google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday October 6, 2009 Mike Peluso

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Oct 6, 2009

Tuesday October 6, 2009 Mike Peluso

Theme: LATIN Trio (31A: Classic language, and with 61-Across, hint to the puzzle theme found at the starts of 20-, 37- and 57-Across) - theme answers start with the first conjugation of Latin verb LOVE (61A: Cherish), in orderly fashion.

20A. 2005 Margaret Peterson Haddix children's thriller: AMONG THE ENEMY. Amo, I love. The book is about a time in which drastic measures have been taken to quell overpopulation.

37A. Accumulate wealth: AMASS A FORTUNE. Amas, You love.

57A. Non-remunerative athletics: AMATEUR SPORTS. Amat, He loves.

Plus,

Amamus: We love.

Amatis: You (plural) love.

Amant: They love.

This is Al, guest-blogging today.

For a TUE (64D: Election Day: Abbr.), this was a pretty good puzzle. It didn't give me a lot of GRIEF (9D: Reaction to personal loss).

I think I may have overdone it with the links.

Across:

1. Washing machine sequence: CYCLE. Here is a laundry CYCLE.

6. Pirate's booty: SWAG. Slang for loot. A treasure chest.

10. Twilight time: DUSK

14. Start of an old Army slogan: BE ALL. Be All You Can Be.

15. Rock group's trip: TOUR. Here is a magical tour.

16. In the past: ONCE. Anyone put ERST here first?

17. Jack of rhyme: SPRAT. He could eat no fat. Lolcat.

19. Persia, now: IRAN. We just had FARSI yesterday.

23. 1958 #1 hit sung in Italian: VOLARE. Italian for "to fly". Also called "Nel blu dipinto di blu" ("In the Blue Painted Blue"). This is the song I remember.

25. In error: OFF. The clue was kind of close to the answer ERRATA (50D: List of mistakes).

27A: Lyricist Gershwin: IRA. Also a Roth account.

33. Property measure: ACRE. One furlong (660 feet) by one chain (66 feet), 43,560 square feet, possibly the approximate amount of land one ox could plow in one day.

35. Moray, e.g.: EEL. To fit in with today's theme, that's amore.

44: Schoolbook: TEXT. Another theme video.

46. "Beak" for "nose," e.g.: SLANG

49. 100 bucks: C-NOTE. C for century. If I had 50 female pigs and 50 male deer, would I have a hundred sows and bucks?

51. "__ the ramparts"...": O'ER. The melody of our National Anthem was "borrowed from an old English drink song..."

52: Trip segment: LEG. I would definitely be tripped by these. Actually that photo is of a group called Bond, a quartet of classically trained musicians. Nice "trip" clue echo with TOUR earlier.

53. Thurman of "Kill Bill": UMA. Played Beatrix opposite David Carradine.

62. Aussie greeting: G'DAY. G'Day mate.

66. Till bills: ONES. A "Michigan bankroll".

67. Fish organ: GILL. Singer Vince too. Baseball great Hodges is GIL.

68. Prepare to advance after a fly ball: TAG UP.

69. Computer adventure game: MYST. Released in 1993.

Down:

2. Slangy assent: YEP. Yup, too.

3. Parking lot siren: CAR ALARM. Quite annoying...

4: Andean beast: LLAMA. The one-l lama, He's a priest. /The two-l llama, He's a beast. /And I will bet A silk pajama /There isn't any Three-l lllama.- Ogden Nash.

5. Matador's foe: EL TORO. "The bull" in Spanish.

6. Men-only party: STAG

7. Refuses to: WON'T

8: Write: AUTHOR. LEMONY (47D: Tart, as a citrus drink) Snicket, author of "A Series of Unfortunate Events".

10. "__ What Comes Natur'lly": DOIN'. Can they actually print this clue in a family publication?

11. Pre-riot state: UNREST. It's people like you what cause unrest.

12. Garlicky shrimp dish: SCAMPI

13. Nairobi native: KENYAN. So many marathon winners.

22. Key above D: E-FLAT. D-Sharp as well, but that won't fit.

24. SeaWorld attraction: ORCA. The sign said Free Willy, but it still cost $7 to get in...

29. Teachers' org.: NEA. National Education Association.

30. Fairylike: ELFIN. ELFIN.

32. Lie alongside: ABUT

36. Capri's Blue __: GROTTO. Rooted in Italian word grotta. Too many to pick from.

38. Transition to the next subject: SEGUE

39. Ear: Prefix: OTO. Could have been worse, they might have wanted us to spell otolaryngology. AURI is "Ear: Prefix" too.

40. Las Vegas Strip feature: NEON SIGN

41. Marked, as a ballot: EXED. Or XED.

46. Sinuous ski race: SLALOM. Rooted in Norwegian slalåm. slad, sloping + låm, path.

48. Mescal sources: AGAVES

49. Aerobic exercise, in gym-speak: CARDIO. Cardiovascular.

54. Seriously humid: MUGGY

56. Old lab burners: ETNAS. Named for the volcano ETNA, Greek for "I burn".

58. Final grade factor: TEST

59. Polio vaccine developer: SALK. Also Sabin, who developed the oral vaccine. People vaccinated with injected Salk vaccine could still pass on the disease.

60. War journalist Ernie: PYLE. Pulitzer winner (1944). Killed in the war in 1945. He was awarded a Purple Heart. Very few civilians got Purple Heart.

65. Mo for fools: APR. Also National Humor Month.

Answer grid.

Al

75 comments:

Hahtoolah said...

Morning, CC and Al. Today's puzzle was more of a challenge than yesterday's but still too easily doable. The theme, however, was too obscure for me. I got all the answers, but am not fluent in Latin, so didn't pick up on the LOVE Conjugation.

