google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday December 4, 2009 Jack McInturff

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Dec 4, 2009

Friday December 4, 2009 Jack McInturff

Theme: Back End - CK is inserted to the second word of a common phrase, changing the long vowel sound into short vowel.

17A. Takedown by Tinker Bell?: FAIRY TA(CK)LE. Fairy Tale. Tinker Bell is a fairy.

24A. Reaction to an amusing porcelain?: CERAMIC TI(CK)LE. Ceramic Tile.

38A. Symptom of poor lighting?: FREQUENT FLI(CK)ER. Frequent Flier. My favorite theme entry.

49A. Supermarket group taking a coffee break, perhaps?: THREE CHE(CK)ERS. Three Cheers. I did not know that cashiers are also called checkers.

59A. Store-brand dill?: STOCK PI(CK)LE. Stockpile.

We also have two more non-theme CK combination entries: ACK (8D. Comics cry of disgust) and FREE KICKS (11D. Consequences of some soccer fouls).

Very chopping solving today. Never really got into Jack's wavelength. Quite a few three-letter abbreviation answers in this grid, and some were quite tough to get: XLI, CIS, CLK for example.

Favorite clue today is EX-CON (50D. Former pen pal?). I immediately realized that pen refers to "prison", but the answer just refused to reveal itself readily.

Across:

1. Afternoon break: SIESTA

7. City on the Cauca River: CALI. Already had the last letter I in place, so CALI came to me immediately.

11. Monastic title: FRA. Italian short for "brother".

14. Many a marigold: ANNUAL. Don't like marigold.

15. Juice letters?: AC/DC. Juice is slang for " electricity or electric power". New to me.

16. VCR button: REW (Rewind)

19. "Little" 1960s singer: EVA. Named after the little girl Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

20. Former Spanish queen: ENA. Grandmother of the current Spanish king.

21. "The A-Team" actor: MR. T

29. Sought a seat: RAN. Ran office. I plopped down SAT first.

30. Limoges-born impressionist: RENOIR. Already had NO filled in, plus the "impressionist" clue, the name emerged rather quickly.

31. Parsley piece: SPRIG

34. Mideast carrier: EL AL. Literally "skyward".

36. USSR successor: CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). Got me.

42. NASDAQ listings: COS (Companies)

44. Western prop: LASSO

45. Out in the open: PUBLIC. Dennis's Tiger to Cheetah name change comment yesterday made me laugh. Poor Tiger, a rare triple bogey!

48. Title for Roger Moore: SIR

53. Jersey groups: HERDS. D'oh, Jersey cow. I was in New Jersey sports direction.

54. Super Bowl played in MMVII: XLI (41). Big trouble for me. Not a football fan, completely clueless about the exact Roman numeral for the 2007 Super Bowl. Colts beat the Bears.

58. Sporty truck, for short: UTE

64. MC's aid: MIC

65. First name in architecture: EERO (Saarinen). Designer of the Gateway Arch.

66. Block: IMPEDE

67. Pie chart fig.: PCT (Percent)

68. Inert gas: NEON

69. Like some foot bones: TARSAL. Nice crossing with HEEL (57D. Achilles' weakness).

Down:

1. Place for gems: SAFE. Of course.

2. Words with uproar or instant: IN AN

3. Massive old computer: ENIAC. Debuted in 1946.

4. Baja California __: Mexican state: SUR

5. Scotland's longest river: TAY. New trivia to me. England's longest river is Severn, not Thames.

6. "Gosford Park" director: ALTMAN (Robert). Lots of coverage about this guy when he filmed "A Prairie Home Companion" here in MN.

7. Saguaros, e.g.: CACTI. Have never seen saguaros in person.

9. Cholesterol initials: LDL. "Bad" cholesterol.

10. Strands at the ski resort, perhaps: ICES IN

12. Big-time parties: REVELRIES. Couldn't believe people would crash a White House party.

13. With it: AWARE. Oh, I thought "With it" is a slang for "sane", since "Lose it" means "become insane".

18. Shirt part: ARM

23. 31-Down, e.g.: NCO. And SFC (31D. Army E-7: Abbr.). SFC = Sergeant First Class. Not a familiar abbr. to me at all.

25. La Salle of "ER": ERIQ. Nice u-less Q word. Just like my Mandarin name.

26. Pizza Quick sauce maker: RAGU

27. Scrapbooking, e.g.: CRAFT. KQ loves scrapbooking.

28. Recount: TELL. Recount a story. I was recounting the vote.

32. Like some visions: PROPHETIC. Great clue.

33. Bring back into practice: RESURRECT

34. Cain's eldest son: ENOCH. Don't confuse it with "Seth's son" ENOS.

35. Kojak and Crocker: Abbr.: LTS ( lieutenants). Who is Crocker?

37. Sign of a big hit: SRO (Standing Room Only)

39. Majestic: EPIC

40. Nastase of tennis: ILIE. I just remember him as I LIE.

41. "It Must Be Him" singer Vikki: CARR. Here is a clip.

