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Wednesday, November 30, 2016, Molly Young
I am big fan of this puzzle. I enjoyed it while solving, and I enjoyed it anew while looking it over just now. I really like the "i-___" theme, many of the answers are interesting words, and the clueing was clever and amusing. Let's dig right in, shall we?
First of all, the IBALL-related theme. We've got no revealer, per se, but the six theme answers (running both horizontally and vertically, which I also like) are all marked with the "from Apple?" tag, so a revealer isn't really necessary. They're all amusing, and some are even a bit daring - ILIFT (14A: New push-up bra from Apple?) and ILASH (66A: New whip from Apple?). Those answers, and others like TWEE (67A: So, so cute), 29A: "Get. Out. Of. Here!" (OMG), TEED (34D: Plenty angry, with "off"), and even TED (55A: Kind of talk) give the puzzle a youthful feel. (ARIL, IBID, and ORE notwithstanding, but at least those have straightforward, almost understandingly apologetic clues.)
Lots of great words in the fill - THREATEN (6D: Jeopardize), FORETOLD (42A: Predicted), LEGION (56A: Numerous), DISPOSE (41D: Scrap, with "of"), RAPPORT (39D: Friendly relationship), and others. Many of the clues made me smile, like 68A: Massage joints (SPAS), 69A: Money makers (MINTS), and the symmetrical MOM and DAD clues - "Having a baby makes one." That's a nice touch. Ms. Young states in her brief commentary on xwordinfo that she constructs by hand, and the care that she puts into her work is plainly evident, as this puzzle SHINES.
1A: Rings up? (HALOS) I will give an A-. My first solid answer was IBID (10A: Footnote abbr.) which, in hindsight, probably could have been something else just as easily.
I could go on, but I'll just call attention to two more things. First, the amusing recurrence of OFTEN after Colum's comment on yesterday's puzzle. And BOTA (30A: Leather bag for wine), which was new to me, but which makes the "Bota Box" brand of wine make much more sense. It's always so nice when one's leisure activities end up bringing new information or understanding. It reminds me of all that I learned from Monty Python when I was younger. Some of which I only understood years later.
My month's up, and Colum takes over tomorrow. May December be filled with many more puzzles like this one. Happy Solving!
Tuesday, November 29, 2016, Jacob Stulberg
A tribute to one of my favorite books, THEJOYOFCOOKING, which is 85 years old this month! My well-worn copy comes off its shelf at least weekly to sit on the counter and help out with one thing or another. Most recently, it was rolled biscuits, to go with turkey soup. Mmm.... biscuits... I've never made TURKISH DELIGHT or CORNRELISH, but I do use a zester from time to time.
So good theme, but was there any other ENERGETIC (11D: Peppy) fill? Some. PENITENCE (8D: Display of remorse) is fancy, and I enjoyed seeing the word LIABLE (49D: Apt (to)). The "(to)" in its clue seemed appropriate, but do we really need the "on" in 6D: Commit arson on (TORCH)? Maybe. It is a Tuesday, after all. And speaking of a Tuesday, I was tripped up today by the Jewish cross of HAMAN (35A: Purim villain) and MOSAICLAW (36D: Contents of the Torah). Goyem that I am, I was not at all familiar with HAMAN, and guessed, somewhat amusingly, hopefully, "jOSAICLAW," I guess thinking it was something like "Josannah-ic." Sheesh. What a maroon.
Anywho... 1A: Croquet needs (PEGS) was tricky. I'll give it a B. My first confident entry was ATOP (5A: On), which, were I to grade it, would get a C-. But I don't.
Overall, I guess I wish for more to honor the book. The recipes are related by their mood - zest, delight, relish, and "joy," come to think of it. Well, ok, that's cute, but I don't like the split answer. And for this we have kind of a lot of crosswordsy-type stuff: ECRU, ASP, CLIO, ADO, ORCA, ENO, NAS, ARF, YALIE & ELIHU, NTH, AHA, etc. I like REDEYE (30A: It might end with an early touchdown) (great!), but there was a little too little of that today.
Monday, November 28, 2016, Kristian House
Hah! This theme made me laugh out loud. A duck, a duck, and a goose are hidden in three long theme answers. TRIBU[TEAL]BUMS, APARTH[EIDER]A, and SWOR[NENE]MIES. Very nice.
The long down fill is full of good answers, too. GUSSIEDUP (11D: Dressed to the nines), NOGOODNIK (34D: Baddie), SLICKERS (41D: Rain jackets), PETUNIA (Flower that's also a girl's name) (could have been so many things…), all of these are strong. And yes, ENACTOR (44D: Legislator) is not good, but I'll take it, because we've also got SCRIMP (23A: Be extremely frugal), ROGUE (43A: Go ____ (no longer follow orders)), and PAGAN (9A: Wiccan or Druid). It's a high-quality grid, I'm telling you. And this is a Monday! I even like the bold ABORC (2D: Multiple-choice options)! And all we PAY is a little ESO HERE, a little ALA there… that kind of thing leaves no SCAR.
1A: Taxis (CABS) gets a C+. The plus is for not cluing it as wine. It was my first confident answer.
Thumbs up, AMIGO, thumbs up.
Sunday, November 27, 2016, Matt Ginsberg
I was hoping that the theme would revolve around different mixed drinks, but no – the mix here is two answers, each independently clued, woven into a third answer, also clued. Sometimes, when I was a little stuck, I tried to just solve the combined clue, and then verified with the parts. Nothing particularly funny or entertaining about the theme, just three words. Still, not bad. And since it's Mr. Ginsberg (creator of the crossword-solving computer program "Mr. Fill"), I wondered if the puzzle were just created as a way to test, and possibly improve, Dr. Fill.
I very much enjoyed some of the clues today. 128A: Makes it? (TAGS) brought a big smile. Likewise, TREAT (106D: October option) seemed very youthful. And the third clue/answer in 119A, "network with 303 stations" (P[A]RI[S]ME[T]R[O]) had me stumped for a long time. That whole SW corner was tough, filled as it was with obscure lizards, foreign languages, and proper nouns (AGAMA, EDDAS, TARDE, ADEUX, OMAR, MTADAMS, and OSA). Oh, and 107D: Counterpart of "stand" (HITME). Whew! That took me forever!
Really did not like SNAILED (64A: Moved at a crawl), and there was kind of a lot of SCLERA, ELKO, SERE, APIA, OTERI, NEHI-type stuff. But then there was also flashy fill like EMBLAZON (46A: Adorn brilliantly) and SEXTANTS (95A: Mariners' aids). And I kind of like ATEATON (77A: Overindulged) (perfect for Thanksgiving) and GETAB (57D: Do pretty well gradewise).
1A: They often have small tables (CAFES) was my first answer, and I'll give a C+. And that's maybe what the puzzle should get, too. Or maybe a B-.
p.s. You can read Mr. Gaffney's commentary at xwordinfo.com. In it, he tells that Dr. Fill "found the puzzle very easy," because all of the combined words are, in fact, words, and Dr. Fill knows words. He did make one mistake, though, which is odd, but you'll have to click through to read about that.
Saturday, November 26, 2016, Paolo Pasco
Tough Saturday. Frannie and I passed this one back and forth, which is rare these days. I did most of the top, she most of the bottom, and we both stared long and hard at the last two squares - the cross of NATAL (27A: Brazilian state capital) and LAMPED (28D: Clobbered, in British slang). LAMPED? Really? I call foul. And the other cross, which Frannie eventually got, was AKA (46A: Going by) and CAKEPOP (37D: Snackable treat on a stick). AKA is good, but if CAKEPOP is a thing, it's a thing I don't know.
Things I liked - TINFOILHAT (56A: Stereotypical wear for a crackpot theorist), CARAMELS (10D: Sticky treats), TERENCE (38D: Ancient playwright who specialized in New Comedy), NIGERIA (35D: Country of 180+ million people that has never participated in the Winter Olympics) (interesting), ATEASE (44D: Chilling), and TIGRIS (25D: River flowing from the Garden of Eden, in the Bible).
Things I didn't like RURALIST (34D: Definitely not a city slicker), MOMMAS (30D: May honorees, colloquially), MAGE (15A: Dungeons & Dragons class), the repetition of "up" in PRIEDUP and RARESUP, the backward cross-reference in 1D and 4D, and the two entries mentioned at the start.
1A: Facebook acquired it in 2014 for $19.3 billion (WHATSAPP) gets a C. It should have been my first answer, but I couldn't come up with the name immediately, so THEMARTIAN ended up being my first confident answer.
I guess I'm a little down on this one overall. I didn't particularly like the long diagonal of black squares that cut the grid in half, there were those dislikes, and I don't know... it just didn't do it for me. Not all bad, of course, but not my perfect Saturday puzzle.
Patrick Berry is back today with a typically high-quality puzzle. It took me quite a while to get going in this one - I think my first truly confident answer might have been HAMLET (40D: Play containing the line "Good night, sweet prince"), which gave me HORATIO (37D: Speaker of the line in 40-Down), and I worked my way back up to the top from there. I finished the puzzle where it began, in the NE, where ALCOHOLRUB (13A: Sore muscle treatment) (not a thing I know about) and TRAWL (19A: Drag out of a bed?) (nice!) were very slow to come. In fact, the very last thing I figured out was the excellent 1D: Immersive experience (BAPTISM).
Lots and lots of good seven through ten letter fill. PARTIALITY (17A: Special fondness), SCRAPES (3D: Difficult situations), BRITANNICA (35A: Pax ____ (century preceding W.W. I)), HEAVENSENT (40A: Arriving at just the right moment), and SPACESUITS (56A: Landing gear?) were all quite good. And I like the idea of ALEXANDERS (24D: Creamy cocktails), but I've never actually made myself one. It just always seems like such a waste to use only an egg white. What do you do with the yolk? Make custard?
BYPRODUCTS (15D: Unlooked-for results) was another nice long answer. TAX RETURN (34A: Prepared statement) had a fun clue. There was a lot to like.
1A: Strongly disparage (BASH) I will give a B-. Why? BECAUSE.
Very little to complain about. Thumbs up.
Thursday, November 24, 2016, Brian J. MacDonald
Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Reader! If you are like me, this puzzle will have taken you less time than a Thursday grid usually does, leaving you plenty of time to both cook, and eat, a lot of turkey! But first, since you blew through this so quickly, let's take a minute or two to review it. That way, you'll be prepared when the table talk turns, as it inevitably will, to the New York Times crossword puzzle.
The theme revolves around pronouncing both letters of STATE POSTALCODES before a regular word to make a common expression. That sounds more cumbersome than it really is, so let's show an example. My favorite is 44A: *Air passenger request, maybe (ILLINOISSEAT). That's I-L-seat, or "aisle seat." Get it?
So there's the main course. What about the sides? Well, there are lots of good ones on this table. First of all, who knew Gregory Peck was in the OMEN? And I thought 33D: Victim of murder one (ABEL) was cute. RATFINKS (4D: Stoolies) and ALLSMILES (11D: Happy as a clam) are both strong, and I enjoyed the SASSY-ness of SMELLTEST (34D: Basic scrutiny), GOTOTOWN (40D: Really have at it), and ONPAPER (42D: In theory). Not to mention NOT (65A: "As if!") and BEEF (20A: Gripe).
1A: Male hedgehogs (BOARS) is somewhat interesting. I'll give it a B. My first confident answer was ROSSI (22A: Martini's partner). Overall, I enjoyed this Thursday puzzle. Now go enjoy some turkey, goose, tofurkey, duck, stuffing, or whatever you like most to eat!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016, David Steinberg
Kind of a funny theme today of adding "ster" to one word in a common two-word expression, as in DRAGSTERQUEEN (44A: Female street-racing champion?), and FLASHMOBSTER (52A: Ostentatious member of the Mafia?). That last one would be better as "Flashy mobster," but there's no such phrase as "Flashy mob." And that's the drawback here - the answers ought to be funny, but the wacky cluing just doesn't quite work.
Aside from the theme, though, we have two nice long verticals - PARATROOPER (11D: High military figure?) (again, the clue just seems a little off) and RECORDLABEL (24D: RCA, for one). FOSCLE (6D: Ship part spelled with two apostrophes) is short for "forecastle," and Wikipedia actually has it abbreviated with three apostrophes, thus: fo'c's'le. SQUEEZE (43D: Tight hug) is good, as are CHASESCENE (17A: Standard feature of an action film) and OPENSEASON (58A: Prime hunting time) (isn't it not prime, but legal hunting time?), but having such long Across answers adjacent to theme answers seems a little odd.
1A: Fast-food chain known for its root beer (AANDW) gets a C. It was also my first confident answer.
