Growin

Wel Max, Ize am awlready grewing a foo dings. Ize hav summ plantz heah in da apahtment. Ize hav summ ov wat Ize tink r cawld philodendrons. And Ize gotz an orchid foah mye birfday, witch wiyill be indereztin tah zee if Ize cayne keep alive. Zo far zo gud. Ize fownd a spot in a winnough wheah Mr. Tobee can't getz at id (he lykes tah eet plantz ).

Maybee u cayne suggest sumding Ize kud groe in a winnough sill? Ize don't reelee feel lyke dealing wid dat field agin. And Ize don't hav any udda spaiz owdzide.

13.1 Billion Light Years - Far Far Away!

I was eating my lunch at work yesterday. I came upon this tiny article in the Boston Globe. It amazed me to realize this "pulse" of light from the dieing star described above was actually detected and that it was calculated to be THIS far away! Light travels 186,000 miles in one second. There are 3,600 seconds in an hour and 86,400 seconds in one day. There are 365.25 days in 1 year. Therefore, there are 31,557,600 seconds in a year. If we multiply 186,000 miles by a year's worth of seconds, we come up with 5,869,713,600,000 miles. This is how many miles a beam of light will travel in just 1 year. To say this more "simply," we can say light (in just one Light Year) will travel 5 trillion 869 billion 713 million 600 thousand miles. OK, now that you have that distance in your head, try multiplying that distance by 13.1 billion. This is how far away that object is from you right now (in miles). Lets see, that would be: 76,893,248,160,000,000,000,000 miles. Not your average trip to the grocery store! Tinyc may want to check my math. He may, if there is a name for it, be able to give us the other textual name for this number. Two other pieces of information seemed interesting to me. One was: the object was 30 times the size of our sun. The other was: the object itself -- with its bright "jet" of gamma rays (and light) became a black hole on April 23 - Dee Dee's and my birthday!

Fibinachos and more ...

Ripped directly off the math blog at Tunxis I present you with

(This is most meaningful to those who know about Fibonacci numbers.)

Here's the latest one. After you figure this one out (I haven't yet) you are encouraged to prove you know the code by posting your own secret message here. We in turn can prove we know the code by posting a response to your message. Our response should use the code as well. Extra credit: Original message should be Toby Speak.

PS - If your Calculus, Trigonometry or Basic Math skills are shaky, the numbers that correspond to specific letters are free for the asking. Just post a comment here. For example: What's Q? Answer: 24

Max and Tinyc Run the Simsbury 10k

This is Luna the Tuna (Tinyc and Lynda's cat). She is today's 10k Race Mascot. She will oversee this day and make sure Tinyc, Max and Lynda have a fun and challenging day. Gentlemen, get your running shoes on! Ladies, give them RECHARGE with electrolytes!

To follow along with Luna, please visit the Simsbury, CT 10k Race link

Señor Max

Tineecee Tim's Mammoth Sunflowah Palanting

Max heah - Juz wanted tah za Ize am heah wid Tineecee following da filming ov dais grate event. Speaking ov events - wee r aboot tah zellabrate owah own birfdays (wee wur zeeds wunce too) by running a 10k race in Simsbury, CT dais morning. Reezults forthcoming. Butz, back tah owah sunflowah! Wee had fune planting id uzin a variety ov materials - az discussed in dais CinaMax film. Wee ope u injoy id. Chayek back wid us in aboot a day.

Peezlebeintamale

And now ... for a different kinda poozle ...

I was hoping I could post something on the topic in the Title butz I ran outta time.

So you are encouraged to imagine what might appear shortly under this heading.

Till then, gotta shower, await Max's arrival, then go out to Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant and then come back here for carrot cake, gifts and a good night's sleep in preparation for our 5K / 10K races in Simsbury tamale @ noon. Spozed to be 85 F. Ouch.

Happee Birfday Agin (not ajin)

Tyme tah Palant a Sunflowah Seed

At fuhst wee zeem tah be travahlin in da youneeverze. THEN wee zee zeeds in a seed packet. THEN wee zee Atom and Zee. And wat duz Zee za whin zee sees awl dais? He sayz "Ize purr tink u shud purr palant a Birfday purr Seed and zee wat purr purr purr happens tah id !" Wiyill id make a Sunflowah? Wee shall Zee purr!

My Email Reply to Eric

Hey ezak!

Thanks for the kind birthday note. Did Lee tell you I'm going to
cross over into the realm of Old-Man-dom? It's pretty exciting actually. Makes me wanna plant a sunflower seed tonight and watch it grow 60 feet tall!

And this is just another way of saying -- it's feelin' great to (still) be alive and well and mapping out the big future ahead. It's "happening" as we speak! Planning on making the best of it. Now is all we got, right?

