William Springer
@wmspringer.bsky.social
Author of A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science. My interests include board games (especially ones by Splotter), electric vehicles, photography, a11y, and having fun with my kids.
90 minutes at the #MallOfAmerica theme park and two rides failed while we were on them :p
September 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM
90 minutes at the #MallOfAmerica theme park and two rides failed while we were on them :p
Initial child matinee ticket price to take my kid to see Superman in 3D IMAX: $14.
Tuesday discount: 50%
Ticket price after 50% discount: $12
....what?
Tuesday discount: 50%
Ticket price after 50% discount: $12
....what?
July 11, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Initial child matinee ticket price to take my kid to see Superman in 3D IMAX: $14.
Tuesday discount: 50%
Ticket price after 50% discount: $12
....what?
Tuesday discount: 50%
Ticket price after 50% discount: $12
....what?
I had a movie ticket for 8:30 last night.
I got to the theater after 8:50, found my seat, decided to go get snacks, and got back to my seat in time for the last preview (and the "lights and noise are distracting" warning) before the movie finally started. At 9:02.
This is too much..
I got to the theater after 8:50, found my seat, decided to go get snacks, and got back to my seat in time for the last preview (and the "lights and noise are distracting" warning) before the movie finally started. At 9:02.
This is too much..
July 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I had a movie ticket for 8:30 last night.
I got to the theater after 8:50, found my seat, decided to go get snacks, and got back to my seat in time for the last preview (and the "lights and noise are distracting" warning) before the movie finally started. At 9:02.
This is too much..
I got to the theater after 8:50, found my seat, decided to go get snacks, and got back to my seat in time for the last preview (and the "lights and noise are distracting" warning) before the movie finally started. At 9:02.
This is too much..
No idea why, but Amazon currently has my book for half off! www.amazon.com/dp/195120400X
A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science: A virtual degree for the self-taught developer
Amazon.com: A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science: A virtual degree for the self-taught developer: 9781951204006: Springer II, Dr. William M, Allgood, Nicholas R, Springer, Brit: Libros
www.amazon.com
May 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
No idea why, but Amazon currently has my book for half off! www.amazon.com/dp/195120400X
Did they stop making open captioned movie trailers, or is it just AMC? I go to the movies a few times a month, almost exclusively open captioned showings, and I don't think I've seen a single trailer in the last three months that had captions other than the rare occasion I use captiview instead.
May 17, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Did they stop making open captioned movie trailers, or is it just AMC? I go to the movies a few times a month, almost exclusively open captioned showings, and I don't think I've seen a single trailer in the last three months that had captions other than the rare occasion I use captiview instead.
I remember one time when I was in college, I joined a volleyball tournament. Half the people on my team had apparently never played before and couldn't serve the ball over the net. The other team was kind of like this.
February 19, 2025 at 1:48 PM
I remember one time when I was in college, I joined a volleyball tournament. Half the people on my team had apparently never played before and couldn't serve the ball over the net. The other team was kind of like this.
I made fruit smoothies a couple times this weekend.
The funny thing is that both days I just handed my daughter a glass, and because she's used to her little brother handing her things to try, she just took a drink without asking.
Then each time I got a wide-eyed "that's really good, what is it?"
The funny thing is that both days I just handed my daughter a glass, and because she's used to her little brother handing her things to try, she just took a drink without asking.
Then each time I got a wide-eyed "that's really good, what is it?"
February 10, 2025 at 12:40 AM
I made fruit smoothies a couple times this weekend.
The funny thing is that both days I just handed my daughter a glass, and because she's used to her little brother handing her things to try, she just took a drink without asking.
Then each time I got a wide-eyed "that's really good, what is it?"
The funny thing is that both days I just handed my daughter a glass, and because she's used to her little brother handing her things to try, she just took a drink without asking.
Then each time I got a wide-eyed "that's really good, what is it?"
-7 degrees out this morning.
Having a toasty warm car waiting for me in the garage and knowing I won't have to stop for gas makes me so glad to be driving an EV :-)
Having a toasty warm car waiting for me in the garage and knowing I won't have to stop for gas makes me so glad to be driving an EV :-)
January 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM
-7 degrees out this morning.
Having a toasty warm car waiting for me in the garage and knowing I won't have to stop for gas makes me so glad to be driving an EV :-)
Having a toasty warm car waiting for me in the garage and knowing I won't have to stop for gas makes me so glad to be driving an EV :-)
Y'know what would be cool? If they made a follow-up to Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door with more puzzles like in the tower area of the Palace of Shadows.
January 19, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Y'know what would be cool? If they made a follow-up to Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door with more puzzles like in the tower area of the Palace of Shadows.
I'm not sure how I feel about having 24 racers at once in the new Mario Kart, knowing that it means I'm going to probably be hit with 4-6 shells within a few seconds.
But I still can't wait to play it.
But I still can't wait to play it.
January 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I'm not sure how I feel about having 24 racers at once in the new Mario Kart, knowing that it means I'm going to probably be hit with 4-6 shells within a few seconds.
But I still can't wait to play it.
But I still can't wait to play it.
Today I was thinking about Decipher’s old Star Trek CCG. I got so much enjoyment out of that game.
January 15, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Today I was thinking about Decipher’s old Star Trek CCG. I got so much enjoyment out of that game.
Supposedly the Switch 2 might be officially announced this week.
I know what I'm most looking forward to is Mario Kart 9.
I know what I'm most looking forward to is Mario Kart 9.
January 13, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Supposedly the Switch 2 might be officially announced this week.
I know what I'm most looking forward to is Mario Kart 9.
I know what I'm most looking forward to is Mario Kart 9.
