Sun poll

We're waiting for the August 8 issue of the Weekly Standard to reach newsstands and libraries so we can read Matt Gaffney's tract, "The Best Crossword." The 11 1/2 sentences we can read online for free indicate that Matt will make a case that Peter Gordon's Sun puzzles are superior to Will Shortz's Times puzzles.

Speaking of the New York Sun, tell me this: How many of you do them on the day of publication, and how many of you gorge on the whole week's worth (or just the later-week ones) as soon as the puzzles are released online? Lately I've been parceling them out to myself one at a time, but gosh, if everyone else is gorging, peer pressure may persuade me not to delay gratification.

Note: If you're reading this and yet not doing the Sun puzzles regularly, you really must start. Peter's editing style is to provide puzzles that are of the highest quality, with plenty of wordplay. Themeless Thursdays and the Weekend Warrior on Fridays (I think both are on alternate-week schedules, mixed with themed puzzles) offer lots of white space and a sterner challenge. Peter also pushes the envelope more than Will (working for the Gray Lady probably limits Will's leeway). The Sun puzzles are probably my favorite (if there were Saturday puzzles and a competition-friendly timed applet, I would have to marry the Sun puzzles).

In the meantime, we have the Tuesday puzzles. And I can't summon up anything to say about any of them. Blame the lurking migraine, not the puzzles themselves.

NYT 3:03
LAT 2:58
CS 3:16
NYS 3:53

(The best thing about speed solving, aside from the chance to win trophies and money at Stamford, is that you can do a lot of puzzles and still have time for even less productive pursuits...)