Books?
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- Mountaineer
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Re: Books?
More than you ever wanted to know about SAT and ACT tests.
https://www.erikthered.com/tutor/sat-act-history.html
https://www.erikthered.com/tutor/sat-act-history.html
DNA has its own language (code), and language requires intelligence. There is no known mechanism by which matter can give birth to information, let alone language. It is unreasonable to believe the world could have happened by chance.
- vnatale
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Re: Books?
I understand that you CAN go back and forth. But it seems like it'd be totally confusing to go back and forth. Seems like you have to maintain a commitment to one or the other.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2019 10:10 pmNo, you can go back and forth if you want to. I never learned to touch-type on the QWERTY keyboard so that doesn't apply to me, but I understand from others that it isn't a big problem.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:50 pmToday I was doing a lot of spreadsheet work with numbers jammed on the screen and quite tiny. Those were monitor on my right. And, I was looking at those numbers to input them into accounting software on this monitor right in front of me. I will definitely, at some point, acquire what you recommended or something like it to compare that experience to what I am now doing. I know that if I don't keep the whole arms, body, head all in one direction and aligned I'm otherwise going to get physical problems, i.e., pain. Right now as I'm doing this my head is completely level with no need for it to move up or down.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2019 8:09 pm
I don't have to tilt my head up to see most of the screen. I can move my eyes far enough, but of course that depends on how acute your vision is if you're not looking straight ahead.
It will probably take you a lot more than 20 hours to get to reasonable competency with Dvorak, but I've never thought the time to do that was wasted. Just the reduction in finger movement alone when typing English text is worthwhile.
And, here is the book I mentioned. He seemed to get it (and many other things) all down in 20 hours. I do remember, though, that when he was doing it there was a drastic reduction in his typing speed and that may have been for weeks. That would mean I could only start on it until I was not under pressure to be fairly highly productive for a good span of time. Plus, there is no turning back? You don't go back and forth between that keyboard and the current keyboard that we all use? So, all your keyboards would either need to be converted or replaced?
https://www.amazon.com/First-20-Hours-L ... l_huc_item
The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything . . . Fast!
Vinny
As for converting or replacing your keyboards, every version of Windows since 3.1 (I think) has had a Dvorak driver, so you don't actually need custom keyboards. That driver is what I use on my laptop when I'm not at home; at home, I use a switchable Kinesis keyboard on all of my machines, so I don't need that driver.
And, it seems like I'd need to see where the letters are on my physical keyboards even if I am touch typing?
Vinny
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- vnatale
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Re: Books?
I took the PSAT in 10th grade. And, the SATs three times. Maybe all three times my junior year? Where I grew up we had no knowledge of the ACT and I don't think I even heard about it until the ACTs until decade(s) after high school.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
Re: Books?
I've never gotten confused. It's possible to get rusty if you completely neglect one, but switching between them really isn't a problem. I've been primarily on Dvorak for a long time and I think it's great (for what that's worth).
The definition of touch typing is not needing to see where the letters are on your keyboard, so... No.
- vnatale
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Re: Books?
I was definitely on the East Coast (Rhode Island).MangoMan wrote: ↑Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:37 amBack then in the midwest, the ACT was definitely the more popular of the two. Unless you were planning to go to a private school, or one on the E/W coast, many people only took the ACT.
Vinny
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- Kriegsspiel
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Re: Books?
I just finished Liu Cixin's The Three Body Problem trilogy this week, and lo mein and behold! The NYT just published a story about the books and their translator. The books were fantastic, and it appears the translation was a big part of that:
Now, Liu Cixin says, he recommends that Chinese sci-fi fans who speak English read Ken Liu’s translation of “The Three-Body Problem” rather than the Chinese version. “Usually when Chinese literature gets translated to a foreign language, it tends to lose something,” he says. “I don’t think that happened with ‘The Three-Body Problem.’ I think it gained something.”
You there, Ephialtes. May you live forever.
- dualstow
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Re: Books?
@ “lo mein and behold.”
Yeah, that’s supposed to be a great series. Never heard of something getting better in translation. I mean, my Italian buddy always insisted Twin Peaks was better in Italian, but...he’s Italian.[shadow][/shadow]
Yeah, that’s supposed to be a great series. Never heard of something getting better in translation. I mean, my Italian buddy always insisted Twin Peaks was better in Italian, but...he’s Italian.[shadow][/shadow]
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Re: Books?
I'm pretty sure Caesar's "Gallic Wars" loses something in the original.
Or at least that's how I remember it from my junior high school Latin class.
- dualstow
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Re: Books?
Hard to find a native speaker to comment on that. Even Rome didn’t have any.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:33 pmI'm pretty sure Caesar's "Gallic Wars" loses something in the original.
Or at least that's how I remember it from my junior high school Latin class.
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Re: Books?
Even Rome didn't have native speakers of Latin?dualstow wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 5:21 amHard to find a native speaker to comment on that. Even Rome didn’t have any.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:33 pmI'm pretty sure Caesar's "Gallic Wars" loses something in the original.
Or at least that's how I remember it from my junior high school Latin class.
