Crossword Solving Hacks, Part I

As a passionate crossword solver—or cruciverbalist—I am amazed by the number of people who remark how smart I must be. They are right—I do have above average intelligence—but they are wrong about the difficulty of solving a crossword puzzle.

After completing hundreds of puzzles, I have noted many common trends which making solving the puzzle much easier for those who are aware of them. I have decided to post a series of articles that will help you look like a genius to your friends who don't are unaware of the tricks of the trade. If you follow these tips, you will be on your way to becoming a highly regarded cruciverbalist.

The clues provided here are deliberately easy with obvious answers, such as you'd find in the easiest of puzzles. Many of these examples are taken directly from puzzles I have solved. You will notice that most of the hacks covered related to finding clues hidden in the clues themselves. If you understand that, you already know the biggest secret of successful solvers.

Why Lawmakers Won't Fix the Economy . . . and How to Prepare for Coming Collapse

Few realize that the rising deficit and decrease in production are by design. Politic decisions are influenced by central bankers to an extreme, even godlike, degree. In order for a state in increase it's capital account, it must create debt and outsource production. In addition, every time a new consumer or mortgage loan originates, new money—debt—is created.

Wealth is an illusion. Truth wealth is complete ownership of an asset. A homeowner does not own their home as long as there is a mortgage. That mortgage is considered an asset by the bank, even though the loaned money did not even exist prior to the mortgage being created.

According to economist Peter Schiff, who predicted the current crisis years before it happened, "Our government for many years has been successful at hiding the problem and buying time". (Crash Proof 2.0: How to Profit From the Economic Collapse). Why hide the problem? Why "buy time"?

The Story of Noah's Ark

I don't normally like to post 3 videos in a row, but this one says everything I wanted to include in a blog entry. He exposes some critical scientific facts about the possibility & consequences of a worldwide flood. If you are not a scientist of a particular field of study, you probably don't know that if it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, the chemical reaction would cause all life in the sea to perish. It is also discusses the biggest problem I have with the whole ark story: Inbreeding. A brilliant piece by TheThinkingAtheist.

Pale Blue Dot

Pale Blue Dot: A beautiful Carl Sagan classic.

A Letter to Strict Tithe Payers

When you accept a mortgage loan, utility service, or other obligation, you are bound by God to meet your obligation. It is a contract. To not live up to the contract is dishonest. If you want a service or asset, you must pay for it.

If you choose to donate ten percent to your church when you cannot meet your contractual obligations, the result is deliberate dishonesty, because you deliberately choose to donate rather than live up to your contractual promise. When you deliberately break a promise, that is sin! To say otherwise is to say that God allows sin in order to support his church operations. So, in essence, you are saying it is okay to break a legal contract in order to make a voluntary payment. You are defaulting on your word, so your word means nothing.

Imagine

A brilliant piece by John Lennon! A classic favorite.

Perhaps if the world were like that he imagined, he would not have been killed.

From his 1971 album, Imagine.

	John Lennon - Imagine .mp3
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Download the Imagine single

Facts Of Evolution: Universal Common Descent - The Best of Science

Why the US is Not a Free Market

Lawmakers in Congress receive significant rewards from corporate lobbyists. Big corporations and industries spend big bucks wooing our representatives. The goal of these lobbyists is to convince Congress to enact laws which are favorable to the them. The lobbyist will court lawmakers with fancy charts summarizing various statistics which support their case. Of course, such statistics are biased to favor the industry in question.

In addition to official corporate lobbies, there are non-profit organizations pleading for support. We must avoid judging these groups without first doing our research. Many of these "non-profit" organizations are funded by commercial enterprises. This gives the illusion of an independent lobby, when in fact it quite biased.

Here are some clear examples (just to name a few) of how US corporate interests have been able to usurp monopoly regulations. As a result, the free market has become so eroded it can no longer function properly.

Why the Fed and the free Market Are Incompatible

Since the before the bank bailouts, I have been studying to understand the myriad of conflicting info. It's complicated. Both government regulation & deregulation have contributed, along with utter irresponsibility of wall street. It seems clear now that the biggest contributor to this whole economic mess is the Fed itself. The private Federal Reserve Bank is the sole determinant of monetary policy and its actions require no approval from Congress. Congress members do not understand the complicated workings of the money system. Therefore, they look to the Fed and it's advice as the best course of action. When a bill is needed, Congress generally does what the Fed wants (though they try to give the appearance of listening to their constituents at home). In addition, the Fed acts on its own to bailout banks for pennies on the dollar, etc. without any discussion with congress.

Sheep

The shepherd keeps the flock together. He watches for the sheep that go astray and quickly brings them back into the fold. When the wool gets too long, the shepherd will shear it. The sheep cannot choose the length of their wool. The sheep will go along with anything the shepherd demands, and do not question the shepherd. The shepherd brings them security. They know if they follow him, they will be taken care of. The sheep will continue follow the herd even when the shepherd is away.

Out of Thin Air

"Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes its laws." ~ Mayer Amschel Rothschild

Imagine you were given the ability to create money out of thin air. To increase your assets, you need only key in an imaginary deposit. Now, suppose you were the only person granted this authority. In order for anyone else to get money, they must borrow it. So you create money out of nothing and lend it out at interest. The entire economy is based on debt owed to you, from money you created out of thin air. You are now the most powerful person in the world, wielding the power of a God. Governments bow to you.

The Evolution of Christianity

When I was growing up, Christianity was a much different creature than today. Today's brand of Christianity has become increasingly fundamentalist in nature. This is a disturbing trend, and—I'll admit—has drawn me away from many Christian individuals and organizations. Christians are increasingly becoming mindless, intolerant ideologues. They don't seem to question what they hear on Faux News. They supported George W. Bush long after the facts were revealed (before his re-election in 2004). They rarely speak up when Pat Robertson calls the an entire culture "evil" and deserving the wrath of God.

The Bible Without Adam & Eve

The scientific facts supporting evolution are overwhelming. Proponents of intelligent design tend to distort/misunderstand the facts, and make reference to rumors which have long ago been debunked in an attempt to refute the evidence. This is understandable when you consider that, should evolution become accepted as fact, the consequences to the religious community will be nothing short of devastating. Darwin's On the Origin of Species threatens the very fabric of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.