L. A. Times Crossword puzzle Blogging

Wednesday, March 8, 2015  D. Scott Nichols & C.C. Burnikel

Theme - THE WEARIN' O' THE GREEN.  Nope - nothing to do with St. Pat - that was last month. In fact, this puzzle, for reasons that will soon become clear, is much more timely than that.  I'm referring to the iconic item of apparel given to the winner of a sporting event which will be identified shortly.

17 A. Hold banned in amateur wrestling : FULL NELSON.  This hold is more easily pictured than described.

IMPACT!

Byron NELSON was the winner of the subject event in 1937 and 1942, the latter in a playoff with Ben Hogan - before my time.

24 A. Premier League athlete : SOCCER PLAYER.  The English Premier League is where professionals play a sport known as "football" most everyplace except here in the U.S.  Gary PLAYER, from South Africa was the winner in 1961, 1974 and 1978.

40 A. Innocents : BABES IN THE WOODS.  This is the title of a gruesome traditional childrens' tale, first published in 1595, then passed into every-day speech to indicate any inexperienced or unwary persons thrust into hazardous situations.  Tiger WOODS is perhaps more famous now for his adventurous personal life that his sporting feats; but he once dominated his sport, and won the subject event in 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005. Looks like he will participate this year.

52. Influential teams : POWER COUPLES.  From the Urban Dictionary: "A couple who seems to have a fairy tale romance. Also, both parties involved in the power couple have tremendous influence over people around them because of their devastating good looks* and seemingly perfect relationship with their significant other. 

*the most common type of power couple is between a male athlete and an actress and/or singer."

Fred COUPLES, the only one-time winner in the puzzle, took the prize in 1992.

It should be obvious by now that the the sport is golf, and the unifier gives us the event.  65A. April golf tournament, four of whose winners appear in 17-, 24-, 40- and 52-Across : THE MASTERS tournament, an event held every April at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.  It is the first of golf's four major championships held in 2015.   Each year the winner is awarded the iconic green blazer.

2013 Winner Adam Scott places the blazer on 2014 (and 2012) winner Bubba Watson

This year's MASTERS starts tomorrow, so the puzzle is right on time. And did you notice the constructors?  Our own fearless leader and prolific puzzle maven C.C. along with Monday-Tuesday blogging stalwart, Santa Baby.  More feathers in the corner cap.   Yay team!

Let see if our friends have given us a rough time or treated us in a fair way.

Carpe Diem #699

DEPRESSION

Kristjaan tells us that in the Bhagavad Gita:

"Arjuna stood in the middle of the both armies and had a conversation with Krishna about life and death.

Arjuna becomes sad and depressed as he sees the enemy armies in which his friends, family-members and teachers are gathered. And he becomes anxious ... how can he fight against his best friends and family?

Having thus spoken in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna, casting away his bow and arrow, sat down on the seat of the chariot with his mind overwhelmed with sorrow."

Krishna councils Arjuna on why he must stay and fight.

“Krishna asserts that only one who has the capacity to be balanced in pleasure and pain alike is fit for immortality. Krishna goes on to tell Arjuna that if he refuses to fight and flees from the battle, people will be justified in condemning such action as unworthy of a warrior.”

~  and  ~

“Arjuna is eager to know the characteristics of a man who has a stable mind. Such a person, Krishna tells him, will have no desires at all. Since he is content within, having realized the Self, he is entirely free from desires. The consciousness of the Atman and abandonment of desires are simultaneous experiences.” 

For me, the last paragraph informs the preceding one in a way that is certainly not intended.

If Arjuna is wise, he will understand that the battle is antithetical to being in balance - it is all about desire - either for conquest or to avoid being conquered, to be alive and whole at the end of the day, or - worst of all - for honor, which is a manifestation of pure ego.  Further, he will realize that those who would condemn him for not acting as a warrior is expected to act are imposing their desires on him.

So - what is the balanced man to do? 

krishna has it wrong

battle is out of balance

and fraught with desire 

~:~

arjuna's wisdom

not caring what people think

he leaves the battle

~~::~~

C D Special #140

Kala Ramesh's "morning prayers"

"The goal is to write/compose an all new haiku inspired on the given haiku and in the same sense, tone and spirit as the given verse/haiku."

morning prayers

the rising sun between

my hands

© Kala Ramesh

~~::~~

westering sun falls

beneath the dense cloud blanket

michigan sunset

© JzB

Carpe Diem #698

CHARIOT

The chariot is a means of rapid conveyance, with it's use dedicated mostly - but not exclusively - to warfare.  It was also used for sports like hunting and racing, and also as a means of rapid, uncomfortable transport.

But I think of the chariot as a war machine; and in my view war is always about expropriation - the greed of one people to take away what another people have, be it land, material wealth, resources, or a population that can be reduced to slavery.

So I see the chariot as an instrument of evil.

charging quick as wind

these horses men and weapons

death and destruction

~:~

sons fathers brothers

all dead now ravaged by war

horses smell of blood

~:~

all that we had

gone with that wind blown malice

and now we are slaves

~~::~~

Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #41

Soliloquy No Renga - "the spring wind"

The challenge is to use the given hokku as a springboard in writing a no renga of no more than 12 stanzas, with alternating 3 and 2 line form.  This should be based on associations that connect the stanzas in some way.  "The last link has to make the 'circle complete' and in that way has a link with the first verse. That last verse is called 'ageku'."

Hokku:

such a malice

cherry blossoms in full bloom

the Spring wind!

© Chèvrefeuille

~::~

such a malice

cherry blossoms in full bloom

the Spring wind!

pink petals in wild flight

a wonder to observe

destructive wind gust

incomprehensible blast

such force of nature

in the pink blossom glow

first touch of new lovers

in the swirling wind

trees uprooted - seeds scattered

the circle of life

under the swaying branches

the tickle of soft petals

birds on the wing

struggling against the wind

return to their nests

in the shelter of the trees

shudder of entwining limbs

calm after the storm

a spray of broken blossoms

pink petals scattered

at that quiescent moment

pink blossom glow - no malice

© JzB

~~::~~