"I Spy" - November 19, 2021

[mheberlingx100]

Throwing in the towel. I submitted a Hail Mary that I can half-way justify but know in my heart is wrong. Time to watch football and be amazed at midnight.

[LadyBird]

Well, I can NO longer be considered a woRTHy opponent of Matt and Mike. It's been four weeks since I was able to discERN the meta method. I'm trying not to take it personally, but I feel they are MOCKING me in a BIg way. Not really, but I would like to reverse this downwaRD slide!

[Isw]

Not getting past a few steps…stuck at sea…looking for a nudge

[Bob cruise director]

I asked Isaac for a bottle of his finest red.

He gave me Boone's Farm. Haven't seen that since college.

The ship needs a massive resupply run for the sadly overtaxed bar.

And I need a brain boost.

@CallMeShane Isaac said to give back the Boone's Farm. He has a bottle of Ripple for you.

[Gman]

Ashore. Brilliant!

[FKelly]

Lost at sea.
My starting point seems to have led no where (or everywhere, and that's a problem).
Hoping for a nudge.

[Secret Adversary]

Lots of half-leads but getting nowhere. Would anyone like to chat about nudges?

Thanks!
Secret Adversary

[BarbaraK]

I'm still at sea on this one. And that this point, my eyes just glaze over when I try to look at it.

[Cap'n Rick]

Needed a little help, but I'm now ashore.

[Secret Adversary]

Lots of half-leads but getting nowhere. Would anyone like to chat about nudges?

Thanks!
Secret Adversary

Got a very helpful nudge! Thanks, Cap'n Rick!

[Lube On]

Finally got it with a nudge. Breaking out of my slump hopefully. Thank you Bob.

[ZooAnimalsOnWheels]

I got the answer with healthy nudge. Thank you, Wendy. Lots of rabbit holes out there...

[Puzzle mom]

All right… giving up and asking for a nudge.
This is getting really depressing.

[woozy]

Got it with a few very gentle nudges. They were gentle enough that they didn't really tell me anything but I wouldn't have gotten it without them. So I'm in a quandry whether to tell myself I solved this.

I did not like this puzzle. Although it was a straight forward mechanism and probably one most of us thought of, it is such a dang *hard* one to actually do that I really can't imagine anyone thinking of this possible mechanism, trying it, but not giving up when they don't see it, to move onto some other potential but incorrect mechanism. (I mean, who is going to thing "Well, I could do X or maybe Y or Z. Let's try X" and then spend *hours* on X until it is solved, instead of moving on to Y or Z when nothing turns up?)

[Dplass]

All right… giving up and asking for a nudge.
This is getting really depressing.

Don't let the puzzle get you down. Throw it away, take a walk, enjoy the world. There will be other puzzles.

[Hammertime]

My first meta did not end well. Isaac called Bob the Cruise director on the private line after seeing my condition in the bar. Bob considered the dire situation and ordered a med-evac (medivac?) to fly me to shore through no effort of my own. Consider me DNF.

[Miki]

I've been on shore all weekend, enjoying the sun... Sorry I forgot to report.

[LittleGood]

I've been at sea so long.

[LadyBird]

Well, I am on the sandbar of "being on shore but not submitting". A little nudge--I threw out some ideas to my husband--he went swimming in with me in tow.

Personally, I liked my rabbit hole mechanism better.

[Jeanrosz]

It was fantastic to meet a lot of muggles whom I've not yet, in ZOOM, tonight. Thank you!

I am ashore. I will not submit.

(So, when you see that I've won the mug - trying reverse psychology, here - remember that I didn't say that. Please and thank you!)

On the bloodletting front, if I may climb the soap box:

I was honored to have been asked to donate white blood cells this Sunday. In 40 years, this will be my fourth or fifth time allowed to do so. White blood cells are a critical resource for cancer patients and others fighting terrible diseases. In this town, with its amazing Cincinnati Children's Hospital drawing patients from around the world, well over 90% of white blood cells go to children battling cancer.

Due to the amount needed in most therapies and the compromised immune systems of patients needing them, white blood cells are closely matched using HLA factors, not only blood type. Think of organ matching, if not as stringent. To be asked to donate means that the donor is one of a very few people who match the patient and one of a very few who can help them at one of the most important times of their lives.

It's a request that cannot be denied, an offer that cannot be refused, and a treasured privilege to be invited to help another.

The donor effort involved is tiny and much less invasive than when donating whole blood & other blood products, such as platelets & plasma.

So, if you have a challenging time donating or cannot stand the idea of going through the process, consider donating whole blood only once. Your blood will be evaluated & its factors entered in a database. Then, if you're lucky, you might receive the infrequent call to help a young human who is fighting for their life. You will be glad that you made yourself available to help, as will the patient receiving this incredibly valuable gift. You'll be thanked to the point of embarrassment, knowing full-well that you were also given a precious gift.

As a kidney donor myself, I applaud joe…