The Multi-threaded Cabinet

Last week, I had some trouble with my desk cabinet at work. I seemed to have inadvertently locked my top drawer. After fiddling around with the cabinet a bit, the drawer had magically opened. This behavior left me puzzled and it wasn't until today that I figured it out. The cabinet is multi-threaded!

The cabinet is small, black with two drawers. Open either drawer alone and everything's fine. Now, try to open both of them at the same time. Race condition!

It turns out if you have one drawer open, you can't open the other drawer! It's locked, literally :P

I can't fathom what merited this particular design choice. Did the designer think something catastrophic would happen if I had both my drawers open at the same time? Nonetheless, it certainly isn't an intuitive feature, nor easily discoverable. But my mind is just a bit more at ease now that I've solved this particular conundrum. :)

--Arkajit

April Fool's From Google

Now presenting the latest Google product... Gmail Paper!

"Everyone loves Gmail. But not everyone loves email, or the digital era. What ever happened to stamps, filing cabinets, and the mailman? Well, you asked for it, and it’s here. We’re bringing it back."

"For every Gmail Paper we produce, the environment gets incrementally healthier."

"Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe" - straight out of LOTR when Gandalf says this to Frodo regarding the ring! :)

Haha, not a bad one as far as April Fool's jokes go! The Weasley twins would be proud! Happy Birthday to Fred and George!

-- Arkajit