tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6076375884958226996..comments2024-03-28T12:49:16.793-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: South Asian living abroad / THU 3-11-21 / The Bulldogs of the N.C.A.A. / 1940 Arthur Koestler novel set during the Moscow Trials / In yoga, one side of a triangle formed in triangle poseRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80180258976724752972021-04-17T23:50:10.095-04:002021-04-17T23:50:10.095-04:00SWOLE? Seriously? “Jacked” has any number of slang...SWOLE? Seriously? “Jacked” has any number of slang meanings, couldn’t parse SWOLE. I was happier with ATAY for not around (even though it sounded absurd) than I am now with SWOLE.Jokr22https://www.blogger.com/profile/14418359048742286858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76812600751553202582021-04-15T18:53:45.328-04:002021-04-15T18:53:45.328-04:00P.S. I belatedly noticed that the time of day prog...P.S. I belatedly noticed that the time of day progresses in orderly fashion from midday to evening to late night, top to bottom. Extra primo neat!spacecrafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125304293611865503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16389889747408602632021-04-15T14:45:46.705-04:002021-04-15T14:45:46.705-04:00Fearing the rebus, I braved the Thursday solve. O...Fearing the rebus, I braved the Thursday solve. Only to find a timely theme. And I agree with @Spacey on the Crow Clue - tee hee. Is it really Thursday already!?<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60311629718732494102021-04-15T14:22:15.985-04:002021-04-15T14:22:15.985-04:00FAD FORWARD
Goodness SAKEs, make THE TEARS CEASE,...FAD FORWARD<br /><br />Goodness SAKEs, make THE TEARS CEASE,<br />take THE DARKNESS AWAY, do,<br />SHERYL OWED life a new LEASE, <br />it MEANS she's APT to LAY you.<br /><br />--- OLE ALDRINBurma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44732140175788887452021-04-15T10:56:14.996-04:002021-04-15T10:56:14.996-04:00Excellent puzzle. PS - Maybe one day the deciders ...Excellent puzzle. PS - Maybe one day the deciders can agree to abolish daylight saving time. WWAD? (What Would ABE Do?)thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2531355611939047082021-04-15T10:55:43.152-04:002021-04-15T10:55:43.152-04:00A couple of groaner clues (Crow native to the Midw...A couple of groaner clues (Crow native to the Midwest = [DOD] SHERYL; (South Asian living abroad = DESI) put this one squarely in the Thursday slot. Not finding an easy starting place in the north, I found the revealer clue, mentally inserted SPRINGFORWARD and double-checked a down or two--yes, FDR hated WAR--and wrote it in. From there, it wasn't long to uncover the three gridspanning themers. It was the FILL that I had the hardest time with.<br /><br />Unique theme, even if too easy to get, and some interesting fill without much junk. Birdie.<br /><br />Wait: DESI was South Asian??? Really?spacecrafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125304293611865503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61883435743514774322021-03-13T11:15:30.594-05:002021-03-13T11:15:30.594-05:00Actually, California voted to have permanent DST i...Actually, California voted to have permanent DST if the rest of the country adopted it. Not the same thing as CA could have just adopted it (as Arizona has rejected DST)Andrew Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04070242422282347242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-501873691309005982021-03-12T01:38:36.315-05:002021-03-12T01:38:36.315-05:00Alaska. Now to check your hint.Alaska. Now to check your hint.albatross shellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04076278220407657633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1183851416026646202021-03-11T23:49:39.745-05:002021-03-11T23:49:39.745-05:00Huh. Didn’t know triangle pose was formed by your ...Huh. Didn’t know triangle pose was formed by your arm and leg, always thought it was formed by your legs and the ground made the (invisible) third side.Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02674086694527342512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12010372696569132062021-03-11T22:31:44.189-05:002021-03-11T22:31:44.189-05:00Z’s comment (7:09 pm) about Eric Blair, i.e. Georg...Z’s comment (7:09 pm) about Eric Blair, i.e. George Orwell, liking Koestler is accurate, or he liked him at least for a time. I think when Orwell was writing, at least at the time of *Homage to Catalonia*, he saw the Stalinists as sort of getting the upper hand. I like Orwell’s work, and I don’t blame him for this. Certainly Stalin should be scrutinized and criticized. The nicest thing about Stalin was written by one of his critics, Isaiah Berlin, who, in summarizing his influence, remarked that he sent “everyone to school.” Once you have everyone reading and thinking, you cannot control the outcome, as Stalin would have realized had he lived longer.