Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Last Excel Modeling Class Q12, 13

Excel Modeling

Last night was the last class ... I'm so glad that class is over. I am counting my blessings that I didn't have Snir for statistics. I asked a few questions about the final case last night. I don't think I set it up correctly the first time. I got some ideas while I was sitting there enduring his last lecture. Thankfully I have until Friday to finish it.

Negotiations

Tonight is the big night. My negotiations partner sent me his scoring spreadsheet yesterday. I sent him mine. It looks like we have two issues in common while the other two issues are unique. I don't know if they are related in some other way or not.

Quixote Update
Chapters 12 & 13

Quixote and Sancho are still hanging out with the goatherds. A man from a village brought them some provisions. He told them of the death student-shepard. He tells this story of this young man who was very smart and brilliant. He went to school and learned astrology and helped the village out a lot. Then he became a goatherd ... all because of this beautiful girl named Marcela. It turns out that Marcela was a daughter of rich man. Because all the men wanted to marry her, she got upset and became a wandering goatherd. When she became a goatherd, so did a bunch of other men. One of them was this student-shepard. He doesn't say how the young man died. For this reason, Quixote and Sancho will go to the funeral.

Chapter 13 is about the journey to the funeral and the actual funeral. While they were on their way, they came accross another company who was travelling to the funeral. One of men in the company was named Vivaldo. He asked Quixote why he was dressed up like a knight when all the country is in peace? Quixote explains to him that he is a knight-errant. He basically says that he doesn't want the "easy" life. He wants a hard life full of adventure. At this point, Vivaldo and company understand that Quixote is mad. The two go back and forth about the philosophy of knight-errantry, such as if the knight is more loyal to God or to a woman. Vivaldo sounds reasonable while Quixote sounds like he's just making excuses. They arrive at the funeral. The young man had some papers he had written. They were going to burn them at the young man's request, but Vivaldo convinced them to give them to him. The chapter ends with Vivaldo about to read what the papers contained.

Chess Update

I didn't play chess last night. I went straight to bed when I got home.

Today's 2/28/06 chessgames.com puzzle has black to move. I'm not sure on this one. I would move 20. ... Qxa2 threatening to take the rook at b1 which would lead to mate. Another option would be 20. ... Rb3 White has to move his queen or move his rook to protect the queen. This leave black with eithe QxR or RxB.

The answer is 20. ... Rb3. I got it right! If the white queen takes the black queen, RxR with mate to follow. If the queen defends her rook, then RxR with the black queen taking the other rook. Any way you look at it, black will be up a piece.

As always, I'm looking forward to playing some more chess. I hope to play tonight ... if my negotiation doesn't take too long and if I get some quality work done on my Excel model.

When I play, I play at FICS under the handle RockyRook. I'm usually on between 9:00 and 11:30pm Central time. Right now, I'm not playing long games ... just trying to get one or two 2 12 blitz games in ... looking for tactics. I'll usually play a crazyhouse game or two to wind down before going to bed.

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