The Office

I seriously have the best office in the world! I think any Board writer or reader would love to work in our office. As of right now we only have one Board writer, but he happens to be one of the 'all-powerful editors.' Board conversations flow as normally and naturally over our office staff whether they be about Q&A's posted on the Board (presently or in the past) or about writers identities and personalities. You could say that the Board has been integrated into our office culture for which I am eternally thankful. Because of our connection through the Board to the other employees and through the greater BYU culture in general, we become better employees, filled with the desire to help our fellow man. Plus our office never knows the visitors that may come, such as Tangerine, Krebscout, Uffish Thought, and others!

The white board (not to be confused with 'the Board') receives visits randomly from Board writers who come to the office, where we then, as Board readers, get to enjoy the fantastic Board for that day as well as a personal message just for us. For those of you who frequent our office...you know who you are...our office sends you thanks for making our days at the office a little brighter! Hazzah for the Board!!!

Cookie Dough

Q Dear Wally III [5],

• Is it possible to collect all the cookie dough in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream and actually bake cookies from it?

-Thinks they would be fabulous

A Dear how many cookies do you think you could get out of a half gallon?,

Yes, but I wouldn't recommend it. It is much better in its raw form, just enjoy it. That is cookie dough in general...who wants cookies when they can have the glorious raw egg, trans-fatty, and wonderfully soft tasting dough? Plus think of all the electricity you would be saving? With that you could go buy a half gallon of premium Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

-Wally III [5]

A Dear Thinks they would be fabulous,

See Board Question #31335.

-The [real] Board

First Club Meeting

The first Go Club meeting was a success! Bismark and Tangerine were there and fought an excellent first game. I was playing my good friend James. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures; I had my camera in my pocket, and even had an extra set of batteries...but I had "to go and ruin the ride" and completely forget to take them. Dr. Forcade in the Math Department has some really nice stones and a really nice board, they were really fun to play on. I did get the idea to make some smaller boards that are just 10x10 grids, so that we can use those to get some practice on before moving to the larger board. That would be easier than using one quarter of a larger board. Plus if I am already making some boards in the Woodshop it wouldn't be too much to make a few little ones. I am amazed at how closely the Go club is related to the Board [please note no official connection is/was intended nor actual]. I guess it is because most of the people I now associate with, are also associated with the Board. And you thought the world was small in the Church....HA! let me tell you... Unfortunately the fellow reader who helped inspire me to create the Go club is unable to attend because of her class schedule, but hopefully in the future.

P.S. I am still geeking out that I had a famous Board writer [they are all famous] and a famous boardie at the club. Yippie!

The Making of the Go Board

This has been a long time in coming (see Board Question 30286, Board Question 30753, and Board Question 31038).

Yes there is a Go club on campus! It meets Tuesday nights In the Math Department Commons Room (294 Talmage Building) 6:00-8:00pm. It starts 16 Jan 2007 A.D.

All this Go stuff Made me want to make my own board, so over Christmas Break I got together with a good friend of mine who does a lot of wood work. I wanted to make something basic, as well as something really fancy. So I made two boards. One of the hardest parts was making the legs for the traditional board. I felt a little like 'Wilson from home improvement taking these picture.

My Boards are not finished yet so more Pictures will be coming, also perhaps some pictures from the Go Club itself.

This is us turning the legs on the lathe, and what we made the legs from. They ended up looking really Neato!

1) Me holding what we started with compared with what we made.
2) Sanding the leg on the lathe. (much easier than regular sanding, thus the masks)
3) The beginning of the shaping of the leg!




Pictures courtesy of Splendid.

Mournful Question

Q Dear Lover of the Board [AKA. Wally III],

Why do train whistles at night always sound lonely and mournful? Not so in the daytime.

