The Latest Theory About Bansai

[universalmom]

I have to share this My youngest son was watching me play, and I solved a crypto in the "very fast" range. My son, though, wanted to know why I wasn't as fast as "that guy," pointing to bansai's record. I said that I simply wasn't as fast as that guy, and my son said, "Well, there's obviously two people playing!" I asked him what he meant, and he said, "See, his hands must be here (on the left side of the keyboard), and his wife's hands are here (on the right side)." When I finished laughing, I told him it was as good a theory as any!

[gryhnd51]

There are several u tube videos of Bansai solving cryptograms which you can view. Bansai, or Joseph K, is just an incredibly fast solver. Over a long number of years I've noticed that when many new quotes have been added he is not usually the fastest, but once he has seen a quote he inevitably becomes the quickest solver. My own opinion is that he pretty much has a photographic memory.

[Barnabas]

I think Gryhnd is right on both counts. When he solves some quotes in 6 or 7 seconds it's probably due in part to his having seen the quote before. But he solves the new ones pretty quickly, too. This month, so far, his solve rate is 92% at an average time of 22 seconds. So the new quotes get solved quite fast also, if not always in record time.
But what I love most about Bansai is his sense of humor. As U-mom's son suggested, he must have some additional physcial help in order to get the puzzles done as quickly as he does. The motivation for these kinds of comments seem to cover the full range from 'humorous admiration' - as was likely the case from U-mom's son, to people who are envious and walk right up to the edge of calling him a cheater. It's not difficult to sort out the emotions and motivations behind the comments (most of the time) and Bansai seems to embrace those who admire him with his own humor, and he seems to deflect the naysayers with ease... again with his humor. To U-mom's son, Bansai, while responding to yet another post about his speed, posted (here in the forum somewhere) a photo of two arms with two hands. But the arms were like tree branches. There were tinier arms shooting out of the main arms, and those mini-arms had hands... and all the hands had extra fingers - hence "the real reason" Bansai can type so fast. That is just one example. If you explore the side comments as the quotes are solved, and if you're willing to dig deep into various threads here at the forum you will see many many examples of his quick, and thoroughly funny, wit.
There are some very talented solvers here. Nanrich, while giving away just 2.5 seconds of average time to Bansai, has a 100% solve rate this month. Gryhnd and U-mom themselves would be counted among the site's elite solvers. The great thing about the vast majority of even the best solvers here is that they seem to enjoy being logged onto the site, while having fun solving puzzles, and having fun interacting with the other solvers.

[universalmom]

I hope everyone knows that I am one of bansai's biggest fans! I know his talent is the real deal. I just thought my son's comment was hilarious - deep in his heart, he doesn't really think anyone could be better than his mommy

[gryhnd51]

I don't think you need be concerned, Umom. It is quite obvious that you are not one of the Bansai "naysayers".
And Barnabas, you are quite correct about Ban's unfailing wit and humor!!

[Barnabas]

And let me 2nd that, Gryhnd. It wasn't U-mom or her son I was thinking of at all with my comments. The Bansai doubters are usually found in the sidebar comments after a quote has been solved. They carry a common thread most of the time; and that is if they can't solve a quote that quickly... nobody else can either.

[fishbum]

When I first started, I was skeptical that anyone could even type that fast.

[wvwoman]

yeah, so was i!

[imported_Lurker]

I can, but for some reason my computer skips letters when I do it on this site. Still, Ban can probably type at least 30 wpm faster than the average player. Add his eidetic memory to that, and the few puzzles he doesn't solve each month are just because he has always passed on them. There are quite a few he has never solved, no matter how many times they come up. Not worth his time.

[bluffer]

a keen mind and verbal adroitness

Let alone the typing speed, I was skeptical that anyone could break the code that fast, until I read comments he left, which revealed his keen mind and verbal adroitness. Bansai is to be commended for how he has enriched the experience for players on this website.

[Barnabas]

I was just visually scanning the main Forum page when I happened to notice that Bansai had written the last post on the "Obnoxiously Difficult Quotes" page. That struck me as odd, as I'm guessing there are few quotes that would be all that "obnoxiously" difficult for him. So I decided to see for myself what it was that had stumped him... and there, just as I had posted three days ago, was yet another example of his razor sharp wit! Check it out. It provided me with a smile on my drive home from work.

[universalmom]

Wait…you were driving home from work and checking out the crypto forum while you drove??

[wvwoman]

i don't see bansai's comment on that page, barnabas--maybe i'm looking in the wrong spot--can you give a link to that forum page please?

[Barnabas]

I made a quick stop here (cryptos/forums) just before I left work. It was the last thing I did before leaving for the day. Ain't no hazardous driver here ... well, most of the time.

[Barnabas]

i don't see bansai's comment on that page, barnabas--maybe i'm looking in the wrong spot--can you give a link to that forum page please?

Sorry - I misdirected anyone who was curious about the Bansai quote. It's actually the last post listed under "Quotes you may never have to solve." The two threads are currently near to one another on the list of threads and I thought I was in the other thread when I saw Ban's post. Still, it is pretty funny. It reminded me (the disguise quote) of a scene from the movie Mystery Men where one of the "superheroes" believes he has the power of invisibility (he doesn't), and he embarrasses himself in a hilarious manner.