Friday, June 16, 2023

QOD:  I can think of a more probable alternative universe than the one we’re in.  ~  Joyce Carol Oates (b. June 16, 1938), American novelist

Thursday, June 15, 2023

QOD:  A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.  ~  Herbert Simon, (né Herbert Alexander Simon; June 15, 1916 ~ Feb. 9, 2001), recipient of the 1978 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 // Flag Day

QOD:  There is almost no human situation that cannot be explained with the hermeneutical tools of Winnie the Pooh.  ~  Rowan Williams (né Rowan Douglas Williams), Archbishop of Canterbury

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

QOD:  No intelligent idea can gain general acceptance unless some stupidity is mixed in with it.  ~  Fernando Pessoa (né Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa; June 13, 1888 ~ Nov. 30, 1935), Portuguese poet

The Write Stuff.  If you are going to write a novel, you might jot down your notes the old fashioned way ~ with pen and paper.  A nice pen might give you inspiration.  What is your favorite pen?  I have a nice Waterman pen, but that isn't an option in today's puzzle.  The first word in each theme answer it the NAME brand of a PEN.  Some are high-quality pens, and others are your everyday pen that you don't mind if it gets lost.

17-Across. *  High-intensity workout regimen: CROSS FIT.  A Cross Pen was a classic gift for a high school graduate.  A.T. Cross Company, LLC. is an American manufacturing company of writing implements, based in Providence, Rhode Island.  The company was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest pen manufacturers in the world. The company makes fountain pens, ballpoint, and rollerball pens, as well as mechanical pencils and refills.

25-Across. *  Feasibility assessment of a large project: PILOT STUDY.  Pilot pens are inexpensive pens and good for everyday use.  I have dozens of such pens scattered about my house.  The company is a Japanese manufacturer based in Tokyo.

39-Across. *  Buttery choice in a bread basket: PARKER HOUSE ROLL.  The Parker House Rolls are named after the Boston Parker House Hotel, where they were first served in the 1870s.  According to their origin story, they were created when a disgruntled hotel baker threw a batch of unfinished rolls into an over after a fight with a guest.

The Parker Pen Company is a French manufacturer.  It's a moderate-priced pen.

51-Across. *  Pattern inspired by nature: ZEBRA PRINT.  The Zebra pen is probably the most obscure pen in today's puzzle.  Zebra is also a Japanese company.  I have seen them at Walmart.

And the unifier:

64-Across. Writers' aliases, and what are found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues: PEN NAMES.  Can you identify the following authors?  (1)  Howard Allen Frances O’Brien; (2) A. B. Barnard; (3) George Eliot; (4) Charles Lutwidge Dodgson; (5) Mary Westmacott; (6) Eric Blair; (7)  William Sydney Porter (8) Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski (9) David John Moore Cornwall; and (10) Theodore Geisel

Across:

1. Cornfield cry: CAW.

4. Insect whose larvae eat clothes: MOTH.

8. Hawaiian dances: HULAS.

13. German cry: ACH.  Today's German lesson.  What child doesn't like a 1000 piece puzzle.  Ach, come on.  It'll be fun!

14. Curly hairstyle: AFRO.  //  21-Across. Fresh style: NEW DO.  Hair styles.

15. "And so on": ETC.  ETC.

19. Radio tuner: AM DIAL.  The only time I listen to the radio is when I'm in my car.  According to the Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star, thus there would be no need to worry about the radio tuner.

20. Oodles: HEAPS.

23. Out __ limb: ON A.

24. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.  How are you?  Today's Spanish lesson.

27. RN's needle: HYPO.

29. Guthrie's "Today" co-anchor: KOTB.  The anchors on the Today show seem just a little too cheerful so early in the morning.  Hoda Kotb (b. Aug. 9, 1964) and Savannah Guthrie (née Savannah Clark Guthrie; b. Dec. 27, 1971) are the primary hosts of that morning show.   [Name # 1.]

30. Wonderment: AWE.

32. Swiss biotech giant: ROCHE.  Here's the history of the biotech-pharmaceutical company.

35. "A Death in the Family" writer James: AGEE. James Rufus Agree (Nov. 27, 1909 ~ May 16, 1955) makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  A Death in the Family is his autobiographical novel that, ironically, was published in 1957, after his death.  It's about the death of his father, who also died young.  Sadly, Agee died at age 45 of a massive heart attack.  [Name # 2.]

43. Boardroom bigwig: EXEC.  As in the Executive.

44. Pink Lady, for one: APPLE.  Everything you wanted to know about the Pink Lady, but didn't know to ask.

45. Meditative sounds: OMS.  //  And 33-Down. Yoga energy point: CHAKRA.

46. "Oh, now I see": AH, OK.

49. Like most fine wines: AGED.

56. Some spicy fare: THAI.  Yummers!  I made Pad Thai for dinner last night.

59. Eclectic musician Brian: ENO.  Brian Eno (né Brian Peter George Eno; b. May 15, 1948) appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle.  Just last week, I mentioned that we hadn't seen him in a while, yet here he is again!  [Name # 3.]

