Eureka!

I've been very terrible at keeping this blog fresh, and that's been mostly due to the insanity of my work situation. I'm keeping my head down and making progress, so that's a least clearing up. Now is the time on Abbondanza! when we make a confession. It's kind of a big deal, and I hope my noble readers won't think any less of me.

So, you know that Sudoku craze? The one that I decried because I proclaimed it to be a crossword puzzle for illiterates? The thing that I said was a witless number quiz for people who can only count to 9? See, I still sort of believe that. But the truth goes a little deeper. Despite my advanced calculus and statistics training, I have always stunk at logic, the underlying principles governing the successful completion of Sudoku puzzles. Part of my bluster was actually an attempt to conceal my inability to solve them.

Today, however, I have had a breakthrough. I just solved one with no help whatsoever. I don't know what it is, but the layout of the Inquirer's online Sudoku cleared up the concepts for me, and now I am cruising through them.

I have to apologize partially to anyone whose Sudoku enthusiasm I may have quelched with my acidic rage. It was only the shame talking. Now, if only I could see the hidden images in those posters at the mall...