I Love These Puzzles

Maureen Dowd delivers an interview with Trump titled "The Mogul And The Babe". Sarah Palin is not mentioned and I am left suspecting the "babe" in question might somewhat improbably be Ms. Dowd. OTOH, the column concludes with a throwaway anecdote about Babe Ruth, so maybe MoDo is engaging in the sort of subtle double entendre for which she earns the big bucks.

Whatev. This has not been my day for puzzles. The Times crossword du jour (which was a holdover from earlier in the week) had as one clue "2016 campaigner". We had four letters with [blank] [blank] U Z and I was mumbling "Jindal"? Perry? Huckleberry? WTF"?

A dark moment when we finally got it. Talk about blocking.

SPOILER: No, not Kasich either.

 

Comments

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I stopped at Maureen D...

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Perfect headline;
New York Times Oh-So Concerned that Hillary Clinton May Be Running Against a Womanizer

[narciso]

those words they have been using,

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/everyone-knows-about-the-g-o-p-crackup-everyone-except-the-voters?intcid=mod-most-popular

[Theo]

Ignatz --

I am sure that the editors of the NYT would be strongly against a president who had anything to do with a womanizer.

[narciso]

trolling everyday, is their motto,

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/clay-waters/2016/05/14/nyt-covers-brazils-lefty-president-a1-fears-shift-right-all-male

[daddy (go Tycho Brahe!)]

A Senator Sasse from Nebraska
Made an ass of himself when he asked a
Convention show of hands
they replied "Reprimand"
Next election he'll dread Sarah from Alaska.

[daddy (go Tycho Brahe!)]

Dostoevsky's The Idiot; I swear he wrote parts of this under pressure of paying off gambling debts. I mean it's still very good but Brothers Karamazov was *much* more coherent.

Long as we're talking Russian Lit and I'm linking about "Missing Nose" syndrome:

Nikolai Gogol: "The Nose"

[narciso]

some actual insight into the current schemes,

http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/straddling-the-worlds-of-action-and-knowledge-values-as-the-driving-force-of-history/

[narciso]

this is delivering the cluebat to salon, not that they would feel it,

http://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2016/05/14/so-cute-guess-what-entity-salon-thinks-screwed-bernie-sanders-candidacy/

[Captain Hate]

Gogol is outstanding, his short stories and Dead Souls.

[narciso]

I picked some annotated pushkin's some month back,

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/cia-tip-off-led-to-jailing-of-mandela-9mwcsdq9c

I know this is supposed to be a bad thing,

[daddy on the iPhone]

It used to be. "Just vote for us to win the House and we'll do what u voters want us to do". Followed after the election victory by
" we need the Senate, if only we had the Senate plus the House then we'd be able to do what you voters want us to do." So we gave them the Senate.

Then it was "We can't do what u want us to do because we only have the House and the Senate. If only we had the Presidency, plus the House and the Senate, then we could do what u voters want is to do."

So now we're trying our best to give them just what they asked for, A President, the House, and the Senate, and all we're hearing from them
Is "You're giving is the wrong President. This guy might win, and then we couldn't blame not doing what U wanted us to do on not having theHouse, the Senate, or the Presidency, so quick, let's throw the Comvention and rally around a 3rd Party tomato can."

[narciso]

ugh, one puzzle is who greenlighted terminator genesys, I'm wagering skynet, to destroy the franchise,

[Porchlight]

Yep daddy.
Lots of people have taken the red pill this election, on both sides of the aisle. The usual suspects have no idea.

[Captain Hate]

The GOP had the Presidency and Congress and spent money like total [Redacted] idiots. They've squandered every bit of trust they were given. I think the entire party base is as furious with the lies as I am.

[narciso]

they had no intention of following through, they never considered a guerilla campaign with free media, could gain the 'commanding heights,' why would they what purpose would the roves, the daysprings, the murphy's of the world, serve.

[Skeptical Voter]

Maureen Dowd is the way over the hill lush on the bar stool at the end of the Oak Bar in the Plaza Hotel hoping that some young guy will take her home and rattle her Grandma Cougar bones. She looks in the mirror and sees a "Babe!" The guys in the bar look at her and see a slightly inebriated old bag. Charity carnal activity is not on their agenda tonight.

[narciso]

oh alright then,

https://twitter.com/WeldPond/status/731241137411870721

[narciso]

A fair point,

http://donsurber.blogspot.com/2016/05/is-never-trump-cult-of-no-personality.html?spref=tw

[Manuel Transmission]

daddy,

Down at the FBO at KPAE, there was a shiny 76 so new that they hadn't hung the engines on her, yet. All white, except for a little purple around the hinges on the rudder blade. The FBO manager says that it has to be a 'reject' in that the tail colors normally get finished as part of the initial paint job and normally the engines get hung before then. Any idea why a certain freight op would turn one away? He thought you guys were still sucking up any that got turned out.

[glasater]

daddy,

Did you see the wonderful article JMH put together for you on the last or maybe it was the thread before that?

You missed a gem..

[daddy]

MT,

Beats me. I just went thru our website trying to see what I could learn about our 767 Fleet goals, but it's so full of acronyms that I can't make heads or tails of any of it. Maybe they're intentionally trying to keep us in the dark---I wish they'd simply use English.

I'm already in a sour Company mood today in that my new Company issued iPad for the plane arrived and Momma and I have spent about 8 hours so far trying to get it to download/upload proper, but its not doing what it's supposed to do, and trying to get it sorted out via calling "Tech-guys" in wherever is like dealing with the IRS, so flames are shooting out of Momma's exasperated head and as a consequence my normal good nature is a good deal less good natured than normal:(

In the old days all we had to memorize were numbers and Emergency procedures, but in these new days I've also got to be able to remember half a dozen passwords just to turn on all this crap, and once you get access then you have to decipher strings of acronyms out the ying-yang. Arggggh!

[GUS]

Blank blank U...Z???
Perhaps JEUZ?? or SNUZ???
Maureen Dowd does resemble The Babe, and I bet she hits left handed too!

[Joan]

http://www.educationdive.com/news/digital-devices-exam-impact-substantially-negative/419095/

Interesting.

[Joan]

Dowd's readers aren't happy she isn't ripping Trump to shreds.

[daddy]

Well here's an unexpected bummer. My favorite Bollywood Actress, Priety Zinta, owner of the Kings XI Punjabi Cricket Team and a huge Cricket fan, just got secretly married to some California Finance guy for a Hydroelectric company.

I always thought that Priety had the nicest "dimples" in the business.

Oh well. I'm in Bangalore next week, so I guess I'll have to have my Hindu Bartenders point out some other cricket-loving, Bollywood Bombshell to fall for. Karma, neh?

[Joan]

Daddy, Piety Zinta is gorgeous. Can she emote, or is that the question? :)

[RattlerGator]

This comment flows back to the previous thread: many thanks to those with kind words for the kid. I am happy to be in the mix once again. Y'all are a bit addicting, though, so I will be regulating (restricting) myself a bit (I think).

And . . . rich@gmu? Formerly rich@uf I presume?

[DrJ]

Clarice's latest:

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/05/never_say_never_and_obamas_waterloo_.html

[Joan]

Daddy,

Question, do you try out different curries (restaurants) while in Bangalore? And, not being catty or racist, but while there, do you notice people have a curry body odor? Only asking cause my sister was taking a supplement with curcumin, etc.and she began to have a bit of a spicy scent. Overwhelming, in fact. The stuff is suposed to be wonderful for your joints, cartilage, etc.

[Joan]

Another interesting.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435379/transgender-school-edict-public-schools-need-conservative-reform

Though it's as if French just woke up to this.

[Joan]

Clarice, Love your column today.

