google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, May 15, 2018, Joe Kidd

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May 15, 2018

Tuesday, May 15, 2018, Joe Kidd

"Bad Penny"

17. Purina product for a young tabby: KITTEN CHOW.

22. Nickname for Coolidge: SILENT CAL.  “You can’t know too much, but you can say too much.”

51. Toe-tapping number: DANCE TUNE.

57. Riviera gambling destination: MONTE CARLO.   It is probably not possible to place a bet for one hundredth of a Euro at a Monte Carlo casino.

CENT appears in each of the four answers, but not spelled as such.   Thus, they are incorrect or invalid, or "bad."

35. With "a," someone undesirable ... and what's found in the circled letters?: BAD PENNY.

"Pennies today are viewed as nearly worthless by many people (although not so many as a year ago), but when the term “bad penny” first appeared in the 18th century, pennies were serious money.  This made them ripe targets for counterfeiters, and to reach into your pocket or purse and discover that you had ended up with such a counterfeit coin, a “bad” penny, was a depressing and annoying experience."

"A bad penny always turns up” is a very old proverb that dates back to at least the mid-18th century and is probably much older.  The general sense of the phrase is, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, “the predictable, and often unwanted, return of a disreputable or prodigal person after some absence, or (more generally) to the continual recurrence of someone or something.”  A “bad penny” is a person whose presence is unwelcome on any occasion, but whom fate perversely employs to torment you by making said person appear (“turn up”) repeatedly, often at the worst possible times."
Source: The Word Detective. 

Across:
1. Lymph __: NODE.

5. Offended smack: SLAP.


9. Catch some rays?: FISH.

13. Universal blood type, for short: O NEG.

14. Cursed: SWORE.   Not here, please.

15. First bet in a summer World Series: ANTE.  World Series of Poker.

16. Sharp tooth: FANG.

19. Actress Hagen: UTA.

20. Comes down with: GETS

21. Boca __, Florida: RATON.

25. Looks embarrassed: IS RED

27. Popeye's energy source: SPINACH.

28. Syst. for the hearing-impaired: ASL.  American Sign Language

30. Sci-fi writer Bradbury: RAY.  A favorite of mine was Fahrenheit 451.  “You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”  - Ray Bradbury

31. Extreme degree: NTH.

32. Grand Canyon State sch.: ASUArizona State University.

33. Theater level: LOGE.

34. __ Dhabi: Persian Gulf port: ABU.

36. Fragrant evergreens: PINES.

38. More than pique: IRE.

39. Nutritious berry: ACAI.

40. Fitting: APT.

41. Toy dog, briefly: POM.  Pomeranian.  Sorry, Irish Miss.  We get another Spitz breed of dog.  Last time I had a dog in the cw it was the Shiba Inu. 


43. "__ be an honor": IT'D.  Really, it would.

44. Tokyo's former name: EDO.

45. Most obsequious: OILIEST.

49. Force back: REPEL.

53. Classroom fixtures: DESKS.

55. Mai __: tiki drinks: TAIS.

56. Burgundy on screen: RON.  "Ron Burgundy is San Diego's top-rated newsman in the male-dominated broadcasting of the 1970s, but that's all about to change for Ron and his cronies when an ambitious woman is hired as a new anchor."  IMDb.

59. Group activity at a Jewish wedding: HORA.

60. Mystical old letter: RUNE.

61. Bargaining group: UNION.

62. Still unfilled, as a position: OPEN.

63. Ocular woe: STYE.

64. TV screen meas.: DIAG.

65. Sassy: PERT.


Down:

1. Easy to prepare, in adspeak: NO FUSS.

2. How bettors may act: ON A TIP.

3. Alaska's __ National Park: DENALI.

4. Breakfast staple: EGG.

5. Light activator: SWITCH.

6. Heaps of, informally: LOTSA.

7. Sculpture, paintings, etc.: ART.

8. Look closely (at): PEER.

9. Britannica fodder: FACTS.

10. How people react to slasher films: IN HORROR.

11. Prehistoric period: STONE AGE.

12. Chop with an axe: HEW.

14. Book of drawing paper: SKETCH PAD.

18. Clipper's target: NAIL.

20. Annoying flying insect: GNAT.


23. Boredom: ENNUI.

24. Cut with a surgical beam: LASE.

26. Easter coloring: DYE.

29. "Sneaking" feeling: SUSPICION.


