Explicitly and without apology a marketing vehicle MaryMaryQuiteContrary

We have a winner to Friday Free Stuff.

I am in the process of getting the necessary disclosures before posting that person's name.

Please stop sending in answers.

mary

I have good evidence that you guys -- the readers that I slave for -- are very smart.

But we still have no winner on last week's Friday Free Stuff. What's that all about?

Have I "Stumped the Chump?" (good writers borrow; great writers steal.)

This is the last call...

What does the following function compute?

    // Assumes val is odd
   static int mysteryFunction(int val) {
       int t = val;
       t *= 2 - val*t;
       t *= 2 - val*t;
       t *= 2 - val*t;
       t *= 2 - val*t;
       return t;
   }

I got the question from "Click and Hack, the type-it brothers" .....

...aka Dr. Joshua Bloch and Dr. Neal Gafter. (Did you know they have two JavaOne sessions: One, Two.)

The prize (Duke dolls) ...

... courtesy of Mary.

Friday Free Stuff is not a contest. Mary is giving away something she personally owns to somebody she picks. She pays for shipping. Sun employees can play but can't "win."

mary

Here's a little scoop for you... and please don't say you heard it here...

If you're going to San Francisco for JavaOne...  On the nights of 6/26 - 6/30; anytime between the hours of  8pm to 11pm ...

Go to 5th and Howard (or even 4th and Howard)

And look up.

I think you'll be suprised and delighted.

mary

You scored a trip to San Francisco in June for JavaOne and you're thinking you're going to the land of milk and honey, the golden state, where the Sun never stops shining. ;-)

And you pack.

Wrong.

Here's what you're going to need.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

And to all my friends from the Netherlands who will be cruising San Francisco Bay on Sunday...

...bring a jacket.

First time I went to San Francisco in the summer I thought I'd be snorkeling around Alcatraz. Let's just say I was a little disappointed.

Countdown to JavaOne, people! we're almost there!

mary

p.s. Another first impression I had of California which was shattered when I first visited (and mind you, I was an adult).... I was dumbfounded to see so many regular looking people. I had this impression that all these good looking people lived in California. It's kind of crazy the ideas you can have in your head. Or at least the ones I have in mine.