google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday September 9, 2013 Jack McInturff

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Sep 9, 2013

Monday September 9, 2013 Jack McInturff

Theme: Shh! - The first words of all the theme entries are synonyms.

20A. Gentle leader's quality: QUIET STRENGTH. Thought of Mother Teresa.

37A. Devout petitions kept to oneself : UNSPOKEN PRAYERS. New term to me. Can you explain to me? Do they start with "Dear God..." also?  Jack used a plural because a grid-spanning 15 is easier to work than a 14, but it introduces an inconsistency to the theme set.

58A. Behind-the-scenes investor : SILENT PARTNER

C.C. here.

Dear Argyle was admitted to a VA hospital last Friday night. Foot ulcer. Like Boomer, he's a diabetic, so foot problem is very complicated and scaring. He should be back home later this week. Please keep him in your thoughts.

Monday puzzles always have simple themes and straightforward clues. Just look at the last few Down entries. What could be answers other than  IOWA, SKY & ONO?
 
Across:

1. The Crimson Tide's school, for short : BAMA. Alma mater of Alan, Marti's husband.


5. Delayed, as in traffic : STUCK

10. Boast : BRAG. How close were you to a hole-in-one? I hit the stick once.

14. Fe on the periodic table : IRON

15. Latin bears : URSAE

16. Bridle strap : REIN

17. Ditty : SONG

18. Lament over a loss : MOURN. Morneau has not been doing well with the Pirates. He was never the same after the concussion 3 years ago.

19. Light brown : ECRU

23. Cry of surrender : UNCLE

24. Practice for the LSAT, e.g. : PREP

25. Crescent component : ARC

28. Lou Grant portrayer : ED ASNER. Super grid-friendly letter combo, hence his frequent appearance in Xwords.

31. Tar pits locale : LA BREA. Tartar!

33. Cowboys and Indians, e.g. : TEAMS. Nice clue.

36. Lab gel made from seaweed : AGAR

43. Doughnut's middle : HOLE

44. Gets really wet : SOAKS

45. Voices one's view : OPINES

48. 401(k) alternative named for a Delaware sen. : ROTH-IRA

53. Like cool cats : HEP

54. 1986 Peace Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

57. "The __ Sanction": Eastwood thriller set in the Alps : EIGER. Did you read the news about Eastwood and his wife spouse-swapped with their friends?

62. NYC or London area : SOHO

64. Bygone anesthetic : ETHER

65. Bottom of a shoe : SOLE

66. Be absolutely sure : KNOW

67. April Fool's antic : TRICK

68. "Mila 18" author Leon : URIS. I think Abejo read this book.

69. Jedi guru : YODA

70. '90s White House cat : SOCKS. Clinton's cat.

71. Confined, with "up" : PENT

Down:

1. Shellfish soup : BISQUE. Have some!



2. In the area : AROUND

3. Tennis great Seles : MONICA. Read her biography years ago. Can't remember much though.

4. Beings with halos : ANGELS

5. Kid's math homework : SUMS

6. Pace between a walk and a run : TROT

7. Seize, as power : USURP

8. Concerned person : CARER. Maybe it's mental. I just feel Boomer walks slower than before. He just told me he'll cut Tuesday and Friday morning pot games out of his weekly schedule to focus on his three league games.

9. Pet motel : KENNEL

10. One of TV's Mavericks : BRET. This stumped me.

11. Plug in, as a smartphone : RE-CHARGE

12. What you breathe : AIR

13. African antelope : GNU

21. 7:50, vis-à-vis 8:00 : TEN TO

22. Dean's list no. : GPA

26. Back : REAR

27. Valets park them : CARS

29. Comic strip shriek : EEK

30. Explorer John and comical Charlotte : RAEs

32. Howl at the moon : BAY

34. Letters after L : MNO

35. Trade jabs : SPAR

37. "Whoops" : UH OH

38. "Nah!" : NOPE

39. Haphazard, as workmanship : SLIPSHOD. SLAPDASH has the same meaning, right?

40. Pig holder : PEN

41. Former MGM rival : RKO

42. Daisylike fall bloomer : ASTER. So pretty.


46. Long, thin fish : EEL

47. Rains ice pellets : SLEETS

49. Asks boldly, as for a loan : HITS UP

50. Turn one's back on : IGNORE. Can you ignore her?


51. Land with a rod : REEL IN

52. Slap the cuffs on : ARREST

55. Emcee's speech : INTRO

56. Moral principle : ETHIC

59. Des Moines's state : IOWA. I can picture Husker Gary say "Is Rich OK?"

60. Quick kiss : PECK

61. Slow-moving vessels : ARKs

62. Big __ Country : SKY

63. Sean's mom Yoko : ONO



I have a question for all of you: The blog main post looks unusual when I woke up this morning. The right edge words all spill out. Comments section is fine.

Does the main post look alright on your screen? Please let me know in the Comments section. Thank you.

C.C.

