google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, Aug 7th, 2023, Laura Dershewitz

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Aug 7, 2023

Monday, Aug 7th, 2023, Laura Dershewitz

 

THEME: The Age of Aquarius, not Superman

17. Tied with a scrunchie, maybe: IN A PONY TAIL - An "UP" hairstyle


30. No longer on deck: AT THE PLATE - "UP" at bat - I saw this happen in a game on TV while down in VA

BACKSWING BAT CATCHES CATCHER

47. Taking time off: ON VACATION - "I am AWAY from my desk..." - Technically, I was on vacation last week, as I was supposed to be in between jobs - needed the time off to sort some legal issues still pending from the sale of the house on Long Island - went down there for two days, and that was enough to remind me why I left....

And the connection -

62. Classic sunshine pop hit single with hot-air-balloon imagery, and what 17-, 30-, and 47-Across literally are: UP UP AND AWAY - Ah, the 60s - this one is from 1967; I was born in 1971, but I heard this "The 5th Dimension" hit on the radio, along with another one of theirs, "Aquarius" - and born in early February, I am an Aquarius

Up, Up, ....

AND AWAY
we go~!

ACROSS:

1. Make small adjustments to: TWEAK

6. Palindromic title: MADAM - a palindrome is a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward - I found this clever palindrome poem


11. "¡Dios __!": "MIO~!" - OMG in text-speak

14. Fictional chocolatier Wonka: WILLY- played by one of my favorite actor/comedians, Gene Wilder

"Pure Imagination"

15. Sports complex: ARENA

16. Series finale, e.g.: END

19. Director DuVernay: AVA - Not much one can do, but IMHO the proper names in crosswords are becoming too much

20. Italian ice cream: GELATO

21. Most coll. applicants: SRs - Twice in a puzzle row now for me

22. Thing: ITEM

23. Food __: lethargy after a big meal: COMA - Thanksgiving is a mere 15-1/2 weeks away; football starts in exactly one month - yay~!

25. Mosaic tile: TESSERA - Learned by doing crosswords, otherwise, a $2 Monday word

27. Stargazer's bear: URSA - My "bear" last week was "MAMA"

32. Election night backdrop for Steve Kornacki: MAP - No idea who we are referring to; filled via perps....no politics, please~!


33. Whispery video genre, for short: ASMR - This is a 21st century crossword fill; not familiar with it, so I went to YouTube, and I actually got that 'tingly' sensation.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

34. "Fiddlesticks!": "DRAT~!"

35. Big gulps: SWIGS

37. Word before salt or snail: SEA

39. "Know what __?": I MEAN

42. Pre-calc math class: TRIGonometry

44. YouTube diary: VLOG video web log; we here are merely a weB LOG

46. Irish actor Stephen: REA - Crossword staple

50. Car sticker amt.: MSRP - Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price - I bought a used Prius C for $12K, using my Amazon credit card - what a rush that was; I paid it off immediately with money from the sale of the LI house

51. [shrug emoji]: BEATS ME -
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

52. Turner known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll": TINA - Died 24 May this year

54. Wheel turner: AXLE

55. Donne couplet?: ENs - do N N e; Donne I believe refers to this guy

57. Forced from power: OUSTED

61. "The Real World" airer: MTV - Shows on this channel seem contradictory - the "golden age" of the music video, the 80s, gave us a lot to see, so what defines a good music video~?  I threw this question at my brother, and got the response below; a little bit of story-telling, some performance, and some 'over-the-top' elements; what would YOU choose~?

