google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday, February 9, 2019, Greg Johnson

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Feb 9, 2019

Saturday, February 9, 2019, Greg Johnson

Saturday Themeless by Greg Johnson


Here we are five days prior to Valentine's Day and we celebrate my wife's favorite food group - Chocolate. Therefore I got a jump on St. Valentine and combined my lovely wife's favorite confection with a sentiment I have maintained through 52 years of marriage.

Our constructor, Greg Johnson may have had some premonition about this as he had this clue today:


9. Flavor that pairs well with chocolate: MINT - I remember when these wonderful treats were 2 cents at the pay station in a restaurant or were free in an upscale eatery. 
Greg Johnson

44. Unchallenging: EASY - While not real EASY, today's puzzle, gave up the ghost faster than most Saturdays for me. Now let's see what else Greg, with his [insert adjective] expression, has for us today:


Across:

1. In honor of: AFTER - The VFW in my hometown is now named AFTER my friend who died in Vietnam and not the heroic WWI man who no one could remember

6. Site with a Pill Identification Tool: WEB MD - I wonder what this thing is...



11. Tried hard: STROVE.

12. More substantial: MEATIER.

14. Sea of Azov peninsula: CRIMEA - A war described as "notoriously incompetent international butchery"



15. When many photos are taken: AT SUNSET 

17. Some therapeutic applications: OILS A graphic Web Md warning 

18. Didn't get in the way of: LET BE 



20. Brand with an orange-and-yellow bull's-eye trademark: TIDE and 35. Fan: ROOTER - This fan must have felt horrible when the TIDE (Baman) got routed in the National Championship Game this year



21. Conversation on the go: WALK AND TALK - One of many TV and movie 51. Metaphors, e.g.: TROPES - commonly used TV/movie devices



24. X or Z preceder: GEN.



25. Stella Artois product: LAGER - Their Super Bowl ad got good reviews. Sara Jessica Parker pronounced it "Stella Artwah" and Jeff Bridges said "Stella Artoes" 



26. Waiters stand in them: LINES - We waited in line for Ubers not taxis

28. Product of sugar and heat: CARAMEL - People sometimes disregard the middle A like the middle T in dentist

31. Real go-getter: DYNAMO - The motor below is really a electricity generating DYNAMO and could keep my laptop 36. Energized: AMPED up in a storm



32. Retrieved at an airport carousel: CLAIMED - I put a big pink strap around my black bag



33. Pet holdable in one hand: HAMSTER.

34. Critical sounds: HISSES - Appropriate melodrama response when villain appears

35. Took turns: ROTATED - Super Bowl sites are rotated among NFL cities. Next: Miami, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles

37. Cleanser compound: BORAX - Here's a pre-presidential pitchman



38. Saint, in Brazil: SAO.

39. What you'd better have if you miss work: A GOOD EXCUSE 

45. Highest Italian peak south of the Alps: ETNA - This map shows it as a lone white dot on the East end of Sicily 



47. Like yummy desserts, sooner or later: EATEN.

48. Fit to serve: ONE-A - I don't know if the Babe was ever ONE-A but he did register in 1917



49. Separate: DISCRETE = Brown and White rice are DISCRETE varieties 

53. Homicide official: CORONER - 85-yr-old David McCallum still plays the CORONER on NCIS 



54. Event associated with a blue moon: RARITY.

55. Concrete-reinforcing rod: REBAR - REROD works too

56. Kind of question: YES/NO - Yeah, I sent one as a 13-yr-old. She marked Yes!!




Down:

1. Heart chambers: ATRIA - The educated peeps here can find them below



2. Nonessential decoration: FRILL - Lipstick on a pig?

3. Siberian industrial center: TOMSK.



4. Big event lead-in: EVE

5. What John Wayne and Cary Grant weren't: REAL NAMES - Birthplace of Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa



6. Dinner party amenity: WET BAR - I'd prefer a taco BAR

7. Painter's aid: EASEL.

8. A/C letters: BTU - Our old HVAC cwd friend

10. Appoint: DESIGNATE 

11. Harbor hauler: SCOW - A garbage SCOW in NYC Harbor



12. Brand on Barbie boxes: MATTEL.

13. Cashed in: REDEEMED - Like Green Stamps

16. Stretching muscle: TENSOR - The TENSOR of the fascia lata in red



19. Trimmed, in a way: EDGED.

22. Bay Area city: ALAMEDA - The San Francisco Warriors play in the Oracle or Oakland/ALAMEDA Arena which is the oldest NBA venue.



