"I can't parallel park. Do you know what the problem is?" "Oh, that sounds like a hard drive issue." ("Yeah, but I need the space.")
@Mike Did you try reverse engineering?
@Mike Please, Mike, you need to curb your enthusiasm.
@Mike Back up… Back up… Back up… No, I didn’t say RAM! Oh no, it’s crashed!
@Mike I couldn't find any laces for by Timberlands this morning. "Boot device not found."
@Mike Forgot to use the Shift key. Hope you didn't ram the other car. If you did, better hope they don't cache you.
Fun theme, quite enjoyed it. Completely unrealistic though, Windows error messages would never be this helpful.
This is not about today's puzzle, which I already weighed in agreement with Andrzej's earlier post. Instead, I want to express my disbelief and displeasure about the NYT not printing my comment about Phil OCHS, along with a link to the one song that is so timely for this nightmare that we are now living in. Even more so after the latest horrific events in Mpls.yesterday. My comment was not the only one that wasn't published. I learned that @Nancy H also had her comment removed. She also wrote about Phil OCHS, and posted a link to a different one of his songs. Neither one had the least bit offensive content. I had read her post, which preceded mine, but then it seems it was inexplicably removed. I cannot fathom what could have caused either of these to be 86'd. And I'm angry. I'm posting the link again, so that maybe some younger people might learn how history really does repeat itself. That's if it doesn't get removed again. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beLWF9eqnnU&list=RDbeLWF9eqnnU&start_radio=1" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beLWF9eqnnU&list=RDbeLWF9eqnnU&start_radio=1</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beLWF9eqnnU&list=RDbeLWF9eqnnU&start_radio=1" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beLWF9eqnnU&list=RDbeLWF9eqnnU&start_radio=1</a>
@Times Rita Thank you for posting this. I was really surprised that our link were removed.
@Times Rita It’s perfectly fitting, sadly. Thank you for posting this—again. It seems we have sunken to a very new low in this country.
@Times Rita, thanks to you and Nancy for posting on Phil Ochs. And it's appalling that your posts were removed. That took human involvement to do that. And those humans should be ashamed of themselves. Pete Seeger wasn't half bad either! Good to see Ochs and Seeger back to back this week.
@Times Rita Glad to read it here. I was very happy to see Phil Ochs in the puzzle. And today we were gifted with Pete Seeger. Next should be Bob Dylan.
@Times Rita Thank you for sharing the link. Powerful song. Phil Ochs, gone far too soon.
Times Rita, (1) Many lively threads were removed yesterday. (2) Did I see you in Washington Square Park in the 60s?
@Times Rita both links are to the same song, Knock on the Door. I did not see your and Nancy's posts yesterday. Probably removed when some replies came in that were inflammatory. I know we'd prefer that only the offensive replies were removed, not the original post, but that usually doesn't work. The troll or obstinate commenter will just keep returning and reposting their reply. I learned that years ago when I was an admin on a Facebook group.
@Times Rita Thank you for posting again. We are repeating the history of the 1930s - 1940s, and again our Viet Nam and Civil Rights years. To quote another song - "when will we ever learn?"
@Times Rita Thank you. I’m 79 and had forgotten this song. Omg how fitting once again!
@Times Rita -- thank you for reposting. Agree, appalling for comments of your ilk to be removed.
@Times Rita There was a poster who vigorously attacked Phil Ochs that may have been the flagger.
I finally had to look up usage of “tec” because I have only ever seen it in crossword puzzles—and I have read a lot of detective novels! I guess we all have just blithely accepted this as a valid abbreviation and gone about our puzzles, but having never seen it outside the NYT, i had to find out. So, just to enlighten all of you, it was slang first published in 1879, with a usage of 0.1 words in a million. Then it dropped, made a comeback to that level in the late 1940s (who used it? No idea. Magazines maybe?) before dropping to its current level below 0.02 words in a million. Also used as a verb, to spy on.
@jes I, for one, appreciate the research.
@jes, I have assumed it was a Britishism when I’ve (only) seen it in crosswords. Thanks for the clarification!
@jes Nice job detecting where tec came from! I've never seen it used anywhere 'in the wild'.
@jes I've seen TEC used as an abbreviation for the comic book Detective Fiction, so this one was a gimme for me. Reminder to read more comic books, as it will make clues about detectives, Norse gods, and alter egos much easier. This message was approved by the Ad Council.