ZZTop Gimme All Your Lovin'

64. Gobbled up: ATE

65. Draped silk dresses: SARIs - or sarees


66. Mitt: GLOVE - more gratuitous baseball for C.C. 😁

67. Letters of distress: S.O.S.

68. Utopias: EDENS

69. Made less onerous: EASED

DOWN:

1. Small branch: TWIG and;
26D. Small branch: SPRIG - Rhyme time, too

2. Sonoma County product: WINE

3. Ben Gurion-based airline: EL AL - Crossword staple, Israeli Airline

4. South American kin of a camel: ALPACA

5. Japanese city with many shrines: KYOTO - WAG

6. Star Wars Day month: MAY - the Fourth Be With You

7. Review-heavy newspaper section: ARTS - I had OP-ED, my first incorrect DOWN fill

8. Scarcity: DEARTH - Vader~?


9. Ouzo flavoring: ANISEED

10. "Bad" prefix: MAL - Latin

11. Carnivores: MEAT-EATERS - Reminds me of Jurassic Park - couldn't find a link to the scene I was thinking about

12. Turn upside down: INVERT

13. Whoopi's Oscar-winning role in "Ghost": ODA MAE

18. Spanish phrase equivalent to "¡Basta!": "NO MAS~!"

22. Five Pillars faith: ISLAM

24. Devices called "cashpoints" in the U.K.: ATMs - fresh cluing for a crossword staple; still didn't fool me

 27. Sounds of hesitation: UMs - never can tell if it will be ERs or UMs

28. Uncooked: RAW

29. Trumpet parts that need to be drained: SPIT VALVES - JazzB can fill you in - or maybe that's not the phrase to use in this instance....I play the guitar and drums - usually, no spit involved

31. Fountain near Rome's Spanish Steps: TREVI - It's said that $1.5mil in coins was tossed in during 2016


33. Nike rival: ASICS

36. Storm drain cover: GRATE

38. Oodles: A LOT 

40. __ Lingus: AER - Irish Airlines

41. Rest in a sleep pod: NAP - I figured it was "NAP", but the sleep pod part had me baffled; THIS or THIS~?

43. Xbox controller, for one: GAME PAD - Gaming for me was Atari 2600

Yar's Revenge

45. Awesome Blossom vegetable: ONION - The "bloomin' onion" appetizer from Outback is called the "cactus blossom" at Texas Roadhouse - proprietary, as my brother gets agitated when I use the "wrong" name at the wrong restaurant


47. 2000s first family: OBAMAs

48. Alongside of: NEXT TO

49. Academic job security: TENURE

50. Indian spice mix: MASALA - I did not know this; filled via perps

53. Gentle reminder: NUDGE - "shall I phone you or nudge you~?" - but again, couldn't find a link to this line from a scene in a great, underrated, all-star cast movie called "Sneakers"

 

56. Rotate: SPIN

58. Low poker pair: TWOS - meh.  I went with TREY, since when I play cards, it's DEUCES

59. Roof trim: EAVE

60. Hid one's true colors, perhaps: DYED - har-har

62. "It's just no __!": USE

63. Mule kin: ASS - well, that's what you get when you reach the "bottom", I say....


Splynter



 

42 comments:

Subgenius said...

Good morning, fellow Cornerites. I would say that, in this puzzle, only one word, or rather, acronym, was totally unknown to me: “ASMR,” but the perps were kind, so I got through it. Other than that, this puzzle was the usual Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

At the outset, when I saw that ponytail photo, my mind said, "That looks like something Splynter would link." Yup. Ah, ASMR was back to confuse d-o once again. It was DRAT, not Darn. Not speaking Spanish (or was it Italian?) and never having seen Ghost, MIO could'a been MIA, MIE, MII, MIU, or MIO. (Whew, guessed right.) MASALA reminded me of Ben Hur's former buddy. Oops, that was Messala. Laura put quite a bit of crunch in the morning cereal -- at least for me. I liked it. Thanx for your unique spin on things, Splynter.

Anonymous said...

Someone's going to have to explain how a ponytail is an UP style (crosswordese UPDO?) when the ponytail hangs DOWN. BEATS ME.

Anonymous said...

Took 4:36 today for me to get up, or away, this morning.

Had no idea what the theme was, nor did I know what was meant by "Classic sunshine pop hit single...."
I've come to really enjoy Chicken Masala lately, thankfully today.
ASMR crossing Trevi seems cruel, especially for a Monday.

I love the movie "Sneaker" too, and refer to it as one of the all-time underrated movies.

KS said...

FIW. I took a WAG at the cross of mio and odamae, and also at nimas and asmr, and was wrong both times.
The theme wasn't clear to me until I read this blog.
Is it just me or has there been a cosmic shift at LA Times in editing these puzzles? Lately the clues don't fit the day of the week, or any day for that matter. They seem too arcane and not CW standard. Asmr? Really?

Sherry said...

Didn't know asmr nor vlog. The other unknowns filled with crosses.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-All the vowels work, but “A” is today’s choice for _VA
-The stargazer’s URSAS are visible every night in the north sky here (weather permitting) and thus guided many an early exploration
-Is DRAT a sufficient exclamation when a two-foot putt is missed?
-MITT: Baseball was a manly “barehanded” sport until the 1870’s
-Divide by a fraction: I learned and taught the phrase “INVERT and multiply”
-Modern slang: I wonder if my mother got angry in the 60’s when she first saw GROOVY as fill.
-I enjoyed Splynter’s unique take on things.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I think we had better tuck ASMR into our mental files for future use, as this is its third appearance in a relatively short time. Outside of crosswords, I have never seen or heard it used. There were several non-Monday words today, i.e, Tessera, Masala, ASICS, and Game Plan, although maybe a younger solver might know the last two. In any case, the perps were fair, so I guess the overall solve was newbie friendly. I liked the fresh approach in cluing that gave us a well-hidden theme and a very surprising reveal. Props for the consistency of three solid, in the language prepositional phrases, and the equally solid clues.

Thanks, Laura, for a fun start to the week and thanks, Splynter, for pinch hitting for sumdaze.

Have a great day.

inanehiker said...

This was a speedy Monday with the unknowns easily filled with crosses. UP,UP and AWAY was very popular when I was growing up and our Pop choir in school sang it so I still probably know most of the words.
ASMR has now been in the crosswords almost weekly the last month - so I was ready. I tried the video but didn't get the tingling - but if those sounds were actually by my own head they might have.

NO MAS came pretty easily from a combination of the Taco Bell slogan which is a mixture of English and Spanish "Live MAS" or live more and mission trips I have done to Central America where I picked up a smattering of Spanish words over the years.

Anon at 5:57 - the ponytail pic in the blog was a low ponytail - but many of them are worn high to get the hair off one's neck. Ariana Grande almost always wears a high ponytail worn UP
https://www.etonline.com/ariana-grande-reveals-her-signature-high-ponytail-has-been-a-staple-since-childhood-see-the

Thanks Splynter for subbing again and to Laura for the puzzle

Wilbur Charles said...

I couldn't grok the theme - so obvious now

I inked terrazo/TESSERA

And the FIW, I has Ida/ ODA MAE

Roberto Duran uttered NO MAS in bout with Sugar Ray
Chicken Masala was invented by Napoleon's chef on the eve of the battle. Needed a quick dish

WC

Ray - O - Sunshine said...


The puzzle was “Monday” easy and the reveal….The title of a Fifth Dimension’s “beautiful balloon”: obvious , but didn’t get the clue-answer connections until I read the blog. (Like one of the anonmi said A PONY TAIL is an “up do”?… Maybe cuz you put your hair “up” in a pony tail?)

Inkover: trey/TWOS

“Utopia" either No Place Greek : (ou - topos) or Good Place (eu - topos)

ASMR? VLOG? “Star Wars Day month?”(Hey it’s Monday)

UMS but not erms … Pacific Ocean derived “sea” SALT has the highest percentage of microplastic contamination. Why aren’t the sea turtles and dolphins doing their job and eating and getting caught up in this stuff before it get to us….Wonder if “Stephen” REA flies AER “Lingus” (Tongue Airlines? ✈️��)

Aren’t we there yet? e.g. ….. WINE
Star Wars’ Vader….Dearth
Theoretically half the applicants to Mexican Universities…..SRS
She Loved the hair color, thought she’d____ and went to heaven….. DYED
Song about a flying canine…”UPUPANDAWAY”

Off for 2 weeks, back to work today. Was in Rochester Saturday to celebrate my DW's cousin’s (who is coincidentally a buddy of mine from HS) and his DW’s 50th anniversary. He has a form of rapidly progressive dementia where at the current stage he appears and acts normal, but gets easily confused and had no idea who any of us are. His wife wanted friends and family together for what may be the last time.

