google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, December 11, 2014 Ian Livengood

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Dec 11, 2014

Thursday, December 11, 2014 Ian Livengood

Theme: "I Go To Pieces"


17. Archers' protection : THUMB RINGS. My family were all into archery, and I won several trophies when I was young. I never heard of this item. Evidently, it is only used for archers practicing  Mongolian or African archery techniques.

24. L.A.-based comedy troupe : THE GROUNDLINGS. Never heard of them, either. Lots of famous alums, so I should try to remember it.

50. Scoldings : TONGUE LASHINGS. Ummm, now this one I have heard of (from personal experience!)

61. Magi : THREE KINGS. It's that time of year when they are on the move.

38. Classic 1958 Chinua Achebe novel ... and a hint what literally happens in 17-, 24-, 50- and 61-Across : THINGS FALL APART. Never heard of the author or the book.  (I had better brush up on my Cliffs Notes!)

Three of the theme entries split it as TH-INGS and one splits it as T-HINGS.  It might have been more elegant to have all split the same way, or all split in different ways. But the reveal works well with the theme. Let's see what else Ian has thrown at us.


Across

1. Long-necked instrument : SITAR. Cello? Banjo? (...time to check the perps.)

6. Spiced beverage : CHAI. Because "mulled wine" wouldn't fit.

10. Parched : ARID.

14. Annoy one's co-star, perhaps : EMOTE.

15. Suggestion : HINT.

16. Recording medium : TAPE. Does anyone still record on TAPE?

19. Say openly : AVOW.

20. Ungenerous sort : HOG.

21. "__ how!" : AND.

22. Money-related suffix : AIRE. Million-aire, billion-aire, gazillion-aire...

30. Hammers obliquely, as a nail : TOES. Essential technique when you are building a new wall--right, Splynter?

31. "Yikes!" : EEK.

32. Bit of pillow talk : COO.

33. Dress protector : APRON.

36. Fla. airport : MIA.mi.

37. Sign of summer : LEO. Zodiac.

43. MLB team whose home scoreboard is updated by hand : BOS.ton. Yay! A baseball clue that I knew the answer to.  Fenway Park is basically the same as it was on opening day, April 20, 1912.

44. Prom rental : TUX.

45. Full of recent info : NEWSY.

46. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN I.

48. Regarding : AS TO.

55. Vermeer's "__ With a Pearl Earring" : GIRL.

56. GI entertainer : USO.

57. Sénat vote : OUI.

59. Bear up there : URSA.

65. Verb, for one : NOUN.

66. One-named supermodel : IMAN. I finally remembered this name, thanks to Lucina. She said she parses it as I-MAN, even though the supermodel is "definitely not a man."

67. 10 out of 10, scorewise : IDEAL.

68. Canadian coin that's no longer produced : CENT. Canadian Eh!, do Canadians really have no cents?

69. Blog entry : POST. I'm working my tail off, here!

70. Yankee manager before Girardi : TORRE. 5 perps.


Down

1. Rogen of "Pineapple Express" : SETH.

2. "Let's get some air in here!" : I'M HOT.

3. Unyielding : TOUGH.

4. With 47-Across, payment for cash? : ATM. and 47-Across: See 4-Down : FEE.

5. Bull Run soldier : REB.

6. Casual pants : CHINOS.

7. Believer in karma : HINDU.

8. "Life of Pi" director Lee : ANG.

9. "You convinced me" : IT'S A DEAL.

10. Early game console : ATARI.

11. One of Hogwarts' four houses : RAVENCLAW.

12. Nov. 2013 Twitter milestone : IPOInitial Public Offering.

13. Morning drops : DEW.

18. Outback order : RARE. Outback Steakhouse does grill a pretty good steak.

23. Variety : ILK.

25. Prince Harry's alma mater : ETON.

26. Pagoda instrument : GONG. I was trying to think of the word for the instrument in "Memoirs of a Geisha," but by the time I thought of "shamisen," I had already filled this one in using perps.

