randal'Thor It's an eyeless river. (Or "flower" if you prefer.)

humn

Ooh, just gave me ideas based on "lash."

But dictionary puzzles are a slap in the face around here.

Every time I thought i had a clever word game, someone (Gareth) pulls out a wider lexicon.

So I retreat to mathematics and still get limited.

Rand al'Thor

13:50

@MOehm As in the Colonel Bogey march?

I'd post a variant, but not sure if it might offend.

humn

Colonel Bogey March (Original)

►

M Oehm

Yep, that one. (As a former member of an dums.and-pipes band, I'm familiar with that one and might even still have the notes somewhere, no need to post.)

Oh, too late.

humn

(By the way, @Rand al'Thor, did you know that I'm a boss at Music SE chat now? Your advice helped. And they figured out that the best way to shut me up is a promotion.)

Rand al'Thor

@humn Oh wow, nice! :-D

But for pedantry, 'twas the system and not the mods that promoted you.

in The Practice Room, Jul 5 at 12:33, by Feeds

humn has been automatically appointed as owner of this room. (What does this mean?)

humn

After I'm done solving all other worlds' problems I'll figure out how that happened.

Guess it can, in the meanwhile.

Rand al'Thor

13:58

The second link in that message explains it.

TL;DR: you were chatty where nobody else was.

humn

Thank you for the spoiler. Truly, thank you!

Rand al'Thor

The same happened to me over on Lit:

in The Reading Room, Jan 20 at 11:20, by Stack Exchange

Rand al'Thor has been automatically appointed as owner of this room. (What does this mean?)

humn

So it's that easy?

Rand al'Thor

Other people were chatty there, but apparently I was the chattiest.

humn

Fellow chatterbox!

The fingers just don't stop, but that promotion got them to.

Rand al'Thor

14:01

Apparently I'm the #51 chattiest on the network.

humn

I've shuttered under radio silence since that. I promised to do some reading.

Rand al'Thor

You'll get there.

Especially now you're expanding your repertoire to Music and Literature and Writers as well as Puzzling.

humn

Arts!

One of these days Gepetto will whittle me into a true artist.

Until then, I try to echo all, like a blank wall.

Ain't life fun?! It ... just ... ain't ... fair ...

(from one who has lost so many)

Sorry to be so maudlin.

Rand al'Thor

@manshu (noticing the starboard): I assume you've seen this?

7

Q: Why did Velutha hold a relatively high employment status for his social class?

In The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Velutha is a member of the "Untouchables" - the social class at the bottom of society. What I find slightly paradoxical is that he holds employment in Mammachi's factory as a carpenter. This is defying social norms in so many ways - he's educated (wel...

humn

The Tears Of A Clown

►

Rand al'Thor

14:10

It seems manshu has left us.

humn, we must tread the steps of this wordly dance alone.

humn

What a roller coaster.

Rand al'et, I thought I was 100 when I was born. Now feel infantile and suspect that you're 100.

How the trees grow tall.

Rand al'Thor

I'm sure that you're older and wiser than I.

I marvel at the humn show, and can but hope to provide pale imitations of it.

humn

Only my stylist knows.

Rand al'Thor

stackstatus.net/post/162645665344/…

If we lose contact today, this is why.

humn

@Randal'Thor , thank you for the explanation. (Also for much more.)

Life with barely a clue. Much less a hint. Rarely a suspicion.

(Too often a suspect.)

Blotter: The times I should've been busted have no correlation to the times I was. That's why I have clean record.

(that took enough tries to strip to make me wonder if Charcoal is more sophisticated than imagined)

(Charcoal is where all of our outbursts get the water treatment when necessary)

Rand al'Thor

14:34

You mean the chatroom Charcoal?

humn

Yip.

Whenever anything goes wrong on the internet I suspect everyone.

Rand al'Thor

Someone is always wrong on the internet.

humn

(laughing and laughing)

I'm almost always wrong on the internet.

When I'm right, dammit, I'm right.

When I'm wrong, though,,,,, .... you know .... only humn ...

(So bizarre I scare myself.)

(But I'm easily scared. Signed, a coward in hard-knuckled clothing.)

(Really, nobody has outknuckled me. I flail like a tornado while hoping for a calm stream.)

