[IrishElk] Sharktopus Vs. Pteracuda

[irishelk]

Donna was intentionally un-creative, and it worked perfectly.

[Balin]

Donna: H/A/F?
Is Donna breaking the law? Is she doing something unsavory?
"worked perfectly" = brought out a successful result? Functioned as intended? Benefited Donna? Benefited someone else?

[Westing1992]

Un-creative: plagiarism? doing the obvious? NOT thinking laterally?
Was she entering a contest? Playing a game? Did she create artwork? Literature? A joke or slogan?

[irishelk]

Balin

Donna: H/A/F? Yes.
Is Donna breaking the law? No. Is she doing something unsavory? No.
"worked perfectly" = brought out a successful result? Functioned as intended? Both. Benefited Donna? Slightly. Benefited someone else? No.


Westing1992

Un-creative: plagiarism? No. doing the obvious? Yes. NOT thinking laterally? No, I would say it was a lateral solution.
Was she entering a contest? Playing a game? Did she create artwork? Literature? A joke or slogan? No to all.

[Hobbsicle]

Is she trying to do a task? Is there a problem she is solving? Is it related to her job? Something at her home? Does this happen in modern day? Is there anyone else relevant?

[JenBurdoo]

Does Donna work in a creative industry? Position? Is she parodying something?

[irishelk]

Hobbsicle

Is she trying to do a task? Yope. Is there a problem she is solving? In a way, yes. Is it related to her job? No. Something at her home? Yes. Does this happen in modern day? Yes, but could be any time. Is there anyone else relevant? Yes.


JenBurdoo

Does Donna work in a creative industry? Position? Irr. Is she parodying something? No.

[GalFisk]

Is she trying to mislead someone? Does the other person live with her? Is an object relevant? Is she relevantly known to be creative? Is someone trying to outsmart her? Is she playing a game? Chess relevant?

[irishelk]

GalFisk

Is she trying to mislead someone? No. Does the other person live with her? Yes. Is an object relevant? No, but some thing is relevant... Is she relevantly known to be creative? Donna? No. Is someone trying to outsmart her? Noish. Is she playing a game? Chess relevant? No to rest.

[Grip]

Is the other person related to Donna? a baby?

[JenBurdoo]

Does Donna like or dislike the other person? Is she trying to change that person's behavior? Is that person H/A/M? Does Donna use actions? or items? to accomplish her task? Does she ignore the person? Speak to them? Would Donna's intent be obvious to an outside observer?

[irishelk]

Grip

Is the other person related to Donna? Yes. a baby? No.



JenBurdoo

Does Donna like or dislike the other person? Like. Is she trying to change that person's behavior? Yes. Is that person H/A/M? Yes/No/No. Does Donna use actions? Yesish. or items? Noish. to accomplish her task? Does she ignore the person? No. Speak to them? At certain points, yes. Would Donna's intent be obvious to an outside observer? Not if they only saw the non-creativity.

[Hobbsicle]

So the other person is Donna's daughter? Is she trying to teach the daughter to learn to talk? To teach something else? To get her to eat? To get her to do chores?

[irishelk]

Hobbsicle

So the other person is Donna's daughter? Yes. Is she trying to teach the daughter to learn to talk? No. To teach something else? Yesish. To get her to eat? No. To get her to do chores? No.

[GalFisk]

Did she trick the daughter? Did the daughter expect her to be creative? Is a game relevant? Age of daughter relevant? If so: less than 1? 1-2? 3-4? 5-7? 8-11? 12-15?

[irishelk]

GalFisk

Did she trick the daughter? Sortof--I would say "outsmarted." Did the daughter expect her to be creative? Quite possibly. Is a game relevant? No. Age of daughter relevant? No, but... If so: less than 1? 1-2? 3-4? 5-7? 8-11? 12-15? Older than 8 is more likely.

[Hobbsicle]

Was she asked to tell a made up story? Or a joke? And she instead told one she'd heard before?

