google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday November 6, 2008 Alan P. Olschwang

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Nov 6, 2008

Thursday November 6, 2008 Alan P. Olschwang

Theme: Eloquence in Politics

20A: Start of Mario Cuomo quip: YOU CAMPAIGN IN

36A: Part 2 of quip: POETRY. YOU

54A: End of quip: GOVERN IN PROSE

Wow, I always thought this was Hillary Clinton's original quote. I am eager to see if Obama can deliver what he has promised. I've been mesmerized by his oratory style, very poetic.

Mario Cuomo had left the political arena when I arrived in the US, so I don't have a good understanding of his political philosophy. This is such a great line, so succinct and true. It kind of reminds me Beverley Nicols' quote on marriage: "Marriage is a book in which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters written in prose."

Quite a few EE combinations in the grid. Very bad clue for MERGE (31D: Blend together). See 9D: Amalgam: BLEND. A simple "Traffic sign" would have avoided this duplication. I also dislike the clue for NATO (56D: Amer.-Eur. alliance). Canada and US are NATO members. Mexico is not. Why "Amer." then? The clue is not tight.

I also don't understand the clue for GEES (42A: Launch forces). How so?

Across:

1A: FBI agent: G-MAN

9A: Full-scale attack: BLITZ. I am glad the campaign ad BLITZ is over.

17A: NYC theater: ANTA (American National Theatre and Academy). No idea. Is it very famous? Why British spelling for "Theatre"?

18A: Afrikaner: BOER. "Farmer" in Dutch.

28A: Orch. section: STR

29A: Disney dwarf: GRUMPY. Hmm, too bland a clue. I really like the "Happy colleague?" clue for "DOC" last time. "Sleepy friend?" or "Dopey pal?" or "Bashful buddy?" all sound great.

32A: Apple leftover: CORE. And PIP (36D: Apple seed). Have you tried honeycrisp yet?

33A: Scottish River: TAY. It's the longest river in Scotland.

43A: Big galoot: OAF. KLUTZ will be a great fill too. Very scrabbly.

51A: A Gabor: EVA. I like this Anne Bancroft "Yma Dream" too. I suppose you can add Uma (Thurman), Oprah, Yoko (Ono), etc. Oh, Yo-Yo Ma too. Who else can you think of?

52A: Thelma or Tex: RITTER. Know Tex RITTER, not Thelma.

61A: Andy's radio partner: AMOS. I memorized it from doing Xword. Did you listen to it when you were a kid?

67A: Low-blow weapon: KNEE. Very unexpected clue for me.

Down:

2D: Canon rival: MINOLTA. I am not familiar with this brand. It's merged with Konica in 2003.

3D: Insurance statistician: ACTUARY

4D: Rights grp.: NAACP. Wow, it's founded in 1909.

5D: Go under: SUBMERGE

7D: Primal goddess of Greeks: GAEA. She is the Mother Earth. Her husband Uranus is Father Sky. They are parents of Titans and the ugly Cyclopes. Zeus is their grandson. I am getting better at this Greek Mythology.

11D: Sir Walter Scott hero: IVANHOE. Nope, I've never heard of this hero or the book. Interesting, Wikipedia that Robin Hood is mentioned in this novel also.

13D: Final letter: ZEE. Another insipid clue. What about "Head of Zoo"?

27D: "The One I Love": R.E.M. Here is the song. What does "Another prop has occupied my time" mean?

35D: Rumor spreader: GOSSIP

38D: Ones who pine: YEARNERS. Is this even a word?

40D: Poetic planet: ORB

44D: Truly amazing: AWESOME. I love Doesitinink's "There is no charge for awesomeness." AWESOME!

57D: Fertility goddess: ISIS. It's a Egyptian goddess. This is ISIS nursing her son Horus. Notice her cow-horned head? That's her symbol.

C.C.

66 comments:

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

To all,
I've decided to increase the post limit to FIVE a day. Three is too draconian for some posters whose contributions benefit all of us.

Bill said...

Fairly straight forward xword today. The only ones I'd not seen were 17a and 7d bvut they were there when the others filled.
The quote/quip finally made sense to me after I looked at a few times and finally got the punctuation in the right place.
And I don't think of a GLEAM of light as a "flash".
To me a "flash" is quick, bright and gone. A GLEAM is more of a reflection, like the GLEAM in your eyes.
CY'all

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Bill,
Definition #1 for GLEAM in the dictionary is "A flash of light".

Gvi,
Thanks for the additional information on Gallico yesterday. I loved "Pride of the Yankees".

Argyle,
"My head is starting to hurt from researching." It's a pleasant pain, isn't it? Is Argyll the same as Argyle?

Calef,
I was just surprised that Indo-European language include Indian & Iranian but not Semitic.

