JonMichael is Neither Jon nor Michael

Cru Cryptics

Today I finally completed all 189 New York Times Cru Cryptics (see link at right). This is a major milestone for me as I do not have any cryptics on my to-do list for a while. It is a weird feeling. Of course, now, Nichole might give...ugh...another book of British ones that'll make me go insane.

Feeling proud of myself. Time to work on my next submission with John and Sean.

Something's Gotta Give by The McGuire Sisters (#6 in 1955)

“Something’s Gotta Give” is the McGuire Sisters’ biggest top ten of the rock era. Frankly, I like this song but they sound too much like they’re on a USO tour in WWII. This was not uncommon as Tin Pan Alley still had its icy fingers in mid-50’s music. The lyrics are about an “irresistible force” and an “immovable object” and what happens when they meet. But, in its own way, it captures the glee and giddiness of falling in love, too. Just make sure that you don’t go into insulin shock, ‘cause this song is sweet (bordering on saccharine).

How to be more stylish

Step 1: Enter GAMES Magazine Contest
Step 2: Win a T-shirt in GAMES Magazine Contest

Wow! I plug their mag and withing hours I receive a notice via mail that I have won one of their contests. (Hidden Contest Oct. 2003). Maybe I should plug them more often.

Boy do I really like Battleships-style puzzles.

(Actually, I'm working on the next contest tonight.)

The Great Bob Stigger

After Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon and Henry Hook (who can sometimes be so deceptive that I cannot fully appreciate him), my favorite cryptic constructor is Bob Stigger. His clues hold two special places in my heart. His wordplay is exquisite and he is from the midwest. The midwestern connection means that for me (a Wisconsin native), he uses references and terminology that I "get" very naturally. From this month's GAMES magazine (get a subscription whydoncha) a clue by the great Mr. Stigger:

University in Eau Claire (4)

As UWEC grad, I love this clue and while I don't fault coastal dwellers, I don't think anyone else but Bob would look at the name like "Eau Claire" and say "How can I use that in a cryptic clue?" Plus, the entire clue both rolls of the toungue and is perfect in cryptic grammar.

Bob's cryptics are regularly featured in GAMES magazine.

Learnin' The Blues by Frank Sinatra (#2 in 1955)

Frank Sinatra was riding high in the mid-50s. Ol’ Blue Eyes had a record of scoring hit after hit; first for Tommy Dorsey and then on his own. Based on this track record, I was excited Frank had a rock era top ten. The song itself was not as excited. The laid-back “Learnin’ the Blues” is about coping with a break-up… by crying, walking, smoking and not sleeping. And while I do like singing along with song, Sinatra’s lush arrangements and full orchestra beg one question: what does Frank Sinatra know about the blues anyway?

Froogle

The Google mainpage now contains this line. "Shopping? Try Froogle - Google's product search service."

Other ideas Google tried:
Choogle - Spittoons and Chaw Search Engine.
Gloogle - Find something sticky on-line now!
Doogle - A Collection of Father Ted Reference Pages
Loogle - World Wide Phlegm

And competitors are only a step behind:
YaltaVista - Search only pages applicable to the end of the second world war peace talks.
Tahoo - Lake Tahoe on-line now!
Sycos - Find the works of Alfred Hitchcock and their Homepages.
Hogpile - Pigs, Bacon, Pork, Ham and Football webpages.

Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & The Comets (#1 in 1955)

“Rock Around the Clock” is the first “rock” song to make it to #1, and launched the "rock era." So I have a question: What’s going on in this seemingly straightforward dance song? Musically, it’s great. The guitar is so well picked Haley’s fingers might catch fire. The beat jams -- a great early rocker. But lyrically… this song is a count from one to twelve. If Bill Haley starts the rock era with a counting song, what’s to stop others from pursuing dumb ideas such as spelling or, worse, history lessons? What a weird, weird way to begin.

Two Words: "Crazy/Baby"

Since I'm going to be blogging about old singles, this gives me a rare opportunity to chronicle the "Baby/Crazy Phenomenon". You see, "Baby" does not rhyme with "Crazy". I repeat they DO NOT rhyme. So, whenever I get to a song that has a baby crazy rhyme I will add a small footnote that does not count in the 100 words that says:

Baby/Crazy: N

where N represents the number of times that baby and crazy were supposed to rhyme but didn't. For the purposes of this experiment, if they are merely inserted to make a line more assonant, I will count the pairs.

All this at NO ADDITIONAL COST.

A Blossom Fell by Nat "King" Cole (#2 in 1955)

Nat “King” Cole’s “A Blossom Fell” is classic example of the kind of songs the rock era was supposed to surpress but instead wound up adapting. The high lilting strings and Nat’s smooth as butter voice make this peformance sensational. Unfortunately, the lyrics, about blossoms falling on lips of people that lie, make me believe this was written by some New Age freak. In the clincher scene of the song, a blossom falls on his lover’s lips... so she was lying... get it? Among Nat “King” Cole’s admirable collection of tunes, this is not “Unforgettable.”

Intro to JMinJnM

So, I'm starting a blog.

Since I tend to be pretty random anyway, I figure a blog is a good space for me to just to have my thoughts. Here are the categories I'll be mostly talking about...

Cryptic Crosswords: Commentary on great clues and puzzles, plus my own clues posted randomly.

Mathematics: John Allen Paulos in his book Innumeracy said that no one was writing about math for the common man. It's a dirty job...

100 Words: A singles blog entry that discuss some top ten single from 1955-present. The trick is, I only get 100 words.

Humor: Some great gonzo funny idea I had. These will probably be the MOST random.

Pop Culture etc.: Opinions on pop culture outside of 100 words.

Other: Any other stupid stuff.