Today’s Atlantic crossword

It’s ridiculously good fun. Try it.

[The Atlantic crossword, small on weekdays, non-existent on Saturday, 15 × 15 on Sunday, far surpasses the Los Angeles Times and New York Times mini-puzzles for inventiveness. Highly recommended.]

HOTEL PEEKSKILL

We’re on a city street, in Peekskill, New York, I suppose, with cinematography courtesy of Woody Bredell. Mr. Press (Jack Lambert) listens to a radio program, The Unsuspected.

And what does he see through his window?

[The Unsuspected (dir. Michael Curtiz, 1947). Click any image for a larger view.]

Yes, Mr. Press is trouble.

Small pleasures

Seeing what I’ve decided to call post tracks: the tracks that go through the snow from house to house in straight or nearly straight lines. Forget about shoveled sidewalks: postal carriers know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line through the snow.

[No. 3 in a series.]

Today’s Newsday Saturday

Today’s Newsday  Saturday crossword is by Greg Johnson. It’s a satisfying puzzle, if a bit on the easy side, mixing familiar crosswordese (35-A, three letters, “Insignificant amount”; 31-D, four letters, “Source for feta”) with novelty items (1-A, seven letters, “From where pesto originated”; 8-A, seven letters, “Former Snickers shelfmate”). Former? That shows how far removed I am from candy stores and bars.

Some clue-and-answer pairs I especially liked:

3-D, five letters, “Four-Emmy sitcom brother (1995–2004).” Because it was a great role.

21-D, nine letters, “Cheesy, saucy casserole.” Because it’s a casserole, a cheesy and saucy one. What’s not to like? More? Yes, please.

25-A, three letters, “Bowling ball residue.” Because eww, gross.

26-A, twelve letters, “Acrobats to compete at the 2024 Olympics.” Because I knew the answer.

36-A, fifteen letters, “Seating for oboists.” Because I like being reminded that there will be concerts again.

42-A, three letters, “Snack to dispense with.” Because I’ve always liked the idea of it, though I’m not sure I’d call it a snack. My first everyday carry.

My favorite answers in this puzzle are two that came in crosses, so I missed the wit while solving. I thought that the answer for 5-D, three letters, “Shortening in semi-sweet chocolate” had to be some sort of acronym and paid it no attention. I also missed the cleverness of 55-D, four letters, “Thing with an anchor.” I hope it has one. If not, things will be tough for that thing. Even with one, things will be tough.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.

And speaking of AOC

She’s leading an effort (one of many, of course) to raise money for Texans in need. So far: one million dollars in one day.

[Yes, our household donated.]

Mary Miller vs. AOC

My representative in Congress, Mary (“Hitler was right on one thing”) Miller (R, Illinois-15), had the poor judgment to reply in an unimaginatively snarky spirit to a tweet from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, New York-14). Ocasio-Cortez replied in turn. And Miller got, as they say, ratioed.

Always bet on the Bronx.

Related posts
January 5 and 6 in D.C., with Mary Miller : The objectors included Mary Miller : A letter to Mary Miller : Mary Miller, with no mask : Mary Miller, still in trouble : Mary Miller in The New Yorker

Snowboots

Marcel Proust, The Guermantes Way, trans. Mark Treharne (New York: Penguin, 2002).

But guess what? Mme de Parme thinks that rubbers are wonderful: “It’s so practical! What a very sensible man.” And everyone else suddenly agrees.

In the spirit of self-mortification: This passage resonated with me. In my sophomore year of high school, the biology classes went on a one- or two-night excursion to a nature preserve. The boys slept in one barracks; girls, in another. I, for some reason, was the only boy in the barracks who had brought a pair of slippers. Unending mockery. And no Mme de Parme on site. Not that she would have made much difference.

Related reading
All OCA Proust posts (Pinboard)

Hi and Lois watch

[Hi and Lois, February 19, 2021. Click for a larger view.]

Today’s Hi and Lois marks, to my knowledge, the second time a resonator guitar has appeared in the strip. Two were on display last November, when Chip was in a music store to — I think — get his guitar strings changed. Maybe he walked out with another guitar?

Related reading
All OCA Hi and Lois posts (Pinboard)

[I know: the guitar has no frets.]

A twenty-four-hour Cruz

Ted Cruz flew to Cancun yesterday with his family as his fellow Texans struggled. He is now, the Associated Press says, “expected to return immediately.”

Every time I see Ted Cruz, I am glad that I am someone with more scruples. And a better beard.

[About the post title: I was thinking of the Gilligan’s Island theme song. But it seems that Cruz’s round-trip may take less than twenty-four hours. Ashley Parker reports that Cruz spent ten hours in Mexico and landed back in Texas “almost exactly” twenty-four hours after departing.]

The Duc and art

The Duc de Guermantes has been to The Hague. So he must have admired Vermeer’s View of Delft ? But the Duc is “less informed than arrogant”:

Marcel Proust, The Guermantes Way, trans. Mark Treharne (New York: Penguin, 2002).

Reminds me of Sarah Palin: “All of ’em!”

Related reading
All OCA Proust posts (Pinboard)