Monday June 1, 2020 Jesse Goldberg

 Theme:: KICK STARTS. (58. Reinvigorates, as an economy ... or a hint to the beginnings of the answers to starred clues) - The first word in each theme entry can precede "kick". (Thank you, Anonymous!)

17. *Where hockey punishments are served: PENALTY BOX. Penalty kick.

22. *Local retailer: CORNER STORE. Corner kick.

36. *Insignificant amount: DROP IN THE BUCKET. Drop kick.

46. *Car rooftop attachment for a Schwinn: BICYCLE RACK. Bicycle kick.

Boomer here.  

I may have mentioned this in the past.  On April 4, 1968, I was assigned to the U.S, Army Hospital in Fort Campbell, KY. It's located on the Kentucky - Tennessee border about 120 miles from Memphis, TN. We were all called to emergency room duty that evening as many soldiers had been battered bloody and of course, we learned that Rev. Martin Luther King had been murdered.  I believe that anyone has the right to peacefully demonstrate terrible events that occur. However, I do not accept violence, damaging property, or looting.  

C.C. and I live in a large northwest suburb of Minneapolis and I have watched plenty of national news on TV this past week.  I am embarrassed to live in Minneapolis.

Across:

1. Antacid brand named for the organ it soothes: TUMS.  Probably could have used some this week.

5. "Same as always, bartender," with "the": USUAL.  Minneapolis opened some bars this week.  They've been closed so long the bartenders probably forgot all the "USUALS"..

10. Slow-cooked dish: STEW.  Very good meal made in a Crock Pot.

14. Cognac letters: VSOP.

15. Size above medium: LARGE.  Extra Large for me.

16. Frosty coating: HOAR.

19. Jason's ship: ARGO.  Famous Corn Starch.

20. Situation lacking clarity: GRAY AREA.  This GRAY AREA situation started in Minneapolis when a black man spent a phony $20.00 bill.  Then police got involved and it blew up! 

21. Selling point: ASSET.

25. Sharp-wittedness: ACUMEN.

29. Spanish painter Francisco: GOYA.

30. Part of "Hey Jude" that lasts nearly four minutes: CODA.  "La, la, la , la, la, la, la, La, la, la, la, Hey Jude.

31. Slavic prefix: SERBO.

33. Intel missions: OPS.  Reminds me of Donald Sutherland's "Black Ops" in "JFK"

40. MSNBC rival: CNN.  I watched them both all week.  Even spent a few minutes on FOX.

41. Damp: MOIST.  I wish they made all envelopes MOIST.  Then I wouldn't have to lick them.

42. Info in a folder: FILE.

43. Highlands native: GAEL.

44. In the arms of Morpheus: ASLEEP.  "Rock a by baby, in the tree top"

51. Febreze targets: ODORS.  Rouhned's Family.

52. Like a very close relationship: INTIMATE.

57. Scarlett's plantation: TARA. "Gone with the Wind".

60. Gab: CHAT.

61. WWII bomber __ Gay: ENOLA.  Covered this last week.

62. Lock openers: KEYS.  I'm a gold lock, I'm a gold key.  I'm  a monk lock ...

63. Putter's target: HOLE.  Hope we start having better weather on Mondays and I'll be doing this.

64. Post-workout pains: ACHES. Heck, I do not need a workout, I just get out of bed in the morning.

65. Norwegian capital: OSLO.  Quite a ways north.  Probably as cold as MN in the winter.

Down:

1. Freq. sitcom rating: TV PG.  Parental Guidance.

2. One logging on: USER.

3. "__ Lisa": MONA.  "Are you warm, are you real ? Mona Lisa, Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art.?"  Nat King Cole.

4. Fix, vet-style: SPAY.

5. "Avengers: Age of __" (2015): ULTRON.  I see a change of two letters and get "LUTRON".  Great dimmer switches.

6. Ending with nay or sooth: SAYER.  Bears' Gale Sayers was 77 years old last Saturday.

7. Citified: URBAN.  "Urban Cowboy" John Travolta.

8. Gone by: AGO.  A long, long, time ago, I can still remember how the music used to make me smile.  Don McLean. American Pie.

9. Evil Luthor: LEX.  LEX Luther was in D.C. comics years ago.  I have not seen a comic book in years.

10. Soda named for a California mountain: SHASTA.  I never new that.  I remember that it did not taste very good. -- the soda, I did not drink the mountain.

11. Trunk of the body: TORSO.  I watch a lot of "Law and Order" reruns.  Sometimes they find a body in the trunk.

12. Raring to go: EAGER.

13. "Murder, She __": WROTE.  Angela Lansbury is still hanging in there at 93.

18. Delicate fabric: LACE.  Before my time.  All I know is "Arsenic and Old Lace" is about two women who murder their boyfriends.

