It's What We Do
Anybody who has worked in IT will tell you that if a program exhibits a new bug the first question you ask is "What changed?". And if constructor Catherine Cetta's theme for this puzzle bugged you, you need to do the same thing -- or as she puts it in her reveal fill you need to find the ...
58A. Modern innovator, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: CHANGE AGENT.
Each of the themers contains a word that causes change. In some cases it's more than one word ...
16A. *Period of connectivity that began in the 1990s: INTERNET AGE. We all know that AGE changes us, but even more than that it could certainly be argued that the INTERNET AGE is the most powerful change agent in recent times, beginning in 1965 and accelerating today at an ever increasing pace ...
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The Internet |
36. *"Let me stop you right there": DON'T GET ANY IDEAS. IDEAS are among the most powerful change agents and are the basis for many of humanity's innovations, including the sciences, technologies such as the Internet, philosophy, religion, and the arts. Here are some thinkers having IDEAS ...
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The Thinkers Baltimore Museum of Art |
22A. *Place for navel gazers?:ORANGE TREE.
I suppose these mostly just maintain the status quo, but as we saw last
Thursday, they help supply us with the oxygen we need to keep going,
and their roots change each another.
47A`. *Power source for some superheroes?:
MUTANT GENE. One of the most common causes of GENE MUTATIONS are called frame shift errors, where the enzymes reading a DNA sequence for a particular gene lose count of the DNA triplets that code for one of amino acids that comprise the protein being synthesized.
A
similar error can occur with humans when they miss the frame of
reference for a comment made by someone else. My favorite example of
this is in the 2009 film FRAMED, where the curator of the London Art Museum (played by Trevor Eve) interprets a comment by a young Welsh lad who is referring to DONATELLO (one of the Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles) not DONATELLO
(the Renaissance artist!). I've posted this before, but I'm posting
it again for the benefit of any of you who haven't seen this delightful
film ...*
Here's the grid ...
Across:
1. Stoppers: PLUGS.
6. Facebook verb: LIKE.
10. Food writer Drummond: REE. AKA the Pioneer Woman. Here she is just in time for some Spooky Halloween Brownies -- don't be afraid to try them ...
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| Hanoi Opera House |
15. Sargasso Sea spawner: EEL. I always thought this was a myth.
.
16. [Theme clue]
18. Maven: PRO.
19. Paper cutters: SCISSORS. But ROCKS break them. But PAPER covers rocks.
20. Send via UPS or USPS: SHIP.
21. Billie Eilish's "All the Good Girls Go to __": HELL.
22. [Theme clue]
26. Actress Jessica who co-founded The Honest Company: ALBA. Jessica ALBA was inspired by the 2008 birth of her first child and her own history of childhood illnesses to create The Honest Company, a an enterprise that provides an alternative to baby products with ingredients such as petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances. The company was launched in 2012 with 17 products and in 2021 it had revenues of 318.6 million.
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Jessica Alba |
29. Sprang up: AROSE.
32. Firm: Abbr.: CORP.
33. __ Lanka: SRI. The actual filming locale for the great series the Good Karma Hospital, which was set in India. Sadly this show has has ended its run, but you can still stream it.
36. [Theme clue]
40. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA. This unabridged video (19 min.) is for all the kids on the Corner who haven't yet discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls (Hebrew w/English subtitles) ...
41. Iraq neighbor: IRAN. IRANIAN activist Narges Mohammadi, who is currently serving a 10 year prison sentence protesting injustices in her country, was recently awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all".
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| Narges Mohammadi 2023 Peace Prize Nobelist |
43. "McSorley's Bar" painter: SLOAN. Apparently John Sloan spent a lot of time in this bar between 1912 and 1930 as he did a total five paintings of the place during that time. McSorley's Old Ale House, located in the East Village, Manhattan, opened in 1854 and you can still have a drink there today ...
