google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, July 19, 2010 Gareth Bain

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Jul 19, 2010

Monday, July 19, 2010 Gareth Bain

Theme: Another Year Older - Four things (first word of the theme entries) associated with celebrating surviving another year and a unifier.

18A. Sure thing : CAKEWALK.

23A. Official political philosophy : PARTY LINE.

36A. Now, with "the" : PRESENT MOMENT.

52A. Deck marker, maybe : CARD SHARP.

58A. Event for the first parts of 18-, 23-, 36- and 52-Across : BIRTHDAY.

Argyle here.

CAKEWALK - Something easily accomplished. It appears the term started on the slave plantations as a dance. "Chalk-line dance" was the slaves mocking the formal galas thrown by their masters. Participants followed the chalk with exaggerated made-up dance steps. There may have been a cake as a prize but my feeling is that isn't really the phrase comes from. More likely, to me, is that it comes from "a chalk walk".

CARD SHARP vs card shark - We've had this word before and determined that both terms fill the same bill(a card cheat), they developed from separate sources.

Across:

1. Corrected, as text : EDITED.

7. Hunger symptom : PANG.

11. Taylor Swift received its 2009 Entertainer of the Yr. award : CMA. (Country Music Association)

14. Swiss convention city : GENEVA. The Geneva Conventions are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war(1949). Little bit of trickery in the cluing.

15. Emmy winner Falco : EDIE. from
The Sopranos.

16. Stimpy's pal : REN. Premiered on Nickelodeon.

17. Won a game without knocking : GINNED. Help!

20. Slim fish : EEL.

21. Salary : WAGE.

22. Devil's work : EVIL.

26. Donald Duck, e.g. : DRAKE. A female duck (Daisy Duck) can be referred to as a Duck or a Hen. A shout-out to MJ's grandson & Crazyhorse's son, both named Drake.

27. Blackjack need : ACE. In the card game, also called "21", an ACE can count as "11" and all face cards are worth "10" as is the ten card. Together they total "21", a winner. In other combinations, the ACE can be counted as one point.

28. Mute assent : NOD.

29. Jeanne d'Arc, par exemple : SAINTE. French for saint.

31. __-purpose: serving two functions : DUAL.

33. Penalty caller : REF.

35. "__, humbug!" : BAH.

41. Energizer size : AAA. (Battery size)

42. 1988 film noir remake : D.O.A.. It starred Dennis Quad and Meg Ryan. (
cover image)

43. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA. In 1955, refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus.

45. Use Listerine, e.g. : GARGLE.

48. Nest egg initials : IRA.

50. Highland hat : TAM.

51. Skater Henie : SONJA. Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936). Clear Aye's inspiration when she first learned skating. You are dearly missed, Clear Ayes!

55. Ye __ Shoppe : OLDE.

56. Site of Napoleon's exile : ELBA.

57. Give in to gravity : SAG.

60. Peace, in Arabic : SALAAM.

63. Night before : EVE.

64. Les États-__ : UNIS. French

65. Lubricating : OILING.

66. Tape deck button letters : REW. (rewind)

67. Red planet : MARS.

68. Mixes smoothly : BLENDS.

Down:.

1. Its yolk is used in mayonnaise : EGG.

2. Agnus __ : DEI. Latin term meaning Lamb of God.

3. Cochlea location : INNER EAR.

4. Church doctrine : TENET.

5. Author Waugh : EVELYN. Despite the name, this author was a man. (1903 - 1966)

6. Third-Sunday-in-June honoree : DAD.

7. Pie nut : PECAN.

8. Old saws : ADAGES. Sayings, truisms.

9. Reebok rival : NIKE.

10. "__ whiz!" : GEE.

11. Necktie : CRAVAT.

12. "I approve," Tarzan-style : "ME LIKE".

13. Often twisted body part : ANKLE.

19. Rocket scientist Von Braun : WERNHER.

21. Add lanes to : WIDEN.

23. Note taker's need : PAD.

24. "We'll tak __ o' kindness yet": Burns : A CUP. For auld lang syne.

25. French cosmetics giant : L'OREAL.

26. Circle meas. : DIAM..

30. On deck : ABOARD.

32. VIP's aircraft : LEAR JET.

34. Busy co. on Mother's Day : FTD. Flowers by Wire.

37. Galsworthy's "The Forsyte __" : SAGA. The Forsyte Saga is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921. They chronicle the vicissitudes of the leading members of an upper-middle-class British family, only a few generations removed from their farmer ancestors. from Wikipedia.

38. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA.
Image, from the lead role in the 1948 film "The Red Shoes".

39. "Why does this keep happening to me?!" : "NOT AGAIN?!".

40. Winter Palace ruler : TSAR.

44. Load for a roadie : AMP.

45. Start using a successfully tested system : GO LIVE.

46. Composer __ Lloyd Webber : ANDREW.

47. Cream-filled treat : ECLAIR. "Uummmm, eclair!"

49. Lay into : ASSAIL.

51. Like a teetotaler : SOBER.

53. Deep chasm : ABYSS.

54. Oscar winner Berry : HALLE.
Her birthday is next month.

56. Dame who's a man : EDNA. Comedian?

59. Sing with one's mouth shut : HUM.

60. Cry out loud : SOB.

61. "Then what?" : "AND?".

62. Classic Brit. sports cars : MGs. And avatar.

Answer grid.

Here is part IX of Kazie's Oz series. The final installment. Olio of nuggets. Noticed how high-priced those Pink Lady apples are? Solid reasoning from Kazie, don't you think? Thank you for showing us the beauty of Northern Territory and for allowing us to "vacation" with you again, Kazie!

Argyle

88 comments:

  1. Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - I enjoyed today's puzzle a lot, in spite of it being a pretty easy Monday offering. It had a lot of fresh clues, and the couple missteps I had kept it from being routine. Had an inkling as to the theme after the first three entries, but needed the unifier to be sure. It's a shame we don't have a birthday in the group today.

    Very clever cluing of Geneva as 'Swiss convention city. And 'On deck' had me thinking in baseball terms. For 25D, 'French cosmetics giant', I confidently wrote 'Lauder' which presented a bit of a problem in the center. Oh, and forgot that 'Wernher' was spelled that way, but the fact that it was seven blocks saved me from screwing up even further. Overall, a nice way to start the week.

    Argyle, outstanding picture of Halle Berry; nice way to start the day. The picture, too.

    Today is National Raspberry Cake Day.

    Did you know:

    - One in every four Americans has appeared on TV.

    - The only member of the band ZZ Top to not have a beard has the last name Beard.

    - Hitler's great-great-grandmother was a Jewish maid.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello everyone,

    my newspaper clued 42A as "Record Needles" (answer "DOA")?

    Any ideas why? I'm stumped

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  3. Anon@5:40, the only thing I could find was that there's a group called 'The Needles', who did a song called 'Dead or Alive', but that seems way too obscure to be the answer. I guess it's possible that it's just an error, unless someone else figures it out.

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  4. Anon@5:40, what is your paper?

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  5. Good Morning, all. This wasn't my favorite Monday puzzle. The theme jumped out at my very quickly, however.

    My paper also clued 42A as "Record Needles", so I couldn't make sense of DOA

    Argyle, I was hopping you could help me with GINNED. Here's what the official rules of Gin Rummy say about the term.

    Geneva is also the home of some offices of the United Nations.

    My favorite clues were: Often Twisted Body Part = ANKLES
    Donald Duck, eg = DRAKE

    QOD: Vision without execution is hallucination ~ Thomas A. Edison

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  6. Hello Puzzlers - Ditto for me, an easy puzzle but couldn't remember where WERNHER puts his H. Stimpy and REN? Never heard of 'em.

    I see that a merciful, non-lingerie clue for A CUP was used, and in any case HALLE Berry wouldn't have fit!

    Spitzboov from yesterday: thanks for sorting out arear and arrear for us. Proves you know a rear from a elbow! For today's assignment: do we have a similar word pair afront and affront?

    The super-massive fly-in convention at Oshkosh opens in a week! I'm "pulling chocks" on Thursday. Looking forward to my umpteenth visit to friendly Wisconsin!

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  7. Good morning Argyle, C.C., Dennis et al, well the weeks fly by, and something new each one. I cannot imagine the RECORD NEEDLES confusion, and GINNED was certainly unexpected for a Monday, but
    I am learning when the clues are not too tricky you have to be inventive to amuse yourself as a constructor.

    We have SOB and SOBER, we have SAG and SAGA, we have ABOARD, ABYSS and ASSAIL, DEI and DIAM’ and five parts to the theme.

    Lots of proper names, all of which filled, not all as well as Halle berry in Argyle's offering, but overall very nice Monday, it really went quickly (I had to go back to read all the clues I never needed) but I must say, I like my éclairs filled with custard not cream. A bien tot

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  8. Morning All,

    Errors plagued me this AM. Most notable was Halli. Great Pic Argyle!
    Lauder instead of Loreal and Rem instead of Ren were typical boo boos also. Worked the eraser regularly and finally got it. Interesting clues.

    How about a little ZZ Top to start the week.

    Have a great Monday.

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  9. Good morning everyone. Thanks for sharing all the Australia pictures, Kazie. Great job!

    Easy Monday. A horizontal and then a vertical pass and it was done. I agree with the previous comments. Nothing new to add.

    I was wondering, though. When the constructor starts out to create his/her creation, and presumably plants the seed word or phrase; does he have an idea of whether it will be 'easy' or 'hard'? I understand the clueing can involve much back-and-forth with the editor, so this becomes beyond the control of the constructor. My sense is the editor sets the difficulty level more so than the constructor. Just my rumination for the day.

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  10. @Kazia, merci beaucoup. Beautiful pix.

    Mary

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  11. Argyle, Excellent Monday write-up.
    I imagine that is difficult sometimes since early in the week the puzzles are so easy.

    Anon 5:20
    I had at 42a Record needles, also in my St. Petersburg Times. Got the 'O' for DOA off my guess of Ballerina Sheare name, MOIRA.

    Actually thought this was a more testy Monday than usual. ME LIKE the CRAVAT that I no longer wear.
    Had MGB as the Classic Brit. sports cars, easy fix to MG's from the BLENDS. (Damn, ANDREW, it had carS, ergo it is a plural!)

    Non fave was SOBER for obvious reasons.

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  12. 42 Across read RECORD NEEKLES for me also. Did not know ballerina clue 38 DOWN, and did't look it up so I penned in MARIA. DAA for 42 across made no sense, and I did not correct. Easy puzzle to start the week. Everyone enjoy the rest of Monday, and have a good week.

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  13. My paper, the Ft Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, clued 42 A as record needles, also. I wonder what's their problem as they left off a whole column the other day. At my age I'm always questioning my mental facilities. I don't need any more confusion.
    Thanks for those great pictures Kazie.

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  14. Morning all,
    Easy puzzle today - I finished it in well under 10 min. But one answer had me stumped - 45d "Go Live". Even after I filled in with perps, I still couldn't get the association of the answer to the clue, because I was pronouncing the "i" in live as a short vowel, and couldn't imagine how it related to the clue. FInally realized it is a long "i" and made sense of it. Duh !!

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  15. While Opera and Ballet have never been my cup of tea, I do recommend you all watch THE STORY OF THREE LOVES a three part movie, with a wonderful cast (Kirk Douglas, Ethel Barrymore, Leslie Caron, to mention a few. One segment stars one of our favorite actors, JAMES MASON and the captivating MOIRA. An interesting movie….

    Spitzboov, the other day Jerome said his last LA Times effort was written expecting it to be a Tuesday presentation, rather than the Thursday when it ran, so your speculation the editor decides I am sure is true, and I suppose if you wrote a Friday level, the editor could ease up some clues. Only theme less Saturdays seem to fit only one place.

    Kazie, your pictures I am sure inspire us all to get money and travel forever. Well done.

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  16. Good Morning! I'm fairly new to crosswords and haven't built up a vast storehouse of clue/answer associations yet. Thus I find myself Googleing at times ( "but only to verify my answer" he says with tongue planted firmly in cheek), and that led me to this blog.

    The discussions are always interesting and I now read the blog daily, even if I have no questions on the puzzle, just to see what all of you have to say about it.

    Today was an easy stroll in the park, mostly. The only sticking point was 42A, which was clued as "Record needles" in my newspaper. That led to DIA (diamond record needle) although I knew the clue should have indicated an abbreviation. I knew 38D could not be MIIRE but did not know MOIRE Shearer. I finally changed the I to an O but still had no idea about DOA association to record needles until I came here and found that there was apparently an error in the clues in at least some print editions.

    All in all, an easy start to the week. I'm sure that will not last though.

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  17. Good morning all

    Argyle, thanks for a great write up. one of my favorite clues was Moira. I really like that movie. It's a little strange, but beautifully done.

    And of course i like the clue for DRAKE.

    Have a great day everyone and try to stay cool. This is one of the hottest summers here in a long time.

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  18. Nice and easy Monday. Though I also had to deal with 'record needles', and still don't understand the connection. Nor do I know the expression 'go live' in any sense other than 'get a life' if the 'i' is short, or to televise something without prerecording if the 'i' is long. Fortunately both 42A and 45D were solved by perps.

    I also had REC for REW until ANDREW appeared. The Tarzan clue made me guess with perp help too--who remembers how he talked? And in which version of the much redone story?

    The theme didn't occur to me until the unifier fell.

    Geneva is a very expensive town. In 1988 a city guide told our group that real estate cost about $1,000 per square meter. I hate to think what it is today! Even that would be about 1.1 million for a 100x100 foot lot.

    Thank you all again for the nice comments on the pix. I realize it went on a bit too long, but C.C. encouraged it when I suggested she edit a few out if she wanted to. However, I was amazed myself at what I was seeing in the NT and thought if I was amazed, I could certainly share it with others who would have even less chance of knowing what it's like. I'm glad you appreciated it all.

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  19. This was a nice Monday puzzle to start the day. Haven't been doing them in the am too much lately. A few unknowns, WERNHER and MOIRA being two of them, but doable with the perps. ME LIKE the answer for I approve the best of all.

    Given Dennis' "Did you know" I am wondering how many of us have appeared on TV? I have been on in the background, but never actually said anything.

    Dudley, have fun at Oshkosh. I went years ago, and they brought the Concorde in. You could pay to go on a little trip. We flew over Lake Michigan to exceed the speed of sound (is that what it is called?). That was uneventful compared to the low level fly by we did with crowds of people watching. It was super fun.

    Kazie, fabulous pics. Thanks for sharing.

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  20. Grumpy 1, welcome. It's a fun, eclectic group that C.C. has assembled.

    Kazie, forgot to mention how much I've been enjoying the pictures - I've long wanted to visit Australia & New Zealand, and the pictures have only strengthened that desire.

    crazyhorse, same here with the weather; we've been in at least the mid- to upper-90s for quite a while now, and it's only July. Several days have been over 100; might have to run to Boca to cool off.

    Boots, I'm with you regarding mental faculties - it's bad enough without someone adding to it.

    Dudley, I envy you. I've got to get to Oshkosh at least once, if only to gape at the sheer number of A/C. Hopefully you'll take pictures of some of the more unique stuff, so I don't have to wait three months for Flying magazine to cover it.

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  21. Good Morning all,

    Great write-up, Argyle. Thank you for clearing up the CARD SHARP answer. I knew that 44D was AMP, so I was confused. Pretty easy going for me. Only had to google 2 sets of answers. Not only am I not good at geography, but I suck at history as well. I had to look up the site of Napoleon's exile and didn't know how to end Les Etats-? I never heard of MOIRA Shearer before, nor Dame EDNA.

    The Times-Picayune (New Orleans LA) clued 42A as Record needles as well and I am stumped as to how that equates to DOA.

    Dennis - I too was thinking baseball for on deck. Interesting tidbit about ZZ Top.

    Kazie - I have thoroughly enjoyed the pictures from your trip and am sad to see them end. I especially enjoyed the animals this morning. As for the GO LIVE answer (with a long i sound), new computer programs are tested in a BETA form to work out all the kinks. Once that is done, they "GO LIVE" which means that a full version is available with (allegedly) no bugs.

    KQ - I have been on TV before. Once when I was little I was on The Buckskin Bill Show (a local kids' show in the Baton Rouge area), and another time I joined my son, the star of a commercial for a reading program that I think aired in Florida.


    Have a great day, everyone. I am off to the doctor to discuss the non-surgery from a week and a half ago. Wish me luck.

