google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

Gary's Blog Map

Nov 5, 2013

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: 'Tis the Season - Three green leafy substances and where to find them.

17A. Reuters or Bloomberg : NEWS AGENCY

30A. Nutritionist's recommendation : HEALTHY MEAL

44A. "My goose is cooked!" : "I'M IN TROUBLE!"

61A. Aromatic plot, and where to find three different plants hidden in 17-, 30- and 44-Across : HERB GARDEN

Argyle here. How sweet it is!

Across:

1. Sleeps out under the stars : CAMPS

6. NYC gambling outlets closed in 2010 : OTBs. (off-track betting)

10. Transcript figs. : GPAs. (grade point average)

14. Cookies in some pie crusts : OREOs

15. Gather in a field : REAP

16. Latin for "elbow" : ULNA

19. Geological age : AEON

20. Los Angeles-to-San Bernardino direction : EAST

21. Sausage unit : LINK

22. Produce seller's kiosk : STAND

23. Macho man : STUD

25. Chips in a chip : ANTEs

27. Top USN rank : ADMiral

34. Wedding party : BRIDE. The bride would have to be a party to the wedding for it to occur.

36. Popeye's Olive : OYL

37. "Alas!" : "AH, ME!"

38. At full speed : AMAIN. Asea.

39. Basic biological molecule : RNA

40. Skier's spot : SLOPE. "Look! There goes Marti."

41. Food __: listlessness after a large meal : COMA. Thanksgiving is coming.

42. Cranberry source : BOG. Ditto.

43. Lost color : PALED

48. Cavity filler's deg. : DDS. (doctor of dental science)

49. Not skilled in : BAD AT. Not what you want the practitioner above to be.

50. Lends a hand : AIDS

52. Boldly states : AVERs

54. Hay holder : BARN

56. County of the Blarney Stone : CORK


60. Parting word with an air kiss, perhaps : CIAO

63. SASEs, e.g. : ENCs. (self-addressed stamped envelope/enclosure)

64. Dancer Kelly : GENE. One of the best.

65. Tour leader : GUIDE

66. Homer Simpson outbursts : D'OHs

67. Home run gait : TROT

68. More than rotund : OBESE

Down:

1. Ice cream holder : CONE

2. Length times width : AREA

3. Kitten calls : MEWS

4. Updates a wiki page, say : POSTS. Have you ever?

5. Org. that issues about 5.5 million new numbers annually : SSA. (Social Security Administration)

6. Zesty Twirls maker : ORE-IDA

7. Graceland's st. : TENN. 3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, TN

8. Informal "Likewise" : BACK AT YA'

9. Cloak-and-dagger type : SPY

10. Honduras neighbor : GUATEMALA


11. "Kindly stay on the line" : "PLEASE HOLD". "Your call is important to us" click!

12. In a bit, old-style : ANON

13. Golf bunker filler : SAND

18. Epoxy, e.g. : GLUE

22. Hog home : STY

24. "What happened next?" : "THEN?"

26. Stanley Cup org. : NHL. (National Hockey League)

27. Chinese counters : ABACI

28. Sick kid's TLC giver : DR. MOM

29. Southern Florida coastal resort city : MIAMI BEACH

31. Sound in "cube" but not "cub" : LONG U

32. Like electric guitars : AMPED

33. West Yorkshire's largest city : LEEDS. Former Coat of Arms.


35. Dorothy portrayer in the film "The Wiz" : DIANA ROSS

39. Sassafras soda : ROOT BEER

40. Drove too fast : SPED

42. Push-up top : BRA. No time for research. Hello Dennis.

45. QB scores : TDs. (touchdown)

46. Wager over darts, e.g. : BAR BET

47. Former "The View" co-host Lisa : LING

                                LINK

51. Cancel at NASA : SCRUB

52. Served to perfection? : ACED. Think tennis.

53. Ristorante glassful : VINO

55. River of Pisa : ARNO

57. Comics dog : ODIE

58. Cherry and ruby : REDS. Not vino today.

59. "Oh! Susanna" joint : KNEE. A strange and disturbing video by Neil Young & Crazy Horse: LINK

61. Alt. : HGT. (altitude/height)

62. In the past : AGO


Argyle


58 comments:

  1. I'm a fan of the BBC detective series about horticulturists Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, which has just started on my local PBS station. This puzzle seems custom made for a poem about them.