I guess I didn't love this one. There's a lot of ELOI, ABEL, NYE, OPEC, IBET, TAU, AAH kind of stuff, as well as proper nouns like ESTES, ROCHE, STYNE, and EISNER. And can we count DOPEY (35D: One of a Disney septet) in there too? I really disliked 41A: ____ cent (PER), but I smiled at 53D: "Choosy ____ choose Jif" (ad slogan) (MOMS).
Not all bad, but not all good.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016, Andrew Zhou
What a tasty Tuesday puzzle! Today we're served up ham, lard, pork, and bacon, all from a single, wonderful, magical animal.
Wouldn't it have been kind of cool to feature all different food themes on Thanksgiving week? Well... I think it's a good idea. But maybe there just aren't that many food-themed puzzles... hmmm.
Anywho, 1A: Musical talent, informally (CHOPS) could be considered part of the theme, too, although it was not grayed out in the online version. Likewise 65A: Opposite of 57-Across (NONKOSHER), to Muslims (HALAL) seems, also, to belong to the theme. But not officially, it would appear.
The theme-encapsulating answers are pretty strong, I think. A[HAM]OMENT (18A: When you get it) (I had one on this clue!), POPU[LARD]EMAND (23A: Something might be brought back by this), and S[PORK] (37A: Versatile eating implement) are all solid. N[BACON]FERENCE (47A: Eastern or Western, for hoopsters) is a lot less exciting, but how else are you going to hide the bacon, as it were?
Speaking of less-than-exciting, I didn't love POPPA (59A: Momma's partner), the singular BORA or the plural NOELS, and there's a staleness to AMOSNANDY, HARPO, and CAPRA, but aside from that (and "that" isn't really all that bad), there's quite a bit of strong non-theme material. MAJESTIC, FIELDMICE, MARKSMEN, (they love to pluralize!), PINOCHLE, TRADEWAR, MINNESOTA... all good. PINNUMBER (4D: What's punched into an A.T.M., redundantly) was amusingly clued.
1A: gets a B, and my first entry was SOTS (6A: Drunkards). Heh. Er, I mean, Hic!
Entertaining Tuesday with a fun theme. Thumbs up.
Monday, November 21, 2016, John Lieb
Five answers including even numbers running from zero to eight, and a revealer, AGAINSTALLODDS (60A: How an extreme underdog wins ... or this puzzle?), making, happily, six theme answers. Kind of cute, I guess. I like ZEROVISIBILITY (16A: Driving condition in a blizzard) the best of the bunch, and it seems to be involved in an unofficial "winter" sub-theme. We've got SNOWTIRE (4D: Michelin winter product), SKI (9D: Compete in the Nordic combined, say), and POINSETTIAS (10D: Traditional Christmas plants) all running through it. And today when we woke up and looked out the windows we saw, for the first time this year, a dusting of snow! Coincidence? You tell me.
Decent fill overall, with only a few bits of glue like ENV, ORL, and the slightly-esoteric-for-a-Monday OSSA (59D: Greece's Mount ____). I actually like NOGO (26D: Canceled, as a launch), PSYOP (12D: "Hearts and minds" military maneuver, briefly), and MWAH (24D: Air kiss sound), though I can imagine others thinking of them as glue, too. TURNSIGNALS (27D: Blinkers) was fancy (if, like the other long down, plural), but FLATSODA (42D: Pop with no fizz) seemed a little, well, like flat soda.
1A: Taste or touch (SENSE) was my first confident answer, and I'll give it a B-. It's fine. It could work as a verb or a noun, so that's something. This played about like a Monday does, but with more interesting fill. It AMUSED me.
p.s. The uncommon 14x16 grid today also avoids odd numbers. Nice touch.
Sunday, November 20, 2016, Ed Sessa
Kind of a fun theme of people who have famously crossed things. I kept waiting for "Caesar" and "Rubicon," but it never came. Instead we have MAGELLAN crossing the PACIFIC, WASHINGTON crossing the DELAWARE, and LINDBERGH crossing the ATLANTIC, among others. I like to think, also, of a CLERIC crossing a SLIPNSLIDE, Ben VEREEN crossing his EYEs. OK, those are just ridiculous and I didn't really think of them until just now. Sorry. I guess I enjoyed it, but I tend to want a little more fun in my Sunday themes.
1A: Like good whiskey (SMOOTH) I give an A-. I put it right in, but I was not 100% sure of it. I think my first definite answer was PEPA (26A: Rap's Salt-N-____), a name I will always associate with Patrick Stewart, because I can still hear him announcing them as the musical guest on SNL. Just imagine it. It's awesome.
The fill included some things that I did not love, like XOUTS (63A: Deletions), LDRS (38D: C.E.O. and pres.), and IDED (75A: Picked as the one, say). I complained yesterday or the day before about assumed apostrophes, and now they've combined an abbreviation with an assumed apostrophe. Yuck.
I did like BEAUXGESTES, CHURN (13D: Milk shaker), PLACARD (27D: Protester's sign), and others. Let's call it a wash.
Saturday, November 19, 2016, Mary Lou Guizzo and Jeff Chen
Wow. This was great. A struggle the entire way, but so satisfying to finish! My final letter was the B of BOSN (52D: J. M. Barrie's Mr. Smee, e.g.) (which makes me think, Isn't it interesting that the NYT puts a space between the initials of a name, but not between the initials of the abbreviated "exempli gratia?"... but never mind that now).
Just like a good Saturday puzzle should, this grid gave up very little in the first ten minutes. I think I guessed at SRTA (20A: Miss, abroad: Abbr.) first, but I wasn't sure of it, because it almost seemed too easy. Then SLAW (30A: Dish made with mayo) went in, and then, finally, two confident answers: FRAT (34A: It seeks pledges annually) and MAHAL (42A: Hindi for "palace"). But nothing was really connected, and it would be a long time before things slowly, but surely, came together, sort of from the NE back west, and then down.
I like the framework of six (!) interlocking fifteens. I liked the meta-ness of THENEWYORKTIMES (11D: It sold for a penny at its 1851 launch), and gave an audible sigh when I finally understood NBAALLSTARGAMES (62A: Where East meets West?). Yikes!
Lots to love in this grid, and very little, if any, glue. I suppose my first answer (SRTA) could be considered glue, and IPO, PSST, and IBN (51A: Arabic patronymic part). Yes, definitely that last... but on the other hand, I like all the foreign content (NOBLESSE, DICTA, SANS, ESSE, ERGO, MAHAL, FRAU, etc.), so why should I complain about that one? 1A: RANARISK (1A: Skated on thin ice) gets an A-. All it's missing is humor. ANOMALIES (14A: Blips) is good. TRANSLATE (33D: Decode) is good. And appropriate. TINGE, SNARE, GUFF... Loved it.
Friday, November 18, 2016, Peter Wentz
My years-long drift away from politics and modern popular culture, while blissful in many ways, is my undoing in the world of competitive crossword solving. Not that daily solving is or should be competitive, mind you, but I think ahead to the A.C.P.T. and the trouble you get into by having a single error! Well, today it was JCOLE (42D: Rapper with #1 albums in 2011, 2013 and 2014) crossing JONI (42A: Senator Ernst) - neither of which have I ever heard of.
But as I said, daily crossword solving is not competitive. It is, by contrast, one of the simple, relaxing pleasures that I enjoy while not thinking about politics or modern popular culture. And this chunky grid from Mr. Wentz afforded me twenty minutes of happy diversion.
1A: Go over again, as one's writing? (BACKSPACE) is okay. I'll give it a B+. My first entry, though, was not until 24A: Trending (HOT). From that one, three-letter entry, I was able to posit KMARTS (13D: Some big boxes), which led to other educated guesses, OMSK (10A: Site of Dostoyevsky's exile) and OBAMA (17A: Noted 1983 graduate of Columbia), and I was off and running.
I thought the central slanting stack was quite strong, and laughed out loud at GINGERBREAD (30A: Material for a seasonal house) when it finally became clear to me. The spelling of CONDOLEEZZARICE (8D: One of Augusta National's first two female members) (Darla Moore is the other) was surprising, but the crosses worked it all out. I don't particularly like KOD (36A: Put down on canvas?), because it assumes an apostrophe. That's unusual, right? I'm not just making that up? I mean, assumed periods (NCIS) and assumed spaces (BYANOSE) are one thing, but apostrophes seem different to me somehow. But that's a small thing. Overall, this was a quality Friday.
Thursday, November 17, 2016, Timothy Polin and Joe Krozel
14:40 (F.W.O.E.)
Strange grid today, with a totally unchecked word. The theme is, I guess, pyramids, or ancient Egypt, and thematic fill includes PYRAMIDSCHEME (17A: Common scam), TOMBRAIDER (21D: Video game featuring an archaeologist heroine), PHARAOHANT (23D: Insect with multi-queen colonies), TUT (28A: King of the 18th dynasty), the afore-referred-to, unchecked MUMMY, and, possibly, LOOTERS, LAWBREAKERS, CAGEDUP, and ALIENS (45A: Builders of the pyramids). Just kidding about that last clue, but I've gotta believe they were thinking about that.
I don't know about you, but this one didn't wow me. I like the wide open feel of the horizontally symmetrical X, and I like some of the fill, like the pair of public utility clues: MEGAWATTS (5D: Power plant quantity), and WATERMAINS (7D: Hookups for hydrants), and the science crossing of BERYL (3D: Color akin to turquoise) and RAREGAS (14A: Krypton, for one). I also enjoyed the clues for SOCKETS (13D: Eyes, shoulders and knees have them) (gross), CARE (9D: Give a rip), and the tricky 21A: Nice ideas come from them (TETES). Ideas formed in the city of Nice, that is. Heh.
On the other hand, I don't really like "22A: Leave in a bad way" for STRAP. Are they talking about whipping someone with a strap? Yikes.
My error came at the ABBA (33A: Bishop's title in the Coptic Church) and OPERASERIA (4D: Work not of the buffa style) cross. I went with the French ABBe, and "Opera Serie" seemed like plausible French as well, but "buffa," I see, should have indicated Italian. Oh well... tough cross.
1A: Mitch who wrote the best seller "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" (ALBOM) gets a C-. Don't read, don't believe in Heaven. My first confident answer was PEEPER (11A: Tree frog with a distinctive call).
So meh from me. The unchecked word was rather bluntly clued, and I guess the puzzles hidden charms remained sealed off from me.
p.s. I chose the photo of Harold Ramis that I thought looked most like Colum. :)
Wednesday, November 16, 2016, Jim Peredo
Yeah... when I got down to 65A: Cool, in the 1960s (GROOVY), I had no crosses and I put in "far out," which, of course, is wrong. Not wrong wrong, but puzzle wrong. The trouble was that I got everything else in that corner from the Across clues, and never went back. I suppose I could have said "Finished with Six Errors," but at that point, why bother?
So anyway, the theme is BATMAN (71A: 1960s TV icon whose name follows a pair of letters found, appropriately, 16 times in this puzzle's Across answers), and I like it a lot. The sixteen pairs are "NA," as in, "Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na BATMAN!" LOL. And as if that weren't enough, we have the bonus BANG, BAM, POW, and WHAM from the fight scenes. Very nice, Mr. Peredo, very nice.
With all that theme material, you'd think things would get a little crossword-y, and there are certainly a few oddities - NITA, ANEG, ADES - but nothing terribly offensive. And on the other hand, we've got attractive bonus fill like TANKINI (5D: Modest two-piece bathing suit), ADONIS (8D: Dreamboat), BALLADEER (10D: Singer of love songs), ANYONE (48D: Question repeatedly posed by Ferris Bueller's teacher) (Ha!), and TABLAS (49D: Indian drums similar to bongos). If a girl I adored in high school hadn't played the tabla, I might have been stumped at the cross with NAE (67A: When doubled, a 2010s dance) (Huh?).
The long theme answers are lively today, too. It's quite a diverse group, from BANGALORE to WHAMMYBAR. And SNORT (54D: Embarrassing laugh accompanier) makes it in for the second day in a row, though I preferred yesterday's alcohol-related clue.
1A: Like a virgin (CHASTE) gets an A-. My first confident entry was NAM (7A: "Apocalypse Now" setting, familiarly). Overall, an entertaining Wednesday.
Holy Cow! It's a Cubs tribute puzzle! It's just 13 days after the Cubs won the World Series, and just three days since Mr. Kahn's last NYT Crossword byline (!), but none of that matters, because, well, it's the Cubs.
This one almost enters the realm of a "stunt puzzle," with so many entries being tied to the theme in any way possible. There are the three fifteens, including WORLDSERIESRING (39A: 2016 award for each Cub), but there's also bonus material like EVERS (16A: Tinker to ____ to Chance (Cubs double play combo)), GOAT (17A: Curse of the Billy ____, Cubs "jinx" that ended in 2016), MOPUP (60A: Finish pitching in a lopsided game), and even RAMPS (49D: Stadium walkways).
