01.Blogs :
RobMiles  
Programming, gadgets and life as a lecturer in a UK university.

Return of the Thursday Puzzle - Crisp Selection

Hmmm. Just as I got all formal with the Puzzle thing, with certificates and everything, the puzzle side of my brain shut down. Never mind, I think I'll make this a more informal, freewheeling, type of thing from now on. Maybe there will be a puzzle on Thursday, maybe not. Maybe even a different day. I think that you folks can probably handle the excitement.

Anyhoo, for today the puzzle is as follows:

Every day I take a bag of crisps to work. Four out of the five days I can have my favourite, barbecue flavour. But the fifth day I have to have something else (there are only four bags in the pack we buy each week). I need a way to decide for each day whether I am allowed to have bbq or not. Now, being me I'd write a C# program and use the Random class. It would have scanned pictures of the bags and sound effects and everything. But this time we are not me. We are another me who still likes the crisps and can only decide whether or not to have them by tossing a coin.

How?

(oh, and I have a couple of certificates to send out from last year - they will be arriving soon people)
(and yes, I do know it is Wednesday)

posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 9:47 AM by RobMiles

# @ Friday, January 28, 2005 10:14 AM

Couldn't you just buy a multipack of purely barbecue flavour crisps, and save the hassle of finding a coin to flip?

Bobster

# @ Friday, January 28, 2005 12:28 PM

Aha. That is called "thinking outside the box". Good thought. Sadly, the only place that sells BBQ multipacks is Asda which is a long way away from where I live. But when I go there I buy loads....

RobMiles

# @ Friday, January 28, 2005 12:39 PM

Even further out of the box, stop eating the crisps? :D Alternatively you could skip the coin, and either.... Eat something else on Monday...dreaded monday...its not going to get better even with BBQ crisps. Eat something else all week, then eat 4 packs on Friday, since it *is* the last day of the week...and itll give you something to look forward to (indigestion?). Take a day off work, leaving you with 4 days to eat BBQ crisps and a day at home to eat or do what you like. (wishful thinking, eh?). Toss the coin every day until you hit heads, tales for BBQ crisps, if you hid heads...say mid week...eat Something Else then finish the week with BBQ crisps. Hit friday and no heads yet...then have Something Else. Probably not the best solutions but I think they'd all...work...in some way. !

Skyhigh

# @ Friday, January 28, 2005 10:06 PM

*sigh*. Enough of my motivation for eating crisps already. I still don't know how to decide when to eat the BBQ ones.

RobMiles

# @ Sunday, January 30, 2005 10:14 PM

Simple, buy 5 packets, giving you 20 of the crisps you desire, enough for 4 weeks. Throw the rest to the wolves (family).

Pandilex

# @ Monday, January 31, 2005 11:11 AM

Grr. Pandilex *always* has to come up with *something* sensible...!

Bobster


 
03.UPDATE CALENDAR :
<January 2005>
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2627282930311
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
303112345

05.MY LINKS :

07.Subscriptions :

Subscriptions


© Copyright 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Statement | Code of Conduct | Hosted by MaximumASP for Microsoft
WHO-BAR