Saturday, January 31, 2004

Sunset

Here is a picture from Julie. Click on the picture to view the full size picture.

Julie, could you leave a comment telling us where the picture was taken.

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Shark Pool Update

Here is the weekly update:

Michael D.: Go Nads (MD) 9
Brian U.: Snarfy (BU) 5
Steve: puckinnet (SE) 4
Bonnie L.: Laiwa (BL) 3
John: loulou1 (JL) 2 (was 3, now 2)
Stacy: sharkfanatic (SH) 2
Sheryl: finfanatic (SA) 1
Tim: teverett96 (TE) 0

As you can see, my new system is absolutely working GREAT!!! I have yet to get a single point in this dang game.

At least I didn't lose a point like John (loulou1) did. The last update he had 3, now he only has 2. I am not aware of any ways of losing a point. I have seen similiar things in the first "In the Pool" game.

Not sure what is going on: Is it a mistake that they corrected? Was the score correct originally but we are now seeing a mistake?

If I had to bet, I would go with the second...

Saturday, January 24, 2004

Ballmer Video

Maybe Dean's antics wasn't that bad. Check out a couple of Steve Ballmer's antics.

He is only the CEO of Microsoft, the biggest software company in the world. Current market valuation of roughly $300 Billion. With revenues of $34 Billion a year, with $52 Billion in cash.

The company I work for (Hyperion) has a market value of 1 Billion as just a comparison.



7 Up Read Your Mind

Sandy recently sent out the below link with a pretty obvious challenge to the CA brothers (Steve and I) to explain it. Quote from her email: "so I AM forwarding it to my cousins who ARE mathematical computer software geniuses working for big firms in Silicone Valley"

Here is the link: Fido Puzzle.

I decided to try to figure it out. Did some experimenting this morning for about 10 minutes while watching Looney Tunes on the Cartoon Network (you can be never to old for Looney Tunes). There is some mathematical thing obviously going on, could I determine what it was??

Then it struck me to take Sandy's challenge in a slightly different way. Rather than focus on the mathematical piece, I would focus on the computer software piece.

I know for sure I wouldn't call myself a mathematical computer software genius, but I am very good at finding a quick and easy way to get an answer to a solvable problem.

Solvable problem = find somebody else's answer = Internet = Google (Notice how I made that into a math equation. :) )

Did a quick search via Google: fido puzzle 7 up answer

Which took me to this page (the very first search return result): Have Your Mind Read... which has a good mathematical answer to how the number is determined.

The answer is that the number you get after the subtraction is guaranteed to be divisible by 9. Since the number is divisible by 9, the sum of the digits in the original number needs to sum (add up) to a number that is divisible by 9.

The answer makes sense to me, though I would have never figured it out myself. I did use my "finely tuned" Quality Engineering skills to determine a couple sequence of numbers that won't work. What in the software world is a called a "border test case"

They try to avoid the one sequence of numbers with the words "Make it completely random with lots of different digits". If you were to start with a number such as 111 (a sequence of exactly the same number), you ended up with all zeros (which is not divisible by 9), but the algorithm requires it so the answer generated is 9.

The other scenario that they can't guess correctly is if the number you circled is a 0, so what do they do?, they tell you not to circle the 0. The way the math works out, if you circle the 0, there is two answer to the problem. The answer could be 0 or 9, and they always pick 9.

BTW: You can be too old for "Powerpuff Girls"

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Yeargh

The Internet can be a cruel beast. The Dean Iowa Speech / Outburst has generated a lot of humorous and interesting remixes. Music and the Dean speech mixed together.

Check out: Dean Goes Nuts - soon to have the domain (www.deangoesnuts.com). A collection of the various remixes.

BTW: I haven't seen much of Dean or read much of his beliefs. But for some reason, when I do see him, he just gives me the "creeps". There is just something about him visually that seems to bug me.

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

First Update on Second Half "In the Pool" game

Steve has provided me with a list of individuals at his work that is also playing the game. Just to provide another incentive to Sheryl since she "whupped" everybody in the first game.

Brian U.: Snarfy (BU) 5
Steve: puckinnet (SE) 3
Michael D.: Go Nads (MD) 3
John: loulou1 (JL) 3
Stacy: sharkfanatic (SH) 2
Bonnie L.: Laiwa (BL) 2
Sheryl: finfanatic (SA) 1
Tim: teverett96 (TE) 0

I have started to use a newly devised system. Obviously my system isn't working very well in the short term, but I still have hope.

A lesson I learned from my Grandpa Everett in terms of gambling that applies here is that once you have a system or way of betting, don't change it in the middle...


Monday, January 12, 2004

Another webfishing

Here is another personal website from a friend.

iBrandt.com

Gary (or Andy) was my first college roommate along with Tracy Murchison.

When I first meet him, I believe he was going by the name Andy. Andy being his middle name.

Later in our college career, he started going by his first name of Gary.

I might have the names mixed up, though if I was to bump into him today, I would call him "Gary"

I never did hear back from my high school buddy in the first webfishing attempt. Probably should track down his email and send him a "hello".

Let's see if this attempt is anymore successful.

Cool Billionaire projects

Sir Richard Branson and Steve Fossett's newest aviation record setting attempt:

Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer

Attempting to fly around the planet without refueling in less than 80 hours with a single pilot. Very cool!!

