Jumble Spoiler – 06/19/12

English: A 14lb pork shoulder, rubbed with a spice rub, before 21 hours of indirect cooking at 225 degrees F on a Green Egg smoker/grill. After extended cooking, the pork will be tender enough to be shredded with forks into ‘pulled pork’. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visual Description:  Chapter IV:  Wilbur gets a tummy ache.

RANEA  =  ARENA,  BEYRD  =  DERBY,  SMETUK  =  MUSKET,  COMSHO  =  SMOOCH   —   Giving us:  RADEUMCH

Clue/Question:  The farmer called the vet to attend to the pig so that the pig could become a . . .

Answer:  CURED HAM

 

American cuts of pork (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(I thought that certain elements of today’s puzzle may have qualified it as a potential Unclerave’s Wiseguy of the Day contest, but I guess it wasn’t all that hard.  It was more a little surprising/shocking, I suppose.  I remember my mother telling me that as a child she made the mistake of making a pet out of a baby pig.  I don’t think I have to tell you guys how that story ended.  Suffice it to say that to this day she still will not eat ham.  But, strangely enough, she doesn’t have a problem with pork chops, roast pork or bacon.  Coincidentally, my son has a similar porcine oddity, in that he too will no longer eat ham.  But he’s more than fine with pork chops and bacon.  When he was about ten or eleven, we were at a cousin’s house for a family party.  It was a super hot day, they didn’t have any air conditioning, and all this food was sitting out . . . all day.  He had some ham, like all of us did, but he, his mom and one cousin got a bout of really bad food poisoning, that came on very quickly.  The two boys and I had left the party to go to a place where they had batting cages and video games, and that’s where they both were initially stricken.  We left there to go to our house, when they had a second wave come over them, while I was driving.  Most of it went out the window!  When we finally got home they both got sick again, and it was from both ends, of course.  They both got so weak, and when my son’s eyes started rolling back in his head I decided I had to get them to the E.R.  Back then the E.R. didn’t suck, and they were seen rather quickly.  They were given some kind of shot, and some I.V. fluids, because they had become so dehydrated.  It was fairly traumatic, but everything turned out all right.  I found out a little later that my wife, who had stayed at the party, also got very sick, but she just spent a few hours on the can, and she too survived.  Now, I’m sure most of you can understand how my son developed such an aversion to ham, but here’s the funny part.  It has been about 15 years, and my son still refuses to touch cured ham, but get this.  What everyone, who got sick that day, got sick on . . . was a fresh ham!  Not a cured ham!  Fresh ham is essentially the same as roast pork, which he will eat!  I’ve explained the difference to him at least 100 times, but for him . . . cured ham is the devil!  My mom was probably about 8 or 9 at the time of her trauma, and she’s been carrying around her cured ham baggage for about 70 years.  I just hope my son’s – wholly misguided – fear and loathing doesn’t last that long.

 

 

 

English: Ending of the “Looney Tunes” with Porky out the drum Català: Final clàssic dels “Looney Tunes” amb Porky eixint del tambor. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I liked the jumbling of the clue words, today.  None were new, but I thought that “arena” was a little tricky, and “smooch” really took me a while.  I didn’t have to back into it, or even write out trial combinations or anything, but it did have me stumped for a bit.  The answer letter layout was super!  No giveaways there.  It really might have made for a good tease/contest, but I felt more like entertaining you with my little anecdotes.  Lucky you.  Nice cartoon!  It’s kind of like James Herriot’s All Things Great and Small meets Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.  Hey!  You can keep a cow for milk, and chickens for eggs, but there’s only one reason for raising pigs, folks.  Be well and do good, friends.  “Th’-th’-th’-th’-th’-th’-that’s All, Folks!”)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Spoiler – 06/19/12

 

The Night of Enitharmon’s Joy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“When nations grow old, the arts grow cold and commerce settles on every tree.”   —   William Blake

 

William Blake’s etching/watercolour “Ancient of Days”. :23.3 x 16.8 cm (9 1/8 x 6 7/8 in.) :British Museum, London* A deleted file is described by several sources as a copy held by Whitworth Institute, Manchester, though it appeared to be identical to this, which is said to be sourced from the British Museum. This copy is believed to be Blake’s final work, commissioned by Frederick Tatham. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(It continues with:  “And the poor and the old can live upon gold, For all are born poor, aged sixty-three.”  I know it’s from On the Foundation of the Royal Academy, but I don’t get his point.  He benefited, as a student, of The Royal Academy.  And likely, as an established artist, he became a benefactor of the institution.  It sounds to me like he’s complaining.  Why?  I don’t know.  Any Blake aficionados out there?  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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