Post by Todd on Jul 27, 2016 7:54:02 GMT -5
As ever, when the delivery date for the newest issue draws near, our minds turn toward new puzzles and curiosities. The issues have just gone into the mail (7th/8th Sept), and should be hitting doorsteps and postboxes soon.
Let's try to keep most of the new discussions under this heading, to make scrolling through the backlog of Sitting Room posts easier for those sleuths who come after.
If you are not yet caught up, I suggest purchasing the Catch up kits, skimming through old posts, and stopping by the chat room and Wiki; the time around a new issue is always busy and exciting!
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted 9 days ago
Happy Friday, fellow sleuths !
Having ushered my last patient for the day out of my office, I now sit with my favorite briar pipe on the verandah. The lake looks cool and somber in the distance, releasing, perhaps, the carefree joy of summer in preparation for the longer nights of autumn. As mesmerizing as it can be sometimes, it cannot hold a candle, as it were, to the large envelope I hold in my hand.
Opening it, I ensure that there are not items left inside, and I glance over the frontispiece of "Against the Inlet of Whiskey". Being of a most eager sort, impetuous at times, I set the paper aside in favor of some very interesting items....Please note, all items have been examined under ultraviolet light, and scrutinized beneath jewelers' glasses for microscopic evidence. There was nothing hidden beyond what I describe.....
One silver absinthe spoon- evidently made by Hill's Liquere. Absinth is spelled without the "e" at the end, a spelling associated with Czech-style, or Bohemian- style absinthe. In fact, Hill's Liquere is a Czech company, and are purveyors of absinthe, with distributors in North America. On the reverse, near the tip is etched the all-too-familiar lampost sigil of the MPC (OSS?).
One sealed invitation to a gala, hosted by the Duchess Anna Sophia Merguez. On the reverse of the envelope are the initials AJM (I imagine this to be Andrew McCabe) . The front of the envelope bears a crown insignia, which does not to seem to indicate anything other than the royal status of the sender. A cursory search for the Duchess on the world wide web does not reveal very much, I'm afraid. The invitation is for Aug. 9, 1969. The paper mentions that this gala is cancelled as of July 29, 1969, due to an intimely death. This corresponds to the obituaries of Patrick Morenson, Andrew McCabe, and Steven Ellis, dated July 16, 1969. I have yet to discern the name or purpose of the charitable trust mentioned in the invitation and article, but the day is young.
One wedding invitation- corresponding to an ongoing tale in the paper. Interestingly, although the familiar "black goat" pictogram is used, the pentagram behind it is one point up. I had always understood the black goat to be representative of Satanism, in which case the pentagram would be one point down. This is confusing, as the invitation makes references to a Black Mass, and several Satanic-sounding honorifics for the groom.
Lastly, there is a most fascinating manual entitled "Survival Under Atomic Attack". It purports to have been issued by the US Government, and likewise corresponds to an article in the paper. It is dated 1950.
I now embark on a very close examination of the articles, and puzzles in the paper, and await a most heated and enjoyable discussion in our esteemed Sitting Room tonight, with a glass of Scotch close at hand ! It is, after all, only one in the afternoon here....
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 6 days ago
Dr. Blackmoore, a wonderful account of the mailing. I can confirm that I too have received the same items and unless we are both quite unlucky, nothing was left in the envelope. Although I too am excessively thorough when checking the quarterly mailings, ever paranoid I may have missed something.
I do have one thing to add. The "Survival Under Atomic Attack" does seem to be a re-print of the genuine government issue.
The PDF can be found here: www.orau.org/ptp/Library/cdv/Survival%20Under%20Atomic%20Attack.pdf There is also some nice tidbits of information about it that can be found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Under_Atomic_Attack
A word of advice! The book is quite out of date, and there is much more accurate information about it that can be found. To all members receiving this book, please seek more up to date information for safeguarding your homes and families.
Other than that, I too am eager to tuck into the quarterly, glances into the pages already have me counting the minutes till I have a moment to myself to get lost in the pages. Perhaps with a green fairy to sip.
Mr. Gallerani
Posted 5 days ago
Perhaps the green fairy can lead us to some clues! Only one way to find out I suppose a drink is in favor!
kingosmodeus
Posted 5 days ago
I have received my package of goodies, whilst continuing the story of Inspector Denton, I have an urge to start drinking Absinth. Must order myself a bottle. Still no clue as to what is really going on in the big mystery?
Chef of kings.
