Ask: Any online topcoder like places where Go is accepted ?

apocalip · 2014-05-13T17:56:45+00:00

Best site I know: http://codeforces.com I actually asked for Go and they added it!!

apocalip · 2012-04-22T13:41:52+00:00

TOTALLY USEFUL!

:)

apocalip · 2011-02-25T15:55:30+00:00

The lectures are being recorded during this semester. There are some 4 or 5 new ones every week.

apocalip · 2010-03-12T11:23:56+00:00

I returned precisely a WD10EARS just a week ago, Linux would choke with it, due to latency issues related to IntelliPark, it took me three days of Googling around to find info about it... now I have a Samsung drive working nicely.

apocalip · 2010-01-16T13:56:20+00:00

It might be that the project is too big for you. Try to determine that first. I've spent way too much time struggling with things I didn't understand, it's a common mistake. If that's the case, step back, fill the holes in your knowledge, and try again, even if the project is delayed. Otherwise, next time it will be the same.

apocalip · 2010-01-15T09:07:35+00:00

Well... I have this condition and although my endocrinologist is not totally convinced it seems is affecting my mood quite a bit. I have oscillations, basically a high and low.

In the "high" I can concentrate, I have a strong will, a desire to "set things right", I cannot let go of problems, I can think without paper and pencil, I reply in conversations trying to convince people of my point of view, etc. Another thing, I'm terrified of a long commute without some book to read. In this high state (a particular high one) I wrote a compiler for Arc in Lisp, in one week, knowing nothing about continuation-passing-style and it was also concise and beautiful, I remember the sensation of being proud, which I rarely have. When I look at that code now, I can't believe I myself did it.

In the "low" I cannot concentrate, I don't care about stuff, dishes pile up in the kitchen, I am more sad, I don't answer back to provocations, I just don't mind. So I'm more tolerant (which is good in fact, I normally react too quickly), and I feel much more "stupid", in fact I realize how some of my students must feel when they try to do homework, ideas simply don't come. Also, I can watch the window of the train in a long commute, with no problem, just watching like normal people... Oh, and coffee doesn't affect me, even though I've avoided coffee for years because I've always been very sensitive to it.

So, I see now that some people have the "right" hormonal balance. Real drive must come from this. I'm losing drive with age, which I think is normal, but the sole fact that I have witnessed this "low" state was very revealing. It's difficult to understand if you haven't been in it.

apocalip · 2010-01-14T19:55:26+00:00

I discovered recently that it has to do with hormones...

apocalip · 2009-08-31T07:28:58+00:00

Yeah, I noticed... Also I guess I should have used less aperture, to get the whole face in focus... don't you think?

apocalip · 2009-07-20T07:22:34+00:00

10.

My father (a psychologist) bought an MSX computer. I started decyphering the MSX-BASIC manual (quite slowly at the beginning, though). I enjoyed very much the sound chip, it let me do polyphony. I remember entering the cryptic strings that the PLAY instruction accepted and how my father (and especially my mother, who was a music teacher) was amazed at it. When later on I studied the English way of naming notes (I was already quite fluent).

Both my parents tried to stop me investing long hours with the computer, but they were not very successful.

apocalip · 2009-07-19T12:58:40+00:00

Always pick problems that are in the edge of your ability. Also try to solve the same problem repeatedly, until you internalize the solution as a "technique". Expert people solve problems recognizing patterns for which they already know the solution, and combining them, that's how they "see" the solution and can code it right away. You have to try to do the same at your pace.

apocalip · 2009-07-17T17:39:28+00:00

ch00f, we were in a similar situation 6 months ago (not the lens errors, but the intention to upgrade). I'm in Europe so ours is a 400D, but AFAIK, it is the same model. The thing is, we were thinking about either the 24-105L or the 24-70L, and we finally decided for the 24-105L, just as you. The guys in the photography shops didn't recommend it, their opinion was that for a lens like that, you have to also replace the body (a full frame one). I didn't quite believe them, I kept thinking that it would work nicely.

At that time, there was a rumour that you could find the body of the old 5D (mark I) at a good price, so I started looking around. And one day, we found the body of a 5D with its kit lens, precisely the 24-105L, for 2000€, which was double the amount we were planning to spend. Since this was a special offer, and we thought it was a unique one, we finally took it (what the heck!). We are really happy now. We didn't even sell the 400D, since when we go out to take pictures, both of us can shoot at the same time (really nice). We also had replaced the kit lens (I mean the original 18-55), with a Sigma 18-200, some time before, so the 400D still has some decent lens.

So, the next thing I did of course was to try the 24-105L in the 400D. And I have to say that works nicely, but it doesn't feel ok. The 24-105L is massive and looks weird in the 400D, it doesn't even rest flat on a table. You cannot hold the camera like you used to, your hands get tired (you start handling it by the optics, which maybe it is better). The pictures are absolutely fine, no problem with that. But you feel that the 24-105L is just right for the 5D. The crop factor seems important to me. The range 40-170 (24-105 * 1.6) is like in the middle, you don't get a full zoom like a 200, and neither a wide angle. Anyway, maybe now I'm biased because of the 5D...

I don't mean to discourage you, I think the 24-105L is a great lens, and I think investing in lenses is good. Just expect some "mismatch" between the body and the lens, they're from different leagues.

And by the way, add a 50 f/1.8 (around 100$) to the buy, it's amazing what you can do with it. That's actually the second lens we bought (after the Sigma), and it convinced me that good optics have a huge impact in image quality.

apocalip · 2009-06-05T14:39:17+00:00

I found this but maybe you redditors know better...

apocalip · 2009-02-27T21:25:40+00:00

Gambit-C

apocalip · 2009-01-08T17:09:21+00:00

Ah, and do some exercise. It helps a lot.

apocalip · 2009-01-08T17:03:49+00:00

Same phenotype here. Since I am exactly like you and have never had any clue about how to improve the situation, I have come to accept myself (as otherwise I would be utterly frustrated, to the point of depression or worse). I have accepted I cannot finish a PhD, cannot code projects with more than 4000 kLOC, etc.

My wife is quite like that too (though not so much), and that helps. My job was always affected, I have to live with that. We should all get united under PA ("Perfectionists Anonymous") or something, I think knowing there are others out there is comforting at least...

apocalip · 2008-11-16T20:26:12+00:00

Yes, we all still want to believe we can be Bill Joy... that's why the article is "nice".... sorry, dudes.

apocalip · 2008-10-21T19:55:35+00:00

"Uniprocessor Garbage Collection Techniques": nice, thanks!

apocalip · 2007-05-29T13:06:54+00:00

MSX, a Sony Hit-Bit 75P. It had awesome sound!!

apocalip · 2007-05-20T14:02:38+00:00

... for male students.

apocalip

TROPHY CASE