It’s “arraign-y” day in Ann Arbor, at least for disgraced former coach Sherrone Moore, whose job loss may be the least of his worries. Facts are emerging, not that we really care about them for our wallowing. After getting fired he went to the home of a woman and whatever he did there resulted in his arrest. He’s in police custody as we write, and will be arraigned today. Owl Chatter’s insipid, I mean intrepid, photographer Phil is heading out there now to stay on top of the story for us, although we just got a text from him saying he’s drunk and forgot to take his camera. Stay on it, buddy! You’re the best!

OK, we have an update: Moore’s been charged with home invasion (a 3rd-degree felony), stalking, and breaking and entering, both misdemeanors. Oy.

In a statement his attorneys released to the press he says: Sh*t, this is worse than losing to Ohio State.

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At 56D in the puzzle today the clue was “Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts.” The answer, of course, was ERG. I say “of course” not because anyone could possibly know what that means, but because every three-letter physics-related answer in an XW puzzle has to be ERG. (Or OHM.)

It’s a great puzzle with many lively clues and answers. One of my faves came at 14A. The clue was “‘You’re telling me!’” and the answer was I KNOW, RIGHT?

In his discussion of ERG, Rex (RP) noted that in college the only course he ever received an A+ in was Physics, and then he wrote: I know, right? stunning!

I posted the following:

Re: RP’s A+

In my tax class, when we got to capital gains and losses I would warn the class: “Don’t take this topic lightly. It may seem clear, but I got the lowest grade in my entire academic career in the course in which this was taught.” Then I’d pause and say: A minus.

It was actually three letteral steps down from there. I remember the prof too (from 1975). He was good. It was all on me.

So, RP, the next time you screw up and your wife says “Hey, Einstein, you screwed up!” she’s not far off. (Einstein himself, btw, would get furious when his wife did that.)

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At 8D, the clue wanted us to know who wrote “‘You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?”” Four letters. The clue helped by saying it was a playwright. I don’t think I would have gotten it without the crosses. You? It was GB SHAW.

Another of my faves today was at 17A: “Conspiracy theorist’s accessory.” Answer: TIN FOIL HAT.

Commenter Pablo noted that he would have guessed the above quote was by RFK “the real one, not the idiot.”

I was about to post the following, but didn’t want to start anything. Too lazy.

Pablo: To follow your tangent on RFK Jr: Headline in NYT today: Hundreds Quarantined in SC as Measles Spreads. No signs of slowing in areas with low vax rates.

Hang on to your TIN FOIL HATs, folks!

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It’s the birthday of Gustave Flaubert (1821), pronounced FLOBB-ert. Gus is famous for writing the novel Mrs. Ovary. He was working on a deal to obtain some of Einstein’s hair when he (Gus) died.

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Another sparkler today was a combination of 5D and 38A, which “crossed!” The clue was “One way to sit.” I got it right away, but judging by the comments, the world is made up of two groups: one that’s heard of CRISSCROSS APPLESAUCE, and one that hasn’t. The latter group was a bit pissy about it.

Commenter Les wrote: What’s with CRISS CROSS/APPLE SAUCE? Looked it up post-solve and see it’s a pre-school thing. I took my kids to pre-school (and kindergarten) and sat in as a parent helper and I never heard this term. Why APPLE SAUCE? Because it rhymes and kids will fall for anything if it rhymes. Sheesh! That’s awful. Cynical and manipulative, even.

Anony Mouse replied: CRISSCROSS APPLESAUCE is “cynical and manipulative?” Hoo-boy, you must have a hard time getting along.

Mathgent asked:  “In what context is CRISSCROSS APPLESAUCE well known?” Pre-school, for one, as noted above. Here’s the teacher.

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I see from the front page of the NY Times today that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was released from U.S. custody on judge’s orders. Clearly the judge is a drug-crazed communist lunatic. How else to explain the order? Why don’t they just shoot the poor guy already? Have Hegseth throw him on a boat off Venezuela and blow it the hell up? And let’s convene a few more grand juries to go after Tish James while we’re at it. You can’t make this stuff up. All these lawyers who go along with all of it – deplorable.

Here’s Garcia, holding some kid as a prop. That cake is clearly filled with cocaine and weapons. How much more proof do you need?

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Joseph Enzweiler’s poem, “Christmas 1963” is from today’s Writer’s Almanac.

Because we wanted much that year
and had little. Because the winter phone
for days stayed silent that would call
our father back to work, and he
kept silent too with our mother,
fearfully proud before us.

Because I was young that morning
in gray light untouched on the rug
and our gifts were so few, propped
along the furniture, for a second
my heart fell, then saw how large
they made the spaces between them

to take the place of less. Because
the curtained sun rose brightly
on our discarded paper and the things
themselves, these forty years,
have grown too small to see, the emptiness
measured out remains the gift,

fills the whole room now, that whole year
out across the snowy lawn. Because
a drop of shame burned quietly
in the province of love. Because
we had little that year
and were given much.

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We attended the Morristown HS Orchestra’s Winter concert last night, and heard Robin (the artist formerly known as Lianna) play the viola. It was great! One piece they played was the Symphonie Espagnole by Edouard Lalo. It was the version often played by the Boston Pops. We really enjoyed the Lalo Pops.

That’s Robin and boyfriend Diegan on the right. Her cousin Dante is holding Izzy. Zo, newly muffed, stands between Caity and me, with Linda on the far left.

From Rex’s holiday pet pix today. Here’s Sunny! On his way to a $20-minimum dreidel game, no doubt. Woof, woof.

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See you tomorrow!