google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, February 21, 2011 Angela Olson Halsted and Doug Peterson

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Feb 21, 2011

Monday, February 21, 2011 Angela Olson Halsted and Doug Peterson

Theme: For Petes' Sake The first word of the three longest entries is the last name of three persons having the same first name which is revealed in the last Across word.

17A. Legendary spring that creates spring chickens?: FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. Pete Fountain is a famous clarinetist. He was once fired by Lawrence Welk for "jazzing up" a Christmas number on the show.

38A. Grammy revoked from Milli Vanilli: BEST NEW ARTIST. Pete Best is best known as the original drummer in The Beatles.

60A. Portland Trail Blazers' home: ROSE GARDEN ARENA. Pete Rose, nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager.

71A. Name that can precede the first word of 17-, 38- or 60-Across: PETE

Argyle here, older but no wiser. And what's with hitting me with 1A. Grew older: AGED first thing? Seriously though, thank you for all the birthday greetings.

Across:

5. American __: Pacific territory : SAMOA

10. Employee protection org. : OSHA. Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

14. Chore list heading : TO DO

15. Old Geo model : PRIZM. The Geo/Chevrolet Prizm (Chevrolet Prizm starting 1998) was a US market entry-level compact car from 1989 through 2002. All were made at New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, CA, a joint venture plant between Toyota and General Motors. The plant is now owned by Tesla Motors, the electric vehicle people.

16. Carrot or turnip : ROOT. Vegetable.

20. Garment border : HEM

21. "I'll treat!" : "ON ME!"

22. Three, in Turin : TRE. Italian(Remember, it could have been clued, in Torino, Italian for Turin.)

23. College concentration : MAJOR. Less concentration, 7D. 23-Across opposite : MINOR.

26. Pungent salad green : CRESS

27. Mighty long time : EON

28. Stat for Mariano Rivera : ERA. Yankee pitcher, career ERA 2.23(Earned Run Average).

29. CEO's degree : MBA

31. Ford classics : T-BIRDS. Thunderbirds are called T-birds so much, I guess indicating a shortened version of the name isn't necessary.

33. Carvey of "Wayne's World" : DANA. Originally a SNL sketch, it became a movie.

35. Karaoke singer, usually : AMATEUR

42. Polite "Ready to go?" : "SHALL WE?"

43. Linger in the tub : SOAK

45. Start to melt : SOFTEN. That is REALLY staying in the tub too long.

48. Bordeaux brush-off : NON. In France.

50. Paranormal showman Geller : URI

51. "Fresh Air" airer : NPR. National Public Radio.

52. Rear end : FANNY

55. Political aficionado's station : C-SPAN

57. Absorbed, as a cost : ATE

58. Circular cookie : OREO

59. Stable tidbit : OAT

66. Good fortune : LUCK

67. Cursor controller : MOUSE

68. Diabolical : EVIL

69. Fawn's father : STAG

70. Campfire remains : ASHES

Down:

1. DOJ division : ATF. Department of Justice / Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (and Explosives).

2. Bit of baby babble : GOO

3. Academic URL ender : EDU

4. Hawaiian who sang "Pearly Shells" : DON HO. But more famous for "Tiny Bubbles".

5. Inbox junk : SPAM

6. Magnate Onassis : ARI

8. Atmospheric layer : OZONE

9. Car sound system : AM/FM STEREO

10. El Dorado gold : ORO. Now some Spanish.

11. Justice replaced by Sotomayor : SOUTER. David H. Souter, replaced by Sonia Sotomayor on the Supreme Court.

12. Souped-up ride : HOT ROD

13. Aegean capital : ATHENS. A capital city on the Aegean Sea.

18. Time in office : TERM

19. "I agree, however ..." : "YES, BUT..."

23. __ school : MED. Another case of accepted use of the shortened form(of medical) as a word on its own.

24. Part of U.A.E. : ARAB. United Arab Emirates, usually abbreviated just UAE.

25. Dick's storybook partner : JANE

26. Caravan creature : CAMEL

30. Girl group with the 1986 #1 hit "Venus" : BANANARAMA.
Live(3:04) You are welcome to skip this but it is great kitsch.

32. Spring blossom : IRIS

34. Admin. aide : ASST.

36. Pointy tool : AWL

37. Like a lion's coat : TAWNY. Wait for it.

39. It "comes on little cat feet," in a Sandburg poem : THE FOG.

FOG

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

I always wonder if this had been written by a first year English major, what grade would it have received?

40. Campbell's product : SOUP

41. Fictional plantation : TARA. From "Gone With the Wind".

44. Reunion group : KIN. Family, not class.

45. Entangles : SNARLS

46. Decline to participate : OPT OUT

47. Grapefruit-flavored diet drink : FRESCA

49. Academic sports org. : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

53. Detective Wolfe and an emperor : NEROs

54. "Obviously!" : "NO DUH!"

56. Throat bacteria : STREP

59. Tip jar bills : ONES

61. Heart test letters : EKG. Electrocardiogram.

62. Suffix with Canton : ESE

63. Anticipatory time : EVE

64. Trivial point : NIT

65. Drink by a dartboard : ALE

Answer grid.

Argyle

86 comments:

Lemonade714 said...

Happy Monday all:

Argyle I am sorry to wake you after your birthday, but here we are.