Have a good week everyone

RosE said...

Good Morning! Quite a workout to start the week. Thanks, Laura. And thanks, Splynter, for the recap.
ASICS crossing ASMR, TESSERA, VLOG – on a Monday!? Lots of WAGs today.
ASMR, previously clued to us as a tingling sensation, now it’s a video genre…???
SPIT VALVE – Yuk! Stomach lurch as I drank my morning tea….
MASALA, frequently used by Molly Yeh on her cooking show, Girl Meets Farm.

Lee said...

Went with turN before SPIN. UuA said no to that. SARIS sent me looking and SPIN won. Thought Woopie was iDAMAE. Whiteout. The rest filled with no trouble. No clue on the theme until I read the review. The reveal didn't click.

FIW, but liked the construct. Fine job, Laura, and a salute to Splynter for the illumination of the theme.

Have a swell day, all.

Monkey said...

Neat CW. Easy Monday. My problem was crossing ASMR with ASICS. IM is right we’d better learn ASMR since it’s joined the ranks of REA and OREO.

A life time ago I used to wear a PONY TAIL, UP high off my neck and when I would take it down that part of my head was usually sore.

I’d like some GELATO right now.

CanadianEh! said...

Manic Monday. Thanks for the fun, Laura and Splynter.
It’s Civic Holiday here, and my newspaper gave me this CW along with the Saturday one. At first I thought I had confused the two, as I found this one harder than the usual Monday. I finished, and smiled at the UP, UP, AND AWAY theme, but arrived here to discover that I FIWed - twice!

I had URS (ers yesterday) and this Canadian had no idea about Kornacki (perhaps a background Rap for the election results would be suitable LOL!). I could not remember ASMR from yesterday, and my Spanish was too rudimentary to give me NOMAS - my N was a Natick cross result.

I noted the rhyming TWIG/SPRIG plus TRIG and SWIGS.
Nearby became NEXT TO and Turn became SPIN.
I wanted Emend before TWEAK.
I always have to remember the American ATMS; we use ABMS as our “cash points”.
My DIL and her mother and bridesmaids wore beautiful SARIS for her wedding. She taught me MASALA too, and like Curry, there can be many variations.
My son played a saxophone in high school; I knew SPIT VALVES (yes for draining spit).

I smiled when I caught on to the misdirection of 30A, and realized we were at the baseball game and not on a boat.
Another smile with DYED (although my true silver colour is not hidden!).

Wishing you all a great day.


Subgenius said...

SS@7:31 - I had been missing your trenchant and witty commentary for the last few days, old friend. Glad to see you back!

CrossEyedDave said...

Learning moment: 9 down, ouzo flavouring (Hmm, when did spellcheck turn British?)
I wanted anisette... or at least "anise seed."
Aniseed was a total surprise.

Up, up, and away...

Oh, the possibilities...

for Irish Miss

for the older crowd...

for the younger crowd...

hmm, should I post any more?

waseeley said...

Thank you Laura for a Mondayish puzzle which broke my string of weekend FIWS.

And thank you Splynter for a fantastic review! I don't know where to start, but I have to start somewhere ...

14A WILLY. Gene Wilder was the greatest and I loved the clip.

25A TESSERA. Here are a few of a large collection of mosaics from the ancient city of Antioch in the Baltimore Museum of Art.

33A ASMR. A truly immersive clip.

61A MTV. Great video. Love me some TOP. Love their papers too.

8D DEARTH. Funny!

11D MEAT EATERS. Could this be the clip you were looking for?

40D AER. Flew AER Lingus to Ireland once. Coach was like first class.

