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Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

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  • #271
    Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

    Originally posted by The Rube View Post
    I was an AP kid. Took the tests, jumped through the hoops. Meh. Thankfully I found that out before I fully dove into the pool of white collar. I'd have hanged myself by now (virtually, I'd never literally take that route). I learned what "real" learning was, found my path, and followed it.
    I was well on my way to being a lawyer before I figured it out. Some of us are just smart enough to catch on right before we're smashed on the rocks below. I raise a glass to a fellow survivor. Na zdravi!
    Last edited by Kepler; 05-04-2020, 10:20 PM.
    Cornell University
    National Champion 1967, 1970
    ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
    Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

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    • #272
      Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

      Originally posted by Kepler View Post
      bless their granite countertop hearts.
      Nice.

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      • #273
        Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

        Originally posted by Kepler View Post
        I was well on my way to being a lawyer before I figured it out. Some of us are just smart enough to catch on right before we're smashed on the rocks below. I raise a glass to a fellow survivor. Na zdravi!
        Slainte!

        "Just" smart enough is indeed the right term. Intelligence just depends on the parameters. The best cops in the world? They think in a certain way. Same with the best criminals. Or sports agents. Or lawyers. The different mindsets are truly amazing.
        Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
        Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

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        • #274
          Originally posted by Kepler View Post
          I was well on my way to being a lawyer before I figured it out. Some of us are just smart enough to catch on right before we're smashed on the rocks below. I raise a glass to a fellow survivor. Na zdravi!
          Do you ever wonder if you could have had a bigger impact improving society if you’d have stayed the original course rather than working for military contractors, or whatever you do?
          That community is already in the process of dissolution where each man begins to eye his neighbor as a possible enemy, where non-conformity with the accepted creed, political as well as religious, is a mark of disaffection; where denunciation, without specification or backing, takes the place of evidence; where orthodoxy chokes freedom of dissent; where faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win or lose.

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          • #275
            Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

            Originally posted by SJHovey View Post
            Do you ever wonder if you could have had a bigger impact improving society if you’d have stayed the original course rather than working for military contractors, or whatever you do?
            Cog in the machine, I'm guessing. No insult to Kep. Just the way the world works.
            Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
            Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

            Comment

            • #276
              Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

              Originally posted by The Rube View Post
              There is remembering, and then there is learning.
              I would say it's there are wind-up toys and there are self-guiding missiles. The rote memory / think for yourself distinction comes earlier -- it separates the bottom 70% from the top 30%. That gets you your honors students. They can all think for themselves. But. Can they extrapolate and see the working of thinking itself?

              Example:

              Read any poem by Yeats and try not to think about his antisemitism. FFS, Yeats, srsly? Anyway.

              The dummies won't be able to handle it at all. They'll either try to eat the book or light it on fire to impress another dummy. We have now discarded 50% of the population of the average high school. MAGA!

              The mediocre kids will be able to remember the poem is by Yeats, and that he uses irony here, metonymy here, antistrophe here, and synecdoche (which I always have to look up -- it's referring to a part by its whole or vice versa. That's right!) here, because the teacher said so. Put them aside, we're down to the 30% in honors.

              The honors kids will be able to identify irony, metonymy, antistrophe, and synecdoche in a different poem, even in an extremely different form, because they now understand the definition of these terms. This is where the kids jump from "remembering" to "learning." That's what I mean by wind up toys -- these are the kids who are commonly referred to as bright. What they are is coherent with the community standard of intellect. They are good doggies. Send them off the college. We're down to 10%.

              Now it gets interesting. The 10% can do everything the other 90% can (these are aggregating categories) but they can also identify brand new techniques and tricks that a poet uses without ever being told about them. They can't name them of course because names are arbitrary pointers. But they can "see" the constellation of intent, poise, style unfolding from the words. These are the smart kids. They get beat up a lot. Salieri is the ur-smart kid. C'est moi, c'est moi, tis I.

              And then there are the 0.01% who can do all this and also create utterly new things. They can make new meta-patterns where none existed. These I will call geniuses. I've met maybe a dozen because I have been very, very fortunate in who I've gotten to hang around with. 1 in 10,000 seems about right to me but nobody knows. More in NY, fewer in MS. These are the Mozarts. And of course our culture, like all cultures before, leaves 99% of them to die destitute and be laid (lain? I forget) in a potter's field or, worse, work 9-5 at an insurance company.
              Last edited by Kepler; 05-04-2020, 10:48 PM.
              Cornell University
              National Champion 1967, 1970
              ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
              Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

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              • #277
                Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                Originally posted by SJHovey View Post
                Do you ever wonder if you could have had a bigger impact improving society if you’d have stayed the original course rather than working for military contractors, or whatever you do?
                Only every second.

