Friday, August 4, 2006

THE FIRST PRACTICAL USE FOR SUDOKU — by Steve Nadis

For more than a year now, my wife has wondered why I’m devoting so much of my waking hours to sudoku. Unlike handball–which has provided me with a steady stream of sprained, dislocated, and fractured fingers–sudoku seems to afford no tangible consequences. But all that changed yesterday. I ventured into my bedroom in the afternoon, surprised to see the door closed. When I got inside, I saw the reason for the closure: An oversized wasp was buzzing around frantically, eager to escape so as to terrorize my children, their playmates, and our babysitter downstairs. The incensed creature made a play at me and I needed something with which to defend myself. The first thing I grabbed was my only sudoku book (which I’m saving for airplanes). One swat of that paperback volume stunned the wasp; I gently wrapped it in a kleenex and sent it outside, dazed and confused, but otherwise intact. So you see, ladies and gentlemen, there are practical uses for sudoku after all. It just takes time to find them.
Posted by Snake at 15:36:36
Comments

13 Responses to “THE FIRST PRACTICAL USE FOR SUDOKU — by Steve Nadis”

  1. Burt says:

    So that’s the first practical use for sudoku. What’s the first practical use for this blog?

  2. Snake says:

    None whatsoever.

  3. DrMax says:

    Oooo, oooo, SNAKE! You’re post just gave me a brainstorm! Imagine a handball court, but instead of the blank wall with a line, there is a big electronic sudoku board! Not only do you have to out play your opponent, you have to correctly solve the sudoku puzzle! Handoku, Sudokuball…won’t worry too much about the name right now, I think we should just concentrate on getting investors! We’re going to be RICH my friend!

  4. Oldroses says:

    I’m contacting PETA.

  5. Snake says:

    Don’t worry, OR: No animals were harmed during the writing of this blog. Doc, you’re a genius!

  6. cousin bob says:

    I guess I could use this same thinking to have a useful purpose for my online poker addiction. But wouldn’t that be the end of my laptop computer?

  7. Snake says:

    Hey Bob, are you saying what I think you’re saying–that you found the first practical use ever for a laptop computer! Boy, you are good!

  8. Barrios says:

    Well there are some more practical sports possible with Sudoku.
    How about playing with your children with Sudoku-Ball.
    It is a real ball, see it on http://www.sudoku-ball.com.

    Have fun.

  9. Snake says:

    Thanks B, I had no idea…

  10. Barrios says:

    Snake,
    If you are interested in Sudoku-Ball, I could try to make you one of our premium friendly players. Soon this will be online playable. Take care, it takes 4 hours to solve an entire Sudoku-Ball(TM)

    Have a nice weekend.
    Barrios

  11. Snake says:

    Sorry B, much as I like the game, I’m trying to play less rather than more.

  12. Alex Thomsen says:

    wow! That is really an incredible new kind of Sudoku challenge. Sudoku in reall 3D. Great for the kids.

  13. Snake says:

    Thanks Alex — I’d like to see that.

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