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McSorley's Bar John Sloan, 1912 |
45. Fed. food stamper: USDA. U. S. Department of Agriculture
47. [Theme clue]
50. Helen of Troy's mother: LEDA. Here's their story, the origin of a series of events that led to the Trojan War ...
54. The Grand Ole __: OPRY. Musical opportunities in this puzzle are pretty slim picking, so I thought a little pickin' by the Hillbilly Thomists, live at the Grand Ole OPRY, might be nice. Here they are sippin', pickin', and preachin' about Bourbon, Bluegrass and the Bible ...
55. Places for hoops and studs: EAR LOBES. No, not places for tall men.
57. "__ to Dirt": Sharon Olds poem: ODE. Hear her give praise for the substance that gives us clay and soil.
58. [Theme reveal].
61. "Long," in Hawaiian: LOA. I didn't know this.
62. Cola with a red, white, and blue logo: PEPSI.
63. Sip: NURSE.
64. Inquire: ASK.
65. Avant-garde: ARTY. Websters defines ARTY as "showily or pretentiously artistic". "Avant-garde" may be an adjective for"cutting edge" or a noun describing change agents, especially in the arts -- people like Salvador Dali, Igor Stravinsky, or T. S. Eliot. But eventually they are accepted and pave way for the next generation.
66. Dissuade: DETER.
Down:
1. Lure with false emails: PHISH.
2. Jousting weapon: LANCE. Maryland's State Sport ...
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Jousting |
4. Brings up the rear: GOES LAST. The "derriere-garde", who protect the rear flank.
5. Knight titles: SIRS.
6. Mucho: LOTSA.
7. Three-time French Open winner Swiatek: IGA. IGA Natalia Świątek (born 31 May 2001) is a Polish professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), having held the position for 75 weeks. Świątek is a four-time major singles champion, having won the French Open in 2020, 2022, and 2023 and the US Open in 2022. She is the first player representing Poland to win a major singles title. She has won a total of 15 WTA Tour-level titles.
_(48199020336).jpg) |
| Iga Świątek 2019 French Open |
8. Barrel of beer: KEG.
9. Word with wash or wear: EYE.
10. Said another way: REPHRASED.
11. Like a haunted house: EERIE. It's only 19 days until All Hallows Eve! -- make some Spooky Halloween Brownies for the trick-or-treaters (see 10A)
12. Get to "I do" without the ado: ELOPE.
14. Utterer of "Yogi-isms": BERRA. Lawrence Peter "Yogi" BERRA
(May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional
baseball catcher who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He
played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all
but the last for the New York Yankees.While Yogi Berra’s role in the
history of baseball is immeasurable, his ongoing legacy rests also on his enormous contributions to the American language.
His so-called Yogi-isms – the unique and witty observations he became
famous for – made him a major contributor to the national repository of
wisdom, a source cited more often than Shakespeare (in the US at least) ...
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| Here's YOGI practicing some of his verbal ASANAS |
20. Messy room: STY.
23. Glowing gas: NEON. For years this neon sign dominated the skyline of the Baltimore Harbor. But things change.
24. "The Far Side" cartoonist Larson: GARY. GARY Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist who created The Far Side, a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fifteen years. The series ended with Larson's retirement on January 1, 1995. Here are 15 of the funniest The Far Side comics that will never get old.
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| Gary Larson |
25. Spotted: ESPIED.
27. American __: veterans' group: LEGION. The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
It comprises state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, in turn,
made up of local posts. The organization was formed on March 15, 1919,
in Paris, France, by a thousand officers and men of the American
Expeditionary Forces and it was chartered on September 16, 1919, by the United States Congress. Veterans Day this year will be Saturday, Nov 11.
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| Official Website |
30. Caviar: ROE.
31. Racking up wins: ON A STREAK.
32. Soda container: CAN.
34. "Insecure" actress Issa: RAE. She got over her insecurities and eventually became President ...
