Interesting Pay Scale

Interesting Math adventure.

Today, while having lunch with my parents at Litton’s,  Barry Litton (the owner) posed a scenario that I had a hard time wrapping my head around.  It was this:

Barry:  If a man came to your home and said, “I’d like to work in your yard everyday for the next 31 days.  All I ask for is you pay me 1 cent the first day then double it every day after for the next 31 days.” How much do you think you would end up paying?

Me:  No idea… I can’t do that much math in my head.

Barry:  over Ten Million dollars

Me: *gulp*

So, the more I thought about this the more impossible it sounded… I mean, we’re talking about pennies!!  So, here’s the Math.  One employee, 31 days of employment, 1 cent first day, doubling everyday after.

Day 1:  1 cent
Day 2:  2 cents
Day 3:  4 cents
Day 4:  8 cents
Day 5:  16 cents
Day 6:  32 cents
Day 7:  64 cents
Day 8:  128 cents = $1.28
Day 9:  256 cents = $2.56
Day 10: 512 cents = $5.12
Day 11: 1024 cents = $10.24
Day 12: 2048 cents = $20.48
Day 13: 4096 cents = $40.96
Day 14:    8192 cents = $81.92
Day 15:    16384 cents = $163.84
Day 16: 32768 cents = $327.68
Day 17: 65536 cents = $655.36
Day 18: 131072 cents = $1,310.72
Day 19: 262144 cents = $2,621.44
Day 20: 524288 cents = $5,242.88
Day 21: 1048576 cents = $10,485.76
Day 22: 2097152 cents = $20,971.52
Day 23: 4194304 cents = $41,943.04
Day 24: 8388608 cents = $83,886.08
Day 25: 16777216 cents = $167,772.16
Day 26: 33554432 cents = $335,544.32
Day 27: 67108864 cents = $671,088.64
Day 28: 134217728 cents = $1,342,177.28
Day 29: 268435456 cents = $2,684,354.56
Day 30: 536870912 cents = $5,368,709.12
Day 31: 1073741824 cents = $10,737,418.24
——————————————–
Total monthly pay:  $21,474,836.47

Well over 10 million.  So… I guess, this would be a good deal if you could get it!    Anyone need an IT guy for 31 days?? Start cheap!

Makes you think twice about getting rid of the penny now, doesn’t it?  Lunch was still quite good at Litton’s, even though I was distracted by the above math problem.  If you want a good Burger and some interesting math discussions, go see Barry Litton over at Litton’s in Fountain City.

Visit their website: http://www.littonsburgers.com
Follow them on Twitter: @littons

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Warranty Schmarranty

Here’s an interesting read about Apple’s wonderful customer service. Note my sarcasm? 

Anyway, here’s a short clip of the article.

The Apple Retail Store Hates You  -

I recently visited the Apple store to exchange a defective power adapter which was still under warranty.  I still have the defective adapter, as it has now cost more time and effort than it was originally worth.

What I have lost is time, money, and trust in the ethics of the retail store.  What I have gained is disdain for their tactics and a sick feeling every time I hear “Apple Store.”

Why don’t I just dump my MacBook Pro and go with a PC?  Because my employer uses Mac-based programs and hardware and I don’t see my building replacing 300+ machines any time soon.  Whether “fanboy” or “hater,” my use of Apple products for work will change very little.  However, my personal purchase plans have already changed and I hope others might be spared some of the inconvienience and inepttude I experienced in my last visit:

Short version:

Rather than complete a simple warranty exchange, they want me to make an appointment to drive back to the store to exchange a defective power adapter that is well within the one-year warranty.  Seriously.  They actually wanted to put me on “Standby” and expected me to hang around for 2-3 hours in case a “genius”

Head on over to TardySlip.net to read the entire article.

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Pecan Party :: Carnage

So,  I’ve got this HUGE Pecan tree in my yard.   And, for the last few weeks,  the Squirrels around here have been bombarding my office window the nuts from that tree.  The really have sounded like they were having a great time.  Throwing their shells at my windows, then running up a Dogwood tree and hiding till I look away.  Quite a show let me tell you.  I should probably set up a video camera…. Maybe a webcam.  Yes,  we could have a “Squirrel Pecan Party Cam” in the back!

These guys sure do make a mess.  Here’s a couple of pointless pictures of the Carnage, to go with this pointless post.

