And carrots for all...

[Subbarao Kambhampati <rao@asu.edu>]

Regarding the "Carrots" for some policy, someone wrote to
me:

>I'm not asking you to change anything first of
all. I just want to point out that I would love to have the
extension but the time of the >makeup is impossible for me since I
work then and obviously can not take off with one days notice. I'm sure
I'm not the only working >student in class. I realize that there is no
time that everyone can meet, it is just disappointing that not everyone
has the ability to take >advantage of it. By the same token those that
are there should get a bonus like that since it is out of normal class
hours. No response >needed, just my thoughts. 


Well seems like a valid point. So, let's  have  carrots for
all. 

Bartender (i.e, Terry), one free day all around please. 
(let's say the folks who didn't come, get the carrot for having to deal
with the grainy video).

Rao

ps: For anyone who wants to start a new complaint saying it is unfair for
everyone to get carrots, since this dilutes the appeal of carrots, here
is an allegory of dubious relevance.. 

There was this guy who wanted to improve his lot in life and decided to
do a   long prayer to Brahma (one of those all-powerful, but
all-too-easy to please Hindu  gods). Brahma came down and told him
that he (the guy) can ask him (the all powerful Brahma) for any single
wish to be granted, with one catch. Whatever wish he wants granted, will
also be granted to everyone in his village too--unasked. So the guy says
sure... that is no catch--Gimme lots of dough. Brahma says "So be
it", and the man suddenly is mighty rich. He goes back to his
village and tries to exploit his wealth and finds, to his horror, that no
one wants his money since they are all rich too. So this guy is as
unhappy as ever. Decides to do one more long penance.. Brahma comes by
again, grants him one more wish--but with the same catch. This guy--not
too bright to begin with--goes for "Lots of power" this time.
Goes home--finds that everyone else is also president of the village..
This goes on for a while, before he wises up and asks Brahma for the one
thing that he can have, whose worth is not reduced by others also having
it...