(Again, please don't call the cops. Those days are over.)

See how thrashing can turn into Puzzling? Look at my posts. They are kisses. (Don't look at the actions related roundabout; they are hits.)

Rand al'Thor

14:51

@humn Speaking of calling the cops ...

May 25 '15 at 11:20, by leoll2

By the way, if you'll ever see me disappear from Puzzling without reason, please call the police!

(from someone who disappeared from Puzzling about a month later)

humn

My o my!

Two years ago.

Now I'm crying.

Rand al'Thor

There were a few people in 2015 who arrived on Puzzling, posted loads of stuff and shot up the rep rankings, and then abruptly disappeared without explanation.

leoll2, then Bailey M, then CodeNewbie, ...

humn

And you're here to tell! Me too.

Rand al'Thor

Gareth and Rubio, OTOH, seem to have stuck.

humn

Now I'm smiling while I'm crying.

Rand al'Thor

14:55

I think chat helps.

When you're making and solving puzzles on the main site, it's easier to get bored and wander off.

When you engage with people in chat, and start to feel like you have actual friends here, it's much harder to disengage.

TheGreatEscaper

Hullo

humn

I brag to my in-person friends that I have others around the world.

TheGreatEscaper

I totally agree @Randal'Thor

humn

(They do too.)

TheGreatEscaper

I disappeared off puzzling for a month or so

Checked in occasionally but no puzzles really grabbed my attention at the time

humn

14:58

I look forward to your next summer break, @TheGrE.

TheGreatEscaper

Came back to TSL, saw some familiar friendly faces/profile pics, and now intend to spend a little more time here

Oh, humn, so do I.

Meanwhile I'm headed off to the IMO!

Rand al'Thor

@TheGreatEscaper Woo, nice! :-D

TheGreatEscaper

My flight's in less than an hour.

Rand al'Thor

Where is it this year?

TheGreatEscaper

@Ankoganit remind me which country you're from (sorry I have a terrible memory) so I can pick you out of the crowd

I'm Aus, you'll recognise us as the ones clipping koalas onto the backs of everyone's shirt

@Randal'Thor Rio de Janiero!

humn

15:01

I wake up each midnight only to realize that it's daytime elsewhere.

Rand al'Thor

@TheGreatEscaper Ooh, fun!

Time to brush up on your Portuguese ;-)

Now I wonder if you and I are FOAFs IRL, @TGE.

Naming no names, but I've met several Aussie mathematicians, including some involved with the IMO.

humn

A!

Deusovi

@Randal'Thor I don't know if it's just feeling like it. I definitely consider all of you to be my friends on the same level as "real life friends".

humn

Deusweeti!

Rand al'Thor

@Deusovi Feelings can be genuine ;-)

Deusovi

15:06

True!

TheGreatEscaper

I usually don't make much of a distinction between online friends and otherwise

I mean, the only difference is how much you can hang out in person :P

These days, let's be honest, most people talk to their IRL friends more online than face to face

humn

Yeah, I don't completely trust someone until I can smell them. (And likewise, until they smell me.)

But these fingers have touched across oceans for half a century by now.

Should be arrested by now, but what fun would that be?

TheGreatEscaper

@humn pheromones and such?

Rand al'Thor

@humn Are you that old, or speaking figuratively?

(feel free to not answer, of course)

humn

... really that old .. it just ain't fair ..

TheGreatEscaper

15:11

Now now @Randal'Thor I'm sure that can be phrased more along the lines of 'is that your literal age?'

Online it's too easy to place emphasis on the wrong word :)

Are you that old? vs. Are you that old?

humn

but I still feel like a spring chicken. It just ain't fair!

Rand al'Thor

@humn Old of head and young of mind, the best combination.

humn

used to be the other way around. I'll take it to heart either way.

one of these days, be so lucky, you will also say ... it ... just ... ain't ... fair.

TheGreatEscaper

Well, it's only the mind that counts here on puzzling :)

humn

!

TheGreatEscaper

15:17

My flight boards in ten.

Deusovi

And ideally, everywhere else too.

TheGreatEscaper

@Deusovi preach.

Rand al'Thor

@TheGreatEscaper You're in Tennessee?