"Worked perfectly": fooled the child? Entertained her? Instructed her?

[irishelk]

Hobbsicle

Was she asked to tell a made up story? Or a joke? And she instead told one she'd heard before? No to all.

"Worked perfectly": fooled the child? No. Entertained her? No. Instructed her? Not exactly.

[GalFisk]

Creative: inventive? Artistic? Original? Non-repetitive?

[irishelk]

GalFisk

Creative: inventive? Yes. Artistic? Not really. Original? Yes. Non-repetitive? Not exactly, but she is in a way being repetitive.

[Hobbsicle]

Did her actions involve speaking? Writing? Communicating with the daughter?

Is food relevant? School? Household chores? Sleep? Play? Animals? Illness?

[irishelk]

Hobbsicle

Did her actions involve speaking? It would involve this at some point. Writing? Not necessarily. Communicating with the daughter? Yes.

Is food relevant? School? Household chores? Indirectly. Sleep? Play? Animals? Yes! Illness? No to rest.

[GalFisk]

Animals: pets? Farm? Wild? Food? All animals? A species? One animal? Mammal? Fish? Predator? Alive during the puzzle?

[irishelk]

GalFisk

Animals: pets? Yes. Farm? Wild? Food? No to rest.
All animals? A species? One animal? Multiple animals are involved, but one is especially relevant.
Mammal? No. Fish? Yes. Predator? No. The specific species isn't super-relevant...but I bet you can figure it out, clever puzzlers that you are.
Alive during the puzzle? Yes.

[Hobbsicle]

Is she trying to correct a behavior in the daughter? And "works perfectly" involves a successful correction? Is feeding the fish relevant? Getting her to identify a particular fish? Cleaning the fish tank? Is a particular fish relevantly aggressive against other fish? Dead fish relevant?

[irishelk]

Hobbsicle

Is she trying to correct a behavior in the daughter? Yes. And "works perfectly" involves a successful correction? Yes, well put.
Is feeding the fish relevant? Getting her to identify a particular fish? Cleaning the fish tank? Is a particular fish relevantly aggressive against other fish? Dead fish relevant? No to rest.

[irishelk]

******************RECAP

Donna is attempting to change a behavior in her daughter, and being uncreative--in the sense of being unoriginal and doing the obvious--works perfectly. She outsmarts her daughter.
Multiple pets are involved, but one pet, a fish, is particularly relevant. The daughter's behavior is not directly related to chores like feeding or cleaning the pets. Neither of them do anything illegal or unsavory.

[GalFisk]

Is the behavior related to interacting with the pets? Is being disobedient on part of the child relevant? Being sneaky? Does the daughter try to outsmart her mother?

[irishelk]

GalFisk

Is the behavior related to interacting with the pets? Yesish, "doing something" with them at least. Is being disobedient on part of the child relevant? Being sneaky? Does the daughter try to outsmart her mother? No to rest.

[GalFisk]

Doing something: training? Cleaning up after? Keeping out of trouble? Keeping from being eaten by another animal? Caring for? Caring about? Did Donna pretend that something happened to the fish?

[irishelk]

GalFisk

Doing something: training? Cleaning up after? Keeping out of trouble? Keeping from being eaten by another animal? Caring for? No to all. Caring about? In a sense, but a more concrete action...
Did Donna pretend that something happened to the fish? No.

[hominid]

Did the girl draw the fish? Write about it? Harm it? Attempt to harm it? Talk about it? Sing about it? Does the fish actually belong to them? Does it live in a tank? With other fish? Other animals? Fish's sex/age relevant?

Can we call the girl Julia? Can we call the fish Pat?

[irishelk]

hominid

Did the girl draw the fish? Write about it? Harm it? Attempt to harm it? Talk about it? Sing about it? No to all.
Does the fish actually belong to them? Yesish, explore. Does it live in a tank? With other fish? Other animals? Probably, irr.
Fish's sex/age relevant? No.