Does that mean my Latin classes wouldn't help me in Latin America?
- dualstow
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Re: Books?
Romans spoke Vulgar Latin, very different.
Mm, your Latin classes should help a great deal with vocabulary (roots), but not so much ordering food or asking directions.
As you well know.
Mm, your Latin classes should help a great deal with vocabulary (roots), but not so much ordering food or asking directions.
As you well know.
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- vnatale
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Re: Books?
Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Books?
I've been thinking about buying this book. I already knew about it because I listen to his podcasts sometimes.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:00 am Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
- vnatale
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Re: Books?
From what I've learned about you so far I'd be shocked if it did NOT appeal to you. But to convince yourself, first watch the above interview with him and you'll know exactly what the book is all about.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:16 amI've been thinking about buying this book. I already knew about it because I listen to his podcasts sometimes.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:00 am Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
Re: Books?
This is going to be a weird contribution, but I did not genuinely fall in love with math until I read the work of Ivan Savov.
https://www.amazon.ca/No-bullshit-guide ... 601&sr=8-2
His books really made me realize how fascinating math truly is. Math is the language for ascertaining what the truth of a given matter is. Basically the strictest form of reasoning that we have.
And when it is taught in plain english, it "takes" in the mind like an engrossing novel or a great movie.
https://www.amazon.ca/No-bullshit-guide ... 601&sr=8-2
His books really made me realize how fascinating math truly is. Math is the language for ascertaining what the truth of a given matter is. Basically the strictest form of reasoning that we have.
And when it is taught in plain english, it "takes" in the mind like an engrossing novel or a great movie.
MM
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- vnatale
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Re: Books?
MUST be a good one as it still has a fairly high used price for a 5 year old book!Smith1776 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:52 pm This is going to be a weird contribution, but I did not genuinely fall in love with math until I read the work of Ivan Savov.
https://www.amazon.ca/No-bullshit-guide ... 601&sr=8-2
His books really made me realize how fascinating math truly is. Math is the language for ascertaining what the truth of a given matter is. Basically the strictest form of reasoning that we have.
And when it is taught in plain english, it "takes" in the mind like an engrossing novel or a great movie.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Books?
I know what it's about because he has described it on one or more of his podcasts.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:05 pmFrom what I've learned about you so far I'd be shocked if it did NOT appeal to you. But to convince yourself, first watch the above interview with him and you'll know exactly what the book is all about.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:16 amI've been thinking about buying this book. I already knew about it because I listen to his podcasts sometimes.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:00 am Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
Vinny
I have two reservations about it:
1. It's too expensive for a Kindle book at $13.99.
2. He gets over his skis sometimes in thinking he is analyzing issues logically when his analysis is full of holes.
On the positive side, I see that the negative reviews on Amazon were obviously written by numbskulls.
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Re: Books?
Actually programming is even stricter because it is subjected to the judgment of a machine that pays no attention to what you wanted it to do, only what you told it to do. It's more likely that a mathematical proof is wrong than that a computer doesn't do what you told it to do.Smith1776 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:52 pm This is going to be a weird contribution, but I did not genuinely fall in love with math until I read the work of Ivan Savov.
https://www.amazon.ca/No-bullshit-guide ... 601&sr=8-2
His books really made me realize how fascinating math truly is. Math is the language for ascertaining what the truth of a given matter is. Basically the strictest form of reasoning that we have.
And when it is taught in plain english, it "takes" in the mind like an engrossing novel or a great movie.
- dualstow
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Re: Books?
Cool. I wanted to buy ‘The Number Devil’, but decided I was too old for it. The Savov book might be right for me.Smith1776 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:52 pm This is going to be a weird contribution, but I did not genuinely fall in love with math until I read the work of Ivan Savov.
https://www.amazon.ca/No-bullshit-guide ... 601&sr=8-2
His books really made me realize how fascinating math truly is. Math is the language for ascertaining what the truth of a given matter is. Basically the strictest form of reasoning that we have.
And when it is taught in plain english, it "takes" in the mind like an engrossing novel or a great movie.
Re: Books?
I fear this may lead down to a debate that would be ultimately circular.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:56 pmActually programming is even stricter because it is subjected to the judgment of a machine that pays no attention to what you wanted it to do, only what you told it to do. It's more likely that a mathematical proof is wrong than that a computer doesn't do what you told it to do.Smith1776 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:52 pm This is going to be a weird contribution, but I did not genuinely fall in love with math until I read the work of Ivan Savov.
https://www.amazon.ca/No-bullshit-guide ... 601&sr=8-2
His books really made me realize how fascinating math truly is. Math is the language for ascertaining what the truth of a given matter is. Basically the strictest form of reasoning that we have.
And when it is taught in plain english, it "takes" in the mind like an engrossing novel or a great movie.
Since a computer’s reasoning is also entirely mathematical it’s basically one expression of math vs another.
Either way, I love both fields!
MM
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- vnatale
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Re: Books?