-Thomas the Train is Never Mournful

A Dear Thomas the Train is Never Mournful,

(I have heard this story second-hand, but have also personally experienced it) It all begins with Women's Conference, I think the real title is General Relief Society Meeting. I know kindof a funny place to start seeing I can only call you werf. Well if you read in the Ensign or watch the broadcast (My only options seeing that I am a male) you will find that all they talk about are positive uplifting things. They tell the sisters how wonderful they are and that they are doing performing their callings to the utmost. Picture now, a husband who wonders what his wife hears about at womens conference. While she is at the meetinghouse listening to the broadcast, he listens in. Speaker after speaker praises the women in general, attempts to lift their spirits, and basically tells them they are going to the Celestial kingdom (perhaps a little exaggeration, but not much). The husband is excited because he knows that his wife is the best wife in the world; he tries to praise her as often as he can, but he knows that this will be great for her to hear the church leaders telling her how good of a job she is doing. He wants to celebrate when she gets home, they can all celebrate what a wonderful wife and mother she is. The husband hears the car in the drive and goes to watch her walk in--oh no! She must have been in an accident, or something equally terrible because it looks like she is crying--it is a good thing the meeting was so wonderful he thinks, she will be able to handle a little stress after having such an uplifting meeting. Imagine his confusion as she comes in the doors wiping tears from her eyes, asking questions like "do you still love me?", and "am I a good mother?" and remarking "I need to be such a better person." Just the opposite is true for Priesthood meeting. We go to the meeting, get a flogging from every general authority, and we come away thinking "I could probably do something better in my life."
Now I bet you wonder what all this has to do with a mournful train whistle...here it is. Is the whistle physically different from Night to day? NO. Does the lack of sunlight cause the sound of the whistle to change at all? NO. So what is different? The idea is different. When it is dark we can no longer see all the landscape, trees, other people (unless they are independently lit), giving the feeling of being alone. Human beings are social creatures; we need our herd. Without such we become mournful, so naturally the train whistle sounding in the dark would sound mournful at night and not in the daytime.

Mournful

1.	feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful; sad.

2.	of or pertaining to mourning for the dead.

3.	causing grief or lament: a mournful occasion.

4.	gloomy, somber, or dreary, as in appearance or character: mournful shadows.

Just like the differences in the people going to different meetings for the Church, if you go in already feeling that you are not doing enough, when they talk about how wonderful you are doing all you can think of is that "I am not there yet." While the men think "I'm all I could ever be and more" going in, when they are sternly rebuked it is tempered into their previous thinking, so they end up coming out thinking "I am doing really good right now, I wonder if I can help someone else who has those problems."
So you see that how we think about it, determines in large measure, what you are going to think about it.

The Mind is Amazing!

-Wally III [5]

Board Questions

Awhile back I stumbled upon a website. It was similar in idea to the Board, but obviously lacking in panache. They didn't even answer every question. They posted all the questions that went unanswered, so I thought I would have a go at some of them. Some of the questions were really funny, and I couldn't help imagining what it would be like if these questions were asked to the Board. [I will be taking a few liberties with the format of the questions. Any resemblance to the 100 Hour Board is not only intentional, but crucial to my experiment.]

Q Dear Ridiculously Addicted Boardie [AKA Wally III] ,

What comes after 999 trillion?

-One who wants to keep counting

A Dear are you joking me?!,

I tried counting to 1,000 once and I got bored at like...actually I am too embarrassed to say. Now to your question...I guess nine-hundred and ninty-nine trillion and one [999,000,000,000,001]--but I am guessing you were really asking "What comes after nine-hundred and ninty-nine trillion nine-hundred and ninty-nine billion nine-hundred and ninty-nine million nine-hundred and ninty-nine thousand nine-hundred and ninty-nine [999,999,999,999,999]?"

In that case it is one quadrillion, which is followed by quintillion, which is followed by sextillion, which is followed by septillion, which is followed by octillion, which is followed by nonillion, which is followed by decillion, which is followed by undecillion, which is followed by duodecillion, which is followed by tredecillion, which is followed by quattuordecillion, which is followed by quindecillion, which is followed by sexdecillion, which is followed by septendecillion, which is followed by octodecillion, which is followed by novemdecillion, which is followed by vigintillion. This is about where it ends for no particular reason, but I am sure the pattern would continue with unvigintillion, duovigintillion, trevigintillion, quattuorvigintillion, quinvingintillion...etc. Larger than that there is a googol 10^100, centillion 10^303, and googolplex 10^(10^100). All of which are extremely large.

I am sure that will keep you busy counting for another 10^361! years. All of this information is readily available on Wikipedia for fast easy access. Happy Counting.

