Friday, May 10, 2024

QOD:  Conscience is the perfect interpreter of life.  ~  Karl Barth (d. Dec. 10, 1968), Swiss Calvinist theologian

Thursday, May 9, 2024

QOD:  To be born is to be wrecked on an island.  ~  James M. Barrie (né James Matthew Barrie; May 9, 1860 ~ June 19, 1937), Scottish novelist and creator of Peter Pan

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

QOD:  If we wish to preserve a free society, it is essential that we recognize that the desirability of a particular object is not sufficient justification for the use of coercion.  ~  Friedrich Hayek (né Friedrich August von Hayek; May 8, 1899 ~ Mar. 23, 1992), Austrian economist and recipient of the 1974 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

QOD:  It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.  ~  Joseph Joubert (May 7, 1754 ~ May 4, 1824), French essayist

Pandemic Etiquette:  Now that it has been a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) downgraded Covid-19 from a health emergency to a health threat and we are not in pandemic mode, do we still have to STAND APART?

17-Across. Generic choice at the supermarket: STORE BRAND.  Store brands are made and sold for a specific retailer and meant to compete with brand-name goods. Store brands tend to be cheaper than name brand goods.

Store Brand for Costco.

25-Across. Emotional condition: STATE O FMIND.

40-Across. Cue a jazz ensemble, e.g.: STRIKE UP THE BAND.

50-Across. Inspire wannabes, maybe: START A TREND.

And the unifier:

63-Across. Stick out from the crowd, and what can be found in 17-, 25-, 40-, and 50-Across?: STAND APART.  No circles were needed in today's puzzle to see that the word Stand is broken Apart in each theme answer.

Across:

1. All __: medium for shouty emails: CAPS.  YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL!

5. Meteorologist's tool: RADAR.

10. Apple tablet: iPAD.

14. Feel sore: ACHE.

15. Adler played by Lara Pulver on "Sherlock": IRENE.  Lara Pulvar (b. Sept. 1, 1980) is an English actress who portrayed Irene Adler on the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes.  [Names # 1 and 2, One fictional, one real.]

16. Overhaul: REDO.

19. Bank lobby conveniences: ATMs.  A crossword staple.

20. Sum: TOTAL.

21. __ deck: cruise ship level: LIDO.

23. Formal neckwear: TIE.

24. Sign at a packed theater: SRO.  Standing Room Only.

29. Become misshapen: WARP.

30. Tortilla chip dip, for short: GUAC.  Yummers!  I love a good Guacamole.

31. Alan of "M*A*S*H": ALDA.  Hawkeye Pierce from M*A*S*H was portrayed by Alan Alda (né Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; b. Jan. 28, 1936).  The television sit-com ran for 11 years: from September 1972 through February 1983.  [Name # 3.]

34. Deciduous 26-Downs: ELMS.  //  And 26-Down. Backyard shade provider: TREE.  Living on Elm Street can be a real nightmare.

37. Schnoz: SNOUT.

43. Hard to pick up: HEAVY.

44. "Scram!": SHOO.

45. Great Basin people: UTES.

46. Sound from a 57-Across: MEOW.  //  And 57-Across. Feline: CAT.  //  And 53-Across. Sounds from big 57-Acrosses: ROARS.

48. Chirpy songbird: WREN.

54. Caspian __: SEA.  The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake and sometimes referred to as a full-fledged sea.  It is a landlocked body of water in Eurasia. The countries surrounding Caspian Sea are five countries: Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan

58. Layered cookie: OREO.  A crossword staple.  You can get the cookie in a variety of flavors, but why?

59. Birth-related: NATAL.

61. Within: AMID.

66. Puerto __: RICO.  Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory.  Its capital is San Juan.

67. Data assortment: ARRAY.

68. Grain tower: SILO.

69. Otherwise: ELSE.

70. Fritter away: WASTE.

71. Big name in ice cream: EDYS.

Down:

1. __ a ballot: votes: CASTS.  This is an election year.  Enough said.

