Body Language

OMG, this is my 100th post! I hope to get the word out soon so people can actually subscribe.

Today's puzzle by Charles Slack is called "Active Anatomy":

17A: Something scary (HAIR RAISER). Who can forget the classic Bugs Bunny short "The Hair-Raising Hare?" It's the only cartoons that uses both homonyms "hare" for "hair". Here it is for your viewing pleasure. Note: No copyright infringement intended.

Vanilla Ice

62A: Something astounding (MIND BLOWER). There was a little indie film called "The Mind Blowers", which was made in 1968. I can't find many details about it, however. It's about a professor who literally plays head games for his studies. There was also an 1994 album called "Mind Blowin'" by pseudo-rapper Vanilla Ice. It bombed (did you expect anything else?). Vanilla Ice is what you call a "Juggalo", or a fan of Psychopathic Records. Oooookay!

10D: Nonstop talker (EAR BENDER). Ugh, people who never shut up are among my pet peeves! However,  "ear bender" can also be a positive thing when you talk about music. I found this puzzle about Keith Richards on a blog called Earbender, which gives us news about music, marketing and technology. It is written by John Rosenfelder, a music-industry insider.

36D: Source of sudden understanding (EYE OPENER). This also can mean an alcohol beverage taken to get you going, especially in the morning.

Last night, we had a male Zumba instructor, who was amazing! I wish there were more. They definitely add a different flavor to the class.

To my peeps in NYC and on LI--stay dry!

I have very sad news to report in the music world. Davy Jones of the Monkees died this morning at age 66. Here is a Davy singing Neil Diamond's "A Little Bit Me."

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Strong as an Ox

Raw oxtail 

Interesting puzzle title for today. . . . It's "Oxtail Stew" by Gail Grabowski. I've never eaten oxtail stew, which is the fancy name for cattle's tail. Here's what raw oxtail looks like. The meat is popular in Jamaica, South America, and Asia. You can say they're similar to short ribs and there are some very inexpensive recipes out there.

All of the theme answers end in "ox":

20A: Brunch offering (BAGELS AND LOX). I think I'm one of the few Jews who doesn't like the combination of bagels, lox, and cream cheese. Not to mention this traditional Jewish dish is loaded with calories. However, I do like tuna salad, chicken salad, and shrimp salad on a bagel. Since there are so many calories and sugar in the bagel alone, I have them only occasionally.

38A: Windy City Baseball Team (CHICAGO WHITE SOX). Who hasn't seen "Field of Dreams". In the movie, Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) encounters "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the other players involved in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. To make a long story short, eight members of the White Sox intentionally threw games to the Cincinnati Reds. Supposedly, the series was fixed with thousands of bettors wagering on the Reds. Led by first baseman Arnold "Chick" Gandil, he and seven other players implemented the fix to get revenge on owner Charles Comiskey, who was a notorious tightwad. The eight players were banned from baseball for life.

50A: Gift carton (CARDBOARD BOX). What does a child love more than a new toy? The box that it came in! A cardboard box can do wonders for a child's imagination and creativity! A box becomes an airplane, a hospital, or a house. It was even added to the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2005!

It's a calm Tuesday, but winter is supposed to return with a vengeance tomorrow. 

In puzzle news, I see there was a tournament at Skidmore College over the weekend. 

And I found an article about Michael Sharp, an English professor at Boston University who masquerades as "Rex Parker, King of the Crossword World." Maybe he'll move up from his 31st-place ranking at this year's ACPT.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,

The Puzzlechick

Hook, Line, and Sinker/Brief Oscar Recap

Uggie

Happy Monday! The Oscars are over and I am so glad "The Artist" won the award for Best Picture. It really was a well-done, beautiful film. And you gotta give credit to Uggie, one of the best film dogs ever! He was there in an adorable back bow tie. IMO, the best dressed were Emma Stone, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Octavia Spencer, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Michelle Williams. Everyone fawned over JLo's gown, but I though it was tacky and too tight for her. It made her look a porker. Angelina Jolie showed too much leg, and Sandra Bullock looked just plain dull. Thankfully, Billy Crystal was back as host after last year's James Franco/Anne Hathaway fiasco. Personally, I would like to see Will Ferrell and Tina Fey host the show.


Just like we had the Oscars last night, Amy Reynaldo, author of the "Crossword Fiend" blog presented the "Orcas". These are her picks for crosswords of the year in many categories. Matt Gaffney won "Puzzle of the Year" with his creation called "Moving Day."


http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/26/the-2011-orca-awards/#more-27189


Now onto today's crossword by Billie Truitt. It's called "Go Fish" and here are the theme answers:


20A: Native American carving (TOTEM POLE). The nicest totem poles I saw were at Stanley Park in Vancouver. This is the same Lord Stanley who the Hockey trophy is named after. Totem poles can celebrate cultural beliefs, or they can recount family lineages, notable events, or folk legends. 


57A: Joke's ending (PUNCHLINE). I didn't realize there was a magazine by the same name. Alex could have used this during his brief career as a child stand-up comic with Kids 'n' Comedy. All was going well until he had a teacher who tried to change his jokes completely. Lately, he has shown an interest in returning. Maybe next year when he turns 18, he can take an adult class.


29D: Browse online (SURF THE WEB). One of my favorite activities. Need I say more? 

10D: Be forced off stage (GET THE HOOK). Remember "The Gong Show"? It was a very bad amateur talent contest that ran on NBC. It was hosted by Chuck Barris. A panel of judges gave the act the gong if they thought it was really bad. We met The Unknown Comic, Gene, Gene the Dancing Machine, "Larry and His Magic ____", among other assorted characters. A very early incarnation of Oingo Boingo appeared. They won that night. 





Oingo Boingo recorded many great albums. Their lead singer, Danny Elfman, went on to a prolific composing career and wrote "The Simpsons" theme song.


That's all for today! I need to catch up on "The Celebrity Apprentice" and "Jerseylicious" (two guilty pleasures).


Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Talking Shop

It's been four days since we stopped getting Newsday and I miss doing the puzzles on paper! I know apps are the wave of the future, but they're just not the same. More importantly, I miss my cryptoquote. :-(

Today's puzzle is by our esteemed editor Stanley Newman and it's called "Shopping Sites." Theme answers were cute puns:

20A: Educational Toy Shop for Patrons? (BABY BLOOMERS). OMG, I remember wearing baby bloomers over my cloth diapers. Once Pampers were invented, my mom never looked back. She started on them with my brother Mark.

38A: Where to buy a Maid Marion bouquet? (SHERWOOD FLORIST). I Googled "Sherwood Florist" and it's a very popular name for a flower shop.

54A: Wares at a "green" window store? (NATURAL GLASS). There are many types of natural glass, which are found in deserts. Here is Libyan desert glass, which has very pretty color. If you have the real thing, you can get as much as $500 for it.

I just finished a book of Irish-themed puzzles published by the company Pocket Posh. The book consisted of crosswords, word searches, codewords, and criss-cross puzzles. For many of the puzzles, I had to rearrange the shaded letters to for the final answer. Of course, having never been to Ireland, I had to look up a lot of these answers.  I figured they would get me ready for ACPT on St. Patrick's Day.

It's a gloomy Friday here in NYC. Sorry to be short today, but it's back to the salt mines.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Purple Passion

Back to posting after having been under the weather all weekend. I had a sore throat and very little energy. Thanks to tea, soup, and lots of rest, I'm feeling much better.

Because the quality of the paper has gone downhill and there is no city coverage anymore, we have canceled our subscription to Newsday. I can complete the crossword puzzle on the Facebook Puzzle Social app, but I will no longer be commenting on the cryptoquote.

Today's puzzle by Billie Truitt is called "Violet Bouquet" and it's about all things purple! Purple is one of my favorite colors. It is the color of royalty, magic, and mystery. Historically, purple also stands for good judgment, trustworthiness, and leadership. Here are the theme answers:

20A: Overly ornate writing: PURPLE PROSE. As a copy editor and a proofreader by profession, I cringe when I see poorly written sentences. Purple prose contains too many adjectives and sentences run into oblivion. One of the most famous examples of purple prose can be found in the novel Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803-1873).

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness. 

41A: Chance of a lifetime: PLUM OPPORTUNITY. I wish that opportunity would come along for me one of these days.

60A: Calming aromatherapy liquid: LAVENDER OIL. I love the smell of lavender oil and no home should be without it! Not only is it good for stress, but you can cure basic cuts and bruises too.

I just signed up for Lollapuzzola 5, which is happening on Saturday, August 4. This is a smaller tournament and attracts people mainly from NYC and LI. There are lots of gag prizes and fun games. We're allowed five or six "Google tickets", where we can get help with clues as long as it's not the theme answer. It's more relaxing than the ACPT, which is St. Patrick's Day weekend this year. I've been brushing up on variety puzzles and the tough Saturday puzzles.

There was a big controversy over the use of the word "ILLEGAL" in last Thursday's NYT puzzle. This article by Univision correspondent Juan Gastelum contains comments by NYT puzzle editor Will Shortz and several other commentators.

Tonight we are hearing Woody Allen in a rare interview at the 92nd Street Y. Dick Cavett is one of the moderators. After the interview, they are showing "Radio Days." It should be a fun evening.

We're supposed to get temps close to 60 the rest of the week. This weather's crazy!

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Kiss My A---!

Cyrano de Bergerac

Happy Valentine's Day! The pressure is on this day to hook up with someone and do something romantic. It's also one of the most over-emphasized holidays when it comes to the card printers and candy makers. Technically, it's a Catholic holiday so we don't make a big deal of it in our house. However, even the puzzle creators jumped in with today's cryptoquote:

A kiss is a rosy dot over the "I" on loving.

The quote is from the author Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655). He was known for his fictional works based on his life story, and was often portrayed with a very large nose. In the play by Edmond Rostand, Cyrano pines for his distant cousin Roxanne but she is infatuated with Christian, a fellow guardsman, and Cyrano wants to bring them together. He offers to help Christian win Roxanne by writing eloquent letters and signing his name to them. I think you know how the story ends. Rostand's play has been adapted into many stage, screen, and TV productions.

How many songs can you name that have the word "kiss" in the title?

Today's Newsday Puzzle, by Billie Truitt, has nothing to do with hearts and kisses. It's called "At the Races" and here are the theme answers:

20A: Gymnastics apparatus (POMMEL HORSE). I loved gymnastics, but I hated like the pommel horse. We had to jump over it, and I never managed to do it as I was scared to get hurt. When gymnasts do stunts on the horse, they make it look so easy.

51A: Much-traveled route (BEATEN TRACK)

Fatboy Slim

11D: San Francisco bridge (GOLDEN GATE). San Francisco is on my bucket list of places to visit in the U.S. This bridge has been declared on of the "Wonders of the Modern World". Connect to this Web site to learn more about this beautiful structure.

28D: Radio station employee (DISK JOCKEY). The days of the classic disk jockey--Alan Freed, Cousin Brucie, Scott Muni, Pete Fornatelle, Wolfman Jack, Casey Kasem, etc.--are long gone. Now the DJ is concentrated in the clubs, my favorite being Fatboy Slim. As Norman Cook (his real name), Fatboy Slim was a member of the Housemartins, one of my favorite bands in the 80s. Unfortunately, I missed seeing him at Voodoo in New Orleans because it conflicted with the Raconteurs

I've been watching the Westminster Dog Show. So far, three of my favorite breeds--a German shepherd, a dalmatian, and a Dachshund--are in the finals. It all ends tonight with "Best in Show."

As a final note on this Valentine's Day 2012, the most important person you can love is yourself!

Till tomorrow. . . .

Singing off,
The Puzzlechick

It's Just Us!

Today's Gail Grabowsky puzzle is called "It's You and Me." The word "us" was hidden in all the theme answers:

20A: End of some game shows (BONUS ROUND). Oh, how I miss the daytime game shows! The bonus round started in the 1960s with "Beat the Clock." The wife of the contestant would try to unscramble a quote within 20 seconds for a bonus prize. My favorite concept of a bonus round was to ask the contestants how studio audiences responded to a question. This concept started in "Match Game" and picked up in "Family Feud." Below is a video of "Family Feud" bonus round where the family started off poorly but made a nice comeback.

55A: Row of dancers in a musical (CHORUS LINE). I saw "A Chorus Line" toward the end of its original run (see video below). Although there were some very good songs, I didn't think it was that great as a play. It was about a bunch of has-been dancers looking for one last chance at a career. It did, however, win several Tony Awards and was one of the longest-running shows on Broadway. We did a rip-off of "A Chorus Line" in my senior year of high school. We called it "Stagestruck." The movie version was absolutely horrible.

10D: Current condition (STATUS QUO). Not to be confused with the British band of the same name. 

31D: Performance in a tent (CIRCUS ACT). Every spring, my family used to go to the circus. It was a very long (almost 3 hours) and boring affair. My favorite acts was the trapeze artists. I was into gymnastics and acrobatics at the time and wished I could perform their death-defying stunts. When I learned later how Ringling Bros. treated the animals, I vowed I would never take my son there. Instead, we took him to the Big Apple Circus , which was only one ring and featured a very funny clown named Grandma. BAC treats their clowns very well and offers them pension plans upon retirement. 