I'd be interested in hearing when you think his analysis is full of holes.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:53 pmI know what it's about because he has described it on one or more of his podcasts.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:05 pmFrom what I've learned about you so far I'd be shocked if it did NOT appeal to you. But to convince yourself, first watch the above interview with him and you'll know exactly what the book is all about.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:16 amI've been thinking about buying this book. I already knew about it because I listen to his podcasts sometimes.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:00 am Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
Vinny
I have two reservations about it:
1. It's too expensive for a Kindle book at $13.99.
2. He gets over his skis sometimes in thinking he is analyzing issues logically when his analysis is full of holes.
On the positive side, I see that the negative reviews on Amazon were obviously written by numbskulls.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Books?
I don't recall a specific incident of that but I'll take note of it the next time it happens.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:19 pmI'd be interested in hearing when you think his analysis is full of holes.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:53 pmI know what it's about because he has described it on one or more of his podcasts.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:05 pmFrom what I've learned about you so far I'd be shocked if it did NOT appeal to you. But to convince yourself, first watch the above interview with him and you'll know exactly what the book is all about.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:16 amI've been thinking about buying this book. I already knew about it because I listen to his podcasts sometimes.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:00 am Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
Vinny
I have two reservations about it:
1. It's too expensive for a Kindle book at $13.99.
2. He gets over his skis sometimes in thinking he is analyzing issues logically when his analysis is full of holes.
On the positive side, I see that the negative reviews on Amazon were obviously written by numbskulls.
Vinny
Edit: Here's an example from a comment that another commenter made, about a recent podcast of his (https://youtu.be/qT-dwjVR49I)
"My comments today are about your comments yesterday, You actually stated the the Gulf of Tonkin and the Weapons of Mass Destruction were just simple mistakes, They were CIA operations that were purposeful lies. Both caused millions of deaths and cost the American taxpayers billions of dollars and left dead and wounded thousands of Americans and people from other countries."
- vnatale
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Re: Books?
I just finished reading it. Here is what he closed with:Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:53 pmI know what it's about because he has described it on one or more of his podcasts.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:05 pmFrom what I've learned about you so far I'd be shocked if it did NOT appeal to you. But to convince yourself, first watch the above interview with him and you'll know exactly what the book is all about.Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:16 amI've been thinking about buying this book. I already knew about it because I listen to his podcasts sometimes.vnatale wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:00 am Tonight started and have read 65% of: Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America Hardcover – November 5, 2019.
I think it would appeal to many here.
You can also watch the interview with him here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?466664-1/ ... ng-america, which is how I discovered the book today.
Vinny
Vinny
I have two reservations about it:
1. It's too expensive for a Kindle book at $13.99.
2. He gets over his skis sometimes in thinking he is analyzing issues logically when his analysis is full of holes.
On the positive side, I see that the negative reviews on Amazon were obviously written by numbskulls.
cience tells us that people retain only a small part of what they learn, so I will close by telling you which parts you should try hardest to remember.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
Don’t engage in mind reading. It isn’t a human skill.
Think of your ego as a tool, not your identity. Track your predictions to build up some useful humility about your worldview. Put yourself in embarrassing situations regularly to teach yourself there is no lasting pain.
The past no longer exists. Don’t let your attachment to the past influence your decisions today.
If you haven’t mentioned the next best alternative to your proposed plan, you haven’t said anything at all, and smart people would be wise to ignore you.
If you are arguing over the definition of a word instead of the best way forward, you are not part of the productive world.
If you are sure one variable is all you need to grasp a complicated topic, the problem is probably on your end.
Occam’s razor (the idea that the simplest explanation is usually correct) is utter nonsense in the way it is commonly employed. We all think our
opinions are the simplest explanations.
Fairness cannot be obtained in most cases because of its subjective nature. The closest you can get is equal application of the law.
If your argument depends on that one time something happened, you do not have an argument. You have a story.
If your argument depends entirely on the so-called slippery slope, you don’t have much of an argument. Everything changes until there’s a reason for it to stop. Mowing your lawn is not a slippery slope to shaving your dog.
Coincidences usually mean nothing. And they are the fuel of confirmation bias. If your argument depends entirely on not knowing how else to explain coincidences, you have a poor imagination, not an argument. Coincidences might tell you where to look first for confirmation of a theory, but that is as far as they can go.
Avoid halfpinions that ignore either the costs or the benefits of a plan.
Don’t use analogies to predict. Look to causes and effects.
Don’t judge a group by its worst 5 percent. If you do, you’re probably in the worst 5 percent of your own group.
Understand the limits of expert advice, and be skeptical of experts who have financial incentives to mislead.
Those are the most powerful points to take away, but I hope you find value in the rest of the book as well and refer to it often. I also hope you find a reason to gift it to someone in your life who could benefit from more productive ways of thinking.
Thank you for reading my book!
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Books?
This is still your recommendation?Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2019 11:48 am23"? I haven't used a monitor that small for years. I'm currently using a 4K 55" monitor.
Here's what I would probably buy today, for under $400:
https://www.costco.com/samsung-55%22-cl ... 55707.html
I'm about to get a new office computer (with an CPU three times faster than the i5 in my current computer). Would make sense to upgrade the two 23" monitors to two monitors much larger.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."