NaNoWriMo

It's back... almost. November is National Novel Writing Month, which means NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. Want to write a novel in a month? (A "novel" is considered complete at 50,000 words, for purposes of NaNoWriMo.) It's grrrreat fun! I only made it to 30,000 words or so last year, but it was the most fun I'd had with words in a long time—and that's saying something, really, considering all the reading and writing I do. Besides, would you rather:

1. Listen to a pompous windbag tell you not to write a novel? or....


2. Listen to a quirky writer tell you that anyone can write a novel?

Choice 2 please. And why wait? Sign up now! You weren't planning anything for November, anyway, were you?

Posted 03:36 PM | Comments (2) | ai books

Logic Games II

I was quickly schooled in the appropriate method for solving the problem below. For many of you, this was an easy game; and you're right—it is easy, as long as you read it right. I sometimes wonder if I have dyslexia when it comes to things like this. But then, I know I don't. What happens is I psych myself out, read the setup quickly, and almost automatically jump to the conclusion that it's way too hard. That means when I take a second look, I've already blocked out the possibility that this game might be relatively easy. In other words, I make these things much harder than they need to be. Still, some of them I just can't figure out. If you're into games, here's a doozy:

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Each of exactly six doctors—Juarez, Kudrow, Longtree, Nance, Onawa, and Palermo—is at exactly one of two clinics: Souderton or Randsborough. The ffollowing conditions must be satisfied:

• Kudrow is at Randsborough if Juarez is at Souderton.
• Onawa is at Souderton if Juarez is at Randsborough.
• If Longtree is at Souderton, then both Nance and Palermo are at Randsborough.
• If Nance is at Randsborough, then so is Onawa.
• If Palermo is at Randsborough, then both Kudrow and Onawa are at Souderton.

1: Which one of the following could be a complete and accurate list of the doctors thatt are at Souderton?
a) Jaurez, Kudrow, Onawa
b) Juarez, Nance, Onawa, Palermo
c) Kudrow, Longtree, Onawa
d) Nance, Onawa
e) Nance, Palermo

2: If Palermo is at Randsborough, then which one of the following must be true?
a) Juarez is at Randsborough.
b) Kudrow is at Randsborough.
c) Longtree is at Souderton.
d) Nance is at Randsborough.
e) Onawa is at Randsborough.

3: What is the minimum number of doctors that could be at Souderton?
a) zero
b) one
c) two
d) three
e) four

4: If Nance and Onawa are at different clinics, which one of the following must be true?
a) Juarez is at Souderton
b) Kudrow is at Souderton.
c) Palermo is at Randsborough
d) Four doctors are at Randsborough

5: If Kudrow is at Souderton, then which one of the following must be true?
a) Juarez is at Souderton
b) Nance is at Souderton
c) Onawa is at Randsborough
d) Palermo is at Souderton
e) Palermo is at Randsborough

Posted 07:55 AM | Comments (1) | law school