What They Said...
Letters and comments from Flyer readers
GREG CRAVENS
About Frank Murtaugh’s Sports column and Richard Alley’s Books column … I really enjoyed the “Heroes Return” story by Frank Murtaugh and “Good Friends” by Richard J. Alley. Great writing that struck a chord with me this holiday season. Thanks for all the great articles, all year long. Happy holidays. Elizabeth M
About Kevin Lipe’s post, “Grizzlies 112, Wizards 96: Five Thoughts” … I love the Grizzlies, but I really think age has caught up with us. We aren’t the defensive team we once were, and Allen looks disgruntled. I think Z-Bo can be really effective off the bench, playing 25 minutes a night, but the question is how long will he settle for coming off the bench. Gasol has had his moments, but the consistency has not been there, and Conley has not been as good this year. We have to beat a quality opponent with their full lineup intact, and we don’t look like we can do that. Ray About Bruce VanWyngarden’s Letter From the Editor, “Wondering Where the Lions Are” … The charter school industry is not unlike the for-profit prison system, which requires a steady influx of money, er, prisoners, and so laws are written to keep the prisons full. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the same gangs don’t run both operations. Jeff
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, April 27, 2015 About Ted Rall’s Viewpoint column, “Bern Unit” … Ted Rall’s hilarious screed about socialism and American ignorance was The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 almost as entertaining as it was uninFor Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 formative. Rall is appalled by “political For Release Wednesday, May 13, 2015 ignoramuses” and wonders whether we “idiots” are “qualified to vote at all.” He’s upset that even Democrats are too Edited by Will Shortz No. 0408 Crossword 34 Frequently, ACROSS to a 64 Boat withstupid a to understand 1 2 socialist 3 “tra4 the ACROSS 32 Jack or jenny 64 Showed some poet double-bladed puppy love? dition of Western European electoral 1 Chicago paper, National 1 Actor 33 First briefly, with “the” Leaguer with 66 Warning to the paddle politics,” much less 500 homers 14 the Republican 5 Subj. for a answers to the Malcolm-___ citizenship 37 1977 hard34 Conductor’s three starred applicant place right, which is plagued by “colossal clues regarding 8 Largo,Warner for one 65 Pigpen dumbness.” 38 Theof “A” of“The BART the word hidden rock hit by Ted 13 Monotonous in 17-, 34and cargo 17 learning 43-Across Cosby4142 Tram’s Show” Nugent Dunham of 14 Country music’s It must be sorely difficult to be 66 Deuce toppers “Girls” 68 Cheap smoke ___ Young Band 43 Grammy category 69 Poop out 15 Coiner of so doggone educated, intelligent, 6termOne way totimesbe in 41 “Beg pardon?” won five by the 20 70 Camera setting Eminem 67 Long, hard “doublethink” andlook right when so many people are 48 Org. featured in 71 Some British 17 Gillettelove razor “Outbreak” brand jackets uneducated and just plain stupid. 42 Puts the 19 Country that’s 49 Carrier units, 72 “Good ___!” south Sandwich of South briefly often 11 23 Perhaps Bernie Sanders should belittle Sudan 73 Aspiring atty.’s whammy on 50 Alley-oop pass, exam 20 City near the maybe DOWN on toasted bread only remaining Americans for their ignorance of “basic 54 U.S. counterpart wonder of the to Britain’s GCHQ ancient world DOWN 43 Display model political and economic terms.28 ” That’ll 26 27 55 Cable co. 21 Bryn ___ College 1 One might start 14 Way overweight 1 Tiny amounts acquired by AT&T 23 Captain’s post win over a bunch of swing voters! in 1999 2 Reposition, as 24 Hot time on the “Knock knock …” 44 “Terrible” 56 J.F.K. posting: tires RivieraLetter-shaped It seems pretty30obvious that Rall isn’t Abbr. 15 3 “Gave it my all” 25 Mo. with Patriot 57 Miler Sebastian Russian autocrat Day interested 4 *Tough test, 2 “___ to leap tall in democracy, socialism, or support 58 French 101 verb 27 Frozenbuilding Wasser PUZZLE BY ZHOUQIN BURNIKEL slangily 29 Dweller along the 60 Calls off even communism at all. What he wants 5 ___ roll (sushi buildings …” Mekong 26 “Exit fulland screen” not of the 39 Republican 46 Age, try 56 Sean 62 bride of 37totalitarianism in item) 16 ofRoyal promise “Lord of the stronghold key 1981 30 MarshNote plants is a type of fascist Rings” movies 6 Batter’s of a geog.it 40 Mollusk on to28 One hide 3 Timid which he and a few other “well edula carte nightmare ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 15, once 59 Toaster waffle 17 Compulsion to 44 *Mob hit victim 7 Bart’s toon sister 31 Year of the ___ brand S C A R F E A R P I M A C 41tell everyone what to cated elites” get to (most of 2015) 45 Gives in 8 *Fodor’s guide 48 Miniskirts P O D steal I A K W A I W A X Y 4 queen Egyptian cobra 61 First of buyer 35 Joins for a ride I C O N S B E D E V I L E D 46 Happy hour spot Carthage do, how to act, and, most importantly, 36 Steroid ___ 9 Tiny bit of work or oversize C O U G H M E D I C I N E 47 Old nutritional (1990s-early what’s “good for them. ” 19 bear fig. 63 Stressed type: E A T Baby I S R A R E M S S 10 Sound of an air 5 Like the bite of a 2000s, in 44 45 Abbr. baseball) sunglasses, once kiss D O U G H N U T H O L E 51 Wax-winged flier You can always count on a leftist to of myth C R O O N I T S A D A M 11 Cruz with a 2008 37 Poor box 4-Down 65 A, in Aachen contents 20 God!” R A N “Oh. I A N GMy. S T L E V I Oscar 52 “Moonlight ___” reveal his or her true intentions when it 38 Stephanopoulos’s double of a A M E N N A H E L L E S 12 Cato the 53 Elder’s The 48 49 employer 53 Darjeeling server 67 “Get it?” 6 Copycat T O U G H O N C R I M E language comes to governance and public policy. 21 Port-au-Prince’s E S P O N O O S E F A T 16 Boxer Jake a.k.a.double play Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past P L O U G H T H R O U G H To paraphrase the manicurist: puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Raging Bull land 7 “Splish splash, I Madge S N I C K E R A T S U R E R 18 Head-scratcher Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. 53You’re sitting in it, What’s that smell? H A N D V A L E O Z O N E 54 Stars and Stripes Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/studentcrosswords 22 Underhanded was . takin’Mr.___” E G G Depression-era S O M E N N O R T E 22 sort Rall! land, informally (1958 lyric) migrant Greg McIntyre 58
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About the GOP debate … The men and the woman vying for the GOP presidential nomination want us to believe that America under President Obama is the ultimate wimp nation; that when it comes to the Islamic 5State, we’re 6 7 8 on9Netflix 10 busy zoning out and letting ISIS run rampant. The way Donald Trump, 15 Ted Cruz, and their minions put it, you’d think the Obama administration is doing nothing. 18 Turns out, the United States is dumping tens of thousands of bombs 21 on Islamic State strongholds, so much so, the U.S. has been running out of 25 bombs. Since the air war kicked24off last year, we’ve unloaded more bombs on ISIS than we have in Afghanistan 29 any time during the past five years. In fact, when it comes 31 to ISIS, 32 we’ve 33 averaged more than 2,000 air raids a month since the military mission began. We’re 38 39 some $10 million every day spending bombing the Islamic State. So far we’ve 42 spent more than $4 billion! And it’s gotten us nowhere. Just like increased military action and 46 Ted47 Cruz’s “carpet bombing” will get us nowhere. So, when you hear the Repub50 51 52 lican warmongers and know-nothings pop off, be happy President Obama is 54Pennsylvania Avenue living at 1600 and taking care of business. 59 60 Lewis Arthur
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