Side Dish Heaven

Good morning and Happy April! I hope nobody gets suckered into a scam story or scheme today.

Gail Grabowski provides us with a foodie puzzle called "On the Side." This puzzle includes all the foods I love but can only indulge in small portions. All the theme clues read "Side dish for dinner" and the answers are below:

20A: POTATO SALAD. My dad used to buy potato salad and "doctor it" by adding more mayo. Can you say "heart attack waiting to happen?" I actually like German Potato Salad because uses oil and vinegar instead of mayonnaise and it's easy to prepare for most people. As for me, I'm a total klutz in the kitchen. In fact, I've been told to say out by my husband and son. :-(

50A: FRENCH FRIES. They are not so bad if you bake them. However, my mom used to buy the horrible Ore-Ida frozen kind. The best (IMO) are from Five Guys, but at 300 calories for a small portion, I have them just once a month.

11D: BAKED BEANS. "Beans, Beans, Good for the Heart. . . ." You know the old joke. I always think of the Boy Scouts and their stereotypical meal of franks and beans. . . . I didn't realize how much sugar canned baked beans had until I saw a label--16 grams! Heinz baked beans are actually more popular in the UK than they are here. The most vivid scene involving baked beans is from the movie "Tommy," where Tommy's mom (played by Ann Margret) loses her mind:

28D: ONION RINGS. This is probably my favorite side dish, especially if they are made with vidalia onions. My dad used to bring these home from Atlanta when he went away on business. The best onion rings I've tasted are from Bareburger. Their burgers aren't too shabby either!

The cryptoquote for today is from the Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 B.C.):

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.

I know far too many people who do the latter. They just like to hear themselves talk.

Most of us know that Plato was a student of Socrates and founded The Academy, which was the most renowned school of ancient times. In turn, Plato's most famous pupil was Aristotle.His best-known work, The Republic, can be found on the International Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The Republic, among other works, shows us the relationship between the soul, the state, and the universe. His teachings were a big influence on Western civilization and literature.

The JUMBLE had some tough words today. The picture shows four bats (as in the winged animals) hanging upside-down. The caption reads "The bat bar was becoming a popular _____."

Word List:

UGEGO = GOUGE
OSEHU = HOUSE
TENXET = EXTENT
NACDEN = CANNED

Scrambled solution: GUHOTAN
Solution: HANGOUT

I now leave you with the video of the "Batman" theme song. Till tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel.

Signing off,
The Puzzlechick

Platonic Love

Today's crytpoquote is from the philosopher Plato:

"The contemplation of beauty causes the soul to grow wings."

Plato was, of course, the best-known student of Socrates. His work The Republic is probably one of the most important works in Western philosophy. He divided human beings based on their intelligence, strength, and courage. His ideal state was called the aristocracy, meaning ruling by the brightest and the best. Nearly everything he wrote took the form of dialogue, which influenced today's drama.

When we talk about platonic love, we speak of a kind of passion that is non-sexual. According to Plato, a beautiful person inspires the mind and directs one another to spiritual things. 

Plato wrote about platonic solids in which he associated each of the four crucial elements (earth, air, wind and fire) with a regular solid. Here's are some examples of platonic solids:

For a list of Plato's works, click on this link: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=Plato.

I'll never forget this scene from "Soap" in which Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal) talks about Plato:

Jodie Dallas: Plato was gay.
Jessica Gatling Tate: Mickey Mouse's dog was gay?
Jodie Dallas: Goofy was his lover. 

The crossword puzzle was called "Golden Trio" (by Fred Piscop). The theme answers are below:

20A: Golden State Park locale: SAN FRANCISCO. A city I have never visited but have always wanted to. There are so many distinct neighborhoods. Union Square is the main shopping and hotel district. Nob Hill (affectionately called "Snob Hill"). and Pacific Heights are where the wealthy live. You have Haight-Ashbury, home to the 60s counter-culture. Then there is the Castro, the center of gay life. Their Chinatown is almost famous as ours here in NYC. The long-running series "Full House" took place there. And of course, you have cable cars and Rice-A-Roni. Rice-A-Roni was actually invented by a family (the DeDomenicos) that consisted of Armenians, Italians, and Canadians. You can read about the history of Rice-A-Roni here: http://www.ricearoni.com/About/Our_Founding_Family/.

Speaking of San Francisco, I just saw the "I Love Lucy" episode where Ricardos get a surprise visit from Mario, a gondolier on their European trip. He was looking for Sam Francesca, but the gang thought he meant San Francisco. Watching Lucy make pizza is a classic scene. Of course, Mario's brother had been ill and was actually visiting Sam Francesca.

Sir Francis Drake

40A: Golden Hind Captain: SIR FRANCIS DRAKE (1545-1596). This English sea captain led the second expedition around the world. He was a notorious pirate and involved in the slave trade. During a slave-trading trip to the West Indies, they were attacked by a fleet of Spanish ships. This lead to a series of battles between England and Spain called the Spanish Armada. In the end, the British soundly defeated the Spanish Armada; Drake was second in command.

60A: Golden Rule starter: DO UNTO OTHERS. Here's everything you wanted to know about the Golden Rule, which is embraced by all religions: http://www.jcu.edu/philosophy/gensler/goldrule.htm. Basically, it means to treat others as you would like to be treated in the same situation.

Surprise, surprise: Sarah ("You betcha") Palin quits her bus tour!

Three more days till our trip to the Windy City. I can't wait to get out of town!

Signing off for today,

The Puzzlechick