google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, April 13, 2015 Ray Hedrick & C.C. Burnikel

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Apr 13, 2015

Monday, April 13, 2015 Ray Hedrick & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: R U a Quicker-Picker-Upper?

59A. Counter wipers, or what the starts of 16-, 23- and 49-Across are : PAPER TOWELS

16A. King of ragtime : SCOTT JOPLIN

23A. Presley film set in Sin City : VIVA LAS VEGAS

49A. One chasing outlaws for money : BOUNTY HUNTER

Argyle here. Also here is the latest constructor duo. Fast and easy Monday. We sure can use it.

Across:

1. Software versions that probably have bugs : BETAs

6. Deer sir? : STAG. Cute.

10. Long-running TV forensic series : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation) Viva Las Vegas and formally, Miami, NY and now, Cyber. ~ CBS. All the theme music is by "The Who".

13. Reason for some food recalls : E COLI

14. Tractor brand : DEERE. "Nothing runs like a Deere."

15. Gavel sound : RAP

18. California's Santa __ Mountains : ANA

19. 2,000 pounds : TON

20. Lee in the frozen foods section : SARA

21. Gives off : EMITS

26. Noisy insect : CICADA

29. Seuss' "Horton __ a Who!" : HEARS. OK but I want to hear the cicadas.

30. In any way : AT ALL

31. Artist Francisco : GOYA

33. Right-angled pipes : ELLs

36. Penalty flag thrower : REF

37. Sincere : EARNEST

40. Promise to repay, for short : IOU. (I owe you)

41. The "E" in FEMA: Abbr. : EMER. (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

43. Fez and fedora : HATS

44. Speaks scratchily : RASPS

46. "Sour grapes" storyteller : AESOP

48. Multi-room accommodations : SUITES

53. Domed home : IGLOO

54. Zip, as a Ziploc : SEAL

55. Static jolt : ZAP

58. Bikini top : BRA

63. Lanai wreath : LEI

64. Preface, briefly : INTRO. (introduction)

65. Yeas and nays : VOTES

66. Mass. clock setting : EST. (Eastern Standard Time)

67. Mix, as a salad : TOSS

68. Make into a statute : ENACT

Down:

1. Unsurpassed, or surpass : BEST

2. Danish shoe company : ECCO. Web Site

3. Animated character : TOON

4. Mountain hgt. : ALT. (altitude)

5. Isn't used, as machinery : SITS IDLE

6. Leaf under a petal : SEPAL

7. Phone book no. : TEL.

8. Tycoon Onassis : ARI. Shipping magnate married to Jackie.

9. Swiss convention city : GENEVA

10. Site for online bargain hunters : CRAIG'S LIST

11. Legendary sleigh rider : SANTA

12. "Not interested" : "I PASS"

14. Animated kid explorer : DORA

17. Morning cup : JAVA or 28D. 17-Down with hot milk : CAFE AU LAIT

22. For a __ pittance : MERE

23. Actor Kilmer : VAL

24. "Now I remember" : "AH YES"



25. Caspian and Black : SEAs

26. Handle with __ : CARE

27. Gossip column couple : ITEM

31. Boardroom diagram : GRAPH

32. Toronto's prov. : ONT. Ontario

34. More than trot : LOPE

35. Figure (out), slangily : SUSS

38. Shout between ships : "AHOY!"

39. Soul mate : TRUE LOVE

42. Nevada city : RENO

45. Word before base or ball : AIR

47. "Cut that out!" : "STOP IT!"

48. Fantasy baseball datum : STAT. (statistic)

49. Holy Scriptures : BIBLE

50. Fairy tale baddies : OGREs

51. Password creators : USERs

52. Fictional sleuth Wolfe : NERO

55. Second of four rhyming Greek letters : ZETA. (beta, zeta, eta and theta)

56. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

57. Hissed "Hey!" : "PSST"

60. "Is that __?": "Are you declining?" : A NO

61. Pair in a qt. : PTs. (pints)

62. Took first place : WON


Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Ray Hedrick is Rainman on our blog. Huge congratulations on your debut, Ray!

