XWord Muggles Forum

cbarbee002 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:34 pm (Un)officially OTC, but confident. Good one from the Thurman8er!’

BTW, too nerdy to say that I LOVED Algebra?! After 8th grade algebra I was convinced that I would be a math major in college. Then I took Calculus my first semester - - got an A, but it was Waaaayyyy too hard for me. My 54 (out of 100) was an A on the final (curved of course). People were crying coming out of the exam. . . .

Well, my “unofficially” was in fact just that - - turns out I was napping on the couch and just dreamed I was off. I won’t make the same mistake and say I have left the cushions just yet, but feeling (over) confident.

Which brings me to a short story. Where I worked, we had written evaluations after each project, and at the end of the year the evaluations would be reviewed for each person to determine strengths, areas for improvement, promotions (or not), and salary adjustment. One of the evaluations (fortunately not for me) had one of my all-time favorite critiques of a staff person. “Overconfident for no apparent reason.” . . . . .

cbarbee002 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:34 pm (Un)officially OTC, but confident. Good one from the Thurman8er!’

BTW, too nerdy to say that I LOVED Algebra?! After 8th grade algebra I was convinced that I would be a math major in college. Then I took Calculus my first semester - - got an A, but it was Waaaayyyy too hard for me. My 54 (out of 100) was an A on the final (curved of course). People were crying coming out of the exam. . . .

I got my degree in mathematics and loved it. The best math professor at Winona State University (Dr. Bunce) happened to be the main professor in computer science also. He came into class a bit late every day with a coffee mug and a grin on his face that said “I am going to blow you away today.” But I clicked with the way he taught. I ended up getting my minor in Computer Science and have been a computer programmer ever since (what can you do with a math degree except teach?). I had Dr. Bunce for 3 classes of advanced calculus with an older student named Rosa who was a doctors wife from Rochester. The 2 of us enjoyed the classes and were on the same wavelength as the teacher. Most kids in the classes struggled with them and only took it because it was required.

bhamren wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:12 am

cbarbee002 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:34 pm (Un)officially OTC, but confident. Good one from the Thurman8er!’

BTW, too nerdy to say that I LOVED Algebra?! After 8th grade algebra I was convinced that I would be a math major in college. Then I took Calculus my first semester - - got an A, but it was Waaaayyyy too hard for me. My 54 (out of 100) was an A on the final (curved of course). People were crying coming out of the exam. . . .

I got my degree in mathematics and loved it. The best math professor at Winona State University (Dr. Bunce) happened to be the main professor in computer science also. He came into class a bit late every day with a coffee mug and a grin on his face that said “I am going to blow you away today.” But I clicked with the way he taught. I ended up getting my minor in Computer Science and have been a computer programmer ever since (what can you do with a math degree except teach?). I had Dr. Bunce for 3 classes of advanced calculus with an older student named Rosa who was a doctors wife from Rochester. The 2 of us enjoyed the classes and were on the same wavelength as the teacher. Most kids in the classes struggled with them and only took it because it was required.

I've never worked harder than when I taught Calculus, but I've never had more fun either.

bhamren wrote: ↑Thu Dec 16, 2021 12:12 am

cbarbee002 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:34 pm (Un)officially OTC, but confident. Good one from the Thurman8er!’

BTW, too nerdy to say that I LOVED Algebra?! After 8th grade algebra I was convinced that I would be a math major in college. Then I took Calculus my first semester - - got an A, but it was Waaaayyyy too hard for me. My 54 (out of 100) was an A on the final (curved of course). People were crying coming out of the exam. . . .

I got my degree in mathematics and loved it. The best math professor at Winona State University (Dr. Bunce) happened to be the main professor in computer science also. He came into class a bit late every day with a coffee mug and a grin on his face that said “I am going to blow you away today.” But I clicked with the way he taught. I ended up getting my minor in Computer Science and have been a computer programmer ever since (what can you do with a math degree except teach?). I had Dr. Bunce for 3 classes of advanced calculus with an older student named Rosa who was a doctors wife from Rochester. The 2 of us enjoyed the classes and were on the same wavelength as the teacher. Most kids in the classes struggled with them and only took it because it was required.

I, on the other hand, loved algebra and calculus so much that I chose to study electrical engineering for the equations.

Delayed on everything this week, but think I'm off the couch.

A warm "welcome off the couch" to the following Muggles:

Meg
RJY
FrankieHeck
Laura M
Cap’n Rick
Boharr
HCBirker
Darth
BHamren
ChrisKochmanski
Oldjudge
MichaelM
Whimsy
Minimuggle
BarbaraK
Benchen71
Sewyoung
Carolyn
Dudeski
Anita
Madhatter5
MamaE
MaineMarge
Wendy Walker
Bird Lives
Joe Ross
Schmeel
Dplass
Dannyvee
Cinny
MikeM000
Runart
Lbray53
Snood
Markhr
Bbaack
Cbarbee002
MarkWoychick
KayW
BrennerTJ

From the metas-imitate-life department: it took me a couple of tries to get off the couch this week.

Fun puzzle!

cbarbee002 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 15, 2021 7:08 pm ...“Overconfident for no apparent reason.” . . . . .

Apologies, but I am stealing that line. Wish I had it while I was still working.

Fun puzzle.

Eye arr en enganeer, so math was a big part of it. Didn't really get excited in Calculus, just too dry for me. My favorite engineering subject was fluid mechanics (and the only test I overslept for in my academic life). So naturally, I never used it in my career. Has helped me with plumbing in the house though.

I'm not sure if anyone still needs a Friday nudge...but just in case:

The meta answer matches the theme answers.

_____OW _____OW

Agree calculus can be very tedious and dull which is unfortunate since it really deters people from math even though most of "real" math is far more elegant and less about annoying computations. In my opinion high school math should build up to something like number theory or abstract algebra which are more likely to get people hooked

The meta answer is SNOW PLOW.

There were 43 correct answers to the meta. By all accounts, it was indeed a Week 1. Quite a few people submitted SNOW BLOWER, before seeing how SNOW PLOW fit the pattern supplied by the theme answers.

My biggest problem with the puzzle was the lack of a good CLICK for solvers. I prefer metas that I submit while 100% sure of the answer. This is something I'll work on in future constructions.

Until then, thanks for solving. It was a fun week!


FINAL TALLY:

Meg
RJY
FrankieHeck
Laura M
Cap’n Rick
Boharr
HCBirker
Darth
BHamren
ChrisKochmanski
Oldjudge
MichaelM
Whimsy
Minimuggle
BarbaraK
Benchen71
Sewyoung
Carolyn
Dudeski
Anita
Madhatter5
MamaE
MaineMarge
Wendy Walker
Bird Lives
Joe Ross
Schmeel
Dplass
Dannyvee
Cinny
MikeM000
Runart
Lbray53
Snood
Markhr
Bbaack
Cbarbee002
MarkWoychick
KayW
BrennerTJ
Naptown Kid
DrTom
JeanneC

Hmm... SNOWPLOW was the Hail Mary I was going to submit, but I didn't see any mechanism for getting there.

Yes, I don’t see the mechanism either. ?

6 entries had the form "_OW_OW". Knowing the meta answer is something that is used to eliminate a winter pain, and that according to Thurman8er this is a "week 1" puzzle, we have to assume the meta answer takes the same form, hence "SNOWPLOW".

The mechanism is "the-answer-is-an-example-of-the-theme-that-fits-the-prompt". (I guess Thurman8ter never got the PM I forwarded to him.)

woozy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:17 am The mechanism is "the-answer-is-an-example-of-the-theme-that-fits-the-prompt". (I guess Thurman8ter never got the PM I forwarded to him.)

Yeah, as on many MGWCC week 1s.

Dplass wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:03 am

woozy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:17 am The mechanism is "the-answer-is-an-example-of-the-theme-that-fits-the-prompt". (I guess Thurman8ter never got the PM I forwarded to him.)

Yeah, as on many MGWCC week 1s.

I haven't had a chance to do a MGWCC week 1 yet. I've seen this mechanic in the WSJ contests occasionally as well.

woozy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 11:39 am

Dplass wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:03 am

woozy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:17 am The mechanism is "the-answer-is-an-example-of-the-theme-that-fits-the-prompt". (I guess Thurman8ter never got the PM I forwarded to him.)

Yeah, as on many MGWCC week 1s.

I haven't had a chance to do a MGWCC week 1 yet. I've seen this mechanic in the WSJ contests occasionally as well.

Ah, so now you know how to do MGWCC week 1s. :-O