:-P

TheGreatEscaper

Haha

Perth, actually :)

humn

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

TheGreatEscaper

15:23

I was just about to correct you on that!

:P you beat the pedant by a few moments.

humn

Feel free anytime!

(That's a worthy motto, but really, I love to be corrected.)

Rand al'Thor

In case we don't see you again before the contest, @TheGreatEscaper: best of luck!! :-D

Most importantly, make sure you beat the Brits.

TheGreatEscaper

Bwahahahaha. I don't think there's much of a chance of that, unfortunately!

humn

Someone has placed a bet against the home team!

TheGreatEscaper

Us Aus team are all fresh faces

Rand al'Thor

15:25

Nah, Brazil is the home team.

humn

?

TheGreatEscaper

The Brits have at least one or two seasoned vets!

Rand al'Thor

@TheGreatEscaper Vets won't be much use in a maths exam, unless there are questions about veterinary medicine.

TheGreatEscaper

I'm laughing so very hard right now, rand :P

humn

"Ain't We Got Fun?" (Van & Schenck, 1921)

►

TheGreatEscaper

15:28

Alright, I'm off!

Catch you all on the other side :)

humn

Land safely,

Rand al'Thor

Bon voyage!

humn

Truly, each keystroke makes you (and you) more real. I've been this way since the early 1970s.

In and around the actual planet, I go pell mell through back yards and into houses. On the cyberweb, I just type.

(more info than necessary, but see how that spills over to words?)

(to dare a single keystroke begs others)

Rand al'Thor

Going pell mell down a well makes a smell like hell.

humn

A rhyme at just the right time.

Rand al'Thor

15:37

Is there e'er a time when not to air a rhyme?

humn

(fanning)

Sid

Good luck @TheGreatEscaper have fun!

That conversation actually reminds me... I haven't met my IRL friends in months

Rand al'Thor

Fun is almost guaranteed. Luck, less so.

humn

Wait for another couple of months, @Sid, apparently it's brumation season in TheGreatEtc land now.

Rand al'Thor

Brumation?

humn

15:41

It happens.

Rand al'Thor

Never mind, Googled it.

humn

Sooner or later I'll be relieved of the biological editor struggling for release.

Meanwhile, it's a struggle.

... almost related, and probably a shared affliction around here ... seems that nothing I've learned has faded gently ...

Ankoganit

@TheGreatEscaper I'm IND1.

Also, it's great that you're team leaves so early, we leave on 15th, so I've like one day to fight the jet lag :o

humn

... I wind up vomiting knowledge just to clear my throat ...

Rand al'Thor

Another IMOer! :-D

Ankoganit

15:46

:)

Rand al'Thor

The Aussie team always leaves well in advance, so they can meet up with the Brits beforehand for the Mathematical Ashes.

Assuming that's still going on, of course.

Sid

The IMO is on 17th?

Rand al'Thor

Dammit @humn, I just noticed a mistake in your starred message: "Irriitable".

humn

How an editor loves to be edited, @Rand!

Ankoganit

18th and 19th

Rand al'Thor

15:50

And I've already starred it :-/

Ankoganit

We leave on 15th, so we reach on 16th

Sid

All this Olympiad talk and just a few minutes ago, one of my high school teachers came home to supply a sample book he has authored on Olympiad problems..

Ankoganit

Oh cool

Sid

He released it a couple of weeks ago, I think

humn

They should pos[t/e] at PSE.

Rand al'Thor

15:52

@Sid What was your schoolteacher high on? :-P

Ankoganit

lol

Sid

As far as I know, he neither smokes nor drinks nor does he do drugs..

So, no idea. :P

Rand al'Thor

Oh, then you just mean he's tall.

humn

Far as you know, you don't either.

Rand al'Thor

Or lives on a mountain.

Ankoganit

15:53

Maybe just high on spirits

Sid

Depends on def of tall. What is the criteria for being tall?

Rand al'Thor

@Ankoganit But Sid just said he doesn't drink!

Anyway, smoking and drinking are doing drugs. Flagged for redundancy.

humn

Sugar is my favorite. And I've tasted all the others.

Ankoganit

Oh, I know, he teaches high school-students.