67 comments:

  1. Wow, congratulations to Ray Hedrick on your debut! Must be a big thrill. Nice, as always, to see C.C.'s byline, and Argyle explains it all in his inimitable fashion.

    I write for yet another reason. Tomorrow (April 14, 2015) marks a historic anniversary that has been on my radar screen for a long time as a crossword puzzle topic, so much so that I recruited two collaborators and constructed two separate puzzles. The puzzle with Marcia Brott is of mid-week difficulty, with quite serious content, and has relatively normal dimensions. The puzzle with John Child is on the easy side, with somewhat more humorous content, and is Sunday-sized. I hesitate to say more about either puzzle, including their titles, because there is a certain amount (though not much) of overlap in the themes, fill, and clues. Ideally, those of you who are interested will try them both, but not in the same sitting.

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  2. Morning, all!

    Congrats to Ray (and C.C.) for the puzzle. PAPER TOWELS isn't the most exciting theme in the world, but it certainly got the job done and provided a smooth Monday solve. I think the only hiccup along the way was when I couldn't think of a word to precede "base" and "ball". Once the perps came to the rescue, however, I had my V8 moment.

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  3. Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Congratulations, Rainman! Our group of bloggers and constructors is expanding!

    I immediately got SCOTT JOPLIN, but needed the unifier for the BOUNTY HUNTER.

    Shout out to Abejo with the definition of HATS (i.e., FEZ).

    FEMA, which remains a 4-letter word in Louisiana, was clued almost the same as in yesterday's puzzle.

    RENO is also the home of the National Judicial College.

    QOD: We are all born mad. Some remain so. ~ Samuel Beckett (Apr. 13, 1906 ~ Dec. 22, 1989)

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  4. Good morning!

    Crunchy Monday! Congrats, Rainman. Well done to both of you...actually to all three, Argyle, too.

    I heard somewhere that Scott Joplin got his start as a piano player in a brothel in Sedalia, Missouri. That might be the origin of the T-shirt slogan "Don't tell my ma I work in the oil patch. She thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse."

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  5. Yawn.

    No challenge. Rather dull. Prolly my fastest solve ever.

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  6. Way to go, Ray! Nice and clever and tight. Perfect Monday.

    Seems to me this blog should be renamed The L.A. Times Crossword Constructor's Corner.

    "Hey, hon, I'm filling a knew puzzle and I can't think of the name of that opera about the slave girl"
    "AIDA, C.C."
    "That's it! By the way, got a good clue for CICADA?"

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  7. Good morning,

    Well, my last post was March 25 when I announced our computer woes had been fixed. I unintentionally lied! They weren't fixed, but are now. We have a new Mac and our liquid funds are a bit lower.

    Have some catching up to do; , belated happy birthdays to Abe Joe & Irish Miss, my friend in Albany. And any others I may have missed.

    I have managed to keep up with the daily puzzles, but haven't really checked to see how I made out. Needless to say, Fridays & Saturdays were not often a success.

    Congrats to CC & Rainman on todays offering. `It was a bit of a grind for me, but I got her done.

    The NW corner was a grind. Wanted Janet JOPLIN, but SCOTT eventually emerged. For 37A I felt EARNEST was right, but I tried spelling it Ernest, leaving it one letter short. AHOY got me back on track.

    Having been and still am a fan of Western movies and shows, I liked BOUNTY HUNTER. Here's a easy Monday trivia question. In the late '50's/early '60's there was a TV show titled Wanted: Dead or Alive and the lead character was Josh Randall. Who played the part of Josh?

    Spring has finally arrived in Ct so it's time to begin the yard work. Hope my arthritic body can hold up.

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  8. Good morning!

    Argyle, you are right about today's relief. I needed something to ease my broken brain. Thanks C.C. and Ray. Congratulations, Rainman! A RED-LETTER day--and not the online solve kind.

    This was quite a nice Monday offering.

    I am pleased to hang out with such a clever group. Thanks.

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  9. I recognized the byline immediately, so this was more enjoyable as a result. Even suspected the theme after the second answer. Quick Monday solve, and congratulations Ray. And thank you C.C. And Argyle.

    Welcome back Skip. Glad you got back up and running. I never watched Wanted, Dead or Alive back in the day, but did discover it a year ago on ME TV. Good show, but an odd role for the star. Thankfully he got a lot better in the movies that came later for which he's famous.