Today's cryptoquote is by Edward ("Ted") M. Kennedy (1932-2009):

Violence is an admission that one's ideas and goals cannot prevail on their own merits.

Did he say this before or after Chappaquidick? The former Massachusetts senator (47 years!) was just a mediocre student in school (compared to his older brothers). Teddy was caught cheating at Harvard (gasp!). He also saw lots of trauma in his young life: the untimely deaths of his brothers Joe, Jack, and Bobby, the labotomy of his sister Rosemary, and the airplane crash that killed his sister Kathleen. He turned out to be one of the most prolific speakers of our time, but he never quite caught the brass ring (President of the United States), thanks to the Chappaquidick incident.

Violence never solves anything, my friends.

Till tomorrow. . . . 

Signing off,

The Puzzlechick

P.S. On a sad note, Whitney Houston died Saturday afternoon at the age of 48.  All around the world, people sang her praises. We had a moment of silence for Whitney at Zumba yesterday. Come on, people! In truth, she was an addict. Marrying Bobby Brown killed her career and her life. They haven't revealed the cause of death yet, but I am sure drugs were involved. Whitney's music was definitely not our style. In fact, Matthew and I called her "Witless." Because of her, Taylor Dayne's career was ruined. Besides being a childhood friend of my husband's, Taylor is a much more talented singer. 

You're No Good/Kaiser's Korner

TGIF! It's another gorgeous day in New York City (nearly 50 degrees) . . . the calm before the storm. We're supposed to get about 2-3 inches of snow tonight. :-( 

Today's puzzle, by Richard Silvestri, was a toughie. It's called "They're No Good." In other words, there is a "NG" for "No Good" hidden in each of the theme answers:

20A: Cairo beach patrons? (SUNNING MUSLIMS). And what is the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims? The answer is right here on a Web site called History News Network. I guess it's like comparing Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews.

39A: Big-time sport? (PRONG BASKETBALL). The NBA lockout may be over, but we still can't get MSG on our cable system! We pay $200 a month for this?? Knick and Ranger fans are mad! 

52A: Rule of everything? (QUEEN OF SHEBANG). My friend Sheila just bought a Siberian Husky and her name is Sheba. She is a beautiful dog and I want to see her before she outgrows her puppy years. As for the legend of the Queen of Sheba, it's explained in this essay. And who could forget William Hung's infamous rendition of "She Bangs" (with apologies to Ricky Martin)?

Henry J. Kaiser

Today's crytopquote was on the tough side too. It's by Henry J. Kaiser (1882-1967):

When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.

Henry J. Kaiser is known as the "Father of American Shipbuilding." He also founded a steel company, an aluminium company, and two automobile companies. I never even heard of the latter, but a picture of the Kaiser 1953 Manhattan is pictured on the right. The car company was in existence from 1945 until 1969, when it was sold to American Motors (makers of the infamous Gremlin). Kaiser was involved in building roads, civic centers, and schools. He was also quite the philanthropist through his foundation. In addition, he also established the first HMO called Kaiser Permanente. 

Well, that's all for the day. I'll be sitting back and waiting for the snow with the rest of the peanut gallery.

Till tomorrow. . . . 

Signing off,

The Puzzlechick

Birds of a Feather

Today marks my 90th post! Had I not taken two months off, I would have had over 150. Oh, well. . . .

We have another celebrity puzzle today (see my previous post "Bad Hair Day"). This is by David W. Cromer and it's called "Audobon Society." You guessed it; the celebrities all have types of birds in their names:

Raven Symone, age 3

16A: Daughter on The Cosby Show (RAVEN SYMONE). Raven Symone was only 3 or 4 when she made her debut on The Cosby Show as Denise's stepdaughter, Olivia. They needed someone to replace cute little Rudy's place since she was about to hit puberty. Wasn't Raven cute? She also was on "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and appeared in two of the Dr. Dolittle movies. Also a singer, she eventually had her own show in The Disney Channel called "That's So Raven." OK, she gained a few pounds over the years, but there's nothing wrong with having curves. She showed off a much slimmer look last summer (see before-and-after picture on the left). 