Dr. Dad said...

Good morning, C.C. Thanks for going to five.

Levi and levee, zee and gees, yen and yearners (yes it's a word), gleam and sheen, merge and blend, Eva and Ave, core and pip (both apple related), "leagues" hold their "events" in "arenas."

Another easy puzzle.

Today is Basketball Day. It is also Constitution Day in the Dominican Republic and Tajikistan. Finally (the sirens will love this), it's National Men Make Dinner Day. I cook alot in my house and this won't be a problem for me. Probably not for Xchefwalt either.

Have a great Thursday.

Dennis said...

Good morning, c.c. and gang - unusual for me on an Olschwang xword, this was a fast-as-I-can-write one. Only 'Gaea' came from the perps. I'd bet we're close to another hammer.

c.c., where was the English spelling of 'theatre'?

Have a great day - very rainy/windy here.

Dr. Dad said...

Dennis - Theatre wasn't in the puzzle. C.C. was asking why the English spelling of Theatre was used for the answer ANTA (abbreviation for American National Theatre and Academy). I think that the English spelling is used often in the U.S. to give a sense of grandeur. Could be wrong, though.

Dennis said...

drdad, thanks.

Martin said...

Laughing: RIANT. Past particle of French verb "rire" (laugh).

Actually RIANT is the present participle of the French word rire. RIE (with an accent on the E) would be the past participle. Similarly, laughing is the present participle in English and laughed is the past participle.

I just got back from watching Tropic Thunder. In the movie, the actors are told to go north and they end up in the "Golden Triangle". Thing is all the locals were speaking Chinese and not Thai, Lao or Khmer. Robert Downy Junior's character even said they were speaking Chinese and when another character said "How do you know?" he said "Because I did a movie once with Gong Li." Nobody in the (Chinese speaking)audience was laughing at this point. Me, I thought it was a riot: I always get a kick out of watching Americans struggle with Chinese. (They jusyt can't get those tones right, can they?)

Anyway, I did the crossword while I was waiting outside the theatre: no need to google. The light was dim so I misread "Superlatively" as "Superficially" and wrote GRAYISH instead of GRAYEST and misread "Flood" as "Food" and wrote (sneeze) GUARD instead of LEVEE. I noticed the mistakes when I got the perps. I was also able to get the quip from the perps, although I did for a while have FLUID instead of SOLID and TRAIL instead of TRACK.

"Amalgram" (the clue for BLEND) reminded me of that month back in the 90s when Marvel and DC stopped publishing their usual comics (Superman and Batman and Spiderman and the X-Men) for a month and instead published Anagram Comics which had Wolverine renamed as "The Dark Wolf" and Superman a member of the JLX.

Bill, I knew GAEA but didn't know ANTA.

Martin

Barry G. said...

Morning, folks!

I wouldn't call this puzzle super easy, since it did require some thought on my part. But it wasn't particularly difficult, either -- the only two unknowns were ANTA and TAY, and both were easily gettable via the perps.

Gee is usually written out simply as "G" and refers to the G-Force that astronauts and pilots are subjected to during acceleration. The normal force of gravity felt by all of us is 1G. If, during acceleration, a pilot feels a force equivalent to four times the force of gravity, it's called 4 Gs (or four gees).

Dennis said...

Years ago, I was in the backseat of an F-4 Phantom fighter, and experienced almost 7 g's, at which point I was virtually unconscious; pilots now can withstand g forces of over 9 g's.

Dick said...

Good morning CC, DFs and DFettes..not much to add to the above comments. The puzzle was relatively easy and having seen Tay in the puzzle recently it made that corner an easy fill although I did not know ANTA. The remainder of the puzzle filled easily and quickly.

Dennis I think you are very luck to have been able to get a ride in the F-4 Phantom. I almost got a ride in a 1200 HP Yak yesterday which is fully aerobatic. How I wanted to go but it just did not work out.

KittyB said...

Good morning, C.C., Dfs, Dfettes, and KHs (a tip of the hat to Buckeye).

Thanks for increasing the post limit, C.C.

This puzzle wasn't bad for a Thursday quip. I actually liked the quip this time.

I completed the puzzle without needing to resort to Google. I didn't know GAEA or REM, but they came from the fills.

I must spell situationally. I looked at the clue for 2D and was trying to think of something military, until the partially filled word made me realize the answer was MINOLTA. I'm sure those who create clues for crossword puzzles count on that type of response.

Our windows were washed yesterday, so the rain is headed our way today. It should still be in the upper sixties in the Chicago area, but the temp will drop through the rest of the week until we get to the forties. Doesitinink, drive safely. That first rain after a long stretch of good weather makes the roads slick.

I'm going to call Dear Husband to see what he's fixing for dinner.
Have a great day!

