google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 C.C. Burnikel and D. Scott Nichols

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Oct 1, 2013

Tuesday, October 1, 2013 C.C. Burnikel and D. Scott Nichols

Theme: hold the phone - A homophone begins each of the theme entries.

17A. Most populous city in South Dakota : SIOUX FALLS

19A. Second-in-command in the kitchen : SOUS CHEF

36A. Michigan or Ontario city on the same border river : SAULT STE. MARIE


57A. Canal passage connecting Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes : SOO LOCKS

59A. "W is for Wasted" mystery author : SUE GRAFTON (Note from C.C.: Rich updated this clue. Our original is: Author of "V" Is for Vengeance. )

Rabbit, rabbit. Argyle here with one of the best puzzles of all year. (What bias?) There are other eight letter entries beside the two theme entries but they are in the vertical columns. Rich changed some clues but I'm unclear if it was to make it harder or easier. It may be so it fits better with following puzzles.

Across:

1. 2012 Ben Affleck political thriller : "ARGO"

5. Organizes by date, say : SORTS

10. Is able to : CAN

13. Former Defense secretary Panetta : LEON


14. Came into play : AROSE

15. "Mission: Impossible" theme composer Schifrin : LALO


16. Novelist Tyler : ANNE. Bio LINK (born in Minnesota)

21. Demean : ABASE

22. Baby goat : KID

23. Legged it : RAN

24. Mercedes rival : BMW

26. Bus. get-together : MTG. Business meeting.

27. Sharp ridge : ARÊTE

29. Adman's connection : TIE IN. Like McDonald toys and the latest kid's movie.

31. Digital camera battery, often : AAA

32. Legal thing : RES

34. Hoops gp. : NBA. (National Basketball Association)

35. Superficially cultured : ARTY

40. Unit of cotton : BALE

41. Carry a balance : OWE

42. Yeats' land: Abbr. : IRE. William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet.

43. Land parcel : LOT

44. Continental border range : URALS

46. Last Supper query : "IS IT I?"

50. Unbarred, to a bard : OPE

51. Fall mo. : SEP.

52. Marlins' div. : NL-E. 25D. Home of baseball's Marlins : MIAMI

54. ISP option : MSN. Internet service provider / The Microsoft Network; stylized as MSN

55. Indian dresses : SARIs

62. Margin jotting : NOTE

63. Gymnast Korbut : OLGA

64. Part of BYOB : BOOZE. (or bottle or beverage or ???)

65. Price : COST

66. Low in the lea : [MOO!]. Verb low.

67. Betsy Ross, famously : SEWER. This clue was changed from 'Waste water pipe' to change the 'su' sound to 'so'.

68. Lodge group : ELKS

Down:

1. "North to the Future" state : ALASKA. State motto adopted in 1967.

2. Pierre-Auguste of impressionism : RENOIR

'Claude Monet Painting in his Garden at Argenteuil' by Renoir

3. Take it all off : GO NUDE. The way Pierre-Auguste liked many of his models.

4. Small bills : ONEs

5. Barack's younger daughter : SASHA

6. "Murder on the __ Express" : ORIENT

7. Ski rack site : ROOF

8. Lone Star State sch. : TSU. (Texas Southern University)( How many jumped on TCU?)

9. Gender : SEX

10. Ristorante squid : CALAMARI

11. "Good Hands" company : ALLSTATE

12. Bouquet of flowers : NOSEGAY

15. Chem class requirement : LAB

18. Baby deer : FAWN

20. Fishing basket : CREEL

24. Neuwirth of "Cheers" : BEBE


28. "You're right" : "TRUE"

30. Very big maker of very little chips : INTEL

33. Mall unit : STORE

35. "Iliad" war god : ARES

36. Home to millions of Brazilians : SAO PAULO

37. Half a superhero's identity : ALTER EGO

38. Switch : SWAP

39. Animated mermaid : ARIEL. Spawned a plethora of "tie-ins".

40. Open, as a bud : BLOSSOM

44. KGB country : USSR

45. Take a nap : SNOOZE

47. "No worries, man" : "I'M COOL"

48. "Shame, shame!" : "TSK! TSK!"

49. Detailed map windows : INSETs

53. Recluse : LONER

56. Franchised supermarket brand : IGA. (Independent Grocers Alliance)

57. Put away : STOW

58. Almost never : ONCE

60. Sit-up targets : ABs

61. Opponent : FOE


Argyle

Note from C.C.:

D. Scott Nichols is Argyle's real name. I got the theme idea from reading Argyle's 48-Across comment here. We had fun making this puzzle and hope you enjoyed our work.

Argyle the Great Scott, 2011

85 comments:

OwenKL said...

No matter what you ask, or sue, sir,
This limerick ain't worth a sou, sir,
...Nor a continental buck
...Because, curse the luck,
Sixty-seven across isn't "sewer!"

Continentals were in use during the same narrow period when Betsy was doing her thing. Another easy one, though Soo Locks I knew only because I had to learn it for another puzzle just a couple weeks ago.

Thanks for all the nice things you folks are saying about my little ditties. My fragile ego is really boosted by them, and I want to tell all of you that I really like the lively discussions you all bring to this blog, too! I really feel at home here, and coming to love each of you! <3

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Really fun theme today. I have to admit, though, that I never knew that SAULT was pronounced the same as "SOO". Live and learn.

I tore through this puzzle like nobody's business, but then had to spend an extra 2-3 minutes trying to track down an error when I didn't get the *TADA* at the end. Finally found it at 31A where I had put in AAS instead of AAA. I can undertsand the typo, but not why it took me so long to find. NOSEGSY?

[ignmewi]

Middletown Bomber said...

Nice Puzzle great write up (but I guess it is easier when it is already your puzzle to begin with) Never knew that "Sault" meant "rapids" well any day you learn something new is a good day.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning Constructor and Commentator, Argyle! Fun puzzle! I had learned about the SOO LOCKS from a previous puzzle, but didn't realize how close they were to SAULT STE. MARIE.

A friend of mine recently moved to the North to the Future of ALASKA. She is experience quite a cultural and climate shock after having lived in Louisiana most of her life.

QOD: Reading is like the sex act ~ done privately, and often in bed. ~ Daniel J. Boorstin (Oct. 1, 1914 ~ Feb. 28, 2004)

[horotask]

HeartRx said...

Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

How fun that you get to write up your own puzzle! I had SIOUX FALLS and SOUS CHEF and realized what the theme was going to be. But then I got to SAULT and said "wait a minute - that can't be right?!" But of course, it was right - I forgot that SAULT is pronounced as "SOO" (glad to see you got those in, too!)

It shows the level of detail that goes into editing these crosswords, that RIch changed the clue for SEWER so that it did not interfere with the theme.

I loved how NOSEGAY and BLOSSOM were symmetrical to each other. CALMARI is one of my favorite appetizers when we go out. Nice long entries like that to balance out the theme made a really fun solving experience. Thanks you two!

creature said...

This theme is a delight and a learning lesson for me:SOO LOCKS.
I felt soo excited to see the constructors. Another first and a cool Tuesday.

OwenKL, quite an insightful play on words!

Thanks CC and Argyle. More..More..

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Rabbit, rabbit!

Great puzzle, CC and Argyle! Swell write-up, was a bit surprised that author was Argyle also.

Hand up for TcU! But changed quickly.

Enjoyed The Blacklist again!

Cheers!

Lemonade714 said...

White rabbit, white rabbit.

Sue me, but I loved this puzzle. Congratulations Argyle.

ARGO, two Miami references and fun words like CALAMARI ALTER EGO and BLOSSOM, in a Tuesday. Great.

Sue Grafton' s W is not one of her best. Anyone read it?

Happy October all

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Congrats, Argyle on what I think is your second collaboration. Is that right? Well done, and becoming less rare. It was just right for Tuesday fare.

I didn't think TCU for even a second. I immediately inked in TEX, having totally missed the "sch" in the clue.

I am surprised that you New Englanders, plus an honorary New Englander who went to school in Maine, didn't know about the SOO/SAULT connection. They're called the SOO LOCKS because they're at SAULT STE MARIE.

I got NOSEGAY only from books and cw's. I've never heard anybody actually say the word.

Dudley said...

Rabbit Rabbit

Hello Puzzlers -

Smooth solve today, no speed bumps, and what fun to have another collaboration from the other dynamic duo - thanks, you two!

