google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, July 3, 2012 Gareth Bain

Gary's Blog Map

Jul 3, 2012

Tuesday, July 3, 2012 Gareth Bain

Theme: We're not going to the mountains this year. - Three words, hidden in the themes, that indicate a vacation at the shore this year.

20A. Cultivated area with sloped sides : SUNKEN GARDEN


28A. Planet size calculation : SURFACE AREA. Odd clue.

44A. Birkenstock fastener : SANDAL STRAP. Some difference from the wing tips mentioned later.

52A. Summer getaway that characteristically has the three components hidden at the beginnings of 20-, 28- and 44-Across : BEACH HOLIDAY

Argyle here. Gareth did a good job following a tough act. Tough little boxes on either side with only one square entrances. 25 five letter words, 24 four letter words. Letter runs in the NW corner surprised me. The middle top and bottom have possible naticks.

Across:

1. Datebook sequence : MTWTF. Days of the week.

6. "__ left his home in Tucson, Arizona": Beatles lyric : JOJO. From the song, "Get Back", released in 1969 as a single. Info.

10. Bartender's measure : SHOT

14. Vowel sequence : AEIOU

15. "__ Ben Adhem" : ABOU. A link to the poem.

16. Way up there : HIGH

17. Basic principle : TENET

18. Nail polish layer : COAT

19. Prefix with China : INDO

23. Psychic's supposed skill : ESP

26. Stat for A-Rod : RBI

27. Number of stars, perhaps : RATING

32. Iron output : STEAM. For removing wrinkles.

33. Chuck wagon grub : CHOW

34. Aloe __ : VERA

38. See 56-Across : ARENA and 56-Across. With 38-Across, former name of the Sacramento Kings' home : ARCO. (Now known as the Power Balance Pavilion) (manufacturer of sports wristbands).

39. Ad __: for this special purpose : HOC

40. Traded punches : BOXED

41. Counterpart of 61-Down : YANG and 61-Down. Feminine force : YIN

42. Polio vaccine pioneer : SALK

43. Radical : ULTRA

46. Early Tenochtitlán citizens : AZTECS. Who? you might ask. Located on an island in Lake Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico. map.

50. Minuscule amount : BIT

51. Critter in a colony : ANT

57. Object of worship : IDOL

58. Survive : GET BY

62. Any minute now : SOON

63. "Momma" cartoonist Lazarus : MELL. I recall someone linked Momma for us once.

64. Gestation sites : UTERI. Plural of uterus.

65. Standard Oil brand : ESSO. Exxon in the USA.

66. "My word!" : "I SAY!"

67. Tennessee footballer : TITAN. They are based in Nashville, LP Field. Name source.

Down:

1. Welcomer on the floor : MAT. Yeah, the floor of the porch, maybe.

2. Ball supporter : TEE. If you thought cup, get help. If you don't get my comment, bless you.

3. Break the tape : WIN

4. Wing tips' tips : TOEs. Wing tips are a fancy pair of men's shoes.

5. Space cartoon set in the year 3000 : FUTURAMA. Very strange characters.

6. "Rush Hour" co-star : JACKIE CHAN. Famous for doing his own stunts.

7. Orchestral reed : OBOE

8. "Blue Nights" writer Didion : JOAN. A memoir of the death of her daughter.