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  10. speedy, but enjoyable run! Thanks Ray/Rainman and CC . Thanks Argyle for the write-up - love that song from Gigi.


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  11. I used to watch Wanted, Dead or Alive on our b&w Philco back in olden times. Fortunately, the lead actor was still alive at that time. He was great in The Blob.

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  12. Good Morning:

    Typical Monday solve: fun, fast, and no speed bumps. Caught the theme early. I am a big Bounty fan. Two CSO's to Argyle with Scott and Santa.

    Congrats, Ray, on your debut, and thanks to CC for being such a generous mentor. Keep 'em comin', girl!

    I think Spring has finally sprung! 70's yesterday and today. Welcome back, Hondo; you were missed. Now waiting for Mr. Meow's return!

    Have a great day.

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  13. Good morning everyone.

    Great puzzle, Rainman and C.C. to start the week. Thank you.

    Fast and easy SUSS as Argyle said. Frontal assault - top to bottom - no searches, no strikethroughs. Nice shout out to Argyle at 11d. Liked the theme. Good biology refresher with SEPAL.

    Have a great day.

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  14. Hello Puzzlers -

    What Spitz said. Nice way to start a week. Congratulations Rainman on your debut, and thanks to C.C. for launching another new constructor!

    Since Cruciverb is out to lunch, I went back to the LATimes site today. Apparently they've put in a brand new, much improved interface for crossword solving. Anybody else tried it?

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  15. Ray & C.C. Thank you for a FUN Monday puzzle with a clean theme.

    Argyle: Nice write-up & links.
    It always amazes me when I read your write-up how many answers were "filled-in" by the "perps" and I never saw the CLUE.

    Faves today were JAVA & CAFE-AU-LAIT. If I can't have some booze, a jolt of caffeine will have to do.

    Cheers!

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  16. Congratulations to Ray/Rainman on his début!--and of course to C.C. on another great Monday!

    Absolutely no hitches today--something I've not been able to claim for a while. Lots of fun.

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  17. HI all!

    From BETA to ZETA this was fun. Good job (and congrats) Rainman & C.C. Ray, give us the inside RAP on building this.

    STAG stacked over DEERE was cute. I also liked LEI under BRA.

    JOPLIN must be a CSO to Bill G who's shared great tunes.

    Welcome back to the online world Hondo!

    IOU links after work.

    Cheers, -T

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  18. A good Monday to all.

    As simple as this puzzle was, my inattention cost me a few minutes of consternation. I failed to notice 59A at all. It was "invisible" to me. I was trying to figure out what JOPLIN, VEGAS, and HUNTER had in common. Even asked my husband if there was a sports connection. Did not have SCOTT in yet, as the SW was last to fill. Did I feel stupid when I finally put it together AFTER reading 59A. Then SCOTT went in, and the puzzle was all done. It was finished so quickly, I had to go over the puzzle's down clues to see what many were.

    The only perp fill was ECCO. No other unknowns.

    An easy breezy fill. If not for my boo boo, probably would have been my fastest fill time ever.

    Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend... Back to the daily grind. That's all folks......

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  19. Good morning all,

    Way to go, Ray! And C.C.,I love the way you have spread your expertise to so many. Argyle, always a treat to learn from you.

    I thought this was a very smooth run, although I did have more write overs than usual, since I didn't check the perps. ah has> ah yes, shut>seal, beat>best, and, being a teacher I quickly filled in LONG for the E in FEMA. None of these really slowed me down as I am never very speedy.

    Liked seeing the Santa Ana Mts., as I never pictured them as mountains as a kid. They are pretty much covered in chaparral, and to me those were foot hills. They are dwarfed by the Sierras.

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  20. Congrats Ray. I think like Jordan Speith you are one the fasted from first post to publication

    I think only marti beat you

    I thought it was a real picker upper
    Strong but soft

    Thanks

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  21. Good morning everyone!

    And congratulations on the debut, Ray! I figured we would be hearing from you at some point, based on our offline communications.

    But why did you have to pick the hardest day of the week for a constructor? C.C. is a great mentor, and always makes it look so easy!