And speaking of stadium RAMPS, it was on one of those in Wrigley Field, during a 1984 Pennant drive game vs. the Mets, that Frannie and I, with our "standing room only" tickets, sat and talked. We had gone to the game with other people, as it were, but we connected during a pregame walk through the stands to the IVYCOVEREDWALLS, then sitting on that ramp, then talking all the way home in the back seat of the rented van. The connection was ELECTRIC, and the rest, as they say, is history.
But enough about me, let's get back to the puzzle. It starts and ends Cubs, from 1A: "My Kind of ____ (Chicago Is)" (TOWN) (B) (First confident answer) to SOSA (69A: Cubs slugger with 609 home runs). Sure, we have TIGE (1D: Buster Brown's canine sidekick), CCLIV (30A: The year 254), the very odd-looking, but fine, I guess GOUP (56D: Ascend), and the regrettable STUBBLES (5D: Targets of close shaves?), but hey, whatever. GO CUBS!
Monday, November 14, 2016, Zhouqin Burnikel
Animal expressions make up the theme material today. Pretty neat that Ms. Burnikel found four that would work symmetrically, and two of them are fifteens! It's kind of fancy to have two fifteens on a Monday, isn't it?
It's odd, though, that a puzzle focussing on animals would contain a reference to a product that has been deemed to be "Cheap, cruel, and indiscriminate" to animals by the Humane Society of the United States. I know that the puzzle editor probably does not want to take a stand one way or the other, but by casually cluing DCON with "16A: Rodenticide brand with glue traps," the idea is treated as normal. I would have liked "Maker of controversial glue traps" better, but if you want to skirt the whole thing, just say "Rodenticide brand" and leave it at that.
Moving on. I thought DCUNIVERSE (11D: Where Batman and Superman live) was a nice answer, and opposite that, the full PEARLSBUCK (30D: "The Good Earth" author) is also fine. The clue for ENTER (34D: Another name for the return key on a Mac) seems a little odd. I'm writing this on a PC, and my "return key" says "Enter." Was this puzzle originally constructed in the 1980s? Do any keyboards still say "return?"
My first answer was CAMP (1A: Group of tents in the woods), which I will give a B+. I like the clue. Interesting trivia about PUTIN (37A: Foreign president with a black belt in judo).
Overall, except for that one large problem about the glue traps, it was fine.
Sunday, November 13, 2016, Joel Fagliano
Clothing puns. HAH! Nice one, Mr. Fagliano. It's something that seems so improbable, yet when you read all the theme answers you think, why haven't I heard these before? They're so perfect! Well, except maybe for 74A: The plumber wore a ... TUBETOPANDCLOGS. Can you just imagine? I know I'm supposed to think gender-neutral and all, and sure, maybe a female plumber would wear this combination, but the mind travels first, unfortunately, to the stereotypical plumber type, and there's already enough cleavage on view with that image, if you'll pardon me for saying so.
Still, if we're imagining these outfits, the TURTLENECKBOAANDCROCS (62A: The reptile expert wore a ...) would be, perhaps, even more disturbing to see. Hahhahahhaaha... The most plausible, and the funniest, perhaps, is saved for last - 103A: The happily unemployed person wore ... SLACKSANDLOAFERS. "APT!"
So great theme. What else? Well, 1A: Upbeat (CHIPPER) gets a B+. It's both a fun word, and it's the name of one of my brother's dogs. And that's not all - there's lots more to like in this. 1D: One looking to serve mankind?, for example - CANNIBAL. Ha! The word SPRITZED (13D: Applied, as cologne) is a lovely word, and MIASMAS (38D: Noxious emanations) is too, albeit unpleasant in reality. 81A: Two for a buck" (ANTLERS) is cute. TAPENADE (74D: Dip made with olives, capers and anchovies) is delicious. Like I said, lots to like.
LETATCESTMOI (15D: Famed claim from Louis XIV) went right in, but the other French entries - CANARDS (64D: Baseless rumors), SABOTS (35A: Wooden-soled shoes), and PISTES (82D: Downhill ski runs) (tried "slopes") took a few crosses.
There's very little to complain about. Thumbs up!
Saturday, November 12, 2106, David J. Kahn
A surprise Saturday rebus today! Well, is it really a rebus puzzle if it only has one rebus square, or is it something else? Either way, it's just the one center square, which I stared at for at least a full minute before the solution hit me. Thinking so much about politics lately, I started by wondering if it could be "second amendment," but then "New York [amen] New York" didn't sound like any song I knew. How much more familiar, on the other hand, is "NEWYORK,NEWYORK," and SECOND[COMMA]NDMENT, too, works better for "15D: Precept about idol worship."
Aside from that 15x13 cross in the center, there are four more 15s tying the whole puzzle together. And on top of that, the corners are pretty wide-open. Now, I've never made a crossword, but it seems to me that this kind of a construction would be quite difficult to fill in cleanly, and sure enough, there's quite few less-than-ideal entries. Take, for example, ISO, EXE, ENE, AFR, OSH, HET, ORC, ROOS, and RIDA. And moving into the longer stuff, we have ESSIE, ASRED, PLANA, REGNAL, EDENIC, and ASLOPE. Kind of a lot.
But on the brighter side, we have the disturbing pair of OPENFIRE (2D: Start to fight) and TEARGAS (Lachrymatory agent), and the always welcome SEXSCENE (15A: Part of a blue book?). Nice clue there. I actually considered trying "exam page" in there. Heh. And speaking of good clues, I really liked "25A: Overnight letter?" for INN. A letter of rooms, that is. And how 'bout "60A: Acting willfully?" TESTATE! Good stuff.
The crossing fifteens are fine, but nothing to write home about. Overall, I guess I come out in favor of this one, but it's not my favorite.
Friday, November 11, 2016, Damon Gulczynski
Lots to like in this puzzle. WELLSHUTMYMOUTH (3D: "Huh, how about that!"), THATSABIGIF (36A: Skeptical rejoinder), and SOSUEME (43D: "I messed up ... what of it?!") are all SASSY entries! BASH (42A: Criticize in no uncertain terms) is brash, NOSEJOB (1D: Hook remover, perhaps) was unexpected, and PARKED (35A: Staying put) is well-clued. Everywhere you look, you can find something to like. Even that '80s crossing of MCRIB (26D: Fast-food debut of 1981 (which I dropped in without crosses) and NEWCOKE (29A: Noted bomb in a longtime war) (which took much longer) was entertaining.
For all this fun, long fill ripping through the grid we find some crossword dust has fallen into the crevices. ARA (5D: Only three-letter constellation other than Leo), which most of us probably came to know through crosswords, SPF, OSH, OTHO, SRS, and BTUS, but I think today it's a price well paid.
For me, things really slowed down in the middle South. I had erroneously entered JUSTDEssert, not realizing, I guess, that JUSTDESERTS (25D: Comeuppance) uses an old definition of "desert" meaning "that which is deserved, or merited, especially punishment." I really wanted TRICK (63A: Bridge unit), though, once I had thought of it, and so I removed "dessert" and put that in to see what I could see from there, and then, finally!, BOOMMICS (38D: Extended interview components) became clear. Wow, that's a tough one! SCLERA (46D: White of the eye) is not common, and REGIS (59A: Denver's ____ University) is not something I knew. Bill Murray apparently attended the school, but did not graduate. Anyway, AEGIS (52D: Backing), too, was tricky, but eventually it all came together.
1A: Amphibian once associated with bad spirits (NEWT) gets a B+. I tried both "frog" and "toad" before getting it right, but in my defense, I think many amphibians have been tarred with the ol' "bad spirits" brush at one time or another, haven't they? As for my first confident answer, hmmm.... I'm pretty sure I put in HOAX (16A: Crop circles, e.g.) off the clue, but I was more sure of the next one, SILO (17A: Part of many a rural skyline).
Overall, I rate this an excellent Friday puzzle. As Colum so nicely put it on Wednesday, each crossword is an oasis, a break from other cares, and when they're this good, it's extra nice because you get to savor them for a bit longer. Keep 'em coming, Shortz!
Thursday, November 10, 2016, Jonathan M. Kaye and Jeff Chen
0:24:32 (F.W.T.E.)
I caught on to the J = "hook" theme at the intersection of DMAJOR (11D: Key of Pachelbel's Canon) and RINGINGOFFTHE[HOOK] (18A: Getting tons of calls), and the rest of the theme answers went quickly after that. I didn't notice until reviewing the puzzle, though, that all the black squares form Js - or hooks. Cute.
There's lots to like in this puzzle. First of all, there's a great new clue for my favorite bit of crosswordese - EEL - 21A: Fish whose name is a calculator number turned upside down. I don't actually know that it's really new, but it's new to me.
I spent a lot of time in the SW and SE today. ABJECT (47D: The absolute worst) and SALVOS (48D: 21-gun salutes, e.g.) are both excellent, but they took me a very long time to see. And on the other side, XYZ (62D: History's ____ Affair) was totally unknown to me, and I'm very sorry that I didn't see TRIX (61A: Colorful corn balls). I was flailing, not sure whether 58D: Little Caesar in "Little Caesar" was RoCO or RICO, and not sure at all about the aforementioned XYZ. Oh well.
I like the theme, and I like the extra touch of making so many Js out of the black squares. Let's give the whole thing a thumbs up.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016, John Lieb
I might as well write this review right now, since I can't look at the TV. And speaking of that, UTAH (1A: Zion National Park's state), which was my first confident answer, gets an F, because it is a red state. Oops, did ISLIP a little politics into the review? Sorry, not sorry.
The theme today is both sports-related and punny, so you've got a good chance of annoying quite a few solvers. I guess my favorite is BRINGTHEHEAT (25A: "Coach, get 'em to today's game" [N.B.A.]).
I like the non-theme material better today. ARTCRITIC (3D: Gallery-frequenting writer) and POWERSUIT (33D: Tailored wear imparting confidence) (Power pantsuit?) are two nice long verticals, and is DONTSTOP (10D: 1992 Clinton campaign song) also political?
My error in the puzzle came at PLOPS (38A: Falls into a La-Z-Boy, say), where I put in fLOPS and never looked back. But my real error was trusting the electorate.
I admit it, I SCARE easily, and sitting here in front of my muted TV is not good for my heart. If EVIL triumphs tonight there will not be enough UGGS in the world to describe how I feel. And even if Clinton does pull this out, the feeling will be far from JOYOUS. How can nearly half of this country support this year's republican candidate? Well, at least it looks like my home state will vote to legalize marijuana... but honestly, I might have to go straight to the HEROIN.
Good luck, America.
Horace out.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016, Michael J. Doran
A lot of theme today! What is that, seventy squares?! And I love the pinwheel shape. Obviously, with this much thematic material, one expects to find glue like OME (37A: Kipling's "Follow Me ____"), TECS (59D: Private eyes, in slang), IVE (36A: "____ had enough!"), and the unfortunate IKEAS (19A: Places to buy furniture to assemble), but it's not all that bad. Well... as I look around a little more I see ROILY (39D: Turbulent) and EELER (50D: Conger catcher) too... and IAMBI. Yikes!
But let's focus on the good stuff, shall we? I like the many different "houses" represented. "Tree house" is probably my favorite, but TREEANIMAL (11D: *Sloth, for one) is the weakest theme entry. Oh well. Incidentally, the "toll houses" have just been removed from many exits on the Massachusetts Turnpike! So that's nice. We still have to pay tolls, we just don't have to wait in lines anymore to do it. And "White House?" ... let's not talk about that right now.
In non-theme, I like POTLUCK (4D: Dinner at which everyone does the dishes?) (Cute.), GAIETY (53A: High spirits), BEEFY (32D: Like many bar bouncers), and CORDS (7D: Ribbed pants, informally).
1A: First instrument heard in the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home" (HARP) gets a B+. It should have been my first entry, I suppose, but I didn't want to take the time to think too much about it, so WATTS (9A: Bulb units) ended up being my first confident answer.
Overall, I guess I'll give this a thumbs up. It's got some pretty fierce crosswordese, but it's also got a dense theme, and more than a few nice non-theme answers.
Monday, November 7, 2016, Bruce Haight
ISEE what you did there, Mr. Haight! Five, two-word answers where the words start with I and C. I think I like the first one the best - INNERCHILD (18A: What might make an adult jump in a pile of leaves), but I appreciate the dig at "big ink" in the clue for INKCARTRIDGE (23A: Home office item that's surprisingly expensive to replace). Heh. And even though the clue for IVORYCOAST says that the name is usually rendered in French, I still tried putting in "Côte d'Ivoire" and even wondered for a while why it didn't fit. Derp.
