matrix

Still trying to achieve balance

More like it...still nothing to brag about

It occurred to me on the way to work that the way to eliminate the negativity of the previous attempt while retaining the letter-count and that valuable "e" was to use "restabilization" instead. The symmetry thing was unintended: I had no graph paper at work, so making nice, big rectangles seemed like a good work-around. Yes, I was working on my own project on company time.

Of course, this still isn't a puzzle, and I don't know if I'll complete this one, now that I've already published the answer. But I should check it over for consistency, uniqueness of solution, redundancies, and such, and throw out any entries that are otherwise troubling. It could return in editted form.

First Crude Attempt

Noah Benshea

I ended up making the very error I said was not an option in my previous post.
Thankfully, no moth "landed in the soup".
Thank Someone, not me.

So I'm trying to watch/listen to Noah Benshea this morning.
He makes a lot of sense, but sometimes, like that gas meeting night before last, it seems like too much all at once.

So, anyway, last night it ended up being about four and a half sheets to the wind, leaving a remainder of 2.5 (approximately).

Interesting thing on the "sheets to the wind" mataphor: according to The Urban Dictionary it possibly derives not only from ships, but also from windmills. See the connections? I do. But seeing the connections is not enough. Insight must be worked out in practice (that could be worded a LOT better). I guess the best thing I can think of to do right now is take the central issue of stability and try to work it into a puzzle. But I'll use "destabilization" because it's fifteen letters and has that useful "e" in it, and try to turn it from negative to positive somehow.

Don't wish me luck.

three sheets to the wind

so here i sit
too lazy to hit a shift key
nearly finished with a Vendange 500ml carton of SHIRAZ
and wondering what to do with the remains

drink it down, and then, mayhap, open the cab?
or stick it in the fridge
or leave it sitting around for bhopal to possibly fall into?

NO! the latter is NOT an option!!
into the fridge it goes
(I can always take it out again later if I think I need to)

There are "remains" I can deal with; and those
I can't.

And then there's always "now"...

I submitted my first answer to the NPR Sunday Puzzle a little over a half hour ago. We'll see what happens next.

I went to the gas meeting last night and took some notes. It's difficult to process, but I'll try to make some report to the family this weekend.

Because of the return of winter this morning, I decided to go get the mail and take out the peelings for my friend. I also did a duct-tape-repair to the styrofoam cooler I damaged the last time we went for groceries. He talked me into watching about the first 45 minutes of "The African Queen". It was difficult to determine what Bogart's character's last name was..."r" or "l"...."d" or "t"... I looked it up when I got home: Charlie Allnut.

You can't make this stuff up!

stupid puzzles #1

Rails(top to bottom):

Acceptability
Welcome/Observe the rules/Pick up after yourself


Posts(left to right):

March in circles?
Governmental form
Exertion
Vigor
Careful of little ones?
Machination?
Poe's rank...
Separate terrain


Some people want to fill the world with stupid puzzles.

What's wrong with that? (Aside from the obvious plagiarism)

And the next post is a little worse (in tone, certainly), referring to the bronze bust of Shakespeare in Wayne Manor, which concealed the switch granting access to the Batcave. And I can see a multitude of negative associations with this one, but what just ran through my brain was a line from Don McLean's most well-known work. And that brings with it a number of other negative associations.
And if you give a man enough rope he'll hang himself.
And if you give a light brown apple moth enough half empty (or half full) cups or glasses of wine or coffee, he will drown, and a couple have here in the last months, and I tried to honor their remains for a day or two before disposing of them as any normal person would.
I'm not trying to sound crazy, and I don't think I am, and I don't claim to be.
I'm not trying to scare anyone, I'm trying not to be scared.
There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casts out fear.
Back to agape.
If I'm able, that's probably where I should begin my "volunteer" mission.
Right here.

The Step

I believe I see a possible (not definite) connection to last week's puzzle.

Sunday, Nov 28, 09:22:00 AM PST

That would have been the Sunday after Thanksgiving...significant for a couple of reasons.

And, not a bad clue, as far as I can see.

"not definite" removes "the" from "Lesotho" leaving lsoo anagramming to Oslo, the capital of Norway.

But not deserving any special attention.

But someone wanted special attention.

And the next day he was back with something bolder.

The journey

When I consider my own stupidity, I stand agape.
But I don't understand anything, so how can I explain?
Where should I go to accept my fate, try to explain, try to reform?
Why are you waiting?

At a point in my life when I felt about as stupid as I do now, I had a subscription to Atlantic magazine, and I remember when the puzzler first appeared. I found some solace in working that puzzle; I think I completed it. The one clue I remember was "make nothing, Father, with(may have been "of"; not sure)this thingumbob". The answer was "doodad"-->make=do+0(nothing)+dad(father). That doesn't appear very clear, but I recall the clue, and I'm pretty sure the word "Father" was capitalized.
Although I'd read some Poe, I didn't know "thingumbob" was a reference to a work(?) of his. I discovered that work(?) only recently.

So, what happens now, what do I need to do, who do I need to see?

It's been at least 48 hours since my last drink, and no withdrawal symptoms.

Blood pressure 157/109? That can't be right. I digress.

I should attend a meeting about gas leasing tomorrow evening, and shall, if I am able. I doubt that I'll be able to focus and retain much, but I'll try, and then try to get the information to those who need it.

"Wishing is a hell" is an anagram of English & Swahili. Only today did I realize that "wishlist" is close to an anagram of something else. Had I known, I probably would have avoided all connection with the word. That reminds me of church last Sunday, when the words "false imposition" were read and I thought "That's not right!"
So I looked it up; and, sure enough, it should have been "bald imposition", and, sure enough, the other reader is very nearly bald. But the word switch was not calculated, I don't believe; it was subconscious, perhaps, or "agape" in action...or maybe that's just my futile, foolish attempt to impart meaning to a little incident of life. Paragraph! Please?

I've never sought fortune, and, unbelievable as it may sound, never sought fame; certainly never sought infamy, or maybe I did and just didn't know it.

I'm not crying, as some might think. My eyes are a little moist, perhaps, but I don't believe it's for myself, and I don't know who or what it IS for. I'm trying to turn something around. Don't know what.

2bp

The Lord in His wisdom created the fly, and Adam forgot to call it anything.
Adam became too interested in his own selfish pursuits to pursue his own calling.
Hence, centuries later, a little event commonly called Bhopal.
Little Bhopal,
Heed the call.