9. Got too big for : OUTGREW

10. Reckless gambler's loss? : SHIRT

11. Language of India : HINDI

12. Utah city : OGDEN. Wikipedia entry.

13. Skimpy swimwear : THONG

21. Network with a peacock : NBC

22. Motorists' org. : AAA. American Automobile Association

23. History test component : ESSAY

24. Kama __ : SUTRA


25. Get gussied up : PREEN

29. Tooth tended to by a vet, perhaps : FANG

30. "Get __ of yourself!" : A HOLD

31. Hybrid '50s musical genre : ROCKABILLY. Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

34. Bit of a shock? : VOLT

35. Like charges for new car options : EXTRA

36. Showed over : RERAN

37. Go with the flow : ADAPT

40. Laugh till it hurts : BUST A GUT

42. Sushi bar order : SASHIMI. but not sushi. Link.

44. MIT or NYU : SCH.

45. Tupperware topper : LID

46. Lower in esteem : ABASE

47. Goose eggs : ZEROs

48. Cantina order : TACOs

49. Cheap, in commercialese : ECONO

53. Laudatory poems : ODEs

54. Whatever she wants, she gets : LOLA




55. Himalayan legend : YETI

59. Asian New Year : TET

60. Cause of a tan line, perhaps : BRA. A final strange ?


Argyle

63 comments:

  1. Morning, all!

    I found this to be very challenging, especially for a Tuesday. The top section in particular was very hard to get going. At first pass, I couldn't even figure out the clue for MTWTF and was stumped by both JOJO and ABOU (not to mention JOAN). Oh -- and I've never heard of a SUNKEN GARDEN before, so that didn't help any.

    What finally saved my bacon up there was JACKIE CHAN. I'm a huge fan, especially of his earlier movies.

    Elsewhere, the cross references slowed me down (YIN/YANG, ARCO/ARENA), I thought a cantina was a bar and not a restaurant, and had trouble accepting that anybody actually spelled their name MELL. I've definitely gotta get out more...

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  2. Good Morning, Argyle and friends. This is my kind of puzzle and my kind of Vacation! I grew up on the ocean, so it's in my blood. I have to spend at least MTWTF on the Beach each year.

    Interesting to have two stacked sequences (days of the week and vowels) to start off the puzzle.

    My favorite clue was Number of Stars = RATING.

    I never iron anymore, but when I did, I used a STEAM Iron.

    Hand up for trying Wombs for the Gestation Sites instead of UTERI. (Come on, you know that was your first thought!)

    In honor of Dave Barry, who is celebrating is 65th Birthday today, here is today's QOD: In 1765, Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which, as any American high school student can tell you, was an act that apparently had something to do with stamps. ~ Dave Barry

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  3. Not a speed run for me, but fun when I got going. Interesting commentary & links, Argyle.

    I started out with Mat/Month and had to back track. Three names in the top middle block!!! Didn't know JOJO. Most of the puzzle had to be perped working across and down with every block.

    I knew ARCO ARENA, but didn't know they'd changed the name. I knew the owners had decided not to move the team. Just displace the name.

    Jayce: from last night, thanks for the Prokofiev links. He's a favorite composer and I indulged in seeing/hearing the Romeo & Juliet Ballet links. Love it.

    My nieces little boys, ages 6 & 7, are studying Hindi. I asked one to say something and he just grinned. His mother thinks he speaks it better than she does.

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  4. The post with the Hindi-speaking nephews is mine. For some reason, the PK didn't show up.

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  5. I knew from the comment you had to be a regular.

    All these arenas; it's all about the naming rights, not who owns the place.

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  6. The begining of this puzzle was a challenge. Once I got through the first few clues I was on Gareth's wave length and the puzzle was a breeze.

    most bar's sell food so taco was a gimmie esp. when nachos did not fit.

    Glad that 56a was only 4 letters as that eliminated the kings arenas from their day in KC and omaha.

    The imagery for the 60 d clue is a little disturbing it may give me nightmares for the foreseeable future.

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  7. Good morning, folks. Thank you, Gareth Bain, for a swell puzzle. I enjoyed it. Thank you, Argyle, for the swell review.

    Got started with TEE, WIN, and TOES. Then the MTWTF and AEIOU became obvious. Clever.

    ABOU was easy for 15A. One of my all-time favorite poems. Abou ben Adhem (May his tribe increase)

    Tried DRAM for 10A, then fixed that to SHOT.

    MELL came with perps, but in Chicagoland it is a common name. Dick mell is former governor Rod Blagoyevich's father in law and a Chicago Alderman.