Nothing else in the puzzle really jumped out at me or made me smile.

It is SERIOUSLY HUMID (54D) here today, which makes for a good thick, dense fog. It won't be a fun drive into the city for me today.

One man's meat is another man's poison ~ Anon.

Mainiac said...

Good Morning Al, CC and All,

Nice blog Al!!

A bit of a different feel to the clues on this one which I enjoyed. The only erasure was Champ for Title Holder. A quick run with a slightly higher difficulty than yesterday.

I'd like to see things kicked up a knotch. Bam!!

Have a great day.

Lemonade714 said...

AMO this puzzle. Well okay, I had 6 years of Latin and now my son is in his fifth year, so the dead language is alive for us. It was an easy, but original puzzle, and I loved the job you did Al. I think the links are great, and wonder how you found those legs....

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

Lemonade,
Al is a very subtle person. He can be very DF when he's in the mood.

Al,
Excellent post/links. Thanks for the ACRE information. Hilarious C-NOTE comment. I don't understand your ONES (66A) and DOIN' (10D) comments though. Otolaryngology sounds so wicked.

A.R.E.,
Good to hear from you again. Won any award during this past sailing season?

Carol2 said...

Good morning CC and Al. Thanks for the great job Al. Think 58 D is test, not exam.

A bit more challenging than yesterday, but still fairly easy. I though the classic language clueing was very clever. Never studied Latin, but doing crosswords has helped educate me.

Never heard of "Among the Enemy" - is it worthwhile checking out?

Have a great day everyone!!

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

Dot,
Thank you for the Judges story last night. I know nothing about Bible, so I was befuddled by Windhover's question and KQ & Linda's subsequent replies.

Linda et al,
Personally I like learning Bible stories and hearing your personal interpretations. But many of you don't. Let's shy away from religious discussion then.

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

Carol2,
My bad on EXAM. Al's original answer is TEST. Please send me your picture at crosswordc@gmail.com. Besides Dennis and Dr.Dad, Argyle, Lois, Dick, Mainiac and Jeanne all live in the East Coast. Did I miss anyone?

Martin said...

I did another one without googling. This was tougher than yesterday's though: I started with RINSE for CYCLE, AREA for ACRE and GNU ("Yak") for GAB. The S in AGAVES was an educated guess: the clue was plural so I figured the answer was; I've never heard of MYST.

Martin

Argyle said...

C.C., you forgot Bluegrass Bill, from Central NY.

Anonymous said...

A little more difficult of a puzzle today than yesterday. Just about right for a Tuesday puzzle. I didn't catch on to the theme until I was almost done with the puzzle, so it didn't really help me complete it. Some interesting fills today including SEGUE, AGAVES, EL TORO, ERRATA and such. Although nothing struck me as particularly clever.

I had to get my 15 year old to school by 6:15 this morning for a pitching clinic. Driving in the chilly rain (he actually drove - even more stressful) didn't wake me up at all. Had a bad night sleep as I am fighting a cold, so I think I will head back to bed for a while. Hope everyone has a good day.

Argyle said...

Good job, Al.

I found this clip that combines four girls and VOLARE.

Carol2 said...

Hi CC

Can you tell me how to send a picture to you. I am not sure how to do it.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

al, anent ernie pyle, are civilians qualified for purple heart awards?

Anonymous said...

I think htis is a first time ever for me to post so early in the morning. However, I haven't even got the newspaper out of the box, yet. I just wanted to tell Windover to look at my post from midnight (almost) yesterday.

Also, thought the picture of the Cal. Coven was great. How far did Carol have to drive to get there?

I hope the rest of you are having better than we in WI - rainy and quite cool.

Dot

Anonymous said...

Remember the moustache puzzle recently? I just saww on the news that the "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year" contest is taking place in St. Louis with 18 finalists. Winner to be announced Oct. 30th.

Clear Ayes, I forgot to mention that you look so much like my sister-in-law from Calif. that I wondered if it were she. But she is from Sunnyvale.

Dot

Al said...

Anon @8:15, not any more.

From 1942 to 1997, civilians serving or closely affiliated with the armed forces--as government employees, Red Cross workers, war correspondents and the like--were eligible to receive the Purple Heart. About 100 men and women received the award, the most famous being newspaperman Ernie Pyle, who was awarded his posthumous Army Purple Heart after being killed by a Japanese sniper in 1945.

In 1997, however, at the urging of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Congress passed legislation prohibiting future awards of the Purple Heart to civilians. Today, the Purple Heart is only for those men and women in uniform. Civilians who are killed or wounded as a result of hostile action now receive the new Defense of Freedom Medal, created shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the purple heart can be found here.

Kelev said...

Lemonade: my Latin is so non-existent that even after doing the puzzle and reading Al's excellent bloggings, i was still confused by the first word in your response. I saw AMO and thought it was some sort of text abbreviation ... A(?) My Opinion. I couldn't think of what the "A" stood for, then ... D'oh !

windhover said...

Well, it seems I opened a can of worms yesterday and everyone took a bite. I think an unwritten rule is that the puzzle is the thing this early in the day, so I'll come back a little later in the day and make a few comments, and hopefully without violating CC's request at 6:36.