23. Female R&B group with the '80s hit "I Miss You": KLYMAXX A lovely song

27. MIT part: Abbr.: INST- Hmmm... MASS or INST or TECH

28. Of concern to the Weather Channel: CLIMATIC - Our recent departure from CLIMATIC norms has been dramatic 

29. Twelve-step helper: AA SPONSOR.



30. Start the day: RISE.

31. Requirement for statistical analysis: DATA ENTRY - Not my dream job



32. Tried to catch: CHASED - She was CHASED but remained chaste

33. Massive group: HORDE.

37. Flat-topped straw hat: BOATER - Nobody wore one better than this guy



40. Davis with a recurring role on "Grey's Anatomy": GEENA - She was really hard-nosed in Grey's Anatomy but GEENA and baseball, gotta love it!



41. Denver's __ Field: COORS - Playing at an elevation of 5,280 ft. can have its issues

42. Remove from the bulletin board: UNPIN

43. Take care of: SEE TO 


46. A football field is about 32% larger than one: ACRE.



50. Not take well: ROB - An oft-seen fun fill for larceny 

52. Female name that's a body part backwards: RAE - Here's both in this picture 



Now put down that Snickers and comment away:




Note from C.C.:
Happy 48th  birthday to dear Splynter (Richard), our faithful Saturday Sherpa for a long time. Life has not been easy for Splynter the past year, but he's a tough guy. Hope you got that job you wanted, Splynter!

51 comments:

  1. FIWrong. DeSCRETE is a straightforward spelling error, + CLIMATeC I assumed was a jargon word for climate-C(hange).
    Sooo many w/os. TENdOn > TENSOR, AnAhime > ALAMEDA, WET-nap > WET-one > WET BAR, DElIGates > DESIGNATE, luggage > baggage > CLAIMED, tsk tsk > HISSED, skimer > panama > BOATER. TOMSK & KLYMAXX were ESP, but the band name I thought was cute.

    A wise old man of CRIMEA
    CLAIMED he had an idea.
    If the sides made peace
    Kept a distance DISCRETE,
    Now that would be a panacea!

    If people ignore the CLIMATIC
    The result will be quite dramatic!
    There's no GOOD EXCUSE
    For the horror let loose,
    For our race, the result will be climaxic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Husker great job ................. Well this one was almost a run thru... Easiest out of the week almost LOL.... I got hung up in the North west / Top left for a minute.....

    I put MINSK in for TOMSK and that threw me of... I had STRIVE for STROVE... anyway I didn't get the tada at 36 minutes... I started looking and saw the STROVE mistake that got TOMSK in there. Still no tada....

    So the red letters came on and I had put DISCSETE for DISCRETE... I had put SOB in for ROB... Sob as in feeling badly or taking badly ..... I was speed reading and typing so I didn't check anything ....

    I had put DISCSETE thinking DISSECT..... Oh well maybe next Saturday.....

    Plus Tard from Cajun Country .............

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh I forgot Bon Fete Splynter......... I miss your Saturday write ups, you are one of a kind on that. I sure did like the wit and quips....... LOL.........

    No offense Husker ...........

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello,
    Have not been here for a long time. I am just happy to share that I managed this puzzle in 100% under 18 minutes.

    Struggled on Borax/Boater only.
    One day I will pull through the Sunday puzzle again..

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  5. All my life I've been told I(b.1963) was a boomer. Husker's graphic says I'm a gen xer. I'm having an identity crisis!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning!

    WALKing TALK and LET By were my only stumbles on this one. Slowed me down, but not much. Just right crunch for a Saturday; nothing too obscure or outré. (Well, there was KLYMAXX.) Nicely done, Greg. Enjoyed your expo, Husker.

    AA SPONSOR: I read that poster as "Sober, some sex." Hmmmmm.

    Stella Artois: I remember a KLM flight to Amsterdam with our rig-inspection crew. After the inflight dinner we were offered Grand Marnier. My companion, dressed in his blue jeans and cowboy boots said, "Yeah, I'm gonna have me some of that Grand Mariner."

