google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday March 31, 2009 Steve Dobis

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Mar 31, 2009

Tuesday March 31, 2009 Steve Dobis

Theme: THE KINGSMEN (60A: "Louise Louie" singers, and this puzzle's theme)

18A: '80s TV series with a talking car named KITT: KNIGHT RIDER

23A: 1943 Triple Crown winner: COUNT FLEET

36A: England's Charles, since 1958: PRINCE OF WALES

54A: "Nothing can stop" him, in a 1962 doo-wop classic: DUKE OF EARL

I am not familar with THE KINGSMEN or their song "Louie Louie". I think I prefer the theme title to be THE KING'S MEN. Too obscure a clue? Any way to work around "All the King's Men"?

A big leap from Monday's easy grid for me. Used lots of wite-out. The clue of 18A brought to mind Fred Dryer and his "Hunter", which was hugely popular in China in late '80s. But he does not have a talking car. KNIGHT RIDER came to China only in 1995. And we have a completely different Chinese name.

I was also thinking of Whirlaway for 23A. It runs out he was the 1941 Triple Crown winner. Have never heard of the song "DUKE OF EARL". PRINCE OF WALES was the only gimme theme entry to me. He probably should give the crown to Williams.

Across:

4A: Former Anaheim Stadium NFLer: LA RAM. Stumper. Did not know St. Louis Rams was once LA Rams. Kind of like Brooklyn/LA Dodgers. Twins was called Senators before.

9A: Lawn game using lobbed missiles: JARTS. Got it from down fills. Wikipedia says JARTS is banned in the US/Canada. I thought of BOCCI the Italian lawn bowling. Boomer had another perfect game last night. An exciting 830 (289/241/300).

14A: Fenway team, familiarly: SOX. Chicago team as well.

16A: "___ Gold": Peter Fonda film: ULEE'S. I don't believe we had ULEE'S in our old puzzle before. Always ULEE, clued as "Peter Fonda role".

17A: Rock music's __ Fighters: FOO. No idea. Wikipedia says their name is taken from World War II term "FOO Fighter", used by allied pilots to refer UFOs. See here for more etymology. The cartoonist & Chinese figurine word FOO connection reminds me of Egg FOO Young, a dish you won't find in a real Chinese kitchen table.

22A: London insurance giant: LLOYD'S. "Giant"? Like AIG/AIU?

29A: Taqueria offering: TOSTADA. What are those red-skinned diced cubes? Apples?

35A: It's a wrap: SARAN. Hard to unwrap. Do you like Food Network's "Unwrapped"? Fascinating history on American packaged food.

42A: New Zealand native: MAORI. Literally "Ordinary people" in its native language. And their dance is called HAKA.

44A: Basic ballroom dance: TWO STEP

47A: Riddles: ENIGMAS. Thought of Churchill's comment on Soviet Union: "A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an ENIGMA".

56A: Ravel work immortalized in "10": BOLERO. Just beautiful! It's a TEN (28D: Gymnast's goal). Williams liked to clue TEN as "Bo's number".

65A: Expected to land: DUE IN

68A: Filmdom ogre: SHREK. Found out this morning that SHREK is from German word Schreck meaning "terror".

69A: Muffin Man's lane: DRURY. Another stumper. Have never heard of this nursery rhyme.

70A: +, on a batt.: POS

Down:

1D: To be the truth: AS FACT. Can you give me an example of how these two are interchangeable?

3D: Israelites' departure: EXODUS. Also the title of Uris novel.

4D: Sitting Bull's language: LAKOTA. Dictonary says it's also called TETON.

5D: Son of Valiant: ARN. He has become a gimme to me. "Bride of Valiant" is ALETA, who just appeared in our puzzle two days ago.

6D: Portuguese royal: REI. The Spanish king is REY.

7D: Each one in a square is 90 degrees: ANGLE

8D: Composer Gustav: MAHLER. Learned the name of his work "Das Lied von der Erde" from doing crossword. Lied (pronounced like leed") is German art song. Erde means "earth".

11D: McCarthy era paranoia: RED SCARE. Learned this "paranoia" only after I came to the US. Quite shocking to me.

24D: S&L guarantor: FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Forgot. Did get SSA (31D: FICA funds it) though.

37D: Soda in a float: ROOT BEER. Well, I guess I've been living under the rock. Have never heard of "ROOT BEER float". I was expecting a perfectly ripe banana split in the middle when I ordered "Banana Split" last time. And was shocked when a big boat of dessert arrived.

42D: Boston transit inits: MTA. Massachusetts Transportation Authority? I don't know. MTA was always clued as "Kingston Trio hit" in our old puzzle.

46D: Cleansed: PURGED. I WASHED first.

48D: "I wish it could be!": IF ONLY. So many IF ONLY and "what-ifs" in our lives.

50D: Zany: MADCAP. COCA is often clued as "Zany Imogene".

51D: Melodious passage: ARIOSO. I am going to drink acorn coffee if I forget this word again.

55D: "80-'90s quarterback Bernie: KOSAR. No idea. Is Bernie KOSAR very famous? Wikipedia says he is a part-owner of Florida Panthers.

57D: "The Grapes of Wrath" figure: OKIE. The family name of the novel is JOAD.

58D: Web cross-reference: LINK. Click here if you want to learn how to make a LINK at the Comments section.

62D: East Lansing sch: MSU (Michigan State University). The Spartans.

63D: Musket suffix: EER. "Auction/profit" suffix too.

Full answer grid.

C.C.

103 comments:

  1. Good morning, C.C. & gang - I didn't blow through this one like I thought I might on a Tuesday puzzle. Had a couple pauses at the top, where I couldn't remember 'Arn' and Gustav Mahler, didn't know 'Rei', and I only knew the game as 'Lawn Darts', not 'Jarts'. Once past the top, however, everything came quickly. The old songs and song references were a gimme, since that's the era I grew up in.

    'As fact' seemed a little weird to me for 'to be the truth', although it's correct. And "Bolero" is considered by many to be a great song by which to make love. I'll add my voice to that.

    Speaking of, today is National Clam on a Half Shell Day - so very many lines, but certainly a great day to celebrate.

    Today's Words of Wisdom: "Unfortunately, may people do not consider fun an important item on their daily agenda. For me, that was always high priority in whatever I was doing." -- Test Pilot General Chuck Yeager

    And a few more fun facts for your edification and amusement:

    - Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.

    - Charles Lindbergh took only four sandwiches with him on his famous transatlantic flight.

    - The world's largest omelet was made in Canada in 2002 and weighed 6,510 pounds.

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  2. Dennis,
    See, cultural handicap for me again. Those old songs/TV series/stars often give me trouble. Chuck Yeager's name sounds so familiar, what is he most famous for? Charles Lindbergh must have taken 4 huge sandwiches then. I often find American sandwiches or hot dogs too big for my mouth and appetite.

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  3. Sitting Bull's language: LAKOTA

    Doh! I said DAKOTA, like the State. Other unknowns were LA RAM, TOSTADA, FDIC, KOSAR and DRURY. The unknowns crossed so I couldn't finish today.

    Williams liked to clue TEN as "Bo's number".

    How many millihelens is Bo Derek's perfect 10? Is 1000 millihelens supposed to be perfect? Or are millihelens only a measure of facial beauty and therefore not a fair comparison?

    Any way to work around "All the King's Men"?

