In case anyone's interested, I've posted the hardest logic puzzle ever on my FT blog:
http://blogs.ft.com/undercover/2010/03/the-hardest-logic-puzzle-ever/ Ideally comments would go over there, not here...

So, I just got hold of the Agricola expansion, "Farmers of the Moor". It's jolly good. Mrs AdamSmithJr and I tended to prefer the family version of Agricola, which has far fewer random elements than the standard, more complex game. "Farmers of the Moor" adds complexity and strategic depth without adding any more randomness. It's really good - gives ( Read more... )

Dear expert friends,
AdamSmithJr's mother-in-law is buying a netbook. She wants to use it for email, simple word-processing tasks, and surfing the internets. She was about to go to Dixon's when in slow-motion I said, "nooooooooooo... let me see if there is a better way".

So: any perspectives on decent brands, whether she needs this Windows 7 she ( Read more... )

Now here's a thing: a software that switches off your internet connection for a pre-specified length of time, thus freeing you from distractions and letting you do the cool stuff you actually want to do: http://macfreedom.com/ Other writers swear by it!

Only trouble is, it only works on a Mac. I ( Read more... )

From a friend - and successful Ghost Writer - here is Dirty White Candy.

I wonder if this will work...

I am trying to reach Bateleur urgently (although it is not in any way serious or life-threatening). If anyone has his contact details I would v. much appreciate being sent his phone number to me at [firstname]@[firstnamelastname].com  ).

T x

Hello everyone. I realise I spend much more time reading than writing LJ entries, but Occultado complained that my new book was being kept secret. That's not the plan. It's now out in the US:
http://www.amazon.com/Logic-Life-Rational-Economics-Irrational/dp/1400066425/timharford-20

It will soon be out in the UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logic-Life- ( Read more... )

OK, so this is very cool. Lend your cash to strangers in Dar Es Salaam. Hope that they pay it back. Don't worry too much if they don't. Apparently, they do, though. Hope so. I'm on the hook for $100...

Everyone has failed to solve the problem, including me. Since this is destined for a popular-social-science book rather than a book of hard math problems, I have simplified it. No breasts are included in the equation, I'm afraid. Any thoughts ( Read more... )