The Antikythera Mechanism (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} clockworkalien) wrote,@ 2008-06-17 14:17:00 |
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The art and science of surprise parties
A computer hacker was once quoted:
"Say you have an ultra-secure vault with the only key. On a whim, you decide to have the key copied and give it to your best friend. You immediately compromised the security of the vault by 50%."
It's a fairly sound philosophic argument...and I think the same principle applies to surprise parties. The more people that are invited or know about the party, the greater the probability that one of the attendees will ruin the surprise. I will one day discover the ideal mathematical formula for the exact number of surprise party attendees you can invite before someone ruins it for the birthday boy/girl.
Without even sharpening a pencil, it is safe to assume that the giant surprise party that happened in the movie Cloverfield is impossible in real life.
So today is my roomate's "surprise" party...he knew about it two days ago when he was talking to one of the guests:
Attendee: Could you watch my son on Tuesday?
Roommate: Sorry I have plans to go out for sushi. (Clockworkalien's note: This was where he was going to be while we are setting up his party) What's happening on Tuesday?
Attendee: Err, you aren't supposed to know. (Clockworkalien's note: He could have REALLY screwed up here with a blatantly transparent excuse [Like: "I have attend my Ghostbusting 101 class at Pima." Not only is Ghostbusting 101 not a class, it is not a word in the Firefox spellchecker.]. I need to buy this guy the Handbook of All-Purpose Excuses: Social Engagement edition. The chapter on generic familial needs is such a page turner!)
Have any of you (my loyal readers) been to a surprise party where the birthday-ee REALLY didn't know about it? If so, how may guests were there?
A computer hacker was once quoted:
"Say you have an ultra-secure vault with the only key. On a whim, you decide to have the key copied and give it to your best friend. You immediately compromised the security of the vault by 50%."
It's a fairly sound philosophic argument...and I think the same principle applies to surprise parties. The more people that are invited or know about the party, the greater the probability that one of the attendees will ruin the surprise. I will one day discover the ideal mathematical formula for the exact number of surprise party attendees you can invite before someone ruins it for the birthday boy/girl.
Without even sharpening a pencil, it is safe to assume that the giant surprise party that happened in the movie Cloverfield is impossible in real life.
So today is my roomate's "surprise" party...he knew about it two days ago when he was talking to one of the guests:
Attendee: Could you watch my son on Tuesday?
Roommate: Sorry I have plans to go out for sushi. (Clockworkalien's note: This was where he was going to be while we are setting up his party) What's happening on Tuesday?
Attendee: Err, you aren't supposed to know. (Clockworkalien's note: He could have REALLY screwed up here with a blatantly transparent excuse [Like: "I have attend my Ghostbusting 101 class at Pima." Not only is Ghostbusting 101 not a class, it is not a word in the Firefox spellchecker.]. I need to buy this guy the Handbook of All-Purpose Excuses: Social Engagement edition. The chapter on generic familial needs is such a page turner!)
Have any of you (my loyal readers) been to a surprise party where the birthday-ee REALLY didn't know about it? If so, how may guests were there?