    How about "Would be Humpty Dumpty rescuers"?

    Strange that others call your wife Lao Po. Only husband calls their wife so.

    That's what I thought too. Some people obviously think "Tai tai" is too formal.

    Martin

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  4. Chuck Yeager's name sounds so familiar, what is he most famous for?

    You may have heard of him from the movie _The Right Stuff_. There was a scene where Chuck Yeager flew a plane out of the atmosphere and was able to bail out before it crashed. The movie was based on real life events but there's no way to verify if that part was true.

    Martin

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  5. C.C., Chuck Yeager is considered one of the greatest pilots of our time, both as a test pilot and a fighter pilot. He was the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. You really should Wiki him - he's quite a man.

    And, in a remarkable (for me) show of restraint, I'm not commenting on your last sentence.

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  6. Martin,
    Actually "Tai Tai" is fine. I think millihelen is a measurement of physical beauty only. Different than Xi Shi, whom you mentioned last time. Can you explain your "Would be Humpty Dumpty rescuers"? I don't get it.

    Linda, Kazie, Sallie & J.D.,
    I am so glad we have all your ex- teachers here. All of you are so patient and generous.

    Razzberry,
    Bait her/him?

    Crockett,
    Eugene Sheffer is not a familiar name to me. Are his puzzles hard?

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  7. Good morning CC and all,..just got back from a long weekend in the mountain and it was enjoyable and quiet. Yesterdays puzzle was a snap, but not so today. I did not know REI, countfleet and asfact, however count showed up in my mind after I got the theme.

    The lower half, of the puzzle, was easier that the top, but I seemed to struggle a bit all the way through. This was certainly not a speed race for me, but was doable.

    The tricky clue was 70A, I immediately put ano for anode and that really screwed up that corner for awhile.

    CC Chuck Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier.

    I hope you all have a great Tuesday.

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  8. @ Dennis 5:56 comment. Good restraint.

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  9. Dennis,
    Oh well, I was simply stating the truth. I said cultural handicap, didn't I? I checked and found that you quoted Chuck Yeager's "You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can't, you do the next best thing. You back up, but you don't give up" on Jan 8, 2009. That's why he sounds familiar to me. See, I pay attention to what you babble every day.

    Calef,
    Thanks for the view on belly buttons.

    Lemonade,
    Hard to be perfect a perfect 100, isn't it?

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  10. Dick,
    Great to see you back. Have you tried Sunday's "LA Clippers" puzzle yet?

    Wolfmom & PromiseMe,
    Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the effort to find out who Shakespeare really was.

    Dot,
    Thanks for wildebeest. Your posts often come late. Are you a late riser then?

    Jeannie,
    How many times have I said 5 posts/day/poster? Why so much disrespect toward me?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good morning:

    Yes, getting 100 is rather tricky, and I was working on two motions when the final rush of posts came last night. It went from 92 to over 100 in the blink of an eye.

    A nice mix of clues today, not too easy or too hard, though the sports clues were a bit obscure. The RAMS actually began as the CLEVELAND RAMS, moved to LA and were there for years (almost 50) as the first NFL team on the west coast. BERNIE KOSAR also started out playing in the NFL, in CLEVELAND, for the Browns. He never won the the big game to get to the Super Bowl, but he was very successful, with a bizarre sidearm delivery. He also was one of the many U. of Miami quarterbacks to become a professional, that led to it being called quarterback U for a while. He lives in South Florida, and is a regular on radio talk shows; very entertaining.

    DUKE of EARL and LOUIE, LOUIE were very popular at all the sock hops of the early 60's. Many other bands recorded both.

    "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
    Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
    All the king's horses and all the king's men
    Couldn't put Humpty together again."

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  12. Good Morning, All

    from MTA:
    Spoken:
    The Metropolitan Transit Authority, better known as the M.T.A., is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the population in the form of a subway fare increase.

    I wondered why the clue was "Boston transit inits" but when I got to the "Louie Louie", it became clear. The constuctor didn't want CC calling him out for using "Kingston" in the clues!

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  13. @CC, Your question "Have you tried Sunday's "LA Clippers" puzzle yet?" I just finished it this morning. It sure was a lot of head scratching, several Googles, some perp help and a little luck allowed me to complete the puzzle.

    So far, I have enjoyed the LAT puzzles with enough easy ones splattered with more difficult ones. The new slant on cluing is also a welcome relief.

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  14. Morning all,

    First of all I’m Jeanne, not Jeannie. I’m much older, considerably less DF at least in words, and have been posting on and off for over a year. With that out of the way, I’m still not sure of the new puzzle format. Beginning of the week is too easy and end of the week very difficult, at least for me. Hopefully I will improve as the time goes on. I did like some of the puzzle today with “Louie, Louie” and “Duke of Earl” bringing back many memories of great high school and college fraternity dances. Ah, the days when I could drink and stay awake!

    “The Right Stuff” is a great movie and gives a wonderful view of our early space days. It’s on TV often or of course you can rent it. I missed yesterday’s discussion on teaching; will add that 16 yr. olds having babies, yes even more than one, has created a huge problem in our high schools. Concentration, setting goals, doing homework, and seeing the big picture is a thing of the past for many of these girls. So sad and upsetting. That is only one area that has affected our high schools.

    Have a good day all, After yesterday's root canal, I'm looking forward to a much better day.

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  15. For some reason, today's puzzle was the easiest I've done in ages - I flew thru it as fast as I could write. I just knew the clues - apparently this puzzle hit the old memory banks.
    CC, enjoyed the pix of root beer floats. When I was a kid in PA my dad actually made root beer. He mixed up some syrup, water, sugar and who knows what else, put it in gallon jugs and then they sat outside in the yard in the sun to ferment. My brother and I took turns rolling them over each day - I guess so they got sunlight evenly. After some indefinite amount of time, we actually had root beer - often way more than we could drink. I don't know anyone else who ever did this and have no idea why my dad did but it sure was fun.

    Nice to see some new words today - have never seen jarts in an xword - what a dangerous game that was 'they'll put your eye out Ralphie'.

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  16. Good Morning, C.C. and gang,

    I decided this morning I would work the grid on my PC rather than with pencil, and have a couple of questions:

    After I finished, I could not find a way to print it out. Secondly, is there an easy way to advance the cursor when you are filling in a vertical clue? It is automatic on horizontal clues.

    It will take some getting used to, but I find it is an easy way to guess some answers, especially on short words. Example, "Arn". I had not completed laram yet and knew the first letter had to be a vowel. Bingo! A was correct.

    All in all, I found the puzzle rather easy; the few clues I didn't know, I was able to solve with the perps.

    How long was Lindberg's flight? I think four sandwiches would have lasted me. How did he handle sanitary matters? A jug and a plug?

    I wish you all a bluebird day.

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  17. Good Morning all.

    T.Frank - click on the vertical clue - you can then fill in the vertical blanks.
    Did not find today's puzzle enjoyable. For some reason, I could not wait to finish it. Seemed uninteresting to me.
    Today will be a glorious day in northeast PA. Plan to go outside and do yard work when the temperature hits 45 degrees.
    If there are any college basketball fans out there, go Penn State. NIT semifinals tonight. PSU is playing Notre Dame. My husband and I have been football season ticket holders for 33 years. Nice to see the basketball team doing well.
    Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

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  18. thank you for putting in the full answer grid, some days I don't get the same ones you do.