2. Many an A-lister: ACTOR.

3. Camera output: PHOTO.

4. Some hydrating skin care products: SERA.  But do they really work?

5. Tease: RIB.

6. Flight status abbr.: ARR.  As in Arrival time.

7. Handed out a hand: DEALT.

8. "It's the Hard Knock Life" musical: ANNIE.  [Name # 3, fictional.]

9. Clifford of kid-lit, for one: RED DOG.  Clifford The Big Red Dog is a series about the adventures of a girl named Emily Elizabeth and her pet dog, a giant, red-furred dog named Clifford.  Norman Bridwell (1928 ~ 2014) was the author of this series.  The first book in the series was published in 1963.  [Name # 4, fictional.]

10. Gershwin brother: IRA.  A nice, refreshing change from the usual Individual Retirement Account.  Ira Gershwin (né Israel Gershovitz; Dec. 6, 1896 ~ Aug. 17, 1983) was the older brother of George Gershwin (né Jacob Gershovitz; Sept. 26, 1898 ~ July 11, 1937).  The two brothers collaborated on many songs: George composed the music and Ira wrote the lyrics.   [Name # 5.]

George and Ira Gershwin

11. Frilly garment in many a costume drama: PETTICOAT.

12. Online moderator, for short: ADMIN.  As in Administrator.

13. Gave a couple of Advil, say: DOSED.

18. Olaf's creator in "Frozen": ELSA.  The musical Frozen is based on Hans Christian Anderson's story The Snow Queen.  [Name # 5, fictional.]

22. Practical: OF USE.

27. Great grade: A-PLUS.

28. Topknot on a dude: MAN BUN.

29. Formal relinquishing of rights: WAIVER.

31. __ Wednesday: ASH.

32. Cell service initials: LTE.  As in Long Term Evolution.  Everything you wanted to know about LTE but didn't know to ask.

33. Theatrical behavior: DRAMATICS.

35. Dashboard stat: MPH.  As in Miles Per Hour.

36. Writer and abolitionist Harriet Beecher __: STOWE.  Harriet Beecher Stowe (June 14, 1811 ~ July 1, 1896) is best known for her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.  [Name # 6.]

38. Arles article: UNE.  Today's French lesson.  Arles is a city in southern France.  It is best known for being the place that inspired Vincent Van Gogh (Mar. 30, 1853 ~ July 29, 1890) to paint many of his works.  It was also an ancient Roman outpost.

39. QB goals: TDS.  Think football: as in Touch Downs.

41. Japanese city whose name means "capital city": KYOTO.  Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses.

42. "Beep beep" maker: HORN.

47. Polish capital: WARSAW.

49. Novelist Ferber: EDNA.  Edna Ferber (Aug. 15, 1885 ~ Apr. 16, 1968) wrote many novels, including Show Boat, which was later adapted into a musical.  [Name # 7.]

50. Cause to jump, maybe: SCARE.

51. Native of Sri Lanka: TAMIL.

52. Eye-catching aquarium fish: TETRA.  Everything you wanted to know about Tetra but didn't know to ask.

54. Serious: STAID.

55. Before the doors open: EARLY.

56. Choir section: ALTOS.

60. Cathedral area: APSE.

62. Mama deer: DOE.

64. D.C. MLBer: NAT.  The Washington, D.C., Nationals are a professional baseball team.

65. Salon supply: DYE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, May 6, 2024

QOD:  To be a good human being is to have a kind of openness to the world, the ability to trust uncertain things beyond your own control that can lead you to be shattered.  ~  Martha Nussbaum (née Martha Craven; b. May 6, 1947), American philosopher

Sunday, May 5, 2024

QOD:  Personality is only ripe when a man has made the truth his own.  ~  Søren Kierkegaard (né Søren Aabye Kierkegaard; May 5, 1813 ~ Nov. 11, 1855), Danish philosopher and theologian