    Never knew there was a ROCKABILLY Hall of Fame. Glad there is, however. Thanks Argyle.

    YETI seems to be a common answer lately.

    Theme came easily.

    OGDEN, Utah for 12D was easy. I worked there for a short while.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

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  8. Puzzles are funny, as I found this to be the easiest Gareth Bain I have ever essayed. I too enjoyed the grid and the cluing is always sharp with much local knowledge for a South African based constructor. Never thought of WOMB for a second H.

    Happy third of July. I have three birthday wishes to dispense for the day and don't know Dave Barry.

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  9. The natick at the top didn't get me, but the one at the bottom did. Tossed a coin on M or N in Mell. N won.

    Oh well, it was a fun romp regardless.

    My favorite Rockabilly song: Toothbrush by the Reverend.

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  10. Wow! Two unusually interesting early week puzzles, back to back. I liked Gareth's sharp cluing today and Argyle's witty and informative blogs both days.

    Abu Ben Adhem is a favorite of mine. Mom used to read it and many other poems to us kids.

    We will be vacationing in the WV mountains one week and at Wildwood Crest, NJ on the beach for another week. WV was hit hard by the weekend storms and many there are still without electricity.

    Jeff Chen's puzzle yesterday was my all time favorite Monday puzzle, very easy but with many interesting nuances, including the picture in the grid.

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  11. Meanwhile, Argyle, what is the story behind the man with the bra and thong tan lines?

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  12. Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

    Thanks for all the informative links today, Argyle. Loved the ones for Shanghai Noon and LOLA!!

    Tenochtitlán citizens was easy, because I am a big fan of Gary Jennings' series of novels about the Aztecs.

    I'm not sure if I loved or hated the two "letter runs" in the NW. I had to resort to the downs to get those. Even then, when I looked at the answer to 1A I thought "Mount WTF???"

    Moving on...

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  13. Why would you think of Mount Wednesday, Thursday, Friday?

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  14. Very easy Tuesday. I actually got most things without hesitating, except JOAN, which DH helped with. I also had SASHINI since Nell seemed as good as MELL for another unknown.

    Actually though, I think the fasteners for Birkenstocks are the buckles, not the straps.

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  15. Hello, gang!

    Another fun puzzle today -- just right for a Tuesday. I wasn't familiar with a SUNKEN GARDEN, but it appeared anyway. Hatoolah, I already had BUST A GUT, so I wasn't fooled by 64A.

    Marti, your MTWTF comment had me snorting coffee. Too funny!

    Now for the acid test. Is Google gonna let me post today? Let's see...

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  16. Mount Wtf is in Wales, near the Tywi Forest.

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  17. Good morning everyone. Good write-up, Argyle. Agree with your para about possible naticks.

    First few fills were headscratchers, and I thought we were in for a tough slog. Somehow NBC/RBI clicked, ABOU/OBOE clicked and the solve speeded right up. Actually the puzzle was a set of mini solves ~ 4 X 5's. and most fell easily. I experienced the natickness of the 2 areas Argyle mentioned, but guessed correctly, so no harm done. Funny to see both ARCO and ESSO in the SW. Fun puzzle. Thanks Gareth.

    Have a great day.

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  18. Hi All ~~

    Considering this was a Gareth Bain puzzle, I zipped through pretty quickly. My only real holdup was in the JOJO - ABOU - JOAN area. I should have known the Beatles tune ... I heard it in my head after I finally got the first J - I didn't know JACKIE CHAN until a few perps appeared. Lots of fun cluing - very enjoyable ~ thanks, Gareth.

    Much info in your write-up, Argyle - loved the pics & links! On 2D I wasn't thinking 'Cup' at the time, but I am now. :-)

    Our BEACH HOLIDAY at Misquamicut Beach in RI starts on Saturday for three weeks. I'm afraid it may be more of the ULTRA hot steaminess of last year which is brutal, with no AC. I'll be checking in at home often, though, especially with my kitty on meds. At least I'll have a chance to cool off!

