Quicklink
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
CROSSWORD SETTER: Robert E. Lee Morris
THEME: Job Opening … the OPENING word from each of today’s themed answers gives us a type of JOB:
61A. Employment opportunity, and a hint to the first word of the answers to starred clues JOB OPENING
17A. *Malicious prank DIRTY TRICK (giving “dirty job”)
37A. *Winter storm school closing SNOW DAY (giving “snow job”)
11D. *Humor among friends INSIDE JOKE (giving “inside job”)
27D. *Employee who does the firing HATCHET MAN (giving “hatchet job”)
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 4m 37s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Honolulu “howdy” ALOHA
The Hawaiian word “Aloha” has many meanings in English: affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. More recently “aloha” has come to mean “hello” and “goodbye”, but only since the mid-1800s.
19. Memo writer’s “Pronto!” ASAP
As soon as possible (ASAP)
The Spanish, Italian (and now English) word “pronto” is derived from the Latin “promptus” meaning “ready, quick”.
20. White Monopoly bills ONES
The commercial game of Monopoly is supposedly a remake of “The Landlord’s Game” created in 1903 by a Quaker woman called Lizzie Phillips. Phillips used her game as a tool to explain the single tax theory of American economist Henry George. The Landlord’s Game was first produced commercially in 1924. The incredibly successful derivative game called Monopoly was introduced in 1933 by Charles Darrow, who became a very rich man when Parker Brothers bought the rights to the game just two years later in 1935.
21. Church recess APSE
The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.
23. Approximately 3.26 light-years PARSEC
A parsec is a measure of length or distance used in astronomy. One parsec is equal to about 19.2 trillion miles, or about 3.26 light-years.
31. Trumpeter Alpert HERB
Herb Alpert still plays the trumpet today, but he is also a talented painter and sculptor. His works are seen regularly in exhibitions all around the world.
41. Part of IRA: Abbr. ACCT
Individual retirement account (IRA)
43. Corrida cheers OLES
Spanish bullfighting is known locally as “corrida de toros”, literally “race of bulls”.
44. Like the old bucket of song OAKEN
An old oaken bucket is a traditional trophy awarded in Indiana, and was chosen as the prize when an annual trophy game was inaugurated between Purdue and Indiana in 1925. The particular bucket selected is supposedly one that dates back to the 1840s. Each year the football game is played, a link is added to the chain attached to the bucket. Each link is engraved with either a “P” or and “I”, or perhaps an “I-P”, depending on who wins the football game.
“The Old Oaken Bucket” is a poem by American author Samuel Woodworth. The words of the poem were set to music in 1826:
How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view!
The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,
And every loved spot which my infancy knew!
The wide-spreading pond, and the mill that stood by it,
The bridge, and the rock where the cataract fell,
The cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it,
And e’en the rude bucket that hung in the well-
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well.
46. The __ Boys: fictional detectives HARDY
“The Hardy Boys” series of detective stories for children and teens was created by Edward Stratemeyer. The Hardy Boys first appeared way back in 1927, but I lapped them up in the 1960s.
48. Moorehead of “Bewitched” AGNES
Agnes Moorehead was an actress best remembered for her role as Endora, Samantha’s mother on the sitcom “Bewitched”. Moorehead died in 1974 from uterine cancer. She was one of over 90 out of 220 cast and crew members of the 1956 movie “The Conqueror” who all died from cancer, including co-stars Susan Hayward and John Wayne. There is wide speculation that the people working on the film were affected by radiation from eleven nuclear explosions that had taken place the prior year at the Yucca Flats Nevada Test Site that was located nearby and upwind.
49. Last Greek letter OMEGA
Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and is the one that looks like a horseshoe. The word “omega” literally means “great O” (O-mega). Compare this with the Greek letter Omicron meaning “little O” (O-micron).
55. Japanese detective Mr. __ MOTO
The mysterious Mr. Moto is a Japanese secret agent who appears in six novels by American author, John P. Marquand. Mr. Moto was famously played by Peter Lorre in a series of eight films released in the 1930s.
