tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post2980499120408101335..comments2024-03-27T18:57:50.424-07:00Comments on Blaine's Puzzle Blog: NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 27, 2014): On VacationBlainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-73108758096699605252014-08-03T04:58:07.359-07:002014-08-03T04:58:07.359-07:00Ancient history!Ancient history!benmar12001https://www.blogger.com/profile/02721420444783718903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-26577291685059143872014-08-03T03:46:23.196-07:002014-08-03T03:46:23.196-07:00An "Original Ben" puzzle!An "Original Ben" puzzle!Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-35403616457197631412014-08-03T03:35:57.125-07:002014-08-03T03:35:57.125-07:00Next week's challenge: This week's challen...Next week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Ben Bass of Chicago. Take the name of a modern-day country. Add an "A" and rearrange all the letters to name a group of people who used to live in the area of this country. Who are they?janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-85554082019183329432014-08-02T21:50:57.354-07:002014-08-02T21:50:57.354-07:00Is Alfred Pennyworth Batman's batman?
Was Mood...Is Alfred Pennyworth Batman's batman?<br />Was Moodus Dreedle's flunky?<br />Is there a batman in cricket? Do bats eat crickets? Does that have anything to do with ebola?<br />What's a silly point, and if the second baseman is 4 and the third baseman is 5, why is the shortstop 6?<br />Is Barack a popular man's name, and does one's party affiliation and/or opinion of the ACA have any influence on one's answer?<br />"Popular" is alweys an ADJective, right?<br /><br />Just some semi-random thoughts while contemplating the way ahead.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-26584687352088769102014-08-01T18:54:25.472-07:002014-08-01T18:54:25.472-07:00Peter Ustinov was batman for David Niven during pa...Peter Ustinov was batman for David Niven during part of WWII.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-59576036584519868422014-08-01T16:11:50.618-07:002014-08-01T16:11:50.618-07:00We are a funny, nit-picky group, aren't we, Le...We are a funny, nit-picky group, aren't we, LergoLarmbda? Justin Hayward wrote NIWS when he was 19 years of age--but you knew that. NEWS at 19: I will keep my eyes open for that, though.<br /><br />Speaking of nit-picky, you haven't truly lived until you've had to remove hundreds of the little nit eggs from your kids' hair after an infestation of the whole school. (My kids still call it my nit-picky face when I'm focusing really hard on a task), Funniest comment from one mom "Oh, my kids can't get lice; they're blonde!"<br /><br />Word Still Humming Along Woman<br /><br />Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-46763870665269906302014-08-01T15:41:03.925-07:002014-08-01T15:41:03.925-07:00Word Woman,
In your 1:30 PM comment Thursday, you...Word Woman,<br /><br />In your 1:30 PM comment Thursday, you wrote, “Justin Hayward wrote NIWS at 19.”<br />This confused me. First off, I thought Justin was a songwriter, not at television news copy writer. (I assume that your “I” in “NIWS” was a slip of your typing finger, just as my phantom “r” in Word Worman was a slip of mine.)<br /><br />But the “19” confused me too. I’m familiar with my local TV news broadcasts: “Eyewitness 5 News at 6,” for example, or “Action 4 News at 10.” But what in the name of Walter Cronkite is “NIWS (sic) at 19”? 19 o’clock? <br /><br />Oh, wait, there is a 19 o’clock in military time. 1900 hours, which is 7 p.m. civilian time. But wait again. Isn’t TV news on at 6 and 10 p.m., not 7 and 11 p.m.? In flyover country, yes. But not on the East Coast!<br /><br />I have therefore concluded that Moody Bluesman Justin Hayward must have at one time<br />written news copy for a closed-circuit TV news broadcast called Armed Forces NEWS at 19, or Semper Fi-witness NEWS at 19 at Camp Lejeune, the Quantico Naval Base or some other U.S. military base out east.<br /><br />LergoLarmbdalegolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-50460246478010329492014-08-01T14:23:57.852-07:002014-08-01T14:23:57.852-07:00Just read on the AP newswire that it is mighty dry...Just read on the AP newswire that it <i>is</i> mighty dry in Texas. Wichita Falls is spreading a mixture of palm oil and powdered lime on its reservoir to cut evaporation. Other towns have tried a layer of ping-pong (sorry, Will, I mean table tennis) balls. You're not just clever, Tommy Boy, you're prescient!janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-37211430948778064962014-08-01T13:23:47.601-07:002014-08-01T13:23:47.601-07:00Something's not quite cricket here. There mus...Something's not quite cricket here. There must be some kind of catch.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-15604643883204593352014-08-01T12:48:50.589-07:002014-08-01T12:48:50.589-07:00Lego, was Word Worman on purpose (as in earworm)? ...Lego, was Word <i>Worman</i> on purpose (as in earworm)? I have not been able to get NIWS out of my head since yesterday (not that that's a problem ;-) ).Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-65995935847348076922014-07-31T20:46:18.629-07:002014-07-31T20:46:18.629-07:00Lego,
I am sure you are aware that Peter Ustinov w...Lego,<br />I am sure you are aware that Peter Ustinov was Batman, but not on film. In real life.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-51145120817568057712014-07-31T20:18:09.519-07:002014-07-31T20:18:09.519-07:00ron,
I sensed there was something interesting abo...ron,<br /><br />I sensed there was something interesting about those four words “Putin’s Insult Unites Pundits,” but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Very clever. <br /><br />(BTW, regarding Putin’s insult: I have heard through the grapevine that the Russian premiere panned the thespian chops of Peter Ustinov, the late great actor/dramatist/raconteur/diplomat and prototypical Renaissance man… So, actually, “Putin’s <em>Ustinov</em> Insult Unites Pundits.”<br /><br />LegustinovLambdustinovlegolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-34280780439237731632014-07-31T19:43:46.638-07:002014-07-31T19:43:46.638-07:00Nice, zc. Being a Michigander I know 1 & 3. ...Nice, zc. Being a Michigander I know 1 & 3. Everybody knows Marvelous Marvin (well, Magic too).Tommy Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03373838653732634600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-4646753436853217362014-07-31T19:43:36.207-07:002014-07-31T19:43:36.207-07:00Austin, Dustin, Justin--they are the Mariners, aft...Aust<b>in</b>, Dust<b>in</b>, Just<b>in</b>--they are the Mar<b>in</b>ers, after all.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-20966519606263399252014-07-31T19:34:01.445-07:002014-07-31T19:34:01.445-07:00So would I ;-)So would I ;-)Tommy Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03373838653732634600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-68023742173281704302014-07-31T19:32:29.460-07:002014-07-31T19:32:29.460-07:00And then there's AUSTYN, JUSTYN, DUSTYN and AU...And then there's AUSTYN, JUSTYN, DUSTYN and AUSTEN, JUSTEN, DUSTEN. . .Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-56601082205984309472014-07-31T18:54:36.644-07:002014-07-31T18:54:36.644-07:00David,
Wasn’t Justin Smoak a can’t-miss phenom pro...David,<br />Wasn’t Justin Smoak a can’t-miss phenom prospect in the Braves’ organization a few years back. He likely won’t stay down on the farm for long. I heard about the Austin Jackson trade today too, but didn’t put it all together as you did.<br /><br />Dustin + Justin + Austin = Willtin (?) is either a clairvoyant (like moi!) or moonlighting as the Mariners’ shadow GM.<br /><br />The odds against having all three of those first names on a 25-man roster are very high. I suspect Will Shortz must have engineered, or at least facilitated somehow, today’s trade of Austin Jackson to the Mariners.<br /><br />What’s Next? Shortz purchases controlling share of the Seattle Topspinners of the ITTL (International Table Tennis League)? Could it be we’re all just pawns being pushed around in Will Shortz’s world!<br /><br />LegoSuspiciouslegolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-46144425264230124872014-07-31T18:54:27.547-07:002014-07-31T18:54:27.547-07:00Thanks Lego,
I was always cautioned to keep my han...Thanks Lego,<br />I was always cautioned to keep my hands off my fuzzy penumbra or else it would lead to problems in the future. It didn't. But I love it when you talk dirty.<br /><br />skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-65785806622175626942014-07-31T18:50:35.391-07:002014-07-31T18:50:35.391-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-58906935377767597352014-07-31T18:28:00.221-07:002014-07-31T18:28:00.221-07:00You're right, Lego, it's a great MB undera...You're right, Lego, it's a great MB underappreciated album.<br /><br />I like the "spoken-word poems" (such an odd phrase) also, sdb.<br /><br />Luckily, the popularity of "Justin" has been <i>sharply</i> declining in the past couple of years due, in large part, to JB's antics. I recall jan saying his neighbor's daughter was "the last Monica in America." Maybe we've seen the last Justin. . .(at least for awhile).<br />Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-32831072153885048812014-07-31T18:22:46.094-07:002014-07-31T18:22:46.094-07:00Musical clue: The Lovin' Spoonful.
Do you beli...Musical clue: The Lovin' Spoonful.<br />Do you believe in magic?<br />Magic Earvin Johnson<br />Marvin Hagler<br />Darvin Hamzeke creekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12559686966843380823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-84192512192946738812014-07-31T18:18:37.708-07:002014-07-31T18:18:37.708-07:00sdb,
Tales of Hoffmann was a clever clue. It was ...sdb,<br /><br />Tales of Hoffmann was a clever clue. It was on the fuzzy penumbra of my consciousness, but almost totally overshadowed by that Jupiter-sized Chaucerian orb known as the Canterbury Tales, which effectively quashed my quest to seek trails leading to other, more obscure, tales such as Offenbach's Hoffmannbach.<br /><br />LegInThe Darklegolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-69228457419071292602014-07-31T18:12:43.341-07:002014-07-31T18:12:43.341-07:00Thanks, Lego, but I loved the "spoken-word po...Thanks, Lego, but I loved the "spoken-word poems," and the one you mention is my favorite. I always thought it reminiscent of that Shakespeare guy. Way ahead of its time in my opinion. But look! Now we have the sophisticated expertise of Justin Bieber. skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-35919356181310874582014-07-31T18:03:38.003-07:002014-07-31T18:03:38.003-07:00I always considered this to be MB's best allbu...I always considered <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xImA2gqXNWQ" rel="nofollow">this</a> to be MB's best allbum. An underrated gem. I liked Every Good (skydive)Boy Deserves Favour," too.<br /><br />What I didn't like about the MB's, however, were the occasional "spoken-word poems," wtitten and sometimes voiced by drummer Graeme Edge. I'm sorry, Word Worman, but one of the worst of these was the album vesion coda of NIWS, the one that starts, "Breathe deep..." <br /><br />Kinda pretentious. But look who's talkin'!<br /><br />LegoLeary'sDeadOhNoNoNoHe'sOutsideLookingIn<br />legolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-86212095847966507592014-07-31T17:42:47.896-07:002014-07-31T17:42:47.896-07:00I'd like to hear Will read "This just in,...I'd like to hear Will read "This just in, there's lots of dust in Austin," on the air this week, Tommy Boy. Brilliant!Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.com