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Broken Symmetry
brokensymmetry
04 August 2007 @ 09:51 pm
In which I whine about the heat some more  
The temperature here have been climbing back up. I spent much of yesterday morning trying to get climate control working in my living room, unsuccessfully. Consequently I spent the whole day hot and angry and stupid.

Today I gave up on the living room, purchased a small $40 computer desk from the local Rite Aid and moved into my bedroom, where the AC works fine. The difference was amazing, I was happy and able to focus on my studies and make some really good progress.

The conclusion is obvious: I'm part troll, in the Pratchettian sense1.

This bit from Men at Arms is particularly applicable
The rising temperature hit his thoughts like a flame-thrower caressing a snowflake.



1For those who haven't read any of the Discworld novels, Pratchett's trolls are silicon-based lifeforms whose brains work something like computers. They naturally count in binary. In warmer temperatures they overheat, degrade in performance, and eventually stop altogether. However when sufficiently cooled they go into overclocked mode and become capable of things like this.
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明け残る (akenokoru)[info]_akenokoru on August 5th, 2007 04:03 am (UTC)
I heartily agree. Summer whomps. It whomps so much, that only a silicon-based life form can calculate the degree of whompage. (Is there a sympbol for "whompage" in mathematics? Perhaps a "W" with an angry face?)

I've always meant to read something by Pratchett. Maybe I'll pick one up the next day I go into work. Which one would you recommend?

Nice icon. ;)
Broken Symmetry[info]brokensymmetry on August 5th, 2007 05:33 pm (UTC)
Is there a sympbol for "whompage" in mathematics? Perhaps a "W" with an angry face?

Hmmm, there should be! Maybe once the exam is over I'll try to add one to LaTeX (obviously not to be confused with Latex...)

Which one would you recommend?

Hmm, tough question. He's definitely become a better writer as the series has progressed, and arguably the later books are more grounded in a kind of seriousness, although while still often being quite funny. The earlier books have more of a sense of... freewheeling fun for lack of any better words.

Death features prominently as a character, you might find Pratchett's take interesting, amusing, or just plain annoying given your recent reading (and writing!) material. Anyway the place to start for the "Death arc" would be Mort. The next book in that arc, Soul Music has some interesting things to say about music and life.

Equal Rites is amusing if you view it a thinly-disguised metaphor for the friction between Wicca and Ceremonial Magick.

I guess I'd suggest starting with one of those. If you like any of them a little there are probably other books in the series with more of what you liked. If you don't like them at all you probably won't like any of the others either.
Mint[info]emeraldgrrl on August 6th, 2007 01:07 pm (UTC)
I was just telling my best friend I spend three quarters of the year dreading the summer. I find now that it's August, it's hotter than hell. I keep looking forward to fall and sweater and hot cups of tea. . .

Hope you're doing okay besides the heat.
Broken Symmetry[info]brokensymmetry on August 7th, 2007 01:51 am (UTC)
I was just telling my best friend I spend three quarters of the year dreading the summer.

I was thinking of you (and some people I know in Atlanta) last week as things started getting hot. I can barely function in summer in central NY, how does anyone in Florida manage to do anything but whimper and sweat?

I keep looking forward to fall and sweater and hot cups of tea.

You said it! Cool days and snuggly clothes and my fuzzy slippers and a mug of something warm are waiting if I can just hold out the next six weeks.

Hope you're doing okay besides the heat.

The looming quals still have me feeling a bit weird, but I'm mostly okay, thanks.

Good luck with the move!