35. Leb. neighbor: ISR.
37. Q.E.D. part: ERAT.
38. Sharp flavor: TANG. TANG is also the name of a Chinese Dynasty that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilization, and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. The period is especially noted for its ceramics and for the invention of vitrified porcelain. Below is an inexpensive reproduction of an iconic Tang Dynasty horse that I purchased when my son and I visited China to adopt our grandson. A premium pair of originals sold at Sotheby's in 2013 for almost $4.2 million. I spotted this one on a shelf up near the ceiling in a dusty little shop in Guangzhou and when I beckoned to the clerk to get it down for me he said somewhat nervously "You know it's not an original right?". I assured him that I did!
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| Tang Dynasty horse |
44. __ of the land: LAY.
45. Dragon roll ingredient: UNAGI. If you don't like raw fish you can always try UNAGI, which is a type of sushi made with cooked EEL.
46. Desertlike: SERE. I doubt that the Atacama Desert has become any less SERE since last Thursday.
47. Bucks: MOOLA.
48. Beehives and some buns: UPDOS. If you're considering tying the knot, here are 11 UPDOS for doing it ...
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UPDOS |
51. Film critic Roger: EBERT. Roger Joseph EBERT ( June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This site has reviews of the movies that led he and his buddy Gene Siskel to get into the review business and this site has Roger's Top 10 Movies of All Time. Both of them get my 👍👍.
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| Roger Ebert |
53. Starlike flower: ASTER.
56. Arrive at the airport safely: LAND. The feeling you get when you LAND safely (sorry, I couldn't resist) ...
58. IRS form expert: CPA. 1040 Good Buddy!
59. She/__ pronouns: HER.
60. Fitting: APT. I think this is an APT point to end this review ...
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
ReplyDeleteThank you, Catherine Cetta, and thank you, waseeley.
I didn't notice that AGENT was scrambled until the reveal pointed it out.
There's IGA again. I saw her on an ESPN SportsCenter clip last week after she won her match against Coco Gauff. IGA went on to win the China Open tournament on Sunday. We used to get "Hometown Proud supermarket" types of clues for those three letters.
DIAgramS before DIALOGUES. HG, do children still learn to diagram sentences in school?
I've only read espy and ESPIED. I've never heard anyone actually say them.
"The gaming N00B ragequit after being rekt and pwned by the OP esports pro with all the XP." Wait, what?
REE Drummond - Her "The Pioneer Woman" blog led to her "The Pioneer Woman" Food Network TV program. We're fans. Coincidentally as I was solving the puzzle, the 1973 made for TV movie, "Pioneer Woman" came on Flix. It starred Joanna Pettet and William Shatner (at his hammiest and cheesiest best,) and was also 10 year old Helen Hunt's film debut, as the daughter. Striking resemblance. She looked like she could have been Joanna Pettet's daughter.
Love that SNL clip. One of my favorites.
Back to bed.
Bill, maybe I missed something. But, in your commentary, it doesn’t seem like you were aware that each of the themed entries contained within in an anagram of the word “agent,” as TTP referred to, making US the people who “change” “agent!” If I’m wrong about this, forgive me. But if I’m right, you missed the point of the whole puzzle. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteWell, I managed to FIR W/O seeing the scrambled agents. 16 names. Thanx CC2 for the entertainment. Thanx Bill for the write up. I’m poopered and going back to sleep now. I’ll come back later to read more posts.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteThe clues seemed very straight-forward on this one -- no out-of-the-box thinking was required. Except for the theme, of course. Catherine set a nice one for us. Waseeley, you were in fine fettle with your musical links and historic facts.
IGA: There used to be one of those grocery stores in the little town where I grew up. Now, the spot where it stood is just a vacant lot, one of a half-dozen in the middle of downtown.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-I missed the write-up and did this last night as we have a very early commitment to our granddaughter today
-The mashup of AGENT and the title were fun
-HANOI – HGTV had a young couple apartment hunting there last week. How far we’ve come.
