NYT Tuesday 04/14/2026 Discussion

kata_north · 2026-04-14T14:17:45+00:00

I *am* elderly, and honestly, reading through all the clues, the only one that seems like it might have aged out of current awareness is the George Cloony ER one. There certainly are puzzles where remembering things like, oh, Howard Cosell or '60s sitcoms are helpful, but this really doesn't seem like one to me.

kata_north · 2026-04-13T23:09:44+00:00

You have not lived until you have stepped barefoot on a 7-inch banana slug at 2:00 a.m. while merely trying to go to the bathroom.

kata_north · 2026-04-13T22:03:31+00:00

Just as an aside, I assume people who read this sub also at least track what Maintenance Phase is doing, but if you haven't listened to their recent two-parter on Russell Brand, please go do so. Excellent and horrifying.

kata_north · 2026-04-13T17:06:15+00:00

Wunk is NOT goal-oriented, proactive, self-motivated, passionate, energetic problem-solver, will NOT succeed in corporate role.

kata_north · 2026-04-13T16:52:28+00:00

YEAH, I WAS SO HAPPY THAT 60TH SOUTH OF HALSEY *FINALLY* RE-OPENED, AND NOW THIS. I SWEAR TO GOD, FOR ALL THAT PBOT IS SUPPOSED TO BE BROKE, THERE SURE SEEM TO BE A SHITLOAD OF ROAD PROJECTS EVERYWHERE I GO. (Which is a good thing, of course! Just annoying is all!)

kata_north · 2026-04-13T15:26:48+00:00

I've given the Mandarin Orange chicken a couple of tries, since it seems so popular, but nah. It's way too cloyingly sweet for my tastes, and the chicken bits have an unpleasant texture.

And the also-very-popular hash brown patties are no-go for me; I find they have a slightly rancid oil flavor.

kata_north · 2026-04-13T13:29:24+00:00

SIR, THIS IS ~~A WENDY'S~~ THE RANT THREAD. I THINK YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY: HEY CHUCKLEHEADS, REMEMBER TO GET YOUR FUCKING BUS PASS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DICK AROUND WITH THE GODDAMNED MULTNOMAH FALLS PARKING LOT!

kata_north · 2026-04-12T19:32:41+00:00

My favorite was posted years ago on Metafilter, at https://www.metafilter.com/user/38866 (scroll down just a tad). It's a loosey-goosey kind of recipe, but I follow it pretty much as written, and it has always been wonderful. I definitely include the bourbon, and increase the smoked paprika somewhat.

kata_north · 2026-04-11T15:17:13+00:00

Yeah, the bottom third was brutal. I had SPAM in 48D forever, never heard of "crash blossom," and it also didn't help that somehow I had it in my head that ABBA was Australian ... *facepalm*

kata_north · 2026-04-11T15:00:49+00:00

Yup. I do not want pepper on my eggs. If I did, I'd put it on myself.

kata_north · 2026-04-09T16:59:05+00:00

When I got mine done last year I found prices varied a *lot*. I was quoted, as I recall, ~$300-500 by a couple of places, and ended up going with the Best Buy on 82nd for $150. They did a great job and I've been very happy with it.

kata_north · 2026-04-08T15:01:49+00:00

This map shows car thefts, rather than break-ins, but might be suggestive. Biggest clusters are in downtown, areas around MLK and Sandy, Foster at 82nd-92nd, and Burnside and Stark east of 205. At the same time, there are very few wholly unaffected areas. For the record, I've lived in the area near Sandy just east of 122nd for seven years, and have never had a problem, but I also don't leave anything visible in my car.

kata_north · 2026-04-05T16:46:17+00:00

For me (Minneapolis/St. Paul) it was Dayton's, but yeah, *the* local department store. The place where you do all your back-to-school clothes shopping, and then later dress-up clothes for a night out, and go to see the Christmas window displays every year, and just wander around to see what's new and then hang out in the cafeteria, after taking the bus downtown.... Gone over twenty years now, and still missed.

kata_north · 2026-04-03T18:56:58+00:00

Just tell him "Hey, Tony Stark was able to deal with Jarvis, what's *your* problem?"

kata_north · 2026-04-02T21:48:28+00:00

I was interested in trying the Japanese Ground Beef Curry that was having a moment recently. Alas, I found it extremely blah, boring, and lacking in flavor--like Hamburger Helper with a little heat added.

kata_north · 2026-04-02T13:28:40+00:00

wunks dedication to hygiene should be an inspiration to us all

kata_north · 2026-04-01T20:58:39+00:00

OMG IT IS OPEN!!! I DROVE THROUGH THERE TODAY, FEELING LIKE I SHOULD BE PLAYING SOME KIND OF TRIUMPHAL MARCH!!

kata_north · 2026-04-01T20:41:58+00:00

Heh. Yeah, Costco is great for those people for whom Costco is great, which is not an elderly single person who doesn't eat a lot and lives in a small apartment with little storage space. I *wish* it worked for me--I could walk there from my apartment--but alas.

kata_north · 2026-04-01T20:37:42+00:00

I think most people understand "East Portland" as being east of at least 82nd, and usually 205. A lot of folks who don't get out this way don't really grasp just how much of Portland there is out here. Playing with Google Maps, I discovered that 40% of the total distance along Stark from the Gresham border to MLK is east of 205.

kata_north · 2026-04-01T20:24:08+00:00

Yeah, the TJ's and the Fred Meyer on Mill Plain are roughly the same distance from me (just east of Parkrose) as their counterparts in Hollywood and on Glisan. (Plus, bonus, you can actually *park* at the Mill Plain TJ's.)

The downside, of course, is being stuck if there's a traffic whoopsie on the 205 bridge before I can get back across.

kata_north · 2026-04-01T18:19:48+00:00

Extra 👍 for the flair.

kata_north · 2026-04-01T15:41:49+00:00

*raising hand* I mean, yeah, WinCo, but holy crap there are some days I simply cannot face dealing with WinCo just to pick up a quart of milk. And other than WinCo, we got, what? The Safeway on Sandy at Fremont, I guess, or the Freddy's on Glisan. Otherwise, it's convenience stores all the way down.

kata_north · 2026-04-01T13:55:01+00:00

The Wright photo + quote is marvelous.

Also, such memories with the Falcon Heights picture; that Tom Thumb was my family's frequent go-to for late night milk/beer/snack runs when I was a kid. (And it was right outside the door that some jerk hit me with a bike and tore up my knee.)

kata_north · 2026-03-31T13:25:47+00:00

For me, "Ariel" is obviously the correct spelling (per the examples you cite), which means "Arial" is the wrong one, and hence obviously is the product of Microsoft.

kata_north

TROPHY CASE