Construction update: kitchen cabinets arrived (boy, you don't get much for your money), septic system is mostly done, and my life has been nothing but stain, paint, and varnish, day and night. So tired. But it's progress.

Cheers all

Hahtoolah said...

Thanks for the info on the Sault/Soo connection, DO, but why would you think New Englanders would know about this connection?

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, c.c. and Argyle (aka D. Scott Nichols), for a swell puzzle. Thank you again, Argyle, for the swell review.

How clever is this, constructor and reviewer. Great job!

OwenKL: Great limerick. I also saw your Sunday limerick a few hours ago when I went on the blog. You have a talent. So mote it be.

Liked the theme. Lots of Soo. I believe my wife has read most of the Sue Grafton books. I have read none, yet. I am reading The Plantagenents by Dan Jones now. Quite a book if you like English history.

Saw ARGO. Excellent movie.

RENOIR was a wag and I lucked out.

Our fraternal crossword favorite, ELKS. I am a member for about 40 years.

IS IT I, by Judas Iscariot.

Took me a while for INTEL. I was looking for potato chips, or corn chips. Guess that shows where my heart is.

Well, now that Tuesday's is done. I am going to hit Saturday's C.C. Puzzle.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(adswang)

Dudley said...

D Otto - Sault Ste. Marie is a pretty long way from here, but I learned about that part of the country as a little tyke, in an unlikely way: my dad had a 1950's HO-scale train set which included a boxcar painted in Soo Line colors. I still remember its logo, "Around, Not Thru, Chicago". My dad had to explain what all that meant. I must've been 6 or 7.

desper-otto said...

Hahtoolah, that area comprising the confluence of lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron is a nationally-known tourist area. It includes the Mackinac bridge and Mackinac Island State Park. That name is also pronounced oddly as Mackinaw. I've heard of Bar Harbor and Cape Cod. I just figured that New Englanders would have heard of Sault Ste Marie.

thehondohurricane said...

Hello everyone,

Thank you CC & Argyle for a pleasant journey. Got thru with only one write over. Had BRING for 64A. Snooze got me to BOOZE. Out in these parts its Bottle, not BOOZE.

Thought TSU was for Texas State. No arguing about Southern though.

Company I worked for was involved in a lot of classified work. One such program each sub-contractor was assigned a code name beginning with N. We were NOSEGAY.

Anonymous said...

Texas State I used to be Southern Texas State U where LBJ went to school

kazie said...

Like Hondo, I had to write over BRING because where I am from it's "bring your own bottle" and BRING was the only word that fit. After the perps said otherwise, I relented and all was well.

Nice collaboration of our two stalwarts today. we can definitely take more of that!

Sault is an older form that must be related to the modern French sauter = to leap, jump, and derived from Latin sultus. In English we have somersault.

Avg Joe said...

I wasn't sure when I saw the constructors names, but thought that we'd seen D. Scott before. Congratulations on another fine effort, Argyle and C.C.

Tuesday level, with plenty of good fill. Didn't catch the theme until it was complete, but appreciated both the cleverness and density when it was obvious.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Really fun puzzle today C.C. & Argyle! Thanks so much. I got the theme right away & sped through it. I filled in SEWER before reading that clue and thought it was the theme reveal.

I had contemplated a bus tour to Mackinac Island some time ago and had studied a map of the area so knew of SAULT STE MARIE and the SOO LOCKS. Didn't get to go, but the map time proved useful today.

Just finished "W for Wasted" last week and thought it was interesting. Must be hard to come up with good subjects for the same character 23 times.

So many colleges in Texas. Hand up for Tex first. Then TA&M, TCU...

Dudley, wish I could come help you finish your woodwork. I enjoyed doing that. Don't have the stamina now. It is very tiring but satisfying work in years to come. I am silently proud every time I go to my son's house and see the lovely woodwork I did.

Irish Miss said...

What a great way to begin a new month! Great job, CC and Argyle, a just right Tuesday. Hand up for bring before booze. I have heard of Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Canals, but didn't know the connection. I always though Sault was pronounced "So"; live and learn. Nice expo, Argyle.

A belated welcome to OwenKL; you start our day in a very merry way. Glad you feel at home.

Ferm - I liked the first episode of The Black List; looking forward to the DVR of the second. Am also enjoying Hostages, although I'm not sure if "enjoying" is the right word for such a tension-filled, edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Hondo, how did the MRI go? You're still with us, so you survived it, somehow.

