We’re back from a quick jaunt out to Michigan. May not have been a good idea to leave Phil and George in charge of Owl Chatter headquarters, but the damage doesn’t seem too bad.
What a nice surprise to open our mail, find the New Yorker issue of 3/24, and see our own culture and style consultant Ana on the back of the cover in an ad for Louis Vuitton. Nice going, Armas!
Some of you fashionistas may recall she wore an LV gown to the Oscars in 2023 (when she was a Best Actress nominee for Blonde) that took over 1,000 hours to create.
This year, as a presenter, she wore wore a black column gown with a silver halter neckline. Ana, of course, could slay an army wearing a potato sack.
From The Onion:
Archeological Dig Uncovers Ancient Race of Skeleton People.
“This is an incredible find,” said Dr. Christian Hutchins, Oxford University archaeologist and head of the dig team. “Imagine: At one time, this entire area was filled with spooky, bony, walking skeletons.”
“The implications are staggering,” Hutchins continued. “We now know that the skeletons we see in horror films and on Halloween are not mere products of the imagination, but actually lived on Earth.”
So we see that the formerly powerful Paul Weiss law firm fell all over itself rushing to kiss Trump’s ring. Sorry, I mean ass. So much for the legal community banding together to save America. So it comes down to the NBA as the only remaining force in this country powerful enough to take on the rogue administration. Stay tuned.
Kudos to an amazing young woman, Becca Schneider, whose brilliant one-woman play we saw today in West Orange at a neat local theater: the Luna Stage. Becca is the niece of long-time Owl Chatter friend Ellen.
The play is called Trich (pronounced trick), and is about Becca’s struggle with a condition called trichotillomania, a compulsive desire to pull out one’s hair. It’s a mental disorder that is overwhelmingly debilitative. The play is utterly absorbing and was a perfect blend of comic moments with searing personal struggles. If you get the chance to see it, run. It has won awards and has been staged here and there for the last few years.
There was a question/answer period following the performance. Since I am committed to missing no opportunity to make a fool of myself, I asked whether trichotillomania has ever appeared in the NYT crossword puzzle. Becca said she does the puzzle daily (how great is that!) and to her knowledge it has never appeared. (At 16 letters in length it would require a enlarged daily grid (not uncommon), or a Sunday.)
Phil was with us and caught this nice shot of Becca.
And speaking of the puzzle, I think I was naticked today! That’s when two terms cross and you’re helpless if you don’t know them. 30D was “The “magic” in some mushrooms,” which is PSILOPSYBIN. Are you kidding me? And the cross at 53A was “Company that owns Words With Friends,” which is ZYNGA.
BTW, the term “natick” for such a situation was coined by Rex and caught on widely in Crossworld. It came about because he was caught between not knowing the Massachusetts town, Natick, and the first two initials of N.C. Wyeth, the artist. They stand for Newell Convers. Just two days ago, in the Butler Art Institute on the campus of Youngstown (OH) State College, we came across this painting — to my delight, of course.
The puzzle saluted Langston Hughes today. At 39A: “Classic Langston Hughes poem quoted on a wall of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.” The poem is I TOO.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed,—
I, too, am America.
Paige B. and the other UCONN women made mincemeat of Arkansas State in their first game of the Big Tourney: 103-34. Ouch. It was 66-16 at the half. The Lady Huskies were led by Azzi Fudd, no relation to Elmer, who, in addition to scoring 27 points, had seven azzizts.
The Wellington Files 