![]() ![]() I had little moments of struggle, but just little. Are those also considered "verb phrases"? Well, the restress turns the first word into a verb in every case, is my point. Every one of these themers doesn't just have shift in stress it also goes from noun or adj. I will say, though, that this puzzle *has* drawn my attention to the funny ( STRANGE funny, not "haha" funny) phenomenon of nouns/adjectives being accented on first syllable and verbs being accented on the second. The fill was for the most part very smooth and solid, if nothing at all to write home about (I love the idea that you all are up all hours of the night handwriting letters to ma by candlelight: "Dearest Mother, the crossword etc."). The other themers were (YO HO) ho hum to me. Not sure why I'm doing PR for them right now, but free books is free books. ![]() PROJECT GUTENBERG is fantastic for finding the oddest long-out-of-print stuff, as well as classic stuff you've always been meaning to read but haven't. Free ebooks galore! Especially if your tastes turn toward Things In The Public Domain! The new year brings new items (specifically, stuff from 1924! Here's Hemingway's In Our Time, for instance). What I liked most was seeing PROJECT GUTENBERG get some grid-time! It's such a great resource. Take some familiar phrases and then wackify them in some way via the clues!? Presto change-o Theme-O! It all works fine, it's totally inoffensive, but there's remarkably little joy in the solving endeavor. Feels like every (competent) Sunday puzzle I've ever done, ever. Second, a mailing address (checks should be made out to "Rex Parker"): First, a Paypal button (which you can also find in the blog sidebar): But if you are able to express your appreciation monetarily, here are two options. All are welcome to read the blog-the site will always be open and free. Some people refuse to pay for what they can get for free. ![]() How much should you give? Whatever you think the blog is worth to you on a yearly basis. Whether you choose to contribute or not, I'm all yours. I will continue to post the solved grid every day, tell you my feelings about the puzzle every day, make you laugh or wince or furrow your brow or shout at your screen every day, bring you news from the Wider World of Crosswords (beyond the NYT) every day. Knowing that I have a loyal readership really is the gas in the tank, the thing that keeps me solving and writing and never missing a day for 13+ years. It's just me creating this thing and then people who enjoy the thing supporting the work that goes into creating the thing. And then I let 51 weeks go by before I bring up the subject again. I have heard any number of suggestions over the years about how I might "monetize" (oof, that word) the blog, but honestly, the only one I want anything to do with is the one I already use-once a year, for one week, I just ask readers to contribute directly. This blog is a source of joy and genuine community to me (and I hope to you) but it is also work, and this is the time of year when I acknowledge that! All I want to do is write and make that writing available to everyone, for free, no restrictions. ![]() Well, I do pay Annabel and Claire, respectively, to write for me once a month, but beyond that, it's just my time. I love what I do here, but it is a lot of work, put in at terrible hours-I'm either writing late at night, or very early in the morning, so that I can have the blog up and ready to go by the time your day starts (9am at the very latest, usually much earlier). Speaking of love-I try hard to bring a passion and enthusiasm to our shared pastime every time I sit down to this here keyboard. It's not a rational sentiment, but love's not rational, especially pet love. Also, on a personal note, 2019 was the year I lost Dutchess, who was officially The Best Dog, and who was with me well before I was "Rex Parker." Somehow the turning of the calendar to 2020 felt like. It's kind of a melancholy January this year, what with the world in, let's say, turmoil. It's early January and that means it's time for my annual pitch for financial contributions to the blog, during which I ask regular readers to consider what the blog is worth to them on an annual basis and give accordingly. HELLO, READERS AND FELLOW SOLVERS from SYNDICATIONLAND (If you're solving this puzzle on January 12, 2020, this means you!). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |