It's Dai Time

Katie & Scott & Simon & Cecily.

Author: Scott (Page 83 of 104)

Day 70: puzzling

April 22, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Good puzzles are hard to craft, challenging to solve, and give the person who does eventually figure them out a great sense of satisfaction.

Good puzzles are also hard to come by. Back in college, Microsoft would sponsor a yearly puzzle competition that required a full-day commitment and a team of 3 or 4 people. I only participated in it one year, but it was a very fun day.

I have, since then, judged puzzles against the ones that were a part of that competition. There are, to me, several factors that take an OK puzzle and make it great. Here they are, in descending order of importance.

Minimalism: the best puzzles are ones where every element is integral to the solution, meaning that by definition, it is a minimalist puzzle. Put another way, this could read “no red herrings.” Not every aspect of the puzzle has to point directly toward its solution, but no part of the puzzle should be there for no reason. Even more importantly, no part of the puzzle should be there to intentionally throw the puzzle-solver off-track. That’s mean and, for a good puzzle, completely unnecessary.

Multiple Epiphanies: all good puzzles should contain moments when the solver suddenly understands something; a certain code or representation will suddenly click, or the relationship between two elements in the puzzle suddenly becomes clear. The trick is to have multiple epiphanies. Conventionally, these will build upon each other, but if solving portions of the puzzle independently also has its own reward. Solving one code and applying it three times isn’t too fun. Solving three integrated codes and having to apply each one differently is much more rewarding.

Strong Causality or Interlocking Parts: so your puzzle has multiple parts to give the solver multiple chances to discover things. Take it up one more level, and create a way to interconnect them, so that a solver will be given hints on how to solve section B after solving section A. If you’ve designed the puzzle really well, solving section B first will also give hints on how to solve section A.

Originality: this is the X factor and isn’t something that is as easy to engineer as some of the other factors. But the most brilliant puzzles are those that use mechanics and hooks that haven’t been seen before. Or, perhaps, a mechanic that has been used before but tweaked in a new way. At the very least, you want to avoid a puzzle that makes something think, “oh, this is just like that other puzzle.”

So, go make me some puzzles! And maybe I’ll make you some.

Day 69: giggle

April 21, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Why is that I still find childish things so funny?  Does it have, like Klondike bars and Boy Meets World, have to do with remembering what it felt like to giggle at these things the first time around?

Or is the number 69 just always going to be inherently funny because of its sexual innuendo?  Who doesn’t think that farts in mixed company are hilarious?  Unintentional burps in quiet settings, especially places like churches or libraries?  Stupid puns regarding anatomy?  “That’s what she said!”?

I think there’s more to this than just reflections on the innocence of being a child.  I think we find this stuff humorous because it’s a good reminder that we’re all human.  No matter how hard we try to differentiate our senses of humor, there’s something in the base nature of these that still speaks to all of us.

We are raised in a culture where we’re told that crude jokes and bodily outbursts are inappropriate.  But we’re all creatures bred to have sexual desires and we all burp and fart when born.  I think the fact that we all giggle at these seemingly small indiscretions speaks to a quiet, internal, broad revolt against the strict societal standards that we’ve all had to grow up with.

In China, burping is perfectly acceptable when a meal is over, and I’ve heard my grandmother do it many times over the course of a half hour.  I find this hilarious.  Having lived in China their entire lives, most of my extended family does not.  It’s a pity, really.  In exchange for the refreshing freedom of being able to burp after eating with no chance of societal scorn, they’ve lost the shared furtive giggles and knowing looks between friends.

Because here, when someone burps or farts or says something that could be taken as an unintentional sexual statement, we all share a moment.  A moment that says: this is who we are.  And our parents and religious teachings and government agencies and stuffy co-workers may try to cover it up and give it the evil eye, but there’s no escaping it.

We are a nation of burpers and farters and That’s-What-She-Said-ers.  And we should be proud.

Day 68: everything old is new again

April 20, 2009 / / 0 Comments

There are certain things which I enjoyed as a child that I think I now enjoy for as much nostalgic and novelty value as I do for the actual objective enjoyment of the actual object or activity.

A prime example of this: Klondike bars. They’re deceivingly messy and not as delicious as a half-prices generic ice cream sandwich. But if I eat them now, I’m also remembering all the Klondike bars I ate as a kid, and when I first discovered that ice cream novelties were an entire formal portion of the grocery store. And that’s like eating magic.

Another example is the game Capture the Flag. I’m out of shape and it’s an exhausting game with very little definitive action. There’s a lot of feinting, back-and-forth, and – eventually – panting and walking. But, it also turns everyone into a kid again, when winning was all that mattered! Until you lost. Then it was just the fact that you had made that one awesome capture or gotten away from Speedy Mike.

I think one of the broadest examples of this is media. A few months ago, I watched about half the first season of Boy Meets World. I really enjoyed it, but I think mostly because I remember watching it as a child. The show itself isn’t terrific. The dialogue is groan-worthy most of the time and the lesson of each episode is highly predictable. And yet, there’s something special about watching something that you last saw with very different eyes.

It’s not a bad thing. It’s just a different type of appreciation. I think it’s part of the reason that there’s always a generational gap of understanding. The things that we’ll attempt to get our kids interested in are things of dubious quality that we mainly like for sentimental value. Of course they wouldn’t get it!

Except Boy Meets World. That show is timeless.

Day 67: the ikea guide

April 19, 2009 / / 0 Comments

We went to IKEA today. We bought some furniture, then put it together and now, here we are. Going to IKEA isn’t hard, but coming out of there feeling like you won? That’s a bit tougher. Here are a few simple tips that will make you an IKEA hero.

Learn the Map: You don’t have to know where everything is, but know the general paths (almost always a clover-like shape) and the general sequence of rooms. That way, if you need to move quickly, you’ll know where to cut through the center and what loops of the main path you want to hit. Of course, if you’ve got time, walking the full path is a lot of fun.

Use That Little Pencil: Each of those little IKEA papers you use to write down aisle numbers of items you want to pick up in self service is large. The empty list that stares back at you when you pick it up is very long. So, don’t worry about writing down too much. Take notes, write down any piece of furniture that looks interesting, and make sure you get those aisle numbers the first time you go through the store.

Eating at the Cafe: First, do it. The food is a great deal and the meatballs are delicious. How many meatballs should you order? Figure out how many you think you’d eat, and then add 5. Also, if you get a drink, try the lingenberry juice. You can get soda anywhere; there’s no need to get it here.

Labels Out and Checkout Calculations: If you’re taking home a stack of boxes from the self-service area, put them onto your cart with the labels out. It’ll make checking out twice as fast, especially if you get a self-checkout lane. Also, when deciding what lane to go into for check out, look at the numbers of “loose” items that people have. Checking out with a stack of furniture boxes, be they 2 or 10, takes less than a minute. A family with a cart full of knick=knacks, baskets, and small storage solutions will take much longer.

Think Beyond Furniture: IKEA has great deals on furniture, sure. But did you know they also sell cookware, flatware, bed/bathware, and men’s wear? Well, not men’s wear…yet. If you’re looking for a cheap set of forks or a inexpensive wok and have a trip to IKEA planned, add it to your list. More often than not, you’ll find quality goods at a price cheaper than what you’ll find at your local Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

As you become more and more of an IKEA aficionado, you’ll find your own ways to become the best honorary Swede that you can be, but these tips should help you well on your way to being an IKEA hero. And if there’s anything this country needs, it’s more IKEA heroes.

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