Things that are AWESOME...

[WildCard]

Yea, but much like Costanzo accidentally developed a real elbow problem, maybe WildCard will accidentally become a nice person.

Even Costanza stumbled his way into the NYYs

[MattPie]

Cassette with Dolby NR only for me.

 

Dubbed with NR turned on, playback with NR turned off. The extra boost on the highs from NR makes the cassette sound much brighter. :)

[nfreeman]

He had a minor meltdown in the other sports thread when the Bonnies were left out of the NCAA tournament.  I guess I may have been the last straw for him?  I laughed at the conversation, he did what he always does, and I did what I always do, and he hasn't been seen since.  The whole thing was so damned weird yet predictable at the same time. 

 

I mean, who gets that mad over ball busting about alumni teams?  It's practically a rite of passage in my industry everywhere.

He was online since that incident, but has not posted since he blasted you for joking around about it.

 

 

I totally missed this, then went back and checked the thread in which the meltdown occurred.  It didn't seem like much.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I totally missed this, then went back and checked the thread in which the meltdown occurred.  It didn't seem like much.

 

I agree that it wasn't as bad as some, but who is to say how someone is going to react to something?  He may have felt it was a bit too far and decided to check out, perhaps for a break.

 

Perhaps he is dealing with some other issues outside of here, but he has been online since the incident, but has not posted.  Who knows, but this seemingly small thing may have been enough and it pushed him over and out.  We shall see.  I hope he comes back.

[JJFIVEOH]

Well, I have no idea what a boggle board even is, so I am sure I can't ask you technical questions.  If you just want to run through having a stranger ask you questions, I'm sure we can meet up at a bar somewhere.

 

That's how all interviews should be conducted!

[MattPie]

I was curious about the Boggle board too, so unless there's some device that I don't know about (not unlikely), the interview question is talking about the "board" game Boggle (the one with the letter dice/cubes and finding words). The blog post below does a better job on describing the whole thing but essentially, the way most people would implement, start with a cube, then look at each adjacent cube, and each adjacent cube from there, etc. and compare that to the dictionary takes FOR-EV-ER. The more efficient way is to look for every word in the dictionary (taking a few shortcuts) in turn and check the board for the first letter, then if that's found, the next letter, adjacent, etc. I hadn't heard this question before, but it seems like one of those classic interview questions that companies like to ask to demonstrate out of the box thinking. I'm sure those work for awhile but eventually people learn the answer so it's tough to tell whether the candidate is brilliant or has heard it before (since the answer is almost always "simple" once you learn the trick).

 

Why are manhole covers round? (another classic)

 

http://exceptional-code.blogspot.com/2012/02/solving-boggle-game-recursion-prefix.html

Edited April 5, 2016 by MattPie

[Iron Crotch]

I disagree with those who say the game is better today...  ;)

 

 

[Eleven]

I was curious about the Boggle board too, so unless there's some device that I don't know about (not unlikely), the interview question is talking about the "board" game Boggle (the one with the letter dice/cubes and finding words). The blog post below does a better job on describing the whole thing but essentially, the way most people would implement, start with a cube, then look at each adjacent cube, and each adjacent cube from there, etc. and compare that to the dictionary takes FOR-EV-ER. The more efficient way is to look for every word in the dictionary (taking a few shortcuts) in turn and check the board for the first letter, then if that's found, the next letter, adjacent, etc. I hadn't heard this question before, but it seems like one of those classic interview questions that companies like to ask to demonstrate out of the box thinking. I'm sure those work for awhile but eventually people learn the answer so it's tough to tell whether the candidate is brilliant or has heard it before (since the answer is almost always "simple" once you learn the trick).

 

Why are manhole covers round? (another classic)

 

http://exceptional-code.blogspot.com/2012/02/solving-boggle-game-recursion-prefix.html

 

So they can't fall through the hole.  Any other shape except for a triangle creates a situation  where a side will be shorter than a diagonal.

