Sunday Cryptoquote Spoiler – 08/16/20

“Call it what you will, incentives are the only way to make people work harder.”   —   Nikita Khrushchev

(Even by the later 1950s – and early 1960s – Russians were seeing the limits/failures of “pure” communism.  Not that we’ve really seen the practice of “pure” communism, on a large scale that is.  It has worked, for a time, on some communes, but that’s because they were all – or mostly – like minded participants.  We humans are still a little too primitive to adhere to the principals that Marx and Engels laid out.  But, “pure” capitalism is no bargain either.  That is very Darwinian, and unforgiving.  We seem to do much better under a kind of hybrid system.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Sunday Jumble Spoiler – 08/16/20

Visual Description:  Drumming up some tootsie traffic.

CROADC  =  ACCORD,  PITAUO  =  UTOPIA,  OHARTT  =  THROAT,  GNSUUF  =  FUNGUS,  GOILBE  =  OBLIGE,  AGSINS  =  ASSIGN   —   Giving us:  ODOIAHOTFNGLIGAN

Clue/Question:  The podiatrist had recently moved to the town and was – – –

Pre-Answer:  Three Words  (7-letters)  (1-letter)  (8-letters)

Answer:  GAINING A FOOTHOLD

(Of course this is a stinky pun!  It could be stinkier, if this guy doesn’t practice good hygiene.  And, hopefully he is wearing socks!  Socks keep your feet much drier than going without.  When I walk my Wally-boy in the morning I occasionally – out of laziness – just throw on some Crocs . . . no socks.  By the time I get back, I just have to take them off.  And, very often my feet stick to the – removable – soles when I take them off.  Yucky!  Wear socks, people!

I checked the very latest version of the ralis95 clue word database, which I just received yesterday, and none of today’s clue words are new.  We have finally made it to the 35th page!  The way things are going, I can’t imagine getting to a 36th.  Every one of the jumbles came up as new, for me.  That is kind of a rarity.  The answer letter layout was a stupendous sixteen letter jumble.  At first, I was thinking FOOTING A something, but the remaining letters weren’t giving me much of anything to work with.  But, after seeing HOLD and GAIN, I was able to reboot.

Great doctors office cartoon.  I’ve never been to a podiatrist, so I’ll take Jeff’s word that this is what the exam table/seat looks like.  My feet are very stable.  They’re not geniuses, of course.  But other than some plantar warts in my youth, one bout of plantar fasciitis, and a couple of bouts of gout in my 40s, my feet have never failed me.  No bone spurs, or anything.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google