Here is my ingredient list for a Happy Life in Old-Man-dom.
I just made this up now. It sounds very delightful, don't you think?

To any given day, add:

1 good run
1 brisk walk for 30 minutes if running is not possible
3 healthy, whole meals
some creativity -- maybe LOTS of creativity
17 phone calls to yourself saying I love you
79 tons of no regrets
a blank load of patience
some time to do nothing
a good balance of kindness
a hug with someone special
one garden. (Dig one in winter with a jack hammer if you don't have one)
a kiss (or more) with someone special
some good careful listening
60 cubic yards of humility
a dream
at least 1 day job
something to learn about
courage
ginkgo (for memory)
clean water and air
10 minutes of good music
a dash of TONS of gratitude
a few close friends
some good rest
some uncontrolled laughter
1 pen or pencil (and some paper)
at least one pet to hold and feed and talk to.
something to read
at least 3 brief moments of perfect eye contact with a stranger (and a smile)
some good running shoes
19 pounds 3 ounces (cubed!) of compassion
some tools that work
sea salt for taste
something to work on
100 pounds of faith
infinite self-love
7 conversation with honesty when and where needed.

Mix all (or close to all) 37 ingredients together and cook on warm in your mind and body for the entire day. Savor it slowly and completely. Share it with a friend. Love!

PS. Thanks for the birthday wish Eric (and Mary). I would like to get together before the holidays, too. Sounds good!

ezak hemelgarn wrote:

hey chuck!!

mary says yer birthday is imminent and i thot i would be 1 of the 1st to say Happy Birthday!!

there`s a certain amount of guilt involved, as we forgot yer older brothers birthday til it was too late....

i hope things are okay with you and that we can all get together sometime, before thanksgiving or christmas.

Happy Birthday Chip!!!!

Happee Birfday Tah Us

Dais in a silly yiddle doodle ov sorts. Ize tink mye "connected" smiley faces inzyde da crescent moons may be anothah way ov zayin "Id iz nyce wee r happily heah togetha -- sellabraytig lyfe awn Aypril 21 and 23." Bube iz heah in spearit evun tho zhe sellabrayts anothah day. Ize ope u awl hav a happee bithday day!

Birfday Song

Happee birfday tah u,
Happee birfday tah u,
Happee birfday deah Tineecee,
Happee birfday tah u!

R u wun?
R u 2?
R u three?
(etc.....)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthdays to TinycTim, DeeDee and Max this week.

Narcissus poeticus

I agree with your version of Narcissus versus daffodils/jonquils, but in MAINE, as you might already know, the Narcissus poeticus is the TRUE Narcissus and is called a Narcissus. Everything else is called a daffodil.

I see by your video that spring has arrived in South Portland! I have daffy envy as my blooms are sparse this year due to mole/vole activity - they had a feast this winter. I guess the bulbs are not toxic to them as they are to us.

April 18, 2009 - Dafudils

Dafudils - April 18, 2009

Wat iz da difference beatween dafudils and narcissus?

None. Da 2 wurds r synonyms. Narcissus iz da Latin or botanical nayme foah awl dafudils, juz az ilex iz foah hollies. Dafudil iz da comin nayme foah awl members ov da genus Narcissus, and its yews iz recommended by da ADS at awl tiemz udda dan in scientific writing.

Translation by http://primepuzzle.com/blog/jspeek.html
using a 1519 word dictionary.

I finally got this.

Well, this is not going to be written in Tobee, but I just wanted to say that this is one of those puzzles that baffled the heck out of me -- and upset me enough to try to figure it out WITHOUT looking at the sweet answer. I see that Zee spelled backwards is eez (in lower case) and that the translator was the way to go for the actual URL.

So, in a rather direct way I am now taking the liberty to POST the image we have been looking for. Sorry to all those who may be looking for this sweet answer. I wanted to see it for myself -- and to say it was worth trying to find it more than once. Actually, maybe I DID have eezmota (not zeemota, so I should correct myself once again HERE!) So, I guess the real problem was I was using Google to find the sweet stuff, rather than the translator -- as specified! Thanks for the puzzle TcT.

Happy Easter.

Happee Eastah frum Atom (and Zee)

Atom sayz Happee Eestah (+1) tah awl pets and peeple 2day
er444444 (Dais lazt "wurd" wuz axshully typee by eder Zee or Atom! Id appears tah be a quadruple error ov summ kynde.)

Dais iz Atom awn da day aftah Eestah. He iz 8 weeks and 3 dayz owld 2day.
Zee and Atom miss their mom nuhow. Ize fownd dais owd early dais morning whin Zee wuz triing tah nurse mee! Dat wuz rathah indereztin. Ize let him dew id evun tho Ize kud nutt "provide ." Kynde ov sad, butz cute too.

Happee Eestah

After clicking the above image and playing the game till you get real good at it ... Read on!