[Beer]

I disagree with those who say the game is better today...  ;)

 

 

I really dislike Rob Brind'amour... seeing his name brings back bad memories from 2005-2006 Eastern Conference Finals with Carolina.

[Weave]

Rod.

[That Aud Smell]

Rod.

 

the Bod.

 

Yeah: Hate that guy.

 

[darksabre]

Josie and I have been shopping for camping stuff lately. We want to get out for more weekends away from home and we also want to get to more weekend long paintball games. But with my little VW we've had to seriously downsize and lighten up everything we would usually take. Going from a Suburban to a Buick to a Golf has been an adjustment for me to say the least. We got a great deal about a month ago on a Big Agnes tent from Eastern Mountain Sports and it's been my job to track down the most important piece of equipment: the sleeping pad. 

Josie is 100% a side sleeper, and I'm a back sleeper but should sleep on my side due to snoring and general bad breathing. After a ton of research and just having no idea what I wanted to do, I decided to just start trying things out. Went to Cabela's and bought a Thermarest Trail Pro, a more traditional but well regarded self inflating foam mat. Slept on it for a few nights and although I wasn't in any pain or discomfort from those nights on it, I felt like I hadn't slept at all. I was exhausted. It just wasn't going to cut it. So I took it back to Cabela's and headed back to the internet. 

Deciding that 2" of self inflating foam wasn't going to cut it for either of us, I elected to pull out all the stops. If I'm going to be beating myself up playing sports and then trying to sleep it off, I want something that I can sleep on dammit! So I bought one of these bad boys: http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats/megamat-10-lxw

Okay, it's expensive. But I got a good deal on it on Amazon with a bunch of accrued gift cards. I slept on it last night and I think I might have slept better than on my actual bed.  :o  I couldn't be more impressed. Does it pack a little big? Sure. But I'll sacrifice the space in the car that two of these will take up. Sooooooo worth it.  :worthy:

[MattPie]

Josie and I have been shopping for camping stuff lately. We want to get out for more weekends away from home and we also want to get to more weekend long paintball games. But with my little VW we've had to seriously downsize and lighten up everything we would usually take. Going from a Suburban to a Buick to a Golf has been an adjustment for me to say the least. We got a great deal about a month ago on a Big Agnes tent from Eastern Mountain Sports and it's been my job to track down the most important piece of equipment: the sleeping pad. 

 

Josie is 100% a side sleeper, and I'm a back sleeper but should sleep on my side due to snoring and general bad breathing. After a ton of research and just having no idea what I wanted to do, I decided to just start trying things out. Went to Cabela's and bought a Thermarest Trail Pro, a more traditional but well regarded self inflating foam mat. Slept on it for a few nights and although I wasn't in any pain or discomfort from those nights on it, I felt like I hadn't slept at all. I was exhausted. It just wasn't going to cut it. So I took it back to Cabela's and headed back to the internet. 

 

Deciding that 2" of self inflating foam wasn't going to cut it for either of us, I elected to pull out all the stops. If I'm going to be beating myself up playing sports and then trying to sleep it off, I want something that I can sleep on dammit! So I bought one of these bad boys: http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats/megamat-10-lxw

 

Okay, it's expensive. But I got a good deal on it on Amazon with a bunch of accrued gift cards. I slept on it last night and I think I might have slept better than on my actual bed.  :o  I couldn't be more impressed. Does it pack a little big? Sure. But I'll sacrifice the space in the car that two of these will take up. Sooooooo worth it.  :worthy:

 

Nice mat. Almost all the camping I've done in the last 5-7 years has been motorcycle camping, which is like heavy backpacking in terms of weight and space. I wish I could get something that plush! I have a 1.5" Thermarest that the last few times has been OK but not great. I'm a side sleeper as well, but usually end up on my stomach when camping.

 

Another avenue that works surprisingly well is a cheap mat I bought at Sam's Club a bunch of years ago. It's gigantic when "packed" but fairly comfortable to sleep on (2.5" self-inflating, I think). Most recently, I slept on it in RosePie's room for a month so MrsPie didn't wake up for every night time squawk.