Posted 4 days ago
Have almost completed the crossword except for 21a, 10a, and 23d. There appears to be a gap where the 38th word in the message should be and multiple answers for 31, 32 & 34.
Phill
Posted 4 days ago
I recommend taking a (very) close look at the top of each page. I haven't yet figured out how to apply the advice
Phill
Posted 4 days ago
I likewise am finding that there are discrepancies with the crossword. for example, there are two #4 words for the resulting message. Also, I feel as if some answers have too many or too few boxes. Hm.....a head-scratcher to be sure. Mind you, there is much to be gained from reverse engineering the crossword to divine some of the missing words. The end message is most tantalizing !
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 3 days ago
Good eye for the miniscule print at the top of the pages, my friend ! I admit, I feel quite the fool, as I had actually examined the artifacts with a jewelers' lens, but not the actual paper! I will re-double my efforts !
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 3 days ago
This is the first issue of C&C I've received at the same time as everyone else, so I'm glad of the opportunity to repay some of the help I've made use of in the past. Along those lines, a further revelation! The horoscopes refer to the works of Stephen King.
Some help on 10a, 21a & 23d of the crossword would be much appreciated.
Phill
Posted 3 days ago
Incase you haven't stumbled upon the answer yet Phil, I just got a chance to view the new crossword so I haven't figured out all the answers quite yet, but for 23D I suggest looking at Francis Drake's ship after, the Bonaventure. He picked a new(er) Galleon
Mystfield
Posted 2 days ago
Thanks Mystfield, got it and 10a! Just 21a to go.
Phill
Posted 2 days ago
Phil, if you don't mind I could certainly use some advice for 6a, and 10a. Like you, 21a is mocking me. Also, while I am here I may as well ask: did your answer for 31a come up short? Which clue did you choose to use in 34d and what are your thoughts about the fact that 31d, 32d do not exist on the grid?
Sutter Cane
Posted 2 days ago
Sutter, I am vexed by many of the same questions.
To assist with 6a - the key part of the clue is 'upon a'. Think on it, and I believe you'll have your answer.
Unforunately, that is all the assistance I can offer.
Best,
Obsidian Mind
Posted 2 days ago
For those who are somewhat baffled, I must re-iterate the value of reverse engineering.... some of the questions might bring a wry smile to your face, when faced with the inevitable answer, as dictated by the message itself. "Upon a..." indeed !
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 2 days ago
Greetings all,
I have only just joined this marvelous adventure with the recent receipt of my first mysterious mailing and may I remark upon how utterly transfixed I now find myself! I too find that same self stymied by more than one of the crossword puzzle answers but have enough to get the gist, so to speak, or so I believe. Time shall tell. I would only like to add a final miniscule thought on the artifacts enclosed to mention that I believe that the monogram on the reverse of the gala invitation envelope is simply ASM for Anna Sophia Merguez and not related to our Mr. McCabe.
Adieu
Ms. Celeste Temple
Posted 2 days ago
Has it been remarked upon that the Crown insignia upon the envelope received in this issue appears to be identical to the Crown insignia at the top of Anna's letter included in C&C 2.2?
EDIT: It appears Ms. Temple has made a similar discovery. My humble apologies.
Additonally, I did attempt to puzzle out the clues above, advised above by 'reverse engineering'. This did solve a few questions, but I'm still at a loss for the doubled 34d and #4 words.
Best regards,
Obsidian Mind
Posted 1 day ago
My copy of the quarterly arrived today with the same four artifacts already mentioned. It is nice to have a last name for Anna and one which would seem to have ties to Morroco.
Alas, I have yet to take a shot at the crossword. I mentioned that the new issue arrived while talking to my daughter and she requested that I bring it with me to her university this weekend so that she and her best friend might help to solve it. After all the work they did a couple of weeks ago listening for Morse code in the pops and cracks of a accursed sound file, I could hardly deny her request. There was also some talk of procuring a bottle of absinth for the occasion, but I feel it would be unseemly for a man of my generation to introduce young ladies to the green fairy. And so, after finally receiving my first official full volume of the quarterly, I find myself forced to wait even longer before delving into the puzzles.
In the meantime, I am greatly enjoying the stories and advertisements. I find the Pinaud's ads particularly amusing as I've been using their bay rum for some decades.
