"Backdrops" February 2,2023

[whimsy]

And like many a week 5 meta, I have NEVER been able to find the so-called illusion within those Magic Eye posters. I am convinced they're all a hoax. By all of yas. There's nothing there, I tell you!

I had a very hard time trying to explain to my uncle that they actually work and how....

.....And there is box CUT OUT OF YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN and the velociraptor is JUST FLOATING THERE IN SPACE!....

....TRY AGAIN!

.....

Or maybe get in a little warm-up first by using the the baby step method -- find the floating hot dog between your two index fingers held out horizontally in front of you.

[Harbo]

Ashore. Just had to keep staring. Could easily have failed. More importantly, I’ve got my college-aged daughter hooked.

[Relic]

HOORAY! I chose the right rabbit and am now ashore.
The cold air and fine cigar helped clear the brain fog.
Please don't tell my doc though. She'd be ticked!
I'll have a cabernet or two or three.

[Berto]

And like many a week 5 meta, I have NEVER been able to find the so-called illusion within those Magic Eye posters. I am convinced they're all a hoax. By all of yas. There's nothing there, I tell you!

I see it! Although at first it looked a bit like tigger (the head at least) lol

[Bird Lives]

I have no idea how to solve this one.
Think of it as like a Magic Eye.
Right, so I’m staring at it.
And?
And I keep staring and staring, and I still don’t see anything. Nothing. Here, let me try a different angle. Nope. And another. And wait, wait. I’m beginning to see something. I think it’s. . . Is it four Rottweiler’s playiing pickleball?
No, you moron. You’re looking in the wrong place.
Oh right. I always do that. Now I see it.

[escapeartist]

Toes in the warm sand - and does it feel good with temps dropping to crazy lows tonight.

This was a fun meta to solve!

up to 3 week streak - some very good meta puzzles to start off 2023

[DrTom]

Whew, needed a "DO NOT ENTER" sign from Kay W to keep me from chasing what seemed like it HAD to be the mechanism, but eventually joined the mass migration to the beach. This was a lot more difficult than the sheer number of solvers would suggest. I have to say I did not find either of the "hint" clues very "hinty", I will be interested to see how I was supposed to interpret them. However...

ASHORE

[meowmiao71]

Got a late start and then I got distracted by a rabbit hole, but I'm onshore! Unbelievably impressive construction, as usual.

[Dow Jones]

Still on the ship (contemplating my "Hail Mary" for Sunday night) !!

[mattythewsjpuzzler]

Sad to say still at sea. Had a late start and those never seem to work out well....


Update: Ashore. Like others this is just a flash of enlightenment. The hints are not (as others have said) very hinty. Maybe a hint of a hint.

[eagle1279]

On shore with the help of the loose hints provided by 52A and 60A. This one will be a favorite of mine.

The loose hints were essential to me, I often doubt that I could’ve solved without such hints.

[ship4u]

I think it’s. . . Is it four Rottweiler’s playiing pickleball?

Four? I see 56. It's a bloody zoo!!

[clonefitz]

So far, not even a rabbit hole. Line em up, Isaac!

[halseymac]

This NC Tarheel is on shore! And wow! Just wow! Hat's off the Mike Shenk! This one is genius! Now on to more important things like beating Duke tonight!

[ImOnToo]

On the beach thanks to DrTom pulling me off of a dead end trail and gently suggesting that I try another.

Not submitting. But, free to move on with the rest of my weekend.

[Bob cruise director]

Good Saturday morning muggles

Well, we just made it up to zero degrees from -14 last night. BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRR

And the good news is that we have 9 on the ship and 119 on the sunny warm shore

With plenty of beer and other spirits to go around

On the ship are:

Scott M
cheekumbaldy
Barney
ladybird
mattythewsjpuzzler
Bird Lives
woozy
Dow Jones
clonefitz

And on the shore are:

MatthewL
docison
Joe R
ajk
michaelm
darth
Dannyvee
chriscross
Kay
Wendy
Beth A
whimsy
oldjudge
MikeM000
mikeB
vandono
Mme
VanVeen
Laura
Mike H
Larrry
Meg
boharr
Schmeel
Cindy
Barbara K
Beth T
Chris
Tmart
Flying_Burrito
NebFaninCA
MajorDomoTom
DCBilly
Burak
Jim and Anita
Heidi
ky-mike
Omnibus
Don and Cynthia
Trish
Miki
D B Miller
Joepickett
Peter
dudeski
ErikThor
Ron
Jean
Ergcat
Char
mbryant
RobM
Alvibu67
Les
Al
Merry Potter
Berto
Happy
benchen71
BigPear
M and M
JeanneC
mkmf
Anna
SJMck
rjy
hottieruth
Magistra
Googly
BrennerTJ
Moi
MaineMarge
Josh
Acari
SarasotaSun
Fred
Zach
eagle1279
ADS
TheFusionMoose
streroto
Tina
NDStegs
lisajoy
hunkra
Deb
Henry Paul
ReB
sf592000
Al Laubenstein
JaneGummy
MikeyG
Cinny
Doug M
CPJohnson
ZooAnimalsOnWheels
Mister and Mrs. Squawk
PQ63
SoccerMom
TeamDoubleTow
Don and Lisa
DavyGravy
jimbo1
arecibo
jhseeman
dplass
escapeartist
Harbo
meowmiao71
Sleepy
DrTom
mrmd
ricky
Jackie J
Homer
relic (and Maggie)
ImOnToo
halseymac
Daniel G

Good luck with the meta and stay warm

[LizD]

Been staring until my eyes cross with nothing to show for it. Is it just me or have the last few puzzles been a bit more difficult than usual? Don't think I've had this long of a streak stuck with Isaac before...

[woozy]

Wow, deliberate red herrings *and* false panels.

This was .... a good one. Not so much a brilliant construction as a brilliantly hidden construction

(needed a nudge from Dr. Tom)

[markhr]

Took me a day and a half to figure this out. But it was kind of hard to see.
I thought this was one of Mike's better puzzles -- nicely done.

[Bob cruise director]

Been staring until my eyes cross with nothing to show for it. Is it just me or have the last few puzzles been a bit more difficult than usual? Don't think I've had this long of a streak stuck with Isaac before...

@LizD My wife's theory is that Mike has "upped his game" so there are no gimme weeks.

Last couple of months percentages from WSJ

1/27 MG 72%
1/20 MS 87%
1/13 MG 70%
1/6 MS 72%
12/30 MG 80%
12/23 MS 70%
12/16 MG 85%