As for the puzzle, I had only two years of high school Latin, and that 48 years ago, but it would be fair to say that both my teacher and the subject left a lasting impression. Once I had amo and amas, amat was clear. The puzzle itself gave no resistance anywhere in the grid.
Al did a very nice job blogging it. Seeing the efforts of all the guest bloggers recently and getting the feedback of Jerome and his fellow constuctors reminds me that I am plainly and simply a solver, and happy to be just that. I'm highly impressed but not at all envious.
Putting aside all the nits and picks, I'm glad this experience that (along with a high octane dark roast) kick starts my aging brain every morning. And as always, thanks to CC. If this blog went away, I'd probably quit puzzling. It completes the experience. Thanks to all of you, Bloggers, constructors, editor, and fellow puzzlers.

Diane said...

fun puzzle---was that a Michigan slam? We need all the love we can get!

Al said...

Thanks for the kind comments everyone. FYI, this wasn't all me. C.C. did a good job of cleaning up and fixing my scribbling into a more readable format this morning after it got to be too late out for me to concentrate last night. She also added a couple of notes where I only had the answers. Anita Baker 63A seems to have gone missing. I had another theme clip for her, too.

@C.C., Doin' what comes natur'lly (from Annie get your gun) is a euphemism for, well, intimate activity.

I wasn't sure whether the "ones" comment would be understood. When I was a kid, I remember people that wanted to appear to be bigshots would flash around large wads of money that they just carried in their front pockets. The implication of calling it a Michigan Bankroll was that it was one or two larger bills surrounding a bunch of ones to make it look bulky. We also used the expression to mean we were short on cash towards the end of the week before payroll.

@Lemonade, I actually found Bond's music before I found that pic. It was the cover art on one of their CDs.

kazie said...

Great job, Al.
I especially enjoyed the Monty Python blast from the past. I wonder about your 9:21 comment: where is that front pocket? And could they have been pushing the wad further to the middle to feign a different bulge? Just my DF mind kicking in.

It also reminded me of the men who used to always jingle coins in their pockets. My mum used to say it was a penny and a nail to make it seem like they had more money. Our old pennies in Oz were like the old English ones, about as big as a 50 cent piece only copper.

Nice Tuesday puzzle. I thought the theme could simply be "Latin Love" with the song title amore thrown in as an extra clue. No difficulties at all, but some fresh clues made it more interesting.

My only hang-up with ramparts is that I always want "man" rather than "o'er", a result of not having grown up with that anthem, I suppose.

Anonymous said...

Good morning everyone.

Great job, Al. And I've not mentioned how much I enjoy your science posts. Thank you.


C.C. A few of us live in Florida, which is, of course, also in the east.
I'm thinking a S Florida meeting like the CA coven would be fun.

Andrea 1263: In reference to your giving up coffee due to acid reflux, we drink only decaf because my DH has acid reflux. But I just found out that my coughing is due to LPR, laryngopharyngeal reflux, which means the reflux of acid hits the larynx. The ENT doctor said I could alleviate it by giving up coffee, tea, chocolate, and alcohol. When I reacted to this regimen, he said he wouldn't give up those things either. (I love that ENT.) So I live with coughing, and relieve it by sips of water.

Cheers

Moon said...

Good Morning!
A change from the usual Tuesdays. Needed red letter help to finish.
I got the theme of LATIN AMO, AMAS and AMAT (all from doing Xword) but did not know the meanings.

Thank you Al for all the links..wonderful job.

The CA Coven meet was so enjoyable. The time just flew by.. all the stories, the laughter.. :)
I'm looking forward to the next one. A big thanks to WM for organizing this.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Two years of high school Latin for me too, and it still took a couple of read-throughs to see the first-day-of-class phrase. I even had LATIN and LOVE filled in correctly. D'OH!

Once I got past that, I noticed other words with Latin roots, ANTI, VIA, ORCA, ACRE, VOLARE and OTO. Anyone else notice more?

Al, a very nice blogging job. I enjoyed your comments and links. Here's a pretty good version of DOIN' What Comes Natur'lly.

Dot, I must resemble quite a few people. We have a friend who is an administrator at the high security women's prison in Chowchilla, Calif. He says there is a murderer who looks like she could be my twin. Yikes!

Chickie, that was JD's photo. Hers was better than mine. I hope your computer is just resting and hasn't died.

PJB-Chicago said...

G'day, all.
It's a good thing I don't have to be at work today. Accrued vacation time can no longer be banked to the next year. Use it or Lose it, per orders of our Governor or one of his minions.

My upstairs neighbors, how do I say this politely(!?) got very "busy" at 1 a.m., and then again at 4. Although I don't "prescribe" to the newspaper, a copy was hurled loudly against my door about 7 a.m., by someone who should probably be drafted by the Chicago Cubs or White Sox because his/her pitching is deadly accurate. Had leftover pizza for breakfast, which is about as decadent as we get here.

Puzzle was so-so, but Al's blogging was excellent. Educationable and "Very unique!" That latter phrase is an expression that Al once mentioned here as a pet peeve, one that I share. Loved the puns and links, but C.C. still wins the linking prize for "steamed buns". In addition to "free Willy" let's mention "free weights" which are, in fact, costly because of the required gym membership. Talk about "truth in advertising" or "bait and switch"

Didn't grok the theme till the end. "Among the enemy" (20A)was unfamiliar, "myst" was a mystery.I made the same mistakes as Martin, and a couple more.

Check your almanac and you'll see that Latin is one of the official languages of the Vatican even though it's not in Latin America. Beautiful postage stamps there, BTW. Yep, I wrote in "erst," and "exed" took its time to reveal itself.

Enjoy the day!

treefrog said...

Morning All,
Yay, I got the theme today. I've never heard of MYST, but the perps fit so I figured it was right.

Nice sunny weather today. Nicer than yesterday's clouds. Cold in the AM, 37 today.

Hubby will be home at noon to start preping for his colonoscopy tomorrow. Fun and games:} I will take pity and try not to pig out in front of him.