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Site of the Week: CouponKatie.com

Live in Knoxville?
Looking for a good deal?
Looking to save some money?
Thought about trying to use coupons but don’t know where to start?

Well then CouponKatie.com is the place you should start.  There is a variety of information on this site.  Not just grocery coupons (although there is plenty of them),  Katie provides information about deals in other areas as well.  Free Calendars from crayola.com,  free  Gym Classes,  information on local events,  Katie even gives you direction on coupon collecting.

From the couponkatie.com about us page:

Welcome to CouponKatie.com and my name is…Katie.  I started CouponKatie because my friends kept asking me “You saved HOW MUCH!?!  How did you do that?”…and I thought I should share the information I have gathered over the past year with the hopes of helping folks stretch their grocery dollars and realize the savings that can be achieved through a little planning and a lot of coupon clipping.  I am a “never-have-a-moment-of-silence” stay-at-home mom of two and live in Knoxville, TN.  I started clipping coupons and researching ways to save money in early 2009 more or less because of a wager with THE HUSBAND.

The goal of this website is to simply inform you of the best deals here in the Knoxville, TN area and to help you develop your own Coupon Strategy.  Although I am here in Knoxville, most of the information posted here can be applied to your town.

CouponKtie.com is too great a resource to ignore!  Be sure and give her site a visit (if you haven’t already)!  What do you have to lose?  You can also stay updated on Coupon Katie’s latest postings by following her on twitter.

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Site of the Week: Misc Bytes.com

I’ve said it before…   But this time I mean it!   The Site of the Week is back!!  And… it’s here to stay!

Like the Friday Funnies,  this will be a weekly endeavor to share some of the interesting sites that I run across whilst I trudge through my weekly work (and play) on the internet.

This week’s site, Misc Bytes, is a great site that really does seem to have a little “something” for everyone! Science, Tech, articles on blogging, even articles on Pets.

I’ve really enjoyed the content on this site since finding it a while back.   There is a definite “Tech” lean to most of the content but, don’t let that dissuade you.  Everything is well written and there’s lots there to see and, I think there will  be lots more in the future.

Here’s a little info about the site and author:

I’m a divorced mother of two living in the southeastern U.S.  I have a B.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Tech, and I’m an animal lover and internet addict.   MiscBytes is my blog with posts ranging from science news to articles about blogging to new Google features – generally a blend of things on or about the web, with a splash of science thrown in.

Take a minute or three and give them a visit.  Hey, you could even leave a comment or two, if you like.

Check them out at Miscbytes.com,  I think you’ll be pleased.

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Use the Snipping Tool to Capture Menus

When Vista came on the scene one of the new features I thought was pretty cool was the new Snipping tool.  It’s a really useful little utility and for the most part it’s great.  In Windows 7, the tool is still there (no improvements that I can see).  But, one of the things about this little utility that bothered me was my inability to use it to capture context and other drop-down menus.  Every time I would open the menu I needed to capture, it would disappear as soon as I selected the Snipping Tool.

This really annoyed me.  There has to be a way!?  Well, it turns out there is a really simple solution for this.  To use the Snipping Tool to capture menus, follow these steps.

First, locate and start the Snipping Tool.  When the tool starts it will be in “New capture” mode.  Click Cancel but, don’t close the tool.  Next, open the menu you want to capture.  With that menu open, press the “Control” and “Print Screen” buttons on your keyboard.  This will re-activate the Snipping Tool in the “New Capture” mode.  Now just capture your image.

As you can see above, it works quite well.   This, “work-around”,  functions the same in Windows Vista and in Windows 7.  I’ve also tried it on my laptop and desktop and there was no difference in function.

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Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has a happy and SAFE July 4th! Get lot’s of rest… Eat lots of burgers… celebrate our Independence… And don’t forget to blow up lots of Fireworks!!

But, please be safe!!

Here’s a little background on Independence Day. (this info from wiki Pedia)

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.[4] After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
“     The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.[5]     ”

Adams’ prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.[6]

One of the most enduring myths about Independence Day is that Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.[7][8] The myth had become so firmly established that, decades after the event and nearing the end of their lives, even the elderly Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had come to believe that they and the other delegates had signed the Declaration on the fourth.[9] Most delegates actually signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776.[10] In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the United States and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become president, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States’ 50th anniversary. President James Monroe died exactly five years later, on July 4, 1831, but he was not a signatory to the Declaration of Independence.

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