    GEN: A good share of the posters on this blog fall of the left side of that generational chart. Me, too.

    DATA ENTRY: I can't use the numeric keypad, but I can touch-type numbers on the QWERTY keyboard. That really speeds up the tax data entry process.

    SAO: In Brazil do they say, "She was a good woman in life, but now she's an old SAO."

    Chocolate: Is there any other kind of candy? Not chez d-o.

    ONE-A: I had a student deferment through college, but was reclassified ONE-A in May of my senior year. Got my "report for physical" letter before the end of the month.

    Happy birthday, Splynter, wherever you are.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good Morning. Two fairly EASY (for a Saturday) puzzles in a row. After I changed WALK-ING TALK to WALK AND TALK there were no changes. Just a few unknowns- WEB-MD, TROPES, TOMSK, KLYMAXX, GEENA.

    DYNAMO crossing KLYMAXX- I'll "LET BE" that one to the imagination.
    CLAIMED-we decorate our luggage with ribbons. I wanted to spray paint the side with orange & green stripes but DW wouldn't allow.

    WEB MD- pill identification was a lot easier before generic drugs were prevalent. Drug mfgs. had distinct shapes and colors. Remember the Rolling Stones song "Mother's Little Helper"- that 'little yellow pill", aka Valium 5mg.

    David McCallum & Napoleon in the same write up? Napoleon Solo- The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

    Otto- I can also touch type but I love the numeric keys on the side. IBM's keypads in the old days were the same as the touch-tone telephone, while every other brand was the same as the calculator. And we had an IBM system. Pain in the ass when you went to use another computer.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi All!

    Wow! That never happens; I not only FIR on a Saturday, I did it in less than 40min. Thanks Greg for a straight-forward solve.

    Mighty-fine expo HG.

    WOs: tornATIC, SAn b/f SAO
    ESPs: GEENA, TOMSK, KLYMAXX
    Fav: Liked clue for RAE / ear.

    Interesting: WET BAR, LAGER, COORS, AA SPONSOR :-)

    FLN - Thanks late-night Anon for bogo def.

    BigE - As you pointed out, newer IBM keyboards have calculator-layout numeric keypads. D-O: I can touch-type except for the number row so I always use the number-pad. One time the woman behind the counter asked if I was in DATA ENTRY after seeing me use all fingers when entering my PIN.

    Happy Birthday Splynter! Thought of you at 29d. Pop into the Corner if you can.

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ducky Mallard on NCIS is a Medical Examiner, not a CORONER. A coroner is a government official who may hold an inquest. The Albany paper refuses to endorse candidates for coroner, arguing that they usually have to hire a medical examiner in difficult cases anyway.

    Doesn't the "RE" in REBAR stand for REINFORCING?

    I usually knot my loudest, ugliest necktie to my suitcase so I can find it in the carousel.

    I used to take pride in my typing after my first job as a DATA ENTRY operator, but now most people just type with their thumbs.

    The Athletics' and Raiders' park was once known as Oakland/Alameda County Stadium.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Fairly easy for a Saturday, I thought. NW was the last to fill in, but did it once I got WALKANDTALK. Sunny, but cold windy day in VT.

    ReplyDelete

  11. WOW. I got a Saturday puzzle done in 25 minutes. Enjoyable puzzle from Greg. HG put a lot of graphics into the expo which makes the puzzle even better.

    Perps as usual were my savior today. I had OOMSK before TOMSK was corrected by AFTER. I had MOLASSES before CARAMEL and I didn't know KLYMAXX. As I said before, perps.

    In many PA bars you will get a Yuengling if you ask for a Lager. Don't see much Stella Artois.

    FLN: WC: I usually check my register tape before I leave the supermarket because they are notorious for not updating their systems with all of their advertised prices. It amazes me when I find an "error" at the end of the sale week and wonder why no one complained and the store didn't correct it. That means they may have made a few extra buck on the product. I think they do it on purpose. I'm going back today to discuss it with customer service, but I'm not sure how successful I'll be.

    FLN: lEMON: When I lived in Florida Publix was my supermarket of choice.

    Have a great day everyone.

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  12. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Splynter ... the "first" Sunset "toast" is to YOU !!!

    Husker Gary: Even when I don't solve a Saturday puzzle I always enjoy your write-up.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good morning. Thank you Greg and thank you Husker Gary.