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  22. Vettedoe,
    Thanks for the 'go live' clarification, and good luck on that Dr. visit.

    I was on TV in Oz at the age of 11, quite a number of times. There were only a couple of channels in Sydney at that time, and one of them had a variety show for children, modeled on the Disney Mouseketeers show whatever that was called. But anyway, my dance class provided the group of dancers who entertained with a dance routine every week. We were called the "Channel Ninepins", a reference to the indoor bowling game of nine pins. Not that we looked like bowling pins, but since it was channel nine, I guess some smart alec came up with the name.

    Dudley,
    Enjoy your time at Oshkosh. It is a huge event for WI.

    ReplyDelete
  23. 42 across is "stylus" or "sty" for short. Not DOA. Why???

    ReplyDelete
  24. Good morning Argyle,C.C. and everyone.
    A Monday serving befitting the life
    of Riley. No major snags save for
    WERNHER and MOIRA but perps took care of them. An enjoyable solve to start the week.

    In PARTY LINE, one can LEARN PITY or PLAY INERT or even find a PANTY
    LINER.

    Have a good day everyone.

    August.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Argyle, C.C. & gang, the San Jose Mercury News also had the 42A misprint? Either that or you might consider 'Record Needles' as being obsolete and therefore DOA?

    I was stumped on that answer until I looked at the online puzzle which had the right clue.


    For Argyle, In your write up I think you meant prize not prise?

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  26. Very easy puzzle, although it took me an extra couple of minutes to think about 42A (DOA), which in the end I decided was unsolvable. An error? Glad I'm not the only one with that question. 15 minutes

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  27. Hi Argyle, C.C. and all:

    I also had 42A as Record Needles and at first I had DIA (for Diamond needles), but I knew MIIRA for Ballerina Shearer had to be wrong so changed it to MOIRA, only a guess. Must have been a mistake in the paper. I get the Charlotte Sun (Port Charlotte, FL)

    I also had Card Sharp, but wanted Card Shark; however, I didn't change it because I knew 44D Amp was correct. I actually never heard the term Card Sharp before.

    Have a great day everyone!

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  28. Thank you, Warren. I did indeed mean prize. Spell check won't fix a problem such as two legitimate words; that is what proof reading is for. I was just lazy and relied on the checker.

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  29. Al found this etymology for card sharp / card shark the last time it came up. It bears repeating.

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  30. Got tired of people calling me 'anonymous(ly)'...so have chosen a name somewhat at random.(below).

    60A ... Salaam ... peace in Arabic is like Shalom. But, whereas, shalom is a universal greeting, amongst equals in Israel, in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, salaam is often a form of salute, from a junior person ( officer ) to a senior or superior.

    Dame Edna Everage ( Barry Humphries ) is apparently a subtle, classy comedian ... remember him/her faintly ... lots of pics on youtube. I was thinking at first of Edna St. Vincent Millay ... but she was an american poet... and I guess you have to be a British subject ( citizen ) to get ( to use ... ) the rank, 'Dame'.


    To Kazie:

    Is 'Oz' an accepted nickname for Australia ? ... or did you concoct this yourself ? ... not that there is anything wrong with it ... just curious.

    In reference to something, somebody else said ... I think history will regard Gallipoli as one of the most expensive ( in men and materiel ... ) war campaigns in recent times ... where there was no clear objective or aim for the battle(s)....( like the Charge of the Light Brigade, near Balaclava ... for instance ). Too bad, the Aussies had to suffer such heavy casualties.

    Re: the 42 A .. Record Needles ... being the clue for 'DOA' .. which I got thru the perps ... if I could put in my 2 cents worth ... I wonder if it has something to do with Death on Arrival, by suicide through Overdose ... involving injection needles.


    Vidwan

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  31. Vidwan,
    your idea for DOA is a good one, though it is a bit obscure for a Monday.

    Oz is an accepted short form for what started as aussie, which was easily confused with what we call ourselves. They love to shorten everything. I think they like the double entendre with 'the wizard of Oz' too since Aussies think of Oz as the "Lucky Country", hence something akin to the hope and optimism inspired by the storyland Oz. Check under "geography" on the link for everything you ever might need to know about it.

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  32. Good morning all,

    Very fast c/w today.Did across for 1st 2 rows and then filled in the downs rather quickly. Don't think I would have thought of ginned without dad.Moira also came with perps.At 1st I thought there were lots of g's, but then saw the theme. Is shalom the same as salaam?

    Argyle, I always enjoy your history of the words. Cake walk was interesting.Had not heard of card sharp before, only card shark.

    Kazie, you did not have too many pictures. I looked forward to them every day, and it has also renewed our interest to visit Oz.

    The only birthday I could find of a well known person was..... George Hamilton.His tan doesn't stand out any more since everybody and their mother is sprayed before going on TV.

    Have a great day!

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  33. NY Post also had record needles....

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  34. Thanks Vidwan for shalom/salaam

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  35. On the television poll, when I did lots of trial work, I was on television news often, and national news a few times. I also was on some local cable shows talking about investments etc.

    My ex-wife was in a news segment about young people with skin cancer (which she had removed, and has been fine for 20 years).

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  36. Ditto on 42A. Got the fill but was totally stumped on how DOA was associated with "record needles."

    Have been on television twice that I am aware of. Once in a commercial at age of 10 and recently in a newscast.

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  37. I grew up in a puzzle doing, card playing family where gin was one of the many staples; cribbage, bridge, hearts. spades, poker, you name it, we probably played it. On a cruise with my ex, we played a lot of gin and beat the ship champions, but there is always luck in cards.