[darksabre]

Nice mat. Almost all the camping I've done in the last 5-7 years has been motorcycle camping, which is like heavy backpacking in terms of weight and space. I wish I could get something that plush! I have a 1.5" Thermarest that the last few times has been OK but not great. I'm a side sleeper as well, but usually end up on my stomach when camping.

 

Another avenue that works surprisingly well is a cheap mat I bought at Sam's Club a bunch of years ago. It's gigantic when "packed" but fairly comfortable to sleep on (2.5" self-inflating, I think). Most recently, I slept on it in RosePie's room for a month so MrsPie didn't wake up for every night time squawk.

Yeah, I think these things will come in handy for more than just camping. Crashing on friends' floors comes to mind.  :P 

 

 

 

Totally unrelated, but apparently Charlize Theron, following up her starring role in Mad Max, will be the super-villain in the next Fast and Furious movie installment. 

 

http://jalopnik.com/charlize-theron-will-kick-everyone-s--in-fast-fu-1769680115

 

:w00t:

[Sabres Fan in NS]

On my phone, so good luck with figuring out this post.

 

It is time for me to remind you all just how awesome I think the Pope is.

 

That's all.

[SwampD]

For those with aging parents that want to stay in touch.

 

http://www.teamviewer.com

 

Greatest. Software. Ever.

 

In ten minutes, I was controling my dad's computer. In 3 minutes I solved the issue that we had been on the phone all week trying to fix.

[ubkev]

So, a guy I work with is a big penguins fan. He is also an enormous Ovechkin hater. All he's been saying all week is how bad a player Ovi is and how he'll never score 50 this season, and "he can't even pass!"

 

Sportscenter just highlighted his 50th with a big graphic on the screen. So, naturally, I took a picture and sent it to his phone. But this was after he, the mighty prognosticator, predicted that Pittsburgh would murder philly and keep them out of the playoffs.... I sent that pic to him too.

 

I might be an a$$hole.

[Sabel79]

So, a guy I work with is a big penguins fan. He is also an enormous Ovechkin hater. All he's been saying all week is how bad a player Ovi is and how he'll never score 50 this season, and "he can't even pass!"

 

Sportscenter just highlighted his 50th with a big graphic on the screen. So, naturally, I took a picture and sent it to his phone. But this was after he, the mighty prognosticator, predicted that Pittsburgh would murder philly and keep them out of the playoffs.... I sent that pic to him too.

 

I might be an a$$hole.

Going by nothing more than your testimony, I find it likely that you are not the a$$hole in this situation...

[SwampD]

Going by nothing more than your testimony, I find it likely that you are not the a$$hole in this situation...

No. He's an a$$hole, but he's our a$$hole. :thumbsup:

[Sabel79]

No. He's an a$$hole, but he's our a$$hole. :thumbsup:

I said "in this situation." :P

 

I dislike OV intensely, have since he ran Briere from behind that time ten years ago.  But only an idiot or, yes, an a$$hole would say out loud that the guy is anything other than phenomenal.

[ubkev]

Awe, thanks guys!

[dudacek]

I'm at the hotel with my two daughters some of my closest friends and their daughters, having a drink before we head over to see Iron Maiden. Life is good.

Edited April 10, 2016 by dudacek

[Eleven]

So I'm on the board of a small charitable organization.  And we decided to have a spaghetti dinner to honor our volunteers, who are dedicated and numerous.

 

My mother made sauce, meatballs, sausage, and pasta for 50 freaking people today.  36 showed up.  (She made it earlier in the week; fresh sauce freezes, but holy cow watch someone thaw 8 gallons of sauce and meat at once!  And cook the pasta and bake the garlic bread too!)

 

She is a champ.  

 

This thing could have happened three ways: We pay some crappy red sauce joint (1), we buy jar sauce (2), or my mom does what she did (3).

 

Mom is awesome.

[Stoner]

[Sabres Fan in NS]

PA,

 

I'm not playing that, no sir, no way ...  :sick: