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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!decvax!mcnc!unc!rentsch
From: rentsch@unc.UUCP (Tim Rentsch)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Silly puzzle
Message-ID: <115@unc.unc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Oct-85 04:56:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: unc.115
Posted: Tue Oct  1 04:56:44 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Oct-85 03:15:32 EDT
References: <501@ecsvax.UUCP> <21500017@uiucdcsb>
Reply-To: rentsch@unc.UUCP (Tim Rentsch)
Organization: CS Dept, U. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lines: 35


The puzzles about strange sequences have prompted me to post this
silly puzzle.

Part A:  How many characters are there (not counting ones in
parentheses, and also not counting spaces or punctuation) in the
party song which begins 

	A trillion bottles of beer on the wall
	A trillion bottles of beer
	Take one down and pass it around
	(long pause to catch breath)
	nine hundred ninety nine billion 
	  nine hundred ninety nine million
	    nine hundred ninety nine thousand
	      nine hundred ninety nine
	bottles of beer on the wall
	...

and which ends

	...
	only one bottle of beer on the wall

	only one bottle of beer on the wall
	only one bottle of beer
	take one down and pass it around
	NO MORE BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL

Part B:  If you actually start singing this song at a party, what is
the probability that you will be allowed to finish it?


Disclaimer:  Don't be silly -- how can I write a disclaimer for
something I never even sent?


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