Blog

  • Simple DirectMedia Layer

    January 30, 2005

    Go Jeremy Go! Jeremy has taken the initiative on the Resurrect Crixa drive by mostly porting the current codebase to Simple DirectMedia Layer. This is cool because this will eventually allow Crixa to run on non-Windows platforms such as MacOS and Linux.

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    DSri Seah
  • A Handfew of Eggcorns

    January 30, 2005

    I was browsing Language Log after seeing a mention on Slashdot. Linguists use Google to track how contemporary written language use is changing; you can enter in a phrase or expression that you’re interested in, and see how many hits show up, and try to come up with a pattern of use. It’s cool stuff, trying to establish the sources of language trends as they evolve.

    For example, there are spelling anomalies that crop up in online writing. This post on the use of “deep-seeded” as an expression, as in “deep-seeded hatred” is one such example. Or the existence of “eggcorns“.

    There are also cultural differences that lead to the Norwegians being surprised at Barbara Bush’s salute to satan during the presidential inauguration (apparently, the gesture is a University of Texas salute to their sports teams).

    Fun stuff.

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    DSri Seah
  • Successful Power Supply Transplant

    January 29, 2005

    I’d written recently that I suspected the power supply in my desktop production PC was too anemic. I just replaced it, and all the problems have gone away!

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    DSri Seah
  • Cramming for Microsoft

    January 29, 2005

    Stumbled upon a collection of Microsoft interview questions. Microsoft’s interview process is renown for being difficult and challenging, so it’s interesting to see what they’ve asked in the past. In addition to the usual riddles, algorithms, and application questions, there’s a “thinker” section. Excerpts:

    • How would you explain how to use Microsoft Excel to your grandma?
    • You have been assigned to design Bill Gates bathroom. Naturally, cost is not a consideration. You may not speak to Bill.
    • Interviewer hands you a black pen and says nothing but “This pen is red.”
    • Why is it that when you turn on the hot water in any hotel, for example, the hot water comes pouring out almost instantaneously?

    The main interviewing page covers broader topics relating to interviewing…interesting stuff.

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    DSri Seah
  • Getting my Feet Wet Again

    January 28, 2005

    Jeremy IMs me out of the blue, announcing that he’s made progress on porting Crixa to SDL on the PC. Wow! Much more exciting than anything I had going on. So I had to get into it myself. It’s been a good eight years since I looked at the source code, a hundred-fold collection of C++ files that I still have yet to fully grasp…

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    DSri Seah