-EASY A – I took basic electricity for shop teachers to fill out the last of my physics hours
-Note to self: Not all four-letter mythological women are HERA even with _ E _ A.
-PHISH – We try to be ever so cautious.
-GOES LAST – What my mother-in-law did her entire life
-That IGA is starting to stick in my Teflon brain
-A DIALOGUE assumes you are going to listen and not just wait to talk
-UNAGI – Eels are frequent visitors to our little word pond
-A day without golf is more than offset by time with our lovely granddaughter!
FIR. I got the theme as anagrams of agent in the starred answers, but I disagree with Bill as to the hidden meaning of change agent within those answers. I don't think it was that complicated. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteThis was a straightforward Thursday puzzle, a minimum of proper names, and pretty fair cluing.
Took 6 minutes exactly today for me to make change.
ReplyDeleteIronically, it seems those dreaded circles would've helped point out the jumbled versions of "change". But, it sure is nice not having them.
TTP & SG DOH! -- I completely missed that and thanks to you both for pointing it out.
ReplyDeleteHere's DAB's bi-weekly offering Double Letters.
FIR with some corrections, but since I again worked it on line due to restless dog syndrome, I don’t know exactly what or how many I changed. I also didn’t get the theme, and for a change I actually looked. I do remember butchering LEGION, but I’m not sure how. Probably leigon or liegon: close, but no USDA stamp of approval.
ReplyDeleteToday is:
NATIONAL FARMER'S DAY (thanks to PK and your lessees)
NATIONAL FREETHOUGHT DAY (I specialize in amokthought)
NATIONAL SAVINGS DAY (I’ve been saving time since March, and have no interest to show for it)
NATIONAL GUMBO DAY (Jimmy Buffett sang, I Will Play for Gumbo
WORLD SIGHT DAY (not a celebration of rifle aiming devices)
Yesterday we had Bayou Tony extolling Pastis and today we have GARY Larson. Cartoonists two days in a row – I like it.
Thanks to Catherine for another enjoyable puzzle, and to Bill ‘n’ Teri for guiding us through it. Except I have to call BS on the Domino sign article. "...the old sign consumed 25,000 kilowatts of power per hour..." Really? KW/H? No, just KW. And 25 megawatts? I don't think so. It's dangerous to allow staffers whose degrees end with an "A" write about physics. (I used to hang out in the Locust Point area, and remember a big Domino Sugar building. For some reason I thought it was abandoned.)
A little shut-eye, and I'm back to read the rest of the comments. Bill, I thought something was amiss with your analysis of the theme, since TREE was too much of a stretch as an agent of change. I didn't see it either, but I didn't look; I was struggling to keep the eyes open. Went to bed at midnight, woke up at 3 am. When the e-newspaper finally arrived at 5:08am, printed out the CW and Jumble. I guess the brain-strain finally tired me out. So glad to see you entirely miss the theme, now I don't feel quite as bad about how frequently I can't find a theme.
ReplyDeleteunclefred @8:50 AM et al. I hope I don't have to take a pay cut! 😟
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe first notation on my puzzle notepad is "Should have seen the AGENT scramble when solving, but didn't until the reveal." And then I thought, Aha, another clever reveal would be Secret Agent! Soooooo, I was confounded when I started reading Bill's explanation of the theme and thought, boy oh boy, did I miss the boat! Well, it turns out I haven't lost my marbles, per the comments by my fellow Cornerites. I enjoyed the solve and found the themers very solid, in the language phrases. Unagi/Roe/Eel and Sirs/Sri were fun. Big CSO to our Gary.
Thanks, Catherine, for a pleasant and smooth solve and thanks, Bill, for the extensive and illuminating review. Your interpretation of the theme may have been incorrect, but you deserve lots of props for imaginative and creative thinking. Thanks to Teri, as well.
FLN
Anon T, no I didn't buy those napkins, I had already chosen a pretty pattern depicting a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.
Lucina, your poignant comment reminded me of another quote on my calendar: "The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be." Konrad Lorenz.
Have a great day.
Waseeley, I don't think you should take a permanent cut, but surely a 50% cut just for today would be appropriate.
ReplyDeleteD-O @9:33 AM Tee hee! You realize of course that dividing 0 by a number is not a valid mathematical operation. 🙃
DeleteYes, nice puzzle, and I too when I read Waseely’s review, I was scratching my head because I saw the anagrams of AGENT as the theme. Now I see an added dimension in Waseely’s take on this CW
ReplyDeleteMy sweet and beloved miniature Schnauzer was named BOGEY. We adopted him when he was 2 so he came with that name.
We had a mini hurricane hit us yesterday but it brought much needed rain, so no complaints.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteI'll read your comments later as I have to watch the L.B. aka, Lightning Bug or my great-grandson.
Thanks to Catherine Cetta for an always amusing and "artful" grid.
REE Drummond has a line of dishware that I LIKE and have several pieces. They can be found at Walmart.
The INTERNET certainly has changed our lives in so many ways.
Enjoy a wonderful day, everyone!
RosE said...
ReplyDeleteGood Morning! Most of the puzzle filled smoothly, but I made a mess of the middle, so FIW, alas.
The unknown SLOA(R) crossing TA(RT) crossing (T)ENE-> SLOAN crossing TANG crossing GENE. Bah!
Perps for IGA and LOA.
GARY Larson, I follow him on Facebook – the man is a genius of humor! Of course, a favorite 15 is a matter of opinion. My 15 would have to include the sheep cocktail party in disarray when there at the door stood, Oh, thank God, the Border Collie, ready to save the day!! 🤣🤣🤣.
UNAGI. Sorry, Bill, but I’ll pass on eel, raw or cooked…just not an adventurous eater.
The theme bypassed me both in its initial iteration well done by Bill and also the jumbled AGENT.
Thanks, Catherine, Bill and Teri for your offering of enjoyment today.
RosE @10:19AM My favorite Larson is the one with the dog joyfully on his way to "get tutored". Don't recall if that one is in today's list.
ReplyDeleteTerrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Catherine, and waseeley and Teri.
ReplyDeleteI FURed in good time, and saw the scrambled AGENTs. But waseeley’s interprets of the theme adds another layer. The INTERNET, IDEAS, MUTAtations, are all AGENTs of CHANGE. But ORANGE TREE seems to be an outlier.(late addition: we could go the AGENT ORANGE route here!? Symbolically placed after HELL.)
I had several inkblots.
Ace changed to PRO, Comp to CORP.
Rea changed to RAE. Plus we had ROE and REE - I knew Pioneer Woman, but not by name.)
Any unknown names perped today.
What do HANOI, IRAN and ISR all have in common?
Hand up for not being adventurous enough to try EEL in any form (even UNAGI).
Favourite was the clue for ELOPE.
FLN- Happy 95th Birthday to your Mom, CMoe.
Another quick FIR, despite the obscure, REALLY obscure proper names. Perps were more than fair. WEES on the theme, but I didn't see it either way.
ReplyDeleteLOL! All the discussion about dogs made me enter FURed instead of FIRed.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to wish you all a great day.
Saw the scrambled AGENTs in the theme answers only after the solve. Hand up I think that was the only point of the theme.
ReplyDeleteHere my DW lounged in the DEAD SEA in ISRael.
If you go, there are some important safety rules at the DEAD SEA to avoid pain and injury. One rule: Don't try to pee while you are standing in the water! Speaking of ISRael...
Here is my article on our local ISRael peace gathering and analysis of the situation.
My video was shown several times on local television. Quite an honor that I never had before.