Have a good one.

JD said...

Good morning AL, CC and all,

Al and CC,loved your collaborative write up and all the links, esp the fish license!... a good laugh to wash away the angst of last night.
The c/w was just a tad harder which was good because there were many places that I had to dig deep to get: swag, etnas, myst segue and grotto took awhile as did the completion of amateur.

Dot, I so enjoyed your last night's post,no preaching just interesting information.
Carol's trek to Portland is about 14 hrs or so, but they are taking in the sights of the coast along the way.

off to get a flu shot

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi, gang -

Al - Terrific job!

Good puzzle today. Both clues and fills felt fresh after yesterday's.

A theme in LATIN SLANG?
The OWNER of a C-NOTE had ONES ONCE.
He can AMASS A FORTUNE down the middle.
Or fritter it away at the NEWEST GROTTO.
Does McCain still LOVE IRAN?
There's MYST at DUSK.
The VOLARE was never TRENDY.
You can soak your LEG in the SPA.
Is the Farmer's Almanac an ACRE TEXT?

Slight musical subtheme with a SEGUE modulating from the C NOTE to E FLAT. It's just a minor move.

Lots to do today. Gotta run.

Tigers win if Cabrera shows up sober.

Cheers!
JzB the yard-working trombonist

Warren said...

Hi Al, C.C. & gang,
Still no Dennis posts?
We had no trouble finishing today's puzzle before my wife left for work. It was 'slightly' harder than Monday.

Al, good links except for the Ernie Pyle one. It just shows me a red box with "sorry direct image linking not allowed".

I found a lots of pictures of Ernie Pyle here
Including a picture of his battered corona typewriter.

Linda said...

CC and friends: I will respect your wishes since it is your blog. I`ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here but since my faith is such an ingrained part of me, I would be second-guessing myself with each post, now. And so, I ask that you remove my profile from the blog since I`m resigning.

To all the cyber friends I`ve made, my E mail is listed on my profile (which I hope CC pulls after today.) To those I`ve offended by telling you that there is One Who loves you no matter what, I apologize for the offense but not the information.

Jeannie: You got it!

Linda over and out.

Clear Ayes said...

Here are two short poems that might have some significance today. The first is by the very skeptical Stephen Maria Crane. The second is a more hopeful religious poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge's poem was written first. Was Crane making his own comment on Coleridge? I have no idea. No personal opinion on the content of either one, they are both lovely poems.

If I should cast off this tattered coat

If I should cast off this tattered coat,
And go free into the mighty sky;
If I should find nothing there
But a vast blue,
Echoless, ignorant —
What then?

-Stephen Maria Crane


What if you slept

What if you slept
And what if
In your sleep
You dreamed
And what if
In your dream
You went to heaven
And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower
And what if
When you awoke
You had that flower in you hand
Ah, what then?

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Anonymous said...

Linda, I've enjoyed your posts & responses you've received indicate there are others who enjoyed them, also. For me too, my faith is my life however, I hope that it can show through without being blatant. The scripture does say we should be 'as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves." I hope you will rethink your 'resignation."

Dot

Dot

eddyB said...

Hello all,

Great job Al, even if you had help.
Loved the links.

Gee, I thought this one was even easier than Monday's. I started to fill in the grid mentally and almost didn't down load it. Didn't know 20A but the perps took care of it.

Never had Latin but the three A's
are a crossword staple.

eddyB.




I don't care for these easy ones.

Anonymous said...

@Carol2, send your picture as an attachment.

Anonymous said...

Linda, it's your own profile. You either remove from Blogger or stay. The blog host can't do anything about it.

Jazzbumpa said...

If you click the "How to post a Comment" link in the right hand bar you'll see C.C.'s three simple rules highlighted. No politics, no religion, no personal attacks.

My take is the first two can lead to the third, either in reality, or perception.

IMHO, answering a question such as Windhover's is simply engaging in an intellectual conversation, the subject of which happens to be Bible Lore.

That ought to be OK, and it can be done, perhaps with with some extra effort, without layering on a personal point of view or preachiness.

The purpose of the three rules is to avoid conflict on this blog. I cherish that specific aspect of this blogging community. There are plenty of other places for that, and this, in contrast, is a place where we all can be SAFE AND SOUND.

Linda -
I also wish that you will reconsider your decision to leave. We would be poorer without you.

Cheers!
JzB the descending from the soapbox trombonist

mpk said...

Hello All -

I'm a huge admirer of this Corner, and a longtime lurker. Didn't realize I could comment until I got a Google Account and my name showed up here.

Yippee! I feel as if I know most of you personally, and now I can add my 2 cents every so often.

Don't get no better than this!

Anonymous said...

Jazz, well said.

I think there have been a few times where the discussion on this blog has gotten a little too politically or religiously charged. I have tried to bite my lip and not chime in. Generally, it is better to remain silent than post something that will offend someone else even if you feel strongly about it. My guess is that we have all posted something that didn't sit well with someone else (myself included). We all come from different walks of life and should be tolerant.

I feel horrible that a dialogue initiated partly by myself has caused another to resign from something she enjoyed, and particularly someone as obviously kind hearted as Linda. She was merely giving her opinion about the Bible, a book that is open to an incredibly wide variety of interpretations. Windhover threw the comment out there, and wasn't requesting an answer via private email. It was clearly something to be answered publicly.

IMHO, I don't think Linda is generally one to be "preachy" as it was described. She often gives thoughtful insight on things and I hope that we can all be open minded enough to continue to welcome her and her responses. Linda, I can tell you are hurt, but please don't be. We enjoy you very much and hope you stay.