56. Director Kazan ELIA
Elia Kazan won Oscars for best director in 1948 for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and in 1955 for “On The Waterfront”. In 1999 Kazan was given an Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also directed “East of Eden”, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences, and “Splendor in the Grass” that included Warren Beatty in his debut role.
60. Bombeck of household humor ERMA
Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years, producing more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns describing her home life in suburbia.
63. Iranian currency RIAL
The “Rial” is name of the currency of Iran (as well as Yemen, Oman, Cambodia and Tunisia).
65. Govt.-backed investment T-NOTE
A Treasury note (T-Note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-Note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The T-note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A T-Bill is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-Bond matures in 20-30 years.
66. Ill-fated Boleyn ANNE
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII of England. Anne was found guilty of high treason after about a thousand days of marriage to Henry, accused of adultery and incest (probably trumped-up charges). She was executed, but perhaps her legacy lived on in her only child, as her daughter reigned for 45 very prosperous years as Queen Elizabeth I.
67. George Eliot’s “Adam __” BEDE
“Adam Bede” was the first novel written by the English writer George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans). It was published in 1859 and has been in print since then, over 150 years.
Down
1. Gucci of fashion ALDO
Gucci was founded in Rome in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Guccio’s son Aldo took over the company after his father’s death in 1953. It was Aldo who established the international presence for the brand and opened the company’s first overseas store, in New York City.
2. Pork cut LOIN
The cut known as “loin” is the tissue along the top of the ribs.
5. ” … have you __ wool?” ANY
The old English nursery rhyme “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is usually sung as:
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
6. The “C” in USMC CORPS
The US Marine Corps (USMC) is the smallest of the four branches in the US Department of Defense (DOD).
9. Antlered grazer ELK
The elk (also known as the wapiti) is the one of the largest species of deer in the world, with only the moose being bigger. Early European settlers were familiar with the smaller red deer back in their homelands, so when they saw the “huge” wapiti they assumed it was a moose, and incorrectly gave it the European name for a moose, namely “elk”. The more correct name for the beast is “wapiti”, which means “white rump” in Shawnee. It’s all very confusing …
22. __ Paulo, Brazil SAO
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. São Paulo is also the city with the highest number of helicopters in the world. This is partly driven by the horrendous traffic jams in São Paulo, but also by the wealthy having a very real fear of being kidnapped on the city’s streets.
24. Greek war god ARES
The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos, Deimos and Eros. The Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.
29. L.A. Clippers’ org. NBA
The Los Angeles Clippers NBA team started off life as the Buffalo Braves in 1970. The Braves took on the Clippers name when the franchise moved to San Diego in 1978. The new team name was chosen in honor of the great clipper ships that used to pass through San Diego Bay. The San Diego Clippers were sold in 1982 to real estate developer Donald Sterling, who moved the team to his native Los Angeles two years later. That move was not approved by the NBA, which resulted in a lawsuit and a $6 million fine, but the team was allowed to stay in its new home.
30. Place for a mani-pedi SPA
Manicure & pedicure (mani-pedi)
35. Govt.-issued ID SSN
The main purpose of a Social Security Number (SSN) is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation, although given its ubiquitous use, it is looking more and more like an “identity number” to me. The social security number system was introduced in 1936. Prior to 1986, an SSN was required only for persons with substantial income so many children under 14 had no number assigned. For some years the IRS had a concern that a lot of people were claiming children on their tax returns who did not actually exist. So, from 1986 onward, it is a requirement to get an SSN for any dependents over the age of 5. Sure enough, in 1987 seven million dependents “disappeared”.
39. Discipline using mats YOGA
In the West we tend to think of yoga as a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.
42. Bric-a-brac disposal event TAG SALE
Bric-a-brac is a French phrase (actually “bric-à-brac”) that was used as far back as the 16th century. Back then it was a nonsense term meaning “at random” or “any old way”. Since Victorian times we have used the phrase in English to mean a collection of curios, statues and the like. In modern usage, bric-a-brac tends to be a selection of cheaper items.