    Happy Birthday Splynter.

    I made the same mistake as Boo. I had STRIVE. The I was a remnant of Minsk. Never noticed the past tense in the clue.

    Congrats on your improving Saturday times Dash T. When you can snatch the pebble from my hand... Wait, never mind, no tada for me.

    Never heard of KLYMAXX or that song before. Perps were friendly.

    Oc4beach and Husker Gary, I was certain that one or both of you were going to mention that today is National Pizza Day. Special deals abound.

    I'm not very fast on the numeric keyboard, but I've seen proofers in check clearing houses that were impossibly fast. As for me, my left thumb rests off the keyboard on the bezel and is never used, and my right thumb is only used for the space bar and for the left mouse on the laptop keyboard. My DW is amazed that I can type as quickly and as accurately as I can without ever having taken typing.

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  14. A wish for a very happy birthday to Splynter and best wishes for a happy life. Great to see our international poster Krijo. welcome back.

    What billcohoes said about CORNER vs. MEDICAL EXAMINER.

    Your basketball chart will be out of date next year as the Golden State Warriors move to SAN FRANCISCO

    My Denver son works at the POKA LOLA at the MAYVEN HOTEL near COORS FIELD . They are having the contest for bartenders again this year (which he won last year) you can vote for him if you go to GARNISH GAMES VOTE LINK . His drink is "DR. DEV'S DIZZY FIZZ" Poka Lola . I do not know how it tastes, but it is beautiful.

    I liked KLYMAXX and CLIMATIC in the same puzzle, even if I did not recall the singing group or the song.

    Thanks Greg and Gary

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  15. Good Morning:

    I think this was my fastest Saturday solve ever @ 17:39. The only completely unknown was Klymaxx (which had an I before the Y) and the only w/os were Reason before Excuse and Wet Nap before Wet Bar. I thought Wet Nap was an odd answer and I was right; it was not only odd, but wrong!

    Thanks, Greg, for a smooth Saturday offering and thanks, HG, for a sparkling, satisfying summary. Loved all the graphics.

    Have a great day.

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  16. This was a delightful Saturday. FIR in decent time. KLYMAXX needed ESP. I wagged -omsk. So many Russian cities have those letters. I thought of OOMSK, but waited until AFTER supplied the T. I thought of MOLASSES, but waited. Gary, thanks for the KLYMAXX tune. It was new to me, but lovely. Great blogging, as usual. I like your style.
    Many of the pronunciations we debate actually have more than one acceptable choice. Often the choice is regional.
    Pronunciation
    I always associate Twenty Mule Team BORAX with the old Wagon Train show which I loved. I am fascinated by wagon trains and the westering of Americans. I have read many historical novels about that and research their authenticity.I am also very interested in the Native Americans we displaced and have followed their tragic history, too. I hated history the way it was presented in school. I learned so much more this way and very pleasantly, too. I tried to present history as a story to my fifth graders.
    Miss you, Splynter. A very happy birthday and good luck with your job hunt. I hope you will stop by here from time to time.

    ReplyDelete
  17. In 1940's His Girl Friday the Mayor tells Walter (Cary Grant) that he's "Whistling in the dark. Well that isn't going to help you this time. You're through." Walter says "Listen the last man that said that to me was Archie Leach just a week before he cut his throat." Archie Leach was Cary Grant's birth name. He adlibbed the line.

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  18. TTP @ 9:52am: I was going to mention National Pizza Day, but I had to sign off so I could get to the Post Office before noon. Now that I am back, I will add that today is also National Bagel and Lox day. So I guess you could celebrate both days with a little Bagel Bite Pizza or something like that. I think the Lox is optional.

    If you are checking in, Happy Birthday Splynter.

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  19. Good morning everyone.

    WEES. Good puzzle; great hot wash-up from Gary. No help needed; FIR.
    LET BE - - I sometimes use a cousin expression : "Let sleeping dogs lie." I liked Gary's visual.
    D-O @ 0659 - - BH puts in a splash of Grand Marnier or Chambord when serving some fruit deserts like berries.
    TOMSK - Didn't know it but many Siberian towns end in SK. The rest came from easy perps.


