Theme: A puzzle for one seasoning. As we shall see, this is a well-seasoned puzzle. This will make more sense if we start with the unifier.
60 A. Quantity applied to dubious advice, and what's found in the answer to each starred clue: GRAIN OF SALT. To take something with a "grain of salt" is an English language idiom that suggests to view something, specifically claims that may be misleading or unverified, with skepticism or to not interpret something literally. However, the chemist in me [and yes I have BS and MS degrees in chemistry] recognizes that the symbol for a molecule of common table salt is NaCl. Na is the symbol for sodium [natrium in the original Latin] and Cl is the symbol for chlorine. The combination is called sodium chloride.
17. *When "you can see forever," per the classic song: ON A CLEAR DAY.
30. *Genetic lab project: DNA CLONING. A set of experimental methods in molecular biology that are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and to direct their replication within host organisms.
35. *Almost got the gold: RAN A CLOSE SECOND. If you run someone a close second, or run a close second, you almost beat them in a race or competition. So - probably took the silver.
If you take a granular look at each of these answers, you will find the it does indeed contain a modicum of salt
Hi, Gang -- JazzBumpa here to analyze todays experiment in criciverbalism. Let's grab our lab coats and get going.
Across:
1. Starts a triathlon: SWIMS. A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances.6. Airplane assignments: SEATS. Aisle, window or [ugh] center.
11. Short lines at the register?: UPC. The Universal Product Code (UPC or UPC code) is a barcode symbology that is widely used worldwide for tracking trade items in stores.
14. Chocolate source: CACAO. Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate.
15. "I've __ up to here!": HAD IT. Exclamation of impatience or incipient anger.
16. Swelter: FRY. Experience an unpleasant level of heat.
19. Watch chain: FOB. A chain attached to a watch for carrying in a waistcoat or waistband pocket.
20. Top __: TEN. A type of most popular list.
21. Requests: ASKS.
22. DVR pioneer: TIVO. TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by Xperi and introduced in 1999.
23. Rich cake: TORTE. a rich, usually multilayered, cake that is filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruit. It is often glazed and garnished.
25. Air purifying gadget: IONIZER. Devices that remove certain airborne particles using negative ions. The purpose of an air ionizer is to help air particles settle and collect out of the air.
28. Skateboarding star Tony: HAWK. Anthony Frank Hawk (b. 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse
32. Qatari bigwigs: EMIRS. A Muslim (usually Arab) military commander or local chief.
34. "__ I say more?": NEED. Have you heard enough?
42. Word on Irish euros: EIRE. Éire is Irish for "Ireland", the name of both an island in the North Atlantic and the sovereign state of Ireland which governs 84% of the island's landmass.
43. Finnish hot spot: SAUNA. A small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities.
44. *Long, curved barrette: BANANA CLIP. a clip that is slightly curved and used to hold a person's hair in place.
50. Academic acronym: STEM. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. It is an interdisciplinary approach that helps students succeed in college and in their future careers. The focus of a STEM education is hands-on, problem-based learning.
51. Glasses for bookworms: READERS. Eyeglasses used for reading or close work. I have a special pair for reading music. Otherwise I get trapped in bifocal hell.
52. Court attire: ROBES. A robe is a loose gown worn by judges, barristers and officials in court.
54. Itch: URGE. Yen, desire, craving, impulse, yearning . . .
55. Han who said, "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee": SOLO. Portrayed by a former camera man.
56. [shrug]: MEH. We are not impressed.
59. __ sale: TAG. A sale of used belongings where the price of the item is discounted and marked on a price tag.
64. Put away: ATE. Probably with considerable enthusiasm.
65. Very serious: ACUTE. Present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.
66. Leading: FIRST. Outperforming the competition.
67. __ light bulb: LED. Light Emitting Diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs.
68. Cookie source: BAKER. A person who makes bread and cakes - and, of course, cookies - especially as a trade.
69. Ready to flow: ON TAP. All set to go.
Down:
1. Person in Paisley: SCOT. A person from Scotland. The town Paisley is an industrial centre, Renfrewshire council area and historic county, in west-central Scotland, 7 miles (11 km) west of Glasgow. It is situated on the River White Cart, a tributary of the River Clyde.
2. Diminish: WANE. Ebb, decline, shrink, contract.
3. "Gosh, no one is happy with me!": I CAN'T WIN. An expression of dismay.
4. PC alternative: MAC. An Apple computer.
5. __ power: SOLAR. The conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination.
