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About the Daily Coin Flip

 

Throughout history, people have been plagued by important questions that they lacked sufficient information to answer. Will fortune favor me? Should I invest in corn this year? Will the King stub his toe and have the household staff executed? Many methods of answering such questions have been tried, each with its own defect.

 

The ancients read the entrails of chickens, but this led to much indignation among domestic fowl, who were known for their modesty. The ancients also interpreted signs and portents, but there often was not a comet or birth of a two-headed goat handy just at the time when someone wanted to invest money.

 

Another ancient method of answering questions in the absence of adequate evidence was astrology, which is still used today. This method requires that one trust in the expertise and honesty of an astrologer, a person who knows the addresses of the houses in which various heavenly bodies can dwell. While general answers, such as “This is a good time to speak up at work,” can be had for the price of a newspaper, more specific answers are expensive. It might be unwise to speak up at work without some idea of whether the answer means that one should tell the boss that his ties are uniformly hideous, which is what one has been dying to say.

 

It is also possible to read tea leaves and palms. The reading of tea leaves has largely fallen out of favor since the invention of the tea bag, and to have one’s palm read requires that one pay an expert. Neither method is of much use if one needs an answer quickly, such as to the question, “Should I bring in my left-hander to face the next batter?”

 

One method does not require the investment of much time or money, that one trust an expert, or that one face irate birds. This is the coin flip. One simply asks oneself a question, decides which side of the coin corresponds to which answer, and flips the coin. It is convenient and sure to provide an answer. Its only defect is that scientists have yet to establish its reliability compared with the other methods.

 

This site is dedicated to the coin flip. Questions and answers are provided, and one need only flip a coin to determine one’s own answer. In case the coin should land and balance on its edge, an answer is provided for this eventuality. Enjoy.

 

Current Coin Flips

 

Copyright Ó 2009-2012 by James Lyons Walsh.

 

Contact: info at dailycoinflip dot com

 

 

Acknowledgement: The writing of this site involves extensive use of Wikipedia for fact checking.

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