The Logical Approach

[1911Tuner]

This is probably the wrong forum for this particular thread...but since troubleshooting and problem solving with the 1911 pistol generally involves basic logic...and since we often overlook the obvious while looking for something complicated...I thought I'd go ahead and post it here.

A formation of geese is a "V" with one leg of that V almost invariably being longer than the other.

Why is that leg longer?

tic-tock...tic-tock... :D

[mryu78]

coz there are even number of geese in the v?

[1911Tuner]

coz there are even number of geese in the v?

Close. You've obviously got a good measure of logic in your thought process.

I can ask this question a dozen times, and I'll get 11 theories and one correct answer most of the time...sometimes 10 and two...but rarely 3 in 12 will hit it.

[OD*]

A formation of geese is a "V" with one leg of that V almost invariably being longer than the other.

Why is that leg longer?
There are more geese on that side.

[1911Tuner]

There are more geese on that side.

And we have a winner! :cool:

You'd be surprised at the responses that you can get with that question, ranging from "Not a clue" all the way to a two-page commentary on the habits of migratory waterfowl.

This was partly a joke, and partly a quick lesson on looking for the obvious.
Troubleshooting and correcting functional issues with the 1911 pistol is usually no more than starting with the simple/obvious and working one's way up to the more complex rather than the other way around.

I decided to post this after I went out to watch the Canada Geese do their daily flyover. I call it "God's Airshow" and I rarely miss it.

[OD*]

My brother-in-law is a big waterfowl hunter and I get him with that joke every so many years. He is also a cardiologist-surgeon and I aways wind-up telling him, "Pete, you think to much." :D

[kel]

I have to quibble with the wording of the question, if that is the reason then it is not invariable. Invariably implies that it happens far more then %50 of the time. Given that logic roughly fifty percent of the time both legs will be even (as even as they get given operator error). The question does not beget the correct answer as it provides what may be an incorrect assumption for the answerer to work with.

[mryu78]

darn.. i was close lol

[1911Tuner]

I have to quibble with the wording of the question, if that is the reason then it is not invariable. Invariably implies that it happens far more then %50 of the time. Given that logic roughly fifty percent of the time both legs will be even (as even as they get given operator error). The question does not beget the correct answer as it provides what may be an incorrect assumption for the answerer to work with.

Huh?

Oh! No. There was enough information to lead to the correct answer. Ya just gotta wade past the unnecessary drivel and get to the point. That's why it's known as a "Trick Question" as most logical word problems are... ;)

And...Pay closer attention to goose formations. You probably won't see one even formation in 10.

[OD*]

You probably won't see one even formation in 10.
Exactly, I can't recall ever seeing one.

[Candiru]

I was gonna guess that it's because Canada geese mate for life and when
you have an even number of geese in a 'V' formation, one leg has to be
longer than the other.

Here's one that you could relate to 1911 disassembly: You're changing a
tire on your car by the side of the road when you accidentally knock all
four nuts used to keep the tire attached down a storm drain. How do you
manage to drive home?

[garrettwc]

So if I have this gun and it's not spitting the rounds out right, instead of writing a long email to customer service detailing all the things I read in a magazine that are wrong with it, having $2K worth of custom work done, and complaining about what a piece of junk I got all over the internet, I should just check the extractor? :D

[OD*]

So if I have this gun and it's not spitting the rounds out right, instead of writing a long email to customer service detailing all the things I read in a magazine that are wrong with it, having $2K worth of custom work done, and complaining about what a piece of junk I got all over the internet, I should just check the extractor? :D
http://www.oprano.com/msgboard/images/smilies/lmao.gif

[MrBubba]

I was gonna guess that it's because Canada geese mate for life and when
you have an even number of geese in a 'V' formation, one leg has to be
longer than the other.

Here's one that you could relate to 1911 disassembly: You're changing a
tire on your car by the side of the road when you accidentally knock all
four nuts used to keep the tire attached down a storm drain. How do you
manage to drive home?

You take 1 lugnut off the other 3 wheels and use them to replace the ones you lost so you have a total of 3 lugnuts per wheel. Not the safest, but it will get you going.

[1911Tuner]

See garrett? It's workin' already! :D

OD wrote:

>Exactly, I can't recall ever seeing one.<
************

Yep. And nobody seems to know why except the geese...but Candiru may have nailed it. Hmmmm.

[gottripletsNC]

Candiru got right on, geese mate for life, so they should always be in pairs, and since one is leading the V it makes an offset leg.