6. Like some martinis: SHAKEN. As opposed to being stirred. Mine are swirled.
7. AirPods holders: EARS. Apple's entirely wireless earbuds. They were first released in 2016. AirPods are compatible with iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macbooks, and Apple TVs. EARS are the organs of hearing and balance in humans and other vertebrates, especially the external part of this.
8. Total: ADD. Sum it up.
9. Hermana de la madre: TIA. Mom's sister is your aunt, not only in Spanish speaking regions.
10. Farm pen: STY. Home for pigs.
11. Florence gallery with Botticelli's "Birth of Venus": UFFIZI. A prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.
12. Tried and true: PROVEN. We know it will work. Or so we hope.
13. Seven of Nine of "Star Trek," for one: CYBORG. A fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body. They appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. Not sure what the 7 of 9 refers to.
13. Seven of Nine of "Star Trek," for one: CYBORG. A fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body. They appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. Not sure what the 7 of 9 refers to.
18. Founded, for short: EST'D. Established.
22. Pewter component: TIN. Along with lead.
24. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA. Abelmoschus esculentus, known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods.
25. Cold, slushy treat: ICEE. A frozen carbonated beverage available in fruit and soda flavors.
26. World Cup chants: OLÉS. From Spanish-speaking countries -- an exclamation used to express approval, triumph, joy, etc.
27. Network connections: NODES. In telecommunications networks, a node (Latin: nodus, ‘knot’) is either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint. The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer referred to.
28. She/__ pronouns: HER. Putting She/Her in a bio means that the individual is declaring their pronouns. Now people know that they should use She/Her when speaking about or to that person.
29. "No question is too personal" session, for short: AMA. Ask Me Anything. [I might even answer.]
31. "Yosemite Valley Winter" photographer Adams: ANSEL. Ansel Easton Adams 1902 – 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West.
33. Part of an act: SCENE. As in a stage play.
36. Storyteller: LIAR. One prone to mendacity.
37. Tolkien creatures: ORCS. Evil beings that cannot abide the light of day.
38. Wholesale quantity: CASE. A case of some merchandise is a collection of items packaged together. A case is not a strict unit of measure.
39. Get the better of: OUT SMART. Defeat or get the better of (someone) by being clever or cunning.
40. U-turn from SSW: NNE. Opposite compass directions
41. Hydroelectric power source: DAM. A barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, forming a reservoir used to generate electricity or as a water supply.
44. Merciless: BRUTAL. Cruel and nasty
45. Gas up?: AERATE. Introduce a gas into a liquid.
46. Hounded: NAGGED. Persistently harassed someone to do something.
47. Stand buy: ADE. I have no idea what this means.
48. Wrinkle remover: IRONER. A person ironing clothing or other fabric items
49. Casual top: POLO. An informal style of cotton shirt, with short sleeves, a collar, and some buttons at the neck
53. Awesome, in showbiz: BOFFO. High praise or great success.
55. Etsy, e.g.: SITE. A set of related web pages located under a single domain name, typically produced by a single person or organization.
57. "Frozen" sister: ELSA. Elsa and Anna are the royal sisters of Arendelle.
58. Start of an address: HTTP. For a web site.
60. Shoot the breeze: GAB. Yack.
61. Color TV pioneer: RCA.
62. North Sea diving bird: AUK. A bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets.
63. Transgression: SIN. In the original Greek writing of the New Testament, the most common word translated as “sin” or “sins” is “hamartia,” which means “literally missing of the mark.” If I understand correctly, it is a term from archery.
Well - that's not the most pleasant way to bring a puzzle to a
close. But it was a good experiment, and I think it hit the mark. I'll
call it a success.
Cool regards!
JzB
P. S. I have family coming in from out of town, so I probably won't be checking the blog.
46 comments:
Good morning!
Thanx for stepping in TTP. The write-up for today apparently never got submitted. Catherine Cetta nice puzzle, no problems. D-o even noticed the "salt" (NACL) sprinkled in the themers. Well done, Catherine.
I thought “swelter” as a clue for FRY was a stretch.
Uhoh, no blogger de jour. FIR, but erased ahead for FIRST, and waited for eat/ATE. DNK HAWK.
As a sporting man, I would have loved to have read "long, curved mag for a Beretta" for BANANA CLIP.
Gerry Rafferty's big hit BAKER Street was blocked from the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 by Andy Gibb's Shadow Dancing. Guess which tune has legs? C'mon, man!