21. Words before wish or were: AS YOU.  In the Army, "As you Were" means "Shut Up".

23. "Snowy" heron: EGRET.

24. Eddard Stark's heir on "Game of Thrones": ROBB.

25. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC.  They were too 80's for me.

26. On-the-cob veggie: CORN.  A little tough for me to eat with my store bought teeth.  Lots for sale in Minnesota during harvest season.  Iowa isn't the only state that harvests sweet corn.

27. Japanese noodle: UDON.

28. Image in an atlas: MAP.  I don't think many use an atlas anymore. Just Google where you want to go.

31. Subway entrance: STILE.  TSA has these at airports also.  I've heard they don't turn much these days.

32. "Say what?" sounds: EHS.  I think this means "Say Again?"

33. Texan's neighbor: OKIE.  From Muskogee. Twins Ron Gardenhire was one. Now he's from Detroit.

34. Legendary soccer star: PELE.  When I was a kid, high schools did not even have soccer.  I guess that's why I only have interest in baseball, football, bowling and golf.

35. Ladder rung: STEP.  Put your left foot in, take your left foot out.  Do the hokey pokey.

37. Apple desktops: iMACS.

38. Holiday carol: NOEL.  "The first NOEL.  The Angels did say- was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay "

39. Calgary Stampeders' org.: CFL.  I have not heard if they are going to have a season eh.

43. Swing one's hips: GYRATE.

44. Plays the role of: ACTS AS.

45. Amusing sketch: SKIT.  "It was just a single seater, without a top or heater, but I never saw a slicker seater beat her !"

46. Bungle: BOTCH.  This is a word I use frequently while playing golf.

47. Boise's state: IDAHO.  I have a cousin living in Twin Falls.

48. Reef material: CORAL.

49. Big name in copiers: RICOH.

50. Bracelet spot: ANKLE.  Not me.  I only wear SOCKS on my ankles.

53. Speedy shark: MAKO.

54. Greek god of war: ARES.

55. Texter's sign-off: TTYL.  I do not text but I'll talk to you later.

56. Standard Oil brand: ESSO.  I believe this brand is sold in Canada.  Our gasoline here in the land of ten thousand looters is up to about $1.89,  I still have not had to fill up since March 15.  And now the VA which is a considerable distance from my home, called me last week and changed my quarterly appointment to a doctor's phone call this Friday.  I guess they do not want semi-healthy patients in the same building with the virus.  Thank you VA!

58. Mauna __: KEA.

59. Business mag: INC.

Boomer

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Jesse Goldberg

Theme: Vivisection.  Various body parts are unpleasantly severed, figuratively speaking.  Have a look, if you're not too squeamish.

17. Give 110% effort: WORK ONE'S BUTT OFF.  No matter how hard I've worked, my BUTT has always still been there.  I cry foul!

27. Be excessively verbose: TALK ONE'S EAR OFF.  Do your ears ever get tired?  Have they fallen off?

49. Mourn at length: CRY ONE'S EYES OUT. When the tears flow, to no end, taking the eyeballs with them.

63. Worry to an extreme degree: PULL ONE'S HAIR OUT.  To look at me, one might think I've been doing this. But, no - it's just old age.

Hi gang, it's the tattered remains of JazzBumpa here.  Let's see if we can get through this puzzle without further abuse. 

Looks like this is Jesse Goldberg's premier appearance in the L.A. Times.  Nice job, Jesse, and congrats.  Hope to see more of your work in the future.

Across:

1. __ Springs: PALM.  Palm Springs, a city in the Sonoran Desert of southern California, is known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses and spas.

5. Word with base or boot: CAMP.  A base CAMP is a main encampment providing supplies, shelter, and communications for persons engaged in wide-ranging activities, as exploring, reconnaissance, hunting, or mountain climbing.  A boot CAMP is a military training camp for new recruits, with strict discipline.

9. National Poetry Month: APRIL.  Also the cruelest month, according to a poem.

14. Six-time MLB All-Star Moisés: ALOU.   Moisés Rojas Alou Beltre [b1966] is an outfielder who played for several teams in the major leagues over 17 years with a .303 batting average.

15. Curved molding: OGEE.

16. Water under the Pont de Normandie: SEINE.  French river.

20. Publicity photos from movies: STILLS.  Stationary shots extracted from a movie scene.

21. Swedish pop quartet: ABBA.  I can't get away from them.

22. Day care charge: TOT.  Young child

23. Illegal freeway maneuvers, for short: UIES.  A 180 degree arc to reverse course.  Sadly, the spelling is nonstandard and arbitrary, so perps are always needed.

25. Meat cut: LOIN.  The part of the body on either side of the vertebrae adjacent to the hip bones.

33. Santa __ winds: ANA. These are strong, extremely dry downslope winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. They originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin.  One theory is that they are named for the Santa ANA canyon.