All these numbers remind me of the Count on Sesame Street. he was the coolest. I remember the episode where he was asking a little girl how much money she needed to ride the bus. It went something like this.

Count: [Dracula accent] How much will you need.
Girl: [Very High Pitched Girl Voice] ohhh... Twenty something.
[Dramatic Cord]
Count: Twenty something?! You can't have 'twenty something' it can be [he counts in the dramatic way that only the Count can, as the numbers appear on the screen] 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29.

Yeah Sesame Street was amazing.

-Wally III [5]

The Board?...or the board?

While on holiday I had a chance to hob knob with the Fam. One of my big projects was to make a few Go boards. Every time I would talk about the board I was working on, I would automatically think of the Board, as in the 100 Hour Board. Immediately after saying something like "We just need to finish sanding the board" or "should we use a laser or a woodburner to do the grid on the board", "which board do we want to work on today?", or "should we put miter, or butt joints on the board?"; I would always want to clarify by saying "not the 100 Hour Board, but the Go board".

The Board was HERE??!!

This is what the Board Writers did on their little "field trip" during their Board party. Imagine my surprise when I come into the office and I look at the white board? HA! All I could say was "woah". It is uber entertaining to look at it whenever I go in to work, usually I just start giggling (probably like Tangerine) and read it all over again:-) I just like to think that I work in the same office that the Board writers went on a field trip to. I could even be sitting in the same chair as one of them did!!!!!!!!!! (I am such a geek)

Next Semester

I was talking with Tangerine the other day about next semesters class schedule because I am trying to find a good time for the newly formed Go Club to meet. After a little thought I realized I was thinking about the route I would take in between classes, and since that route would be different from last semester, as well as all the Board writers routes, I wondered if I would meet anyone next term. Then I got all excited. Oh boy! I can hardly wait! Now I just have to find something to do with my Helmet next semester for the heat...

The Greatest Idea of My Life

I am sure that I am not alone in having tons of projects and papers due near the end of the semester. Sometimes the class assigns a really interesting topic, in other classes, where choice is an option, a stroke of genius presents an idea that would be really swell. For me just about every single one of these includes, or starts with the Board. I had to interview someone about their life and how they saw themselves as a person. I was really struggling with coming up with someone interesting, then to use a line out of Hook "Lightning just struck my brain" why not ask a Board writer? I was talking to Tangerine at the time and I thought to myself "How cool would that be to interview her? I wonder if she would agree?" So I asked. HA! She said sure. Talk about motivation for a project and paper, all of a sudden the excitement level for my assignment went through the roof! Interview a Board writer? Wholly Cow! I filled up a whole page of interesting tidbits, I felt just like a boardie interviewing an All-Star Board writer (Shes in the top ten). Sometimes I got flustered and asked really dumb questions that were extremely vague, she was very courteous and asked me to re-ask or re-word the question. I think Board writers fall under the "more-you-get-to-know-them-the-more-interesting-nice-and-knowledgeable-they- seem" category. Granted I know very few, but the ones I do know fit this category. Not to mention selfless, not only do they volunteer their time to answering our questions, but they serve just about every one around them. I felt like a schlemiel--here I am just a new boardie asking a veteran Board writer to help me with my homework? Kinda like a beginner asking an Open Amateur to be dance partners. She graciously agrees. When I get there she is taking a nap. Do I let her sleep? No. Instead I think of something lame to say (yeah like every time I open my mouth), wake her up from her nap, proceed to ask her a ton of nonsensical questions, then ask her to fill out an identity map for herself, and to add insult to injury I don't even have any form of compensation (i.e. Cheesecake, cookies, a stick of gum--for cryin out loud!). Basically I felt like the luckiest boardie ever!

The Boardie Cycle

I believe there are two types of Boarding, neither of which has a monopoly on the 'should be' market.
The first is Group Boarding. This will usually start with a friend telling another friend about the Board, and they enjoy it together. They tell each other when they ask questions, they talk about their favorite writers, and responses. They may even only read the Board when the fellow boardie is around.
The next step in the Boarding process is the Self Boarding. This happens when one, or both, friends decide that the occasional/recreational Board reading doesn't satisfy. They find themselves reading the Board during class, at home, instead of homework, going to sleep, eating, and in extreme cases (I plead the fifth) class. To them the Board is like a cup of coffee (or some other very addictive morning ritual) in the morning, and when they are done it isn't enough. They send themselves into the marvelous archives, acquainting themselves with writers of previous eras, and getting to know the earlier lives (Board lives that is) of their favorite writers today. The beginning of this period is marked by a flood of questions, while as time goes on the questions peter out or die all together because werf now has read the archives, and recognizes the full splendor of Google. Somewhere in this time is also when werf decided to become a writer, and thinks this is the highest station that werf can ever aspire to. The Board has now become an integral and irreplaceable part of werf's life. Werf cannot even comprehend what life was like before the Board; werf constantly thinks about werf's classes in terms of the Board, every relationship is thought of in terms of the Board, and werf then begins to move into phase three, which is actually a modified form of phase one.
The Board can no longer be held within werf. Everywhere werf goes the Board leaks out of werf, no one can come in contact with werf without hearing about the Board and/or being referenced to either "ask it to the Board" or "There was a question about that on the Board...". Some people are driven away from werf (Ambrosia) because werf cannot give up the Board, while others are drawn to werf because through werf's nearly constant reading of the Board werf has gained a new repertoire of witty sayings , and abundant personality. Starting the cycle all over again by introducing new people into the boardie ranks who will then follow relatively the same pattern of events.
This is like growing up...everyone has their own experiences, but some things are almost universal.

On Top of the World

Can you imagine...
You are reading the Board like you do every morning, laughing at the wonderful wittiness that is a trademark of the 100 Hour Board. You are so pleasantly pleased at there being 51 posts; the more posts, the more time can be spent enjoying the wonderful current posts. Then I am informed by my friend, who has already read the Board, that someone asked a question about me...ABOUT ME! I grip my chair a little tighter (so as not to fall out of it) and tell myself, "I can't rush and go straight to my question. It will be so much neater if I can just read the Board like I always do." When I have a question posted for the day, I always try to read the Board all the way through without giving preference to my own questions. Well, on MWF I am at work when I read the Board, things are usually slow so I can read without interruptions. Today things were rather busy, I found myself taking more calls, and helping more people than usual--Agonizingly wonderful--. I figured that the question would be in the middle some where, so I would get back to work, read a few questions, then get called off again. Wholly Cow, I was progressing through the posts maddingly slow, and the closer I would get to the end, I would think "it has got to be the next post....ok, the next one....Argh!" (an excitedly expectant sort of Argh). "What did they say? Who answered it? Argh!" (an 'I'm-so-excited-I-cant-even-speak' Argh). The question is fifth from the bottom of 51 posts. I had to empty the lunch from my brown paper bag, and breath into it so I wouldn't hyperventilate myself. Then at long last I saw the question:-) I felt pretty swell, about as swell as a boardie can feel. I was asked about on the Board, and Board writers were talking about ME! HA! It makes me want make a sandwich-type advertisement board that I can wear during the times I am not in class and walk around the quad letting everyone know about the Board. That might spark a not-so-positive question to the Board about me, but one can never say enough about the Board:-)
I was in a class today where one of my fellow students asked me what was written on my Helmet, I was so proud of it; I told her. She responded "What's so great about that?" and she was serious folks--yup dead serious. I couldn't hardly believe my ears! I thought perhaps she didn't hear me when I said that it was an online repository for questions answered by a voluntary staff of BYU students within 100 hours. Nope. She heard me. I tried in vain help her catch the vision of the tradition, humor, personality, intelligence, prestige, addictive nature, and sheer brilliance that embodies the 100 Hour Board. I don't know if it was her inability to understand what I was saying, or the fact that I was so excited I was probably incoherent. Either way if she doesn't go to theboard.byu.edu she will be missing out on perhaps the best way I know to use werf's time, and probably the best invention for college students EVER!

Board Writer?