1) Updated at 7:27am: Blogger software had some changes last night: all the right edge words were truncated. The old blog Template did not allow width adjustment, so I had to apply a new one.  It'll take us a few days to get used to it. Thanks for the understanding.

2) Updated at 2:27pm: I've reversed to the old Template. Header button just would not work in the new format. The right edge problem is miraculously gone!



95 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think your blog has gone off the edge. I understand you don't like the right view but this is ridiculus.

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

Anonymous,
Blogger went through some changes last night. That's why I asked for reader feedback this morning. I thought it's just a glitch on my screen.

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

Also, be patient with me, everyone. I need time to fix the problem.

The current template does not allow width adjustment. I'll have to change the template. So the blog will look different.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Easy, breezy Monday puzzle. Fun theme, no holdups.

Happy thoughts going out to Argyle (there but for the grace of God go I).

And yes, the blog looks odd to me as well this morning.

[gensstu]

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

Barry G (and others who own a blog),
When you click on Design/Template/ Customize on your blog, can you see the Preview button?

I can't find mine right now.

tewall said...

good morning. first time to visit yall(I'm from the south). enjoy the puzzles and the blog each day. I do the puzzle online and never receive the day's theme. Is that normal or is there something I can do about it? btw my screen was also off-centered.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, C.C. and friends. Good Monday-level puzzle this morning. The Silence made me feel like I was back in my school library.

Interesting seeing ARC and ARKS in the same puzzle.

A big shout-out to our friend Montana with the Big SKY Country.

I wanted Ten Of instead of TEN TO for 21-Down.

I am MOURNing the loss of my beloved cat. She died last Thursday when I was out of town. She suddenly became ill on Monday and was taken to the Vet School where she received good care, but couldn't be saved.

I hope Argyle will soon be well and back with us.

QOD: Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. ~ Leo Tolstoy (Sept. 9, 1828 ~ Nov. 20, 1910)

[naboosom]

Spitzboov said...

C.C. - Main post truncates the 2 or so right letters of your comments. The rendering is centered with a fairly wide border or matte on both sides. My browser is Safari.

thehondohurricane said...

Hello everyone,

The right side has been cut off, but avatars all in place.

Nice start to the week without any major hold ups.

5A, Delayed, as in traffic, minor slow down. P...ed off wouldn't fit & irate wasn't going to work. That took care of my options, but STUCK arrived as the puzzle began to fill up. I do tend to get a wee bit emotional in traffic snags. UNSPOKEN PRAYERS may come into use as well as spoken ones!. However, none of which I care to share.

Argyle, get well quickly,

HeartRx said...

Good morning C.C. et al.

Well this is a strange way to start the week. I hope Argyle is OK and back at the proverbial wheel soon. But I am glad to see that he is not too stubborn to seek medical help...(ahem, any idea to whom that remark was aimed, C.C.?)

Sorry you are having problems with Blogger this morning, C.C.. I hope you can get it fixed without too many grey hairs!

I enjoyed this peaceful theme, and it felt almost Zen-like. Thanks for remembering Allen's alma mater this morning. I filled that one in without even thinking twice. Matter of fact, most of the puzzle filled itself.

Welcome back, Hahtoolah. I am so sorry to hear about your cat. But it is nice to know that it was well-cared for in the final days.

Have a nice start to the week, everyone!

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Can't seem to get to sleep. So here I am.

Nice offering, Jack! Swell write-up, CC!

Get well soon, Argyle!

Still watching the Encore presentations of the Bond movies. Who is your favorite Bond?

Cheers!

fermatprime said...

So sorry about the kitty, Hahtoolah.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jack McInturff, for a swell Monday puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the fine review.

C.C., yes, as others have said, the right characters are cut off. No right side margin.

C.C., Yes, I am still reading Mila 18. I am about 2/3 through it. Long book, but good. Sad story, however, about the invasion of Poland in 1939. The Jewish people were treated horribly. It is a good history of what happened during those times.

Argyle: The best to you. Get well soon!

To the puzzle. Got through it easily. Held off on writing the E after URSA, just in case they wanted an S. KENNEL fixed that.

Got up early this morning, before the paper came. Tried Cruciverb, no cigar. Paper was not here yet, so I printed mine from the Trib site.

I was hoping for no inkblots, but I went to write MNO for 34D and wrote it under 30D by mistake. So, I have an inkblot.

As mentioned earlier, URIS was easy. I am reading him now.

Theme was easy.

RECHARGE is what we do now with all these gadgets we carry around. I ran my phone down a few times and bought a portable battery that I can use to recharge my phone when I am out. Works great. I just have to remember to put it in my pocket.

Supposed to be 91 later today.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(clinhe)

Middletown Bomber said...

fairly straight forward puzzle can't say if it was a speed run or not as my puzzle wigged out when I was 90% done and I had to start over. CC as of 750edt your blog is shifted a little to the right on the main page I have yet to check out my blog pages. My gut tells me it is a google problem as they normally screw things up occasionally so that their employees can get paid for actually working.

Middletown Bomber said...

