(Leap Day) Cryptoquote Spoiler – 02/29/16

Flag of the United States on American astronaut Neil Armstrong’s space suit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”   —   Neil Armstrong

(When I first started looking at this one I thought it was going to be hard.  But then, all of a sudden, I saw the entire thing, before writing down a single letter.  I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of Leap Year/Day quotes out there!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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(Leap Day) Jumble Spoiler – 02/29/16

A high jump being performed by Yelena Slesarenko at Stavanger Games 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visual Description:  The Fosbury Flop.  (Not to be confused with the Hillary Flip Flop!)

RAYIN  =  RAINY,  BILIA  =  ALIBI,  CATEPU  =  TEACUP,  GLERCY  =  CLERGY   —   Giving us:  RAALEPEY

Clue/Question:  Regardless of when the Olympics were held, for the high jumper it was – – –

English: Inscription on the grave of Gregory XIII, St. Peter’s Basilica, gregorian calendar Deutsch: Tafel vom Grab Gregor XIII, Petersdom, Gregorianischer Kalender Lëtzebuergesch: Gregorianesche Kalenner, Petersdom, Roum. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Answer:  LEAP YEAR

(Happy Leap Day, everybody!  Yeah, right.  Just a day to make up for the fact that the world isn’t as orderly as we’d like it to be.  It actually takes the earth 365.2422 days to completely get around the sun.  The .2422 comes out to around 5 hours, 49 minutes, and like 14 seconds, so it’s not a perfect 1/4 of a day.  But, it was decided that they would add an additional day – the 29th – to February, every four years, to – more or less – get caught up.  But now, because of this little correction, we go from – calendar-wise – being short by a 1/4 of a day for three years, to now being roughly 11 minutes over when we add the extra day in a Leap Year.  11 minutes doesn’t seem like much, but over the course of 400 years – a Leap Cycle – it adds up to 3 additional days!  So now, to make up for that they decided there’d be no February 29th on century years that cannot be divided by 400 years.  Which means that there was no Leap Year in 1700, 1800 or 1900, but 2000 was a Leap Year.  If, somehow, you’re around in 2100 you’ll see what I’m talkin’ about.  Oh, and the “they” that I mentioned earlier was Pope Gregory XIII and his boys, back in 1582.  Geo-centrism was a thing of the past, and the “new” helio-centrism made it necessary for bigwigs and scientists to re-examine our world . . . and our calendar system.

But, heliocentrism pales in comparison to new clue words joining the World Famous RALIS95 Clue Word Database!  And, yes!  Today we have another new clue word, in “alibi”.   We also have three new jumbles today, with “rayin” definitely having been used before.  The answer letter layout was another fine jumble.  The answer was a bit of a no-brainer though.  The cartoon did a good job of getting the point across.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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The S & P Downgrade “Game”

In the spirit of tonight’s Academy Awards Show I’m reposting this piece from August 2011. Why? Because The Big Short is one of the Oscar contenders for Best Picture. I think there might be a Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor from that film as well. Anyway, it’s a great movie! I also saw Bridge of Spies and The Martian. Both great Best Picture contenders. Plus, I also saw Trumbo. Another fine movie that probably would have benefited from a little more editing. Anyway, enjoy! — YUR

Unclerave's Wordy Weblog

AKA:  JUST MORE WALL STREET SHENANIGANS!

Hopefully, you haven’t been running around with your hair on fire, screaming THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING!!!  Because, guess what?  It ain’t!  Standard and Poors is just another Wall Street “institution” that says, and does, what it wants to, in order to suit their own – and certain benefactors’ – needs. 

A great article on AlterNet explains:

“Most people believe that the ratings agencies base their analyses on some set of cold, objective criteria, but that’s not the case.  A group of Wall Street analysts . . . get together and discuss various factors, including, in this case, the political scene, and come to a consensus.”

And, that: “According to a Senate investigation concluded earlier this year — a probe that was greeted with a collective “ho-hum” by the corporate media — S&P and Moody’s, another leading agency…

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Sunday Jumble Spoiler – 02/28/16

English: Marquis de Sade investigated by policemen Ελληνικά: Ο Σαντ ανακρινόμενος (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visual Description:  Dad, laying down the law.