Your humble servant,
The Templar Bard
Posted about 21 hours ago
I am overjoyed to have received my first installment in this ongoing Mystery and am enjoying applying the meagre deductive powers available to me to the artifacts and documents therein, but I wonder if I have a good enough understanding of the riddle we are attempting to uncover. I have completed the crossword and solved its riddle, and have worked the wordsearch, but found no greater secret there yet. I have observed numerous images in the periodical which seem to be overtly unrelated to any articles. A few seem to be related more esoterically, and one is of a libation which is bottled in a city whose name is the same as the second given name of our mysterious Duchess. Am I to assume that these are the sorts of conundrums one should seek?
Ever,
Miss Ragged Robin
Posted about 19 hours ago
Miss Robin, you seem to have the gist of it. With regards to the seemingly unrelated pictures, these are a regular puzzle. The task at hand is to determine what picures do not belong to any articles, then figure out what word connects those pictures together.
Phill
Posted about 17 hours ago
I am also a newbie and love every minute of this exciting adventure! I wanted to share some information that I have not yet seen discussed. The first part of the message hidden at the top of each page is Latin and relates to Julius Caesar. The next part and the last instruction I cannot figure out and specifically how it should be used to solve the number puzzle.
All that to say - this is spectacular and I cannot wait to get back to the adventure!
thefantasticbfox
Posted about 14 hours ago
Sutter,my 31a used all the boxes and I used the first 34d since that made sense in the end message. I'm still none the wiser why the others are not in the puzzle or duplicated . As for 10a, think of another way of expressing what you ' end up with'
Phill
Posted about 13 hours ago
I'm not sure I trust my eyes and usage of a magnifying mirror lense to read the message at the top of the paper, would the wiki eventually be updated to contain it? I feel unsure of probably 4 or so letters...best to ask, my fellow sleuths.
Mystfield
Posted about 12 hours ago
Thank you, Phill for the information on the pictures. I do have some ideas, but nothing that links them all together yet.
Mystfield, perhaps my hastily constructed charade might clarify any questions you have:
My first is the last of the games you will play,
My second is what a victim might say.
My third is a count, once more than twice,
My fourth a step equal to little blind mice.
Ever,
Miss Ragged Robin
Posted about 11 hours ago
The thanks may be a tad early, Miss "Robin," but the charade, should help after some careful consideration (My endeavors at transcribing plus your hints,could make it more obvious, once I get a chance to review it again)
Mystfield
Posted about 10 hours ago
Let's try to keep most of the new discussions under this heading, to make scrolling through the backlog of Sitting Room posts easier for those sleuths who come after.
If you are not yet caught up, I suggest purchasing the Catch up kits, skimming through old posts, and stopping by the chat room and Wiki; the time around a new issue is always busy and exciting!
Chelsea, M.C.
Posted 9 days ago
Happy Friday, fellow sleuths !
Having ushered my last patient for the day out of my office, I now sit with my favorite briar pipe on the verandah. The lake looks cool and somber in the distance, releasing, perhaps, the carefree joy of summer in preparation for the longer nights of autumn. As mesmerizing as it can be sometimes, it cannot hold a candle, as it were, to the large envelope I hold in my hand.
Opening it, I ensure that there are not items left inside, and I glance over the frontispiece of "Against the Inlet of Whiskey". Being of a most eager sort, impetuous at times, I set the paper aside in favor of some very interesting items....Please note, all items have been examined under ultraviolet light, and scrutinized beneath jewelers' glasses for microscopic evidence. There was nothing hidden beyond what I describe.....
One silver absinthe spoon- evidently made by Hill's Liquere. Absinth is spelled without the "e" at the end, a spelling associated with Czech-style, or Bohemian- style absinthe. In fact, Hill's Liquere is a Czech company, and are purveyors of absinthe, with distributors in North America. On the reverse, near the tip is etched the all-too-familiar lampost sigil of the MPC (OSS?).
One sealed invitation to a gala, hosted by the Duchess Anna Sophia Merguez. On the reverse of the envelope are the initials AJM (I imagine this to be Andrew McCabe) . The front of the envelope bears a crown insignia, which does not to seem to indicate anything other than the royal status of the sender. A cursory search for the Duchess on the world wide web does not reveal very much, I'm afraid. The invitation is for Aug. 9, 1969. The paper mentions that this gala is cancelled as of July 29, 1969, due to an intimely death. This corresponds to the obituaries of Patrick Morenson, Andrew McCabe, and Steven Ellis, dated July 16, 1969. I have yet to discern the name or purpose of the charitable trust mentioned in the invitation and article, but the day is young.