    I think CARD SHARP is where the expression SHARPIE comes from

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  38. Dennis - I guess you could stretch Dead or Alive into the clue answer, but in medical terms, DOA means "Dead on Arrival"

    Vettedoe - Thanks for the explanation of "Go Live".

    At Microsoft, when they "Go Live" with their software, in most cases it is already "DOA" !!

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  39. Hello everybody. Nice puzzle today: easy but fun and clever. I did put in CARDSHARK and then didn't know what an AMK is or how it could be a load for a roadie. Didn't get it until I came here and read your explanation.

    Dare I try to make a joke out of Ozzie mozzie? There once was a mozzie from Ozzie ...

    Naw.

    Best wishes to you all.

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  40. Jeremy here!

    First post, though I've thought about it so many times. On April 1st, I really wanted to comment as if I had been doing the Sudoku, and say things like "So what's up with the 5 in the upper-left-corner. Did NOT see that one coming!" (Along with some links to resources on the number 5.)

    OK, so not since the Charleston SC Post and Courier printed the "fonted clues" in Sunday's NYT in REGULAR type have I been so flummoxed, so I just had to sign in to give some ideas.

    I did some googling, and "DOA record needles" comes up with a confusing mishmash of hits. Apparently, techno band "DOA" has a song called "You Spin Me Round" that has the lyrics "Put your needle on it, spin me 'round like a record." Often times the song is called "Put your needle on the record."

    Other than those, the top hit is some site called "LA Times Crossword Corner." I didn't really bother to check it out...

    Yay, I posted!

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  41. Good day, Argyle and fellow solvers.

    What a nice cake walk this was and a great boost to my bruised ego from yesterday.

    Parties are always fun and it's a nice theme, too.

    L'OREAL is what I use, so that was easy. And I liked all the women's names: ROSA, MOIRA, SONJA, EVELYN (yes, I know he was male, but it's usually female).

    The AZ Republic also had 42A as record needles. It makes me wonder if there was originally another answer than DOA, although since record needles are no longer used, I suppose they are DOA, but that seems weak.

    I actually recall going to see the movie The Red Shoes although don't remember the name, MOIRA Shearer.

    Kazie, I'm really sorry your slide show has ended. I have enjoyed every bit of it. Today, the bridge made me gasp; it is so beautiful. Would you know who designed it? I suppose I can look it up.

    Have a lovely Monday, everyone!

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  42. I never watched "The Sopranos", but have seen Edie Falco in “Nurse Jackie” on Showtime. What a different persona in Argyle's photo!

    I was on the children’s show “Ricky and Copper” in PGH, PA when I was little. I have a photo of the hostess “interviewing” me. I have no recollection of what she asked though.

    Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan spoke very differently than Ron Ely's in the same series.

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  43. HeartRx, yeah, I knew what DOA meant, but it's the only tie-in I could find online; I still think it was an editing problem w/the papers.

    As to TV appearances, I was on a spelling bee on CBS back in the third grade, along with a dozen or so other kids; came in third, misspelling 'arithmetic' as 'arithmitic'. Got a set of encyclopedias and a hearty handshake.

    My company participated in quite a few of the local telethons on PBS in Philly, so there was a fair amount of face time there, as the cameras were always panning the 'operators'.

    And I used to go with my buddy who played for the Philadelphia Flyers, whenever he had appearances, so I was always getting "I saw you on TV" from coworkers. He always said he wanted me along because I made him look good by comparison.

    Vidwan, "somewhat at random"? What's behind the name?

    August, loved party line/panty liner. That one would make Jerome proud.

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  44. Hi gang,

    Monday, Monday - it was a good puzzle and some tricky clues/answers too. I really had trouble with 17A - I remember a game where the word 'knock' was used but cannot remember the name of it and don't think it was Gin. We didn't play much gin...I did drink some though :)

    I didn't know Moira Shearer or Andrew Lloyd Webber either.

    I am embarrassed to say that I thought 2D (Angus -) was a Scottish person's name and put in Dee. Oh well, that is why I love this blog, I learn something everyday :)

    Kazie, outstanding pictures! I am sorry to see them end, I looked forward to them. Thanks so much for sharing.

    CA: Hope you are back with us very soon, we miss you!!

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  45. There's a rap group called DOA. Rappers employ a type of scratching noise made by manually moving an LP back and forth in an oscillating motion against the stylus. That's the closest I can come to an explanation for needles and records...

    I also was on TV once, back in, oh, 1981 or so. I participated in a (at the time) local station's (WLUC-TV6) bowling tournament, and took first place, but through no fault of my own, I might add... I still have the trophy somewhere.

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  46. Dennis: I just lost my last post ... just as well .. saw your question ... I had to have a one word, 6 letter etc alias ... so with the limitations .. Vidwan means wise man in Sanskrit ... come to think of it ... VERY egotistical!*!

    You are doing a great job ... and CC and Argyle and all the others, you know who you are...

    Kazie: Thanks for the 'Oz' expln... love your pics... I have partly lost my eyesight, and use a special Mag glass ... but I caught 2 things ... Apples are not that expensive ...A$ 9.99/Kg (@2.2046 Kg/lb) =A$ 4.53/lb ( @ 0.8705 A$/US$ ) = US$ 3.94 /lb.... ok, maybe a tad bit more. You still have to factor in wage rates and Std of living... economists, I guess, would use Apples per average hourly wage.

    I see quinces in front foreground ... and ... on a sign partly hidden on RHS ..custard apples ( Chermoyas )?. My absolutely favorite fruit ...and at A$ 7.99, cheaper than apples.!