46. Breakfast companion?: BED. Bed and Breakfast.

47. Ease: LESSEN

48. "Never mind": SKIP IT

49. Haunted house sound: THUMP. Did it come to you quickly?

51. Court recordkeeper: Abbr.: CLK (Clerk). Had trouble with the abbreviation. STENO would be a correct answer too.

52. "Land __!": SAKES. Just learned this exclamation a few weeks ago.

56. "The West Wing" Emmy winner: ALDA (Alan)

60. Place to start a hole: TEE. Tee box. Golf.

61. Pizarro's quest: ORO. Spanish for "gold". Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador. Founder of Lima, Peru.

62. The Monkees' "__ Believer": I'M A

63. "Kiss of life," briefly: CPR. I like this new clue.

Answer grid.


C.C.

69 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - great puzzle! This one really kicked my ass. I had snags all over the place, but really got bogged down in the SW; couldn't get any traction there at all. Finally backed into it from the East.

'Thump' just wouldn't come to me; my first thought was 'creak'. 'Clk' didn't look right to me, although I don't know how else you'd abbreviate clerk. Little Eva had a great dance song back in the day called "Locomotion". And I thought 'jersey groups' and 'former pen pal' were both extremely clever clues, as was the theme.

C.C., loved the 'triple bogey' comment, and your 17A comment, for some reason, made me laugh out loud.

Today is Santa's List Day, and Wear Brown Shoes Day.

Today's Words of Wisdom: "The conception of two people living together for twenty-five years without having a cross word suggests a lack of spirit only to be admired in sheep." -- A.P. Herbert

Couple more clever definitions:

- Egotism: the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.

- Existence: just a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.

Dick said...

Good morning C.C. and all, a real slog today. I thought yesterday’s puzzle was tough until I tried today’s puzzle. I have completed the puzzle, but still do not see the theme. Guess I will wait until C.C. shows me the answer.

6D “Gosford Park” director: I never heard of “Gosford Park” let alone know the director. I was able to get Renoir after I got “craft” and “NCO”. There were just too many unknown clues/answers for me today. But it felt good to finish with only two trips to Mr. G. and a lot of help from the perps. My favorite clue today was Jersey groups and the aha moment that came with the solution.

There were too many abbreviations, but the one that jumped out at me immediately was XLI. For some reason I like roman numerals.

Hope you all have a great Friday.

Dick said...

@C.C., You are the best at finding the themes. I had no clue as to the theme today.

@ Dennis, again great definitions.

lois said...

Good morning CC, et al., Not being able to get any traction at the top half at all was 'prophetic', and pathetic. I'd like to 'free kick' this puzzle into tomorrow with all my 'tarsal's, run over it in 'public' in my 'carr', 'lasso' this sucker so I can strangle it w/my 'arm', then set what's left of it on fire w/'frequent flickers'. Can you 'tell', I did not like this puzzle.

Dennis: Loved the definitions.

But today is Fri. It's all good. Enjoy your day.

Anonymous said...

Hard slog, Mr. Jack McInturff.

Lemonade714 said...

I think this is what a Friday puzzle is supposed to be; very difficult, with cluing requiring an open mind until answers pop in. My first look made me think there were some impossible crosses and I would never finish. I was surprised at how quickly some answers came (EVA, CIS) and how hard I had to work for others (PROPHETIC, ENIAC) and I especially enjoyed: Juice letters?: AC/DC, Jersey groups: HERDS, Breakfast companion?: BED and Place to start a hole: TEE. This is a great example of being a challenge, without lots of obscure proper names. Enjoy KAZIE!


Lo lita, I am sure you would be cute enough, but you might just say some things the FCC fines TV stations for airing…

Dick said...

Lois, you are a hoot. LOL

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, CC and Friends. Another good puzzle today to end the week.

Although I don't follow football, I immediately know that Super Bowl played in MMVII must be XLI. That made EX-Con fall into place, which was my favorite clue of the puzzle.

I am spending the day in a legal continuing education seminar. Not my favorite thing to do.

Snow is predicted here this evening. If it really happens, that will be the second snow storm in two years. Before last December, we hadn't had a snow fall in nearly 20 years.

QOD: Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone may be looking ~ H.L. Mencken

Anonymous said...