@jes It's short for detective, I'm guessing?
@jes There are a variety of very good noir detective fiction that occasionally uses this word, I may have read it in Nero Wolf when the narrator Archie is summarizing their adventures. I have seen it in other books, for what thats worth
Alex Jeffrey Pretti. You can read all about him on the front page of the NYT. But apparently I'm not allowed to write his name.
I tried to reply 4 times now. Emus stopped me every time. Fun times. No 1930s vibes, at all!
@ad absurdum Thanks for trying.
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/jan/25/ella-baron-killing-alex-pretti-minneapolis-cartoon?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/jan/25/ella-baron-killing-alex-pretti-minneapolis-cartoon?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other</a>
@Eric Thanks. Let's all try! Andrzej I feel like, with minor tweaks, that cartoon could've run anytime this past year.
@ad absurdum Support from abroad. The editorials here are brutal about the Gestap-ICE but the problem is, as Capt. Bonespurs would say, leverage. Sadly, he only listens to money. One commentator is suggesting that the DHS funding bill is due for a vote and may fall. I live in hope.
Okay. I’ll start by saying the error message theme is so out there that I liked it right away. I liked that the showcase center entry is WINDOWS UPDATE FAILED. As @Rich in Atlanta would say, I’ve never seen anything like that before. Then there’s body-part trio of LIVER, UVULA, and GLASS EYE, just waiting to be the start of a walked-into-the-bar joke. I don’t know. Maybe it’s this strange weather event going on, but my brain kept riffing on answers. It imagined a uvula being featured on that hot tv medical drama, in an episode called “The Pitt and the Pendulum”. UNEXPECTED JERK tripped off the image of Mr. Rogers lambasting a neighbor. Hah! [Easily detached] had me thinking “no-fault divorce”. And then the common error message “404 not found” popped into my head and had me wondering, “Why 404 of all numbers?” I learned there was a popular myth that 404 was a room number at CERN. And, dear reader, just the fact that something as random as a 404 myth exists at all keeps me in love with this world we’re living in. So, your puzzle took me to divine places, Mark. Just one sensational outing – thank you!
Lewis, It's good to see you online!
Why does Windows OS run so slow? Why does it feel like 10 below? The best laid programs of mice and men And even the inscrutable Zen Has been laid low by a stack overflow
@Pananjady Swathi this can only come from someone in Bangalore :) cleverly put!
Warning: gloomy comment ahead. The theme was amusing enough; but things being how they are, I couldn’t help but read the error messages as if they were giving us alerts about….democracy. RUN TIME ERROR. SERVER NOT FOUND. OUT OF DISK SPACE. Sorry, Mark MacLachlan. I did still have fun, for example, the brief moment when I thought the regenerating human organ could be “navel”!
@Cat Lady Margaret (raises hand for naVEl...)
@Cat Lady Margaret Sorry, I don't get the connection.
Working in IT for 40+ years has its perks. As soon as I got the first themed answer the rest came along quite naturally. Very well clued, especially the theme entries. Not only did I enjoy the solve but I finished with a PB time. Yay me!
I love how ADA Lovelace centers this grid, as she is credited with writing the first computer program, for Babbage's analytical machine.
Two good puzzles today in Saturday and Sunday. Both finished in about half my average time, which was surprising. Maybe I'm a better puzzler when I'm this angry and depressed. Maybe I should try it more often.... Har!
@HeathieJ I've always attributed my gentle spirit and soothing personality to my anger and depression.
@HeathieJ, Sending you a giant virtual hug, use it anytime … 🫂🫂🫂💙
@HeathieJ - We are angry and depressed with you, HeathieJ. Someone later in these comments suggested Phil Ochs' "Knock on the Door" song. And someone suggested "Which Side Are You On?" as a future puzzle entry. But you probably want soothing music today.
Fun punny puzzle NE corner was stormy. SAGaT, SEEGaR, ARTSCapE (which should be a word, really), ARTS CafE and very limited knowledge of beauty products added 5:00 to my time. A needed distraction...now off to the streets. :(
@Justin Keep your hands in plain sight and make sure a lot of people are videoing. These agents appear to have a little trouble with anger management.
