EPTAnd as always, if I have completely wasted your time then I hope you enjoy some music at least:
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What do you want to do before you die?
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
And as always, if I have completely wasted your time then I hope you enjoy some music at least: + Show Spoiler + | ||
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iFU.pauline
France1554 Posts
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 07 2021 16:32 iFU.pauline wrote: Leave France forever. Why? I would like to visit there someday. I guess that is an aspiration... | ||
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JoinTheRain
Bulgaria408 Posts
 Less importantly, I still aspire to improve professionally, which is not hard at all, but still I'd like to improve so that I can be more useful to patients and customers. I'd love to write prose well which is actually quite hard and requires vast amount of training. Moving on the even less important and easier things, those aren't mental, I'd like to keep my body in shape even as the years drag me on. I have a small construction project I need to do, but that's really short term, like for 2022. Then I'd like to buy small property in Greece as well as Turkey since they're so cheap, accessible and usable, unlike in Bulgaria. That's about it, I guess. | ||
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 07 2021 21:53 JoinTheRain wrote: Most of all I'd like to see my kid get along well in her life. I want to do my best to support and correct her when needed, but not to impose my will without a sound reason. Less importantly, I still aspire to improve professionally, which is not hard at all, but still I'd like to improve so that I can be more useful to patients and customers. I'd love to write prose well which is actually quite hard and requires vast amount of training. Moving on the even less important and easier things, those aren't mental, I'd like to keep my body in shape even as the years drag me on. I have a small construction project I need to do, but that's really short term, like for 2022. Then I'd like to buy small property in Greece as well as Turkey since they're so cheap, accessible and usable, unlike in Bulgaria. That's about it, I guess. That sounds like a good set of priorities and you seem like a good parent. Sometimes I get the feeling I would like to write well too, but as you say it takes a lot of practice (or maybe some people are just talented). | ||
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RvB
Netherlands6208 Posts
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 08 2021 05:20 RvB wrote: Get kids and see them grow up. My dad died when I was young. I'd like to be on the other side this time. That was what I always wanted too when I was growing up. Don't think it's in the cards for me anymore though. Sorry about your Dad that must have been painful. | ||
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JoinTheRain
Bulgaria408 Posts
On December 08 2021 03:04 Starlightsun wrote: Sometimes I get the feeling I would like to write well too, but as you say it takes a lot of practice (or maybe some people are just talented). The blueprint for writing is easy enough - if you want to be a good writer, first you have to find who you're to imitate and there's a bunch to choose from. Then you just have to figure out your content, be it fiction novels, short stories, scripts, essays, speeches, whatever. And lastly - just write and edit, write and edit. There's surely talent involved, but it's far from an insurmountable task. As for me, I see that even writers who are considered successful have such badly written novels and that tells me writing is not unachievable and needs leisure and training. I've tried to read Stephen King, he's considered a successful writer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The green mile but that's about it. I tried to read The gunslinger series and I was appalled at how poorly it was written. Much more preferable to me are 20th century writers like Remarque, Proust, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck and I have not even started Russian classical authors or Maupassant and such. Yet even they have but a remnant of skill when compared to Marcus Cicero, Plato, Demosthenes, Aristotle and as much as I hate his character - Lucius Seneca. | ||
Peeano
Netherlands4987 Posts
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DeNikSSB
United States135 Posts
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 08 2021 23:24 Peeano wrote: My dream or aspiration is to leave a mark. Create/invent something I can enjoy and share it with people to have the same experience. It could be in music, art, furniture, tools. I have far too many dreams actually. It boils down to that I want to have success and feel proud. I want to make life easier or more enjoyable for myself and the generations that come after me. I wasn't put on this earth to just waste away or reproduce. That is admirable and I wish you success. I also wish I could create art instead of being always a passive consumer and recipient, but unfortunately everything I make is very cringe, ugly or both. On December 09 2021 02:01 DeNikSSB wrote: I actually have no clue either lol. I'd like to do something notable in gaming/esports, but I'm still trying to figure that out. Guess you're in the right era at least. It's amazing how much esports has become mainstream and accepted. Our college here has an Overwatch team I think. When I was in highschool I think maybe Doom and Counterstrike had some competition in the US, and there was Starcraft in Korea, but otherwise computer gaming was still nerd city and something you didn't talk about in polite company like politics or religion. | ||
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 08 2021 19:27 JoinTheRain wrote: The blueprint for writing is easy enough - if you want to be a good writer, first you have to find who you're to imitate and there's a bunch to choose from. Then you just have to figure out your content, be it fiction novels, short stories, scripts, essays, speeches, whatever. And lastly - just write and edit, write and edit. There's surely talent involved, but it's far from an insurmountable task. As for me, I see that even writers who are considered successful have such badly written novels and that tells me writing is not unachievable and needs leisure and training. I've tried to read Stephen King, he's considered a successful writer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The green mile but that's about it. I tried to read The gunslinger series and I was appalled at how poorly it was written. Much more preferable to me are 20th century writers like Remarque, Proust, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck and I have not even started Russian classical authors or Maupassant and such. Yet even they have but a remnant of skill when compared to Marcus Cicero, Plato, Demosthenes, Aristotle and as much as I hate his character - Lucius Seneca. I think King's appeal is as a story teller more than a stylist. The guy can spin a good yarn, as is evidenced by how many of his books are turned into movies or TV series. It's been a long time since I read him but I think I see what you're saying about his style. For those classical authors, do you read them in their original languages? I can only read them in English translation and for the life of me I can't understand all the praise of Cicero. I read his "On the Nature of the Gods" and a smattering of his orations and essays, and to me it just comes across as rather overwrought and pretentious. Plato I absolutely admire and adore, Seneca I like his philosophy but his style too is rather smug and pretentious. Aristotle is extremely hard for me to read. The blueprint of writing I think must be very heavily weighted in the last element you mentioned, the writing and editing. I went through periods of obsession with Fitzgerald and Dostoevsky but it's not as though I could absorb their style just by reading them. I guess as you say you must pick what content you wish to write too and stick to that. Ultimately though I think for writing successful fiction you must have a knack for good story telling above all, and I'm not sure how much of that is just innate. A highly polished turd remains a turd, while there is terribly written stuff that has wide and lasting appeal because it speaks to people in something beyond its language and construction. | ||
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daskleinehotte
Germany76 Posts
* see my son grow up to live a happy and fulfilled life * be reasonable successful in my career and reach financial independence at some point * never get fat (or to put it in a positive way: stay fit / lean) * read 1000 books * stay happy gaming / esports related: * get to masters level in sc2 (prob. not gonna happen TT ) * go to a dreamhack (in Sweden) as a competitor (BYOC would be fine) | ||
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JoinTheRain
Bulgaria408 Posts
On December 09 2021 03:37 Starlightsun wrote: For those classical authors, do you read them in their original languages? Oh, no, I'm too lazy to learn Latin and Greek so I read in English. On December 09 2021 03:37 Starlightsun wrote: for the life of me I can't understand all the praise of Cicero. Well, as for me, at first I read his speeches against Antonius and they were so finely written and so powerful that I could feel myself hating Antonius and liking Caesar Octavian, which I know is wrong cause Octavian was no better than Antonius, just ended up being a more successful military dictator. That aside, Cicero's book On the ideal orator is what I'd praise and consider the pinnacle of his writing. The dialogue flows so smoothly and is so loaded with credible advice on how to form a speech as well as prose that I'd say it's a must read for everyone aspiring to write. His reasoning on how many words to put in a sentence, the use of metaphors, the rhythm of the speech, even the advice on how to remember vast amounts of text - it's so brilliant. I'd go as far as to say that if one follows the suggested structure, one can form a book chapter in such a way that it'll leave the reader curious and wanting to read more. Now I'm reading and translating into Bulgarian On duty and I find it quite entertaining on top of useful. Anyway, he's mostly important, I think, because his writings have inspired and shaped most of the speeches of successful speakers and politicians after the Reformation. You just have to pick up Paine's Common sense and it's so obvious who he's trying to imitate there. The passion is there, the structure, the language, the length of the sentences - everything is used. Cicero's influence of Churchill's speeches is even more palpable, I'd say. On December 09 2021 03:37 Starlightsun wrote: I read his "On the Nature of the Gods" and a smattering of his orations and essays, and to me it just comes across as rather overwrought and pretentious. Yes, I guess this is an expression of this Attic style of oratory that he liked. I'm certain he could've been more terse because in his letters to Atticus it's so different how he expresses himself. Seems to me whatever he wrote was aimed at a certain audience and that is what shaped the form; not that skill with words was lacking, but he was trying to be understandable and to exert influence on the audience. On December 09 2021 03:37 Starlightsun wrote: Seneca I like his philosophy but his style too is rather smug and pretentious. Stoicism has a strong appeal to me, but I ended up loathing Seneca's character when I read a biography on him, The greatest empire, I think. For writing - I join your opinion, yet those adjectives don't make him a bad writer. On December 09 2021 03:37 Starlightsun wrote: Aristotle is extremely hard for me to read. Indeed. So much so that sometimes I think I'm a retard. Even though it's a tough read, his brilliance shines all through. And I catch myself reminding "Oh, this is not meant for pleasure, you know, it's supposed to make you think, not thoroughly enjoy it." | ||
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 09 2021 22:03 JoinTheRain wrote: Oh, no, I'm too lazy to learn Latin and Greek so I read in English. Well, as for me, at first I read his speeches against Antonius and they were so finely written and so powerful that I could feel myself hating Antonius and liking Caesar Octavian, which I know is wrong cause Octavian was no better than Antonius, just ended up being a more successful military dictator. That aside, Cicero's book On the ideal orator is what I'd praise and consider the pinnacle of his writing. The dialogue flows so smoothly and is so loaded with credible advice on how to form a speech as well as prose that I'd say it's a must read for everyone aspiring to write. His reasoning on how many words to put in a sentence, the use of metaphors, the rhythm of the speech, even the advice on how to remember vast amounts of text - it's so brilliant. I'd go as far as to say that if one follows the suggested structure, one can form a book chapter in such a way that it'll leave the reader curious and wanting to read more. Now I'm reading and translating into Bulgarian On duty and I find it quite entertaining on top of useful. Anyway, he's mostly important, I think, because his writings have inspired and shaped most of the speeches of successful speakers and politicians after the Reformation. You just have to pick up Paine's Common sense and it's so obvious who he's trying to imitate there. The passion is there, the structure, the language, the length of the sentences - everything is used. Cicero's influence of Churchill's speeches is even more palpable, I'd say. Yes, I guess this is an expression of this Attic style of oratory that he liked. I'm certain he could've been more terse because in his letters to Atticus it's so different how he expresses himself. Seems to me whatever he wrote was aimed at a certain audience and that is what shaped the form; not that skill with words was lacking, but he was trying to be understandable and to exert influence on the audience. Stoicism has a strong appeal to me, but I ended up loathing Seneca's character when I read a biography on him, The greatest empire, I think. For writing - I join your opinion, yet those adjectives don't make him a bad writer. Indeed. So much so that sometimes I think I'm a retard. Even though it's a tough read, his brilliance shines all through. And I catch myself reminding "Oh, this is not meant for pleasure, you know, it's supposed to make you think, not thoroughly enjoy it." Thanks for sharing about Cicero. Makes me want to give him a try again and will definitely start with On the Ideal Orator when I do. I had his On Duty in my to buy list somewhere