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  19. Andy Griffith just died. I love watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show.

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  20. One of my favorite versions of Hamlet. RIP Andy.

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  21. Good morning:

    Thanks, Gareth, for a challenging Tuesday offering, and thanks, Argyle, for your fine expo.

    A tad more difficult, for me anyway, but patience, perseverance, and perps paid off.

    Did anyone see the movie, Take Shelter? I would be interested in comments about the ending.

    Happy Tuesday to all.

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  22. That's sad. Another American icon gone. I didn't realize that the Andy Griffith Show theme had lyrics. Fishin Hole Song

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  23. (retrieved from the spam filter)

    The natick at the top didn't get me, but the one at the bottom did. Tossed a coin on M or N in Mell. N won.

    Oh well, it was a fun romp regardless.

    My favorite Rockabilly song: Toothbrush by the Reverend.

    July 3, 2012 7:37 AM

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  24. So Bill G, what was the correct answer for "light headwear" from yesterday?

    All of the other answers had an "A" every other letter, so BANDANA and BALACLAVA. although they have "A" as the only vowel, don't fit the pattern. It must be something else. PANAMA HAT works, but that results in duplication with PANAMA CANAL. So what is it?

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  25. RIP Andy Griffith, you have and will continue to provide many hours of enjoyment, with no controversy and a smile.

    I am not one to shill, but I do want to put my boys from AXE back to work, click and listen, if you like.

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  26. Good day to you all! Oh, Argyle, you make me BUST A GUT and now the image of a CUP will stay with me!!

    JOAN was my first fill as I've seen her doing interviews on Charlie Rose though haven't read her books.

    So I sashayed through the center then the NE. RATING, number of stars is great as is STEAM, iron output! OUTGREW SHIRT are in a curious parallel position.

    No Naticks. SASHIMI is familiar enough and though I don't know MELL, it emerged. Interesting info, Abejo, about that name.

    I once climbed the pyramid at Tenochtitlan so knew AZTECS.

    This was all very doable, thank you, Gareth Bain. You continue to impress me with your intimate knowledge of the western world.

    R.I.P. Andy Griffith.

    Enjoy the summer sun on this Tuesday, everyone!

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  27. Argyle @ 8:51,
    LOL!

    Forgot to say earlier I was thinking more of contour plowing for SUNKEN GARDEN, but knew it wouldn't fit.

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  28. Terrific puzzle, Gareth--many thanks--and great pix, Argyle, thanks to you too! A rare trifecta for me, this morning--puzzle, sudoku, and kenken. I needed that after totally bombing last Friday and Saturday. And all that SUN and SAND and SURF just totally cheered me on a cloudy morning. The 'number of stars' was my favorite too.

    How sad to hear about Andy Griffith. I'm always thankful to learn about obits here first since our communal sympathies are comforting.

    Have a great Tuesday, everybody!

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  29. I always work the "downs" first and if I have a qualm, I check them with the "acrosses". (My spell check did NOT like that word.)
    I confidently put in "month" for 1a and finally had to put "mtwtf" when "tenant" was necessary. Because of my solving strategy I already had "t,e, and r for 64a so I knew it couldn`t be "wombs". I thought I had finally found an error an editor missed when I called the futuristic cartoon "Futurala" ( not being familiar with it) which made "iron output" "steal" instead of "steel" which turned about to actually be the other type of "iron." My apologies, Mr. Norris. I`ll never doubt you again! I had "outgrow" for the longest time which made "surfacearea" hard to suss and I never associated "preening" with "getting gussied up." Preening is more "admiring ones self in the mirror" or parading in front of someone.
    My learning moment was "for this special purpose." It finally clicked about ad hoc committees. Is it a Latin term maybe meaning "in addition?"
    We don`t get "mama" and I never order sushi so I had to peek for that one. And one more...I confidently put "Hindu" and then wondered, "What the samhill is "ratung" and what does it have to do with astronomy?" When I finally got "Hindi" I understood "ratings."
    With "beachholiday", it had a bit of a British twang. Most of them don`t have or take "vacations."