Aside from the theme, we find nice fill like EMOJI (1D: Symbol like "prayer hands" or "heart eyes") (nice and current), AVIARY (5D: Monkey house : monkeys :: ____ : birds), and ECHOES (10D: Repeats word for word). FIERCE (45D: Ferocious) and FARCE (51D: Many a Monty Python skit) are near rhymes, and ELITE and ELISE stand out as being quite similar in the SE. Not that there's anything wrong with that. FESTAL (47D: Celebratory), on the other hand, is, shall we say, "less than common."
My first entry was ETTA (1A: Jazzy James) (graded a C for being crosswordese, but no lower because, well, Etta James), and I had a few missteps by guessing "epic" for SAGA (34A: Lengthy narrative), and ARTshow for ARTFAIR (44A: Painting exhibition), but those were eventually corrected by crosses. Other than that, the puzzle went right along, as Mondays often do, without much to be troubled by.
Mr. Haight has been known, at least to some, for making "stunt" puzzles, and some reviewers (ahem) have not always been terribly fond of those, but this is a solid Monday, and I'm giving it an enthusiastic thumbs up.
p.s. Hi Bruce!
Sunday, November 6, 2016, Joe DiPietro
IT'S ALL AN ELISION
This theme grew on me. The first one I got was SNOWSURPRISE (40A: A foot on the ground in Phoenix?), quickly followed by STUFFOUTTHERE (23A: "Do your taxidermy on the patio instead!"?), and I thought, Meh. But by the time I got down to SIOUXYOUKNOW (92A: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and that's probably it?) I laughed out loud. That's a funny clue/answer pair! Reviewing all the theme answers now, I guess they're all pretty common phrases. The weakest has got to be SIPTOBESQUARE (113A: Slogan for wine geeks?). I just don't think anyone actually says that, and the clue is even more tortured than the usual wacky-type clue. On the other hand, my second favorite is SOURLITTLESECRET (17D: Mystery ingredient in SweeTarts?). People do say "It's our little secret," and the clue/answer pair is funny!
I guess the whole theme would be a little tighter if Mr. DiPietro had been able to keep answers like SPEDAWAY (12D: Left in a hurry), SCREWS (45D: Pressure, so to speak), and STENT (74A: Surgical tube) out of the grid, but not having any other words start with S seems like it would have been nearly impossible.
My first answer today was NADIR (1A: Point of greatest despair). I thought of it immediately, and figured I'd take a chance. I'll give it a B+ for being kind of a fancy word. But even with that quick start, this one ended up playing a bit long for me, mostly because of the opposite corner, the SE. I had entered "Xfactor" with the same bravado, but this time it didn't hold up. ROQUE (102D: Game with mallets played on a hard-surfaced court) was not known to me, and 78D: Drops to the ground? (LITTERS) was tricky.
Overall, I enjoyed this one after all. EIGHTIRON (52D: Rough choice?) ("sand wedge" also fits) was fun, as was DOUP (3D: Prettify). I'm sure eyes will be rolled at REFIX, REVALUE, and SCARER, but these are small necessary evils. I'm giving it a thumbs up!
Saturday, November 5, 2016, David Phillips
Beautifully thick corners today smash into each other in the center. There, the horizontals are broken up, but two nice vertical pins - FLATRATEBOX (7D: U.S.P.S. option advertised with the slogan "If it fits, it ships" and STREETSMART (21D: Not going by the book?) hold it together nicely. Not the most exciting entries, maybe, but certainly acceptable.
But let's get back to those corners. With the possible exceptions of TIRO (25A: Cicero's longtime servant and scribe), ANTA (37A: Nonprofit Broadway production grp.) (maybe more well-known by those in NYC), and TYNE (8D: Northumberland river), the fill was all good, and sometimes great. Take, for example STARDATE (31D: Enterprise standard). That's an excellent clue for a fun answer. And in that same SW we get SCABBARD (28D: Blade holder), ULTERIOR (30D: Intentionally hidden), and the ever-popular trivia, MONROVIA (29D: Only African capital named after a U.S. president). That's a quality stack!
1A: Take stock? (SHOPLIFT) gets an A-. The deduction is for the question mark. It's Saturday! Why must they cheapen these great clues?! Another such was 52A: Conservationist's field? (PRESERVE). Boy was that a tough one! I so wanted "preservation," but the making of preserves is also a method of conservation... well, ok. Maybe that question mark is more justified, but I still think on Saturday we could live without it.
ICECAP (19A: Martian feature) was tricky, MARINERS (50A: Other than the Nationals, only current Major League Baseball team never to have played in a World Series) was interesting trivia, and COHERER (36D: Device used to detect radio waves) could have been any old word. The only way it was getting entered by me was by getting all the crosses, which, fortunately, I could do.
A quality grid, and an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Friday, November 4, 2016, David Steinberg
One of the youngest puzzle constructors working today gives us a juvenile-ish mini-theme of MARIJUANA-based clues to start this Friday puzzle. First we have 1A: Pot remnant (SHARD) (B), then 6A: Pot part (ANTE), then 10A: Anagram of "pots" (STOP), then simply 15A: Pot (MARIJUANA). Three misleading clues and one that hits the nail right on the head. Or is that just my own juvenile mind skewing what were three perfectly innocent clues? But 1A could have been "ashes," 6A could have been "leaf," and 10A could have been "opts," "tops," or "post." Not that that last one has much to do with the plant.
Other amusingly misleading clues today include 41A: Cutting edge producer (STROP), 31D: Top part of a trunk, for short (PEC) (nice one!), and 19A: Professional boxer? (MOVER). 26D: Caesar dressing? (TOGAS) is ok, too.
I like many of the long Down answers. ABOVEWATER (3D: Solvent), STOWAWAY (36D: Nautical nuisance) (lots of Ws down in that area!), SNOWCRAB (37D: Bright orange seafood delicacy), and SUNDRESS (10D: Informal summer wear) in particular.
The central 15 of HOTSTONEMASSAGE (35A: Spa treatment favored by rock fans?) didn't do much for me, nor did EILAT or JAPED. But EGOBOOSTER, CHEAPDATE, SLOWDANCE, ASKANYONE, and WOWJUSTWOW are all solid. That's a lot of good and not too much bad. Thumbs up!
Thursday, November 3, 2016, Mel Rosen
OK, I finished, but I don't know why we have the AG rebus. Four theme entries, each containing a pair of AG rebuses. And all the downs that run through the rebuses, of course. Is it something having to do with silver? Is it the anniversary of statehood for Nevada? Is it about the Attorney General? ... Let's move on.
1A today is a gross one. I was not familiar with the name "CALFS-foot jelly," but it makes perfect sense that it should be aspic. I had aspic once, many years ago. It was fine. I'll give the answer a B for interestingness. My first (very confident) answer was HELL (10A: Where to go "for the company," per Mark Twain). Frannie and I use that old quote frequently. (The corollary is "Heaven for atmosphere.")
Some nice fill in STEER[AG]E (5D: Inexpensive way to go) (this word will always make me think of Arthur Stieglitz, just as "6A: Draft" meaning SWIG will always make me think of Keats - "O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been / Cool'd a long age in the deep-delvèd earth"), HASHT[AG] (10D: Part of a tweet), and FLORISTS (37D: Glad handlers?) (gladiola, I presume), and some TIRED fill in IONE, AVEO, CANA, ATVS, and TAUS. I actually kind of enjoyed OJAI (36A: City whose name sounds like a surprised greeting),
but I'm not sure what to make of the strange pair of SALTII (6D: Carter/Brezhnev pact) and JAMESII (49A: English king deposed in the Glorious Revolution). BTW, I'm so nul in English history that I needed both crosses to get the number. For those of you as uninformed as me, there were two King Jameses in England. James I and James II. In Scotland, however, there were six of them, but don't get too sure of yourself, because the last Scottish King James became James I of England. Egad…
And speaking of "egad," I did not love ENTRAIN (sorry, Dad), EDERLE, LEGGO, or ABYSM (66A: "In the dark backward and ____ of time?": Shak.) (huh?).
So overall, I don't understand the raison d'être of the theme, and there's a lot I don't particularly love in the fill… so I guess that - even though I love a rebus - I will not give this one a thumbs up.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016, Andrew Kingsley
Another African capital learned today, N'Djamena, CHAD, but it was not my first entry - that was JAM (9A: Printer problem). I give 1A a B for geographic reasons. Off of CHAD, however, we get one fine answer, CROWN (1D: Feature of the Budweiser logo), and three slightly obscure answers, HATHA (2D: Kind of yoga), ARBYS (3D: "We have the meats" chain), and DESICA (4D: "Two Women" director). Why do we get these? Because the first part of the theme starts with "whyi:" WHYISARAVENLIKE AWRITINGDESK?
I read Alice in Wonderland and loved it, but I did not remember this riddle, which is apparently quite famous. Googling it brings up a lot, including this puzzle's given answer, BECAUSEPOEWROTE ONBOTHOFTHEM, which was (without the final "of them") the creation of Sam Loyd, a man once called "America's greatest puzzler" by Scientific American. He is also credited with this alternate answer: "Because the notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes." Not bad, but harder, perhaps, to squeeze into a 15x15 grid.
So there's the theme. Quote answers are often opaque, and not our favorites, but the inclusion of the "Mad Hatter riddle" detail might have been enough for some solvers. Not for me.
The fill strains in several areas, with NOGS, AOK, SWEE, and SURER. The cross of TEENER (49A: Typical user of a transistor radio) (really??) and ERAGON (27D: First novel in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle) was my last square, and I wouldn't be surprised if others finished there, too. TEENER?! Sure, I put a transistor under my pillow so I could listen to the ballgames back in the '70s, but has any other teenager used a transistor radio in the past decade? Would any know how to operate one?...
Still, I liked the riddle and its answer, and I enjoyed MILKDUD (I'm still working through that Halloween candy!), TEACOZY (Could, perhaps, have been tied to the theme), DEMEAN (tried "DEMote"), and a few other bits. On balance, thumbs up.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, Ruth Bloomfield Margolin
An odd, rhyming theme today, with a pentad of absurd "possessive country" combinations. TOGOSLOGOS (15A: Commercial symbols in Lomé), which is interesting for exposing many of us to the capital city of Togo, and YEMENSLEMONS (19A: Basis of a refreshing Mideast beverage?), which may or may not be interesting because of the existence of a fruit called the Yemenite citron, which contains no juice vesicles in its segments. Sooo.... not that refreshing a beverage. FRANCESDANCES (36A: Gavotte, minuet and cancan?) is probably my favorite of the answers, both for its reference to France and its alternate reading of "Frances dances," ("Actress McDormand does a slow waltz?").
Another odd feature of this grid is that below the top and above the bottom theme answers, we have a non-theme answer of the exact same length. ALLOSAURUS (18A: Reptile at the top of the Jurassic food chain) is a nice answer. When I was little, I would pit the allosaurus figurine against a t-rex, and when I read this clue I wondered how allosaurus had been declared the top of the food chain, but in reality, the two animals were not on earth at the same time. Ol' T-Rexy wouldn't show up for nearly 100 million years after the last allosaurus keeled over. Still, had they been able to fight, I think the T-Rex would have won.
So anyway... Looking around the grid, I see such colorful answers as SNEEZY, CRIMESPREES, MOUSY, and INNERBEAUTY. And I like the multiple-word entries like ISAYSO, INHERE, TINEAR, and TOPHAT. Those are always slightly more difficult for me to see. I also see bits of glue, like ANIL, AMBI, THOS, and ACA, but overall, I give this odd duck a thumbs up.
INCH (1A: Tailor's unit) I give a C+. I tried "yard" at first, and its incorrectness made EBOLA (5A: African virus) my first correct entry.
Before I go, I'd like to thank Colum for a very entertaining month of puzzle reviews. To me, it really felt like he was firing on all cylinders most of the time. Here's hoping I can step up my game to continue that kind of quality. And maybe, just maybe, we'll get Frannie back in December.
Rabbit, Rabbit, readers. Happy November!
Saturday, November 19, 2016, Mary Lou Guizzo and J...
Thursday, November 17, 2016, Timothy Polin and Joe...
Thursday, November 10, 2016, Jonathan M. Kaye and ...


