October 15, 2022

Title: A/S/L

Constructor: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

ALL STAR LINEUP (20A: Totally stacked group)

AIN SAKHRI LOVERS (39A: 11,000-year-old sculpture depicting an embrace)

ABOVE SEA LEVEL (60A: Having a positive altitude)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer contains three words: the first word begins with an A / the second word begins with an S / the third word begins with an L.

Things I learned:

• BALD (17A: What many HeadBlade users are) The HeadBlade is a razor specifically designed (as the name suggests!) for shaving heads. The HeadBlade was designed to address the difficulty of head shaving with a regular razor, and has won multiple awards for its design. My dad could have benefited from the HeadBlade, as he was BALD, having lost most of his hair at a young age (in his 20s). However, as the HeadBlade was introduced in 1999, it was a few decades too late for him.
• AIN SAKHRI LOVERS (39A: 11,000-year-old sculpture depicting an embrace) The AIN SAKHRI LOVERS is the oldest known art depicting two people engaged in sexual intercourse. Carved from stone, it is a Natufian sculpture named for the location it was found, the Ain Sakhri cave in the Judaean Desert. The AIN SAKHRI LOVERS sculpture lacks detail, and depending on how you look at it, depicts the aforementioned couple (whose genders are not revealed), or a vagina, breasts, penis, or testicles. The AIN SAKHRI LOVERS is currently housed in the British Museum. 
• REE (46A: Visual artist Morton) Visual artist REE Morton (1936-1977) had an art career that lasted less than a decade, as she died in a car crash at the age of 40. REE Morton was part of the postminimalist and feminist art movements of the 1970s, and many of her works explore the relationship between being a woman and an artist. 
• ARE (65D: The Who We ___ Project) Attorney and racial justice activist Jeffery Robinson founded The Who We ARE Project as an outgrowth of his talks on anti-Black racism and white supremacy in the United States. The project's goals are to: "Expose the role of anti-Black racism and the myth of white supremacy throughout history up to the present, Activate Americans to learn and share this history, and Inspire the next generation of citizen-historians, truth seekers and activists."

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ALBUM (9A: Release that may go platinum) The music recording certification system is used to indicate the quantity of an ALBUM, single, or music video that has been shipped, sold, or streamed.  A platinum certification indicates 1 million units.
• LIKE (18A: Social media button) and HATED (19A: Really didn't 18-Across) This is a fun pair of consecutive clues.
• ABOVE SEA LEVEL (60A: Having a positive altitude) Did anyone else read this clue the first time through as [Having a positive attitude]? No, just me?
• LUAU (10D: Feast with haupia and poi) Haupia is a Hawaiian dessert also known as Hawaiian Coconut Pudding. Poi, made from taro, is a traditional Polynesian food. Both haupia and poi are often served at LUAUs.
• CAV (32D: Cleveland baller, for short) The Cleveland Cavaliers (CAVs, for short) are an NBA team based in Cleveland, Ohio.
• A SEAT (55D: "___ at the Table" (Solange record)) A SEAT at the Table is Solange's third studio album, released in 2016. It was Solange's first number one album on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold (meaning it sold 500,000 units).

Geography review:

• DUBAI (1D: Burj Khalifa's city) I have previously written about the Burj Khalifa, a half-mile tall skyscraper in DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, that is the tallest building in the world. 
• ISLA (5D: ___ Mujeres, Quintana Roo) ISLA Mujeres is an island located about 8 miles off of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea meet. The island is part of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The island received its name from Spanish people in the 16th century who noted many images of goddesses, particularly Ixchel, the Maya goddess of childbirth and medicine. "ISLA Mujeres" is Spanish for "Women Island."
• NYC (22D: The Big Apple, for short) The many nicknames of New York City (NYC) include The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, The Five Boroughs, and Gotham.
• SAN (40D: ___ Antonio) SAN Antonio, Texas is the second-most populous city in Texas, following  Houston. 

I will admit that I had to look up the meaning of the title of today's puzzle. A/S/L does not refer to American Sign Language (abbreviated ASL), but rather is an abbreviation used when chatting online to inquire about one's Age/Sex/Location. (I learn something new every day!) In today's puzzle, we see three interesting A/S/L initialisms. I'm guessing the theme was built around the grid-spanning and fascinating entry AIN SAKHRI LOVERS. As I was unfamiliar with this sculpture, I was grateful the crossings were fair, allowing me to figure out this answer without too much difficulty. It was fascinating to learn about the AIN SAKHRI LOVERS. I also enjoyed the answers ENIGMATIC, WEIRD HUH, BIT PLAYER, and I'M SLEEPY (words I say often!). Thank you, Enrique, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to begin my Saturday.