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  19. For some unknown reason, we don't have our paper yet today, so I worked this online. I didn't really enjoy it--too many popular culture clues--sports and a music group I didn't know by name, although the tune is familiar. It was a popular one for our HS band here.

    I couldn't figure out how to print the finished puzzle with clues after I was done--only what showed on the screen. Got lots of perp and some red help.

    c.c.,
    Thanks for your teacher appreciation.

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  20. T. Frank,
    It will also advance if you hit the tab or enter key, for either horizontal or vertical.

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  21. CC - "Bait her/him?" Hmmm, let me think on that and I'll get back with you later ;~P

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  22. T Frank - the space bar will also change the direction from the block you are currently anchored.

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  23. Hmmm, this feels like a normal difficulty Tuesday puzzle. I wonder if we are back to normal difficulty levels this week? If so, the gloves are off! We'll know for sure by Thursday.

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  24. Good morning CC et al.,Fun puzzle w/the perps getting what vacancies were left. Lakota was my only 'huh'.

    This Okie was set free doin' a little two step with all the king's men. My sox were knocked off by that madcap Knight Rider. He's one hard man... sleeps in his armor! I'd give him a 'ten' for being a lightning rod. It's all good.

    I'm all about clams...anywhere - 1/2 shell, no shell, in their bed, on the beach, raw, baked, ...and all the fun getting them. Sometimes it's hard work, but when they open up, oh my, oh my. Heaven knows no bounds! Yeah, I'm all about clams.

    Enjoy your day!

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  25. I enjoyed this puzzle. Had to do a little thinking, but not too much. Loved the old song references, but I'll probably have 'Louie, Louie' in my head all day. Never heard of JARTS, but got it from the perps. The COE/ARIOSO were both unknown, but guessed the right answer.

    Had Dakota, but when all the letters were filled in and the computer didn't think I was done I changed the D to an L and got my "ta-da" sound. Still didn't understand LARAM. Thought it was a name until I got here. Forgot that the Rams played in Anaheim before moving to KC. (The 49ers are talking about building a stadium in the Bay Area south of San Francisco, but would want to still call themselves the SF 49ers, which might not make the community supporting the stadium very happy.)

    Musicians I know think BOLERO is very boring to play. 14 minutes of playing the same thing over and over again.

    The red things in the Tostada are peppers.

    Tetons means 'teats' in French. Someone mentioned that to me when I was wearing a sweatshirt that had 'Grand Tetons' printed across my chest. Was my face red!

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  26. Hi C.C.

    I had the same problem as Martin with 4D: I was certain it was Dakota for the state and I had forgotten about the LA RAM's.

    Re: Tostada question?

    I found the recipe for your version. and it might be a red onion?

    ;-)

    --Warren

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  27. CC: Patient? Not usually (ok, never) called that...but thank you. I can`t imagine moving to China and learning the language, mores, and history well enough to blog a puzzle in only 8 years! Don`t "sell yourself short."
    This puzzle went almost as easily as yesterday...got the theme with 18a. Ever heard the quote, "It`s a mystery wrapped in an enigma?" The author`s name escapes me.

    SandbridgeKaren: Making root beer is something the Amish are good at, and since you mentioned PA, are your roots Amish? Beverly Lewis is one of my favorite authors.

    BTW, I take four sandwiches with me to walk to the mail box!

    My local paper just announced a 20% price increase for home delivery. Just how much does Norris make!!

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  28. C.C., Thanks for the comment on us teachers. I've a few good stories about unexpected appreciations. They're always most welcome.

    This puzzle was just about my speed. I didn't know the music (too old), but when I groked the theme I was able to finish nicely. Husband had to tell me Knight Rider, as I never saw it or heard of the series. Got Lakota immediately because we had just seen Little Big Man (Netflix).

    In the late '30s my older brother made root beer in our basement.

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  29. C.C. Your quote about enigma refers to the Germans, not the Soviets. It was a huge part of how England did as well as it did in WWII. They broke the code early on and didn't let the Nazis know, so they had good intelligence.

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  30. @ all who are interested:

    If you have trouble on-line:

    - "click" on the number (e.g., 1-A vs. 1-D) which will take you from "across" to "down"

    - hit "tab" to move to the next clue, across or down

    - if you enter as "regular skill level" you'll get RED letters if you enter wrong answers/letters. You'll also have access to a "solve" tab at the top of the puzzle which will allow you to "solve" a letter, a word, or even the entire puzzle

    Personally, I have been entering as "master skill level" on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday and "regular skill level" on Thursday, Friday & Saturday. When you enter as "master skill level" you won't get the "congratulations" screen unless you have all the answers correct.

    PS - to reiterate from an earlier post, once you get the "congratulations" screen, you'll see a button in the lower right corner that says "continue playing" - if you click it you'll come to another screen that will allow you to "look over this puzzle" which will take you to the answers you entered - it's helpful if, like me, you like to to fill in the answers before you visit the blog - open another explorer window and then switch back-and-forth to compare/understand, IMHO.

    Happy Tuesday to all!

    PPS - Oysters are better than clams, but Ahi sushi rules!

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  31. C.C.

    The movie the "The Right Stuff" is good, but read Chuck Yeager's Auto-Biography. It is one of the best, most intersting books I have ever read in my life.

    http://www.amazon.com/Yeager-Autobiography-Chuck/dp/0553256742

    He was a self made man in every sense. In the incident where he bailed out, his O2 mask caught on fire and burned his face badly. He recovered from that and continued to have a great career.

    I believe you would enjoy this book and learn a little more about the American spirit.

    Regards,

    A.R.E.

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  32. PPPS:

    It's nice to see so many new posters step up (thanks to A.R.E., Warren, Elissa, Cabrini, TFrank, SandbridgeKaren, etal, who I'm sure I offended because I forgot - unintentionally, though, believe me, please keep coming back!) - welcome & I'm sure I speak for others, especially those of us who like to consider themselves "regulars"...

    CC - has been great to see your extra posts, especially for those West-Coasters who, I'm sure, appreciate your later-in-the-day input. I imagine it's a PITA, but you started it, ya' know?

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  33. CC - On the xw today - liked the clue Big Bang Producer (with the Genesis discussions yesterday, my first thought wasn't t-n-t for the 3 letter fill). Didn't have any that were awful.

    Dennis - Thank God for Yeager and all of the others that were willing to test the boundries without regard for their personal well-being. What they gave this country is beyond measure. We have had and continue to have heroes in every generation.

    Oh and CC - still working on that dark thingy...should be able to post the answer in a little while ;~)


    Things that make you go hmmmm!?!?

    + If a person with multiple personalities threatens suicide, is that considered a hostage situation?

    + Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

    Truisms to Live By...

    + Don't sweat petty things...or pet sweaty things.

    While I'm here before going back to the dark recesses of researching dark... I cant believe I found a link for a Clam Song

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  34. Hi c.c.:

    I had everything right, except 4D where I had Dakota, so naturally couldn't figure out LA RAMS. I finally googled it and changed it to "L", but still didn't get LA RAMS because I kept reading it as one word, duh! All of the theme answers came easy to me, especially the songs and song references as Dennis said.

    Have a great day everyone, off to the gym soon!