32. Annoying crawling insect: ANT.

33. Word after time or term: LIMIT.

34. Pantomimed: ACTED OUT.   Played a part.

37. Apple with earbuds: IPOD.

39. "Into Thin __": Jon Krakauer book: AIR.  After reading "Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster" you may want to read "The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest" by Anatoli Boukreev. 

42. Corrida cheers: OLES.

44. Actress Sommer: ELKE.

45. Bump's place, idiomatically: ON A LOG.

46. Liechtenstein locale: EUROPE.   Europe : LIECHTENSTEIN


47. Nighttime noisemaker: SNORER.

48. Lodger: TENANT.

50. Makeup maven Lauder: ESTEE.

52. Sunlit lobbies: ATRIA.

54. Gulf War weapon: SCUD.

57. Dash of flavor?: MRS.


58. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase: AN I.

59. Make like a bunny: HOP.

See all y'all later n'at !

Here's the grid:


Oh wait.   One more.   For Irish Miss:

54 comments:

  1. Corner to corner is how it must run,
    A message in RUNES to add to our fun!
    From top left is dexter,
    Top right is sinister,
    That's how heraldic DIAGONALS are done!

    The FISH, for attention, will SLAP his tail.
    The judge has a gavel, as if pounding a NAIL.
    A loud belch ON A LOG
    In the pond, is a frog.
    But the mew of a KITTEN, for volume's a fail.

    {B+, A.}

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Y'all! Fun & fast today. Thanks, Joe Kidd. (I always think this name is joked.)

    Thanks, TTP for a fun expo. Can't get lazier than I am lately, but I'm thriving pretty well in a place not on the list.

    No circles. No CENTS. After coming to the blog, I realized I hadn't read the first 8 down clues. I was filling across and didn't go back to these downs. Unusual for me since I usually do both at the same time.

    Man, I SLAPped in SILENT CAL with no hesitation after learning that just the other day. And I thought my short-term memory was failing. I am encouraged.

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  3. Good Morning Cornerites, and Cornerettes!

    Thank you Mr. Joe Kidd for this pleasant CW which I FIR in 22:04. When I found the 7D ART of the (TENC), I filled all of the circles which just made CENTS to me.

    Thank you TTP for your excellent review.

    OwenKL at 4:12 AM

    Nice l'icks. OMK, and C-E-D will like them.

    36D BADPENNY - I had thought just last night of that phrase, wondering how it came to be, and here it is. Thank you TTP for 'splaining it. I keep showing up like a bad penny. I'm worth about that much too.

    Ðave

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  4. Greetings!

    Thanks to Joe and TTP!

    No problems!

    Hope to see you tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do remember JOE KIDD though the other JOE had more laughs.

    I guess CED will lap up this puzzle; I look forward to his two cents worth.

    Thanks, Joe and TTP.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning!

    Zipped right through this one, top to bottom, not a smudge in sight. Thanx, Joe and TTP.

    OKL, you've obviously never met any of the kittens who've been "quarantined" at our house prior to de-fleaing and vaccinations. Especially, Gomer. We had to turn the TV up painfully loud so we could hear the dialog above his caterwauling. "...mew of a kitten, for volume's a fail" -- not!

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  7. Finally a Monday puzzle! FIR with no erasures, and only unknown were "obsequious" and RUNE.

    I loved Into Thin AIR. I lived in Texas when it happened, and remember Krakauer being interviewed on local radio. Far more people die descending Everest than ascending, which surprised me. And far more people have climbed Everest than have sailed around the world alone, another surprise.

    MONTE CARLO simulation is a valuable business tool, especially in risk and project management. An Excel add-on, @Risk, is a very powerful (but not inexpensive) tool used to assess uncertainty. It utilizes randomness and probability (which is the gambling analog) to answer common questions such as "what is the probability of completing this work for less than $3 million", and "what should I budget for this project if I want to be 99% sure I won't run over?"

    DW and I honeymooned at the Boca Beach Club. We rolled it in with a celebration for top salespeople that her company hosted. We tell folks that Dionne Warwick played at our honeymoon, which is true but more believable when the rest of the story is told. [Channeling my best Paul Harvey.]

    Thanks for a fun puzzle, Joe. It was just what my bruised ego needed. And thanks to TTP for another sterling tour.

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  8. Saw the garbled cents at the first theme answer. My only misstep was filling in badcents instead of badpenny. Quickly corrected. Overall a very easy Tuesay.

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  9. Musings
    -This is the summer world series that leapt to my mind
    -PERT Kelton was the first Alice in this classic TV series
    -Into Thin AIR was a fascinating read that made me wonder why anyone would try that
    -With my CPAP machine, the SNORER doesn’t live here any more
    -I’m off for golf league while getting an EGG McMuffin on the way

    ReplyDelete
  10. A Monday speed run—on Tuesday! It wasn’t until I got here and read TTP's exposition that I realized just how many down clues were skipped. Just like PK.

    Husker, I have no recollection whatsoever of Pert Kelton as a Honeymooner.

    Still no puzzle on Cruciverb. Major bummer.

    We had more rain last night than we’ve had in quite some time. That, along with prodigious lightning and 65 mph winds, made for quite a show.

    Have a great day, all!

    ReplyDelete
  11. My sis-in-law worked for an unmarried Denver doctor who decided to fulfill his dream of climbing Mt. Everest. He planned to close his office for an extended time. I think he had to go acclimate to higher altitude in the Himalayas. SIL was so sure he wouldn't be back ever that she went down the hall in the same building to work for another doctor who had an opening. I guess her original employer made it back from Everest to find none of the staff had stayed. I wonder if more die on the way down because they've been up there oxygen-deprived longer than on the way up?

    D-O: I think Owen has been without full hearing so long that he's forgotten or never knew how loud a kitten can be. Even when they quit "yelling" you hear it reverberating in your head for hours.

    ReplyDelete
  12. NO FUSS, even easier than yesterday's puzzle. I saw the scrambled CENT right away and wondered how the reveal would phrase it. Bad penny, cute! Thanks, TTP, for a fine tour. Lovely your Denali pic and adorable pom.
    I read a story about that Everest climb. I think it may have been the Boukreeve one, but I have heard of Into Thin Air. How tragic!
    Only Ron Burgundy was new to me, all perps.
    I am a big fan of The Honeymooners, but have not seen the Pert Kelton episodes. I like Audrey Meadows. It seems that the Kelton episodes are not rebroadcast like the Meadows episodes are.
    Last night we had a delightful time squaring up to the dance tunes of Rick Gittelmann from AZ. However there was a fly in the ointment, or rather dozens of gnats and mosquitoes. The AC was not working so we opened the screened windows. Some fool propped open the unscreened door and let the horde inside.

    Owen, the second one was my favorite.

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  13. Good morning everyone.

    Another easy one. MRS went over my head but perps were firm. Easily got theme with the reveal. No searches needed. FIR.
    Lymph NODE - Two years ago I had a sentinel lymph NODE removed as part of melanoma removal treatment on my upper back. All clear.
    MONTE CARLO

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  14. YR: I know it wasn't funny having back-biters at your dance. I can hear the caller: "SLAP that skeeter, do-si-do. SLAP that skeeter, round we go..." (Sorry, I may be oxygen deprived from talking about Everest.)

    I'm waiting for the A/C tech. I booked an appointment for spring maintenance on March 27 & he hasn't come yet. Got a "firm" date last week when the temperature didn't get any lower than 77*. Yesterday, they wanted to back me off until Friday. I was a bit firm with her since the indoor reading was 81* at the time. Hope he comes.

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  15. It must be Monday. Thanks Joe, for an uncomplicated but fun romp. Catch some Rays? was my favorite. Had to be Tans, right? Wrong! Ya caught me!

    TTP, I loved the picture of DANALI. And all your comments. I wonder if all the fills that included IN ..., ON...., IS....., was deliberate. Sure made it interesting.

    In Owens defense, his kitten was MEWING, not caterwauling . There is a difference. CED, help me out here! Anyway, the poems were cute.

    The outside thermometer in my car read 104 yesterday, but the car had been sitting in the sun. I don't think the air temperature was that hot. Summer has descended and I'm not ready for it. Oh well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Tremendous Tuesday (actually easier than Monday). Thanks for the fun, Joe and TTP.
    I found the Bad Penny theme (and of course you all know that Canadians no longer have the CENT).

    Like PK, I learned SILENT CAL from previous CW (May 5/18-TERSENESS).
    I had the ON letters and my prehistoric period started out as Iron (too short) and changed to STONE.
    DIAG was a CSO to OMK. He will be happy that this CW had several DIAGs, but no messages that I could find.

    I didn't know the "Into Thin AIR" book. I was reminded of "When Breath Becomes AIR" which is another great read.

    We stopped briefly in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, on our Switzerland/Austria tour. From the Main Square with its Rathaus and bronze statues, we could see the castle on the hilltop.
    Liechtenstein
    DENALI is still on my bucket list.

    Enjoy the day.

