#724 - "So Many Issues"

[auee89]

Got it, but not beaming up until Easter (isn't that the appropriate day to Rise!?) Blessed Easter to those that celebrate.

[JordanianTomlinson]

I think I have it after overthinking it for most of the afternoon. Anyone interested in comparing notes, though?

[Joe]

I already have the Easter badge (only one I don't have is first to solve, and I'm not holding my breath), so I submitted with a tiny bit of trepidation. But I've happily beamed aboard. Maintaining my longest streak ever!

[Laura M]

Beamed up, #70! I forgot about the Easter achievement, whoops. Streak now at 21 is beginning to make me nervous; will I get to 25? (Doubtful, with a week 5 coming up!)

[MikeyG]

All we need now is a Red Sox home opener win

I'll welcome this! I like the Red Sox, perhaps since - as a Cubs fan - both the Wrigley Field and Fenway Park faithful had interminable droughts.

[MamaE]

Forgot about the Easter achievement - oh well. Beamed up!

[MikeM000]

Um... anyone else have an issue with 45D? (totally off topic and derailing)

Edit: Either 1) I did the grid entirely wrong, or 2) Matt has no idea what a 45D is or 3) Matt is momentarily confusing it with something else (perhaps a OHFUGVG?)

My one point of reference for that entry is the old cartoon birds Heckle & Jeckle, so yeah. They were neither tiny nor songbirds.

[hcbirker]

Forgot to post I have beamed up. And I agree with all the bird comments. And, I believe that was the fastest I have ever solved a week 3.

[woozy]

Um... anyone else have an issue with 45D? (totally off topic and derailing)

Edit: Either 1) I did the grid entirely wrong, or 2) Matt has no idea what a 45D is or 3) Matt is momentarily confusing it with something else (perhaps a OHFUGVG?)

My one point of reference for that entry is the old cartoon birds Heckle & Jeckle, so yeah. They were neither tiny nor songbirds.

It's about as wrong as one can get:

"The black-billed XXXXXX is a mid-sized bird that measures 45–60 centimeters (18–24 in) from tip to tail. Its appearance is distinguishable from other XXXXXXs by its dense plumage, shorter and rounder wings, longer tail, and its iridescent blue feathers.[4]: 120  The tail of a black-billed XXXXXX is made up of long, layered feathers, the middle pair of which protrude farthest of all. A black-billed XXXXXX's beak is oblong and weakly curved toward the tip. Unlike other members of the Corvidae family (crows and jays), the black-billed XXXXXX is strongly dimorphic. Males are, on average, six to nine percent larger and sixteen to twenty-four percent heavier than females, at 167–216 grams (5.9–7.6 oz), a wingspan of 205–219 millimeters (8.1–8.6 in), and tail lengths of 230–320 millimeters (9.1–12.6 in). Females weigh between 141–179 grams (5.0–6.3 oz), have wingspans of 175–210 millimeters (6.9–8.3 in), and tail lengths of 232–300 millimeters (9.1–11.8 in).[5]
Vocalizations

The vocalizations of the black-billed XXXXXX consist of a series of rough, scratchy calls. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes its call as a ka-ka-ka-ka, often preceded with a skah-skah.[5] This call is thus very different from that of the Eurasian XXXXXX, and is similar to those of the yellow-billed XXXXXX.[6]: 185  When threatened, the black-billed XXXXXX utters a shrill scream.[5]

They also have a call given in the vicinity of their dead, causing a gathering often referred to as a funeral.[7]

I sort of wonder what Matt was thinking of.

I'm rather fond of them. Some 25 years ago I did a quasi research project, the goal of which was to take a single word and compile citations from about asmany reference books as possible and my word was "XXXXXX". Sort of silly project (there was no cohesion except a single word) but had fun with tangents about eating dirt and measuring typesetting.

[ChrisKochmanski]

All we need now is a Red Sox home opener win

I'll welcome this! I like the Red Sox, perhaps since - as a Cubs fan - both the Wrigley Field and Fenway Park faithful had interminable droughts.

Yes, but you have the best ballparks, so don’t complain.

[ky-mike]

Submitted. Pretty confident I will be on the board soon. I can't argue for either side of the bird comments as I am not a birder and can't say I've ever seen one of these in the flesh (feathers?)

[boharr]

All we need now is a Red Sox home opener win

I'll welcome this! I like the Red Sox, perhaps since - as a Cubs fan - both the Wrigley Field and Fenway Park faithful had interminable droughts.

Yes, but you have the best ballparks, so don’t complain.

Well……….

[cbarbee002]

Beamed up. Seems like last week and this week were in reverse order?

[benchen71]

I'm ready to be beamed up, but will wait to submit for achievement reasons. I will have to be careful when I submit, though, given the time difference! (If my calculations are correct, 8am Monday Melbourne time will be 6pm Sunday Eastern time. And that should be good for the Easter achievement, hopefully!)

Edit: beamed up at #278. And I have the Egg-cellent achievement, too. Nice!

[Dannyvee]

I too will be trying for my second-to-last badge by submitting on Sunday

[SewYoung]

Welp.. I have an answer that suits the prompt and the findings very well, but it makes this more like a week one than a week 3. Anybody knowuddimean? (DM me)

UPDATE - yes, many of us are of the same mind. Will submit on Easter Sunday if nothing more amazing occurs to me!

I expect I had that same answer and went ahead and submitted it, even though I had my doubts because it seemed too easy. I checked the updated leader board and my name is not there so I guess I was right that I was wrong.

[TeamDoubleTow]

Well..we have an answer but not really satisfied with it. Anyone want to chat in PMs about it?

Editing to correct typos and to say fellow muggles have confirmed answer. Will wait until tomorrow to submit.

[DCBilly]

Submission confirmed in the overnight update…

[Streroto]

Beam me up. Fun. Maybe not a week 3? Oh and agree about the birds. Poetic license I am all too willing to give Matt!!!!

[Bird Lives]

The vocalizations of the black-billed XXXXXX consist of a series of rough, scratchy calls.

This confirms what little I know. My entire knowledge of this XXX-rated bird comes from a song we sang at camp in the Adirondacks when I was seven. I remember almost all the words. It’s a round.

In a snug little field in a neighboring park
On a beautiful morning in spring.
A [something] XXXX once asked of a lark
If he thought he could teach him to sing.

Oh no said the lark with a comical look
As he warbled and waggled his tail
’Twould be too much trouble and sorrow,
And I know that I surely would fail.

For birds who won't listen, the art of a teacher defies.
And birds who chatter can never expect to be wise.