Sizzling Songs

I just love today's x-word puzzle theme. The title of the puzzle (by David W. Cromer) is "Hot Tunes." I liked David Cromer's puzzles the best . . . at least there are some interesting clues and answers.

17A: Elvis tune of '72 (BURNING LOVE). This was one of Elvis's last rock songs. His remaining hits made the country charts. By 1972, Elvis had lost the good looks of his early career and was sporting the ugly white jumpsuits. Nobody knew that he would be gone five years later. This was also the year his marriage to Priscilla came to an end. She was having an affair with her karate instructor. Below is Elvis in rehearsal sessions recording "Burning Love."

23A: Tune heard in "Saturday Night Fever" (DISCO INFERNO). I am probably one of the few people in America who didn't buy the soundtrack to this classic movie. I didn't like disco and was getting into groups like The Talking Heads, The Ramones, Blondie, etc. However, I do watch the movie every time it comes on because it was so well done. I couldn't find the scene with John Travolta dancing to this song, so here is the tune by the Trampps. It's one of the few songs on the soundtrack that wasn't sung by the Bee Gees.

52A: Jon Bon Jovi tune of '90 (BLAZE OF GLORY). This song was Jon Bon Jovi's first solo hit. It reached number 1 on the Billboard charts. About three years, ago, Matthew and Alex saw him in Central Park. They camped out in the park all day. However, when it came time to go in, fans rushed the park and Alex was lost for a second. He went to a policeman and asked him to help find his dad. People felt bad for him and let him sit up front. After that, they sat back and enjoyed the show. However, Mayor Mike had a giant timer, and the concert had to end by 10:00. And now, the video:

63A: James Taylor Tune of '70 (FIRE AND RAIN). Two years ago, we saw James Taylor and Carole King in concert at Madison Square Garden. They were wonderful! Unfortunately, we sat in the "nosebleed" section. Carole King is Jewish (she was born Carole Klein) and is one of the most prolific songwriters of all time. Among the hits she wrote were the Monkees' "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "The Locomotion" (for their sitter, Little Eva), "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" by The Shirelles, and her own "You've Got a Friend." James Taylor was married to a Jew (Carly Simon) and his father was a prominent physician. He also was hospitalized for depression in college (that fact, I didn't know) and is a recovered drug addict. His own career hasn't been too shabby either. Here is footage from the Madison Square Garden concert . . . the song is "You've Got a Friend."

Today's cryptoquote by John Mitchell (1913-1988) is simple but effective:

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude toward us."

I had a hard time solving this cryptoquote. Inititally, I thought the last word was "it." After cracking the word "attitude," I realized the last word was "us."

John Mitchell was Attorney General under Richard Nixon. He played a prominent role in the Watergate break-in and cover-up and was the first AG to be convicted of illegal activities (the Watergate Scandal!). He was sentenced to 2-8 years in prison, but wound up serving only 19 months. The Washington Post has an excellent account of the Watergate scandal: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/watergate/Johnmitchell.html

 Last time we were in Washington, we saw Jerry Seinfeld at the Kennedy Center. We stayed across the street from the Watergate apartments: http://www.watergatedc.com/.

Season 9 of "Project Runway" begins tonight. I hope I can watch it on demand tomorrow since I will be at kickboxing and Zumba tonight.

Till tomorrow, have a pleasant evening!

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Two Ys for Me

Wow, it's a scorcher here in the big city. It's 98 degrees and the mercury is rising. Perfect day to stay indoors.

Today's cryptoquote by Ernest Hemingway got some buzz on my Facebook page this morning:

"Always be sober what you said you'd do drunk. This will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Aha! I found an episode from "Family Guy" that illustrates this perfectly. Here's Stewie having a few too many:

Kids, do not try this at home!

The crossword puzzle was written by Stanley Newman (the famous "S.N." himself). The title is called "Get Wise", and in each of the theme answers, there are two "y"s in a row. Ha ha!

20A: 17th Century Conflict (THIRTY YEARS WAR): This conflict took place from 1618 to 1648 in what is now considered Germany. It began as a religious war between the Protestants and Catholics and turned into an all-out war between the European Powers. For a comprehensive account of the war, see http://www.pipeline.com/~cwa/TYWHome.htm.

37A: Dairy-case buy (BLUEBERRY YOGURT): I am not a big fan of yogurt. I tried and tried it each time I went back to Weight Watchers. I just found it too sour, even mixed with fruit. However, I do like Frozen Yogurt, especially chocolate. Give me some TCBY any day! I've heard that Greek yogurt doesn't have that sour aftertaste, but I haven't attempted to try it yet.

57A: Letter closer (SINCERELY YOURS): This would be a perfect name for a letter-writing service. It was an idea I toyed with for a while. However, Matthew pointed out that people should be able to write letters and I would have a tough time marketing it. Unfortunately, I find that kids do not learn letter writing skills these days because most schools focus on test prep. I've heard that the NYCDOE plans to revert back to the "3 Rs" next year. I wouldn't hold my breath. Mayor Mike's done enough damage already. There's a great article called "Citizen Bloomberg" that appears in this week's Village Voice:

http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-07-20/news/michael-bloomberg-harry-siegel-citizen-bloomberg/

I'm going to attempt to go out for lunch soon. Alex is still sleeping . . . I don't blame him.

Till tomorrow. . . .

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Feeling the Love

I love today's cryptoquote by Jason Love because it's so true!

"In my home, we've got a system for ending arguments. We just talk and talk until my wife is right."

Jason Love (www.jasonlove.com) is a stand-up comedian but I never heard of him until today. Jason Love does lots of one-liners about life's idiosyncrasies. He writes a humor column called "So It Goes" and a comic called "Snapshots." All can be seen on his Web site. Here's a sample video of his material. Actually, he's a nice-looking guy. I wonder why he doesn't get more traffic. There's not even an article about him in Wikipedia!

Today's puzzle is by Richard Silvestri and it's called "Telling Tales." The theme answers today were mediocre. I couldn't find much to write about.

20A: One above the ground (SECOND STORY). There are lots of businesses called "Second Story." Do a Google search.

37A: Sister or Cousin (BLOOD RELATION). As they say, you can choose your spouse but you can't pick your relatives. Good or bad, you're stuck with them!

56A: Checking, e.g. (BANK ACCOUNT). I hate finance and people with unlimited bank accounts. Mayor Mike just bought himself a $20 million home in the Hamptons. And the rest of this country is stuck with a 9.2% unemployment rate and many risk losing their homes.

It is a scorcher out there . . . just trying to keep cool today. Sorry for the short post.

Till tomorrow.

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick