"City Blocks" - September 4, 2020

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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Nlobb
Posts: 296
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 6:46 pm

#321

Post by Nlobb »

I am not either. I have an idea but can't make it work...
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Lucksta
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 8:59 am

#322

Post by Lucksta »

Phew! High and dry.
KRM
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:09 pm
Location: Sugar Land, Texas

#323

Post by KRM »

Tony S wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:40 pm
KRM wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:13 pm Started doing the WSJ contest puzzles about 2 months ago. Just could not get the meta for the first few weeks. And now this is the second consecutive week that I got the meta. Does that mean I am getting the hang of it? Or was this one just too easy?
Think of the Friday puzzle as a drug dealer --- you get a couple of hits for free, you get hooked, then you get owned. As hard as you try, you can't quit.
This dealer owned me after the first meta I attempted...literally spent the entire weekend thinking about it...could not decipher it...felt inadequate after seeing the answer...am in awe of the ones who seem to be "getting" it week after week. Hopefully there will be some free hits from time to time.
KRM
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:09 pm
Location: Sugar Land, Texas

#324

Post by KRM »

Wendy Walker wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:21 pm
KRM wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:13 pm Started doing the WSJ contest puzzles about 2 months ago. Just could not get the meta for the first few weeks. And now this is the second consecutive week that I got the meta. Does that mean I am getting the hang of it? Or was this one just too easy?
Well done, KRM! We've had a run of genuinely tough puzzles, and the past two weeks have been a welcome end-of-summer break. I would NEVER say "too easy" because it is tempting the Meta Gods big time and they have VERY GOOD memories. You are definitely getting the hang of it!
Thanks Wendy. Will remember not to offend the Gods because I hope to solve a few more of these metas :)
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BarbaraK
Posts: 2592
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#325

Post by BarbaraK »

Tony S wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:40 pm
KRM wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:13 pm Started doing the WSJ contest puzzles about 2 months ago. Just could not get the meta for the first few weeks. And now this is the second consecutive week that I got the meta. Does that mean I am getting the hang of it? Or was this one just too easy?
Think of the Friday puzzle as a drug dealer --- you get a couple of hits for free, you get hooked, then you get owned. As hard as you try, you can't quit.
And then you start paying for the harder stuff:)
mitchel674
Posts: 79
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:05 am
Location: Clearwater, Florida

#326

Post by mitchel674 »

At my lake house this weekend and thankfully on shore. Two weeks in a row for me!
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flamingbear
Posts: 82
Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2020 1:30 pm

#327

Post by flamingbear »

I'm on shore. Two weeks in a row. :fireworks:
Matt / Flamingbear
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sphorning
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:24 pm
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO

#328

Post by sphorning »

On shore! Had an idea how to solve for the meta, but had to make a few adjustments. Step two came staring at my face. Happy Labor Day to all!
No outdoor BBQ for us. Way too smokey here in Boulder, CO.
SewYoung
Posts: 726
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:25 pm
Location: Meridian, MS

#329

Post by SewYoung »

sphorning wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:17 pm On shore! Had an idea how to solve for the meta, but had to make a few adjustments. Step two came staring at my face. Happy Labor Day to all!
No outdoor BBQ for us. Way too smokey here in Boulder, CO.
Well then, you don't have to fire up the grill; you can just put the meat out on the porch for a few hours, then slather it with BBQ sauce.
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hcbirker
Posts: 1985
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#330

Post by hcbirker »

sphorning wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:17 pm On shore! Had an idea how to solve for the meta, but had to make a few adjustments. Step two came staring at my face. Happy Labor Day to all!
No outdoor BBQ for us. Way too smokey here in Boulder, CO.
We're not BBQing either - it's 113 degrees!
Heidi
Martin
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:20 pm

#331

Post by Martin »

I'm making pizza on the grill. It's 106 outside but the pizza bakes at 750 so the 106 is like air conditioning when I open the grill.
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joequavis
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:29 pm
Location: Windsor, Colorado

#332

Post by joequavis »

Late to report, but I am indeed ashore. My beach is very smoky though :( ...twilight at my house even though the sun doesn't set for another hour. But we get snow in a couple of days, so that should help. Crazy weather!!
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Hector
Posts: 1297
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:15 pm
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

#333

Post by Hector »

hcbirker wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:19 pm We're not BBQing either - it's 113 degrees!
That is indeed warm, but I'm guessing you have A/C? Here it was only 103 or so, but nobody has A/C.

