two puzzlers - (troubleshooting training:-)

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi Carl,

>I'm impressed with your puzzling skills, although you really could have
>given others a day to figure them out.  You maust have already known
>them:-)

*Nah, I grew up loving a good argument. In order to win a few now and then,
I had to learn to question basic assumptions and apply logical, if not
reasonable, conventional, or socially acceptable alternatives. I have since
found that the same technique applies to anything to which you can think to
apply it, if it occurs to you to do so. %-) There's always a different way
of looking at ANYTHING. Besides, it aggravates the heck out of people to
point out something they have looked at all their lives without seeing, and
that can't be all bad can it? I love it when someone does it to/for me. As
to giving the others a day to figure them out... If they didn't have lunch,
that's not my fault. 


>The apples question comes from Raymond Smullian, a Harvard math
>professor would loves logic puzzles.  He's written several books
>including one entitled "This Book Has No Title".  The question is
>similar to the 'F's puzzle in that it is an example of the tendency to
>jump to conclusions without carefully looking at all the pertinent
>information.  The knee jerk answer is, of course, 'one' which is, of
>course, wrong.

*I always liked self referrential stuff like the "This statement is false"
sign, and I sent a newsletter out once years ago with a sticker on the back
saying "Please notify us if this sticker has dropped off in transit". One
guy at the Guild meeting later in the week talked real fast trying to
convince me that his sticker had dropped off. I dropped some sort of hideous
pun on him and he went away.


>The connect-the-dots puzzle was taught to me by my architect grandfather
>when I was but a lad.  It, too, points out the narrow constraints we put
>on ourselves when trying to solve a problem.  Sometimes, you've got to
>give yourself permission to go outside the lines.
>
>Carl

*Pogo said it best... "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

If anyone is interested, and the topic cops are looking the other way, I'll
post Asimov's favorite pun.

"Say good night Gracie."

  
 Ron