Thanks to CC2 for the fun, easy Wednesday grid. Off to my retina doc to make sure mine are behaving.
I wasn’t familiar with “Uffizi” but that’s what the perps indicated so I went with it. Other than that, no real problems. FIR, so I’m happy.
Oh yeah, I forgot to add (or probably to repeat): A guy on our block has the license NACLYK9 (salty dog). He said I was the only person to comment on it.
A little snap to this one. I was mired in NE and SW. As noted UFFIZI was UNK and I actually inked peepers/READERS- I need 3.25.
BANANA CLIP seemed familiar and I'd inked FOB and it stuck
Leaving Florida soon for a long overdo trip to Boston.
WC
At the risk of sounding nerdy-Re 13 down; I first completed EXBORG which is what the character is. She is a human who was assimilated into a Borg collective and then rescued. If she is a cyborg then so is Capt Picard who suffered a similar fate.
Easy humpday but didnt have time nor prolly woulda even parsed the theme. Leaving for Rochester soon to visit DW's sister and she's giving me the high beam glare to put down the puzzle and get ready to leave.
Was Tijuana named for someone's Aunt Jane? Nowadays a FOB is a remote car starter on a key chain. Microplastic particles now found in Sea NaCL,
UFFIZI (italian "offices"). The building of the Uffizi complex was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de' Medici so as to accommodate the offices of the Florentine magistrates, hence the name uffizi, "offices.
Didn't we get enough TORTE yesterday? Don't need the extra calories today. 🍰
Inkovers: case/EARS, estb/ESTD,
Li'L or John....WANE
Ability to clone...ICANTWIN
How could you sink ____? SOLO
Off to the Thruway heading west. 🚘
Took 6 minutes exactly to season this one.
Uffizi was in something I read recently, otherwise I'm sure I would've thought I went uff-crazi.
I didn't know the "7 of 9," but still liked the prior comment.
Easy puzzle today, only Tony Hawk was new to me. I saw the CLs immediately. I needed the reveal to see the NACLs (salt). Clever, Catherine. A perp here and there sped things along. I knew UFFIZI.
UFFIZI has appeared in many of the novels I have read. Reading novels is a great help with crosswords, also with history. I choose books by authors who stick as close to the actual as possible. Then I research the info to see how close to real life it is. A fun way to learn history.
Merriam Webster: "FRY, to get very hot or burn as if being fried, bodies frying on the beach.
We have certainly fried on these SWELTERING summer afternoons.
I love Ansel Adams's black and white photography.
Good Morning:
Catherine is becoming a frequent visitor and a most welcome one, I might add. I saw the repeated letters in each themer but didn’t put them together to form NaCl. No real problems but I had to wait on perps for the Uffizi spelling and for Cyborg, as Star Trek knowledge is not part of my universe. It was fun to see Torte again and the oft-seen Elsa or, sometimes, Ella, and I’m never sure which is which. Can’t not mention the CSO to Misty at RCA.
Thanks, Catherine, for a mid-week treat and thanks, TTP, for the fun and facts in your review and for pinch-hitting so successfully.
Wilbur, enjoy your time in Beantown! 😉 Make sure you have some Chowdah!
FLN
Anon T, very best wishes to the Caruso clan in their new Home Sweet Home! 🤗
Have a great day.
Stand buy (47D) as in Lemon ADE stand, JzB. Only UFFIZI was unknown to me. Rest of puzzle was fairly straightforward,
IM, I had to check for the "fun and facts." When nothing was posted at 5:30, TTP posted a barebones clue/answer list. At some later point JzB's write-up got posted.
Musings
-I saw the NACL and thought it would be about salt that is hidden in foods
-“Second place is really the first loser” – George Steinbrenner
-“Gosh no one is happy with me” – Sometimes the residue of a hard choice
-We are sweltering here on the Great Plains but not close to FRYING
-Live SOLAR power output in our city today. Red line is max.
-After seeing the works in the UFFIZI, I had to look up why the Mona Lisa is such a big deal.
-I’ve seen educational trends come and go but the PROVEN methods always come back
-The courtroom scene in A Few Good Men remains a favorite
-12 times Bill Belichick OUTSMARTED the NFL
-HTTP: This is today’s write-up’s HTTP address: https://crosswordcorner.blogspot.com/2022/08/wednesday-august-10-2022-catherine-ctta.html
So, I must admit I was worried when I logged on at 6:00 this morning (EDT) and there was no blog. Then I logged back in at 7:15 and there was TTP’s “bare bones “ blog. Now, at 10:30 there is JazzB’s blog. Just what was going on today??? I guess I’ll never know!
I loved the theme reveal! As I worked through the puzzle, I saw the CL but not the NACL until I went back. Very clever!
I also had no idea what ADE was, so READERS was my last fill.
CYBORG had me stumped at first because they are always called Borgs. CYBORG is short for CYBernetic ORGanism. "The Borg" are a "collective" of cyborgs that all share consciousness, so 7 of 9 was the 7th of her 9 Borgs in a sub-collective. She was quite traumatized at being separated from her group since they all think as one unit. She was turned into a Borg after the collective captured her as a child. When Picard was captured and also turned into a Borg (and designated with the moniker Locutus), he shared all their thoughts and found a way to defeat them. Well, enough Star Trek trivia for today!
JazzB, definitely worth waiting for. I always enjoy your info.
HG, right on about educational trends. We teachers sometimes used the old proven tactics sub-rosa. Isn't that sad? What ever works. At times we were asked to continue the old trend while adding on the new incompatible trend. It was like painting in the Georgia O'Keefe style while adding a touch of Monet here and there. But the proven methods always do return.
I only have...
three things to say...
about this puzzle.
Thank you CC2 for a flavorful and truly IONIC puzzle. And thank you for the FIR.
Thank you JzB for the STEMful review. And thank you TTP for whatever it was you did to make it happen.
Some favs:
11A UPC. Cute clue. But the other line is always shorter (until YOU get in it).
14A CACAO. DNK the genus of this plant, but apparently the name of the alkaloid THEOBROMINE found in chocolate is derived from it. This compound is related to CAFFEINE, and some persons (e.g. MOI) are sensitive to it. If I eat any chocolate too close to bedtime I have trouble sleepiing.
16A FRY and 44D BRUTAL would describe the summer in many parts of the US. The Land of Pleasant Living isn't so much these days.
17A ON A CLEAR DAY. Knew the song, but not the movie. Pretty far out. So much for YOLO.
30A DNA CLONING. Speaking of STEM, we're currently streaming the 25th anniversary season of "Silent Witness" on BRITBOX. One of its themes is the possibility of using DNA surreptitiously cloned from an innocent person to incriminate them in a future crime. This would create major complications for forensic science, and apparently it's feasible, although currently quite expensive to pull off. But how long will it be before DIY biologists are selling cheap kits on the dark web?
11D UFFIZI. It is worth a trip to Italy just to see this museum.
Cheers,
Bill
p.s. to TTP. I think we talked about this when we first met, but is TTP a relaxed "TEXT TRANSFER PROTOCOL, i.e. without the HYPER?
Terrific puzzle but I "Ran a close second" today because I did not know how to spell TeVO. Catherine must be very clever to come up with so many phrases with N-A-C-L in consecutive order!
Safe travels to Wilber Charles & Ray-O.
Thanks to JzB. Your photo of the Auk looks like a penguin so I checked wiki and found this: The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) is a species of flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It is not closely related to the birds now known as penguins, which were discovered later by Europeans and so named by sailors because of their physical resemblance to the great auk.
Boomer, have the new cancer meds helped? I hope they have.
Mark S
Always exciting to see a Catherine Cetta puzzle and this one was a lot of fun, many thanks, Catherine. And always enjoy your commentary, JazzB., thanks for that too.
This puzzle definitely had a food theme, starting with CACAO, although one doesn't FRY that, for sure. Some more nice sweets with that TORTE, maybe a BANANA TORTE? That would definitely need a BAKER, but not a single GRAIN OF SALT. Gosh, now I'm hungry--time I ATE some breakfast.
Liked the tribute to all of us READERS, relaxing in our SEATS, dressed in our ROBES, hoping to OUTSMART any mysteries in that book we're reading.
Nice to look out the window ON A CLEAR DAY with no BRUTAL weather threatening to SHAKEN us.
Thank you for remembering that my Dad worked for RCA for all those years, Irish Miss. Sadly I lost him not long ago, at age 93.
Have a sunny, pleasant day, everybody.
I’m usually quick on the uptake but although i got all the answers the “nacl” went right over my head. Definitely knew Tony Hawk since grandson requested a TH helmet for Christmas one year.
Bob Lee Thank you for the detailed explanation about SEVEN OF NINE and CYBORG for our friends who are not familiar with Star Trek.
