July 28, 2006

SUDOKU BACKUP, Part 362 --- Foreign Aid by Steve Nadis

For the better part of a year, I've tried as part of my mental calisthenics to complete two sudoku puzzles a day--one from the Boston Globe and another (generally easier) from the Metro. But in recent weeks, I've fallen hopelessly behind, with the stack of clipped puzzles steadily growing. For the last few days, the nephew of a friend of mine is staying with us from Denmark. As part of the deal we struck, he gets free room and board. In return, he has to do several sudoku puzzles a day to help with the backlog situation. So far the arrangement has worked out splendidly. We sit side-by-side at the dining room table, each taking on a separate puzzle. The atmosphere is charged; there's real synergy going on. And, as a result, our progress has been tremendous.

If you too are suffering from a sudoku deficit, a foreign aid worker may be the answer to your dreams. It certainly has paid dividends in my case. In fact, it's hard to imagine going back to my old life of toiling on sudoku alone and never keeping up.

Posted by Snake at 08:26:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (6) |
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1 - Proceed with caution Snake, you don't want to be accused of starting a sudoku sweatshop. (Comment this)

Written by: DrMax at 2006/07/28 - 11:39:45
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2 - Sound advice, Doc. No wonder you're a Dr. And more on this subject to follow. (Comment this)

Written by: Snake at 2006/07/28 - 12:12:44
3 - I don't mean to pry, but are your Sudoku puzzles hand-made? The book of puzzles I bought says that there's a tremendous difference between handmade and computer-generated Sudoku puzzles. It doesn't specify what that difference is, but it guarantees every one of its puzzles is handmade.

So far, I'm finding the quality of the puzzles very high. They're almost like numerical haikus. I'm sure computer-generated puzzles wouldn't be nearly as poetic. (Comment this)

Written by: gatemouth at 2006/07/28 - 15:09:09
4 - :O Our own Snake... Farming out intellectual labor to foriegners. Tsk, tsk. Next thing we know, you'll be subcontracting your Blog-page design to India.
Come to think of it, Snake, there's a damn good company in New Dehli you may want to contact:
http://www.youbeveryhapywithpaeg.com/
(or is it "dot IN"?") (Comment this)

Written by: Marco Polo at 2006/07/28 - 15:46:06
5 - What about the handball player shortage? Maybe he can fill in a spot there too. (Comment this)

Written by: Flubberwinkle at 2006/07/28 - 22:37:36
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6 - Hi FW -- I tried to get him to play handball with me but after talking for a bit I found out the handball they play in Denmark (the country's 2d most popular sport!) bears little resemblance, if any, to the handball played in the USA. Marco, I may check out that outfit you recommend in India if the backlog starts to totally inundate our kitchen table. Gatemouth--the games are computer-generated by Pappocom. I'm intrigued by what you said about the handmade versions, though I'm not sure I'm perceptive enough to be able to tell the differrence. (Comment this)

Written by: Snake at 2006/07/28 - 22:48:46
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