if ever there's a post you don't read, this is it

You know that "Age by Chocolate" email that's been forwarded to you 10 times in the last year? If not, here's the gist of it:

1. Pick a number between 1 and 10 (NOT inclusive, this is important). The email says something about this number being being the amount of times you would like to eat chocolate in a week. Whatever.
   
2. Multiply by 2
   
3. Add 5
   
4. Multiply by 50
   
5. If you've already had your bday this year, add 1758. Otherwise, add 1757.
   
6. Subtract the four digit year you were born.

The result of this should be a three digit number in which the first digit is the original number you chose, and the other two should be your age.

This is actually one of the most complicated numeral aerobics I've seen. The first time I tried to tackle how this works, I lost. I got some complicated multivariable equation that looked something like this:

[(X × 2) + 5] × 50 + 1757 - Y = (X × 100) + (2008 - Y)

Where X is the original number you chose, and Y is your birth year. It's not easy trying to solve for two variables with only one equation, especially when you already know what the two variables are. In fact, that's just circular logic and is impossible to do regardless. Needless to say, I got confused and gave up on the problem.

Until today. This is how it works:

Let's just say you pick the number 2, your birth year is 1985, and you have already had your bday this year.

1. First 2 × 2 = 4
   
2. Then distribute the 50, so 4 × 50 = 200 and 5 × 50 = 250. The 250 is a constant, and no matter what number you originally chose or how old you are, that 250 will always be in the equation. Note the 200. That 2 is going to be the first digit of your final three digit number. If we go back a step, then we see why this is the first number you chose. The equation can be rearranged to (your number) × (2 × 50) = (your number) × 100. That's why it's important for your number to be between 1 and 10.
3. 250 + 1758 = 2008. This is always a constant as well.
4. Oh, and funny thing, when you subtract your birth year from 2008, you get your age. Ha.
5. Add that shit up.

Sorry this post sucked, I'm just trying to kill time before I finish Ender's Game. Remind me next time to write about trying to get past airport security when your leg is emitting gamma rays.