CC:

My blog which I have updated most recently has the same problem as your blog.

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

Bomber,
Glad I'm not alone. Drove me nuts this morning.

Hahtoola,
I'm so sorry to hear the bad news.

Spitzboov et al,
I just applied the new Template. Have a look. It'll be strange for a few days, but we'll have to get used to it. Blogger software changed, so we had to adjust. Otherwise, the content would suffer.

Avg Joe said...

I first looked at the site on the IPad, and it was cut off. Just opened it on the PC and the new template is working. Looks a lot different, but the text is all there.

Fun puzzle, no problems other than changing Ten of to Ten to, but no major issues.

I'm very sorry to hear about your cat Hahtollah.

And I hope you get back on your feet soon, Argyle.

Yellowrocks said...

CC, I see no problem with the blog. It is larger and centered, and nothing is cut off on my screen.
Argyle, I wish you all the best of health and a good outcome.
Hahtoolah, so sorry to hear about your kitty. It is especially hard to have it happen while you are away.
Boomer, even if you know you are just fine, please do CC a big favor and get yourself checked out by a Doc. Then she will stop worrying. You owe her the peace of mind this will give.
Hectic morning. Gotta go.

HeartRx said...

C.C. the new look is quite nice...but it would be nice if you didn't have to go through hoops to keep up with Blogger's shenanigans!!

Dennis said...

And even nicer if they'd give a heads-up when they were making a change, rather than just dropping it on everyone.

River Doc said...

Happy Monday everybody!

Not much to say about the puzzle – very straightforward. So I’ll just HUSH….

Other than to say I do my best cussin’ while behind the wheel, STUCK in traffic….

C.C. – about 3 hours ago I had the right margin “issue,” it is now fixed (I use Chrome).

Hahtoolah – very sorry for your loss….

Barry G. said...

tewall: Welcome to the blog! To answer your question, no theme is officially provided the puzzles except for Sunday. The folks who post the blog each day make up their own theme description, which is just one of the many reasons we love them so much.

Hahtoola: Very, very sorry to hear about your cat. Again, there but for the grace, etc., as my long-time feline companion is getting very close to the end of his lifespan.

Anonymous T said...

G' Morning all...

Easy peasie (sp?) Monday. Thanks Jack and C.C.

Hahtoolah - sorry to hear about your pet kitty.

Hand up for TEN of. BRET @10d needed 4 perps and only WAG was at 42d ASTER or ASTaR. I got the vowel right!

Argyle - get well soon.

I'll play later tonight, but big day ahead in the meantime.

Have a great Monday all. -T

AnnieB8491 said...

Good Morning All - Haven't been here in a while - so much to do, so little time. Between babysitting, other family duties and doing the puzzle in the paper, I usually don't get to a computer until later in the day, and I must admit I am HOOKED on candy crush!! - is there a CC Anonymous? lol I do check in occasionally, but commenting with my iphone is not my most favorite thing to do.
Thanks Jack for a fun and easy puzzle and CC for your great write-up. Easy Peasy for me today. Started in NW and worked to SE pretty easily, then filled in SW and NE. I was pretty confident 10D was either Bret or Bart, completing the corner solved that minor dilemma. Only write over was EEL over Gar. My son once caught a Gar while visiting friends in Florida - one long ugly fish.
Loved the Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood - but
then I love ALL movies with Clint Eastwood :).
So sorry about your cat Hahtollah - always very hard to lose cherished family member.

AnnieB8491 said...

Wishing you a quick recovery Argyle. As a diabetic I know how dangerous foot problems can be. Glad you are being sensible about taking care of your problem. I will be in your neck of the woods this weekend running the Palio 5K, along with 7 members of my family - 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 2 sisters and my brother-in-law. This will be my 9th race since April of 2012 (1 - 10K, 2 - 8K's, 5 - 5K's). Not too shabby for a 64 yr. old. :)

I did notice the different view of the write-up section of the blog, as well as the comment section being on the bottom of the page instead of top right as it used to be. Figured it was just a new layout I hadn't seen before.

Have a great day everyone!

iodaide

TTP said...

WEES. Thanks Jack. Thanks CC. Get well soon Argyle. Hahtoolah, I empathize.

Bret and Bart Maverick

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. C.C. - good pinch hitting. I like the way the main blog looks.

Hahtoolah - Sorry to hear about the loss of your dear cat.

Argyle - Hope you mend well and get home soon. Bummer.

Enjoyed Jack's puzzle today. Quickly got the theme with QUIET…… and SILENT. Bret Maverick was played by James Garner. Easy solve, no searches or strikethroughs needed

Have a good day..

CrossEyedDave said...

Get well soon Argyle.

Hahtoolah, sorry to hear of your loss.

Hmm,, AND a new Blog format. It is tough to find anything funny to go with the theme on Mondays like this.


or maybe I should just go with this...

Qli said...

I always worry, when a site looks different, whether something malicious is involved. glad to hear it's not just my computer.

Enjoyed this puzzle. my favorite was Latin bears; A picture popped into my head of a bear with Ricardo Montalban's accent!

