Thursday, Sept 25, 2008- Victor Fleming

This one gave me a few fits.  Of course, the fact that I was doing it while I was chatting with an online friend didn't help, either.  Who knew that "draw" had so many definitions?  I did find this puzzle to be enjoyable and all the theme fills were respectable and different from each other.  GETS CARDS was the hardest for me to INFER but I did finally get it.  In fact, the whole NE was just a big mess for me and I stared at a whole lot of blank squares (except STEFAN and  SST) for some time.  Finally, OPTICAL [scanner] appeared and then the rest fell easily enough.  I did have to guess at the LEELA/ILENE cross but it did seem better than Leera.  Speaking of guesses, I also had to guess at SPURGE/GRETNA (kept wanting "spruce" instead) but again, GRETNA seemed to be the logical choice.

Other random comments:

TOGAE?

Nice to see Cheryl TIEGS in the puzzle.  Ditto for Christine LAHTI.

Nice clue for SNAKED- all I kept coming up with was "zigged" or "zagged".

I can just hear Gerard Butler yelling "SPARTA!" over and over in my mind.

Lots to be prompted on from this puzzle.  Let's start with "Isn't HE A bit like you and me?" from "Nowhere Man".  And who's the Nowhere Man?  McCain, with his flailings about that are going nowhere and making points with nobody.    He doesn't seem OPEN TO much of anything these days, other than low ways of slinging mud at his opponent.  He's become a real HEEL.  I have to say, he used to STAND for something but that's all in the past.  He's not showing POLISH or too many leadership qualities lately, SEE SAWing in his approach to the financial bailout.  Let's be HONEST here- is this the hothead you want running your country?  Man, I could just go on and on but I have to draw a line somewhere!

Wednesday, Sept 24, 2008- Lynn Lempel

Today's puzzle had a theme I've seen before: a quote, the quoter and what the quote was referring to.  It was a typical Wednesday for me- no linear solving, just jumping around (pretty willy-nilly) until the puzzle was filled in.  The last letter I placed was the first B in BIMBO.  That whole NW area gave me all sorts of fits, mostly because I couldn't get "Touch me [in the morning]" out of my head.  Finally the --US gave up its IMUS treasure and that was enough to finish up.  I think BIMBO goes nicely with FOR SURE in the SE.

Toughest clues for me today were 25A[Unpaid factory worker] = ROBOT (just couldn't wrap my mind around that one), 43D[Protein-producing substance] = RNA (RNA doesn't produce protein, it merely provides the template for it.  Ribosomes produce the protein.)  Oops, I forgot that ribosomes are made out of RNA.  Duh!

I was also pleased to get DAHL and SIR GALAHAD, even though I was unfamiliar with both of the titles as clued.  At least LABS wasn't clued doggy-style this time.

Fave clue/answer: 66A[Trip provider?] = LSD  (Although, was the ? really necessary?)

So that was the puzzle.  With the presence of BIMBO, that gives me free rein to lash into Sarah Palin aka Caribou Barbie.  What is the deal with her and why is America letting her get away with it?  Her ascendency to VP candidate is like someone going right from high school into a medical practice.  Just as a talented high school senior may have the intellect to be a doctor, Ms. Palin may (or may not) have the qualities of a VP but with absolutely no knowledge, training and experience, those qualities are useless.  Why has she been allowed to duck the media and duck any substantiative questions at all (Charlie Gibson interview aside).  And even then, she flubbed some questions and still was given a "pass".  I don't know about you but I don't want a leader who eked by with a C-, I want someone who got an A+.  Even Legally Blonde Elle McPherson went to law school first.  Palin should have been ready from DAY ONE to address the press and the public's concern.  (To bring us back around to today's puzzle.)  I demand that she allow close scrutiny by the media and public.  What are you afraid of, Sarah?