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  30. I thought the bloggers might like to know a little more about the Waldo Canyon fire. I live in Colorado Springs and about a mile from the Mountain Shadows homes that were lost. (We used to live down the hill at the foot of one of the most damaged streets.) The cause of tje fire is unknown at this time. it started in a valley two valleys from the heavily populated areas. We were on vavation in NM when it started and when a freak wind storm ddrove the fire down the hill into Mountain Shadows. In addition to 350+ house lost the popular Flying Ranch was destroyed although no lives or animals were lost. This happened the afternoon before we came home which evacuated our meghborhood of patio homes. We spent three nites in a local hotel and when we could return found ou house unstathed and that the utilities had not been shut off. We were very lucky.

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  31. Desper-otto, my answer that I saw on NPR was Panama Hat. I agree that it duplicates another answer but I'm OK with that. When I run this in my newspaper column, I'm going to include a clue that Marti suggested; "Impertinent impersonation on SNL?" with the answer, "Baba Wawa."

    I really enjoyed the Andy Griffith link. The first time I ever heard of him was "What it was, was football." I occasionally watched reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show" and always enjoyed the warm humanity of it.

    I had the same misgivings about PREENING.

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  32. This is the puzzle I included in my very first newspaper column about 20 years ago. I hope you try it and like it.

    I was at a math conference in Palm Springs a few years ago (I know it’s a tough life, but somebody has to go to these things), when one of the speakers challenged us to arrange the four digits 4, 4, 7, and 7 to equal 24 using only +, -, x and ÷. She said it was really tough. You can’t use a square root. I worked on this problem off and on for two days and became convinced that either it was impossible or I had misunderstood it. Finally, on the way home from the conference late Saturday evening, while my wife was nodding off beside me as she usually does on car trips, the light bulbs started to go on in my brain. I solved the problem while driving down Interstate 10 with only minor swerving and one missed off ramp. I was, and am very proud of myself. I promise you, there’s no trickery.

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  33. I thought this easier than yesterdays nonsense. You here that Chen! No wierd words nobody uses.

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  34. Played great golf today, loved the puzzle and the blog will have KAMA SUTRA, BRA and THONG. Can’t wait!

    Musings
    -Lincoln’s SUNKEN GARDENS are beautiful and my SIL designed the arboretum there and had grandchildren’s initials laser cut into the design
    -Interesting that first two across answers on the West are not words
    -Naticks had reasonable escape hatches
    -A-Rod has one of the worst contracts ever for the Yankees (great for him). They still owe him $10M/yr for quite a while for mediocre production. Paying an athlete for what he MIGHT do is dangerous!
    -Want to get nothing done? Form an AD HOC committee!
    -We all lined up for our SALK vaccine in the 50’s
    -When we were in Nashville, the Cumberland River had just receded enough to allow the crews to clean up after the flood
    -We saw and heard a lotta ROCKABILLY in that city!
    -I grew up listening to my uncles play that music and they never got within a thousand miles of Nashville.
    -Where do you find your music AJ? Wow!
    -No links Santa?? Oh well, still a stellar job!

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  35. Anon @2:14 If you're going to be snarky at least learn to spell!

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  36. Andy Griffith rode his “good ole boy” image a long way. It worked in a sweet way in No Time For Seargents and in a cold, calculating way in A Face In The Crowd (2:20). Be prepared for a different Andy!

    Of course he’ll be best remembered for being the strict but fair father of Opie and the patient employer of Barney!

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  37. John28 - Thanks for sharing what must have been a very stressful ordeal over several days. It gives a personal slant to what has become a nightly news story.

    First saw Andy Griffith in "No Time for Sergeants"

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  38. Husker Gary, do you somehow get paid by the exclamation point?!?!?!

