Older cubers discussions

Yep, it was a good day. Session with 17 solves yielded PRs across the board:

single: 32.048 (second and a half drop)
mo3: 37.147
ao5: 39.378 (finally)
ao12: 41.760 (dropped about 3 seconds)

Not even at my potential really... a few repaired crosses, CFOOP and CFOOOP still landing low 40s. Also missed a likely sub 30 earlier with a friendly F2L, COLL, T-perm... which I flubbed in the last 3 moves then panicked trying to salvage it and made it worse, ending in a 1:15 :mad: :D.
 
mark49152 said:
Yeah that's a challenge. I don't have a rigid structure like a totem. My scenes usually tell a story, like person does action to adjective object. Sometimes the words can get reordered when recalling a scene, and I try to make the ordering unambiguous to avoid that.
Often the scenes get quite weird but that can make them more memorable :).
Click to expand...

Im afraid that's what is going to limit my progress in Bigger blind and MBLD. My creativity isn't great. Coming up with stories quickly on the fly is a problem for me. I'm hoping that by doing it more, I'll eventually get better at it.

For MBLD I currently only have 5 cubes in my possession. 2 of which aren't very good. One of the the center caps constantsly fall off and the other the corner pieces keep coming apart. Im going to buy some new ones that i'll use for Mbld. Any suggestions on a cost efficient cube that feels good to solve?
 
kbrune said:
Im afraid that's what is going to limit my progress in Bigger blind and MBLD. My creativity isn't great. Coming up with stories quickly on the fly is a problem for me. I'm hoping that by doing it more, I'll eventually get better at it.

For MBLD I currently only have 5 cubes in my possession. 2 of which aren't very good. One of the the center caps constantsly fall off and the other the corner pieces keep coming apart. Im going to buy some new ones that i'll use for Mbld. Any suggestions on a cost efficient cube that feels good to solve?
Click to expand...

I'm the rankest of amateurs at blind, but one idea I'm working on is populating my word list with postal codes and elements from the periodic table. I don't know if imagining a map will make MBLD more difficult, but that's what I'm trying right now.

As to a decent budget cube, I'm guessing you probably won't beat the V1 thunderclap.
 
kbrune said:
Im afraid that's what is going to limit my progress in Bigger blind and MBLD. My creativity isn't great. Coming up with stories quickly on the fly is a problem for me. I'm hoping that by doing it more, I'll eventually get better at it.

For MBLD I currently only have 5 cubes in my possession. 2 of which aren't very good. One of the the center caps constantsly fall off and the other the corner pieces keep coming apart. Im going to buy some new ones that i'll use for Mbld. Any suggestions on a cost efficient cube that feels good to solve?
Click to expand...
I tell non cubers that a good imagination is more important than a good memory in blind. They don't often believe me.

@One Wheel is right and @mark49152 will agree, you can't go wrong with the Thunderclap v1. It's cheap, solid, reliable and it feels nice. The bumpiness helps you keep track of where you are.
 
I know now more then ever that imagination and creativity is the key to improving most skills in life. I've always been more of a bulldozer type when learning anything. I have a little natural skill. Sheer obsession and repetition is what has netted me the majority of my progress. But I've always been held back by my creativity. Anything can be improved though. Just gotta focus on it more!

Thanks for the advice on cube choice. @newtonbase @One Wheel. I'll take a look at it. Is it made by Qiyi? Am I right to assume that "Qiyi Thunderclap" would be the V1? Even if it doesn't say V1?
 
kbrune said:
Im afraid that's what is going to limit my progress in Bigger blind and MBLD. My creativity isn't great. Coming up with stories quickly on the fly is a problem for me. I'm hoping that by doing it more, I'll eventually get better at it.
Click to expand...
Yes it's just practice. It gets easier and faster. Personally I don't think it requires much creativity. My images aren't created on the fly, they are regurgitated from a spreadsheet. Forming them into a story is just a matter of connecting them in the first way that comes into my head, which tends to be obvious or mundane rather than creative, because you don't have time for creativity when solving against the clock :).

And for cubes, yes I use Thunderclap v1 for MBLD. Zcube does very good bulk discounts for 6 or more.

One Wheel said:
I'm the rankest of amateurs at blind, but one idea I'm working on is populating my word list with postal codes and elements from the periodic table. I don't know if imagining a map will make MBLD more difficult, but that's what I'm trying right now.
Click to expand...
How will you visualise Boron and Nitrogen in south-west Birmingham? And for MBLD how are you going to remember the order of dozens of random postal areas on a map?
 
Selkie said:
- Thank you all for your kind word. I am genuinely touched and appreciate the thoughts. I'll learn more over the next few weeks but its does not look good at this point in time. One thing is for sure I am pretty certain I did not put Job Loss on my Christmas list this year! ;) Still attending Birmingham Open, in fact this is the reason I am now attending both days as I suspect I may not get to a comp early next year.
Click to expand...