Argyle said...

Good Morning

Yes, researching can be a pleasant pain, like finding ANTA isn't even in NYC anymore. In fact, I can't find an address for it.

Need more research...and coffee.

Argyle(or Argyll, same difference)

kazie said...

dennis and drdad,
I agree about theatre--the APT --American Players Theatre near us is like that too. It just makes it seem more cultured and lofty.

c.c., I thank you for the five too!

Martin,
rire is irregular--its past participle is just "ri"--no "e".

Also, it's amalgam--no "r". It reminded me of the stuff dentists fill teeth with--an amalgam of silver and something else, I believe.

I got everything easily today, despite not knowing ANTA or GAEA. It seems I've heard this quip quoted recently--was it Rudi Giuliani in an interview? Anyway, it ws easy for me to fill in once I had the first part of it.

DoesItinInk said...

An easy puzzle today…I think it helped that I went to bed early last night! I stumbled only a little in the upper, left corner: until I got some crosses, I could think only of Pentax as a “Canon rival”! And I initially misspelled ACTUARY as “accuary”.

I have a lot of work to do today, so IMBO. But I’ll check in later to read comments.

@cc: I prefer your original Yma Sumac Dream clip. Though Anne Bancroft did a better delivery, I liked the original for the introduction of the three guests Ona, Mata and Pia! But who was the psychiatrist in the Anne Bancroft version? He looks so familiar, but I cannot recall his name.

marme said...

I love puzzles like this one most of it just fell into place once I googled the quote. those always trip me up. I finished in record time though.
to all... I really appreciate all the insights you give on the puzzles it definitely benefits my puzzle solving

cc... no I'm sorry to say my riding is not year round. I don't have an inside arena and i guess i have to admit i'm a fair weather rider. so I'm out again today to take advantage of the beautiful day today.

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning everyone! A very doable puzzle today. It's just a bummer that today is quip day.

C.C., GEE forces are what the astronauts are subjected to at launch. It is a measurement of how many times the pull of normal gravity is placed on their bodies. Double the normal is 2g's, triple is 3 g's, etc. I see that Barry has also provided an explanation. Good idea to up the post limit. It will allow for more of the old lively banter, I've missed that aspect here recently.

@drdad Since I AM the cook, I should have no trouble with cooking today!

Enjoy your Thursday!

DoesItinInk said...

@dennis and dick: In response to your postings yesterday. I am happy that I live in a democratic society, and I am aware that no government or society is perfect. However, for far too long we have been engaged in an immoral war, the justification of which was based on lies. Our commander-in-chief has taught us the painful lesson that if he repeats a lie often enough, people will believe it to be true. For years we have held people accused of being enemy combatants who have no access to the legal system. Torture that would not pass the litmus test of the Geneva Convention has been sanctioned on the highest levels. Our moral capital is bankrupt to the extent that we had no credibility when protesting Russia’s war against Ossetia! Invasion of privacy of American citizens continues on the premise of combating terrorism. We live in the wealthiest country in the world, and yet many Americans cannot afford the level of health care available in almost all countries in Western Europe. Our economy has been driven for years by special interests and unchecked capitalism, and now the American public is being asked to rescue many of the institutions that profited by their greed. I am not proud of any of this, and I would like to be able to say I am proud to be an American.

Ken said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang. I didn't think I had any problems until I checked here. I had ENTA(what do I know?) 'cuz I see GRAY and GREY all the time. I like the quote a lot. I had to think about GEES which I got from the perps, but finally the GLEAM came.

WOTD umami oo MAH mee noun
Def:
A taste sensation that is meaty or savory that is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides(eg glutamate & aspartate)

Vegetarian dishes are usually difficult to mild with big red wines unless the dish includes umami, such as intensely flavored mushrooms.

@Drdad: You want to give us some definitions on the food ingredients?

Dennis said...

doesitinink, this is probably not the forum for a political discussion, but let me just say that I'm happy that when conditions suit you, you're proud to be an American. Most of us have this stupid "my country, right or wrong" attitude.
Sorta like marriage - for better or worse - there's times when you may dislike what your spouse is doing, but you still love him/her.

Very simplistic, of course, but you get the idea. I'm glad the country's finally coming around to your way of thinking so you can feel some pride.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Thank you C.C. for the increase to five posts. Sometimes an interesting subject comes up and everyone wants to get their two cents worth in...five times.

For me, Thursday quip/quote puzzles are always worked on perp first. Once I got a few letters of each segment, it was easy to fill in the rest. Then it is back to finish up the remaining across clues.

The only temporary stumper was GEES. I was thinking of "Launch" as a verb, rather than a noun.

Doesitinkink, I liked Anne Bancroft's version of "Yma's Dream" better too. The actor who played her psychiatrist is Lee J. Cobb.