No Dan Naddor this week?

Anonymous said...

59A. Store-brand dill? I misread the clue I thought it said drill. I entered Craftsman (Sears brand)

Lt. Crocker was Theo Kojack's partner.

Lt. Crocker

Military ranks. book mark this site to use as a reference.
military ranks

Anonymous said...

Hey Hahtool

send some of that snow this way. Dick have you gotten any snow yet? It's cold her but when it comes to snow we keep getting robbed. :-(

Jeannie has it snowed in your town yet?

kazie said...

This one kicked my pratt. I didn't look up anything, but came here with all sorts of errors and blanks: ICK/CILI, ANNEAS (had no idea about the perps either),ERIC/-RECUENT, S--/-OS for SFC/COS, and XXI/CXK.

Couldn't make out the theme at all and just felt brain-dead all the way through. Was actually surprised to get as much as I did, but most of those were guesses with perp help.

We're supposed to get flurries but it looks more like real snow coming down and accumulating.

Dick said...

@RSD, we have had a couple of dusting snows, but no cover for more than a few hours. So far no snow in Pittsburgh except for a few flakes. I would be happy to send you all of the snow any time it arrives.

Hahtoolah said...

Boy, I am really out of sync with everyone this week. I thought Monday's puzzle was a challenge but had no trouble with yesterday or today.

My favorite Altman film was Pret-a-Porter.

This weekend I am celebrating me Bat Mitzvah about 40 years after the fact. It wasn't available to me when I was of the actual age.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Spitzboov said...

Slogged thru like the other solvers. A real doozy. Didn't know Tinkerbell was a fairy; thought it was a clown. Had sud for SUR, not knowing much Spanish.

Got really stuck in the south central. Clever clue I thought. Had felon for a long time but when CHECKERS fell and the superbowl stuff sorted out, tried EXCON.

Don't know all the soccer rules either. Had side kick before FREEKICK loomed. PROPHETIC took some time, too, to fill in.

Thought some abbreviations were arbitrary like UTE and CLK.

Another sunny day in central NY. Enjoy the weekend.

Spitzboov said...

Dennis, I think you're right.

Thanks

Lemonade714 said...

Hahtool:

Wonderful news; there are no time limits for celebrations, enjoy.

Does this wonderfully diverse group that uses the g-spot, know how the name Google was selected? Or why YAHOO is YAHOO?

MJ said...

Good morning, C.C. and all,

I loved today's puzzle. Challenging, cleverly clued, with an ingenious theme. Favorite clues have already been mentioned by others. Favorite theme answer is THREECHECKERS.

@Hahtool-Congratulations on your impending Bat Mitzvah!

@Dennis-Great definition of "egotism". Sadly, all too often so true.

Enjoy the day!

Moon said...

A little time to chime in..
Wonderful puzzle...started from the bottom and immediately got it from STOCK PICKLE.
That helped me put CK at all the right places.
Had problems with THREE CHECKERS: for some reason, I kept reading it as THREE CHECKS...Duh!
But couldnt finish the puzzle and had to use solve to complete the SFC/COS intersection.

Gosford Park is a wonderful movie: a whodunnit. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Warren said...

Hi C.C. & gang - I didn't understand the theme until I got here. C.C. you're the best at getting the theme.

Best clues for me were 50 & 60 down, Ex-Con & Tee.



Google name origin
"The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of the word "googol",[14][15] which refers to 10100, the number represented by a 1 followed by one hundred zeros."
Yahoo name origin
"In early 1995 Marc Andressen, co-founder of Netscape Communications, invited Filo and Yang to move their files over to the larger computers housed at Netscape and "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" was christened Yahoo!"

Bill G. said...

I enjoyed getting through this puzzle though I needed a little help. I have finally realized what my least favorite clues are. Abbreviations. The fewer the better.

Wear Brown Shoes Day reminded me of a line by George Gobel on Johnny Carson. He said to Johnny, "Do you ever feel like the world is a tuxedo and you are a pair of brown shoes?"

Anonymous said...

looks like tiger woods was playing the 19th hole.

Jeannie said...

What Lois said….this one was a toughie. I did the ultimate cheat and peeked at C.C. write up to understand the theme. Once I did that I was able to complete it with minimal G-spotting. Those included Altman and Vikki Carr. I also had to look up saguaro just to see WTH it was. Lots of perp help with Fra, eniac, and Tay to name a few. I believe this was the challenge some of you have been craving.

Democrat, matter of fact it is snowing right now here in the land of 10,000 lakes.

Dennis love the egotism definition. I bet we all know of one person or another that covers.

Lemonade, my dear counselor re: the TV thing you are probably right.