Can we call the girl Julia? Can we call the fish Pat? Certainly, but...don't let that mislead you...

[hominid]

Do they acquire the fish over the course of the puzzle? Do they sell it? Is anyone else relevant? Julia's father? Siblings? Is Pat shared between them and someone else. Is Pat only Donna's? Only Julia's?

[irishelk]

hominid

Do they acquire the fish over the course of the puzzle? Yes! Do they sell it? Is anyone else relevant? Julia's father? Siblings? Is Pat shared between them and someone else. No to all.

Is Pat only Donna's? Only Julia's? Assume largely Julia's.

[hominid]

Did they acquire the fish at a pet store? Another store? Someone's house?

Did Donna make the decision to acquire a fish? Did Julia?

[irishelk]

hominid

Did they acquire the fish at a pet store? Another store? Someone's house? Irrel, but probably not purchased.

Did Donna make the decision to acquire a fish? No. Did Julia? Yes.

[hominid]

Did Julia decide that she wanted: a pet? A fish? A specific type of fish? Pat in particular? Relevant why she wanted this? Did she ask her mother to buy her one/obtain one somehow? Did Donna immediately agree? Was the fish given to Julia as a reward? Did Donna's un-creativity come before they got the fish? After? Was the transaction itself the "un-creative" thing? Did Donna pick out the type of fish? The specific fish? Was Donna trying to encourage Julia to be creative? To be un-creative?

[irishelk]

hominid

Did Julia decide that she wanted: a pet? A fish? A specific type of fish? Pat in particular? Yes to all. Relevant why she wanted this? Noish. Did she ask her mother to buy her one/obtain one somehow? No. Did Donna immediately agree? No. Was the fish given to Julia as a reward? No. Did Donna's un-creativity come before they got the fish? After? This.
Was the transaction itself the "un-creative" thing? No. Did Donna pick out the type of fish? No. The specific fish? No. Was Donna trying to encourage Julia to be creative? To be un-creative? Neither.

[SurfingPikachu]

(Apologies in advance, I keep mixing up which is Donna and Julia.)

The daughter acquired the fish without consulting the mother? Against the (perceived? explicit?) wishes of the mother? The mother did not prefer the daughter to acquire the fish? The mother was ok with it as long as the daughter learnt responsibility?

The daughter expected the mother to get creative in dissuading her acquiring of the fish? Preventing her acquiring or bringing home of the fish? Discarding the fish?

The successful result of the mother's uncreativity was that the daughter took responsibility in caring for the fish (and pets)? That the daughter discarded the fish?

[irishelk]

SurfingPikachu

(Apologies in advance, I keep mixing up which is Donna and Julia.) Me too.

The daughter acquired the fish without consulting the mother? Yes. Against the (perceived? explicit?) wishes of the mother? Yes, implicit at least. The mother did not prefer the daughter to acquire the fish? Yes. The mother was ok with it as long as the daughter learnt responsibility? No.

The daughter expected the mother to get creative in dissuading her acquiring of the fish? Preventing her acquiring or bringing home of the fish? Discarding the fish? No to all.

The successful result of the mother's uncreativity was that the daughter took responsibility in caring for the fish (and pets)? Noish. That the daughter discarded the fish? No.

[hominid]

Did Donna kill the fish? Did Donna give away the fish? Did Donna find out about the fish after Julia had bought it? Did Donna buy other animals? Animals that ate fish?

[GalFisk]

Did the daughter get to keep the fish? Relevant what the daughter said or did when Donna found out about the fish? Did the daughter do anything to conceal the presence of the fish? Did Donna do anything to reveal the daughter's actions to others?

[irishelk]

hominid

Did Donna kill the fish? No. Did Donna give away the fish? No. Did Donna find out about the fish after Julia had bought it? Yes. Did Donna buy other animals? No. Animals that ate fish?