C.C. Amos and Andy was a very funny show for its time. Nowadays it would be considered negatively stereotypical, but it did portray the warm friendships and family lives of its characters. In the late 40's, I had an Amosandra doll. She was the baby daughter of Amos and his wife Ruby. My parents wanted me to be aware of people of different races. There were no black people in our town, so they bought the doll for me. It sounds so naive now, but I was the only child I knew who had one of these adorable dolls. Thank goodness we have now come so far and will have two lovely little girls in the White House to bring smiles to our faces.

emmietee said...

52 Across - Famous actress of the 40s and 50s, THELMA RITTER (you have to be old enough to remember her).
42 Across - GEES, refers to the
G-Force (or GRAVITY FORCE) experienced by pilots and astronauts. They're really pushing the envelope with this one.
QUESTION: What is the answer to 34 Across, "eyeball impolitely"?

Dr. Dad said...

Glutamic acid is one of the essential amino acids used to make proteins. It is present in meats and cheeses (notably Parmesan). It is also present in soy sauce, fish sauce, mushrooms, and anchovies. Its sodium salt, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavor enhancer to give dishes a "hearty" flavor. Aspartic acid is another amino acid that can give rise to the same sensation, though not as well.
The actual receptor on the tongue for sensing this heartiness is called mGluR4 (metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 4). Once the receptor senses glutamic acid, neurotransmitters cause the brain to "sense" the "umami" taste.

Everybody okay with that?

Anonymous said...

C.C.
I did some research on Semitic languages and came up with documents on the Web that indicated they are not from one particular geographic tribal area, but are languages based on the way the words are constructed. They belong to the group called Afro-Asiatic languages.
Calef.

DoesItinInk said...

@emmietee: 34A OGLE.

kazie said...

emmietee, eyeball impolitely = ogle

doesitinink and dennis,
At the risk of getting in too deep again, I would suggest that what has embarrassed us all these last 8years was the Bush/Cheney dictatorship, rather than the whole country, though I feel those who elected them TWICE!? are also to blame. There are many countries in this world where life is just as good as here, but we're only ever told that this is the greatest. Pity, because there's so much else to discover if we open our hearts and minds. Now we have a president who will be more open to good advice, hopefully allowing the USA to regain the respect we have lost throughout the world.

Dennis said...

I mentioned earlier about being in a fighter - one of the greatest thrills of my life. What's the most thrilling thing (non-sexual of course, given the new flavor of the blog)you've done in your life?

Chris in LA said...

@ Doesitinink

Here, here...

Clear Ayes said...

RE: "Pride" I don't think love of one's country and pride in one's country is the same thing. Speaking only for myself, I have always loved the United States, but there have been times when its policies were not a source of pride. That doesn't mean I have been ashamed of being an American, however I have been disappointed. The United States will always be "my Country, right or wrong", I will never want to be anything other than an American citizen. I do not believe in the notion that anything the United States does is OK with me ( a different interpretation of "my Country right or wrong"). When I think it is on the wrong path, it is my moral duty to voice my disapproval in the strongest possible (and legal) manner. I think our citizens upheld that duty and voiced their opinion two days ago. That works for me!

I would not want to live in a country where one political party was always in power. I think it is necessary to the health of our democracy to have changes in the power structure every few years. I don't think a United States that always had a Democratic President, or a Republican President would survive very long.

Drdad, You are a silver-tongue devil (in the most complimentary sense, of course). You make Glutamic acid understandable to a science dummy like me.

Speaking of silver.....

Silver

Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers, and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;
One by one the casements catch
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched in his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog;
From their shadowy cote the white breast peep
Of doves in silver-feathered sleep;
A harvest mouse goes scampering by,
With silver claws and a silver eye;
And moveless fish in the water gleam,
By silver reeds in a silver stream.

- Walter de la Mare

KittyB said...

C.C., Thelma Ritter was an amazing character actress in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Her first movie role was in "Miracle on 34th Street." She was also in "All About Eve," "Rear Window," "Pillow Talk," "The Misfits," "Birdman of Alcatraz," "How the West Was Won," and a long list of others.

I checked at Wikipedia, and found that she also did a fair amount of drama on TV, and co-hosted the Oscar awards with Bob Hope.

I recall her as being the tough, cranky female character with a heart of gold.

She passed away in 1968 following a heart attack.

I'd watch anything she was in. She was nominated six times for the Academy Awards in the category of Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Chris in LA said...

@ Dennis, Cleareyes, etal:

One need only experience the ineptitude of the current regime - and it is a regime, not a government - firsthand (most of y'all had the advantage of watching Katrina on TV - I lived it & live with it - helicopter roof rescues, failed levees, floods, the smell of death, finger-pointing, etc.) to appreciate the necessity for some sort of change. There are times when something is better than nothing, because I'm here to tell you, nothing really sucks, IMHO.