Posting from down in our garage.
Plymouthrock
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2020 3:12 am
Location: Richmond, Va

#334

Post by Plymouthrock »

Do we have KAS rating on this one?
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DBMiller
Posts: 536
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:59 pm
Location: New Hampshire

#335

Post by DBMiller »

Plymouthrock wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:07 pm Do we have KAS rating on this one?
The KAS scale rates how any one person looks at the puzzle, and some of the ratings relate to finding out the answer after failing to figure it out.

Most of the solvers this week probably have it as a KAS-1, a few may have it as KAS-2. Someone stuck on board but eventually making it to shore might call it a KAS-3. No one who has solved it would ever rate it as a KAS-4 or KAS-5.
Last edited by DBMiller on Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If I'm around, I am willing to join the Muggle Zoom room at other times to lend a hand to those in need.
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hcbirker
Posts: 1985
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#336

Post by hcbirker »

Hector wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:42 pm
hcbirker wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:19 pm We're not BBQing either - it's 113 degrees!
That is indeed warm, but I'm guessing you have A/C? Here it was only 103 or so, but nobody has A/C.

Posting from down in our garage.
Climate change has forced a lot of my coastal living friends to install A/C. Hang in there Hector! We thankfully have it, but there have been rolling blackouts, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed! Put some wet towels in your freezer to put around your neck.
Heidi
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hissongcle
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:53 pm

#337

Post by hissongcle »

Onshore for the first time in more than a month.
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
Posts: 4511
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#338

Post by Bob cruise director »

Our final report

We broke the old record and have 217 on the shore and 4 on the ship.

Staying on the ship with Isaac are MatthewB and Nlobb

Making their way to shore since noon are
mitchel674
flamingbear
joequavis
Lucksta
Susan H
hissongle
DaveWa
and K Pi

As I have done before when we have set a record, I will check in the morning to make sure we include everyone who makes it shore before midnight.

Good luck with the long odds in winning the mug

Don't forget the Q&A on Thursday
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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rexthree
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:49 pm

#339

Post by rexthree »

Got a late start after spending all weekend at the actual beach here in NJ but count me on shore now at the "virtual" beach too.
PJM
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:06 pm

#340

Post by PJM »

cbarbee002 wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:16 pm
bhamren wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:53 pm On the beach - I think it will be quite crowded!

Buffalo Trace neat, please (if you can find it)!

Speaking of Buffalo Trace, here in Ohio it is VERY hard to find. Most stores get one case maybe once a month. Then a year ago I went up near Winnipeg for my brother in law’s 50th birthday. The liquor store in Steinbach Manitoba (which didn’t exist when I lived there 16 years ago because it was a dry town), had a large shelf full of it as well as little airline bottles of it. What gives?
All of the Buffalo Trace distillery bourbons are difficult to find (Buffalo Trace, Blantons, Rare Eagle, Michters). Fortunately (or unfortunately), in PA the state owns all of the liquor stores (State stores we call them), which makes the Commonwealth of PA the largest purchaser of wine and liquor in the US. the downside is that, well, it's state run. The upside is that they get ample allocations of lots of usually hard-to-find wines and spirits. When the pandemic hit, I had to get several bottles of each of the brands mentioned above because, hey, the state stores were going to close down and who knew when they would reopen?
You are not the only one who stocked up!
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