    ReplyDelete
  17. TTP: Nice write-up.

    Joe Kidd: Thank you for a FUN Tuesday puzzle.

    Fave today (though I rarely, ever drink them) was 55-a, Mai TAIS ... booze is always a fave.

    Had a 4-letter, write-over at 9-a, Catch some rays ... had "TANS" before FISH, oh, those kinda RAYS.

    The "No-See-'em" kinda GNAT are very annoying when I am outside reading the 2 hours before sunset.
    Luckily, the mosquito's don't seem to like me.

    Cheers!

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  18. A fun Tuesday puzzle, but not a perfect score for me, alas. I actually got the CENT theme almost right away, although the BAD PENNY reveal amused me. My problems were ONEG which I didn't get right because I couldn't remember how to spell the Alaska park and put in DANALI instead of DENALI, and kept thinking the blood type should have had an A and a B or something. I also put EDA and I PAD instead of EDO and I POD, even though that Tokyo name comes up pretty frequently in puzzles. So, not my best Tuesday, after my great luck yesterday. Still, fun, so thank you, Joe. And a delightful write-up, TTP.

    Nice poems, Owen.

    I love to hear about your square-dancing, Yellowrocks. Good for you--but sorry about the insects.

    Have a good day, everybody.

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  19. Husker Gary at 7:47 AM

    - - I am planning on sending you something special, but you have to be attending the Corner. Let me know when you are back.

    - - I tried to read too soon after my nap. My eyes weren't unglued yet. I thought you wrote "With my CRAP machine, the SNORER doesn’t live here any more." Oh, CPAP.

    PK at 8:28 AM

    - - I have 20 - 20 hearing which helped this morning when I heard the compressor unit outside my closed window. It seemed to be on for an awfully long time. Lynn did not inherit the HVAC gene so was unaware that the house was going to be very hot by this afternoon. She has a laser thermometer that looks like a pistola. I had her "shoot" the feeding vent in the kitchen, and it read room temp. "It's time to call Dickie," who knows how to repair "anything," and who's specialty is HVAC.
    - - I'll be OK, thank you because I have a window air conditioner that allows me to be "cool." Yes, Dickie installed it.

    Yellowrocks at 8:33 AM

    - - Your dance gnats reminds me of my 20th high school reunion which was held in the town hall in Pittsfield, OH. It was built after a tornado on April 11, 1965, Palm Sunday, leveled the small town center where a church had stood. On the evening of my 20th, it was warm so the windows were open to bring in that fresh country air. With it came the fresh fragrance of cow manure that had just been spread in a field upwind. I felt right at home.

    Ðave

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  20. Hi Everyone:

    Late to the dance for the usual reason: Sidetracked Syndrome. I breezed through this offering with no bumps, hiccups, or detours. Saw the Cent early but the Bad Penny reveal was a pleasant surprise. Naturally, Kitten Chow brings Mr. Meow to mind! 🐈 Whenever I see the Toy clue, I want Pug but, invariably, it's Pom.

    Thanks, Joe, for a Tuesday romp and thanks, TTP, for your detailed and informative review. Thank you most of all for the clip of Flynn, the beautiful (handsome) Bichon, this year's Best In Show winner, that resulted in an ear to ear smile. 🤗 You made my day!

    Have a great day.


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  21. Pittsfield tornado continued: The path carried it thru Grafton, OH where we lived for my first 7 years. We went to view the destruction, and one comment has stayed with me all of these years. "I had wanted you to come over to visit, but I didn't mean for you to bring your house with you."

    PK at 9:11 AM

    - - Allemand left and SLAP your partners all. Now chase those gnats and skeeters round the hall. Swing your skirter.

    - - If you have been waiting since Mar 27 for service, and because your temp. is 81° F, I suggest you consider searching for another HVAC company.

    Ðave

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  22. Zoom zoom whoosh whoosh, sped through this puzzle quickly and enjoyed every millisecond of it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ack! FIW!

    Plus I left the puzzle upstairs with all my notes
    because the Sudoku defeated me in the last three boxes!
    (I need to put it on the online Sudoku Teacher to see where I went wrong...)

    From Memory, (whats left)
    59a Jewish wedding dance, I put Hopa. (& I know this stuff...)
    56a had the r, and the n, should have run a vowel list because,
    47d nighttime noisemaker, I had sniper...
    (well, it is a noisemaker, but why nighttime?)