27. Singer Young : NEIL.

28. Attendees : GOERS.

29. In need of a sweep, perhaps : SOOTY. HaHa, I was thinking of my kitchen floor after the cats finish eating.  But here, it's the chimney that needs a "sweep."

33. Plate appearance : AT BAT.

34. Platter player : PHONO.

35. 1992 Crichton novel involving a fictional Japanese company : RISING SUN. I did read it, but forgot what it was about.

36. Upper limit : MAX.

39. Boot option : STEEL TIP. Anyone else consider STEEL Toe?

40. Gas, e.g. : FUEL.

41. Not pro : ANTI.

42. Drudge : PEON.

47. Sable or mink : FUR.

48. Thumbs-up : ASSENT.

49. Vegas dealer's device : SHOE. It does kind of look like an open toed shoe, doesn't it?

51. 2014 World Series winning team member : GIANT. I was panicking, thinking I would have to come up with someone's name. Whew! I only had to WAG the team.

52. Vague qualities : AURAS.

53. Hopeless case : GONER.

54. Cotton candy, mostly : SUGAR.

58. Cruise destination : ISLE.

59. Chapel Hill sch. : UNC. University of North Carolina.

60. School of tomorrow? : ROE. Cute.

62. Med. care provider : HMO.

63. Set to be assembled : KIT.

64. Binding promise : I DO...believe it is time for me to leave!

Marti


58 comments:

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

What Marti said. I don't know the book or the author, and certainly never heard of thumb rings, but there were enough perps to bump along. The comedy group is unknown too. Putting in Cello at 1a stalled the progress for a long time; can't say Sitar sprang to mind easily.

All in all a nice Thursday level puzzle with an elegantly placed grid spanner.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

I was a bit worried about this one, since I've never heard of Chinua Achebe, but as the perps filled in I was actually able to guess the title of the novel based on the first couple of theme answers I had already filled in, and that helped with the rest.

THUMB RINGS was a complete nonstarter, but I knew about THE GROUNDLINGS, so that helped.

Had a technical DNF when I misspelled Mr. Young's first name as NEAL and didn't get the *TADA* as a result. Then I realized that MIA was a much moire likely airport abbreviation than MAA...

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Marti and friends. This was a very easy Thursday puzzle. I knew Chinua Achebee (1930 ~ 2013) because my book group selected his book THINGS FALL APART shortly before he died.

Hand up for STEEL Toe boot.

IMAN has been married to David Bowie since 1992.

School of Tomorrow = ROE was my favorite clue.

QOD: We have arrived at an intellectual chaos. ~ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Dec. 11, 1918 ~ Aug. 3, 2008)

thehondohurricane said...

Good day from snowy Ct,

This was a bruiser today, but thanks to multiple perps & wags, got it done. Other then THREE KINGS & TONGUE LASHINGS, the other theme fills were unknown to me.

Actually, I solved this from bottom to top today. My first attempt at the North & Central resulted in lots of emptiness. In the South TORRE, URSA, & POST gave me the foothold I needed to begin my journey North.

Archers have thumb rings? In medieval times, Archers needed only their thumbs which they were certain to lose if captured by the enemy.





desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I'm late today because my fruity computer was playing How Slow Can You Go?. It took 5 minutes for the Quicken update screen to appear, and 22 minutes more to finish the update. Usually takes less than 30 seconds for the whole shebang. Grrrrr!

Didn't know about THUMB RINGS, I was thinking of that leather wrist-protector thingee. Don't think I've heard of THE GROUNDLINGS -- one of the alumni in that list is Christian Duguay. Relative, Marti?

I thought of STEEL toes, but figured it couldn't be since we already had TOES at 30a. With GIA__ in place I was able to make a wild stab at GIANT. CHINOS are casual? They're the dressiest thing in my closet.

Favorite clue today: "Verb, for one" = NOUN.

HeartRx said...

d-otto, I'm not sure if Christian Duguay is related, but I do know he spells it wrong. Should be DuGuay! ;-)

oc4beach said...


