Boring Programming Stuff

I finally got around to uploading pictures of the thermite from last year. Here’s the gallery.

Highlights:

I finished my first marathon, the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon. My time was 3:18:00, which isn’t bad considering my longest run before the marathon was 18 miles. For most of the run I stuck with the fastest guy in an Elvis costume, who was pacing for 3:15. The first 18 miles were a breeze. I spent time talking with people around me and enjoying the scenery. Around mile 20 things got tough, and from mile 23 to the finish all I could do was follow the guy in front of me and try not to throw up or pass out. I’m pretty sore today, but I’m definitely not the only one. I’ve seen quite a few others besides myself doing the post-marathon shuffle around San Diego.

Update: Pictures

Must…

…defeat…

…Elvis.

My mother always liked the show Deal or No Deal, and I noticed it’s airing again this week. I don’t have a problem with the actual game show program, just NBC’s implementation. First, the show is incredibly drawn out. Also, the show relies on suspense to keep viewers watching through the commercials. The optimal strategy in the game is easy to memorize, just take the average of the monetary values left and take the deal if it is higher. Still, most of the contestants become incredibly emotional and cave in far too easily. Finally, the contestants have friends and relatives show up to help them decide deal or no deal. These people serve no purpose, and at best participate by relaying the deal reward to the contestant. It’s contrived and completely pointless. Artificially prolonging suspense doesn’t make for an interesting show, it just frustrates viewers. There chip, I updated my blog.

Well, this is my new website. I don’t have much here right now, as it’s mostly for myself and a few friends. Anything listed as older stuff will use whatever poorly written HTML from back when I made the page.