text:
Q: how to create read only user in activeMQ web console I'm trying to create a read only user in activeMQ console, I found this and this too.  the second post from stackoverflow is not helpful because it deployed the web console to an external server. The second page from pivotal looks promising and I tried with activeMQ version 5.14.1 but it didn't work too. activeMQ didn't even start whenever I try accessing the console with the user/password specified for read only user I get !role error.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!

A: found the answer in here I had to change class="org.eclipse.jetty.http.security.Constraint" to class="org.eclipse.jetty.util.security.Constraint" in step number 1

A: Links to Pivotal are dead. For those who want a simple solution you can change these lines from jetty.xml :
<bean id="securityConstraintMapping" class="org.eclipse.jetty.security.ConstraintMapping">
    <property name="constraint" ref="securityConstraint" />
    <property name="pathSpec" value="/api/*,/admin/*,*.jsp" />
</bean>
<bean id="adminSecurityConstraintMapping" class="org.eclipse.jetty.security.ConstraintMapping">
    <property name="constraint" ref="adminSecurityConstraint" />
    <property name="pathSpec" value="*.action" />
</bean>

to
<bean id="securityConstraintMapping" class="org.eclipse.jetty.security.ConstraintMapping">
    <property name="constraint" ref="securityConstraint" />
    <property name="pathSpec" value="/api/*,*.jsp,*.html,*.png,*.css,/admin/js/*" />
</bean>
<bean id="adminSecurityConstraintMapping" class="org.eclipse.jetty.security.ConstraintMapping">
    <property name="constraint" ref="adminSecurityConstraint" />
    <property name="pathSpec" value="*.action" />
</bean>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
#ifndef STK_STK_H
#define STK_STK_H

#include <string>
#include <cstring>
#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <vector>
//#include <cstdlib>

/*! \namespace stk
    \brief The STK namespace.

