Daniel said: "Next Question?" Do you have a problem with commitment? I do not mean to imply that you aren't faithful. -Aimee
-----Original Message----- From: owner-cypherpunks@lne.com [mailto:owner-cypherpunks@lne.com]On Behalf Of Daniel J. Boone Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 1:44 PM To: cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com Subject: Re: Cypherpunks IQ Test to the Sirs of Dillinger, Brown & Packet, et. al.
CYPHERPUNKS IQ TEST QUESTION #1.
I'll play, and I won't even hide behind a nym. (Nothing against persistant nyms, but I snicker when people create new ones to make flippant statements they don't want associated with their persistant ones. Cowards....)
You are walking through the woods alone. A beautiful unclothed woman magically appears in front of you. She holds out an apple.
1. Please darken in the correct choice using a Number Two pencil:
(a) you bite the apple. (b) you take the woman. (c) you run away. (d) a and b, but not c. (e) b and c only. (f) all of the above. (g) none of the above.
2. Please justify your answer:
(a) is right out. The apple is obviously bait. Nobody with more brain than a rat bites obvious bait unless it's really tasty looking. I don't like apples that much no matter how beautiful the fruit bowl is.
(b) is trickier. Is she bait too? Probably. But see comment about tasty looking above. Risk exists we wind up measuring IQ of little head. Also, is she a witch? Wow, it gets more interesting. Witches can be a LOT of fun and are worth taking risks for. Only trouble is she'll toss yer shoes in the long run unless you can at least respect her gods, and she's probably going to catch you if you fake it. Finally, "take"? That's ambiguous. If we are talking offer and acceptance, with meeting of minds and whatever, that's one thing. If we are talking "Me Og, Og bonk yummy witch and drag back to cave" it's rather another thing. I would say circumstances and literary tradition suggest the former, unless body language and subsequent conversation indicate otherwise. So leave (b) on the list of possible answers.
(c) is right out. BZZZT! Wrong answer. How many times in your life do fairy tale things happen to you? Reward is commensurate with risk -- "and he and the beautiful witch lived happily ever after" is a possible outcome. Not to diminish the possibility of "and the ugly toad never left the swamp until the end of his days" but c'mon man, if you've got an ounce of adventure in your soul you'll stick around a bit and scope things out before skedaddling like a wuss.
(a) and (b) together are out, because (a) is out. Basic logic. So (d) is out.
(e) is out because (c) is out. Also because it's rude. A gentleman should stick around for coffee or better yet breakfast, and should promise to call, and then should DO it -- at least once. (Christ, that sounds like something out of "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" -- I must be getting old.)
(f) and (g) are unsatisfactory for the reasons expressed above.
So it looks like (b), by simple process of elimination. Next question?
-- Daniel