60. Biscayne Bay city: MIAMI.  How Biscayne Bay got its name ... maybe.

61. Course-reversing move: U-TURN.  Last week we had a UIE.  I much prefer the more formal U-Turn.

62. Observes, with "on": SITS IN.

66. Bring down on the gridiron: TACKLE.

67. Sound like this this this this: ECHO.

68. Undivided: ONE.

69. Kid: CHILD.

70. Not as much: LESS.

71. __ race: RAT.

Down:

1. Hidden stockpile: CACHE.

2. Central Park's 843: ACRES.  A brief history of Central Park.  Frederick Law Olmstead (Apr. 26, 1822 ~ Aug. 28, 1903) and his partner, Calvert Vaux (Dec. 20, 1824 ~ 1895), won the design competition to create arguably the most famous park in the United States.

3. "Easy, tiger": WHOA, THERE!

4. Component of momentum: MASS.  Today's physics lesson.  P = M x V, where P is Momentum, M is Mass and V is Velocity.

5. Not quite right: OFF.

6. "If I Had a Hammer" singer Lopez: TRINI.  I think of Peter, Paul and Mary when I hear this song.  Trini Lopez (né Trinidad Lopez, III; May 15, 1937 ~ Aug. 11, 2020) was a singer and guitarist from Dallas, Texas.  [Name # 4.]

7. Bellhop's employer: HOTEL.

8. Set out for: HEAD TO.

9. Greatest extent: UTMOST.

10. HDTV choice: LCD.  As in Liquid-Crystal Display.

11. Vowel quintet: A E I O U.  Old MacDonald had a farm ...

12. Bear: STAND.

16. Court surface for tennis's French Open: CLAY.  The real reason the French Open is played on Clay.

18. Fix, as a pet: SPAY.

22. Started the day: WOKE UP.

25. Low-quality: POOR.

26. Letter-shaped ski lift: T-BAR.

28. Teen leader?: PRE-.  As in a Pre-Teen.

30. "Gorillas in the Mist" primate: APE.  Gorillas in the Mist was a book by Dian Fossey (Jan. 16, 1932 ~ Dec. 26, 1985).  It was later made into a movie starring Sigourney Weaver (née Susan Alexandra Weaver; b. Oct. 8, 1949)  Dian Fossey studied the mountain gorillas in the mountain forests of Rwanda.  Sadly, she was murdered at age 53.  One of her research assistants was convicted in absentia, but the circumstances of her death remain clouded in mystery.

31. Candle stuff: WAX.

34. Quick trip: HOP.

36. Ice cream brand with a truck logo: GOOD HUMOR.

37. Blight-stricken tree species: ELM.  Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles.  It has decimated the elm trees across America.

38. Trains that rumble overhead: ELs.

40. 1980s Chrysler compact: K-CAR.

41. Shutter part: SLAT.

42. Brain scan letters: EEG.  Short for ElectroEncephalography.  It's a test that detects abnormalities in the brain waves, or in the electrical activity of the brain.

47. Skywalker player: HAMILL.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.  Mark Hamill (né Mark Richard Hamill; b. Sept. 25, 1951) is the actor who played the role of Luke Skywalker in those movies.  Can you name any other films that he starred in?  [Name # 4.]

48. Expressed a view: OPINED.

50. Blues Hall of Famer James: ETTA.  It's always nice to have Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 1925 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) visit us in the puzzle.   [Name # 5.]

51. Fragrant scraping: ZEST.

52. Room-sized early computer: ENIAC.  The ENIAC was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, completed in 1945.  Its name stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer.

53. Make a mess of: BOTCH.

54. Spur into action: IMPEL.

55. Dorothy, to Auntie Em: NIECE.  A reference to The Wizard of Oz.

57. Portland's Moda Center, e.g.: ARENA.  Portland, Oregon not Portland, Maine.

58. Map detail: INSET.

61. Chicago-style pizza chain, familiarly: UNOS.  Best known for its deep-dish pizzas.  Yummers!

63. Winter runner: SKI.

65. British medical sys.: NHS.  It stands for National Health Service.

Here's the grid:

Before we leave the puzzle, here are the answers to the pen names:

(1) Anne Rice; (2) Louisa May Alcott; (3) Mary Ann Sands; (4) Lewis Carroll; (5) Agatha Christie; (6) George Orwell; (7) O. Henry; (8) Joseph Conrad; (9) John le Carré; and (10) Dr. Seuss

חתולה

Monday, June 12, 2023

QOD:  Any definition of a successful life must include service to others.  ~  George H.W. Bush (né George Herbert Walker Bush; June 12, 1924 ~ Nov. 30, 2018), 41^st President of the United States

Sunday, June 11, 2023

QOD:  If you can accept losing, you can’t win.  ~  Vince Lombardi (né Vincent Thomas Lombardi; June 11, 1913 ~Sept. 3, 1970), American football coach