    Most Stk classes are defined within the STK namespace.  Exceptions
    to this include the classes RtAudio and RtMidi.
*/
namespace stk {

/***************************************************/
/*! \class Stk
    \brief STK base class

    Nearly all STK classes inherit from this class.
    The global sample rate and rawwave path variables
    can be queried and modified via Stk.  In addition,
    this class provides error handling and
    byte-swapping functions.

    The Synthesis ToolKit in C++ (STK) is a set of open source audio
    signal processing and algorithmic synthesis classes written in the
    C++ programming language. STK was designed to facilitate rapid
    development of music synthesis and audio processing software, with
    an emphasis on cross-platform functionality, realtime control,
    ease of use, and educational example code.  STK currently runs
    with realtime support (audio and MIDI) on Linux, Macintosh OS X,
    and Windows computer platforms. Generic, non-realtime support has
    been tested under NeXTStep, Sun, and other platforms and should
    work with any standard C++ compiler.

    STK WWW site: http://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/stk/

    The Synthesis ToolKit in C++ (STK)
    Copyright (c) 1995--2014 Perry R. Cook and Gary P. Scavone

    Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
    obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files
    (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction,
    including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
    publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software,
    and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
    subject to the following conditions:

    The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
    included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

    Any person wishing to distribute modifications to the Software is
    asked to send the modifications to the original developer so that
    they can be incorporated into the canonical version.  This is,
    however, not a binding provision of this license.

    THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
    EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
    MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
    IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR
    ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF
    CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
    WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
*/
/***************************************************/

//#define _STK_DEBUG_

// Most data in STK is passed and calculated with the
// following user-definable floating-point type.  You
// can change this to "float" if you prefer or perhaps
// a "long double" in the future.
typedef float StkFloat;

//! STK error handling class.
/*!
  This is a fairly abstract exception handling class.  There could
  be sub-classes to take care of more specific error conditions ... or
  not.
*/
class StkError
{
public:
  enum Type {
    STATUS,
    WARNING,
    DEBUG_PRINT,
    MEMORY_ALLOCATION,
    MEMORY_ACCESS,
    FUNCTION_ARGUMENT,
    FILE_NOT_FOUND,
    FILE_UNKNOWN_FORMAT,
    FILE_ERROR,
    PROCESS_THREAD,
    PROCESS_SOCKET,
    PROCESS_SOCKET_IPADDR,
    AUDIO_SYSTEM,
    MIDI_SYSTEM,
    UNSPECIFIED
  };

protected:
  std::string message_;
  Type type_;

public:
  //! The constructor.
  StkError(const std::string& message, Type type = StkError::UNSPECIFIED)
    : message_(message), type_(type) {}

  //! The destructor.
  virtual ~StkError(void) {};

  //! Prints thrown error message to stderr.
  virtual void printMessage(void) { std::cerr << '\n' << message_ << "\n\n"; }

  //! Returns the thrown error message type.
  virtual const Type& getType(void) { return type_; }

  //! Returns the thrown error message string.
  virtual const std::string& getMessage(void) { return message_; }

  //! Returns the thrown error message as a C string.
  virtual const char *getMessageCString(void) { return message_.c_str(); }
};

class Stk
{
public:

  typedef unsigned long StkFormat;
  static const StkFormat STK_SINT8;   /*!< -128 to +127 */
  static const StkFormat STK_SINT16;  /*!< -32768 to +32767 */
  static const StkFormat STK_SINT24;  /*!< Lower 3 bytes of 32-bit signed integer. */
  static const StkFormat STK_SINT32;  /*!< -2147483648 to +2147483647. */
  static const StkFormat STK_FLOAT32; /*!< Normalized between plus/minus 1.0. */
  static const StkFormat STK_FLOAT64; /*!< Normalized between plus/minus 1.0. */

  //! Static method that returns the current STK sample rate.
  static StkFloat sampleRate( void ) { return srate_; }

  //! Static method that sets the STK sample rate.
  /*!
    The sample rate set using this method is queried by all STK
    classes that depend on its value.  It is initialized to the
    default SRATE set in Stk.h.  Many STK classes use the sample rate
    during instantiation.  Therefore, if you wish to use a rate that
    is different from the default rate, it is imperative that it be
    set \e BEFORE STK objects are instantiated.  A few classes that
    make use of the global STK sample rate are automatically notified
    when the rate changes so that internal class data can be
    appropriately updated.  However, this has not been fully
    implemented.  Specifically, classes that appropriately update
    their own data when either a setFrequency() or noteOn() function
    is called do not currently receive the automatic notification of
    rate change.  If the user wants a specific class instance to
    ignore such notifications, perhaps in a multi-rate context, the
    function Stk::ignoreSampleRateChange() should be called.
  */
  static void setSampleRate( StkFloat rate );

  //! A function to enable/disable the automatic updating of class data when the STK sample rate changes.
  /*!
    This function allows the user to enable or disable class data
    updates in response to global sample rate changes on a class by
    class basis.
  */
  void ignoreSampleRateChange( bool ignore = true ) { ignoreSampleRateChange_ = ignore; };

  //! Static method that returns the current rawwave path.
  static std::string rawwavePath(void) { return rawwavepath_; }

  //! Static method that sets the STK rawwave path.
  static void setRawwavePath( std::string path );

  //! Static method that byte-swaps a 16-bit data type.
  static void swap16( unsigned char *ptr );

  //! Static method that byte-swaps a 32-bit data type.
  static void swap32( unsigned char *ptr );

  //! Static method that byte-swaps a 64-bit data type.
  static void swap64( unsigned char *ptr );

  //! Static cross-platform method to sleep for a number of milliseconds.
  static void sleep( unsigned long milliseconds );

  //! Static method to check whether a value is within a specified range.
  static bool inRange( StkFloat value, StkFloat min, StkFloat max ) {
    if ( value < min ) return false;
    else if ( value > max ) return false;
    else return true;
  }

  //! Static function for error reporting and handling using c-strings.
  static void handleError( const char *message, StkError::Type type );

  //! Static function for error reporting and handling using c++ strings.
  static void handleError( std::string message, StkError::Type type );

  //! Toggle display of WARNING and STATUS messages.
  static void showWarnings( bool status ) { showWarnings_ = status; }

  //! Toggle display of error messages before throwing exceptions.
  static void printErrors( bool status ) { printErrors_ = status; }

private:
  static StkFloat srate_;
  static std::string rawwavepath_;
  static bool showWarnings_;
  static bool printErrors_;
  static std::vector<Stk *> alertList_;

protected:

  static std::ostringstream oStream_;
  bool ignoreSampleRateChange_;

  //! Default constructor.
  Stk( void );

  //! Class destructor.
  virtual ~Stk( void );

  //! This function should be implemented in subclasses that depend on the sample rate.
  virtual void sampleRateChanged( StkFloat newRate, StkFloat oldRate );

  //! Add class pointer to list for sample rate change notification.
  void addSampleRateAlert( Stk *ptr );

  //! Remove class pointer from list for sample rate change notification.
  void removeSampleRateAlert( Stk *ptr );

  //! Internal function for error reporting that assumes message in \c oStream_ variable.
  void handleError( StkError::Type type ) const;
};

/***************************************************/
/*! \class StkFrames
    \brief An STK class to handle vectorized audio data.

    This class can hold single- or multi-channel audio data.  The data
    type is always StkFloat and the channel format is always
    interleaved.  In an effort to maintain efficiency, no
    out-of-bounds checks are performed in this class unless
    _STK_DEBUG_ is defined.

    Internally, the data is stored in a one-dimensional C array.  An
    indexing operator is available to set and retrieve data values.
    Alternately, one can use pointers to access the data, using the
    index operator to get an address for a particular location in the
    data:

      StkFloat* ptr = &myStkFrames[0];

    Note that this class can also be used as a table with interpolating
    lookup.

