TLS 853 – forget it!

LiveJournal is bloody useless! That’s twice in recent weeks it’s swallowed an hour’s work without trace. I was typing in the explanation of the second-last clue when the screen froze. When I got it back, it asked me if I wanted to restore from draft. I clicked Yes and got a blank page with just the title. Sorry, but I don’t have the time or the will to redo it.

4 comments on “TLS 853 – forget it!”

  1. I feel your pain. Another blogger here gave me a copy of an Excel spreadsheet that I fill in and copy across. This is not only much quicker to do, but also prevents Livejournal losing anything permanently. I recommend it..
  2. I also compile my blogs off-line Andy using Notepad and a template, which I can e-mail to you if it would help. I then copy and paste across. The thought of losing a whole Mephisto is too awful to contemplate.
    1. Thanks both, and I’ve often used that method in the past (especially for the TLS) when preparing my blog entry in advance. I always use a template, but today – and about a month ago – I did it “live” and lost it (in both senses) both times, because LJ restored an earlier version.
  3. Bad luck, indeed, Andy. I’ve been caught out enough times with short entries to prevent me from taking the risk with a long one.

    Perhaps we should consider whether we want to keep blogging the TLS puzzle. I’ve already prepared my entry for No. 854 (I do it at the same time as I check my answers before submitting, even though I don’t believe online entries are considered for a prize, because otherwise I’d have to work through the whole damn thing again). However, I’m still debating whether to renew my Times Crossword Club subscription (which is due to expire at the end of the month), and although I could copy the crossword in Ealing Library, I’m not sure whether I’ll feel inclined.

    This one went pretty well in that I solved all but six clues in around 8 minutes. Eventually I homed in on HIERATICA, TETRADS (presumably because The Simpsons have four fingers – or rather three and a thumb?), CALAIS and HIS. But I rather carelessly put in ROSALINDE, where perhaps if I’d thought a little harder I might have decided ROSALYNDE was the better bet; and I’m kicking myself for missing HILDA, which seemed horribly familiar once I’d looked it up, but didn’t come to me at the time.

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