Stocks - Solution
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| Puzzle Location: Wind Harp |
Next Puzzle: Legos
|
The first step in the solution is to determine the company each stock symbol represents:
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| GM |
|
General Motors |
| AT |
|
Alltel |
| PGH |
|
Pengrowth |
| EIX |
|
Edison International |
| BCE |
|
Bell |
| G |
|
Gillette |
| NET |
|
Network Associates |
| PHG |
|
Phillips |
| XEL |
|
Xcel Energy |
| SAFC |
|
SAFECO |
| REI |
|
Reliant Energy |
| ONE |
|
Bank One |
| RKY |
|
Coors Brewing |
| ERICY |
|
Ericsson |
| SBC |
|
Southern Bell Communications (SBC) |
| RJF |
|
Raymond James |
| HBC |
|
HSBC |
| FDX |
|
FedEx |
|
The next step is to recognize that each of these companies has their name on a sporting venue. Now the phrase "only divisions matter" makes some sense, as for each venue, there's a home team that plays in a particular division.
|
| Stock |
|
Company |
|
Venue |
|
Team (sport) |
|
Division |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| GM |
|
General Motors |
|
GM Place |
|
Vancouver Canucks (Hockey) |
|
Northwest |
|
| AT |
|
Alltel |
|
Alltel Stadium |
|
Jacksonville Jaguars (Football) |
|
AFC South |
|
| PGH |
|
Pengrowth |
|
Pengrowth Saddledome |
|
Calgary Flames (Hockey) |
|
Northwest |
|
| EIX |
|
Edison International |
|
Edison International Field |
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Anaheim Angels (Baseball) |
|
AL West |
|
| BCE |
|
Bell |
|
Le Centre Bell |
|
Montreal Canadiens (Hockey) |
|
Northeast |
|
| G |
|
Gillette |
|
Gillette Stadium |
|
New England Patriots (Football) |
|
AFC East |
|
| NET |
|
Network Associates |
|
Network Associates Coliseum |
|
Oakland Raiders (Football) |
|
AFC West |
|
| PHG |
|
Philips |
|
Philips |
|
Atlanta Thrashers (Hockey) |
|
Southeast |
|
| XEL |
|
Xcel Energy |
|
Xcel Energy Arena |
|
Minnesota Wild (Hockey) |
|
Northwest |
|
| SAFC |
|
SAFECO |
|
SAFECO Field |
|
Seattle Mariners (Baseball) |
|
AL West |
|
| REI |
|
Reliant Energy |
|
Reliant Stadium |
|
Houston Texans (Football) |
|
AFC South |
|
| ONE |
|
Bank One |
|
Bank One Ballpark |
|
Arizona Diamondbacks (Baseball) |
|
NL West |
|
| RKY |
|
Coors Brewing |
|
Coors Field |
|
Colorado Rockies (Baseball) |
|
NL West |
|
| ERICY |
|
Ericsson |
|
Ericsson Stadium |
|
Carolina Panthers (Football) |
|
NFC South |
|
| SBC |
|
Southern Bell Communications (SBC) |
|
SBC Park |
|
San Francisco Giants (Baseball) |
|
NL West |
|
| RJF |
|
Raymond James |
|
Raymond James Stadium |
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Football) |
|
NFC South |
|
| HBC |
|
HSBC |
|
HSBC Arena |
|
Buffalo Sabres (Hockey) |
|
Northeast |
|
| FDX |
|
FedEx |
|
FedEx Field |
|
Washington Redskins (Football) |
|
NFC East |
|
Since we're told that only the divisions matter, we now see that each pair of stock symbols represents a pair of directions. Each pair represents a letter in semaphore,
|
| Stocks |
|
Directions |
|
Semaphore |
|
Letter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| GM AT |
|
NW S |
|
 |
|
C |
| PGH EIX |
|
NW W |
|
 |
|
O |
| BCE G |
|
NE E |
|
 |
|
W |
| NET PHG |
|
W SE |
|
 |
|
S |
| XEL SAFC |
|
NW W |
|
|
|
O |
| REI+ONE PHG |
|
SW SE |
|
 |
|
N |
| RKY ERICY+SBC |
|
W SW |
|
 |
|
H |
| GM RJF+NET |
|
NW SW |
|
 |
|
I |
| BCE RJF+EIX |
|
NE SW |
|
 |
|
L |
| HBC AT+SAFC |
|
NE SW |
|
|
|
L |
| ONE BCE |
|
W NE |
|
 |
|
Q |
| PGH REI |
|
NW S |
|
|
|
C |
| XEL RKY |
|
NW W |
|
|
|
O |
| ERICY+SBC FDX |
|
SW E |
|
 |
|
M |
| GM EIX |
|
NW W |
|
|
|
O |
| AT G |
|
S E |
|
 |
|
F |
| PGH AT |
|
NW S |
|
|
|
C |
| XEL SAFC |
|
NW W |
|
|
|
O |
| RJF+ONE FDX |
|
SW E |
|
|
|
M |
| RKY PHG |
|
W SE |
|
|
|
S |
|
Putting the letters together into a sentence gives
|
COWS ON HILL QCOM OF COMS
|
This doesn't make a lot of sense, until QCOM gets translated to "west". (QCOM is Qualcomm, which named Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers, who play football in the AFC West division.) The COMS stock symbol represents 3Com. So now the solution reads
|
COWS ON HILL WEST OF 3COM
|