Well we have collaboration between Puzzle Girl and our old friend Doug Peterson, and the result was my fastest solve since my vision problems, began. I guess I could have done this with my eyes closed. The theme did not reveal until the reveal, (actually I did not see 71A, having filled in the corner with the downs, and when I had finished with no clue as to a theme, I read all the clues) and honestly it did not sparkle for me, but I never get the unrelated connector themes. I did not know CRESS as a word without an attached specific (WATER CRESS, GARDEN CRESS) but that did not slow me down. THE FOG, BANARAMA, SHALL WE, NO DUH and YES BUT were cute, and fresh. Great week all.

Dennis said...

Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and gang - today's turned into one of my fastest solves ever. I didn't track the exact time, but it was literally as fast as I could write, and was somewhere in the high-three-minute area. I don't think I could do one faster, and I'm amazed at those who are in the two-minute range.

Simple, simple Monday puzzle; all the theme answers came easily as well, but it took 'Pete' for me to see the connection. Nothing else really comment-worthy. Argyle, nice job with the blog. I thought of you too with 1A; good timing.

Today, in addition to Presidents' Day, is Card Reading Day.
Did You Know?:

- New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote, in 1890.

- Christianity has more than a billion followers. Islam is next in representation, with half this number.

- The first telephone book ever issued contained only fifty names. It was published in New Haven, Connecticut, by the New Haven District Telephone Company, in February 1878.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Relatively inoffensive puzzle today. Not quite as easy for me as it was for Dennis, though. I had METRO instead of PRIZM up top and had no idea about ROSE GARDEN AREANA, both of which needed all the perps to unravel and which slowed me down a bit as a result.

The theme didn't do much for me, but that's OK since I didn't even see it until after I finished. And I thought that "circular cookie" was horribly vague for OREO. But, on the other hand, I really liked NO DUH.

Oh -- off the initial M from MAJOR, I originally put in MBA for 23D. I quickly removed it when the rest of the poerps didn't work, but I was then surprised to later see MBA as the answer 29A. Strange how that happens sometimes, eh?

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Argyle and friends. I'd say you are still quite wise, Argyle!

This was a pretty easy solve. I had to go back and match some of the fills to the clues, as they'd been filled in without reading the clue. The theme, however, left me wanting.

BANANARAMA was a fun band, so it was nice to see them "honored."

I listen to NPR on my iPod. Did anyone listen to Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me! this weekend. A great joke about Watson and Jeopardy.

QOD: Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of. ~ Bill Moyers

creature said...

Good Morning C.C.,Argyle and all,

Argyle, your write-up was the best thing this morning. Thanks for
THE FOG- just right.{ And I was planning on asking CA for one of her spectacular choices, today, to help settle the natives!}

I thought the puzzle was fresh for a Monday. I don't know the
Bananaramas,so a brief look at the link famiarized me with them.
Super reflex on 45A-LOL!

Dennis, I am amazed at your speed.
I can't remember if you use pen and paper or online. Of course, I've slowed down, cause I'm not rushing anywhere. Still, I'm the turtle {an old turtle}.

CA, I've really missed the soothing
reflection your poetry brings. I'll try to avoid my old reveries,LOL.

Have a nice day everyone.

Dennis said...

creature, yes, pen and paper.

I enjoy the puzzles, so I really don't start with the intention of a speed run, but once it's apparent that it's an easy one, I find myself seeing how fast I can do it. Not a good thing, just something that happens. You'd think this competitive crap would go away at a certain age, but evidently not, even with myself.

Argyle said...

I found this good clip of Pete Fountain on Lawrence Welk playing Tiger Rag.(2:03) Shows what he can do.

Tinbeni said...

Argyle, Happy Birthday !!!
Though I would never call you AGED.

Thanks for the PETE Best clip.
BANANARAMA was also a hoot.

T-BIRDS crossing HOT-ROD were my fave.

Like Dennis said, as fast as I could write.

Nevertheless, a FUN Monday.

On a sad note: Gal-Pal's brother lost his 13 year fight with leukemia on Saturday night.

Tears ...

Splynter said...

Hi All ~!

Not a speed run for me, slowed down by having just woke up - I got the day off, and boy am I glad I did ~! About 2" of snow here....

I had METRO, too, ROOT and CRESS eluded me; NPR and CSPAN not on my radar.

I know PETE BEST, and PETE ROSE; Mr. Fountain is new to me - thanks for the link to Tiger Rag.

I think of the horror flick "The Fog", and Mel Torme, the "Velvet Fog", this version of "The Fog" does seem a little flaky to me, too - I give it a B-MINOR, uh, Minus....

NO DUH, that's funny ~!

Splynter

Unknown said...

Happy Monday everyone!
Today's puzzle was easy even for me.
We are celebrating in NC this week. Our beautiful Brazilian daughter-in-law becomes a United States citizen at high noon tomorrow! What a fitting way to honor Presidents' Day/Week. I've bought lots of red, white and blue, stuff (not easy to find in Feb.) for the occasion. We will all be wearing r, w, and b silk flower leis and Uncle Sam hats.
Corny? You bet! I may even sing "Proud to be an American", by Lee Greenwood, since hearing it always makes me cry!
Happy Presidents' Day!