I used one of those Halo chargers on the plane when my Kindle ran down. Nice to have in your carryon.

Sorry to hear about Argyle; hope he is better soon. and condolences to Hahtoolah over the loss of her cat.

desper-otto said...

Good morning, what's left of it. I'm late to the party today. DW's out of town for a few weeks, so I had "chores" to do.

The puzzle was a speed run, though I fell into that TEN OF / TEN TO trap. I've never seen "Whoops" with that meaning, just "Oops" -- slowed me down a tad.

Every year I contribute to my ROTH IRA (as much as DW's income permits), and also convert part of my regular IRA to ROTH. Anybody else playing that shuffle game, trying to stay ahead of the tax man?

Argyle, best of luck with the foot. Hahtoolah, sorry to hear about your furry friend.

More chores....

Montana said...

Hope you are up and about, soon, Argyle. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Hahtoolah, sorry about your cat. Two family members have recently lost 20 & 22 year old cats. It is difficult.

CC, I love to start the day with a crossword followed by wise descriptions from others. Thanks for this blog. Sorry it has to cause you problems at times.

Yes, I live in BIG SKY COUNTRY. That has been one of the nicknames for my state. Now, I think the prefered one is "Last Best Place."

I must admit that I welcomed the 'glitch' with Cruciverb this morning. I will be traveling next week, and I want it to work while I am in the air, on the road, or wherever. It seems to work about a month at a time.

BTW, the new format on the iPad is IMPRESSIVE looking. No problems on my computer, but it does look different.

Have a good day, everyone,
Montana

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

A peaceful, easy Monday from Jack Mac. Because of Cruciverb, I did the puzzle on the LA Times site again (using a PC) and, as ever, I just don't like the interface. The iPad version is smoother and more natural.

Morning C.C., thanks for pinch hitting. Always like your style, and Tartar brought a smile! By the time I logged on the format looked well-behaved on Explorer.

Argyle, if you're listening, get well soon.

Tewall 5:50 - Welcome aboard! I asked that same question here when I first found the Corner, about 4 years ago. Stick around!

Hahtoolah - Sorry to hear about the loss of your cat. I have had cats all my life, and have had to say goodbye to so many. I know of the sadness. I hope that the attachment we humans develop toward our little animals is proof of our basic good-ness.

Anonymous said...

Good morning everyone.

AnnieBB491: If you enlarge your screen while on the blog over farther to the right, you will find the place to comment there.

Argyle: As with all of us here I hope your foot improves. I agree it's a bummer.

Hatoolah: Sorry about your cat. It's so hard to lose a pet.

Ten to: I was tutoring a HS student who asked the time. I answered twenty to nine, and she said she didn't know what that meant. That was years ago, and I blamed it on seeing time always as it is on computers, phones, etc. It is more useful to know it's twenty minutes before the hour than to know 8:40 and have to figure out how much time is left before class is over.

The puzzle was a wonderful one for Monday, which I like!

Cheers

Misty said...

I love Jack Mac puzzles and this QUIET, SILENT speed run was particularly delightful on a Monday morning. C.C., what a morning you've had, stepping in for Argyle and having to deal with a blog change. But it all looks fine to me, here in California. Hope you have a more restful day, after a bit.

I'm not a sportie, as you all know, but I got both MONICA and BAMA right off the bat. How cool is that?

My only truly silly moment came when I thought I remembered the Clinton cat as SHOES rather than SOCKS. Hey, not totally illogical, is it?

Speaking of kitties, how sad that you lost yours so suddenly, Hahtoolah. So painful. My heart goes out to you.

Argyle, so sorry to hear about the hospitalization. Take good care of yourself--we're all thinking about you.

Lovely ASTERs, C.C.--thank you for the pic.

Have a great week, everybody1pobjudi

Anonymous said...

No comments about the white house connection with Socks and Monica?

PK said...

Hi Y'all! ONO need to cry UNCLE today you KNOW with Jack Mac's fun & quick piece. Thanks! For some reason, I got hung up a bit on BAMA (I tried to start with the Ala & got red letters). Then couldn't think of any "B" soups except Borscht. Finally got it.

I missed you Hahtoolah and wondered if you were traveling. Too bad about the kitty.

Get well, Argyle! We miss you! Thanks for filling in C.C. Where on earth is that stoned lady?

I read "Mila 18" in 1963. It had a profound affect on me at age 22. Such evil!

BillG: thanks for the Boogie Woogie finals last night which I found when I woke up earlier than I wanted to and needed the good cheering-up with dance. I wish my knees and feet would still let me dance like that. I didn't have a weight problem when I could.

Lucina said...

Good day, friends! How great to see you on a Monday, C.C.! Though I'm sorry to hear about Argyle. I'll utter a SILENT PRAYER for his rapid recovery.

The main blog page looks different but everything is in place. Thanks for your hard work, C.C.

Jack McInturff is surely versatile, from a torturous Saturday to a playful Monday puzzle.