34. Brood: STEW.  Worry, not necessarily with hair tearing.

35. Wild child: TERROR. Little trouble maker.

37. Syndrome after a life-threatening experience, briefly: PTSD.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

39. Title for tennis great Andy Murray: SIR. [b 1987] He is a British professional tennis player from Scotland. Murray represents Great Britain in his sporting activities and is a three-time Grand Slam tournament winner, two-time Olympic champion, Davis Cup champion, winner of the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals, and former world No. 1.

41. Selfish shout: MINE.

42. __ Club: conservation group: SIERRA.  An environmental organization founded in 1892 by John Muir.

45. Carpet type: SHAG.  Carpet with a deep pile, giving it a shaggy appearance.

48. QB stats: TDS.  TouchDowns.

52. Unlikely, as a chance: SLIM.  Curiously, FAT chance means the same thing.

53. Carrie-__ Moss of "Jessica Jones": ANNE.  She [b1967] is a Canadian actress who has also appeared in several movies.

54. Dedicated poem: ODE.

57. "Livin' la Vida __": LOCA. The crazy life.

59. Herbal cough drop brand: RICOLA.  From Switzerland.

66. Falcon's claw: TALON. Raptors are TALONted.

67. Boris Johnson's alma mater: ETON.  British School, 4 letters - you know what to do.

68. "The Snowy Day" Caldecott winner __ Jack Keats: EZRA.

Buy it Here

69. Tons: SLEWS.  A whole bunch. Cf 2D

70. Ran out of juice: DIED.  As a battery, or battery powered device.

71. Ready to drive: TEED. Ready to play a hole of golf, or a whole bunch of golf.


Down:

1. Cats play with them: PAWS.  They don't have hands.

2. Loads: A LOT.  Tons.  A bunch.  Mucho.  Cf 69 A.

3. Greiner of "Shark Tank": LORI.  [b 1969] An American entrepreneur, television personality, and inventor.

4. Arctic footwear: MUKLUK.  A high, soft boot that is worn in the American Arctic and is traditionally made from sealskin.

5. Agree: CONSENT.  Go along with.

6. It's just a number, so they say: AGE.  Don't let your age be a boundary or a limitation.

7. Elevated landform: MESA.  Table-land: an isolated flat topped hill with steep sides.

8. Little rock: PEBBLE.  A small, rounded stone, especially one worn smooth by water action.

9. Rogers' partner: ASTAIRE.  Ginger and Fred. They were pretty good.

10. Favorite: PET.

11. Hilarious one: RIOT.

12. The 411: INFO.  From the telephone number for directory assistance n the U.S. and Canada.

13. Took off: LEFT.  That's right.

18. Hodgepodges: OLIOS.  Confused mixtures.

19. WWII sea threat: U-BOAT.  Undersea boat: submarine.

24. Views: SEES.  Observes.

26. Typical behavior: NORM.  The usual.

27. Brewpub array: TAPS.  Devices for controlling the flow of liquids.

28. Bit of foolishness: ANTIC.  A grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture.

29. Surgical tool: LASER. A high energy light beam that vaporizes soft tissue with high water content.

30. Havarti alternative: SWISS.  Types of cheese.  Havarti is Danish.  My favorite Swiss cheese comes from Norway.

31. Corn chip: FRITO.  Brand name

32. Ballet bend that sounds like a cheese dish: FONDU.  After this demonstration, you can have fun doing it.

36. Enjoy an easy chair: REST.

38. Prohibitionists: DRYS.  Those opposed to the consumption of alcohol.

40. Ostrich relative: RHEA. Distant cousins from distant continents.

43. Deodorant choices: ROLL ONS.

44. Negative particle: ANION.  An atom or molecule with an extra electron.

46. "Atlas Shrugged" novelist: AYN RAND.

47. Bottled spirits: GENII.  Spirits of Arabian folklore, as traditionally depicted imprisoned within a bottle or oil lamp, and capable of granting wishes when summoned.

Would the drys object?

50. Hosted: EMCEED.  To have been the Master of Ceremonies.

51. Like passwords, ideally: SECRET.  Not known or seen by others.

54. Declines, with "out": OPTS.  To OPT is to make a choice.

55. Twofold: DUAL. Having two parts or aspects.

56. Fashion magazine since 1945: ELLE.  Founded n Paris.  The name is a French female pronoun.

58. Italian wine region: ASTI.  A provence in Piedmont, northern Italy.

60. Move like a blob: OOZE.  Slowly seep.

61. Bait: LURE.  Enticement.

62. Somewhat: A TAD.

64. Close to the ground: LOW.

65. Manual weed whacker: HOE.  A long-handled gardening tool with a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding and breaking up soil.

OK.  We had some fun and survived with our remaining body parts intact.  Hope the rest of your Wednesday is enjoyable and harmless.  Stay home.  Stay safe.  Wash your hands.

Cool regards!
JzB