Lemon, I haven't read Sue Grafton's latest yet, but I have read all,from A to V. If memory serves, the only one that I didn't like was N For Noose. Some were better than others, but I like Kinsey and, for the most part, the stories kept your interest.

Off to get my hair cut and then lunch with my sister, Elieen. Happy October 1st!

Tinbeni said...

Pinch, Pinch

C.C. & Argyle: Thank you for a FUN start to a new month.

My fave today (of course) was BOOZE ...
I wonder why libations are always my faves ...
Cheers!!!

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you CC and Argyle for a delightful puzzle.

Argyle, I agree, the BEST puzzle of the year ! ;-). ;-0)

I enjoyed all of it - and learnt about the Soo locks that are supposed to soo beautiful. It would interesting to find out how the natives in the two cities, across the locks, and across the border relate to each other ....

I was going to try to make a joke about where Betsy Ross would have been unfairly consigned to, until you pointed out the great and grave deliberations that went into the final coining of the clue. I still don't understand why that had to happen, but I'm sure much more sagacious minds than mine have decreed it so.

OwenKL thank you for your wonderful limericks ..... You are fantastic !

Hahtoolah, I have a book, a massive tome, by Mr. Boorstin, The Discoverers .... But I did not know he is now dead. (RIP). He had a Ph.D., actually a SJD in law, from Harvard, and was a lawyers lawyer ... And later on, the head librarian of the US library of Congress.

I hope both of you, constructors, and all of us have a wonderful day.

Yellowrocks said...

Clever puzzle today, CC and Scott. Congrats, Argyle. Now I know why you always have such knowledgeable comments about puzzle construction.This and all CC's and Marti's early week puzzles prove that early week puzzles need not be boring.
I remember SAULT because I was so surprised at its pronunciation the first time I heard it. Getting SIOUX and SAULT right off the bat gave me the theme.
I tried TCU first and then TSU. I like when there is a choice of possible entries, as opposed to cut and dried.
BYOB always indicates BOTTLE around here, so I tried BRING, but BOOZE is cool.
Abejo, I read a fascinating book about the Plantagenets, too. I don't know whether it was the same one. I find tales of the British royalty interesting, but I find it hard to keep all the many characters straight.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Smart- changing the clue for SEWER in order to keep it from confusing/ conflicting with the SOO-sound theme. I wouldn't have thought ot that.

A pleasant Tuesday-weight Xword. Got 'em all, although I don't think I'd ever heard of SOO LOCKS, so was a bit dubious about the childlike spelling. I wonder if historically it came from English speakers trying to spell SAULT?

creature said...

I forgot to mention the great photo of Argyle! Looks happy!

Who is your attractive friend? Will she join in?

Lucina said...

Hello, friends! Great Scott! And I mean that; Argyle, your production in collaboration with C.C. is great!

A fun run that was SOO enjoyable. No problems for me on SIOUXFALLS as my S-I-L is from there and like Yellowrocks, the first time I heard SAULT was surprised the pronunciation didn't match the spelling.

Hand up for BRING before BOOZE. I've only heard bring your own bottle. But I'M COOL with it.

As the Beach Boys said, it was fun, fun, fun. Thank you.

Have a delightful Tuesday, everyone!

Mari said...

Good morning everybody. Today's puzzle was soooooo nice :)

Fitting that Argyle is D.Scott Nicholas, because he looks a little like St. Nick.

I didn't know SES LALO or BEBE, but the rest fell into place nicely.

I hope you all have a great day!

Lemonade714 said...

Creature, what a naughty question!

marti, how cute that you comment how much fun it would be to blog your own puzzle.

IM, I like the characters Grafton created, and enjoyed most of the series, but this has the feel of something forced out. What do the mystery literati have to say?

Fermatprime?

As a New Englander, I did know the sound of Sault.

Steve said...

White Rabbits, White Rabbits!

Great double-duty Argyle! Nice idea, C.C!

WEES about the pronunciation of Sault. Now I can ask directions without embarrassment.

I'm with Hondo on the BOOZE vs BOTTLE.

Historical note - the nosegay was a bouquet of very fragrant flowers that ladies would hold up to their nose in medieval cities to mask the less pleasant smells emanating from all around.

Anonymous T said...

G'Morning All!

OwenKL - great limericks lately! I will go back to read Sunday's. Please note, Barry G. gets 1st post 'round here :-) (I'm KIDding - we all missed his morning posts a few weeks ago)....

As I got 1/2 way through the puzzle I looked down & saw C.C. & some dude. Sweet, C.C. I even agreed with Argyle in the expo (greatest puzzle, eveer!). Then C.C. clues me in. Funny guys, nice work.

Hardest corner was SW. I finally had to lookup SAOPAULO to get the 50a P and 66a's O. ULGA was a WAG.

I always thought SAULT was pronounced Saul. I learnt something...

Oh, well. A TDNF. C.C. (and Argyle) win again :-)

And now for the best TIEINs on TV. Don't bother with the article, just hit play on the video.

Cheers, -T

CrossEyedDave said...

Haven't read the Blog yet, but I just had to throw this out there
for Manac.

John V said...

Never heard it as BOOZE; not in the language, in my experience.

Bill G. said...

That was a very pleasant Tuesday solving experience. I enjoyed the theme and caught it early on. Thanks CC, Argyle and Argyle!

Maybe CC knows of this scenic area in China? Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

A high school marching band topples like dominoes. Dominoes!

Argyle said...

My friend is Jennifer who has been graciously tending to my foot. The foot is healing very nicely, by the way, in no small part due to the daily washing, applying Collagenase, and rewrapping. Thank you, Jennifer.

Misty said...

I love Dynamic Duo puzzles, and this one was a special treat with Argyle's commentary and C.C.'s explanations. Thank you both for getting our new month off to such a great start!

I more or less got the theme, except (like an idiot) always thought SAULT was pronounced SALT. Sure glad we got that straightened out before I embarrassed myself sometime.

Loved seeing the opposing I'M COOL and TSK TSK right next to each other.

Favorite misdirection: MOO for LOW IN THE LEA.

Owen, it's great to have you in the "Cozy Corner" (thanks for the expression, Irish Miss).

Have a wonderful day, everybody!

Anonymous T said...

CED - that is one well trained pup. BIll G. - re: un-Marching band; there's a group of folks that stood up and said IMCOOL. Thanks both for sharing the clips. -T

GarlicGal said...

What an interesting and delightful group of folks we have here on the blog! Thanks to all of you for your wit and banter.

The puzzle tickled me this a.m. WEES re "bring"/"booze". I knew Soo Canal because of a previous x-cross, too. I'm just surprised I remembered it.

Argyle, isn't Collagenase a wonder salve? I use it on my boo-boos, too.

Who knew playing the tuba could be so dangerous. HA! My daughter played one all through HS and college, but she didn't have to march...just schlep!

Happy Tuesday Cruciverbalists!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous-T @11:39
How was ULGA a WAG?
The answer was OLGA.

TTP said...

I definitely think this was the best puzzle this year !!!! Great job CC and Argyle !

Anon at 8:15, LBJ went to Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University - San Marcos (since 2003). My niece got her bachelors (education) there when it was still Southwest Texas State University. It is older. It's primarily been a teachers college, and that was LBJ's degree. Texas State doesn't really use the TSU abbreviation.

Texas Southern University (Houston) does use TSU. Much larger school. TSU has an interesting history. It started as the Houston Colored Junior College at the same time as the Houston Junior College (now University of Houston.) A black man sued the state when he was denied admittance into the UT Law School. The state ended up found TSU as a state university to afford African Americans the same educational opportunities as white students.

I spent the majority of my working hours either at TSU or U of H for a couple of years in the early 80s, and knew the campuses well enough to be able give directions to the different buildings by name.

Theo said...

Has anyone noticed today's Google doodle? It celebrates Yosemite National Park's 123rd birthday today.

How ironic is it that our embarrassingly dysfunctional federal government closed it down this morning, giving all campers 48hrs to vacate the premises?

JD said...

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

What a delightful due! .. a very nice surprise!

Had no knowledge of the Soo Locks, so the picture was helpful, and the real pronunciation of Sault should stick.Knew all of the people, except Lalo, and still don't grok moo.For a minute or 2, I was rattling off potato chip companies before I reaized it was Intel.Have even taken my classes there on field trips.

Great picture Argyle...thanks Jennifer.