    ReplyDelete
  20. OKL, a belated: {A, B+}

    TTP - I either mis-represented my Saturday prowess or you misunderstood; I seldom solve a Sat even after hours of noodlin'. That pebble can stay in your palm for some while.
    As for typing... I tried to take it in HS (seemed like a good way to meet girls) but powers-that-be pulled me after a few days and put me in advanced math or something [read, not as many girls :-( ]. I later learned on the Mavis Beacon program. I tried to get DW to use the same program but she didn't/wouldn't [we had a whole week in San Antonio where I was at DOD class and she had my computer - she had more fun chatting up the housekeeper and learning about immigrant struggles].
    Nevertheless, DW can pound-out an email quickly with just two-fingers and bests me in thumbs on iThings. //how do they even do that?

    IM - LOL @WET Nap.* A proper dinner doesn't require them; a BBQ or lobster-house (my kind of fare), on the other hand,... scrub them fingers.

    YR - I may have related this before... I had a gig at a power plant ANNEX at a BORAX plant out by Edwards AFB [they (the power plant) uses the left-over steam to generate power)] and they had a sign on the road that said "Speed Limit 32 1/2 mph." I think it was set for the Wagon Train ;-)

    Lem - Oops. I thought I was going to get a breakdown on the Dr. Dev but ended-up upin' the vote. Nothing nefarious here #BallotStuffing

    Oc4 - I saw a Publix when I was in Tallahassee getting my brother's (now mine) Alfa. Being dyslexic, it registered as a place where food might have a hair in it.
    //and I'll see myself (grossed) out

    Cheers, -T
    *I cannot think of 'napkin' w/o this Trevor Noah bit coming to mind.

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  21. Super Saturday. Thanks for the fun, Greg and Husker Gary.
    This CW took a while to complete in my newspaper, but I finished with no lookups. The NE corner with the T in AFTER was my last fill. Then I arrived here to discover I FIW; STRIVE was the wrong tense and TIMSK was as known to me as TOMSK. (Hand up also for Minsk first)

    Several inkblots today. A reunion changed to AT SUNSET. DATAbases changed to DATA ENTRY. Clymaxx changed to KLYMAXX (both equally unknown also). But, like Lemonade, I did smile to see KLYMAXX and CLIMATIC!
    The clue for 54A RARITY seemed just a little "off" IMHO. I was looking for an actual event, like an eclipse.
    I had forgotten about Gen Z. I'm a Baby Boomer who gave birth to Gen Yers.
    It is easier to be discreet if you are DISCRETE.

    My flavour (note spelling) that paired well with chocolate was Wine, but I had to change it to MINT (CARAMEL might be a good chocolate combo also). Oh well, we had some LAGER and a WET BAR. Tinbeni should be happy.
    And yes, Irish Miss, I thought of WET Nap first also, but knew you would not get one of those at a dinner party (actually wanted Napkin first!).

    This CW was A GOOD EXCUSE to avoid housework this morning, but I had better get moving now. Perhaps some TIDE, BORAX, DYNAMO . . .?

    Happy Birthday Splynter.
    Glad to see you here today Krijo.
    Wishing you all a great day.

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  22. Anon-T, I took Commercial Typing in HS, because I got kicked out of Biology for the year on the first day of school. Typing was the only other class offered at that hour. You're correct about the girls -- I was the only guy in the class. I got to pound on a full-sized manual Royal. I've had to type at every job I've ever held. It was much more useful than Biology would've been.

    On a related note, after boot camp in the Navy, I was assigned temporarily to the Personnel office at the recruit depot. All new recruits were processed for a Confidential security clearance. Every morning we'd interview new recruits, and every afternoon we'd type up clearance requests for them. This was a 4-part carbon form which had to be completed error-free, no strike-overs, no erasures, no Wite-Out. I had a manual typewriter, and one afternoon it started inserting occasional spaces into words. I told Beau, our first-class personnelman, that he needed to get my typewriter fixed. The next day was even worse. I was throwing away more forms than I was completing. "Beau, you've gotta get this thing fixed!" On day three I couldn't complete a single form without errors. In mid-afternoon I'd had it. I stood up, raised the typewriter above my head and hurled it to the deck. "G..dammit, Beau, now you've gotta fix it." I figured I was headed for the brig, but no, Beau just told me to cool down and take the rest of the day off.