Al said...

Lets clear up some misconceptions about LDL (and HDL).

Neither of them is actually cholesterol; they are both just carriers. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is a critical part of the structure of every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function. There is only "one" cholesterol, but it gets transported by the two forms of carriers in different directions. HDL transports it back to the liver to be recycled because it is so very important, and LDL transports it to be used in cell creation and repair. Since your blood is mostly water, which cannot dissolve wax, there needs to be carriers (High and Low Density Lipoproteins) with properties that can make wax and water mix, kind of like soap allows you to wash oil away.

LDL is called the "bad" form, due to small particle size, and because of this those particles can squeeze through the lining of your arteries. If oxidation occurs, otherwise known as turning rancid, that can cause damage and inflammation.

The thing about LDL that most people aren’t told about is that there can be many different particle sizes. The large particles are not a problem, just the smaller ones. So, really, there is good and bad LDL, not good and bad cholesterol. A test that gives the LDL number and doesn’t make any distinction about particle size doesn’t really begin to tell the correct story and can be used to scare you into taking unnecessary drug$.

There is a very interesting correlation that exists between triglycerides, that are usually measured in the same test, and LDL levels. People with higher triglyceride levels have corresponding higher levels of smaller, denser LDL particles and alternately lower triglyceride levels correspond to higher levels of the larger, less dense LDL. This does not mean that one "causes" the other, but that there is a common reason why they both appear: Sugar. In. Any. Form. Fructose, especially. Yes, high fructose corn syrup really is worse for you than table sugar (despite the determined commercial efforts to make you think otherwise), because at least table sugar is only half fructose, but even that is still bad. If you eliminate sugar and simple carbohydrates (grain-based foods), you will do way more good for your body than any drug (with side effects) can possibly match. Do not replace sugar with artificial sweeteners, though, as those have even worse consequences over time.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Have you ever been ankle deep in mud and pulling one foot out at a time, knowing that with the next step your foot is going to sink right back in? You eventually come to the end of the mud pit, but it is a tough go. Oh yeah, "Slog".

The only Scottish river I could think of was the DEE, It's a good thing CALI showed up yesterday and was on the top shelf of my brain. I misread 35A "Crocker" as "Crockett" and thought of Miami Vice. (Don Johnson was HOT in those days.)

I was frustrated because I never did understand the theme. I was stuck saying,"ACK, ICK, ECK?" to myself and the lightbulb never did go on.

There were lots of things I did enjoy. REVELRIES, PROPHETIC and RESURRECT were really nice, all great Friday fill.

It took a while, but I managed to get through, although I did quite a bit of backtracking while I was at it.

I've been a big Robert Altman fan ever since the movie M*A*S*H. He seemed to prefer ensemble casts where everyone "overlapped" each other and you couldn't always know who was THE star. Gosford Park, an excellent movie, was like that.

Hahtool, Mazel Tov on your Bat Mitzvah.

Anonymous said...

Clean and clear theme summary, C.C. Well done.

Sara

eddyB said...

Good Morning all.

I haven't done this for awhile. I put the unfinished puzzle and answer sheet back in the printer tray to use the other side.

It was just too difficult and I was spending too much time on it.

Down-loaded the USA and Universal puzzles to do later.


eddyB

carol said...

Hi C.C. and all -

Just when my hair was starting to grow back from the last difficult puzzle THIS ONE had to appear! I did not finish it as I dislike trying to figure out 'play on word' clues. I never understand them.

Hatool - Congrats on your Bat Mitzvah!!
Never too late to celebrate...hey that rhymes!

To all of you in REAL snow country: You can have it! The weather forecasters here are predicting a dusting that will not stick. It was 24 when we got up at 6:15 this morning.
Guess what is going to be frozen on our bike ride....we are going until about 11:00, hoping it will warm up a bit - it is now 10:00 and only 33 at our house. Brrr. Think I'll wait until later in the day.

Anonymous said...

From Vern:
I was really feeling dumb til I was picked up by Dennis' comments & lack of "I did it in 4 minutes." Thanks, Dennis.

My grandkids are in soccer and nothing is more dreaded than the free kick. Watching four little boys standing in front of the goal, trying to decide if their faces or more sensiive parts needed defending, they all consistently opt for their sensitive parts!

22D--I was sure it was smirk. A snear doesn't come with a smile.
32D--Like some visions. I was sure it was peripheral and tried to stretch the page to fit a 10 letter word in a 9 letter spot. (Didn't work)

"Cain's eldest son" reminded me of a joke I once composed. Eve was sobbing when Adam returned to the Garden. Asking her "Why", she replied, "You haven't been the same lately; have you been seeing someone else?"

treefrog said...