41D NAP. I don't need a pod. It comes naturally. In fact I think I'm ready for one now. TTYL ...

Cheers,
Bill

Lucina said...

Hola!

NO MAS, MAL, MIO almost make this puzzle bilingual. Then there's LATIN, URSA.

TREVI. I read recently that at the end of the day the money is collected and donated to various charities.

I love the movie, GHOST, and Whoopi is priceless as ODA MAE.

MSRP, ATM, ASMR, SRS, provide a bouquet of abbreviations.

TENURE is no longer assured in most districts in this state.

Thank you, Splynter, for again stepping into place. I enjoy your commentary.

Have a happy day, everyone!

JJB said...

Lotta complaints about a Monday toughie. Although got through it, I agree. Some of the crossings were Wed-Thurs. for sure I guess what everybody would like is consistency. That we have not had since editing change. I don’t think anybody minds the difficulty level going up a tad but I think everybody would like it to be progressive rather than kind of all over the map. We are creatures of habit. Let’s get back to making these fun AND learning, without being a slog.

unclefred said...

Is unclefred really gonna say, “This took longer than my usual Monday time” again? Afraid so. It has come to the point where it usually takes longer than my usual time!! LOL!! Whenever I see “palindrome” I hafta remind myself, “No, that’s not a bicycle race track.” Geez. DNK “Star Wars Day month”, didn’t even know there is a Star Wars Day, but when I had MA_ it could only be MAR or MAY. Had to wait on the “Y”. Also DNK = ASMR, VLOG, or ODAMAE. I guess that’s why it “took longer than my usual Monday time”. Still, a fun CW, thanx, LD. Did not see the theme, because I didn’t look. Easy to see once I looked, but that was after Splynter ‘splained it. I’m guessing the ponytail is considered “up” because it takes long hair up off the shoulders, which would be hanging down. Great write-up, Splynter, thanx.

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

FIW ... on a Monday, no less ... my red letters appeared at the crossing of ODA MAE and TESSERA, as well as at UMS and MAP

Splynter explained the theme perfectly; otherwise I would have missed that, too

Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night

But c'mon, the words for today's puzzle were anything but "Monday-like" ... regardless of how well the perps worked (or didn't, considering my two gaffes) ... ASMR, VLOG, TESSERA, ANISEED, ODA MAE, and the clue for MAP?

As others said, there is no progression of easy to hard (Monday --> Saturday) any longer

MOES scale hardness score: 6.8

Irish Miss said...

CED @ 10:31 ~ As always, thank you for brightening my day! 😉

Bill @ 11:12 ~ Your Meat Eaters video reminded me of why I avoid certain movies. 😖

Charlie Echo said...

FIR, but thought this was a little meh. If the answer is initials, shouldn't the clue allude to this in some way? ASMR? MSRP? Just sayin'...

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR with no erasure. I was ready to comment about 0600 CCT (Central Corner Time), but my screen froze and wouldn't recognize clicks. Next I had an eye doc appointment, where I learned that my contacts had caused a problem on my left cornea, and I'm out of that contact for at least a week. Returned home, but time hadn't cured my computer problem. So here's what I remember:

Today is:
National Lighthouse Day
National Sea Serpent Day (honoring maritime lawyers?)
and most importantly, Purple Heart Day. Thanks to all who sacrificed their body in our defense.

When my (older) sisters didn't want to really fix up their hair, they would say "I'll just put it up IN A PONY TAIL.

Virginia Beach just announced that their spiffy new giant sports ARENA has lost more than $1 million in their first two years of operation. Who saw that coming?

Jim Varney was famous for his Ernest P. Worrell character whose catchphrase was "know what I MEAN, Vern?" Jim was a native of Lexington, KY.

UP UP and Away was written by the incomparable Jimmy Webb. No relation to Jack Webb. Just the facts, ma'am.

Thanks to Laura for the fun Monday romp, and to Splynter for the interesting review. Nice legs in the ZZ Top vid. I'll have to look up their Legs vid on YouTube.

Anonymous said...

