One Million Pages Per Lifetime discussion
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2012 in Near... Reading Goals?
My only new year's resolution so far is to read 12 books each month. Well, now that I've thought of school, I also want to keep all my grades at 100, if not over.I'll probably bring in the new year by finishing one book and immediately starting another at midnight. I hope so, anyway! :D
Besides all the wonderful books I'm going to be reading this year, my family and I (plus some aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandma) are going to Chattanooga this summer. My family and I have been before, but it's been awhile, so it should be really fun!
What's got me excited for the new year? Well, obviously everything I've already typed. But also just the fact that it's a new year!
I keep reading right up to midnight on 12/31, then post my annual stats the next day. I then get the first book of the new year going. I don't tend to make resolutions, though every year I pretend I'll get all my tax information into a folder on 1/1.
Not too sure about any resolutions for 2012 yet. One thing for sure though will be to get more active in this group and possibly tangle the 12 x 12 in 2012.BTW, where do I find the books for 2012 to read?
I normally don't make resolutions. For that last two years it has been to not cut my hair except for trim. I would like to grow it out. I'd like to think that I kept to that.I too also want to up my group activity and reading. I'm really excited for the 12x12 in 2012 as well. I really want to get 10 sections done compeletly. I think that is well within my range.
Excited!!! Besides for this challenge I am looking forward to China. Going back, seeing friends, & seeing more of it.
I forgot to mention that for New Year's I'll be hanging out with my grandma. She will be 75 in January!!Well, grammy Mad Scientist got to pick what we will do... So I get to spend the night in a smoke filled bingo hall. *gross* Trying to fight a headache from it. But she is the boss. *crosses fingers* I hope I get to win, just a small pot will be good! Or she does.
Playing bingo sounds like fun, but the smoking area should be separate. You're lucky to still have grammy around. Enjoy.
She is the only grandparent I have.My mom's mom passed before I was born & her father when I was 2.
My dad's dad ran away when my dad was little. My great grandmother past in 97 but she was not grandmotherly at all. :(
So, I like to spend time with her. I did the same thing last year. I thought she would of picked a movie or nice dinner. But Bingo it is. So, I will be the young chick with blue hair in the middle of smoky retirement village. But enjoying every minute.
LOL! I can totally picture that :). It sounds like it'll be lots of fun, though.
You painted a nice picture "Mad" and if it was closer to me, I'd totally join you.
Reading goal will probably be 150 books again.
Lori wrote: "You painted a nice picture "Mad" and if it was closer to me, I'd totally join you."Surprisingly, my tribes casino does a nice party for this. At least the free meal last year was very very good! Plus they give out all the party favors & hats for the count down and noise making.
Erin wrote: "Reading goal will probably be 150 books again."Just slighty over the goal for the 12x12 challenge. Are you planning on participate?
Good Luck and more!
I don't really do the resolution thing, I don't see much of a point on it. Goals however...I'm going to keep my reading goals the same, read 50 books in a year. I exceeded my goal this year, but I don't want to get my hopes up TOO high about doing this again since this was the first time I did it. If I find myself consistently meeting my yearly goal, maybe I should up the count. I should probably also have a goal of buying less than 50 books in a year so I actually read more than I buy... but I doubt that will happen.
Other goals would include getting a good grade in Topology next semester. I'll probably get A's in all the other courses I'm taking, but Topology is pretty hard and I hope I like it since I don't know much about it, since I would like to take Differential Geometry in the Fall.
Other than that, I don't plan on celebrating the new year, it's usually just another day for me. Most of the time going to bed at like 11 or so.
Mad Scientist wrote: "Erin wrote: "Reading goal will probably be 150 books again."Just slighty over the goal for the 12x12 challenge. Are you planning on participate?
Good Luck and more!"
There's a 12x12 challenge? I was not aware of that, what is it?
I am totally in for that challenge... though I know I will fail hehe
No problem, Erin!Adam, don't say that! You never know! You could surprise yourself :). Everyone that's signed up, actually, has said they don't think they'll make it either. But a few of us just might. All of us could really!
Zakiya wrote: "No problem, Erin!Adam, don't say that! You never know! You could surprise yourself :). Everyone that's signed up, actually, has said they don't think they'll make it either. But a few of us just ..."
haha, well it's more of a case of past experience projecting future outcomes. This was the first time in my life I've ever read 50 books in a year! I doubt I'll double it. Not to mention I'll be doing huge amounts of work in Graduate School, so I won't have a LOT of time to leisure read : P.
