May 13, 2023

Title: INFO DUMPING

Constructor: Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

RAINFORESTS (4D: Earth's oldest living ecosystems)

YOU'RE IN FOR IT NOW (7D: "Oooo, trouble's a-comin', pal!")

NAPKIN FOLDING (9D: Art form often seen displayed on fancy dining tables)

Theme synopsis: Each vertical answer contains the word INFO.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• NASA (9A: Artemis program org.) The long term goal of NASA's Artemis program is to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon, and ultimately, send humans to Mars. The first mission, Artemis I, was an uncrewed test flight that successfully launched an Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit for six days. The second mission, Artemis 2, is scheduled for 2024, and will be a crewed flight that will orbit the moon. The Artemis 2 crew was recently announced,
• SAUCE (18A: Tkemali or Bolognese, e.g.) Tkemali is a SAUCE made of plums. The SAUCE, which originated in the country of Georgia, is used on meat, poultry, and potato dishes. Bolognese is a meat-based SAUCE in Italian cuisine. It takes its name from the northern Italian city of Bologna, where it originated.
• LOST (45A: Like a navigationally challenged person with a broken GPS, probably) This clue is funny, and it is also the stuff of my nightmares! I am definitely navigationally challenged, and am also old enough to have experienced navigating before using GPS was an option. Trust me, even with its tendency to be quirky sometimes, GPS is a lovely invention.
• ANIMAL (51A: Cat or sloth, e.g.) Willow says, "Interesting choice of ANIMAL examples..."

  

  Willow

• ENOLA (60A: Sherlock's sister) ENOLA Holmes, the younger sister of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, was introduced in a series of books by Nancy Springer, The ENOLA Holmes Mysteries. Thus far, two movies have been adapted from the books, ENOLA Holmes (2020) and ENOLA Holmes 2 (2022). I quite enjoy these movies in which Millie Bobby Brown plays the role of ENOLA.
• INNER MONOLOGUES (61A: Internal narratives that a viral 2020 article reported some people don't have) I couldn't pinpoint the specific article that went viral, but here's one 2020 article about people with no INNER MONOLOGUES. Not only do I have a nearly constant INNER MONOLOGUE, I often share it with you in these blog posts! 
• WOMEN (65A: "___ Talking" (Oscar-winning Sarah Polley film)) The 2022 movie, WOMEN Talking, written and directed by Sarah Polley, won an Academy Award (aka Oscar) for Best Adapted Screenplay. The movie is adapted from a 2018 book of the same name by Miriam Toews. Inspired by a true story of a series of rapes in a remote Mennonite community in Bolivia, the movie centers on a group of Mennonite WOMEN discussing whether to stay and fight or leave.
• SWEDE (68A: Employee at ABBA The Museum, probably) ABBA The Museum is an interactive exhibit (about the pop band ABBA, of course!) that is located in Stockholm, Sweden.
• RAINFORESTS (4D: Earth's oldest living ecosystems) RAINFORESTS are found on every continent except Antarctica. I highly recommend spending four minutes of your day watching this "RAINFORESTS 101" video from National Geographic.
• NAPKIN FOLDING (9D: Art form often seen displayed on fancy dining tables) You might also see NAPKIN FOLDING displayed on my table. I have a sum total of two fancy NAPKIN FOLDs that I know how to do, but I really like the way it adds a bit of flair to the table. 

  

  NAPKIN FOLDING

• YAM (50D: Tuber in ube halaya) Ube is a species of YAM that is a vivid purple color. The Philippine dessert, UBE halaya, is made from boiled and mashed YAMs.

Geography review:

• ARAB (6D: United ___ Emirates) The United ARAB Emirates (UAE) is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, of which the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the largest. In February 2021, a space probe named Hope, launched by the UAE in July 2020, successfully went into orbit around Mars. This effort made the UAE the first ARAB country to reach Mars. 

In a rare occurrence, I was able to fill in all three theme answers immediately without the help of crossing answers. When I read the clue ["Oooo, trouble's a-comin', pal!"], my first thought was "YOU'RE IN FOR IT NOW!" I was delighted when that answer fit. Shout-out to a couple of delightful clues that I haven't yet mentioned: (55A: You might wait in a queue for one at intermission on the West End) for LOO, and (35D: Pretty dramatic way to say "Too bad") for ALAS. Thank you, Amanda, for this puzzle that was a delightful way to start my Saturday.