[daddy]

Glasater,

I did see JMH's excellent post. Momma and I have been to Maui a few times and agree with all the bits she wrote regarding the places we have been. Thanks for mentioning her post again. Part of the deal of getting Momma to move to Alaska from the Bay Area was the promise that in the middle of Winter we would take a month off and go hang in the islands. We did that consistently until the girls hit 7th Grade, at which point we had to start worrying about grades and attendance for College, but up until then we were gone every winter and really enjoyed the islands. We did Maui twice, but generally we stayed at the Military resorts on Kauai, the Big Island, and Oahu. Great times, great memories.

My mention of should I go to Maui to my Chakra friends house, was more a joke about going back again into the lions den of a guy who now has a spiritual guru and believes there are Sumerian Pyramids in Antarctica erected when they arrived in spaceships. I was joking that if I went I might get converted and roped in to the journey, and come back pregnant like Katie Holmes, and married to a Scientologist type:)

Sorry to have made JMH do all that work but it was good for everyone to read, and you could tell she really enjoyed writing it.

So, should I risk it?

[daddy]

Priety Zinta is gorgeous. Can she emote, or is that the question? :)

Joan,

She could emote like George Patton when her Cricket Team was playing like bush-leaguers.

[daddy]

Joan,

I avoid the fruit and I always try the curries. The curries I am told are usually cooked in such a way that I won't get sick and I never have, whereas the water and ice I avoid as it's so easy for them, or for things washed in the water, to get me loose quickly.

As for a curry smell, I haven't noticed it. I really notice the smell of kimchee in Korea on everyone, and even out of the faucet in the bathrooms there, and then in the Mid-East you notice some terrible BO. I think Kimchee has permeated everything in Korea. I'll pay attention this time in Bangalore. There are an awful lot of smells in India obviously, but hat one doesn't stand out in my mind.

G'nite.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/opinion/sunday/when-did-optimism-become-uncool.html

It is the best of times, but alas, optimism has become uncool and so we ignore the many ways in which Obama's reforms have made things better and instead fall prey to Trump's demagoguery.

And this is a shame, because optimism would lead to MORE reforms being implemented. So start cheering up so we can work on our next set of reforms!

[Buckeye]

Good job airing some hypocrite laundry Clarice!

But then you do live in a target rich environment.

[Janet S.]

Wretchard posted this link on FB with this lead in - "In 2013 they described it as a miracle"

Hugo Chavez’s economic miracle
The Venezuelan leader was often marginalized as a radical. But his brand of socialism achieved real economic gains

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/06/hugo_chavezs_economic_miracle/

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2591376

Excerpts from Clarence Thomas's commencement speech at Hillsdale College

[Miss Marple 2]

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/279930-nevada-dem-convention-devolves-into-chaos

[jimmyk]

Speaking of gorgeous, RIP Madeline LeBeau, of "Vive La France!" fame in "Casablanca," the last surviving cast member.

[cheerleader]

daddy @ 11:41 Congress does "So Much Whining We Are Sick of It"

[Janet S.]

Here's NPR's solution ...
from Feb. 2016 -

Facing Severe Food Shortages, Venezuela Pushes Urban Gardens
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/16/466942128/facing-severe-food-shortages-venezuela-pushes-urban-gardens

starving? societal collapse? no electricity? no medicine?

Urban gardens!!

"They were on a mission to find dirt for their gardens, which they keep on balconies, rooftops and small plots of their homes. After digging up the fresh earth, they lugged it back down the mountain."

[Miss Marple 2]

I see the Clinton Dead listis surfacing again (people who died under mysterious circumstances).

It's quite a list of murders, suicides, and iffy accidents and medical trauma.

I always wondered about that, as the number of people in my circle of friends and extended who have been murdered or committed suicide is ZERO.

[GUS]

Joan, not to be "crude" but Priety Zinta smells like ROSES not Curry, when I make sweet sweet luv to her. She can cook, but I shouldn't talk about "private stuff".

[Captain Hate]

Still waiting for Carlos Slim's and Bezos's barely trained chimps to discover Slick's multiple trips to Epstein Island. C'mon Bob Woodward, do you have to be handed everything by a bitter liar to "get" the story? Absolutely pathetic.

[Miss Marple 2]

Threadkiller,

I hope you're up in time to watch this, because I know you don't want to miss it!

owardKurtz ‏@HowardKurtz 11m11 minutes ago

On #Mediabuzz at 11 ET, @megynkelly on her Trump truce, the impact of the attacks on her life & career, and grappling with the price of fame

[GUS]

Capn hate, are you confusing Epstein Island with Billy Jeff's "charity work" in Haiti.

[Captain Hate]

Oh c'mon, Gus, Tony "Yes we're all fatasses in this family" Rodham has eliminated poverty in Haiti with taking nary a penny for his efforts. There's been a flood of people from the Dominican Republic trying to get into this paradise.

[squaredance]

Every personal acquaintance I ever made in Moscow sooner or later took me out to visit Gogol's residence in the city (it has been made into a sort of museum and library know as "The Gogol House", and it is one of the few residences in the inner city from before the fire that has survived more or less in tact ).

The people who have taken me to this shrine--for that is what it is--include people with no literary inclinations whatsoever--even people that have little education. This is such a constant occurrence that I mark it as a ritual of the beginnings of friendship.

The Russians, or at least the Muscovites, are Gogol fanatics, and rightly so. They take a great, fierce pride in him.

It is quite moving to see.

[Miss Marple 2]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CicfoX6VEAA6g66.jpg

This is a picture of Donald and Melania Trump with JOHN MILLER, the supposedly imaginary publicist.

[jimmyk]

This is what the "Paper of Record" has sunk to:

[Miss Marple 2]

jimmyk,

They've really lost it, haven't they?

Plus, putting that picture on the front page sort of looks like he's surrounded by beautiful, admiring women, which is not the message they hoped to send.

[GUS]

Miss Marple, those "women" aren't supposed to CHOOOOOSE that lifestyle. I'll bet each and every one of them uses the "ladies room".

[Captain Hate]

Oh c'mon, jimmyk; after Holocaust minimizing, denial of starvation in the Ukraine and refusal to disown Duranty's Pulitzer this doesn't even qualify for anything major in the Shitberger family.

[cheerleader]

I wonder how Greta, Lou, Judge Janine and others who've been interviewing Mr. Trump, his kids and supporters from day one, feel professionally about Queen Kelly Megyn now poaching their territory.

[clarice]

Thanks.

[Old Lurker]

My offering for your enjoyment, via Drudge:

http://theamericanmirror.com/sally-miller-hillary-and-her-coke-habit/

[Miss Marple 2]

cheerleader,

I figure Trump gave her the interview as a favor to Ailes. She so damaged her brand with the constant snarking, that a bunch of people have turned her off.

I'd like to see ratings numbers from prior to the start of the first debate compared with where her show is today.

[Old Lurker]

Not just her show, but the others and the News Hour too, MM. I think I am down to about 5 minutes a day of Fox News.

Was it here that somebody yesterday mentioned a contempt for an audience?

[Miss Marple 2]

Old Lurker,

True. I watch Bill Hemmer in the morning and occasionally Outnumbered.

Have lost interest in The Five because of Gutfeld monopolizing the talk and being nasty about Trump. Sometimes I watch Greta.

Far cry from having it on from early morning until bedtime, which is what I used to do.

[cheerleader]

If the same pattern governs the general campaign as it did the primaries, I expect his poll numbers to go up after every hit piece, the worse the dirt, the higher his polls numbers. The number of his twitter followers will also continue to increase daily.

[Janet S.]

Even if I wasn't a political junkie it would be hard to take that NYT story seriously with a Clinton in the race.

"Crossing the Line: How Donald Trump Behaved With Women in Private"

Really??? Did Trump put cigars in their vaginas?

[buccaneer morgan]

Those are pageant contestants are they not as for the demure miss lane not so much.

[Jack is Back!]

How about that driving performance from young (18 y.o.) Max Verstappen to win the Spanish Grand Prix today?