From Yesterday:
Vidwan Thank you for the very kind words about my presentation of Euclid's beautiful proof about the infinite number of PRIME numbers. As for the other claim, I am not sure I understand. On average, PRIMEs become ever more scarce. But... There are still infinitely many pairs that are close together. How close? I can give a link to an article that is understandable if you are interested.
AnonT Thank you for taking the time to read one of my recent MOJO articles! In that article "Conspiracy Theories Not What They Used to Be?" I was noting three categories:
1) Real conspiracies that really did happen
2) Real conspiracy theories with specific people, a specific plot line and a plausible motive. And actual evidence. But they are probably still not true.
3) The current crop of wacky claims with no evidence, no coherent plot line and no attempt to make any sense at all.
Thank you again for taking the time to read it!
My favorite Gary Larson cartoon shows two fishermen sitting in a boat on a lake and a mushroom cloud in the background, and the caption is, “Mean? I’ll tell you what it means Harry. No limits and no licenses.” Or words to that effect.
ReplyDeletePicard @11:32 AM Thank you for sharing the article of your local peace gathering and for your pictures of Israel. I am deeply saddened by what has happened, is happening, and likely will happen there.
ReplyDeletePICARD...very moving article. How I wish there was a path forward that would spare the innocents on both sides, but I sadly fail to see one. No country on earth can accept such wanton barbarim.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteEasiest puzzle all week. But the theme flew over my head like the departing Canada geese. I’m so dull not even sure I understoodnl your various discussions “on a theme”
Only one real Proper Name unknown: REE ….Leda and a Swan? Ah go on! (Knew the myth but not the Trojan War connection)
Inkover: BOGie/BOGEY, tart/TANG (Waz is it true that the powdered orange drink was created by the eponymous Chinese dynasty as a quick substitute for tea.🥸?)
Coincidental repeats? with EASY A, ARTY,
“Sprang up” smelling like ___ …..AROSE
Or go with….EIDER
I ESPIED the lady yesterday but today I don’t …… SERE
Sign to “dissuade” from taking the usual route….DETER
Odor after a full day of hard work….ONASTREAK
C Moe belated birthday wishes to Mom.
I remember the cartoon-a-day Gary Larson calendars. No daily waiting to read the cartoons.
WASEELEY @ 11:13: No, not on the list, but I would also include that one as one of my favorites.🤣🤣🤣
ReplyDeleteCouldn't get past the popup blocker disabling message, but here are a half dozen of my Far Side favorites:
ReplyDeleteDog trying to trick the cat into climbing into the clothes dryer using a sign "kat fud."
Dinosaur addressing an audience of fellow dinos saying "gentlemen, the future is bleak. The climate is changing, the mammals are taking over, and we have brains the size of walnuts.
Yeah, "ha-ha-ha Biff" is a classic
Dog scientists toiling away in a laboratory, because understanding the doorknob principle would change the lives of canines everywhere.
The heard of cows standing on their back legs chatting, until one yells "CAR!"
The dog realtor showing a house to a prospective buying dog couple: "and you have a tree right outside the master bedroom door."
ReplyDeleteLoved the Far Side retrospective, still teared up after the “Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey” dogspeak.
Picard, your Israel article was very touching. Bless you and the beleagured people of Israel.
ReplyDeleteBill's interpretation of today's theme was close but no cigar. The agents of age, idea, and gene certainly can change us, but tree definitely fell outside the limit. I saw the real change agent when reading SubG and unclefred's remarks.
ReplyDeleteFIR. Simple and straightforward offering from Catherine today. Thank you. Bill' expo was almost perfect.
I came across a quotation today that I want to share about how we think about our futures. "Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out" -- Art Linkletter. A little like "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Thinking of that makes me thirsty.
Try it and you'll see.
A beautifully illustrated presentation by Waseeley of this Cetta PZL...
ReplyDeleteEZ enough, the right level of challenge for a Thursday.
~ OMK
_____________
DR: One diagonal on the far side.
