Older cubers discussions

[MarcelP]

Where is Marcel, anyway? Wasn't this thread supposed to be about him haha

Well, I am a jock so I am very very offended by all this.. NOT... I have been sporting all my life, swimming, judo, karate, kick/tai boxing (look at nose in avatar, been broken twice and points left now). But I have been playing drums from when I was 8 years. I am an engineer (software developer) so I am a nerd. Oh yeah.. this topic is not really about me, more a good place to hang out

 

[slinky773]

That's a lot of sports, haha I'm planning to do fencing this year, if it's of any worth. Also I have a bit of a reputation for being a guy who runs pretty much all of the time, so I run a lot.

Software developer? I actually used to code quite a bit, haha. My favorite language is probably perl, for ease of use. I think perl is probably dying out, though. Make room for python, I suppose.

 

[sneaklyfox]

Well, I am a jock so I am very very offended by all this.. NOT... I have been sporting all my life, swimming, judo, karate, kick/tai boxing (look at nose in avatar, been broken twice and points left now). But I have been playing drums from when I was 8 years. I am an engineer (software developer) so I am a nerd. Oh yeah.. this topic is not really about me, more a good place to hang out

Oooh... a jock AND a nerd all in one! Haha. Of course Marcel, you can't be offended by me because you know how much I like you already.

That's a lot of sports, haha I'm planning to do fencing this year, if it's of any worth. Also I have a bit of a reputation for being a guy who runs pretty much all of the time, so I run a lot.

Software developer? I actually used to code quite a bit, haha. My favorite language is probably perl, for ease of use. I think perl is probably dying out, though. Make room for python, I suppose.

Wow, lots of musicians here. My mom taught music too (piano). I teach violin and piano. Of the string instruments, violin and cello would be my top choices (I hope I don't offend any violists here but for some reason I think of the viola as an inferior violin). I like the cello though and always have this vision that I would have a son who plays cello. I don't know why a son instead of a daughter... but well... I will have 3 chances for that! Ah, I don't think I ever used Perl myself. We used Java when I was in university. Fencing!!! I love fencing!!! I did that two semesters when I was in university and I was pretty good at it too. I think the fact that we've handled bows means we have trained finger dexterity (like, we know how to handle long pointy sticks). It was definitely an advantage for me when I did fencing.

 

[kcl]

blah blah blah

I've seen that too. Smart people that choose to slack off.. It makes me mad. But what do you know, I do orchestra too! I made the second to top group of an organization in the twin cities that runs 6 youth orchestras.. I do it during the school year. Although, I say it's no coincidence that many speedcubers are musicians. Anyone else notice that?

 

[Yellowsnow98]

I've seen that too. Smart people that choose to slack off.. It makes me mad. But what do you know, I do orchestra too! I made the second to top group of an organization in the twin cities that runs 6 youth orchestras.. I do it during the school year. Although, I say it's no coincidence that many speedcubers are musicians. Anyone else notice that?

Well I don't know any speedcubers. There are you guys but I haven't really been here long enough to know any of you guys.

But I have noticed a lot of speedcubers play instruments. Personally I play guitar, bass and drums. I'm self taught and have been playing all 3 for less than 2 years. So I'm not technically very good, but I love playing music. Guitar and bass are very useful for OH (left hand dexterity).

I suppose it comes hand in hand. Cubing and musician-ing seem to attract the same kind of people.

 

[sneaklyfox]

I've seen that too. Smart people that choose to slack off.. It makes me mad. But what do you know, I do orchestra too! I made the second to top group of an organization in the twin cities that runs 6 youth orchestras.. I do it during the school year. Although, I say it's no coincidence that many speedcubers are musicians. Anyone else notice that?

Well yes some very smart people slack off. It doesn't make me mad though. I think it's just a pity but happens a lot. My brother hardly had to study and still got by with top grades. But he has very good memory, unlike me. I only have memory for music! I think there are people who are too smart for their own good. It means they never have to work hard to achieve top grades and things like that but it also means they don't develop a good work ethic so when the time comes (and usually it does come sooner or later), they find it much harder to adapt to good study/work habits. It's sad that this is so... all these brilliant minds not achieving very much. But hopefully they learn to work hard eventually.

Yeah, I did orchestra too at my university but I really do prefer solo playing (with accompaniment for violin I mean). I just found orchestra too time-consuming for one thing... it gets really boring when you have a 46-bar rest and you're sitting there counting the bars and then somewhere around bar 35 of your rest the conductor stops play to rehearse the same section from your first bar of rest. I think there's a thread somewhere about many speedcubers also being musicians. I forget what thread that is though.

 

[MarcelP]

Oooh... a jock AND a nerd all in one! Haha. Of course Marcel, you can't be offended by me because you know how much I like you already.

Noooo, of course. Nothing you will say will offend me.

 

[kcl]

True. I have a director that always lets strings get through like 40 measures of a 42 measure rest and then stops and says to do it again.. Stupid Beethoven..

 

[mark49152]

Hey Marcel, how are you getting on with your Gan3? I still haven't had time to put mine together (work + baby > cubing).

 

[slinky773]

I think there are people who are too smart for their own good. It means they never have to work hard to achieve top grades and things like that but it also means they don't develop a good work ethic so when the time comes (and usually it does come sooner or later), they find it much harder to adapt to good study/work habits. It's sad that this is so... all these brilliant minds not achieving very much. But hopefully they learn to work hard eventually.