On a lighter note, Al, couldn't believe that you connected UNREST with the Monty Python video. Very funny indeed.

Jazz, .26 at 6am - ouch. For your sake I hope he learned his lesson, for mine I hope not. My daughter is on her way to the game now. Her friend sprung for tickets at $150 a pop and is taking her. Lucky girl. I will have the big screen going!

Does anyone know where Dennis is? Did I miss something and he is off and about, or should we be worried?

JimmyB said...

KQ (and anyone else wondering about Dennis) - On Friday he said he would be accompanying his wife on a business trip to Atlanta, and would thus be looking up old buddies and eating chili dogs.

kazie said...

Linda,
I agree with the others. We need you to stay. If some were really offended, they are thin skinned, but I believe it was just a case of misinterpreted intentions. It's better to be safe than sorry, and just avoid saying anything that can be misintrpreted. We've all done it to some extent, but we all need to take care--of each other, and also follow C.C.'s rules.

WM said...

Quick post to congratulate Al for a most stellar job...like you were born to it, C.C.'s help included. A lot of talent here. And I always love a Monty Python clip.

Have been doing all the puzzles and they are just terribly easy, fun, but easy. No hangups today and thanks to all of C.C.'s Latin "lessons" the theme popped on the first clue at 20A. Also no worms on ETNAS. WOOT!

Thank you to JD for posting the photo to C.C...It was a wonderful time and Carol is cute, funny and utterly charming, Moon is adorable, clever and funny and CA is also all of the above and like a long time friend I hadn't yet met. Appologies if I appeared in a fog, not much sleep the last month, too much on my plate and now that my lovely husband is home and on the mend( the robotic surgery a huge success!), I have added in all the things he can't do for the next 2 months...haven't painted, except for my class last week for about a month...am hoping to get caught up on sleep and back to painting soon.

Thanks you also to the IRISH for our name...THe Coven is terrific and I would drive anywhere to meet with these ladies again! :o)

Dot, thank you for the awesome history lesson last night, very interesting.

Cheers to you all.

Jeannie said...

It was an easier puzzle today for me than yesterday. Not much to comment on there.

Linda, you are obviously hurt and I was there at one time. Remember that this blog is like any bunch of people that meet at any given circumstance in life. You will get along with most, be hurt by some, and not like some others; and cliques will form. I for one find you a witty, insightful woman with demons in your own "closet of life". I know coming here helps me escape some of those worries.
It took me a couple of months of not posting but wallah...here I am again and I hope you will continue again after the barbs thrown at you heal. Pray about this Linda, you have friends here, and we never did find Waldo.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I have become a lurker as I don't have the same amount of time as I did in the summer. Brady is busy in boy scouts, football and school and you wouldn't believe the amount of homework that comes to a fifth grader. Have any of you watched the show "Are you Smarter than a fifth grader?" Sometimes, helping him with his homework makes me wonder.

Jeannie, what fabulous recipes. I had a plethora of tomatoes and made your tomato/basil soup this weekend...superb! I also made your mealoaf recipe, which was a challenge as Bradyjoe will not eat a mushroom. He didn't even have a clue they were in there, and LOVED it.

Linda, gentle soul...please don't leave this blog. You have such a wicked sense of humor that would be missed.

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon everyone.

Like a puzzle I can do. Thank you.

Linda, please don't leave. I don't agree with all of what you have written, but that's OK. Don't take your marbles and go home because of a minor spat. We would miss you.

Cheers

Jeannie said...

Roasted Rosemary Chicken (C.C., I implore you give this a try)

1 whole roasting chicken
3 sprigs of rosemary
1 large clove of garlic cut in qtrs
1/2 lemon cut in quarters
Olive oil, old bay seasoning, salt, pepper.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. In the cavity stuff the lemon pieces, garlic and add the broken or cut in pieces rosemary. Salt and pepper the cavity as well.

Lift the breast skin of the chicken and insert a piece of rosemary. Also insert a piece under the skin of where the legs meat meets the breast. Brush the whole chicken with olive oil and sprinkle some "Old Bay Seasoning" over the entire bird. Pepper generously and bake about 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. I usually bake off a squash at the same time.

Let rest about 15 minutes under foil before carving.

Argyle...how is your kitchen renovation coming?

windhover said...

Well, I said I would return. Here I am. I hope I can deal with this issue without violating at least the spirit of CC's rules, but I probably will at least skirt them somewhat.
My "offhand" remark yesterday was, of course, not totally innocent. By asking the question I intended to point out what I consider a major flaw in the major monotheistic religions. That is, they are based on and result in patriarchal and very intolerant cultures. Dot said last night, and I have no reason to doubt her scholarship, that the two "incidents" were unrelated and occured hundreds of years apart. The descriptions of the two events, though, are remarkably similar, and in a KJV "reference"
Bible, each is referenced to the other. A very clear message comes through in these two stories. A group of "Sodomites" both in the geographical meaning and the modern meaning, had deviant sexual designs on "upright" men, and in both cases women were offered up as surrogates. In the Genesis case, it was two undefiled daughters of the homeowner; in the Judges case, it was the concubine (mistress ?) of the Levite. In both cars the women were serially raped, in the second case, fatally. Of many lessons that could be gleaned here, two are clear; both the virtue and the life of a man is of more value than that of a woman. The dismembering and the scattering of the body may well be allegorical, but the substitution of the woman as victim in the man's place is clear, whether or not it was a literal occurence. This is the idea I had in mind when I posed the question.
I regret that it has led to the present state of affairs. I do not find religious views offensive. I have when I was younger held quite strong beliefs myself. My current belief, that I was mistaken then, is also quite strong. Neither side can have much hope of convincing the other side of the rightness of their views, and of course there exists no proof of either view. The nature of faith is that it is antithetical to proof. If there was proof, faith would be meaningless.
One of the few things I find offensive about religion, most particularly Christianity, is the idea of guilt as a pre-existing condition. Of course I am guilty of many things, but that guilt is my own doing, as a free moral agent. I was not born with it and need no general absolution for it. Our race (species) may be depraved; I, and you, as an individual, am not. General expressions of religious beliefs will draw no fire from me. All of my family and most of my friends hold on to strong beliefs. But when I am told that I
am "lost" without a certain intervention in my life, I usually react negatively. I do not prosyletize as a non-believer; I have no desire to influence anyone in that direction, even though this post may suggest otherwise.
So, if it is possible, and it is not too late, I suggest this: Let us begin to abide by the simple rules that CC has developed for the blog. I don't think (she may well correct me) that she meant absolutely no mention of religion, ever, but rather that it (and politics as well) does not become a disruptive and divisive issue. I pledge myself to make a better effort to abide by the spirit of that rule.