Paul Allen's financed project:

SpaceShipOne

On Dec 11th, a significant milestone was achieved by Scaled Composites: The first manned supersonic flight by an aircraft developed by a small company's private, non-government effort. One of many small steps to placing a human into sub-orbital Space to claim the X Prize.

Both projects are being developed by Burt Rutan. I wouldn't be surprised that 100 years from now, he will be spoken of in a similiar way to the Wright Brothers.

Wednesday, January 07, 2004

Sharks Pool Update

The Sharks are starting a new "In the Pool" game for the second half of the season starting with Thursday night game.

Steve has a chance to start at least even with Sheryl and me again.

Unfortunately, on the Sharks website they took down the standing for the first half of the season contest.

I am "man" enough to admit that the last time I reviewed the standings, Sheryl had moved ahead into the lead by a large amount, at least 8 points. Sheryl, did you pick a goalie that earned a shutout or was it simply superior picking of players that did it?


Here is what I believe the final standings were:

1. Sheryl
2. Tim
3. Stacey
4. Steve

Congrats Sheryl for winning bragging rights for the first half. Feel free to gloat!!

Tuesday, January 06, 2004

Samantha Moment

I just wanted to share what I call a Samantha Moment. Something that reminds me of her. They occur many times a day.

Today while listening to my iPod. This song played:

Please Remember Me - Tim McGraw

When all our tears have reached the sea
Part of you will live in me
Way down deep inside my heart
The days keep coming without fail
A new wind is gonna find your sail
That's where your journey starts

You'll find better love
Strong as it ever was
Deep as the river runs
Warm as the morning sun
Please remember me

Just like the waves down by the shore
We're gonna keep on coming back for more
Cause we don't ever wanna stop
Out in this brave new world you seek
Oh, the valleys and the peaks
And I can see you on the top

You'll find better love
Strong as it ever was
Deep as the river runs
Warm as the morning sun
Please remember me

Remember me when you're out walkin'
When the snow falls high outside your door
Br Late at night when you're not sleepin' And light falls across your floor
When I can't hurt you anymore

You'll find better love
Strong as it ever was
Deep as the river runs
Warm as the morning sun
Please remember me

Please remember me

Monday, January 05, 2004

Mustang Status

The Mustang is soooo close to being gone. I was told that I will be given $10 for the car!!

Since the title of the car is from out of state, I had to visit the local Pick-n-Pull. They needed to see the actual title prior to scheduling a pick up.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize on the title it mentions First of America Bank as being a lien holder. I do have the paperwork stating the loan as been paid so I will be making another visit tomorrow morning.

The Mustang might be gone (if I am lucky) by the time I get home from work tomorrow.

Therefore I decided to share with the world the current state of the car. It isn't in too bad of shape. Thanks to Sharon and Steve for making a call to get the ball rolling for me. Enjoy!!!



Pair of Pants??

A question was posed at dinner the other night over at Steve's house by either Dale or Ben.

Why are a single "pair" of pants and underwear called a pair?

Seems like a pretty easy question with no obvious answer. Ideas such as "Well, there are two openings for your legs." If that was true, I would be wearing a pair of shirt today.

Then it dawned on me today (pretty slow day at work), everything below the waist is a pair... A pair of shoes, pair of socks, pair of underwear, pair of pants. Could that be the key to the answer??

I decided this question deserved at least an initial query via google: (http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=why+pair+of+pants)

The magic worked, the first entry is a site that claims to have the answer. The link is here.

I have included it below:

From Corey and his mother; related questions came from Linda Rodgers, Peter C Mann, and others: Speaking of pants, as you were the other week, my 14-year-old asked me why, if you put on a pair of pants, you don't also put on a pair of shirts? Can you illuminate the matter for us?

People do ask the most intriguing questions.

I've looked at the entry in the Oxford English Dictionary, which suggests that the form pair of pants was standard right from its earliest use. Indeed, words for nether garments all seem to have been commonly plural throughout their history, often prefixed by pair of ...: breeches, shorts, drawers, panties, tights, knickers (short for knickerbockers), and trousers.

Pants is short for pantaloons, also plural, which in their very earliest incarnations were nearer stage tights; their name comes from a Venetian character in Italian commedia dell'arte who was the butt of the clown's jokes and who always appeared as a foolish old man wearing pantaloons. Commentators referred to them when they first appeared as being a combination of breeches and stockings. Later the word was applied to fashionable tight-fitting trousers.

Trousers came into the language in the seventeenth century from the Gaelic trowse, a singular word for a slightly different garment rather more like breeches; a later version of it was trews, taken to be a plural because of the final s. Breeches has been plural throughout its recorded history, a long one (it dates from at least the year 1200).

According to several costume historians who have helped me with this reply, the answer to all this conventional plurality is very simple. Before the days of modern tailoring, such garments, whether underwear or outerwear, were indeed made in two parts, one for each leg. The pieces were put on each leg separately and then wrapped and tied or belted at the waist (just like cowboys' chaps). The plural usage persisted out of habit even after the garments had become physically one piece. However, a shirt was a single piece of cloth, so it was always singular.

It's worth noting that the posher type of tailor, such as in London's Savile Row, still often refers to a trouser and the singular pant and tight are not unknown in clothing store terminology in America, so the plural is not universal.


Thanks for the Internet, my mind can let this question go. Though I still think calling a single underwear a pair kinda weird. The answer above doesn't completely answer the question: Why are a single "pair" of underwear called a pair?

Hmmm... maybe I should research some more. I think the answer might have to do with below the waist. :)