Exactly what Dudley said.

Snowing in central PA today. Don't have to go anywhere, so no big problem.

Have a great day everyone.

CrossEyedDave said...

DNF, I had trouble with all the names:

The Groundlings?
Things fall apart?
rising sun?
Giant?

The only name I knew was Ravenclaw...

& I wanted Khakis b/4 Chinos.

I totally missed the theme, I thought was the word things changed somehow, & missed the "TH" prefix which makes it all make sense.

Loved 60D school of tomorrow = Roe.

Is Ian Livingood a pseudonym?

The best broken thing I found

The worst broken thing I found...

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Had some bumps along the way as the author and book title were unknowns as was the LA comedy group, so lots of perps were needed but they were all solid. Hand up for toe/tip. Cute, mini- baseball theme with At Bat, Torre, Giant and Bos(ton).

Thanks, Ian, for a fun romp and thanks, Marti, for putting "Things" in perspective!

We got about 10" of snow but the roads are clear and while it's cold, it's not bitter and there is no wind, so it's tolerable.

Have a great day.

Rainman said...

Test. To see if I can somehow use my iPhone to comment or reply.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone

Thought I might have trouble, but got the bottom easily enough. Then worked back to the top. Wanted THUMB guard but saw the clue invited a plural answer. Perps drove answer to RINGS.
Favorite fill was 65a, NOUN for verb.

Have a great day.

Rainman said...

It worked. Without captcha. Not sure why.
Thanks to the author and reviewer again. Nice fun one today. No problems. Thanx for all the help to my ran-dumb questions!

Lucina said...

Good day, friends! Very enjoyable commentary, Marti, thank you. Yes, that is exactly how I remember Iman vs. Imam.

Whew! This puzzle looked daunting and really obscure at first glance, but THINGS fell into place fairly quickly.

Though RAVEN CLAW, THUMBRINGS, THE GROUNDLINGS and THINGS FALL APART were completely unknown, it was easy to fill in the blanks after a few perps emerged.

GIRL with a pearl earring is one of my favorite books and movie.

Ditto for STEEL TOE and being unfamiliar with STEEL TIP.

Thank you, Ian Livengood for a fine romp today.

Have yourselves a happy Thursday, everyone! Yippee, I see numbers in my captcha.

Bluehen said...

Pretty much WEES. The only themed fill I got right away was TONGUELASHING, but strong perps made all of them eventually sussable. Marti, I agree that "mulled wine" won't fit for 6a, but unfortunately "grog" did, at least until the perps disallowed it. Strangely enough, SITAR was the first thought to spring to my tired old mind for 1a, and a quick peek at the perps confirmed it. While patting myself on the back, I entered "grog" for the next clue.

Oh well, pride goeth before a fall.

All in all, I found this to be a fairly smooth solve, with the "Tada" moment coming in about half the usual Thursday time. Thanks Ian and Marti for a fun romp.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Ian Livengood, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for a fine review.

I bounced round on this one. Finally got a couple footholds in the south and spread from there. After getting started things progressed more easily.

tHREE KINGS, TONGUE LASHINGS, and THINGS FALL APART came easily, but the other two took lots of perps.

I also liked ROE.

I also tried STEEL TOE and stuck with it. That is why I had a couple errors in the deep south. I have owned several pair of STEEL TOE boots in my life. Still have one. I have never heard them referred to as STEEL TIP. Knowing IMAN would have helped, but I did not know her.

Tried DIRTY for 29D, fixed that to SOOTY. OK.

RAVEN CLAW was with perps and a wag. Worked.

Won a narcissus paperwhite potting yesterday at my gardening lunch for putting in over 100 hours of volunteer work this year. Felt good about that. I also have an amaryllis that is growing daily. You can almost watch it grow, like an inch a day, or more.

See you tomorrow. Off to Glenview tonight.

Abejo

(616)

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Some unknowns and several uncertainties. Made it through though.