    Swampcat, sorry, can't help you...
    I tried looking on YouTube for kittens mewing versus CATerwauling,
    but honestly, they are all cute, and annoying at the same time...
    I say this because right now, I have a young male living on my porch
    that I do not know what to do with.
    DW will not let me bring it in,
    it has ear mites,
    has been in lots of fights,
    is in desperate need of brushing,
    might be full of ticks, (not sure, the bumps might be old fight souvenirs.)
    Both the nearest Shelters refuse to accept new strays due to Kitten season.
    Tried to put ear mite medicine in, got scratched for my trouble...

    Just not sure what to do,
    (except the dang thing refuses KittenChow, only accepts Tuna...)

    Oh Well, I will keep trying to help,
    even though my town has a $500- per day fine for feeding strays.
    (I'm doomed!)

    Bad penny?
    this is all I could come up with for now...

    Oh, almost forgot,
    I am bad with Cat Names,
    but this stray must have been the runt of the litter.
    He doesn't mew, or Meow, He squeeks...
    So, temporarily, I have named him Mr. Squeekers...

    ReplyDelete
  24. D4: my HVAC people have always been very good to me. I've used them for 13 years. The March booking was expected to be done later when the weather warmed up but the weather went from winter to summer two or three times a week and then stayed summer so they got behind. I'm not uncomfortable yet, because I wear very little and run a fan. And I get up in the night and let cool air in. But it needs to be fixed.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Fun Tuesday puzzle! Did anyone else think BAD APPLE before BAD PENNY? I was expecting apple types in the circles. Not really enough room! My favorite was "Catch some rays" for FISH!

    This very generous guy came on my previous hike. He caught all these amazing FISH and brought them to our home!

    He had every kind of FISH you could imagine except for rays! DW prepared them in coconut sauce and we ate some and gave some away.

    Here are my photos of RAY Bradbury on one of his many visits here to Santa Barbara.

    I asked him about my favorite short story he wrote "The Pedestrian". About a future where no one walks anymore.

    I have been through MONTE CARLO, but I don't seem to have any good photos there.

    This MIT Technology Review article reported that the "Patriot [Missile] almost certainly missed all the SCUD warheads at which it was fired." A very different story than we heard in the news at the time.

    From Yesterday:
    AnonT: Sorry, I could not find the NPR segment you meant. Can you give more details? So, you also juggle? Yes, my favorite clubs indeed are Dube!

    Mike Sherline: I am deeply honored that you follow all of my links! I hope some of them are worth the effort! Yes, it was indeed painful to watch the fire eating, knowing how he is almost certainly injuring himself for the long term. I can still appreciate the art and skill.

    OMK: Thank you for the kind words. I wanted to get a video of me passing clubs, but it was hard to find someone to pass with and someone else to make the video! Another time! Glad that you know of the sword swallowing as a real thing. The question with such skills is 1) How do you learn to do that and 2) Why do you learn to do that?

    ReplyDelete
  26. This seemed like a “back to normal” puzzle as it was a Tuesday level.

    Went right through it, not much to add.

    Am I the only one who keeps getting the reCaptcha photos daily?

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousPVX, I never click on the captcha box. I leave it blank it click on the "Publish..." button. Always works. Since you're "blue" it should work for you.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Tech just left. My A/C was low on refrigerant and the outside unit was full of dirt & leaves. He cleaned it out and added refrigerant. I am now a cool mother.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Musings
    -I am back from some very bad golf and interested to read that PK is scantily clad during the day!
    -I am now waiting for a carpenter (former student) to do some work here
    -For the second time in four years our kitty didn’t meow, mew or tap me to get up

    ReplyDelete
  30. PK, were you shocked at the price of refrigerant? IIRC, it's over $100/lb now.

    ReplyDelete
  31. CrossEyedDave at 11:48 AM

    - - "my town has a $500- per day fine for feeding strays. (I'm doomed!)" It was right there on the site Local ordinance prohibits anyone from feeding stray dogs and cats. Your secret is safe on the Corner.

    - - Your BADPENNY was good.

    - - Does Yellowrocks live near you?

    Picard at 1:04 PM

    - - To prove that I watched your videos today, I have a question. Could Theodore Postol have been the model for Sheldon Cooper of TBBT? Answer, no, Sheldon would have nothing to do with the likes of MIT. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics at the California Institute of Technology.
    - - Howard Wolowitz has a Master's degree in Engineering from MIT. Sheldon constantly reminds Howard that he, Howard does not have a Ph.D., and that he should request a refund from MIT.

    PK at 2:02 PM

    - - Cool Ladyo!