Lemonade714 said...

Linda, do not leave.

Jeannie, I always get very warm resting for 15 minutes under foil, especially when well basted.

Al, it is amazing what you find even when you are not looking for it.

Sallie, I bet there many more in South Florida who lurk, but in any case, I am open for a southeast coast confab.

Tarrajo, glad you are just busy.

Kelev, the only good thing about Latin is it helps spelling and on vocabulary tests.

On the other hand, I think it is unrealistic for this many people to express opinions, flex their mental skills, and not have conflict. I inadvertently offended Dan Naddor, because he thought I meant he coasted on some clues, not out of disrespect, but because I am so awed by his use of simple words twisted just enough to deceive me, that I was surprised I understood his clues.

I think it really boils down to one rule, do not get involved in any confrontational personal stuff; for example, some would be unhappy if I mentioned how ridiculous it is for Detroit and Minnesota to be playing to get into the post season, when they both are choke artists destined to fade away in to Yankee oblivion. Or if I said how unfair it is for the Yankees to outspend everyone else by such outrageous amounts because they make so much money from their radio and tv. Maybe even Washington would be good if they bought players. Or tell everyone, that I know Bret Favre is gay. I personally am not offended by what others believe or do not believe; it would be tiresome if someone tried to make me accept their beliefs, but even that is understandable, just not on a crossword blog, that doubles as a cooking show, and a place to brag about our young uns. It is hard to be part of a group you can talk to about stuff, and the clues open many doors, including to religious stuff, political stuff, and I enjoy learning things. I have my own ideas, but as long as you do not try to make me eat liver, we are okay.

Jeannie said...

Damn Lemonade, Liver and Onions was my next recipe to post.

Your last post is why this sweet-tart loves that sour drink called Lemonade.

Signed affectionately, Lo-li-ta.

eddyB said...

Hi,

My 2cents worth.
Linda, For heaven sakes, Stay. (note the small h)
I learned a long time ago that no matter what one says, someone will
be offended. So, don't worry about it.
Even if I don't like the ease of the current LATs, I'll keep reading
the blog. There are other other puzzles to keep me interested. The
USA Today puzzle is giving me fits
today.
I was raised as a German, in a German speaking community and in a German speaking Church. I even flew the German flag on Oct 3rd.
I think Leni was a brillant film maker and have several of her films in my 30/40s collection.

So there.

eddyB.

Lemonade714 said...

Yes, and as long as EddyB does not suggest the need for the systematic extermination of Jews, his background and his appreciation of his heritage is a good thing. Opinions can never be wrong, as long as it is understood they are opinions. We cannot be thin skinned, and assume a reference to a Hitler disciple is a veiled endorsement of genocide. Life is short, and should be fun, that is why we do puzzles.

Lo-li-ta, you are back! Relax Luxor, we are all under control.

kazie said...

I for one was surprised the other day to learn from a link here about Leni's after WWII life and her affection for the Nubas. people change, and sometimes they are coerced into doing what is obnoxious.

Clear Ayes said...

Gee Windhover. :o) I was just about to say that.

Anonymous said...

CA, I am surprised you wouldn't have any encouraging words for Linda. You disappoint as being the "clear ayes" on this blog. Just noticing your "blind" spot.

eddyB said...

Lemonade714, I would never do that.
What HE did was evil and wrong. Those who deny what happened are also evil and wrong. My uncles helpped liberate the death camps.

The two Leni movies in my collection are: "The Blue Light and The Holy Mountain".

The flag I flew on the 3rd was the tri color Black,Red and Yellow. The USA flag was on top.

I was telling Linda to be who she
is. We would miss her.

eddyB.

windhover said...

Anonymous @ 6:40,
and we all noticed that you are "anonymous".
Grow a pair.
Lemonade:
Very well said, in several posts above. And not anonymously, either. Farve is gay? They say Jeff Gordon is, too. Probably no Nascar fans here, so 100 bloggers are saying, "Who's Jeff Gordon?". BTW, I'm
not a Nascar fan either.

WM said...

I, like EddieB, am going to toss in my two cents worth and that is that in rushing to the defense of the right to speak one's mind on this blog that a lot you have vilified JD, an absolutely lovely lady, for speaking what many of us have felt.

I fully support everyone's right to believe the way the way wish and I support free speech even when it it can become offensive and dangerous, because to begin to censor and censure that right takes away the freedoms we enjoy and many have fought and died for. But when someone comes to my door to preach their religion, I smile, wish them a nice day, and politely tell them no thank you.

If we all follow C.C.'s original mandate, we can have political and religious discussions that do not include proseltysing as in Dot's highly informative post last night.