IMO, if you are a truly smart individual, you'll realize that a good work ethic is much more important that actual talent or intelligence in many cases. Handel (or was it Haydn? I can't remember) worked hard at it every day to get good melodies into his music. Thomas Edison: "Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration." (if you're a smart individual IMO you'll also take quotes of wise people to heart )

Yeah, I did orchestra too at my university but I really do prefer solo playing (with accompaniment for violin I mean). I just found orchestra too time-consuming for one thing... it gets really boring when you have a 46-bar rest and you're sitting there counting the bars and then somewhere around bar 35 of your rest the conductor stops play to rehearse the same section from your first bar of rest.

I actually was never bothered by that when I was in band, mostly because I enjoy the music.

 

[pipkiksass]

Honestly I think I'm more interested about being a nerd

Being classed as a nerd is very different now from 20, 15, even 10 years ago. When I was at school I was classed as a nerd/geek, which was a big negative. I was fortunate that I'd been at school with some of the jocks since I was about 10, so they always left me alone. Although we weren't friends after about 12/13, there was something there that stopped me being targetted.

Hollywood has made it far more acceptable to be a nerd in recent years. You don't have to look far for a film/tv show with a geek hero. Would NOT have happened 10 years ago!

@pipkiksass: I'm rather curious now which university you attended...?

Oxford. I studied English Literature. Although I have an 'arts' degree, most of my friends were scientists at school, at uni, and also now. I work for a software company as a tester.

I hate to admit that I was always one of the smart slackers. I developed a bad work ethic because I could get away with doing the bare minimum, even at uni. As a result, I find it very hard to get motivated to do anything, and still have no idea at 30 what I want to do with my life.

Genius, in its purest sense, is innate and natural. I often use the example of my best friend from uni, who studied maths. Maths students were given a sheet of 6 incredibly difficult equations to work through in a week. Most were expected to attempt one or two in the whole week. By the time this friend had completed the 5-10 minute walk from his tutorial to my flat, he would have answered all six questions. That is genius - pure natural intelligence. It can't be taught. You can't work at being a genius. None of the other guys on his course, some of the most intelligent maths students in the country, could even get close to him.

I think where the work comes in to the equation is the application of that intelligence, and I guess that's what the Edison quote refers to. The people who history recognises as geniuses are those who are not only intelligent, but who have applied their genius through hard work, and delivered something truly significant.

 

[slinky773]

Hollywood has made it far more acceptable to be a nerd in recent years. You don't have to look far for a film/tv show with a geek hero. Would NOT have happened 10 years ago!

Indeed, just look at The Big Bang Theory, where most of the main characters are "nerds" haha

 

[MarcelP]

Hey Marcel, how are you getting on with your Gan3? I still haven't had time to put mine together (work + baby > cubing).

It is pure awesome.. One of the best cubes that exist. I have made a review unboxing... I will have to do a follow up on that. It is so amazing... I have done about 600 solves on it. It's just the size that I don't like. So I ordered another one and a new Weilong. I want to create the perfect cube by using the Gan core with the Weilong cubies...

 

[kcl]

It is pure awesome.. One of the best cubes that exist. I have made a review unboxing... I will have to do a follow up on that. It is so amazing... I have done about 600 solves on it. It's just the size that I don't like. So I ordered another one and a new Weilong. I want to create the perfect cube by using the Gan core with the Weilong cubies...

Is it better than the weilong?

 

[MarcelP]

Is it better than the weilong?

Hard to say with the size difference. It's better in terms of stability. It's like a Zhanchi without the lock-ups. But I hate that it is small. The bigger the cube the better my look-ahead. That's why I prefer the Weilong for now.

 

[kcl]

Hard to say with the size difference. It's better in terms of stability. It's like a Zhanchi without the lock-ups. But I hate that it is small. The bigger the cube the better my look-ahead. That's why I prefer the Weilong for now.

Oh I can't stand smaller cubes.. Is it true the weilong is quiet?

 

[sneaklyfox]

Oh I can't stand smaller cubes.. Is it true the weilong is quiet?

Yeah, it's pretty quiet. Mine is. Not the most quiet, mind you but pretty good. The Gans III sounds pretty good. I think I'd like to consider another smaller cube for OH... either 54.6mm Fangshi or the Gans III. But... well, I'm not planning to buy any cubes for awhile... not until I'm out of the thick of twins lol... so maybe by then there will be better cubes on the market? Or maybe more reviews to help me decide hehe.

 

[kcl]

Yeah, it's pretty quiet. Mine is. Not the most quiet, mind you but pretty good. The Gans III sounds pretty good. I think I'd like to consider another smaller cube for OH... either 54.6mm Fangshi or the Gans III. But... well, I'm not planning to buy any cubes for awhile... not until I'm out of the thick of twins lol... so maybe by then there will be better cubes on the market? Or maybe more reviews to help me decide hehe.

Quiet enough to avoid disturbing people on a bus or something?

 

[sneaklyfox]

Quiet enough to avoid disturbing people on a bus or something?

Maybe not if you turn at normal speed though it might be ok if it's kind of loud in the bus or if people aren't sitting right next to you. Also depends what you consider to be too loud to disturb others. I don't know if there are any cubes in my collection which I would deem quiet enough to avoid disturbing others in the same room. I normally just practice slow turning in public so as not to disturb others unless the environment is loud or people are not sitting close by.

 

[kcl]

Maybe not if you turn at normal speed though it might be ok if it's kind of loud in the bus or if people aren't sitting right next to you. Also depends what you consider to be too loud to disturb others. I don't know if there are any cubes in my collection which I would deem quiet enough to avoid disturbing others in the same room. I normally just practice slow turning in public so as not to disturb others unless the environment is loud or people are not sitting close by.

Hmm you've seen my turn style right? It can be vicious.. Do you think it's louder than a zhanchi?