    Possible future improvements in this class could include functions
    to convert to and return other data types.

    by Perry R. Cook and Gary P. Scavone, 1995--2014.
*/
/***************************************************/

class StkFrames
{
public:

  //! The default constructor initializes the frame data structure to size zero.
  StkFrames( unsigned int nFrames = 0, unsigned int nChannels = 0 );

  //! Overloaded constructor that initializes the frame data to the specified size with \c value.
  StkFrames( const StkFloat& value, unsigned int nFrames, unsigned int nChannels );

  //! The destructor.
  ~StkFrames();

  // A copy constructor.
  StkFrames( const StkFrames& f );

  // Assignment operator that returns a reference to self.
  StkFrames& operator= ( const StkFrames& f );

  //! Subscript operator that returns a reference to element \c n of self.
  /*!
    The result can be used as an lvalue. This reference is valid
    until the resize function is called or the array is destroyed. The
    index \c n must be between 0 and size less one.  No range checking
    is performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is defined.
  */
  StkFloat& operator[] ( size_t n );

  //! Subscript operator that returns the value at element \c n of self.
  /*!
    The index \c n must be between 0 and size less one.  No range
    checking is performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is defined.
  */
  StkFloat operator[] ( size_t n ) const;

  //! Assignment by sum operator into self.
  /*!
    The dimensions of the argument are expected to be the same as
    self.  No range checking is performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is
    defined.
  */
  void operator+= ( StkFrames& f );

  //! Assignment by product operator into self.
  /*!
    The dimensions of the argument are expected to be the same as
    self.  No range checking is performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is
    defined.
  */
  void operator*= ( StkFrames& f );

  //! Channel / frame subscript operator that returns a reference.
  /*!
    The result can be used as an lvalue. This reference is valid
    until the resize function is called or the array is destroyed. The
    \c frame index must be between 0 and frames() - 1.  The \c channel
    index must be between 0 and channels() - 1.  No range checking is
    performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is defined.
  */
  StkFloat& operator() ( size_t frame, unsigned int channel );

  //! Channel / frame subscript operator that returns a value.
  /*!
    The \c frame index must be between 0 and frames() - 1.  The \c
    channel index must be between 0 and channels() - 1.  No range checking
    is performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is defined.
  */
  StkFloat operator() ( size_t frame, unsigned int channel ) const;

  //! Return an interpolated value at the fractional frame index and channel.
  /*!
    This function performs linear interpolation.  The \c frame
    index must be between 0.0 and frames() - 1.  The \c channel index
    must be between 0 and channels() - 1.  No range checking is
    performed unless _STK_DEBUG_ is defined.
  */
  StkFloat interpolate( StkFloat frame, unsigned int channel = 0 ) const;

  //! Returns the total number of audio samples represented by the object.
  size_t size() const { return size_; };

  //! Returns \e true if the object size is zero and \e false otherwise.
  bool empty() const;

  //! Resize self to represent the specified number of channels and frames.
  /*!
    Changes the size of self based on the number of frames and
    channels.  No element assignment is performed.  No memory
    deallocation occurs if the new size is smaller than the previous
    size.  Further, no new memory is allocated when the new size is
    smaller or equal to a previously allocated size.
  */
  void resize( size_t nFrames, unsigned int nChannels = 1 );

  //! Resize self to represent the specified number of channels and frames and perform element initialization.
  /*!
    Changes the size of self based on the number of frames and
    channels, and assigns \c value to every element.  No memory
    deallocation occurs if the new size is smaller than the previous
    size.  Further, no new memory is allocated when the new size is
    smaller or equal to a previously allocated size.
  */
  void resize( size_t nFrames, unsigned int nChannels, StkFloat value );

  //! Return the number of channels represented by the data.
  unsigned int channels( void ) const { return nChannels_; };

  //! Return the number of sample frames represented by the data.
  unsigned int frames( void ) const { return (unsigned int)nFrames_; };

  //! Set the sample rate associated with the StkFrames data.
  /*!
    By default, this value is set equal to the current STK sample
    rate at the time of instantiation.
   */
  void setDataRate( StkFloat rate ) { dataRate_ = rate; };

  //! Return the sample rate associated with the StkFrames data.
  /*!
    By default, this value is set equal to the current STK sample
    rate at the time of instantiation.
   */
  StkFloat dataRate( void ) const { return dataRate_; };

private:

  StkFloat *data_;
  StkFloat dataRate_;
  size_t nFrames_;
  unsigned int nChannels_;
  size_t size_;
  size_t bufferSize_;

};

inline bool StkFrames :: empty() const
{
  if ( size_ > 0 ) return false;
  else return true;
}

inline StkFloat& StkFrames :: operator[] ( size_t n )
{
#if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
  if ( n >= size_ ) {
    std::ostringstream error;
    error << "StkFrames::operator[]: invalid index (" << n << ") value!";
    Stk::handleError( error.str(), StkError::MEMORY_ACCESS );
  }
#endif

  return data_[n];
}

inline StkFloat StkFrames :: operator[] ( size_t n ) const
{
#if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
  if ( n >= size_ ) {
    std::ostringstream error;
    error << "StkFrames::operator[]: invalid index (" << n << ") value!";
    Stk::handleError( error.str(), StkError::MEMORY_ACCESS );
  }
#endif

  return data_[n];
}

inline StkFloat& StkFrames :: operator() ( size_t frame, unsigned int channel )
{
#if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
  if ( frame >= nFrames_ || channel >= nChannels_ ) {
    std::ostringstream error;
    error << "StkFrames::operator(): invalid frame (" << frame << ") or channel (" << channel << ") value!";
    Stk::handleError( error.str(), StkError::MEMORY_ACCESS );
  }
#endif

  return data_[ frame * nChannels_ + channel ];
}

inline StkFloat StkFrames :: operator() ( size_t frame, unsigned int channel ) const
{
#if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
  if ( frame >= nFrames_ || channel >= nChannels_ ) {
    std::ostringstream error;
    error << "StkFrames::operator(): invalid frame (" << frame << ") or channel (" << channel << ") value!";
    Stk::handleError( error.str(), StkError::MEMORY_ACCESS );
  }
#endif

  return data_[ frame * nChannels_ + channel ];
}

inline void StkFrames :: operator+= ( StkFrames& f )
{
#if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
  if ( f.frames() != nFrames_ || f.channels() != nChannels_ ) {
    std::ostringstream error;
    error << "StkFrames::operator+=: frames argument must be of equal dimensions!";
    Stk::handleError( error.str(), StkError::MEMORY_ACCESS );
  }
#endif

  StkFloat *fptr = &f[0];
  StkFloat *dptr = data_;
  for ( unsigned int i=0; i<size_; i++ )
    *dptr++ += *fptr++;
}

inline void StkFrames :: operator*= ( StkFrames& f )
{
#if defined(_STK_DEBUG_)
  if ( f.frames() != nFrames_ || f.channels() != nChannels_ ) {
    std::ostringstream error;
    error << "StkFrames::operator*=: frames argument must be of equal dimensions!";
    Stk::handleError( error.str(), StkError::MEMORY_ACCESS );
  }
#endif

  StkFloat *fptr = &f[0];
  StkFloat *dptr = data_;
  for ( unsigned int i=0; i<size_; i++ )
    *dptr++ *= *fptr++;
}

// Here are a few other useful typedefs.
typedef unsigned short UINT16;
typedef unsigned int UINT32;
typedef signed short SINT16;
typedef signed int SINT32;
typedef float FLOAT32;
typedef double FLOAT64;

// The default sampling rate.
const StkFloat SRATE = 44100.0;

// The default real-time audio input and output buffer size.  If
// clicks are occuring in the input and/or output sound stream, a
// larger buffer size may help.  Larger buffer sizes, however, produce
// more latency.
const unsigned int RT_BUFFER_SIZE = 512;

// The default rawwave path value is set with the preprocessor
// definition RAWWAVE_PATH.  This can be specified as an argument to
// the configure script, in an integrated development environment, or
// below.  The global STK rawwave path variable can be dynamically set
// with the Stk::setRawwavePath() function.  This value is
// concatenated to the beginning of all references to rawwave files in
// the various STK core classes (ex. Clarinet.cpp).  If you wish to
// move the rawwaves directory to a different location in your file
// system, you will need to set this path definition appropriately.
#if !defined(RAWWAVE_PATH)
  #define RAWWAVE_PATH "../../rawwaves/"
#endif

const StkFloat PI           = 3.14159265358979;
const StkFloat TWO_PI       = 2 * PI;
const StkFloat ONE_OVER_128 = 0.0078125;

#if defined(__WINDOWS_DS__) || defined(__WINDOWS_ASIO__) || defined(__WINDOWS_MM__)
  #define __OS_WINDOWS__
  #define __STK_REALTIME__
#elif defined(__LINUX_OSS__) || defined(__LINUX_ALSA__) || defined(__UNIX_JACK__)
  #define __OS_LINUX__
  #define __STK_REALTIME__
#elif defined(__IRIX_AL__)
  #define __OS_IRIX__
#elif defined(__MACOSX_CORE__) || defined(__UNIX_JACK__)
  #define __OS_MACOSX__
  #define __STK_REALTIME__
#endif

} // stk namespace

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


For us, health is the most precious thing and we work daily so our clients can count with it.
We work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and we offer air medical services worldwide.
We have the experience, the equipment, the medical crew, and the ambulances on ground to provide safer international service.
We also offer organ transport services.
We are proud to have a team willing to save lives. Every second counts, we are ready to serve you.


Who are society's forgotten cops?
It was mid-afternoon on another usually busy day at my office. My phone rang a few times — it was one of my old co-workers from the Toronto Jail, most widely known as the Don Jail. I knew he was now retired and hasn't been well for a while, so I was happy to hear from him.
It's Tuesday morning, about 9:00 a.m. and I just made it in to work at my office downtown Toronto.


 What happens after wildlife control exterminators get rid of bats?
What happens after wildlife control exterminators get rid of bats?
The answer to this question will very much depend on where you live, what species of bat your wildlife control exterminator has successfully managed to get rid of, and how much of a successful job was done on the property.
1 - The building is inspected for signs of bats, bat entry points, bat damage, bat guano, and potential future danger spots.
2 - The wildlife control exterminator will use exclusion devices in the fall on one, two, or three or the larger entry points, sealing up the smaller ones with durable materials.
3 - The wildlife control exterminator will check the exclusion devices over a period of five to seven days/nights. Not all bats will leave the roost on the first night, and they won't all head out to find food at the same time either. This "staggered" job ensures that you leave enough time for all bats to be evicted.
4 - Only when all bats have been evicted will the control exterminator then remove the exclusion devices and seal up the holes, using durable and long-lasting materials once again.
5 - He or she will then go inside the building, checking for guano and other signs of bats. These will need to be removed. Any residual biological matter will attract other pests, including rodents and flies, and could also re-attract other bats, encouraging them to find another place to break in that you perhaps haven't noticed yet.
6 - Bat guano must be removed thoroughly and properly, using a combination of cleaning agents. Poop can't be swept away, but must be vacuumed away. This prevents the spread of airborne diseases, such as histoplasmosis.
This process is essential for making sure all bats are removed, and also that they can't come back and cause you a problem again too.
Trap them — it is actually illegal to trap bats in most states and it isn't the most effective bat removal solution. It would take you a lifetime to trap and remove an entire colony of bats, one by one or a few at a time.
Kill them — it is also illegal to kill bats in most states. Again, this isn't an effective form of bat removal and usually results in many dead bats lying around in the depths of your home that you will then need to locate and remove. By using poison or other killing methods to remove bats from a building, you are, once again, causing more problems than you'll be solving.
Repel them — there are NO long-term repellents that work to keep bats out. You can use lights to move bats from a particular spot, short-term, but you can't keep the lights on that particular area all the time. As soon as the light is turned off, the bats will just come right back. The same can be said for virtually every rat repellent you'll come across. None of them work. They also don't seal up the building, which means it'll still be vulnerable to nuisance wildlife attacks. Go back to the Bat Removal page, or learn about bats in the attic with my Bats in the Attic guide.