    NEWS AGENCY report of a murder:
    It couldn't have been an intruder
    The place was remote,
    The door had a bolt,
    "Call the cops," cried the SAGE who was tutor.

    The guests ate a good, HEALTHY MEAL
    Then the host, he over did keel!
    But those gardeners sublime,
    Rosemary and THYME,
    Were sure he was poisoned for real.

    They had heard the host say, "I'M IN TROUBLE,"
    So suspicion between them did bubble.
    They inspected the kitchen,
    It was near-MINT condition --
    Except for a pinch of plant stubble.

    They had come to replant the HERB GARDEN.
    They found there a path newly trodden.
    The herbs there were toxic,
    Then using their logic
    Their suspicion whodunnit did harden.

    The authorities they tried hard to reach,
    But "PLEASE HOLD" would repeat and repeat.
    Rose rode the roto-tiller
    To run down the killer,
    Who was fleeing to MIAMI BEACH!

    [DNF -- ANTES was my downfall. Canadian Hockey League? American Hockey League? For some reason National just didn't come to mind. And I misspelled GUATAMALA where it crossed.

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  2. Morning, all!

    Pretty smooth solve today. Wasn't crazy about all the abbreviations (HGT, OTBS, GPAS, ADM, DDS, TDS, NHL, RNA, ENCS), but that didn't affect the solve at all.

    A few missteps here and there (BALE for BARN, FADED for PALED, DNA for RNA) but the perps quickly took care of those.

    Some learning moments as well. Had no idea that ULNA actually meant anything other than, well, ULNA in Latin, for example.

    As an aside, I suppose it shows how long I've been doing crossword puzzles that I actually struggled a bit with 20A. A direction clue? It must be SSE or NNW or the like, right? Wait, four letters. Hmmm... well, each city has a Spanish name, so it must be ESTE! It honestly didn't occur to me that the answer might be as straightforward as just plain EAST until the perps forced it upon me.

    [gtallers]

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  3. Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Cool puzzle. After filling in the unifier, I went back to look for the Herbs.

    I had a spot of trouble in the New England area, and I to google a map for the neighbors of Honduras. I also really wanted Stall instead of STAND for the Produce Seller's Kiosk.

    Like Barry G, I tried Faded before changing it to PALED.

    I am sure I was not the only one who initially tried Abort in lieu of SCRUB for Cancel at NASS.

    QOD: Moral codes adjust themselves to environmental conditions. ~ Will Durant (Nov. 5, 1885 ~ Nov. 7, 1981)

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  4. Good morning!

    Marti yesterday, C.C. today. Doesn't get any better than that.

    My problem was parsing some of the answers after I got 'em: DRMOM and BARBET, for example. I started with PLEASE WAIT, but Marti's SLOPE fixed that. I liked the long non-theme answers. The solve was pretty easy, but I'll bet fitting MIAMI BEACH beside DIANA ROSS and GUATEMALA beside PLEASE HOLD took a lot of finagling.

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  5. D-Otto,
    Thanks for noticing them! I like long Downs and I'll continue to include them in my grids, to the best of my ability.

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

    Nicely done, C.C. !! I loved BACK AT YA in addition to the ones d-otto mentioned. The abbrs. didn't bother me at all, because there were so many other zippy entries.

    Great clue for COMA - and of course, SLOPE was a gimme. (Thanks for the shout out, Argyle!) It really is starting to get nippy here, and I am looking forward to getting back on those slats soon.