I have lots of experience with TONGUE LASHINGS, and not in a good way.

Plate appearances and AT BATs are not the same thing. A plate appearance occurs every time a player completes his turn batting.

Several plate appearance scenarios are not included in an AT BAT. Examples are a walk, hit by pitch, sacrifice, and some other rare circumstances. Stats are based on AT BATS, not on plate appearances.

THREE KINGS has a bit of Christmas resonance.

Here is traditional Christmas song.

And here is a more contemporary one..

Both are wonderful.

Cool regards!
JzB

Jazzbumpa said...

THREE KINGS


Cheers!
JzB

Anonymous T said...

Hi all!

Lurked the last few days - HBBD Hahtoolah!

Fun puzzle - I knew GROUNDLINGS, but not THUMB RINGS and 38a is way out. Thanks for the writeup Marti!

STEEL TOEs for the job-site; STEELTIPs for the hoedown.

Gotta run. Cheers, -T

Bill G. said...

Good morning! I enjoyed the puzzle and writeup. Thanks Ian and Marti.

BIG rainstorm is due here tonight and tomorrow morning. How did you northern/central Californians fare?

My father and I were archers when I was younger. He won a bunch of medals; I won a few, mostly when no other juniors were around. Both of us used finger protectors and forearm protectors but neither of us used or even heard of a thumb ring.

Marti, right away I noticed the same thing that you mentioned; that three of THINGS were taken apart one way and one of them was taken apart differently. I'm OK with that but it seemed un-Rich-like to me.

Misty said...


Well, this was a Thursday toughie, for sure, and took two tries before I finally got it. I just didn't know the theme answers, except THREE KINGS at some point, and so had to build the whole thing up from three and four letter words. Huge relief when it all fell into place--thanks, Ian, and you too, Marti, for explaining the theme when I finally got on the blog.

Lots of storms today, including California--hope everybody stays safe. Have a great day, everybody!

JD said...

Good morning all,

a DNF for me today, but had fun trying. Got stuck both ways trying to fill Tongue Lashing; never would have filled peon for drudge. My favorites crossed: verb, for one and school of tomorrow.

Enjoyed the Harry Potter series, so Ravenclaw was a gimme.I cheated and listened to the books on tape on the way to and from work each day, to keep up with my students. Jim Dale's voice was perfection.


Marti, enjoyed and NEEDED your explanations. Thanks for visual for TOES.

No. CA is finally getting much needed rain with some heavy winds attached. We all have our flashlights at the ready.

Ergo said...

Thank you Marti and Ian.

This was a stand up and cheer moment for me. I felt like Ickey Woods in the Geico commercial.

"Number 44? That's me!

Gonna do a crossword... Gonna do a crossword... Gonna do a crossword..."

(SLAPS the newspaper on the desk)

"Whooooooo! 44 ladies! That's me!"

Anonymous T said...

Ergo - Here you go... Ickey Woods.

Puzzle - @1d It took three looks at the clue. Oh, SETH!. And if was off to the races with no write-overs. I did need perps for many (e.g. 38a) but an eWAG here and there got 'er done.

Thanks Ian for the diversion and ASTO the write-up, may I POST Marti is IDEAL for a Thurs. Too, late I DO'd it.

Cheers, -T

Jerome said...

TORRE- Crossword proof that TO ERR is human.
SITAR- Answer to "Isn't Brea gooey stuff in Spanish?"
"OH, TIM, what did you say TO HIM?"
"HI, TOM, I,M HOT"

IMAN- Start of a song about a cowhand.

Actually, Marti, there's usually very little toe nailing in new construction. Especially in a house. Walls are built laid out flat on the floor and nailed straight through the top and bottom plates into the stud. Those walls are then raised into place and nailed straight through the bottom plate into the floor. It's the quickest, most efficient way to construct walls. The only toe nailing in a house is when the roof rafters, or floor and ceiling joists, are nailed to the tops of walls. You rarely build a wall in the upright position like your illustration shows.