Here I posed with the original BORG costume pieces for SEVEN OF NINE.
We were privileged to have this exhibit here in our little city of Santa Barbara on campus.
Michael Westmore is the brilliant designer who created these BORG and other alien creatures and he kindly posed for me.
Apparently he is also an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara, so that was probably the connection.
Jinx Thanks for the SALTy Dog story! Fun theme! Had ATTN before HTTP.
From Yesterday:
Jayce Thanks for letting us know the MRI will be in late September. Good for you that you will be getting proper care during the procedure. I had a marathon session in one of the old machines 20 years ago. It was a challenge for me, even though I ordinarily am not claustrophobic. What made it difficult for me was not having any way to get out on my own.
A clever Cetta PZL today, with TTP doing the Corner's honors.
I was bogged down a bit in the SW corner, mainly because of inking FOR before TAG at 59A. And NAGGED didn't "feel right" for a while. But everything fell into place, and all's well.
~ OMK
_____________
DR: One diagonal, far end.
It offers a curious anagram (12 of 15 letters), referring perhaps to swollen abscesses, protruding lumps from living or dead animal or vegetable matter.
I speak of...
"GNARL(y) FESTERS"!
Picard @ 12:13 pm
Like your picture posed with one of the original Borgs..Which one are you?
☺
Good afternoon. Thank you, Catherine, and thank you, JzB.
I did not notice the NaCl repeats while I was busy filling the grid. Then I got to the reveal. AHA !
Excellent review JzB. Far better than the Temporary Text Post (TTP ?) I put up early this morning :>) Too much unwarranted praise for me though; I surely don't deserve any credit. I would change the "Posted by" if I could.
Bill, we haven't yet solved CanadianEh!'s (Miriam ?) name yet. I think we have to Trust The Process, and Test The Possibilities while Tackling That Problem and Tracking The Progress, all Towards Totally Pinpointing her given first name, and finally Thank The Players before we Turn The Page to the next guessing game. Does that make sense to you ?
BTW, there was a Trash Talking Pro wrestler that called himself The Total Package. That has to be the epitome of self-confidence and egocentrism.
Very, very nice CW, thanx CC2. FIR in unclefred snail-pace-time of 22. At least 5 full minutes of that were spent staring at the SW. DNK BANANACLIP and two errors (rAGGED, ORtS) put two wrong letters in there. Then I had the EAT:ATE W/O to further confuse my one-track mind. I did see the theme but only after the reveal and a look back at the CW. Another DNK: UFFIZI. All perps. Thanx ROS for the info about “offices” translation. Interesting. Another terrific write-up from JzB, thanx for all your time and effort. I got my first electric bill yesterday since installing solar: $49. Before the solar was turned on it was projected by FPL to “gonna be” $317, so nice savings. The bill ran July 08 to June 08, and the solar system was not turned on until July 12, so there were a few days that I ran entirely off the grid. I want to give the highest marks to Enphase for the controller that is the brains that runs the whole system. Each solar panel has an Enphase microinverter that reports in to Enphase via my wifi every 15 minutes, so any problems are quickly diagnosed. And the whole system is seamless, in that when it switches from grid to solar to battery there is no flickering of the lights or anything. Just this morning I heard from PES Solar that installed the system and they are finally getting ready to install the second Tesla PowerWall battery in the next ten days. This system can be monitored in real time on the Enphase app or on the Tesla app. Watching it is almost addictive: I can tell when a cloud passes overhead by watching my power generation drop, and I can see when the compressor comes on in my A.C. unit from the “house demand” view. Really makes me aware to NOT be a power-hog: turn off lights I’m not using, turn off big A.C. units before I retreat to my bedroom at night, which has its own little wall-banger A.C. unit. Next month my power bill will be a better reflection of savings since it will reflect an entire month on the solar system, and part of a month with two Tesla PowerWall batteries, which should give me power all night. (I’m posting all this because a couple of people have expressed interest).
Has anyone guessed Millicent yet?
Bill, I agree that going through the UFFIZI was worth the trip. Had to wait a l-o-n-g time in line, because I didn't know that they took reservations. I was surprised that more Cornerites haven't seen it. Sometimes I feel like the least-traveled person here, not that anyone's keeping score.