    Owen KL, fun poem this morning. I'll have to look for that show on my local PBS station - it looks like a good series.

    Have a great day, everyone.

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  7. Good morning, folks. Thank you, C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for the fine review.

    Great poem, OwenKL. Keep 'em coming!

    Started easily in the NW and filled in going across. Had to wait for a perp or two for ULNA. EAST was easy since I lived and worked there. Can't tell you how many times I headed west on the San Berdoo (I-10) and then back EAST at night.

    Going to the DDS tomorrow.

    RNA again.

    Not familiar with "The Wiz" and DIANA ROSS portraying Dorothy.

    Not familiar with Lisa LING. Perped her.

    BOG reminds me of that cranberry ad and the two guys in waders in a bog. Pretty good.

    I think I just about set a speed record with this Tuesday puzzle.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    (henzedc)

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  8. Hi Y'all! I agree with DO, Marti yesterday and C.C. today shapes up an enjoyable first half of the week. Didn't get the theme until the reveal but easily found those tasty leaves hiding. Thanks, ladies and Argyle!

    Last fill was square 6. Didn't know NYC gambling outlets or Zesty Twirls maker. I'm familiar with OREIDA, but not that particular product. Don't eat many potatoes anymore. I keep the O'Brien bag in the freezer, dump in some with canned ham, microwave and stir in sour cream. That's as close to gourmet as i want to cook these days. Sorry, foodies.

    AnonT: Honey, get your poor MIL a pretty apron. Saves ruining all her clothes. I wear one daily.

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  9. Misty: two coyote attacks in such a short time spells a really determined wildlife problem. Doesn't your state have a county extension agent or wildlife service you can call? We had to have a wildlife specialist out once to help trap a determined baby calf killer after the third loss. Our men usually took care of problem wildlife, but this one they couldn't get. You may not be the only one in the area having problems with this one. Once they acquire the habit or taste, they get worse.

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  10. Great week, marti followed by C.C. I too really enjoy the long non-theme fill, and agree how awesome it is to piece them in a puzzle. They are really helpful in solving as when they fall they unlock so much.

    Thanks for the entertainment all of you, Owen, your commitment is amazing

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  11. I didn't get the K in KNEE because I had never heard of CORK County and, also, I thought "joint" referred to a place like a bar or a club as in "This joint is full of people on holiday weekends." Oops.

    I had FADED for PALED until I realized that PLEASE HODD made no sense. :)

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  12. AnonT from last night: Good news. You won't have to become a Twins fan. Brad Ausmus was hired by the Tigers who return a decent team poised to win right away.

    Re NHL: I never was a fan and even less so now. Over the weekend a known, talented fighter/goalie skated the entire length of the ice to pick a fight with the other goalie, a noticeably unwilling non-fighter. As the aggressor dominated the fight and had the victim face down on ice while pummeling the back of his head with upwards of 10 violent punches, the referee kept all other onlookers away from breaking up the fight.

    The guys on ESPN's PTI were appalled. They claimed that not only the thug committed a crime but the ref should be charged with abetting. They begged for the NHL commissioner to step up and put a stop to this violence.

    In the culture of the NHL the perp is seen as a hero to his hometown fans.

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  13. Second great puzzle of the week so far. No slips, although I did have STALL before perps demanded STAND.

    I'm in colonoscopy prep mode today for tomorrow, so have to keep busy so I don't dream of solid food.

    See you all on Thursday!

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  14. Greetings!

    Swell Tuesday puzzle, CC! Expert review, Argyle!

    What Barry wrote about missteps.

    Have watched Rosemary and Thyme series (2003-2006) at least twice. Was sorry they never made any more.

    Cheers!

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  15. This was a good puzzle. What makes it a good puzzle was the fact that I was able to finish it without any help and without erasures that ultimately tear through the paper. I did enjoy it C.C.

    I had some of the same miscues as others did, like bale instead of barn and inept vs. bad at, but perps forced the right answers.
    I didn't get the theme, but I only do some of the time.

