is there a shorter way to write this

[Tim Chase]

> Hmm, sounds like homework, but I'll bite.

The underlying problem does sound like homework, but the OP 
posted a working solution, and was only looking for ways to 
improve it.  So I'm a little more lenient on providing 
alternatives.  It's true that the homework problem may have been 
exactly as posted ("Improve this code"), but that's less likely 
in my estimation.

-tkc