    Re: your native brush turkey in the first pic ... are they carrion eaters ? I ask because there is a theory that carrion eating birds like vultures, buzzards, condors and the like have developed bald heads as an evolutionary mechanism to deter the growth of bacteria, like E. Coli, on their head,... from the infected meat that they come into contact with...

    Thanks, Vidwan

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  47. For those of you living in south Florida, I offer this from my favorite columnist, Dave Barry.

    Jeremy McLellan, welcome, and congratulations on a successful post. Keep 'em coming.

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  48. KQ - Wow, you took one of the Concorde trips? I am sooo envious! I was at AirVenture that year, but couldn't swing the ticket price. I wish I had tried a little harder.

    Kazie - I have read some reports of the economic boost to Wisconsin, and conclude it's in the Zillion-dollar range. I'll have lots of pictures, but they won't captivate as yours have done. Thanks for passing 'em around!

    Dennis - You're right, you must experience it yourself at least once! The fellowship is grand - you can turn to any stranger at a picnic table and find conversation. The grounds are clean. The international attendance is impressive - time was when a chartered QUANTAS freighter would drop in, loaded up with display aircraft all the way from Oz!

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  49. Vidwan,

    With your acute perception on the price of apples in A$ / kg vs US $ / Lb, I'd say you chose your name appropriately ;-D

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  50. No one remembers the song by Bloodrock entitled DOA that I linked earlier?

    Today's constructor is from South Africa. Maybe DOA has something to do with record needles there. Did anyone have it clues the way Argyle noted in his commentary?

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  51. Forgot to put in a TV appearances comment: I've just managed two - one while manning a telephone during a PBS pledge period, and another for a news interview for work I had done on a Shuttle launch.

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  52. Philadelphia Inquirer has it clued correctly, as '1988 film noir remake'. The other one's simply an error.

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  53. Houston Chronicle has 42a as record needles as well.

    Greta blog!

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  54. dedicated to CA et al,

    What Would Life Be
    by Scott Wheeler, Sr

    What would life be with out friends like thee
    I'll tell you, like no longer being free.
    Imagine what life would be so sad and blue
    To go through life without that special you.
    And I know we live so far away
    Through the internet we are like castaways
    Never get to touch or hug you for this I only pray
    For some day I hope we can meet
    To hug and laugh and dance to the beat
    I know this would be a treat
    For now this is all I see
    Is my good friend here with me
    Just think what life would be
    Without friends like thee

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  55. Anon@12:52, I swear, for a minute I thought your name was Greta Blog.

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  56. Well I figure they have shown pictures from the Space Shuttle looking back towards earth.
    Sooo maybe we've all been on TV.

    After I left Zagreb about 4 years ago the only time I've worn a necktie was to a funeral.
    Little known fact, the CRAVAT (necktie) evolved from 17th Century Croatia.
    They didn't like it when I wore my Beatles "Back in the USSR" tie.

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  57. Dear HeartRx: Thank you for your kind words. A response to a posting is the greatest form of flattery... I'll confess to that.

    I have waited long enough, but apparently nobody realized my conversion factors for the weights and currencies were reversed...
    For the record, it is 2.2046 lb per Kg. and 0.8705 US $ per Aus $.
    The calculations, as to the price of apples, however, were correct.

    FOD - Fact of the day .... what is heavier ?... an ounce of sugar or an ounce of gold ? ... and what about a pound of sugar versus a pound of gold ?

    Sugar is weighed in the avoirdupois system so an ounce is 28.3495 grams ... Gold is in Troy weight, so an ounce is 31.1035 grams... but only 12 Troy ounces make a Troy pound.

    So a pound of sugar is 453.59 grams and a pound of gold is 373.24 grams... soooo, .... an ounce of gold is heavier than an ounce of sugar, BUT a pound of gold is lighter than a pound of sugar..... go figure.

    A gram is still a gram is still a gram.

    Only 3 countries, around the world use the foot-pound system ... Burundi, Burma (now Myanmar ) and the good ole USA. Why ? ... partly a rhetorical question.

    Dennis, please forgive my multiple posts, this once,

    Vidwan

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  58. The Tarzan-speak movie version really irks me, and it shows that Hollywood script writers and producers never actually read the books that movies are "made" from. Having read all 24 of the ERB series in my youth, I know for a fact that Tarzan would never have spoken that way. He learned to read English all by himself but never knew how to speak any human language until a Frenchman that got stuck in the jungle (and who became one of his closest friends) taught him first to speak French, and a very cultured form of it at that. This all happened before he ever met Jane Porter.

    Here's an excerpt from Tarzan of the Apes:

    Gradually he became accustomed to the strange noises and the odd ways of civilization, so that presently none might know that two short months before, this handsome Frenchman in immaculate white ducks, who laughed and chatted with the gayest of them, had been swinging naked through primeval forests to pounce upon some unwary victim, which, raw, was to fill his savage belly.

    The knife and fork, so contemptuously flung aside a month before, Tarzan now manipulated as exquisitely as did the polished D'Arnot.

    So apt a pupil had he been that the young Frenchman had labored assiduously to make of Tarzan of the Apes a polished gentleman in so far as nicety of manners and speech were concerned.

    "God made you a gentleman at heart, my friend," D'Arnot had said; "but we want His works to show upon the exterior also."

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  59. Hello All--A great Monday puzzle. Not too easy, not too hard, but with some fresh clues. Deck Marker was a favorite today, as well as Donald Duck, eg.

    I didn't remember how to spell Wernher or Sonja, but both were filled in with the perps.

    Did anyone notice that both Mother's Day and Father's Day were clued today?