    I started thinking about the theme after SCOTT and VIVA, but it was confirmed when I got to BOUNTY. Which reminds me, it's time to go do some spring cleaning!

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  22. Hello, friends!

    Double CSO to Argyle at SCOTT and SANTA! Congratulations, Ray, on your debut! And kudos to C.C. for her generous mentoring. My HAT'S off to you all.

    I liked seeing STAG over DEERE and preceded by a clever clue.

    It was a fun, easy romp with no problems AT ALL. SUITES reminds me of the Embassy SUITES, one of the BEST hotels to stay in when traveling. They're a tad pricey but worth it.

    Have a lovely day, everyone!

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  23. Did anyone see Philip Baker Hall on "Madame Secretary" last night? I thought he made the show.
    Racking my brain where I've seen him before. He was the 'book cop' on a Seinfeld episode.

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  24. How exciting to get a C.C. puzzle on a Monday morning, and with our own Rainman as well. What a great way to start the week! And thanks for the lovely pics this morning, Argyle.

    I too loved seeing DEERE right below STAG, and noticing the two coffees in the morning, to go along with the one I was sipping.

    Had no clue about the theme until I got the reveal and then realized I've used all three brands of PAPER TOWELS (when you've had two dogs for many years, you get to know your paper towels).

    Have a great week, everybody!

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  25. Congratulations, Rainman, and thank you, C.C. Good puzzle today. Amazing what can be made into a theme.

    Bill G, in answer to your question from last night about which of Dana Stabenow's books to read first, PK is right: start with the first one, which is entitled A Cold Day for Murder. I think it is best to read all of hers in order because in later books she often refers to events that occurred in earlier books.

    As to your question of how to edit your profile, take a look at the upper right corner at the top of each day's writeup; you'll see a link called "Dashboard." Click on that to bring up your profile; you can then click on "Edit" to edit it.

    As to your question about weak endings in Grisham's stories, I would repeat what PK so articulately said.

    Best wishes to you all.

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  26. Spitxboov, I too thought Philip Baker Hall did a superb job on "Madame Secretary" last night. So did Ron Rifkin on "The Good Wife."

    Good to see you again, Hondo.

    I hereby post a shameless plug for our son who owns a Cell Phone Repair (CPR) store in Scottsdale, Arizona. He made a good showing in an interview he gave to a channel 12 reporter a couple of weeks ago, a video of which you can watch here.

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  27. I really liked that. Congratulations Rainman! Thanks also to CC and Argyle. Fun!

    AnonT, you are right about Scott Joplin's music. It's a favorite of mine for sure. It should be played thoughtfully and not too fast.

    We had an earthquake last night. It wasn't very big but its epicenter was very close. It shook me up a little during the interval between when it started and during the period when you don't know how much bigger its going to get.

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  28. Let's not forget the CSO to CanadianEh! for Ontario.

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  29. Congratulations on your debut, Rainman. C.C. is a great mentor to have.

    Puzzle was an easy solve, but enjoyed Craig's List and Cafe Au Lait, Cicada. Nice fill.

    Always a good write-up, Argyle.

    A good week to all!

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  30. I am picking a nit, but altitude is normally used to indicate the height of an object which is above the surface of the earth, whereas elevation is used to indicate the height of an object or a place which is on the earth.

    A pleasant puzzle for the start of the week.

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  31. Yes, let me add my thanks and congrats to the chorus in praise of Mr. Hedrick and C.C.! This was typically "easy" for a Monday pzl, but not a pushover by any means. I didn't get the theme until it was over, but that's typical for me.

    Hahtoolah @ 6:48 AM,
    My (current) favorite quote from Mr. Beckett is "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better."

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  32. And Anonymous @ 12:23,
    THANK you for the distinction. I never thought of it before, but you make perfect sense.

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  33. Ah yes! A delightful puzzle after a weeks respite. (Thank you Argyle for the Maurice Chevalier clip. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it...)

    Rainman! You never told us you were a celebrity around here! I have always wanted to contribute to the Blog, but Argyle has Monday/Tuesday pretty well covered...