Owen, I look forward to your VERY clever limericks.The blog tried to be creative one day a few years ago, and they were funny, but lacked your amazing vocabulary. Thanks for being part of the corner.

JD said...

oops...DUO

Henry said...

Hey Theo, if Old Faithful, in Yellowstone, erupts every 90 mins. or so, yet no one is ther to see it, is it really erupting??

Anonymous T said...

@12:08 Anon - nice catch. I'd like to say it was a typo, but, nope - I just CAN't spell.* I really did put in BLOSSuM - that means 4 errors. Rats!!! Sorry I caused confusion.

TTP - what did you do at UH? Do you still follow the Cougars? They reached for and achieved Tier 1 status and the football team is competitive in their division. DW professes at Lone Star (aka North Harris CC) so I'm just curious.

On bottle / BOOZE - I think it is regional, having lived all over, I've heard both. I wrote BOOZE because I already had SNOOZE.

Cheers, -T
*I've said it before, but if you're new, I have mild dyslexia and can't spell. I do puzzles because I like them and it helps to reenforce letter patterns. With daily challenges, I've got better (Python). Now to take on the NYT.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Henry @ 12:51:

To paraphrase-- or plagiarize-- Dr Johnson, allow me to kick over the fed gov’t.’s “Yellowstone Closed” sign and shout, “Thus, I refute Berkeley!” (or Boehner?)

Husker Gary said...

Got a call at 6 am to sub and so I am off the links and am here for CC’s collaboration with Argyle

Musings
-SUE’s books and now her name
-The Exc el SORT function is very useful
-Of all the ANNE’s that could have been clued…
-“He LEGGED out a base hit” is a common baseball phrase
-You never want to own a camera that depends on non-rechargeable AAA batteries
-Not a big NBA fan for many reasons
-We use the MasterCard but never OWE the day after the bill comes
-With us, it’s BYOS Bring Your Own Sprite
-Love the motto ALASKA, but I like Johnny Horton’s song better
-Read ‘ya later, kids are coming and I have to teach GCF

Theo said...

Keith, I purposely used the collective, federal govt., since all are to blame. Including your friends Reid, Pelosi and Obama as well as Boehner and McConnell. Leadership begins at the top!

Henry said...

Gotta love this defiance of the government shutdown. Make sure to click on "view photo gallery" to see these great men.

Now this is what I’m freaking talking about. Hey all you government clowns, you really think you were gonna keep a bunch of WWII vets out of their memorial? You think your little shutdown was gonna stop them? These dudes stormed the beach at Normandy. They’re freaking badasses. Heroes. No way a stupid barrier is gonna keep them from where they want to go. No way all your bickering and bullshit is gonna stop them from paying their respects at their tower.

Out of the way politicians! There are real men coming through!

Qli said...

Good work, C.C. and Argyle! This was fun.

I am wondering why the answer the 32A is RES?

I have a cousin in SAO PAULO; two German brothers emigrated, one to N. America (my grandfather) and one to S. America (his grandfather). It would be fun to meet the Southern relatives sometime!

Keep the limericks coming, OwenKL.

ALLSTATE has some hilarious commercials, with the voice of the spokesman coming out of different peoples' mouths!

Low in the lea was my favorite clue today.

Spitzboov said...

Good afternoon everyone.

Well, BH came home from the hospital in Syracuse today after a 12 day stay. She is mending well and seems to be "out of the woods".

Great puzzle today by C.C. and Argyle. I enjoyed it immensely and liked the SOO theme. Over 50 yrs ago, I had occasion to drive around L. Huron and crossed at the Soo before the international bridge was built when it was still serviced by a ferry.
L. Superior stands at about 603 ft above sea level, while L. Huron stands at about 580 ft. above sea level. So the Soo locks have a lift of about 20 ft; allowing for the slope of the connecting St. Marys River. Some of the water is diverted for hydropower, a little is used for lockage, and the rest is left for the fish in the rapids.

No lookups, no strikethroughs, no nits. The sun is shining brightly here with great Fall colors.

Have a great day.

Anonymous T said...

Henry:

Thanks for the link. My dad had the privilege to escort an honor flight to DC last year and said it was awesome (over used word, but fits -- one guy was in a wheel chair and everyone made sure he could go everywhere they did - leave no man behind). Both Grandpa C (Italian) and Grandpa C (Irish) served in WWII (Pacific and Euro respectively). They were great men. Yeah, what are you gonna to to an 80 year old vet. Bugger off.

