July 14, 2022

Title: STARTER KITS

Constructor: Malaika Handa

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

KITESURFING (19A: Watersport reliant on wind)

KITCHENISTA (36A: The ___ Diaries (cooking blog))

KITTEN HEELS (52A: Moderately dressy footwear)

Theme synopsis: The word KIT appears at the START of each theme answer.

Things I learned:

• LIMEWIRE 964A: File-sharing software with a citrusy logo) LIMEWIRE is a platform for finding, downloading, and sharing music, software, and videos. The original LIMEWIRE, which began in 2000, was shutdown in 2010 after facing a lawsuit for $75 trillion (that's not a typo!) As of earlier this year, LIMEWIRE is making a comeback. I am not familiar with LIMEWIRE, and was grateful for the citrusy hint.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HAND ROLL (1A: Sushi order eaten without chopsticks) A HAND ROLL, or temaki, is a large cone-shaped style of sushi that is generally eaten with fingers because it is too awkward to pick up with chopsticks.
• KITESURFING (19A: Watersport reliant on wind) KITESURFING, also known as kiteboarding, is exactly what it sounds like. The kitesurfer stands on a surfboard and is pulled across the water (or snow) by the use of a power kite.
• KITCHENISTA (36A: The ___ Diaries (cooking blog)) The KITCHENISTA Diaries is a blog started by chef Angela Davis in 2012. The blog "retired" in 2021, and The KITCHENISTA Diaries is now available on Patreon.
• HE'S (1D: "___ a Rebel" (1962 hit)) I have previously written about "HE'S a Rebel," a song that was recorded by one group and credited to a different group.
• ROCK ON (5D: "Sign of the horns" meaning) The "sign of the horns" 🤘 has a number of meanings and uses. It is used by many musicians and fans to signify "ROCK ON." 
• BADU (9D: "New Ameryka Part One" singer) I first learned of Erykah BADU from the June 11, 2020 puzzle. (That was only my third blog post.) New Amerykah Part One is Erykah BADU's fourth studio album, released in 2008.
• DEAF (11D: Like many Gallaudet students) Gallaudet University, located in Washington, D.C., is the only institution of higher education where all programs and services are designed to accommodate DEAF and hard of hearing students.
• TMI (37D: "Please, no more details!") and TELL (38D: "___ me more!") How fun to see these conflicting viewpoints appear as consecutive clues!
• CEO (43D: Company leader paid ~351 times more than the typical worker in the U.S.) Well, it's probably because they're doing 351 times more work, right? (This was written in sarcasm font, in case you didn't pick up on that...) What a depressing statistic.
• PEELE (49D: Monkeypaw Productions founder Jordan) Monkeypaw Productions was founded in 2012 by director and producer Jordan PEELE. The company's production include the comedy series, Key & PEELE, and the horror films, Get Out and Us.
• LIMP (56D: Walk unevenly) This week I learned about a new (to me) cluing angle for

  

  Mokie

  LIMP. There is a breed of cat - the ragdoll - that goes LIMP when picked up. I learned about ragdoll cats when reader Matt Medeiros introduced me to Mokie. Matt writes, "Mokie the Ragdoll Cat spends most of his time staring at the wall, eating the house plants, or begging for food from the table. As is characteristic for the breed, he goes LIMP when being picked up, which can be pretty convenient. He often joins me on the couch while I read Sally's Take." Welcome to the CATS of SALLY'S TAKE, Mokie, and thanks for helping Matt read the blog. 

Geography review:

• ETHIOPIA (13A: Country with many Amharic Speakers) ETHIOPIA is a landlocked country in East Africa. The capital of ETHIOPIA is Addis Ababa. Amharic is one of five official languages in ETHIOPIA. It is the language of the Amharas, an ethnic group indigenous to ETHIOPIA.
• SOWETO (32A: Site of a 1976 uprising in South Africa) SOWETO is part of the Johannesburg metropolitan area in South Africa. The name SOWETO is a syllabic abbreviation for SOuth WEstern TOwnships. The SOWETO uprising was a series of protests led by Black students in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in Black schools. Many students were shot and killed by the police during the protests. The protests began on June 16, 1976. June 16 is now a public holiday in South Africa, known as Youth Day, a time of remembering these events.
• EDT (35A: Summer time zone in S.C.) South Carolina (S.C.) is located on the eastern coast of the United States and observes Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) during the summer.
• ERIE (54D: Second-smallest Great Lake by area) If the surface area of all the Great Lakes is combined, the result is the largest surface of fresh water in the world. Here is a list of the Great Lakes ranked from largest to smallest surface area: Superior, Huron, Michigan, ERIE, Ontario.

A straightforward theme today with a fantastic set of theme answers. I really enjoyed the grid as well, it almost looks like a KIT...those black L-shapes are begging to be put together to make something magical. The long downs of STRIP TEASES and POLKA-DOTTED were great, and I also liked ESPRESSO, SINEAD, and DEARIE. Thank you, Malaika, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to begin my Thursday.