Unfortunately, this one is too vowel-heavy to provide a satisfactory anagram. I can't get beyond "EYE SPOON."
(You are always welcome to try!)
OMK, what is the instrument of choice for writing a Dear John letter? A "SEEYA" PEN.
ReplyDeleteNo? Perhaps something for ASPEN YEA or EASY PAEAN? How about ANY EPEES?
You're right. A lot of vowels.
Jinx, I thought of another Larson fav, falling down the stairs at the Ball Bearing Factory.
ReplyDeleteThere's something about slapstick, I can't help myself...
Finally, the L.B. is taking a nap! He must be very tired with all the energy he expends. Kind of like a monkey in the jungle only it's the living room in disarray with cushions everywhere. I won't let him in any other room.
ReplyDeletePicard, thank you for posting your article. It just makes me want to weep.
When I visited Israel several years ago it was so peaceful with people quietly going about their business. Now it's just tragic and so sad.
I really enjoyed the puzzle and was able to finish in good time even with you know who bouncing around.
Thank you, Catherine, for your puzzle. Things went smoothly except I entered ON A YOGA MAT a little too early for 22A.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I learned today that you can take an American flag to the American LEGION for proper disposal.
Anon@7:59. That was big of you to say that circles could have helped identify the scrambled AGENT theme. I agree but I also think it was a good call to leave out the circles for this Thurs. puzzle.
waseeley@ 11:06. I'm sorry to correct you on this, but it is OK to divide zero by a number. You just cannot divide a number by zero. That result is "undefined".
I like to illustrate this by taking a circle and dividing it by 3 (into 3 parts) then taking that same circle and dividing it by 2 (into 2 parts) then taking that same circle and dividing it by one (leaving it as 1 part). Next would be dividing it by 0. How can you do that and not have it look like dividing by 1?
Despite the rough start, your blog was a winner! I had no idea jousting is Maryland's state sport. Thanks for all the work you do every week. You are appreciated!
sumdaze @9:05 PM Thanks for adding the day on a high note. I knew that one of those operations was undefined but didn't get the correct order. The good news is that next week's theme will be easy as cake, or is it a piece of pie? 🙃
DeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteLong day. Meeting at 7:30a and Hou.Sec.Con (House.ccon) until 9:30p w/ a 40 minute drive home from downtown. Fortunately, Catherine provided us with an EASY-A(ish) puzzle.
Thanks Catherine!
Thanks Waseeley for the nice expo - too late to click all your links but "First City Wide" is an LOL sketch (who says the original Not Ready For Prime Time is the only SNL worth watching?)
WO: UMAMI->UNAGI (I love the latter!)
ESPs: IGA, SLOAN, LEDA.
Fav: just seeing PHISH. October is CyberSecurity Awareness Month. (EERIE, eh?)
Jinx: My runner-up: GARY Larson - OMG, Gramps (R.I.P.), Pop, and I loved it and would laugh our butts off. #CatFud. #DogsCan'tSpell :-)
//Pop wrote Cat Fud on his container for his cat's kibbles.
Original SNL cast? No Coke, PEPSI. //Hou.Sec.Con only served Pepsi today -- much to every Southerner's discontent. And much to mine, most of the folks around me when I made that reference are way too young to know that.
C, Eh! - Interesting call, AGENT ORANGE. //I'll fess up - didn't notice AGENT scramble until the reveal and then studying for a minute.
Story - I got a sticker today that I put on my water bottle. When I went to pay for parking, I put the bottle on top of the kiosk and forgot it until I was 2/3rds of the way to my car.
So,,,, I go back to the kiosk and someone is paying for their slot but paying close attn to my water bottle.
"Sorry, I forgot my bottle when I was paying..."
"Oh, sorry, I was just reading your sticker; that's funny."
The sticker says, "In my defense, I was left unsupervised." :-)
Cheers, -T
Messed up my link says...
ReplyDeleteNo Coke, Pepsi.