Hi Gang,
Good to get back to the blog. Been so busy I haven't even done the puzzle for a month. Guess today probably wasn't the day to start. It kicked my pratt so hard I won't sit for a week. That's ok.

Hubby was laid off the end of Oct, getting used to him being around all the time. Fortunately, he has projects. Out on a service call for a friend right now. He went to SS on Wed and applied for his SS. In OR you can collect SS and unemployment without penalty. Yay, we won't starve.

Weather sucks. Sooo tired of fog. Just plain cold and damp. Snow would be a welcome relief.

Great to check in and catch up with everyone.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Hatool - Mazel Tov!

Al - Excellent treatise on cholesterol. The real culprits are oxidation and inflammation. Small particle LDL gets oxidized and collects at inflammation sites.

Tough puzzle that I was unable to complete. Theme was way over my head. Some days the puzzle gets me.

This one has clever clues, and is generally well executed.

Not a favorite, though.

Cheers!
Jzb the IMPEDEd trombonist

lois said...

Al: I love it when you talk like that. Let me get this straight: We want lower triglyceride numbers, which would indicate larger cholesterol particles?

Hahtool: I'll drink to you as soon as I get out of this prison...then I'm really going to go 'behind bars'. Mazel Tov!

Warren: thanks for the links and Lemonade thanks for asking about those 2 origins that I never really wanted to know about before. I'm curious to know what made you ask.

Anonymous said...

@Al, Can arthritis be managed through a strict diet? Should I give up red meat? I’m 32 and have had rheumatoid arthritis for 2 years. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Pamela

Anonymous said...

Al, human body needs grain.

DCannon said...

Level of difficulty = 11.5. Whew! Great brain workout, though.

The "ck" part of the theme was evident early on, but I never did put it together.

I practically moved in with Mr. G this morning. I came here with no blanks and no errors, thanks to his help. I think I went there today more than I ever have - four or five times.

Instead of "thump" I had "moans" even though the clue wasn't plural. I spelled "Eriq" with a c, so it was a while before I got "frequent." Penciled in "dairy" for Jersey group at first. Didn't like "ute." In fact, I agree with Bill G about abbreviations - the fewer, the better.

Hahtool, mazaltov. Best wishes for a wonderful, spiritual day. I don't think I heard of Bat Mitzvahs until sometime in the 70s.

We had about one inch of snow - some areas more. The lowest temp I saw was 22º this morning. The big problem was the ice, though. The underpasses were closed and school was either dismissed or delayed.

Al, thanks for the info re: cholesterol. I have read that before but a lot of people don't know it.

Have a great TGIF!

Al said...

@Anon at 12:30, no, it doesn't. Humans have only been eating grain for about 10,000 years (first appearance of grinding tools), which is minuscule when you compare it to the million or so years that humans have been around...

They do need complex carbs, though, as can be found in other vegetation, like leaves (various lettuce and Kale family), roots (carrots, turnip, etc), flowers (broccoli, cauliflower, etc).

And even then they only need those for the micro nutrients and minerals they provide. There is no such thing as an "essential" carbohydrate, like there are for fats, proteins, and vitamins. Look at the (old) eskimo population who lived on fish, arctic animals, and blubber. Excess protein gets converted into the necessary sugars to sustain life, so strictly speaking, it isn't necessary to eat carbs at all. Eating too much protein is not recommended because of the strain it places on your excretory system though.

@Pamela, I'll have to get back to you. RA is actually an auto-immune problem, and I don't have the answer right at hand...

Al said...

@Pamela, If you are looking for nutritional ways to help, there are lots of articles at greenmedinfo.com on RA.

I'm not a doctor, and I'm not offering any cures here, but for some relief, I would emphasize taking fish or krill oil for omega-3 fats, and recommend getting your vitamin D levels tested, and supplementing with (specifically) D3 if you are low.

Anonymous said...

@Al, Thank you. Every joint in my body is swollen and hurts. Bedridden is not an enjoyable way to be.

Pamela

Lemonade714 said...

How cool, my post has disappeared. I was liking your essay on LDL, AL.

DCannon said...

Pamela, I empathize with you. I'm not bedridden, but there are some days when I feel that I could just cover up my head and never move. The biggest problem for me is the weakness and awkwardness.

My sister was dx'd when she was 28 and lived with it for 32 years.

As for the diet connection, I know that it would help a great deal. I have read articles (not advertisments) about people using the Mediterrean Diet to help a number of things. For most of my life, I studied about diet and exercise as a hedge against disease. I practiced both regularly and stayed slender and healthy. In the last few years, I have been more of a student than a practitioner and my health has had a corresponding decline.