One wedding invitation- corresponding to an ongoing tale in the paper. Interestingly, although the familiar "black goat" pictogram is used, the pentagram behind it is one point up. I had always understood the black goat to be representative of Satanism, in which case the pentagram would be one point down. This is confusing, as the invitation makes references to a Black Mass, and several Satanic-sounding honorifics for the groom.
Lastly, there is a most fascinating manual entitled "Survival Under Atomic Attack". It purports to have been issued by the US Government, and likewise corresponds to an article in the paper. It is dated 1950.
I now embark on a very close examination of the articles, and puzzles in the paper, and await a most heated and enjoyable discussion in our esteemed Sitting Room tonight, with a glass of Scotch close at hand ! It is, after all, only one in the afternoon here....
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 6 days ago
Dr. Blackmoore, a wonderful account of the mailing. I can confirm that I too have received the same items and unless we are both quite unlucky, nothing was left in the envelope. Although I too am excessively thorough when checking the quarterly mailings, ever paranoid I may have missed something.
I do have one thing to add. The "Survival Under Atomic Attack" does seem to be a re-print of the genuine government issue.
The PDF can be found here: www.orau.org/ptp/Library/cdv/Survival%20Under%20Atomic%20Attack.pdf There is also some nice tidbits of information about it that can be found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Under_Atomic_Attack
A word of advice! The book is quite out of date, and there is much more accurate information about it that can be found. To all members receiving this book, please seek more up to date information for safeguarding your homes and families.
Other than that, I too am eager to tuck into the quarterly, glances into the pages already have me counting the minutes till I have a moment to myself to get lost in the pages. Perhaps with a green fairy to sip.
Mr. Gallerani
Posted 5 days ago
Perhaps the green fairy can lead us to some clues! Only one way to find out I suppose a drink is in favor!
kingosmodeus
Posted 5 days ago
I have received my package of goodies, whilst continuing the story of Inspector Denton, I have an urge to start drinking Absinth. Must order myself a bottle. Still no clue as to what is really going on in the big mystery?
Chef of kings.
Posted 4 days ago
Have almost completed the crossword except for 21a, 10a, and 23d. There appears to be a gap where the 38th word in the message should be and multiple answers for 31, 32 & 34.
Phill
Posted 4 days ago
I recommend taking a (very) close look at the top of each page. I haven't yet figured out how to apply the advice
Phill
Posted 4 days ago
I likewise am finding that there are discrepancies with the crossword. for example, there are two #4 words for the resulting message. Also, I feel as if some answers have too many or too few boxes. Hm.....a head-scratcher to be sure. Mind you, there is much to be gained from reverse engineering the crossword to divine some of the missing words. The end message is most tantalizing !
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 3 days ago
Good eye for the miniscule print at the top of the pages, my friend ! I admit, I feel quite the fool, as I had actually examined the artifacts with a jewelers' lens, but not the actual paper! I will re-double my efforts !
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 3 days ago
This is the first issue of C&C I've received at the same time as everyone else, so I'm glad of the opportunity to repay some of the help I've made use of in the past. Along those lines, a further revelation! The horoscopes refer to the works of Stephen King.
Some help on 10a, 21a & 23d of the crossword would be much appreciated.
Phill
Posted 3 days ago
Incase you haven't stumbled upon the answer yet Phil, I just got a chance to view the new crossword so I haven't figured out all the answers quite yet, but for 23D I suggest looking at Francis Drake's ship after, the Bonaventure. He picked a new(er) Galleon
Mystfield
Posted 2 days ago
Thanks Mystfield, got it and 10a! Just 21a to go.
Phill
Posted 2 days ago
Phil, if you don't mind I could certainly use some advice for 6a, and 10a. Like you, 21a is mocking me. Also, while I am here I may as well ask: did your answer for 31a come up short? Which clue did you choose to use in 34d and what are your thoughts about the fact that 31d, 32d do not exist on the grid?
Sutter Cane
Posted 2 days ago
Sutter, I am vexed by many of the same questions.
To assist with 6a - the key part of the clue is 'upon a'. Think on it, and I believe you'll have your answer.
Unforunately, that is all the assistance I can offer.
Best,
Obsidian Mind
Posted 2 days ago
For those who are somewhat baffled, I must re-iterate the value of reverse engineering.... some of the questions might bring a wry smile to your face, when faced with the inevitable answer, as dictated by the message itself. "Upon a..." indeed !
