Philotic Web

I'm no where near good enough in math to take a math AP exam.

Here's a random question I've been thinking about lately: if you could make everyone in the world read one book, which would it be?

This isn't the same as "what's your favorite book," because you might really enjoy a book but not think it's as important as another one. And it's not the same as "what do you think is the most important book," because you might want to change everyone's opinion about a single issue.

I couldn't think of one that wasn't just "because I like it a lot and think everyone else would enjoy it, too."

Or you might want to force everyone to read a terrible book.

When I first read the question my instinctive answer was "The Little Prince" because it's about what I think is really important in life.

Twilight.

When I first read the question my instinctive answer was "The Little Prince" because it's about what I think is really important in life.

I love that book. A lot.

I have this ridiculous Chipotle t-shirt that's a burrito in a snake.

Or you might want to force everyone to read a terrible book.

Twilight.

Hmm, nice.

Twilight.

This was my thoughts exactly, though I fear too many girls would enjoy themselves.

I think I'd make everyone read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis because it's a) hilarious and awesome and it would b) cause Connie Willis to have to do a world tour and I could MEET HER.

Does the Bible count?

Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman.

When I first read the question my instinctive answer was "The Little Prince" because it's about what I think is really important in life.

I love that book. A lot.

I have this ridiculous Chipotle t-shirt that's a burrito in a snake.

Are you sure it's not just a hat? : P

Does the Bible count?

Totally. I figured at least someone would pick it.

Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman.

Big surprise there!

These are very interesting answers, though.

Big surprise there!

I've actually been meaning to start a thread on the Ten Most Influential Books of Pwebbers, wherein we all list our ten most influential books, when we first read them, why and how they influenced us, etc. I've had the idea for several months, now, but I'm still working on my own list and didn't want to start the thread until I was finished. :-p

ETA: Which means you're all on notice. Start thinking about it!

Human, did you take the Calculus BC AP Exam?

I've heard from pretty much everyone in my school that the free-response questions were tough shiz.

Also, did you take the English LIt one?

Sorry, I'm late. I've been at the National BPA competition at Anaheim, CA since Tuesday, so I have only taken the government AP test, which was pretty easy. I'll be taking the make up stat, calc, and lit tests the week after this one. I can tell you about them, then? But they're different tests. So I'm not sure that will help.

I just want to let you know that I used something you said on this forum in one of my essays, when I was writing about Invisible Man.

Aww, I feel so influential!

This specific quote you said stuck in my mind

It's awesome because what makes the paint white? The black drops put in it. What pushes whites to the highest point in society in this book? Their dominance over the black society

Thanks! I have a knack for remembering random things.

Buckshot, I've been wondering for a while why you put a space between the end of a phrase and the punctuation, like ! or ?. I thought you were American, but that's such an ESL thing to do...

It's also fairly typical of older printed texts.

Maybe... buckshot is a time-travelling Victorian, posing as a simple farmer!?

Having reached this conclusion, I can only assume anything stated to the opposite is, in fact, part of the conspiracy, and I shall never be dissuaded.

Nicole, what is your new avatar?

Nicole, what is your new avatar?

(Evil version) Eva, from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni.

If you like anime, I highly recommend it - but I recommend Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni first

How come you keep posting your posts twice?

I've seen that a lot, recently, when people post to forums from iPod touch / iPhones..

I'm guessing that is it..

How come you keep posting your posts twice?

Gotta join that 1000 post club somehow :-p LOL

Nah, Dan's right...it seems to be a smart phone thing. Gotta look for where else I did that..

(Evil version) Eva, from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni.

If you like anime, I highly recommend it - but I recommend Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni first

Yeah, the former's already on my list. I'll add the ladder now, too, I suppose.

(Evil version) Eva, from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni.

If you like anime, I highly recommend it - but I recommend Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni first

Yeah, the former's already on my list. I'll add the ladder now, too, I suppose.

You should. Brilliant shows, both of em.

Love 'em both.

My parents' first Christmas tree as a married couple was named Ichabod. It was apparently a sorry sight.

You... you name your Christmas trees?

It's not a common occurrence. I suspect the naming of that one is a testament to its tragic appearance.

Warning: I'm responding to an entire 11-page thread in one massive post.

I have questions...
Everyone:
How did you find this site?
What novel turned you on to the Bean/Enderverse?
What about that novel did you like?
How old were you when you read that novel?
Did it mean something to you the first time you read it? or did it take a few reads?
If you read EG first did you read EShadow or Speaker next?

I found this site by Googling for "enderverse forum". I read Ender's Game at 14 in 1995, followed by Speaker because Children of the Mind wasn't even written yet, let alone the Shadow series. I'd been reading crappy kids sci fi before Ender's Game, stuff like choose your own adventure books and R. L. Stein and novelizations of Star Trek episodes, that kinda crap. So the thing that really struck me was the depth and complexity of it. I'd never had trouble understanding a book before, never just stopped to think about it just to be able to understand it, never needed time to process. Xenocide was my favorite at the time (the brutality in Speaker dropped it to 3rd of 3 in my then-ranking). In Xenocide, for the first time in my life, I actually backtracked to reread parts in order to understand what was being said. I didn't even know books could do that. I'd read the trilogy at least twice and changed my reading style forever before I'd heard Children came out about a year later.

I will always love that first trilogy more than any other franchise.

I mostly liked it because the kids in the novel were just so much smarter than me, and I thought I was pretty damn smart

This, too.

What about names?

Psudo is an intentional misspelling of "pseudo" and is pronounced the same. I wanted an online alias near the end of High School; something short, simple, rare enough to be often available, and that said something about the duel online/offline nature and anonymity of internet identities. Also, it contains "sudo", the linux command to do something with more authority than your current identity can. If I could've predicted that GMail (and various other sites) would require 6+ character names, I would've used the correct spelling.

"I can't read this. It has a spaceship on the cover!"

A true lol!

On a typical work/school day at what times do you get up and go to bed?

I get up at 8p to be at work at 10p. I get home at 7:20a and go to sleep some random number of hours later. Today that random number is far too late, so I'm gonna be tired tomorrow morning. I'd prefer a schedule where I'd be waking up when I'm currently going to sleep. =]

I find it rather amusing that it takes me fifteen minutes to shower, shave, get dressed, and be out the door. Then, I look at Rei's post and he gets up two hours before he needs to be anywhere. The different lives we lead.

It can take me up to an hour to get from the alarm going off to maintained conscious awareness of my environment. I typically spend this time in the shower trying to remember if I've shampooed my hair yet or just dreamed I did. I once got into the shower still wearing the hat I forgot to take off when I went to bed. The two hours are necessary.

What's your highest level of education and do you see yourself getting more?

Some college, no degree. No; I can't stand college education. I read lots of non-fiction these days, especially about philosophy and good governance, and I occasionally learn a new computer programming language. That's my continuing education.

I don't think I've ever felt so little before, sitting here looking at everyone's success in careers they enjoy and whatnot. [...] Someone make me succesful.

I'm 29 and work an entry-level job at Walmart. Feel better?

do you wear contacts glasses or neither?

Glasses, except I don't wear them. I should to read, though; that's probably why I read slowly.

I have "lattice degeneration", a thinning of the retina

I've got an uncle that didn't get lasik for that same exact reason, AFTER he'd taken a 1000-mile trip to get the surgery.

I love my glasses! I think I'm less pretty without them.

I had this opinion of the entire female gender growing up, long before I saw any anime.

What's the difference between calling yourself Mormon or saying "LDS"?

In the big, main LDS Church (which includes OSC and I), being called "Mormon" or "LDS" is typically an irrelevant distinction. The former is a little more casual, the latter more formal, but whatever. In the more mainstream-Christian offshoot, currently called Community in Christ and previously called The Reorganized Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS) considers "Mormon" to be an insult. Or so I've been told. I donno about the other offshoot churches; they're typically too small for it to come up, anyway.

Also does anyone know what that logo in the top left of the screen is?

Supposedly it's going to be replaced with a less confusing logo we voted on... any day now...

Considering that was two and a half years ago, I'm thinking not.

favorite flower

Mario's fireflower.

did your parents ever say "Stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about"?

Only satirically. Also, if you fall down and hurt yourself, "Com'ere and I'll pick ya up." and "It'll feel better when it quits hurtin'." My parents made jokes out of serious things, but kept you in on the joke rather than the butt of it. Have I mentioned my parents are awesome?

I've always wondered whether you are a man or woman...

I am occasionally called "she," most often in places where complete sentences, proper spelling, and compliments are rare.

Rei is a beautiful young lady, and EL is a magnificent dragon. How they consummated that marriage I'll never know.

I think ancient Chinese mythology has some of that. It was in The Golden Child, anyway.

Here's a random question I've been thinking about lately: if you could make everyone in the world read one book, which would it be?

Whew, my answer is going to be unpopular: Atlas Shrugged. Whether you agree with it or not, it is 1) the best dystopia I've ever read (and I love dystopias), and 2) it has a fascinating, unique perspective on life. More disclaimers will have to await specific criticisms.

Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman.

More philosophically valid, but less drama and plot.

I'm impressed by your perseverance in having read through the whole thread.

I figure the only way I'm going to get caught up to the rest of y'all is to put in extra effort.

Plus, frankly, I love research.

And now we know a lot more about you! That was actually a good idea, definitely should help you get more comfortable around here.