    It's now time to go off to vote. The newspapers are predicting a low turnout of about 15% in Central PA which is sad. I figure if I don't vote I can't complain about what the politicians do, and a lot of what they do is just plain stupid. So, I hope that you all get out and vote today.

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  16. I think it is interesting that Houston voters get to determine the fate of the 8th wonder of the world, The Astrodome.

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  17. NHL video

    So this passes as a sport? Hmmmm.

    Great message for our youth. When things are bleak and you are losing badly, drop your gloves and start fighting.

    Btw, Philadelphia Flyer #29 Ray Emery was invited to The White House yesterday to shake the President's hand.

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  18. Good morning all,

    Lucky us! Two days in a row.I had lots of fun with this one.Loved the long downs, C.C.They really helped. I need all the help I can get with abbreviations, but am getting better.Had scrap for scrib at 1st.

    The clue "What happened next?"immediately brought this old song to mind, and unfortunately , it is still there.LOL

    Also loved clue "served to perfection."

    Owen, this delightful ditty must have taken a LONG time!! Thanks for the link.

    Celebrating DH's birthday.Time to pull out those silly hats!

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  19. Good Morning:

    I found this a tad crunchy for Tuesday but finished it off smoothly. Went astray with bale/barn, abort/scrub, rose garden/herb garden, healthy diet/healthy meal.

    Clever theme and cluing, CC, thanks. And thanks to Argyle for a sparkling expo. When I saw CC as the constructor, I had to smile, having had Marti just yesterday. Aren't we lucky these gals are so prolific, not to mention talented.

    IMO, the state of sports in the US (not to mention sportsmanship) is going to hell in a hand basket. Grown men behaving like street thugs seems to be the norm. Just read about the Miama Dolphins debacle or the Patriot "star" charged with murder, and possibly linked to other slayings. And don't forget Michael Vick. And these are just the tip of the ice berg. Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?

    Haircut on the agenda today and a trip to the voting booth.

    Have a great day.

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  20. Road destruction has made voting difficult in my neck of the woods. Although the polling place is only 5 miles away, I have to drive another five miles beyond it before I can turn around -- 20 mile round trip.

    Today would be Raymond Loewy's 120th birthday, according to the Google Tribute. He's responsible for many iconic industrial designs, familiar to all of us. Check him out. I'm surprised I'd never heard of him.

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  21. If you got the theme before the reveal on this lovely puzzle, you’re a better man than I am Charlie Brown. I got a call at 6:30 am saying I could have any of 5 sped jobs I wanted and so here I am in a 5/6 reading room.

    Musings
    -My favorite non-botanical HERB
    -A big rain will slow down the REAPING around here today
    -I will be looking for chicken ULNA’s tomorrow as I help my friend dissect chicken wings with 8th graders
    -Cranberries are one of those foods you love or hate. I’m in the former camp. BTW, Bill, I’ll mail you that liver the next time I see it. Yuk to the nth degree!
    -The faces of the fans who left early from the incredible last play in the Husker game PAELD when they heard the roar from outside the stadium
    -My DDS better not be BAD AT using the numbing needle
    -Debbie Reynolds said GENE Kelly worked her so hard during Singin’ in the Rain her feet bled
    -OH HOLD, “Yeah, they put me on ignore”
    -Some of the SAND in those bunkers can feel like concrete
    -Gorilla GLUE will hold anything. Anything!
    -My DR MOM neighbor has a husband recovering from KNEE surgery and a son with a bad back
    -Great BAR BET – What two brothers hold the record for most combined home runs hit?
    -Maybe it’s better that people that are too lazy to get to the polls not vote.
    -Here come kids ready to read The Case Of The Bad-Luck Bike Ride Across Iowa

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  22. Hi gang -

    Fun puzzle today. And I love the long down fill.

    FADED before PALED.

    Needed perp help all over. Didn't see the theme without the unifier.

    Hidden words well hidden.