    Husker Gary at 2:13 PM

    - - This beautiful violin music is just for you.

    Ðave

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  32. D4E4H

    If it were just me, the solution would be simple.
    1) Adopt the cat
    2)pay the $8- yearly license
    3) take it/him/her to a Vet for proper care and neutering.
    4)administer lots of love...

    Unfortunately, I am one of a pair.
    DW hates (actually is afraid of/fears/phobia) animals.
    So, my two cents worth,
    is that I am the bad penny...

    ReplyDelete
  33. CanadianEh! ~
    Yes, there were DIAGonals today (see below), although they seem to be more and more a rarity. Still, it is refreshing to see at least some getting through.

    Picard ~ I agree, especially with your last question in re. sword swallowing. Why?!

    D4E4H & OwenKL, yes indeed, DIAGonals have serious meaning in heraldry. The bend or bar sinister is not one many families coveted.

    Today's pzl (Ta- DA!) from Mr. Kidd was a walk in the park compared with yesterday's Monday surprise. Still, I found it quite enjoyable. My thanks to its creator and to TTP for the exegesis--and also for posting the photo of that charming bichon for Irish Miss.
    And Oh! the video of the GNAT swarm gave me the shivers!
    Yikes!

    ~ OMK


    ____________
    Diagonal Report: This was a strange one. After several days of flirting with no diagonals and then just a few, now we have only one legitimate entry. To quote from King Lear:
    "... legitimate. —Fine word, “legitimate”!—
    Well, my legitimate ...."
    The irony is that this one true diagonal is on the mirror side--the sinister side, running from NE to SW.
    On the dexter side we have no mainline diagonal. Yes, there are two sub-diagonals, but there is no center line to anchor them. The line that should start at square 1 is interrupted, broken off, at square 49 (right after UTA). Sadly, in my book, that takes it--and any accompanying sub-diags--out of the game.
    Yes, there are no hidden messages.

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  34. Dave 2 - Thank you for the beautiful music and musicians!

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  35. CanadianEh!,
    Yes, you must see DENALI. I had little idea of its majesty before visiting Alaska five years ago. It was on my wife's bucket list, so I went along (expecting nothing but a chance to put in my bid for the following year).
    I think I half expected Alaska to remind me of the pleasant vacation I took forty years earlier in western Canada, when a previous wife and I drove all through Alberta and dallied for the better part of a week in Banff. I had enjoyed that time for its calm and placid beauty, for its great expanses and unrushed schedule. (What was that lodge where we were awakened by a bagpiper?)

    Alaska turned out to be quite different.
    We flew up to Coldfoot in the arctic circle, a tiny town with a year-round pop. of about a dozen. On our return flight to Fairbanks, we saw the northern lights starting up over our left wing, then building up through the night. Anchorage and Juneau were strange combinations of outpost and city. We sailed on the Inside Passage and watched the scenery constantly changing.
    But nothing could compare with DENALI.

    I am not a mountain climber, but as an amateur I have managed some foothills and have cheated by driving or flying to the peak of various mountains, incl. Mt. Lassen. In Alaska we took a helicopter to the top of the famous Denver Glacier. At DENALI we wandered around the base in awe.

    To look up at the snow in summertime is always a delightful trick of the eye and brain. It is a stark peak, clearer than other lofty heights. As a kid I used to camp at the base of Mt. Shasta, where the grandeur is always a bit obscured by haze, or made less interesting by a gray sky. DENALI, by contrast, is bright and sharp edged.
    You will love it!

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  36. CanadianEh! ~ a follow-up.

    The one thing to avoid in Alaska is a hamburger.

    It is always overcooked. State law requires every purveyor of the common hamburger, from McDonalds to the fanciest eateries, to kill all the bacteria in their meat. All of them.
    Dead.
    Twice dead, then thrice. They cannot be dead enough.

    The first time I ordered a burger was in Anchorage at a fast food joint. When I complained that the meat was hard and tasteless, the manager explained the state law. My guess is that sometime in the past, an Alaska governor's child must have puked after ingesting a rare burger. Whatever the reason, the state--famous for its free living and appreciation of natural things--has become our nation's toughest nanny when it comes to the cooking of the hamburger.
    I tried a second burger at a nicer establishment at some distance from any city.
    (Fool me once, eh?)
    I asked the waiter for it "medium rare," with a wink. (I am not sure in memory which one of us actually winked.)

    And that was the last burger I will ever try in Alaska.

    ~ OMK

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  37. I had refrigerant put in my system last Saturday- $97.50 per pound.