    The Record Needles problem appeared in our paper as well. I was hoping to have DOA explained when I came to the Blog, but it is still a mystery. An error it must be.

    Dudley, My BIL has been to the Wisconsin Fly-in many, many times. He and a friend fly in and stay with the same family every year. They really look forward to the trip.

    I've also had my TV debut on our local PBS station as a pledge night volunteer. Nothing like having your image on TV with a phone stuck to your ear!

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  60. If Terrajo is reading the blog, I'd like to mention that the zucchini is in season again. I'm making the Zucchini Chocolate Cake today. The recipe was on the Blog last year and is one of the best cakes I've made in a long time--easy too.

    Evelyn, Joyce, Jean and Francis are all men's names as well as Women's names. Francis has a different spelling, but the others do not. Just a bit of trivia for today. While I was in college the pastor of our church was named Joyce.

    Welcome Jeremy. Your post came through loud and clear.

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  61. There is no doubt that the clue "Record Needles" for DOA is an error. Someone preparing today's puzzle for syndication realized too late that they were out of coffee.

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  62. Our paper, the Utica Observer Dispatch had for 42A - 'Record needles'. Since I solved on-line before the paper came, it didn't affect the outcome.

    @ Vidwam - Welcome. Re: Quince. My favorite jelly. Not easy to get here.

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  63. Chickie,

    ( the late) Cecil Woodham-Smith, author of 'The reason Why/The story of the fatal charge of the Light Brigade' ... was a woman, and a CBE, a 'Dame' of the British empire.Also author of the highly regarded 'The Great Hunger' and 'Queen Victoria'.

    Lauren Ostrow, a man, was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

    In France, names are so unisexual, you often cannot guess at the gender of the person , unless you have a certificate from her gynecologist/his urologist.

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  64. Vidwan,

    My bad...I should have caught the conversions ! I am used to doing kg to lb, as I export medical products to Europe in Kg and always have to do this conversion. I knew the number "2.2046" automatically, but didn't notice you had kg and lb reversed. I also have to convert Euros to USD all the time, but I confess I didn't bother to go online to look up the Aus $ conversion and took your post at face value. But it's Monday and my brain isn't in gear yet.

    For your next post, I did go online to check your explanation of apothecary vs troy ounces and pounds, and can verify to all that this time you are indeed correct !

    And that's about all my brain can stand for one day...hope it's recovered in time for tomorrow's x-word !!

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  65. Jayce,
    I think you were onto something there--i just wish there weren't so many mozzies around here!

    Lucina,
    Here is the info you need, but I didn't see a name of the designer, only the company that built it. Lots of photos though.

    Vidwan,
    Good math info. Yes, kilos to pounds is a bit inflating, but things are still expensive.

    I don't know about the brush turkeys in the wild, but this one eats fruit and seeds. One site I found says they also eat insects.

    Kookaburras do eat meat though. You can feed them steak if you can afford it!

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  66. Hi gang -

    Well, happy birthday to someone - we just don't know who.

    Nice puzzle, and it took me 13 minutes (!?!) That's above avg. Wednesday time for me. It's also the first of Gareth's puzzles to be blogged by anyone other than I, since I started my occasional gigs here last Sept.

    Jeremy - welcome. Judging from your first post, you have a somewhat askew sense of humor. You'll fit right in here, brother.

    That picture of HALLE suggests she'll never SAG. More of those helium filled balloons?

    Since this was no CAKE WALK today, and I seem to be devoid of wit, I'll ust leave you with something ME LIKE.

    Cheers!
    JzB Ye OLDE trombonist

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  67. @Kazie, about mozzies, all you need is to set up one of these lasers. And here everyone thought Reagan's SDI program was just a big waste of money...

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  68. Re: party line/panty liner

    Am I missing somethinng? Is'nnt there ann extra "n" inn there somewhere?

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  69. Thank you, Kazie. It seems that 34 University of Sydney students collaborated in the design, at least from what I could find. It's breathtaking.

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  70. Okay okay, I can't stop myself:

    There once was a mozzie from Ozzie,
    Who's outlook, not neggie, was pozzie.
    His proboscis was ruthless
    Yet entirely toothless.
    So happily he had no need to flozzie.

    (I promise I will only do that ever again once or maybe twice.)

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  71. The Colorado Springs Gazette had 42A as RECORD NEEDLES.

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  72. Speaking of all the comments on record needles and DOA's ... illustrates the old adage ( er, saw )

    Nothing has more lives than a mistake which is too late to correct.

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  73. JD: Very nice poem for CA....she will love it!

    Chickie: My name is also a man's name as is Leslie and Gail (Gale). I am sure there are more.

    Dennis: Thanks for the Dave Barry link, he is my favorite too..our newspaper (if you can call it that) doesn't carry his column any longer.

    Lois, how's the foot???? Hope you are doing well.

    Welcome to all the new people, seems we get more each day, and that is good!

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  74. Good Day I say to C.C., Argyle and folk,

    42a-haven't seen the movie, but DOA, dead on arrival (at the hospital,) my mother was a nurse and she remarked this from time to time.
    Hope all is well in LATCWC.

    I'm out for now.

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  75. JzB, I enjoyed the link. That is fun music. My brother-in-law has a dixieland band and plays slap bass.

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  76. Kazie and HeartRx - My pleasure. I once worked for a company that was testing new software. My first assignment was to read the manual(s): a whole shelf of white binders in which every possible click of every possible option was described. If I ever get insomnia, I will ask to borrow it (them). That said, when we rolled it out to our clients, they would call me with any problems they were having and I could usually step them through the solution over the phone.

    HeartRX - Love the comment about software being DOA!

