ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ FANTASY ISLAND]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ FANTASY ISLAND]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
If you found the theme to this puzzle a bit baffling, you probably missed this viral video. Click away and prepare to take you jaw off the floor.
Changing the topic, good ole’ BEQ appeared in the news once again yesterday. It’s in Tim Kurkjian’s article about Web Gems in the latest issue of ESPN the Magazine. Course my name was written in code. And by “code” I mean it was just the date of the New York Times crossword that yours truly wrote that had the entry WEB GEMS in it. Let’s get to it:
“The clue to 14 Down in the New York Times crossword puzzle on Nov. 11, 2006 is ‘Baseball Tonight segment featuring day’s best defensive plays,'” said Burch. “The answer is Web Gems. I knew it was legitimate then. That crossword is framed in my house.”
Gotta first accentuate the positive: at least Will Shortz didn’t get all the credit for that one. This might be the first time Will’s name wasn’t mentioned in connection with the Times crossword. But, come on people, acknowledge the writer, will ya?
Back when I made that puzzle, my old roommate and I had this almost nightly routine. After he’d get off work waiting tables, we’d meet at the local for a nightcap, and then saunter back for Baseball Tonight highlights. Mike (still is) was a massive baseball nut, and so since we were roommates, that meant I followed baseball by extension. I’m not much for sitting through a whole nine innings, but the highlights were entertaining. Must have thought WEB GEMS was a winning entry while watching that show. Hence: that puzzle. Gotta love that AQUARIA and AQUATIC crossing in the NW. Sheesh.
Share the puzzle. New one on Friday.
Did 62A make his pronouncement 8 days too early?
Sorry … 7 days too early? My math skillz haven’t been activated yet today.
Most fun I’ve had solving in a long time. Course that’s helped by the most bizarre rambling by a public official in a long time.
Learned Chickamauga.
Great, timely puzzle.
Wow, I don’t understand even the *idea* behind the HJ quote. Was this “news?” I’ve been watching baseball.
Still, medium, yes.
You can understand why people are confused. If you click on your link it says:
Author: Brendan Emmett Quigley / Will Shortz
Looks like it was co-written by you two. It goes without saying that this shouldn’t happen.
The link took me to proper video…and it’s well worth it. I’d only heard a portion on the radio.
Hmm, I’m getting pretty good at these ” Mediums.” Second one in a row I finished correctly. Great theme. Yeah, that’s what happens when you send too many Marines to an island. They all gather in one spot. The island capsizes and we submariners have to come rescue them.
It’s so comforting to know that we have such brilliant minds in congress. At least Hank didn’t say the deployed Marines would sail off the end of the earth before they reached Guam. Lol. What a dipshit !
Hey Elaine, I trust you got through this one yes? We had to have lots of helpful crosses thought.
“Good night. Mrs. Haitch. We’ll dance again some Somerset Maugham.” — John Lennon
The first time I saw that vid was on 4/1, and my first thought was the same as yours — until I realized the video was (at that point) a week old.
The original ‘Siamese twins’–Eng and CHANG! (They married two sisters.) Battle of CHICKAMAUGA! Derek JETER! BARBARO (sob!) Donnie BRASCO! A Bell for ADANO! Biff! Bam! Boom! Except for somehow mixing up Samuel (Way of all Flesh) Butler with Somerset Maugham, I really clicked with this one. Had to use the crosses for the theme–god, another of those times I wish I hadn’t been born in Georgia–but at least I’d never heard of Hank Johnson. (Been gone a long time.)
Well, JR Christensen, Marines ARE pretty heavy, you know– all that equipment. Must nip off to watch the video now.
Great puzzle – love how quickly you incorporate the latest news. This would be so much funnier if it were just a joke… As it is it’s just scary. These are the people deciding how our tax dollars are being spent. My son ( age 22) just watched the video, and kept saying “but he was just kidding, right?”
The interconnectedness of the theme and theme-related answers was amazing. GUAM backwards? Twice? Woulda been sunker than Guam if you hadn’t embedded that astonishing video.
Hated 19A “___ Air (Michelle Malkin blog)” for the same reason I hated 7D “Political commentator Coulter” in today’s LAT puzzle. Neither you nor Donna Levin left us nearly enough blank squares to do the ladies. Justice, I mean.
Still trying to figure out how 68A “Tail-shaking maneuvers” = ESSES in any particular way. Did you mean “Tail-shaking maneuverers” = ASSES?
I had heard about this guy but didn’t know the details so most of this went over my head. Just realized I made a mistake by BARBARO but otherwise was able to get the puzzle. Liked the CHICKAMAUGA trivia and the “new” clue for OMOO.
Very delightful puzzle, BEQ, one of the most enjoyable you’ve put up here yet, IMO. SOMERSETMAUGHAM for goodness sake. Not exactly a common sequence of letters, though I did think of one that might be clued “Desolation of —-“.
And As David notes, a new clue for OMOO! OMG! Someday I’m gonna have to read that darn novel. Now I’ve finally read the opening sentence, I’m hooked.
BEQ, you continue to outdo yourself. Hi-fricking-larious. I sent you a note separately on FB about the group that’s popped up there to acknowledge Rep. Johnson’s concern over the Guam matter. Bwhahaha
This is one great puzzle! Kudos to BEQ and Hank!
Maybe you could do one sentence of OMOO per puzzle, then we wouldn’t have to buy the book.