    Am I the only one who had to track the link which backed TTP's picture?
    10 CITIES for LAZIEST BUMS / I do live 8 miles south of Boca Raton

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  38. This was easier for me than yesterday's, too. I started with NO MUSS for 1D, and insisted on BASK for catch rays until a few of the lower a crosses appeared to allow me to figure out a couple of the downs; the only one with the same letter is 11D, but none of the others work even remotely. I always do A & D simultaneously - if I'm getting a lot of As and am about to fill a D I check the clue before finishing the A word to make sure, and vice versa. The appeal to me is not how fast I can fill it up, it's the way the words interlock - CROSS.

    Picard - I was not very surprised but was extremely dismayed to read the MIT Technology Review article about Ted Postol and his (apparently losing) fight for truth. Seeing that the publication date was '02, I'm devastated that I haven't heard of this anywhere else. I've heard lots of news reports about the SDI and of course about the Patriots and Scuds, but this story should have had wide exposure in all media. It just proves the realization of Eisenhower's warning in his farewell speech (1/17/61): "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist." (NPR archives). In other words the whole debacle can be explained by one phrase: follow the money. What a shame.

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  39. Hi All!

    A pretty PENNY of a Tuesday; thanks JoeK. Thanks TTP for the expo and etymology of BAD PENNY - I think I kinda remember something about that in Newton & the Counterfeiter, but probably not :-)

    WO: SPINisH - Jinx, let's untie!
    ESPs: UTA, ELKE, DENALI, LOGE
    Fav: ON A LOG as clued.

    {A, A+}

    PK - Glad your A/C got fixed and you can get dressed now :-)

    CED - Do what Pop did; get the 'KITTEN' shots & spay'd and all fixed up and keep feeding it tuna on the porch (out-side cat). //Pop found 4 stray kittens under his porch mewing; their mom was gone... His cats have lived in the shed for years.

    LEM - I did check TTP's Boca RATON link just to see their criteria; yep, just as dumb as when Men's Health named Houston Fattest city" mostly because of our number of restaurants and how much time we spend in traffic(?).

    Well, I went to my office-mate's wake today - not fun and I'm not feeling jovial. So, rather than bringin' y'all down...
    -T OUT! [he'd say that :-)]

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  40. -T: Good puzzle for us to untie, since we have UNION in the fill.

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  41. Finally a puzzle easy enough for me. I've been preoccupied with reclaiming email, Amazon, iPhone accounts after someone hacked them. Email and iPhone are OK, they changed the Amazon email address so I've had the credit card number changed. Back to normal. Thanks Joe K, for the fun time. Enjoyed your expo, TTP but it needed another 2 or 3 puppy pics, right IM?

    I got the theme with the KITTEN CHOW.

    Anon T I'm sorry for the loss of your co-worker. It's hard to accept a sudden, unexpected death.

    We've had temps in the upper 80's with 50%+ humidity. We should get some rain this week, clean the pollen/mold from the air and lower temps. Yeah! Have a great evening.

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  42. Pat @ 8:03 ~ One can never have enough puppies!

    CED ~ I sympathize with your stray kitten dilemma. I hope there is an acceptable resolution. 🐱

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  43. OMK- thanks for the encouragement to see Denali. I have seen Banff and the Icefields Parkway through to Jasper several times. Best scenery in the world IMHO (nearly matched by the Alps)!
    But I would love to take an Alaskan cruise with an add-on land trip to Denali.
    Maybe next June?
    Any advice from others here at the Corner as to best cruise line, excursions etc.?

    AnonT-glad you joined us today even if you are not feeling jovial. We have had our share of sadness here recently and can encourage each other. We have moved past the DENIAL (that's an anagram of DENALI) stage anyway. Group hug.

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  44. Gee guys, no one has gotten excited about me being scantily clad for years. Be assured that I didn't answer the door or even stick my head out for the mail in that state. I am now decently covered and was for the tech's visit -- the only gentleman caller I've had for some time in my house.

    Maybe I got a bargain, tech says the refrigerant is only $25 a pound. I was surprised because I knew it was $100 when my husband was having to change over all his vehicles and combines 20+ years ago. I expected it to be more now. I'm betting they charge me at least $50. It is worth every PENNY to sleep cool and without outside pollen-laden air invading my sinuses.

    AnonT: Definitely a group hug to you. The worst thing about a peer dying like that is the striking reality of one's own mortality.