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

I agree with the previous posters about today's solve being a speed run, but I decided to increase the difficulty factor by screwing up the South. The across clues weren't registering, couldn't remember Portland's arena, so I attacked the perps. I had gnarls instead of snarls for 45D and sit out instead of opt out for 46D. Oh well, a brand new eraser was broken in.

Argyle, thank you for your stellar effort and Happy Birthday. Tinbeni, sorry about your friends loss. Give her lots of hugs.

Have a pleasant Presidents Day everyone.

Dennis said...

Tinbeni, my sympathy to you and your girl on her loss. He must've been one hell of a fighter.

Mom speaks out, congratulations to you and your d-i-l. You'll love the ceremony (right, C.C.?), and hopefully you'll have pictures to share with us.

And who can't get excited about a red, white and blue lei??

Abejo said...

Good Morning, folks! Thanks for the puzzle Angela and Doug. It was a good start to the week. I am happy when things go smoothly. Thank you, birthday boy Argyle, for your write-up. Enjoyed the Pete Fountain clip. Of course I could not hear it since we do not have sound cards at work. May listen to it tonight at home, though.

Puzzle went quickly. My only write-over was 69A. I had BUCK instead of STAG. All else was easy, with a few perps.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

HeartRx said...

Good Morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

Thanks for the great write-up, Santa. You are age-less to me, and you must have found the 17A! I loved the “bonus” link to Pete Fountain – what an artist!

This was an easy-peasy Monday breezy puzzle. I really tried to grok the theme before getting to the unifier, but it totally eluded me until I filled in PETE. AHA! Simple, yet elegant puzzle.

Interestingly, I didn’t even see one of my signature sayings at 54D NO, DUH …duh, until I read your post!

I needed THE FOG to get the ROSE GARDEN ARENA going. Immediately thought of the Carl Sandberg poem, as it was a staple in our HS English Lit. class. For all my other comments, see above.

Tinbeni, so sorry to hear about your friend’s loss. Have an extra special toast at sunset in his honor.

Dennis, “Card Reading Day”? OK, so my big adventure today is to go down to the Hallmark store and stand around reading kitschy schlock? Oy vey!

Happy Monday, everyone.

MH said...

OK, pretty easy but not as easy as some Mondays for me. I didn't get the theme until I looked here because PETE got filled in by the verticals. Still wouldn't have known or remembered Pete Best. Thanks for the excellent write-up! We finally had a sunny (partially) day yesterday after a week of rain. I know - not as bad as some parts of the country but we're spoiled out here in CA.

Grumpy 1 said...

Good Morning Monday gang. Nice links and write up Argyle, AGED for an EON plus one EVE. Are you entering a new ERA? Or do you have better things TO DO?

Tinbeni, my condolences to you and Gal Pal.

This was a pretty quick solve until I got down to the SE corner. I had all the downs except 'Anticipatory time', ARENA was in place so I put in ETA. Then I read the unifier clue and knew that had to be PETE. OK, what the heck is ETE? I stared at it for a long time before I finally realized I hadn't even looked at the clue for 68a. DUH! Christmas EVE! Another shoutout to our Santa.

Mom Speaks Out, congratulations to our new citizen.

I think I'll find something else TO DO besides reading cards.

daffy dill said...

Happy President's Day to one and all.

Easy Monday! It almost filled itself automatically. However - there really was a girl group called BANANARAMA? Who'd a thunk it? PETE Fountain and PETE Rose I knew, but not PETE Best. Aren't most cookies circular? At least the kind you eat.

Tinbeni, sorry to hear about your friend's brother. Condolences offered.

Congratulations to you and your DIL, Momspeaksout.

VTQUILTMOM said...

Happy Monday and Presidents' Day!

Thanks for the excellent write-up, Argyle.

I love Mondays since it's always an easy solve and builds that confidence for the remainder of the week. Didn't catch the theme until I filled in Pete. Did need a few perps in order to solve but done in under 15 mins. I don't think I'll ever reach Dennis' speed!! I'm just not awake enough when I start out.

@Mom speaks out - Congrats to your D-I-L. Sounds like you have a wonderful celebration planned.

@Tinbeni - so sorry to hear of your friend's loss. My thoughts are with you all.

Argyle said...

daffy dill said@8:46 AM

Aren't most cookies circular?

As the resident cookie expert, there are many cookie shapes, such as these and my personal favorite, these.

Santa

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday (again) Argyle - another year, another dollar. Very Nice Blog - really enjoyed it - also loved your link to the Tiger rag - Boy, that guy can PLAY !!!

..... Very Nice puzzle - had a lot of fun - PG huh ? - I knew I had heard of her name 'somewhere'. Thank you PG and Doug !!!! Was 'Halsted' a name of a famous clothing designer ? - maybe he designed the halter top ?

This year, we have 4 unusual dates 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11. *** Now, if you take the last 2 digits of the year you were born in, plus the age you will be this year, the total will equal 111.

** unless, you take a certain ASCAP lawyer, from Florida who was born in 1899, or earlier ... (lol)- just kidding, we love you lemonade.

carol said...

Hi all -
Not as fast as Dennis, can't make my eyes connect with my hand to go that fast...I'd love to watch him. (do the puzzle!)