Am Fam Physician. 2007 Dec 15;76(12):1878-1880.
In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics revised guidelines for the prevention of perinatal group B streptococci (GBS) disease, which included recommending that health care professionals screen patients to identify candidates for prophylaxis. The CDC has reviewed surveillance data to compare the rates of neonatal and pregnancy-related GBS disease before and after the new guideline was released. Data were reviewed from the two years before (2000 to 2001) and after (2003 to 2005) the publication of the guideline revisions.
From 2003 to 2005, the average incidence of early-onset neonatal GBS disease was 33 percent less than in the pre–guideline revision period; however, although the incidence decreased steadily among white infants between 2003 and 2005, it increased by 70 percent during the same period in black infants. In the years after the guideline revisions, rates of pregnancy-related and late-onset neonatal GBS disease remained stable compared with baseline rates.
Although further research is needed, the authors conclude that these data highlight the need for strategies to reduce the rate of neonatal GBS disease among black infants, evaluation of missed opportunities for prevention, and continued monitoring of disease trends.


There are numerous Social Media Platforms available that serve different purposes and are more attuned to different audiences. The advantage of most social media platforms is that you can create quick updates instead of more formal, time-consuming messages like crafted parent letters. Many out-of-school time staff find the easiest ways to use social media is simply to keep the apps on their phone so they can share highlights from their program as they are organically popping up. Most of the social media platforms are integrated so that you can easily post the same content across multiple platforms with the click of a button.
Creating unique hashtags or using ones from a greater movement, are a great way to build momentum for a specific event, idea or as a way to incorporate advocacy into your program. For example, images from your Lights on Afterschool event can be posted to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and/or Twitter with the use of #LightsOnAfterschool, adding your voice to the greater trend.
Be aware of your organization's policies on the use of social media. Pay particular attention to ensure that youth have written photo/media releases that give permission for you to use pictures of them in promotions and be aware of any youth who are not permitted. Additionally, most social media accounts require a minimum user age, often 13 years or older.
One of the original social media platform used widely by both youth and parents. Most programs would consider this the go-to platform that they would use before any other, as it is so widely used. Facebook offers special pages for organizations in which events, pictures and videos, donations and more can be posted.
Allows users to post pictures and images. This is a great way to quickly share images of what is happening in your program on a day to day basis. Instagram is integrated with Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Users can create different boards and "pin" images that also serve as bookmarks. It is a great tool for providers in planning, as they can pin ideas for activities. In terms of advocacy and outreach, there are many out-of-school time and education infographics available.
Allows users to share photos and videos with many fun add-on features like photo captions, stickers and filters. Images disappear after a few seconds, unless the user takes a screen shot. Users can build a "story" where they have a collection of images that play in a row for a day. Snapchat normally allows users to send pictures to individuals, where they can open a chat dialogue. For organizations, this feature can be turned off if you would like to use it just to share images one-way. Snapchat is currently one of the top-preferred platform with youth.
Share fun updates of program activities. Quickly inform followers of time-sensitive information, such as inclement weather updates. Use Twitter to generate momentum behind advocacy movements such as Lights on Afterschool.
From the National Afterschool Association, with support from Google, The Afterschool Tech Toolkit aims to empower afterschool professionals and educators with strategies and training so they can provide students with powerful access to technology outside of classroom hours. The available toolkit modules can help you reflect, plan and prepare to embed technology into your current programming so you can support all the students you serve. Professional Development trainings are also offered.
Bloomz: A multi-functional communication app designed for educators that allows OST site directors or instructors to directly text-message parents and send e-mails of pictures and videos. Users can create program calendars, set up meetings, and request volunteer support. Additionally, Bloomz has behavior management that can be shared with parents.
Mail Chimp: Mailchimp is a marketing tool that can be used by educators to send mass e-mails and beautifully crafted newsletters. Users with 2,000 or fewer subscribers can send up to 12,000 emails per month for free.
Edublogs: A WordPress powered tool, primarily used for classroom blogs, designed specifically with themes, and plugins that are just for education. Additionally, there is a community of educators that offer articles on how Edublogs has been successfully utilized.
Weeby: A beginner-friendly website builder that uses a drag and drop design. Weebly offers Weebly for Education, a free tool specifically designed for teachers to create classroom sites, as well as allowing for students to make sites and submit projects.


Cochin Shipyard Limited invited applications for recruitment to the post for Project Officers in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Civil, Instrumentation, Information Technology, and Information Technology (SAP). The candidates eligible for the post can apply in the prescribed format on or before 28 February 2017.
Mechanical/Electrical/Electronics/Civil/Instrumentation: Degree in Mechanical /Electrical /Electronics/Civil/Instrumentation Engineering with 60% of marks from a recognized University. Candidate should have Minimum of two years post qualification experience/ training in a Shipyard/ Port/ Marine Engineering Training Institute/Heavy Engineering Company.
Information Technology: Engineering Degree in Computer Science/ Information Technology or Masters Degree in Computer Science/Computer Application/Information Technology with 60% of marks from a recognized University. Minimum of two years post qualification experience/training in a Shipyard/ Port/ Marine Engineering Training Institute/Heavy Engineering Company/ Government/ Public Sector Undertakings/Banks/Private Sector Companies/ Autonomous Bodies.
Information Technology (SAP): Engineering Degree in Computer Science/ Information Technology or Masters Degree in Computer Science/Computer Application/Information Technology with 60% of marks from a recognized University. Minimum of two years post qualification experience/training in SAP HCM &EP modules in a Shipyard/ Port/ Marine Engineering Training Institute/Heavy Engineering Company/ Government/ Public Sector Undertakings/Banks/Private Sector Companies/ Autonomous Bodies.
Selection will be done through the Personal Interview to be held at Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi.
Eligible candidates can apply online through the official website along with the application fee. The last date of application is 28 February 2017.


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While in a special edition, there are many other features like the player can get more frequently gems and much more. Shadow Fight 2 is easy to play but hard to master! Get a lot of gems through battles and make your arsenal even larger! Once you start playing the game, we bet you can control yourself from getting addicted to this masterpiece. I really appreciate that thank you. But we beg to differ. Since the mod version went into the market, it becomes popular with its freeware features and lots of unlimited packages. You can download shadow fight 2 special edition for iPhone from the below links. Initially, the project was released in the Play Market as a free application, which of course imposed its own characteristics.
The continues game series came across after you have completed the game. Walk through the Gates of Shadows into the dangerous world full of memorable fights and brave heroes. Get a lot of gems through battles and make your arsenal even more larger! Finally, We hope you like this article; we also try to make video tutor for more visualisation with this game. Jump into the fray anytime and anywhere you want! The problem may arise sometimes if you have installed an old version of the app. Continuing the game themes of its forerunner and the fight between two layers begin as an unarmed shadow. Get ready to fight the shadow! But, the thing is that you can use special edition with only premium pack.
But is that modification possible in case of Shadow fight 2? When a character holds a weapon in his hand, Fist automatically switches to the Weapon button. From this guideline, you can easily install the mod apk in your Android device. Click the above button to Start Downloading the. Once you win at any level, you earned some gold reward to buy or upgrade your weapons or magic skills. Features of Shadow Fight 2: — No Ads! Note: If you have already install Shadow Fight 2 game then, you have to uninstall the older version first.
You can download the Shadow Fight 2 special edition mod apk file from below. Revised management and more balanced balance makes the gameplay even more interesting and exciting. Shadow Fight 2 Special Edition game enables you to equip your personality with innumerable deadly weapons and rare armor sets, and features dozens of lifelike-animated fighting styles techniques! If the download speed extraordinary getting slow, you could use another mirror links for quick download. You can download and install within a few minutes with the help of given installation guidelines. To win your fights, you may have access to totally different weapons and kit, however, you may even be ready to upgrade your skills and be higher each time. Crush your enemies, humiliate demon bosses, and also become the one to close the forefront of Shadows.
Win several gems by fighting fights and stuff your arsenal! Shadow Fight 2 is easy to play but hard to master! Undoubtedly, you will be mesmerized. Shadow Fight 2 is easy to play but hard to master! A world that solely associate audacious human will free. Can completely use their own combat methods and strategies to defeat the opponent, that sense of accomplishment is not a general fighting game can give you. It's newest and latest version of Shadow Fight 2 Special Edition 1. Gather a huge arsenal of lethal weapons, combine your gear and upgrade dozens of skills and moves! Jump into the fray anytime and anywhere you want! You have unlimited power to fight with your opponents.
Also, you can get quick gems and much more from the paid pack. Also read: Shadow Fight 2 Special Edition v1. You can also play Shadow Fight 2 game on your Windows smartphone. The shadow fight game is easy to play with smooth interface. Gather a huge arsenal of lethal weapons, combine your gear and upgrade dozens of skills and moves! In the introduction to the game, the narrator reveals that he was a real fighter. Have the best gaming experience ever! The download links redirect you to iTunes store for direct download links. The sensei in a sense martial arts teacher.


Managing automated messaging campaigns is even easier with our new start and end dates. Instead of manually starting and ending a campaign, set dates to start and end your campaign automatically.
We also updated the Messages Overview for Automation with new statuses and action controls.
Pending: The message start date and time has not yet occurred.
Completed: The message end date and time has passed.
Active and Paused statuses are unchanged.
Play/Pause = Toggle message status. Changes the message status to Active or Paused.
Trash can = Cancel the message. Changes the message status to inactive and deletes it from the message list. Related reporting data is also deleted.
In the dashboard, set the start and end times in the Delivery step of the Automation workflow. One or both may be set.
In the API, include activation_time and deactivation_time in the pipeline object.