[WiZ] Daft puzzle, but we're in a lull

[WiZ]

Mid-summer. Mid-afternoon. A snowflake is falling on a snowman, silhouetted against a dark sky. A chartered accountant named Huang walks up and hits the snowman repeatedly in the face. The snowman and snowflake do not change. Huang walks away, satisfied.

What is going on?

[GalFisk]

Summer: in the northern hemisphere? Where the snowman is? Is the snowflake made of snow? Is the snowman made of snow? Is the snow tv noise? Is Huang hitting a TV to make it work properly? Is he hitting the substance the snowman is made of? Is Huang's profession relevant? Is he Asian? Relevant? Is he H? A? M? Is the snowman in freezing temperatures?

[WiZ]

Summer: in the northern hemisphere? irrel Where the snowman is? this Is the snowflake made of snow? Is the snowman made of snow? neither, literally speaking Is the snow tv noise? no Is Huang hitting a TV to make it work properly? no Is he hitting the substance the snowman is made of? yes (although this is open for debate) Is Huang's profession relevant? yes, to an extent Is he Asian? yes Relevant? not at all Is he H? A? M? yes to all Is the snowman in freezing temperatures? no

[GalFisk]

Does the snpwman inhabit the same universe as Huang?Fiction relevant? Film? Theater? Video games? Role-playing? Other games? Is rhe snowman made from plastic? Fabric? Particles stuck together and rolled into balls? Balls stacked on top of one another? Is the face the top ball?

[WiZ]

Does the snpwman inhabit the same universe as Huang? yesish Fiction relevant? no Film? Theater? Video games? Role-playing? Other games? no to these Is rhe snowman made from plastic? yes Fabric? no Particles stuck together and rolled into balls? no Balls stacked on top of one another? noish Is the face the top ball? yes

[GalFisk]

Is the snowman stuffed? Inflated? A toy? Soft? Hard? Decorative? Annoying? Created specifically for the purpose of being punched? Owned by Huang? Is the snowflake made of plastic? Is it confetti?

[hominid]

Is Huang checking to see if the snowman moves? Would he be unsatisfied if the snowman moved? Is the snowflake the size of a real snowflake?

[irishelk]

Is there some sort of punnery involved here?

The sky is dark, though it is mid-afternoon: are we inside? Are we in the Arctic or Antarctic circle? Is it an artificial background? Is a performance taking place? Are we in the future? On another planet? In an alternate universe?

Is Huang acting in his role as an accountant (however absurdly)? Is he checking on something financial in nature?

[Balin]

Is Huang's name relevant?

[WiZ]

GalFisk

Is the snowman stuffed? no Inflated? no A toy? no Soft? no Hard? yes Decorative? no Annoying? no Created specifically for the purpose of being punched? yes Owned by Huang? yesish Is the snowflake made of plastic? yes Is it confetti? no

Hominid

Is Huang checking to see if the snowman moves? no Would he be unsatisfied if the snowman moved? no Is the snowflake the size of a real snowflake? no

IrishElk

Is there some sort of punnery involved here? no

The sky is dark, though it is mid-afternoon: are we inside? yes (but irrelevant) Are we in the Arctic or Antarctic circle? not necessarily Is it an artificial background? yes Is a performance taking place? no Are we in the future? On another planet? In an alternate universe? no to all

Is Huang acting in his role as an accountant (however absurdly)? yes Is he checking on something financial in nature? yes

Balin

Is Huang's name relevant? no

[GalFisk]

Is there a possibility that the snowman will change when punched? If so, will Huang be dissatisfied? Does he punch it with his fist? The way a boxer or other fighter would? Does he use a tool? Such as a hole punch? If it changes, will it still be a snowman? Is the snowflake a circular piece of material created by a hole punch?

[WiZ]

Is there a possibility that the snowman will change when punched? No, the snowman itself is not liable to change If so, will Huang be dissatisfied? no Does he punch it with his fist? no The way a boxer or other fighter would? no Does he use a tool? no Such as a hole punch? no If it changes, will it still be a snowman? Depends on the change Is the snowflake a circular piece of material created by a hole punch? no, but an admirably lateral approach

[hominid]

Is he satisfied because of something he sees? feels? smells? hears? tastes? Did he think there was a chance of him being unsatisfied? Does he discover new (to him) information by hitting the snowman? Did he expect the snowflake to fall on the snowman?