This took very little time to solve. It filled almost magically one after another going across and verifying with the downs. Only one write over as I started 33D SLOPPY but then OPINES loomed near and that changed it to SLIPSHOD.

Chuckled at Tartar!

Shout out to Montana at Big SKY country!

Hahtoolah, I'm so sorry about your kitty. It's so hard to lose a pet.

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!

Bill G. said...

Hi CC and all. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Very easy and enjoyable.

Best wishes for Argyle. I hope things are looking up by now.

Hahtoolah, I'm sorry about your cat.

Yes the blog looks different. I don't know what you may have had to do to fix everything but it looks fine now; maybe even better. The old appearance was pretty clunky and drab.

The local weather is cooler. Thanks for that.

The damn Dodgers have now lost four in a row. I just know they're going to blow it in the games at the end of the year and the post-season.

Lemonade714 said...

Wow, turn around and the world is spinning; first my best wishes and prayers to Argyle for a speedy and complete recovery. C.C. awesome job reacting to the insanity that is foisted on all bloggers; as Dennis said, a few days notice is not too much to ask, as they make money off the blogs. Hahtoolah, you were blessed with a creature to love, and while it is never easy to lose a friend and loved one, being out of town may have made it easier, as it did me when my Siamese died years ago.

The puzzle was a true speed run, a classic Monday and Jack Mac.

tewall welcome

f., Sean Connery will always be Bond; the character Daniel Craig plays is very entertaining, but he is not Bond. It is like Robert Downey Jr.'s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes, the movies are fun, but they are not Holmes.

Steve said...

Get well soon, Argyle.

Hahtoolah – very sorry.

Tewall - welcome! Keep coming back!

WBS and WCEDS

Dudley said...

What Lemon said. About Bond and Holmes.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. No need to back slowly away from this coffee drinker this morning. What with a neat-o, fun puzzle with a taciturn theme, interesting writeup, and friendly comments by you all, it is shaping up to be a fine morning.

Qli, congratulations on your son's engagement! So glad he he picked a wonderful girl. (Our son did, too.)

Hahtoolah, sorry the loss of your cat happened while you were out of town. (That happened last month with our son, too!)

The new blog format looks nice: new font, coloring, and those silhouettes of flying birds across the top are a nice touch.

Ten of, ten to, ten til ...

That Maverick guy had to be Bret or Bart, decided by the perps. Same with ursas/ursae.

My favorite Bond is the one played by Daniel Craig, who apparently will not be calling someone, maybe.

desper-otto, every year LW and I have had to do the calculations to determine whether we were eligible to contribute to our Roth IRA or were constrained to contributing to out traditional IRA. It's a pain in the patoot to have to deal with the overly complex tax laws. If they don't get you one way they'll get you another way.

Best wishes to you all.

Irish Miss said...

Hi Everyone:

First things first: Best wishes to Argyle for a speedy recovery and release from the hospital. Sincere sympathy to Hatoolah on the loss of your kitty. And to dear CC, appreciation for your patience and tireless efforts keeping this blog on the right track.

Thanks, Mr. Mc Inturff, for an easy-breezy start to the week. Only write-over was prank before trick. Fav clue was Cowboys and Indians. Clear and concise, expo, CC.

Misty, you really hit my funny bones with shoes instead of sock!

Completely off topic but every now and then I find myself reading an obituary of a total stranger, just out of curiosity. Usually, it's because the write-up is so lengthy, I think the person must have led a very full and interesting life and I'd like to read about it. Well, yesterday, I was drawn to this particular one because the man was only 63, yet in his photo, he looked so much older and of another era.

It was one of the oddest obits I have ever read. Here are some examples: "He loved lighthouses and dachshunds.". "From age 14', Alan had a haunting, otherworldly air about him; he spent his life as a walker between worlds, neither dead nor alive. He would have done well living in a "beehive stone hut" in Ireland on Skellig Michael (monastery), or working as an 1800's lighthouse keeper."

It goes on to mention the people precious to him who died before him: the love of his life, his grandfather, and an aunt who was a nun. Then, this jaw-dropper: Alan's sister said, "If Alan and I had stuck together as Hansel and Gretel did, we would have been OK. We didn't, and we weren't.", followed by, "His mother was not among those he held dear."

On a happier note, have a great Monday.

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

Oh no, I lost the LA Times Crossword Blog header. Big space above the Monday post. Man!

creature said...

CC all appears fine on the blog. Hope Boomer gets checked---why not?

Hahtoolah thinking of you at this sad time. Love.

Argyle, daily updates, please. Love and worry.

In perusing the comments, I see such goodness and caring from you wonderful bloggers. And I personally know what it means to be on the receiving end of such love.

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

Irish Miss et al,
Do you see big blank space also? I've been fiddling with the Template all morning. But I forgot to save my last one.

Jayce said...

Yep, a screen and a half of emptiness (except for the birds) at the top of the writeup.

JD said...

Good morning C.C.
All looks good on the blog, but then I'm a tad later than most.

