The Puzzle Brother and The Puzzle Wife

As regular visitors to the site know, I've been involved with one of the greatest ladies I've ever known, Tracy Meyer, for quite some time. This past Friday, we became man and wife.

Another thing that we'll be linking to here is Robert's best-man speech, which I think wordplay freaks will enjoy. Our friend Harry McCracken will be putting it up on YouTube soon.

And please be sure to give Mrs. Mackey her congrats when you see her at the Brooklyn tournament, now just 61 days away!

Photo by Jennifer Malpass

"Samantha Who?" Star's Passion For Crosswords - REVEALED!

The yearend issue of Entertainment Weekly reveals that "Samantha Who?" star Christina Applegate is a newly uncloseted crossword freak.

The solve of choice for Christina, also well-known for her role as Kelly Bundy on "Married... with Children" and her co-starring role in the movie "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy", is the New York Times crossword, and she has gotten a number of her castmates and crew members involved in crossword solving.

We'd love to see Christina at the big tournament someday, the 31st edition of which is beginning nine weeks from today, on February 29.

Things To Do In Brooklyn

Hey, ACPT attendees! (Yeah, I know it's only December.) You don't have to be stuck in the hotel all weekend. There's a lot to see, do and eat not far from the hotel, whether it's a walk or a bus or subway ride away. Three Brooklyn denizens well known in the world of puzzling - Stella Daily, Francis Heaney and Ken Stern - have created a guide to Brooklyn (Adobe Acrobat Reader required!) with lots of tips on local eateries and even some cultural events if the Saturday entertainment proves to be not what you're looking for.

Mr. Mackey Meets Mr. Simon And Mr. Schuster

I am pleased to announce that I have sold my first puzzle to Simon & Schuster. A 19x entitled "Stretching Reality" will be appearing in S&S's Mega Crossword Book #3, to be released in October 2008.