Carpe Diem!

Dennis said...

I don't know, maybe I'm just stupid or naive. There's just never been a time in my life when I wasn't proud to be an American.

By the way, chrisinla, it's "hear, hear".

Chris in LA said...

@ Dennis:
Once again (as usual), thanks for correcting my spelling error, although in light of my second comment, I think "here, here" (as in "come here, here" & see what they've "done, done" to "us, us" - American citizens living in a third world country in "their" estimation) is probably more appropriate.

Don't get me wrong, I am very proud & lucky to be an American in the philosophical sense & I appreciate the sacrifices that have been made on my behalf by those who have gone before me, especially the greatest generation.

But I also have experienced & recognize failure, self-centerdness, politial ineptitude, cowardice & bullying and have learned (the hard way) to recognize what I see when I see it. I am by no means a "bleeding-heart" liberal - I have been a registered Republican all my life - but as Forrest Gump quoted his mama "stupid is as stupid does". I guess you just had to be here, "and that's all I have to say about that".

Sorry for getting up on my soap-box today, but sometimes...

Dick said...

@doesitinink, kazie and chrisinla

Today is a different time than at any time in our history. It occurred on Sept 11, 2001 and continues today. Immediately after the Sept 11 attacks everyone wanted to crucify the administration and wanted action against those responsible. Well seven years later we have not been attacked and if this is a result of action in Iraq and Afghanistan then I am OK with the actions.

I think to put all the blame on Bush is very short sighted and you are forgetting how we got here. There was almost unanimous support for the actions taken after 9/11 and now it is conveniently forgotten.

Mr Obama was not my choice for president (and this has absolutely nothing to do with race but his policies) but I accept him as the new president and I will support him and pray for him and I have always been proud to be an American

Chris in LA said...

@ Dick:

Agreed, although we're still stuck in the quagmire that is Afganistan, have no exit-strategy in Iraq, and Osama is still at-large. I don't know that the next administration will be able to solve these issues, but I remain hopeful that someone will sometime be able to resolve these problems and bring our "boys" (in the generic sense of the word) home soon and that someday we'll stop trying to be the WPD (World Police Department).

Politics suck, and this is CC's crossword blog, so let's think about stopping.

Dick said...

@chrisinla.....OK nuf said!!!

Dennis said...

Well, I tried to change the subject - I'd really be interested in hearing everyone's once-in-a-lifetime thrill.

Dennis said...

dammit, i've way over-posted; sorry.

Chris in LA said...

@ Dennis:

7 days up & down the Mississippi (New Orleans to Vicksburg & back) on the Delta Queen with ex #2 - was the best vacation I ever had. No cell signal, no laptop, no newspaper, just the peace of the river. It was what I call a "life moment" and it was wonderful.

Dick said...

@ dennis the lifetime trip was the cruise to Alaska with my wife.

Dr. Dad said...

Can't really top an F-4 Phantom but I guess one of my best was a hair-raising helicopter ride over Table Rock Lake in the Ozarks of Missouri. Up, down, left, right, back and forth, etc., all at a pretty good rate of speed.

DoesItinInk said...

@dennis: (1) In 1979-1980 BC (before children) I traveled for six months, starting in England, Wales and Ireland, then Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival. I made a short visit to the Netherlands to visit friends, then took the Magic Bus (no that is not me in the picture) from Amsterdam, nonstop to Greece where I spent a month touring sites in the Peloponnese related to the Iliad and Odyssey. Then I made a side trip to Turkey before going on to Asia where I visited India including the caves at Ajanta. Christmas 1979 was spent trekking in Nepal on the way to Namche Bazaar. From there I went on to Burma and Thailand when Puket was a remote resort still thinking about its first luxury hotel. From there I flew back to the United States, landing in Honolulu. That is a trip I will never forget.

(2) In 1987 my first daughter arrived from India at O’Hare with one other infant in a yellow wicker basket. At 4 ½ months she weighed just 7 lbs 1 oz and could not yet hold up her head.

Argyle said...

The American National Theater & Academy ("ANTA") is a non-profit organization, incorporated by an act of Congress in 1935. It was to provide a “people's” self-supporting national theatre. The word “self-supporting” allowed Congress to refuse financial assistance. For several seasons, its work consisted largely of offering encouragement and advice. In 1950, it purchased the Guild Theatre, renamed it the ANTA, and began to produce a series of revivals and new plays but the series soon petered out. In 1963, while the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center was under construction, ANTA built a temporary theatre on Washington Square for use by the company that was planned as the Center's repertory ensemble. With time ANTA simply leased its theatre to commercial productions, while retaining offices in the house. However, with growing financial difficulties and some sense of purposelessness, the theatre was sold in 1981. Working with the Denver Center, in 1984 it established the National Theatre Conservatory in the Colorado city. The Conservatory is a performing arts school that, at long last, is supposed to act as “the final ‘A’ in ANTA.” ANTA West was established as a West Coast branch, while in the 1990s principal offices began the move from New York to Washington.