Chairman Moe said...

"puzzling thoughts":

A DNF for me as I was hung up on STEEL TOE for 39D; I didn't try to get a "TIP" to help solve, so just left 66 and 69 across blank. Also, I had no solve for 52D as USO in 56A did not come into vision . . .

Otherwise, the puzzle was pretty straight-forward; I had no other write-overs or need to Google any answers; but not finishing a Thursday puzzle, is, well . . .

Enjoyed the write-up, Marti!

Catching up from yesterday, JzB, the Trombone guy (Christopher Bill?) you linked is quite talented; enjoyed listening to several of his You Tube recordings; it helped get me into the Christmas "mood"!

Another busy day here, but I plan on taking a page out of Tinbeni's book, and have a "toast" at sunset tonight; should be a spectacular one . . .

Ergo said...

Thanks for the assist with the link AnonymousT. When I finished the puzzle today, I was so pumped up that the adrenalin-fueled Ickey cheer was what came to mind.

(Yes, I performed my own version. No, I did not record it)

Jerome said...

Bill G- Just caught your post. The town where I live in Northern Cal, Healdsburg, is about two feet under water in much of the downtown area.
Frankly, I wish there was a super major deluge and all the tourists, wine bars, and over priced restaurants would vanish in a righteous cleansing of wealthy snobs and their ubiquitous limos.

CanadianEh! said...

Fun workout today. Thanks Ian, and thanks to Marti for explaining the theme.

Hand up for steel toe and Dirty.
I always have to remember American ATM vs. Canadian ABM.

I had IN RE before AS TO and Vow before I DO but knew Rich wouldn't allow Vow and AVOW in the same puzzle.

Favourite clue was school of tomorrow=ROE!

I read Girl with a Pearl Earring on the recommendation of Cornerites and thoroughly enjoyed it.

All the regulars here should have known 68A CENT (we discussed on Sept. 30/14). Yes Marti, we Canadians have no cents. We are Loonie!

Chairman Moe said...

Not "theme" related, but here is a limerick that fits the current time of year . . .

With the Holiday season in gear,
It's hard not to be full of good cheer;
Unless, that's of course,
You're a sleigh-pulling horse,
Or worse yet, one of Santa's reindeer!

Jazzbumpa said...

Jerome -

You're on top of your game.

Cheers!
JzB

Argyle said...

TTP has left a new comment on your post "Thursday, December 11, 2014 Ian Livingood":

Good morning all. Thank you Ian Livengood and thank you Marti.

One more attempt. Sorry Argyle !

Took a while, but I got her done. Figured out that THINGS was being changed. That helped. Finished but no rewarding tada.

Went over each answer. Found the error. Hand up for originally filling in STEEL TOE.

Have never ever heard them called STEEL TIP. Seems contrived. Later changed that ending e to a P for POST, so that left me with TOP, which wasn't changed until searching for errors.

That O in lieu of I caused my one named supermodel to be an Arabian sultanate with a capital of Muscat. Hahtoolah, thanks for the David Bowie and IMAN association.

That's where I know her from. Oh wait. That's how I know of her. Whew !

Amusing scene that would never happen: Apprentice, to Manac, "I can't get it nailed." Manac to apprentice, " Sure you can. Hammer it in obliquely."

We know (insert city name here) Doc nailed 51D !

Posted by TTP to L.A.Times Crossword Corner at December 11, 2014 at 7:16 AM

Deleted by error.

Mitt said...

Jerome -

You angry bro?

Bill said...

The Groundlings is an improv comedy troupe based in Los Angeles that was formed in 1974. The troupe’s name comes from a line from the famous “Speak the speech” speech Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. The particular line is:

Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious
periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split
the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of
nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise.

The term “groundling” as come to refer to any member of a theater audience who sits in the cheap seats.

lois said...