Couldn't hurt to try it.

DCannon said...

Al, re: HFCS. I have a theory that this substance is at the root of the explosion of obesity and Type II diabetes in this country. Those things have always been around, of course, but they have become almost epidemic in the last few decades. I believe food additives of all kinds are a major problem.

Anonymous said...

Al, Whole wheat and brown rice are complex carbs.

Anonymous said...

How about dried beans? As bad as grains?

Robin said...

Good afternoon C.C. and all.

I had the same difficulties that many seemed to have with this puzzle. Did something happen to Dan Naddor? I missed that.

Warren, thank you for the great explaination of "Google and Yahoo".

Hahtool, Happy Bat Mitzvah and I love your avatar!

Al, Thanks for the explaination of the Hdl/Ldl stuff. Always confused me. My question-- the small particle LDL that causes rancid/inflammation, the inflammation that is measured by the C-Reactive Protein test? I know many docs are using this test to measure ones likely hood to develop coronary artery disease or have an MI.

It is a lovey 69 degrees here in Phoenix. I think we are going to the pool!

Crockett1947 said...

Good afternoon, all

This one was difficult, but I was finally able to beat it into submission once I gave up some incorrect answers I'd put in last night. I heard a GROAN in that haunted house, I swear I did. Don't know how long it took to solve this one, but it was a loooong time, LOL.

@dennis Thank you for emptying the trash.

Had NO CLUE what the theme was. C.C., you are such a whiz in ferreting out those themes!

@hahtool Mazel Tov. Some things just need to be done when one has the opportunity.

@moon So nice to see you here.

@al You do a good job of attempting to educate us. Thank you for your latest treatise.

@treefrog Good to see you checking in.

@lemonade Blogger has been having problems the last couple of days -- your post will probably show up later.

@robin BOO, HISS. Enjoy.

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!!

Al said...

@DCannon I think that, too.

@Anon, as long as you're not diabetic, dried beans are not a bad source for protein and fiber, but they do have a substantial carb content. Green beans are better (most edible live green foods, in fact). Also, sprouted wheat is OK. There are special breads made with sprouted wheat that don't present the same kinds of sugar response that white bread, pasta and cookies, etc, do. You can get away with eating the refined stuff if you're young, athletic and are going to burn it all off soon in a big game or race, but for the most part, grain foods, even whole grain ones contain mostly starch, which converts almost immediately to sugar. If they are whole grains, you do get more fiber instead of some of the starch by volume, so it's not as bad.

Here's how your metabolism burns through stuff. It is all chemical reactions related to what is called "energy of activation":

Sugar first. If there is too much in your bloodstream to burn up right away, it gets stored away as fat.

Excess protein next. This may surprise some people, but your body will actually use protein as an energy source before it uses up fat. You do need some protein every day for growth and repair, but it's actually a lot less than we like to eat, only about 4 oz or so. Not sure if that's per meal or all day, though.

Finally, stored fat is the last to be burned.

So, although it seems counter-intuitive, you have to eat (the right) fat (olive, avacado, almond, virgin coconut), instead of carbs and too much meat, and lots of real veg (low in calories high in fiber) to lose fat...

@Robin, the small particle LDL is not the only source of inflammation, but it certainly contributes. Taking fish or krill oil omega-3s will reduce the inflammation, which your liver has been responding to by sending out even more cholesterol to try to repair the damaged cells.

I think that's probably enough of that for one day. You must all be getting sick of me by now...

Warren said...

Here's a link to sport ute

this helps to remember ute?

MR ED said...

C.C., please disregard my last post to you.

Dennis said...

Mr. Ed, I'm fine, thanks - just fairly stupid.

Lemonade714 said...

Lois, if I understood how my brain worked, I would probably still be married. Google and Yahoo are just great company names, much better than IBM, or Sperry Rand

MJ said...

@BillG-Liked the fun quote from the Carson show. :)

@Al-Thanks for the HDL/LDL explanation and other health information.

@Lemonade- Thanks for raising the question about Google and Yahoo. I found it interesting that each was created by a pair of Stanford Univ. students.

I'll echo Moon and CA's thumbs up for Gosford Park. It is one of a very few films that I have returned to the theater to view a second time. There were so many subplots and subtleties that it wasn't until nearly the end of the movie that I had an "AHA" moment, and thought, " Now I see why that was an important look/comment/moment." I especially remember stellar performances by Maggie Smith and Helen Mirren.

PJB-Chicago said...

Good evening: movie night is approaching fast: "Memento" or"Mullholand Drive" will be chosen based on votes (have seen both before).

Puzzle was over my head but still worth trying. Not a fan of rndm abbrvs, tho'. Trivia: Little EVA who sang "Locomotion" was Carole King's housekeeper and/or babysitter. Great tune, makes me want to get up and shake a leg, but I restrain myself in public! The SAGUARO cacti are breathtaking to see in their element.

Theme seemed well played out, but I sure didn't get it right off the starting block. Agree with others about cleverness of clues for BED, EXCON and HERDS.

@Hahtool, Mazel Tov on your Bat Mitzvah. Have been to 2, one for a young lady and one for a woman about 65--the latter was like a wedding in that there were many tears of joy. A proud accomplishment!

@ Al & DCannon: Amen re: high fructose corn syrup--I avoid it where possible; it's hidden in so many products, e.g. Breads, some cookies, "juices", etc. I enjoy the sprouted wheat bread, too. It's best kept in the fridge, I'm told.

Meditation/prayer/yoga/tai chi etc., can help create a reduction in inflammation as well. Puzzles? I hardly doubt it, at least in my case!

Anonymous said...

I think if the weekly puzzle have a theme - we should be informed as they do with the Chicago Tribune Sunday puzzles. It is no fun staring at a blank grid all day.jf

Jeannie said...

After reading through the last few posts I feel really guilty about posting some of my recipes. I will say this in my defense. I don't buy anything in a box with the exception of pasta. I use all fresh fruits and veges and all fresh meats. I will use canned tomatoes when I run out of my summer stash. Look at the ingredients on a can of creamed soup...it will scare you. If I need to thicken something I use good 'ol flour or cornstarch and a little cream. My rule is everything in moderation. With that being said...I just got back from a Christmas cookie bake-off with 5 friends. I really am not much of a baker but it was fun as we "imbibed" as we baked. Can't share some of the stuff "we girls" talked about but it was fun. One of my friends had some really interesting cookie cutters. Lois, wish you could have been there to help decorate those. Oh, and I won't divulge how much REAL butter we used. What's your favorite Christmas cookie recipe?

Mary said...

Al and Jeanie, Wow, I do like the diversity of this blog...

The theme was fun, after I got it. I had FAIRYTACKLE and a few other ck's. It was FRECUENTFLICKER where I finally figured out the theme. (Yes, I had ERIC too and never noticed the misspelling of frequent until I came to the blog.)

My first answer was EXCON, got that on the elevator before I even started the puzzle. I had fun figuring out which Roman numeral would fit with my starter X.

I'm reading a terrific book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Crust Pie Society and made just a short voyage to Jersey to think of HERDS of cows.

In my haunted house THUMP came to mind first.

I love Christmas cookies even though I do try to limit sugar. The one item I bake every year is my mother's Date Nut Bread.

Mary said...

Hahtool, Mazel Tov!

Anonymous said...

Since I dis'ed Rich and Dan for too many proper names last week, I felt it only necessary to complement Rick and Jack, as well as Rich and Barry yesterday, on great "mind benders" without too many proper names. It can be done!

JD said...

Hi! I'm Buster Brown. I live in a shoe.That's my dog,Tiye, he lives in there too. What a horrible commercial, but kids loved it, and I'm sure BB's made millions.So much for wear brown shoes day.

I can't add anything to today's comments. I had the same problems with this very clever puzzle, and also pay tribute to CC for figuring out the theme.Filling in those ck's only helped so much and could not complete stock(pickle) or the three(checkers). The SW had me stumped!

Like CA, I thought using resurrect,prophetic, and revelries was super.

Bill, I'm with you on abbrevs. It's kind of like Wheel of the Unfortunate.I don't need much to fill in a word, but I need something.

Treefrog, we have really missed you. Sorry about the layoff, but sorrier about 24/7 with DH. It takes getting used to. LOL!Wishing that my DH had projects!

Al, wonderful information as always. Copied and sent to a few needy friends who should watch diet, and get off the meds( as I eat my baked potato..ah, but with salsa.)

Hahtool, an accomplishment no matter at what age. Actually, memorization is harder the older one gets...so double mazel tov!

Jeannie, the split pea soup was and still is delicious. Even though I used a ham hock, I added the sausage.I had never used beef broth which gave it lots more flavor too.

Until tomorrow.I'm 3 checkers to the finish...tired.

Robin said...

OH OH Jeannie my recipe for christmas cookies is Pecan Puffs but I've got to find the recipe!!! Just wait, it will come to me, you'll love it I promise!!!! :)

OK maybe I'll find it tomorrow!!

lois said...

Jeannie, that's hilarious! I can only imagine what I missed. I'm sure the interesting shapes made it all taste that much better.