    Jeremy - You are definitely going to fit right in!

    JD - Lovely poem.

    Vidwan - Interesting FOD.

    Al - I sooo want one of those lasers! If there is a mosquito within a mile of me, it will find me.

    Doctor visit went well. I have another a week from Thursday. Hopefully we will figure this all out.

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  77. Al, I want one of those lasers, too!

    vettedoe:
    Are you type O blood? I am and have learned that mosquitoes are drawn to type O. In a large crowd I am usually the only one found and bitten by them.

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  78. Oh, interchangeable names: I have known Kim, Tracy, and Stacy in both genders.

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  79. Anonymous @ 3:14pm
    Mea culpa. That should have read
    Panty Lier. Thank you for pointing that out.

    August

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  80. JzB;

    You look just like Gary McCord, hmmm

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  81. Lucina - not sure, but I don't think that I am O blood. My Mom has the same problem. We sit on the back porch and she and I are swatting away at the bugs and everyone else is looking at us like we're nuts.

    August - panty lier is even funnier!

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  82. Good night, all.

    The Dave Barry piece is wonderful, Dennis. Thanks.

    I had a TV program that ran for 15 episodes. Are you ready? It was "Modern Math" for 3rd graders in the mid-sixties. Used my own two sons and neighborhood kids frequently. It was shown in all parts of NY State. I made less than then minimum wage and was still teaching at the time. It took up all day of 15 Saturdays to produce 30 minute segments.

    Cheers

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  83. We used to have a serious mosquito problem in the evening due to a bog on some unused school property. One would get in the house and I would get attacked in bed at night by that high-pitched bzzzz. Once they filled up that bog, no more problems. The mosquitoes would bother me, not my wife. I am A+ blood type. I think it might have more to do with body temperature or odor or something else. I don't see how an external mosquito could have any way to determine blood type.

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  84. Lucina and Vettedoe,
    I'm one of the mozzies' favorite targets too, and I am type O blood.

    Al,
    That laser sure would be good to have, but I'm curious about how it could work if the beam is bounced off a fence post, wouldn't it only affect that one altitude level? What about the areas above and below? They'd still get in, wouldn't they?

    Other bisexual names are Marion, Dominique and Vern(e). In Germany there are rules about making sure you name your kids something that can't be misconstrued. there has to be a difference in spelling for each gender.

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  85. Here's the fleshed-out article of the photonic fence prototype. In the picture there's no protection at the top because they claim mosquitoes don't fly very high. The article starts by talking about Malaria, then gets to the laser a little ways down. Kind of long, but just in case you're interested enough to read it.

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  86. I know it is late, but I wanted to welcome Vidwan. I enjoyed your posts today. Very informative and well done.

    JD, I loved the poem today! Thanks from all of us here on the blog.

    Also, Jazz, your avatar is awesome. I love it. It fits!

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  87. 16a. Ren and Stimpy
    The Ren and Stimpy Show Also A Nickelodian cartoon...I liked it because Ren was a sociopathic Chihuahua. Kind of like my "Tia Maria."

    62d. MGS, Peter is restoring a '61 MGA 1600. Right now, he's working on the engine rebuild. He goes to antique auto restoration classes every summer, (McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas.) This year was the engine rebuild class. He's very motivated as I had a garage built for him to house his restoration tools, machines, body, parts, chassis, engine...all matter of thing in baggies, marked, labeled...diagrams, a quite awesome operation! While I don't have a photo of his work in progress on this computer, I've found this picture; an image of what Peter is aiming for.

    @BillG. Peter showed interest in your avatar...loves that model!(pholbrook@kitchell.com if you'd like to touch base.)Though he is reserved, I know he'll be interested in the British Sport Car realm.
    ...he is still debating his color choices.
    '61 MGA1600

    12d. melike This came together before I read the clue and I looked at it thinking, one word, short e, what in the world is a melike??? or phoenetically...muleekay??? maybe a pronoun for an African NBA player? Way to much thinking on my part.

    25d. L'Oreal-IMHO, some of the most beautiful color pigment mixtures in the world! I had the opportunity of using L'Oreal oil-based printing ink during a block printing workshop I took in college. ('74) The instructor had studied in Paris and used this paint and it was magnificent in it's texture, like butter!, it's bold color...I could go on.
    37d. Galsworthy's, "The Forsyte Saga"...a favorite for me! Our small town library didn't have all the volumes so I felt lucky when a librarian from Brooklyn, CT, one of our neighboring towns, shared their copies with me. That was before the ease of Amazon.com came along (around...1971-2)

    My 15 minutes:

    My son and I were filmed at Universal Studios, for a game show called "What Would You Do?" It was on Nickelodeon, The Children's Cable Network.
    My son was about 8 years old and was crazy about that show and "Double Dare which was very popular. We went to the park in Orlando, FL and managed to do an audition. It went well. Calder and I did a little Elmer Fudd/Bugs Bunny impersonation. I put a cream pie in Calder's face. When I thought the filming was over, I said oh, son, I'm so sorry...I was hugging him. It was played with the opening or ending credits. My students were quite intimidated, they'd say, Mrs. Holbrook, was that you who put a pie in your own kid's face? It was awkward, though my students had a new found respect for my authority. Every day our film clip played like clock work during the seasons and later in reruns which probably still play to this day. Oh, why did I ever sign our royalty rights away?
    What Would You Do?
    It was a really hot, humid August day in Orlando, as time went on the cream from the pie developed a spoiled/sour kind of smell. You know, cloying. I assert it was well worth it! That kind of boy/ mom bonding is priceless!

    2:28 AM
    I'm Out.

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