Six Degrees of separation: I know this was a big fad for a while, but I sometimes find myself pondering on the idea that there's six degrees separating you from anybody else in the world.

People started out playing it as a stupid game with Kevin Bacon. Then they realized it was possible to do it with any two actors you wanted.

The second is a lot of fun. Buster Keaton to Hulk Hogan? Gary Cooper to Gary Coleman? Margret DuMont to Margot Kidder? Rudolph Valentino to Britney Spears?

Hollywood really is a small town, and most connections don't require using more than two other actors.

But what about you and me? Is there anything to the idea, that you, the random blogger who's surfed in from Australia or France or any of the places I've gotten hits from, you, who have typed something in a search engine and ended up here, could connect yourself to me using less people than I have siblings in my own family?

The argument for the "yes" faction goes something like this:

Behold the power of mathematics, of exponential increases.

Let's say I know 100 people. That's a pretty conservative estimate--my wife was from a tiny little town in Pennsylvania, and her graduating class 142 people, who she knew every one of.

And then, let's say that each of those people knows 50 non-redundant people. In other words, 50 people who I haven't included in the 100 that I know, and that aren't included in the 50 the other people know.

100 x 50 = 5000 people

If each of them know 50 more non-redundant people,

50 x 5000 = 2,500,000 people. (Her county only has 120,000 people)

50 x 2,500,000 = 125,000,000 (The whole population of PA is 13,000,000)

50 x 125,000,000 = 6,250,000,000 (The population of the world is about 9 billion)

50 x 6,250,000,000 = 31,250,000,000 (Over 31 billion)

So, statistically speaking, after six degrees you should know the world more than three times over.

Sound pretty good? Make your jaw drop a little? Wish your 401k had that kind of return?

Well, here's the case for the "No" vote:

Although the initial estimates are quite conservative, the rapid increase in "known" people is a little too rapid. It makes the non-redundancy requirement difficult. Once you hit, say, the 125 million mark, wouldn't it be a little difficult to have every single one of them come up with a list of 50 people who aren't already on the list?

The entire state of California only has 35 million people, and it's the most populous state in the union.

Being the cynic that I am, I'm inclined to believe the "No" folks. I mean, yeah, I know 50 people you don't know, from my time in Brazil. But I met a woman in Quinari, Acre who hadn't been off her own street in six years. I don't know if she knew anybody who neighbors didn't.

But I guess I know her, don't I? And that takes her one degree closer to a bunch of people here in the United States, who she wouldn't ever dream of knowing.

And all of you who know me one step closer to her and the wonderful community she's a part of.

And maybe that's why this just might work, after all. Because all of us are full of little surprises, all of us serve as bridges between one group and another, one community and another, people who ordinarily wouldn't interact, but who our existences link together.

An Alum In Need: I have my email address posted at classmates.com and my old high school's website. So today I get this email from an "former student" of my high school.

Let me introduce myself,my name is Scott Williams,an ex of Eisenhower
high school,CA,presently i am a navigator employed on board an Ascona
crude oil carrier vessel,owned by a greek firm and i have been navigating
for over 13 years of my life suppling crude oil and liquidfied natural gas
from coast to coast across the globe yet the level of my experience is
insanely low other than the oil sector despite facts that it has
consistently created so much wealth for people from all works of life but
i want to be part of the something new but lacked a reliable part.
Howbeit,one can only place a bet if sure of all the
cards,consequently,i'll place my bet believing you as an ex will not only
have all the cards needed to yield but maintain trust and as far as we are
concern,money is the only reason capable of being understood for any
investment to take shape.
Therefore,a concluded arrangements for the sum of U.S.$10,500,000:00(Ten
Million and Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only)is in place
to you once conditions and terms has been agreed upon between me and
you,and also i would want you to treat with absolute sincerity and
confidentiality as i lye in wait for you to tell me what you consider
appropiate to invest the said sum on through this same medium soonest.
Thanks.
Scott Williams.

The sad thing is, the grammar actually adds to the credibility of the letter.

Coffee, Tea or Milk?: Yeah, you'd probably guess there'd be a whole website dedicated to airline food.

What you might not guess is that it would be fairly entertaining.

Or how good some people have eaten at 30,000 feet.

Only In Hazzard County, Right?: In California, I'm sure this would never happen. Cops giving out tickets for fun?

Election Time: To honor the fact that we're supposed to vote on some stuff soon, I'm going to cast a bunch of votes. Here goes.

Best Candy Bar: Butterfinger
Best Candy in General: Jelly Bellys
Best Online Tetrisesque Puzzle Game: Bejewelled
Best TV Show of All Time: The Dick Van Dyke Show
Best Movie of All Time: Back to the Future
Best Kids Movie: Matilda
Website That Jumped The Shark The Worst: Coming Attractions
Celebrity Who I'm Glad Isn't Popular Because I Like Having Her To Myself: Keri Russell
Best Book That's Not By Orson Scott Card: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Best Film That Showed People Internet Films Could Be High Quality: Troops

Accepted: More Sorcery For Your shekel: Magic on a Budget has been accepted for publication by the editor/librarian of the Eggplant Library. My writing will sit on the shelves beside such classic works as The Encyclopaedia of Sentient Gems, Vol. IX, Dolphin Poets, and Ninja Animals: Recounting the Scientific Study of the Instruction of Ninjutsu to Non-Human Mammals

I Already Gave My Best: I'm no big fan of reality TV. But I am delighted by the internet tidal wave that William Hung fandom has become.

I'd never even heard of him until yesterday, when my brother was wearing a shirt with his now-famous parting words from the show.

This kid's my new hero. In a way, he's a big thumbed nose to the whole idea of "Idol" and all of the other shows that try to quantify what "it" is.

This kid, undoubtedly, has got "it." I, for one, can't get enough of him.

So go, check it out, and become part of the underground.

The Greatest Online Game Ever: The greatest online epic game ever is to be found here.

Even if you never, ever play online games, go check this one out.

Now.

Just trust me.

Runelords Movie: Looks like $80 million is the budget for the film adaptation of David Farland (aka Dave Wolverton)'s very excellent Runelords Series.

These books are amazing, and will translate really well to film. Check them out.

FYI: I am an Amazon.com associate. So any time anything on this site links you to their website (including that link, and the rotating individual book link on the side bar) those are my links, not blogspots, and I do get a couple of bucks. I'm not asking you to "support my website" or anything, since so far I'm paying about as much to post this blog as you're paying to read it, but if you're going to buy something from Amazon anyways, feel free to click through me to them, and I'll be your buddy forever.

I'm actually an associate because of my other site, Simple Magik, which is far more popular than this one, and you're welcome to check out, too, and learn some magic.