    Irish Miss, Tx 4 noticing my absence. I have been traveling, & when I read your post last nite I tried to respond using my phone. I typed that I was in Ft. Lauderdale awaiting a delayed flight, but Google (& TSA) selected me for additional screening. Why they sent a text to my home phone asking me to prove I was CED I have no Idea, but my post got lost in the confusion. So who is this Mr Meow you are waiting for?

    Which brings me to Jayce, I bookmarked that phone spring cleaning link to watch later. My phone gave me a msg that my storage is near capacity, & could be changed in settings. BUT THERE IS NO STORAGE OPTION IN SETTINGS? So I could really use that video, but the dang thing is still loading...

    Oh yes, re: paper towels...

    Haven't had much luck with them either...

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  34. A just right Monday by C.C. and Rainman (K-Mart sucks ;-)) where fill was fun and the theme was even gettable by me.

    Musings
    -This great movie reconnected America to SCOTT JOPLIN
    -Joann still calls CICADAS “Dry Bugs”
    -Talk about your odd BOUNTY HUNTERS
    -Steve McQueen reprising a BOUNTY HUNTER role in a fun movie
    -The NFL will have their first female REF this fall
    -A great scene (2:34) from the most famous SUITE movie
    -Giving my sister a ZAP on her ear lobe on a particularly cold, dry winter’s day. Ahh!
    -Has anyone hear been at a higher ALT than Pike’s Peak – 14,114’?
    -My neighbors$300,000 GPS guided combine SITS IDLE for 11 months
    -“I’m telling you Gary, this Amway business is great!” “Uh, I’LL PASS.”
    -Dumb DORA (2:19) (Brett SOMERS from yesterday is the second “celebrity”)
    -This AIR BASE is the biggest employer in Bellevue, NE (South Omaha)

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  35. Three solid-as-a-rock themers and a double-edged reveal makes this a quintessential Monday puzzle, challenging yet doable for up and coming solvers and with just enough crunch to keep the veterans entertained.

    Let me add my congrats to the Bakersfield boy's debut and thanks to constructor extraordinaire C. C. for yet another mentoring.

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  36. Hi gang -

    Pleasant, easy start to the week.

    Nice job, C.C. and Rainman. Congrats.

    Theme eluded me.

    Good write up Santa.

    Tigers down 2-0 in Pittsburgh after 3.

    Fist Pirate batter of the day hit the first pitch over the wall in right-center off Sanchez, who only gave up 4 HR's all of last year.

    Cool regards!
    JzB

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  37. A buddy just shared this w/ me and it fits 11d Moses v. Santa Epic RAP battle MA only.

    Cheers, -T

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  38. OH YES - I just wasted too much time - here's another MA only epic RAP battle - Gondi v. MLK. Back to the salt mine before I SITS IDLE too long. C, -T

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  39. CED @ 1:16 - Welcome back! I really missed the daily dose of fanciful felines and all of the other comical links you provide. (An occasional canine would be nice, too!)

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  40. Hi Y'all! I laughed out loud at the reveal. PAPER TOWELS was so unexpected. The beauty of having all these constructors is the fresh unique points of view each brings to the table. Good start, Ray & C.C.! Thanks, Argyle!

    D-O: Scott Joplin's rags are so bouncy and joyous, maybe because they were set to the percussion of creaking bedsprings. Tune it into your mind and see what you think. Slower then faster then slower then off to the races. (Good grief, where is my mind this afternoon?)

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  41. The best innovation to come to the world of PAPER TOWELS?

    The new Select-A-Size perforations that allow you to only remove a 1/3 sheet from the roll for smaller clean ups. Life changing!

    Best use for the empty roll?

    Using the roll to make colorful crafts for the kids on rainy...ah hell, who am I kidding...utilizing a small piece of foil and fashioning a killer pipe when your out of rolling papers and can't find your Dugout.

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  42. I like those brands of paper towels where you can tear off a smaller sheet.

    That's an interesting take on Scott Joplin's music. At least one of his pieces is slow and lyrical all the way through, called Solace.

    I just came across this act. I've never seen anything quite like it. Enjoy!
    Britain's Got Talent
    (Go down to screen of man and a dog.)

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  43. Congratulations on your debut, Rainman! Well done! Thanks to C.C. for mentoring and to Argyle for the fun expo!

