Well, I just took the AMC 12, which stands for "American Mathematics Competition."
It made my brain hurt.
Seriously, the problems were, like, impossible.
I answered fourteen questions out of twenty-five. Basically, I get 6 points for each correct answer, 1.5 points for each blank answer, and 0 points for each wrong answer. I'm guaranteed to move on to the next round (AIME, American Invitational Mathematics Examination) if I get 100 points or higher, and those who get in the top 5% also get to move on. I don't think I got 100 points.
I'm not supposed to discuss the answers until twenty-four hours after the contest, so I can't post answers or anything. All I'll say is that it was hard (obviously, it wouldn't be competitive if it were easy).
On a side note, I'm screwed for the physics test tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Internet In Movies And TV
Ever noticed how, in those movies that involve military intelligence or somebody doing some sort of research, whoever's researching Googles something, and they show a huge shot of the monitor of whatever device is being used and make it dramatic, as if using Google is something so advanced and super-awesome? Not that Google isn't advanced and super awesome; I just think it's stupid they make such a big deal out of it.
I do realize that using such a huge shot is necessary, since they want the audience to see what's being typed into the search box. However, a lot of stuff I've seen also add this dramatic background music.
This is the twenty-first century. The ability to perform a Google search is practically innate these days. Typing stuff into a search box does not make someone a genius.
Speaking of geniuses, popular media tends to portray programmers as genii (weird how I just pluralized the same word in two different ways, but whatever). When I talk to random people about web sites and web design, it's as if HTML is some divine, omnipotent code. Basically, I would be talking to someone about making web sites, and eventually we would end up talking about what editing software we use. The person I'm talking to almost always uses Dreamweaver, and when I tell them I use Notepad, s/he's like "OMG u use raw html???"
I guess it's nobody's fault for reacting that way, because not everyone knows how to use HTML. But what I find annoying is just how glorified HTML seems to be in modern society. Anyone who actually knows how to use HTML should know that it's annoying, cumbersome, tedious, and wastes your life away as it did mine.
But then, the complicated thing about it all is that every page uses a little bit of HTML, so when I explain to other people that I use PHP, they usually get the impression that I don't use HTML at all.
I guess this whole thing could be avoided if people took the time to learn about how web pages work (maybe then my school won't have such a crappy web site). But, unfortunately, they don't, so I guess there's nothing I can do about it.
I do realize that using such a huge shot is necessary, since they want the audience to see what's being typed into the search box. However, a lot of stuff I've seen also add this dramatic background music.
This is the twenty-first century. The ability to perform a Google search is practically innate these days. Typing stuff into a search box does not make someone a genius.
Speaking of geniuses, popular media tends to portray programmers as genii (weird how I just pluralized the same word in two different ways, but whatever). When I talk to random people about web sites and web design, it's as if HTML is some divine, omnipotent code. Basically, I would be talking to someone about making web sites, and eventually we would end up talking about what editing software we use. The person I'm talking to almost always uses Dreamweaver, and when I tell them I use Notepad, s/he's like "OMG u use raw html???"
I guess it's nobody's fault for reacting that way, because not everyone knows how to use HTML. But what I find annoying is just how glorified HTML seems to be in modern society. Anyone who actually knows how to use HTML should know that it's annoying, cumbersome, tedious, and wastes your life away as it did mine.
But then, the complicated thing about it all is that every page uses a little bit of HTML, so when I explain to other people that I use PHP, they usually get the impression that I don't use HTML at all.
I guess this whole thing could be avoided if people took the time to learn about how web pages work (maybe then my school won't have such a crappy web site). But, unfortunately, they don't, so I guess there's nothing I can do about it.
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