DO @ 9:12 ~Thanks for clearing up my confusion. When I read the blog, I assumed it was JazB’s style and it was his day, so when I got to the comments and saw your thank you to TTP, I went back to the blog to check but only noticed the Post By: TTP and thought, oh gee, TTP’s style is very similar to JazB’s, how interesting. Mea couples, JazB, and belated thanks. 😉
Thanks, U-Fred. I'd love to read continuing reports. Seems like a great decision. To me, decentralizing power distribution is more exciting than the savings, at least from a macro perspective. Other than the components talking to each other via your WiFi, does your system talk to the grid? Not power used & supplied, but operational stuff like a forced disconnect. I'm thinking that your approach could make the grid much less vulnerable to cyberattack, just in case -T lets his guard down.
Mea culpea and a pox on autocorrect! 😤
YR, you might like "The Treasure of Monsegur ". Email me an address and I'll PO mail it
IM, I have a ditty over at the J re. Misty as Joyce scholar. I was an Econ major and had scant interest in non-Ex required courses. And…
It's lobstah that's my culinary must-have
Picard, may have inside information on CYBORGS. As indeed he did
I was offered not only headphones but 50s music for my last MRI. They woke me up 30 minutes later.
"epitome of self-confidence and egocentrism" TTP we're talking about pro wrestling. So much competition
Fred, thx For solar information
WC
BTW, Phoebe?
Jinx, I wrote to the CEO of FPL in 2002 (twenty years ago!) and urged distributive power generation. His last name was Hay. He wrote back (the CEO actually took the time to write me!)
and said it is too much trouble putting solar panels on roofs, (multiple permits, different requirements by city, etc.) and they had a better idea: build a vast solar power station in Noreth-Central Florida, build gigantic high-voltage towers, and distribute it to the rest of the state. I wrote back and pointed out that generating the power locally has the huge advantage of: With the current system, when a hurricane downs the powerlines over a vast area, FPL has to bring in trucks from all over the country to hurry-up and put the wires back on poles, but if every home and every business had its own solar, they would have electricity again as soon as the storm passed and the sun came out. I did not prevail. Years later, FPL had four reps at a City of Fort Lauderdale city commission hearing. I went and addressed them and made the same points, starting with, "There is fully one square mile FPL could have for free to install solar, right in the heart of FLL: On the rooftop of every home and business. You guys are so incredibly out of date with your system, you are using the system Thomas Edison came up with in the 1880's." I got a standing ovation from the citizens in attendance. So....here's is something we agree on 100%: The more local the power is generated, the more reliable it is and the more efficient. Of course, FPL doesn't give a damn about that. Their incredible inefficiencies are 100% paid for by their customers. Rant over.
TTP @1:49 PM Teri suggested GEORGIA.
,
First Thank You CED for your funny, funny, funny, postings .... I repeated that just to make up for the times when I didn't thank you. I really really enjoy them .... like Hah2lahs cartoons ....
Also thank you Ray O Sunshine, all-curer, for your fun postings and have a safe trip. Watch out for troopers on I-90. When you questioned Picard about his picture with the Cyborg, you took the words right out of my mouth ...
Thank you Picard for the posting the picture of the 2 Cyborgs .... now, I'll never forget the lesson. ;-ox))
For a serious scientist and journalist, I'm surprised you have such strong interest in sci-fiction.... I thought they were an alternate universe....
Thanks to all who explained Cyborgs ... which I had heard about, but still a learning moment for today. I got the answer in the CW when I completed it, but not a common word in my vocab.
Thank You Catherine Cetta for a very interesting puzzle, which I enjoyed. Although I have 2 degrees in Chem Engg., and have worked in many chem industries, I did not suss out NaCl .... until the final answer, and until I had completed the CW.
Thank You JazzB for the very educational review. T never noticed TTP's name athe bottom credits, ... until he mentioned it.
NaCl, - Sodium Chloride, is the most common mineral in our body, critical as an electrolyte, ...... also an excess of which, is a cause for high blood pressure. In my case, however, I have to watch out, more for my Potassium salts, cos of kidney filteration problems - Potassium is a much bigger atom than Sodium to filter out of the blood.
However, I have lost my sense of taste, so I am very sensitive to excess salt, and so I tend to under-salt my food in my culinary experimentations.
Salt, a world history, .... is one of the most engrossing, and interesting non-fiction books, I have read.
By a famous non fiction specialist, and author, Mark Kurlansky - whos also written a big book about the Cod industry.
Have a nice day, you all.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Catherine and JzB.
I FIRed and saw the NACL with the themer. Up until 44A, I was seeing combos of ONACL and thought we had a scrambled NO-CAL diet today.