This whole shutdown thing is just as dumb as in the 90's. Then, I worked for the DOD & I got time off and paid later. Sweet, eh?

I won't bite on politics, not the forum.

Cheers, -T

Dudley said...

PK - Thanks for understanding! We're feeling assured that the results will look good, but WOW what a lot of picky work to get there. Biggest hassle: blotchy staining. Biggest surprise: the baseboard moulding, which came from New Zealand, looks better than any wood I've ever stained. No idea what species it is.

HeartRx said...

Lemony @ 11:37, I thought it was fun that Argyle dove right in and sang his own praises. (I happen to agree with him on this one!!) I always switch with you when one of my puzzles appears on Thursday, because I would just nit-pick it to death!!

CED @ 11:41, heartwarming video about the pit bull.

HeartRx said...

Dudley, in a couple weeks I will be knee deep in demolition on the second house we just bought...after reading your posts lately, I am really not looking forward to it. Meantime, we are scurrying to finish up projects in our first home. The bathtub upstairs leaked and made a mess of the dining room ceiling - much sanding and dust, two coats of Kilz and a coat of paint later, it looks...OK.

Now we are working on our 120-year-old kitchen cabinets, trying to use a belt sander to get them so they don't stick every time we open them. Ugh! More mess...

(Splynter, do you make house calls????)

desper-otto said...

Spitz, great to see you back on the blog. Also great to hear that the better half is out of the hospital and doing well.

Qli, RES is a literal translation. It's what you call a "thing" in law.

Husker, I'll bite. What the heck is GCF?

Stephanie said...

Don't forger Sew-er. :)

Irish Miss said...

CED - @ 11:41 - Great clip!

Spitz - Good to see you back. Best wishes to Betty for a speedy recovery.

Another glorious day with ever-changing foliage-just beautiful.

Stephanie said...

oops, remember now, it was sew, for Betsy Ross, ah well.

Husker Gary said...

-Otto, GCF stands for Greatest Common Factor. e.g. 7 is the GCF of 14 and 21 (7 is the biggest number that goes into 14 and 21 evenly).
-Nebraska has a SOWER atop its capital high above its SEWERS.
-Off to Lincoln to watch Emma's terrible volleyball team play

Lemonade714 said...

Marti, I was teasing. I would be distraught if I did not get to blog your gems.

Owen KL it is great how we keep adding layers of entertainment to this Corner.

Stephanie, and Theo are you new? Welcome wither way.

Welcome Jennifer also, take good care of Santa, we need him.

Lucina said...

Wow. I find myself to be collateral damage from the shut-down! My brother, who works for TSA, was scheduled to drive us to CA for the cancer walk. Now he can't go. If he takes leave he won't be paid. What a mess!!

creature said...

Anon-T Thanks for iterating that this is not the forum for politics. I'm sure we all would like to have this be our safe place.

Thanks for saying no.What a special fun group this is.

CrossEyedDave said...

What a surprise this morning to see CC AND D.Scott Nichols in the paper this morning! It was like having Christmas in October!

My only personal nit was "low in a lea." I know we have had this before, and I was scouring dictionaries to prove my point, when I came across the Cambridge Dictionary definition of "low" as a verb. (hard to find) I stand corrected...

So Sault is pronounced "Soo?"
(a little seasoning for my diction...)

I went looking for a video tour of the Soo Locks & found this. (it was so awful I thought I would share my misery...)

A better video tour of the Soo Locks. At 14 minutes, a bit long, but definitely shorter than taking the whole tour. Sorry about the sound, it was windy on the bow. It gets better at about 3:30. Play in full screen to hear the boat captain describe the tour better....

Random Conduct. scroll down to the video for a smile...)

PK said...

Dudley, the uneven staining on wood may seem like a bigger problem now than it is. After awhile I didn't notice it and came to think it was more attractive than if it was more even. It's kinda like those high-end faux finishes if it has shades and shadows. I quit sanding and re-staining in an attempt to even it out after my first project because the uneven effect pleased me in different lightings as the day progressed.

Spitz: glad your wife is home and recuperating. Good luck with the healing process. It must have been serious if they let her stay 12 days. They kick everyone out so soon these days.

