Ryan does a poor job of solving the NYT, Tue 5-27-8
Ok, first off, the podcast. Episode #12 is recorded, needs a little bit of editing and will be up sometime today. It was our first attempt at long distance podcasting through Skype. And the result was ok. I sound a little bit like I’m in a submarine but we will try to improve on that for the next show.
Secondly, the Dodgers. They were referenced in Monday’s puzzle and lost to the Cubs on Monday. They are now 1-1 when mentioned in the puzzle (since I’ve been keeping track which really hasn’t been all that long). Continue to follow this developing story right here all summer long.
Thirdly, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I finally got to see it yesterday. And, I have to say, I was disappointed. I think Lucas had way too much influence and input on where the story went and therefore it was overly convoluted and a little ridiculous. I won’t go into a whole review here. I did enjoy it and I’ll probably see it again. It was great to see Indy back but IJATKOFTCK has just made me even more nostalgic for the first three.
On to the puzzle. I had to use google on this Adam G. Perl puzzle. Yes, google on a Tuesday. Made even more embarrassing by the fact that the answer I couldn’t come up with was staring at me right from the applet.
Ok, it came down to two empty boxes. One at the crossing of 29D. Save for a rainy day (SALTAWAY) and 29A. Thrills (SENDS). I had _ALTAWAY and _ENDS. I ultimately guessed this correctly. I have never heard of SALT AWAY. Am I parsing that correctly? But once I thought of SENDS as in “You send me” I figured that was right.
The other empty box was down in the bottom right at the crossing of 55D. Disney’s “___ and the Detectives” (EMIL) and 65A. 1995 Physics Nobelist Martin L. ___ (PERL). I didn’t have the “L”. This is what Brian has begun to refer to as a trivia box. I didn’t know the answer to either of the clues and there was no way for me to figure it out without guessing. My job was made more difficult by an error in 62A. Et ___ (ALII). I had ALIA. So for EMIL, I had EMA_ which meant nothing to me and ultimately I had to google it. Of course PERL is also the puzzle constructors last name and was sitting right there in the applet. So just very lame all the way around for me.
I enjoyed the theme.
52A. Reason to be barred from a bar … or the theme of this puzzle (NOID)
17A. E.S.L. class, perhaps? (SCENEOFANACCENT)
36A. Seedy hangout across the Atlantic? (CONTINENTALDIVE)
56A. Hip-hop critics? (RAPRESPONSETEAM)
I thought all that was clever and fun.
1A. “Fall” guy (ADAM). Even thought it wasn’t the answer, any clue that makes me think of Lee Majors is a good clue.
10A. Saks sack, say (TOTE). Is this about Saks Fifth Avenue or Gene Saks, the theater director?
12D. TV control (TINT). I had DIAL here which really screwed up that whole area.
38D. Ja’s opposite (NEIN). I put NYET here. If I ever go to Germany remind not to speak Russian to everybody.
A pretty straightforward puzzle that I can’t believe I needed to google. This next picture has nothing to do with the puzzle but as word people you all might enjoy it.
Next stop, Wednesday.