Lemonade: That's funny. Actually, I always thought people got divorced because they finally figured out how their minds do work - or they sobered up. In any case, the names Google and Yahoo are great names and I enjoyed learning about their origin. It was a great question.

Clear Ayes said...

Jeannie, I only make cookies once a year for the holidays, but when I do, butter and sugar are major ingredients. Don't feel guilty about sharing recipes you love. Good food is one of the joys of life and, as you said, "in moderation", we should be able to enjoy some of these wonderful treats.

Being of Swedish descent, I have to make the following cookies every year. I can't pick only one as a favorite. It is all or nothing!
Aunt Helen's Swedish Cream Wafers
Grandma Augusta's Spritz Cookies
Swedish Gingersnaps (Pepparkakor).

Al said...

@Jeannie, I wasn't actually targeting anyone today.. There's nothing wrong with using real butter in cooking, it's margarine you should avoid like the plague, trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) are bad juju...

There are other flours that can be used in place of wheat, like cassava or even coconut for instance, but you have to use a lot of eggs to make that one stick together.

Well, five and out. All that from just three letters today. I sure hope we don't have any four letter abbreviations tomorrow...

Chickie said...

Hello All--Not a good day for me. I had all kinds of holes in the puzzle. I would put in a word I KNEW for sure was correct, only to find something that crossed it that WAS correct. Lots of erasing and hair pulling.

Thanks to C.C. for helping me get the rest of the fills today. I spent way too much time re-reading the same clues over and over with nary an answer!

I am wearing brown shoes today, and almost every day. I finally fit into a Today list.

It has been a long time since I have been unable to pretty much finish a puzzle without help or very little help. Today was my downfall. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Jeannie said...

Al, no offense taken...I learned from your lesson.

Clearayes, I assisted at one of your recipes today and it was the Spritz. My Mom is/was a great baker and my Dad called her Spritz "melt in your mouther's." Arthritis crimpled her hands but we all pooled together to get her a big Kitchen Aide mixer and an electric cookie press. My sister that is the baker can't master this one and my Momma can't let go.

Lois, somehow my cutout grew two inches once decorated. I guess I have the touch.

Clear Ayes said...

Jeannie, I'm glad you enjoy Spritz cookies too. They are delicate and making them can be frustrating because they break so easily. But as your father said, they are "melt in your mouth-ers"....well worth the effort. It is nice that your mother is a baker.

I can still picture my grandma with a big kitchen table full of cookie sheets, baking pans and cooling racks. Friday was her baking day and all the bread, cookies, cakes and pies for the week, for her large extended family, were prepared then. Phew, it tires me out just to think about it!

Annette said...

Today's puzzle sure took a lot of effort, a few googles, and finally coming here to correct several bad guesses. I don't feel completely good about it, but getting several of the other trickier clues on my own helps...

As far as the Super Bowl clue, I merely had to glance up at the Terrible Towel hanging in my office to see what year we just had, then keep subtracting one until it fit the right number of letters. :-)

Vern: PERIPHERY however did fit 32D for me, until the perps came into play.

Hatool: Congratulations! That's quite an accomplishment. How nice that you were finally able to do it at this point in your life.

Jeannie: Growing up, we used to make about a dozen different Christmas cookies every year. Pizzelles, spritz, nut rolls, and Italian Balls were the most common ones I can recall. Recently, I've only been able to manage 2-3 types.

My one staple over the past few years has been red and green cherry shortbreads with walnuts. People look at the cherries and think fruitcake, but once they taste them, they're converted!

I haven't decided what I'll make this year. I need to make some progress buying presents to be shipped first before considering baking!

Your day of baking with friends sounds like a lot of fun! More fun than cookie exchanges I've seen. Too bad you don't have any photos of that extending cookie. Guess we'll just have to use our imagination... ;-)

Jeannie said...

Annette, if only I had come into the 21st century with all you guys.

Those pix I am sure wouldn't have flown.

Jeannie said...

Annette, I want your recipe for Italian Balls. I like most things Italian and have tasted Italian Balls before but didn't find them the ones I had particularly tasty.

Chickie said...

Better late than never is my motto tonight. Hatool, congratulations on your Bat Mitzvah! I hope you have a wonderful inspiring day.

It is so good to see you again, Moon. We've missed you!

Kazie and Lois, My sentiments exactly. Such a hard time today with the puzzle.

CA, our favorite Christmas cookies are Pecan Tassie Tarts and Aunt Em's Shortbread. Nothing but real butter used here. I baked two kinds of cookies today to take to a cookie raffle next week. The money all goes to a local shelter for teens and families in crisis.