SubG, I appreciate your kind words. I had some vacationing lately that got me off the grid, and thus, off the Corner.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Thanks for pinch hitting, Splynter, and for explaining that sleep pod bit.

Misty said...

Slightly tough, but fun, Monday puzzle--many thanks, Laura. And your commentaries are always a pleasure, Splynter, thanks for that too.

It wasn't until the bottom of the puzzle that the fun set in, when we learned we were ON VACATION and could go UP UP AND AWAY to go to EDEN, or well, maybe just to an ARENA for a good time. But pretty soon some food showed up, even if not great for those of us who aren't MEAT EATERS. But we still got a PLATE of GELATO and some SWIGS of WINE--not bad for a Monday. Now time to fix our PONY TAIL and go to the museum for some ARTS.

Have a delightful week coming up, everybody.

Kelly Clark said...


Nice theme. FIW. Didn't know ASMR or ASICS. Perps were kind, except no perp at square 33 to help me get that A.

Thanks, Laura, for the puzzle, and Splynter for the review.

Jayce said...

Had to do a vowel run to get ODAMAE. I did see the movie but couldn't get into it and don't remember much of it.

I find myself having gotten much more uninterested in the puzzles over the past year or so. Even a well-constructed, truly crossword puzzle doesn't please me as much as before. Perhaps it is I who have changed as much as the puzzles have changed.

However, the pleasure and interest I feel from reading all your comments has not changed. This phenomenon leads me to think that maybe the change is not so much in me, since the quality of the comments you folks post has not diminished, just as my interest in reading them has not.

Good wishes to you all.

Vidwan827 said...

It has been a long time since I have come to the Corner, and the blog, and even today, I procrastinated for six hours before taking the risk. I have been very sick for the past 20 months and the recovery has been long, arduous and still very much incomplete.

But, enough about me...

I liked the puzzle, though I found it to be tougher than I expected for a typical Monday, and I thought that was because maybe I'm losing my mind .... or my marbles. It was such a relief that many of you others felt the same about this puzzle, so I know it's not just me. That is very reassuring.
I am just as crazy as you are, ... but no more than .... Wow ! what a relief !

Thank you Splynter for a very engaging review and explaining the theme, and also all your unique comments.

Thank you Laura, for a rather challenging puzzle.... some clues were very difficult to decipher, but life is meant to be a learning experience .... no matter what stage, of that life, we may be in. ...

Live, as if there is no tomorrow.
Because the alternative is not worth living at all.

I would like to thank ALL the regulars on the blog, for reinforcing my hopes and aspirations, and keeping my faith alive.

True friends do not have to be related by blood, or religion or even DNA ...
Just some consistency in your goofiness.

CanadianEh! said...

Vidwan- how good to see your post. Sorry to hear that you have been and continue to have health challenges. Please join us as often as you feel UP to it. We have a unique kind of friendship here.

Vidwan827 said...




Since I had so much luck in posting my previous entry on a stranger's computer, I decided to take the risk and give my two bits on the meat and potatoes of the puzzle itself.

I had no idea about ASMR or even ODA MAE,( although I've watched the movie two times ...)

I could not get IN A PONY TAIL or AT THE PLATE ...
or the main theme, UP UP AND AWAY ...
Although I remember a book or a Disney movie, with that name.

****************************

THANKS to ALL and I mean ALL of you regulars ... you made my day !@!!!!

It's not just CED and Ray of Sunshine, or Jayce ....

BUT EACH and EVERYONE of you !!!!

*************************

RE: Chicken Masala or ... Chicken MaRsala ...?

In Indian/Pakistani /Bangladeshi food ....
Since a Masala .... is merely a MIXTURE or a GRAVY/CURRY of spices ...

Chicken Masala makes no meaning .... It's like saying "cooked chicken" ... unless the masala is defined further, with its main ingredients...

I may be wrong .... or mistaken ...

BUT I think some of you are confusing Masala with Marsala ... which is a town in Trapani province, Sicily ... famed for its food and wine.

I found that out, a long time ago, when a girl, with that name, whom I met on a blind date, turned out to be an Italian American .... ;-o)

Thus chicken Marsala ... with Marsala wine, etc. Maybe, that's what Napoleon's chef concocted ...

Have a great rest of the week, everyone.

Vidwan827 said...



Thank you Canadian Eh!


I missed your note while concocting another one of my own ...

It's people like you that I forgot to mention by name.
Thank you very much for your sentiments.

At my current place of Rehab, I meet people who are much, much worse than I am, and I feel so sorry for them,.... that my own troubles vanish away in a distance ...

I railed at God, because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet ....

God bless, us all.

OwenKL said...

They were going away ON VACATION!
And to what a luxurious location!
Mother had her way,
She can lounge around all day,
Everyone calls her "MADAM" for the duration!

Man,, am i late! Wrote one l'ick last night, but couldn't think of a second before I went to sleep for the day!

PK said...

Vidwan, I have wondered why you "disappeared" from our blog. Good to know why at last, altho the reason is not "good". Hope your health continues to improve, dear man. Prayers for you.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Whew - nearly ready for BlackHat / Defcon - last load of laundry is in the dryer and the only thing (other than this laptop) left to pack in the AM.

Thanks Laura for the quick Monday puzzle. Cute theme.

Fantastic to read you again Splynter! Thanks for the expo.
//Re: Best MTV video - Dire Straits Money for Nothing. Men Without Hats' Safety Dance was fun but I didn't get the story ;-).

WOs: N/A
ESP: TESSERA
Fav: DYED's clue

{B+}

Nice to see you at The Corner again Vidwan. Sorry to hear about your ails. Eldest left a jar of MASALA in our spice cabinet when she went off to Uni; I have no idea how to use it (if it ain't garlic... ;-))

IM - yes, a younger audience indeed. I knew ASICS, VLOG, ASMR (NPR had whole programs on this a few years back), and MTV (the reality shows caused me to stop watching the channel).

Canadian, Eh! - Y'all celebrate the Honda Civic? //Youngest & I both drive one - mine's a stick :-)

Today I had the best Dr. experience ever. He was the kidney Doc ['cuz (if y'all remember) my salts were all over the map and I landed in the ER 2x]. About 1/2 through the (verbal) exam, he pointedly asked "Do you eat a lot of licorice?"
Yeah, every time I think about a smoke, I eat one and the urge goes away; worked for >2 years now.
"Real licorice?"
Yes, from Italy. It's good.
"Stop. It can affect your potassium levels and yours are off. Let's do that for 30 days and test you again."

It kinda sucks I can't eat my favorite candy but if that's all that's wrong with me, I'll take it. At least I can still eat ANISEED candies.

Cheers, -T

OwenKL said...

Vidwan, so good to see you back! So sorry to hear of your tribulations. 😞 The rehab I'm in, it seems like I'm the only one here without dementia.

Reg said...

John Donne: "No man is an island entire unto himself... Send not for whom the bell tolls -- it tolls for thee."

Lucina said...

Vidwan
It's so great to hear from you! I have thought of you off and on and wondered about you. I am glad to know that you are still with us albeit not in the best of health. Hopefully you will recuperate fully and return to the Blog on a regular basis. Your comments are always full of wisdom. You will be included in my prayers.

Anonymous T said...

Reg - Are you a fan of RUSH? Losing it references Donne. [same song w/ Lyrics]

Laundry's done. Pi box Wifi->LAN firewall* built & tested. 2 of 3 laptops in my backpack. Every cable / adapter known to man is packed. Oooh, and my SAOs (Sh**ty Add-Ons) blinky-thingies are ready. My flight leaves in T-11 hours.

Cheers, -T
*It's pretty cool. The Pi connects to the hotel / conference wifi and provides both inbound (hackers!) protection and keeps chatty Windows protocols from going outbound (OpSec!).

Michael said...

Dear --T: Thanks for the lyrics. Good hunting at OpSecCon ... remember, DIRNSA is a Federal bureaucracy.