There are multiple movies that we own in both 3D and 4K and I wish they'd just sell 4K 3D discs.
January 10, 2025 at 7:29 PM
There are multiple movies that we own in both 3D and 4K and I wish they'd just sell 4K 3D discs.
My favorite thing ever is watching my kids’ faces when they open their Christmas presents.
December 25, 2024 at 4:12 PM
My favorite thing ever is watching my kids’ faces when they open their Christmas presents.
My kids and I definitely get my money's worth out of the Switch. But I doubt it's recording everything as the hour counts seem a bit low.
December 19, 2024 at 1:41 AM
My kids and I definitely get my money's worth out of the Switch. But I doubt it's recording everything as the hour counts seem a bit low.
I needed some copies of my books, so I dropped the prices on the paperbacks as low as Amazon would let me and placed an order. I'm going to change them back to the normal price this evening, but if you want a copy for essentially the cost of printing, now's the time..
www.amazon.com/Programmers-...
www.amazon.com/Programmers-...
A Programmer's Guide to Personal Finance (A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science)
A Programmer's Guide to Personal Finance (A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science) [Springer, William] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Programmer's Guide to Personal Finance (A Programmer's Guide to Computer Science)
www.amazon.com
December 11, 2024 at 9:31 PM
I needed some copies of my books, so I dropped the prices on the paperbacks as low as Amazon would let me and placed an order. I'm going to change them back to the normal price this evening, but if you want a copy for essentially the cost of printing, now's the time..
www.amazon.com/Programmers-...
www.amazon.com/Programmers-...
People always say that EV batteries suck in cold weather, so I've been waiting to see how bad it really is.
1/3
1/3
December 5, 2024 at 2:23 PM
People always say that EV batteries suck in cold weather, so I've been waiting to see how bad it really is.
1/3
1/3
This is a fun little diversion. Can you trick the generative AI model into giving you information it shouldn't?
gandalf.lakera.ai/baseline
gandalf.lakera.ai/baseline
Gandalf | Lakera – Test your prompting skills to make Gandalf reveal secret information.
Trick Gandalf into revealing information and experience the limitations of large language models firsthand.
gandalf.lakera.ai
December 4, 2024 at 9:50 PM
This is a fun little diversion. Can you trick the generative AI model into giving you information it shouldn't?
gandalf.lakera.ai/baseline
gandalf.lakera.ai/baseline
I moved closer to work so my commute isn’t that bad…but otherwise, yes, all of this.
December 4, 2024 at 8:51 PM
I moved closer to work so my commute isn’t that bad…but otherwise, yes, all of this.
Driving my wife's car:
Push button to start
Release parking brake
Put in gear
Start driving
Jump from the GPS chirping as it boots up
Finish driving
Put in park
Set parking brake
Try to lock and remember I need to turn the car off
Driving my car:
Put in gear
Drive
Put in park
Push button to start
Release parking brake
Put in gear
Start driving
Jump from the GPS chirping as it boots up
Finish driving
Put in park
Set parking brake
Try to lock and remember I need to turn the car off
Driving my car:
Put in gear
Drive
Put in park
December 4, 2024 at 2:14 PM
Driving my wife's car:
Push button to start
Release parking brake
Put in gear
Start driving
Jump from the GPS chirping as it boots up
Finish driving
Put in park
Set parking brake
Try to lock and remember I need to turn the car off
Driving my car:
Put in gear
Drive
Put in park
Push button to start
Release parking brake
Put in gear
Start driving
Jump from the GPS chirping as it boots up
Finish driving
Put in park
Set parking brake
Try to lock and remember I need to turn the car off
Driving my car:
Put in gear
Drive
Put in park
Crazy that California's problem is they don't have the capacity to distribute/storage all the electricity their solar farms can generate.
www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
California can't use all its solar power. That's a huge problem.
California's solar energy oversupply is providing a boon to Arizona and other states while leaving residents without the price drops they're helping fund.
www.sfgate.com
December 3, 2024 at 8:32 PM
Crazy that California's problem is they don't have the capacity to distribute/storage all the electricity their solar farms can generate.
www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
The board games I most want to play right now are:
Game I've played in the last year: Apiary
Game I've played, but not in the last year: Hansa Teutonica
Game I haven't played: Endeavor: Deep Sea
Game I've played in the last year: Apiary
Game I've played, but not in the last year: Hansa Teutonica
Game I haven't played: Endeavor: Deep Sea
December 3, 2024 at 6:49 PM
The board games I most want to play right now are:
Game I've played in the last year: Apiary
Game I've played, but not in the last year: Hansa Teutonica
Game I haven't played: Endeavor: Deep Sea
Game I've played in the last year: Apiary
Game I've played, but not in the last year: Hansa Teutonica
Game I haven't played: Endeavor: Deep Sea
How does everybody feel about second editions? Its been a bit over five years since Volume 1 of A Programmer’s Guide came out and I’m wondering if it would be worth the hassle to do a combined edition with volume one, volume two, fixing a few typos, and adding a chapter on AI.
December 1, 2024 at 12:08 AM
How does everybody feel about second editions? Its been a bit over five years since Volume 1 of A Programmer’s Guide came out and I’m wondering if it would be worth the hassle to do a combined edition with volume one, volume two, fixing a few typos, and adding a chapter on AI.
I loved Twitter, but the influx of racists lately has just made it more and more unusable.
Just started using Bluesky and my feed is such an improvement.
Just started using Bluesky and my feed is such an improvement.
November 30, 2024 at 10:07 PM
I loved Twitter, but the influx of racists lately has just made it more and more unusable.
Just started using Bluesky and my feed is such an improvement.
Just started using Bluesky and my feed is such an improvement.