61A: Cheers star (RHEA PERLMAN). Carla Tortelli, the wise-cracking waitress at Cheers, was such a great character. She had disdain for many people, especially her fellow waitress Diane Chambers (played by Shelley Long) and Cliff Claven, the hapless mailman (played by John Ratzenberger). Carla had a reputation for being promiscuous. When the series started, Carla had four children but had eight by the time it ended. Carla knew Sam during his baseball days, and invited Carla to work for him when he opened the bar. Her first husband, Nick Tortelli  (played by Dan Hedaya), re-married a blonde bimbo named Loretta. Nick had an unsuccessful spin-off series of his own. Carla's second husband was the hockey star Eddie LeBec (played by Jay Thomas). Unfortunately, Eddie was released from the Bruins' contract and had to take a job as a mascot for a traveling ice show. He met his demise with a Zamboni machine.

10D: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous co-host (ROBIN LEACH). Champagne wishes and caviar dreams! This show focused on celebrities and all the material possessions they owned so they could rub it in our faces. The show was often parodied (badly) on other TV series, such as Sesame Street and Saved by the Bell. Leach was a former journalist who hosted this show from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. Pictured on the right is Leach interviewing the divine Miss Piggy. 

28D: Norma Rae director (MARTIN RITT). A successful TV director, Martin Ritt (1914-1990) was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities committee for directing Communist-party members of a local NYC union in their annual show. He was associated with other theater groups who had Communist leanings. He then returned to the theater until the Red Scare decreased its intensity, and he went on to direct movies. Some of his most successful films included The Long, Hot Summer, Sounder, The Great White Hope, Hud, and Murphy's Romance. Sally Field, of course, won an Oscar for Norma Rae. 

Today's Crytoquote is by Henry David Thoreau:

"There are few men who do not love better to give advice than to give assistance."

This is sort of a continuation of yesterday's quote. 

Till tomorrow. . . . 

Signing off,

The Puzzlechick

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Good evening! Sitting at home on a cold Wednesday night. I decided not to venture to the gym since it's started flurrying. Besides, Sandra's 7:30 Zumba class is so crowded that I feel like I'm in a can of sardines. Also, the room gets very hot, even with all the fans. I'll do Tricia's class tomorrow night, along with kickboxing. I'm not crazy about the kickboxing instructor who is temping for Aleigah, but I'll live with it. Aleigah is tough but at least she motivates people.

Today's puzzle, by Billie Truitt, is called "Recycling Day." You guessed it, it's about things that we have to put in separate bags and bring them to their proper places:

20A: Student project (RESEARCH PAPER). Do you remember the days when you were assigned a paper or report, made an outline, pored over books at the library and took notes, wrote a draft, and wrote the final paper? With all the concentration on test prep, it seems that students these days are lacking that skill. Thankfully, my son gets assigned many research papers at the online school where he is enrolled. If you're stuck on a topic, see the Web site Best Essays.

38A: Fine-print enlarger (MAGNIFYING GLASS). Fortunately, my eyes are in pretty good shape, save for the progressive lenses and multifocal contacts I wear for reading. Some things under a magnifying glass are pretty scary! However, I remember having so much fun playing with them when we were young.

58A: Gardening device (SPRINKLING CAN). I do not have a garden, so I have no use for this. Pictured on the right is the basic watering can that every mom (including mine) in my Long Island neighborhood owned. We used them for other purposes, like water fights.

Today's cryptoquote is by Francois de la Rochefoucauld (Pictured on the left. I think his name is longer than the actual quote):

There is nothing men are so generous of as advice.

Wow, Mr. de la Rouchefoucuald goes way back (1630-1680). Born to a wealthy noble family, he spent much of his life in the military. He was best known for his writings Maximes and Memoirs.

And my advice to you is to start drinking heavily! (John "Bluto" Blutarski in Animal House).

Have a good night!

Signing off,

The Puzzlechick

Sore Losers

Today's puzzle, by Sally R. Stein, is called "Why So Sore?" Each of the theme answers rhymes with the word "sore":

20A: Huge retail establishment (SUPER STORE). I used to love shopping at Target, otherwise known as Tar-jhay. They carried some nice home goods, a decent crafts section, and at one point, I was buying almost all of my clothes from there. They carried Isaac Mizrahi, whose clothes fit me well. There were also a few nice designer collaborations (Proenza-Schouler, Patrick Robinson, Calypso-St. Barth, etc.). Then they decided to pull a WalMart and concentrate on groceries. Isaac left and the clothes selection became shabby. Now I hardly go in there anymore.

63A: Old word for 140 (SEVEN SCORE). What to know what happened during the Civil War seven score and 10 years ago? Check out this site: http://www.7score10years.com/.

9D: Second-year student (SOPHOMORE). Sophomores are, of course, second year students in both high school and college. There's some responsibility (preparing college applications or declaring your major), but it's not as stressful as junior year. Then there's the "sophomore slump", where one's second effort fails to stand up to that of the first. For instance, take a look at some second albums by rock groups that definitely didn't live up to their debut albums. For many groups, those albums killed their careers.