                No joke: my positive impact on the world consists of two things. Micro: I helped raise and nurture a wonderful human being who now goes out into the world and makes it better just by being. Before I met her Dr. Mrs. gave birth to a f-cking sunbeam and I helped her become an adult human being. Macro: I am Dr. Mrs' helpmate, emotional support, and sounding board. She really does have an impact. For example, every work day for the last 3 years she has been laboring hard to make sure that both government and the private sector face strong resistance whenever they try to intrude upon your privacy and/or civil liberties. She's a actual f-cking hero both in the immediate fight against Nazism and in the endless battle to keep bailing out our little democratic dingy so it isn't overwhelmed by the rough seas of tyranny, both state and corporate.

                But I have never been able to marry employment to anything worthwhile, and that makes me personally a failure as a job holder. Yes, I am aware of this every minute. It is my cowardice and lack of imagination.

                My original original course was academia: leaving that is my only regret in life that doesn't involve Dwight Gooden in some fashion. I've never for a second regretted leaving law school. I'd be a corpse by now. I am exactly that guy you hear about who bills 3200 hours and walks in front of a subway train one night. Although I'd probably just have been at Cantor Fitzgerald that morning.
                Last edited by Kepler; 05-04-2020, 10:57 PM.
                Cornell University
                National Champion 1967, 1970
                ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
                Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

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                • #278
                  Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                  Originally posted by Kepler View Post
                  Only every second.

                  No joke: my positive impact on the world consists of two things. Micro: I helped raise and nurture a wonderful human being who now goes out into the world and makes it better just by being. Before I met her Dr. Mrs. gave birth to a f-cking sunbeam and I helped her become an adult human being. Macro: I am Dr. Mrs' helpmate, emotional support, and sounding board. She really does have an impact. For example, every work day for the last 3 years she has been laboring hard to make sure that both government and the private sector face strong resistance whenever they try to intrude upon your privacy and/or civil liberties. She's a actual f-cking hero both in the immediate fight against Nazism and in the endless battle to keep bailing out our little democratic dingy so it isn't overwhelmed by the rough seas of tyranny, both state and corporate.

                  But I have never been able to marry employment to anything worthwhile, and that makes me personally a failure as a job holder. Yes, I am aware of this every minute. It is my cowardice and lack of imagination.
                  That's not cowardice. That is contributing in the way that you can contribute. Using the best of your talents AND still maintaining personal balance. COULD you do more? Maybe. But at what cost?
                  Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                  Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                  Comment

                  • #279
                    Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                    Originally posted by The Rube View Post
                    Cog in the machine, I'm guessing. No insult to Kep. Just the way the world works.
                    Not even a cog. Whatever those tiny teeth on a verge escapement are called.

                    (They're probably called "cogs." )
                    Cornell University
                    National Champion 1967, 1970
                    ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
                    Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

                    Comment

                    • #280
                      Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                      Originally posted by The Rube View Post
                      That's not cowardice. That is contributing in the way that you can contribute. Using the best of your talents AND still maintaining personal balance. COULD you do more? Maybe. But at what cost?
                      It's embarrassing. Every day without a MacArthur fellowship* is another day of failing. Ever get the feeling you missed a turn?

                      Anyway, I am long past the days of wanting to gorge out (thanks, Dr. Mrs.) and not quite as long past the days of self-medicating to make it sleep for a while (thanks, me) so, as you say, it could be worse.

                      * Perhaps a different list? No, I still seem to have been overlooked.
                      Last edited by Kepler; 05-04-2020, 11:11 PM.
                      Cornell University
                      National Champion 1967, 1970
                      ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
                      Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

                      Comment

                      • #281
                        Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                        Originally posted by Kepler View Post
                        Not even a cog. Whatever those tiny teeth on a verge escapement are called.

                        (They're probably called "cogs." )
                        *chuckles* I think we are on the same page here.
                        Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                        Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                        Comment

                        • #282
                          Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                          Originally posted by Kepler View Post
                          It's embarrassing. Every day without a MacArthur fellowship is another day of failing. Ever get the feeling you missed a turn?
                          Rusty: You scared?

                          Linus: You suicidal?

                          Rusty: Only in the morning.

                          Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                          Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                          Comment

                          • #283
                            Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                            Originally posted by The Rube View Post
                            Rusty: You scared?

                            Linus: You suicidal?

                            Rusty: Only in the morning.

                            Source?
                            Cornell University
                            National Champion 1967, 1970
                            ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
                            Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

                            Comment

                            • #284
                              Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                              Originally posted by Kepler View Post
                              Source?
                              Really? REALLY? The first remake of Ocean's 11? It's a solid movie, man.
                              Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                              Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                              Comment

                              • #285
                                Re: Headline News Thread II: Meanwhile...

                                Originally posted by The Rube View Post
                                Really? REALLY? The first remake of Ocean's 11? It's a solid movie, man.
                                I've seen it. My bad, Rusty (Staub) and Linus (van Pelt) are burned in my firmware.

                                I really like all the Clooney Ocean's 11 movies. They are perfect garbage summer movies. Absolutely no thinking whatsoever. Gloriously!
                                Cornell University
                                National Champion 1967, 1970
                                ECAC Champion 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
                                Ivy League Champion 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020

                                Comment

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