Is the snowman a button?

[WiZ]

Is he satisfied because of something he sees? yes, although this isn't the complete picture feels? smells? hears? tastes? no to rest Did he think there was a chance of him being unsatisfied? yes Does he discover new (to him) information by hitting the snowman? no Did he expect the snowflake to fall on the snowman? no

Is the snowman a button? yes!

[hominid]

Is the button intentionally shaped like a snowman? Was the snowflake literally falling on the snowman? Was the "black sky" the surface around the button?

[WiZ]

Is the button intentionally shaped like a snowman? no Was the snowflake literally falling on the snowman? no Was the "black sky" the surface around the button? no, but OTRT

[hominid]

Is the "snowflake" a picture? Of a snowflake?

Are there three buttons? Is it one button that is shaped like three circles fused together? Is it relevant that Huang punched the face of the snowman, not the lower parts? Did something light up when Huang pushed the button? Is any other person or being/animal of some sort relevant?

[WiZ]

Is the "snowflake" a picture? yope Of a snowflake? yope

Are there three buttons? there are not precisely three buttons Is it one button that is shaped like three circles fused together? no Is it relevant that Huang punched the face of the snowman, not the lower parts? no Did something light up when Huang pushed the button? no Is any other person or being/animal of some sort relevant? no

[hominid]

Is there 1 button? 2? 3? 4? 5? 6? 7? 8? 9? More? Exact number relevant?

Was he testing to see whether the button worked? Did it work? Did something mechanical happen? Is the "sky" the actual sky? A wall? The floor? Ceiling? Is the button white? Relevant?

Is the fact that it's summer relevant? Is temperature relevant?

[WiZ]

Is there 1 button? one relevant button 2? 3? 4? 5? 6? 7? 8? 9? More? Exact number relevant?

Was he testing to see whether the button worked? no Did it work? very well Did something mechanical happen? yes Is the "sky" the actual sky? no A wall? The floor? Ceiling? no to these Is the button white? partly Relevant? not especially

Is the fact that it's summer relevant? Is temperature relevant? no to both

[hominid]

Is the button on a keyboard? Computer keyboard? Typewriter keyboard? Some sort of musical instrument? Did he get some new information from pressing the button? Financial information? Is he in an office? Is he in his home?

[WiZ]

Is the button on a keyboard? yes Computer keyboard? yes Typewriter keyboard? no Some sort of musical instrument? no Did he get some new information from pressing the button? no Financial information? no Is he in an office? yes Is he in his home? No, unless he works from home

[Balin]

Is the button the number 8?

[WiZ]

Is the button the number 8? yes

***** SPOILER *****

On most QWERTY keyboards, the number 8 key has its alternate character (*) immediately above it. On a black keyboard with white letters, this creates an image of a snowflake falling on a snowman against a black sky.

Over the course of his job as an accountant, Huang presses the 8 key many times. He goes home satisfied with a good day's work.

Well done, Balin, on the solution, and well done, Hominid, on your persistence. I think this is the first puzzle where I made the main character a non-causcasian when the solution didn't hinge on it. And I didn't even kill him. Affirmative Lateral Action in force.

[irishelk]

Great puzzle!

[hominid]

Great puzzle? I had a feeling it was something along these lines?

[WiZ]

You seem uncertain, Hominid?

[hominid]

Haha, that was supposed to be an exclamation point. Great puzzle! I had a feeling it was something along these lines!

[WiZ]

Jolly good!

A quirk of the accent where I'm from is that people tend to speak in inflections. It always sounds like we're questioning. And our tendency to say 'yeah nah' and 'nah yeah' doesn't help matters much.

[hominid]

Actually I think what happened is that I'm used to only asking questions on this forum. :p

[irishelk]

My best friend also has the habit of starting responses with "No" if she means a strong "Yes"--"No, that is exactly right!"

Not sure where she picked it up...maybe she's been a Kiwi in disguise this whole time...