I read 59A as 'STALE tidbit' so I put ORT in...messed that area up.

60A was a big gimmie; it's right here in my home town!

Never heard of NPR or BANANARAMA.

54D I have just heard DUH in that context...No duh sounds odd.

Argyle, Happy Birthday. Can't have too many if you celebrate correctly and I know you will. Eat the Santa cookies too :)

Tinbeni, I am sorry about your friend's brother, losing such a long fight is so difficult. Hugs.

Mom Speaks, congratulations to your D-I-L.

Husker Gary said...

Greetings from very chilly Lincoln, NE! Babysitting duties today!

Musings
-Hard to do at 70 mph but nice puzzle
-Dennis, with the possibility of false starts, 3 minutes seems impossible to incompetent me! SITOUT/OPTOUT, OSHA/EEOC, OAT/HAY. I salute you!
-A college MINOR is not the opposite of a MAJOR!
-Competitive grandson does not like to go bowling without grandma and 5 year old sister going along because he can beat them
-Sorry Tin, cancer has been an unwelcome visitor here for the last year
-Pete Best, I should have bought Apple stock 25 years ago!
-NPR and NEA are on the cusp in this financial atmosphere! Fortunately in the year 2011 we have the web, iTunes, Sirius, Cable TV channels, etc to compensate. You can use your donations to get anything you want, anytime you want!
-Tawny? Wonderful movie career. Never saw that name on a child in 42 years!

Anonymous said...

It cracks me up to read all the "racer's" claims to how fast they can solve a puzzle. Who really gives a rat's patoot?! Before you know it someone will claim to do it in "no time flat!"
What's the hurry? Who are you trying to impress? Are their style points for doing it under five minutes? There are enough "dead"lines in life without worrying about something that's supposed to be fun and relaxing!
Oh well...hand me that stopwatch for a second!! On your marks, Set......BANG!!!!

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, not as easy as for some. I got caught on BANANARAMA. I thought their song was "She's Got It". The only name that came to mind with "Venus" was Frankie Avalon, 1959's total dreamboat.

I also wanted SPRITE for 47D and BUCK for 69A.

I've never heard of the 51A/NPR show "Fresh Air". We used to listen to a lot of show when we lived in "civilization", but radio signals around here are spotty at best.

EDU, ARI, ORO, ERA, URI, ATE, ESE, EVE and ALE....lot of three letter vowel/consonant/vowel words, as well as ON ME and OREO, four letter vowel starters and enders.

Learning moment was finding out there is more than one type of CRESS. Watercress was the only one I knew.

Sad news, Tinbeni, I was sorry to hear about your friend's loss.

Creature, I'm looking for a poem.

Dennis said...

anon@10:27, hopefully you can follow this: my second post, where I said, "It's not a good thing"? If you really try to think about that statement, really try, you might be able to discern that I don't think it's a good thing. Just the way I'm wired, I guess, and for me, it's always 'fun and relaxing' to do any puzzle. So don't worry your vacant little head that I'm not enjoying it.

Do feel free to go hide in the corner again.

Anonymous said...

No need to hide from you Dennis. Just doing in a blog what a blog is for....making comments. Why do you have to name call? My head is no more "vacant" than yours!! We are all supposed to be adults here and you sure don't impress me that way now! Go back to your "crossword Cliquers"

eddyB said...

Hi.

As said, As fast as I could write.
Congrats Puzzle Girl. Nice little Monday puzzle.

Tin. Sorry to hear the news.

The 500 had a little bit of every thing including a 20yo rookie winning.

Yep, 111.

Take care.

thehondohurricane said...

Dennis,

Well said.

Dennis said...

My head is no more "vacant" than yours!!

Then you certainly have my empathy.

mtnest995 said...

Enjoyable speed run for me. (Didn't time it though - never do).

I have to agree with Husker Gary - a college minor is not the opposite of a major.

Tinbeni, sorry about your friends loss. Will toast you all at sunset ( a bit later on the west coast).

Great job Argyle. Thank you.

Cheers for a great week, everyone.

Lucina said...

Good day, Puzzlers! Argyle, apparently I missed your birthday as I was in San Diego, so I now offer belated Happy, Happy birthday wishes!

I definitely sashayed through this onewith so many musicians: DONHO, PETEFOUNTAIN, PETEBEST,(don't recall him) BANANARAMA, a supreme court judge, SOUTER and childhood book friend, JANE.

Nicely done Angela and Doug.

Tinbeni:
I'm so sorry about your friend's brother.

MSO:
Congratulations to your D-I-L. That is reason to celebrate!

Have a lovely holiday Monday, everyone!

JD said...

Good morning Argyle and all,

Fun and fast one today.Thanks for the info on the Petes; had no clue until that last ale. I have come to the conclusion that I am musically challenged; the music is always familiar, but not the groups(ex:Bananarama) or names.
Sometimes not knowing is a good thing, so I don't have to undo my wrong answers.

Argyle, you'd have to ask,"What was the assignment?" It's a perfect example of personification, a great visual, and being so short, I'd give it an A.

Mom Speaks Out, woo hoo..great occasion for your family. Can't wait until we get to do that.

Clear Ayes said...

