In Deference to Superior Effort,  

I am leaving the crossword blogging to Rex Parker. Check out his website at rexwordpuzzle.com.
There you will find, often by midnight the day before, a completed NYT grid along with a rating difficult and commentary on the puzzle. He's just so much better than me. For less specifics but more variety (as in, other puzzles), check out Diary of a Crossword Fiend here.