An Action Verb: To Thieve or Steal

Riddles in the Dark # 2

2006-07-10T00:09:00.000-04:00

Here's another curious riddle:

Thirty white horses on a red hill,
First they champ,
Then they stamp,
Then they stand still.

Don't worry about naming the reference from where this riddle was taken--if you know it, it's probably best NOT to say it... so people don't cheat and look up the answers instead of trying to guess them : )

Oh, the previous Riddles in the Dark question is still "unanswered"... in case you want to try your hand at that, too.

Lateral Thinking, p 48

2006-07-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

A very practical problem.

Hearing a funny gurgling sound from the kitchen, I went to investgate, and found I had left the water running. The floor was rapidly becoming a miniature sea, and although there were six sponges, a mop and bucket, and a covered floor drain all within reach, I couldn't think what to do first. What should I have done?

Who knows, perhaps one of you may have been in this situation...

Lateral Thinking, p 50

2006-06-20T14:12:00.000-04:00

Here's one that will stretch your gray matter:

Even if every one of these animals were to be destroyed, they would still not be extinct, but would reappear within a few months. What are they?

Let's see how well you know your animals...

Lateral Thinking, p 71

2006-06-09T10:51:00.000-04:00

While people are thinking on the last lateral thinking puzzle and the newly posted riddle, I thought I might as well waste a little more time before getting to things I need to do today : ) So, here is another "think outside the box" puzzle.

There is a short story which describes the end of Time and its reversal, with people living backwards from the grave to the cradle. Other than in fiction, where would August come before July?

Riddles in the Dark

2006-06-09T10:31:00.000-04:00

So that all who read this (mainly Kris, though) can have some fun and still guess at something (that hopefully invokes some thought or careful pondering), I've decided to add some "Riddles in the Dark." Here's the first one:

What has roots as nobody sees,
Is taller than trees,
Up, up it goes,
And yet never grows?

Also, I'll give 50 bonus pts if you can name the reference ("Riddles in the Dark").

Lateral Thinking, p 35

2006-06-06T20:06:00.000-04:00

Boy, a short turn-around time for getting the correct answer on a lateral thinking puzzle! I guess I should go back to math (spiced in with "historical knowledge" of sorts)!

A woman was born in the Summer of 40 BC, and died two months after her 60th birthday. What year did she die in?

There is a real answer to this problem, but I will forewarn you, it does involve a slight "complexity" or "twist"... whatever you wish to call it : )

Comics: Computers

2006-06-05T21:37:00.000-04:00

From Sunday's newspaper, I ran across a couple comics I thought were pretty funny. In the technological world that we live in today, would it be nice to be able to use computer commands in real life?

Or how about making money off of "search engines?"

NOTE: YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON THE COMIC TO ENLARGE IT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO READ IT!

Lateral Thinking, p 85

2006-06-05T16:53:00.000-04:00

Well, since the last lateral thinking puzzle was answered correctly, I guess it's time for a new one.

A man went into a café, sat down and ordered a black cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice and a Danish pastry. "Ah," said the waitress, "You must be a policeman". How did she know?

You do not have to be Capt. Obvious to figure this one out : )

(And I best not put any picture up with this one, for it may, as perhaps the last entry, give away the answer.)

Lateral Thinking, p 37

2006-05-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

If you didn't care for math, english, or art... do you like animals? Here's a good one...

Elephants are rarer than they used to be, but they have something to help them survive that no other animal has. What?

Again, don't think too hard... just think more laterally. : )

Try Your Hand...

2006-05-14T11:38:00.000-04:00

The answers to the "Later Thinking Puzzles" have been removed temporarily [and now they're back]. This has been done so that more people can go insane before truly knowing the answer. So, if you haven't yet, try your hand at them:

The Mathematical Probability (Lateral Thinking, p. 83)

Some English Grammar (Lateral Thinking, p. 46)

How about some Fine Arts (Lateral Thinking, p. 33)

And have fun(!), for Pete's sake...

Changing Faces

2006-05-10T12:40:00.000-04:00

This blog is "changing faces" so to speak. Due to many reasons, too numberous to list on a limited space such as the internet, this has become, truly, the "fun blog"--with "fun posts" and "fun links" and "fun." (Boy, "fun" is a weird word.)

"Where did all the links on the side go," you ask? Well, they are back at the "mother blog," also known as http://stowers.blogspot.com (aka, Stowers' Corner). Visit if you get the chance.

Sorry for any "inconvenience" I may have caused to my 1 or 2 "faithful" readers : )

Lateral Thinking, p 33

2006-05-06T15:14:00.000-04:00

Well, now we've tried the subject of Math and English... how about some fine arts?

Why are so many famous artists Dutch?

I'll give you a clue on this one--don't think too hard! Okay, let's have your response...

Curious Thinking...

2006-04-29T18:59:00.000-04:00

Perhaps, like me, you've been disappointed with a bag of chips. Have you ever wondered why a bag of chips--which seems so big--is filled with so much AIR? Once opened, the truth comes out: OVER HALF THE BAG IS JUST AIR!!!

It's funny to think about... if the air is there to "protect" the chips from being smashed to tiny little bits, then how come most of the chips are smashed anyway?

Lateral Thinking, p 46

2006-04-29T18:20:00.000-04:00

Since the "Mathematical Fun" went over so well, I thought I'd change the subject to English.

The verb 'to be' is unusual in that it has three different singular forms:
'I am', 'you are', 'he/she/it is'. Is it ever correct to say 'I is'?

The answer to "Mathematical Fun" is now posted [and then temporarily removed]. Even if English isn't your forté--you can still try your hand at this one...

Updated Fun!

2006-04-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

I must confess, I should be reading and writing papers right now. But, I couldn't resist updating some links under my "Fun & Games" section on the side. Some of them are rather funny, and I admit, a couple are kinda stupid. "Which ones are which," you say? Well, there's only one way to find out...

Mathematical Fun

2006-04-28T16:04:00.000-04:00

From "Mind-Bending Lateral Thinking Puzzles" comes this gem (p. 83):

Dave was trying to match four different coloured pairs of socks which had come out of the washing machine. There was a blue pair, a red pair, a green pair and a yellow pair. Unfortunately he is completely colour blind and could not differentiate between them, so he paired them randomly. What is the probability that exactly three pairs matched?

You're welcome to comment your response, but stay tuned for the answer!

A New "Fun" Blog

2006-04-28T07:37:00.000-04:00

I've decided to make a blog that other people can read, and if they so desire, comment on : ) So, if you are reading this, I hope you enjoy my little tid-bits I post... and if you don't--well, there's nothing I can do about it.