To Linda, for the most part, your comments are funny, clever, humorous in an often self-deprecating way, and enjoyable to read. But, in the middle of some of them, I have to smile politely, wish you a nice day but say no thank you. It is entirely your decision if you wish to be
hurt, but JD suffered worse for her honesty.

Clear Ayes said...

It goes against the grain to answer a ridiculous anonymous charge...but.. The assumption there is that if I'm not vocally "for ya", I must be "against ya". Not only ridiculous, but not true.

Linda, or anyone else on this blog is an adult and can make her/their own decisions. I certainly don't think she made her statement hoping that she would be begged to stay.

Your comment seems to indicate that this is exactly what would be expected. Can she be convinced to give up her moral imperative for a few "pretty pleases"? Shame on you for thinking so little of her.

It is amusing that you seem to think I have some amazing powers of persuasion. If Linda chooses to stay, that is fine with me, although I don't know why she, you, or anyone would care what I think about it one way or the other.

If you think I have a "blind spot" because I might disagree with some of Linda's posts, so what? Since when did it become a rule that we have to agree with everyone about everything? I disagree with a lot of people about a lot of things. That being said, I am pretty sure I would disagree with you about almost everything.

JIMBO said...

Linda, Please don't leave. I believe you still have the authority to answer any questions that may arise as well as defend any "attack" on your beliefs.

Note to those offended:
If you don't want to hear the "Gospel", then don't pose the question.

Martin said...

I will respect your wishes since it is your blog. I`ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here but since my faith is such an ingrained part of me, I would be second-guessing myself with each post,

Well, Linda, second guessing ourselves is what we all do: we all stop and think before we post and ask ourselves if anything we post might be considered offensive, with the possible exception of anonymous late night posters perhaps.

I was going to say more on this topic but I reconsidered. :)

Martin

Lemonade714 said...

I think I can sum it all up in the famous words of a great American, Last Word .
I think you are each and everyone completely correct. If nominated I will not run, if elected, I will not serve.

Lemonade714 said...

Thanks Windover; EddyB, my point exactly; we can choose to think the worst or the the best of people, and anyone who does crossword puzzles cannot be all bad (on the new season of Dexter theey introduce a horrific new character who is a serial killer who has killed for thirty years. He does crossword puzzles, so I do not accept the character.

Jeff Gordon just looks metrosexual, but he does hang out with some hot women, but I never know; hope he is gay and sends me his beards for proper grooming.

five and out, hope Hotlanta is treating you well big D.

Jazzbumpa said...

Well, we can still talk about baseball, especially now that the Tiger's season is over.

A blown season, unlike any in the annals of baseball. What a dismal way to make history.

Fitting, though, that the extra-season game should go extra innings. I missed innings 7 through 9, which must have been exciting to watch. Whoever paid $150 for those seats got their money's worth. Both teams gave it everything they had.

Congrats to the Twins, and all their fans. And good luck tomorrow against the hated Yanks.

Cheers!
JzB the wistful trombonist

Anonymous said...

Jazz,

Sorry about your Tigers. The Dome just doesn't want to die that easily does it?

I must say, tomorrow nights game is going to be a difficult one. After a 5 hour game, using all your relievers in one night, and a long plane ride to New York, I expect the team to be exhausted. All that and the Twins haven't won in New York since 2007 they say.

But faith we have. Lemonade, you can stomp on almost anything, but my Twins I will defend relentlessly.

Your right Windhover, the $150 was a good deal. It just would have cost me $600 to take the whole family. Ouch, a little more than I would have been willing to fork out. My boys were absolutely crazy, and they invited friends over, so it was still quite fun.

Tarrajo, nice to see you are still out there.

JimmyB said...

Jazzbumpa - If it is any consolation, I thought your Sunday post (11:01 am) was inspired. If anyone missed it, Jzb gave a plethora of "alternate clues" for Sunday's puzzle, all relating to the angst of a Tigers fan. That post just seems all the more poignant given the outcome of tonight's game.

Hahtoolah said...

Wow! I've had a long and trying day, and came here for some uplifting moments. It seems like everyone here has also had a trying day.

Just want to say, I love hearing what everyone has to say. Don't always agree, and don't expect anyone to always agree with what I say. That's what makes the world go round.

Also, don't believe everything you hear on NPR. At least one story today had lots of inaccuracies in it.

Bill G. said...

Though I'm not emotionally invested in either team, that was one of the best baseball games I've seen in a while. Good luck to the Twins.

(Go Dodgers!)

Jeannie said...

Okay all you folks, with the drama her did anyone notice the nice roasted rosemary chicken recipe?

I have been the first diagnosed case of H1N1 flu in Cokato and have been out of work until tomorrow. My fever broke last night (102) and my Doc told me not to go to work until tomorrow. I am told now that I don't need the vaccination as my immune system should handle it now. If anyone of you want to get the vaccine I implore you to do it as it hasn't been fun.

Annette said...

Jeannie, I've got the recipe already printed off! I've only seen Old Bay used with fish. I'd never have thought of it on chicken. Definitely need to give it a try.

Do you just cut the squash in half to bake? Any butter or seasonings? The same length of time as the chicken?

I really need to start doing more cooking...

Sallie, Lemonade, and others: I'm "game" for a South Florida get-together!

JD said...

Jeannie, it looks delicious. It will be tomorrow night's dinner. Hope you are feeling better.

Linda, please see your e-mail.

I am now crawling away with a big red M taped to my chest.

kazie said...

