New Year’s Eve Jumble Spoiler – 2010

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Visual Description:  A grown man reliving – or imagining – glory days.

LYBUL  =  BULLY,  HOUGD  =  DOUGH,  GEOVAY  =  VOYAGE,  URBAUN  =  AUBURN —   Giving us:  UOGYERN

Clue/Question:  A nice feeling, but you’ll never get it.

Answer:  YOUNGER

(At first I read the clue/question wrong, and thought that it said: A nice feeling, but you’ll get over it. This made me doubt that the answer was “YOUNGER”.  Sometimes the mind plays some funny tricks on you.  Fitting clue words for the end of the year.  “BULLY”ing was big in the news this past year.  It’s a major problem, that was formerly kind of written off as some kind of rite of passage, or something.  I hope they don’t let the issue just fade away.  Whenever there’s some tragedy, that involves human violence, I’m always more concerned with the whys than most people.  To me, understanding the whys could possibly lead to the prevention of future occurrences.  Do you think Seung Hui Cho would have gunned down those 32 people at VA Tech if he’d had a less traumatic childhood?  Most of us could have dealt with having more “DOUGH” this year!  Man, was it ever a tough one!  Life is really one big “VOYAGE”.  And, “AUBURN” Tigers will be playing the Oregon Ducks for the BCS Championship . . . in another 10 days!  I think January the 10th is too damn late for the big college bowl game.  1st, 2nd, 3rd . . . even 4th, I can understand.  But, nowadays it’s all about television revenues.  Sad.  Who’s gonna win?  It might be nice to see the underduck win!  I know I’ll be watching their cheerleaders!  Happy New Year, dear friends.  Stay safe.  Avoid drinking and driving.  Even if you are ahem . . . well-practiced at it.  Remember.  New Year’s Eve is amateur night!  So, even if you are as sober as a judge, remember to drive defensively!  Do good, folks.)   — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 12/31/10

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“Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.”   — Tom Krause

(Nice quote.  I don’t really know how appropriate it is for the last day of the year/new year’s eve.  Seems to me that it would be a better fit for New Year’s Day.  You know.  Encouraging words for the new year, and all.  Maybe it’s just me?  So.  This guy is some kind of motivational speaker.  A former teacher and coach, from Missouri.  But, that’s about all I could find on the guy.  Any time there’s no formal bio on someone quotable – not counting the pseudonyms – I get this uneasy/suspicious feeling.  I suppose he just wants to maintain a certain amount of privacy, but . . . I don’t know.  Anyway!  Have a SAFE New Year’s Eve, everybody!  Hopefully, 2011 will bring us all some peace and prosperity!  Thanks for tuning in.)   — YUR

 

Jumble Spoiler – 12/30/10

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Visual Description:  Business travelers at the beach.

YARRT  =  TARRY,  YUTIN  =  UNITY,  SMOTED  =  MODEST,  WAHILE  =  AWHILE —   Giving us:  TAUNMDEWIE

Clue/Question:  What he said on their quick trip to the seashore.

Answer:  “WADE“ A MINUTE

(This is the kind of pun that I love!  I also liked today’s clue words, and the answer letter scrambling was superior!  And, any sea/ocean scene would not be complete without the faraway shot of the sinking sailboat.  Looks like the guys are trying to end 2010 with a bang!  Be good, do good, friends!)   — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 12/30/10

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“One thing only has been lent to youth and age in common – discontent.”   — Matthew Arnold

(Yet another interesting character that I was not familiar with!  I’m not quite sure I agree with the “only” part, but it is definitely a valid observation.  This was a fairly challenging quote to decode.  It’s not often I get the “O” and “N” before the “E” or the “T”.  Take care, my friends.)   — YUR

A Wounded Knee Remembrance

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Today is a very solemn day of remembrance.  120 years ago today, the U.S. 7th Calvary Regiment, commanded by Colonel James W. Forsyth, massacred perhaps 300 Lakota Sioux men, women and children, near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota.  It was clearly one of the darkest days in U.S. history.

There are conflicting stories as to how the massacre unfolded.  The 7th Calvary had surrounded the encampment of the Lakota Sioux, for the purpose of disarming them.  Some say, during the process of “disarming” the Lakota, a deaf tribesman resisted having his prized possession – his rifle – taken from him.  There was a scuffle, and somehow a shot rang out.  From here the 7th Calvary opened fire on the entire surrounded encampment, killing just about anyone, and anything, in the line of fire, including a number of soldiers.  A few warriors, who hadn’t yet been disarmed, fought back in defense of their people.  But, they were quickly killed, and likely heightened the chaos and mayhem on the part of the troopers.  There were some who initially survived the “battle”, but as they attempted to flee the troopers pursued and killed many of them.  The vast majority of the Lakota who were killed that day were unarmed.

Regardless of how the events that day unfolded, it demonstrated a total lack of respect and compassion – on the part of representatives of the U.S. government – for the lives of Native American people.  This will live on as truly one of the darkest days . . . of infamy, in all of American history.

YUR

Related Articles

• Massacre at Wounded Knee! (socyberty.com)
• Terry Doran: Liberty and justice for all has been denied to Native Americans (indigenist.blogspot.com)
• Todd Wilkinson: To Fox: Custer Did Himself In At Battle Of Little Bighorn (huffingtonpost.com)
• Obama to Apologize to Indians! (gunnyg.wordpress.com)

Jumble Spoiler – 12/29/10

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Visual Description:  A Jerry McGuire-type being fitted for a sportcoat.

YARAR  =  ARRAY,  HECKT  =  KETCH,  FACTRY  =  CRAFTY,  CALKAJ  =  JACKAL —   Giving us:  AAKECCFTJKL

Clue/Question:  This will spruce up a press agent’s wardrobe.

Answer:  A “FLACK“ JACKET

(Pretty good clue words, nice scrambling of the answer letters, and a decent little pun.  Today’s cartoon also kind of reminds me of the days when local TV weathermen used to wear loud, plaid, sports-jackets.  This was back in the day before they were all “meteorologists”.  Weather forecasting was much less of a science in those days, so the weather-people had to have a good sense of humor, as they were part newsman and part entertainer.  Show me the barometric pressure! The crazy clothes also helped them stand apart from the serious anchormen, who gave us the more factual, hard news.  Things sure seemed simpler in those days.  Be good, do good, friends!)   — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 12/29/10

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“A *fact* merely marks the point where we have agreed to let investigation cease.”   — Bliss Carman

(One shrewd dude, that Bliss!  A late Nineteenth – early Twentieth Century Canadian poet, with a pretty good pedigree.  It kind of flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but many – most? – facts are actually mutable.  All we really know is just what we know.  We have to keep our minds flexible to this reality.)   — YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 12/28/10

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Visual Description:  Axe-men running the rapids.

CHARP  =  PARCH,  SWEYN  =  NEWSY,  DORPAY  =  PARODY,  JITNEC  =  INJECT —   Giving us:  PRHWYPAOECT

Clue/Question:  What the lumberjacks enjoyed when they went rafting.

Answer:  “CHOPPY“ WATER

(Very nice.  Some good clue words, excellent scrambling of the answer letters, good cartoon, and a pun!  What more could you ask for?  Not that I asked for it, but I did receive an appropriate Christmas present the other day.  My son and his girlfriend gave me the “Jumble Genius” puzzle book.  It’s a collection of some of the old Jumbles, by Henri Arnold, Bob Lee and Mike Argiron.  My daughter has done the first two – for me.  Seeing these makes me long for the old artwork.  I guess we should all just be thankful that the mantle was picked up.  Do good, friends.)   — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 12/28/10

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“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.”   — Italo Calvino

(Having it – the newspaper – in my hands makes a big difference to this old dog!  It’s not snowing anymore, and the wind has also died down.  Now, all we need is a few days above freezing with some bright sunshine, and we’ll be back to where we should be!  Be good, do good, friends.)   — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler(?) – 12/27/10

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(Sorry, guys!  No newspaper today.  And, I’m too tired to figure it out from the online newspaper.  If anyone wants to submit the answer I’ll post it, and give you the credit.) — YUR

“A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns.”   — Mario Puzo

(See comments.)