    It gets worse. The next day I find that my desk has been moved next to Beau's where he can keep an eye on me. On the desk was a brand-new electric typewriter. That day was a breeze. At the end of the day Beau told us to secure our desks. My desk had a typewriter well, but the new typewriter couldn't be secured to it. Beau: "Secure your desk." Me: "It's secure, Beau." Beau: "No, I mean like this..." and he closed the typewriter well. That brand new electric typewriter fell through and smashed on the deck below. I told him to take the rest of the day off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great story. I had similar experiences in the Navy.

      Delete
  23. Whew! Late to the party! You are all well ahead of me.

    Happy birthday, Splynter and good luck to you!

    Today was a RARITY. The puzzle was not very challenging and so EASY I finished in 20 minutes. All the fill just rolled in with only WALKing and aorta/ATRIA to write over. OH, climates/CLIMATIC.

    Otherwise, it flowed. Even the unheard of KLYMAXX emerged.

    My red suitcase and red with white polka dots carry-on never get CLAIMED in error.

    We get ALAMEDA for the second time in a puzzle.

    I took three years of typing so no problems there. Why? It's a long story.

    You do a really great job, Gary, thank you.

    You all enjoy Chocolate Day and Pizza Day for me!

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  24. DO, I enjoyed your story.
    IM, I, too, thought of having a little chocolate with my Merlot. Yum.
    Spitz, I love grand Marnier over strawberries. More yum.
    My mom used to say once in a blue moon when she went rarely.
    I spent part of this very cold afternoon making reservations for several summer trips.
    This level of today's cold and wind is just a bit below normal for Feb here. The problem is that these wild swings in temperature, from the high 50's to the single digits or low teens in just a few days or hours keep us from becoming acclimated to the weather.
    Canadian Eh! Hand up for delaying housework. I must clean the bathrooms today. If I were getting visitors it would hurry me along.

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  25. Woohoo! My best week ever! No, I didn't get a Saturday without cheating, but had to check out only two items--everything else just fell into place. And I did pretty well on every day this week. Totally enjoyable puzzle, Greg--many thanks! I laughed out loud when I got LINES for 'Waiters' (of course thought of restaurants) and ROB for 'Not take well.' It's moments like this that make puzzles so much fun. Never heard of KLYMAXX and checked it three times to make sure the across words verified it. Also great commentary, Husker Gary--many thanks for that too. So Ruth's name wasn't BABE?

    Happy Birthday, Splynter, hope you have a great day.

    And nice to see you checking in, Krijo.

    Have a great weekend, everybody!

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  26. Dash T, that was my weak attempt at congratulating you. When I read comments from our super solvers about how many years they've been solving, I figured I could never make up for all the years I didn't solve. So I started binge solving to gain experience and learn common crossword fill. It made solving easier and faster.

    That Trevor Noah bit was funny.

    I had that "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" program. I think it was on my IBM PCjr. Maybe a later PC. Might still have the program. I was rummaging around in the basement and found a box with some PCjr optional accessories still unopened in their original packaging. I'll save them in case Frank and Mike from American Pickers stop by some day.

    Here's a pretty love song from 1980 that many of you will recognize: Climax Blues Band - I Love You

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  27. D-O, TTP, & Anon-T: I also took typing in HS with the idea of meeting some of the fairer sex, but it didn't help. I never got a date out of it, but I did learn to type at a pretty good rate. A group of guys also tried to enroll in Home Economics, but the guidance counselor saw through our plan, so we ended up taking Bookkeeping. The only thing I got out of the class is how to balance my checkbook.

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  28. Contrarywise to the typing class stories, when I was in high school my best friend and I took mechanical drawing. We were the only girls, and I think we kind of left our teacher at a loss. He wasn't really sure how to treat us, so we got a lot of special attention. I remember he was surprised at how fast we zipped through the tasks.

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  29. Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Greg Johnson, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Husker Gary, for a fine review.

    Happy Birthday, Splynter, and many more. We miss seeing you here.

    This puzzle was not easy for me. Cruciverb worked so I started it late last night. Finished it in another two hours this morning. I guess I am slower than most.

    As I got each answer I was amazed at the clever clues. I thought 50D was especially clever for ROB. I had SOB to start with.

    Like ACRE as compared to a football field.

    Never heard of KLYMAXX. With seven perps, how could I miss!