45. Rabbit ears ANTENNA
Remember the television antenna called a “rabbit ears”? I don’t recall being told this when I was younger, but to get the best reception the length of the “ears” needs to be set at about one half of the wavelength of the signal of the target channel. If only I had known …
49. “Aida,” for one OPERA
“Aida” is a famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi, actually based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, who also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first performed in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radames is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then of course complications arise!
50. County on San Francisco Bay MARIN
When you leave the city of San Francisco via the famous Golden Gate Bridge, you cross into Marin County.
59. “A Death in the Family” author James AGEE
James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Honolulu “howdy” ALOHA
6. Cozy eatery CAFE
10. Exasperated sound SIGH
14. Access the Internet LOG ON
15. Word-of-mouth ORAL
16. Merely ONLY
17. *Malicious prank DIRTY TRICK (giving “dirty job”)
19. Memo writer’s “Pronto!” ASAP
20. White Monopoly bills ONES
21. Church recess APSE
22. Sarcastic in a mean way SNIDE
23. Approximately 3.26 light-years PARSEC
25. One doing simple math ADDER
26. Written in few words SHORT
28. Has __ for news A NOSE
30. Flood SPATE
31. Trumpeter Alpert HERB
33. Spanish eyes OJOS
36. House cat, e.g. PET
37. *Winter storm school closing SNOW DAY (giving “snow job”)
40. Cries of pain OWS
41. Part of IRA: Abbr. ACCT
43. Corrida cheers OLES
44. Like the old bucket of song OAKEN
46. The __ Boys: fictional detectives HARDY
48. Moorehead of “Bewitched” AGNES
49. Last Greek letter OMEGA
51. Speak sharply to SNAP AT
54. Fall guy PATSY
55. Japanese detective Mr. __ MOTO
56. Director Kazan ELIA
60. Bombeck of household humor ERMA
61. Employment opportunity, and a hint to the first word of the answers to starred clues JOB OPENING
63. Iranian currency RIAL
64. Similar (to) AKIN
65. Govt.-backed investment T-NOTE
66. Ill-fated Boleyn ANNE
67. George Eliot’s “Adam __” BEDE
68. Boat with an outrigger CANOE
Down
1. Gucci of fashion ALDO
2. Pork cut LOIN
3. Storybook meanie OGRE
4. Trendy club HOT SPOT
5. ” … have you __ wool?” ANY
6. The “C” in USMC CORPS
7. Get up ARISE
8. Kings, queens and jacks FACE CARDS
9. Antlered grazer ELK
10. Son-of-a-gun SO-AND-SO
11. *Humor among friends INSIDE JOKE (giving “inside job”)
12. Forest clearing GLADE
13. Really keyed up HYPER
18. Small fruit pie TART
22. __ Paulo, Brazil SAO
24. Greek war god ARES
26. Design detail, briefly SPEC
27. *Employee who does the firing HATCHET MAN (giving “hatchet job”)
29. L.A. Clippers’ org. NBA
30. Place for a mani-pedi SPA
31. “Gee whiz!” HOLY SMOKE!
32. Barnyard female EWE
34. Has obligations OWES
35. Govt.-issued ID SSN
38. Drop (off) NOD
39. Discipline using mats YOGA
42. Bric-a-brac disposal event TAG SALE
45. Rabbit ears ANTENNA
47. Unit of hope or light RAY
48. Per person A POP
49. “Aida,” for one OPERA
50. County on San Francisco Bay MARIN
52. “I pass” NO BID
53. Make amends ATONE
57. Animal Crackers feline LION
58. Really digging, as a hobby INTO
59. “A Death in the Family” author James AGEE
61. Quick poke JAB
62. List-ending abbr. ETC
Fair grid except for all the junk fill. One letter off due to flunky cluing non-indicative of tense or mismatched tense (not to mention they were "junky" words too). 13-Down/25-Across. HYPED/ADDED instead of HYPER/ADDER. Dictionary says it's right, but pretty strange though. More objecting to the "junk fill" quality of the clues than anything else suspicious.
