Yesterday, on Facebook, Gene Spafford posted a link to the ACM Programming Contest results. I commented in reply: “I remember *hosting* the ACM programming contest (SoCal Regional) back in 1981 when ACM ’81 was in LA. It’s one of the ways I met my wife!”
To this, one of Gene’s friend’s replied, “I have to ask — how many ways does it take?” So, I elaborated: “Well, I first met her at the 1980 contest (when she was still married to her first husband, who I knew from the UCLA Computer Club). We got serious as she was breaking up with him after the 1981 contest, and she was taking a class from UCLA Extension.”
Gene, who is one of the most admirable quick wits out there, replied as follows: “Ah, a case of following an indirect pointer to a variable with weak binding, and redirecting it. No wonder you are interested in assurance. :-)”
