Pick a winner out of a hat

pick_number.py

import sys
import random

# Pick the number
magic = random.randint(0, 99)
print "Magic number is %d" % magic

candidates = sys.argv[1:]

for candidate in candidates:
  # find the distance to magic in a wrapped space
  candidate = int(candidate)
  distance1 = abs(magic - candidate)
  distance2 = abs(magic - candidate + 100)
  distance3 = abs(magic - candidate - 100)
  distance = min(distance1, distance2, distance3)
  
  print "%d is %d away" % (candidate, distance)