Adam wrote: "Zakiya wrote: "No problem, Erin!Adam, don't say that! You never know! You could surprise yourself :). Everyone that's signed up, actually, has said they don't think they'll make it either. But a ..."
The best quote for this.... "I'm in college, I don't have time to read". My friend told me this awhile back. I bust out laughing. Don't u read books for class or extra books for more info if you don't get it?
Her reply... "Heck no. If you read u fall behind. Skim baby and know what u need for the papers. Skim or you will fall behind and die".
True & not. I put off all my college work tell last minute bc I'm leisure reading. But I skim the crappy assigned books. I found out I have a problem being told to read. O_o
I do have a degree w high honors in Biological Sciences but I would never recommend my ways to anyone!
Mad Scientist wrote: "I do have a degree w high honors in Biological Sciences but I would never recommend my ways to anyone!"Well, I said I don't have time for leisure reading, which means I can't kill off a lot of books in a week. The stuff for my school is so technical that it takes a LONG time to read. I read everything though, so I am not like your friend. I just don't have time to read a lot of fiction.
In my degree we spend 4 months working through a 200 page book. So you can see why this doesn't allow for getting "a lot done" in the reading department, because it is very slow going.
Oh which book is that? What are working on? I see you have a section in Physics! I build rockets. I'll be curious to see what books you find for that area. A section I find appealing in the sciences is genetic engineering.
I like the topic og Genetic engineering as well :).Adam- I can understand that. I'm dreading law school already.
Mad Scientist wrote: "Oh which book is that? What are working on? I see you have a section in Physics! I build rockets. I'll be curious to see what books you find for that area. A section I find appealing in the ..."
Oh there's no specific book. We get a book per class (like usual), but at the grad level the books aren't exactly long. For example I'm doing Partial Differential Equations next semester and even though the book is 400 pages long, we'll certainly not read the whole thing because there is not enough time. We're lucky to get through 200 pages of these things.
That's cool that you build rockets. What did you do your degree in? If you really want to see what I have for Physics books you should go to my bookshelf, I have a separate category for that. I really hate the experimental side of things, so I wouldn't be the one building rockets, I'd be the one modelling ideas to make rockets better, then someone else would do the actual work. That's what I do for a Physics lab now, only I work on image analysis stuff.
Zakiya, yeah Law is pretty involved stuff. Did you know a lot of famous mathematicians were also lawyers? The people into math in like 1600's and 1700's were into both subjects because law involves a lot of logic and argumentation, which is very similar in nature to mathematics.
Yeah, Genetics is a very cool topic. I am heavily interested in the mathematics behind the subject, but I need to study "Chaos Dynamics" to probably REALLY grasp the models. Biology is an extremely complicated topic and there hasn't been a lot of mathematical study on the subject and there really needs to be a lot more development.
its a pity I can't count all the millions of articles I have to read for my phd...lol!
Adam- Yeah, I'm actually into both as well! I'm wanting to be a tax lawyer, so it fits me perfectly :)
You are talking of text books. Can't say that I ever read one. My anatomy book was opened once. I lost it half way through the semester. My prof asked me to make an appearance in effort at study. *yawn* the class was too easy. I still had most of everything memorized from human bio. I used to bring my knitting to enivornimental class. I need more challenge. I'm taking a break for awhile to teach English in China and so I can pick up another language. 你好美国人。I did a three week course earlier and picked up basic convo and writing & reading.
I completed a degree in Biological & Physical Sciences with high honors. I'm working on three others. History with a emphais on war & touture. & religious studies. You cannot have one without the other. & business management. School is sort of a hobby instead of a need for me.
Modeling, I use a program for that. I'm not the best at coming up with ways to create payloads for the ideas I come up with. I do a try and fail method sometimes. One of the rockets I helped make, it was a team effort, landed in the smithsoian! Surprisingly, I try to use the least amount of math possible. It is my vice!
Z, u will be a great lawyer. I suck at all things I legal.
Thanks, MS! I'm not too great about legal stuff either, but I'm ready to learn!
I already have a degree in Finance, Accounting, and Economics, but that stuff was pretty boring. The real good stuff, for me, is in Math and Physics. Which is an extreme challenge, but I did an undergrad in Math with a minor in Physics in 2 years and now I'm doing graduate school.I can't imagine doing math without reading the text books, everything is so precise. I suppose I see how you could just get away with going to lectures in Biology and learning enough, but not with Math. Physics is the same way, you can't really understand much physics without the math. I didn't really read any of my text books for my business major, it's very simple stuff so I didn't bother reading them.