Can't disagree with Glenn's comment on the fill…but it's Monday.
I'm gonna say something extended, so bear with me. Today's NYT puzzle included a reference to the film Ted, which is easily one of the most juvenile, moronic, offensive films I have ever seen…and I still love it. And even better that Bill took the time to write a quick note on it, when he had every right to pass it over.
That we all can gather here and share tidbits (and more) of knowledge shows that the internet can still be a constructive place. I used to joke with my wife that coming home from a long day and watching something stupid on TV like Beavis and Butthead (see my avatar) just helped me unplug and laugh like an idiot for a bit, before I had to deal with her erudition (she teaches calculus).
I started doing crosswords in the aftermath of my father's passing. He did them in the hope his brain wouldn't wither away (it didn't), and I took up the cause. Finding a place like this where people can come and have some fun with these things brings me great joy…another way to take a break from the vagaries of life and share random thoughts and Monty Python quotes with others. I guess in short, I'm thanking you all and Bill for making a crossword blog enjoyable. Too many of them get so highbrow and snooty I just abandon them. Not here.
Thank you, Willie D for your erudite comment. Also, the pun, 'bear it, with TED', did not entirely escape my attention ….. I also do the LA crosswords hoping my brain doesn't wither away …. actually, I think it does, in a regular sense, but it continues to grow …. in an entirely different direction …. for what its worth.
The puzzle was quite easy, and I rushed to check Bill's time. I have to stop doing that…. its so frustrating. No more.
Parsec, a unit of length of astronomical complexity, was term I was unfamiliar with, so I linked it hoping – that I, for one, would remember it. Please, please do not click on the link, unless you have a tablet for a headache. This year, in 2015, they ( the astronomer's union) redefined or refined the parsec, in meters …. and the difference between the old and new definition is ONLY 200 Kilometers …. 'a drop of water in the ocean'. Tells you the magnitude of the distances that are involved.
Use the word nanosec when you mean parsec, and you are garanteed to give an astronomer apoplexy.
There are apparently 80,000 astronomers, all around the world, working full time on government largesse – at a time when we can easily use the GPS (for $ 159.95 ) for accurate movement between relevant distances on earth. So, now astronomers are apparently involved in simply calculating the distances in the mysteries of life. ( There are also an estimated 100,000 astrologers, who have set up shop, on their own – but we will not discuss them …. )
Have a great day, and the coming week, all.
@Willie D
I must say, it's the comments here that largely keep my two crossword blogs going (especially LAXCrossword … NYTCrossword is "quieter", sadly). Even though I've steamlined the blog-writing process, it still takes quite a while each night. My circumstances have changed over the years, so I can't devote as much time to them as I used to. I've had to choose not to jump into the "conversations" as much, and rather devote the time to the content. But, I always take the time to read every comment and I really enjoy the polite and friendly banter. I'd like to follow your cue, Willie, and thank the regulars (and not-so-regulars) for jumping in and taking the time to participate. Without that, I'd have given up this hobby a long time ago. Happy Monday!
Quick Monday as usual. No real surprises.
@Willie
Well said.
The easiest way to see what a parsec is is to think of yourself swinging a ball around your head on a piece of string while facing directly at a tree. There is a point (actually 2 points) when lines drawn between the ball, your head, and the tree make a right triangle (that right angle being the ball to your head to the tree at 90 degrees). You can change the angle between the lines drawn from your head to the tree and the tree to the ball by moving closer or further away from the tree. If you move far enough away from the tree so that angle is one arcsecond (1/3600th of a degree so you'd be pretty far away..), you are now standing at a fixed and calculable distance from the tree. All you need to know is the length of the string.
In real terms, your head is the sun, the ball is the earth rotating around the sun, and the tree is some point out in space where the angle of the line drawn from the sun to the point to the earth is 1/3600th of a degree. The distance from the earth to the sun is called 1 astronomical unit, and that is the length of the base of the right triangle. The distance from the sun to that point in space which creates the 1/3600th of a degree angle is a parsec.
