15 March
2014
14 March
2014
Today’s puzzle
Two students of maths are playing the following game – each takes turn to pick a number from the following set {-4, -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4}. Once a number is picked, it is not replaced. And they keep playing till they run out of numbers. And they start all over again.
Whoever can come up with three numbers that add up to 0 first wins the game. It does not have to be the only three numbers she has. For example, she might have picked -3 and then in next chance picked +2. Hoping to pick +1 next. But other player seeing that, would have taken away the +1 in the next move. So let’s say the original person next picked 4. And then if she got a chance to pick -1 in the next move, she would have -3, +2, +4 and -1. Note that -3, +4 and -1 adds to 0. So she wins.
Now, here is the question: If you are the first player, is there a strategy for you to win? If you are the second player, is there a strategy for you to win?
If you are seeing this in FB, send me message and do not post answers in Comments section.
14 March
2014
Millions “worldwide” do NOT celebrate Pi day today
USA Today Tech Section front page carries an article that declares in its first statement “millions worldwide celebrate Pi day today” (today being 3.14). That led me to the curiosity question – how many countries follow MDY format for dates? Who are these other “worldwide” folks? Want to take a guess? Only USA!!! Okay, I am discounting Belize!
More than 10 times the population of USA in this world write their dates in DMY format. That should mean they would celebrate July 22 (22/7) as Pi day.
China – with more than four times the population of USA – follows another format – YMD.
But then, we will come up with any excuse to eat some more pie!!! 🙂
13 March
2014
Unexpected intersection point!
I reached the Starbucks to meet my two young friends (see previous post) a little early. So, I figured I would freshen up a little in the restroom and settle down with my emails and such till they showed up.
As I returned from the restroom, I saw a Starbucks lady arranging the wine bottles (yes, this one had wine) and as my eyes made contact with hers, I gave the usual polite “How are you?”. And then in a fraction of a second, I realized who it was. So, I stopped and exclaimed “Hey, it is you!”. She also nodded saying “I thought it was you when you walked in”.
And that is how I ran into Heidi Dawson!! After such a long long time!! I had completely forgotten that when she moved back from North Carolina, she had taken up a job as a manager of that Starbucks.
I also remembered how – many years back – on a Friday morning, three of us went for a run – she, myself and her dog. And such was her pace that it was a matter of intense debate after the run who had a longer tongue out – myself or her dog!! 🙂
“So, are you running lately?”, I asked.
“Yes, I have a race coming up this weekend”.
“How long is the race?”
“100K”
At that point of time, I did the following math – Hmmmm… 100K means about 65 miles. So, that would take me an hour of drive on the highway. I get really tired and bored driving an hour on the highway. Probably not an appropriate time to bring up the fact that these days I am running 5 miles. On a great day 7 miles! 🙂
So, in a jiffy, I switched topics to enquire about her husband Tim and the three dogs 🙂
Seriously though, it was so great to see an old friend after such a long time. We caught up on what has happened with each other thru these years. I miss running with my old friends….
13 March
2014
My cool friends
Most twenty somethings find me very weird. This is no different than thirty somethings or forty somethings 🙂 However, there are two folks – Shruthi and her boyfriend Hank who actually seek to meet me whenever they are in Atlanta. I know Shruthi’s dad from 1991 and have actually seen this young lady grow up from a few days old to the fine lady she is now.
I was very excited that they would spend an hour with me today. I find both of them very classy (I cannot think of too many kids that age writing hand written letters to thank me for an evening of discussing job choices and professional guidance. Most don’t bother to write a nice email).
Had a great hour with both of them at a local Starbucks. Made me realize how much smarter young folks these days are compared to when I was their age! As an example of how smart they are, Shruthi was narrating the story of a recent job interview she had gone to and how the interviewer reminded her of me. When asked how so, she went at length to describe how she found him to be a weirdo 🙂
I was so proud of myself, I asked the Starbucks lady to write my name as “Weirdo” 🙂
I wish I could many more hours with these really great kids!!