A nice Monday puzzle, Jack. I liked the theme.Rothira was my only unknown. Just had to wag 1 letter to complete it.

Hahtoolah, so sorry about the loss of your beloved cat.

Argyle, hope you didn't wait and that you'll be healed in no time.

Annie, love your avatar with the grand kids.

CC, I did check on Clint's story. It seems he has been dating the X wife of his wife's friend. Lately she has been seen with the X husband.The Eastwoods seem to talk well of each other.

Enjoy your day.

creature said...

CC, yes Jayce is right. I missed that by not going to top No Crossword Corner heading. Birds are fun.

Sorry about your hard day, CC. Wish I were sharp enough to make a difference. Thanks for it all.

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

Jayce & Creature,
Thanks for the quick feedback. I suspect it's a Blogger glitch. Same things happened when I tried to make a change in Ginger Roots blog.

D-Otto & Jayce and others,
The blog heading is still there in your cell phone right?

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, A fast easy puzzle today. I was done in less than 20 minutes which is really fast for me.

I loved the theme, and the last theme answer I filled in without any crosses, after I had Quiet and Unspoken in for the first two.

Good thoughts are winging across the country for Argyle's quick homecoming.

There is a big empty space above the first comment by you C.C. However, there is a flock of birds at the beginning of the empty space screen. Other than that things look ok.

Hatoolah, I'm so sorry about your cat. Pets are like family and I know she will be missed.

Have a great day everyone.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

2:00 my time, ans still seeing the beig empty space up top. Is that our big sky country?

Gloomy today in small sky Michigan.

Did the puzzle a couple of hours ago. Tried the Mensa site with criciverb off duty again. Found that they have the same awful presentation as the LA Times site.

Anyway, I think it was a good puzzle. I've already forgotten.

Hatoolah - really sorry about your pet.

Aryle - take care and get well quick

Cool regards!
JzB

Jazzbumpa said...

Oh - I should add that my blogs look the same as always today.

I use three different templates, and all seem ok.

Cheers!
JzB

Tinbeni said...

C.C. Great 'Pinch-hitting' ... the birds (at the top) look nice.
Argyle: Get well soon!
Hahtoolah: Sorry for your loss.

Jack: Thank you for a FUN Monday offering. Enjoyed all the 'K's' in the grid.

A 'toast' to ALL at Sunset.
Cheers!!!

Lucina said...

C.C.:
I saw what others describe, a large empty space with only a few birds. I thought for sure the Blog was gone until I scrolled down and there it was!

Thank you for all you do to keep the Blog functioning.

Irish Miss said...

CC - 2:15 my time and empty space on top still there.

Vidwan827 said...

Argyle, my prayers and sincere good wishes for you, for an early and good recovery and continued happiness.

Hahtoolah, may I offer my sympathies for your recent loss. I hope god gives you the strength to bear the pain.

C.C. - continued thanks for maintaining the blog under such pressure and holding up the blog. Really enjoyed reading it. I too, see a blank page, and a flock of birds .... I thought that was related to the theme. I wouldn't worry too much, though.

Mr. McInturff, , thank you very much, for a relatively easy and a very enjoyable puzzle.

Have a great day, and a great week, all you all.

Husker Gary said...

I had to scroll down four screens below a flock of birds to get to the write-up. Sheldon Cooper and Felix Unger would be apoplectic!

Musings
-Texas and USC fans are in MOURNing after their talent rich schools got beat
-“UNCLE” is now “Tap Out” in MMA
-Our TEAMS were shirts and skins except when we played outside in the winter or girls wanted to join in
-Getting SOAKED on a theme park ride
-ETHER parties were big in the 1840’s and got used medically when it was clear no one felt any pain
-Does anyone KNOW who the good and bad guys are in the Mideast?
-My friend always told his kids his GPA was a 3.9 but did not tell them it was when UNL was on a 9 point scale
-ABC Ducks, MNO Ducks, OSAR
-B List performers who live on in our world – ARTE, RAE, ONO, ESAI, et al
-How did they REEL IN this monster EEL?
-IOWA?? Do they play football on that side of the Missouri River?
-Connery. Sean Connery!
-Get better, Argyle!

ARBAON said...

I LOVE Mondays...I can do ALL the puzzles! The only pauses this one gave me was which Maverick and when chowder wouldn`t fit, couldn`t think of bisque (which is also a color...for future xword clues.)
I also had an expanse of green with birds in flight.

Argyle, once you were my knight in shining armor, when the blog spooked me...and so...you will always be. Please get well quickly, Sir Argyle!

Jayce said...

The blog looks great on my iPhone. Haven't checked to see how it looks on the Kindle Fire.

ARBAON said...

"the only pauses WERE!"

Tinbeni said...

Husker: Nice picture of an Oar fish!

"Birds of the West Indies" Written by ornithologist; Bond, James Bond.

LaLaLinda said...