    Didn't even notice the abrvs.

    "Chips in a chip" baffled me. D'OH!

    No ballot items here today. I did get a robocall yesterday from the mother of a council candidate in a neighboring community. Sorry DR. MOM, can't help.

    I've hated the Flyers for 40 years. No surprise to see then in that awful vid.

    I'm really missing baseball. Though I think the season really is too long.

    First game of '14 is in March!

    Nate's new pitching coach added 10 MPH to his fast ball. He's learned how to use his legs to push off.

    Bit of a headache today and nothing in the tank.

    Fortunately, nothing on the schedule.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  23. Good day, all!

    Yowza! How lucky are we to have Marti followed by C.C. today! WEES about this puzzle today.

    I quickly sashayed along the west coast compelled by those long downs then through the great plains. When I found HERB GARDEN went back to search for the plants and found them easily.

    New England seemed difficult but once GUATEMALA and PLEASE HOLD fell, so did the rest. In my haste, though, I failed to see that BALE/LIEG were wrong. Drat!

    I loved the cluing for KNEE.

    Does anyone else grow HERBS? Mine have been in only a month and are already burgeoning with healthy leaves.

    Learning moment; I didn't know that NY didn't have gambling. They will vote today to permit it. That surprises me because a final question in Jeopardy recently named Hawaii and Utah as the only states without gambling. Anyone?

    Since I vote by mail, my ballot left a few weeks ago.

    CIAO! Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone!

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  24. That was just New York City and OTBs.

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  25. I enjoyed the puzzle very much. I was sailing along starting as I always do, in the upper left. But I sure slowed down near the bottom left what with AMAIN, ENC, DRMOM, BRIDE, IMINTROUBLE and AVERS/avows? But I finished and had a good time with the experience. Also, thanks to Argyle.

    I used to watch "The View." But it has gone downhill badly I think. I haven't taken the time to measure but I think the ad minutes may equal or exceed the program minutes. They also started doing something sneaky like having one of the hosts read an advertisement in an entertaining manner hoping it will come across like part of the program.

    Right. Just another reason I don't like ice hockey. Sorry EddieB.

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  26. Hey, I had the same three herbs (plus one more) in this puzzle a few years back.

    http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/5/2008&g=23&d=A

    - Pete Collins

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  27. C.C. Thank you for a FUN Tuesday puzzle.
    Got the theme reveal, HERB GARDEN just after I noticed the 'SAGE' in NEWS AGENCY.

    I have been known to enjoy 'herbs' rolled into a 'joint'. lol

    Husker: Henry and Tommie Aaron have the most home runs for brothers with 756, one brother has 755 of them.

    Fave today was DR MOM ... I'm not a VINO fan, do enjoy ROOT BEER (on occasion) but I can't recall ever seeing Pinch in the grid.

    Cheers!!!

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  28. Thank you, Argyle. That was puzzling me.

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  29. Like D-otto, I think it doesn't get better than starting the week with a Marti followed by a C.C. And what a delight! I loved having to find those hidden HERBs in the theme answers. Only ROSEMARY and PARSLEY were missing from Scarborough Fair. (Used to be a big Simon and Garfinkle fan!)And many thanks for the fun expo, Agyle.

    CORK made me miss Ireland, which I used to visit frequently for James Joyce Conferences.

    PK thank you for the coyote advice. I did call Animal Services right away to get help keeping the coyote at bay, and instead got orders to get my dachshund a rabies shot she didn't need and was required to pay a $30 quarantine fee and told she had to be kept at home for thirty days. Not much help, I'm afraid and last night the coyote jumped the dogs again, this time only 2 feet from our patio door. Thank goodness our commotion scared it off and both doxies are okay. But what a fright.

    Have a good Tuesday, everybody.

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  30. The difference between the NHL and other thugs such as Ndamukong Suh and Richie Incognito are that the NHL encourages this behavior while the NFL and other major sports discourages this behavior with hefty fines and suspensions from the game.