It is pretty difficult to find a Carl Sandberg poem that isn't about war, death, Chicago, poverty, or separation from loved ones. Even 39d/THE FOG has been called a metaphor for death. His talent lay in imagery, which can bring a poem home to roost. Now, this is one I like.

HAPPINESS

I asked the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them.
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and children and a keg of beer and an accordion.

LaLaLinda said...

Hi All ~~

A speedy but fun puzzle today ... no problems. I knew of all the PETEs and I liked the new clue for OREO. My favorite answer was NO DUH. It was a popular retort among my fourth-graders!

Thanks for the great write-up, Argyle.

Tinbeni ... I'm sorry for the loss of your friend's brother.

Mom speaks out ... It sounds like a wonderful party ...Congrats to your DIL!


Enjoy the day ~~

Dennis said...

Damn, CA, you had me, right up to the accordion...

Jeannie said...

As Heartrx stated this was an easy peasy Monday puzzle. I never did catch onto the them and probably wouldn’t have as Pete Rose was the only Pete I knew of the three. I was a Beattle’s fan when Ringo Star was the drummer. I loved seeing “Bananarama” in the puzzle. I always thought that was a fun band name.

Dennis, New Zealander’s were the first to give the women the vote for what?

Argyle, it seems I missed your birthday over the weekend. Here’s your birthday SMOOCH!

Tinbeni, I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your gal pal’s brother after such a long fight.

Momspeaksout, great news about your DIL’s accomplishment. Your celebration sounds like a hoot!

We are digging out again under about 18 inches of new snow and it just keeps on coming. I am so ready for green grass.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Argyle - HBD. Concentrate on 17A, not 1A.

Tinbeni - my condolences as well. Very sad event

Mom - congrats to your family, and especially the new citizen.

Pretty nice puzzle today - just about right for a Monday.

Today's nit - I can't think of any context where major and minor are opposites.

I suppose a HOT ROD driver would OPT OUT of the ATHENS SNARLS.

On Valentine's day the cannibal gave his wife candied Famer's FANNIES.

YES . . . BUT.

Our old snow was just about melted away, so we got a whole new 8 inch thick blanket last night.

Spring training in FLA. Can spring be far off here?

Cheers!
JzB

creature said...

Jeanie, just read your plight-So sorry about all that d--- snow--
enough already. Your attitude sounds pretty good, though.

Tin-Please accept my condolences-
such a sad loss.I think we all remembereed his making it a little bit ago and felt so much a part of it.Hard to lose such a fighting spirit.

Mom speaks out-I want to add my cheer for your DIL's accomplishment.

CA- I love the Happiness; wish Dennis hadn't said that about the accordian... Thanks.

creature said...

Wish I hadn't said that about Dennis.

I'm going to think about happiness for a while and see where it comes out.I think it comes out in hunks and blobs, here and there and sneaks in from a good feeling to slamming you with rays of sunshine after a lot of gray days. But there's more.

carol said...

Argyle, I would give "The Fog" an A. I have always loved it, it is simple and paints a perfect picture. Not easy to do in a few words.

CA, loved that poem....but Dennis had a good point about the accordion, I'd be happy with the trees and the beer - and Joe, of course!

Lemonade714 said...

Anon. Thank you for the thought that when I am in my 112th year I will still be doing puzzles and blogging on Fridays, I wonder what inspired your comment, but then I don't get the whole anonymous bit, when you could be anybody you wanted. HOFquarterback101; Billionairebill: missuniverse. In cyberspace we all are the creators, yet you are anonymous, why, I wonder?


Dennis you troll feeder you. And Mr. Troll, Dennis is not bragging for he knows speed solvers do the puzzles in under 3:00 minutes daily, a feat neither he nor I can accomplish. Why is there a tournament where speed is the winner? It is the nature of the beast. Ciao

Dennis said...

creature, you certainly didn't do anything wrong.

Carol, good of you to include Joe in that mix.

Dennis you troll feeder you.

Actually, I did exactly what you just did: responded in kind to an anon.

Lemonade714 said...

Dennis, I know, I am such a hypocrite! There are some times when I just cannot help myself. I mean what is the 1899 comment really all about? I guess I hoped to actually understand. Your somewhat anonymous, somewhat obedient servant. L714.

Ah well I am off to contemplate puzzle construction; I think I want to grow up and be Jerome one day. Ever since he said he did not do lutefisk, I have been inspired.

Dennis said...

I don't think I want to know what his "I don't do lutefish" was in response to...

Lemonade714 said...

Well the day is half done and no one else has mentioned the wonderful recordings Pete Fountain did with Al Hirt.

Cannot find anything on You Tube, anyone?

creature said...

Thanks, Dennis. I think the longer one works crosswords, the progression of accuracy and speed are a natural outcome. I have no doubt that with the concentrated training the champs do prior to a tournament , you could easily prevail. With your history of facing and attaining goals, you
would not fail. I don't think you should feel bad about your abilities. I think its only natural for you and well earned.
This is also for anon @10:27;I searched, but could not find the one L714 was talking about; must have been from yesterday. I.ve thought about this so he/she understands or realizes the very reason why we're on this blog.If he keeps on working those puzzles, he might be where you are and know how you feel. Its all harmless.

Jerome said...

Hey, how'd you know I don't do "lutefish" either?

Nice Cuppa said...

HB Argyle, and thanks Angela and Doug.