I talk pretty big, and I wear a silly hat, but when it comes right down to it I am no good at spontaneous encounters.
A guy walks out of the Talmage building, I am already there because I am waiting for my friend. (Come to think of it this is the second Board experience in that same area) He starts it off by remarking:
"Are you advertising for the 100 Hour Board?"
Being the wonderfully clever chap that I am, I responded brilliantly with
"Yeah I guess." [Long pregnant pause]
This was totally my fault because it was my turn to say something brilliant, funny, silly, anything...nothing came; it was like my mind was shut off, perhaps I was thinking too hard for something.
"Is that a helmet?" he asked.
Ah Ha! now was my time to shine, I've blogged about my wonderful creation, I am proud of it. Now I can really show it off, so I replied...
"Yeah." [Long pregnant pause]
Again this is my fault because the ball was in my court, almost like he was giving me the chance to ask some key questions, or strike up a conversation. I knew that, but nothing was coming; almost like the man had some sort of powerful aura blocking any of my thoughts. Out of desperation I blurted...
"It is indispensable for riding my bike in the mornings and evenings when it is cold."
Yeah when I think of my response I am thinking 'lame, lame, lame'. The fellow looked over all that, and remarked wittily...
"Kinda like the Board, only it is indispensable all of the time."
How can you argue with that logic? Just about one of the truest things ever said. I chortled to myself on the inside, but the conversation was over... he was leaving. Knowing this could be a possible Board writer, or reader I couldn't just leave it like that.
"Have a great day."
Um...yeah...that was the best I could come up with. If the said individual happens to read my blog, I don't even think that sorry can cut it. Perhaps it would be too much to even ask for a second chance, but even in asking I don't know if I would do any better.

On a much lighter note, right after that happened I talked to the Math department and they agreed to sponsor the 'Go Club', and a Professor e-mailed me back that he would be the advisor! Yippie Kadoo! It is all thanks to the Board, and those wonderful writers that give us hope. The Board inspires me.

The Board Trumps All

After thinking long and hard about how wonderful the Board is, and reading a few Board Questions about Googlefight, I thought I would pit two mighty dragons against each other. Google itself vs. The almighty Board. In the one corner we have Google with 9,378 employees, and a net income of $1.47 billion, receiving 1 Billion search requests daily ("I wonder how many of those queries are Board writers researching questions?" -Yellow). In the other corner we have the Board ("a student service organization of anonymous writers who attempt to answer any question set to them within 100 hours. It's fun and informative, and slightly addicting."-Uffish Thought), that has approximately thirty employees (volunteers) , about 1,100 hits per day, and no financial compensation (only cookies:-). The observers to this fight seemed certain of the demise of the Board, but even the Google giant was unable to hold its ground against the power contained within the 100 Hour Board. Now when people tell me that Google is taking over the world I can tell them "ah-ah-ah that is not true, in reality the Board is taking over Google!"

Spreading the Good News

My sister started reading my blog. Perhaps to laugh at how ridiculous I am, or because she has nothing else to do (which can't be true). Either way she got linked up with the Board. It would be a long shot to say she is hooked on the Board, but asking a question is where it all gets started. ....Ah I remember my first question, what a glorious day. The dilemma; do I go with something funny, or an actual question....I don't think it was either, but it was just about the swellest experience I have ever had with "a student service organization of anonymous writers who attempt to answer any question set to them with in 100 hours" (-Uffish Thought) Board. It got me so excited that I wanted to ask a question, but when I got there (to the "Ask a Question" page) the few ideas I had for questions seemed so lame. So I thought I would wait until I had thought of a really good one, but a few of the Board writers caught me (through their neato tracking) on the question page. They made sure I was going to ask a question. So I did. It was super exciting knowing that the Board writers get excited when they see people asking questions:-) What a swell group of selfless individuals giving us more of the only thing we can take with us. To wrap it all up...my sister is the coolest, and I don't think she will regret any of the time spent on the Board.

Spying on the Board

Just last night I was online and happened to see one of the Board writers I knew online, we chatted for a bit (unbelievable that I can actually talk to Board writers in real time), then werf mentioned something about where I was on the Board. In a bolt of inspiration I realized that werf could see exactly who was on the Board, and what they were doing. So I asked. Werf told me!! I wasn't expecting it to be so wonderful, all of a sudden I felt closer to people I had never even met, nor knew who they really are. I guess this is what they are talking about when they speak of the 'new social capital'. I also felt kinda mischievous, like I was in a place I wasn't supposed to be in. I whispered for like an hour after that. HA! All I know is the Board is swell and all you folks who write for it...You are my Heroes!!