Chris, hang in there. it may seem hopeless or really bad right now. I have been working at a bank that went bankrupt. Lost my job in a matter of days when I did not even had the slightest clue it was going that bad with the bank. (Being a sole provider for my family and having a 3 months old baby and a new mortgage it seemed then damn hopeless for me) But being forced to look for a job made find an even better job than I had. Sometimes closing one door opens a new door with great opportunities. I still work in the financial business and few times per year we have reorganisations with people losing their job. I try to stay ahead by keep learning and certifying myself. Other than that there is not much you can do against protecting from losing your job. I hope you will get some assurance of a bright future really soon.
 
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mark49152 said:
How will you visualise Boron and Nitrogen in south-west Birmingham? And for MBLD how are you going to remember the order of dozens of random postal areas on a map?
Click to expand...

I'm still figuring it out. Boron and nitrogen are both single letters, so I won't use those. So far I've stuck with postal codes I know, which for me is US and Canada, and it's pretty easy for me to visualize a road trip. I just don't know if that will get in the way of the Roman rooms memorization that is recommended for mbld.
 
@MarcelP - Very wise words my friends and thank you. In all honesty I do feel positive about the future and most emotion is not about that side of things but more how all the efforts I have put in over the last 10 years are not valued. I go above and beyond the call of duty on a weekly basis. But on a positive I have picked up a lot of skills over the last few years and my business analysis and business intelligence skillset should stand me in good stead. Still uncertain times ahead but keeping my chin up for the best part of it at the moment :) Thanks also @kbrune and @earth2dan . We may have a very niche pastime but our community and support for each other is second to none. Proud to be a cuber.


Well with the Yuxin 6x6 tensioned properly (Thanks @mark49152 as that was based on your comments a few weeks ago) and in anticipation of trying out the Qiyi on Monday been doing some solves. I am quite eager to get a sub 4 minute official mean soon to qualify for the event at UKC next year but managed a PB single and mean this morning. Talking of IT skillsets the second solve even includes confirmation that the laser printer is working. Had to mute the last section as I thought hearing my wife complain at the lack of our son's attention to his revision might not be for public listening haha.

6x6 mo3: 3:51.42 with a single of 3:38.98

 
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earth2dan said:
@Selkie. Tough news to get right before the holidays, but keep positive. Even if it doesn't work out, closing an old door is just an opportunity to open a new one.

@mark49152 10 points for the Anki recommendation. I can see lots of applications for this tool. I may use it with my kids, who seem to be struggling with math.

I have begun my full OLL journey in earnest. Starting with the Dots. I've got them all memorized now, just need to drill more so I don't forget. I'm going to avoid the timer as much as possible for a while, and even when timing I'm going to force myself to use the new algs, and not fall back on the old 2-Look. I'm sure it'll impact my times initially, but will pay off once I have recognition and execution down.

Just for fun last night I tore down my black YueXiao, cleaned, lubed, tensioned, and restickered it. After some break in solves it's back on my desk as a possible main. My Cubicle Gans 356 V2 is still my go to, but sometimes it's just too wobbly for me and I need a more stable cube, that's where the YueXiao comes back into the picture. We shall see when my Gans Air and Stickerless Valk3 arrive.
Click to expand...

My advice would be to learn the other OLL's first. I find them easier to learn, and I barely ever get dot cases because of EO control. Basically you figure out how different inserts effect the EO so you never get dot cases, and many times you'll get a corners only OLL which is REALLY nice. It doesn't really add any moves, it's no harder to do, and it saves a bunch of time.
 
Selkie said:
@MarcelPWell with the Yuxin 6x6 tensioned properly (Thanks @mark49152 as that was based on your comments a few weeks ago) and in anticipation of trying out the Qiyi on Monday been doing some solves. I am quite eager to get a sub 4 minute official mean soon to qualify for the event at UKC next year but managed a PB single and mean this morning. Talking of IT skillsets the second solve even includes confirmation that the laser printer is working. Had to mute the last section as I thought hearing my wife complain at the lack of our son's attention to his revision might not be for public listening haha.

6x6 mo3: 3:51.42 with a single of 3:38.98
Click to expand...

Wow! That 1st solve is incredible. It's almost exactly 1 minute slower than my PB single... for 5x5. But the curious thing is that you had already lost that minute in centers (you finished centers at around 1:50 and it usually takes me 45-55 seconds to do 5x5 centers) so... your 6x6 edge pairing + 3x3 stage is basically as fast as my 5x5 edges + 3x3. I feel embarrased.
 
kbrune said:
https://www.cubingoutloud.com/collections/3x3x3?page=2

On this page it shows both options i have for the thunderclap. Both are the same price. May as well go for the V2?
Click to expand...

I'll just pile on: I have a pair of V1s and it was my main until the Valk. The V2 is definitely a different design with the full squared-off corners and doesn't seem to have wowed anyone from the reviews/impressions I've read.
 
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