<br /><br />Anon. (8:21 p.m.) states that he had copy of *Darkness at Noon* in his home. As I try to recollect how I knew about the work, I think now that our family (mildly progressive in the 1950s [at least by Southern standards], solidly democratic from about 1964), had a copy as well, and my father, I think, warned me about it being “reactionary.” For some reason I never read it.<br /><br />When we look at questions about Hitler, et al., we have to get into areas that are difficult to deal with, since we are dealing with what is sometimes called things that are “objectively reactionary.” When we all agreed that Hitler was evil, ca. 1945, his supporters attempted to argue that Stalin was worse. When I first took Western Civilization courses, using texts like Palmer and Colton, *History of the Modern World*, we were told that Stalin’s purges may have killed a million people. Palmer and Colton were militantly anti-communist, and the “million” figure in their work was possibly a slander, based on an improbable anecdote Stalin himself made to Roosevelt (to their credit, Palmer and Colton never actually stated that they believed the “million” figure; they were merely reporting it). <br /><br />Then the numbers started changing. Scholars began learning that the Holocaust deaths numbered about 6 million. Stalin killed “only” one million. Almost magically, without a shred of evidence, the number of those murdered by Stalin rose from one million to six million. Then those answered that Hitler’s war killed tens of millions, which was true. Miraculously Stalin’s victims came to number in the tens of millions. Later Mao’s foes came up with a figure higher than that of Hitler and Stalin. I have no idea as to what numbers are accurate. But I think we should have a healthy scepticism when we hear them cited. <br /><br />Anon. i.e. Poggius<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44521696629548130782021-03-11T20:37:13.738-05:002021-03-11T20:37:13.738-05:00BTW - My favorite geography trivia question: Which...BTW - My favorite geography trivia question: Which state is westernmost and easternmost? <br /><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semisopochnoi_Island" rel="nofollow">Here’s a hint.</a>Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60623478255695938392021-03-11T20:21:46.204-05:002021-03-11T20:21:46.204-05:00There was a copy of Darkness at Noon in the house ...There was a copy of Darkness at Noon in the house as I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, which my father had bought. He was a liberal and certainly never considered Koestler to be right wing. <br /><br />I think it was the residual early 1950s far left wing that hadn't yet accepted Stalin's crimes, that was portraying Koestler as right wing. They had their influence of course, but that didn't make their claims widely accepted among liberals.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73563582296175765442021-03-11T19:49:48.823-05:002021-03-11T19:49:48.823-05:00@Nancy – Try the Cryptogram today, if you haven...@Nancy – Try the Cryptogram today, if you haven't already done so. It actually ties into the main X-word, in a way. :-)Joe Dipintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07922691457886440325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23901071503608706222021-03-11T19:09:04.281-05:002021-03-11T19:09:04.281-05:00@RyanSem - 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
EIRE