And I still couldn't find an address. Was it a "gimme" for anybody?

kazie said...

dennis,
Talking to a young American on a train station in Granada, Spain, in 1971, followed by a 12 hour train journey together arriving in Alicante around midnight, overnight in a crummy little pension, eating oranges on the beach next morning , traveling up the coast back to Montpellier, knowing this was the love of my life and scared shitless about what it entailed. We relive it in our memories together every April 12th.

melissa bee said...

hello c.c. and all,

only have a minute and not much to say about puzzle except i was happy to see a quote that i liked. had never heard it before.

rear window is one of my all time favorite movies, so i knew thelma ritter as she has a pretty big role in it.

low blow weapon / knee ... ouch.

thrills: attending tracker school (especially when i made fire the first time with my bowdrill), SAR summer camp (3x), a 5-day solo backpacking trip in the ventana wilderness, and giving birth. after each of those i knew i could do anything.

steve said...

Good morning CC and alol;
I haven'posted in awhile mainly because I've just been too busy, but I do try and read your blog each day I'm home.

The puzzle was fairly easy. Like many I got some of the clues from the perps like TAY, and I am ashamed to say GEES. Until I read barry's explaination I had no Idea.

I flew fighter aircraft through most of my AF career. Mostly I flew the A-7D which was cirtified to 7 G's which I did on a regular basis ( maby one of the reasons I'm an inch or so shorter than I was in my 20's). In oreder to keep from graying out (light black)pilots wear a G'suit. It is basically like chaps that have a bladder in the abdomen and the upper and lower legs. When more than one G is pulled air (from the engine) is forced into a hose connection that fills these bladders and constricts these areas to prevent blood from pooling in the lower body and starving the brain of blood.

Most of the newer aircraft that have electronic flight controls will limit the amount of G's an aircraft can pull, usually to 9 G's. These airplans like the F-16 also have the seat tilted back which also helps in keeping the pilot consious. The last thing that aids pilots in this endevour is the ol' reliable M-1 manuver.

This maneuver is taught to all fledgling military pilots because the primary jet trainers used don't have g-suit capibility. The M-1 manuver requires the pilot to tighten the lower leg mussles and the abdomen and hold your breath while pulling high G's, usually no more than 4, and it doesn't help very long. I can't telly how many times my vision went to pin pricks and very gray!

Anonymous said...

Gees is the force that you feel when a plane takes off.

Buckeye said...

Good Afternoon c.c., all DF's and KH's. An easy quip puzzle for me. Had trouble with 17a (NYC Theater), 7d (Greek goddess), but easily resolved.

As a Political Science, History and International Studies major/student and with great respect regarding political and religious comments on this blog, I shall pass on that subject except to say I agree with everything Ink said.

Thelma Ritter was great in "Pillow Talk" with Rock and Doris.

Loved today's poem, Clearayes. Very visual.

English has both Romantic and German roots. "Ascend" - Romantic, "Go up" - Germanic. The list is endless.

Last day of the good weather. Nasty starting tomorrow.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

I must be off.

embien said...

9:21 today. Finally a "quip" Thursday that actually had a payoff. The quip was clever and worthwhile (unlike most of the stupid quips that appear in the puzzle). ANTA was my only unknown, though I had to wait for the crosses to get the proper spelling for GAEA (I always want to stick an "I" in there somewhere).

I would just as soon the politics were in some other blog. Just sayin'.

embien said...

@c.c.: Embien,
I was shocked that you like "The Splendid Table".


Hmmm. Just because I no longer do all the cooking around here doesn't mean I'm not interested in the subject. Food Network is a popular channel in our household.

"The Splendid Table" radio program has several features that aren't strictly recipe-related. The Sterns' "Road Food" is a favorite, even though I'll probably never get to any of the featured dining spots. There are also frequent features on wines, ethnic cuisine, and more. You can listen to recent episodes (or download podcasts) at Splendid Table.

JIMBO said...

One big thrill of my life--
January 17, 1946 newly discharged from 43d Division Signal Company , on a hill overlooking my home town and knowing that in a matter of minutes I would finally be at home and reunited with my loved ones!!!!

DoesItinInk said...

@kittyb 7:38 am - Yuck! Thursday night commutes are bad enough witout all this rain. But never fear, I am a very safe driver. Thanks for your concern.

@kazie 10:23 am - I appreciate and agree with what you wrote. Thank you for sharing your world view.

carol said...