35D: Asian city that's a country (SINGAPORE). English is the main language of this city-state. It looks like a very nice place to be. Singapore is one of the five busiest ports in the world and it is also a financial leader. However, the gap between rich and poor is just as great as it is here.

The cryptoquote for today is by the late, great comedian Flip Wilson (1933-1998):

Flip Wilson as Geraldine

The cost of living is going up and the chance of living is going down. 

Right on the money, Flip! 

Flip Wilson grew up in an impoverished environment and was in and out of several foster homes. After his discharge from the Air Force, he became a bellhop at the Manor Plaza Hotel in San Francisco but soon started performing comedy.  During the early '70s, I had the pleasure of watching "The Flip Wilson Show." on NBC. He played lots of great characters, especially Geraldine Jones (pictured right). Geraldine's catch phrase was "The Devil Made Me Do It!" "She" also said "What You See Is What You Get", hence the acronym WYSIWYG.

Happy 200th Birthday to Charles Dickens! He wrote many classics (A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, etc.) and he incorporated autobiographical elements in his writings. . Mark Twain had a lot to say about Mr. Dickens during the one time he heard him read.

Giants' ticker-tape parade down Wall Street, ho-hum.

Latest Facebook Hoax: A woman in India supposedly had 11 babies at once. I fell for it, but it turned out to be false. The picture is of 11 babies who were born on 11/11/11, and they were all from different mothers.

Can you imagine if that really happened?!?

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Happy Monday! The Giants won the Super Bowl in a very close game against the Patriots. I heard the commercials were pretty lame and Madonna looked terrible. I went to bed early, so I didn't miss much. However, I did miss my weekly dose of Angry Boys, which stars the talented and adorable Chris Lilley. This series is not as good as his previous outing, Summer Heights High, but it has some very funny moments. Chris Lilley is the master of "mocumentaries", and he plays all the major characters, both male and female.

Today's puzzle by Gail Grabowski is called "How to Get There." A nice, easy way to start the week. Here are the theme answers:

17A: Low-tech pest-control device (FLY SWATTER). A fly swatter doesn't always work in my apartment. We always need something a little stronger, like an exterminator. Speaking of that, there hasn't been one in over three months! Anyway, here's a nice little game you can play with a virtual fly swatter: http://www.majman.net/flyswatter/

60A: Auto mechanism (DRIVE SHAFT). I haven't driven in a very long time, so I know absolutely nothing about the mechanics of a car. This is a drive shaft (pictured right). I still don't understand what it does, but I'm sure it's a very important part of the engine.

10D: Domineer (WALK ALL OVER). When I was growing up, I was used to this treatment. I allowed everyone from my parents and my peers take advantage of me all because I wanted to be liked. I got hurt in the long run and didn't trust people. That's why I don't go out of my way for anyone except my family and a handful of close friends. I found a very good article from the Daily Mail on this subject.

24D: Become exhausted (RUN OUT OF GAS). How far can a car go after the gas light comes on? With gas prices at $4 a gallon, it better be pretty far! Did I say how much I love being a devout pedestrian?

George Santayana

The cryptoquote for the day is by George Santayana (1863-1952), a Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist.

There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.

Although he was born in Spain, Santayana came to the United States and attended the Boston Latin School and Harvard University. He taught at Harvard as well. Santayana is best known for his books The Sense of Beauty, Interpretations of Poetry and Religion, and The Last Puritan (his sole novel).  His aphorisms have been frequently used and have become clichéd. 


As for the quote, it's so true! We don't have a choice of your parents or your ultimate ending. It's up to us to make the right choices in life and to make the best of things, even when they go wrong.


Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Saturday Stumper, 2/4/12

Super Bowl XLVI is on. There is nowhere I can disappear since we have only one TV. I'm looking for something to watch on the computer. Anyway, I'm behind on reporting yesterday's Saturday Stumper. As always, there were lots of hard clues. Here is a list of some of my favorite clues:

6A: Conclusive procedures (ACID TESTS)

 16A: "10-4" (ROGER THAT). Here is a classic scene from the movie "Airplane" (1980):

18A: Longfellow lover (MINNEHAHA). Native-American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha. Lots of places are named for her, including a park and a town. As most of us know, the poem begins with these famous lines:

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water,

Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,

Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.

