Choices, choices... here's a way to decide

**TorzJohnson** · 03-30-2009, 05:28 PM

If you're like me, you tend to make some shave choices on the fly - in my case, I usually run a straight rotation on my brushes, and use the same razor all week... but I choose my cream/soap and aftershave just based on how I feel that day. Sometimes, it's hard to make up my mind, with such a variety at my fingertips.

So I started thinking about random number generators, and wondered if somebody had ever made a random choice generator. Well, somebody did, and here it is.

I just made up a text file with all my soaps, creams and aftershaves in it, separated by an empty line. Then I cut and paste it into the box and let the generator pick it for me. If it turns out to be the same thing I had the day before, I just re-do it. If you're fickle like me, give it a try.

**kingfisher** · 03-30-2009, 05:30 PM

That's pretty awesome. But just so you know, so-called random number generators are actually quasi-random.

**mk-ultra** · 03-30-2009, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by kingfisher

That's pretty awesome. But just so you know, so-called random number generators are actually quasi-random.

I always though they were frighteningly random!

**Dubbya** · 03-30-2009, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by mk-ultra

I always though they were frighteningly random!

They are computer driven, so there's an algorithm in there somewhere. Computers don't understand random, only math.

**TorzJohnson** · 03-30-2009, 05:44 PM

For choosing a soap or cream, they're random enough for me! I can always veto the choice, at least until the government starts regulating what we shave with (give them time)

**rabidpotatochip** · 03-30-2009, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by kingfisher

That's pretty awesome. But just so you know, so-called random number generators are actually quasi-random.

http://random.org/

"RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs."

**Dubbya** · 03-30-2009, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by TorzJohnson

For choosing a soap or cream, they're random enough for me! I can always veto the choice, at least until the government starts regulating what we shave with (give them time)

Certainly random enough, just not entirely random.

**TorzJohnson** · 03-30-2009, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by Dubbya

Certainly random enough, just not entirely random.

Are we gonna go in circles like this all night?

**rabidpotatochip** · 03-30-2009, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by TorzJohnson

Are we gonna go in circles like this all night?

That doesn't sound random.

**TorzJohnson** · 03-30-2009, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by rabidpotatochip

That doesn't sound random.

Hmmm, what does random sound like? I think it would be a Don Martin type of sound, like Ga-Shplitzka!!!

Curses! Now I'm contributing to the thread drift!

**rabidpotatochip** · 03-30-2009, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by TorzJohnson

Hmmm, what does random sound like? I think it would be a Don Martin type of sound, like Ga-Shplitzka!!!

Curses! Now I'm contributing to the thread drift!

What does random sound like? kkkkkrrrssssshhhh......Kkkkkkrrrsssssssssshhhh... Sorta like a cat puking on your carpet.

**nrek619** · 03-30-2009, 06:33 PM

wow...... random gen for wet shaving........ now I heard of everything!!!

I'll give it a go.....

**Dubbya** · 03-30-2009, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by TorzJohnson

Are we gonna go in circles like this all night?

I've got nothing but time.

Circles aren't random.

**Dubbya** · 03-30-2009, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by nrek619

wow...... random gen for wet shaving........ now I heard of everything!!!

I'll give it a go.....

And shaving in circles.

**SRock** · 03-30-2009, 06:56 PM

This thread was rather Random.

**studman46** · 03-31-2009, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by TorzJohnson

Hmmm, what does random sound like? I think it would be a Don Martin type of sound, like Ga-Shplitzka!!!

Curses! Now I'm contributing to the thread drift!

Sounds like cosmic background noise according to the little green cosmonoid that appeared in the steamy mirror as I was finishing a particularly close BBS shave the other morning.

**kingfisher** · 03-31-2009, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by rabidpotatochip

http://random.org/

"RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs."

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. The atmospheric noise contraption is the closest thing to true randomness (although I'm not sure theory has really proven that atmospheric noise isn't chaotic rather than truly random).

For the purposes of choosing a shave, I think pseudo-random is close enough! (I only posted my initial response for fun. I guess it served its purpose, as it derailed the thread is a pseudo-random direction for awhile.)

**rabidpotatochip** · 03-31-2009, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by kingfisher

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. The atmospheric noise contraption is the closest thing to true randomness (although I'm not sure theory has really proven that atmospheric noise isn't chaotic rather than truly random).

For the purposes of choosing a shave, I think pseudo-random is close enough! (I only posted my initial response for fun. I guess it served its purpose, as it derailed the thread is a pseudo-random direction for awhile.)

Don't make me whip out the chaos theory.