    TENSOR was unknown. But, I am not a medical person. Even though I have had my share of medical treatments lately. And not enjoyable at all.

    Anyhow, I have tons of paperwork to do and a book to read by Monday. "Beneath a Scarlet Sky"

    Abejo

    ( )

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  30. Beneath a Scarlet Sky is an excellent book! I am sure you will like it, Abejo. We read it for book club.

    My computer has been showing me a "The security certificate for this site has been revoked" message and I couldn't open my e-mail. I shut it down three times then ran a security scan. I believe it's gone now. Time will tell.

    Housekeeping tasks await me as well. My family is coming to dinner tomorrow so it's necessary.

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  31. This Saturday puzzle seemed like a Wednesday, not that I’m complaining....I kept waiting to get hung up but went through it ok.

    One DUMB markover...STE/SAO...no excuse.

    I do have a question...every once in a while someone will post up saying “that answer hasn’t been used since....” and then posts the date of the last usage.

    How do you do that?

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  32. Beneath a Scarlet Sky is one of my all time favorite novels. Another of my avid interests is the light in the darkness during WW , the resistence to the Nazis and the fascists. After having seen little evidence about this in Italy, I am finding more and more. So admirable. Such heroism, especially in one so young is inspiring. It gives us hope that this present diffcult time in our national life, too, shall pass.

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  33. YR, gotta get my eyes checked...again. I read "Such heroism" as "Such hedonism." Earlier today I read "Weather Channel" as "Western Channel." Getting old is hell.

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  34. How silly of me- to see Devin creating his contest drink go this LINK and scroll down to Poka Lola, 4th from the top on the left. let me know what you think.

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  35. That message is still showing. Any suggestions from the techies here? See my post at 1:52

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  36. Anon PVX, there are a variety of sources where crossword clues and answers are tracked. CRUCIVERB is very good for all newspapers, but to use you need to join and pay money. Those of us who blog for you often belong. There are others that are free. And C.C. has a link on our blog where is you type a word Search This Blog which will take you to usage in the LA Times.

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  37. As others have said, I also opted for typing class. I was advised by my career air Force father that better jobs were often available for typists.

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  38. Thanks for the book recommendation (Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan), Abejo, Lucina & YR. I have put it on hold at my local library.
    I am currently reading The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos, which is also set in the World War II time period. I have read many books from this era in the last year (The Light Over London, The Room on Rue Amelie, The Alice Network, Lilac Girls, Sarah's Key). I am currently waiting to read Sisters and Spies by Susan Ottaway, a new release. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also on my list.
    I find it best to intersperse these books with other types of books. Yes, as YR states, there is "light in the darkness", but there is so much darkness! But for those of us who did not live through this period, it is important to learn about it.
    'Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.' (Winston Churchill)

    This quote reminds me to ask "where is Hahtoolah" and Quote of the Day??

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  39. Happy Birthday, Splynter! How great--to be so young, and to look it!

    Ta~ DA!
    This was a good 'un. It took P+P plus some leaps of faith, but I got 'er done.
    They try not to lose the second "A" in CARAMEL up in No. California. They'd end up in a city by the sea.

    Owen ~
    A coupla fine Irish Counties today! Let those rhymes fly, man!

    Misty ~
    Hoowoo back to you! Only 2 cheats? Pretty darn good for a Saturday! Well done, lassie!
    ~ OMK

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  40. Fairly easy Saturday solve. "In honor of"= AFTER a real stretch! Having been to Crimea for a week, NEVER heard it mentioned as a peninsula of the Sea of Azov. It has always been a peninsula of the Black Sea. Geographically speaking, it can't be both. C'mon, George, let's be geographically correct!

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  41. Though we may flinch from the darkness as seen in Schindler's List or realstic VietNam war movies, it is important to acknowlege the evil and embrace the forces of good that have worked to overcome them. Of course, we need to concentrate on the good. I am an eclective reader. Being interested and curuious about a wide variety of subjects helps with xwords and life in general.

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  42. D-O: Now, that's funny. [Re: Navy story]

    Oc4 - I tried the HomeEcon route the next semester. The counselor was way ahead of me :-(

    HG - I forgot about Climax Blues Band until I clicked. Good stuff.

    Lucina - who's your ISP and/or email provider. They have the expired certificate and your computer is trying to protect you. If you can get a screen-shot [Alt-PrintScreen] the next time it happens and email it to me, I might be of more help. I don't think there's anything wrong with your system or you'd get that error going anywhere on the Internet.