Good afternoon, Marti & CC. Great write up, Marti, but a DNF for me. Maybe I am out of practice or actually losing my grip, I don't know. Anyhow, I enjoyed Marti's expose and the exercise. Theme? not in a million years would I have gotten this one. My first thought when I saw the I Go To Pieces theme was Patsy Cline. And truly she was a GIRL,not FUR-lined, but with a great voice made of SUGAR,and a style that made every PHONOgraph rock & every REB (she was from Va hills)feel like a TOUGH GIANT or perhaps more like a lewy DEWy mEEK PEON for mistreating his girl as she sang in, I Fall to Pieces.

I'm for STEEL TOES not TIP as well, talking about boots and SHOEs.

Enjoy your evening; Be safe you folks in harsh weather.

Santa Baby, I bet you are really snowed in. You just take care of your special self and don't worry about my gifts, altho' I can't imagine the weather being that bad for that long. But if need be, I can pick up my yacht this summer when I drive my light blue convertible to the marina. You're a doll, Santa cutie. Just hurry down my chimney. Make me your last stop, ok?

Jerome said...

When it comes to the money grubbing leeches of the earth, rage is a more apt word. I keep it under control though. I don't bite people as often as I used to.

Anonymous said...

Sad.

Haters gonna hate.

Bill G. said...

Jerome, the next time I come to visit Healdsburg to pick out some expensive wine for my cellar, I'll tell my chauffeur to leave the stretch limo behind and take the Mercedes SUV. :>)

Anonymous said...

I am one of those tourists every local seems to hate, although I am not a money grubber and try to be considerate of the locals. I am upset to hear them whining about all of us. Without us tourists many places would lose their primary industry and source of jobs.

Lemonade714 said...

Ian Livengood is one of the many prolific young NYT puzzle makers, who comes by here once in a while. I had a bear of a time with this PUZZLE back in 2012.

Second City, Chicago, and Toronto and the Groundlings are all very famous. In Boston there was a comedy troup called the Proposition which I saw perform in 1969, after my first corneal transplant when I was in Boston often. In the cast were Cambridge native Jane Curtain and Zero Mostel's son Josh. It was great preparation for me to be an audience for SNL.

Anonymous said...

So, I am a leech because I work hard to earn money so I can buy nice things from nice people such as farmers who supply wine and food to restaurants run by hard working people who provide jobs to more hard working people so they can provide for their families?

Yeah, I get it, not! Rage on, bro.

Anonymous said...

Healdsburg, California

Sound like a beautiful place. Seriously.

Just look out for the bitter, bar tending biter.

I say we have a Corner gathering there just to give Jerome an aneurysm.

Avg Joe said...

Time for a Tuneagement Break

Jerome said...

Bill- Nah... take the limo. I get more pleasure from dinging them up while opening my truck door.

Casual Observer said...

I have been lucky enough to travel extensively. The museums and other attractions are great but I always make a point to meet the locals. I have the best luck with bartenders, limo drivers, bellman and even the guy on the next bar stool over. Luckily I have never encountered someone like Jerome. Most people are very proud of their little corner of the world and more than happy to show it off. They give great tips for hiking, eating, drinking and places like local farmers markets. Once I spent several days following a bellhop around the streets of Rio de Janeiro with him speaking no English and me speaking no Portuguese. Because of the incredibly favorable exchange rate, I happily paid for all his meals and libations. It was the highlight of my trip.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Good 'un.

Husker Gary said...

What a fun puzzle I squeezed into what little time I had today! What? The blog survived without me? ;-)

Anonymous said...

It sure has HuskerG. Jerome has been regaling us with stories of endearment. Ya know, 'tis the season.

TTP said...

Hi all,

I read something recently that said in spite of the recent downpours, it's not going to be enough to makeup for loss during the long droughts, and that it's key that snow cap gets built in the mountains.

Hey HG,
I also just caught up on the blog and missed your musings. Had to go back through all the posts to be sure I hadn't skipped over it by mistake. Isn't there a deduction for turning in your work late ?

Manac said...

@TTP whenever the heck you posted this AM. LOL, the responses in somewhat similar conversations always
took a left turn. I'll have to remember "Hammer it obliquely".

