I always like to read interesting tidbits about the inner workings of my favorite game show.

Ed wants to know:

I have a question I’d like to ask, if I may. When Alex tells you the category for Final Jeopardy when you make your wager but before the question, are you also able to write “What is” to begin your answer? Or do you have to wait until you get the question to begin? It seems like that would be a few seconds longer to think if you’re having a difficult time with the answer.

During the commercial break before Final Jeopardy, the show stops tape so that the contestants have all the time they need to make their wagers. Once wagers are locked in, contestants are instructed to write the correct question word (“Who” or “What,” depending) on their panels. (No “is”/”are”/”was”/”were” though! No hints on gender or number are forthcoming.)

It’s true that this gives you more time to think/write once the clue is revealed and the music starts, but I think the real rationale behind the rule is to keep a nervous contestant from accidentally omitting the “who” or “what” in Final Jeopardy. I’m hazy on the details, but I believe that at least once in the early Trebek days (before contestants were instructed to pre-write the question phrasing) someone lost a game despite a correct Final Jeopardy answer because they didn’t PIITFOAQ. (This acronym, pronounced “pit-folk,” is how in-the-know Jeopardy! types abbreviate “phrase it in the form of a question.”) To avoid another audience-aggravating event of that kind, they started prompting for the “Who” and “What” off-camera.

Oh, just kidding about PIITFOAQ. But I wish that was a word.

Originally found here.

This is perfect for me. It could replace the millions of pieces of scrap paper I have on my desk. And only $100 to boot.

Here’s an interesting little gadget: NoteSlate, an monochrome e-ink tablet built for writing.

First models are due in June and will retail for $99.

Originally found here.

Reminds me of my Logic classes in college. Ah, the days…

Originally found here.

It’s also worth comparing to the recent Haiti Earthquake, which was rated a 7 on the MMS.  People who aren’t nerds like me may not be aware that the MMS, and formerly the Ricter Scale, is a logarithmic scale, not a linear one.  What this means is that while the Haitian earthquake had about 50 megatons of energy, the Chilean earthquake had about 10,020 megatons of energy.  That’s roughly 500 times as much energy.

Infographic Via: Matt

Word of the Year – unfriend

Is unfriend Word of the Year material? I dunno, perhaps.  I’ve heard the word used before, it’s a Facebook thing, but I don’t know anyone who ever says it.  Maybe that’s just me though.

Other Word of the Year runners up:

hashtag – This is way nerdy.  I bet most people who use Twitter – origin of this usage – don’t even know this is called a hashtag, they just do it.

intexticated – This is stupid.  No one uses this word. Nor should they.

netbook – I’m kind of surprised this wasn’t a word yet.  I figure younger folk and nerdy types have heard of this word.

paywall – This isn’t a word yet either?  How long as the Wall Street Journal had their paywall up?  Hasn’t it been years now?

sexting – This word is funny and I have used it.  Though, solely for the purpose of making fun of people.  I am too old to sext.  I’m also married now, so that makes sense.

freemium – Eh.  I’ve heard it used so I guess that makes it ok.  Definitely the best word in the Economy words group.

funemployed – Stupid.

zombie bank – Very stupid.

Ardi – How is this a word? You’re seriously going to tell me that people having a conversation really say this?  As if people are talking and someone says “Man, I say Ardipithecus ramidus too much. ” “Hey, I know, let’s just call ‘em Ardi for short.”  Yeah, no.

birther – This is definitely a word that’s come up in today’s lexicon.  Synonymous with crazy moron that you should ignore.

choice mom – No one says this.

death panel – Thanks Sarah Palin!

teabagger – Ha ha ha.  See birther.

brown state – This sounds like a turd. Do not say this.

green state – I’ve heard of lots of stuff called green-something.  I guess green state is ok.

ecotown – No one says this either.

deleb – Uh, what? Who comes up with these words?

tramp stamp – The best word on here.  Should have been Word of the Year.  And this is the first year it’s been introduced? Dude, people have said tramp stamp for years.  Ah, college.

Via PC World Business Center.

James Asher
so naturally you think of me

Jackie
How do I take a screen shot and save it as a jpeg
Yes, I know no others

James Asher
what kind of computer are you on? windows i assume?

Jackie
windows

James Asher
XP?

Jackie
xp

James Asher
ok, set up your screen for whatever you want a screen shot of
in the sort of top right of your keyboard there is a button called ‘print screen’
press that

Jackie
yes, k

James Asher
then go into paint and go to edit>paste
then file>save as, choose jpg

Jackie
will it save just the picture or will it have the white around it?
I’ll have to crop it in another program?

James Asher
is the screen that you want a picture of not maximized?

Jackie
erm

James Asher
ok, do you want a picture of your whole screen or just a picture of the program window?

Jackie
sure, the second one (this is sort of theoretical in that I don’t want to do it now, but will in the future)

James Asher
hold alt when you press print screen
it will take a picture of whatever program window you have open

Jackie
Yay!
look it’s amazing
gah, that was simple. Thanks, James

James Asher
i am a many of many talents
when you tell this story to your friends, and I know you will, could I be shirtless? I think it’s more impressive if I’m shirtless

Jackie
it’s true
Ha, yes!
Done

James Asher
haha