Milking... the conversation

[Mistfit]

@ Gyathaar ~ Where did the pic for your avatar come from?

Also give Robert Jordan a bit of a break he's gotta be what closing in of 10,000 pages for that series? He's one of the most prolific writers I can think of.

 

[Gyathaar]

@ Gyathaar ~ Where did the pic for your avatar come from?

Also give Robert Jordan a bit of a break he's gotta be what closing in of 10,000 pages for that series? He's one of the most prolific writers I can think of.

Picture is from Everquest

Yeah, but he keep writing other novels in between instead of finishing the series.. in the beginning it was much better with just a few months to a year between the books

 

[Dianthus]

@ Dianthus ~ What was the final rating for Snow Crash? I've got a couple of others to suggest to you as well but I need to be at home to look at the titles and authors.

I really enjoyed it. I found his style hard to read when not writing dialogue/action, but that has got to be the most original book I've read in ages. Thanks for the recommendation .

reading this thread made me go and check if there is any date for book 11 of Wheel of Time yet.. and there actually is.. 'Knife of Dreams' is due out Oct 11th 2005..
Talk about dragging it out.. almost 3 years after book 10

He did write that prequel book 'New Spring', but I guess that doesn't really count .

 

[Gyathaar]

He did write that prequel book 'New Spring', but I guess that doesn't really count .

Considering he wrote that one before book 9.. no
(it was first part of the novel collection 'Legends' that was published in 1998 and contained novels by several authors)

 

[Moonsinger]

Where did everyone disappear to this weekend?

I was busy invading Russia. That was fun...about 40 of my cavalry armies against Russian spearmans and bowmans. They had over 500 units (about 40% of spears and 60% of bows). I sent out invitation to at least 20 great leaders, but only 3 actually came.

Btw, I'm a fan of the Wheel of Time too. Well, sort of...I had bought books 1 to 9 of The Wheel of Time and they are currently sitting and collecting dust in my livingroom. For some reason, I just could find any time to finish book #1.

 

[Drazek]

[posted in Nov 12, 2003]
My goals in life are to earn a Ph.D in Mathematics, accumulate a post count equal to the total of all the moderators combined and eventually have the top score on the top level.

Hmm, how can you equal the post count now that you are a moderator?

 

[Gyathaar]

Hmm, how can you equal the post count now that you are a moderator?

By resetting all moderators post counts to 0?

 

[superslug]

Hmm, how can you equal the post count now that you are a moderator?

The post count comment was likely a joke, although the other two goals still hold true. The Ph.D. will likely be the easier of the two.

By the way, I'm not a moderator. See any stars?

 

[Moonsinger]

The Ph.D. will likely be the easier of the two.

During my college years, I was shooting for a Ph.D in Math as well. After I graduated with a dual degree in CompSci and Math, I went on for a master in CompSci, but was kind of giving up on Math for good. These days, I usually have a headache whenever someone throwing numbers at me. However, I still dream of going back to school some day to get a Ph.D. in CompSci and may be for another shot in Math.

 

[LulThyme]

Really Superslug? I am finishing my Master's in Math this yearm and will probably start a Ph.D somewhere next year.

 

[Dianthus]

I am finishing my Master's in Math this year ...

I've got a friend with an MA in Maths. I joke with him about it being a fake one as the university he went to gives out MAs willy nilly. All you have to do is manage to stay alive for a year after gaining a BA!

 

[Moonsinger]

I really don't see any benefit in getting a MA or Ph.D in Math. Sure, if you are really good, you can publish a book, teach, or work for the government at a top secret location. IMO, Math is like Art! You do it because it's in your blood, but your arts usually won't be appreciated until after you die. The same with Math, people may remember you long after you die, but no one really care for you while you are still alive.

 

[superslug]

Well, Drazek seems to have gotten a this little conversation going again with that nearly two year old quote. A Ph.D in Mathematics is still in my long range plans. My more immediate agenda does still include a high score on Deity, and also (hopefully) publishing an SF story I've almost got finished.

 

[LulThyme]

I really don't see any benefit in getting a MA or Ph.D in Math. Sure, if you are really good, you can publish a book, teach, or work for the government at a top secret location. IMO, Math is like Art! You do it because it's in your blood, but your arts usually won't be appreciated until after you die. The same with Math, people may remember you long after you die, but no one really care for you while you are still alive.

I agree that a lot of people who do math at this level have a passion. I fail to see how being a prof for example is not a benefit, specially if you love math and love teaching?

 

[Ozymandius]

Nothing beats working at something that you love to do...the tough thing in life seems to be the passing of that passion to others. When in highschool I loved math because it was the easiest of my subjects. However unless you want to do math for math's sake it has almost no application in life. Most people have problem's with arithmetic, multiplication etc. If they can't do their tables out of grade school, they're toast. Simple test.. ask several people what is 10% of a number... if they can't instantly reply... no future in math related stuff because their brain isn't wired for math thinking. The only useful application I ever found was to detrmine how "square" my foundation was when I built my house.
Now if you want to be an engineer..... it is important. I started resenting math-importance attitudes when computers in school were only for the use of math courses.. not to be wasted on applications in social sciences, trends, mapping, earth resources & stuff.... but that is my rant.

 

[Mistfit]

Maybe there is a coralation between the people who like math and their ability to endure Milking a game. I have never enjoyed math and I have no stomach for Milking...MS, SS and LT all into the math thing Super milkers, coincidence???

 

[a space oddity]

I think you're on to something there, Mistfit. I have a degree in Math too, *and* I like milking... (The degree is called Drs, which is a Dutch type of degree, somewhere inbetween Masters and PhD)

 

[Ozymandius]

Is it the search for perfection?.. I would classify myself as a non-mathematician.. social scientist perhaps who just happened to like math.... I hate sloppy maps, waste etc and want to perfect the pattern..what if I had done this instead of that.... like analyzing a chess game... without suffering defeat of course.. perhaps it's the same reason I like speculative fiction/fantasy... what if?

 

[LulThyme]

That reminds me of something funny that happened to me this week.
I will be teaching my first course this fall, and I went to meet the person who will be teaching the other section of the same course to discuss things.
At one point I saw his computer screen and he had a windows open to guess what?
Civ fanatics forums...
I smiled but he didn't notice, and I didn't say anything.

 

[zerksees]

I think I am temporarily cured of Civ. I bought this on June 11 at an estate sale. I have played civ for about two hours since, and it was quite an effort. (Prior I was playing 2 hours a night or more.)

I'll probably finish my current HOF attempt and that will be it for a while.