Those of you who were planning to have gay sex in Uganda anytime soon, it would be better if you don’t. Under a law passed Tuesday, it’s a crime punishable by life in prison. Just trying to have it will get you a seven-year term. I’m not sure what “trying” means — the article in the NYT didn’t explain. In cases of “aggravated homosexuality,” e.g., if children are involved, the law calls for the death penalty.
The lawmaker who introduced the legislation said it was needed because there was a “public outcry” over a plot to recruit schoolchildren into homosexuality — an allegation that rights advocates have said is baseless. Also, last month, a high-ranking Ugandan military officer urged health officials not to treat homosexual people in government health centers. The article noted that the U.S. provides close to $1 billion in aid to Uganda annually.
The national symbol of Uganda is the grey-crowned crane, fabled for its gentle nature. It’s on the flag. Looks a little gay, no?
Moving from the horrific to the ridiculous, where Owl Chatter is much more comfortable, the puzzle today used the clue “apprehension” for the answer DREAD. It caused LMS some discomfiture:
I’m still not happy with any definition I see of the word DREAD. For me, it’s usually neither fear nor apprehension. It’s simply that I’m really, really not looking forward to doing something. I’m not afraid of checking Mom’s air conditioning filter. Not at all. Not apprehensive. I’m just not looking forward to her standing at the foot of the ladder scrutinizing my every move, offering suggestions. Honestly, I’ve started telling her that I’m happy to do whatever task (adjust sprinkler, put freeze guard thingies on outside spickets, change a fluorescent bulb), but I tell her that she’s not allowed to watch. Once she had me fix her Kia side mirrors so that they retracted when the engine was shut off. I told her she had to stay away while I did this. When I finished, I jumped out of my skin ‘cause she was peering around the wall of the vestibule in the carport. Watching. Cue Twilight Zone music.
Today’s constructor was David Kwong, who is not only a cruciverbalist (XW puzzle person), but is a magician. LMS shared this amazing magic trick video in which Kwong combines magic and XW puzzles. Plus, you get to meet Will Shortz.
The clue at 46A was “Crow known to sing,” and the answer, of course, was SHERYL. Here she is:
She turned 61 last month — ouch! — and has sold over 50 million records. She was nominated for Grammys 32 times and won 9. She’s from Kennett, Missouri. She received a degree in music education from the U. of Missouri. Go Tigers! Her mom was a piano teacher, and her dad a lawyer and trumpet player. Once when he was arguing a case in court a little too heatedly, the judge said to him, “Easy does it, Satchmo.” [No he didn’t.]
Sheryl hasn’t been married, but she dated Eric Clapton and Owen Wilson. She was also engaged to Lance Armstrong, but they split after a couple of years when he found out she couldn’t ride a bike. She lives in West Nashville, TN, with two adopted children. She had breast cancer back in 2006 and is being monitored for a benign brain tumor. Owl Chatter hopes she’s okay. Thanks for dropping in Crow!
According to a front page story in the NYT today, DNA evidence has determined that Beethoven was Jewish. Also that he was a woman. No joke! A lock of hair thought to have been clipped from Beethoven’s head during his final illness was tested and is indisputably the hair of an Ashkenazi Jewish woman. According to the Times, the only other possible explanation is that it wasn’t Beethoven’s hair, which seems preposterous. Beethoven died from liver disease at the age of 56, which, since he would have been dead by now anyway, turns out not to have mattered. Here’s her picture. She looks sort of Jewish, no? Jew-ish?
Congrats to the Japanese baseball team who beat us fair and square for the WBC title.
The center fielder for the J-Squad was Lars Nootbaar, an outfielder for St. Louis during the regular season. Lars was born and raised in California. Nootbaar is a Dutch name — his dad was an American of Dutch, German, and English descent. Lars qualified for the team because his mom was Japanese.
Lars is the great-grandson of businessman and philanthropist Herbert Nootbaar, an early benefactor of Honkbal Hoofdklasse. That’s not a person — it’s the highest level of competitive baseball in the Netherlands. There are nine teams in that league, including Quick Amersfoort, Twins Oosterhout, and the Hoofddorp Pioniers.
I’ll just let myself out now — no need to get up. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 