11 March
2014
Ain’t that true!
11 March
2014
Crazy animal facts
The fact that I am asking you this should tell you what the answer is. And yes, they are crazy but true!!!
1. Which animal has killed more humans in Africa? Hippos or lions? (I could not believe this)
2. Which animal can go more days without water? A camel or a giraffe? (What? What about that ship of the desert thing????)
3. You have a white cat which has blue eyes. Therefore it is deaf. True or False? (Go figure this one)
4. Which one is more likely to kill you? A champagne cork or a poisonous spider?
5. Which is the food most number of people are allergic to? Cow’s milk or peanut? (Bad news for my folks back in India)
6. Every year, which one of these kill more people? Bees or snakes? (Wait till Sharmila finds this out 🙂 )
7. An average bed has how many dust mites? About a dozen or about as many people are there in this world? (There goes my sleep in a Marriott bed tonite)
8. Which kills more people every year? Coconuts or sharks?
9. Which accelerates faster than the other – by about 50 times of the other? A flea or the space shuttle?
10. Which one of these two animals have been proven to prefer blondes over brunettes? Man or mosquito? (Really? Who came up with the study? Incredible!!!)
At this point I decided to stop reading any further. Else I might come across something absolutely crazy like a hippo can run faster than humans or something like that… What? That is true too?
I give up! Good night folks!!
9 March
2014
From the bartender’s corner…
9 March
2014
Few interesting facts about DST – but don’t tell my mom!!
I did not explain all these to my mom today – she would be further confused…
- DST is less than 100 years old. (98 in Central Europe and 96 in US)
- DST was first proposed by a guy in New Zealand who wanted more daylight to follow his profession – studying insects!!
- DST was subsequently proposed by another guy in UK who was frustrated with his back nine game in golf with less sunlight.
- Most of the countries scrapped DST after first world war (except a couple in Europe and Canada)
- Many adopted them back during second world war and the oil crisis of 70s. US standardized on it only in 1966.
- Many have scrapped it ever since!
- More inhabited land is covered in this world by countries who have scrapped DST than by those who currently observe it or those who never observed it.
- And this is going to completely flummox my mom – in spite of all her confusion, the fact is when she was born, India had Daylight savings. (during second world war when India was under the British). Subsequently it was scrapped. I bet this is a surprise for most of Indian friends too!
9 March
2014
Daylight Savings and my Mom
We had just finished the Sunday morning group run. I had a twenty minute drive home. Decided to make my daily call to mom from the car. So far so good. But, at a moment of indiscretion, I let her know about the clocks being reset today in US due to Daylight Savings. And then for the next ten minutes, I had to try my best explaining day light savings to somebody who has never been exposed to day light savings. She had quite a few questions and you could see that she was getting really confused with the whole concept. I think the core question she was trying to get past was “Why bother? It is not saving you any time”.
Finally, I tried explaining the practical ramifications. For example, when we ran today, it was much darker than last Sunday since today’s 8 am was last Sunday’s 7am. For a few moments she was very quiet. I figured she was now getting the hang of it. And I was sure the next thing she was going to ask would be a worried question like – “So, you did not sleep well last night?” or “Did you ever miss a flight due to this?”.
Instead, her question was “Khaabi ki ghori dhorey?” (“Are you going to have your lunch by the clock time”?). Only my Mom!! Only she can cut thru all the confusion of this stupid thing that sounds like you will save some time when you don’t and get to the central essence of her entire existence – “When will my son get to eat”?
I was so taken aback that I myself took a few seconds to process it. And then desperately trying to muffle my laughter, I offered “Keno? Khidey pele kheye nebo”. (“Why? I will eat when I feel hungry”). Even she admitted, after a few seconds of due consideration that given all the complications of daylight savings her son has to suffer thru, his logic was as sound as it will ever get!!
Heaven help all Indian moms if and when India ever switches to day light savings!!!