Stripper and Su Duko Puzzles . . .

jablake
There are certain types of puzzles, like Su Duko, which are fairly easy for me. Other puzzles, like the infamous Rubik's Cube, I grade out at an F-. Anyway, I'm a fan of puzzles and games, but unfortunately don't do nearly enough.

I taught a stripper friend how to solve the Su Duko Puzzles and ***she did very well****. I *assumed* that I'd just imposed my values onto her and that she'd move on to her interests. It felt good to see that she'd purchased a book for herself and was working at solving them. And, she had taught her sister and was trying to teach some of her fellow strippers (it can get boring and slow in a club).

Upon seeing the book and talking with her, I was also very surprised to learn that her Su Duko skills were going downhill?! She showed me the book with the half finished puzzles and sure enough her ability had dropped dramatically. She says was doing very well and even improving and then it just became more and more difficult for her to solve even easy ones. I was thinking perhaps that is why she had so much difficulty in school---she learns and improves and then poof! :(

On the more upbeat side she did get involved in online puzzles and learned that she does have an aptitude for some of them. And, she was very happy to learn that there were certain puzzles that left me floundering. :)

13 comments

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Philip A. Stein
16 years ago
Flowers for Algernon?
jablake
16 years ago
That is a sad book. Unfortunately, I've read it more than once--it is still a favorite with local schools.

I was thinking maybe peer pressure or customer pressure or maybe a mini-stroke. It was sombering to see her struggling with puzzles that were and should be simple for her. But, yeah her trajectory, at least as far as the Su Doku Puzzles, seemed similar to that story.

She has some interesting ideas that seemed so backward or counter-intuitive. For example, she has a high opinion of pimps *in general* because she believes the typical girl isn't capable of managing her own affairs. And, a girl needs a man and or strong woman who isn't a jealous type to keep her moving in a positive direction and to protect her from bad deals. I understood what she is saying, but I just haven't seen pimps like that---seems like pimps leave the girls in worse shape than they started. Of course, it isn't like I'm an expert on pimps. :)
snowtime
16 years ago
Philip A. Stein: I enjoyed the reference to "Algernon". Never read the book, but "Charley" with Cliff Robertson was a favorite film of mine. If either of you saw the movie, I am curious as to how you would rate the book vs. movie. Book usually wins, but I think the film had a favorable impact on a lot of people and obviously reached a lot bigger audience.
Book Guy
16 years ago
ADD. Extreme adult Attention Deficit Disorder feels, to the suffer, like their ABILITY is diminishing at familiar tasks, when in fact it's just their INTEREST that's waning. She may have a lifetime of scholastic under-achievement behind her that could easily be remedied with a little pill ...
jablake
16 years ago
Hi Book Guy,

That is an interesting idea, but it seemed like more than a feeling in her case. I might feel that my math abilities have diminished, but that would keep me from solving problems that are put before me?

I don't know much about ADD----thinking it was like the person who can't hold a conversation because his mind wanders. When I speak with her, she seems very focused and can talk/listen for hours.
Book Guy
16 years ago
Well, maybe it's another one of the imbalances that leads to a learning disability. A marked ability which wanes is at least an oddity.
jablake
16 years ago
If it was fixable, then she'd probably be a very different person----maybe a traditionally successful unhappy person. She LOVES life. I've thought maybe she loves life because the bad sort of fades to nothingness very quick.

I had thought I was doing something good and fun for her. And, for a short time it worked. She was feeling really great that she could solve complex puzzles and teach others how to do it. On the positive side if she gets rid of the Su Duko books she'll probably forget how good she was at solving the puzzles. Not sure if that is how it works; just depressing how quickly she went from zenith to nadir.

Book Guy
16 years ago
Maybe short-term memory damage due to some type of drug use? Sounds like there's a weird disconnect ....

But I concur. Why sentence her to a humdrum life of normal, traditionally successful unhappiness? I think the type of energy that you're hinting she conveys is exactly the reason we're drawn to them!
shadowcat
16 years ago
My turn at ignorance. WTF is a Su Duko Puzzle?
jablake
16 years ago
A messed up spelling of Sudoku. :) Here is a link that shows an image of a puzzle:


http://www.pogo.com/hotdeploy/us/promoti…



"Main Entry: Sudoku
Part of Speech: n
Definition: a puzzle consisting of a 3-by-3 grid of nine squares, each of which is similarly divided into nine smaller squares, some containing a number. The aim is to fill in numerals from 1 to 9 so that every horizontal and vertical line and every large 3-by-3 square contains only one instance of each number; also written sudoku" http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/s…


shadowcat
16 years ago
OK, Thanks. I am going to just continue to figure out strippers.
jablake
16 years ago
Well, she said she had never done well in school, no matter how hard she tried. At first she was putting up a fight because it looked like math or school work to her and then I reminded her that she needed something to keep her mind busy.

Her reading skills are very poor. She was surfing the internet and it takes her a long time to read a screen. A very long time. A 100 times longer than me? I guess it isn't that bad, but it seems like it.

She doesn't seem to have any interest in drugs, but who knows about in her past. Drugs can do a lot of harm surprisingly quickly.
jablake
16 years ago
"OK, Thanks. I am going to just continue to figure out strippers."

The puzzles helped me understand her better. A little like if I gave her candies and took note of her reactions and preferences. Anyway, unless she has a lot of time to waste and is basically stuck, then I doubt that doing those puzzles is practical. I thought it would help her past the time (in jail they didn't allow any of the puzzles in----I guess there afraid of coded messages; and most of her mail from me wasn't delivered---puzzles or not) and also boost her self esteem.



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