@Time Warp -...@RyanSem - 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽<br /><a href="https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?id=I5251400" rel="nofollow">EIRE</a><br /><br />@<a href="https://youtu.be/umj0gu5nEGs" rel="nofollow">Time Warp</a> - Well, certain people here might suggest that there is one and only one Great Lake State... But sure, Indiana is more of a Great Lake State than Missouri is midwestern. Hard to argue with your “geographically” claim until one realizes that looking at the question that way forces the “midwest” to be California, Oregon, and Washington. So, nah. Lets go with it’s original historical meaning of the old Northwest Territory and stop the wannabes.*<br /><br />@Poggius - I’ve never heard Eric Blair described as “extreme right-wing” and he wrote favorably of Koestler. I can see why right-wingers and McCarthyites would like anti-Stalin works, but that doesn’t make the work itself extremist. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*😎Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61967420859089471492021-03-11T18:15:46.890-05:002021-03-11T18:15:46.890-05:00@Frantic -- So I had absolutely no idea what you w...@Frantic -- So I had absolutely no idea what you were talking about. <i>More than an hour??</i> I thought I was linking to just the first song which is maybe 2-3 minutes. I clicked on the link again and, son-of-a-gun, it's not just one song -- it's Comden and Greene's <i>entire Broadway two-person show</i> -- a wonderful show that I saw in person back in the day. <br /><br />Who knew that it had been preserved in its entirety? You've done me a favor, Frantic. It was a wonderful show and I'll watch it again, definitely. I hope it holds up; I hope it's not dated. If it holds up, everyone here is in for a Broadway treat and it's absolutely free.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20861096152167917272021-03-11T17:41:53.705-05:002021-03-11T17:41:53.705-05:00@Teedmn 1:18 (and @chefwen) - OMG that video! Than...@Teedmn 1:18 (and @chefwen) - OMG that video! Thank you! Coincidentally, an hour ago my out-of-state daughter, needing some information from a Wisconsin business, asked me to make the phone call for her, as "They will respond better to your accent" :)Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37234561475783937352021-03-11T17:24:39.751-05:002021-03-11T17:24:39.751-05:00@Frantic (3:13) Thanks for reporting back on Trimb...@Frantic (3:13) Thanks for reporting back on Trimble.<br /><br />@Teedmn (1:18) Midwest Siri was a hoot. Reminded me of my days living in Badger Land.<br /><br />@chefwen (4:23) I must admit I thought of you when I watched that one.Whatsernamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15450876821189472213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51774329512838927952021-03-11T17:19:19.429-05:002021-03-11T17:19:19.429-05:00"Oh, were there no NANCYs of note worth cluin..."Oh, were there no NANCYs of note worth cluing this entry about? Really, none?"<br /><br />Oh, just stop it. The clues are not required to be of one kind or another. And ANYWAY it WAS clued as a woman's name AND a city in France. What do you have against France?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44593665476303572342021-03-11T16:36:46.928-05:002021-03-11T16:36:46.928-05:00PASSCODE from the Archives: Thursday March 29, 20...PASSCODE from the Archives: Thursday March 29, 2001 is fun, in a gee-whiz, Bazooka Bubblegum kind of way.Birchbarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09292725119040462686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88082429012989184762021-03-11T16:23:37.463-05:002021-03-11T16:23:37.463-05:00@Teedmn 1:18. Being born a bred a Cheesehead I was...@Teedmn 1:18. Being born a bred a Cheesehead I was laughing so hard at that clip I scared the beejesus out of the kitty. Between @Carola and yours I’ll be chuckling for the rest of the day. Thanks to da bot of yous.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9346296298000912472021-03-11T15:58:06.378-05:002021-03-11T15:58:06.378-05:00Challenging NYT Thursday ... 36% above my Thursday...Challenging NYT Thursday ... 36% above my Thursday 6-month median solve time<br /><br />I've had all kinds of trouble with the six puzzles I've done with Leslie Rogers's name in the byline. I was all over the grid during this solve. That's unusual for me except with Friday and Saturday puzzles and is indicative of a struggle. This is a fine puzzle that I didn't connect with and didn't solve well at all. I know the Koestler title, but just couldn't dig it out of my memory. I can't believe that I submitted with 'SmITE'/'mASS CODE'(???) instead of <b>SPITE {5A: Intentionally hurt}</b>/<b>PASS CODE {6D: Smartphone alternative to a fingerprint scan}</b>. Duh! Not my day.<br /><br />My missteps:<br />-- 'to-do' long before <b>FUSS {1A: Kerfuffle}</b> ... I erased this error pretty quickly with <b>AGUA {14A: Contents of un río}</b> then <b>UGA {2D: The Bulldogs of the N.C.A.A.