If you want more of a challenge, and you want to use less math to model rockets, you should try to use MORE math haha!
Zakiya wrote: "Adam- Yeah, I'm actually into both as well! I'm wanting to be a tax lawyer, so it fits me perfectly :)"Ugh, I took a class on Federal Income Taxes, it was the most boring thing I have ever been forced to sit through. I used to say to myself "who would willingly study this stuff?!" Now I guess I found someone... naturally there is demand for the job and if you love that stuff you should do it! haha
Quick to learn you will do good. If u don't find it boring.
Adam wrote: "Zakiya wrote: "Adam- Yeah, I'm actually into both as well! I'm wanting to be a tax lawyer, so it fits me perfectly :)"Ugh, I took a class on Federal Income Taxes, it was the most boring thing I h..."
LOL! I can understand that:). I usually find fun and interesting things in what most others find boring to the bone. Like reading, when it comes to my schoolmates anyway :D.
I'd say! You both would bore me right out of a classroom. Finance! My mom does payroll. Gets paid about 60 an hour in key west and thinks my history is a frivolous waste of time. Perhaps but if I had to sit through 4 years of that crap I think I'd do the polar swim and not get out. Ugh. I already have some business classic done but it's more small business stuff. I wanted to see what I could learn so I can start planning a shop for retirement in the island off the coast of Thailand. LOL! No they were those u need to be well rounded filler classes.
Math, if I have an example I can normally figure it out. My try and fail method has more to do with design. That is were I could use more classes. I do compete through NASA grants but again just a hobby. You'll see my life is just hobbies. I'm not a 40 hour a week gal. I do fun stuff that interests me. Life's short to do crazy, and repeat every week and expect a better life :(
i suck at math...lol! I can explain to you how the physics works, how relative motion goes...but ask me to do the math to prove it and uhhh...lol! but I can look at a radar on the ship and give you a rough approximation of how close the other ship is going to pass
Sometimes the best way to do math is in real life. All the math I've learned in a classroom... I can't say that I've ever used it out of it. Sales I can convert in my head from shopping. Adding together prices as I grocery shop... Bc I'm poor. Saving percent and rate in my head bc I know how much I need to travel, my life's main hobby. Math is no good from a text for me. Thus far.
MS, yes I do the same thing. I only do the things that are hobbies for me mostly. But hobbies can turn into careers.I also differentiate between arithmetic and math as mostly separate fields. Most people aren't a fan of arithmetic, because most people don't have calculator brains. I cannot, to save my life, do things like percent calculations in my head. I don't have a calculator brain at all. But actual mathematics is not dependent on someone's ability to multiply or add, you really just need to know the theory behind what's going on and apply it in certain situations.
For example, I could probably solve your rocket problem without doing brute force tests, which I call the Edison method and I personally find inefficient. One of the purposes of math courses is to stop people from doing those kinds of things.
Lets see. The last problem that took a few different thoughts was deployment of an unmanned vehicle. Which upon landing safely, needed to drive as far away from that landing spot at possible for 2 minutes. The problem was sort of deployment. Mainly getting the vehicle to land on it's 4 wheels and a release mechnism for it's parachute so it would not slow down or snag to a stop.
Wheel problem was solved w modified remote control car that would drive either way it landed. To keep from getting tangled in parachute cords & a smooth release.
Airbrake was another onboard experiment. Which I can see you would be interested in.
Yeah those would definitely be more engineering problems. I've seen a few things those guy do, I'd need an intense amount of detail to do your stuff though. They could be interesting things to solve, I'm not sure. I'm usually not as into the engineering stuff, I do pretty pure mathematical things, even though my degrees are in Applied Mathematics.
I don't know anything about any of it. I just go with the flow. I doubt I would like a whole class on engineering. I make do w google and self learning. I've called my bro twice who is working on a degree in biochemical engineering to get his thoughts. It's not really his area but he def has some interesting ideas. Above my head but fun to implement. Careers... I worked in the Smithsoian for awhile, at a college, and serving. I def love serving over the career jobs. I made more money and worked less and met interesting people. If Travel could be my career I would be sold! ;)
My goal since 15 or so has been to get myself on the history channel. So far I think I'll keep that my goal with a and/or travel and/or discovery channel. LOL!
At this point I just want to be a research mathematician, which basically means being a university professor. That's fine by me. I don't mind teaching anyway.I wouldn't want to be on the History Channel anymore. They put so much BS on that channel now. It's either about war (a legitimate historical study) or Ancient Aliens/Ghost Hunting (total bullshit). I've lost a LOT of respect for them. You're probably better off with Discovery or the Science Channel. Although I saw a Ghost Hunter show on Sci...and that has me worried. But I really just call the History Channel, Baby Syfy at this point.
Baby scifi! LOL! I don't have tv so I'm behind. I can watch programs on war all day. I'm reading about the French revolution right now. If I need to watch something it can Pretty much be found on the net. Going to school to learn how to teach math. I wonder if I would still make more money serving? Hmm... I'll find out if I like teaching soon enough. I need to relearn what the heck a past participle is. Bc the only people who know are 3rd graders & everyone whose native language is not American English. LOL!
haha, i don't have TV either, I just know what's been on that channel the past couple years.I'm not going to school to learn how to teach math. Professors aren't teachers, they're researchers. This is a common mistake. I need zero teaching experience to be a professor, what I need is research experience, that's what's important. To teach something like High School, you do need a teaching degree, this is not true at the university level.
I also have no idea what a past participle is... hehe
Oh I know you don't need a degree for teaching to teach as a professor. Probably why my math professor sucked at explaining how to do something, I'd always leave his office smacking myself more confused then when I entered. Tutors can break down and explain. Then i can figure it out or just look at a sample and go from there. Math... My vice.Hence the lack of eduction credits on my part. I refuse to even attempt one of those classes. They are def not for me. Also why I'll be teaching at a university. Beyound the fact I could never teach anyone like me!
However, I don't need to be a professor to do research, or grad classes. Im just an amazing grant writer. *evil grin* I've done and I'm still doing research on my own. My grad school thesis is nearly done even though i have not applied for one yet. One research project: Recreating amazon black earth, using is mixed w various percentage of lunar soil to try to grow plants for space station garden. Growing in extreme heat for 24 hour to extreme cold for 24 like on the moon to create and extremifile plant. It's been fun to work w botany.
I dabble in everything :/
Mad Scientist wrote: "She is the only grandparent I have.My mom's mom passed before I was born & her father when I was 2.
My dad's dad ran away when my dad was little. My great grandmother past in 97 but she was not..."
I have only one grandparent too and my grandma is 97. She lives with one of my aunts from my dad's side. I visited them today with my mom and younger brother.
Oh, that is wonderful. Grandmother's can be so much fun. At least mine is ;)
Mad Scientist wrote: "Adam wrote: "Zakiya wrote: "No problem, Erin!Adam, don't say that! You never know! You could surprise yourself :). Everyone that's signed up, actually, has said they don't think they'll make it e..."
HAHAHA!!!! That sounds exactly like me...except I didn't really read in college....like anything. I didn't read for leisure or for class. All my classes were problem solving and logic. I like to sit there and try to problem solve my way through things. There were only a couple of classes where I actually read the textbook and understood what was going on without going to class. Which was something I did all the time!!!! I hated going to class. I was like the typical college student that would normally fail, but I didn't. Only way I learned was through homework. Keep working on it until you get the problem to what you think is correct. But that is why I went to school for Chemical & Biological Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering and with a fairly decent GPA considering I rarely went to class (3.3). Might I say this degree used to only have only Chemical Engineering and they added Biological the year I started by adding a couple of Biology courses with about 30 people. Now over 80 people sign up for the classes and about 60 drop out by the time sophomore year comes around. Freshman year has Perky Butt (Dr. Perkins) and she was a great weed out teacher. She is a grumpy lady until she gets you again in lab courses in junior and senior year when she loves you.
This is also why I work in a food manufacturing plant and a supervisor. Initially I wanted to work in pharmaceuticals which I may one day, but I think that what we put into the human body is just as important. Now the hardest part of my job is people managing. Which working retail through high school and college seems to work out for me. People seem to like me and I have learned almost all the different positions in the production side of tortilla making and even some of the simple mechanical fixes on the equipment.
Mad Scientist wrote: "Oh, that is wonderful. Grandmother's can be so much fun. At least mine is ;)"My grandmother is so depressing now. She said some stuff yesterday that made my aunt very mad and think she and my other aunts don't matter. She speaks 100 percent Italian so it's hard for me to talk to her since my dad never taught us any Italian growing up because he only wanted English in the house.
- Personal or Bookish?
- READING GOALS??
Are you apart of a challenge?
How many books do you want to finish?
How will you celebrate bringing in the New Year?
- Quick get another read or get a jump start for the 2012 first book.
- Have someone special to kiss?
Any fun plans for the next year?
- Vacations, someone coming to visit, a favorite author putting out a new book?
Pray tell, what has you excited for this coming New Year?