Category Archives: amaths-wars

Don’t Panic

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In the series, DON’T PANIC (always upper-case) is a phrase written on the cover of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The novel explains that this was partly because the device “looked insanely complicated” to operate, and partly to keep intergalactic travelers from panicking. It is said that despite its many glaring (and occasionally fatal) inaccuracies, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy itself has outsold the Encyclopedia Galactica because it is slightly cheaper, and because it has the words “Don’t Panic” in large, friendly letters on the cover.

Arthur C. Clarke said Douglas Adams’ use of “don’t panic” was perhaps the best advice that could be given to humanity.

— Wikipedia on Phrases from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

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2010.10.13 Wednesday ACHK

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

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In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitchhiker’s Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopaedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects.

First, it is slightly cheaper; and second, it has the words “DON’T PANIC” inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.

— Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

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2010.10.12 Tuesday ACHK

Futurama 3

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Godfellas

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Bender: You know, I was God once.

God: Yes, I saw. You were doing good, until everyone died.

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God: Bender, being God isn’t easy. If you do too much, people get dependent on you, and if you do nothing, they lose hope. You have to use a light touch. Like a safecracker, or a pickpocket.

Bender: Or a guy who burns down a bar for the insurance money!

God: Yes, if you make it look like an electrical thing. When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.

— Futurama

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2010.10.11 Monday ACHK

Any key

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Computer programmers historically used “Press any key to continue” (or a similar text) as a prompt to the user when it was necessary to pause processing. The system would resume after the user pressed any keyboard button.

Cultural significance

There are reports that some users have searched for such a key labelled “any”, and called technical support when they have been unable to find it. The computer company Compaq even edited their FAQ to explain that the “any” key does not exist, and at one point considered replacing the command “Press any key” with “Press return key”.

The concept of the “any key” has become a popular piece of computer-related humor, in part because of an episode of The Simpsons in which main character Homer Simpson asks “Where’s the any key?” when confronted with the “press any key” command.

— Wikipedia on Any key

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2010.10.10 Sunday ACHK

 

愚善 2

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絕聖棄智，民利百倍；絕仁棄義，民復孝慈；絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。

— 老子

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聖人不死　大盜不止

— 莊子

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如果你是因為「想別人好」而做好事的話，你是一個「好人」。

如果你是因為「要做好人」而做好事的話，你根本不是一個「好人」。

— Me@2010.10.03

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2010.10.08 Friday copyright ACHK

Jamie Hyneman

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Early life, education, and early career

Hyneman was born in Marshall, Michigan and raised in Columbus, Indiana. Describing his early life, Hyneman said “I was a problematic kid, to be sure. I left home when I was 14 and hitchhiked all over the country.”

He earned a degree in Russian linguistics from Indiana University. A variety of careers fill his resume, including scuba diver, wilderness survival expert, boat captain, linguist, pet shop owner, animal wrangler, machinist, concrete inspector, and chef. He apparently has a mild case of acrophobia (fear of heights), as mentioned in the “Hammer Drop” episode segment of Mythbusters (This is also shown in “Duct Tape Special 2”).

— Wikipedia on Jamie Hyneman

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2010.10.07 Thursday ACHK

Halcyon Days

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Developing game concepts is like getting wet in the rain, if you know the technology backwards and forwards, and know what market segment you are trying to amuse with the technology.

Since I had been involved in the whole development of the hardware and had been explaining microprocessors to the world for several years, the only question was which market segment Magnavox wanted to address next. They would say “boys,” and I would say lets blow something up and have it come after you if you miss; any playground would tell you the same thing. They would say “moms,” and I would say lets do educational games. When they said “dads,” the strategy board games were born on the back of a cocktail napkin.

— Ed Averett

— Halcyon Days (book)

— James Hague

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2010.10.05 Tuesday ACHK

Magic 3

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迷離境界 4

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The real world is more magical than your magical world.

— Me@2010.09.27

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My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world.

— Act II

— George Bernard Shaw

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2010.10.04 Monday ACHK

潛龍

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潛龍，勿用。《乾》

— 易經

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One must have deeper motives and judge everything accordingly, but go on talking like an ordinary person.

— Blaise Pascal

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2010.09.30 Thursday ACHK

Professor

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Fry: Hey, professor. What are you teaching this semester?

Professor Hubert Farnsworth: Same thing I teach every semester. The Mathematics of Quantum Neutrino Fields. I made up the title so that no student would dare take it.

Fry: Mathematics of wonton burrito meals. I’ll be there!

Professor Hubert Farnsworth: Please, Fry. I don’t know how to teach. I’m a professor.

— “Futurama” Mars University (1999)

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2010.09.28 Tuesday ACHK

Secret ingredient

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天才之道 4

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Mr. Ping: The secret ingredient is… nothing!

Po: Huh?

Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient.

Po: Wait, wait… it’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?

Mr. Ping: Don’t have to. To make something special you just have to believe it’s special.

— Kung Fu Panda

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The biggest secret is that there is no secret.

— Me@2010.09.23

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2010.09.24 Friday ACHK