Hi C.C. and all, I actually liked the 'quip' today, and that's a first. Usually I have to struggle with them.
Only one I didn't get the very (very) last minute was 17A and that was because I had trouble with 3D.

C.C. thanks so much for increasing the post limit to 5. (A 'high' five to you :))

Clear Ayes, what an adorable 'Amosandra' doll. I have never heard of those, were they regional? Anyway, it's really cute and I hope you still have it. Could be worth quite a bit never mind the great sentimental value.

Sooooooo it's National Men Make Dinner Day? Well, then I guess I'm having canned soup and a sandwich because I don't think Joe knows how to do anything more (in the food dept.) (he can make coffee)

KittyB said...

drdad....so YOU were the guy buzzing us in the helicopter! My parents lived not far from Silver Dollar City on Table Rock Lake for about 17 years. I lived with them for the last two of those years. The helicopter rides are pretty popular. btw, thanks for the "umami" explanation. Now I know why I like all of those things. I always thought it was because they were salty.

I'm not sure that I've had my lifetime thrill yet. Every performance I've given, either as a member of the band or choir, or as the conductor, counts, especially playing a concert beneath the Eiffel Tower, and at Ravinia in the Chicago suburbs. Otherwise, para-sailing in Hawaii, the trip to Alaska, and traveling in Europe twice are the only things which come to mind. I'm not much of a daredevil, and all my commercial flights have landed safely, and you said "other than sex." I'm in awe of all of you. I feel very much like the country mouse in comparison.

I've really enjoyed the commentary on citizenship, for want of a better word. I am very proud to be an American, but like others, that doesn't mean I support every choice that has been made by my government. The whole point of being an American is that you can object, legally, as clear ayes pointed out, to what the government is doing. In many ways, Obama's election reminds me of the political climate when JFK was elected. I think people are looking for a fresh direction, and resolution of a lot of problems. Since this is not a political blog, I'll leave it at that.

doesit..after reading of your world tour, I doubt I need to worry about you driving in Chicago! lol

Jimbo, nice to see your picture!

Buckeye, I love the Groucho quote! Get ready....rotten weather is coming your way!

Have a great evening, all.

RichShif said...

Hi C.C. and All,
Did not know actuary, ANTA, and Tay. These were the only problems. Everything else fell into place expect was looking at "wage" for launch forces as in wage a war.

C.C. read an interesting article that you might like. Stalatite in China

RichShif said...

Sorry that is a stalagmite instead of a stalagtite.

Clear Ayes said...

I've been trying to think of "THE" most thrilling experience in my life. I'm having a hard time coming up with an "adrenaline" moment. I guess it would have to be going down and up the Niagara River rapids. That one had me gasping for air, gulping water and my heart thumping like crazy. BTW, I was in a boat, not a barrel.

Oh yes, there was also the 4-passenger plane (about the size of a VW Bug) ride to and from Catalina Island with a fellow who told me he was a good pilot. It occurred to me about half way there that he might not be as experienced as he said he was. He managed to get us there and back to the mainland again, so I guess he was telling the truth.

Quietly thrilling and just plain fun was my first trip to Europe with my sister, nine countries in 30 days via Eurail....I couldn't do it now! Seeing Poets' Corner in Westminster Abby, the Rosetta Stone, Ann Franks house, the Van Gogh museum, the drunken Norwegian sailors in Copenhagen, getting a drive-by wave from the King of Sweden, the Mona Lisa, the charming Frenchmen, the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter's, mobs of Italian men who wanted to add an American woman to their conquests ....on and on, were all exciting and mostly wonderful.

The most emotionally overwhelming experience was holding my daughter for the first time...total awe and absolute dread. I'm sure all you moms and dads can relate to that feeling.

Not the first big thrill, but Tuesday's results were emotional and thrilling too.

Doesitinink, Curious..in 79-80, were you traveling alone or did you have a companion? My future brother-in-law was traveling in some of the same places at the same time. Ever run into an English sailor named Jon? LOL

Carol, The Amosandra doll was made out of rubber. By the time I had her for several years, she was cracked and getting flaky. Plus those old rubber dolls developed an unpleasant smell after a while. I think it had something to do with all the doll baths and not getting all the water out of her joints.

Rats! Kittyb caught Buckeye's Groucho quote before I did. I'll be watching for the next one!

Argyle said...

27D: "The One I Love": R.E.M. Here is the song. What does "Another prop has occupied my time" mean?

I have no idea. Any takes on this?

Martin said...

What's the most thrilling thing you've done in your life?

So many things!

(non-sexual of course, given the new flavor of the blog)

Oh. Then I'll have to think about it and get back to you.