Youngest ever F1 winner. And he did it without one practice or test lap in the car. Pretty impressive. Even if Rosberg and Hamilton crashed out.

Only caught the last few laps after coming home from church hoping to see the BPL on NBCsn.

[Threadkiller]

Threadkiller,

I hope you're up in time to watch this, because I know you don't want to miss it!

I will check my rat traps instead.

[Centralcal on iPad]

MM you asked about ratings. This was published May 7th at TVNewser:

"While each of the top-10 cable news programs in total viewers fell from their March 2016 average, many of them were up year-over-year: The O’Reilly Factor (+9 percent), The Kelly File (+7 percent), Special Report with Bret Baier (+1 percent) and most notably, Hannity (+35 percent) to name a few."

As you can see, Megyn's show is up over last year. Hannity's show which is almost entirely devoted to Trump is up the most - so that should cheer you.

[GUS]

Yes Janet, she actually kept the JIPE STAINED blue dress for "Posterity"

[Beasts of England]

Crossing the line? Oh, my. :(

Carlos' dancing chimps have a very thick membrane on their bubble. Heck, this is water under Trump's wheels - he got his picture on the front of the paper with a bunch of babes, and now he gets to drive the cycle, re: the hypocrisy of Slick Willie's adventures. Again. They're making it too easy for him, but they can't understand that paradigm.

Trump is enjoying every bit of this.

[Threadkiller]

While each of the top-10 cable news programs in total viewers fell from their March 2016 average, many of them were up year-over-year: 

What does that mean?

[Threadkiller]

Ahhh.

I thought it said "March 2015."

[Jack is Back!]

Oh, as Mrs. JiB has just pointed out, Verstappen is Belgian of the Flemish variety (born in Hasselt and carries a Belgian passport) but drives under the Dutch flag since that is where he spent most of his time learning the art of racing by karting. Father is Dutch, Mother Belgian.

He lives in Bree, Belgium.

[Porchlight]

Happy Pentecost! Can't catch up until after church, but don't miss the wheels coming off the Dem Nevada convention yesterday. My apologies if already linked.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/279930-nevada-dem-convention-devolves-into-chaos

[jimmyk]

this doesn't even qualify for anything major in the Shitberger family.

You have a point, Cap'n. If only they'd given the concentration camps that kind of front page coverage.

[Janet S.]

Where is this story? -

"Crossing the Line: How LGBT activist leaders Behaved With children in Private"

an expose on Terry Bean - known for co-founding several national LGBT rights organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/09/prominent_gay_activist_terry_b_1.html

"Bean, 67, of Portland and former boyfriend Kiah Loy Lawson, 25, were charged with having sex with a 15-year-old boy at a Eugene hotel in 2013. Each faced two counts of third-degree sodomy, a felony, and third-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor.

A civil compromise is legal under Oregon law. Defendants may compensate the victims of certain crimes and have the charges dismissed if a judge approves the deal.

An offer to settle a child sex abuse case through civil compromise is unprecedented, prosecutors said."

[Captain Hate]

Chris Wallace has lost his shit as he grills Reince Priebus about Trump's "women problem". Does anybody still trust this trash network?

[cheerleader]

Janet, he doesn't smoke.

Hannity was pretty fair and balanced, and when Cruz accused him of favoring Trump, that made Hannity ripping mad.

I've read many Trump supporters post that at pro Cruz sites like Right Scoop all pro Trump comments were immediately deleted.

I guess if Trump got any positive coverage at all, that was seen as "entirely devoted." It is statements like that that caused Mr. Trump to start calling Cruz "Lyin' Ted".

[Threadkiller]

Their was a time when posting positive Trump comments here was frowned upon, cheerleader.

Not anymore.

#ThanksTrump

[Captain Hate]

Priebus seems to get it about why people gravitate to Trump. Wallace is yammering about how "nobody knows who Trump is". Please continue to stick with this idiot, Ailes.

[Captain Hate]

Priebus calls a "conservative third party run a suicide mission for the country" and states that Kristol and Romney need to hash out their differences with Trump man to man.

[cheerleader]

I'm starting to understand Mr. Trump's pre-emptive strikes on Hillary for enabling Bill's "women problems." He must have seen this coming.

[Captain Hate]

Tim Huelscamp joins in Wallace's whining about de wimmenz problem; Noot asks where's the Epstein island coverage. Huelscamp keeps complaining about Trump not being a conservative; Noot says look at the alternative in Rodham. Dear God, Huelscamp keeps whining about his kids and soccer moms. Noot understands why people are pissed off. Huelscamp seems to believe nobody can win unless they're 100% pro life; where has he been this century? Newt says Trump gets in trouble by speaking off the cuff for long periods of time and gets into situations where he backtracks on positions. Huelscamp must have really loved Romney in 2012; how'd that work out, Tim? Noot plays coy on whether he'd be a VP candidate.

[Jack is Back!]

What I saw of Newt in Key Biscayne back in New Year's he is not physically fit to do any hard campaigning. I'd be surprised its him or Christie.

[maryrose]

Centracal
Thanks for the truthful ratings wrt the ratings of the different Fox programs.
On May 17th watch those Meghan Kelly ratings soar with her one on one with the Repub candidate.
Captain
Chris Wallace was his usual asshat self today grilling Priebus.
Good to know NYT hit piece won't stick.
Interesting article on Wisconsin Republican Party Meeting.
Newt is a good spokesperson for our Party.
Meghan Kelly is doing just fine despite the chagrin of some people.

[maryrose]

George Will:
I support nominee but I don't endorse him is what some Repubs say.

[maryrose]

Tim is from Kansas but I still think with a little persuading he can be won over.

[Captain Hate]

Bob Woodward says the Amazon Daily Worker will investigate Rodham with an "appropriate number of reporters". Hume joins the MFM bandwagon on covering Trump but is extremely skeptical that Rodham will be scrutinized. Amy Walter says wimmenz are more worried about his judgement as President but still arent in love with Rodham. Will says a lot of GOP people are engaged in semantic summersaults. Walter says that Trump seems popular enough with the base to marginalize the party insiders.

[old lurker 2]

maryrose, You are either naive or stupid. Maybe both.

[Truthbetold5]

old luker 2

You are definitely stupid.

[Threadkiller]

The tagteam is in the ring at the same time?

[Captain Hate]

Will says 404's decree will help private schools and the lies about what the language of the law on "gender" are being revealed. Walter says rule by fiat will continue until Congress pushes back. Hume says this is something that came out of nowhere and is completely absurd to be reasonably understood. Woodward shows that he's confused about everything.

Will says the TSA has been doing security at campaign rallies which have nothing to do with Trasportation. Walter says airports have to redesign how they do security.

And that's a wrap.

[Truthbetold5]

TK

You mean you and lurker?

[buccaneer morgan]

The problem is they lost the prized 18-45 demographic.

[Threadkiller]

On May 17th watch those Meghan Kelly ratings soar with her one on one with the Repub candidate.

If Cruz was still in the race, imagine how well Magpie would be doing.

[Threadkiller]

Thanks, CH.

[Jack is Back!]

Suspicious package found in the North stands at Old Trafford in Manchester, UK. Controlled evacuation of stadium. ManU v. Bournemouth game postponed until further notice.

No idicaiton if terror related.

[clarice]

maryrose is certainly not stupid, but trolls who think they can disparage her here with affect are.

[buccaneer morgan]

Thousands standing around, have done little of use.

By contrast, they had a very effective Mexican American spokesman for trump, on ramos's show.

[GUS]

Capn, why didn't WOODTURD vet Rodham when she ran against President Obamster. Was he short on reporters back then.

[Captain Hate]

Wait a second, the power player of the week is Schmucky Schooooomer and how he's meddled in his staffer's lives as a matchmaker. Does this have to be listed as a campaign contribution.

And the last thing is a plug for the Magpie's special.

Now that's really a wrap.