    As far as the good old days, nothing currently compares to the behavior levied against Jackie Robinson. Ever read about the behavior of Ty Cobb or even Babe Ruth. Believe me, Joe DiMaggio's teammates are lucky there were no iPhones or ESPN around back in the day!

    There is an abundance of feel good stories in sports these days.
    -The alma mater of above mentioned thugs, Univ. of Nebraska, let a cancer stricken boy score a touchdown during a scrimmage this year.
    -The REDS had a young man with down syndrome as their batboy this season and Topps honored him with an official baseball card.
    -The Red Sox helped a city to heal from tragedy and have contributed untold amounts of money and time to the victims.
    -The combined contributions to charity from individual athletes and organizations like MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, etc. must total in the hundreds of millions if not billions.

    I could fill up 5 posts a day of 20 lines each for 5 days of similar examples of feel-good sports stories.

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  31. Picked up the theme right away, & even forgot to look for "mint."

    I came to the Blog to tell CC that I must be getting better at CWs, when I noticed Diana Ross...

    I didn't remember any Diana Ross in the puzzle, so I dug it out of the trash & puzzled over it again.

    62A I had "Encl."

    Diana Rols???

    Rats!

    What do you mean you don't have room for an herb garden...

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  32. Good afternoon everyone.

    How apropos for C.C. to offer her HERB GARDEN today. I just wheeled BH's HG into the house this morning.

    Easy solve today. But had one strikethrough - 'bad bet' before BAR BET to get BARN. Otherwise, a fun romp.
    ADM is the official DOD abbv. for Admiral, O-10.

    Don't forget to vote. We voted this morning.

    "Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm." Syrus Pubilius

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  33. CED:
    I love that hanging garden! I may have to do something similar when it's time to bring in the pots for shelter. Believe it or not, we actually get one or two nights of freezing temps around here usually in January.

    (dseenl) Reminded me of SEEN. Where oh where could he be?

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  34. CED, I wanted encl. also but now I can see that the clue seemed to indicate a plural. I initially had FADED and BALE too.

    Lucina: I wouldn't have imagined it would freeze where you are but obviously I was wrong. I saw frost on the grass in a park near here early one morning though the temperature was around 40. When the sky is cloudless, the ground can give off heat through radiation. Also, if the humidity is low, evaporation of the dew can cause additional cooling.

    Gary, what's a 'sped job'? I like your 'Herb' link. I think sideline reporter Craig Sager buys his suits at the same store.

    A little math humor. Q: What do you get when you pour root beer into a square cup? A: Just regular beer. OK, very little humor. I did finally get it after about 30 seconds. Another one. "The square root of three equals two for large values of three." The engineers I used to work with might have enjoyed them but not many others...

    A few months back, I mentioned that my daughter had given me a NY Times bestseller called "A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick. I asked what you guys thought about it. One of you responded that knowing what you know about me, you didn't think I would like it. You were very perceptive. I am almost finished it and I don't care for it much at all. It seems to be well written but it's just a miserable account of a miserable relationship involving unpleasant stuff. There is nobody to root for and the story makes me unhappy and uneasy. I can't imagine how the ending could change my opinion but I guess since I've invested this much time in it, I'll soldier on to the end. Aargh...

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  35. Lucina @ 11:05 - The referendum we voted on today was whether or not to allow casino-type gambling in New York State. (Think Vegas and Atlantic City style.). Right now, as far as I know, the only legal gambling is bingo, horse racing and poker video terminals in bars and restaurants. There are some casinos run by Native Americans on their land, which are legal, but I don't think they have all of the Vegas-type gaming.

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  36. -Bill, SPED is a portmanteau for Special Education and in my circles it is much more familiar than ELHI.
    -BTW, when I get that liver, I doubt I would waste postage on sending it. This stuff offends all of senses but hearing. No, wait a minute, the sound I would make if I accidentally ate some would be horrendous. 0 for 5. Root/square? I get it and thought it was fun. That’s two of us.