If there was a change in a parsec, it would be due to a change in the calculation of the distance of the earth to the sun – ie the base of the right triangle.
I don't know if I made that any clearer or if I just gave Vidwan another headache. But I'll shut up now.
Best –
Jeff, you're one heck of a genius. I always knew that, but your aforementioned example confirmed it beyond all reasonable doubt. Now, I understand…. !!! ( I think …)
I still dont know how in the name of God, you can measure one arc-degree, (in the sky above ) or fractions thereof, but I'll leave it to the experts. No doubt, it can be done.
On this point, let me link Eratosthenes, a Greek-Egyptian (?) astronomer, who calculated the circumference of the Earth, (which he "knew" was round :-)) ), at about 24,800 miles, in 240 B.C. – long before we were born. Truely, god gives great talent and acumen to some of us to slowly unravel the mysteries of nature.
@Vidwan
I am humbled by your kind words. Thank you. If only someone I knew actually thought that….
I had a physics teacher years ago who told us that the measure of how well you understand something is directly proportional to how simply you can explain it. I've always tried (not always successfully) to be able to do that.
Best-
@Wille D
Thanks for taking the time to write a much appreciated comment on the blog Bill faithfully
prepares for us daily. Thank you, Bill!
I think I enjoy coming here for all of your comments even more than doing the puzzle. ^0^
The knowledge, humor and politeness here has no rival. I always get a laugh and knowledge of something out of my realm from you all.
The puzzle was a little difficult in places, but thank goodness for the crosses.
Be well, everyone.
(Part 1)
What a joy to come back to such a conversation. I don't always have much to say when I do these – mainly if anything my comments are almost always a journey on trying to learn to do crossword grids beyond those "easy"-classed ones that I blew through 5 or 6 at a time almost immediately in a half-hour period (think smoke coming from the pen) on my journey to be able to do the Sunday grids successfully. Admittedly, a lot of that has been frustration that I haven't done any better, but it's something.
Mainly, though, I've had a horrific time of my life (horrific in general), where I've ended up unemployed and having to clean up my parent's affairs. Naturally, that's been a triple-hit on my finances as they didn't take care of their finances well and left me with a number of huge boondoggles. Part of that time has been having a need for diversions which cost a minimum of money, and a burning out on my original diversions (more to come on that one as the discussion lead there). So I ended up taking up learning how to do crossword grids and solve Rubik's Cubes. Obviously, I started on the first, but gotten very little into the second beyond getting a couple of instructional texts and a Rubik's Cube (obviously). I have my stories about Rubik's Cubes, but that's for another place.
If anything, reading this blog and the comments within (along with the New York one) has been a joy in this journey, and as a testament to that, I really learn and just want to read what people have to say. That Bill does the job he does with the main blog posts is testament enough that it's quite enjoyable minus the pretentiousness that I seem to find in other places (to echo @Willie D).
Ted, which is easily one of the most juvenile, moronic, offensive films I have ever seen
While this is indeed true, the base story and how it was executed made it good, which is why it has been reviewed so well and been so watchable, at least for me when it's come on. Take away all the typical recycled "Family Guy" jokes (same guy created both), and it's a wonderful movie with a good family type story.
(Part 2)
The puzzle was quite easy, and I rushed to check Bill's time. I have to stop doing that…. its so frustrating. No more.
A lot of my concern has just been being able to do them, especially since my work on them gets interrupted enough (mainly by cats climbing on me, it's a good time for them, they've found out). So I haven't worried much about Bill's time, though I am half-curious about how some of those "easy" grids I referred to (paper or otherwise) would go with him time-wise. I know my time gets effected because of how well I write and how well my mind stays on task, so I probably could be much quicker.
I must say, it's the comments here that largely keep my two crossword blogs going. Even though I've streamlined the blog-writing process, it still takes quite a while each night.