@Justin my trouble zone was just below yours! (The grid’s Mid-Atlantic, if you will). I was insistent in taking “Forte” to mean strength/bailiwick and stubbornly kept trying to make the whole thing work around that. It also took me a while to realize the freight barge in question wasn’t “ship” but SCOW. Anyway, figuring out that tiny area added probably 5-7 extra minutes to my otherwise reasonable solve time. Looking back, I’m surprised the NE didn’t give me more trouble. SEEGER crossing LATEEN and SAGET was a lot to ask of us! Great, fun puzzle overall.
Boom! *Τhat's* the kind of puzzle a Professor of Chemistry produces, I'm here to tell you. They are an inestimable lot, full of capabilities and creative challenges. You've done us proud, Mr. MacLachlan. Needless to say, I enjoyed this one a whole lot, especially WINDOWS UPDATE FAILED. And, I'm going to have to look up the chess game in 46D. Sounds like a doozy. ΔDid I mention that a Professor of Chemistry did this? So I am sure that ETHENE really is the [World's most-produced organic compound]. I imagine the key word is is "produced", as opposed to "extracted". I initially thought ethanol (ethyl alcohol) would be the answer, but it didn't fit. I guess ethene makes sense. Ethene is a great starting point for a lot of organic synthesis, including ethanol, if memory serves.
@Francis In Slow Horses, season 2, episode 5, there is a scene that recreates the « Immortal Game », sacrificing the Queen and checkmating the opponent.
Thirty years in computer tech finally came in handy!
@kathy More than 40 years for me, and I concur with you!
@kathy Started my career as a computer nerd in 1978, retired from it in 2015, and enjoyed the heck out this crossword in 2026!
This is what I want out of the Sunday Crossword. Sunday is my favorite crossword day to take a lazy, long time with it, in no hurry to finish (and mild disappointment when it is complete -- what else will I do today that is as relaxing, creative and amusing all at the same time? Today's puzzle suited my strengths. Hey, I've lived through all those error messages and somehow still like my computers! And now I know that the next time I run into a gorilla, we have something in common to discuss besides loincloth trends.
A big puzzle with lots to fill in on a day when it's hard to concentrate. One look-up, but numerous bog downs, and a crucial need for crosses that could fill me in. I'm a small potatoes Mac user, and most of those alerts I've never seen. I've heard of them, but I've never had to deal with them. Puzzle is done now, but I'm dreading the wordplay next week, and not in the crossword sense. Thank you, Mr. MacLachlan, and my sympathy for all those Windows update failures.
@dutchiris I was just thinking to post that since I went Mac about 15 years ago, I haven’t seen a single one of those errors. You beat me to it.
@dutchiris I’ve been an Apple prisoner myself for most of my tech life. An older work laptop just recently displayed the OUT OF DISK SPACE alert. As always, when I receive messages from any device, I thought: OK…and???…
Perfect Sunday puzzle, in my opinion. Fun theme that helps you solve, not a brain-breaker, but you still feel "I'm so smart" upon solving.
Thank you, Mark, for a very enjoyable Sunday grid. Your clever misdirects had me chuckling and that's saying something amidst so much sad and scary news. Stay safe and warm, everyone, and let's be sure to LOOK IN ON one another. ☮️ 🫶🏼
Loved seeing Peter Falk mentioned in the puzzle. I have an unhealthy obsession with Columbo. My brother is also obsessed, which I find amazing. My mother had given him up for adoption when she was younger, so we didn't meet him until a few years ago. He and I developed parallel Columbo obsessions all on our own. It must be genetic.
@Katie -- Have you seen Wings of Desire? I saw it a few months ago for the first time. Falk is not a primary character, but is still memorable. It's worth seeing if you haven't already. (He's not exactly a minor character, either. Just one one of the leads.)
@Katie Just seconding Captain Quahog's recommendation of Wings of Desire. Very fine film, in which Peter Falk plays himself---and reveals an interesting backstory. Of course, there's also The Princess Bride.
@Katie If you haven't found this thread from earlier, there are a lot of Columbo fans, and episode references! <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4df8ge?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4df8ge?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share</a>
@Katie If you haven't seen it, check out "Murder by Death" which was a hilarious parody of the murder mystery genre. Peter Falk plays Sam Diamond, a takeoff on Sam Spade.