GalFisk

Did the daughter get to keep the fish? Yes. Relevant what the daughter said or did when Donna found out about the fish? Only slightly, but Donna's reaction is central. Did the daughter do anything to conceal the presence of the fish? No. Did Donna do anything to reveal the daughter's actions to others? No.

[Hobbsicle]

Is she hoping to convince her not to acquire other animals without her permission? Make her regret her action of buying the fish? Does Donna tell her a lie/exaggeration of some kind?

[irishelk]

Hobbsicle

Is she hoping to convince her not to acquire other animals without her permission? Yes indeed. Make her regret her action of buying the fish? Yes, at least a bit. Does Donna tell her a lie/exaggeration of some kind? No.

[SurfingPikachu]

Did the mother simply do nothing at all? Did she ignore the fish? Refuse to help care for the fish? Did the daughter find caring for the fish burdensome? Did the fish relevantly die or attack other pets?

[irishelk]

SurfingPikachu

Did the mother simply do nothing at all? No. Did she ignore the fish? Refuse to help care for the fish? Did the daughter find caring for the fish burdensome? Did the fish relevantly die or attack other pets? No to rest.

[SurfingPikachu]

Did the mother simply tell the daughter not to do it again without her permission? Scold, ground, or punish the daughter?

[irishelk]

SurfingPikachu

Did the mother simply tell the daughter not to do it again without her permission? No. Scold, ground, or punish the daughter? No (maybe "noish" to punish).

[SurfingPikachu]

Did the mother remove the daughter's future means of acquiring more fish or pets? e.g. withholding pocket money or confiscating fishing rods? (How does an 8yo girl even "acquire" a "particular fish" without purchasing it?!)

Or did the mother just remove the daughter's future will to do so?

Is anybody else relevantly involved?

[irishelk]

SurfingPikachu

Did the mother remove the daughter's future means of acquiring more fish or pets? No. e.g. withholding pocket money or confiscating fishing rods? (How does an 8yo girl even "acquire" a "particular fish" without purchasing it?!) Haha!
Because it's completely irrelevant to the $olution and it's a true story, I'll tell you: she volunteers at aquariums and animal rescue centers. I believe the actual girl was 12 or 13.

Or did the mother just remove the daughter's future will to do so? YES.

Is anybody else relevantly involved? No.

[hominid]

Did Donna tell Julia some fact about fish? About biology? Did she show Julia something?

[kalira]

You said don't let the names assigned to the girl and fish mislead us. Is there something about the fish's name that is relevant? The act of choosing a name for the fish? Are animated films at all relevant? The Finding Nemo series?

Pikachu, I think you're underestimating the magical voodoo powers of a young girl who decides she wants a pet

[irishelk]

hominid

Did Donna tell Julia some fact about fish? About biology? Did she show Julia something? No to all.


kalira

You said don't let the names assigned to the girl and fish mislead us. Is there something about the fish's name that is relevant? YES, well done. The act of choosing a name for the fish? Yes. Are animated films at all relevant? No. The Finding Nemo series?

Pikachu, I think you're underestimating the magical voodoo powers of a young girl who decides she wants a pet ^^ So true.

[hominid]

Did Donna name the fish? Did Julia? Did Donna give the fish an "un-creative" name? Was it named "Fish"?

[irishelk]

hominid

Did Donna name the fish? Yes. Did Julia? Did Donna give the fish an "un-creative" name? Yes! Was it named "Fish"? Very close.


************************************SPOILER

This comes from the book Soul of an Octopus. A very non-conforming and warm-hearted young girl brings home every poor unfortunate animal she comes across and makes it her pet. Her mother 'Donna' doesn't want to kill this charitable spirit, but their house is becoming a zoo. She makes the new rule that Julia may continue to bring home whatever animals she wants, but Donna gets to name them.

The next animal Julia adopts happens to be a flounder, and her mother promptly names it "Floundie." Julia's unique and artistic soul, unable to deal with such an un-creative name, declines to bring home any more new pets.

[hominid]

Haha, great puzzle!