[garrettwc]

OD* it's funny because it's true. :D

You know I should start an adoption service. I'll go to every .net forum and offer to buy their "junk" Colts for $100. Then I can put new extractors and 7 round GI mags in them. Should have less than $150 total invested. Then I can resell them to Hunter and retire on the profits. :p

[wichaka]

I have got a few guns that way.

I tried to be the nice guy, telling them I'd fix it for nothing, just the cost of parts......but they were fed up with the gun and wanted it out of their life.

........and who am I to stop them from doing that?

[Iron bottom]

I've have read somewhere the reason geese and aircraft fly in V formations is that the lead goose gets some rest and the lead aircraft burns less fuel. If I remember correctly, the geese rotate the lead as well as the aircraft. May have something to do with flying in clean versus dirty air. I can't remember the reason, but it sounded logical. Since the geese were here first, the airplanes must have learned from them.

[1911Tuner]

I have got a few guns that way.

I tried to be the nice guy, telling them I'd fix it for nothing, just the cost of parts......but they were fed up with the gun and wanted it out of their life.

........and who am I to stop them from doing that?

See? What'd I tell ya! Brothers from another mother! :D

Iron Bottom! I though you was comin' by today...

[mryu78]

i have never even seen a geese in my life.

i think forming the V, gives some sort of a wind lift. making it less tiresome to some of the geese. i just don't know if it's in the head or the tail.

[Iron bottom]

I'll be there next Thursday if ok for you.

[1911Tuner]

Works for me. Shoot me a PM the day before to make sure I don't wig out and forget. (Ain't gettin' old bad though?)

[1911Tuner]

Wait. Next Thursday's Turkey day...

[Joni Lynn]

.......So........I guess it's not because the geese only count by two's huh?
I liked the mate for life explanation, it's the one I heard many years ago.

[1911Tuner]

.......So........I guess it's not because the geese only count by two's huh?
I liked the mate for life explanation, it's the one I heard many years ago.


Well...That theory just flew out the window. My small flock did a flyover this evenin' and the formation was lopsided. I counted 13 geese.

Reckon there's a goosey menage a trois in session down on the lake tonight?

:lh:

Oh Nay! NAY! Say it ain't so!

[Iron bottom]

Forget about Turkey Day, Tuner. Name a day and I'll be there. And yes, getting old can be trying.

[John]

I've have read somewhere the reason geese and aircraft fly in V formations is that the lead goose gets some rest and the lead aircraft burns less fuel. If I remember correctly, the geese rotate the lead as well as the aircraft. May have something to do with flying in clean versus dirty air. I can't remember the reason, but it sounded logical. Since the geese were here first, the airplanes must have learned from them.
The opposite I think is true. The leading goose (or aircraft) is burning the same fuel as it would be if flying alone. However, since it breaks up the wind as it moves along, it creates some sort of drag effect behind it, so the planes in the second row burn less fuel. These second row planes create drag effect for the next row ones etc.

Have you heard of the slip-stream effect on race cars? Two Formula 1 cars going down the straight with the second one almost touching the gearbox of the first one. What happens there? The area behind the first car is like a vaccum, which pulls the second car behind the first one. So the second car is going the same speed as the first one with less engine effort. The moment the second car pulls out to pass the first one, the slip-stream effect is destroyed, and the first car slows down, the second car, which had reserved engine power can now safely pull over and pass the first car. Neat trick, if you have ever tried it.

[Iron bottom]

You are probably right, El Commandante. I think I heard of this when I was messing around with Radio control airplanes and helicopters. Yes, am famaliar with drafting. About 40 years ago there was a lot of illegal road racing around here. People would race for titles. I've seen Corvettes, Shelby Cobras and Mustangs, Jaguars, Dodge and Plymouth hemis (some even had Richard Petty track hemis which were legal to run on the highway at the time) and others racing each other. The race started with one car behind the other. When the lead car reached top speed, the driver would turn on his left turn signal and the other car would attempt to pass. Found out what you had when you got in the other lane. But back then there was no traffic on the road after working hours and I never heard of any accidents. The SBI finally broke the racing up. A really dangerous thing was playing Chicken. When you saw someone you knew you coming down the road toward you, you would straddle the center line with your car and if the other guy wanted to play he would do the same. The first one to turn and get back is his lane was the Chicken. Sometimes no one turned and of course in a head on meeting those steering columns on those old cars went through your chest. Very messy.