ALERT! ALERT! I disappointed myself by expecting more than this perfectly fine puzzle was prepared to offer. At the first themer, 23A, I wanted both Out of Dish Space and Out of Disk Space, with H and K also working for the 8D answer. When I got to the second themer at 43A, I knew I wasn't getting a Schrodinger. The cat is out of the bag.
@Barry Ancona ok, you have stumped me-- if h works for 8D, what are "duhes"? I even looked it up bc of your comment lol. No results that work with those names, at least for me. That cross was why I had to change my original dish.
@Barry Ancona I had DUDES for 8D [William, Edward and Harry, e.g.] for a while, but that finally didn't work!
@Barry Ancona It weirds me out a bit to reply in agreement, ha ha, but I thought the same!
Deadline is Sunday at 11:59pm EST for voting on THE GRIDDIES, the awards for the best NYT xword puzzles of 2025. We've recorded a lot of votes, but can always use more. The ballot is here: <a href="https://form.jotform.com/260176984868173" target="_blank">https://form.jotform.com/260176984868173</a> There are 4 categories, with 5 finalist puzzles in each category; vote for ONE in each category, hit submit and you're done! No personal information is required and anyone can vote. You'll see some constructors whose names are familiar, such as Zhou Zhang, Daniel Grinberg, Eric Agard, Sam Brody, Dylan Schiff, and Aidan Deshong. Each puzzle is described succinctly and you can always refresh your memories by going to archives. Something to do while the snow is falling. Something to do to celebrate beauty, creativity and clarity.
@john ezra Thank you again for organizing this! Let’s get those votes in people!
@john ezra I voted and enjoyed being reminded all over again about those great puzzles. And for those who need more positive reinforcement, get your I VOTED sticker here: <a href="https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/i-voted-canada-election-button-i-voted-red-canada-maple-leaf-election-button-vector-illustration-186583474.jpg" target="_blank">https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/i-voted-canada-election-button-i-voted-red-canada-maple-leaf-election-button-vector-illustration-186583474.jpg</a>
Thanks to all the voters! And to all future voters. Especial thanks to poll watchers everywhere.
@john ezra I thought today was the beginning of the final vote. Don’t we vote for a single puzzle?
@john ezra That was awesome, John. I was out to lunch when they asked for nominations. I forget why. But over Thanksgiving someone gave me a NYT crossword book when I had no internet signal and doing it in pencil was dreamy!
That felt like a relaxing stroll in the park after yesterday's marathon obstacle course. I'm not super into the computer jokes but still enjoyed the puzzle. For all my fellow ESL teachers out there, I hope your students are safe and sound (epescially those in MN and ME). One of my students asked me recently if you-know-who were coming to our school and what I would do if they came to our classroom door. Never thought I would have to answer a question like that in this country. René Magritte's work was a highlight of my visit to the National Gallery a couple of years ago. His themes seem apropos considering we are being told not believe what we see with our own eyes and truth has become subjective (to some). <a href="https://www.nga.gov/artworks/70170-la-condition-humaine" target="_blank">https://www.nga.gov/artworks/70170-la-condition-humaine</a> <a href="https://www.renemagritte.org/the-treachery-of-images.jsp" target="_blank">https://www.renemagritte.org/the-treachery-of-images.jsp</a>
@Paul Had that same question asked to me as well. I even called my legal representative to ask what I was required and not required to do.
I just spent literal hours trying to figure out why I wasn't completed - and finally it registered that "Avis" is the car rental company, not the sneaker manufacturer. D'oh.
Huge amount of rain overnight, and some icing by dawn (mostly on roofs and tree limbs, which look so pretty with the silvery coating.) The temp was above freezing until a little bit ago; now it's dropping..... Our son and his wife were part of the Chewbacchus Parade in NOLA yesterday evening; the rain stopped as it began. Not sure how they will get home to Seattle...but they reported a good time was had by all. Oh, the puzzle! I started the puzzle with 125D, and soon hit the Themer at 122A. The rest was 86A! Anyone still actually worrying about 23A? Stay safe, folks! And I'm not talking about the weather.
I'm sad today, underscored by the snow, and the cold. I guess I've come here for, hopefully, like-minded company. I read the comments, and imagine the people who have written them, so many of us, spread across the world. Perhaps by habit, or love of games, or simply the embrace of a challenge, we all, in unconscious harmony, work our way through the grid. I like that thought. I needed the distraction. Too often I give up on the Sunday, but today's was grand, flowed beautifully, and the computer theme did bring a small smile (ah yes, that one! I do remember how fickle my laptop was!) And I'll be sad tomorrow, I feel. Thank you all. I don't know what else to say. Except, enough.
