A Dog ate my brain

Even a few years ago (at or before IIT-K), I would comfortably solve these kind of basic probability questions. Yesterday, I erred when Kanishka asked them and today had a hard time arriving at the solution from first principles.

1. X has two children. One of them is a girl. What is the probability that the other is also a girl ? If you have think something is fishy, compare it with this one:
   
• X has two children. The younger is a girl. What is the probability that the elder one is also a girl ?
2. X wants to shoot Y. He puts two bullets in (edited adjacent slots in) a six-barrell revolver. Then he rolls the barrell. He pulls the trigger at Y, but luckily, no shot is fired. He gives two options to Y, either X will fire again or X will roll the barrell and fire once more. Which is better for Y ?

Assume equal probabilities wherever it makes sense.

It looks like in the pursuit of freedom and exposing the creative self in myself, I am losing my precious little grey-cells. Eh bien! Hope it's not too late.

two sides of iwo jima

I write this as I am watching Flags of our Fathers, the American version of Letters from Iwo Jima. I watched the Japanese side of the movie with Saikat about three weeks ago. I would consider Iwo Jima one of the best movies I have seen so far. From the brief first impression, I am already at love with FouF. Its definitely heading the same way. Clint Eastwood is a damn good director.

The movie gets high score from me in different aspects. The set director and the person behind the camera did a wonderful job. The colours during the war shootouts, the cold colours of the ships, the guns, the bluish-gray Mount Surabachi from far, they sure sent a shiver down my spine. Watch it in big screen and you would see excellent wallpapers in motion in front of your eyes. If you have seen Saving Private Ryan and played MoHAA, let me tell you this would make

This could very well be a Kubrik movie. War is just one facet of the movie. I have seen quite a few war movies, all kinds from showing the severity of warfare to movies depicting mockery. These two would keep you thinking hours after watching them. And any time you hear about a man made war, you would be able to see it, hear it, feel it, in the correct perspective. Wonderful editing stiches the beatiful pieces and facts together to make a movie out of reality. Just how you would like it to be.

The two talk about different things. But combined they draw the full picture of a war, of an invasion and of fighting for one's motherland. If you have not watched any of them, watch it. "Sorry for your loss". Well said, lady!!!