}</b><br />-- 'USc' (duh! ... read the entire clue!) long before <b>USA {22A: Olympic women's gymnastics powerhouse}</b><br />-- 'Npr' before <b>NYC {24A: Big public radio letters after "W"}</b> ... WNPR is what I listened to when I lived in Connecticut<br />-- 'StOLE' before <b>SWOLE {35A: "Jacked"}</b><br />-- 'MAD daSH' before <b>MAD RUSH {47A: Scramble}</b> and, therefore, 'dirt' before <b>ROOF {49D: Hit the ___}</b><br />-- I bounced back and forth between <b>EIRE {59A: Homeland of James Joyce}</b> and 'Erin' several times<br />-- 'At Risk' instead of <b>AIR DRY {52D: Put on the line}</b><br /><br />My learning opportunities:<br />-- <b>DESI {36A: South Asian living abroad}</b><br />-- <b>DORSEY {68A: Jack ___, co-founder and longtime C.E.O. of Twitter}</b><br />-- <b>NANCY {18D: Woman's name that's also a city in France}</b><br /><br />Yikes! I clearly made a mess of this.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72741356044892641962021-03-11T15:13:44.737-05:002021-03-11T15:13:44.737-05:00@Conrad 724am Thanks for the breakdown/explanation...@Conrad 724am Thanks for the breakdown/explanation, but I don't do logic/rational. 😘<br /><br />@Mikey from El Prado 1048am LOL! Congrats on gleaning my hidden message! <br /><br />@A 1059am Thank you for your "due diligence" and answering my question. You mentioned most of that in your original post, but I didn't put 2+2 together. (Math is <i>so hard!!</i>) Seems whoever decided to classify bagpipes as a "weapon" might have owned stock in the biz. Perhaps they mistook the cowering as fear when it was something else entirely, if you get my drift. Then again, I imagine it wouldn't fee great to be thwacked upside the head with them… 😉 And I really liked the John Updike poem – even though it made my head hurt. 😁<br /><br />@Barbara S 828am Douglas Adams knows whereof he speaks! Nice quotes – again! You <i>do</i> realize you're trapped now, right? 😉<br /><br />@Carola 1034am No! I don't believe I've ever seen that – so thank you! I would call it "hilarious", but I'm weaning. Did send it to everyone I know, though. 😂<br /><br />@Nancy 1051am and others defending DST Of the two choices, I actually prefer DST, too – but let's just <i>leave</i> it there! Not a morning person either, but am also trying to "mend my ways" in order to better align my waking hours with my hometown friends'. Does not always work. <br /><br />@mathgent 1102am and anyone who might be concerned – TTrimble is fine, just taking a step back for a while. I can relate, but if he doesn't show up soon, I'm letting the hounds loose.<br /><br />@Anoa Bob 1109am Question: <i>inner</i> smartass? 😘<br /><br />@Nancy 1111am You could be right about that video, but I'll have to wait until I have more time. (Is it really over an hour long??)<br /><br />@CDilly52 1148am LOL! No words.<br /><br />Gah! I keep falling behind – will have to finish reading you all later! Toodles.<br />Frantic Slothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614296873700797321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56372977391536467112021-03-11T15:02:10.881-05:002021-03-11T15:02:10.881-05:00@bocamp - I suspect we missed the same square as I...@bocamp - I suspect we missed the same square as I too now know what the matter is.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57750534532214980272021-03-11T14:19:26.247-05:002021-03-11T14:19:26.247-05:00@RooMonster, @Whatsername, @bocamp, @A - So glad y...@RooMonster, @Whatsername, @bocamp, @A - So glad you enjoyed it! Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44851461170673311812021-03-11T14:10:28.513-05:002021-03-11T14:10:28.513-05:00I was first told about Arthur Koestler's *Dark...I was first told about Arthur Koestler's *Darkness at Noon* in the 1950s, when it was presented to me as a form of extreme right-wing, anti-communist propaganda. Mathgent (11:02) is correct that that was its reputation. I never read it. Z (9:45) tells us that people objecting to it today may be on the right, since the work says negative things about Hitler! Z's point is correct also, and it should serve as a warning about glib generalizations about the "anti-communist" 1950s, as opposed to the more enlightened present. In the 1950s, in a very conservative area of the USA (the South) I was warned that Koestler was extreme right-wing propaganda, and the people warning me were by no means leftists. We are now told that it is a healthy, mainstream work attacking right-wing extremists. <br /><br />At least in the 1950s there were still some communists in the US around to attack. Today our "socialism" is altruistic blather, with an admixture of racist identity politics. <br /><br />Anon. i.e. PoggiusAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com