TTP said...

ANON T,

Don't mean to be rude, but I'm going to defer to respond as to what I did at TSU and UH and since then until I retire. It would bore you anyway.

Manac said...

CED @ 11:41,
Thank you.

Enjoyed the clip! I have always been wary of Pit Bulls as they are all muscle and only have two speeds, On & Off. But this owner obviously spent a lot of time with her and shows there are really no bad dogs, just some really bad dog owners. Right, Michael Vick!

TTP said...

Dudley, I meant to comment earlier, and forgot until I just saw PK's post.

First, congratulations ! Sounds like the end is in sight.

Blotching. It happens when end grain fibers in the wood take more stain than the closed grain fibers. Pines and other coniferous wood are more susceptible to blotching, but I've seen cherry and oak get blotchy when not properly prepped. There's a couple of ways to prevent it, but the easiest way, IMO, is to buy a quart (or gallon) of sanding sealer and prep the surface with it first. Follow the directions on the can. I've had great results.

ARBAON said...

Sir Argyle: What a lovely nurse you have.

You`re (and CC`s) puzzle was clever. I hope it`s only the first of many.

Lucina said...

Jayce:
Today I passed by your son's Cell Phone Repair store (CPR). It looks impressive! The nice sign and logo are eye catching. I wish him the best of luck. It's a good location.

JD said...

CEDave, THANK YOU 2 6:18!! Until you said low was a verb, I had no clue, and yet everyone was saying it was their favorite. I appreciate any feedback, as do other bloggers.

JD said...

That 2 is supposed to be @; I also am dyslexic.

Argyle said...

Kine lowing in the lea. LINK

PK said...

Remember the old Christmas carol, "Away in a Manger": "The cattle are LOWING, the poor baby wakes. But little lord Jesus no crying he makes."

Anonymous said...

re: WWII barracades

How did they print those signs and have them installed by morning? More govt. waste?

Anonymous said...

or barricades.

PK said...

TTP: Sanding sealer? Now you tell me. 30 years too late. But I had beautiful woodwork and many compliments on it. Most of my woodwork was hardwood which takes smoother stain. The only stuff I really was disappointed in were some very soft pine trim on my son's windows. It looked okay once I had a couple coats of the finish on. She put blinds and curtains over them anyway. My curly hard yellow pine on the farm was an antique repurpose and too unique to cover with curtains. Really beautiful grain like tiger's stripes or leopard's spots.

JD said...

Thanks Argyle and PK :)
I should have gone to a dictionary like CED.

Manac said...

Just joking around,

I found out I was a dyslexic when I turned up at a toga party dressed as a goat

When life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic.

And (Why not, I'm going to hell anyways)

A young polar bear came into his den and asked his mother, "Mom am I a real polar bear?" "Of course you are." His mother replied. The young polar bear asked his father. "Dad, am I a real polar bear?" "Yes, you are a real polar bear." A week passed and the young polar bear asked his parents, "Are grandma and grandpa real polar bears?" "Yes" said his parents. Another week passed and the young polar bear asked his parents, "Are all my relatives real polar bears?" "Yes, they are all real polar bears." Said his parents. "Why do you ask?" replied his mother. "Because," said the young polar bear, "I'm frigging freezing!

Bill G. said...

CED, I always enjoy your links and those at 6:18 were especially good.

Locks aren't very exciting to watch in action but I enjoy them anyway. Somebody had to think of the process that makes them work. I wonder who?

Manac: cute!

Manac said...

Bill G,
I take it that Jorden is holding his math award in your Avatar.

Anonymous T said...

TTP - Career preservation is not rudeness. Totally cool with it and I look forward to your answer in the distant future.

JD & Manac - Dyslexics UNTIE!

Cheers, -T

Bill G. said...

Manac, yes. His school gives out awards for kids who pass the timed arithmetic facts test including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and mixed facts. He is proud of his accomplishment and I am too. I think the name on the award should read Jordan (and Grandpa).

Manac said...

Bill, He should be proud.
After all, he has a great tutor.

Bill G. said...

Cat meets hedgehog

Time lapse cloudbank

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

Spitzvoov,
Welcome back! Hope Betty recovers quickly.

Hahtoola,
Did you attend last week's "Wait Wait"?