My northeast neighbors should be able
to relate to this from Tuesday.
Winter is here!

Teachers, is this similar to The new math? The new Alphabet

Bill G. said...

I just got back from a bike ride before the serious rain is supposed to arrive. Bigger than usual waves. Yesterday there was a dolphin bobbing along. The threatening weather kept the other folks to a minimum. No people standing in the middle of the bike path taking selfies.

Manac, great ice video!

TTP, you heard correctly. So I have my lawn sprinklers turned off and am hoping for even more rain. This is supposed to be a cold storm so I'm expecting white stuff covering the tops of the local mountains. That makes a very pretty backdrop to downtown Los Angeles on a clear day.

Husker Gary said...

I'm switching between my VAIO and my new MacBook Pro and had do a buncha' reformatting to get my PPT's to run the way I want at a new school with a new projector for my NASA presentation. Oh well, it's supposed to be nice tomorrow and I hope to do the puzzle and then FORE!

BTW we got a lovely take-out meal in Healdsburg, CA in August on the east side of the fabulous town square and consumed it in the park. The people we encountered were very nice and made us feel welcome. If only I'd know Jerome was in the hood, I'd have love to have met him and exchanged pleasantries. What a hoot that would have been.

I am very sorry to hear of their misfortune even though it was incredibly dry when we drove through the wine country. I hope some good in the form of drought relief comes out of it.

Husker Gary said...

TTP, I have an pretty good attendance rate but didn’t git ‘er done today. I’ve heard every excuse in the western world for late work and so I won’t even try one here! Our new kitty doesn't even like homework.

Leigh said...

Please find a copy of Things Fall Apart and read it. It is a great story. Chinua Achebe was not a prolific writer, but what he wrote is worth reading.

The book probably finds its way onto many HS suggested reading lists, but don't hold that against it. I'm glad to hear it was someone's book club choice. Hope you all enjoyed the book.

Montana said...

Manac, that's what my front walk is like today. I accepted a ride to our school which is a small parking lot away from my home, to avoid getting there like the fellow in your link.

Montana

Bluehen said...

Finally this week a beautiful day today in the Outer Banks. I feel so sorry for you people putting up with mid-winter weather while we have to put up with some winds and light precipitation while the temps are in the fifties. Oh well, all good things must come to an end, and we will be heading home Sat.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Swell puzzle, Gareth! Great expo, Marti!

Spent most of the day getting new version of Drive Genius (4) properly installed on a flash drive. Took a little nap, as am still sick.

Will read blog later!

Cheers!

Bill G. said...

Well, that was fun! Every year about this time, our city sponsors a little float going up and down neighborhood streets with volunteers providing the traffic and kiddie control, with a local person being Santa Claus and providing the merriment. Jordan wasn't here but I heard them outside and went out anyway just because I do it every year, kids or no. I said hi to Santa Claus when I heard one of the helpers call my name. He was an ex-student from maybe 25 years ago. I remember him as a bright but stubborn student who wanted to do things his way which meant not wanting to show his work when solving algebra problems. I remember tossing out one of his homework papers when, after having spent most of the previous period demonstrating how to show work when solving algebraic word problems and even explaining why it was important, he came in the next day with some problems correct, some incorrect and answers only, no work shown. Eventually, I won the battle and he completed the course successfully. I haven't seen him since that year. He seems to have grown up and matured into a fine young man in all respects and he even seemed to remember Barbara and me fondly. I even heard him say to Barbara that having to show his work turned out to be a valuable life lesson. It was a real treat to see him again and be remembered; a pleasure I enjoy from time to time due to living in the city where I taught for 35 years.

Nice Cuppa said...

For Chairman Moe

A Limerick: On Keeping a Low Profile

As the cold of the solstice draws near
Santa’s sleigh-rides might spoil his warm beer
But the thoroughbred knows
When to hide his red nose
So the reindeer can do it this year!


NC