Thanks for the pointer to that article on trying to interview José Canseco -- priceless!

Pat Jordan could use a copy editor, though:

   Ashville -> Asheville

   National Inquirer -> National Enquirer

   Hooter's -> Hooters (first instance)

   Craig's List -> Craigslist
.
Fuzzy | 03.28.08 - 11:46 pm | #

I liked MNs a lot. It had a little bit of everything including an Ally McBeal clue for Rex. Thanks for the background on ARA, its the first time I've seen it.
jae | 03.29.08 - 12:41 am | #

This was too easy for a Saturday. I'll have to get my punishment from Stanley Newman instead.
Anonymous | 03.29.08 - 12:59 am | #

Celebrity gossip: Michelle WIE is dating Robin Lopez, one of the two twin giants on Stanford's basketball team.

Fun puzzle.

Steve
Anonymous | 03.29.08 - 1:09 am | #

On Thursday, I posted that I was going to rent the dvd of "Loulou" to watch Depardieu and Huppert. Well, I did -- and -- FORGET IT. An awful 1980 French flick about the meaninglessness of life among the riffraff.
LARRY | 03.29.08 - 3:19 am | #

Well, my problem with BUZZ was thinking his last name was LIGHTNING and not LIGHTYEAR giving me fits in the SW. The G of LIGHTNING did lead me to UNDERDOG as "Caped combatant," which I thought was a quintessential MN entry (esp. sitting above TOYS R US).

Hard to see in the picture, but is Ben sporting his FAUX HAWK in front of that pace car?
Evad | 03.29.08 - 6:52 am | #

Are you sure that the notifications that you're getting from Yahoo are really from Yahoo? I'd change my Yahoo password (and userid if that's possible) and see if anything changes.
Matt | 03.29.08 - 7:04 am | #

I thought the puzzle was plenty hard and enjoyable. I took an hour which is my usual Saturday pace (if I can finish it). The clues were mind stretching and some things were hard to parse out. (TOYSRUS, WHIZKID, and PSHAWS have unusual letter combos ) I have some basic French and CET wasn't a form I knew. I hope no one tries to post any GLAM rock...what claptrap! Do think there may have been a more inspired and English clue for BOSWORTH, but it may be useful to be reminded of the personal tragedy behind steroids. Had the TSP clue at Trivia Night a few weeks ago and not that trivia is exactly what that is.
PhillySolver | 03.29.08 - 7:04 am | #

I had similar problems with ATT. Eventually got into an online support session and told to download the latest service pack for Outlook. That did the trick. Hope you finish the LA Times soon - I'm dead with it in the NW.
imsdave | 03.29.08 - 8:52 am | #

The Times has had my number, the last couple of days, fer sure. I didn't do too badly on today's, but just couldn't get my brain tuned to yesterdays. But in both cases, my solving times in Oranges were way larger than my times for any of the other puzzles (except possibly today's ND, which does indeed seem to be the most punishing of today's four).

I see that Dan Feyer (2008 C-champ) was right on MN's wavelength. Congrats, Dan, and watch out, Orange!

Russell
Russell G. Brown | Homepage | 03.29.08 - 11:16 am | #

Could someone please explain dupes =repros
alan | 03.29.08 - 11:29 am | #

dupes = duplications = reproductions = repros.
Matt | 03.29.08 - 11:50 am | #

Thanks for taking the time to help me out - i actually finished just before I saw your post - spent 15 minutes on the NYT, and 45 (off and on) on that one. It was the SSS that did me in - not my favorite clue of all time.

Good luck with the MS Outlook service pack download. A sidebar on the online support I got. The technician had a name like 'John Williams' but was definitely from India (my entire staff is offshore, and you learn the odd usages after awhile - turned out he was Anirudha from Pune, but he was very helpful.
imsdave | 03.29.08 - 12:22 pm | #

Dave, I'm not using Outlook—Apple's Mail app is lovely. And Matt, the grammar is correct and non-spammy, and other people have been getting the same Yahoo bleatings, so I think it's legit. Wrong-headed, absolutely, but legit.

Evad, that was last summer, before Ben's ventures into the Army-short and fauxhawk 'dos. Now he's getting shaggy and says he likes his hair "fluffy," so he doesn't want a haircut.
Orange | Homepage | 03.29.08 - 12:37 pm | #

To prove that everything is relative, I was dead on Mike's wavelength - and still took 15 minutes!Just the same, I did feel slightly Orange-tinged when I was done...

Try as I might, SWEATINGBUCKETS just didn't work: alas! (Yuck!)
tony orbach | 03.29.08 - 1:17 pm | #

Greatly enjoy your commentary ... much more than see-how-smat-I-am parker. Thanks.
bill baron | 03.29.08 - 1:34 pm | #

Sweating buckets, Tony? Somebody needs a new deodorant.

Anyway.

Thanks, as usual, everyone for being so kind. I've been driving for the past 4 hours, so that's about all I'm coherent enough to write.

Until next time,
MN
Nothnagel | 03.29.08 - 1:40 pm | #

Really loved some of the cluing on today's LAT, which was one of the best LAT puzzles I've done in a while. [Plays usually involving the SS] was possibly my favorite. Goes especially nicely with (SS) REYES in the SW. On any other Saturday I might (might) have had a chance to beat your Newsday time today, but alas, it took me too long to get proper traction. If only I were smatter.

mds
Michael Sharp | Homepage | 03.29.08 - 2:45 pm | #

LOL, MDS. At least you are SMRT!

Thanks Russell, but Orange has nothing to worry about (yet). Just spent 20-25 minutes on the Saturday Stumper before coming here for some clues... No sports, no pop culture? No gimmes for me. Yeah, OTT and ALI don't count.
Dan | 03.29.08 - 7:30 pm | #

PhillySolver - CET is Frence for this or that; it's the form of the masculine ce when the noun starts with a vowel or an H, e.g. cet homme. The feminine is cette, the plural is ces for both masc. and fem.
Jan (danjan) | 03.29.08 - 9:46 pm | #