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  37. Bill G @ 2:39 - I was the one who said you would probably not like A Reliable Wife. The subject matter and characters are not pleasant but I think you should finish it, if only for the resolution.

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  38. Luicina, yes I do have an herb garden. Thyme, oregano, tarragon, chives, basil and rosemary. I can never grow parsley, for some reason. The basil and rosemary are in pots, and I take them in for the winter. The others I just cut down and dry in bunches. I love it in the fall when my kitchen is filled with their aroma.

    Bill G. I actually "got" the first math joke.

    (JD, that stupid song is still going through my head…)

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  39. Happy Tuesday everybody!

    A Marti followed by a C.C. puzzle – who’s next? We at The Corner are certainly REAPing the benefits of knowing our constructors…!

    Speaking of Marti and C.C., I’m sure SLOPE was for HeartRx and we had our RDA of Baseball cluing with TROT, so thanks for that…!

    Only write-overs were DNA for RNA, FADED for PALED and BALE for BARN (Hello, Barry!)….

    We had a guy dressed as the White SPY (from MAD magazine) at our office’s Halloween lunch last week….

    Argyle, no time for research of the push-up BRA…? AH ME….

    Why do they always make a bad situation even worse by playing elevator muzak when you’re asked to PLEASE HOLD…?

    Finally, Irish Miss – Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away (from same two guys who did Parsley, SAGE, Rosemary, and THYME). I’d post a link to Sea Level’s jazzy instrumental version of Scarborough Fair, but couldn’t find it on You Tube….

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  40. Bill g. ... Enjoyed your two math jokes. Engineers tend to round upward .... For factors of safety etc.

    BTW the root beer has no sassafras root extract in it - ever since the FDA investigated in the 1950's and declared it's had some carcinogenic potential.

    Also Angostura Biters have no Angostura extract for the same reason .... Carcinogenicity.

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  41. Two sweet, A Marti Monday followed by a C.C. Tuesday.
    Who could ask for a better start to the week?
    My Herb Garden
    Oops, Someone is knocking at my door..

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  42. Manac, shame on you...for not sending me some.

    Beer-non-drinker. I hate those biters too, almost as bad as mosquitoes.

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  43. I have kissed the Blarney stone. So have my wife and elder son. Yes, it is hard to get a word in edgewise chez Fowler.

    Funny, I didn't know there was an HERB GARDEN theme until I signed in here. Thank you, Argyle.

    I did the BALE for BARN write-over too. Otherwise, this was smooth sailing, shipmates!

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  44. Now drinking everythingNovember 5, 2013 at 5:04 PM

    Desperation

    Auto correct ruins my spelling and my language. I have never made such horrible, spelling mistakes in my life before.

    (Just like your name above....)

    Now how the h--- do I get rid of this unwanted, infernal nuisance ????

    Maniac. Even Auto correct recognizes you from yesterday. Cannabinol has more medicinal properties than all the other herbs combined. Your plants look ready to be eaten ... Do you live in glorious Colorado ? ... And cannabis WILL improve your appetite., as well.

    Poppy should also be classified as a herb, too - and khat and coca. We live in a strange world , I'm seeing lots of red and purple colors and my plants are having a jolly conversation between themselves. Maybe I should lay off my herbs and go back to regular vegetables. I just voted for my congress woman, and I didn't even know this was the "house election"year. ;->}. Oh well, maybe it was her younger sister, - same last name. Just as long as they can keep the government off my back.

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  45. Just last week,

    Churchill said,' A five minute conversation with a man on the street will convince you, irrevocably, why democracy is such a terrible idea.'

    Now we have crackheads delineating our destinies.

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  46. Yes, Bill, I assure you that it can freeze here, if only one or two nights. You can still see the effects on some trees that weren't trimmed after the last freeze.