    This wasn't quite a speed run but it went quickly. This may be the first time I haven't had any write-overs.

    Got the theme early on. Cute!

    17D Morning cup=JAVA. Where is Java Mama? Haven't seen her in quite a while.

    Welcome back, Hondo and CED.

    Pat

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  44. Bill G -- Solace is one of only a handful of songs that I could play decently from memory on the piano. Bridge Over Troubled Water and (of course) Desperado were two others. But I last touched a piano sometime back in the '90's. Doubt I could even find middle C today.

    Wow, Jayce, A Cold Day For Murder is currently priced at $0.00 in Amazon's Kindle store. I decided to risk it.

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  45. "puzzling thoughts":

    Well done, Rainman, on your debut puzzle to the LA Times. You and C.C. came up with a clever reveal as well as some new(er) clues/solves. Thanks!

    It's on my list of "things to do", to create a crossword puzzle one of these days. Maybe this summer I will take a stab at one . . .

    Of course when I DO create a crossword puzzle, and then get published, some of you will "gasp" with disbelief when you find out my real name isn't Chairman Moe! ;^)

    We are a Brawny Towel family; love the 1/2 sheets

    Enjoyed watching the new golf kid on the block - Jordan Spieth - hang on and win The Masters yesterday; he comports himself unbelievably well for a 21 yr old

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  46. My son discovered Scott Joplin music in junior high and played a couple of them over and over. I think he played one of them on stage for something with all the changes in tempo and a light bouncy touch. I loved them too. I'm not familiar with "Solace".

    Watching Jordan Spieth make my prediction come true was exciting. The fact that he hit a couple bad shots and had narrow escapes at the last made his win more exciting. How does he keep his stamina up, leading for four days?

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  47. PK, Solace is a very atypical Joplin rag -- slow and hauntingly beautiful, I think. It's also called the Mexican Serenade.

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  48. Desper-otto, sounds like a low-risk risk. Those are the kind I like.

    This is one of the best renditions of Scott Joplin's "Solace" that I am familiar with.

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  49. Does Scott Joplin count twice? Once for Scott and again as the composer of rags?

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  50. Jayce, I loved this comment on your link.

    "Probably close to what you would have heard in a high-class cathouse in 1915. Good job."

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  51. Yep, Argyle. Only the highest class!

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  52. Good evening, all! Thanks to C.C. and Rainman for a fun Monday romp. I really enjoyed your write up, Argyle, as always. Got a giggle out of Deer Sir? = STAG at 6A. Was embarrassed at how long it took me to come up with GRAPH for Boardroom Diagram, but a smooth ride overall.

    Although I haven’t commented for a while, I have been following the blog. (Thanks for the nudge, pje @3:03! I’ve been meaning to be more sociable about chiming in from time to time.) It’s been great to see so many blog regulars have ventured into constructing, especially in recent weeks. Knowing the puzzle is “homegrown” adds to the fun.

    Hope everyone has a good evening – take care.

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  53. Thank you Ray Hedrick ( Rainman) and C.C. for a very enjoyable Monday puzzle. Ray, I guess you CAN really make it rain, too. ;-) Can be a very handy talent sometimes.

    C.C., you WILL be remembered, atleast, among other things, for the sheer number of co-constructors you have helped and mentored !!!

    Thank you, Argyle for a very nice commentary. The last time I commented, I thought you ( and your putter - ) were on a ship or boat, beacuse of the US flag ( as a ensign Jack - ) and I thought there was a reflection of the trees over your right shoulder, implying that you were over water. I guess I was wrong and in any case, my eyesight cannot possibly improve anymore.

    Bill G., I have often wondered who you resemble, and look like.
    LIKE HIM ??? . If you don't know about him, (which I seriously doubt,) - if I were you, I would be flattered. Surprisingly, you both share a common passion - in recreational mathematics.

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  54. I was trying for a club house deck look.

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  55. Greetings!

    Thanks so much for the rapid puzzle, CC and Ray! Swell expo, Santa! Fun theme!

    Welcome back, Hondo!

    Cheers!