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  39. John 28, thanks for sharing. I’m glad you and your home survived. I having been wondering how our other bloggers fared in the CO wildfire. I am sure many bloggers were caught in the very serious "derecho" wind and thunder storm this weekend that downed trees, ruined homes, and left many without power for days in the SE. Please check in as soon as you have electricity.

    We watch the old Andy Griffith every day. Andy will be missed. It's hard to believe he was in his 80's. He is forever young in reruns. BTW, I loved the Hamlet story, HeartRx,

    Except for the x-word this morning, everything I touched today has had small mistakes. Nothing actually worked well. I gave up and started reading Aztec by Gary Jennings as Marti advised. Thanks, Marti. This cheerful, upbeat blog makes my day.

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  40. More of the same: Even after proofing my post, I omitted the word Show. Back to my book.

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  41. Reasons for a tan line like that: Umpiring, wearing a chest protector, for a baseball game at a nudist colony. Wearing a halter for two underarm pistol holsters while doing guard duty for a mafia don at a nudist camp.

    For 3d I didn't think cup. I was trying to decide how to spell the J-word with a STRAP in three letters.

    The most beautiful SUNKEN GARDEN I've seen is Butchart Gardens in British Colombia. It is in an old quarry and is magnificent.

    Marti: thanks for the Andy Griffith link. Love his take on Hamlet. While I was there I had to watch "What It Was Was Football". That was my first introduction to him over the radio as a kid. We didn't have TV. RIP Andy, you left us laughing!

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  42. John28Man: thanks for letting us know you're okay after the fire. What a horrible thing! So sickening! I used to travel through Colo. Sprgs. several times a year going to and from Gunnison.

    I now have a brother living at Longmont and haven't been able to get in touch. He may still be at his son's after our reunion last week. I think I'd hear if a fire was threatening them.

    Some of these fires the past few years have to be opportunistic terrorist activity! I've been saying this for years. Finally, heard a woman on TV who agrees.

    Hot dry wind here and I'm gritting my teeth because the neighbors have been setting off fireworks in our closely built neighborhood the last two nights. Think I'll go out and water the lawn heavily this evening in self-defense. Where is common sense?

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  43. PK: The other big fire is NW of Ft Collins in the High Park area.

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  44. John28man: thanks for the update on the fires in Colorado. The pictures coming out are scary. Glad to hear that you are safe.

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  45. Bill G
    How about
    4-7 = -3 then
    7+-3=4, then4x7=28 and
    now28-4 =24

    This took alight bulb moment too

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  46. First thing in was JOJO which got me going with a smile on my face!

    Thought this was a way above average Tuesday with a fresh, beachy theme.

    Just a Q short of a pangram, too.

    Good one, Gareth!

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  47. Anons @ 2:18 and 3:11 are not only snarky, they don`t know their "hear" from "here!"

    If you must be an "Avg Joe`s" avatar, at least be an educated one!

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  48. skip that
    I used one too many 7's
    Damn meds!

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  49. Yellowrocks, I am curious to hear how you like “Aztec”. I have not read all the sequels, but they are on my list. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I know you like them, too. Have you read “Sarum” and Russka” by Edward Rutherford?

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  50. Hearti: After I read everything by James Michener, I discovered Edward Rutherford. I really enjoy his historical fiction, too. I have never read Aztec, or anything else by Gary Jennings, however.

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  51. Anon@5:02, could you point out the spelling/grammar error in the 3:11 post?

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  52. We've been to the Butchart Gardens. Beautiful!

    I think the strange bra tan line is on a runner who runs without a shirt and wears a chest velcro belt that holds something like an iPod.

    For those of you trying the "24" math puzzle, here's a hint (if you want it. Otherwise, read no further.) It helped me to remember that there is no difference between a fraction and a division problem. Once I began to think about fractions, the correct approach and answer began to creep into my brain.

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  53. Hello everybody. Excellent puzzle today. Solved it all without having to look anything up.