First Helmet Contact

Today I was wearing my Helmet (I do so pretty much everyday that I ride my
bike. If I didn’t I would freeze). I was walking my friend to class,
thinking about nothing in particular, just what my friend was saying—then a
girl just as we are entering the door commented on how she liked my Helmet.
Since this is the first time this has happened I didn’t know quite what to
say, about a thousand things flashed through my mind.
"Isthisgirlawriter?DoessheknowwhoIam?Doesshereadmyblog?- Shedidn’tusemy100HourBoardname-Idon’tthinksheisawriter.- ShouldIexplainthatitisafacemask,andthatitsays"100HourBoard"onit?- BoyIlovethe100HourBoard,Iwonderwhatisgoingtoposttomorrow?- Ireadthisonetoday--waitfocusladdiefocus.GoshIdon’twanttomakeher- feelawkward.Myfriendwillbelateifwestoptochat…ohI’vegotit,justsay’thankyou.’”
So I did.

Steve C.

Have you ever had a hero? Or one of those people that you look up to and say to yourself “When I grow up I want to be just like werf”. Steve is one of those guys who is dangerously hip, yet white-ishly nerdy. I was awe inspired at a few movie reviews that he wrote. Between him and Yellow I decided to start my own blog, and it just wouldn’t be complete without Steve in it. If he were to apply to be a writer, in my humble opinion, he would be snatched up almost before his application was in! Yes folks, he is that good. He embodies the traditional qualities of the Board. He is witty, unreplicably funny, and authentically Steveish. I will be sitting in the corner of the office silently reading the Board, until I come across one of those responses that pulls from me one of my wheezy little giggles, then Steve will chuckle at me, roll his eyes in a friendly sort of way, and comment on how addicted to the Board I am. IT IS SO TRUE! I am. He is always encouraging me in my pursuit to becoming a writer, and if the Board has been particularly funny (which means constant wheezing giggles) instead of telling me to shut up he just chuckles at my ability to find humor in the simplest things. Steve C., this is for you!

Inspiration

May I say that Yellow is the man? He was the first one to show me the 100 Hour Board, he was the first Board writer that I knew, his was the first blog that I read, and everyday at work he inspires me with his ability with computers. When ‘Scouting for another tangent to add to the archives’ wrote Board Question #210, and said “Can you run 10 miles barefoot through tacks and eat fire?” I thought it was a joke. No-no it’s all true. After I met Yellow I was just blown away by his shear skills. Although it is true that the Board writers are just students, I would never classify them as ordinary students. Yellow is no exception to the rule, I would not be surprised to come into the office one morning and find him hanging from the ceiling, re-writing our current computers assembling code, re-wiring our CPUs to get another Gigahertz out of them—he is that amazing. Not to mention being personable, nice, genuine, and hilarious. Along with all that, he one of the most enjoyable people to converse with. Both times now that I have met a Board writer he has been there, and both times he was only observing. Gosh! What a swell chap.

Scrabble Board (he he get it?)

You Board writers are so amazing. Even at the expense of your time and health you still make time for your readers. What a selfless group of guruific socialites. The Scrabble game with Tangerine was wonderful; she was very cordial and friendly. I don’t think I have ever been more excited to go meet someone in the ESC to play Scrabble, and I was certainly not disappointed. I started off with a lead, but Tangerine was just playing too well, and quickly overtook me. The only thing that saved me was “Untamed” on a triple word score at the very end of the game, and not only that (it was still really close), I got the opportunity to go out first, so she couldn’t use the last few letters that she had—basically luck. Next time perhaps we should invite Optimistic. so she can get her scrabble game against him , not to mention being ridiculously fun.

I was thinking about putting a mark on my Helmet for every writer that I met…you know like aces on their planes. Then I thought that might be a little much. I guess the writer who read my blog will definitely know who I am on campus now, but then again I bet all sorts of other readers saw the pictures and spent the weekend making similar hats. Blast! I hadn’t even considered that. I wonder who (if any) will be the first to stop me and say “is that really you…Wally III?” which would elicit a response similar to, “Bless your soul. Thanks for being a writer. Which one are you—wait let me guess” accompanied with a hearty handshake, gleeful bursts of laughter, and horribly inaccurate guesses into werf’s alter ego.