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  56. Thanks to everyone for their encouragement. Appreciate all of your thanks. I agree the final puzzle was very easy for a Monday. I had originally tried to clue it as a tougher Tuesday level of difficulty, more or less. (For ANA, I had clued "What an Anteaters' cheerleader might demand." Changed to California's Santa ___ Mountains. Not all my clueing was that bad, though.) The editing process changed that; guess they needed an easy Monday offering, and I liked the result, as did most of you. I was prepared for some changes.
    Thanks to C.C. for helping. It was her theme, grid and fill, and I don't think any of the fill was edited. Waytogo.
    I had submitted a solo puzzle two years ago to NYT, but it was rejected. C.C. taught me things that help me realize what I had done wrong before.
    Barry G., that clue "Before base or ball" = AIR was not mine, but I wish I could claim it. It was an Improvement over my lame clue.
    To thehondohurricane: Congrats on your new Mac. You'll never be sorry.

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  57. Tinbeni,

    It must be Happy Hour somewhere. Pour.

    Yes, more caffeine!

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  58. Forgot to thank Argyle for his excellent summary.

    Your Masters puzzle was just terrific.

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  59. Wait, wait, wait just a second. Rainman said:

    "Thanks to C.C. for helping. It was her theme, grid and fill..."

    Her theme?
    Her grid?
    Her fill?

    That's called "helping"?!?!?

    In related news, Michael Greller, caddie for Jordan Spieth, was heard thanking Jordan for helping them to win The Masters, thus enabling the looper to earn a little extra cash over the past weekend.

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  60. Carl Spackler,

    Good point. I have to do everything. :O)
    Ray

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  61. Good evening, folks. Thank you, Ray Hedrick, and C.C. Burnikel, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.

    This is my first Blog commentary in four days. I was too busy to complete the puzzles on Fri, Sat, and Sun. Just finished this evening, as a I was helping my wife with her costumes for the high school musical, Mary Poppins.

    Anyhow, the puzzle was great. It was especially great due to Rainman Ray's debut. Great job! Kudos to you, C.C., for assisting him.

    I tip my FEZ, to Hahtoolah!

    Got through most of this quite easily, being a monday. Theme was neat, a little different.

    Not familiar with SCOTT JOPLIN, but perps to the rescue.

    Not familiar with CAFE AU LAIT. Again, perps.

    Tried LOSER for 46A, AESOP appeared with perps erasing LOSER. Needless to say I have some inkblots.

    They did not deliver my newspaper today so I called the Tribune and had one delivered. Had it by 11:30 AM. Never talked to a human. All recorded messages and punching in 1's.

    Got BIBLE for 49D, but should have had it right off the bat. Took me a couple perps to zero in.

    26A reminded me of the CICADAS we have in the Chicago region. They come out every 17 years. I have seen two batches of them since I have lived here for 31 years.

    Spitzboov: I saw that Madame Secretary show last night and saw the guy you were talking about. I like that show.

    CCO was new to me. Perped.

    See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  62. Occasional Lurker (6:37), you couldn't honor me more than to mention me in the same breath as Martin Gardner, one of my heroes.

    Jayce, I really enjoyed that version of Solace.

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  63. I'm back...

    Work is mostly done, kids are fed, wife's in bed - another day complete.

    Welcome back JAVA Mama and CED. Y'all can't just go dark w/o us getting worried AT ALL.

    PAPERTOWELS, I think it's BOUNTY I buy. I use SCOTT's in the garage for, erm, alergies.

    I promised a link (did anyone like the RAP links? I thought they were funny. There's also Gates v. Jobs v. Hal that funny too - google it). How about a 4yro playing JOPLIN's The Entertainer. There's a few missteps, but hey, he's 4.

    Cheers, -T

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  64. Thanks for the Joplin links. Much enjoyed.

    Bet Jordan's caddie made more money this year than he did teaching school. They seem to be a great team.

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  65. Loved all the Scott Joplin!

    That movie did a grand job of re-awakening American interest in ragtime. Plus it was a good movie.

    Solace is my favorite Joplin piece. Jayce, that fellow was magnificent!

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  66. Ray & I came up with all the theme answers together for this puzzle. He also came up with the idea for the next puzzle we made.

    Looking forward to your solo, Ray!

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