    PVX - in a Google search, type "KLYMAXX site:crosswordcorner.blogspot.com" and you will find today is the first time it was used.

    SandyAnon - Pop also had mech-drawing in HS. All his project-sketches are works of art. I'm jealous; CAD was the rage by the time I got to drafting in college.

    Lem - Devin's concoction looks a little too fru-fru for me; just the Gin thanks. :-)

    Cheers, -T

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  43. Anybody know the Rule of nines***. Handy for numeric calculator entry

    I did this one very quickly, easier than yesterday. 1A was my big hang-up as I couldn't grok AFTER.
    This had timely CSO to Splynter* with AASPONSOR. Was Gary referring to the 13th Step?

    I agree that typing class junior year have been my most valuable course
    Crimea is surrounded by both the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. DNIESTER** river flows in.

    WC

    * Et Moi
    ** Previous Saturday stumper
    *** If you add up a list top to bottom and vv and they don't agree and the difference is divisible by nine then you have transposed a number

    PS . Oc4, It happened again today at the deli. Caught it right away , showed her and she had to reweigh and print a new sticker . Yes, they no what they're doing .


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  44. Here is the MAP OF CRIMEA

    All of the places where I go to work on my write-ups agree that KLYMAXX made its puzzle debut here today

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  45. Er, not HG but TTP w/ Climax Blues Band link... Sorry, poor note taking on my part.

    C, Eh! - I too was thinking of the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse but too many letters. YR said it: "Once in a Blue Moon" is, generally, a RARITY. Kinda like me solving a Sat. //Blind squirrels and all that.

    Typists out there: The real reason I wanted to take typing was I was heavy into computers but very slow at expressing myself in code (girls were a side bennie). My buddies, who had computers at home, were faster on the keyboard. I never got one (computer) because Step-Monster insisted a computer must be in a "clean room" and my bedroom wasn't. She could have also taught me typing [she was a secretary @110 WPM at State of IL] but I didn't want the haranguing.

    As for talking the "Neighborhood classes," my counselor wouldn't let me. "You're in the Magnet Program for Gifted kids. You're special."
    [A platitude like that makes you think you'll be on short-bus home. :-)] //my first encounter with Southerners*; Bless her heart...
    Instead it was all AP classes and nary a chance to learn social skills -- which were desperately needed after years of parochial school.

    How DW (all As and a Cheerleader (at another HS)) and me ever got hooked-up is a mystery 31 years running.

    Speaking of DW, I got a short text. She's still not in the Gulag.

    Cheers, -T
    *I moved to Louisiana and public school mid-HS. I thought I found an out... Caulfield-wise.

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  46. WC: I definitely know and used the "rule of nine" having been a "by hand & brain" double-entry accountant who had to balance sets of books to the penny every month. Those days were before desktop computers. My last boss wouldn't buy me a computer because I was "so good at it, I didn't need a computer". My brain was tired and I had a lot going on so it was one more reason I quit.

    I took a college course in business machines and learned to "touch type" a ten-key adding machine. Very valuable as were all business courses I ever took. Loved my double-entry accounting class in HS. I had two years of typing on a manual typewriter in high school. (Several boys in the class.)

    When I got my first home computer, my 10-year-old son couldn't wait to try it out. I dug out my old high school typing book and taught him proper touch-type keyboarding. Didn't want him to make a habit of hunt & peck. He loved it and has used it advantageously all his career life. He won several high awards for technical writing in college and USAF. With the right technique on the keyboard, it frees the mind to concentrate on what needs to be written.

    As for the puzzle, I enjoyed it and the expo. Thanks, guys!

    Happy Birthday, Splynter! Best wishes in you life. Hope your sponsor is keeping you on the sober track you need. Miss you!

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  47. Greetings!

    Thanks TO Greg and Gary!

    FiR! Hooray!

    Problems were: CRIMEA, HAMSTER, KLYMAXX and TOMSK.

    More rain here.

    Happy birthday, Splinter! How are you?

    See you tomorrow!

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  48. DO @ 3:27 ... We've got to see if the Corner could be run at 12-points instead of 10, at least.

    Yours in optometric optimism (also called ocular necessity)

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