Hunting Easter eggs in software

Easter eggs are not just made of chocolate. With a bit of perseverance they can be found hidden inside DVDs, games and even business software.

Computer code with a hidden purpose can be found lurking beneath DVDs, video games, and software such as spreadsheets, or word processors, Marc Cieslak found out.

The secret add-ons are often little jokes or tips-of-the-hat by programmers who have slaved for months and even years over a piece of software.

TcT adds ...

If you go to our dranzlador and type (in lowercase) Max's kitteh's alphabediklee last name (be sure to type it bakwuds) followed by his other kitteh's alphabediklee fuhst name (again, bakwuds) (w/ no space beatween the two) you will be given a URL which you might want to visit.

Picture This!

From top to bottom: Mr Wiggins (Linda's sister Mary's kitteh), Luna (the Tuna), Mr Jeter (our neighbor Joann's cat who has recently left us - she was the motivation for our putting this picture collection together - she has a large image of Jeter on her wall) and, best for last, Atom and Zee.

TcT

Raynbo

If Ize kud catch a raynbo
Ize wud dew id juz foah u
And cher wid u its beauty
Awn da dayz you're feeling boo.

If Ize kud build a mountain
U kud kawl yur vewy own;
A playz tah find serenity,
A playz tah be alone.

If Ize kud tayk yur troubles
Ize wud toss dem in da sea,
Butz awl deez dings I'm finding
R impozzible foah mee.

Ize cannut build a mountain
Or catch a raynbo fair,
Butz let mee be wat Ize kno best,
A frend who's always theah.

Happy Zee and Atom - with Toys

My friends at work gave me this fun cat cube thing -- and some (8) plastic toys that had bells in them called "Midnight Crazies." Zee and Atom had a field day with all these things. Here is the movie I made this morning of them playing. It's pretty funny.

Racing into Spring

Racing into Spring

Let's make April 6 a two video kinda day.

My video (in the blog version) shows Team Hoyt (Dick and Rick Hoyt) at the start line of the Oleksak Lumber Spring Half Marathon. Their 2000th race together will be on April 20 in Boston. I chatted with the eventual winner who did it in a 5:33 pace. My goal was to go under 8:00. Damn near made it at 8:03.

Complete Results

PS - Coming soon, some pix from Brother Max who ran a 5K in 23 and low change in Danbury. He visited here yesterday and said he got a bunch of shots of all the really cute kids who were "Racing into Spring" with him.

Hoppy Easter

Aypril Showahs Bring May Flowahs

Mundee: Reighn likely. Cloudy, wid a hieye neah 48. Cahm windee becombing eezt beatween 6 and 9 mph. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 70%. Nu rainfall amoundz beatween a quarter and haff ov an inch pawzible.

Mundee Nite: Reighn. Low aroond 42. Windy. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 100%. Nu rainfall amoundz beatween wun and 2 inches pawzible.

Toozdee: Occasional showahs. Hieye neah 44. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 80%.

Toozdee Nite: Showahs likely. Cloudy, wid a low aroond 31. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 60%.

Wezday: A chaunce ov showahs. Cloudy, wid a hieye neah 46. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 50%.

Wezday Nite: A chaunce ov showahs. Mostly cloudy, wid a low aroond 29. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 40%.

Turzday: A chaunce ov showahs. Mostly cloudy, wid a hieye neah 50. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 30%.

Turzday Nite: A chaunce ov showahs. Partly cloudy, wid a low aroond 30. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 40%.

Fridee: A chaunce ov showahs. Mostly cloudy, wid a hieye neah 50. Chaunce ov persipitayshun iz 30%.

Translation by http://primepuzzle.com/blog/jspeek.html
using a 1513 word dictionary.

PS: Turzday an Aypril r nu wurds.

Ize Beeleev...

Ize Beeleev...
A Birth Certificate shooz dat wee wur born
A Death Certificate shooz dat wee died
Picchas shoo dat wee lived!

Hav a seat...Relax...
And read dais sloelee.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat juz cuz 2 peeple argue,
Id doesn't meanz dey don't luv each udda.
And juz cuz dey don't argue,
Id doesn't meanz dey dew luv each udda..

Ize Beeleev....
Dat wee don't hav tah chainj frends if
Wee udderstaynd dat frends chainj.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat no mattah ow gud a frend iz,
They're gowin tah hurt u eweree wunce in a wyill
And u must forgive dem foah dat.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat troo friendship continues tah groe,
Evun ova da longest distance.
Saym goz foah troo luv..

