Spoiler Alert! LOST puzzle solution from Wired's May issue

I hope this doesn't go against the spirit of Wired's May mystery issue, but I figure since they've already spilled the beans on the metapuzzle, it's probably time to do the same with the LOST puzzle on pages 104-105 since the season finale it relates to has already aired.

Page 104 was solved by Steven Bevacqua (also the first person to solve the metapuzzle), who used a Vignere cypher to decrypt this message:

U S E L E T
T E R S B A
C K W A R D S F
R O M E N D

Steve credits Nick Tierce for the idea that the page was an alphanumeric code. I had nothing to do with solving this page and merely used the clue that they unearthed.

Page 105 solution:
In the recent LOST episode "The Variable," there is a quick shot of Wired issue 11.08 from August 2003. Scott Dadich's twitter hint led me to the time travel article in that issue. The part of the article on Thorne Plates refers to the "Casimir Effect," which was also referenced on LOST in the past. In order to USE LETTERS BACKWARDS FROM END, count the letters backwards from the end of the Thorne Plates portion of the article. So, count 4 letters back (the "t" in "trip"), then 34 letters back from that (the "h" in "happen") and so on. The final solution is:

T H E F O U
R T O E D S
T A T U E I S
T A W E R E T

which refers to one of the reveals in the Season 5 finale of LOST.

-Jon

Wired's LOST puzzle

I just out-nerded my already rather nerdy self by spending many an hour figuring out the LOST number puzzle in the May issue of Wired magazine. The answer turned out to be one of the many reveals of last week's finale, so kind of a letdown that no one apparently figured it out in time, but still satisfying to get it out of my brain.

-Jon

The Tunes

Mestizo is getting ready to release a new album, so I figured it was high time to put some new songs up in here. Check out the new section in the sidebar called "The Tunes" to listen to the songs we have available on iLike/Facebook (it's kind of far down the page... this is a Beer & Tunes blog, not a Tunes & Beer blog). "Hostage" and "Fade" are from the new album, out on May 16th! If you're in Colorado, you can grab a copy at our CD release party:

Saturday, May 16th - 7:30pm - $5 cover
The D'Note - www.dnote.us
7519 Grandview Ave, Arvada, CO
with Melissa Ivey and My Friend Tom!

-Jon

Upslope IPA (can) - 3.0

Upslope IPA
India Pale Ale
Upslope Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
ABV: 7.2%

Jon:
Doesn't look like an IPA. Doesn't really taste like an IPA. Soooo bitter, like black tea. No citrusy goodness to speak of here. Just a bitter punch in the mouth.

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Mark:
First impression: "That's a weird color!" Except for the high alcohol content, it seems more like a crazy bitter amber or a weird stout. Very, very bitter with a floral quality and a hint of coffee and pine. Sort of tastes like dandelions.

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Jere:
Can you can an IPA? Upslope seems to think so, but I'm afraid I disagree. Worth a try just to say I tried it though.

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Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Today's to-do list:

• Cerveza.
• Siesta.
• Más cerveza.

Happy Cinco to all the other Mestizos out there.

-Jon

Single-Wide IPA (bottle) - 3.0

Single-Wide IPA
India Pale Ale
Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO
ABV: 5.7%

Jon:
Foamy to a fault... I don't even really understand how it's possible. Smells like a beer fest (in a good way). Good drinkability without overpowering your palate or sacrificing too much hop flavor.

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Mark:
Really foamy, I poured it very carefully and it looked like I topped it off with spray foam insulation. Also, I'm allergic to this beer. Pretty good other than that. I wonder where I put my EpiPen...

3.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 7/10 3/5 8/10 4/5 3/5 8/10

Jere:
Foamy like the wolf... Too "alcohol-ey" for my tastes, once the foam finally dissipated.

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