Joseph Knecht

  It's What We Do Anybody who has worked in IT will tell you that if a program exhibits a new bug the first question you ask is "What changed?".  And if constructor Catherine Cetta 's theme for this puzzle bugged you, you need to do the same thing -- or as she puts it in her reveal fill you need to find the ... 58A. Modern innovator, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: CHANGE AGENT . Each of the themers contains a word that causes change.  In some cases it's more than one word ... 16A. *Period of connectivity that began in the 1990s: INTERNET AGE .  We all know that AGE changes us, but even more than that it could certainly be argued that the INTERNET AGE is the most powerful change agent in recent times,  beginning in 1965 and accelerating today at an ever increasing pace ... The Internet ...

 The Wood Wide Web In 1995 ecologist Suzanne Simard discovered that trees communicate with one another via a vast underground network of FUNGI .  Recently cruciverbalist and engineer Barbara Lin * has discovered that trees actually have FUN while they're doing this. Apparently they exchange PUNNY homophones to amuse themselves while they carry out their essential work of world-wide photosynthesis.  Their real favorites of course are Stupid Ent Jokes 😀.     To construct this puzzle Barbara simply pressed her ears firmly to the ground and picked up these four themers -- exchanges of tree root straight lines and pun responses ... 17A. Evergreen seedlings?: FIR BABIES .  I announced recently that one of my grandchildren's cats had seven kittens.  I believe some are still available for adoption ... New mom Fizzy and two of her FUR BABIES 27A. Shade tree that's been pruned too severely?: TOPLESS BEECH .  Topless beach voting 46A. Fruit ...

Cheaper by the Dozen Constructor Jeff Stillman is back with a puzzle that is so holy that I fear it might violate the Corner prohibition on religion.  But in this case most people are indeed quite religious about the subject of today's theme, so I don't think we'll have any problem with the censors (although AnonymousDNLC may have a fit 😁).  Here are the theme clues ... 18A. Propaganda technique that attempts to appeal to average Joes: PLAIN FOLKS . American Gothic Grant Wood 26A. Accessory for early U.S. presidents: POWDERED WIG . George Washington 44A. Candy-coated caramels in a yellow package: SUGAR BABIES .   In researching this clue I came across some alternate connotations for the fill, of which Margaret definitely wouldn't approve (solvers so inclined can do their own research). 59A. Like the eyes of a person who hasn't gotten enough sleep: GLAZED OVER .   And what do they have in common ... 52D. Treat whose varieties appear at the starts of four...