Though he *did* once say that dying would be a good career move.

Thou art terribly quiet during our more alert hours, Nuklu. Then frantically busy while we sleep.

I was right on the trail of Krazy Kat, but it was the wrong trail. I went for K-vs-K rather than the 'obvious' Ignatz von Kolisch.

Such is life, to quote Ned Kelly.

"L'il dollink, allus f'etful" as the deluded feline says to the tormented mouse.

Note: 4th clue, at least, with a 'comedy' reference.

Also I had few chances in the clues, days been odd like that this past while, getting ready for Christmas and the other holidays

'Lateral thinking' described the ability to 'think outside the box' or to approach a topic from an unfamiliar angle. I've been told I do it reflexively: turn things upside down and inside out automatically.

According to wikipedia, the term was coined by Cherry Thomas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latera...

And it took me right back. Not because I used to play like Morphy, but because of an *injustice* when I was *young*. You know how it is ... when you're older you shrug such things off, but when you're young injustice seems so *unfair*.

Like anybody said the world was fair, kid. Anyhow picture the scene, circa 1974. I'm board #1 for my school team, using my own clock, winning most of my games. School matches weren't rated at the time, but I was already reasonably good: a year later I entered the rating system at 1650 and then 1860.

But one opponent refused to play with the clock. We consulted the rules, which said "If clocks are avaiulable, and the home team wishes it, they must be used".

Fine, I said. We're the home team, here's my clock, I wish it, let's go.

Not so fast, said my opponent. It says "if *clocks* are available" and I only see one. It means all clocks or no clocks. No advantage for rich kids with fancy egg-timers.

A certain mutual hostility built up. To keep the peace, I agreed to play without clocks.

In a French Advance, I won my first pawn on move 8. At move 12, when he saw I was going to win another one, he simply stopped moving.

I went for a walk around the building in a state of fury. And came back to find him still not moving. He didn't move again. The 'unfinished' game was sent for expert adjudication, as was done in those days: and they decided it was a draw.

After all, Black was only a pawn up.

The game was adjudicated but only for match and rating points; in the true realm of chess it's in a state of suspended animation.

Bert Schneider.
Another man down.

I don't think it has learned to combine both functions yet. Which is good, otherwise it might start its own twitter-account and complain how I always forget where it is. Or, due to that, it might sign itself up for a depression-selfhelp site.

Anyway, 'equivalent' is a lovely word. Bit like a waterfall. There is a large bump at the q, and some much small bumps at the v and l. All the while the vowels flow from bump to bump. Bump is also nice inasmuch that it sounds like what it expresses. Forgot the term.