@Anon. Please remember the rubric:

"No politics, no religion and no personal attacks."

I got caught up in politics once and received an appropriate slap on the wrist (not on my FANNY of course, since I don't have one).

I'm shocked that so many people don't get access to NPR. NPR on my daily commute and the BBC website are my necessary (and sufficient) sources of world news.

NC

lois said...

Good evening Argyle, CC, et al.,
Santa baby: Happy Birthday...so sorry to be late. Now I give you permission to be as naughty as you like..I'll be right over if you need any help....and I have batteries - additional fun. Cheers to you my dear sweet Santa, Baby!

Tinbeni: I am so sorry for you and your gal pal's loss. What a warrior and an inspiration! Reminds me of somebody who resides in my heart.

MomSO: Congratulations on the new citizenship! What a wonderfully exciting event. We're all so proud of you, your family, and d-i-l's accomplishment.

Off to school - Abnormal Psych class. I relate so well. I think the subject is 'anon' tonight.

Enjoy your evening.

Anonymous said...

Just a picky comment--would have been nice if answer grid hadn't had black squares over the first letter of 31 down and 47 down.

HeartRx said...

Jeannie, I'm with you. At this point I am ready for any type of grass.

Mom Speaks Out, sorry I didn't see your post this morning. What a wonderful party that is going to be! And JD, I'm sure yours will be just as merry !

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, I'll add my sentiments about the Easy Peasy puzzle today. I had everything filled in and like Hahtool hadn't even read some of the clues.

Thanks, Argyle, for your great writeup and also for those delicious looking cookies! Is that part of your Santa stash? I couldn't figure out how Santa could eat all those cookies at every stop. Now I know that he takes them home and Mrs. Santa puts them in the freezer!!

Tinbeni, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's loss. He obviously was your friend, too, so condolences to you both.

Momspeaksout, Congratulations to your DIL. Your family celebration sounds like a whole lot of fun!

Dennis said...

Off to school - Abnormal Psych class

Teaching it?

erieruth said...

Here's a wonderful poem:
"Pass it on" (one of my favorites)

Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on.
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on.
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears,
Til Everywhere the deed appears---
Pass it on. ~ Henry Burton, 1886

eddyB said...

Hi.

After all of that rain, I have a lot of grass for someone to cut -
if you want.

Clear Ayes said...

Dennis, the accordion appears about halfway through the first keg of beer. Even non dancers/singers think they can polka and sing long after polishing off a keg (or two). Then there is one of my favorites Weird Al Yankovic...makes me happy! And-a-one...And-a-two...let's polka!!

NC, LOL, I had to give up either NPR or the daily commute. Not much of a contest, although I do miss it (NPR, not the commute).

Nice poem, eirieruth.

Last night I forgot to mention that I'm glad to see Frenchie is on the mend.

Anonymous said...

Good evening everyone. C.C., Argyle, etc.
I struggled a bit for a Monday. I surely didn't know ROSE garden arena, even after getting the last two words.

Tinbeni, my condolences to you and your GalPal on the loss of her brave brother.

Momspeakesout, have a great celebration. It surely sound like you have planned one! And congrats to your d-i-l.

Argyle, in addition to a great write up, the cookie shapes were wonderful to see.

Frenchie, best wishes. I had a similar trial, with being allergic to the first medication. But I couldn't drive for a year! That was tough. But I've been seizure-free since 1985, so it does work out somehow.

Cheers

JD said...

Tinbeni, so sorry about your gal-pal's brother, a very long fight...hugs

HeartRx,we have 5 yrs. to wait for that very special celebration. We're delighted with the long awaited "green card".

CA, another good choice. Dennis, would you have preferred bag pipes?

Hahtoolah said...

MomSpeaks Out: Exciting news about your daughter-in-law. Congratulations to the newest American Citizen. I'm sure you had a great party.

Tinbini: Condolences on the loss of your's friend's brother. I know you both were having a difficult time with his illness.

Nice Cuppa: I'm with you on the NPR and BEEB thing. Both are staples in my daily listening. I download programs from both onto my iPod.

Dennis said...

jeezus, JD, fortunately I'd just put the water down. Great line.

erieruth said...

CC, Argyle, Melissa, Jazzbumpa, Al, Lemonade, & Dennis:

Finding the right words to thank you and compliment you on this blog is a challenge ... a bigger challenge than the end-of-the-week puzzles!!!

So...simply...thank you. I've loved working crossword puzzles for many years ... this blog adds so much enjoyment to an already enjoyable passtime.

Gunghy said...

Just got back from some skiing. So, what they said. Didn't know BananaRama, MilliVanilli, or Rose Garden, but it didn't matter. The only thing that slowed me down was my insistence on working out from a corner and staying connected. Still under 5 minutes and I'm not bragging any more than Dennis did. this one just flowed.

Tinman, sorry for your loss.
Mom, happy for your gain.
Argyle, sorry I missed it, HBD

Once upon a time, there were two anons. One was a MAJOR annoyance because they used their anonymity to attack others. One was a MINOR annoyance because their posts were insightful and entertaining, but I could not thank them by name. This is the closest I could come to MAJOR and MINOR being opposites.

LTABO

Clear Ayes said...

Lois@4:23, now, you really do crack me up.