Sid

gasp

How did you know?

humn

15:55

gulp

Ankoganit

I know a lot of things

Sid

(Although, I am rather disappointed he didn't mention our school in that few lines he wrote about himself)

Ankoganit

Heh

Sid

And rather mentioned that new school he joined..

humn

... among all else, you haven't lived until you've 'shroomed while being driven by someone on who knows what ...

... i was that driver and ... oh, wow, completely inappropriate ...

... in summary, take a chance once and again ...

Hadn't I taken some chances, there wouldn't be a post to give me enough credit to embarrass myself here.

And if I don't embarrass myself, who else would go through the trouble?

... okay, back into my shell, but that was fun ...

Flower in the Sun (studio version)- Janis Joplin and Big Brother & The Holding Company

►

... possible repeat ....

"Once in a green time a flower, oh, fell in love with the sun."

"Their passion lasted for an hour."

And then other lyrics that rhyme. Probably better suited for Poetring SE.

Rand al'Thor

16:15

song-lyrics are indeed on-topic at Literature.

humn

How I love lingue, but here seems to be the best place to get tongues wagging and fingers striking.

Lyrics are such a hopscotch jigged on a reel that it takes a puzzled mind to catch the bait.

Rand al'Thor

Avatar change incoming!

humn

Show, don't just tell.

Rand al'Thor

There, refreshed my chat profile.

Wow, I can hardly recognise myself.

humn

Summer colors!

Sid

16:24

Who are you? What happened to the real Rand al'Thor??

Deusovi

Wow, this is going to take some time to get used to.

humn

D!

R'!

Rand al'Thor

@Deusovi For me too!

Dec 8 '16 at 1:09, by Emrakul

@Randal'Thor I've had the same profile pic everywhere for well over two years, believe you me, you're not the only one who needs to get used to it

humn

The best puzzlers flee here for Lit SE. Then flutter back. Emrakul, we miss you.

Rand al'Thor

It's especially weird to spot myself on the user list.

"Who the hell is this new SFF mod?"

"Hey, who's usurped my place on Puzzling?"

Deusovi

16:30

humn

Wolves nipping your hindlegs.

Get used to that too.

Feels good after awhile.

Rand al'Thor

I'm going to go through a phase of being terrified of change and wondering if I should switch back to the old avatar.

But the fact that the old avatar contains a crown and a riff on some patriotic British slogan will probably be enough to cement my resolve.

Sid

Anyone consider this too broad? It's obvious Tom's answer is correct, but... puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/53183/…

humn

Right! ... then again you could make a kitchy ascii art-atar.

Rand al'Thor

I did use this one for a while last year:

Sid

16:36

That isn't much of a difference..

Rand al'Thor

No, but at least there's no crown.

Sid

What's wrong with crown?

Rand al'Thor

Down with the monarchy!

That's what.

humn

So interesting how we're allowed whatever adornments we come up with.

Is BMyGuest the only one who's really looked at mine?

It's not a masterpiece but it is a playpiece.

Rand al'Thor

I've played with it at times.

As you may recall.

humn

16:41

@Rand al'that matters, You've heard my voice. Funny how we can compartmentalisze. I never thought you saw what you've read. Correct me again and again.

Rand al'Thor

How could I not see what I read?

Sid

@humn @Rand @Deus Do you guys think that puzzle is too broad or not?

Rand al'Thor

I write thoughtfully, not impulsively.

Sid

I am almost torn actually..

Rand al'Thor

Or at least I try.

@Sid One sec, lemme have a closer look.

Deusovi

16:44

@Sid I'm not sure about it being too broad. I do think it's not a good puzzle, and horribly underclued. But too broad? I dunno.

Rand al'Thor

Looks like I've already made my opinion felt.

@Deusovi Horribly underclued often implies too broad.

Deusovi

True. But it can also just mean "there's only one reasonable answer, but the path to it is basically mind-reading".

humn

To mention that, mind reading is how we solve anything. Words alone don't get anything across. Mind reading is how I mediated that discussion between three persons without a common language.

Don't make me go Suomalainen just to make point. (Okay that was feisty, just finally felt fully awake, took hours.)

(signed, platitd)

(One of these days my empty head will spill something worth swilling.)

(Someone once likened me to Mark Twain and it's beem downhill since.)

(But if anyone ever does that to you, let it rip!)

Transcript for