Hi Everyone ~~

I enjoyed today's puzzle and as with most of you, finished with no problems. C.C., you've been busy! Despite Blogger issues, you always come through for us. Thanks for the write-up ~ enjoyed your comments. I'm glad Boomer will be taking it easy and I hope it will ease your mind just a bit.

Argyle ~ wishing you a speedy recovery. You are missed here on the Corner and we look forward to your return.

Hahtoolah ~ I became teary reading your post. I am so sorry. I know I will be in a similar situation in the not too distant future. Our emotional attachment to our kitties is so strong ~ letting go is very difficult. You will be in my thoughts.

Dennis said...

I don't have a blank space at the top; I've got lots of naked women at the top of the screen.

Oh damn, sorry -- wrong blog.

Yeah, this one's just for the birds at the top.

desper-otto said...

C.C., I get the birds and then lotsa blank space below them on both my PC and on my tablet. Both are using the Chrome browser. I did think the blog was broken until I scrolled down.

Lemon, I guess you're saying that you can never go Holmes again.

Jayce, I hope you meant that your son lost a pet while he was away from home, and not that you lost a son while he was away from home!

desper-otto said...

That fixed it, C.C. The birds are gone, but the header is back and it's no longer necessary to scroll down to "find" the blog.

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

D-Otto,
I reversed back to the old format as a last resort, thinking I would again deal with the right edge word truncation. But the problem early this morning seems to be miraculously cured.

Stupid Blogger glitch. The Header button still does not work though.

Husker Gary said...

-Tin, I have never heard of an Oarfish but that picture came up when I searched for giant EELS and looked right to me. I saw giant EELS being caught on the Animal Planet's River Monsters and here is host Jeremy Wade being attacked by flesh –ripping EELS (2:41) until he is smart enough to get out of the river. Thanks for the clarification.

Lucina said...

C.C.:
You are a genius! A problem like that would have stymied me completely. Thank you, again, for all you do.

Jayce said...

Frankly I like the good ol' original format. Familiar, like warm pajamas.

Without quoting the dictionary, which you can look up for yourselves, I just want to say that to me SLIPSHOD means more like poor workmanship rather that hurried workmanship, whereas slapdash means hastily and carelessly done. Of course, a job done in a slapdash manner could easily result in the result being slipshod. My 2 cents.

Is this a great blog or what!

Jayce said...

desper-otto, yes, that is what I meant :)

Anonymous said...

I am a born again believer and I am saved by the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. An unspoken prayer request is one that someone in our congregation would give to the other believers to pray with them about that is personal and not something that one wants to share the details. It's something personal but God knows, so we just ask God for that person's request be answered according to His will.

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

All right guys, problem solved! Google glitch. They gave all those affected a weird Header patch code, now our blog is as good as old.

Marge said...

Hi all,
When I first looked at the blog this mornng it was weird but when I came back now it is normal thank goodness.

Jack, I really liked your puzzle and got most of it. SE corner was hardest. Thank you for a pleasent morning.

C.C. I enjoyed your comments. You are so good at what you do. I never do the Sunday puzzles so seldom read your posts. The Sunday puzzles come on Wed. and the NYT come on Sun. They are too hard.

Hatoolah, our last cat died when we were gone too and my Nephew who came out to feed him found him. It was strange when we came home to not have the cat greeting us at the door. We decided not to have anymore pets as we travel fairly often.

I have not read Mila, but several months ago I read the book 'Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies' by Ben Macintyre. It told about all the spies and their role in planning the D-Day invasion. It was very good ( and long).

Have a good evening all!
Marge

Bill G. said...

Olio:

The blog looks back to the old format now. I'm sorry for CC's problems but I thought the new format looked pretty nice. CC, are there other formats to choose from like the one you use on Ginger Roots? Or the one JzB uses?

It will always be Sean Connery for me. As Lemon said, the new Sherlock Holmes don't cut it either. I thought Basil Rathbone was perfect. However, I could never figure out how a smart guy like Sherlock could put up with a bumbler like Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. I didn't think they meshed well at all.

I'm not sure how smart Jeremy Wade is to have stayed in the river with those flesh-eating eels as long as he did.

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

Creature,
Your appearance here is always a big comfort to me.

Jayce,
I'm forgetting that Maybe guy :-)

Bill,
I can shift to new format if others want to, now that I get the patch code. And I saved a copy of my work on the new Template this morning.

Let me have your opinion, everyone. New or Old?

Old Man said...

My opinion?

I think live music is better, bumper stickers should be issued.

Yellowrocks said...

I enjoying the changing of the seasons here in the Northeast. It produces a wide enchanting variety of scenery. Each month has its own special charm.

SEPTEMBER by: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

The golden-rod is yellow; The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards With fruit are bending down.

The gentian’s bluest fringes Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest, In every meadow nook;
And ASTERs by the brook-side Make ASTERs in the brook.

From dewy lanes at morning The grapes’ sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather, And autumn’s best of cheer.

But none of all this beauty Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret Which makes September fair.

‘T is a thing which I remember;To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September I never can forget.

Spitzboov said...

C.C. - Being an amateur Luddite, I vote for Old.