Admittedly, one of my previous diversions has been blog writing. Writing in itself can be a chore, and I'm sure much of Bill's time in doing these. While what he's doing is much easier than what I did as the topic is given to him (I did relatively niche 1000 word op-eds on various sociological topics), still getting the words on paper after you have "the plan" is a chore. Especially if you're not used to it.
After idea conception (which is a huge time sink in itself to be well-read enough to produce an informed enough commentary, let alone one would read), I estimated it took me about 3-4 hours to get to finished work that could go out on the blog. It's a big time sink that demands a reward: Most of the time it's comments, but beyond that it gets hard and represents a burn-out. I've looked at it and thought of going back to it lately, but it's still a huge challenge given everything else. I think it almost has to be a "walk in their shoes" thing for most people to understand the trouble that the writers you see in the newspapers and mainstream places have to go to to produce content. As much so, blogs such as this one require so much more effort than most realize. I'll add to the voices of appreciation to what you do here Bill.
Without that, I'd have given up this hobby a long time ago.
Exactly. If you don't get paid the big bucks, it definitely requires a certain level of "reward" past that to produce any level of content.
(especially LAXCrossword … NYTCrossword is "quieter", sadly)
A lot of this is the policies of the New York Times on access to their puzzles. The newer ones are "pay for play", so the audience would be incredibly limited. The audience would get much greater for the syndicated crowd, since it would appear in most papers by then, but the LA Times distribution is much wider as you can actually get those grids without "pay for play" like the NYT grids almost always are. Not to mention the confusion that it generates to have different grids up when you go look for discussions, and getting "blown by" for the syndicated grids being "old content" (which leads into my blogging ideas if I were to blog the NYT grid, but that's for another time).
Personally, I wouldn't do *as much* at all, if the LA Times grid wasn't readily available. I'd probably would have moved on to do something else, since the preponderance of content happens to be those "easy" grids I referred to earlier. But I've talked about this before, especially in mentioning that I lurk much on Bill's other blog but don't often .
Anyhow, I'll reiterate how much I enjoy reading here and participating here. It is indeed without equal compared to the other blogs I've found on the topic of grid explanation (notably the constructor interviews you find every once in a while are interesting, but grid commentaries are often flat).
Glenn, thank you for your well thought observations. I am somewhat aware of the very high IQ and general knowledge of all the people on this blog, as are we all, but we can only go and remember on what we read, by their contributions. Although I am certain that we all have our little 'specialisations' that we can contribute on, ( after all, thats what got the ubiquitous Wikipedia, now 488,000 pages, to get written – ) …. not all of us are motivated enough to contribute. Which is a point that you have amply noted.
One of my nephews has just started for an MS in journalism at Northwestern, a fine university. Probably one of the best, in my simple opinion. My wife was just wondering out loud, whether this was a good career choice. I kept mum, because I have had the pleasure of reading so many delightful books, recently, almost all nonfiction, that I know a good author can work wonders with his or her audience.
On that note, if you are interested in DNA, in a layman sense, and its relationship to IQ etc., may I suggest Nicholas Wade – a British born, american author – on his 3 books – Before the dawn, The faith instinct, and A troublesome inheritance. He has been science editor for The New York Times, for the last umpteen years – and amply justifies the qualifications for the job, in his books.
Good night, all. And Bill, you do a great job, God bless, and forgive me for this surfeit of postings today.
Hey gang, nice chat today! @Willie, nicely stated, and you make a good point, that the Internet can be a positive place to gather. And, here's where we find links to songs about Spam rather than spam!
@Glenn–I hear you, amigo! During difficult times it is refreshing and inspiring to find a group like this and at little or no cost.
@Jeff, I guess I won't try the ball-on-a-string thing for fear I'll injure myself~~LOL! But as a teacher, I can say that your physics teacher hit the nail on the head. Teaching is all about simplifying what you know in depth.
As to the puzzle~~rather tougher than I initially thought!! Felt like a Wednesday.
Be well~~™