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  35. Good Morning All, I can see that today's puzzle was a little more difficult than yesterday's. I still have no recognition of a horse named COUNT FLEET. I wanted BLACK COW for 37D, which is what we called a root beer float when I was a kid.

    "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the effort to find out who Shakespeare really was." I agree with C.C. It is interesting to read the conflicting opinions, but Shakespeare himself is the choice of most experts. I'll have to stick with him until there is proof positive....and I don't think there will be any.

    Over the decades there has been almost as much dispute about the real lyrics of "Louie Louie" as about who really wrote Shakespeare. The song sounds much clearer on C.C.'s link.

    Well, me gotta go, yah, yah, yah, yah, yah, yah. Off to Costco. I'll check in later.

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  36. CC; It is with shallow regret that I am resigning this blog. The reason: I`m am moving to Costa Rica to enter a Nunnery where I will be the resident spell-checker and will teach the children of the local drug lord songs such as "The hills are alive with the sound of gunfire".
    There is another position available...
    Jeannie, Lois...interested?
    temprano el que sufre inocentadas

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  37. Good morning CC and all,

    I loved this puzzle; the clues were new and fun and I could do it without help (except from Bob, the sports guy).I was humming the theme song to Exodus while y'all were movin' to Louis,Louis.

    Like Martin and Elissa, I had Dakota, and thought Daram was a player that I'd never heard about. I had never heard of Count Fleet.He wasn't on any playing cards I ever collected, only Man o' War, Secretariat, Citation. I had never heard of Jarts (SbKaren- funny comment!) or arioso. Got rei, because the French word is roi.Remembered a song, "they were kung foo fighting..." and so I guessed it was foo.

    In some areas root beer floats are known as either brown or black cows, a Bob favorite.

    Goooo Boomer! He is Soooo much better than our president whose highest game is a 129. LOL

    CC, thanks for the kind teacher words. To really be a TEACHer, one has to love the students. Secondly, they must be excited about what they are teaching.

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  38. Linda,
    How did you get the job? Your Spanish spelling ability must be better than English ;)

    Elissa,
    Your bored musicians just need to let their minds wander a bit more while playing Bolero.

    Knight Rider was a favorite of our kids when the original one was on. There's a new remake on TV now which seems really lame. Maybe we weren't so blasé about high tech back in the 80's. Or maybe it was just David Hasselhoff, for me anyway. He was better then before his beach bum role. BTW, he's always been very popular in Germany, maybe because they can claim his heritage.

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  39. Good morning all.
    Easy for me today, I like the LA Times puzzles with the new clues to old answers.

    c.c. the tostada red things looked like tomatoes to me.

    Kazie, I leave one letter (that I know) blank, then I can print the puzzle with clues and fills and just have to ink in the final letter after printing.

    The Seattle Times carries the NY Times 7 days and the Newsday puzzles Mon. - Sat.

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  40. Kaz: I`m actually a quite proficient speller...i just do it to Hanoi you...

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  41. C.C.- to hear a good version of Louie Louie, rent the movie Animal House, starring John Belushi. A very funny comedy that kick started a lot of careers. Unfortunately, it shot Belushi to quick comedic stardom and resulted in his short life due to drug use. great movie though

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  42. Good morning and good afternoon:

    Half fast puzzle today! Parts of it were really easy then there was JARTS, followed closely by COUNT FLEET, REI, ARIOSO and about then I was feeling like a WINO. Too bad it's too early to take a slug. What the *&%$$ will tomorrow bring? Maybe I'll learn something, who knows?

    Linda, what is the other position available in the nunnery?

    SBKaren, if the root beer was left in the sun to 'ferment' wouldn't that make it an alcoholic beverage? No wonder you liked it! Good for your Dad!

    Dennis, now I'll have to listen to Bolero. I understand clams like music too, especially when they are reclining on a half shell.

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  43. good morning c.c. and all,

    yesterday's puzzle reminded me of the easy ones i used to do as a kid. a little boring for experienced solvers but good for reeling in newbies, so it's all good. today's required a few more brain cells. never heard of JARTS, and did not remember ARIOSO. also did not know TWO STEP was a ballroom dance, only know it as the country and western dance. brings back fond memories. liked the IT'S A WRAP clue.

    about root beer, my step-dad used to make it also. the process is similar to brewing beer.

    lakota was a gimme. it was the tribe/language of 'dances with wolves' and 'stands with fist.'

    @jeanne: nice to see you back, you were missed.

    @sallie: how'd you like 'little big man?'

    @PMT: racks are accessories of swimming pools, that's all i'm sayin'.

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  44. CC, just remembered that most places in Hawaii saute a macadamia crusted ahi or any other fresh fish, like mahi mahi, and usually sereved with rice.

    Razzberry, loved the clam link.What an awesome adventure that would be. I only snorkle. Skin diving scares me.

    Although Coke denies these facts, theses are out there:
    * To loosen a rusted bolt, apply a cloth soaked in Coke to the bolt for several seconds.
    *Supposedly, Coke will clean the engine of a truck, and it will clean off the corrosion from car battery terminals.
    *Sounds like Coke will clean ANYTHING! Pour a can in your toilet, and let the "real thing" sit for 1 hr., then flush. The citric acid removes stains from vitreous china.

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  45. JARTS is another PORTMANTEAU, a product of Javelin and Darts.

    The question is why we would want to annoy each other, even by spelling badly.

    It is my oldest son with the fish, not me. Almost time to change pictures.

    RAMS are in St. Louis, where they won a Super Bowl with Kurt Warner, and lost another to Tom Brady.

    In defense of JEANNIE (and I was a criminal defense lawyer for years) she was caught up in an exuberant effort to allow me the 100 position, which clouded her judgment. This fanatic effort was fueled by her sense of guilt at lucking into 69 on Sunday, as well as her string of 69 places. As such, we are pleading temporary insanity; it was not disrespect, but disassociation.

    ReplyDelete
  46. melissa bee - is this what you had in mind for a Swimming pool rack!

    CC – Well after much, much research, I finally have an answer for your query on the dark issue. Yes I know that I kept you in suspense much, much, too long. Anyway here is the answer… are you ready, because I don’t want you to get all of this information before you are ready to assimilate the tremendous amount of data. The speed of dark is approximately 12 hours (give or take due to the earths orbit & one’s own position upon this orb). Hehe, haha, now aren’t you glad that you asked and waited patiently for this tidbit! ;~P

    ReplyDelete
  47. Carol: I`m not touching that...sorry I included that particular phrasing.

    Kaz knows I jest. There`s not a mean bone in my body. Opinionated, cocky,
    know-it-all, downright silly? All of the above and dim sum. I rest my case.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Good morning all - just had to put my two cents in this week. Easy puzzle but got slowed in NE crnr, never have heard of jarts.

    Belly buttons - Alfred Hitchcock didn't have one, I don't know why.

    Loved everyone of my teachers, especially Mr.Isiah Johnson, my first and only black teacher. One never saw black teachers in the fifties, eventhough our area (CA) was very intergrated for the time. It blew my mind as a lad trveling in Texas and seeing 'white' and 'colored' water fountains in Sears. My take on student sitters today is that there are very few teachers and alot of instructors. Here in OR first year teachers start out at $62 thousand a year, their pay is paid out monthly year-round. This includes their health and retiremnt, which is entirely paid by the school district. Enough said.

    On rootbeer, one cannot get REAL rootbeer/syrup in the USA. The feds have banned the use of the different roots, so now all are made of artificial flavorings. In my younger days A & W had out of this world rootbeer and hamburgers.

    Luckily I have two copies of the Kingsmen's first album in my collection of vinyl, which I am now in the process of digitizing to my pc.

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  49. Well, I am 2 hours earlier today and you are all on the ball today. I was going to answer TFrank, but that is all taken care of.
    Razzberry, I like your Hmmmm..ing today. I love good clean humor.
    I couldn't figure out how 'pos' was the answer to 70A, because I didn't notice the second 't'. I thought they were talking about a baseball bat. Duh. I hate when I get the answer and don't know why it fits.
    I went to St Mary's Academy in Portland, Oregon and for one of our dances we had the Kingsmen play. I know it was before they recorded their first record in 1963. The sad part is I don't know if they played "Louie, Louie". I just remembered thinking they were really good.
    I need to get busy, but I will check in later.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Cabrini - as an avid PSU'er - GO LIONS!!! Bout time the bb team did us proud. I live in VA - have our version of the Lion on my car tags - ugliest Lion I've ever seen - sure do miss my PSU alumni tags!

    Linda - no Amish roots (heaven forbid). I would have been the absolute worst Amish person. 100% German/Austrian background which explains stubbornness.

    ChrisinLA - no apologies necessary but appreciate the welcome. Nice to be involved with such a wide range of fascinating people. Makes my day.

    Carol - maybe there was something to that alcoholic root beer thing that my dad never told us. Go figure. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  51. The puzzle was a little bit more difficult for me today. Made the same error as some of you putting in Dakota instead of Lakota. Must be the North Dakota flooding on the brain.

    We had a set of lawn jarts when I was a kid but Mom took them away when my brother took one to the thigh. He still has the scar to prove it.

    Linda, I find it hard to believe even Costa Rica would take you into their nunnery. After 48 years of marriage I don't think you would be pure enough :)

    Lemonade, what do I owe you for a retainer? Can I take it out in trade?

    ReplyDelete
  52. C.C. I'm not a late riser - just a late c/w solver. We don't do the puzzle until after supper. Then I my husband frequently is on the computer until his bedtime. I haven't seen the puzzle yet today or read most of the comments. Its amazing how busy a retiree can be! I was doing some volunteer work all morning. Now I'm off for a group Bible Study. I'll be reading the comments later. Dot

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  53. Lemonade, thanks for defending Jeannie, she deserves it!!! We want her to stay here, and feel appreciated because that is what she is! I know she meant C.C. no disrespect when she over-posted, as you say, she was caught up in the fun moment of trying to make it to 100 for you.

    Melissa bee, rack??? Now I know you didn't mean that type. We need our flotation devises.

    Razz...keep the "things that make you go hmmmm" coming. They are clever and can be fodder fun.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Lois, 'oh my, oh my' indeed. Nicely put.

    I'll second all the comments about Yeager's feats and his book; a really good read about a great man. When he made the flight that broke the sound barrier, he did so with two broken ribs from a horseback riding accident a day or so before. Never told anyone, and had to smuggle a piece of broomstick handle into the cockpit to even close it the canopy. A true American hero.

    Razz, your "things that go hmmmmmm" are just laugh-out-loud great - keep 'em coming.

    JD, Clear Ayes, brown cows are the best; we have an outdoor rootbeer drive-up restaurant (A&W) near here that makes great ones.

    Carol, listen to Bolero and imagine....you'll see what I mean.

    Melissa, I'm not sure what you mean by 'accessories' -- do you by chance have a personal picture to illustrate?

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  55. Still morning...Generally a fairly easy puzzle...Messed myself up by forgetting the K in KNIGHTRIDER...1 correction. DAKOTA, had to change the D to L, absolutely knew FOO fighters and the rest was pretty straight forward.

    C.C. I just think it is fun to see what people think about one of the greatest playwrites ever. There is more we don't know than know about the man from Stratford and it just intrigues me.

    Lloyd's was the "go to" insurance company for celebreties who wanted to insure their most valuable assets...great legs, a tennis arm...etc. I think it was partly because they WOULD insure such things...

    The Grand Tetons in Wyoming were named by French trappers who spent time in the area and thought they looked liked women's breasts...as Elissa mentioned...leave it to the French. They are very dramatic and beautiful granite peaks.

    Two other uses of ENIGMA could be Elgar's variations and Bletchly Park decoders.

    Also, the red bits on the tostada are red bell pepper, a typical ingredient. The pieces are pretty solid red and "red" onions are very purple.


    Dennis...minor correction...BOLERO really isn't a "song"...no words, although there is a piece of music called "A Song Without Words". One would more typically call Bolero a piece of music.

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  56. Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,

    I do not think that '"Louie, Louie" singers' is too obscure. "Louie, Louie" is a very famous American pop song.
    "Any way to work around "All the King's Men"?"
    Another way to clue, "All The King's Men" might be, '1946 Pulitzer Prize winning novel'.
    I must admit, I do dig "Humpty Dumpty", though.
    Fred Dryer and "Hunter" qualify as obscure for me, as does Whirlaway. I would not have gotten COUNT FLEET but for the perps. DUKE OF EARL I also got from the perps. I may have heard that at some point in my life, but I did not recall it.
    I guess the fact that I had no idea that the LA RAMS had left LA just goes to show how much I know about the NFL. Hockey is the only team sport I follow closely.
    That TOSTADA looks delicious. As wolfmom said, those red things do not look like Red Onions. They look like diced Red Bell Peppers, but the recipe does not call for those. So I would have to guess that they are the diced Red Jalapeños.
    I have never seen "Unwrapped".
    Did you know that Gershwin once asked Ravel for lessons. Ravel's reply was something to the effect of "Why would you want to be a second-rate Ravel when you are already a first-rate Gershwin?"
    Though I don't mind BOLERO, I favor Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin
    "To be the truth: AS FACT. Can you give me an example of how these two are interchangeable?"
    I haven't been able to come up with what I would accept as a good example. It's pretty iffy to me.

    I wonder if Dennis' FF#1 was before or after Iceland's bankruptcy.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Fred,
    Rich Norris responded that puzzles at the end of the week will start to get harder in late April/early May.

    Lemonade,
    Thanks for Bernie KOSAR and the portmanteau JARTS. Your knowledge is so varied. Was Argyle correct about MTA (7:11am)?

    Elissa,
    Re: Grand Tetons. Lions, tigers and bears...(not NOUNS).

    Warren,
    You found the source of my picture, unbelievable!

    ReplyDelete
  58. PMT...Ripe(or red) Jalapeño's is probably more accurate, but I don't know how common they would be and they look a bit thick to be Jalapeños(I just did that again so I culd use the ñ!)Either way, they are some kind of pepper.

    Also...I had godparents who would make Rootbeer in the basement, but a lot of it exploded, so they stopped doing it. She also taught me to make ebelskievers(num num)
    A & W was definitely the "go to" rootbeer place...frosty mugs of rootbeer in the summer...woo hoo!

    ReplyDelete
  59. cabrini, kazie, Razzberry, Chris and others - thanks for your helpful answers to my questions about working the puzzle on line. I particularly liked the hint about including one wrong letter to enabling printing.

    As I keep telling my wife, Jean, "computers can't think".

    ReplyDelete
  60. Razzberry,
    Hmmm, nice rack picture! What's your formula for the speed of dark? I need details. You are a great baiter (almost a master). But I have plenty of patience for your suspense.

    Sallie,
    See here . Churchill's saying is about Russia, not Germany.

    Chris,
    Thanks for detailed instruction on on-line solving. I prefer working the puzzle in paper. So I only use the Print Blank Puzzle function. Thought of you when I filled in JURY this morning.

    JD,
    Thanks. Boomer was very excited to have 2 perfect games in one season. Not a fan of macadamia nuts. Weird taste.

    ReplyDelete
  61. g8rmomx2, would you be so kind as to email me your email address again? Gonna be running back down to Ft. Lauderdale/Boca in a couple weeks, and I need some recommendations. They converted my favorite beachfront hotel to million-dollar-plus condos.

    Wolfmom, duly noted; bad choice of words on my part.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Late lunch again!! Had to work a bit to get through this one. The NE corner was trouble because of JARTS mostly. AS I unwrapped my sandwich the popping sound everyone heard was me getting SARAN. LARAMs gave me LAKOTA because I had D first. PURGE reminded me of my colonoscopy. Louie, Louie, reminded me of a fabulous toga party I went to with a bunch of Valley Girls that lived in the apartment complex I lived at in the early 80's. I somehow ended up outside of Santa Barbara, CA next to UCSB looking for myself back then. The party was totally cool dudes!! Bunch of kegs, girls wearing sheets, young man in search of..........never mind!!

    Great day on the Downeast Coast. Fifties and sunny. Perfect to grab a peck of "Steamers". Dipped in butter, with some yeast rolls on the side. Yum!!

    Have a good one!

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  63. Linda,
    Are you joking about moving to Costa Rica? You are not a cocky. I know a cocky guy. He is really cocky.

    A.R.E, Gator Mom, Thea, Prider, Weather321,
    Nice to see you guys back.

    Wolfmom,
    I like your curious and inquiring mind. The flesh of that red-skinned cubes really does not look that of any pepper.

    Melissa,
    Thanks for the LAKOTA and "Stands with Fist" connection. I only knew them as the Sioux people.

    ReplyDelete
  64. CC (Scene setting - very long time ago - me, knuckles dragging the ground) Ugh, bright light in sky go away, go in cave, no can see...bright light in sky come back, come out of cave, can see again!

    That's my formula and I'm sticking to it.

    This is # 5 - grin at somebody and make them wonder - "What the heck is so funny!"

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  65. Yes, Thea, I thought your hint about the one blank letter was brilliant. Our paper did finally arrive today, but I still don't know why it was delayed.

    Weather,
    I should have married an American from Oregon. Teachers must be much better paid than here. I worked for a district that only paid starting slaries of $30K when I left, and my salary after 26 years there was under $50K, but with a cadillac health insurance policy on top of that. Our salary was paid bi-weekly throughout the year.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Dennis,
    FL again? Something will be DF again, maybe my Google gadget. Can you answer Frank's Charles Lindbergh question @8:04am?

    PromiseMe,
    What? Iceland bankruptcy went bankrupt? When?

    Mainiac,
    What are "steamers"? Clams?

    Carol,
    When I saw 11 posts from Jeannie, I sure did NOT have fun. It's outright disrespect. I've accepted her personal apology and I hope this accident won't be repeated again.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Kazie @ 2:44pm,
    Alas! IF ONLY (48D)! Is your husband reading our blog?

    Razzberry,
    Sounds like you were brewing some kind of killer potion in a dark cave.

    Argyle @ 7:11am,
    Re: I wondered why the clue was "Boston transit inits" but when I got to the "Louie Louie", it became clear. The constuctor didn't want CC calling him out for using "Kingston" in the clues!
    I don't grok it. Can you explain to me?

    ReplyDelete
  68. How sublime....I'm number 69!! Now gray day go away!!

    ReplyDelete
  69. Formerly Anon@11, trying Name/URL (without the URL) for an identity, don't have an id on any of the other choices.

    If I say "nice rack", about that picture, is that a "double" entendre?

    I agree with the others that those bits appear more like peeled red peppers than onions.

    "generally accepted to be the truth" or "generally accepted as fact" would be interchangeable in any sentence where it applies...even if it came from a politician and wasn't actually, well, true or factual. Do you know how to tell when a politician is lying? If his/her lips are moving.

    ReplyDelete
  70. FL again? Something will be DF again, maybe my Google gadget.

    C.C., could you explain that one?


    Can you answer Frank's Charles Lindbergh question @8:04am?

    Sure. The flight took approximately 33+ hours. What's always been fascinating to me is that he had no windscreen; the only views he had were out either side window. As far as relieveing himself, most likely it was through what's called a 'piss tube' by pilots, which is just a hose-like section leading to a small holding tank.

    ReplyDelete
  71. C.C.:
    "Re: Grand Tetons. Lions, tigers and bears...(not NOUNS)." Huh?
    "To be the truth: AS FACT. Can you give me an example of how these two are interchangeable?" We will consider everything you tell us to be the truth; we will treat it as fact.


    Cabrini: I'm also a PSU alum. I went to Temple for law school. PSU was more more of a football school; Temple was better at basketball.

    The butterfly that rode with me yesterday was a Painted Lady. The paper mentioned that there were a lot of them flitting around the bay area. I love spring!

    ReplyDelete
  72. Dennis,
    Every time you are out of town, something will go dysfunctional. Remember the BEAVER incident and Site Meter failure?

    Elissa,
    You wanted OH MY when we had "Lions, tigers and lions" the other day, didn't you? The answer is NOUNS. I could picture how you looked like when others pointed out your Grand Tetons sweatshirt. OH MY! Thanks for the great examples on AS FACT & "To be the truth".

    ReplyDelete
  73. C.C....I give way to your expertise on the red bits...while I was waiting for the granola to bake I looked in 2 Rick Bayliss Mexican cookbooks, a Diana Kennedy Mexican cookbook, a Chevy's and a Tex-Mex...2 things I learned...One: there are no peppers in ANY of the recipes, but there are several forms of tomatoes and salsas...so my second guess for the day is tomatoes(except for that one bothersome looking one on the right that really does look like a red-skinned apple) Number 2 is that a TOSTADO is actually a tortilla(usually corn) that is cut into quarters and deep fried(we call them tortilla chips)...it can be dipped in salsa or covered with salad ingredients, often including refried beans and or meat mixtures...I bow deeply to you C.C.

    Elissa...I got the Lions, Tigers and Bears...OH MY... because I had put the same answer in the other day.

    C.C. 2:37 Razzberry...LMAO...you are SO funny!

    Dennis...since you are always teaching us new things everyday I just though I would return the favor...no biggie. ;o)

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  74. C.C. OH MY, indeed. You are exactly right. It wasn't the only time. Some one gave me a t-shirt for my 25th birthday (back in time before memory) with a bee hive picture and the words 'Bee Healthy, Eat Your Honey' which I only wore to clean the house, except for that one day when I forgot I was wearing it and wondered why I was getting those sneering smiles. OH MY!

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  75. Weather, I don't think CA teachers make that much either. Our district pays a starting salary of $49,136. We also had to pay for part of our health insurance which was $500 every month.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Every time you are out of town, something will go dysfunctional. Remember the BEAVER incident

    Damn, I didn't think I'd told anybody about the beaver incident.

    Oh wait - what're you talking about?

    Wolfmom, my stuff, for the most part is all nonsense, just to keep things light. You guys bring the real facts/knowledge.

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  77. Elissa, your T-shirt comment made me think of when my sister and I went to Hawaii - we were in a T-shirt shop and saw one that said "I'm so tired I can hardly keep my thighs open". We were too embarrassed to buy it. (This was waaaay back in the mid-seventies).

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  78. I believe that I previously mentioned that my sister once thought it would be cute to make an iron-on for a t-shirt with the slogan 'PERFECT ANGEL'. Being spelling-challenged, she wound up with a t-shirt that read, "PERFECT ANGLE". Having a respectable rack and being a pretty blond, she would have caught the attention of all you straight guys here.

    Speaking of being 'challenged' ... apparently their was some kind of rally today to protest the use of the 'R' word. One of those to whom that appellation has been frequently applied declared with no uncertainty that, "I am here today to put a stop to that!"
    His utter naivete, IMNSHO, made the opponents case. To put an exclamation on the whole story, the local news offered a feed of a rap rally. The purpose of the rally was to 'spread the word' about how wrong it was to use the 'R' word. It seemed to me like they were preaching to the choir.

    C.C.,
    Iceland's bankruptcy, while not official, is otherwise de facto.

    ReplyDelete
  79. C: Since I can`t stay up late enough to be the first to post for April Fool`s Day (or everyone suffers)I posted that nonsense a day early.

    Jeannie: All three of my children were instances of articulate conception. The proof is that they all three can walk in water!

    When I retired, even with 27 year`s experience and several hours past my Master`s degree...if I had had to depend on only my salary, I could have almost qualified for food assistance. We were promised many raises by our state legislature which never were honored...but the public thought we received every one of them because they were promised "in the media." We were aware that other states did compensate their teacher`s well...we just weren`t such a state. I`m getting regular, cost of living raises with Teacher Retirement...something I never got as an active teacher.

    And last...I`m powering down my computer now until I see the evening news tomorrow to see how wide spread any damage from that computer worm (which activates tomorrow) turns out to be.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Good afternoon, everyone! Not as simple as Monday's but a walk in the park for me. What few I did not know right out of the box were taken care of by the perps.

    @boomer Way to Go! That's an awesome series, and another perfect game to boot. You rock!!

    @c.c. No, the Sheffer puzzles are extremely easy. I don't think I've seen a pop culture reference yet.

    @fred I read that Norris will keep the difficulty down for "about a month," so this may be too soon to make judgments.

    @lois Once again, a stellar post.

    @linda That must be one loooong driveway!

    @weather321 I'd like to know what district has that starting salary for first year teachers. It sounds very out-of-line to me. With Masters and 15 years experience the best Portland can do is $56,000 a year.

    @cc. @ 2:27 Do you think Razzberry might even have achieve Master baiter status?

    Lindbergh's flight time was 33 hours, 30 minutes, 29.8 seconds.

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  81. CC, yes steamers are clams. I have a special pot to keep them out of the water so they don't boil. There's a little spout to drain off the broth for dipping also. I found this video funny only because of two brothers comments. Real Downeasters. They show two different methods, I prefer digging rather than pulling only because the places I dig are rockier mud rather than just muddy.

    Off to a meeting.

    Happy National Clam on a Half Shell Day! Make these guys rich!!

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  82. Joining in with Linda...we will be keeping our computer off for at least tomorrow and maybe Thurs also. I am already having enough issues without adding a worm. Microsoft programs are apparently very vulnerable.

    Cheers to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  83. C. C. said..@2:57 PM
    Argyle @ 7:11am,
    Re: I wondered why the clue was "Boston transit inits" but when I got to the "Louie Louie", it became clear. The constuctor didn't want CC calling him out for using "Kingston" in the clues!

    I don't grok it. Can you explain to me?

    Sure. MTA, under our old regime, was always clued as a Kingston Trio hit. In fact, I think you asked if there was another way to clue MTA. So when I saw the "Boston transit inits", I thought, "CC will be happy there is a new clue for MTA"

    But when I saw that KINGSmen was an answer, it made sense why they hadn't used the KINGSton Trio as a clue. You do not like it when a clue has a word that is also an answer somewhere else, right?

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  84. Howdy gang. I have a new computer and it's driving me nuts. I told you about it earlier, but I need to get everything back where I can access stuff.

    Love the new puzzles. I can work them through, maybe Wednesday, then pick up my "Where's Waldo" puzzles for the rest of the week. I'M IN HEAVEN!!!

    Dennis: Bolero/ sex? You must be nuts. Sinatra with "I've Got You Under My Skin - I've Got You Deep In A Part Of Me". A real man puts on "The Ovature Of 1812". He and she goes off the same time the cannons do. THAT'S SEX.

    Here's Nurse Ratchet. I always worry when she has battery cables in her hand.

    I must be off

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  85. Linda, that's a good one...articulate conception. I also am adept in the water. Wonder if my parents participated the same?

    Lemonade, still waiting to find out what I owe you as maybe then I can collect from someone else that owes me one here on this blog...you know who you are!

    I just got back from my evening walk and spring must be here even though it snowed today. The number of robins in my yard playing the mating game is uncanny. It's like a robin orgy. I think the ones that sing the loudest and puff up their chests win. I know I like a good crooner, not to mention a nice chest!

    Using my posts CAREFULLY to get Lemonade to his ultimate goal. You westcoasters might have to chime in later.

    ReplyDelete
  86. The ENIGMA code, and the world of the decoders in Bletchley Park
    Bletchley Park, also is an ongoing reference in the recent Martha Grimes' books.

    MB: so you going to show your swimming pool rack to the crowd?

    Jeannie, once upon a time I represented a young man who came from a family that broke and entered as their career. I spent months counseling the young man, explaining to him how crime was a dead end, how life with a career was so much more satisfying, and safer. He enrolled in college; he graduated and got a good job. As a result, I was able to convince a very conservative judge to not revoke the kids probation, so for the first time since he was a juvenile, the young man was free. The other young lawyers were all supportive.
    I was pleased, until a week later when I got a call at 3:00 am; he had been arrested again. I was the laughing stock of the courthouse. DO NOT OVER POST!

    In trade, hmmmm?

    MTA CHARLIE was a hit folk song by the Kingston Trio, about a rider who did not have the money to get off the Massachusetts Transit Authority train. Kingston Trio. I was a big folk song fan, until the Beatles came along.

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  87. There is a word for someone without a belly button. I'm not sure of the spelling, but it sounds like "anomphylous." Don't remember where I saw the word.

    Thanks from another (retired) teacher, C.C.

    Lloyds of London was rumored to have insured Betty Grables legs for one million dollars.

    Doreen

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  88. C.C.

    Thank you for your gracious comments, and your acceptance of Jeannie's apology. I just read a lot, and happen to run into things that stick in my brain. I had an uncle who lived on a farm, and bought his kids a set of JARTS, which they loved until one caught the tip with her foot. I also like sports, and while I do not watch much television now, I did as a kid, and I still read the TV guide when I have nothing else to read.

    Yes, puffy chests are good; Jeannie, consider it my pro bono, for a real pro. (add your own punch lines here). I could not charge a fellow member of C.C. Riders. Mitch Ryder.

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  89. Jeannie. I have so much to say, and no time to say it. Cancer stole my Mom and Sister. Sister!!!! Think butterflies!

    I love you.

    I must be off

    ReplyDelete
  90. Was just reminded of Boomer's perfect game and high series. Lordy I'm in awe and now have another "hero" in this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Jeannie:
    Yes, I know who I am but I hope you're not thinking of transferring the debt. The deal is, I pay you and YOU pay him. I don't think either he (nor I) is interested in cutting out the middle man (or in this case, the middle woman). He probably knows a lot about contract law. BTW, you said in a post the other day " like Dennis, I do it on line". Dennis is too sharp to own up to such a thing. I should warn you that, as I'm sure you've seen on a T-shirt somewhere, "farmers do it in the dirt". Can't say about lawyers.
    Windhover

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  92. Living dangerously. What's the worst that can happen? My computer will be wormed and I'll have to reload Windows and all my backed up stuff. I am very dubious about anything happening tomorrow. I remember how all computers were supposed to freeze up on January 1, 2000. It didn't happen. I'm throwing caution to the wind. (I turn off my computer every night anyway.)

    Buckeye, I've missed you. I'm glad to hear that your absence was due to an absence of computer.

    My favorite music to make love to was Nights In White Satin by Moody Blues. There might have been some pharmaceuticals involved. This is the 4 minute version. They also did a seven minute version....Yippee! I'll have to remind G.A.H.

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  93. Lawyers do it in their briefs.

    Lawyers do it without objection.

    Lawyers get by on appeal.

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  94. I, too, am amazed by those test pilots. I was thinking about that last week after reading a story in the paper about Boeing's upcoming '787 Dreamliner'. I don't remember the exact date but the story told when it will make it's first flight. I thought, "Wow! How would you like to be that guy?" I could hear them telling him, "Well, we're pretty sure it will fly. It flies on paper."

    Hey! Did anyone else originally put POL as in polarity for '+ on a batt.'?

    While I did not actually get his name, I believe that I met Kirk Cameron once. He was sitting in his bright red Porsche with gold-colored wheels. He was around my same age at the time (21) and, knowing that car insurance was expensive for guys under 25, I asked him how he managed to get insurance for the car. He told me that the policy was taken out by his father but it covered him, too. He also mentioned that it was written by LLOYD'S of London.

    "Oysters are better than clams"
    I agree ;)
    "Don't pet sweaty things."
    Hmmmm ... not so sure about that one.

    I am on the mailing list for the Great Florida Birding Trail and I just received notification about the spring 2009 edition of their newsletter, Kite Tales!
    If you like birds, you'll love Florida. Enjoy.

    "Can you give me an example of how these two are interchangeable?"
    "We will consider everything you tell us to be the truth; we will treat it as fact."
    That is not interchanging them. To interchange them, one needs to create a sentence using the former and then use that same sentence swapping the former for the latter. Perhaps I took 'interchangable' too literally, but I was trying to find a sentence wherein one could simply swap 'to be the truth' for 'as fact'.
    Can anyone do that?

    Here's looking at you, Lemonade ;)

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  95. One last boost Lemonade...hope you kept a post. Probono? Is it a pro-ono? Don't worry about this blondie letting you down OVERPOSTING again...I usually learn life lessons (after being slapped). Don't mind it on the behind either. Prefer it to the wrists as I use those all day long, and usually just sit on the other one.

    Windhover, since lemonade gave me a free ride, you better give me one too. You decide when, and where.

    Buckeye, my STUD, where you been all my life? Thank you for the kind words on the passing of my friend. He was MUCH too young and left behind a beautiful and talented 11 year old girl. Not to mention my best friend who pretty much raised him from 11 yrs old and on.

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  96. PMT. Oh, God. Facts and truth again. "I will consider all you say as fact and then consider it truth?" Yes - except you must consider that what you are told are facts, then, indeed, the truth, but more importantly - factual understandings of events or science. But is it scientific reasoning or perceptive observation? It's nonsequitor. Good luck.

    Here's a fact. Not all things considered facts are factual. (Newton). Truth, always is truthful, unless someone lies. Again, good luck!

    IMBO

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  97. P.S. Is this statement truthful or factual.
    "All things are black, except those that are not".

    IMBO

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  98. C.C. You are absolutely correct in saying that Churchill was referring to the Soviet Union. I mistakenly assumed that he was talking about the enigma machine and Nazi code. Mea Culpa.
    The whole story about the Brits having broken the Nazi's Enigma code is a wonderful one. I have even read that he refused to send help to one of the British cities that they knew were about to be bombed in order to protect the fact that the Brits had broken that code.

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  99. Spanking, hmmm.

    Tell me all you Minnesotans, are there still German speaking people in Minnesota? I need to find some multi-lingual nurses who want to go work in Switzerland for a few years, and be paid a bundle. Ah well another night...

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  100. Lemonade, mostly buxom blonde/blue-eyed Swedes and Norwegians due to our ancestory of infiltration into this country. Evidently, MN was looking for hardy stock. They could probably still take your temperature though. Need a good purchasing agent?

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  101. ClearAyes: Pharmaceuticals? Say more.

    Jeannie: Any time, any place. It's only 896 miles to Grand Avenue from here. What's the rate of interest on this huge debt? Am I going to need a bailout or a stimulus package?

    I'm assuming those Norwegian nurses use oral thermometers. The alternative is hard to think about.
    I have counted, but maybe you better burn one tomorrow instead of pushing your luck tonight.
    Windhover, inhaling.

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  102. Hello C. C. & all,

    More my usual time, eh C.C.?

    LmndDCCXIV.
    You need to look to the southern farming communities of MN, New Ulm, New Prague, etc., to find your German speaking "nurses". The southern parts of MN were mostly settled by the Germans, and eastern Europeans, for the wheat farming. Most of the 'rangers' in N. MN were a smattering of Canadians, Finn's, bohemian's and people like my family, 'Cousin Jack's'. They worked the iron ore mines. Swede's and Norwegians are mixed in all over, but we're still the most blue-eyed, blond-haired state in the union. What a place to live! (insert growl) Even if the taxes are extreme! At least we don't have to pay county taxes. (I hope I just didn't give the legislator's ideas).

    Good luck with your "search"!

    Sallie,
    Check your history, and you'll find that the Pole's had the first initial breakthrough and discovery by capturing the German's Enigma machine, and without their work, Churchill, and England, would've been in deep s**t! Bletchley Park would have never had it's success against the Uboats without the Pole's help, or the defense of the day/night bombing raids against London by the German Luftwaffe or the retaliation of night bombing against the Reich! Their intelligence generated and enabled massed fighter response against incoming air attacks, and naval wolf-pack retaliation attacks against our convoy's.

    So there! And don't correct my punctuation again! :) Just kidding..

    Today's was a EZ-Breezy puzzle, I'm sure we will only get better and better pussles, giving us more challenges as the week moves on.


    Jeannie, please do not further incur the wrath of our leader! Restraint is the better part of valor! I love your comments and would miss your participation in and of our DF Loony blog! And thanks to all of our Loons in supporting her enthusiasm for 100, even if you got a slap , too. But 11 posts? Keep it real girl! You called for support, you got it.

    Nothing more to say.. Looking for tomorrow.

    Daring the April Fools worm...

    TJ in Osseo

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