    IrishMiss:
    Thank you for the detailed explanation. I suppose every state has some gambling as you described and casinos in Reservations. We are surrounded by those and I'm happy for the Native Americans.

    Marti:
    All my herbs are in pots, sage, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, parsley and even lavender, not a herb, but I want to preserve it for the fragrance. The parsley is slowly recovering from a near death experience.

    When I first potted it, I didn't check the bottom and didn't realize it had no drain hole. When it turned yellow, I checked and repotted it and now some new leaves have sprouted. I'm hoping it will survive.

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  47. Funny, I do not think we have heard from Peter Collins before, but he did stop by to plug his NYT herb offering, which added DILL. COLLINS PUZZLE ANSWERS.

    Every generation thinks the world is ending; face it people are basically bad and if you pay them tons of money to be bad they certainly will not change. What kind of coach is unaware of hazing in his locker room? I am sure they said the same things about the gladiators and the Olympics.

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  48. Drinking in moderationNovember 5, 2013 at 6:59 PM

    Lemonade, the gladiators didn't have an option in their professional choices ...

    Thinking people are 'basically bad', is a rather pessimistic view of matters. At least they are not despots, .... in the US. Let us just hope for the best, and be prepared for the worst. Trust me, 'people' are much worse elsewhere around the world.

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  49. For Argyle and Manac...I used to work with a guy named Dave, and every once in a while I would think of the video you referred and linked too. Watched just now, and was able to get a fully belly laugh even after all these years. This is why I love to come read here every night.

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  50. Hi All !

    Have been in a rush all day, and it's not over yet, but did not want to let it pass without saying how much I enjoyed the puzzle and writeup. CC, you rock ! You too Argyle !

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  51. kjinkc,
    We try to deliver and amuse...
    I see you don't need auto correct
    to get my name right;~)

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  52. Sorry,

    Grumpy and embarrassed by the Dolphins. Welcome all the new voices. I am actually a basically optimistic person. So there is tomorrow and the autumn breezes are here so it is all good.

    ReplyDelete
  53. G'Eve All:

    YALD (yet another long day) and it only gets worse tomorow with DW out of town thru Sun...

    Hand up for bale. Also, I loved the long downs.

    With Bill G's teaser last night, I knew it was going to be our wonderful C.C. constructing the puzzle. I opened to it and worked 80% while stuck in traffic (30 minutes going 1 mile!). The rest was solved waiting for my new badge. Thank you C.C., Argyle, and all the folks posting fun stuff (Dave's not here man...).

    HG - WKRP was up there with Newheart in the 70's. I loved those shows.

    Lucina - Rosmary, THYME, Basil (lots of Basil for pizza!), parsley, & cilantro make up the perimeter of my garden. Herbs are just tasty weeds in our climates. I know nothing of the HERB Manac is talking about...*

    @8:17 Anon - I read your post & did a double-take. Then I pulled the paper out of recycle. Yep, it said Tiggers - wrong state even. Sheesh... Thanks for fixing me before I blab in meat-space.

    @8:46 - All of Harris county votes on the dome. I don't live in Harris so I have no say. I'd like to see the Rice kid's idea come to fruition.**

    Bill G. (yep, you're up again...) From last night. I shall not besmirch the good name of Anons. I got DW's Chicago Style Manual & MLA off the shelf... Did I get gooder?

    1+1 = 3 for very large values of 1.

    And:
    How many EEs does it take to screw in a light bulb?

    Only one, but he has to do it in the frequency domain.

    Only EEs get that - that's how I find friends at conferences :-)

    I'm over lines, but not posts!

    Cheers,

    -T
    *OK, I tried it once - a kid in my BoyScout troop had some ditch weed & I tried it. A Camel got me more high.
    **The idea is to strip all but the steel skeleton of the Dome and provide green-space in the steel's shadow.

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  54. PK - I forgot. The girls stole lobster bibs from a local restaurant for MIL :-)

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  55. AnonT: I'm so glad they got grandma covered.

    ReplyDelete

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