November 2007 Archives

In reaction to WaPo's ugly Obama smear, Tom Toles does more than write the Ombudsman (which is all the power I have):

At least my favorite paper has enough class left to let that cartoon print. Hooray for the small victories :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Since my brother and I are on different coasts, this year's festivities will be the first time that we won't have the chance to talk about math puzzles around the Thanksgiving table. In honor of his absence, I present this fiendishly difficult "hats" puzzle:

Trogdor the Burninator is at it again, except this time he has hit the mother lode and captured an infinite number of peasants. As always, the peasants can escape their doom if they can figure out what color hat (either red or blue) Trogdor has placed on their heads. All the peasants guess simultaneously (no post-hat-placement communication), all peasants can see all the other hats on their peers' heads, and the peasants can discuss strategy beforehand (though Trogdor will listen in). If only a finite number of peasants guess incorrectly, all the peasants go free; if not, Burnination for all. Can you help the peasants?

I can't. I have a decent solution for a countably infinite number of peasants, but apparently there is a math-y way to save an uncountably infinite number of peasants too!

Good luck to all, and I hope this puzzle helps keep you entertained this weekend :)

Remember those sites that you clicked on an image to give fund feeding toe world's hungry? Well FreeRice has taken the idea to a whole new level. The site tests your vocabulary as a way to capture your attention. (My best score was a 43.) The only problem is that the site is addictive and keeping me from working on my prospectus revisions.

Another great November Election Day for the Democratic Party -- that makes three in a row. And in case anyone is counting (and I am!), that's 3/3 Election Days under Party Chairman Howard Dean.

My predictions -- updated

• KY-Gov: Beshear 58%, Fletcher 42%. Result: Beshear 58.7%, Fletcher 41.3% -- not a shabby prediction
  
• Virginia State Senate: deadlock at 20-20, Result: Dems get 21 and TAKE THE SENATE!
  
• Virginia State Senate - 34: Peterson 51%-Devolites 49% Result: Peterson wins *huge*, 55%-45%. Sorry for underestimating you, Chap!
  
• Virginia State House: Democrats add 5 seats: GOP 52 - Dem 45 - Ind 3. Result: GOP 54 - Dem 44 - Ind 2. Again, I was very close, but not quite exact.
  
• NJ Assemble: Dems add to their lead in both houses. Incredibly, I got this one wrong. While the Dems added a seat in the Senate, they lost two seats in the House. (Technically, since two seats were vacant, they didn't lose any while the GOP picked up two.)
  

If text messages help remind people to vote, maybe blog posts do as well! So, go vote! Polls close at 7pm in Virginia and 8pm in New Jersey.

My predictions

• KY-Gov: Beshear 58%, Fletcher 42% (a Dem pickup)
  
• Virginia State Senate: deadlock at 20-20 (the GOP currently has 23 seats).
  
• Virginia State Senate - 34: Peterson 51%-Devolites 49%
  
• Virginia State House: Democrats add 5 seats: GOP 52 - Dem 45 - Ind 3
  
• NJ Assemble: Dems add to their lead in both houses.