Stirred was too short; the martini is SHAKEN as Bond likes it.
Tee was also too short; POLO is just a little less casual IMHO.
IRONER was a MEH for me, but I loved the new clue for ADE (stand buy).
Sadly, I did not know UFFIZI, but perps were fair.
Finnish speakers have a distinctive pronunciation of SAUNA.
CSO to Picard with the two StarTrek clues. Thanks for explaining CYBORG, Bob Lee. Great photo, Picard.
Still “None of the above”.
FLN- thanks CED for the link to that wonderful video of Peyto Lake/Bow Summit. Peyto Lake has a distinctive blue colour, apparently due to sunlight scattered off suspended glacial silt in the water.
Wishing you all a great day.
I liked this puzzle. I usually do like Catherine Cetta's puzzles. Changed SONY to TIVO and EAT to ATE. I got a big chuckle from "I've HAD IT up to here!"
Whenever I see the word TORTE I think of the famous Sacher Torte.
Thank you for going into so much detail, unclefred. I enjoyed learning so much about your Enphase system.
Thank you, TTP, for Taking The Plunge.
After I get cataract surgery I will probably need READERS.
I'd buy EARbuds but every earbud brand I have ever tried (all of three) wouldn't stay in. They always fall out. Either I wore them incorrectly or my ear canals are an incompatible shape. I'm currently shopping BlueTooth earphones.
Picard, thanks for describing the reason for your RMI discomfort. I am also not really claustrophobic and have hidden in many a small, dark closet while playing Hide and Seek as a kid. It's having my arms pinned to my sides and being unable to extricate myself that causes anxiety. But the medics only understand the word "claustrophobia" and apply it as a one-size-fits-all description, with, of course, the one-size-fits-all "protocol" of dealing with it, namely "oral sedation," i.e., diazepam or lorazipam. Oh, by the way, I'm glad I was alert and on the ball, because when they made the September 22 appointment it did include the IV sedation but was for a standard bore machine! As the MA said to me, "You'll be asleep anyway." I insisted on wide bore (and "adult sedation") because, as I had explained to them multiple times, my body is simply too large to even fit into a 60 mm (20 inch) opening. I know because I measured myself. I think they thought it was their last chance to sneak it in, but I caught them out. I know the MD prefers the standard bore because it has a 3-Tesla ("3T") magnet strength and therefore produces a clearer, more detailed picture than the wide bore machine, which has only a 1.5T magnet strength. It's the magnet strength, not the size of the bore, that makes the difference. Perhaps Ray O Sunshine can explain why the manufacturers built weaker magnets into the wide-bore machines. I understand one or more manufacturers now do make 3T wide-bore machines, but they are so new that Kaiser Permanente hasn't bought any of them yet.
In the old Star Craft games, there were levels of difficulty called Casual, Normal, Hard, and BRUTAL.
I love having the car key FOB in my pocket when I drive, and not having to insert and turn an actual key. Of course, the battery has to be replaced every year or so, but that is no big deal. It takes $5 and 2 minutes at the dealer's. LW bought a 6-pack of CR1632 batteries so I can do it at home.
Speaking of home, here's sending good wishes your way, Anonymous T, as you settle into your new place.
And good wishes to all the rest of you, too.
Oh yes, thanks for reminding me Jayce. Congrats Dash T !
Unclefred, thanks for the update. You got me looking at feasibility when you first posted your comments about it. That would be really cool if they have to start paying you, especially now that you are listed as an FPL generating location. Hopefully so when you get the next battery installed.
The math would never work out for me. I think my annual electric bills have only gone over $1K three times in the last 35 years. This month's bill was high at $117. My highest ever annual total was 1995 during the record setting heat wave here, in July, August and September. The bills were $140, $167 and $155.
Irish Miss, sorry for the confusion.
Bill, I'm not fully certain that CanadianEh! is going to reveal it even if someone does guess correctly :>) OTOH, she did give us "None of the above", so there's still a chance. You can read Jayce's comments to understand my avatar acronym of TTP. That didn't last long !
I received my shipment of 3,000 ladybugs from White City, OR a couple of days earlier than expected. They are resting comfortably in the garage refrigerator. They don't take up much space. Actually, I just looked, and they are no longer moving at all.