My take on the 10:27 "It cracks me up" comment, is that it doesn't crack him/her up at all. He seems very much annoyed because he is the only one who really does give "a rat's patoot" about mentioning completion times. Nobody else is even slightly concerned. As creature said, "it's all harmless".

Jeannie...18 inches of snow? BRRRR!!

Congratulations to Mom S.O.'s D-I-L and family. Party away and don't forget the accordion!

Another big 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch NZ on Tuesday (our Monday). The city was just recovering from the Sept 2010 quake when we were there in November.

Annette said...

Tinbeni, my condolences to you and your galpal.

Maybe "Card Reading" is referring to Tarot cards...

Tinbeni said...

To ALL ...

I come across people doing the LA Times Crossword puzzle quite often.

Then I tell them about this Blog C.C. created.

How we talk about our joy or sorrows while we were solving the daily "task-at-hand."

But I also try to get them to join-in-the-fun and become "part of our community."

OPEN TO ALL!!!

Thank you for the kind condolences.
They mean a lot to me. Gal-Pal liked them too.

I think she is finally coming around to understanding what is really happening here.
People, who just enjoy doing the morning crossword puzzle ... have come together ... and in a very REAL sense ... become FRIENDS.

Brother got his Sunset toast ...
Then you all got the second one!!!

PS - Argyle, I meant Pete FOUNTAIN and your link earlier.
(Though a Pete BEST drum solo would have been cool, too).

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers - Another easy puzzle, just right for a no-coffee Monday (ran out!).

I live for NPR and the Beeb! We donate generously to keep our local NPR outlet turned on. They recently bought out a small AM station to expand both broadcast reach and news programming. I've gotten decent reception as far away as HeartRx's town.

What's wrong with accordians? A mixture of beer, food, girls, riverbank, shade, and accordian sounds good to me...


The 1968 Shocking Blue "Venus" far outstrips the Bananarama version, IMHO.

Lemonade or anyone else who knows: if a group wants to re-make somebody else's original song, does the originator have the right to refuse? I know nothing about the music industry.

Tinbeni said...

Jeannie:
Oh, I forgot ...

RE: 18 inches of snow ...

Well, and there really isn't a way of saying this without sounding a little bit smug, but this morning, @ 8:50am, I was walking down the beach at my beloved Honeymoon Island ... and I DID NOT have to dig my car out of the snow.

Jeez, It's amazing what a thousand miles can do for you ... and how one enjoys a Holiday.

I'm stuck with high 70's, blue skies and morning "beach-walks" for the next week.

Oh well, I'll just have to endure this too.

MJ said...

Tinbeni,

My condolences to you and your Gal Pal on the loss of her brother. It's always harder for those of us left behind.

Saturday was a memorable day, for us, as well. It was the third anniversary of our niece Michelle's death in 2008. She was 37 years old.

Dennis, you had me cracking up today! That's part of what I love about this blog, that even if I don't post, I'm usually amused, entertained, and enlightened. Thanks to all you daily posters. And special thanks to the bloggers!

Enjoy the night!

Chickie said...

Re Radio Stations. Several of our local stations have been bought out by other stations, and have either quit broadcasting in our area or have changed the type of music or have become talk show stations.

Our one and only classical station (which we have listened to for over 20 years) was bought out and has become a rock station!
Their signal is no longer strong enough to come down to San Jose from San Francisco.

We truly miss this quiet music that has been in the background for so many years.

HeartRx said...

OK Tinbeni. Sure, you have wonderful weather down there. But you never have the pleasure of finally finding your car after scraping off 30 others in the parking lot. And I bet you never get the satisfied feeling (translation: sore back) from shoveling the entire driveway by hand because the last snowstorm knocked the %$&&#*$ out of the snowblower. And when visitors call to say they will be over soon, you would never have the heart-pounding feeling of having to run out to throw sand and ice melt on the sheet of ice that is your front walk, for fear that if they slipped and fell, your house would end up being the payment for their broken hip! And then there are the "ice dams" that create all kinds of fun challenges by causing water to pour through the bay window when the sun finally makes an appearance.

HeartRx said...

...but then, there are the long afternoons of cross country skiing, listening only to the absolutely beautiful ssssssshhhhing of the pine trees, with an occasional crow to shake down a dust of snow on your shoulder.

Dennis said...

And now it's snowing here yet again. Enough.

Annette, how's your weather? I'm thinking I need a respite. I promise I won't bring cold weather this time.

MJ, it is a fun blog, isn't it? Never know what's gonna happen next.

lois said...

Dennis: not teaching this time... modeling...and tonight was ... wait for it...wait for... Cognitive Disorders with Negative Thinking, Learned helplessness, Depression, Bipolar, and Stress related disorders. And boy did I have some fine examples to imitate. My name tag? "ANON" afterall, I didn't want them to know it was really me, the malcontent.

JD: I'm all about bag pipes now. What a great idea!!! and with a keg??? HOLY HOTWICK! I love how you think!

Jeannie: I'm so sorry for your 18" of snow...18" anything else I would've been jumping for joy, but snow? Nope, nuh uh...I'm so over it. You have my sympathy. Please be careful.

Tinbeni: Ya know for 1/2 a second I was wishing some sand would get into your shorts, but then I reconsidered. I'd rather join you on that walk on the beach - I'll just bundle up a bit - so Cheers!!!

