Peter's Web Site

December 31, 2004

StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon: This is a COOL firefox extension. It allows you to "stumble upon" links related to a web page that other people have left. It adds a meta-hyperlink layer on top of each web page, and if it isn't the future of the web, then the future of the web will at least contain something like it.

December 24, 2004

Cool CS book

Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming

It looks excellent and the reviews on Amazon are very good.

Category theory

A page with lecture notes and homeworks (but no solutions):
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/80-413-713/

December 23, 2004

Cool stuff to look into

Just a random assortment of things I need to look at/into:

UltraCorps, an online web-based multiplayer game by Steve Jackson

Munchkin and Frag, two card games by Steve Jackson

Dork Tower, an online comic

Something Positive, another online comic

Game Puzzles, an online store/resource for cool games

Loompanics Unlimited, "hard to find, controversial, unusual books"

Genetic Omni-dominance, the God Hypothesis

December 12, 2004

Pain in the English

I was buying some tickets for the Sinus Theater Christmas Show at the Alamo Drafthouse, and I pondered the origin of the term "will call". A Google search turned up the site PainInTheEnglish (
http://www.painintheenglish.com/default.asp), which gives this explanation:
To the best of my knowledge and belief, the phrase comes from the fact that you have prearranged for the tickets to be held for you (usually so you can get guaranteed good seating) and you "will call" for them at the booth when you get there.

"Call" in this case does not mean the phone call you make to arrange the tickets to be held for you, or a shout to the fellow on duty, but something like what's meant in the phrase "a social call" (i.e. visit).