PIRGNS  =  SPRING,  DENRGE  =  GENDER,  MURSEE  =  RESUME,  SVIHAN  =  VANISH,  TORATH  =  THROAT,  CIPTAM  =  IMPACT   —   Giving us:  SNGERSEAISTRIT

Clue/Question:  The policeman’s infant son didn’t want to sleep and was – – –

Pre-Answer:  3 Words —  (9-letters) (1-letter) (4-letters)

Georgian policemen on duty. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Answer:  RESISTING A REST

(Ooh!  Could be a tough one for those who don’t have the benefit of the cartoon!  Was the Pre-Answer set up enough?  I guess we’ll see.  There were no new clue words today.  ralis95 can get back to chasing the scorpions out of the pool shed!  I don’t know.  It sounds like something he might do!  Four of today’s jumbles came up as new, however we have seen both “mursee” and”ciptam” in the past.  The answer letter layout was a marvelous jumble.  It gave nothing away.  I did not see the answer instantly.  I didn’t struggle, but I did have to look at the cartoon a few times before the answer came to me.  Boy, that mom looks tired!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Sunday Cryptoquote Spoiler – 02/28/16

KNUSPER! Die 3 Glorreichen 7 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“I just played a horse yesterday that was so slow the jockey kept a diary of the trip.”   —   Henny Youngman

(Funny and clean!  I don’t have a problem with the occasional F-bomb and assorted cursing.  Many great comedians play blue.  But, there’s a whole world of funny out there that can get by without it.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Spoiler – 02/27/16

English: Memory (1896). Olin Warner (completed by Herbert Adams). Bronze door at main entrance of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Memory is the storehouse in which the substance of our knowledge is treasured up.”   —   Charles Bridges

(I can’t remember seeing “treasured up” before, but it works.  I’m seeing a whole slew of quotable Charles that they’ve used for the Cryptoquote, but this is the first Charles Bridges.  I’m not familiar with him.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Jumble Spoiler – 02/27/16

Holstein dairy cows from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/ Holstein dairy cows thumbnail Image Number K7964-1 Holstein dairy cows. Photo by Scott Bauer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visual Description:  Dairy dilemma.

INONO  =  ONION,  URTOM  =  TUMOR,  SAPROT  =  PASTOR,  LUUPNG  =  UNPLUG   —   Giving us:  OITMOTONP

Clue/Question:  Whether or not the cow’s milk would be used to make cheddar or Swiss cheese was a – – –

Jarlsberg cheese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Answer:  “MOO-T“ POINT

(Be-yoo-ti-ful!  A nice, silly Saturday pun, and a Jumble that was far from easy!  Okay, I got “onion” right away.  But, the other three clue words were both brand new, AND extremely well-jumbled!   I had a bit of trouble with both “tumor” and “unplug”, but I had to back into “pastor”!  I’m not sure ralis95 can handle adding three new clue words to his world famous database, all on one day!  Has it ever been done before???  The answer letter layout was pretty spiffy, and didn’t give anything away.  The combination of the cartoon and the layout of the answer blocks – with the quotation marks, of course – made the answer fairly obvious to me.  Love the cartoon.  Jeff draws a nice cow!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Spoiler – 02/26/16

English: “General George Washington at Trenton,” oil on canvas, by the American artist John Trumbull. 92 1/2 in. x 63 in. Courtesy of the Yale University Art Gallery, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Gift of the Society of Cincinnati in Connecticut. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones.”   —   George Washington

(And, old George was a very good judge of men!  That’s a very necessary trait of a great leader.  I think this quote may have inspired the title of that great move:  A Few Good Men!  This is the second George Washington quote in a little over a week.  Maybe he’s trying to catch up with Abe and Thomas?  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Jumble Spoiler – 02/26/16

Done jigsaw puzzle of historical map from 1639 y. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visual Description:  Puzzling parenting skills?

OHCOP  =  POOCH,  MEAZA  =  AMAZE,  PERLIP  =  RIPPLE,  GUFREE  =  REFUGE   —   Giving us:  PCAMILEEE

Clue/Question:  When they worked on the jigsaw puzzle during dinner, they put it together – – –

English: Puzzle Svenska: Pussel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Answer:  PIECEMEAL

(I love this Jumble pun!  It really has a fresh feel to it.  Growing up, my family was into jigsaw puzzles, but would never think to combine playtime with mealtime.  Besides offending our general sensibilities, it just doesn’t look like a very practical endeavor.  But, the sight gag made for a grand Jumble.  We were even treated to TWO brand new clue words today, in “pooch” and “ripple”!  I kind of expected “pooch” to be new, but “ripple” kind of surprised me.  And, ALL of the jumbles came up as new.  The answer letter layout was a swell jumble as well.  Great, silly cartoon.  I can’t decide if the kid in the lower left is going to play his piece, or eat it.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

PS.  It looks like a good number of people had trouble yesterday with GECKO and possibly the answer, UNDERTAKING, based on the stats.  Nice going, Hoyt.   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Spoiler – 02/25/16

English: Blue plaque re Dorothy L Sayers on 23 & 24 Gt. James Street, WC1 See 1237424. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“I have the most ill-regulated memory.  It does those things which it ought not to do and leaves undone the things it ought to have done.”   —   Dorothy L. Sayers

(Hey!  It’s called growing old!  In her case though, it might have been partially due to narrowing of the arteries.  She didn’t exactly have a long life, dying of coronary thrombosis at the age of 64.  Our first Dorothy L. Sayers quote!  Maybe, some will seek out her books – mystery/crime novels mainly – due to today’s Cryptoquote.  Hope so.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —    YUR

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