Today’s Cryptogram

[nikos1121]

You can find this fun quotation puzzle, to combat early dementia and senility in us baby boomers, in several daily publications. I challenge us with the best ones out there.

The way it works is a letter stands for another letter. For example: AXYDLBAAXR is LONGFELLOW (does not apply to today's cryptogram).

Beware, the game is very addictive. If this is your first time, don't be intimidated, you’ll be solving them all within a few days.  If you’re stumped, take a break and return to it.

PLEASE DO NOT post the answer in general comments, but DO post your time and how you made out.

You can certainly send your solution to my private reply, or if you need a hint for today’s Cryptogram ASK THE GROUP FOR HELP!

I suggest printing these out and work them on paper. If you need a little help you can copy and paste it to Hal’s Helper below.

You can then work on the puzzle without using pen and paper, but I recommend that you do NOT look at the letter counter. 

 

 HAL'S CRYPTOGRAM HELPER
One last request. Feel free to post a fun or clever clue, the more tangential to the quotation the better, but please don’t put the actual words of the quote in the clue.

[nikos1121]

Watch your Ps and Qs with this one

3 minutes good
2 minutes excellent
1 minute superior

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

[nikos1121]

[nikos1121]

Practicing the dulcimer before dawn?

[ComputerGuy]

Nag, nag, nag

[ComputerGuy]

Is it true that Ann Landers and Dear Abby were sisters?

[nikos1121]

I have a cool piece of research on creatine monohydrate, a naturally occuring chemical, that I’d like to share with the group.

I think everyone knows that I’m a retired MD. In my retirement, I’m fascinated by the impact of nutrition on longevity, to the point that I am convinced that aging is a disease.

You can’t cure aging, but you certainly can slow it down, maybe even reverse it.

I would suggest that everyone has tried creatine, a small chain protein made up of glycine, argininie and methionine. to improve muscle strength when doing resistance training.

It’s been around the gym world for over 100 years. It’s safe and effective.

We make it naturally in our liver and our brain, but we make less of it as we get older.

If you’re using it for muscle strength and performance, the usual dosage is 5 gms per day, (about 2 tsps).

A lot of people simply put it in their coffee each morning or a smoothee, or just with 8 oz of water.

If you normally do push ups each day until you can’t do anymore, (to muscle failure); you take 5 gms of creatine each day, and you’ll be increasing your maximum push ups within a few days.

If you’re a runner or a walker, the creatine will decrease your time doing a mile.

Trust me, it works on muscle performance.

Ok, here’s the cool thing.

If you don’t work out, the muscle doesn’t take it up, or if you do work out, the msucle uses all the 5 gms.

BUT, if you take more creatine, let’s say 20-30 gms per day, the overflow goes to your brain cells.

There are studies that now show that creatine improves cognitive function, and that it’s extremely beneficial in people who don’t get alot of sleep or are under stress, (hey, we’re all under a lot of stress.)

Here’s a simple article on the study:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250523-the-surprising-health-benefits-of-taking-creatine-powder

I’ve increased my daily creatine to 20 gms per day.

I don’t do a lot of exercise lately.

I do a fast walk, try to get in a total of 8000 steps per day, and I’ll do some chin ups or our hang from the bar for a minute.

AFTER JUST A FEW DAYS I’ve definitely noticed more cognitive improvement.

It seems like I don’t have the foggy brain. I talk better, remembering words. I’m learning Spanish on duolingo, and I’m doing better. I seem more alert when I wake up. I sleep anywhere from 4 to 7 hrs per night, average around 5.

And yes, I’ve decreased my time doing these cryptograms.

In summary, taking creatine is like cheating father time.

I invite you all to try it for a week.

20 gms per day for one week, then you can go back down to 5 gms per day. Let me know if you’ve noticed any improvement in brain function.

For example, if you’re giving lectures, or traveling or doing anything on any given day that might be stressful. Take 20 gms of creatine that day, and see if things go better.

Oh and here’s another byproduct. I am calmer, more measured. Don’t get upset when people do stupid things, like cut you off when you’re driving, or the Karen and Ken’s you run into at Publix.

Is it safe? Yes. There’s some reports that you should not take it if you have kidney disease, but you should be careful about taking anything if you’re on dialysis.

Read up on it. I haven’t seen any studies that clearly show major side effects. It’s a protein that we make in our bodies.

Last word, use the powder form, not gummies or any product where it’s flavored or in a pill form.

I’m using Bulk Supplements, but any of the reputable suppliers that have third party testing will work. I am sure GNC is good.

Creatine monohydrate is cheap and easy to make.

[nikos1121]

Yes, and you knew that before you asked.

[aquila48]

Interesting, however my creatinine level is already at the high end of the scale (130), so it’s probably not for me, right?

[scrabblehack]

You’re lucky if you can get so-and-so to work for you.

[nikos1121]

Not the same thing.

However creatine is metabolized to creatinine.

This does not mean that you are having kidney failure or any kidney dysfunction. It just simply shows that creatine is being metabolized to creatinine in your body. So your creatinine may go up a little bit.

Again, this is not an indication of kidney disease.

But it may give you an erroneous creatinine.

I don’t think levels between 5 to 25 g is high especially if you’re not gonna be taking for a short period of time.

This is a small chain protein. It’s found in meat. Vegetarians are deficient in this.

[nikos1121]

Oops

If you’re not gonna be taking it for a long period of time.

[1of10]

” try it for a week.”

........ ok

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

LOL. No dulcimer playing until my old arthritic hands warm up. But I always get up early, usually between 4:30 and 5:00. It’s nice to have a cryptogram to do while I have morning tea.

Contractions are our friend when solving these. And the _ _ _’ _ is easy. The RXKIU was hard, but since I had the “X” and the “I” it finally hit me.

🤪

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Previous puzzle Sunday, August 9, 2025

TG GEC OCTJE

GFUC RLI CADLRCW

VTBGFAP FB ALG VTBGCW. —G.B. CHFLG

Solution to previous Puzzle: (select the yellow text with your cursor to read):

AT THE BEACH TIME YOU ENJOYED WASTING IS NOT WASTED. —T.S. ELIOT

HAL'S CRYPTOGRAM HELPER

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

"Well, my oh my, Nikos, isn't that interesting!

[gitmo]

The word “RXKIU” tripped me up. The rest came pretty quickly.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I took the same path.

[Magnum44]