I missed the political discussion. I'm Canadian and Canada doesn't make the international news much so if politicians there did anything to embarass the country then nobody over here would know about it. I was here in Asia back in 1997 so, even though I'm not an economist, it's hard to believe that nobody saw the financial meltdown coming as the dollar kept getting weaker and weaker. Wouldn't that be what they call a "market correction"? If your money isn't worth as much as it used to be then you're not in good shape even if you don't realize it yet. So, yeah, if I were American I would be feeling a mix of embarassment and pride right now. "Embarassment" in this case would be a matter of taking personal responsibility for the mistakes you perceive your elected leaders as having made: as clear eyes implied, you need to be ready to replace a government you no longer approve of; if the same government remained in power and gets to do what it wants and there's no repercussions then you'd no longer have democracy.

Oh and Kazie, spelling has never been my strong suit, not in English and certainly not in French.

Martin

Clear Ayes said...

It is endlessly amazing to me that you can find information about almost anything on the internet. Here are two comments I found about the line "Another prop has occupied my mind".

1. "understood it to mean prop in the sense of a theatrical prop, (short for property), an article used temporarily and then discarded."

2. "Unless you have a very creepy relationship with your significant other, you really don’t want to make this your “song.” This is a song for jerks and sociopaths, and you’re supposed to pick up on that irony by the time Michael sings “a simple prop to occupy my time."

I'm not too familiar with R.E.M. songs, except maybe for "Losing My Religion". Michael Stipe is an unusual singer. I think he likes to keep their songs mysterious and open to all kinds of interpretation. A lot of people like that, others find it frustrating.

papajim said...

A little late to get my 2 cents in but here it is.I agree with Bill.In my mind, gleam is a steady, somewhat subdued light. The # 2 defination in my dictionary says flash.
There are negative g forces as well. Those cause a feeling of weightlessness as on a roller coaster or auto rotation in a helicopter, of which I experience in the "Nam", to a not too successful ending. The pilot may have gotten A plus in navigation and B's in radio procedures, but I'm willing to bet he got D's and F's in emergency landings.
I think this satisfies the most thrilling/terrifying thing today.
Okay, before I go, every night is "husband make dinner night" but I like to cook, and by Groucho, "I once shot an elephant in Africa but I had a hard time getting the tusks out. In Alabama the Tuscaloosa".

papajim said...

I knew the spelling of "definition" was odd looking.

Ken said...

Dennis: My first greatest thrill, (later my children would compete) was my duty at submarine school in New London, CT. Weekly, we'd go to sea in a WW II style sub. I was and am so proud to have served in that branch of the US Navy.

Ken said...

Drdad, thanks for the rundown on the food chemistry. That would be a fascinating area in which to work.
Btw, my actual studies were in Chemical Oceanography(I ended up working in Physical Ocean.) but four years of Chemistry were required, so I received both degrees.

Martin said...

papajim,

Actually, no, you can't have a force of negative magnitude (including a negative g-force): that would just a force acting in the opposite direction. In the case of weightlessness, you don't have a negative g-force; rather you are experiencing the absense of any g-forces on your body. As somebody else pointed out, we constantly experience a g-force of magnitude 1 acting down (ie gravity). True weightlessless would be a g-force of zero, not a negative g-force. In reality, gravity is always acting downwards but when you are in free fall you don't notice it until you hit something (usually the ground). In the case of a ferris wheel or a rollarcoaster, you also have a centripetal force which will cause a feeling of weightlessless if it cancels the force of gravity acting downwards.

Clear eyes,

I don't always listen to the lyrics to songs I hear on the radio or on MTV so I didn't pick up on the irony of R.E.M.'s "One I Love". I also needed to have it pointed out to me that the Police's song "Every Breath You Take" is also ironic. I recall the lyrics go like this:

"Every move you make
Every breath you take
Every vow you break
Every single day
I'll be watching you"

That's really kind of creepy if you think about it. Later the lyrics go "I keep calling calling baby please" which is also a bit creepy. Later "every vow you break" is changed to "every smile you fake". It's interesting that a cover version of "Every Breath You Take" was done recently that kept the sweetness without any of the underlying hostility. Sting also wrote "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free".

Oh and I used the term "market correction" earlier. Another good term is "economic indicator": the falling dollar was an economic indicator and it should have told people that something was wrong with the American economy, just as a falling altimeter in an airplane cockpit should tell the pilot that the plane is in trouble. :)

Martin (That's three!)

Buckeye said...

Single personal thrill. Skydiving. Still number one. Second, a perfect three wood for my second shot on a par five; into the jar. DOUBLE EAGLE!!!

I guess it isn't really sex, so it goes without saying that the top two thrills were the births of my daughters. Didn't do that alone, though.

I once shot an elephant in my pajamas. What he was doing in my pajamas, I'll never know.

IMBO