Monday, February 4, 2013

How do you kill a purple elephant?

I heard that joke when I was 15 and always loved it, silly and childish as it is.

Here's my version:

How do you kill a purple elephant? With a purple elephant gun
How do you kill a pink elephant? Tie his nose so that he becomes purple and shoot
with a purple elephant gun
How do you kill a white elephant? Make him drunk so that he becomes pink
Tie his nose so that he becomes purple and shoot
with a purple elephant gun
How do you kill a green elephant? Scare him so that he becomes white
Make him drunk so that he becomes pink
Tie his nose so that he becomes purple and shoot
with a purple elephant gun
How do you kill a blue elephant? Roll him in the grass so that he becomes green
Scare him so that he becomes white
Make him drunk so that he becomes pink
Tie his nose so that he becomes purple and shoot
with a purple elephant gun
How do you kill a yellow elephant? With a yellow elephant gun
How do you kill a red elephant? Don't be silly, red elephants don't exist!


This joke has been very helpful to me and to others, not only it explains recursiveness, it also teaches you several important lessons:


  • For an imaginary question, goes an imaginary answer.
  • For a silly question, goes a silly answer.
  • You can complicate matters tremendously to fit a solution for a problem that you know, when in reality you can simply get an easier one.
  • One solution can fit several situations.
  • If you live in this country, it's highly improbable that you'll find yourself in a situation in which you have to kill an elephant in the first place.
  • When programming recursive loops, you cannot mess the order.
  • Sometimes you need to do something extra before the last step.
Anyway, this whole theme came up because I may have to use a babysitter soon, and because my husband is not exactly swift when disposing of diapers. So, due to the different types we have, I have something similar to the elephants:

I must add, I don't use a pail, but a hanging bag instead.
What do I do with a wet or soiled with soluble stools AIO?Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a soiled with messy stools AIO?Take the shower head, use the massage option, flush the mess away in the toilet with it and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a soiled with solid firm stools AIO?Toss the stools in the toilet and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a wet or soiled with soluble stools Pocket?Take the inserts out and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a soiled with messy stools Pocket?Take the shower head, use the massage option, flush the mess away in the toilet with it, take the inserts out and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a soiled with solid stools Pocket?Toss the stools in the toilet.
Take the inserts out and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a wet or soiled with soluble stools AI2?Put the velcro flaps in the laundry tabs* and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a soiled with messy stools AI2?Separate the insert from the cover, take the insert and
the shower head, use the massage option, flush the mess away in the toilet with it,
Toss it in the wet bag.
If the cover is dirty, do the same flush, then

Put the velcro flaps in the laundry tabs* and
Toss it in the wet bag.


What do I do with a soiled with solid stools AI2?Toss the stools in the toilet.
Put the velcro flaps in the laundry tabs* and
Toss it in the wet bag.
What do I do with a disposable diaper?Toss it in the trash.
What do I do with a reusable diaper that does not need washing?Don't be silly, red elephants and reusable diapers that don't need washing don't exist!
* Skip step if cover uses snaps 


So there you have it. I will print this table and display it in my bathroom anytime I get a sitter or if I leave the house for longer periods (what I do with my husband is leave the baby wearing an AIO or a snap AI2).

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