since I'd heard it's full of useful life philosophy. That's cool that you are translating it into Bulgarian. I'm curious what about Seneca has made you loathe his character so much? All I know of him is that he was a wealthy aristocrat and died by suicide on orders from the emperor. I know some accuse him of hypocrisy due to his wealth, but there must be something more to have inspired such strong dislike in you? Glad to hear I'm not the only one that feels like a retard when trying to read Aristotle lol. Even though I can hardly understand him I am impressed by the great breadth of things he thought and wrote about, and for the rigorousness he strove for. Plato is such a contrast in that he treats the same subject matter with such a light and artistic touch. The ancients are so fascinating; I often wonder what they would have to say about the modern world. | ||
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 09 2021 17:06 daskleinehotte wrote: real life stuff: * see my son grow up to live a happy and fulfilled life * be reasonable successful in my career and reach financial independence at some point * never get fat (or to put it in a positive way: stay fit / lean) * read 1000 books * stay happy gaming / esports related: * get to masters level in sc2 (prob. not gonna happen TT ) * go to a dreamhack (in Sweden) as a competitor (BYOC would be fine) How many books are you at? My sister tries to do 52 a year, I usually end up around 20. Good luck on the esports stuff maybe we will see you featured on TL. | ||
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daskleinehotte
Germany76 Posts
On December 10 2021 03:55 Starlightsun wrote: How many books are you at? My sister tries to do 52 a year, I usually end up around 20. Good luck on the esports stuff maybe we will see you featured on TL. There is a long way to go. I should be about around 150. Not counting the books that I had to read in school or things like Harry Potter (that I read in my early teens) or basically all non-fiction books. I should end up with 15 this year. | ||
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 10 2021 05:01 daskleinehotte wrote: There is a long way to go. I should be about around 150. Not counting the books that I had to read in school or things like Harry Potter (that I read in my early teens) or basically all non-fiction books. I should end up with 15 this year. Ah you're going at a pretty good pace. Why not count the non-fiction books? | ||
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daskleinehotte
Germany76 Posts
On December 10 2021 12:56 Starlightsun wrote: Ah you're going at a pretty good pace. Why not count the non-fiction books? The pace seems okay and with a normal life expectancy it should work out, but I am "already" 33 so not the youngest of TL users. Usually I don't read non-fiction books from beginning to end, but rather get back to them if I am looking for specific things. So to me I doesn't seem fair to count them as read. In the end I think I don't care about the precise number so much, but rather what I get out of the books. In my mid-twenties I stopped reading books midway through, if I didn't like them as much. Very good decision in hindsight. Most books I read within 5-10 days, then I stumble upon a book that is okay but not great and then I procrastinate on the reading for weeks or even months sometimes. Haven't found a good workaround for that yet. | ||
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LUCKY_NOOB
Bulgaria1430 Posts
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Starlightsun
United States1405 Posts
On December 10 2021 16:47 daskleinehotte wrote: The pace seems okay and with a normal life expectancy it should work out, but I am "already" 33 so not the youngest of TL users. Usually I don't read non-fiction books from beginning to end, but rather get back to them if I am looking for specific things. So to me I doesn't seem fair to count them as read. In the end I think I don't care about the precise number so much, but rather what I get out of the books. In my mid-twenties I stopped reading books midway through, if I didn't like them as much. Very good decision in hindsight. Most books I read within 5-10 days, then I stumble upon a book that is okay but not great and then I procrastinate on the reading for weeks or even months sometimes. Haven't found a good workaround for that yet. I'm with you on stopping books that are not enjoyable. Life is too short to slog through stuff just for the sake of completion. On December 10 2021 21:41 LUCKY_NOOB wrote: Discover immortality. What happens though if everyone else dies in nuclear holocaust or asteroid hitting the earth? Or I assume you'd still be alive when our sun has burned out, what if we hadn't reached interstellar travel by that time? Would you just be floating out in space in a suit for all eternity hoping to hit a habitable planet? | ||
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