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  45. Mike Sherline: No one knew better than Ike the realities of evil despots & war. I'm just a bit worried about the two Korean & Chinese heads getting so friendly because of Mr. T's aggressive stance. Nuff said. No politics.

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  46. Good evening, folks. Thank you, Joe Kidd, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, TTP, for fine review.

    Zipped through the puzzle fairly easily. The theme appeared after I was done. Found the CENTs in the circles.

    O NEG hit me. I happen to be O POS. I just gave a pint today. #67 with Life Source. I also give to three other blood banks when I happen to be there. Two others in Illinois and one in Pennsylvania. Always have to wait 8 weeks between.

    Liked SILENT CAL. I remember his history well. Hard to believe a politician can be "Silent" and still get elected. Times have changed.

    RUNE reminds me of the Kensington Stone in Minnesota. Quite a story.

    Anyhow, just got home from band rehearsal and now it is time for some popcorn. See you tomorrow.

    Abejo

    ( )

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  47. CrossEyedDave at 3:42 PM

    - -I am sorry to read that DW has Zoophobia, the term used to describe a fear relating to animals. How comforting of Irish Miss at 8:21 PM to "care"nine about your new feline. You can put him with your other KITTIES.
    - -I love both types of furry critters, and I think you each do "secretly" also.

    Anonymous T at 7:24 PM

    - - Please accept my condolences for your coworker for whom the wake was held. I LIU "wake" to realize that in olden days a vigil was held in the home to watch over the body until the funeral. This rite is held at a funeral home in these days, and is called "visitation" in Louisville.

    Today's paraprosdokian: The word "Diputseromneve" may look ridiculous, but backward it's even more stupid.

    Ðave

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  48. Mark Sherline: Thank you for your thoughtful and perceptive comments. You got every point exactly. The corporate media is loyal to the money that feeds them. I recommend Democracy Now as one of the few news sources that is listener supported and is free to report actual news.

    AnonT: Thank you for the Mystery Guest recording about fire swallowing. They did not ask about the health issues of dealing with toxic flammable substances!

    Misty: Your right eye procedure is coming up soon, correct? Good luck with that!

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  49. Picard - you people in CA; with you carcinogen worries :-)

    D4 - I always understood it as a "watch" to make damn sure you don't 'wake'-up before putting you 6'-down. Maybe Wakes is a Catholic thing (the family is Hispanic; pretty much the same as Italians*).

    The worst part of the viewing - The mortician wiped the smile off mate's face - No! The dude always smiled. He was "that guy."

    It's still hard for me to grok... I did get to tell his daughter how much joy her dad brought the office and few (very)little-stories. She laughed a bit, "He always did those corny things..." And that's why we loved him.

    Argyle was hard, this is harder... Thanks Cornerites for the Group Hug.

    -T
    *Not a slur if it's true - and you know it's true; look at our gardens (Com'on, find me an Italian or Hispanic w/ out one...) Tomatoes, basil, peppers, parsley, er, cilantro... OK, there's a few differences... Their peppers are hotter too!

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  50. Hello Puzzlers -

    Cruciverb has come back to life! I was able to zip through yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrow’s puzzles all at once. I liked yesterday’s chain word scheme especially.

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  51. Anonymous T at 11:40 PM

    - - Your words explained the reason for the wake. Until modern times there was no reliable way to verify that the person was indeed dead. Thank you.

    Ðave

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  52. Gotta take issue with the idea that Pasadena is a 'lazy' city ... grew up there, didn't laze ... so it depends on what criteria are in use ... you could say that about, oh, Minneapolis, because nobody goes anywhere in January.

    Picard and Mike Sherline: full agreement, and just waiting for the clown show to drop the shoe.

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  53. PK at 8:46 PM
    - - I swear the following tale is true. It started when the door bell rang. I was in my nest (see PIC Sun. 5-6), and knew that the person at the door would give up and leave long before I could make my way to it. I called out loudly for that person to wait.
    - - For the next portion of the tale I have to back up to 2-10 when Lynn wed Mr. Curtis Smith. She was gone, so I called out to him asking him to answer the door. He was in the master bedroom out of sight.
    - -He appeared in the buff, with a strategically placed washcloth. He rushed to the door, unlocked it, and beat a hasty retreat closing the bedroom door
    - - His daughter entered, reporting on his "shiny Hiney." Once dressed, he said that he thought she could not see through the glass because it is frosted. Yes, but some parts are clear.

    Anonymous T at 11:40 PM
    - - Wrote "He always did those corny things..." - Well here's one he inspired me to do in his honor. Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) Joe Diffie

    Ðave

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