"Variety Show" - March 20, 2020

[VincentM]

Finally ashore. In this case, waiting a day really did help! (That, and a clue I'd missed previously.)

[boharr]

Took another crack at it today - Ill just never be able to solve the meta. I get the clues and even find the sequences but can never get to that third level and actually get the answer. This will probably be the last week I do the WSJ puzzle as its not worth the frustration.

Hang in there....you'll get it! Try studying some of Mike Shenk's old puzzles. (He used to write under the name Marie Kelly.)

Don't quit and leave me suffering alone!

[yourpalsal]

Finally ashore! I did some ridiculous backflips, especially after looking at that ROYGBIV meta contained in the online version of the WSJ article about metas and this wonderful community. (Wow. That was an impossible meta.) Hours I poured into this one, and then that beautiful moment when the answer dawned. Aaaaaaaaah. Good Shabbos, my pals!

[Scott M]

Grid was no problem (after correcting my immediate error in 1A) but not seeing the light so far.

[KayW]

Do we have any psychiatrists here?

Last week, I struggled with the meta until I stumbled on it while others were getting it easily.

This week because the puzzle was late, we had dinner and a couple of glasses of Merlot. Then while watching Mary Poppins (we wanted something with zero stress), I completed the grid and within 30 seconds had the meta.

Now for the psychiatrists out there - why do you see it so clearly one week and it takes a bat to the head to maybe get it the next?

Good question. Last week I had the meta in two minutes, before I finished the grid (and I'm not very good at these metas). This week I'm struggling. Part way there, the zip. WHY?

So far I'm in the exact same spot as boharr regarding last week and this. Well, safely six feet away, waiting for service from Isaac. I think I will try the Merlot, maybe it has magical properties...

[Streroto]

Safely ashore, with some help from my wife who got the final step before I did!!

Stay well my fellow muggles.

[billkatz]

I made it to shore - I stared at it for hours before getting a wee nudge. MGWCC grid is done, and I'm trying to find the wascally wabbit.

[DBMiller]

Done and done.

Grid was finished in 5 minutes yesterday. Could not see the meta for the life of me. Kept coming back to it and nothing after way too many attempts. Came at it another way and figured out what the answer had to be, then back solved it for the KAS-2 "Oh Duh!" moment. Spent way too much time on this one.

[TPS]

Took another crack at it today - Ill just never be able to solve the meta. I get the clues and even find the sequences but can never get to that third level and actually get the answer. This will probably be the last week I do the WSJ puzzle as its not worth the frustration.

Hang in there....you'll get it! Try studying some of Mike Shenk's old puzzles. (He used to write under the name Marie Kelly.)

Well Matt Gaffney sent me a bunch off his old (what he described as super easy meta) puzzles and bet me a beer that I would get at least 50%. He owes me a beer. Like this one I looked at the 5 clues and then a pattern of 5 other answers...I even ran a bunch of the letters through a Scrabble word finder at the end just to see if I was not seeing anything.

[UTHfan]

well, as a newbie, got the grid without any help. But whoa nelly. The meta. Not yet.

[FrankH]

Took another crack at it today - Ill just never be able to solve the meta. I get the clues and even find the sequences but can never get to that third level and actually get the answer. This will probably be the last week I do the WSJ puzzle as its not worth the frustration.

Hang in there....you'll get it! Try studying some of Mike Shenk's old puzzles. (He used to write under the name Marie Kelly.)

Well Matt Gaffney sent me a bunch off his old (what he described as super easy meta) puzzles and bet me a beer that I would get at least 50%. He owes me a beer. Like this one I looked at the 5 clues and then a pattern of 5 other answers...I even ran a bunch of the letters through a Scrabble word finder at the end just to see if I was not seeing anything.

Take Cynthia's suggestion seriously. Every constructor has certain tendencies to do certain things.

[UTHfan]

and then seconds later, got it. and on shore.

[tim1217]

I don't have the meta, but I do have this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3_crTZ0NHg

[edot]

Easy grid... cannot figure out the meta for the life of me! time to take a break from it and take another crack later

[Eric Porter]

I'm finally on shore. I spent too long on this puzzle. I've been feeling a little sick and this puzzle didn't help me feel better.

For a long time I didn't know where to start. My journey to shore is similar to a few other solvers. I went down many rabbit holes, then I decided to look through old Mike Shenk / Marie Kelly puzzles. Doing that gets me thinking on the same wavelength as Mike. I took another look, got it quickly, then smacked my forehead.

I'd agree it's KAS 2, but it's so easy to miss.

[Tina]

On shore after a nudge. Not submitting, though. I'm annoyed with myself that I couldn't figure this one out on my own. I'd blame Corona anxiety, but I did figure out the MGWCC relatively easily. I'll just have to blame my faulty brain.

[PHOFER]

Ashore. Couldn’t figure it out. Came back a day later. Found it right away. Thanks Mike!

Also I do not think we have seen this particular guidepost in the past.

[Wendy Walker]

Oh, for cryin' out loud! Finally, I am on shore. For me that was the toughest one since the bodies of water.

[Wendy Walker]

Do we have any psychiatrists here?

Last week, I struggled with the meta until I stumbled on it while others were getting it easily.

This week because the puzzle was late, we had dinner and a couple of glasses of Merlot. Then while watching Mary Poppins (we wanted something with zero stress), I completed the grid and within 30 seconds had the meta.

Now for the psychiatrists out there - why do you see it so clearly one week and it takes a bat to the head to maybe get it the next?

30 seconds?! Oh Bob, you're hurting me!

It will be a definite Kas 2 when you solve it.

"When" -- thanks for the vote of confidence and YAY! It was justified at long last!

[higgysue]

Finally got it! Whew.