@Lily i’ve been upset and crying the last 2 days ~ something has got to change ~ it’s not ok
@Lily If I'm awake, I can't get to sleep. Once I'm asleep, I can't wake up.
@Lily It is 3:15 Monday morning and I am awake ....need I say more?
Don't know much about history Don't know much biology Don't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took Don't know much about computers But I do know that my favorite clue is: 13D [What this hand has: A♣ A♦️ K♠ Q❤️ 6♠] And I'm proud of myself that I got it right right away--a gimme!
@lucky13 Hmm. I had “ace pair”. So I aced it. Which means I lost it. I should have ONE it.
@lucky13 Ahh, Herman’s Hermits. Nice memory. TY.
@lucky13 Ah, Sam Cooke sends me. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqCPMnlvaMQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqCPMnlvaMQ</a>
Mark, so happy to see someone from Vancouver BC and UBC with a puzzle in the NYT! Congrats. Been in the city for 30+ years and worked at UBC as well. As a comp sci person, nice to see the computerese error messages - was hoping to see BLUESCREENOFDEATH somewhere tho not technically an alert message :-). Keep constructing!
@aa, I'm surprised your first post lasted 4.5 hours. Keep leaving them. It's important to say their names.
@Bill Thanks. It's freezing here. I'm so impressed with those who are protesting amidst even more frigid weather, and other dangerous conditions.
As a software engineer, I absolutely loved the tech-centric theme here. As always, your mileage may vary ;-)
Nice one! Ticks all the boxes, and helped thaw the snow off this dusty old circuit board. Still, with limited Intel on CPU innards, I must protest, "Dammit Mark, I'm a crossword solver, not an IT specialist!" Hey, did anyone else get a chuckle over this user error: "Puts up a false front" STUFFS Guess all the tissues up top made you use your sleeve, eh?
@Whoa Nellie Whoa! Getting a little spicy here!
Reminds me of the time I changed the command prompt to something like “C:\Fatal error”. The service tech couldn’t figure it out. He ended up reinstalling the OS. I didn’t have the courage to tell him what I did. I guess I remember it because it makes me feel guilty when I think of it. So I try to expunge my guilt - anonymously.
Agent86, Good story :) Back in early 1991, our boss was just tech-aware enough to have a paranoid fear of the threatened “Michelangelo Virus” which was due to hit on March 6, just after 12:00 am. He insisted I go to our field station before midnight and be prepared to reinstall our systems when (if) the virus did its dirty-work. Nothing happened , of course. But the next day, I was ready: when he came in to the lab, and while we chatted at my computer, I surreptitiously touched a hot key I had prepped and the screen filled with the (fake) message: “Hello from Italy! Your system has been wiped!” No guilt - just laughing!
I thought I was going to have an OFF BY ONE ERROR here but it turned out DRUB is a word.
@Zac 2B or not 2B? Aye, there's the DRUB
Brought back the (not so) fond memories of desktop computer issues of the late nineties/early aughts. Wonderful puzzle. Thanks!
Reposting for the morning crowd... Deadline is TODAY at 11:59pm EST for voting on THE GRIDDIES, the awards for the best NYT xword puzzles of 2025. We've recorded a lot of votes, but can always use more. The ballot is here: <a href="https://form.jotform.com/260176984868173" target="_blank">https://form.jotform.com/260176984868173</a> There are 4 categories, with 5 finalist puzzles in each category; vote for ONE in each category, hit submit and you're done! No personal information is required and anyone can vote. You'll see some constructors whose names are familiar, such as Zhou Zhang, Daniel Grinberg, Eric Agard, Sam Brody, Dylan Schiff, and Aidan Deshong. Each puzzle is described succinctly and you can always refresh your memories by going to archives. Something to do while the snow is falling. Something to do to celebrate beauty, creativity and wit.
Really enjoyed this one, which is rare for me on a Sunday. The thematic entries were all solid, and their clues were cute without seeming FORCED (or CORNED?). Liked the strange abundance of Vs in some of the fill: AVIA, AVIV, YVES, TIVO, AVEC. "Property of curium, but not cerium" was especially clever, and in the old days would have stumped me completely. Today it only stumped me for several minutes. ;-) Snow and 12F (-11C) here at the moment. My only regret is that I was able to solve this puzzle a bit too quickly, on a rare morning where I have nowhere to get to.