The instructions also said to release them near dawn or at dusk, and the foliage should be moistened. So the game plan is that I'm going to hose down the Magnolia tree tonight and release half of them in the early morn. Glad that they came in two separate 1500 count bags. Otherwise, it would have been a tedious chore to split them up evenly :>)
Uncle Fred @ 3:44. ☀️☀️☀️
Living in a part of the country covered wirh snow all winter we still have large solar fields and squeeze as much solar power as we can. Personal panels are sprouting as well
In Florida where the sunbshines nearly constantly solar energy is as rare as hen's teeth. Up until recently we owned a condo in Ft Myers. There are vast tracts of empty inland acres perfect for solar fields. I've never seen a solar panel anywhere. One Florida political disincentive are laws limiting how much over produced solar power can be sold back to the power companies unlike in many statesn wherethere is no limit
🌞
7 of 9 was famous not only for being an 'exborg', but for being a knockout!
https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/jeri-ryan.html
The Uffizi was recently in the news as two Italian eco-radicals GLUED themselves to the painting La Primavera. So much for PR as it is a beloved painting.
Salty Dog is an old bluegrass standby as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q2nVj1RCXo
Regarding FPL, another facet to the problem. as people install solar panels they evade utility costs, until the sun doesn’t shine(night, clouds, etc) At that point consumers rely on the grid. The grid operators have to maintain that amount of spare capacity to accommodate everyone when wind dies and sun isn’t shining.
This is a big expense for which they are not compensated. Sudden demand creates issues on restarting spare capacity. This is why Texas is caught short of capacity. So selling power back to the producers ultimately can cause power outage problems. The finances need to be worked out for the community's interests.
I agree makes more sense to do locally on rooftops, parking lots, shopping centers and other large footprint buildings. I prefer that to consuming open land
Puzzling thoughts:
Late to the party, but here I am. FIR with a few corrections (I can't use the term w/o when I solve on a computer), but all fell into place
I DID see the "CL" in all of the entries, as I solved from top left to bottom right. I knew something had to be similar in all of the entries, and then the "not so low sodium V-8 can" hit me in the noggin. I tried to fit "A GRAIN OF SALT" into the reveal but it didn't, obviously
I was also quite busy today with dental appointment, puzzle blog editing (see you on Friday), and writing clues for my upcoming puzzles - so I missed the "drama" of the blog posting this morning. I figured something was up when I didn't see JzB's blog in the queue
Happy hump day, and Happy Birthday to my erstwhile baseball hero, Rocky Colavito, who turns 89 years young today
RayOSunshine, WilburCharles, Vidwan, CanadianEh Thank you for your kind comments about me posing with the SEVEN OF NINE costume. Sorry if I wasn't clear. It was that particular BORG character referenced in the puzzle: SEVEN OF NINE
Or are you asking which one is me? I am the one with the hat.
Vidwan Thanks for asking. There are many reasons I enjoy some science fiction. I enjoy the rare science fiction that offers a visionary, positive view of the future. Many of the aspects of the current world started as such a vision, for better or worse. Notably, the vision of freeways started at the 1939 World's Fair. They forgot to include the traffic jams.
Jules Verne offered a future that included travel to the moon, under the ocean surface and into the Earth. Things didn't go exactly as he envisioned, but it probably played a part in making these adventures come true in some way.
Star Trek offered a positive vision of future society as well as of technology. An end to war, prejudice and superstition. A future of exploration and increased understanding.
Dante Yes, in real life SEVEN OF NINE actress Jeri Ryan indeed was a knockout. The article you linked was quite complete. Including the story of her husband Jack Ryan who ran for Senate against Obama. It came out that she divorced him for trying to coerce her into public sex acts that she did not want to perform.
Jayce Yes, we seem exactly on the same page. It is about being helplessly bound with no possibility of escape if something goes wrong. As a physics person, I suspect that the large bore machine has a smaller magnetic field because of the basic physics. The coil is further from your body, making the signal weaker.
As others have said, this puzzle was very nice. Thanks, Catherine. Thanks, JazzB.
Unfortunately, I had another FIW, and this one made me mad, because I knew better. Well, I didn’t know UFFIZI, but I did know that Seven of Nine was a CYBORG. However, I had a complete brain freeze on 11A, and ended up with OPS there, figuring that there MIGHT be an alternate spelling for 13D. Good thing you didn’t hear the names I was calling myself this time!
I did see all the NACL in my wounds. Neat!
IM @ 2:33 -- "Mea culpea and a pox on autocorrect!"
I think the word is "culpA" ... but we see above another example of, yes, you knew it was coming ... Autoculpa!
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