HeartRx: 9:01 LMAO well done!

Bill G. said...

Tinbeni, good thoughts toward you, gal-pal and her family.

I enjoyed the poem. I enjoy all of the poems. Thanks eirieruth and CA.

Mom, congratulations to your daughter-in-law. That's a proud accomplishment.

Re: 18 inches (of snow of course). It was chilly here too as I struggled in the 55-degree weather to manage a short bike ride for a macchiato this afternoon. If it gets any colder, I may have to stop wearing shorts. Rain due again this weekend but the forecasters mess that up so often I won't be holding my breath.

I agree, MINOR is not the opposite of MAJOR. But opposites can be tricky. What's the opposite of none? All? Some? Any? Something else still?

Lilith said...

Amen, Dudley! Some of the best times of my life include polka and beer at the German-American club. A keg of beer and accordion @ the riverbank sure sounds good to me!

and I agree - Bananarama version of Venus doesn't hold a candle to Shocking Blue's.

I think the current copyright holder is the one who can say who can remake a song... Sometimes it works, but in this case, it's just a reminder of how good the original was...

Anonymous said...

I would like to thank everyone for remembering 'National Feed the Troll Day'!

I'm stuffed...

Have a pleasant evening.

erieruth said...

Tinbeni - Your gal-pal is fortunate to have you...please tell her another *stranger* is thinking of her and sending good thoughts of comfort

Gunghy said...

Jeannie's 18 inches made me think of this.

Chicago Temperature Conversion Chart

60° F: Arizonans shiver uncontrollably; people in Chicago sunbathe.

50° F: New Yorkers try to turn on the heat; people in Chicago plant gardens.

40° F: Italian & English cars won't start; people in Chicago drive with the windows down.

32° F: Distilled water freezes; Lake Michigan's water gets thicker.

20° F: Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves and wool hats; people in Chicago throw on a flannel shirt.

15° F: New York landlords finally turn up the heat; people in Chicago have the last cookout before it gets cold.

0° F: All the people in Phoenix die. Chicagoans close the windows.

-10° F: Californians fly away to Mexico. The Girl Scouts in Chicago are selling cookies door to door.

-25° F: Hollywood disintegrates; people in Chicago get out their winter coats.

-40° F: Washington DC runs out of hot air; people in Chicago let the dogs sleep indoors.

-100° F: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Chicagoans get frustrated because they can't start 'da car.'

-460° F: All atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale); people in Chicago start saying, 'Cold 'nuff for ya?'

-500° F: Hell freezes over. The Cubs win the World Series

Dennis said...

Lois, if anyone can reverse someone's 'negative thinking', my money's on you.

Tinbeni said...

HeartRx
I'm sure the sound of the ssssssshhhhing as you ski through the pine trees is a beautiful moment.

It is why I love to walk on the beach in the early morning.
No one else is there ... and the lapping of the gentle waves ... well it is my favorite Florida thing.

Dennis, too bad about the snow starting to fall again.
I remember that photo you posted last year ... and at that time I said to myself "I guess the July/August humidity isn't so bad."

Here is the conumdrum ... I may be moving to the DelMarVa area in a few months.
The Ocean City, MD area can't be "that-bad."

SOOOO ... I'm maxing out my "one-season" weather.

Jeannie said...

All you fine folks...it's just a slow commute in a big car. I take my time and if I am late WTF...

Tinbeni, I can really appreciate your toasts at night. No worries here. Although I can find beauty in the snow it really is getting old. I so much want to get my hands in the dirt and bring our MN beauty to your sights. I am finally gonna spring for a digital camera with my minimal tax return to share with you'all. Hi, WH.

Enough of troll hoggin' they are not worth it.

Lemonade714 said...

Songs belong to the publisher, who is not necessarily the writer. Theoretically a remake could be refused, but it does not really ahppen, and the royalties which are paid to the owner of the publishing are a major incentive. If you want to record someone's song you will need to get the ok from the publisher, if you want to play the song during your act, you will pay through ASCAP or BMI. If you own a restaurant and play recorded music you will pay.

Dennis, the weather is perfection 65 at night 80 during the day and dry.

Tinman, my regards to you and she in this time. Too many dying, too many funerals.

Bill G. said...

Tinbeni, Virginia is a pretty place to live. It has seasons. Spring and fall are beautiful. Winter's OK too. Summer can be a bitch. Don't know about DelMar. I grew up in Falls Church in northern Virginia. I have fond memories of Ocean City, MD but that was as a teenager having fun in the summer, not as a place to live.

HeartRx said...

Tinbeni, yes, there are moments that you can't describe...you just have to feel them. And what a wonderful thing it is, when they come to you without warning. A toast to you !

Doug P said...

Sorry I'm chiming in late here, folks. Thanks to Argyle for the write-up and to the rest of you for your comments.

I usually construct Saturdays for Rich, so it's nice to show up on an easier day for a change.

Lucina said...

Gunghy:

I am laughing at your conversion chart, especially the last line! Well done!

And in case you all want to know, the weather is lovely here in the Scottsdale-Phoenix-Mesa, etc. area, 61 degrees today. No sand on the beach but beautiful, clear, sunny skies.