Really fun puzzle. I immediately caught on to the computer answers and remembered seeing all of them. Well done and thanks Mark.
Nice, bright puzzle with good mix of misdirection; well done! Especially liked 'file too large' ! And the fun fact about the appendage!
Statement of resistance to a fake (movie) president? IMSORRYDAVEIMAFRAIDICANTDOTHAT Link to a hipp(i)er time? DAISYDAISY
Always nice to see RENE Magritte in a grid and seeing his name always summons to my mind this lovely, sad Paul Simon song which suits the mood of day. Rene and Georgette Magritte after the War. <a href="https://youtu.be/nQ7sL9rdl58?si=Snndzfxg0ARmP3iR" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/nQ7sL9rdl58?si=Snndzfxg0ARmP3iR</a>
@Vaer Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War.
@Vaer This song has been my earworm today, too! As I was entering the answer, I thought "I wonder how many solvers have Paul Simon as a reference point, too?".
@Vaer I got to hear him perform this with a string quartet a few years ago on his “farewell” tour (jk, he did another one soon after) and it was easily the highlight of the whole concert.
I filled in most of this puzzle on the smallest available iPhone waiting for my wife to “just finish this chapter” on her Kindle. I was struggling with new technology while wracking my brain to recall struggling with old technology! I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane. It was a terrific puzzle.
Absolutely loved the theme, especially as someone who works with code and deals with these errors all day. Also enjoyed the “bonus theme”-ish answers like INTEL and IPHONE (tech related?)
The introduction makes a strange error in saying Prof. MacLachlan was a "postdoctoral student" at MIT. He was a "postdoctoral fellow", as his website states. Postdocs have attained the PhD, as the name implies, which is the terminal degree in the US, and "postdoctoral student" as a term essentially does not exist in US academia.
Annoyed Postdoc, The "term" may not exist -- Postdoctoral Associate or Postdoctoral Fellow do -- but he knows he was still a student. He lists it on his CV under Education, not Professional. "As a postdoctoral scholar, or postdoc, you are at MIT for a defined period of time to receive advanced training, mentorship, and new research opportunities to optimally position yourself for an independent career in academia, government, or industry." <a href="https://postdocs.mit.edu/document/guide-mit-postdocs-and-faculty-advisors" target="_blank">https://postdocs.mit.edu/document/guide-mit-postdocs-and-faculty-advisors</a>
@Ιασων - Also, Barry Ancona is never wrong. Take it as an article of faith. (I've butted heads with him enough times to know that he is our arbiter.)
@Annoyed Postdoc I can say with confidence that Mark wrote that blurb for Will to post (he asks constructors on Sunday to give a short bio or something about the puzzle’s construction) so if Mark wants to characterize himself as a postdoctoral student at one point that’s good enough for me.
@Annoyed Postdoc et alia - I'm of mixed opinion on this, but I tend to agree that "student" isn't the best term to use here. It is very unusual for a postdoc to take any courses, yet it is still essentially a learning situation. A postdoc is usually hired as an underling under the mentorship of an established academic. But it is still essentially a research position and the postdoc is a junior colleague, not merely a student. However, my first postdoc was a merit-based fellowship awarded by a premier marine laboratory. I had no formal mentor there -- I did the research I outlined in my proposal, on my own and at my own volition. Yet when I first arrived at the lab, I was told the lab's Associate Director would be my "mentor" -- and that just meant he would help me learn the ropes there. His area of research was only tangentially related to my own. He was a great guy and I relished his friendship, but he never really mentored me in the science. My second postdoc had two mentors, one of whom was a complete jerk. Our funding got pulled after I was there 6 months, and I think it was a blessing, in spite of the disruption to my career. The reason the funding was pulled is a story for another time. Best told over a few good beers. (I had nothing to do with it...)
Being a 30+ year survivor of Silicon Valley I found today’s puzzle amusing, and once I got the theme, kinda easy!
