Heads I Win; Tails You Lose…

Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

While 69% of voters say it really matters who wins the upcoming Presidential election, 49% would like to replace the two current front-runners.

That brings us to making a decision.

The Harvard Business Review offers advice on how to make great decisions quickly.

They suggest balancing the risks and potential impacts of each decision you make.

If you decide to sit out this election, that means a fewer number of people will be making a choice you’ll have to live with.

This election will not likely result in a broad consensus because that requires considerable compromise.

The result will be a decision that is based on the lowest common denominator; perhaps a choice we can live with but no one is really happy with it.

To the 49% of voters who want someone else to vote for, don’t abstain from casting a ballot.

I have some suggestions to help you make a choice.

Eat Chinese or Oriental food.

You always get a fortune cookie that might have your answer and, as least, you’ll also get some lucky numbers to use in the lottery.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Remember, rock breaks or dulls scissors, paper covers rock and scissors cut paper.

Scissors wins 37.04% of the time, rock 35.43% and paper 27.53%.

Men usually start with rock, women with paper.

Flip a coin.

A flipped coin lands with the same side facing up 50.8% of the time.

Flip a coin 100 times? It’s “heads” 57% of the time.

Toss that coin 1,000 times and you’ll get heads on 54.3% of those flips.

Why?

The “head” side of a coin is heavier.

Cut cards.

The odds are 1 in 52.

Now, the rank of card suits is important in case two aces are cut.

First is spades, followed by hearts, diamonds and finally clubs.

Keep the jokers in the deck and they become the card to beat.

Otherwise, the aces rule supreme.

One note regarding cutting cards.

It’s been said you should have a general faith in the good intentions of others but never neglect to take appropriate precautions against being deceived or cheated.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

The results are easy to predict when deciding among even numbers of choices.

Magic lantern.

Walk the beach and but be careful how you rub it and the choices you make.

Magic 8 Ball

Invented in 1946 by Albert Carter and Abe Bookman, this device offers answers to

“Yes/No” questions.

The 20 sided regular icosahedron (a polyhedron with 20 faces) floats to the viewing location.

It offers 20 possible answers.

Ten are affirmative (i.e. “It is certain”), 5 are non-committal (i.e. “Reply hazy. Try again”) and 5 are negative (i.e. “”Don’t count on it”).

However, Robert Heinlein says “Avoid making irrevocable decisions while tired or hungry.”

Take a nap and have lunch first.

But, don’t base your decisions on the advice of those who don’t have to deal with the results.

After all, there are only really two options.

Make progress or make excuses.