Sunday Cryptoquote Spoiler – 05/19/19

“Whenever a man’s failure can be traced to management’s mistakes, he has to be kept on the payroll.”   —   Peter Drucker

( . . . if only to keep him quiet!  Far too often management does not like to own up to their “mistakes”.  It’s much easier to take the employee’s “failure” and just make him/her the scapegoat.  And, if he/she makes too big of a stink, you offer them a package to leave, and make them sign a non-disclosure agreement!  This is another case of the way things should be vs. the way things usually are.  Not really negative, folks.  Just been there, done that!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Sunday Jumble Spoiler – 05/19/19 (Oh, ralis95!)

Visual Description:  Bill Seward and Andrew Johnson considering the logistics.

VANHEE  =  HEAVEN,  TRIBET  =  BITTER,  KRIQUY  =  QUIRKY,  DLUMEO  =  MODULE,  NROCEF  =  CONFER,  LWROTE  =  TROWEL   —   Giving us:  HAITTIRYMOECERTRW 

Clue/Question:  Exploring Alaska for its natural resources in the 1800s was difficult, but that – – –

Pre-Answer:  Three Words (and THE)  (4-letters)  (4-letters) THE  (9-letters)

Answer:  CAME WITH THE TERRITORY

(Definitely NOT a gimme, for me!  And, it was one of those literal/figurative puns.  Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867, and remained a territory for its first 102 years, finally becoming a state in 1959.  The answer did not jump off the page for me.  I knew there was a paste tense element to it, but I kept seeing the words MORE and WHAT, and not CAME.  I didn’t belabor very long to get the answer, but it took me more than a few looks to see the word the characters were avoiding.

We appear to have two new clue words today, in “quirky” and “confer”.  I felt strongly that “confer” was new, but felt like we’d seen “quirky” before.  Maybe we’ve seen it since 02/23/19, the date of my latest copy of the database?  Five of the jumbles appear to be new, with only “tribet” having definitely been used before.  “nrocef” gave me the most trouble.  The answer letter layout is a very impressive, and cryptic, seventeen letter jumble.  I thought it disguised the final answer very well.

Great period piece cartoon.  Super good likenesses of Secretary of State William Seward and President Andrew Johnson.  The clothing and everything in the White House office look to be appropriate for the time.  The people who referred to it as “Seward’s Folly” were actually in the minority.  The deal worked out to be about 2 cents per acre, so even the harshest critics look like buffoons.  And, Sara Palin can see Russia from her front porch, so we also got that going for us!  Actually, I hate it when we make political hay from someone’s figurative speaking.  I never cared for the woman, but I knew she wasn’t speaking literally.  Some people just can’t resist the low-hanging fruit.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google