Dr. Nathaniel Blackmoore
Posted 2 days ago
Greetings all,
I have only just joined this marvelous adventure with the recent receipt of my first mysterious mailing and may I remark upon how utterly transfixed I now find myself! I too find that same self stymied by more than one of the crossword puzzle answers but have enough to get the gist, so to speak, or so I believe. Time shall tell. I would only like to add a final miniscule thought on the artifacts enclosed to mention that I believe that the monogram on the reverse of the gala invitation envelope is simply ASM for Anna Sophia Merguez and not related to our Mr. McCabe.
Adieu
Ms. Celeste Temple
Posted 2 days ago
Has it been remarked upon that the Crown insignia upon the envelope received in this issue appears to be identical to the Crown insignia at the top of Anna's letter included in C&C 2.2?
EDIT: It appears Ms. Temple has made a similar discovery. My humble apologies.
Additonally, I did attempt to puzzle out the clues above, advised above by 'reverse engineering'. This did solve a few questions, but I'm still at a loss for the doubled 34d and #4 words.
Best regards,
Obsidian Mind
Posted 1 day ago
My copy of the quarterly arrived today with the same four artifacts already mentioned. It is nice to have a last name for Anna and one which would seem to have ties to Morroco.
Alas, I have yet to take a shot at the crossword. I mentioned that the new issue arrived while talking to my daughter and she requested that I bring it with me to her university this weekend so that she and her best friend might help to solve it. After all the work they did a couple of weeks ago listening for Morse code in the pops and cracks of a accursed sound file, I could hardly deny her request. There was also some talk of procuring a bottle of absinth for the occasion, but I feel it would be unseemly for a man of my generation to introduce young ladies to the green fairy. And so, after finally receiving my first official full volume of the quarterly, I find myself forced to wait even longer before delving into the puzzles.
In the meantime, I am greatly enjoying the stories and advertisements. I find the Pinaud's ads particularly amusing as I've been using their bay rum for some decades.
Your humble servant,
The Templar Bard
Posted about 21 hours ago
I am overjoyed to have received my first installment in this ongoing Mystery and am enjoying applying the meagre deductive powers available to me to the artifacts and documents therein, but I wonder if I have a good enough understanding of the riddle we are attempting to uncover. I have completed the crossword and solved its riddle, and have worked the wordsearch, but found no greater secret there yet. I have observed numerous images in the periodical which seem to be overtly unrelated to any articles. A few seem to be related more esoterically, and one is of a libation which is bottled in a city whose name is the same as the second given name of our mysterious Duchess. Am I to assume that these are the sorts of conundrums one should seek?
Ever,
Miss Ragged Robin
Posted about 19 hours ago
Miss Robin, you seem to have the gist of it. With regards to the seemingly unrelated pictures, these are a regular puzzle. The task at hand is to determine what picures do not belong to any articles, then figure out what word connects those pictures together.
Phill
Posted about 17 hours ago
I am also a newbie and love every minute of this exciting adventure! I wanted to share some information that I have not yet seen discussed. The first part of the message hidden at the top of each page is Latin and relates to Julius Caesar. The next part and the last instruction I cannot figure out and specifically how it should be used to solve the number puzzle.
All that to say - this is spectacular and I cannot wait to get back to the adventure!
thefantasticbfox
Posted about 14 hours ago
Sutter,my 31a used all the boxes and I used the first 34d since that made sense in the end message. I'm still none the wiser why the others are not in the puzzle or duplicated . As for 10a, think of another way of expressing what you ' end up with'
Phill
Posted about 13 hours ago
I'm not sure I trust my eyes and usage of a magnifying mirror lense to read the message at the top of the paper, would the wiki eventually be updated to contain it? I feel unsure of probably 4 or so letters...best to ask, my fellow sleuths.
Mystfield
Posted about 12 hours ago
Thank you, Phill for the information on the pictures. I do have some ideas, but nothing that links them all together yet.
Mystfield, perhaps my hastily constructed charade might clarify any questions you have:
My first is the last of the games you will play,
My second is what a victim might say.
My third is a count, once more than twice,
My fourth a step equal to little blind mice.
Ever,
Miss Ragged Robin
Posted about 11 hours ago
The thanks may be a tad early, Miss "Robin," but the charade, should help after some careful consideration (My endeavors at transcribing plus your hints,could make it more obvious, once I get a chance to review it again)
Mystfield
Posted about 10 hours ago