Annette,
I usually halve the squash, take out the seeds, place some water and butter in the resulting hollow with some salt and pepper all over it, cover with foil to hold in moisture. If you like it browned remove the foil a bit before it's done. Usually takes an hour to hour and a half depending on size. If, on the other hand, you like it out of the shell and mashed, a little sprinkle of sugar sometimes helps the flavor.

Jeannie,
I saw the chicken recipe, but I've never heard of Old Bay dressing. What kind of dressing is it? I do like rosemary with poultry though.

PJB-Chicago said...

Quite a day, eh?

Walked by one of newer manicure places and their sign now says BYOB; not sure why it struck me as funny. I wonder if there's a uncorkage fee!? In some religious denominations I'm told that this is also a code word for Bring Your Own Bible. I wonder what they do with people who show up with their own Zinfandel?

C.C. has a light touch concerning her rules, much less than some other bloggers, for instance on some of the linguistic blogs and comedy pages. We are guests here, in her space, so l try to respect "house rules" but wow i have fallen short several times and stepped some toes.

Many hosts request visitors to their residence abide by policies such as"no shoes indoors" or "no red wine." In our book club, we ask people not to bring their children and to not attend if they haven't finished the book. (That latter one arose when one member repeatedly said "Don't tell what happens at the end, I'm not done yet" month after month!) She now runs a knitting circle.

Took me till about age 35 to fully grasp my Dad's advice about the need to "pick your battles wisely." Many of my best friends have very strong views about topics on which we most definitely disagree; we engage in some vigorous debates, but we stay friends because we don't have vested interest in trying to sway others' opinions. Being around people who only share my views bores me.
Am old enough to realize that my own opinions have changed before and may evolve yet again.
I also realize that I'm a bundle of contradictions--for example I'm not a churchgoer but do go to confession sometimes. The priest is savvy enough to know that the idea of divine absolution of sin is alien to me, but the act of baring my secrets to another human being is powerful medicine. It's much cheaper than therapy... He gets his "script" out of the way PDQ, listens very hard,gives solid advice and sends me on my way without penance other than encouragement to right whatever wrongs I've committed. I trust him lots.
I want to say that I appreciate the free exchange of ideas we have here, but no one's ever going to turn me into a vegan, for example! Religious or political discussions are a slippery slope; my eyes glaze over when it crosses the invisible line of trying to impose one's beliefs on another. I love hearing about other peoples' traditions or experiences, and am not ashamed skipping over posts that get into nitty gritty about sports, for example or ones cross my comfort zone. I own a kippah (yarmukle) and wear it at a synagogue when invited because I believe in respecting others' sacred space. I won't wear a hat in church, or shorts to a funeral, etc. If someone wants to pray before eating I'll wait silently while they do. But I won't say prayers or pretend to when I go to someone's place of worship. People seem to respect that practice in places I physically visit. I also don't dance in public, out of concern for others' having to view the sheer ugliness of my moves. Plus, I don't want to wind up on You Tube again...

Linda's sense of humor and care for other people will be missed if she does cease to visit here; we all second guess ourselves and censor ourselves to some degree. Some days it's easier than others I've found.
Sorry this is too long. It was beautiful in my head, really, before I started typing!

A.R.E. said...

C.C.

Good to hear from you too. Yes, this sailing regatta season was quite good. I had one first place and three second place finishes. One more race this coming weekend, but not sure I will be able to go.

My local paper started to print new WRW puzzles from our old friend.

Also, it does seem like the LA Times puzzles are much easier lately. Second day in a row that I have completed in under 10 minutes with no g-spotting.

Take care and have fair winds,

A.R.E.

melissa bee said...

jd, i thought your suggestion was polite and reasonable. no crawling necessary, IMO.

Chickie said...

Hello All--I enjoyed the puzzle immensely, today and actually got the theme right off. I didn't take Latin, but my father did, and he was always throwing out words and phrases, that seem to have stuck in my head all these years.

The clues today were a little more difficult than yesterday, but very doable. I managed to get the puzzle done without any help. No Google because I didn't have a computer to use until this evening.

PJB, Be glad you had a solid front door. Our paper boy threw the paper into our hollow-core door and put a huge hole right in the middle. We now have a solid wood door, but the paper is thrown onto the sidewalk somewhere near our driveway. Gone are the days when the paper was left on the porch.

Tarrajo, good to hear from you. Glad to hear that you are just very busy.

Great Blog today, Al and C.C. Loved the links.

We are leaving for Lake Tahoe for a few days and so I won't be on again this week. There is snow up there and so it will be cold!! Fall is here in full force.

PJB-Chicago said...

Can't sleep because I'm feeling fluish. Symptoms (chills/fever, etc.) UGH! Can't take most OTC meds except Aleve and one cough syrup. Benadryl too.Total brain fog here so I may not get to post Wednesday.

Jeannie, any alternative to the Bays seasoning?
@ClearAyes, thanks for the wonderful poems. I check poetry.com from time to time but the are lots poems that I just don't "get" there. I like how you give us a nice variety.

WM: So glad your husband is on the mend after surgery. You are such a busy person--here's hoping you get a chance to squeeze some painting in. We miss you when you're not here!

KQ, I hope you're feeling better. Jeannie too.
Tarrajo, thanks for updates on your life!
JazzB, your playful sense of humor & smarts shine.
Lemonade, did you read any of the Harry Potter stories in Latin? Saw a book in a shop window. Glad that your sons are learning it. Comes in handy when reading some inscriptions in stone.

Football fans, since I'm in Bears territory here I have to say we're pretty used to disappointments. Same goes for Cubs and White Sox. Heads are rolling... I used to think that Favre was dyslexic b/c of how he pronounces his own name.

Hands/mind getting tired, so will close.Happy Wednesday.