Dark behind it rose the forest,

Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,

Rose the firs with cones upon them;

Bright before it beat the water,

Beat the clear and sunny water,

Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.

54A: Source of fast-acting carbs (ENERGY BAR). There is a company in Chicago called Element Bars, where you can create your own energy bar. You choose your own fruit, nuts, sweets, and boosts (such as soy protein). They also suggest recipes. I think this is really cool.

There were some giveaways in this puzzle too:

5D: Jeremy Irons in The Lion King (SCAR). Would you believe I never saw this film in its entirety? When I was down in Disney World in '93, they were working on the animation.

27A: Beloved Hollywood nickname (THE DUKE). Otherwise known as Marion Morrison, a/k/a John Wayne. One of the greatest Western performers of all time, his achievements are too numerous to mention. He just missed getting into Annapolis, so he went to USC on a football scholarship instead. Not too shabby. John Wayne did not win an Oscar until 1969, for his role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit.

56A: 2007 Best Director Oscar Winner (ETHAN COEN). Ethan and his brother Joshua won the Oscar for No Country for Old Men. It was just the type of movie the Academy liked, and it won Best Picture as well.

28D: Mel Brooks' Robin Hood (ELWES--As in Carey). Hey, he's the same age as me!

Yesterday's crytoquote is by Christian Nestell Bovee (1820-1904):

Living with a saint is more grueling than being one. 

I couldn't find too much on Bovee, but he is best known for his work Thoughts, Feelings, and Fancies (1857).

I scored some good end-of-season sales over the weekend. I bought a pair of camel pants from The Gap and a nice shirt with sequins from Macy's. Today, I had whole-wheat pizza for the first time. It was really good!

Back to the shrimp platter.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Silence is Golden

TGIF!

I'm going to start with today's cryptoquote first because it's more interesting than the crossword puzzle. This one is by that jack of all trades and author of many quotes, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790):

As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.

Simply, Franklin is saying that if we have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all. When we have gripes, there are ways of going about resolving them without putting people down.

Ben Franklin was also an inventor, a journalist, a politician, a scientist, and an activist, among many other things. There is not enough space to list all his accomplishments. I found the best online guide to his works by a history professor named Richard Jenson.

Today's crossword by Randall J. Hartman was trickier than yesterday's but the theme answers weren't as much fun. The puzzle is entitled "Crackpots", and I don't quite get the connection between the title and theme answers. Anyway, these are the theme answers:

17A: Electricity source: POWER PLANT. I have just three words: Three Mile Island. Remember the 1979 accident? A meltdown occurred as a result of equipment malfunctions, faulty design, and human error. Lung cancer and infant mortality increased as a result for the next two years. The movie China Syndrome had been released just 12 days before the accident and became a blockbuster hit. Interested in pictures of the 100 largest power plants in the world? I have them right here.

40A: Organization's procedural guide: POLICY STATEMENT. You want to learn how to write one? Just follow these simple instructions.

50A: '50s fashion: POODLE SKIRT. Let's turn back to more innocent and easier times. A poodle skirt was a wide skirt made out of felt with the simple applique of a poodle. Paired with saddle shoes, it became very popular at school dances and sock hops. My mom (who graduated high school in 1958) told me she had a poodle jumper, which she had to pay with her own money. I never saw a picture of her in it. The poodle skirt remains a very popular Halloween costume today.

63A: Justin Bieber gig: POP CONCERT. Will Demi Moore pursue Justin next? Just kidding! Personally, I never attended a concert by the teen idols of my day (David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Bobby Sherman, etc.). I guess I developed a distaste for their music once I reached my teens. However, I would have lived to see the Beatles and the Stones during the 60s. Matthew got to see the Fab Four at Shea when he was just 6 years old! That was a perk of attending the World's Fair every single day.

Everyone in New York has one thing on their minds this weekend: Super Bowl Sunday. Is there a place where I can disappear while the game is on? I HATE football!

I'll be back tomorrow with the Saturday Stumper.

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Bad Hair Day

Punxsutawney Phil

Mayor Bloomberg with
Staten Island Chuck

Happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil, the most well-known groundhog in America, saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. However, Phil's rival (and my local groundhog), Staten Island Chuck, did not. I'm going with Chuck! 




Today's puzzle is by Stan the Man himself. It's called "Hair Apparent" and you guessed it, it's about well-known people with BIG hair! Drumroll, please. . . .

