#568 - "First and Third, Two Out" - April 19, 2019

[BrianMac]

Week 3 asks for the secret seventh theme entry.

Good luck!

[hcbirker]

That was a fun meta! (Heidi)

[Meg]

Yes! I saw it really fast, which is unusual for me. On the other hand, 137 people are on the board already, so I think this is absolutely a week 2. According to his blog, Matt was aiming for a week 2 (even though it’s technically the 3rd week of the month). I would say he nailed it.

[BrianMac]

I agree with you both! On his site, Matt said he was aiming for a “real week 2,” and I think this one nailed it! I’m sure he’ll get 400-500 correct answers (his measure of a week 2), if not more. This would be a great puzzle to introduce someone to metas.

[ChrisKochmanski]

Good one! More like a between-a-Week-2-and-a-Week-3 than a Week 3 ... but, as some are noting here, I'd have known that if I'd bothered to read Matt's comments instead of simply diving into the puzzle!

[LesY]

Ashore! (Oh wait, that's the other one... )

Really good and week-2-worthy IMO. Maybe a 2.1-2.25 but it's close. As always the final numbers will tell the tale.

[hcbirker]

Ashore! (Oh wait, that's the other one... )

Really good and week-2-worthy IMO. Maybe a 2.1-2.25 but it's close. As always the final numbers will tell the tale.

I'm being extra nerdy, but maybe we need a theme for the MGWCC. If we're still struggling, we can be "In a black hole" and if we got it we can say "beam me up Scotty". (Heidi)

[Icdogg]

Yeah, it's an easy 2.

[BarbaraK]

I'm being extra nerdy, but maybe we need a theme for the MGWCC. If we're still struggling, we can be "In a black hole" and if we got it we can say "beam me up Scotty". (Heidi)

I like it! OK, I'm in a black hole or lost in space or something.

Had a bad feeling from the title that this will involve a subject I know almost nothing about. But maybe I'm just overthinking it. From the number of correct replies so far, it looks like Matt is on track to get his week two 400-500 target. Think I need to set it aside and come back with a fresh look later.

[hcbirker]

I'm being extra nerdy, but maybe we need a theme for the MGWCC. If we're still struggling, we can be "In a black hole" and if we got it we can say "beam me up Scotty". (Heidi)

I like it! OK, I'm in a black hole or lost in space or something.

Had a bad feeling from the title that this will involve a subject I know almost nothing about. But maybe I'm just overthinking it. From the number of correct replies so far, it looks like Matt is on track to get his week two 400-500 target. Think I need to set it aside and come back with a fresh look later.

Barbara, I would ignore the title. (Heidi)

[FrankieHeck]

Well after having a streak of maybe seven successful metas, I turned in a wrong answer for this one! I found something that seemed related to the title, and I thought "Oh, if I find X, I must be on the right track." Found X. Was the wrong track. In fact I'm still stuck in a black hole, but I have to admit that I can't stand to look at the puzzle for long now, because I have to stop and keep kicking myself for being overeager with my submission.

Update: I finally took a longer look and now it's obvious to me. Ugh. From now on I will take my time to be sure!

[Laura M]

I'm being extra nerdy, but maybe we need a theme for the MGWCC. If we're still struggling, we can be "In a black hole" and if we got it we can say "beam me up Scotty". (Heidi)

I like it! OK, I'm in a black hole or lost in space or something.

Had a bad feeling from the title that this will involve a subject I know almost nothing about. But maybe I'm just overthinking it. From the number of correct replies so far, it looks like Matt is on track to get his week two 400-500 target. Think I need to set it aside and come back with a fresh look later.

Barbara, I would ignore the title. (Heidi)

Definitely agree with Heidi, the title might actually be an impediment to solving it, though it does make sense in the end. The starred entries are the important thing.

I like the idea of using a Star Trek theme for MGWCC! Different kind of ship...

[Thurman8er]

Make it EIGHT straight! (Thanks for the easy ones, Matt.)

As to the theme, it's really gonna mess with my childhood if we mix Lost In Space with Beam Me Up! LOL

On the other hand, I could be stuck in Ten Forward with Guinan...or on the away team.

[Meg]

Or the red shirt guy who always gets killed. Star Trek the original series? Next generation? Movies? It’s all so complicated. "I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer!"

[LesY]

Just seeing Heidi's fun suggestion above. Let's go for it! Every few weeks with this one (MGWCC) I definitely feel like I'm in a black hole, or at least circling one. And "Beam Me Up Scotty!" could lead to a new Isaac.

[BarbaraK]

Beam me up, Scotty!

[hcbirker]

Beam me up, Scotty!

Yay Barbara! (Heidi)

[TMart]

I made this one harder than it had to be. Chased every rabbit imaginable based on the title, found nothing and walked away. Looked at it a little while later and the solution just jumped out at me. Nice puzzle , and quite easy in retrospect when you don't get stuck on the wrong path.

[BarbaraK]

I made this one harder than it had to be. Chased every rabbit imaginable based on the title, found nothing and walked away. Looked at it a little while later and the solution just jumped out at me. Nice puzzle , and quite easy in retrospect when you don't get stuck on the wrong path.

That sounds exactly like what I did.

[Jeremy Smith]

I was hopelessly lost in space and on the verge of being trapped by a particularly nasty black hole. I then found a wormhole, called Margaritaville, that led me to the proper part of the universe. As easy as the solving mechanism turned out to be, this seemed closer to week 3 for me.