Thanks so much to whoever took down my earlier comment -- which inadvertently disclosed the email addresses of a large number of my puzzle pals from The Other Blog. I couldn't find a button to erase my post, nor could I find a button to flag it and I was consumed with guilt and worry. But it seems to be completely gone now -- for which I am very grateful. It's indeed ironic that a large part of my comment (as you will see) was devoted to my hapless Ludditism vis-a-vis all things computer. The unveiling of the emails happened because I pressed A and then C to copy, when I should have pressed only C. Then, I must assume that it was also my Ludditism that kept me from finding neither a Delete button nor a Flag button. Wasn't it?? Anyway, here's my comment from earlier: "I was enjoying the solve, but I wasn't understanding the theme. OUT OF DISK SPACE meant nothing to me. Neither did RUN TIME ERROR. Were these cute puns? No. Only when I got to VIRUS DETECTED and WINDOWS UPDATE FAILED did I see the glimmer of a pattern. "Aha, these are COMPUTER alerts!" I don't do enough stuff online to get all of these alerts. Here's what I told a friend when I bought my first computer in December 2008": "This computer is fantastic!!! It can do 23,856 different things!!! Whereas I can only do three different things -- none of them very well." But while this puzzle was evidently not aimed at Luddite me. I nevertheless found it breezy and enjoyable to solve.
@Nancy At the bottom of each post here are links to Reply and to Recommend which are on the left side. On the right hand side are 3 dots. Click that and you have the options to Copy a Link for the post or to Flag. I saw your predicament and I Flagged your comment, and I expect others may have done so as well, which triggered the emus to remove your post and the comments on that post.
@Nancy The Flag button is directly to the right of the Reply, Recommend and Share buttons at the right margin on your post. The text is a bit lighter. Maybe that's why you're not seeing it?
@Nancy Unfortunately, there are no delete or edit buttons in this forum, so you didn't miss anything on that front. It's very easy to do an accidental cut and paste of the wrong thing, or hitting submit a second or two too soon, so don't feel too bad. Things like this happen to all of us.
@John Carson So once again there are different formats for things. What i reported is what it looks like on my Android phone. If Nancy has the same formatting as you, I can understand why she couldn't find it.
@John Carson I don't like the preview version of the comments so it's turned off. I do the have most updated version of the Games app uploaded, however.
@Nancy the Other Blog? I'd love to be able to correspond with this lovely group in another format. Or can't it be disclosed here?
i did enjoy the puzzle, and the theme was amusing ~ a couple of crunchy parts that brought a smile when i figured them out working this puzzle briefly took me out of my deep pain resulting from the current administration’s disregard for human and civil rights and the appalling murders of innocent americans after the 45 minutes it took me to solve, i’m back in the despair, and wondering how we will survive how will we get through this ~
Very fun puzzle! As a techie the theme answers filled in rather quickly once I caught on. 30 seconds off pace for a Sunday best time due to hunting for a single error in the shoe brand at 47A. Thanks, Mark!
@TholosTB As a confirmed technopeasant I was very happy with this interesting puzzle, as the theme answers only required a slight knowledge of computerese.
fun fact about uvulas: many sub-saharan cultures believe that their presence promotes throat infections and can be an impediment to the proper passage and processing of nutrition. therefore, in many societies they are removed within weeks to years of being born. less fun fact: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4487902" target="_blank">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4487902</a>/ i am ever fascinated by the religious/cultural compulsion to ritually excise body parts from infants. any tiny prominence appears to be fair game.
@Matt Yes. And those religions often also believe we were created in God's image, and exactly according to his plan.
@Matt Interesting. When I first read about this purported practice I was sure that someone had simply confused uvulectomy with vulvectomy. Hard to imagine this practice survives as it would seem to interfere with infant nutrition at a critical time. Live and learn.
Loved it..challenging but mostly very attainable with two trips to google for Geo. Orwelll first name and Tora Bora!! Thanks for a great Sunday puzzle with PEI in it from a fellow Canadian living a mere 5700 km from you Mark....cheers...Jim
Clever puzzle. Tough one for me but managed to work through it. Appropriate puzzle find today - a Sunday from October 28, 2001 by Michael Ashley with the title: "Puzzler's PC lexicon." Some theme clues and answers: "ORDW, RDWO, DWOR" WORDPROCESSING "HEX VERIFY" SPELLCHECK "LOO" ENDLESSLOOP IPD DPI IDP "DIPSWITCHES" YPOC "BACKUPCOPY" And there were more. Here's the link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/28/2001&g=49&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/28/2001&g=49&d=A</a> .....