Welcome aboard to Tewall

Anonymous said...

A Monday puzzle. I get to feel smart again! Thank you, Mr. McInturff. A fun start to the day.

C.C., thank you for everything you do: blog regularly and pinch hit, solve the problems Google throws at you, construct. The blog and comments are a fun part of my day, even when I don't do the puzzle.

Argyle: best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Hatoolah: you have my sympathy. Unfortunately, this is the price we have to pay for the years of love and companionship our pets give us.

Have a good week, everyone.

Pat

Chickie said...

C.C. Thank you for your perseverance. The blog is back to normal for me. I know that it was a headache for you, but I did enjoy all of your comments today. I like the old format best, though.

We are leaving for our grandson's wedding on Thursday. We'll be in Ojai where our dear CA lived for many years. She and I always talked about this little town as something we had in common.

Bill G. said...

I am usually a Luddite too but I liked the new format much better (though I wish it hadn't caused stress for CC). I always enjoy looking at Ginger Roots or JzB's Retirement Pastels or ??? because their format looks more open and airy. My vote would be for something more like them. Now that you've got the hang of it, would it be a lot of trouble to change formats knowing you could change back easily?

Since changing to Verizon FIOS, my download speed has gone from fast to blazing. Depending on which Internet speed test I use, my download speed is either 17000 Kbps or 80 Mbps

I miss ClearAyes...

And I'm glad to see Creature back. Excellent!

Yellowrocks said...

Jayce, I agree that slapdash is a closer synonym to haphazard than slipshod. My thesaurus lists slapdash in the first tier of relevance, but slipshod is there in the second tier. I find many x-word answers are in the second tier of relevance, so I just accept it.
CC, I am in awe of all you do to keep this blog alive and fun. You construct, you blog, you substitute blog, you keep track of all our personal interests, you put up with all the computer glitches and mechanics. You are fantastic and I thank you so very much.

Don said...

Don here.
Since I mostly come late in the morning to solve , and many folks have already expressed "my" opinion, I rarely have anything substantive to add.

Many times, for unfathomable reasons, changes in format are made to familiar (and comfortable) formats; "Hotmail" or "Google" EMail formats most recently, for example. Most changes seem to be made for the sake of change, with no discernible advantages over the previous versions (except to perhaps satisfy the ego of some new administrator, who because of a recent promotion, think they must make their mark on a perfectly satisfactory "status Quo"

I vote to keep things the way they are, unless there is some overwhelming advantage to changing things. Guess that reflects my advanced stage in life.

Nice easy puzzle today, no comments.

Thanks, CC for your efforts to keep us all entertained and informed through many problems.

I am not sure your switch to rooting for my Pirate team has helped matters. They promptly lost four in a row after you announced your support.... Please go back to rooting for the Twins :-)

Anonymous said...

I liked the blog better back the old df days with commenters like Lois, Wolfmom, Buckeye and Bob. Oh...wait....that wasn't your question.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 6:34 and what is your sparkling contribution to the current blog?

TTP said...

Irish Miss @ 12:23,
Probably secret messaging amongst spies...

Don,
Welcome. The apple cart may have been upset and team chemistry may have taken a hit. A clutch hit early on by Morneau could have been all the difference. Unless he goes on a tear, he won't be with the team next year.

I'm hoping that he starts smacking the ball around and the team sees him as a credible addition.

Irish Miss said...

TTP @ 6:51 - I'm not sure if you are serious or are joking? (-:

TTP said...

Irish Miss,

I am serious. If Morneau doesn't start hitting, his career as a Pittsburgh Pirate will be over.

Manac said...

TTP @8:18
Too funny!

TTP said...

Oh, DUH ! She wasn't talking about the Pirates acquisition of Morneau ! Time for me to call it an evening.

Hahtoolah said...

Thank you all for your kind words about my cat. We were lucky to have her for 15 years. She was such a friendly little critter. Her "sister" is 19.

Chickie said...

Yellowrocks, I forgot to thank you for the September poem. I think September is my favorite month--even though my birthday falls at a different time of the year.

September is always a month for many new beginnings. The beginning of school, which is always exciting. I opened school for over 55 years--first as a student, then a teacher. I loved seeing all the children come in with shiny new shoes, and new outfits. They also had shining faces and filled me with excitement meeting them for the first time.

We also get back to our fall and winter routine. I love sleeping in, and having all that daylight in the summer, but our routine is all shot to heck! I'm a creature of habit I'm afraid.

Anonymous T said...

C.C. The look of the blog isn't that important to me its the content and function.

That said, I am inspired by YRs poem. Maybe seasonal themes :-) September for Fall, Frost's Dust of Snow, etc... I'm sure YR has a stock of them.

Thanks all for the correct spelling of Peasy :-)

Cheers, -T

Anonymous T said...

Anyone watching the Texan's / Charger's game? I'm trying to get a presentation ready, but I can't believe the Texans have come back from 3TDS back at the 1/2. 2 min in the 4th left. -T