    PK, DW and I love Butchart Gardens. We've taken the ferry from Port Angeles, WA, to Victoria, BC, three times and enjoyed Vancouver island every time. I have a cherished photograph of my wife rubbing the snout of the bronze pig there. She put her fingers into his nostrils.

    Hahtoolah and HeartRx, after reading your comments I'm going to check out those authors.

    PK, glad you went further in Youtube and listened to other Prokofiev music. Romeo and Juliet is one of those pieces of music that was "love at first hearing" for me. So was Beethoven's Choral Fantasy and Tchaikovky's Fourth Symphony. I didn't need a 2nd hearing to go out and buy the record or CD.

    HeartRx, Loved your take on "Mt. WTF"! It's the highest peak in Wales, eh, Argyle?

    You guys are awesome. Best wishes to you all.

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  54. Hahtoolah, I also love James Michener, but Rutherford and Jennings drew me in with their first paragraphs. On the same note, "Ancient Evenings" by Mailer is one of my all-time favorites!

    Jayce...It really is a peak outside 29 Palms Marine base in CA. Follow these guys if you want to climb it! 32:05

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  55. HeartRx and Hahtoolah:
    I love Rutherford's books! Have read Sarum twice and I have Russka but it's still on the shelf waiting to be read.

    Butchart Gardens is one of my favorite places, too! In fact, Argyle's pic reminded me of that.

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  56. PK:
    Here in Arizona the forest fires have been proven to originate from these sources: 1) careless campers 2) lightning 3) one firefighter who wanted work and is now incarcerated 4) people shooting rifles randomly into the air

    Argyle, thank you for posting Butchart Gardens. That has to be one of the most gorgeous places on earth.

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  57. Lucina, so three out of the four causes of the terrible forest fires seem to be related to bad behavior. That's a real shame.

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  58. Bill G:
    That is so true. Game and forest officials cooperating with police and sheriffs work diligently to identify the sources. In many cases the careless campers have left clues leading to them or witnesses have Identified them or they registered for the campsite.

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  59. Terrific theme and write up, although this one took longer than it should have.

    I agree. I have never been in a MUSTY attic, just dusty.

    New word of the day- ABIDANCE. I tried and tried to avoid it, but had to let it stand.

    I missed so much on the blog last night. Yes, I am fascinated by the book, Aztec. Like some of you I have read all the Michener novels, some 2 or 3 times. Chesapeake was one of my favorites.

    I also enjoy James Clavell's novels and read Tai Pei, Shogun, Noble House, and Gai JIn all twice. Jayce I think you would like these.

    I will try Edward Rutherford next.

    Argyle, great Butchart Garden link. Jayce, I like your tatse in classical music.

    Happy 4th of July.
    Yellowrocks (hugs) from Kathy

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  60. I was out watering my front yard last evening and met my new neighbor for the first time. They are planning a fireworks party on their back patio this evening. Never mind they have a big dried brush pile beside the patio from cutting down all the little trees and shrubs. I "mentioned" the possibility of fires. She too seemed to think I'm an alarmist old bat.

    Our houses are about 20 feet apart. Think I should load all my valuables in the car and prepare to run for it?

    With the wildfires in Oklahoma a couple years ago, my daughter-in-law drove out with her four boys and the dog. 37 houses in her neighborhood destroyed. Her house had minimal damage. It was a military family neighborhood and the arsonists were never identified, Lucina.

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  61. Had a few problems with this one. I guess I've never heard of Arco Arena. Sorry. Joan Didion and Abou Ben Adhem fall into that same category. When "Early Tenochtitlan citizens" were called for, I thought of the Olmecs, 1200 to 900 BCE, and not the much, much later Aztecs of the 1400s. I'm still thinking about "steam" as an output of iron. I could have come up with a lot better clue. But, my biggest beef is the clue "Feminine force" for the answers "Yin Yang." Both masculine and feminine forces are embodied and symbolized in the Yin-Yang symbol. So, when the clue is simply "Feminine force," it evokes a unilateral symbol and not one that is all-encompassing.

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