Ize Beeleev...
Dat u cayne dew sumding in an instant
Dat wiyill give u heartache foah lyfe.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat itz taykin mee a long tyme
Tah becomb da purrsun Ize wan tah be.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat u shud always leave loved wuns wid
Loving wurds. Id may be da lazt tyme u zee dem.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat u cayne keep gowin long aftah u tink u can't.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat wee r responsible foah wat
Wee dew, no mattah ow wee feel.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat eder u control yur attitude or id controls u.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat heroes r da peeple hoo dew wat haz tah be dun whin id kneadz tah be
dun, regardless ov da consequences.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat munee iz a lousy way ov keeping score.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat mye best frend and Ize, cayne dew eneedin, or nuddin and hav da best
tyme.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat zumtimez da peeple u expect tah kick u Whin you're down, wiyill be
da wuns tah elp u getz back upe.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat zumtimez whin I'm angry
Ize hav da ryet tah be angry,
Butz dat doesn't give mee da ryet tah be cruel.

Ize Beeleev.
Dat maturity haz mowa tah dew wid
Wat types ov experiences you've had
And wat you've lernd frum dem
And lezz tah dew wid
Ow many birthdays you've celebrated.

Ize Beeleev....
Dat id isn't always enuff,
Tah be forgiven by uddars.
Zumtimez, u hav tah learn tah forgive yoreselv.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat no mattah ow badd yur hart iz broken
Da world doesn't stop foah yur grief.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat owah background and circumstances
May hav influenced hoo wee r,
Butz, wee r responsible foah hoo wee becomb.

Ize Beeleev......
Dat u shouldn't be zo eager tah find
Owd a secret. Id kud chainj yur lyfe Forever.

Ize Beeleev...
2 peeple cayne luk at da exact saym
Ding and zee sumding totallee difrunt.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat yur lyfe cayne be changed in a mattah ov
Hours by peeple hoo don't evun kno u.

Ize Beeleev....
Dat evun whin u tink u hav no mowa tah give, Whin
A frend cries owd tah u -
U wiyill find da strength tah elp.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat credentials awn da wall
Dew nutt make u a decent humind being.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat da peeple u cair aboot mohst in lyfe
R tayken frum u too zoon.

Ize Beeleev...
Dat u shud send dais tah
Awl ov da peeple dat u beeleev in, Ize juz did.

Translation by http://primepuzzle.com/blog/jspeek.html
using a 1513 word dictionary.

(Sent to me this morning by my friend Doug Laurencelle)

A MATH BRAIN I HAVE NOT

BUT I HAVE FUN IN OTHER WAYS

Dandy Lions

Think about Dandy Lions, how they are distributed, who Poisson was.

What's fishy about this post?


P(x) = e^-m*m^x/x!

is the "Poisson probability distribution function" and gives the probability you'll get x occurrences of something if the average or mean value of the "population" is m. x! stands for x factorial (e.g. 4! = 4*3*2*1) and e = the famous constant 2.71828+ ("Euler's number")

http://www.anesi.com/poisson.htm

As the above link says, there are many things that exhibit a so-called Poisson distribution. This picture of dandelions is one of them. I did a rough count of all the dandelions and came up with about 400. When printed, the image measured roughly 3 3/4" x 8". This works out to about 3 1/3 dandelions per 1/4 square inch (details omitted but check my math). I then cut out a 1/4" square "hole" in a piece of paper and randomly placed this "window" on various places of the printed image. I did this 20 times and each time I counted the number of dandelions in the window. (This is a little tough to do because it's hard to see the flowers in some cases and of course you sometimes get 1/2 a flower etc.)

Despite all the above rough estimating, I came up with the following results:

There were / was

1 "window" that contained 0 dandys 1/20 = .05
3 "windows" that contained 1 dandy 3/20 = .15
5 "windows" that contained 2 dandys 5/20 = .25
4 "windows" that contained 3 dandys 4/20 = .20
2 "windows" that contained 4 dandys 2/20 = .10
1 "window" that contained 5 dandys 1/20 = .05
1 "window" that contained 6 dandys 1/20 = .05
1 "window" that contained 7 dandys 1/20 = .05
2 "windows" that contained 8 dandys 2/20 = .10

These percentages in the right-most column correspond fairly well with the predicted probabilities when you use the Poisson generator in the above link with a value of 3 for the "expected occurrences per trial" (which is as close to 3 1/3 as we can get).


That fancy formula above is what is used by the Poisson generator to get its numbers. The m^x part gets big as x gets big but the x! tends to "damp it out" as x gets big (because it's in the denominator). This is why the probability is "skewed." It climbs from 0 occurrences up to the average and a bit beyond and then drops down to nothing pretty quickly. But there *is* a chance you'll see as many as 8 or 9 dandys in a random 1/4".

I find it fascinating that dandelions (and cars arriving at a McDonalds and calls coming into a call center and and ...) all exhibit this kind of "distribution." But then again, I'm tutoring Statistux and there's nothing like teaching to get you interested in such stuff.