19A: Giant of theoretical physics: ALBERT EINSTEIN (who else?). Experts say that Albert Einstein (1879-1955) may have had Asperger's Syndrome. Although he excelled in math and physics, he was a loner and often repeated sentences as a young child. If nobody turned up to his lectures, he would go on talking anyway. Listen to Einstein explain his famous Theory of Relativity (E=MC2):

36A: Raucous-laugh comedienne: PHYLLIS DILLER (b. 1917). Never one of my favorite performers, but she's still going strong at age 94! Thanks to extensive plastic surgery, she looks much better now than she did 50 years ago (see below).

55A: The View moderator: WHOOPI GOLDBERG (b. 1955). I had the pleasure of seeing the comedian Judy Gold interview this comedy icon at the 92nd Street Y. Both women were very entertaining. Unfortunately, I fell asleep during the interview, and we were sitting in the front row. That was a bit embarrassing. Her one big regret in life was that she never got to spend a birthday with Sammy Davis, Jr. Whoopi's biggest inspiration is Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on "Star Trek." Nichols was the first black woman she saw on TV who didn't play a maid. And yes, she used to date Ted Danson. I never figured out that one!

Today's cryptoquote is by George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950):

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it cease to be serious when people laugh.

A bit verbose, but such wise words! I've laughed at funerals because those making eulogies are remembering good things about the deceased. Often, they have funny stories to share.

Shaw was best known as a playwright (more than 60 plays). His most famous, of course, is Pygmalion, from which the classic musical My Fair Lady was adapted. Shaw was also a founder of the London School of Economics. For more information about GBS's life and works, see The Shaw Society Web site.

In gossip news, Demi Moore is pursuing Zac Efron? Hasn't she learned from her disastrous marriage to Ashton? Leslie Carter, Aaron and Nick's sister, died suddenly and mysteriously at age 25.

Finally, I am outraged that the Susan G. Komen foundation pulled its funding from Planned Parenthood. It's a step backward for women by about 40 years. Mayor Mike has stepped in and will make up for the loss. At least he did something right.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

I'm Back!

It's February 1st, so why is it 60 degrees outside? After spending most of last winter in snow, I'm not complaining, believe me!

After a two-month hiatus, I've returned to blog about the Newsday puzzles and other happenings in the puzzle world as well as my life. November and December were crazy-busy at work with QA-ing a new app containing the SEC rules. I had to work three weekends in a row, including the Thanksgiving holiday. Then December came and my knee was in a lot of pain. Too much Zumba, I thought, so I pulled back a bit and went low impact. Finally, I figured out that I must have busted my knee while doing yoga. I was doing a lot of poses my body wasn't used to doing. At the end of January, I was summoned for jury duty. I was called to a panel and got on a civil case. This was on a Thursday, and the trial was supposed to begin on Monday. On Monday, I showed up at 9:30 and we didn't even go into the jury room until 10:00. Although we were sworn in, we spent almost two and a half hours sitting in the jury room. At about 11:30, the judge announced that the case was settled and we were free to go home. The case involved a car accident in which a livery driver hit a little girl on Halloween 2009. The family was suing the cab driver and his company for negligence.

Today's puzzle is called "Instrumental" and it's by Fred Piscop. Incidentally, he is the author of the 10-Minute Puzzles calendar that I received for Chanukah. I'm way behind on the puzzles in the calendar and I intend to catch up on them this weekend. Here are the theme answers:

20A: Wedding-toast Glass: CHAMPAGNE FLUTE. I'm not a big fan of champagne but I think there are some gorgeous glasses out there. For example, take a look at these beauties on the right. They're made by a company called MOYA and they're very contemporary and minimalist. I don't like things that are too ornate.

39A: Region of unexplained disappearances: BERMUDA TRIANGLE. Much has been written about paranormal activity in this region in the North Atlantic. In the past, articles were criticized as sensationalist and examples of poor journalism. However, an author named Gian Quasar has done extensive research about the Bermuda Triangle incidents through his Web site. Quasar provides a list of missing ships, air craft, and theories.

55A: Aircraft installation: FLIGHT RECORDER. This is also known as the "little black box." There is a Web site that contains a selection of audio clips from recovered voice recorders in air disasters. For more on how flight recorders work, see http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/black-box.htm.

Ursula Andress in Dr. No

The author of today's Cryptoquote is Ursula Andress (b. 1936). The Swiss-born actress is best known for her role as Honey Ryder, the first Bond girl, in the movie Dr. No (1962). She was married to John Derek from 1957 to 1966, and dated Marlon Brando and James Dean. Here are her words of wisdom: "I take care of my flowers and cats and enjoy food. And that's living."

If life were only so simple.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick